A Fun Twist on a Summer Treat

My Great-Grandma Meldrum had a favorite treat--cantaloupe and ice cream. 

She would cut it in half and scoop out the seeds which creates a bowl.  Then, fill it with ice cream!

Brett and I decided to try it last week.  It was actually really yummy!  You just scoop up a bit of cantaloupe with your bite of ice cream and yum! 

I still haven't perfected the art of picking out melons, so it would have been even tastier if I had picked a better cantaloupe.  And the cantaloupe was huge, so we opted to share!  We would recommend this fun semi-healthy treat to take advantage of the produce that is in season!

Mason Jar Meals

Lately the heat has been getting to me.  117 degrees isn't what you'd call ideal weather.  And after the infamous "haboob" dust storm hit the valley and no rain has followed, the weather is even nastier (if you can imagine that!).

So I have been dreaming of going on a picnic.  And while perusing the internet, I came across the coolest thing ever: Mason Jar Meals

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Is that not the coolest idea?  The possibilities are endless!  You could even make a beautiful parfait with shortcake, strawberries, and whip cream layered (although it would get soggy quickly, so it would need to be made right before the picnic).  There are so many creative ways to make a mason jar meal, and they are perfect for a picnic.  Throw these in a picnic basket with a few mason jars full of lemonade and a couple filled with ice to keep things chilled, and you have a phenomenal and fun picnic!

To see how to assemble them and for more ideas, check out The Decorated Cookie Blog, here.

I had to post these so that when it is picnic season here (come mid-November), I can try these out with Brett.  Maybe my fellow cousins in the Utah area can give these a shot, since picnics aren't impossible in the summertime!

Before and After: Secretary's Desk

For those who don't know me well, I love crafting.  And refurnishing furniture.  And reading craft blogs.  However, I am basically a big copy-cat, I look at what other people do and then recreate something similar.  Brett is very creative.  His first major was industrial design, so he can draw very well and is a great problem solver. 

After we got engaged, I was determined for us to have a somewhat furnished home once we were married, but on a very tight budget (which has been a success!  We do have furniture).  So I frequented the Goodwills around town on the 50% off Saturdays.  I scored some good things!  My most favorite was this secretary's desk.  I got it for $6!

I first saw it in the store, and loved it.  But I was with my mom, and I thought she might think I was crazy.  But then she noticed it and thought it had potential.  It was really scratched up and had gunk all over it, but it had such a cute shape and was the perfect size for a small home! So I bought it!  I immediately knew what I wanted to do with it.  I loved the shape, but I felt like the little door covered up some of it's beauty, and I couldn't have the door open all the time.  So, I took the door off of the hinges, wiped off, sanded down, painted, distressed, and glazed.  Brett helped me a lot on this, we had good times laughing on the back porch doing this project. 

One night we were working on it and I was frustrated at how it was looking.  Brett turned to me and said "Tia, it looks like it came right out of Pottery Barn".  Does he know how to make me happy or what?!  I think it looking from Pottery Barn was a stretch, but I am very pleased with how it turned out.  It is one of my favorite pieces in my house. 

Remember how I took the door off?  Well, I couldn't just let it go to waste.  And since chalk-boarding things is all the rage right now, I decided to add a little chalkboard paint and cork to hang on the wall above the desk.  Here are the results!

I use it as a desk/hutch in my kitchen.  It is great keeping pens and tape close and handy near the calendar.  As well as those big beautiful white serving dishes I received for my wedding but do not use very often.  I love that I can use it as storage and decor all at once!  Plus it gives me room for a small lamp and a place for my cookbooks and clean kitchen towels.

It was a great investment at $6, plus the supplies were minimal.  I bought a quart of off-white paint and a quart of glaze, and a sample of brown paint (to tint the glaze).  I have a ton of the paint and glaze left, so they will be used on many more projects. 

Just one of a few refurnishing projects from Goodwill.  Stay tuned for some shutters, a nightstand, and wreaths!

First Day of Work

Eating french toast getting ready for his first day at work!  Isn't he handsome?  I know he'll do great, I can hardly wait until he gets home to hear all about it!

Bahamian Honeymoon

A couple of months before we got married, Brett handed me a packet titled "Honeymoon Itinerary".  It was full of the hotels we were staying at, our flight information, and cruise information!  (Does he know me well or what?  I love having an "itinerary"!).  I was ecstatic!  We went on a 5-day, 4-night cruise to the Bahamas on Norwegian Cruise Line. 

Upon returning to Mesa following our wedding festivities, we ate, did a little last minute packing, and slept for an hour and a half and then we were honeymoon bound!  We stopped by Wal Mart at about 3 am to get a few trial and travel size things (we did not check any bags, so our luggage had to follow the "liquid" guidelines that the airport requires for carry-ons--what a pain!).  Here we are at 4:15 am, already through security and just waiting to board!

We had a short layover in Houston and then arrived in Ft. Lauderdale in the early afternoon.  We took a cab to Miami to the ship where we boarded.  After the mandatory safety meeting, you can probably guess that what we did next was CHOW DOWN!

 This is Brett's first bite on the ship, it was a yummy BBQ

 The boat leaving Miami

Eating breakfast over-looking the Bahamas

Our first stop: Freeport, Bahamas.  We walked around the small shops and then we were on our way to go on a jet ski tour!  Once we got there (that was an adventure in and of itself), we had an absolute blast!  We were so glad we chose to do this day trip.  It was a really fun and exciting way to see parts of the Bahamas. 

 The water was gorgeous! 

That night we dug into steak and pasta.  It was pretty cool to finish our meal and just be able to leave without waiting for a check.  Before knowing Brett, I had never known anyone who gets so excited about steak.  So you can imagine how much he loved free steak!  (I guess it is technically "pre-paid" but it felt free!). 

The next day we spent as a "beach day" on the cruise line's private island.  We lounged, napped, read, swam, visited.  So relaxing and enjoyable!  The weather and water were the perfect temperatures!

 And look at the fellow honeymooners we ran into a few times!  Thomas and Taylor!  So fun!

And of course, lots of eating!  (Hopefully Brett doesn't kill me for posting all the eating photos!) 

The last full day, we were at Nassau.  This is home to the famous Atlantis Resort.  If you have never heard of the Atlantis, it is so beautiful!  We went through the amazing Aquarium there, and wandered around trying to soak it all in. 

Sorry for the long post and picture overload!  We had a great time!  Now we have been home for about a month, and we just love being married!



Even Though We Ain't Got Money

"Even though we ain't got money, I'm so in love with you honey" is what Brett sings to me often.  And we both start giggling.  Because that song has never been more true to us than it has been this last month.  We have been living off of wedding gift money and gift cards, so we still have been able to enjoy going out to dinner each week (we received some wonderful restaurant gift cards!).  I have been working, but not a lot of hours, and Brett has only worked a handful of days.  This economy stinks, especially for new graduates with a lot of potential, but limited experience. 

However, we feel so blessed because last week Brett got a job!  And since he is interested in pursuing a financial direction with his degree, working at a bank will be a great opportunity!  So now we are soaking up the last week of less work, with the peace of mind knowing that a paycheck will make it to our door sometime relatively soon. 

I have been wanting to post, and I have lots of entries to put up with lots of pictures.  But I left my camera down in Willcox last weekend, so hopefully I can get it back soon and update.  But for now, happy summer!  I found this entry on Busy Bee Lauren's blog, and I really hope Brett and I have a chance to at least do a few things on the list!  Check it out, there are quite a few free or inexpensive things to do.  Enjoy!

Down to Just Hours

I can not even believe I am about to be a married woman!  We are down to just hours now, and it is so exciting!  It is starting to feel more real now that I have gone through the temple, family is coming into town, and I am starting to pack for my honeymoon.  But it is still such a surreal feeling!

Brett and I went down to Willcox over general conference weekend and his sisters and sisters-in-law who were in town, and mom planned a bridal shower for me while the men were at the priesthood session.  It was a blast!

Susan, my soon to be mother-in-law, gave a little introduction



My two future sisters-in-law Melanie and Maren, with baby Cooper

Another future sister-in-law, Kami

I got so many wonderful and thoughtful gifts!  I am so blessed!

They of course had to grill me about Brett.  I buckled under pressure and couldn't come up with his favorite food.  Anyone that knows Brett knows it is steak!

My other future sister-in-law, Rebecca and Melanie just putting the final touches on the food table.  Everyone made such yummy treats!

Last week Brett and I got all decked out in our wedding attire and took some photos...
Here are a few sneak peeks of our pre-wedding bride and groom photos:

We are so excited!  After we get back from our honeymoon, I am sure we will have tons of wedding and post-wedding photos to share!