A White Christmas in Colorado...

This year was a Christmas of firsts for us. It was our first year without traveling. Our first year with our own live tree, my first year making the Marshall secret toffee by myself (no burns this year, but I attached last years picture just for kicks), and the first white Christmas that I can remember.
Christmas morning we woke up to new snow on the ground and snow falling. It continued all day and finally stopped around 10pm with about 10 inches of new snow. It was an amazing sight to see and we're pretty glad we stuck around for it.
We celebrated Christmas eve at the Leavitts. Tara made an incredible beef tenderloin dinner, we played bingo for prizes, we had a goofy gift exchange, and we rocked out to Karoake. Spencer and I had Christmas morning at our house, pretty quiet with 2, but fun. We made mom's coffee cake for breakfast and then we headed back to the Leavitts that afternoon. We played their new Wii, ping pong and pool, and Jason hooked a sled to the back of the quad and took the kids on sleigh rides around the neighborhood.
I've decided that life would be pretty great if no one had to work and we could all hang out with family and friends and play all day.
It's so fun to have family in town, and it turned out to be a great Christmas in Colorado.
Happy New Year.

Comin' Home

I just booked a flight to come home for a week. I'll be in Boise January 3rd-10th.
For any of you old Boise friends, I'd love to see you, and if anyone needs photos taken of their kids let me know, I'm bringing my gear.
Happy almost Christmas!

Check it out!

Hi all,
Spencer's work, "Anabliss Graphic Design" just got their new website up. www.anabliss.com
Now you can see the cool projects he's been working on. It's easiest to get to the project pictures through the portfolio link on the (full screen mode) home page. Be sure and look at the "Champions For Children" webpage...who is that? And, if you go to the sketchbook link you can check out the "Rocky Mountain Fresh Foods" design. Spencer worked heavily on this project and I think it's pretty cool. We love shopping with our canvas cow bags that he designed and we're becoming so eco-friendly.
Also be sure and check out the leadership photos that I shot. They were one of my first commercial accounts since moving here, and were a lot of fun to take.
Happy Holidays!

Happy Birthday Spencer!

Today is Spencer's 31st birthday.

We've been married 3 1/2 years but I was thinking about it last night, and this will be the 6th birthday I've spent with you. I think the first was your 26th, and you and Ty and I drove to Jackson Hole and got blue cheese burgers at the Silver Dollar Bar.
I'm so grateful for so many years of fun memories with you.
I just wanted to say how much I love you and am grateful for you. Aren't we lucky to have so much fun together!
Thanks for always making me laugh and being my best friend. I sure love you, more now than ever.
I hope you have a great birthday!
-Andi

Frederiksen lady elfs

Spencer's uncle did this with the Leavitt girls and it was pretty funny.
So here goes my version, shake a leg Frederiksen elfs...Mom's cracks me up, I think her elf is a little slow. Copy and paste this in a new window, it's worth it!

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1396953059

Mother of 3...

Spencer and I spent last week at the Leavitt's watching their girls while they vacationed in Hawaii. We had a ton of fun, but going from 0 to mother of 3 overnight, and still trying to work was a little crazy. Trying to remember everything was the hardest part... Did you brush your teeth, your hair, Ryleigh did you remember to feed the dogs,do your homework? When's dance and hockey and where again? Do I have an appt. this morning...my computer is at home and they're coming to view photos in 45 minutes yikes!
It was a full-on time management course, but good practice for me. Hats off to all you mom's that do this every day! At least the girls were super fun and forgiving of my mistakes like bringing Kennedy to dance in her tennis shoes instead of her jazz shoes, or having to ask for help from a stranger to tie Ryleigh's hockey skates tight enough. But overall I'd say it was a success. We all had fun, Kennedy had a great 6th birthday and rocked out to her new i-pod during our dance parties. Ryleigh helped Spencer and I shop for a puppy (wishful thinking) we like the french bulldog and boston terriers the best, and Emerson was as cute as can be. The video is off of our little point and shoot camera so it's not the best quality but still pretty silly. She did have tights on earlier, but this was after church post diaper change...

Chocolate Haupia pie

I'm baking! We loved Ted's chocolate haupia pie in Hawaii so much that I baked one from scratch for the first time, shaved the chocolate and made the whipped cream even. Made a little bit of a mess too as you can tell from my countertop, and the shaved chocolate was everywhere, but it was sure Yummy! You all have to try this.
I don't usually love coconut flavored things but this is so good, almost as good as the real thing. When I make it again, I think it would be even better with milk chocolate chips instead of the semi-sweet the recipe calls for. Thanks to Diane for hunting it down.

Chocolate Haupia Pie
Ingredients:
1-9" Prepared pie crust 1 can Coconut milk 1 C Sugar 1 C Whole milk, but you can us skim or low fat 1/2 C Cornstrach	1 C water 7 oz Semi-sweet chocolate 1 1/2 C Heavy whipping cream 1/4 C Sugar Shaved chocolate, for garnish
Cooking Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350. Bake pie crust until golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. In a saucepan, whisk coconut milk, milk and 1 cup sugar. In a separate bowl, dissolve cornstarch in water. Bring the milk mixture to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and whisk in cornstarch mixture until thickened. Microwave chocolate pieces for 1 minute or until melted. Pour half of the haupia mixture into a bowl, set aside, with the remaining half mix with melted chocolate and pour into the bottom of pie crust, layer the remaining haupia on top, (hint use the back of a tbsp spoon to evenly pour mixture out). Cool the pie in the frig for a minimum of an hour. In a mixer, whip heavy cream with the 1/4 cup sugar until still peaks form. Garnish the pie with whipped cream and shaved chocolate. Chill for another hour. Makes 6-8 servings.

Beach Bums...2007

Here is a quick slideshow of our Hawaiian fun. The pictures are a compilation of both mine and Scott's (Spencer's Dad).
Enjoy!

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

I've been tagged...

So, while I was in Hawaii I was tagged by my sister Alisa. I'm supposed to list 6 fun facts/habits about myself. I had a hard time coming up with anything worthwhile that most of you don't already know, but here's my best effort.

I often wonder about the places I haven’t been. I really, really want to travel…Italy, Spain, Africa, The Caribbean, Mexico, recently Hawaii, and anywhere the sun shines, there’s a beautiful beach, or there are new things to see and do.

I have always been self-conscious about my hair. It’s gotten better over the years, but I have a lifetime of bad hair experiences, and hair anxiety. It hasn’t been until recently that I can honestly thank my Dad for my curls. They make me me right? So I’m okay with it now, but oh if you could see pictures. My sister used to pay me 50 cents to brush out my hair just to get a good laugh. My hair mishaps range from bad cuts, to chemical burns from relaxers, and sleeping in ski caps for a good chunk of my college, and post college life.

I have a bit of an addictive personality. I like to think of it as drive and ambition, but I’ll admit there are times when it can get out of hand. Once I start something, it’s really hard for me to stop, and it’s really hard for me to think about anything else. Poor Spencer, he knows to steer clear when I’m in “the funk”. There have been many late nights not because of deadlines, but because I can’t physically stop what I’m doing until it’s finished. Be it photo work, organizing, AM2 stuff (our flea market business) etc… I’m a perfectionist, but an efficient worker to say the least.

I’m shy. Not as much as when I was younger, but still a little. It’s funny, I can get on stage and perform in front of 10,000 students, but put me one on one with someone I don’t know and it makes me super nervous.

I love trucks. If I could buy another car, it would be a black or white Toyota Tacoma extended cab pickup. It’s got to be the middle size, not the little Ford ranger types, or the monster truck size. It has to have some good big tires, but not too big; just the right size for a girl. I love ‘em… 4- wheel drive, sitting up high, hauling stuff, camping out. So great!

I’m totally addicted to my sister’s kids Owen 4 and Ella 2. I check her blog almost daily, and am so excited when there are updates and new pictures to see. Even when there isn’t anything new, I love laughing or tearing up to the old posts and videos. Maybe it’s because they are the closest thing I have to kids of my own, or maybe it’s just because they are so darn irresistible, but whatever it is I’m thoroughly smitten!

Thanks, Al

Back from Hawaii

Spencer and I just got back from 10 days in Hawaii. We spent the first 3 in Maui and the rest on the North Shore of Oahu with M&D Marshall. We loved it! I know if I shared all the details you would all be reading for hours, so I'll just list the highlights:
Maui: The Road to Hana, a black sand beach, an obscure red sand beach, swimming in the seven sacred pools(my favorite part of Maui) handmade leis from the roadside, and snorkeling with sea turtles at the black rock at Kaanapali Beach. Oh, and if anyone goes you have to eat at the Pineapple Grill in Kapalua...unreal food, and the setting is pretty amazing too.
While we were on Oahu, we stayed in a house on the beach in Haleiwa. We loved every minute and played pretty hard, but I'd say the highlights were: Breakfast on our own private beach every morning, rainbows in the sky almost everyday. Ted's Chocolate Haupia pie...(was it 3 or 4 different nights)? The Triple Crown Hawaiian Pro surf competition at our beach in Haleiwa. Airbrush tattoos in Waikiki(my mother in-law's idea..how cool is that). "Mochis" at Bubbies in Honolulu, apple bananas from the fruit stand. The Kahuku Farms shrimp truck for M&D, i'm scared of shrimp, but the atmosphere was so fun. The strawberry guava tunnel on our hike to Laie Falls, a pizza picnic at sunset on Sunset beach. Watching the surfers on 15ft waves at the Bonzai Pipeline, taking private surf lessons from Uncle Bryan on the north shore. Finding the beach where they film "Lost" and then seeing the crew cars and trailers across the street...never saw the actors though. Finding the "Other's" village which is actually a YMCA camp on the north shore, and eating at "Lei Lei's" at Turtle Bay.
It was amazing to go and so sad to leave, but we're gearing up for next year and can't wait to go back. I've dreamt of surfing the past two nights, and am so excited to get back in the water! I think it's my new thing...if only I could find some waves...in Colorado...
I've posted a few pictures, but I'm also working on a slide show because there are so many. I'll put it up when it's done.
-aloha

Happy Halloween!

Halloween is just not the same without little ones around to enjoy it. Since Spencer and I don't have any kids of our own, we tagged along at the Leavitt's Halloween party and watched their kids enjoy Trick or Treating. So cute. Ryleigh was "Mother Nature", Kennedy was "Major Flirt" and Emerson was "Elmo." It was so fun to see their excitement and so funny to watch Emerson running in circles after she had a little too much candy.
A quick update on us: Tara and I filled our first wholesale order and delivered it this week. It was a ton of work but we're excited about going down that road. Check out tilliedesigns.com. Our letters and plaques should be on their online boutique as well as in the store in the next few weeks.
I won the "funniest" pumpkin prize at the ward pumpkin carving party...and then someone decided to take it home with them.
Spencer won a copy of "Surfs Up" at the grocery store earlier this week. Super cute movie for those who haven't seen it.
October has been great for pictures appointments. Love those Christmas cards.
and, we're so excited to leave on our first real, and much needed vacation next Tuesday. Hawaii here we come!

One Crazy Week

So last week was crazy busy. Spencer and I were both sick, he worked crazy hours all week and half a day on Saturday. I ran ragged between photo appointments, ward activity errands, holiday market shifts, a haircut in there somewhere, wholesale letter appointments and supply runs, and who knows what else. It felt like there was a lot going on, but I cant think of much to say about it. Just one of those weeks I guess. On a positive note, we wrapped up the week with a fun surprise. My little brother Nate had a job interview in Denver on Monday so he flew in Sunday night and had dinner with us. We hung out in the hot tub surrounded by four inches of snow that had fallen that morning, and I was able to see him for a couple of hours Monday afternoon as well. For those who don't know him, Nate is the best! He's so smart, super fun, and totally cool; rare combination I know. He's graduating in April at the top of his class with a business degree in finance. The company here in Denver wined and dined him well, and we're crossing our fingers that he and Julie end up our neighbors next summer. Hopefully Alisa and Andrew will find a residency here in about a year and then Mom and Dad can come once Dad retires and the rest of the "Freds" can follow. I've got it all figured out it'll be so great, just pack your bags.

Estes Park, Colorado

A couple of months back I got a call from the Stake Single Adult rep asking me to give a photo seminar at their retreat in Estes Park, CO. Even though the logistics changed as the date approached from a two night hotel stay and two days comped meals deal; "a second honeymoon" was how it was phrased. To a "bring your own toilet paper, ear plugs and you might be split up and sharing rooms with the singles campout. We worked it out and ended up having a lot of fun.
We passed on the overnight thing altogether, and went to a Wayne Brady improv concert Friday night instead, and then we drove up early Saturday morning. The workshop went well, we cashed in our lunch tickets at the cafeteria, and then Spencer and I spent the rest of the day checking out Rocky Mountain National Park. It was kind of a misty cold day, but the colors outside were amazing, and we even experienced our first snow of the season when we hit the top of a mountain at almost 13,000 feet elevation. You can see from the picture I shot out the windshield that it was coming down pretty good. Have I mentioned how much we like Colorado.

Our last "Paris Street Market"

This past Saturday was our last market for the season (high-5 Tara.)
It's funny to think of how much better and more efficient we've become at everything since the first one in June... uuugghh that was pretty ugly. We've had a lot of fun, a little frustration of course, and a lot of hard work. We've both been covered in black and cream spray paint for 6 months, and we even have calloused fingers from it. Tara has dealt with a checkerboard lawn all summer, and i think we've surprised our husbands at how much 2 girls can really move around.
It'll be nice to have a break, especially from the 3am market mornings, but we're excited to get going on next years market season, and we're thinking of renting a space at a local antique store between now and then. I just got a call this morning from a lady that has a store at Cherry Creek, that is interested in selling some of our items, and the exposure at the market for my photography has been amazing. I would say 80% of my business comes from people that saw my work at our booth.
It's turned out to be a pretty cool experience.
I've attached some pictures from the September market, so you all can see what our space looked like. I like the one of all the people shopping, that's my favorite part!

Good Things

I just got back from the gym and the Travel Channel was on while i was in there. It was the "Taste of America" program and they were doing a special on Utah Jello. They say it's the official Utah state dessert. Anyways, they kept showing the SLC temple and talking about how Mormons love jello because it's an inexpensive way to feed their large families, and they showed how to make lime jello with carrots, and at the end they had a big family gathering and everyone brought a different jello mold. Hilarious! The gym was pretty full, and I had to stop riding the bike because I was laughing out loud. Sometimes it's funny to be a Mormon.
So I have a better recipe to share. My mom-in-law sent me this last week. It's a re-creation of a "Corner Bakery" panini. We had Sunday dinner with the Leavitts last night and tried it, it was awesome! The Ghiradelli Ultimate Fudge brownie mix is pretty awesome too.

Panini:
Fresh thin sliced boneless skinless chicken breast (found in the fresh meat case, sliced paper thin-ours says "perfect for scaloppini" on the package.
Provolone cheese sliced
Knorr packaged pesto sauce prepared (or your favorite pesto)
Fresh basil, rough chopped
Fresh baby spinach
Sun dried tomatoes from a jar-rough chopped(or dried worked well)
Sourdough bread/butter
Spray a pan with cooking spray and heat to medium. Cook chicken until done. They are pretty thin and cook fast, so take them off the heat right away so they stay moist, we even covered ours with foil afterwards.
Brush bread with pesto, top with cheese and cook in buttered pan until cheese is melted and bread is toasted.
Add chicken, basil, spinach and tomatoes and top with another piece of bread, toasted the same way.
LOVE IT!

Here's another good thing, The Rockies are in a 3-way tie for the playoffs. It's pretty fun to be in a city that loves their sports teams so much and that actually has pretty good teams. So far Spencer and I have been to a Rockies vs. Cubs game, A Rapids pro-soccer game, and an Avalanche pro-hockey game. Loved them all, especially the Rapids game, and now we just have the Broncos and Nuggets to go.
And, I just had my first full week of photography appointments. I had one a day for the whole week. So fun!

My Anthropologie Days

I've been filtering through our desktop this week and backing up a lot of our files on CD. I came across my Anthropologie portfolio pictures and thought it might be fun to share some.I worked as a Display Coordinator or Installation Artist for Anthropologie in Charlotte, NC for the 2 years prior to moving to Denver last May. It's kind of hard to describe exactly what I did, but these pictures should help. I'm attaching mostly window projects this time, but maybe I'll share more another time. With installations constantly changing at least monthly, and a complete overhaul 4 times a year there are a lot of pictures to sort through. I've also attached one of my art room. Most Monday-Fridays 7am-4pm you would have found me here...(mine was actually one of the cleaner ones.)
Basically I was in charge of creating the aesthetic in the store. Some displays were home office directed, while others were unique to each display coordinator, but all were concept driven. If I remember right, I've attached Holiday 05 "Nest"(one of my favorite concepts), 2 Summer and 1 Spring window installation. I did everything from ideation and sketches, to supply shopping, to prep work, and final installation. It was a lot of fun at times and a lot of hard work all the time.
Aside from the 5 main display areas in the store (windows, cashwrap, 2 in apparel, and 1 in home), all of the signage, building projects, and handyman work were also my job. I learned how to use a variety of power tools, electrically wire and install chandeliers and other things that looked "super cool" lit up, and I am no longer afraid of really tall ladders...well maybe still a little, but not as much. And I probably used hot glue, paint, a sewing maching, and dewalt drill on a daily basis. I'm happy to say I was one of the few display coordinators that walked away relatively unharmed. Aside from minor cuts, way too much spray paint inhalation, and drilling my finger a few times, I consider myself pretty lucky.
Anyways, I don't think anyone has seen these other than Spencer, so enjoy.

Whirlwind Road Trip

Spencer and I just got back this evening from a weekend road trip to Salt Lake City, Utah. We left Friday at 1:30pm and got into Provo around 9:30pm. Long drive right? Surprisingly, it wasn't bad. Good company, good music, and it was pretty incredible up in the mountains. The leaves have just started to change, and I'd forgotten how dramatic the landscape out west can be.
To recap: we crashed with Nate and Julie at BYU Friday night and then Saturday we headed to Mt. Timpanogos for the wedding festivities, Jen Miller..now Jen Lee, got married. After the sealing we headed back to Provo for dinner with Nate and Julie, and then all the way to Salt Lake for some play time with Aubry. It was so fun to be able to see everybody, even if it was only for a few hours. Whew...
It was a quick trip, too quick if you ask me, but well worth it! I thought about the wedding a lot on the drive home and was feeling pretty lucky to have such good friends. I cant believe it had been 3 years since we last saw each other. I met Jen and Mishelle on Vashon Island, Washington in 2000 during our first semester of college. Even though we went our separate ways in the years that followed that freshman adventure, they have remained two of my most favorite people. You two are hilarious by the way, and I've been re-inspired to be a better keep-in-toucher. Here's to our triple date vacation!
Oh, and Mishelle, I've had this song stuck in my head since I saw you yesterday, so in honor of Fall here goes:"Come said the wind to the leaves one day, Come to the meadow with me and play, Put on your dresses of red and gold, For the summer is gone and the days grow cold."

Spencer's Bike Ride

I got the chance this weekend to tag along on a couple of Spencer's bike rides and photograph him. He needed some shots of a jersey that his office designed(the orange one), and I wanted to practice for a potential job photographing a cycling team during a race in Boulder...and who better to practice on than my favorite cyclist. I have to say he's a pretty tough rider, I was impressed!
Friday evening Tara and I followed him on a ride up Deer Creek Canyon, and early Saturday morning we tagged along on a ride in the foothills of Highlands Ranch. We conned Tara into being our driver, and I manuevered my way around the bed of Jason's truck photographing...a little tricky, but exciting. I haven't done a lot of photographing like this, but I quite enjoyed it and i think we ended up with some pretty cool shots of Spence. Check them out and let me know what you think. Any advice Ty?