Wild Things

Last years Halloween.... inspired by Where the Wild Things Are. Thank you mom for making full body suits and thank you Hayden and Maddie for letting us steal them.

Scream

This years pumpkin carving inspiration came from the painting "Scream" by Edvard Munch (speaking of Halloween, what gets more Halloween than the name Edvard? Seriously, say it out loud right now, you sound exactly like a vampire.... not Edward the vampire, Edvard. Anyway, you get it...) We have a motto around here, when in doubt copy something REALLY good. Like something they talk about in Art History classes. This wouldn't be my first classic art copy cat... remember my starry night Easter egg anyone?
Here is our rendition of "Scream"... I traced it and Alden carved it... while I did dishes. A true team indeed.
This is our pumpkin next to our little Rose. She is/was a mini rose bush. We neglected her. She died. The end. Happy Halloween.

The monday bun

Invented by, for, and because of Monday's.
Hello Monday.

Laie Hawaii Temple

Alden and I just took a tour of the Laie Hawaii temple. It is literally a three minute walk from where we live. I don't imagine we will ever live closer to a temple than we do now. The temple is beautiful and it was great to go inside and feel the spirit that is present there. I love the feeling of peace and love that I feel in the temple.
The temple is to be rededicated November 21 and will open again shortly thereafter.
Want to know more about temples? Go here
Or see some more pictures of the Laie Hawaii temple? Go here

I'd do laundry every day if I had this....

Perhaps this is the missing piece in the relationship between me and my laundry. This makes me want to ask laundry to be my best friend.

Easy Peasy Peasant Bread

This recipe is such a cinch and is the perfect addition to any meal. We had this last night with delicious lemon, rosemary, garlic chicken. YUM!

French Peasant Bread

1 package (about 1 tablespoon) dry yeast
2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt (sometimes it needs a little more salt)
4 cups flour
2 teaspoons - 1 tablespoon rosemary (optional)
Olive Oil
Cornmeal
Melted butter

Place yeast, water, sugar, and salt in warm bowl and stir until dissolved. Add flour and stir until blended. Do not knead. Cover and let rise one hour or until double in size. Flour hand, remove dough from the bowl and place in 2 rounds on an oiled cookie sheet sprinkled with corn meal. (I bake only one of the rounds and save the other in the fridge for another day)

(Based on trial and error I found it works best to drop a tablespoonish amount of oil in the center of the cookie sheet, spread it into a circle and sprinkle a small amount of corn mean on the oil....about the diameter of the dough once it is on the pan). Let rise one hour. Brush top with melted butter and bake at 425 for 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to 375 and cook an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven and brush again with butter. Serve warm!

Our favorite way to have this bread is to incorporate sliced jalapeno's and top with cheese! Yum :) I LOVE jalapeno chedder. Also, for leftover slices pop them in the toaster till crispy and top with cream cheese or other goodness.

Happy Four Months!

Four months... its not a particularly special anniversary but because I am still THRILLED to death to be married to my best friend... why not celebrate it?
Please listen to this sweet song. I think its lovely.


Thank you Alden for being my best friend and making me the happiest, luckiest girl in the world.
What can I do but love you?

Just another day at the beach

Yay for beach days! Alden and I got our "Team Dax" bracelets. Dax has cancer. Go here to read more about his story or to get your own bracelet. Go Dax! Sending love and support from Hawaii.

Halloween gnome

When I have a kid he will be a garden gnome for Halloween. It does not get cuter than that people. hahaha.
PS. speaking of Halloween, what should me and the Mr. be? It is our first Halloween together.

Um... how cool is this?

Famous!

Check it out, Alden and I are famous!

Duck out of water

I can't help but feel like a duck out of water sometimes here in Hawaii (after all I was raised in the "tundra" my whole life). The calendar reads October and I want to pull out my boots, scarfs, and buy this coat from anthropologie.

But the sun is still shining, my skin is constantly warm....... so I will continue to throw on my flip flops and T's. Hawaii=Ashley has no fashion sense. The great thing about Hawaii is it doesn't matter. Hang loose man.

Sunday Walk

After watching General Conference we took a little walk in the hills near by. It is a beautiful little hike full of strawberry guava all along the way. Delish! Alden also found me an orchid :)