2 years. . . and counting!

May is a crazy month for us with lots of birthdays and traditions so I am a tad behind on posting. But one tradition that is still fairly new is my wedding anniversary!

Brian and I hit 2 years (and counting!) on May 10th! Sometimes I can hardly believe it! It has gone by so quickly!

We celebrated by going eyeglass shopping and going to cheesecake factory ( YUM!!!) and watching our wedding video!

It was an amazing night and one where we got to talk and reminisce about meeting and starting off together. I think that was my favorite part!


He is so amazing for so many reasons and I am glad he is all mine and that he picked me! :)

I love you Bunky! Thanks for two great years!

XOXOXO!!!!!

Linds

25 on 25

Hello Friends!!!

I know I have been pretty bad at blogging lately :( But I have great excuses I promise :) You will all just have to wait to hear what I have been working on!

But I won't be around tomorrow to blog about this especially important life event so here it goes. . .

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!

I am 25 years old on May 25th! So it is my golden birthday! That is either today, or tomorrow depending on when all you are reading this :)


I know this only happens once in a lifetime so I am living it up! And for your reading pleasure here are 25 facts about me and what I have learned for my 25th birthday on the 25th! I know, I am too much sometimes :)

My mom has always asked us on each birthday what we have noticed about turning one year older so I guess it is just habit now!

1. The older I have gotten, the more I realize I have so many more things to do before I leave this earth. I am working so hard on becoming my best self but there is still so much further to go!

2. No matter how old I get, I will still love pink, shopping, glitter, pageants, dancing, fashion, chocolate, kissing :) , friends, makeup, and movie nights!

3. I never thought I would feel REALLY ready to have children, but by George! I feel it!

4. In my last 25 years I have really truly defined what it means to be happy. Really happy.

5. Growing older has taught me lots of things. One thing I have really loved learning is who I am. It is a beautiful thing to really know yourself and love it.

6. I love the phase of my life that I am in right now. I swear being married, doing yard-work every Saturday, walking our dog late at night, doing laundry and seeing Brian's cute mission shirts, snuggling and laughing hysterically multiple times a day, eating dinner by candlelight in our "own" kitchen, having our own garden and house to cultivate, is the happiest and most fulfilled I have ever been.

7. I don't regret anything that has happened to me in my life anymore. I used to but then I took a good hard look and realized that everything I love in my life came from those trials. Now when I am going through something really tough, I know I will be blessed with something amazing if I can make it through it!

8. I have always have had so many dreams for myself. Careers, business ventures, personal goals, creative ideas, and they have seemed so unattainable at times. But for the first time, I have started some and surprised myself at my capabilities to actually do them!

9. When I was little I wanted to grow up to be superwoman. . . I still feel the same :)

10. Now more than ever, I believe in living in the moment. Experience has taught me that memories are priceless!

11. Money goes, and it goes quick! Even when you are really smart about not using it! :}

12. As I get older, I have seen more lines blur. I don't really catagorize people and places and things anymore.

13. I have always liked to dwell around good things. But as I have aged, I now find it impossible to be around anything otherwise. I don't waste my time on it either like I used to for fear of judgment and I don't feel bad about it. I don't feel bad for not listening to people that are not good for me, that don't uplift me and make me better. It has never been easier to choose then now.

14. I have really realized how fragile life is and how quickly it can slip through your fingers.

15. Stilettos are becoming less and less comfortable and less and less functional, but does that keep me from wearing them?!?! HECK NO!!!!

16. Watching loved ones make crucial decisions in their lives is pretty much my breaking point. Being older and knowing the importance of choosing wisely now, it is really hard to watch people struggle.

17. People will always see you differently than you see yourself in the mirror, but what matters is that you are happy with your reflection.

18. I have realized who my real friends are as I have gotten older and they are so special to me. They are the ones who call and ask how I have been through all of my health problems in the last year, and the ones who send cookies, make me dinner, text, email me, and send notes in the mail. I am loved and I am so blessed and grateful to be surrounded by these amazing women!

19. I love working and have always thought of a job as a way to make money. Now as I age, I am focusing more changing jobs, and being paid to do what I love. It is not an easy change to make, but will be well worth it in the end.

20. I have accepted that there are things I am talented at and things I will never be good at and I am ok with it.

21. My relationships with family members have gotten much more meaningful in the last few years. I love choosing to spend time with them and learn more and new things.

22. I learned I am old enough to save for retirement and was momentarily freaked out! LOL!!!

23. The older I am, the more my parents become my hero's. I have no idea how they do it all so I am watching closely.

24. I have learned that I will be much more happy and feel WAY better if I keep eating right and exercising every SINGLE day.

25. I have learned that aging doesn't freak me out anymore. I used to not want to get older and have to go through some of life's different stages, but I know how important progression is now.

I love all of you so much! Thanks in advance for all your sweet birthday wishes and comments. I am so happy and truly blessed to know you!

Love and birthday cake!

Linds

Welcome to the world Mckinley!

Kelly, Brian's beautiful sister and her husband have gorgeous babies! Her baby "Kinley" was born recently and blessed sunday. She is such a good tempered baby, and so incredibly kissable and perfect!

One look and it is easy to fall in LOOOVE with this little angel!!!

The proud grandparents!

My sister adores babies! She held her for such a long time! You better stop it Court or I might just have to have one!?!




Maybe. . . :)

{ Be my guest }

From the moment I was little, I dreamed about having my own house, and making it beautiful. I just never knew how hard it would be and how long it would take!

So when I met Brian, and we got married and he already had a house all I needed was his permission and he gave that up pretty easily! :)

And the next thing I was most excited about was having a guest room for friends and family to come stay in, since we live kinda far from everyone else!

So I started. We picked the bedroom across from ours and painted it red. REALLY RED!

I decided I wanted it to be a vintage inspired room so I started collecting vintage frames and objects from thrift stores and refinishing them! Designing on a budget!

Then we started collecting things on sale and at a really cheap price. We bought the rug for 6 dollars on sale at walmart, and lots of the decorations came from hobby lobby at 50 percent off! Can't beat that!

The desk started off so cute and elegant, but when I got a sewing machine from Karen (mom in law :) for Christmas I traded pretty for functionality! Plus I use it all the time!

This candleabra was an ugly green bronze color so I painted it black and added candles. The candleabra is SO vintage so I have lots of them in the room! Cheap too! $2.75 for all!

The room was really coming together and really personalized too! These pearl letters I found at michels in the dollar bin and would be adorable for a little girls room! B for Bunker! lol. . .

Then, I decided this dressy room would not be complete without a chandelier!

But most of the ones I found online were over $350 and I was trying to design on a budget so that wasn't going to work!

After reading many how to's I decided I would refurbish a vintage chandelier and hang it in the bedroom.

I found this beauty for 8 dollars at deseret industries! Can you see the layers of gunk and dust!!?!? LOOK CLOSELY! ICK! I think I see a dead moth!

It took loads of work, but I cleaned it, polished it, sanded it, tightened it and then primed it with white.

This isn't the same chandelier, I didn't get a picture of the one I was working on before I finished it! Too eager I guess! But this is to show the primer!

And after primer had bonded for 48 hours then I sprayed it black with a mixture of matte and satin so that it wouldn't be too shiny or too flat! I was going for an aged rod iron look. . .

It took three coats to get everything done and then it dried in my backyard hanging from a tree for a couple days. I found some crystals I attached with thin wire from home depot and WALLAH!!

What do you think?!?! Pretty neat huh?

We had to tweak the wire a bit to hang it and get all the lights to work, So before you buy a vintage light ask them to test it first. I didn't so I am lucky I have a father who is multitalented!

This completes the room I think and these pics do not do it justice! Everytime someone sees the room in person and turns on the light I hear WOW!

This room to decorate, paint included was under $200. That obviously doesn't include the bedspread, curtains, or the furniture from my childhood, but everything else, yep.

Pillows, sheets, shelves, paint, photos, vases, candles, figurines, rugs, iron works, ALL!

Economy Friendly!!!

To decorate a room and give it the best makeover for your buck, I would. . .

* Give it some fresh paint. Paint is the cheapest way to redo a room! Around $18 a can!
* Start looking everywhere for decor, ON SALE!!! It can be done! Collect slowly. . .
* Buy vintage and refurbish, it will save you loads and give your decor some character!
* Find a look you love and stick with it!
* Be patient. Sometimes you will not find what you are looking for! I looked for a chandelier for over a year!, But saved hundreds!!!

I love this room so much now! And I love having a pretty room for guests to stay in. . .

I hope your inspired!!!!

Love Linds!

Now I can't wait to do a nursery! :) Someday. . .

This is. . .

Our Christmas card. . . Pretty cute huh?!

You may be wondering why in fact you did not get one. Well that is because Brian and I forgot to mail them to most of you.

Dang. . .

I really tried this year too! We haven't done Christmas cards before, but I have loved getting all of yours so much that I wanted to do them too. But apparently getting them made isn't the hardest part after all.

Let me know if any of you have any creative ideas of what to do with 40 extra christmas cards!

Oh well, there is always next year right?!?! :)

But this did make me think that I should recap our year, and talk about our new year, and our goals and happenings. . . SO. . .

LAST YEAR WE :

* Celebrated ONE year of marriage! WAHOO!!!
* Took an amazing trip to New York!
* Brian got promoted to a job he deserved and works really hard at!
* I got diagnosed finally with Hashimotos Disease and started being treated.
* Brian started up school again
* I got promoted too and now have an office with a window! lol
* Bentley turned one!
* I learned how to renovate old furniture and completed our guest room vintage style!
* Found out we would get a new class to teach in Primary.
* Watched loved ones go through some pretty tough trials.
* Learned more about each other and our relationship :)
* Made goals for the Future!!!

THIS YEAR WE :

* Have already had so much fun together!
* Started feeling healthier!
* Made spiritual goals together to try and be better!
* Spring cleaned our entire house already!
* Done a big service project!
* Exercise five nights a week.

OUR GOALS FOR THE FUTURE ARE :

* To work a little less and play more!
* To enjoy more of life's simple pleasures
* To eat healthier
* To become our best selves in every aspect
* To take our dog on a walk every single day
* To scrapbook our life before babies come!
* To be better friends to all of you and family
* To get into a daily routine
* To donate more time to others
* To travel and experiance the world
* To start our family. . . :)

We are happy and excited for 2010 and for what it brings!

Love you all!

Lindsay

Christmas and New Years!

I can't believe that I am so behind in blogging that I am doing christmas and new years in february. Pitiful really. . . But here it is nonetheless. . .

Christmas is always really magical to me because of the things I get to think about during the holidays. . . And I love the focus of family and christ and giving. . .

( look at this picture :) I just realized ty put in his thumbs down! little stinker! ) Oh well, it kind of describes the way I feel about blogging so late so I guess it is perfect! lol

Anyways, The Siebenhaar family tradition is to spend christmas eve together and do a number of things.

That is one thing I love so much about my german heritage is that it is heavily laid with traditions. . .

First off we have dinner! German food of course! This is the "kids" table!

Then we have the festivities! We have a talent program where each grandkid has to either share a christmas related talent, or a story, or a poem, etc.

Then we all sing christmas songs together! Including a couple in german only!

After songs, then the men read the story of christmas out of the bible and we hear about the events surrounding Jesus's birth.

Then comes the first round of gifts! From grandma and grandpa to the grandkids!

After round one comes appetizers and german desserts! You have to pick wisely though because there is no way one could eat it all!

And we never do. We make extra so we can take home the goodies and eat them for the next few weeks!

After snacks and treats we exchange gifts among each other. This part is really fun because it is nice to see each other unwrap gifts we picked out!

I also love all the german nutcrackers and decorations! It really makes it feel like christmas to me!

Then we all go home and wait for santa!

We slept at my moms this year Christmas eve, and woke up to an amazing breakfast prepared by my incredible mom! She does this every year, and I look forward to it every year too!

And I love the way she decorates her house too! It is so beautiful and nostalgic! It looks like it could be out of a magazine!

Lovely. . .

Something we like to do too is wrap presents for the dogs! They know how to unwrap them and everything and it is hilarious!

Brian got a new snowboard and gear which he desperately needed! So he was pretty happy about that!

All in all, christmas was a dream!

We then were lucky to spend New Years with the Bunkers and it was probably my most fun New Years ever!

We played millions of games, had treats, and were in the company of our most favorite people!

We made italian cream sodas and it was the first time I had them and I fell in love!

If you have never made them for a party, ask me how, and it will be a huge hit, I promise!!!

This is Karen, Brians mom. I love her so much!

And she is amazing and always puts together so many fun things for us to do! Spending new years with her and the others was awesome! I love being with her and at her house!!!

I hope all of your holidays were awesome. They probably were, and I probably already heard about them months ago :)

Cheers!

Lindsay