Thanksgiving Point

Today's post is about a destination: Thanksgiving Point in Lehi, Utah. It's a fun place with shops and dining and movie theaters and events and concerts. The best part is the Gardens - an oasis in the Utah desert. The Gardens are where we got engaged on a beautiful October day and where we got married on a beautiful spring day!

BASF Near-Zero Energy Home

The BASF Near-Zero Energy Home is a project that I read about a while back (maybe in Time Magazine?). I thought that it was fascinating. You really can have a home that's efficient and good looking! And I'm sure that everyone could live with lower utility bills.

Friday Featured Etsy Seller: dkim

I found this shop so long ago that I don't even remember how I came across it. I do remember really enjoying dkim's prints, though. It's kind of funny to post this one now that it's fall, but I can really relate to taking pictures of the beautiful springtime magnolias. (At least I think that's what she's doing!)

Thursday Tunes: David Gray

I really love David Gray. Actually, I like a lot of mellow music. His album Life in Slow Motion is especially moving to me. You may have noticed some of the songs as background music in the past couple of seasons of ER. Coincidentally, ER is beginning its final season tonight...

New in My Shop

I've posted some new items in my Etsy shop this week. Here are a couple as a preview - Lise earrings (top) and Amy earrings (bottom). Visit me at greenandgardenia.etsy.com!

Kelly Osborne's House

Maybe it's because we're renting and feel like we're not really settled into a home, but I really loved the Sneak Peek of Kelly Osborne's house on Design*Sponge yesterday. Isn't that bathroom tile so great? And how nice would it be to have such a bright (clean!) kitchen?



{In case you missed out yesterday, the NieNie Benefit Sale has been extended through Friday with items being posted around noon Central Time each day.}

NieNie Benefit Sale

Today and tomorrow is the NieNie Benefit Sale on Etsy. There will be lots of great stuff being sold for a great cause. Read about Stephanie and Christian Nielson and their family and plane crash here. Stay updated here. And don't forget to shop here!

Further details about the sale here.
{One of the pairs of earrings that I donated is on the top row, second from right.}

Eddie Ross

I "discovered" Eddie Ross through Martha's blog. He is the Senior Style Editor of Living. His blog is gorgeous. His flea market finds are incredible, and his style is impeccable. Super for daily inspiration.

Friday Featured Etsy Seller: Sarah Jane Studios

Sarah Jane is a whimsical illustrator who sells lovely prints and cards in her Etsy shop. I liked this one especially because my mom would sing "Lavender's blue" to us when we were young.

Thursday Tunes: James Taylor

We've been listening to James Taylor's October Road a lot recently. The first two tracks - "September Grass" and "October Road" - always seem so appropriate this time of year. And, of course, James is always great to listen to. We especially enjoyed seeing him in concert at the state fair a couple of summers ago.

The Olympics

I know it's a little late to be talking about the Olympics, but I've been thinking about them. I have loved the Olympics for as long as I can remember and (living in Utah) was fortunate to be able to attend the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake. What an incredible experience. I find particularly inspiring the words of the Olympic Creed:

The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well. (attributed to Baron Pierre de Coubertin)

Robin the Frog

I posted this on my family blog, but I couldn't resist putting it here, too. It's the cutest thing that I've seen in a long time.

The Mount

I went to lunch with a friend the other day, and she lent me a copy of Edith Wharton's The Buccaneers. I remembered loving Ethan Frome, but I wanted to refresh my memory about what else Edith Wharton had written and did a quick online search. In the process, I discovered The Mount - her home in the Berkshires that she designed and built in 1902. I may just have to plan a trip when I'm done reading...

Friday Featured Etsy Seller: Hobbledehoy

If you're looking for yarn, a great place to find it is the Hobbledehoy shop on Etsy. They have a bunch of different kinds and some really fancy ones, but I mostly like it because the angora comes from a rabbit named Huxley (below). Isn't he cute?

Thursday Tunes: Bruce Hornsby

Whenever we can't decide what to listen to, Bruce Hornsby is our go-to guy. So when a boxed set came out a couple of years ago, we were quick to pick up a(n autographed) copy. We especially like the version of "The Show Goes On" that's on disc 3. Check it out here.

Alma 7:23

I was reading in the Book of Mormon the other day and came across a passage that I thought had some great advice.

Alma 7:23 - And now I would that ye should be humble, and be submissive and gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience and long-suffering; being temperate in all things; being diligent in keeping the commandments of God at all times; asking for whatsoever things ye stand in need, both spiritual and temporal; always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive.

As Time Goes By

We just finished watching the 9th (and final) season of "As Time Goes By." It's a British sitcom that stars Dame Judi Dench and Geoffrey Palmer as a couple who lost touch but were reunited 38 years later. It is sweet and funny, and it reminds us a bit of our story - only we met again after about 5 years.

Simple ecoSNEAKS

I really like Simple shoes, and when I saw their ecoSNEAKS line I was so fascinated. They are sustainable, recycled, and cute!

Friday Featured Etsy Seller: Dutch Door Press

{I know it's early, but I'll be hanging out with my parents tomorrow!}

Etsy has really fostered my love of all things letterpressed. One shop offering beautiful letterpress cards and such is Dutch Door Press. Isn't this print incredible?

Thursday Tunes: Cumberland Gap Band

Our favorite local band is a bluegrass band from the St. Louis area called Cumberland Gap. We've seen them at various locations and love the show every time. They are very talented. Check them out at the Best of Missouri Market at the Missouri Botanical Garden on October 4.

Beatrix Potter

I don't know how you can not love Beatrix Potter's illustrations. They are wonderful - especially Peter Rabbit. In visiting her web site I found out more about her as a person, and it was really fascinating.

The Met

I have read about the Metropolitan Museum of Art (and received their gift catalog) since I was in junior high. This summer I finally got to go! It was hours of enlightenment - and hopefully not too boring for my husband and father-in-law who were so kind to take me. I got this pair of earrings.