Custom Design By Britnae Sanelli

I spent all day today toying around with this photo shop program I have and ended up making some pretty cute stuff. Although I have yet to make a successful blog layout that actually fits my page right, I did manage to make a couple of postcard designs so that we can finally send out our thank you cards (or in this case, postcards) from our wedding about 5 months ago (pathetic that we haven't done them yet? Yes, I would say so).

I have so much fun making these little things, this kind of stuff is dangerously addictive for me so I think I am going to have to start using as a reward for getting real work done!

Shoot, if I would have known that I was capable of doing this sort of thing, I would have made my own wedding invitations! Anyways, here are what the postcards look like!

Front

Back side. On the left is where we write our personalized thank you note, on the right is where the address goes :)

Post card front #2 (actually the first one I made)

Back side of post card #2

HUGE thank to Shabby Princess for providing all of the cute papers, ribbon, staples, etc!

Blessed

Well, I know that 7 a.m. is not my ususal blogging time, but I had to write this down.

This morning in Rexburg, Idaho is probably the coldest it has ever been (since we have been here, and I hear it does not get much better). It is -19 (as in negative 19) degrees outside, feels like -38 (so the weather.com website says), and barely anyone's cars will start, especially ours. Looks like we need to pull out and plug in that engine warmer after all.

Anyways, so first Domenic goes outside to start the car... nothing. Then, ten minutes later I go out to start it, absolutely nothing. At this time I am praying really hard that the car will start.

It wouldn't normally be a huge deal to walk to school in normal circumstances but considereing that domenic just got diagnosed with bronchitis that has a high risk of phnemonia, I was freaking out about him walking 15 minutes in the snow.

I knocked on our friends door downstairs who are from around this area and in our ward, their car wouldn't budge either. So here I am freaking out about Dom walking, saying what seemed like hundreds of little prayers, and our next door neighbor from our floor pulls into the apt. complex building parking lot having just been from the school dropping her husband off (so I knew her car would start).

Needless to say, I waited for her to come into the building and asked her to take my husband and our friends to school. I explained how Dom was sick, how it was snowing (how it snows in -19 degree weather is still a mystery to me), and despite my morning breath, awesome pajamas, combined with some crazy beadhead I had going on, she was an angel and gladly accepted to take them to school. Needless to say, I am very, very, very grateful for her!

Heavenly Father never lets me down.

New hair!

I finally did it! I cut my hair, I ended up going with the nicole riche one. I had no idea where to go in Rexburg for a good cut, especially since I have never gone short before so I was super nervous. 

My sister had some coworkers who said that the place "Hair We Are" (yeah , i know I thought the name was suuuper cheesy too) was really good and reasonably priced. So, with a wash, cut and style, it was $20, which  I thought was an awesome deal!

The girl who did my hair came highly recommended too so I felt a little more comfortable. Anyways, here is a picture of my new hair! I had no idea my hair was as long as it was before I cut it, but I guess the girl ended up cutting off 7 inches! Crazy huh?! 

Digital scrapbooking

So lately I have been branching out a little in my creativity and started using digital scrapbooking materials to make fun stuff like my the header at the top of my page (compliments of thecutestblogontheblock.com). I found this web site that lets you download free kits that are SO cute.

Here is the website http://www.shabbyprincess.com/downloads.asp

You do need photoshop to make things with them though. I didn't have photoshop so I downloaded a free one called paint.net (http://www.download.com/Paint-NET/3000-2192_4-10338146.html). It is basically the same thing as photoshop minus the hundreds of dollars you would have been spending. Don't you just love free stuff?!

Here is a picture of one of the kits I downloaded, I havent done anything with it yet, but it's super cute.

Pear Cake Recipie

By request, here are the pear cake recipe and cream cheese frosting recipe. I love the pear cake and the cream cheese frosting together, I think the frosting is what really makes it so good, but then again I am a sugar-aholic so anything tastes better with more sugar :)

Yummy Pear Cake Recipe:

http://profumoprofondo.com/2008/05/01/simple-pear-cake/

The Last Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe You will EVER Need, Seriously.

http://www.slashfood.com/2007/10/24/last-cream-cheese-frosting/

Pear Cake!!!

Sorry, I couldn't get the writing up to the top of the post so you are going to have to scroll down to the end for that. But for now, here are some pictures!

Sorry this is side-ways

Ta-Da!

Yum yum yum

Cream cheese frosting!

Have you ever had pear cake? If you haven't you are seriously missing out! It is delicious and the perfect thing for those over-ripe pear that you have sitting in your fruit bowl that will never get eaten alone.

Domenic has been begging me to make a pear cake (apparently his favorite next to german chocolate) since we bought pears last week so I broke down and finally made it lat night. It turned out way better than I anticipated.

Anyways, I know I'm a nerd, but I had to post some pictures because I am so dang proud of myself!

Gabi's baby blessing

Don't you just love long weekends?! Like everyone else, we got school off Monday for MLK day so we packed up, and left for Wendell, Idaho (a tiny little town just 20 minutes outside of Twin Falls which is about a 3 hour drive from Rexburg). 

This last Sunday, the 18th, was Keitra and Isaac's little girl's baby blessing. It was really fun to have a lot of family together. 

My dad flew in from NY, my mom and brother Kyle from WA, and then Dom, me, Ashley (Kyle's girlfriend), and Breanne (Isaac's sister) drove up from good ol' Rexburg. Almost all of the John-Kathy Horne family was there. We missed Ryan and Jennie being there. 

Here are some pictures from the weekend, we had a blast!

Grandpa Horne and Gabi

Ashley, Grandma Horne and Gabi

She has the CUTEST smile! 

Dom and Gabi

Brit, Michael, and Shylee (Isaac's sister's kids)

Shylee and her silly face

Kiera had piggy tails in her hair, and this is what it looked like when Rene took them out.

Dom and Keira

Michael was in the closet throwing stuff on top of Dom (who was pooped from playing with the kids) and then to top it off, Shylee came along and sat on top of him. haha I can't wait until we have kids.

Me and Shylee playing pattie cake

Ashley and Kyle. Typical.

Gabi in her blesssing dress. Isn't she getting so big?!

HAHA! I love this one. She is so funny.

what a cute family!

another smile

Uncle Dom with the little Gabi girl.

Daddio making his famous mashed potatoes.

Horne Grandparents and Gabi, the first time she was with both of them at the same time.

Grandpa Horne and Gabi! Look at those ears! Can't you see the resemblance?

Tell me what you think

So I have been wanting to cut my hair for quite some time now but haven't had the guts to do it. Now I am at the point where I just want a change. I found some cute haircuts and styles that I love and just to warn everybody it is not my usual "long hair with cute layers" deal. I want to go shorter! So here they are, tell me what you think!

The one on the right obviously

I thought this was cute but maybe a little too short for me

LOVE this one!

Not too short, not too long

Cuuute!

I really love this cut too! I think it is a good length and I love the a-line/bob cut where it is a little loner in the front than in the back.

Ahhh I need help! and I have no idea where to find a good hair cutter around Rexburg!

More Christmas

I tried to add more pictures to the post I posted last time but it was taking forever so I gave up. But here are some more now! I just couldn't leave them out. And as always, there will be more to come. I just have to download them from my camera!

Christmas Eve dinner over at Grandpa and Grandma Sanelli's house. Santa came!

The majority of the Sanelli cousins plus Santa Clause (one of Dom's Uncles)

He pulled be home on the sled. What a good hubby.

Domenic and I getting ready to take on the slope! 

Me and Nicia walking up a huge hill. You can't see it because the camera is zoomed in but trust me, it was very large, and tiring.

Nicia and I being dorks.

I have no Idea who that little boy is in the picture. But this is of me running into the rocks. I got some serious distance this time around!

Christmas and Such

Sorry to be blogging so late. Christmas came and went so dang fast! I can't even believe that it is already 2009! Crazy. Here are some pictures, courtesy of nicia's (dom's sister's) facebook! Thanks Neece!

And a HUUUGE thanks to the Sanelli's for the most amazing christmas. It was so fun hanging out with the sanelli family and getting to know everybody a little better. Thanks for everything you guys! We love you!

Sledding! It snowed in Sammamish! So much fun.

The Sanelli's after going to the play "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers"

Dom and I in Seattle after dinner and before the play

Dinner with the Fam at Benihana's. So Fun and good! 

They cook the food right in front of you.

Christine, Me and dom at dinner