Persimmon Floral Blog

I created a new blog for my flower business. I like posting pictures of the flowers I do, but I have a tendency to want to post a lot of pictures and it gunks up my blog. :) So from now on, I will be posting all of my wedding flower pics on my Persimmon Floral blog.
So if you are interested, check it out. The photos aren't so good. I need to work on that.

Pay it forward

My cute friend Jill did this cute thing on her blog.
She explains it better than I am going to, so make sure to read it. :)
Basically her friend made a cute handmade thing to give out to three people. Then Jill had to give out another cute thing to three more people to pay it forward. I was one of the lucky people who received her cookies and a darling star ornament. So now, I get to pay it forward to three other people. I waited a while to do this, but I thought it would be a fun way to continue Christmas. So the first three people to comment on this post will receive a special surprise from me. It will be cute, so comment away. :)
Happy New Year!

I'll take that back

3:29 is way worse. :)

Being awake at 2:14 am

totally bites.

My favorite Christmas traditions

I am just loving Christmas right now. I just wanted to write down a few of my favorite Christmas traditions; some old, some new. I want to hear about your favorite traditions too.

1. Gingerbread houses - We make gingerbread houses every year. Tom and I started the tradition to make them as well. We plan out the landscaping for them though. That is the main focus. Gumdrop trees, smartie paving patterns, jello ponds with swedish fish, and land contouring with lots of frosting.

2. Bells - This is Tom's and I's tradition. We thought it would be so cool to have a Christmas tree full of bells when we got older, so every year we give each other a bell. When we have kids they will join in the fun and pretty soon, our tree will be ringing. Last year I gave Tom a pretty cool old bell, he of course MADE his out of copper and it is so awesome. I have to figure out how to do something cool this year.

3. 21 Advent Christmas drawers - This is another (hopefully) new tradition. We have old card catalogs (which I've posted pictures of before), they are our prize possession (from the DI). There are 21 drawers and Tom has been putting one different little gift in them every day until Christmas. So far I've gotten suet and a bird feeder that attracts my favorite bird (Ruby crowned Kinglet), a nut roll (so delicious), caffeine free Dr. Pepper, nylon rope for our emergency kit, beef jerky (my favorite), and I need to go see what today's holds...hold on a sec...SWEET...a whole bag of those pink wintergreen lozenges, you know the ones that taste like Pepto? I love them. Tom is so great.

4. Listening to the Christmas Carol on Christmas Eve - This has been one of Tom's traditions and we've included it in ours. The story is read by Patrick Stewart (or for the trekkies...Jean Luc Picard). It is a great version and very fun to listen too.

5. We also read The Best Christmas Pageant ever - This was a tradition in my family. It is the best story ever. I love the Herdmans and it makes me cry every year.

6. We have just started something new in my family this year. Every year we draw names for presents among my siblings. This year instead of buying them a gift we get to do a service for them. It has been so fun thinking of things to do for another person. My sister E has already done hers for A...she set up their favorite restaurant in her home and served them dinner. Really cute. Tom's family does a service project every other year. One year we draw names for gifts and the next is all service. This year we get to go to a home for Down Syndrome people. We are bringing gifts and singing songs. It will be great.

7. Listening to my Jewel Christmas CD - I seriously have to force myself not to listen to this CD all year round. I think it is so beautiful. You should check it out. My friend J is going to laugh at this one because her old roommate and I used to sing to this non-stop in her bedroom...trying to figure out the harmonies and sing them accapella. Non-stop fun.

8. Christmas tree - I love picking out a tree. Tom and I just get little short 4' tall ones. It smells so great and it is so fun to bring home.

9. Hanging up ornaments - I love to hang up the ornaments with my Mom and Lex. We have so much fun. Every ornament has its own story and we usually end up crying about one or all of them. There is this one ornament that gets me every year. When I was in 5th grade, we had a secret santa thing going on. Everyone wrapped their present and then hung them on the wall under the receiving person's name. I remember looking at mine and written on it was the word "suprize" (surprise). I remember making a mean comment to my friends about how the person couldn't spell. Then I remember opening up the present and it was from one of my friends who I had made the coment to. She had made this beautiful handmade ornament all by herself. I felt so bad and ashamed. Every time I look at that ornament, I remember how important it is to be kind. That is why I love Christmas most of all. It makes you want to be a better person and teaches you how to do it.

10. I want to hear what makes you happy at Christmas. Leave a comment. :)

Merry Christmas!

You Can't Take It With You

I just wanted to share with you all my new favorite movie. I can't believe I've gone all this time without seeing it.
Here is the website for it on IMDB
You can't take it with you
You should rent it for sure. Jimmy Stewart, Lionel Barrymore (who plays Mr. Potter in It's a wonderful life), Ann Miller (from Kiss Me Kate), etc.
It is just really cute and it made me smile. I think my favorite character was Mr. Poppins.
If anyone else knows other cute movies similar to this one, let me know.

Photo Tag

My friend Jill tagged me with this cute idea. You have to go to the fourth folder, fourth picture in your photos and post it on your blog. I love this picture! Tom is so cute. My nose is kind of smashed...I should have picked a more photogenic way to kiss his face! Good idea Jill...I had forgotten about it...so way fun! I tag Apryl, Kacie, Candi, Lexy, Shawn, Gina, and Erin.

Halloween

Tom & I went to my mom's for a little family Halloween party. I really wanted to dress up. The only thing I could get Tom to dress up as was a fisherman. So of course...I had to be a fish. I decided to go as a "rainbow" trout. I'm so clever. I think Tom was glad we didn't go anywhere too public. I just put on lots of different rainbow colors and made a sign that said trout on it. Tom did draw this sweet hook through my lip though...very fun. He said that I am his best catch. That was cute and totally made up for him not dressing up.

Grandma Platt's 90th Birthday

per-simm-on

Thank you for all your input on the business name. Here is what a persimmon is:

1: any of a genus (Diospyros) of trees of the ebony family with hard fine wood, oblong leaves, and small bell-shaped flowers ; especially : an eastern United States tree (D. virginiana) or a Japanese tree (D. kaki)2: the usually orange several-seeded globular berry of a persimmon that is edible when fully ripe but usually extremely astringent when unripe
www.merriamwebster.com

Now you know. :) I think they are kind of cute.

Ooooh. A poll. How fun.

I am renaming my business. I have a floral business for those of you that don't know. Right now it is Design M. I have decided that it doesn't suit me anymore. I need something a little bit cuter, but not too cutesy. Very difficult balance. I am going for vintage modern with my names. So I have created a poll on my blog to get your feedback. I have pretty much already decided on this name, but I want to see what you all think. If you think of any others, you can tell me and I might just consider them. If I pick the name you suggest...I will give you 50 bucks. Okay, just kidding, I am not going to do that. 50 hugs. Yes. That is a sweet deal.

Thank you

Thanks to everyone who suggested I go to the Body Worlds Exhibit. I went yesterday with my cute sister Ali. It was so fascinating! I highly recommend going. So cool.

Falling color bodies.

I hope you like my random title. It will make more sense after you read...or maybe it won't. :)


I just got my first "It's fall" feeling. You know the one where you breathe in the fresh, crisp air and you get that happy burst of excitement in your heart? You know that the holidays are soon approaching and that you should be grateful for all the lovely blessings in your life. You want to buy little miniature pumpkins, drink hot apple cider, and make one of those grateful charts to hang on your wall. I've been reading other blogs and talking to people and most of them have already gotten this feeling, and I have been so jealous, because I love it! So I'm so glad it happened today. I just love fall. I wish words could describe the little flutters inside my heart. I'm grateful we have such a lovely time of year. Sometimes I wish it would be like this all the time...but then I think to myself..."Self, you would probably take it for granted and then fall wouldn't be special at all"...I'm so glad I can think. :) I'm sure you are too.
Another couple of thoughts...while I'm at it.
My friend and I were talking about the fall colors once. I was telling her that the reason the leaves change color, is because the trees are in distress (due to shorter days, less sun, etc.). She was so clever and said..."Isn't it interesting how during a tree's most distressing time, its most beautiful colors come out?". I thought that was a lovely thought. I think that pertains to our own lives too. During our hardest trials, Heavenly Father is simply making our most beautiful colors come out. Sweet.
Lastly...and most weirdly...I really kind of want to see the Body World exhibit...but no one will go with me. I don't know why I want to see it, but it is really intriguing to me. I will probably pass out the minute I walk in, but I still would like to try. So....any takers?
Thanks for reading my thoughts. Life is good.

Dang.

Tom lost his job on Monday. Isn't that rude? The economy is kicking the butt of our profession. No one is building, paying, or hiring. Come on people! Get it together! I've got fabric to buy, IKEA to support, Reese's peanut butter cups to consume. What are those people going to do...without me? It is a vicious cycle. Everything will be okay though. I'm sure of it. Tom wasn't in love with this last job and he really wasn't getting the training he needed, so it is a blessing in disguise. We aren't given anything that we can't handle right? It builds character right? We are going to be really strong characters after this...so WATCH OUT for the Dunfords. :) I promise to post something happy and full of good news soon.

Burns, Elopements, & Break-ins

Wow! What a weekend. Tom has been gone on a boys trip since Thursday. Since that time...I have burned my arm (second degree burn, ouch!), my sister Lexy told us that her and her boyfriend eloped to Las Vegas, and Tom's Geo Prism was broken into. When it rains it pours, doesn't it? I've decided that since no one is dead and that I still have a sense of humor...Life couldn't be much better. :)
P.S. Lexy would love an email or phone call from anyone who knows her. It is going to be a rough ride, but I know they will be fine in the end.

Smells good.

D for Dunford!

Nerdy garden books...

Our prize card catalogs.
This is my last post for today. These are some of our living room decorations. Watch for the upcoming video tour of our new apartment. Available as soon as I organize the office a little more.

My domestic tendencies

Here are some pictures of my cute new kitchen. It is so big and there are so many possibilities for decorating now. That is good and bad, especially when I should be working. :) I painted the bird pictures in my kitchen's colors (brown, blue, and green). So crafty.

Bringing home the bacon...or fish

Tom & I went fishing on the 13th (ish) of September. When I say Tom & I went fishing...I mostly mean Tom went fishing and I read the rest of Breaking Dawn in the car. :) We both had a lot of fun in our respective elements. Tom caught this lovely rainbow trout in the Weber in an undisclosed location. We took the fish home and cooked it up with my Mom & Bill. What a catch! (Tom and the fish) :)

Tagged

Tagged!

I was tagged by my friend Jill...kind of fun...I should be working, but that is okay.

8 things I am passionate about
1-Thomas
2-My family
3-My friends
4-Flowers
5-Thinking of ways to decorate my house with a limited budget
6-Sustainability
7-Playing the piano
8-Visual Resource Management

8 words or phrases I say often
1-Oh nuts.
2-Honestly.
3-Do you want to hear a joke?
4-Hi Sweetheart! (To Tom...or anyone else I think is real nice.) :)
5-Holy cow.
6-Did I tell you about my craft?
7-What do you think about the scenery here?
8-You're buggin' me

8 things I want to do before I die
1-Be a mom!
2-Learn a foreign language
3-Own a home
4-Be a landscape architect
5-Travel the world
6-Do something political
7-Own a flower shop
8-Write a song

8 things I have learned from my past
1-To be more concerned with loving than being loved
2-Be happy
3-Everyone has their own free agency
4-Be nice
5-Laugh
6-It always works out
7-Take time to be with others
8-Prioritize the most important things

8 places I would love to go or see
1-Hawaii
2 - Boston
3-Greece
4-New Zealand
5-Netherlands (again)
6-Santa Fe
7-London
8-Canada

8 things I currently need or want
1-$929.43
2-small metal letters
3-motivation to write my thesis
4-more time
5-a brilliant mind
6-a garden
7 - new flowers for my coffee table
8-a mac computer

8 people I tag
1-Jamie
2-Amanda
3-Jen
4-Sean and Karen
5-Leanna
6-Shawn
7-Kourtney
8-April

Good Morning Maxfield

Hi Everyone!
My great friend Brandon is in a band called Good Morning Maxfield. They are in a contest right now and it would be great if you could/would vote for them. They are really, really good. Out of 800 bands they are in the top 20. If they win they will get to play at the Austin City Limits concert with bands like Beck, Foo Fighters, Erykah Badhu, etc. You can vote once a day. If you want to get a daily reminder to vote just let me know and I will put your email address on the list. Thanks a bunch!
VOTE NOW!

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk

Hi Everyone,
I am walking on October 11, 2008 in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk. My personal fundraising goal is $50.00. You can help me reach my goal my clicking on the widget on the right hand side of my blog. It is a great cause and all the money donated through this walk helps women right here in Utah. If you are interested in walking or getting a team together to walk...let me know.
Thanks!
Megan

Best Party of the Summer...so far!

My great friend Gina and I hosted the coolest party of the summer...well we thought so anyway. We wanted to try our hand at party planning and thought that we would plan a fun dinner party for some of our friends. We had an east indian theme. Gold plates, twinkle lights, bright colors, curtains, candles, and really yummy indian food. Brandon, Liz, Doug, Gina, Dustin, Lisa, Deanne, Brad, Debbie, Tom, and me were the guests. It was such a fun night. I will post a slideshow on the side so you can see the other pictures. This one is kind of blurry, but it showed everyone there...except Debbie. She was taking the picture. We truly outdid ourselves. :)

Moving....again.

We are moving again. Not really that exciting. It isn't fun to pack up all the stuff you just barely organized and put away. But it will be nice to have a way, way, way bigger apartment. We are excited about that. We will be moving on August 30th out by Murray Holladay Road. Tom will be closer to work and I will have a real office space to work in. Yay. Just a little update. I will post more exciting stuff later.
Oh yeah...sorry if you don't see yourself on the friends list on the right...I changed my background, so I have to reenter all my links. I still haven't decided if I am in love with this background, so I don't want to enter them in, until I'm settled with a background for a while...don't worry, we are still friends. :)

Harry Potter?

I just got this link from my stepmom this morning...I'm so excited!!!
Harry Potter

A trip down Memory Lane

Not originally my idea, but it seems like it could be fun. It's always nice to take a trip down memory lane and remember some of the good ol times! So, here's the game:

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It could be really fun, so post away... And see if we can't have some good laughs

There is a lot of talent floating around here...

Hi everyone...
I posted some links on my blog under the title of "Talented People". These are all websites of my brothers & sisters-in laws. They have either created them or make the stuff on them. I have lots of other talented family members, they just don't have websites. :) Enjoy.

Also some fairy forts & snake bites

I had to post these pictures too. I have the cutest nieces & nephews in the world! These are from the cabin on the fourth of July weekend...we play fairies & go fishing a lot. My nephew Sam got bit my a snake...I told him he could speak Parsel Tongue now...he thought that was great! :) Kids are fun.

A working man...

Congratulations are in order for my cute husband Tom! He got a job last week. After a pretty discouraging series of interviews, he received 3 different job offers in one week! We decided to take a job at JSA architects. It seems like a pretty good fit for him and his strengths, so we are excited. We will have insurance, so I can go to the dentist again! That is probably the best news. This is a picture of Tom on the first day of work. He was being nice letting me take his picture. I made him hold the lunch I made him. I'm such a nerd...you gotta love it though. :) We have been so very blessed this past little while. Even when we didn't have a "real" job, Tom's cousin gave him tons of work at his graphic design firm & he's been blessed with lots of tile jobs and landscape jobs too. My research grant has also been a blessing and has really kept us afloat for the last little while. It reminds me of a quote from President Hinckley.

"It isn’t as bad as you sometimes think it is. It all works out. Don’t worry. I say that to myself every morning. It will all work out. If you do your best, it will all work out. Put your trust in God, and move forward with faith and confidence in the future. The Lord will not forsake us. He will not forsake us. … If we will put our trust in Him, if we will pray to Him, if we will live worthy of His blessings, He will hear our prayers."

Priesthood Session of Jordan Utah South Regional Conference, March 1, 1997

It is so true. Everything always works out. I think it is just making ourselves stay positive and hopeful while it isn't working out at the time. We might be moving closer to Tom's job...so start screening your phone calls from us, because we might be calling you for help! :) I will post more often. I love reading all of your blogs! Thank you for all of your support and friendship. Life is good.

Quails

This morning Tom & I were getting ready to work and we looked outside of our apartment into the courtyard and saw a cute little quail family. They had been squawking and making a lot of noise, which is why we looked outside. There was a mom and a dad and about 10 little babies, they were the cutest things in the world. While we were looking we noticed that the quail parents kept flying out of the courtyard and up the stairs, but that the babies couldn't follow them to get back up. The little babies would try and hop up the stairs, but they couldn't get up. So Tom and I got some boards and towels and made a little ramp up the stairs. It took forever for the quails to figure it out, I finally had to go outside and scare them up the ramp. I separated two of them from the family...one of them figured it out pretty quick and ran up, but the other one kept running around. He wasn't the brightest...the dad quail kept squawking at him until he finally figured it out and made it out. We hurried outside to collect the ramp so that they didn't become familiar with it. It was fun to help them out and watch them run around. It was also a great diversion from work. :)

Wedding flowers

Rude Awakenings

Today I was awaken by my phone ringing (actually, it is kind of a jazzy little tune...so I didn't mind that part) but then I found my professor on the other line asking me to review an Environmental Impact Statement for a road alignment in Cache Valley. How fun. Not when I wanted to be sleeping however. :) I needed to get up anyway I suppose, and it was better than my annoying alarm clock. This past week has been busy, but fun. Tom and I finished two landscape plans (one for his aunt and another one for his aunt's neighbor) and I did a wedding. It was a pretty cute wedding. I used this fun aluminum wire and really bright colors. I used magnets for the corsages and boutonnières, so they are easier to attach. It turned out pretty cute. I will post some pictures so you can see. Tom has also been tiling...which I think...as much as he hates to admit it...we will be doing for awhile. It is pretty good money, but it is not a fun job. He's really good at it though. Today I have a meeting with my professor, colleague, and UDOT. It should be fun. I can't believe the weather here...it was getting so warm, but now it is just snow, snow, snow. Tom's brother Mike and his family are here for a couple of weeks from Boston. We are super excited to see them. Life is good. I will post some pictures of the wedding flowers somewhere.
Have a happy day!

Which Jane Austen heroine are you?

Take the Quiz here!

Paper flower pictures

Thank you Martha Stewart.

Paper flowers & thrown out backs

Yesterday was a nice relaxing Sunday. Free from work and too much thinking. The past few days have been crazy busy. I've been working 13 hour days up in Logan...away from Tom, which is highly disappointing. I have been getting a lot done though and learning a lot. Yesterday morning Tom was trying to get a banana off the ground and threw his back out. I feel so bad for him when it happens. He has had back problems for a long time and it goes out after it has been stressed...ie...moving, unpacking, grouting, working at a computer all day, etc...basically all the things we have been doing the last few weeks. Kind of a bummer, but he will be just fine. Yesterday I got to paint some square canvases to decorate our bedroom. Our colors in there are orange and gray. It might sound weird, but I think it is really cool. We found a really cute bedspread at IKEA (my favorite store) that is white and gray with orange trim. We also got this sweet orange chair from our nice friends the Hunts. I would have never thought that I would be using orange as a decorating color, but I'm really digging it. My friend Kristee and Erin would both approve. I also made these really cute paper flowers. They are so fun I think. I am going to learn how to make a rose and tulip and daffodil and iris too. I want to start making them to sell out of cool paper. I think there might be a market for them. If not, I will just use them at my own house. :)

Anne Marie Hildebrandt Music

My mom bought me this piano music for Christmas last year. I love to play it...I'm not sure I'm in love with the style of singing, but the melodies are beautiful. She has done a great job arranging the songs. Check it out.
http://www.amhmusic.com/music.html

What's going on here?

Hi.
Tom & I went down to Cedar City this last weekend to visit my old roommates. It was great to see everyone. There were lots of little kids running around that looked like little miniatures of everyone there, it was so fun. My roommates all have a blog on this site and I was convinced to start one up. I think that it will be a good way to keep in touch with everybody...only if I can figure out how to use it of course. :)
I will try to write once a week and keep everyone posted.

We just moved into a little apartment in Salt Lake. It is in a really great location and we are trying to get everything organized and put back together as quickly as possible. Moving isn't our most favorite venture, but we have survived it so far. We actually decided that we are never moving again...we are just going to buy the apartment building we are living in one day and expand the apartments as necessary. We think that is our best option. It is amazing how much stuff you collect over the years...especially when you are married.

Tom is working for his cousin at a graphic design firm downtown. He enjoys it, but we are waiting to hear from some of the other jobs we've applied to. It is annoying to wait, but everything will work out for the best I'm sure.

I am working on a research project on Visual Resource Management. I won't bore you with the details...I get a lot of blank stares when I start to explain what I'm doing. Just know that it eats up quite a bit of my time and I have to read and write a lot. :) I am also working on my thesis...sometimes...I need to actually kick that into gear a bit more. :) I should probably be doing that, instead of writing in my blog...but whatever.

We are having a fantastic time being married and having a lot of fun together. I also have a start to a website for my flower business. Have a look when you can

http://ricky.dreamhosters.com/meganweb/

The server it is on is really slow, but it is a start!
I hope this will be a good way for us to keep in touch with all of you better! Have a lovely day.
Megan & Tom