Yes I was blog hopping tonight. And aren't I glad because it led to these great prints. Check out more great stuff here.

Recently it seems like everyone I know is having a hard time.

When I was in high school my father died suddenly in a car accident. I don't think there's a feeling anything like knowing the person you love the most is gone. I didn't think I could get through the pain every day, but I did.

Recently one of my best friends and also my bro-in-laws fathers both passed.

I feel blessed that I know what they're going through so I can sympathize, but it's also horrible because you know just how terrible they're feeling and there's nothing you can do to fix it.

They are going to have to be strong because breaking down is the only other option.

My heat aches for them.

Monday night out

It's been a wonderful vacation day

we vegged

we did art homework

we relaxed some more

we went to an antique shop

we went to my mom's and...

took her to get sushi for the 1st time

mmmm... yummy

It was such a great and much needed day.

Why can't every day be a holiday?

I found this from a blog I like to look at who had this on her blog, which lead to another blog that I think I'm going to love. This blog is about making things happen. It's true. I'm sick of being nervous and worried things aren't going to go right. I just need to do it. Embrace life as it comes and make things happen. No fear.

blast from the past

Oh ya baby that me + my sister Paige

Aren't we just so darn fancy?

So my grandma Nina just sent me a birthday package including this little gem. When we would visit her in CA we used to always marvel at all of her glitz. I guess we liked to try it on too.

Please take note of my amazing straightly cut and thick bangs.

Also another fav of the picture. Check out my sister's swim bottoms.... she found a useful place for those star-fish pins!

Oh to be young again.

hand-made book

I made this book for my sis-in-law Ashley for Christmas.

For some reason the moment I drew her name

I knew I wanted to make her something. I literally haven't made a book in over a year and forgot how hard it was.

I made the fabric just like I did my Ugly Sweater party invites.

I love the way the bicycles turned out.

I did a hand stitch on the binding called the coptic stitch.

It's a little tricky at first, but you get the hang of it.

If you want to make a coptic book you can find a video on the stitch on youtube.

I don't know why, but when I gave this little wrapped present to Ashley I was super nervous. I guess after spending so much

time it's more important if they like it.

I threw in some red lipstick just in case.

And yes, one day a tutorial.

Top 10

1. I just finished looking at my favorite person's blog, aka Rae from NY and looked at all her picture from her tips to London and Paris. I'm so excited for her!

2. My husband just brought me a glass of hot cocoa to warm my insides and hands. Thanks baby!

3. We went skiing + boarding at Targhee this weekend. Snow was great with even better company

4. I've been LOVING this new computer R + Santa gave me for Christmas. I'm loving not using a lap top all the time!

5. I went cross country skiing 2 times this week and decided it's my new obsession this winter.

6. We got our family pictures posted and every time I look at them I realize how amazing my family is.

7. I get to hang out with my husband all day long. (minus only 3 hours -Yea)

8. I got a great idea for another series of paintings that I'm going to start.... tomorrow

9. I'm already looking at swimsuits online. Some might think this depressing because it's only 2 degrees now, but it's got me daydreaming for the future.

10. This one is actually not a great thing, but can I just tell you that the number one thing I hate about winter and what I'm most excited for is not having a freezing toilet seat. I hate sitting down and wanting to die. Is this tmi? Maybe, but I just can't wait.

wait! there's more

There were just these 2 more that are actually some of my favorites. I just wish we had the whole family in them.

Nothing better then a gut squeezing family hug

Matthews family pictures

Here is the entire Matthews family (except dad)

Everyone did such an awesome job being a good sport and looking warm. These pictures were taken in 12 degree weather and everyone was freezing! Thank you so much Ryley for taking all these pictures. You are the best. Also, we have a million more photos, but we couldn't post them all. If you want the files just give me a call and we'll figure out a way to send them. I'm trying to put them on Shutterfly, but they won't be a very high resolution (but that only matters if you are printing a big size)

Let me know what you all think

* Brooke and Matt*

We didn't have family pictures of you. I'm hoping we took them on your camera. We didn't want you to be left out!

this will BLOW YOUR MIND

PLEASE Please please

take a look at this

Amazing

Artistic

video

that will

blow your mind

SUPAKITCH & KORALIE - VÄRLDSKULTUR MUSEET GÖTEBORG from elr°y on Vimeo.

Fashon: Take Uno

Ok everyone here it is. My first fashion post. I'm nervous so don't be too critical. So I found this picture on one of my favorite blogs and I decided this would be a good one to replicate. I'm in love with stripes and I only wish I needed glasses and that they looked like hers.

And this is my take on the style. I added a cardi, tights, and boots because it's freezing here, and I just love my yellow tights Ashley got me for my bday. I actually didn't have a white skirt as of yesterday, but I went to the thrift store and found one for $1.

Can't beat that.
shirt A&E $5, cardi Hollister $25, skirt thrift $1, tights gifted, boots Dillards $30

**Disclaimer**

I also live in the tiny town of Rexburg, Idaho which leaves me with about zero places to shop. So you all just remember that and be even more amazed when I still come out with cute clothes!

Fashion.... just sayen'

Ok people. I've been wanting to write about this for a while, but I somehow don't feel fashionable enough. I'm probably not, but I'm going to do it always. And to start off my little fashion spill I'm going to talk about all those fashion bloggers I see everywhere these days. Especially those girls who seem to maybe break 100 lbs. Who flaunt their fashion skinniness by wearing a shirt with a sweater on top and then a huge scarf and wrapping a belt around all of it to show off that even with all those clothes their waist is still 25 inches. Hmmmm could anyone else wear that outfit and not look ridiculously chubby..... NO! Don't get me wrong I think it's great that's their fashion style. To each their own (which is probably what most people think when they see me every day) But come on, if you're doing a fashion blog PLEASE don't just see how many clothes you can pile on and then belt it up! PLEASE! I'm sick of it.

But what am I going to do? Sit and complain? Maybe. But I figure maybe I'll start doing some of my fashion styles on here. I'm a little nervous because I'm not a magazine photogenic girl like these other bloggers, but oh well. Also, I'm going to focus on when you are walking down the road thinking you look pretty dang good, but then you see someone's style who you love and you feel like you just got blown out of the water. So then you go home and try to look like them, but it just isn't you and you feel like you look like a total goober so you take you clothes off and wear your pjs the rest of the day. I'm going to try (being the key word here) to see a style and change it to fit me and the clothes I already have. Thus I will feel pretty and comfortable, and R won't get mad about me spending all our money on shoes.

So stay tuned and you will witness Chelse's fashion part uno

My hometown Paris

I love going home to visit.

It feels like forever since I've lived there as the crazy tom-boy girl with zero worries who didn't have a clue who Louis Vuitton was, who had never owned a pair of heels, and who could beat up any girl and most boys. Wow have things changed.

Sometimes I'm sad they have.

But I can always count on Paris staying the same.

This is my lovely lovely home.

You can't tell but it's the

Yellow brick house of happiness!

Welcome welcome 2011!

Wow I can't believe the new year is already here.

Looking back on the year it somehow seems like it flew by,

but also like we did about a million things. But instead of

looking in the past, I was to look into the future with perhaps

a few goal. Maybe if I post them I'll actually try harder

to stick to them. Maybe....

Here they are all in a row...

help R graduate and move somewhere happy and *sunny*

stay healthy by exercising all year and eating less candy (my vice)

find a big kid job doing something I love - art of course

make R better dinners and less pb&j's

trying to be the care free girl I once was: - stress + laughing

morning + evening family & individual prayers

be more brave

become a legit professional blogger. (so never stop reading)

I have about a million other things I need to fix about myself, but I figure I'll start here and if I'm perfect by June I'll add some more. ha ha. Ya right.

... and just a little fyi, this is a sneak peak of our Matthews family photos that R took and did such a great job! Hopefully we'll get some chosen and posted soon.