You don't need shoes. In my day, we walked twenty miles in the snow just to get to our shoes.

I love a good deal.  I also love the feel of shopping in stores, being surrounded by hundreds of beautiful things all calling for my attention.  However, sometimes I'm not in the mood to search through racks of clothing to find a good price, but for some reason I can look online for hours.  I have my go-to sites, and I can get lost for hours on end.  Here are my favorite online sites:

1. (This is my all time favorite site!) Very Jane

2. Nordstrom Rack

3. J. Crew Factory

4. Oakley & Ray-Ban Glasses

5. Overstock.com

6. Designer Handbags Love

7. Toms Shoes Outlet

8. Zenni Optical

Enough about me, what are some of your favorite shopping sites?

Even without an inhaler, "Follow Them to the Edge of the Desert" is too long. Yeah, but when we get famous, our fans will shorten it to F-T-T-T-E-O-T-D.

I love summer.  Let me say that one more time, I love summer.  It's warm outside, the sun is shining, there is no school... did I mention that it's warm outside?  Here's an update on what Jeremy and I have been up to so far this summer.  I'm going to go chronologically backwards (get over it).

This weekend Jeremy and I went to Park City.  I love Park City.  It is beautiful up there, and there is some great shopping to be had.  On the way to Park City, however, Jeremy and I noticed a car show at the park in Heber.  Knowing Jeremy's love for cars, I suggested that we check it out.  It was a lot of fun!  There were so many awesome cars.  Jeremy was in car heaven, and now he is obsessed with the idea of getting an old truck for his next car so he can fix it up.

After the car show, we headed to the outlet mall in Park City.  We wandered around for a bit then decided it was time to go to our favorite store, The World Market.  If you have never been there you need to go.  It is pretty much the coolest store ever invented.  I could walk around for hours.  They have a little bit of everything, jewelry, home decor, kitchen supplies, foreign food, etc.  Their website is www.worldmarket.com if you want to take a gander.  On our way home we stopped for dinner at our favorite burger joint in Park City, The Dairy Keen.

They have great food, and delicious shakes.  I suggest you stop there on your way to, or way home from Park City.
Also, last week my dearest friend Stephi got married, so Jeremy and I were able to go down to St. George for her and her husband's sealing and reception.  I am so happy for them.

I also got to be a bride's maid.  It was so exciting.  I have never been a bride's maid before.
Jeremy and I also had the privilege of going to my family's cabin in Pine Valley a few times this summer.  I love it in Pine Valley.  It is gorgeous.  I love chilling with my family, eating good food, and being out in nature (with a flushing toilet and warm shower close by, of course).

While we were there we were able to go to the Pine Valley Chapel for church.  The Pine Valley Chapel is the oldest LDS building in use.

Since it was Memorial Day weekend, it was quite busy up at Pine Valley and we had to sit outside for the church service.  It was kind of cool to have sacrament meeting outside.  My cute nephew, Brey, didn't mind being outside one bit.

Well, that's it for now on our summer adventures.  Feel free to be jealous.

Well, the worst that can happen is that I spend some time in your town and suddenly have an urge to enter a pie in the county fair.

Here I sit watching the NBA finals.  I just finished one of the most delightful treats you could ever want.  I'm telling you, it is pure heaven in a waffle cone.  I don't know if any of you have had a chance to have Costco's gelato, but if you haven't you better find out if your Costco sells it and go get you a cone quick!

I know for a fact that Orem's Costco has this goodness because that is where Jeremy and I go to get it.  I also know that, unfortunately, St. George's Costco does not have it.  In Orem they have 3 different flavors: pistachio, chocolate chip, and chocolate.  I can't decide which is my more favorite out of the chocolate chip and the pistachio.  It was definitely the pistachio at first, but the chocolate chip is beginning to creep up.  Let me tell you about this chocolate chip gelato.  This isn't your typical chocolate chip ice cream.  The vanilla gelato is sheer deliciousness, but the part that gets me every time is the chocolate.  This isn't just wimpy chocolate chips made out of that nasty waxy chocolate substitute, this is chunks of divine milky chocolate that dreams are made of.  To top it off, it comes in a waffle cone, and who doesn't like waffle cones?  You can't go wrong with any of the flavors; they are all marvelous, but if you want pistachio or chocolate chip you need to make sure you get there before 7:00, or you don't have a very good chance of getting some.  They  make it fresh everyday, so when it's gone, it's gone for the rest of the night.  This is the best part, 3 scoops of gelato in a waffle cone is $1.50.  Yeah, that's right, $1.50.  For two it is $3.24, including tax.  You are welcome.

Oh, wow, time flies when you’re getting pushed out the door.

My sister is super healthy.  I'm amazed by her every time I visit her.  She shared with me a recipe for a chocolate banana avocado smoothie.  I tried it this morning, and it was DELIGHTFUL!  Without further adieu, here's the recipe:

Rue's Chocolate Banana Avocado Smoothie

1 cup almond milk

1 frozen banana

1 avocado

small handful of mini soy chocolate chips

Blend together well and enjoy!
*If you don't have a frozen banana, just add some ice to thicken and chill the smoothie

Well, we like our Internet slow, okay? We can turn it on, walk around, dance, make a sandwich. With DSL, there’s no dancing, no walking, and we’d starve. It’d be all work and no play.

My good friend Stephi is getting married!  I'm so excited for her.  We met in the 8th grade, and she has put up with me since.  She's such a sweetheart, and I'm glad she has found the man of her dreams.  My friend Ashley and I threw her a bridal shower.  It was good times for all.

For her shower I made these delicious cupcakes that I found on Pinterest.

Dulce de Leche Filled Banana Cupcakes

source

Banana Cupcakes

1/2 cup butter , softened

2 cups flour

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 1/2 t. baking powder

1 t. soda

2 eggs

1 t. salt

1/2 t. nutmeg

1 cup mashed ripe bananas

1/4 cup milk

1 t vanilla

1/2 cup chopped pecans, optional- I did not add this time

Mix all ingredients on high speed in mixer for 2 minutes. Divide between 12 standard cupcake liners placed in a standard muffin tin and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Once baked and while still warm, I cut out a small cone from the top of each cupcake. I filled each well with 1 teaspoon Dulce de Leche, I like to use a baby spoon to do this, then popped the tops back on and pressed down so they would stay in place.Makes 12 cupcakes.

Dulce de Leche- One way to make dulce de leche is by taking a can of sweetened condensed milk and boiling it for a few hours by first removing its label and placing the can on its side in a large pot. Cover with water, about an inch over the can and cover pot. Bring to a boil then lower heat a bit and simmer for 4 hours. Be sure the can stays covered at all times with water. After 4 hours turn off heat and let the can cool. Mine did not explode and I even used a can with a pull-tab top. OR you can purchase canned Dulce de Leche, usually found in the Latin food isle of your grocery store or near the sweetened condensed milk.

Browned Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/2 tsp. Kosher salt

8 oz. package cream cheese, room temperature

1 t. vanilla

4 cups powdered sugar

In a small saucepan, over medium heat, heat butter and salt until browned. In a large bowl place cream cheese and pour browned butter over top and beat on high speed for about 1 minute until mixture is light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar one cup at a time, mixing well between each addition until all the sugar is added and mixture is smooth.

This little guy loved them!