Austenland: It's a Good Thing

I like to read. But I especially like to read Jane Austen's books. And watch the movies made from the books. And any movie based on the books, even remotely so (Clueless, anyone?). Also any book that even so much as mentions Jane Austen or one of her more prominent characters (The Jane Austen Book Club, Bridget Jones' Diary, etc.). So it should come as no surprise that I loved, with a capital L, the book Austenland by Shannon Hale.

Although Hale has written a few other books (The Goose Girl and Princess Academy, for examples), this is her first foray into Adult Literature. And it was such a treat! Austenland tells the story of Jane Hayes, a 30-something woman who has a somewhat unhealthy obsession with Colin Firth a la Mr. Darcy from A&E's Pride and Prejudice. I mean who wouldn't? If you've seen the movie, you know what I'm talking about. The storyline, the dialogue and the looks, oh the looks! It's enough to make a girl swoon.

Anyway, back the book...

So when Jane's great-aunt dies, she leaves Jane a non-refundable three week vacation to Pembrook Park, an English resort where guests come to experience 1816 Regency England just as it would have been in Austen's time. Vacationers dress in empire waist dresses, talk the talk, take turns in the park, dance the dances - just like Austen's characters did in the books. Jane, whose love life is an abysmal mess and who is contemplating on giving up on men entirely, goes to Pembrook Park where she hopes to get over her unhealthy Mr. Darcy/Colin Firth obsession and perhaps move on with her life. Of course there are gentlemen. And a possible romance. If you're looking for a fun, easy read, definitely give Austenland a go.

Perfect for reading by the pool or on the beach!

Eastery Finery

We had a fun-filled Easter. Everett helped dye eggs, we dressed the kids in their Easter best, ate a yummy Easter dinner and enjoyed Easter eggs (of the regular and chocolate variety).

To make up for the lack of pictures of Juliana last week, here she is in all her Easter dress glory (with bow courtesy of Dainty Couture):

*As a side note, I am fully aware that this post is pretty lackluster. I apologize. I wanted to make sure to post pictures of the kids in their Easter outfits, but I just was out of ideas on how to make it interesting. I promise better, funnier and more entertaining posts in the future.

Vote 2008

We added a poll and I'm curious to know the answers. So don't just sit there - Get out and vote!

All About Will

In all of my daily blog snooping, I've come across this post quite a few times and I think it's cute, so here I go...

What is his name? William Riley Giddens

How long did you date? We dated for two months before we got engaged. Almost to the day. Our first date was August 2nd and we got engaged on October 4th. After that, we were engaged for four months, again almost to the day. We were married on February 6th.

Who eats more sweets? Definitely Will. He has quite the sweet tooth. Especially for chocolate. And ice cream.

Who is taller? Will. He's 6'3", I'm 5'5"

Who is the better singer? Will by a mile! I can admit that I'm hard-press to carry a tune. Will has an incredible voice (although he plays it down) and I'm always trying to get him to sing in some sort of public forum (like in Sacrament meeting). Will always does spot-on impressions. I've heard him sing Tim McGraw, Garth Brooks and George Strait with eery accuracy.

Who does the laundry? I do. I'm better at getting it done and folded and put away than Will is.

Who pays the bills? We both do. We definitely employ a teamwork strategy to make sure all the bills get paid each month.

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? We don't have set sides of the bed. In the four years we've been married we've switched sides probably 8 to 10 times. It really depends on which way our bed is facing, where the baby monitor is (was), who needed to be closer to the door (for whatever reason. Work, baby, etc) or the bathroom (me with pregnancies). Right now, Will sleeps on the right side.

Who mows the lawn? What lawn?

Who cooks dinner? Usually me simply because Will's at work or school. But on the weekends it's usually the both of us in there.

Who drives when you're together? Usually Will, but sometimes I do. I'd say it's probably a 60/40 split. Or maybe 70/30.

Who is more stubborn? Probably me. Will's always telling Everett that he gets his stubbornness from his mother.

Who kissed who first? Will DEFINITELY kissed me. On our first date too. I was one of those girls who had no problem kissing on the first date. Should I be admitting that?

Who asked who out? Hmm, well Will got my phone number at a YSA dance on Friday and I told him about a pool party the next night and said he should come. So I guess we both did?? He put forth the effort of calling me the next day and getting directions, driving out and staying out until the ungodly hour of 3 or 4 in the morning. So I like to give him the credit for the first date.

Who proposed? Will did. He surprised me at work (I only had like four co-workers) and three of them were out of the office. We had talked about getting married, but I knew he didn't exactly have tons 'o funds since he was still re-cooping from his accident. I wasn't expecting a ring until Christmas, at the earliest. He came into the office wearing a suit and holding a dozen red roses, so I knew something was up. He said some sweet things and then got down on one knee and popped the question. It was incredibly sweet and afterwards we went to The Cheesecake Factory to celebrate.

Who is more sensitive? It's a tie. We're both pretty sensitive, but not in a constantly-getting-our-feelings-hurt kind of way. More of a that's sweet-you're wonderful-we're lucky-I love you kind of way.

Who has more siblings? We both have three - two brothers and a sister.

Who wears the pants? This question is dumb. We're a team. No one's "in charge".

One Wedding and a Choo Choo

Will's cousin, Amanda, got married this weekend. We were honored to be a part of all of the festivities, which made for a very busy Saturday! But the kids were troopers, especially Everett who had to forgo any type of nap as well as us dragging him all over town. I decided to let the kids wear their Easter outfits a week early, since they were the dressiest/springiest things they had. And how I managed to NOT take one single picture of Juliana, I don't know. Oh well, all the better to show off her Easter outfit on Sunday.

As Friday night was when tornados hit downtown Atlanta, the weather on Saturday had a little bit of everything. Seriously, we had sunny skies, overcast and muggy, a nice breeze, rain, pouring monsoon rain with pea-sized hail and then the evening ended up being quite cool. I guess that's about right for weather in March.

I always love going to sealings at the temple and Saturday was no exception. The ceremony was just beautiful. I always tear up and/or cry during sealings. There's simply so much emotion and tender feelings in the sealing room. Plus, Amanda's grandpa performed the ceremony, so talk about special! Afterwards, during the picture-taking extravaganza, Everett played around with anyone who would humor him. As we made our way to the car, Will's grandpa, Papa, made sure Everett made it there safely.



Their luncheon was at a really quaint restaurant called The Old Mill Restaurant. It used to be a working mill by the railway line that runs through downtown Acworth. It was converted into a restaurant, but the train still runs by there every 15 minutes or so. Everett was in little boy heaven every time the train passed. And of course, he had to excitedly announce "Choo choo! Choo choo!" to everyone in the room. Mostly it was cute, but there was that one time when the bride and groom were trying to give toasts. Oops!

By this time we were pushing 6:30 and the reception was just about to get started. Like I said, since Everett didn't have a nap, he was pretty wired. There were other little boys there and they had a blast running around the pool (the reception was at a clubhouse in a very expensive neighborhood). They had a bubble machine set up on a balcony and it was neat effect to have bubbles floating throughout the outside of the reception. Everett was definitely a fan.

The food was yummy and the company was fun. All in all, it was a great day and we were thrilled to help Amanda and Steve celebrate. Yea for weddings!!

A Class Act

Like Miss Manners, Miss Juliana could write her own etiquette column. For starters, she advises that whenever you sit down to dinner, you always bring the food on the utensil to you. None of this slouching over your plate stuff!

If you happen to spill food on your clothing, don't be alarmed.

But whatever you do, please, please, don't use the back of your hand to wipe off your face!

Meal times should be an enjoyable time for you and those with who you choose to break bread.

Finally, always remember to chew with your mouth closed.

Miss Juliana promises that if you'll follow her sage advice, you too will have a wonderful dining experience. Remember, when dining good manners are just as important as good food.

Shout Out for Super Cuteness

Unlike some media which vows to remain neutral, I'm totally not above stumping for worthy businesses. And boy do I have a good one today! I love a good, inventive product. And let me tell you, Dainty Couture, the brainchild of a friend of mine, has products that are incredibly cute. Dainty Couture offers custom-made products for babies, kids, moms and the home. I'm getting a little guy tie for Everett (see below) and I can't wait for him to wear it to church. If you're looking for your basic, no-frills type of stuff, then Dainty Couture is not for you. But if you want things with a touch of class, then seriously, check out some of this:

Black and white burpcloths

Monogrammed bibs and burpcloths

Embroidered dinner napkins

A nursing cover-up

Blankets for boys

And socks for girls

Ties for little guys

And for all you Cougar fans out there, I'm sure you could get this in Cougar blue too.

Dainty Couture operates off an Etsy site and they have 100% positive feedback. Consider this my official endorsement for Dainty Couture as the place for you next Internet purchase.

Busy as a Bee

Whew! Everett had a busy week this week. In between not napping or sleeping very well, he also...

Played with choo choos,

Got a boo boo, (Which if you ask him is all Bailey's (the dog's) fault.)
tried on Mom's shoes,
jumped up and down in the crib WHILE Juliana was in it. This was a particular favorite as it was repeated every day this week. And no, it's not the same for him to jump without Juliana as a would-be target.
Taught Juliana the finer points of watching "Toy Story". Again, he was insistent that she sit in the chair with him. And no week is complete without trying on cool headwear. Everett loves this pink headband Jessica. Loves it! He may even wear it more often than Juliana does. Hmm, should I be worried?

A Modern Day Fairy Tale

Once upon a time, in a land that could be considered another country, a lovely, smart, bright young lady bore her first child. "A boy! A boy!" was shouted throughout the land. The new mother and father were overjoyed by the birth of their new son. As he lay sleeping peacefully in the hospital, the boy's parents were content.

As time went by, the boy grew. And as he grew he learned all sorts of new and wonderful things. He learned to sit up, eat from a spoon, crawl and even walk. "Our son's a genius," the parents thought. "There isn't anything he can't do." And the boy's parents were content.

The boy's lovely, smart, bright mother did all she could to ensure her son's proper development. She devoured parenting books and magazines, diligently fed him foods for proper nutrition and ensured his sleep habits were healthy. All of this led to the boy being extremely well-adjusted. He was a happy boy. The parents sighed to themselves, "Our son is awesome." And the boy's parents were content.

Although the boy's parents knew better, they let their wonderful little boy use a pacifier. "It won't hurt," they thought. "Plus, it calms him when he's fussy and helps him to take wonderfully long naps and sleep so well at night." The parents agreed they would stop the boy's use of a pacifier at his first birthday. Well, the boy's first birthday came and went, and yet the pacifier remained. The boy's parents were beginning to be anything but content.

The boy's wise father knew that the best way to rid their lives of the pacifier was simply to stop. The boy's lovely, smart, bright mother was too scared to stop cold turkey. "No, no," she said. "Let's gradually wean him off the pacifier. Since I'm home with him all day, I can do it." To the father's dismay, the boy's SECOND birthday came and went and yet the pacifier remained. The boy's parents were not happy at all.

A few months after the boy's second birthday, the small family decided to take a short journey. While they were in a land only three hours away, the boy's extremely persausive grandmother encouraged the young boy to simply "Throw the pacifier out the window!" To the great astonishment of all those present, the young boy took the pacifier out of his mouth and threw it out the window! The boy's family was more than content - they were estatic.

In the days that followed the young boy's sleep suffered. The thing he had relied on for more than two years was suddenly gone! The boy's parents, especially his lovely, not-so-smart or bright mother, were not quite content since their sleep was suffering as well.

But the boy's father knew the boy would be better off as a result of his throwing the pacifier out the window. And the boy's mother could only hope.

**(We hope this explains any crabbiness any of the Giddens' have exhibited over the past few days!)**

She's Ain't Heavy, She's My Sister

It's beneficial for me to capture moments like this when all is calm and both kids are relatively happy. And yes, despite his eyes being closed, Everett is actually saying "cheese". Everett insisted Juliana sit right next to him while they viewed his morning staple, "Curious George." Nevermind the fact that about 30 minutes prior he had jumped on her head/face causing her to shriek in that special way that lets me know, "Ma-om, he's at it again!!!" Note the fear in her eyes. She's no dummy. That Juliana knows that at any given moment she could be toast. Ahh, the joys of an older brother.

And no need to adjust your screens, that is a nice little gash Everett inflicted upon himself yesterday afternoon by running smack into the corner of a table. Running into stuff and closing his eyes in pictures. Yep, no doubt this kid shares my gene pool.

In a completely unrelated note, Heidi, I thought you might be interested to see what your awesome Francesca's gift card purchased me. I LOVE IT!!! Of course, I haven't worn it yet, just tried it on in the dressing room, but many, many, many thanks to you for helping me to feel more like "Natalie, the cute girl" instead of "Natalie, the frumpy mom" (I type this as I'm wearing sweatpants, tennis shoes and a BYU hoodie. And yes folks, I went out in public like this!)

And of course, what is February the 28th without a birthday shout-out to my favorite little mama, Jessica?! Jessica is one of my oldest and dearest friends. We met our Freshman year of college at BYU. Today is her Golden Birthday , so here's a short list of why Jessica is so darn great:

1) She is great at impressions

2) Her vocabulary puts your vocabulary to shame

3) We could totally take you in two-on-two basketball, her skillz are THAT good

4) She is the best french braider, hands downs

5) She is great fun with which to watch silly little TV shows like Real World, Young Americans or Miss USA pagaents

6) She has an incredible memory, especially for random people and random facts about those people.

7) She has one of the best laughs out there

8) Before I met her I never knew that you could eat a peanut butter and sugar sandwich. Or fried French Toast. Or blackberry jam.

9) She makes a killer smoothie

10) She is incredibly crafty. I mean, seriously, have you seen her quilts?

The list could go on and on. But take it from me, she's awesome.

Mini-Natalies Running Around

This is for all those folks who have taken one look at Everett's blond hair (and noticed the fact that he's a boy) and instantly exclaimed, "Oh, he looks just like his daddy!" I've been secretly haboring thoughts that, "Aside from that blond hair, Everett really looks a lot like me" for quite some time now. Thank you MyHeritage for quelling the naysayers, internal and external alike.

And as a sidenote, I've seen this fun experiment on many a blog and I've never seen a child so overwhelming favor one parent. The most I've seen it go one way or the other is, at most, like 20% or so. What's the most you guys have seen?



And to my surprise, Miss J favors me as well. I keep thinking she favors Will, but who am I to doubt MyHeritage?

More Buzz for The Yellow Rose

Why thank you, thank you very much!

Click here to see why.

Where's Everett?

Can you spot the toddler amidst all the Thomas gear? He may be difficult to find since he's wearing Thomas the Train pjs, has Thomas sheets, blanket and pillowcase, and fell asleep with a couple of Thomas toys as well.

We are amazed at how well Everett has transitioned in to his 'big boy choo choo bed'. He LOVES it! And remarkably enough, he actually stays in it! We're still working on teaching him proper sleep ettiquitte, like head up, feet down; under the covers, etc., but he's off to a marvelous start. Congrats E!!

If You're in the Papes, You're Famous

We had quite the busy week last week, all of which culminated with the grand opening of my mom's store, The Yellow Rose. We spent the week taking care of all the last minute details. And let me tell you, that was no small feat with three little ones constantly under foot. But we managed, and I think the whole thing was pretty darn successful. So successful in fact, that my mom got major props in the Atlanta Journal Constitution. She (and I) were interviewed. And I don't care that I was a Print Journalism major in college and then worked for a magazine, no matter how many times I see my name in print, it's thrilling!

Here's the full text:

Shop dresses up views of fashion
By Rick Badie Tuesday, February 19, 2008, 08:17 AM
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Julia Kilgore had a hard time finding suitable formal dresses for her daughters to wear when they were in high school.
Nothing, it seemed, was age appropriate. Too many strapless backs, thigh-high slits and plunging necklines.
Too much Britney Spears. Too much exposed skin. Way too much immodesty.
“Sixteen and 17-year-olds shouldn’t be wearing that,” Kilgore thought at the time. “Some women shouldn’t be wearing it, either.”
Last week, we talked in a small shop off Main Street in downtown Lilburn. Kilgore and her married daughters - Paula Roberts of Snellville and Natalie Giddens of Lilburn - unwrapped about 100 dresses that had just arrived. The dresses are a variety of bright colors and variations of satin, all fashionably modest.
Finally, Kilgore has realized a dream she’s had ever since her girls were prom-age at Parkview High. She’s opened The Yellow Rose, a boutique whose name reflects her native state and her favorite flower. The shop specializes in modest formal wear for girls and women. Prom dresses will range from $150 on the low end to $500 or so on the high end. Bridal gowns are in the $250 to $1,000 range.
“I felt a need for this,’ said Kilgore, who has lived in the Lawrenceville/Lilburn area since 1975.
I do, too.
Some 12-year-old girls dress like 18-years-olds, and too many 18-year-olds dress like 30-year-olds. Too much of it is raunchy, and it’s not empowering. It’s shameful. A few years ago, AJC Gwinnett News did a photo spread on high school girls shopping for prom dresses. Some ensembles were too risque to print.
Kilgore and her daughters have spread the word about the shop’s theme to private Christian schools. They expect The Yellow Rose to also appeal to young women in public schools who can’t find modesty at the local mall.
“A lot more girls would dress modestly if they had the opportunity,” said Giddens. “Girls think they are doing the guys a favor if they dress [revealingly]. I think most guys would prefer that girls dress modestly.”
She thinks about her last statement. “Some guys would.”
Kilgore will buy her dresses wholesale from Beautifully Modest, a private online retailer in Orem, Utah. When the business started almost a decade ago, some retail manufacturers laughed at the concept, said Phyllis Nielsen, the company marketing director.
Now there’s competition.
“Even now, some of them think it’s funny,” she said. “There are women out there who have certain standards that they are trying to stick to, and it can be very difficult. They want to be beautiful and elegant and don’t feel like they have to show a lot of skin to do that. They want to cover up.”
Kilgore and her daughters say they know many situations in which young ladies end up ordering online because they can’t find a variety of modest formal wear in stores. Others have even flown out west to places like Arizona to shop in specialty stores.
“We know quite a few who have done that, especially for weddings,” Giddens said.
Now, maybe they won’t have to.
The Yellow Rose, 79 Main St., Lilburn, initially will be open only by appointment. Details: 770-315-6823.

Is that neat or what? We are all uber excited. And suddenly I've morphed into the PR gal for The Yellow Rose. I hope I can live up to the hype. But yes, the open house was great and our models totally rocked.

Yea for The Yellow Rose!

As If You Really Want To Know More...

Thanks Amy, April and Megan for tagging me. You guys are lucky I'm so easily persuaded to continue these sorts of things! A deep breath and here we go...

What I was doing 10 years ago:
I was 18 and in my 2nd semester of my senior year of high school. I was working after school at a PR firm as an administrative assistant (obviously very different from a secretary). I was helping out with the girls basketball team since a lot of my good friends were on the team. I had been accepted to BYU and was already imagining how much better life was going to get once I was in Provo and my dating life "really" began. I was also spending a lot of my hard-earned money on clothes and shoes. Hanging out a lot w/a group of friends, most of whom I still keep in some kind of contact with. Oh, and totally stressing over prom, which was still like a month or two away.

5 things on my "to-do" list today:
Go to church
Help with dinner
Write in my journal
Make a to-do list for tomorrow (and the rest of the week)
Talk to my mom about more ideas for The Yellow Rose (her modest formalwear shop that's opening on Saturday!)

3 of my bad habits:
1) Not eating in regular intervals and then getting really crabby because I'm hungry and haven't eaten and nothing sounds good and I don't want to fix anything (yeah, Will really loves this about me)
2) Interupting people when we're talking. I'm trying to get better, but it's usually because I'm so excited about whatever we're talking about that I want to add my .02 cents. Plus, after two kids my memory's totally shot and I'll end up forgetting what I was going to say.
3) Spending too much time on the Internet and surfing blogs. (Will really loves this one too)


Places I've lived:
Lilburn, GA
Provo, UT
Norcross, GA

Things most people don't know about me:
I had my wisdom teeth out at age 12. That doctor really knew what he was doing since when I walked in he told me he thought I was at least 16. I was so flattered that I almost didn't mind all the pain I endured afterwards. I guess 16 was my magic age since 10 years later, at the college-graduated age of 22 I was asked by a teenage grocery store clerk how my first day of school was. When I told him I had graduated he then asked, "Oh, so where are you going to college?"

I have terrible taste in music. I like what I like and honestly, it's not much. I dig Oldies, 80s, some early 90s and definitely soft rock and some country. Totally not cool and really lame stuff, I know.

I LOVE Disney channel movies. They are so clean and goofy and fun. Yes, I get made fun of constantly for this, but I just love 'em. I can't wait until the kids are old enough to really like them too!

I've always wanted to dress in a cool, eclectic almost artsy style, but it's totally not me and that type of clothing just doesn't fit my kind of body.

Ok, that's all I can think of. I now tag: Paula, Jessica (there are about three or four of you who read this, so consider yourself tagged), Heidi, Erin and Cat.