the green basket

navi is 3!

2011-11-06T11:36:00.001-07:00

happy birthday to my sweet little niece navi.

she is my most favorite little girl.love you lots!

happy 5 months to us!

2011-11-01T11:42:00.003-06:00

we headed out this morning to california on our first plane ride together.

so excited to spend some time with my bro and his family!

a hike

2011-10-24T11:55:00.004-06:00

i love fall

2011-10-18T13:20:00.009-06:00

since i missed utah's fall last year, i have been so excited for the leaves to change.

and over night they got amazing.

i can't stop looking at the mountains! just a tad bit obsessed.
but being away last year has really made me appreciate the fact i am here this fall.
we live in such a beautiful area, and i can't believe how lucky i am!
so last night me and jared took a drive up the canyon to soak it all in!

happy october

2011-10-18T13:07:00.001-06:00

who is ready to go to a pumpkin patch, see thriller, sip some hot cocoa, wear their boots and sweaters, eat pumpkin cookies, see the leaves change colors, and carve pumpkins???
i know i sure am!

dirty dash!

2011-09-30T22:49:00.002-06:00

some pics of just how fun the dirty dash was!

so muddy...

this is after we took a FREEEEZING cold shower.
never been so cold in my life...
but so fun!

later that night, jared opened for kalai with his dad, brother, and friend.

they did amazing! here's a little snippet...

this is how i spent my weekend

2011-09-26T12:06:00.002-06:00

running the dirty dash!

it was so much fun! i want to do it every year from here on out. such a blast.

weekend in CA

2011-09-14T14:07:00.001-06:00

spent labor day weekend with my fam in california.
i miss it already. especially my niece and nephew.
it's not fair they have to live so far away...
but here's a little look at how we spend our labor day weekend!

the deets

2011-08-26T10:20:00.009-06:00

ok ok,

i know you are dying to hear all the details of my new love.
it's a pretty awesome story if you don't already know it.

we actually met on an iphone app called instagram.
if you don't have this app, you are crazy.
it's our favorite, obviously.
back in the middle of may i was browsing around trying to find some new friends to follow, when i came across a handsome man and just had to start following him, thinking he would immediately follow me back. when that didn't happen i had to step things up and start 'liking' his photos. once i did, i quickly was getting them in return.
oh boy was i giddy!
this went on for a week or so, and i remember towards the end of may i was hanging out with a friend and asking her how many likes it was going to take before we actually liked each other.
a few hours later i got a notification telling me jared dahl
commented on a photo of mine.
it said... "you sure are pretty, i have an insta-crush on you!"
i wish i could have captured my excitement on film. i may have jumped up and down a few times. after pacing back and forth for many minutes figuring out what to say back, i finally said...
"that makes two of us. i'm insta-blushing."
we laugh about how cheesy we were... but hey, it worked!!
before we knew it we were on our first date on june 1st.
a marvelous 2.5 months later and we are so in love.
who would have thought...
thank you kevin for making instagram. we love it.

here's a few instagram pics of us...

one

2011-08-23T10:19:00.000-06:00

happy birthday to this stud.

i love my little nephew.

where have i been?

2011-08-02T14:47:00.005-06:00

sorry i've been neglecting my blog lately,
but i've been off falling in love with this handsome man.

details soon to come.
:)

cabintime

2011-07-18T10:16:00.002-06:00

we took a trip up to my grandma's cabin a few weeks ago. had ourselves a real great time...

painted

2011-05-25T12:56:00.003-06:00

this is how i spent my weekend.

easter polas

2011-05-10T16:26:00.002-06:00

spent a fabulous weekend with my whole fam in st george for easter.
and so, i documented the trip with polaroids.

missing my niece and nephew like crazy.
why did i ever move away from them???

happy mom day!

2011-05-08T16:23:00.000-06:00

i'm pretty sure i'm the luckest girl ever to get her as my mom.

today i turn 23...

2011-04-25T14:58:00.001-06:00

feels just like being 22.

have a happy easter

2011-04-24T20:22:00.001-06:00

i know i sure did.

my favorite

2011-04-13T17:40:00.003-06:00

nothing makes me more excited than my birthday month.

because i know this will be coming in the mail each year...

you know where to find me this weekend.

so far, i've got my eye on YOU:

product shots

2011-04-12T16:01:00.002-06:00

working on building my product shots portfolio this week.
made my own natural light studio and all.
more to come.

week 14 - spring is here!

2011-04-07T14:37:00.004-06:00

happy tuesday

2011-03-29T16:18:00.002-06:00

my sweet lil sis made this video for me over the weekend.
i love her.

week 12 - moving home - an 8mm film

2011-03-26T08:59:00.001-06:00

did you hear the news?
i moved back to UTAH this week.
i made this short 8mm film of

moved from ceebee on Vimeo.

as much fun as i had in california, it was time for me to come back.
and i am happy happy.

back in CA

2011-03-21T17:39:00.001-06:00

having a blast spending all my time with these babes...

week 11 - playing in the rain

2011-03-19T19:57:00.002-06:00

who dat?
me dat!

when do i ever pass up a perfect opportunity to play in the rain?
neverrrrr.

thanks robyn for snapping these :)

week 9 - plush monsters

2011-03-05T17:57:00.002-07:00

i have to give credit to my awesome date who came up with this idea!
it took many many hours, but we had blast.
they definitely aren't perfect, and have lots of mistakes, but that's why these are so fun to make!

week 8 - coming soon

2011-02-26T21:03:00.003-07:00

i made a little stop motion video with some old spools of thread
i got thrifting this weekend.
unfortunately, imovie wouldn't let me edit the film a certain way... so you'll just have to do with this photo. check back soon though! :)

surprise surprise

2011-02-24T16:13:00.000-07:00

for a month and a half i kept a fun secret.

i was planning to surprise my little bro and sis for their 16th birthday with a visit.
finally that day came...
i sent this picture to their phones and told them i wanted to give them some balloons on their birthday... hoping they would see i was at their school.
they sure did, and we're so excited!
i think amy's exact words were "no way!!! where are you?? i think i just started crying! ahh i'm freaking out!!!!! i have to pee!"
haha :)
it was such a fun reunion, and some tears may have been involved.
i've missed my family so much. and i am excited i will be in utah for the next 3 weeks!

week 7: bokeh hearts

2011-02-17T20:02:00.003-07:00

i have such a love for bokeh.
bokeh is the out-of-focus points of light in an image.
since it was valentines this week i decided to play around in photoshop to give my images bokeh hearts. i had a joy making these images.

happy valentines day!

2011-02-14T23:40:00.001-07:00

my day started off with flowers from a "secret admirer"

and ended with a homemade pizookie & a chick flick with the roomie.

a pretty good day to me!

week 6: an open window

2011-02-12T18:52:00.003-07:00

i started taking random photos early in the week and when i looked through them, these first two stood out to me. one of a window, one shot though a window. so i decided my theme this week was going to be anything shot through, of, or had a window. fun fun.

i'm not one for pet photography... but i sure loved this.

a little valentines love.

my editing goal this week was to give these photos a film look. so i made these pictures super grainy, didn't sharpen them, didn't add contrast, and dulled the colors down. love the turn out!

week 5: musicians by the bay

2011-02-04T13:44:00.002-07:00

sometimes you have to let the project come to you.

i was walking around the boardwalk in laguna with a friend snapping random photos.

i took a few of a kid singing and playing the guitar, and his friend came running after me and asked if i could email some of the photos i took.

i went back and took more...

i also met this sweet girl who was rockin it on the piano.

i wasn't planning on this being my shoot of the week, but it happened.

and so happy it did.

yard sale treasures

2011-01-31T13:51:00.002-07:00

yard sale season has begun in OC!
i got this frame and fan for $5 each on saturday!
can i tell you how long i have been wanting a fan like this?
too long.
i also purchased my dream dresser for $25!
thank you craigslist.

week 4: an 8mm film

2011-01-29T10:38:00.000-07:00

best purchase i've ever made...

2011-01-26T12:39:00.004-07:00

a DISNEYLAND PASS!
it's fun because everyone has one down here too.
so we're there on a weekly basis.

yes, that is me alone on the ride, having the time of my life!
ok i wasn't really alone, but this is what happens when you come with an odd number of people.

week 3: a bike adventure

2011-01-22T20:33:00.005-07:00

so this week i decided to document a fun bike ride with some friends.

we started on balboa island,
rode the ferry across to the peninsula
(first time on the ferry for me, loved it!),
and biked along the boardwalk in newport.

i hope this is only the first of many bike adventures!

so as part of this project i am trying to find new ways to edit
and process the images i take.
so this week i was going for a holga camera look, and loving the results!
i do own a holga camera, so maybe one of these weeks i'll dedicate a project to using it!
................................................

me, linds, jess, chantel

know anyone getting married this year?

2011-01-19T12:22:00.001-07:00

you must tell them about this huge discount i am offering!

week 2: strangers on the pier

2011-01-14T12:41:00.003-07:00

week two on project 52.

still going strong.

i decided this week to get out of my comfort zone.

taking pictures of strangers seemed like just the way to conquer that.

although i only had enough quarters for 40 minutes, i feel like i got some good pics.

it would have been fun to stick around for a few good hours, talk to some of these fishermen and get their stories. but we'll just save that for another week.

the 52 week challenge

2011-01-09T11:31:00.002-07:00

jan 1st, decide to do the 365 project.
day one, successful.
day two, didn't touch the camera.
i decided that just might be too big of a challenge for me so i created my own!

the 52 week challenge!
so instead of taking a picture a day, i am going to do a fun project each week.
whether it's a photo shoot, make a video, capture a story, anything photography related.
so here is my project i did last week.
a stop motion video of an afternoon at the beach.

i had so much fun making this, and can't wait to get more and more creative each week. stay tuned for this week's project!

a goal or two

2011-01-03T13:37:00.003-07:00

2010 was full of some good and bad times.
let's just remember the good ones!

each year i like to blog a few goals, thinking it would actually make me stick to them...
but i've been failing.
NOT THIS YEAR!

this year I WILL:
travel outside the US. italy please.
give my business 110%. working on teaming up with some magazines.
get a rockin body. this is happening, just you wait.
be more spontaneous. gain more adventures.
be more charitable & do more service. would love to travel and work in an orphanage.
spend less time on the computer. more time outside, living life.
expand my knowledge of the gospel. deepen my relationship with god.
be a better sister, daughter, auntie. more sincere, more loving, and giving.
ride my bike more. blog the fun times.

bring on the new year!

2011-01-02T23:35:00.004-07:00

{photo of me by chantel marie}
new year. new goals. fresh start. let's do this!

where did 2010 go?
i looked back at my blogging goals i made for 2010, and i feel as if i just made them.
and not sure if i accomplished any of them...

but i feel as if there is a lot in store for me in 2011.
good things are going to happen. and i am ready to do all that i can to make them happen!
i'm in a new place. new friends. new surroundings. new jobs.
just can't wait to get out there and make things happen!
wish me luck!
love you all

oh christmas tree...

2010-12-31T14:22:00.000-07:00

oh christmas tree from Courtney Brooke on Vimeo.

decided to make a video of me decorating our christmas tree.

video camera died in the middle of filming.

two days in a row.

gave up.

could have been a thousand times cuter... but this is what i got.

hope everyone had a fun christmas and new years!

cute crates

2010-12-22T11:02:00.002-07:00

a fun little redo for you:

scored two cute crates at goodwill last week for $2 each!
i really wanted to distress them, and make them look a little more old & worn.

and i made it work!
all i had to use was silver car window paint, and a cotton ball to use as a paint brush.
it was a funny process, but i am so in love with the way it turned out!

went to ikea and got a few of my favorite plants ever... succulents!
they were about $2-3 each, and the silver tins we 75 cents. love me my ikea.
and then i placed them in my kitchen windowsill, they make me so happy!

a little tour.

2010-12-18T13:22:00.004-07:00

welcome to my cozy apartment....
here are a few pics of my
"how to decorate for christmas with little money"

metal wreath frame: $2
yarn: about $6 with plenty left over
felt for flowers: $2.50 and still have enough left over to make 100 more!
ornaments: $.99 for a package of 4!

banner: $.99
2 tree ornaments: $.99

beaded garland: $.99
ornaments: $.99
already had cotton balls and string

left: front window display
beaded garland: $.99
already had snowflakes and paper for the paper chain
right: poinsettias
poinsettias: $.99 each - bought 3
milk glass vase: already had

my table centerpiece

top left: package of ornaments: $.99
top right: candlesticks: 2 for $.99 bought 6
bottom left: bird in glass: $2 from marshall's
(was supposed to be an ornament, but was broken)
bottom right: cotton balls: already had
glass jars: already had

right: vintage angel: $1.99

my christmas tree!
used all my leftover ornaments, cotton balls, and garland!

ta da!
and all of this for less than $30!
thank you 99 cent store and goodwill.
so worth it, and makes it feel a little more like christmas in this warm weather.

a playdate!

2010-12-15T16:44:00.005-07:00

today i spent the morning with my niece, navi.
we crafted. played hide and go seek. sang christmas songs. and danced around my apt.
i feel so lucky i get to live so close to my niece, being an auntie really is the best!

painted a rocking horse ornament, and made a gingerbread man.

she kept knocking off the puff balls, and would say "oh, sorry gingerbread. i'm so sorry"
so stinkin cute!

monkey cheese for lunch.

helped her make this cute necklace.

she kept saying... "courty, don't takey picture!"
like that would stop me.
until next playdate...

did ya know?

2010-12-08T13:21:00.005-07:00

i moved!
yep, no more blow up mattress bed.
no more sleeping in navi's room.
(i do miss her though)

i found a steal of a deal and snatched it up quick.
i moved in a few days before i headed out to utah for 2 weeks.
i have two roomies, one which i share a room with.
my place is adorable, maybe one day i'll post pictures.
but the thing i love most is finally having my own space,
and being able to decorate for holidays!
haven't been able to do this in a few years, and it's been killing me.

i've already started decorating, & i'll put pictures up when i'm finished.
but here is a little peek!

spent my night making paper chains, love it.

this is my table centerpiece. i might be a tad obsessed.

i promise to post more soon, once i figure out how to hang things. my cheap tape from the 99 cent store is not holding things up. i may have shattered a few ornaments. oops.

english bowling

2010-11-30T18:30:00.003-07:00

while i was in ut for thanksgiving, we had a family bowling session.
with a twist.

please tell me you remember this day.

me and sis still love talking with our english accents and calling each other by our english names, so we made up names for the fam...

sophie, fatha, mum, oliver, charlie, olivia

got our pizza factory fix. mmm breadtwists. mmm pesto.

did brandon's famous pink flamingo bowl, since he couldn't be there.

this is the "after you bowl, flip around and do the blue steel" pose.

we had some mad strikes going on.

ollie even got a taa-key!

mum's on a bowling league, and since i'm a fool at bowling, she always tries to teach me a thing or two. this time it worked! it's a thanksgiving miracle, i bowled a 100!

that whole saturday was spent talking with an english accent, and was absolutely fabulous.

if only you could here mum's accent...

me & liv spent the night in tears laughing so hard.

birthday babe

2010-11-06T12:14:00.000-06:00

happy birthday to my favorite little niece ever.

the cutest 2 year old i know!

happy halloweeeen

2010-10-31T01:02:00.001-06:00

me & my niece navi at the trunk-or-treat.

to the grocery store! on a bike.

2010-10-27T00:40:00.005-06:00

there is just something about grocery shopping with a cute basket that makes it that much more fun. only problem is you can't fit much.

double the fun

2010-10-21T15:02:00.001-06:00

double the fun from Courtney Brooke on Vimeo.

a little video i made of my mom and auntie's birthday weekend in park city.
song is singing to the earth by apollo sunshine.

i'd be happy...

2010-10-19T16:14:00.003-06:00

if i could do this on a daily basis when i grow old.

we would have probably became the best of friends
if i wasn't mid photoshoot with a family.

missing...

2010-10-13T21:28:00.003-06:00

two things i am missing right now...

FALL.

the colors. the weather. the clothes you get to wear.

califonia has been at least 75 or higher. it hit a whopping 106 last week. as much as i do love the warmth, i want to bust out boots, and jackets, and tights! but it looks like it's finally starting to cool off, guess i should have taken advantage of the added summer bonus huh?

THRILLER.

it's killing me i can't go see thriller this year.

it's a yearly tradition for me to see it at least 2-3 times. at least!

i guess it's a good thing lil sis didn't try out this year, or else i would have probably hopped on a plane just to go to a show.

yes that is just how much i love it.

please go see it for me.

(remember when i won free tickets syb? so much fun! miss you!)

but i am more than happy to be living in CA.

how cute is my roomie?

love her.

finally, a post.

2010-09-23T22:41:00.006-06:00

well, i made it. and i'm sorry i'm already off to a bad start on blogging. with no camera, it makes it easy to forget about blogging. but i just learned how to blog from my phone, best invention ever. so here's my past week documented from an iphone. enjoy!

took my bike apart, and it actually all fit in my car! yippy!

how do you keep yourself entertained on the drive? play the license plate game!

ahhh home.

view from my front door. doesn't get much better than that.

watched my first california sunset. well, as a california resident.

dance party. watch the funny thing navi does with her eyes when she spins in circles.

went and watched the waves at the wedge. definitely the first of many more wedge sessions to come.

i get to snuggle and hold this baby anytime. so much fun!!

went to fhe, met some new people, made some new friends, learned how to hula. it was all in all a fun time!

we've had a few sweet painting parties here. b+r have found some awesome furniture!

my cute new wallet, $10 from tj maxx. what a steal.

does anyone else remember this popcorn? i know me and karli were OBSESSED. the butter you pour on is delicious, well i haven't seen this popcorn in a store in many years, i was so happy when i discovered it at big lots the other day!

i can't tell you how excited i am to have my bike down here. today i rode to the cute little market half of a mile away to grab a few items. i was so giddy at the fact i can actually do that now!

park time with navi.

this girl makes me so happy.

taking a walk with the babe around the block.

so there is a general idea on what i've been up to! besides looking for jobs, filling out a million applications, attempting to be social, making friends, editing & emailing. i'll keep you posted when something new or exciting happens! miss you all!

goodbye utah.

2010-09-14T19:09:00.003-06:00

how i spent my last week in utah...

hanging with the whole fam in park city.

dinner with carson, ash, shante, and cass!

not pictured: dinner with cass+sar, and breakfast with courtney!

also, had a bbq with my friends.
and only took 4 photos. who am i?

london, me, syb, jessie, cass
my bestest friends from high school minus sar.

my buds jaren and jaten.

i was super jealous of jaten's awesome henna tattoos.

cute abs and her cute baby riggs. love them.

and then i packed, packed, and packed.
car is all loaded, and gassed up.
waking up at 6 and not turning back.
gooooooooodbye!
xo

packing my bags

2010-09-12T21:25:00.003-06:00

and moving out to california,
THIS WEEK!
oooohh baby. can't believe it's actually happening.
wish me luck :)

sheeeeee's 50!

2010-09-05T21:21:00.000-06:00

happy birthday to my amazing & gorgeous mom. she's the best.
had to post this in honor...

2010-08-31T10:19:00.001-06:00

back from cali.
made this video of our trip, check it.

happy happy from Courtney Brooke on Vimeo.

song: happy to be myself by: the boy least likely to

i heart faces - beach fun!

2010-08-23T15:18:00.007-06:00

entering a photo challenge on i heart faces using this fun photo from hawaii. it's still one of my favorite pictures i have taken.
keep your fingers crossed i win! :)

finally!

2010-08-16T11:00:00.001-06:00

it's been officially 50 days since this little baby moved away from me.
how have i not gone crazy? or have i??
but i am off to spend every second with her, and my other favorites (brandon+robyn), as the fam heads down to cali for a WEEK for the birth of my nephew! hooray!
don't you worry, i'll post pictures of him soon. let's hope she has him while we're down there!

chairs: re-done!

2010-08-15T19:34:00.003-06:00

i am FINALLY getting around to painting the furniture i bought LAST summer.
since i'm moving and don't have the room to take it all with me, i am selling it all :(
but if you see something you like, let me know!

today's post features two very cute vintage chairs.

from a boring natural wood to a creamy light gray.

and of course i forgot to take a before picture of my favorite one! this vintage chair has a seat covered in rope, which i covered in a sky blue paint. this chair is more for decoration because it might be a little ouchie to sit on. but i think it would be adorable next to a bed with some cute vintage books piled on the seat!

these are both for sale, contact me if interested in purchasing one, or both!
(discount for purchasing both)

thegreenbasket@gmail.com

BIG news

2010-08-06T18:26:00.005-06:00

incase you haven't heard...

i'm moving to the beach!!!
well... california.

kind of excited to get out of utah, and have some adventures of my own.
if you live in utah, i will miss you.
if you live in cali, let's be friends.

i'm peacing out september 10th. but, i'm thinking of doing a bbq or some type of get together before i head out, so keep the 9thish free. ok deal.

ahhh summer

2010-07-30T20:16:00.003-06:00

i don't understand why summer can't last for 8 months of the year.
nothing beats a night bike ride, or just laying on a blanket on a warm night.
summer, you are perfect.

moreno's

2010-07-22T14:36:00.005-06:00

back in may i went out to arizona with brandon+robyn to visit & take pictures of her new niece lucy. gregg +melissa introduced us to the best mexican food ever, moreno's in mesa.

they are famous for their hot dogs,

being the picky girl i am i only got a quesadilla, but ohhh boy was it amazing.
they use real mexican chesse, which is heavenly. i'm drooling thinking about it.

navi playing peek-a-boo.

definitely consider this place the next time you are in mesa!

happy happy birthday

2010-07-19T20:27:00.002-06:00

to karli dear!

my beautiful cousin and favorite model.
we are only two years apart in age,
so you can only imagine how much fun we have had growing up together!
love you much kars, hope you had a perfect 20th birthday.

oh hey

2010-07-15T17:43:00.006-06:00

photo taken of me while doing a photo booth at a wedding

remember me?

ok well i am back for good this time.

we haven't had internet for a little over a month now,
so you can imagine how crazy i've been going...
i actually had to jail break my iphone so i could get free internet tethering. shhhh.
well anywho i am going to be catching up on all that you've been missing on my awesome summer, so stay tuned!
xo

30 years

2010-05-21T13:34:00.005-06:00

happy anniversary to the most amazing parents ever!
they are still so in love after 30 years.
i rummaged through our old photos and found this one, i'm so lucky to have these two beauties as parents. LOVE YOU!

a popcorn party

2010-05-11T16:10:00.003-06:00

my mom called me the night before my birthday and asked what kind of dessert i wanted for my birthday. nothing sounded good except popcorn, so i said hey! let's have a popcorn party.
and so we did.

we had a variety of popcorn.
white cheddar, white chocolate mint oreo, caramel, and circus.

can you tell i was saying "noooooo way". i couldn't believe it. i was stoked.

my cute camera from brother, and cute books from the parents!

a few decorations

my type of a birthday cake.

not bad for pulling this all together very last minute huh?
it could have been reeeeally cute, but i still loved every detail of it.
such a fun day!

the best mom

2010-05-09T21:09:00.003-06:00

happy mother's day to the most amazing mom ever!

i don't have too many photos of just me and my mom, so brother took some of us. with lil sis too of course.

i'm so lucky to have such a creative, giving, awesome, fun, loving, and beautiful mom!
happy mother's day mom, i love you!

a lil trip

2010-05-01T06:48:00.001-06:00

off to 80 degree weather in arizona.
have a fabulous weekend.

my birthday: in mini

2010-04-29T12:50:00.003-06:00

i treated myself to a whole roll of instax mini film on my birthday.
here's what i got.
i am still new at this camera...

sunday night i had my cousins over to watch the jazz game and for a popcorn party!
digital photos of the party coming soon.

cupcake from sweet tooth fairy. birthday tradition.

left: vintage camera-gift from brother, books-gift from parents! right: me trying to jump. i think we took the photo a lil too early.

thanks ali and lil sis for taking the photos of me!

yep

2010-04-23T16:24:00.004-06:00

definitely ate at costa vida today.

i was so giddy to eat this.
made a quick stop by the di on our way home.
picked up this cute ring:

and this adorable vintage book:

i did purchase one more item, but i am saving it for another post. stay tuned.
ps- aren't you so proud of all my blog posts? I'M BACK!

finished

2010-04-22T20:13:00.000-06:00

i finished the detox!
wooooooooooo.
today i got to eat a smoothie, corn, an apple, carrots, and brown rice. oh it was great.
tomorrow, REAL FOOD!
debating on being the first in line at cafe rio or costa vida...

sometimes i really don't know how i lasted the whole 7 days.
it was tough. very tough. but i think it was so worth it.
so far, i've noticed my hair looks healthier, and has grown! same with my eyelashes.
i feel like i can breathe better, and feel so healthy.
i would suggest you all do it!
want to know how much weight i lost?
10 POUNDS!
i might gain a tiny bit back now that i'll be eating solids, but still!
i am loving all the skinny compliments i'm getting. makes me feel even better!
now its time to hit the gym hardcore, keep this weight off, and tone up!
woo, can't wait!
if you plan on doing this cleanse, let me know. i will coach you through and cheer you on!

oh anthro, i love you.

2010-04-21T17:29:00.001-06:00

i almost forgot about anthro's birthday discount coupon. but when i saw an envelope addressed from them, i lit up.

photo found here
do you remember last years?
yesterday me and my mother journeyed down to the gateway to do some birthday shopping.
i was hoping to find a dress, since after all my birthday is on a sunday,
but only found about a million cute shirts.

maybe i'll be like cute miss stacey and model my birthday clothes for you guys.
maybe.

an early birthday present

2010-04-17T13:21:00.004-06:00

picked up one of these babies today.

mmmm off to go test it out on this prefect saturday.

detox

2010-04-16T19:21:00.003-06:00

yesterday i started the master cleanse detox.
i have some who are placing bets to see how long i actually last doing this, but it's day two and i am going strong!
this detox is to flush all of the unwanted toxins out of your body, and once completed, you are supposed to feel energized and amazing.
i can't help but thinking of this while doing the cleanse though. haha.

i will be keeping you updated with my process.

janene in wonderland

2010-04-14T23:58:00.006-06:00

last weekend i went to a surprise party for my cute aunt janene.

the theme was alice in wonderland, and boy was it adorable.
it was fun getting all the girl cousins together and having fun!
here are some pictures:

all the girls

atwood family parties are always known for being cute and a blast.
can't wait for the next one!

lookie what i bought

2010-04-05T22:54:00.003-06:00

an instax mini camera. mmm.
she is my new best friend.
and so far, we have had a joyous time together.
photos coming soon.

easter happy

2010-04-04T22:45:00.004-06:00

spending the weekend with the whole fam in st george.

it's been nothing but perfect.

i call this weekend getaway, therapy. i've been in the best mood all weekend.

be back to blogging soon.

promise.

stupid

2010-02-28T12:08:00.007-07:00

monday night i was over at the woodbury's watching the bachelor,
went to leave and found my drivers side window shattered!
i ran so fast back into the house, thinking that the person might have still been around.
i should have taken a picture of the glass EVERYWHERE, oh and believe me it is everywhere. in my air vents in all. don't be surprised if i one day go blind from getting glass in my eyes. i guess the good side is that they didn't steal anything. but it's like why even throw the rock then huh?

i saw this under my seat when i got home, wasn't sure if they threw a potato or a rock at my window.
it's a rock.

in the morning, i got to scope out the damage in good lighting and found that they must have had horrible aim and hit the very corner of the window, and cracked this (not sure what to call this part, the plastic in between the window and the side mirror? good enough for me)

so yes, i was mad. but thankfully i had a friend that hooked me up with getting a new window the next day, and for such a good deal! and i am grateful for all of my cute friends that were there that night, calling the cops for me, waiting in the freezing cold for them to get there, sweeping up glass... friends are the best!

i still think whoever threw that rock should get a rock, or potato, thrown at them.
the end.

my valentines weekend

2010-02-20T21:28:00.007-07:00

was perfect.
i have never been a valentines day or SAD (single awareness day) hater.
even though i have been single practically every valentines,
i have not once been depressed or sad.
growing up, my family made valentines day a big deal.
my mom would usually ring the doorbell and leave presents on the doorstep for us all.
(vicky mints always included)
all of my mom's siblings and their families would always make a creative valentine for each family. and when i say creative, i mean outrageously creative.
i will have to dig up some photos just so you can see for yourself.
we always had a blast trying to sneak up to each doorstep and run away without being caught, and loved finding all sorts of valentines on our own doorstep.
my dad, only having two daughters, would give me and my sis a cute flower arrangement from artichoke & co. still my favorite flower shop to this day.
so you see, valentines has always been the best holiday.
i always feel so much love from my family, who cares about getting a valentine from a guy, or having a boyfriend? haha not me, but what else is new.
so here are some photos of my fun weekend...

friday i did a love/valentines photo shoot for fun & for my mom's booth at the bridal show.

friday i helped my my out at the bridal show in provo for a few hours.
isn't she amazing. she makes life cute. that's why i love her.

took some pictures of my niece, and snuck home some of my favorite flowers EVER {peonies} from the bridal show.

made heart shaped french toast for my family sunday morning.

received some valentines from my aunts {sorry lisa, i forgot to take a picture of yours :( }

had a very yummy and very cute valentines dinner

and also decorated heart shaped cookies sunday night. oh it was lovely.
what did you do?

happy heart day

2010-02-14T14:22:00.003-07:00

do something nice for the ones you love today.
me- i made heart shaped french toast this morning for my family.

xo
c

hello february

2010-02-06T12:06:00.002-07:00

today i love...

fresh flowers in the house

update

2010-01-27T10:43:00.001-07:00

still a few spots open for craft night tomorrow...

do come. it's going to be lovely.

2010-01-26T16:20:00.007-07:00

so i jinxed myself.
i was talking with my fam and made a statement that it's been years and years since i've thrown up. and then what you do know, that night i did.
t lent me her copy of this book:

{no make up, in my favorite hoodie ever}

and i already finished it.
of course i had to skip a few chapters, but all in all... i learned a lot.
i have always been cautious of dating.
but now i really know the signs to look for, and how i really deserve to be treated.
if you are single, read it!

craft night

2010-01-23T15:10:00.006-07:00

ok, so here it is finally.
we are going to make...

some lacy votive holders!
i said we were going to make a valentines day craft because i was going to do pink and red lace, but i decided to make them in cream tones so they can be used year round.
last sunday we put these in the center of the dinner table, and ate by candlelight.
we loved it.
so here is the info:

date: thursday january 28th
time: 8:00 pm
place: my lovely home
price: $10 per person
what's included: lace, votives, all other supplies to make 2-3 holders, + yummy treats!
what you need to bring: yourself + if you want to use your own lace.

i have decided to limit this craft night to 12 people
because of space and the cost of supplies.
so HURRY and send me an email or comment below with your email address to sign up.
i need everyone's email address to give you my home address
{if you don't know it already}
if you can't make it this month, still send me your email address so you can be one of the first to know the details of next month's craft night.
see you thursday!

attention all crafters

2010-01-15T11:34:00.004-07:00

courtney's {monthly} craft night is now is session.
i had a fun wintery craft planned, but some of the things were too hard to find for it,
so i've decided to make a valentines day craft!
i have some way cute ideas, so you will not want to miss.
please email me to sign up so i can get a head count and get supplies.
in a few days i will post what we will be crafting and how much it will be for supplies
{don't worry it won't be too much}

i want to get a vote on which day we should do it, so i've made a poll off to the right.
please vote which day works best for you.

remember when i painted on a weekend night?
well this time i want more people to craft with me!
this craft night will be for anyone over the age 18.
whether you are a friend of mine, a family member, or secretly stalk my blog,
i want you to come!
it would be the perfect time to meet!
so send me an email if you are interested!
{thegreenbasket@gmail.com}

can't wait!
ps girls only. sorry boys!

no thank you

2010-01-06T21:40:00.005-07:00

one of my four wisdom teeth came to say hello last week.

it was not a pleasant visit, because now it won't leave.
i wanted it out. asap.

so a friend of a friend told me that they do studies and will pay you to take them out.
i called. made an appointment. went to the appointment.
spent 2 hours filling out paperwork. peed in a cup. had my blood drawn.found out i would be awake during the procedure.
found out i have to drink a cup of milk before the procedure.
walked out with my 50 bucks.
not going back.

dear wisdom tooth,
so you are here to stay for a while longer...
please don't invite you buddies to come join you.
and please stop moving my teeth.
thanks.

{notice my black nails. never done that before. its a new year!}

the bachelor

2010-01-06T11:26:00.006-07:00

ok if you don't keep up to date with the bachelor... you are missing out.

it just started on monday so go to abc.com and get caught up.
want to know why i love it so much?
because the cute natalie hill reviews each episode and makes me laugh so hard.
so take my advice.
watch the show.
then read her blog!!

i wanted kiptyn so badly to be the next bachelor, jake... not a big fan.
nat we are on the same page!

the star

2010-01-05T00:34:00.005-07:00

let me tell you about "the star"
{if you don't already know what it is}

my neighbor, harold {the star man}, for six years now has been hiking up the mountain each night during christmas time to light up the star he built himself. i love looking up and seeing the star shining over our neighborhood each night. it is now my favorite part about the holidays.
four years ago, me and my family decided to hike up on new years eve to the star.
and we have done it ever year since then.

its a fun little hike that winds up the steep mountain and brings you to the opening of a gorgeous canyon, with a view of the whole valley.

my dad had hiked up almost every night with harold this time, and they even interviewed him about it. see that here.

well this year, i brought my new little camera to document.
but for some reason i have bad luck with this cam. it died on me halfway up the mountain. i had to savor the battery so i could get two seconds of the star on film.
but here is the winnies + davies hiking to the star in less than 40 seconds.

the star from Courtney Brooke on Vimeo.

thanks kars for taking these of my fam!

oh did i mentioned its one big slide on the way down?
so much fun.

here's to 2009

2010-01-02T01:54:00.006-07:00

2009
was an amazing year.

i started my own business
changed my hair color
made new friends
was a bridesmaid three times
went to hawaii
was an efy counselor
bought a cute bike
turned 21
almost moved to california {ha!}
but did go to california four times
bought a new car
went to the singles ward for an entire year {yikes}
cut bangs

wow. ok i thought i did a lot more than that...

alright, i'm going to do lots this year. just you wait.

so i just read over the goals i made for 2009...
hmm. i only completed a few of those. how sad.

i did not go to italy.
i did not save save save.
i did not keep my room clean.
shoot.

ok so here are my goals for

2010

be happy. every day. no matter what.
travel to new places. my first choice in the us: seattle.
go one at least one date a month.
{yes i know, i hate dating. but i want to change that. and i am even changing my mind about blind dates... weird. but if you know any cute single guys... send em my way :) }
do more charity work
start a once a month craft night. {details coming soon!}
make new friends, be a better friend, and stay in touch with old friends.
take more pictures
{no not more photo shoots. pictures of little everyday life things that make life beautiful}
get back in school! {cross your fingers i can get my student loan fast enough}
run a half marathon
oh and last but not least, be better at blogging! and commenting on others blogs.

..........

and that is all that i can think of for now.
i love starting with a fresh new start every year,
and i really cannot wait to make this year fantabulous!

highlights of my christmas week

2009-12-28T13:50:00.003-07:00

wow i've really been slacking on blogging lately.

that's lame, i'm sorry.

welp i've got a lot to catch you up on...

i had five photo shoots in less than two weeks and so by the time christmas rolled around,
i needed a break from being behind the camera, and enjoy the holidays.
so you must excuse my lack of quality and lack of pictures...
(most of these are taken on my iphone or others took them)

saturday i helped my mom set up for a beautiful winter wonderland wedding
lets just say my mom is amazing at planning weddings.
(more pictures to come soon!)

monday and tuesday were spent shopping. all. day. long.
monday night i did get to go up to sundance, which by the way i'm obsessed. i had never been. its beautiful! anywho, i went sledding, in all ways shapes and forms. some included piling 6 people on an old school mattress with skies on the bottom and wiping out several times. good times.
tuesday me and my mom went to gateway and i loved this tree they had all lit up.

how fun is that?

wednesday {christmas eve eve} i wrapped presents all morning,

had a photo shoot in the afternoon,
and then went to grandma winnie's for dinner.
it's tradition.

navi had fun trying to do "summersaults"

thursday {christmas eve} was spent cleaning and getting ready for the party.
we had the davies over for dinner:
a pasta bar, with yummy home made macaroni grill bread!

and then we played games.

tanner bought our family the game LCR because we loved so much the first time he introduced it to us! amy won the first round. nate won the second. and i got second place both times. and really did win ;) jk nate! but nate was a dear and gave the money he won to me instead, so i split it with jake who got third place.

i won't try and explain the game, because i might confuse you. but its a blast, search it on google and buy one for your and your fam!

me and my favorite baby

we then watched some home movies of our families,

had a mini dance party in austin's festive room,

and sang christmas songs as we marched down the stairs.

wish you could have been there. it was a blast.

after... we opened our christmas jammies!
{my favorite part of christmas eve}

(stole this from my bro. my dad took pictures, but we all looked nasty so this will do)

then me and the twins built a fort over my bed, and we three squished in my bed. we voted austin to sleep in the middle. worst 8 hours of sleep i've ever had.

christmas was a lot of fun, my grandma came and made sour dough pancakes and bacon for us in the morning. i had fun giving presents

i got navi this book for her birthday so i got her this one for christmas

my parents gave me this:

i told them not to get me anything at all. but it will be so nice to carry around with me so i don't have to always haul around my huge & heavy camera.

saturday we went bowling. brought along my new little cam & had a heck of a time.
poor little thing came broken, so this is all i could get before she broke down on me.

we bowl from Courtney Brooke on Vimeo.

so thankful for:
a little brother who gets so excited about christmas
spending an entire day with my mom
the little snow storm we got
the bestest friends i could ever ask for
hanging out with my bro tanner, now he's headed back to kauai. boo.
spending 30+ hours straight in my pjs
the family who did the 12 days of christmas for us
my new gym membership. i can't wait to be in good shape!
my amazing job, and such cute clients
all the generous gifts that were left on our doorstep
and my fabulous parents for giving us a good christmas

what a perfect christmas it was.

blue christmas?

2009-12-18T12:21:00.000-07:00

i'm sorry, but since when was blue nominated a christmas color?

oh dear.

word of advice

2009-12-15T21:53:00.005-07:00

drive up the canyon and look at how BEAUTIFUL it is!

go. now. do it. you won't regret it.
{pictures taken up little cottonwood canyon}

PS... does anyone have a cute vintage suitcase i could borrow for a photoshoot on thursday?
leave a comment if you or anyone you know has one, thanks!!
{image via google}

vote for me!

2009-12-08T12:29:00.005-07:00

hey everyone, i entered a video contest and i need your help!!
i am currently in second place so i need all the votes i can get.
here is the link:

http://bestvideowins.twideocontest.com/video/2

votes are counted by the number of times its been viewed and the amount of times shared on facebook or twitter! so if you have an account with either or both of those click on the links in the vote now box!
if you don't have either at least watch the video.
it would help me out lots, and it only takes 2 seconds... i would love you forever!
thanks everyone!

ps feel free to share this with friends and family
(and by feel free i mean please do it!)
(and by friends and family i mean anyone you know, or pass by in the grocery store!)
xo

thanksgiving

2009-12-03T13:05:00.005-07:00

finally, here are some pictures of my amazing thanksgiving
i was bummed because tanner wasn't coming home, and b+r+n {brandon, robyn, navi}
were going to robyn's brothers for dinner. so it was just going to be me, the parents, and the twins, but then more and more of our family joined and it turned
out to be one big party!
sorry for the picture overload!

the tables:

apparently thanksgiving is for reading...

and tickle/snowball fights

i gave my mom a little thanksgiving present.
how cute is this candle? its on sale at anthro, go get one!!

i think austin liked it even more than my mom...

me and lil sis had fun playing with cute little hallie

aw sisterly love.

we traced hallie with dominos

brooke + phil + kimball came to visit. hallie and kimball were so cute playing together!

johnny is the caving master.

my cousin heather made this cute turkey

my two favorite people

trisha-claus came to our house!

she gave navi and hallie such cute presents

trisha made these cute melting snowmen

mmm desserts

all the girl cousins

we played lots of fun games, and after all the cousins left my fam made hot cocoa, homemade popcorn and watched elf.
what a perfect thanksgiving!!

friday night fort

2009-11-30T22:53:00.002-07:00

thanksgiving weekend is always so much fun because you spend so much time with family.
me and the twins were bored one night so we built a fort in our family room,
and slept in it.

we might even make this a weekly occurrence!
{note to self for next time: don't wash your face before you take pictures...}

delightful

2009-11-28T17:30:00.003-07:00

nothing beats coming home from a photo shoot and sipping a cup of hot cocoa.

isn't it always more fun when its in a cute cup?
{photo by me}

full of thanks

2009-11-26T00:05:00.001-07:00

first of all...

{photo by me}
i am so thankful for...

my life
my faith
friends {the tv show, haha yes i am serious}
amazing family + friends
family traditions
my sweet little niece
my awesome job
+ my fabulous clients
and everyone who reads my blog!

what are you thankful for?

free photoshoot to a someone in need

2009-11-24T00:29:00.003-07:00

i posted this on my website, please spread the word i really want to help someone out!

It’s that time of year to be giving. So I have decided to share my talents by giving away a free photo shoot to a family in need. This could be a family who would love to do family portraits for Christmas cards, but doesn’t have the money, a couple who is in need of engagements or bridals, but can’t afford a photographer, or any other option you can thing of! If you are someone in need this year, or know of someone who could use some photos, please leave a comment below or click HERE to contact me now. Spread the love!

in-n-out goodness

2009-11-19T16:14:00.006-07:00

today in-n-out opened in draper.

and boy was it crazy.
just take a look...

thankfully robyn's bro got there early

{i'm not a hamburger person... weird i know}

apparently its not "cool" to take pictures at in-n-out

but why would that stop me?
{that sign says capacity 75 guests}

everything was super delicious

later my mom, dad, aunt lisa, and my grandparents joined us

today is my grandpa's 88th birthday, and he wanted to come here.
what a little cutie!

we knew that the owner had been there all day, and my grandpa wanted to meet her. she had left when we asked if she was still there, but her assistant gave my grandparents these...

oh the twins...

what a fun afternoon it was.