Montana via iPhone

This family vacation is everything and more than we imagined it would be. Montana is a trip that we countdown to every year, plan up amazing expectations in our heads and every year our minds are blown as to how great it is. Wake-boarding, hiking, chicken foot dominoes, croquet, daily devotionals, and eating are the first words that come to mind if I had to sum up our trip as of now. To think we have 5 more days here makes my heart so happy. So many great memories here!

home from Santa Barbara, off to Montana

It's 9:45pm, we just got home from Santa Barbara, we leave for Montana at 6:50am and I have 0 motivation to pack. I have to admit, there is something thrilling about living out of your suitcase. Packing and unpacking the same bag for a new adventure.

Santa Barbara was a lot of fun. As with most traveling weddings, we don't get much time to sight see, so Sunday we made sure to grab brunch and window shop before heading home. Next time you find yourself in SB you must go to Esau's Cafe. Best.breakfast.of.my.life. I won't be shocked if their hash browns are in my dreams tonight. Time to stock my packing procrastination. Montana here we come!

life via iPhone.

Braids..bonfires..& bowties. Just a little update on life thru my iPhone. We had so much fun heading down to San Diego last weekend to shoot a high school's friends wedding (her amazing headpiece above) right in our hometown! It's not often that it takes 1 minute to drive to the place where the bride & bridesmaids are getting ready. Our Montana countdown is now just down to 4 days and this weekend we are heading to Santa Barbara (for work of course). Luckily we will have a little time to explore! Life has been really busy this summer. Much more than Paul and I had anticipated. It's been 2 months since we have been at our own home for an entire week. Despite the whirlwind of traveling, we  have been diligent about continuing to work out together. Our runs are up to 4 miles now! Just 6 miles to our goal.

because real sisters have sister rings.

I'm sure many of your have seen this ring pinned all over Pinterest, aannddd you know, not like I watch it or anything...BUT. Emily from the Bachelorette wore one too.

While home this past weekend, as the wise and good sister I am, introduced Lauren to Etsy. I think we have a new addict on our hands! We browsed pages and pages together and came across these love rings. I fell in love, Lauren did too and I bought them for us. Lauren calls them our "sister rings" I like that a lot.

We're back! ..and we have a new look.

We gave team gilster a little break for a couple weeks. Things have gotten cray cray busy with work, we've been traveling a ton. AND we wanted to give our blog a face lift!! Big things happening in the Gilster household. Still making some small changes here and there but overall, so glad to be back!

if you are french braid challenged...like myself.

I just cannot grasp on concept of french braiding. On other people? occasionally. On myself? not to save my life. Forever I wanted to Lauren Conrad side braid. But it wasn't happening for me. Not until this video changed that!


Skip to about the 1 minute mark, that's where the magic begins.

It took me a couple tries, but I finally got it! My mock LC side braid :)

my google history.

I can confidently say that I use google everyday, no exagerration. It's a great tool and it has helped me become quite the little researcher ;-) Below is my 10 most recent google searches in my history and my reasoning for each.

1. How to start a letter of recommendation - We had a past intern ask us if we would write one for her and honestly I had no idea what I was doing. Twenty-three and writing a letter of rec? There has gotta be an age limit on these things.

2. SOAP BOX - the name of the company our intern is applying for. I did my research..no need to worry.

3. Showcase DJ - We worked with an awesome DJ at last nights wedding, I wanted to friend him on fb.

4. Hipster wedding videographer - google analytics says that people are finding us by searching those exact words. Turns out it works. awesome.

5. Sister wives religion - Just got into the show, had to double check, my initial guess was correct.

6. The Langham hotel wedding - Doing some research the night before shooting a wedding there.

7. Nixon - doing some shopping with Paul

8. Travel Zoo - I have some serious vacation fever. Take me to some white sandy beaches!!

9. Southwest - We booked a flight for a wedding in Northern California next month :)

10. My drunk kitchen - no explanation here. Google it for yourself and watch. You're welcome.

yesterdays wedding was basically at a fortress of awesomeness in case you were wondering

no babes here.

I talk about this topic a lot, so here we go again...

After getting married I learned that having "big news" opened a whole new form of interpretation (keeping interpretation singular) for friends and family...

Before marriage "big news" = an A on an exam, getting the new T-swift CD, an upcoming vacation, a surprise of any sort, latest gossip, getting tickets to a concert....the possibilities were endless.

After marriage "big news" = baby, prego, bun in the oven, with child, I'm having a baby... any other way to say. 

Paul and I are currently loving where we are in our marriage/life right now. Just the two of us is plenty at the moment. Recently while driving, I heard Snookie (prime example) and her current roommate on the radio being interviewed. In the interview the host asked Snookie's roommate if seeing her friend pregnant made her want a child more or less. She replied, "I'm just enjoying life and want to continue living selfishly." As horrible as that sounds, I let out an "amen!!"

 Becoming a mom is one of the most selfless decisions an individual can make. Giving up all of their selfish desires daily and for the rest of their life for that kid. Mom's are truly amazing and I respect them so much. Just as Snookie's roommate put it, Paul and I too are enjoying living our lives selfishly. "Selfishly" meaning, having one another to ourselves, sleeping in, making spontaneous decisions with limited commitments, alone time, vacations, financial freedom. All things that we know would be altered once a little one becomes a part of our lives.

I know that at some point our baby fever switch will turn on or if God decided to surprise us with a little one we would be overjoyed with the blessing. But in the next few years (4 or 5 if I have it my way) the Gilsters won't be planning for any little Gillys anytime soon! :)

Here's to continuing a life of spontaneity!

date night/start of summer.

Although it's gloomy, chilly, and feeling a bit like November here in Costa Mesa today, I'm so excited for the start of summer! For Paul and I, it's just beginning to feel that way because of our new little item. A barbecue! This little guy is our ticket to fame as husband/wife BBQ pit masters. Not really..but have you watched that show? Givin' me some serious BBQ envy, "someone get me a brisket STAT!"

Paul has been dying to get one since we first moved. So July 3rd, (probably the worst day of the year to go barbecue shopping) at 9:00pm, we made a trip to home depot and this guy was ours for a mere $99. Now all we need to the break this guy in with some parties!

Because summer also means the busiest time of year for us that can't stop us, we love us some summer date nights topped with friends, mexican food, and 95% of the time a late night coffee.

He did his hair, I curled mine. Needless to say, we were fancy. For anyone looking for a new curling iron. I swear by my new Fahrenheit 2" iron. It's amazeballs (yep.) It gets up to 450 degrees! Even though I haven't put my hair thru that much intensity, a girl likes her options.