HAPPY "HULA"WEEN

It's already November, and we're just starting to feel settled enough in our new place to actually put up a few holiday decorations and enjoy our favorite season. We spent Halloween doing all the traditional activities; seasonal family photos, carving pumpkins and torturing dressing up our dog.

Don't be fooled by the look on Daisy's face. She loves Halloween just as much as the rest of us.

Carving pumpkins. Summer helped me, meaning that she sat on my lap and tried to grab the sharp end of the knife. Once we got the whole "knife is sharp" concept down, we had a lot of fun.

And, one last picture of Gram and Summer after family photos. Notice who's walking with the cane.

A LITTLE MORE MOAB

Moab, take me back. I miss you already.

MOAB

With two new jobs and a big project underway, we've been short on time in the Lenio household. Here's a little sneak peek of our most recent adventure: Matt's dirty 30 birthday trip to Moab.

BASEBALL AND BODY BUILDING

After working all day Saturday last week, I was more than ready for this weekend to roll around. Saturday was rainy, but we passed the time at our friend's first body-building competition. She competed in the bikini category, which means that instead of having crazy muscles, she just looks super fit and awesome in a swimsuit. Needless to say, I was inspired to finally put down the junk food (goodbye, Sour Patch Kids and french fries) and get my diet on.

We also went to the Real game on Saturday, the Bees game on Sunday, and made plenty of time to hang out with Daisy. Hope your weekend was just as relaxing!

LONDON PART II - ARSENAL

The best (okay, the only) way to get my husband to Europe was to promise him a few sports-related stops. In London, we toured the Arsenal stadium and then came back the next day for a game. Our tour was actually really fun, and it was led by a former player, Charlie George, who entertained us with stories of playing for 30 pounds a game and riding the bus back home. The game was pretty cool too, and we even ran into an old friend from Logan, Nate, in the gift shop. Small world!

Matt and former Arsenal player Charlie George

CRAVING SOME SUNSHINE

I can't believe that Salt Lake is still stuck in the 30's and 40's! I was trying to make myself feel better this weekend by going through some pics from last summer and reminding myself that yes, the sun will shine again.

THROWBACK THURSDAY - COACHELLA

Since Coachella is this weekend, I wanted to take a little trip down memory lane. We went to Coachella right before the festival got super popular. Matt and I flew in to Long Beach and stopped for the night about halfway to Indigo, at the Five Star Inn. The motel actually looked really nice from the outside, but inside, it was basically a crime scene waiting to happen. Stains on the sheets, duct tape covering holes in the curtains - just awful. Needless to say, we left without even trying to get our money back.

Looks pretty nice, right?

Not so nice.

Once we finally made it to Coachella, we had a blast. Great bands, even better people watching.

In an effort to save a little money, I booked our tickets back out of Long Beach for 8 a.m. the following morning so that we could just drive back after the concert rather than paying for another hotel. It was a terrible idea, and I don't think I've ever been so tired in my life. Oh to be young and poor again.  

MAD MEN

One of my favorite shows on TV is finally back! We were invited to a Mad Men dinner party last night to watch the premier. I was a little thrown by Betty's even-weirder-than-usual demeanor. Anyone else wonder if she was channeling Megan with that hair? Is Peggy the new Don Draper? Are sideburns the new suit and tie? What's going on with Don and the neighbor? Did Sandy really head for California or do those hippies know more than they were revealing? So many questions, and only two more seasons to answer them all!

A few other fun and nerdy Mad Men facts:

Did you know that the actor who plays Pete has to shave his hairline for the role (ew), and is engaged to his season five love interest in real life?

John Slattery, who plays Roger in the show, is married in real life to his first wife from the show (who was once married to George Clooney).

Oh, and keep a lookout for Betty Draper in Draper, Utah. January Jones's mom is the GM of the Utah Scheels.

HOW TO PHOTOGRAPH STRANGERS

Have you ever been on vacation and wanted to take a picture of a colorful local character, but felt weird or shy? I definitely have. Have you ever tried to snap a sneaky pic and then either gotten yelled at or had the person demand money? Don't worry, that's happened to me too. Luckily, National Geographic has some great ideas for taking pictures of strangers without coming off like a total creeper (via Today, I'm Bobbi).

I really like the idea of giving something back to the person you want to photograph, whether it's buying something that they are selling or just taking a few minutes to talk to them. I also love the idea of using your camera as an excuse to get to chat with people. I'm not a natural extrovert by any means, but I love to meet new people and hear their stories. When I was a reporter, I used my job as an excuse to carry on conversations with people who I normally would never have had the guts to talk to. Maybe now, my camera can be my excuse.

A boy and his donkey in St. Kitts. I think we gave him a dollar or two to take his picture.

A fiesty 91-year-old Pearl Harbor vet. He said it was okay if we took his picture, "if we hurried".

Old man out for a stroll in Madrid

Cinque Terre, Italy. The best part of going to any European beach is the people watching. I've learned that many Europeans (not all, but many) have a "smaller is better" philosophy when it comes to swimwear. See exhibit A.

HAPPY EASTER!

It was a gorgeous Easter weekend in Salt Lake. We spent Sunday with my family, hunting for eggs and playing with my sweet little niece. Holidays are so much more fun when there are kids involved!

 

FEATURED ON THE HUFFINGTON POST!

Daisy, too tired to protest last Easter

I hope everyone is gearing up for a great Easter weekend. Thank you so much for all the kind words about Daisy. Since her surgery, she's actually been acting much more like her normal bulldog self. She looks a little terrifying with one eye stitched shut, and we've definitely gotten some worried looks while walking our little Frankendog. At least she finally seems like she's on her way to recovery!

It was definitely a crazy and exciting week around here. I accepted a new job and will be leaving marketing for full-time social media. I'll miss my awesome coworkers, but I can't wait for a new adventure.

Also, I don't think I've mentioned this on the blog before, but I write a column called "Cubicle Confessional" for a career and lifestyle website called The Daily Muse. The column is all about navigating workplace relationships, and I've written about everything from turning bad habits into assets to how to cope if you're stuck at work over the holidays. This month's column talked about what to do if you're feeling left out of opportunities at your job, and it got picked up by the Huffington Post! So, all you HuffPo readers that found your way over here, welcome and thanks for stopping by!

Q&A with WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER RYAN SHEETS

Today, I am so excited to bring you a little Q&A with wildlife photographer Ryan Sheets. Ryan left his office job to pursue his passion, and I think the results speak for themselves! He's now a professional videographer and owner of Sheets Studios (you have to check out his pic of this baby big horn sheep.) He's been kind enough today to share some photography tips and tell us how he started living his dream.

The Travelogue: You have some amazing photographs up on your blog and website. How did a guy from the suburbs of Chicago get interested in wildlife photography?

Ryan: Thanks so much!  I think the suburbs of Chicago actually pushed me in this direction – ever since I was little I begged my dad every year to head out west skiing. (My first mountain skiing was actually at Snowbird! [a Utah favorite])  To say I am obsessed with the mountains might be an understatement.  The fact that being in the suburbs of Chicago so far away from what I consider nature pushed me to always head west…and made me appreciate wildlife more than I might have if I grew up with it all around.

TT: It’s so amazing that you’ve been able to turn your hobby into a business. I can only imagine the amount of work that’s gone into setting up your photography company. Tell us a little about the process. What made you decide to take the leap? Are you still working at another job, or is this your full time career?

Ryan: Yes, this hobby turned business has been interesting!  It takes so much work and will continue to take so much work…I am not where I need to be yet but an hopeful that a few more years will get me where I need to be.  After watching my wife graduate as a certified nurse midwife I saw her passion…and I knew what I was doing at the time was killing me because I didn’t have a passion for it.  After getting her blessing, I took the leap so to speak…and it’s an ongoing leap.  

When I am not photographing I am making films…basically creating videos for companies, colleges or people wanting to market their brand through video.  This is what pays the bills. :)  Because of this I can reinvest into the wildlife photography and see where it takes me…it’s certainly a risk but one that I am very happy to have.

 TT: You have an adorable wife! Does she come along on most of your shoots? How does she feel about this adventure?

Ryan: Yes…she is amazing!  However, with her schedule I am generally alone on these trips.  Last year we were able to take a two-week trip together for wildlife photography which I will never forget.  She is so supportive…but as you can imagine, slightly sad on the day that I actually leave for a trip.  

TT: Okay, let’s talk photography. I’ll never forget the time I went to Costa Rica and saw an entire family of spider monkeys in the trees. Unfortunately, I have no documentation because they just look like dark blobs in my photos! Can you share some tips for all of us who want to take better pictures of wildlife?

  

Ryan: Best tip for wildlife…be patient.  Wildlife is such a unique form of photography and something I think a lot of people photograph even if it’s just at the local zoo.  Remember that the only way to capture a great photo is with great light.  So be patient and position yourself so that the light is hitting the subject as best as you can…I have been in situations where I can only get the photo from where I am. With birds or fast moving animals if you don’t take the photo they might be gone.  

TT: What equipment should a beginning photographer invest in? I know that I get a little overwhelmed at all the settings on my camera and end up just shooting on “auto” 99 percent of the time. What’s the best way for someone like me to improve their skills?

Ryan: Great question!  I use all Nikon gear…so it makes me a little biased. I would recommend anyone trying to do photography to get a DSLR. My personal favorite would be a used Nikon D90 for people trying to get into photography…it’s a great camera that has been around forever.

What some people don’t know is that the lens is possibly more important though…it gives you the ability to do things the camera can’t help you with.

As for camera settings…yes, so many people stay in auto.  However, if you don’t have the practice and need to capture a moving subject then auto will be your best bet. But, if you have the time, venture over to “S priority” which means shutter priority. This will allow you to manually set your shutter speed and the camera will automatically change the light let in to match this. 

TT: Finally, what was your most difficult animal to photograph? Tell us a little about how you got the perfect shot. What was your favorite?

Ryan: Hmm…so many great animals but the snowy owl is my favorite so far. Seeing an owl that big that stands out because it’s so white is really something; and the eyes just glow when the light hits them right.

I would say the perfect shot was on my last trip to Ottawa, Ontario to photograph the great gray owl (also spelled as grey). Patience was the key this time…the truth is that I didn’t even know I had the shot that I ended up with. With sports or wildlife photography you have to be fast so you don’t always know what you captured; of course, you have a general idea but sometimes the camera will surprise you!

***

Thanks again to Ryan - I can't wait to put those photography tips into action! Remember, you can follow Sheets Studios on Ryan's website, Facebook, blog, and Etsy shop! 

All photographs courtesy of Sheets Studios

TUESDAY TRAVEL TIPS

Well, it's gone from winter to spring and then back to winter again here in Utah. At least we were able to squeeze in one more phenomenal ski day. On Saturday, Kim, Tara, and I went to Snowbird. It was a little chilly, but 16 inches of fresh powder more than made up for it.

Okay, on to some travel tips:

•  You've heard of pop-up stores, but have you heard of pop-up hotels? If I was going to try one, I think that this would be my pick.

• If you're a Jane Austen lover (and who doesn't need a little Mr. Darcy in their lives?) you might want to check out what's going on in England to celebrate the 200th anniversary of "Pride and Prejudice". There's an entire festival held in Bath in September, or you can get your waltz on at a Jane Austen ball in June.

• Utahns should check out these killer, limited-time-only deals to San Francisco. Via my friend Kim.

• Also, I want to give an overdue shout-out to my better half, who edits most of the photos for this blog. He's the official family photographer and photo editor, and if something looks particularly crisp and in-focus, he's probably responsible. If you're reading this, thanks babe!

LONDON PART 1 - GETTING ACCQUAINTED

London was our first stop in Europe. Besides being a gorgeous city, it's also easy to navigate and generally cheaper to fly into than other European cities.

We stayed in Shoreditch at the Crowne Plaza. The rooms were small but clean and we got to check in early. We arrived at our hotel around 10 a.m. after a sleepless night on the plane and we were told we could check in at noon, rather than the usual 3 p.m. time. What did we do with the next two hours?

Beans, bacon, sausage, and toast, with a side of heart disease   

We ate breakfast in true Brit style. To say that this place was quaint would be an understatement. The entire "restaurant" was about 15' by 15', with one cook/waitress/cashier behind the counter and a few mismatched chairs and picnic tables instead of regular seating. The food was amazing, though, and the woman behind the counter was sooo nice. Our credit card didn't work (England uses a machine where you insert your card, rather than slide it...it was weird), and we hadn't exchanged enough money to pay in cash. We offered to run to an ATM, but she told us just to leave what we had and pay the rest later. We did, and then we ate breakfast there every day and made sure to tip her nicely.

The rest of our first day in London was spent getting a feel for the city; the Tower of London, visiting the day Tate Modern (one of London's many amazing free museums), and strolling along the Thames, before we finally collapsed in exhaustion back at our hotel.

Tower of London

View of St. Pauls from the Thames

Tate Modern

POOR DAISY

Daisy has had a seriously rough couple weeks. First, she had a tooth removed and underwent a cherry eye surgery (pretty common for bulldogs). She had just started getting better when she scratched the same eye and got a corneal ulcer. Corneal ulcers are super painful and Daisy's had to wear a cone day and night for the last two weeks. The vet thought it could be cured with antibiotic eye drops. When that didn't work, we moved on to putting drops of her own plasma in her eye three times a day....apparently the white blood cells help wounds to heal. This was pretty heartbreaking, because the drops hurt her eye and she would literally shake and wince after we put them in.

Sadly, we took her in for a checkup yesterday and the ulcer hadn't healed at all. The vet recommended she go into surgery immediately. To make a long story short, her eye will be stitched shut for the next two weeks while the ulcer shrinks. We're picking her up tonight and we plan to spoil her rotten with some extra cuddles and treats while she recovers. If you're a dog lover, keep Daisy in your thoughts...she definitely needs all the luck and good wishes she can get right now.

KATE SPADE SATURDAY: FINALLY HERE!

Hey, remember when I posted about the new Kate Spade Saturday line? It finally went live today. I can't say that I love everything (I only wish I could link directly to the $110 cardi that buttons up the front and the back so that you can switch one half out for another color. What the?! You'll have to go here to check it out for yourself.) but they definitely have some cute, affordable items. This shirt is the perfect alternative to a basic tee and will be going in my closet this summer!

TUESDAY TRAVEL TIPS

Murad Osmann's girlfriend leads him through Bali. Via the Daily Mail.

Every Tuesday, I'm going to try to compile some of the random travel tips and ideas that I find. If you know of any amazing destinations or great deals to include, please let me know!!

Check out these pics by photographer Murad Osmann. Such a unique way of photographing trips! Of course, it helps if your girlfriend is drop-dead gorgeous.

So excited for this budget European hotel chain. Apparently Ikea and Marriott are teaming up to make something stylish and affordable, which is a hard combo to find in Europe.

These caves in Mexico look craa-zy.

The NYTimes published a list of thought-provoking travel tips, including "longer isn't necessarily better" and "end on a high note". I totally believe in "relishing the anticipation" - anticipating an upcoming trip doesn't just get me excited about that vacation, it gets me feeling more excited about life in general! Via Cup of Joe.

Finally, if you're looking for a good read, you might want to check out this collection of stories about road trips.

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY

I hope everyone had a fabulous St. Patrick's Day. Matt and I spent the afternoon taking this lovely lady out to dinner. Every year, Gram helps me make cookies for a baking contest at my office. Despite carefully planning out our recipe and presentation, we never win. This year, I promised Gram that I'd take her out to eat if we won, and guess what...we did! We used this recipe if you're interested. Everything tastes amazing when you use enough butter.

We also had not one, but two friends drop by St. Patty's treats, so I think that it's fair to say that my day was magically delicious :)

EUROPE

We went to Europe last winter and had the best time, but I wasn't blogging then. Sadly, all those memories have gone undocumented and all of our pictures are just sitting in iPhoto. I thought it might be fun to finally recap where we went and what we did. Stay tuned for lots of photos and travel tips.

We started our journey in London and then met up with our friends Dana and Ben in Spain. The weather was surprisingly perfect. I was terrified that it was going to rain the entire time, but except for one afternoon, we had nothing but crisp, sunny days. Whew!

This was also Matt's first time going to Europe, so I tried to make the trip as fun as possible for him. This meant lots of time spent at soccer stadiums, watching games, and going on tours. Ladies, I highly recommend this approach if you're traveling with your husband. He'll have so much fun doing what he loves that he won't even think of complaining when you drag him to a million art museums or make him wait outside of every Zara, Mango, and TopShop you pass.

Photo: The gardens of the Alhambra, Granada, Spain.

PACKING FOR LAS VEGAS: DON'T FORGET YOUR...

As I mentioned on Monday, we just booked our tickets to Las Vegas. I've been on many girls' trips and couples trips to Vegas in the past, and I've learned from experience that there are a few items that should always be included in your suitcase. 1. A cute cover up. Yes, I learned this lesson the hard way last year, when I was rejected from The Pink Taco, of all restaurants, for wearing only a long tank top over my swimsuit. In fairness, the restaurant is literally right next to the Hard Rock's pool and the tank was long enough to cover my bikini bottoms, but no dice. The Pink Taco. Let's never say those words again. Moving on...

There are a lots of other reasons why you'll want to include a cover up or five in your bag. Sometimes you have to walk all the way through the casino to get to the pool. Sometimes, you want to do some shopping and then lay out, or vice-versa. In the past, I usually just wear shorts and tank top over my suit, but have you ever noticed how wearing a bikini under shorts gives you the world's worst wedgie? True story. And, what are you supposed to do with the ties? Stuff them into your shorts or let them hang out, white trash style? This is my dream cover-up, but you can find lots in the $20 - $50 dollar range at Gap, H&M, etc.

2. A little purse with a cross-body strap. You're really not going to want to lug a huge bag around when you go out at night. All you need is something small enough to hold your credit card and ID, lipstick, gum, and a phone or camera. If it has a cross-body strap, you can always wear it while you dance, although I've also gone with option B - stick your ID and credit card in your bra, leave everything else back at the hotel, and hope for the best.

3. Poolside reading. I love to download books on my phone because I can read the most embarrassing crap and nobody can judge me for it. Unfortunately, the last time I tried to read by the pool in Vegas, the sun caused my phone to overheat and made the screen go (temporarily) black. Luckily, it came back to life, but this time I'll be bringing some actual books down with me. Both "Gone Girl" (loved it) and "Fifth Avenue 5 a.m." (liked it) make good vacation reads.

4. I had a dollar for every drunk girl I've seen walking barefoot down the strip at 2 a.m., I'd have a lot of dollars. It's a fact of life - high heels hurt like crazy, especially after a night of dancing and walking around. No amount of blisters, however, are worth stepping on the kinds of things that can be found on a Las Vegas sidewalk. Preserve your self-respect and slip some roll-up flats into your purse.

5. Las Vegas is not the place to lug around your giant DSLR. Not to mention the fact that it's hard to take sneaky shots of celebrities and crazy-looking people with a huge camera. If you have a phone that takes decent pictures, go with that. If you have a cracked iPhone 4 like me, borrow your mom's point-and-shoot. You won't regret it.

What's on your Vegas packing list? A pair of aviators and a baby carrier? A blood oath that swears your friends to secrecy? A roll of one-dollar bills and a ticket to Thunder From Down Under? Do tell...this is an official judgement-free zone.

VEGAS BABY

My husband loves Vegas. Like, really really loves Vegas. Which is strange, because he's not a big gambler and I don't think I could drag him into a club, but he just can't get enough Sin City. He loves the fact that you can shop, eat at amazing restaurants, lay out at the pool and see a show, all without leaving the strip.

We usually head down for our anniversary because it's just a 30 minute flight from Salt Lake City - and it's a great way to unwind after a long, cold winter. Matt did all of our planning for this trip. I went to the gym one night, and by the time I got home, he'd found cheap flights, reserved an awesome hotel room at 60 percent off the regular rate (thank you Hotwire), got tickets to "O", and booked our anniversary dinner at a sushi restaurant. The man knows how to get stuff done!

Even though the trip is still a few weeks away, I'll be writing about some of our favorite things to do and see in Las Vegas. Check back Wednesday for the five things you should pack for a Vegas vacation.

Photo taken from our room at the Hard Rock Hotel in May 2012. Can you believe this craziness? Needless to say, we didn't join in the fun and spent our time with the rest of the married couples on the quiet side of the pool.

HAPPY FRIDAY

Happy Friday! I hope everyone has some fun weekend plans after a week that seems like it has dragged on forever. Last weekend, I ate my way through Saturday, starting with brunch at Eggs in the City and ending up at Frida Bistro. If you've never been, I highly recommend it, even if it is in a kind of a random industrial part of Salt Lake. Go early or make reservations - we lucked out and got one of the last unreserved tables in the place!