The Mollie Shambeau Show

Why I’m Sweating Kelly Moore

Mollie — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 18:16:56 +0000

First off, I don’t think I’ve used the verb, “to sweat” in this way since my college days in Delta Gamma (shout out to Nicole Tierney and Amy Shirk for coining that one in my book). Secondly, I don’t think I’ve lusted after a purse like this since my days as the style editor at BRAVA Magazine. Third: I WANT THIS BAG SO BAD IT HURTS (but I’m taking a cue from Sean and trying to be thrifty and blog about it instead of buying it impulsively).

Meet “The Mimi“:

Seems like a regular, cute purse, right? WRONG. This bag is a camera bag in disguise! It looks cute and hip on the outside, but features tons of safe places to store your camera, flashes, lenses and more on the inside. Look!

And it’s not just for camera stuff! Exclamation point!

At $200 retail, I’ve got a little more saving to do before I can splurge (and Sean needs a little convincing), but mark my words… I will get one of these someday. It’s a MUST!

For Jesse: An ode to Sean Busby

Mollie — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:08:22 +0000

Two years ago today, a 13-year-old boy named Jesse Alswager passed away from complications with type 1 diabetes. A few days afterward, as I watched the “pro snowboarder who called Jesse his little brother” give the eulogy at the funeral, at a time when I was mourning and confused as to why life could be cut so short for such an incredible kid, I believe Jesse brought me the gift I’d been waiting a lifetime for: That pro snowboarder, Sean Busby. In just two years, I have transformed my outlook on life and moved myself from Wisconsin to Utah, quitting my job and creating a new life for myself, Sean and our two goofy dogs. Oh yeah, and we got married, too. I can’t count a time in my life when I’ve been happier. To that happiness, I owe Jesse, and his mom, Michelle for bringing us together.

So in honor of the boy with the DC hat who loved snowboarding almost as much as Sean did, I’ve written an ode to my loving husband… the eternal snowmonger. GODSPEED JESSE.

You know you’re married to a pro snowboarder when…

You’re walking through a crosswalk hand-in-hand (the kind that counts down the numbers till a red light), and when you ask him why he’s hauling ass across the street, he replies, “Just trying to improve my time.”
He wakes up at the crack of dawn, jumps out of bed, rushes to the window, and seeing snow on the ground he’s like a school kid on a snow-day… he’s out the door with his snowsuit on before you’ve even had your coffee.
People actually ask you if your husband is bald underneath his beanie because they’ve never seen him without one.
You’re deciding where to take your honeymoon and he suggests Bulgaria & Romania because the beer is cheap and the mountains are “sick.” You couldn’t imagine a better combination.
He threatens to smash his face against the steering wheel during a drive through Iowa, citing “lack of mountains” as his reason for self-destruction.

Sean riding Hornstrandir Nature Reserve in Iceland, Photo Credit: Rúnar Karlsson

Introducing: Our Travel Queen (the before pictures)

Mollie — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:49:38 +0000

You may recall a recent post I put up about the latest addition to our family: a 1977 Travel Queen. Well, ladies and gentlemen, it’s about time I come clean with the adventurous purpose of this vehicle: A month-long expedition to Alaska!

That’s right folks: This June, Sean, Russ, Brittany and I (and a couple of adventure-seeking dogs) will be taking the Travel Queen on her maiden voyage north through Idaho, Wyoming, Montana and up through Canada till we reach the ultimate backcountry rider’s paradise: Alaska. I absolutely cannot wait to see the terrain up there, not to mention learn how to do lots of new things… I will learn how to drive a motor home (scary), operate a vegetable oil-powered vehicle (intimidating), and learn how to live in a motorhome for a month with three other people. It should be an adventure, to say the least.

Russ has been hard at work tearing various parts of the motor home out, installing wood floors, etc. But for now, I will englighten you with the “before” photos… this is the Travel Queen before we got our hands on her:

Two pilot seats in the front that swivel around to face the back, plus some sweet 70s inspired couches and yes, that’s a wood-burning stove in the middle…

From where you’re standing in the above picture, this next photo is facing the opposite direction, toward the back of the motor home. We’ve got a kitchen, the bunk room, followed by the bathroom at the very end.

Standing in the bunk room facing the front of the vehicle, you can see that the bunk on the left could be converted into a table and seats… NOT FOR LONG. After Russ finishes with this part, there will be four sturdy bunks, one for each of us. The stuff cluttering the right side of this picture is the batteries and solar panels… we’re going all out for this Green Adventure.

And last but certainly not least, the bathroom… all the way at the back of the bus. If you look real close, you can see the fly fishing-lure wallpaper. I BEGGED the team to let me keep this wallpaper up forever, but alas, my request was vetoed. At least I have this photographic proof of its glory…

I’m so excited for this journey, I can’t even stand it. To give you an idea of the terrain we’ll be seeing, here are a few photos from Russ and Britt’s last trip to Alaska… Sean and I have never been there before. You’ll see Russ making his black and white photographs the old fashioned way. There will be lots of that going on during this trip as well.

Gorgeous! June can’t come fast enough.

Denver: In a hot minute

Mollie — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:31:44 +0000

Last Wednesday, I spent a night/day in Denver for the SIA Show (essentially where ski/snow shop retailers come and purchase items for their shops for winter 2013) and got to experience the glory of downtown Denver. What struck me most about the city is the architecture. Around every corner, I was greeted by an array of structural influences, curves and sharp lines alike, and I couldn’t stop snapping photos. These first few were taken with my iPhone app, Hipstamatic (which I love and was totally worth $1.99).

I love the retro feel of the letters on the fire station here…

Armed with a Cannon Rebel, I shot these candid shots of a young woman and her pup walking to the park.

I love how excited the dog looks in this second photo…

While at SIA, I had to do a double take when I came across a guy with a HUGE purple-tipped mohawk… it only took me a second before I realized who it was: Glen Plake. I was SKI-STARSTRUCK. He’s a ski celebrity for being one of the first guys to bring backcountry skiing into the spotlight, especially in places like Chamonix. He’s a hero of Sean’s, and as such, I was taken-aback that I actually recognized him in person. I guess the mohawk helped…

So the picture you see below is a total creeper shot, with me, pretending to be on my iPhone while I’m really snapping a photo of him from a few feet away. No shame.

Salt Lake City: Unhinged

Mollie — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:42:47 +0000

A few months ago, Sean and I were hanging out at Barnes and Noble in Sugarhouse (a part of SLC), when we spied this new shop across the street: Unhinged. It’s a mix of modern and vintage apparel and accessories, and the prices are ideal for someone on a budget, like yours truly. Literally everything in this shop has been carefully chosen for its unique qualities and accessibly price points. If we hadn’t been in a hurry, I could have browsed for hours. This is a must-stop shop if you find yourself in Salt Lake City.

Find Unhinged’s blog here: http://unhingedslc.com

I bought this beanie for about $30… so cute!

There were so many things there I could have bought as gifts for special people in my life… love these turquoise rings.

I’ve been wanting to hang light fixtures like these in our home, so I was immediately drawn to this corner. Light bulbs in mason jars—farm chic!

Unhinged is located at 1121 East 2100 South, Salt Lake City.