Twin Tested

Valentine’s Flowers on Every Budget

We have been dying to collaborate with one of our best friends and florist extraordinaire,Rachel Osguthorpe, for quite some time now. We decided Valentine’s week was the perfect time to do it! Whether Rachel is working with a budget of $10 or $100, she makes every project beautiful and personalized. In case you don’t believe us we have photographic evidence thanks to Emmy Lowe Photo! Together Emmy and Rachel create some of the most beautiful photos together. You can go here, here, and here to look at some of our favorites. We challenged her to come up with several different floral arrangements that cost $10, $40 and $75. All clothes worn in the photos are from Jolley’s Gift & Floral. They have the cutest clothes and shoes! Even though we are both super excited for Valentine’s this year, we definitely remember being heartbroken and lonely in years past. One thing our Dad did for us growing up was to get us each a simple flower for Valentine’s Day. It was so nice to feel loved, even if it was from someone who is kind of forced to love us 🙂 This year we are going to try and brighten someone else’s day who is not be thrilled about the holiday this year. It’s amazing what a bunch of cute flowers can do for your mood!

{you can get these gorgeous blooms for $10!}
{Rach can do anything you want, but she has an amazing eye for design and is always introducing us to flowers and plants we’ve never seen before, this is the mid range $40}

{how excited would you be to get this gorgeous arrangment?! this is the $75 and it’s stunning} {how cute is this little pup and its red collar?}{if you’ve never had the sour heart gummies from Jolley’s run now, they are so good!} {this is the mid range bouquet that is so gorgeous! It runs about $40}

We love supporting local businesses and Jolley’s is definitely one of our favorites! They also carry Treats & Trends cookies, which come in flavors like Diet Coke & Cookies and Cream. They are beyond. You can find Jolley’s at 1676 E 1300 S in Sugar House. Happy Valentine’s Day to all of you! We are so grateful to have you following along with us and we truly LOVE you!

10 Things You Didn’t Know About Being on the Red Carpet

Being on the red carpet is kind of like being in an alternate universe. We want to share a few things you probably didn’t know.

1. It’s an all day thing: we have to be on the red carpet by 11:30am and are standing on our interview platform from 11:30am-5:00pm. We’ve learned to bring mints, water bottles, and flats.

2. For every “star” there are at least 10 managers/publicists/agents/people. The red carpet is very crowded, but it is mostly filled with publicists and 99% of them wear black, walk around with a clipboard, and are kind of scary.

3. Paris Hilton is a chain smoker. She comes to the Grammys every single year and we still aren’t sure why. Remember in 2013 when she asked me to fix her dress in the bathroom? Well, this year we were walking off the carpet right behind her and not even two seconds after we got outside she started smoking and complaining about how many people wanted to take a picture with her.

4. What’s up with everyone asking the same questions? The reason lots of reporters ask people what they are wearing and who they are excited to see is because they actually don’t know who they are interviewing or anything about them. Those are definitely the two most popular questions that we try to avoid.

5. Madonna looks scary in person and flashed everyone on the red carpet. As in lifted up her skirt to show off her black thong. Pretty sure shock will always be the name of her game. Miranda Lambert however, has flawless hair and makeup in person. It is super fascinating see celebrities up close. All of them have professional hair and makeup, so it’s interesting to see how it all compares. Sam Smith is much thinner in person than he looks in photos and videos. Like, a normal size 22-year-old guy.

6. The oldies get upset if you don’t recognize them immediately. Do not take this the wrong way, but there are a lot of old musicians at the Grammys. Sometimes it can be hard to keep track. We got most of them right this year, but when it took me longer than 5 seconds to recognize Tom Jones he gave me the side eye. On the other hand, one of the Bee Gees, Barry Gibb, was a sweetheart who seemed thrilled to be there.

7. No food or drink is allowed on the carpet, which means everyone is ravenous by the time they get inside! Thankfully, reporters are provided with a dinner in the media room backstage at the Staples Center.

8. They spend hours vacuuming the red carpet the day before. It is pretty crazy to see the work that goes into preparing the red carpet area. There are bleachers set up, red carpet rolled out, and chandeliers hung. One thing we loved seeing was how the E! News 360 Glam Cam was set up. There are about 50 cameras in a circle all taking photos of you at the same time and luckily the crew was nice enough to let us try it out.

9. The Grammys have a no excessive skin rule, which nobody really broke this year…except of course, Madonna!

10. It’s fun to see how tall all our fave performers are. Taylor is so tall! Josh Duhamel is a sweetheart, total babe, and is about as tall as both of our husbands (between 6’3″ & 6’4″). We asked him about his adorable little guy Axl and he says he is talking and can sing “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” now. He came without Fergie to present one of the awards. He said she was in the studio recording. We will be posting our full interview with him later this week. And yes, he totally qualifies for his #SexiestManAlive title!

Red Carpet Looks Through the Years

I originally wanted to title this post “Extreme Makeover: Grammys Edition”. Some photos from the past make us cringe or frown because of how we are dressed or what our makeup looks like. However, looking back at our Grammys experiences the past 4 years makes me smile. We have had so many, crazy, outrageous, fun, memories at the show. We were 22 years old when we attended for the first time and we feel like throughout the years we have learned a few tricks.

– Your feet will not survive unless you bring a pair of flats to slip on in between events.
– Water bottles are a lifeline in the middle of a large, sweaty mass of people all smashed together.
– Bring a touch-up kit with you, makeup does not last for 14 hours.
– Use twice as much hairspray as normal or hair goes flat due to the humidity.
– Relax and don’t be shy, people are nice!

1st year (2012)

Last year (2014)

We can’t wait to show you our dresses for this year’s show! Remember to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for live updates from the red carpet this weekend.

Weird Products You Never Knew You Needed

We all see wacky stuff online or on infomercials that looks like a lot of fun, but you can never be sure it’s worth spending actual money on. Now that Skymall is going away (RIP), we decided to show you some of the weird products and technology we have tried lately! Have you ever woke up on a plane and realized your head was on the strange guy sitting next to you? Oh, just us, ok 🙂 Please scroll down to an amazing way to stop that from every happening again…

NAP ANYWHERE: It’s an alternative to the neck pillow for travel. We tend to be a head bobbers, so this is great for us. It does take a little direction following to set up, but was really comfortable. Our favorite part is that one side is meant to keep your face warm, while the other side feels like a cool pillow. You can find more information at www.napanywhere.net $59

TILE APP: Now you can keep track of all of your stuff easily! We lose our keys, phone, or ipod at least once a week. This is an easy way to solve that problem. You easily adhere a small white tile that syncs with your iphone, making it easy to find anything at any time. www.thetileapp.com $25

VINO: alcohol-removed wine. It’s a premium alcohol-removed wine available in exclusive, ready to serve packaging. We have no idea what to compare it to since we don’t drink, so we made Mary Nickles give it a try and she says it has a little more of a sour flavor but she is definitely a fan. The adorable packaging also makes it perfect for picnics becomes the lid also serves as a glass when you take it off. www.vinobev.com $29.99/pack of 12

LUMO LIFT: a device that actually improves your posture. When it senses you are in bad posture, it gently vibrates to remind you to keep your shoulders back and your head lifted. It also keeps track of your daily activity. It was named a Best Invention by Time magazine and we have to admit, it’s pretty cool. www.lumobodytech.com Two for $159.

SLEEP SHIELD: Protect your eyes from blue light while you sleep with the sleep shield. The screen protector has been used in countless clinical studies and is proven to work. The screens come in various sizes for any technology device. Our phone screens wake us up regularly, so this has worked really well for us. www.sleepshield.com Prices start at $19.95 for phone covers.

What is the one tech device you can’t live without? We would love to hear!

Hawaii Must-Haves

I look forward to our trip to the Big Island of Hawaii with Sam’s family every January. It’s the perfect way to get over my post Christmas blues. I’m sharing some of my favorite moments from this year’s trip and a my top five things I can’t live without on a beach vacation!

1. Sun Hat: I bough my black and white one at Walmart in Hawaii for $14.99! I always find gems there. I’ve entered that phase of life where I realize how dumb I was trying to get tan as a teenager and now I slather on SPF 50 every morning!

2. Spray Tan: This is directly related to #1. I always feel so much better putting on a bathing suit in January when I have a spray tan. It also takes away the pressure to come home super tan or for me red as a tomato because of a sunburn.

3. Kindle: I love to read, but rarely get the chance to read books straight through unless I’m on vacation. I read a few this trip, but my favorite was “What Alice Forgot”. It is the perfect beach read and has a great ending!

4. Dresses: I brought 3 dresses instead of jeans or shorts and was very happy with my decision. I wore them all multiple times and they were so easy and breezy. Lots of people have asked where the yellow floral dress is from, I actually got it at Primark this summer in London even though it looks totally Hawaiian!

5. Alterna Bamboo Beach Summer Sunshine Spray: this stuff smells like a tropical vacation in a bottle. It also protects your hair & scalp from the sun, while making it nice and shiny. By the end of the trip, I was seriously spraying it on everyone’s hair every morning.

I have the best in-laws! They make this trip so much fun. We especially loved our whale watching boat tour, snorkeling in clear water and standup paddle boarding this trip. We also learned how to play a hilariously bad version of ultimate frisbee on the beach every night at sunset. So many fun memories, but I am already looking forward to next year!

I’m Thankful {Brooke}

2014 has been so good to me. Through weddings, celebrations, goodbyes, and loss I have once again learned to treasure each moment a little bit more.

Here are a few things I am thankful for this year.

– Family. You never know how long you have with someone so take full advantage of opportunities to spend time together making memories. The Hackett’s excel at this and therefore I have so many fun memories with Rory over the past year. Whether it was his warm hugs and greetings, the way his boys emulated his every move, or the constant love and respect I saw between he and Linda. He is deeply missed.

– Littles. Kids make you slow down and have a little more fun. I love the sweetness and innocence that they so comfortably express. The picture above shows my nieces cruising around with me in the convertible on a sunny fall day. Of course they had their arms raised in the air the entire time like they were on a roller coaster. Pure happiness.

– Sisters. Brittany because she is the best confidante, sounding board and co-worker. Heather because she is the most supportive and genuine person that I know. Lindsey because she is a DIY master and gives me hope that I can sometime in my life create something crafty (if she oversees it!). And of course my newest SIL Maria. She is one of the most talented, beautiful, and kind people – yet so incredibly humble.

– Fun career. I’d say I am pretty lucky when dressing up like a princess and holding an owl is considered a normal work day. I absolutely love my job and realize the incredible opportunity I have to meet so many amazing people in the world around me.

– Husband. I consider Parker to be a little piece of heaven that I get to have by my side. He has added so much happiness to my life in the year we have been together. He is the most selfless, fun, and handsome person I know. I am so grateful he chose me.

– Wisdom. Isn’t it a blessing that we all get a little bit smarter and wiser year after year thanks to life’s experiences? I look back at some of my high school decisions and I am so glad that Instagram wasn’t around yet 😉 Here’s to one more year getting a little bit smarter!

Thanks for reading our silly blog and supporting all of our career endeavors! I hope you all get to spend time with family and friends this week. Happy Thanksgiving!

Wedding Reception Photos

Here is a look at our wedding reception. It turned out better than I could have ever imagined or planned. These pictures are even more special now that Rory is gone. I am so grateful for all the memories to look back on. Thanks Travis J Photography.

5 Holiday Shopping Tips

Brooke and I have been trying to be more proactive this year. We want to get to things before they stress us out and I would say for the most part, we’ve done a pretty good job. You can still catch us baking a stressed out batch of chocolate chip cookies every now and then (are we the only ones that do that?), but I just convinced her to start using her phone calendar (welcome to the 21st century Brookey!), so we are getting quite organized. We were diehard paper planner users, but have now transitioned to the phone calendar and it’s SO much easier! What are your favorite calendar/scheduling apps? We would love to know. So, in the spirit of owning life and being on top of things, why not do some Christmas shopping before Thanksgiving? We made a little date out of it earlier this week and explored Trolley Square and had so much fun!

Here are 5 Completely Unsolicited Holiday Shopping Tips:

1. Go NOW! Holiday shopping is so much easier and less overwhelming if you start early. I know, I am probably preaching to the choir with this one.

2. Start your shopping trip with a meal. And end that meal with spumoni ice cream from The Old Spaghetti Factory because I forgot how good that stuff is!

3. All holiday dress shopping begins and ends with Ypsilon. This store is jam packed with the sparkliest, most gorgeous gowns. If you need a show stopper, go here!

4. Buy yourself a little something. This may sound completely egotistical, but I think if you allow yourself to pick out a few things it makes shopping even more fun.

5. Make sure you ask about the return policy, most stores are extending theirs through January!

{strawberry pistachio and chocolate perfection}

{stunning dresses at Ypsilon, someone invite me to a fancy holiday party!}

{Sam and I are known to throw on onesies Christmas Eve, so I maybe might have bought this for him from Spark}

{Brooke and the cute Sarah Tyau – look her up, she does the most amazing things with vintage clothes! Also, not sure who the creepy photobomber is behind them :)}

{do not go to Alice Lane because then you will go home and try to convince your husband you need the entire store. Is this bedroom not an absolute dream?}

What are your holiday shopping secrets? We would love to hear!

Do’s & Don’ts for Couples Photos

We present… Couple Photo Do’s and Don’ts. We jumped at the chance to work with Jessica of Jessica Janae Photography . She is a world renowned photographer known for her ability to capture beauty and movement.

We are in the stage of getting married and wanting beautiful engagement photos, so we thought it would be fun to show you some Do’s & Don’ts for Couple Photos. Of course we had Sam and Britt do it because they are a couple who loves to laugh at themselves. Whether you are getting Christmas card photos or engagements, or just photos as a couple, we hope these tips help!

#1 The Ring Pic:

Every newly engaged lady loves to show off their wedding ring, but it can look very stiff if you’re not careful. This before and after shows a few slight changes so you can still display your bling without looking mega awkward.

#2 The Boy Nose Smash/Foreheads

Of course it’s cute that he wants to nuzzle your face, but let’s get some space in there so it looks good! I loved this tip from Jessica to lightly touch foreheads instead, so you still get the lovey-dovey vibe without any body parts being smashed.

#3 The Kiss

Lesson learned- the moment before your lips actually touch looks a million times better than squishy faces. But, we’ve gotten a lot of feedback from people around the world that they love both pictures. I do need to mention that Jessica told us what angle to kiss in the first one as well, so it doesn’t look as awkward. There’s just something about the moment right before your lips touch that is a little bit steamy!

#4 Just say no to the piggyback

It is so rare that it looks cute and just don’t even think about it in a dress! There are plenty of other ways to look like you want to be close, without being THAT close. Especially for photos you are sending out with a wedding invite, the YES picture looks cleaner because instead of seeing jumbled limbs, you are seeing two smiling faces.

#5 The Awkward Stance

You have to create shapes and angles with your body to make it more interesting. Try different arm and hand placement instead of sticking to one static pose. It may feel a little bit awkward to move around and try different positions, but it is guaranteed to look so much more natural.

#6 The Boob Squish

Hands down the most awkward of the bunch! Although when we were taking the photos it didn’t feel like that awkward of a pose, it is flattering to no one. It might feel *cozy* but it is never a good option. Jessica had us make a few small changes and it looks so much better! You can also get a better look at the ring with the improved pose.

#7 The Announcement

If you’re not doing a pregnancy announcement (which we are totally not), then don’t do the pregnancy pose with the hands on the stomach. It is also a little too reminiscent of the “prom pose” which we all need to leave in high school where it belongs. The much better option is the sexy back hug snuggle with your best Tyra smize.

#8 The Nuzzle

Squished noses are just not cool and they make everyone look weird. By slightly turning your face, everybody gets to show their best angle! The photographer also had me move my arms down, so I didn’t look like I was trying to jump on Sam haha.

There you have it! The 8 poses that you should steer clear of for engagement photos (or really any photos for that matter). Huge thanks to the fabulous Jessica Janae for the photos, she is so incredibly talented and knows how to direct clients. If you are in the Salt Lake City, Utah area BOOK HER and if you are not she travels for clients that she really want to work with!

We had so much fun doing this shoot and have since done many more photography blog posts. Make sure you take a look!

Family Photo Do’s & Don’ts

What to Wear in Family Photos

How to get a toddler to smile in family photos

Why You Should Buy a Fiat Convertible

So we basically won the lottery two weeks ago. We were asked by Ken Garff Fiat in Salt Lake City if we would like to test drive Fiat convertibles for two weeks. Um yes! Brooke and I have always loved tiny cars and then you take that tiny car and turn it into a convertible and I’m not so sure we will actually be returning either of the cars. We got to drive 2015 Fiat convertibles. Brand new cars. They have been so much fun! We love how they look, but they are also great on gas mileage and they handle really well. The car seats four adults comfortably (really, we had lots of friends that wanted to go for a ride, so we tried it out). The best part is that they are not pricey at all! You can get a brand new one for around $20,000. Not too shabby. If you mention TWIN TESTED you get $500 off when you buy one. That’s like so many fro yo runs and stops into F21.

Here’s the best part for you guys, now that we have returned the convertibles, you can go test drive them any time you want! Fiat of Salt Lake City is located at 198 East 500 South. You don’t have to buy one, you can just go down and go for a fun little ride! You can find more information HERE.