Sense and Sensibility

Repelling off the jumbo-tron

2012-01-16T23:14:00.000-08:00

I finally have something worth blogging about in my life! Tonight, I Marisa, repelled off the USU jumbo-tron. How did I get to do that, you might ask? Well, the Utah State Mascot, Big Blue took my apartment tonight. Actually he just told us to get in the car and that we'd be doing something adventurous... I didn't find out what we would be doing until we were at the stadium!
I was very very nervous, but excited.
Here is a picture timeline of the evening!

The evening started with some yummy yummy sushi at Takara.

This is a picture of us starting our trek up into the attic of the stadium and over to the jumbotron! Also the most scary part in my opinion.

My and my roommate, Jerika

Ryan being very gentlemanly as he helps me down into a ladder shown in the next picture.

This is the ladder I was just about to climb down in the last picture. on it's own it doesn't look too scary, but it goes from the attic into a tiny part of the jumbo-tron... also... you are looking straight down at at least a 50 foot drop.

anxious for the main attraction!

Ryan goes down first! Aaaaah!

Me climbing over the railing in my climbing gear!

Over the railing and excited to drop!

Sydnie, my roommate feeling like she might vomit...

She did great, though!

Jerika, very excited! Side note... she got her hair caught in the gear on the way down and pulled out a pretty nice chunk :(

Hanging like a pro!

This might be random...

2011-04-28T18:50:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been awhile and since I posted and while I don't have many interesting things going on, nor any craftyness or yummy recipes... I thought I'd just post about the randomness of my life!
*Working in a Doctors office has been very interesting and educational.
*Yesterday I at my first Greek resturant and had my first Falafel; talk about yummy!
*I was, at first, very confused as to why people are so interested in the Royal Wedding since it's not even our country, but now I have been drawn in. The more I heard and watched the media coverage the more intriguied I became... I'm now planning to record the wedding at 2am!
*I wear scrubs so often that wearing anything besides them and sweats have become restraining and uncomfortable... even jeans.
*My scrapbooking hobby has EXPLODED lately and my stash of supplies has grown exponentially!
*My dreams have become a lot more vivid lately and I'm almost excited when I go to bed at night to see what adventure I'll go on next.
*I'm super exhausted... and it's only 8pm. Is that sad or what?

alas, goodnight!

Flight of the Bumble Bees

2011-02-23T16:31:00.000-08:00

So my sister-in-law and I decided to make cake pops today! For those of you who haven't had them they are a yummy little treat that can be turned into cute little creatures or just served up plain.
Here is a basic cake pop recipe:

1 box cake mix (bake as directed on box for 13 X 9 cake)*
1 16 oz can of ready made frosting
Wax paper
Baking sheet
White candy coating / bark coating
Paper lollipop sticks
Styrofoam block

*One cake makes about 48 cake pops.

2. With a large spoon, mix thoroughly with about 3/4 of the can of frosting. You won't need the rest.

3. Roll mixture into quarter size cake balls and place on a wax paper covered baking sheet.

4. Place cake balls in the freezer for about 15 minutes to firm up. Then transfer to the refrigerator to keep chilled and avoid freezing.

Then you design them into whatever creature you choose ( i suggest going to the mentioned website below)...

5. dip the end of each sucker stick in chocolate then place into cake balls.. then dip entire cake pops into chocolate.

we made ours into bumble bees

We found the recipe at this website that has some AMAZING creations, but I'm not going to post her picture of the bumble bees because they put ours to shame :)

I do have a few tips though... in the future I will not be doing ones that require drawing with icing!!!! I can't draw straight to save me! Instead I will be doing ones that just have candy attached!
These are my next ones I will do in the future

Finished Doll

2011-02-01T18:49:00.000-08:00

Remember way back when I announced I was going to make a doll? Well it's finally finished 7 months later! Now it didn't take that whole time, but I had to go up to Logan to work on it at my Grandma's and I couldn't make it up there very often.
My Grandma has this fabulous skill of making gorgeous dolls and luckily she's willing to teach her granddaughters. I had so much fun spending time with my grandma and learning this awesome skill! It's definitely one I wouldn't mind learning more about!

Remember back when I started? This is how it looked before she was cleaned. Then she was fired, I painted her, she was fired again, then I put the finishing touches on ( like eyeballs, eyelashes, sewed the dress) then dressed and put her together.

Here is the finished product:

Now that dress was a bugger to sew, but my favorite part are the shoes... They turned out so great! My grandma helped me quite a bit with this part though...

Trifle Recipe

2011-01-17T10:54:00.000-08:00

1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
1 (9 inch) angel food cake
1 (3.4 ounce) package instant cheescake pudding mix
1 cup milk
3 kiwis, peeled and sliced
1 container frozen berry mix (or fresh)
1 can peaches (or fresh)
sliced almonds

Directions
In a medium bowl, mix milk and unprepared pudding mix, fold in sour cream and whipped topping.
cube angel food cake
Layer large trifle bowl with cake, fruit, and pudding mix until bowl is full.
top with sliced almonds
Allow to set up at least an hour before serving

Pop up Cake

2011-01-05T20:23:00.000-08:00

I'm loving my Big Shot from Stampin' up! For those of you who don't know who that is, it's a die cutter that is used for both paper and fabric. Now, I've never been big on scrapbooking, but I love making cards and such. So, guess how excited I was to hear about the pop up cake die. I was ecstatic! It makes cards so much fun. Also, it's not just limited to cakes; I've seen cards made that turn it upside down unto a flower pot, or just decorate into a pirate ship, castle, etc..

Here are my first attempts of both a wedding card and birthday card!

Also, I don't know if you noticed the awesome textures of the card?! It's another great thing I can do with my Big Shot...

Unique Christmas Gift

2010-12-26T14:50:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone out there had the merriest of Christmas', I know I did!
This year I recieved a very unique gift from my father who recently returned back from a trip to china.
I recieved an erhu! I know at this point you are probably confused so let me explain to you what that is. An erhu (er-whoo) is a ancient Chinese string instrument aslo known as a chinese violin or southern fiddle. It consists of wood, cow bone, and python skin for the main instrument. It has 2 strings that are very close together that have a bow of horse hair permanently fixed inbetween the strings. You push the bow towards you to play one string and pull out to play outside string!
The instrument has a melancholy "singing" sound when played correctly, although I sound like a dying cat when I play at the moment. It takes me back to when I was learning the violin...

Here is what it is supposed to sound like:

I've Gone International

2010-12-17T09:05:00.000-08:00

If you've never used google analytics I recommend it, it's very interesting. I originally used it to keep track of my etsy, but I added my blog in and it's quite entaining to see where my viewers are from... I looked today and surprise, surprise I've got quite the international list. There are usually the odd country now and then, but never a list this long...

Is it sad that I'm blogging about the analytics of my blog?
My life has been rather blase as of late...

The Forgotten Carols

2010-12-08T11:48:00.000-08:00

I have grown up listening to the songs for as long as I can remember. Last night I had the opportunity to see the show for the first time! To be honest, I had no idea that it was even a musical. It was probably the first musical I've ever been to where I know every song word for word. Also, I must say some of the songs make much more sense now that I know the story behind them.
Here is a small rundown of the story for those who have never seen it (and maybe like my family who have only heard the songs):

The story is about a nurse named Constance who is constantly working and avoiding the holidays. She gets assigned to a dementia patient who shows her the meaning of Christmas through the "forgotten carols." The patient, named Uncle John, tells her stories of different people he has met over the 1900 years he's been alive (i.e. the innkeeper, the Shepard), and Constance just believes this is a symptom of his dementia.
In Constance's past she has lost both parents, and her mother passed at Christmas time, which is a large reason that she has become anti-Christmas.
Spoiler: At the end of the play you find out that John is actually John the Beloved and purposely picked Constance to bring her back to the true meaning of Christmas.
**My mom turns to me during intermission and says, "I think he's John the Beloved." If she hadn't cued me in, I probably wouldn't have realized it until the end.

It was a great performance and I would love to turn it into a holiday tradition.
Also, I saw Doty after the play as I was leaving which was an extra perk.

Next Holiday Adventure: This weekend I'm going to go check out the Charles Dickens Christmas Festival!! Be excited, because I am!

Christmas Adventures

2010-12-03T11:15:00.000-08:00

I love Christmas, it's my favorite holiday!!
So, any adventure involving Christmas greatly excites me! What was my latest adventure you might ask? I went to the South Jordan Gingerbread house exhibit. Now, most people wouldn't be too excited about that, but it was a great place to get ideas for the annual Cropper gingerbread house building!!
These were some of my favorites:

I love this house above. If only i knew how to work with fondant...

This house was amazing!! I mean, it had working lights and even was decorated inside
Just look below, there were even pictures on the walls. I'm usually just lucky if the frosting holds the house together for a few days...

Now on to my next Christmas adventure... I'm going to Michael McLean's The Forgotten Carols next week.

3 Ways to Use Fresh Pumpkin

2010-11-13T14:14:00.000-08:00

Step one: clean out all the gooey and seeds, but DON'T throw away the seeds!

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
Immediately wash seeds in colander in cold water and separate from gooey stuff,
Pat dry with paper towel,
Sprinkle with with olive oil and favorite spice (I just use sea salt)
Toast in oven at 325* for 15-25 minutes.
Make sure to stir halfway through

Step Two: Roast your Pumpkin!!
slice pumpkin into sixths
-brush with olive oil
-roast at 450° for 45min-1 hr depending on size of pumpkin (roast until fork tender)
-scrape insides from peel, and puree'

Now you are ready for the next two recipes

Pumpkin Waffles

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 pinch salt
2 eggs
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin puree = since we're using fresh pumpkin you have to adjust your flour and milk because fresh pumpkin has a lot more water
1 2/3 cups milk
4 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled (Cooled so it won't curdle the eggs)

1 Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt in large bowl.
2 In a second bowl, add eggs, sugar, pumpkin, milk, and butter; beat well.
3 Gently fold in the flour mixture

Last, but certainly not least

Roasted Pumpkin Cupcakes with Mexican Chocolate Buttercream

**okay this recipe calls for mexican vanilla, but it's hard to come by...
I researched and it said to just use regular vanilla, but a little extra than it calls for

2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup milk
3/4 cup browned butter*
2 cups fresh roasted pumpkin puree
1 tsp mexican vanilla
3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2-1/4 tsp baking powder

*To brown butter:
Heat pan on medium heat.
Cut butter in to pieces and melt in pan.
Stir continuously. Butter will foam up.
After foam subsides, small brown flecks will start to appear in bottom of pan.
Continue stirring, until butter has reached a nice brown color, and nutty aroma.
When you want to lick the spoon, you know it's ready.
Turn the heat all the way down.

Preheat oven to 350°
Prepare cupcake pans with liners.
Beat sugar and eggs together until slightly thickened, about a minute.
Add milk, browned butter, pumpkin puree, and vanilla, stirring just until combined.
Add flour and baking powder, beating until well mixed--about a minute. Don't over mix.

Bake in preheated oven for 18-22 minutes, until tops are springy to the touch or a toothpick poked into the center comes out clean.
Remove from cupcake pan and allow to cool completely before frosting.

Mexican Chocolate Buttercream
5oz good quality semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
8 TBS butter, at room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
2TBS baking cocoa
1 tsp mexican vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
4-8 TBS milk

Melt chocolate in a double boiler and allow to cool to room temperature.
Beat in butter until creamy.
Add powdered sugar, baking cocoa, cinnamon and vanilla.
Slowly beat in milk 1TBS at a time until you reach desired consistency.

Oh Sweet Sadie

2010-11-11T10:51:00.000-08:00

What word can I use to describe Oh Sweet Sadie....LEGENDARY!

Four times a year, a plethora of vendors gather together in a warehouse in the daybreak district to display and sell their goodies!!

Here are some pics of the wonderful event, but they don't even begin to convey it's amazing-ness.... see, I can't even use real words to describe how excited I get about Oh Sweet Sadie

So, I can't show you most of the loot I scored because they are destined to be Christmas presents. I would hate for someone to discover what they are getting before Christmas!

I can show you these beauties, though! These bracelets are made by a vendor called Tom's Jewelry. I love these bracelets because they remind me of those vintage cameo broaches, but more modern!!!!

Wonderful World of Color

2010-10-26T18:13:00.000-07:00

Dear Disney,
You've done it again;
You've impressed me!
Love,
Your biggest fan!

Zipper Flower Tutorial

2010-08-31T18:24:00.000-07:00

It has been a ridiculously long time since I've had time to sew or do any of my other favorite hobbies.

In my effort to make up the fact that I haven't posted any tutorials in months, I thought I'd post a quick one today.

I must admit, though, that I'm taking the easy route and just posting the link.

Today's tutorial is for the Zipper Flower that has been growing exponentially in popularity.

Riley Blake Designs has a great video tutorial for this cute daisy zipper flower posted HERE on there facebook.

It is a quick easy project, that literally probably only took me 5 minutes from start to finish!

One thing about this you must know is that you have to buy the zipper in yardage. Some stores (like Material Girls Quilts) are actually selling one side of zippers in yardage for this exact purpose.

What I Saw...

2010-08-21T10:10:00.000-07:00

...at the SLC Farmer's Market. I have to admit it's one of my favorite places to go. I love the homemade items, the fresh delicious food, the people and the entertainment...
I went with my good friend, Ashley, and these are a couple of the things we saw!

who would have thought to bring a piano?
Apparently this guy :)

Ashley posing in front of this accordion player who is, coincidentally, singing "Return to me," one of my favorite songs.

Folk?

2010-06-28T17:03:00.000-07:00

It's been kind of hard for me to define my favorite music. I really like just about everything and anything, but when I'm picking the music I tend to lean towards one type. A type, that until now, I haven't really known what to classify it as: FOLK! When I think of folk I think of Peter Paul and Mary, and the fact that I would get rather annoyed when listening to them. My favorite music is more acustic, vocal, some have powerful lyrics, some you can't listen to with out dancing...
I'd have to say my favorite singer right now is Ingrid Michaelson and itunes lists her as all different types including, pop, folk, vocal, and rock... who knows!

This artist I discovered today... They are called The Avett Brothers, and while they don't have the type of music you can really dance too, they've got some powerful lyrics. So go ahead and pause the music playing at the bottom of this site and give these guys a listen!

Murray City Symphony

2010-06-27T18:45:00.001-07:00

I've played in the Murray City Symphony for about a year and a half now and love it! I used to be a Music Performance Major up at USU, until I realized that it wasn't the smartest career choice. Once I made the switch I really missed playing in an organized group for about 2 years before I moved back to SLC. It's been a lot of fun to play in this group!
Last night we had our summer pops concert at the Murray Park Amphitheater, which is always my favorite concert. I love playing outdoors, especially at dusk when it's not too hot and sunny. Unfortunately my father injured himself yesterday morning and was unable to attend, so I had my mom record one of my favorite songs of the night for him to watch later. I thought I'd share, even though the visual quality isn't the greatest.

The verdict is in...

2010-06-27T09:49:00.000-07:00

drumroll please..........I LOVE THEM!
Alright, I still think they are really weird looking, and for about the first hour I wore them I was unsure of what I thought. It was really weird having something between my toes! Soon I adjusted ,though, and realized how amazingly comfortable they are; it literally feels like I'm going about barefoot! No more burning my feet on the hot pavement when I walk around barefoot this summer! Also, I love that these shoes can just be thrown into the washing machine.

L-town

2010-06-19T21:05:00.000-07:00

That's right ladies and gentlemen, I had the fantastic opportunity to visit the adventurous LOGAN!

My official reason is because my amazing grandmother is teaching me how to make a porcelain doll. She's extremely talented and has made and sold these gorgeous dolls for years. I have one that she made for me when I was younger, but I've always wanted to learn.
Right now it's just a box of creepy arms, legs, and a head, but in another couple months she will be a ballerina! I just finished sanding, cleaning, and shaping her fingers and such and after she's is fired I will be painting and putting her together... It's going to be quite a few weeks until she's complete, but I will update you!

One of the best parts about this weekend was getting to spend some time with one of my favorite people, ANGIE! I love her to death!
We ate some delicious sushi at Takara Sushi in Logan.

Us showing off our delicious rolls : the Sunny, French kiss, and "Aggie" rolls!

I was eyeing Angie's Aggie roll while my mouth was full of french kiss...

No Logan adventure would be complete without a trip to get some Aggie Ice Cream!

Vibram Sprints

2010-06-13T15:50:00.000-07:00

Over the past couple weeks I've been seeing these shoes everywhere! I first noticed them while hiking and thought they looked like the weirdest things I'd ever seen!!!!
Then I found out both my brother and sister own some and swear by them! They love them and say it feels like you're just walking barefoot!
I still think they are bizarre looking, but I love that they are specifically made for the adventurous type...I especially think they'd be awesome for river activities! plus I love to go barefoot. So I just ordered some and will soon be updating you to let you know if they are as great as everyone says!

So has anyone out there owned a pair? What's your opinion?

2010-05-26T15:22:00.000-07:00

It's finally feeling like spring... for the time. I still can't believe it snowed monday morning!

In fact it's beginning to feel enough like spring that we gardened last night!!! I'm so excited for fresh cucumber and tomato sandwiches!!

Also, I gave my ceiling fan a little make-over thanks to this tutorial!
I love how it turned out!
Before:

After:

sadly, I won't have as much time for crafting now that I'm starting a brand new full time job! I'm so excited... I'm a phlebotomist for the American Red Cross and will be traveling out on their mobile blood drives! Super exciting!

chair make over!!

2010-05-21T20:38:00.000-07:00

okay... so I've always had this hideous hunter orange office chair and yesterday I decided to give my ugly old office chair a make over! It was my first time reupholstering something, and it went pretty well if I do say so myself!!! Although, I think I'm going to get blisters from the staple gun!

BEFORE:

AFTER!!!!!

I'm hesitant

2010-05-17T14:11:00.000-07:00

So I recently just made these two bags... one is a typical cosmetics bag and the other is actually a curling iron case (it even has thermolam inside so...supposedly, you can put a hot iron in it...)

Anyway, they were both super easy and fun to make, but I've very hesitant to post a tutorial because although I made them without a pattern I do know there is a pattern out there for them... So I don't think it would be right. If you really want to know though, just talk to me the next time you see me!

Delectable Dishes

2010-05-10T11:05:00.000-07:00

These are some fantastic recipes that I've tried recently!

I actually got this way of cooking asparagus from my sister-in-law and I loved it
All you need to do is drizzle a little oil in the pan and while cooking the asparagus roll them back and forth every so often... near the end add some lemon to season to taste. It was delicious!

Naan (flatbread): I actually found the recipe here
1/2 cup warm water
2 tsp. active dry yeast
1 tsp. sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup canola oil
1/3 cup plain yogurt
1 large egg
melted butter or oil, for frying
(I actually also added a TBS of flax seed powder too)

In a large bowl, stir together the water, yeast and sugar and let stand for 5 minutes, until foamy.

Stir in the flour, salt, oil, yogurt and egg and stir, then knead until you have a soft, pliable dough. Cover with a tea towel and let rise until doubled in size; about an hour.

Divide the dough into 6-8 pieces and on a lightly floured surface, roll out each piece into a thin circle or oval.

Cook each naan in a nice hot skillet drizzled with oil (just a teeny tiny bit--you're not frying it like a scone) until blistered and cooked, flipping as necessary. (When the surface has big blisters and is golden on the bottom, flip it over and cook until golden on the other side.

Makes about 8 naan.

Chicken Club Sandwich Filling

1 cup mayo
2 TBS Dijon Mustard
2 TBS chopped green onions
1 TBS parsley
1/4 chopped green pepper
1 chopped tomato
shredded swiss cheese
4 slices chopped bacon
2 cups cubed chicken

mix together mayo, mustard, parsley, and green onions. Add other ingredients to dressing and mix. spoon into deli buns, top with lettuce. I actually put into my naan and ate taco style!!!!! Super Yummy!

Can you be too hippie?

2010-04-26T17:51:00.000-07:00

So I just made this shirt... and while I love the fabric I almost feel like it's too much on this "tunic"... That with the large flare pants, the chacos, and the leaf covered jewlery I feel like I'm channeling the 70's...

Also, why do patterns say according to your measurments to make one size and then even though it should fit... it's TOO big? I'm going to have to retake in the sides and I think I'm going to shorten the sleaves a bit!

Effie and Ollie

2010-04-23T10:35:00.000-07:00

This was a fun quickie! It took me maybe and hour to make myself a new pin cushion! This Heather Bailey Pattern is not as hard as it looks! It's called Effie and Ollie and it's a pin cushion /baby toy pattern!

The hardest part was maybe turning that tiny tail in the back :)

Chicken Lorraine

2010-04-22T09:33:00.001-07:00

This has become one of my favorite recipes!

4 bacon slices
1/2 cup cubed ham
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms ( I add more than that :))
1/2 chopped green pepper
1/4 cup chopped onion
9 chicken tenderloins
salt pepper
1/2 cup water
1 tsp chicken bouillon
6 slices provolone ( I used Mozerella)
Hollandaise Sauce (not from a packet)

Cut bacon in pieces. In large skillet, saute with ham, mushrooms, green pepper, and onions. Remove from pan and set aside. In same Skillet, bring water to a boil. Add bouillon and stir until dissolved. Add chicken breats. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook on low heat for 15 minutes, turning every 5-7 minutes. spoon vegtable mixture over chicken and continue cooking until chicken is no longer pink. Place cheese on top of chicken and vegetabes. cover until cheese is melted. Serve with Hollandaise Sauce!

Hollandaise Sauce Recipe
3 egg yolks
3 TBS Lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter

stir egg yolks and lemon juice until smooth. in small saucepan mix ingredients. cook over low heat until butter melts and mixture thickens. Note: this takes forever! Start it the same time you start the chicken!

A first

2010-04-21T13:00:00.000-07:00

This is my first pieced quilt. I've made a simple t-shirt quilt, but this is my first real pieced quilt! You might think that's sad since I work in a quilting shop, but my sewing has been limited to pretty much everything outside of quilting ;.
I gotta say, I'm a little bit proud!
I used the line Freebird by Momo and A friend that I work with recommend this pattern... it's called piece of cake! Which it really was! It was so easy I could have figured it out without the pattern if I really tried!
This is just the quilt front, and I kind of wish I had chosen a darker outer border, but I'm also planning to bind it in that dark brown in the quilt! I'm also thinking about backing it in dark brown corduroy because I like the weight and texture it will add. The quilting can really make or break a quilt in my opinion so I'd love any input. I'm thinking invisible thread (because I don't want to draw all attention to it and I like how invisible kind of shimmers)... the pattern is up in the air. Should I do simple squiggles? or more of a pattern? I have plenty of time to decide since it will cost a fortune to back and have quilted... feel free to send donations ;)

Keeping Myself Busy

2010-04-20T10:57:00.001-07:00

So I've been keeping myself busy with odds and ends jobs...
This includes, Making these funky napkin rings that I got from a tutorial off Pick up some creativity blog

Making individual chicken pot pies to freeze...

And finishing my niece's gift before attending...

her 1st birthday!

Some of the Most Popular Tutorials

2010-04-16T11:31:00.000-07:00

These are some of the most popular tutorials going around right now. We have women coming into Material Girls all the time looking for frabric or these patterns... the best part is that they are tutorials and therefore...free :)
So check them out, and to my good friend Holli... anything on here you want for your newest addition I offer my sewing skills for free until November ;). Just provide the fabric, and I'll provide the labor... ;)

Car Seat Tent/cover/canopy
Portable Changing Pad
Nursing Cover/Hooter Hider

Birthday Banner

2010-04-16T10:18:00.000-07:00

This is a great scraps project! I got this idea from a tutorial on a craft blog called pickup some creativity. In the tutorial she uses a different fabric for each flag, but I had enough scraps of one fabric that I was able to make them all the same. For the template for the flags and the lettering visit her tutorial!

Skirt Obsessed

2010-04-11T10:52:00.001-07:00

Okay, so I got a little obsessed these past couple weeks and made a few skirts. My only justification is that I've worn them all a couple times already. The only reason I don't wear more skirts and dresses during the week is because I like having pockets and comfort. These skirts provide both! Also, I like the compliments I get when I wear them! My dear friend, Ash, requested that I post pictures of said skirts! I also have to give her a little credit to the one on the bottom. She chose this fabric for a skirt for herself and I copied!

Elastic Waist Skirt

2010-04-01T12:38:00.000-07:00

So i found this tutorial on Freshly Picked Blogspot and just had to try it! Not only was it super simple, but super cheap (almost cheaper then buying a new skirt)! I love that this skirt is a little poofy and comes with POCKETS... how awesome is that! I also added a contrasting hem because I though it looked fun!

Herb Garden

2010-03-30T11:24:00.000-07:00

Remember the modge-podge jars.... they were cute in theory, but the oregano ended up catching a fungus (ick) and dying... so I just gave up and went with pots.

Of course, I cutened them up a bit with some paint and modge-pode

My "lettering" wasn't the greatest, but I think over all they turned out pretty nice... also, do you notice the sprouting? Welcome Spring!!!

Craft Partay!

2010-03-22T12:27:00.000-07:00

It was way fun to get together with a bunch of my friends that I haven't seen for quite awhile, and I think we had fun making these simple little crafts

little Emmalynn Omer enjoyed watching us all!

The finished products

Anyway, here are some quick instructions on how to make one:
1. buy or cut a block that's 5x5 inches (preferably about 3 inches wide to stand on it's own, but if not then add a wooden dowel to the back to help it stand up)
* you can also use a router on all the edges, but we were pressed for time
2. sand it down and paint it a color of your choice... don't worry about the front looking perfect since it will be covered
3. while it's drying use scrapbook paper and scrapbook a picture onto the front... we also used rub-on letters
4. modgepodge the "scrapbooking" onto the block and then apply a layer to the entire front... make sure it's matte modgepodge
5. allow plenty of time to dry!

Craft Day Preview!!

2010-03-17T12:47:00.000-07:00

This saturday I will be hosting a crafting party with some of my closest friends from Highschool/college! I'm super excited! In preperation for this blessed occasion I thought I'd make a finished product model! These photo blocks are super fun and are easy to make... plus... they are cheaper then frames!!
Anyways, be excited! I'll also post a tutorial later this weekend with pics from the partay ;)

p.s. ignore the fact that the modge-podge hasn't quite dried yet ;)

Hummus, Cards, and a Good Movie

2010-03-16T13:34:00.000-07:00

It's spring break, and I gotta tell you the freedom gets a little boring.
Normally I'd probably be sewing, but our sewing machine is currently on the fritz! So instead, I settled down with a nice movie, the perfect afternoon snack, and currently my second favorite hobbie... card making!

The perfect combination of ritz crackers, hummus, and sprinkled with some feta

My creations.... I laugh that they all match, but it was a book of paper that I need to start using

I think this was my favorite... I just really like how the textures, colors, and patterns panned out!

So, there you have it... my cure to boredom. The only thing that would have been better was to have it be a rainy day... Instead it was sunny and warm and I still feel like playing outside.

Modge Podge Jars/ Herb Garden

2010-03-15T10:55:00.000-07:00

Spring is in the air... can't you just feel it? even smell it?
This weeks craft was slightly inspired my made by lex's lamp that she modge-podged. That was going to be my original craft for this week (the one I was super excited for), but I didn't have a spare lamp lying around... so it's on hold until I go to the D.I.
So then I had the though.... I bet you could apply the same technique to mason jars.

I modge-podged some scrapbook paper to the outer jars, and used fabric for the middle one. I feel they turned out pretty cute. I was then going to top them with some ribbon, but all we had was raffia! Then, I thought... why not fulfill a dream of mine and start an herb garden! I'm quite excited to start cooking with fresh herbs! Any recipe suggestions out there? I'm growing Oregano, Basil, Cilantro, and Chives.... any great pesto sauce recipes for fresh Basil?
Anyway...
1. I used widemouth short mason jars.
2. I cut the scapbook paper up into little squares and then just glued them all over with modepodge
* alternate 2. For fabric apply modge-podge to jar and wrap fabric around. fold over any raw edges.
3. top entire thing with a coat of glossy modge-podge

Tips for herb garden:
**** you have to put gravel at the bottom of the jar because it doesn't drain out. This prevents the plant from just sitting in water.
** I also suggest starting with seeds. I will be planting my other jars soon, but I bought a oregano plant... It was just slightly bigger around then my jar so it was a little difficult to plant.

Shirt Makeover

2010-03-12T09:27:00.000-08:00

Okay, after I made the rosettes for the headband I went a little crazy and decided to do a shirt make-over. This shirt is one I never wear because it's just cream... I like a little color in my outfits.... anyway, now there is some :)

Last Weeks (oops) craft

2010-03-10T10:50:00.000-08:00

Okay, as promised... I'm going to post a tutorial for every week!
Last weeks was inspired by my friend, Ash, who was inspired by this blog

Here is Ash's rad pillow that she made for her apartment

Okay these are super simple!!
1. pick out some awesome felt!
2. I also got some webing
3. draw letters straight onto the webbing and cut them out.
4. Iron onto the felt (follow webbing instructions)
5. cut out letters
6. peel off paper and stick to desired background fabric
7. Sew a decorative stitch of your choice around the letters to hold in place.
8. finish sewing pillow (Ash and I both used french seams on our pillows, but it's not required :) )

I took a slightly different approach and actually turned mine into a rice bag that you could use for a heat or ice pack... or I guess even a door stop

National Craft Month

2010-03-08T09:17:00.000-08:00

My dear friends,
Did you realize that this is National Craft Month!! In honor of this blessed occasion I will be crafting...all month. I might even try to post a craft I've completed each week.
Also, In honor of this amazing month I will give you a few suggestions as to my favorite craft websites

Little Birdie Secrets

Made by Lex

Make it and Love it

I also suggest a visit to Oh Sweet Sadie's blog found on my sidebar :)

One last request, what is your favorite or most creative craft? Leave me a comment with a link or instructions.... I mean, share the wealth :)

Amy Butler's Weekender Bag

2010-03-08T07:45:00.000-08:00

Amount of fabric this little beauty takes: A TON!
Number of needles I broke in the process: 2
Number of times I hurt myself: <30
Level: Advanced sewing (If that's true, I'm super proud)
The delight of having made this "duffle" bag: priceless

I made this for our store so sadly I won't actually own it for a few months, but the best part is I get it for FREE!!! Plus, now I own the pattern if I want to make another!

2010-03-01T08:08:00.000-08:00

This weekend I had an adventure. What did this adventure entail you might ask? well, Logan (of course) and friends (a given).....
No Logan trip would be complete without:

Fantastic Pictures

A visit to Global Village to see all the exotic gifts!

A trip to Jamba (and goofy faces)

Ash and I were in this alley in downtown Logan and I made her be my model because I loved this window!

A burger and Olympic Curling

Seriously Obsessed!!!

2010-02-19T15:27:00.001-08:00

It's official... I'm a little bit craft obsessed right now (especially in the fabric department.) My only justification is that the store projects I get to make and keep for free (after they are finished being modeled in the store)
I just finished my first store project that will be a model in the store for the next while: Amy Butler's Liverpool shirt... I love the design of the shirt and am still pretty fond of this fabric, but I think if I ever make another I'd use one of Amy Butlers less "busy" designs

also, to do my coat a little justice I'd thought I'd show a picture with it on ;)

Next, I have another store project I'm starting. It's the Weekend Travel Bag pattern by Amy Butler and I'm making it out of her Home Decor fabrics! It is going to be divine!!!

Trench Coat COMPLETED!!!

2010-02-13T09:34:00.000-08:00

Now, these pictures really don't do it justice because it looks so much cuter when it's actually on...

Also, that's a removable fabric flower... thoughts? yay? or Nay?

I love the back it has several large pleats so it's very full and fabulous!!

I highly recommend this pattern it's by indigo junction and can be purchased at Material Girls or on the Indigo Junction website :)

I really should think about going on a craft diet...

2010-02-10T13:13:00.000-08:00

Since I started at Material Girls Quilts I have become somewhat craft-obsessed! That might even be an understatement... Anywho, thanks to the inspiration of my friend, Ashley, I decided to design and make myself a new scripture case! I was thinking of also adding a fabric flower, but can't decided if that would be overkill... thoughts?

Another great thing about working at Material Girls is the people I work with... they have become such great friends and I love being around them. I'm truely blessed to have a job that I love going to! We're all going to the movie "Valentines Day" this saturday and I'm super excited to hang with all the lovely ladies!

In other news, my trench coat is nearing completion (I just need to attach the sleeves and sew on button holes/buttons)... and I have my first offical project for work. It's this fantastic long shirt designed by Amy Butler and I'm in love with the fabric!!! Pictures soon :)

Guiltless Pleasure

2010-01-28T16:51:00.000-08:00

I once mentioned on Facebook that my guilty pleasure is reading. Well, that was a misunderstanding! Reading is my guiltless pleasure... it only becomes guilty when I spend all day reading a book that I just cannot put down. Now, I've read my share of good books, but very rarely do I find one that I just become so absorbed in that I'll sit down to read for awhile and next thing I know the day is over.
Yesterday I was pleased to have such a guilty occurance.
I read HUNGER GAMES by Suzzane Collins. One word: Fantastic!!!

I highly recommend this book.
This book is set in the future in a country that was once known as the United States of America. It's long after it's fall and has know become a dictatorship known as Panem. There are twelve districts, each one with a certain purpose (i.e. coal, farming, etc.) and some districts are a lot more poor than others. The government entertains themselves by forcing every district to submit 2 teenagers every year for the "hunger games:" which is fight to the death that is televised and mandatory to watch. The arena they are placed in ranges for miles and lasts for weeks on end. The winner recieves wealth for themselves and extra food for their district. I know that sounds a little creepy, but the story is actually quite awesome! It centers around a young girl named Katniss, and her fight to survive the hunger games (while not becoming a monster) and her rebellion against the capitol!

Modge Podge Shoes

2010-01-25T19:28:00.000-08:00

I found this awesome tutorial and tried it out

Supplies:
Super cheap (or even old) flats... I got these at K-mart
Modge Podge
Fabric

I took these hideous shoes (you should have seen them with the gigantic bow)
and turned them into these little beauties

It was super easy, and even though they aren't quite dry yet I can tell I'm going to love them!!!

public speaking

2010-01-25T12:41:00.000-08:00

it's one of my greatest fears... especially now that i'm a relief society teacher in my parents ward. last sunday was my first lesson and surprisingly i wasn't that nervous beforehand. that is, until i was standing in front of 20 middle aged women all staring at me! they all came up and offered kind words for my first lesson afterwards, but i can't help but wonder if they were just being kind because my mind was blank the majority of the time as i stumbled awkwardly through the lesson. and my biggest fear... i have to do it again!

Dream

2010-01-20T08:35:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I can't believe how realistic my dreams can be. Most nights I just wake up saying, "that was weird." Last night, though, I felt like I was living real events, but the strange part was that events were occurring that I've never experienced before. I gotta give you a summary because It was crazy real:

Marianne and I were staying at a seaside hotel somewhere when we decided to take scuba diving lessons. There were about 15 of us that were in the course and 2 or 3 instructors... we started in a pool at the hotel were we learned the basics and then for our final day in the class we were going to go scuba diving in the ocean (the real deal).
We loaded the boats and headed out to the location: we were going to this special place were a boat had crashed and it contained this really famous persons piano that we were going to see. We got to the location and there was this large rock above the diving point that we got on to go over last minute directions and tips. At this moment I realized I had forgot my goggles, but Marianne and brought an extra and graciously lent them to me. I was terrified to dive for the first time.... what if I couldn't get a hang of the breathing, or what if my tank didn't have enough air, or what if there was something scary at the bottom of the ocean? The instructor pushed me in because I was hesitating. This is were it was beyond realistic: I could feel the water around me, I could feel the air coming in and out of the mouthpiece, I could feel water go up my nose and into my goggles because they weren't on tight enough... We dove down deep and explored the wreckage.
After about an hour we all came up together. On the way up, though, I cut my leg on a rock and it began to bleed profusely... It wasn't until I was nearly to the surface that I realized we were in Shark territory, as one swam past me ominously. We all quickly got onto the rock as the sharks surrounded us, until our luck got even worse. A Killer Whale had mistaken this situation as their being seals on the rock, and soon it was jumping up to take a bite too... we abandoned the rock and swam for our lives to the boat. Once we made it, we looked back and as both a shark and killer whale leaped for it's attack the Killer whale took a big chunk out of the shark. This ended the situation and they all fled. We waited for some time and decided we had enough air in our tanks for one more dive down.
During the second dive I started having Asthma problems and I made the special signal to one of the instructors that I need to go up. He came with me to the surface. Once we broke the surface though we realized something was very wrong... The neighboring countries were at war with each other and some of the enemies had perched themselves right above us in their own boat...
They took us hostage and after a time of trying to drown us for information they left us in a cell by ourselves. Now, the instructor I was with was quite a macgiver type of fella and he got us out of that boat and swam for shore... We knew the others were planning to stay down at the wreckage for another couple hours so we had to go get help before they came back up to meet the same fate we almost had... So we commandeered one of those boat/trucks (the boats with wheels on the bottom) and drove it back to the diving site. By this time the enemy had fled and were able to pull the rest of our team to safety.... and then I woke up :)

What I Snapped over the Holidays...

2010-01-14T15:57:00.000-08:00

I watched as Ash picked up quite a swarthy hunk! ;)

not my fondest memory of chritmas, and also (sadly) not the most embarassing picture my father took of me...

My Brother-in-law's personality shining through

The classic goofy face with my niece

The classic ginger bread (or grahm cracker) house

Corn Maze

2009-10-15T11:05:00.001-07:00

I LOVE CORN MAZES...

need I say more?

The End!

Fall Picture: VOTING TIME

2009-10-15T11:02:00.000-07:00

Okay peeps, get votin'

Material GIrls

2009-10-13T11:01:00.001-07:00

I finally have a new job and I'm loving it!!!! Who knew you could have a job that you love going to! I must say it's the cutest fabric store ever and I love there modern choices of fabrics. Seriously, come check them out... preferably when I'm working ;)
Here is there blog

p.s. This is a craft blog that we were looking at while at work. It's super cute, check it out

Picture Contest

2009-10-07T11:18:00.000-07:00

Okay, so i'm doing this because I really don't have anything to write about! Here's the contest... send me a picture that you think just completely embodies fall... Then, I'll post them all and we'll have 2 winners: my choice, and a readers choice.
So get crackin (all 2 of you who read my blog ;) ) and show me some awesome fall photos!
Send photos to Marisa4605@q.com

Staycation

2009-08-08T09:01:00.000-07:00

Staycations are quite enjoyable!! Especially unexpected sporadic ones ;)

We enjoyed a day shopping at the gateway and then dinner at Rodizzo Grill

Then a fantastic day at the Park city Mountain resort: it was our first time there and it was a lot of fun

On the roller coaster you got in the cart, were pulled up to the top of the mountain and then rode down. you controlled your speed with a brake. Man did it go fast... also, at times you felt like the car came off the track!!!

The zip line: although scary the first time, was the best ride!!

The Aquarium: which really isn't worth the mu'la

and, a staycation wouldn't be complete without a trip to the zoo!

Sights of Summer Part 2

2009-07-27T10:45:00.000-07:00

Sights of Summer

2009-07-10T10:00:00.000-07:00

History

2009-06-15T13:15:00.000-07:00

I was never one to remember the dates, the wars, or understand the economics, but I love History. Even though it was never my strongest subject, I love learning about who the people are and everything about them. Everything from how they dress, speak, and act intrigues me. I guess this fascination is why I like museums, movies and books set in the past, and most of why I LOVED going to Boston. I enjoyed walking along it's cobble stone streets following the freedom trail as we visited some of America's most historical sights like the Old North Church or Lexington and Conchord.

The Latest Fashion

2009-06-11T10:28:00.000-07:00

I know what you're thinking, "It's so fashionable, so stylish, I wish I had one just like it." I must say, it's definitely a trend setter.... I mean, can't you just sense my excitment? This little "beauty" is part of the joy of having acid reflux. I had an endoscopy done yesterday at Pioneer Valley Hospital. They went down looked around, took a biopsy and then planted a sensor in the base of my esophagus to monitor the Ph balance. Sadly, I have to wear it constantly for 48 hours, which can be annoying, but it's actually kinda interesting to watch the numbers plumet when I have heart burn.

Also, and interesting side note... they had to place the sensor twice. They said I was having a lot of reflux during the test and I aspirated some of it. When they placed the sensor I started coughing and I coughed it right back up. They had to start a new IV and put me back to sleep to put it back down there...

2009-06-04T17:15:00.000-07:00

So last Friday was my Brothers Wedding. The reception was in my grandparents beautiful back yard and all my siblings were together for the first time in years. Everything was great except I got a lot of "so when are you getting married?"
I'm only 21... I have no plans to get married anytime soon. I still have things I'd like to do first... like finish school! Heck, I'd be happy just starting nursing school. So, even though I'm part of a dwindling crowd of single people... i'm okay with that!

One thing to check off the bucket list...

2009-06-01T18:09:00.000-07:00

SUSHI! I finally tried it.
My awesome brother, who happens to love sushi, took me out for some last week and I loved it. We went to the Blue Fish Sushi Bar and I had the Philidephia Rolls (Raw Samon, cream cheese, and avacado rolled in seaweed and sticky rice). I'll admit I was nervous to try raw fish, but it really wasn't bad... I'd eat it again!

2009-05-11T12:56:00.000-07:00

Confession

2009-04-16T14:17:00.000-07:00

I hardly ever take a serious picture...

What's your confession?

Heavenly Beings

2009-04-16T11:37:00.000-07:00

So this week in institute, my teacher told us a very interesting story:

He has a friend who is the lead cleaner of the Logan Temple.
There was a meeting held by the Temple President and he told everyone that they could ask any question about the temples and he would answer.
She immediately raised her hand and told about her experience...
One night they were all there cleaning, and like they had been told they started at the top in the celestial room and worked there way down. So they finished in the celestial room, locked it up, and she moved on to the next level down. Soon she began to hear singing coming from upstairs... her first thought was, who could be up there when she just locked it. Her second thought was that whoever it was, they were singing too loud for the inside of the temple and she should go tell them. As she reached the door to the celestial room the singing got louder and when she opened the door there was a large gust of wind and the singing stopped.
This was her question to the Temple President: Why do we clean starting in the Celestial Room and work our way down, who was singing, and what was the gust of wind?

His answer amazed me:
The people singing were the spirits who's work had been done in the temple that day, the wind was them leaving the room. The temples are cleaned in that manner because Heavenly Father allows and wants to give the spirits as much uninterrupted time during the night to rejoice.

Bow-wow Old Friend, Bow-wow

2009-04-12T12:25:00.000-07:00

I am a HUGE animal lover. I've had many in my life, including hamsters, fish, lizard and turtle, bunnies, birds, and a dog named Dusty. We got dusty 11 years ago and this morning he died. It was expected because of his age, but it's still sad when you've had him for so long.

Small Moments

2009-03-27T05:24:00.000-07:00

"My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment."
Doctrine and Covenants 121:7

Joseph Smith was persecuted and tried beyond what any of us would probably be able to handle. He was tared and feathered, imprisoned, lost child after child, and martyred to name a few. It was in this scripture that the Lord spoke directly to Joseph telling him he's not yet as Job, that he still has friends and family and that this WILL pass, that he only has to hold on for a moment.
Joseph died at age 39. One day to God is a thousand years for us, with that we can say that he was only out of the presence of Heavenly Father for 59 min. 59 minutes, I don't know about you, but I'd say that's a pretty small moment.

Another thing that can happen in an small moment. The Atonement. I mean just separate the word, At/one/ment.... at one moment. It can happen just that fast. The second you make a change in your, life Heavenly Father knows if it will be sincere and the atonement covers you just that fast.

Scrapbooking Workshop

2009-03-18T14:36:00.000-07:00

Okay, so we didn't make any scrapbook pages, but it's the same idea...

This is actually a little bag/box that has candy inside
this is a box with candy inside

I had never really ebossed or used die cuts before, but It was so cool! Lots of fun! I just wish I could aford all the stuff so I could do it on my own!

Tennis

2009-03-11T11:49:00.000-07:00

My tennis class started this week and it's actually a lot more fun then I expected. Of course I'm not very good, but I just started... Another plus is it's a pretty good workout. It never really felt like hard work, but by the end I think everyone could tell we'd be sore...

Give away

2009-02-19T20:23:00.001-08:00

The first 5 people to respond to this post will receive something made by me for you.

I get to pick what I make for you, but it will be especially for you.

But here's the deal:
~
1 I make no guarantees that you will like what I make! (But I'll try to make something cool:)
2 What I create will be just for you.
3 It will be done sometime this year.
4 You have no clue what it will be.
5 I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.

The catch? The catch is that you must repost this on your own blog
and offer the same to the first 5 people who do the same on their blog.

The first 5 people to do so and leave a comment telling me they did will win a FAB-U-LOUS homemade gift by me!!

So come and play along!

Houston Temple

2009-02-17T11:47:00.001-08:00

Author Unknown

A few months after my accident, I got a call from a headhunter telling me that he had a position for which he wanted me to interview. I was a little surprised by the call since I wasn't actively looking for a job at the time. As a matter of fact, I was still learning to walk again and use my reconstructed hands. I politely declined and thought that was it. It wasn't!

The man kept calling me and every time I told him why I was unable to accept a job at the moment, he kept telling me that it wasn't important. After a while I decided to go on the interview. If nothing else, it would stop the annoying phone calls every couple of days.

The interview was with one of the largest HVAC contractors in Houston. I've never worked for a contractor before and, quite frankly, contractors and engineers often find themselves at complete odds with each other. I knew for a fact that, in my years of experience, I had been in more than one shouting match with a few project managers at this firm.

The interviewer brought me into a conference room and expressed his thanks for me coming in. He told me that I had come recommended to him as someone uniquely qualified for the job he had. He described the job and, I had to admit, it sounded like a pretty good gig. As a matter of fact, if I had to describe my dream job, this would be it.

I started asking questions about the firm...what kind of projects they were working on and so forth. They were one of the biggest contractors in Houston and so he ran down a pretty impressive resume of projects. Then he said, "Oh...and we're doing this church. It's the strangest church you've ever seen" I'd designed some pretty strange churches in my time. One of them was made entirely of pink glass. When you're especially bored some time, you should try and run down the thermal transfer properties of pink glass. If you find out, get back to me on it because I never was able to figure it out.

The interviewer continued with his description of the strange church. "Another weird thing is that they're spending WAYYYY too much money on this thing. You know how, whenever we do a church, we're asked to figure out ways to cut costs? Well, not on this job. In fact, they keep asking us for ways we can make it even better."

(It's called 'value engineering'. It happens on almost every job when the owner gets hit with the sticker price of the project and we have to go back and try and work with contractors to hold down prices and yet still keep in a modicum of quality…that's where the shouting matches usually occur. Churches are especially notorious at this game and the end result is usually a facade of flash over substance. You build this really impressive looking church and pray that the next big wind won't come along and blow it all down.)

Then the interviewer said something that sealed the deal. "...and the strangest thing of all is that we're not going to even be allowed back in this church to fix any problems. Only members with a special piece of paper will be allowed in."

I fished into my wallet and pulled out my temple recommend, "Is this the piece of paper you're talking about?", I asked.

And so I went to work on helping to build the Houston Temple.

The first job meeting was one of the most bizarre experiences of my life. We all met in a little shack on the temple building site. It was an odd sensation to look out at earth moving equipment shoving mounds of dirt around and get tears in your eyes.

I didn't tell anyone at the meeting that I was LDS. For one reason, I didn't want them to think I was going to come off as a know-it-all. Another reason is that there were some pretty strong protests against building this temple and I wanted to see where everyone stood on the issue. You kind of want to know where all the land mines are before you go traipsing off into the clover.

You may or may not know this but the church sends its own project manager to the site when a temple is built. It's his job to make sure that the specifications are followed in every way. As it happened, the church's representative, a man named Leon, was called away to Salt Lake and so the project manager for the general contractor got up and started the meeting.

"Leon's been called away to Salt Lake and so I'll be running the meeting." He looked around and his eye settled on the Plumbing Contractor, "Gill, why don't you offer us an opening prayer?"

My jaw dropped. First of all, prayers just aren't the standard way that construction meetings are called to order. And another thing is that, I'd know Gill for fifteen years and anyone even mildly acquainted with the man was aware that he was incapable of stringing four words together without cussing twice.

"This is going to be some prayer", I thought...it was. Gill bowed his head and folded his hands and gave a prayer like he'd been giving them in sacrament meeting his entire life. We were grateful for the opportunity to work on the temple. We were mindful of the sacrifices of The Saints. We prayed for safety and harmony among the builders and we consecrated and dedicated our actions to The Lord.

Gill ended his prayer and the General Contractor went on with the agenda. I wasn't really paying attention, however, because I was still dumbstruck, staring at Gill, and wondering what had happened to him. I was still staring at Gill when the agenda came to me and I was asked to introduce myself to the group.

There was a bit of a pause when I got caught still staring, openmouthed, at Gill. Then everyone started to laugh.

"It's in the specifications", explained the general contractor, "we have to pray before every meeting"

Knowing the crowd, I asked, "And none of you tried to negotiate out of that?"

"Well, we did grumble for a while and then Leon started making us sing an opening hymn as well."

I wished I had accepted the job sooner, I might have been able to see that.

I soon found out that I didn't need to tell anyone I was LDS, they all knew and many times a contractor would sidle up to me to ask me something about my religion or the significance of something in the temple.

"What's up with the twelve cows and the big Jacuzzi?", one would ask.

"Is that Gabriel up there with a trumpet?" (Oh...little known fact but if you'll take a pair of binoculars with you and get far enough away so you can see it from the proper angle, you'll notice a lightening rod sticking out of Moroni's head.)

I took to bringing my scriptures with me so that I could explain the significance of different things and point to their Biblical foundation.

One question was my personal favorite, "where's the counting room?". Remember the churches I told you about that I'd designed? Well one thing that never got 'value engineered' was the counting room. It was where they kept and counted the donations and it was always built like a bank vault.

"We don't have a counting room in temples", I said."

"Why not?"

"We don't take in any donations at the temple"

"You mean to tell me that you put all this money into a building and you don't ever get a nickel out of it?"

"Yeah, that's pretty much the case"

The contractor went away shaking his head. No doubt wondering how anyone as foolish as these Mormons had ever amassed enough money to build such wonderful buildings.

Of all my experiences, only one was what I would have categorized as 'odd'. With an opening prayer at each meeting, design conferences went about pretty much like PEC meetings. There was a spirit of brotherhood that just wasn't normally present in construction shacks.

One day, however, the meeting got a little out of hand. Some voices were raised and anger entered the room. When it made its appearance, I was surprised to notice a letdown that I recognized as The Spirit leaving the room. It made me sad. I looked about the table and I could tell that others were experiencing the same letdown.

It was then that the copier behind me started spitting out blank sheets of paper. Nobody was at the copier and yet it churned out about a dozen sheets of paper and then stopped. It took everyone by surprise and it completely diffused the argument that was going on. Someone made a small joke, everyone laughed and the meeting went on. Little by little I felt the warmth of The Spirit return.

After the meeting, I was going over some items with the General Contractor. I had to make a few copies and so I went to the copier. There was a sign over the copier instructing the sub-contractors to write down the number of copies they make so that their companies can be backcharged. Thinking that I was making a joke, I pointed to the sign and said, "Are you going to give the angels a discount on the copies they made today?" The general contractor looked at me and said, "You know? Strange things like that happen around here quite often."

As the temple neared its completion, the general contractor and I had occasion to chat one more time. I knew that he was a staunch Baptist, one of the churches, in fact, that was so vocal in its protest over our building a temple in Houston. Over the months, we had become friends, and so I felt no qualms in asking him just what his feelings were, as a Baptist, building a Mormon temple. I'll never forget what he told me.

"In ancient times", he said, "building work was overseen by guilds. The guild masters were the ones who saw to it that the integrity of the craft over which they labored was the best it could be. If you wanted to enter the guild you had to begin as an apprentice and dedicate long years with little or no pay. The master under whom you labored, gave you room and board and your tools. Eventually, you became a journeyman in the guild and you got paid. However, if you wanted to become a master of the guild, you had to present a sample of your work to be judged by the other masters. It had to be a work of outstanding beauty and flawless quality for it was the work by which your skills would be judged. It had to be a work that would weather the ages and it was called, 'a masterpiece'"

The contractor continued, "Every building I've ever built has been one where money won out over quality. I've never been able to do the best I'm capable of because of budget restraints. If I'm grateful for one thing, it's that you Mormons don't skimp when it comes to your temples. For once, I'm able to build to the quality I'm really capable of"

Then he looked out over the temple and his gaze came back to me. His eyes were tearing up a bit and he swept his hand back towards the temple and his voice got a little reverent, "This is my masterpiece", he said.

"I've been building buildings for almost thirty years. If been doing it so long, in fact, that they are beginning to tear down buildings that I was sure would live as a testament to my presence long after I was gone from this earth.

I'm really grateful I had a chance to work on The Houston Temple.

Training

2009-02-07T07:48:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I finished my 2 day training at the old alzhiemer building. Can I just say having a cool CNA to shadow makes all the difference. We got along really well!! The buildings for this company are beautiful and so nicely decorated. It has a really home or hotel-like feel. The place I did my clinicals was old, smelly, and the furniture didn't even match.
I was terrified my first day, mostly because I know alzhiemer patients are so unpredictable. Most of the patients are just the sweetest people. I'll admit it, some of them are the craziest people and make no sense, but they are still sweet! One patient actually was NOT so sweet, he in-fact was terrifying. First of all, when he looks at you, he looks like he's planning your murder. Medication time involved him trying to snap your wrists, or grabbing you really hard. Luckily that was the only time we interacted with him... This job has a very friendly feel, there isn't as much need to be completely professional. We'd sit down and have snacks and dinner with them, and watch Tv in the evening with them...overall it was pretty easy. At least I didn't come home sore like I used to when I worked at Kohls.

Back when I was famous...

2009-02-04T09:46:00.000-08:00

Counting Your Many Blessings

2009-01-29T17:36:00.000-08:00

In my institute class we were talking about spiritual gifts and stewardships. One of the things we talked about the ratio between church members and the rest of the world. Right now there are about 6,500,000,000 people on earth and there around 13 million members of the church. There are 6,487,000,000 people who have no knowledge of the gospel. Most will live without ever hearing about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. How blessed are we that we were born into the church and have been taught all our life. We must have done something awesome in the pre-existance to be so blessed in our mortal life.

Hair

2009-01-15T08:21:00.000-08:00

So I was looking through some older pictures and I was kinda shoked by how much my hair changes over the past 10 years. I go from long, to medium, to short, to medium, to super short, to long....

"Here comes boredom and it's useless"

2009-01-06T13:56:00.000-08:00

Life in Salt Lake. It has it's advantages and disadvantages. It's really weird to be home after you've been on your own and independent. It's nice not having to worry about money, but I miss living on my own and having friends just seconds away. I still think it was the right choice, and I actually do think I'll be more social since I'm going to be forced to get out and socialize (or die of boredom).
I'm having Logan withdrawls, though. They didn't start until yesterday. I think having my family around and the excitment of the holidays kept me occupied enough that It didn't hit me that I won't be in Logan much. Now that everyone has left and started back at work/school... I'm having major withdrawls!
As for "the boy who smiled at me".... I am coming up with a plan to force us to meet. Details pending...

Australia

2009-01-03T09:23:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Ashley and I ventured to the movies to watch the sexiest man alive take off his shirt.... not only did we get that, but what I thought was a really good movie!
It was different, I don't think I can really compare it to anything but the acting was amazing. So was the scenary and the action!!! The music was beautiful, but not what I expected for the movie. I'm anxiously awaiting the release of the score soundtrack!
The only downfalls I found in this movie was that it was a little hard to understand them, but that could just be me ;)... Also, It was like 2 movies in one... 2 different stories, but both equally amazing. Plus, Hugh Jackman... need I say more?

Marisa was smiled at by a Boy!!!

2008-12-18T14:16:00.000-08:00

It is official. I was smiled at by a Boy. That same smile Doty experienced at Target, I experienced 3 times at my parents Christmas party. I walked through the door carrying feel good potatoes (also known as funeral potatoes) and there he was... bending over picking something up. As he was returning to the verticle position I could tell he was looking me over. Then, our eyes met, and I got that smile..... you know the one! I couldn't help but return it. That entire evening we ran into eachother 2 other times; once during the service project, and once at the serving table over the feel good potatoes. Both times we made lingering eye contact and that same smile. Yet, we never spoke, but I was so flustered and my heart was in my throat ,so, I don' think I could have made intelligent conversation anyway... Then I saw him at church on sunday in the lobby. Again, the smile.
I just wish one of us could use actual language towards one another.
Angie gave me the idea that I should be the one to take our neighbor gift over to his house in hopes of seeing and talking to him, but sadly he wasn't the one who came to the door!
Will Marisa ever have any more than smiles with this young man? Will she escape the clutches of being single forever? stay tuned...

Movin Home

2008-12-08T20:18:00.000-08:00

I will be moving back home at the end of this week. It is a bitter sweet moment!! I know without a doubt it is where I'm supposed to be this spring, but part of me wonders why I feel so strongly about it...
I'm going to miss the social life of living in a college apartment complex, and all the people I've gotten to know and have grown to love. I know I'll visit them often, but once or twice a month won't be as fulfilling as seeing them everyday, like I do now. Then there is the fact that I won't be quite as independent and It's hard to get everything packed and moved.
On the other hand I'll get to see my family more, save money, and have better job opportunities. I might even be able to find a symphony to join...

Predicitions

2008-11-18T12:04:00.000-08:00

As i sit here bored and in need of a blog idea, Angie has requested that I make predictions concerning her future!

I, Marisa, predict Angie Anderson will be a successful photographer one day. She will start out as wedding photographer and will take pictures of her friends weddings. She will then progress and begin to travel world wide taking artistic pictures of her travels that will sell for thousands of dollars and will be above hundreds of fireplace mantels.

She will marry the most perfect man and will immediately get busy making the most beautiful, talented, and well behaved children. What else could they be with her as their mamma! She will have lots and lots of these little rug rats... at least 6 of them in this order: twin boys, a girl, another boy, and two more girls.

They will, in time, buy a modestly large house in which Angie will decorate in the most amazing manner (because we all know her decorating skills :)).
Mr and Mrs. ____________ will dine weekly with the prophet (this is where Ashley comes in... since it is her husband at the time). and will live in the same neighborhood as all her friends.

After retiring as a famous photographer Angie will open her own scrapbooking store where she will also teach a class once a week call "scrapbooking for beginners... Using what you've got."

Angie and ___________ will grow very old together and spoil their grandchildren. Then after many many many many many many many years Mr and Mrs. __________ will die at the exact same time!

isn't this the face of such a future?

The End

Twitterpaited

2008-11-13T17:34:00.000-08:00

I am twitterpaited!
As was described by a good friend... I have a "rumbly in my tummy... except in my heart."

Bucket List

2008-11-06T12:18:00.000-08:00

1. Get Married(in temple) and have Kids
2. Go Skydiving
3. Go on a Cruise
4. Visit Europe (specifically Italy and France)
5. See the Pyramids
6. Shake the Prophet's hand
7. Re-enact the Breakfast at Tiffany's kiss (minus the cat;))
8. When I'm all grown up... help pay for someone I don't know go on a mission...
9. Go on a mission with my husband.
10. Take a Rock Climbing class
11. Then go Rock climbing
12. Go skinny Dipping (or chunky dunking ;))
13. Become and Registered Nurse
14. Work in Surgery as either a scrub nurse or a nurse anaesthatist.
15. Donate hair to Locks of Love
16. Visit Greece
17. Go to Disneyworld
18. Get a picture with mickey and minnie together (nearly impossible to do)
19. Become and amazing cook!!
20. Finish a scrapbook (after building my scrapbooking supplies)
21. Tell my husband I love him everyday
22. Be a stay at home mom
23. Read the Count of Monte Cristo
24. Read the entire Jane Austin Collection
25. Shake a nun's hand (accomplished--I just think this one is funny so I had to add it in)
26. Learn to ride a bike (accomplished--Ashley and Angie taught me about a month ago)

More to come...stay tuned

Happy

2008-11-06T10:23:00.000-08:00

For the past week or so I have been in such a great mood. Little things don't really seem to bother me and I'm able to see the bigger picture. I'm usually so stressed about little things like school, finances, etc... but I've just been so relaxed. I'm truely happy!!

Fall photo op

2008-10-29T21:33:00.001-07:00

Ashley, Angie, and I went up the canyon this past friday to take some pictures while the fall leaves are still pretty!

I took this picture with my phone. Pretty nice quality if I do say so myself!

This is our super hero shot... I'm fighting the bad guy(angie) to save the damsel(ashley)

This is us attacking Ashley!!!

Personal Goal...

2008-10-24T19:48:00.000-07:00

I have decided to read the book of mormon by the end of the year. If anyone would like to join me all you need to read is 8 pages a day starting tomorrow....

Bashful

2008-09-23T17:46:00.000-07:00

I generally not an outgoing person. True, I can have my moments, and I would love to be this out shinning star with this quirky personality who can just go up to anyone and have a conversation, but deep down I'm kinda shy....
Usually I'm either terrified of what stupid thing i'll say or afraid of awkwardness...
Believe me, I've experienced plenty of both!

Bun in the Oven

2008-09-23T17:43:00.000-07:00

My beloved sister is expecting a baby in february!!! This will be her 5th child (already has 1 daughter and 3 sons) and will be my 8th neice/nephew.... She will hear october 9th whether or not it's a boy or girl so I'll give details soon...

honesty is the best policy

2008-09-22T20:02:00.000-07:00

Honesty.... of course it is always considered the best policy, but does everyone readily follow that? When a friend asks how she looks.... do you tell her the truth? or do you tell her what will make her feel good? Or do you tell them when they have upset or done something to bother you? I've been pondering and I prefer to be the person who tells and recieves the honest truth all the time. Of course, this doesn't mean you be cruel, but there are nice ways to tell what you think. "I think it might look better with that black sweater..." or "would you mind cleaning the bathroom this week since I did it last week."
There is never a reason to be cruel to someone and when we are talking in respect to a friend, of course, we worry about hurting feelings... I personally would rather have someone think about what they are saying rather than give an automatic fake answer. The friends who have given me honest opinions (both good, bad, and painful) in the past are the friends that I go to in the future with complete trust!!!

Crimson Trail

2008-09-21T16:15:00.000-07:00

Angie, Ashley, and I went hiking up Logan Canyon this past friday up Crimson Trail. It was a lot of fun and really pretty... I definitely recommend it!
We even saw/heard a rattlesnake.... we sure did run!!!

Third Wheel

2008-09-15T11:49:00.001-07:00

As I sit here, I have become an observer of this conversation between two potential lovers: Let me describe to you the situation-
Jake sits on the couch and Angie sits on the opposite side of the room (on the table)....
Jake is wearing a brown shirt and blue jeans and has his legs crossed and is wearing converse sneakers.
Angie is wearing a yellow shirt, jeans, and is crossing her arms....
They are discussing how dolphins swim.
They are now discussing eating lots of sugar...
Jake does not like starbursts.
Jake will be a good kisser because he can open starbursts with his mouth really fast.
If he eats junk on a trip he, "feels like he's been licked by a trucker."
He is now inviting her to come spend the night in the wind caves with him and some friends.
will Angie accept this tasty man's invitation?
Tune in next time...

The Bedroom

2008-09-10T21:43:00.000-07:00

Your bedroom should be the place you can totally crash... not just when you go to bed, but also when you just want to study, lounge, relax, or just want to be alone. Lately I feel like a visitor in my own room. I feel like it isn't quite my own territory. Partly due to the fact that it strongly smells of my roommate (which isn't a bad thing), it just isn't me. Sometimes if feels like I should hurry as quick as possible when I'm in there and then get out.She's such cute and a amazingly nice girl, but I don't feel like we'd be the best of friends if we just met on the street. My personality is too crazy for her =).

Exotic Beauties

2008-09-10T21:27:00.000-07:00

As you can tell, we are quite beautiful! I must say these types of nights are my favorite... It's so silly and stress relieving.

It was decided today that this picture is very international:(R-L) Ashley looks Indian, I look Scottish, Heather is Swedish, Marianne is Asian, and Angie is Black...

Dejavu

2008-09-10T17:44:00.000-07:00

As a comment on my blog add one memory you and I have together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a lot or a little, it can be anything. Next, repost this on your own blog. It's actually pretty funny to see some of the responses

Pure Bordeom

2008-09-10T17:35:00.000-07:00

The other day, Ash and I were waiting in the alley behind deseret book for Angie to get off work. It became quite the occasion as we started taking crazy pictures. Add that to the fact that we scared the living crap out of eachother with our wild imaginations; thinking angie was murdered and disposed of.... Then Angie scared the living crap out of me as she appeared out of no where.

I fell off the wagon

2008-09-10T16:35:00.000-07:00

There was a time when I decided to swear off personal blogs. No one was really blogging on there own private ones and I had started family and group blogs... I didn't think it necessary.
I, marisa, am an blog addict. Don't except too much with this blog, but i'll write about little thoughts I have during the day.... Big experiences will be on the friends blog most likely