Sacrament Meeting Talk

Lucky me!
I got to speak in sacrament meeting today.
Even though moments like this make me crazy nervous...
I believe it being positive about it -happy to be there speaking.
(I think it always goes better if my attitude is in the right place)
Anyway...here are the highlights:

I was asked to speak on President Bednar's talk from April's General Conference.
(loved the talk then...still love it today!)

Here are a few quotes that I loved, thoughts that I shared:

“Elder Dallin H. Oaks has explained that in renewing our baptismal covenants by partaking of the emblems of the sacrament, “we do not witness that we take upon us the name of Jesus Christ. [Rather], we witness that we are willing to do so. (See D&C 20:77.) The fact that we only witness to our willingness suggests that something else must happen before we actually take that sacred name upon us in the [ultimate and] most important sense”. The baptismal covenant clearly contemplates a future event or events and looks forward to the temple.”

from President Gordon B. Hinckley: I would hope that we might go to the house of the Lord a little more frequently. . . .

. . . I encourage you to take greater advantage of this blessed privilege. It will refine your natures. It will peel off the selfish shell in which most of us live. It will literally bring a sanctifying element into our lives and make us better men and better women. [“Closing Remarks,” Ensign, November 2004, 104, 105]

He also promised:

If there were more temple work done in the Church, there would be less of selfishness, less of contention, less of demeaning others. The whole Church would increasingly be lifted to greater heights of spiritual­ity, love for one another, and obedience

quote from President James E. Faust:

We unavoidably stand in so many unholy places and are subjected to so much that is vulgar, pro­fane, and destructive of the Spirit of the Lord that I encourage our Saints all over the world, wherever possible, to strive to stand more often in holy places. Our most holy places are our sacred temples. Within them is a feeling of sacred comfort.

And from President Thomas S. Monson comes this promise:

Come to the temple and place your burdens before the Lord and you’ll be filled with a new spirit and confidence in the future. Trust in the Lord, and if you do He’ll hold you and cradle you and lead you step by step along that pathway that leads to the celestial kingdom of God.

Yea, they shall not be beaten down by the storm at the last day; yea, neither shall they be harrowed up by the whirlwinds; but when the storm cometh they shall be gathered together in their place, that the storm cannot penetrate to them; yea, neither shall they be driven with fierce winds whithersoever the enemy listeth to carry them. (Alma 26:6; see also verse 5)

House Update...

well, here it is...
The weekly photo/update.
Not much has changed this week,
aside from the fill dirt being brought in.
Looks like they are ready to backfill, and hopefully start framing sometime soon.
Then we ought to see some action!

SPARK Restaurant and Lounge

We went to lunch today at a great restaurant in Provo called "SPARK"

It is super fun and the food is great...
The interior, though, is my favorite part.
(naturally)

Loving the silverware - that knife is crazy, and I'm really not sure why the spoon is so tiny, but it made eating dessert fun...savoring every bite!

The best part...are their drinks!
They have a whole menu of alcohol-free "mocktails"

Ariel LOVED her Shirley Temple
(complete with pink cotton candy!)

I have two favorite drinks - the Mango-Mint "mojito"

And today I tried the "pomegran" - with pomegranite juice, fresh tarragon, lime and seltzer water!

Anyhow...if you happen to be in Provo
You should check them out!

if you twitter...sign up to follow them
and you will always be in the know about their daily specials!

My "Design" style...

I'm sitting here at my desk crazy nervous to go and teach this class that I was asked to teach and I foolishly agreed. It's a community service class, offered to Habitat for Humanity families, and anyone else who wants to come - they even put an advert. in the newspaper! (oi vey!)

So, I was working on perfecting my powerpoint presentation, printing out my handouts, and browsing google for inspiration, and I happened on this website.

It has a little quiz that you can take, and then it tells you what your design style is.

I thought it's take on me was hilarious! (although, perhaps not altogether accurate!)

Are you ready for a good laugh? Here you go:

"FATALE ATTRACTION"

Your home oozes glamour and romance. It's fabulous, sexy and sophisticated (just like you, non?!). Of course, you can have too much of a good thing, and sometimes holding back will create more impact than going hell for leather. You love life, and your home is perfect for good times and having fun.

Living Room

You are drawn to all things that combine beauty with adventure. This is a high-octane, unabashed, sensual look that encompasses everything that's luxurious, voluptuous and curvaceous. Think rich fabrics, textured materials and glossy surfaces. While glamour makes a big, bold statement, it also smacks of total comfort and fun. If you're accessorising the room in a rustic fashion, there's probably some conflict hiding -- either in yourself and with someone else in the house. "Rustic glamour"? No doubt it exists, but it's a rare and perhaps bizarre combination! Earthy (but not sludgy) colours work well in both rural and urban settings, while bold prints add character and personality. Make comfort the priority in your living room: it's where you naturally go to watch TV, relax and de-stress.

Bedroom

Your bedroom has that classic look that never goes out of style. Sleep is fundamentally important to our well being. In busy towns and cities, noise can often hamper a good night's sleep. Soft furnishings really do absorb sound, and touch is such an important sense in the bedroom, from crisp, linen sheets to wool or even sheepskin underfoot. Elegance and relative simplicity are keynotes in your bedroom, using earthy, rustic colours and textures to create a sense of harmony with the natural world.

Dining Room

You're a clean slate waiting for a dash of spice. Different meals and types of food lend themselves to different styles of dining. Think about how you live your life and even the sorts of places where you like to eat out, and use these to create a dining area that suits your needs and reflects your personality. When it comes to entertaining, you like to make an effort for family and friends.

Home Office

You draw inspiration from unlikely people and places. Gone are the days when the home PC was the preserve of nerdy geeks. These days, most of us need a home office: a simple table and chair in one corner of the room with adjustable task lighting and adequate filing is all it takes (and may be all the space you can afford). Keep things simple when it comes to the actual desk/work area: too many visual distractions can clutter the mind just as nick-knacks clutter a desk.

Conclusion

Your lust for life and having a good time shines through in every room of your home.

Go ahead!
click here
and take the test yourself!
Come back and share what YOUR design style is!

Girl's Camp Logo

I thought I would share...

I got to help create the logo for Girl's Camp this year.

I think the final result turned out great!

**UPDATE**

A few people have been coming here from pinterest for this image.
I'd be happy to share the editable file (Microsoft Publisher)
if you want to customize this and use it for your YW Camp.
Just message me and I will email it your way!
(email address available in my profile)

Memorial Day BBQ

I made teriyaki chicken/bacon/pineapple shish kabobs for our Memorial Day BBQ this year...

I was trying really hard to make them "gluten free" for our celiac friend who was coming....
so I bought this teriyaki sauce that she said she has used before...
Only, in the end it was an epic fail.
(Shortly before consuming the meal, I picked up the bottle and was perusing the ingredients...only to see quite plainly that it did, indeed, contain wheat.)

Blast!

In the end, however, there was only one kebab casualty...

The rest were SUPER tasty!

Nancy also made us some homemade rootbeer and homemade icecream!



It was an awesome party!

The Weekend so far...

The weekend began with an orchestra concert.
If you look closely, you MIGHT see the hands of the cellist I was there to see!
(from the left...second cellist in)

Later, a BBQ on the back deck...
well attended by the cats, as you can see.

A quick "drive by" of the house...not much changed since last week. Window wells are in.
(please forgive the over-exposed photo...)

And shortly I am leaving to go see Star Trek.
I'm really hoping I don't hate it.
(not really a Star Trek fan...)

House Update...

It's true.
We have footings!

Cutest .Visitors. EVER.

My very cute, super adorable twin nieces (along with their courageous mother, Becca) came to visit me yesterday!

It was such a fun surprise to have them come to town!

They came to see me at work...so I took them on a tour!

They particularly LOVED this rail, which as it turns out is JUST THEIR SIZE...


Also...they LOVED the puddles of water in the gazebo out back...

Practicing ballet on the tiny sized rail...

Trying really hard to scare their Aunt Julie as they took off climbing the stairs...

It was so much fun to get to hold their tiny hands, and cuddle with them!

Thanks for making the trip Becca!!!

Latest Picture of my house...

Everyone keeps asking...

And I keep telling them, "still just dirt"

Although, I'm told the footings will be poured this Friday!

The Next Quilt

Two pictures:
First, my latest acquisition...

I thought it might be
useful for making a quilt out of these fabrics:

It is going to be a crib quilt for my good friend Melanie...
(Who had her baby EARLY last Saturday!)
I mean, really. The nerve!

At any rate, Melanie is having a girl.
(excuse me - HAD a girl)
And she really DOES NOT want pink.

I wondered if I could possilby make a cute quilt that wasn't pink.
Then Melanie pointed out that she really like the MODA collection named, "O Cherry O"

I'm already SO EXCITED at how it has been turning out!

Kerrigan's Birthday Quilt

Finally!



I finished it!
Very late Friday night...around 2:30 AM, actually!
I took it to the post office Saturday morning,
and now it is on it's way to Tennessee.



Hopefully she likes it!

Tulips!

These are in my front yard!


They look amazing!

I just LOVE tulips! They are so bright and cheerful!

Today

Today was a busy day.

I got to attend the groundbreaking ceremony for the new BYU Broadcasting Building.

In fact, I had a very nice seat for the event!

Elder Ballard attended as well...I adore him!
(he was, actually, the reason I decided to take this blog public, afterall)

Aside from this head in front of me, I had a very nice seat!

(both pictures were taken from the same seat...I just had to lean a bit!)

Then I went home and worked frantically on this:

Kerrigan's birthday quilt...only her birthday was LAST THURSDAY!

Ugh. I'm such a slacker aunt.

in addition, I also found time today to:
sleep in
show up 2 hours late for work
attend several fun meetings
order some furniture
attend a girl's camp planning meeting
(have I mentioned that I'm on the food committee?)
show up late for a girl's night out at Bajio
Talk and laugh and have fun with friends
Then head home and work on the quilt some more.

The quilt is still not done.
But it WILL BE done tomorrow!

Documenting The Prom

Last Saturday was the Prom...

(So different from the way Prom worked when I was in High School!
Here they do "day dates" before prom, then come home and get ready for dinner and the dance.)

At any rate...I was asked to help out with a boutinere for Ariel's date.

I couldn't decide what it should look like.
So I ended up making six!

Here are a few of the "finalists"

This one was the bud of a Lily (kind-of a cool green color - which I loved, paired with a spider Mum bud

Plain and simple...a spider mum.

Ariel picked this one - a classic white rose bud.

After the "day date" of Skeet shooting (is that how you spell that?) in the rain there was a flurry of activity getting her ready for the evening activities

Pinning on the boutinere...

And they were on their way...

In all seriousness - Ariel looked Amazing in that fabulous dress!
Lime green...with beautiful beading. So gorgeous!

And her date??
She scored!
He is super nice, very organized, polite, kind, etc. and seriously?

CUTE.

Way to go girl!

The Twirlers

I substituted in the Nursery last Sunday.

The kids (as always) were completely and utterly adorable.

Two girls were taking turns, one would play the Fisher Price "piano" while the other twirled.
Then they would switch.

They wanted me to video them twirling so they could see what they looked like.

This was the best take I got.

(They would spin, then stop and ask to see the video)

So funny and cute!

My Dream Came True!

As I pulled out of my neighborhood last week, this is what I saw
(I quickly pulled out the camera to document this groundbreaking moment)

My dream has come true.

Right outside of my neighborhood,
within EASY walking distance
Someone has opened up a Hawaiian Shaved Ice stand.

Oh.My.Goodness.

Tiger's Blood here I come!

Young Woman Medallion

Tonight I received my Young Woman Medallion!
I actually earned it a while ago (6 months or so)
Then I got released before I could receive it.

So...today, they gave it to me at the ward recognition night!

I was so happy that two of our ward Laurels were also earning their medallions.
It was so nice to see them earning such a great accomplishment.
I've known them for so many years, and they have become such amazing women.
I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to rub shoulders with them.

I really miss those Young Women.

Pearls!

So today as I was perusing my google reader,
I read the post on "Sweet Life in the Valley"
They had a link for a free give-away
from Goldsmith Jewelers in Provo.

All you have to do is print off the link
and take the coupon in to the store...

So we did.

They were SO nice.

And the pearls are so beautiful!

How cool is that?

If you live in Utah County,
You, too, could score yourself some free pearls...
either for yourself, or maybe for an awesome gift!
just click here for the coupon!

P.S. The background that my pearls are sitting on?
It's my latest quilt project...brown and pink baby quilt.
I think it's really turning out cute!