Reduce, Reuse, RECYCLE!! Scholarship hunting.

Hey everyone! Did you know that recycling is important, and that it actually isn't that hard? I know you're thinking, "What? Rachel, recycling is SO hard, and we just can't do it." Well, if you are thinking that, you're wrong. Recycling is easy. And it's actually very cool. Did you know that the man who recycles is 95% more likely to get a date than the average joe who doesn't recycle? Ok. Now I'm just making things up. But really, recycling is important, and it can actually be very fun and self-satisfying!
At my house we have a blue recycling bin that we use daily because we buy Dasani water bottles! And guess what? Those are not very biodegradable. So, we recycle them into our blue bin! Does it take more effort to put my empty water bottle into a recycling container than it does to put it in the trash bin? No. In fact, it does not. We also recycle all of our cardboard items and aluminum cans. As you can see, with little to no effort, you can help save the planet by reducing what you put into your trash cans! Other ways to reduce waste are to simply not use disposable bottles and dishes and paper towels, but to use things that can be used over and over again. Or, if you do use disposable items, wash them and use them again before disposing of them.
Ok. Now let's get to the fun part. This idea takes more effort, but it can be more fun and rewarding. This part is the part where we reuse! To put this idea into affect, it requires creativity, perhaprs some scissors or glue, and maybe a Pinterest account. You wouldn't believe what crazy, yet simple, ideas that people come up with! Rather than reusing, a lot of people call this process, upcycling. It's just what it sounds like. You're taking something and sprucing it up to put it through another cycle of life as something new and improved! If you read my post about turning a lightbulb into a hanging vase, well, that was upcycling. It was fun, and when I was done, I had something new and interesting! On Pinterest you can find all sorts of ways to upcycle just about anything. A few pluses to upcycling are that it is usually free or very cheap, it reduces waste, and it engages the mind!
Alright. Let's review what we've learned, shall we? So. What does it mean to recycle? To recycle means to turn something into something new! An example would be melting plastic bottles and turning them into new ones. To reduce means to minimize or decrease the amount of waste we produce or throw away. Refill your plastic water bottle a few times instead of just picking up a new one every time you've finished chugging that H2O. And, last but not least, reuse or upcycle! Turn your trash into something new and exciting! Now that you've learned more about recycling, I urge you to follow THIS LINK and say that you visited my recycling blog post. I am trying to raise awareness about recycling, and, in the process, am hoping to receive some scholarship money. Thanks for taking the time to read my post!
Love-
Rachel

PS. When you click on the link, it will take you to an ink cartridge website. That's ok! This is what should happen. You don't need to click on anything else. Simply go to the link. Thank you so much! :)

There and Back Again

Hey guys! This past week has been really interesting. Lauren and I ran more than a 5k without knowing it, and we were thrilled! I saw "All Shook Up" at the Scera Shell, with Jordan. And then on Saturday we went and saw the Vocal Remix Academy's performance. Aubrie and Sophie were in it, and they did an amazing job! I received letters from both Elder Shumway, AND Elder Werner! And two of my greatest friends both left for the Brazil MTC. This post is for them.
Trevor and Collin Crandall. I met Trevor in Seminary my junior year. We became wonderful friends! I met Collin one day when I accidentally called him Trevor... Yep. That was embarrassing. But it was good! I haven't made that mistake since, and if that hadn't happened, who knows if I would have become great friends with Collin as well!

-Trevor-Me-Aubrie-Collin-

For those of you who don't know these boys, they are twins. They are both so fun and kind and just awesome in every single way! Collin is more shy than Trevor, and he doesn't tease quite as much... Ha ha. ;) Trevor and I bonded over country music a little while back. I was having a little get together at my house, and Trevor came over and we both sang "Dirt Road Anthem" by Jason Aldean. That totally made my whole life. And then during Christmas break, the two of them showed up at my house, unannounced, with cookies. This was probably one of the most awesome things ever. I hadn't talked to them in about a month, and they just kind of showed up out of nowhere to tell me Merry Christmas! Aw... They're so great. :) Ha ha the best part was that they didn't even take Aubrie (their cousin) any cookies. She was angry. Ha ha ;)
Yep. At their farewell, there were about a million people there, because that's the kind of people they are. Everyone loves them because they are sooo amazing, and they make you feel like you're part of the family. I'm going to miss these boys! They will bless the lives of so many people in Brazil. God be with you till we meet again, Collin and Trevor. :)

For those that are interested, here is the recipe for the smoothies Lauren and I made last night.

There and Back Again Smoothies
 Half a bag of frozen black berries
6-7 fresh strawberries
2 fresh skinned kiwis
Blackberry yogurt
Fresh squeezed lemon juice (half of a lemon)

Put yogurt in the freezer for about an hour. After the hour is up, throw everything in the blender and blend it up! Pour into a glass, take a sip, and immediately wonder why you've waited all your life to make this smoothie.

I hope you all enjoy your day, and may the road rise up to meet ya.
Love-
Rachel :)

Water was just... Falling out of the Sky!!!

"I'm singin' in the rain, just singin' in the rain, what a glorious feelin' I'm *clap* happy again!"

Happy Thursday! It's raining! What a blessing it is. Hopefully this helps with the fires.
I sure hope that everyone had a lovely Independence Day. I slept at the parade route with the Johnson family, and that was extremely fun! I also saw the hot air balloons take off, and then I watched the parade. My day was spent with my family, and we had a barbecue, and then went to watch the fireworks from the fantastic view of Westridge Elementary. It was a wonderful day. Oh, and PS. My sister in law is the best. :)
I've got a question: What do YOU do on a rainy day? Perhaps you sing in the rain, or dance, or curl up in a blanket with a good book, or watch a movie that makes you cry... Whatever it is you do, I'm sure it's fantastic. Want to know what I do? I make soup! And because I'm sure you're just DYING to know what the recipe of today's soup is, I will gladly give it to you. :)

Leafy Greens Soup with Zucchini

6 cups water
6 bouillon cubes
1/2 small white onion
1 zucchini
6-7 fresh basil leaves
2 sprigs of fresh parsley
1 can white beans
About 5 Kale leaves (one bundle from Macey's)
Pepper

Prepare the broth according to the package. Rough chop the onion and add to the boiling broth. After that's cooked for a couple of minutes, add your chopped zucchini. Turn down the heat and let that simmer for a few minutes. When the zucchini is pretty soft, but not quite ready, add your chopped herbs. Then drain and rinse your beans, and add them to the soup. Grind a bit of pepper into the pot. Last, rough chop your kale. If you don't like kale, you can use spinach. Spinach has a more mild flavor. It will look like a lot of kale, but once it heats up, it cooks down quite a bit. If you do use spinach, just eyeball it, but don't be afraid to use a lot, because it will cook down, too. After just a few seconds, the kale will turn a vibrant green color. It's gorgeous! Just let your soup continue to simmer for a few minutes, until your kale is ready. It should be tender, but not at all mushy. Serve and enjoy! :)


Yep, that's all I have. Have a wonderful day! :)

Love-Rachel

They're Taking the Hobbits to Isengard!

Why, hello there! I sure hope everyone is doing well, and that you are all enjoying this week of upcoming festivities! I saw some pictures of the hot air balloons that got set loose this morning, and they looked beautiful.
Today's post is all about spending time with those you love, and about being out in nature! Yesterday I got invited to go hiking up Nebo Canyon, I think, with Spencer and Megan, and Megan's family. I was sooo excited! I LOVE hiking, and I hadn't been yet this year. I was also excited because Megan had told me that we would be venturing off of the trail at some point to go to a tiny little cabin that someone had built and very few people know the location of. Adventure!! :)
After I got home from work, Spencer came and picked me up, and we headed over to Megan's family's house in Payson. When we got there, we all got in the van and headed off to the canyon! A couple of Megan's siblings came with us, Kelsey, and Isaiah. Megan's mom had packed sandwiches and fruit and veggies and snacks for all of us. I tried an apricot and... I loved it! Who knew? It was about a 40 minute drive up the canyon to get to the trail head. Ah, what a beautiful drive it was. Megan gave us a very nice speech about aspens and conifers, and seeds that need to be cracked open by fire in order to grow, which lead to Spencer coming up with some great ideas for employment.
We finally arrived at the trail head, and off we went on our adventure! The first stretch was the hardest for me. It was steep right off the bat, and it seemed like it was never going to end. But after that first incline, I fell into a good rhythm, and then it wasn't so bad. I stuck to the front with Kelsey and Isaiah, and they taught me about Tigger Toes. Tigger Toes are flower heads that are black, and, in this family, are picked and thrown at each other. I learned quickly that at any moment you might be attacked, so you had to keep yourself alert and armed, prepared to defend yourself at a moment's notice.
We hiked and hiked, and enjoyed the beautiful outdoors, and also the slight temperature drop that this higher altitude provided. At one point, Megan pointed out that the stretch of trail we were on looked like a scene from Lord of the Rings. Spencer proceeded to deem himself Lord Aragorn, I, Pippin, and Megan, Frodo. We pressed on, not to Mordor, but to the elusive cabin.
After a while, we noticed that Spencer was smelling all of the trees. Are you confused? Yes, well, so were we. We asked him what he was doing. "I'm looking for the strawberry chocolate vanilla trees. One time, at scout camp, one of my leaders told me that there was a kind of tree that smelled like either strawberry, chocolate, or vanilla." ... Uh huh. Well, he didn't find one. The poor boy. I really thought he would... not really.
 As the sun was starting its slow descent, we finally found the point where we needed to venture off the trail. It was bizarre walking on the side of a mountain... I kept walking all slanty. I couldn't walk straight worth anything. We climbed over trees and rocks, and finally, we found it! The cabin! Inside there's a metal box, and inside that metal box is a notepad that you are supposed to sign. We all signed and wrote of our adventures of Lord of the Rings. We had gone really far ahead of Mom and Dad Curtis, so we waited for them and took some pictures and things. They caught up to us just as the sun was setting.
Isn't that beautiful? We hung out up there for a little bit, and then we started to head back. On our way back to the car we saw deer, squirrels, a kestrel, a few wood peckers, and lots of moths and butterflies. While we ventured back, Kelsey and I went ahead of everyone else and gather up all of the Tigger Toes we could find, and shoved them in our pockets. Along the trail we found a clump of bushes, and we laid on the ground behind them, with our ammunition loaded and at the ready. As Spencer and Megan came walking by, unawares, we jumped up with loud war cries and attacked. Yes, we're very mature. Ha ha, but it was fun. The moon was very bright, and full, and gorgeous.

When we were all back in the van, we traveled back down the mountain. On the way down, Megan and Kelsey and I sang girls camp songs and tried to teach the boys... It was quite the adventure.
When we got back to the house, Spencer drove me home. He was freaking out about all of the fireworks, and I recorded him screaming. So, if anyone wants to hear that, let me know. It's pretty entertaining.
Yep, so the moral of my story is, spend time with the ones you love. Do fun things, and get to know people better. It's fun, and you become really close. Also, spend time outside, for goodness sake! God made us this beautiful Earth! Why would we spend all of our time inside, and miss the beauty that's all around us? Yep, that's all I have. Have a lovely, sunny day, and apparently it's Shake Hands Day, so shake hands with everyone you know, and with someone you don't.
Love-
Rachel

PS. Please, tell me, that the following video looks like the best thing you could ever do. I am TOTALLY doing this!

Prayer, Hope... and Maybe a Shopping Cart

Today's post: DIYWLH (Do It Yourself With the Lord's Help) Recipe for turning a bad day into a good one. Let's start by setting up our scene here.
You wake up and you're not in the best mood of your life, by any means, but you're determined to keep your happy mask on, whatever it takes. This leads to ingredient one. PRAYER. This praying actually started late the night before, and is now, again, needed to keep yourself together. "Prayer is one of the most precious gifts of God to man." -Elder J. Devn Cornish. Apply this at the start of your day, and then repeat as many times as needed throughout the day.
You continue off to work, and there we find ingredient two. DISTRACTION. Keep your mind busy. Don't let yourself sit with nothing to do. Find new projects and ways to improve your already completed projects in order to stay distracted. In addition, you may also want to have silly discussions with your co-worker and listen to country music. You might also find that when random guys walk into your cubicle, asking if they can repair the hole in your wall next week, you will find yourself achieving the goal of "distraction." (This does not mean you need to punch a hole in the wall to get a guy to try to fix it for you. That would lead to anger management classes, which would be extremely tedious, and deter from the "distraction" goal.)
After you've left work, you will want to add a splash of ingredient three. THOR. Ok. Maybe more than a splash... How about a whole pool full? I mean... Look at him. Chris Hemsworth. Do we need to say anything more? No. I didn't think so.

 Thor: [walking into a pet shop] I need a horse!
Pet Store Clerk: We don't have horses. Just dogs, cats, birds.
Thor: Then give me one of those large enough to ride. 




Fourth ingredient. CLOSE FRIEND. Talk to someone about why you're not so happy. Keeping your feelings bottled inside can lead to unhappiness, which is the opposite of what we're trying to achieve here. If you happen to choose Jordan Stout, he will listen to you, offer advice, and then suggest that you go on an adventure to get you away from your unhappiness. He might lead you to Barnes & Noble, where he will look for a specific book, searching the whole entire section, just to find it on the very end of the shelf. He will also hand you a book entitled Darth Vader and Son, to read as you wait for him to check out. Afterwards, you might go to the grocery store for your mom, which leads us to our next ingredient. MACEY'S SHOPPING CARTS.
You see, not only does Macey's have food and goodies, but it also has shopping carts. Contrary to popular belief, these are best maneuvered by leaning over the handle bar, and placing one's feet on the floor, and using them in a stealth like manner in order to steer. Your friend might become very good at 360's and at making smooth, gliding turns that get him exactly where he wants to go. You might feel a bit envious of his hidden talent. But don't give in to this envy. Remember that you have the hidden talent of backward granny shots (and besides, your friend's toes are all dirty now).

To finish off this recipe for turning your day around,
 we will stir in lots of HOPE. President Uchtdorf says, "Hope... is like the beam of sunlight rising up and above the horizon of our present circumstances. It pierces the darkness with a brilliant dawn. It encourages and inspires us to place our trust in the loving care of an eternal Heavenly Father, who has prepared a way for those who seek for eternal truth in a world of relativism, confusion, and of fear." Yes, right now you might feel a bit unhappy. You might not be at the top of your game. You might feel a little stretched from keeping a smile on your face all day. But soon that smile won't be forced, it'll be real. Look to the future. Even dare to look at your life as it is right now, and think of all of the amazing, and also simple, things that you've been blessed with. Have an eternal perspective and think of what is truly important, what's to come, and what's best for you. Have hope in Heavenly Father, and trust that He knows what He's doing, and that He understands you. He longs to help you if only you'll go to Him in prayer. You are not alone.
If you follow this recipe, you will turn that emotional frown, upside down! I promise that your day will be a million times better if you decide to change your own attitude, and rely on the strength of the Lord as you act on this determination.
It's been a good day. :) And may yours be just as good as mine. :)
Love-
Rachel

Hand warmer mugs and olive oil

I'd like to start off by saying, olive oil is NOT disgusting. My mom thinks it is, and I simply do not understand it. It just makes things taste... yummy. :)
Super short post today. I would just like to announce that I am SUCH a gourmet cook. Well, not really. But  when it comes to spaghetti, kind of. On the menu tonight was Rachel's homemade marinara sauce with whole wheat noodles. YUM!! The recipe is as follows, whether you're interested or not. :)


Delish Marina
(Makes 2 servings)
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
Tablespoon chopped onion
4 tomatoes (or 1 drained can diced tomatoes)
Salt and pepper
Any extras you want to add (I like red pepper, olives, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, sometimes browned ground beef)
Oregano
Basil
Parsley and Parmesan cheese to garnish

Heat up oil in a pan. Sautee the garlic and onion until onion is a bit soft. (I like to lift the pan off of the stove when I add the garlic and also turn down the heat, then gradually increase the heat. If I don't, I usually end up burning the garlic.) Scoop out tops of tomatoes. Then, over the sink, squeeze out as much of the juice and seeds as you can. If you don't, the sauce will turn out runny. Rough chop these, and throw them in the pan. Add salt and pepper to taste. If you're using canned tomatoes, don't use salt. They already have salt in them. :) Now is also the time to add your extras. But if you're doing meat, don't put that in until right before the spices. After the mixture has simmered and become softer, add a few pinches of dried oregano, or chop up a couple of fresh sprigs. Also add a few pinches of dried basil. I used 5 fresh basil leaves. Stir, and serve with your favorite noodles! PS. Rachael Ray says that you should always stir your sauce into your noodles... So, don't just place it on top. I guess it looks more appetizing if you stir it in...? I don't know. Do whatever you want. I like to stir it in... Personal preference... Whatever. Garnish with a sprig of parsley, and a small handful of shredded Parmesan. Enjoy, and never use canned/jarred sauce again. ;)

Yep, that's about as gourmet as I get. Ha ha ;)
 Happy Sabbath!

"Our doctrine is clear; we are to be positive and of good cheer. We emphasize our faith, not our fears. We rejoice in the Lord's assurance that He will stand by us and give us guidance and direction. The Holy Ghost testifies to our hearts that we have a loving Heavenly Father, whose merciful plan for our redemption will be fulfilled in every aspect because of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ."
                                         -Quentin L. Cook

Love-
Rachel :)

Nub & Tub... Bonkers.

Happy Saturday! It's hot outside, and I'm feeling the need to swim! I'll be doing that later, so I am all set.
Yesterday, I worked! Alexis and I made a trip to Walmart during my morning job, and we acquired the container we needed to finish up our project. During my afternoon job, I actually answered the phone! I was kind of afraid... But actually, it's not as bad as I thought it would be. I'm starting to feel more comfortable with that job. :)
Last night Lauren and I went to the mall to scout out some running apparel, and to just kick back and try some fun stuff on. We found ourselves at Forever 21... Yep. We forgot that this particular store has clothing designed to fit only those who are extremely thin and who lack certain... curvy... features. Ha ha needless to say, we had an interesting time there. We tried on these rather hideous fur coats, and I took a picture, but Lauren has forbidden me from putting it online anywhere, and because I'm so nice, I won't. After our adventures at the mall, we headed over to Macey's to buy some fruit to make smoothies after our run. Lauren found a magazine that had a special edition about our favorite boy band, One Direction!! While I was using my fruit picking skills to choose a deliciously ripened pineapple, Lauren was looking through this magazine and showing me every single attractive picture she found, and was reading all of the funny articles. I was too focused on my fruit to care much. Finally, she showed me what I wanted. Niall Horan.
Do you see him? He's super duper nice looking, he's not dating anyone, and he's Irish!! What more could you want from a celebrity crush? Hmmm... Yep. Just gaze for a minute, or two, or five. I promise you won't get tired of it. ;)
Ha ha ok. Anyway, we managed to leave Macey's with pineapple and frozen peaches. When we got home, we went on a late night run! You know, I'm actually starting to look forward to running everyday. I never thought I'd say this, but... I actually like it. Whoa. So we ran on that newish road that breaks off of Center Street and has a bridge that goes over the river. Um... there are no street lights down there. Don't go there after 9:30. It's not good for you. Actually, it was beautiful. The fields of tall grass were blowing in the breeze, and it was super warm, and there were stars and city lights in the distance, and the sky was kind of purpleish blue. So go there... just not by yourself. :)
 When we returned from our journey of cardio, we went to Walmart for my mom. She need something for primary. A trash can, actually. We went, and we found a trash can.

 

                                             "Am I confused?"                            Nub.

                                      "Your head isn't big enough!"                     Tub.

We walked around Walmart with these fashionable headdresses adorning our crowns. We were there after 11 at night. What else is to be expected by a couple of young adult women? On our way home we drove out by the lake to look at the fires that have been raging this past while. Goodness! You can see them from this far away! We are praying for those who are fighting those fires, and we pray for their families as well.

The lake is beautiful at night, and... Ah. I just love nature in all its glory. :)

When we returned to my place of residence, we made midnight smoothies!! :)

Pineapple Strawberry Peach Lime Smoothies

(Makes 2 generous servings)

2 cups of fresh chopped pineapple

1 1/2 cups of fresh stemmed strawberries

1/2 bag frozen peaches 

Juice from 1 small lime 

Handful of ice

Blend and be happy.

Anyhow, last night was fantastic, and was extremely eventful... and I think that Lauren and I should send apology notes to the poor girl who was manning the dressing rooms at Forever 21. Don't forget to enjoy life and tell the ones you love that you love them. It's important.

Love-

Rachel

PS. Recipe for this morning's breakfast smoothie

Strawberry Banana Peach Orange Smoothie

1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries

1/2 bag frozen peaches

1 banana

Juice from 1 large orange

1/2 cup plain greek yogurt

Handful of ice

Blend and have joy.

Upcycling: "I squoze it and sled it in."

Announcement before I reveal what I do when I am in the DIY mood. I got a second job!! It's a second on campus job, and I work this one just 3 days a week. It's perfect. :) I work in the ASB as Michael Orme's assistant student secretary and file clerk. I basically log and file things onto the computer and into the vault. Oh, and I answer the phone. I am perfectly fine talking on the phone, but for some reason, it terrifies me at this place. I think it's because I have to be super professional and I have to take notes and transfer people and send messages over email... It's a bit frightening. But that's ok. I'll get the hang of it. :)
Anyway, DIY. I was on Pinterest a while back (I know, I know. Pinterest is... yep. I'm not obsessed, I promise. I just browse occasionally, when I need an idea of something to do. PS. It has great DIY dorm/apartment decor ideas that will help create your dream away from home setup without spending mucho casho), and I found these awesome things. And so... as I looked for something to keep myself occupied this evening, I decided to try this.

I had seen a lightbulb on the work bench in the garage and, after asking permission of course, proceeded to gut out that little sucker. (If you ever do this, wear gloves and protective eye wear.) Then my dad helped me fiddle with some hangers and pliers and wire cutters as we tried a few different methods of creating the handle part. We ended up using picture hanging wire, and my dad used his drill thingy to make a couple of holes in the sides of the metal on the bulb. Then after lots of twisting and clipping of wires, I was ready to carefully select my sweet peas and mint sprigs. (Obviously, you can use whatever plants you want, but these are the ones that grow wild in our yard, and my mom wouldn't be upset with me for "borrowing.")
So, as you can see, I am still on my DIY kick, and I don't see it subsiding any time in the near future. Hope you enjoy!
Love-
Rachel :)

"George, why did you cut down that cherry tree?"

It's Saturday! :)
Today I spent the whole day with Lauren at Duda's house. We rode up there on our bikes, played in the pool most of the day, and spent time with Duda, visiting and eating lunch.

When Lauren and I were little, we used to play games in the pool and do silly things that no one understood. Now... we kind of do the same thing. Today, Lauren and I had a photo shoot! Pretty much, we should be shampoo commercial models because we rock the whole "hair flipping" thing.

(Left: Rachel   ---  Right: Lauren)

We flipped our hair and took pictures, and then I got this awesome idea that we should record both of us doing it at the same time, then we could just screen capture on my phone, then we'd have this sweet picture! Ha ha um... yep. That didn't end up working so well. But it was not time wasted. We ended up having lots of laughs, and strange conversations. One in particular consisted of Lauren accusing me of being George Washington and asking me why I had cut down the cherry tree. I had no reply seeing as how I am NOT GEORGE WASHINGTON!!!

For lunch we made some T.G.I. Friday's potato skins. After they'd been in the oven for a while, the following dialogue occured:

Duda: Did you check your skins, Lauren?

*Awkward pause while Lauren and I puzzled over what that meant...

Finally, Lauren examined her arm and said: It's still brown, Duda.

Ok. Maybe you didn't think that was as funny as we did. But we were all laughing SO hard! I mean, what would you have thought if someone had asked you if you'd checked your skins, and you'd put the potato skins in the very back of your mind, seeing as how you'd set the timer so that you wouldn't need to worry about them?

The rest of the day passed on in a similar fashion, with many outbursts of laughter, and much fun. The bike ride home was glorious, as every, because it was all downhill!! If you have to go up Grandview hill, it's ok. You'll get to come back down, my friend! And if you do, don't forget to try biking on the rumble strips. It is painful, yet somehow enjoyable...

      *Note: Pool days are much more fun when coupled with One Direction, and for Levi, the Beauty and the Beast soundtrack.

Today was extremely fun, and it was good for us. :)

I also want to say that prayer is real. Really, it is one of the best things there is. We get to communicate with our Heavenly Father, and that is such an incredible gift. Another wonderful blessing is that of the scriptures. I had a prompting last night, and I wasn't sure exactly why, and I was afraid to do what I was being prompted to do. But I came across a scripture that said something that made me realize that it's better to follow a prompting without knowing why, rather than dismiss it and never know what blessings you missed out on. So... Listen to the Spirit, and do what you know is right, even if you don't know why. You will be blessed, and I can testify that it will bring you peace and comfort. :)

Love-

Rachel :)

DIY: Success? Or fail?

Remember how I was going to test my DIY motivation by making a maxi skirt? Well... I did it! DIY: Success! :) I got this idea when I was searching Pinterest one day, and I found the BEST tutorial EVER. This lady had step by step pictures and everything, which was perfect for me because I'm kind of a visual learner. So... I got my bright orange fabric on... Tuesday, I think? Then last night I conquered my biggest fear: sewing. Actually, that's not really my biggest fear. My biggest fear is spiders, closely followed by my strange phobia of getting the hiccups and not being able to get rid of them, which could happen. Have you seen the Guinness Book of World Records where that guy had the hiccups for 9 years, or something like that? Yep. It could happen. Anyway. Sewing.

I started by drawing and cutting out my pattern. Let me tell you, I was so proud of my pattern making skills.

Next I laid out my fabric on the kitchen floor and struggled to pin and cut my fabric without stretching it too much, as it was jersey knit fabric. SUPER DUPER STRETCHY! All of that took forever. I seriously thought I might die of old age before completely this basic, and vital, part of making my skirt. But I endured!

I then sewed the waist band pieces together, and the skirt pieces together, then I started sewing the waist band onto the skirt portion.

I got halfway around when I realized... "Oops. I didn't put elastic thread in the bobbin." So I got to use the seam ripper!! Yay! Not. I was so frustrated! It took about 10 minutes to rip the seam out. Ah the joys of mistakes made, and lessons learned. (We'll get to that later.)

After putting the correct type of thread into the machine, I continued to press onward! I attached my waist band to the skirt, and then I was almost done! I then got to the lovely task of hemming my skirt. Hemming is the bane of my existence. Well, not really. But almost. I guess that means that I need to practice. But I hemmed my skirt successfully after much trial and tribulation! 

And then... I was finished!!! :)

So, what do you think? I think it's a success. And, in fact, I am going to continue to DIM (Do It Myself). 

Lessons Learned:

     -Jersey knit is super ridiculous to work with. Only work with it when you're feeling extremely ambitious.

     -Always follow directions exactly, and read the directions before continuing on to the next step. This will help you avoid errors and back tracking.

     -When cutting out fabric on the floor, lock the cat in a room so that she doesn't get over excited and try to rip it to shreds.

     -Don't stay up until 1 in the morning sewing, because then you can not get up and run.

 And last, but certainly not least...

     -Orange. It is a beautiful color. And I don't care what anybody says. It is one of the 5 best colors that exist on our planet. (The other are yellow, green, blue, and white.)

That is all! Just remember, never underestimate your abilities, and endurance is key. Never give up! :)

Love-

Rachel :)

PS. This is where I found the tutorial:
              http://elleapparel.blogspot.com/2011/09/maxi.html

They're back....!!

After a year of absence, I am back! Quick summary of life in the last 12 months: I rocked my senior year of high school, and I graduated! It is now summer, and I am working up at BYU in the Dean of Students' office, and I will be starting a second job on Monday I think...
Today is my coworker's birthday. Her name is Alexis, and she's pretty fantastic! Lauren, Lindsay Conrad, and I came up last night to decorate the cubicle. We were here for almost an hour and a half! In the process Lindsay almost died, we used a ton of staplers, Lauren and I wrestled with the balloons (getting them into and out of the trunk), and we multiplied our designer abilities by at least 10. Needless to say, Alexis was slightly surprised this morning... ;) She was also surprised when Dean Heperi came in, got on youtube, and sang to her this strange oldies song that was apparently super famous... Anyway. Happy Birthday, Alexis! :)
I love my job. Alexis and I got to design the t shirts for the BYU rugby team, and we had a lot of fun and frustration over that. But the designs turned out great! We are now working on ordering them.
Lately I've been in this DIY mood where I want to make everything myself! I'm going to try sewing a maxi skirt, and if that fails, this DIY thingy might dissipate. Quickly. But we'll see! I'll let you know how that one goes. Another thing that got started this summer is my determination to be as active as possible. Lauren and I have aspired to run at 6:15 each morning. The mornings we actually do it, we feel fantastic for the rest of the day! But... that requires actually getting out of bed. Who knew that would be so difficult?? But we're working on it. I have also biked to work a few times, and I love that! My bike is having some issues though... so until I get those resolved, I'll be using vehicular transportation.
Yep. Life is good, and things are looking up!  :)
Love-
Rachel :)