Birthday and Craft Update!!

Yes I am going to put those two things together! Yes i blew out all of the candles! and Yes this post is going to be awesome! Today is my 23rd birthday- hooray for me! Today has been a great day thanks to family, friends and just the fact that it is my birthday! :) i highly anticipate that tomorrow might be the worst day of this year because in the past i always have a super bad day sometime around my birthday, i guess the best day has to be followed with a not so good day, BUT today is my birthday and i am going to enjoy it! I had a nice day with my family, relaxed at home and got a ton of wonderful birthday wishes from a ton of dear dear friends! I have a strange goal of getting the same number of birthday comments on Facebook as my age (not that there's anything i can do about it but it's fun nonetheless) and thanks to my wonderful friends, i more than met that goal! It's a good day! we had Italian chicken for my birthday dinner, chocolate heaven cake and ice cream for dessert and watched the Blindside! it really was a good day! i didn't go out on the town or frequent any bars but i did have a great b-day! complete with some superb presents! Because of my recent craft obsession, a lot of the things that i asked for are craft related but really my presents are a random hodge podge of awesomeness that anyone would die for!

1)Diploma Frame

at the age of 23, Yes i have graduated from college! YEAH! i am super glad that i have accomplished this task by this time in my life! it is a big thing! so i have a diploma, so i needed something to put it in! i do have a diploma cover but then you can't actually see that important piece of paper, but now with a frame, you can!

2)Scents Burner

although i wanted a Scentsy burner, i will take the off brand scents burner! it's cute and it gives off a lovely scent, so it will do- i'll keep it!

3)Windshield Wonder

when we watch TV at home, there are more than enough cheesy infomercials on and my brothers and i either make fun of them or totally want whatever they are selling. ones we make fun of- pop can Bottle Toppers, Bump its, Big Top cupcakes, Smooth Away, ones we love and totally want- Windshield Wonder, Bump its :)
so my dear brother Taylor got me a windshield wonder for my birthday! naturally he wants to use it for his car too, but he also cleaned my windshield- and it was so fast and easy, only with the Windshield Wonder!!

4)Picture Frames

i will always have a love for pictures frames! i'm not sure what i'm going to put in them yet, but i'll find something! i found the gold one today and i actually think i'm going to paint it black or if i'm feeling crazy, maybe a turquoise or a red! I smell a craft project!

5)Fabric!

as i mentioned, i found another purse pattern that i want to try out! this bag doesn't take a lot of fabric, so i got these two fabrics for pretty cheap! i also got a gift card to Joanns so that i can get some more fabric to fuel my creative side! i wonder how long this craft obsession is going to last...

6)Tool Set

okay, i know that this is totally random and seems totally not like me, BUT while i was at school, there was more than one occasion when i, or someone i knew, would need a screwdriver or a hammer so i always thought that i should get a tool kit! and of course i wanted a girly one! these tools are pink- LOVE IT! i know that my brothers won't touch them so now if i ever need to fix something, which probably won't happen until i live away from my 4 men and handy mom but the day will come!

7)Food Chopper

this will also come in handy when i have my own house and my own kitchen and cook for myself again, but at the very least, i am slowly but surely getting myself some nice kitchen stuff!

8)clothes!!

i really don't need any more clothes but i sure want some more! i got this nice skirt and some other things...but there are a few other things that i have found that i want...so i'm going to be going on a shopping trip soon!

9)NEW MOON!

last year for my birthday i got TWILIGHT! and lucky me, this year NEW MOON came out 6 days before my birthday so that completes my current Twilight series DVD collection! until Eclipse comes out! i know that it's cliche to love Twilight, but i do and i don't care that i'm excited to get New Moon for my birthday! and i'm going to really love making my brothers watch it! ha ha ha ha (evil laugh)!

10)New Journal!

i got this present for myself! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME! i love journals and even though i have just barely started on my next one and have another blank one, i really love this one (the pink one on the top) and it has been promoted to next on the list!

And for my craft update...this week for our Relief Society activity, we made the temple plaques! i made this one and i think that it turned out pretty well, i'm not sure that i like the ribbon to hang with, so i just tied it but i could always change it if need be!


I have also almost finished this bag! I'm not quite finished and i'm going to add some embellishments to it to spice it up, but all in all, i think i like it! :)

There's something in the air...

I'm not sure what it is but i am feeling awfully crafty lately! I'm sure it started when i got my sewing machine for Christmas, and it has just escalated from there! I love this sewing machine- not only is it easy to use but it has so many cool gadgets! my absolute favorite part- automatic bobbin threader! i always hate threading the bobbin (the thread underneath) on my mom's machine, but mine does it for you, no sweat! LOVE IT! not to mention there are tons of neat stitches and thread cutters all over the place! because of this new toy, i've been finding all sorts of things that i want to make! combine my new sewing hobby with my old scrapbooking love...and you've got a lot of projects on the brain!


1)i found this bag online and it is at the top of my "things to make list"! it's just cute and easy and if i'm brave enough, i'm going to try my own twist!


2) i'm really loving this! i don't know what i'm going to do with it yet, but i just want to make it! maybe a memory book or birthday gift for someone special!! we'll see what and if this materializes!


3) we are making this for our relief society activity this coming week! the supplies are all gathered, everything is almost all set and i'm excited to see how they turn out!!


4)this bag is a work in progress right now, the first one Simply Legendary! my neighbor Betsy gave me the pattern and i have the fabric cut out and everything ready to go...but i have not gotten the fleece yet, so this project is on hold! hopefully one of these days i remember to pick some up! mine will have a turquoise and brown paisley fabric on the front and a brown fabric for the lining and straps, and i'm thinking of putting either felt or organza flowers on the front...we'll see!


5)i have aspirations to do this to one of my shirts, but i'm not yet sure how i will go about doing it...i would need to find another shirt to match or go out and buy two new ones, so i've yet to decide which i will do!
Needless to say there are a lot of things that i'm thinking of doing and i'm having trouble deciding which i'd like to do first! i don't know what i'm going to do with all of these crafty thing floating around in my mind, but i think the best idea is just to get started!

The sun is shining...

the tank is clean!!! ha ha ha, i just naturally put those two phrases together, and i forever will! But don't you just love it?! i know i do! Thanks Peach for that great catch phrase!

The reason for this Finding Nemo reference is because today the sun was shining and life feels so good today! I think that the sun being out has a lot to do with the brightness of this day, that and wearing a spring dress to church! It was just a really great day! Today i realized that life is so great! Right now, I have a calling that i love, a job that i love, a family that i love, friends that i love, and what more is there to ask for! a month ago, i could not say anything close to what i'm saying today- ONE MONTH! that's 30 days, but that one month was February so it was even less! it amazes me how quickly things can turn around, and how quickly they have turned around! One month ago, i had a job that i hated, no purpose in life, nothing that really motivated me to get out of bed for, and now things are looking up! I can see things a lot more clearly and am happy with what i see! The tank is truly clean!

Today i am reminded of two quotes that i really love and i'm going to share them with you! I gave one of them in my lesson and another i have been searching for and finally found!

"When we put God first, all other things fall into their proper place or drop out of our lives. Our love of the Lord will govern the claims for our affection, the demands on our time, the interests we pursue, and the order of our priorities."

Ezra Taft Benson, “The Great Commandment—Love the Lord,” Ensign, May 1988, 4

“When you are filled with the Spirit of God, … that [Spirit] satisfies and fills up every longing of the human heart, and fills up every vacuum."

Eliza R. Snow (Woman’s Exponent, Sept. 15, 1873, 62)

Shan'tel, this is the quote that i was asking you about a while back! And you will never guess where i found it? I count this as a tender mercy- I have been looking for this quote and looking and looking and couldn't find it anywhere. This was in January when i first came home and also the same time that i was rereading my old journals- i really wanted to find this quote, and just when i had given up, i got to the part in my journal where i had copied it down almost 3 years ago! i'm so glad that i did write it down so that i could find it again at a time when i needed it! just some things i've been thinking- things work out! i don't know why we ever doubt because i know we all have a testimony that the Lord will make things work out! They aren't perfect by any means, but right now, i'm happy with the view from this sunshine filled, spic and span little fishbowl i call life!

p.s. i just had to add this because it makes me happy! hope it makes you happy too! i only like 0:45 through 1:45 though! My favorite lines in the whole movie are in this clip, which if you know me, you know i say on a regular basis- "The sun is shining, the tank is clean" and "CURSE YOU AQUA SCUM!"