New car!

Tonight I made one of the biggest purchases of my life. I am still in shock. And so is my bank account. But, oh, she is lovely. I can't get past the candy apple red paint and the growling V8. I am hooked. It was a great deal too, but I don't need to tell you that.


We've decided to give her an Indian name, because she's a "Grand Cherokee", of course. Remember Dances With Wolves? She is channeling the essence of "Stands with a Fist!"

I feel powerful!

I feel young!

I feel like I'm about to start doing my hair like this:

August update: A new job, another quilt done, and a trip to Forks.

Hello everyone! It is definitely time for an update. Some exciting things have happened since I last posted, well, at least they are exciting to me.

1. I got a new job!

I started work today at Human Solutions as their new Resident Services Specialist. I can already tell that it's right up my alley. I get to talk with the Russian-speaking residents from two low-income apartment complexes and help them with any of their problems or needs. I also get to work as a liason for these families and their children at school because one of our goals is to reduce dropouts. I was happy to find out that some of the kids I previously worked with in my mentoring program live in one of the complexes! They were pretty happy to see me too.

My favorite moment of the day today was talking to a nice babushka named Lidiya. She pulled me into her apartment and showed me pictures of all her children. She told me about her husband who died when he was only 27 and she was still pregnant with their fourth child. She told me about how hard it was to raise her children on her own and said that she was only able to do it with God's help. Then she hugged me and said I could come by anytime. I think I will.

2. I finished Phillip's quilt!

Here it is! It took me from August 2008 to August 2009, about one year. I first bought the fabric for it last August and I started on it that fall. It really has been such an organic project, growing and changing the entire time. I didn't know exactly what it would look like when I started and I am glad that it's surprised me a little. The houses were the first step, then I realized that I needed to join them with solid colored sashing in between. The color of the sashing, that deep maroon, was really an afterthought. I like it a lot, though. I knew I wanted to showcase the different fabrics somehow and the corner squares seemed like a good idea. I like them quite a bit. I hand quilted the whole thing and that is what took the most time. Here's a closeup on the quilting:

3. I went on a little trip to Forks with my cousin Joy and my aunt Paula.

It's good to know there's a heated pool AND it's the home of Twilight! But it gets better, seriously.

Here's Bella's red truck at the Fork's chamber of commerce.

This is the Swan residence, Bella's house.

Even Carlisle had a parking spot at the local hospital.

The Cullen's house was just down the road.

First beach was amazing. Too bad there was a lot of fog. I couldn't see much of the ocean.

We also went to the Hoh rainforest, but I don't have the strength to post anymore pictures tonight. We had a great time at the tiny town of Forks, and the beach and forest were so beautiful. It was surprising how many people had traveled to that remote place just because of Twilight. I guess it is a phenomenon.

* * *

Summer has had some nice surprises for me this year. I am grateful for all the good things that have happened and the fun things I've been able to do. I feel very blessed. I am enjoying one day at a time and trying not to think too hard about the end of the year coming, but I'm excited about that as well. Only three more months until Phillip comes home!

A new obsession.

So I've already made it clear that I am obsessed with quilts, but now I am specifically obsessed with these quilts. They are the quilts of Gee's Bend. I first saw them when I went to the outdoor quilt show in Sisters, Oregon last weekend. Of the many, many quilts at the show, these were by far the most original. They have been called "some of the most miraculous works of modern art America has produced" by the New York Times. I am amazed by their spontaneous construction and brilliant colors. They are thought provoking. I wonder what was going through the minds of the women who pieced them and then quilted them. I wonder who taught them to quilt this way. It is also important to note that they are showcased as a group project, but they are made by many individual artists. That says something about the feeling of community that these quilts communicate. To me they express the individuality that a quilt should embody and yet they also pieces of history. I get a little put out with all the well-crafted quilts I see that completely lack individuality and creativity. It is not difficult to pick out a pattern, buy a few yards of fabric on sale, and produce a mediocre quilt that is technically perfect. There is a difference between art and craft in quilting and these quilts are art.

Here are some of the Gee's bend quilts that were showcased in the outdoor quilt show:

I am lucky enough to see even more of these quilts in person this month because Elizabeth Leach Gallery in Portland is running an exhibit! I can't wait!

A Summer Wedding in Draper.

Last week I went on a road trip with my mom back to Utah for the wedding of some dear friends. My missionary's twin brother, Loren, was married to my friend Anne in the Draper temple on July 1st, 2009. I first met Anne in 2005 when I was still living in the Foreign Language Student Residence (FLSR). I knew her before I knew her husband or his brother. Two worlds collided when I realized that she was writing my missionary's brother when he was still on his mission last year! I felt like we understood each other's situations very well and I hoped and prayed that she would end up with her missionary. I am so happy for them. Congratulations Anne and Loren!

I've been dying to post some pictures of the quilt I made for them as well. Take a look:

I love it so much that I am making a copy for myself. I know, I have an addiction.

This is one of my favorite fabrics on the quilt. It's an Eiffel Tower print. I found it to be appropriate as they are honeymooning in Paris. Not to mention the backing fabric. I can't get enough of it. I went back to the fabric store a couple weeks ago and bought the rest of their entire stock (it was only 3 3/4 yards so I didn't go completely haywire).

With all the quilting I've been doing and the lovely trip I was able to take to Utah, this summer is shaping up nicely so far.

One last thing, the Draper temple is now my favorite because it has a quilting theme! Check out the corner windows, they have a log cabin pattern!!!

Garden update: Awesome!

Check it out! The garden is growing like crazy!

The herbs are coming along nicely. Especially the sage and the oregano.

The peas are starting to climb their little trellis.

Just take a look at those sweet, sweet peas.

The spinach is growing back after an unfortunate encounter with some bugs. The romaine looks like it's almost ready!

Everything's growing really well except for the poor broccoli. There were little green caterpillars all over it and overnight the leaves looked like this. 

Oops. Better luck next year.

Plan B is now Plan A.

After mulling over the thought of accepting a new job at my old office, I realized that my time there is not finished. I decided to take the job. When I told my boss I was staying on, I felt lighter. I felt right inside. I know that's a good sign. This job has turned my plan to cut my losses and get out as quickly as possible over on its head, which I believe is positive. It's never a good idea to leave a place with that kind of attitude. Even though I know that difficulties await me, I feel that this job is a good opportunity to grow. It is good writing experience and a good lesson in patience. I can handle it for another five to six months I'm sure.  So, it's not entirely official yet, but in two weeks I will be a grant writer.

A movie recommendation.

If you are sick of walking away from the movie theatre dissapointed, go see this film.

And I can't help but fall in love with Adrian Brody every time. Aww.

Choose your own adventure.

As most of you know I have been counting down the days until my current (dreaded) job ends. I have 18 more days until my program runs out of funding! After that, glorious freedom awaits. Or does it? My life is starting to feel like a Choose Your Own Adventure novel with each page turn yielding a new, potentially hazardous, unexpected event. I am not sure if this new development counts as something good or something bad. Let me explain. Today my coworker told me that she found a new job. She is our current grantwriter. Great girl. I will definitely be sad to see her go. After she informed our boss, I sat at my computer and a thought struck me. My boss will ask me to fill her position. I shoved it away. Not possible. I don't have the qualifications. The thought kept running through my head until my intercom beeped about a minute later and she asked me to come into her office. I knew that my premonition wasn't completely off at that point. She asked me what I would be doing in the coming months after being laid off. I told her that I wasn't sure yet. (stupid answer) She then said she had a "proposition" for me. Hmm. Do most good deals start this way? Then she explained that my coworker was leaving, which I already knew but I pretended like I didn't know. After that, with her flourescent pink nails drumming playfully across her day calendar, she asked me if I would be interested in filling the open position. I tried to look at her without the despair that I knew would come across in my eyes. I tried to remain neutral and tell her I would think about it. She launched into a flattering speech about my ability to learn quickly and adapt. She said it would be a "smooth transition." But she promised me nothing more than the same pay and half the hours I currently have. So why did I tell her I would consider it? I am not exactly sure. It seems to me that I have three options at the moment:

Plan A: Find a new job QUICK, as in, before this week ends so that I have a legitimate excuse to turn down the offer.

Plan B: Tell her that I accept the new job, but with the stipulation that I work from home two days out of three (because honestly, I don't know how much more of that office I can take).

Plan C: Outright refuse the offer.

Uhhhh... I am a little rattled right now. I really dislike it when I have it set in my mind that I will be done with something or leave someplace and I end up staying longer than I anticipated. When I am done I am done. Maybe there is something else I have yet to learn from this situation. Help!

A toilet memo.

Just so you all know how incredibly important my job is, I am posting a memo I wrote at the request of my boss yesterday.

"To whom it may concern,

The ______ employees who work at ________ have a concern about the condition of the restroom closest to our offices in this facility. We understand that the church has little funding to provide a cleaning crew to take care of the restroom, but the conditions have been less than ideal. It is always dirty. The toilet is often clogged and toilet paper runs out frequently. In addition to this, the smell of the restroom is unpleasant because it has gone without cleaning for so long. Last week on Friday, a group called _______ met in the building. This group frequently leaves the bathroom in an unsanitary condition. Afterward, the need to have a clean restroom became so pressing that two employees from ________ cleaned it themselves. We hope that something can be done soon to resolve this issue soon.

Thank you for considering our request,

________"

Believe it or not, she actually had me revise it once before she submitted it. I feel special.

A cure for Tuesday afternoon doldrums.

I actually saw this episode of Saved By the Bell (SBTB) this morning. It's the famous Jessie Spano caffeine pill freakout, which I will post now.

I'm so excited! I'm so excited! I'm so... scared?!

Time for a little spring cleaning.

On a whim I decided to drop my old blog design (I'm sure some of you are thinking it's about time) and start a new one. In addition to this redesign, I have also changed my post titles. They will no longer be structured "I'm the kind of girl who... (fill in the blank)." It worked for a while, but now I just feel constricted. I'm spring cleaning my blog everyone!

How do you like it?

is gardening, sewing, and planning...

I've been working on some projects lately and I keep saying that I'll post them on my blog. So here they finally are! I don't have much to say otherwise except for a short update:

I am plodding along at work. I've only got two months left. It's not too bad lately, just a little boring. Seminary is fine. I won't miss waking up at 6:00am, but I will miss the kids come June. My missionary has about seven months left on his mission too! It's amazing. I can't believe there's so little time left. I'm putting together a little birthday present for him, which I'll send off in a week or so. I'm also working on his homecoming quilt. Keep that on the DL, though, it's a surprise. :) 

Let's take a peek at some of the projects I've been working on:

The garden

A couple weeks ago my dad and I ripped our old deck apart and turned it into five planter boxes. I like how rustic they look. Plus, that's super sustainable, right? Anyhow, this is a view of some romaine lettuce starts. We didn't plant much from seed this year. It's just been so cold. And we were a little lazy about it. You can also see the herb garden in the back corner and some tomatoes next to them in the box on the left. I hope the sun comes out soon...

Phillip's birthday present

This is the front.

This is the back. Look in the corner... aww. I know, cheesy. I can't help myself.

It's a mini quilt since I can't send him a full size one. My brother says it looks like a pot holder. Hmm... Well, at least he'll think of me when he gets his cookies out of the oven.

I also found this great tie at Nordstrom's Rack. I think it has just the right amount of interest, but it's not too flashy for a missionary. I hope it puts a spring in his step when he wears it.

Phillip's quilt

I finally got the top pieced about a month ago! It's been a slow process, but I expected it to take a while because this is my first "serious" quilt. I think I will be done quilting it by the end of summer. I'm going to hand quilt the entire top because I don't want it to look too commercial. I want it to have that nice homemade folksy look.

Here's a view from the corner. I named this quilt "Roots and Wings" because the houses are the roots and the corner pieces (called "flying geese") are the wings.

Here's a little preview of what the quilting is going to look like. I just started quilting it together last night and for now I'm stitching around every other circle in the pattern around the border. On the burgundy patches I'll quilt a little celtic knot design, I think. My hand is already killing me! But it's worth it.

That's what I've been up to my dear friends. Oh, and I miss you too. 

can't help but smile.

In my last post I was basically whining about why I strongly dislike certain aspects (cough...my boss...cough) of my job. When I wrote that post I was on the verge of putting in my resignation. Well, you know what they say, you get what you wish for. Instead of having to quit, I am being laid off in three months. My program did not recieve the funding it needed to continue, so the grant money runs out at the end of June. When I heard this information last Friday, I tried not to sound too excited when I told my coworkers. They have been telling me how sorry they feel for me ever since. But I can't stop smiling. :D

Life is looking up. I only have three months left at my job (and hopefully I'll find another by then). I have also been quilting like mad. It is probably my #1 free time activity at the moment. I am going to the fabric store tonight to get the batting I need for my quilt. I finished the top last Saturday and I got my backing fabric in the mail on Wednesday. It's almost ready to go! I promise to post a picture of the top soon. I did take the pictures, now I just need to put them up.

I feel positive about this new development, even though it means I might be out of a job in three months. There's always unemployment. Not that I aspire to it. Although it would mean more time for quilting...

is against all odds.

Today I hit a brick wall. I found myself loathing work, for the 100th time, as I drove in and as soon as I got to work, everything seemed directed against me. Even when I met with my boss, which was pretty light-duty compared to past meetings, I realized that I felt defiant about everything that she was saying. Then, at lunch time, I called my mom to say that I hate my job and if I could I would quit TODAY. What is so wrong with my job? Well, I made a list:

1. I get stressed out when my boss is watching me too closely
2. I have to deal with difficult people on the phone sometimes, in Russian, no less
3. Sometimes there is not enough work to do and I am bored
4. I don't get much positive reinforcement for what I am doing right, what I hear is about 95% critique
5. My job feels thankless
6. I am asked to do less outreach to schools, which is the part of my job I enjoy the most
7. I dislike having to redo work that doesn't matter to anyone but my boss
8. My grant runs out in June and I will either have to find a new job or cope with reduced hours

On the other hand, there are more than twice as many reasons why I like my job:

1. I get to speak Russian daily
2. It's good pay
3. It's full-time
4. It's not far from my home
5. I get to work with youth
6. I get to help people
7. I see progress with these youth
8. I have nice coworkers
9. I have a pleasant workspace (with a window!)
10. I have some freedom to be a little creative with my job
11. I have vacation days and sick days
12. I have a 1 hour lunch
13. I like to go walking in the pleasant surrounding neighborhoods here during lunch
14. I get to talk to people all day
15. I get to write
16. I get to make home visits
17. I get to organize special events

After writing that list I realized that I'm being a little less grateful than I should be. I have a good job, even though I feel stressed out at times. The core of what I do is enjoyable and I believe in it, which is important to me. Even though I feel boxed in at times with my bosses' requests, I realize that I have enough space to do what I need to do.

Social work can expose the ugly underside of a community. I see this daily and it does weigh on me. I had two volunteers send me emails today about wanting to quit their mentorships because they are too difficult. The problems these kids face are complex and their mentors are not trained to deal with them. I am not trained to deal with them either. It is sad when I need to let one of these youth go because their needs are too great. But despite the unpleasantness that can stretch across the days, there are moments that cause me to see the beauty of what I do. It's like a flower growing throught the sidewalk. Then I realized, I need to be more like that persevering flower, growing in a less-than-ideal situation, against all odds.

smells like honey and lemon. And has a fabric addiction.

Upon getting my tax return I thought I might spend a bit and help out the economy. At least that's what I'm telling myself. Well, here are two things that brightened up my weekend:

1. Getting 35% off of this fabric. I can't wait to start my next quilting project!

2. Finding this fragrance. Wow. It is exactly what I need this spring.

can't help herself.

So, every girl is supposed to have her entire wedding thoroughly planned out in her mind by marrying age. I should by now, but I don't. I am trying not to jinx myself. However, I did take a peek at some rings. I know. I should be slapped. Well, if I were to get a ring in the next year or so, this is the kind of ring I might want. It looks kind of vintage. I like the fact that it doesn't have a giant solitaire sticking out because I could see myself getting it hooked on all kinds of things. I'd probably hurt myself. I also like the little twinkly side stones. For now, I'll just keep dreaming...

feels spring coming.

Spring is about possibilities and this poem, to me, says "possibilities" even in the title. Enjoy this beautiful time of year, the end of dreary, dark days, and the beginning of more light, more warmth, and more color.

From Blossoms

From blossoms comes
this brown paper bag of peaches
we bought from the boy
at the bend in the road where we turned toward
signs painted Peaches.

From laden boughs, from hands,
from sweet fellowship in the bins,
comes nectar at the roadside, succulent
peaches we devour, dusty skin and all,
comes the familiar dust of summer, dust we eat.

O, to take what we love inside,
to carry within us an orchard, to eat
not only the skin, but the shade,
not only the sugar, but the days, to hold
the fruit in our hands, adore it, then bite into
the round jubilance of peach.

There are days we live
as if death were nowhere
in the background; from joy
to joy to joy, from wing to wing,
from blossom to blossom to
impossible blossom, to sweet impossible blossom.

-Li-Young Lee

is hungry again.

I only ate lunch an hour and a half ago and I'm already hungry again, so I made myself a visual snack of all the things I could go for right now...


1. one grilled cheese, please, 2. Sushi Party!, 3. Hungry?, 4. Roast Turkey, 5. Pie-opener1.jpg, 6. http://www.flickr.com/photos/yusheng/479637484/, 7. red fruits cupcake 1, 8. Mango, 9. blackberries, 10. twinkie, 11. i ♥ homemade chocolate pudding., 12. Fried Egg On Toast, 13. Oreo Dunkin13, 14. Cheetos Puffs, 15. IKEA Meatball, 16. Chicken Nuggets

feels just a little safer.

For all who are wondering why I made my blog private, it's not meant to be exclusive by any means. I would love to have as many people read my blog as possible, but recently I've felt a little too "researched." Because my name is on the internet for my job, there are clients who search my name and subsequently read my blog as well. I don't know how I feel about that. So, for now, I am going to keep my blog private. If you know anyone that might like to be added as a reader, don't hesitate to let me know! I hope I haven't left anyone in the cold. 

Thank you dear friends for being so loyal. This is all between you and I now. Doesn't that make you feel better too?

doesn't want a doughnut anymore.

Happy Fat Tuesday everyone! In honor of this day of excess, I found a video of Paula Deen making a hamburger with doughnuts for the bun. Watch and revel in the disgustingness without the greasy aftertaste.

is a little too sensitive.

Okay, I have a problem. I have been going through deoderant like crazy and I can't find one that won't make my armpits itch.

Here are the culprits:

Deoderant #1 Dove powder scent

The problem with this one is, while it smelled good, it has aluminum in it and I'm concerned about that. It also turns all my white clothes yellow in the armpit area. After a while I get a little bit of a rash too, especially if I have just shaved. So, I discontinued Dove.


Deoderant #2 Toms of Maine lavender scent

I love the smell of lavender, but after only a couple days of wearing this deoderant, my armpits started to burn. I think that the lavender is just too strong. It also isn't effective enough at odor prevention and so I end up smelling like sweaty flowers by the end of the day and that just defeats the purpose.


Deoderant #3 Herbal Clear aloe fresh scent

I thought I'd found a winner with this one. The first day I wore it I thought, this has a good smell, and it doesn't itch or burn when I put it on. The second day was good too. Then, the third day, I noticed that I kept itching my armpit without noticing. Then, when I looked in the mirror that night, I noticed I had red spots in my armpit! No! So, even though I am currently wearing this dissapointing deoderant, it's time to make another change.



Will I ever find a deoderant that doesn't let me down? I think that maybe I'll try another scent of Toms of Maine for now. If that doesn't work, maybe I'll get one of those deoderant crystals, although I don't really like the idea of rubbing a rock-like thing in my armpit. I have also heard of people making their own deoderant. Do any of you know a good recipe?