Friday's Fabulous Find

This last Friday I ended up with two Friday finds. I first went to this place that I heard about in passing. I had had friends mention it as well as my mom. I decided that I should go and check it out. The place I went is called Kneaders.

Location: 1050 N 500 E, North Salt Lake (they have other locations)
Hours: 7am to 10 pm, Mon-Sat
Prices: decent
Food: Sandwiches, salads, desserts
Website: www.kneadersbakery.com

This place remind me of the Corner Bakery that is up on Foothill Dr. It is your basic bakery/sandwich shop. They have plenty of sandwiches to choose from as well as soups and salads. They also have an extensive bakery full of desserts that you can choose from. I ended up getting a Chicken Pesto pinni. It came with baked chips and a pickle and it was all super good. The service was quick and the people were friendly. After the sandwich I just had to get dessert. I went and stood in front of the row of treats and finally decided on the canoli. It was super delicious and I would definitely get it again. If you like things like the Corner Bakery or Paradise Bakery then you should check this place out as well. If you want to take a look at their menu they have it all listed online. It all looks quit tasty. After looking at it myself I have decided that someday I will have to go back for breakfast and get the cinnamon french toast. It sounds oh so good.

The next place I ended up going is called The Sweet Tooth Fairy. I had gone down to Provo to visit my dear friend Katy and we decided that we wanted a treat. She had been to this place with a couple of her other friends and thought that I should check it out.

Location:Provo, East Bay 1227 South University Ave. (They have other locations as well)
Hours:?
Prices: good and oh so worth it
Food: cupcakes, cake bites, cookies, cakes, and more
Website: www.thesweettoothfairy.com

This place was truly delicious. The store itself is cute and then you walk in and see all of these cupcakes and cake bites and cookies and it is all you can do to decide what to get yourself. And if any of you know Katy and I you know that we do not make decision very well or very quickly. I think we ended up standing in the store for a good ten minutes before we picked something. And we didn't just pick one, we couldn't. That night I ended up getting three things: A half dozen cake bites, a cheesecake cupcake and an oatmeal cookie. No I did not eat them all Friday night, but they were all gone by Sunday night and they were oh so good. I will definitely have to go back one day and get some more. If you are a dessert fan then this is the store for you.

Shirts to Skirts

This last Wednesday I had a relief society activity that I absolutely loved. We all gathered together and made skirts. And not just any skirts, but skirts made from shirts that we got at the DI.

It all started when one of my bishopric members wives came to church in the cutest skirt. We were all complementing her on it and she just started laughing. We asked what was so funny and she told us that she had made this skirt our of a sweater that she bought from the DI. At first we all thought she was joking, but the more she talked about it the more we actually believed her. She mentioned that she had gone looking for a new skirt and had seen one in Anthropology that she liked but didn't want to spend the money on. So instead of buying it she studied for a moment and decided that she could just make her own and she did. So many of us thought that it was cute and wanted to learn how to make our own so we decided to do it as a activity. It took awhile to put together, and get things organized so it would work. Eventually we got all of the details sorted out and got together to cut and sew last Wednesday night.

Before that night came we all had to go out and find our material. This was actually kind of fun. I went to the local DI and wandered around the tore looking for items that would make a cute skirt. I ended up buying three different tops. An extra large pink and black jacket, an extra large green jacket and a mens large sweater. From there I went to Joann's and picked out some ribbon, ribbing, elastic, and other accessories that I wanted to add to the skirts. It was fun to shop and think about how I was going to make them look.

So Wednesday night cam e and a bunch of us gathered together at the Larsen;s house. We set up multiple tables with sewing machines and others with cutting mats. From there we gathered around for instructions. They went somewhat like this:
First measure yourself from hip to hip. This was done by holding up the shirt against your waist and marking where you thought you should cut it.
Then measure from you waist to where you want your skirt to end. This was also done by hold the shirt up to your waist and marking it where it hit your knee.
Next cut the shirt to your measurements. This was done by laying the shirt on the cutting mat and angling the ruler to match your previous made marks. Then you took the cutting knife and sliced through the shirt.
Once it was all cut out you sewed the sides down to fit you. This was done mostly by guessing and checking. We would sew the sides then try it on to see how it fit. If it was still to big we would take it off and sew the sides again and repeat the process.
Once the side are sewn then you measure the ribbing/elastic to your waist size and sew it on the top.
After the ribbing is sewed on you can then add ribbon, edging, flowers, lace, etc to the bottom of your skirt to embellish it.

None of the instruction were very specific and none of the measurements were ever perfect. But that was the best thing for all of us. We all just went with it and for some reason it made it seem easier to do because you felt like there was less to screw up on since nothing had to be exact. We all laid out our shirts and started cutting and sewing and laughing a long the way. Most everyone at least got a start made on their skirts. A few of the girls finished them and they all look super cute.

That night I started working on the one made out of the sweater. Once I decided that I could figure out how to finish the rest on my own I then started to work on the Pink and Black Jacket. I wanted some help with starting this one because it was the one that I was most excited about and I didn't want to screw it up. I ended up getting the main part of the skirt cut out and the elastic sewed on but that was it. So then on Saturday night I purposely did not make any plans. I wanted to finish my skirts and that is just what I did. I sewed on tool, ribbon, flowers, edging and ended up completing the two skirts that I had started on Wednesday. I thought they turned out pretty cute and was quite excited about them.

This is the one made out of the mens sweater. The front and the back are the same.

This is the one made out of the Pink and Black Jacket. I am really happy with how it turned out and even wore it to church on Sunday. Everyone else thought it was super cute as well and couldn't believe that I made it out of a jacket from the DI. All in all I would say that this skirt ended up costing me maybe $20 by the time I bought the elastic, edging, ribbon, tool and flower. Not bad if you ask me.

On Sunday I decided to make my last one. So I took the following supplies: the Green Jacket, Ribbon, Lace, and Ribbing and sewed me a skirt. It tuened out pretty sute if I do say so myself.

All in all it was super fun to do and not very hard. I didn't spend a whole lot of money and I ended up with three new and cute skirts to wear. I think the biggest thing that has stuck out to me is that these skirts were made from shirts bought at the DI. It just goes to show that with a little imagination and some creative thinking you can do wonders on a small budget. It just goes to show that you should never pass something by without taking a second look at it ans seeing what it could become.

Friday's Fabulous Find

Growing up the only ballet that I had ever been to is The Nutcracker. My mom had this tradition that when we turned eight she would take us to see it with her that Christmas season. It was so much fun to go with just my mom and experience. I had been in dance lesson since I was three and actually seeing real ballet dancers was exciting to me. I never wanted to be a professional dancer, but I loved dance and grew a love for watching dancers preform.

As I got older I started to go to more dance performances. Since I was a dancer myself I was at dance recitals and competitions all of the time. Even though I have been to my far share I have never grown tired of watching people dance. The more dance competitions and recitals we went o the more my sister and I wanted to see. We started going to other performances like Thriller and Shut Up and Dance. We went to and bought many dance movies. And all the while my love for the preforming arts just kept growing.

This last Friday I was able to go the the ballet that Ballet West was preforming at the Capital Theater. My friend Kendra had season tickets and invited me along for the show. She figured that I would the one to enjoy it the most. I decided that it would be my Friday's Fabulous Find. We went and saw Bolero

Location: The Capital Theater
Hours: Depends on the show
Prices: Depends on where you sit
Experience: Priceless and enjoyable

This show includes three separate ballets. It start with Chaconne which is a ballet about celebrating life here an earth. Then they preform the ballet Sinfonetta which is about a journey in Heaven. The last performance of the night is Bolero. This ballet is all about sensations. And it was by far my favorite of the night.

The other ballets were good. All of the dancers did an amazing job but Bolero was the show that I didn't want to stop watching. The dancers were fantastic and the show keeps you intrigued the whole time. From the way the stage is set up to the costumes, music, and the dancers themselves all you do is just keep starting and watching and waiting to see what will happen next. It was truly a great preformance. One that I am glad I was able to experience and one I hope to enjoy again.

If yo have never been to the ballet, then you should go. It is something that should be experienced at least once. Whether you go to a classic ballet like The Nutcracker or a more modern one like Thriller or Bolero, you should at least go once. And who knows, you might actually like it.

Moving Forward=Change

For this last year I have felt in a rut. I have not know what to do or where to head. You see, growing up I had this plan. This plan to go to school, graduate from high school, go to the U, graduate from there, and get a job. That is as far as my plan went though. It just ended there. Don't get me wrong, it was a great plan. One that worked out really well and that I was able to accomplish. But, I finished that plan last May when I graduated from the U and then got my job in June. From then on I fell like I have been floundering. I have been feeling like there should be something more. Over the past year I have felt like I have been stuck. And I have felt like I should be working towards something, but have had no idea what to work towards.

Now don't get me wrong. I like my job. I am glad that I graduated from school, and I enjoy my life. I have just been feeling like something is missing from it and like I have not been moving forward in any direction at all. Getting sick of this feeling about three months ago I decided that something need to happen. That's when I started praying for a way to move forward. TO move forward in whatever direction i was supposed to head. I don't know what I expected to happen, but I just kept on praying that something would. Nothing really happened at first. I just had this hope inside that things where going too. Then one day along the road I realized that if I wanted to move forward, if I wanted to get different results from life, then I was going to have to change what I had been doing. So I did.

I started going to the gym more. I took the challenge for scripture reading with my ward. I applied for a Masters program and got in,don't get excited, I'm not doing it, but I did apply. I accomplished something. I started do Friday Fabulous Finds to explore new places. And all the while I just kept praying. And with the way things have gone, I have continued praying to find a direction and a path to move forward on. So there I was sitting in church this last Sunday. We were all in sacrament and it had just been announced that the change of the wards that we had all been hearing about for the last year or so was going to happen at the end of this month. Our ward would no longer exist and neither would are stake. We all knew that this was coming. We all expected it to happen. But that doesn't mean that we wanted it to.

So there we sat. All of us feeling sad. Sad to say goodbye to our ward and sad to say goodbye to association within it. It just happened to be fast and testimony meeting. Brother Larsen who was conducting got up to bear his testimony. I don't even remember what he said, but it made us all laugh. I was sitting there and I looked up and saw the Bishop laughing. I saw that the ward was laughing and this thought popped into my head. It said "you wanted a way to move forward, well here it is". I just sat there for a minute and then I started to smile. And then I started to laugh. Just like that the Lord had changed my perspective and made me laugh at the same time. In that moment the ward change went from being sad to a challenge. A challenge to meet new people. A challenge to grow into a new ward. A challenge to move forward. In that moment what had sadden me changed into what I had been praying for. No, it is not exactly what I had in mind, but if the Lord wants me to move forward through it, then I will go forward.

Moving forward doesn't always happen like we think it should. It doesn't always happen in big jumps like graduate or getting married or having a child. Move forward can happen in the little things as well. It can happen in changing your daily routine, or trying something new, or changing to a new ward. Moving forward just means change.

Now, today I ripped apart a book. Literally. I tore it apart. I cut off the cover, tore off the binding and all of the glue, and ripped each page apart from the others. I took it completely apart. But then, I put it all back together again. I smoothed out each of the pages, I put them all in the protective covers, I added in the pages that had been missing, and then I put it all back together. In the end, it was in better shape then when I started. The pages were no longer falling out and the binding wasn't ripping. And the best part of all was that all of the pages were there. While doing this I thought of that story where each of us is compared to a house. A house that God comes in and remodels. While it is happening we may feel like we are being destroyed and ripped apart. He is going to knock out some walls and rip off the roof or he may even take out your whole foundation. But he isn't going to leave it like that. He will build new walls and fix the leak in your roof. He will also make your foundation stronger then it ever was before. He will make you into your mansion and you will be beter in the end then you ever were before.

Moving forward = change, and change can sometimes = hurt and heartache. But, change is good and moving forward in the right direction is even better. So even though it may cause you to get out of your comfort zone, try new things, meet new people, and hurt your heart a little bit, change is something that needs to happen. Just remember that comfort zones are not places where God allows his children to camp. He has to things to get you to grow, to get you to learn, and to get you to change and move forward. And in the end you will find that you are far better off then you ever were before it started.

Being an Aunt

I have decided that being an aunt in just plain awesome! I joined this amazing aunt club last Friday when my first nephew ever was born into this world. I had waited around all Friday long to hear that he had made it here safe and sound and that all was well with the new little family. In the morning I tried to be productive and get things done around the house, but all I could think about was that my sister was in the hospital about to add a whole new life to the family.

I finally made my way out the door to go to work around 12:45. I knew that I had to be there by 1:30 to get things ready for the students who came at 2:30. I quickly stopped and grabbed some lunch on my way because in all the morning distractions I never made it up the stairs to eat anything. Once I got to work I kept waiting to hear news from Ben. Every time my phone went off I would jump with excitement and quickly look to see if it was him with news of what was going on. I am not sure that I got much completed at work, but other teachers were there so I am sure that the students were fine. Around 5:oo pm I got a message from Ben saying that it was slow going but that all was well. The second the last student was out the door and the books had been put away, I turned out the lights and headed home. I decided to stop and get food for dinner as well because I was not sure when the baby would come and I was sure that I wouldn't be able to focus enough to make myself dinner anyway. I was waiting at Five Guys for my food when I got the following message from Ben: 6:13 pm baby is almost here. Probably in the next half an hour or so. We are getting ready to deliver.

You can imagine my excitement as I was waiting for my food to arrive. It just couldn't come fast enough. It finally came and I ran home to eat it all the while waiting for more news. At home I found that my mom and Dennis were doing the exact same thing, eating take out and wiggle around with excitement. After I snarfed down the food in about all of ten minutes I decided that I needed to do something to distract myself. I choose to read a book. And let me tell you, that didn't go very well. I think I read the same page about five times. I found that my mom was having the same problem. She was working on the computer and kept asking if I had heard anything yet. Then at 6:45pm while laying on my bed trying to read some more my phone went off with the noise that means I received a picture message. I jumped with excitement to look at it and squealed with delight when I did. The message was from Ben and it was my first ever picture of my new nephew!

Breckin Claire Rood 6 lbs 5 oz 19 1/2 inches long

I was so excited and went running out to my mom who had received the message as well. Shortly after we received another messages saying that all was well with baby and mom and that they would be open for visitors around 8:30 that night. I couldn't wait for that time to arrive when I could go and meet my new nephew in person. When the time came we made our way to the hospital. They had not switched rooms yet so we waited in the lobby until they were ready for us. While waiting one of the nurses came by and asked us if we would like to go see him in the nursery. Of course we said yes, and followed her down the hall to see him. He was so cute lying there and you could just tell that he was Wendi's and Ben's. Babies are such a miracle and standing there looking at him my heart just filled with love. It's amazing how much you can love someone in so short a time.

Ben soon came out to find us and told us that Wendi was all settled in the room. We decided to go and visit her and see how she was doing. It was fun to see her all up and excited. She was doing well and we talked for while about the whole experience and the day that she had just gone through. She had the crazy look full of excitement and nervousness. You could tell from the look that she was full of love but knew that she and Ben and just embarked on a crazy adventure. One that didn't come with a map. While there Ben got to go and give Breckin his first bath. I choose to stay in the room with Wendi and keep her company.

When everyone got back Ben was just filled with joy. You could tell that he already loved his son. They said that Breckin did not like the bath at all. The nurse said that they would bring him down to the room once they got Breckin warmed back up. We decided that we would leave for the night and let the new mommy and daddy rest with their little one. We told them we would come back the next day to officially meet him.

Saturday came and after work my mom and I drove up to the hospital. We went straight to their room and entered in full of excitement and love. Wendi was laying in bed holding him in her arms. It was fun to see her in the new role as a mom and Ben in the role of a dad. We took some family photos and then my mom, now Grandma Julie, got to hold the little and officially meet her grandson. After her I got hold him and let him know who is Aunt Brittney was. He is such a cute little one and it was so much fun to just stand and hold him and watch his little faces that he would make. After we had stayed awhile we decided to leave and let them rest and feed him again.

On Sunday they all went home from the hospital. that afternoon we went up to there house with grandma and grandpa Whiting so that they could meet their new great grandson. This is number 2 for them. Once again we all sat around and held little Breckin in our arms. He is just so fun to watch and to hold.

Brackin in now 5 days old and all is still going well. The whole little family is at home and is learning and growing. They are so cute together and you can tell that their house is full of love. Breckin has been born into a great family with lots of people who love and care for him. I am grateful to be one of those people.