Life currently, including school

This is turning into a food blog... which by the way I LOVE FOOD BLOGS. I have saved so many yummy looking recipes, I'd post them, but I haven't made them yet (due to lack of kitchen) so when I do, and if they are good I will post them here. For now all I have is pictures of my food!

P.S a few of my favorite food blogs/websites
Just Cook Already
The Recipe Club
Healthy and Sane
337 Greenwich
The Cook Next Door

and a GREAT wedding website I was referred to is Green Wedding Shoes. Seriously ADORABLE stuff (Thanks Debbie!)


Today... not much of what I ate was picture worthy and I was on the run a lot... but here is my dinner.

No fat (but amazing!) Butternut Squash Ravioli (thank you Whole Foods), with Parmesan cheese. And steam in the bag Veggies! Easy and delicious. Of course I had my treat, same as last night only I found this mini graham cracker pie tin and filled it with Rice Pudding and topped it with Mango's and Blackberries.... I should never go off sweets for this long, because I couldn't help it.... I had a brownie too........ a very good one though, brown sugar brownie (supposedly all natural) and I had some licorice.

Back to school... 3 weeks left, and oh SO much to do, especially considering the fact that I won't be able to get ANY homework done next week, and I am sure I'll get behind on my sleep. I have class every day til 5 or 6, and dance every night, including my shows which are Thurs-Sat. PLUS during every break I have I will be with my Mommy and Granny!!! It is going to be a good week, I just hope I let myself enjoy it and not just be stressed out the whole time.

Here's what's left (keep in mind I have basically this weekend, one week, and the next week the stuff is due..

1)Pattern Making: Pant Suit. I have the sketch done. I have to make/design/create the flat pattern, use that to make a full jacket and pant in fabric and then make a clean final perfect pattern.
2)Faces and Places in Fashion: Test, final day
3)Digital Flats and Specs: Illustrate on the computer 10 flats, do CAD pages for all of them, with colorways, 3 full tech packs of 3 designs with measurements etc. All on Illustrator (my favorite computer program...said with MAJOR sarcasm) Basically it's a lot. All I have done so far is sketch my 10 flats by hand.
4) Draping: Finish my fluted dress (remember green/pink/brown top from the beg. of the semester), and a whole new dress, the Twist Dress, that we just learned today. Both fully sewn on fabric.
5) Product Data Management: PDM style pack for a skirt I designed (colorways, details, measurements, inspiration) completed binder full of all projects and complete swatch cards, and a power point with 10 fully rendered flats and 2 figures along with an oral presentation.
6)Textiles: Final test on 4 more chapters
7)Portfolio/Fashion Art and Design: 30 fully-rendered figures in a portfolio with 5 mood boards, 4 color swatch pages, and back flats. P.S. the lay-out has to be really nice professional quality.
8) Model Drawing: ....No idea if we have a final of some sort... She hasn't told us if we do, or I don't remember at least. 

Good Luck... you can see why my stress level is to the point where I am basically either crying or laughing because I am past the point of crying. But it is OKAY, I will get things done, and if I don't, it's okay because LIFE is BIGGER than FIT!

I have a very long weekend ahead of me, and the only reason I am blogging is because I have been going non-stop since 9 with classes and homework and I finished everything on my list for today and I am beat! BUT I am not quite ready for bed being that it is only 11.. I am used to a much later bedtime.

Until next time.. Happy eating, happy sleeping (I hope), and happy day knowing that you are lucky you picked a different major haha.

life currently, everything NOT school related!

I want to give a shout out to J.CREW for having the most AMAZING May catalog EVER. It is pure beauty and perfection. I want to live in a J.CREW catalog. Yup, that would definitely complete my life!!! I LOVE all the light/white colors. (Pictures below are not all from the May issue) I wish I COULD put the whole catalog in here though, it is THAT good.

my Mommy and Granny are coming soon to visit me! They will be here next Tuesday all the way until Sunday! I AM SO EXCITED! I have lots of dance and classes that week but we will definitely make time for good eats and good adventures. They are here for my dance performance which I am so happy about!

P.S only 1 week until Elder Taylor Wilkins Hump Day!  I can't believe it has been that long already!!


Yummy food!

Dinner last night.. Didn't have much to choose from. I found some frozen brown rice in my freezer that I bought the day I moved in and hadn't used yet. I had some chicken left over from my salad, some black beans, a little low-fat mozzarella cheese and salt & pepper. Not too flavorful but fine. I ate it with guacamole from whole foods and these AMAZING chips, everything chips, so many good grains and seeds and all that.

Breakfast. BEST Kashi cereal, 'GO LEAN' Toasted Berry Crumble!! with Banana's. MMmm

mid-morning Snack/Lunch. Great combo at the cafeteria. Pumpernickel bagel with a little bit of cream cheese/orange marmalade/honey. DELICIOUS. Didn't get a picture because I was just on break in class when I ate it. I had some pineapple and cantaloupe on the side as well.

Lunch/mid-afternoon Snack. Fage 0% greek yogurt with mangos, blackberries, and a tiny drizzle of honey. AMAZING! And as pictured celery with almond butter and dried cerries.

Dinner. Tuna Fish (tuna, black beans, cucumbers, celery, a tiny bit of low-fat mayo, lots of mustard and relish, with a dab of Dijon mustard) on an avocado. YUM YUM YUM. Seriously SO good.

My little treat. RICE PUDDING (one of my fav's) with bananas and blackberries! 

PS no major sweets (baked goods, cookie dough, ice cream, chocolate etc.) since FRIDAY (and that was only a tiny serving, me and Katie shared a small/one scoop ice cream) so I am going to say since WEDNESDAY! (cookie dough, bueno bar, and a ton of mango licorice, SO YUMMY AND WORTH IT) Good Job BREE. I am trying to be off the good sweets for a bit so that when my mom comes I will LOVE all the yummy NYC delicacies even more!

I love my healthy, but I love my sweets.

lunch

Food here is easy to come by, but when you are trying to save money and eat somewhat healthy, and live in a crappy dorm with a horrid kitchen it isn't so fun...

I have been sick of salads for awhile. Sometimes they make me physically sick too(cereal does it to me too, not fun since those are two of the easiest things to have) but since I am low on supplies and high on declining balance at the cafeteria I decided it had to be my lunch for the day... not really looking forward to it, but at least it would be healthy! To my surprise it turned out to be AMAZING!!!! So delicious!

Spinach, carrots, and red beans (from the caf, they don't have a very good selection so I usually take it home to spice it up)
mango, walnuts, grapes, cucumber, chicken and Brianna's poppy seed dressing.

I also found this little treat that was also surprisingly delicious, and actually pretty darn healthy.  It was my treat for the day since I am trying to cut down on them before my dance show... it isn't working too well..... I am trying though!

I am also still going strong on my 100 push-up/200 sit-up challenge, I tried to squeeze in hot yoga but honestly this semester I don't have 2 hours I can really spend there, sad but true. Also, I am trying to drink 100+ oz. of water a day. I started that Wednesday (ever since my cleanse I've been drinking tons of water but not this much, I have been winding down so I need a set number) and I have done it everyday so far!

My amazing beautiful sister, I love you Bainy

100

POST #100. I'll try and make it a good one.... It was a long, hard, exhausting, rather bad week so I'll just try and highlight the good stuff.

All that is getting me through is knowing that in 7 weeks I will be in Paris then Milan spending EVERY day going around the city looking at WEDDING GOWNS. We picked our focus for our trip and my teacher is letting me choose wedding gowns. SO EXCITED. My favorite article of clothing in the 2 fashion capitols of the world. NOTHING could be better.. oh wait and add on the fact that I get to eat French pastries and bread and creme brulee and Italian gelato and amazing food for 2 weeks straight!!!! AND my food tour guide aka my professor knows all the BEST restaurants so I will eat at the best places. PERFECTION. Not to mention that Paris and Milan are my two destination dream spots and it is going to be here before I know it!

One day I'll stop loving food so much and get skinny again I just can't find a time....
-Now? Way too stressed, food is my comfort it is the only way I get through my weeks
-Paris and Milan? hahahaha
-Summer? Can't pass up Lake Powell treats, home cooking/baking that I miss so much, my much missed Sonic, Magleby's, champs, Noodles and Co, Kneaders strawberry pie, wedding food, ice cream......
-Fall? Back to the city... so many temptations, cupcakes and more on every corner, maybe without the stress of the 1 year program it won't be SO tempting.... and maybe a kitchen that I can actually cook in will help
-Winter? Holiday food is my FAVORITE! WILL NEVER pass up Thanksgiving Pie, Christmas treats, Birthday Sundaes.... HOT CHOCOLATE.
haha Well shoot.....looks like my skinny days are over...

Oh for those of you who don't know...... I will be a bridesmaid this summer, my brother SETH is getting married. He popped the question last weekend. Him and Jenn....

Best news in the world, I just wrote my FINAL calendar that will last me until I pick up to leave this dorm! LOVELY!

My FIT dance concert is coming up, and I am so excited! The dances are each so amazing and pretty much I am so proud to be on the team because we rock! I choreographed a lyrical piece to one of my favorite songs of all time, Against All Odds by Gavin DeGraw. So that pretty much completes my life! I am also so excited because my Granny and my Mommy get to come to the city to see it!!!! YAHOO! 

On to Season 3 of Heroes with Katie AND I just started Prison Break, it is sooooo good! For those of you who don't think I should have time for this sort of thing.... you are right. haha Actually right now I am hand sewing my whole gown so instead of suffering in silence I suffer while listening/half watching shows. Instant Netflix is my new favorite thing, although their movies aren't so great so I discovered Prison Break, I remembered my mom liked it so I gave it a try and.... I may be addicted and that may not be good because my gown will be done today.......As for Heroes... it is my escape from life, and I need it.

So here it is... my dress. It is done, well mostly, and today is the happiest day of my life because it will no longer haunt my dreams. I still dislike it very much. I am just disappointed because I hate it for all the things that my teacher wanted me to change about it. She wanted me to do circles for the skirt instead of ruffles and she wanted me to pearl edge (horrid and tacky and lazy looking and just ew on chiffon) my circles instead of baby hem them. I LOVE the top (which by the way originally wasn't strapless, another change by my teacher) but I just want to whack off the bottom and do it my way because then I think I would actually LOVE the WHOLE dress... oh and I would choose a different color FOR SURE. ugh. Oh well, it is done now, FINALLY!  I just wonder what it would have looked like if I didn't have to take my teacher and my critics advice...............

Well that is all, I am so tired i can barely keep my eyes open, I started this post last Thursday and am just barely finishing it.... BUSY week, so tired, nap time before dance and more homework.Oh the life of a student here at FIT.

haha I was organizing/cleaning up my desk.... This is what happened.... sad but true. Chocolate and meds.....

Life at FIT

new possibilities

I got accepted into the Bachelor program here at FIT!

I don't want to go to school here full time next semester BUT I would LOVE to take a few classes that aren't offered in the associates program, like all the bridal classes. I am not sure yet if I can take just a few classes without the full load so I don't have to pay full tuition for a degree I am not going to finish, I just want to learn more. Rather than just interning or having a job next semester I might be taking a few classes as well here @ FIT, which is a wonderful thing. Hopefully it works out that way! I am just waiting to see what my options are.

my challenge....

with all my spare time haha.... I am feeling a bit down though and this gives me a boost of energy and some confidence, something to work for that isn't school related.

one hundred push-ups in 6 weeks
two hundred sit-ups in 6 weeks

Give it a try with me!!!

LIFE=BUSY

Sorry way too busy to blog....SLOW DOWN please, or just add a few extra hours in the night but only for sleeping. Yes universe that is my plea!

Too many sleepless nights, headaches, hand sewing, and homework.

Pictures to come, hopefully...

Updates-
1) Dress is coming along.... I really don't love it so it's really hard.
2) I HATE PINK. I am so mad that it was our class theme so I had to use it
3) I LOVE the temple. My only peace and comfort. Also comes with Pecan Pie at the bakery next door and Emily
4) I can't wait to graduate and get this work load off my shoulders, until then TIRED is my descriptive word of my life
5) May 6th. Coming soon. Good because;
  a. my mom and granny will be here to visit me! (also means Serendipity Sundae!)
  b. It is the first day of my dance concert which means I can get that time/work load off my shoulders too (which is good for the rest of school, but sad cause I LOVE FIT DANCE TEAM!!!!!)
  c. about 3 weeks til graduation, seeing my dad and mom again, and PARIS AND MILAN
  d. I will hopefully see my bestie TALLY by then or sometime soon since she'll be in my time zone interning in DC
  e. I can start counting down!
6) I have so much that is on my mind and I want to write but I have been bad at journal writing and I need to go to sleep now, busy busy day tomorrow and I can't keep my eyes open (choreographing, dance for 8 hours, and sewing sewing sewing)
7) I went to Bridal Market today with Avenia Bridal. I LOVE WEDDING DRESSES!!!!!!!!!! So beautiful.
8) Second season of Heroes with Katie, Thank you Kels for the first time, and Kenz for the inspiration
9) I am sure I forgot many updates, but I can't remember now, but I can't end on 9 because for some reason that seems unfinished and I really don't like the number. My favorites are 8 and 10. Not like that matters to anyone or is the slightest bit important
10) Trying to love DARK chocolate because apparently it is one of the 10 healthiest foods, but I am not a dark girl, I love my milk chocolate

Sweet Dreams everyone. I think an update will come again possibly Wednesday and that will be accompanied by pictures IF it (being the dress) is presentable by then.

Happy Monday

It was a good day.

I woke up on time. I got my whole morning routine in.

The first email I read was from my teacher canceling our 8 A.M class tomorrow. Which is good not just because it is one of my not so favorite classes and it is bright and early in the morning, but I also hadn't done my homework yet, and now I don't have to pull a dress all nighter tonight, and if I do, I can sleep in tomorrow! Best news ever.

I got a wonderful surprise at break, 2 small packages sitting on my bed. One from my granny. An Easter treat, my favorite chocolate bar, Symphony with Toffee and Almonds. YUM.

AND.... My belated birthday package from my best friend. A temple pin and this...

The weather was AMAZING today 75. Short sleeve, short dress and heels. PERFECT.

I went to Mood to pick up the rest of my fabric and they still had it! THANK YOU!

Chocolate Chip Frap's from Starbucks with Emily and Katie for an afternoon treat.

A break that is too short to get started on anything so I have a little time to relax, write, and think.

I am happy and positive and smiling, and it is going to be a good week!

Great Scripture Alma 26:36
'Now if this is boasting, even so will I boast; for this is my life and my light, my joy and my salvation, and my redemption from everlasting wo. Yea, blessed is the name of my God, who has been merciful of his people, who are a branch of the tree of Israel, and has been lost from its body in a strange land; yea, I say, blessed be the name of my God, who has been mindful of us, wanderers in a strange land.'

I hope you are having a happy Monday, if not, do something to make it happy. Eat a chocolate bar, find a loved one, remember a good time, take a nap, enjoy the day!

SPRING BREAK post 9

Final Spring Break Post... Last day of freedom!

No I did not do any homework or sewing all day Saturday or Sunday. I simply relaxed and enjoyed my last 2 days. I watched conference and then watched Hereos. I'd say it was a perfect 2 ending days of break.

First off General Conference was great, it always is. Here is my sweet set up since I had the place to myself..

There were definate general messages which I love because it just re-instates its importance because the inspiration of each talk was given by God. He impressed upon the speakers what we needed to hear.

TEACH the children, Resurrection, Atonement, Role of Fathers and Mothers, Hope, Judge righteously, and more teach the children. All that talk made me want to have kids so I can have FHE and eat meals together as a family and help them grow in the gospel. It likely (in my ideal plan) won't happen til I am 28 or so, but I will definitely refer back to this conference when the time does come.

Here was my general conference snack, technically my cleanse is over but I think I am going to try and continue some of my practice, eating lots and lots of fruits and vegetables and drinking 6 16 oz. bottles of water a day. I will eat real meals as well (and some sweets) but now that I know I can live off of just fruit I can make that a meal and feel good about myself.

The weather here is AMAZING right now, 70s-77.. Ya perfect. Between sessions on Sunday I was dying to get out in the sun so I went to the nearby park (Madison Square Park) sat on a little bench with my oranges and cucumbers and read my scriptures, it was absolutely lovely! A perfect little break in the outdoors to satisfy my Spirit!

Along with my cleanse for my body I did a deep clean on my room, well as deep as this dorm can get, so I am starting the week stress-free, happy, clutter-free, and clean! I feel great! I will try my best to keep this attitude up through the long late nights as I strive to finish my dress this week! General Conference and the Secret are my best friends!

EASTER, HAPPY EASTER! My favorite holiday, yes, I LOVE the Easter egg hunts, Easter candy (it is my favorite) and most importantly EASTER DINNER! I am so depressed I miss it all this year (Lamb, asparagus, spinach salad, my favorite jell-o, and best of all TRIFLE (this year made with Magnolia's Banana Pudding)) Sound delicious? It is, my mom is amazing! So since I couldn't have that dinner I decided to make dinner, the first real recipe dinner of this dorm life (which won't happen again, there is no space, I don't have big enough pans and bowls, I used every single Tupperware and utensil, dish etc. that I own, and it made a mess!) but it was worth it for Easter. I enjoyed my dinner with Katie (Emily was home in Jersey). I also discovered you can make Sweet Potatoes (which are one of my most favorite foods) in the MICROWAVE, yep, that will be on my menu for about every other day now. LOVE IT. Here is our dinner, it didn't picture well, but it tasted great! For desert we broiled bananas and had some guilt-free brownies! It was wonderful.

Well break is over, back to school, class starts in an hour...... not really looking forward to it, but I am happy! I have a smile on my face and I feel good!

P.S. Since I am big on recipes and I LOVE recipe blogs I will post the recipes I used for the above meal.

Fusilli Michelangelo with Roasted Chicken 

Ingredients

• 7 sun-dried tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 pound whole-wheat fusilli
• 4 cups sliced mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup fresh basil
• 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 rotisserie chicken
• 4 cups arugula
• 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan

Preparation

Place sun-dried tomatoes in a bowl. Bring 3 tablespoons water, balsamic vinegar, and sugar to a boil. Pour over tomatoes, let stand 10 minutes; drain and slice. Cook fusilli; reserve 1/2 cup cooking water. Cook mushrooms in olive oil in a nonstick skillet 1 minute without stirring. Sauté 5 minutes more or until brown. Add garlic; cook 1 minute. Add basil and sun-dried tomatoes; cook 1 minute. Add tomato sauce; bring to a simmer. Add pasta, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, reserved water, meat from rotisserie chicken, and 3 cups arugula; toss. Transfer to serving bowl; add 1 cup arugula, toasted pine nuts, and 1/3 cup grated Parmesan.

Broiled Bananas with Walnuts

Ingredients

• 1  banana
• 1  tsp. honey
• 1  tbsp. walnuts, chopped

Directions

Make it: Cut 1 banana in half lengthwise (leave in peel). Place on piece of foil, skin side down, and broil 5 to 6 minutes, or until browned on top. Drizzle with 1 tsp. honey and sprinkle with 1 tbsp. chopped walnuts. Serve in banana peel.

SPRING BREAK post 8

Sunday General Conference session

Sunday Morning- AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dieter F. Uchtdorf:
'You are my hands.' The Savior is our perfect example, Our hands, His hands, Our hearts, His heart. Welcome and LOVE all of Gods children. When we are tempted to judge think of the Savior, who loved us ALL. In truth we have all sinned, we have all come short of the glory of God, we all need mercy. We earnestly desire a merciful judgment, do the same to all. EVERY PERSON WE MEET IS A VIP TO OUR HEAVENLY FATHER. I loved his story about the old 20 dollar bill, though it was torn, worn, and wrinkled it was still had worth, the price of the bill was not lowered. We are each walking out own individual difficult path. Show your love every single day. We are clouds without water. Without the Love for God and our fellow men we are only the form of His church with out substance. LOVE. Love is the ground motive in the plan of salvation. He is RISEN. Commit to become His hands, so that others, through us, can feel His loving embrace.

Richard G. Scott:
Easter should bring peace and joy to all who love Him, He has risen from the dead with healing in his wings. He is the light for all mankind. Jesus LIVES. The human tongue cannot adequately express what all the atonement did for us, and what all Christ went through for us. He had the greatest responsibility, if He did it wrong, NO ONE would be able to make it back to Christ. He had to, in his PERFECT and PURE mind and soul, feel ALL and EVERY possible sin and He had to do it with His own strength alone. Our Faith in the atonement of Christ will bring strength and confidence. He was called to be our Savior, our Redeemer. The calling of a father and mother is the most important and needed calling, that is where the teaching is done. Make Christ your model and your guide for LIFE. He has opened up the opportunity to overcome mistakes. HE LIVES!

Donald L. Hallstrom:
In some circumstances in life there is only one peace and that is the Prince of Peace. Don't leave Christ, He is the only one who can and will ALWAYS help. Let grief turn you to the Lord. Don't let small matters become big, no matter the size of the issue, how we respond may re-set the course of our life. 'All things shall give thee experience and be for thy good.' HOLD ON THY WAY. God shall be with you forever and ever. God will always deliver you out of tribulation if you just TURN to the LORD.. Giving up is NOT an option. Never let an earthly circumstance disable you spiritually. Turn to the Lord, He WILL deliver you out of bondage. He will always light our way, out truth, and our LIFE.

Cheryl C. Lant:
Seek the face of the Lord always. Draw close to Him through faith and actions. Bring children to the Savior so they recognize His face. Teach children how to LOVE the Lord. Families are what matters, make them yours ETERNALLY. We have to know the way to show the way, none of us will become PERFECT examples, but we can all be WORTHY examples. It isn't easy, it takes hard work, patience, and faith, but it is worth it, it is essential, it is most important. We are the angels that God has appointed to encircle the children, the surround Gods children. Come unto Christ and bring out children, so we can together see His face.

Quentin L. Cook:
Christ is the center and focus of our Church. The resurrection is what we celebrate, the risen, the eternal, not on the cross but on the throne. HE LIVES. Sacrament meeting is the most sacred and Holy meeting, we must remember and reverence the sacrament. LOVE one another. How we disagree is a real measure of who we are. It is okay to disagree, but it is not okay to be disagreeable. If we want to have the inspiration of the Holy Ghost we must slow down, make time to pray, ponder, ask, and listen so we can receive essential promptings.

President Thomas S. Monson:
(I can't even begin to paraphrase this talk, it was amazing) The Master saved us all. Our Savior is Risen, He lives again. He preformed the most re-assuring event of all mankind, the victory over death.  HE LIVES. The darkness of death can be changed to light due to TRUTH. have a positive attitude and a sunny disposition. Never lose faith in Jesus Christ, NEVER! 

Sunday Afternoon

Russell M. Nelson:
(He is so cute, his wink was classic, loved it) Proclaim and protect the importance of family. If we believe in Christ we shall have everlasting and eternal life. With out the atonement there would be no mortality, no continuation of life and families after death. We are all linked through our ancestors, do the work! Our greatest responsibility is to seek after our dead. Together we are striving to create the family tree of us all, of ALL of Gods children, connected as one.

Robert D. Hales:
Duty to God means living by example-it takes determination and diligence. Do our children know what we know? Lead by understanding their hearts, walk with them and take advantage of teaching moments. Take the time to teach, to talk, to listen, to understand the hearts of children. Find opportunities to be with your children. They can't have light through borrowed light, they need their own.

Bradley D. Foster:
There is no greater good in all the world than motherhood. Just follow your mothers, they know where they're going. Some my stray but never give up, always go back for them, again and again. The love of a mother is closest to the love of Christ. The end will be better than the beginning.

'I KNOW THAT MY REDEEMER LIVES' (if any of you read this regularly you will know that this song is my ALL TIME FAVORITE song ever!!! I love it so much)

James B. Martino:
Each of us will receive tests and trials, it is up to us to react positively. All things work together for good for them who love God. Trials help you develop traits that will help us become more Christlike. Have confidence to grow from every experience. We must not complain through trials. Attempt to overcome them, ask what am I to do? What can I learn? Have an attitude to succeed. Seek God, pray more earnestly, He can lift our burdens so we no longer feel it. Learn to serve others, when we serve others we forget our own problems. Keep an eternal perspective.

Gregory A. Schwitzer:
Judge righteously, but don't pass judgment on others. We don't have enough of the picture to judge, the truth lies within knowing the whole person. Good judgment is NEEDED. Many blessings in life are missed when worldly judgments are made when it should have been a spiritual decision. Do our decisions lead us to Christ? Because paths to Christ always and only lead to happiness. Develop a relationship with the Spirit, listen, do not leave that gift on the shelf. Keep Gods commandments, we can know how to judge if we follow Christ.

Francisco J. Vinas:
Watch over members, help them stay away from things that will lead to spiritual death. Study the scriptures, pray regularly, and live the gospel. Those are works of righteousness. Those that do will be rewarded with peace on earth.

Neil L. Andersen:
'This whole meeting is a miracle. We have heard and felt the mind and will of the Lord.' WE have been placed on earth at troubled times. Our challenge is to continue to light the flame within us and our children. Each of us needs our own conversion, our own light. Is the life and teachings of Christ embedded in my life? Seek to always know more about Jesus Christ. As you speak of Christ the powers of heaven will bless you. If a child isn't listening, don't despair, time and truth are on your side, your testimony will never leave them, they will come back, the Spirit will press upon their hearts. How do you find the strength to get over tragic times? Think about Christ, the Savior. Two men can do anything as long as one of them is the Lord.

Thomas S. Monson:
We are all here because we love the Lord. Acknowledge His hand in all things. Trust in the Lord in all thy heart, He will direct thy path. "It has been good for us to be here." Study, ponder, apply the messages from today. Look to the lighthouse of the Lord. His light can rescue all through any fog, through all darkness. Call upon the Lord, He loves us and He will bless us if we call upon Him. This work is TRUE, HE LIVES, He guides and directs this church, His church upon the earth.

Happy Conference!

SPRING BREAK post 7

Saturday General Conference- a few of my notes, sorry they are probably really scattered and may not make complete sense...

Saturday Morning Session

President Thomas S. Monson is the sweetest man alive, I hope my husband talks about me like that one day. He is absolutely adorable. Happy 180th birthday Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

There is sunshine in my soul today!

Boyd K. Packer:
We are what we are and we know what we know! Eventually we will lift the whole world. It will be known who we are. We will win this battle. We NEED everyone. Too many priesthood holders are living below their privileges "I the Lord am bound when ye do what I say, but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise." The priesthood power will always stand between your home and the adversary. Be protected at home, sealed within the priesthood. FEAR is the opposite of FAITH, we move forward knowing the Lord will protect us. 

Julie B. Beck:
There is much distraction and not enough JOY in our world. Life is not calm, embrace it, prioritize with personal revelation. Earnestly seek help, revelation comes moment by moment. Make a conscious effort to not get distracted. Strive to feel the Spirit of God work through us. We are distinct and different in HAPPY ways than the women of the world.

Keith B. McMullin:
"My people will I preserve!" God forgives and helps us to forgive, ALWAYS, even when it is hard, especially when it is hard! A healing warmth will come if we come to Christ. If we pattern our lives around Our Savior we will leave the world a brighter and better place. DUTY-what we are expected to do, it doesn't require perfection but it does require dedication, integrity, and courage. Our path is to keep our covenants, our duty is to follow that path to God. Literally ALL that we have comes from God. We are just simply lumps of clay without him. We have a duty to GIVE back to God. Pray, it is the open lifeline that we all have. Praying is our duty, let your prayers be inspired by the Spirit.

Wilford W. Anderson:
We must have confidence, joy, hope, faith, through all things. NEVER be hopeless. Joy and hope does not depend on circumstance, it depends on FAITH. Hearts can be broken but Spirits must remain strong. Have hope through the atonement. Faith isn't only to believe it is to work at what you believe. Strong faith is developed by obedience. Grow in confidence that everything will be alright. Sadness and fear can melt away when we put our faith in the author of our life, our creator, the Prince of Peace, our loving Heavenly Father. Trust in the plan.

M. Russell Ballard:
The world has done a great deal of damage on the ideal women. Don't look to contemporary culture for role models. Look to mothers (especially my mother, she is the most amazing mother and my best friend! I love you mommy!) Love, listen, respect, trust your mother, SHE CARES!!! For mothers, even if it looks like your children aren't listening, they are still learning by your actions. A mothers example is EXTREMELY important. The most important work will be done within the walls of ones home. God is the source of all moral and spiritual power. Be strong and of good courage, be not afraid, for the Lord is with thee wherever you go. 

LIVE LIKE HIS SON

Henry B. Eyring:
Gain early the Spiritual strength to stay on the path. Wide is the gate and broad is the way to destruction, straight is the way and narrow is the path to LIFE.  Make the effort. We have the light of God on our side, lighting the path. Lead your family, guide them, we are bound to them in Love, just like our Heavenly Father is bound to us and wants us to return to Him. Kind people will always be placed along our paths to guide us. We must hear them, and let them help, let them rescue us. RISE to what the Lord requires and HELP. God has placed so much TRUST in our generation. Make the promise to the Lord that we can do it!

Saturday Afternoon Session

L. Tom Perry:
Teaching the gospel in the home. Parents are entrusted to teach their children, and they should teach what Heavenly Father would have them teach. Bring up your children in light and truth. It is our duty to teach children the gospel through scripture study, prayer, FHE, stories, meals, songs, etc. Teach by example, teach to increase Faith. Teaching the gospel at home adds another layer of insulation to block out the things of the world. We are partners with God.

D. Todd Christofferson:
The scriptures enlarge our memories, they help us remember, and they teach us about the things from the past that we could not experience our self. They help us not forget what earlier generations already figured out. We are SO blessed. Scriptural truths are eternal. Scriptures bring us to Christ, to fill us with Faith, in the atonement, to come to know the only true God, to make this gospel, CHRIST, the center of our life. Take courage in Joseph Smith, and in our latter-day prophet, Thomas S. Monson. Scripture is given through the Spirit, and we learn the scriptures through that SAME spirit. We have 900+ extra pages of scriptures, PLUS all of our general conference talks which are our modern day scripture. That is a TON of holy words that we can each possess, we can all have our own copy of ALL OF THAT! We are EXTREMELY blessed.

Koichi Aoyagi:
He had a beautiful story about the missionaries that taught him and said that the missionaries had something different, something he wanted, they had continual happiness, light, and love. Be the active member that notice, be aware. Extend your loving, serving, and caring hand to all. Follow the prophet, not out of responsibility but by your own free will. We are the Lords hand here upon this earth. Seek out those in need of help and save His children.

Bruce A. Carlson:
The Safety of the church lies with the members keeping the commandments. Don't say that some commandments don't apply to YOU and your circumstance, because the commandments are PERFECT from God, they apply always to all. Don't let pride get in the way, obedience will bring blessings no matter how trivial or unimportant it may seem. When the Lord commands, DO IT. Make that our #1 rule. Strive to be more obedient everyday.

David A. Bednar:
Watch for signs of danger, we have warnings all around us. 3 things parents can do with their children to watch for signs in their own home
1)Read and Talk about the Book of Mormon. The BOM contains the fullness of Christ and is the ONLY book that God has TESTIFIED is TRUE. It is the most correct of any book on earth. It centers on truth and if focuses on the Savior, in its plain teaching.
2)Testify spontaneously.Be attentive to opportunities to share the gospel and testimony. Be open with your family and children.
3)Act, don't merely be acted upon. Be doers not hearers only. Invite His teaching and testifying power.
We need to help our children be anxiously engaged in asking and knocking, that way our children won't be strong from our testimony, but they will have their own testimony.

Jeffrey R. Holland: (my favorite, he is so cute, so great, I love him)
In is kind of strange to read things in the Book of Mormon and think it was so long ago, I am so glad our world is different now, but it is not.... It is different, yes, but the problems are just the same. WOW when Holland related his talk to the scriptures it really was an eye opener. Lust is the most deadly sin, it is Spirit destroying, it ruins God's beautiful plan. TRUE LOVE is something you are giddy about, it makes us reach out to God and people, it comes with an open hand and an open heart. Lust is shame, it is the complete opposite. Separate yourself form any and all things that can tempt you. RUN as FAR as you can and STAY THERE. Don't leave behind a forwarding address. Seek help, PRAY, ask for angels! The only real control in life is self-control. Throw unwelcome thoughts out with joyful memories, picture the faces of those who love you. Let WILL be your reason. If you always think of Christ then you will never say "What was I thinking?" Every time we transgress we not only hurt ourselves and the ones we love but we also literally hurt Him, our Redeemer. Heavenly Father loves us. True Love is pure, the family it creates come through the grace of God. True Love is Eternal. Keep our self as PURE as we were meant to be. 'I will give place no more, for the enemy of my soul.'

SPRING BREAK post 6

Well... I have been sewing and cutting and pinning and measuring and calculating and all that good stuff but I feel like nothing ever gets done. It is taking a LONG TIME. Chiffon is a sin.. although I did learn a trick to make cutting out chiffon a bit easier. Put pattern paper on both sides of fabric and cut with the paper! MIRACLE WORKER! It also saved my fabric! I pricked myself with a needle while pinning which happens all the time so I though nothing of it, then I felt something sticky..... Thank you paper, thank you chiffon for needing the paper. haha sorry if this is gross, I thought it was kind of funny though, it may have just been because it was late, I was tired, and I was SO happy it didn't get on my fabric.

My skirt is rather complicated in its cutting out process. There are 11 sections of my skirt each with a chiffon circle (or circles sewn together) attached which will eventually then all be sewn together. I am sorry this makes no sense, maybe when it is more picture worthy I'll get a picture to help it make sense visually. This is a picture of all my 5 layers of chiffon right before it was cut into squares which would then be cut into circles. I think it took about 10 different ideas and calculations and 20 pages of notes and math to get it to work, hopefully it does.....

I forgot how much sewing hurts your body and how tiring it is. My shoulders and back and fingers are killing me. OUCH. I need a massage! Maybe I'll find a place to get one when this is all done. I keep looking ahead at all my projects and for the next 8 weeks I will be living in one big intense stress ball of projects so I decided I am going to take my last 2 days of break and just relax, watch conference and read because starting Monday I am going to  be dying my slow death due to lack of sleep and over the top stress..... AH! I do not want Monday to come..... I am literally scared for it. SO MUCH to do. But I guess that is the price you pay for trying to graduate in 1 year with the same credits as graduating in 2... which is the GREATEST THING IN THE WORLD. I get to take a semester or so off of school to intern (which I still need to find... more stress). Then BYU here I come again! Go business!

As of now I am looking forward to CONFERENCE which is starting in 1 hour! YAY. AND to Easter Dinner tomorrow, I am actually going to put my kitchen to good use and cook. Sunday also means my roommates will be back which means I'll have to clean up my perfect little sewing space... sad day.

I am still going strong on my cleanse, one more day. (one of my favorite treats is Almond Butter with Bananas on Toast, and I use Ezekiel Sprouted Whole Grain Cinn. Raisin Bread. DELICIOUS!)

Easter Dinner doesn't quite follow it but it is healthy. And I am going to drink my lemonade today that I bought over a week ago that has an expiration date of...tomorrow. It'll be my conference treat.  But I did read that Lemons are among the 10 healthiest foods! -If you couldn't tell I am on a BIG healthy food kick, I love healthy foods! (I love the sweets too naturally) I love finding great recipes, I have a HUGE folder that I have been collecting recipes in and I can't wait til I have a place to try them. I am so excited to cook and make delicious meals. I kind of want to be pro at it, so maybe I'll go to cooking school! I want to host dinner parties every weekend (Saturdays or Sundays) for all my friends (probably won't start happening til I am married) but that is one of my dreams, to cook and host all my friends and family. I also want to be better at photography so I am thinking I want to take some classes for that too. I just want to do so many things!!! I hope I can within my lifetime do all these things on my growing to-do list!

ENJOY LIFE. Take advantage of all it has to offer! There is so so so much. I am so excited for my future and all it holds.