favorite things {right now}

- this talk by Elder McConkie.

- these bowls from anthropologie.

- this shirt from loft.

- this necklace.

- this print.

- this quote:

"Let parents bequeath to their children not riches, but the spirit of reverence." -- Plato

Home sweet apartment

The time has finally come for me to move into my own apartment. While the apartment hunting game wasn't without stress, I'm really pleased with how it turned out and realize (once again) that Heavenly Father is completely in control. I have been so blessed in the almost three years that mom has been gone and a sweet and inspired email from one of my favorite missionaries this week just reconfirmed that. 

BUT decorating my (master!) bedroom in said apartment is harder. I cannot find a bed frame I love enough to actually want to spend money on. There is a bed frame from Urban Outfitters that I LOVE, but it's a staggering $650 and I really can't figure out why, because as much as I love it, it's a relatively simple design. When I sent a picture of it to my dad he said he could DIY it pretty easily... but he has no plans to come out here anytime soon. So for now, I'm planning on the "mattress on the floor" route until I find something WAY more affordable that I like just as much. ;)

(All images are from UO.)

I'm also trying to decide on a dresser. It's either the Hemnes from IKEA or the Malm (also from IKEA) with the hopes of doing something like this soon. 

Decor woes aside, I'm super excited for Barney (my beloved purple kitchenaid) to come out of storage after a year and a half and relieved that I'm finally in a position where I CAN move out. I'm so blessed. 

Life

Holstee Manifesto, found here.

I've been in love with this poster for a long time. I first found it right before the mama passed away and we both loved it so much it ended up on the back of her funeral program. I read it now, and for the first time in my life I feel like I'm finally getting there. I have a job I love. I fulfilled a travel dream. I'm learning to be myself.

Perhaps I should buy it for my new apartment.

"we can be grateful!"

I came across this art print on Pinterest last night. I love so many of the great designs on society6 (but like anything, there are some weird and questionable ones!). I much prefer coming across them on Pinterest than searching the website, haha.

{link above}

Anyways... back to the point... When I saw this print, it immediately made me think of President Uchtdorf's talk from this past April conference, "Grateful in Any Circumstances." His talk was by far my favorite of conference. 

"Could I suggest that we see gratitude as a disposition, a way of life that stands independent of our current situation? In other words, I'm suggesting that instead of being thankful for things, we focus on being thankful in our circumstances--whatever they may be."

Link to talk here.

on the first day of spring : hope

{the pin didn't link back to the original source, darn it}

I discovered a blog recently while glancing through The Power of Everyday Missionaries. It's called A Blog About Love. It's the greatest thing. Anyways, since discovering this blog, I've slowly been making my way through Mara and Danny's old posts. Today, I came across a post about the color yellow and the accompanying Pinterest board dedicated to yellow and I was so inspired... however, I'm not a huge fan of yellow. I am however, quite a fan of teal - it reminds me of the mama (her favorite color) and blues are known to be "serene." Ironically, teal is also the color for ovarian cancer awareness.

So, I decided to do a Pinterest search for "teal." Found way too many great images, but this one above was my favorite. I have found so many great quotes and "word images" on Pinterest. Some are taken with a grain of salt as to authenticity, but whether or not they can be attributed to someone famous or not, many of them have either brought me hope or made me laugh. This is one of them.

Hope is the greatest concept. A Google search for the definition of hope gave me this--

"A feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen."

Definition #2: "a feeling of trust."

I especially like definition #2. I've been trying so hard to trust -- not only Heavenly Father, but myself.

to sew

I want to learn how to sew... aside from my "Places : UK" board, my DIY style ideas board is my favorite, but I have yet to make anything on there.

I think part of the reason I like looking for DIY style projects is that I'm trying to figure out exactly what my style is and being "vertically challenged" (haha) makes finding clothes off the rack I actually like very difficult.

To be honest, I will always be a simple girl - I don't like drawing attention to myself and comfort is super important to me, but is it impossible to look cute while achieving those goals? Yet another reason I want to learn how to sew.

Two of my favorites right now are labeled as good beginner projects, but they're both knit, which I've heard is difficult to work with, especially for beginner sewers.

This first one is from the blog Four Square Walls. She took a basic t-shirt pattern and lengthened it into a dress. My overly observant brain really appreciates that the stripes are all aligned. At church a couple of weeks ago I was noticing all these girls in striped skirts and dresses and none of the stripes aligned at the sides... drove me absolutely crazy. ;)

The second one, a tutorial by iCandy Handmade, is also stripes... in a maxi skirt. I know, you're thinking, she liked the first one because the stripes matched up??? BUT, I like this one because the stripes are intentionally off-kilter.

Why do I like these? Part of the reason is that they're comfortable. Part of the reason is that they would make great travel pieces (hello London!) - a lot of the museums/churches require that you wear skirts/dresses when you visit. And, plus it will be summer and I'd be spending a LOT of time on buses and trains. AND, they're work-appropriate for the spring/summer (no shorts allowed).

London calling...

Remember this post? Well...

step 1: request time off and have it granted

step 2: start the application process

step 3: get paperwork signed from home institution allowing me to study elsewhere

step 4: finish application

step 5: pay deposit (ahh!)

step 6: renew passport after acceptance

step 7: apply for summer aid

step 8: get summer aid

step 9: GO!

(obviously saving $$$ is an ongoing step...)

All of this hopefully leads to a 4-week LIS study abroad program in the U.K. this summer! Steps 1 and 2 are done and hopefully step 3 will be started tomorrow. London has been on the top of my bucket list for YEARS. This would be a dream come true. The program cost is only a few hundred more than my standard tuition in my LIS program for the same amount of credits AND 4 weeks in England (3 in London itself). Also includes: Edinburgh, Bath, Stonehenge, Stratford-upon-Avon, Oxford plus 4 days wherever I want in Europe.

{Wheal Coates / Cornwall, via} | {Stonehenge, via} | {Warwick Castle, via}

{Bath, via} | {Edinburgh Castle, via}

all images found on Pinterest

favorite Jane quotes

I was wasting time on Pinterest finding things for my Jane Austen board and thought of collecting these...

“The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.” 

“There is nothing I would not do for those who are really my friends. I have no notion of loving people by halves, it is not my nature.” {from Northanger Abbey}

“I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of any thing than of a book! -- When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library.” {from Pride & Prejudice... and absolutely true!}

“In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.” {Darcy's speech from P&P}

“but for my own part, if a book is well written, I always find it too short.”

and the absolutely best ever...

“I can listen no longer in silence. I must speak to you by such means as are within my reach. You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone for ever. I offer myself to you again with a heart even more your own than when you almost broke it, eight years and a half ago. Dare not say that man forgets sooner than woman, that his love has an earlier death. I have loved none but you. Unjust I may have been, weak and resentful I have been, but never inconstant. You alone have brought me to Bath. For you alone, I think and plan. Have you not seen this? Can you fail to have understood my wishes? I had not waited even these ten days, could I have read your feelings, as I think you must have penetrated mine. I can hardly write. I am every instant hearing something which overpowers me. You sink your voice, but I can distinguish the tones of that voice when they would be lost on others. Too good, too excellent creature! You do us justice, indeed. You do believe that there is true attachment and constancy among men. Believe it to be most fervent, most undeviating, in F. W.

I must go, uncertain of my fate; but I shall return hither, or follow your party, as soon as possible. A word, a look, will be enough to decide whether I enter your father's house this evening or never.” {Wentworth's letter from my all-time fave, Persuasion}

peace

"I love that moment when I look back on a challenge in my life and realize I'm now at peace with it."

I just barely saw this quote on Pinterest and realized how true it is. There have been so many times in my life where I've gone through a trial only to realize later that I'm OK with the fact that it happened... maybe not happy about it, but OK. 

Reminds me of this... (is it OK to admit that part of the reason I like this are the colors?)

demise of the hoodie

Those who know me wouldn't exactly call me a clothes-horse (how's that for a word choice, Auntie?), but there is one thing I really love... hoodies. Not sure why because I rarely (if ever) actually wear the hood part of the hoodie, but I love them. I have an entire board dedicated to them on Pinterest... what else is there to say?

Today I put on my go-to hoodie, the quintessential gray zip hoodie and realized that the zipper was broken. Oh, the horror. Really. Now I have to find a new one. It doesn't necessarily have to be gray, in fact I'd really like an oatmeal colored one, but I need a new go-to hoodie. Preferably a zip up one. If I were into the peplum trend, I'd by this one in a heartbeat because I love everything above the peplum. 

So, tonight after dinner (and after I finished the Relief Society newsletter -- I do have priorities) I began my search. Kohl's, Gap, Old Navy, Anthropologie (and eBay for Anthro I could actually afford), J. Crew, Forever 21, Eddie Bauer, Express (where I found a cute lace one but it looks blasted uncomfortable!), Target... no luck. 

I did find a couple of "tide-me-overs" at Kohl's that would probably work. I could at least wear them to bed, but I'd really like to find at least one that I could wear like this...

{via}

...you know, as part of a real outfit, not just a sloppy "throw it on when I get home" type thing. I also really like this outfit... 

{via}

...even though it's not a hoodie, I might consider it (in addition) if it had the right "comfort factor."

Now, maybe I can sleep :-)

I think I have a problem...

I was going through my boards on Pinterest (I know, a very productive Sunday morning activity) and noticed something...

{outfit 1 via     |     outfit 2 via     |     outfit 3 via}

I've pinned three versions of essentially the same outfit in the last two weeks. Hmmm. Maybe this should be the inspiration for my next shopping spree? I obviously love it.

good things {this week}

- a perfect score

- compliments

- my new laptop

- that I had to buy said laptop {makes expensive purchases so much easier!}

- new recipes that turn out yummy

- this pin on Pinterest... I love it.

Hold onto hope

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