Happy Halloween!

I LOVE Halloween.  I think I love it more each year.  I especially love dressing up, and for me the fun is in finding/making the costumes. Phil doesn't want to have to work, he just wants an easy costume that he can put on and be done, but I don't just want any old store-bought costume.  Which is ironic because when I was a kid I always thought the store-bought costumes were the best, but my mom (wisely) was never willing to spend the money and always made my costumes. They were of course way better and much nicer than anything I could have bought at Wal-Mart, but its only recently that I'm really starting to appreciate her hard work. 

These days, I pride myself on being able to find everything we need to dress up at the D.I.  Even better if I can find something ridiculous and alter it into something great. I also really like have couples costumes. A few years ago Phil and I dressed up as Princess Peach and Mario and his roommate Brian was Luigi. 

My dress was a giant size 20 that I found at the D.I. and took in by hand!  So grateful to have a sewing machine now!

Then last year we dressed up as Gnomeo and Juliet, which was really fun except that people kept mistaking us for either Smurfs or Keebler Elves.  

A combination of D.I. alterations and clothing we already owned.  I made our gnome hats out of felt.

This year I wanted to have a theme again, its just more fun that way. We were thinking for a while that we could be the Mad Hatter and Alice in Wonderland, but I wasn't thrilled with the idea and we were on such a tight budget I wasn't sure how I was going to be able to make our costumes good enough.  Finally, after searching online for ideas, I got the idea to be Sandy and Danny from Grease. I of course decided I would be the "good" Sandy which would be an easier costume, not to mention more appropriate for our Ward party. Phil's costume was what made me really excited though.  As you all know, he is attending Thunderbird School of Global Management. Well, all the students at Thunderbird are called T-Birds and what could be more iconic than Danny's T-Bird jacket?  

After a mishap with spray paint, I was able to use acrylics to paint the "T-Bird" logo on Phil's jacket.  I told him he should just start wearing it to school, I think its awesome!

My skirt was made from a large yellow muumuu dress.  The sweater and all of Phil's costume were also bought at Goodwill. 

Happy Halloween!

My Birthday

My Birthday was so fun! Especially because I have so many nice people in my life who called, texted and facebooked me all day long wishing me a happy day!  Who wouldn't like that?!  And, most of all, I have such a wonderful, sweet hubby who really made my day just perfect.

My real present was going to the fair, which I already blogged about, but Phil got up early (even when he didn't have to go to school) and made me eggs and bacon before I had to go to a meeting at work at 8 a.m.  When I got home, he took me to Target to spend the gift card my parents and little brother sent me. Phil patiently waited while I gathered up, tried on, and deliberated over 20 different shirts (its been forever since I have gone shopping for clothes!  oh the woe's of being poor! By the way, have you seen this video?:  First World Problems).

I had a shift at New York and Co that afternoon, but he had dinner ready for me when I got home.  We had the most delicious chicken and green chile quesadillas and ginger ale in fancy glasses, and we watched the presidential debate while we ate.  Is anyone thinking, "that's really what you did on your birthday?"  because yes it is, and I loved it!  We had lemon meringue pie for dessert and I blew out a match (we couldn't find the candles) and made a wish!

Couldn't have asked for a better day!

October, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways...

I love October. I think I love it more each year. October means fall weather, scarves, boots, sweaters, General Conference, Halloween, and my Birthday. So many good things in one month! Although, it has been a little different here in Arizona--I have yet to don a scarf, boots or a sweater, and the leaves haven't changed a bit--but its still October. 

Also good in October:

The Balloon Fiesta

Pumpkin everything

Haunted Houses

Candy

The State Fair

I will be turning 25 tomorrow. I can't believe it.  Suddenly, I find that more and more often I can talk about things that happened 10 years ago and then be shocked that that something was actually 10 years ago. I know I'm not old, but wow, a quarter of a century is a big deal right?

Well to celebrate, Phil took me to the Arizona State Fair with my brother Nate, sister-in-law Theresa and nephew Kaiden.  Sometimes I actually feel that every year I get older, I am actually becoming more childlike.  As in, 10 years ago, I would not have been nearly so excited to go to the State Fair. But now,  now when I'm 25, you would think I was a five-year-old in a toy store. I know for readers' sake pictures on a blog are much appreciated, but as you know I'm pretty terrible at capturing moments on film (or memory stick, as it were).  I just love to enjoy the moment instead of worrying about getting everyone to pose.  So, I have no pictures to offer showing how much fun we had, you'll just have to take my word for it. 

Oh wait, except one, of a chicken.  

Are you surprised that my favorite part of the fair was the chickens?  Besides look at her!  She is so fluffy!

We walked through all of the over priced food stands, saw the rides, and walked through the weird infomercial section where people try to sell you things you don't need. We played in Toddler Town with Kaiden, saw the Home Arts exhibits, and then headed over to the Animal Barns.  I really did love the chickens, as I always do. Nate and Theresa bought Kaiden a stuffed duck that he saw and really wanted and then when we passed the ducks in the Barn he held his stuffed duck up to their cages and said "ducky, quack quack!!"  So cute.  

We all ate way too much. Theresa and I had Navajo tacos, Phil had a gigantic corn dog, and Nate had the Giant Western Sausage.  It was delicious. We watched a hypnotist for a while as well as some pig races. I had a great time. We finished the night off watching a movie at Nate and Theresa's and eating root beer floats. 

Also, Nate and Theresa got me this adorable sewing basket and a giant tomato pin cushion. I love it and am excited to fill it up with crafts!    

See, didn't I say that October is the best month?

Life lately, work finally

It has been quite a while since I last wrote.  I felt like I had nothing to tell because I wasn't doing anything.  As hard as I was trying to find a job, nothing seemed to be working out and so I was just home day after day after day.  Don't get me wrong, I love to be a homemaker.  I like to clean, I like to organize and decorate, I like to make dinner for Phil, and I look forward to when we have a family and I can be home with our children.  However, when it is just the two of us in a small apartment, there is only so much to do. And even worse, weekends aren't much fun either when you are home everyday already.  

Well, since no other jobs seemed promising, I started applying to retail jobs all over Glendale.  I've always thought I would like working in retail, but it just doesn't pay much and the hours aren't very good. Still, I had to find something.  Well, I was first hired at New York & Company, a store I always loved in New Mexico (it wasn't in Salt Lake).  I started officially on Monday and it was fun.  I like talking to and helping people who come into the store, and being surrounded by clothes isn't too bad either. Unfortunately, in the retail business, employees only work part-time unless you are a manager, so just having one part-time job isn't really enough.

So, I kept working on applications and attending interviews and was also hired to work at TJ Maxx.  I attended an orientation on Tuesday and will be starting work there next week.  I like everyone I have met so far, I like the store, and I think I will like working there.  Hopefully, between the two jobs, and with the holidays coming up, I will be able to at least get 40 hours a week.

Overall I am just trying to stay positive.  My situation isn't ideal, but its not bad.  So what if its not my dream job?  I am lucky to have a job at all let alone two when I know there are so many people struggling to find work. Phil and I worry about money, student loans, paying bills, all of that.  But, at the same time I feel peace with our situation. I know that Heavenly Father will bless us and help us and that everything will work out in the end.