Fabric Craze

As I sit here I am waiting for fabric to be posted to buy. I feel like it's black Friday.... for fabric. Reading on their website it sounds like some of the fabric goes REALLY fast. I have had my eye on this fabric since I came across this website almost a week ago. I started making a wish list, the end of the list was "All of it". I may have a slight problem. 😬 If you like fabric you can relate. I don't know what it is with fabric, maybe its the possiblitly that it can be whatever you want, I'm not sure. All I know is I love it. (Just ask Daniel....)

I got the fabrics I wanted! I'm so happy! I got on Facebook after I ordered and there were a lot of comments about how some specific fabrics sold out in less than 5 minutes. I had some of those fabrics and felt victorious and slightly guilty for feeling so. Look aren't they so pretty! They are going to be really soft too! I can't wait for them to come. 

Also talking about fabric I am selling some of my creations! Head on over to my website to check it out. I am currently doing a 20% off sale, simply use the code: WELCOME at check out. It has been a lot of fun so far. I make them all to order (so if you have any special requests with your order, let me know.) I also have an instagram account so you can stay up to date @skirtswithshirts.

Decorating a Rental: its starts with packing

I was talking to someone today on base and he found out I enjoy decorating. He started telling me that someone wanted to teach a class about decorating a rental, but we were interrupted and he wasn't able to finish what he was saying. I'm not sure what he was going to say but it did get me thinking about what I've learned about decorating rentals so far. This might be my first PCS, but I've been living in rentals now for several years.

Take my advice or leave it, this is just what I've figured out so far. This is from reading a lot of blogs, listening to advice, and a little bit of trial and error. And I'll probably change things as I gain more experience.

The key to unpacking and making your rental feel like home starts with PACKING.  For months I did research to figure out the best ways to pack, I got labels for each room off amazon, the labels were color coded so I could easily look at it to know what room it was going in. I put them on the two opposite corners so I could easily see where it would go. Next to each sticker I wrote the specific things that were in each box.

I really like this system and I will definitely be doing it in the future but I did face a few challenges.

• My apartment I was leaving was REALLY small and there were only so many places we could put packed boxes so a lot of the packing had to wait until we had the moving truck and could move boxes into it.
• I only had so many days of vacation from work so I wasn't there the main packing day-- so NONE of this happened; every box was pretty random. But I'm so grateful for all the great people that were willing to help, we definitely wouldn't have left when we did without them. 
• We had great friends that we knew from college come help us unload the moving truck. I wanted to have each box go directly to the room that it was meant to go in, but once again I didn't want to ask them to do my extra "crazy" moving system so everything just went wherever there was room. until it looked a little like this:
  

Once everything was out of the truck we started moving everything into the rooms they belonged in. We then quickly unpacked the contents. Things were put away with thought but not really well organized. I will be going back and organizing things a little better. But this got the stuff out of boxes and where we could use it. Most of our house was unpacked within three days.(Or maybe I'm forgetting how much wasn't done when I had to go back to Utah to teach.)

If you want your new place to feel like home get rid of those boxes as fast as possible! I still have 2 boxes sitting there reminding me I just moved in. I've also noticed the longer they wait the harder it is to unpack them. If you don't need what's in them get rid of it or put it in storage.

Now that you have your lovely belongings in your new place its time to decorate! My favorite part!

Our New Life

I have been thinking about updating this for awhile, but something else always seems to distract me. But today as I was sitting at the computer not wanting to apply for jobs I wondered over to my blog. Its hard for me to want to apply for a job when I just left the perfect one. This past year I was teaching clothing at a middle school in Lehi, Utah. There were challenges and struggles, but I loved it! You are probably wondering if I loved my job so much why did I quit? The answer is simple, I love my husband more. He graduated from BYU and commissioned as an officer in the United States Air Force.

With his commissioning, meant our first PCS (Permanent Change of Station) we were moving. We packed up, I took my vacation, and we drove across country; which was definitely an adventure! Since I had to get back to work we made the drive in as few days as possible. We had some fun times, like spray paining cars in Texas, and some not so fun times, like when the moving truck broke down.. (Side note: if you are renting a moving truck I recommend Penske they were great to work with when the truck broke down, they hired movers to repack all of our stuff into a different truck-- I've heard other moving companies aren't that nice.)

But we finally made it! We got really lucky and found an apartment the first day we were here. We signed the lease the next day and started moving right in.

I went back to Utah, finished the school year, and now I'm back! I have loved decorating the apartment. I have done a lot throughout the apartment but I don't have a single space complete yet. I will post pictures soon with some advice for decorating a rental.

Field Training

Dropping Harris off at the airport

Harris is gone to Field Training. It is only a month... not nearly as long as our separations will be in the future. But its the longest we have been apart so far. One of the hardest parts about it is not being able to talk to him. Ever since we became friends we have pretty much talked all the time, either texting, calling, or in person. It has always been instant, I think of something I want to share with him I can. He will get any message just moments later. But while he is at Field Training we have to communicate through letters. As romantic as getting a love letter from my Airman sounds... it kinda stinks. I want to hear how he is doing... I worry all the time. And when I worry I can't call, FaceTime, text, or even email him to make sure he is ok.

While I was thinking about how we just have to communicate through letters it reminded me of my grandparents. In my church we believe in sharing our testimonies of Jesus Christ through missionary work. Because of WWII my grandpa was a soldier instead of a missionary. After the war he met and fell in love with my grandma. However, they felt they needed the blessing of a mission in their home. So after receiving special permission from church leaders my grandpa left my expectant grandma to go to New Zealand to be a missionary.... And how did they communicate... through letters. Not only was it a lot longer than a month but the letters took a lot longer to get to each other, they had to travel across the ocean on a ship.

When I told my grandma about how my experience seams so little compared to what she went through she just gave a little laugh as she reminisced those times. And agreed it took a long time to hear from him. She then said something wise about how it was hard but we make it through it. And that is the truth. It is hard... but I can do hard things.

Student Teaching

Time to Leave

I am doing my student teaching and it is well shall I say...hard. I feel like I am trying to swim up stream, but I'm caught in a current. Not only am I not going up stream but I feel like I am drowning.

In my major at BYU we have a junior high/middle school experience as well as a high school experience. I am finished with the junior high and now I am at the high school. I feel like it is a lot harder... but maybe its just because I made it through the junior high and it is in the past. Its not really the teaching that is hard but more all the logistical things... like getting papers copied. Sounds ridiculous that that is one of my main stresses... but its true.

I do want to say that I enjoy teaching. But it will (I hope) be easier after I have taught for longer.

...19 more days....

The Unexpected

Yesterday I was having a normal day, I was at work when my phone rang. My phone announced that that Hubby was calling. I was excited that he was calling but I knew that he shouldn't be calling so I was immediately filled with concern. Harris told me that his knee had been injured so he would be coming home but he has a spot to come back to field training next year. His plane would be landing at 7:30 and I needed to be at the airport to pick him up.

After getting off the phone I had so many mixed emotions. My husband is coming home, that was exciting, I missed him. But he had been injured, I didn't know how bad it was. He wasn't able to finish field training, which was sad and frustrating. Was that going to delay everything? Would he have to be in school another year?

When Harris got to the airport to fly out he called and was able to tell me more information. He told me that his Field Training Officer called him into her office to tell him that she ranked him #1 in his flight! He was told that leaving because of his knee wouldn't effect his chances to become a pilot. Probably the most reassuring thing he said was that he would be POC. Basically what that means it won't put him back a year. He will be able to continue on in the ROTC just like he had finished field training and next summer he will go back.

****

Harris told me just to pick him up from the curb, I was fine with that so I wouldn't have to pay for parking. But when he was still waiting to get off the plane I parked so I could see him sooner. He called right as I was parking and said he was on his way to the baggage claim. I ran through the airport to meet him. My mixed emotions were gone and I was so excited that I was about to see him. I looked up to see if I could see him coming down the escalator... I couldn't. I looked over to the baggage claim to see if I could see him... I couldn't. I looked back and forth until I spotted him. I started running again-- he saw me and started going to meet me. It was wonderful to be in his arms again. I had missed him so much.

On the way home Harris shared so many stories and experiences he had from field training. He was doing so well and making new friends. He wished he was able to stay there and finish. I wish he was able to as well. Yes I missed him and am glad he is home but he needs to complete field training and he was doing so well.

Field Training Begins

It was Memorial Day 2012-- Harris and I were texting, we were dating at the time. I was visiting my grandpa, a WWII vet. Harris asked me what I thought about the military, a fitting question being it was Memorial Day. We were getting more serious, I dreamed about having a future together. I was trying to read into his text. Did he want to join the military? I loved our country but didn't think I could be a military wife. The truth was I had specifically said multiple times that I could never marry someone in the military. So in my text I said something about how I respected military members and asked why he wondered. He said it was because he has a lot of family who served in the military and then listed off family members who were in the military. That first text started me thinking. Could a marry someone in the military? Would I be willing to marry Harris if he was in the military?

A few months later, after we were engaged Harris' brother talked to him about joining the Air Force. By that time I was willing to marry someone in the military. I was willing to be with Harris even if there would be long separations. I would do this because I loved Harris and I loved our country.

I remembered this last night as I was helping Harris get ready for Field Training. I knew it was going to be hard.

***

Yesterday I left work early so I could help Harris get ready. I cut his hair, sewed on his name tapes (and by the way those are so hard to sew on, I will have pay someone to do it next time. I don't even care that I am going to be a sewing teacher. My finger is still sore from pushing the needle through so many layers of fabric.) I did a late night run to Walmart to, cut cables (threads) and pressed his blues. While I did all of this I tried not to let Harris see the tears that would come to my eyes every once in a while. I was trying to be strong. I didn't want Harris to worry about me while he is gone.

Sewing on name tapes

As Harris was packing I could tell he was nervous. His brother was over quizzing him, which just made Harris more nervous.  He was stressed about getting everything packed as well as trying to quickly recall the information he had studied as Nathan drilled him.

After getting everything packed perfectly and ready to go Harris and I went to bed a little after midnight. We got just 3 hours of sleep so we could get to the airport on time. It was a long ride to the airport knowing that my husband would be leaving. But I stayed strong. I didn't cry. At the airport we said our goodbyes. As I watched him walk away I started to cry.

Harris and I have never been without each other for more than a week since we had met. Since we have been married it has just been weekends-- and those weekends where we had been apart we were able to text or call each other. But this time Harris would be gone for 23 long days. With only hand written letters. I couldn't hold it anymore, and I let the tears come and sting my eyes.

Work today was also a struggle. Memories of us and him would sneak in and bring a bitter-sweetness feeling with them.  I would think of things that I wanted to share with him after work. But then remembered I couldn't. At these times tears would come to my eyes and I would try to not let them fall.

The highlight of today was a call I got from Harris when he was in Dallas on a layover. I was so giddy when my phone rang and I knew it was him. I had hoped he would be able to call, and he had! It was wonderful to hear his voice. He told me that he studied a lot on the plane and he feels ready for field training. Knowing that he feels more confident helped me to be a little happier.

I love Harris and can't wait for him to come back. Let the count down begin!