Sunday Thoughts

So today was the big day...after 7 weeks of thought and preparations it was finally time to give my talk. I had been totally calm up until this morning when the butterflies got busy and then while I was sitting on the stand I experienced some serious adrenaline (like save a baby from a burning building adrenaline) and heart palpitations (I'm not a fan) so it was a relief to actually get up there and give my talk. Here are some tidbits...

President Kimball said, “What gods do we worship? Modern idols or false gods can take such forms as clothes, homes, businesses, machines, automobiles, pleasure boats, and numerous other material deflectors from the path to godhood."

Satan’s distractions are even greater during the week when we are away from church and have thousands of things vying for our attention. What are you distracted by? Do you spend too much time watching TV, working, exercising, reading for pleasure (guilty!), checking Facebook, shopping, sleeping, talking on the phone, checking sports scores, playing video games and so on? None of these things are bad on their own, but they all have the potential to distract us and keep us from doing the things that let the Lord know He is our true focus and only God.

1 John 2 :15 --Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

Dallin H. Oaks said, “We look first to our Savior Jesus Christ. He is our model. Our model is not the latest popular hero of sports or entertainment. Similarly, our most precious possessions are not the expensive toys and diversions that encourage us to concentrate on what is temporary and to forget what is eternal. Our model—our first priority—is Jesus Christ. We must testify of Him and teach one another how we can apply His teachings and His example in our lives.”

Creative Friday--Fun Substitute Edition

After mentioning that I'd be having Creative Friday by myself while Michelle was in Denver, Jenn emailed me to invite me to have a "Substitute Creative Friday" at her house.


I arrived at her house around 11:30 and was immediately taken with all her cute Halloween decorations. Her house is fully decked out for the holiday, which is funny because she doesn't like Halloween.


She found these Halloween pillows at Target and couldn't resist them, I completely understand the allure.


I have always enjoyed her IKEA cubby storage system with the bins paint-stamped with her kids names on them; she has a great way of using her supplies for all sorts of projects.


She gave me a tour of the house because I hadn't been there in awhile and she had moved her studio from upstairs down to the basement and moved her daughter Kate to the bedroom the studio used to be in. This plaque in Kate's room caught my eye because I've never seen that quote before.

Our self-portrait.

We finally made it down to the basement where Jenn has taken over with all her wonderful supplies. She has a knack for displaying things in a pleasing manner, so I have always loved to look around her studios in the past, and the new set up did NOT disappoint.


This desk/cabinet area was originally designed to be a homework area for her kids, but they didn't end up using it for that. I love how much room she has in here and especially that she can have a tall island to stand and work at...I always have to move to my kitchen counters if I need more room for a standing project.


I adore this cubby storage system she's got going. It is full of aesthetically pleasing supplies, projects, and gifts, it's a festival for the eyes.


It took us a long time to get started working on anything because of all the talking and touring we did. You'll notice I brought her a drink from Sonic, she opted for Cherry Limeade.


This ended up being one of my least productive days ever, but I'm okay with that. I ended up getting a couple birthday cds mailed and a few things cut out.


Jenn did some checking online for some help with Ethan's Halloween costume and she wrapped a birthday present for Soren (he and Whitney share the same birthday).


For lunch she made us paninis with white cheddar cheetos (yum) and apples with toffee dip. Her sister called just as we were sitting down to eat, so my food was gone by the time she got off the phone, and she hadn't started eating yet!


Why is this alien on the table you ask? Because she is letting me borrow it for Landon's "Men in Black" Halloween costume. I think the alien is hilarious and will be the perfect size to be in Landon's suit jacket pocket.


When Jenn finally sat down to eat, she got out a notebook so she wouldn't forget any of the ideas she came up with while we talked. Remember when she used to wear a notebook on a lanyard around her neck?


Does this look like a fear-inducing instrument of horror to you? Well, it is! It resides in Jenn's studio and is an air freshener that sprays every 27 minutes and managed to scare the crap out of me every time it sprayed! It sounds like a hissing snake or some other hostile creature, there's nothing like a good burst of adrenaline while writing a note.

**Did you decorate for Halloween?
Do you enjoy cubby storage systems?
Have you tried White Cheddar Cheetos?
Ever been startled by an air freshener?**

Comment Window Tidbit: Hey guess what? I got hired at Landon's Junior High (that's the new name for that school) and will be starting next week! Thanks for all the prayers and well wishes, they worked!