Thankful

I absolutely love Thanksgiving and this whole time of year in general, I love fall. My first Autumn here on the east coast has been beautiful and I am loving it out here more and more everyday. I am so grateful for so many things in my life I could never share them all, but I would like to share a few. I am so grateful for parents that I know love me and that will always be there for me no matter how many thousands of miles are between us. I am grateful for all of my brothers and sisters (in-laws included of course) and the much stronger relationship I have built with them over the past couple of years, I consider all of you some of my very best friends! I am so grateful for all of my friends, all my old ones, and all of my new ones, and all the ones in between, you help me through so much and I am so blessed to have so many true friends that are there for me in good times or in bad, no matter what.

Since living in Philly I have come to realize very simple things that I am grateful for that I never really thought about before I was here, here are a few of them. I am grateful that I had parents that read to me when I was a child, that would take me to the library whenever I wanted to go, that put a high value on education, and always pushed and encouraged me to do my best in my academic pursuits. I am grateful for the gospel in my life and the amazing happiness it brings, and also the change I have seen it make in the lives of those around me. I have seen this change take place in many of the new members of my ward and it is so awesome. I am so grateful to know that I am where I am supposed to be, and that I am doing what I love.

On a bit of a lighter note... I am grateful for my guy friends here in Philly they are so great! They set mouse traps, walk us girls home at night, make great food for me, let me watch House, The Office and 30 Rock at their house, help me move all of my stuff into my apartment, let me park in their driveway when I can't find parking, and tell me about things like "Julie Andrews will be at Macy's on Saturday signing her book" (yes I got the book and yes I got it signed, and got to chat with her for a second yesterday!!!!) I am grateful for my girlfriends in Philly who go and really girly movies with me that I would never ever take any guy to (New Moon), who let me sleep on their couch/air mattress when I didn't have a home, who are such great examples of the person I want to become, who spend wonderful Saturdays with me going on runs, going to the farmers market, and to see Julie Andrews at Macy's :).

These are just a few of the many things I am so grateful for, I am so incredibly blessed.

WORLD SERIES!!!!

I got to go to game 5 of the WORLD SERIES!!!! I had so much fun, and although they lost the series, they were absolutely magnificent in this game. Who would have thought that I would become a baseball fan, go figure. Anyway my friend Landon came out and we went to the game, we got hot dogs and Chickie and Petes fries (a Philadelphia tradition) everything you really need to make a baseball game complete! Maybe they will win the series next year. I had sooo much fun!

Halloween!!!

So I got to go to Boston for Halloween this year and it was fantastic! I went for the YSA conference which was great, there was a masquerade that night at the Harvard Club and I had a blast... costumes, friends, and a good DJ, what more can a girl ask for. I went up there with most of the "city crew", it was a bit rainy and I think I contracted the swine flu there, but it was so much fun, definitely the best Halloween I have had in a while!

Coming Home!!!

I am flying home today!!! I will be in Utah until Wednesday morning, I am so excited! YAY!

On my way to New York!

Ok so I am taking the Bolt bus up to New York, I am meeting up with my brother Ben and his wife Steph and I am so excited! I havn't seen them since the begining of the summer and haven't really gotten to talk to them because they have been in France all summer. I am so excited to have some family time!

Anyway since I will be on a bus for the next 2hrs I thought that this would be a good time to give a little update, so here goes.... First of all I found an apartment, it is in such a cute neighborhood and it is a really cute two bedroom, that I will be sharing with a roomate (also named Rachel, seems like I am always destined to live with other Rachels!) So I was supposed to move in on Thursday. I went and signed the lease during lunch and had packed up my car that morning, but when I was signing my lease they told me that they were planning on painting it and refinishing the floors starting the next day, they said that they didn't have to do it, but I figured that I could wait a couple of days for new paint and refinished floors. So I currently have all of my worldly possesions packed up in my car and I have been couch hopping around between various friends houses. So it has been a funny couple of days, I have a new found empathy for homeless people, and I am so ready to just have a place to call home! Only three more days!!!

I am still loving work, I work alot more hours than I did while I was interning, but it has been great. This week was crazy insane busy, I think it is funny because when I usually think of someone busy at work I think of papers pileing up, but for me clothing starts pileing up all around me! I am starting to make friends at work which is really fun, and I am making better friends with lots of people in my ward as well. I feel really content here and with my life in general right now.

Well that is the quick update on my life, I will post again when I am settled into my new place. Once I am settled and have Internet I will post a bunch of pictures from the summer! Love and miss you all!

Rach


-- Post From My iPhone

To do list:

Now that I know where I will be for this chapter of my life my mind is a whirlwind of all the things that I need to do, and things I need to get, and people I need to talk to. Here are just a few things on my list.

Find an apartment
Get a matress for apartment
Somehow get all of my stuff from Salt Lake to Philly
Get dishes
Get pots and pans
Get couch
Figure out car situation
Get car insurance
Get Internet
Get cable and DVR
Sign up for independant study
Get other essential furnishings
Get other essential kitchen items

Yeah so lots to do!!! But I am really excited to do it all, or al least most of it, like I said having my own apartment is one of the things I am most excited for, I can't wait to decorate it, especially with cute anthropologie stuff!


-- Post From My iPhone

Drum Roll Please........

I GOT A JOB!!!!!! I will be the merchandise assistant for the swimwear, legwear, loungewear, and intimate apparel department at Anthro!!!! I am really excited, I am starting to look for apartments, and I can't wait to have my own apartment to decorate. I am also really excited to have the discount while actually having an income!!! Anyway more updates and details later!!! Love and miss you all!

Up In The Air!!!

Sorry I haven't updated this lately, but life has been a bit crazy!!! I am still loving my internship, and I am desperately trying to find a job here so that I can stay! But everything is up in the air and once again I have no idea where I will be at this time next month... Who knows!

Last week we had swim style out which was crazy we called in about 200+ samples, unpacked them, hung them, photographed them on mannequins, had a bunch of people come in to vote on their favorites, sent back all the samples in their appropriate boxes, printed pictures of all of them, put all the info about the product on the back of all the pictures, and divided our favorites into the deliveries that we wanted them to come in at. It was an insane week I don't think I left work before 6:30 the entire week!!! But I absolutely loved it!!!

It is finally getting really hot and humid, I don't mind it too much, but I am definitely having to adapt. I have met so many great people out here, I love all the people I work with and I have an awesome ward out here. I am definitely never board. Maria is great, couldn't be better, she is helping me with my goal of learning how to cook while I am out here, she is an awesome cook and has worked in a bunch of kitchens, so I am really learning a lot.

Although I am absolutely loving it I really miss my family and all of my friends, I have made a bunch of friends out here but I don't really have any bosom buddies, but that's OK because all of my bosom buddies are only a phone call away.

Well love and miss you all!!!

Rachel

Love it

I just love this new bed from Anthro isn't it amazing!!

-- Post From My iPhone

My 4th Of July

Ok so I have been here for just over a month and I am still absolutely loving it!!! I feel like I am really getting in the swing of things and finding my own rhythm. I bought a bike last Saturday at the flea market for $45, what a steal!!! It is a 1964 Hercules, I then rode it to the bike shop to tune it up a bit and get a basket put on I left it there and walked home. I got it back on Tuesday, I also bought a lock for it when I picked it up $45 funny that the lock costed as much as the bike... oh well better safe than sorry!!! I was sick last week so I wasn't quite up for riding my bike, but I was basically better by the fourth and rode my bike down town saw the parade, then rode over to Penn's Landing for $5 all you can eat icecream... yum! I ate 8 cups of icecream!!!! I started to feel a bit sick and decided to call it quits after 8 cups, I then rode back downtown, wandered around and then back to Penn's Landing to meet up with some people, then rode home to eat a 4th of July feast with Maria, Lucy (Maria's Mother) and Elise (Maria's best friend). The food was great, and the conversation even better, I think that half of the time we were on the bink of falling out of our chairs from laughter. 9:45 Rolled around and I was thinking of hopping on my bike and heading to the parkway to watch fireworks, but I decided to be lazy and watch them from my window. (I was a little pooped from riding my bike around so much during the day.) All in all I had a wonderful fourth, and I loved that I got to spend it in such a great place with lots of great people.

Happy First Day Of Summer!

So I don't really quite feel like it is summer, I think that this in part due to the cold and rainy weather, and partly to do with the fact that at work I am constantly looking at and thinking about winter clothes! But happy summer anyway, I hope it will be a happy one!

PS. Just another reason I love my job, they gave us this cute little card and cd just because it is the first day of summer!


-- Post From My iPhone

The Garden

One of the things I love best about where I am living is that it has a beautiful garden. The back yard is beautiful and the garden connects to other gardens and an emty lot that has been turned into a garden. I love being back there it is so relaxing and amaizing I feel so lucky! And bonus I can actually post pictures now because I got an app that let's me blog from my phone, so the pictures probably won't be great but oh well.

My House

Ok, so I told you all that I would tell you about how I found housing here in Philly so here goes. So I came out here with all my stuff having absolutly no idea where I was actually going to live, and honestly it was freaking me out, I kept having visions of sleeping on a park bench amongst a variety of odd characters. So I got here and went to church the first Sunday hoping that I could find someone looking for a roomate... no such luck. I had talked to the one of the bishops out here and he had a posibility of a place I could rent with another girl in the branch I went and saw it on Sunday after church, and although the girl was super nice the neighborhood had alot to be desired if you know what I mean. We had also made contact with one of the widows in one of the family wards that had a room to rent, so we went to go and see it, but it was way out in the suburbs and I probably would have had a 1hr commute with traffic... Yikes!!! So I felt alittle discouraged that night with no idea where I was actually going to live.

Monday rolled around I had looked at craigslist and I had contacted someone about an apartment that was a possibility, a little pricey but better than my alternatives. The person renting the apartment had not gotten back to me but I wanted to scope out the neighborhood and see if it was even a legitimate option. So we drove over, parked and started walking around the neighborhood.

As we were walking around we passed a couple people standing outside of an apartment one of the guys was selling some of his old books and stuff, we passed them and kept walking. Then my mom said that she was going to go back and ask them if they knew of anything, or if they knew of any good places to look. Anyway she was talking to them for a while so my dad and I went back and we started talking to them as well, we were talking to them when a lady pulled up on her bike, she knew the guy selling his stuff and she started talking to us too. Then the one of the guys asked her if she knew of anything available to rent for the Summer. Then she asked if I was just looking for a temporary place, I said yes and then she said that she was looking for someone temporarily to rent her 3rd floor because she wanted some extra money to refinish her floors. So she asked if we wanted to come see it, so we followed her to her house, and we saw the place, talked for a bit, and decided that we would both think about it and get back to eachother in the morning.So I thought about it, she thought about it and in the morning we both decided that it was a good idea.

And that is how I found my apartment, I moved in Wednesday morning, and It has been so great, She has even made me two really yummy dinners, and I am making her breakfast in the morning. I really don't think that if I hand picked out my whole situation that I could have picked it out any better! I am so grateful for the way everthing has worked out, and I know that it is no coincidence.

I love and miss you all!
Rachel

ps. still working on getting pictures up, still no real internet!

LOVING IT!!!

Ok, so when I first got here I was freaking out a little bit, honestly I think that because I found out on such short notice I didn't really have time to process what I was actually doing. But now I am absolutely loving it! I found a place to live, which was seriously a miracle the way it all worked out. (I will tell the story next time I blog and hopefully include pictures.) In short I am renting the third floor of a house that belongs to an AWESOME lady she is a photography professor at the University of the Arts here in Philly. (Once again I will include more later) I started my internship which is actually what I was least nervous about. The first day I felt a little lost, there was SO many things I had no clue about, there were so many acronyms in every sentence that anyone spoke that it seemed like I was in a foreign country. I have settled in more since then and I am slowly learning the acronyms. I am absolutly loving in though, I thought that 9-5 would be so long but the days fly by. I do something a little different each day. I have done sales forcasts, Sell through calculations, helped pick out colors, sent and recieved samples, gone to fittings, modeled samples, helped catch the rain inside because it was a waterfall of rain outside, I have met the co-presidents of the company, done competitive shopping, put together picture packs, web exclusive boards etc. The building I work in is amaising It is on the old navy yard and I think that it is an old factory and I have my own little desk (pictures later!) the cafeteria building is fantastic, there is a work out area that I am free to use, and the food is SOOO good I can there are about 6 different stations where you can get anything from sushi (made right in front of you) to pizza, to salad, to a hamburger. I am loveing my life here and I am so excited to explore a bit of the city tomorrow. I would post pictures but I don't actually have internet yet, I stayed after work to use the internet here. I feel so at home here in Philadelphia and I am loving it, hopefully I will figure out my internet situation soon! Love and miss you all
xo
Rach

Butterflies

It has been a whirlwind of a week, Packing and pulling an allnighter to finish packing, Driving 32 hours within three days to get here, arriving and thinking "What the heck am I doing?".  Needless to say I have had a tornado of emotions rushing through me at 1,000 miles an hour, my emotions range all over the spectrum from being excited to scared out of my mind, ecstatic to being so nervous that I cry and want to turn right around, along with so many other emotions i can't even think of words to describe them. I am happy, sad, lonely, and excited all at the same time, I feel like my heart is going to jump out of my chest at any moment, and that my stomach is full of a million butterflies. 

I love the quote that I saw on my friend Kathi's Blog “When you get to the end of all the light you know and it's time to step into the darkness of the unknown, faith is knowing that one of two things shall happen: either you will be given something solid to stand on, or you will be taught how to fly.” I really am so grateful that I have faith and know that everything will work out, and I am glad that I always know that one person knows how I am feeling and is looking out for me. I miss you all so much already, and I am so grateful for the love and support from all of you.  xoxo Rachel

Hexathlon

So today my dad told me to put on tennis shoes, running shorts, a t-shirt and a hat and that we were going to do something fun... and we sure did, we thought of all the sports we could and did them all in one day. The result was the Hexathlon!

P.S. My dad made this awesome little slide show!

Beautiful Bathrooms

Ok so I am looking at apartments in Philadelphia and I know that I will probably be living out of a shoe box, but I have found myself looking at my design file a lot just dreaming about my  dream apartment, so I thought that I would share a couple of my dream bathrooms with you all.  Anyway I am looking forward to actually finding an apartment and I will keep you all updated, and tell you all about it when I find one!

I Got It!!!!!

I got the internship! And I am so excited about it, a little nervous, but mostly excited!  I am supposed to be there on the 26th so I have a lot to do before I leave.  Life is good!

PS. 

I am having a wonderful time at the beach, and having so much fun with my family, I am so lucky to have such a great family, they are the best!

Outfit of the Week: Ready For the Beach!!!

How great would it be to roll up to the beach in these duds! I would feel like a million bucks, it is to bad that it would probably cost that much to actually show up to the beach wearing this... oh well a girl can dream!

Off To The Beach!!!

Well I am off to the beach tomorrow with my family. These are the things I am most excited to do at the beach: read a book that has no tie whatsoever to school, paddle ball, beach soccer (this time I don't think that I will try to stop the ball with my face, though it was an awesome save) playing cards at night, TRAIN GAME!, seeing what sand creations my dad comes up with ( I should do a whole post on his past creations!), Playing with my nieces and nephews, and just relaxing!

"Graduation"

Ok so I am not officially graduated yet, but I figured I might as well walk since I probably will not be back at BYU, and my parents are off to Belgium in July, and what is the point of walking if there is no one to watch you.  Anyway graduation was amazing, President Ukdorf and Elder Nelson spoke and they were awesome.  I think that my favorite part was as we were walking in to the Marriott Center all of the professors were lining the walkway decked out in their robes, and it made me feel like I had really accomplished something... or almost anyway. It was a great two days, I loved seeing my family. It seems like just yesterday when my mom was dropping me off at the dorms and poof just like that it is 4 years later... crazy! I am so grateful that I have had such a wonderful experience at BYU and learned so much, I am especially grateful for my parents, without them I would never have made it, and I am also grateful for all of my professors who have inspired me, not just to learn, but to be the best person I can be. Thank you!

2nd Interview!

So I have a second interview with Anthropologie!!! I am so excited and nervous.  I am interviewing with two departments, the home buying department, and the wovens buying department.  Both would be so amazing, honestly I would be happy sweeping their floors.  Anyways cross your fingers again for me!

Best Graduation Present Ever!!!!!

Ok so I have been doing the whole graduation thing the last two days (even though I have a few classes to finish up this summer) and I will post pictures of graduation later, but right now I just want to tell everyone about my awesome graduation present.  Ok so when I tell some people that I got a sewing machine for graduation they look at me with the expression of "hmm... that is a lame thing to get for graduation" and most people think I am crazy to be so excited about it, they do not realize how truly awesome it is. They definitely don't share even half the enthusiasm that I do for it. In other words I could not be happier with any other gift and I got exactly what I wanted!!! I got the Bernina Aurora 440 QE and when I opened it I started clapping my hands and saying "oh my gosh" over and over and making high pitched noises (I tend to do this when I get really excited!).  Anyway I can't wait to start making things, I want to make lots of fun summer clothes and some more swimsuits (I will post about the ones I made this semester later). Yeah so I am totally stoked, excited and anxious to get sewing! Thanks Mom and Dad for the best present I could ask for!!!

No More Finals YAY!!!

So I took my very last final today, wow it feels good to be done! It might have been my last final ever... weird! I still don't feel like I am done and I actually feel a little guilty right now because I feel like I should be doing homework, oh well it always takes me about three days after finals to realize that they are actually over.

Things Are Looking Up!

Ok so today is way better than yesterday (and the two days before that)! I got an email this morning from Anthropologie and I have an Interview on Monday for my DREAM internship, when I read the email I seriously could not stop jumping up and down and making odd high pitched noises. So everybody cross your fingers, don't step on any cracks, walk under ladders or break any mirrors, because I could use some good luck!

Mamma Said There'd Be Days (or weeks) Like This

So this has not been the best week, I feel like I have failed at life, and all I want to do is cry and eat ice cream and watch a really good movie, except then I would get fat and feel like an even bigger loser.  I guess it is good for us to have a week like this every once in a while to make us appreciate the good weeks.  Next week will be better, I know it.

Watching This Made Me Smile

Ok, this took some serious planning, props to the coordinator of this awesomeness.  I am speechless, what I wouldn't give to be part of something like this, wow!

I could use a vacation about now...

So the semester is almost over, and I am totally burnt out, I really wish I could take a quick vacation to reboot my system before finals, I would especially love to take a road trip in this cute vintage Fiat 500! oh well here is to the dream!

New Soel Display

This is the new display I made for the big sale tomorrow at Soel, it was really fun to make and now I find myself wanting to make a real one for me.

SALE!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

On a day like today I can't help but miss Ireland, and all the fun I had there!

Colorado Road Trip!

So over Presidents Day me and some of my friends decided to take a road trip to Colorado, we had a blast! we stayed at my roommate Katie's house and had a fun filled weekend of skiing and snowboarding, cards, and hot tubing. It was just the break that I needed from school and I didn't want to come home. 

Out on the "town" in Snow Mass Village

We had way too much fun with the scary mexican wrestler masks!

Out to Dinner, Yum!

On the road home.  I find it a bit ironic that the sign for Colorful Colorado is brown and white and the background isn't really that colorful either, gotta love it!

Jake Turns One!

My nephew Jake turned one and he sure loved his cake! His birthday party was so cute and he was even cuter, I sure love this little guy, it is crazy that he is already one!

Dorm Room Blues

Ok so living in a shoebox sized space for four years has taken its tole on me and I often find my self dreaming of the day when I actually have a little more space.  On days when I am feeling a little cramped I like to go though my style file and daydream these are some of my favorite bedrooms that I have come across. I have no idea where I got all of these so if I got them from you thank you!

Waffles it is!

So it looks like for the next three years when I visit my parents I will be stuffing my face with waffles...yum! My parents got their call and they are going to be the mission presidents in the Belgium-Netherlands mission and will be living in Brussels, I am so excited for them, and excited to visit. I am not going to lie when I heard that they were going to Belgium and not Africa or Haiti I let out a big sigh of relief, and bonus it is pretty close to London!

Movie Buff

So in the last couple years I have become obsessed with old movies, even though at moments they can be very cheesy, I so much prefer them to many of the more modern films that tend to have  trash thrown in, for what seems like, just for the heck of it.  So if you are up for a fun filled night (trash free!) these are some of my favorites that I have discovered. So grab some popcorn, cuddle up and enjoy!

1. It Happened One Night - 1934 Staring Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert (It won 5 Oscars!)

2. An Affair To Remember - 1957 Staring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr (Nominated for 4 Oscars)

3. That Funny Feeling - 1965 Staring Sandra Dee and Bobby Darin

4. How To Steal a Million - 1966 Staring Audrey Hepburn and Peter O'Toole

5. Love In The Afternoon - 1957 Staring Audrey Hepburn and Gary Cooper

Fun new toy!!!

Ok so I really like the look of polaroid pictures, but I have no money to buy the camera or even the film for that matter. I would love to get one someday and try my hand at it, but in the mean time there is a way cool application called Poladroid where you can make your digital pictures that you already have into polaroid like images, I have had so much fun with it here are some of my favorites! If you are like me and have this fettish without funding go check it out!