4th of July Holiday Weekend

I think it is safe to say that this year was the best 4th of July I have ever had. Firstly, it was fabulous that the 4th was on a Friday so that I was able to have a 3-day weekend.

Our festivities began Thursday night where my roommate shared the tradition of making 'Freedom Shirts'. We had some friends over and decorated our shirts.

#SPARTAN

I recently agreed to run the Spartan Sprint in February with my team from work, so in an effort to stay excited and declare my independence and move forward in my life and goals, I painted a Spartan helmet :)

Friday morning I got up and went to float the Salt River with some friends. It was AWESOME! Tubing, little rapids, perfect weather. What could be better? There was a little haboob Thursday night which swept through the valley and brought a little rain, which resulted in a cooler 4th. (we didn't even reach 100F)

Afterwards we grabbed a quick lunch and then caught the end of a pool party. That was fun, but unfortunately the sun was too much and I burned! I met up later with my friend J, we lounged about and watched Penelope, then went and saw a small firework show. We were able to sit super close!

We called it a night fairly early because Saturday morning we had plans to hike Pinnacle Peak at 5:30 am. It came early, but the weather was once again perfect - it was cloudy and had a nice breeze.

 

Great hike! I will definitely do that one again!

Afterwards J. and I went on a scavenger hunt to find all the ingredients to make cheese. It led us to Gilbert so we made the sacrifice and got cinnamon french toast at Kneaders. (YUM!) Then checked out the farmers market and circled back to Scottsdale to drop by the library. Then a much needed nap was taken and a couple hours later we were back in the car on the way to Heber - AZ for a fireworks show. We drove through some heavy rain to get there, but once there it was great., Although it was mid 60s, so thankfully I had brought a blanket!  

Today was great :) Church was very uplifting. Afterwards I met up with J. and H. again and we made cheese. (Well attempted to.) It wasn't as straight forward as the recipe stated, so we will have to try again - but it was a great end to a fantastic weekend! We also made breakfast for dinner and watched Fantastic Mr. Fox, so all in all a very good night!

It has been a whirlwind of a month. New area, new apt., new job, new friends - a lot of it has been a pleasant blur.  I look forward to many more adventures in the near future!

-T

   

Dua puluh tujuh

Birthday week was a success! Yes, it was great to celebrate my birthday, but I think the best part was taking time every day for me. Honestly, I was way overdue.

I started my Birthday Week with a Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll for breakfast. Other things I did for me that day were: going on an hour and a half bike ride and taking time for a detox bath. I felt incredible after the ride! As mentioned in a previous post, I was inspired by my friend training for a bike race. So it felt really good. I need to make a training plan. During my bath I finished reading The Alchemist. It was great to read it again! Different parts resonated with me this time. That's why I love reading books I like over again. 

That night I didn't have to work at the restaurant so I went to our FHE and played chair soccer - which was hilarious. Then went to Denny's with friends to say goodbye to a sweet friend of mine who was heading home to Brasil the next day.

Tuesday was a good day. I started it off with a working interview at a small Architectural firm, I'm helping on a Frozen Yogurt place in the East Valley. Pretty much the best project ever. I LOVE Frozen Yogurt, and this is a fun little project. I caught lunch with my StepMom at Sala Thai, then spent the next few hours brainstorming and working on a concept for the FroYo place. I ended the night with Institute up at GCC. It was a great class! We discussed 4th Nephi and Mormon. I really enjoyed it. I am working my way through Mormon again, to really get study the battles and the lessons to be learned.

Wednesday I worked more on my three concepts for my meeting on Friday, then carpooled over to Tempe for the 23+ Institute class. We discussed the story of the Samaritan Woman at the Well. It was another great discussion. I feel like I have gotten more out of the last couple of classes. Last week we talked about the man with palsy that Jesus forgives his sins then heals his body. We also talked about the difference between mistakes and sins. Very interesting, left me with lots to think about. I really do enjoy that class! Afterwards I went home and worked a little more. Then I stayed up to midnight. The first thing I did on my Birthday was start reading The Book Thief. I never did see the movie. I wanted to read the book first. So far, so good. It has come highly recommended, so I am excited!

Thursday: MY BIRTHDAY! I spent most of the morning on the phone! It was so great! My Dad, Mom, and Grandparents called me one right after the other. Haha it was perfect timing! Then I went over to our family home. I worked on the boards a little and hung out with my brother. I had dinner over at Sala Thai, then went to our Presidency meeting. A. made me some darling cupcakes - homemade yellow cake and nutella frosting. Yum! Then I stayed up late working on the boards.

Friday my alarm didn't go off (or I turned it off in my sleep!) So that was frustrating and set me a little behind, but I was able to finish off the boards, go and print and then made it to the meeting early. I got to see the space, and the meeting went really well. Then I went to the Gilbert Temple. It blows me away every time. It is a gorgeous place inside and out. Almost as soon as I got out of my car, I could smell the flowers - everything from snapdragons to pansies. Spring in Arizona is fantastic! Afterwards I went home and we had dinner all together. A. cooked a nice meal and made me a cute watermelon "cake". Then I rushed back to my house to get ready for my party! It was such a great night! Great friends, awesome treats, games and a fire pit in our backyard. I made crepes, and between us we had some yummy toppings. E. made me a darling (and Delicious!) birthday cake. We played a new game, started the fire up and then Rock Band! It was such a great end to the week :)

Saturday we got up an watched General Conference. It was nice to be able to watch it on our TV at home! I especially enjoyed hearing about the Gilbert Temple Dedication - they had a special on it during the World Report in between sessions. Many of the talks mentioned the temple dedication, but lots were also on the Savior, missionary work, and defending your beliefs with love. If you missed it, go back and read, listen or watch Conference! I am excited to read the talks again. :)

After the Saturday sessions of Conference were over we went to go see Captain America: The Winter Soldier. I had seen the trailer but really had no idea what it was going to be like. I've also been keeping up on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D so I was wondering how it was all going to work. I absolutely loved it! Makes me watch to watch the first one and then go and see it again. 

Today we stayed home and watch Conference. Two more great sessions with lots of great talks. Such a great end to my Birthday Week! After Conference I finally broke out my art stuff. I have been trying to get around to it for months now, and finally it was time. I took hundreds of pictures of roses last year at the rose garden in Litchfield Park, which incidentally, the roses are in full bloom again right now. I may go take more pictures! I decided to start off with one of the yellow roses. I have a piece of watercolor all taped up and ready to go, but I figured I should start in my sketchbook first:

Gorgeous Yellow Rose!

I absolutely love creating art!

So here we are. Step one towards painting again. I also bought some small canvases and acrylic paint last year, so once I get on a roll, that will also be on the agenda. But first, a couple more sketches and then on to the watercolors! E. got me a watercolor book for Christmas and a watercolor pad for my birthday so I'm off to a good start!

Now I just have to remember to do more things for me. I have started my 30 before 30 list, so I am excited for that. Now off to use the LUSH bath bomb I got for Christmas and read more of the Book Thief.

What a great day: Conference, Art and Reading - the finer things in life!

Thanks for all your well wishes and love for my birthday! I have incredible family and friends! xoxo -T

Birthday Week!

My Birthday is THIS WEEK! Soo crazy how fast this year had gone. This time last year I was also in Arizona. I took my vacation from work and came down to Arizona. We are having much warmer weather this year than last year.

So usually I celebrate my birthday on my birthday, but this year I wanted to celebrate all week. Just little things every day. Today I kicked off the celebration with a Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll for breakfast. Yum! Then I was inspired by my friend training for the Goldilocks Race, so on my bike ride today I pushed myself to ride harder. It was fantastic! I usually go out for a pretty leisurely hour ride, but today I really tried to push myself, no hills around here but I rode faster than normal... and there was a headwind almost my whole ride so I got a great workout! I ended up riding for an hour and a half. It felt incredible! (A bike race may need to go on my 30 before 30 list.) Then I came home and stretched it out and took a 'detox bath' with Epsom Salt and Baking Soda, and took the time to finish up reading The Alchemist again. I think this is my third time reading it all the way through. Lots of great quotes, and interesting lessons. Santiago's journey particularly resonated with me this time. The last year has been a journey for me, I have learned so much and met so many incredible people along the way. So I am grateful for that, and am excited to see what happens next. There's lots of changes coming quickly so watch this space.

Moving forward with my reading goal for the year, I have already picked my next book. It comes highly recommended and I've been told by everyone who has read it that it made them cry. I am not a crier, so we shall see what happens. The next book that I am super excited to read is The Book Thief. Every once in a while I like reading books like this, or watching movies. Not because they are happy, I just think it's a very important piece of history, and while this book is Fiction, I think it will be very moving and possibly life changing. I didn't go see the movie because I wanted to read the book first.

Tomorrow I will continue the birthday celebration by going to a working interview. I am pretty stoked. Wish me luck! I am excited for the rest of the week too. Birthday on Thursday, then party Friday night and General Conference this weekend. And pretty sure we're going to go see the new Captain America movie this weekend as well. Mmm! I can't wait! Birthdays are the best!

Decisions

"He still had some doubts about the decision he had just made. But he was able to understand one thing: making a decision was only the beginning of things. When someone makes a decision, he is really diving into a strong current that will carry him to places he had never dreamed of when he first made the decision." - The Alchemist

And so here we are. March. Who would have known the decision I made to move to Arizona last August would have led me here. I tend to get a bit nostalgic around my birthday. I like to think about what I have done, where I have been, and people in my life. I've made plenty of mistakes, but at the end of the day - everywhere I have been, every decision I've made, and every person in my life has led me to where I am today. I wouldn't trade my experiences for anything, they have shaped me into who I am today.

Today I moved out of my family's house and in with a friend. I get to sleep on a real bed tonight (not an air mattress) and I am pretty stoked about it. Tomorrow I'll spend time unpacking and organizing my things, and more importantly getting ready for my second job interview at a place in Phoenix on Thursday. It's my top pick of places I've applied down here. I really REALLY hope I get this job!

Triumphs

Once again I need to take a minute to express how incredible this year has been.

Yes, my life is full of craziness, and I never in a million years would have guessed where I would be or what I would be doing right now. No, I'm not necessarily in a place where I would like to be (ie. full time job, or back in school etc..) however, I can't deny that the past few months have been an incredible journey of growth and I am excited to see what's coming next. I have met lots of fantastic new friends, reconnected with old friends, and have had many opportunities for experiences I never would have had if I had stayed in Utah. I love living in Arizona, I really do. I have a feeling that this journey has only begun, I have been struggling with it a bit lately but, I have some very thoughtful friends, a great HT, and a loving Heavenly Father who makes sure I have just enough time for everything.

It's funny how blog posting can come in waves. I won't post anything for a while then all of a sudden I MUST blog about EVERYTHING! - Apparently I'm not the only one, I have seen many blog posts pop up on my FB wall this week, so I guess it's a sign to carry on and post something.

The Triumph I was thinking of for this post happened a couple of weekends ago. So remember how this time last year I was in Utah, probably still scraping frost off of my car, dreading the snow warnings? Well I have to tell you that I love love LOVE Winter in Arizona. Yes, I know Snowbird at heart. Part of the reason I have loved the winter here so much is just being able to go outside and enjoy the sun. I have been taking my bike out for spins around the neighborhood weekly. It has been fantastic; but what I am particularly proud of is hiking. My friend E. has been so great about encouraging me to go hiking with her. Now, aside from when we were in England, and would tour castles or the Lake District on a regular basis, I have never been one to go hiking much. In hindsight, I wish that I would have hiked more when I was at USU. I only went on a couple hikes, and that is a shame. Logan is gorgeous, and there are tons of great hikes up Logan canyon.

When I moved to Salt Lake I went on a couple more hikes, Donut falls was super fun! But again, I didn't take advantage of the opportunities right in my back yard. So, now I am making up for lost time. This year I have been hiking at White Tanks, South Mountain and my new favorite: Camelback! I feel great. I love hiking. It's not easy, but I have never enjoyed hiking as much as I do now. Now, back to Camelback. The last hike that E. and I went on was South Mountain, it was a little tough, but what a view. We had talked about a couple of other, longer hikes around there and then would work up to Camelback, because we all had heard it was super hard. Well a couple of weeks later, E. calls me up and invited me to go hike Camelback. I was a little afraid, because I didn't know if I was ready, but I knew that if I passed up this opportunity, then maybe I wouldn't get another one before it got too hot.

So we went. The parking lot was closed so we had to find an alternative place to park, who knew all the neighborhoods around wouldn't want you to park there? Eventually we found a place and hiked to the train to begin. What a journey. It was incredible. Yes, it was hard, but it was amazing.

Here's what most of the way up looked like:

It took us a little over an hour to make the climb. Parts were more like rock climbing than hiking, (so wonder everyone said it was so difficult) but that made it so much better! I really enjoyed it!

TRIUMPH!

The view from the top was breathtaking. I had never seen the view of the other side of Camelback, so it was fantastic, and definitely worth the climb. The way down wasn't much faster than the way up... well I suppose it could have been faster, but I do value my knees. The way down was easier though. I celebrated by getting Thai Food then went to make cookies for our ward activity that night. 

Later, I realized that I had sunburn, on my shoulder.. and oddly enough my lips. Apparently there is no sunscreen in my chaptstick... oops. I was a little sore all over the next day, but all of that is nothing. I am so glad we conquered Camelback. The other day I was on my home from Tempe, and I saw Camelback. No it's not the tallest mountain, but I am super proud of having climbed it. 

There are more challenges in my life at the moment, and things will be changing pretty quickly, but I am grateful to be here and am excited for what the future holds.

Heaven is Here

So today(actually it was a couple of weeks ago, but now I'm finishing  my post) I finished my second book of the year: Heaven is Here by Stephanie Nielson. I had heard that is was good, and I was excited to read it, but I underestimated the effect it would have on me. The book has three parts: life before her accident, the initial recovery, and then her transition back into 'real life'. It is a pretty incredible journey.

I read the first part really fast, then I knew what was coming in the second part so I took a break for the weekend and read The Sunflower by Richard Paul Evans. It's one of my favorite books and a quick read. Then I was ready to take on the rest of this book. The way her life is turned completely upside down is heart wrenching. Her experiences and journey are incredible. In the book she is very honest, and many times she longs for how things were before the accident, but that wasn't her life anymore. This book really resonated with me, I am so glad that I read it.

Here's a couple wonderful quotes from the book:

“I know, now, without a doubt that the true source of happiness, self-worth, and authentic beauty doesn't come from the outside. Women are constantly being persuaded to want something unachievable, to look younger or thinner and above all to fit in because being different is too painful and embarassing. I have accepted myself in a world that does not accept me, because I have learned - and more than any of the lessons of my accident, this is the one I wish I could teach everybody - that our hearts matter most. Your heart matters most, so be gentler and more patient with yourself, and their hearts matter most, too, so be kinder and more compassionate to others. It's a beautiful heart, not a perfect body, that leads to a beautiful life.” 


“Happiness was my choice, and though it is hard-won, I am the only person who can stand in the way of it.” 

I have been following her blog a little closer now that I have read her book. It is so fun to see her living life and having experiences that she would never had if not for the accident.

Bait Suci

Yesterday morning I was invited to come in and interview for an Interior Designer position in Phoenix. My interview was at 9 am over in Phoenix. I made it there early(it was touch and go there for a minute, traffic wasn't too crazy, but I passed the building and had to go around the block haha) The showroom was in a little disarray as they're changing up the entry. It seemed like a nice place, and everyone was nice. I thought my interview went well, and I should know in the next couple of days if I'm getting a second interview.

After my interview was over Kneaders was calling my name. I have been craving it for months. 1: I have only been there once and loved it and 2: We found a Kneaders here when my friend was looking at houses nearby... and every since then I couldn't get it out of my mind. Finally my time had come!

Cinnamon French Toast *Heaven*

 It was soo busy! I was lucky to get a table. My original plan was to stay and read for a bit, but it was super loud and busy in there so I just ate(savoring the amazing cinnamon syrup) and then popped in to Deseret Book. It was like being back in Utah. 

Probably the best part of my day was going to the Gilbert Temple Open House!

It was absolutely stunning. The attention to detail was astounding. Paintings, murals, fantastic glass windows and mosaics, and not to forget the stunning chandeliers in the Celestial room and Sealing rooms. I was in the back of the tour group so I got to chat with our darling Usher, it was fun to hear her insights into the details and her stories of people she'd met on the tours. 

I love going to temples, but this one is my new favorite. Such care and thought went into every inch of this temple. Honestly, I can see my self getting married here one day. Most girls have *their temple* that they've always wanted to get married in, but I never have. We've moved around so much that I wasn't too attached to any one temple. I received my Endowments in the Ogden, UT temple, which should be finished this year as well. (It was closed and essentially torn down and rebuilt in the renovation. So I'm excited to see it reopened!)  This temple definitely resonated with me. We shall see what the future brings!

Design-wise it is stunning, and the designer in me loves it... but there is a special spirit there for sure. If you haven't been yet, and are able I strongly recommend you go. You can get tickets, but you don't need them. It is super easy to get there, and you won't regret going. 

Bulan Januari

I blinked and here we are. February. 

January was a great month- and a fabulous start to the new year.

I brought in the new year with a dear friend of mine. We've known each other for almost 14 years now and I am so glad that we've been able to keep in touch. I was very excited when she got a job out here last year! We spent New Year's at the ASU Institute party, then watched the fireworks. Afterwards, we went back to her place and chatted, put on mud masks and then called it a night. First day of the year we slept in, made breakfast then went and saw Saving Mr. Banks, then I went home to hang out with my family.

I spent a good chunk of January going out and taking my resume around. I've been enjoying helping out at Sala Thai, but I feel it's time for me to get back into the Design Industry. I had a few great interviews last month and have two more coming up this week. So hopefully soon, things will be changing. 

I tried a couple of new Restaurants in January - 

*Gallo Blanco in Phoenix with my Aunt and Cousins - tried a quinoa salad for the first time ever and LOVED it. Also, their burrito was to die for and another first - guacamole with oranges absolutely delicious!

*Ah-Hai Sushi & Grill in Goodyear with my stepbrother's GF - favorite roll we got was their 'Crunchy Roll' with masago YUM! So two more firsts Masago(Crunchy roll) and Yellow tail(Spicy Girl) Definitely will go back.

I tried a couple of other Thai restaurants when I was out and about job hunting but honestly, nothing to write home about. I don't know what I'm going to do when I get a full time job and can't eat at Sala Thai all the time! I have definitely been spoiled!

I was able to go to the Arizona YSA Conference. It was a jam-packed couple of days but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I loved going to the Gammage (Which reminds me I NEED to get out to Taliesen West and see me some Frank Lloyd Wright.) and being able to hear Sheri Dew, Thurl Bailey, Mitt and Ann Romney, Stephanie Nielsen and many more speak. It was very uplifting and I had a great time. Seeing Brooke White and Alex Boye perform was a perk too!

True to my inner baker I made 4 Dozen cupcakes and 8 dozen mini donuts for my friend's birthday last month. It felt great to bake my heart out. I had forgotten how much I loved that chocolate cupcake recipe and who doesn't love mini donuts!? ~French vanilla pudding filled chocolate cupcakes with either cream cheese frosting or chocolate cream cheese frosting. Baked vanilla mini donuts dipped in dark chocolate and topped with sprinkles. ^_^

Reading has resurfaced in my life. I LOVE to read, but I don't always make time for it. Hence why I made a reading goal for this year. Right after the YSA Conference, I knew which book I wanted to start with: Heaven is Here by Stephanie Nielsen. I had heard of her before, and seen her blog and Mormon Message, but after hearing her speak I knew I needed to read her book. I read the first third in a day, but I knew what was coming with the next part so I took a break and read The Sunflower (by Richard Paul Evans) again. I started the second third of Heaven is Here yesterday, it is pretty painful to read but I am really enjoying this book. If you have any recommendations of books that have changed your life please share. I love reading a variety of books, but this year I really want life-changing stories and books I've never read before. Next in line on my reading list is The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. I read it for the first time my Sophomore year at USU. It was a birthday present from my roommate. I loved it, and I think it's about time I read it again!

Other great things that started in January - 

The 23+ Institute Class at the ASU Tempe Institute Wed. nights. Last week was especially good. 

Gilbert AZ Temple open house - I haven't made it yet, but I'm hoping to this week. :)

Favorite purchase of January(besides Heaven is Here) - Yuna's new Album Nocturnal. Yuna has been on a roll ever since I met her twice back in 2012. I'd love to get to another one of her performances, she is fantastic live!

So all in all, January was a great month :) I am sure February will be full of surprises too! All I know is that is off to a great start! I went hiking over at South Mountain with a couple friends. Breathtaking view of the valley over there. Then we popped by Pita Jungle for lunch. Almost got a gyro again, but decided to get a red quinoa/spinach salad with their cilantro/jalapeno hummus. Yum!! Sunday was nice too, Church was good, especially our RS lesson on Temples. Then home to watch the Superbowl with my fam. I don't follow football much, but I was rooting for the Seahawks - grew up in WA got to represent. That reminds me - I'd love to go to a Mariners Spring Training game this year!

2014 Selamat Tahun Baru!

Happy New Year!

I have been thinking about things that I want to accomplish this year - I like focusing on Goals for the year, rather than resolutions.

I am still debating on what exactly I want to do this year I have some general things I want to do, and I am working on making more specific and attainable goals, while making me stretch and grow. Here's where I am so far (In no particular order):

Pursue my art
Become more physically fit
Fall in love
Create a 30 before 30 list
Get a new job
Get an apartment
Get a new(er) car
Lose 10 pounds
Read 6 good/life changing books
Read the Book of Mormon over again in English
Read the Book of Mormon all the way through in Malay
Save money for travelling
Go to the Temple at least once a month
Family History

The next little while I will continue to refine these ideas and maybe add to them. However the most pressing goal right now is get a new job, so that will receive the most time and attention until it is attained :)

Hope your year is off to a great start! I think 2014 is going to be amazing!