Wednesday's OOTD

So yesterday, I had school all day! I'm currently trying to find a good internship for during my last quarter at FIDM that will hopefully lead to a great job.

I thought id wear my cream colored dress the last sunny day of the year. My entire outfit is from Forever21 with the exception of some of my bracelets being from H&M. You don't have to have lots of money to have great style, You just must have fashion in your blood.

Singles Ward Glam

Me & my sister love getting Glam for church every Sunday! These are our look of the day this past Sunday! Singles Ward Glam!!!

The 1st Picture: Blouse and High-Low Pleated Skirt - FOREVER21 

                                 Necklace - HRH http://www.hrhcollection.net/ shopwithhrh.com

                                 Shoes -  REFLECTIONS

 The 2nd Picture:  Dress - FOREVER21

                             Shoes - LOVE CULTURE

                                  Belt / Braclets - TARGET

                                  Necklace- FOREVER21

Halloween: "May the Odds Be Ever In Your Favor"

Well even though my Halloween was much less than exciting, I still had a blast dressing up! Even though I had school all day, I still managed to make the most of the day! It also happened to be the SF Giants Parade and it was crazy madness in the city! I've never seen BART more crowded in my life! I got to catch the beginning of the parade before class. While I was in class, we could hear the roar of the crowd for hours!

For Halloween, I was Catniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games! I just threw together some things I already had laying around the house! I had seen MANY different "Catniss Everdeen" inspired looks like below with different greens and browns mixed into the look. I decided to wear all black. I wore my black skinny jeans, black long sleeve shirt, black Forever21 Velvet blazer, black lace up combat boots from Target with a black Jansport backpack. I got lucky and my Dad had a random life-size bow & arrow for my prop! It definitely completed my look!!! Also, I couldn't pull off the look without the well-known "Catniss Braid". I actually added my clip-in extensions for more volume and length within the braid. I used neutrals and warm tones for my makeup. My costume came out pretty great for how last minute it was! This is a great idea for someone who wants to dress up but doesn't want to spend the money on a store-bought costume! Use your resources!!!

      

 

As for my puppy Pebbles, she wasn't very found of her Halloween costume! She definitely prefers her festive themed dresses!!! Her DINO costume was very fitting of her personality though! She can be quite the devil!

DIY GLITTER

So I found a gorgeous glitterized Starbucks tumbler on Pinterest and me and my sister decided to be a little crafty and make some! It's SO easy!!! All you need is Spray Adheasive Glue (which we found at Walmart) and your choice of color in glitter (we chose pink Martha Stewart glitter from Michaels) and a Starbucks 'Mark It' tumbler with the removable inside cup! Remove the inside cup and spray the glue on the inside of the outside cup then pour the glitter in the cup and dump the extras on a plate or napkin. (You will have a lot of extra glitter!) repeat the process about 3 times and let dry overnight!

Our whole fun little project got me thinking about other Halloween crafts I could do with the leftover glitter and spray glue we had! PUMPKIN! Hello! This is perfect for anyone who doesn't have time to actually carve pumpkins! This is going to be my project tomorrow on my day off!

The pumpkins above were found at http://www.marthastewart.com/271768/glittered-pumpkins and http://pinterest.com/jourdyn6/halloween-crafts



Getting Excited for Halloween

Hey Dolls! So I'm weirdly obsessed with Halloween! It's one of my favorite holidays! I love dressing up, eating candy and watching scary movies! Being a busy, working college student, I don't have time or many opportunities to dress up as much as I did in high school. Flashing back to the past couple of years, i wanted to share with you my costume choices and give you guys some great couple costume ideas!

Last year, I was busy and didnt have much going on. I dressed up as Lady Gaga for a pre-Halloween party and Mackenzie was "my biggest fan". The year before that, I was a cop and Mackenzie was a prisoner! One of my favorites! The year before that was me and Mackenzie's first Halloween together! He was Peter Pan & I was Tinkerbell! Such fun costumes and great memories!

Everything Happens for a Reason

Sooo, I am sorry if it's seemed as if I dropped off the face of the earth the past month. A lot has changed and I couldn't figure out how to blog about it but something has been missing in my life and it's my blog. So, here's a quick update of the craziness in my life the past month.

Things change, life changes and sometimes it's beyond our control. I am a huge believer of everything happening for a reason and I truely know it has, even if we don't know the reason now. Mackenzie came home from Brazil a few weeks ago to take care of some things. I am so proud of him for doing the right thing and having so much courage. I am sad that I'm no longer a "missionary girlfriend" but I guess none of us can be forever. My short lived experience has taught be a lot about patience and commitment, feelings and strength I will use the rest of my life. I will always continue to be here for any missionary girlfriends that need advice or anyone in the future that reads my blog.

I will be transitioning my blog into more of a personal one. Filled with my life experiences, fashion advice, life lessons, relationship advice, or anything else that crosses my mind. I hope you all enjoy what is to come.

The most important thing I've learned in all of this is that we can make as many plans for our future as we want, but if we are staying close to the Lord, his plans will take place, weather or not that consists of the plans we had for ourselves. Trust the lord, trust his plan for you and know that as long as you are doing the right thing and following his path, we will be led to pure happiness. "God gives his hardest battles to his strongest soliders"

Happy Thursday!

So yesterday I started my second to last quarter of my Associates Degree at FIDM. It's gone by sooo fast but yet I've learned more about the fashion world in the past year and a half than I have my entire life and I look forward to what's next in my journey and all the things I still have to learn. Hopefully I'll be headed to LA after next quarter, so in March. But, we'll cross that bridge when we get there! It was sure great to see my friends and be back I classes with some that I haven't had classes with in a while! Below is a picture of me and Dorian and Annie. I was also celebrating "Mean Girl's Day" by wearing pink, of course.

So, I'm going to start doing Throwback Thursday posts and telling you stories about special moments in my life. Today, I choose my Senior Prom 2011. One of the best days of my life. Everything was perfect. Mackenzie made me feel like the prettiest princess there! Before prom we went with another couple to Melting Pot, VERY delicious! Then we headed over to prom which was at a venue with Roman-inspired sculptures, beautiful chandeliers and a glamorous vibe. We danced the whole night away and I'm pretty sure my smile never faded. I also helped plan our prom so it was very rewarding to see everyone enjoying themselves. The DJ ended up being great and I remember everyone looking absolutely beautiful that night. Mackenzie was the most handsome guy there and I sure felt like one lucky girl. My months of eating carrots and apples with extreme tanning clearly paid off. Haha. My dress is from David's Bridal. I had seen it online while hunting for the perfect dress a few months prior to prom but it was kinda pricey. I worked hard and saved my money so I was able to buy my own picture perfect dress. My senior prom was a fairytale and I wish I will find an excuse to wear this gorgeous dress again or maybe someday my daughter will want to wear it.

How I Spent October 2nd

I got ready just the way he likes with straight hair and a big smile. I baked a really good Brazil Flag cake because my heart is in Brazil. I also attempted to make Beef Straganoff for dinner for me and my parents. It turned out okay, but I still need to work on my cooking skills! Today is also Pebbles' 1st Birthday. I am so lucky to have her in my life. She cheers everyday up! This is her with her new birthday sweater and her birthday cupcake! She had the best day ever!

Happy 3 Years

Wow, what a journey! I can't believe it's been 3 years since I was ever so lucky to be asked to be Mackenzie's girlfriend. We both grown so much in the past 3 years. We've grown up, we grown together and we've grown closer to the gospel. When we were first together, I was just lucky to call the new hott boy at school my boyfriend. We quickly became best friends and our love for each other grew more than I ever expected. The first time we went to see the Christmas lights at the Oakland Temple together, we sat there starring at the gorgeous view and for the first time in my life, I knew I wanted to marry him and I felt something I never had felt before, true love. We've had our up's our down's and everything in between and every experience makes us stronger than before. We've learned so much about relationships and love at such a young age but I know we met for a purpose and that we came into each other's lives at the perfect time. I wouldn't be the person I am today without Mackenzie. I would never have the courage to follow my dreams and to make every goal come to life if it werent for Mackenzie. I am so happy for the decisions we've made in our lives to be where we are today. I am so blessed to know what true love is and to have the most amazing guy in my life.

Although I wish I could have spent our special day with him, I wouldn't want him to be anywhere but where he is today. He is such an example to me and continues to make me want to be a better person. He's matured so much and I am so proud of the person he has become. He is so sweet! He sent me a beautiful long letter, little notecards and all the reasons he loves me and a bunch of flowers from Brazil. He's so romantic, right? He also said in his letter that my wedding ring will hopefully make up for his lack of gifts until he comes home. :) that's more than okay with me! Haha.

How did I get so lucky?!

Happy 3 amazing years of happiness. I am looking forward to many more!!

<33333

The picture on the left is our 1 Year anniversary, and the pic on the right is our 2 Year anniversary. :)

Brazil Postal Strike

This is the kinda of news you don't want to hear when your only communication with the guy you love is in the hands of the postal service. We all know Brazil has one of the worst mailing systems ever, but as of yesterday, 23 regions equaling 85% of postal workers decided to go on strike, demanding higher wages and more employees to eleveate workplace load. This could last up to 3 months!!!! Today they accomplished nothing in the courtroom. AH! Can't a girl just send her missionary a letter or a package? Mackenzie is also leaving the CTM this coming week and heading to Goiania, so I can no longer take advantage of MissionTies walking my letters to him across the street. I could still use MissionTies, but they would mail the letter to his area, which normally would be faster and more convienient, but when they stop all mailing systems, this doesn't help much. Thanks to my new best friend, Gloria, fellow missionary girlfriend (with boyfriend serving in Brazil as well) I understand everything happens for a reason and I need to pray for comfort instead of being upset at the Brazil postage system employees. Haha. 

I hope any other families or missionary girlfriends with boys in Brazil pray for this comfort and yes, everything does happen for a reason. Let's all just hope this strike ends soon so we can send our letters and packages. 

WE LOVE YOU BRAZIL, please continuing mailing our precious letters & get back to work!

Last P-Day at the CTM

Today was Mackenzie's last P-Day at the MTC in Brazil. Next week he will be headed to Goiania. I thought I'd order some cookies for him to enjoy his last P-Day in Sao Paulo. Apparently his parents had the same idea and ordered him some cookies too. This is him with the millions of Mr. Cheney's cookies he recieved. He is getting so tan! I need to catch up and get back on track with my tanning! I am going to send him a package for our 3 year anniversary soon. Any good ideas? 

Also, my finals are now over and it feels so good to get to relax and be back at home for a week or so. Two more quarter's left of school until I have to figure out the next road I'm going to take. 

"Our willingness to wait reveals the value we place on the object we're waiting for"

Mackenzie is more than worth the wait. One thing I love about him is how I've always seen forever in his eyes. Im so excited for the day I get to look into those eyes again. <333

The Best Advice

So I found this fireside talk by general authority, Vaughn Featherstone a couple months before Mackenzie left on his mission. It was the best advice I've seen from any church leader. This is for all the girls waiting for a missionary, planning to wait or any guys who are planning to serve a mission with a girl back home. :)

Missionaries and Girlfriends 

Taken from a fireside by Vaughn Featherstone 

Question: Is it good for a fellow to leave a girl behind? 

Answer: Is it good for the sun to shine? 

Have you ever heard of mission calls telling all missionaries to get rid of all girlfriends? Do you think that you could be a better missionary if she were there to help you? I think you could. Most of my best missionaries during the three years that I served left a girl behind. You notice that I said "girl" and not "girls." There isn't time for more than one.Of course the first duty is to the Lord's work, which you have been called to do; second is to your family, and third is to the girlfriend. This you should always remember. 

I always interviewed all missionaries as they entered the field and one of the questions I asked was, "Do you have a girlfriend at home?" If the answer was yes, I would say, "Can I have her name and address, and would it be all right if I wrote her a letter?" Of course this would scare the poor fellow to death--then I would bring the color back to his face by telling him I only wanted to write her a letter and tell her how lucky she was to have the opportunity to share this mission for the next 24 months with one of the Lord's chosen servants. If she is faithful, her testimony would become stronger in the gospel because of it... along with a little more advice that I will touch on later.Young men, do not ask a returned missionary for advice on this subject. For if he has been "jilted," should we say, he's giving out poor advice. Pray about this together, and if you feel that you can do a better job, then go ahead. There's nothing wrong with it. It is better to have support than to go out there wishing that you had it. This is more frustrating than worrying about a "Dear John," and believe me, there won't be one of those right in the beginning. The Lord always answers prayers to those who honor Him. 

Have an understanding with your parents so they can encourage her and make your girl happy by showing they have faith in her and love her. Let her parents know your plans, and in most cases they will stand by her when she gets lonely. If you show them respect, as well as the girl, they will be behind you all the way.Write her once a week or more. You can almost always write two letters a week on P-Days. There is plenty of time if they're not books. Tell her about your mission and experiences, let her live your mission with you through your letters, and send her a snapshot once in a while. Yes, you could let her make a scrapbook for you. Mom is not going to have time and both of them would love that. 

Remember that behind every successful man, there is a good woman. So why shouldn't it be good to leave a girlfriend behind if you feel that she is special? Forget that old story of "24 months is a long time." I have known girls to wait two or three years. Also forget the story that you will change a lot. You will only if you make yourself scarce in letters, etc. You will only change in the fact that you will be more mature and have a greater testimony and mind. 

Now girls, make sure that you do things that will help you grow along with the missionary. Study the gospel; stay active in the church, pray often--morning, noon, and night. Watch out for those lonely returned jilted missionaries. You're not in a hurry to get married.

Write happy letters every week. Let him know that you still care. He will be looking for those letters if he is really busy during the week and on P-Days. Yes, you could send him a snapshot of yourself. He would love that. So what if you don't take good pictures--anything will look good to him. You will be busy getting the education you need, perhaps working in and out of the church, maybe learning to sew and all those lovely things, or learning to cook fancy things, but most of all, just learning the basics of life.

If the occasion arises, and you feel as if you want to accept a date now and then, it's okay, but again... Beware of those jilted returned missionaries. They are dynamite. Stay close to your parents.

Oh yes, there isn't any harm in leaving a girlfriend at home, if you're both determined to fulfill the mission together. It will not be the big job you think, but a happy 24 months in both of your lives. When you are both back together again, it won't be long before you are sure of each other because of your pure maturity. I can say these things because it happened to me, and I know of many others who have experienced the same great thing.

Love others

This week was Suicide Awareness Day and it's been 11 years since the tragic 9/11 attacks. I think we sometimes go about our days so worried about our own lives, we forget the charity and love we need to show for others. You never know when tragedy will strike, when it could be someones last day or when a mean word could push someone's last button. Showing love for others gets harder as we get older. We are betrayed, people wrong us, people annoy us or our feelings are hurt. But we cannot let these things become the reason we treat others wrongly. I am reminded of one of my favorite primary church songs, Im Trying to Be Like Jesus. "Love one another as Jesus loves you, try to show kindness in all that you do. Be gentle and loving in deed and in thought, for these are the things Jesus taught" We can all try to be more loving to people we encounter everyday.

Here's a version of the song, performed by David Archuleta who's currently serving a mission in Chile.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=kQVKJnZbAwk

Brazil Independence Day

Celebrating Brazil Independence Day here in San Francisco!!! My heart truly is in Brazil! I felt pretty cool being able to tell everyone what flag it is and why it's up today! Hope Mackenzie's having a good day in Brazil, I sure had a great day being able to see this all day while at work! :)

Time

In one of Elder Sant's last emails home he wrote, "What is this thing called time..." Time goes so slowly while we're starring at the clock, but when we are busy enjoying life or have a few too many things on our schedule, the hours seem to fly by like seconds. Tomorrow, Mackenzie will have been out 6 weeks. Tomorrow is also the day he was originally called to leave. These past 6 weeks, I've grown so much and have really started to understand my role as a daughter of God. I know Mackenzie had the opportunity to leave early for a reason. He's grown tremendously during this time and I can't imagine if he had to have waited until tomorrow to leave. Just to put things into perspective, two years ago I was starting my senior year of high school. So much has changed since then but it also feels like that was just yesterday. To everyone else, two years might be a long time. Although we get new opportunities to grown and learn everyday, we might do a lot of changing within the course of two years. But in an eternal perspective, two years is a blink of an eye. I've read a lot of blogs, videos, etc, of missionary girlfriends struggling or having a really hard time being sad and missing their missionaries. Of course I miss Mackenzie, but I don't miss him in a sad, sloppy, depressed way. This does not have to be a sad time. This two years will truly be the best two years for Mackenzie. So why not make this the best two years for ourselves? When we fill our time doing wholesome activities like working, going to school, studying the scriptures, fulfilling our callings, practicing our talents, these are the things that will make the time fly. For me, I've been really working on becoming closer to Heavenly Father and learning more about the gospel. Although I've been a member my whole life and I've gone to all 4 years of seminary, I feel like I still have so much left to learn. and I definitely want to be on the same spiritual level as Mackenzie when he comes home, So I have plenty to keep me busy! Time will pass us by if we let it. We need to make the most out of what time we have. Weather that is spent with loved ones, with ourselves or being productive. My parents recently got this new beautiful grandfather clock and it chimes every 15 minutes. Sometimes I can't believe it's been 15 minutes since the last chime. I know it's made me realize how fast time goes and how before we know it, Mackenzie will be home. So it's important to fill my time with things that will make me grow as a person as well, not just sitting on the couch, crying, waiting for two years to pass by. Most important thing is to do what makes us happy, keep smiling and to have the best two years of your life. :)

This is a picture of me and Mackenzie exactly two years ago. At school, at the start of senior year, enjoying lunch in our usual spot in high school. Two years can pass by so quickly and if my love hasn't changed for Mackenzie in the past almost 3 years, another 2 will only make me love him that much more. <333

Look what I came home to in the mail yesterday!!!! My missionary sent me flowers!!!! He is sooo cute! It's funny that letters come exactly when you need them too. They come the day you really need someone to cheer you up. Can you tell how excited I was to get this? So far, this is my 3rd snail mail letter. The first one was a letter he wrote me his first night in Brazil, the second was a few cute pictures he printed with a cute note and this is the 3rd. Mackenzie always has known how much I love receiving flowers and it means the world to me he still managed to be romantic by taping some flowers to my letter. I'm going to start a scrapbook pretty soon for safe keeping of letters, emails and mission ties letters, this way, once he's home we can remember the best two years of his life.

Sunday Support

I wouldn't be as strong or confident as I am without my support system. They've made it possible for me to believe in myself and follow my dreams. Thank you! <3
My Family- I am greatful for my family and how supportive they are. They've always encouraged me to find my passion and chase after my dreams, no matter how big they are. My parents have sacrificed so much for me to be fortunate to grow up in a beautiful home and have a wonderful childhood. They are my true heroes. I hope I grow up to be just like my mom and touch people the way she has. My sister is my best friend. She knows what to say at the right time. We've grown so close over the years and I look up to her more than she will ever know. She inspires me to be a better person and to enjoy life. I love my grandma and all she's sacrificed and done for me, especially this past year. I've always had a close bond with her and I hope to someday have that with my own grandkids. I love my family and could never imagine my life without these people. Families can be together forever and I am so happy I get to share forever with these amazing people. 

Mackenzie's Family- I am so grateful for the Sant family and for all the things they've done for me the past 3 years. I am so lucky to have fallen in love with a guy that comes from an incredible family. Mackenzie has 4 brothers that are the brothers I never had and in a few years, will be my brothers in law. Mackenzie's parents have been nothing but supportive of me and Mackenzie's relationship and have been so supportive of me waiting for him. They inspire me and give me hope from their own story of writing each other during Mackenzie's Dad's mission. Mackenzie was truly blessed into a family that supports him and they are the reason he is the man I fell in love with. Because of them, I met him and I will be forever grateful for that. I love their family and can't wait to be apart of it someday even though they've made me feel apart of their family for almost 3 years now. :)  I love them and i'm so thankful for their constant support. 

My Friends- Although I have a lot of friends that are not members of the church, for the most part, they've all been very understanding and supportive of me choosing to wait for a missionary. Many of my friends ask questions and are excited with me. I am so blessed for everyone in my life who's made a postive impact in my life. I am also thankful for the power of forgiveness and to be able to move forward and reconnect with friends and let the past be in the past. 

Missionary Girlfriends- I've become aware that there are sooo many missionary girlfriends waiting for missionaries. These girls inspire me and give me hope. By sticking together, we can stay motivated and happy! I love all these girls! I am also so grateful for Gloria, her boy is serving in Brazil as well and is in the CTM with Mackenzie! She also lives in the area one of my best friends, Elder Nonu is serving! I just love her! We were meant to be best friends!!! Also, special shoutout to her helping me organize this blog. Go check out hers, glorialittlefield.blogspot.com

Picture from Elder Sant

 This is a picture Mackenzie put in his most recent snail mal & asked me to keep it with me always. It's his scriptures, name tag and CTR making a shadow of a heart. It's the little things that he does to put a smile on my face :)

23 Months to go!

Friday was Mackenzie's official 1 month in Brazil! It's crazy how fast time fly's when your being comforted by the Lord. I've only received 2 awesome snail mail letters from him, but I am soooo grateful for Mission Ties which is a program for the missionaries in Brazil (because the mailing system is so horrible) where missionaries can write a letter and walk it to the office where Mission Ties will scan it and email you a PDF file with the letter. We can also type a letter and send it VIA Mission Ties and they will print it and walk it over to the MTC in Brazil. Many "Missionary Girlfriends" have been finding me on Instagram sharing their experiences with me and how long they're guys have been out or thanking me for inspiration. But honestly, it's these girls that inspire me. The girls that know our missionaries are worth the wait, the ones that stay strong and keep their word. It's these girls that inspire me. Our missionaries need our support. They need to know we believe they are doing the right thing. At least for me, I know choosing to serve a mission was the best decision Mackenzie has ever made and I too, am grateful for his obedience, courage and service to our father in heaven. It's all worth it.

Pictures of Elder Sant

Our Story.

So I decided to make this blog for all of the missionary girlfriends out there or for anyone who needs a little hope in their lives. I am currently waiting for my boyfriend of almost 3 years while he serves a full time LDS mission in Goiania, Brazil. Here's a little background story of how we met: I went to a performing arts high school where cute, straight, single boys didn't come around very often. My junior year of high school, there was a cute new boy at school, his name was Mackenzie and he also happened to LDS. Ding, Ding, Ding, I knew he had to be mine. After a few shy Facebook convos, he started walking me to class and pretty soon, we were inseparable. He took me to his old high school's football game and asked me to be his girlfriend October 2nd, 2009. Our journey had just only begun. Here we are almost 3 years later, with more love in our hearts for each other than anyone I know. The lord places people in our lives for a reason and I truely believe that. Through Mackenzie, I've been able to grow the courage to be able to follow my dreams while he serves the Lord. I know the odds are against us, and millions of people who tell me that "2 years is a long time" "A lot can happen in 2 years" and believe me, I know. But I also know that if it's meant to be, these best two years can help me and Mackenzie grow stronger together. I know these two years will be worth it. I am so proud to have a boyfriend who's worthy to bring me to the temple and who can spread the gospel to the people of Brazil. I know by his obedience, we will be blessed. Elder Sant has been out for exactly a month tommorrow, he left July 24th 2012. This past month has been much easier than I expected. I am not sad, I am not heartbroken and I don't miss him in a bad way. I have been so happy and so excited about life. This is a happy time and so many blessings have come. I know the Lord is truely on our side and I can feel his comfort. Everyone's story is different, but this is mine. I hope this blog will help you find courage or hope in your own life and inspire you with happiness. :)