Chelsie's Wedding

I'm no photographer, but I love taking pictures and editing them. I am looking forward to the day when I can own a DSLR camera and take legit photos for friends as well as my own creations and events. Until then, I'll make due with Bob's little broken-screened Canon.

Chelsie is a very close friend of mine--like a little sister I never had. I met her while serving as a missionary for 18 months in San Antonio, TX. A few years later, Bob and I let her live with us for a month while she got back on her feet after couple of exceptionally difficult years of life and trials. Once she got her life in order, she met a fantastic man named Josh, and they fell head-over-heels in love. Within a matter of months they were engaged, and married shortly thereafter.

The wedding was in Salt Lake City, UT, and it wasn't until after Bob and I had moved to San Diego. But Chelsie means enough to me that I was willing and excited to drive up for the celebration and help her out in whatever ways she needed to make the wedding as special as possible.

So while there for a week, I helped her make her veil, her bouquet, and Josh's boutonniere. She's not the extravagant type, so a simple little bouquet and a plain veil with a ribbon sewn around the edge was all she wanted. I also fixed her hair for her.

I was going to add a train to her dress too, but I came down with the flu the day I was going to do it. Miraculously, I was perfectly well during the entire day-of the wedding, but the following day I was back to feeling sick and recovering for two or three weeks after that. Weird, but I'm so thankful that I was well enough to be there for the full day of celebrating!

Here are a bunch of photos I took from her wedding day. 

 They were so happy as they walked out of the temple where they were married for time and all eternity.

 Cute and simple bouquet & boutonniere. 

And just look at the love oozing from them!

 Chelsie's and Josh's families combined.

 Chelsie & her mom. I love both of these ladies!

 Me and Chelsie. 

I was so happy and the sun was so bright that I couldn't help but get squinty-eyed.

 And this is my favorite picture I got of them. They're so in love it's absurd. And wonderful.

Congratulations to you both! 

I couldn't be happier in your choice of spouse--either of you!

Upholstering Our Headboard... Again.

Remember that headboard Bob and I built last year? Well, we picked out the fabric for it without realizing how small of a repeating pattern it makes. It didn't take very long for both of us to realize we didn't like it on the headboard. The fabric is great--we both still like it! But not for something with so much surface area.

I used another 50% off coupon at Jo-Ann's and splurged on some really nice upholstery fabric. I originally wanted it to be a rich, dark brown, but I didn't mind the idea of making it another color. So off came the red printed canvas, and on went the new dark brown stuff--tufted and everything!

When we first made it, we never figured out a way for it to mount to the wall or bed frame. Instead we just pushed our mattress about 2 inches away from the wall and let the headboard rest on the box spring which we left right up against the wall. The headboard is tall enough that even though we lost about a foot of its height that way, it still looked pretty good.

I started working on it back in September (hence, no pregnant belly in those pictures) and got it done to a point where I needed to figure out how to mount it on the wall or bed frame again. Bob and I talked over idea after idea and couldn't figure out something we both agreed on. I even went to both Home Depot and Lowe's and asked a few of their employees or "specialists" their ideas. I got a whole bunch of worthless answers, including, "I don't think we have anything here that can do something like that for you." I sometimes wonder why and how those people got jobs working there.

So it got put on hold for a few months. It's been sitting in a closet, tufted and buttons on it, but the fabric wasn't stapled to the back in case I should wait to do that once we figure out a solution. But it's been driving me nuts because every time I open that closet, there it is, beautiful and just waiting to be put up!

It wasn't until we were recently talking to a friend of Bob's who's a handyman and home repair/remodel specialist that he gave us the brilliant idea I'd been waiting for but couldn't think of:

make a French cleat for it. 

Duh!

I know exactly what that is, but how did I not think of it sooner?

I had Bob cut it for me (to let him do some of the manly work because I love him, although I could have done it all myself), and then I attached it to the back.

(I love that I'm nearly almost 7 months pregnant and I'm using power tools. 

I also really like that I have photographic evidence of it.)

And then Bob helped with the other side of the cleats. Finding studs in these old walls is impossible, but he figured it out (after drilling about a dozen pilot holes). And he hung it up too, because it's heavy and he wouldn't let me try by myself, being pregnant and all.

 And now it's finally finished.


Ta-dah! 

Look at that tufting! Not too shabby for the project I learned it on.

Bob snapped a couple of pictures of me enjoying our handy-work. 

It's comfy and looks pretty too.

Down & Depressed

I've been feeling down the past several days. Maybe it's just crazy emotions and hormones from being pregnant. Regardless, my feelings are still valid, and I'm sad. It's been quite a while since I've had a day like this.

I'm not sure how to pinpoint it or where it came from. I kept Bob up late last night talking and crying. I feel bad about that, but I really needed it. Today I slept until nearly 11am. I woke up to my stomach grumbling. Were I not pregnant, I would have rolled over and gone back to sleep. But for this child's sake, I got up to eat, but then I got right back into bed. Bob came home for lunch, and after taking him back to work, I decided I wanted to have something (no matter how silly) to show for myself when he comes home tonight. So the Costco-sized bag of toilet paper that has been sitting in our hallway next to the bathroom for 4 days finally got put away.

And then I got back into bed with a bag of chips to munch on.

My friend Adam called. He and a few of our friends from Provo are planning to come and visit for a weekend in February.

Lyssa called and wants me to come and take Valentines Day pictures of her and her husband today around 3:00.

As much as I would love to close the blinds and go back to sleep today, maybe it'll be good for me to get out...

*sigh*

Here's what's been weighing heavily on my mind.

I miss my family. I miss my mom. I wish I was still little so I could curl up on my mother's lap and cry as she'd hold me close and sway gently in her old rocking chair.

I've never lived in California, and the weather here is gorgeous 90% of the time. I'm not used to that. I miss rainy days, thunder storms, snow and sleet, playing in the frosty woods, and watching the sunrise over acres of trees and fields of grass. I've always dreamed of living here and how amazing and glamorous it would be. Everyone from a small town secretly (or not so secretly) wants to live in California, right? Well, I did, anyway.

I have these irrational fears that have only surfaced recently. I worry that something will happen to Bob. Every day when he leaves for work, I make sure that I kiss him and hug him tightly for a moment, just in case it's the last time I ever do. I make sure he knows I love him, because I never want him to leave home without being reminded of that, in case it's the last thing he hears from me in this life.

My life has been filled with wonderful people and an amazing family. But it has also been filled with heartache, hardships, pain, and loss. I've needed my parents and siblings and close friends to help me through all of the difficulty I've had, whether they know about it or not. Right now it seems like I'm just coasting and everything is too good, like it's about time for something terrible to happen again. After all, Heavenly Father never lets too many good things happen to me. He just never has. I'm not bitter about that. If I need trials, then I'll take them humbly and try my best to learn what I need to and prove to the Lord that I'm becoming who He wants me to become. I'm just nervous and anticipating the worst right now because it's been too long since some heart wrenching event has occurred in my life.

And I'm going to be a mother in under three months. I've had the faith that this is what God has wants us to do--have children now and not wait any longer. I've been terrified of having kids for most of my life. The responsibility overwhelms me, not to mention my fear of  childbirth. I need to be so selfless for this tiny person that Heavenly Father is trusting me to take care of. My own mother was and is incredible, as well as the epitome of selflessness. How can I ever amount to that? How can I set my own comforts and hobbies and passions aside as frequently as this child will need me to, when those things have been the therapy and means of getting me through the trials and pain that I've been faced with in the past? I still have faith that this is what God would have us do--become parents and bring more of His spirit children into the world to have a chance at life. I know that much is true. I'm just so worried that He's overestimating my strength and ability. Of course He isn't--He knows me better than I know myself. But what if I'm overestimating myself? Am I really ready to be responsible for such a helpless infant who will need 100% of my time, energy, and love?

I'm sure all of these thoughts are due to me being pregnant. But how do I keep going with all of them weighing me down? It's a lot for me to try and deal with right now, on top of the current responsibilities I have.

I mostly just needed to let them out so that maybe they won't be such a focus for me anymore. They're written down, not forgotten about. Maybe I can move on from them, or at least they'll be in the background now.

Another Car Caddy

I made one of my nephews a car caddy last year for Christmas. It turns out that his little brother loves it just as much and would often try to take it and play with it too. 

And ensue sibling disagreements over yet another toy...

So I made another one. Here's how this one turned out:

The inside.

The outside.

I love the detail on it. The paths on the corners,
the pond, the flower bed, and the road, of course.

The latch to keep the caddy closed.

I like how this one turned out too. When I finally have the time and space (which is always the excuse, I know), I'd love to make these and sell them on a regular basis. 

And every one of them would be different and unique. 

Mom & Dad's Christmas Present 2011

My mom and dad can be kind of difficult to Christmas shop for. It's not that they're picky or have expensive taste or anything like that. But they literally have everything they need. And if they don't, they'll build or make their own.

They built the beautiful house they live in, and it's out in the country surrounded my fields and forests. My mom has a hobby room where she can sit and make whatever crafty stuff she can think up. My dad has a shop to keep and use all of his fancy tools when he needs to make or repair something. They have a hammock on the back deck for gorgeous, slow days, and lovely furniture inside the entire house. They have a Camry, Jeep, and a little farm truck. Annually, they raise a summer vegetable garden and frequently plant more fruit trees as space and seasons permit. My mom cans or freezes 85% of what they grow so they have delicious, home-grown food year-round.  My mom is a fantastic cook and really knows how to make a house a home. They have 4 grown-up kids who are all married, and 8 grand-kids with a 9th on the way. They have a steady, decent income. They've got a fun and healthy marriage, and laughter is a part of every-day life.

So how am I supposed to give them anything they could possibly want or need for Christmas?

When I was 7, it was easy because they'd adore whatever I made with paper and glue and sequins and glitter. I still prefer making them gifts, because they're far more personal and one-of-a-kind. But these days my skills have increased from those basic glued crafts into serious works of art made from whatever medium I'm in the mood for. I know they could care less about what I give them, and they'd prefer to sit and talk and get a hug from me. But I don't live close enough to them to have that option. I live in California and they live in Tennessee. I want them to have a reminder of how much I love and appreciate them. I want them to have something they can see or touch when they need a pick-me-up. So that's what I attempt to do when I embark on making their gifts.

As I was walking through a a huge bead and jewelry warehouse a while back, I noticed some pretty little decorations toward the back on some shelves. There were trees made from wire and natural stone. I'd seen things like that before, but these ones cost between $150 - $350. I think they were quite overpriced. However, I do know wire-wrapping techniques and have made some relatively intricate jewelry in the past, so the gears in my creative brain began turning.

I bought a few spools of copper wire, searched for the perfect color and shape of natural stone beads, and got to work.

I'm pretty pleased with the outcome.

Then I felt like the tree needed an explanation. I wasn't going to be there when they opened it, and I wanted them to know the materials it was made it from as well as the symbolism that turned up in it. Plus, they probably will want to frame or set whatever written description of it with it on display. So I typed and printed something up to go along with it.

Here's what I wrote:

Our Family’s Foundation

copper, Russian jasper, and yellow jade

handmade by Janae L. Pettit

    “And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.”

                                Helaman 5:12

Mom and Dad, you established Christ as the foundation of our home, which gave us all the faith and ability to do the same in our individual homes & families. Here is a gift to show my gratitude for the immeasurable and priceless gift you have given me--my testimony and understanding of how important gospel centered living is. 

 We have been through the storms and trials that have come with living in this world. Like this tree, our family began growing from the “rock of our Redeemer,” and each of us have taken root in a firm place and continued growing and building ourselves upon it. We haven’t fallen, regardless of the ferocity of the adversary’s winds and hail. 

This tree is a symbol of our family’ strength and extraordinary uniqueness, as it was carefully created and there is no other quite like it in existence. There are 8 branches, one for each of your 4 children and one for each of their spouses. 

They were visiting my grandma in Utah for the holiday, so they needed a way to take it safely back to Tennessee on an airplane afterward. I found a sturdy box that fit the tree perfectly, gift-wrapped the outside, punched some holes in the bottom, and zip-tied the base of it into the bottom so it wouldn't move. I included a couple of extra zip ties so that after opening it, they could take it out, admire it, and then secure it back in the box for traveling.

My mom called me on Christmas morning, and it didn't take long for her to get past the well-wishing formalities so that she could talk about how much she loved the gift. I'm so glad both she and my dad like it. It's another unique treasure they can display in their home, and it has far more meaning than if I'd simply bought and quickly wrapped anything else.

And the quest for next year's gift begins...