Thank you Pilgrams...

...I really needed that four day weekend. My Thanksgiving break started out with some homesickness on my commute back from work on Wednesday night. The realization hit me that I wouldn't be with any of my family for Thanksgiving (a first). Then I got to thinking about Christmas and how I wasn't going home to Washington either. It saddened me to think that I wouldn't be home for the holidays at all this year.

Thanksgiving day I snapped out of it. Of course I would have liked to be with my family but i was very happy to have a four day weekend to spend with Niel. Thanksgiving Day we baked 3 pumpkin pies that we were asked to bring to Thanksgiving dinner. Of course I overcooked them (I'm not the right person to ask to bring food). They looked very interesting to say the least. The Land family invited us over for Thanksgiving Dinner. Gayle Land is the Young Women's president in our ward. We had a yummy and enjoyable Thanksgiving dinner with their family.

On Friday we hit the stores for Black Friday. We got some great deals at JcPenney. We definitely overspent (returns??). Please excuse the scraggly hair...we skipped the showers on Black Friday.

After shopping we had lunch at Soup Plantation buffet. I have no idea what we were thinking when we decided to go to a buffet on the day after Thanksgiving?! We felt like fattys after lunch.

Then we picked out our Christmas tree for only $20 at Home Depot. It's just a little guy.

Friday evening we went to the outdoor Victoria Gardens mall in Rancho Cucamonga. They had cute little Christmas carolers singing along the walkways. We bought chocolate at the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory (of course I got my favorite sea foam). AND we went to PinkBerry. That was my first time. I would have to say it is over-rated.

The best thing about Thanksgiving break this year is that we didn't have any church commitments or scheduled activities. This is really rare for both of us. During break we did whatever we wanted when we wanted. Here are some other things we did (besides cleaning and running errands):

1) Bike rides every day

2) Afternoon naps

3) Decorated for Christmas

4) I dedicated allot of time looking for fabric and working on my business

5) Watched movies

6) Niel worked on his new art project

It was great to have a relaxing weekend filled with delicious food and goodies. My pants are definitely fitting tighter. How about yours?

Apparel Workshop

Last Saturday I got up early and drove to an apparel entrepreneurial workshop in L.A. It was put on by The Fashion Business Inc. It was a seven hour workshop about everything one needs to know about starting their own apparel line.

I was a little disappointed in the workshop. I went to the workshop to learn about all the basics including finding the right fabric, getting patterns made, getting samples made, etc. This was how the course was advertised. Unfortunately everyone but one other girl there already had their lines started. The focus of the workshop then shifted more on marketing, cost analysis, sales, etc. Most of which I had already learned in my business classes. I did learn a lot of stuff I didn't already know but it was an expensive workshop so I wish I had learned more of what I went there for. I did leave feeling like I knew more of what to expect in the fashion industry. There is allot to learn and SO much more to starting an apparel line and entering the fashion industry than one would guess. It was actually quite overwhelming...this whole thing is going to cost a lot more than I thought too. Second thoughts? A little, but mostly due to the economy.

Some good things about the workshop: 1) I got suckered into purchasing an AMAZING book that includes almost EVERYTHING I will need to know about starting my line. I have already read allot of it. It is so helpful and very interesting!

2) I was able to speak with Frances Harder one on one. She is the owner of Fashion Business Inc. and is an experienced designer.

3) I went to Michael Levine textiles & notions during my lunch break! I've wanted to go there for awhile but I didn't know where it was. It was right downtown by where I attended the workshop.

It is a fun experience to go towntown to the fashion market. I was in the same building that the designers have their sample show rooms. I saw "Paige Jeans" showroom and a couple others.

Twilight. Yes Please.

Friday night Niel and I went to see Twilight. The line for tickets was wrapped around the movie theatre outside. Luckily I bought our tickets the night before. We had to park in the mall parking lot which was a block away because there was no parking. Once we actually got inside the theatre the only seats left were in the first three rows. This was twenty minutes before the movie started too! When the movie started everyone was cheering and yelling. What a crowd.
I LOVED this movie. I kinda want to see it again. Niel even liked it! I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it. I was expecting to be disappointed with the movie since that is usually how it goes with films that are based off books. Off course there were a couple of cheesy parts but I may have even liked it better than the book. It was even funny!

I had been skeptical because I didn't think that Rob Pattinson was that attractive...well that was before I saw the movie and now I think differently:) I would have to say that Rob Pattinson pulled it off starring as Edward Cullen. He did look pretty dang good when he walked out for Prom night. I never really liked Edward in the books. I was always "Team Jacob". Well I hate to say it but the movie made me like Edward better. So I guess I am Team Jacob in the books and Team Edward with the movie:) Bella was perfectly cast. I thought the same for Mike and Jessica.

Some of my favorite parts:

-When Edward is playing the piano for Bella. Dreamy.

-The kissing scene. "Don't Move". YES.

-When Edward first meets Bella in Biology. This was so funny how he could hardly contain himself.

- "And so the lion fell in love with the lamb" scene

-The ending: the kiss in the gazebo and the shot of Victoria coming down the stairs.

Loved it. Thank you Stephanie Meyer...and Rob pattinson.

Gobble Gobble

On Tuesday night for Young Womens we had class activities. I wanted to do something for Thanksgiving with the girls and I found these turkey sugar cookies online. They were cuter in their picture of course(which I won't show because then you won't think that mine are cute) but they still turned out all right. I bought a roll of the already made cookie dough and then the girls cooked and decorated them. Of course I burnt them a little (being the great chef that I am). These are really easy and fun if you are looking for a thanksgiving treat.

You've got mail!

This last week I received my first piece of mail addressed to my swimwear company. Even though my swimwear company name isn't official it was addressed to it:) I was so excited! Enclosed was a color card, two fabric samples, and lining samples. It was exciting to get my first letter addressed to the company. I am really struggling with the name thing. I still haven't thought of a name that I LOVE. I still like Wailea Swimwear but I am not crazy about it. I need to decide soon though because it is holding me up.

The Bowers Family

This post is a continuation of last weekend spent with my sister Lori and her family. On Sunday they went to church with us and then came over for dinner. It was interesting feeding eight people at our apartment. We only have four chairs and a table that seats four. This situation led to Niel standing while eating his dinner while David and Tiffani ate their dinner in the living room on the couch. Looks like we need to purchase some folding chairs! After dinner we went to see the Redlands temple and drove around Loma Linda University. Then we enjoyed a game of Hotels. Tyler and I used to play this together when we were growing up. I love this game!
I look like I could be Tyler's little sister in this picture.

Trent and Tyler

Handsome little Trent. He is such a sweetheart...future heartbreaker:)

It was so fun to spend the weekend with the Bowers! Thanks for coming to visit us!

The Happiest Place on Earth!

Last weekend my sister Lori and her family came to California for a family vacation at Disneyland. I woke up at 5:30 a.m on Saturday, got ready, and drove to Anaheim to have breakfast with their family at their hotel in Anaheim a couple blocks down from Disneyland. We were at Disneyland from about 8:30 a.m. until after 11:00 p.m. There were hardly any lines and we went on tons of rides! The new Toy Story ride was pretty cool. My favorite rides are: Splash mountain, Indiana Jones, Calfiornia Screamin', and House of Terror. It was already decorated for Christmas too! It was so fun to go with my nieces and nephews! Disneyland is allot more magical with kids!

Captain Jack Sparrow, Tyler, and Todd

Here is Trent doing his famous "Grumpy" face with Grumpy. He looks just like grumpy when he does this face!

We went to the princess story time. We heard Snow White and Cinderella tell stories.

Minnie mouse is so cute

Jasmine could have used some ab workouts (Not that I am one to talk. But hey, if you are going to show your stomach everyday you gotta be prepared for that sort of stuff).

Bell was really pretty. I have always wanted to be Belle. Or any princess for that matter. No seriously, in college I attended the Disney internship presentation for Disneyland because I really wanted to be a princess. Seeing all of the princesses made me want to do it again. Maybe someday?

I think I was just as excited to get pictures with the princesses as Tiffani was. I mean, Niel definitely isn't up for that type of stuff. We didn't get to take pictures with Cinderella, Snow White, or Sleeping Beauty so I was kinda bummed. Oh well, next time!

My sister Lori and Tiffani

I LOVE DISNEYLAND!!! AND THE BOWER FAMILY TOO!

The Oscars

Last Tuesday night I was in charge of Young Women in Excellence. I chose the theme to be "Night at the Oscars". When I was in Young Womens they did this theme for young women in excellence and it was one of my favorite activities. I made the invitations and the "Oscars". I found the figurines for a quarter each at the dollar store. Then I spray painted them gold to look like oscars. They turned out perfect because it looks like the oscar girl is holding scriptures! Of course I didn't forget the red carpet:)The girls and their parents were encouraged to dress up semi-formal. I squeezed into my old homecoming dress. I asked Niel and Camden (a little boy in our ward) to be our servers. Camden showed up in a little tux with a bow tie. First they served hors d'oeuvres which included: quiche, chips & salsa, hot dogs in a blanket, crackers with spinach dip, and crackers with cheese. Here are our handsome servers:

After appetizers the girls talked about their achievements throughout the year. Next the bishop and his wife spoke for a few minutes. Then all the young women sang, "Keepers of his light". After that I presented the girls with their oscars. It was a fun night. I wish I had more pictures of the girls but I was running around before and during the program so I didn't get a chance to take pictures until after the program. I was very relieved when the program was over!

23 & Wicked

Well I am 23. Ugh...getting older. I really liked 21 & 22 but 23 is starting to sound not that great. I always think of the song by Blink 182 when it says, "Nobody likes you when you're 23". Anyways, I had a great birthday thanks to Niel and the fact that my birthday fell on a Saturday. Saturday birthdays are awesome. I woke up to breakfast in bed from Niel. Then he told me he had a surprise waiting for me in the living room. I had told Niel to not spend very much money on me but he disobeyed...when I went into the living room a brand new bike was waiting for me!

It is so cute! It is a really nice bike too. I took it for a test drive right away. Niel goes for a run every Saturday morning. I never join him because i hate running. Now I get to ride my bike while he runs! We are hoping to get him a bike for Christmas so that we can take our bikes to the beach and on the bike trails around here.

After our bike ride around the neighborhood trails we took off to L.A. We window shopped at the Garden Grove mall in L.A. This is an uppity outdoor mall with some fancy shops. It was decorated for Christmas too!

We went to dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. They sang "Happy Birthday" to me and brought me out these little sundaes with candles.

Then we headed down to Hollywood Blvd. to the Pantages Theatre to see the one, the only....

WICKED!!! I love, love, LOVED it. The plot totally made the play. I can never think of Wizard of Oz the same way (in a good way). It was funny, had great music, had a great plot, and a good message. The lady who played Glinda the good witch was hilarious. The costumes and sound effects were great too. If you haven't seen this yet you have to go. Worth every penny. I had a wonderful Birthday! Thank you Niel for making my 23rd birthday a good one and thank you to those who sent birthday wishes my way!

Sugar Mama

On Thursday we had our company meeting at work. I was awarded my "1 year of Service Award". Along with the service award you get to pick a "prize". I picked myself out a nice duffle bag. Boring, yes...but we needed one.

SO...I survived my first year of working full-time with a"real" job. It has been interesting. Allot of overtime, stressful days, and commutes. Even though there are days when I hate my job and want to quit, there are definitely many good things about my job. The company is owned by a down to earth Christian family and I enjoy my co-workers for the most part. The benefits are great! 3 weeks of paid time off a year, holiday pay, and dental, vision, and health insurance for Niel and I. My boss and I get along pretty well which is a plus. I do feel that this job has been a blessing for Niel and I while he is going to school.

My job hasn't made us wealthy by any means but it has been enough to pay for all of our living expenses (and my occasional shopping sprees)while we have been here in CA. I am SO grateful for that because I really didn't want to live on student loans for living expenses.

Does the to-do list ever end?

Besides the textile show, this last week was very stressful and not that exciting. I have been working a lot of overtime the last two weeks. I hope it ends soon. One of the ladies in our office had surgery and the other has pneumonia. SO... two ladies out of the office= lots of stressful and long days for Darci. I got my pay check on Friday and I had 12 hours of overtime. Luckily I get paid time and a half so my paycheck was nice but working OT gets old fast. I had been leaving my home around 6:30 a.m. and not returning until around 6:30 p.m. By the time I get home I am drained and don't feel like doing anything. Then, my boss asked me to come in on Saturday to do billing...UGH. Luckily we got everything done in a little over four hours.

Halloween ended up being fun. We went to a church Halloween party. It was held at a ranch and motor cross park. They had booths with games for the kids and a barbecue. Afterwords they had trunk or treat.

My back decided to start acting up this week. I tried my medicine the doctor gave me for my ankylosing spondylitis. I had some unpleasant side effects including headaches, stomach aches, and other fun stuff. I am hoping that maybe they weren't from the medicine and possibly a result of not eating right and being stressed. The medicine really did help. I am so grateful for that and hope that I can continue to take the medicine without having side effects.

The rest of this weekend I cleaned, ran errands, grocery shopped, helped with prop 8, prepared for Young Women in Excellence (which I am in charge of), and prepared for my lesson that I gave to the Young women today.

My to-do list is still very large. Feeling a little overwhelmed at the moment. I have Young Women in Excellence in a little over a week that I still have sooo much to prepare for. I have to plan for class activities on Tuesday for young women and I have a company meeting on Thursday night this week. p.s. Can't forget to vote.

Is tomorrow Monday again?...ugh.

My first textile show!

On Wednesday I took a day off work to attend the La International Textile show in downtown LA. I went with designer and owner Amber Pratt of City Girl Aprons. She designs her own line of stylish aprons that are sold in boutiques across the U.S. If you are looking for a great Christmas present these would be perfect. She has been so nice to give me advice for starting my own swimwear line. She invited me to go along with her under her company name to the textiles show.

It was a great experience! At first I felt like a fish out of water. Everyone speaks in fashion lingo. I learned that I pretty much don't know anything about the fashion industry. It is OK though...I can learn. Amber described fabrics with adjectives like "Peruvian", "Shabby Chic", etc. I would nod obliviously. Once I felt a little more confident in approaching vendors it became more fun.

I met a great contact who has her own successful swimwear line for children. She gave me the contact name of a pattern maker in the area. When she emailed me her phone number I was so excited to find out that her area code is right in the area we live!! What are the odds?! I found two or three companies that had cute fabrics. I was also given names of three other major active wear companies in the LA area.

Afterwords I went with Amber to her fabric cutter's warehouse. I got to meet the owner of the business. She said that she also cuts swimwear fabrics and would be willing to cut for me! She was very nice and it was great to meet her!

I am so excited that I now have a contact for a pattern maker and a textile cutter. Now I just need to get my hands on some amazing prints and get the designs going. Cross my fingers that the pattern maker is accepting new clients:/

This is all really exciting for me but at the same time I want to make sure that this is the right thing for me to do. I am taking things slowly and getting my feet wet before I go full throttle. Whoo-hoo!

Supporting "Yes" on Proposition 8

Last Saturday I helped my friend Autumn with a yard sale to earn money for Proposition 8. She passed out handouts to everyone at church to donate to the yard sale she held at her house. We had quite a few families donate. The yard sale ended up being a pretty big success. We made about $500 to donate to "YES" on proposition 8.