'Do It Yourself' Girl...

I've always liked making things. I enjoy pretty much anything to do with the arts. I especially love taking something that most people would throw away and turning it into something beautiful.

My mom introduced me to "garage sailing" when I was little and I would tag along while she and her sisters spent their summer Saturdays 'garage sale hopping'. What can I say? I'm a chip off the ole block and I like to find good deals. More recently, I've become a craigslist addict.

I've recently moved into a cute little yellow house with my friend Vanae and needed to buy some furniture, do some interior designing, etc. So here are a few things that I've done around the house along with some other projects that I've undertaken...

So I bought this mirror at at garage sale for $5 and it had a nasty brown plastic frame that was supposed to look like wood. I spray painted it black. It's so classy :) This is what it looks like on our living room wall...above the SWEET couch that I bought off of craigslist for $20:

I know, I know, it's awesome. Next...

I bought these frames for $0.50 each. They had ugly pictures in them so I took them out and hung them picture-less. Tell me what you think because I like it and I think it's artsy but some people have thought differently...what do you think? tacky? cute? Our wall paper is pretty crazy already so I'm kind of working with what we have here. Ha.

I've made two mosaic mirrors. This is the first one.

And here is the second one...I took old china (most of which I got for free at a yard sale) and smashed it (it was quite fun actually). And then I used tile glue to glue them to the mirror frames then used grout in between the pieces of china. So lovely.

My mom spotted this while we were 'garage sailing' together and bought it for me for like $1 and i spray painted it black. I hang it in a corner on my wall in my room but there was better lighting for me to take a picture of it on the floor :)

My most recently learned skill: Crocheting! The girls at work taught me and I'm making this wicked sweet blanket...it's about halfway finished.

I am also trying out painting. This one i made for my sister, Molly. It's in acrylic on two separate canvas. All of my paintings right now are pretty simple but I like how this one turned out!

This is my most recent project. I bought this antique table from a lady off of craigslist for $3. I like it. It's got character. It definitely needs some fixing up and I'm not sure yet what I'm going to do with it. Any ideas?

Well that's it for now! If you have any cool ideas please share!

By Small and Simple Things...

So there are a ton of things on my mind right now! I'm not really sure how this whole "blogging" thing works. Am I supposed to write about everything on my mind? Or should I try to be patient and pace myself and stick to writing one subject at a time? :)

Missionary work is on my mind.

First of all...I've been reading my cousin's (Elder Erick McNerney) emails and they are absolutely inspiring. He is serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Baltics. I just keep thinking of my mission and how wonderful it was to be out serving. I hope he doesn't mind that I'm going to quote him right now. I just love the words that he uses here. In his most recent email he said, "Things are going great, and we are working with all patience and love with everyone that has a willingness to hear our message. I've been reflecting on the promises of the Gospel--Salvation and Eternal Life. I've realized while it's something I continue to feel a greater understanding for, it's hard to put it in words. I know that Christ was prepared before the foundation of the world, to save us all from the effects of the fall, and that he submitted to the will of the Father and suffered and died for our sins, and even suffered all things, and was was Resurrected after 3 days. I don't understand how it all happened, or completely why it all happened, except that Our Heavenly Father loves us and has provided wonderful blessings for us (1 Corinthians 2: 9) . It is the plan of our God--our Heavenly Father--and that it the only plan which will bring us Eternal Life. I see more and more, as I study the scriptures, listen to the words of the modern Prophets and Apostles, and Preach the Gospel here in the Baltics, that the Restoration of the Gospel is true, and that the Authority of God must be given by Him...All I know is that I have felt nothing but an increase of Faith, Love and Hope as I have strived to live according to the principles of the Restored Gospel."

What an awesome missionary he must be! I read this and I just get so pumped up! Haha...I love missionary work. It is my favorite thing.

When we share the gospel, we grow and realize so much. I wrote this home from my mission in Tennessee, "In a world full of so much confusion, I am so happy to know that the Lord has restored his gospel to the earth by calling true and living prophets on the earth. I am so glad that he works in an orderly fashion so that we can clearly understand the things that we must do. I know that his church is on the earth and I know that President Thomas S. Monson is his prophet on the earth today. I feel love from him when he speaks and the Holy Ghost bears witness to my soul that the words that he says are from God."

It is such a privilege to be there as someone comes to understand who they are, a child of a loving Heavenly Father and to realize what that means. To me, this video says it all!





I loved waking up every morning, knowing that I was going to do everything I could to be where the Lord needed me that day and to do and say what he wanted me to do and say. I was exhausted but could not have been happier with my life.

I wrote a letter from Tennessee to my ward in Port Townsend, Washington that said this:
"Missionary work is amazing. You can't live the gospel without sharing it with others. If you aren't sharing it then you don't understand the gospel of Jesus Christ. If I could encourage you to do anything, it would be this: Go visit members who haven't been coming to church. Even ones that you don't know. And get to know them. Let them know that they are missed and invite them to church. Offer them a ride. Come to church for everyone else and not for yourself. Don't be afraid to say, 'Hi'. What do yo have to lose? Fear is not of the Lord. Secondly, help the full-time missionaries!!! If any visitors come to church...EVERYONE should attack them with love and friendship so they want to come back! Go with the missionaries to appointments and meet the people they are teaching. Missionaries come and go. So, the members are even more important to missionary work than the missionaries themselves. If there is one thing I've learned since I've been out here, it's how much missionary work I have waiting for me when I get home. There is so much to be done!"

I look at this as an inspired letter to myself. It's so easy to get lost in the business of life and forget how fabulous it is to share the gospel. There are opportunities all around us!

That's all for now :) Sorry to get all preachy on y'all haha but it's what has been on my mind!

Finding Joy in My Journey...

"This is our one and only chance at mortal life—here and now. The longer we live, the greater is our realization that it is brief. Opportunities come, and then they are gone. I believe that among the greatest lessons we are to learn in this short sojourn upon the earth are lessons that help us distinguish between what is important and what is not. I plead with you not to let those most important things pass you by as you plan for that illusive and nonexistent future when you will have time to do all that you want to do. Instead, find joy in the journey—now."
-Thomas S. Monson

When i was serving in the Tennessee Knoxville Mission I was writing a weekly email home to my parents, which was then forwarded to all of my family and friends. Knowing that each email would reach many people who I love, I would do my best to write about and describe all of the wonderful experiences I was having. This weekly email was like a journal for me, full of uplifting things. Somehow, it helped me to "distinguish between what is important and what is not". I noticed the beautiful things around me, and I saw the Lord's hand in my life. I was more focused and dedicated to the work I was doing. My time was never wasted on frivolous things.

Now that I've been home from my mission for nearly a year (yikes!) I catch myself focusing more on the negative aspects of my life rather than all of the wonderful things that really are going on. As much as I hate to admit it...I have also been having a difficult time accomplishing the goals that I've set for myself.

So this blog of mine is an attempt at finding more joy in each day! Like the above quote says, "This is our one and only chance at mortal life." I do not want to waste my time waiting for a future when the time for me to be happy is now! And neither should you :)

This will also be a great way for me to keep in touch with all of you while I am so far away from many people that I love. I'm not sure how often I will be writing on here but I'll shoot for at least once a week!

Love, Emily