Day you go into the MTC

The day you go into the MTC is crazy to say the least. 

You feel a whole range of emotions.

You can go from this:

To this:

at the drop of a hat.

But overall, you know that

those rays in this picture are
the rays of light the gospel will shine into your life.
BE EXCITED!

You parents start getting weepy and saying really deep things

Everyone is so excited for you,

                                             

Even your dog!

fluffy puppy!

You can feel a bit overwhelmed....

but know it will all end up ok.


After the first few days, the spirit will testify to you that this is what you should be doing. 

When you walk into your classroom, they start talking to you in the language. 

You might just be looking at your teacher like this:

Then you realize it was a question, and you are supposed to answer back.

In the language.

But don't worry, the teacher is there to help you! They will lead you along to answer the question. 

Even if the first few times you talk it might sound like this:

It is easy to get frustrated

but when you finally understand what they are saying to you...

You feel like you can do anything!!!!

So don't worry too much about the experience. Just take a deep breath, and 

Sister Kati Ford...Happily Serving in Ukraine! : Working Out as a Sister Missionary + Exercise Book...

I came across this lovely sister's mission blog and how she created this mission work-out book. She created a pdf of her work out book with index, and I am totally going to use it! Thanks Sister Ford!
What are you sisters doing for workouts?
"Sister Kati Ford...Happily Serving in Ukraine! : Working Out as a Sister Missionary + Exercise Book...: So...during my mission I will get 30 minutes per day to work out.  Only 30 minutes.  Now I'm not saying that I'm some workout fan..."

After being in the MTC for a week, you realize....

Mormon Celebrity Crushes

How normal people think about celebrities- "I want to marry them!"

How mormons think about celebrities- "I will convert and then marry them!"



So Henry Cavill.... do you have a moment to talk about our Savior Jesus Christ?

The best part is he is british

Fall Semester 2012 at BYU in a Nutshell

#ChangeBrazil

Hello Everyone! 

Today's topic is a bit of a heavy one. 

#changebrazil #itsnotjust20cents #brazil #brasil

Recently there have been a lot of protests in the major cities in Brazil. It started out as a response to the raising of transportation costs by twenty cents (a lot for people over there), but now it stands for a lot more than that. Brazil is a wonderful and beautiful country, but it also is very poor. They do not have a very good public education or health system, and it affects everyone. Well that is, except the government officials. I have a few friends from Brazil and they all verify these reports. The majority of the government leaders are corrupt, and it is just a bad situation.

These demonstrations have turned into more than a complaint about buses; Brazil is now shouting from the top of their lungs that they want this to change. The movement has adopted the slogan, "It's not just 20 cents"

#changebrazil #itsnotjust20cents

#changebrazil

The movement is supported by peaceful protestors who flood the streets in the major cities in Brazil. This is a recent picture from Rio de Janeiro, and click here to see a short video clip of this same scene. Here is a news article about the protests in Brazil.

I have seen a few videos of the times when the protestors have been violent, but then they are overwhelmed by the volume that I have seen with innocent people being fired upon. Here is a website that has compiled videos from the protests.

#changebrazil

These people have swarmed the streets, and really want to change their country. 

This is a video that has different people of the Brazilian Press commenting about the protests. There are english subtitles in the description 

(just click through so you can watch the youtube version)

The girl who this video focuses on was a reporter who was just standing by, doing her thing at the protests, and a police officer came over to her and shot her in the eye with a rubber bullet.

I want to show my support for a positive change in Brazil by blogging about it. Now the question is, what will you do?

#changebrazil

Mission Moment: Mikarose, Tops

Hello Ladies!

Today I am going to tell you about one of my favorite stores: Mikarose.
(it is pronounced Meeka-rose)

They have a location at the University Mall in Orem, UT (bonus: in their store they offer a sister missionary discount!), and but you may recognize the name from somewhere else. They frequently have roadshows that go to several Costcos on the west coast. They also may sell to a boutique near you! You can look here on their blog to see a list of locations, and check out their "Window-Shopping Wednesdays" where they spotlight a different store every week!

They have a lot of great clothes, but for this post I am just going to high-light the tops I am using for my mission. (I will do a separate skirt one later :)

1. Lace Peplum Top
          For those of you that do not know, a "peplum" is when there is an additional ruffle at the waist of a garment. A peplum shirt is a way to add a little pizzaz to your wardrobe. It dresses up what otherwise might be a casual material. However this is one classy blouse- it has design and great fabric. The lace is very soft to the touch, and is a pretty rose pattern. It is lined, and has a good weight to it. I got this shirt in the cream and black, and it is $44.99.
          Why I like it so much more than the other peplum tops is the length of the peplum. Just look to see how it hangs on the model. It starts right at her waist (very flattering) and the ruffle is pretty long. That makes it more flattering than other peplums because it will elongate your silhouette, making you look thinner and taller, and it still gives you that hour-glass figure. This shirt is a winner in my book.
          Just be aware it might snag easily because of the soft lace, so just wear it with some beaded jewelry and nothing too crazy ;) link to the shirt



2. Satin Bow Top

         This one is a great option too. This is dressy blouse has a nice, subtle sheen to the fabric. The brilliant part is that you get this nice luxurious look, but it is machine washable. The maintenance is great and you will look classy.
         The shirt has darts to bring in the waist, so there is a side zip on the shirt to help you get into it. However I run into a bit of a predicament. I am a bit busty, so I ordered it two sizes bigger than normal so I will have enough room. Normally that would leave the waist of the shirt super baggy and cause wrinkles in my skirt because I will have to tuck it in. Lucky me though, this blouse is cut a bit shorter because it is designed to be tucked in. So when I do I tuck it into a high-waisted pencil skirt it looks great, brings in my waist, doesn't cause any sloppy wrinkles on the love-handles and BOOM instant class.
         This shirt comes in a cream color too, and is $34.99. The link is here.


       



3. Long Sleeve Cowl Neck Top

      Last but not least, is the Long Sleeve Cowl Neck Top. This shirt actually comes in a short sleeve version that you can see here, but I got the long sleeve because I needed a shirt for the winter.
     The material is a knit, so it will be very comfortable and packs well. Some may think of it as more of a casual top since it is made out of a soft jersey, but it distinguishes itself as a dress shirt with the cowl neck that makes this an elegant, classic top. It runs true to size and I have really enjoyed having this in my closet.
    This shirt is on clearance at $32.50, and has many colors. In the short sleeve version, it comes in a green, light blue/gray, white, and purple/mauve. The long sleeve version, found here, comes in red and cream.






       Want to check out their other stuff? You can look at their online store here and see all of their items. Also they are now carrying a special line called "Willow by Mikarose" that has skirts just for sister missionaries. I will feature those in a later post :)

Mission Probs

What guys say before your mission

Oxford is Calling

Our "Inspiration Outfit"!

 The inspiration for today's outfit is this picture. I love this outfit because you take classic wardrobe staples and put them together in an unexpected way. The shirt is a menswear piece, but you pair it with a full skirt that is the epitome of femininity. This look is so classy and elegant in an effortless way.Another part that I love about it is that it can work for any situation- school, date, casual, dressy, and even sister missionary.










So let's break it down!

Sing it girl...

The Top
It starts with the shirt. The one in the picture is an oxford button up shirt, with a white club collar. I found this one that is similar and I actually think is cuter! Also- best news ever, it is on a mega sale at Macy's today. Find it here for $33.99 today only!

The Bottom

The next step is the Skirt. The "inspiration picture" has a high-waisted cream skirt, but I decided to update the look. Why not pair your tops with a light, breezy tulle skirt? I love the wide waistband on this beauty from Shabby Apple. It is wide enough that is will define your waist and show off your figure even though you are wearing a full skirt. Also a tip for those petite ladies out there- wear skirts that are high waisted. They make you look taller and leaner! This is something to take advantage of especially if you need a skirt that is sister missionary length.  You can get this tulle skirt from Here for $78.99. However I get that might be a bit pricey, so you can make this skirt for a fraction of the cost with this tutorial here.  

Accessories

Last but not least, top this outfit off with some accessories!

Find this here for $32

Look 1: Classy


Opening up your shirt's first two buttons provides a perfect frame for your necklace. Once you slide on a string of pearls, they can flirtatiously peek out whenever you move.

find a tutorial here

Sporting retro waves
is always a good choice.

find here on e-bay, size 6

To finish off your ensemble,
pair some nude cap toe heels for an
extra ounce of sophistication.

This is a perfect outfit for a date, wedding,
or any special occasion.

Look 2: Casually Cute 






Put your hair half-up half-down,






(or with a hair bow)

find it here for $6.80

add a belt,

Confession:
These may or may not be my missionary shoes :)

some light brown shoes,
 (from Clarks, find it here, and guess what? 
They are also on sale today for 69.99! )

Find here for $22

and last but not least,
a light pink necklace for some Southern Charm.









Look 3: Edgy/Modern

get it here for $12.80

 Button up you shirt all the way and wear a bold gold statement necklace under the collar.

Tutorial here

            Rock a top knot 

but add a head scarf.

Find it here for $8.80

Put on a belt,

find these here for $34.80

and finish it off with these beauties.

I love all of these looks, and probably will wear this outfit in all three ways.




Love it? Hate it?
Any other outfits you guys want me to find?
Let me know down below!

Mission Moment: Guidelines for Sisters

Good Morning!

I currently live in Provo, and as a result I am friends with several people that work at the MTC. From talking with them, I have learned about what life is like for a sister missionary in the MTC, and also how they should be dressing.  So, today I decided I would share my tips for the sisters, and later I will do one for the elders.

1. Weight Gain

We have all been there. You are out buying clothes for your mission, and you have brought along someone who know you and love. You try on that skirt and it is perfect! It fits you just right and is below the knees and everything.  Just then your friend chimes in that while it looks great, you might want to buy that skirt in the next size up because you will probably gain weight on the mission. You enthusiastically share that you will actually be the exception :) You spent three hours on Pinterest the other day, compiled a list of workouts, and cannot wait to start your new fitness routine! At this rate, you will probably even lose weight on your mission! 

Then your friend laughs. 
Wah wah waaaah....

Don't distress my friends! I have learned that actually the time when most sisters gain weight on their mission is in the MTC. Think about it- you eat, sit, eat, sit, eat, and then sit some more. Somewhere in there you have half an hour of workout time, but most of it you are trying to find a place to spread your yoga mat or get into the "zone". So the solution? Portion control. It can be hard because, let's be real: 

mormons love free food. But resist the urge! Just don't go back for a second chicken burger and you should be good.

2. Clothing

           -Skirts. Needs to fall between the bottom of your knee cap and mid-calf. No slit above the knee. The shortest your hemline can be is covering your knees when standing and sitting. I get it, from a girl who is 5'9" I know it is hard to find long enough skirts. The MTC people even joke and say that the length is "otherworldly" because you literally cannot find it in this world! 

I know Alice. Mismatching hems are the worst!

So remember the max being a good few inches above your ankles? Remember that. Do. Not. Bring. Maxi. Skirts. Or. Dresses. They will just take it and cut it off of your skirt, and you can be left witha  sloppy hem. Then guess what happens? That strip gets thrown into a basket in the MTC Laundry, and then at random a girl takes that strip of fabric from your maxi skirt and attach it to another girl's skirt that was deemed too short. They don't even really try to match it, they just patch it! (see what I did there?) :D 

Also make sure that your skirts are not too clingy and showing off that bootay. Need to keep it professional here ;)

             -Shirts. Just have it be modest. Nothing sheer that can expose your G's or anything, and keep it professional. However wearing a "shade tee" under a button up blouse is ok as long as the opaque shirt that is underneath is modest too. As far as necklines go, just make sure you don't have any of your décolletage on display because it can be distracting and again, unprofessional. Also some shirts can cover your cleavage, but can still be a bit wide-cut so they might show your G's when you don't realize it. It's a bit tacky if you ask me, and may cause weird questions to be asked by non-members.  I suggest giving all of your clothes a "dry-run" where you try them on together and make sure that no matter how you move, you are all covered.

And above all, remember that you need to look your best!

You don't want the MTC peeps look at you and to be all 

3. Working Out

      I have heard that in the field your work out time will be in the morning, but when you are in the MTC you all have different spots throughout the day. As a result, you might be working out at 6 am, 1 pm, or even 7 pm. I recommend bringing two types of bottoms, one pair of shorts and a pair of pants. That way if you are going running in the morning, you won't freeze to death or if you are working out inside, you won't overheat because you brought shorts.

      As far as the MTC guidelines for working out modesty goes, bring a t-shirt that is not too tight. Also let's be real, it's easier to work out in one that is decently loose. If compression tops are your thing like Mr. Brad Pitt here, feel free to bring a few but you will have to wear a loose t-shirt over it. Same thing with bottoms, you cannot wear a pair of running tights by themselves because they are too tight, so if you bring them for warmth reasons you will need to wear a pair of knee length shorts over it. As far as pants that are not too tight, the main thing is that it just cannot be too tight on your derriere.

      While you cannot listen to music on headphones at any other time since it separates you from your companion, the exception to that rule is when you are working out. The music still needs to be missionary- appropriate so no listening to Eminem even if that is your jam. I guess if you really wanted to and were a bit devious, you could get away with it, but remember- Exact Obedience brings Exact Blessings. 

     As far as places where you will be working out, I have heard that there is a gym in the MTC (not sure if that is true or not) but I do know that you can just find a quiet corner to lay out your yoga mat and do those Pilates. Also I have seen missionaries running around the temple, so I know you will have that opportunity too.