My Grampy

My Grampa is one of the best men that has ever graced this planet. He was one of the kindest, selfless, calm, loving people I have ever had the privilege to know.

Growing up I knew without a shadow of a doubt that my grampa loves me and is grateful to have ME as his grandchild. That is a BIG thing... My gramparents had 9 kids, their posterity is massive. He has 37 grandkids, 4 step grandkids, 13 step great-grandkids, 13 great grandkids with one on the way. Talk about an amazing legacy.

As a grandchild of this epic man I remember nothing but good things. I remember when I was 13 I gave a family home evening (we did this as a WHOLE family once a month and rotated houses, I volunteered when it was at our house). My FHE was about temples and the importance they hold in our religion. I was nervous, but after it was all done my grampy came up to me and gave me the tightest hug and thanked me for what I taught, I can still hear his voice and smell him.

I can remember playing table tennis with him in their backyard, that old guy was GREAT at that game! I can remember his apron. Which sounds weird BUT he always was cooking something, and he wore the same apron. When he made pumpkin pie, the apron protected his white shirt, when he sliced up the Christmas ham and the Thanksgiving turkey, the apron was there. I remember him giving my cousins and I candy out of his green candy dish, it was kind of upsetting when he stopped that... And of course how could anyone who knows him not bring up his jump roping :) He jump roped on his 93rd birthday!!! Photo op:

He had the same ROPE that he used for years. The last time I saw him jump rope, sadly he could do it better than me....

I can remember his answer to "So How was your day?" being "It was wonderful. I haven't had a bad day yet". Growing up I thought that was unreal, he must be sent from heaven to NEVER have a bad day, but I now know that it was his perspective on life. Through everything he went through he had a smile either one his face or in his heart. When my parents divorced, he still accepted my mom and one of his own. He would do anything for anyone. He loved his religion but loved his wife more than life I think. At my grammy's funeral he stood right next to her, even in her death he still didn't deviate from her side, but talked about how much she means to him and how he wished everyone had what he has with her. My grampa would do anything for his wife, their children and grandchildren. I knew if I ever needed a thing I just needed to call my grampa.

The hardest thing for me is knowing that he is gone. I will never get to see him jump rope again (Well not in this lifetime) It will be a long time until I get to see him in his apron, or smell his cologne. I wont be able to see him rock my babies like he did with me (although I know he does it now where he is) and saddest, he wont be able to hug me after Bin and I get sealed, he will be there I KNOW that with all my heart.

I miss my grampa every day. It was so hard to say our "See you laters" But I know that this is better, he can watch over his posterity. I know he is with his love, and I know that he is doing so much on the other side.

The Easter season will always be bittersweet. My grampa died on Easter Sunday last year. What a perfect day for an amazing man to meet his maker and be reunited with his loved one. I am proud to be one of yours, I'm proud of my maiden name and my "Kearsley nose" I love you Grampa! And I miss you!

Always full

'So I was sitting there in the bar and this guy comes up to me and he said "My life stinks" and I saw his gold credit card and I saw the way he was looking at people across the room and I looked at his face and you know, what a good looking face, and I just said, "Dude, your perspective on life sucks"' ~Blame It On The Girls by Mika



Perspectives are a very interesting thing. Everyone has always heard the saying "The grass is always greener on the other side", but I think that is kind of a negative way of thinking. It's saying some one's life is always better than yours. Or at least that's how I see the saying. I personally thing that we should be happy with who we are and what we have. I may not have the newest car, but that yellow wonder drives all over the place and is cute doing it, and those dings on her, they just add character. I may not have all the money to buy what I want, but I do have a wonderful husband who works his butt off to give me what I need, and occasionally what I want :) I have a wonderful family, the best little doggie, quite possibly the best nieces and nephews ever, amazing friends and a life time of priceless memories. My life hasn't always been perfect and wonderful, but it has made me who I am.
It can get difficult to look at the glass as half full while attending my school, there are people there who seem to have it all and are often happy to say how they have it all. But I look at them, and I look at me and I realize they might have so much, but they don't necessarily have the backbone and cheerleaders that I have supporting every thing I do.
The grass is greener on my side...

YAAAAWWWN!!!

It's been a while since I last talked about myself... That is what blogs are for right?
I have been REALLY busy.. School is pretty much killing me! Note to self DO NOT wait til the week before the project is do to start a 8 sketch fashion line, 3 display board, cost and spec sheets, AND look book project :( BUT my procrastination can pay off. My boards and sketches looks AMAZING (teach complimented me and everything)
Need less to say, I am REALLY tired and ready for next week to be here!! I was planning on hibernating, but I completely forgot to take next week off.....

Hmmm what else have I been doing?
Well, our dear sweet computer got really sick and had to go to the Geek Squad for a week :( Sad day. Even more sad what that the warranty we got actually just guarentees parts, so if the screen blew up I'd get a new computer, but if a super virus attacks my poor computer we have to pay a butt load, and even more if they have to clear the hard drive :( SO because my buddy was sick I had to live at school, literately, I was there most nights until midnight.

Um what else... My brain is drained and can't remember too much :(

Well I will be blogging a little more soon.... I promise...

But for now, Enjoy your night or day or when ever you read this :)

Inspired!!

So I have to do a fashion line.... Here are my inspirations :)

Fly with me.. by Lil_star:) featuring Arden B tops

Dream and believe... by Lil_star:) featuring Juicy Couture bags

Sweet Lilac Angel by Fashion-LVer featuring Louis Vuitton bags

Hot summer nights in Dubrovnik by nina_crofashion featuring Giuseppe Zanotti shoes

The essence of beauty by nina_crofashion featuring Chanel bags

I'm never going to grow up by nina_crofashion featuring Dune shoes

The Big Reveal by Ruden_ka featuring Christian Louboutin shoes

For Sholpana_Lotus_07 by Ruden_ka featuring Christian Louboutin shoes

Fashionable Friends

In the past year and a half I have been enjoying attending the Art Institute of Phoenix. I have met some pretty interesting and very memorable people. Most of the people who attend art schools are very ecclectic. I often say that they run things COMPLETELY different from a traditional university because of those ecclectic personalities... you can't have semesters when most of your students have ADD and ADHD :) I have had quite a few classmates come in from break hung over. Needlesstosay not your typical educational institution. But I couldn't make it in a traditional university setting (I tried and didn't even last a semester, I got too bored) We might not have a school nurse, I just learned that, we might not have sports teams, can you imagine gamers wearing ears, tails and helmets? But what we do have is some amazing people.

Let me just tell you about the ones I love and hold close to my heart :)

First off there is Christine (Weinie). She and I started the same quarter, and she is my second favorite Cali girl.. a close second after my mum of course. In the year and a half we have spend together, we have had so many classes together, we went to Chicago together, and I accompanied her to her playboy casting call. Weinie is a stunning woman with the heart of gold, which she wears on her sleeve. And the things that come out of her mouth.....

Next we have Arionne and Chloe (Minnet-but you can't call her that unless you've seen Minnet in action). I put these two lovely ladies together because I think they balance each other and have taught me so much. They are both strong, beautiful women who doen't put up with anything they don't have to. They are my rocks, I know I will always get the truth from them, but I also know they are there for support, not to tear people down. I have had several late night chats with both of them. I was a little scared of Chloe, or should I say Minnet, but we went to Chicago together and she stole a piece of my heart :) I love these two women!

Next we have Nineveh, oh Nin :) She is a wild one, but she is also wonderful! My friendship with Nin is still newish, but I love this Gaga lover! She is very bold, in your face and faboulous! Our little Assyrian is beautiful, crazy, and loves to have a good time. But beware when going to Subway, chick can eat a footlong so fast :)

Then there is Glora (or Loopy, or Loops). Glora and I have become pretty good friends, since we have had 9 of the last 10 classes together. We really balance each other, she is a fiesty one who really doesn't put up with ANYTHING, but she really has a great heart and loves her friends and her family.

Then there is Terressa, or Therressssssa. I love this girl! She is so fun, and she gets so excited over everything. But she isn't a pushover at all, she just loves her friends. She is one of the hardest workers I have met at school. No only did she attend school full time, but she also worked full time and had an internship, very commendable. She is beautiful and so much fun to be around.

And last but definately not least I have my "boyfriend" Russel. He is wonderful!! One of the best people I have met in a long time, and definately my favorite gay man! I can't even put into words what I feel about this kid, I'm just glad to have him in my life :)

I am so grateful to these wonderful people, they make my days SO much better! I love you guys!!!

Little Pink Dress

Since starting school the question I often get (aside from "What do you want to do when you graduate?") is "What made you chose fashion?" Well growing up in Idaho there isn't too much you can get exposed to involving fashion. We always joked that we were about 5 years behind the major fashion capitals. However, I very vividly remember laying on my sister's bedroom floor making outfits using her fashion plate (only the coolest toy from the 80s) and I was always putting together outfits for my barbies. But I didn't know that I wanted to be in the fashion industry until I moved across the country when I was 18.

I was a nanny in the Bronx trying to figure out what to do with myself, which was something I did often actually. One day my boss offered to take me to "the City" while he took care of some work business. I very happily agreed, from where we lived it was quite the task to get to the city, and I was always TERRIFIED to drive myself in. So I packed up my bag and jumped in the car. We arrived in NYC and he dropped me off at the NBC studio and we agreed to meet back in 3 hours.

I headed to my favorite street in all of New York, Fifth Ave. I down one side and back up the other. I stopped at Saks, and Armani, and St Patrick's Cathedral, but it was the window at Gucci that grabbed my attention. It was this amazing pink sheath cocktail dress. AMAZING! I had to go get a closer look. So I walked my happy self in and went right to the 3rd floor. There is was in all it's fashion glory. The material was something I have never touched before. The zipper was even the perfect combination of style and function. I just stood there in complete awe. I swear I heard the fashion angels singing this garments praise. It was perfection. I thought I was only there for a little while, but apparently not. I had a sales associate kindly tell me to either buy it or I had to leave, I was there a little over a hour... Oops. At that moment I KNEW I had to be in this industry. I went home and started sketching, looking up designers, and taking every chance I had to go to the City for inspiration, but I will always remember that GORGEOUS captivating dress.

Photography

Since starting school I have become a fan of photography. I love taking photos and almost always have my camera within reach. I have also expanded my appreciation for other photographers. Here are a few of my favorites, some I've taken and some taken by professionals. Enjoy!