I am a klutz

Once ,when we lived in St. George, I fell on a treadmill. I didn't really fall off, because there was a big glass window right behind it. So I tripped and fell and was thrown against a giant glass window. I am SO relieved it didn't break. There were a dozen or so people there (it was a tiny Gold's Gym) and they all saw and heard it happen. Mortifying. I vowed to always always always be more than cautious on a treadmill. Also I never wore those orange and red and yellow plaid pants out of the house again. Major identifying piece of clothing.


Well when you don't learn, history repeats itself. This time it was at a huge Gold's Gym less than 5 miles from where I grew up and frequented by high schoolmates often. I was working out with a friend. I started the treadmill and started walking, then I started running. Then a guy friend of HERS came over and started talking to both of us. I have this really bad habit of stepping off the belt when I'm not paying attention. When I talk and walk that happens a lot. So I step off a little, the belt squeals. I decide to stand on the sides that aren't moving. Then my water bottle gets knocked off and slides down the running belt. I hopped off to pick it up. After retrieving my water bottle I stepped one foot onto the back end of the treadmill, right onto the moving belt, I stepped very far up on the belt. Look Ma, no hands. Face meet the treadmill. Body meet the floor. TaLaisa, meet the rest of the gym. They were all looking at me. I stood up, walked up to the treadmill, and got right back on. This time it wasn't moving. The guy talking to my friend had turned it off. I learned from riding horses, get thrown off get right back on! I was shaking. My friends were laughing. I felt like an idiot. My pants were torn, *I had treadmill grease on my nose (NO one told me!) But I finished that workout.

* That reminds me of a clumsy time in High school, I was rollerblading with my cute neighbor. We stopped at his house and skated around the driveway while we finished our conversation. I started to roll very slowly, I was tired. I Rubbed my eye and the next thing I knew I was face down on the concrete. My hands didn't even try to break my fall. My wrist guards were on the grass, I wasn't going fast enough to be dangerous (I thought). I had hit a part of the driveway that was sinking as I hit the risen ridge of the next section of driveway I was stopped completely. And met quickly with a hard fall.

I asked my friend if I had any cuts on my face, I felt like I'd skinned my nose. He said, "nope you look fine, do you feel okay?". I was only mortified. But tried to play it cool. When I got home I had grease from the pavement on my forehead and cheeks and a red skinned nose.

Murphy's Law

And the misbehaving sewing machine, always seem to wreck my creative streak!!!

Friday night I had plans. Big plans for my sewing projects. I had 8 baby shirts to applique and sew. Then I would finish the wrap skirt I was making for myself and if I still had steam, I'd work on that baby sling and then make a necklace to wear with my new skirt on Sunday. And while I was at it, I'd do a load of laundry, run the dishwasher, listen to a book on tape and plan next week's dinner menu. And go up and do the Attic and go down and do the Cellar, I can do them both together Cinderella (or maybe it should be WonderWoman!) LOL. Sometimes I forget about the reality of time and the need for sleep.

I didn't get very far. The sewing machine must've felt like I do sometimes when I go 110% on the weight lifting after 4 weeks off. Exhausted, sore, and grouchy. It was all too much, too soon. I was forced to stop after outlining 3 more shirts. The sewing machine didn't have the patience to help me with the one thing I could actually wear. And I only completed one whole shirt. The others need another couple of stitches with another thread color. When they're done I'll have some nice baby gift starters, just watch another form of Murphy's Law will get me and all the people I'll need gifts for will have Boys.

Make-up Fiend

As long as I can remember, I've had a fascination with make-up. A deep abiding fascination. My earliest memories involve wandering around the cosmetics aisles of the Smith's grocery store. I would go to do the weekly shopping with my parents and the minute we walked in the door they would go one way and I would go the other. I would study the colors, brands and especially the sale priced items, the entire time my parents shopped. When they were ready to check out, they knew where to find me.

I spent a lot of my allowance on make-up. We were allowed to do a make-up day one day a week. Always on Friday. Even then I had a lot of make-up for one day a week 'play time'. I also had neighbor friends who knew about make-up day and would come play that day hoping to be made up. I loved to pretend I was a make-up artist, I'd paint anyone who'd hold still long enough. I had aspirations of doing make-up on movie stars. But I'd settle for working at Glamour Shots or Cover Look (remember those places??? tons of make-up, feather boa's, Big BIG hair, and pictorial proof of it all?).

As I've aged my collection has grown and my skill level improved. I even allow myself to dream about being a make-up artist, maybe working in a salon or at a make-up counter in a department store. For now, I'm happy working to cover the dark circles under my eyes and adding a little color and variety to my look. I love to do make-up 'lessons' for a Young Women activity or do make-overs at Girls Night Out, or girls night in.

Last night I googled mineral make-up and found these awesome tutorials, by a girl in England, on Youtube. I watched almost 2 hours worth of her tutorials, after the boys were asleep. I was in awe. She must have a desk covered in pots of colorful powders, because I don't remember seeing her use the same color more than once, with a few exceptions. You have to see for yourself. Make-up genius.
She has over 150 videos of different make-up looks. Lots of fun. Some are a bit dramatic for a stay at home mom, day look but you get the idea. I love this one!

Sling Fabrics

Here are the two fabrics side by side. I LOVE them! But you totally don't have to agree.

Who are you calling short??

I was at Walgreens looking at some make-up a few weeks ago. The 'beauty consultant' rushed over to help me. I was looking for nail polish and lipstick (I had some coupons and they had a sale). She grabbed a tube of mascara and said, "do NOT buy this, I've had lots of customers return it!".

Me; "okay thanks, what mascara do you recommend" (I was making polite small talk and engaging her about something she knew. BAD choice).

She squinted and looked right at my eyes. "Well I can tell you have really really REALLY short eyelashes, like me" (bats her eyes and blond microscopic lashes half painted black) "I'd recommend this one, it'll make you look like you have false eyelashes." I said, "thanks, I'll try that when my current tube runs out". And then bought what I came for and left quickly.

I've had experiences at make-up counters that would make most people drop their stuff where they stand and leave. I felt guilty (unnecessarily so) and bought the stuff anyway. But this day was different. I didn't buy her recommended mascara and my coupons made it so I actually made $$$ for buying the stuff, so it's different. Right?

Today, I put on mascara and noticed that my lashes were brushing against the insides ofmy sunglasses. And validated my thoughts that all those 'really's' were totally uncalled for.

Answered Prayers

I often feel silly praying to find something of a very temporal nature. Remember the stamp? I mean it isn't really a necessity for living and I haven't used it to fulfill a church duty, yet. But still it was important to me to find it. Partially because I wanted to use it and partly because I didn't like feeling so disorganized that I couldn't find it, or remember if I ever really bought it.

I have always been touched when the boys offer a simple, faith filled prayer to find a toy/shoe/game. The list could go on and on. And then their prayer seems to be answered almost instantly. We've never gone more than 30 minutes without finding something they've prayed to find.

I had nearly given up on finding that stamp. I was resolved that I'd dreamed of buying it and never really followed through. I told myself it wasn't important and that I couldn't really miss what I never had. A member of our ward bishopbric mentioned one night this week that he never really lost something, He just had put it in a very special spot and he'd find it when he had something of equal value to put in that very special safe spot.

I moved on.


Thanks to Julie who started this great Scripture Study group, We've been reading in Alma this week. It's the chapters they're covering in our Sunday School this coming Sunday. Since I'm in nursery every Sunday I love being able to have conversation and study to go with my reading. I love it.

Last night I was reading in chapter 7 verse 23 I got to the part where Alma says, ". .being diligent in keeping the commandments of God at all times; asking for whatsoever things ye stand in need , both spiritual and temporal; always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive." And my mind got called back to those stamps, only this time it was a prompting to look in a very specific place. One I hadn't thought of. It was a very logical place, it had been right under my nose and I had missed it. But God was mindful of me and my silly little stamp set.

This morning I was in my office/craftroom and it came again, the prompting to look. (I hadn't forgotten, but life has a way of distracting me at times). I knew when I heard myself ask, "why would it be there?" that it wasn't my own idea. I quickly ran to the spot, lifted out the drawer and there IT was, the package of stamps. I cheered and then quickly dropped to my knees to return thanks to my Father in Heaven.

I went outside to where the guys were. I told Lester the story of the stamps and then the experience I had while reading my scriptures. We talked. It was great, Gabe was there and was amazed at the way I'd received an answer to my prayers. I realized that I learned much more, than if I'd found it right after I had my prayer and had my testimony strengthened as to My Part. I thought turning the room upside down was enough to show I was willing to do and look and work. But it wasn't. I needed to make sure I was doing other things I was asked to do, to be prepared to hear the promptings. And I learned that things truly do happen in the Lord's time. Answers to prayer often require patience and quiet time and effort to improve other areas of our lives before we can be ready for the answers.


I realize that it is necessary for a child to get a quick answer, small experiences strengthen the testimony that Heavenly Father is mindful of them. I also realized that my own lack of preparation cannot hinder the answering of my children's prayers, but it does serve to eliminate me from the blessing of being a part of the answer or solution. There are so many things I do that I think are making me a better mother when in truth the simple and precious truths of the Gospel, scripture study and personal prayer can make me more than a better mother, they help me be the mother Heavenly Father knew I could be. And that is amazing.

I should be sleeping

But I can't. My mind is racing. I cleaned out a cupboard in our office and folded a bunch of fabric. And now I think I may be losing my mind. I could have sworn that I bought 2 yards of this really cute fabric and I cannot find it anywhere! Kind of like the cute stamps I am still looking for. I'm really not a disorganized person. But what is happening to all this stuff?

These shoes a metaphor for my life

*EDITOR's Note* Writer was very sleep deprived, you may need to be going on 4 hours of sleep to understand this post*


I bought these totally adorable and cheap shoes while out on a Mom Time Out trip the other night. My husband was not with me. I don't think I've bought a pair of shoes without him since we married. And if I have, there is a very good chance that they were cute and impractical and painful to 'break in'.

See he doesn't believe a pair of shoes should require blisters of the wearer. He's always been an advocate of good shoes. His Father was the same way. He'd often remind his children; you only have one pair of feet, take care of them. My late father-in-law may have been the ultimate penny pincher but when it came to shoes, he spared no expense for a good pair of shoes. My husband is the same way.

As I was walking tonight (wearing these shoes, because I bought them and blisters be danged I am going to wear them!) I started thinking about how my shoe choices have changed since the beginning of my marriage. I began to draw some interesting parallels.


These Shoes remind me a lot of my pre-marriage years. Cute, practical looking, comfortable looking and a little off the cuff as far as 'fitting in' with other things.

Under the surface they reveal more, they may look comfortable and easy going but there is a lot of work that goes into making it look that way. They heel is stiff (my stubbornness) and must be broken in, there is little to no arch support and walking in them is more work than the average walk in the park. Keeping them on my feet as I walked put a lot of stress on them.

I'll still keep them, wear them with caution and be ever ever ever so grateful for the shoes my husband has helped me pick out and my bare feet.

Just ask!

People say this, "if you need anything, JUST ask" like it should be an easy thing. Maybe it is for some or even most people. It isn't for me.

I don't know where it came from, but I'm afraid to 'just ask' for pretty much anything. From anyone. I've actually improved a lot since being married to Lester. He won't stand for me cowering in the corner when I should be asking a sales associate to get me a pair of shoes from the top shelf.

I have the most difficult time asking for things that seem to put another person out for my sake. I hate it. I really really really hate it. But I've felt this way for so long I don't know how to think, feel or act any other way. AND the anxiety involved with asking makes me reconsider the worth of the thing I am asking for. Lots of times, it just isn't worth it.

Take Deep Yoghurt Breaths

In. Out. In. Out. (A line my sweet Gabe used to say to remind himself to not get upset or scared).

The scouts are coming to my house. they're expecting a fun activity. I still have no clue how to do this. Please. Please. Please. Tell me I'll survive. And if I don't, bury the beads and jewelry with me. (that way I won't have to watch the fighting from heaven).