NEW SERGER!!

I finally got a serger today. It is a Husqvarna s21 that I found on craigslist. The girl that was selling it bought it for school and then realized that she needed a different kind so it is brand new and I got it for half the price, $500. I like the table attachment and the garbage bag that catches the scraps as they get cut off.

I have been saving up money from sewing jobs that I have been working. Lori is an LDS lady in orange that I have been making swimsuit patterns for and sewing a few suits but not much because I didn't have a serger. I always had only a few hours a week of work from Lori so it wasn't as much as I wanted. Then Lori moved in with a new roommate Karen who makes custom clothing for some people, including costumes. Karen hired me as a Sample Maker making patterns and sewing them. Sometimes I just help her organize her garage workspace and have started a few interesting costumes. I am much happier working with Karen because the hours are a lot better; I work about 5 hours a day. With Karen I feel like I am an all around assistant, the other day she had me pick tomatoes from her garden and dehydrate them. She is a great person, very religious and I can tell that she is a good person to be around.

I am also excited about using this serger for my own swimsuits. It has been very hard to find a stitch on my sewing machine that would stretch and not break when pulled so that is why I haven't really sold any modest swimsuits because I didn't want to sell something that wasn't perfect. I want to make good quality swimsuits that people will like and tell their friends that I make good products. Now with this serger I am confident that the main thing standing in they way of good quality is gone and I can try out a few styles that I have in mind.

Boating: Lake Perris

We took our boat out to lake Perris on Saturday with Eric & Desi, Eric's Dad and teenage brother. It was lots of fun, we pulled out the tube and also tried waterskiing although the water was pretty choppy by that time. We stopped for a nice lunch on the island that has picnic tables and nobody goes there because the water is low and you have to walk through bushes to get up to the tables. I think I got a little burned but we all had a great time.

My swimsuit worked out pretty well sitting on the boat, tubing, waterskiing, walking around on the shore. It is great for sitting and gives me the flexibility to work getting the boat ready. It also protected my shoulders from getting burned, they are always the worst.

Modest Swimsuit

I have been in dire need of a new swimsuit for a while now. The fabric on my old one is very obviously wearing thin. I found this website that makes 2 piece swimsuits that are a dress and leggings. I almost bought one but then decided that I could make the pattern myself because I have some free time. I used AutoCAD to draft the pattern from scratch which I found to be much easier than the traditional method of paper and pencil I learned in my patternmaking class at BYU. I really like this style because it has a higher neckline than most 1 piece suits and I do not have to find a pair of shorts to wear over because I do not like showing all of my legs, it is kinda uncomfortable. It will be great for boating, I can sit on the boat in it and then also jump straight into the water or wear walking around on the beach. It is more comfortable also because it has no vertical stretch so I don't have a permanent wedgie. I can worry less than wearing a rash guard and shorts because the skirt covers the waist.

So I really like it and it was not very hard to make. For me it is the perfect combination of comfort, security, freedom of movement, and modesty.

Universal Studios

Brian surprised me by going to Universal Studios for our two year Anniversary. It was really fun. I enjoyed all the shows and they also have a few rides. My favorite was the Jurassic Park ride because at the beginning the plants and flowers look so nice and it is calm and then you drop and get wet like Splash Mountain. I don't usually like getting wet at amusement parks because it is usually not very hot but that day it was nice to get wet. My favorite show was the Water World show based on the movie. One thing I really liked is when we got some popcornand they let you refill it as many times as you want that day so I was eating popcorn a lot.

Grandpa's House

Here are some pictures of where we are living right now until sometime in July, these are mostly for my family because the Olson's have been here before. This is the backyard with the avocado tree and the patio. Our bedroom window is on the top closest to the tree.

This is the living room downstairs next to the front door and I have been using it for sewing because the empty bedrooms upstairs get too hot. Right now I am working on making a pattern for a swimsuit for myself. I will update more on that later.

This is the family room and kitchen. All of the furniture is Eric and Desi's but they let us use the table and couches. I like all the large windows in the kitchen, most of the day we leave the lights off.

California

We made it to California! After driving about 12 hours on Saturday we dropped off the boat and unloaded the U-Haul at Brian's parents house. We had a little bit of help but it wasn't much so we were tired after. Then we reloaded everything going to Grandpa's where we are staying and then unloaded it once we got there. We have been pretty tired lately with all the packing and unpacking. On Sunday we had church at 9 and then went to Reese's house for easter dinner and an indoor egg hunt.

Monday Brian called Penske to see if he would get that job and it did not work out because they needed someone who could work until the end of August but he is now working for Reese at the dental office sterilizing instruments during lunchtime and at the end of the day. He is getting about 10 hours a week at $18. So that should be alright for the summer. Brian is also looking for people who want their home videos on blu-ray or dvd, starting with Reese's videos. So if he gets a few people's videos to work on that would keep him busy.

I have been looking for a seamstress job doing fitting or something similar. There was a perfect one in Redondo Beach at a tuxedo shop but that is to far away. I also applied to Joanns yesterday so we will see how that goes. I called Disneyland about that job and they said it usually takes 4-6 weeks to process the applications. That is way too long, but maybe I get the Joanns job and then switch to Disneyland after a few months.

We are still setting up everything in our bedroom but we got some food yesterday and have been borrowing Leanne's semi broken car to drive back and forth. We keep forgetting things we need that are back at Brian's parents house.

Eric and Desi are the married couple living here at Grandpa's with us and they are really nice, we enjoy talking and hanging out in the evenings when they get back from work. Cherissa also lives here but we never see her.

We grabbed some lemons from a tree in the olson's neighbors yard that hangs over their fence. We got about 20 and they are huge, we made some lemonade and it was good. These lemons have quite a bit of juice in them, I think for a 2 quart we used like 6 lemons. There is also an avocado tree in grandpa's yard and from our bedroom on the 2nd story we can just reach out and pick them.

So we are having a lot of fun, there are nice parks nearby so we have been running and riding bikes in the morning.

Moving Troubles

On Friday Brian and I were leaving for California to drop off all of our stuff. We had the car and boat loaded and drove for about an hour when the Durango stopped working and a large grinding noise happened. We pulled off the side of the freeway and opened the hood. After it cooled down we tried to start it again and the oil cap flew off about 30 feet away. Our insurance covered a tow truck to tow us back to the dodge dealer in Provo. We got there late when all the mechanics were going home so we left all our stuff at the dealer overnight and found a ride home from a friend and also found an air mattress to sleep on for the night. Saturday morning the mechanic called and said that the engine threw a rod and we need to replace the engine but they are not sure if the long block or short block needs to be replaced. They quoted us $5,000 or $8,000 depending on which needs to be replaced. Obviously somewhere else can do it for much cheaper.

So all of this got Brian and I thinking about our summer plans and we have decided not to go to Florida for the summer and just drive straight to California after graduation. Brian got referred a temporary job at a place similar to a U-Haul at the sales counter and it is looking very good that he will get that job for the summer. He doesn't have an interview yet but the guy who referred him is his brother's bishop and they need lots of people. As for me, I am looking for a job nearby Placentia as a seamstress or something similar. Maybe fitting, alterations, upholstery. I found a job listing for a Casual Regular Seamstress for Disneyland and it includes fitting and altering costumes for people in parades, shows, or costumes like the princesses. I just hope disney will let me work because I am not sure if not showing up to florida would break our contract, we need to call them on Monday.

In august we were going to live at Brian's Parent's house but right now there are still a few single girls renting rooms so we might live at Grandpa's house which is pretty close with another one of Brian's married cousins. The house is in the courts right now and they are still deciding what to do with it but in the meantime some people are just living there for free except utilities. We can move into his parent's house in July when the renters move out.

So that is just what we are doing for the summer, we are optimistic about graduating and moving to our next period of life.