this is why i was a hermet crab for the last 10 weeks...

it was because it was my LAST quarter at FIDM. Insane! It seriously feels like I just started. Time flies! I feel like it just gets faster and faster the older you get! I definitely had such an amazing time going to FIDM and really value my time there. Even though I didn't get a lot of sleep, spent all my extra cash at fabric stores, printing at kinkos and staples, energy drinks, BART tickets (I don't even want to know how much I ended spending), and I'm pretty sure I have back/neck issues due to a combination of sleeping in weird positions on BART and lugging my ginormous FIDM bag around. 

I miss it all dearly though! SO glad I decided to go there. I thought I would have a huge feeling of relief when I finished (which I did) but I was also so sad leaving school that last day! i almost cried. instead, i came home, took a 3-hour nap, and when I woke up, I wanted to keep working on my portfolio! hah! I'm addicted. But seriously, it's nice to just feel free and not have to have the pressure of deadlines, etc. I have caught up on a lot of sleep and have enjoyed not thinking about school work every free moment I have! I have also been working a lot more which is great! tri-training also started this week and so that'll surely keep me busy. jimmy--it's in june. i hope you are done with classes by then. or wait, actually it's close to sacramento so you can STILL come and be my number one fan/supported, with butters of course! ;-) I also plan on opening an Etsy shop! Stay tuned for that....

anyways homies there are still a few things i want to change with my portfolio but here it is as of now! i designed 2 lines of clothing for 2 different brands. i chose kate spade and crewcuts. i had so much fun doing it! kate spade is still my idol! ;-)

cute or crazy?

my mom is trying to talk to butters on the phone right now.

butters left yesterday to sacramento to be with jimmy while my mom and dad go to hawaii for the week. i must admit, i did miss her jumping on me and trying to protect all the food from me when i got home from work today. it's weird and quiet in our home without her here. nobody wondering around the house begging to play with me...one perk is i can leave my bedroom door opened with no worries of her stealing anything. nevertheless, with butters gone, there is a void in the patten home. she is like our little baby. always cute, even when she's getting into trouble. always entertaining. always loving. come back soon.

we miss you butters!
(imagine some cheesy music while you look through these pictures)

Minneapolis HERE I COME!

Cannot wait to meet this little guy (technology is SO crazy these days! Amazing!):

Go to THE MALL OF AMERICA!!!

and play with these cute kiddos!

and of course see Stacy and Jason and probably burn A LOT of calories laughing with Stacy!

heehee sorry stacy. i had to put this up.

ADORABLE

now i want a little piglet i can put rain boots on!!!

that's right sir

how to stay busy by doing nothing all day long

This post is dedicated to my mom per her request ;-) Just kidding. Kind of. She did make a comment about us writing more appreciative blog posts about her like Jimmy did here, but I am doing this out of my own free will.

"How to stay busy by doing nothing all day long." the title of this blog is a preview of a book she is going to write. It started as we inquired what she does all day because she is ALWAYS so busy and exhausted at the end of the day. After reading this post, you can see why. She actually does a lot all day. ;-)

So these last few weeks have been CRAZY with all that is going on--mostly school, which I will blog about later! My mom has been amazing. First of all, she let me pretty much take over the kitchen table with my laptop and all my fabrics, trims, portfolio papers, scissors, tape, papers, etc. It was a little much. She didn't really even complain about it! Sunday dinner (usually the only time we actually eat at the table), she just scooted everything to one end of the table. I was super grateful for this because it began to be difficult to do my homework in my room for two reasons. 1) i would get easily distracted with my bed right there. i would think, I'll just take a 30 minute nap, which would usually turn into 1-2, sometimes 3 hours! 2) my room is a complete disaster. About 2 or 3 weeks ago I decided I'm not even going to worry about cleaning it until I'm done with school. haha...soooo,  I began making "organized" piles. I took some pictures just so I can remember how ridiculous it was! I'll just post one here to save too much embarrassment ;-)

Anyway, I cannot concentrate in a messy environment which is why I usually try not to let it get too bad, but I was past the point of caring at this point.

Okay, so this is another reason my mom is great--she's patient with me and all my messes. For my project I needed to cut 2 inch squares out of card stock for my fabric swatches. My mom saved me HOURS of work and probably, well I know, a lot of frustration. I was going to use an exact-o knife to cut these 2" squares which I would need 24 of. My mom suggested going to Michael's scrap booking section and buy a 2" square hole punch. AMAZING. It lifted a huge load off my back! She kept trying to help in other ways too which I was so grateful for! She is such a good mom and good example to me of selfless service.

I feel like she has always been willing to drop anything to help one of her children. Or help anyone really. She is the ward primary president and is perfect for this calling. She gives her whole self to this calling and just loves the children. She has taught me to always do my best in what I do. Which is why she is such a great mom! She puts her best into it. Even though all of us are "grown up", she spends hours on the phone or in person giving advice or just listening. She offers help in anyway (like finding jimmy's hole punch he so desperately needed). Or letting me invade her buttons, ribbons, and fabric collection for my projects. Lets me use her sewing machine, printer, and scanner. Let's me live at home and occasionally eat her Wheaties! Supported me at my marathon. Drops me off at  BART when I can't find any parking. Picks me up from BART. Helps me with my sewing projects. Takes me out to dinner to celebrate random occastions I make up. Gives my phone number to random fellas that call trying to ask me out.  hahaha...okay, scratch that one as a favor. ;-) love you mom! haha

I can go on and on and on about how many other things she does, but I will save some for mother's day. =) She is the BEST and I owe a huge favor to her for all the help, support, and love she has given me my whole life and especially this last year while I've been in school. She is also just a lot of fun! I sometimes imagine if she wasn't my mom and we were the same age, we would be great funs! She's a hoot!

At 'Wicked'

Disney on Ice:Princess Classics. mom almost fell off the stadium that night. hahaha juuust kidding ;-)

after my marathon in Sacramento

reading me a book about love. haha

she pretty much made my costume this year! hah!

so pretty.

what an amazing family. especially shawn's hair! hahaha...really ALL of our hair is weird in this picture!

how'd this get in here?!? hehe...goofing around wearing grandma angus' pj shirts. =)

she organized THE BEST trip to san diego. unforgettable memories.

 In conclusion, she is a great mom. I hope to be as great of a mother as she is someday.