So, I'm working at BYU

Guys.

Months.

It's been months.

I haven't been here in months.

I'm trying to figure out why.

Life has been super, super busy lately. That's probably a good reason why I haven't posted. But my life has been just as busy so many times before. Blogging and in essence writing have always served as a release and form of expression—something that I always need amid busyness and stress.

I have so much going on. So many fantastic great things. And I haven't taken (or had) the time to take a step back and evaluate, even appreciate, the day-to-day events here. I want to do that. I very often find myself itching for time to type and share. I too often brush that aside.

I last posted in October. A lot has happened since October.

Perhaps the biggest change in my life (and one I totally thought I had shared on this blog) is that I started working part time in another public relations position. I love the opportunities this new position has provided (and I know Jake has appreciated that the job gets me out of the house and interacting with others). The job kinda just fell into my lap and worked out so seamlessly. However, any excess downtime I had while working from home went out the window.

In this PR position with the BYU College of Humanities, I work at least 20 hours a week. This seemed like a great fit with my 8-10 fitness classes and business work. I pretty much am always working a full 40 hours/week but often go quite a bit over that when I have a higher work load for my business.

Even though I am busier than I'd prefer, I'm really thankful once again that I have always been super blessed in the career realm. I never, never have found myself needing a job and not being able to find one. (And I'm talking great jobs comparable to my experience and background.) When I accepted this part-time position, I wasn't in a place where I was really looking. But this position was a great fit and things just worked out. It's that simple. Even with Jake graduating and our pending move in (at the time) anywhere from 6-10 months after starting.

NOW we are less that two months from Jake's graduation and our move is right around the corner from that. I'll touch more on that later. For now, I'm satisfied touching in and am heading to bed. Yay.

Five Minutes Make ALL The Difference

Last weekend Jake and I had no choice but to dedicate our Saturday to cleaning, organizing, and otherwise getting on top of all household needs.

Both of our schedules had been go, go, go, so we had at least five loads of laundry to wash, fold, and put away, two sinks full of dishes to clean (with a possibly broken dishwasher to inspect), shelves to dust, and an entire apartment to tidy and vacuum. And while we were in the mode, we wanted to organize dresser drawers and get rid of...anything and everything. I've been in a total stuff detoxing mode and am more freely letting go of so many things that I simply don't need. (Or don't want to need.) Yes, this girl is down to half of a small closet....like 2 1/2 feet of hangers. Jake actually has equal space! Three years ago I alone filled two walk-in closets.

So we stayed focused most of the day and were able to make our apartment presentable and, in all actuality, livable.

I did not want to let that amazing-clean-apartment-environment slip away.

So every night, we decided to simply tidy our apartment for five minutes before we'd go to bed. That five minutes allowed for cleaning any dishes, putting away clothes, wiping down bathroom sinks, folding blankets, or even emptying the trash.

My goodness, our simply technique worked amazingly.

Enter Thursday night.

Thursdays are my long days of teaching. And my last day of teaching for the week. So I'm usually exhausted by the otherwise early 7 pm I get home. If I sit down...I don't get back up. Jake works until 9:30 pm and had also taken two tests that day and then had to stay out later working on a paper. Needless to say, neither of us managed to dedicate five minutes before we crashed for the evening. (I may have fallen asleep by 8 pm on the couch.) This also led to us missing the five minutes Friday night. And here it is Saturday. A Saturday that Jake entirely spent in an 8-5 class and then 5:30-2am work shift, and I spent 8-6 doing an instructor training and then grocery shopping and errands.

And I wish hadn't missed those 15 minutes. It's crazy the difference it makes. Luckily, we have tomorrow schedule free and another opportunity to start our five minute technique once again.

On Paper vs Reality

The other day, Jake and I headed to the bank together. Since getting married we have been working on getting our finances streamlined in the best banking options for us. I personally had three savings accounts, three checking accounts, plus additional business accounts. Then Jake had his old accounts, we had opened a joint account, AND later decided to move to an institution that would be easier and more beneficial for us long term. Let's just say it's been a bit of a mess.

So we headed to the bank to close accounts, move things around, and withdraw anything left over.

We waited for a few minutes before a banker came to greet us. He was of some Latin ethnicity with a Spanish last name. After shaking our hands and getting an idea of what we needed, we headed to his office where he asked for a name on the accounts.

"Karianne Ortiz," I say.

He looks up. And glances from me to Jake and back again.

"Ortiz?" He addresses Jake. "So your last name is Ortiz? Is that..." He trailed off.

I pipe in. "Oh yes, he's half Puerto Rican. And he's the only one in his family who doesn't look it."

"Do you speak Spanish?," he asks Jake.

"Nope."

The banker laughs and then goes on to tell us how one of his children is dark and one is light.

Then, while working on our accounts, he notices the nickname on a couple accounts.

Zumba Checking
Zumba Saving

"Oh, do you teach Zumba? Like salsa, merengue, cha cha?"

"Yep."

"Wow, you guys really have the Latin thing going for you."

Jake replies. "Oh yes. On paper we totally do. Until you meet us in person."

On Paper

Last name: Ortiz
Ancestry: 1/2 Puerto Rican
Profession: Zumba Instructor

Reality

White. White. White.

Life As Of Late

I have chuckled to myself on multiple occasions when I think of my last post about Jake and his military service. Why? Because the day after sharing that, I had a future-military-wife breakdown of sorts. I even tried to fool Jake into believing that I took that post down. Jokingly, of course.

Jake was offered a different position within the Air Force—a position that seems, to me, a lot more dangerous with potential more deployments. Initially we were offered four hours to decide. FOUR HOURS.

I don't make decisions well under pressure. I get stressed. I get frustrated. I just want to get out of the situation and not decide. I'm the kind of person that takes months to decide certain things. I make charts. I make lists. I think about every potential outcome. Four hours does not accommodate that process.

While we were able to extend our deadline over the weekend, that initial pressure resulted in a version of Karianne that was not exactly supportive about the military career decision.

Using that extra time, I found my own personal calm, and we made the decision. I know this field is something Jake is passionate about, and I too am excited about the various opportunities we'll experience as a couple and family.

As Jake's graduation date creeps closer, we are getting more and more information about his career, training, and where we'll be for all of that. I didn't expect to find out ANY timeline details until early 2015, but, while things can DEFINITELY change in the coming months, right now we are looking to head to Pensacola, Florida in the early summer of 2015.

Yes, that move makes me nervous. Even though I never planned to stay around Provo—or even Utah for that matter—I've been living here about ten years on my own, and I'm comfortable. I know the area. I know all the good restaurants. I have my connections. I've built up my careers in this area (communications, Annesali, Zumba/UJam)...and I know our imminent move means I start back at square one (at least in some regard).

That said, I'm excited. I know Jake is excited. I need these type of changes to push me out of my comfort zone and offer opportunities to grow and experience different things in life. So here's to 2015...and exciting changes!

My Military Man

This morning Jake woke up around 7 a.m. and proceeded to get ready for the day. Before I was able to crawl out of bed and put my contacts in, Jake was almost completely ready and wearing his Air Force service dress. Jake gave me a hug and left for his busy day.

His ROTC program at BYU has spent the past several weeks organizing events commemorating Sept. 11 on campus, and Jake is involved in several aspects including all public affairs. Let's just say this has been a busy week.

Today is a notable one for all of us. How have 13 years already passed since that unforgettable day in 2001? Like most people, I remember where I was, what happened in my life at school and home, and many of my feelings and worries.

I've read so many wonderful and touching posts of remembrance today, and I'm thankful for the opportunity to express gratitude for my life, blessings, and freedoms. And of course, I've thought more and more about Jake and the sacrifices he signed up for not only this week, but for the next several years of his Air Force career.

I never imagined a military life for myself. Finishing high school in the Washington, D.C. area, my social circles included several kids from military families. We'd occasionally head to the nearest military base, with 1 to 1 military to civilian IDs, to watch movies at the on-base theater or the such. But living a military life was never something I connected with or thought I'd experience.

Those men, women, and families make incredible sacrifices to serve their country and stand for principles they value and hold dear. Jake has offered me the opportunity to stand by his side as he follows his desire to serve and be a part of something bigger than himself. I am only beginning to have a glimpse of understanding of what that means and am trying to best prepare myself to better embrace everything it entails.

Jake has on several occasions shared his experience of turning to the Air Force. He served an LDS church mission in Nevada where he followed a disciplined schedule and dedicated himself to something he was passionate about. When he returned home and began working and attending school, he missed that sense of service, of importance, of greater meaning. After some deliberation, Jake found those things in the Air Force.

Military life isn't one I chose, but it is one that Jake chose. And today as I remember Sept. 11, I think more specifically about the service men and women past and present and all that they do. Of all that they have sacrificed and all that they work for. I thank Jake for his example and the opportunity to view my blessings and freedoms just a little differently.

Remember Sept. 11

Hey all Provo locals! I just wanted to give a quick heads up about some events commemorating Sept. 11 tomorrow (Thursday) on BYU campus. If you and your kids are looking for a way to remember/honor the tragedy, consider attending one of these events.

All events are open to the public. Well, except the football game stuff. Ya'll need to have tickets for that.

Events
7 am: 24-hour vigil begins at the Abraham O. Smoot Administration building
8:45 am: Rose-laying Ceremony at the Abraham O. Smoot Administration building
9 am: Three-volley salute at the Abraham O. Smoot Administration building
12 pm: Thad Forester presentation in the Varsity Theater of the Wilkinson Student Center
7 pm: Presentation at the Lavell Edwards Stadium prior to the Houston vs. BYU football game (ticket required)

The vigil will be going on until 7 am Friday (Sept. 12), so you can literally stop by at any point that day. After the rose ceremony, you can also bring a rose to contribute. 

How to Create Large Wall Decor On a Budget

Please allow me to introduce you to one of my favorite recent projects...this lovely frame!

I wanted one large piece of art to place above our couch in the living room. To me, small pieces made the wall feel empty, while multiple pieces made it feel cluttered. (I'm sure the full-to-the-brim bookcases on either side of the couch don't help with the cluttered feeling either.) However, we all know large decor tends to cost quite a bit—more than I'm personally willing to spend on a piece for a home I will live maybe a year in. Ikea, for example, has several large options with a $49.99 price tag; that's something I'd pay, but the options were either unappealing to me or overdone.

Let me share how I got this piece to come together. If you follow me on Instagram, you've likely seen the updates on each step.

FRAME

I started by searching for large frames anywhere and everywhere. Garage sales, thrift stores, clearance aisles. Most things simply weren't large enough. Plus, most larger (ish) frames were still selling for $20 bucks at my local Deseret Industries. $20 bucks for an ugly frame with an ugly picture and oftentimes not even real glass. I said no to that.

In one of my many searches, I found a few options. These are the pictures and messages I sent to my husband.

A. Gold frame, would still paint. Thicker plastic although it could be glass. Matted too. Smallest option. $20

B. Yellow metal frame. Would spray paint maybe silver. Plastic cover $10

C. LARGE FRAME. See other sizes in picture. No back, no glass. Slight imperfection on one side. $5. Could paint and blow up a pic. 

Option C would require the most work. Not to mention, I didn't know if I could get a picture that big...or if I could fit the frame into my car. 

Jake's response, "I like the big one. The $5 one" quickly reaffirmed my worries and I went ahead with the $5 frame. 

Before I did anything else, I wanted to make sure it was possible to piece together the backing and image to go in the frame. Otherwise, I'd probably use this for a headboard type of project.

BACKING

I headed to Hobby Lobby's framing section to see what kind of foam boards they had available. Nothing big enough was available on the floor, but we waited for an associate who said they could definitely cut something to the exact dimensions I needed. The cost for the largest board was about $10 but then I used their 40% off coupon to get it for $6. 

PICTURE

This frame was way to big to even think about featuring a picture of Jake and me. Can you imagine that? Right above our couch? Haha. 

I did look at some scenery type of pictures with us, but nothing really worked. In fact, I found that I wasn't even liking photograph options for that size. I used my stock image resources at both sxc.hu (free site) or depositphotos.com (I got a great discount price for something like 100 downloads for $99 and use this site for lots of my client project needs).

In the end,  I was drawn to digital artwork by the user karakotsay. I liked the abstract perspective and considered options like this, or this, or this, or this.  

Jake and I both decided on this option:

PRINTING

From the start I knew I'd be printing this in black and white. Why? While I love the color, you can print in b/w a LOT cheaper than printing anything that large in color. Most office stores will allow you to print engineers prints for super cheap. These are low quality but for $6-8, it's a great option and can be switched up whenever you want. Also, I planned to paint the frame a color to help brighten up our living room and the black/white would help balance that color AND tie in the black from our furniture.

Fedex was the ONLY place I found that could print the size I wanted.  The employee there was amazing. It took maybe 6 or 7 tries to get it to print right, but in the end everything worked out great.

PAINTING

Head to Home Depot or Lowe's to purchase paint for small projects. You can get any color mixed in a sample bottle for about $3. I've done this a handful of times and the paint lasts forever!!  I got this lovely teal blue and got that thing painted. 

FINISHING UP

The final step was just putting everything together. I used a spray adhesive from a previous project to apply to picture to the foam board. Jake helped me, and we probably did six inches all the way across the board at a time. 

We'd spray, lay the picture, smooth it out, spray, lay, smooth, spray, lay, smooth. Fun process. After that, I turned the board over to and folded the excess paper onto the back side. Then we stuck the board in, got that set in...and we were good to go. 

Total cost: $22