My eyes are barely open as I’m writing this, meaning this post will probably be somewhat brief.  It’s been pouring down rain all day, which is my absolute favorite type of weather, but it’s made me sleepy and longing to crawl beneath the quilts and get some rest.

In my ever-present need for new technology, I fired my iPhone 4S (running iOS 7) and got a brand spanking so-new-they-don’t-even-have-cases-for-it-yet Samsung Galaxy Note 3.  I’ve been obsessing over this “phablet” for about three weeks now.  In my job, I often go out on the floor to talk with associates, and I carry my phone, note pad, and pen.  The note, with its S-Pen, eliminates the need for paper and a pen.  I can pop out the little stylus and write any notes down right on the screen.  Plus, every fall I get the OHMIGOSH I NEED A NEW PHONE fever. I hope that I can keep this one for longer than a year.  I think I’ll be able to because, so far, it’s amazing.  It honestly blows my iPhone out of the water.  I’ve always been a Mac person but never really felt too impressed by the iPhone.  And then I got an iPad Mini and I really just kind of became tired of the same operating systems on all my devices.  So I have returned to Android!

As I mentioned above, the Note 3 is so new that you can’t find any cases in stores.  I want the official Samsung case for it, but I’m waiting until it shows up on Amazon (where it will be cheaper than it is on Samsung’s site.)  I ordered screen protectors but still needed something to carry it in.  This need led me to sewing my own case today.

The first thing I had to do was settle on the fabric.  I wanted something fun, so I chose this VeggieTales fabric that I’ve had for at least five years.

Then I cut everything out, using the Note as a guide, sewed the pieces together (by hand, because I refuse to own a sewing machine), placed the cotton quilt batting in the middle, and began the process of stitching it up.

Once it was all sewn, I turned it inside out.

Then I sewed on a button and some narrow binding material to keep it closed.

And voila!  It’s done!

(This is an important time to note that the first four pictures were taken with my Note and the last one was taken on my iPad.  I think it’s obvious which one has a much better camera, eh?)

I did all of this today while watching the 138th Semi-Annual General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  For new readers to my blog, this is where I point out that I am not, in fact, a Mormon.  I am a non-denominational Christian turned United Methodist turned Roman Catholic turned United Methodist again. But lately, I’ve had a very deep curiosity about the LDS church.  I’m not new to the LDS church at all.  My best friend growing up was Mormon, and I visited the meetinghouse with her a few times.  Her father is a professor of Mormonism, so anything I ever heard about the church from the family was intelligent and well thought out.  I still remember sleepovers at her house where we watched the most cheesy musical ever – Saturday’s Warrior – which we both absolutely loved.  At the time, I had zero idea that I was actually watching a primer on Mormon theology.  As a 14-year-old in the 1990s, all I cared about was the cute guy starring in it and the fun music to sing along to! I found this movie on YouTube the other day and watched it in its entirety. 21 years later, I still know most of the words to the songs!

Anyway, the LDS church is not foreign to me.  I’ve always had a deep respect for their intense focus on family and my friend’s family was proof of that.  I’m still in contact with my childhood friend who now lives (surprise, surprise!) in Salt Lake City.  I don’t know what made me watch the General Conference today but I caught all of the afternoon session, and I was honestly blown away.  Elder Holland’s speech (which can be viewed here) about mental illness was moving and profound and insightful.  I know zero about this man, but I now respect him immensely. I suffer from intense anxiety that I am unable to treat due to reactions to medicine, and Elder Holland’s encouraging words hit home.  The General Conference continues tomorrow and I intend to watch more of it.  I’ve also emailed my childhood friend about it, because she and I have been corresponding lately regarding the Book of Mormon (which I’ve been reading off and on for the last week and a half.)  Anyway, I’m presently exploring this faith. I have no idea where it will lead, but I’ve learned one thing as an adult that I could never fathom as a child: God is present in more than one type of worship, and in more than just one church.

Wow. So this post ended up being considerably longer than I thought it would be.  And I’m much more alert now than I was.  Guess it’s time to grab my Kindle and cuddle beneath those quilts I talked about earlier!

(Sunday, Oct. 6 – editing this to add the following:  If you are LDS and you wouldn’t mind being a “source” for me to ask questions, would you leave me a comment?  I’d appreciate it!)