The New Mrs Dubinsky

harder to come back then i thought

2009-02-03T15:18:00.000-08:00

okay so now you can all really, really yell at me....go ahead, i'll wait....

out of your system? good....i can't have my blog readers mad at me!

well i really truly have written blog posts- and then never published them. not because i didn't want to, but because i got lazy and forgot all about them. so where are these blog posts? well, i'm not sure if they are really relavent right now- and i just thought why post them.... so i decided to write a new post about random things that have been going on.....very random

okay, so i recently graduated in december with my undergraduate degree in Art Therapy- WOW......excited and relieved doesn't even begin to describe how i feel....i have been working on this degree for 4 1/2 years...so much has gone into that degree- laughter, worry, tears, smiles, growth...growth beyond anything i could have ever forseen for myself. college is not just about the degree- it's also about everything in between...i know that now, i just wished i had known that then..... so now that i'm done with one degree i may just be crazy enough to go back for another- why you ask? because i just don't feel fufilled...i need more- i went back to school yesterday with erin (best friend ever...) and sat in on her photography class- i realized that i missed that, i missed sitting there and soaking in the teacher, the room, my desk, my classmates....i missed it all. this my dear friends is how i know i am not done with my education, not by a long shot- i am going to go back...i'll go back until it's enough- when will that be, i don't know...stay tuned

hmmmm another thing- i have been working at my job now almost full time....and it's been kind of, well, anti-climatic- really, do i really work here? i do like where i work- i just feel that i am meant to do something more challenging....much much more challenging....so if i find something more fufilling then i will accept it, welcome it even- and if not then i will wait to see what more schooling will bring- something is going to happen, i can feel it i'm just not sure what it is yet....i used to dread not knowing, however i LOVE that feeling now- i love not knowing, that is what makes life worth living..

also on the job front i am still working for Molly over at mthreestudio- which i am completely excited about!!! this job i absolutely LOVE.....assisting one of the best photographers in milwaukee is awesome....AWESOME!!! i love helping Molly capture a couples special day, every couple is different and that is what makes this job so great.... i am very excited for wedding season 2009..bring it on!!!!

hmmm let me think...there are other things but it's best to leave somethings for other posts no?

i will leave you all with this- i have been thinking a lot lately, i guess not just thinking but growing- changing and really looking at my life. i love life and i really am exploring what i'm supposed to be doing with it.... trust me, this exploration does not come easy- and i don't think it's suppposed to. however don't worry about me, this is an exciting adventure- i love this ride, i don't know where it will take me, but it will be so worth it....

and i know i said that was my last thing..however i have one more for you- a friend tuned me in to one of the most beautiful songs i think i have ever heard....i love it so i thought i would share.... the song is called beautiful mess by Jason Mraz.

i will leave you with the lyrics, please come back- i promise to write more soon!

You've got the best of both worlds
You're the kind of girl who can take down a man,
And lift him back up again
You are strong but you're needy,
Humble but you're greedy
And based on your body language,
And shoddy cursive I've been reading
Your style is quite selective,
Though your mind is rather reckless
Well I guess it just suggests
That this is just what happiness is

And what a beautiful mess this is
It's like picking up trash in dresses

Well it kind of hurts when the kind of words you write
Kind of turn themselves into knives
And don't mind my nerve you could call it fiction
But I like being submerged in your contradictions dear
'Cause here we are, here we are

Although you were biased I love your advice
Your comebacks they're quick
And probably have to do with your insecurities
There's no shame in being crazy,
Depending on how you take these
Words I'm paraphrasing this relationship we're staging

And what a beautiful mess this is
It's like picking up trash in dresses

Well it kind of hurts when the kind of words you say
Kind of turn themselves into blades
And kind and courteous is a life I've heard
But it's nice to say that we played in the dirt oh dear
Cause here we are, Here we are
Here we are [x7]
We're still here
What a beautiful mess this is
It's like taking a guess when the only answer is yes

Through timeless words, and priceless pictures
We'll fly like birds, out of this earth
And times they turn, and hearts disfigure
But that's no concern when we're wounded together
And we tore our dresses, and stained our shirts
But it's nice today, oh the wait was so worth it.

a new begining

2008-12-03T09:55:00.000-08:00

anyone still out there?

sorry dear blog readers for the extremely looooooooooooong abscence! i have been crazy busy with life, school, and work- all things i will recap once this semester is over!

1 more week and i will have completed my undergraduate degree.....1 MORE WEEK?!?!?!

it's amazing how time flies. today i was sitting in class thinking of all the memories i will take away from Mount Mary. i would love to write them all right here, right now, but that will have to wait until after my final paper is complete! MY FINAL PAPER!

do i sound too excited in this post? that's because i am my friends!

stay tuned for an obscence amount of posts within the next week or so!

hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving!

to my husbaand

2008-11-09T19:56:00.000-08:00

"I do not love you as if you were salt-rose, or topaz,or the arrow of carnations the fire shoots off.I love you as certain dark things are to be loved,in secret, between the shadow and the soul.

I love you as the plant that never blooms but carries in itself the light of hidden flowers;thanks to your love a certain solid fragrance,risen from the earth, lives darkly in my body.

I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where.I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride;so I love you because I know no other way
than this: where I does not exist, nor you,so close that your hand on my chest is my hand,so close that your eyes close as I fall asleep."
-Pablo Neruda

more to come

2008-10-06T19:46:00.000-07:00

so my dear blog readers i promise i will be coming back on soon with A LOT of updated info- too much to write right now seeing as i have midterms and a TON of homework. i promise i will update soon though! hopefully with some fabulous pics!

i hope all of you are doing fabulous. remember, just because i am not posting doesn't mean i am not reading your blogs! i am well versed on all the happenings!

i will leave you with a fabulous picture- hopefully this will tide you over till i write again :0)

i present to you the weirdest pictures we took on our trip to san fran....

D by some weird bee thing..... i think it was a fast food restaurant, and of course he is doing his weird signature hand thing....

this is my new friend MUNI- yes i now collect these weird creatures and they are actually pretty cool :0) very popular in san fran

i need a wish right now

2008-09-09T05:19:00.001-07:00

so as i was dragging myself out of bed this morning i was thinking about our trip to san francisco- as i do frequently everday of my life because it was sooooo the best trip.....EVER....

so as i was thinking about our trip i remember the ever popular wishing fountain that we passed on one of our many walks through the city. we decided to try our luck and throw some pennies in the wishing fountain- together, hand in hand.

i guess what this post is all about is that fact that right about now i would like to cash in on some of those wishes we made- not that everything is going too entirely horrible here but it would be nice to have some exciting and re-energizing happen. school, work, life, has put us both in a little bit of a funk lately- hopefully that all changes soon and we win the lottery..... but i won't be picky, a wish granted is a wish granted :0)

so i hope that you all have wishes, what are they? please feel free to post them or think of them today- we could all use a little luck, yes? :0)

is this thing on?

2008-09-01T14:56:00.000-07:00

bad blogger, bad, bad, bad blogger..............

so i've been MIA for a while and i'll tell you why- really it's not a good excuse, i just didn't have time for blogging (gasp!). now before all of you get angry at me for not having enough time for blogging, something i truly love and would do at least once or twice a week no matter what crazy thing was happening in my life (before now that is), i just have to say there has been a lot of change around the Dubinsky household. i will try to sum things up short and sweet- and in list form because i just can't resist a good list :0)

- darin and i traveled to the wondrous and beautiful land of San Francisco- i tell you guys there is NOTHING more beautiful, at least nothing we have seen yet- San Francisco was by far one of the most laid back, gorgeous, and EXPENSIVE cities we have ever been too in our married existence. it truly was one of the best times we have ever had. we were able to relax and truly remember what was important- not bills, money (or lack there of), not school, work, or even drama with friends or family- nope it was each other, our marriage and remembering why we had even come to san francisco in the first place- OUR 1 YEAR WEDDING ANNIVERSARY! yep, we have been married for a year already! can you guys believe it? we sure couldn't! i am glad that we took this time with each other, to truly appreciate one another and how much we love each other, and always, always will. so without further ado, here are some lovely snapshots of our trip :0)

this is hubby and i in front of the golden gate bridge- the picture does not do it justice, this bridge was absolutely GORGEOUS! it was one of our favorite parts of the trip!

this is me enjoying one of my many glasses of Sangria- D thought i should have all the garnish, i believe we were a little intoxicated at the time- but hey, who cares? we're on vacation!

Pier 39 was kind of a tourist trap- but the seals were awesome!!!! they were so cute, and so adorable i just couldn't stop staring at them! :0)

these are our new friends that we met in the Castro District of San Francisco. If you didn't know the Castro District prides itself on being one of the most open and accepting districts in San Francisco of Gay and Lesbian couples. Darin and i absolutely loved hanging out in the castro, the people were friendly, courteous, and more than willing to help a couple of tourists! we ended up meeting these guys at bar called Twin Peaks- it was actually the day of our anniversary so they bought us a drink and we watched Michael Phelps kick some olympic ass!

Another awesome thing about the castro? Hot Cookie! This place had the most amazing cookies....EVER! Besides cookies they also sold underwear that said "HOT COOKIE" on them- if you bought one you could model them and get your picture on the wall- no matter how much i tried to get hubby to model the "HOT" undies he just wouldn't do it- so alas no underwear pic on the walls of San Fran for us!

i have more pictures that i will definately share later- i would hate to use them all up on one post! then again we did take about 600 pics..... yea we are definately freaks with the camera!

- another big milestone in our lives is that i am back in school.....AND SO IS DARIN! i am soooooo proud of my hubby! he started school to become an Anesthesiology Technician! he is really enjoying it, i can tell he will really like being in school again! he is sooooooo much happier with a new job, and a new outlook on life! we get to spend more time together, have dinner together like a regular couple, and actually be home on the same days!

- i got offered a position by the current company i am working for. i have been offered this position a couple of times and i finally decided to bite. why you ask? well because when i really thought about it, i didn't have a plan after i graduate this semester. i love where i work- i love the people, the hours, and the workload isn't entirely too bad. this isn't to say i don't want to move on- but i don't want to move on right now. i want to concentrate on making some money, figure out if i want to go to grad school, and then make my decision. i am 23 years old and not really in any rush. this is a good chance for me to move up in my company, gain a little more job experience, and also make some more money- which is a plus to taking this position! :0)another plus is that i will be getting HEALTH INSURANCE!!!!! which is a huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge factor! i can't wait to have health insurance and rest a little easier at night!

-hubby and i are getting sooooooooooooo much closer to paying off our debt! i can not wait to be debt free- then we can finally start saving for the future and putting our money towards important things- like a mortgage maybe? :0)

- and lastly hubby and i have been talking about TTC- not right this second but in the future. we have a few more things we needed to map out mapped out and we finally feel good about our plans. i just recently purchased the book "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" which i have heard awesome things about- i can't wait to start reading!

So things are a little hectic, but at the same time soooooooooo amazing! I feel like we are finally headed in the right direction!

i have been reading my blog list religiously still so i am well caught up on what you are all up to! now you can hopefully catch up with me- i promise the next absence won't be so long!

hope everyone had a great labor day!!!! look for more posts soon!

roughest two weeks....ever

2008-07-24T18:14:00.001-07:00

so i have definately had the roughest two weeks that i have had in a long time.... i am completely beat! i didn't realize just how many hours i put in until i did- 50 last week, and 50 this week- i say goodbye to my overtime after tomorrow which i have to say i am glad to do! it's been nice making extra money, but in the end when your too tired to do ANYTHING the money kind of looses it's appeal.

so what else has been going on with me you might ask? well, to be honest, not much- i have been working, sleeping, eating....repeat- but in my slightly spare time there have been a few things accomplished, which i have to contribute to hubby stepping it up a notch while i am working these long hours! he has had dinner ready every night when i come home, he has been cleaning, doing laundry, and giving me much needed pep talks via email and text message while i am at work :0)

what we have been really focusing on is our trip to San Francisco! It is only a week away- we leave August 5th and return on August 13th- this trip is a DREAM COME TRUE! we both need this getaway sooooooo much- it is going to help us both relax and get ready for what is to come when we return- there are A LOT of things on the agenda- and not a lot of time to do them.....

- hubby will hopefully (fingers crossed) be registering for some college courses! i am soooo proud of him and excited!

- hubby will also be getting a new job- something that can work around a school schedule and also work around us- we hardly get to spend time with each other and that will hopefully all be changing very soon :0)

- i am gearing up for my last semester of college, yep you heard it right- my final semester EVER in college- well at least until i decide whether or not i will be going to grad school.

- i may be taking a job with my current company that would offer me more money as well as health benefits- something as you all know hubby and i desperately need. i posted an earlier blog a long time ago about not wanting to accept this position, but after careful thought i decided right now it is the best decision- other things will come along and when they do i will be ready for them, right now i am ready for this.

so that is about it- all the updates in a list form, because you know how i love lists :0)

oh, and another thing, why is Dark Knight so incredibly hard to see? hubby and i tried to see it on Sunday, but to no avail it was completely sold out- i am hearing good things so i hope we get to see it this weekend.

well that is all for now- my blogging will pick up after a long weekend of rest and relaxation- i need it!

OVERtime

2008-07-15T18:55:00.000-07:00

yes my friends that is where i have been. over the next 2 week i will be working about 20 hours of overtime on top of a 40 hour work week. we need the extra money for san fran and of course bills.

and i truly do come home and check my work email- things happen that quickly at my work ya know.....

so i am sorry for my absence- there has been a lot going on- too much to name all in one post- but i will leave you with a list because that is what i am good at :0)

- darin has decided to go back to school- this is a big leap for hubby! i am so proud of him and i know that he will do awesome- now all he needs to do is pick a program. he will be doing a 2 year degree in the healthcare field- the problem is that some "2 year degrees" aren't really two years at all with a waitlist- so he wants to find one without a waitlist- more updates to come on that one!

- booking a hotel for san francisco is becoming a problem- there are NO hotels that are cheap in the downtown area- all the cheaper hotels are booked already so we having been trying to decide what do do, do we stay by the airport, at a hostel maybe? but then again when i think about staying in a hostel i think about that popular movie.... you know that one- i won't post a picture on my blog, much too graphic- but basically they go into the hostel, meet really "nice" people and never come out alive- yea, i don't want that to be us..... okay so i don't really believe this will happen but ya never know- and hostels are just as expensive as hotels- 80-90 bucks a night!

- work is kickin my butt, i am exhausted- i hope this is worth it in the end

well, that is all for now- it's off to work for another long day- i work from 8am-1030 pm tonight!!!! am i crazy? yes......

stay tuned! happy wednesday!

but i want it!!!!!!!!!

2008-07-07T20:18:00.000-07:00

yep, that's right- hubby and i are on a diet. what made us come to this unbelievably horrific and insane decision? we are both overweight- i don't think we look bad, but we definately feel bad- we don't have the energy we used to, we don't look like we used to, hell, we can't even walk up a flight of stairs without being completely winded! i feel like this diet will be best for the both of us- hubby has been wanting to diet for a while and i really want to support him on this (and hopefully loose a few pounds myself :0)- you can never look to hott right?- yep that's hott with two t's!

so anyways enough about my hottness, hubby and i are on day 6 of our diet and all is going pretty well- that is if you consider mood swings and extreme panic well. i am NOT used to denying myself whatever i want to eat, whenever i want to eat it- i have just never worked like that. i have always prided myself on being able to eat whatever i wanted- and as much of it as i wanted to. then i realized that eating whatever i want is not good for me- in fact when your me and you crave things like scalloped potatoes, pizza, nachos, crunchwrap supremes, jimmy johns, and of course my all time favorite- pasta, all the time your body is bound to "give" a little- and in my case it has given a lot.

since my last couple of posts have been big reveal posts here is another one for you- when i met D i weighed about 120 pounds- totally normal for my height and age- in fact i even weighed in low on the average. i have never been one to chart my weight or even worry about my weight for that matter (except for the time i went on a mandarin orange and rice diet in high school- i was young and not so bright, what can i say?) but i have to say my concern level is on high.

my current weight? 140 lbs

that may not seem like a lot but from my point of view 20 lbs is a lot of weight to gain or such a short amount of time. and my eating habits are not good- it seems like lately i have not been able to feel full in quite a while- i am always eating, eating, eating- especially because i sit at a computer all day- when i get bored, i eat, on my 15 min break i eat, when i'm on my lunch i eat- it is a lot of food for one person to eat in a day. for example last week for lunch my fabulous coworkers and i went to taco bell- not the best place to eat but it is cheap. well i love their crunchwraps without the meat- they are sooo good. well i decided 1 was not going to be enough- so i got 2 thinking maybe i could have that other one later for a snack. i also got 2 orders of nachos- because after all they are small, right?

i ate both crunchwraps, both nachos, and a regular coke- WHAT WAS I THINKING!!!!

i definately walked away feeling full, but sluggish- that's not the way i want to feel after eating! i want to feel full, but refreshed and energized, not tired and bloated. so this diet will be good for both of us- i have already lost 5 1lbs, which i am sure is water weight but non the less it is progress!

i was a little crazy the first couple of days i will admit. taking me grocery shopping was no fun task, just ask Darin! everytime he turned around i was grabbing something full of calories and fat. if i wasn't grabbing chips, cookies, or frozen pizza i was asking him "well what CAN i eat then Dr. Dubinsky?!?!!?" in a very sarcastic tone. yea i imagine my withdrawal from sugar and fatty foods to be something similiar to that of a smoker going cold turkey- only i was much more bitchy about it....

there are many upsides to this diet- not only will we loose weight, but we will also feel better about ourselves. and i really, really want to prepare my body for when we do start TTC- if i eat bad now, how will i be able to stop myself from eating bad while i'm pregnant? i just don't want to risk my baby's health because of my bad eating habits

so wish me luck my friends, i'm going to need it...

Wordless Wednesday....a day late

2008-07-03T14:14:00.001-07:00

Good Friends

babies on the brain part 2

2008-06-29T18:25:00.000-07:00

so i know i have been leaving you all in the lurch about my thoughts on TTC
i'm sorry for my absence and leaving you all in suspense for so long! i looked at my blog and realized i hadn't posted since the 18th of June- Yikes! where has the time gone?

however i do have an excellent excuse as to why i was absent for so long. you see my good friends Mandy and Blake just had a beautiful baby boy named Cristian! He is sooo adorable and i am very, very excited for them as they start their journey as parents. I was fortunate enough to be asked to come see them while they were still in the hospital- it always makes you feel like VIP when you get asked to come see your friends newborn in the hospital :0) so i went with the hubs, camera in hand of course, and met Cristian for the first time. Darin and I both got to hold him and of course couldn't decide who should pick him up first- i am still very new at the whole newborn picking up thing so Blake helped us out and picked Cristian up for us :0). once we had him in our arms it was pure delight. blake immediately turned on his camera which he has on him for every occasion- he never misses a beat! he has successfully documented Cristian's first,second and even third days in the world! i was lucky enough to get some cute shots of Cristian as well as steal a few shots that Blake and D took.....

the lovely parents <3

hubby with Cristian

Me with Cristian

i may look a little scared in the picture but only because it has been a looooong time since i held a newborn- it was a piece of cake though, it felt very natural and completely surreal- does that make sense? i just couldn't believe that one of my closest friends had a baby- it made me realize just how much time flies. Mandy and Blake are going to be such amazing parents. they have unbelievably huge hearts and are wonderful people who would do anything they could to help you out. i am so excited to be apart of their lives and now apart of Cristian's! i walked out of the hospital feeling great- hubby did too. we both couldn't stop talking about how cute Cristian was and how lucky Mandy and Blake are- it's a beautiful thing to have a baby and i can't think of anything that D and I want more in life then to bring a baby into the world.

that being said, i have to thank all of you tremendously for your comments- it feels good to be able to have people to turn to- some of you i have met, some of you i have not and may never get the privilege to do so but it is still nice to know that people will share their opinions, thoughts, and encouragement with me on my blog, which is something i have grown to love about blogging.

after careful consideration and many hours of talking over wine (you have to have wine right? :0) hubby and i have decided that although we are ready to have children right now is not the time. another big secret? are you ready for this one guys?

we do not have health insurance....

wow, what a big secret for me to reveal on my blog! for a long time hubby and i would always dance around the subject of health insurance. it just seems like a taboo not to have health insurance and believe you me if we could afford it- we would have it! D's job offers it but it is far too expensive and my job does not currently offer it to me because of my status at work. so here we sit, two adults and no health insurance. i can't imagine having a baby and not having health insurance- i think not only about us and the costs we would accrue but also about the baby- what if she/he needed medical attention and we didn't have insurance? i realize that we would be able to pay out of pocket but paying out of pocket is NOT easy. To be honest i have never in my life had health insurance. when i was growing up my mom couldn't afford it so we always paid out of pocket. that being said because i have always paid out of pocket for my health care i have realized just how important it is. we definately plan on getting it soon- within the next 6 months- however right now it is still not feasible.

i also realized this weekend that not everything happens all at once. we got married almost a year ago, 41 days until our 1 year wedding anniversary! (not like i'm counting down or anything) it has always been hard for me to accept that some things you have to wait for. just because hubby and i may want kids right now does not mean it is the best time for us to do so. like i said before in my previous post we are soooo excited to have kids- we talk about it a lot and look forward to the future when we are a little more ready- we are ready emotionally but things are not quite set they way they need to be yet. at first when i realized this i was sad, why can't everything just happen right now?!!?!! hubby though, reminded me that just because it doesn't happen now, doesn't mean it won't happen soon- it just means not right this second- which i am okay with.

so until our time of TTC i will just have to gush about babies on my blog- and post cute pictures of my friends babies while we wait :0) i can't wait for our journey to begin as parents- it will be an amazing time full of love and excitement- it is something we both can not wait to start. when will we start? well my dear friends i can't let every secret go on my blog! :0) we definately have a time in mind and i of course will be glowing- too bad glow will not show on my blog :0)

have a great tuesday everyone!

i swear i'm still here

2008-06-28T06:33:00.000-07:00

sorry for the mini-absence this week guys- it has been one LONG week- full of family drama, mandatory overtime at work, births, jazz music, and my favorite passtime- weddings with Molly! i will post more on all of those things sunday when i can recooperate from my crazy weekend!

so as i get ready for work i just wanted to post a picture- since i clearly missed wordless wednesday this week i thought i would make up for it....

and don't worry, there is a TTC post coming Sunday- i just have been writing it in pieces- you can look for those updates Sunday night- i promise!

so i will leave you with a photo just for the heck of it.

have a good Saturday everyone! more to come Sunday!

picture of how we spend our days off together on thursdays- darin calls this my duck face, not just because i love ducks so much but because i make this face everytime i love something is see- maybe i will just have to have a whole post of "duck face" pictures so you all believe me :0)

what would a blog be without at least one TMI post?

2008-06-18T15:21:00.000-07:00

yes dear readers the time has come.... a post with entirely TMI (just in case there are a few people who may not know TMI= Too Much Information) I knew i was bound to put one of these posts up but i didn't know when- today is the day so here it is....

hubby and i were talking last night... you remember hubby right?

Just in case you didn't- which i know you all do, if nothing else the picture was just another excuse to put a cute picture of D in my blog :0)

So we were talking last night about the future- about a house, possibly a dog, some new plants, and kids.....wait did i just say kids? Yes, it is true we actually had a conversation about kids. So then of course the discussion moved to when, when should we start trying, how long will it take, how do we know if we are truly ready? All of these questions were discussed- good answers emerged and of course there are always some questions left lingering. There is no way to know if you are every truly ready. Darin and I still enjoy going out and having fun but we have slowed our going out down quite a bit over the last year. And there are of course other signs as well that point to being ready to have a baby- I feel like i am completely ready- physically and mentally, it is at times all i think about. Darin has also began talking about our future with kids- whenever we see a baby in the store, or hold one of our friends babies we can't stop smiling.

We did decide however to hold off for just a little while longer- there are still a few things that need to fall into place before we start TTC, and because i am a list freak here is a list of things we would like to do before we have a baby...

- buy a house: we have had our eye on one house in particular- it keeps going down in price and we are hoping it keeps going down- we will have to re-visit it at the end of summer and see what is what on the house front
- hubby wants to switch his job: he is VERY unhappy with his current job. the economy is not great right now- because he is a car salesman he makes most of his money off of commission. If people don't buy cars he doesn't make any money which creates a lot of stress for him as well as our bank account. he has his eye on a couple of opportunities so keep your fingers crossed! and of course if anyone has any employment ideas please feel free to throw them our way!
- we would like to have some money saved up- i know that everyone always says you will never have enough money- which is completely true- i know that now more than ever. so if we can have some sort of backup in our account before we have kids we will be able to feel a little bit more secure just in case the unexpected were to happen

So i bet you all are wondering where my TMI comes in right? Well as i was talking to hubby about TTC we realized that we really can't TTC if i am still on my BC (birth control). Now from the beginning i have always hated taking birth control. I have been on it for only 3 years but i feel that is plenty- we have been thinking of stopping the BC for a while now but have been kind of nervous to do so. we would be absolutely ecstatic and overjoyed if we got pregnant but we know that it is best if we wait until the time we agreed to start TTC. So we began researching natural family planning- which is pretty much like charting your temps and getting to know your cycle so you know which days of the month you are most fertile. I love the idea of this method because it allows me to get to know my body better- this will definately help us when we begin TTC. I also like it because i really don't want to be on BC any longer- i just don't feel the same when i am on BC- i feel it truly does mess with every hormone in your body!

So i have been researching like a mad woman about this method and i am still kind of nervous about it- i know it is not %100 percent effective but then again what method of "BC" is? Has anyone tried this method before and found it effective/ ineffective?

Sorry again if this is TMI- i just need some opinions from you lovely ladies out there :0)

I promise to return to Wordless Wednesday next week- there were just too many words floating in my brain to not write them down! :0)

so those people aren't imaginary?

2008-06-13T12:57:00.000-07:00

No dear Husband, those people i blog with on the internet are not imaginary- in fact they are so real that i have pictures to prove it!

The Lovely Ladies above: Julia, Erin, Julia, Sierra, Kelly, Andrea, Natasha, Me, and Katherine

Don't get me wrong- my husband was very excited for me that i was meeting a group of girls from my blog list- in fact he thought it was "awesome, funny- but awesome" that's a direct quote. :0)

The girls and i headed down to The Wicked Hop which i tell you all is the most fabulous restaurant and i highly recommend it. The burger with guacamole? INCREDIBLE! We had a fabulous time- I did not know many of these ladies and i was a bit nervous- but as i soon found out i had no need to be nervous, they were all regular girls- just like me, imagine that :0) What was i expecting you ask? Well there is always that fear when meeting someone new that you won't get along, or that they won't like you, or that you'll forget to wear deodorant or something crazy like that (sidenote, i did in fact remember the deodorant)

We had an awesome time and promised to do a GTG again soon (Get Together- just in case someone reads that and wonders what it means :0)

And of course what would an outing be without your classic creepy guy in the corner?

So my friends it is true that you CAN meet people on the internet and that they are actually very normal and just like you and i. In fact when getting together with people for the first time there are no better people to get together with then people who have like interests- or obsessions- like blogging :0)

Wordless Wednesday

2008-06-11T13:15:00.000-07:00

True Love

special package update

2008-06-09T13:32:00.000-07:00

hi everyone! sorry i have been absent for a little while- there has been A LOT going on- things i won't go into in this post because i want this post to be about one thing and one thing only- however i will post about those other things later and get everyone caught up :0)

so i was telling you all in a previous post about a "special package" that i was sending to a very very special someone. Well that special someone was Keri who i have posted about before in a previous post. If you haven't yet read about my very very special someone you can read about her here

after hearing Julia's story about Keri i decided i wanted to do something special for her. i posted about Keri, and her amazing strength, her warming personality, and how much of an inspiration she was to all of us with her positive attitude and kick-ass view on all that was happening to her. I wanted to do more however- i just felt like it wasn't enough to write a blog post. I wanted to give Keri something special- something that would make her smile and let her know that she is special and that she has a lot of people rooting for her! I talked to Julia who first introduced us all to Keri and her story. I told Julia i wanted to help and she gave me a great idea- how about scarves? As you all probably remember Keri has beautiful curly blonde hair that she would possibly be loosing after Chemo. I LOVED the idea of scarves but i wasn't sure where i was going to find a bunch of cool scarves. And i didn't just want to get her one scarf because i was sure she would probably get bored with just one color. That's when the light bulb in my head turned on..... What if i HAND MADE her a bunch of fun, girly, scarves? :0)

So i decided to use my wonderful Fiber Fabrics class as an outlet to make Keri a bunch of beautiful handmade scarves for every possible occasion she would ever need one! I got help from the lovely ladies in my college Fiber Fabrics class, bought some beautiful silk scarves, and got to work! Here are some fun pictures of us with the scarves we made... (side note- i'm the awkward looking one in the purple sweater :0)

Some of us made 1 scarf and some of us made 2 or even 3! I can't thank these girls enough for helping me make something special and unique for Keri. These girls made these absolutely beautiful scarves the week before final exams! I couldn't have been more appreciative!

Julia told me Keri received the scarves and was absolutely touched! She even brought some of the scarves with her on her recent trip home to show her family! I was so excited that she loved them and that they were something she could use to remind herself how fabulous she is and how much everyone is thinking of her!

Hope you are all having a wonderful Monday! Look for another big post tomorrow!

Wordless Wednesday

2008-06-04T12:55:00.001-07:00

In an attempt to post more often i have added in a Wordless Wednesday post- i forgot who i got this idea from so i'm sorry i didn't credit you!

The picture this week is what i will be dreaming of for the next 2 months....

That's right guys- Hubby and I are going to California for our 1 year Wedding Anniversary!!!! I am beyond excited- a whole week of uninterrupted time with my husband! I can't wait! If any of you girls have any suggestions as to where to go while we are there please let me know! We will be in Nappa Valley for a little while and then we will be heading to San Diego!

Look for a post that will be pretty thought provoking later- i will need lots of comments!

Sorry this post wasn't very wordless- sometimes i just don't know when to stop :0)

a little something for monday

2008-06-02T05:49:00.000-07:00

hello all! i know i did not post the pictures that i promised- however my special package girl just received her package- and LOVED it! so i will post those pictures and explain later today :0)

until then i will post a picture- because who doesn't love a good, wholesome, hilarious picture on a Monday morning?

check the blog later for more on the contents of the package i sent Keri :0)

here is a picture of me getting my hair done at the "trial run" for my wedding. I look hot don't I?

Happy Monday!

special packages, random thoughts, time to catch my breath

2008-05-23T08:51:00.000-07:00

AND BREATH....................

Yep, i think this is the first day in a long time i have been able to relax- no where to go, nothing to do, no one here but me and my lovely cat- you remember dexter right? just in case you don't......

that's right- a day completely and totally to myself- so to myself i almost don't know what to do! i am sure i will manage however- there are a lot of things i have been meaning to do- like clean my house! it is an absolute disaster people! i can't believe i let it go this far- i don't think there is a clean dish in the cabinet, a clean pair of socks in the drawer, or anything clean for that matter. that will all get done though- rome wasn't built in a day right?

so you are all probably wondering what the title of my post means, "special packages"- well for some time now i have had a very special project in the works for a very special girl- i don't know if she has received the package yet so i can't let too much slip. The postmaster who was all too kind to help me send this package and take the time to explain what box is best to use for said items said that it should be arriving at her house today- which is perfect! i will post more about this on sunday- with pictures :0) just in case she does read my blog i would hate to ruin her surprise! but i will tell you all how important this project was to me. I had help from 10 lovely ladies from my college fiber fabrics class to make this project happen and i am sooooo happy with the results! i can't wait to post pictures! check back on sunday! :0)

as for life, well it is going- slowly, faster then i would like sometimes, and very very hectic! like i said i think this is the first day i have had off in some time and although that makes me happy because we are making more money and getting incredibly closer to paying off our debt, i still really want to have some form of a summer break- however when i get a goal in my head i can never seem to get it out so that is why i am working as much as i have been- where am i working you ask? well here is the rundown.....

1) Medical Biller- i am a medical biller 4 days a week, 10 hours each day. i have my own cubicle but i have to share- let me tell you i secretly hate sharing- hubby reminds me of this personality glitch everyday! if i have some sort of food that i love and hubby grabs for it he is likely to loose his hand, seriously.... i imagine that will become worse once i become pregnant- i hear those cravings are serious! so i share my cubicle and because i am a germ-freak i have to come in every morning and sanitize my entire cubicle- desktop, chair arms, mouse, phone, keyboard, drawer handles- everything people! better safe then sorry right? when people get sick at my job they figure as long as they can still type they will come in.... let's just say i don't like their philosophy. with such close quarters that is a ticket to sickness! so basically i sit for 10 hours a day starting at 6am and ending at 430 pm typing my little heart out and billing people for anything and everything. i could tell you the billing codes for pretty much any diagnosis. when i go to the doctor and the nurse is trying to find a code for a pap smear- i know the code, i tell her and she looks at me as if i have two heads and ten arms just waving like crazy at her. she's right- who in there right mind would just KNOW the code for a pap smear? oh well- this lady knows her pap smears and is proud of it!

2)activities director- my aunts group home: this is a job that i love, but is extremely challenging for me. i took this job to not only help my aunt out but also to boost my resume and get something on there that is related to my degree. i have a lot of fieldwork and coursework that is very helpful for getting me a job in the field i want however it's not enough hours in the field so i took this job. i pretty much plan activities for my old people- i love my old people- most days.... when they don't constantly ask me for cookies or a new pair or stockings. i have done a lot of creative projects with my residents since we opened in december- it has been a very rewarding job- very time consuming, but in the end worth it.

3) wedding photographer assistant to the best photographer in the world!!!: okay so may i'm biased but i really think Molly is the best photographer in the world. I was asked to be her assistant at weddings while she is capturing the couples big day. This is by far my favorite job that i have- for me it's not really a job at all- it is beautiful to be such an intricate part of a couples wedding day- molly and i truly do spend the most time with the couple all day and i love watching the couple enjoy a day full of love, commitment, friends, family, good food, lots of laughs, and even some tears of joy. i almost always tear up at the ceremony, the first dance, and the speeches- particularly the ones by the parents. I couldn't think of a better photographer to have at your wedding day- not just because she takes fabulous pictures but also because she has been a bride- she knows what the bride and groom are going through and i have seen her put down her camera many a time to bustle the brides dress, fix a centerpiece, find the wedding party, or give the bride some encouraging words or advice. She is absolutely amazing and if you don't know her or her fabulous work- go check it out! Molly is a not only a wonderful photographer to work for, but also a wonderful friend who i am glad i have gotten the chance to know over these past couple of years. Check out Molly's work on her HERE

so those are all of my jobs- they are all different and all special to me. people always ask me why i don't just quit one of my jobs and keep the rest- my answer is that i would get bored. i hate coming to work and doing the same thing everyday. with my plethora of jobs i never, ever get bored!

finally i will end this post with some random thoughts- which i know is typically a Monday post but i will make an exception.

- hubby and i got the notice that our stimulus check will be coming today!!!! we will be using the money to pay on our biggest credit cards bills which will leave us under $3,000 dollars left to pay on our total debt! D and i were definately doing a victory dance in our living room last night- i promise to post pictures later :0) the day we mail our final payments to our credit card companies will be one of the best days our life- we can finally move on! all of this debt makes you feel stuck in time- i want to move on and live!!!! we are so close!

- i went out and spoiled my favorite little girl yesterday at target- petra of course! i absolutely love this baby- who will turn one in October! where does time go? i feel like it was just yesterday that Nada and i reconnected after not seeing each other for over a year and i found out that she was 6 months pregnant- and of course absolutely glowing and beautiful as always! i am so glad that i am able to be a part of her and her daughters life- they are very special to me and i absolutely love to spoil them- i won't write what i got her, just in case Nada reads this :0). Hubby and i are actually going to be having a Brazilian cooking night with Nada and Martin next week! soooo excited for that !

- i can't wait to do all the things i have been waiting for my whole life to do with my husband. even though at the age of 8 i didn't know who my husband was going to be ( or that my future husband was 15 when i was dreaming of him at 8) i dreamed of what i wanted our life to be. not everything has fallen in to place yet, there are have been some speed bumps and things i never expected but there is one thing that remains the same- Darin is the man of my dreams, my rock, my love and the best thing that has ever come into my life. he saved me from the path i was going down and taught me how to loosen up- which has been much appreciated by everyone i think! we have been talking a lot lately about what we want to do in the next couple of years- a house, a beautiful baby of our own, and a trip to somewhere very exotic- Peru, Australia, Argentina- somewhere gorgeous and relaxing where we can see the highest mountains and take in a beautiful sunset on a hidden path just for us. i can't wait to see what life holds, i know it will be beautiful. hard times come and go, and then they come again- but i know we can make it through.

- i truly have the best friends in the world- they are always there for me and i love them- i know i may call in a frenzy, or not call at all- but i truly do love these people. From tears, to beers (hope you liked the picture erin :0) they are always there for me.

- i am going to ride my bike to work everyday starting next week. i REFUSE to pay $4.15/gallon for gas. And when i get home from work i will be using my car sparingly- if i can walk there, i will- i can not believe we are paying so much for foreign oil when there is enough oil in Alaska to keep us all fueled and going for the next 200 years!!!!!! what is wrong with our government!

well my friends since this post is jam packed and very very long i will leave you with a picture- which is what i am going to try to do every post because everyone loves pictures! :0)

check back on sunday for my package reveal!

here is a fun picture from my bachlorette party that i just came across- my maid of honor made up this game and it was hilarious! in the end it was erin's masterpiece that won! she knows her male organs!

the most wonderful woman in the world

2008-05-11T20:10:00.000-07:00

i wanted to write a post in honor of my mom. i have been wanting to do this for a while now to tell the blog world just how lucky i am to have such an awesome mom and well there is no time like the present- especially because it is mother's day!

i feel very lucky to have my mom- she has been there for me through good times and bad. she is the first person i go to when i have a problem, when i've had a bad day, or when i need advice. I have always been able to talk to my mom and i feel very lucky for that- i know a lot of people who don't have a strong bond with their mothers and i wish that they did because it truly is one of the most special and loving relationships i have ever had in my life.

here are a few of my favorite pictures of us

www.mthreestudio.com

www.mthreestudio.com

www.mthreestudio.com

and those are just a few of the pictures i love of my mom and i- trust me i have a lot more!

today hubby and i celebrated mother's day with my mom with a buffet of taco's and lots of laughter. my mom lives about 10 blocks away from me so i can see her whenever i want which i am very lucky and thankful for. i know a lot of you guys have parents that live pretty far away. i was so happy to be spending mother's day with my mom- there is just something about today that i love. i loved seeing my mom's face light up when we came to the door- taco's in hand and of course a gift for her ( i love spoiling my mom).

today made me think of the day that i will be a mom and how even more special mother's day will be. there are a lot of ladies on my blog roll that are mother's for the first time this mother's day or are expecting and also have a reason to celebrate this mother's day. i am so happy for all of you and can't wait to share this day with my kid's.

Happy Mother's Day to all the Mothers!

random monday facts

2008-05-05T12:29:00.001-07:00

okay guys so i know i have really been bad at updating lately- there is just not enough hours in the day and my finals have taken every last bit of time i have free- which is exhausting. however the end is near! i am almost done with my finals- after this week it's all easy stuff after this. here are a few highlights from my weekend and life in general

- i finished my paper of doom (aka my psychology paper)last night at about 10:30- now why do i call it my paper of doom you ask, well because it had to be 10 pages long with a minimum of 7 references. yea.... that is why i hate reference papers! so on saturday night i sat down with a 4 pack of monster energy drinks and wrote the first 8 pages- then last night only had 2 more to go- i ended up with 11 pages instead of 10! i guess i had more to say then i thought!

- darin and i danced in my college's spring dance performance this year both friday and saturday night. we coreographed a swing dance which was a huge hit! we got lots of applause and wonderful compliments after the show. it was amazing! i received 2 credits for taking the independant study and was very glad i did. next semester i am taking modern dance- which should be very interesting. i am so excited! i hope that after i am done next december i can concentrate more on my dancing and take some additional dance classes- does anyone have any suggestions of what kind of dance classes i should take or where i should take them? i would love your ideas!

- i am finally going back to eating meat- and not just chicken. i decided that it wasn't very healthy for me to not eat meat- i don't get a lot of protein without it and i was getting very, very tired of chicken. so this weekend i sank my teeth into a wonderful pepperoni pizza with the hubby. we always bicker about what to have on our pizza- i love just cheese and some veggies- but he loves meat- any kind and lots of it! so his mouth just about dropped open when i said "let's get a pepperoni pizza"- yea that made his day for sure :0)

- school is almost done- only 2 more weeks and i am RELIEVED i seriously am not sure how much more i can take with homework and classes- i really need a break bad. with all of this nice weather we have been having it's been extremely hard for me to kick my butt into gear and get things accomplished- that's why this weekend was such a accomplishment for me- i sat down, finished my paper and didn't cram it all in at the last minute- it was a really awesome thing!

- i am actually looking forward to working full time this summer- i want to be able to be debt free by the end of summer and it looks like we will be able to do it. i don't want to be buried under debt- especially for as long as we have been. debt is unavoidable- but i want good debt- a mortgage, car payment( my car is at 190,000 miles and it wont last forever!), kids- these are things i want so badly and if we can get rid of all of our unecessary debt we can finally move on to better things. we can save for having kids, and a down payment on a house and hopefully things that we have been dying to get for a long time!

- hubby and i each got 2 parking tickets in the last 2 days for forgetting to call in our cars on the street. our landlords are re-paving our driveway so we can't park there- you think we would have remembered to call them in after the first time, NOPE! well, there goes 80 dollars down the drain. don't we pay enough taxes that we should be able to park anywhere at anytime? street parking passes, liscense plate stickers, and anything to do with the dmv is such a money maker!

- i am about to do my first wedding with Molly on may 16th and i am sooo excited! i will be her personal assitant and the best part? i get to run around and see what she does, the ins and outs of wedding photography. what is also awesome is that the photographer and the photographers assistant are the ones that spend the most time with the bride and groom all day- so you really get to contribute in a special way to their big day, i can't wait!- oh and of course we sometimes get a piece of wedding cake- i love wedding cake!

well guys that's all i have for now- more to come later when the fog of school has lifted- i can't wait to catch everyone up on everythign and actually have time to do a full blog post!

happy monday!

Tagged

2008-04-28T18:58:00.000-07:00

Molly has tagged me with a new game! I have never done one of these- so why not? :0)

1. Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog.
2. Share 5 songs you are embarrassed to admit to others you like and tell why.
3. Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.
4. Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

So i really really love music- i wish this was a tag with the rules, what music you really really love and could sing it from the rooftops but it's not- so here are my songs that i am embarrassed to admit that i like

1.) Britney Spears- Piece of Me
I don't know if i could explain just how crazy i get when this song is on- but i do. I absolutely love the version with the random crazy fan in the background screaming "Leave Britney Alone!"- only played on Kiss Fm for all i can tell. When this song is played in the club it's over- let's just say that :0)

2.) Juvenile- Back That Ass Up
This song takes me back- to high school dances- lots of "cool" bump and grind moves you can do to this song guys! How dumb did i look getting "down" in my homecoming dress to the words "girl you look good, why don't you back that ass up?" ( sorry for making that sound so not the way it was supposed to!)

3.) Big and Rich- Save a Horse Ride a Cowboy
I remember doing a really bad line dance to this song for my RA conference my sophomore year of college. All of my fellow RA's complained how lame this song was- i completely agreed.... but secretly there was a little more yeee-haw in my step because i truly love this song :0)

4.) Coolio- Gangsta Paradise
Molly and i totally and completely share this obsession- i love this song and it is completely not played enough on the radio. Whenever it is played i turn it up- and have been known to hit my steering wheel and do a completely lame version of the finger point thing- yea i'm bad ass...

5.) Sisqo- Thong Song
Yep you heard it right- i love the thong song. There is just something about Sisqo that i heart- i couldn't tell you what it is but i love it :0) This song came out in 2000 and was right around the time i started going to dances my freshman year of high school. (See song #2 and you'll have the rest of the story)

Okay so now that you know all of my secret songs that i dance to like a crazy fool in my apartment i want to know yours-
I Tag....
Erin
Jessica
Julia
Erin
Sierra
Natasha

open your eyes....

2008-04-25T09:46:00.000-07:00

hi everyone- it has been a really long time since i have had time to post a real post- well not that long but it feels like forever!

i have been meaning to post this post for a while and i feel like today is the day. I woke up this morning to my alarm clock- as usual but not usual. I have it set to play music and i realized how fitting this song was for today's post- and honestly for a lot of posts i have written lately- especially my post a couple of days ago- which was extremely important for me to write- a lot to let go, a lot to let in- you can read that post if you'd like here

so the song was by snow patrol- i'll post the lyrics at the end of this post- they are beautiful and say a lot about what i'm going to say.

i have been following Julia's blog for a while now and she never ceases to amaze me- especially now. I can't do this story justice- Julia writes it a lot better- so please go over to her site and read about Keri.

Keri has come into my life- i don't know her but i feel as if i do. I have been following her story on Julia's blog as well as her own Journal that she has started- Keri's Journal-

The strength of Keri has amazed me- i can't imagine how hard it is to be diagnosed with Breast Cancer at the age of 26. She is one amazing and strong woman though and has made me realize how strength in time of heartache is the key. Keri is living each day- ready to kick this cancer right out of her- this strength that she has will bring her through this- i am in awe and i'm glad to have been able to follow this journey with her and Julia.

Keri will be going through a lot in the next couple of weeks- 8 rounds of chemotherapy, 6 weeks of daily radiation, multiple reconstructive surgeries, hormonal replacement therapy, and infertility treatments. Chemotherapy will throw Keri's body into menopause. Keri will have to have her eggs frozen so that she can have hope to have children in the future. This procedure will cost upwards of $10,000 dollars- and it is not covered by insurance.

If everyone who reads this donates to Keri's fund this unexpected financial burden could be lifted from her. Any amount helps- no amount is too small. I hope that everyone can help Keri- please think about donating, every dollar counts! Here is the donation information

Please make your donation check to:

Keri Wilkie Breast Cancer Medical Fund
P.O. Box 833
Emporia, KS 66801

I hope that everyone reads this and takes a minute to post something on their own blogs, journals, emails- anything! Spread this word about Keri's strength- she is so young to have this happen to her- but she faces it with a smile, and a positive attitude- we all can learn something from Keri, i know i have.

Please take a moment to link to these blogs- leave your comments, love and support- find it in your heart to donate if you can. Keri's story and donation information can also be found on Julia's blog post that i linked to above.

"Open Your Eyes"

All this feels strange and untrue
And I won't waste a minute without you
My bones ache, my skin feels cold
And I'm getting so tired and so old

The anger swells in my guts
And I won't feel these slices and cuts
I want so much to open your eyes
'Cause I need you to look into mine

Tell me that you'll open your eyes [x4]

Get up, get out, get away from these liars
'Cause they don't get your soul or your fire
Take my hand, knot your fingers through mine
And we'll walk from this dark room for the last time

Every minute from this minute now
We can do what we like anywhere
I want so much to open your eyes
'Cause I need you to look into mine

Tell me that you'll open your eyes [x8]

All this feels strange and untrue
And I won't waste a minute without you

i'm still here!!!

2008-04-23T06:08:00.000-07:00

i know it's been a while guys- school is making me crazy! i will write very soon- i have an important post i want to write and i don't want to rush it- it will be up by tonight. for now here are some random thoughts....

- the weather is freakin GORGEOUS- i don't know how much longer i will be able to be productive at anything unless it is outdoors

- school is kicking my ass- there are not enough hours in the day to be efficient and i hate that- i want to be reaching my full potential but with everything i have to do it is near impossible

- the little bit of time i have had lately to see friends has been amazing- i absolutely love my friends and am so lucky to have them

- life is sometimes unfair, but we are strong and life is worth living- this is what pulls us through- i have more on this but it will have to wait until tonight- i know how you guys love to wait lol :0)

- hard work does pay off- i believe everything i am doing now is for a reason- ask me an hour from now if i feel like that and you may get a different answer- but the real answer always is yes, it does pay off in the end

- there are 3 more weeks to freedom- the countdown has begun!

- after school is done i really want to concentrate on the things that matter most- my family, wonderful husband, friends, myself, and my blog- i never thought my blog could mean this much to me but it does- even now as i type i realize how great of an outlet it is- a connection to people that although i have never met i feel like i am close to- you guys rock!

- and finally my wonderful husband- he probably thinks he married a crazy woman- babe if you are reading this and putting out a search for your real wife i promise she is coming back soon! thank you for all the crap you have been putting up with- you are a doll and i love you :0)

well guys that's all i have for now- please check the blog again tomorrow for a new post!

here is a picture i found of myself last summer- i have a thing about ducks- i love them but i'm always afraid they are going to chase me and eventually catch up to me and bite me- but here i am brave as can be- there is a video that proceeds this that i will have to post soon- and it it hilarious

this is how we have fun....

2008-04-14T06:26:00.000-07:00

a video that we shot over the weekend of our cat dexter- remember the halloween kitty space suit? well we began talking about that space suit and how he didn't fit into it- so hubby made a song about him.... and his fatty ways

sorry it is sideways! still very worth watching
please don't call PETA :0)

happy monday!

an old worn shoe taught me a lot

2008-04-08T16:20:00.000-07:00

as i was looking down at my keys today i realized that i have A LOT of keychains- too many in fact- so many i feel that they were the reason for the replacement of my ignition a couple of months back. D is constantly telling me that i should think about retiring some of my keychains. so today i looked at them- all of them. from my "tofu fighting" keychain to my laser pointer keychain and finally to his keychain- this one could be taken off right? after all i've had it on my key ring for the past 4 years and it really is tattered, torn, and very worn out looking. then i realized why it was worn out looking- because i have taken this keychain with me everywhere for the past four years of my life- my college life to be exact. everything i have endured- good times, bad times, in-between times- through these past four years this tiny pink shoe has been there for. maybe this is why it looks so worn.

-i decided to make a list- you all know how i love lists! this list is a list of things i have gone through- things that have been tough, others that have been joyous and beautiful. there have been paths that were ended and new ones found. all throughout these four years i never realized just how much has happened to me. so here it is.

- i remember the first day i got this little pink shoe. it was my freshman year of college when i first started dancing. one of my closest friends cara gave this to me as a present for christmas. she told me she knew i loved the color pink and that she knew i loved to dance- and so did she, so naturally it was the perfect gift. i put that shoe on my key ring that very day and haven't taken it off once to this day.

- that same year i began swing dancing- it was a wonderful way to open up the real me. i was finally growing into my own- i was personable, outspoken, crazy, funny, and for the first time in my life i truly felt beautiful- all because of my dancing. i met a lot of wonderful people and finally felt like i had found my niche.

- freshman year was coming to a close, i applied to be an RA in my college dorms and was accepted- i couldn't believe how well things were going for me- my life seemed to be coming together just in the way i had imagined. i felt like college had taken me under it's wing and given me everything i ever wanted. i ended my freshman year with a 3.9 GPA, amazing new friends, and a boyfriend who was everything i ever wanted- i was sure that time was coming that he would propose- i felt like my life was all planned out- everything was set- there was a plan and all i needed to do was follow along.

- the summer before my sophomore year my boyfriend told me he was going to be studying abroad in China for a semester. I was upset but i understood- we had been far apart throughout our whole time in college- he was in New York, i was here in Wisconsin. We had always made it work- long distance is not easy, but somehow i knew it was for the best. he set off for China and i set off for college- my new RA job and a brand new year. the moment i stepped into my room new room i just knew things were going to be different this year and i was ready for anything life had to throw at me.

-my RA room sophomore year overlooked the woods to the back of Mount Mary College- the sun would rise and set and it was the most beautiful thing i have ever seen. Every morning i would wake up and feel the warmth of that sky- no matter if it was raining, snowing, sleeting or sunny- i could feel it. i went to bed underneath that sky every night- the sky felt like it went on forever outside my window- to me the sky meant possibility and growth- it truly was amazing. my RA job was going great- my residents loved me and i finally felt like i was playing a vital role in the lives of people- something i have wanted to do all my life.

- it was halfway into sophomore year that i realized your "plan" doesn't always go the way you think it will. in fact sometimes having a plan when your that young isn't always the smartest thing to do. my boyfriend called me from China and told me that he was going to be spending a year in China instead of a semester and that he wanted to take this time to be apart- it would be good for us he told me. i remember the silence that resided on both of our ends- i choked back tears of anger, sadness, guilt and denial. how could he do this? didn't he know we had a plan? i spent that day crying more then i ever have in my life- i never realized how much pain one person could feel all at once. my emotions over took me- i felt like nothing would ever make sense again. i think i stayed in my room for about a week- contemplating a way to get him back- i would do anything- even move to China- a story i laugh about now but was very real to me then.

- i needed a distraction- and that is exactly what i got. i tried to make new friends- which i did. i pushed away everyone i ever cared about up to that point- who needs them anyways? i didn't need any reminders of him- i needed to escape. i needed a new life, new identity, a new way of living- and that is exactly what i found. i turned into a college party fiend- every night that there was a party- i was there. there were many mornings spent praising the porcelain goddess back in my dorm room, hoping no one would notice i was hung over from some serious partying the night before. i didn't know it then but i do know now- that wasn't me- it wasn't who i really wanted to be, but it was who i needed to be- at that time, in that place. if i hadn't gone through that i wouldn't be where i am now- i firmly believe that a rocky road will always lead you to a better place- i was about to find that place.

- after much suffering in both my personal life as well as my academic life i decided i needed to change. i took my dancing back up again- i missed it so much. i can't tell you how good it felt to put on those shoes again for the first time- it was as if they were meant for me- the way they hugged my feet made me feel secure again- as if they were telling me "welcome back, we knew you'd come around" this is when i met D- i had known him before this time but it felt so brand new to me. it was a clean slate and i welcomed him aboard- for better or worse. i warned him him not to get close- "it's too soon, i'm no good for you" type of warning- but as you all know he didn't listen.

- a month after we began dating i moved out of the dorms. my heart just wasn't in it anymore- i had lost the trust of a lot of people and i wanted to regain myself before i attempted to be there for anyone else. it was one of the hardest moves i have ever had to make- i would miss all of my friends- the people i had known for so long. D asked me to move in with him- i was unsure at first- i had never lived with a boyfriend before- putting all of our stuff together just seemed so permanent- what if things went wrong again? what if this plan also failed? i made a leap of faith however, which i am feel i do often- which is sometimes good, and sometimes bad- but it turned out to be one of the best leaps i ever made!

www.mthreestudio.com

-fast forward 3 months- D proposed to me on November 19th 2005! I was on the moon, head over heals in love! it couldn't have been a better time, we were planning our wedding in no time- well ok we were kind of lazy about the whole planning thing in the beginning- but we finally set a date- August 11th, 2007. shortly after that we moved to milwaukee, D got a new job as a car salesman and i got a job as a medical biller. we were in love and finally moving into our first apartment together- it was small, money was tight, but we made it happen. we were saving, saving, saving for the wedding of our dreams!

www.mthreestudio.com

- finally, our day was here! we were so in love that day- i am so glad i got the whole thing on video because otherwise i would have missed a lot! i love this picture. it is one of the ones i have not yet shared on my blog- so i thought i would show you guys how much fun we had with the timeless and classic garter toss.the moment i walked down the isle and saw D's face i realized all along he was the man i was supposed to spend the rest of my life with. i truly believe in soul mates- there is that one person out there for everyone- at that moment i felt like i had found mine- that this was real, it was all coming true. it was the best moment of my life- the wedding of course- not just the garter toss :0)

i realized today that this shoe has been through a lot. a few posts back i wrote about how i do all of my best thinking in the car- all of my thoughts, feelings, emotions are embedded into that car! whoever gets it next better take care of it- it has put up with me since i was 15! kind of like the little pink shoe on my key chain. i never realized until today just how much that charm means to me. it may look ratted and torn- worn out and lifeless. sure the color may be faded and the rubber on the bottom smooth from me nervously rubbing it- but that's what makes it so great!!!! it carries my memories, the good and the bad, my roller coaster of a life- all wrapped up in a tiny pink shoe. i promised myself today that i would never get rid of that pink shoe- it will stay with me forever, and even when it can no longer reside on my key chain because the leather is so worn and it finally gives way- it will still be with me- maybe not on my key chain but in my mind.

i hope that all of you have something like this- something that you have taken with you through the years, something that has grown with you, been there for it all. if you have it tucked away take it out- think about where it has been, where you have been, and where you are now. small things do really bring great things- this shoe has taught me a lot.

sorry for the abscence

2008-04-08T10:12:00.000-07:00

sorry everyone i will be on later to write a long post- lots of things on my mind lately- good things in fact so i will post all about it soon!

hope all is well with everyone! i have been commenting on all of your blogs- but am a bad blogger- school has gotten the best of me!

i have a 10 page paper looming- it truly is the paper of doom

check back for more tomorrow!

the first day back and i am the chicken....

2008-03-31T20:18:00.000-07:00

so today was a little hectic.... okay a lot of hectic! it seemed liked i had absolutely no time to breath- no time to do anything for that matter! the day went by quickly though which was nice because seeing as it was the first day back in classes i had no desire to be there- does anyone really want to go back after a nice relaxing break?

if you are rational the answer is no...... :0)

so i started the day off late- D wakes up for work at about 7:45 because he works at 8:30- i asked him to kindly wake me up at 8:10 but that didn't happen- and why didn't it happen? because my hubby is a freak of nature- he truly spends longer in the shower than i do- at least 30 minutes if not more.... i'm totally serious- it's completely alien to me- what guy spends 30 or more minutes in the shower? so this is why i got woken up at 8:29 instead of 8:10- that would normally be fine except for the fact i have class at 9:00 on Mon and Wed.

so i jumped out of bed... skipped the nice relaxing hot shower and jumped in my car making it to school with plenty of time to spare!!!!!

that is what i SHOULD have done, and in a perfect world i probably would have....

instead i decided to lay in bed another 10 minutes- then if that weren't bad enough i decided i absolutely needed a shower- it would relax me for my first day- and after all the shower is truly what was going to make or break my day so i went for it. i rolled into class at promptly 9:25- fashionably late right?

hmmmmmm wrong...... i didn't realize we had all of our samples for our dye unit due on wednesday.... this wednesday..... so i ran around the room like a chicken with my head caught off- until my good friend erin told me that i needed to relax- which is very true- getting all high strung and crazy over some dumb fabric really isn't worth it- a good friend always knows when to tell you to chill out- and i definately needed to chill

so then i went to the cafeteria- hubby had called so i called him back- and what a sweetheart, he called just to see how my first day back was going- these are the little things that make my husband so great- hearing his voice instantly put me in a much, much, better state of mind- i grabbed a tasty lunch of salad and a awesome veggie wrap and went to my next class- history of psych, which i was completely and totally prepared for :0) at least that's what i thought....

i took a quick peak at the syllabus and realized that i have a rough draft of my 10 page paper due next week... which i haven't even started- nor do i have all of my resources yet. why do i procrastinate? the least i could do is have my resources ya know? so now i will be spending a good majority of my weekend writing my paper- or at least a couple of pages to show her i have something- i am lucky because my teacher is pretty cool- she allowed me to hand in my outline later because i was having computer troubles- which really saved me because she is grading the paper as we go along- meaning the topic we handed in is worth 5 points, the outline is worth another 10- so if you don't hand something in along the way those points are automatically deducted from the final grade- i was totally thankful- how often is it that you get a professor that is understanding? not often at my school so i was pretty happy.

after that class i went to my art therapy internship class- and realized i had to present today- and i had not read. i didn't intentionally forget that i had to present the chapter i just forgot due to my fantastically lazy spring break. so i completely faked it.... and it worked! i don't like to do that- especially when i am going to present- i may not read everything that is assigned in my classes but if i am going to present i make it a point to read- especially because i feel like i presenting the material which is very important to not only my learning but the other students in my class. but all was well- no major slip-ups and i came out of it looking prepared which was a good thing.

so then it was time for work.... this is the only thing i have to say about that...

yea..... i hate websense..... i feel like they should change the name to web-no-sense.... okay my jokes are lame, but i am serious people! every time i try to access a site it is blocked by websense..... why? does work really need to suck the life and the fun we are supposed to have in this life out of everything???!?!?!?!

the answer is yes..... i know this but i still love to complain....

well hubby has made dinner and here i sit on my blog so i should go eat with him- is it just me or do you guys get entirely too wrapped up in your blogs as well? sometimes i don't even realize how long i've been on here!

maybe i'll just send him this card......

except i do have a blog.... and i do write pleasant things- so you see this card is 100% true! absolutely the right card for hubby :0)

doomsday

2008-03-31T06:17:00.000-07:00

today is my first day back to school after a long relaxing vacation.... more to come after a looooong day of running around with my head cut off.

this is how i feel....

happy monday!

it's a white, white, world!!!!!

2008-03-22T06:12:00.001-07:00

okay so the title of my post was inspired by an elderly woman i do activities with at the group home i work at. every time it snows this is what she says.....all day.....every day- until it melts. "It's a white, white, world!!!!" she says it with a tone of conviction and anger- i'm guessing winter is not her favorite season...

well, i can't help but agree with her. i've had enough- thursday was the first day of spring- is it just me or did everyone picture the signs of spring just a tad different as well? here is my idea of spring.....

generic i know but you guys get the picture. i decided that i needed a definite comparison- what spring is supposed to be vs. what we are actually experiencing....

i think there is a definite difference. don't get me wrong- i love these pictures- snow has a very romantic quality.....but so does the smell of fresh cut grass, beautiful flowers,the smell of the grill cooking my favorite summertime foods, the humongous olympic size pool i have in my backyard that i will spend my whole summer vacation chillaxing in...... okay so maybe the pool part won't happen and the whole chillaxing part, well for that to happen i would need to be having a summer vacation- but smelling the fresh cut grass? i'm all over it!

so as we are all digging ourselves out today let's put ourselves in that place- that place of true springtime activities- there is a lot of snow outside so i'm guessing i'll be able to be in my springtime fantasy place for a loooooong time today...

good luck guys- be careful of those snow drifts! :0)

how my paper is going and other finely crafted things....

2008-03-18T16:34:00.000-07:00

so i decided today that i am not a very good at getting right down to it when it comes to my homework. this weekend i was going to be dedicated to getting all of my work done- instead i did a number of things.... not one of them entitled "my environmental sciences paper on cloned food" instead i will share with you what i did do- with some pictures of course :0)

1. i drank beer with my bff- neither one of us intended to drink beer before we finished our homework but then again i don't believe we intended to do our homework either. any way you slice it we had a blast! here is a pic of us and one of our favorite beers- why is it our favorite you ask? because it is cheap and it is not as bad as miller light and it is like frosty gold compared to milwaukees best... then again what isn't? we did however get a little bit of progress done on my paper- erin and i wrote the first paragraph on cocktail napkins- it was completely genius- it flowed just right and was directly related to cloned food- which was a good start. i wanted to use the word unfounded after every sentence- erin vetoed that idea and i can't say i blame her..... unfounded.... yea i said it!

this picture was taken while painting erin's house on halloween- this was not a pbr but it was a sierra nevada- which is also very very good- even better than pbr

2. we ate truffles from whole foods- now i was skeptical but once i tried them i realized they were melt in your mouth delicious!!!! it was seriously the best truffle i have ever had....EVER! they were from whole foods and were made by one of their popular brands 365- it was the best time i have ever had with a truffle :0)

3. we decided truffles were not enough and we needed gelato- from whole foods of course :0) after driving the gelato man crazy and wasting his time we finally decided on a flavor- pomegranate for me and strawberry lemonade for erin- the results were delicious- we expected no less...

4. then we decided to come home and finally work on our respective projects- however we first had to make some important stops on the internet- just for good measure.

5. after that it was 12pm- time for me to go home- it had been a fun day but now it was time to get serious- so first thing sunday at 2pm i got serious.... sort of.... about another project that is

behold my glorious project for 3D design!

so the weekend was not a waste- i finally was able to relax- laugh about everything and anything and really feel like a whole person (which has nothing to do with going to "whole" foods- although it is a funny joke!.... right?) i got to be myself and really enjoy life instead of stressing about everything from school, to work, to bills, and everything in between. i really feel like this weekend was therapeutic- and after tomorrow i have a whole week and half off for spring break- oh how glorious!!! i can't wait!

which means my blogger friends that i will be out and about- and sharing more wonderful tales with you on a more frequent basis!

happy tuesday- i believe american idol is on tonight- no matter how dorky it may be i am kind of addicted- i wonder if there is a club t-shirt? :0)

shoud i stay or should i go now.....

2008-03-12T18:48:00.000-07:00

so i am having a little bit of a dilemma and i was thinking maybe, just maybe my wonderful blog readers would have an idea as to what i should do about his dilemma- it is small but it is important.

should hubby and i take a road trip for our one- year anniversary of being married?

i know that this may sound like an easy question but really it isn't for many reasons. i decided to make a list- well because i love lists and possibly it will be easier to understand for you then me babbling on and on and on and on..... okay here goes

PROS OF TAKING A ROAD TRIP
1. We desperately need a trip- things have been waaaaaay too hectic in our lives this year and we really haven't been able to spend uninterrupted quality time together as much as we would like. i believe this trip would definately do our relationship some good and give us the time together that we need and deserve

2. We would probably have the money for it- i assume that after renting a car (which hubby found out would be about $220 dollars for unlimited miles for one week), getting a hotel room (which my mom and aunt said they may be able to pay for as a present for my b-day which is in july), food, gas (which they say should be about $3.50 cents or more by summer)and miscellaneous expenses that may arise we are looking about between $600 and $800 dollars for this trip- realistically speaking. We could swing it only because d and i will be working full time this summer.

3. We vowed when we got married that we would take a trip every summer because traveling and spending at least one week a year- COMPLETELY ALONE- was very important to us.

4. We will someday in the near future start trying to have kids- i don't want to pass these opportunities to travel up now because we may not get them again for awhile.

CONS OF TAKING A ROAD TRIP
1. We will have the money but should we really spend it on a road trip? We do have other bills to pay- is it irresponsible to take a trip when we have other obligations? I think that we may be able to do both- pay off all our outstanding debt as well as take a trip- but what if we can't? should we still take the trip?

2. I would have to take a week off from both of my jobs- i don't have PTO or vacation pay so i would be loosing a weeks pay. D has vacation time so that should be fine.

3. D is going to be having his plumbing apprenticeship interview on April 14th (which we are very excited about!) after that interview he gets placed on the May list and then is taken off the list and put in a apprenticeship based on his interview and test scores ( his test scores not only met the standards but exceeded them by a very very large margin) so my question is- what if he doesn't have to wait long for an apprenticeship? what if he gets called sometimes this summer- will his new job let him have a week long vacation? i guess it won't be too bad if we had to cancel because we would just be renting a car- so we could cancel that and cancel the hotel- but if there were penalties that would suck! D seems to think that if he is upfront with his employer right away he will be able to still take the week off- i am not so sure- but that could just be me being pessimistic- "Hi my name is Negative Nancy!"

So those are my pros/cons- i'm not really sure what to do! part of me wants to be responsible and not take a trip but most of me wants to say screw it and take the trip.

Also if we do go on a trip- where should we go? again because i love lists and pictures to brighten my blog i have decided to show you lovely blog readers some of the places D and i are contemplating road tripping to.....

1. The Beautiful South Dakota- i have never been but D has and he says it is absolutely gorgeous!

2. Maine- i have always wanted to go to Maine- ever since i was little- i even wanted to live there for a while before i decided to go to College ( which i never regretted!)

3. San Fransisco and or Napa Valley- D and i considered going here for our honeymoon but decided on Vegas instead. We absolutely love wine, good food, and beautiful sites- so i believe this could be a great option- but also very expensive.

4. Boston- D really wanted to go to Boston i'm not sure if i'm sold but it does sound really beautiful.

So those are the places we have been pondering over- we haven't checked out any prices yet as far as activities in those areas, hotels or bed and breakfasts- so i'm not sure which is the most cost efficient- if any of them are at all.

If anyone has any suggestions i am definately open to them! Places to go, how to go on a road trip with a tight budget, and of course whether or not we should even take a road trip- i love honest opinions and i know all of my blog readers will be honest with me- i can take it!

well hubby just got home and is anxiously awaiting for me to get off my blog and watch the new season of Top Chef with him- i have to say the competition looks fierce this year.... i can't wait to see it- now every time D and i go to a restaurant we are so critical of the food- just call us wanabe Tom Colicchio's!

a picture to brighten up this place

2008-03-11T14:45:00.000-07:00

so i know i am slacking a little but i felt like my blog needed a fabulous picture to brighten it up a little while i am running around tonight making healthy pasta for old people.... i know that doesn't make sense but it would if you had my job :0)

this picture reminds me of summer, why? because the fourth of july is by far one of my favorite holidays! For the past 6 or 7 years of my life my friends from high school and I have gathered on the 50 yard line of our high school football field to watch the fireworks. it is a beautiful thing for many reasons- mostly for me it's brings us all together- no matter where we are in our lives- this brings us together. it's amazing to see how we have all changed and at the same time remained the same in each others eyes.

i promise to write again later- right now the grocery store is calling my name!

miscellaneous change

2008-03-06T13:55:00.000-08:00

so i realized today as i was cleaning our extremely messy one bedroom apartment which looks more like a studio when it is at it's worst. you guys know what i mean- one little pile of "stuff" makes your apartment look like a tornado hit it! so i decided today was the day- i was going to take my day off and clean the apartment- after some well deserved internet surfing and chick flick movie watching of course :0)

i realized from cleaning the house that not only do you find things that you wanted a loooooong time ago but could never find but also things that you never knew you had- like a brand new toaster- apparently a wedding gift D and i never knew we had received- how lame is that- i really really hope i sent out a thankyou note on that toaster...

another thing i also found was A LOT of change! i mean there was nickels, dimes, pennies, even quarters absolutely everywhere! D and i must have found at least 50 dollars worth of change! i felt like i was on the hunt for gold! naturally after finding so much change we decided to check the car for change and one thing led to another and we become billionaires...... you don't believe that do you? didn't think so.... but we definately came out of this "hunt" with a little extra cash- more cash then we had when we woke up! so i guess the moral of this post is every time you clean your house- also clean your change- not literally but you get the picture! just from looking in the car and in the house we filled 1/2 of a jar! that to me is amazing- all that change just lying around! i think that this jar will be our official change jar- what will we save for? oh i don't know.... the possibilities are endless- and since i like to make lists and fantasize about someday having enough money to make these things happen i will share my list with you fine people :0)

1. a house- something old with a lot of character and history- beautiful natural wood and two stories- a nice finished basement and possibly a nice attic that could be renovated into a master bedroom :0) and of course a hot tub ( a little bit of a stretch huh?)

2. kids- D and i have been talking about his more and more lately- we agree that right now wouldn't be the best time- we are thinking of sometime in the near future though so it is definately something i would like to save for. i know my mom struggled with money when i was younger and i want to be able to provide for our kids what they need- i don't necessarily want to spoil them but every once in a while couldn't hurt :0)

3. a trip to Peru- D and i also talked about this- we LOVE to travel! the first year we were together we saved every bit of money we had- and i mean EVERY BIT of money we made- D's tips from bartending, my measly salary at school and anything else we could scrape together! we took that money- which we also kept in the same jar we are using now for our change (good luck? i hope so!) and hit the road to Florida! i had never been there and it was an amazing trip- one of the best we've ever taken- memorable and absolutely breathtaking- the scenery was gorgeous and my trip mate wasn't bad either :0). wherever we end up going on vacation i know it will be fabulous- our 1 year anniversary is coming up august 11th- i hope this jar gets us to somewhere romantic and warm!

4. a new car- now this one as you will notice is lower on my list- because well i don't really care about what i drive. however i do know that i will need a dependable vehicle not only now for work and school but also for when we have kids. i don't need anything flashy- just something that will get me here and there and will last us for quite a while!

5. new furniture- living room, dining room, kitchen, bedroom- again these things are lower because they are more indulgent, guilty pleasures. D and i love furniture- he loves the classics- post century modern all the way- i love funky furniture- my favorite store to browse? IKEA- definately IKEA! who knows? maybe our jar of change will get us that awesome new couch we've been eying up :0)

and more practically.....

6. new clothes for both D and I- we desperately need to update our dress- i have had a lot of the things i wear for work for faaaaar too long- D too. i really like the styles they have right now at target- and yes target is the kiss of death, especially to your paycheck and or pocket book- but i still am forever in love with that store- they have everything i need!

so that is my list- not a big one (well at least not toooo big right?) but it definately is a list! i can't wait to start making a little more money so we can finally start ourselves on the right track! D and i talked about today how we could save money- we accomplished the jar idea but what else is there? here is my challenge for my fellow blog readers- i love love love your comments- they are always insightful and heartfelt- this is why i turn to you for this :0)If you could answer this question it would definately bring more insight to not only me but also to all the other readers- i think we could also use a few savings tips and i look forward to hearing what you have to say!

HOW DO YOU SAVE MONEY? WHAT WORKS, WHAT DOESN'T?

well girls- speaking of money i have to hit the road- off to work :0) didn't i say this was my day off? well my semi- day off - no day is really complete until i have made at least one trip to either one or both of my jobs!

happy thursday! :0)

sunday sunday

2008-03-02T14:36:00.001-08:00

so today is sunday and because of it being sunday i feel the need to blog- well i feel the need to blog everyday but that doesn't always happen! blogging truly is something i enjoy- every single day i have something i could blog about- but something else always gets my attention.... like this for example

what is this you may ask my friends? well it truly is the best mexican soda in the WORLD! okay so i know what everyone is probably thinking- " you just blogged about soda Harmony! blog about something new, exciting, and fresh!" well to tell you the truth it doesn't get much more "fresh" then this soda! D and i went out on friday night after we did our Swing Dancing Lessons at Carroll College (shameless plug to sell our talents to follow in later posts). there aren't too many places to go out that late at night in Waukesha so we did our best- and found a very cute, very tasty mexican restaurant called "The Ranch". now i'm not sure if this is the actual name or a nickname the "cool kids" of Waukesha made up but it's good enough for me! The food is tasty and this Senorial Sangria Soda just made my night! I usually would never cheat on my all time favorite soda- Jarritos... but i just had to

drinking Senorial Sangria Soda is like drinking real Sangria- minus the alcohol- which was fine with me seeing as i was just sweating like a complete pig while shaking my groove thing :0)

well guys it's time for dinner with the in-laws....in racine....at 5pm- hmmmm it's 4:50 right now? yea that's how we roll- late as always :0) it really is a horrible habit to be late- sometimes it's fashionable, sometimes it's just ridiculous- i think D and i walk that fine line!

i will blog more later because there is much to blog about- this weekend was chalk full of awesome activities, good friends, good food, good drinks and a lot of bad 80's music along with some dancing :0)

you will all have to be in suspense :0)more to come!

the first step is to admit

2008-02-27T18:35:00.001-08:00

so i have been thinking lately about an addiction that i have- one that probably many of us share- not just in the blogging community but probably throughout the world- yes this addiction is that big! to accurately depict my addiction i will give you none other than an ecard, why? because they are so damn funny and say exactly what i need to say....

yep it's true guys i have a facebook addiction. my dear husband and i have the below conversation weekly, if not daily- why? because i am obsessed...

me: did you get my facebook message?

d: no, didn't go on facebook today- why what did it say?

me: that's the whole point of going on facebook! if your not going to check your wall then i'm not going to write on it and i'm sure as hell not going to tell you what i wrote! And what's with your profile pic? i mean seriously babe it's time to change that picture!

d: uh huh..... have you ever learned about the signs of addiction?

me: your point?

yea so that is the convo very regularly around the dubinsky household- i love facebook- i can't go a day without checking it at least 2 times! i will even get up early to check it- if i work at 6am i get up a couple minutes early just to check my facebook. is that so wrong? all of my friends are up there- their info, what's going on ie status, pics, fluff friends, and of course happy hour- now i know they aren't real drinks but isn't it awesome to get a drink from a friend?

yea i need help..... but in all honesty facebook is a very useful tool. i not only use it to see what's going on with all my friends but i also use it for school. now your probably all thinking- "school? what is she smoking!" but i'm serious! if i need to get a hold of one of my classmates i know i can get a hold of them quicker on facebook- if i need someones phonenumber? facebook! it all leads back to facebook!!!

so i invite you all of my wonderful blog readers to join facebook if you have not already- and if you have please do not hesitate to look me up- i am always looking for new facebook friends :0)

tonight is soup night- d and i looooooove potato dumpling soup- after our hectic, crazy, stressful week we definately need a soup night. and because i love to punish myself i will be making it from scratch- real potatoes, real dumplings- the whole nine yards! i think i might even post that recipe because it is just sooooo good. and if i am not in a soup induced coma by tomorrow i will be back to blog more :0)

sometimes blogger fails me

2008-02-25T20:47:00.003-08:00

sorry about the previous post guys! it has some kinks and some weird html crap but you can still see the pics- that is what matters :0)

random monday

2008-02-25T20:20:00.000-08:00

hello all! sorry i have been a little absent- it was quite the weekend and it turned out to be quite the monday! lots of things due in my history of psych class and definitely not enough time to get them all done! so today will be kind of a random list.... tomorrow there will be more coherent things posted.....probably :0)

i went out this weekend to rascals for happy hour- $1 dollars taps from 3-9pm....yeah lets just say my night ended early- like 9:00 early but all in all it was very fun and we had a great time :0)

D and i have been practicing our swing dancing for our upcoming lesson at Carroll College this Friday- we are so psyched! this swing semester will be awesome! teaching is definitely a passion for us- and how couldn't it be when that is how we met and fell in love? :0)

i have two papers due by the middle of the semester (which is scarily right around the corner!) one is 5 pages long on cloned food (for my environmental science class) and one is for my history of psych class- 10 pages on Freud- :0( that is one long paper. these are the times i am glad i am good at bs :0)

in about another 4 months D and i should be almost completely paid up with our bills- that my friends is the best feeling in the world! after that we can move on to more important things in life- a house, kids, and of course just enjoying each other- not like we don't do that everyday <3 onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1-ofKm8UFD0/R8OWJheEkiI/AAAAAAAAAC0/mxaPLDaYIp4/s1600-h/P1010969.JPG">this is me and hubby's unbelievably talented and slightly big boned kitty dexter dressed up in a space suit- yea he was mad :0)

i love this picture- i really think it captures dexter's love for the costume- peta doesn't have this blog site do they?

this is dexter trying oh so desperately to escape this suit- doesn't he just look defeated?

this is how wonderful my husband is- he got us into the penguin exhibit at the zoo so i could pet the penguins! this is what he likes to call my duck face- why duck face i have no idea- don't i look awesome with penguins?

enjoying myself in all that is penguin :0)

my fabulous dance moves julia! :0) what were we doing?
photo- www.mthreestudio.com

and finally my one and only shot of the night- this is the face i make- very elegant! :0)www.mthreestudio.com
happy monday everyone! <3

this morning in my car.....

2008-02-21T08:27:00.000-08:00

so i realize that this may be a strange title for my post but my car really did get me thinking today. allow me to explain- i spend a lot of time in my car- and i mean a lot! i probably get in and out of my car about 10 or more times per day- i am always running- work, school, work, back to school, home, the store, or just daily errands. this is very taxing but you know what? i wouldn't trade it for anything, why? because the time that i am in my car helps me get two things:

1. time for myself
2. time to reflect

both of these things are very important- not only for me but for all of us. i really feel like i do my best thinking in my car. i enjoy getting in my car and running my errands because i know it's just me, my radio, and the open road. in my car really i am limitless- it can take me anywhere i need or want to go.

this morning i was in my car- thinking about those events i had spoken of in earlier posts (which i may or may not blog about later- we'll see how today goes!) and i realized something- i have spent far to much time dwelling on these events- life throws you curve balls and that is okay- in fact it is what makes us all stronger. i don't like to be tested- but sometimes it is necessary- and i truly feel that we will be in a better place because of all of this- maybe not today, maybe not even this month- but soon.

i just wanted to write this post in a way to remind myself- good things are ahead. i feel better everyday- this month has been hell! but then again i think that maybe i don't know what hell truly is- i don't have it that bad and i don't like to act like i do. everyone gets down on their luck- what i love most about blogging is that i can post and people reach out to me when i need it the most- no matter how silly or serious the posts- you are all there- i couldn't ask for more. what i love even more is that i am able to read all of your blogs and be there for you- that is something that is most important to me. :0)

so after this post i am thinking things will start to be a lot brighter around here at my blog. new things are coming- i could just tell how the world was brighter today- i try to look at like as if there is always something to look forward to- when i come home at the end of the day i know this is true- i have a husband who loves me more than anything in the world- and i love him just as much- we share everything together and i love that. i have a family who is always there for me- through it all- and friends that do the same- more than they know! and last but not least i have this blog- which has helped me write all this down and have a feeling of relief and connectedness to others- which is so important.

i will leave you with this picture- that i feel is very fitting- darin and i took a road trip to florida two years ago- we didn't have any money, but we did with what we had- and it was the most amazing time either of us have ever had- well maybe besides our wedding day and honeymoon :0)

happy thursday everyone!

hello mr postman, do you have my refund?

2008-02-19T14:15:00.000-08:00

okay so this refund check thing with my college has really been wearing thin on my list of "things i absolutely cannot stand" one of them being not getting my refund check in a timely manner which i haven't since i started that school 4 years ago.....whoooo deep breath!

so after going into my school, complaining about said refund check for about 20 minutes to a lady who could care less, calling the school to complain again when i realized said check was still not in my mailbox, and finally ripping the head off a banana (totally accidental but hilarious- kind of like broke college student meets the invisible hulk) i was done- i decided to call the school yet again yesterday before i went to work. i proceeded to tell her i needed this refund check, where was it, and when will i get my money? then she proceeded to tell me in a snotty tone that yesterday was presidents day and that no mail was being delivered.....

idiot party of one?

i felt like a fool- today when i went to my mailbox there was said check and i jumped for joy- my heart was lighter and there was a silver lining to those bill-filled clouds! so now i can finally pay more money to david's bridal- my fiercest creditor and actually my best friend- they call every day! :0)

so now that is done- and the burden is just a little lighter and i will take whatever i can get right now! so now we just wait for our refund checks- we are very excited about those- that means even more bills getting paid off and more money to actually buy what we need- food, gas, and other miscellaneous treasures :0)

otherwise today was like any other tuesday- not too much exciting going on. i worked this morning at 6am and believe me it was tough to wake up! cold+early morning+ice on my window+medical billing= sucktastic- is that a word? blogger tells me no but i'll use it anyways

well i am off to make my apple strudel with my group of residents at the group home. i have created a cooking night every tuesday night which they all really look forward to. tonight is the night i have the most participation and the highest interest of any activities- well besides sit and be fit of course- that's on channel 10 just in case anyone was wondering :0) i am a faithful watcher of this show on the weekends- in fact i even join in with the res once in a while :0)

more tomorrow as the week progresses- after this week is over i feel i will be a lot more centered, and a lot less stressed for a change! t-minus 5 days and counting!

my balloon mobile

2008-02-17T16:35:00.000-08:00

so i have to say that after my last post i was feeling pretty down. I went to work on Valentines Day and was pretty sure that my day was in no way going to get any better. well i was wrong- i never took into account that i have the best husband in the world- and yes that is the whole world :0)

he made me heart shaped chocolate chip cookies- totally romantic and cute! he tried to use cookie cutters but they didn't work- so he formed them in to hearts by hand! i was floored- they were perfect hearts! he did an awesome job!

but that is not all i received!

he made me a huge valentines display on the ceiling of our bedroom- red balloons and pink streamers (see pic at bottom of post!)- so that before i go to bed at night i can think of him, and the moment i wake up i can think of him- it was totally sweet and just what i needed to feel better. he also got me a box of chocolates and a beautiful card(yet again another pic :0) that was so sweet. i really realized more then ever how lucky i am. not because my husband gives me things on valentines day- but because he is kind, compassionate, caring and wonderful every single day of the year- i just don't always see it because i'm too busy being stressed- which definitely has to stop.

i feel like i am devoting entirely too much time to being stressed out. i feel like i need to spend more time for myself- being happy about what IS going right in our lives. i spend waaaaay to much time being down- and i hate being a debbie downer- it's just not who i like to be- for myself, other people, or my awesome husband.

i really am hoping that this week will be different- i am going to go into it very positively- open mind, open heart, open eyes- i can only take one day at a time and life may not always be fantastic or go the way i plan but it really is beautiful and gives us amazing opportunities otherwise gone ungiven- does that make sense? i hope so!

well loyal blog readers this post is going to be a little short- i have a lot of psych reading and i hope before i fall asleep i can spend some quality time with the hubby cuddling and watching a movie- i have been promising him we would do this all week- i hope to keep my promise!

but before i go- did anyone drive last night in that horrible ice storm? unbelievable! D and i saw 15 accidents between racine and milwaukee- we couldn't believe it! some cars were even turned over- completely on the hood of their car! i don't think we saw so many squad cars in one night- ever! i hope all of you are safe and sound- drive carefully!!!! i can feel spring- i really can- it just has to be right around the corner! we need it!

have a happy monday everyone! more to come to you later :0) i will leave you with some pictures from our valentines day festivities :0)
my balloon mobile!

my beautiful card <3

me and d at benihana! <3

Dear Mr Valentine, Please Bring Me Some Good News

2008-02-14T14:15:00.000-08:00

so this Valentines Day has not been like most- in fact i'm not really much in the Valentines Day mood. I don't say this to sound like a debbie downer- in fact i don't want to be- not at all. I love Valentines Day- i love the little conversation hearts that i eat waaaaaaaaaaay to many of, i love the fact i don't need an excuse to eat a ton of chocolate, and most of all i love being with hubby because i feel that without him days like this would mean nothing- no day in my life would be the same without him.

i just wish that things would start going our way- i mean, we have had A LOT of bad news in the past couple of days- things i cannot blog about now probably will when it is all said and done. i want to feel like our life is going forward- i hate the phrase " one step forward, two steps back"- why is that fair? sometimes i just don't get how life works- or how the things that happen to us could possibly happen- isn't their a limit as to how much two people can handle and take on?

well i am trying my best to put myself in good spirits- tonight D and i are going out to Benihana's- I LOVE BENIHANA'S!!!! We are actually celebrating our 6 month anniversary- we have been married 6 months! can you believe that? i can't - it seriously feels like i just walked down the aisle a month ago! i look overall at my life and realize that even though i probably don't have everything i have always wanted (who does) does not mean that hubby and i won't get there- we will build a great life together- we have already started! i look at our small apartment, ever mounting pile of bills, and of course our hectic work schedules and i realize that it won't be like this forever- something is bound to change. If there is a Valentine Fairy could you just do one thing for me? Bring us some luck- some positive change,- show us a sign in the right direction, please? this is really all i can ask for- and i sometimes even feel selfish asking for things- but i feel like what we need right now more than anything is support- support to get through all of this crap so we can move on to better things. i know it will happen somedays i just get really tired of sitting and waiting, ya know?

well girls i am off to work- then off for some fabulous hibachi- leave me kind words- D and i could both use them right about now!

Have a wonderful Valentines Day with your significant others- i leave you with a picture of me and my love- i encourage you all to do the same- look at the happy times because life can't always be what you want it to be- it is important to remember what brought you here and what will bring you through- trust me it helps! :0)
photo by www.mthreestudio.com

oh cricket cola, how i adore you....

2008-02-09T14:18:00.000-08:00

okay so cricket cola will not be my only focus of this post- but let me get it out of the way because well i can't stop thinking about how good it is. for those of you who don't know what cricket cola is- it is a cola that is infused with green tea- full of sugar? yes. bad for you? probably. damn good? hell yes!!!!! it is probably my favorite soft drink- here is a picture of my love....i mean my favorite beverage- yea my beverage.....

okay so that picture kind of made the post huge- but it had to be glorified :0) i have only been able to find it at Potbelly's sandwich shop- any ideas of where to get it? let me know! i love it- soooo good :0)

anyways not too much new- last night hubby and i went to botanas- a really cute mexican restaurant down on 5th and national- the food was awesome! very authentic and tasty :0)

tonight is our friend rachel's b-day so we are going out to club anything for some cheap beer and dancing- it should be a fabulous time!

other than that my life is semi-boring right now. it seems like all i do is school and work, school and work- no time for anything else. it really is sad but it won't be like this forever. hopefully a new job is on the horizon for hubby in the upcoming weeks so keep your fingers crossed for us! we really need to start banking some cash- we have a lot of bills and no way to pay them! we keep looking at this gorgeous house that is right near our apartment- i love this house!!!! it really is everything we want- but alas now is not the time- soon but not now. our goal is to be debt free by the end of summer- i know we can do it- D will be working a better job, i will have two jobs- so that is double the income- i really hope we can put all this debt nightmare behind us and move on! i can't wait! i have houses on the brain, i would really like children in the near future- all of these things unfortunately require money- but hubby and i don't like to dwell on money- we wish we had more but wishing doesn't make it so- and some day the luck will turn in our favor, i just know it.

so while i anxiously await the return of my husband i will leave you. there is lots of housework to be done and not a lot of time to do it in. however i have been known to clean the house in a record 20 minutes flat- we'll see what happens!

have a fabulous saturday night everyone- more musings soon to come!

it's been a crazy weekend!

2008-02-05T10:14:00.000-08:00

sorry for not posting sooner everybody- i have been flooded with things from school, work, and home- sooo much to do- no time to do it in! so i think for today's post to be the most efficient it can be i will do a random list

-friday was fantastically relaxing- hubby and i went out to the movies and saw a double feature! The Eye with jessica alba- sooo good! We also saw The Bucketlist- which was also very good- a little sad- but very very good!

-saturday i worked most of the day- nothing too exciting. i went over to aerins house to help her tie up some loose ends with things and of course to have some pbr :0) it was a fabulous time! i then came home and did homework- i know, i know, saturday night? homework? what was i thinking!

-sunday i did a photo shoot for The White Box. It is a fabulous service that will be opening up to Brides sometime late March or early April- Vendors will be pre-approved by Monica so that she can tell Brides who come to her who the best of the best is when it comes to wedding vendors! i think it is a wonderful shop- and monica (the owner) is absolutely fabulous- so friendly and energetic- her business will be a success for sure! As soon as i get pics from the photo shoot i will post them for sure! In the meantime please take yourselves over to her blog and check out what she is all about for yourself! The White Box

i will write more later! it is off to class and then work- ahhh i feel so busy!

have a wonderful tuesday!

started out good, went to bad, and then got better

2008-01-28T19:06:00.000-08:00

so today started out good (see post above) i went to school- loved, and i mean loved my first class- fiber fabrics. This class rocks! we did wool dying today which was awesome! we died our own wool! i have never done much with wool or felting for that matter so i am psyched for wednesdays class! oooh! I found the perfect gift for petra (one of my best friends babies- so cute- i love her to bits!) that i can make myself!

aren't these just the damn cutest booties you have ever seen for a baby? absolutely adorable! and i can felt them myself! i am so excited! last semester in ceramics i made petra pig tiles- they were small square tiles- i made her two of them and then attached them to a nice blue wood antique looking frame- nada says she just loves them and looks at them all the time! am i the best auntie harmony ever or what? :0)

so after that class i went to psych- which i was totally prepared for- book in hand, notecards with both of my questions and of course my notebook with lots of notes i had taken while reading- i never do that! :0)

then it was lunch- salad and a taco- usually i man the taco bar- i love thy taco bar- but i only had one which i am proud of- i want to try to start eating healthier so i decided i could do without another taco and simply go for a larger salad. it was a good choice- salad is delicious and it actually filled me up so i was good to go.

finally the last class of the day was my fieldwork art therapy class- which was awesome because i had not had that class yet. we shared some stories about our vacations, did a group centering (where we introduce ourselves and tell everyone why we are there) and then we read through the syllabus- piece of cake! we were out of there by 4:15

then it began......i got to my car and decided i had plenty of time to drive home before work- so i got home, got out of the car and stepped in a huge and i mean huge pile of slush/dirt/cold water/unrecognizable slime- ewwww. i was pretty saddened by this but decided not to let it get me down- after all it was kind of funny when you think about it- i mean who does that?

then i got inside- changed into my work clothes and decided to count my money for the week- yea, i have a $20 that will last me for gas, food...wait, where the 20? i know i had a 20! WHERE IS THE 20??!?!?!?!?!!?
yep- you guessed it - i had lost the 20 dollars. so i did the only rational thing i could think of- tear apart my school bag, purse, bedroom, car and living room to find it- you would swear i was looking for a fix or something! absolutely insane- did i find it? no, definately not. so i call D at work- cry about how i lost my 20 dollars ( it must be that time of the month i swear to god i have never felt so emotional- but hey, 20 dollars is a lot of money!)

i then went to work- tons of shit in my inbox- what a great night this will be!

i randomly picked a stupid fight with hubby and instantly regretted it when i hung up- sometimes i just don't channel my feelings well- within minutes i had texted a make up text and all was good- but still- why did i have to do that?

so by now your probably thinking- did anything go right with this girl? is this whole blog post going to be about complaining? the answer? no! i got home, calmed down- turned on the tv to my favorite show- anthony bourdain and decided to make some ramen. as i walk into the kitchen i see a crisp 20 dollar bill sitting in the cat's water bowl- i ran at that water bowl like i was in the middle of the sahara dessert with nothing to drink. the cat looked at me- meowed at me- wondered- "what the hell is she doing?" but i had found it! wet, but still good!

so as you can all see- the day began good, started going south- and then we were back on track!

well i better get a move on my homework- all while making potatoes for a work party, doing the laundry, and spending quality time with D- trust me people i am a seasoned pro at this- it will all get done- or i will have one hell of a fun time procrastinating while i don't do it :0)

prepared for class? me? no, couldn't be!

2008-01-28T06:24:00.000-08:00

so this weekend darin and i went to racine- or the outer limits of kenosha is more accurate- to visit his brother and family. It was my nieces and nephew birthday and i was really excited to go! i love those kids- i have said since the moment i met them- if our kids are half as behaved as those kids i will be one happy mother. even when their mom tells them no- they say thankyou to her- as in thankyou for considering it- wow..... very polite and very cute i might add- they were the flower girls in the wedding!

photo by www.mthreestudio.com

i adore them- and they adore me! they were so excited to start calling me "aunt harmony" after the wedding- i have to admit i couldn't wait either! i don't have any siblings so i am glad i finally have nieces and nephews :0)

so this weekend was a blast- fun times, good food, great family :0)

then sunday night came.....homework time! i had completely forgotten that i had to read all of chapter 1 for my psych class- so you know me- i'll just blow it off- bullshit my way through class- it will be just fine- no, no wait- i can't do that! my plan of attack is out the window! i needed to actually read because i had discussion questions due- 2 of them- and they had to be good- they were worth 10 points total- and i did not want my semester starting off like this! so i diligently sat down- got myself some tea and read the whole chapter- and i got to be at 11! fabulous! i actually think i may be able to be studios this semester- we'll see- but i am definitely going to make an effort!

well that is all i have time for now- class starts in 30 minutes- and well im not even out of my pajamas- blogging is so much better when your in your pj's no?

have a great monday! i hope when i read your blogs i see just as much evidence of a good weekend as i had! :0)

today rocked

2008-01-23T18:52:00.000-08:00

so i definately enjoyed all of my classes today. i thought for sure there would be one that i did not like- something i didn't expect or something that would send me running for the hills- but no- nothing at all- it was a fabulous day

my fiber fabrics class- freakin fantastic! we are gonna make some awesome stuff in there! and to top it off i have erin in that class- we sit in the front row and we laugh until it hurts- this semester is gonna be great!

psych- well that will be a challenge- lots of reading, a 10 page paper, and weekly hardcore discussion- but ya know what- i'm up for it! i love the teacher, i love psych- and i think it will be really beneficial for me to have more psychology under my belt

and finally my environmental science class- we started out by watching an inconvenient truth by al gore- that was awesome! really good movie, really good way to start- i think this class will be alright!

so i am geared up for tomorrow- my 3d design class- hopefully that will be awesome as well- i want to keep this luck streak up for as long as i can!

well that is all i have- a bigger post tomorrow- right now my house is a mess and i have dinner on the stove for hubby and i- mmm ravioli :0)

apple for the teacher?

2008-01-23T05:25:00.000-08:00

so today is my first day that will lead to my last day.....well my last day of college next fall- but still none the less- today is the beginning of the end- the ship will sail, may the force be with you- blah blah blah- i think we all get the picture, no?

so i am packing up my school bag, and like always stealing just a little bit of money from my hubby's pocket for soda and coffee and of course some vending snacks- it's not stealing, it's borrowing- and i do believe when i signed the marriage license under my name it said- "Harmony Dubinsky- all that is his is now yours- the kingdom is yours for the taking!!!!"

okay so no it didn't- but i always pay him back!!! :0)

well girls i'm off- another semester, new books, new teachers- new experiences i can not wait to share with all of you. there will be laughs, tears, and probably some bloodshed- okay well maybe not but i'm going for this whole "kingdom", "force be with you", " ship has sailed" thing so i just figured that i needed some bloodshed....

wish me luck! tonight will be a post you don't want to miss!

a couple of random thoughts

2008-01-19T07:18:00.000-08:00

hello everyone! sorry i have been on hiatus for a couple of days- totally not like me- i love my blog- i love to blog- and after last post i actually know people read it so i don't want to disappoint anyone! :0) i no longer can post at work- we have a filtered internet so blogspot- because so many people use it at my job- was blocked by websense....

an open letter to websense

dear websense,
you make my work day miserable. why must you block everything that is fun? i believe you are anti- fun and i feel that instead of ruining my life by blocking www.blogspot.com you should go check out guy who smokes 5 packs a day and smells like he sleeps in a bar- now his sites are sites you should be blocking- if you know what i mean.

i know how to sit and eat my lunch in quiet- there will be no more laughing coming from my cubicle due to the hilarious things my friends write about on their blogs. i can no longer let them know i think they are hilarious because well you have done away with google as well. you are not human websense, your heart is black....

well websense you have really done it now. you make everything fun suck......and yes i truly mean that.

i hate you

-disgruntled employee

okay, now that is done- on to more random thoughts.....

i started my second job- it is a lot of work! i am happy i can drag in some extra income but it is really wearing on me! i couldn't even finish watching anthony bourdain last night- i fell asleep on the couch at 9:30- i woke up to D carrying me into the bedroom and muttering something about how working at a retirement home makes me old as well....and he did make a comment earlier about how i smell like old people home- what? tell me, is that really a smell? i wanted to cry....

all in all though the job is fantastic- lots of nice people, freedom to do what i want to do with activities seeing as i am the activities director! it is one of the nicest jobs i have ever had! i am glad though that i did not get rid of my medical billing job yet- i am just not ready, the people are nice, the job is flexible and the pay is good- i am back on spirit team and i am truly happy! we had our spirit team luncheon and it was awesome- reconnecting with old friends and meeting new- clearing the air and starting off the new year right. the drama that once was at my workplace is gone- i am truly happy to work with the people i work with! so on the job front all is well :0)

i told D to record something we could watch when i got home from work. what did he record on the DVR? When Good Pets Go Bad 2!
hmmmm, i was thinking something a little more romantic, no? from this show i have learned i will never own a kangaroo as a pet- enough said

school starts next week wednesday and like i have said in previous posts i am kind of psyched! good classes, good people- hopefully now i can add to that list good professors, less crap to put up with from the college- and it will be a great semester. one not so great thing is i paid $350 dollars for 4 books- 1 of them was a book for an art class.....an art class.... am i missing something here?

other than that not too much new- i will see what the weekend brings and write more on sunday- for any of you who are gearing up to see the packers play this weekend- go pack! have a great time and don't freeze!

to all of my readers....now hopefully there will be more!

2008-01-14T13:16:00.000-08:00

i got this idea from runs like a girl- she is located on my blogroll :0) i think this is an awesome idea and i encourage everyone to leave a comment! i really would love to know who my readers are and be able to not only read the wonderful comments you are thinking about while reading my posts but also comment on your blogs!

It is“National De-Lurking Week”! This is a chance for everyone who stops by my blog to leave a comment, and possibly give me the link to their blogs so that I could add them to my blogroll and we could be one big happy blog family!

Hope i hear from all of you soon- my loyal 3 readers included

please tell me there are still 3 of you? :0)

Guilty Pleasures

2008-01-11T07:22:00.000-08:00

so i can't take credit for this post- i got the idea from blogger milwaukee buckeye- awesome idea! http://milwaukeebuckeye.wordpress.com

so the idea is to list your guilty pleasures- here are mine :0)

TV shows- althought i don't watch tv often (okay not too often) there are a few
Anthony Bourdains- No Reservations
Top Chef
Snapped
Lifetime Move Network (cheesy but so good)
bridal shows- bridezilla, platinum weddings- all that good stuff
old re-runs of the wonder years- ( oh kevin :0)
discovery health- pretty much anything on here- especially the baby shows :0)
Just Cook This- with Sam the cooking guy

Movies-
A Beautiful Mind
PS I Love You
Center Stage
Any scary movie- i love them- all of them- even B Horror flicks (one of the many things hubby and i share a love for)
*waaaaaay too many more to name- i'll keep thinking

my pj's - i love my oversized pink pj pants- i kind of look like mc hammer when i wear them

mcdonalds bagel breakfast sandwich- no sauce, ewww sauce

pickles, pickles, and more pickles

spicy food- soooo good- especially thai food (nada where do you get that curry paste? my pick n save can't be that ghetto!)

babies- i love them- i do not have one but do one day want to have children when hubby and i are ready. right now i am enjoying making mobiles for petra (one of my best friends babies)- well we kind of make mobiles- more or less we just play with petra and eat lots of food

naps- and going to bed extremely early- like 8pm early- so early you'd think i was 90 years old

looking at my fabulous wedding photos by molly at www.mthreestudio.com - also printing them, helping her with shoots, and plotting the next time i will need her services- for anything- at all that i could possibly think of- graduation pictures, new house pictures (when we purchase one- soon!) pictures of my cat- pretty much anything i can get her to take pictures of because i love her work that much :0)

okay- so now that you know most of my list- i will update if i think of more!

what are your guilty pleasures?

i felt like a presential candidate

2008-01-08T11:22:00.000-08:00

so last night at midnight marked the end the "best of 2007 photo contest" that was being held on my photographers website www.mthreestudio.com

the votes are in....... I WON!!!!

yes indeed- i won an 11x14 framed picture of one of my favorite shots from the wedding- the sparkler shot at the end of the night! and to top it off molly also awarded the 2nd place couple an 11x14 framed pic of their shot too :0) it was a fabulous contest with a fabulous result.

i however stayed up waaaaay to late last night. i planned on watching molly's blog like a hawk and tallying up the votes- instead i decided to begin watching (aerin you will be proud) Star Wars with the hubby- but then we both fell asleep and woke up at about 12:45- having not calculated any votes whatsoever throughout the evening. i ran to my computer- did i win? did all of those text messages and facebook cries for votes work???? YES! i didn't have to sit by my computer after all- my friends and family pulled through for me- i was truly proud. molly's blog was full of comments- 126 to be exact! one vote for #8, #4, #8, #4- we were neck in neck! i am so glad we both won the pictures though- both of us worked hard to get those votes!

today though i am tired- but it was worth it. i work till 6:30 tonight- not too entirely excited about that but it will do- i need the money.

in other news i start my 2nd job this weekend as an activitie director- i am psyched!!!! 11 dollars an hour- a chance to do art, exercise, and cooking? why those three things are me in a nutshell- i l.o.v.e having a job i well, love! i am still keeping my other job- basically because we need both the incomes- and well it is very very flexible with my school schedule.

oh how i can't wait till school is done- then i can work 40 hours a week- make good money and really enjoy every day ot the fullest- at least that is the plan!

that is all for now, i will be writing to you all again soon- wish me luck to make it till 6:30- it's gonna be a long night.....

this is how lucky i am

2008-01-05T17:42:00.000-08:00

my hubby loves me, this i know :0)

currently he is in the kitchen making me my favorite- strawberry margaritas. i tell you people, and most of you already know this- margaritas are my weakness. i love them.... i may talk to my pbr (aka pabst blue ribbon) and tell it how much i love it- how awesome it looks in my hand- but i have to confess- i would cheat on my pbr with a margarita anyday. i feel there is a certain level of sophistication, suaveness (is that a word?) with my margarita. i love it and everything it gives me- if there are margaritas- i'm there.....

anyways......come on you already knew i was weird so this whole talking to my beer, sophisticated margarita mumbojumbo should come as no shock! right?

so tonight i will be joining my friends at the bar- having a couple of pitchers and enjoying life. i hope you all are doing the same. friends are important, time with your loved on is important and well beer just makes that experience all the more interesting and extremely memorable.

not much new to report- i finally, finally, finally cleaned my living room and put away all the xmas gifts i have been tripping over since, well, christmas- so that is done :0) i also did the laundry- the washer and dryer was once a foreign object to me- i can gladly say we had a heart to heart today and it no longer feels neglected :0)

well i better go- much to do- so little time

margarita here i come

vote for me!!!!

2008-01-03T08:36:00.000-08:00

hello loyal blog readers.....all 3 of you- well i hope at least there are 3 of you- maybe i overshot?

my wonderful photographer that did the photography for my whole wedding package- and designed my invites, save the dates, place cards, menu cards, bar tents, guest book, table numbers, oh hell- pretty much everything to do with my wedding :0) is having a contest!!!!

on her website blog she has posted a contest for the best picture of 2007- and one of me and hubby's wedding photos has been entered into the contest! if my photo is voted for the most times i win a framed picture of the photo that won- which is an awesome, awesome photo if i do say so myself- big time kudos to molly from mthreestudio- the sparkler scene is one of hubby and i's - as well as our famlily's, favorite photos! i would love to win this award and be able to hang this framed photo in our first house someday- what a gorgeous photo with some gorgeous people hey?

so what all of you could do for me- which i would really appreciate- is going to www.mthreestudio.com and visit molly's blog- follow the directions on her post for the contest and vote for hubby and i! we are i believe photo #8- i really hope to win so please take the time to vote! And while your there check out molly's photography- she is an absolutely phenomenal photog- she made my wedding day so fabulous- from the pictures, to the design- all of it was so gorgeous! she also does children's photography- soooo cute! she has a lot to offer- so check her out!

VOTE FOR ME! WWW.MTHREESTUDIO.COM

catching up

2008-01-03T08:14:00.000-08:00

so i realize that i have not blogged in awhile! it has been two crazy weeks- full of family, friends, and fun- well not all fun but we'll get to that later. but all in all it has been a really nice holiday break- the only thing i wish i had was more time- doesn't everyone? i just feel as if my break is slowly slipping away from me (maybe because it is, t-minus 17 days till d-day, aka spring semester) it seems all i ever do is run errands, sleep, work, pay bills, errands, bills, bills, oh and did i mention bills? it's funny- D and i didn't even buy anyone xmas gifts this year except my mom and we are still broke :0( I am working at least 7 more hours then i normally do over break and i am getting a measly 50 dollars more a paycheck- that just isn't what i expected i guess- more hours equals more money.....right? and hubby is completely unhappy with his job- he really wants to switch jobs but is waiting for his interview with the plumbing apprenticeship comm before he does.

D and i figured it out today- he works 50 hours a week- he makes 300 dollars every two weeks- that is 150 dollars a week- broken down that is roughly 30 dollars a day- he only makes 30 dollars a day!!!! that is ridiculous! for all those hours he should be making waaaaaaay more right? it would be different if he was making commission- but the market is slow right now- can't sell things to imaginary people! And next semester i can only work 16 hours a week- that is half of what i am working now! with my fieldwork i just can't fit in any more time at my job- there are only so many hours in a day and i can only do what i can.

so we are just going to keep doing what we are doing. i have heard that money problems are one of the biggest problems in marriages- however i don't really know how big of a toll this is taking on us. we don't have money, okay, so what? we are broke- sometimes barely get by- but who do we know who isn't in the same situation? i know that we will pull ourselves out of this- it's bound to happen- no one gets the short end of the stick forever! hubby and i sat down and figured that once he gets another job- one with stable pay and decent hours we will be able to pay off almost all our debt by summer- once we do that we will be able to start saving for our house, a family, and hopefully a good used car :0)- because well little geo isn't doing so well- she is slowly giving up on me- i have had her since i was 15- that is a long time! hubby is driving to racine as we speak so that his cousin can fix my tail pipe. yep, somewhere on 45 south there is a little red geo puttering a long- you'll recognize it- there will be sparks coming from the tail pipe :0(

Not too much else is new- i start school on January 21st- i FINALLY have a class with my partner in crime at the mount! we have been trying to coordinate our schedules- now i can finally see her two days a week- and in barb's class none the less- we are taking a fiber fabrics class with the same teacher who taught us color theory- you see this is where i met aerin- we ended up being in the same group together- i remember the day like it was yesterday. i remember hating group projects- she also hated group projects- we pretty much pawned the work off on everyone else and made fun of a girl we have now re-named squeaks. color theory was fun- color theory gave life to many mondays of drinking, mil bashing, and just plain old good times- school was never the same after i met aerin :0) after this next semester i only have one more to go- yes!!!! i will finally be a college graduate- i can hardly wait!

in other very very random news i found this awesome curry paste- thanks to nada :0) - that is absolutely delicious. the brand name is patka (spelling?) and it is to die for- fantastic on chicken- i had it with mashed potatoes, green beans, and nan (a kind of pita bread)- sooo good (wipes drool from mouth) i suggest getting the hot- however be warned- the hot is very very hot- me and hubby love spicy food so it doesn't bother us- but for people who don't like it so hot there is mild and medium. what is so fabulous is that you can find it at pick n save or pretty much at any grocery store- no specialty store necessary :0)

anyways my house is a mess- it is definitely cleaning day- well after i read all of your lovely blogs that is :0)

enjoy the day!

a lot to do- no time to do it

2007-12-28T06:16:00.000-08:00

so today is crazy- i mean crazy! i woke up at 5:30am so i could make it to work at 6:00am- i can't tell you how many times i thought about pushing the snooze and walking into work late- no one would notice so i felt this would have been acceptable- but i dragged myself out of bed and got going- how i still don't know.

i work until 2:3opm- then i am going to embi's wedding- it starts at 2 so i won't make the ceremony (which i 'm sad about) but i will make it just in time for the dinner at 4. i was supposed to have a date for this wedding (obviously hubby- "D")- but he neglected to take off of work at 2- even though i told him about this wedding 3 months ago and rsvp'd for two dinners already. i feel really bad too because i know what it's like for people to say they are bringing people- you include them in your count and then they don't show- lets just say i will be eating two plates of chicken and steak combo with sides dishes- the electric slide won't be so electric with such a full stomach :0(

did i mention the wedding is about 40 minutes away and i have no idea how to get to hartland? yea- i don't do well when i get lost- i panic, freeze, and get overly emotional and irrational- so i'm hoping i just find the place with the mapquest directions and call it a day- i also hope i find my way home!

besides my crazy day today tomorrow morning i am waking up at 9am- totally unusual for me seeing as it is a saturday! i am helping my girlfriend and her husband move into their new home! i am soooo excited for them- a home of your own is unlike anything you will ever own- it is truly yours- and it feels like home, ya know? even though D and i don't own a home yet we are looking to buy one within this year- we just have to do some important bill cleaning first- my advice? don't ever, ever, under any circumstances open up a credit card just to buy something you need for a wedding, school, or anything else- there are always other options- if you have the money- buy it- if not- don't!!!!! we will be paying for that mistake for quite a while!

well again my break at work is almost over- friday is slowly creeping by- and i can't wait until sunday comes- a little bit of relaxation and then it's back to family time with D's parents- which i have to say i am not really wanting to do right now- i am too tired and frankly want some time to myself- in my apartment- doing what i want to do

sorry this post is whiney- i promise i will keep these kinds of posts to a minimum!

on the upside i may be going to Tangerine tomorrow night- which could be really fun! hopefully there is no cover and there is a drink special that is fabulous :0)

i hope everyone had an awesome christmas! i have to say i did despite my previous reservations about xmas- it was actually a wonderful holiday :0)

all i can think about when it comes to christmas...besides the green bean casserole

2007-12-23T21:33:00.000-08:00

so here i am, the night before Christmas Eve slaving away in my kitchen making quite a spread of delicious side dishes. you see, side dishes are my thing- i don't deal with the main show- the turkey, or the ham, or even the desert- the pumpkin pie, pecan pie or anything like that- just the side dishes- because without side dishes- where is the meal? everyone LOVES a good side dish. So hubby and i have been busy in the kitchen making sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, and of course his sisters amazing cheesy potatoes (which are sure to put on the pounds) for my mom's house tomorrow. it was a struggle but we finally figured out a schedule for the holidays that makes everyone happy- xmas eve at my mom's and xmas day at his parents. this way no one feels as if they have spent less time with one side of the family or another- all in all it works out pretty well.

so now that all the side dishes are done (or at least my dear husband is still working hard :0) i turn to my blog- my sidekick in banter and strange tellings- because lets be honest some of the things i write about must make no sense whatsoever- but that is why my loyal readers read, no?
i guess what i really wanted this post to be about friends- true friends, friends that are there for me through everything. i have found throughout the past two years that the definition of friendship is not what i thought it once was. a lot has changed in my life and therefor the people who support me and love me for me have also changed. i guess what i want to say is thank you to these people- we've shared a lot- good laughs, drinks, stories about the in-laws, long car rides to nowhere (or at least when we were lost:0), long talks at night- about everything we had to do and how there isn't enough time to get it done, bitch fests, uncontrollable fits of crying- about nothing and everything all at once, weddings, the birth of a special newborn :0)- these are things we have shared- these are things that have changed our lives forever- things i wouldn't take back for the world. the past two years of my life have been in constant change- i have lost but i have gained so much more than i ever bargained for. i have found myself and found others who respect that, respect me and love me unconditionally- this post is for you.

so on this night before the day before christmas (are you confused yet? lol) i wanted to let you all know how much i am thinking about you- how much you mean to me, and how much darin and i both appreciate all of you.

well enough said, if i don't write again before the holidays it is probably due to a food induced coma- when i recover and i can roll myself to my computer chair i will once again be writing to you from my life as a dubinsky...dun dun dun!

okay so that was dramatic...... merry christmas!

photo- www.mthreestudio.com

photo: www.mthreestudio.com

photo: www.mthreestudio.com

the grades are in it's time to drink!

2007-12-19T09:44:00.000-08:00

so for the past couple of days i have been stalking my college website making sure to be one of the first ones to see my grades. i had been waiting and waiting and waiting- i swear it seemed like forever, but......they are finally in! they are as follows:
Philosophy:A
Biblical Lit:A
Ballet/Tap/Jazz:A
Astronomy:A
Ceramics:B
YES! i feel like this semester has gone great- exactly what i expected, no surprises, a rising GPA and a definately feeling of accomplishement! I worked so hard this semester and it paid off! i will be making the deans list again for the 7th semester in a row and it feels awesome!

and to celebrate i will be going out with the girls tonight! we will be going to one of our favorite wednesday night spots- Vitucci's on North. They have ladies night every wednesday starting at 9pm- 3 free drinks for the ladies! and i always keep my extra tokens when i don't want to drink a lot so i have a loooooot saved up for this very special celebration night! we are starting out with dinner at kates- mexican of course :0) and then moving on to Vitucci's - tonight will be awesome!

in other news i had the talk with s on sunday- that didn't go as i had planned- it's never easy to talk to you in-laws and this conversation didn't really go like i had hoped. aerin and i definately had a long bitch fest about s and c on monday over coctails- our usual Monday night gathering. i am hoping however that christmas will be good this year- i really want to be in the christmas spirit ya know? i hate being the only grinch- and i won't be, i will cheer up and i will have a good holiday break! to help me do this i am playing christmas music in my cubicle at work and of course due to my new love for cooking i will be bringing a dish to pass to my mother in laws house. i need to keep an open mind about this family and by adding to the food i am hoping i can feel more included- less excluded. i also am bringing something because there is rarely anything i can eat because of my vegetarianism (is that a word?) and my mil acts pretty offended that i don't eat meat- what is the big deal anyways? Last year i made this awesome buffallo chicken dip that i got the recipe for from my bookclub- NO ONE TRIED IT!!!! I was really hurt- why when someone tries to be nice and bring a part of their home in to another home do people just ignore the gesture? I definatley made it be known too that i brought something- but everyone just passed it right up! but i digress....

well my lunch is done- i have 2 1/2 hours until i am off of work- and i can't wait!!!! i am going home to get ready for an awesome night out! i plan taking a long shower- using all the hot water up and then taking my sweet time to do my hair and makeup!

i will post again- this time with pics from our night on the town!

hope everyone's christmas shopping is going well! i on the other hand have no gifts yet- looks like i will be very very busy this weekend!

37 glorious days off!!!

2007-12-17T08:39:00.000-08:00

So i know it has been 6 days since i have posted, and i hate to do that. I really have come to like my blog, no, LOVE my blog. I like it because it is somewhere i can post what is happening, vent, rant, or just write- which i haven't really done in a long time unless it was for school purposes. I am happy to say however that my time away from school has finally begun! i have 37- yes you read that right- 37 DAYS OFF OF CLASS! My classes begin again on January 23rd and until then i am not going anywhere near that college. I am excited for this month off and i plan to use it wisely- catching up with friends, relaxing, dates with the husband, and lots and lots of sleep- oh and eating good food- how could i forget that? :0) So if anyone wants to hang out- now is the time people! Next semester is going to be a nuthouse.....but we don't need to think about that now :0)

So this past Friday i came into work at 6am and was feeling good- no more classes- i have an A in the two classes that are posted so far- (yeeaaaah!!!) and i was ready to work and then go home, cook a classy dinner and crack open a bottle of wine. Then it happened- something i have been expecting for awhile but dreading ( i will explain) My boss offered me a promotion i have been waiting for- i would be hired on by the company and be able to recieve health benefits (which neither hubby or i have) as well as a 2 dollar raise in pay and a parking spot- clearly you can tell i am in it for the parking spot :0) However much to everyone's surprise- my blog readers included i'm sure.....i turned it down. My company wants a two year minimum commitment from me in order to hire me on. Now even though this commitment is not written in stone- and i could back out with any consequences i just don't want to do that. It's not right of me to take a position that i know i will probably be leaving in 7-8 months when i graduate next december. I wanted to be honest and i was- and my boss understood. She told me that she was glad i told her i had other prospects and she didn't want me to pass up any opportunities that would come my way. My aunt is opening up a group home in January and i will be her Activities Coordinator for the house. I am really excited about this because 1. i do not have to quit my current job- so i have security, good hours still and some extra cash and 2. this will look awesome on my resume for when i finally do graduate and go out there to look for a job in the "real" world! :0) So all in all that awkward convo went well- i am really glad that she still is treating me like a part of the team even though she knows i will probably be leaving within the year. I am also proud of myself for not just accepting the position knowing where i will probably be in 8 months.

Well my break is done- i have till 3:30 and then i am out of here for drinks with aerin- a monday ritual we are bringing back. we have not done drinks in a loooooong time- school, work, home, and time with the husbands really had us busy! monday night is back! :0)

i have more to write about the weekend but that my friends is for another post :0)

Happy Monday!

just when i thought i was too old for snow days....

2007-12-11T08:09:00.001-08:00

so i woke up the morning in a great mood....no a fantastic mood! it could have been the fact that i'm almost done with classes or that i went to bed last night for once at a decent time thus getting plenty of well deserved sleep. hubby again brushed off my car for me (thanks babe :0) and i was on my way to work. i'm sure most of you know if your sitting by a window or happen to be driving that there have been ice storm advisories and things of that nature out since early this morning. my drive to work was nothing unusual- not too slippery, not too icy, in fact it was actually quite pretty. i love driving to work at 6am only because everything looks completely untouched at this time of the morning- there are no cars on the road and it is just me and nature- it really is a beautiful thing :0)

so i got to work and everyone was buzzing about school closings and the ever famous statement "why the hell aren't we closed?". the medical field NEVER CLOSES!!!! no matter if your a doctor, a surgeon, or a medical biller- you will always come into work on inclement weather days- the second coming of christ could be upon us and i would still be billing people for x, y, and z disease. "hang on a minute God, i have to do bill 30 people in one hour- could you wait another 10 minutes?"

so if i haven't already lost you with my joke- which i have to laugh at because well i think it's pretty damn funny.....right?

i decided to check the closings to see if hubby's work place was on the list. Well his workplace wasn't but my college was! wtf? don't get me wrong- i love it when school closes- i pray for school to close even but TODAY? Today is exam week! i have two exams today and i was prepared- for those of you who know me well you are probably thinking yea, "prepared" hahaha- no seriously people i was prepared. i met with one of my classmates yesterday and really studied this material for my philosophy exam! So i call the school and they have no answers for me- are we having class, are we not? if exams aren't today when are they? are days exams just canceled- do i still have my night exam? yep no answers to any of these questions. my question to them is- where the hell are my answers? so i finally get text message from said classmate that tells me all exams that were supposed to be today are now moved until friday- friday? wtf.....i work on friday....all day! so now i have to miss work on friday and also loose all that pay- which i can't afford. hmmmmm so really this snow day is a pain in my ass- it is a double inch sword- awesome because now i can go sledding with aerin- but ridiculous because now i have to skip work on friday and take all the exams i didn't take today! my college never, never, closes- (see above paragraph second coming of christ joke) so why today? sometimes i think my 20,000 dollars is simply put to building new buildings and dedicating them after old people.

so that is my day thus far- more to come later if there is more. i will be lounging at home, relaxing, eating cake, and baking reindeer cookies that i bought on sale last night at the grocery store. if anyone else is at home doing the same- call me, we'll chat :0)

random things from the weekend and beyond

2007-12-10T06:20:00.001-08:00

okay, so not like you guys are remotely interested in my weekend- but i thought i would share with you anyways- why you ask? well because this blog is entitled The New Mrs Dubinsky- seeing as i am the new Mrs Dubinsky i figure this blog should probably be mostly about me- conceited? i know :0) justkidding- but i really will tell you about my weekend

so i started by weekend off right by having off on friday- let me tell you- for those of you who have not taken a day off in forever- TAKE A DAY OFF!!!! not only do you deserve it but it makes you feel absolutely fabulous. all day i watched investigators- true crimes and the people who catch the criminals. after being scared about said criminals and crimes i switched to something a little more light hearted- yes, you guessed it re-runs of america's next top model. then i moved on to a movie i love- maybe just because of ashton kutcher but none the less- i watched A Lot Like Love- absolutely fabulous. i ate ice cream right out of the carton and proceeded to make myself a wonderful bowl of ramen noodles. yes friday was good, very good :0)

okay so on to saturday- i got up at 11- got ready to go when my mom called me and told me she was taking me out to lunch- fabulous again! so her and i made a few stops at random stores- target, kohls, millions of gas stations looking for salt- i swear all the salt was gone! it was like people thought the end of the world was near and they needed to bulk up on all supplies- but come on people, salt? i know it was supposed to storm but we all know how accurate the weather people are. so we looked for salt- found salt- then went to lunch at atlanta bread company- very good chicken salad- even better smoothies- mmmmm smoothie. i then came home carrying my treasures in tow- when i say treasures i mean my new board game- cranium. this game is absolutely fantastic. hubby was wanting it for awhile so i decided to surprise him with it :0) we took it over to my cousins house that night and played it until 1am- great fun with the fam!

then on sunday hubby and i slept in until 1030 and then decided to get a move on- numerous errands later we finally came back home to make a taco dinner for my mom. we had a really great time. i even made delicious strawberry mini cheesecakes- they were to die for! i was really surprised since this was my first attempt at cheesecake. i feel like there was always a cook in me just dying to get out. i love cooking- hopefully this break from school will give me some time to not only cook, catch up on my reading- thus helping me to actually attend my book club meeting- and of course blog more for you lovely people :0)

oh! and that presentation for my theology class? i got an A!!!!!

today marks the start of finals week- i have my theology final today, philosophy and ceramics finals tomorrow, and my astronomy final on Wednesday- wish me luck!!!! i will post my grades when they arrive- i can't wait to see how this semester turned out- i am really hoping i did well! i am a little nervous but feel like the hard work will pay off!

again my break is almost over- this is my last week working at 6am- i am sooooo relieved- i don't think i can do 6am ever, ever again!

final week of school!!!!

2007-12-05T06:07:00.000-08:00

so today is wednesday- this is awesome for a couple of reasons.
1. this is the last day i have to wake up early this week- i took off on friday to relax and get ready for finals (we'll see about that last part)
2. i have my book of revelation presentation today and then i only have a small test to take and i am done with my semester of theology!!!!
3. once school is over this week- finals are next week and i have successfully completed one more semester of college- only 2 more to go! next semester is going to rock- awesome classes, great professors, and lots of people i know in every class :0)
4. hubby gets off at 2 on friday- we have the whole day together which never usually happens- that is awesome

the week was fantastic! well minus the snow. however hubby did wake up early today (at 530 am!) to brush off my car and warm it up for me- what a sweetheart! did i mention i have the best husband in the world? :0)

well t-minus 4 minutes until break is officially over. then it's another 3 hours of pretending to look like i'm busy. then it is off to my presentation- dance class, a quick nap and then my astronomy test

be careful on the roads today people- it is not good :0( good thing for me my husband works at a car dealership and got me a massive and i mean massive scraper for my car- one they use to scrape off trucks at the dealership- yep everyone is jealous :0)

thankful for a lot of things

2007-12-03T06:58:00.000-08:00

So i decided to write today about the things i am thankful for. i know what your probably all thinking- Thanksgiving is long gone! however i was sick on Thanksgiving so i'm sure you guys can give me a break :0)

1.) First and foremost i am thankful for my husband. i realized today when i woke up and looked over at him- snoring away next to me (love you babe :0) that i don't always tell him how much i appreciate him. why is this? i really need to take time out of my everyday life to let him know how important he is to me. when i'm stressed he's there- countless numbers of back, foot, and leg rubs, wonderful dinners, chick flicks, bitching sessions- he does it all! he may not always remember- but this is human (something i have to remember- i'm not perfect either). I am lucky to have him in my life and i promise myself and him that starting today i will let him know how much i love him. i will take more time for him. My husband is not only my best friend and the love of my life- but he is my rock- my soul and the one who keeps me going through it all.

2.) My semester at school is almost done! Next fall will be my last semester of college and i am excited! I will be a graduate of college!!!! This is something i have waited for- four and a half long years- it's almost here! No matter how much crap this semester has put me through by next year at this time it will all be worth it! I feel for once my life is finally starting to take shape and all my hard work is finally paying off. I have classes i love next semester- with people i love- and it is going to be awesome. Things are definately looking up when it comes to school :0)

3.)My friends are amazing. I have made such great friends in this past year then i have ever made in my life. These are friends i will have for the rest of my life- people i have shared my thoughts, tears, joy, and happiness with. They have been there for the milestones- my wedding, moving, meeting the love of my life, my college life and everything in between. And they will be there for the next big steps- our first home, our first baby, and my college graduation. These are people i love, trust, and consider to be family. I don't have any brothers or sisters- but i feel like i do when i'm around these people. they are amazing human beings and i wouldn't be who i am today- the strong, intelligent, bubbly girl that i am today- without them.

4.) My mother- i would not be here today without her. She has been the mother, the father, the best friend- she is everything to me. There have been times we have been at odds- but never enough to not come back to eachother. She has helped me through some hard times, some of the best times, and all the times inbetween. She has loved me as well as my husband and done so much for us. She is the most amazing woman in the world and i hope i can be every bit as amazing to my kids as she is to me.

*and of course the small things- small yet so important :0)

5.) my apartment- small yet cozy- a roof over our heads
6.) our cat dexter- he is always there when you need him- to laugh, to cry, or just to hang out with and watch tv. he is truly the best of both worlds- a little bit of cat- and a lot of dog like tendencies as well :0)
7.) the chance to get an awesome education-not everyone has this
8.) our beautiful wedding we had in August- thanks to our parents and friends
9.) cucumber rolls from fujiyama
10.) guitar hero and homemade tropical mixed drinks- at the same time :0)
11.) botanical gardens
12.)the ability to dance and teach it to others- i hope i have this for the rest of my life!
13.) mexican food :0) me and my hubby's first date
14.) our jobs- not ideal but they get us what we need to survive
15.) the many vacations hubby and i have taken together- we are lucky to be able to do this every year!
16.) to live in a city full of culture and diversity- it opens my eyes to so much
17.) potato dumpling soup, veggie chili- some of my specialities :0)
18.) life! to have the opportunity to live, love, laugh, and be alive is the thing i am most thankful for- i can't imagine not living my life- i love my life and realize that i am lucky!

i am sure that i could have a longer list- but this is good for now. posts like this are a real eye opener- they make me truly see all that i have!

more posts this week to follow- i promise to post how my final projects go- one philosophy paper this week and one 20 mintute theology presentation- wish me luck!!!!

thanksgiving

2007-11-27T06:16:00.000-08:00

so thanksgiving wasn't all i had hoped it to be. i spent all of my day sitting in front on the tv sick :0(

it all started in the morning- i have been sick for about three weeks so it was no surprise to me when i woke up and still didn't feel good on thanksgiving. we were going to darin's aunt's house and i really did want to go. for those of you who know me- you know that i don't particulary get a long with everyone in darin's family but i really did want to go. i didn't want to spend thanksgiving alone on my couch with just the remote and dexter (my wonderful cat who i love but it's just not the same). So i got up in the morning got in the shower- felt good. Then i got out of the shower- my head was splitting and i felt like i was on fire. Yep definately not going to Thanksgiving! I guess i got too ambitious and thought i felt better then i did. So Darin got ready to go went and got me boston market- what a sweet guy! So i sat and stuffed myself with green bean casserole and mashed potatoes and fell asleep- woke up watched fresh prince o belaire, fell asleep- and repeat. That was pretty much my Thanksgiving in a nutshell.

so it wasn't the most memorable holiday but it was okay. i got to spend some time relaxing and catching up on sleep that i hadn't been getting because of this cold- darn cold :0(. But i am feeling much better this week- better then i have been feeling all week long- so that is a plus.

i am gearing up for the last two weeks of my semester- lots to do, lots to accomplish but i think i have it under wraps. My last big hurdle? My theology presentation next wednesday that i am not nearly as ready for as i should be. i meet with my teacher on thursday so that he can help me- apparently he told me i am using outdated material- isn't the whole damn bible outdated? oh well- we'll see what thursday brings.

i look forward to the weeks ahead- it means freedom from papers,books, homework- all of that stuff. it also means i can finally cook every night for darin and i- and i can read the trashy novels that have been calling my name so many nights. it also means there will be beer time for me and aerin- that is the most important thing :0)

well my break is over at work- it is never long enough! my goal is to be out of here in a year- i'll keep you posted on that one. hopefully this art therapy degree will get me something better- preferably a job where i don't have to leave my house at 545 AM!!!!!

what is with this month?

2007-11-13T08:54:00.001-08:00

So after reviewing last month, and part of this month i realized that this just hasn't been my month. There has been waaaay too much craziness for just one month. Darin and i have both been sick for the past two weeks, i have a huge amount of homework on my plate plus working 30 hours a week, Darin and i both don't like our jobs and we are working to live- no extra money seeems to ever fall into our hands. when is it our turn to be ahead?

i know i'm a pessimist right? sometimes it's hard not to be

on another note i register for classes today- i am praying that none of them are filled and that i can get there before they are. i finally will have classes i like and classes with people i like- i am hoping all goes well- you will all know tomorrow!

another great thing is that i finished writing my philosophy paper in less then 2 hours last night so i had time to make dinner for me and hubby as well as watch the 2nd to last episode of heros first season. it was all in all a good night. i got some great sleep and actually felt refreshed this morning instead of down right tired- who wouldn't at 5am? i gotta find a better job!

another great thing? yes there is one more- school is almost over! i made it through another semester and i am thrilled. even though i am behind one semester i am feeling better about almost being done- i'll get there. i'm just hoping i can pull a job out of this when i'm done- the more ambitious i am the better- i know i'll get there.

well i guess i better get back to it- i have 40 more minutes until i leave work- thank god!
-Harmony

trash the dress, well sort of!

2007-11-10T16:44:00.000-08:00

So today was a blast and for me to say that considering i am a little under the weather at this point means that the day had to have been great! I am such a baby when i am sick! Today i was fortunate enough to be able to assist one of the best photographers in Milwaukee. I may be biased because she has been my photographer for everything involving my wedding but you can see for yourself on her website! She is energetic, creative, and never misses a shot!

We shot a trash the dress session in the third ward of Milwaukee with an absolutely awesome couple who couldn't have been more perfect for the job! If anyone is wondering what trash the dress is (trust me i had no idea before i did one myself) just got to www.trashthedress.com for an idea- however i feel molly has a very unique and artistic angle on this trash the dress thing so stay tuned to her site for trash the dress pics as well! You can also visit her website and see pictures from my wedding and engagement session as well. The images are gorgeous and make darin and i look like rockstars :0) I must say her blog also rocks, tons of pictures with her picture a day posts and funny stories that will make you laugh for sure. Here is molly's website- take a look! www.mthreestudio.com

Although it was cold we sure didn't feel it until the end! We were moving like crazy- alley ways, parks, old train tracks by the river and of course city market for some very interesting oyster eating shots with the bride and groom! This couple loved every minute of the shoot and we loved them too! They moved great in front of the camera and did an awesome job! They were totally fun, crazy, and willing to try anything to get a great looking photo!

Today was an awesome day and i learned a lot. Being able to pose people and help a professional photographer was an great experience! Molly was so ambitious and took a ton of shots! I can't wait to see what she turns up with!

Well tonight is the annual holiday swing dance party. Darin and i go every year. One of our good swing dance friends, Marv, built a dance floor inside his house! It is going to be a blast! I am tired but i will go on! Plus there will be scrumptious food and good tunes- i'm there!

-Harmony :0)

the first is always the hardest

2007-11-09T12:38:00.000-08:00

So now that i have started this blog what should i write in it? i've decided the first post is probably the most difficult. Your always told the first impression is the most important- i don't want to dissappoint my readers on my first post do i? look at me thinking i have readers already! Well that is just wishful thinking.....

In fact i guess people create blogs not just for others, in fact not really for others at all but for themselves. I find myself with a lot of say and very few venues to put those thoughts into. So i guess this will be good for me and hopefully for anyone else who reads it. I just recently began reading peoples blogs and really actually enjoy it. It's amazing to think that there is something different happening to everyone, everywhere, at this very moment. We are all leading such different lives but there are intertwining moments that make living and connecting with others all worth while.

I hope to write in this blog weekly, but that is a big commitment for me. With my busy schedule and the hours that i keep it will be difficult but something i really want to do. Why is is that everything you want to do is never actually anything you get to do? Even though i know the answer i still ask the question!

Well i think i will leave it here for now. The clock is ticking and i leave work at 3:30- truly the highlight of my day :0) I think i will go home tonight and enjoy the little time off i will have this weekend with my husband. I just realized we will be married 3 months November 11th! It really does seem like just yesterday that i walked down that isle to him, but i guess it does for every bride right?

Well i better get to billing, more to come later.
-Harmony