Hurray, it's Friday! Finally! Gah, I've been sick all week. And unfortunately, I'm that sick girl at the office because it's month-end close and I can't work from home, so I've been getting the side-eye all week. It's this weird cold thing that has phases - yesterday was the sneezing sensation phase, where I felt like I had to sneeze constantly and had stinking between my eyes. Fun stuff. I plan to go home and take a long nap, as I've been needing it all week. Anywho, my musings...
- I went to Starbucks this morning as I do every Friday and almost got hit by a teenager who was going about 20mph in a parking lot. She stole the space I was preparing to turn into, then flipped ME off. Um, okay. I almost made a comment to her about slowing down in parking lots, but I didn't want to be THAT lady. But honey, if you're out there, keep in mind: I'm older, and I have better insurance (it's true, I'm amazed at what great insurance you can get for cheap when you're over 30 with a 95% clean driving record). Towanda!
- I get to go to NJ for work at the end of March, for sure. And I'm leaving at 8:45 Wednesday morning and land back here in Phoenix 53 hours later. Awesome. At least I'll get to hang with Mrs. ESPN and this other fun girl from Rhode Island that we like.
- My nail-clipping co-irker is going on his annual trip to Vegas soon. He's had a slot machine ring tone for his Vegas buddies - which plays at a ridiculously high volume for an office - for three months now. He talks constantly about his stupid trip, and the only thing more annoying than the lead-up is the fact that he'll be complaining for a month afterward about gaining 10 pounds from eating at buffets for a week (yes, a week. He's going to Vegas for a week. Insanity).
- Speaking of Rhode Island (who ever says that?) I got an exemption letter from a customer the other day informing me that I should not charge them tax because they're not registered to collect and submit to "Road Island." And it wasn't a mistake - it appeared that way three times in the letter. Doh.
- I've ordered something ridiculous like 22 pieces of jewelry in two weeks to add to my collection. Most of it was covered by jewelry premiums I've earned for hitting sales goals, but I still feel like a crazy jewelry lady. The sad part, I still have about 70 items on my wish list. Yikes!
- Oooh, I made a most amazing dinner last night that you should try. You know how I said I discovered that Dan loves chicken pot pie? I created a twist. I used my crock pot to cook 3 chicken breast halves in cream of mushroom soup as I usually do, but then I also added a can of chile in adobo sauce. Then, after making my rue, instead of adding garden veggies, I used a can of corn, a can of seasoned black beans and a can of mild diced green chiles. The result? Mexican Chicken Pot Pie. Soooo good!
- This Pinterest thing? Where they're saying we could all get sued for pinning? I think it's kind of crazy. I mean, I get where people would be coming from, but it seems like it would be a huge mess to try to sue people for having your pictures. And I kind of feel like if you put it on the internet, it's sort of fair game. Sort of. I guess I'm on the fence. I mean, at least you're giving credit to the owner because Pinterest links back to the original site. Tumblr, on the other hand, completely divorces the thumbnail from its source. That seems way worse, yet no one is questioning the legality of Tumblr accounts. Still, in my idealic mind, I'd be fine if someone emailed me and said, "hey, you pinned my stuff, and I'm not happy with that. Can you take it down?" Sure, no problem. Do we really have to start sueing people? Also, considering that I'm still waiting for Lars Ulrich to show up at my door with a warrant for my arrest for my Napster account, I'm not all that worried this will go anywhere.
Happy Friday! Hope you have a great weekend! And go see Shana to check out everyone else's musings.
Friday, March 2, 2012
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Two Steps Toward Freedom
Let's talk money for a minute, shall we? When I was in college, I got myself into a little bit of a pickle. Okay, maybe a lotta bit of a pickle. I was given a credit card, went nuts, and I maxed it out. My parents bailed me out and then... I did it again, but this time I had two cards. I lived in a world of constant stress as I tried to make payments until one day, shortly after I graduated from college, I hit a wall. I owed something crazy like $1200 in 4 days. I did credit counseling, during which time I was issued no new credit, my score tanked, and I had to learn to live with only the cash in my bank account. I used tax returns and extra cash and paid the debt off a year and a half early.
I don't think my situation is all that uncommon. I think it's a generational thing - we want what we want when we want it. For whatever reason, we may not understand how credit works and how to use it responsibly. We see plastic cards that buy stuff and we'll figure it out later. Even though I knew I had to make payments, I don't think it sunk in ever that I had to make more than the minimums and that the amount of debt I had would affect my future and buying power on big things like a car and a house. I think this is one of those lessons I had to learn the hard way - as a lot of people my age probably do - and it's a sucky one.
When I signed up for the credit counseling, I was told that when my debt was paid, my score would recover and I would be able to build fresh new credit. It turns out that wasn't so easy. My score has only very recently begun to rebound (and I paid that last bill almost 3 years ago), and I still can't get a card with a limit over $500. That's fine, I don't need more. I've learned to budget and pay for what I need with cash. It's funny though, because when I hear people say they'll do a short sale on their home and their credit will be fine in 7 years, I laugh. That's when you may be able to start applying for credit because it drops off your report, but it doesn't mean you'll have enough of it that anyone will trust you with their borrowed money. What is difficult is not having a safety net for things like car repairs or a water heater going out, or a medical bill. For that, I've had to rely on Dan. When Paisley got sick, a big portion of her bills went on his card. When my tuition for grad school exceeded what my company covered for a calendar year, it went on his card. When we moved into the house and had fun with some renovating and redecorating, it went on his card. I'm thankful he's credit-wise, but it doesn't mean we haven't built debt in our time together.
When I could finally be approved for credit of my own, I opened a couple small retail cards. I added another when I needed a laptop. I needed to establish a good payment history, and I finally had a true understanding of what that meant. I was careful to keep my debt ratio low and make my payments on time as well as pay at least $20 over my minimum. I've had them for about two years now and they have small balances that I make sure to manage. I'm mindful of making old mistakes. However, I hadn't ever completely paid them off.... until today.
Today, I got notice of my second lia sophia commission check, and I scheduled payments to pay them off 100%. They're weren't big dollar amounts, but they were more than my regularly budgeted payments and having that debt wiped to $0 is an amazing feeling. And it's a part of our plan - my cards get paid off, I dedicate what would have been the old payment to Dan's card. As I eliminate payments and dedicate them and lia sophia income to Dan's card, we hope to be debt free by July or August. At that point, we can contribute more to savings and do more of the things we want to do, like (hopefully) take vacations and renovate more of the house.
It feels absolutely amazing to see our plan being set into motion. It's just the first two steps, but I'm excited that those two little steps will help snowball us into achieving goals that would have taken longer to achieve without the opportunity lia sophia has provided me. And this isn't a lia sophia thing - yes, it's the opportunity I had (and you could too), but it's a matter of having a goal, working at it, and seeing the first part of the plan completed. It's the motivation I need to keep working hard at booking shows so that I can keep it going and bring us to a better financial place. It also shows me how far I've come - from stressed out 7 years ago to feeling liberated as I hit that "confirm payment" button. I'm truly proud of myself.
I don't think my situation is all that uncommon. I think it's a generational thing - we want what we want when we want it. For whatever reason, we may not understand how credit works and how to use it responsibly. We see plastic cards that buy stuff and we'll figure it out later. Even though I knew I had to make payments, I don't think it sunk in ever that I had to make more than the minimums and that the amount of debt I had would affect my future and buying power on big things like a car and a house. I think this is one of those lessons I had to learn the hard way - as a lot of people my age probably do - and it's a sucky one.
When I signed up for the credit counseling, I was told that when my debt was paid, my score would recover and I would be able to build fresh new credit. It turns out that wasn't so easy. My score has only very recently begun to rebound (and I paid that last bill almost 3 years ago), and I still can't get a card with a limit over $500. That's fine, I don't need more. I've learned to budget and pay for what I need with cash. It's funny though, because when I hear people say they'll do a short sale on their home and their credit will be fine in 7 years, I laugh. That's when you may be able to start applying for credit because it drops off your report, but it doesn't mean you'll have enough of it that anyone will trust you with their borrowed money. What is difficult is not having a safety net for things like car repairs or a water heater going out, or a medical bill. For that, I've had to rely on Dan. When Paisley got sick, a big portion of her bills went on his card. When my tuition for grad school exceeded what my company covered for a calendar year, it went on his card. When we moved into the house and had fun with some renovating and redecorating, it went on his card. I'm thankful he's credit-wise, but it doesn't mean we haven't built debt in our time together.
When I could finally be approved for credit of my own, I opened a couple small retail cards. I added another when I needed a laptop. I needed to establish a good payment history, and I finally had a true understanding of what that meant. I was careful to keep my debt ratio low and make my payments on time as well as pay at least $20 over my minimum. I've had them for about two years now and they have small balances that I make sure to manage. I'm mindful of making old mistakes. However, I hadn't ever completely paid them off.... until today.
Today, I got notice of my second lia sophia commission check, and I scheduled payments to pay them off 100%. They're weren't big dollar amounts, but they were more than my regularly budgeted payments and having that debt wiped to $0 is an amazing feeling. And it's a part of our plan - my cards get paid off, I dedicate what would have been the old payment to Dan's card. As I eliminate payments and dedicate them and lia sophia income to Dan's card, we hope to be debt free by July or August. At that point, we can contribute more to savings and do more of the things we want to do, like (hopefully) take vacations and renovate more of the house.
It feels absolutely amazing to see our plan being set into motion. It's just the first two steps, but I'm excited that those two little steps will help snowball us into achieving goals that would have taken longer to achieve without the opportunity lia sophia has provided me. And this isn't a lia sophia thing - yes, it's the opportunity I had (and you could too), but it's a matter of having a goal, working at it, and seeing the first part of the plan completed. It's the motivation I need to keep working hard at booking shows so that I can keep it going and bring us to a better financial place. It also shows me how far I've come - from stressed out 7 years ago to feeling liberated as I hit that "confirm payment" button. I'm truly proud of myself.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Monday Musings Free Your Mind
Buckle Up. This could be long. I didn't get to a random musings post on Friday, but it turns out my weekend was more fun/interesting to talk about anyway. Kind of. So now, brought to you by cold medicines galore and a head stuffed full of cotton, I bring you Monday Musings Free Your Mind, where I mash two posts together and hope for the best.
- Last week, we were informed that we get to go to Morristown for work. For a day. Yep, the VP, in his infinite wisdom wants us to make the trek to New Jersey for a one-day meeting. The good thing is, my boss doesn't seem to be seeing the sense in this, and it sounds like I may be going earlier and working from there for a day. Maybe. Hurray for not rapidly flying across country and back, but boo for being away from home longer, which is bound to make me cranky.
- Speaking of cranky, I have a cold. I spent yesterday on the couch for the most part while Dan finished painting the first color of the guest room. I did a fair amount of whining, and when laying on the couch had tired me out enough, I went back to bed. I hate that I'm at work sick today (because if it was someone else, I'd be bitching about them exposing me to their plague), but it's month-end close. My plan today is to get as much done as I can and go back home. I'm already starting to feel hazy.
- I spent part of Saturday with Temerity Jane sans Penny, who had some crankiness of her own going on. We met up, headed to Old Navy for flip flops, then went for pedicures. After that, we went out for lunch at the only place we ever seem to go (The Yardhouse is yummy, though). It's always nice to have girl time, and TJ and I see eye-to-eye on quite a few things, so that was fun. Then I shadowed a very successful lia sophia advisor and spent Saturday night with the pups, take-out, and movies while Dan went dirt-bike riding with the boys.
- While we were getting our pedicures, the nail lady asked if we were married and then if we had kids. We both said we were married, TJ mentioned Penny, and I said I had no children. The nail lady said, "yet..." And I said, "no, none for us." As much as I am passionate about raising IF awareness, the nail lady I'll never see again doesn't need to know, and I'm not going to explain it in public. Apparently, my answer wasn't good enough and she ended up saying something along the lines of (in her Asian accent) "your husband okay you no want his kids?" Umm, say what? Love how that became my fault. That's the shiit I deal with. She's lucky I've been in a good place lately and didn't accidentally on purpose kick her. She should thank my therapist.
Alright, now onto the next installment of mind-freeing questions:
16. How come the things that make you happy don’t make everyone happy? This really isn't a mind-boggling question, if you ask me. We all value different things and have different interests. We’re all unique and different things make us tick. You may love stamp-collecting, while I'd rather make headbands or wreaths or something. There's no right or wrong when it comes to what fulfills you.
17. What one thing have you not done that you really want to do? What’s holding you back? I really want to see Trans-Siberian Orchestra in concert. I guess what’s holding me back is making the effort to buy tickets and go. It always strikes me as a pricey show, and though I know I'd love it, I can't seem to justify it. One day, though.
18. Are you holding onto something you need to let go of? Who isn’t? I think we all have something that we know we need to let go, and we play it off like it's not a big deal, but it IS a big deal and we're not ready yet.
19. If you had to move to a state or country besides the one you currently live in, where would you move and why? I love the Northwest and would love to live in Seattle near my sister.
20. Do you push the elevator button more than once? Do you really believe it makes the elevator faster? No! I don’t mess with elevators at all. If you push stuff, it might stop, and then I’ll be trapped. Elevators are terrifying, and you never touch them more than necessary. Ever.
Happy Monday Musings Free Your Mind, friends :)
- Last week, we were informed that we get to go to Morristown for work. For a day. Yep, the VP, in his infinite wisdom wants us to make the trek to New Jersey for a one-day meeting. The good thing is, my boss doesn't seem to be seeing the sense in this, and it sounds like I may be going earlier and working from there for a day. Maybe. Hurray for not rapidly flying across country and back, but boo for being away from home longer, which is bound to make me cranky.
- Speaking of cranky, I have a cold. I spent yesterday on the couch for the most part while Dan finished painting the first color of the guest room. I did a fair amount of whining, and when laying on the couch had tired me out enough, I went back to bed. I hate that I'm at work sick today (because if it was someone else, I'd be bitching about them exposing me to their plague), but it's month-end close. My plan today is to get as much done as I can and go back home. I'm already starting to feel hazy.
- I spent part of Saturday with Temerity Jane sans Penny, who had some crankiness of her own going on. We met up, headed to Old Navy for flip flops, then went for pedicures. After that, we went out for lunch at the only place we ever seem to go (The Yardhouse is yummy, though). It's always nice to have girl time, and TJ and I see eye-to-eye on quite a few things, so that was fun. Then I shadowed a very successful lia sophia advisor and spent Saturday night with the pups, take-out, and movies while Dan went dirt-bike riding with the boys.
- While we were getting our pedicures, the nail lady asked if we were married and then if we had kids. We both said we were married, TJ mentioned Penny, and I said I had no children. The nail lady said, "yet..." And I said, "no, none for us." As much as I am passionate about raising IF awareness, the nail lady I'll never see again doesn't need to know, and I'm not going to explain it in public. Apparently, my answer wasn't good enough and she ended up saying something along the lines of (in her Asian accent) "your husband okay you no want his kids?" Umm, say what? Love how that became my fault. That's the shiit I deal with. She's lucky I've been in a good place lately and didn't accidentally on purpose kick her. She should thank my therapist.
Alright, now onto the next installment of mind-freeing questions:
16. How come the things that make you happy don’t make everyone happy? This really isn't a mind-boggling question, if you ask me. We all value different things and have different interests. We’re all unique and different things make us tick. You may love stamp-collecting, while I'd rather make headbands or wreaths or something. There's no right or wrong when it comes to what fulfills you.
17. What one thing have you not done that you really want to do? What’s holding you back? I really want to see Trans-Siberian Orchestra in concert. I guess what’s holding me back is making the effort to buy tickets and go. It always strikes me as a pricey show, and though I know I'd love it, I can't seem to justify it. One day, though.
18. Are you holding onto something you need to let go of? Who isn’t? I think we all have something that we know we need to let go, and we play it off like it's not a big deal, but it IS a big deal and we're not ready yet.
19. If you had to move to a state or country besides the one you currently live in, where would you move and why? I love the Northwest and would love to live in Seattle near my sister.
20. Do you push the elevator button more than once? Do you really believe it makes the elevator faster? No! I don’t mess with elevators at all. If you push stuff, it might stop, and then I’ll be trapped. Elevators are terrifying, and you never touch them more than necessary. Ever.
Happy Monday Musings Free Your Mind, friends :)
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Deep breath...
After receiving a lot of support and encouragement from people here, on the Twitter and on Facebook - along with an incredibly sweet card from an amazing friend and fellow IFer - I've decided to reveal my tattoo and what it means. Dan helped me with the concept - he paid for it as a gift to me, so this is something meaningful to both of us. Our wonderfully supportive friend and artist did the work.
Sparrow tattoos have a long history in tattoos and have many meanings depending on depiction, placement and angle. For us, though, the sparrows represent me and Dan. They mate for life and travel great distances, always to return home, and that's a profoundly strong symbol for us - we're in this together, no matter what. They're also a symbol of hope and renewal, and they stand for our hope for a fulfilling and happy life. The ribbon held by the birds is an infertility awareness ribbon in the colors pink and blue (it also symbolizes miscarriage and baby loss, which you would find more predominantly in a google search). We carry it together symbolically and literally.
This piece is different than most of my others in style. It's darker, and there's more chaos. One girl who saw it said she could see the pain. Many times, sparrows are depicted in a traditional American stylized fashion. Mine are more realistic (in style, not necessarily color), and I like that they demonstrate the reality of our situation - all too often, people dealing with infertility are told to relax, stop thinking about it, go on vacation, get drunk and "do it." In doing so, it often makes us feel as though our struggle is minimized, our concern falsified. Dan and I are real people with real diagnoses and had to make real (tough) decisions. My Our sparrows depict that.
Thanks for your love and support, friends <3
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Free Your Mind... uh, Tuesday
Oooops. I was off yesterday, and I spent most of my day putting down the first color on my tone-on-tone striped purple craft room walls. Most of the color, anyway. I didn't pull out the ladder, so Dan has the top 2 or so feet of each wall to finish. Then we'll tape off the stripes and lay down the darker shade, hopefully resulting in pure yummy purpley magic like I've been imagining in my head. The time I didn't spend painting was spent preparing to paint and taking a post-painting nap on the couch with the dogs. Fabulous.
We spent part of our weekend at the body art expo. Dan's leg piece took 3rd place! We were so excited for our artist, because it really is a fantastically clean piece of art. Body art expos are some amazing people watching. I get wanting to show off your ink, but some people were literally walking around in loin cloths and lingerie to show their skin. Craziness. And suspension artists - ick, gross. I'd seen it on TV, but it's much worse in person.
I also had 3 lia sophia shows in 4 days - one at my house hosted by my mother-in-law, and two others for friends. I did pretty well, and so did my hostesses. At the meeting last night, I took #10 in the division's top sellers for January, and it was just for a starter show, which I didn't even actually present at. Based on my sales so far in February, I stand to close out somewhere in the #4-6 range. Booyah!
Speaking of lia sophia, Amanda's show closes tomorrow, so get those orders in!
Alright, onto my next set of mind-freeing questions:
11. You’re having lunch with three people you respect and admire. They all start criticizing a close friend of yours, not knowing she is your friend. The criticism is distasteful and unjustified. What do you do? Having recently been the subject of unjustified shit-talking, I can answer this with confidence. And not only because of that, but the experience solidified what I knew was the right answer. At the very least, I’d tell them that they don’t know the whole story and while I respect them as my friends, I think they’ve got it wrong and they should get the whole story (or gasp, TALK to the subject,, even) before talking about her behind her back. And then I'd remove myself. It's hurtful having people talk about you.
12. If you could offer a newborn child only one piece of advice, what would it be? Live to have no regrets. It sounds hefty and dull, but I think it's all-encompassing in life. Do what makes you happy, own it, learn from mistakes you make, and don't ever feel like you have to justify your life choices to anyone else. When you go to sleep at night, be happy with that you did that day. Live life so that when you're on your death bed, there is no thinking, "I wish I had...."
13. Would you break the law to save a loved one? Yes. I mean, it would suck to go to jail, but what would suck more is living the rest of my life knowing I could have saved someone else.
14. Have you ever seen insanity where you later saw creativity? All true creativity is the result of some radical, “insane” idea.
15. What’s something you know you do differently than most people? I think compared to a lot of people I know, I’m not much of a risk taker. I value mental and physical comfort as well as certainty.
There we have it. I can feel my mind shaking free already.
We spent part of our weekend at the body art expo. Dan's leg piece took 3rd place! We were so excited for our artist, because it really is a fantastically clean piece of art. Body art expos are some amazing people watching. I get wanting to show off your ink, but some people were literally walking around in loin cloths and lingerie to show their skin. Craziness. And suspension artists - ick, gross. I'd seen it on TV, but it's much worse in person.
I also had 3 lia sophia shows in 4 days - one at my house hosted by my mother-in-law, and two others for friends. I did pretty well, and so did my hostesses. At the meeting last night, I took #10 in the division's top sellers for January, and it was just for a starter show, which I didn't even actually present at. Based on my sales so far in February, I stand to close out somewhere in the #4-6 range. Booyah!
Speaking of lia sophia, Amanda's show closes tomorrow, so get those orders in!
Alright, onto my next set of mind-freeing questions:
11. You’re having lunch with three people you respect and admire. They all start criticizing a close friend of yours, not knowing she is your friend. The criticism is distasteful and unjustified. What do you do? Having recently been the subject of unjustified shit-talking, I can answer this with confidence. And not only because of that, but the experience solidified what I knew was the right answer. At the very least, I’d tell them that they don’t know the whole story and while I respect them as my friends, I think they’ve got it wrong and they should get the whole story (or gasp, TALK to the subject,, even) before talking about her behind her back. And then I'd remove myself. It's hurtful having people talk about you.
12. If you could offer a newborn child only one piece of advice, what would it be? Live to have no regrets. It sounds hefty and dull, but I think it's all-encompassing in life. Do what makes you happy, own it, learn from mistakes you make, and don't ever feel like you have to justify your life choices to anyone else. When you go to sleep at night, be happy with that you did that day. Live life so that when you're on your death bed, there is no thinking, "I wish I had...."
13. Would you break the law to save a loved one? Yes. I mean, it would suck to go to jail, but what would suck more is living the rest of my life knowing I could have saved someone else.
14. Have you ever seen insanity where you later saw creativity? All true creativity is the result of some radical, “insane” idea.
15. What’s something you know you do differently than most people? I think compared to a lot of people I know, I’m not much of a risk taker. I value mental and physical comfort as well as certainty.
There we have it. I can feel my mind shaking free already.
Friday, February 17, 2012
Random Musings Friday
Happy Friday! Holy shizballs, this week felt long! Here's my brain dump:
- I just can't get into a sympathetic frame of mind over Whitney Houston's death. I respect that she's a person who died and that's sad for her family and loved ones, but in my humble opinion, she was a crackhead with a once great voice and her death was not surprising due to her lifestyle. I say "once great" because her continued drug use damaged it. She was a troubled soul, and I'm glad that she no longer suffers, but I always find it interesting when celebrities with troubled pasts pass away and we seem to forget the troubled part. Either way, rest in peace, Whitney.
- I had my second lia sophia show last night, hosted by my mother-in-law at my house. It was small and fun, but I was hoping for bigger sales for her. I'm kicking tail on my start-up sales goals, which is great, and I've gotten bookings out of both shows, so I'm thankful for a successful start. I have two more shows this weekend, and I'm just hoping they go really well for my hostesses, because I am so thankful they agreed to help me get started.
- Dan and I bought the paint for the craft room on Sunday, and I'm hoping we can get started with the makeover this weekend.
- Speaking of this weekend, we're going to the body art expo. I've never been to one and I'm really excited. I really have no idea what to expect. Our tattoo artist is entering one of Dan's pieces in a contest and I'm super excited for both of them.
- Confession: I got a tattoo symbolizing our infertility and - aside from posting it on Facebook with a vague explanation of its meaning - haven't really shown it to anyone. My confession is that I worry that people would think that since we didn't try treatment, getting a permanent mark of our experience would be making a mountain out of a molehill. I struggle a lot with feeling like we haven't "suffered" enough, and I need to come to terms with that.
Hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Don't forget to go see the other link-ups at Shana's site. Oh, and! Amanda's lia sophia virtual jewelry extravaganza ends Wednesday and a I threw in a special deal for orders submitted this weekend, so go visit her, too.
- I just can't get into a sympathetic frame of mind over Whitney Houston's death. I respect that she's a person who died and that's sad for her family and loved ones, but in my humble opinion, she was a crackhead with a once great voice and her death was not surprising due to her lifestyle. I say "once great" because her continued drug use damaged it. She was a troubled soul, and I'm glad that she no longer suffers, but I always find it interesting when celebrities with troubled pasts pass away and we seem to forget the troubled part. Either way, rest in peace, Whitney.
- I had my second lia sophia show last night, hosted by my mother-in-law at my house. It was small and fun, but I was hoping for bigger sales for her. I'm kicking tail on my start-up sales goals, which is great, and I've gotten bookings out of both shows, so I'm thankful for a successful start. I have two more shows this weekend, and I'm just hoping they go really well for my hostesses, because I am so thankful they agreed to help me get started.
- Dan and I bought the paint for the craft room on Sunday, and I'm hoping we can get started with the makeover this weekend.
- Speaking of this weekend, we're going to the body art expo. I've never been to one and I'm really excited. I really have no idea what to expect. Our tattoo artist is entering one of Dan's pieces in a contest and I'm super excited for both of them.
- Confession: I got a tattoo symbolizing our infertility and - aside from posting it on Facebook with a vague explanation of its meaning - haven't really shown it to anyone. My confession is that I worry that people would think that since we didn't try treatment, getting a permanent mark of our experience would be making a mountain out of a molehill. I struggle a lot with feeling like we haven't "suffered" enough, and I need to come to terms with that.
Hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Don't forget to go see the other link-ups at Shana's site. Oh, and! Amanda's lia sophia virtual jewelry extravaganza ends Wednesday and a I threw in a special deal for orders submitted this weekend, so go visit her, too.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Well, since everyone else is doing it
I kind of glazed over it in my last post, but everyone else who went to PJs at TJ's wrote a recap, so I figure I should too. Because it was fun and TJ was a very generous hostess who showed us all a wonderful time.
So, Friday I got done with work and headed across the street to the airport to pick up Elise. We had fun chatting in the car as we headed toward TJ's house. When we got in touch with TJ outside the base to arrange the base access stuff, she asked if we could turn around and go grab a few girls at a nearby outdoor mall, because she could only sign on so many cars and blah blah blah so we needed to carpool. So Elise and I picked up Stephanie, Megan (who doesn't blog but does Tweet), and Laura and headed back.
The rest of the evening was spent meeting and greeting as more people arrived. The bloggers attending aren't in my usual blog social circle, but I'd checked them out to know who they all were. Even so, I quickly realized I hadn't read enough. That or I am even worse with remembering names and details than I usually am. Anyway, I met Linnea, Noemi, Diane, Lara, Jess, Jessica, Kammah, Erin, and two of TJ's aunts. TJ put out a sandwich spread and enough soda for a small army, along with a WALL of CANDY. Organized candy. Seriously, brilliant. She used a show organizer on her laundry room door and stuffed it with goodies. Dan can never find out about it because he'll want one. We chatted and played with babies (TJ's Penny, Erin's Lorelai, Jessica's Callum) and hung out before heading home (or to hotels) for the night.
I got up bright and early Saturday (because I have dogs who don't sleep for shit because OMG, they might miss a meal) and picked up a few girls and headed back to TJ's for breakfast. Ladies trickled in all morning, including a new arrival, Andrea and her daughter, Alli. The babies played on the floor while we chatted. After a while, a few of us headed off to Target for general awesomeness shopping and to buy pajamas for the PJ party that evening. I had to leave to go shadow a lia sophia show (although I got hopelessly lost, burst into tears, and ended up giving up and going home for a nap) and a few girls went to get pedicures while TJ turned the house into a true pajama party.
I have to say this about TJ real quick. She really is awesome. I enjoy her company very much and am glad we've become friends. She's funny in a sarcastic way I can appreciate, wicked clever in both her writing and her conversation, and incredibly kind. She truly just wanted everyone to have a good time. She took a lot of effort in planning to get the most out of our very minimal registration "fee" (for lack of a better word, because I think we all would have coughed up more for the experience). She kept us in good snacks, great company, and gracious hospitality all weekend.
So, with all that in mind, she also had a vision for this party. She and I met up after she came home from the Blathering, and as she was hatching her idea for her own gathering, she truly wanted a middle school-esque girlfest PJ party. Like old school, from back when we'd stay up late with girlfriends eating popcorn and candy until we got sick, whispering about boys and watching movies. She had a VISION. And that vision included a BED. At a pajama party. It's so obvious, yet so brilliant that she actually hauled out a bed while most of the girls were gone (I came back to help turn the house from "hang out all day" space to "this is where the party's happening space), set it up in the living room, made it up with blankets and pillows, and set the scene. She had hot pink and black streamers and party decor. Everyone (including Kara, who hadn't been able to make it to the Friday night meet-and-greet) descended on Kelly's house in their cute pajamas and warm fuzzy socks. We had pizza, "Big" and "Dirty Dancing" going in the background, root beer floats, and a lot of great conversation. We piled on the bed or sat on couches or the floor, played with little ones, and just talked all night.
I'll be honest, being with that many people at once for a whole day is breeding grounds for sensory overload for me. But it was precisely what I didn't even know I needed. It really was great and very memorable. There were ladies from so many different places and backgrounds to meet and get to know and share with. I spend just about every evening hanging out with at least one guy (Dan, obvs, and possibly the roommate or one of Dan's coworkers), so having girl time was a breath of fresh air. And it didn't matter that I didn't relate to all of their experiences because we were all there for one reason - to just have fun and enjoy something totally new. As tired as I was on Sunday from all the fun, it was a happy and satisfied tired.
So, in summation, I'd definitely recommend attending a blog gathering should you ever have the opportunity. And it doesn't matter that it's not a gathering of your "usual" bloggers, because they can become part of your blog circle. It's an experience you won't regret - I can assure you that the 15 ladies who spent Saturday night in PJs with me would agree with you :)
So, Friday I got done with work and headed across the street to the airport to pick up Elise. We had fun chatting in the car as we headed toward TJ's house. When we got in touch with TJ outside the base to arrange the base access stuff, she asked if we could turn around and go grab a few girls at a nearby outdoor mall, because she could only sign on so many cars and blah blah blah so we needed to carpool. So Elise and I picked up Stephanie, Megan (who doesn't blog but does Tweet), and Laura and headed back.
The rest of the evening was spent meeting and greeting as more people arrived. The bloggers attending aren't in my usual blog social circle, but I'd checked them out to know who they all were. Even so, I quickly realized I hadn't read enough. That or I am even worse with remembering names and details than I usually am. Anyway, I met Linnea, Noemi, Diane, Lara, Jess, Jessica, Kammah, Erin, and two of TJ's aunts. TJ put out a sandwich spread and enough soda for a small army, along with a WALL of CANDY. Organized candy. Seriously, brilliant. She used a show organizer on her laundry room door and stuffed it with goodies. Dan can never find out about it because he'll want one. We chatted and played with babies (TJ's Penny, Erin's Lorelai, Jessica's Callum) and hung out before heading home (or to hotels) for the night.
I got up bright and early Saturday (because I have dogs who don't sleep for shit because OMG, they might miss a meal) and picked up a few girls and headed back to TJ's for breakfast. Ladies trickled in all morning, including a new arrival, Andrea and her daughter, Alli. The babies played on the floor while we chatted. After a while, a few of us headed off to Target for general awesomeness shopping and to buy pajamas for the PJ party that evening. I had to leave to go shadow a lia sophia show (although I got hopelessly lost, burst into tears, and ended up giving up and going home for a nap) and a few girls went to get pedicures while TJ turned the house into a true pajama party.
I have to say this about TJ real quick. She really is awesome. I enjoy her company very much and am glad we've become friends. She's funny in a sarcastic way I can appreciate, wicked clever in both her writing and her conversation, and incredibly kind. She truly just wanted everyone to have a good time. She took a lot of effort in planning to get the most out of our very minimal registration "fee" (for lack of a better word, because I think we all would have coughed up more for the experience). She kept us in good snacks, great company, and gracious hospitality all weekend.
So, with all that in mind, she also had a vision for this party. She and I met up after she came home from the Blathering, and as she was hatching her idea for her own gathering, she truly wanted a middle school-esque girlfest PJ party. Like old school, from back when we'd stay up late with girlfriends eating popcorn and candy until we got sick, whispering about boys and watching movies. She had a VISION. And that vision included a BED. At a pajama party. It's so obvious, yet so brilliant that she actually hauled out a bed while most of the girls were gone (I came back to help turn the house from "hang out all day" space to "this is where the party's happening space), set it up in the living room, made it up with blankets and pillows, and set the scene. She had hot pink and black streamers and party decor. Everyone (including Kara, who hadn't been able to make it to the Friday night meet-and-greet) descended on Kelly's house in their cute pajamas and warm fuzzy socks. We had pizza, "Big" and "Dirty Dancing" going in the background, root beer floats, and a lot of great conversation. We piled on the bed or sat on couches or the floor, played with little ones, and just talked all night.
I'll be honest, being with that many people at once for a whole day is breeding grounds for sensory overload for me. But it was precisely what I didn't even know I needed. It really was great and very memorable. There were ladies from so many different places and backgrounds to meet and get to know and share with. I spend just about every evening hanging out with at least one guy (Dan, obvs, and possibly the roommate or one of Dan's coworkers), so having girl time was a breath of fresh air. And it didn't matter that I didn't relate to all of their experiences because we were all there for one reason - to just have fun and enjoy something totally new. As tired as I was on Sunday from all the fun, it was a happy and satisfied tired.
So, in summation, I'd definitely recommend attending a blog gathering should you ever have the opportunity. And it doesn't matter that it's not a gathering of your "usual" bloggers, because they can become part of your blog circle. It's an experience you won't regret - I can assure you that the 15 ladies who spent Saturday night in PJs with me would agree with you :)
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
TIme to get Blingy
Happy Valentine's Day, all :)
Today is the kick-off of a very special little partnership between me and Amanda at It's Blogworthy. Amanda is hosting the first ever virtual lia sophia jewelry party, and the info is on her site. It's part of the 1st birthday celebration for her awesome Friday feature, Celebrity Roundup, for which I was the first ever guest poster back when Charlie Sheen went cuckoo for cocoa puffs. We're quite excited about this little endeavor, and I'm thrilled to have her as a hostess. So hop on over to her site to check it out and treat yourself to whatever you didn't get for Valentine's Day.
Today is the kick-off of a very special little partnership between me and Amanda at It's Blogworthy. Amanda is hosting the first ever virtual lia sophia jewelry party, and the info is on her site. It's part of the 1st birthday celebration for her awesome Friday feature, Celebrity Roundup, for which I was the first ever guest poster back when Charlie Sheen went cuckoo for cocoa puffs. We're quite excited about this little endeavor, and I'm thrilled to have her as a hostess. So hop on over to her site to check it out and treat yourself to whatever you didn't get for Valentine's Day.
Monday, February 13, 2012
PJs at TJ's and Free Your Mind Monday
Morning, all! I'm a hot mess today. I forgot my phone and my badge to get into the office. I forgot to leave Dan my check for my car payment, and I'm sure I'll discover I forgot something else at some point today. It's a great start to Monday, eh? I had a really fun weekend, though. I went to PJs at TJ's, hosted by Temerity Jane, which means I got to cross off #34 on my 101 in 1001. I got to meet some wonderful fellow bloggers (and a couple of their super cute kiddos), relax, enjoy girl talk, and wear my pajamas for most of a day - let's not kid ourselves though. Me wearing pajamas for 24+ hours is not all that uncommon. All in all, it was really fun, and I highly recommend attending a blog gathering if you ever have the opportunity.
Last week, I started my Free Your Mind Monday, inspired by Shana. Today brings you the second installment of my 50 Questions to Free Your Mind:
6. If happiness was the national currency, what kind of work would make you rich? Baking and crafting – anything to be creative and gift people with things I put heart into. I'm most happy when I'm doing something that fulfills my urge to bring ideas to fruition with something tangible and hopefully fun.
7. Are you doing what you believe in, or are you settling for what you are doing? I think I’m doing what I believe in. Part of my growth in the last 5 years has been to do what makes me (and Dan) happy and make no apologies. You're never going to please everyone, but what's most important is that I go to bed at night knowing I'm happy and have nothing to regret.
8. If the average human life span was 40 years, how would you live your life differently? I’d spend more time on vacation, enjoying silence. I’d read more, laugh more, and cuddle more.
9. To what degree have you actually controlled the course your life has taken? A lot I think. I’ve made some tough decisions over the last ten years, and gotten myself out of some rough spots. There's a certain amount of life that one can't control, and I've tried to make the best possible decisions for the situation I was in. I haven't always done things the way I would now looking back with hindsight, but I own it and try to learn from it.
10. Are you more worried about doing things right, or doing the right things? Both. I don’t think anyone wants to do things wrong. However, I’m not willing to compromise my integrity just to get an answer “right.” Doing the right thing would win out over doing things right. I’m the only one who has to live with my actions.
Last week, I started my Free Your Mind Monday, inspired by Shana. Today brings you the second installment of my 50 Questions to Free Your Mind:
6. If happiness was the national currency, what kind of work would make you rich? Baking and crafting – anything to be creative and gift people with things I put heart into. I'm most happy when I'm doing something that fulfills my urge to bring ideas to fruition with something tangible and hopefully fun.
7. Are you doing what you believe in, or are you settling for what you are doing? I think I’m doing what I believe in. Part of my growth in the last 5 years has been to do what makes me (and Dan) happy and make no apologies. You're never going to please everyone, but what's most important is that I go to bed at night knowing I'm happy and have nothing to regret.
8. If the average human life span was 40 years, how would you live your life differently? I’d spend more time on vacation, enjoying silence. I’d read more, laugh more, and cuddle more.
9. To what degree have you actually controlled the course your life has taken? A lot I think. I’ve made some tough decisions over the last ten years, and gotten myself out of some rough spots. There's a certain amount of life that one can't control, and I've tried to make the best possible decisions for the situation I was in. I haven't always done things the way I would now looking back with hindsight, but I own it and try to learn from it.
10. Are you more worried about doing things right, or doing the right things? Both. I don’t think anyone wants to do things wrong. However, I’m not willing to compromise my integrity just to get an answer “right.” Doing the right thing would win out over doing things right. I’m the only one who has to live with my actions.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
It's getting mushy in here
Found this on The Blue Eyed Bride's site. I figured while I was eating my lunch (which my husband had simmering on the stove when I walked in last night - Dan for the win!) I'd get a little mushy. We're not big on Valentine's Day, but I do loves me some husband and I like talking about our relationship, so I'm going to get lovey dovey for a few.
1. How long have you and your significant other been together? We don't know the exact date of our first date, but it was late May, 2008. We started "goin' steady" at the end of July. It feels like much longer... in a good way. He looked so young!
1. How long have you and your significant other been together? We don't know the exact date of our first date, but it was late May, 2008. We started "goin' steady" at the end of July. It feels like much longer... in a good way. He looked so young!
2. How did you meet? We went to the baby shower of a mutual friend. I know... a guy at a baby shower? Yeah, well, Mom-to-be was clingy and would never let Dad-to-be off his leash, so she made him invite his friends and bribed them into coming with beer. I wooed Dan with my knowledge of celebrity babies, but just as he got the (liquid) courage to come say hi, I left for dinner plans. He asked our mutual friend for my info, we linked up on myspace and went on our first date a couple weeks later.
3. If married, how long have you been married? We got married (that's a lot of "married") on October, 16, 2009 (his 25th birthday), so we've been married 2 years, 3 months, 23 days and roughly 40 minutes. But who's counting?
4. If you are married.. okay, we've established I'm married... where did you get married? Big or small wedding? Our wedding and reception were at a Sheraton Hotel in Phoenix, near what is affectionately known as the Ghettro Center Mall. After the reception, we continued the party at Dave and Buster's. I believe our final guest count that day was 67, so it was small... and perfect.
5. Do you have any nicknames that you call each other? We both call each other "Buddy." He sometimes calls me "Lil Bud"
6. Name 3 things you love most about your honey. He's my rock, he's the most kind and sweet and generous man I know, and he's funny as hell.
7. Tell us how he proposed? In the living room in our pajamas after making dinner together on a Sunday evening. It was absolutely perfect.
8. Is he a flowers and teddy bear kind of guy for V-day, or strawberries, champagne, and rose petals? Neither. Our brand of romance isn't for everyone. Dan shows his love by washing my car and bathing the dogs. He does things to make my life easier. When he surprises me with gifts, it's with something I wouldn't buy myself or something I've been talking about, like with hiding my Kindle in his lunch box or surprising me with a new wallet. Plus, we don't give gifts on Valentine's Day. So the aforementioned sweetness is just his normal, everyday awesomeness.
9. Are you a sunset dinner on the beach kind of girl, or pop a movie in and relax on the couch? The fact that anyone is asking this is ridiculous. I'm a homebody, all the way. See, I like lounging even when I'm outside...
10. Tell us one thing you'd like to do with your significant other one day, if you could do anything? Go anywhere? There are many places I'd love to go with him - Ireland, Italy, France. And places in the US, too, like Seattle, Chicago, New York City. We haven't gotten to travel much in our time together, and I hope that we'll get to do that someday soon. As far as something I'd like to do... I guess it's hard to narrow it down. I think it would be awesome to own a business together. We love doing projects in our home. I'd love to take him skydiving and skiing and wine tasting.
11. Tell us what you plan on doing this Valentine's Day. Nothing, really. I'll work, come home, make dinner. We'll eat it, presumably. I'll kiss him goodnight and tell him I love him, like I do every day.
12. Are you asking for anything this Valentine's Day? Nope.
13. Give us one piece of advice to keep a relationship strong and full of love? You have to communicate and be on the same page, and put your marriage first. The last six months could have had a very different outcome had we not made such great efforts to take time to talk, listen, understand, and care. I wake up every morning thankful for him and his love, and I don't take what we have for granted. A relationship shouldn't be work, but you do have to make the effort to keep it healthy and prioritize it.
14. Show us a picture that means "love" to you. I love this one. It's one of my favorites from my wedding day and was taken by my mom. I think it has "Brooke and Dan" written all over it. He's got a huge smile, I'm smiling, we're just perfectly happy. This is how we strive to be, and it's how I feel about him inside, even if I don't look it.
Oh, and this one. I love how much he loves me.
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