For Better or Cursed

Seriously, Penny?

2011-01-11T18:42:00.000-05:00

My dog has gotten way too smart for ~~her~~ my own good. Twice tonight, yes twice tonight, she cried at the door and when I got up to let her out, she ran to the couch and sat in the warm spot where I was just sitting.

For real, Dog?

Hard time blogging.

2011-01-10T18:48:00.001-05:00

Could you tell? I've finally realized one of the main reasons why I have such a hard time putting pen to paper. Or finger to plastic. It is because there are a lot of things that I want to talk about that I would like to keep private from people I know.

It's the weirdest thing that I'd be more comfortable going over my future plans and inner thoughts and struggles with strangers rather then my closest friends and family.

But at the same time, I can't do what I want to do with this blog without being able to post pictures and get specific. So even if I don't tell anyone about this blog or post it on Facebook, it may one day be found.

Conundrum.

Updated to include: One girl I read sometimes even shows her naked boobs! BOOBS! I'm not even willing to share my 5 year plan.

Things I did tonight instead of watching T.V.

2010-11-10T21:01:00.000-05:00

I went to 2 thrift stores tonight and got so many amazing finds. I ran home as fast as I could and started 2 re-purposing projects on what I got.

I got this awesome mirror for $7.99!

The color is Gypsy Magic. It doesn't look this pale in person.

I got this odd painting of school children for $3.99.

I'm only painting the frame so it doesn't look as worn.

Crap, now I have to purchase travel insurance...

2010-11-01T19:50:00.000-04:00

John & I are almost completely done planning our trip in September 2011, which is now officially less than a year away! We are skipping town on September 13; leaving sunny PA for our half way point in Florence, South Carolina. The drive is going to look something like this:

570 mi. - 10 Hours

I'm pretty sure the road is purple and everything! We are spending the night at The Hilton Garden Inn, which I am proud to say is numero uno on TripAdvisor. I prefer to stay at the nicer places when you are in Podunk, USA and stay at crappier places in Tourist City, America. We booked a whirpool room because it was only 10 bucks more. Yes, I'm aware its a HGI, but I'm keeping my expectations low. As long as it doesn't look like this, I'll be cool:

The morning of the 14th, we're back on the road, heading to good old Orlando to check out the new Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

Oh, Hello there.

We'll be staying at the Royal Pacific Hotel on property for 2 nights. Not only is it the cheapest of the 3, but it is the only one I haven't stayed at. As Michael Scott would say: Win-Win! Then, we are driving through the swamps on Florida to Ft. Lauderdale. We're going to stay one night at the new Hyatt Place near the cruise port. According to google, it's 2 u-turns and the farthest thing from a straight line drive to the port.

On the 17th we are boarding the (present) biggest ship on Earth; the Oasis of the Seas. It will be my 5th Royal Caribbean cruise & John's first. I've never cruised with a boyfriend before. I've cruised twice with my sister and twice with friends. This will be interesting. Anyhow, we'll be rocking out on that baby for 7 nights. On the way home, we'll stay at the same HGI in Florence half way. No fun min-trips on the way home. :(

Here are some shots of my on previous cruises with RCCL:

Transition or Position

2010-10-26T23:42:00.002-04:00

I have just become bashfully aware that I am at this strange transition in life. 10 years ago, I was 15. Not driving, painfully awkward, unsure, longing to grow up. 10 years from now I will be 35, hopefully married, in a better house, with 2 kids and with a providing job.

The oddest part to me is as I just wrote that, I realized that the way I just described myself at 15 is exactly how I could describe my self right now at 25. Painfully awkward, unsure, longing to grow up.

I am scared to think that I'll be feeling the same way at 35.

Blog Commitment Issues

2010-08-09T20:48:00.000-04:00

Just can't stick to something, can I? Hey - I'm still not smoking. I stuck to that.

HOW TO KEEP IT FROM SNOWING IN YOUR TOWN

2010-01-30T12:57:00.003-05:00

Every year we have our first "big snow" and I can never find the boots I bought last year after the first big snow. So I always go out and buy boots after the first big snow. And guess what? It never snows again for the whole season after buying the boots. So, if you don't want it to snow, just go out and buy ugly horrible boots that you wish you had a week earlier when you got snow in your shoes while digging your car out.

Secondly, what the hell happens to the boots I buy every year? I think the same monster eats them who eats one sock each from all your pairs. Maybe I didn't realize I wasn't buying boots, but rather renting them.

New Homeowner

2010-01-30T11:10:00.001-05:00

I made a tiny mistake the other day. I put my trash out on the wrong day. Not a big deal. However, I happened to pick the windiest day known to man and I put out a lot of trash. I came home from work to see that my neighbors houses were strewn with my trash that wasn't picked up.

Nice.

Hi neighbor!

I'm not sure what was more embarrassing; the mistake itself or the mad-dash-walk-of-shame to gather it all.

My House

2010-01-25T21:37:00.032-05:00

John and I were looking for a house for the LONGEST time. (Maybe like 6 months.) But we looked at over 60 houses and it seemed a lot longer. We had a very specific type in mind. A piece of crap cheap foreclosure. You would think there is a lot. And there is. However, I'm not paying full price for it. So it was hard. We eventually found this gem in a neighborhood we were very interested in. Not a good school system but we are SO not to that point in our lives. (Hey Bud, where's the RING?) Anyway, here are some pics.....

Gorgeous right? ;) We snatched that baby right up!

Well, then it looked like this:
And then it looked like this:

(New windows, roof, door, siding, etc..)

The inside looked a little like this:
(I am going to progress the pictures in the same fashion, section by section.)
(John's Mom & Realtor. This is literally what it looked like. You're lucky you can't smell it.)
And now...

How about the gorgeous kitchen?
Yummy! I wanna eat in there...
(Ikea Kitchen.)
Yes, that is a tiny bat hanging over the sink. Don't ask.

Now for the dining room. You can see a little of it in the first photos.
I didn't take before shots of everything but here's more shots:

This is going to be the man cave/den.
"After" shots to come when room is completed.

Oh, can't forget the bathrooms:
(Expanded.)
and

And the bedroom:

"After" shots to come when I feel like cleaning it.

(My then-preggers sister.)
And now a BABY!
(That fits the before & after theme of this blog right? Ok, moving on.)

Upstairs bedroom which is now my studio, office.

That's all I've got for now. More to come...

I've never been able to do this stuff. Not once.

2010-01-15T22:59:00.002-05:00

Is there anything that you can't do? Something that comes so simply/naturally to others?

Here is my list:

Cartwheel
Backwards dive into a pool
Fractions
Fly without earth shattering panic
French Braid my/anyone's hair
Do the smokey-eye makeup
Climb a rope
Monkey Bars
Push Up
Win at checkers

Whats on your list?

OBSESSED

2010-01-13T21:41:00.001-05:00

Feelin' good!

2010-01-10T12:01:00.004-05:00

Just got dressed for my second job (waitress) and I have to say that my jeans are falling off of my now less huge ass! Go me!

Don't tell my jeans that for dinner last night I had brownies and cheez-its.

The Good Word

2010-01-10T00:04:00.002-05:00

As you may know, I started to read the bible this year along with the ladies over at 365truthblog.blogspot.com. I have to say that it is a struggle. So many phrases and words that are foreign to me. Also, there are just so many names and ages and this guy fathered this guy who fathered this guy who fathered this guy. I almost feel like I am studying! Sheesh. I just try to take it passage by passage. I have found many words of inspiration and even some humor! (Unintentional, I assume.) We'll see how it goes! At lest I have the support of the girls at the blog. I kind of wish that John was doing it with me so we could talk about it.

On a similar but different note: Last night I asked John about this scenario: What happens if you marry someone who you love madly for 20 years and they die? And then you marry someone else who you love madly for another 20 years. Who are you with in heaven? Needless to say I ended up crying after the short discussion. I look at God as more a man with power and thought. John looks at him as a presence in everything and when we die we become apart of the presence in everything. I picture heaven to be a lot like earth. So to imagine Eternity without John just broke my heart into a million pieces. I know that when the time comes, all will be explained. But I had a moment of weakness I guess.

Weight Loss: Chapter 1: My ass has it's own zip code.

2010-01-08T00:31:00.006-05:00

Skinny Me 2 years ago.
(The beginning of the end.)

Dare I post this for all see? This is the first stop in a long journey. I am the heaviest that I have ever been in my life. Much much heavier. The heaviest I have ever been was 5 years ago at about 165. (I am 5'5.) I lost the weight easily with a little diet and exercise. It wasn't hard. I was 19 years old. I then remained at a fluctuating weight of 120-135 for the next 3 years. Now, I know that at 24 that I am not "old." I'm not trying to say that I am. However, my body has changed so much since then. Starting 2 years ago, I started gaining weight....and haven't stopped. I am now at 191. It's horrible. Not only do I look gross but I feel gross. I know that I am not healthy. It's not a pretty sight. I have been trying to motivate myself to lose the weight for the past few months and still kept gaining. I know what I am doing wrong. However, 5 years ago, what I was doing wrong didn't have as serious as an effect as it does now. The abuse I gave my body then was dismissed. Now it just hangs off my ass. It's like I literally eat a can of Huge Ass for breakfast every day. I know what you are thinking: "Wait til your 35!" But you have to understand that this is seriously affecting me. It's not just a vanity issue, it's a health issue. So please, don't roll your eyes. HELP ME!

Me at 180-ish.
Now-ish.

Smelly Peeps

2010-01-06T21:35:00.004-05:00

Why do so many people smell oh-so-horribly? I work with the public. That’s right, the lovely occupation of customer service. The only item I depend on as much as the computer is a bottle of my trusty Febreeze. It gets to the point where I have some nasty smelly person sitting at my desk and my eyes and nose sting. How do they live like that? Do they not notice that every where they go, people around them say “What’s that smell?” Do they notice the fact that I am sitting there holding my breath with my hand laying delicately over my mouth blocking my nostrils? Alternately, do they notice and just not care? I’ve actually had a woman pee her pants while sitting at my desk. That was a memorable moment in my life. The best part – she didn’t even notice/care. I’m sitting there and it starts to smell really foul. When she gets up to leave there is a puddle on the chair. Awesome. No wonder I have such a hard time quitting smoking.

I wish wish wish I could say something or deny them service. But I can't. I tell myself that if I encounter an especially stinky individual somewhere other than work that I will confront them. Well, I had just such an opportunity at the grocery store the other day. I chickened out. I'm just not that mean. I will have to leave that noble responsibility to their family/friends.

What is this?

2010-01-06T21:30:00.004-05:00

I have been thinking for months and months about where I want this blog to go. I have so many different ideas. I think that I am going to make it into everything which will indeed turn it into nothing at all. I don’t have any complete ideas so this will most likely be a family-complaining, weight-loss–tracking, boyfriend-bashing, road-to-wedding, crazy family and family by proxy, new-homeowner, product-trying, craft-making, melting pot of a place. I think I’m ok with that. I’m hoping it all falls together and maybe one general theme will rise from the flames.

Maybe if I type Tiger Woods, people will find my blog by accidental search results.

Tiger Woods Tiger Woods Tiger Woods Tiger Woods Tiger Woods Tiger Woods Tiger Woods Tiger Woods Tiger Woods Tiger Woods Tiger Woods

Boobs.

Thanks!

2010-01-06T19:23:00.007-05:00

Thank you shady gas station for reminding me why I hate to get gas at night alone. Your pump was oh so slow. It's fine. I wanted to spend an extra ten minutes here. Your patrons were oh so shifty. You really make me get back into the swing of living life like I were dying. Or living life like you were going to get murdered at any moment by the dude in the hoody walking slowly towards you.

I'm Back!

2010-01-06T18:04:00.003-05:00

After months of disorientation, I have settled. We finally found, purchased, tore down, built up and moved into our new house! Photos to follow. I moved out of Lindsay & Neils. Oh my word, it has been so long. They had a baby! Last time I posted, they were pregnant and didn't know it yet. Yikes, I need to get back into the swing. Anyway, I'm so excited to be taking part of the following blog community:

Feel free to join in! Emery is the bee's knees!
Gotta get back to reading. Just made ooowee goowee brownies from the box. That will be my dinner!! John is at work so that is my excuse NOT to cook. (Baking doesn't count!)

007 Cat

2009-03-26T08:16:00.003-04:00

Lindsay and Neil have a kitty named Kosmo. I’ve never lived with a cat before. It takes some getting used to. First off, Kosmo thinks he is James Bond on a never ending mission. He thinks I am after him. I walk into a room and he tip toes around me and then jets off down the hallway like is running for his life and hides in their bedroom.

Heaven forbid I try to pet him! He pretends to be nice for 4 seconds and then bites me. The look of satisfaction after he bites me is just perverted. Lindsay says he has to get used to me. I may not have lived with this cat for more than 2 months, but I have known him for almost 2 years.

Another problem is that I forget to do a fur check before I leave the house and I will walk into work or dinner with friends and THEN notice that I am covered in grey fur. It’s just a delightful surprise.

Another problem is that I live in constant fear that he is going to poop in my shoe. You read that right. One of the first times Lindsay stayed at Neil’s house over a year ago, Kosmo pooped right in her shoe. He is so bad! I shouldn’t talk too much smack as he is sick right now. He has spent the last 2 days in quarantine (our bathroom.) He puked and pee’d all over the apartment while we were sleeping. If only he could understand English. All he has to do is pee in the special litter so we can get a sample to the vet. If he just does that, he will be free!! But no. Instead I have to shower while trying to keep a crying kitty from jumping in to the tub.

Deer Spotting

2009-03-25T21:37:00.003-04:00

I am a 23 year old displaced Christian. I grew up here in the burbs of Philly, yes. However, I spent my college years in the bible belt – Lancaster PA. After moving back to the burbs of Philly, I find myself longing to be back. Religion is much more welcome there. Here, it is treated as an obligation. I still haven’t found a church and I have been back almost 4 years. Also, Lancaster was over all friendlier, slower and simpler. I actually went deer spotting! This is what people would do there: Put on some warm clothes, load into the car with beers. Guys in the front, girls in the back, windows down. Music blasting. We would drive around the sticks on Lancaster and when we saw a deer, we would stop and shine a high powered flash light on it……….I’ll give you a second to take that in. That was the purpose. Also – I’m pretty sure its illegal. The guys just thought it was hilarious. Us girls would sit in the back, bundled up and talk about the boys or school or whatever. Yet, those were some of the best nights of my life. I've never had fun like that here.

I even liked the grocery stores better there. They had Weis. Here we have Giant, Acme or Genaurdis. I don’t know why I liked Weiss so much but I did. Do you have Weis? Do you prefer it?

John hates that I miss Lancaster so much. He thinks I’m wrong about it. He says if I went back today, the things that made me happy then would not make me happy now. He says I need to find happiness here. I’m finally trying. I’ve just never been a really happy person on the inside. I project happiness but it’s not a huge part of my everyday process. John is helping me realize that I have to find hapiness. Hence the blog and etsy stores and jobs. We'll see where it takes me!

Not again

2009-03-24T19:21:00.005-04:00

I have started blogs twice before. I end up getting so insecure, thinking that no one cares what I have to say. However, I am such a fan of the blog community that I got sucked in yet again. The funniest part is that I have even less time now to devote to a blog than I had before. Yet, for some reason I have more motivation now. I work full time at a desk job. I work evenings scooping ice cream and weekends serving tables. I also have 2 shops on Etsy and plan on adding more hand made products after the summer ends. Does anyone know how I can learn to sew for free? I am also considering starting a business. I am lucky that I have a great boyfriend who is supportive of me finding my dreams. (I guess that’s what I classify these endeavors as.) If you are reading this, wow. God bless you.

Location: Pennsylvania, in a suburb near Philadelphia. No, I don’t see Amish people where I live. No, I don’t know Jon & Kate + 8. Although, that would be cool. My younger sister (we’ll call her Baby,) told me that this is their last season. Can anyone verify that?
Also – I live with Lindsay & Neil. We have a sweet 2 bedroom second floor place.

Etsy Stores: centepeace.etsy.com & leonasays.etsy.com

Welcome!