Well crap.

Today and yesterday have been two of "those" days.

You know the ones where you leave the house for your daughter's first birthday party and think, "This is not good, something is going to get chewed up while we are gone."

Yep. Happened to me. I have photographic evidence but I'll get to that in a minute.

So, today Hubby and I were discussing the fact that we can't get through the month without some emergency come up. And I think my exact words were "Please God, just let us get through one month without having to drop two hundred dollars on something last minute."

Ugh.

Yeah, so I went to blog tonight, having left the computer on the side table in the living room. It won't turn on. It won't even light up. Instead it decides to spew a warning siren at me that sounds a lot like "You're freakin screwed!"

Which is why I am now blogging from my phone. (oh goodie!)

Which is why there will be no pictures. (oh joy!)

Which is why I am currently freaking out, because that computer kinda has my daughter's entire LIFE IN PICTURES ON IT!!!

::insert sad, bored, pissed face here::

Why oh why did I open my big fat mouth???

On My Heart...

Lately, I have been thinking alot about what I want to be when I "grow up." Yes, I am almost 28 years old, and still don't have a "career" to speak of. Let me recap:

I recieved my Associate's Degree in Medical Transcription in 2005. Searched for a job online for over a year. Finally got a local job doing work for ONE doctor in a local nursing home. The director or said nursing home wouldn't let me offer my services to the other doctors working there. I was only making about $20.00 a week. So I quit.

Found another job online, which was using archaic software (who even uses the F keys anymore??!!?) and they wouldn't help me learn how to navagate their system. I typed up one document for them. THREE CENTS. I quit, right then and there.

So, I got my insurance license and was an Allstate agent for two years. Loved it, hated the sales goals (way outta my reach, unattainable so I never got my commission) and eventually I moved on from that job as well.

I am back to serving, which I have been doing off and on since I was 17 years old. Nowhere to go in a job like this, unless you want the drama of management, which I don't want to deal with.

So now I am enrolled in an online school for my Pharmacy Technician degree, which I think I will like. The only thing is....


It's not what I want to do.


I have always been told "Find a job that makes you happy, because if you don't you won't want to get up in the morning." I totally feel like that now. I have a severe love/hate relationship with my job right now. I love the customers, my regulars, and I'm good at what I do and I enjoy the actual serving part of my job. I can't stand the drama of a restaurant. Everyone always in bad moods, constantly getting screwed over, no seniority/paying of "dues" even though I had to "pay" mine, etc. etc. etc.

I'm not sure that I'm going to love my job when I become a pharmacy technician. I think that I will like it, but I don't think I would love it.


But...


I would love to be a photographer, professionally. I think I'm pretty good, although I have no proof other than a few photos of my kid and some flowers. I don't have a decent camera, and so I don't know if I consider myself "up to par." But, I think I could learn, and I think I could be good. It will probably be something that I will eventually do on the side a few years down the road.

An idea that I have been playing around with lately is opening my own Etsy shop. I searched on that website, and there are a lot of people who sell the same thing I am interested in making, but I have a ton of ideas in my head that are slightly different from everything that is on there at the moment.

Photo courtesy of SlyRaven on Etsy

I am thinking about making bracelets. All different kinds - beaded ones, knotted ones, wrapped ones, ones with charms, ones with patterns, cuffs, dainty bracelets, EVERYTHING!

The only thing I need? Embroidery floss, and interest. I casually mentioned it to the girls at work tonight and they said that if I made them they would buy them from me. I'm thinking about starting out with custom work and once I get some "themed" ones made and photographed offering those PLUS any bracelet customized in any colors they want.

So, what do you think? It's been on my heart a lot lately, and in my mind bouncing around. Every time I think about it I start to get excited and nervous...now...

What do I call it?????? (HA! Any of you who have read for a while know that I can't seem to stick to a title for my blog, so how am I going to name my shop!!) The enternal debate begins!!!

Linking up here:

Influenster Mom VoBox2012

DISCLAIMER: I recieved these products complimentary for testing purposes from Influenster.

I posted this photo on Instagram a few weeks ago, and since them I have been giving the products a go.

1. Ivory soap - I grew up with this bar of soap and know it well. It has a clean, fresh scent, and it's a great bar. Unfortunately, I am partial now to liquid soap, and would probably have used it if there was a way to get it from a bar to a liquid. I didn't really research it, but I doubt it's possible. And I just don't like the way a bar leaves residue EVERYWHERE.

All in all a good product.

2. imPRESS-on Manicure by Broadway Nails - I'll admit, I've been wanting to try these since I saw the commercial for them thinking that they were more like the nail polish strips. Unfortunately, they are the plastic press ons that we all love to hate. Plus, I got a horribly ugly color. I will probably use the coupon and get at least one more set, but I have to say I was only mildly impressed.

A good product for people who like press ons. I was fortunately blessed with decent nails, and don't need them.

3. Stash Superfruits Tea Sampler -  I honestly read the side of the package and was afraid to try half of these teas. They have exotic fruits in them, and most of them just intimidated me. I actually really liked the Acai Berry one, however. Unfortunately, I am not a big tea drinker so I have only tried two of them, and didn't like the Goji Berry one.

Hit or miss on this product.

4. Quaker Soft Baked Oatmeal Raisin Cookie - I heart BIGTIME oatmeal raisin cookies and this one did NOT disappoint! You can't ever go wrong with a soft, chewy oatmeal raisin cookie! There was just enough ratio of sweetness, oatmeal and raisin.

A winner in my book!

5. Dentek Flossers Floss Picks - I love these things, and have known about them since I was a kid, but I didn't think that they still made them! So easy to use, no cutting off the circulation on your fingers from wrapping floss around them, easy to get in between your teeth, the perfect amount of floss to clean with.

All around a great product!


I thoroughly enjoyed this first voxbox and I am looking forward to many more!

On a last note, I have to say that all opinions are my own and do not reflect Influenster or any of the companies in any way. I was not compensated, I am simply spreading the word! =)

Have a great day everyone!

The Nail Files: XV

So I haven't done one of these in a while, because I'll be honest, I haven't had the time to paint my nails lately! So, I found the time this week and this is what I came up with:

I have to say I was a little disappointed with the Gem Crush by Sally Hansen. I piled on a top coat because I tried the red color for July 4th and it peeled off almost instantly. Still the color lasted less than 12 hours. I read on another blog to try a base coat, so next time that's what I'll do. If it still doesn't last, then I am done with that particular brand. A shame too, because look how pretty it is! I also had to layer on almost four coats of polish in order to get it to fully cover, so that's another problem. (The thicker your polish is, the more chance for knicks and mess-ups)

I've been on the hunt for a full coverage glitter, and I LOVE the look of these! I hope the base coat works out next time.

I will be linking up here:

  

Instagrammies: Week 5

This week is going to be busy. I'm kind of unplugging a bit because we are on vacation, (we decided that we couldn't afford Ocean City, but we're still enjoying time off) so this will be short and sweet.

I will hopefully be back next week with a post about Natalie's birthday party, which is this Sunday, but until then I will leave you with these:

On this day...

One year ago

At this very moment

A miracle occured

And you've been speedin' through  ever since!

You learned how to eat

And came home to your new room

You learned how to roll

Forward and back

You started eating baby food

You learned how to stand

And have started to walk

Momma is so proud of you sweet girl!

So, today we decided to add one more first

(please ignore Daddy's butt LOL)

SWIMMING!

Oh how you loved it.

Momma can't believe how big you've gotten!

You amaze me with how much you've grown

And I can't wait to see what the next 365 days will bring us!

Momma and Daddy love you very much!

HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY!!