Thankful for Weekends

The thing I love about my new position at work is that it keeps me extremely busy. I am responsible for many new things that have to be done everyday, which can be very exhausting! Throw in a few new hires and the receptionist on vacation and I am running around like a chicken with its head chopped off (gruesome image, I know).

I am extremely thankful for the weekend; it is a time for me to relax, write, read, get chores done, and just feel in control of things. However, this weekend will not be as relaxing as I would like because my church is hosting a community corn roast today. It is supposed to be 90 degrees outside (too warm for my liking) today but it should be fun. A friend of mine will be coming out for it so that will be nice.

This week at the women’s group was a little different than usual. We are still reading Girls With Swords by Lisa Bevere and we covered chapter 6 this week. It is nice to discuss books with a group because you all get something different from these books and it is really great to be able to share all of our thoughts. Unfortunately, at the end of our group time, a couple of the women found out one of their friend’s parents were separating which was very disappointing. We are praying that this will be an opportunity for this young woman to grow closer to God and will turn into a positive thing even though at this point is extremely painful.

That just about wraps up my week thus far.

Currently Reading:

You Have A Brain by Ben Carson

Girls With Swords by Lisa Bevere

I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai

Scriptures:

Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. - Psalms 119:105

And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. We don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. – Romans 8:26

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. – Colossians 3:23-24

O my people, trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge. – Psalms 62:8

Life Changes

It is crazy how life can change in such a short period of time. I feel like in a blink of an eye my life has changed. I know that I have not blogged in awhile—and really have no legitimate excuses. 

Since the last time that I posted, I started attending a young women’s group that has really helped me grow in my relationship with God. Just a couple of young women discussing our struggles and triumphs and exploring resources to better understand what God has intended for our lives. I think it is important for Christians to have a group of people that you can discuss your faith with regularly. It is refreshing to discover that we all have battles and triumphs in our walk with Christ. We are currently reading Girls With Swords by Lisa Bevere—an excellent read for women. Lisa has a wonderful way of explaining things and encouraging you to see things in a different way.

I have also realized the importance of spending time in His word and asking Him to reveal it to me. The more I read, the more I seek His understanding, the more He is revealing to me. 

Another significant change in my life is my role at work. I am no longer the receptionist—I have been “promoted” to executive assistant to the owner, vice presidents (2), and the HR director and now have a cubicle upstairs. It is a different role and different atmosphere but thus far it has been going quite well and I am starting to enjoy it more. My biggest role (at least, takes up the majority of my time) is being the assistant to the vice president of our western division—who mainly works in purchasing. I am now mainly helping out the purchasing department—which I am okay with but definitely not where I aspire to be. I had been hoping this change would provide me with more time to focus on human resources related research/development but it has not. Hopefully someday soon it will but in the meantime I understand that where we are as company right now this is where I am needed.

Unfortunately, by the end of my first week in my new cubicle, I developed pain in my right wrist which my doctor probably thinks is Carpal Tunnel. I was prescribed a brace and ibuprofen and it seems to have improved, however, I do have some pain in my left wrist now too. I honestly think the configuration of my new cubicle is probably the biggest reason so I have been trying to switch things up and I think I need to get a cushion for my chair as I think the desk is a little to tall and my chair does not go any higher. Hopefully I will not need to get surgery—even though they tell me it is a very simple surgery and recovery.

A big goal I have now that I have my car paid off (YAY!) is to move out of my parents' home. I have wanted to move out for awhile but I want to ensure my “ducks are in a row” before I do so. One big part of that was to pay off my car so I would not have that additional expense. I also needed to find a roommate because I did not necessarily want to have that large of a financial burden. My brother has agreed to be my roommate which is probably better for him than me—he needed a push to move out. So now I really am just saving so I will be able to purchase everything that I will need when I am in my own place. I am just going to say it—it is sooo difficult for me to save money; I have a shopping addiction. I think now that my car is paid off and I found my dream apartment (which allows dogs—yipee!), it will be easier for me to save. 

I am going to conclude with a list of books that I am currently reading and a couple of my favorite scriptures from this past week’s readings. 

Books:

Take The Risk – Dr. Ben Carson (excellent read)

Girls With Swords – Lisa Bevere

Scriptures:

Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. – Psalm 37:5 NLT

“I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ. Set your hearts on things above, not on earthly things. – Colossians 3:1-2

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. – Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT

How I Became a Morning Person

Let me be honest here, I never thought of myself as a morning person. I always claimed that people were not allowed to speak to me before I had my coffee.. otherwise it was not a pretty outcome! My mother still continues to believe this—I personally think I have changed though.

As I started to pursue a job in the field of work that I was going to college for, I decided that it was important for me to get on a “good” sleep schedule and become more of a morning person as office jobs are typically an 8-4 (or 9-5) type of schedule and that would require me to be alert and in a positive mood in the mornings. I do not consider it to be acceptable to arrive to work half asleep; the company is paying you to work, and I think that you should be giving 100% first thing in the morning. One of my biggest peeves in the office environment is when someone tells me that I cannot come to them with work questions until a good hour after the workday started.

I started going to bed quite early every night (when I could, sometimes my old work schedule did not allow this) and waking up early every day.  My friends started calling me a grandma (do not take offense if you are a grandma) because of my early bedtime. I was quite the buzz kill. The way I looked at it though was that it would benefit me in my career and so it was worth it to me to be a buzz kill.

I am very much a creature of habit and enjoy a consistent morning schedule. Before I head off to work, I like to be able to take the time to drink coffee, check my e-mail, browse the many social media platforms that I use, and check my bank account (always watching that money!).

Midway through 2014, I decided that it was important for me to spend time reading the Bible and pursuing a deeper relationship with Jesus. Because I am always exhausted after work and I usually have to do homework as well, I decided that mornings were the best time to spend with Jesus. Due to my habitual nature, I knew that I needed to wake up even earlier if I wanted to be able to spend time checking e-mail and whatnot before work. Let me tell you, it was the best decision of my life. There is nothing better than spending time with Jesus before the day has started; I have never been happier. It is also amazing to see that even when I go over my “scheduled” (really, scheduling a time slot for God probably isn’t the best thing) time with Jesus, I still manage to get everything done that I want to.  God’s power is amazing in how He is able to bend time and events in my favor and I am able to accomplish more in less time after I have spent time with Him. In these cases, sometimes I end up way ahead of “schedule”.

So here it is: I think that anybody can become a morning person if they just take the time to change their schedule and mindset. If you are having trouble changing your mindset, ask God for help—He will help you.

It has been over two years since I changed my schedule and I believe that becoming a “grandma” has benefited me in various ways; I was able to get over my morning crankiness (that took more time than becoming a “grandma”) and am now a very productive person in the morning (at home and at work). I now wake up at 5:00 a.m. every morning (except on weekends—I sleep in until 6 or 7) and am typically in my bed by 8:00 p.m. (lights out by 9 p.m.).

For me, it is important that I get ready for bed a good hour before I “need” to be asleep; my body needs time to wind down. I typically watch something on Netflix or YouTube on my iPad or read a book until I cannot keep my eyes open any longer. If I just drop into my bed at 9:00 o’clock, I will be awake for hours! That is my biggest tip to you: if you want to start going to bed early, try starting a routine that gets you into your bed to wind down for at least 30 minutes before you want to fall asleep.

Are you a morning person? Or no? Please let me know in the comments!

Learning to Love Wisconsin

For the majority of my life, I did not appreciate living in the state of Wisconsin. I thought it was such a boring state and people outside of Wisconsin seem to think very negatively of this state. We are known for the Green Bay Packers and cheese… and not much else. Fashion trends take about 3 years to reach Wisconsin too.

For the longest time, I could not wait until I had the chance to move out of this state. I mean my hobbies consisted of makeup, clothing, shopping (for clothes and makeup), and not much else (well, I enjoyed watching the Green Bay Packers).  If those are your hobbies, Wisconsin is not a state for you.

I have since come to realize that sometimes it is a mental thing and that if you just try, you can learn to love anywhere that you are living. I can now honestly say that I love living in Wisconsin and if I do not end up leaving this state, I will remain happy. One of the biggest reasons I have learned to love this state is because of one of my guy friends. This guy is the ultimate outdoorsman (I mean, he went to college for Natural Resources) so he knows so much about nature and exploring the great state of Wisconsin. Wisconsin is truly a beautiful state and has a lot to offer for people who enjoy nature.

I had always wanted to go snowshoeing but never really had anybody to go with until I ended up going with this guy. I thoroughly enjoyed snowshoeing on public hunting land (no trails, people!). Since my introduction to the snowy woods, I have become more interested in “outdoorsy” activities such as biking, hiking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, may consider fishing again (probably not) and would love to go tent camping (my family had a camper when I was younger but I did not enjoy it then). I have officially turned into one of those people that is extremely proud of where they come from.

A recent Wisconsin activity that I have been doing this fall and winter is going to “Shawano Country” and finding Barn Quilts. You may ask, “What is a barn quilt?” well, a barn quilt is a large piece of wood that is painted to resemble a quilt block and these “quilts” are placed on barns. Shawano Country has almost 300 official barn quilts and it seems that they continue to add more to the list constantly. It has turned into a weekend activity to drive out in the country, find these barns and photograph them. I enjoy driving in the country because I think Wisconsin is so beautiful when it is covered in snow and I find it very relaxing; barely anybody on the roads!

We have a feeling that the horse (far right side of photo) was rather lonely because it was very interested in us and was coming near us and following my car as we drove off. I kind of felt bad for the poor old guy (or girl). 

Next weekend, I will be heading up to Iron River, Michigan to snowshoe because there have not been sufficient levels of snow to snowshoe locally (there has to be at least 6 inches of base snow—and we do not have that). One of my brothers is doing an internship up there and is living near an area with a nice trail (and they have loads of snow). Last year, I went way up to the central northern area of Wisconsin on a mini vacation to a huge family-owned farm. They served farm food and had a million snowshoe/cross-country ski trails. I do not think I will make it there this year as where my brother is makes for a cheaper "vacation" but I will still have access to some snowshoe trails.

If you are from Wisconsin, do you know of any outdoorsy activities I can do? Winter or summer activity ideas are greatly appreciated!

The Struggle Is Real

One of the biggest struggles I have is my hair. Really, Abbie? Your hair? Yes, my hair.. it has been a struggle sticking with a particle “hairstyle”. What I mean by that is: I chop off all my hair and then nine months later I find myself scrolling through pictures and I come across a picture with my long hair and I think to myself “my hair looked great long… why did I ever chop it all off!?” Plus, it is expensive to maintain short hair anyways (especially if you color it as well). So let’s talk about the history of my hair for a while.

My natural hair color is considered a dark golden blonde and my hair is quite fine (and absolutely no body to it), however, I am told that I actually have a lot of it (I say otherwise, but apparently hair dressers know best). When I was younger, I typically kept my hair rather long and unruly (my mother usually trimmed my hair and that was weather permitting so it got rather straggly looking at times). Around the age of 10 or 11 I decided that side bangs were the thing to have—so I went to a salon and got those. No one warned me that I have a natural cowlick and when you have one of those, side bangs do not work; your bangs ends up splitting where you do not want them to.  It took me probably a year of “side bangs” to realize that I had a cowlick. Lesson learned; bangs and cowlicks do not work well. At one point, I did have my haircut roughly about chin length but I do not recall the exact time period—I did not maintain the length and immediately grew out my hair again.

At some point, I discovered a flat iron and used it daily (sometime between 12-16 years of age, I think). You may ask why? Your hair is naturally straight! Well, my hair is mostly straight but it tends to flip out oddly (in my opinion) so I used a flat iron to make the ends completely straight.

The year I turned eighteen, I went in a completely different direction with my hair: I decided to get my haircut rather short (about 3-4 inches above my shoulders; I have a slightly long neck so it was not THAT short) and in an angled cut (shorter in the back, longer in the front). I also started having lighter blonde highlights put in my hair at that time as well. I maintained this “look” for a good 3 years and my hair kept on getting blonder and blonder (I totally thought it was a more “grown up” look for me and I needed all the help I could get in that department).

Near the middle of 2013, my hair started to break off a little but I did not realize that it was happening (I just thought my hair was really tangled at the crown and fuzzy looking). In September of 2013, I had realized that my hair was looking rather ridiculous with all of those super light highlights on the top layers and then BAM! my natural hair color underneath (it was not looking pretty, let me tell ya). I then decided that I would start coloring my whole head of hair to hopefully bring more balance throughout my hair. Well, that was not my brightest move as my hair started to break off even more. At that point, I started debating on going back to my natural hair color. It was hard to decide to or not because I was afraid that it would be a complete nightmare to get to my natural hair color and I did not want to sport what I call “the “crack whore look” as I fondly refer to as having super dark roots and really blonde ends—it should not be a desirable look, people (no offense if you like that look).

In December of 2013 (if you have not noticed… I get my hair done every 3 months like clockwork), I took the plunge and made my first step toward going back to my natural hair color. My hairdresser and I decided to color my hair darker than my natural hair color since the color would fade and we were hoping that it would then blend into my natural roots. It did not quite happen as we thought because the color faded more than we hoped but we ended up with a fairly nice “ombre” effect without even trying (thank goodness, that look is currently “in”). I have not colored my hair since then and have been growing it out and the breakage that was basically around my whole crown is almost at chin length and blends fairly well into the rest of my longer hair. I continue to get 1-3 inches cut off the ends every 3 months to get closer to evening out the breakage layers. So that is the current history of my hair.

Current state of my hair

So you may wonder… Abbie, why did you just tell us the history of your hair? Well, you see... over the New Year, I was browsing through this blog and some other older pictures of myself with short, blonde hair, and I started thinking “OH! I miss that super blonde, short hair!” So here we go… the vicious cycle continues and I found it rather humorous and decided to share it with you (this decision came while in the shower; where great thoughts are born).

Okay, even though I am having these thoughts about how nice my hair looked then, I am determined not to go down that route again. I mean, my hair ended up breaking off (probably because it is so fine) and it is so expensive to keep it up!  I mean, I had to buy special shampoos and conditioners for colored hair, when my hair started breaking off I had to invest in some good Keratin shampoos and conditioners, plus hair masks, and leave-in sprays to get my comb through my tangled blob of damage. The savings are crazy when you think about it… so I am quite sure I will talk myself out of this one.

Do you ever go back and forth on how you like your hair? Please let me know in the comments below!

Welcome to My Life: January 1, 2015

Hello and Welcome to My Life:

I cannot believe it is 2015! I was recently looking at this blog and realized that I had not posted since March of 2013.. almost 2 years ago! Apparently, I am not much of a blogger (or writer for that matter).

It is crazy to see how my life has changed since then. Back in March 2013, I was still in college for my first degree (last semester) and I was looking for a full time job in that field (Administrative Professional). Just a little over a month after I stopped blogging, I was offered a job at a small company as their receptionist and administrative assistant. I accepted the position and it has opened many doors for me.

I graduated in May of 2013 with an Associate’s Degree in Administrative Professional and then that fall I decided that I would continue my education and take classes toward a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resource Management. The company that hired me has offered to help pay for my education which has been an absolute blessing (education is not cheap!). I took several classes locally and had them transferred to a University of Wisconsin college and now I will start my first online semester through there this coming semester.

Earlier, I mentioned that the job I accepted has opened many doors for me, however, I think the credit truly goes to God. These past six months I have taken my faith more seriously and have been pursing a closer relationship with Jesus and I believe that is the utmost reason why doors have been opened for me recently. God can bless you in any occupation you choose whether it is being a missionary, pastor, doctor, teacher, etc. or if you choose to work in business (even if you work for a self-proclaimed heathen). I tend to be a very organized and structured person and it is amazing to see how these “skills” (I always thought I was an OCD freak—No offense if you are OCD) have helped this company develop a more structured environment rather than “flying by the seat of their pants” (as my co-worker has stated). Every day, I am working closer to my goal of starting an official Human Resource Department with this company—the more I do this type of work, the more fulfilled I feel. Many people seem to have a negative idea of Human Resources (the hiring and firing people) but I find it as a career in which I can help people develop and grow into their full potential while utilizing the skills that I have.

Other than my career and college changes, there has not been much else going on in my life to blog about. I am still single and not looking (unless God decides to send the perfect gentleman my way). I did not make any New Year’s Resolutions—who sticks to them anyways? Writing a blog post was not a resolution either—it just happened. I refused to go to the gym this morning even though I should.. but ya know, then there would be all those people there starting their New Year’s Resolutions. My only "resolution" for this year is to to follow God’s will for my life and wherever that takes me—I cannot plan what is His to plan. He will let me know in due time.

I hope that you all have had a wonderful start to 2015 and hopefully I will blog again soon about my life, fashion, or something else that is interesting.

Welcome To My Life: Update

Hello and Welcome To My Life:

I have not updated in a couple days so I decided I should probably get on that. The past couple of days been pretty busy.

Thursday, I had a second interview at a company. This time I met with the president. I felt like the interview went pretty well, the first one went much better. That is the difference between people that work directly with people and someone who works with numbers. CEO's/Presidents are always money and numbers people (usually). I had to work at the grocery store later that day but went home sick.

Friday, I worked most of the day and spent the evening hanging out at my friend's apartment. Saturday was a pretty busy day. I woke up early and cleaned my room like a mad woman. I also did laundry and a few other chores before going into work for the rest of the day.

I also worked all day on Sunday as well so did not do much else.

Monday was my day off. I slept in (due to SPRING AHEAD!) until 8:00 a.m. I went to the library with my dad and ended up at Starbucks while waiting for him for a little bit. After lunch, I went for a 4 mile walk and a workout after. I then completed my taxes. Its depressing when the more money you make the less money you get back from the government. Boo that.

Anyways, I just baked some banana honey muffins (no sugar!) and now I am going to head to bed.

OOTD:
No outfits, sorry.

SOTD:
The Man Who Can't Be Moved - The Script

QOTD:
"Be still and know that He is God."

Welcome To My Life: March 6, 2013

Hello and Welcome To My Life:

I woke up bright and early at 5:00 a.m. this morning. Rude awakening. I had to babysit at 7:20 a.m. and they live about 25-30 minutes away so I had to get an early start. Starbucks (coffee in general) was my savior today. I drank three cups of coffee.

I did not have enough daylight and time to take a walk and I was too lazy after babysitting to do any at-home exercises, so I failed in that area today. No major junk food though.

I spent most my day watching the two (of the three) kids and their dog.

 
Thankfully, while watching them I am able to work on schoolwork. I was able to finish up my classmate assignment reading for this past unit and was able to look and apply for jobs (which was supposed to be done on Monday, but I have not had time until now). I was also able to respond to the person in marketing at my school and hopefully I will be featured in the local newspaper.

While babysitting, I received a call from the company that I interview at on Monday, and they wanted me to come in for a second interview with the president of the company. I will have that interview tomorrow morning. I am truly hoping for this job, I need something stable in my life and this company seems pretty awesome.

I also received a call from some local company asking me to interview for sales representative and a call-center job. Yeah, I had to decline--I do not think those positions would be a good fit for me.

After babysitting (and eating dinner), I went grocery shopping. I also got my work schedule for next week. I am very disappointed in the hours I got--thank goodness I live with my parents otherwise I could not survive off of this! I need full-time hours..

Anyways, I think I am going to watch No Strings Attached and call it a night. I need to wake up early and workout before my interview!

OOTD: 
I forgot to take a picture.. again.

SOTD:
Bleeding Out - Imagine Dragons

QOTD:

"The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new."--Socrates

Welcome To My Life: March 5, 2013

Hello and Welcome To My Life:

Today was fairly hectic. I started my morning off with a 4.6 mile walk--it took me a little over an hour to do (ice slows me down!). I hit my 10,000 step goal a little after 9:00 a.m. so that was awesome!

I took my brothers girlfriend to some outlets about 30 minutes away from where I live. We mostly just browsed and wished we had more money to spend. All I bought was cold weather running gear; I got some running leggings, a shirt, and running gloves (they even have a little pocket for a key--how cool is that?!).

After shopping, we met my brother (Andy) at Applebee's (same city) for lunch and then I followed them (his girlfriend went with him, go figure) to his college in that city. My brother's girlfriend had agreed to record a song with my other brother (he is a recording technology music major) at the school, so it just worked out that I went with (my brothers carpooled). My other brother (Jon) had to stay late after the recording was done so they did not want to be stuck there, so I volunteered to be bored (I ended up leaving the car I drove for Jon). Andy walked me halfway across campus and dumped me in some building. I did not have a clue where I was, or what floor I was on! I realized I had no internet access and I forgot my Kindle (whoops). I mentioned being lost on Facebook, and one of my former classmates (he transferred to this college) told me to call him if I needed help. Needless to say, he ended up coming and keeping me company (I had to figure out where I was first though). Thank goodness for technology (and his canceled class)!

Eventually we all went home (minus one brother), and on the way home Andy bought us Starbucks. The rest of my evening was fairly boring, I am still trying to finish The Bishop's Wife.. is this day three now? Well, I have been rescheduled to babysit tomorrow morning, bright and early, so I had better get to bed.

OOTD:
I had a totally cute outfit on today.. and FORGOT to take a picture. My bad.

SOTD:
California - Delta Spirit

QOTD:

"I may not be there yet, but I'm closer than I was yesterday."

Welcome To My Life: March 4, 2013

Hello and Welcome To My Life:

Today was such a great day! I had an interview this morning for a receptionist position in a company that is about a 25 minute drive from where I live. I thought it went very well and I learned a lot more about the company. It is a growing company and it seems like it would be a great place to work. I can tell your right now that I honestly hope I get this job. The whole interview process was very comfortable and it was just like having conversation with people. My last interview was not at all like that.

After my interview, I met up with my friend who lives in a neighboring city to where I was and we went to a cool cafe/deli downtown in that city. I actually know somebody (or used to know the person) who works there so that was one of reasons why I wanted to go there (her pictures of latte art sucked me in). I had a delicious Bean Wrap--named after the person I knew. My honey latte was delicious as well, but it was not made by the person I knew--she wanted to but somebody had already made it. It was nice catching up with her a bit too. Also, it was good catching up with my friend that I met up with! I have not seen her in a couple months and a lot has changed in her life so it was great to catch up.

Once I got home, I changed out of my lovely interview outfit and went to the library to pick up/return a few items. After that errand (plus a trip to the bank for my brother), I took a walk. It was only a 2 mile walk because I needed to get ready for the banquet, but I stopped and talked to one of my neighbors who visits me at the grocery store all the time. Sweet old guys are so nice! Ha.

The award banquet was very nice, and inspiring! It is amazing that I was even nominated! My mother had to also point out that I was the youngest person nominated. However, being that my initials are AA, I tend to be first for everything, tonight was the same: I had to give my (not prepared) speech first. They spelled my last name wrong in the pamphlet as well (I am used to that by now!).

The food was made by culinary students at my school and it was amazing. Here is a picture of the yummy dessert:

Here is the beautiful award I was given and some pretty flowers:

Now, it is time to go to sleep! I am taking my brother's girlfriend to an outlet mall tomorrow so I need my "beauty" rest.

OOTD: You get two! Interview and banquet outfits.

Interview Outfit:
Burgundy Shirt: Express
Pleather Trim Boyfriend Jacket: American Eagle
Pleather Trim Black Pants: Express
Gold Watch: American Eagle
Necklace: Forever21 (I think)

Banquet Outfit:
Dress: The Limitied
Tights: Target
Nude Pumps (not pictured): Kohl's

SOTD:
The Stable Song - Gregory Alan Isakov

QOTD:

"You are much stronger than you think."

Welcome To My Life: March 3, 2013

Hello and Welcome To My Life:

This morning, I actually went to church. I am in a weird phase and I am not sure what to do about my church life. I am considering trying out different churches, but it is hard to go somewhere new with people you do not know. It was an okay service, according to my mother, the message had some good points.

Okay, if you do not want to hear about a pet peeve of mine, skip this paragraph ;)

I work in a place that is very public, and honestly, I dislike it very much when couples are extremely affectionate right in front of you. I do not want you making out while I check out your groceries. Is that too much to ask? There is a time and a place for that, not in a check-out line. Anyways, I think it is even worse if a couple is being overly affectionate in a church. Church is a place to go and focus on God, not your significant other. No body else wants to be distracted by that either, okay?

End of rant.

Tomorrow, it will have been a week since I started my "diet". It really is not a strict diet, but I am trying to eat as healthy as I can, and not so much; it is all about portions! I used to think that eating twice a day was the key to losing weight and being fit, but I have been taking the approach of having smaller meals/snacks throughout the day and I feel so much better. I have so much more energy now than I did before! I do not care that my friends make fun of me for "counting calories" and being super healthy, because I feel great! I have started to exercise more as well. I take an hour long walk whenever if I have time in the day(light) to do it. Eventually, I want to start running, but my ankle is a bit sprained yet, so walking it is! I also found some exercises on Pinterest that I have been doing:

Do It Daily
Tone Your Arms in 7 Days

My exercise routine ends up being around two hours.

My brother's girlfriend (she is from Georgia) is spending her spring break here so she can be with my brother and she arrived in the wee hours of the morning. Hopefully I will get an opportunity to spend some time with her this week. I have not really had the chance to get to know her--she wants to be with my brother all the time! Ha ha.

Other than that, my day has been pretty chill. I have an interview at a company tomorrow so I spent time preparing for that. I am super excited and hope I get this job.

I think I will watch The Bishop's Wife and then call it a night.

OOTD: Tried the scarf bow--not sure if I like it, but it was my first time so it was not perfect!

Navy Cable Knit V-Neck Sweater: Old Navy
Brown Jeans: Express
Scarf: World Market
Boots: Famous Footwear (I love these boots!)

SOTD:
Rivers and Roads - The Head And The Heart

QOTD:

"Dreams don't work unless you do."

Welcome To My Life: March 2, 2013

Hello and Welcome To My Life:

Nothing too exciting happened today. I had agreed to take part of somebody's shift at work, and late last night she asked if I would take the whole 7 1/2 hour shift. I responded with "I did not want to" last night, but this morning I decided I would stay for the whole thing. She had a solo and an ensemble and did not want to have the extra stress of rushing to work after. I did not want to take the whole thing because it was a bagging shift, and let's be honest, who likes bagging? I actually do enjoy bagging, 4 hours or less, nothing more. Because we have 17 days to raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, they asked me to cashier instead because I do ask guests to donate. I beat my shift goal of $60 and actually raised $70, which may not seem like a lot, but trust me, it is not easy to ask people to donate. With the economy how it is, most people are holding on more tightly to their money.

After work, I picked up a few sale items and went home. Most of my evening has been spent sitting around and doing my laundry.

Tonight, I decided to check my school e-mail (I usually only check it on Mondays), and saw an e-mail from somebody that works in advertising at my school. Apparently they would like to feature me in a Student Spotlight in our local newspaper. Not sure what to make of that, but I will probably fill out the questionnaire and agree to let them post it.

I am just going to finish my laundry and put it away and then watch Christmas in Connecticut. I will probably fall asleep about 30 minutes into the movie, as always.

OOTD:
Sorry, work uniforms are not attractive outfits.

SOTD:
Amazing Eyes - Good Old War

QOTD:

"Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway."--Earl Nightingale

Welcome To My Life: March 1, 2013

Hello and Welcome To My Life:

Today was such a good day! I woke up early and went for a run, but that turned into a walk because my ankle is still sprained (probably is not a good idea to run on a sprained ankle, eh?). After my run, I did some other workouts, mainly ab workouts.

Most of the afternoon, I was reading The Outliers: Stories of Success--such an interesting book! I was not supposed to have a car today because my brother's car has been in the shop (for 3 weeks!), but he came home with the car I drive because his was all fixed. Since, I had a car again I decided I was going to go to the mall to get a dress for an awards dinner on Monday night. Before going shopping, I went walking around my neighborhood for an hour.

As I was getting ready for my walk, I got a phone call from a company that I had applied at on February 13th. I now have an interview on Monday!

Today was full of fitbit accomplishments. I got the 10,000 steps badge and the 15,000 steps badge! I also met my daily goal of going 5 miles (I went over 7 miles!), and I had an active score over 100%! This fitbit is really motivating me to being more active and overall healthy. I am eating so much more healthy now (besides a minor slip up).

I had a million different things I needed at the mall, but the most important things was a dress for Monday night. I tried on six different dresses (two are not pictured--they looked horrible!). Dress shopping always makes me feel so insecure about my figure :/:

Guess what one I chose? I was planning on spending $80 on a dress, but I got this one for $40 (sale rack plus a student discount) at The Limited. I will post a picture of my outfit on Monday so you will find out what one I chose. I also went to Target and WalMart. I needed some workout stuff from Target and necessities at WalMart.

I had wanted to go to a local coffee shop tonight (live music too), but one of my friends did not want to go so I ended up going to her house. We ate cupcakes, guacamole (I did not! EWW), and played Just Dance 2 (I had never played that before. Btw, I cannot dance). One of my friends was craving a Shamrock Shake from McDonald's so we made a trip there. That was my slip up, I got some fries too--whoops! But, my shake did not have whip cream, so that makes it better, right? I ended up going home soon after we got the shakes. I have to work in the morning so it is time for me to go off to sleep.

OOTD: (Excuse my pink fitbit)

Sweater: Loft
Distressed jeans: Abercrombie & Fitch (Plato's Closet)
Boots: Famous Footwear

SOTD:
Dearest Foresaken - Iron & Wine

QOTD:

"One small crack does not mean that you are broken, it means that you were put to the test and didn't fall apart."--Linda Poindexter

Welcome To My Life: February 28, 2013

Hello and Welcome To My Life:

Not an exciting day by far but it was okay. I worked an 8-hour shift, but before work I noticed that my former employer (internship) has a temporary part-time position in their plant human resources. I plan on applying for it tomorrow. I have to start somewhere, and since they know me already, hopefully it will help.

Work was okay. My lovely friend *cough cough* jabbed me in the ribs and I screamed bloody murder. The whole entire store heard me; how embarrassing. Other than that, it was not too exciting. Oh, almost forget the best part of my day! About 5 minutes before I needed to leave for work, I was about to put on my shoes and realized that my work pants finally split in the crotch. Awkward. Thankfully I realized that before I left for work! I now need to make a trip to the mall a.s.a.p., not that I was not already planning a trip..

I need to buy a dress for an awards dinner on Monday too.

So, I have been making fun of the show Duck Dynasty since I knew it existed. Yesterday was the season premiere. I watched it tonight and I can officially say that I actually enjoyed it. I despise camo and the beards, but maybe I will get over that. Hmmm.. should I buy something camo? Maybe I will officially fall off the deep end.

Now, I think I am going to read a book and go to sleep.. hopefully I will wake up early and work out--probably not, my sprained ankle hates me. I swear, every time I attempt to start working out something happens to my right ankle. I have an Achilles tendon that gives me problems, and now my ankle is currently sprained (due to a game of extreme spoons).

OOTD: Who wants to see a work uniform? No body.

SOTD:
Anna Sun - Walk the Moon

QOTD:

"Sometimes all you have to do is forget what you feel and remember what you deserve."

Welcome To My Life: February 26, 2013

Hello and Welcome To My Life:

Today started out great. Having started my diet yesterday, I woke up feeling so much more energized! I think it has to do mostly with the fact that I have been drinking so much more water now. My diet is based off of counting calories (just make smarter food choices and eating less of it).

Before going to work at 11:00 a.m., I was reading The Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell. It is such an interesting book!

I worked until 5:30 p.m. and went grocery store shopping after. Any suggestions on low-calorie/healthy snack options? I picked up some Clif Kids energy bars and I really like them! I am thinking about doing a post on my website about my favorite healthy snacks!

Since Friday I have been procrastinating in baking carrot cake cupcakes. I thought today would be another day of procrastination because when I get home from work I was extremely tired. Once I ate dinner and a Clif Kid Z Bar I got a burst of energy and baked them anyways. After cleaning up the kitchen, I am now enjoying a small glass of Fre wine before going to bed. I have to wake up at 5:00 a.m. to babysit all day.

OOTD:
Sorry, no pictures--I wore yoga pants and my work uniform today.

SOTD:
Separate - Trampled by Turtles

QOTD:

"We are what we believe we are."--C.S. Lewis

Welcome To My Life: Update

Hello and Welcome To My Life:

I have not updated this blog in a about a week now. My life has been pretty dull lately and my state of mind is not well.

I am in such a frustrating time in my life and it is so hard to stay positive. My job search is very frustrating and disheartening. My current job, even though I love the employer, makes me unhappy. I love the place and environment where I work, the job itself I enjoy, but when there is downtime I go insane. I am somebody who needs to be constantly doing something, whether is physically or mentally. I have decided to transfer to a different department and everyone is telling me not to. Apparently it is not a good working environment, but either way, I will probably be miserable.. but I am going to think positively about this transfer--at least I will eventually get a pay raise!

Recently, I went down a path a regret. I started talking to my ex again. I will admit that I still have major feelings for him, but the road that we started going down again, well, I am not quite sure it was the same one he had in mind. I put an end to it and now I am just frustrated with myself for even going there.

I would like to start focusing more on my health, and get fit. Through my health insuruer I was able to receive a fitbit zip Wireless Activity Tracker.

It tracks my steps, calories burned, miles I have gone, and through the app and online dashboard I am able to journal my food, water, exercise, and current weight. I can make everyday goals for steps, calories burned, etc.

My friends and I would like to join a gym, but that is currently on hold. I applied for a part-time position at a local YMCA and if I get hired I will be able to get a free membership so I am waiting to see how that pans out.

Honestly, this past week has not been too exciting. I finished a couple books and watched a couple movies in my downtime.

OOTD (Friday, February 22, 2013): Heather's Fondue Birthday Dinner

Blue top: Express
Camel jacket: Forever21
Black skinny jeans: American Eagle
Boots: Famous Footwear

SOTD:
Demons - Imagine Dragons

QOTD:

"Never allow someone to be your priority while allowing yourself to be their option."

Welcome To My Life: February 17, 2013

Hello and Welcome To My Life:

Well, today, I actually went to church. It is something that I really think I should be doing more regularly, but somehow, I find some excuse not to go. Work, too tired, other things I need to get done. I am at the point where I think I want to attend a different church, but I am just not sure.

After church, I came home, ate lunch (alfredo--yum! I am starting a diet tomorrow!), and then I had to work at 2:00 p.m. so I read a book until then. I am currently reading The Healing by Wanda E. Brunstetter. When I first started reading it, I was thinking "this is how it is going to end!". Now, I am not so sure.

After work, I went home and changed out of my uniform and then I picked up some friends. We went to IHOP because some of us were craving it (mostly just me). IHOP was something my best friend and I would always go to late at night when we were craving it--but she moved to Kansas City a month ago.

Then we went to my friend, Olivia's house. Well, we made a pit stop at the grocery store to stock up on caffeine and candy.  We drank Trader Joe's Ruby Red Chai tea (delicous!) and watched the movie Garden State. I actually stayed awake through the whole movie! It was a struggle though.. I went home around 1:00 a.m..

Forgot to mention: I spilled hot tea on my pants and scorched my leg. Nothing good ever happens at Olivia's house. First, a sprained ankle, now this? 

OOTD:

Blue Lacy Razor Back Tank: American Eagle
White Snake Skin Print Tank: Express
Striped Cardigan: Forever21
Coral Jeans: American Eagle
Moccasins: Target

SOTD:
Angela - Missy Higgins

QOTD:

"What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it."

Welcome To My Life: February 16, 2013

Hello and Welcome To My Life:

Obviously my plan is to blog everyday about my life, but if a day is completely boring and nothing happened, I will not blog--as in yesterday.

Today, was slightly more exciting. I had to work in the morning, but after work I did laundry and then baked and decorated cookies--my valentine cookies! I did that all up until we had to leave and go to a wedding reception.

Earlier last year, my aunt (who's first husband passed away), got remarried, and with that new marriage I go two step-cousins. Well, one of those cousins got married on a cruise on February 3, 2013, and they had a wedding reception today to celebrate with everyone. It was a nice wedding. It is beautiful to see people who have been dating since the 8th grade get married! Their relationship has been full of tragedy, but they made it through. Okay, personally, the best part of the night for me was when the groom's grandfather sang two songs--he sounded like Frank Sinatra! I did not even realize it was a live singer at first!

Unfortunately, I did not take any pictures of anything today--no cookie pictures, sorry!

OOTD:
No pictures :/

SOTD:
Fallen - Sarah McLachlan

QOTD:

"You are confined only by the walls you build yourself.."

Welcome To My Life: February 14, 2013

Welcome To My Life:

Typically I kind of dislike Valentine's Day, probably because I have never had a significant other on that day. I really do not enjoy working on Valentine's day either. So, this Valentine's Day was different! I planned a Singles Awareness Day girls night out! Okay, it was pretty boring, we just went to a movie.

Most of my day was spent relaxing. I had my weekly Starbucks Study Sessions, and read The Journey for a little bit while I was there. I came home to eat lunch and then for the rest of the afternoon was reading that book. I did make some sugar cookie dough for after the movie--however, we never baked sugar cookies.

We went to a 7:05 showing of Safe Haven. It was a good movie, but I have learned that I probably should not read the book before seeing a movie. After the movie, we went to the store we all work at to wait for a friend who had to work until 10:00. We were going to all go to her house after work and bake the cookies, but I had to go home and get the cookie dough. Since I had to work in the morning, and my friend had a ride home I just decided to stay in for the night. I like my sleep too much, especially if I have to work an 8-hour shift. I know, I am a party pooper--oh well.

OOTD:

Chambray Shirt: American Eagle
Sea-foam Green Jeans: Aerie
Scarf: Guatemala (gift from my sister-in-law)
Brown Boots: Madden Girl (DSW)

SOTD:
No One/Tattoo (Medley) - Boyce Avenue

QOTD:

"Sometimes, no matter how much you want things to happen, all you can do is be patient and wait."