Myself...

We are always working on ourselves... and I am definitely working on me... Sorry for acting a fool.

I guess I get rapped up in my company and I can't control my happy volume...

Blogging just for the hect of it!

So, I am not the type to just blog without any motivation. However, there have been some life changing things occurring throughout the last month. Now that summer school is over, I have the time to catch update you on them...

1. I have handed in my letter of resignation at my full time job.

• This means that as of August 31st, I will be without out a full time job, for the first time since high school. I have been able to get some loans and scholarships, but have not received enough to support the lifestyle I have built up.
• I am looking to sell the Pontiac for $11,500 so I can downgrade to something a little more affordable. $340 monthly payments will not cut it on 12k a year!
• Another fear or worry is Jake. I feel bad that I have to cut back on my extra activities and by that he is affected. He is almost 30 years old and should not have to live the life of a college student. He already lived this life. It is something I need to just let go and know that if we are meant to be, both of us will learn to sacrifice for the long haul.

2. I received my first "C" in school ever this past summer session.

• I am actually in the process of fight my research paper grade. If this will even go up a letter grade I will have a "B" in the class.
• The instructor gave me a 60. I have no clue what was wrong, but I know I followed the instructions and made sure to type all 8 pages.
• A 60% on anything means that you have turned in crap. My work is not crap...

3. Jake and I reached our 3 year mark.

• We celebrated by going to Orlando to watch the game 6 playoffs between the Magic and the Celtics. It was amazing.
• For the first time in our 3 year history, I will be making my first visit to Wyomissing. Jake insures me I have never seen anything like it. I re-assured him with a reminder that I was born in St. Cloud FL... a place that gets Rodeo Day off from high school...
• We are still on track for saving for our trip this winter... If anyone wants to go skiing with us... let me know! I could really use the 1k giveaway from wink96.9!

4. This past weekend we enjoyed ourselves at another wedding.

• It is always exciting when friends close to you get married. Jake and I got to witness the joining in marriage of Jen and Kev.
• The ceremony was awesome and the reception was a blast.
• So many friends and family... you could not go wrong!

I think that is pretty much it... I have started my book reading!! wooo hoo! I am also excited about sewing and scrapbooking. I am sure to keep myself busy this summer, and of course keep you my blogging world updated!

Father's Day Blog

I have had many men in my life try to be a father to me. Most of fallen short. I thank God everyday for John, my step-dad. He has stepped to the plate and not only been a father to his own daughter Emily, but a father to me and my sister.

I was flipping through the internet today and read an article from President Obama, on his reflections of being a father. He talks about his childhood and the feeling it left him with, not having that father their.

In one part of the article he says:

"That is why we need fathers to step up, to realize that their job does not end at conception; that what makes you a man is not the ability to have a child but the courage to raise one" (Obama, 2009)

This is so true. So many men give up after the birth. The most courages thing in life is being the father...

It is a great article to read. It can be found at: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/31437363/ns/fathers_day_guide//


Happy Father's Day to all of the men who have stepped up to the plate within their own families!

A Story From the Past...

For my choosing wellness class, I had to write about my first experience with sex and my feelings. I thought I would share my story with the blogger community!!

Enjoy....

Growing up there was a specific pop-up book that I always remembered playing with. One day it disappeared. A couple years later the book finally surfaced. It was the day of my tenth birthday. The day before my birthday, my mom took me shopping for a “big girl” outfit. On February 20, 1995, my mother and I celebrated my first double digit birthday. We got all dressed up, painted our nails, curled our hair, and I was even allowed to put on a little bit of makeup.


Mom and I got in the car and she drove us all the way down to the Red Lobster in the next town. When we pulled into our parking space at the Red Lobster, mom rolled down the windows and turned off the car. She turned to me and began to explain what a big day this was and how exciting it is. She then pulled out the famous pop-up book that had been missing in action for so long. As she handed the book to me she told me, now that I am a big girl, I should know where babies come from. All of a sudden this amazing book turned into something much, much more…

As mom went on to explain the “birds and the bees”, I think I wanted to sink further and further into the car seat. She gingerly flipped each page over, explaining in detail what was taking place. At the end of our time, she gave me my present. It was a promise ring. She asked me to wait until marriage and until I found the person I fell in love with. She told me if I ever had any questions or was curious about anything that I could ask her. I wore that ring until I was 18 years old.


After our little powwow, we marched into Red Lobster. Mom told me since I was a big girl I was allowed to try crab legs for the first time. When our order came to the table and I then began to learn how to properly break and eat the legs. I wish this food experience was a bit more enjoyable. After hearing the story about where babies came from and then having to snap and pull out the meat from the legs, made me want to yak.


For years, after that day I was unable to eat crab legs. I think I associated that graphic story with the work of cracking the legs. Do not get me wrong. I believe my mom did a standout job telling me, at 10 years of age about the reproduction system of humans and how babies are conceived. That day I was embarrassed from the lesson I had learned, but as an adult I treasure relationships. Having mom explain to me the intimate relations of a man and a woman, made me respect sexual moments with the person I love. Unfortunately, I did not wait till I was married, but I did wait until I was an adult. I made a decision to engage in my first experience of intercourse with my best friend. Now that I am older I respect my body and I have made a point to understand how it ticks. I take pride in my cleanliness and that I practice safe sex.

Cheap and Fun Find!!

With buying a sewing machine and going to school full-time, I have been on a diligent search for a desk. I wanted something clean, yet feminine, but sturdy and long-lasting. I also did not want to spend ridiculous money on a desk.

I have been surfing the web for a while now and on one of my trip on to Craigslist.com, I found this beauty!

The best part about this desk is, I only paid $25!

All the legs have some detailed wood work.

I love this desk! It is everything I have been looking for and it was SOOOOO affordable. It is a solid piece of furniture, that I am glad I waited for.

Happy Shopping!

My Very First Sewing Project

Below is the change purse I created this morning. Keep in mind that I have no formal training on a sewing machine. The only time I have ever sewed was a hem-line, with my mother watching. I personally think I did a darn tootin good job...

I sewed a lining in the change purse.

I definitely have some skill I need to learn... like sewing a square change purse instead of a lop-sided change purse!

I owe all the credit to twelve22.org blog. Her zipper pouch tutorial is pretty easy to understand.

A lil’ more domesticated…

It seems like forever since my last blog, even though it is only been a week or so.

This Past weekend, Jake and I opened our home to his parents and hosted a party for his brother’s graduation. Leading up to the arrival of Mamma and Poppa J, I was a bit nervous and convulsively cleaned our two bedroom apartment for two weeks prior to the event. I should known not worried... I love Jake and he is definitely their offspring. They made me feel very comfortable around them. I am now VERY excited to go up north for Fourth of July weekend.

(Right to left) Me, Jake, Poppa J., Nick, and Nina

P.A. HERE WE COME!

Monday when I arrived to work, I was greeted with an email message from a dear friend I met through my job here at the church. Marlene “eagle eyes”, spotted the best darn sale for a sewing machine I think I will ever see. For 99 bucks, I have a Singer Sewing machine. It came with a really nice cover, four sewing foots (zipper foot is included), thread ripper, and much, much more! Marlene met me on my lunch break, so she could be my support system, while I purchased my first sewing machine ever! After I had the machine she took me around the store and instructed me to search for all the great deals… watching Marlene dart around the store, gave me shopping inspiration... she is such a bargain shopper.

This is my Singer Sewing Machine!!

I had a few minor bumps when I got the machine home. The bobbin winder refused to wind… I began to wonder if the talent my grandma had, skipped over me! However, Jackie from JoAnn’s reassured me it was the machine and not my lack of natural ability. With a newer machine in hand… I am now ready to take the sewing world by storm. I have buttons, zippers, material, and MANY IDEAS as my weapon.

My next big search is a cheap, cute desk. I need it to be versatile… one day I could be sewing on it, the next I could be completing a homework assignment. My search continues...

Jake and I have decided to take on remodeling our master bedroom and bathroom. Homedepot is scheduled to come out on Monday and give us an estimate on converting our tub to a shower… The eighties carpet in the bathroom has definitely overstayed it welcome… we are also planning to repaint and re-carpet the bedroom.

Because of the bath-tub leak a few months back we had water seep under our 80’s carpet and caused moister to build up. I consider myself to be a “clean person” and the mere glance of an ant sends me into a Clorox/water and vinegar tizzy. We have lately had another type of bug rear its ugly, creepy, nasty, little face at us… ROACHES! UGGGH… BARF!

Growing up I was encouraged to visit a person in my life, who was unable to keep their house clean enough to keep the cockroaches out of their home. I was forced to sleep in a room with nest of those nasty bugs. Since that experience I have been petrified of the little boogers. With that being said, I went to use the restroom downstairs and as I am pulling off my pants, I hear a scurry across the room and see the roach. I swear it started cat-calling me and saying sly comments. I quickly pulled up my pants and shut the door on it. When Jake came home, (the manly-man he is) he armed himself with his weapon (shoe and bug spray) and bravely found the roach (in the dirty mags… guess he was disappointed he did not get a show from me) and Jake bravely squished him to smithereens.

We are now having the house professionally sprayed. I refused to live with anyone else but Jake. No Ants… No silver fish… NO Roaches.

With redoing the rooms, come new fixtures. Jake and I successfully completed our first fan installation. The fan even had lights. I cannot take any credit, except for being a great assistant for holding parts and reading the instructions. We were able to complete the project without shocking ourselves on the live wire! And the fan worked the first try!!! Wooo hoooo!

I promise to put up pics as soon as I complete my first sewing project!