We're not there yet...

But I am so ready for 2013 to be over.

While it definitely had it's ups and downs I feel like I've had more bad luck then good. 

Thirteen is an unlucky number after all. 

I've been in 3 count them 3 car crashes this year! With one just being on Sunday.

The first one was probably 75% my fault. 

The second one was deemed 50% but I still believe I was just a victim.

The third and hopefully final I was 100% INNOCENT. 

If you're going to get in a crash I guess that's the kind you want to be in.

My poor little car is definitely taking a beating.

After 25 years my parents are getting divorced.

Yep.

Scary to share with the world (or all 36 of my followers) considering only 2 of my friends know.

But I like to keep it real so yeah. Divorce not fun no matter how old you are.

I don't want to be a Debbie Downer so moving on!

What good came of this year?

 I got a great job that I really like. 

For the first time since I started working at the young age of 15 I have no desire to look for another job.

It's pretty awesome. 

I guess that cancels out the 2 car crashes that were possibly partially my fault.

and just because I feel like this sometimes. 

Yeah I'm still here...

In case anyone was wondering I'm still here!

I was a bad blogger before, but now that I have the demanding big kid job I'm an even worse blogger!

It's funny now that I'm not trying to be creative for the sake of my blog I'm actually doing projects!

One thing you can count on? I'm still taking crappy iPhone pics of my projects. 

Barely whipped out the DSLR last week to shoot some engagement pictures for friends.

I've been scoring some great finds on craigslist as of late. 

Probably due to my constant cursing of people that live anywhere but here 

that find amazing things for cheap!

I've been on the hunt for a round pedestal table for a few months now.

But I didn't want to pay more than $100 for the table and I wanted it to be wood.

Of course I scoured craigslist, but only found $200 crap.

Until my stalking paid off.

I picked this baby up from some questionable cat owners.

It's solid wood and came with 4 chairs (not pictured). 

How much did I pay for the entire set?

$40!

So after about $25 in paint and stain.

Plus HOURS of my life. 

I have a new dining set for $65

I looooove the way it turned out. 

I know my curtains are crooked...I think some shrunk.

Redecorating is my next project. But we all know how I have project ADD. 

Just a touch of whimsy....

Sometimes I really wish I was a little more whimsical. 

Is that weird?

I would love to have a house decorated with randomness and be one of those super creative boho types.

You know the type. You've probably seen their blogs. Cause they all have blogs.

They're able to pull anything together be it a room or an outfit and make it look so effortless.

I feel like whimsy is something you're born with and you can't learn to be whimsical.

This is pretty random I know. 

Just my thoughts as I've stumbled upon yet another blogger with awesome whimsy.

99 Problems But Weight Ain't 1

Geez!

I feel like it's been forever since I last posted.

So much has happened! Not really...but it seems like it.

My birthday came and went. Grown-up birthdays suck!

I've been chugging along at my no longer new job. I'm still loving it!

I bought some furniture to refinish. Like any poor blogger I did not take before pictures.

GASP! I know, I know.

In other news I found this really cool site called DietBet. Well actually MishLovinLife introduced me.

It's a weight loss challenge but instead of just having 1 winner, everyone who meets goal wins!

The goal is to lose 4% of your body fat. Umm that's totally not a lot.

You put money in the pot lose your 4% and either walk away with the money you put in or some extra!

This really is a win-win situation. That is unless you don't meet goal.

I struggle with motivation. I really do. I know I should work out cause it's good for you blah blah blah.

But it's just so hard to get motivated. As I get older it's only going to get worse. So I need to get on this.

The game I joined is 99 Problems But Weight Ain't 1 hence the blog post title.

It's $30 and weigh in starts in a couple days. 

I'm going to do this. I don't want to just give someone $30 because they could do what I was to lazy to do.

I'm going to make this happen!

Wish me luck! If you want to join click here.

The more players the bigger the pot. The better chance you have of making some money!

Hello? Is it me you're looking for?

I finally got my laptop up and running! 

Yay! It's like 6 going on 7 years old and frustrates the heck out of me.

The boyfriend offered to buy us a new iMac... and I asked the question 

any only child would ask the week of their birthday.

This doesn't count as my birthday present, right?

I know! I'm a tad spoiled at times. 

Being an only child not to mention an only grandchild for 16 years will do that to you.

Moving on!

This weekend was a fun one. One of my oldest and greatest friends got married!

Yes I need a tan...but I'm deathly afraid of getting skin cancer.

It runs in my family and I've finally come to my senses about the risk.

Her new husband is British so she wanted to incorporate that.

I helped her out with some Union Jack garters.

Horrible cell phone pic.

Her moving to a different continent has made me realize how you can take your friends for granted.

When someone's been in your life so long you just expect that they will always be there. 

Even though we don't talk very often when we get together it's like nothings really changed.

Friends like that really don't come along that often and I'm lucky she's one of mine!

Are you there blog?

It's me Jessica!

It's been so long since I posted. A lot longer than usual. Has anyone missed me? Probably not. But I've missed you.

STUFF has been happening. Life if you will. 

Finished up my other job started the big girl one. Haven't had the ummm "free time" during the day to stay updated on this thing. Or even my Etsy shop. Good thing the orders have not been rolling in because I do not have a computer right now. Writing this from my iPad. It probably looks funny and you wish there were pictures. But that is just too complicated from the Blogger app. 

Moving on!

I had a week vacation before my last week (really 3 days at my previous job) then I dove right into my new job. 

If I could insert some cute GIF of someone dancing ridiculously or screaming and running around I would.

I LOVE my new job. (This could possibly be embarrassing as my bosses have looked at my blog) 

But I do. I LOVE it and I'm not even fully into it yet. I love that I get to be really passionate about what I actually went to school for. It's awesome. I highly recommend it. I have an office and my brain hurts from trying to think what to put in it. I finally decided that I want cupcake art. I don't know why that was so hard. 

I really have nothing else to say right now. Blogging from the blogger app is limiting my creativity.

I have a recipe to post but like I said pictures are not my friend in this app.

I can't even insert my cute cupcake signature... dammit. 

High Five for Friday!

So exciting things have been happening this week.

So remember here when I talked about waiting for the job to be excited about?

I finally got one!

Not going into any specifics because we all know I like to be vague.

It's in my degree field and I'm super stoked.

Do people still say stoked? Well I just did. 

Something similar to this might have happened when I got the offer.

Possible Sun Poisoning...

So the boyfriend and I are doing a huge overhaul of the backyard.

Two years ago we paid a great landscaping guy to come do the backyard...

We had beautiful grass and plants and it was awesome.

Until weeds took over everything because of some seed they laid down.

Then they came back and redid the grass. 

That's when they laid grass on top of our surrounding wood chips.

Not a great idea.

Grass started growing everywhere and wouldn't you know it the weeds came back.

Fast forward a year.

We decided to be kind generous people and save a dog from the rescue.

A dog who is pretty much Satan herself. 

Who had been neglected her whole life and freaks out if you even leave the room.

Well even putting her outside caused her to panic. 

Fast forward to last week. 

Two of our cypresses were destroyed by spider mites. 

About 5 plants were eaten by the aforementioned Satan dog.

The drip system became a tug of war toy.

The grass was killed on purpose by the boyfriend because "it was the only way to kill the weeds."

So today was spent getting rid of the surrounding woods chips because

1. They were grass ridden

2. They're birch and Ripley is HIGHLY ALLERGIC

3. They absorb everything and I mean everything 

It already looks so much better just without the wood chips. 

We then fixed the drip system so we can finally water our remaining plants.

This weekend will be spent taking the wood chips to the dump. 

They are piled on one side of our yard right now.

Laying down new felt. Possibly getting some rock. Possibly planting replacements.

I'm already super sunburned and was quite convinced after hour 6 that I was going to die. 

We'll see how it goes this weekend. 

Tuesday Topics: Seven Things About My Job

Seven things about my job...

Well I'm not currently in my "dream job"...

It pays the bills and I'm thankful to have a job when so many don't.

It's an office job and I surround myself with hello kitty things...

I work in a department of the university I graduated from.

This time of year is EXTREMELY BUSY and I'm ready for vacation.

I just got a brand new iMac to work on and it's amazing.

My job is pretty boring and sometimes soul sucking.

Eight Goals for This Month

We all know how I feel about goals?

Setting myself up for disaster! 

If I plan it out it's almost a guarantee it's not going to happen. 

But here are some things I would like to accomplish this month.

1. Put some miles on my new bike

Woo I'm at like 2 miles! lol

2. Plan a vacation for next summer

I'm thinking Myrtle Beach...

or maybe California...

3. Be more positive...
I have a problem with is and I definitely need to work on it.

4. Blog more

I don't feel the same pressure I used too... 

I feel like I'm leaning towards lifestyle blogging rather than crafty blogging.

I've also noticed I enjoy reading more lifestyle blogs than crafty blogs lately...

5. Enjoy my time off

I have a week off at the end of the month and I plan to be super lazy...

While catching up on everything I need to do around the house. 

6. Take my vitamins...

I've gotten really bad.

 I have a Vitamin D deficiency that causes swelling in my knees so I really need to get on this..

7. Fix Roxy's Harness

She ate pieces of it... that makes 3 collars/harness she's eaten.

8. Get on a workout schedule

Guess this goes with putting some more miles on my bike!

DIY Dog Treats

We all know I love my dogs like they're my children.

This is partly because one of my dogs is extremely high maintenance.

Ripley the studly german shepherd you see below is highly allergic to...pretty much to life.

I'm not kidding...

He's allergic to cats, carrots, grass, sagebrush, birch, pecans, soy, wheat, corn, cow's milk, yeast, pork, beef,  mosquitos, 

house dust, about ten more different weeds,  potatoes, HUMAN skin cells (so our love), and numerous other things. 

It's kind of exhausting. 

But not as exhausting for him. The above picture doesn't really look like him anymore.

His fur has gotten dry and itchy, his nose is always running, and his bottom lip is extremely swollen.

So what are we to do?

Spend hundreds of dollars on allergy testing? Check!

Spend hundreds of dollars on immunotherapy? Check!

Spend even more money on grain free/gluten free dog food free of most things he's allergic to? Check!

I'm getting off topic. 

Needless to say Ripley cannot have a lot of things out on the doggie market today. 

I'm waiting on some new treats to come in but in the mean time decided to make my own. 

He's allergic to potatoes but not sweet potatoes... I don't get it but oh well...

I spent about $1 on one sweet potato and got a nice sized bag of doggie treats. 

All I did was slice them up into strips and bake them in the oven for about 5 hours. 

The oven temp was 225.

I checked on them every couple hours to make sure they were getting crispy but not burnt.

The dogs LOVED them. 

Struggling...

I feel like I'm constantly being the debbie downer.

I really try to stay positive but sometimes it is just so hard.

I'm definitely not where I thought I would be right now.

I'm having one of those days where I just feel like it's hopeless. 

That I'm going to be stuck in this same rut forever. 

I'm struggling waiting for a job that I can be somewhat excited about.

Sometimes I just feel trapped underneath what feels like a mountain of student loan debt. 

Student loan debt that I have nothing to show for but a piece of paper.

Trying to be positive.

Positive positive positive.

Thoroughly Exhausted Thursday....

I'm literally so tired I can barely keep my eyes open.

It's one of those weeks where I have definitely not gotten enough sleep and
am just ready for the weekend so I can sleep for 12 hours. 

Working at a university during the summer is torture. 

I mean yes I have a lot of stuff I could be doing/catching up on.

But that requires motivation. 

Motivation that 4 hours of sleep does not provide. 

I'm making the wedding cake for my brother-in-law's wedding so sleep will not be had tonight.

Wedding's tomorrow at 10am. 

Which means I'll be up at like 7:00 am otherwise known as way to early on a day off.

Tuesday Topics: 10 things that make you happy

A new round of Tuesday Topics!

These are great because they keep me a somewhat consistent blogger.

I've been busy playing around on my brand new iMac at work.

I've also been glued to the Jodi Arias trial. I can't help it. I really just want it over already. 

So some peace for the families can be had.

But today's topic are 10 things that make me happy.

I'm gonna try and keep it light.

1. The boyfriend

He drives me crazy most of the time but I'm happiest with him.

2. My puppies

Especially today I went home and Roxy is always just so excited to welcome me home. 

3. Rain!

I really want to wear my new wellies and need some rain so I don't look crazy.

4. Good News

Huffington Post has an entire section that is just good news. 

I love reading it when I'm feeling disappointed in humanity.

5. Family

Especially my niece and nephew. I always love to see them.

6. Ladybugs

Or ladybug things to stash around my desk and house.

7. My new bike helmet.

Yes I'm aware I'm ridiculous

8. Online Shopping

I'm definitely not an instant gratification kind of girl. 

I'd rather scope out the best deal from the comfort of my couch.

9. Trenta Green Teas from Starbucks

Never ordered trenta before. It was a must today.

10. My Flowers

These babies have survived my black thumb. Apparently the boyfriend has been keeping them watered.

I just thought they were miracles. Even though it's weird none of the purple ones are blooming.

Mother's Day Gift...

So I'm kind of lame and still make my mom something for Mother's Day.

My mom is seriously so hard to shop for and 

she always says she appreciates something that takes some thought.

My mom also loves her Chihuahuas. 

I know most people hate them but for some reason my mom loves them.

So last year I made her a desk calendar with pictures of her dogs.

This year I decided to try out my embroidery skills and I made this:

via: Sublime Stitching Chi Chi Fever Pattern

She really liked it...or at least she said she did.

I really loved the sublime stitching pattern it was super easy to transfer and came with a color guide.

Best of all it was cheap and it comes with a bunch of images so you can design your own arrangement.

If you're wanting to get into embroidery and need fun unique patterns I would definitely recommend them.

p.s. Sublime Stitching has no idea who I am. 

I've just been really enjoying doing some embroidery. I need to learn more stitches!

Tuesday Topics

Today's Tuesday Topic is One Reason You Started Blogging...

For the fame?

Maybe the money?

I kid I kid. 

I started blogging as a way to join in on something I sat and observed for so long.

I have been an avid reader of blogs for about 4 years. 

I loved all of these creative people who share not just their projects but their lives with complete strangers.

What have I learned since I started blogging?

It's a lot harder than it looks.

This is how I feel most days...

I did it!

First just so you know the blog is kind of under construction. 

I'm trying some stuff out so it's kind of weird right now.

Moving on...

I did it! I actually finished a project in a timely manner.

Here's my little Kokeshi doll...

Sorry for the horrible picture I've been getting home super late this week.

I used to love counted cross stitch as a kid and am happy to be picking embroidery up.

I'm working on something for Mother's Day that I think is really fun.

Yay for finally moving through my creativity block!

Tuesday Topics: 2 Bucket List

I've never really sat down and thought about things I want to do.

I really need to create a bucket list and start crossing some things off!

Two things that I definitely want to do are:

Run the Disney Princess Half Marathon

You get to wear a cute costume and run through DisneyWorld.

Awesome!

Visit the place I was born

Lakenheath, England

My parents always talk about how great it was to live there. So I definitely want to visit!

Project ADD

I have so many half done projects.
Or I've bought all the materials for one project and haven't even started.

Remember the brush roll? Yeah, almost done!
Slowly but surely I'm going to finish it.
All that's left is the actual sewing.

When I was in high school I took Art and LOVED it.
Watercolors were especially my favorite.
So I decided to order some paints so I can start doing it again.

Oh yeah I bought a charm pack a couple months ago to make a quilt.
But I still need backing fabric and batting.

And yesterday I decided that I want to start doing embroidery again.
I need to go buy a hoop, fabric, and floss.

But wait! I really need a strap for my yoga mat.
Good thing I bought the fabric and velcro for that.

I also really need to make a matching bag for my brush roll.

Oh crap! Mother's Day is next week and my little's 25th birthday!
I need to do something special for her and the moms in my life.

But wait I still haven't finished the original project I have been working on.

This is just a trip into my brain and how it works.
I partly blame Pinterest.

It somehow always comes full circle though.

Tuesday Topics: Jewelry

Hello!

So the juice fast is over...

Whomp whomp.

I felt really sick yesterday and couldn't take it anymore. 

I made it about 24 hours and thought I was going to vomit for the last 4 hours of it.

Today's Tuesday Topics is three pieces of jewelry:

The ring on the left is my "place holder" from the boyfriend. 

The necklace is my birthday gift from him last year.
My only Tiffany's piece and I looove it.

The ring on the bottom right is my love knot that he gave me
about 2 months after we started dating.

The ring on the top right was a gift from my grandfather before he passed away.
I really need to get it sized!

Last but not least my AOII badge. 

I know it's five pieces but all of the boyfriend's only count as one I decided.

All of this jewelry means a lot to me. 

This Week...

So this week I decided to try doing a juice fast.

I know I know...why the heck would I want to do that?

Put simply...I feel like crap alot.

I'm always tired and have zero energy. 

My eczema is getting kind of ridiculous.

I have joint pain pretty often that is so painful I can't straighten one of my legs.

I need to start eating better and taking care of myself. 

So I decided to try a juice fast to kind of reboot my system. 

I honestly don't know how long I'll last.

These things are EXPENSIVE too. 

My breakfast this morning has a cucumber, three very large handfuls of spinach, 

two green apples, and a couple carrots...

Wish me luck!

Four Sites

I'm kind of an internet junkie... 

Four sites that I visit daily are:

Pinterest!

I have about 1,700 pins right now and I've slowed down alot... 

Bloglovin'

I've actually gotten used to it and kind of like it better than google reader. 

I get to actually see everyone's blog designs! Follow me here!

The Weather Channel

I usually check this out while I'm laying in bed so I can plan what I'm wearing. 

All my trashy tabloids

USMagazine, Eonline, TMZ, People... 

It's a guilty pleasure what can I say?!

I also catch up on the news. Since we don't have cable the internet is my only resource. 

I mean minus going to the store to actually buy a newspaper. But who does that?
Just kidding! I do sometimes.

Being Positive...

I planned on sharing my brush roll today but needed to get this out..

My heart hurts for this world sometimes.

The tragedy in Boston and West, Texas.

The tragedies on a daily basis everywhere else. 

It seems you can't read the newspaper without hearing about horrible things.

Horrible things that people are doing to other people or worst of all to kids.

Kids who are hurt simply because they are the most vulnerable victims.

I'm trying to stay positive and believe there are more good people than bad.

But it's really hard sometimes. 

In case you were wondering...

I would be the worst boy scout ever. 

Not only because I'm a girl but because I'm apparently never prepared!

I sat down to finish up my make up roll. Needed to add the interfacing.

Go into my craft room and sift through ALL my fabrics.

I had no interfacing. I was convinced I did. 

So basically I suck but at least I keep it real right?

That's what I keep telling myself.

I did cut out my second piece of lining to store my brushes
and I laminated the other piece.

To cut out the second piece I just folded my original template pretty much in half.

This was my first time laminating and I think I did alright. 

Words of advice: DEFINITELY IRON FIRST. 

I don't know if I really like the lining laminated but it'll help keep it clean so oh well.

Luckily the laminate has a grid 

which made it super easy to trace my template and cut out.

Here it is in it's finished glory. 

It looks a little wonky but once it's all pieced together I think it will look good.

I will be going out this weekend to get some interfacing. 

So crossing my fingers this thing will be done by Monday!