Silver Lining

This past wee has been nothing short of exhausting.  While I love my job, I've found myself just wanting to stay in bed all week instead of getting up and being productive.  I have a lot to do in my last month living in Connecticut, but I don't really want to do any of them.

Today was especially lazy.  It's the first real day off I've had in a while, meaning I didn't have anything I really had to do, I didn't have to be anywhere at any time, I just got to sit on the couch and watch some t.v. and watch the trains pass the apartment I'm staying in for the next couple of weeks.  It was a gloomy, rainy day, so I stayed in my pajamas and ate ramen.  This is going to be a "Today, I believe..." list.

Today, I Believe...

•  showering, getting back into pajamas and watching BBC can make for a great day off in the middle of chaos.
• train rides really are amazing and beautiful.
• barely using your phone all day can help to clear your head and keep from stressful conversations.
• everything happens for a reason, even if it isn't clear why everything is falling apart around you right now.
• "You have to do everything you can, you have to work your hardest, and if you do, you have a shot at a silver lining..."  is probably one of the most accurate and hard-hitting messages for me right now.

Happy Sunday, everyone.  Hopefully the coming weeks will be better.

Starting Over Part 2

So, it's been decided that I'm off to Oklahoma after all.

There are a lot of reasons for me to go there at this point in my life, but the biggest factor (besides the potential of being homeless) is my soon-to-be nephew, Tyler!

He will be arriving in late February if all goes according to plan, and I am so insanely excited to be there when he arrives.

I'm excited and depressed about this whole moving thing, though.  Packing is a pain, but Kaeley and I are having a tag sale this Saturday and need to be out the following Tuesday.  Everything came up so fast!  Luckily, so long as I get all of the packing and organizing I need done tomorrow after work and on my day off Tuesday, I plan to spend (Monday the 30th) in New York after work as a personal moment and as some fun learning for work at a Makeup Forever class.

I plan on making a post or two about the packing experience and the process of selling everything and starting over.  I'll also definitely make a video of the travel day for you guys here.  Leave comments of any advice or suggestions if you want to!

Starting Over?

Hey everyone!  I have some awesome, horrible, terrifying, and sad but also happy news.

I'm moving to Oregon...(I think...)

In the last post, I had mentioned having to move again after living on my own for five months because of a whole long story, and I've had so many different ideas and suggestions going through my head for the last couple of weeks I could probably throw up with how dizzying it all is. 

At first, a friend of mine (Jess) had offered for me to come down to Richmond to live with her and her husband.  Then, my older sister and my brother-in-law offered up their spare room in Oklahoma.  

Now, I had tried to find a place to live on my own in southern Connecticut, then in the entire state of Connecticut, but I just can't find a place here that I can realistically afford on my own.  So I had broadened my search to the surrounding areas (RI, NY, MA) but only found a very, very small selection of options.  Playing around with ideas, I looked into Portland, Oregon.  My older sister and I had gone out there with my dad a few summers back to visit my aunts and cousins and honestly, I really love it out there.  After our week vacation was up, I really didn't want to come back to Connecticut.  The weather is almost always beautiful, there's minimal snow (which is great for me), and it's so much cheaper.  

I'm still very torn about the whole situation.  I've always wanted the chance to move to a different state, but now I'm nothing short of having a panic attack over it.  I've always said I kind of hate Connecticut, but I'm hesitant to actually leave.  I know I'll have a job wherever I go, but I know I won't have a car.  No matter where I go, I know I'm going to have to sell all of my things except my clothes and my laptop and just leave.

While that idea sounds liberating, it also sounds terrifying.  Imagine someone telling you that you have two weeks, drop everything, pack what you can carry, and move across the country.  Scared yet?

Sorry this post is kind of a downer, I just don't know what to do at this point.  Here are some pictures from my last Oregon visit.

Courtney, Dad and Me at the beach

More beach pictures

PDX Airport with Courtney

Mountains in the distance

Delayed Update

Hey everyone, I know I have been MIA since about a week after my sister's wedding but things have been so crazy in my life right now.  Working two jobs is so stressful and the last week has just made everything seem like it's 10 times more difficult.  On Friday this past week, I was told that I have until October 1st to find a new place to live because there are problems with the house I've been living in since May. Long story short, the house will no longer be ours... So I've been doing some apartment hunting and everything is going to get really intense soon.

Hopefully I will get back on schedule with all of the things that I had planned for you guys, especially now that we're going into fall.  I have so many awesome plans for this fall that I'm really really hoping to show you guys and also do for myself.  I love fall and usually I feel like I have more energy around this time of year so that's a good indication of how much I will actually get done.

I'm so sorry about the absence for the past almost two months.  That's crazy, I can't believe it's been that long.  Time flies when you're stressed and having some fun on the side, right?

Here's a small update on what I've been up to in July and August, just so that we don't completely miss out on that time.

Kaeley and I set the grill on fire...

I made this!

I decided to play with some makeup and came up with an Emcee look from Cabaret.

Went to Savers and found this awesome kitty/puppy sweater. (Still sad I didn't buy it, along with the Reindeer poncho below.)

Went to Lyman Orchards and picked way more peaches than I knew what to do with.

Finally dip dyed my hair!  I've been saying I was going to do it for over a year, but wanted to wait until after the wedding.

Lastly, I skewered more grapes than I ever thought I'd have to...

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Summer Playlist Part 1

Hey everyone! I made a playlist for the beginning of the summer.  Well..sort of beginning, but more the middle because I'm lame and didn't get to it until now.  Here is Summer Playlist 1 for you, let me know if you like any of these songs, too, or if you want to see more playlists.  Happy listening =)

My Sister's Wedding

Father and daughter <3

My sister got married!  The whole day was absolutely beautiful and so perfect and I'm so incredibly happy for her and her husband.  They're off in Disney for the week and having a blast until sometime this coming weekend, then back to OKC for a while.  Here are some of the pictures I got from the wedding!

Fixing our brother's bow tie

Can you tell this one if my favorite?

Things I've Learned from Courtney & Nick

My sister is getting married this weekend!  I am so excited for her and her new life with Nick, who is such a great guy for her.

They've definitely had their plates full for the last year, with Nick being deployed with the Air Force, both of them moving to Oklahoma, as well as planning the wedding and all of the things that go along with it. I'm not sure how they've managed to get everything done in such a short time, especially with my sister starting a brand new job down in OKC, but they've managed to get everything together and seem to be handling the stress a little better than some couples do.

 They've been up in Connecticut for the past few days and on Monday I got to spend the day with them putting together some of the final details for their special day.

This man was a great help in finding THE shoes!

Things I've Learned From Courtney & Nick

• Life is a great balancing act, and when you can't get what you want you  can always learn to accept someone else's way.
• Value the people who value their own happiness.  They're the ones who give the best advice.
• If it's meant to be, it will be, and it's well worth the wait.
• Things don't always go as planned, but things will always work out for the best in the end.
• Love can deal with distance, especially if you're the adventurous type and can close the gap one day.
• Taking a risk can be the only thing between you and the life you want. The worst that can happen is getting turned down, in which case you move on.

Congratulations Nick and Courtney!  I'm so insanely happy for the both of you and I wish you all the luck in the world, although I know you won't need it.  I'm so excited for the wedding Saturday!  Love you both!