Brief Update

Well it' s been more than a month again. And I can't say I haven't visited this site during that time; I have been catching up on your blogs! I keep checking the website and reading other blogs and thinking "wow I'm boring". But you know what? I've never been happier. I recently got out of a bad relationship. It's like a breath of fresh air. I spent almost 2 years being miserable, but now only have to think about ME finally. I recently moved into my "own place". Granted, my parents own it, but now (again), it's finally all about ME and what I want. (On a side note, I went out and bought a combo modem/router So, as I promised over a month ago, I will update you all on the remaining "topics" I had listed:

• Recently, the lady who runs our employee events and employee newsletters (things going on at work, weddings, babies, etc.) moved to another department in the hotel. So her role was open. It was filled briefly by someone else at the hotel, but she then decided to go back to her original department, so it was open again. Basically, I was handed all of the newsletters and any kind of graphic design stuff that the position used to do! Another lady I work with got the party planning stuff (which is fine with me) and now I get to be much more creative. It's GREAT!


• At the time I wrote my last entry, a Hungarian named Luca was living with my parents. She came to the US a year ago to work at the hotel, and my parents became her "host family" - basically, when they come work in America for a year, they're away from all their friends and family, and my parents would have her over for dinner, and to do laundry and basically be there for her. It was like having a roomate! She's my same age, and we talked about boys and family and life. She went back to Hungary, but it was nice having her around!


• My New Year's resolutions (Yea, they're pretty much all broken by now). Not much else to add. But again - I'm just happy.


• Don't remember about my reading list - but I haven't touched a book in a month. I should really start reading again!


• Phone Saga - I switched to a Samsung Instinct back in October. I hated it. Other than the phone calls and texting, it didn't do a single thing I wanted. So I switched back to a Blackberry over a month ago. Again, another breath of fresh air. I LOVE it!!! And I have 2 sparkling rhinestone-type cases. HEAVEN.


• Necklaces - for about a month back in Feb/March, I was making beaded necklaces like nobody's business. Well, that has slowed down a bit, but it was creative and sparkly and it felt good.

Whew. Well, that was my list. Hopefully another month won't go by before I blog again.

A Life-Changing Haircut?

So, as I promised, a real blog. And I'll be spreading out what's going on over a few blogs, as to not overwhelm myself or anyone who reads this.

Last night, I had the weirdest dream. I can't remember where I was in the dream, but some stranger came up to me and just cut off a chunk of my hair, specifically on my right side. First of all, it cut my bangs (which I don't have) and secondly, there was no reason or provocation and I didn't even know who this person was!

I googled "dreams about getting your hair cut". Believe me - that's out there. I found a website that offers interpretations of many different types of dreams and found this description:

"If you dream that you make a drastic change to your hairstyle, then it means that you are making a drastic, new approach to some issue in your waking life. To dream that you are cutting your hair, suggests that you are experiencing a loss in strength. You may feel that someone is trying to censor you. Alternatively, you may be reshaping your thinking or ambitions and eliminating unwanted thoughts/habits. "

This actually makes sense to me. About 5 months ago, I made a major life change. I had been dating a guy named Justin for over 2 years and I ended it. Without going into details, it was a very rocky and harmful relationship at the end, and an even worse break up. But it had to be done. I moved back in with my parents and spent a few months just basically recovering. I'm happy to say that I feel like I'm finally getting back to "me". So I am (or recently have) made a new, drastic approach to my life. I'm living it without that on my shoulders.

Now, in the dream, I wasn't the one cutting my hair but I do feel that back in October and the few months after that I did experience a loss in strength. I can't begin to explain all the emotions I was feeling but I did feel pretty sucked dry. I did feel like someone was trying to censor me (or you could call it smother or control). And then I began to reshape my thinking and led me to eliminate unwanted habits - him. So, if you were to really interpret the "other person" cutting my hair, you could say it was Justin shocking me into realizing what the hell was going on and that I needed to make a drastic change.

I am extremely thankful for all of the support I recieved from friends, co-workers, and especially my family.

And now, I'm facing the great opportunity of moving out and living on my own again. Finally, my life is getting back on track!

That's 2 blog topics down - 6 to go!

What happened?

Well...I feel like I should really blog, because it's been almost a month. But at this point, it's already 10 pm, and I have to be at work at 7 am tomorrow. And it's a very hairy day ahead. So I think instead I will watch some Netflix and doze off. But I have every intention of blogging a REAL blog soon, so to help my anal-retentive and somewhat spacey mind, I have to make a bulleted list so I remember.

• I had a dream last night that someone walked up to me and just cut a huge chunk out of my hair for no reason. I did some googling, and I think I have the answer.


• A major change in my life that happened a few months ago, and another one coming up in a month or two. (*Disclaimer - no, I am not pregnant!)


• A promotion that I'm stressed/excited about at work.


• A Hungarian student named Luca (pronounced "Lootza", like "pizza" but starting with "loot")


• My New Year's resolutions (Yea, they're pretty much all broken by now)


• My reading list


• My phone saga


• My necklaces

On second thought, maybe I should space those out into other blogs. Yea, that might be good. For the 8 followers!! :) Maybe I could get to 10 if I posted more??

And on that note, I wanted to share a picture that makes me happy:This is the cover of this month's Texas Monthly magazine. I may be in Colorado, but I'm still in love with Texas!!

So I’m back!! I figured I was due to update my blog and my resolutions on how I was doing.

First of all, I’m on track with my one book a month resolution. In January, I started to read "Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell and Know" by Alexandra Horowitz, and it’s a really interesting book (mini-review to come once I’m done), but by today, it’s simply not finished.

However, on Friday, January 28th, I walked into the library for employees we have next to my office, looking for a future month’s selection. I grabbed one short book (probably 25-30 with large print), called “Dinner with a Stranger” by David Gregory.

I read the entire thing over my lunch break. My resolution was technically achieved in a matter of half an hour without me knowing. It’s about a man who receives a dinner invitation by someone who claimed to be Jesus, and the man accepts. The more “Jesus” talks to him at dinner, the more the man starts to really think the stranger is Jesus. It’s basically a really good book on apologetics. It puts out some very familiar questions that I’ve either been asked or asked myself, and could never put it into words, and it actually has answers that just simply make sense.

However, it’s still bugging me that I haven’t finished my original January book, so I intend to finish it in February. I feel that I can say I read one book this month, since it’s the only one I’ve read in February and I will finish it!

Also, I have every intention of doing my scrapbooking page for this month this weekend. It only takes me about an hour a page, so I feel like I can do it – it’s just a matter of buckling down and getting started!!!

As for the weight loss, I’m not really down from January 1st, but I'm not up either. And the eating better – well, that fluxuates depending on the day. But, I have been very disappointed in my January performance, so I’m making a more conscious effort to consider what I’m eating and determine – “This is enough. You don’t need more, right? RIGHT!” Plus, I’m very busy at work, so I’m noticing that I’m not hungry as much as I used to be, which just proves to me that I eat out of boredom. I haven’t really worked out much, even after buying The Biggest Loser for Wii, but I’m just not a work-out type of person. I seem to do just fine without it.

And there you have it!! Thanks for sticking around!! And I can use your support and encouragement, so if you have any suggestions or comments on anything related to what I blogged about, then please share!

Inspiring Thoughts

I've had a rough few months recently, and along with the Bible helping me get through, I've found inspiring thoughts just randomly "hit me" at the right time, and today, I got two in a row!

“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” – Plato (from my daily calendar)
- I've been working on my issue with patience, especially with people who I feel make my life more difficult, in whatever way, and I find myself either being short with them to their face, or complaining about them behind their backs. This simple little quote brought it all to light for me in one statement - you may be frustrated with this person, but remember that you're not the only one with problems, and you don't know what this person is going through. Definitely something to think about.

“Re-examine all you have been told…Dismiss what insults your soul.” – Walt Whitman (on my Celestial Seasonings tea bag tag)
- Part of my rough past few months includes a lot of mental and emotional issues where I had constantly been told (in not so many words) that I had screwed up so much that I could never be "good" again and that I was having trouble forgiving myself, even though others had. This quote just made me realize instantly - All those thoughts, motions and words that hurt my soul...just forget them. They don't have any place in my life and they can only bring me down. It's in the past now - dwell on the things that will uplift your soul.

So even though they weren't bible verses, they "spoke" to me...and it just seemed to be exactly what I needed to hear.

No more "negative" thoughts - Phillipians 4:8 - "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things."

Success!

First of all, let me share an adorable picture - When I come home for lunch during the week, I let the dogs out and let them sun themselves by the front door. They LOVE it!! And today, they all piled up by the front door and cuddled. SOO CUTE!!!

And...I've already had success on my resolutions!!

So far, I've already changed my blog design from the "Fall" theme to something far more relevant to me - sparkles!

And, I've already done my allotted "one page a month" of scrapbooking!! I have taken a picture for proof:

Not my best work, but I've been out of practice for a while. Whew...that really took it out of me!

2011 New Year's Resolutions

So I got a kick out of reading my blog resolutions from last year (found here). It was actually pretty interesting to see that I kept 2 of them and didn't keep the other 3!! That's progress for me - the previous year, I didn't keep any and before that I didn't even make any because I didn't want to feel bad about breaking/not keeping them.

I was able to lose almost all of the 30 lbs that I wanted to (about 22 total) but I felt and looked great and was able to fit in a ton of my old clothes! And that loss was due to another resolution, which was to eat healthier and try new recipes! I joined Weight Watchers, and it worked and the rest is history!! However, since I lost that weight, I've gained back about 8 lbs in the last 3 months. NOT good.

I feel like it's only appropriate to make some more, and to make sure I include those from last year I wasn't able to keep. So here goes!!

1. Clearly, I need to redesign my blog theme and heading. Oops.
2. Save money!
3. Scrapbook at least 1 "event" a month. I have quite the backlog, and 1 page a day or week is a little lofty.
4. Read 1 book a month. I just got 4 new books in the last week, so I definitely have a good start! No excuses!
5. Lose 10 lbs to get back to my Weight Watchers weight. And keep it off!

Happy New Year!