Pinterest Project: Coin Frame...Completed!

     I've been hanging on to this project for a while, and it's finally done! Yay! 

Original pin

     So here's the thing. I collect coins, specifically coins from other countries. We travel a lot, and it's a cheap, interesting souvenir. I have coins from every continent except Australia. Most countries have very pretty money; we're the exception. So when I found this pin, I loved it! I hated just having all my coins in a dish or container somewhere where nobody could ever see them, and this was perfect for displaying them! 

     I waited on my Dad to get back from his last trip to Africa to call it finished, and good to his word when he got back last week he brought me several new coins from various countries in both Africa and Europe so I could finish off my frame.

It's done! I love the frame I found...best part, I got it on clearance!

I think my black velvet looks much better behind the coins than the original pin's tan color; it makes the coins show up so much better.

Close up! Just in this shot, there are coins from Qatar, Cuba, Ecuador, Belize, Europe, China, Canada, and the US.

This might be my favorite out of all the Pinterest projects I've done! Love love love it!

Election 2012 - A Different View

   

 



 

     Tonight, Mr. Obama was reelected to his second term as our president. Even though he wasn't my personal choice at the polls, I'm not going to get my panties in a wad and let everyone know how mad I am that my team lost. I was raised better than that.

 

     Honestly I'm so relieved that this election is finally over. I completely dislike politics, and really hate election year politics, because of the condition our country declines to during them. On social media sites especially, election years bring out the worst in people. And it sickens me. Just because someone isn't voting for your candidate, it's okay for you to make racial slurs, belittle their intelligence, talk about their religion? I've seen picture, memes, signs, slogans, anything you can make, and most of it I woulnd't dare repost or even repeat! Saw these two today:

 

 

     Pitiful. And people get offended when their rights aren't respected to the utmost degree. How about 'friends respect their friends political views, no matter if they're different from their own'?

     This is America. And because they missed a couple of lessons in government class, whoever posts those signs should be educated in what that means. America was formed by people who didn't have freedom to vote for the way their lives were ruled. Our founders and lawmakers through the years set up our voting system, and many many men and women have given their lives through the years, so that you might have the priviledge to vote and do it freely. You can pick the candidate of your choice, the party of your choice, and vote however you like on the choices given you. Just because someone doesn't vote the same as you, it doesn't give you the right to belittle them or their choice. You have the right to respect that their views are different from yours, and the right to hope that the candidate or platform you voted for wins.  

 

     It's so hard for voters to make an intelligent, informed decision these days when you're voting. With the media throwing their opinions around, all the gossip on social sites, and the debates that do absolutely nothing to clarify candidates positions, I'm amazed anything truthful ever makes it to the ears of the voters. But it's our responsibility and our right to make an informed decision.

     My parents wanted to raise a responsible adult who cared about understanding the vote I would be casting and learning about the candidate I was marking my tally for, and thank God for it! I take time each year to talk with them and understand what it is I'll be voting for, which candidates have what view, and what their opinions are. This year's voting has been the source of many conversations around the Falkner house, and will probably spawn quite a few more.

 

     As for this election, even though Mr. Obama wasn't my candidate of choice, I was raised to understand that once the vote was in, that was that. He's now once again our president, and as such deserves our respect. I may make jokes about him, and have about several other presidents, but I would never make a remark that insulted his race, called him retarded, or said that I would rather him die than be reelected, like some of the comments I've read lately. I admire him and his wife very much for keeping their family together so well in spite of all the stress I know they must face. You can tell they love each other and their children very much, and that is a quality I value highly.

     All I will say about him and this election is congratulations Mr. President, and good luck.

 

 

 

 

      

 

Help!

     This is a girls only post, which means all you cootie filled boys have to stop reading now or forever be tainted by the hormone, femininity filled post ahead.



     Are the men gone? Okay ladies, Alyssa needs help! Advice, tricks that worked for you, family remedies, life stories, anything short of crazy I am open to trying. For the casual reader dropping by, I'm getting pretty personal about myself in this post (nothing gross I promise) but it's because I know at least one of you out there has to have had some of my problems before.
    
     This whole year last year, I have had problems with my hormones. Very basically, when I got mono last year and dropped 20+ pounds in a month, I stopped having a period. My doctor knew about it, and though it wasn't great for me, we had other things to worry about and that wasn't a totally unexpected side effect. Side note: zero possibility of me getting a date at that point of my life, much less pregnant, so that was definitely not the problem. Fast forward a couple of months to early summer, I've gained most of my weight back, mono is gone, I'm healthy in all other regards, but still not having a period. All the women of the world are drooling with jealousy here, I know. However, I've been on birth control for several years to help with my migraines, and with me still not having a cycle, I'm getting more and more messed up the longer I go. My migraines also started getting worse, as they're very hormone controlled.
     The 'lady' doctor I had been seeing made matters worse, first putting me on extra estrogen then a higher dose birth control pill, and when that didn't work taking me off everything altogether, because 'sometimes skinny people just don't have periods' and 'it's not hurting you not to have one'. Oh. my. gosh. Talk about dropping me off a cliff. Taking me from a pretty high regular dose of hormones that I've been on for years, cold turkey? I had a migraine for a straight week, and was dangerous to be around. The people at my house need me to be hormone regulated. Proven need.
     I finally went to my family doctor who has seen me a lot this past year, a very very smart woman, and confessed to being a dangerous woman out on the loose. She treats me for my migraines, which is a talent surprisingly few doctors have. A neurologist once told me that since I was to be allergic to triptans (Imitrex type meds), I was just going to have to suffer. Like, not joking told me that. Um...no. Very unimpressed with your bedside manner there doc.
     Anyway, back to my doctor. She treats me for everything else, so I told her she could add the 'lady' doctor part to the list. Just fyi, skinny people still need periods just like everyone else, especially if you're a 23 year old skinny person on birth control, and it is highly unhealthy to go without your regular period.
     She put me right back on my old birth control (much rejoicing occured at that decision), and ran much blood work to make sure I had nothing else out of whack other than the level of my hormones.

     Now I'm slowly getting back to normal but having all these weird hormone related side effects. It's kind of like going through puberty all over again, but worse than I ever had it as a teenager, and all at once! Ugh.
     First, my hair has changed texture twice in the last year. That is more of a manageable side effect, you find the right shampoo (again) and once its dried and straightened you're pretty much done.
     Not so manageable is the fact that my skin is no longer my beautiful, smooth, not dry and not oily, never get a pimple skin anymore. Don't get me wrong, I use good makeup, I take care of my skin, always have. But lately it doesn't seem to matter. I'm constantly in the middle of one breakout or another, I have blackheads popping out like crazy, and my skin is oilier than I can ever remember it being. Disgusting! And yes, I have lots of stress, and yes I deal with dirty nasty money all day long. This probably doesn't help matters, but not a changeable thing. I have always been secretly thankful for and proud of my skin, because it was so easy to deal with and, if my family is any key, only gets better in the long run. I want it back!
     I don't know if any of y'all have any problems with your skin or hair still, but if you can remember any tricks you loved from back in the day or that saved your life for that one huge date, SHARE! Basically, I want to know how to keep my face from breaking out so much, how to keep your face not-oily, how to stop a breakout when I know it's coming or how to make it get over quicker, how to make the blackheads vanish, any tricks that make you feel un-blugh when you're extra hormonal, all that jazz. Anything, Help a sister out!

Thrifting!

     This week I am so excited about sleeping under my new blanket from the Thaxton Mall (Dollar Gen.) It's one of those so-soft velvety almost furry feeling ones, in a pretty latte tan color that goes with my bedroom quilt. I've seen these blankets at places like Kirklands or Bed Bath and Beyond, but I was never willing to part with megabucks for one that was only throw-sized. Thaxton Mall had them for $25, and it's HUGE! Covers my whole bed! And not too heavy to pick up and tote to the couch to continue my snuggling pleasure in there :) I'm telling you, folks, cheap ain't always a negative term.
     My awesome friend Lauren is the thrifting QUEEN. No joke. It's my plan for us to retire and open a thrift store, so I can get in on all these great things she finds firsthand haha. After hearing for years the benefits of cruising the cheapo depot store circuit and making weekly shopping trips to the Goodwill, I decided to try it out - if maybe not weekly to start with!
     My big thing is finding cheap accessories and jewelry - I like to splurge on nice basic clothing pieces and add to them to make outfits, and decorating things. I also collect glass - as in cut crystal - wine glasses, serving pieces, bowls...I think it's the Southern in me coming out. I think every Southern woman should have a good set of china, pretty serving dishes for family gatherings and church suppers, and a set of wine glasses for when you want to feel fancy, even if it's only with sweet tea.

     I shop for certain things in certain stores. Oxford Goodwill I don't get to visit much, but I usually find pretty glass and decorating things there. In Tupelo I rarely visit the Goodwill because its too far for me to visit on my lunch, but I'll probably be going as I start Christmas shopping - gosh, is it really that time again? Ugh. TJMaxx is just across the street from work...highly dangerous. I can find just about anything there. My latest score was a Columbia fleece jacket for $25! Hobby Lobby is across the street too, and I have to just exercise self control with them, especially this time of year. They ALWAYS have a sale, and you can ALWAYS find something you want. I love the Dollar Tree, surprisingly. They have some strange things, but sometimes it's things you're like 'Okay, wow, I pay three and four dollars for this at WalMart,' or wherever you shop. Especially storage containers, candy, school supplies, cleaning products, dishes... Best find there: a retracting iPhone/USB charger. $1.
     As for finding sales and getting deals, one big secret really is being a repeat customer. Go back to a store every week or every other week and you start to see things being marked down and eventually moving out to clearance. The salespeople remember you too, and they'll tell you about upcoming deals and sometimes even hand out coupons!

     The other secret is to be creative. So what if that shirt is missing a button or a belt - if it's $2, you can sew on a new button or mix and match your own belts, and an even better one at that. Lots of times jewelry or purses are clearanced because they're 'broken' when all they really need is to have a clasp fixed or a ring replaced, or a decal glued back on. I bought a really expensive Guess purse once on clearance for $20 because the decal had come off leaving just a bare silver plate on the purse front. I hunted around and found an earring that looked like a buckle, and glued it on there. Looked better than the real thing, for $2 of work.

The earring I found to replace the missing decal

Finished product! And this purse still looks good after having it for about a year now :)