Spring Break and Unemployment

     I graduated from academia for the foreeable future last May, and life is kind of strange when you no longer have to base your life around the academic calendar. You buy planners that run from January to December. You realize that summer actually begins when it gets hot outside and the sno-cone stand opens, not just when the school bus stops running.

     This spring break, my sister and parents are on a mission trip in Belize. And this summer after my sister's graduation they've planned a senior trip for her and her best friend to Orlando. I'm missing out on both of these on purpose. Why? One main reason, and it's really gotten under my skin.

     I am unemployed. Period. I am missing the spring break trip because I had hoped to be employed by now, and I'm missing the Orlando trip because I'm praying to be employed by then.

     Like I said, I graduated last May. After working with Global Outreach last year and coming home, in December I was going stir-crazy sitting around the house every day so I started applying for jobs. One in particular had me really excited. BancorpSouth had several amazing job openings in their technology center, complete with great pay and benefits, that I was more than qualified for, and I was able to get some amazing references (like one of their VPs) that put me in a very good place in applying. For these positions, I had to apply through a temp agency. The lady there took my resume and said she'd submit it, but that I probably wouldn't get that job anyway, and I never heard anything back from her. Nearly three months later, after bugging my connections there every week asking for news about the jobs, they hire other people. I find out afterwards that the temp agency lady never submitted my resume in the first place, so I waited all that time for nothing. After a large blow up from my VP friend, that lady won't be getting away with that anymore, but I still feel very cheated and very unemployed. My resume is now on their waiting list for the next job that comes available, but I kind of feel like I've already done my waiting, you know?
    
     I'm not sure why it's so hard to find a job, even considering the current economy. I've got a rather different skill set than you're average hiree, but I'm pretty sure I'm still what you call qualified. I spent three years in interior design/art school, then I did my associates in business in my last year. I also got certified in phlebotomy in case Global decided to send me to a location where they did medical outreach, even though that's not the field I particularly want a job in. I'm also experienced as a chef, both in a restaurant and pastry/baking setting. I have really great computer and organizational/secretarial skills, I've taught music lessons for several years, I'm surprisingly fluent with medications and pharmacology (I've lived with two nurses and my sister is fixing to be in RN school), and I love literature and history. 
     Even having all that under my belt, I can not find a job for mess. This is what I'm looking for: something stable and full-time, a decent work environment, more than minimum wage, no retail or food service. I'd like some sort of office environment but that's not a must have, and I'd like to have the option to advance. Also, something I can physically handle. I'm a small, petite female, and that caused some health problems for me in my restaurant cooking job (ex. If I only weigh 115, I shouldn't be lifting a 50 lb. sack of flour).
      The things I think I'd want most in a job is that it have variety, and that I could leave it there when I come home. The variety part could be working with different people every day, or be able to do different tasks during the day, or just working with people who can keep up good conversation and keep the day moving along. Being able to leave it when I come home means that I don't have to stress all day about doing my job right, and then come home and keep worrying about the problems I had that day and how I'm going to fix them tomorrow. I don't think work should follow you home.

     I have been sitting at home every day waiting on various jobs since October. I'm not necessarily a extroverted, high energy person, but even I am maxxed out on housetime. It wears on you, not having something to accomplish or work on. Even with Pinterest or reading or thinking up projects for myself to do, life gets really monotonous. My dad tells me to go ride my bike or walk or to go to town, but I'd still be by myself and just killing time like always.
     One of the worst things, the thing I hate most, is when people ask me 'Well, what are you doing these days?'. All adults asks college aged kids that question. It is so frustrating to me to have nothing to say other than, well, nothing. Every time I answer the 'What are you doing?' question, I either get an 'Oh...okay' response or a 'Well, I'm sure you'll figure something out soon'. I know that there's no reason I should be embarrased by being unemployed or not know what I want to do yet, but for some reason I feel like they're all giving me this look like 'Gah, go get a freaking job if you're not going to go to college anymore, lazy butt!'. Especially the ones who answer with 'Oh...'.

     A job would be useful in so many other ways. Like the paycheck part. I'm 22, I live with my parents, and I have to depend on them for everything. Gas if I go anywhere, money to eat if I'm not with them, clothes, even the stuff I just see and want like a new purse or pair of earrings. They're great and don't mind paying for my things, since I'm pretty low maintenence, but I very much miss when I made my own money and could spend it on the things I wanted. It doesn't matter if you have everything you need, it still feels good knowing you can provide for yourself. I know my parents like having me at home as well, but I liked having my own place too. I like having my own space, and I loved being able to decorate and use my furniture and stuff. I don't dislike living at home, I think it's more about being independent and getting to make my own choices. And it is harder when you move out, then back in, then out, then back in again. You get used to your own routine, then have to adjust back to the group.

     I don't know. This is just me talking out of my head, letting some of what's built up get out. If you all have any thoughts, let me know them! I could use some feedback, and some prayers if you're willing to give up a few seconds for me. And please, if you know of a job in the Pontotoc, Oxford, Tupelo, or New Albany area that fits my bill, let me know!!!!!

Changing the World, My Way

   
     This isn't a response to the Stop Kony video. I haven't even seen the video that has gone viral in the last few days thanks to Twitter and Facebook publicity; my wi-fi data limit would never survive me watching a 30 minute You-Tube video. And as interesting and debate worthy a topic as I'm sure it is, it's not worth me being cut off from the Internet for the remainder of my billing cycle, sorry.

     No, this blog is just something I happened to start thinking about randomly tonight. If I could change anything I wanted to to make the world better, how would I go about doing it? That's not something we really think about seriously very often, because realistically it's not going to happen. I mean, I'm never going to be able to just yell over to the middle east and go 'Hey yall! Stop this fighting! Do you want me to call your mama?!' Seriously, it would take a minor act of God to stop that mess. I say minor, because all it'd take is one or two angels and BAM, there'd be a greasy spot where a few of those countries used to be.
     But here's a list of the things I came up with if I magically could have my world-changing wishes. Some things are big, some are really small, but I think they'd all be significant to at least a few people:

1. Establish much better guidelines to a few of our more taken-for-granted privileges:
                    Parenting - Sometimes I really do think you should be required to have a license to become a parent. I am not a parent, not yet. I hope to have the chance someday, much farther down the road. Even so, some things about the concept are so simple even I can't miss them. You're the parent, that is your child. You are supposed to love that child more than anything in the world. That means you give up things for it, including your 'partying days'. You can't go out every night until almost dawn and leave your baby at home with a sitter. You can't expect Mama and Daddy to take over for you as parents until you grow up yourself. You can't have an iPad and new tattoos every month and take vacations while your kid needs new shoes. You can't raise a child and pay bills just working your part time job and spending the rest of the day ill because your kid cries to watch her favorite movie instead of Jersey Shore. Grow up, take responsibility, and love your baby like God intended for you to when He blessed you with it. There's a ton of people that would jump at the opportunity you have to love a child.

         
          Welfare - I'm a 22 year old college graduate. I've been looking for a job for several months now with no luck. I had to move back in with my parents after college because I knew I couldn't afford rent for an apartment, much less other bills, with no salary. It ticks me off when I go places like the Health Department and see someone getting their seven kids free school shots, and them playing on an iPad. Or someone loading up their brand new Escalade at WIC. Or someone paying for groceries with their food stamps and EBT, then turning around and shelling out a load of cash for half a buggy of beer and cigarettes. The way I was raised, unless it's from my immediate family I'm not going to ask anybody for monetary help unless I'm down to my last can of tomato soup and I know there's no way I'm going to be able to eat tomorrow. I'm serious, if you have the money for all that mess, you ain't really hurting then, are you?

2. Set the education system up so that everyone has four years of college for free in one of their state universities. This way, everyone has the opportunity to advance their education to at least a bachelor's degree. Nothing fancy, not Ivy League, but a bachelors degree would give everyone a fighting chance in the job market and at the very least advance our nation's learning curve. A lot of people in our nation have become ignorant of learning anything past high school on purpose, and we could go a long way in correcting that. I actually think if we started this ball rolling, it would greatly increase the number of masters and doctorate students and graduates we would have. Wanting to learn is very habit forming, once you've found something you're passionate about.

3. Move the age for purchasing tobacco/cigarettes up to 21. Around here I know I'd catch a ton of flack for that proposition, but it's a matter of personal opinion. I loathe smoking, cigarettes, anything involved with the whole process, and dipping is no better. I just think it's so disgusting and unattractive for a person to do, plus being about the worst habit you can have health-wise other than sky-diving sans-parachute. I know even if we moved the age to 21 kids would find ways around the rule, but I see no reason to make it easy for them to buy it at age 18.

4. Free healthcare to all college students. A big thing I saw in college was a lot of kids didn't go to the doctor when they got sick because they didn't have health insurance. Most kids if they were on a state healthcare stopped being covered when they turned 18 or 19 or when they moved out. If they got sick, they could rarely afford a visit to the Student Health Center or an Acute Care, plus shots and medicine. So they just stayed miserable and sick for a month or so until whatever bug they had finally moved on. (The most notorious friend for doing this is my friend Adam. He's awful about suffering through sickness.) If collegiates had access to free, or even cheap, healthcare I'm betting it'd knock the flu and mono percentages down significantly every year, especially in the dorm kids.

5. Make US adoptions easier and more affordable. Don't get me wrong, I know many people who have adopted babies and even older children from China, different parts of Africa, Korea, you name it, and they love their children more than anything. I know they wouldn't have their babies any other way. But there are so many kids in the foster system here that bounce around their whole lives just waiting for someone to come along for them. One of my cousins was adopted as a baby from here, and I know his parents had to go through years of red tape and paperwork and spend a world of money to make his adoption happen. They love him no less for that, probably even more than they would have if he would have been their flesh and blood, but it was quite a struggle getting him home with them. Another couple I know is just starting the adoption process for a US adoption, and they're struggling with how complicated it is. It seems to me like it should just be a matter of making sure they're amazing, loving parents, and matching them to a child that they love.

     I myself have thought of one day adopting. If I ever did, I would want it to be from the US, and I'd want an older child, for several reasons. First, as noble as it is to adopt a child from somewhere across the world, I think I'd want to help a child close to home first, and I think it'd make the transition easier on both the child and the parents. Next, I'd want an older child because so often they're the ones who never make it to a permanent home. If they're not adopted by the time they're in school, chances are they never will be. It's like a puppy, they aren't cute and cuddy anymore so no one wants them. I'd want to give an older child that second chance that he or she might not get with anyone else. And last, even though I want kids of my own, I would love to adopt a child just so I could share that overflowing love that I know parents feel with someone who may have not ever felt a big ol' warm hug in their life before, or may have not ever had a story read to them before bedtime, all those childhood things we take for granted. I would love to be able to give that gift to some little boy or girl.

6. Eliminate the words 'fat' and 'skinny' from the English language. All my life, I've heard those words, both of them, used as some of the worst derogatory terms in our vocabulary. You can wound a girl quicker with one of those words than with most any of the other insults we use. And yes, skinny can be an insult too. As I grew up, I was on the lighter end of the scale. Not by choice, I have always had such a high metabolism that I couldn't gain weight even when I was trying, and most of my family is small boned and petite like me. But to hear the girls that were always dieting or worrying over their weight talk, boy was my being skinny a bad thing. It was like I deliberately tried to be skinny to torment them. Guys, let me give you some advice. Do not ever answer the question 'Do I look fat in this?' with anything except 'Babe, you look amazing in that.' Just go ahead and practice, because that is the only proper response to that question :)

7. This one is a personal hope of mine, and I hope it makes my children's world a little easier than mine was. My greatest hope for my children is that they have an amazing, fun, and 100% average childhood. I emphasize average there. I absolutely do not want my children following in my footsteps and making straight A+ grades. A's and B's would be great. In hindsight, my life would have been so much easier had I not started out as the smart kid, the nerd, and gotten that reputation. Maybe if I hadn't my middle and high school years would have been a little more fun and relaxed. I'm hoping for my children that they can go through school and not have kids make fun of them for being smart or eager to learn, that they can be more like the other kids than I was, and that maybe they'll have more of a memorable, well-rounded school experience. I think they'd benefit more from experiencing a little of everything, school, sports, arts, clubs, friends, the whole package, than they would just clamping down on the textbooks in the effort of trying to achieve that 4.0.

8. Totally cancel the entire genre of Reality TV. All of it, every show. It's beyond crazy, beyond stupidity, into something I think is called mindnumbing brain rot. I think it's the reason half the people in our country are going ape crazy retarded these days, they get their ideas off these nutball tv shows. I mean seriously, when you can make a tv show out of who does the best crazy hairstyles, or who has the most psychotic addictions, you know there is something seriously wrong in your brain.

So, that was my Rosie the Riveter 'I Can Do It' sermon of the month :) There's no clue what might pop into my head next time, so stay tuned! You might be surprised.



February Books and Paperback Swap

     Hey guys! It feels like forever since I've posted...because it HAS been ages. February hasn't really been that interesting for us, just a short so-so month. But, I've still been reading, and here's the list!

     Something great I found this month: paperbackswap.com. This might just be the best idea anybody has every had, even counting makeup and hair straighteners. The deal is: you list books you no longer want, people request them, you mail them off. For the books you mail off you get credits. With these you purchase the books other people have listed that THEY no longer want. So basically, you're trading a book you don't want for one you do and all you're paying is about $2.50 postage.
     And before you ask, yes it does work. So far I've mailed off two and got back two. The books have to be in good condition so you're not going to get some ratty, coverless paperback in exchange for your opened-one-time hardback. And there are really great books on there, not just the cruddy ones no one likes. No membership fees, no hidden catches.
     If you're an avid reader like I am and you're going broke from Barnes and Noble's prices and Amazon's book shipping fees, you absolutely HAVE to check this out.

FEBRUARY

Portrait in Sepia - Isabel Allende
The Codex - Douglas Preston
The Lost Symbol - Dan Brown
Salem Falls - Jodi Picoult
The Dead Travel Fast - Deanna Raybourn
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan - Lisa See
The Guardian - Nicholas Sparks
*The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
*The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
The Man-Eaters of Tsavo and Other East African Adventures - J. H. Patterson (This is the book the movie 
     'The Ghost and the Darkness' was made from)
How Starbucks Saved My Life - Michael Gates Gill
*Book of the Dead - Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

    
     Once again, starred (*) books are books in a series. That gives me a total of 12 for the month of February, 24 for the year so far.


     I meant to do this last month but I totally forgot. My favorite book this month was a tossup between 'Snow Flower and the Secret Fan' by Lisa See and 'The Dead Travel Fast' by Deanna Raybourn.
     I bought 'Snow Flower...' because I saw a trailer for a movie version coming out soon, and thinking it looked good I wanted to read the book beforeI had a chance to see it. It was along the lines of the book version of Memoirs of a Geisha or something written by Isabel Allende, a Chilean American writer I like. I definitely recommend it if you like historical fictionn that's written very descriptively, and makes you feel for and identify with the characters.
     'The Dead Travel Fast' is written by Deanna Raybourn, who is the author of a mystery series I love. This book is a stand alone book that is not part of her series, but I found it on Amazon really cheap and had some gift card money left over. Turns out I liked it as much as the series. It leans more toward the fantasy genre than historic, but is written to move fast and keep you in the book. Definitely a good read.
  
     Until next time, keep reading!

Worship

     Shane and Shane (great band, definitely recommend) recently Tweeted something to the effect of that when the Bible mentions praise and worship, it's not so much about music as the attitude of your heart. I was really struck by that statement.

     We have a whole genre of music devoted to getting people prepared and fired up for worship. Some of it is amazing, great music, and I love hearing it. My iPod is loaded down with it. But some of it is just insane, not worshipful at all (when you can't even tell the if the lyrics are referring to God...) and for some people it's almost become a prerequisite or a necessity for them to be physically and mentally able to connect with God. Every youth camp and conference you go to is structured that way, and even some churches have begun to default to it.

     I think worship is more simple and all-encompassing than all that. It's not about music, or preaching, or any number of things you can do to worship, but you can worship doing any of those things or none of them at all.
     Faith wasn't always so easy for me. As a kid trying to figure out salvation, I wanted to know in my head how it worked, and that's not something you can explain really. That was the hardest thing for me to overcome so I could get to the real heart knowledge of being saved, the actual trusting in something I had no way of ever understanding.
     But worship now, it's so simple and easy. I've never been one for big loud bands or concerts, or having some preacher who does magic tricks on the side. No, I'm definitely more old-fashioned than that, for sure. I don't like to raise my hands or jump around or yell and holler. Worship to me is much more meaningful in my heart.

Worship to me is:
     Hearing a song that's so beautiful you get goosebumps.

     Driving down the road and all of a sudden seeing the most amazing sunset - we talked about this in Sunday school this week.

     Praying while I'm all alone driving down the road (I got in that habit on the long drive back and forth to college), at night when I'm lying in bed and can't find sleep, while I'm ironing or folding clothes. I'm strange...I feel so much better praying with my head up and my eyes open. I think my brain works better that way, plus there's no chance of falling asleep while you're praying like that. It always feels like God and I are sitting next to each other talking, even if the other people driving down the road may think I'm a little crazy
     I've never really felt comfortable praying during Invitation in the altar. I always feel like my rear end is on display for everybody, or that I need to hurry it up. It's hard not to be self-conscious when you're in front of 200 people.

     Coming across a verse or a phrase in a book and all of a sudden it just hits you like 'Wow, that's exactly where I am today.'

     Praying a Bible verse, or even a song lyric, because sometimes they say what I need to better than I ever could.

     Growing up, singing 'Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow' with my family after we bless the food at Thanksgiving and Christmas.

     Practicing piano alone at church, just me playing and God listening.




     Everybody has their own way to worship. When you find yours, you know, because that feeling is incomparable. Don't try to match somebody else's, or force it to happen. It's a mind-heart-soul attitude deal. It doesn't have to be perfect, Lord knows my worship falls short of where it needs much of the time. But still, there's no excuse for not having real worship at all.

Centurion Challenge - January

     This year, I started something new. Not exactly a resolution, but along those lines. There's this thing called the Centurion Challenge. You can follow it on Twitter (@centchallenge) and on Facebook. Basically, the idea is that throughout the course of this year you're challenging yourself to read 100 books. Magazines and blogs don't count, neither do kid books. Go for something legitimately age appropriate. Sorry students, but sadly textbooks don't count either. The Bible does count, and it's good for two books (Old and New Testaments). You can re-read books you've read before, but make sure you start after January 1. No counting something you've been working on since Christmas break.
     If you're going it the Twitter way, when you finish a book, tweet: “Finished ‘BOOK TITLE’ by AUTHOR(twitter name if there is one) #(number book) #CenturionChallenge #Read”. (I'm not tweeting mine, just keeping up with the list.)
     The source for all this info is http://shatterthesubculture.wordpress.com/

     I'm not exactly following this plan to the tee. More like, I'm just keeping up a list of all the books I read this year just to see how many it turns out to be. I have no doubt it's not going to stop at 100, but it's something I've never kept up with and I'm kind of curious. Kind of like wondering just how many hairs there really are on your head.
 
     If you want to do it, go ahead and try! It doesn't necessarily have to be a Jan-Dec thing. If you're a little apprehensive, 100 isn't that many, especially when you think about it as a little less that two books a week. They don't have to be the boring classic books you read in school I PROMISE you. You'll not catch me reading The Canterbury Tales for fun! Girls, go grab a Nicholas Sparks or Karen Kingsbury and some Kleenex! Guys...I have no idea what you people read, but I highly doubt it involves Kleenex.
 
     So I'm going on a month by month tally, and in December we'll see how it adds up! Let me know if you're doing it too!
 
 

JANUARY 

Fall of Giants - Ken Follet

Message in a Bottle - Nicholas Sparks

Sing Me Home - Jodi Picoult

*New Spring - Robert Jordan

The Rescue - Nicholas Sparks

The Lost World - Michael Crichton

*The Dragon Reborn - Robert Jordan

*The Shadow Rising - Robert Jordan

Daughter of Fortune - Isabel Allende
Handle with Care - Jodi Picoult 

*The Fires of Heaven - Robert Jordan

Julie and Julia - Julie Powell

 

* - Starred books are books in a series. I have a bad habit of getting caught up in series books, so that's why a lot of my authors are repeats.

     So that gives me a total of 12 for the month of January. Check back with me next month and I'll see how I'm adding up.


     On an additional note, I'm looking for a new library. Pontotoc is...well, Pontotoc has the worst library I've ever known. So I'm going to have to choose between Oxford and Tupelo. If you have an opinion on which is the better of the two, I'd love to pick your brains!

Prayer Request

     The last week has been very trying for my family. My Papa (that'd be my Dad's dad) fell last Friday and broke his hip really badly. He was already in bad health from advanced Alzheimer's disease and metastatic cancer in his lungs, plus being 82 years old, so his already full plate really couldn't use this extra helping of trouble.
     We had hoped Friday after getting through the chaos of the ER that he would have surgery that day or early Saturday, but trouble with a less than helpful or knowledgeable hospitalist delayed his surgery until Sunday when a specialist from Memphis could come and step in. The surgery itself went well, very quickly and no complications, but this last week Papa has pretty much steadily declined. As of today he had failed his swallowing test three times.
     Today he was discharged from the hospital, and was moved to the Sanctuary Hospice House. As it worked out, yesterday when my Dad and his brothers and sisters were looking for a place for him, it 'just so happened' that their evaluator was in Oxford and could see Papa, and that they had a bed open up just when they needed it. God knows when there's a need, and He can work things out so perfectly, can't He?
     Anyway, please pray for Papa to have peace and rest, and for my Dad and his siblings and their families to have the extra strength they'll need in the next few weeks.

Papa and Granny, dressed up for church, circa 2007

    

     In my personal life, I'm having a few other difficulties that are driving me slowly crazy...and at this point I think I'd rather take the freeway and just get the trip over with. I've been waiting on news from some jobs I applied for back during Christmas, and this particular company is being painfully slow with their hiring process. I keep being told that they're still working on the paperwork, that it's still going through the systerm, but that's a long long time to wait with no real feedback to go on. I'm also having a few health issues that, added to the job stress, are making the senic route to crazy real fun indeed.

     I'd just really appreciate just a quick moment in your prayers, if you remember as you're running through your list before you nod off to sleep. Thank you all so so much.

 

The Lull Life

     This week has been kind of slow at the Falkner house. I think the nasty weather here is somehow contributing to an attitude of blah-ness. All I've wanted to do is nap all day in the recliner closest to the fireplace, with my fleece pajama pants and a big quilt.

Highlights of the week:

     My cousin Devon stopped by yesterday with her baby :)  Italy Claire was born December 19th, one more little leaf on our BIG ol' Falkner family tree. This was my first time to meet Miss Italy, so definitely a yay day. I love love love babies, especially when they're so cute and sweet and lovable! Italy was just a doll for us...a TINY little thing. I almost can't wait until I have one for myself...that's almost, now. Dev was telling us how little sleep she's had - Italy is a night owl - and how tired she is being mama while her hubby is back home in North Carolina, even with Nana and Granddad there to pitch in. I'm thinking that motherly instinct I have can stay dormant a few more years yet! But I'm sure loving sweet Italy :)

Isn't she just adorable?

    
     Secondly, this Saturday I get to pick out a new mattress! I'm currently sleeping on what I fondly refer to as the Taco Bed, meaning that it starts out nice and tall and fluffy on the sides and dips waaay down in the middle where I sleep, like a taco shell. Not that I don't love my bed and still spend some great quality sleeping time there, it just really needs some TLC.
     My bed frame is a great old antique iron frame. I'm talking traveled in a covered wagon old. I got it from my great grandmother, but it was the most awful English peas mixed with avocados green. Hideous, plus a little rusty, so we had it fixed up and powdercoated in a satiny black finish. Now it's really beautiful, and a really great antique. Can't wait until my new mattress makes it even more amazing!


     Not quite a highlight, but my mom got to do mini-surgery on me this week. Usually this is entertainment in our house, since my mom and older sister are nurses and my little sis is planning on majoring in nursing. I'm usually the guinea pig - Molly practices giving shots every other week with my B12, and they all had fun taking stitches out of my old appendix scar. But this time I woke up Wednesday morning with a horribly hurting toe - ingrown toenail. Zero fun, sir! I haven't had one since I was a little kid, but oh do I remember how much I don't like them. But I sucked it up and asked mama to come doctor on me.
     I'm really proud of myself. I didn't scream, cry, beg or plead at all haha. Only a little moist-eyed and tensing up a lot, and that's more than some grown men I've seen. I have a high pain tolerance, but I think I would have traded that for a kidney stone and quite a few migraines!
     I told Mama that after that pain, I was definitely not going with natural childbirth in the future. Not that I ever really considered it, but now I'm pretty sure that my mind has just been solidly made up. If Jesus had meant for people to hurt that much, He wouldn't have given us anesthesiologists.


     Found some cool pins this week. Some are totally unrelated to my current life, but hey, who says I can't plan ahead? :)

So true, but that's what is there for!

I like this so much better than a big calendar...and you can change it to match your decor! And the frame comes from WalMart. Love that!

Cheap WalMart or Claires bracelets...meet cheap dollar store candles!

DIY spoon rings. I have one, but it's only made for one finger on one hand. Making one that's more versatile would be amazing!

Source: kirstenerickson.blogspot.com

DIY glitter laptop case. I'm hoping that Gateway makes hard cases for my laptop so I can make one of these ASAP!

Source: lookwhatmelissamade.com

J.Crew Martha bracelet...love it. I think it'd match everything I own.

Pale amethyst ring. Love the shade of these, just perfect.

Instead of decorated chocolate strawberries, decorated chocolate fortune cookies! Perfect for people like me that aren't just in love with fruit, or for people like me who just love sweet things :)