Currently obsessed with....

I have always loved to get my nails done. It was something that mom and I would go do together. When I was in high school sometimes she would pull me out of class and we'd go and have an afternoon together, eat lunch and get our nails done.

Of course when I grew up and got a job that involved the making of some kind of food, I couldn't have my nails done and even nail polish was out of the question. So for the last couple of years my nails have been off and I would paint them if I had a long weekend or went somewhere important.

When I left Starbucks the first thing I did was march my way to the nail salon and I got those dang acrylic nails put back on and I was in love. But then I remembered how horrible they are for your nails and how much they damage your real nail and I got sad. I knew I shouldn't have put them on so a month later I was taking them off. (Enter serious sad face here)

I had heard about shellac nails before and knew it was the new "thing." I researched it and called around for prices. I found out that there are two options, one is the actual shellac and others offer gel polish which is called Gelish. Gelish offers a lot of color options and even allows different customizations of the colors. So two weeks ago, I got my first round of Gelish nails and I'm officially hooked and obsessed!

My first trial with it was a little disappointing. Because I had taken my acrylic nails off, the tech left a fine layer of acrylic on my nail so it wasn't so thin and brittle. Within a few days some of those pieces of acrylic started to lift making the gel start to peel and look really ugly. I went back and they fixed the one that was really lifting and looked pretty ugly, they even did it for free! Within a week and a half the nails with acrylic left on really started to lift and look ugly, I was kind of bummed about it and I was ready to just have it all removed and not do it again. I again researched and found out that the acrylic didn't help and with my nails being so thin the gel had nothing to hold onto to.

Yesterday I went back to the salon and got a new gel color put on. I made sure the tech removed all the acrylic and I had her do a quick manicure. For some reason this time the color looks a little thicker and looks like it may hold on longer. They say the gel should last 2-3 weeks, my first round lasted almost two weeks. Some nails only lasted a week and half, others looks great when I went in yesterday. I hope this time they will last 2 or more weeks!

I really am happy with the look of Gelish and I like how quick and easy it is to apply. I've looked into it and you can even buy the stuff from a supply store and do it at home if you wanted. I never would do that though, I like going in and having my nails done. It's always good to have some quiet time that's all for me!

....on the job

A little over a month ago, I left Starbucks and took a job working for the local school district. I loved my job at Starbucks but it was to the point where I just really wasn't happy anymore. I had switched stores to "better" my career but it wasn't that great of a move for me. Needless to say, I didn't like the store I was working at and just couldn't find my groove there.

I could have switched store (again) and hoped that the love for Starbucks came back or I could have found a whole new job, and that's what I did! It didn't take long for me to realize that I wanted a "real" job. "Real" meaning normal hours, Monday through Friday...you know, a "real" job. I also knew I wanted to work with children. I was looking at daycares, getting back into nannying and the school district. The school district job opened up, and I jumped on the opportunity.

So here I sit, in a high school class room. I currently work as a one on one with a student. I've been working with this student for a little over a month now and she has grown so much and has become someone I truly care about. I want to see her succeed and grow into a mature woman.

I never thought that I would work in a high school or better yet, actually enjoy working here. I have really enjoyed getting to know the other kids and I love that some of them look up to me and actually come to me to talk. My dreams on becoming a teacher are out of this world right now. I walk into a classroom and instantly hope and dream that someday I can have my own classroom. I think about the kind of rules I would have and how I would teach.

No matter what happens, if I stay here for the whole year or go to work at another school when my time with my student is up, I know that I'll be doing what I love.

Finding my mojo

It's been so quiet around here lately, I've lost my blogging mojo. It's not that I don't want to blog anymore, I just don't have anything good to blog about. I forget to take pictures of the fun things we do and half the time I forget to even blog about those things.

As much as I like to think that I'm a pretty open person, I'm really a private person. I don't tell too many people too many things unless you're pretty close to me. I don't often speak my mind because I really do care what people think of me. Blogging really has gotten hard for me lately.

I used to be able to just sit down and write, now I have to force the words to form and hope it all flows together. I have to really think about what I want to say and who I may offend if I really say what's on my mind. I know I shouldn't care, but I do.

So lately I've chosen to just keep it all to myself (not really, The Mr. is a pretty good listener). I still have goals and ambitions, I still work and do all those normal day to day things but I just can't seem to find my blogging mojo.

I'm not sure where that leaves me, I've thought about just closing my blog and moving on. I've thought about forcing the words out and hoping someday I'll catch my blogging fever again or I can just do link ups every day and never have anything good to say, but I really don't want to be that blogger.

Whatever I decided to do just know that I'm still around, that I probably still read your blog and that I wish I could find my blogging mojo again.

If anyone has any tips or tricks, please let me know!

Friday's Letters

Dear Friday, I love you more then you'll ever know. I just can't get over the fact that I actually have weekends on real weekends. The feeling of working Monday-Friday is amazing. Dear Weekend, I am super excited that you're here! I can't wait to go to the pumpkin patch with my family and then carve pumpkins with them too. Dear Work, thank you for being so good to me. This week has been an easy one and I'm thankful for that. Hopefully next week is just as good! Dear The Mr., you are the love of my life. Thank you for helping me out this month, it means a lot to me. Dear Blog, I'm kicking it old school, taking it back to basics and just keeping it simple. No special layout, no special theme. It's just me and myself around here. I like it like that!

Cheers,

Abby

Finding Something Good

My mission lately has been to find a good book. I love to read but just seem to have a hard time finding books that I really like. This has always been a problem for me. I remember being a teenager and starting a book, reading about half of it and then getting bored. I've never been one to read series of book, expect The Babysitters Club. I recently read the first book of the 50 Shades of Gray books, got through half of the second book and lost interest. I've tried to continue to read it again but I just can not get into it.

 

I need a good book, I need something that will capture me and make me want to keep reading. I need something that doesn't get boring or is hard to read. If I wanted a hard read, I would read a history book.

 

Earlier this evening The Mr. reminded me that I could borrow ebooks from our public library straight from my iPad. I spent a few hours (don't judge me) looking for books, reading up on the most recent "must read list" and even request some books. I downloaded a few and plan to start reading one before going to bed here in a bit.

 

I spend way too much time on Facebook, Twitter and all those other junky media sites when I could be indulging in a good book and possibly learning something.

 

And to think this was all inspired by sitting in high school classes.....why didn't do this more when I was in school?

His & Her

We're sitting here watching football waiting for the Seahawks game so I thought it was perfect time to get in a quick session of His & Her! I love doing this link up because it allows The Mr. and I to spend some time together and he gets to have a voice on the blog, since he doesn't blog. So, here we go!

Who is someone you look up to and why?
His: My Dad. (He wouldn't give me a reason why?)
Her: There isn't just one person that I look up, it's a set of people. I look up to my parents a lot, they have taught me so much and continue to teach me how to be a better person.

What is your favorite Halloween tradition?
His: Carving pumpkins, because I never got to do it when I was little. In Mexico (where The Mr. grew up, they celebrate Dia de los Muretos.)
Her: I used to love to decorate for Halloween. My mom had a huge box of Halloween decorations and we would spend an afternoon getting everything out and putting everything in its spot.

If you were a fruit, what would you be?
His: A pineapple, cause they are cool looking. Spiky hair and they taste good!
Her: I'd be a grapefruit, I can be sweet and or sour. :-)

How are you like your dad or how are you like your mom?
His: Dad, because he taught me everything I know. Like, how to be quite and not say anything during an argument.
Him: I'm my Mother. I see it in myself all the time, I move my hands like her, I talk like her and I've been told I look like her.

What is your favorite classic disney movie?
His: Fantasia
Her: The Lion King

What is your favorite roadtrip snack?
His: Trail Mix
Her: Beef Jerky

What is one superficial benefit of being married? (i.e. someone to split chores with, someone to rub your back, etc.)
His: Someone else can do the dishes.
Her: Someone who helps cook dinner every once in awhile

What do you do for a living?
His: Industrial Engineer
Her: Work with students

What is something your other half does that took a long time/is taking a long time to get used to?
His: Being a bed and blanket hog.
Her: It drives me crazy how fast he can fall asleep, even if he's sitting up. He'll just nod off and doesn't even know. Ugh.

What do you consider "your song?" (or what was your first dance?)
His: I Live My Life For You by Firehouse
Her: It would have to be I Live My Life For You or Love like Crazy by Lee Brice.

Friday's Letters

Dear Friday, I love being able to finally say "my weekend is here!" It's been so long since I've actually had a Friday on a Friday and I love it! Dear Readers, sorry that I've been absent for so long. I lost my grove but I hope that I found it again! Dear The Mr., thanks for supporting me in my recent job change. You have no idea how much it means to me, you really are amazing. Dear Family, I love you, you guys deserve a thank you for supporting me during my job change too! Dear Weekend, slow down and take your time, I want to enjoy you!! Dear Fall, I am so glad you are here! I love these crisp mornings and beautiful evenings!

Cheers,
Abby