Holiday Craziness!

I broke the news on Tuesday! It was very hard for me but it went much better then I imagined. Everyone was so understanding and supportive. I was going to tell my boss on Monday but it was such a chaotic day & it just wasn't the right time. Everyone was a little shocked but they knew that it was only a matter of time. It's just so darn far! My last day is a week from today. It's bittersweet because I've really bonded with my co-workers these last few weeks. They're awesome people and I'm really going to miss them. Everyone here has the week between X-mas & New Years off (PAID!) & I just found out that the new job is making me work that week! The offices are closed but because last minute end-of-year gifts come in someone has to be there to process them...since I'm the newbie that will be me! =( Oh well! There goes all my holiday plans! Christmas is coming way too fast! I've barely done any shopping & I can't get Stephen to put the dang X-mas lights up! I'm about ready to get out the ladder & do it myself. There are so many dinners, parties, errands, traditions and obligations. I'm feeling stressed and I'm not even taking into consideration starting a new job! I so badly wish I could just get away for a bit. Last night I did some Christmas shopping and I ended up buying a couple things for myself! I have to stop doing that! I need to make a shopping list & stick to it! I have to make a To Do List. Oh Geez, I'm getting overwhelmed!!! I need to relax...

Halloween Candy Hangover

I'm so sad...Halloween is over! I didn't dress up (except for my light up pumpkin socks) but I had a great time anyway. I had a blast playing with the pets, eating pizza with Steph & Greg & handing out candy. We had more Trick-or-Treaters then last year & we came close to running out of candy. I had so much fun decorating the house, putting together treat bags & waiting for the kids to come. Halloween brings back so many great memories of being a kid. I love it!

I finished all my swaps & I am on a swapping hiatus for a few weeks - unless something intriguing pops up sooner. I posted some photos on Flickr of my recent sent & received swaps. I am awaiting 2 Dotee Dolls & 3 Frida ornaments. I can't wait to see what I get! It is the best feeling to come home from a long day at work to find a package waiting for me.

Tonight I am going to finish my Dia de los Muertos altar. I made 4 fake sugar skulls & I have been collecting little odds & ends to add to it. I'm really excited to see how it turns out. I love Dia de los Muertos. It's such a beautiful celebration of life. I saw the coolest DOD wedding cake on Flickr & I saved the photo because I want one just like it for my wedding (which will be in 2008 even though Stephen is dragging his feet!!! LOL!) I can't wait! Wedding 2008 or BUST! If I wait any longer I really will resemble the bride on top of that cake!

HaPpY HaLLoWeeN!

Love,
Woody
xoxo

Tuesdays Blow!

I've been on this never-ending quest to figure out how to manage my horrendous commute, work full time and still enjoy the things I love. It’s nearly impossible but I’ve been trying. I’ve started to wake early (well earlier then usual) to tend to my new little pets & the house. I spend my lunch hour reading or crafting. I zoom home (well not zoom since my commute can take up to two hours) make a quick frozen dinner, play with the pets, work on swaps, watch TV & try to spend quality time with Stephen when he’s home from school. Needless to say, I am exhausted and not really giving any of those things the full attention that they need. At least I am feeling somewhat accomplished. I stuffed a gazillion things into my weekend as usual. A BBQ, vet appointment, historical home tour (amazing), Peruvian food with the newlyweds (which was beyond delicious I should add), Target shopping, lunch with my honey & enjoying time with Lily & Woody(the sweetest fur babies). It was one of the best weekends I've had in so long...but now I'm feeling drained & tired. I was falling asleep and my desk so I thought I'd take a much needed break & accomplish another thing I love. This blog! Yes, I am guilty of blogging & slacking on the job! So what! I really hate Tuesdays. It's the worst day of the week. The weekend is a distant memory & Friday is still worlds away. Besides at my job (& previous job) Tuesdays always mean office meetings. Boy, do I despise office meetings...especially when ice breakers are involved. I am the anti-office worker and it's funny how I find myself stuck in a cubicle under a fluorescent light. Bleeeehh! At least, I am in one of the most unconventional office environment you'll come across. I still wish I was an artist with my own art studio. I think when I have a baby it is definitely something I will pursue. That's my dream, one of many!

Tomorrow is Halloween! I put together little treat bags for the Trick-or-Treaters. Last year we only got a handful of kids passing through trying to get to the historical district. I have 3 pumpkins ready for carving & hopefully they will bring us lots of kids. I just love Trick-or-Treaters because it was something I had so much fun doing. I can't wait to have kids & Trick-or-Treat vicariously through them! haha! Yes, I am one of those weird pet parents who likes to dress up pets. I just can't seem to find costumes small enough for them. Maybe I can come up with a cape or something. Anyway, I better get back to work! Happy Halloween Eve!

2nd Annual Easter Egg Coloring Party

This year we celebrated at Greg and Jenn's new pad. We BBQed delsih hamburgers provided by moi, but cooked to perfection by The Gregmeister. I brought yummy Easter Bunny cupcakes (I, along with all the hipsters have a serious cupcake addiction...except I loved them before they were cool!). Jenn provided the eggs and the dye. I bought this really cool Easter egg bug kit at last year's after Easter sale at Target (note to self: GO TO TARGET TOMORROW - early!!!). The bug eggs were adorable. I actually got Stephen to create one before he snuck off with Greg to have a "jam session". His was the best! I think our eggs really fit our personalities! Greg also made his 2nd annual cartoon egg. He's getting good at this! It was Stewie from Family Guy. Check out last year's post to see our creations. I can't believe it's already been a year! Today was a lazy Easter day spent with my lovie. We slept in, ate a greasy Mexican brunch at Taco Shack, made an attempt at the movies but ended up vegging out in front of the tube. I watched a whole season of last season's America's Top Model while Stephen surfed the net. The Easter Bunny spoiled Stephen! He got a tiny basket stuffed with goodies, a kite (the kite was really for me!) and a very special surprise from the Easter Carrie. He really deserved something nice - he's been so patient and wonderful. The Bunny brought me Dippin Dots and a basket full of love and hope. Just what I needed.

Happy Easter

I've been meaning to add a post all week but I got lazy! I had such a fun weekend, hanging out with my love and I had planned on writing all about our adventures. Oh well...I added a few pictures of my weekend to my Flickr account for your enjoyment. This weekend is Easter...Wow, my blog is almost a year old already! I have successfully documented the hardest year in my life. I'm hoping that this year my blog is full of hope, creativety and adventure.

Tonight is The 2nd Annual Easter Egg Coloring Fest with Jenn & Greg. Easter wouldn't be Easter without coloring eggs.

Here is what I hope the Easter Bunny will bring.

1. A new job...that I love
2. A porch swing

3. These Uggs

4. A fab pair of jeans

5. THIS

6. A dishwasher (I have a sink full)

5. A bathtub

6. THEM

7. HIM

8. A cupcake from here

9. Xanax

10. Inspiration

Good Luck

I have slacked on the blogging this week. I really haven't had anything interesting to report. On Tuesday, I had a test for a job I interviewed for last week. I'm waiting (not so) patiently to see if I make it to stage 3 of the interview process. The test was very difficult - well the computer part was easy, but they gave me a grammar test and I'm embarrassed to say, I probably only got half correct at best. I'm so frustrated with myself! I either ace the interview but fail the test or I score high on a test and blow the interview. Some of the tests I've taken for administrative jobs are quite difficult. How does anyone pass these things & get hired? I know a lot of college educated people who would fail miserably. The only thing keeping me from having a breakdown is that I have this strange gut feeling that (soon) something is going to happen that will change my life. A good thing...I feel lucky, excited and I've had stomach butterflies all week. I hope it's the job - I really need this job! Hopefully the butterflies are not a result of the anxiety I'm feeling about turning 30 in less then a week! My family & Stephen is throwing me a little luncheon at a place in Pasadena next weekend. I'm half excited half dreading it. I had a dream that there was a microphone set up at the party and people got up to do a roast and said really humiliating things about me not being able to find a job. It was awful. Being unemployed is killing whatever little bit of self esteem I had! I went biking with Stephen on Tuesday and I made in up Turnbull without getting off my bike to rest. It made me feel really good for the first time in months. It was the first goal I accomplished in such a long time. It was a stress reliever and a temporary ego boost. Plus it was good to be outdoors with my honey. Anyway friends, I wish you a Happy St. Patty's! I'll be at the lake with Stephen & his familia tomorrow. xoxo

Venting, Bunnies, Coins & Swaps

I'm feeling better today then yesterday. The job hunt in really draining...I know people want to be helpful but I wish people would stop saying "keep trying" or "apply here" and "you need to do this", etc. Then there's the other group of people who say "you're so lucky to be off work", "the job you didn't get was meant to be" & "enjoy your vacation". I know people are just trying be helpful...but it doesn't help...it only makes things harder. People don't realize how hard I'm trying and how horrible I feel. I got turned down for a four week temp job! How humiliating is that?!?! The only reason I went to the damn temp agency is because of someone told me that it's sooooo easy to get a job through them. I called three temp agencies on Friday & none of them were of any help. I've never felt so desperate. Anyway, today I'm feeling more hopeful but it's up & down.

Yesterday I received a lovely package from my Swap Angel Melissa. It was a nice surprise! I never received my Valentine's Day Swap & she was so sweet to fill in for my flaky partner. I ate the chocolate before I had a chance to snap a photo. I really needed some chocolate yesterday! =) I finished my Latin Matchbox Shrines during the week. I'm pretty happy with how they turned out. The swap deadline is a few weeks away but I had the urge to be crafty. I hope my partners like them. My camera battery was dying so the pictures don't due them justice. I can't wait to send them. I also snapped the pictures above of some of my Easter decorations. Again, the picture doesn't due them justice. I'm loving Easter now that I've rediscovered the cuteness of Easter decorations. I'm even appreciating pastels! I have an small egg collection that I still have to display. I'm tempted to join the Bunny Swap on Swap-bot but I think I may be overextending myself already. I also took a photo of some Geocoins I discovered this morning. I made a quick travel bug drop at a local cache & I picked these up. I'm loving coins these days! If you don't know about Geocaching, Geocoins or Travel Bugs yet...do some research & click these links. It's a great hobby...well if you like the outdoors and treasure hunts. =)

Happy Valentine's Day

I am really looking forward to dinner with Stephen tonight. I have everything prepared to begin my Valentine's cooking adventure...hopefully it's not a disaster! I made a healthy dessert but I couldn't resist buying a fruit tart from Churrolandia Bakery and Funnel Cake Factory. At least it's trans-fat free. Who cares about counting calories today anyway! It's Valentine's!!! I am going to eat my meat, potatoes & double desserts (mostly) guilt free. Anyway, check out the pictures of the table-scape I created on zero budget. I guess it's not that bad considering I used things I already had. It will look even better in candlelight. Very romantic! I hope Stephen likes the surprise.