The Best Of...

Despite not having a full-time teaching job, 2011 hasn't been too bad to me, in fact 2011 has been pretty memorable.

For starters, I earned my masters degree ---- which in turn led me to pay my first school loan- YAHOOOO! I joke about my degrees, simply because I do not have my dream job yet just 2 pieces of paper. BUT graduating from college yet alone with a masters degree is a huge accomplishment in my book.

2011 has also graced me with my favorite past time, traveling. I went on a cruise to the Caribbeans, Charleston- South Carolina, and Lake Tahoe-Nevada. All of which were amazing.

Charleston

 Lake Tahoe

Grand Turk

Lets not forget my run in with Reeg. I went to see a live taping of his former show AND I met him in person.

That's me in the far left corner...

Besides my personal life, 2011 has brought some other milestones. For instance, The Royal Wedding, Osama bin Ladens death, Regis and Oprah's retirement from the talk show world, Casey Anthony gets away with murder, and Beyonce has a bun in the oven.

Clearly some events take precedent over the others, but they are all events of 2011.

It's crazy how time flies by. I can't believe I am 24. My baby brother is 17?! And my sister 20??? I can remember when times were a lot simpler. When you think back to this past year, and all that's happened  its hard to imagine that it happened so fast. Sometimes it's easy to get caught up in work, or school, or life in general. It is important to take a step back and breathe. Be appreciative of all that you have accomplished and all that you have made it through. You never know when you last day may be so it's important to live each day to its fullest. Take time out for those who you love. In the end, that's what matters the most.

So, for this upcoming year, 2012, I have decided not to make a resolution. Resolutions always get broken. Therefore, this year I am just going to be thankful. I have been blessed for 24 years of my life and I want that trend to continue. Be grateful for what you have, who you have, and all that you have accomplished.

My wish for everyone this year is to have a happy and healthy New Year. I hope that 2012 brings more memories, love and laughter, and accomplishments to everyone (and a full-time teaching job for me)!

The Kiss of Death

Well folks, I'm not sure if you know this or not, but the world is supposedly going to end in less than a year. 358 days, to be exact. I sure as hell hope that I am wrong on this one.

I didn't really put much thought into the 2012 apocalypse in the years past, but now I spend every waking second of my day wondering whether or not if I'll live past the age of 25. I wish I could insert a "jk" right about now, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't ever think of it.

Let me tell you how it started- my horrific night. This past summer my bf (boyfriend) and my bf (best friend) and her bf (boyfriend) went out for a couple of drinks. It was a warm summer night and we decided to sit out on the patio. It really was a nice night UNTIL the skies parted and loud thunder and lightening nearly touched down beside me. The rain was so heavy, it literally came out of no where.

When we got inside the bar, we found a table. Drenched and water logged, our perfect summers night turned into a rotten one, and it happened real fast. We were talking about how random the storm was, and yatta, yatta, yatta when all of a sudden, my bf's (best friends) bf (boyfriend) said, "Maybe its the end of the world."

HOLD THE PHONE! What in the world was he talking about? The end of the world? Sure, I have heard of the nonsense..but was it actually true? Instantly- and when I say instantly I mean immediately I burst into tears. Uncontrollably. Everyone (bf 1, bf 2, bf 3) were laughing at me. I was/am still terrified.

After that night, I asked everyone what their thoughts on 2012 were. They all laughed at me and said, "If that's all you have to worry about in life, then consider yourself lucky." I'm sorry but anything to do with death or dying doesn't sound like great luck for me. AND for the record, I have plenty of things to worry about. I will have a head full of grays and a stomach full of ulcers by the age 28 (if I make it past 2012).

I really hope that for the sake of you and I, that we all make it past December 21st, 2012. I am trying to be positive, I am hoping for life beyond age 25. But, I suppose if we were to all "pass on" my school loans will vanish too!

Here's to 2012 

Merry Christmas

After all of the holiday traditional things that I did  to get me into the Christmas spirit, the thing that  reminded me the most about Christmas was my train ride home home from the city.

On my way home from my trip to the city, a man in camo got onto the train. He had a huge army bag and was in uniform. I over heard him say that he was coming home from a leave over seas and that he was going to surprise his family for Christmas. It nearly gave me goosebumps.

The meaning of Christmas is not what gifts you give or get, its about appreciation and family and spending time with the people who mean the world to you. We are very fortunate to be able to pick up the phone, or drive 10 minutes to see our family members and friends. Be mindful that not everyone has that luxury.

There are families who have loved ones over seas fighting so that WE can have a safe place to call home. There are families who aren't able to afford to give gifts to their children and loved ones because they have been laid off or are unemployed. There are loved ones we have lost along the way this year. There are people who don't have a family to spend the holidays with. There are people who are sick on this holiday and are unable to enjoy this time of the year. Be mindful.

This year, take a time out to remember the true meaning of Christmas. It's not too late to do something nice for someone who is in need. Remember the true Meaning of Christmas.

Wishing you a very happy holiday...

Christmas in the City

Just yesterday I had the huge thrill of going to see The Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall. I loved every minute of it. It was my first REAL show, and I intend on going to plenty more. The show was part of my Christmas gift, and I was hopeful that by seeing the show I would be more in the Christmas spirit.

 This was inside Radio City Music Hall- beautiful!

The amazing Rockettes

My favorite part of the show was the Rockettes, and I think that if I had dancing skills that I would totally audition to be one. You need to be between the height of 5'6-5'10. BUT, height alone will not earn you a spot in that line up...I already asked.

Every time I go to the city I walk down 5th Ave. Obviously I don't have 5th Ave kind of money, but I can dream. I like to say hello to my friends Tiffany and Louis while I'm in the neighborhood. The best thing about 5th Ave on Christmas is the window displays. So even if you don't have the money to show there, you can literally window shop! :)

Also on my trip to the city we visited St. Patricks church. If you ever have the chance to go inside, you should. I don't know much about this church, but I do know that it is breath taking. You wouldn't believe how many people stroll through there just to get a glimpse of the place.

And of course, we visited Rockefeller Center and saw the Christmas tree. An annual tradition!

NYC is such a magical time, especially during the holidays. So if you ever get the chance GO!

Fat Chance

I am hoping that by next year I will have my own place AND my own classroom. I am hopeful that 2012 will treat me right...I know what you and I are thinking. FAT CHANCE...so much for positivity.

Any who, I can't wait to be able to decorate my own home and do fun holiday projects with my future students. There is just so much to do!

While browsing Pinterest, I envisioned these ideas for my upcoming future....

My students will do crafts like these...

 

 

And my home will look like this...

And I will probably have my child do this at some point for a Christmas card...

Heres to 2012 and my hopeful future..and winning the lotto, Cheers!

Pay it Forward

Does anyone else get super emotional around the holidays? Anyone? Anyone?  I seem to get teary eyed every time I see or hear anything emotional.

While watching Kendall Jenner's Super Sweet 16 tonight I almost cried when she hugged Bruce after passing her road test. For cripes sake, Tara! That's an all time low for me. I can't even stand that show, especially that Kim Kardashian.

You know that song, Christmas Shoes? That song is soooo sad. It breaks my heart every time I hear it on the radio. I get the same reaction when I hear Butterfly Kisses. Whats really been pulling at my heartstrings are these secret shoppers I keep hearing about. Random people are paying off the balances of lay-aways. More recently its been happening in K-marts across the country. Country? Or is it the state of New York?

Anyway, the point is that people are spreading the holiday spirit through random acts of kindness and I want to participate! Can I donate as much as these secret shoppers? Probably not. What I plan on doing is perhaps going to a drive-thru and paying for the balance of the vehicle behind me.

I tried to tonight at Starbucks. But, a word to the wise...nobody uses the drive-thru at Starbucks at 8:30pm. I will try to spread some cheer tomorrow. Perhaps you should too!!!!

Wear This, Not That Wednesday- Christmas Edition Part 2

Last week I shared with you the many possibilities of Christmas attire gone wrong in my post Wear This, Not That Wednesday- Christmas Edition.

Like I mentioned in last weeks post, my family got together for our annual Christmas party. This year, my cousins and I choose to dress ourselves. I personally think we did a pretty good job...

Some of us got into the Christmas spirit by wearing the ever so popular, ugly sweaters.

Here are the rest of us, minus a few who couldn't make it :(

For those who aren't into the holiday season ugly sweaters, I found these fashionable pieces. I personally feel that sequence is the perfect touch to any holiday outfit. Christmas, Hanukkah, Diwali, Kwanzaa, New Years Eve- sequence is the answer!

I just wish I had a place to wear these!

Tis' the Season for Giving

I guess the saying goes, "beggars can't be choosers," but let it be clear that when you receive a gift, you are technically not a beggar. You are the recipient of a bad gift. Lets be real for a minute, we have all received a bad gift a time or two. We are talking best and worst gifts, but mostly worst. If you are reading this and are shaking your head in disbelief and are saying, "I appreciate everything everyone has ever given me," then you are lying.

I may have very well been on the giving side of an awful gift, but it happens to the best of us. On the other hand, I have also been on the receiving side of awful gifts.

Lets just say that nicknack's, should be thrown out. Every single one of them. I would like to go to every gift store and knock each nicknack's off the shelf one by one. What's the point of them? They just take up space. Just like my Mom taught me, those things are just dust collectors.

In my one bedroom apartment, or my bedroom in my parents house (potato-patato), I will admit that I have a few "nicknack's" if you will (by few I mean one). BUT they/it hold(s) meaning. Random figurines I am not okay with. Take for instance bad gift #1, a large porcelain angel, practically life size. I will not say who it was from, but lets just say I love that person none the less.  Besides the fact that this thing was enormous, or that I hated the way it looked and had no place for it, I wanted nothing to do with it. Sooo I strategically placed it in my sisters room on a shelf behind a picture or two. That thing was spotted after 3 minutes and 27 seconds, roughly.

Needless to say that thing is longggg gone.

So, how do you know whether or not you are responsible for a bad gift? Watch your special someone open the gift. It's all in the facial expression. Believe me you will know, immediately. How to prevent this from happening? Put some thought behind your gifts, and DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE. 8 out of 10 times you will be regretting your purchase.

With that in mind...lets share some of your worst gifts. Who's first?

QVC

I don't want to offend anyone who is an affiliate of the QVC network, but I truthfully believe that the hosts of those shows put their viewers into a shopping trance. I also feel that QVC is some sort of a cult. If you don't believe me turn on the tube and continue to read this post.

I can proudly say that I have not yet bought anything from the network, but I am not ruling out the possibility. One time when I was watching the show they were selling towels. To me, a towel is a towel. But for these women, this towel was out of this world. The way they were caressing the fabric, and wrapping it around their bodies made me want to buy a towel, for my own bathroom (the bathroom that I don't have). Luckily, I was able to resist the temptation. BUT, I can't say that was the same for a few others....

My grandmother- that crazy lady that I love, said that twice she has woken up with her checkbook laid out of her bed, the QVC channel on, and within a week she received packages that she hadn't remembered ordering. The woman was shopping in her sleep! If that isn't a trance, I don't know what is. I will say that she orders things off the TV quite frequently, and in turn has to return the items because they weren't what she wanted. Which, in turn causes her to spend more money on shipping. What a crock!

She is not the only person I know who was suckered in. I was witness to the next victim, my father. While flipping through the channels one night, we stopped at the network for a few minutes. They were selling night vision glasses. Yes, night vision glasses. Being that my father's favorite pastime is hunting, he thought this would be the greatest addition to his hunting gear. Even though the host kept saying, "Your kids will love these," he still pursued the purchase. I never saw my dad dial a phone number so fast. In about a week, those puppies were at our doorstep. Let me add, those puppies are still in the box.

Take this as a warning, be careful what you shop for. Don't be apart of the QVC colt. Nothing good comes out of it!

Wear This, Not That, Wednesday- Christmas Edition

I hope you all managed to make it through last week without my fashion tips, but to make it up to you and in honor of the holiday season, I have decided to treat you all to my childhood Christmas memories. Let me rephrase that...I would like to share with you some of my family's Christmas memories. And by memories, I mean fashion mishaps.

Each year my Mothers side of the family gets together for some good ole' Christmas fun. This is probably the one and only time of the year that almost everyone is together. Roughly I would say there is about 100 of us that join. I could be am most likely wrong here, but its late and I don't feel like counting. The point of my story is that this party has been ongoing since I was a baby and that was 24 years ago, so therefore there has been many "do's and don'ts."

This first picture is from one of the earliest Christmas parties. Purple must have been the color of choice this year, as everyone of my cousins is sporting close to the same exact dress.

 You know what they say... "Fashion repeats itself." A few years later it seems as though we were either wearing hand-me-downs or similar dresses. There must have been a sale at Bradley's. Remember that store?

 Later in life florals took to the charts. Also note the poofed bangs. It looks like Lou also was in on the style. While were here, check out that camera.

Now, in this next photo I can't speak for everyone, but I can speak for myself when I say, "What am I wearing?" If you haven't pointed me out, I am wearing red polka-dotted pants along with my sister who is wearing the same exact outfit. 

 For this last picture, I apologize in advance for not getting permission to post this jem, but I am going on a limb here and saying that these were the grunge years. This was the point in out lives where our parents gave up on dressing us and we took initiative in dressing ourselves in what we thought looked "cool."

 It's fun to look back at old pictures and reminisce about earlier years, but lets not forget the true meaning of Christmas...wear a timeless ensemble. Be careful what you wear, there are always pictures :)

Merry Christmas!!!