My trip back home.

Well, I'm back from Nashville! My trip was so crazy busy, and it definitely didn't feel like I was there a whole week! I did so much running around and was going non-stop, that it's all just one big blur. Thank goodness I checked into places and took instagram pictures so I can remember what all I did!

♥ SATURDAY:
I never went to bed to be completely sure I didn't oversleep and miss the flight, and Matt's new work buddy Charlie picked us up and had us at the airport around 6am. We flew all day, and I played games on the iPad the entire time. We made it to Nashville around 4pm, and my mom was so excited to see us! We took Matt to his house, and I got to hug his mom and sister. Then Mom and I went to the grocery to get food for the week. I know it's ridiculous, but I was sooo excited for Mom to take me to Wal-Mart. I haven't been to one since my last trip home, and we used to go together all the dang time. Don't judge me!

I felt like such a little kid, but I saw this Hello Kitty candy keychain in the check out line, and Mom saw me eyeing it. So she got it for me!





Then I got to go home and see my Cupcake! She's gotten so big, I almost didn't recognize her. After playing for awhile, I eventually passed out in Mom's recliner because I was so exhausted from the flight!

Here's my Cuppybutt being a big, wooly baby. I was so happy to see her.




♥ SUNDAY:
I spent the majority of the day hanging out with Mom, eating fruit roll-ups, and hugging Cupcake a bunch. We ran to Marshall's and Target, but we spent most of the day at the house talking about stuff. She's having a hard time deciding on which house to live in and which to sell. After the flood hit, we moved to Granny's and she had to rebuild everything at our house. So I helped her weigh the pros and cons of each house, and I think she's leaning toward going back to Granny's house. That was my vote, too, since it's higher up and away from water and in such a nice little community. (It's a stressful decision, because I know she loves how pretty she's made our home, but I just worry about her safety.)

Then I asked her take me to Matt's mom's so we could watch The Walking Dead with her, his sister, and his sister's best friend and boyfriend. (My mom was grossed out when I explained the show to her, so obviously she didn't stay. She had Army Wives to watch anyway!)

♥ MONDAY:
I spent the day with Matt and his mom and Nana. We all went thrifting together at a few different Goodwills and ate lunch at Baja Burrito. We had a lot of fun! I found a giant clothespin, and it immediately made me think of The Secret World of Arrietty!



Then we met up with Matt's dad and Nanny to celebrate his birthday at Uncle Bud's, and we had cake and ice cream back at his dad's house. Then we watched silly videos on youtube! Typical Dad stuff, you know. My Dad's the same way! I love it!

♥ TUESDAY:
Mom took me out to Murfreesboro to The Avenue to do a little bit of shopping. We ran into Ulta, and one of my managers from Old Navy, Tabby, had just started working there! I was so excited to see her! It was such a nice surprise.

I didn't want to go crazy in Ulta (but I very easily could have), so I just got my foundation powder, an eyebrow pencil, and a pink NYC eyeshadow. Then mom took me to a cute little store called Charming Charlie, and I loved their pink section so much!



Oh, and this was my date with mom day outfit. She isn't too crazy about tattoos, so thank goodness it was cool enough to cover up this trip! Last time, it was miserable!



My good friend, Ashlee, lives about 5 minutes from that area, so while Mom looked around another store, Ashlee swung by and picked me up to show me her apartment and get some yummy ice cream at Baskin Robbins! It was a super short visit, but she understood that I really wanted to spend time with my mom, which made me so happy. (I had a friend or two treat me really badly that I didn't have time or transportation to come to them, and it made me so sad.)


♥ WEDNESDAY:
I was supposed to see my Uncle Rick in the morning, but he wasn't feeling too well. He just started chemo, and he was having a rough day. So I ran a few errands with my mom instead, and then Dad came over and spent a few hours talking and hanging out with me and Mom. I was really happy that they got along so well, because that doesn't always work out, ifyaknowwhatimsayin. :| But no one died, and all was well!

Then my longest friend ever, Susan, (I've known her since I was 2 years old) came to pick me up to take me to McNamara's for a few beers. It was so much fun seeing her! We always have an awesome time together, so I was so excited to get to drink and be silly and just talk about girly things. Then she took me to see a few other ladies, Kira and Michelle and Sarah, and we had a super silly time just talking and catching up. It was nice to get a little bit of friendly hangout in there since I knew it was mainly going to be a family trip! And it was so sweet of them to all make time for me on my hectic schedule!

♥ THURSDAY:
I was so exhausted from staying up so late the night before, I just couldn't get going. (No it wasn't a hangover! :P I was just extra sleepy) Mom and I did some laundry and just kind of hung out and talked about house stuff and things that needed to be done. And Matt came over to take me out to eat since he and I actually had a few minutes to ourselves before I had to be at my tattoo appointment. So we had a nice little lunch date at Sakura, which was our favorite place to go before we moved.



Then Matt and his mom took me to get one of my tattoo outlines colored in. Then I passed right back out when we got home! I was so exhausted all day, so it was definitely my sleepy, lazy jet lag day since I didn't really have one when I first got to Nashville. I guess my poor body needed to catch up a bit!

♥ FRIDAY:
Dad and I went to see Grandmom for a bit, and then we headed over to Uncle Rick's since he was feeling more up to having company. My mom got this awesome machine that converts VHS tapes to DVDs. So I asked Matt to convert an old tape of me when I was a few months old because there was a lot of footage of Uncle Rick holding me as a teensy baby. I thought it might cheer him up a bit and make him feel a little better, and he really seemed to enjoy it. He's lost so much weight, but he seems to be doing okay. And the cancer has stopped growing, so that's wonderful. It was so nice to spend time with him since I haven't seen him in over a year.

After Dad dropped me off at home, Mom and I headed over to Granny's house so I could go through some of my stuff upstairs, and I realized how much there was to do there. I really wish I could've stayed to help her clean up that house and get it remodeled and nice if she does decide to live there. I kind of feel like I left her at such a crappy time, and I feel so bad that she has to do so much alone. I know she understands and that she's really great at handling things, but I still wish I were there for her.

Mom wanted to run to Rivergate to grab some food, so while we were out there, she ran me down to the two stores I worked at before I moved so I could see a few people really quick. I was only able to run in and spend like a minute or so in each, but I got to see one of my favorite managers, Tracie at Old Navy, and then John and Daniel at CD Warehouse. I gave them all hugs and ran out since I still had to pack!

I had a really good trip and got to spend lots of quality time with my mom. I just wish I could've seen more friends. A few people seemed really disappointed that I couldn't see them, and I felt so bad that I was always busy doing something. I tried my best to explain how much I had to do and how difficult it was for me to get around without having a car. I just couldn't ask my mom to drag me all over town. She took the entire week off to spend with me! Most people seemed to genuinely understand and were super sweet about my lack of time, like Ciara, Thomas, and Ariana, a few wonderful friends of mine! But I still got some pretty extreme guilt trips from a few others. :( Maybe next time I'll have more time to see everyone. But it really made me realize how hard it is to please everyone, and how it just won't work every time. I still feel bad, though, but that's just how I am. But the people that were super understanding made me feel much better and kept me from being too upset on the trip, and I love them for it!

♥ SATURDAY:
I woke up at 3am to make sure I was ready to go at 4:30. My mom cried a bunch, and I had to keep myself from doing the same. I already missed her before I walked into the airport. I got so used to seeing her every day, it just broke my heart to leave. :(

Matt and I got home around 12, and Peaches was so excited! While we were gone, she tore up a bunch of stuff, like one of my cloth boots (which I had to trash), my entire 100 count box of crayons, the back panel of Matt's GameCube, a bunny slipper, and a toy helicopter. I was upset, but so happy that that's all she did. Mom and I used to have a dog that would chew woodwork and rip up carpet! D: So I'm proud of how well she did while we were gone. And Justin, Matt's best friend that was taking care of her, didn't seem to have a problem with her at all! What a good pup.

♥ SUNDAY:
I started noticing some really sore areas on my leg Friday night, and they were looking kind of scary and making it almost unbearable to walk, so Matt took me to the E.R. to get everything checked out. I was terrified that I had a staph infection, but the doctor said it's contact dermatitis, so something that was against my skin just irritated it really badly. But it looks and feels rough!

I'll make this picture little and clickable for a large image just for those with sensitive tummies!



I was looking so forward to going back to work and seeing everyone, but the pain was just too much this morning, and anything up against my leg felt horrible. So since I kinda have to walk and wear pants to work, I ending up just having to stay home. I've had some horrible luck lately, I swear. I was so nervous about work being mad at me because I was sick that entire week, then I worked a week, then I went home for a week, and now this! It was all just one after another. Geez Louise.

But I'm happy to be back home, even though I miss everyone and everything in Nashville! Peaches has been following me around to every room. I guess she just wants to make sure that I don't disappear for a week again! Sorry for the extremely long post, but there was so much to catch up on!

Feeling better and lots of upcoming plans!

I can hear out of my right ear today! And I haven't been coughing like crazy or feeling like I have a bunch of bricks on my head. I think the inhaler and cough syrup from my recent doctor visit have started helping. I can't believe I've been out of work for an entire week. I swear I've been going stir crazy! And I've been so worried that people at work might hate my guts for being gone so long. But I found out that tons of people are sick, so I guess it's just that time of year. And thankfully, my new lead at work has been super understanding and seems to have just been worried about me getting better (and probably not coming in and getting everyone else sick)!

Most of my days looked like this:



And I was super excited to be home when this arrived yesterday!



Since I do feel better today, I figured it was a good idea to actually try to be semi-productive. I hate that I've been here all stinkin' week and haven't done a darn thing. So I started laying out and packing clothes for the trip home! I have to make lists and plan things out, so I started doodling outfits for each day!



Last time, I had no idea what to pack, so I ended up packing way too much stuff. My suitcase probably weighed as much as me! This time around, I'm planning everything out so I don't end up in the same situation. Since the temperature is so unpredictable this time of year in Nashville, I'm trying to cover all of my bases, just to be safe! I'm packing a pair of jeans, a few skirts, a couple of button up tops, leggings, a few cardigans, and boots. Something's gotta work! Mom told me it was 70 one day last week, and then the next day, it was in the 30's! Oh, Tennessee weather, you are so fickle.

I'm really excited about going home. I don't have any big plans this time around (last time I had college graduation), so I'm excited to kind of get a little vacation. Even though now I feel like a big ol' jerk for being out a week with all this sinus crud right before I leave town for a week! But still, being sick doesn't count as a vacation, right?

Doodling those little outfit sketches made me miss being in school and designing and drawing all the time. So I definitely want to get back to doing artsy things again. I have tons of supplies, so I want to buckle down and create at least one thing each weekend. I always have high hopes of doing something productive and creative at the end of the week. But besides going on our weekend dates, I usually just end up being really lazy and eating cereal bars, taking long showers, and playing Fairway Solitaire all weekend. Seriously! I'm an old lady, I swear.

I made a list of all the stuff I've been saying I want to do lately, and I'm going to get started on some of these as soon as I get home:

• create a web comic (I've already made my little character!)
• make some watercolor and gouache paintings to decorate the house
• make terrariums (I already have all the stuff!)
• sew buttons back onto all the one-missing-button coats and shirts I've been ignoring
• list lots and lots of things on eBay
• get my design portfolio and site back up

Another thing I've been thinking about lately is music. I've been listening to Joanna Newsom non-stop. I always bust out her music around this time of year for some reason. And even though I don't really think I have much of a singing voice, I really want to work on some sort of music project. She really inspires me with her "untrainable voice" (as she describes it). I'm so nervous about my young sounding voice, but whenever I listen to her music, I feel less and less insecure. Even though she doesn't like to be referred to as having a child-like singing style, it still makes me feel less self-conscious. I've let a small number of friends hear me sing, and they seemed to like it. And so many of my friends who haven't heard me have told me that if I did some sort of music project, it would be a really unique, fun sound. I'm excited to at least try it out and see if I'm any good at it. I already have a guitar, and I want to start learning simple things. I want to push myself to try this out.

I have so many things to start and do and look forward to! I just have to make the time and stop being so lazy when I have a teensy bit of free time. Time to immerse myself in hobbies and produce lots and lots of wonderful things! :D <3 Oh, and I'll leave you guys with a lazy nighttime picture of me feeling a little better, all cough-syrupped up!

Super sick day :(

Well, boo. I was looking so forward to getting back to work after the long weekend and talking to some sweet old ladies. But I woke up with the sorest throat of all time and a super stuffy head and nose. It started hurting a bit last night, and I just couldn't fall asleep because my throat felt so bad. So I laid on the couch until about 1, eating rice crispie treats and watching tv with Peaches until I finally fell asleep. I was hoping I would feel better after some rest, but no sir. :( I woke up every hour coughing and rubbing my throat. When I got up, I didn't even sound like myself. My poor throat was soooo hurty.

So I emailed my lead and his lead to let them know that I just didn't think I'd be able to make it in, and then I started looking for a primary care physician. I thought that by starting early, I might be able to find someone to take me today. But I had nooo idea that it would be such a hassle to find a new doctor! I started at 7:30 and left 2 voicemails, but never heard back. So I kept calling a few other places. But no one was taking any new patients, and the earliest anyone could take me was in March during the week that I'll be in Nashville! I think I called between 8 and 10 places. But I finally found a clinic that can take me on Thursday at 2, thank goodness.

So in the meantime, I'm just drinking lots of tea and taking a few at home medicines. I sound much, much better, and my throat has eased up lots! And my friend Ashlee called me and we caught up a bit since I was able to talk without any pain finally. So it was nice to not be so lonely and bored for a good hour! Now I'm just sipping tea and watching the Discovery Channel.



I hope everyone else is feeling better than I am today! <3

Valentine's Day and heading home!

I've been trying to make more time to blog lately. But obviously, it has been very, very unsuccessful! But since I get to be off work tomorrow, I'm making it happen now! Thanks, presidents.

I'll start with Valentine's Day; it was awesome! I made healthy, heart-shaped cupcakes for everyone at work, and they were a hit.



After work, Matt and I headed out to my new favorite sushi place, Tengu Sushi, where I had two eel rolls, seaweed salad, and green tea cheesecake. (My favorites/the only things I ever get!) Then we walked across to the theatre and saw Chronicle, which was amazing! Such a great movie.

Oh, and here's my silly pre-Valentine's date picture:



Also, I've officially been moved over to the phone team at work! I get to talk to cute little old folks about their games and such. And I swear, it's exactly what I was hoping for! I knew it would be a little trying at times, but I have tons and tons of patience when it comes to older people and walking them through things. So when something that should take 3 minutes to explain turns into a 45 minute phone call, it doesn't bother me a bit. And I think I'm doing okay so far! I'm looking forward to my first phone QA so I can see what they think. But either way, I'm having so much fun on phones! I really, really enjoy it. <3


Oh, and since I moved desks, all of these things have happened. (I've already pinpointed the culprits.)




Oh, and I'm making a week-long trip back home to Nashville! The tickets have been bought, and Mom has already planned to take the whole week off from work. The only thing left to figure out is what to do with baby Peaches. We had originally intended on boarding her, but that doesn't seem to be an option. I've checked out about 5 or 6 places, and they all refuse to accept "bully breeds", which includes her Staffordshire terrier mix. It's heartbreaking because she's such a big, sweet baby. So I think we might just have to leave her here and ask Matt's friend to take care of her when he comes to check on the kitties. I was hoping to maybe bring her with me instead, and my mom was totally okay with it. But apparently, the airline is just as crappy about her breed. :( I just don't get it.

But I'm trying not to think about that sad stuff or having to leave her here. I just can't dwell on it. I'm going to try to have lots of fun and spend time with my mom and see a few friends I've been missing. It's been almost a year since I've seen everyone!

I also bought my first set of luggage, just for the trip. I can't wait to get it!


My mom and I were talking about what we wanted to do when I get home. And all we could talk about was Cracker Barrel and the mall in Murfreesboro. Yep. All we did before was eat and shop. Same ol', same ol', and that's fine by me! So excited! Come on March 3rd. Eeeee!

Cupcakes, Christmas, and puppies!

It's been forever since I last posted! I've been sooo busy with my new job that I just plain haven't had time. But I've really missed it, so you better believe I'm taking a good little break from all the craziness to sit down and get my blog on.

Let's see. Quite a bit has happened since the last time I've posted (which was over a month ago)! I got my car all nice and fixed, thanks to my wonderful mom. So I've gotten back to driving, and I hope to start paying her back super soon. I love having my car and being able to go wherever I need to go whenever I'd like. I had completely forgotten how crappy it is to feel stuck and not be able to come and go as I please. It was awful! Oh, and trying to take groceries on a bus is ridiculous. So I'm so glad to be mobile again!

In work news, I'm absolutely loving my new job! I'm talking to little old ladies about games all day, and it's so cute. Oh, and I have tons of cute stuff on my desk, too! Here's everything I packed up to put on my desk the night before I decorated:


I had an awesome Christmas, even though I was away from family for the very first time. Matt and I went Goodwillin' on Christmas Eve and saw The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. And then on Christmas Day we went to my favorite sushi place and saw Sherlock Holmes. And I had my very first real Christmas tree! My mom and I have always had fake ones, so I was really excited. And it made the house smell soooo good! I had so much fun decorating the tree, and I wanted it to be super colorful.



Oh, and by the way, I got a puppy! She's a 1.5 year old Staffordshire Terrier and Lab mix named Peaches, and she is the sweetest darn thing ever. And I'm so glad I rescued her! I drove an hour and a half to pick her up after finding her on Craigslist. Once I got her home, I realized that she was covered in fleas and had never even been to the vet; she hadn't even had her rabies shot. And after spending a little time with her, it was obvious that she had been mistreated and ignored for a really long time. She didn't use the potty for the first 2 days she was at the house. And anytime we went outside, she would climb up my leg, grab me around my waist, and bury her head in my belly as if she were begging me not to leave her out there. D: How sad is that? I don't know how anyone could not fall in love with her. She's such a big baby! She needs so much attention and love, and I just can't imaging being able to resist this:



And now with a puppy in the house, I've been trying to keep things picked up. So I've been trying to get the house nice and organized. I try to do a bunch on the weekends since I have to be up so early and need to have everything ready to go each morning. I need to do get more stuff put away, but here's the awesome progress I've made getting all of my clothes, jewelry, knick-knacks, and other bedroom related stuff under control.




Today, I went to Goodwill to grab a few things before the monthly potluck that our neighbors have every 2nd Saturday, and look at this cute stuff I found!


And here's what I made to take! Yellow applesauce cupcakes with dark chocolate icing. Everyone really liked 'em!