My first welding project

Here's my latest project completed. I am having so much fun with welding! I love community education classes. Look at all the cool stuff I am learning. My goofy quail needs a name. I'm pretty sure it's a boy, so let me know what you think I should call him. Maybe Ernie? I don't know.

About Gregary: he's great, amazing, wonderful, funny and all that good stuff. He's 33, lives & works in Roy. He manufactures window frames and other things for a steel company up there. Ummm... what else do ya want to know? He's tall and handsome and tender & sweet. He loves sports and cars and movies (and me. *giggle*). We met online & went to the Gateway for our first date. He has the greatest laugh. It is contagious.

Anyway, if you want to know more about him, you'll just have to ask me. :) Trust me, I could talk about him all day. Alas, I have to go to bed.

Love you all!

Hot Date Tonight

That's all I'm saying right now! Got to get ready!

"Constructive Criticism"

I'm a bit bugged today by one of my over opinionated co-workers. She just got divorced... actually it's not final yet, but she is dating like a fiend... Anyway, she has decided that she needs to give me advice about why I am not dating or married.

She sent me a series of skype messages today at work with a disclaimer that she was giving constructive criticism. She told me how I dress ugly and that I don't do my hair nice and my make up habits are terrible. I did not solicit this advice! I am aware that I don't look my best this past year or two... I'm just trying to survive. My self esteem is, its true, at one of it's lowest points ever, but that doesn't mean you have to reinforce my negative beliefs. Yes, I am the only one who can change it, but you don't need to make that harder for me than it needs to be. Aarg!

She made me feel like I look like this

or like this:

I'm trying to just shake it off my shoulders and know that this is just her personality and the way she expresses herself. There are many people out there who take it upon themselves to tell everyone else what they're doing wrong. I know she means no harm... it's just hurtful and I needed to vent.

Here's what I look like for real. Yes, I removed (photoshoped) 3 stupid zits. My face has been breaking out non stop for the past 5 years. Anyway, there you go. I needed to vent for a sec.

I love springtime

:) Sorry I've been absent from blogger world for a while. I love the spring time and keep finding myself interested in learning NEW things and so I keep enrolling in classes that take up all my time after work. It's good. :) I've only been to welding once, and I have to say it was intimidating... and enthralling all at the same time! Imagine the possibilities when you can "glue" metal together! My imagination soars... my wallet whimpers! lol. Oh student loans... I will pay you off... but I am going to make some awesome yard art too.

Other than that, life is just moving along. I have been trying SO hard since I got my job to just function. Each week feels like a battle to survive. And I have to tell myself like Stephanie did a while back... "I can do hard things". I keep saying that in my head.

I've made some new books, but alas, I have lost my SD card along with my ipod AGAIN! This time it is not the cat's fault. I have no idea where they are. :-/ It makes me nervous! But hopefully they will come home soon and I can take pictures of my books and welded stuff to post for you here. :)

Well I've got to gather up all my things and take them over to my other home so I'll be ready for work this week. Talk to you all hopefully sooner!

SD card recovered!

How could anyone resist that little face?!!

Chicken on the keyboard makes for productive work day! ;)

Since St. Patty's day is next and not easter... but I couldn't wait... The chickens are adorning the fake clover plant I put on my desk.

Yay water marbles! Joanns fabric and craft store has got a little bit more of my money... again. sigh.
This tiny little bag held a ton of the tiny, dried out water marbles. It was full about to where my thumb is in the picture.
I thought they would all fit into this lovely little vase... So I dumped them in, poured in the distilled water and went into the other room to watch t.v.
...
I came back and...
Yeah... they filled up this whole huge bowl plus a vase on my desk at work. They are absolutely intriguing... Every time I walk by them I just HAVE to stick my hand in there and play with them. They feel so strange and they're bouncy and blue!
See... look how fun they are!

I need to be stopped. Look at all this stuff I got from the craft stores. I am pretty sure that my coworkers think I'm NUTS! My desk is littered with ... ... . . . cuteness!

Kitty! :-/

So I was just about to upload a few more pictures when kitty decided she needed to help me by rubbing her face against the SD card... Next thing I know the darn thing has vanished out of sight. I heard it fall on the floor, but I have looked for 20 minutes and cant find it! :-/

Grrr! I sure hope I find it soon.

Anyway, I'm just working and doing my bookbinding class. Loving it LOVING it! This Wednesday I'll be putting together my 4th book. If I can find that stinking SD card I'll show you pictures.

an army of little chickens

Here's my first hardbound book. I am in love with making books as of RIGHT NOW! :)


And I couldn't wait for Easter to pull out my cute little chicken friends. I think they're going to come to work with me tomorrow. :D

Man I've been busy lately... So busy that I've had these pictures to post for like 5 days and haven't had time to do it! I'll write more soon! <3

C' ya!

p.s. photoshoot in the morning! YAY.

My first handmade book

This is so much fun. I love bookbinding class so far! Can't wait to do more.

Other than that, things are going okay. I like my job... when I don't have to work too closely with my boss. Don't get me wrong, the guy is amazing at what he does. He's just not very kind about his constructive criticism. He's almost always right about what to do to make things look right, but goodness he can be mean about how he tells you to change it. I'll survive. I have to. Maybe I'll even learn something. We'll see.

Let the Resolution Begin!

Well everyone, it's finally time. I waited 27 days to get started on my resolution to get into better shape because I wanted to enter the Golds Gym Total Body Transformation challenge thing. I ate more than normal for the first part of the month (winning strategy? probably not) so I would weigh a lot at the beginning of the contest.

I will NOT share my before photos with you until after I reach my goal, but you can know that I started out at 173 pounds. I'm telling all of YOU this because it makes me want to work harder so that I can tell you in May that it's at least 20 pounds lighter than that!

Anyway, work and school and this new resolution are keeping me busy busy busy. I finished my first book of the year and am on to my next one. Still feels like I've bitten off more than I can chew, but I haven't choked on it yet! :)

How are your resolutions coming?

Book Binding & Web Design

I'm taking a community education class on bookbinding. I am so super excited about it. We're going to make hard bound books and leather bound books and book boxes and all sorts of amazing things.

I got some pictures from the internet to give you an idea of what I'll be doing. :)

Nifty huh!

January Schmanuary

January blows. I am so over it! I am tired of looking out the window and seeing nothing but gray. I am tired of walking outside and hearing little birds crying because they're so cold... beeks chattering and shivering... poor little things. AND I am very tired of scraping the ice/frost/snow off my car before work.

*grumble* *grumble* *grumble*