Happy(Early) New Year!

Wishing you a happy and healthy start to 2009. Since Australia has already had their celebration, here is a video from Sydney. Their fireworks show is pretty awesome.

Favorite things: Twitter

Dealing with the public, I am always talking to them about technology, computers and the iPhone.(Usually because they are also interested in it, too). I often get on the subject of Twitter and I usually have a way of leaving them totally confused about what it is and what purpose it serves. It's very simple, "What are you doing"?




All you have to do is answer that simple question. That is what its all about. Nothing complicated. Your friends can keep up with you(good or bad thing?) through your updates. They can respond to your updates and vice versa. You can also upload pictures to your update.


I think its more fun when you are updating on-the-go, otherwise it can be a little boring. Example, "Ugh, I'm just sitting on the couch eating bon-bons. Okay..that's all." That doesn't make for the most interesting post, and probably no one would care, unless they LOVE bon-bons. I know I have made some of those type posts before. When I really am doing nothing.


So, I try and update about something I am doing, or somewhere I am going. I have made some good online friends using it, and I feel like I know them in a way. I even like some of them so much that I think we would probably get along really well in person, too. So if you're not using Twitter yet, I suggest you get on there and get started tweeting. Come on. Go. Then we can be friends. :)

Christmas Day

Today was so nice, lots of family time and fun. I feel like it went by really fast though, it seems like I just started buying presents...oh wait, I did. I'm a procrastinator when it comes to some things, and buying gifts is one of those things.

Justin woke me up this morning(twice) to open gifts and when I finally got up, we exchanged the smaller gifts we had bought each other. Its funny, among other things, we both got each other shaving cream. I guess we are trying to tell each other something. You know you have been married a while when you buy each other shaving cream.



Then we headed to Justin's parents for breakfast and gifts. There were so many presents this year! We have a new addition to the family, Aubree, who is 4 months old. It was fun watching her react to her gifts, she is adorable. I want one. In time.

Later we went to my parents, where we played Wii Sports and had our gift exchange. Wii is great exercise by the way, especially when you play it the wrong way like I do. The game doesn't require you to actually walk up and bowl or hold it like a baseball bat, but I choose to just to feel like I'm really playing.

I ended up with everything I wanted, plus some. I got my new laptop a week ago and have been using it, but that was actually my Christmas present. Other things I got were gift certificates, money(like that a lot!), Massage G.C.(awesome), perfume, laptop bag, and some other random items.

I hope you had a Merry Christmas too...Just 364 more days until we can celebrate again! :)

My Quarter-Life

2008 was such a good year. I really changed a lot and became closer to who I really am. I know that sounds crazy, but its true. Instead of trying to be something I'm not, I have become very comfortable being myself whether someone likes me that way or not. I have gained a lot of confidence in my career, which has helped with other things in my life.

I turned 25 years old, which made me feel like a real grown-up. (Gasp!) I realize now that time really does fly by. It's hard to believe that my grandparents are almost in their 80's, feels like they should still be in their 60's. Most of the girls my age have already had a child, which really lets me know that time is ticking! I am the only girl in the family who has no children now, I guess I am next.

I had the opportunity to take my grandparents to Animal Kingdom this year, they hadn't been to Disney World in 20 years, it was overdue. It was more fun than I could have ever imagined. I am so lucky that I have them and they are able to go do things with us. Although, next years trip is coming up and I think we will have even more fun this time at EPCOT.

This year I decided to go back to school to pursue my degree in Computer Science. This was an idea I had played with many times, but never actually did anything about it. I was being lazy, I admit it. This is a personal goal, as well as something that I want my children to look at and get inspired from to pursue their dreams.

I think 2009 will bring a lot more changes in my life, a child, possibly. No matter what happens, I know I will always have my family and friends to be there with me and help me.

Happy Holidays!

I need your help fellow nerds!

I am taking a poll of which laptop will be best for me. I will be using it for school/work. The choice is between the Sony Vaio or the Dell Inspiron. I have never used either. My choice would be a MBP but my online classes use the Blackboard and it does not support Mac computers. Help!

Giving Back

I can tell that I am definitely getting older when I stop making a Christmas list of things I want and start thinking of things I can give instead. This year I feel very strongly lead to give and help those in need. With all that is going on with our economy and country, it lets you know that nothing is certain and people end up in bad situations no matter who they are.

Last year, I met a fascinating and self-less woman(I wish I could remeber her name) at Amelia Island Plantation. She was one of the organizers for Samaritan's Purse(International Relief) and she told me all about it and I knew that I wanted to get involved. Specifically, Operation Christmas Child interested me. You pack a shoe box for children in war-torn countries or natural disasters, or just in unfortunate situations.
They recieve it as their Christmas present, and this is usually something they look forward to because they are not used to getting toys. You can include your picture and a letter to them, so they may be able to write back to you. Whether they do or not, its very rewarding knowing that a child is enjoying something you did for them and that you made them happy.



To find out more information on Samaritan's Purse, go to www.samaritanspurse.org. :)

Countdown to Disney World!

So we leave in 3 days for our trip to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party! I cant wait because I plan to take a lot of pictures this time. Well, I did take a lot the last time too, but if youve read my other posts then you know that I deleted them all on my memory card during reformatting. Dont remind me!

I do need some tips on shooting good parade pictures. I have a Canon Powershot S5 iS and have not really had the opportunity to take good parade pictures with it. Ive tried using the nightime setting, since the parades take place past 6 pm, but it doesnt have the quality I want. I guess I will have to play around with it. Any tips, send them my way, please!

Until Monday... Then I should have pics up!

Review of Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort

This is my personal experience from our visit to Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort in August '08. We arrived on a Sunday and stayed through Tuesday for a weekend getaway. Our trip also included a visit to The Magic Kingdom. The main pool was closed for renovations during this time.

Guestrooms

We checked in early at the main house at about 12:00 and were able to get our room since it was available. Our room was located in the "Aruba" section of the resort. It was very quiet and empty when we arrived, due to school being back in session. (Perfect time to go, by the way!) The little villages were cute and colorful in pastel colors. Our room was near the lake and not too far from the pool in Aruba. The rooms are your average size hotel room with two double beds, a shower/bath combo and a sink/vanity area.

If you stay in Aruba, you have a little bit of a walk to get to the restaurants and Main pool area. We didn't mind this because it was a nice, scenic walk by the lake and through the gardens. If walking or convenience is an issue though, I would stay at a Preferred location.

Transportation

Every village has its own bus station for catching your ride to the parks. We never waited longer than 10 minutes each time we rode. The bus stop was very close to our room, just a short walk across the parking lot. You have to wait on your specific bus to arrive for wherever you are going, including Downtown Disney.

Overall, its very easy getting around Disney World with their system. The buses run often and hold a lot of people per bus. They are also wheelchair accessible.

Resort Activities

We enjoyed the pool in Aruba since the main pool was closed for remodel. It was large enough that people were not right on top of you, but the pools that are in the villages are just your basic pool, nothing fancy. The pool area had patio tables and lounge chairs. Across from our pool was a "beach" with sand and hammocks overlooking the lake.

You can also rent boats at the main area near the restaurants, which I do not recommend. We have rented them before at Downtown Disney, which allows you to go further and actually see things. The ones at Caribbean Beach Resort will only allow you to go around the lake and then under the main bridge to the other side of the lake. We got tired of it after about 10 minutes and returned back to the dock. I believe it was about $45.00 for 30 minutes, but I am not sure on the price. So, I would recommend renting a boat at DD if you want to take a boat ride, you will have a much better view and be able to go more places for the same price.

The main pool was being renovated during our stay, but it sounds like it is very nice!

There was a family movie night in the garden area. The movie is shown on a big screen in the gardens, with beach chairs by the lake.

There is also live entertainment at the main area, near the shoppes and food court. There are patio tables setup around so you can sit and enjoy the music or have a drink at the outdoor bar area.

Restaurants

We ate at the food court for breakfast, lunch and dinner. They have a "market" style setup with several different choices of food types. We had burgers at one of the quick service's and they were the same as you would find in the parks. Overall, good choices for everyone in your family.

We purchased a souvenir thermos to use for the weekend at the resort, which allows you to have free refills anytime you want. You pay around $14.00 for the cup, but its worth it.

Shutters is the only table services restaurant here at the resort. The atmosphere of the restaurant is a little loud and not so "beachy". Its casual, and a little noisy and crowded. Wouldn't recommend for a romantic evening for a couple. We did have a nice view from our table, which faced the lakeside.

I ordered a seafood pasta dish, which was surprisingly good. My husband loved the steak he ordered, too. The prices were decent, average prices for a sit down place. Our waiter was very attentive to our needs and made sure we were happy with the food. A very good Cast Member. :)

Overall Experience

We both had a great time here, and unless you are looking for the real Caribbean, I would suggest it for a family getaway or a romantic weekend. It will not make you feel like you are in the Caribbean, there are just touches of "the islands". It offered us a relaxing weekend, and like most things with the Disney resort, it lived up to the service and quality that its known for. We will definitely go back in the future.

If you would like to ask me any questions about this resort, please email me here.

An Unexpected Surprise!

I am so excited right now because me and Justin just booked our trip to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party at MK. Of all the times I have been to Disney, I have never been to this. Im looking forward to walking down Main Street with the snow flurries falling and Christmas lights all over my Castle, err, I mean Cinderella's Castle. Well, for now.

Have you ever been?

I thought that we wouldnt be going back until next year for my birthday. So, this is really exciting! I was kinda having a little depression/withdrawls knowing thats so far away. The weather should be nice and crisp too, it gets pretty miserable in the hot, hot, summer days here. So I am ready for the cold weather.

For my birthday in April, I am going to take the "Keys to the Kingdom" Behind the scenes tour at Disney World. I have been researching it and it seems to be pretty cool. I want to see the Tunnels. I remember the first time I found out that The Magic Kingdom was the 2nd story..I was blown away! I couldnt believe there was actually an underground world, haha! I look forward to that.

Mickey Mouse Runs His Own Newspaper

I just won this book on eBay and I cant wait to get it! It was published in 1937 by Walt Disney, of course. The book is really big, which probably has a series of stories inside.

Happy Mickeyween!

It's that time of the year again... Pumpkin carving! And of course, cupcakes. But, this year I made my pumpkin extra special and turned it into a Mickey Mouse carving. It's definetely not the best, seeing as how my attention span is that of a 5 year old.
Nonetheless, I love how it turned out. Im saving my REALLY big pumpkin for next week, because I dont want it to rot and die before Halloween.
I have never been a big fan of Halloween, but I am all about decorating my house and baking up something sweet and chocolatey. So, I love most holidays just for those reasons. I am thinking about doing Thanksgiving at our house since I wont be doing Christmas here this year.
Anyways, I will post a picture on flickr later of my carved pumpkin! Go check him out!

All I have is memories.

I am back from my Animal Kingdom trip with my family. It was awesome! This was the 20th Anniversary of my grandparents going back to Disney with me. I was 5 when we went last and they are now in their 80's, so this was a very special trip.
So, I should be posting pictures, right? No. Because I got stupid at the theme park and deleted them all by reformatting the memory card!(I had no idea what formatting meant when I did it!) Excellent. I erased everything on my memory card, including the awesome footage from my grandpa on the Safari and the footage of elephants bathing themselves in mud- right next to our vehicle. I was sad at first, then I decided to just take more pictures to make up for it before leaving the park.
When we got back home, I was looking for the (erased)pictures, hoping that they were not gone but just moved. So, I started messing with it again and realized that the formatting had erased them because I erased the other ones too. OMG. After crying and boo-hooing, I remembered that I had the Disney PhotoPass and we used it quite a bit, so I do have those, which have to be ordered from their website. Its pricey...but I will have nothing to show from this trip if I dont buy them. Disney saved the day! :)
Until then,

Leila's Day Out: Part II

Seeing as how Sunday was such a hoot going to the park, I decided today we would go to the beach. My mom and I picked up lunch and headed to the park to eat with Leila. Within the first five minutes Leila was covered in sand spurs. If you don't know what these are, think of a little tiny ball covered in spikes. They are real fun to get stuck in your foot or, paw. Poor thing was limping, so I had to do emergency spur removal and everything was back to normal. We had to leave the park, due to the amount of sand spurs on the ground.

After lunch, we made our way over to the beach. Leila jumped out of the car enthusiastically, Im not sure what she was expecting. I guess dog's do not have very good memories or she would have run the other way when she remembered getting tangled in seaweed or trying to dig a hole to escape the heat.

We walked down the boardwalk to the beach to find that noone was there. It was nice in a way... But then there was Leila. I forgot that she is a 2 year old child in a dogs body. She did not want to walk, so she would jump up on my leg and nip my jeans to let me know that walking is just unacceptable. Feeling sorry for her, I decided to carry my 22 pound doggie back to the car and our day was cut short due to Mrs. No-Fun Doggie.

Leila needs an intervention soon. She is a floor potato and gets winded when she runs. Are there any good doggie exercises for indoors?

Leila's Day Out

I own this adorable creature named Leila, she happens to be a dog. On Sunday, Justin and I took her to Hannah Park to let her frolic, but she would rather lye and do nothing. She also like to fling dirt with her little paws, right into my eyes while I try to nap. As you can tell from the picture above, she made quite a mess(Thats dirt around her mouth!). Even though we didn't really frolic or chase any squirrels, we still had a relaxing trip and we need to do it more often.

This is Hannah Park, we were underneath a canopy of trees. Across this field, there is a lake that has alligators in it, seriously. I wanted to go frolic in this nice green grass, but I had no one to frolic with. Leila doesnt frolic.


Leila was exhausted from lying around all day and digging holes in the ground. It must be hard being a dog, so much responsibility.

On the ride home, she rested some more in the back seat. This was too much for her, we will have to work our way up from lying on the ground digging holes to actually moving and chasing things, or fetching.

Stacy @ the zoo

Welcome Fall!

The good...

I am so glad that fall is here! I'm ready for cool weather, decorating the house, the smell of a pumpkin candle... the holidays! I haven't written in a while because I have been really busy with making the salon website and papa was in the hospital this week.

The bad...

Not to mention, this week was terrible. I spent all day yesterday with a permanent frown on my face. Sometimes I feel that the more you do for someone, the more they want, and the worse you get treated. I am not going into details here, and its also something I want to get OVER, not keep dwelling on. 

I wont let this keep happening though, I do have a limit too on how much crap I will put up with. Everyone has something that they could be sad about, or angry about if they wanted to, but most people know how to control their tempers and not let it get in the way of life. It is making my life harder for no reason at all. 

This past week I already had to deal with my grandpa being hospitalized, so you would think I would have been treated a little better than usual. Anyways, Im over it.  There is nothing that can be done just by talking about it, except make me feel a little better. 

Happiness is a cupcake.

I had my nieces over to bake cupcakes with me Monday afternoon. Here are some pics:
Three of the little baker's: Ryan, Natalie and Madison. (Looks like they are up to something..)
I let go of my "clean freak" side and let them make a big mess on my kitchen table. Of course I put down a paper tablecloth first.

New layout

I am in search of a new, fresh layout, so in the mean time...you have to look at this loverly purple-pink layout. Sowwwy.

Getting Certified!

Some good news! As you can tell by the over-use of the exclamation points, I am excited! Okay, so the salon staff has decided to change to Pravana products, which makes me happy for some reason. Maybe because it will be more challenging, or because Pravana is modern and I want to be a part of that.



Either way, its great news, because our salon will stand out among the others in the area. This week I have branched out and tried new things with haircolor. New foil technique, new "paper" foils and trying a new brand. I am ready for some changes. Along with getting new color in the salon, I am getting certified as a "Pravana Certified Haircolorist", which is kinda cool and necessary if you want to be taken seriously. I am done with Module 1, only 3 more to go.



I am also in the process of making the salon's website. It's gonna be pretty cool, to reflect us, of course! Ha! But really, its something I have been meaning to do for the last, umm, 7 months. Its taken me a while to get around to it, I guess you could say.



Next on my list of "revamping" my career would be to take some more Advanced training classes. I guess the 8 months of hell I went through with the Redken training just wasnt enough. I love learning new things, and I decided not to attend the Premiere show this year. Seemed like a good idea at the time, but now I regret it. I missed the Pink party at the Hard Rock. I especially missed rubbing shoulders with Robert Cromeans. :(



In other news, a tropical storm is coming tommorrow. Im sure youve heard, her name is Fay and she is not a happy tropical storm at the moment. She keeps pouring buckets of rain on our heads and she will not leave. She has shut down schools, city offices and put everyone into "psycho" mode. We will all be okay, unless you are a gremlin and melt when wet, we will all be okay. Kthxbai.

The Unknown

I remember when I first got into this industry how scared to death I was everyday that I had to work. I would wake up and think, "Oh crap, I hope I dont have any perms on my book today." Well, with that one, I still feel the same way. But I think I figured out why I tend to get nervous before going into work sometimes. I think it has a lot to do with not knowing what is in store for me that day, I could have 3 clients or 10 on the book. I'm not the type of person who likes surprises, especially when it has to do with work. A diamond ring?! Sure! Thats a nice surprise..

I have only been doing hair for 2 years now, and I am still learning to be comfortable with certain things. Like being more in charge of my clients and not letting them tell me how to do my job. I try to be more assertive and confident and at the same time, Im thinking, what am I doing here? I could be comfortably sitting behind my laptop, safe and secure, designing websites or working at an office. I am definetely not always in my comfort zone at work. Even my high heels have gradually gotten lower due to my job.

People underestimate the amount of courage it takes to do hair. Coming from a girl who was VERY shy growing up, I would have never even considered doing hair. I was going to be a webdesigner, but I thought there would be no money in that! Ha! Looks like 15 year olds don't know much after all...

This has all come about this weekend, when I have caught myself worrying about a client that is on my book. She made it very clear Saturday when I cut her hair that her former stylist was a superhero. That is sort of a big role to fill. She said she did enjoy me very much, and booked an appointment for tommorow to come back and have her highlights done. I just dont like it when I am being compared to someone else. This business is a very personal business and I put my heart into every single person's hair I do.

I guess it just comes down to me getting over what other people think. I've never(knock on wood) messed up anyones hair and I have heard some horror stories..believe me. I am just in this insecure funk, that has got to go.

Anytime now.

It can leave.

Get away funk.

(PS. This is my mom's hair today after I used her as a model. Highlights and lowlights and texturized cut.)

Tropical Storm Fay...

might be visiting Jacksonville this Wednesday which most likely means I will be sitting at home in the dark, or at work in the dark. Either way, it means a lot of rain and mess. I remember when me and Justin were dating about 6 years ago, a bad hurricane came through and we were without power for a week. Seriously, a whole week.
I bought everything we may need, but you can only prepare so much without being a little ridiculous. I buy flashlights, water, batteries and non-perishable food. Thats all we really need to survive, I think. Wish us luck!

Happy 81st Birthday Papa!

My grandfather is 81 years old today! He is the apple of my eye, and I have been the apple of his since I was a little girl. 2 years ago, he suffered a severe stoke, so we are so happy that he is here with us and able to celebrate his birthday.

I would write more, but my nose is swollen and my head hurts, so Im doing good to be doing this right now. Will explain. Later. :)

I want to have my cake and eat it too

Lately, I have been secretly stressing out inside this head of mine. I am 25 years old, happily married to a great guy, have a great job, but something is still missing. It's a four letter word that makes some people cringe whenever they hear it, Baby. The funny thing is that 6 months ago if you would have asked if I wanted to have kids I would have responded with, "Not right now!".

I can't grasp juggling a house, work and a husband... and a baby. Women do it everyday, but Im not sure that I would be happy with that. Justin would like me to stay at home and raise our kids, which I am happy about, because my mother was home while we grew up also. It was nice having her there.

So, whats the problem? Well, technically no problem exists at the moment, however, with my growing career it will be a lot to give up. I have established myself quite well in under a year, so in two years worth of building a clientele, I would be doing great! I dont want to feel like I am letting my bosses down or that I mislead them by not telling them that I was planning a family. In fact, whenever I first started working there, I DIDNT want kids, that's how fast life changes.
I can always come back to doing hair, and I would like to have all my children by 30.

I get super-excited when I start thinking of being pregnant. Or when I think about decorating the baby's room, or finding out the sex of the baby. Better yet, taking them to Disney World for the first time and seeing their faces light up. All of these things are what my brain has been stuffed with these last couple of weeks.

People always told me that you "just know" when you want to have kids. I guess thats true after all.

Beach girls...

Mom on the beach.
Originally uploaded by hairgeek

Are what me and my mom have become. I grew up on the beach, but now that I am older I really appreciate its relaxing and therapeutic qualities. Today we planted our matching chairs in the sand, setup our umbrella and then vegged out on all the snacks in our cooler.

Tommorow we are gonna take the surfboard out, singular because I am going to be the only one surfing. I have not surfed in a LONG time, so Im not expecting to do much more than fall and possibly get scraped up from shells on the bottom of the ocean.

I did get a chance to swim with the dolphins today, they were too far out to notice me, unfortunately. But they were there, and thats all that matters. :)

Yucky

Ever since I have stopped excercising I have felt gross. I made my way to the beach this week for the first time since summer started. The good thing about Florida are the beaches and the bad thing about Florida is finding something to wear to go to the beach.
I always put it off and just hope something will magically make it's way to my closet without any effort. It's so bad that the last time I did shop for a swimsuit, it was online and I ordered it without trying it on. If your a stick figure, this method works fine, but it doesn't for me.

I did notice that the people around me didn't look all that much better than myself though. Everyone just needs to lower their standards and we can all feel fabulous again! Anyways, I have to start exercising again for my health anyways so it will work out in the end.

Posted with LifeCast

Vote and raise money!

Wow! Im going to the beach!
Originally uploaded by hairgeek

I was asked to enter my photo into the contest "Smile For Cancer Prevention" and so I did. If you have time to check it out, please do and vote for me too! I just took this picture three days ago when I was leaving for the beach.

Click the link below for amuso.

http://www.amuso.com//gameshows/trivia/SMILE-FOR-CANCER-PREVENTION-II

Day at the Beach

Bathroom is Finished!

Its pretty much complete!
Originally uploaded by hairgeek

...for the most part. :) Of course I will add things here and there but the walls and decor are mostly done now. It took me two full days to complete, but it sat there for a week until I could buy more supplies. I had threw my back out, so I had the energy today to get it done!

Im sure its WAY too girly for most people, and possibly my husband, but I LOVE it. The Rose painting was a gift from Justin on Valentines Day six years ago, so I made that the main focus of the room.

Visit my Flickr photostream for more pictures of all the goodies it has!

LifeCast on V.2.0 iPhone

Testing out the new applications on the latest version of my iPhone. So far I'm loving it!

Posted with LifeCast

Sea World trip..

This past weekend me and Charity went down to Orlando to go back to Sea World. It was a blast, as usual. Crowded! But none the less... I would rather be in a crowded Sea World than sitting at home on the couch. Here is a picture I took of myself after feeding the dolphins.

More pictures up at flickr! Go check them out.

365 Fail..

I wish I could say that I could do it, but I am just not up to it. In my previous posts I talked about doing the 365 project, of posting a self portrait daily. Truthfully, I do not want to try and take a picture of myself everyday. My mornings are the only time I have, and trust me no pictures should be taken of me in my pajamas with messy hair and no makeup.
So, the 365 project is done. It was more like the 1/1 project. Which is okay... Its not for me.

My back is still in serious pain from when I threw it out yesterday. It happened yesterday morning when I was vacuuming and cleaning the house. Luckily, I got most of what I wanted to get done with done before it happened. Back pain is NO FUN. It makes you feel old, out of shape and like nothing can make it better.

Getting out of work tommorow is not an option, so I will try and make the best of it. Possibly get a massage in the morning if it will help. Wish me luck.

So long, farewell...

I am headed to Orlando, yet again. I wish I owned real estate there, because it sure would save us some money on hotel room costs. Charity(my bestfriend since 2nd grade) and I are headed to Sea World for 2 days.
I am mostly excited about trying to get some really good pictures more than anything. Of course I am excited to get a chance to catch up with Char too. We both recently had our grandfathers in the hospital, at the same time. We have a pretty strong bond that can never be broken, we have grown up together, watched each other change and found our way back to each other.
Cant wait to bring back lots of good pictures!

Day 1 [of 365]

I have been inspired to start a new photo project. You take a self-portrait everyday for a year, or however long you wish. I am going to try and branch out with them and not do the typical "Cheese!" picture, but I tend to take a lot of those, so no promises.

Mine will consist of either myself or something closely related to myself, not me just sitting there in front of the camera everyday for a year, that doesnt sound like fun.

Things I cannot easily accept...

• That my grandparents are in their 80's when I feel like they should still be in their 60's.


• I will never look like I did when I was 18 years old, no matter what. And I never get mistaken as a teenager anymore.


• This "Your ears and nose never stop growing" thing. Thats just un-acceptable.

On a lighter note, my new camera rocks. Im getting inspired by small things that I may have overlooked before. Such as... this angel who wanted her picture taken.

Happy face :)

I just ordered my Canon Powershot S5 iS and will be picking it up at the store in the morning! So, most likely this will be turning into a photo blog rather than a ramble-on-about-a-bunch-of-crap blog.
This weekend is going to be FUN with my new camera. There are so many cool places I visit on a regular basis, but havent had a camera to really capture anything worthwhile. Yay for new cameras!

Financing Happiness

Today I met with a cosmetic surgeon to discuss options and pricing regarding a breast reduction. I went in knowing and preparing myself for the outrageous costs associated with major surgery. I was not nervous at all, this is something I have wanted since I was 18 years old. My mind is made up and I know what I need to do, and that for my well-being this is what needs to be done.

I changed into the piece of 1 ply tissue paper they gave me and waited anxiously to tell him everything I had been feeling, like it was an interview or something. He comes in the room, discusses my concerns, and marks on my body what things will be done. If you have ever seen Nip/Tuck... you know what I am talking about. It really puts into your head just how "imperfect" you are since these are the people who make everyone look "perfect" and see all kinds of different people.

I got excited when he started telling me what I would look like, and how I would be more proportionate with the rest of my body. After the consult, you visit the Practice manager who sets up the appointment and collects your money and soul. Again, I had prepared for the worst but hoped for the best. Unfortunately, it was much more than I expected.

The cost of my happiness would come at about $12,000.00. For some people, thats a car, or a really sweet vacation. For me, thats being comfortable in my own skin. I would give anything to not have to have surgery, but in the end... I know its the only option to get the results I want. Dieting has helped my body so much, but there is only so much you can do when you have this problem.

If anyone wins the lottery... adopt me?

Tick tock! tick tock!

My "vacation" was very nice, however I dont feel as though I got enough rest. The day after we got back home, I headed back to work. Our salon had our BUSIEST week ever. Go figure. I was running on an empty tank of gas. So, this weekend is going to be full of nothing, just how I want it to be.

I am planning two trips for the fall though, so I still feel like I am going 100 MPH inside my brain. First comes either North Carolina, then Disney again, or else it will just be two Disney trips. It really depends on where my grandparents would like to go. We are taking them on vacation this year, and my parents are going as well.

I have to slow down soon.

OMG Moment

I was looking back at some pictures to see how far I have come with my weightloss. I found one horrifying picture that really showed me how far Ive come and why I was so fat in the first place. Eating junk, fastfood, not exercising and not drinking water can get you as fat as you'd like to be! That I know for a fact, haha!

Right now I have 28 pounds to go, which will be about another 6 months, the healthy way. I have easily kept everything off, just by not drinking soda and watching what I eat. Very basic and obvious changes for the most part. My next challenge: An after picture in a bikini! Woohoo. LOL. 6 months!

Happy Memorial Day!

I hope everyone had a good day off from work. I spent my day hanging out with some really cute chicks. You know how an animal can be so darn cute you just want to squeeze it? Well these little girls definetely were. They bought four little sister chicks.
My niece decided to name them- Diamond, Black, Jasmine and Im not sure about the other. Since they all ended up sounding like stripper names, they will end up getting changed eventually.







To further feed my fascination with animals, today we just purchased the SeaWorld annual passes which we will be using June 1st-June 3rd. I am so ready to go, its one of my many favorite places to visit. Hopefully I can get some good pictures too.. :)

Week 6: Update

Just thought I would give an update on my weight loss so far. I have lost 7 pounds as of April 22. I am still pretty much on track, but things have been getting harder, as they always do. The thing that has kept me on track the most is making sure I have plenty of healthy foods in the pantry and fridge. Eating mostly fruits, WW meals, WW snacks and weighing in at Weight Watchers is helping me a lot.
My clothes are becoming grossly too big for me, they look like Im wearing baggy, sloppy clothes. So, soon I will be headed to the store to buy some smaller sizes. :) Hooray!

This weekend we had a luau in our backyard. It was so much fun, were going to plan another party for the 4th of July. We are about to start some more projects for our backyard, the biggest thing being making a patio with pavers.
I have also been really busy getting the flower beds and landscaping back in shape from winter. New mulch and flowers can go a long way, and its good exercise for me. I will post some pictures tommorow if I have time.

Speaking of cameras...I need a new one soon! I want to get atleast an 8 MP digital camera. I have been looking at Canon and Nikon. Hopefully I can get it before our Disney trip, because I want to take some crisp pictures. Any suggestions for a good camera at a decent price?

The Obsession Started Long Ago...

My first visit to Disney World's Magic Kingdom was when I was 3 weeks old. My parent's didn't waste anytime did they? It is one of my all time favorite places to go and bring's back warm, fuzzy memories, which is why I am still so fond of it.

(Thats me on the far right, standing next to my brother, Ryan)

There is literally no other place like it, it sounds like I should work for Disney World. I sat in on one of their Vacation Club seminars and learned that Disney is the #1 tourist destination in the world. I know its a huge deal to most kids and families, but I didnt know it was THE place to go.

I will admit that I am totally obsessed with this place. My heart starts racing when I think about returning in the fall, its so exciting and makes me want to do my happy dance (You'd probably not want to see that). I guess I am still a kid at heart. <3

Alive & Well

This is the longest absence I have had from my blog in a long time. I have come here to post, typed a few words, then delete it and go about my business because I have been so busy. Its that time of the year when things are being planned, birthday parties on the weekends, and family BBQ's are happening all the time.
I am still sticking to my plan, and losing weight. People are starting to notice, and that inspires me even more. I've planned a surprise trip for my hubby, so that also makes me want to get into shape before November too!
Mother's Day was spent at my granny's house with all of my family. We must have gotten really bored, because we let my niece talk us into making paper airplanes. I think we ended up with about 25 construction paper airplanes in the living room. After that we moved to the outside patio so my nieces could play on the slip'n slide. That takes me back! I might try to do the slip'n slide this summer...watch out kids!

Losing weight & gaining confidence

I am finally starting to feel good again. I have reached my goal for the week, and I dont have to weigh-in until Monday. One thing I have read that I think is a good idea, is to come up with rewards for myself as I reach small goals- like a massage, facial or anything I really want. So here is my list of rewards for the goals I have set.

Rewards:

• 10 pounds: Manicure/Pedicure
• 15 pounds: Facial
• 20 pounds: Massage
• 25 pounds: Betsey Johnson Handbag
• 30 pounds: Salt glow at the spa
• 35 pounds: Buy a nice bikini
• 40 pounds: Vacation to the Gulf of Mexico(to show off my new bod!) Haha..

Short term goal: Lose 10% body weight and walk 3 miles/5 days week

beach bum

Week 1 is over!

So this week I did manage to stay on track. Thanks to a fridge full of water, fruit, ready-made salads and a pantry full of weight watchers snacks. Technically, which I love to make things technical, I have broken down my goal into segments. Long term, short term and dates that they are to be accomplished. Thats just how I roll, ok.

Long term goal weight: 120 pounds
Approximate date of goal reached: September 8, 2008

Short term: Lose 2 pounds/week
Exercise: 3 miles/5 days week

Ive started reading Dr. Phil's Weight Solution's book, I am only on page 30 so I am not sure if Im digging it or not. So far, I have already commited to the things he is saying needs to be changed. It does have some eye opening things it in though.

My hardest thing right now to conquer is definetely NOT going to Panera. I love Panera, for more reasons that I can list. Their chocolate croisants, the Sierra Turkey sandwich, the Brocolli Cheddar soup, and the free wi-fi that I cant resist. I have sat in there for hours just sipping a mocha and hanging out with my laptop. I will miss you Panera and you will always be in my <3.

real good man

Today Justin suggested we start running in the morning before he leaves for work. Which means we will be running at 5:00 am. I am more stoked about us doing this together, than anything else. Even though, possibly a night run would be better for me, I will get up early if I have to.
He hasn't been running for a long time, even though he is in good shape we will both be adjusting to this change. He is so supportive, even though he says I dont need to lose weight.

I have been sticking to my plan and exercising everyday. You would think for a 25 year old that exercise shouldn't be a problem, but I am seriously having a hard time making it past the 30 minute mark. I pretty much rely on the clock to dismiss me from my workouts right now.
We will start running Monday morning. Running for myself will be more like running 5 minutes, walking, running, passing out on the ground and then walking some more. It just takes time, and I am willing to make time for it.

Getting Skinny

This is pretty much how I plan to lose weight. This is the plan I stuck to last year and dropped 20 pounds. I have kept it off, except 5 pounds, so this is a continuation of the 20 MORE pounds I want to lose. I got WAY off track when I started my new job, which happens to be next door to a really good restaurant that practically gives us free food. I have not exercised for 6 months, people. It's hard getting back to it, for sure.

Food Essentials for me:

• Smart Ones by Weight Watchers(frozen dinners to keep track of calories easily)
• Slim Fast Optima in Chocolate Royale
• Weight Watchers muffins and sweets(lower in fat and calories)
• Water, LOTS!
• Fruit, Mostly Bananas and Apples
• Pre-Made salads by Publix for convenience

Exercise:

• Gazelle Edge
• Stability Ball
• Gaiam Weight Loss Balance Ball DVD
• Walking

feed me

Feeding a giraffe from Stacy R on Vimeo.

Day 2 of Self Improvement

Yesterday jump-started my new healthier lifestyle. Which mainly consists of making healthier food choices, adding exercise to my life, and being more conscious about what goes in my mouth. I started yesterday off with Pilates, which was a pretty good workout. I am feeling the benefits of it today. I woke up with sore abs and a sense of enlightenment. 

I have decided that I can do this on my own. Not that I have a lot to lose, according to my BMI, I have to lose between 5-10% of my body weight to be in the healthy range. Any weight loss is good, so I am not setting any unrealistic goals that will only lead to disappointment.  

Off to do Pilates! 

beware of my video camera

I have found the USB cable to my Sony Net Sharing Cam! Unfortunately, this means that possibly you will see more boring, pointless video's from me. Exciting, I know! I have recovered from being made fun of by my husband for making some pretty bad video blogs. They were boring, I am aware of that. I am no rockstar, for sure. 

You may catch me at the beach, the salon (where I work), at home with my dog or Justin, or out and about on my little road trips to St. Augustine, Amelia Island or Orlando. Don't get your hopes up, and we will all be just fine.

partners in crime

Every Monday and Tuesday me and my mom will get together and have lunch and hang out. She is in Orlando right now, and I feel lost without her! Today I just cleaned the house and made a trip to Target, all by my lonesome. Tomorrow, Im hanging in Panera and doing some shopping, alone.

Hurry back, mom!

Zoo day with Anja

I took my 13 year old cousin to the zoo today, so we could spend some quality time together. Other than the day starting off rainy and overcast, getting pooped on by a "cute" little bird in the aviary...it was a pretty nice day. I have season passes to the zoo, thanks to my mom and dad, so I will be going more frequently I guess.  

They have a new sting ray exhibit,  Sting Ray Bay. It was smaller than expected, similar to Sea World's though.  I bought some fish to feed them, which was sort of a waste of money because everytime they came near us and tried to eat it we would scream. They were bigger and faster than I had pictured. I fed them a few times, then just threw the fish in their and let them go at it. 

I had my first experience with being "pooped on" by a bird. It was uh, well, gross. The best part of the whole thing was that it was on my face and the front of my shirt. Great timing, right? I laughed about it though. You cant take crap so seriously in this world, ya know. 

things that make you go hmm..

Reasons to go to school:

• Love of Web Design 
• Personal Fulfillment
• In the event of job burnout from hairstyling
• Job growth 

Reasons not to go to school:

• Because I have the best job ever
• I love my co-workers
• I will own the salon one day
• Part time work with full time money
• Freedom of whatever schedule I want
• I am my own boss
• My clients are awesome
• I get to dress cute everyday, in whatever I want
• Redken 5th Avenue, NYC

Hmm...

"Clients think they have the worst hair in the world, we like to prove them wrong and show them they have the best hair."
-Robert Cromeans

Confusing Times

I love my job, I love the freedom I have with my schedule and love doing hair. At the same time, Web Design has always intrigued me and I love the challenge. I have decided to start taking my pre-requisites in order to get into the Digital Media/Multimedia Technology program. I guess I would like to know for sure that I do have something to rely on besides my trade. An education and a trade make a good pair, I think.
I am good at what I do now, and I get a lot of satisfaction when my clients are so happy with their hair. My goal for this time of the year was to go to the Redken 5th Avenue school, to take an advanced color and cut class. It's around $1000.00 for the class alone. Not including hotel, food, and plane ticket. I guess I tend to lose focus when I have more than one thing to focus on. This always happens with me.
Learning to handle several things at once has never been easy for me. When I was in school, that was the main reason I would not do very good in class. Having several projects at once makes me crazy. I like to start a project and finish it at the same time, or else it may not get done. I am an Aries, and that fits an Aries to a tee!
So, orientation is Monday for school. I will get signed up for classes and get these pre-req's out of the way for good. Wish me luck!

New blog coming!

Im in the process of moving everything, or atleast TRYING to move some stuff from LJ. Also, trying to setup my domain name, but Yahoo is not being my friend at the moment. Im getting things sorted out, until then, visit www.stacydot.com.