I'm Back!... Well, kind of!

So, it has been an exceptionally long time since I have written anything. Let me fill you all in on what’s been going on in my life….

I have parasites. Yes, this is disgusting but it’s true. I was throwing up 20+ times a day from March until mid June. I pretty much did nothing for the past 4 months. I know, this may be a bit too much to share with complete strangers on the internet, but I feel connected to my blog and the fact that I haven’t been able to write in it for so long hurts a bit. I barely have been able to sit up for a couple of hours, so I rarely went on the computer.

I am finally starting to get A LITTLE BIT better. I am able to stay about 4-5 hours at work now. I haven’t thrown up since June 21st, so it has been just over a month.

The reason I have been down and out for so long is that “normal” doctors could not find out what was wrong with me. I have undergone every stomach test imaginable and everything was coming back completely normal. They would tell me I am a very healthy person. If I was so healthy- how come I threw up 25 times a day? Insane, right!

Well, I went to 3 different specialists and they were trying to tell me I had IBS. Um, no. I don’t. I thought that answer was complete crap. Since they couldn’t find anything else wrong with me, they assume IBS. We’ll… I wasn’t taking that for an answer.

I went to a holistic doctor finally and SHE GOT ME TO NOT THROW UP! It was a miracle. I am on all of these natural supplements and an EXTREMELY strict diet but I am slowly getting better… FINALLY. I am so relieved. I know I’m not completely better yet (still get stomach pains and still very weak) but at least I am able to leave my house for a couple hours a day to get somewhat of a pay check.

So, I apologize for not keeping up with my blog the last couple of months. I am ecstatic to actually be able to write something now.

Well, that’s it for today. I’m going to go lay back down for awhile- all this typing really does tire a girl out!

Another Month goes by....

Hi everyone! I know it has been well over a month since my last posting. Unfortunately, this post is going to be pretty much the same. More doctors, more tests, nothing coming back. I'm healthy! Ya know, minus the constant stomach pain and vomiting ha ha ha I miss blogging. I must say that. I know I probably should come sit at a computer more now, but to be honest I'm usually just laying on the couch in pain; AH! I usually do most of my blog thinking while I'm at work-- which is a big reason why I haven't blogged much because I usually only make it 2 or 3 hours a day, if that at work.

Next I'm trying a wholeistic doctor. Hopefully they can do something that will help--- since my regular doctors can't seem to figure out what is wrong with me... and I've practically done every test there is to think of for this issue.

Wish my luck folks! Hopefully I'll be back up to 110% soon so I can come back to blogging. Hope everyone is well <3

Update

Hi everyone still following. It has been about a month since my last post. This one is not going to be too long either I just want to update you on the sickness.

I throw up about 20 times a day now. They can't figure out what's wrong with me. I've done 3 differeent tests which rule out the gal bladder, liver, acid reflux, ulcers, and tumors. So that's good at least. But they still have no idea what the hell is going on.

So this is why I haven't written much. I've been a mess for 3 months. Yep... This has been going on since end of March.

Right now I'm in ohio. My boyfriends mother got her doctorite and the ceremony is in Ohio. It was one hell of a road trip out here. I'm proud though since I only had to make him stop twice to throw up on the side of the road. Classy, right? Lol


Well thank you to all still following. Ill get back in the blogging thing once I feel better. Fingers crossed that's sooner rather than later.

be back soon!

Hi everyone!
Just wanted to do a quick post telling you all to stay tuned.
I've been having some health issues so I haven't been able to write lately... Not enough energy. I'm getting everything checked out and hopefully should be back in action soon!

*mwuah!
-Stevie

Craft Fair Tomorrow!

So tomorrow is the big day. I probably won't be able to post until some time on Sunday- so stay tuned for that. I'll take some pretty pictures of the table and of course, yours truly....

Now, tonight is going to be a rough one folks. My sisters 21st birthday is today. WOO HOO. 21!!!! Last night, my boyfriend and I had the pleasure of picking her up from the club. She also is going out to the club tonight, and tomorrow night. Guess who gets the joy of picking her up again tonight? YOU GUESSED IT! Me and the boyfriend.

Last night was a treat. She prepared me earlier that she will NOT allow us to pick her up any time before 2:00am. Now, I'm 23 years old, but I have to say- this whole "clubbing" phase never really hit me. I like sitting at home, reading, watching movies... during the week, I am NEVER awake at 2am. Ever. (yes, grandma jokes can be said.. I embrace it completely!!)

Well, it was my lucky night I guess since at 11:40 (only an hour and a half after she got there) she called and asked us to pick her up. SCORE. I was thrilled. I felt bad she wasn't having fun, but still.. she's only 21. She has her whole life to have fun. Me on the other hand, need sleep. Especially since I can't drink coffee at the time being *tear*

So again today, I was warned I am NOT to pick her up before 2am again tonight. I have a feeling I'm going to have to wait that long... Lets see how bright eyed and bushy tailed I am tomorrow morning at 6:00am when I wake up to get ready for the fair!

Wish me luck everyone! I'll keep you posted on my picking up duty tonight. Hey, if you're lucky I may even get a nice snapshot of drunky getting out of the club tonight. ha ha

Lets Update.

So. A fast update...and don't worry.. this won't be ANOTHER post dedicated to coffee. But I will mention first off... no more coffee for me (FOR NOW!). I spoke too soon and was a moron. Having 4 cups of coffee within 24 hours was a bad decision. I really only have myself to blame...

Now, onto bigger and better things. I have been feeling creative lately (I know, it rarely happens now, so that's why I'm very excited to share!). I made this new necklace and I absolutely love it.

I had to show you guys. Isn't it cute? Well... It's very much "my style", so; me likes. ha ha

I think this one shows more of me.. and this next one shows more of my mother. I love how we are kind of the same, yet very different. And our jewelry shows that (or at least I think it does). Look below. This is what my mother made.
Now, I love this necklace; but it is more "grown up" then the one I made, ha ha. There is a definite distinction between our pieces. *A side note... I'm pretty sure this is the only time I will ever describe something dealing with my mother as "grown up".


Alright, enough advertising Jewels For Hope for now (ha ha!) I should get back to work. Hope you all are having a fantastic Tuesday!

Love at First Taste

So. I have been going through coffee withdrawals. I feel like a crack addict not getting my fix.

Over the past 3 weeks I haven't had a single cup of coffee. Its been killing me.
I decided myself (since my doctor didn't know anything) that I have acid reflux. And I had it horribly over the past couple of weeks. I won't put you through the details of it but let's just say it wasn't pretty. That equaled no coffee for me.

Yesterday I decided to try out my first cup since taking meds for this. IT WAS GLORIOUS! Everyone at the diner must have thought I was crazy... Including my boyfriend.

When the waiter poured the coffee the first thing out of my mouth (while staring into the gorgeous mug) was "hello lover".
I then proceeded to savor the moment. I took a solid ten minutes just holding that mug in my hands smelling that amazing aroma.

Some people may think I'm nuts.... But it is worth it. This coffee was just amazing.

I'm currently drinking my 2nd cup of coffee as we speak. Yum. And so the addiction begins again....

Thank F*cking God it's......

FRIDAY! WOOHOO! Let the weekend begin! This weekend my mother and I were supposed to do a craft fair for our jewelry.I'm kind of disappointed! I bought my mother a sign for her birthday that we could hang up behind us at the fair. I was really happy she liked it.. take a look!

Not the greatest picture, but you get the idea.

Well, the fair is now postponed until next Saturday. OF COURSE! The weekend of my sister's 21st birthday. That should be fun. Let's hope I don't look toooo hung over that day. Need to make a good impression on the buyers, ya know?! ha ha.

So.. this weekend I am free as a bee! Now I have time to catch up on laundry, cleaning, working out... you know; all the fun stuff!

Maybe I'll try Diva's Green Tea Martini this weekend.Yum. I do love me a good martini.

I rarely ever have a "free" weekend. This is something special. I actually can't wait to do "nothing" for once. I run around most of the time so I'm usually a mess most days- but this weekend I have high hopes of being less like a tornado running around town and more like a normal human being, relaxing.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Put your sunglasses on folks, it's bright!

So. Today I feel like talking about NYC. Th place that has my heart.

THAT'S ME! In the front, with my old college roomate. NYC LOVE, Baby!

....I lived in the city for 4 years when I went to college. It's difficult for me to find the time to go back there as much as I would like to now... you know how it is, life gets in the way.

Well, my sister is going there tomorrow. I'M EXTREMELY JEALOUS. I was talking to my boyfriend about it the other day. He hates the city. That breaks my heart. I have been trying to get him to take a day trip with me for months. He just doesn't budge. When we were talking about the city, I was telling him about this crazy Indian restaurant I have been to... now, a little bit about the boyfriend--- he is THE PICKIEST eater EVER. Really.. I think he just started eating mashed potatoes for the first time a couple years ago (and hes 24 now.) Yea, P-I-C-K-Y!

So of course, after I bother him for a loonnnggg time.. I make him promise to come to the city with me one day when its "nicer weather". YAY! Well.. I then tell him about this restaurant. It's called Milon. Below are some pictures that I took one out of the billion times I've been there.


So. This is it. I LOVE THIS PLACE. The first picture is the outside of the place, and the 2nd picture IS FREAKING INSIDE! U

I have brought so many people here and everyone is amazed by the decorations. I love it there. It doesn't have the most authentic Indian food ever... but its verrrrrry reasonably priced- and really, look at the ambiance. It's worth it even if you just want to sit in there! If you ever want to go....

Milon Restaurant

93 1st Avenue
New York, NY 10003
(212) 228-4896
Its on the corner of 6th and 1st.

I miss it there. Hell, I miss New York. Unfortunately, the boyfriend refuses to go anywhere where he cannot get "American" food. boo on him. I'll have to come back here another time soon.

If you do ever decide to go to this restaurant... but sure that when you go up the stairs- GO TO THE LEFT. It is two competing restaurants-- and I feel the one on the left is better ha ha.

And finally...One last photo to leave ya with...

Tell Me! Tell Me! Tell Me!

So, I’m going to follow suit from The Fabulous Bitch and answer the question…. “Why do you blog?”

I started blogging, really, for the wrong reason. Well, not technically wrong- but different. I started blogging to try and get mine and my mothers company’s name out. This is something that hits home for my mother. She started the company since she couldn’t really leave the house when she was taking care of my grandmother. She had to stay home. And this was how she passed her time. She put her heart and soul into this company and I wanted to do my part and get the name out there for others to see.

I don’t feel that that is such a horrible reason to start blogging, right? I wanted to help my mother. Well, over the past month or so (because we all know I haven’t been blogging that long) I really got involved in blogging. I absolutely love it. As previously stated I am sooo that person with an addictive personality- so of course once I got into blogging, I would get addicted to it. Not surprised one bit.

Most of my friends think I’m “weird” for blogging. They just don’t get the freedom of it. To just rant and rave one day or to just share with the world. Granted, I only have 10 followers so I wouldn’t necessarily say “the world” yet… but you get the idea. I just love this. And then to look on other people’s blogs and see what they are passionate about, or what they are going through right now. It’s amazing. I can’t imagine myself not blogging now.

And besides… when I blog- I get to discuss whatever the hell I want to talk about!! My friends who call me weird for blogging---- when do they just get to talk about whatever they want? When talking face to face to friends, topics change constantly. Something one person is passionate about, the other people in the group may hate. Blogging- I can write about what I want, when I want to. And if someone doesn’t like it- they can go to a different website- no harm done- doesn’t bother me at all. Simple as that. No struggling to retake control of the convo. I love it. Don’t you?

So tell me… why do you blog?

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Happy Friday everyone!!!! I hope everyone has a drink for me tonight- a nice way to relax after the tough work week!

Tonight, I will be staying in with my wonderful boyfriend. He's cooking me dinner and rented a movie. This could be something really sweet... OR he feels guilty for something. Either way, I do love a free meal!

Have a nice night everyone!

Chocolate..... Enough Said.

In case you all couldn't tell by now, I have a semi-addictive personality. I'm addicted to gambling, coffee, coffee (it's so good I had to write it twice!), and the best one.. CHOCOLATE. One day I'll probably throw "Blogging" into that mix, but I'm still new to this, so slow and steady wins the race.

Back to my favorite, CHOCOLATE. I probably eat chocolate every day (and yes, I still have the amazing figure that I do! ha ha). Well.. while looking through blogs today (again, the best part of my 12-8 day) I came across Lets Have A Cocktail's blog. (Which, btw, definitely check her blog out- it's amazing)She's having a delicious giveaway!!! Who doesn't like free chocolate? Really? I know I DO!

So. The giveaway is from this AWESOME chocolate website. I swear, if I had the money, I would probably buy every combination known to man kind from this site. And I say "if I had the money" because I would also need a new wardrobe to manage my growing waist from eating pounds upon pounds of chocolate. The name of the company is Chocomize. I will call them "HEAVEN" from now on.

Now that I've rambled on for a while about my love for chocolate.. I think I'll go get some. Granted, it won't look half as good as the pictures on Chocomize's website; but hell, I make do with what I got!

Now if only we were allowed alcohol at work, it would be the perfect evening.

Bloomy's always has the best stuff

So. It is a gorgeous gorgeous day out in CT. High 80's.. sun is shining... and guess where I am? In my cube, that's right!

Well.. while looking through blogs (which is the best part of the day for me between the hours of 12-8) I found this great contest on AmandaBeth's blog! Go to Bloomingdale's website and create your own "Go Green" bag. The prizes are fantastic going from $100-$2,000! And, along with all of that- it's fun to design your own bag!!!! Check out mine below!

Going Green with a Twist of Lime: "

Going Green with a Twist of Lime is a fun way to attract attention and try and get people to Go Green."
Of course I would do something including a pretty green cocktail! But Hey! It's Wednesday! Halfway through the week I'm pretty sure I deserve a pretty little drink like that.


There is a lot of really nice designs on there- go make your bag and vote! This is running from April 7th- 25th ...And everyone should be a little more environmentally friendly these days, so this is a great way to get people involved! Who wouldn't like to win money for designing a bag over the internet?

Scatterbrained

So. It’s been awhile again. Wow, I cannot believe that I’ve been so busy lately. And I feel like I haven’t really done much to show for it!

You will all be glad to know that the sickness is officially over- as of Sunday! Thank God! I was a freaking mess the past couple days. The upside is the 4 lb weight loss. Let’s see if that keeps up ha ha.

So, today I feel like just talking. No specific topic, no one direction. Just talking. So pull up a chair, some popcorn, relax, and let’s chat *well, maybe I won’t be able to do the popcorn or relax portion since “technically” I am at work... but you get the idea*

My mother and I have a jewelry show coming up in a couple weeks. I’m actually really excited about it. For my mother’s birthday I bought her a poster I made from snapfish to hang up at the craft fair we’re participating in. It is freaking adorable! I love it! It *hopefully* will bring people to our table to look at the goods 

I honestly just like hanging out with my family during these shows. I don’t expect too much. My family is such a loud bunch that people usually flock over to us anyway- just to see what the commotion is ha ha. I’ll let you all know how it goes. Its April 17th so it’s still a ways away.


So summer is right around the corner, and I cannot believe it is already here! The weather here in CT has been freaking amazing lately. I got a smidge burnt this weekend, but it was definitely worth it. I sat out on my deck reading two of my favorite books. Jemima J by Jane Green and Such a Pretty Fat by Jennifer Lancaster.

My two favorite authors. I love love love their work! I probably have read their books a hundred times each. I have a sick obsession with reading. When I was younger and all the kids were outside playing in the “fort” I used to get yelled at to go get some exercise since I was huddled up in the house for hours just reading. To this day I choose reading over exercise (obviously! Ha ha).

If you ever get the chance to read either author’s work, DO IT. Easy reads that are hysterical. I sound like an advertisement for them, but I’m okay with that- their work is that good.

Anyone have any good suggestions for books that may catch my interest? I love learning about new authors and reading new books. I can't go into Barnes and Nobles for a "quick trip". I have to take hours and go through every book to see which one I want most. I usually find about 10 or more that I want to buy. But, since I'm not Miss Money Bags I have to narrow my selection down to 1. Sad, I know.. but ya do what ya gotta do!

Ah, now I'm sitting here thinking about what to read next. I should have never started this topic ha ha. Seeing as how I still have about 7 hours left of the work day and won't be able to crack open another book until 8:30/9:00 tonight. Fingers crossed the day flies by.

Well, This is all for now. Maybe if the mood strikes later on I'll write about something completely different. Who knows.. I'm in one of those weird moods at the moment :)

The Sickness

So. It's been well over a week. I can't believe I haven't been able to get to a computer in this long. I have been sick as can be since last Wednesday. Horrible, I know. Today is the first day I actually feel well enough to stay the entire work day.

I don't even really have anything to post about tonight, I'm just so happy I have a few extra minutes to write here and let ya'll know what is going on.

I have been back and forth to the doctor, who was no help. Just a stomach bug is what they keep telling me. Great. At least I'm not pregnant though! Yes, I did have them check for pregnancy. And all week, before I went to the doctor, my father would walk around the house calling me "preggers".

Now, I'm 23 years old and I am NOT ready to be a mother yet. Not even close. So even though I have had to deal with a stomach bug for over a week, I am thrilled as hell that I am not pregnant.

Suffice it to say, it's been a strange, weird week for me. I am just happy to be feeling remotely better that I can stay at work. Especially seeing as how I have already used up my sick time for the rest of the year ha ha.

I hope everyone passing through has had a great week so far. And I wish everyone a happy holiday this weekend! :) I hope the Easter Bunny bring lots of yummy treats to everyone

Family. Mine, in particular!

Today we’ll talk about my mother. Oh, the things I could say about her, ha ha. She is an extraordinary woman. Now, I know I know, most people always say that about their own mothers. But mine is kind of unique. She cackles like a freaking banshee for starters. She lives in plaid shirts and paint stained shorts. She’s a worker. Every random person comes up and talks to her… not just for a minute or so; you know, small talk about the weather? No. none of that. People come up to her and tell her their life stories. That’s my mother.

I remember a couple years ago… we always go on vacation to Ocean City, Maryland. We love it there. It has the great boardwalk and the beach right there! ah, love at first site! Well… a couple of years ago we were walking on the boardwalk. A nice family bonding moment. And someone, OF COURSE, comes up and starts talking to my mother. She’s a young woman, probably mid 20’s, here from Russia to work for the summer. Well, she commented on my mother’s purse and how much she loved it. My mother talked to her for about 20 minutes. We walked back down the boardwalk to our hotel and stayed in for the night. Well, the next day my mother cleaned out the purse and walked back down the boardwalk.. She found that girl and handed her the purse. My mother's response... “she needed it more then me”.

That really is the best description of my mother. She’s loud. Happy. Generous. She literally would give the clothes off her back to someone who needed them. Trust me, she isn’t a saint but then again, who really is?

Well, the past couple of weeks she’s been sick. I feel horrible for her. I wish there was more I could do. The new meds she’s on are not working well for her. Even sick though, she still manages to sit up for hours making jewelry. Below is some of the stuff from this week. AMAZING, right? I can’t get over it. Then again, I am sort of biased on this seeing as how she IS my mother!




I know I have a very different dynamic in my house then most people do within their own. My family is completely nuts. We are so dysfunctional but in that perfectly sane way. Music is always playing. No ifs ands or buts about it. We can’t have silence, it just isn’t us. Our house is always full of kids running around. We scream. We dance in the kitchen. We live.

I feel bad for some families who don’t experience a little fun. You haveta let loose, don’t always live in such a cookie cutter world. I will say, some people/families like living like that. Never having music playing, never shouting, always having things in their proper place. My father’s family is like that. They hate coming over our house. It’s always “too loud” for them.

Maybe my family is a little too loud for most people. Maybe just a little too crazy. But hell, I’d rather live in a crazy, messed up world, than be bored for the rest of my life. What do you think?

Technology is the world we live in

Technology makes me laugh. I say this because everyone relies on technology SO much nowadays. Listen to my story…

This past weekend, I went to Boston to with my boyfriend and my friend and her husband. They are celebrating their 12th year anniversary (ah! I can’t imagine that!) Well, it was a FANTASTIC weekend. Gorgeous weather, great company, shopping, food, drinks! OH MY! I needed a nice weekend away, and that was just what I got.



Before getting into this little technology issue, let’s give ya some more info on my weekend (because yes, I know, you are dying to know!). We went to DICKS. Let me tell you, they really are dicks there! The whole appeal of this restaurant is that the waiters are allowed to be mean and rude to you. To work there has to be the greatest freaking job ever. Waiting tables, I will admit, sucks (past experience, obviously); but to be able to be completely rude and obnoxious to the customers- FANTASTIC. I was incredibly jealous that they got to act this way.

So we got our Dicks, and then went on a cute carriage ride around the city. I know, gag. Normally; I’m not the “romantic” type. My boyfriend takes the cake on that one.

My friends went on it years ago when they were celebrating another anniversary in Boston (catch a theme?) so we all decided to go on a ride together. It was nice- I’ll give it that much. But $40 for 20 minutes. REALLY? I could walk for 20 minutes for free and at least work off the delicious fried food I ate at Dicks earlier….

Now onto the main topic. TECHNOLOGY.

For Christmas, me being the amazing girlfriend that I am, bought my boyfriend (we’ll call him METS- can you guess why?) a GPS. Yep, a nice fancy, dancy GPS. He claims he has played around with the settings and actually uses it from time to time, but we find out later on that’s a bunch of bull.

We’re at the hotel yesterday, ready to go back to Quincy Market for some last minute items. The night before, since we all wanted to relax and throw back a few drinks, we took the train in. So this is the first time we actually have to get use out of the GPS. I purposely am watching what he’s doing- just to see if he knows how to work it. *Mind you, I sell GPS’S and so does my friend who I’m with so we both know what we’re doing (for the most part that is). I watch him carefully, he feels my eyes on him, and I see there are 3 different options for the address he JUST entered in. He looks at me with that confused look **you all know that look**.

He picks an address and starts saying directions. We’re on our merry way and I look over again. I see the GPS is off. I lean over and I’m like, “did the battery die” “what happened”? He shushs me (yea, shusshs me!) and starts telling the driver (my friend's husband) more directions. Now. THE GPS IS STILL FREAKING OFF. He keeps giving directions like he knows where he is. The GPS finally turns back on and it takes us in a fucking square.

At this point, my friend (we’ll call her MISSY) takes the GPS from METS –finally! We park in a dunkin donuts, because obviously since driving around for 20 minutes has gotten us no where- we may as well get some coffee(YUM).

MISSY is playing with the GPS and all of a sudden screams at METS “YOU HAVE THIS TO AVOID TRAFFIC, HIGHWAYS, TOLLS, FERRIES, U-TURNS, AND IT’S NOT ON THE SHORTEST DISTANCE!!!”
I started laughing so hard, my makeup I just put on started running down my face. YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME. He would have the settings like that.

This goes to show you; technology is too much a part of our lives. Granted, I can’t go anywhere without my ipod, blackberry, and digital camera- but hey, who can leave the house without the essentials! We relied on this GPS wayyyy too much since it HAS to be right. No…….. it doesn’t. On top of all of those freaking settings turned on, my fantastic, amazing boyfriend chose the freaking wrong address originally out of the 3 that popped up (yea, surprise surprise!)

If we did the standard “map” directions we would have gotten there in about 10 minutes. Technology seeps in and that’s all we rely on now. Sad, pathetic, yet that’s just the way it is.

METS now says “it was bonding time for us” since we got lost on the way to Quincy. Yea, trying to cover his ass – I know. But I did have a fun time getting lost in the middle of Boston. Next time, no GPS for us. Next time, I’m grabbing a standard map and having that guide us there… well, I say that now. Maybe next time I’ll just have METS be banned from using the GPS and it will probably work out just as well as a map. I’ll keep you updated on my next adventure.

We head to Ohio in May. THAT should be interesting <3

Long Necks Down!

HAPPY ST. PATTY'S DAY EVERYONE!

I will not be going out celebrating this drunken holiday this year. So I figured a pretty picture from a previous St. Patty's day will suffice. Maybe if I didn't spend all my money for the week at Foxwoods I would venture out, but "what ifs" aren't really my thing.

So, its hump day today. THANK GOD. Two more days until this fabulous weekend and I couldn't be more excited. It's supposed to reach the 60's so I'm looking forward to some nice outdoor weather where I don't have to bundle up in 20 million layers.

On to bigger and better things...
I am really starting to love this blog. I feel upset when I don't get the chance to post or look around on other blogs throughout the day. I wish there was a few extra hours per day just so I can browse around. I never really thought I would be like this once starting this blog. I thought I would write just to promote our company- which, I do promote it throughout my blog (c'mon, I can't let you off that easy!)- but it's WAY more than that. I feel connected to this.

I've been browsing through so many blogs lately, I feel I want to give some shout outs.

Wall Flower Studio
This woman is an AMAZING artist. I absolutely love everything she puts on her blog. It's so creative it keeps me coming back for more. One of my favorites is Art Nouveau - Morning Glory. Check it out- it's worth it!

Diva on a Diet
This Diva always has great recipes on her blog. And of course, you can't forget about Thirsty Thursdays! My favorite! I'm not the best cook in the world (understatement of the year!). I'm more of a Carrie Bradshaw woman and keep shoes in my oven. But a lot of this Diva's recipes do not seem that complicated for even ME to make!

Joy Frequencies
This woman is very insightful. I love reading her blog. It always keeps me thinking long after I'm off her page. Also, the pictures she puts with her page= LOVE.

The Fabulous Bitch
I gotta give it up to the Fabulous Bitch. Her "A Story For Every Picture" gets me every time! She is absolutely hysterical, in that perfectly bitchy way.


So those are my shout outs for now. They an amazing group of bloggers. Take some time and check them out! IT WILL BE WORTH IT!


PS. Stay safe tonight. No drunk driving allowed. And try not to embarrass yourself too much- trust me, from personal experience, it isn't cool.

Addictions

Hi, my name is Stevie and I have a gambling addiction.

That statement really, says it all. I went to the casino this weekend. BAD DECISION. I dropped $240. Of course I went the same day my automatic payment for my loan comes out of my checking account- why wouldn't it be the EXACT SAME DAY! Yea, so down $240 at the casino. It was a mess. My boyfriend, literally had to drag me away from the slots. Not my proudest moment in the relationship. Well, to be honest, I think what is worst is that I offered to do some of his favorite things for him, if he would spot me $20 more dollars and let me stay 10 minutes longer. THAT, MY FRIENDS, IS ROCK BOTTOM.



Now, this picture was taken about a year ago, but the result is the same from this past weekend. SAD FACE.

Before going to the casino I made my mother make me a ring for good luck. It had a topaz crystal in it which is supposed to bring money and luck. I must say, it was working for awhile. Until I got greedy and lost it all!

I think I now admit I have a problem. It hit me earlier on in the day, before even getting to the casino. I have fake nails on. I love them, adore them, need to have them on. Well, 2 of my nails fell off on Saturday. I was WAY overdue for getting a fill. Well, instead of going to get my nails done on Sunday morning, I wanted to save the $15 to gamble. I walked around with 2 missing nails, one on each hand, and didn't even care. THAT, TO ME, IS SCARY. I knew then and there that I had an issue.

The one bonus of the night was that my boyfriend won a couple hundred. I told him he should spend it on me. I think that's fair. Don't you? I deserve it. I'm not talking about buying me diamonds or something crazy like that. Just dinner. Perfectly reasonable.

Addictions can be a horrible thing. Well, some addictions. I don't feel all addictions are that bad. My addiction to coffee has gotten me through my fair share of rough mornings. My mother's addiction to making jewelry (yes, I say it's an addiction since she HAS to do it daily) has made a company from nothing. Addiction isn't always bad. Granted, an addiction that makes your boyfriend have to drag you out of a casino- not great. But, I think I've discussed that enough for one post.

Quote of the Day!

"The only true currency in this bankrupt world, is what two people share when they are uncool"


This is one of my all time favorite quotes. I remember the first time I ever saw this movie. It was my 2nd year of college. My roomate IS Penny Lane. There is no ifs, ands, or buts about it. She is her. She got me hooked on this movie and to this day it is one of my favorites.

This quote struck home with me. For me, it is a true fact. The best times I have is when I am society's definition of "uncool" with my friends. Notice how I say "society's definition", since really... what is "uncool"? I never thought of cool and uncool. I thought either someone was interesting or they weren't; in my own opinion. When I was younger, and hell, even still today- I am what society would say is "uncool". I embrace it entirely.

I laugh a little too loud and tend to snort while doing it. My hair is gigantic and gets in everyone's way. I wear too much eye makeup. I dance to the music playing in my head. My jokes originate from Will and Grace, The Golden Girls, or The Nanny. I talk way too fast for some people to comprehend. I fall walking up the stairs. I fall asleep most nights by 10:00. I smile to myself while watching tv.

This quote, is what life is about. Being different. Loving your "uncool" side. No one is that "cookie cutter cool person" who never trips going down stairs. EVERYONE has that "uncool" side. Embrace it. Nurture it. Love it. It's what keeps us unique and interesting.

Take a minute to really think about this quote. Think about the times when you were a little bit uncool. The people out there that think their shit don't stink and they are "cool"... Look again.

A simple THANK YOU would be kind.

What happened to manners? Somewhere along the way they got trampled on the side of the road along with courtesy and kindness. Ever feel that way? I am just shocked at the way this world is sometimes, that I feel an entire post should be dedicated to this. Aren't you lucky!

Just simply saying "thank you" to someone, before cutting them off on a turn may make it a little bit easier to swallow. Or holding the door open for someone. ANYTHING. Just show some sort of kindness to prove you're actually a decent human being.

Let me tell you ahead of time, I'm the worlds biggest clutz. I drop everything, trip over my own two feet, and then laugh hysterically (most likely while dropping something else). The other day, in a frantic mess while running into work (god forbid I punch in 30 seconds late) I am fumbling with my lunch box (yes, I said lunch box), umbrella, coffee, purse, and key into the building. So, of course- my umbrella is closed by this point- I go to open the door to the building. My umbrella springs to life and while I try my freaking hardest to close it, the metal rod pokes a hole into my coffee cup (pause for laughter).

Coffee is the only thing that gets me through the day. I was not giving up THAT easily! I manage my belongings, still standing outside the building, and figure a way to hold everything while slanting the coffee cup so coffee doesn't go everywhere. I run into the office, run to the water cooler to get a cup, and what happens you ask? Coffee goes everywhere. I was able to save one tiny Styrofoam cup full (which really was just the biggest tease ever) but at least I was able to save some of it.

Well, wouldn't you know- other people come into work at this time too? Who would have thought! They see me, hands and knees on the floor trying to scoop up as much coffee as humanly possible with a broken Styrofoam cup. You would think someone would say "need some help?". NOPE. 1 person out of 5 who CLIMBED OVER ME asked me if I needed help. ONE. PERSON. 5 other freakin people CLIMBED OVER ME to get to their desk. LAUGHING. I was FURIOUS. Granted, I didn't need their help- I'm a big girl, and know how to clean up my mess alone. But really, would it have killed them to ask?

Courtesy, kindness, and manners are dead. They are squashed into the ground. That saddens me. Granted, I'm not the nicest person in the world. When someone cuts me off I sure as hell scream curse words at the top of my lungs while giving them the evil eye as they drive off. But if I saw someone, struggling, hands and knees on the floor scooping up coffee- I would offer to help. I would still laugh, but hell, I would get on my knees and scoop with them.

Sorry for the delay!!!

It's been a couple of days... a LONG couple of days. As you all know, I had a busy weekend ahead of me- 3 birthdays, 3 days. Well.. of course I would get sick during that time! Why wouldn't it turn out that way?

Well, before the sickness took hold of me late Saturday night, I was able to make my sisters birthday cake! I'm not thrilled with the way it came out, but it somewhat resembles a zebra so I'm happy with it :)


Isn't it cute! The image is a tad blurry, but it's the best my little phone can manage.
This took me a good 3 hours to make/design. My sister was sitting there the whole time laughing at me. She's lucky I didn't throw it in her face ha ha. But it went over very well at the party on Sunday, thank you very much.

On to bigger and better things. THE SUN WAS SHINING TODAY! Finally! I am just sick of this cold, snowy weather. Of course, I've been stuck in my cubicle for the past 7 hours so I couldn't technically enjoy this great weather- but I guess I can't win them all.

When logging on today I was very happy to see another blogger mention my blog on her page! I was actually honored. She is an amazingly Fabulous Bitch who writes what she wants, when she wants it. I love it!

All of my life my mother always told me to "stand up for myself" to "be a bitch" (like my sisters, ha!); I try, I really do. But most of the time, pushover central is where I stay. I'm not a fan of confrontation. The Fabulous Bitch really speaks up and is passionate about what she believes in. I give her tons of credit.

Every now and then I get my "bitchy" moments (1 week out of the month that is).. but most of the time its only given to those special people, my family. Whenever I do actually get up the nerve to speak up for myself (not within my family) its a momentous occasion- usually rewarded by a nice night of drinking...

One day... One day, I'll show my mother what an amazing bitch I can be. Until then... the sun is shining and I'm smiling!

Today is a rough day.

So.. no fashion writing today. No happy blogging. At the moment, I'm just mad as hell. I don't work a glamorous job, but I put in 110% almost every day (yes, almost- there are those days where I just want to sit and do nothing!).

Well, I am sick and tired of men thinking they can step all over me. Honestly, all of the men at my job continually treat me like crap. There are tons of high powered women who work with me, so I'm not sure if they are treating me like a doormat because I'm a woman, or because I am not as "high up" in the office food chain as they are. Either way, enough is enough.

Even though this job isn't my dream job, I put my best into this. I do an insane amount of work, and sometimes I just want to scream from the stress (as most people in their jobs. This is normal.) If I have one more man refuse to answer me for days, I might just go into their office and say "HI, I'M THE WOMAN YOU HAVE BEEN AVOIDING FOR 3 DAYS.. CAN YOU ANSWER MY FREAKIN EMAIL?".

That probably won't go over well... WHAT DO YOU THINK?


Luckily I have Friday off this week to make my sister's birthday cake. That will give me a little time to de-stress. One more day is all I have to keep saying. But after that, every day I'm going to keep saying, just one more day. How many day's do I have to wait for them to take me seriously?



This picture sums everything up for me at least. Thanks for listening to me vent for a bit. Here are some more funny cartoons... they brightened my day up a bit!

Armani; Designer or Motivator?

We all know I like to think of outfits in my head from time to time (or every time I go shopping). Well, I have this Armani dress that I've had since 2008 that I still haven't been able to squeeze into (let's say I put on the freshman 15 after getting out of college). Well, I currently have it hanging in my room for me to look at day in and day out. It actually has been motivating me to actually work out in hopes I can wear this dress!

Let me give you a little backstory. First off, I could NEVER afford a dress like this. I can barely afford a dress from Target at this point. I interned at Armani my final semester at FIT.


See me! I'm the last person on the right hand side, front row. Not my greatest picture, but hey; I'm standing with Giorgio Armani- I'm fine with not looking my best. Well, the amazing people I worked with at Armani was how I came across this dress (and a fabulous bag that is still nicely tucked inside it's box, making sure the elements don't hurt it).

So... This dress I've had for 2 years has been, up until a month ago, sitting in the back of my closet getting no action. Since deciding to hang it in my room I've done pretty well. No drastic changes, but lifestyle changes. Which, is really all I can ask for. I tried finding a picture online of this dress, but I guess with new fashions coming out every other minutes, it's no longer available. Well, I already have all of my accessories ready for this dress.
Of course, a necklace made by yours truly and then a pair of great studded black heels.






Since I have no picture to show now, we'll make it a surprise for the future. We'll see if by July (it's a short sleeveless dress) I can fit into it. And if so, you'll see me- accessories and all, in the dress!

So I start off with my original question. Designer or Motivator? For this I'm going to go with motivator. Hey, if his fashions are able to make me workout every day rather then being the couch potato I normally am- power to him!

I'm obsessed with Etsy!

So, for the past 24 hours I have probably spent 15 browsing on Etsy. Sometimes I just can't help myself. I love that website. I usually don't allow myself to go on it constantly because I will want to buy everything. Of course, today is a rainy day and I'm stuck in my cubicle, so I want to browse.

Like I mentioned before; I am going to be making my sister a black and purple zebra cake for her birthday (help!) Well, since I also like doing somewhat creative things (who I am kidding, I just like making things look pretty!) I found these AMAZING prints on etsy. You have to check out sweetcolours shop. I love all of them. I want to put this on sticker paper and pop them on a picture frame for my sister who is a little too obsessed with zebra print (hey, I love zebra print as much as the next person, but she takes the cake on this one!).


Wouldn't this be perfect!

She has so many cute prints on her shop. I want to buy them all! I have a few shown here. I feel I could make some cute gifts with these.



Within the first 2 weeks of March, I have my 16 year old sisters birthday, my boyfriends birthday, my best friends birthday, my aunts birthday, and then my other best friend is finding out the sex of her baby (baby clothes can count as another gift to get!). I'm going to go broke. I love buying people gifts. I like making them creative and adding my own little touches to them.

I'm pretty sure I'm getting some of these prints, putting them on sticker paper, and making cute frames or a collage of cute stuff. Let's see how that works. Once completed you know I'll be posting pictures (who would have thought!).

Once the middle of March comes, I'm going to be pooped. I should have a full week though until my mother's birthday at the end of the month... hm, what to make her?

Check out sweetcolours shop! You won't be disappointed :)

We'll discuss me for a bit...

So. I decided this post will be a little more about me! It is my favorite topic, so I may as well discuss a bit.

I'm a girly girl. I love clothes, love fashion, love pink. Most people gag when you hear that. I would too. But it's me. and I rock. Not sure if you can tell or not yet, but I tend to take way too many pictures wherever I am. That's probably why with very post I do, I have to put some sort of picture with it. I have a snapfish account which has about 3-4 thousand of my pictures on it. I'm addicted to photos. Below, you'll see me! Yep, that's the woman behind the writing folks. I'm sporting a cute zebra print top from Express and a one of a kind Playboy Bunny Pic Necklace (made by my mother of course!).



I get into a lot of different hobbies. I make jewelry (who would have thought!) and I decorate cakes. I LOVE to decorate cakes. I love coming up with new designs. Next week I plan on making my sister a zebra print 2 tier birthday cake with purple icing. I'll post pics, don't worry. Below you get to see a couple of my older creations.....




I just love making things look pretty. They may not always come out perfect (what ever does?) but i absolutely love it. Most of my friends thought I was crazy to start decorating cakes and making jewelry. It doesn't matter to me if people think I'm nuts (and most do); I just do what makes me happy. Why should I hide my passions to make someone else happy? That isn't what life is about for me.

Well, back to work I guess, ha ha.

I'm short, but not stupid.

So, no new jewelry made in the last couple of days. We had a HUGE snow storm; of course the weathermen didn't predict it. Since last week my job actually closed due to the weather (the 2nd time in 9 years from what people have told me) of course they wouldn't close this past storm. So I had to stay at work during the blizzard. My boss is actually a sweetie though and drove me home (I am a little baby driving in the snow). Living in Connecticut all my life you'd think I'd be used to it by now; NOPE!

Well, during the day, my great boss sent me this link showing me a pair of Alexander Mcqueen's(RIP) shoes. OH. MI. GOD. Do you see these things!
THEY'RE INSANE! This is coming from a woman who is 5"2 and wears very tall heels whenever she goes out. I love heels. They're one of my addictions; I at least have 50 pairs(as stated before, shopaholics anonymous here I come!). But I would NEVER in a million years be able to stand up straight wearing these shoes. I would fall, break my ankle and knowing my luck, have to wear flip flops for the rest of my life.

Granted, what goes down on the runway is completely different from what I put on my body in day to day life; but c'mon. I want to see at least 1 person wear these shoes and not fall down a flight of stairs. If they do, they deserve a freakin trophy!

Addicted to Shopping

Well, I hope everyone had a fantastic Valentine's Day! This weekend was a good weekend for me. I tend to have a shopping problem and President's Day sales were very good to me. I bought this great outfit (at Forever 21 of course), which once the snow finally stops (who knows when) I'll get to actually get some use out of it. Its an adorable black lace skirt with a cute black light knit sweater (can you tell I like black?). All I need is a cute top to go under the sweater (I'm not that type of girl!) and I'm all set!

My mother just made this gorgeous necklace this weekend. I think it would go perfect with my outfit. I may make one similar. It is listed below, along with my new outfit (shoppers anonymous here I come); pearls (of course) with this pretty black rose pendant on it. I just love it.

I tend to make outfits up in my head while shopping- somewhat weird, but when I envision an outfit, I want to get it as close to my thoughts as possible. I love love love this black rose pendant so I'm thinking I may do something along those lines to put together with my outfit. Let's see if I can put it together. Once I do, don't worry; you'll get to see it here.

Maybe I should become a personal shopper. Get my shopping fix without spending my own money. Possibility?

Oh, the little joys of life

So, this picture may look horrible but it's because I just took it on my phone to send here. I am super excited about this necklace. Last night I was able to make something I love- so of course, I'm keeping it :) I was on the phone with my boyfriend for an hour last night stringing these pearls on to make the longest necklace known to man. I find it fabulous.

This is was basically my day during the snow storm. Sat around, made some jewelry, watched some movies; it was amazing. It's always nice to have a day off in the middle of the week for no apparent reason.

The week is almost over and so far it's been a great week. I've had some creativity pass my way which is always nice. My mother also got a bunch of new postcards to promote Jewels For Hope. She gets so excited about these things. I love her for that. She has these huge decals on the sides of her car, she gets new postcards and just jumps up and down about them; its the little things in life that makes us happy.

Sometimes I think my family and myself are just a little odd. I'm not sure how many people do get excited over new postcards? People in this world really should get excited over the little things; life is meant to be happy and everyone has enough hardships going on over their lifetime that a little bit of happiness or excitement over the small stuff will go a long way.

Snow Snow and most likely MORE SNOW!

So a big winter storm is heading our way! Just fantastic. I'm not the biggest fan of snow. It's horrible to drive in, too many accidents, and the cold just does not work for me. I'm hoping the state will get shut down just so I don't have to go out in that mess.

One positive thing about the snow will be I might get a full day to lounge around, relax, and possibly make some jewelry. Lately, as I've said before, I haven't felt creative. Well, last night it hit me and I actually was able to make some pieces! YAY! Of course, the minute I finish making them, my younger sister says how pretty one is and wants to keep it for herself. I just can't say no to her. She's the baby of the family, I'm the oldest; I just like to spoil her. So I'll probably let her keep it. I'm just too nice when it comes to her.

Sometimes I wish my mother and I could just make a living selling our creations. With this economy, who knows if that will ever happen. I currently work as a call center representative. Not something I dreamed about as a little kid. I went to the Fashion Institute of Technology for college... and now, to pay the loans I work in a call center.

I'm hoping one day I can actually put my degree and creativity to some good use. I guess we'll have to wait and see. For now, it's back to the real world with working at a job that isn't fulfilling and dealing with snowy blizzards and horrible drivers.

Forgotten Jewelry

I've been awake for 2 hours so far, and I've already had an interesting morning. I've been google searching and just playing around on the computer to wake myself up.. I just found my old e-photoalbum. Its been about a year or more since I've actually looked through this. I completely forgot about all of the previous jewelry we've made.

It's nice to see how my mother and I have grown as designers. I still can't believe I forgot about this page. I added a couple of pictures here, in case you're curious (you know you are).











Well, I should get my day started seeing as how it's already 11:30 and all I've done today it putz around on the computer.

I love this necklace. It took me forever to make. I'm debating on keeping it myself. I love multi strand necklaces. I wear a lot of black- I love the color, love wearing it. So with a cute dangly necklace it makes the outfit really pop.

I made this gorgeous Chanel knockoff necklace that I definitely kept for myself rather then selling on our site. It's a double strand of pearls, long necklace, with two black circles on the top right hand side of each strand. I love wearing it. I feel I'm walking taller, standing prouder, just feeling on top of the world. It's funny how a piece of jewelry can make you feel that way. Just like heels. It's an amazing feeling; you know what I'm talking about.

Mind Block; Creativity at its worst!

Today feels like an unproductive day. Woke up. Went to work. And that is pretty much it. I haven't felt inspired to make a piece of jewelry in the past week or so, and I just cannot get out of this funk.

Usually by the time I come home from work, I walk into the kitchen to see my mother munching away on twizzlers while making a great piece of jewelry. She constantly will have a bag of twizzlers next to her and she just gets these fantastic ideas running through her head and she has to execute them.
Twizzlers don't do that for me. To me they're just a tasty snack that adds 2 lbs to my hips.

I need to get back into the groove. I have tons of supplies just sitting at my desk at home. Usually by the time I get through the day I'm ready to go, ready to wind down and create; lately, it's been laying down rather then create jewelry.

Maybe this weekend I'll make myself a cute valentines necklace. Give me some motivation to actually create. We'll see what happens.

Opinion on pearls? Personally, I love pearls. My favorite are swarovski pearls. I'm big on colors, but a gorgeous white pearl necklace will always make my heart melt.

My mother makes a lot with pearls. They're kind of "her thing". I love when she makes them, it's a lot easier then me running to the store to get jewelry for the night.

I feel most of her stuff would be great for weddings. Which, is a good thing since my father started an entertainment company (link posted to the right!). We have a display in his office. All the brides that come to meet with him get to see the gorgeous crystals and beatiful pearls. I feel they would be perfect for any bridesmaid gift, or even for the bride to wear herself.

My friend is in the procees of planning her wedding. I'm debating on giving her a necklace as a gift. I think it would actually mean more (of course I will get her another gift also, but this just adds a little something).


So to start with my original question, after babbling on for 5 minutes...

Pearls...are they in or out?

Hello Everyone!

Hi Readers!

This is my first blog so bare with me here!

My mother, aunt, and I started Jewels For Hope! We make handmade jewelry and crocheted items. I love it. It's the best relief of stress.

We started this while my grandmother was sick. My mother started originally since she couldn't really leave the house with my grandmother there. It was a rough year for her. Jewelry kept her through it. Since then it spiraled out to us starting our own company and donating some of the proceeds to the amazing people working at Hospice.

I'll be adding pictures to the site soon; as fast as possible. We have a wide range of items; lots of pearls, chains; and funky hats.

More to come. Thanks for reading!