Why hello there 2013

Okay, let's not beat around the bush...I suck at blogging.  However, with there being a possibility of me going overseas next fall to teach, here I am trying again.  Maybe this time will stick and if I do go overseas people won't have to harass me for updates wondering what on Earth I am up to.  Let's not hold our breath, but stranger things have been known to happen.

With that in mind...Hello 2013!  I have to say that I'm glad 2012 is over.  While I would put 2012 generally in the "great year" pile, there were definitely some really hard parts of 2012 and on Monday I was happy to close the 2012 chapter of my life and open up the 2013 one.  I feel this coming year will be a year of new beginnings.  I have no idea what that means or how that will look, but you know what?  I'm okay with that.  The following is my only New Years Resolution for 2013:

Do what makes me happy.

Plain and simple.  In 2013 I am going to do what makes me happy.  Whatever that is.  No matter what others think.  (I can say that confidently because I know I'm a good, sane person).  Too much in my life I worry about what other people will think.  Sometimes I let people's opinions confuse me and I start to second guess my own instincts.  I struggle with idealizing situations and playing out scenarios, relationships, etc. to where I think they need to go instead of just enjoying them.  Starting now (and really starting a couple months ago), I'm doing what makes me happy, whatever that means, for right now.  And I'll gut check myself as I go.  If something no longer feels right then it's time to move on from it.  This year is about me.  About grabbing hold of the adventure of life, of what I want out if it, with reckless abandonment and enjoying every moment of it.  The freedom to say yes paired with the freedom to say no and know I don't have to explain either one to anyone else but myself.  I'm looking forward to 2013.  I think this new outlook on life will serve me well.  

The first Friday of the year

It was actually a really fun day.  It just wouldn't be first grade without a couple of "hiccups" though.  :)

The first day of school...

I teach first grade.  Everyone who reads this knows that, but just in case you've stumbled upon my blog by accident and have NO idea who I am...now you know I teach first grade.  I love my job, but it's ridiculous and the first day of school is the crowing jewel for ridiculousness.  This year, instead of typing up a boring, in depth account of my first day of school...I made a comic.  Enjoy!

The goal is to create weekly comics to document this year.  I'm pretty excited.  Thanks to my friend Anneli for the fabulous suggestion.

The Path

I can't believe it's been over a year since I posted anything.  I guess a new year, a new try at keeping a blog.

The last couple of months have been full of things I definitely did not anticipate.  My beloved grandfather past away.  The guy I love and I broke up and he ran off to SE Asia to try and find himself, and while we are broken up it still feels like nothing is settled, that we're still connected.  After three months my heart is still in love with him.  I hit a bear.  Driving on I-70 going 65mph, off to have a great day of hiking.  While both myself and the other person in the car walked away with nothing more than some bumps and bruises, I seem to still have lost the friendship.  Juno officially has a new home.

That said, the whole summer was not a bust.  I'm training for my first half marathon in September and honestly I couldn't be more proud of myself and excited.  Me, excited about running 13.1 miles?  I know, I'm shocked as well.  I got to have a lot of fun with friends, see Brad Paisley in concert and my first rodeo, relax, and nanny for an amazing family.  There truly were amazing, happy, and hopeful times mingled in with the difficult.

This summer has been a journey for me.  A journey of self.  A journey of taking the steps I need to for myself and not worrying about what others think or want.  Giving up Juno was beyond difficult.  That sweet puppy and I have been through more together than some friends.  However, that difficult, and painful, step was the first one made on the journey to find my path.  It's been freeing to finally be "selfish" for me.  To think about what I really want and then go for it.  To let myself feel whatever it is I feel.  No apologizes.  No rushing.  Just feeling.

There have been several quotes this summer that have started to point and inspire me down the road of my life, where I find myself now.  For now I'll share just one:

"Do not follow where the path may lead.  Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."

It's both inspiring and scary, but I know this is where my life is headed.  I can take one of the roads forged before me or I can make my own, making sure that my life leaves its mark on the world.  While I'm not yet exactly sure what form my mark will leave, I know I'm meant to leave one.  Bushwhacking isn't always my strongest skill, but I guess that's the beauty of life:  we get to learn as we go along.

Hawaii: Long Over Due

I can't believe this is my last week of summer vacation and I have yet to even post a single Hawaii picture. The time has come.

The week was great and Oahu is truly beautiful. For those of you that didn't know, I want to Hawaii with my boyfriend and 5...count them...5 of his guy friends. For some reason we were all incapable of convincing another girl to go on a relatively inexpensive trip to Hawaii. Needless to say, there were some VERY interesting moments. Never again do I ever want to see the inner workings of a group of guys. Haha.

The trip was amazing though. We had some dynamite food (I had sushi for the first time and liked it, we went to a true locals place for some traditional Hawaii food - we were literally the only tourists there, went to a luau, had some incredible Kahlua pig tacos, drank our fair share of mai tai's, and many other amazing things), got to snorkel with sea turtles, cliff dive, hike, see Pearl Harbor, explore the Dole Plantation and the 2008 Guinness Book of World Records' largest hedge maze it has there, and just enjoy the serenity of the ocean and the convenience of having the beach be a mere two minute walk from the house we stayed at. We spend pretty much all of our time on the North Shore which meant a lot less tourist stuff. There were times it was hard to believe that we were technically in the United States, which was one of my favorite parts of the trip.

I could go on for awhile about it, but why not stop here and let you check out some pictures instead. Aloha!

DIY Project Photo Booth Update #1

Project began. Once I've decided that I'm going to do something I want to get started as soon as possible. But like all DIY projects, there was an immediate hiccup. I showed my mom the black and white polka dotted fabric I liked and she said it was cute, but pointed out that I had already made a black back drop. Hmm...good point Mom. So it was back to the drawing board. At first I was reluctant to the idea of picking something else. That is what I had chosen and that's what I was going with it. It'll work with all color schemes, classy or more casual parties/shoots, etc. But...do I really want/need two things of the same color as I'm starting out? The answer is no. So I started searching again and came across a great white and chartreuse patterned fabric. Loved it. Not too busy of a pattern and who doesn't look great in green? As I was taking one last look at other white and chartreuse options before making a final decision, I came across something else I loved...until I realized that I already own it and that's why I loved it. So then white and chartreuse had to be thrown out for the same reason. Back to the drawing board once again. Then I found the one I ended up buying tonight. It's kind of a brave color choice, but I LOVE the pattern and after finding a coupon code online, I went for it. Luckily if I end up hating it in person they have free return shipping. Hahaha.

So here is what will be the back drop to my photo booth. Premier Prints Traditions Slub Texture Yellow/White. 4 1/2 yards, 15% off plus free shipping brings my DIY total so far to: $32.44.

DIY Project Photo Booth

I'm in Harrisburg, PA hanging out with my mom until June 30th. My mom LOVES HGTV (and I mean really, who doesn't?) and so we often spend the time between dinner and bed time watching it and chatting/commenting on the crazy/cleaver/awesome things they do on these shows. It gets both of our wheels turning on what we can DIY in our own lives (like these amazing floating night stands we are going to make and put into my mom's guest bedroom). At this point in my life I am still renting and so I turn to my budding photography career to satisfy my DIY desires.

The more research I do, the more photography sessions I do, the more ideas I have (and get obsessed with). My current one? A photo booth. I have a shoot coming up that a photo booth would be PERFECT for. The problem? I have a teacher's budget which, for those of you that are unaware, is not a lot. Plus I'm currently paying down debt I've accumulated from rough patches in my life. Photo booths can be expensive, especially "professional" ones. One of my favorite websites is www.estsy.com so hopped on to see what I could find. I found some amazing options and could even have one custom made, but including shipping it would still cost me around $150 which I just can't do. I started thinking about it and having an internal desire vs. affordability war with myself. Then I had a thought: what if I made it? With the help of my amazingly crafty friend Amy I made my own black back drop that has worked perfectly so far. Amy and her husband have since moved to North Carolina (*sniff sniff*), but she has agreed to help from a distance by answering any questions I might have.

So with the help of my long distance craft guru, here's the plan:

I will be making a photo booth setup (including PVC piping stand) like this one, except mine will go all the way to the ground so I can use it for children of all ages:

Except I think I'm going to use this fabric (or something like it):

The goal: Make it all for $50. The most expensive part will be the fabric, which should account for about 80% of the total cost. If I can stay within this $50 price range than I think I will have enough money to buy funky picture frames or make mustaches on sticks for people to hold and have fun with at the photo booth. Plus this black and white polka dot pattern should let colors stand out and be versatile enough to use for any kind of event/shoot. I'll keep you updated on how the project is going along with a running total of how close to budget I'm able to stay.

Wish me luck!