I am so thankful for all the blessings of 2011. I started back to school for a new career path, I got married, and Tony and I just moved into a lovely new apartment! All wonderful things, but they also took their toll on me. With the stress and time involved, I feel like I lost a bit of myself along the way. Now it's a new year, and my resolution is to get those bits back. I'm really missing some of my inner strength and calm... as well as my muscle tone haha.
I'm ready to return to yoga and enjoy the clarity and peace of mind it has helped me achieve in the past. It also has the added benefit of keeping me in shape! I've slipped some in my eating, too. For the new year, I've vowed to cook something fun, interesting, and healthy at least once a week. Try a new recipe or one I don't make often! It'll get me cooking more, which is definitely healthier than all the Amy's frozen food I've been eating. My new juicer (thanks to my in-laws!) should help in the health department, as well.
Welllllll, I'm too tired to think of a nice way to wrap this all up (still catching up on sleep from our New Year's Eve party), so Happy New Year! Hope it's a great one!
Monday, January 2, 2012
Sunday, October 16, 2011
New Links
Oh, harro! I just wanted to point out that I updated my links section. Now they're all in nicely categorized sections! Some are great, kind places to shop, and some are great places to learn!
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Absent
School has been keeping me super busy, so I apologize for the lack of posts (to whom am I apologizing? I have no readers!). Good news, though - next Saturday (unless Tony ends up having to work) we're going on a little trip out north of Fort Worth to visit an animal sanctuary. I'll get to see lots of piggies, horses, dogs, cats, donkeys, and PIGLETS!!! *Squeal!* We're also going to stop in at the original Spiral Diner in Ft Worth. I'll try to remember the camera :)
Edit:
We may end up pushing the Serenity Springs Sanctuary trip back. This Saturday there's a cool Harvest Festival going on in Denton. It has some art demonstrations, live local musicians, and vegan cuisine! It's even byo cups to be more sustainable. How could I miss out on such an awesome opportunity so close to home!? It's gonna be a busy month! An EXCITING month!
Oct 1: The 8th Annual Denton Harvest Festival
Oct 9: Tony's birthday
Oct 15: Josh & Janet's wedding (for which I got an organic cotton dress!)
Oct 23: Texas State Veggie Fair
Oct 30: Tony and I celebrate 6 happy months of marriage
Oct 31: Halloween
Maybe we could fit the sanctuary in on the 8th, 22nd, or 29th?
Edit:
We may end up pushing the Serenity Springs Sanctuary trip back. This Saturday there's a cool Harvest Festival going on in Denton. It has some art demonstrations, live local musicians, and vegan cuisine! It's even byo cups to be more sustainable. How could I miss out on such an awesome opportunity so close to home!? It's gonna be a busy month! An EXCITING month!
Oct 1: The 8th Annual Denton Harvest Festival
Oct 9: Tony's birthday
Oct 15: Josh & Janet's wedding (for which I got an organic cotton dress!)
Oct 23: Texas State Veggie Fair
Oct 30: Tony and I celebrate 6 happy months of marriage
Oct 31: Halloween
Maybe we could fit the sanctuary in on the 8th, 22nd, or 29th?
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Responsibly Beautiful
Due to the lack of pretty pictures in my blog lately, I decided to make a collage FULL of pretty things. Yay for Photobucket's EZ Collage feature! (If the picture decides to be lame and not show up, you can click the teeny little box where it should be).
1. Scotch Naturals Watercolors in NEAT: vegan, toxic-free, and pretty much everything-else-free nailpolish (just read about it on their site!)
2. CITYZEN GREEN Justine V in Petal: Naturally dyed 100% organic cotton T
3. Blue Metallic TOMS: they're vegan and TOMS gives a pair to a child in need for every pair bought
4. Marine Blue Sheer Lace Shirt by Minxshop: beautiful shirt handmade by the lovely lady modeling it
5. 31 Bits Robi Necklaces: Made out of recycled paper by women in Uganda
6. Goodsociety Women's Skinny Jeans in Raw: sexy jeans from a fully organic and sustainable company
7. Luckyduct Oxidized Sterling Triangle Earrings: handmade earrings from a talented etsy seller
8. Matt & Nat Ella Bag: Cute vegan bag with a lining made of recycled bottles
9. Bewilder Bra and Darkside Garter Hotshort by Clare Bare: eco-lingerie made of bamboo jersey and vintage mesh hand-dyed with eco dyes
1. Scotch Naturals Watercolors in NEAT: vegan, toxic-free, and pretty much everything-else-free nailpolish (just read about it on their site!)
2. CITYZEN GREEN Justine V in Petal: Naturally dyed 100% organic cotton T
3. Blue Metallic TOMS: they're vegan and TOMS gives a pair to a child in need for every pair bought
4. Marine Blue Sheer Lace Shirt by Minxshop: beautiful shirt handmade by the lovely lady modeling it
5. 31 Bits Robi Necklaces: Made out of recycled paper by women in Uganda
6. Goodsociety Women's Skinny Jeans in Raw: sexy jeans from a fully organic and sustainable company
7. Luckyduct Oxidized Sterling Triangle Earrings: handmade earrings from a talented etsy seller
8. Matt & Nat Ella Bag: Cute vegan bag with a lining made of recycled bottles
9. Bewilder Bra and Darkside Garter Hotshort by Clare Bare: eco-lingerie made of bamboo jersey and vintage mesh hand-dyed with eco dyes
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
My first two days of school
Insomnia has taken me the past few days. Excitement, perhaps? And of course, my little Cindy baby is no help - walking around on my chest and gently slapping at my face with just enough claw that she doesn't scratch, but I can't ignore it. Attention whore! But alas, no kitties will be turned down affection in this home. Anyway, I bring that up so you'll forgive me if I'm a rambling mess :) I don't normally post about my days, but the start of this semester seems somehow worthy.
Monday I left a little early for class to get a new stick of deodorant (I *would* run out during one of the hottest summers in Texas history). I also decided to treat myself to a delicious, cold bottle of Kombucha. Beth got me addicted to Kombucha, which is great since it's a source of vegan probiotics! It looks a little funky (some of the bacteria cultures like to clump up in the bottom) and smells a bit like feet, but I promise it tastes great! Hmm, that's my second tangent in two paragraphs...
Anywho! After my stop, I headed to Statistics. The professor was a kind-looking, smiley man, though he made me a little uncomfortable by making way too much eye contact with me. That's what I get for being one of the ones paying attention! The class was a bit dull (Statistics terms definition day, wahoo!), but I'm sure I'll be a lot more interested once we start working actual problems.
Tuesdays and Thursdays are much fuller days. Tuesday started off well - I got up, did a little yoga, had some coconut water (NOM NOM), and did the usual, boring get ready for class junk. First "oh crap" moment of the day: "hmm, no one else is here for my class..." That's because it starts at 11:30, not 11, smartypants. Go me! I decided to use the extra time to explore the campus a bit (I usually take classes at Collin's Spring Creek campus, but Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday I'm at the less-familiar-to-me-and-further-away Preston Ridge campus this semester).
Philosophy seems like it will be fun. The professor was witty and enthusiastic, which is always great. He chose very modern philosophical material - mostly how people today are so greatly affected by inanimate objects, such as smartphones. At first I was a little upset about this (I love learning things with historical context), but I can see how most young college kids probably find it more relatable. All-in-all, most likely a good choice on his part.
Next, I headed to Anatomy and Physiology I. Philosophy got out a bit early, so I had a few relaxing moments to read first! Let me start off by saying I had VERY high hopes for this class. I think I'm even more excited to learn anatomy and physiology than jewelry-making (and that's saying a lot!). A few minutes in, however, my worst fear was realized... 18% of my lecture grade comes from a GROUP PROJECT. OH THE HORROR!!! Another 10% comes from a community service learning project. That part worried me at first, since I had no idea where I'd do my service. However, once she told us there's a list of organizations on the Collin website, I realized it will be a great thing. Perhaps even get me started volunteering somewhere permanently! But back to the group project... My mind COMPLETELY freaked. Dark thoughts started running through my head: "I can't do this," "Why am I here?" "I have to drop," "Why did I think I could be a nurse?" etc. It took me a few more hours to get through the shock.
A bit disheartened, I drove to the nearby mall to try to find a suitable lunch. Luckily, I recently read that Starbucks now offers a vegan-friendly bistro meal, so I grabbed one of those. Turns out it was pretty delicious. An Asian-inspired sesame and veggie pasta with sesame-covered peanuts and a little square of dark chocolate. I'll have to start figuring out my own food to bring, though. I don't feel too comfortable eating something that comes in a plastic box, two small plastic containers, and two plastic wrappers. Wasteful!
Back at the campus, I found my A&P Lab room. I have never liked lab classes. Mostly for the same reason group projects scare the living shit out of me - I'm too shy and I always end up having to explain everything to my partner/s. Still, I did so well in my Biology lab last Spring, how bad could it be? I'll tell you how bad. We have to dissect. Ugh. But wait, it gets worse! What are we dissecting? Cats. CATS!? As soon as I heard that, I teared up for about 30 minutes. Again I thought about dropping or skipping those days, but I take my grades too seriously now that I want to be a nurse. I tried to comfort myself by assuming the cats were already euthanized, then donated to the college for learning. But still, when I look down at that cat I'll think of my own. All the sweet little kisses they give me, their purrs, their rubs against me... What could have been for the cat in front of me given a chance? I decided I must tough my way through it, but I guarantee I'll be the weirdo crying as we dissect cats. I'll also e-mail my professor ahead of time to warn him how uncomfortable I'll be.
I feel a lot better now. A little time has helped my mind re-center. First off, I like to always keep in mind how very blessed I am to have the opportunity to go to college. Being thankful helps get me through the classes I don't like as well. Also, this all leads somewhere - a GOOD somewhere at that. One day I'll be sharing my love and compassion with patients in a hospital. The group project will help me get used to being around and opening up to people I don't know. One of my two worst fears going into nursing is that I will be too shy to relate to the patients or let them know I care. (The other... I'm afraid of needles). Hopefully the lab will help me learn to do uncomfortable things, including forcing me to work with a stranger. At least my lab partner seems sweet.
A little more personal than my usual posts. I hope it's not boring! Have a great day!
Monday I left a little early for class to get a new stick of deodorant (I *would* run out during one of the hottest summers in Texas history). I also decided to treat myself to a delicious, cold bottle of Kombucha. Beth got me addicted to Kombucha, which is great since it's a source of vegan probiotics! It looks a little funky (some of the bacteria cultures like to clump up in the bottom) and smells a bit like feet, but I promise it tastes great! Hmm, that's my second tangent in two paragraphs...
Anywho! After my stop, I headed to Statistics. The professor was a kind-looking, smiley man, though he made me a little uncomfortable by making way too much eye contact with me. That's what I get for being one of the ones paying attention! The class was a bit dull (Statistics terms definition day, wahoo!), but I'm sure I'll be a lot more interested once we start working actual problems.
Tuesdays and Thursdays are much fuller days. Tuesday started off well - I got up, did a little yoga, had some coconut water (NOM NOM), and did the usual, boring get ready for class junk. First "oh crap" moment of the day: "hmm, no one else is here for my class..." That's because it starts at 11:30, not 11, smartypants. Go me! I decided to use the extra time to explore the campus a bit (I usually take classes at Collin's Spring Creek campus, but Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday I'm at the less-familiar-to-me-and-further-away Preston Ridge campus this semester).
Philosophy seems like it will be fun. The professor was witty and enthusiastic, which is always great. He chose very modern philosophical material - mostly how people today are so greatly affected by inanimate objects, such as smartphones. At first I was a little upset about this (I love learning things with historical context), but I can see how most young college kids probably find it more relatable. All-in-all, most likely a good choice on his part.
Next, I headed to Anatomy and Physiology I. Philosophy got out a bit early, so I had a few relaxing moments to read first! Let me start off by saying I had VERY high hopes for this class. I think I'm even more excited to learn anatomy and physiology than jewelry-making (and that's saying a lot!). A few minutes in, however, my worst fear was realized... 18% of my lecture grade comes from a GROUP PROJECT. OH THE HORROR!!! Another 10% comes from a community service learning project. That part worried me at first, since I had no idea where I'd do my service. However, once she told us there's a list of organizations on the Collin website, I realized it will be a great thing. Perhaps even get me started volunteering somewhere permanently! But back to the group project... My mind COMPLETELY freaked. Dark thoughts started running through my head: "I can't do this," "Why am I here?" "I have to drop," "Why did I think I could be a nurse?" etc. It took me a few more hours to get through the shock.
A bit disheartened, I drove to the nearby mall to try to find a suitable lunch. Luckily, I recently read that Starbucks now offers a vegan-friendly bistro meal, so I grabbed one of those. Turns out it was pretty delicious. An Asian-inspired sesame and veggie pasta with sesame-covered peanuts and a little square of dark chocolate. I'll have to start figuring out my own food to bring, though. I don't feel too comfortable eating something that comes in a plastic box, two small plastic containers, and two plastic wrappers. Wasteful!
Back at the campus, I found my A&P Lab room. I have never liked lab classes. Mostly for the same reason group projects scare the living shit out of me - I'm too shy and I always end up having to explain everything to my partner/s. Still, I did so well in my Biology lab last Spring, how bad could it be? I'll tell you how bad. We have to dissect. Ugh. But wait, it gets worse! What are we dissecting? Cats. CATS!? As soon as I heard that, I teared up for about 30 minutes. Again I thought about dropping or skipping those days, but I take my grades too seriously now that I want to be a nurse. I tried to comfort myself by assuming the cats were already euthanized, then donated to the college for learning. But still, when I look down at that cat I'll think of my own. All the sweet little kisses they give me, their purrs, their rubs against me... What could have been for the cat in front of me given a chance? I decided I must tough my way through it, but I guarantee I'll be the weirdo crying as we dissect cats. I'll also e-mail my professor ahead of time to warn him how uncomfortable I'll be.
I feel a lot better now. A little time has helped my mind re-center. First off, I like to always keep in mind how very blessed I am to have the opportunity to go to college. Being thankful helps get me through the classes I don't like as well. Also, this all leads somewhere - a GOOD somewhere at that. One day I'll be sharing my love and compassion with patients in a hospital. The group project will help me get used to being around and opening up to people I don't know. One of my two worst fears going into nursing is that I will be too shy to relate to the patients or let them know I care. (The other... I'm afraid of needles). Hopefully the lab will help me learn to do uncomfortable things, including forcing me to work with a stranger. At least my lab partner seems sweet.
A little more personal than my usual posts. I hope it's not boring! Have a great day!
Monday, August 22, 2011
Back to School!
EeeeeeeeEEeEeee!!! I start classes today, and I couldn't be more excited! I've got my roomy, sexy, new Matt & Nat purse (Matt & Nat is a fancy vegan handbag company that makes the interiors out of recycled plastic bottles!), my cute and recycled ecosystem notebooks (edit: forgot to add that they're also American-made; buy American, create American jobs, and reduce the travel distance to you, reducing the carbon footprint!), and plenty of freshly-laundered, lavender-scented clothes. I only have one class today, but tomorrow should be pretty interesting with three whole classes. Friday will be the best (I hope), because I have six hours of jewelry/art metals!
I'll leave you with one of my current obsessions, 31 Bits Designs. They give jobs to women in need in Uganda making necklaces and bracelets out of recycled paper beads. The end result is fun and fashionable jewelry you can feel good about buying! I'm itching to get my hands on some!
I'll leave you with one of my current obsessions, 31 Bits Designs. They give jobs to women in need in Uganda making necklaces and bracelets out of recycled paper beads. The end result is fun and fashionable jewelry you can feel good about buying! I'm itching to get my hands on some!
Friday, August 19, 2011
Recent Revelation
I have been toying with the idea of giving up drinking for a while now. Currently, I typically have a few glasses of chardonnay over weekends and perhaps a cocktail if we go out, but I realize more and more how crappy it makes me feel both mentally and physically. I don't want to hurt my body or mind, I only get one! Plus, so many empty calories! If I avoid things like sugar and white bread, why ingest high carb drinks that also kill brain cells?
So why haven't I quit? I realized the other day that the main reason I haven't quit is because I'm afraid our friends will think I'm lame, and drinking is something Tony and I have always enjoyed together. Basically peer pressure. What a SHITTY reason. Also, I adore the thought of fun, fancy, fruity cocktails. But you know what, they'd probably taste better without the alcohol. There's no reason you need alcohol to mix up intricate concoctions of fruit juices and herbs. I often think of certain events as "needing" alcohol. Beer and football, the beach and cocktails in coconut shells, family holidays, etc. The last reason is slightly related to the first: I'm shy! Alcohol helps me open up around people. Oh, and I do just plain enjoy the feeling from time to time.
Tomorrow night we're going out to a wine bar, which is something we've been setting up for quite a while. I think I'll let that be my last hurrah, then give up drinking other than maybe champagne at weddings or on New Year's Eve. My sweet Tony assured me the other day when I brought it up that he would never think less of me for not drinking. Maybe I'll handle it like sugar: cut it out completely, so I cut back drastically when/if I start again. I can't promise I'm done for good, but that's the goal!
So why haven't I quit? I realized the other day that the main reason I haven't quit is because I'm afraid our friends will think I'm lame, and drinking is something Tony and I have always enjoyed together. Basically peer pressure. What a SHITTY reason. Also, I adore the thought of fun, fancy, fruity cocktails. But you know what, they'd probably taste better without the alcohol. There's no reason you need alcohol to mix up intricate concoctions of fruit juices and herbs. I often think of certain events as "needing" alcohol. Beer and football, the beach and cocktails in coconut shells, family holidays, etc. The last reason is slightly related to the first: I'm shy! Alcohol helps me open up around people. Oh, and I do just plain enjoy the feeling from time to time.
Tomorrow night we're going out to a wine bar, which is something we've been setting up for quite a while. I think I'll let that be my last hurrah, then give up drinking other than maybe champagne at weddings or on New Year's Eve. My sweet Tony assured me the other day when I brought it up that he would never think less of me for not drinking. Maybe I'll handle it like sugar: cut it out completely, so I cut back drastically when/if I start again. I can't promise I'm done for good, but that's the goal!
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