Keep Dreaming, Baby!

When it rains, it pours. Right now it seems to be "raining" good things and I hope it stays that way. I interviewed for a job yesterday and I think I may get it. It would be a part time, weekend job, but it would be a great one. A fun one. Another job opportunity came my way today and I will hopefully be interviewing for it this week. At one time the idea of holding two jobs at once sounded frightening. Something that would be more than I could handle, but instead it just sounds so very exciting.

I could have the more light, fun job on the weekend evenings and the more serious job where I would be doing some good, helping people, making their lives better in such a small but significant way during the week. I welcome the challenge. The opportunity to better myself and my knowledge. I'm going to do whatever I need to to make sure I take both opportunities with courage and open arms.

I am so thankful. I want to pay off bills, and begin saving for a "rainy" day. To be able to say, "I like that, and I can actually afford it without worry." Oh how lovely that would be.

There are so many things I want to do. I want to go back to school too! Be able to afford classes and have the ability to secure them. It's been such a challenge trying to get classes at the community college level. Everyone is scrambling to better themselves and their knowledge like myself. I want to get my associates degree and then move on to my bachelors. Get a degree in science. Environmental Science.
Be able to design green homes and/or landscapes. Maybe even minor in creative writing while I'm at it. The sky is the limit!

I want my own garden, to remodel and do as much DIY decorating in my yard and my home. Things can't be perfect, but I could have something close to it. Something that I am proud to say I did, all by myself. Even if not all by myself, there is never anything wrong with getting help when you need it, but to be able to say that I did it. I hated school when I was there, I always thought negatively of myself and I let people feed that feeling. But no more. In the end all I have is me and I have to build me. I have to look to me to achieve all the things I want to and am capable of. And I am capable of so much. All I have to do is put my mind to it ( Thanks Doc Brown ;D ), put my will, my drive and my heart and soul into it. And it all starts now.

I had the most wonderful day on Thursday. I got some cleaning done in the house and took Moon for a walk. It was so gorgeous outside. Such a warm, spring-like day. The flowers were in full bloom and it just made me feel so happy. I sneezed like crazy, but things were just too lovely for me to care. To stay inside. I decided to spend some time in the backyard. I put a blanket out on my hammock and some pillows and lay back and enjoyed the sun, a glass of delicious riesling and the latest book I'm reading.
It was a relaxing and wonderful way to spend a lazy afternoon. I need to do so more often.

On Thursday night, while on a run to Walgreens I saw some small pots of Hyacinth and bought a pretty little purple one. I have it sitting on on the table next to my ivy topiary and I'm waiting anxiously for it to come to a full bloom. I want more greenery, more flowers in my life.

I adore fragrant Stargazer Lilies. They had bags of bulbs all ready for planting at Costco and I bought a bag. I found these cute multi-colored planters at Walmart for about a buck and I bought one. I plan to sit out on the deck tomorrow and plant a few bulbs in it, get some ready to bloom in summer. I can't wait to see some green start peeking through the dirt and know that I have some lilies coming. Instead of buying expensive bouquets at the market, I can grow my own to cut and have in vases in the house. Have their beauty and delicious scent on display.

It's the little things that make life grand and I plan to find and bring all the small and simple things to myself so that I can find something around and within me every day to remind me that though things might look bad at one moment in time, there is something to always be thankful for, to strive for. And I will pick myself up, dust off and keep going. For my readers, I hope you will do the same for yourself.

xoxo,
    Gina

Oh, what a day...

I've been on pins and needles, feeling blah since about 7pm last night. I got a second interview for that job I've been excited about and am anxiously awaiting the phone call that will tell me if my search shall continue on or if someone will be giving me a chance to learn and apply myself to something new. Obviously I prefer the latter and hope to be in training very soon, but we shall see.

Besides that I've been thinking seriously about the apartment and how badly I want draw out the full floor plan of all the things I want to do. I've been waiting to see if the hubby will draw out the deck plan, but I think he's forgotten. I think I shall try again myself. I mean, I am the girl who thinks she wants to be/could be a landscape designer!

Anyhoo, pretty much the whole place needs some love. The kitchen is laid out very badly, what with it being near impossible for two people to be in there at once and the fact that half of the cabinets are not all that accessible. It makes me very happy to cook with Gary, but very frustrating that we're constantly bumping into each other.

There is a small dining area off to the left of the kitchen, but it feels so removed from the living room, yet it all is one big room. We want to do away with the "dining room" and have the whole dining/kitchen section be one decent sized kitchen and have a island/bar area to dine.

The bathroom and laundry room also need help. The bathroom is... teeny...weeny...tiny. It makes me claustrophobic. My bathroom in the model apartment in Paris was bigger! A simple paint job with a new vanity would probably be enough to make me feel less alienated about going in there. I already know I want to do a caribbean teal with dark wood. I'm aiming for classy and modern, without an ounce of kitsch or "theme" room.

As for the laundry room, I just got the latest issue of Lowe's Creative Ideas and this basic plan has me all kinds of excited...

via Lowe's Creative Ideas

My laundry room isn't that wide unfortunately, but I can make more counter space by stacking a new washer/dryer (yes, something I definitely need!). Having set spaces to put laundry baskets and hang line dry clothes would be so amazing. I'm tired of having to hang them in the doorway then hearing Gary whine about being unable to go into the laundry room for fear of knocking the clothes down. Being without those little problems seems like such a good way to take the silly little fights out of marriage!

Well, it is off to bed with me now. I will begin working on a drawing of my current floor plan and the changes I would like to make tomorrow and hopefully have them up by the beginning of next week.

 Nighty, night!

xoxo,
    Gina

Deck Dreams

I've finally bit the bullet and began to move forward, formulating and working on my ideas to make our deck more inviting and relaxing. Since leaving LA, I've missed having an outdoor living space and I want to make what we have now even better than our little nook we previously had.

When we moved here we brought our bar table from our LA pad, but we ended up totally and completely neglecting it. It sat alone and sad down in the side yard, out of sight and out of mind. The wood table top was completely ruined by the rain and the day before yesterday I finally cleaned all the junk off of it and removed the trashed top.

Gary decided Teak would trump our old oak top and after much searching I finally found the perfect one...

Via Outdoor Restaurant Seating

Of course we need the largest and most expensive one ( 36", $140 ), and I will still need to carefully cut a hole in the middle so we can put in an umbrella. I can't tell you how long it took me and how frustrating it was trying to find websites that sold ONLY table tops. Majority of my search was links to replace those ugly glass patio tables, thankfully I was able to find a gem in the middle of all the weeds.

The completed table will go on the north side of the deck, with a nice view of the mountains, and at the south end, which currently looks like this...

I plan to build a little lounge area! I saw a post on Stylizimo Blog about using a crib mattress to make a chaise lounge for a sofa. Unfortunately I can't fit a sofa + chaise there, but I can make my own little "couch". The plan is to build a basic frame for it, and after setting the mattress on it I want it to be tall enough so if we wanted to move the table over to use at the lounge, it'd not look/feel awkward.

I'll be putting a protective plastic cover on the mattress to protect it from rain and the dampness we often have and will layer it in comfy blankets and pillows. I want to have two nice looking storage boxes to slide underneath it to put the blankets and pillows in when the weather is nasty (we get some pretty nasty wind here too).

The grill you see in the photo will move further to the right so it'll sit right in the middle of the deck, not too far or too close to the table and lounge area. My hope is to have these little projects done before my birthday as I am hoping to have a pool party with a bunch of girlfriends and I want to have a nice, relaxing hang out spot for the evening. I'm picturing either a lot of jewel tones or more of a caribbean island feel. I'll have to see where my heart takes me once the basics are all set up.

In the meantime aka till I have the funds, I'm still working on getting a job. I had a great interview today and I am really excited about this place and the opportunities I could have there. Also I'd be working with one of my favorite things! I have my fingers crossed incredibly tight and am studying up as much as I can so I have a good amount of basic knowledge before I hopefully get the call for a second interview.

As for my weekend, my parents came to visit. My Mom and I made a wonderful enchilada dinner for everyone and then we all chilled on the couch and watched Once Upon A Time. Didn't really do it for me, but I'm very picky about how my favorite fairy tales are handled. Oh! And my Mom brought me an adorable little topiary for my current patio table. 

I finally get to use my beautiful, aged "Rosebud" pot. It all looks so perfect!

xoxo,

    Gina

The last couple days I've been listening incessantly to Christina Perri. Unfortunately I'm not all kinds of in love with her debut album, but maybe I'll need to do a second listen. Nonetheless, the song 'The Lonely' has a strong place in my heart and I love it to death. When I went to see the latest Twilight film (meh) with my cousin I heard her newest song that was written for the soundtrack and have now fallen head over heels for it. I love the lyrics of both 'The Lonely' and the new song, 'A Thousand Years' intensely and think they will forever be the top played songs on my iPod, next to my love of fun, bumpy Britney songs.

The last couple days I've been losing myself to Phantom fanfic, but also working on getting a job. I've got my fingers crossed, waiting for a phone call and will continue to scan for job postings. 

Tomorrow I need to strip the Christmas tree and take it out. I'd like to get the apartment back in order, especially the bedroom. I tell myself all the time that if I'd just get up and get it done, I could spend the rest of the time doing what I really want to do. As I've been more faithful to my anxiety med, I feel like I'm getting back to the motivated place I was. I shall not make the mistake of going without again. I don't want to go back down the road of depression again if I don't need to.

I've been writing a bit more often in my personal journal and I'd like to get back to my creative writing. I have so many ideas constantly playing about in my head fighting for attention and whenever I dream, something new seems to enter the playpen of jumbling ideas. I just get so frustrated with myself when things don't come out as I want them to. I need to let go and just write! The thought that that silly Twilight author can get a book deal makes me know that I could probably do it too. Sorry Twilight lovers. I admit, I used to fawn over the books too, but it all just got too creepy in the end and now that I've stepped back and really thought about all the stuff in that book, it really isn't a good message for young, impressionable girls. Puts some unhealthy ideas in their heads about what love and romance is. Believe me, I know! Anyhoo, I'm not here to lecture. That's just my little opinion. Take it or leave it. 

Hopefully Katie and I will be resuming our gym meetings tomorrow. I'd really like to get back into the swing of things. Great music with a cardio workout is not something to pass up!

xoxo,

    Gina

Head, meet Wall

The last few days I've felt immensely frustrated with my lack of a job and inability to get through college and get the education I want.

For weeks now I've been filling out applications left and right at numerous places. I'm looking for a job in retail, as I enjoy working that type of job very much, but not a call have I received.

As for school, last semester I was lucky to get one class that also happened to be a zero credit class. This semester I got two classes, and with the way things are going in this state and the endless budget cuts to education, I may find that no classes will be offered during the summer semester and per one counselor, classes might be down to 90 (In good times 150+ classes were offered) by the time Fall semester hits.

It's a vicious cycle right now of people losing their jobs and running back to school to further their education to get a better job, but then getting out and finding there's still no jobs. Of course, that all depends on ones major.

My aim is to get through general education so I can apply to the Radiologic Technology program, then push a bit further to become a Diagnostic Medical Sonographer (Ultrasound). At the rate I'm going, it's going to take me 4+ years just to get through general-ed. It's driving me batty! I just want to get to a point where I have a good steady job, can afford to achieve my top two life goals, and feel like I've made good use of my opportunities and improved my knowledge.

Instead I feel like I'm continuously walking into a wall that won't budge and that I can't just walk around.

Believe me, I know... no one ever said life would be easy and I know that one has to overcome obstacles along the journey to their dreams. I just wish the school part of it was at least easier. I'm not even talking about the learning itself, that will have it's own difficulties. I'd appreciate the opportunity to GET classes so I can jump into the struggle of being a good student and feel like I'm on the way to getting somewhere with a career.

Gary's advised me to focus on getting a job, and letting things happen as they will. I agree and know that I can't control everything to the 'nth degree that I'd like. Still, I cry out against the difficulty of one getting an education and how expensive it is. I know CA has the cheapest community college fees of any junior college, but setting ones sights higher to get into a university is quite daunting. Tuition fees are insane and lately I joke that the only way I could ever get into a University is if we win the lottery.

What I am working on is getting my Native American Citizenship papers, because they offer assistance with college. Once I get through all that and find out what my options are, I hope... but won't count on, getting enough help that I may be able to seriously consider going to one of the local Universities.

So... this is my situation and I just needed to rant. Tomorrow is another day and some new opportunity could arise. I just gotta keep trudging along and do whatever I can to make something happen for myself.

Rain, rain go away...

I know very well that CA needs all the rain it can get, but I've had enough of the rainy chill. I'm aching for summer to get here! And it will be wonderful as we have our pool and our eco-friendly Coolerado air conditioning system.

I'm going to do my best to post on here more often. I just get so bogged down with school, the job search, keeping the apartment clean and well... life in general.

I have a job app to fill out and take in at the mall and while visiting a cute little stationary shop in Downtown Claremont I filled out a job application there. I NEED A JOB! Me and a few million other people... but let's not go there. lol

As far as I can tell I'm keeping my grades up pretty well at school, but I am a tad frustrated as I feel like I can't focus on the "book" that I'm hoping to write, what with all the english essay stuff I have to keep up on. I need to learn to be better focused. The story I plan to write is beating around constantly in my brain and I bought a cute little journal book to write in... I just need to put pen to paper. And keep on top of my homework.

Originally this blog was to be about our decorating of our apartment and then the eventual transition into the main house and the decorating projects of that. But money is tight, and there's not much decorating one can do on a near non-existent budget. So I think this will just be a blog where I talk about everyday things, inspirational things, music I like, books that catch my fancy and eventually when money is not so hard to come by we can talk DECORATING!

Well, I'm off to more, never ending house cleaning. It's amazing how two people can constantly keep a small apartment messy, but we need to get our organizing and a daily cleaning and upkeep plan in place.
Have a wonderful, happy weekend!

Gin

Lazy Daisy

I would show you a picture of my new dining room table, but it's covered in boxes right now.

We've decided to ditch crappy AT&T as our service went to hell and one night I had 7 dropped calls in less than 20 minutes. I almost threw my iPhone at the wall.

Luckily I was done with my contract and got a Spint EVO 4G, which is exactly what I've been wanting and so far I'm REALLY happy. G's phone is basically a piece off poo too, so we decided it's time to get a home phone. We ending up getting the Ooma Telo VoIP with a handset and finally got it up and running today. G's gonne drop AT&T tomorrow. I'm sure that conversation will be as much fun as it was ditching Time Warner for our internet the other day. And as to internet, we're now using Clear 4G network and that's working out well too.

But back to the table, I found a gorgeous round clawfoot table for $100 on craigslist and snatched it right up. It has an aged, antique look and totally fits into our decor and pretty much completes the dining room. All I'm waiting for now is being able to afford a buffet type table to put under the window.

Back in school now and I really wanted to get 3 to 4 classes, but was only able to get two. But I have plenty of homework from those two, but in the summer I hope to get more classes. I want to get through my gen-ed as quick as I can so I can apply to the Rad-Tech program. Might have to apply at another local community college so I can hopefully pick up more classes there so it doesn't take 4 years to get my AA.

Other than that, not much is going on. I got laid off from Macy's, so I'm gonna start looking for a new job. I'd love to work at B&N. I'm a bookworm, so the discounts on books would be really nice!

It is VERY windy here tonight, and was eerily quiet out when I stepped out earlier. They say the strongest winds will be tomorrow morning through the afternoon. Good thing I'll be holed in doing homework.

Black Friday

I got a job finally! And it's at a place I hadn't even considered at first.

My first day in retail ever will be in the Macy's Ladies Fragrance department on Black Friday and I am sooooo excited!

I hope I do well and don't make a lot of mistakes on my first day. I would love to stay with Macy's beyond being a holiday hire, so I must give every bit of myself every day to make myself stand out and be a great employee.

A lot has happened around the apartment and I've made a lot of decorating touches that I hope to soon post about on here.

Thanksgiving with the family was wonderful and now it's time to get all the food brought from my parents put away and get to bed. I have an early, crazy day tomorrow.

Wish me luck!

Happy Fall

I apologize for my absence, things have been quite hectic lately.

A couple positive things have happened though and I have a lot to be grateful for.

On Wednesday, after nine months of dying to have something done with my hair I was finally able to afford to go in and have my hair tended to. After some of the disastrous hair shows (for my hair at least) that I've been through, my hair has become pretty unmanageable. Tangled and curly/wavy, less than a blow dry and a curling iron, my hair looks like hell. A big frizz ball. Think Mia Thermopolis (Princess Diaries) pre princessification. But now it's pretty smooth and sleek, thanks to a Brazilian Blowout. I got a great deal on it, had my hair dyed and trimmed and decided it was time to test out bangs. I absolutely love what I see when I look in the mirror now and it's made my morning readying time so much quicker. And I don't have to blow-dry my hair when I get out of the shower now. I can just run a brush through it and let it do it's own thing. Though I'll admit, it will look a bit sleeker if I run a hot iron over it.

I don't have a good before shot of my hair, but here it is after my salon appointment...

G and I also had a nice lunch in Downtown Claremont this week and had a wonderful brunch in Downtown Upland yesterday. We fall more and more in love with our new home everyday and all the wonderful amenities the location offers. I don't miss LA in the least and am happy to be putting down roots here.

After my lovely morning and afternoon with G, I decided to go spend the evening with my parents and sister. We had a fun dinner at Chili's, did some shopping at Barnes and Noble and a bit of shopping at the local outdoor mall. Let's just say I was very spoiled and got a wonderful early Christmas gift.

At B&N I got 2 large novels...

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

Dracula in Love by Karen Essex

Next we went to Anthropologie and my parents bought me this wonderful bag...

Autumn Garden Bag

Quite expensive, an early Christmas gift, and so incredibly beautiful. And it has TONS of storage. I'll be able to fit pretty much everything in this bag. So many different compartments (2 small on the sides, two large and then the large zippered middle with compartments in there too. Makeup bag, wallet, camera, on the go snacks, and my journal will fit easily in here. I will be using this bag for years to come and will always hold it dear. Thank you so much Mom and Dad for all the wonderful gifts you gave me yesterday. I can't wait to gift you guys for your birthday this month, though unfortunately it will have to wait till beginning of next month, but if I'm able to get what I'm hoping to for you guys, you're both gonna LOVE it. 

Today so far has been a cool, rainy day. And G woke up feeling quite ill, though he is feeling better now, but is still feeling physically weak. I hate when he's sick. It worries me so, but hopefully by tomorrow he's well and his usual self.

I had planned to go around turning in job applications today, but with G feeling as weak as he does I don't dare leave him alone. Hopefully by the middle of next week I get myself out to do that, that way I have myself out there and maybe/hopefully hear from someone by the time I get back from visiting my family for my Mom's birthday and the Halloween holiday.

Have a great weekend y'all!