. weekend recap .

Ahhh what a weekend!!

. saturday .

Saturday was my last day of work. I thought it would be a fun, easy day...boy was I mistaken! It was graduation day. With Liberty University being the biggest private Christian Universities, with 14.000 people graduating from both residential and online degrees...graduation was pure torture. I had to be at work at 7am, so I was smart and left 40 minutes early for my 20 minute drive. I managed to get to work 2 hours late!!! Traffic was completely gridlocked...it was horrible!

Laurel, my friend from work, and I had volunteerd to work at a seperate area for half the day...which turned into the whole day. The way these people looked at us while we cleaned the pews in an old church where the Law School graduated was horrible. They looked at us like we were complete trash, not worth anything. I don't EVER want to feel like that again!! And to top it off some girl stepped on my pretty foot with her heel and left a huge bruise...I think I'll live though :)

We got done around 330 and I said goodbye to everyone. I wanted to take a group picture but the girls were not having that idea...I think everyone was pretty much done after our long day of standing in traffic trying to go places and get home.

When I came home, I packed up some more boxes for my big move next Monday. I feel like I'm almost done...but there is always stuff left at the end when I think I'm ready. However, this time the apartment has to be empty and clean on Saturday!!

. Sunday .

Oh Sunday...I did absolutely nothing. I slept, woke up, napped, napped some more and just relaxed. I'm working on a cross stitch project that needs to be finished when my mom gets here Saturday so she can help me frame it. Gotta get busy!!

It was also mother's day. Izzie got me nailpolish from Essie that I have been oogling over!! It's called 'a cut above' and I love it! Izzie even let me polish her nail...yea, not nails, nail. I painted just 1 before she freaked out haha.

Well, there ya have it, my lame weekend! Next weekend will be more exciting with my parents coming into town Saturday, packing the Uhaul Sunday and moving up north Monday!! I'm so excited but also pretty nervous :)

xoxo E

. Birthday weekend recap .

Happy 26th (jikes) birthday to me!!!!

Here is my weekend recap:

{Friday}
On friday I worked till 3 and felt like I really had to rush afterwards to get things done. My birthday dinner with my friends was at 7 that night and I still needed to find a dress when I got off work! I found an awesome Lauren Conrad dress at Kohl's that was the first (and only) dress I tried on and it was perfect!
My birthday dinner was so nice. My friend Ashley, that I met when I went to college in NY, moved to Virginia 3 weeks ago. She now lives 45 minutes away from me!! It was weird to have her in my apartment in Virginia..but it was so nice to see her and get to spend time with her! I sipped on some yummy cocktails during dinner, I had a cotton candy martini and a pear martini. Its been a LONG time since I had a drink :)

{I hate that there is no more piknik...now i can't edit my photo's and make them lighter, BOO}

{Saturday}
Ahh I slept in on Saturday! I love sleeping in so so much, but its getting harder because I'm getting used to getting up around 5am every morning. I think I just layed in bed and watched NCIS till around noon!! It was amazing! Lynne had a tattoo appointment and I decided to go with her...and hold her hand. She got this awesome bike on her arm..it looks so cool! Off course then I got hit with THE fever...the TATOO FEVER! I made an appointment at her tattoo place for next week Saturday....I cant wait that long! Sometimes...actually most of the time when I want something, I want it NOW!! So Lynne and I drove by my tattoo artist, and he was available...so I got it then :) I love the way it turned out and what it represents!! Afterwards, Lynne and I ran some arrands and we tried to go to a JCrew outlet sale, however after standing in the rain for 45 minutes, we gave up. We had some pizza for dinner and then went to see Peter Pan. My sister is the assistant costume designer for Liberty University and they put on several profesional grade performances during the year. They have done Phantom of the Opera, Little shop of horrors, 39 steps, Ragtime, and Oklahoma (these are just some of the ones that I went to since my sister started working there a year ago). Peter Pan was definitely one of my favorites..the flying was amazing!

{Its a bee...and a memorial tattoo for my grandpa...and also, my 10th tattoo..jikes}

{Sunday}
MY BIRTHDAY!! Didn't get to sleep in for too long, because we went for breakfast at 9am. My aunt and uncle live in Northern VA and they needed to get home to watch the Capitals play! My grandma also came to breakfast, as well as some friends from Canada and off course Lynne & Justin. After breakfast, I went home to take a nap...nothing like a nap on a rainy day with a sweet puppy!

{Her sweet little rain jacket from Target...I think I love it more then she does}

{NO MORE PICTURES MOM!!}

We decided to go to dinner early, around 4:30 because this place is ALWAYS busy! It proved the perfect time to go, no lines and great food :)
We had some time to kill before the movies, so we went back to the JCrew outlet sale and didn't have to stand in line :) I found a pink cashmier sweater, a white t-shirt, and a glittery short sleeved sweater...all for $50.40 I was SOOO excited! I also got a dress from Old Navy that will be perfect for my  Mary Kay parties! We then went to see 'This means war' with Reese Witherspoon. She is my favorite actress and the movie was pretty good...I really liked it!

{Monday}
Monday we celebrated my birthday at work. My amazing friend Laurel made my cake, which was sooo yummy! I got a big basket full of little goodies and a super sweet card! It made Monday a whole lot more enjoyable! :)

All in all I had a great birthday weekend. I succesfully spent way too much money and had too many calories! Luckily birthday's only come around once a year :)


How was your weekend?

xoxo e

. Big decisions, new beginnings .

So.....I have a BIG decision

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I'm moving back to FREDONIA, NEW YORK!! (in 4 weeks)

The idea just came to me. When people used to say that God layed something on their heart, I would always just say "that's so cool". However, I had no idea what that meant or what that was like, until last week. I had recently had a job interview at a local law firm for a legal secretary position. I'm not trying to speak highly of myself, but I was perfect for the job! I studied for 3 years at the State University of New York at Fredonia for criminal justice, and I did an 3 month internship at the victim's assistance program, a unit of the district attorney. So law and criminal justice is my thing, it's what I do and love. I did not get the job because I don't have a degree. I have enough experience in a related field, yet I wasn't qualified for the job!! Someone I know got the job though, she has a bachelor's degree in a completely different field, and had to be trained for over 2 weeks.

Because of this I started thinking. I went to school for 3 years, in New York. I was 20 credits, so basically a year, away from graduating. It was really hard for me to be there for more then one reason but the big one was this guy I was seeing at the time. I thought it was love, he thought I was just a body he could use. I thought we were getting married when I found out that he cheated on me....with 13 different girls. They weren't just one night stands, they were relationships, some even long term!!! I was so hurt and devastated that I just couldn't deal with it. One day I decided that I wasn't strong enough to stay there, I was going to give him a second chance (even though he didn't deserve it AT ALL). I packed up my car with things I really needed, grabbed my 2 cats and Izzie and drove to Virginia and never looked back. About a month later, my mom, dad, sister and I went back, packed and cleaned my house (I had a 3 bedroom house there) and put it on the market. I temporarily moved into my sisters basement while I was looking for a place to live down in Virginia.

2 Years have passed since I moved and I love it here in Virginia. I went back to Fredonia past August because I was the maid of honor in my best friends wedding. It was so weird to be back...nothing had really changed but it was still strange. My friend was renting my house, so it was my house but not really...it was odd. My friend moved out of the house and its now just sitting there...empty, not getting sold! Its been for sale for 2 years and no one seems remotely interested, even though its the cutest house and I wish I could pick it up and move it to Virginia :)

I was going to start at Liberty University after the summer that I moved so I could still get my degree and graduate. Liberty wasn't taking as many credits as I would have wanted, but it was better then starting with 0. After enrolling as a residential student, I was told my GPA wasn't high enough and that I needed to go to community college first to get my grades up. So I enrolled in the most random classes. It felt like such a waste of money, just taking stupid classes for grades. I then realized, I liked working (or the making money part of that actually). I ended up dropping out of community college and I enrolled in Liberty's online program. I was supposed to start classes in March but something went wrong with my financial aid.

And in hindesight everything was lining up for me to move back to NY.

- My lease ends May 31st

- I have a house that I can live in until it gets sold

- My old school will clearly take all my credits

- I love the area

- It will not nearly be as expensive as it is if I went to Liberty

- I didn't get the job at the law firm

- I HATE BEING A HOUSEKEEPER!

I remember cleaning the dorm wishing I could go back to school and re-do things. And look at that, without actually praying about/for it, I'm getting a do over. I get to go back to school and be a student again.

I'm super excited (as you can tell). I really feel like this is what I am supposed to do! Izzie is so excited too...first off she was born in Fredonia, anddddd my awesome dad built a fence in my yard that she can play in!!

I do need some prayers as I am waiting to find out if I got accepted back into school. It won't be a huge problem if I didn't because I will this time go to community college up there and get some of my electives out of the way to get my GPA up. Yes I know I dropped out of a different community college but I wasn't really thinking about my education as I do now...how important it is to have a degree.

I cannot wait. I am moving May 19th...thats a month from now!! I have 4 weeks to pack everything up (and let me tell you, I have a lot of crap)!! It's weird I always thought I was moving further south then back up north, but if this is where God wants me, I'm going!

xoxo e

. relationship / marriage / baby fever .

Disclaimer: I'm trying to be as honest as possible about my life and what is going on in it...and in my head. I want to treat this as a diary and talk openly about that what is affecting my life. Sometimes its negative, other times its positive...its important non the less.

{ image: http://differentkindofwalk.blogspot.com/2010/02/baby-fever.html }

I'm in a rut, and this past week just hasn't been my week. I'm trying to count my blessings, and be grateful for what I have instead of be upset over the things I don't have. I truly am grateful, even though sometimes it doesn't come across that way.

Baby fever has been going on in my life for a while now. And I fully understand as a Christian that jealousy is a sin...a bad one too. However, sometimes we get jealous, and envious at other people and what the have. I desperatly want to have a family, a husband and kids. My friends have been having babies and getting married...doing the things I so desire to do. Its not because we are all getting to that age, I am getting to that age. My friends are all about 4 years younger then me, in their early 20s. My 4 closest friends from the Netherlands had their babies Feb 18th, Feb 25th, April 6th and May 4th...I kinda feel left out :(

I had a conversation about this with Lynne (my sister). I asked her if this could possibly never happen for me. What if I'm not meant to have a husband or kids? She reassured me that if God puts a desire in your heart then He fully intends on giving it to you...at His time, which is what I stuggle with the most. When is it going to be my time? Last summer, I was sure I met the ONE, the one I was going to spend the rest of my life with, my soulmate. Turns out, he was a lesson I needed to learn. It was hard but I'm getting over it. I think this is all being brought on because its that time of year once again...my birthday. I'm getting older and I feel like my life is at a standstill. I work a dead end job, where I barely make minimum wage, I'm single (not even talking to anyone, let alone dating) and I'm starting to get frustrated.
I know everything happens when it is supposed to happen but I want it to be my time! I want to look back a year from now and read over this and realize how silly it sounds, haha. My biggest fear is that I will end up alone, but I'm also picky when it comes to the guys I date and won't date just anyone to avoid being alone.

When people ask me what I want to do as far as a job I tell people that I ultimately want to be a stay at home mommy. Everyone always just gives me this weird look, like I'm crazy or old fashioned...or both. I was put on this earth to raise babies :) that would be the ulitmate career for me, to be a mother, and I'm so excited for the day that I will be pregnant and have a loving husband who wants nothing more then to have kids with me and be and amazing father.

Until then...I have a temporary, practice baby. She has fur, but besides that she isn't too far off from a real baby ;)

{We love each other...clearly}

Any advice for me, and for feeling like this??

xoxo E

. Hoppy Easter .

Happy Easter everyone!! He is RISEN!!!

I love Easter, where we remember that Jesus gave His life for us and after 3 days rose again! Today I celebrated Easter by going to church with Lynne (my sister) and Justin (her husband). After church we made brunch consisting of: scrambled eggs, bacon, devilled eggs (even though we dubbed them Jesus eggs, that just sounded more appropriate!), cresent rolls, fresh strawberries and a ginormous chocolate chip cookie!!

When I was ready to leave, I realized I put my car keys in my purse, which I left in the car...ARGGGG. This is why I have insurance! After waiting for about 45 mins, they came and unclocked my car (this is the 6th time in a year and a half that I've locked my keys in my car). Then I came home and my bedroom door was locked from the inside and I couldn't get in!!! I called my complex and they said it wasn't an emergency so they were gonna charge me! I asked him if I could kick in the door then...everything I have is in my bedroom. Anyway, the maintanance guy called and said if I had a baby screw driver I could open the door, and sure enough....PRAISE THE LORD, my bedroom door unlocked!

Needless to say, I'm done for the day :)
Here are some Easter pictures

ANDDDDD no blog post would be complete without a picture of this little nugget :)

Hope ya'll had a fabulous Easter!!

xoxo E

. Izzie's post .

Bonjour peeps,

Ma mommy is at work, so I sneaked into her computerz (yes I know da password) and write about the most important aspect of her life...ME! Ma name is Izzie, short for Isabella Buttons (yes, that's ma real name) and you've probably seen my gorgeous face on this blog before. I am Elise's fur baby, daughter, love of her life...you catch ma drift. Im a pretty important pup.
I was born on June 8th 2008, which makes me almost 4! I act like I'm 6 months, but thats ok, that's the way mommy likes it. Besides the fact that I am perfection to the tee (I am called a designer doggie for a reason) I also have some mad skillz. I can eat all day, sleep all day, play all day, I can sit, shake, lay down and crawl (the last one is my favorite). I am part pug, part beagle. Ma mommy was a puggle and ma daddy a black pug, so I look more like a pug then a beagle, but i'm still da cutest darn thing out there.

(at xmas...with ma jingle ball collar...its da bomb.com)

(ma skill...tiltin da head back)

(close-up of ma perfect eye ball)

(ma raincoat aint Chanel...but i'll take it)

(I got ma teeth fixed and whitened, here is ma smile to prove it)

(when mommy thought it was a great idea to duct-tape socks to ma feet...not cool mom, not cool)

(mommy & i) 

So there ya have it, perfection! Oh shoot...mommy just came home from da job. I gotta act like I don't have da thumb to write this with!!Well..gotta go.

Bonjour ma loves,

xoxo Izzie

. beauty is skin deep, a tattoo goes all the way to the bone .

So I know that a while back, tattoos used to be for junkies, people who were in jail and stuff like that. Over the years it has become more socially acceptable for younger people, and people who have never been to jail (or ever will be going), or are junkies. What is your opinion on tattoos??

I got my first tattoo when I was 21. It was September of 2007, I had just saved and it was the perfect time to commemorate with a tattoo! It was small, simple and elegant. Its a dove on my left ankle with the bible verse Proverbs 3:5-6 underneath it. My sister and aunt got the same dove also with a bible verse and they mean something different to them then what it does to me. Oh and tattoos are addicting...if your planning on getting one, beware!

All my tattoos have a meaning behind it (except for this one random one) and I love that. I love hearing about the meaning behind other people's tattoos. Almost all of mine are hidden and you won't be able to tell that I am covered have a lot of tattoos, unless you see me in a bikini :)

So alas, here are pictures of some of my tattoos. I currently have 8...
(please excuse the picture quality, its horrible!)

                                                               (my first one)

I love all of my tattoos and don't regret any of them. Its weird to look at pictures of me when I didn't have any yet, I look so different. If ya'll wanna know a story behind one, just let me know by leaving a comment and I'll let you know why I got that one.

Coming soon is a guest post from someone awesome!!!! Keep checking back to see who it will be!

Hope ya'll have a great day and an awesome weekend!!!

xoxo E