DIY Window Frame Mirror - Simple and Easy!

Another DIY Project how-to! :) 

I've admired many of these DIY Window Frame Mirror projects on Pinterest. I thought I had a few pinned to my boards, but I was clearly mistaken! I must of just Googled the steps. :) They are EXTREMELY simply to make and can add a mirrors touch to any room. I've used one of the two that I made in my office at work. It's great. I've always wanted a mirror in my office, but didn't want to spend the money. These were only about $10 a piece! That's right, TEN DOLLARS! 

Only 4 ingredients for a successful project! What you'll need: 

1. A new or used window frame. My best friend was able to find a lot of them on Craigslist for around $50 dollars. I'm not sure how many she picked up, but I purchased 2 off of her for $10. You can probably find them at Habitat ReStores! 
2. Rust-Oleum - Mirror Effect Spray Paint. One can and I was able to make both mirrors. I could have applied a few more coats, so one can seemed to be good. 
3. Painter's Tape. You don't really need it. I honestly only taped the first one out and figured out that I didn't need it! But it may be nice to have if you want to do some sort of pattern on your window. 
4. Window Cleaning Product of your choice. 

Clean your mirror, both sides, thoroughly! Make sure you let it dry. I did not and it left streaks on the mirror. It actually looked fine, as they are kind of "vintage." It added to the feel. 

I'll preface the first step by saying it is not necessary unless you are going to make patterns in your windows. Painter's tape isn't necessary. 

Make sure you read the back of your Mirror Effect can. It's essential that you spray the back side of your window (IE: the side that you do not want to display.)  If you're going to use Painter's Tape, tape the back side of your window in the pattern or on the sides (if you want to keep them clean.)

Shake your Mirror Effect can very well. About 2 minutes (or at least 1 minute.) 

Beginning straying away! Make sure you evenly coat the backside.  It only takes about 5 minutes for each coating to dry, which is fantastic! It makes the project very short. The pictures below were after 1 coat (you can see it drying) and then after 3 coats. I only used 3 coats as I felt like it gave me the desired effect I was looking for.

The Final project looked great! I was so happy with it. Here it is below only minutes after completion. I happened to do both at the same time (sprayed one, let it dry, sprayed the other, etc.) 

Here is the second one in my office (with some other of my craft projects that I'll do a How-To for after Christmas.) 

Such a simple product to make great home or office decor! 

DIY Ornament Wreath

It's been an interesting quite few weeks! The most exciting news is: I've accepted a position with North Carolina State University! I'm extremely excited. I start on December 1st, and I cannot wait.

I've been spending a lot of time doing crafts (which I probably shouldn't be, because I've got a ton of homework that needs to get done)! Mainly Christmas presents that I cannot share yet, but definitely will.

I've never been big on the Christmas decorations. I've never really wanted to get a tree and I didn't really care about Christmas lights. Once I moved in with my boyfriend, however, that changed. I wanted to do those things. D: (He hates Christmas, so I did them alone.)

One of the easiest things I've made in a while, Christmas Ornament Wreath! 

I looked around in stores because I wanted one for our front door. But I could only find either ridiculously colored ones, over the top ones, or ones that would break the small bank.

So I made my own. And it was extremely simple and cheap (PS: sorry for the lack of pictures, I didn't expect to do this). What you'll need:

1. Ornaments (obviously.) - I used about 80, I think. All sizes, shapes, colors (of blue and silver).  I went very cheap on these (and at this time of year, it's very easy to do so.) I shopped at Rite-Aid for them. If you have a busy front door, I would recommend non-shatter, but I used glass because my boyfriend and I don't slam our door often. 
2. Wire Hanger
3. Pliers (to unhook the wire hanger from itself and hook it back) 
4. Wire Edge Ribbon (if you want to tie your own.) 
5. Super Glue (possibly, if you want to glue some ornaments together, but you don't have to.)
6. Wreath Hanger/Nail (Our apartment door is metal, so I purchased an over the door hanger from Target: here) 
7. A Towel (if you want to use glittery ornaments. I did so they didn't shed their glitter everywhere!) 

Firstly, take your wire hanger and stretch it into a "circle." Mine hanger was not able to get all the way to a circle, around the edges where the hanger is.. actually a hanger. I'll be honest, I used my foot to pull the hanger into a more circular shape. It wasn't difficult, but I wanted it to be as perfect as possible.

Take the pliers, clamp them on the twisted portion of your wire hanger. I found it easiest to clamp this portion and twist the rest of the hanger, rather than trying to twist the pliers. This stripped a portion of the hanger before I twisted it fully. Came right off after that!

And from there, go crazy. Add in the ornaments in which ever order you please.  I tried to even mine out so that it didn't have too many of the same shape and same finish. It happened, because I ran out of some finishes, but I didn't want to open a new pack of ornaments if I had some left over.

The order doesn't matter. Just make it look the way you like. Slide them down the hanger and place them right where you want them. This was the part that took me about an hour. If you do not want to glue the ornaments together (I didn't) don't get discouraged if they feel loose. As you begin to add more, they will tighten up. I did glue a few, because I wanted them facing forward rather than backward.

Tying the bow was actually one of the hardest parts. I watched this wonderful video (here) to try and get a proper technique. I re-tied quite a few times. I also didn't use the metal bow tie.. thing.. she recommends. I used the tie from a bag of bread (didn't feel like going back to the store and it worked.) 

I actually wanted a few more frills, so I took a little more ribbon and tied it around the bottom of the wire hanger, under the bow. Just to add a few more ribbon strings to the bottom. 

 

 Hope this was helpful. :) I spent, in total, about $15 dollars. I had the wire hanger previously, and I used a lot of the ribbon for Christmas present wrappings (so I only portioned the price out to the amount I used on the wreath!) These are extremely easy to make and can save a fair bit of money.

A New Set!

I apologize that it has been so long between posts. Work and schooling as become crazy. I'll post more about those in my next posting, but I wanted to get this wonderful new set out to the masses. :)

B. Bergstrom Photography has taken a new wonderful set of me. Please see below. She always does a fantastic job. If you're in the Raleigh, NC area and want some new pictures taken of you, your family, etc., please reach out to her.

The Most Magical and Memorable Experience... Ever.

And no. I did not get married and I do not have a child to have done anything wonderful (my cat does some cool stuff, but mostly just meows.)


This weekend before last, I went to one of the most wonderful places on Earth: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley.

And I had probably the BEST time of my entire life, although most of the rides throughout the Harry Potter sections and the rest of the park made both my boyfriend and I extremely nauseous.  I was such a ball of emotion that it really didn't matter to me.  I nearly cried 9 or more times just because I was so freaking excited.

Harry Potter, while one of my favorite series's of all time, has much more meaning to me than just a book and movie. I have shared the series' laughs, tears, excitement, joy, love, heartbreak, kindness, tenderness, and all other emotions one can feel during a Harry Potter book/movie with some of the most important and influential people in my life. One of those people being my Grandma Jonna.  She has been a wonderful influence in my life.  She is probably one of the strongest and most influential women in my life and I thank the universe every day I have someone like her to look up to.  Although she is a "step-grandma" there is no doubt that in my heart she was meant to be my grandma throughout life.

Just as important: now that I have been able to share this wonderful experience with the love of my life makes this experience so much better.  I was in Harry Potter World, on the Hogwarts Express, drinking Dragon's Scale beer (which I'll describe below), all while holding hands with my loving and wonderful boyfriend.  Although he is not a big Harry Potter fan, when we first started dating (probably around 3 months in before our birthdays) he pulled me aside at bowling and told me he had been thinking about what he wanted to do.  Almost made me cry then when he told me he wanted us to go to Universal Studios for Harry Potter.  Now, we've been and I've shared such a wonderful experience with him. :''') Almost makes me want to cry now!

A scrolly thing for all da pictures, if you want full size, please go here (And give my Facebook Page a like while you're there -shameless plug-).

So scratch the scrolly thing cause it didn't want to work. Just go to the link: please go here.

So on to what's gooooood: The Reviews. 

Best Western Gateway at Orlando Studios -- 

Nothing overwhelming, nothing underwhelming.  It was just a typical hotel.  We had two double beds, so other than cuddling, we slept in separate beds because there was just not enough room. That was our choice when we booked the hotel though, nothing wrong with their service.  They have an area where someone from Condo place sits trying to sell you things. That was extremely annoying.

The cleaning crew was relentless.  Even though we had our "Peace and Quite" sign on the door (because we were napping) the cleaning crew attempted multiple times to get into the room. They woke us up because the slider was closed and hit hard when they tried to open the door. After they couldn't get in, they called us, which woke me up fully (and I'm not typically nice when I'm woken up before my body wants me to be.) But when they did clean, they did well.

The Hotel Bar and Grill: Sharky and Jack's: We stayed far away.  The food was far to expensive along with the beer to offer any good dining experience in our (my boyfriend and I's) mind.

Overall, it was a good experience. The pool was completely shaded most of the day, so a poor side of the hotel for the pool.  They did have two jacuzzi tubs and a sun bathing deck, which was nice.

Universal Studios Orlando 

Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley 

Umh... Nothing at all bad to say, at all. The entire experience was fantastic. Even down to the really creepy witch that was walking around Knockturn Alley (she did a really good job.)  The entire experience was fantastic. Just so fantastic.

They had wonderful shows, singers, and most of the important stores in the book were open for business.  The butterbeer, oh the butterbeer. My boyfriend had 4 cups of it all and all before we left.  Personally, I do not like it all that much, but that's because I do not butterscotch.  But wonderful presentation and fairly priced.

Dragon's Scale: But they did have beer! And it was their own micro-brew, which is pretty damn awesome.  The beer itself tasted like Newcastle, but it was very, very good.  It had a hoppy flavor but it was not overly hoppy to the point where you really didn't want to drink it due to the heat. Two 20 ounce beers cost us $16, which really is not a terrible price, especially seeing as we were in the middle of a Theme Park.  Very good beer that gave me a little buzz because I drank it on an empty stomach. xD

The Leaky Cauldron:  Spoiler Alert, I almost cried when we walked in.  With the Wizarding World of Harry Potter vacation package we bought (here), we received a voucher for a breakfast in The Leaky Cauldron.  All and all, it was a $40 dollar value well freaking spent.  The food was fantastic.  Out of 5 choices for breakfasts, not many were "vegetarian" friendly, and with the style of restaurant it is (walk up, choose, be seated, and they bring you the food which is already cooked and ready to be served) there was no availability for substitutions.  After we ordered, the took our voucher tickets, directed us to be seated, and we were, very quickly.  Our reservation was at 9:00 am and we got there 15 minutes early. We were seated before our reservation time was even close. But they weren't very strict about that at this location.

Our hostess took us to our table with the "9" Candle Stick pictured below. How adorable, right? I had the Pancake Breakfast, because I was feelin' some fluffy goodness, and my boyfriend ordered the Traditional Breakfast.  The amount of food that came out on my boyfriend's plate made me jealous that I didn't eat meat. He said his breakfast was fantastic, and my pancakes were pretty good, too. The star of the show, however, were the breakfast potatoes. I probably could have just eaten my weight in those and been perfectly fine.  So delicious.

Escape From Gringotts: Another flawless execution, although it did make me sick to my tummy (but the 3D rides just are not for me.)  I nearly cried while I was on the ride from excitement. The filmed "extra" scenes were great.  Some really powerful characters from the series came out and filmed scenes that were not directly related to the movie, but were directly related... if that makes sense.  With the early park admission we got with our Vacation Package, I was able to get on this ride without a wait time (actually, we were able to get on most rides without long wait times, which was fantastic.) Overall, great ride, and a great experience. If I was a child, I would have been in tears with the amount of excitement I had.

The Stores and Ollivander's Wand Shop: There is definitely not enough room in these shops to accommodate a large amount of people. But from pushing and shoving our way through, we were able to get through and look at all of the wonderful "shops" (aka: gift shops) that were open.  The best part about it was, the wands (non-interactive) were not too expensive at all! My boyfriend and I stuck with the non-interactive versions of the wands because well.. they were actual collectable, heavy, durable, and not cheap plastic like the interactive wands.  We would never be able to use them outside of the park, so we went collectable.  But the interactive parts in the park were very cool.  We watched quite the few children and quite the few adults use their wands to make water spit out of places, feathers rise, balls rise, etc. It was very well done by the.

The Rest of the Park: Eh.... Mediocre. Some of the rides were a bit dated and most of them were 3D, which made us sick to our stomachs. But overall it was decent. I was just really there for the Harry Potter Portion.


I'll have to do these in two different reviews. :) Well, ya know, I don't have to. But I'm a blogger and I'm going to.

What a LOVELY day for a BLOG AWARD.

Get it? ;) Get it?! Clever..

It's a pretty nice day today. It was a little chilly, but I logged on to my Blogger (after a few days of vacation *post coming soon*) to the wonderful Nikki @ Fashion.Beauty.Love. including me in a nomination for the One Lovely Blog Award.  I'm new to this whole world, so this is sort of exciting to me (and when I say sort of, I mean a lot.) So here goes nothing!

Rules of The Award. 

1. Thank the person who nominated you and include a link to their blog.

2. List the rules and display the award.

3. Add 7 facts about yourself.

4. Nominate 15 other bloggers.

5. Follow on blogger (or bloglovin if you're not on Blogger!) the person who nominated you.

7 Deadly Facts 

1. I graduated high school at age 17, college at age 20, and will graduate at age 23 with my Master's in Business Admin. 
2. I wear makeup only once a week, on average and only started wearing make up in general this year. 
3. I have 6 brothers. I am the baby and the only girl-child that lived in my household.
4. Blue is my favorite color. Of all time. 
5. I almost cried when I was in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, because I was so excited to be there.
6. I do not want children.
7. Sometimes I wish I could have went to school for digital and graphic design, or video game animation. 

15 Wonderful Blogging Babes

Now, I feel as if I do frequent many of these blogs, but I do not typically comment. Some a new to me and I wanted to establish a relationship with some new people. So, without further adieu: 

1. Hannah at TallGirl97
2. Amy Marshment at Amy E Marshment
3. Merel at It's Fashionx
4. Sally at The Human Mannequin
5. Brittany Ting at A Faith in Fashion
6. Kelly Ross at Endlessly Exploring
7. Janine Harris at Janine Harris
8. Emily Harrison at Drained Beauty
9.  Abigail Johns at Travels, Trainers & Tea
10. Gemma at Gemstone 
11. Ashley Van Slyke at Simple Makeup Junkie
12. Lu Orcheston-Findlay at Backbone
13. Kelly Hussey at The Fashion Inspo
14. Jen Marie at Jenmarier
15. Nicola Marleen at Morning Elegance

If you're not on Blogger, and are on another platform, feel free to add me on Google +, Twitter, Bloglovin, etc.! I'm already following all of you on BlogLovin. :) 

You wonderful ladies have some very natural writing talents and wonderful eyes for fashion, make up, style, etc. 

What Should I do Next?

The question that almost every person asks themselves. Constantly, throughout life, the next big step is always contemplated. Shoot, even the little steps are contemplated. What should I do next? 

For me, it's what do I plan to do next with this blog. Where do I want to take it? How do I want to continue? What do I write about to keep people engaged? There comes a time where you can't just write about your life and you need to write more engaging and more traffic driven posts, sad but true. 

I've been asking myself this for a while. I just recently gained over 100 followers on my BlogLovin account! :) It's not too terribly much, but I'm fairly excited about it.  22, on the way to a Master's degree in Business and Marketing, and between schooling and work, I find time to write randomness on a blog that I'm not sure if many people read.  I know that I have not put as much time into the actual writing and planning of this blog, but I really do not have the time to do such a thing.  With work 40 hours a week and schooling just about the same, I don't find enough time. That's an excuse, a good one, but an excuse none-the-less. 

I think I have a plan. 

I've been toying with the idea of officially writing down the stories that I play out in my head before I finally am able to fall asleep at night.  As I wrote that, I realized how weird that may have sounded to some people... So please, let me clarify. I have a mind that almost never shuts down. I can easily lay in bed all night and think. Whether it was about stupid things or somehow managing to work myself up into a fit because I was worrying too much, I suffered for many years of not being able to sleep. But just like I found ways around (to deal with) my social and nervous anxiety, I found a way around the "restless mind" at night. A few years ago, I found a way that set my mind at easy and actually put me to sleep. 

Some people count sheep, I craft a mental movie including characters, scene settings, dialogue, etc., to lull myself into slumber. I've heard other people do this too, or at least a few, so I know I'm not a total freakizoid.  

Although there have been many different story lines over many different years, I always come back to the same story, with the same characters, and never make it to an ending (I always fall asleep before I can make it to an ending!)  I've written short stories before, some were very dark back in my high school years, with my then best friend; I actually still have those stories saved.  She was always the better writer, but I think I can take what I've learned over the past few years and craft a story line that I can release on my blog. 

I'm not going to say what the overall premise of the story is yet, because I'm a prude and I don't want someone to steal my ideas. But it is also because there would be a large time gap between either now and when I start writing, or now and when I'll write the first few "chapters." I've been thinking about doing some during school breaks, like winter and summer, but we'll see how it goes. I'll never forgot the story line.

It's been years, and always the same story line. 

A Whole New World - That I Never Imagined Possible.

Oh so much! So much has changed.


After losing my last job and finding another, it is quite astounding how much happier I am. It's a world that I never would have imagined existed. I knew I was miserable, but I wasn't exactly sure how miserable that was. I didn't want to get up in the morning to go to work, I didn't want to be around the people I worked with (with the exception of a few people), and I didn't want to interact with anyone. Do not get me wrong, I made some pretty good friendships. I also found out a lot about myself, how I will never run a company, and about what types of people I do not enjoy spending time with.  But sadly my mood was very synonymous with the depression of which I used to suffer.

I wasn't aware that companies could run in any different manner.  I thought all companies were going to be the same.  At one point, I was told that if I was in the business of getting recognition for my accomplishments, I was in the wrong job.  And clearly I was. I'm not sure how that mentality could have been presented to an entire department in a company. Yes, if you're in sales you are the ones "bringing in the money," but without a back office to complete their work, you're company is worthless. With value spread so thinly in certain departments, it's not surprising to me when people leave.

It took months and months of searching, multiple interviews, several times being turned down, a lot of headache, and then a call from a wonderful recruiter, to find the life changing moment that added to the happiness I found outside of work.

5 Reason Why I'm Glad I Got "Fired" 

So let's get this straight, first. I told my boss I was interviewing for a new job and was let go.  I did not put in a notice. So technically I was fired.  Of course it was on good terms and I'm still eligible for re-hire, but I would not go back. Like I said, I'm beyond happy with my life now and it's only been a month since the last day of my employment. I had dinner with my Grandma the night before last and she stated she could tell there was a weight lifted from my shoulders. That's how stressed I was.

1. I'm Treated Like an Actual Employee Now

Crazy, right? To be valued as an employee, even if you're in the "operations department?" Treating someone like an actual employee rather than a pee-on? With my last job, even though I had been an employee for nearly 3 years, I was a perpetual intern with no possible room for growth (or at least, that's what it seemed like.)  Multiple promises and nothing with a follow through. I watched a position that was promised to me, given to someone else -- that hurt.

I'm sure that if I had been or showed interest in being a sales person, I would have been bumped up into a "recruiting" role. But some people don't show interest in that, and it's unfathomable to think that just because a person doesn't want that track that they treat them lesser.

2.  I'm No Longer Bored 

Even though it was rough to sit at home alone, with my cat, for a few weeks while on unemployment between jobs, I was able to actually do productive activities.  I was able to do school work, rather than sitting at work doing almost nothing during the day. I did ask for more work, yet randomly there was nothing that I could do.  In my new job, I have not had a boring day, yet.

3. I Don't Have to Cater to Children 

Adult children, at that.  People who feel like you are literally in their lives to do nothing but cater to their needs. Yes, I dealt with that, and I know that once I open my own business, that shit will be nixed out very quickly.  Everyone has a job to do and everyone needs to do their jobs.

4. I'm Actually Doing Something Productive Toward the Future

If you know me, you know how badly I want to be in the marketing and design fields.  With my new job, I'm doing just that. Gaining so much exposure to different aspects of a field about which I am passionate.  It's.... wonderful.

5. The Stress Reduction is Fantastic. 

I cannot tell you why or how I became so stressed with my last job, but it played over into my personal life. I could not leave work at work because work made me hate people.  I could see values slowly slipping away that I had before I started my job. It was... terribly.


Now, I won't say everything was bad. I learned a lot, I gained experience while I was still in school which helped me into my graduate program, and I met my best friend. I will never run my future company in the manner that this company was run, and I know that for a fact.

I've Got Make Up Questions! 

Ladies, or gentlemen, I've got some questions. I know that I follow quite a few different make up and beauty bloggers (and I hope they follow me, as well.) I am pretty much a noobie at make up. I've got just about no experience with make up other than Bare Minerals, and they made me have terrible acne. BUT! I've got some questions. 

With my new job, I feel like I want to be a bit more professional, and that includes make up! 

1. How do I cover pimples? And what products/brands would you recommend? 
2. I want a foundation that isn't heavy and that won't make me look scaley! What would you recommend? 

We Need Travel Tunes!

With the 9 hour travel to Wizarding World of Harry Potter only A WEEK AWAY, we're in the market for some good traveling tunes.  We're open to pretty much any kind of music, but we're not sure what the best music for road tripping is! What are some of the tunes you listen to while on the drive?  :) 

It's Almost Halloween

And like normal people, we carved pumpkins. I'm not going to picture my boyfriend's because well... it was a disaster. But here is mine. It was my first attempt at scraping the skin of a pumpkin rather than actually carving all the way through. I think Simba turned out pretty well. :) 

What Women Want - Or At Least, This Woman

I've been reading quite a few articles/blog postings/hateful trash recently from many different facets.  Make-up, healthy living, music, entertainment, and recently, a lot of what has been going around my Facebook news feed: What Women Want.

Firstly, I do not think you can simply write a list of things that will fit every single one person/reader that is attentive to your blog/websites.  I've read many articles, many from the good ole Huffington Post, and I'm not entirely sure how I feel about them.  I'm also not entirely certain how I feel about most of the writers who work with Huff Post. In all honesty, I find the mass amount of these articles offending! I'm not sure how the women who write and read these articles can agree and see themselves in the light that authors write them in, but if that's how they feel then sure.  I suppose that is a generational thing, but many of these articles are extremely sexist.  Surprisingly, there are more written by men than you would assume.

After the Jeopardy column a few weeks ago (which I was pretty disappointed about, read here [yes I realize it's a Huff Post article]), I couldn't help but write something like this.

So here it goes: What Women REALLY want. Or at least, what this woman wants.  These are in no particular order. All play an equal part, in my happiness, at least. It's really all about Maslow and his Hierarchy. Just like men, women want the world, that's why there is such a power struggle. And that power struggle shouldn't really be, but it is.

1. A Loving Relationship

Regardless of if it is with a man, a woman, food, herself, or her animal (not sexually, you nasty), a woman wants to be loved. But that is nothing different than what any other person wants. Women, men, transgender, etc. all want to be loved, deep down.  And if a women is in love, she doesn't want to hear what you have to think. Regardless of whom a women loves, she doesn't really want your input into their/her relationship. Unless of course you are her mother. Then she has to listen.

And if she doesn't want to be in a relationship, leave her alone. It's absolutely fine for a woman to be in love with herself or her career and not be interested in a long term commitment with another being. IT'S ACCEPTABLE and leave her alone.

2. Self-Worth

This is a really difficult category.  Self-worth comes in many ways, and many of those ways are stated below. But woman really do want to love the way they look, feel, and their understanding of their body, mind, and soul.  Equal alignment of the three is a great way in which a woman (or man) can gain self-worth.  Naturally, this is one of the hardest portions of personal acceptableness that a person can come along.

3. Equality

You should have already realized that I've mentioned she AND he in this article. If you had not, I just told you.  And there is a reason. Most woman want to be seen as EQUAL to every counterpart that they run into. From work to personal relationships, women in this day and age want to be see as an equal counterpart.  Yes there are the outer rim that don't feel this is necessary, but I am damn sure not one of those people.

Women and men, alike, should all have the same abilities in life.  But this does not stop at jobs and pay.  I feel that men and women should be held to the same accountability in all of their life decisions and choices, but that's a completely different subject.

4. A Rewarding Career

And it's not just the 9 to 5 type of jobs of which I'm speaking.  If a woman, or man, wants to be a stay at home mother/father, and that's rewarding to that person, then leave them alone about it. If that's how someone feels most rewarded, then that's the career that is meant for them.  If someone is able to provide the love and life that a child needs and gains great personal reward from that, then that's a career.

But on the flip side, if a woman or man doesn't want children and puts their heart and sole into the career for which they are passionate, then that's perfectly okay too.  I'm in this category and I could not feel more rewarded after coming home from a day's work.

5. A Friendship That Will Last the Ages

Moms, best friends, girl friends, or boy friends, woman really do want that person or those people who will be there with them throughout the years.  Friendship can add fun and passion to a woman's life (or at least it does to mine) and boyfriends/girlfriends can be that friend.  The joy a person can gain from friendship is like no other. It's like the love of an animal, but from a person that can actually speak human back to you. I mean, that's kinda cool.

6. Independence

From men, from the world, from her mind, from her family (financially), women want to be free.  If she wants to run around naked, she wants to be free to do it. Free to make her own decisions and free to do as she pleases. If she wants to plant a garden in the back yard, she's going to do it. If she wants to build a car, she's going to do that, too. Being held down isn't cool, man.

7. To Contribute 

Financially, physically, emotionally, and mentally, she wants to provide whatever it is that she can.  And she REALLY doesn't want to be put down and made fun of because she isn't able to contribute as much as someone else.  Whether it's a friendship or relationship, but wants to contribute.  Some women, if they're like me, might even dislike the fact that she's not able to contribute as much and will push herself or attempt to grow in order to do so.


And Sure, we do love a good pair of jeans, thanks Jeopardy. But who doesn't? Men love jeans, too. Don't get me wrong, this isn't ALL women want. These are just 7 things that I could think of off the top of my head.

I don't know about all women, but I do know about my friends and myself. Many of us fit into these few things.

An Ode to The Uterus

I.

Will.

End.

You.

Cramps and the Skyla IUD 

To all of the women out there that suffer from cramps on a monthly basis, I am sorry.  For the universe to have cursed you wonderful individuals with what seems like a tiger fit inside your body each month is beyond me. Last night I had my first tumble with my uterus singing the demonic hymns of its people.  After recently making a switch from normal pill birth control to Bayer's Skyla IUD, I've experienced minor cramping each month.  On pill BC, I had no issues. It was a simple, summer breeze each month, as long as I remembered to take the pill. But that's the reason I switched. And now... I really want to switch back. 

For someone thinking about an IUD, here is how mine has gone: implantation hurt like a bitch, no periods, minimal spotting, but my uterus has decided it wants to come unglued each month to murder the organs that are within any proximity to it.  At this point, I will not be getting another and I'm dreading having this one taken out. If next month I'm lying in bed, crying because I don't want to move and Icy Hot is my old friend, then I will be getting it removed (as scary of a thought as that is.) 

Information you're probably looking for: 

• I did not gain any weight after Skyla was implanted.
• My appetite did not change.
• The implantation was difficult. It hurt pretty badly, but it was over quite quickly. My doctor told me I'd be able to do it on a  lunch break, but that was not the case.  I was very faint and extremely lightheaded for the rest of the day. 
• The spotting was not a lot, surprisingly. Small pads were enough to handle it. 
• I haven't had a true period since I got it put in 5 months ago. 
• The cramping I've started to experience after getting off of birth control is pretty much unbearable. But I had never experienced cramps before or during birth control. 
• I have not experienced any cysts on my ovaries. I had one rupture when I was younger, so I would know if I did have one or not!
• No PID or life-threatening infections. 

Skyla IUD image sourced from Bayer Press Release 

Some Women Really Don't Want Babies

This brings me to an issue I was pondering while trying to sooth the beast that is my uterus. If by the time you're in a respectable place in your life (and that's up to the discretion of the individual) and you KNOW for a fact that you do not want children, why can other more permanent options of birth control not be undergone?  You can ask my mom. I've been asking why I'm not able to get my "tubes tied" since the age of 16. Babies were just never on my bucket list. 

And for some reason, this concept just seems very... unfamiliar or unnatural to some people. Just because I do not want to squeeze an alien spawn that has sucked my life force for the past 10 months out of one of the smallest openings on my body, and then care for it for another 18 - 25 years (depending on how it.. ya know.. grows) doesn't mean that I'm a bad person. It's my prerogative.  If I want to be sterilized, then I should be able to be. That might be a little extreme, but if a woman knows, deep down, that she will never want children, then why should she be unable to undergo a surgery in order to prevent that. 

I know these surgeries are dangerous and typically done when there is a large medical need.  Personally, I think children are a large medical need, and not wanting to produce one is, as well.  But doctors probably don't see it that same way. 

Not only that, but maily LEAVE WOMEN ALONE. If they do not want children and they are choosing to live a different life, LEAVE THEM ALONE. Don't tell them things like "You'll want one when you're older" or "it's a woman's right to have a child." That's nice, it's also my right to not have a child.  I have my own opinions and I have my own rights and just because they are the opposite of the status quo, doesn't mean they are wrong. It simply means I and other women alike have chosen a different life path than you and deserve the same sort of respect given to them as they give to you. Sure, I don't understand children and the want to have them, but I don't down people for having them. If another individual wants to be a mother/father, then that is their choice and they are going to make it. 

Stop telling me I'll regret it when I'm older. Just like my tattoos, I will regret nothing I have or have not done.  I am no feminist. People have very terrible/negative association with that word.  I'm a person who wants equality for every being on the planet. In every way possible. Not just for equal pay, but equal rights in every single thing that an individual chooses to do.

A Side Note on He For She 

This post is sort of women-empowerment in my sense of the word.  So there is a place for me to mention the UN speech that Emma Watson made for her He For She campaign.  I nearly cried. Actually, I believe I did cry.  Not only do I think she's a fantastic woman and very smart, I think that what she has partnered with has made her even more fantastic. The UN Women and their He For She campaign is great. I do see the flaws, but I do see what good it is trying to make.

This next video, I saw on Facebook after watching the Emma Watson speech, and nearly cried again. It's so good to see that so many people, in the new generation, want so much more for everyone around them. 

Updates - updates everywhere!

Oh, how can one person not be as excited as I am with so much going on in life?!

MBA Update 

Firstly, I did fail that Accounting exam. :( But with a 12 point curve (clearly I wasn't the only one that did terribly), I was about to pass with a C. It looks like I'm living by the "B's & C's get degrees" with this course. As long as I remain about a 3.0 GPA by graduation, I should be good to go. I know that I will have that, easily. :) -brag,brag,brag-  I'll just have to devote much more of my time to studying for the next exam... Because that's fun.

Get Her to The Wheel - I'll be Reaching Out More

With a following starting to gain on social media sites, I'm going to reach out to a different non-profit/local charity to see if they are accepting of me using their likeness. The one non-profit I reached out to has not gotten back to me, and sadly but fortunately I'd like to get something chosen soon so we can all start raising funds! :) 

Please make sure to follow the pages below so that you can stay up-to-date on the progress. 

Facebook: Search: Get Her to the Wheel. (I cannot get a personal URL until 25 fans. :()

Twitter: Personal Twitter I'll be using for now

Instagram: @gethertothewheel / Get Her to the Wheel Instagram

Wizarding World of Harry Potter 

With Harry Potter World under a month away, I don't think that I could be any more excited!  We've got a breakfast planned at both The 3 Broomsticks and the Leaky Cauldron.  Dinners and lunches will more than likely be sandwiches and chips so that we can save some money! Since flights are undeniably expensive, we're going to be driving down to Florida.  That itself will save us quite a bit of money, not only on the cost of the flights, but the shuttle and taxi fees if we wanted to get anywhere other than the hotel.  I'm going to be buying a fanny pack. My boyfriend laughs at me when I tell him, but I need somewhere to put my phone and camera in order to take pictures and make sure all of our tickets/electronics/etc. don't get lost or wet! 

Would anyone recommend making a plan of action for the days we'll be in the park? We have early park admission to one of the Harry Potter parks, so I know we'll be hitting the rides in that park before our breakfast, but what about the other parks? If you've been to Harry Potter World, how long does it take in that one section of the park? 

Update on the Body Process 

I'm sure you can tell from my face on the right, I am not happy (the right is the newest)! Although there is a difference in the two pictures, I am NOT in an way sitting where I want to be. But I can definitely contest to not putting in the amount of effort that is required. I thought being unemployed was going to make me want to get up during the day and run; well, that didn't happen. 

I am setting today as the last day of my laziness. I'm actually not going to give up this time; yes, I do very much so love cheese, but I'm not going to allow myself more than a handful of it a week! By the time Harry Potter World comes, I plan on being down to none.  Cheese is the death of my diet (on top of Taco Bell!) Today was my last day of Taco Bell and my last day of cheese. For now, I'll be back on the Natalie Jill Vegan/Vegetarian Kickstarter Meal Plan hoping to shed those last few pounds. 

Lifestyle Choices - 10 Tips on How to Become Vegetarian

Trust me. People think that becoming a vegetarian or vegan is easy. Some people who have been vegan/vegetarian for quite some time forget that it is a completely different lifestyle for individuals to choose.  After eating meat for (literally) an entire life time, it can be difficult to cut out all meat/animal products in one fail swoop.  Although different situations will contribute to the ease of the transition, it is a transition and a break of an old habit.

Personally, it was not difficult for me to drop the habit. It was, in all honesty, a rebellion move when I was 13.  My mother thought it was just going to be a phase and let me not eat the meat that was cooked for dinner every night, or every other night.  After nearly 10 years, you'd hope that she knows it's not a phase any longer (just kidding, Mom, I know you know it's not just a phase. ;))! Naturally, as I have grown, the reasons behind my non-meat eating habits have, as well.

Whether you do not like the taste of meat or you want to live a  more "cruelty free" lifestyle, switching to a vegan/vegetarian lifestyle can be difficult. Although rewarding (and after 10 years I can assure you it is rewarding) it can be difficult to cold-turkey meat. No pun intended (okay, a little pun intended.) The steps below are an aggregate of what I've seen through many other individuals transitions to and from vegetarianism and from personal experience on my longtime journey.

1. Establish a Reasoning. 

Whether you do not like the taste of meats (my initial reasoning along with the rebellion) or you want to live a less cruel or cruelty-free lifestyle (see http://www.gocrueltyfree.org/ for more info on the entire cruelty-free movement), establishment of a reasoning is a large factor in a lifestyle change.  Having reasoning behind a goal gives a person more effort and pride in the actual goal itself.

2. Secondly, Don't Give Up.  

Even if those Chicken "fingers" or "nuggets" look delicious, you have to know that you're on a mission and that mission is to become (insert your reasoning/mission here.) I cannot attest for the deliciousness of meat items, but I do know that most people assume they could "never be vegan/vegetarian because meat tastes so good."  It really doesn't. It's pretty disgusting, but that's just my personal opinion.

3. It Doesn't Hurt to Take It Slow. 

Don't try to go cold-turkey if you've been eating meat for your entire life. Not only will it be difficult, but your body needs time to adjust to the change. Do one type of meat at a time. Chicken out one week, or start with beef, whatever type you do not eat the most. Knock that one out and move forward. Even take 2 types out at once, that's okay. If you want to go cold-turkey, that's cool, but it may be harder. 

4. Test Meat-Alternative Products. 

There are a TON on the market. Some that are GMO-free (which I would recommend), some that are made by large brands in the market (Like Morning Star), and some I've honestly never heard of.  Women need to remember the increase in estrogen can be difficult on the body or cause different diseases, but this should not detour you from attempting and succeeding at vegan/vegetarianism.  Soy products are a great, great way to get protein.

5. Don't Forget About the Protein

And don't think that just because you're not going to be eating meat that you're not going to get enough protein. If you think that's the case, it's not.  The meat-alternative products offer a LARGE amount of protein as they are typically made of soy. Beans, legumes, and some vegetables offer a large amount of proteins.  Here's a list of protein sources that you could consider if you did not want to eat a lot of soy: Protein list.

6. Don't Rely on Pasta and Cheese! 

I did this for a very, very long time. DO NOT think that vegetarians and vegans do not gain weight. That is an absolute lie. Personally, I gained a large amount of weight during my undergraduate college years. I got up to my heaviest (155) by only eating Mac'n'Cheese and burritos. At the time, I loved it. I mean... I love Mac'N'Cheese and beans. But I gained a lot of weight. A varied diet, that actually includes vegetables and varied beans/legumes is a solid foundation. Start it from the beginning. For those going vegan, not eating cheese and pasta will be quite simple. For those who are choosing a vegetarian route, remember, wheat and cheese can make you bloat.

7. Choose Fresh Over Canned.

Yeah, yeah. I know that's a little stretched, but fresh foods are much better than processed foods.

8. Don't Give In to the Dreams. 

Dreams, they suck sometimes. And when you're attempting to go through a lifestyle change, your subconscious is going to screw with you! You have been accustom to meat, as has your subconscious.  Vegans and Vegetarians alike have dreamt, oh have the dreamt, of meat items. My personal meat-dream? Arby's Roast Beef sandwich. After 10 years, I still have the dream. Different every time, but always, always an Arby's Roast Beef Sandwich.  Ignore them! They are only dreams!

9. The Vitamins. 

Yes, it is true. Vegetables and fruits give you an awesome amount of vitamins! But just like every other website is going to tell you, I'm going to tell you to make sure you have sufficient B12 intake. If you don't think you're getting enough of it through the vegetables you're eating (which at one point I wasn't), make sure that you're supplementing it. Pay attention to the capsules and that they aren't made of Gelatin. A lot of the bottles will tell you if the capsules are vegetarian! B12 is essential for nerves, and you don't want to gain nerve damage with your lifestyle change. Just add it in to your morning routine and you'll do fine!

10. Eating Out.

Please, please don't think that you will never have an option to eat out. Even at Fast Food places, there are salads. I lived off of Burger King for a long time. They actually serve Morning Star vegetarian burgers, and you can make it a meal. :) Taco Bell is also fantastic.  But also, the amount of restaurants that either are or cater to Vegans/Vegetarians are growing, even in the South. Depending on where you are, a simple search in Google will give you a long list of places to eat that will allow you to actually eat. I know this, because my boyfriend did it for our first date and found a great restaurant at which we ate. Don't think that just because you're at a restaurant that you have to eat meat.


There is no doubt that you will feel healthier in your body.  Without meat sitting in your gut for up to 7 days, you'll be functioning fantastically (aka: You'll poo wonderfully.)

If you're in it for the right reasons (ANY reason is the right reason), it will eventually become simple for you to cut out the meat. With your end goal in mind of becoming and living healthier (or whatever your goal may be) to keep you on track, you'll be able to overcome any of the obstacles that present themselves.  Just make sure to phase and maintain. Don't backslide!

Get Her to the Wheel - Non-profit Has Been Reached Out To

Thank you to everyone who has expressed support in the campaign! So far, we're at 15 followers on Facebook and quite a few more followers on Instagram.  Yesterday, I reached out to a local non-profit to see if they were alright with me using their likeness and supporting them through this effort.  I really recommend this non-profit for the work that they are doing for the animals in the Raleigh/Durham/Franklin and Orange county areas.  They are wonderful!

I am hoping that someone reaches back out to me soon so that I can set up a Kickstarter or GoFundMe to start raising some funds and getting more traction.  I want to be able to raise some money for the charity or the non-profit that allows me to support them, just in case the effort to get to Wheel of Fortune does not work out.  I want to make this successful and gain some funding for a non-profit that does a lot of good in the local community.

Facebook: Search: Get Her to the Wheel. (I cannot get a personal URL until 25 fans. :()
Twitter: Personal Twitter I'll be using for now
Instagram: @gethertothewheel / Get Her to the Wheel Instagram

I'll Be Starting a Social Campaign - Get Her to the Wheel

For a very, very long time, I have wanted one very random, and very off-the-wall experience: to play on Wheel of Fortune.  I've applied many times and never heard back. I've always missed the Wheelmobile. It's just simply something that I'd like to do before life gets busy and I get too old, but you're never too old to Wheel!  Wheel of Fortune is something that I share with just about every member of my family. From my father's side of the family, to my mommy's side of the family, even with my boyfriend, I've watched this show and experienced others winnings and feelings with many of them.

With odds like 1,000,000 people applying and only 600 people getting on the show, I wanted to attempt a different route to gain attention of the Wheel of Fortune members! I will be starting a campaign called: Get Her to the Wheel. I'm spanning it over all social media! I'm creating it's own Instagram page, possibly it's own Twitter Page, and definitely it's own Facebook page. You can follow those pages below and help out all you can! Share it to your friends, post it to the Wheel of Fortune wall, tag +wheeloffortune / @wheeloffortune on Twitter, and use #wheel on Instagram!

I'm not doing this completely for personal gain. I've decided that if I do make it onto the show, half of the winnings I get will go to a local charity.

Another reason I'm doing this is to see if some of the social media skills I've gained can actually be put to good use. :) I need your help though! Help me by sharing pictures I post, liking the Facebook/Instagram/My Twitter below and share the mess out of that stuff!

Facebook: Search: Get Her to the Wheel. (I cannot get a personal URL until 25 fans. :()

Twitter: Personal Twitter I'll be using for now

Instagram: @gethertothewheel / Get Her to the Wheel Instagram

We can do this! I believe is you and me and everything. There is potential I will be starting a Kickstarter/GoFundMe to support the foundation that I choose. I will need to do some solid research to see which charity I'd like to support!

A New Job, Some DIY, and HARRY POTTER WORLD!

I've been a crazy past few weeks, to say the least.  I'd like to apologize for being gone for so long!  I've went through a career transition and some hard times recently, and I just haven't set aside the time I need in order to make some worthy postings on this site (I've started many, but never finished.)

But that's no excuse. School is in (pretty sure I just failed an Accounting test, sigh), I have been searching for a new job, and I'm trying to not go crazy.  I received a verbal offer of employment/contingent offer of employment from a company last Friday, so things are looking up in that aspect. I only have to: get a scanner in order to send back paperwork (possibly a complete new printer), purchase a new journal and planner to keep myself organized, and research some new marketing techniques in order to come in swinging when I start!  This position is completely in line with my marketing aspirations and I'm super excited! I had an interview last Friday, with North Carolina State University, that I'm waiting to hear from, but I'm glad I've found a new job that I can call home. I'm super excited to learn new things and expand my knowledge in a field that I love! (Plus, I'm making quite a bit more monies.)

Although it was bittersweet to leave my last job (well.. I got told to leave, essentially), I am very excited to move on. There was nothing at my last job to keep me, nothing else to learn, and I no longer agreed with the values that were present. The company's values were no longer in line with what I valued in a company, a job, and in my personal life. I did not want to wake up each morning to go to work, I was bored each day, and all I wanted to do was go home and sleep when I was at work. In order to become happy and challenge myself with a new career path, I started to interview with other companies.  Once I informed management, I was "let go." This is an extremely big time for me, because this is the first time I've ever "changed jobs" and became unemployed. It's a big move and I'm very scared, but here are five things I've done to keep my head from exploding while looking for jobs:

• 1) Apply for unemployment -- if you're applicable. This will be a big help getting through the weeks from now until my actual start date with my new company. 
• 2) Take a day to sleep in -- If you don't have a job any longer, take a day or two on your first week out to enjoy it. I have an issue with slowing and settling down to do nothing, but sometimes, and this is a case of it, you have to take a moment and enjoy a day or two. Who knows when the next time is you'll have a week off? I'm calling it a week off because even if unemployment is a low amount, it's helping you get by (if you're applicable.) 
• 3) Don't hesitate to talk to recruiters/head-hunters -- I worked at a recruiting firm in my last employment, and it really is not a bad thing. There are head-hunters and their are recruiting firms that you apply to.  Don't get caught up in the "head-hunter-esque" mentality that these people are here to only make a commission. Recruiters mostly do get paid off of commissions, but the only way they get those commissions is if they find you a job. You're their customer, and you can say no if you do not like a job. Just like police officers, they are here to serve you (and their end client.) 
• 4) It might not be a bad time to look into more education -- If you've wanted to pursue that.  Education can not only be expensive, but very time consuming. If you have dreamed or desired to continue learning, and no longer have a job (for one reason or another), it could be a plausible time to look into further/updated education. There are many different ways to fund school; I'm doing it through Loans through the federal government and scholarships through school. 
• 5) Get Productive -- I know there are things on my to do list that have been sitting around not getting done because after school and work, I don't want to do anything. Well now that I'm between jobs, I'm doing them, and I'm getting them done.  Even so little as to organize my closet. 
• 6) Oh and a bonus 6th: Practice interview questions. -- It isn't because I'm still "new" to interviewing that I recommend this. I wanted to sound prepared but not rehearsed, and practicing was honestly a good way to go about understand the ins and outs of answers and questions that may come your way. If you have not been on the job hunt for quite some time, you may not be accustomed to the new interview questions or talking about yourself in manner conducive to employment. Study up and practice hard. Being prepared is NEVER a bad thing.

On another note: 

I have been doing a LOT of DIY projects recently. I've actually marked just about everyone off of my Christmas list through DIY, so that I didn't want until the last second like normal, scrambling to find funds for the perfect gifts for everyone.  So sadly, as of right now I cannot show what these DIY projects are, but after the X-Mas holiday, I'm going to have so many posts it's not even going to be funny!  I've worked on a few things that are personal, and I'll have to get pictures of them.  But stay tuned for what I plan on doing with these wonders beauties below, later this week. :) I'm super excited about them. My boyfriend is bringing 2 small window frames home from work for me, and I think I already know what I want them to be and how I want them to look! (Really glad I have two weeks off before my next job starts. :)) Stay tuned for a DIY Window Frame posting coming soon!  I really hope that some of the supplies I bought are going to do what I am aiming for. :x

Okay, Now I Have a Question For You

My Boyfriend and I are going to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando, Florida in just over a month. If you don't know, I'm a super fan of Harry Potter, books and movies, and I'm SUPER EXCITED to be going to the amusement park.  But I need some help figuring out what nightlife to hit, what rides to ride, and what restaurants we should head to (either in the park or outside.)  It's our 1 year anniversary of dating, so I might want to go out for a nice dinner one night, but don't know any good restaurants down there. :) Any ideas would help! 

An Updated Workout Picture

Many of you know I'm on a mission to get to around 18 - 20% body fat. I need to start running and doing more cardio in order to achieve that goal, but this picture from about 4 weeks back makes me very proud.  I couldn't commit to the Natalie Jill Fitness plan for Vegan/Vegetarians because well.. I lost commitment to the mission.  I'm back on it (other than not eating cheese... which is one of the main rules.)  Once the large batch of Mac'N'Cheese my boyfriend made for us is gone, I'll be back on it. I cannot sit and watch myself turn into a "stuffed sausage," as I refer to it. The picture above is were I'd like to progress past.