And Then We Started Living

noreply@blogger.com (Renay) — Thu, 11 Dec 2014 23:56:00 +0000

It has been forever since I've been around to blog here! Did you know that I am a business owner now and I blog over at PrettyMuchOnlineBlog.com now? It's certainly been a very eventful year. I'd love it if you would join me at my new blog.

One Little Word: Interabang

noreply@blogger.com (Renay) — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 16:00:00 +0000

My decision to use the word “Interabang” as one of my four little words for the year was not made on a whim. I put a lot of thought into what this year needed to be for me. This year needs to be incredible and I have a lot of huge goals to fill it with. My attitude toward this year is very positive, and my expectations are quite lofty. This year is going to reflect my soul 100% and there are no excuses. I needed a word that expressed the passion and fervor in which I plan to attack every aspect of my life. The moment I saw the word Interabang, I fell in love with it. As my list became smaller and smaller, the word continued to stand out, and as was the case with the other three words that I am also using, I just couldn’t imagine crossing it off.

The word Interabang consists of two parts: one part exclamation and one part inquisitive, one part exclamatory, and it embraces everything that is uniquely me. As an artist and designer, I am characteristically curious. I question everything from how things work to why people do the things that they do. At my best, I am immensely passionate about everything that I like to do and about my opinions on so many subjects. I smile; I laugh; I am opinionated as all hell! I strive to live boldly and intentionally. I struggle toward perfection no matter how short I fall and then I ask why I came short and how I can do better next time.

In the past few years, I have noticed a dramatic decline of the intensity in which I live my life. As I have struggled with weight problems related to thyroid issues, depression related to post-traumatic stress, and finding a balance between being financial stable and doing what I love, I have somehow lost touch with my curiosity and my passion. My intentions have remained, but the energy to complete anything has faded to a dim smolder. It pains me greatly when I compare the me that I was and still want to be to the me that I am now. This year I want all of that to change. My aspiration is to get back my passion and excitement for life, and Interabang radiates all of these expectations.

What are your words for this year? Do you have any themes or expectations for this year that you would like to share? I’d love to hear!

Stay tuned for more on my other three words. I will also be blogging more in depth about my plans for this upcoming year, some projects that I am planning, and a book review here shortly.

I hope you all enjoy your week! Loves!!!

One Little Word. Drumroll Please!

noreply@blogger.com (Renay) — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 11:30:00 +0000

I absolutely adore the One Little Word concept that has been floating around for several years now. I find that it is a way to focus my intentions for each year. In the past I have found it to be inspiring and useful, but have not really taken it as far as I could. This year is going to be different though. I’m making some changes with my one little word and along with those changes, I’m hoping to make this year way cooler!

As you probably know if you have been following my posts as of lately, I have been struggling with narrowing down my word. This year is going to be huge in so many ways and finding one little word to become the driving force of my year has been tough. I need my word to be a very powerful vehicle for my goals, intentions, ambitions, hopes, dreams, and expectations to all ride in throughout this New Year. The world is full of incredible words, but even as a lover of words, I cannot find one that speaks to me in every way that I need it to for this year. There are far too many aspects of life that are about to change, and far too many new beginnings to be had this year.

After thinking and thinking and thinking, I have come up with a plan for myself. This year I will not be using one little word. I know, this sounds mad, but we are all mad here! I have decided that instead of doing one little word this year, I will be doing four little words this year. Now I know that typically one little word is a focus word to meditate upon and narrow down your expectations for the year with. It is a word that continues to pop up throughout your year. I also know though that for the enormous year I have ahead, no matter how I look at it, one little word just won’t do.

2013 is going to be a very full year, and for that reason I have chosen 4 words that will be my driving force for the year. **Drumroll please** I have chosen Interabang, Meraki, Move, and Novaturient. I will be keeping each of these words very close to my heart through this year, and at certain points through the year I will focus more heavily on one or another. I think this is going to be the best way for me personally to make this year what I desire it to be.

Stay tuned for more on my one little word!

Hope your week starts out with a bang! Loves!!!

One Little Word: Still Narrowing

noreply@blogger.com (Renay) — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 15:00:00 +0000

I told you that I hoped to narrow my one little word down a bit more, and I really have been working on it. This has not been such a hard task in years past, but for some reason this year I am struggling a lot. I think it has a lot to do with my expectations for the year and the fact that I am starting to already feel overwhelmed. The good news is that I have gotten it narrowed down by a lot though!

Here is my current list:

1. Better- To a greater degree; more completely or thoroughly; more. To increase the good qualities of; improve upon; surpass; succeed.

2. Climb- to rise slowly by or as if by continued effort. To ascend or rise. To rise to a higher point or intensity.

3. Develop- To bring out the capabilities or possibilities of; bring to a more advanced or effective state. To cause to grow or expand. To bring into being or activity.

4. Evolution- Any process of formation or growth; development. A gradual development especially to a more complex form.

5. Interabang- A printed punctuation mark designed to combine the question mark and the exclamation point, indicating a mixture of query and interjection.

6. Meraki- Greek for doing something with soul, creativity, or love – when you put “something of yourself” into what you are doing, whatever it may be.

7. Move- To advance or progress. To change from one place or position to another. To prompt, actuate, or impel to some action. To arouse or excite the feelings or passions of; effect with emotion. An action toward an objective or goal. Busy; active.

8. Novaturient- Desiring or seeking powerful change in one’s life, behavior, or situation. Desiring changes or alterations.

Can you see where I am going with this? I am hoping for a year full of energy and motivation. I am hoping for a year where all I want is to act and do. I want a year of busyness, fun, and creativity. I want to inspire myself and keep moving forward no matter how tired I am. I want to push my limits this year!

I guess what I really need to do though is begin! I am starting to think that beginning might be the scariest part of my whole year. Once I've begun, I am inviting possibility into my life. With possibility comes so many things: the possibility to succeed, the possibility to fail, to stumble, to fall, to get going, to make things happen, to discover new things, to be happy, to be hurt...etc, etc.!

Alright, alright! No more excuses! It's time to get going. I will have my One Little Word tomorrow!

Loves!!!

Setting Goals for the Great Year Ahead

noreply@blogger.com (Renay) — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 09:39:00 +0000

I have found that setting goals is very important. In grade school I can remember setting three types of goals. We used to set monthly, quarterly, yearly, and lifetime goals. I remember thinking how silly the concept was and how goals didn't really matter. In fact, a lot of the time I would set goals that I thought the teachers would like and after that not give much thought to them at all. Looking back now, I think it was a really great exercise in life planning, and I no longer set goals that someone else will like, but I instead set goals that matter to me. This year will be no different.

My goals last year were not in the front of my mind as they should have been. I let myself get very distracted and unfocused. It was a very difficult year with Dakota leaving, struggling to learn how to manage on my own, stressing over school, and then deploying myself. I made a lot of excuses as to why achieving my goals was not important, and I put them on the back burner. Although I met some of them, I wish I had been more proactive in achieving more, if not all of them.

This year, I have decided that nobody can accomplish my goals for me. If I sit around and do nothing, this time next year I will again be disappointed with myself, and I will not get to enjoy a sense of accomplishment. I have decided to be proactive and begin the life I really imagine that I am capable of living. I am going to be proud of myself come January.

Here is a list my year long goals and projects that I want to achieve:

Grow my garden and be able to eat from it all summer and fall.
Continue my “What I did today” journal each day
Strive for no more than 23 hours of sedentary activity each day
Blog at least once per week
Embrace raw veganism again and continue the lifestyle. Be at least 90% raw
Work really hard to get birthday and holiday cards out on time
Learn a special dance for our wedding
Project life
Project 365
The Happiness Project
Art Journal each week
Make bread at least twice per month

Do you have any year long goals? Any resolutions that you would love to share? Leave me a comment and let me know what you are planning to do this year to make the year better than the last.

If we are not striving constantly to become better, then what are we doing? If you have not yet come up with any goals for the year but want to give it a try, I have some guidelines that can help you in setting goals that you can actually achieve. I find them to be really helpful for my own goals. Goals should be SMART! Specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely.

A specific goal will be more accomplish-able. It gives you a known direction to go and states exactly what you will accomplish, when you will accomplish it, and how. By setting a goal to weigh 175 pounds you will be more likely to achieve highly than if you only state that you want to get healthy or that you want to loose some weight. A measurable goal has certain criteria to tell you if and when you have accomplished it. With this goal you will know the exact point in which it has been accomplished. Reading more books would be an alright goal, but reading 10 books this year is a better goal. Attainable is fairly simple. Can you actually accomplish it? A goal to have a bachelor degree by the time you are 25 may not be accomplish-able if you are 24 and have not even begun school yet. A better goal would be to have a bachelor degree by the time you are 28 or maybe 29. A realistic goal should be something within your capabilities. If you don't know how to knit, you should not set a goal to knit 10 blankets this year. Instead make your goal to learn how to knit and make one blanket. Lastly, a timely goal will be easier to achieve as well. Set a goal and tell yourself when you want to accomplish it by. If you are setting a goal for the year, the time-frame you have to reach the goal is December 31.

Go ahead and give it a try. Let me know how it goes!

Begin Where You Are.

noreply@blogger.com (Renay) — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 15:00:00 +0000

Sometimes all we really need to do more than anything else is begin! We can set all the goals in the world, but until we decide to simply begin, nothing will happen. 2013 is going to be a year of beginning. I am planning to begin a lot of things this year, and I am hoping that the first step is what I need most to prove to myself that I can do so much more than I have done before.

This year I am working on a lot of personal goals. I have a lot of projects that I want to begin. Most importantly, Mr. Fantastic and I will begin our life together as a married couple. There is so much potential wrapped up with a pretty bow and presenting itself to me as 2013 begins, I just need to remind myself that I have the strength to do anything. I must step up to the plate and begin.

I have been doing a lot of thinking about years past and the current year ahead. I've noticed that although I always say I want to do this or that, I often fall short. It's okay to fall short, but I must continue to strive toward the goals that I set no matter how big or how small and no matter how daunting they may seem. Nothing will change without me changing it, and I can only change it if I begin.

I have decided that this year I am going to go about my goals in a bit of a different way. I will of course keep up my tradition of setting some major goals for the year, but I have also decided to take a cue from Elise over at Enjoy It and try making some smaller goals each month. I will be striving for goals that help me to enjoy life more completely and document life as it happens. I don't want to forget all the wonderful things that happen in life, but I also don't want to get too busy remembering everything that I forget to be present in each moment as well.

What are you planning to begin this year? This month? This week? What are you planning to begin today?
Leave me a comment and let me know where you are beginning and what you hope to accomplish. I love to hear new ideas!

Have a lovely day!
Loves!!!

One Little Word

noreply@blogger.com (Renay) — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 20:30:00 +0000

As I have done for the past two years, I am working on picking my One Little Word. In my experience, having one little word has enriched my life with purpose. This year I am having a little trouble deciding on my word. I know exactly what I want to work toward this year, what achievements I want to make, and how I want to live, but I am still struggling to pick one word to become my driving force through the year.

Last year my word was curious. I tried to be curious in all that I did. I explored new things - new possibilities and was open to change. I think curious will always have a role in my life as a person and as a graphic artist. It is a means of growth. The year did not go as I had planned at all, but I would not change it for anything. Instead of following the road map I had planned out in my head, life took a million different roads. The destination even changed. I guess you don't always know what you want or where you want to go until you get it or until you arrive. That's the most beautiful thing about life - it is unpredictable. In that unpredictability, it is perfect.

My original list of possible guiding word choices was over 100 words long. I continued to read through them - out loud - and narrow down the list. Saying the words out loud really helped me to feel them more fully and dissect their true meaning to me. Although the list shrank dramatically, it also grew larger again on several occasions. Currently I have a list of 33 words. The crazy thing is that at its smallest my list had 6 words. I'm so indecisive and this year is going to be a huge year for me on so many levels that I want this One Little Word to be very special.

Here are the 33 words that I have on my list:

Action, amazing, authentic, balance, begin, better, blossom, breath, build, celebrate, change, climb, create, develop, discover, do, elysian, enjoy, enthusiasm, explore, everyday, focus, intentional, interabang, light, meraki, move, novaturient, open, revolution, save, start, strong

I have started a pinterest board in order to collect ideas. I think this is why my list has gotten so large again. I started pinning new quotes that talked about the things I wanted to accomplish this year, and before I knew it my word list had grown out of control. I hope that by tomorrow, I can make the list much smaller. You will have to cross your fingers for me!

Are any of you participating in the One Little Word Challenge? Anyone enrolled in the Ali Edwards One Little Word class? I would love to know what your word is. Leave me a comment if you would like to share. If you are not participating in this challenge, I still encourage you to to follow along throughout this year as I post updates on my one little word challenge.

Have a great weekend!
Loves!!!

Soul Mate

noreply@blogger.com (Renay) — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 05:42:00 +0000

People think a soul mate is your perfect fit, and that's what everyone wants. But a true soul mate is a mirror, the person that shows you everything that is holding you back, the person that brings you to your own attention so you can change your life. A true soul mate is probably the most important person you'll ever meet, because they'll tear down your walls and smack you awake.

-Elizabeth Gilbert

2013!!

noreply@blogger.com (Renay) — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 03:01:00 +0000

2012 did not start out ideally (with me in the hospital) nor end ideally (with Dakota and I in Afghanistan), but it was a year full of so many awesome things. I completed several more courses in school, I began my vegan journey and my health has improved so much along with my waistline, Our yard was finally finished, it turns out that I CAN grow things even though I had to leave before I could harvest it all, I got engaged to the most awesome man in the world, I've learned so much more about my job and have been able to make a difference in doing it, and I have been lucky enough to spend more time than I thought I would with the love of my life. Everything happens for a reason and I am so thankful for all of it. 2012 was a really great year, but I just know that 2013 is going to be the best year yet! Happy New Year everyone, and be safe tonight!

noreply@blogger.com (Renay) — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 05:40:00 +0000

So, 2012 has come to a close. Another year is spent. I'd like to take a look at my goals that I set for this past year and reflect on them a bit:

lemon water in the mornings
Well, although I did do this for a while, I ended up stopping. I didn't stop because I wanted to, but rather because I had to. Getting lemons over in Afghanistan isn't exactly possible!

turmeric tea
I must admit that I never did make any turmeric tea. when I was back in the states I did incorporate turmeric into my cooking though and I loved it! I don't have any here though.

write one hand written snail mail letter at least once per month
I made great headway with this one up until June. I was pretty proud of myself for this one!

send flowers to someone for no reason
In the early spring I attempted this one. For some reason though the flower shop ended up canceling the order. I never thought much about it again until just recently. Today though, a beautiful flowering plant was delivered to my grandmother. It's a living plant that she can replant into her garden. I hope she loves it!

back up all of my digital files to an external hard drive and keep it all organized
I backed up all of my digital files onto an external hard drive before I left. Since I've been here, I have not updated everything, but I at least have all of my photos backed up! Go me!

complete 12 exciting just for fun projects that I have on my fun projects to try list
Yup, I totally failed at this one!

read 12books for personal enjoyment
I'm finishing up books 11 and 12 right now! Go me!

Plant Hydrangeas
So, I planted them. I also killed them! At least I tried!

make an amazing blanket for our bed
Dang it, another one that I did not complete.

complete 3 canvas paintings
And another one!

try a new recipe each month
I tried so many new recipes I can't even count. I did not do one each month because I've been here since the end of July, but I think the recipes that I tried throughout the first 6 months completely overrides it all.

make 6 loaves of bread
I made two loaves of bread. Dang it all! The were both raw though!

keep a what I did today 3X5 journal
I kept an electronic what I did today journal on my computer. I managed to keep it up all year! Now, I just need to copy it all down into a 3X5 journal.

host an awesome dinner party
I hosted two parties this year. One was a baby reveal shower and the other was an adults only RAW dinner party. Both parties were successful!

host a wine party
No wine party, but I do plan to host one once I get back to the states.

strive for only 23 1/2 hours of sedentary activity each day
I think I did a pretty decent job of completing this one. Some days were busier than others, but I was active for at least 30 minutes each day.

blog at least one per week
This one was super tough. I had so many things going on and have reasons for taking some breaks from blogging.

achieve a 3.5 in school
In the three terms that I went to school, I got a 3.8 or higher each term! Go me!!

get engaged
I'm not really sure if this should have been an actual goal to set, but the good news is that it happened! We are planning an August 31, 2013 wedding.

feel great in a size 10 pair of jeans
Since I am over here I have no idea what size I can wear. I do know that I have had to get smaller and smaller sizes and the current jeans that I have are a size 12 but they are too big. I bet I could fit in a size 10! I originally made this goal because I did not want to set a number for my weightloss. Weightloss can be tricky when you are building muscle. I am proud to say though that I have lost over 70 pounds this year! Yeah, that's a small kid!

plant herbs
Oh, I planted the heck out of some herbs! I even had the chance to eat a lot of my basil before I left. the rest of them are probably dead though.

create a birthday planner calender and stock up on cards to send out for special occasions
So, the planner went by the wayside. However, I did stock up on a ton of cards and did pretty well with making sure I got them out on time!

learn one "ballroom" type of dance
Total fail. I did get a kinect though and have a dancing tutorial on it, but then I left.

go one full week without my cellphone
Well, I have managed to go for over 5 months without my cell phone. I'd say I'm doing pretty good!

research getting my business license and follow through with a plan
I picked up several books on the subject to include specific books for the state of Utah. I also researched what I need to do in order to get a license.

do one commissioned project
I did not manage to accomplish this one. Dang it!

organize my office and set it up for productive activities
Woohoo! When my mother came down to visit just before I left, we made a couple trips to IKEA and got some very lovely furniture. We spent two days going through everything, organizing, and making it all pretty. I can't wait to go home and make use of it!

paint my fingernails and toenails at least once per month
Haha. I'm beginning to see a growing trend. I blame all of my failed goals on being in Afghanistan. Again, I did not do this one because painting my nails is not the greatest idea over here. I would look pretty silly.

go on a picnic
Although we did not go on a real picnic, Kaye and I went down by the pond to watch pelicans and took pictures of them while I ate some food.

go to a concert
No concert. So sad!

make valentine cards and send them
Nope. Failed this one too!

Take more pictures
This one worked while I was home, but once I left home, I have hardly taken any pictures. I really need to though!

I'm Back!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Renay) — Tue, 25 Dec 2012 07:50:00 +0000

Well, hello there, friends! It's been a very long while and I have lots of reasons for that, but I must say that I am quite excited to be back to blogging again. In the past seven months I've gone through a lot of personal changes - a lot! I've had time to reflect on so many aspects of my life. I've given thought to what matters and what does not, and the weight that I carry on my shoulders has gotten lighter. So, you may be wondering what I've been up to. Boy oh boy, are you ready to hear all this? Haha. I'll give you an abbreviated version:

Mr. Fantastic left for Afghanistan which of course was a huge struggle for me. He is my rock, my strength, my support, and my drive to keep going. Without him next to my side, and never knowing for sure that at any given moment he was safe, was very difficult for me. I had gone through a year of him being deployed before and that was really tough, but I think this time was even more difficult.

I started my garden. I am pretty sure I planted just about everything I possibly could. I was so excited to be able to eat my own produce. Later in the year I would find out that I would not get the chance to do this, but more on that later. I did however have the chance to et fresh basil from the garden and enjoy the radishes. They were so so yummy!

My mother came to visit at the beginning of July for a week. We had such a great time. She helped me to organize a lot of our house that had still been in shambles due to the move last summer. She also helped me set up my studio/office and it looks amazing although it is still not quite finished. I think the most awesome thing that we did though was start planning the wedding! What a dream come true this process has been.

Alright, are you ready for this next part? This could very well be the biggest part of the entire year. My boss asked me to deploy for three months. I told him no course, but then discovered that it would be to the same location as Mr. Fantastic and I couldn't help but say yes! A chance to be with him for three months would be amazing no matter where we were. I left at the end of July. The kicker of the whole thing is that I did not tell him I was coming. When I got there, I found some of his co-workers because he was off shift and sleeping, and they took me to him. I think they were jsut as excited to me! When I knocked on his door, the reunion was the best part of my entire year! After about a month and adapting to the way things go in Afghanistan, I decided to extend my stay here for an additional 3 months. Unfortunatly things always seem to work out strangly for us and right after that, an issue came up with the contract he was working under and he had to return home without me. Strugggle!!!!!! Two months later though, he was back here with me and things were right again.

I also started a new semester of school in September. I studied Sacred Geometry for Design and once again Adobe Suite. I'm pretty sure I sont ever want to take that one again seeing as how I have taken it three times at three different schools. The good news is that although I often got very stressed out with having to work here in Afghanistan 12 hours per day and 7 days each week on top of going to school, I still managed to finish this past week with straight A's! Wowza! It was tough for sure, but I made it.

In between all of these events and on top of everything I am already having to deal with, I'm planning a wedding, dealing with a selfish family (my dad's side) that believes they are more important than anything and are making our wedding plans very difficult, and trying to be supportive of my loved ones who are falling apart. I'm trying to make the best of our relationship here while we both have separate quarters and while the people we are working with over here can't get their heads out of their butts. The manager here has tried to get me fired on several occasions through the telling of lies about me, and I am still trying to figure out why he hates me. We have been without heat in below freezing conditions up until last week when we finally rigged up some heat, but it's not very good. And lastly, I am still trying to maintain my health through eating good foods. This part has been impossible because the Army does not believe in vegetarianism, vegan-ism, lactose intolerant issues, gluten allergies, or anything else that might prohibit somebody from eating sausage links, scrambled eggs loaded with cheese, doughnuts, and every other kind of junk possible.

However, despite it all, I am ready to try to blog again. I may not be blogging as often as I used to, but I will be doing my best. I have just under a month left here, and then I will be back home to a somewhat normal lifestyle. So, bear with me if I'm not constantly making updates, but I kind of have a lot going on. In the next couple of weeks though, you can expect to see pictures from my garden up until I left it behind in July, you can expect to see some of my school projects, some wedding updates, maybe a few pictures of how I'm looking now that I have lost about 70 pounds, a review of my goals for the year, and new goals for next year. I'll do my best, because that is the best I can do! Have a Merry Christmas!

Loves!!!

I've Got the Ring and a Date

noreply@blogger.com (Renay) — Wed, 16 May 2012 03:02:00 +0000

Remember how I told you about our boyfriend/girlfriend/fiance/fiancee thing we had going on? and rememeber how I told you that the real deal might be approaching? Well, it finally came! This past week has been the greatest week of my life!
Mr Fantastic was supposed to be home on Tuesday evening. What did he do instead? He surprised me late Sunday night with a ten minute warning! Happiest day in a very long time. Oh, but wait. There's more! Thursday night he took me out to look at the stars. It is something we do from time to time. Not really often, but enough that it didn't seem suspicious to me. I sat on the hood of the car while he stood next to me. It was freezing cold but totally ok. He kept going into the car to get another drink of mountain dew. I think he was just really nervous! After we looked at several different constellations for a while, I was getting a little too cold. I wsa ready to leave but he kept procrastinating and finally "saw a really bright and sparkly star" that he had to point out. His finger looked kind of funny shaped but I figured I was imagining things until he pointed the light of my phone at the tip of his finger. I gasped! I asked, "really?" He turned to me and asked me to marry him. "Renay, will you marry me?" Through my sobs I managed to say yes as we hugged and kissed. Then he tried to put the ring on my right hand! I love him! I adore the ring and as always with him, it is way more than I deserve. Officially, the greatest night of my life!!! Of all my favorite things in life, he is my favorite of all of my favorites. He is my everything!
Today he left to go to Afghanistan for a year. He may be back for a visit in August, and he might also get another little vacation 3-6 months after that, but a whole year is still a really long time. I miss him already!
I have two things to look forward to in all of this: Next May when he comes home for good, and next Labor Day weekend when he becomes my super amazing, extra fantastic, perfect for me in every way husband!

He's all mine for the rest of our lives!

Couldn't be happier to spend forever together

The wedding set

Closeup: Yes, the wedding band is rose gold with pink diamonds

Such a gorgeous vintage feel

And for now...the engagement ring I'm lucky enough to wear!

I hope all of you have a great week. Although my Mr Fantastic is gone, I'm still on a high from the week we spent together!
Loves!!!

Currently...

noreply@blogger.com (Renay) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 02:47:00 +0000

Listening to the hum of the refrigerator and the puggly pup snoring away
Eating an enormous bowl of strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and pineapple
Drinking a bottle of water - drinking water from the tap around here is asking for trouble!
Wearing My workout clothes still, but I did take off my shoes and socks
Feeling a little excited because I feel like I finally have a time frame for seeing my man - fingers crossed, two weeks!
Weather is hot and sunny lately! Let's hope it stays
Wanting a maid to help clean the house and do the laundry
Needing to do school work, but I have no desire to after my computer freaked out and wants to spell check everything using a French dictionary
Thinking about all the things on my list that I still want to do before Mr. Fantastic gets home
Enjoying my healthier new body and the process of getting to where I want it to be

Computer Banning

noreply@blogger.com (Renay) — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 15:00:00 +0000

I have made a huge decision this week. Since Mr. Fantastic has been away, I have been reluctant to start very many projects, let alone finish any of the ones that I had on my list to finish while he was away. Part of it is loneliness and part of it is laziness. My school work has been suffering as well. Most of the time it is because I don't feel like doing much. I don't like that one bit though. I need to do stuff.

Now, I have done stuff, but it is not what I want to actually do in the long run. In other words, I have been the worlds biggest procrastinator! No good. What have I done to procrastinate, you ask. Well, I have an addiction. Dun, dun, dun! I am addicted to the internet! Yuck!

So, my biggest hugely big project starts today, April 15th. It is called "THE COMPUTER BANNING PROJECT" *gasp* Yes, I am actually going to do this, and not just for a week either. I am banning myself from the computer from now until Summer is over! Holy Crap! You read that right, I am banned from the computer for 160 days!

Okay, so that sounds extremely dramatic! I think that is exactly what I need though - dramatic change - in order to be happier, more productive, and an overall better person. However, let me say this, there are exceptions that will make this seem far less dramatic. So, here are my "rules" to follow in order for this project to be successful:

1. Computer and Internet use is acceptable for school. Duh, I'm going to school online so I can't exactly ban myself from that if I want to get anywhere with my education.
2. Messenger and Video Messenger are acceptable for use with AND ONLY WITH Mr. Fantastic. With him away, it would hardly be a good idea for me to ban that. I do need to see him/talk with him from time to time in order to keep myself sane and for the obvious reason of keeping our relationship in tact!
3. Since email is also a very important tool for communication, I will allow myself to check my email from my phone. By checking it from my phone, it will keep me from accidentally getting caught up and getting online.
4. Each week I will allow myself to watch my 3 television shows on Hulu. Since Hulu is on the internet, I will need to use my computer/internet for this.
5. Each week I may also have 2 hours of "play time" on the internet to update my blog, and maybe use pinterest to inspire me for new recipes and projects.
6. I may use my phone a few times a week when it becomes important to update my facebook status in order to show my family that I have not jumped off a cliff somewhere and I am still alive!

Oh my goodness, I still can't quite believe that I have decided to do this. I am obsessed with the internet.

I would challenge you to try something similar. I am not suggesting that you give up the internet for 160 days, but try doing it for a day maybe, or even a week. I think that you would be surprised at all the things that you can accomplish in that time-frame. When we aren't distracted by technology, it leaves us plenty of time to fill up with things that actually matter - family, friends, hobbies, talents, new food experiments, going to the gym, gardening, journaling, crafting, photography, and the list just goes on and on! Try it!

This last week, although I have not banned myself, I have tried to cut down on my time. Look at what I have accomplished:

Got the living room a little more organized

Hung up new artwork in the living room - this is still not complete though

Created a cute little nook in the entryway

Straitened up the formal living room and got a rug for in there

Made and drank a lovely sangria

Put together a staircase for Pugly Butt to climb into bed with

Started my seeds for the garden

Planted Sweet Basil in the pugly planter

Got my hairs did! Had all the ugly unhealthy stuff cut off and added some layers


Drew up plans for the garden as well as had a friend help me get the lumber from Lowes

Have you done anything great and fun this week?
Loves!!!

40 Questions - Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Renay) — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 20:06:00 +0000

Have you ever been over to the website Marc and Angel Hack Life? Let me just say that I love it. There are always amazing posts over there that really get you thinking about the deeper things in life instead of just the superficial surface stuff. They had a great post yesterday that got me thinking about life. Life is tough, and so were the questions they posted up. I challenge you to think about these questions yourself. Not all of them are pretty or glamorous or even fun, but they are serious questions that you should be asking yourself. Ponder the depth of your life with these questions.

If today was the last day of your life, would you want to do what you are about to do today?
This one reminds me of my favorite quote, "Do you want this once more and numerable times more?" Nietzsche was an amazing philosopher that believed that our eternity would be one moment of our life lived over and over forever. The question he posed was with the intent of making you question each thing you did and whether it was worth spending eternity doing it.
Today I got up and cleaned the house. Then I left for the gym were I did an hour of Zumba with some pretty cool gals. After that, I met a friend at Lowe's to pick up a ton of lumber - he hauled it in his suburban for me. I drank a full coconut of coconut water, ate half a watermelon, relaxed for a few minutes, and now I am blogging before I start my school work. I'd say I feel pretty good about what I have accomplished today and could live with myself for it. Is it what I want to be doing on my last day? No! However, I really don't think that flying to Virginia for the day to spend it with Mr. Fantastic would really work out well since it is not actually my last day and I have a lot of school work to catch up on!

What worries you most about the future?
For me, this one is more than just a worry, it is me being scared. Mr. Fantastic leaves in May for Afghanistan for a year. What could possibly worry me more than that? I worry about being alone. I worry about him being away from me. I worry about the obvious trouble that could come of him there. I worry about when I will see him again. The list goes on.

Are you holding onto something that you need to let go of?
I'm holding onto the grudges I create for myself. I let the negative things that people do, outweigh the positive things they do. I feel that friends should act a certain way, and when they don't I hold onto their failures. I hold onto them like they are the worst things in the world. For that reason, it is hard for me to feel kindness toward friends who have hurt my feelings and/or betrayed me.

If you had a friend that spoke to you in the same way that you sometimes speak to yourself, how long would you allow that person to be your friend?
I guess this kind of relates to the last answer for me. If I feel betrayed, I don't hang around those people too much after that. Lately I have been doing a lot of positive self talk. I am starting to actually feel great about myself again. Before I started eating healthy, going to the gym, and loosing weight though, it was an entirely different story. I would have never remained friends with someone like myself if I had thought of it that way!

What is the difference between living and existing?
Living is all about doing, being present, loving, enjoying, singing, dancing, and being excited about life. Existing is simply being here physically and going through the motions. I choose to live. (I will be posting about this more later this week.)

That is a lot to think about in one sitting. I will continue this short series in increments of five. Yup, that means you get this series for a total of eight posts!!

Olive Juice

noreply@blogger.com (Renay) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 05:36:00 +0000

Have you ever heard of people saying olive juice instead of I Love You. If you watch someone say it, it actually looks like they are saying I Love You. It's kind of one of our things from time to time, so when I had to design three posters for one of my classes, it came to mind. The posters are movie posters advertising a fictitious autobiographical romantic comedy. Want to see what I came up with?

The idea of them is to use a phoot of ourselves and use Photoshop to manipulate it. The first poster has to make use of changing our photo. The second has to change another aspect of the images and focus on color painting. The third poster must use glyphs. all three must have underlying similarities and be considered part of a series. My favorite is the third poster because I taught myself this very cool comic book technique. I only wish it had not taken so long to do. Do to time constraints I did not have time to add Mr. Fantastic to this one. Perhaps this will be a free time type of thing!
Loves!!!

Currently

noreply@blogger.com (Renay) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 05:28:00 +0000

relieved that I have tomorrow off from work and finally get to start addressing my hearing loss issue again!
running around with my head cut off trying to knock out my to-do list before Mr Fantastic gets home
determined to lose 10 more pounds before he gets back in May
addicted to pigtail braids.
loving my leaner body since I've been eating so great and going to the gym at least 4-5 days per week
making raw cookies
noticing how much work Mr. Fantastic does now that I am the only one around to do it
thankful that I got my taxes back today! Nailed it!
proud the determination that I have had the last 6 weeks although, I need to remember to stick to it hard!
watching Once Upon a Time, Community, and about to start Battlefield on Hulu
anxious to ease up on myself and start going to school only part time instead of full time while working full time and doing everything else as well.
happy that Spring is finally here
ready to start building my raised beds for my garden
working on about 8 million projects at once
marveling That tomorrow makes one month since Mr. Fantastic has been away. Just over a month to go before he comes home for a few days before deploying.
wondering when I will get to see my family again.
changing my "get energy fast" techniques to eating carrots and apples instead of drinking coffee and soda!
planning a tropical all inclusive vacation for sometime in the next few years.

We've Spent a Quarter! Oh My!

noreply@blogger.com (Renay) — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 18:39:00 +0000

Tthere is that old saying, "Time is Money." I love it because it is true. Everyday when I drive 3 hours round-trip for work, I think to myself about how I wish I got paid for it. Sure, I make a decent salary, but my gas money eats into it pretty bad, especially with gas prices reaching toward $4.00 a gallon now. I've got a pretty fuel efficient car, but that only matters when I drive 70mph constantly. Of course I don't do that, as my 2 most recent speeding tickets will attest for. While I get 41 mpg when driving like a calm person from Utah is expected to, I only get 30 mpg when I drive like a person from any other normal state. Mind you, I have lived in Michigan, California, Arizona, Texas, Tennessee, and Utah. I have also been through Wisconsin, Montana, South Dakota, Wyoming, Idaho, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Oklahoma, Missouri, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, south Carolina, Virginia, New Mexico, and maybe even a few more, so I kind of have a really good idea of how people drive all over the country. Utah is the worst so far!

I digress!

With the idea that time is money looming over my head, let's break a year down into monetary terms. If we consider that we are spending time throughout the year, then we are also spending money...therefor we have spent one quarter of our dollar so far for the year. When I was a kid, a quarter was a lot of money! The tooth fairy didn't even leave a quarter under my pillow for a molar tooth! Now I''m pretty sure kids get at least a whole dollar for just a regular front tooth, don't they?

So now that I've spent a whole quarter, I have to decide if it was worth it for what I got in return. So far, what have I done this year that accounts for spending a whole quarter on it? Well, let's take a look:

Spent a week in the hospital

completed my first term of school

achieved the President's list for my academic progress

worked for over a month on a special team at work where I have learned a ton of new stuff

hosted a gender reveal party at our house

sent birthday cards almost on time

went to the first annual games tournament party for work

started the RAW DIET

lost 20 pounds

started going to the gym

started many projects around the house

have been away from Mr. Fantastic for 3 weeks now

got accepted to a vocational rehabilitation program for veterans which will in turn help me to finish school

got an MRI on my back after injuring it 3 1/2 years ago - thank you ARMY and Uncle Sam! Jerks!

got my first mani/pedi in almost 2 years

got a dehydrator

got a food processor

stopped saying yes all the time, and realized I have to say no sometimes to protect my own sanity

did my taxes and won!

So, was all that worth a quarter? I'd say so! I think I have been pretty accomplished so far this year. I am remaining curious by trying new things - new foods, new activities, new projects, new schedules, new classes, new jobs, new people, new tasks - and I am trying very hard to survive while the Mr. is away.

How did you spend your quarter? Was it worth it to you?
Have a great weekend!
Loves!!!

52 Lists. 52 Weeks. Fours

noreply@blogger.com (Renay) — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 18:07:00 +0000

This list actually has four lists within it! How cool. So here are the requirements for this weeks lists.

1. four places you've visited.
2. four things you wish you could get paid to do for a living.
3. four things you are looking forward to.
4. four people who inspire you the most.

Here are my 4 lists of fours:

1. Australia, Germany, South Dakota, New Mexico
2. Photography, Pinterest, Stationary Design, Procrastinating
3. Mr. Fantastic coming home, our landscaping being done, having a place for everything and everything in its
place, finishing my degree
4. Mother Hen, Mr. Fantastic, My instructors, Grams

52 Lists. 52 Weeks. List #39

noreply@blogger.com (Renay) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 18:09:00 +0000

I Love Rock 'N Roll
I love this song first of all! One of my very first experiences with it was back in high school when I was on the color guard squad. Our half-time show was classic rock hits and we did three different songs. The guard was amazing and we actually won some competitions with this show! During this song in our show at one point all the music stops and the entire 100+ people in the band shout the lines "I love rock and roll so put another dime in the jukebox baby. I love rock and roll so came and take some time and dance with me." At this point, there was a huge burst of energy from both the music as well as the crowd!

Foreplay/Longtime
When all my friends and I lived in Texas, it used to be that everyone always crowded up on the weekends at "the house" and played Rockband, played guitars, sang songs, drank beer, played pool, and just had a good time. This song was one of the favorites on Rockband. Mr. Fantastic was the best at it on drums and pretty much had it memorized. He would walk around singing out the colors of the drums that were meant to be hit and in the correct order and to the tune of the song! Loved it.

Anyone Else but You
The Juno movie and especially this song were really special to the Mr. and I during our summer of love. That summer in '08 when we were falling in love was the greatest. Nothing else seemed to matter except love, friends, and fun. It was an amazing summer and I love remembering falling in love with this man!

1,2,3,4
When Mr. Fantastic was in Iraq for his third time, Ihad a really tough time. We used to talk all the time, but it just wasn't the same as being with him. At this same time I was learning to adjust to my Borderline Personality Disorder. I always had trouble remembering how much he loved me. One day he made me look this song up on YouTube and listen to it. He told me to always think of it when I was feeling sad.

Pour Some Sugar On Me
This reminds me of the crazy life I lived when I was in Arizona. We stayed up late and got up early. Nothing mattered more to us than a good time and a fun party. I'm not sure where all our money every went, but we were always broke and just didn't care. We lived fast and hard.

So, has your week gone well? Mine is getting there! I can't wait for the weekend though.
Loves!!!

52 Lists. 52 Weeks. Music I Can't Stop Listening to

noreply@blogger.com (Renay) — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 16:39:00 +0000

So, I am completely addicted to my Sirius XM radio! How did I ever live without satellite? I have no idea! My free trial is almost up and I have to subscribe again. I sure wish they had the option of subscribing for life! HAHA.
So, here is what I listen to for hours each day:

Adele

Grouplove

Foster the People

Animal Kingdom

Chalk Stars

Animal Kingdom | Myspace Music Videos
The Black Keys

The Eagles

Busy Being Fabulous

Eagles | Myspace Music Videos
Journey

Boston

Maroon 5
Florence and the Machine
Prince
Duran Duran
Katy Perry
Nickleback
John Mellencamp
Lady Antebellum
I'm telling you that the list actually goes on and on forever more as well, but I didn't want to spend all day with this post! I'll let you ger to your busy week!
Loves!!!

RAW: Carrot Cake Goodness!

noreply@blogger.com (Renay) — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 17:54:00 +0000

Just some lovely food inspiration. I love what I am doing with RAW food and hope that I can inspire people to give it a try even if they don't go 100% Raw, every little bit will help them feel amazing.

The Cake

Closeup of all the yummy carrots, raisins, dates, and spices


With the yummy cashew frosting!

I hope you are all having a lovely start to your week! Can you believe that Spring is really almost here? Hooray!
Loves!!!

I Love You

noreply@blogger.com (Renay) — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 12:55:00 +0000

I just wanted to remind all of my readers that I love you! Since I have no idea how to get a gif image on my blog, I just used a lot of pictures to get the message across. You can click on any of the images or the source link to see the original. Trust me, it is way cooler! Oh, and if anyone can tell me how to get a gif into a blogger post I would be so very happy!

Source

Loves!!!

Pictures!

noreply@blogger.com (Renay) — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 03:54:00 +0000

I realized today that I have been boring in my posts. Nobody really loves a blog without pictures, right? So I decided that I need to share some pictures with you in order to keep you interested. In keeping with the idea that I've written too much, I'll stop writing and let you enjoy!

We had a tournament party with all of the friends that we work with. It is something we have wanted to do for a while, but last weekend was a perfect excuse. We were all sad to see some great people leaving and have no real idea of when we will see them again. The party was a good way to say "see you later, alligator!" We work super hard, so we deserve to play super hard and that is what we did. Mr. Fantastic came out in 1st place. I'm so proud of him!!
Loves!!!

Missing My Mister!

noreply@blogger.com (Renay) — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 18:57:00 +0000

I miss Mr. Fantastic so much and it has only been a week. I really need to start being more positive though. I can't keep lounging around feeling sorry for myself. I need to stay busy. I decided to start thinking of ways to pass the time....
I really need to start looking through his comic books and find some awesome images to replicate and put on some huge canvases for his gamer room. I need to stop avoiding people and go have a fun time with old friends and new friends alike. I need to throw myself into this RAW thing and really enjoy uncooking. The same thing goes with the whole fitness thing. I keep telling myself that I am going to start exercising, but then I realize it is so much easier to just lounge around. Sure, the raw diet has helped me loose 18 pounds in 2 weeks, but I have also been at a standstill for a while and not really lost much. My goal for the year was to loose a lot of weight, but my goal for this 2 months is to loose 20 more pounds. That will bring me down to 200!! That would be fabulous, but I can't do it by being lazy. I need to do laundry when the basket is full instead of waiting until I have nothing to wear. I really need to get going on all of the home improvement projects in order to surprise him when he comes back for the week before he leaves for a year. I need to remember that it is okay to cry, but I also need to remember to laugh and smile too. Since it is just about Spring, I should probably get around to the whole Spring cleaning thing! I also need to stop procrastinating on doing my taxes. I know I will get some good money back so I'm not really sure why I keep putting it off. I need to stop forgetting about the goals I set - you know, the monthly ones like painting my finger nails. I'm going to have to remember that being lonely does not mean that I need to spend money to make up for it. We have a fence, a yard, a sprinkler system, a garden, and a deck or patio to put in by June. We need to save money, not spend it all! I think I might need to actually go to a salon and get my hair trimmed too. It's been nearly two years since I have gotten that done. I trimmed it myself about 6 months ago, but I did a really bad job of it. I kind of think I want layers now! I am starting to run out of time to pre-plant my garden. I need to stop procrastinating on that one. I have lofty dreams though. I want to plant everything that is plantable when I know that I could never eat all of that food by myself. Maybe I need to start investigating a stand alone freezer. Oh, and I should probably try to sell our extra dryer and our extra dishwasher! I whould probably try to enjoy myself a little too. I don't need to be sad all the time. Instead, I should really try to be happy, try to dance around like a fool, try to laugh at myself whenever possible, and maybe even sing in the shower and in the car! I need to start really thinking about the whole wedding thing. He bought a ring you know! Of course it isn't on my finger yet, but that's only because it isn't made yet. I am struggling with the location thing. I don't want to make either of our families upset or make them feel that they aren't as important as the other family. I think that we want to get married here. I know that my family at least might not be thrilled with that for money reasons but I don't know what else to do. And most of all I really just need to relax. He will only be gone for 2 months. I will get to see him again for a week or two before he actually leaves for a year. Everything is going to be just fine. He loves me and I love him, and life is wonderful!
I hope you all have a wonderful week!
Loves!!!