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It is a month after Christmas and yes, my Christmas tree is still standing in my living room. Yes, it’s a live tree (well, not so much anymore!). It is empty of ornaments and lights now so we are making progress. It looks a little sad and lonely at the point but it has brought me so much joy looking at it over the past month. I’m really going to miss it. I always give my husband a hard time telling him we should just decorate our late Christmas trees with Valentine’s Day hearts or something. He has yet to bite and always puts the tree away before I get to that point. Such a shame! (Yes, I had a pink Christmas tree filled with my Starbucks ornaments!)

I have been debating whether to continue this blog as a lifestyle blog or start a new one. I have gotten feedback on both sides and am still undecided. I’ve had ChicGeek Designs for two years now and it would be hard to part with it. But at the same time, maybe it’s time for a new, fresh start. What are your thoughts? While I loved doing fashion posts, with my recent new job, all I wear is black. And I really don’t want to show you all my black pictures. I don’t have that much variety with my outfits now. I’d rather just talk about what I want to talk about and I know that family and friends stop by to see what’s going on in my life and just doing fashion posts takes away from that.

I’ve been sitting in the sauna once/twice a week. Apparently it is suppose to help with my chronic fatigue as my doctor believes that the virus stays in the fat layer and by sitting in the infrared sauna, it helps flush out the fat layer. I’ve only gone twice so far so I don’t know how it’s helping. I go once more later this week. I do know this – it’s hot in there! (I know, duh. But I really don’t like the heat so it’s hard) and I get really bored sitting in there by myself for 30-45 minutes with no phone, no music, no technology, no books, etc. Just me and my thoughts. Really scary!

I love the sound of tennis balls in the background. At night I’m able to watch the Australian Open and there’s something about the sound of a tennis ball going back and forth that I just love. I’m debating trying to start playing tennis again in the spring. I’d really love to be out there again. But we’ll see how it goes.

{Source}

Speaking of TV, I am LOVING Downton Abbey on PBS. I can see why it won so many awards! Between Downton Abbey and PanAm, my Sunday night tv line-up is just perfect.

I never realized how much I missed Oreo cookies until my sweet hubby found some gluten free cookies that are almost like Oreos. Wow. Just a little piece of heaven for me. Other foods I have missed: my mom’s sugar cookies at Christmas, cheesecake, fried chicken, cheese, hamburger helper, cheesy rice, Panera bagels and cream cheese, chocolate candy bars, twizzlers…. See a theme? All unhealthy for me anyways, but oh man, to have a piece of cheesecake – divine. But I am thankful for the foods I can eat and for more companies putting out gluten-free foods.

Source: bakerella.com via Lori on Pinterest

I turned in my resignation letter to my last job this week. I know it seems weird that it’s so late but there was a chance I would go back if there was a position available and if I could work part-time. Things finally came to an end last week and we parted ways. It was definitely bitter-sweet.

So that’s all my random confessions at the moment. What are yours? Is your Christmas tree still up?

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Hey all,

I’m back! Sorry for missing last week – it was unplanned. Our move went well but the cable/internet guy kept calling in late that Saturday but then we had finally had to tell them not to bother as we were going to late to the birthday party. So they were suppose to come on Monday but never came. But then I got a call on Wednesday from them “We are standing outside your house, where are you?” Um. Hm. Nice for you to tell me you were coming. So finally Thursday we got scheduled and we have internet again! Yay!

Anyways, last week was a long week – health wise and work wise. I wanted to follow-up here since “The Real Me” was my last post. I told you I had a meeting with HR and I my boss. I was concerned about the meeting, but I went into thinking I was just going to get a written warning. That was not the case. I was told that I was going to have to go on unpaid leave because my health was becoming too much of a problem. I was (am) devastated. I feel like I have failed. I feel like I have let people down around me. Now I’m not only stressed out about my health, I’m stressed out about not getting paid. But that’s what we have built up savings for – times like this. I’m trying to believe that the Lord is showing me something and telling me I need to slow down and take care of myself but that’s not me. I haven’t slowed down in forever.

As timing would have it, my youngest brother is on spring break this week (he’s a professor) so he rented a beach house outside of Charleston. So I’m down here with him, my SIL, my baby niece and my mom. My dad will join tomorrow night and then my hubby will come this weekend. My baby niece has gotten SO big – there will be lots of pics, when she’s not so cranky. Here’s one I took of us yesterday waiting for my bro and dad to pack the car. It was stuffed with the five of us. I ended up with a box on my lap the entire time. Haha. She loves my phone. Everytime I pull it out, she wants it. I’m the mean Aunt ‘Ri as I don’t let her play with my iPhone. Trust me, I’ve seen her throw those rings around. Haha.

I need to use this time away from work to reevaluate things – whether it be a new direction, new career. Please pray for me. I’m reading the book “29 Gifts – How a Month of Giving Can Change your Life” and trying to remember write 5 good things down at the end of every night. Both of these things I’m trying to focus on the good things in life and on others instead of myself and the “hole” I feel like I’m in. It’s hard sometimes. It really is but I’m trying. With everyone’s help I think I can get through this.

Image: Taken by me and cannot be reused without permission

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Yes, the rain is back. It was such a nice weekend – in the mid to high 60s and to wake up to a cold, rainy Monday morning, it was just shock to the system. Last weeks Rainy Day Truth post seemed to be pretty popular, so I thought I’d do another one.

• Traffic still sucks. I didn’t take a picture of it this morning as I didn’t want to get the license plate of the guy in front of me. But it took me a while to get to work.
• 8:30 meetings are not a good idea. Okay, that goes for every day. Rainy Monday mornings or not.
• Frozen yogurt makes me happy. Probably not the most ideal on a rainy day. But hubby wasn’t home for dinner, so I went and got my own “dinner”. That’s right. If hubby ever left me, this is probably what I’d eat for dinner every night. Frozen yogurt and white chocolate chips. Yum! 

• But to make up for the cold frozen yogurt, I looked forward to curling up in my “spot” on the couch. Doesn’t it look comfy? I’ve got it broken in just right. I have two blankets – a quilt that my mom made for me on my 30th birthday. Isn’t it beautiful?? And then the top one is a down blanket one of my bros gave me awhile ago and I just love! Both of them keep me snuggly warm.

• Rainy days make me sleepy. I fell asleep after I finished my frozen yogurt in my little corner and slept for 3.5 hrs. Oops! But it felt nice.
• Rainy days apparently make me steal and keep my hubby’s pillow while he’s sleeping. I admit after I woke up from my ‘nap’ I had work to do and my power cord for my work laptop was in the bedroom from my last sick day. So I was lazy and it was late anyways, I decided to work from bed. I took hubby’s pillow to put behind my head. He came to bed two hours ago. Since then I have managed to work, twitter, switch computers so I could blog to all my wonderful ChicGeek followers, etc and I still had his pillow. Sigh. He never mentioned it and I JUST realized it!
• On that note I’m going to go to sleep because now my head is sore from resting on the bedframe. Haha!

Images taken by me and cannot be reused without permission.

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Another week down. It seems like it I was just sitting here yesterday writing last weeks Rambling Post. If I have to be honest, it’s been an physically and emotionally wearing week. I missed a good chunk of the week due to my migraines. As you can imagine, that’s not how I want to start this new job. I question myself, my ability, and I just want to cry but I can’t. It’s frustrating but then I have to remind myself I’m not the only one going through “stuff”. On my way home today I was thinking about this and this song came on the radio and it was just so perfect. Read these words:

EVERYTHING FALLS
Fee

You said
you’d never leave or forsake me
when you said,
this life is gonna shake me
and you said
this world is gonna bring trouble on my soul
this I know

Chorus:
when everything falls apart
your arms hold me together
when everything falls apart
you’re the only hope for this heart
when everything falls apart
and my strength is gone
I find you mighty and strong
you keep holding on
you keep holding on

when I see
darkness all around me
when I see
that tragedy has found me
I still believe
your faithful arms will never let me go
and still I know

Chorus

Bridge:
Sorrow will last for the night
but hope is rising with the sun
(it’s rising with the sun)
and there will be storms in this life
but I know you have overcome
You have overcome

Chorus

I have to remember who is in control and continue trusting. No matter what and how hard it is. As the song says “Your faithful arms will never let me go….”

• Ok, sorry, onto some more fun loving stuff. Hubby and I went to Sushi tonight (Yum!) and I had to stop at Starbucks. I ran in with just my iPhone (because I love paying with that!) and left Hubby in the car since he didn’t want anything. But it was one of the baristas I haven’t seen in awhile and he missed me, so we ended up chatting for a bit about his career path, etc. Lol. Yes, I’m loved at Starbucks. I finally make it out to the car and Hubby and he’s like ‘Where they busy in there?’ ‘Uh, not really….. ‘

• So Hubby and I talked and I’m going to Creative Estates in April!!!  Just in case you didn’t see me talking about it all over Twitter. I convinced Anna to go with me, so I have a roomie/buddy and we are going to meet so many Blogger/Twitter friends, I can’t wait! Hubby just shakes his head and thinks I’m crazy but at least he’s game.

• Well I turned in our 60 day notice for our Apartment Complex. So we’ll be moving outta here soon. But it gives us time to paint the Townhouse since we decided not to put it up for sale again yet. Yay! I’m thinking pink/grey in my office/craft room/guest room. I’m not quite sure yet for library/hubby’s office. And then a purple/grey for the bedroom. I’ll probably leave the downstairs neutral for now. I’ll definitely keep you all posted with the progress.

• BTW – did you see the awesomeness that was my PITTSBURGH STEELERS?!?!? WE ARE GOING TO THE SUPERBOWL!!!! Just had to throw that out there. I’m so super excited!!! I wish I could have a party but alas, I can’t fit people in here to party it out. :-/ Just means I’ll have to find somewhere else to party.

• I’ve meet so many cool people on Twitter this week. That’s been pretty neat!

• I told you I was doing Yoga last week – oh yeah. I was sore for DAYS! Who knew it was going to make me so sore. Ha! But at the same time I can’t wait to go back! Loved it!

• And my last bit of rambly news (sorry I guess I was really rambly tonight!) is that I won Katie Baba Nielson’s giveaway!! Check out this photographs that she took and I won! It’s pretty funny as she won one of my photographs in a different giveaway. Anyways, enjoy this picture – and have a great weekend!

Images from: KindOverMatter, LifeExperiences

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Sorry I missed my rambling yesterday. I was exhausted when I got home last night. It was a long but good day. Woke up early (after not getting much sleep because I was reading Hunger Games!) to actually hit the gym with a friend, long day at work, and then met up with my best friend for dinner and a little shopping. Started to read a little more Hunger Games but ended up falling asleep.

So if you haven’t noticed, I’m quite obsessed with Hunger Games now – thanks to Ilene at MuchLoveIlly. Lol. I’m almost halfway through the third book. I have to make myself put it down to do something productive, like write this blog post! If you haven’t read the series, I highly recommend it!

I actually worked out twice this week. Not quite the three times my New Year Intentions had defined but since I was down and out with a migraine for a few days, I’ll take what I can get. One day of cardio and then I did Yoga for the first time today. It was interesting and hard. I feel it in my legs already. Lol. We’ll see if I can walk tomorrow! On top of that, I have been drinking this Green Monster Smoothie the past few mornings and it’s really good. It doesn’t take long to make at all and I really like that! I’m not a morning person so I need something quick and easy!

My Pittsburgh Steelers are playing in the AFC Championship tomorrow – so please cheer them on! I’ll be glued to the TV at 6:30 onwards.

I’ve been talking to my hubby about going to Creative Estates, so I’m definitely thinking about it.  Does anyone know anyone that needs a roommate? I’m trying to figure out whys to save money. That’s obviously one of the hold-ups! Haha.

In case anyone needs a laugh, my sister-in-law posted this on her facebook this morning (about one of my nieces) and it made me laugh out loud. I love my nieces. “After Sarah used a “not so nice” word she heard, I told her (very sternly), “We do not use that word in this house!” She looked at me totally seriously and said, “Well, can I use it in the yard?” I forgot how literal a 3 1/2 year old is!! ”

I hope everyone has a great rest of the weekend!

Images from: Amazon, Wallpaperbase, CreativeEstates