The big reveal

A few weeks ago I mentioned that I have been working on a few projects.  Remember that?

Today, I am finally ready to share one of those projects with you, and I really hope that you'll like what you see. It has taken a lot of time, but it is finally ready to be revealed, and I couldn't be more excited.

For the past few years I have been making jewelry for myself, mostly because I can never seem to find anything that I absolutely love in a store.  The more necklaces that I made for myself, the more frequently I noticed people complimenting the pieces that I had made. Then eventually it got to the point that people were asking me to make custom pieces for them, or telling me that I should be selling my jewelry and making money off of my craft. After a lot of thought and preparation, I decided to open my own Etsy shop.

Today I listed the first round of items for sale, and The Pink Pendant officially went live.

If you have a minute, stop by and check it out.  Right now I have necklaces, earrings and wine glass charms for sale, and everything is handmade by me. I'd love to hear feedback from you on anything that I can do to improve the shop or the products and I also offer custom items if requested.  If you see something you like while you are there, and decide that you'd like to buy it, I am offering a discount to my blog readers, so make sure to use coupon code 'PFOBfan' at checkout to receive 15% off of your purchase.

{Click image to visit The Pink Pendant on Etsy}

If only she could talk

Yesterday was a rough one for our puppy.

We took her to the vet on Saturday for a check up, and to inquire about having her teeth cleaned. We knew that there would probably be a few other minor things that we would also need to consider, and so we had set aside some money so that we would be prepared to take care of our girl. When we got to the vet, some of our suspicions were confirmed and a few others were brought to our attention.

In the last year or so, we have noticed a skin tag sprouting from her side and a small lump growing on her back. We have been a bit concerned about them, so that was one of the things that we brought up and asked about the possibility of having them both removed. The Vet agreed with us that it would be easier to do everything all at one time, while she was under anesthesia for the teeth cleaning, than having her go through two separate procedures with anesthesia both times. The other things that the Vet addressed, that would also need to be taken care of while she was under were a broken tooth that would need extracting, and some overgrowth of her gums that would need to be lasered off. Apparently this is common in Boxers.

Yesterday was the day she went in to have all of these things taken care of. Brett did the dirty work and dropped her off in the morning while I was at work. I knew that I would have fallen apart if I had been there, because of the fact that I am an emotional basket case who always sees the worst in any situation. He is my hero. He even took her to Petsmart and bought her a new toy to take with her to keep her company while she was there. I still ended up crying like a baby from work when he sent me a picture of her in the car on the way there. Just the thought of her being scared to be there alone with strangers made me sad.

I left work early so that we'd both be able to go pick her up together after she was done. When I walked in the door, and she wasn't there to greet me, I nearly lost my shit all over again. That is one of the highlights of my day. I can't imagine how sad life must be for people without dogs. 

We finally got the call that we could come pick her up, but the girl told us that the Vet wanted to discuss her blood work before we could take her home. It turned out to be fine, just a small matter of needing to lower the amount of protein in her diet, but I was worried the whole way there to face the impending doom of being told that there was something seriously wrong with her. (remember, I always expect the worst from situations) When they finally brought her out to us, she seemed a lot happier than I would have expected her to be, and her nubbin (that's what we call her tail, or lack thereof) even wiggled a bit. The spot where they removed the lump from her back had been dramatically shaven to give them room to work, and now looks like this:



When we finally got her home, she was still a little loopy from all of the drugs and in pain. My heart was broken. She couldn't fall asleep, so she just laid on the couch whining. We did our best to comfort her, but nothing seemed to help.

This morning Brett says that she seems much happier which, in turn, makes me much happier. Hopefully this will be the last of her surgical adventures, but at least now she will have a cool scar to show off.

Lethargy leads to thinking.

So far, all the new year has brought to me is illness. I have been sick for the last two days, which means that I have done nothing but lay on the couch and sleep.

It has given me a lot of time to think though. I've been thinking about the changes that I'd like to make this year to better myself, better the situation we are living in, and better my relationships with the people who mean the most to me.

To better myself I plan on writing, at least a little bit, every day. Whether it's my blog or working on my book, I want to write. I need to write. Writing is my sanity. It's the one creative outlet that I have, and it helps me to keep myself balanced. I enjoy it, and that is why it's important to me. Along with writing, I need to become a healthier version of myself. I need to get back into a routine, start eating healthier and workout regularly.

To better our situation, I need to work on doing something to make a little extra money. I have a few ideas that I am working on, some by myself and some with partners, that I hope to be able to tell you all about soon. For now though, I don't want to jinx anything. They are big ideas though, and I cannot wait to see where they will take me.

To better my relationships with those that I care for, I need to start by making a stronger effort to communicate more often.  This year for Christmas, I didn't pick up my phone to make a single phone call, all I did was sent out a mass text. A text message. So pathetic. The other thing that has really been lacking is birthday's of those that I love. I used to be very good at remembering birthday's and I have seriously fallen off the bandwagon with that one. I never send birthday cards, and half the time I don't even remember to call.  I need to make a better effort with birthdays.

Don't mistake these changes for new year's resolutions.  They are not.  They are life resolutions. Things that I want to change about my life and keep up with them indefinitely.

Torn

You all know that I hate the snow.

I'm a little torn lately, though.

Usually by now we have had snow for at least a month and a half, and lots of it. I'm usually bitching about the shitty commute by now, because as soon as it starts snowing, people drive like total assholes. This year though, there is nothing. No snow anywhere in sight, other than the very peak of the surrounding mountains, and it is January 4th. I wake up every morning a bit relieved, but to be honest, now it is starting to worry me.

I don't like the snow at all, but in January I would rather be a month and a half into the snow season, knowing that there are only a few more months to go before spring. The fact that we have no snow yet means that when it finally does start to fall, it most likely won't stop until June. Last year we had snow clear into April, and it started when it was supposed to. It's not unusual for the snow to linger into late April, or early May, but that is usually where it stops. This year, I'm not convinced that will be the case.

A look back at 2011

Sitting down to reflect on the year that we had in 2011, I was convinced that it would be tough to find much content. I couldn't really come up with a whole lot off the top of my head, and to be honest, it feels like the year was a cyclone of drama and frustration.

Then I started combing through my archives from the past year.

To my surprise, we had a pretty good year. There was still a fair amount of bullshit and drama, but there were also a lot of really fun memories made. I enjoyed reading the posts again and being able to relive some of the better moments of 2011.

I am really glad to have come across so many good things about the past year, because I was convinced that this one needed to be erased from my memory. Isn't it funny how much the negative weighs in your mind over the good? Even when, as you can see below, the good was pretty damn great.

All in all, I have to say that I have changed my mind since I began writing this post. I am not going to remember 2011 as a horrible year that sucked the soul out of my being. Instead, I will remember it as a great year of firsts, discoveries and fun.

I'm going to try and forget about the bad stuff. It's not worth the pain it causes to remember.

Favorite movie:
Usually we end up with different movies to list as our favorite for the year, however, this year Brett and I both agree that the best movie we saw last year was In Time, I wrote about it here.

Favorite song:
Sail, by AWOLNATION (Brett)
Pumped up kicks, by Foster the People (Kaylyn)

Favorite album:
Lil'Wayne - The Carter IV (Brett)
Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto (Kaylyn)

Highlights:

• We traded my Jetta for a Jeep (here)
• We spent a week in Moab with Chaz and Shay for Jeep Safari (here, here, here, here, here, and here.... what? I really enjoyed myself, and there was a lot to write about.)
• Brett got me a Kindle as a compromise to a much more insane request that I had made (here and here)
• Shay and I threw a murder mystery dinner for our Halloween party this year (here)
• The second annual Mardi Gras Bash at Chaz and Shay's (here)
• We went to the U2 Concert, again with Chaz and Shay (here and here)
• A week of doing nothing in the mountains (here)
• Witches Night Out at Gardner Village with the ladies (here)

Things that we found on the Internet and fell in love with:

• My Drunk Kitchen
• The greatest breakdancing video in the world
• Instagram
• Marcel the Shell, with shoes on
• Vimeo staff picks
• Madeon - Pop Culture
• Sophia Grace Brownlee singing Super Bass, by Nicki Minaj

Tough stuff:

• Losing my Grandpa
• Steve Carrell left The Office
• Being betrayed by family

Cheers to an amazing 2012!!

Dark passenger revealed

If you watch Dexter, and you have not seen this seasons finale, don't read this post. I purposely waited a little while though, so that I wouldn't spoil the ending for anyone who does watch.

Last week we watched the season six finale of Dexter with the Schlange's. Okay, so we didn't watch it with them, but we did watch it at our house at the same time that they were watching it at their house and we spent the whole episode texting back and forth. That's how we do dates these days. What? Commuting is expensive.

The episode moved at the pace that most others usually do, and things were pretty intense the whole time. It's always a nail biter. The texts that we were sending back and forth were mostly a string of predictions and an occasional "oh FUCK!" when something really good would happen.

The whole thing went by way too fast though, and when we realized that there was only a minute and thirty seconds left of the episode, I found myself a little baffled about how they planned on wrapping it up. He still hadn't killed the bad guy, and I was getting a little worried that it might not happen. As he usually does, he was taking time to explain to his victim the reasons that they were lying on his kill table before plunging a knife into their chest. This is always my favorite part. Then, as he was rambling on about how insane Travis was for thinking that the murders he had committed were all part of God's plan, Deb walked into the church where Dexter had set up his kill room.

At this point, I almost had a heart attack. Then, right as Dexter lifted his knife Deb walked in the room and watched him stab the doom's day killer through the chest.

I could not believe it.

With the show having two more seasons left, I am totally baffled. I thought that they would have waited until the last season to reveal who Dexter really is to the people around him. What are they going to do now??? I am seriously dying to see what happens in the next season, and now I have to wait in suspense until next September.

This is going to be a long damn year.

Thank you secret Santa

The secret Santa gift exchange this year was once again a success!  I had so much fun deciding what to send to my recipient, and I hope that she enjoys it! She had my name last year, and I absolutely loved the gift that she sent me so I was really looking forward to sending something fun to her and repaying the favor.

My secret Santa this year really paid attention! I was so stoked to open my package when it arrived to find this:

A bottle of Sparkling Moscato, a pink and black wine case and a pink and black corkscrew.  Seriously awesome.  Thanks to Sun Child for the great gift! I have already polished off the bottle, and it was delish! The case will come in handy quite frequently, and I appreciate that you took the time to make sure that you would send something that I'd really like!! 

Thank you Pserendipity for arranging the exchange again this year, it is so much fun and I am definitely looking forward to next years exchange. 

What a waste of a day

I spent my day Saturday doing some Christmas shopping. It was a nightmare. Will you please remind me next year to get my Christmas shopping done by June?  Please?

The traffic was ridiculous, and parking at any store I went to was nearly impossible. I didn't know that many people even existed in the state of Utah, let alone that it was possible for all of them to occupy one Wal-mart. That was where I drew the line. I walked into Wal-mart and made it about forty feet into the store before I turned around and walked back out. It was a cluster-fuck, and I wanted nothing to do with it. I refused to fight the crowd just to wait in line for an hour to purchase my three items. I'd rather pay a bit more and go to another grocery store.

I think all in all I went to about six stores, yet it took ALL day. I finally got home after being gone for nearly seven hours, and only wanted one thing to ease the pain of it all....vodka.

I don't plan on leaving my house again until Christmas is over.

Hopefully my boss won't mind.....

Secret Santa 2011

It's time for this year's Blogland Secret Santa! Pseredipity has been hosting a Secret Santa gift exchange through her blog for the past three years, and this will be my second year participating. Last year was a blast, so this year I am really looking forward to doing it again. I know who I'm going to be shopping for, and I can't wait to see what she thinks of the gift I choose for her.

I know that it is really helpful for the person you are shopping for to post a few hints, since most of the participants don't know each other, so I figured I'd share some things about myself to make things a bit easier on my Secret Santa.

1. If you haven't already figured it out, I love books. I love to read and someday I hope to write a few of my own. Browsing through bookstores is a favorite past time of mine. I have a small collection of books that are signed by the author and hope to continue expanding that collection. I also have a kindle that I take with me wherever I go.

2. Pink, black and grey are my favorite colors.

3. I love things that keep me warm.  Hoodies, socks, scarfs, blankets, hot chocolate, etc. - I am not a fan of being cold, so anything that will keep me warm is always a bonus. The only thing you shouldn't consider in this category is a Snuggie. It would be a waste of your money.

4. I drink a lot of wine. I drink a lot of anything, really, but wine is a favorite of mine lately. My favorites are Riesling and Moscato. I used to have one wine glass that I would use all the time, but sadly it broke a few weeks ago.  I also collect shot glasses.

5. I love movies. It doesn't matter what genre.

6. I have a serious sweet tooth.

7. I like jewelry. I wear a necklace and earrings every day.  The only type of jewelry I don't wear are rings.  My wedding ring is the only one that adorns my hand.

Dear Secret Santa,
Hopefully this list will help you out with some ideas. Please don't feel obligated to choose something that is related to this list though. I'm sure that whatever you come up with will be wonderful! I look forward to seeing what you pick, and finding out who the hell you are.

Do you dare to take a RISK?

As of last night, when he finally fell asleep around eleven thirty, my poor husband had been awake for close to sixty five hours straight. He woke early Monday morning, and between work and class, he didn't have much free time to work on a big project he had due for his finals. This meant that he really only had the option of working through the night to ensure that it was completed on time.

As I slept, he worked.

I felt so bad each morning when I would awake, and walk down the hall into the office to see him sitting there in front of his computer, still. Lack of sleep has never really taken too much of a toll on him because he has always been somewhat of an insomniac, but I still felt horrible knowing that I was completely rested, and he had been staring at a computer screen all night long while consuming mass quantities of energy drinks. Knowing that he wouldn't even get to take a morning nap, because he had to go to work for the morning and then to class after.

The project was turned in on time, and the teacher proclaimed that it was success. Everyone who has seen it has been impressed with the detail and effort that he put into it. He is definitely an overachiever.

I feel so lucky to have such a dedicated man that I can call my own. He inspires me everyday to become a better person.

For your viewing pleasure, Brett's final project for his AE animation class:


RiskCommercialProject from Brett Scothern on Vimeo.