(Re) Chic

I COMPLETED MY FIRST BLOG-A-THON!!!!!! I think that's a pretty serious achievement and on top of that I start my new job tomorrow!   So wish me luck and I promise that just because I'm not posting everyday does NOT mean I will be neglecting this!   Now, I'm going to garden!

   It's supposed to be a holiday about those who have died in service to our country.  Does anyone honor that on Memorial Day? I feel like most people I know spend it as a day to stuff their faces full of hot dogs and sleep in because they have the day off of work. Is this all that freedom means to us? (All 2 people who read this yell "yes" at their computer) We have become a nation of fat people more focused on food than freedom.  Why is that?  I saw 1 flag at half mast today and I know 1 person who was going to a parade in honor of today (and only because he had to).  Have we always been so self-centered?  Do we ever really appreciate what has been given to us? I don't know the answer.  But I want to take a minute to throw it out into the universe that I am very grateful to have the freedom to have had the day off to bitch about Jim Tressel instead of going to work. 

I was at a BEAUTIFUL wedding yesterday that was outise and it didn't rain!!  the sun was out, the sky was blue and the field in the background was full of yellow flowers aka weeds because the farmers haven't been able to plant yet.  I hope Val and Bill's life has just as much luck (there was a little irish theme to tbhe wedding because they're going to Ireland for their honeymoon) in their life as they did yesterday...I know if I tried to have a wedding outside it would rain all day...so jealous!s

Ohio is an odd place, it seems to think its very chic and foreign and needs to use names of other places to name its own cities (today I'm in Baltimore). Don't believe me? Haven't you ever been to Russia, Paris, London, Versailles, Vienna, or Bremen, Ohio?

I make no promises about post quality this weekend as the internet will be limited at best. This post was originally going to be about my last day as a VISTA...but it looks like I have some unfinished (and it will be unpaid) business to finish on Tuesday...so I'll reflect more then, lol Happy Weekend!!!

I have been thinking again about my personal manifesto, especially since tomorrow is my last day at this job that I have done for over a year and a half and things are going to suddenly become at least a little different.   So the first statement of my manifesto is going to be:  I will not let my work be my whole life.   My work can define me, but it can't be the definition.   That's really all the farther I've gotten, but I was just thinking about it earlier so I wanted to share. One other update: I am working on my "Plant Profiles" or whatever I was going to call them, so hopefully I will get those organized and I will have some sort of REGULAR schedule about posting them...since I've almost completed my 1st ever blog-a-thon!  

Using my garage sale find. 

Today I was perusing through some of my previously starred items on Google Reader (I usually star them if I think I would like to read them again later) and I refound this gem by Teresa Basich on Overcommunicated (which sadly no longer exists). After years of putting energy into everyone but myself, it’s time I take a stand for ME in my life. I’ve commited to putting myself first and this is what that commitment looks like. I will give confidence a chance. I will draw boundaries. I will look for love and support within. I will strive for balance instead of living in extremes. I will accept that my friends and family won’t hate me for putting myself first. I will accept that some of those friends or family might not like or understand the changes I make. I will start my days with openness, and trust that life and the universe will take care of me. I will find ways to hone my focus and productivity. I will honor and recognize my achievements and reward myself for them. I will

I found a 4-leaf clover! Sorry its blurry but my phone couldn't be close enough  to see all the leaves AND clear apparently.   And because of this 4-leaf clover I feel...Lucky!

The rain has NOT stopped here in Clinton County.  In the past 24-hours we have gotten over an inch and a half of rain.  And that was all AFTER I repotted my flooded plants last night...here's what I woke up to this morning.   My flooded garden Homeless plants.   I'm going home now to see about moving the bed and rescuing the plants before this happens again...wish me luck!

As I mentioned in a previous post I sometimes have to sit on my backstep (today my butt is geting damp as I write this) to post because of my "borrowed" internet. Well, I just narrowly missed meeting a skunk who sniffed around my building, heard my cat meow, and ran in the OPPOSITE direction of me! Yay for not being tired AND stinky!

I just got back to my apartment after being home for a wedding this weekend and I've already found a casuality from yet ANOTHER rainstorm. I apologize there are no photos, but nothing would take in the dark and my porch light wasn't QUITE bright enough. A few weeks ago I had planted a few cabbage, begonias, and brussel sprouts in half an old trash can my boyfriend had sawed in half for me.  Since it then created a container that was short one side I used an old recycling bin as a rain barrel and container side.  Today's rainstorm must have produced several inches of rain because my recycling bin overflowed, into my "container," it got so heavy it bent the side, so water, soil, and several plants overflowed out of my trashcan flower bed and onto my steps for me to find when I arrived today.  I scraped a little bit of soil off the sidewalk and tried to replant the plants a little but I'm worried the waterlogged soil from the sidewalk and the shock is not g

You didn't get taken in the rapture either. Let's be friends!

So with the sun shining, the blue sky, and the cactus I thought I killed growing!  I pretty much feel like a B-A today!   But for those of you who don't know...let me tell you the story of this cactus.   This cactus is actually a piece of this cactus that fell off during the repotting process.   Have you ever repotted a cactus?  Yeah...its not the best choice.  Its best to leave giant cactus lie.  Which is also advice to give someone who, while driving home from work one night sees a cactus on the curb and decides "I'm going to adopt that"  That girl, was me.   In case you can't tell by the above photograph the original cactus is living in a plastic container approximately 1 1/2 feet square and just as deep.  It probably weighs between 25-30 pounds and is overflowing out of its pot.  I decided to pick up this cactus, put it in my car, and take it home with me.   The other thing to note about this cactus is not only does it have the long scary look

So it may be May 19th and the day to blog about mental health was yesterday.  But May is Mental Health month and its never to late to talk about busting down the stigma and negative feelings associated with mental health.   I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety disorder when I was a junior in college.  I had had symptoms and signs of depression since I was in middle school and I had been suicidal since I was a high school student.  All of this was a secret from my family: the appointments to a therapist/counselor, my inability to get out of bed, my skipping class, my emotional sadism, etc until I was a senior in college and things got so bad I decided to give in and get prescribed a medication.  I had to tell my parents because I was still on their insurance and figured the questions would start coming when the insurance statement from the doctor's visit.  I told them, got prescribed a medication and tried to move on.  They didn't take it well, my mom insists to thi

I know I posted photos yesterday as well but these are truly wordless photos. All I could say while looking at these was "WOW."  So special thanks to Not Dabbling in Normal for these photos.   Click on the blossoms for more photos!

All of this...for $7. Scarf with a pretty pattern Itty bitty apothecary jar Bright pink plastic ice cream sundae cup A baby oil lamp A tall glass apothecary jar Sweet gold lantern A big swirly lamp A fun leopard print baby lamp. An old wooden filing cabinet A complete Killer Bunnies game (this game is hilarious) A cool glass/bud vase Set of four mini mug/shot glasses Cool Glasses A berry colored rectangle plate that looks like stuff my sister sells out of her home and garden catalogs. A skinnier curling iron because mine is MIA A beverage warmer (this will either be the best invention ever... or I will burn down my apartment). Now bow down to my sweet garage sale-ing skills!  I'll let you know what happens to them as I use these items throughout my apartment!

Well, this isn't exactly a guest post but in some ways I'm going to feel like a guest for a little while because I'm about to get thrown into some new experiences! I just got offered a job at the London Public Library this morning and I'm starting June 1st!  Which means after a year and a half my VISTA service is finally coming to an end.  Which is both relieving (in that I'm going to get a job that pays above minimum wage) and so sad in that I have a feeling the 45 minute commute is going to cause me to leave Wilmington and leave all of this work that I've spent all of this time doing.   I mean let's look at what I've accomplished both personally and professionally in the past year:  Coordinated a Culinary Job Training Class Fed hundreds of people at Sugartree Ministries Found a family here in Wilmington, OH Assisted in the creation of a Hunger Walk that is slated to become an annual event here in Clinton County. Ate my 1st Banana Split .   Adopted

It's Sunday and its rainy and cold. It makes me feel like this. Lucie Perhaps I will use this lazy day to bring in and take pictures of my garage sale finds to show you all...or perhaps I'll lay back down on my couch and watch BeetleJuice.  Either way its a lazy day.  P.S. Day 15 of Blog-a-thon and still going strong!

I know yesterday I said that I was going to post pictures of my garage sale finds but I have something that's even better...gardening photos! Today was the annual Clinton County Master Gardener Plant Sale (they also offer workshops but I couldn't afford to attend any) and I bought more plants than any girl could ever need and I am super excited about it.  The Spoils So of course after purchasing a quantity of plants that was NOT in my budget...I got to plant them all.  And I feel pretty proud of myself for the creative containers and the ingeniuty involved in getting that many plants (along with everything I was already growing) in my available space.    Half an old trashcan converted into a planter A skillet full of impatiens As I was choosing and smelling the different varities of vegetables and herb plants that have become available to me from this sale i've decided that I want to do a little more homework with my plants to ensure that I'm picking the v

It's Friday!  And I'm really excited about it!  Tonight I'm going out with my friend Maria and then tomorrow I'm going to buy plants!  Basically two of my favorite things in the world.  So make sure you do something fun this weekend because I know I am!  P.S. photos to come tomorrow...I got some major finds at a Garage Sale yesterday for super cheap...its awesome. 

My car is fixed! So now I can admire the view out my windshield... Please note this was not actually taken today...it was taken BEFORE my car became completely dead...but just barely!

Today's theme is Haiku...and here is mine. I'm very proud that I can write one, I thought this was super hard! Planting all morning Placing seeds deep in the soil Grows joy in my soul

So its been really hard for me to understand the national deficit. I know that we have one, and people tell me that if we didn't have one our economy would fall apart, but I don't understand that. I know that my parents never wanted me to have a credit card and 23 year old me still doesn't have one because of how easy it makes wracking up debt because let me tell you it would be WAY easy to run that card for lots of things I can't pay for on my VISTA salary.   But today I read an article that made me even more confused about how our government budgets run.  In this article the state of Ohio hasn't gotten back millions of dollars they are owed by fines given to businesses who violate the smoking ban.  $1.5 million dollars according to a report written in the Dayton Daily News.  Now, I don't know about you but I feel like if someone owned me over a million dollars I would be knocking on their door asking them for the money...so why doesn't the state

My best friend, @OAmadeusAmadeus , requested that I write a blog about my newest hobby, painting wine glasses.  I don't remember exactly why I decided to start painting wine glasses, probably because I needed an artistic outlet to add to my life at a time when I was working about 60 hours a week and coming home alone in a new town. So I decided to paint, I painted for years when I was young, mild artistic desire and talent inherited from my mother, who is one of the most talented people I know, and something I had stopped doing in the social and academic focus that was my college career.  Once you have decided to paint the steps are fairly simple.  All you need is paint, brushes, and a "canvas." Finding a canvas is easy, all you need is a wine glass, a drinking glass, a margarita glass, a glass bowl, anything you think is worthy of painting.  I find this very easy because I love garage sales and flea markets so I'm always finding fun glassware pieces on my se

Still having internet issues and feeling like crap.  Will try to feel better and find a place to work but no promises.  I hate that its beautiful outside and I feel gross.  Real post tomorrow I promise as long as I live through today.   Enjoy the sunshine!

I've just spent the last hour trying to figure out how to do this on someone else's droid. as you can see its not going so well.  I'll get back to you when I have internet that's larger than my hand.

So luckily I remembered to post today. Because I have last minute ended up in Cincinnati to celebrate a friend's birthday and a friend's first trip to Ohio in 7 months. So enjoy what we've been laughing at while drinking mimosas late at night!   And of course a fun video that goes right along with it! See you tomorrow!

I promise I'm not wussing out on you guys yet!  But I have to say that after a meeting this morning which brought me to tears and the stress of trying to figure out how I can afford to get my car fixed (anyone know where I can find an alternator that's not $150+?) I just can't write today because my blog would just be a fit of curses and no one wants that.   So...Happy Cinco De Mayo!  Let's go drink margaritas and be happy that the sun is shining and forget about the stress of everyday! See you tomorrow!  Hopefully I'll have something happier to share!

In lieu of writing about books (I don't really read books about writing anyway) I have posted a picture relating to them. This is a photo of the sculpture in front of the Wilmington Public Library.  I find it to be really charming, yet somehow sad at the same time.  

Every once in a while I click the "Marketplace" application on my Facebook page (in case someone is giving away a free bed that I could use).  Upon doing so yesterday I saw a pet Wallaby for sale for $1,200.   I want one.   However, the question is...can I have one?  Are wallabys...or is it wallabies...or maybe walleye...no that's definitely not it...you know what I mean...but are they legal in this state? Well let's start with what we know is legal: cats and dogs (unless your landlord says no then you'll be out on the street), most lizards, but those are basic pets.  Here's a little snippet into the unusual (and expensive) pets.   World's most expensive pets:  Green Monkey: $16 million Legal in Ohio Missy: $1.2 million Legal in Ohio Capuchin Monkey: $10,000 Legal in Ohio That's right.  I said LEGAL!  There are neither bans nor requirements on monkey ownership in Ohio so go for it!  Buy your monkey! Need a less feminine monkey?  Try

For those of you who don't know me very well you may be surprised that I'm writing about this topic.  May is Mental Health Month and I think this is HUGE!   I was diagnosed with depression when I was a junior in High School however, the signs and symptoms had followed me around for a majority of my life.  I truly believe my life has been saved through treatment and I want to encourage anyone who feels they need help to seek it out! 1 in 4 adult Americans live with some sort of treatable mental illness and not all of them are getting help!  So if that person is you or someone you love make sure you do them and yourself a favor and SAY SOMETHING!  SEEK HELP!  ITS OK!   Check out Mental Health America's website to learn more about 1 in 4 or go to www.liveyourlifewell.org to find hints and tips to help you deal with stress and have a better more productive life.   Check out previous and future posts for more about my own mental health and wellness and how I cop