Shhh...Don't tell Kevin!

(From Here!)

Here is a little look-see at what Me, Stacy, and Sister did today.

Stacy posted a few more on her blog at http://stacymariephotography.blogspot.com/

Check it out!!!

Thank you Stacy...You're amazing!!!

Ideas...Thoughts...Ramblings

So some of you may know, some of you may not, that I went to school to become an esthetician awhile back. I only did the basic course (600 hours) because I was moving to California at the time and didn't see the point in getting a Master Esthetician license in a state where it didn't exist. Anyway, I finished my hours, moved to California, took my test in LA, and didn't pass the writeen exam.

That was the end of it. I never scheduled my re-test, I lost sight of my goal, and haven't really though much about it until recently. I even had myself convinced that that wasn't what I wanted to do with my life. I have a sneaking suspicion it had something to do with certain people things in my life at the time, but they have since been upgraded :)

Like I said, I have recently started thinking about it again. I re-evaluated, and realized that me hating my job is never going to change unless I do something to change it. If I don't go to college, I'm never going to get a job that I love.

So, I decided that I am going to start over.

I have decided that I am going to go back to esthetics school.

Last time, I didn't really do any research as far as what schools there were and what they offered...I kind of just picked one and went. That was a bad idea, and because the school I went to wasn't amazing, I feel that may have contributed to me not loving it. There wasn't a lot of structure, the instructors weren't awesome, and it was in a basement of a random building.

I have been looking into Elase Academy, and so far I'm loving what I see...and hear. A girl I work with started there in December I think, and she said that she loves it and only had good things to say about it.

My favorite part of that school is that Elase is a medical spa, meaning lasers, botox, things like that. So at Elase Academy, that stuff is a part of the curriculum. It isn't extra, it isn't a special course, its just a part of it. That means that the opportunities for work don't stop at a day spa, you can work in Dr.'s offices, medical spas, things like that.

That's what I'm talking about!

I've looked into the tuition, the scheduling. I can go part time Monday through Thursday from 5:30-9:30 p.m. and Saturday from 9-5 a.m. and it should only take about 15 months. Which means I can still work full time, and just over a year is not that long. Plus, because I have done it before, I won't be nearly as lost.

There is a girl that I went to high school with, who is married to a guy a went to high school with, and I read her blog. She started in January at Elase and she has been posting weekly updates with pictures and everything...that's when I really started to miss it. The last post she did was them doing manicures and pedicures and I wanted to cry because it want to do that again.

Because its been so long since I was at school, I will be starting over. But I am okay with it. I definitely won't be starting until after the wedding. They have a course starting May 4, so I might look into that one. Or wait until the summer is over.

Once the absolute decision has been made, I will let you all know...but, in the mean time, wish me luck!

Happy 2010!

I know this is a little late. Everyone's new year posts have come and gone.



I guess I'm just a slacker like that.



2009 was the absolute worst year of my life. I've gone through some crappy things in my life, but never as much or as often as in 2009. It started crappy, it kept getting crappier.



Crap.



2009 was the absolute best year of my life. I have never felt more loved or needed or appreciated in my life. I've had the best times of my life with the person who I know I'm supposed to be with, and he has put up with a lot of residual crap from the crappy side of 2009.



Oh, how I love him for that!





As a general rule, I don't do the whole resolution thing. Mostly because I don't want to let myself down when I don't stick to them. Yes, I said when. And because I feel like I should be striving to be a better version of myself all the time. Not just on January 1st.



This year is a bit different. There are things coming up, (in 70 days BTW...*gulp*) that I need to be ready for. Meaning, I want to look good in my dress. Its completely backless and I want to look good in a completely backless dress.



My "resolution" started on December 26th. I started Shredding!



I now feel completely lame that I just called it that...but, oh well :)



I asked Kevin to get me Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred for Christmas. And he did. And I love it.


I am on Level 1, Day 7...and I can actually keep up now. I did miss 2 days, which is why I'm not on day 9, but I had valid reasons. Not excuses. I'm feeling good about it. I'm not doing it to lose weight so much as to tone up. And its working. I like my body (for the most part), and do I wish that I was back in my size 6, 120 lb. body? OF COURSE! But I was in high school when that was a reality and I just don't have the will power or the want to do what it takes to get back there...Let alone stay there.


I'm also doing this because, after wearing said backless dress, I will be in Hawaii for a week. I will be in a bikini on the beach in Hawaii for as much of that week as I can manage, and I want to look good doing it.


Conceited? Probably.
Do I care? Not so much.


I took some before pictures, and if I make good progress, with a noticable difference, I may let people see them.


But probably not. I will just let the wedding pictures and honeymoon snapshots speak for themselves :)


Now, I just need to get the rest of our engagement photos back so that we can get the invites sent out.