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A Years Worth of Crap

I don't know exactly what this is- this meaning writing back in this blog. I have always thought about coming back to this little ol' space, sitting down, and starting back up again like not a day has past  between now and January of last year.
A lot has happened in this last year: I graduated cosmetology school. I got a job in the most wealthy area and a very popular salon, assisting. I was involved in a car accident where I got reared ended at a high speed. That accident changed my life and my future  as a hairstylist. It has permanently damaged my neck to the point where I am in pain every day even with just a little bit of work. However- a lot of good amidst the darkness has come from  the asshole who wasn't paying attention while he was driving. I was out of work for almost 8 months and in intense therapy 3-4x  a week. I hated every minute of it- I'm not a sitter and hate not working. When I finally started feeling better- an amazing job opportunity arose and I took it.  I had to, it is the job of my lifetime. And it was only a couple days a week, max 15-20 hours. With lots of room for growth and advancement. So finally, I am at the final stage of recovery. I will have a permanent deficit for most of my life because of my line of work,  but I have been nothing but positive throughout this whole journey.

I got this arrow tattoo to always remember
this time in my life- when life is pulling you back,
be prepared for it's going to launch you into something amazing.

Everybody and their sisters, dogs, wives is has a baby!  And some people are obsessing over having babies. Others are obsessing over me having babies. This world is a crazy scary place that I'm not fond of- I can't even imagine bringing a child into this world. Plus- Sir Dan and I have a heck of a bucket list to fulfill.
I lost one of my best friends. I use the term lost because she has not tried to communicate with me the 40x I've reached out to her. And I don't know why or what I did. In my mind I don't deserve this, however there might be a reason I cannot see.
I have been line dancing every week. Along with doing the 21 Day Fix and PIYO by beachbody. Once I realized I would be at a permanent deficit with my neck, I decided I need to get back into working out for me. Sir Dan and I started in November and have had great success with it. I can't wait to see where this journey leads us.
So if I do try and stay with this blog, it will be about my fitness journey and  my amazing job.  And of course- grub 'n marriage!

My Least Favorite Holiday

I'm just gonna come out and say it: I am the Anti-Valentine. There ya have it!

Ever since I started dating, I've hated this holiday. It seems all fun and mushy gooshy when your young and in love.  As you get older and into more serious relationships, to me it seems pathetic.
Here is why:
This is an easy way for guys to get out of doing things for their significant others. Everything is planned for them: the cards, candy, stuffed animals... even restaurants have set menus and prices that include roses and champagne. They literally have to put zero effort into it.
This holiday is pure competition between people, mainly women. Who got the best whatever, where you went, how big it is/was... Now that sounds like a grand ol' day to me, said no one ever.

Sir Dan and I don't celebrate Valentine's Day. I don't need chocolates- and I'm sure most women don't considering it's a month after the new year. I don't need a stuffed bear. And flowers are beautiful- but we are never home to enjoy them. We go out to eat whenever we feel like it- when the prices aren't jacked up.
We also celebrate our love for each other  each and every day. I don't need 1 day out of 365 to show my love for my husband... and I know he loves me every second of every day.

Just something to think about.

One Month Worth of Catching Up

Today I am sitting here, snuggled on the couch waiting for our internet to not suck, deciding maybe I can't just let my lil' ol' blog disappear. And with such awesome news to update ya'll (yup I'm southern now) on, I figured I'd write a post and fill it up with a lot of pictures.
The last time I stopped by these ol' parts was right before the holidays. Wow the holidays seem like forever and a day ago. We were fortunate enough to celebrate all our Christmas's over the  course of a few weeks and we actually just celebrated Hannuaka yesterday. I did make my Christmas List and my top one came true! My mom, sister, grandma, and I are going to see CHER!!! I'm still beyond excited.  My parents also got another chiweenie puppy that I call my own....... 

My brother and sister in law also got me this awesome thing called 'the selfie' It's a corded shutter button that you plug in to your phones headphone jack, turn the camera on, and you can push the button to take the picture! It's the best.

obviously taken with the selfie

New Years was also a ball of fun. We headed up to northern CT in the freezing cold and went out to dinner with my sisters fiances family. My parents also treated us to a night at the Hampton Inn which was the best. And we also played flip cup outside in the freezing cold.

The new year came and went. I watched people's resolutions come and go. Except for one person: Sir Dans. Every year he vows to himself (and me, but more himself) that he will get a teaching job. And every year I watch his dream fade away. Except for this year. A week or so into the new year he got a call... an interview was set up for a position in our areas school system. He was super nervous but I calmed him down and told him to be himself!!!  Don't just answer the questions they already know, be spontaneous. He came home and said it was the best interview he's ever had, but that they had a lot more candidates to see. Well, they impressed them so much, the next day he received an email from the director that  he got the job! I cried when I saw the email. This man does/will do anything for anybody else, cough send me to school full time for my dream cough, over himself. FINALLY this guy gets to live out his dream. The last two weeks have been so exciting. He filled out the paperwork, got fingerprinted, and this morning I sent him off to his First Day of School.

Tell me he's not handsome... #stud It is bittersweet though- In yet another effort to put his needs aside, he's working 2 full time jobs... He'll teach during the school day, have about an hour break to change, and then work 3 shift still at the Home Depot. The income will be great, but he will be exhausted. Not to mention we won't see each other at all Monday-Saturday. We'll have about an hour in the mornings, but thats it. I also will be bringing him dinner when I can  to say a quick hello and see how his day went. I am still super excited for him. And separation makes the heart grow fonder, right?
So far: I've cleaned the entire downstairs... and not like a little, like moved things around, did a quick vacuum with our new awesome cordless Shark ($30 at Walmart for quick clean ups), reorganized, and was done by 8:15am. 
Sir Dans 32nd birthday was also celebrated. I was scheduled to work that night, but the manager let me go so I wouldn't be  a wife in the doghouse (much appreciated) and surprised him at a local wing place: get as many free wings as you are old. From there we went out to our fave local bar and drank... well we all drank and took shots for Dan (he doesn't drink, at all). Poor guy: the only person who has to drive drunk people around on his special days.

And the last and final thing: I took my state boards this past weekend. Talk about stress.ful.  I signed up back in December for this test and literally studied like no other, not even like myself when I was in college. I want to pass this test on the first go- plus I took it before I graduated and should find out whether I passed right before I graduate. Score (if I pass). For the last 3-4 weeks, I've literally done nothing but study and last week, every free second I was studying.

So I decided to plan a celebratory Dan-got-a-job-Nicoles-done-studying get together at the same local bar to just unwind and not have to worry about anything! And it was awesome!!! Friends and family came out to celebrate- we danced, took shots, and celebrated.

I have 2 more weeks of school before I graduate :) I'm nervous and excited. In 2 weeks I will find out if I am a licensed cosmetologist and if I have a job where I want to work :) Fingers crossed and positive thoughts would be wonderful. Here's a couple pictures of some awesome clients: (cause what's a Nicole post without hair pics)

The Fabulous Karla

And that's it for now :) Obviously I have a thing for blonds..........

Newlywed Game Holiday Edition!

We somehow found time to do this 

awesome linkup! 

It's a quick one. 

Happy Holidays!

My Christmas Wishlist

Time is ticking down until that jolly ol' big fella comes down our chimney. And a lot of family members start asking what I'd like for Christmas.

What better way to share than to make my wishlist. So here you have it, my 2013 Christmas Wishlist:
ONE:

The number one thing on my list this year ^!! I've been obsessed with Cher since I can't remember when and she recently released her Dressed to Kill tour dates. I hopped on the site and unfortunately the tickets are way out of my price range and now most are sold out. I would die if I got to see her concert!!!
TWO:

  Behind the Chair : I've been obsessing over all their merchandise

since I discovered the site. I love the definition of hairstylist and

the sweatshirt is just hilarious!

THREE:

This is obvious and also out of our current price range. 

A golden retriever puppy. 

Since I can remember, I've always had dogs and I miss them terribly.  

FOUR:

 An actual adult lunchbox. 

Since Sir Dan and I are forever dieting,

I would like a lunchbox that actually fits 

all my food and drinks.

FIVE:

 This amazing Turbo Power blow dryer!!!

It dries hair super fast and isn't heavy.

Dream dryer!!

SIX:

 Oh Michael... How I love thou

and never had thou.

SEVEN:

 A random selection of gift cards:

target, cvs, big y, cosmo prof (hair store),

cotton on, new york and company, etc.

There you have it.

Most seem extreme,

actually they are extreme,

but it's what I really would like under our tree.

What's on your wishlist this year?

Weekend Recap: From Eh to Awesome!!!

This weekend started out like complete poopski, and ended up being pretty freakin awesome... to the point where I didn't want it to end.

Saturday was super craptastic- I had school and a couple clients that kept me busy... but my best friend was graduating which made the day bitter sweet.

We started our journey together, so its been her and I through it all. I'm truly gonna miss my little Lex.
To top off an already crazy and emotional day, I had to go to work. I was excited to make money but once I got there, and found out I had the worst section possible- it just slipped down hill from there. The manager was in the worst mood possible, my coworkers (who I love) all had issues and were dropping things left and right. I was looking forward to just leaving. I made great money, but was happy for Saturday to end so I could start my real weekend.
Sunday. My Saturday. Sir Dan and I decided to skip the gym, which was a hard decision, but our bed was super comfy and warm. Plus we never get a morning to just cuddle and sleep in.  So we did and I didn't mind. Saturday night we talked about making Sunday a date day, because we are both so busy we rarely see each other except for at night before bed.  We had so many great choices we couldn't decide. Finally while out to breaky, Sir Dan picked Mohegan Sun- CTs one of two casinos. We love Mohegan, and to spend the day there is so much fun. Off we went, talking the whole 2 hour car ride, not a care in the world. We get to Mohegan, put our car in their free valet, and in we went to hopefully not donate.
Sir Dan saw a TV that said: Tonights Show- Straight No Chaser at 7pm. We love them and saw them last year at the same time same place. Sir Dan looked up tickets and saw that there were some still available. We ran to the box office and purchased two tickets to see the amazing acapella group for $30 each! We were so stoked! Our impromptu date day turned even more awesome. (ps- if you've never heard them, search their music it's amazing).
We walked around the casino, played roulette and craps- which we both lost on :( but didn't care cause we were having so much fun and because it was so beautifully decorated. I looked at my phone and one of my best friends texted me that she was at the casino. We talked, found out they were seeing the show, ended up meeting up together, had dinner and went to the show. Another awesome coincidence!!
After the show, we met outside and decided to try our luck one more time at roulette, right by valet. My luck changed and almost ended up breaking even! A great way to end a perfect day.

Today... today I am relaxing all day! We had some bad weather overnight  consisting of mainly ice which we encountered on our way home. So I am in my footie pjs, still in bed, watching the rain :)

How was your weekend?

Oh hello there December

I think I'm slightly behind on this post considering  It's already December 5th but better late than never right?!  I've seen a lot of these December goals posts go up  And I wanted to write mine out in blog land!
Nicole's December Goals: 1.) put together everybody's Christmas gifts.  This year because of our current financial state, We are using wine and my awesome takent as gifts! It works out great and it's only a little expense for us.  Now I just have to make cute little vouchers. 
2.) lose 5-10 pounds.  Sir Dan and I have been dieting for just about two weeks now (We started the Monday before thanksgiving and even made it  Through thanksgiving under calories).  I've gotten my butt back into the gym as many days as I can With work and school being the obstacle.  Now it's time to get serious.  My ultimate goal is to get my thighs not to touch.  I mean who likes chub rub?!  I'm sick of it. 
3.) actually use coupons while shopping.  I went to Walgreens yesterday for deodorant  And the woman behind the counter had two coupons for me  Which lowered the price even more.  And being on a budget, I didn't realize how much coupons actually help. 
4.) do something different for New Year's Eve.  We have resorted to staying in the past couple of years  Just to save money and the drive. But now I want to do something fun and exciting.  Not sure what it is yet but I wanna go out. 
5.) organize the apartment.  That speaks for itself. 
6.) finally do our wedding crafts.  It's been a year and a half,  I think it's time to get that together. 

So there ya have it.  My December goals.  Hopefully being out in blog land Will help them happen. 
What are your December goals?? 

Nicole's 5 Things

Thanks Jessica for tagging me in your 5 things post.

Her questions for me:

1. Who in your life do you look up to most and why?

I have a lot of people I look up to in my life,

but I'd definitely have to say my husband. 

Yup corny freakin answer Nicole.

He is literally the hardest worker,

kindest person,

smart as Einstein,

looks out for others before himself,

and has tons of goals and aspirations.

2. What was your favorite movie growing up? Why was it your favorite? Do you still like to watch it today?

I was definitely a die hard Lion King fan. Just something about

the cute animals and the general message 

behind it was awesome.

It's my goal to see it on Broadway.

I haven't watched it in a long time.

3. What is your opinion of Christmas music? When do you start listening to it, if at all?

I looovvee Christmas music.

There's just something about it that is so fun and uplifting.

I usually turn it on after Thanksgiving...

even though at the mall (where I work) it's been playing since November 1st.

4. What do you look forward to most on Thanksgiving? Why?

I look forward to seeing all my family the most.

Because of our busy lives,

we don't get to see everybody all the time like we would like.

So Thanksgiving is great to see all of our families.

Also eating a lot :)

5. If you could go anywhere in the world, money not being an issue, where would it be and why?

Greece and Italy.

They've been on the top of list for a while now.

My grandpa was from Italy and I just

love everything Italian.

Both have a ton of history behind them

and great food to try :)

Pet Peeves

I like to think of myself as a pretty

laid back, go with the flow type of person.

It takes a lot for me to get really mad or aggravated

(unless you knew me when I worked at the bank,

I was often mad).

I choose to live life to the fullest and with much

positivity rather than negativity.

However,

we all have our pet peeves.

Who doesn't?

And if you say you don't,

you are blatantly lying to everybody.

Lets start with one of my top pet peeves:

'I Don't Have Any Money...'

this is probably tied for number 1.

I don't have any money- 

oh but you can go and spend your 'no money' on 

makeup, hair stuff, and clothes that cost

together way more than you don't have?

Yea... not ok.

Especially when you do it to get out of doing something

or just because you want sympathy.

Yes Sir Dan and I don't have a lot,

but I would never go around complaining about it.

I hate liars!!!

Not little white lies that we all tell to ourselves

(ex: I don't care about my weight),

big, bold lies.

For example: a guy at work was secretly dating

a much younger coworker.

We all knew it but they lied straight to everybodys face

and told them nothing was going on.

Until he got promoted to manager and she quit because

they were nervous about getting caught.

NOT COOL PEOPLE.

Just tell the truth, 

because in the end we all find out some way or another.

Cheaters

Not like on a test, 

even though I can't stand that either,

but on a partner.

If you have an open relationship,

that's one thing.

There's no reason to be married
and sneaking around.

I think it's wrong and immature.

If you can't control yourself,

you shouldn't be in a relationship

or with that person.

The Complainers or One Uppers

We all have these people in our lives.

Those that don't stop whining or complaining about their lives

or the ones that have to one up everything you do.

Can't stand either of them.

Teen Pregnancy

Unless you are actually trying to get pregnant

for some reason at that age.

Nowadays with Teen Mom 1,2,3..etc and

16&preggo-

it's almost a game to see who can get pregnant instead

of the opposite way around.

Be responsible,

party with a hat on,

don't sleep around.

'When are you having babies?'

Since Dan and I started becoming serious in our

dating relationship,

we were always asked this question.
Along the same lines- 
when people find out I'm married,
and because they assume I'm 19,
the first question they ask is:
Oh, so you have children.

Enough is enough.

Not for a while when both our careers are stable,

we have done our traveling and adventuring,

after we get a dog,

when we are ready to settle down.

We may  be married,

but that doesn't mean I have to pop out babies right away.

We have a lot of married life to live first.

I personally believe that no matter how long you've been together,

you should spend a bunch of years to get to know each other

and explore, vacation, have little responsibility in your marriage first.

There you have it!!!

Nicole's list of pet peeves.

Can you relate to any of them?

Nicole's Holiday Advice

Since my weekend was pretty relaxing and low key- I figured I'd give ya some super advice on how to go through the holidays with a bang. Sir Dan and I have been doing this now for 5 years, maybe more I've lost track, so we are use to the chaoticness that comes along with being together and tons of people to see.

You Will Be Pulled In A Million Directions: If you have tons of families to see in one day, you are going to feel like inspector gadget with is  go go gadget arms and legs because  everybody wants to see you. We have 4 places to be each holiday. Last year we did his family Thanksgiving, mine Christmas. We were suppose to switch it around this year. Buuuutttt... This year is more complicated cause some families will be here for Thanksgiving but not Christmas. And honestly, I don't care that we will be going to 3 houses on Thanksgiving, and 3 or 4 on Christmas. Why not see everybody for all holidays?! Be Inspector Gadget and use your helicopter hat to visit your family, his family, and whomever else you want to see. Now you don't have to worry about one area of the family bustin your balls for not being there, or running the risk of being miserable because you didn't get a chance to see who you wanted. Just remember: you aren't cooking, cleaning, or buying the alcohol- so eat, drink, and be merry!
Drink: This one basically explains itself. If you are visiting a few places, drinking is the best medicine. It keeps you calm and sane, while ingesting delicious spiked eggnog: (Nicole's spiked peppermint eggnog- mix eggnog and peppermint schnapps together. Mix in some chocolate. decorate with a chocolate rim,  crushed candy canes, and a candy cane). You're Welcome.

Dress cute but comfy: The worst feeling in the world is- an itchy sweater, pants too tight, feet hurting because of your heels. In my honest opinion- it's your family you are going to be with... they've probably seen you in sweats with  your hair/makeup not done. Don't go all out for them. Find a nice pair of leggings, a cute but non itchy sweater, and pair it with some boots. BAM!

 (left) yes I am wearing footie pjs and  Sir Dans shirt says 'my girl has great tatas'
Eat... a lot! Yes we are all on our diets of choice and all try to be good throughout the holidays. But ya gotta live a little. It's one day outta the year where you can enjoy some amazing food. If you are going to drink, ya might as well eat because drinking is worse anyway.

Be Merry and Thankful: No matter what you decide, be thankful you got to be with loved ones... and pass out from a food coma.
Happy Holidays Everyone :)