The Battle of Priorities: Yours, Mine, Theirs & Ours

pri·or·i·ty: something given or meriting attention before competing alternatives.

So, I'm feeling a bit pensive regarding this subject, evidenced by my random return to blog land after a 9 month hiatus. I'm not really sure what I want to talk about regarding priorities yet, so I assume it will come to me - since I do have quite a few thoughts dancing around.

I found it kind of interesting that my last post was somewhat about priorities and how I had settled in with being okay with the current structure. Just so you know, my Christmas lights are still up (party on the patio every night - woooo!!), my house is still far from perfect, my dishes and laundry are still a nemesis of mine (Carlos is an angel and takes care of these), our Christmas decor is haunting me from a box in the corner of the living room with ornaments calling to me to pack them away, my table is covered in receipts, I may or may not be ready to do my taxes soon...

BUT...

I keep my hubby fed with healthy, homemade food daily, our bills are paid, we've got a roof over our head, a car in the driveway, we work together and then get time at home to enjoy each other's company as non-coworkers and I get to focus my efforts leading a team and helping friends and family achieve their health & financial goals. On a good day, we get in a workout on top of it! ; )

So my priorities obviously aren't cleaning, as much as they mean time with the people I love. Hello Quality Time Love Language! The house isn't always a wreck, but I'm okay with it being that way for a while as long as the things I REALLY have identified as being important are covered.

Sometimes my business takes over as a priority and I know that I need to spend more time digging in and that means that I don't get to hangout with friends or that I haven't seen the latest movie(s) or TV shows - and I'm totally okay with that!

Sometimes I've focused so much on getting things done and just hanging with Carlos that I realize that I DESPERATELY need girl time STAT and that takes over as priority until my tank is full.

But what I struggle with sometimes is:

What happens when your priorities don't line up with someone else's? 

They have theirs, you have yours and they don't meet. They have an expectation that you will see their priority as they do and likewise. Sometimes I think "do they seriously not understand that I'm trying to accomplish something?" And they are probably thinking the same thing about me! Because although we may have the same values, we have different priorities.

I think sometimes we have to just be awesome advocates for ourselves. Tell people what your priorities are!  Be okay with saying:

"Honestly, right now that's just not a priority for me. I'm focusing on ____________ and I really can't afford to get off track right now."

OR

"Ya know what, that sounds awesome, but I spend any available evenings with my family, because I don't want them getting my leftover time anymore."

OR

"I would love to go out with you guys, but we are trying to save money and pay down debt and that's just not in the budget this month. Dave Ramsey said 'no'. Maybe next time!"

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying to reply to your boss in this fashion if its part of your job description to accomplish a task. This isn't an Office Space approach of apathy towards things you just don't want to do. It's making a list in your mind of those tasks, responsibilities, invitations, etc. and really being honest with yourself as to if they line up with your priorities or if they just add noise at a time when you desire/need to focus energy on a few things rather than 100.  But it takes being intentional to NOT over-commit!!

This would go a long way for those who think they have to say "yes" to everything. Let me release you from that real quick. YOU DON'T!!!! Next time someone asks you to do something (extra work, the millionth social activity this week...) and you don't REALLY want to do it, say "no". I speak from experience as a "yes" girl - believe me, the view is better over here!  Once I defined my priorities, it made saying "no" when I needed to, SUPER easy.  I no longer feel guilty for standing up for what I feel is important for our life and extra time.

I think I've reached the end of my thoughts on this subject for now. What do you think?  Feel free to chime in!

On Life, Priorities, Growth, Leadership & Realizing Potential

This is a screenshot of my CURRENT desktop.  Yes, it says October.  Yes, I'm very aware that its currently June.  I'm also aware that my Christmas lights have been up since the Christmas before last.  Don't judge.  So what if there's a party on my patio every night (I tell myself.  Myself responds "heck yes!")

As I hopped on over to my neglected blog today, I found it interesting that the last blog that I wrote was in October as well.  Interestingly enough, that blog was also about the fact that I was feeling scattered and was having a hard time multi-tasking, so its no surprise to me that I fell off of the grid with my blog at least.  The good thing is, I did start using that life planner that I mentioned so know that I didn't stop functioning altogether! If anything I started functioning more and functioning better, just in different capacities.

In my former life as an administrative assistant I used a prioritized task list (A, B, C) in order to begin the practice of automatically knowing what my priorities should be eventually.  It worked!  As I transitioned out of the paper/email/filing/board meeting minute-typing life and into that of a life as a wife with a new job, a home business, a mess a home, a puppy, dishes, Christmas lights, laundry, a kitchen table that serves as a landing place for mail, a coffee table that serves as the place we eat - I realize...I might need to bring that prioritized task list back into play some days more than others.  Maybe I can find a super cute one on Pinterest...and then get distracted, find a recipe, then another inspirational quote that makes me want to exercise and 20 crockpot dinners I can make ahead of time...and...and...and 4 hours pass by in the meantime, I feel brilliant despite the fact that I've accomplished nothing whatsoever, and I forget why I hopped on in the first place.

So, all that to say, the blog has definitely been a C on the priority list for the last several months, because it needed to be!  In October I started to get serious about some personal development areas I was lacking in.  I took the Strengths Based Leadership test and suddenly was aware that I have leadership strengths!  My top 5 are all in the Execution category.  So I started getting serious about developing leadership skills that I don't have, building my AdvoCare business and raising up a team of leaders!  I started getting serious about paying down debt instead of just thinking about it and worrying about it incessantly.  Believe me, I still have my moments, but I don't think they're as all consuming as they used to be.  Because, repeat after me, "if you fail to plan, you plan to fail"!  Planning brings peace.  Getting a system in place brings peace.  Above all else, knowing that God knows the desires of my heart and has my back and wants the best for me, brings me PEACE!

I'm running out of daytime hours I can allot to this blog - with actual tasks at hand - yes, my favorites: Dishes and Laundry.  And since I'm actually home today, I have to take advantage of these hours because these tasks DO NOT get done after work on a daily basis unless extremely necessary.  To all you awesome people out there who have mastered the art of doing these things even though you don't want to and you don't necessarily have time to - I SOLUTE YOU!  Please pass on your wonderful, magical powers to me!

So I'll leave with this.  I found this to be pretty awesome.  As I was updating my Google profile, I realized how much life had changed in the past two years and become SO much more than I had imagined it would.  Things I've wanted have come to fruition.  Opportunities I didn't know existed two years ago are breathing new life and new chances for growth into my day-to-day!  Which in turn has allowed me to have a renewed heart for people like myself who don't even know what they're missing out on, who have no idea the incredible potential they have for greatness in their life because of fear, or circumstances they're in the midst of.

I challenge you - whoever you are that's reading this blog right now! What do you want your profile update to look like 2 years from now?  Seriously!!

(Insert Your Name), You're now seen as...


(Insert Your Name), You will be seen as...


Here are a couple things that I suggest you check out to help you on your journey of reaching your potential!

Read:  The Slight Edge and Strengths Based Leadership (get the book and then you can take the test online!)

Watch/Listen to this Message Series:  Change Your World in 52 Days - There are four messages and you can either watch it or listen to the mp3 of it like I did.  Like I said the other day in a facebook update, a gem that I got from this series was this simple, yet awesome revelation about myself.

You were uniquely created to accomplish something only YOU can do! Hence the reason we get so broken-hearted about certain things that other people don't seem to care so much about. Its because YOU are the one that is meant to do something about it! Its on YOUR heart for a reason!

Don't settle for less than you were created to be.  Be open to new opportunities to grow instead of settling for what's comfortable.  Realize what purpose you were meant to carry out.  Let that purpose drive you to do good in this world.

Right now I look at my profile and I like what I see because I challenged myself to be more and do more, but I know that there's SO much more to accomplish and become.  As my vision expands though, this is what I see happening!

You're now seen as... Sarah Rodriguez, Cinematographer, Social Networker, AdvoCare Advisor/Distributor/Coach

You will be seen as... Sarah Rodriguez, World Changer

And I hope the same for you!

Things On My Mind

Is anyone else having trouble sleeping lately? I feel like there are not enough hours in the day sometimes to think the many things my mind wants to think. Its been spilling over into time I'm supposed to be sleeping and its making me crazy!

I've always been a night owl so its really not that big of a surprise that my mind would still be awake past the time I want it to be. Unfortunately Carlos likes to sleep as soon as his head hits the pillow and is able to do so quite well, unlike myself. He's not too keen on my desire to keep talking to him, unraveling my mind as best I can with the hopes that the more I talk, the less I'll store in the ol' noggin and eventually run out of things to think about - thus allowing for sleepy time.

I've come to the conclusion that I used to be a good multi-tasker and now I'm just good at thinking about far too many things simultaneously without the key benefit of actually completing tasks. Instead, my tasks are strewn about in my brain, some started, some completed and most are in limbo land, hoping desperately that I write them down before I just plain forget.

Is it that I'm a wife now? Is it that I technically have two jobs? Am I just not the organized person I think I am?

I go back once again to the perfectionism = procrastination issue. If it can't be done perfectly right this moment, I just won't do it. If I can't do it right now though, guess what I'm probably going to do? Instead of just biting the bullet and making the decision to charge through despite my procrastination issues, many times I'll start looking for system that will make my life more organized. When I was an administrative assistant this was my favorite item. It was cute (key organizational element), gave me three colors of post-its (love to categorize!) and I wanted to fill it up and use it constantly - and it worked!

My work life is more scattered now, between the office, home and being out and about. I'm not stuck to a desk so... my system can't be either.

Sooooo....what am I going to do about it? Well, thanks to facebook, my eyes were opened to my new favorite organizational system! And I haven't even gotten it yet! Erika (of Illegitimis Non Carborundum) and Kaysie (of Chasers of Kaysers) both shared how awesome this planner was. Erika did a write up on her recent purchase here if you want to take a peek at her personalized planner and all that it has to offer. I checked it out, got mine ordered and I'm pretty excited to see it show up on my porch!

You can look into getting your own here!

Here's a little video they have on the website that gives you a peek into its über planner genius.

Dream Working, Mondays and Acting Like a Child

I woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. What a surprise...Monday - why do you have to be so mean all the time?

This morning I didn't wake up on time to get ready for work because I was already at work in my dreams. Has anyone experienced this before?

Although I can't remember the details of what exactly I was doing, I know that facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Blogger, etc etc etc were involved and I was hard at work multi-tasking, strategizing and networking like a champ. At least, those were the words and feelings leftover in my brain when Carlos startled me awake with the knowledge that not only was I not at work already (to my dismay - I was getting so much done!), I only had just about 20 minutes to get ready before we had to get out the door to ACTUALLY be at work.

Dreams are crazy. I mean, some really are crazy and then others are so crazily realistic that they're hard to jump out of. I felt very productive and accomplished this morning in dreamland, only to get startled awake, be alert for a second and then go back to feeling very very tired. Then I get to work and the reality hits that I haven't been hard at work for hours and that my work day is just starting. And I haven't been the most awesome, alert, multi-tasking, networking genius of my dreams.

Maybe I should try the other side of the bed tomorrow. Carlos seems to have no problem getting up in the morning. In reality, it wouldn't matter if I slept on the right, left, at the foot of the bed or on the floor, or on a stinkin' cloud - any day that starts before 8am is a tough one for me. Nighttime is no biggie, I can do nighttime really well. Once I'm asleep, unless light is streaming brightly through my bedroom curtains - don't talk to me. It'll be bad and I will act like a child.

My My My...How Time Flies

Two whole months - almost.

That's the amount of time that I've taken to get back to my blog.

Not that I was all that dedicated to daily entries before or anything, but still.  Thank you Patty - Miss "Brem Bloggy Blog" (Follow her blog by the way - its awesome) for reminding me today that this is something that I enjoy doing!! I ran into Patty today at the park and she was nice enough to ignore the fact that I looked a mess.  I was (and still am) in my "I'm just taking Chloe for a walk right on the other side of my fence so I don't have to look nice because I'm within a short distance to my house if I see someone I know and need to run back to my house before they see me look a mess" attire/hairstyle/make-up-less-ness.  Yes, I know, that was the worst run-on sentence you have ever read in your life - and it was.  But you know exactly what I mean.

So where have I been? Well, between now and my last entry I've been tackling this thing called life and all that includes and asks of me.  In reality, its not like I'm a stressed out mess, its just the normal kind of busy, the great kind of busy!

Its like this...when I was a single girl, with no prospects in sight and not much of a social life, I wrote in my diary a lot.  When I was a single girl, with no prospects in sight, but I had friends and a social life, I wrote every once in a while.  When I started dating Carlos, I checked in once a month, maybe if that. When I got engaged, it turned into a prayer journal that I only wrote in for that purpose - there wasn't time in the midst of wedding planning to write about my feelings beyond my current circumstances and what I needed God to lead me in regarding those circumstances.  When I got married....well...let me see when the last time I wrote in it was.

.......

March 24, 2010  - Well that answers that question.  I didn't even write in it the 4 months before my wedding day July 11, 2010.  I was busy, but in a very fun way.  I didn't even have a job in those 4 months, just a puppy and wedding planning and apparently that was enough to occupy my time.

But the fact of the matter is, I love to write.  So, with that said, I will be doing a whole lot more of it coming up soon.  Not only will I be keeping up with this blog (I will try) but I will be writing for the companies' blogs (MasterWerks and Daydream) once those websites are up and running. So get ready blog world, I'm coming back!

Midnight in Paris

First off, I'm going to try to completely ignore the fact that I haven't done a blog update on here since May. If I think about it too much I will attempt to write a short blog entry explaining all of the reasons I haven't written (which will not be short no matter how much I try), when in short I can just say "I've been busy".

With that said, for our first anniversary, Carlos and I went to go see "Midnight in Paris". If you haven't seen it, you should. We loved it. I think it perfectly suited Carlos and my taste for nostalgia, France, old music and good movies.

Ever since I watched Midnight in Paris I've wanted to:

A. Go to France

B. Read - Amongst the people I did know of, it made me realize how many famous authors and artists I DON'T know.

C. Redecorate my home - in two ways: french provincial/shabby chic and with nostalgic pieces. I like old things so much better than new things.

D. Learn French - I wanted to take French in high school, but Spanish was more practical. So I'm super glad that I have taken 4 years of Spanish and don't remember much.

Hope everyone has a good weekend! Its been a long couple weeks at the office, and despite the fact that I've completely ignored my home, grocery shopping, etc., I fully intend on vegging out as much as possible. That is when I'm not looking for antiques, french provincial/shabby chic pieces and other bits of nostalgia on craigslist to inspire me for another month when such things might actually be a part of the budget!

Au revoir!

Call Me Susie.

Little Susie Homemaker...that's me. Sort of. haha I feel that way on days like these when I don't go into the office. I suddenly get very into the thought of baking and/or cooking all day long. I fit some cleaning in there too, and most of the time feel very accomplished by the time my man comes home.

The funny thing is, ever since I got married, I've pretty much been at the office M-F, away from the house. There had been this longing within that had taken root to make my house a home, and I couldn't because by the time I got home, I was tired and didn't have the energy to play Sarah the homemaker. Granted, I made sure we had good food to eat, we've cleaned the house on the weekend, and when there's laundry to put away, it eventually gets put away....but this being home during the week has made a huge difference.

I really enjoy being home. I really like having a job description that includes meal planning, folding laundry and vacuuming. Can't say I'm a big fan of dusting, but I do enjoy the smell of the orange pledge in the air and the fact that we don't have a TON of places for dust to settle. I'm an old-fashioned girl who belongs in the 50's I think.

This morning I got some chicken going in the crockpot and then proceeded to make some chocolate chip cookies so that Carlos would be pleasantly surprised upon his arrival. I did the dishes, vacuumed and dusted of the living room, put laundry away, made the bed, straightened up, and started putting my extra room together now that I have my last piece of furniture necessary for the room - shelves. I haven't completely figured out what I'm doing with that room yet - all I know is that until I figure out what colors I'm painting the shelves, desk and bookcase, things will just have to be put away on the shelves - as is.

Must go now! Its 6:15, my man just got home and I MUST get dinner on the table. =)

Paint Paint and More Paint

I feel like I've been in a whirlwind of life since I got married and I'm just now getting to the point where I'm looking around the house from the perspective of what I'd like to do with it all. Its pretty fun experimenting in my mind, but now its time to take some action. I've had an extra room for almost a year that has only served as a dumpsite. I have continued to call it my "creative space"...in reality, its been more like "I will do something creative in this space someday, but until its just the way I want it, I will do nothing."

As you can see from my to-do list (---->) I'm going to be a busy busy girl. I have given myself lots of painting tasks. Some I've had for quite a while and haven't done anything about them. I got a desk yesterday and I'll be getting some shelving tonight....so additional furniture to redo on the way.

Chloe's pretty excited about it. haha

My craigslist desk that's loaded up with everything that will be on the shelving units that will arrive this evening. Funny thing about that - I unknowingly responded to my friend's ad. We both had a good laugh about it. So I drove down the street and picked it up last night. ha!

The dresser from my childhood bedroom. I have literally wanted to paint/redo it for years. Katelyn and I had planned on doing it. Then we didn't. Then I gave the dresser to Carlos when he had his own place. We were going to redo it together. Then we didn't. Then when he moved in with his parents before we got married, we managed to take off the knobs and sand down the top and front (obviously not the drawers). Then we didn't do anything else. Now its in our room in its ugliness, continuing to be ugly until I do something about it. Part of me wants to get rid of it, and the other part knows that I need to finish the job. Carlos thinks that its followed me around this whole time because God knows that I will feel really good when its finally pretty.

This piece is in our living room...and I'm kind of visualizing red in its future.

Same with this one, in our living room and if I do the other one red, I'll probably do this one in the same color.

Inspiration Board

Do you have one? Have you ever made one?

I think I need one.

I know what I like, but I need to start taking pictures of what I like and letting the pictures hang out together in a place that I see often. See I have this creative opportunity called an extra room that I am determined to turn into a wonderful space. My space for work, for creative, for anything, but above all else, I want it to represent ME.

Right now the only pieces of furniture that represent me and isn't just furniture that Carlos had when he lived on his own or furniture that we've inherited (thank God otherwise we'd have a VERY empty house) are the dresser that I have had since I was 8, one half of the pair of burnt orange-y/brown rocking chairs that have been in my mom's house (and then afterwards in the garage) since I was born and the coffee table that I scouted out on craigslist and purchased shortly before we were married. So really, I only count the coffee table because its the only piece that represents my taste, right now.

So as much as I look around and see "us", as I should, seeing as how we're married (ha!) - I also look around and think, what can I do to make this look like me, something I would have put together because I liked it and not just the conglomeration of our furniture hanging out together because they have no other choice but to do so.

Does anyone feel me? Newlyweds? haha

I never lived on my own before I was married, so this is the first time really, that I've had the creative license to make a change and create something that is completely and totally me. Its pretty exciting! So exciting that I wasn't able to sleep for a while last night as I lay in bed imagining the possibilities and I had to play UNO on my phone to distract my brain.

Things to consider:

1. Paint colors for the walls

2. Paint colors for the furniture (i do have a couple of smallish dressers to fix up)

3. What all I want the room to be...creative space/guest room (meaning at least a twin sized bed or fold out futon) or just a creative space/office space

4. Theme!

5. What kind of surface I need/want considering it will be an office space for when I'm doing AdvoCare and MasterWerks work from home, but also a craft space for when I'm hopefully beginning the Etsy side of things. Desk? Large Table? Smaller table that transforms into larger table when necessary?

What I will need:

1. Desk/Table

2. Shelving for AdvoCare products that are currently hanging out in boxes and aren't very organized.

3. Rearrange furniture so that there's room for everything without making me feel claustrophobic!

If you have any tips for one who's revamping a room, that's currently a blank canvas with the exception of the piles of stuff that are residing there just because they can - I'd love input!

Off to scour craigslist for garage sales and inexpensive furniture to help me on my way!

Taking a break from being at the computer to . . . be at the computer.

Does anyone else's life revolve around a computer screen? If you're reading this blog, then I'm sure yours does to an extent, and just due to the world we live in, your life at least revolves around an iPhone, Android, or some other smart phone and the glorious apps that they provide. I have yet to enter in to the app world, or any other world that requires the purchase of a data plan, but when I'm at the office, I spend countless hours in front of a screen (editing pictures these days, editing film projects others, and researching everything else in between). My eyes hurt so I'll take a break, or its lunchtime so I'll take a break, and my break consists of eating while checking my email or facebook or blog or...or...or....

In a way its a break because I'm not focussing my eyes on one thing for a long amount of time, instead I'm scrolling or whatnot, and I guess that's a break? My eyes know that I'm kidding myself, but there's a difference, even if its a psychological one. Break time means mindless computer time, work time means creative computer time that's a little more intense. Either way, I'm pretty glad that I don't have internet at home, because then my eyes wouldn't get a bit of rest.

And yet, last night, I was talking with my best friend about the endless possibilities that I can enjoy when I transfer over into the data plan world. Whenever I can afford to do that, you can be sure that unless I set up strict rules for myself when I'm at home, there goes the treat that my eyes get to have at the end of the day.

With that said - I am really enjoying editing my sister's engagement photos. With two different photo/filming sessions we were able to get some great shots of her and her fiancee and interviewed them as well for the "love story" film we'll be doing for them. I'll post some later today or tomorrow once I get the okay from her.

Today's Poll:

People say you should take a 5-10 minute break from the computer every 2 hours. Do you?

Dead Laptop Blues

So remember that 30 day blog challenge I began a few weeks ago? Not so easy to continue without a laptop. If it were all typing and no pictures, it would be a bit easier seeing as how with the exception of pictures I've posted on facebook (which is a lot, its true) everything was on my brain-dead computer. Instead, its a mixture of the two, and due to this little perfectionist side I have, I gave up on it all together.

Does anyone else have this problem? I always thought that being a perfectionist meant that you want everything done perfectly, the majority of the time. Instead I've found over the years (and have been told) that perfectionism is closely linked with procrastination. Why? Because if you can't do it perfectly in every way, giving the project/task/BLOG everything you've got RIGHT NOW, you won't do it. Once I do get around to do it, usually when I'm in a time crunch and I have no other choice, I'm forced to work past the fact that I'm not really in the mood to be perfect and I get it done.

Unfortunately this applies to all areas of my life, work or play, as long as there is a task to be accomplished. If I want to make something/do something creative and my crafty area is a mess, I have to clean up the mess first. If I don't feel like I can clean the WHOLE area and be satisfied, I probably won't ever get around to being crafty. If I want to relax and out of the corner of my eye I see mail on the table, I can't just relax. Most likely I wouldn't be able to do anything about a bill on the table at 7pm, but I need to know if I have one that I haven't seen, which most likely will lead to me doing bill filing when really I should just be on the couch taking a chill pill.

When I was in high school and college, rarely did I ever complete (or start) a paper until the night before it was due. Most likely I would be up late into the wee hours of the morning doing it. Each and every time I would swear to myself that I wouldn't do it again, that it was too much stress and that I was way too tired and it wasn't worth it. Then I would get an A. I wouldn't learn, because the perfectionist side would say to me, "You did great! You don't need to start early! You can hit one out of the park even when you wait until the last minute!" And so it happened again and again.

One night in college, I thought it would finally be the night that broke me of the habit. My sister and I were taking the same Political Science course. She and I saved a couple bucks by sharing a book. She and I also share the perfectionist/procrastination gene. DUN DUN DUN.

Neither of us had hardly read the book and had a 10 page term paper due the next day. We traded the book back and forth all night long, highlighting our quotes for our papers. She was on the computer in the living room, I on the dinosaur in the bedroom, both of us staying awake with countless cups of hot Quik. The extra sugar didn't help past 4am apparently because at one point, I passed out, which I only know because I woke up with my head face down on the desk, paper wrinkles on my forehead.

I went to the kitchen, got some more Quik even though the thought of more made me feel sick to my stomach, and plugged away at a paper that I literally thought would be gibberish and my teacher, for once in my life, would expose me for the A student fraud that I was. For once I thought, "Who do I think I am, trying to get away with this???" I proof read it...it seemed fine...it sounded good enough, because it would have to be. We finished in time to shower and rush over to class. When I got my paper back the next week, I tried not to cringe as I flipped through the pages, and on the last page in red I saw an "A" and he wrote "You're a great writer! Good job!"

So....I still have never learned.

I think the only exception is bills, because its a recurring task, that I at least have to worry about on a bi-weekly basis. The perfectionist and nerd is strong enough in that area, due to multiple due dates that I can't just shove aside and wait on. I have my excel spreadsheet, and I'm trying to rock it Dave Ramsey Financial Peace style, because the ultimate goal is to pay down and pay off debt - which I'm pretty rabid about these days. Which was another reason why the whole laptop hard drive death kind of through me for a loop. I had to rebuild my February budget on another computer and it irritated me every second until it was done, because I had to try to repeat a whole process that I had already gone through (and yet, honestly, the nerd in me enjoyed every bit of it).

I'm really trying not to think about pictures, videos, music and other files right now that I may not be able to get back. Thank God for facebook housing so many of my pictures, and that I backed up a lot a year ago. But just thinking about everything from the past year that I may have lost makes me pretty sad. It was a big year! I got engaged, got a puppy, got married, had a few holidays, vacations....please GOD help that IT man recover my memories!

As far as the 30 day challenge goes. I think I got the point of it, so I may just do some when I like the subject, but I think I'll take it from here. I've got enough words to go it alone I think. =)

Days 6 and 8

Day 6 – A photo of an animal you’d love to keep as a pet.

At this point I only have eyes for my Chloe =) She's the best, and I tell her she is all the time. She doesn't understand me, obviously, but I'm usually giving her a good squeeze while I'm talking to her, so I'm pretty sure that she understands the hug. She's my baby, and I love her. It says "a photo", but you know that I can't post just one. *wink*

Day 8 – A song to match your mood.

Hmm...I don't really have a mood right now. I have a song in my head - does that count? They played this video at church on Sunday and its stayed in my head. Plus I like Tenth Avenue North.

Day 4 and 5 - Photo blog time

I skipped ahead to day 7 because of my eagerness to get my wedding film on here, so now I'll backtrack and double up since I missed posting yesterday.

Day 4 – Your favorite photograph of your best friend.

I've got two best friends, one sister and one adopted sister =)

My sister, Katelyn and I - goofy little girls. And then she and I at my wedding. Now she's engaged, yay!

And Stephanie, my bestie since Jr. year (even though we've known eachother since 1st grade)

Day 5 – A photo of yourself two years ago.

This is a picture of Carlos and I on our way to Vegas in 2008. Steph, he and I met up with his parents there and spent a few days. I got hooked on the Beatles "Love" cirque du soleil show on that trip and Carlos and I took mom to see it the year after. It was awesome yet again. The shows are pretty much the only thing I like about Vegas =)

Day 4 - My Dream Wedding

Day 7 – Your dream wedding

So I'm skipping to day 7 because I really wanted to post this video from my wedding. I've already written about my wedding in this post, so here is my rehearsal and wedding day encompassed in a video, filmed mostly by my father-in-law and edited by my brother-in-law, Josh. My father-in-law's business (which is also my husband's and brother-in-laws) is video and audio editing and they are beginning to film and edit weddings. I will be posting another wedding film online soon that we all collaborated on the edit for. All films are HD and have more of a cinematic look set to current music, vs. the more antiquated documentary style.

With that said - please let me know if you or anyone you know is interested in having a wedding filmed. We are looking to build our portfolio of wedding films and would love to be a part of your day!

With all of that said, here's my wedding! (For best viewing - open up to full screen since I know the video bounds cut into my blog template) As you can tell, I don't think I've laughed as much in the course of two days in my life. I was surrounded with everyone I loved and was in complete bliss. Enjoy!

30 Day Blog Challenge - Day 3

Day 3 – Your idea of the perfect first date.

Alright, first things first. With the exception of two dance dates (that I don't count because I wasn't interested) in high school, I didn't go out on a date until I was 23 years old. For many years I despised this fact. I felt on a pretty consistent basis that I was never going to find someone who loved me for me, with my quirks, patterns of shyness, lack of flirtation and the list goes on and on. Thank GOD Carlos came along. He's more than made up for the many dateless nights with so much more than I could ever imagine. I've come to realize that God has some pretty awesome plans, that are SO beyond mine, and as I look back at those dateless nights I'm so grateful that I've never had my heart broken by someone. He kept me without that bit of sadness and baggage so that I could meet Carlos and have a fun, refreshing, romantic relationship that did not and will not sour.

So I figured I'd tell you about my first date with Carlos and my first date ever. Nothing about it is extravagant, but Carlos planned a very special and personal date for the two of us that I will always remember.

Carlos came and picked me up from my parent's house, with a basket and a flower arrangement in hand. Knowing my love for cheese, he made a gift basket for me, filled with several different cheeses, olives and crackers from Whole Foods (YUM!) and my favorite root beer (Weinhards). He also had a flower arrangement for me (first ever flowers that I got from a guy - not from a family member for my birthday), that was one of many gorgeous arrangements to come.

We got in his truck and made our first stop at the grocery store. Why? haha Because he knew I liked using the Coinstar machine there and he had a bunch of change. Why do I love Coinstar? Because it kind of feels like I'm winning money....I don't know. Anyways....

We moved on to our next location - Borders. We hung out there for a while in the music section, listening to some tunes and he bought me a cd (Badly Drawn Boy "The Hour of the Bewilderbeast"), which became the soundtrack for our date that day. I actually ended up walking down the isle to the beginning of their song "The Shining" from that album. (Click to listen) I felt it was an ode to our beginnings. =)

Carlos made reservations at Rocky Point for dinner. I felt so awkward at dinner like I had to keep talking. He just kept smiling at me going on and on like "isn't she so cute the way she thinks she has to keep talking". Dinner was delicious and our view was awesome.

Our last stop was Starbucks, where we just sat and talked and people watched and then talked some more. Although I already knew him as a friend, it was SO important to have a whole afternoon/evening to talk and get to know him that much more, and he get to know me as well. That Starbucks in Monterey burned down shortly after that. But we continued to have most of our important discussions at the Starbucks in Salinas =)

He drove me home after Starbucks and we hung out at my parents and watched "50 First Dates". It was the best, no pressure, relaxed yet special first date I could have imagined.

For the majority of my life, I thought the best first date would be at an amusement park so that you could have time to talk with the person and have a blast at the same time.

Carlos doesn't ride roller coasters. End of that story.

I'll take cheese over roller coasters. Which, in another full circle sort of way made it into my proposal story which was yet another wonderful date. Probably the best of all. =)

30 Day Blog Challenge - Day 2

Day 2 – A photo of something you ate today.

.....Well, since I've finished two meals today and I've eaten all evidence, there will be no visuals of eggs, turkey bacon, avocado salsa, oatmeal (yes, we had oatmeal for lunch in place of the bread that we've run out of), apples, peanut butter/honey dip, 2 cuties and a cup of coffee. All I have left at the office is the blueberry yogurt that I had planned to eat, but haven't yet.

Timeout.

Is it just me, or is it crazy to see everything I've eaten today? It just seems like a super long list. Nothing bad by any means, and none outrageous in portion size.

I'll segue into another "is it just me" question: does anyone else ever find themselves listing everything they ate on a certain day to a friend, family member, etc? Its just quirky, and I think I only do it with a couple of people every so often, but they do it with me too. After the fact, I always think to myself, "we just talked for at least five minutes about each and every item we ate today...what a weird conversation". Yet we will go on to have the same conversation (different ingredients) again another day. American's have it good, man. Having a whole conversation revolving around the different foods we're blessed to afford and enjoy. Even the food we find boring would be awesome for someone that doesn't have any. Makes you think.

So I'd take a picture of something I ate today, but right now I don't have anything to show. I didn't look at today's blog topic until I had finished anything worth a picture. I might take a picture of my lasagna tonight - on the other hand, I might not. I'll let you use your imagination. The point of the blog entry was to write, right? =)

30 Day Blog Challenge - Day 1

Alright, due to a lack of routine I have decided to do one of those 30 day blog writing challenges. Hopefully in the process I'll get better used to writing in my blog daily, which is something that I WANT to do, but you know how life goes. So, here I go!

Day 1 – A photo of yourself and a description of how your day was.

My day started pretty early - for me at least. I'm not at all a morning person. I'm a nightowl and I'm pretty sure that won't be changing anytime soon. I think I've destroyed Carlos' routine of a 10pm bedtime. I'm jealous that he can get up so quickly in the morning after staying up just as late as me. I think my body has a rule that if its still dark outside, I should still be asleep. If Carlos hadn't fed me (literally) apple slices with peanut butter/honey dip as I got ready this morning, I wouldn't have had any breakfast because I never leave myself enough time to get ready. I will stay in bed until I see light come through the shades (if I have that luxury).

Carlos and I headed out to Monterey at 7:30AM and after some coffee (woohoo!) he worked on a edit while I worked on getting a blog site designed for the company and You Tube account started so that we can post videos that we're working on. Chloe comes with us everyday to the office, so we listened to her whimper from her crate every so often. She has to know that she's spoiled, but I don't care. She's loved =)

We drove back to Salinas at 5Pm and headed over to mom's for the evening. We had dinner and luckily had the makings for s'mores for dessert so I'm a happy girl. =) Now Carlos and I are getting a few loads of laundry done, before I have to wear some inappropriate conglomeration of an outfit also known as a "laundry day fashion". I'm eclectic, but I'm not THAT eclectic.

On to watch my Tuesday night shows! Biggest Loser and then Parenthood. I love Parenthood. If you haven't gotten in to it yet, you should check it out. Its a super good show.

I'll be back here tomorrow for Day 2 of the challenge!

That's a lot of One's.

So is today's date a sign that I need to go get a lottery ticket or something? Funky dates like today's always trip me out, and I know I'm not the only one. I guess if anything I'll just look at all those 1's and say, if 1 means new beginnings, its time to for me to begin blogging again!

Nothing much is new, and yet everyday is new in some way or another. My "new year" started last year when my job situation changed and I got married, so its been a different kind of life ever since. Ever since we got back from the honeymoon, I've been learning a creative field that's on the opposite end of the spectrum from my last job and I'm with Carlos everyday which is just awesome. I feel so blessed that we have this daily time with each other (and don't want to rip each other's hair out!). Also, I don't know if its because I never had a pet before Chloe, but she finds little ways to amuse me on a daily basis, and even if its just a little quirk of her's that I've seen her do over and over, I love it just the same and I get a new joy out of it every time.

So, my first challenge to create in the New year came from Amy who dared post that facebook chain of I'll make something homemade for you, if you make something homemade for me. I was like "I need to do this, if only to get the ball rolling," and I clicked send. SOOO sometime soon Amy, you WILL be getting something homemade from me. I don't know what it is yet, but you'll get it. haha

So, here's to blogging again! Cheers!

Wordless Wednesday - My Babies

Okay, so I haven't written since March? How is that possible? Easily, very easily. Here are a few reasons:

1. Wedding planning

2. Wedding planning

3. Wedding planning

4. Actual Wedding

5. Honeymoon

6. Wedding aftermath

And somewhere in there I thought I was not only going to become a crafty women extraordinaire, but also train for a half marathon. Somehow I thought that being unemployed would mean extra time for the pursuit of creative goals AND that I could become an athlete in the meantime. Ha! Well, neither was accomplished, but Carlos and I were able to plan an awesome wedding and ran/jogged/walked the Salinas Valley Half Marathon on Saturday without training (the no training thing is something I wouldn't recommend, the going for one's own sense of accomplishment, I would).

The wedding was everything I could have ever wanted: awesome weather, relaxed atmosphere, filled to the brim with everyone I love, tons of color, lots of dancing - basically a gigantic picnic with 100 of my closest friends and family, which is EXACTLY what Carlos and my desire was. I'd love to say more, but at this point, the pictures say it all. I would add more, but blogger annoys me every time I add pictures to my blogs, so this is all I can handle right now. =) I cannot wait to see the professional pictures that Mike Steelman did. I've only seen two pictures so far and I'm loving them, so I'm looking forward to seeing what else he captured.

We had a relaxing honeymoon in Hawaii, where we stayed in Kailua-Kona. Snorkeled one day and did some sight-seeing the other few days. Fun thing is, Carlos' family (parents and brother's family) are going to stay at the same beach house this month in Kona and we're going to go along with them, so we can spend some more time exploring the island.

So.....where does this leave creative Sarah? Well, despite my lack of fabric work (honestly haven't touched the stuff since I bought it) I have been learning video/audio editing and graphic work alongside Carlos so that I can eventually work doing that. My "creative space" aka our extra room is on its way to being cleaned out. This will be quite the accomplishment, considering for the past couple months it's stored wedding decorations, then wedding/bridal shower/bachelorette party gifts, then once the gifts found homes we unpacked my trunk (probably a good three weeks after the wedding) which was filled with the leftover wedding decorations and moved over the last of Carlos' stuff from his parents' house. So for now, I think we've got it down to just wedding decor and a couple boxes of stuff that we haven't found homes for yet. Man - its a chore trying to figure out where everything will go! Merging two lives into one is messy, and I'm just talking about closet space here. Luckily in helping Carlos' brother and his family unload the moving truck we inherited a bookshelf and we got a dresser from his parents at the same time. Score!

I'll leave you with a fun moment from my bachelorette party. If you ever have a chance, go to Kula Ranch Island Steakhouse in Marina, CA. It used to be AJ Spurs for any local readers. It's definitely one of my new favorites. If you go, I suggest you go wild and just get a load of appetizers. SO good. I'd love to tell you what my favorite meal there is, but I honestly can't tell you. I've been there probably five times and done the same thing. Do not leave without having the sweet potato fries, coconut panko tiger prawns or fire roasted artichokes! Also, try to go on a Friday or Saturday because usually they'll have this fun ukulele player dude there and he takes requests...or like he did our night, have a lady gaga medley prepared. ha!

Hopefully in my coming posts I will be able to post some pictures of crafty or household tasks accomplished - like cleaning out that extra room so that I can actually use it!