Miss Independent

A bit happened in the last almost 18 months: both good and bad.

Aaron and I broke up in November 2022, after eight years and eight months together. We agreed that I would continue to live at his house until I found one of my own. It took around five months but as of April of this year, I have been living on my own, completely independently for the first time. Ever.

The breakup was amicable but with it, I had to make the final decision to cut contact with my own family who were actively hurting me each time I communicated with them. I spent that Thanksgiving and Christmas with my best friends’ parents who then jokingly “adopted” me as one of their own. I went to their house again this year and they are such kind people, I will forever grieve the loss of what should have been, with mine.

I did not setup the Christmas tree or do any major decorations at home, I simply wasn’t in the holiday spirit. I did string up some garland and battery operated glistening lights in the craft room but that was about it. I did though, send out the Holiday Cards and everyone who received one, adored them. And that’s why I continue to make them.

My UK trip was also postponed due to the breakup, it has been rescheduled for a future date.

Due to privacy reasons, I won’t disclose where I live but still within Indiana, as I am not remote with my work. I had only passed through maybe twice before I drove here for the walk-through as I am renting. The neighbors are kind and quiet. I was very concerned about that as I haven’t rented close to a decade.

I had no idea how long unpacking would take with everything I’ve accumulated over the years: SO MUCH TIME. I’m still not quite done but I’ll get there. Since I don’t have a roommate, I can decorate the rooms as how I’d like to. I have moved my Art Studio into the living room. In my last relationship, everything was tucked away, organized in a small bedroom that also doubled as a home office. Here, it is separated. Home Office stuff is in my other bedroom.

It took me months to buy a TV, bought it on a whim quite honestly. Before I moved, a friend mentioned that she hardly watches hers and I thought she had lost her mind. Now, I understand. I traded my gardening time for learning how to be completely independent. I do however, still have all of my gardening stuff. I don’t know why I decided to keep it all, just that it was mine and one day I will have a yard of my own to tend to.

Since it is 123123 (NYE 2023) I did setup my Christmas tree right on November 1st, as I was making up for last year. I had only been driving my friends crazy since July about the holidays, haha! It’s all still up but will begin packing things up soon.

Sixth Christmas without Mom, that continues to sting. Her birthday is coming up, too. I will be a mess. Gosh, I wish she was still here, she’s missing so much. She’d be so proud of me for not collapsing under the weight from the breakup and falling apart. Mom, I built a bridge and got over it. I also lost a lot of weight. Call it a newfound happiness or determination to live a healthier life, whatever it was – it worked. No diets, no restricting. What really helped: no eating out and cut out soda. OK so maybe I did restrict but that stuff is so bad for you.

I’ve been on vacation for over a week now and still haven’t watched a holiday movie yet. There’s just over two hours from 2024, I may have time to watch something.

Until then folks, have a lovely New Year.

Creative Avenue

I am a full-blown artist. I paint/craft for fun but eventually would love to return selling my wares again. I am still working full-time (no worries there) but it gives me the freedom to be in the creative zone just about every day.

I have a tracker app on my phone where I track how many days I paint (on canvas, rocks, etc.) and I’m averaging 73% of 81 weeks – goal is 2x per week but I usually go at least 4 days a week, with the exception of November – that is Holiday Card Time.

Despite it being the end of July, I am already gearing up for my Holiday Cards. It never fails, I wait until the last minute (late November, early December) to even begin the cards and get so angry with myself. Last year, I started them just prior to Halloween. They are all custom designed, sort of evolved over the years and this year, I plan on keeping the custom aspect, but would like to streamline the process and give my wrists a break. Lol here’s what I do:

• I currently draw out the shapes via pencil
• Then use a super-fine marker to go over the pencil
• Wait for it to dry to prevent smudging
• Erase the pencil marks if any
• Use fine tipped markers for various decorations
• Use a blue highlighter for some lines
• Use colored pencil for other areas
• Use Mod-Podge to dab glue dots, a few at a time
• Carefully shake fine glitter on top of glue dots
• Wait for glue to dry
• Shake off excess glitter into tray
• Spread Mod-Podge to portions, quickly to prevent drying
• Shake fine glitter along the glue
• Shake off excess glitter into tray

And done! Altogether for one card, 1 hour. Times that by 40+ – it can become a chore. Here’s what the finished product looks like:

Holiday Card 2021

Each card had different colored houses, staying within the holiday theme.

What I plan on doing this year is using Clear Stamps on an acrylic block and going that route. As far as coloring the areas – I haven’t figured that part out yet. I was gifted a Cricut Joy from a sister (thank you!) and I used it to help me print out little messages in the inside of the card, definitely helped out a great deal.

I haven’t painted on a canvas in months but I really miss it. Since I showed ya’ll the above image, I suppose I could share more. 🙂

Fancy Rocks – 2022

M&M’s yum! – 2022

Those are the rocks, will share my canvas art I’ve done this year in a separate post. 🙂

Well, I should get back to shopping for art supplies, my typical Friday night.

Have a lovely weekend!

2021 – Hopefully not a Dumpster Fire

Well, I’ve returned from a long hiatus. I didn’t realize so much time had elapsed since the last time I written, apologies. Quite a bit of things happened, life.

*knock on wood* haven’t lost anyone close to me due to the Pandemic, but other people have and my heart breaks for them.

I lost two family members late Fall 2019. I don’t want to lose any more.

Things are good. Work is good. Home life is good. I’ve 100% embraced living indoors – I have literally trained for this! I kid, I kid… not really. I am definitely a homebody, anyone who knows me well in real life is already aware of this.

I bought a new desk from IKEA last spring to help out with my home office / craft room combo. I was using just one desk for everything but it was getting a little crazy. Now the room is essentially split in half. Moved out a rather large old dresser of my boyfriends’ and made room to move my IKEA shelving system. It’s still pretty unorganized because I don’t know where all I want things and this room is on the small side.

As many others, I’ve put on weight during this weird time we’re in. Unlike my initial grumblings of how bad I’ve let myself get, I am accepting it. Not going to tell you that I won’t put on more (hahaha) but that isn’t the plan. I intend to continue eating better. Lately, I have large serving of veggies per lunch & dinner and moving more.

I bought a new Apple Watch last May. You guys, I was super intimidated for the first couple months because I was a long-time FitBit user and utterly confused. So many moving parts (apps!). Late last month, a friend shared some bits of handy info about it, so I’m not gaming the system, but rather using it more efficiently. I am not a fan of not being able to sleep with it, like I could with the FitBit as the battery doesn’t last near as long.

Last Fall, I became an Aunt again! My sister in England had her baby boy and you guys, he is the most adorable little baby I’ve seen in awhile. Yeah, I’m biased. Once the Dark Times aren’t so scary, I’d like to go visit them. 🙂

Painting has improved. Once I figure out things, I want to post a few pieces and maybe a page of “In Progress” items on here. I have a Facebook page dedicated to it but I think I messed up during the setup and I guess I have a business now? It’s not – but oops? Recently started using Oils and Watercolors but I’m not super excited about them as I’m not comfortable yet. Bought more sets of acrylic paints. It’s an obsession. I sold one painting in Fall of 2019 to a coworker friend. I had some finished pieces on display at my desk – not to like sell or anything, mainly for people to look at. I haven’t been at my desk in ages, probably a layer of dust on everything. shudders

Another obsession: Sloths. Baby sloths; adult sloths; any kind of sloths! They’re super adorable and I have a small collection going on here at home: stuffed animals; paintings; little figurines. And Calendars!

Well, let’s just cross our fingers and hope this year is better than the last.

Wear your mask + socially distant + be kind.

Yeah, so…

It’s been awhile since I’ve been in my account, much less on WordPress. A slew of things took place, mostly good (no worries).

I am now an official painter, acrylics as of now. I haven’t ventured to other mediums but I’d like to try oils at some point. It seems more forgiving and you can blend the colors a bit more easier – as well as the paint takes ages to dry vs acrylics. I haven’t quit my day job though! Making a full-time living on art is a struggle – and I want to paint because it makes me happy. If I am able to sell a piece or several, then hey – bonus!

A Sudden Realization

that I haven’t written in over two years. Last week it hit me, and tried (and succeeded!) in restoring my WordPress account. Apparently, I had my old cell phone linked and couldn’t access it. Anyway, it’s all worked out now.

I’m not here to apologize for not writing, as if anyone really reads this. People close to me will understand why and those who aren’t well, it’s fine if you don’t.

Let’s do a little recap, shall we? (might need a tissue or two)

A New Start

6 Years – I feel that these last several years were just a taste of what my life should have been like. I was just trying to find myself and what I wanted out of life. Who I wanted to be, who I wanted to share it with, what type of career I craved, and how I wanted to be remembered by family (reconnect or continue holding grudges – I chose the first).

4 Years – I was in a car accident which at the time didn’t seem that big of a deal, but as some may know if you’ve been in that situation, soft-tissue injuries aren’t that apparent and don’t show up on x-rays. Oh the joy.

Year One

This is a running joke I have going where I pretend I’m going to write each and every day like some fellow bloggers out there, but I end up having zero motivation until I hear a good song. “Dirty Paws” by Of Monsters & Men. For some reason, that particular tune lifts my spirit and I end up opening a word editing program and I type away until I realize I have been writing well over an hour…

Life Lessons: Family, Friends & Relationships

Last night, Aaron and I were discussing some important life lessons. One being: That there are certain people in your life meant for certain things – and not what you expected. This includes family members and friends. Now that I am thirty-three years old, I think it is time for me to accept it and move on. People are set in their ways and they will not change unless they decide to do so.

You get what you give

It’s the little things in a relationship that make it feel special.

Aaron is out mowing the yard and though while I’m inside where it’s cool and quiet, I packed up my small cooler with a damp washcloth tucked inside a ziploc bag – to wash off his face after he’s done, an ice pack and an unopened bottle of water. It is sitting outside on the patio table. I do this each time he mows the lawn and I know he appreciates it greatly.

Home – is anywhere when I’m with you

A very productive day, but not the way that I planned. A whole lot of kitchen stuff was unpacked and cabinets cleared out as well as some bedroom things. It’s nice to find a home for my stuff again. It’s been packed up well over a year now.