WHEW!

Well, I finished my first week at a new job! I started at New Hope Animal Hospital here in Rogers and I had a fantastic first week! I met a lot of new people and animals.. and made a bunch of new friends! I work with some wonderful people and I look forward to getting to know them more! :-) Couldn't be happier right now!

Today, as Alex was leaving for work, I decided on a whim to send my rings with him. Yep.. I'm having them soldered together! Like the way I feel for him, I want my rings to always be next to each other. I'm a little nervous, but I think it's for the best. I noticed at work that they flip and spin around a lot and aren't ever really lined up. That's annoying! So I took the plunge and decided to have them soldered. Can't wait to get them back! :-)

I've also decided to grow my hair out. I miss my luscious curls. It's true, short hair is fun! But I think I might grow it out again. I don't know. I'm undecided. We'll see how I feel next week.

Birthday in 4 days!

Minor Facelift!

Since my Photoshop works now, (and Illustrator and all the others) I decided to change up EVERYTHING! I made a custom vector version of me with bigger boobs and threw together a header. I actually like it! I'm sorry for any inconvenience that this causes with links, please update them, as I have taken Alex's name out and made it a life blog :-)

Well, I gotta finish a project. TOODLES! 

Caffeine Wean and Pre-TTC Updates

Caffeine Wean 2012 is so far a succes. I don't feel like I'm drinking as much as I would on a regular day. Where I would normally have 5-8 glasses of tea a day (depending on how much I snacked) and at least 2 or 3 Dr. Peppers, I have had about 5 glasses of water a day, and they usually last me a while. I find it incredibly hard to drink water the way I do anything else. It's so... unsatisfying and bland! And I get nauseated if I drink too much of it. Weird, huh?

Here are some annoying symptoms I've been experiencing so far (just 3 days into this detox):

• Intense Headache. Usually starts behind my eyes and blares until I'm sensitive to light and sound. Only cure for it is Tylenol (because I'm also weaning ibuprofen). So far, I've been able to manage the headaches since I'm still allowing myself a glass of tea a day. 
• Extreme Fatigue. This is like, fatigue that outdoes that TOTM fatigue I get... This is really bad. This is me sitting up watching TV and feeling the urge to completely fall over and sleep, which I've done on many occasions. I'll pass out on the couch with no recollection of having laid down or drifting to sleep. I feel very sluggish and tired just walking across the house.
• Irritability. I've been very testy and Alex isn't afraid to point it out. The other day, he was giving Ares a bath and I heard all the commotion and got extremely upset that he wasn't doing a better job keeping him detained. So, the yelling started. Then when he asked what was wrong, I told him to just leave me alone and get away from me. I was so irritated that I wasn't able to figure out the sewing machine and when it jammed the thread again, I ripped out the fabric, breaking the needle in half.. 
• Lethargy and Sadness. I had had absolutely no motivation to do anything. Just thinking about doing something makes me tired. And I have almost lost the will to be happy right now. I think the fatigue and this go hand in hand, but I'm classifying them as different symptoms.
• Flu-Like Symptoms and Muscle Stiffness. My arms and legs are sore and it hurts to move. I feel nauseated and have been having attacks of what I call "1 hour flu symptoms" Seriously... I run a fever, my muscles ache, I have a stuffy nose and a sore throat. Then suddenly.. like magic, it all disappears and I feel normal again. It's so strange!

How strange that all of this can be caused by simply not having a steady intake of caffeine?

On, the other hand, this is a great step in the right direction towards Trying To Conceive. Though we won't for just a couple of more months, I've already been taking the necessary steps to make it easier. I started Prenatal vitamins, Take my BBT every morning, and check my CM. I've also been eating healthier and kicking bad habits (caffeine and alcohol). I have made Alex start taking a 1 a day Vitamin as well! I think with all these, we shouldn't have a problem :-)

Have a happy January! (P.S. My B-day is in 2 weeks :D)

Early morning blog and random thoughts!

I hope everyone had a good New Years! I was fortunate to spend it with my beautiful best friend, Julia and her hubby. It was quiet but perfect. We drank some whine and watched TV and just caught up. it was so nice! I also made a new friend :-)

The picture isn't great, but the moment was! To me, anyway :-) This is Casey, a Westie, and he was sooo sweet and obedient. I know not all Westies are like that, though ;-)

Yesterday, I spent the day with my husband cleaning out the house and closets for the start of  new year. We took stuff to the attic and thru a lot of stuff out. I don't feel so buried underneath all that storage anymore! Also, my carpet-rug is sitting in the garage all rolled up. I really didn't want to do that, but my little Yorkie has peed on almost every square inch of it. I don't know when she has time to do this. If she's not with me, she's either outside or in her cage because I'm not here. I just don't get it! It's so frustrating! :-( So, I'm going to have to rent a RugDoctor today and clean it out in the garage. *sigh*

Also on my agenda today, EMPTY PICTURE FRAMES! I will be going to Wally World today and printing out some of my favorites and actually framing them! I'm tired of being known as the lady who has fake pictures in frames still.. 

Hmm.. what else? OH I have been learning all kinds of new hobbies (which was a New Years resolution, btw!) I've learned to crochet AND knit, and last night, I got to play on my sewing machine for the first time and I made a tote bag! :-) "sew" I'm doing pretty darn good so far (haha.. I kill me)

Today is the first day of Caffeine Wean 2012. Since the possibility of having a baby this year is pretty gosh darn high, I have decided to start cutting back on the caffeinated beverages to reduce withdrawals when that time comes. I'm allowing myself ONE soda and ONE glass of tea a day. The rest will be water or juice or a non-caffeine soda. Hope this works!

So, what were some of YOUR new years resolutions? Are they going OK so far?

Early New Years Resolutions and Realizations

Hi everyone! So, it's been a long time since my last confession, but in my defense, it's been a very busy couple of weeks. I have made many self discoveries. One of them being that I love and HATE crafting. Since I've been out of work, I have managed my time appropriately. I made some ornaments, made a few burlap roses for my homemade garland, bought and wrapped presents, made homemade bows and ribbons for these presents, and cleaned the house up every time afterwards. Seriously, it's a huge burden to constantly have to clean up after myself every stinkin' time I make something. This brings me to my "love to hate crafting" explanation and beginning of my realizations:

Realization #1: You have to be a serious hoarder to be a crafter.

I am the anti-hoarder. I can't stand for things to lay around the house without a purpose. So yesterday when I had a nervous breakdown because I don't have any space for my new hobby, I decided that crafting probably isn't for everyone. It's for people with spare rooms that they can dedicated to it. 

That brings me to realization #2: We have seriously outgrown our house.

...No, seriously. This little 1000 sq ft house has served as a wonderful place to grow into. It was our first house, we got married while we lived here, we have had many great times in this house, but I think it's run its course. Next year, we will be putting it on the market and buying a new one. Speaking of new houses..

Realization #3: I don't want to live in Fayetteville anymore. 

I've been spending a LOT of time in Rogers/Bentonville, and my husband and I have decided it's probably best if we stay in the area. My dream home in Maine will have to wait until another lifetime I suppose. It just takes an infinite amount of money and time to move that far away. We were also thinking Texas or Colorado, but I am just tired. I'm tired of constantly having something to work towards that's almost unreachable. I would really like to mellow out, settle down, and live in the present for once. No more big dreams for this girl. A baby soon? Yes! Stay tuned. :)

Realization #4: College isn't for everyone.

In order to accomplish what I want out of life right now, it was imperative that I lose the main thing taking up my time/mind/body/spirit: School. I have enough credits to have a bachelors degree, and that's good enough for me. I have an associates in Graphic Design and just enough credits to have a Bachelor's of the Arts in Biology. I'll take it. I've accomplished and learned many things in my 4 years of school, but the most important thing is that a degree is pretty much absolutely useless. So far, my education hasn't given me the right to demand raises or work important jobs. All it's given me the right to say is that I went to college and I'm in so much debt it hurts. But, at least I went to college, right?

Realization #5: I love the veterinary field enough to make a career out of it.

Enough said :-)

So, thanks 2011, for helping me realize all these things. Now the next step is making resolutions for 2012! Most of which are already made. No big explanations necessary!

1. Be a better Christian and be more active with Church.

2. Eat healthier. Yes. I mean it. I want to also BE healthier. It's important for baby making!

3. Really dedicate myself to something (a job, a hobby, my husband *snicker*)

4. Be more understanding and less sensitive

and, last but not least at all:

5. Wean myself from Facebook

So, that's all I have for today! What are some of YOUR realizations and resolutions? What are you B-L-E-S-S-E-D with today? I'd love to hear it!

Merry Christmas!

"I'm very proud to be a Christian. I'm very VERY blessed to have Jesus in my life :-)"

Photography Announcement!

So, I've been working on my editing in Light Room and I think I have a few potential photo shoots coming up! I know I'm going to be shooting a sweet winter engagement photo session with my friends Heather and Robin, and POSSIBLY some Maternity and Newborn sessions as well! I have officially decided to get more serious about photography... I hope I don't fail! ;-)

Here's the doberman (from that same photo shoot, since I haven't done any new ones)

I tried several times to achieve a GOOD B&W in Light Room. Let's face it. Just basic black and white really looks terrible! Wanna know what I did to this image? In light room, I first made it Black and White. Then, I upped the brightness and contrast and finally upped the blacks. I've found that just playing around with these little settings makes the WORLD of difference! I downloaded a few "presets" for Light Room, but didn't like any of them. I found it's MUCH easier just to manually adjust the settings.

Speaking of manual, I'm getting a lot better at my manual settings on my camera. This 50mm lens has made me a much better photographer. I'm jonesing for another one. I think I'm going to go with the 35mm f/1.4, but that's too expensive, so I might just get the 1.8.. not sure yet!

Anyway, I hope everyone had a good holiday weekend! :-) Christmas is coming up!

Loves/Hates

Today I don't love:

mean people . going to class in the rain . cell biology test . bad news . finding out my favorite youtube channel got taken down for copyright infringement . when my husband left for work . that my dogs are crazy hyper cause they don't like being outside in the rain . having to pay for parking . getting into arguments . smelly dog farts . eating an entire bag of chips . that there's nothing on TV . frizzy hair . wet dogs . that I lost control of myself AGAIN

But, today I LOVE:

that it was raining . that the sky is dark and dreary . that my husband was waiting for me when I got home . that I think I did really well on my test . that I was able to register for (most) of the classes I wanted . that I'm not sick . Homemade chilli . vanilla scented candles . reconnecting with an old friend . standing up for what I believe in . that my iPod gave me awesome music all day long . my beautiful house . my husband . Boogie's winter sweater . my friends and my life.

.oOo.oOo.oOo.

I posted a LOT about my dogs, let me introduce them!

This is Ares. He's a Doberman Pinscher and he's anything but viscous. This is a picture of him whining because I wouldn't let in in the house. He is 2 years old, but acts like a baby miniature chihuahua. His favorite toys are his disgusting slobbery rope and his KONG. On a typical day, Ares (Air-EEZ) spends about 90% of his day sleeping, 5% being very annoying, and the other 5% doing gross things (licking his butt, stinking up a room, etc). He's very sweet though, if you can overlook the grossness...

.oOo.oOo.oOo.

This little devil is the infamous Boogie! She's a 5 year old Yorkshire Terrier and she's 100lbs of pure terror! Isn't she adorable in her cute little sweater? She's almost so cute I can't stand it! Look at those sweet little terrier eyes! She's full of mischief though, and she doesn't let anyone push her around. She has got the most personality I've ever seen in a dog, and even though she's stubborn and strong willed, I adore that she's her own "person". I got Boogie when she was a puppy and she's stuck with me through thick and thin. (I guess you could say for better or worse? maybe not..)

.oOo.oOo.oOo.

Well, I smell my chilli and that smell means It's Dinner Time! Stay sweet and be thankful about something today! :-)

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10 Things I LOVE About Alex!

My husband, Alex, is definitely my #1 (sorry to anyone else!). We have been together for nearly 4 years and married for 4 months. We got married on June 25th, 2011 after an 8 month engagement. He proposed to me on October 18th, 2010 with a .6 ct Round Solitaire diamond. Not too shabby, eh? I decided to dedicate this post to him. I LOVE YOU, ALEX! :-)
 

10. The man is RIDICULOUSLY adorable.
C'mon. This one goes without saying.

9. He's a big kid.. 
Video games are a big part of his day.

8. He knows how to make me feel better. 
When I'm feelin' blue (that's often!)
 

7. He makes me laugh and smile every day!
No matter what it takes!

6. He genuinely cares for others.
Though wouldn't admit it!

5. He stands up for me
Even when I'm wrong!


4. He's loving and supportive of me
In all kinds of ways <3


3. He is a very hard worker..
No matter how tired he gets.

2. He's passionate about what interests him.  
Even if I think it's all nerdy ;)

 

1. He chose me.

Alex, you'll never know how much you mean to me, but I hope I can show you every day for the rest of our lives <3<3 

Today is the first day of.. BLOGGING! :-)

So, I discovered I STILL have HTML skillz. Well, somewhat. Enough for me to kind of set up this blog and make it KIND OF presentable!

MY NAME IS BRITNEY :-) Welcome to my blog. So, I'm a terrible blogger, but I thought with a prettier blog, I *MIGHT* actually blog. I'm going to try to blog at least once a week, maybe more, if I find things that are Blog Worthy. I apologize for the aesthetics of this blog right now! My Photoshop decided to crash without my permission... But I'm working on it!

In my last blog, I said some *not so nice* things about stuff. Not about anyone, just some dirty words. I VOW to not say any dirty words on this blog. NOPE not one! This will be a peaceful little blog of creativity and happiness :-)

LETS START OFF WITH AN INTRODUCTION TO MY LIFE!

My husband's name is Alex. Our last name is Young (hence, a house of 'young' love. Get it?) We are in Love. The forever kind of love. The "Grow old with each other" kind of love and I LOVE that we are in love <3<3 I like to take pictures, but I'm far from professional (heck, I'm far from amateur.. NOOBIE is more like !) but, everyone starts somewhere.. right? I am B-L-E-S-S-E-D to have a wonderful husband, GREAT FRIENDS, and 2 goofy dogs. My favorite colors are TEAL and CORAL. I LOVE TO MAKE THINGS. Homemade things are the best :-)

With that, I just realized I'm passed due for studying. Happy week!