Day 4 of 30: View on Drugs and Alcohol

I am sick and miserable at the moment. My body feels like it's burning up but I barely break 97 degrees! GRRR! At least I know it isn't the measles that have broken out in Indiana schools- I was vaccinated as a baby thankfully!

Now... my views on drugs and alcohol.

I have never tried any drugs or even tasted alcohol. In fact, I didn't even have a virgin drink until this past November when we went on a teacher's conference in Chicago (ha!).

I grew up with a so called father who is an alcoholic and a pothead. I remember the smell of both and the way it felt to have someone under the influence of those things in my daily life. I remember getting yelled at and punished for things like not wanting to eat what we were having for dinner or for talking on the phone for too long. I remember crying until I started hyperventilating and dreaming of escaping the life I was living.

Source: tumblr.com via Susana on Pinterest

My parents divorced when I was 15. The only time I have spoken to my "father" since is when my mother had her heart attack and he called her at the hospital.

Some people tell me that he's my father and I need to have him in my life. Others tell me I'll regret cutting him out later when he's gone.

I disagree.

I believe it takes more than blood to make a family or a parent. I believe that when someone is hurting your soul you need to make the choice to change your life. I struggle daily with anxiety and OCD. I struggle with wanting to be perfect because I feel like anything less isn't good enough. I lived a life where there was no recognition of a job well done or hugs or being told that I was loved or that my parents were proud of me. I love my mom dearly. She is the reason I had a roof over my head and clothes on my back and food in my stomach my whole life.

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My views on drugs and alcohol are that they are not worth the risk of repeating the mistakes of my past. I know others can drink socially and be fine, but I don't really care for being around people who get drunk or going out to bars.

So... that's where I stand. Hopefully I haven't driven any of you away with these posts of honesty and realism. Maybe you want to tag along? Leave me your blog address if you decide to participate!

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Day 2 of 30: Where I Want to Be in Ten Years

Where do I want to be in ten years?

DONE WITH MY MASTERS!

(That will probably happen this summer thank GOD!)

I'd like to be married and have at least one child. Hopefully in a bigger house with my two pups still enjoying life. They'll be 13 then.

Source: gettingfitandstayingthere.tumblr.com via Amy on Pinterest

I'd like to still be teaching, as a resource teacher or a classroom teacher or a gifted and talented teacher is fine with me.

I want to still have the same friends and still spend time with them, shopping and crafting, and loving that they are in my life.

Source: etsy.com via Amy on Pinterest

I want to still live close to my family and see them for every holiday and celebration, and even more often if possible.

I want to be happy and better at the housecleaning and cooking.

More than anything, I want to have my goddaughter back in my life. A beautiful little girl who was born on July 31, 2001 and whom I haven't seen in almost three years. I would give ANYTHING to have her back in my life and know how much I love her.

That's where I want to be in ten years.

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Day 1 of 30: Relationship Status

Day 1 of the 30 day challenge: Write about your relationship status, if you are single talk about how that is.

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I'm single. I personally, mostly think it sucks. I love the feeling of loving someone and having someone that you can confide in about things and depend on. I've been burned a hundred times and it hurts and it's hard, but I don't think I'll ever really give up on finding love. This is kind of a depressing post... one that you almost don't want to write.

Source: Uploaded by user via ashley on Pinterest

On the bright side- I am thankful that I have learned to stand on my own two feet and be responsible. I may not be a good housekeeper by any means or keep the yard neat and trimmed. Sometimes I pay a bill late and give myself a hard time, but I also wayyy over commit myself. Right now, my day starts around 6 or 6:30am. I leave for school by 7:30. I drive 27 miles to my school and work all day until the kids leave at 3:45 and then try to get home by 6:30/6:45. When I get home I spend about an hour tending to the dogs and cleaning up their messes. I decide to maybe eat dinner between 7:30 and 8. Then I do school work while watching tv... but sometimes in between I crash out asleep and wake up at 1am. Other times, I watch tv and work until 11... then try to fall asleep but lay awake until one or two... and repeat it all over again the next day. P.S. I also am taking two graduate courses for my Master's in Educational Psychology and am in charge of 34 students in K-4th grade with loads of paperwork. Am I responsible? Sure. Do I get enough sleep? Not nearly- but who really does? Am I crazy? HA! Probably!

Source: imgfave.com via Amy on Pinterest

So what does a single girl do when she does have time?

She sleeps. She cuddles and plays and gives kisses to her Pomeranians. Loves on her kitties. Shops for deals at Old Navy and the Gap Outlet. She looks for crafty bargains or wanders Target or Walmart aimlessly. She hangs out with her amazing friends to craft or shop or eat or go to a yogurt bar or laugh and vent. A single girl snatches those moments when she feels like she can breathe and lives life to the fullest and this single girl, forgets that a man probably isn't going to fall into her lap!

Seriously- you know if I find a guy at the flea market or Joanns or Old Navy or Gap Outlet or Target or Walmart... he's probably got a girlfriend who drug him there!

Well. I'm 28. I'm single. I've opened up and been hurt. I cry and heal. I open up again. I have two Pomeranians and two cats. I teach, I love my students, and I work on my Master's degree. I shop waayyyy too much and need to learn to clean house and budget better. But-

I am ONLY 28!!!

There's still time, there's always time to make change and to choose to be happy.

Source: Uploaded by user via Amy on Pinterest

So... I may have started off gray and dreary, but I'm working on choosing to be happy. I'm working to remember those daily moments that make me smile as a SINGLE girl. And, it's gonna be O.K.

:)

Getting Life Back on Track

Saw this on Pinterest... and as I'm currently feeling overwhelmed, I've decided it's a good start to getting my life back on track. Beginning with this so I can reflect... wanna join me? <3

Source: katywidrick.com via Amy on Pinterest

Laughs via Pinterest

Because I love my furbabies and laughed so hard at these...

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Source: dogs.icanhascheezburger.com via Amy on Pinterest

Source: harvestbird.com via Amy on Pinterest

Source: icanhascheezburger.com via Amy on Pinterest

Source: icanhascheezburger.com via Amy on Pinterest

Source: icanhascheezburger.com via Amy on Pinterest

Source: google.com via Amy on Pinterest

Source: reddit.com via Amy on Pinterest

Source: atomicblonde.tumblr.com via Amy on Pinterest

Source: Uploaded by user via Amy on Pinterest

EPIC FAIL!

For those of you newbies that I LOVE SOOOO MUCH!

I posted the wrong facebook link to Heather's Just Lovely Things blog...

FAIL!

The correct link is:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Place-in-This-World/207160595995123

LOVE you guys! SERIOUSLY!

Welcome Just Lovelies!

Hello! Any of you who do not know... I started out 2012 advertising on Heather's blog: Just Lovely Things... you can hit the button in my sidebar to check her out and her awesome shop!!!

I can be a current in stock piece, a past sold piece, or we can even work together for me to create a custom piece for you!

For all new followers- WELCOME and Thank you for sharing some love! If you have a blog or shop please leave me info in your comment so I can return the favor! I am full of randomness on this blog and cover everything from art to crafts to pets to shopping to thrifting to teaching AND the daily challenges that sometimes get in my way. I try to keep it real and still give everyone some fun tutorials and pics to enjoy!

Etsy Shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/aplaceinthisworld

Blog: http://luckyocd.blogspot.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Place-in-This-World/207160595995123

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/luckymarchgirl/

Winners will be chosen over at Heather's Just Lovely blog!

I (ME) I Made a Rag Quilt!!!

Okay... I don't have kids, so let's take a moment to ooh and ahh over my furry children in all of their holiday wear cuteness!

This big guy weighs 16 pounds and was born in August of 2009...

This little girl weighs 8 pounds and was born in May of 2009 (yes BEFORE Charlie)!

I LOVE my pompoms!

Now then.... here's my Pinterest inspiration pin:

Source: quilting.about.com via Amy on Pinterest

Now honestly, my first reaction was "HEARTS! OMG THERE ARE HEARTS! I MUST MAKE THIS!" Do you see any hearts....

Ummm.. NO! That's because I was lazy after cutting out all of those honkin squares with my regular heavy duty scissors and said screw sewing hearts on these suckers! (P.S. They are more pricey but I would recommend buying spring loaded scissors for your seam snipping too.... and maybe if you can outsmart a rotary cutter using that to cut the squares. I tried and couldn't get it to cut through two layers at a time so I said screw it...)

Basically... I wanted a twin size quilt so I looked up the size of a twin size quilt online... that wasn't as easy as it sounds. I ended up going to overstock.com and looking up a twin size quilt that I could buy and then figuring out the squares.

I hacked my squares very crookedly in 8 1/2 inch squares (to do this I took a piece of printer paper and folded one corner diagonally to get a perfect square and used that as a template because I'm too cheap to buy a cutting mat). I chose five patterns initially... the dark pink was going to be the inside batting... you know, if you want a three layer warm quilt. Ended up I needed more yardage sooo... goodbye batting. I also wanted another pattern, so that ended up being needed yardage too. In the end, I bought 3 yards of the dark pink, 2 yards of both bird prints, and one yard of the two flower prints, the aqua and red dots, and the aqua and white damask. One of those I think I actually got an extra 1/4 of a yard because it was a remnant.

I wanted my quilt to be roughly 90X70... I ended up with something like 64x88 because I did 8 rows across and 11 rows up and down. I would recommend increasing it to 9 across if you want a twin size quilt. I'd say buy a total of 12 yards of flannel. AND make sure you REALLY do 1/2 inch seams, otherwise after you wash your quilt you have to go back and restitch some places that come apart :(.

P.S. If you are like me with your hack job and one side of your quilt ends up totally wonky after you sew it all together you can just cut it to be straight, then when I hemmed that side I did a back stitch over each cross seam... if that makes sense?

1. choose your patterns, cut out your squares, stack them so that you separate the patterns
2. lay them out in a pattern or whatever way you want, with so many animals I just did row by row overlapping on a friend's kitchen table, front and back same pattern- right sides facing out like a sandwich
3. sew one set to the next set side by side... continue for a whole row, throw that to the side and sew next row
4. sew all of your rows together
5. sew hem around the entire edge
6. get to snipping!
7. wash and dry... and empty the lint trap every 10-15 minutes....
8. wash and dry again to get all the linties off
9. read: http://quilting.about.com/od/quiltpatternsprojects/ig/Free-Quilt-Patterns/Easy-Rag-Quilt-Pattern.htm if I have thoroughly confused you
10. or :
    

    Source: kellyedgerton.typepad.com via Amy on Pinterest

aqua and red dot

I had to have this fabric because it closely resembles my Liberty of London scarf and wallet from Target last year...

(Okay... maybe not so much... but sorta... kinda...)

Okay... we really laughed at this print first because everything was mixed in with the nursery prints and we totally thought these were big headed babies in cages at first! They are birds I swear!

I LOVE it! AND my little pompoms and kitties too- one of them is always in my shots!

Linking up to Miss Priss's Pinterest Party!

Goals for 2012

So... this gets pretty deep and I actually let it sit in the drafts for the last week debating about whether or not to post it. I know a lot of people blog just to share crafts or funny stories, but let's be realistic here. My blog is titled OCD for more reasons than one and sometimes life gets in the way.

I've had a really rough time lately, overly emotional, unhappy, gloomy- it happens.

I have anxiety issues, OCD, and once a month a rough week of depression. I deal with it, I smile, I laugh, I love my friends and family.

Sometimes I get in a hole and have a hard time getting out.

Source: Uploaded by user via Amy on Pinterest

Right now I look back and try to figure out when the last time was that I was really and truly happy. It comes and goes in spurts, but when was I last REALLY happy?

Instead I feel like a failure on an almost daily basis. It stems from feeling like I was never good enough growing up. From things that are said to me about my job. From the negative self thoughts that echo in my head as I look at everyone around me and wonder if I will ever find someone to spend the rest of my life with.

Source: Uploaded by user via Amy on Pinterest

Now, I speak very openly with my doctor and I am a thousand times better than I was back in 2005 when I began having panic attacks and sitting in the middle of my kitchen floor crying uncontrollably. I had reasons for feeling so hopeless and stressed. They are issues I still deal with on a daily basis.

My favorite color is pink and I love all things girly: ruffles, sparkles, glitter, bows. I love fuzzy four legged friends. I smile and laugh and enjoy all of the time I get to spend with others.

Then I come home and spend time alone and have no one to turn to. Then things get a little bit darker in my mind, heart, and body.

Source: etsy.com via Amy on Pinterest

My goals for 2012 are to work to make myself happy. To choose to do things that could help me be happier.

Get better at keeping a clean and organized house.

Do the dishes before they pile all over the counter.

Make some home improvements.

I want to have a cleaner house so I can have a calmer mind and have a calmer mind so I can have a happier spirit.

I keep many things inside and I struggle with how I feel when I get down and depressed. I struggle with hearing others to tell me to get over it and cheer up, being told that if I want something bad enough than I can get it. There are truly some things beyond our control.

I really hope 2012 gets better than the past, but I need to get the past out of my head and into the open so that others who may be feeling the same way know they are not alone.

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