Quinoa, Classwork, and Moving

This week is all about reducing. We are moving (me for the 2nd time this year, my mom for the 1st time in 27 years) next month. We are eating up the contents of our kitchen and getting ready to box up everything. The goal is to send most things to our new house and the rest to our family's homestead up north. Goodbye, childhood home! RIP.

In an attempt to avoid grocery shopping, we are eating mostly quinoa recipes from Mary Jane Butters's cookbook. Fast-cooking, nutrient-dense, delicious food every day. So far, the Greek recipe is my favorite.

I am 2 weeks away from being a certified nurse assistant! And 6 weeks away from finishing all my prerequisites, taking the TEAS, and applying to nursing school! 

So far, so good. This semester has been a challenge to keep up with 19 credit hours worth of homework. I'm ready to take fewer classes and work more next semester so I can save some money. I'll need it if/when I get accepted into nursing school!

Elegant Halloween

So costumes have been decided and created. I am a flapper girl and Artemis is current favorite thing in all creation: a doll. Photos below, and to come.

I have deep fond feeling toward my sparkly beaded dress (NBC $16) and metallic shoes (Goodwill $5). I also glue feathers and ribbons to a hair clip for my headwear and found a lovely vintage pearl bracelet. My fingernails are painted Orly's "Luxe" and toes are Orly's "Rage". (Cool metallic gold and rose gold. Very pretty!)

Artie's doll costume includes gelled hair, pink frilly dress, coordinating diaper cover and socks, sparkly necklace, and a brown paper price tag that says "I'm a doll", tied on with ribbon. Easy peasy, made from stuff we already have.

Mom and Baby Creative Halloween Costume Ideas

Summer is ending right and left! QUICK THINK OF A HALLOWEEN COSTUME!!!

Candidates for our costumes:

- little red riding hood and the wolf

- 1920's Gatsby flapper girls

- Victorian witch and owl

- Matryoshka dolls

- Parvati and Krishna

Decisions, decisions...

It's been years...

It's been years since I kept a blog. I cannot begin to describe to you the changes I have undergone since our last correspondence, great void. So here's an update, tossed at whoever might chance upon it in this corner of the information wasteland.

I am a mother now. The best thing that ever happened to me is now 14 months old, with my features and my heartbreak's name. And she is golden. She's the most bright and hopeful thing I've ever seen. She's changed my world.

I'm a nursing student. I finished what I started with cosmetology school and worked in the industry for 6 months. I discovered that it isn't a foundation to build my life on.

This feels right, for myself, my family, and my contribution to the world. Maybe a traveling nurse career will be the perfect piece for this puzzle.

There it is. My new life. Well not entirely new. Same triggers and struggles. Better motivation to keep fighting the good fight. What's new with you?

Would you like to see my latest project? And what I look like these days? Here are my favorite Instagram photos.