Second Jobs and Stuff

Levi started a second job on Monday. He works from 6:00-11:00 in the morning Monday-Thursday now in addition to three days a week at the salon. This job is a major blessing to our family. The hours are pretty much the only hours that he's available, and it just kind of fits right into our life.

It is a change though, and it's requiring some adjustment. We're working on getting to bed earlier so that Levi gets more than four hours of sleep a night! It's tough for us. He doesn't usually come home from the salon until 7:30/8:00 so it's hard to eat dinner, unwind, clean up, put Cecily to bed, and spend some time together in such a short span of time. I've been going to bed after everyone else this week so that I can have a little (desperately needed) alone time. I get time to myself during the day while Cecily naps, but since her naps are only like 30-45 minutes long, I never feel like I get a real break. Once she's in bed at night, I finally feel like I can count on some uninterrupted time. But I don't like being the last one to get into bed when everyone else is sleeping. It makes me feel lonely for some reason.

I should probably just go to bed earlier and switch my alone time to the morning. I'm more productive when I'm up in the morning. Blah. It's so hard for me to make myself do things!! I get really frustrated with myself. My best days happen when I outline my day the night before and begin the day by reading my Bible and praying that God will give me the grace to actually get things done. I'm so weird - I need routine and a schedule, but at the same time, I hate routines and schedules. I love being awake in the morning and typically have a lot of energy once I'm up, but I'm also a total night owl. My entire personality is pretty much a contradiction. Best of both worlds maybe? I'm working on it, and I'm improving. Slowly, but surely.

Anyway! Even though I'm still feeling pretty thrown off, Levi's new job is a really good thing! It'll help us get caught up financially so that we can feel a little more stable. Levi and I have never been very good with financial planning, but we're trying so hard now. It's difficult when our income is so irregular and unpredictable, but it is possible. We've started having little planning meetings on Tuesdays to review our deposits, bills, etc. We're also starting to plan our dinners for the week ahead of time. This one is soooo important for us. We spend a ridiculous amount of money on groceries. And we're creating goals and planning ways to save for specific things. Yesterday, I counted all the change we had lying around the house and put it away to start saving for the downpayment on the Disneyland annual passes we plan on getting once we take care of a couple debts! We're really excited to get them, and I know we'll feel really proud of ourselves for saving the money over time instead of just waiting for Levi to have a really good day at the salon. But if you'd like to help us get there sooner and you happen to need a headband for your baby or a really awesome original drawing for your house, head on over to Ménagerie. Or book a hair appointment with Levi (562.436.4255). Hint hint. ;) ;) How's that for a totally superfluous, shameless plug for the shop and salon??

I'm so grateful that I have a husband who's willing to take a second job (and wake up super early in the morning) in order to provide for his family. I'm also really grateful that it's important to him that I stay home with Cecily. I always dreamed of being a stay-at-home mom, and it makes feel really good that it's a priority to Levi too. I'm a lucky woman!

It's that time again!!!

The summer issue of The Violet is live! This is our second summer issue... it's crazy to me that we've already been doing this for more than a year! It's been really amazing to be a part of this publication and to see how it has evolved from the beginning. At The Violet, we believe that everyone can live a happy and beautiful life, and I think this issue will inspire you to do just that.





Go check it out, enjoy it, and let us know what you think!

hi!

hello! i'm back!!

i took an unintentional break, and it was fantastic!!

life got really crazy for a few weeks, and i just needed a break from the world.

the crazies:

i had my IUD removed and went back on the pill. my horrible, almost-daily cramps were gone instantly and haven't come back since. it's been awesome!!! but i've been really bloated since too. it's gone down some, but i know it'll be a little while 'til i feel "normal" again. my clothes literally fit me perfectly one day and didn't fit me the next. not fun. silver lining to all this: my boobs have been HUGE, and i love it! this is such a novelty for my A-cup self!

levi got a new job! that was probably the most uprooting change of all. it was 100% a GREAT thing, but it took a lot out of us. we've been completely exhausted. and we've been a little bit scared. he's getting paid in a completely different way now, and that change will probably end up improving our finances significantly... but at first, it feels very unstable. and scary.

i accompanied levi on a business trip to paso robles. he was teaching a class for his side job. it was a very quick trip. we drove up on sunday, he taught the class on monday morning, and we drove home monday afternoon. on the way up and back, we stopped in santa barbara, which was really nice. except on the way back, i all the sudden came down with the flu and a fever. thennnnn as we were driving home, our car broke down. it just stopped on the freeway. at night. in the rain. levi was able to get us over to the right shoulder, but it was in a very dark spot on a curve right next to a guard rail. cars were flying by us soooooo fast. some were going over the divider line. i was so terrified. we had to sit there and wait for over an hour. i really thought we could die. we got our car towed off the freeway and ended up stranded for a couple hours. my brother came to get us, and we left the car there. the next day, while i was sick on the couch, levi and my brother went back to get the car with a u-haul trailer. by the third day, it was fixed! it all turned out well, but it was very draining, very stressful, and very scary.

i took my flu and the car madness as an opportunity to check out for a few days. i didn't work. i didn't blog. i didn't open my laptop. i read and did puzzles in the newspaper. i went for walks. i met levi for lunch. i did some yoga. i rested. and most importantly, i took a break from worrying too.

i never want to worry again. it's exhausting and draining. it's counterproductive. it's poisonous and toxic. and i can't do it anymore. obviously, there will always be stressful things, and you have to react to stressful situations, but you don't have to turn those scenarios over and over again in your head to the point where you truly believe any possible outcome will be the worst thing to ever happen in the history of the world. obviously i'm exaggerating a little, but just a little.

so now that i've had a taste of what it's like to go through a few days without worrying, i want more. i feel like i have a better understanding of how to avoid worrying. but even as i sit here typing this, i'm feeling anxiety over my job bubbling up. i have to quell that anxiety. you hear that, anxiety? you're not welcome here anymore! go away!!!

alright, so that was my little rambling for today. the morals of the story:

1. anxiety = bad

2. bigger boobs = good ;)

3. if you're stressed and exhausted and you find an opportunity to take a break, GRAB IT and hold onto it for as long as you can.

4. i missed you. :)

my job

this is what a typical work day looks like for me:

if you look at my computer in this photo, you can see that i've gotten sidetracked from my work... ;)

lots of sunshine, lots of sitting on the couch, lots of watching kitties grooming themselves

working from home is great. i can wear pajamas. i can work anytime i want. i have the luxury of a flexible schedule.

but some of those benefits also become drawbacks. being able to work in my pajamas means that i pretty much ONLY work in my pajamas. i don't really like sitting on the couch all the time. and forcing myself to get my work done feels like torture sometimes. when you have the option of working whenever you want, it can be difficult to actually SIT DOWN and DO IT. it's really easy to put it off and do something else instead.

with that said, i DEFINITELY wouldn't trade working from home for an office job. no way. no how. i've got it made. it's also been really good for me to learn some more discipline. since i'm the one in charge of my schedule, i've really had to crack down on myself to get things done. i think this is making me a better person and allowing me to improve myself in an area where i sometimes lack - sticking with things and self-discipline.

also, i get to hang out with gretel and lily all day! they're pretty good office mates.

getting dressed: week six

i've been very sick for the last week. booo!

i think the wedding stress pushed me over the edge. i didn't leave the house all weekend except for once on monday. needless to say, i haven't really left my pajamas lately. haha!

so this week's getting dressed post shows you what you can find me in when i'm sick...or working. i work from home as an editor so, usually, i'm in lounge-y type clothes on my couch. after the wedding, we plan on putting together a little "office nook" for me though! exciting!!

ahhh, working from home is so glamorous! this my current favorite lounge ensemble.

pajama pants: pure & good at anthropolgie

long sleeved henley: pure & good at anthropologie

i highly recommend this brand for loungewear & pjs. everything is really soft & cozy.

allow me to yammer for a moment before getting to the point

i had every intention of posting earlier today, but i had a very slow and late start this morning (really, this afternoon) due to a very late night at work.

our hotel/restaurant hosted an after-party for one of the films at the LA Film Festival. the film sounds pretty interesting, and i absolutely plan on netflixing it (don't you just love making new verbs based on websites - i.e., googling, imdbing, etc.). it's called It Might Get Loud, and it's "a documentary on the electric guitar from the point of view of three rock legends."

our VIP guests were Jack White and Jimmy Page...with a special appearance by John C. Reilly. i had the pleasure of serving all three gentleman, and they all seemed like very nice fellows. you don't even know how much i was flipping out on the inside about meeting John C. Reilly. i happen to think he is an INCREDIBLE actor, and he is in one of my all time favorite movies, The Anniversary Party. needless to say, it was a pretty cool experience, and the night went very late. i didn't get home til after 3:00, and i wasn't in bed til after 4:00.

alright, with that said, let me move on to the real reason i am posting today!

i am such a lucky girl. i have made so many great friends through my blog - people i legitimately care about and who legitimately seem to care about me! one of these people is dee from our little love nest. i love dee. she is a gorgeous person inside and out. she has a fabulous husband and the cutest family (her youngest, bella, makes me want to have babies this very instant - NOW!). i seriously think she started having babies when she was five because she is sooo beautiful and looks like a 20 year old. every time she talks about her teenagers, i am in shock.

annnnyway, dee has a little etsy shop where she sells her beautiful art. you have to go check it out! i know you'll find something you love, and her prints are very affordable. levi and i saw an original in her shop that we really loved. we thought it would look pretty spiffy in our dining area. so guess what i got in the mail yesterday as a little surprise birthday/house-warming gift?!?

the framed original and a beautiful little note!

we love it, and we are so grateful to dee for being so thoughtful to give it to us.

thank you so much, dee! your gift and your generous spirit made my week!

what i like about you (and me), the second edition

good morning! i am writing this on sunday night because i have to wake up at 4:45 tomorrow morning to be at work by 7:00. blah, right?!? this should post at 7:00 which means that google won't update anyone until about 10 or 11. haha!

usually i don't work on mondays or tuesdays (that's when we take our "weekend"), but they needed me to this week, so we're just going to cram our weekend into tuesday.

annnnyway, i don't have much in terms of a post for you this morning, but i DO have a new banner that levi made for me! check it out! i love it. i am seriously going to look into how to turn it into a bumper sticker for my little werewolf.

and i'm also going to do my second installment of what i like about you (and me).

if you aren't familiar with this this, please read this post to get the concept.

for the second installment, i am going to tell you all something i like about adeline. she writes a blog called lady croissant. one of the things i like about adeline is how globally inclined she is. do you know that she speak FIVE languages?!? she grew up in france, and she is living in oslo, norway right now for the fourth time. she works as a tour guide which i find completely fascinating. adeline is also very creative. i love her little drawings and doodles, her photographs, and how creative she is with her wardrobe. i think what i like most about her though is how encouraging she has been to me with my blog. she is one of my "founding readers" and one of my first "blog friends." thank you, adeline, for being one of the few to read my blog when no one else did! :)

now it's time for me to tell you something i like about myself. i like how dedicated i can be. when i really, truly love something and REALLY want something, i will stop at nothing to make it happen (i mean, i'm not going to kill anyone or do anything immoral, but i will put a lot of hard work in). i have the ability to quickly calculate what i need to do to make something happen, and then i come up with ways to do those things. the thing i love most about this is that when i really, really, REALLY want to do or achieve something, none of it seems like hard work. i enjoy it because it gives me a sense of accomplishment. i think this is a pretty good trait, and i have complete confidence that i will always succeed at the things i put my mind to.

well, it's 9:30 pm right now, so i better get in bed. have i ever mentioned before that i am NOT a morning person? 'cause i'm not. 

at all.

good night! i mean, good morning!

the future's bright

well hello there!

i had a really great idea for a blog project that i was going to work on today, but it will have to wait now because i got called in to work last minute! i am very excited by this because it means more money! yayyyy! so just sit tight a little longer for the project. i think you will all really love this one! i love it already, and i haven't even started yet!

for now, i'll just tell you all a little more about my job. last night was my first working night. they told me that i wouldn't be serving; i would just be observing the event and maybe helping at the registration table. haha! yeah right. i worked my tail off last night. some highlights include:

- spilling an entire tray of drinks down my pants in the middle of the dance floor in front of everyone

- developing carpal tunnel in my wrist from carrying heavy trays and bussing tables. it's been more than 5 years since i've worked as a server. i'm weak!

- and sitting in traffic for more than an hour on a hot day in my car with no air conditioning to get to work. :/

honestly, i think i was just kind of in shock from being thrown in with no instruction. i actually learn best this way so it was definitely a good thing. and even though i had kind of a rough night last night, i'm really looking forward to going back tonight. one of the girls i worked with was such a sweetheart. she was so helpful and understanding. i hope she's working tonight so i can get to know her better! as soon as i get the hang of this whole thing and get to know everyone better, i'm really going to like this job. as soon as i get my first paycheck, i'm really going to love it!

levi and i are so excited about all the things we'll be able to do with more money. with more money, we will be able to:

- move! we can get a one bedroom that's not in the ghetto! hurray!

- decorate! we can decorate our apartment so that it doesn't look like a college dorm room, but a grown up's home.

- eat out! we love food and restaurants and have missed frequenting our local favorites.

- shop! i haven't bought new clothes for myself since october i think. i can't wait to shop again!!

- pay bills! i am so excited to be able to pay all our bills on time. we will finally get to feel like responsible adults. it will be fantastic!

- travel! i get $50/night hotel rates at any of our hotels in the country with this job. ummm - oh my goshness!!! how cool is that?!?

we can't wait. we just can't wait. life is really really good.

priorities

so i started a new job yesterday, and that's great because i'll be making money and everything, but i think i might be more excited over the fact that.....

my hotel is less than 3 miles away from the most amazing macaron shop i've ever been to! i suspect that my future will be filled with lots of tiny, little, delicious treats. oh yay!

plus, the hotel is really cool and all.