Behind the Big Green Door: Blog Tag!

My blogger buddy, Erin tagged me in a blog tag. She blogs over at Live Pretty on a Penny. Visit her blog for great DIY inspiration, she also an awesome MUA!

Now for the blog tag, I've been given a list of questions to answer so here they are:

Are you named after someone:
Yes, I was named after a random lady on Cleveland radio My mom liked her name, so that's how I ended up with it.

When's the last time you cried:
Just this past Saturday.. I've become such a big cry baby since having Rhyan.

Do you have kiddos:
Yep, a beautiful little 5 year old girl!

If you were another person, would you be a friend of yourself:
I sure would, I'm a great friend who people can always depend on (so I've been told :) )

Do you have a guilty pleasure:
Yes, Jerry Springer (hangs head in shame) When I wasn't working I watched it twice a day.

Do you like handwriting:
I can't say I have anything against handwriting... I've always wished I had better handwriting but I was doomed from the start being a lefty.

What's your favorite cereal:
LOVE Cinnamon Toast Crunch

What's the first thing you notice about people:
Hair

What's the color of your eyes:
Brown

Scary movie or happy endings:
Happy Endings (I'm such a sap ugh!)

Favorite TV Shows:
OITNB, Scandal, Breaking Bad (Can they please make more seasons!!), Jerry Springer, Family Guy, South Park, The Office, LHHATL

Summer or Winter:
Summer!

Hugs or Kisses:
Hugs

Do you have a special talent:
does DIY count?

Where were you born:
Cleveland, OH

What are your hobbies:
DIY, decorating, shopping

Do you have any pets:
Yep, a Yorkie named Cici

Favorite Movie:
Any superhero movie, Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, X-Men

What color is your car:
Blue

What do you want to be when you grow up:
Alive.. lol. No really, I would love to do work in Marketing. It's my passion. I'm getting closer and closer to my dream job and I'm excited about it!

Now I'm tagging: my love, Jana who blogs over at The Jane Tales. She's a fashion blogger with amazing taste!

On a Personal Note: Saying goodbye to Noah

Who knew saying goodbye to a dog would be so emotional?? I have never considered myself a dog person so I didn't expect having to surrender one of our dogs today would be so hard. We've had him for 6 months and my daughter absolutely adores him.

Unfortunately, our little Noah wasn't developing correctly and was looking at a pretty difficult life the older he got. So after taking him to the vet today, we decided to surrender him to the vet in hopes he will find a family that will be able to financially support his needs.

So here's a short tribute to Noah!

ON A PERSONAL NOTE: Being Laid Off, Graduation, and Finding a New Job

The last three month has been quite busy that has brought me quite a bit of change. Mid-way through February I found out I was being laid off from my job. My first thought was panic. LAID OFF?? Bills don't take a day off, so of course I was worried. After it setting in for a couple of days a sense of calm came over me. I was actually ok with it. I was still in school and about 2 months away from getting my degree. I have a wonderful support system so I thought I would be ok.

And guess what?? I was! I completed my Bachelors of Business Administration in Marketing degree from Georgia State University and even graduated Magna Cum Laude!

The original plan was to be a stay at home mom for about 6 months and then to start looking for work. Well the busy body in me wouldn't allow that so I started job hunting. After several of resume drafts, phone interviews, in person interviews, follow-up emails and two rejections I landed a job... with a great company, doing what I graduated in: Marketing!






So I'm telling this long story to say....

Don't be discouraged by what seems like what may be a set back. Being laid off from my job was probably one of the best things that happened to me. Sometimes we get so complacent that we don't realize that there is something more, something better for us. ..and sometimes it takes a good push to find out.

During this job hunt I learned a lot about the do's and don't, what to do and not to do when looking for a job. So I will be sharing some of that information over the next couple of weeks.

Stay tuned.

.....It's the little & simple things that make me smile

I hate Monday mornings! am I the only one?! ....didn't think so! It's the start of a new work week and the furthest day away from Friday!

But this Monday morning wasn't so bad. I woke up to a sweet surprise and it really made my Monday!

My routine for the morning is to stumble through a very dimly lit bedroom getting dressed so not to wake others, grab my laptop out my office, run down stairs, grab my keys out the living room, hop in the car, and leave. Throughout my routine this morning I noticed that Brandon arranged a small set of flowers on each one of my "checkpoints." He knows how much I love fresh flowers!

Bedroom

Merry Christmas!!

I truly enjoyed Christmas and could not have asked for a better family to spend the holiday with! I hope that you all also enjoyed Christmas!

My daughter absolutely loved all of her Barbie toys, in addition to the ones I told you about in my Christmas Deals Post earlier this week!

Also, my family really like my Menu Board and Holiday Centerpiece! ....which I was very happy about since it was my first time truly getting into the Christmas decorating spirt. Although I was being very last minute, everything came together very nicely!

It's so easy to get wrapped up in the gifts and decorations that we forget to take the time to think about true meaning of Christmas.... Jesus! (I am guilty) Please take time to reflect on the many blessings He has provided you with this year as I do the same!

See ya soon!

Laya

Happy 1 Year HomeOwnerversary To Us!

Wow! I can't believe it's been a year since we purchased our first house! (Ok so I'm a day early, it was actually Dec 20, but who cares, Im excited!)

I'm so blessed and happy to be able to be a homeowner!

I highly recommend anybody who is on the fence about becoming a homeowner to go ahead and do it! The benefits to being a home owner significantly outweighs the benefits being a renter! (especially in a time like this when homes are selling for rock bottom prices)