Mini trip within a trip

    Our first trip to Philadelphia started out this summer with what was just going to be a one night trip to Pittsburgh to visit my Aunt (she doesn't live there but that's meeting in the middle), and then we decided to go the extra distance to Philadelphia (5 more hours away) to meet up with my husband who was there on business. I did feel a little bad since we could have saved the money on a hotel and just visited my Aunt at that time. From Philadelphia it is only a 3 hour drive- or less-well it took me over 4 hours to get there then only 2.5 hours to get back. I did make some stops on the way there. So it would have been easier for her had we just waited but I didn't know if whether or not we would actually be going all the way to Philly.

I love this pic-she was so mad at me for making her leave a gift shop and huffily put her glasses on...crooked.

    On our second trip to Philly I knew that I could not be such a short drive from my Aunt and not see her and since our trip was off to a not so great start I figured this would be our first adventure. When I called to tell her she informed me that she would be coming to Michigan the following week! What a bonus! I never get to see my Aunt this much and never with visits so close together! Including our trip there last Christmas we got to see each other 4 times this year!

      It was a nice overnight trip for the two of us, obviously my husband did not go since he was working. During the drive I spent a lot of time thinking about how much I dislike the state of Delaware and how funny and random it was to even be in Delaware as this mini trip was very last minute notice (so was the entire trip for that matter). So while driving through I kept thinking how you never know where life will take you- a week before I had NO idea or reason to be in Delaware ever again in my life....heck even 24 hours before I left I had NO clue that I would be there. I like to take advantage of visiting new places but unfortunately there is not anything interesting at all to do in that state. Now, Maryland on the other hand is a state I am quite fond of and it was nice to be back. I've been there several times so there are many landmarks and roads and stores which are very familiar to me now. Where it is kind of sad to have relatives out of state it is a good opportunity to make the most of it. I mean, I have been to Washington D.C. like 10 times! If I didn't have a place to stay and a reason to go I never would have been able to do that in my life. And it makes our visits more memorable-we say thinks like-remember when we were at the Pentagon and.... or that time we went to the Hershey Hotel....when we met up in New York City-so it makes all our visits very interesting!

It was funny on our way there I was approaching the Harbor Tunnel bridge which is a bridge I had wanted to go on for years now. I know this sounds silly but I had seen it on the Travel Channel and in books and it looked interesting because it was half underwater. I even remember asking my Aunt a few years ago if we could go and they informed me that it was over an hour away which led me to believe they did not want to go, although I totally would have. So it was exciting to be at this bridge because I had always wanted to drive across it however, now that I was there I decided it was in fact not something which you would make a special trip for. I was pretty pleased with myself for having driven in a tunnel that was underwater-it sounds so cool-then my mom reminded me that the tunnel to Canada is underwater which I have driven through well over 100 times (we are only about 45 minutes from Canada).

   We had a lovely visit and my Aunt was able to give my little one her birthday gifts in person which I thought was neat because I bet she no idea when she bought them that she would be opening her gifts in her house! One of the gifts was possibly the greatest idea ever for a 2 year old.....giant pipe cleaners! I received quite a gift myself- in reference to my blog my Aunts boyfriend told me that "I'm kind of like a journalist" That's a nice compliment- not only will I take it but I'm putting it in writing and adding it to the 'log book'. (I really should tell you about the Log Book one day, it's no Diary of Anne Frank but I think it could adequately serve as a historical document one day).

Guess what captivating state this is. 

     We stayed the night and headed back to Philadelphia after her boyfriend made us breakfast- what a treat to be served breakfast and coffee then got back on the road. That meant one more drive through Delaware. America's bellybutton-once rather important to the formation of this great country but now serves no purpose.....and is only occasionally attractive. If you're listening Delaware you can try to win me over but I'm done spending hours online searching for something fun to do in your state. I hate to be spleenful and I am not trying to asperse my negative opinions but honestly, to me, it seems like a waste to drive through a state and not do or see anything interesting there.

Back to Philadelphia

    In July my daughter and I joined my husband in Philadelphia for 2 weeks and we had such a wonderful time, I told him that if he ever had to go back we would definitely go with him...I just didn't think it would be so soon! We came home August 5th and returned September 23rd for another 2 week stint. It was a short notice trip and we left the day after the wedding I did which was also in the middle of my French translation project so it was hectic. Not to mention that we arrived back to Michigan the before my daughters 2nd birthday and which allotted me just one week to prep for her big Sesame Street themed birthday party.

    This trip got off to a very rocky start, within our first 48 hours in Philadelphia our brakes started making noises, I had problems with my braces, my husband had a disc slip in his back, and a 'fellow' guest at our hotel said something to me that was so rude that I started to think that maybe this trip was a bad idea. So we left. Well, my daughter and I that is, and we went to Maryland to visit my Aunt whom we had just met up with in Pittsburgh the month before-and from there our adventures began and the rest of our trip was lovely, interesting, fulfilling, and provided us with loads of memories and pictures which will last forever. I am so happy we decided to go..on both trips-generally I have very poor decision making skills but I'm going to give myself a pat on the back for making the decisions to go to Philadelphia twice, they were last minute trips and on both occasions did not think that financially they were good timing. Also my main concern was how my daughter was going to handle the long car rides or living in a small hotel room.

     I have lots to share with you including our mini trip to Maryland, a return to Valley Forge, a third return to Sesame Place for their Halloween Spooktacular, a fun day to Amish country where I got to complete my life list items of taking an Amish Buggy ride, visiting an Alpaca Farm, and a fun ride on a landmark Railroad. So I've got lots to write about this week and with Halloween around the corner and starting another Hula class I'm certainly keeping busy and enjoying all my new life experiences!

LIFE LIST: GET PAID TO TRANSLATE

“Woe to the makers of literal translations, who by rendering every word weaken the meaning! It is indeed by so doing that we can say the letter kills and the spirit gives life.” – Voltaire 

LIFE LIST: GET PAID TO TRANSLATE

When: August, 2012

Where: The company is a Talent Agency in Michigan but I did the majority of my work from home, and incidentally I was able to do a large portion of my work while we were in Pennsylvania (the second time, we just got back a few days ago...more on that in a next week). And thank God that I was able to work at home, clearly I am unfamiliar with what is considered appropriate behavior in a professional office. Suffice it to say I said something really stupid in front of the CEO right after a booger flew out of my nose. I don't think I need to go into details-that really sums it up.

Why this is on my list: I became a Certified French Translator in 2008 and as well earned my B.A. is in French Language and Literature though I have never actively pursued a career in translation. There are many positions I applied for where my knowledge of the French Language was of value (never was I hired) though I simply had not got around to ardently searching for translation work. I read a book 'How To Become a Translator' and over the years did hundreds of searches online with the intention of registering myself with a translation website but there is a lot of paper work, information and translations you have to submit in order to create a profile. It seems like a long time, nearly 5 years to go without pursuing the very thing that I went to school for but I became pregnant in 2010 and knew how difficult it would be to translate with a little one at home. Yes it is something I can do out of the house however it is also something which requires a lot of concentration and focus and with cartoons, and toys and a sweet little girl who lovingly requires all my attention I knew that putting it on the back burner was something I certainly did not have a problem with.

How it came about:  Even though my Grandma passed away over 2 years ago I still keep in touch with her best friend of 50 years, Joyce who has kept a French pen pal over the years. When he sends letters, she often will send them to me to translate. I enjoy it immensely, this gentleman is very charming, very poetic, and has the absolute worst handwriting I have ever seen in my life. His letters are short but heavy with sentiments and it is no easy task deciphering which letters he has streamed together. Anyhow....one day in August I got a phone call out of the blue from a woman, also named Allyson, saying that I was referred to her by the granddaughter of Joyce whose name is Monique. I was rather confused initially since I have never even met Monique and off the top of my head would not have even remembered that Joyce had a granddaughter named Monique. Without the mention of the Christmas cards I've translated I would have this was a solicitor.
     So this Allyson began basically begging me to work for them for a few weeks by saying everything she could to entice me including being completely willing to revolve around MY schedule. This has always been a dream of mine! That I would be sought out and fallen all over to have me work for a business/company. No application, no online job search, no follow up phone calls, no interview, no sucking up to the boss, no buying a new pant suit- it was awesome, very much a dream come true for me. You know how people always say 'you can't just sit around waiting for the phone to ring if you want employment' ....well...I do! Both this translation job and the wedding flowers I just did stemmed from a phone call that was totally out of the blue. I feel entitled to be a little impudent about this since I spent YEARS struggling to find a job, having extremely low paying jobs with bosses that treated me like garbage and all the while heavily struggling financially-broke doesn't begin to explain it! I certainly wasn't homeless but I cannot count how many times I had to scrounge up $1 in change just to get to my destination and then figure it out from there.

What was I translating? Resumes, contracts, employee handbooks, training manuals, legal documents, emails and conducting interviews over the phone with potential candidates.

What would I do differently? I don't think there's anything I could have done differently. I did the best job that I could. There were many nights I had to spend away from my daughter so I could complete this project and I hated that, I was always very anxious to get home to her but at the same time I am so glad and fortunate to have had this opportunity knock at my door. I think if God opens a door for you- walk through it-nobody can do that for you.

Will I continue on? I certainly hope to. Now that I have this vast experience under my belt I feel very confident moving forward and I am available to do any work this current Talent Agency will require of me in the future. And I now have a good idea of where to begin so I think in January I'm going to spend some time getting myself registered with some translation companies.

Was it life changing? Oh my goodness YES, YES, YES and then some! The pay is too embarrassing to even share with you, but let me put it this way- had it been any other 'job' in the world there is NO WAY I would have agreed to help them, the ONLY reason I did was because I have never had an opportunity to work as a professional translator and I knew the experience would prove invaluable. I certainly did not do this for the extra money, especially considering the amount of work involved, I did it for the value of it. To be able to actually have a job in the field of my study has made me feel (for the first time in my life) successful, accomplished and completely fulfilled in a professional capacity. It makes me feel so good about myself to actually be able to say 'I am a French translator.' This experience, like my degrees, is something that I will have forever and can never be taken from me. It also serves as strong, motivating encouragement to seriously consider a second degree in another language. I've studied Arabic and Russian at accredited schools and I kick myself all the time for not pursing German when I had the opportunity, so I would like to earn a degree or certification in any of those languages. Now that I know how valuable knowledge of the French language is to a Talent Agency of all things, I know that if I completed my studies in a language which has few translators I could really make something of myself.

“Translating should be an enriching intellectual experience and you should end a job as a different person." -Danilo Nogueira 

3 Months of Braces

  I cannot even believe that I have actually had my braces on for 3 months already! It was a VERY difficult adjustment and in the beginning I kept thinking 'how could a person EVER get used to this- IT'S HORRIBLE!' And now I have to say...that I am pretty used to them, they removed that garish coil and now if I stand back far enough for pictures you can't even tell that I have them since I opted to get the clear braces on top.

  Having braces is a pain in the butt! It's hard to eat, taking care of them is labor intensive, and of course there is the expense but when I look at these before and after pics of JUST 3 MONTHS--- it makes it all worth it!

Before July 2012

October 2012

CAN YOU BELIEVE THE DIFFERENCE!!! In the beginning I thought this was a mistake but now I know it was worth it! Well, fingers crossed all continues to go well!!!


(Side note....they are not painful at all, at times a little uncomfortable but never 'painful' which I did not expect because I hear people complain about the intense pain of having your wires changed....but then again most people who have had braces are teenagers who have not had c-sections or any other major surgeries)

LIFE LIST: DO FLOWERS OUT OF THE HOUSE

How I've missed being surrounded by flowers!

LIFE LIST: DO FLOWERS OUT OF MY HOUSE

Photo courtesy of Heather Jowett photography 

When: September 21, 2012

The Detroit Yacht Club was stunning.

Where: The Detroit Yacht Club

Photo courtesy of Heather Jowett photography

Why this is on my list: I ran a flower shop for a couple years and have worked at several others and it's always the same thing- over charging brides to cover the high cost of commercial rental space and cover the bills throughout the regularly slow summer months. There is money to be made through floral design but I am convinced it is not via having a store front-the over head is simply too high. I immensely enjoy being a floral designer and I miss it dearly. Exclusively doing wedding flowers is a way for me to make good money, I don't have to leave my daughter, I can do something I love in the comfort of my own home, no one breathing down my neck, no boss, and only work a few days. For instance this wedding took me 4 hours to put everything together, then I spent 4 hours the day of the ceremony/reception at the venue setting up, making the centerpieces, and distributing the personal flowers.

Photo courtesy of Heather Jowett photography 

How it came about: Back in April, my friend Toni called me (a former co-worker) and asked if I would be interested in doing the flowers for her friend's wedding who had had a consultation with a florist that went horribly and since Toni was a bridesmaid in the wedding she would not be able to them herself. We met and she liked my ideas and I liked and trusted her so without hesitation she hired me.

These flowers are called Craspedia 

What would I do differently? I learned a LOT and there are several things I would do differently. First of all I would have dressed nicer! I DID NOT think I would still be there when the guests were arriving but some of the bridal party was late to arrive and I was passing out the corsages and boutineres. Everyone looked so nice and I was in stretchy pants and sneakers.

Photo courtesy of Heather Jowett photography 

Will I do it again? I hope so! I am going to work on getting my EIN and some business cards made up and go from there, even if I just started out doing a handful a year, I think that would be great.

The boutineres -

Was it life changing? Certainly, in many ways. First of all I got to try out something that I always suspected  would be lucrative and enjoyable. I am lucky enough to be one of those people who LOVES what they do. There is nothing like being around beautiful, fragrant flowers all day and turning them into creative pieces of art and on top of that, I get to set up in these beautiful venues which I would generally have no reason to visit or have never heard of, I get to see unique things (a groom riding up on a white horse, a bridal party arriving in a trolley) and my work appears in thousands of pictures, photos that will last forever. It's a pretty great job, and initially becoming a floral designer fell into my lap, as did this job-opportunities only becomes success when you walk through the doors which have been opened. Every second of this was sincerely a joy. I'm a very lucky girl.

Photo courtesy of Heather Jowett photographer 

Getting this opportunity kick started my idea to do flowers out of my house, I had always wanted to but had no immediate motivation, and now I know where to begin.

Photo courtesy of Heather Jowett photographer 

Also, I got to meet a great bride and I was able to help her out too-florists LOVE to rip people off...well I hate using that term I guess I will just call them very 'opportunistic'. When they see a bride they see dollar signs. I have worked for company's and while I was making their corsages, boutineres, and bouquets I would look at the price and my mouth would drop to the floor! I know what everything cost and it is flooring what florists will charge and what people will actually pay! (I was one of those brides who was TOTALLY ripped off spending $2,000 on my flowers and I didn't even like my centerpieces, nor did my florist give me what I actually wanted.)

Photo courtesy of Heather Jowett photographer 

COMMENTS FROM THE BRIDE

I just received this email from from the bride...

"I can't even begin to describe how happy I was with your flowers. They were PERFECT. Honestly, perfect. And all night long people complimented me on them and how elegant and lovely the room looked. Seriously--so many people asked about the flowers. And we had people take home vases, so hopefully they're still alive all over the state of Michigan. :)" -Darlene 

Photo courtesy of Heather Jowett photographer 

Notes:

If you would like to discuss your wedding flowers with me and get a quote email me at angeary@gmail.com

The Brides' bouquet 

Also feel free to email me if you have ANY questions in general concerning your wedding flowers....or anything else to do with cut flowers please do not hesitate to comment here or email me at angeary@gmail.com

Photo courtesy of Heather Jowett photographer 

Photo courtesy of Heather Jowett photographer 

Photo courtesy of Heather Jowett photographer 

It's so cool to see the flowers that I made in all the pictures from the photographer 

Pretty fountain in the Detroit Yacht Club 

Brides Bouquet 

The Bridesmaid's bouquets 

Photo courtesy of Heather Jowett photographer 

My daughters' FIRST birthday

FIRST Birthday Party!!!

October 7, 2010

October 7, 2011

 It was a few days after her birthday that we held her very first birthday party, I wanted to just have her all to myself on the day of her actual birthday! So we woke up (Daddy took the day off work) got donuts, let her open her gifts and then for lunch we went to the Olive Garden -for 2 reasons 1. We had dinner there the night before she was born and 2. It's become a joke in my family we have ZILLIONS of pictures of all of us celebrating our birthdays at the Olive Garden. I was so teary eyed all day, and when we sang Happy Birthday to her I really broke down. It's just such a big deal, I cannot explain entirely what an amazing feeling it is to have a daughter to buy gifts for and to celebrate her birthday in a big way-I cannot believe she will be 2 years old tomorrow...sometimes I look her and take in all her amazingness and think 'it simply came from one little sentence..."I think I'm ready to have a baby" and now 2 years and 9 months later here is another person who makes so many people smile each day, another person who so many look forward to seeing and spending time with and a person who I now live my life for. I was so unsure about having a baby I made my husband wait and wait...which now seems so silly to me-I often wish I would have had her sooner so I could have more time with her, but if she had come sooner maybe I wouldn't be the Mom I am today. I wish I could remember every single moment with her, it feels like we move forward so quickly I rarely have time to stop and think all of the amazing moments I've had with her. My perfect idea of what heaven is like would be reliving every second with my daughter all over, every smile, every time she's wrapped her fingers around mine, every time she's looked at me, every time she's called me Mommy, every time I've looked at her sweet little face, every time I've comforted her when she was crying, every diaper change, every time I was next to her when she feel asleep and woke up, every kiss she's given me and every hug-oh every moment...even the stressful ones--I could go on and on...her birthdays make me so emotional, I just think that having a daughter is like winning the lottery and has made my life so complete. She is my beating heart-I feel like the luckiest person in the world to have such an incredible, smart, funny, sweet, cute, beautiful, loving, compassionate, generous and genuine little girl.

Here are some pictures of her very first birthday party.

Weigh in Wednesdays: I'VE LOST 100 POUNDS!

September 26th 2012-161 lbs 

I have long looked forward to this day and here it is!!!! 161 pounds down from the high of 261! I feel so good about myself - the changes are countless in my health, the way I feel physically, and emotionally-granted most of my weight was pregnancy related so there were a lot of other things making me feel physically uncomfortable but I think many of them were related to my weight. My goal was to lose 100 lbs by my daughters 2nd birthday and I have done it! It has taken me just 10 days shy of 2 years to lose this much weight and I DO NOT  think it was hard or difficult in any way...it simply took effort.

October 6th 2010 - 9 months pregnant 261 lbs 

2-3 weeks later -me about 25 pounds lighter-237 lbs 

April 2nd 2011-230 lbs 

July 2011- 215 lbs 

October 9th 2011-199 lbs 

December 2011- 187 lbs 

Easter 2012-183 lbs 

June 15th 2012-179 lbs 

                                               

July 4th 2012-177 lbs 

July 2012-175 lbs 

August 4th-170 lbs 

HOW DID I LOSE 100 POUNDS??? A combination of the following but NEVER did I give up the things I love like pizza and chocolate!

1. Give birth
2. BREASTFEED!!!!
3. Walk
4. Reduce/eliminate carbohydrates after 5h
5. Juice
6. Get braces
7. Eating in moderation