Another Wreath

Where have I been, you ask? Working! Enjoying being back in the working world. I absolutely love my job. I'm rotating days and nights which took a little getting used to but I think I finally have a good plan in place for when I'm swapping back and forth so that I don't disrupt my sleep too much! I work 3 12 hour shifts a week, which gives me some extra time to do things like this....
My Halloween wreath :)

I absolutely love it. I got the idea here! So, I started with these fabrics and cut them into strips...

Then I double knotted all of the strips around the wreath frame....

Added a bow :)  My new favorite thing to make... 

Painted the letters....

Used a hot glue gun to attach the letters, and TA DA.....

I LOVE it.  There were a few things I would've done differently....I would've chosen a bigger variety of colors for my fabric.  After trips to 3 different stores though, I gave up and settled on these.  I also think I would've cut my strips a little longer so it would've looked a little fuller (I did about 6 inches long).  But, overall I'm very happy with it and think it looks super cute! 

Onto my next project....

RN

That's right, I passed!!!! I could not be happier. I took the NCLEX yesterday (5/10) at 8am. I drove to Newport News (1 hour away) so that I was able to take the test a week earlier than I would be able to test in Richmond. Best. Decision. Ever. It is such a relief going into graduation tomorrow knowing I am DONE. DONE. DONE. I had 75 questions (the minimum amount) and left the testing center feeling as though I had never stepped foot inside a nursing school and surely had failed. I was assured over and over that it was completely normal to feel this way. I distracted myself as much as possible until 8am this morning when I heard those magical words "Registered Nurse, License Status: Current Active" AAAAAAAAAAH, I screamed!!! Could it be??? After 2 1/2 years, 1 test (without which my education would be worthless) and a 24 hour wait (longest 24 hours of my life) later...it was official. I have added 2 letters behind my name, RN!!!!!!!!!!!

3 weeks...

Well, hello again blog world! I've been super busy lately because I only have 3 WEEKS LEFT of nursing school!!!!!! I can hardly believe it. I look back and wish I had been better about blogging to chronicle everything I went through but something had to give! Now I sit here with 3 weeks left and can hardly believe i've made it to this point. A few weeks ago I accepted an RN position on the postpartum unit where I currently work as a patient care tech and I'm so happy! I can't wait to start my job. I already know the environment and the people, so it will make the transition super easy! I'm sad to leave my comfort zone of being a student and will miss seeing my nursing school buddies every day, but I know we're all excited to be done with the stresses of school and start making a paycheck again! Wish me luck as I finish up one of my most challenging endeavors yet! Can't wait to have a life again :)

Stella & Dot Giveaway

My good friend, Beth, sells the fabulous Stella & Dot jewelry!!! She's hosting a giveaway right now and you should stop by her page and check it out! It's fabulous :)

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

I just wanted to share my Christmas Decorations, well at least my mantle and my tree :)




I love my mantle...it makes me happy to look at it! I found the candle holders at a local store, Tweed, here in Richmond and I love them. I had bought the candles (they're shimmery) from Crate & Barrel a couple years back and just never really had the right place for them...I think I finally found it :)

And, my tree! I decided to change my tree up this year...for the past 4 years i've gone with black/white/silver and this year I decided to go with red, lime green, white and silver and I love it! I found some ribbon with red and lime green polka dots and my aunt made the bow/streamers for the tree. I just love looking at it. There's nothing like having Christmas decorations up...they just make everything feel extra homey :) I hope your homes feel as warm and cozy as mine does at Christmas time!

(Please ignore all of the extension cords hanging...I don't know a better way to do it!)

What am I doing tonight, you ask?

Right now I'm relaxing on the couch, drinking my celebratory hot chocolate and being SO thankful that my HUGE project for my Community Health class is DONE DONE DONE!!!!! 8 weeks, community assessments, windshield surveys, a health fair, evaluations, 102 powerpoint slides and a presentation later it's over. Still waiting on the grade, but everything we could do is done! So, I'm going to sit here and watch tv (and work on stats hw, bleh) and enjoy my favorite hot chocolate!!! A final on Monday and then it's onto my last semester of Nursing School and I can hardly believe it! I can't wait to enjoy my 3 weeks off...it might actually feel like Christmas this year!

My version of Pottery Barn....

So, for the past 2 years I've been lusting after this PB wreath....

www.potterybarn.com

However, nursing school (and common sense) didn't allow me to spend $80 on this....so, creativity struck and I decided that I could probably do it myself, and this is what I came up with....

Not bad if I do say so myself :) I spent $25 to make this....much better than $80, plus I get the satisfaction of knowing I made it myself!!! So ready to decorate for Christmas :)

Exciting Giveaway

Head on over to "A Wedding Story" and check out this awesome Dress Barn giveaway !!! They have some really cute stuff :)

Arts and Crafts and a countdown

I was feeling very artsy tonight, so I attempted a couple projects!! First up, some glitter pumpkins which turned out oh so cute!! (excuse the paper towel and paper plates, they're still drying!)

The bigger pumpkins are fake and the smaller pumpkins are real! So, it works for both :) Up next, my Fall wreath for my front door....HOKIE inspired!!!!


They were both super easy projects and took no time at all! I won't lie, I didn't make the bow...but I did watch the lady very closely and will be an expert bow maker in no time!

I will take my last nursing school final on Monday, April 25, 2011....which means, it's officially less than 7 months until I'm done :) I have a few things like NCLEX review and stuff like that after the final, but that's all technicality in my book!!!! I'm so excited that the end is on the horizon. I've survived 22 months so far, 7 months is nothing!!!!

9 months and counting....

I find it fitting that I would do a post with 9 months left of school, considering I want to be an OB nurse :)

The last few months have been a whirlwind, full of school, work and trying to have some ounce of a social life. However, I realized today that I've never been more content in my life than I am right now....

School is stressful, yes, but I love it and have never been more confident about anything as I am about becoming a nurse. Fabulous!

I need to lose weight, yes...school has PACKED it on. I've never been so sedentary in my life...study study study. BUT, I've been hitting the gym regularly and have adopted much healthier eating habits. Wonderful!

I'm single, but it's ok. I'm confident that I'll find the right person at the right time. Until then, I've been so independent that I'm content and happy living my life and not settling for mr. wrong...

After spending the day shadowing in L&D with a grad student that worked with us last semester, I was driving home and just had this overwhelming feeling of contentment. And, that feeling is not only what's going to get me through the next 9 months, but will make it a happy 9 months at that :)

I apologize for the SUPER cheesy post!!!