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!!!

The Hills are alive....

Despite the fact that I was in the middle of studying for finals, you can bet that I tuned in to the season premiere of The Hills :) I just have to say, DRAMA DRAMA DRAMA! Though I felt like I spent more time watching commercials than the actual show, they definitely packed as much drama in as they could. Between Heidi's (ridiculous) surgeries and Kristin's drug rumors, I was hooked! I know, I know...it's complete trash tv but I just love it! Sometimes it's nice to watch something like that and realize that your life is just pretty normal :) With that said, you can guarantee that I'll be tuning in to see this every Tuesday night as the final season unfolds....

www.mtv.com

Another One Bites the Dust....

Another semester has come and gone! I can't believe I'm over halfway done with nursing school. I finished this semester off with 2 B+'s and I'll take it! I'm ecstatic with how this semester turned out. On Monday morning I go back for the summer semester (so much for a break, huh?).... I'm excited though b/c I go back to do my OB class which I can't wait for!

Not an exciting post, I know, but I have a few days to relax so hopefully I can drum up something exciting to post!

Hope everyone is having an excellent week. As for me, I'm off to bed so that I can sleep in and then hit the gym in the morning! Sounds like a fabulous start to my "mini" break!!!

366 days until the end of nursing school....is it too early to start a countdown?!?!?!?

Allergies...

This is what I feel like right now....

I've got the runny nose, itchy eyes, scratchy throat allergy blues! I can barely sleep through the night and feel miserable during the day. I'm missing the beautiful weather outside b/c none of my medicine wants to work!! I long for the days when the pollen is no longer floating aimlessly through the air. Does anyone else have horrible allergies?? I've tried allegra and zyrtec...both which usually work for me, but apparently not this year!!! Oh how I would love to feel human again :)

TAG!

Officially Mrs. at Thirty Something? included me in a photo tag...i've never done one of these!!!

So, here are the rules:

Open your 1st photo folder

Scroll to the 10th photo

Post the photo (no cheating) and the story behind it

Here is my photo:

This is a picture of one of my sorority sisters, Jessica, and her husband Steve on their wedding day! They were married July 4th, 2008 at King Family Vineyards in Crozet, VA. It was a beautiful wedding and tons of fun. Any time I get to reunite w/ sorority sisters is always a blast!!!

Thanks, Officially Mrs...this was fun!

Ok, next up...I tag:

Beth at A Wedding Story

Grace at Watch Me Grow

Devon at More Z's Please

Katie at Life as a Lewis

Erin at Life as it is

Have fun!! Happy Saturday :)

SPRING BREAK

Last year during my spring break I wrote a post entitled "spring broke"...well, the same applies this year. The only thing spring break from nursing school means for me is working a few extra days and having my nights FREE of school work...and, I'll take it!!! There is no money so there is no fun to be had...but these days not having countless hours of reading and studying sounds fun to me!

I had to work this evening, so I spent the entire day relaxing and reading this....

http://www.walmart.com/

I had started the book on Christmas Eve, got about 2 chapters in and then went back to school and didn't touch it again until today. So, I spent the entire day finishing the book and it was FABULOUS :) It was sad at parts, but a great story and I loved it. I wanted to get a little nap in before work, but that didn't happen because I couldn't put the book down. Luckily I only had to work 4 hours :) So, now that I'm back home from work and a little too awake to sleep just yet, I'll be starting my next conquest for my spring break....

http://www.bn.com/

My goal for spring break was to finish these 2 books and since I don't go back to school until March 9th, I think I'm well on my way to accomplishing that!

I had forgotten what it was like to have freedom and I'm loving it! Since I'm now officially halfway done with nursing school I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and I'm so excited! May 2011 will be here before I know it!

Poorly played, ABC....

As I sit here watching The Bachelor, Women Tell All (while I should be studying for my final tomorrow...) I find myself severely annoyed at the hack job they are doing to Rozlyn. This is the girl who got kicked off the show early in the season for an "inappropriate" relationship with a producer. If you read Reality Steve you know that he always has the scoop on The Bachelor and is right 99% of the time...and is willing to admit when he is wrong! He had the whole Rozlyn story and what REALLY happened a few weeks back....

Regardless, is it not SO obvious that the stories the other women were telling were totally made up???? I mean, for people who were SO confused as to why she was kicked off the show they suddenly have tons of stories of her secretly seeing this guy....

It just seriously annoyed me to watch these women state their obviously rehearsed stories and trash this poor girl. I'm not saying she's completely innocent, I'm sure she had a progressing friendship with this guy...but I don't think it's fair what they're saying about her.

So, to ABC I must say...I think my dignity would mean a little more to me than my ratings. You can make a good show without lying and completely trashing peoples lives and reputations!!!!!

I should have just stuck to the Olympics!!!

The New Miss America!!

Tonight (while I was awake) I watched the Miss America pageant!!! The lovely Miss Virginia won!!!!!!!!!! Way to represent the state of VA!!! I can't remember the last time a Miss VA won, how exciting!!!!!

LET IT SNOW

So, we've had about 10 inches of snow so far and it's beautiful!!! I do love the snow, but when it starts messing with my schedule at school, I get a little annoyed!!! I want nothing standing between me and getting through each day that gets me closer to the end.

This semester has been CRAZY, hence my lack of posting. I am now a 2nd level student (YAY!!) so I'm in 2 8 week classes each semester...but it's 16 weeks worth of work in 8 weeks. Which leaves me in class 2 days a week (3 hrs each day) and clinical 2 days a week (6 hrs each day)...and all my "free time" is spent studying and doing the work for said class.... I'm really not complaining though, I know I will be SO happy and it will all have been worth it when it's done.

....I just have to survive it :)

Single Ladies, Check it out!!!

Head on over to MRM's blog and check out this FABULOUS Valentine's Day giveaway for all the single ladies out there!!! I have to agree, i've never been a huge fan of Valentine's Day...always a disappointment!!!

Katy vs. the bookcase...Take 2

Several months ago I went to Target and on my cheap nursing school budget I found a bookcase for $40 in the college section. I thought this was a fabulous idea and would be the perfect addition to my office. Boy, was I wrong...I don't have any pictures, but I got the thing together, sat it up to move it and the entire 5 shelf bookcase collapsed to the floor....

So, needless to say I was a little nervous about trying this again. This time I went with a pricier bookcase which would hopefully be better quailty. I actually got 2 of them because they're only 2 shelves, but I only attempted 1 tonight....

So, here we go! It's me verus this box....

At this point I'm thinking....you can do this!!!!

And this is what I ended up with....

Not bad if I do say so myself :) I can't wait to have the other one done so I can have them all organized and not messy looking :)