Balm for the Soul??

I went to visit my friend today @ the hospital after school. She's finally able to get some food/drink into her system, but she's still in A LOT of pain & they STILL aren't 100% sure what is wrong with her, but they have figured out a few things that she DOESN'T have. LOL. God Bless my friend, she cheered me up just as much as I cheered her up. The sad thing is, you REALLY find out who your friends are when you get sick. We thought SO many people would notice her absence, and no one has really asked me about her lately??

These last 200 hours are taking FOREVER it feels like. I'm SO CLOSE, but yet SO FAR! I'm counting them down by day now, instead of by week. Still about 3 weeks left to go...

Sending out my first resume to my #1 pick of salons to work @ tomorrow...wish me luck...

More to come!

XOXO

Updates...This Prodigal Kitty has Returned! LOL!

SO....

Major things have happened since my last post: I only have about 4 weeks left of school & I graduate, my Dad suffered what we thought was a stroke, but it turned out to be Bells Palsy (He's Fine! Thank God!) I've been working on a "picture a day" program that I started back at the end of May. I turned 31 in June, and my Aunt Cathy's Children's Book is REALLY starting to do well. She's getting it in front of the right people, and she's hitting the Local Art Fair circuit (If you see her, GO AND BUY THE BOOK!) It's called "Lukas" and her name is Cathy Carroll. Tell her that "Kitty" sent you.

I've worked on a few fashion events assisting my friend, & doing Hair/Make-Up for another group of friends. Getting some great shots out of it for my port, only have a few so far, but I will post a link of what I have soon.

That being said, what photo service do you guys like to use? Flickr, Picassa, Photo Bucket, Snapfish?? Not really sure who to go with, so suggestions would be GREATLY APPRECIATED!

I'm doing some chores around the house before I go into school this afternoon, & I have to visit a friend @ the hospital when I'm done w school. PLEASE pray for her!

More soon-ish...I Promise!

Enjoying Small Things

In This Edition of Where I Stand Sunday, I'm pleased to report that since my last post, I'm still reflecting on things. The value of a true friend is something that none can measure. Only when they're gone, do you realize the price you would pay to have them back...he knew how much I don't like rain and gloom, and how often I bitch about it, so...I found this on my front porch this afternoon, when I went out for a quick cig.

I realize that you can't see my feet AGAIN, but the sight of these beauty's was like balm on a burnt-out soul. Trying to get a few things OFF of my To-Do List. So far? Eh, progress has been made, but nothing can be 100% checked off yet. I guess I should get back to work now. I got some pics uploaded, and I worked a bit more on my MM Profile, and I got some various chores done around the house. SUPER BUMMED...Going to miss the 1st Episode of the 3rd Season of True Blood tonight. For those of you who HAVE HBO...please feel free to comment below and leave a brief summary! 

Also friends, feel free to visit my FB site, and LEAVE A MESSAGE telling my Hubster I REALLY NEED HBO! 

Also, check out Lynn's blog Here: As it's Where I Stand's home! Enjoy!! 

Letter to a Friend...

My Dearest Buddha, (Known to everyone else as Justin,)

I can't believe it has been a year since I attended your funeral, as of today. There are SO many times over the past 12 months that I have wished to talk to you, see you, laugh with you, just be with you. My heart hurts over the loss of you. 

There have been MANY moments over the past year that I wished you could be there for: New Years Eve, When we moved into our new place, for your girlfriends birthday a few weeks back, for my birthday less than two weeks away. Would you make fun of my new nickname "Kitty?" I know how much you HATED cats. Would you let me cut your hair & beard? Would you be PROUD that I FINALLY figured out what I wanted to do with my life?

I know that Kevin, my hubby misses you too. He isn't as vocal about it, and doesn't mention you as much as I do, but...a fishing buddy, camping, cooking, going hunting, the day of his graduation, I KNOW he wanted to share those times with you. We're playing D & D with his friends, and I wish you were with us for that.

The tattoo on my back, always reminds me that you are with me, sometimes I can hear your laugh on the wind, or your mocking voice in my head, or I'll see a look on Kevin that you used to give me too. 

I hope you know that we miss you still. I hope that you know that you are loved still. We looked out for TJ during the first few weeks after your death, and I still talk to her on FaceBook, Text Messages, and our Cellies. I sent your Mom a note on FaceBook, after I friend requested her today. 

Would you be proud and happy to know that if/when Kev & I have kids, we are planning on giving our son your first & middle name as a tribute? We would have named you the Godfather, I am sure of it. 

Your death has made some positive changes in me. I'm losing weight, eating better, and trying not to stress that much. I'm trying to work out some kind of exercise routine. You could pick me up really easily now, I've lost SO much weight. 

Dinner is ready, and Kev's calling me down...

I never said it enough when you were alive, I will say it now. I love you, and you were a GREAT friend. I miss you everyday!

This is the last pic I have of him while he was alive, his girlfriend TJ's birthday party.

14 days later, he was gone.

Standing on a Sunday

So for this installment of "Where I Stood" Sunday, the action was in front of my face, not down at my feet, therefore, my little piggies will NOT be making an appearance in the pics to follow.

This was pictures from a group of local bikers who were riding for a local charity for blind children in our area.

This was too cool to see, so I thought I would pass it on. About 3,000 bikes rode through town to support a great cause!

One of the MANY cool bikes that rode past our house!

  

My Aunt Cathy got right in the middle of the action! Cheering and hollering for the bikers!

As always, feel free to check out Lynn's blog to get the latest scoop on the Where I Stand Project!

Highs and Lows...

This morning started out with REALLY great news...One of my teachers at school informed me that I am in the Top 10 of my class, therefore this grants me an audience/interview with a local salon in the area that is hiring. This THRILLED me, more than 1,000 words could express. I wish I would have taken a picture of my face! LOL! My teachers told me that it was priceless! I was SO excited for the whole day! The client that I worked on this evening was a sweetheart, and was gracious enough to let me take a picture of her when I was done with her color service tonight. She looked AMAZING & I was REALLY PROUD of how the color & style turned out. I also visited the local Community College that my school has an Ongoing Education Agreement with, and I found out what/when/how I need to go about registering for classes and whatnot for my Salon Management Degree. This was VERY exciting to me! I LOVE to learn & look forward to this!

Before my client,  I did a "Very Creative Roller Set that Incorporated 5 Pin Curls" as that was our first assignment listed on the board for "my shift" at school. I love the process of actually ROLLING the Roller Sets. The Combing Out & Styling part of them frustrates me to NO END however. I can never get it to look as good on the manikin as I can get it to look in my head. My teacher chuckled, and said that it is "MUCH easier on an actual person, (to get it to actually look good & how you WANT it to look) and that the styles I'm coming up with are GREATLY improved, as well as my execution of them. As strange as this may sound, (for as long as I have been on the floor) I have only had 3 roller sets on actual "people." Up-Do's are pretty much the same deal as well. Do them quite frequently on my Mani's, but not really EVER on a RL person! I posted this query on my FB page, and for grins I will post it on here too...If ANYONE reading this would like me to Up-Do, Roller Set, Style their hair, get a manicure, and/or get a make-up application, or some combination of the above mentioned services, contact me and let me know that you are interested. (Of course you would need to live in my neck of the woods, or within a reasonable driving distance. However, if you pay my traveling expenses I will come to you! LOL!) Please leave a comment, if you're interested. All I ask for is that I can take some pictures of whatever we do (Before & After's) for my Portfolio, and you're willing to part with some of your free time to be my um, guinea pig, for lack of a better word??

Thanks for reading! Hope to hear from yas!!
Kitty

Lazy Sundays

Another edition of "Where I Stood" to follow...

Although, in this edition, I wasn't really standing anywhere. See the evidence below...

This was taken with the Format 126 App on my Iphone MonoHi was the effect I used.

This was with the LOFI effect with the Format 126 App.

This was taken with the Hipstamatic App. This is the Lucifer Lens, Blanko Film, & Standard Flash

This is the Helga Viking Lens, Cadet Blue Gel Flash, and Blanko Film-Hipstamatic App

Kaimal Mark II Lens, Standard Flash, Blanko Film-Hipstamatic App

Bored on a Lazy Sunday. See my friend Lynn's site for the Where I Stand Project Here: She is sweet, talented, and a lovely friend to have!! Enjoy!!

Keeping It Real

So...this week has been BAD, really REALLY BAD. And it's only the wee hours of Wednesday morning as I type this. I try not to be a Debby Downer & maintain my good juju, but BOTH of my warding charms have SNAPPED IN HALF over the past two weeks, and this week has been off the charts when it comes to being CRAPTASTIC! Tire blew out, been arguing with hubby, construction makes traffic SUCK even MORE, people's snarky comments and attitudes are REALLY getting to me lately, Hubby & I are struggling to pay bills, have food, and put gas in our cars, and the repairs that we need on our vehicles we CAN'T AFFORD. Not to mention that my meds are breaking the bank, school seems to be stretching out taking an ETERNITY to get through, and it's impossible to get a job (and KEEP IT) with my school schedule.This is SUPPOSED to be a stellar year for my hubby & I. BUT It's just SUCKING right now. I just keep telling myself "Only 3 more months left of school" sometimes it seems SO QUICK, but lately it is just dragging on forever! I'm SO hard on myself, I feel so clumsy and slow compared to most everyone else in my classes. BUT...Crap on a Crap Cracker if I'm not trying my DAMNEST everyday when I'm in school! I am SUPER picky about the quality of my work, so I am "overly" analitical. This makes me SLOWER than most. I'm sick and tired of working SO HARD and being BROKE, or barely scraping by. EVERYONE has to throw out their own personal shitty ass opinion of EVERY situation I'm facing lately, and it's getting on my last nerve!

This weeks' just got me feeling beat down and broken, so...for this "Witching Hour" I'm going to throw myself a little pity party. "It Can't Rain All The Time," "This Too, Shall Pass," "The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow" insert whatever saying you usually use for these situations... My good juju isn't completely broken, just really bruised right now. I hope it heals in time for whatever tomorrow throws at me...

Retracing My Steps

Funny how things in life work, I was thinking about life's patterns and the circles they take us, when I was driving out to visit my friend & the place I use to call "home" (for about 10 years) today. I stopped in my favorite local library, checked out a nice sized stack of books, went and visited with my best friend at her condo (which will always be my home away from home!) We went to our favorite coffee spot and BS-ed for several hours like it was just a several minutes. Our convos over a cuppa are LEGENDARY! I'm pretty sure that if we had a whole day to ourselves we could solve the energy crisis, find a way to make peace in the Middle East, and find the BEST deals on an outfit and a pair of shoes in 24 hours time...well, we would at least find an outfit and a pair of shoes! LOL! We talked today about "people's perceptions" and how they miss the most vital aspects of a person, more often than not! When people see my friend, most of them just hit the surface...tall, lithe, beautiful porcelain skin, and red hair to die for! What people tend to overlook is...she is MORE than just beautiful...she's smart, funny, forgiving, and she has a heart of gold. Also, we talked about the misgivings that people have about me, people aren't used to receiving complements, and generally having a stranger be nice to them. Which, is VERY depressing to me. Nowadays, if you SMILE at someone, or give them a compliment, most of the time they suspect that you're going to SELL them something.

Honestly? I have never had such a friend as my BFF. She's an inspiration to me, totally helps me focus, and brings out the best in me effortlessly. If you are fortunate enough to have someone like this in your life, treasure that friendship, and do everything in your power to not eff it up!

My friends are my muses. This particular friend, has given me the swift kick in the pants I need to really make something of myself in the decade or so that I have known her! She saved my life, when I was drowning in a fog of medication, she pulled me out of the water, and breathed new life into my very being. For all that she is to me, I decided to include her in my "Where I Stood" Sunday post.

Here is a pic of both of our feet, standing on her condo's front stoop. Some of my favorite memories happened on this little square patch of concrete.

I broke my own rule today, and walked out of the house in sandals & my feet not polished! :(

My Steps

I'm trying to keep up on the "Where I Stood" Sunday posts, but sometimes my computer likes to drive me insane, and not upload things when I want it to, and work in general for that matter! 


*Groans*


However, we seem to have come to a new understanding, so this is last Sunday's post...a week later...*Blushes*


Since we have moved into our new house, my Internet connectivity has been...wonky at best...


So, here is my "Where I Stood" Sunday Picture:

Granted, this isn't my normal pose, but I had to keep one foot a bit behind me or I was going to fall over!


Make sure to check out my friend Lynn's blog, you can see the "Where I Stand" idea in its entirety there!!!