Gregory's New Tattoo's & Other Stuff

Since I have no children & most of my family & friends are in CA, my current interests are my sisters cat Guido, my car Gregory, crocheting, massage, boys & other random stuff. Hence why most of my posts are about my car or massage, I have yet to post any photos of my crochet creations but they will come soon. I'm no pro, but I can make scarves, beanies & small blankets. I have yet to make an afghan, those seem way too intense for me.

Anyways, I finally had some left over money (hooray for taxes & savings) that I finally bought some stuff that I had been looking at on amazon.com, an evil evil little website. haha. I didn't go too crazy, just bought my sister her birthday gift, a massage tool for getting out really bad knots. I used that last night. OY! i'm still sore from my massage & other random stuff that I really liked. If you know me I really loved my mission, not at first. It took me about a year to finally love it; the city, the work & my companions. Anyways, i found these really cool phoenix decals & now they're spiffed up on my car. One on each side of the little window on the back doors. so pretty!

I'm also what I consider to be a safe driver, I follow the speed limit, break, use my turn signals, etc. It took me a LONG time to learn how to drive because I didn't have the confidence to drive. I didn't receive my license until I was 22, I only got it because I knew that I needed to get it before I left on my mission & depending if I was sent somewhere stateside where missionaries had cars. I received my mission call & I was called to Bolivia-NO CARS! whew! But then Heavenly Father thought that it would be a fun growing experience for me if my mission was closed down & was reassigned. I was reassigned to Phoenix & my drivers licensed had to FedEx'd overnight because I was now the primary driver. My mission trainer was from Australia & didn't have an American drivers license. I learned primarily from a member of my first ward I served in. She drove taxi's for a living, so she knew how to drive & did a great job teaching me....again. Music is what mainly calms my nerves when I drive (which is what she taught me). But back to the decal, here in Utah, people have a tendency to get super SUPER DUPER close to cars & it really annoys me. I've only really noticed it here that it happens a lot more, when I drove in Phoenix, it wasn't that bad & I wasn't driving enough in CA to notice it. So I'm hoping with my little decal that people get the hint to BACK OFF my butt or there will be a break check & an insurance claim on their butts.

Lastly, since my car was 'hand-me-down' car, I don't know what happened to the door handle when my dad fixed the car for me but it was completely torn off the door. I didn't have a door handle for a long time, I used the plastic little space in the door to shut my door. I recently bought some super strength super glue (E-700 available @ Michael's & Big Lots). I originally glued it about 2 weeks ago but since i didn't have a weight against the door & the door handle, it didn't really adhere. Well half of it did, so today I decided to try it again, since it was such a pretty day outside (no snow for a change), so super glue & bungee cords are doing the job, hopefully better than the first time I tried it. The glue does smell like super industrial strength glue, which sorta smells like a boy. haha. So i don't mind it too much, especially with the mix of my ocean breeze air freshener.

 

I also bought these 2 things which I'm waiting to get in the mail next week. I'm EXCITED! its like christmas for me when I get my stuff in the mail :D

This is a car audio cable that I can plug into the back of my car cd player & i can play my ipod :D :D I looked up car stereo brand & this should fit, if not I will be really sad, but I only paid $1.37. Its better than $50+ for a car CD player with aux input. I'm keeping my car for as long as it survives in my care.

This is a double cigarette lighter adapter, which I totally need in my car for my GPS & to charge my phone or ipod. Super cheap on amazon.com, I think I got it for under $2.

So now my next goal is not getting on amazon.com anymore, for a while at least. I have to save my money for my move home & for all the other expenses & bills that I have.

I ♥ My Gregory. OH! I even made a video about him on subaru.com haha!! http://www.firstcarstory.com/story/3384 I sound like a dork, but I had fun.

My First SER

While I was attending UCMT one of the first things they taught was SER's aka Somato Emotional Release OR in simple terms its an emotional trigger from receiving a massage on your muscles or knots that causes a person to have a reaction of laughing or crying. I had that today. I finally went and received a massage from a therapist that I work with, I massaged him first for 90 min & then it was my turn. Everything was going great, the massage felt good, he had great pressure & technique. I felt relaxed but also had some Trigger Points aka knots all over my body, on my neck, back, arms. Yeah, I'm a bit messed up. Anyways, the therapist was working on my back & doing some awesome massage strokes up my back & all of a sudden he hit a knot, which obviously hurt in a painful & good way but it was also an emotional trigger. I just started crying. A flood of emotion just filled my heart & head which I was trying so hard for the past few weeks to ignore & not let it affect me. The therapist was really nice & let me have a moment to compose myself.

I've always tried to help my family during struggling times, especially when there are disputes within my family. I've been known as the peacemaker of my siblings, so when a 'fall out' occurred recently regarding money & family. I tried to give my opinion on the matter, oh boy! was it thrown back in my face, so I've kept my mouth shut & minded my own business.

I don't like DRAMA, QUARRELS, ARGUMENTS, BICKERING, SQUABBLES, ETC. I've heard it almost all my life growing up between my parents & other family members. My siblings & i have always been pretty close. It helps that we are close in age & have had to go through 'growing up' faster than other people because of my parents divorce. I've learned the hard way that shutting down & giving the silent treatment to try & resolve a problem is a HUGE "no-no." Because in the end, NOTHING gets resolved. Just more contention, grudges, and possibly even getting that previous problem getting thrown back in the face & causing even a bigger blowout.

That has happened to me, one particular incident was while I was serving my mission. I was constantly around my mission companion, like 24/7 & we're never out of site from each other (except to use the bathroom). Lets just say that certain things were annoying the both of us that we were doing to each other but neither of us talked about it. We both assumed that the other would talk about it. But you know what assuming does right? Makes an @$$ out of you & me. so DON'T ASSUME! Anyways the contention just grew & grew until we just exploded at each other. I couldn't give her the silent treatment or run away from the problem, that wasn't going to resolve anything. I had to face the problem with my mission companion & talk about it. Since then i just try to communicate how I feel as soon as a problem happens & i try not to assume but try to get the facts straight.

Anyways, this family dispute was really affecting my body in a way that I never understood until now. I could try to hide my feelings, thoughts, opinions & try hold them in, but my body will let me know that its still there. Oh its crazy how the human body can do that! The therapist told me that the only way that the knot will go away is if i just talk about it, which I did with my mom & sister last night & cried for 10 min. I feel completely sore & bruised but I feel a lot better. SER's are not very common with people when they receive massages. I haven't had a client have one yet & like I said this was my first one & I've received LOTS of massaged the last 2 years.

Car Love

After getting my car fixed on Monday & shelling out $280 (original estimated price was close to $400, but the guy who helped me was almost a massage therapist & i happened to be wearing my Massage Envy work shirt because i was going to go to work after wards, he didn't charge me for the air filter even though he told me that i needed to buy a new one, so i did today but now i can return it & get my $20 back) it gives me a new appreciation for mechanics but more importantly HOW to take care of my car. Frankly i don't know much of the basics of taking care of a car, i think i've written about that before. When i go home i'm definitely going to have my dad teach me about my car, its parts & how to change the oil because I have great satisfaction in accomplishing things on my own.

I decided to look up how much my car is actually worth right now, according to Kelly Blue Book its from $1,400-$770. AW :( I received the car for free from my dad as a Christmas gift 2 years ago after my sister & her husband had it for about 5 yrs & was used as a security car for a while, so i think that's where the majority of the miles came from. Its currently at 206,750 miles.Its a 1997 Toyota Corolla, so its going on 15 years, it has a couple of dents & scratches but it runs beautifully now that I've gotten it fixed. It wasn't anything major, just a radiator service, fuel filter replacement, transmission service, oil flush, coolant exchange & tire rotation. whew! I know that i could of done the tire rotation myself but i don't have the jack to raise my car & do it. Although i should really check the trunk of my car just in case because i would like to be prepared.

But now i'm super organized with my car paper work, which i'm glad about because my glove compartment was a mess & i wouldn't of known where my registration, title or anything important was.

I decided that I'd rather be organized than be OCD because then i know where stuff is & i don't care if its in complete order but just organized.

New Year, New Goals, New Adventures

I feel like 2012 is going to be a great year, i just feel the great vibes coming my way that lots of fantastic & great things are going to happen this year in my life. Working in Massage (Officially as a Licensed Massage Therapist), maybe moving on to a new/old state & perhaps not being a 'single lady' anymore?

2011 was filled with happiness, sadness, frustration, confusion, finishing school, exams, stress, 2 jobs! (gah!) not enough sleep, sore muscles, returned missionaries, nephews 1st birthday, turning 26, trying to become a responsible adult, paying (outrageous) bills, heartbreak, excitement, being poor, being rich, learning how to balance my money, snow days, sunny days, cold days, hot days, just to name a few.

As this being a new year I have decided that I need something new, a new/old place to return to. I have decided to return back home to California for a bit. I need my foundation of family & friends because I feel like my own foundation is crumbling & has been for while. I love my Savior Jesus Christ, he IS my #1 Rock & foundation. But my spirituality, as in attending church, reading my scriptures, attending the temple have been.....well non-existent. When I went home for Christmas, it was easier for me to attend church. I know that it is because I have my friends there & its home.

I also figured out that I was only home for 3 months from my mission before I moved up to Salt Lake & I terribly missed my parents & being home. I know that when I move back home I will only want to live with my dad or mom for about 1-2 months before I'll want to find my own place. Hello?! I'm 26 y/o. I'm excited to go home. A bit sad to leave Salt Lake, but its time for me to move on & follow my heart to learn & grow on my own back home.

My parents support my decision, my sister has finally accepted my decision of moving out. I'll be going back home the weekend of General Conference, probably heading home April 1. But until then I have A LOT of work, bills to be paid, getting my California licensing for Massage Therapy, packing, cleaning, planning, etc. But I'm ready to leave, I'm ready to be happy again.

D.I. Savings

I'm sometimes lucky to get off of work early from Target & today was one of those days! WOO! for getting off at noon :D Well for a while now....a couple of months i've been wanting to donate some things & this morning i finally put it in my trunk & made my way to the D.I. to drop it off.....but i had to go inside & see what they had. I sorta had planned this already to try & find a new pair of jeans just because i'm down to only 2...my 3 other one's are too big. :D :D And i did find a great pair of jeans, they're a dark indigo color (my fav!) from Bisou Bisou. I looked up the name online because i knew that this company was kinda fancy schmancy & i was right. These pants are sold at J.C. Penney's for around $25-$30 buck & i got them for a great deal for only $8. mwahahaha!! The great part is that they still look new.








Another great deal that i found was a really cute blue & brown skirt from the Dress Barn (with the original tag still on it) for only $5 bucks. I looked online to see how much this skirt would originally retail for & its between $15-$25. This skirt still has the belt attached to it as well. What a great find!.

I also purchased a new used purse (finally!) its from Liz & Co also from J.C. Penney's, this one has been used & will get a good scrubbing before i use it. Ew! other people's dead epithelial cells & grossness. bleh. I chose this one because i've been wanting a new purse, especially one with lots of pockets, i like to be organized if it can make my life easier & i've just been using a huge bag that i've been throwing stuff in which causes me to be lazy & frustrated because everything is just mish-mashed in it. I would of liked an over the shoulder strap with this bag, but it fits snugly over my shoulders & under my arm. Also i've been wanting a more grown purse seeing that i'm now... *gulp* 26.

Some other stuff that i bought was a new cat carrier because my mom is giving me her little kitty when i go home for christmas & i know Guido won't like sharing his carrier with the little kitty, that was only $3.

Your-Not-So-Typical-Christmas-List: Pimp My Car

As i get older, my wants & needs are different.....especially for christmas. It use to be: i want this doll, or that movie or CD or that really cool $500 ipod. But not anymore, i guess because that $500 ipod i got from my brother in 2005 is still working & i'm happy with it still. But this year, i want/need things that will help, improve, make my life a bit easier. Most of it, believe it or not i want for my car :D

This is the dangers of browsing on amazon.com, you find random things that you didn't know you needed. I would love this http://www.amazon.com/b/ref=amb_link_1693182_45?ie=UTF8&node=15736151&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=gp-center-5&pf_rd_r=0QNMX3CEX7Q591WX27FA&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1277779882&pf_rd_i=15857501 its a vehicle starter, oh how my life would be easier if i could remotely start my car & get warmed up before i get in, especially here in utah where its freezing cold some mornings.

Or even new & stylish car seat covers, nothing dorky, sporty, girly or gaudy. I wish i could customize it with my own design instead of having the choice or hello kitty, sports logos, weird bright designs, or i'll just stick with black or a grey color. ah! i just found a legit "phoenix" seat covers! i <3 the black phoenix on grey on black one. http://www.amazon.com/silver-covers-Phoenix-Toyota-Camry/dp/B005GNQXWU/ref=sr_1_5?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1322931107&sr=1-5

Oh yeah, i almost forgot these for my wish list, a new car stereo that i can hook up my ipod to & new speaker because as of right now, i only have front speakers & only the left side works......again these are wants.....not needs. 

But if all i got was a nice car washing kit, i would be happy. http://www.amazon.com/Car-Care-Automotive/b/ref=amb_link_357923502_60?ie=UTF8&node=15718271&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=gp-center-7&pf_rd_r=1KRRYAK90K7BE4G1M5M8&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1337215002&pf_rd_i=15684181 i know that Target sells some for $15-$20 (hint hint)

I'm just happy that i'm going home for christmas, the days seem to slow down now that we've entered in to December & will probably zoom by really fast once i do go home.

Halloween - Gaga Style

So this year for halloween i wanted to go a bit extreme especially because i wasn't going to attend a church halloween party & they kinda forbid masks or scary looking face makeup. Mine wasn't that scary, but i guess it was creepy. i loved it. 

I was a Lady Gaga character from her "Born This Way" Video when she dresses up as a skeleton in a tux & dances around another skeleton tuxedo dressed guy. My costume was easy to put together, i bought the suit coat, white shirt & black pants from the D.I. for under $15 bucks, i decided on pieces of clothing that i knew i would wear again. The bow tie I crochet from a crocheting tutorial i saw online. The long black & pink wig i bought from Walgreens.

My makeup i did myself, I watched lots of tutorials on youtube so i sorta knew what i was doing. My sister practiced on me the night before so we knew that black eyeliner pencil was too light on top of the ivory makeup that i bought. 

I first primed my whole face with a face primer (saves my skin from future acne breakouts from the liquid foundation, which i don't usually wear) then i just used the ivory liquid makeup to make my skin look extra pale & put it on my cheeks, chin, forehead. On my eyes i used my $3 ELF liquid black eyeliner & lined my eyebrows & around the hollows of my eyes & colored that all in. Next i did my nose & colored that all black & kept a little triangle on the top of my nose to make it look like a bone. 

My mouth was next, i just did a straight line from the corner of my lips following the indentation of my teeth through my cheeks. I also followed my teeth for the fake teeth on top of my lips & made them look rounded & real that way i didn't look like a ragdoll. Gray & black eyeshadow was used for all the shadowing under my eyes & above my fake teeth, chin & forehead. I just scrunched my forehead for the 'angry' lines on my forehead. More gray & black eyeshadow was used on the hairline to blend it all together to my face. My chin & neck i used black eyeliner & eyeshadow that i just free handed from the photos. It took me about an hour to get this all done. The wig was the hardest part to get on because i was attaching it to my own ponytail. It was making my head heavy with the extra weight. 

I think it was a successful Halloween costume because i received A LOT of compliments, scared faces & some of my friends didn't recognize me.