New Journey= New Blog.

For anyone still out there, I have a new blog. Please continue to follow me at..

http://karla-somethingbloggedsomethingblue.blogspot.com/

Thanks! =)

~Karla

Things change.

Though I am well aware of this concept, a change in someone's life can still be a scary, exciting, or unsettling time. For me, the changes that I have encountered over the past month have been a total mix of those feelings.

I had to take a break from blogging. I needed time to think things over in my head and be okay with everything that was happening and is still happening around me.

What changed?

Well, as you know, I had a car accident and had to get a whole new car. Finally got a new car and even new license plates!! Maybe the new plates will give me better luck with not having any car accidents? I have only been in 2 accidents and both have been totals on my part... and both have been not my fault.

Another thing that changed is the fact that I am moving. Scott and I are moving to a new house. It's a 3 story house that houses 2 families. We will have the bottom floor. Packing has been interesting.. We are having a small tag sale too before we leave. The house is quite large and is being renovated! The only downfall to that is that it will not be ready for us until November. Until then, we will be living in a small studio and trying to save up more and more money for building our life together.

I was also just recently having some health issues with my heart. For the past month, I have been dealing with very high blood pressure and a racing heart beat. Since coming to terms with the move and packing and trying to find a good car, and balancing school work and my job at the daycare--- things were getting very nutty.

I have since relaxed and calmed down. I am trying to cut out as much stress as possible from my life and one way of doing that is by learning how to say NO to people. That's so hard for me because I try to be all things to all people and I just have to learn that it's just not possible. I have done fairly well with this lately and I hope I have not pissed people off in the process, but it's something that HAD to be done!

Another thing that has changed are my perceptions of people and myself. People change. Friends change. And life...well... moves on. I've been hurt by people whom I trusted and thought I knew, when in reality.. I didn't. I just drill into my head that I have those few lifetime friends, and then the ones who stick around for a season or for only a single reason. I have come to terms with this, and have moved on. YAY.

I used to perceive myself as someone who tried so hard to be perfect. Someone who tried so hard to again, be all things to all people. I have come to terms with the fact that, I, like everyone else in this world am not perfect and never will be. I do what I can do, I strive for the best... and that is just the best that I can do.

Oh... and I'm finally smiling again after a whole month of ....well.... not.

I have an amazingly supportive fiance, and an equally amazingly supportive family. I have a great group of new friends and the same few friends I can always count on to support me.

And I finally picked a wedding venue and have an official wedding date!

I'm Smiling.

Are you?

-Karla =)

Hitting a wall- and getting back up.

Hit a major wall this week.

My car is totaled. Scott and I are both okay.

Thank you GIANT snow banks for allowing this to happen.

Oh, and thank you to the IDIOT in the jeep who was speeding and almost killed Scott.

All my savings is now..kind of ..well... gone.

All we've both worked hard for.. is kind of .. down the drain.

Waiting for the adjuster to give me money to get a car.

I'm hoping maybe this is some kind of a blessing in disguise.

Wedding? Who knows now... we may have to postpone it. I hope not...

=( Trying to smile. I hate this snow.

-Karla

An Award and something else.

So, Eve over at *Time to Make a Change* gave me a blog award!! WOW! Thank you so much!

Now, the rules of this award are to:

1. Post and link back to the person who awarded you this award
2. Share 7 things about yourself
3. Award 15 recently discovered great bloggers (or as many as you can)
4. Contact these bloggers and tell them they’ve won!

So now I must share 7 things about myself. Good, because this will help me to talk about the "something else" that I mentioned in the post title.

1. I am a dancer. In case you haven't figured it out! Ha! I have dreams of becoming a Radio City Rockette one day, which is what started me on my journey with my blog 2 years ago.

2. I am very in love with my fiance, Scott. He and I live together in Connecticut and plan on tying the knot on May 5, 2012.

3. I love taking pictures and having pictures taken of me. (Here are some photos from a recent photo shoot I had!)

photo credits: Marisa Pellerin

4. I love children and I am actually a teacher at a child care center near where I live.

5. I am still in school trying to get my degrees in elementary education and liberal studies (in which I've studied english, sociology, and psychology). It has taken me awhile (seeing as I'm a super senior) because I have 2 majors and a minor.

6. I am a smiley, happy person almost all the time. It's something that I strive for.

7. I lost 35lbs TOTAL with weight watchers 2 years ago when I started this blog and I am ready to announce that I am starting weight watchers again so that I can lose 10lbs of weight I have gained back and get into an even healthier lifestyle.

Yep! You heard me! I'm going back to weight watchers, and Scott has joined me! It's very exciting! We both have a fairly healthy lifestyle because the things that I have learned from previously being on WW have stuck with me. But, my body needs a jumpstart. It needs a shock. I think this will be just the thing. I can cook newer recipes and I can start counting points again. It will be nice.

Now... instead of awarding 15.. I have noticed that many of the blogs that I read have already received this award. I am going to give this award to those who I don't think received it. So, I'm breaking the rules and only giving this award to 3 people who have not gotten one whose blogs I absolutely love.

Lisa, over at In Weigh Over My Head

Sheila over at One Pretty Little Box

Jen over at Mission Thin

And with that.... please remember to read me again,

and to...

Keep Smiling,

Karla =)

2 feet under.

Literally.

So, I spent about 8 hours yesterday shoveling the driveway and sidewalks with Scott and his brother. Why 8 hours? Because that my friends.. that is how long it takes to shovel when there is almost 2 feet of snow on the ground. I have pictures to prove it.

Waking up this morning at 4am to get ready for work...well... it was not fun. I feel like crap. My back is on fire. My eyes want to close. And I'm not at all prepared to drive in this stuff. But, my center is open today... and therefore I have to go in to open the building. Even though all the surrounding public schools are closed. FUN.

Because of the snow... there is no dance tonight. Which, yes.. I am bummed about. But, I am also jumping for joy because going to dance after shoveling like that... I would be one big mess on Friday.

So I plan on doing nothing tonight but resting and watching my weekly dose of Jersey Shore. Haha.

Love you guys.

Keep Smiling,

Karla =)

Christmas in June!

I'm really excited because lately (ever since Scott cleared a space in the basement of our place for me to tap dance) I have started practicing my dances more and more. And guess what??

One of our dances this year to be performed at our June recital is a dance that was inspired by one of the Radio City Rockette numbers for their Christmas Spectacular!!! Isn't that so exciting?!

The song is not the same exact Rockette song... but it comes fairly close. The song is, "Jingle Bells" by Andy Williams. The dance is inspired by the "Reindeer" number in the Rockette Christmas show, which is also the opening number of the show. We have learned a few steps already and I absolutely love the dance! YAY!

Lately...

- there has been SO much snow. I have literally spent most of my weekends shoveling with Scott. It is not too much fun!

- i have been going out and having a good time a lot more! Scott and I have made a bunch of new friends and we have been going out a lot on the weekends. I have learned that you can go to a bar or the casino and successfully not spend too much money AND still have a good time! SO much fun! =)

- i have been somewhat engulfed in negativity, and have actually SUCCEEDED at somehow staying FAR away from it!! Horray! No one is going to bring me down.. mwahahahaha!! =P

- Scott has received word of a really awesome job offer!! Horray! He needs it! He is excited and so am I. This new job could be awesome for our future seeing as though there is tons of room for advancement.

- I have started an online class to help me finish school on time so that I can get MARRIED! =) It's tough with work and all, but I'm pushing through!

- My very very good friend has come back safe from Europe where she was living since August. I am so glad that she is safely back home and I cannot wait to see her!! Love you girl! =)

- I have been looking around at wedding gowns (mostly online) and I am doing a lot more planning for my wedding! I even have a countdown app in my iphone and.... well... there are only 481 days til my wedding!!

That means... I have to stick to healthy eating, and continue to stay active.. and maintain this weightloss! I can do it!

Tomorrow is 1/11/11 ... hmmm.. o_O

Hope ya'll are having an excellent start to 2o11

.. and I hope that you will all remember to..

Keep Smiling,

Karla =)

This love is ours...

Today, is an incredibly amazing day. Today marks the one year anniversary of Scott and I. This may be the end of our very first year together, but this is also the beginning of another year, and a very long journey that started with a simple statement that changed my whole life forever.

Not many people know how we started. I like keeping some things to myself, they are more sacred that way. But this story, I've decided to share with all of you. Probably nothing of importance or value to you, but it is a story that means so much to me.

A year ago tonight, I would be attending a New Years Eve party in which most of the time I was there, I wanted to literally put a gun to my head. I guess thats what will happen when you are the only sober one there, seeing as though I was in fact the designated driver of the night.

People were partying and having fun all around me while I just kind of stood in the background of it all and watched. By this time, Scott and I had been on a few dates, but we were not serious yet and I was respecting the fact that he was off doing his own thing and having fun with his friends.

Life was kind of boring until just before midnight, when more and more people huddled around the TV to watch the famous ball drop. That is when Scott came around and noticed that I was standing by myself. He asked me what was wrong and I mentioned how much I love New York City and that I wanted to one day be right in the center of all of the New Years Eve chaos in Times Square. I mentioned how I was kind of jealous of everyone there and how I would love to be there at that very moment.

Life changing statement: Scott then says, "Next year, we're going." Meanwhile I'm looking at him like... "whaat?". He looked at me dead in the eye and said, "Yeah, we're going..... but under one condition.." Then he looks at me and says, "You have to come with me as my girlfriend."

...the rest is history.

I was hooked from that moment on. I'm still hooked.

So.. it's finally "next year". Is he going to take me? Did he live up to his promise? Well... yes and no.

Technically I am not his "girlfriend" anymore since we got engaged in July. So, there goes that. And, well, we'd probably have to stay overnight in NYC and we are really trying to save money for our future together. So... things plans have changed. We will be going to NYC for New Years Day instead... which, I won't complain about!!

*Things I've learned*

- Love is a beautiful, wonderful thing.

- Love is easy.

- Relationships are hard.

- Sacrifices are sometimes necessary.

- You can't choose family.

- Be thankful for what you have.

- It takes courage to hate.

- Keep Smiling.

- Never give up.

- Trust.

- And maybe one of the biggest things that I have learned in the past year is that people are so quick to judge, become jealous, and hostile... and it's usually the people who have really nothing else to do with their lives. I've learned to just smile in the faces of people like this. It tends to make them angry that their hatred doesn't work on me.

So yes, I'm about to do this... I'm about to use a Taylor Swift song to make a statement!! You know you love it.

"So don't you worry your pretty little mind,

People throw rocks at things that shine

and life makes love look hard.

The stakes are high, the water's rough

But this love is ours."

I love you Scott =) Happy Anniversary!

Keep Smiling,

Karla =)