First Semester is Over!

Matt finished his very first semester of college this month. I am so proud of him and how hard he has worked the last few months with work and school. He took 14 credits on his first semester! On top of that he challenged the Introduction to Microsoft Office at the beginning of the semester and passed so he also gets credit for that class. He took an algebra class, programming, webpages, and a college writing class. He struggled with programming all semester and I was really worried that he would have to retake it but he managed to get a C. I couldn't believe he passed seeing how much trouble he had trying to get the assignments to work. I think it was mostly syntax errors and the teacher took that into consideration, thank goodness. He also got an A in webpages and an A in his writing class. He was late getting into the webpages class (because he was in the Intro. to Microsoft Office) so I was pleasantly surprised when he got an A. I hope he does this well in the semesters to follow!

Bret Detar and Nick 13 Show

As many of you know, a few weeks ago Matt and I made a very short trip to Salt Lake City. The lead singer of one of my favorite bands recently came out with a solo album was touring, Salt Lake being one of the stops on the tour. Matt had class and I couldn't afford to miss much work so we drove down on a Friday, went to the concert on Saturday and drove home Sunday to be back at work and school on Monday. I think it was worth it to spend some time with my family and see one of the best performers out there, but three days is just not enough time.
I had never heard of Bret Detar before and I didn't really know what to expect. All the times in the past that I've seen Nick 13 he has been with his band Tiger Army (which is darker and more punk than his solo stuff which is a little more country). They've always played with bands like: Rancid, 12 Step Rebels, The Business, etc. I don't think he could how found a more perfect musician to open for him. Bret Detar came on stage and said his style was "sad bastard music" and he didn't lie about that. I thought to myself that I would not want to be the act before Nick 13 but I think Bret really held his own.
Seeing Nick with a new, country band was definitely different than seeing Tiger Army but it was still a wonderful show. He played my favorite Tiger Army song, "In The Orchard" and my favorite song off his new album, "All Alone". Did I mention my mom came to the show with us? She got to see for herself what I've been talking about for years (without putting up with punk kids and mosh pits). I still love my Tiger Army but I think Nick did a pretty damn good job on his own. I can't wait to see what he has in store for us next.

Our Apartment

We have been living at our "new" apartment for a little over 7 months now and I still love it! After living at the place on Broadway for about a year and a half and then moving here, I don't know why we stayed there for so long. There wasn't much winter left when we moved into the new place so I hope the winters here are better than the last place. The radiators in the bathroom and bedroom at the old place didn't work and despite informing the landlady about it, they never got fixed. And, to be fair, it is a pretty old building so I guess it can't be expected to hold too much heat.
Our new landlord/lady are pretty awesome. They mow the lawns themselves or when they are out of town they hire someone to make sure it gets done. The other day the landlady came over and vacuumed the entryway. It's a nice change of pace to have owners that actually care about the property.
Our last neighbors had a five year old son and we could hear him all the time. For hours at a time jumping around and yelling. Matt and I joked that they must have collected bowling balls and were rearranging them. That's how loud they were. They tried to use his age as an excuse for him to be loud but I think they just didn't want to discipline him. Our new downstairs neighbor also has a young son, probably about five. I have heard him once! And I'm pretty sure he was crying because he got hurt. That I can understand. I would cry too.
I'm glad every day that we found this new apartment to live in and I hope we're happy here for many more months!

The Reverend Horton Heat

After waiting years to be old enough, I finally got to see The Reverend Horton Heat. We had to drive to Missoula right after I got off work and drive home right after the show ended so I could go to work this morning and Matt could go to class. We ended up getting home at 1:30 and Matt had class at 9:00. It was so worth it! I was a little bummed that they didn't play my song, "The Girl In Blue." However, they played "Galaxy 500" for Matt and another one of my favorite songs "Bad Reputation." I think the best song they played was a cover of Johnny Cash's song "Folsom Prison Blues."
The Rev had on a black work shirt (that you could buy at the merch. booth with the band name and "25 years" printed on it to celebrate the band's anniversary) with black slacks that were embellished with light pink flames on the sides and black shoes with white and red pinstriping. They played a few songs from their new LP, one of them being "Ain't No Saguaro in Texas" about a cactus that people think grow in Texas but actually grow in Arizona. The bass player, Jimbo made up a "dance" move to go with the song. Basically you just hold your arms in the air to resemble a cactus and move side to side. It is ridiculous but the whole crowd, including myself, followed along. It was so funny to watch.
Towards the end of the show they decided to play a few requests from the crowd, which was pretty sweet. Since they had played at least one song from every album they decided it was only fair to play at least one from the Christmas album too. So they played "Run Rudolph Run" (in September) but Jimbo and The Rev switched instruments for this one!
I cannot wait to see these guys again. Who knows, maybe next time they'll play my song. :)

Mummy Card

I have finished another Halloween card to add to my Etsy collection. It wasn't the color scheme I had originally planned on using but it turned out very nicely. Here it is, the mummy card!

I found the idea for the "wrapping" online and I couldn't resist!

Bewitching Halloween Card

I got another one of my Halloween cards finished. It went a different direction than I had originally planned but I like it.

I think she is just adorable!

First Day of Class

Today was Matt's first day of class at UM Helena. His first class was Microsoft Office at 8:00 AM (ouch). He is going to take the test to challenge the class this Friday. If he passes the test he will still get the credit hours for the class without having to actually sit through it all semester. He's not really a morning person so I hope he passes. Then he won't have to deal with an 8:00 class four days a week! I had one 8:00 class, one day a week and that was enough for me.
He also had his math class today at 9:00. Still kind of early but not as bad as 8:00. He'll also have a writing class and an intro. to networking class later in the week. I'm so excited for him to dive in and also be learning about subjects he is interested in. (The networking class. Not so much the math or writing class.)

Frankenstein Card

This is the only Halloween card that I've gotten done so far. I think it turned out really cute so I decided to share it first.

Halloween Cards For Etsy

When we were in Utah we stopped at Michael's and I found these adorable Halloween stamps for a dollar a piece. I got a witch, a Frankenstein, a vampire and a mummy. They also had a skeleton, a ghost, another style of witch and another style of vampire. I had a hard time deciding. I have a few card ideas already sketched out to use my new Halloween stamps. One idea I have is to use the Frankenstein stamp in the center, as the focal point and use different patterned paper to create a kind of patchwork/ stitched together background. Since Frankenstein himself is pretty much a patchwork quilt of dead bodies, I thought it would be fitting. I found some really cute (and bright!) patterned paper at the Memory Trail here in town to make my background. I also want to make a card incorporating all four of the characters. Sort of a "Monster Mash" feel to it. That's what I had in mind when I was picking them out. I am very excited to start working on these cards and getting them up on my Etsy page. I hope I can get a lot done on them since I have the weekend off! I'll be sure to post pictures when I get them done!

The Electronics Have Turned On Me!

That's right! Over the last week or so my electronics have all betrayed. Well, maybe not all, but a lot of them have! My poor little phone is so old and I really need to get a new one. I have no idea what to get and since I'm on my dad's plan he either has to go to Verizon with me or call corporate and make me an authorized user on the account. Both sound like a pain in the butt to me. However, it's a hand-me-down phone from Matt so it's getting pretty old. I hope I can get a new one before this little guy dies on me.
My camera. Not very old but according to the guy at Best Buy it's not recognizing that it has a battery in it. (Whatever that means.) So, every single time I turn my camera on it asks me to set the time and date. It gets very annoying. I bought it over a year ago so it's not under warranty now and I have to contact the manufacturer about getting it sent in for repair. Matt told me a story about his friend who mailed his camera to the manufacturer for repair and never heard back from them. Never got the camera back. So that kind of makes me nervous.
My iPod. This is the worst! I love my iPod. I have had it for years (5?) though so I guess this one was coming. The headphone jack isn't working right. I've tried two sets of earbuds and my tape adapter and the tests are conclusive. It's definitely my iPod that is broken. If you haven't noticed iPods aren't really designed to be fixed by the user so I'm not sure what to do. I'm afraid I'm going to have to shell out the money for a new one. As nice as it would be to have a new one they are not the cheapest things in the world and it's not really in my budget right now. I hope it doesn't completely die on me before I can find a replacement. I don't know what I would do without an iPod.

Another Quilt For My Etsy Shop

I have finally finished another quilt for my SandyKumquat Etsy shop. I was a little hesitant about the color combination when I was picking out the fabric at the store but I am very happy with the way it turned out.




I really like the turquoise and brown together, I think it turned out beautifully!

No more Home Depot!

That's right, folks! Today I found out I got the full time position at Shopko which means I can, finally, quit Home Depot! I am so happy. I have been looking for a replacement job for Home Depot for so long I cannot believe it's actually here! I will be putting in my two weeks notice tomorrow at Home Depot and then I will start full time at Shopko. I am excited and nervous. August is the busiest month of the year for Shopko optical, everyone is trying to get ready for school to start. It's going to be kind of crazy for a while.
I am especially looking forward to not working two jobs anymore. Upwards 45 hours a week sometimes, working ten hours with only a half hour lunch break in the middle, and working 9 days straight gets to be very exhausting. Plus, I get an employee discount at Shopko, which is awesome! Also, Shopko (optical) hours are MUCH better than Home Depot's. I am so very excited!

Countdown to Vacation Begins!

We leave for Salt Lake in one week from today! Thank goodness. I am so exhausted. Working two jobs is definitely very tiring. I'm hoping that I get the full time position at Shopko so I can quit working so much. Last week I worked nine days in a row! And today is the beginning of seven days in a row. Sheesh. I am definitely counting down the days until my much needed vacation. I can't wait! We have some awesome things planned while we're down there. A Nekromantix concert, sushi night with my friends, a dentist appointment... okay that last one is kind of lame. Oh well. 7 days! I think I can make it!

Quilted "Thank You" Card

This is the "Thank You" card I made for my mom's co-worker, Susan. Susan is one of the coders that works with Dr. Muhlestein, the doctor that my mom works with. She is the one that originally got me interested in coding. She was such a tremendous help to me while I was trying to get certified. Any questions I had about homework or the certification test she was there to help me. I even texted her a couple times during boot camp for help with practice questions. After all her help a thank you card was the least I could do.

Full Time at Shop-tical

"Shop-tical" is what Matt has started calling Shopko Optical. Coming up in August one of our full time opticians will be leaving for a new job and another one of our full time opticians will be going part time when school starts. I've expressed to my manager there that I would like to go full time (which is 32-40 hours a week) and quit Home Depot altogether. I have been looking for a job that could take the place of Home Depot for a long time now. I feel like Home Depot has nothing to offer me anymore other than a good hourly wage. Lately Home Depot has been scheduling me more and more hours (even though I've told them multiple times I don't want the hours) which makes it almost impossible for Shopko to schedule me. It has been nice having the extra money but working over 40 hours a week, sometimes 9 days or more in a row is no fun. Even though I desperately want a coding job; for the time being I wouldn't mind working full time at Shopko while looking for a coding job. At least it would get me out of Home Depot.
Hopefully I hear back soon and I can give Home Depot my notice sooner rather than later. Keep your fingers crossed!

Kimber's Fourth of July Dress

Lately I've been trying different sewing projects so I can learn different techniques and become a more skilled seamstress. My latest project was a dress for my niece Kimber. I've heard many different names for the style of dress I made but I call it a "shift" dress. I found some adorable fabric at Walmart that's light blue with blue and red stars. I decided since she loves to run around and play some matching shorts were also necessary. The shorts are just plain dark blue. Even though I took her measurements and followed the pattern the dress came out too big. Sigh.


I didn't get any pictures of it on her but here is the finished product!

Happy Birthday, Matt!

Yesterday was Matt's birthday! I love birthdays! Even if they are not mine, for some reason I just love birthdays. Matt and I are very different in that regard. Growing up his family never really made a big deal about birthdays and they still don't. With this in mind I tend to spoil him probably more than I should and definitely more than he wants. Since I had to work a split shift on his birthday I decided to give him his presents early. The first one he got was new bracelet. A couple years ago I made him a "friendship" bracelet out of embroidery thread. The original one broke a couple months ago and I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to make him a new one. He really wanted this DVD set from Hastings called "Ultraman". It's some sci-fi show. I don't really know what it's about but he really wanted it so I got him that. He also had his eye on these folding camp chairs that Home Depot has this year. So I got him one! He has replaced his old plastic chair on the deck with the new one and seems quite fond of it. Last but not least. Matt wakes up all the time with a sore neck. Almost every day when he wakes up he tells me that his neck hurts. Shopko had some memory foam pillows on sale for 50% off plus my discount so I got him a really nice, pretty expensive pillow for not very much money. I hope it is comfy for him and helps alleviate his neck pain.
Yesterday morning when I came home between shifts I stopped and got him some of his favorite coffee from our favorite coffee place in town. I think that was a nice surprise for him. Happy Birthday my love!

Matt is officially signed up for classes!

Yesterday Matt was able to make an advising meeting with someone at the college. Based on the results of the Compass test and the degree Matt has chosen they were able to put together a schedule for him for the upcoming semester. He has chosen to do Network Administration. Although he knows a lot about computers and the components, networking is not his strong point. I am very excited for him to start learning more about things he is interested in and also for him to start earning his degree.
There are a few classes that we think he will be able to "challenge". What that means is instead of having to take the whole class he can attempt to test out of it. For example, one class he has to take covers the basic components of the Microsoft Office suite. Which Matt is already pretty familiar with. He can challenge the class and take a test that sees how much he knows about the program; if it's enough he automatically gets the credit for the class. I hope he can test out of at least a couple classes to save both time and money. I can't wait for him to get started!

The Compass Test Is Done!

Matt went to the school yesterday and finished the Compass test! Unfortunately a lot of material we went over that we found on online practice tests were not on the actual test. Boo! Regardless, he did very well in English and in pre-algebra. Not so well in advanced algebra though. He will have to take an introduction to Algebra class and an introduction to college writing class. Tuesday he will be meeting with an adviser and hopefully get a class schedule set up for the fall semester.

Jeremy's Graduation Present

Last year for Bart's birthday Matt and I made him a custom DS case with the Misfits logo, the Crimson Ghost and his nickname "B-Movie" on it. I bought a plain black DS case and used white vinyl to make the decals. Ever since I made that one I've been wanted to make more. Recently my good friend Jeremy Hovden graduated from Carroll and I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to make another one.
For Jeremy's I decided to do a green DS case and black vinyl to make the Tiger Army "tiger-bat". I found a neon green DS case on eBay for super cheap. When I got it in the mail it was a much lighter green than pictured, it was more pastel than neon. Not very psychobilly. I wasn't going to settle so Matt and I had to spray paint it a brighter green. Since we don't have a garage it was kind of a pain to get the painting done having to work around Montana's "Spring" weather. It gets kind of windy by our house, not the best conditions for spray painting.
My original plan was to do the tiger bat and Jeremy's nickname "Jerbehr" just like I had done on Bart's but I just wasn't feeling it and we decided to put "Never Die" instead. (Tiger Army's "motto"). After we got it all painted, got the decals on and finished the clear coat I tried it out on Matt's DS to make sure it fit and still functioned. Of course the Snarr luck came into play and the two posts that hold the top cover and bottom cover together, snapped. It took Matt and I about a week to come up with a solution to fix it. Thank goodness for scrapbooking, we used black brads to replace the broken posts and it looks awesome! I'm glad it's finally finished and I hope Jeremy loves. Congratulations on graduation! You've definitely earned it!

Here is the finished product.

The Compass Test

Matt got a letter the other day and has been excepted to UM-Helena! Yay! Before he can sign up for classes he has to take the Compass test. I didn't have to take the compass test when I started taking classes because I was a "non-degree" seeking student and it didn't pertain to the classes I needed to take. However, Matt asked if I would help him go over some practice questions.
Now, it's been a while since I've taken an Algebra course and it's been even longer since Matt has taken one. We found some sample questions online and I'm actually doing better on the them than I thought I would. I have been trying to explain how I get the answers and how I can look at a problem and figure out how to "attack" it. It is always challenging for me to explain to other people how my brain works but I think we are making some progress.
We were running into a few questions that went something along the lines of, "If Joey can do the task in 10 minutes and Mary can do the task in 8 minutes and Marco can do the task in 4 minutes how long will it take them if they all work together?" I could not for the life of me remember how to figure this kind of problem out. But, we did a search online and found the formula for it! Hooray! It was a little complex but we finally got it. It only took Matt 2 questions before he didn't even need my guidance! I hope he does really well on this test so he can really get started on earning his degree. I am so excited for him.

Updating My Resume

Yesterday Matt and I were working on updating my resume. I cannot believe how much stuff I have been able to add to it from just last summer. Honestly, I must say, it's pretty awesome to be able to put Sandy L. Snarr, CPC-A. I feel so official and so accomplished to have a real, professional title. My newest goal is to starting working so I get the "A" off my title. In case you aren't familiar, the "A" stands for "Apprentice". To get it taken off you either need to submit proof to AAPC that you've been working as a coder for 2 years or have a certificate stating you've completed at least 80 hours of a coding class and 1 year experience working as a coder. At the end of last semester my coding instructor gave as a certificate for the 80+ hours and I will be submitting that tomorrow.
I also updated the references on my resume. I asked my other college instructor (Anatomy & Physiology and Introduction to Nursing teacher) if she would be willing to be a reference for me and she wholeheartedly agreed. She has been working as a nurse for over 40 years and now has a very important job at the state dealing with transplant applicants. It is a huge confidence booster to have someone so prestigious see potential in me. I am very excited to really start looking for coding jobs.
My coding instructor came into Home Depot over the weekend while I was working and I got to talk to her about the test and finding a job. Many places in Helena let her know when they have coding jobs available because they know she always knows people who are looking. She told me that she should be getting some leads shortly and will be sending out an email to her students that are looking. Keep your fingers crossed!

Bloody Jack Continues

Many of you know that I am completely obsessed with Louis A. Meyer's (aka L.A. Meyer) "Bloody Jack" series. I am very excited to report that the ninth book in the series, "The Mark of the Golden Dragon" is coming out this October! I'm curious as to whether this will be that last installment of the series or not. Every time a new book comes out I think, "Okay this is it!" and it never is. I've said that for the last 3 books and now this one. On one hand, I have been waiting years for it to end and for Jacky to finally be with Jaimy once and for all and for everything to get wrapped up. On the other hand, I love these books to pieces and don't want the story to ever end. The author is not very young and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't concerned about him dying before he finishes the story. I would be devastated if that happened. I've already preordered the book on Amazon, hey I said I was obsessed, and I cannot wait to read it!

I PASSED!!!

I went online today on the off chance that my test results might be up. Not only were they up, but I passed! I am now officially a certified coder. This is what I have been working toward for almost two years! I am so excited! Now, the job hunt begins. I hope I find a job soon because I cannot wait to get started!

Mini Cherry Purse

I'm starting to work on purses and bags for my Scarlet Harpy shop on Etsy. If you're familiar with many girls' clothing lines you know that a lot of them use girl names to separate styles. For example, Maurice's uses different girls' names for the different styles of jeans they have and you can get each style in different washes (ex. the Molly in a dark wash or a light wash). So, I've decided to implement the same type of system for the different bags on my website. To add a twist and to go along with the theme of my shop I'm going to use girl names from bands I like, names mentioned in songs from bands I like, horror movies, pin up girls, famous actresses, etc. A couple examples would be Patricia, is the lead singer from the band The Horrorpops, Darcy, is mentioned in the Dropkick Murphys' song "The Dirty Glass", Lily is the name of the mom on the show The Munsters, etc. I know that not many people will get a lot of the references and to them it will just be like every other clothing line that uses this format, but to the crowd that gets the reference I think they will really dig it. The first one (prototype) that I've made is the Kamilla. (For those of you who don't recognize the name I named it after Kamilla Vanilla who was one of the dancers for the Horrorpops and she is married to Geoff Kresge, the bass player from Tiger Army.)

The Kamila Cherry Bag

This is the front, it's hard to see in the picture but there are two small pockets on either side that the handles come out of.

The lining and the inside of the pockets are black with white polka dots.

I haven't decided yet but this print will either be the "Very Cherry" or the "Cherry Bomb".

Finished With My Coding Test

I just got home from taking my Coding Certification test. I think it went well. It only took me 4 hours and 20 minutes to finish the test. (They give you 5 hours and 40 minutes). I was a little upset when I first got there and they informed us that because of the conference going on downstairs, we had to remain upstairs the whole. My plan was to just buying a soda from the vending machine downstairs so I didn't bring a drink with me. Also, our teacher told us when she took her test she brought her iPod to help stay focused. So, I spent some time and made a great playlist of all my favorite music to help me get through the test. Apparently they've changed the rules within the last few months because today we were not allowed to have our iPods.
I'm so glad to finally be done with it. I hope I pass this time because I really really do not want to have to take this test again. The results will come in the mail within the next two weeks. I'll be sure to post my results.

Coding Boot Camp

I made it out alive. Two days of sitting in a hotel conference room from 9:00 am until 4:00 pm studying coding. I feel a lot more comfortable with the format of the certification test, that's for sure.
We went through all the different sections that will be on the certification test ex. anatomy, medical terminology, radiology, anesthesia, medicine, pathology/lab, digestion, modifiers, etc, etc. I know, it's a lot. For the most part I did really well on the practice questions during boot camp. I hope that is a sign of how I might do on the test. However, there were three or four sections that I bombed in class, hopefully a quick review tonight will be able to adequately prepare for those sections on the test.
I have to be at the school tomorrow morning at 9:30 am for the "book check". We are only allowed our 3 Coding books: CPT, ICD-9, and HCPCS. No text book, no medical dictionary, nothing. And, they go through the books to make sure there is nothing inside. Every note has to physically be written in the "notes" section of a coding book. Post-its? No way! Bookmarks? Not a chance! (Perhaps they called it "boot camp" for a reason.) The exam itself starts at 10:00 and we get 5 hours and 40 minutes to complete 150 multiple choice questions. Seems like a lot right? If you break it down that only gives you 2 minutes per question. Ouch.
I have to get at least a 70% in all 3 sections in order to pass and get certified. If I don't pass, I get one more try before I have to pay the $300 fee again. Wish me luck!

Nick 13's Solo Album

Nick 13, the lead singer from my favorite band Tiger Army has recently finished his much anticipated solo album. Today I preordered the album online and I cannot wait to listen to it! When I preordered the album they included a free download of one of the songs titled "All Alone". After all these years his voice still gives me chills.
Allow me to elaborate how much I love this artist. I went to my first concert when I was 13; the lineup was F Minus, Tiger Army and Rancid. That was the first time I saw Tiger Army. Since then I have seen them 8 more times. Yes, 8. The most I have seen any other band is twice. The first band tee I ever bought was a Tiger Army one. I have driven 16 hours road trip just to see Tiger Army. As you can, I am very VERY excited to get this CD!

My First Custom Order Is Complete

This lady, Claudine, found me on Etsy a few months ago and requested a custom rag quilt made out of baby clothes that she had saved from when her daughter was little. I told her I had tons of leftover flannel squares from other quilts I had made and could use those to supplement the baby clothes. It was so fun for me to be able to put my own creativity into the project. I was able to match up almost all the baby clothes she sent me and out of 24 blocks (9 x9) only four of them didn't have any baby clothes. (I didn't have to buy any extra fabric for the front side of the quilt.)
To keep the combinations from getting mixed up I stacked them in a box with a piece of copy paper between them and any notes if I needed them. (Like a drawing showing how many squares I needed of each pattern. It was a life saver!).
I asked her a couple times if there was anything specific she wanted for the back of the quilt and every time the only definite thing she wanted was pastel colors. When I went to Joann's I found several patterns that featured one pastel. Green with white polka dots, white with pink flowers but I just wasn't sold on any of them. I just kept thinking it was way too much of whatever color it was. On my way up to the cutting counter I found a flannel with a floral pattern with green, blue, pink and off white! It was kind of a risk but I was super pleased when she emailed me back saying they loved it!
After I got all the squares into blocks I worked on the layout. It didn't take as long as I thought it would, thank goodness. I notice things that a lot of people wouldn't so I thought it would be challenge. (For example, I have to blocks that are safari theme, they can't be together. Vertical stripes and horizontal stripes can't be together. The only two red blocks in the quilt, can't be together.)
I put the finished product on Etsy last night and the client emailed me to say she loves it and can't wait to see it in person. I will be mailing it to her tomorrow and I hope it's everything she wanted. She also said she would give my name to some friends who are looking for something similar!

Here is the finished product!

I got a job!

I didn't want to say anything until I had gotten the job because I didn't want to jinx it. I applied for a job at the Shopko Optical center here in Helena. I know a few of the opticians that work there and one of them, Melissa, told me about a position opening up. At first I wasn't really interested but when Home Depot continued to cut my hours I decided to at least apply. I didn't think the cut hours would be an ongoing thing but so far it has been. Unlike some other jobs I've looked into around town this one actually starts out at a pretty decent wage which is another selling point for me.
I was nervous for the interview because I haven't had to do one in so long. I felt like it had gone well and it seemed like the manager had responded well to my answers; so I was feeling pretty good about my chances. She liked the fact that I had taken some medical based classes in school such as Medical Terminology. Then I found out it was only between me and one other applicant so I was feeling even more confident.
I was so excited when I got the call saying I got the job Matt and I jumped and danced around the kitchen for a while singing, "I got a job! J-O-B!" The manager is still trying to work out a time with the main store for me to do my orientation and then I can start training!

Mother's Day Present

After I finished my photo star for our apartment I got the idea to make one for my mom with pictures of all her grandkids on it. I managed to get at least one picture of every grandchild. I wished I could have had two of each but 6 grandkids and 10 sides of the star doesn't really work out. I picked out the supplies weeks ago and got the pictures from the printer but just didn't have time to put it together. When I found out she was coming to visit at the end of April I really wanted to get it done so she could take it home with her and I wouldn't have to mail it. (The tin star is pretty big and awkward).
It was so funny. When she came over to see my new apartment she kept staring at the star I have in my living room and dropping hints. "Oh it's just so cute" and "That would make a great gift" and "maybe I'll have to go to Ben Franklin and pick one up." I tried so hard not to laugh since I already had the stuff for hers stashed in the next room.
I had SO much going on in April I didn't even get it started until the day before she left to go back home. Somehow, someway I was able to get it all done for her! Then we had to try to wrap it which was an adventure all it's own. We did end up finding a bag that was just barely big enough and we had to go with it even though it was a baby shower gift bag. Oh well! She was so excited when she opened it that it made all the work worth it. I can't wait to see it in her house the next time we go visit her.


This is what the finished product looks like. (I had to take a picture of it outside my car before we wrapped it on our way to dinner.)

Only 3 classes left!

I cannot believe I am almost done with school. When I first started getting the information together for Coding I just kept thinking to myself, "A year and a half?! I can't wait that long. That will take forever!" But, here we are. 3 more class sessions and I am finished with school! Two weeks from now I have my Coding "boot camp" and then (drum roll) my Coding certification test. It makes me so nervous and so excited at the same time. I'm just amazed that a year and half has passed already and I'm well on my way to becoming a certified Coder.

Gym Update

Matt and I have been doing a great job going to the gym. We have gone every day since we took a tour of the place. It is so much more fun to have someone to go with rather than have to go alone. We joke and play and laugh; to the point where it hardly seems like working out. When I had a membership at Fuel I barely used it because I hated going by myself it has made such a difference to have a gym buddy.

So far we've only made use of the cardio machines (treadmills, cycles, etc) and the weight training machines but, our gym has multiple pools and Matt asked if I would help him learn how to swim. I look forward to that since I always bug him about taking me to the lake during the summer.

This morning I did my very first Zumba class with my two girlfriends. It kicked my butt! I had a blast though. I swear every time the instructor took a step she jumped into it. I don't know how she did it. (Just watching her made me tired.) Her leg muscles must feel like marble. I can't wait to try Zumba again and improve my skills!

Our Gym Is Finally Open!

Our new gym finally opened this weekend! After work this afternoon Matt and I went over to get a tour of the place, get membership cards and all that jazz. The place is HUGE! I am so excited to start working out with my guy. I hope they are able to maintain the cleanliness and warm atmosphere as business grows. We're planning on going tomorrow evening for our very first work out! Wish us luck!

Photo Star

I saw this project at the local craft store over a year ago and I wanted to make one as soon as I saw it. The instruction packet I got from the store sat in my scrapbooking stuff for months and months. Since we've moved to the new apartment I've been trying to make it very "homey". I thought this project would be perfect in our new living room.

I painted the star all black to coordinate better with the paper I bought and the black & white pictures.



Placing the pictures with the templates, making sure I don't cut anyone's head off.



Laying out the pictures to make sure they fit and look good and balanced.



The finished product! I can't wait to hang it up in our living room.

The first NOT baby-sized quilt ever!

This is the very first grown up quilt I've ever made. My friend Melissa requested a custom quilt a couple months ago and I finally got it done. We went to the fabric store and she picked out all the fabric she wanted for her quilt. The finished dimensions ended up being about 60" wide and 85" long, WOW! (That's about the size of a twin sized comforter.) The quilts I usually make are 35" wide and 45" long so this one was huge in comparison!

This is a close up of the front of the quilt. There are four different fabrics on the front, two flannel and two quilter's cottons. The back is all one pattern of pink stars, it's really cute. You can really see the "ragging" effect here on the seams. (Clipping the seams took FOREVER!) It turned out beautifully and it was so much fun to see how happy she was when she finally got to unwrap her one of a kind, handmade quilt. (On her birthday no less.) Happy birthday Melissa, I hope this quilt brings you years of comfort!

My 22nd Birthday!

Ummm... nothing...

I love cake!

Making a wish!

This February I celebrated my 22nd birthday! The day before my birthday Matt and I drove to Great Falls for the day, I was so excited to go to Cold Stone and Michaels. The night of my birthday my dad took me and the whole family to dinner at Mackenzie River. Yum.
It feels weird saying that I'm 22. I remember when my oldest brother turned 22 and me thinking how grown up and old he was and now I'm that "grown up" age it's kind of funny to me.

3 Year Anniversary Trip to Seattle

This is Matt next to a waterfall at the aquarium. I think it was part of the river otter exhibit.

This is one of my many pictures of the giant octopus. He was one of our favorite animals at the aquarium.


This is me drinking my first Starbucks coffee of the trip. Mmmmm.


For our three year anniversary Matt and I took a road trip to Seattle, Washington. We stayed in a really neat hotel in downtown Seattle that was built in 1928. The old elevators were a little bit sketchy but our room was on the seventh floor so...yeah, we took our chances. We took one day and went to Pike's Place Market, we spent hours there! There was so much to see and tons of shops and booths to look at. We also went to the very first Starbucks ever built that day, the crowd was enormous. I think we would both agree that our favorite stop was the Seattle Aquarium. There was a giant octopus, starfish, birds, jellyfish, river otters, etc.