Christmas Home Tour

I wanted to do a "home tour" of what my apartment looks like all decorated for Christmas! The pictures will walk you through!

2 Weeks Off!

It's official! I am on break for 2 WHOLE weeks! Oh, how I've needed this!!!

With that being said, I'll be able to catch up on some blogging. I have some fun pictures to post-I just have had zero free time to post about the recent happenings in my life. This time of year is always so busy for many; between Christmas parties, shopping, more parties, work, writing Christmas cards, baking, and more Christmas parties, the season just flies right by. I can't believe Christmas Eve is a week from now! I am looking forward to the next week or so at "home" in Sarasota with my family. I am ready to just relax and not worry about writing lesson plans or grading papers. That stuff will creep back up all too quickly. :)

I've got a lot of posts to catch up on. I haven't even posted pictures from my road trip to GA and TN yet! Shame on me! I also want to post my "Christmas Home Tour" because I just love how Christmas-spirited our apartment is! Dayna and I had our friends over last week for a Christmas party and there are pictures I want to post from that, too! For now, I'll leave with a "crazy face" picture of all of us!



This is going to be a busy weekend! Tomorrow, my good friend, Whitney (who I met in college) is getting married to her college sweetheart! I am so excited to go! She asked Dayna and I to assist at her reception and I'm glad to be able to take part in her special day. I am also looking forward to seeing a lot of my other college friends who I haven't seen in a while! Then on Sunday, the choir I sing in has its Christmas concert at 6:00 in the evening, and the rehearsal begins at 4. So I'll be busy this weekend, but thankfully will have the entire break to rest!

I'll be back soon to post more, with pictures! Continue to enjoy the season and remember WHO it's about!

Please Excuse the Mess

In an attempt to make my blog festive for Christmas, I've somehow managed to erase some things and am unable to get my new layout to show up...and I don't have time to mess with it now. So, please know that I didn't all of a sudden forget that white doesn't show up on white, or that I'm not color coordinated anymore. I definitely am and it irks me that it'll have to be this way until I fix it...but I must grade these papers! Ahhh!

Is it Christmas break yet?!

Worn Out

I wish I've had more time for blogging lately. School has been really hectic. The total number of hours of sleep I've had this week is less than 20 and I'm exhausted. Thankfully in 2 more weeks, it'll be time for another break and hopefully more restful. I'll need it before beginning the second half of this school year!

I have taken pictures recently- from my road trip, Thanksgiving, a college friend's wedding I went to last weekend and now Christmas decorations, but I don't have the time, or energy, to write those posts out now. Though I don't like blogging without pictures, it'll have to do for now.

I'm excited that the Christmas season is here! I want to really enjoy it, but have been so stressed out this week that I haven't been able to fully decorate the apartment and get the decorations looking classy and festive. I hope to get that done this weekend, including taking pictures so that you can see, too! Dayna and I got an 8-9 ft. tree on Monday night and it was a sight to see getting it in the stand and up a flight of stairs, then in through the apartment to its spot. More on that, later!

We also went to the Lakeland Christmas Parade last night and it was COLD! It was in the 40s which I loved, but FL is barely used to those cold temperatures! It made the parade feel festive since it was so cold! Immediately after the parade was over, Dayna and I headed to RaceTrac to get a hot chocolate; it was a necessity by that point!

Well, I'm going to retire from blogging for the night and go read some of my People Magazine issue that was sitting in my mailbox tonight. That magazine is one of my favorite reads!

I'll post again soon, with pictures!

About Me...100 things

In honor of the momentous "100 Blog Posts" occasion, I came up with the idea (not that it's completely original or anything) to type 100 random things about me! I hope you'll learn something new! :)

1. I'm the oldest of four children and I love it!
2. I've been to Jamaica.
3. I'm a Christian and thankful to have God at the center of my life.
4. I'm on the short side, 5'2".
5. I love to travel!
6. I don't like animation or fairytales. I couldn't tell you the plot of Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, etc., if you asked.
7. I have a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education and hope to get my Master's degree in Guidance Counseling.
8. I've had 4 roommates since starting college.
9. I am extremely bothered by fake people.
10. I have two birthmarks in the shape of a heart.
11. I started this blog around Christmas of last year, 2009.
12. I bought my first car (on my own) in May of this year.
13. I don't like marinara sauce.
14. Coke is a must-have for me every day.
15. I will forever miss Christmas as a child with my family; it's such a special memory!
16. I've got an idea of what I want to name my future children.
17. I love to do laundry!
18. I hate cleaning the bathroom!
19. I sometimes wish I had special hobbies or talents.
20. I think "reality" TV is the furthest thing from reality.
21. I've never been drunk.
22. I have really sensitive eyes.
23. I used to have rosacia on my face, but the redness has toned down over the years thankfully!
24. I want to get married in the month of November.
25. I got glasses in 6th grade, contacts in 10th.
26. I prefer to wear contacts any day over glasses.
27. I get cold easily.
28. I am not good at waking up when my alarm goes off.
29. I miss my grandparents who passed away in '06 SO much!!!
30. I was raised Catholic, but don't practice Catholicism anymore.
31. In my opinion, it is never okay to cheat on a boyfriend/girlfriend, husband/wife. No excuse will ever make it right; it's never okay.
32. Christmas music is my favorite!
33. I used to think I wanted to live in NYC, but couldn't ever imagine myself doing that now.
34. I love cottages and want to live in one someday.
35. Old Navy and Target are two of my favorite stores.
36. I wish I lived in a place where it snows-maybe someday!
37. Child abuse makes my blood boil.
38. Sarasota, FL is and always will be "home" to me, but I don't think I'll ever live there permanently again.
39. I hate (yes, hate) cockroaches, silverfish, and rats.
40. I love shopping sales!
41. I love things that are monogrammed!
42. I'm fascinated by pregnancy and know a lot about it, although I've never been pregnant.
43. My toes are always painted.
44. I have a godchild, Chloe, who I adore so much!
45. I have been a flower girl and a Maid of Honor in a wedding.
46. The only juice I drink is apple juice.
47. One of my favorite Bible verses is Galatians 5:22.
48. I enjoy playing Frisbee, and was on an Ultimate Frisbee team in college (intramural).
49. I've been to California once with my ex's family and would love to go again.
50. I love plaid!
51. Pedicures are one of my most favorite things!
52. My favorite magazine to read is People.
53. I can remember people's birthdays extremely well.
54. I'm a really good speller.
55. When I'm really overtired, I'll cry for no reason.
56. Christmas Eve is my favorite night of the entire year.
57. My dad makes me laugh more than anyone I know.
58. I must have a fan on (or some type of noise) to be able to fall asleep.
59. Chick-Fil-A is my favorite fast-food place.
60. Mint chocolate chip is my favorite ice cream flavor.
61. I am really independent.
62. I'm a thinker.
63. I don't like coffee, did I say that already?
64. I'm a night owl.
65. I played tennis on a team in 8th grade.
66. I was born at 11:48 in the morning.
67. I'm not an animal person.
68. I drink way too much soda.
69. I've had 8 cell phones since I was 15.
70. I am a perfectionist in many ways!
71. I don't like being outside when garbage trucks are coming down the street-they give me an uneasy feeling.
72. I used to be really afraid of escalators.
73. I sponsor a 7 year old girl named Pauline in the country of Kenya. I'm so glad I can bless her in a small way!
74. I've been to a Tony Danza show...went a long time ago with my ex. It was cool!
75. I've seen the Blue Man Group in Boston, MA!
76. I love to drink frozen hot chocolate!
77. I believe abortion is murder.
78. I've seen Jerry Springer twice in Sarasota. (Not his show, he has a house in Sarasota.)
79. I spent New Year's Eve in Times Square in '06.
80. I've been known to get motion sickness on boats before, but luckily have never thrown up.
81. Speaking of boats, I've never been on a cruise before but want to experience one!
82. My favorite author is Francine Rivers; her novels are so good!
83. I used to love making bracelets out of string when I was little!
84. My 21st birthday was celebrated with a Rootbeer Kegger, hosted by my college roommate at the time. Not a fan of alcohol, so that was a good alternative!
85. I enjoy watching volleyball and soccer.
86. I always overpack when I go somewhere to stay the night.
87. I am very particular about good hygiene!
88. I got two tickets at the same time, the first time I was pulled over. I was 17 in high school and they caught me speeding in a speed trap. The second ticket? An expired tag, oops! At that time in life, my parents were paying for the tag, etc., so they felt so bad! The cop even threatened to take me to jail for it because it's considered a criminal offense. As soon as I rolled up my window and drove away, I bawled my eyes out! The cop was so mean, my dad ended up calling to complain about him!
89. My high school years are a good memory! I was involved in the marching band as a "flag girl" and had great friends!
90. My favorite color is purple.
91. I've been in an ambulance before when I nearly passed out at the beach this summer.
92. My great-grandma's beach in her backyard in Conneticut is one of my favorite places to be in the whole world!
93. As a little girl, I was told I resembled Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen.
94. I've had 4 stitches in my back once, when I had a small cyst removed. That has been the only time I've ever had stitches.
95. I wore braces for 2 1/2 years.
96. I've called 911 before one time when I was driving from Sarasota to Lake Wales (the town I went to college) at night and the truck in front of me definitely appeared to be under the influence.
97. I was a Girl Scout for a few years, but then got bored with it.
98. I would love to go skiing one day!
99. I'm terrible at sports, and don't really care.
100. My current goal is to start graduate school within the next 2 years!

Thankful 2010

Thanksgiving is here again! I love this time of year! I've been thinking the past few days about how thankful I am for so many things, and that I wish I spent more time all year reflecting on God's blessings. I do, however, feel like I'm a grateful person and choose to see the positive over the negative, but I want to spread that attitude more!

This year, in 2010, I'm thankful for:

MY JOB
I'm closing in on my first full-year of teaching. In January, I'll have been a teacher for a whole year. Time flies! I'm thankful that right after graduation, I was hired in the field of my choice. I didn't have to wait through interview after interview, serve time at other jobs, or remain financially strapped. God provided. I went home after my last semester of college was complete, and enjoyed the holidays with my family knowing that I had a job secured. Over the past 11 months, I've learned a lot in my profession as a beginning teacher. I've learned more about children, who are my passion. But my days aren't filled with fun lessons and "fluff," much is demanded and required at the school I work at. I know it's all for the good of the students and their education, but it's no easy task day after day. I am remembering to be thankful even on the days where I'm bogged down and don't seem to get anywhere. I'm thankful for my job, for my colleagues, and most of all, the children I get to interact with on a daily basis. Thank you, God, for my job.

MY TEACHER FRIENDS
I'm blessed to know teachers where I work who are young and single like me and in their first years as a teacher. More than just knowing them, I'm blessed to call them friends. I love getting together with them outside of school and being able to talk teacher stuff and they know exactly where I'm coming from. I truly love that. Dayna (my best friend from college and roommate) was hired at the school I work at and it's been great having her support too! I think she appreciates having the support as well! :) I know these "teacher friends" will be friends of mine for many years to come...you know who you are!

MY FAMILY
Of course this goes without saying, but I love my family! I have an amazing mom who respects me as an adult who is also her daughter. I love that our relationship has grown more over the years, as I have grown up and moved out. We're still close and I love that! Ovet the last year, we've added another dynamic to our relationship in that we're both teachers. She's my #1 fan and support! My dad is also a strong support of me and I enjoy his humor more than anything! He's so funny! My siblings are each unique in their own way and each one brings a smile to my face! Now that I don't live at home with them anymore, I always look forward to seeing them and spending time together, especially the holidays! I'm SO fortunate to have such an awesome extended family, too. My aunts and uncles are so fun and I love all of my cousins as if they were siblings! My family is such a huge support system and I'm so thankful for each one!

MY FRIENDS
Friends from childhood/school, friends from college, friends from church and friends from work-I'm thankful for them all. Many of my friends I don't get to see often because our lives are busy, but I always enjoy catching up with them when we have the chance. I've always been a person who saw it more important to have a "few good friends" rather than "a thousand acquaintances." I see so much more value in that. I am offended when people only want to be your friend for a selfish reason that meets their needs and you can tell it's only skin deep. You can tell just by the way they talk to you, it's fake. Over the past few months, I've encountered some people like that and it's caused me to reflect on myself. It's a good reminder to only ever be real with people. I'm thankful for genuine friends!

MY HOME
I absolutely love the apartment I live in; my home. This is the second apartment I've lived in, but this is the first one I've lived in while earning a salary, so it's much nicer than the last, which was paid for in student loans. :) Thankfully, God protected me in the last apartment I lived in, in Lake Wales, but I feel 100x more safe where I live now. Because I live with a roommate, all bills are split in half which makes it affordable for both of us. We have worked hard to make the apartment feel like home to us, and I'm so thankful for all that God has provided. I couldn't mention being thankful for my home without mentioning my wonderful roommate, Dayna, who is also my closest friend! Because we're both single at this stage in our life, beginning teachers, and close friends, it just makes sense to cut the cost of living by being roommates. We don't ever have trouble agreeing on how the apartment should look or what we should buy for the apartment, everything just works out nicely. I enjoy having someone around to talk with all the time! I know there will come a day where we'll move on to get married and start a family, but I truly enjoy these days where we can enjoy the "single life" together! It is a season and I am content. :)

MY FAITH
Cliche or not, I wouldn't be who I am today without God in my life. In college, I was part of many experiences which enabled me to have a deeper relationship with God, not just knowing who He was, but rather having a relationship with Him and allowing Him to take control of my life. I'll forever be thankful for Warner University for lighting that flame. Sometimes, this stage of life can be awkward-to be unmarried when many your age are married, or even to just be single. Yet, I do have a sincere faith in God, who I trust with my life, to bring me to the point of dating, marriage, and children when He sees fit. I know there is reward in the "waiting" part of life. I'd rather be single than dating someone carelessly. Sometimes in worship at church, I am so overcome with thankfulness of the price Jesus paid on the cross for every wrong I've made, am making, and will make in the future. He cares that much! Oh, how thankful I am for His daily grace and love.

I know this post was long and wordy with no pictures, but what is most important to me is to be able to look back and remember what I was thankful for this year. This is a keepsake to reflect on God's many blessings. Everyone on this Earth, has something to be thankful for this year, and I guarantee that as soon as you stop to think, more than one thing will come into mind. Truth is-we are a blessed people, and we have one person to thank. His name is Jesus.

"Be joyful always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." - 1 Thessalonians 5:16

Mannheim Steamroller!

For my birthday, my best friend and roommate, Dayna, got me tickets to see Mannheim Steamroller at The Lakeland Center. I was SO excited to go!

It was awesome!



I kept telling Dayna, "I wish this would last forever!" I know that makes me sound ridiculous, but their music was just so fun to listen to and watch! Watching the drummer was my favorite part. Here are some pictures from the fun concert!



During intermission, we sat on this couch and ate popcorn and of course I had a coke to go with it. This is funny to me because before we went, Dayna made comments like "yeah, the theatre has popcorn and that's what we'll have for dinner" and I thought she was joking because I didn't think a place where a nice concert was being held would serve popcorn of all things during intermission. But, sell popcorn they did!



After the concert was over, the musicians sat in the lobby of the theatre to autograph the programs and other items that were available for purchase. I bought their 25th anniversary CD! It was only $20 and it's got two discs of their most famous Christmas songs. I'm such a sucker for Christmas music as it is, so their CD just adds to my collection. :)


Here I am talking to the violinist (among many other titles) and getting my program and CD signed!


My autographed program and CD!



I had SO much fun at this concert! I am definitely feeling ready for the Christmas season, especially considering I've listened to their CD in my car on the way to and from work this week!

Thank you, Dayna, for such an awesome and memorable 24th birthday present! I loved every minute of it, and I think you know that! :)

Miscellany Monday!

Doesn't every Monday feel like a "Miscellany Monday?" It does to me! Maybe it's just a teacher thing, but every Monday seems crazy to me!



1. No voice. I don't have a working voice today. I'm not just talking about a nasal-y/cold voice, I'm talking about simply not having one. A voice that sounds like a 14 year old boy going through puberty. I'm talking about high/low pitches at the most awkward times in the middle of a sentence. I'm talking embarrassing. I've not quite figured out yet how to follow people's advice of "rest your voice" when I'm a teacher and use my voice 95% of the 8 hour school day. Life goes on, I suppose! (My students were sweet though as they left today and said, "I hope your voice feels better, Ms. Kaliher!" <--Love it!!

2. Cracker Barrel was what I had for dinner! Yum! I of course went shopping afterward too. I'm growing to like the gift shop inside Cracker Barrel a little too much. I did get a bargain though, three Christmas gifts for my aunts at 40% off!

3. The Time Change is always so weird to get used to the first few days! When my alarm went off this morning and I saw light coming through the blinds, in a panic I quickly looked at my cell phone to make sure I hadn't overslept! Of course (or should I say luckily?) I hadn't overslept, it was just light out an hour earlier! It was SO bright when I left for work and it just felt weird. Then, by 6:00 it's already pitch dark and it feels so late. I do love how this time change means rhat the holidays are getting close and I'm so excited about that! I would be lying if I said I'm already listening to Christmas music.

4. Christmas Shopping is halfway done! This is the first year I've had so much fun Christmas shopping because I'm able to afford it! I'm done shopping for my parents, my sister Korinne, and my aunts. I have a few more things to get for my sister Keleigh and have got to start shopping for my brother. I've got some gifts to get for friends of course, too! I'm looking forward to being able to give this year, including needy children who won't have a Christmas. Those kids have my heart!!

5. Weddings-I'm going to two before the end of this year! I'm excited because I love weddings! This past Saturday, I hung out with one of the brides, Whitney (we went shopping! shocker!) and she asked Dayna and I to be her guestbook attendant "people" at the reception. I'm so thrilled to be able to help Whitney on her special day! What a fun memory!
P.S. I found out that Whitney and her husband will be seeing ELF on broadway (MY FAVORITE MOVIE) while they are honeymooning in NYC! I'm envious!!!

And...to add to the miscellany, I've added a few miscellaneous photos I don't think I've yet posted!

Me and Jack, when my family visited for my birthday!

This was all I bought after going in with the intention of getting "Halloween pencils and a snack for my students." Yeah....

Two great friends, Dayna and Jessica, at our lunch out at Fred's during a teacher training! It was so fun having training with two good friends!

Picasso's Cup

On my birthday a few weeks ago, part of the plan was to go to Picasso's Cup, a place to paint your own pottery. Well, by the time we finished eating dinner, we only had about 30 minutes until Picasso's cup closed. Well, that's not enough time for me to even decide which piece of pottery I'm going to paint. So we browsed and got ideas, and decided to postpone our painting until that Saturday.

Here are some pictures of our fun evening! We spent 4 hours there!









My final product before being fired. (The reason there is that awkward dark green shape thing is because I used a stencil to write "Happy Holidays" so that part hadn't dried as much as the other green. I would not purposefully make it look like that! Just have to clarify!) :)


I would love to do this once a month. It was so relaxing and so fun to just be able to paint and talk at the same time! I was in a Christmas-ey mood (have been for a while!) so I decided to paint a Christmas platter. Dayna made a mosaic actually! It turned out really cool! Audra and Bethany painted a spoon rest for the stove, Jessica painted a small baking dish, and Michelle painted a mug!

Fun times with fantastic friends!

Girls Get-Away!

Last Friday night, Jessica, Audra, Dayna and I headed to Orlando to stay at the Gaylord Palms Resort. Oh my GOSH, was it a beautiful resort and a wonderful experience! Until December, Gaylord Palms is offering a teacher discount rate of $99 a night which is the reason why we were able to indulge in such luxury for a night. :) We even got a room on the 9th floor, the very top! Here is the view of the inside of the resort from our balcony.

We checked into the hotel, admired its class and discussed how this was the nicest hotel any of us had ever stayed at,and got changed for dinner!

Even the chairs are fancy!

Audra and Dayna, ready to go!

Exploring the hotel and it's festive photo opportunities on the way to dinner...




Gaylord Palms has 5 restaurants on property so we, after much debate, decided we wanted to experience a restaurant unique to the resort since we can eat at "chain" restaurants any time. We narrowed our choices down to the Old Hickory Steakhouse (real expensive) and the Villa de Flora (buffet). We decided it was Friday, also payday, and we wanted to be served, not eat from a buffet. We were going to spoil ourselves, or so we thought!

Waiting to be seated...



Seated:

So, we ate at the Old Hickory and spent a lot of money our dinners. Here's what they looked like:

Expensive dinner #1, with the two sides we ordered behind it that were both $9 a piece!

Audra's expensive salmon!

My very expensive, undercooked filet mignon!

An expensive New York Strip!

We definitely needed pictures of these ever-so-expensive dinners, considering we'd already made up our mind at this point that we wouldn't be coming back here. It just was a little too fancy for our liking. I'm all for fancy, classy dinners, but this restaurant was just too expensive with little variety to choose from. 'Nuff said.

After dinner, we went back up to our hotel room and just talked about school, typical. :) Have I ever mentioned how much I enjoy having friends who are teachers? It is so easy to relate with them! I just love these girls! Around 10:00, we decided it was time to head to Downtown Disney for some dessert at Ghiradelli! I got to see my friend, Jackie, from Sarasota who I grew up with in church choir. She works in Guest Relations there. Loved seeing her and getting to catch up for a few minutes.

Audra and I sipping our milkshakes!

Jessica is having to plug her nose in this picture due to the cigarette someone so rudely lit right next to us!

By the time we were finished with our ice cream, we were more than ready to go to bed. We'd all been up since before 7 for work and we were wiped out. So it was back to the hotel we went, and ready for bed we were.

The next morning, after having a chance to sleep in, we got ready and checked out so that we could explore more of the resort. We of course took pictures on the balcony before we said goodbye to our room!



We watched the alligators and turtles for a long time!



Alligators are so fascinating to me. I drive past a huge lake every morning on my way to work, and I always look for them and usually I'll see at least one. Something about them is just cool to me! Anyway, so we explored the resort for a little bit, but before long, we were ready for lunch. A decently priced lunch, that is. We were ready for the Cheesecake Factory! Our meals were much more enjoyed, both in taste and price!



The delicious cheesecake we shared!

After eating lunch, we wandered around the Mall of Millenia for a little while but then headed to Old Navy. I bought some fun stuff for all reasonable prices! I'll do a post on that later. :) As we left Old Navy, we were trying to decide if we were ready to head home or not, when all of a sudden, Jessica says, "Is that an IKEA?"


Yes, she was right! Well, our answer to the "do we go home now?" question was quickly answered! "Not yet!"

We probably spent 2 hours in the gigantic store. I got an easel for my classroom for $15! I was super happy about that, because I've been wanting one! Audra, Dayna, nor I had ever been to IKEA so it was fun to experience it together for the first time! It's overwhelming with all the stuff they have in there!

IKEA was fun, but we were ready to head home. We packed up the car with all of our shopping bags and headed for home. I enjoyed such a fun weekend with such great girls!