Qothe the Raven 'Never More'

            Congratulations to Mr. Ray Lewis and the Ravens. Just saying I would avoid the Harbough household this coming Easter!! In case you were under a rock all day...or in another country like my good friend Amanda (read her blog as she tours Italy!! http://soamandawaslike.wordpress.com/), the Baltimore Ravens won the super bowl party. Now just so that everyone here knows, I am a die hard Eagles fan. Go ahead, make fun of me all you want I really don't care. So although I had no real stake in the game I enjoyed it as a good game. I am happy that the birds won (being a bird fan) however, my David Akers deserves a ring!! I am just saying but still!! #DavidakersIloveyou

           Well readers that are interested in my own love life...I'm not going to get engaged this year. As hard as it is to get Daniel to talk about our relationship, I did get him to tell me that he will not be proposing this year. I'm still uncertain of how I feel about this. We are still so young but we have been together for 6 years so its kinda like "Shit or get off the pot" mixed with "I'm waaaaayyyyy too young" but he said it will happen not long after a year. So I can live with that but I am antsy at times so that is why I am putting it online so that if I freak out then there are actual people in the world that will say "Rachel your being a dumbass, calm down." (you guys will tell me that) So basically I am actually held accountable for it!!

          Back to the importance of the day!! Super bowl. The day that means football is ending and baseball is starting. Next year will be a new season and hopefully for my Eagles this year will be better.I call this entry 'quote the raven, never more' because everyone expected the 49ers to win. I mean come on, they were supposed to win!!! But the Ravens are not a team to just count out of the game. They are unexpected and Joe Flacco, you are from Audobon, NJ..not far from my own home town, so you had to be good!! No more will the Ravens be count out. With more then one ring under their belt they are defiantly a forced to reckoned with!! Go on and hate my team by the way, I can almost guess that you will. Most people hate my team but you know what? I don't care. I love them. E-A-G-L-E-S!!

View from the back seat

Although, my dear readers, I have been telling you to take back control of your lives as I am trying to do, sometimes you need to take a back seat to what life has in store for you. Sometimes that is more literal then figurative. Like right this moment for example. I a, writing to you all from the back seat of a cab. Why you may ask? Because this morning life did not want me to be driving for some reason. Instead life wanted to kill my car battery, then fry a circuit while trying to jump said battery, leading me to where I am now. Perhaps life wanted me to take a mental health day. Sad to say but instead of listening to what life wanted me to do I called a cab. Actually it is nice to be driven around once I get over the initial car sickness that cabs give me. Is it just me or are cab drivers a special bread of bad drivers? That's off topic.

What I am trying to tell you is although we want to be able to control everything sometimes you have to let go and just make the best of what you are given. I'm not saying that when life gives you lemons make lemonade, I'm saying to take Ron White's advice and when life gives you lemons and laughs at you, find someone with vodka and laugh right back at life. So I guess the real message is to not let the things that your can't control get you down. Shit is going to go wrong some days, and it is how you handle yourself that really affects the rest of your day. I could let the fact that I spent $40.00 to get to work today make me mad and cause me to have a bad day, but that would mean that life won. And I refuse to admit defeat. Instead I am choosing to enjoy the fact that I was driven to work and look forward to my boyfriend picking me up at the end of the day.

Every once in a while it is nice to enjoy the view from the back seat. So just sit back, relax, and just enjoy the ride.

Until next time.  Xoxo Rachel

Hey big spender...

Tax season is officially upon us. That wonderful time of year where it feels like the government actually gives us money!!! For some its enough to make large purchases that they have been waiting for. For others, like myself, we are just happy not to owe this year. While it is true I had some great expectations, alas it twas just not meant to be. Perhaps it will help me to continue to save though.

I vowed to take my life back and I am happy to inform you, loyal readers (if you exist), that I am still continuing. Well OK so far all I have done has started taking vitamins. But hey, its a start! And truthfully I have been busy. This whole wedding season thing is no joke. And speaking of wedding bells...ya I'm still not engaged. Not that I was hoping for something at the start of the year, I was just kinda hoping for some gauge on time and on our future. (Speaking of my boyfriend of course) After almost 6 years you would think that something should be on its way. Maybe he is awaiting his tax refund. After all he does get a lot back each year. And when it comes to the rock that is going to be keeping my finger company every day for the rest of my life then I hope he spares no expense. Not that I am asking for Harry Winston, but a Walmart diamond just won't do either. I may not have much of my own but my taste is definitely something that I will splurge for.

As for tonight's quote choice, what do you plan on spending your tax refund on? Something special for someone special? Or maybe just for yourself? Whatever it is, make sure that it is worth it. There is nothing worse then getting a large sum of money, using it for something stupid, and regretting every minute of it thinking 'I just shoulda saved it!!!'

I'll tell you what my refund will be paying for this year. It may not be a ton of money but it will be enough to help me buy a ticket. A plane ticket. My grandfather is turning the big 8-0 this year and I WILL be there to help him celebrate!!!

Well my big spenders, spend wisely your refund. Even if it is only enough to buy a glass of wine, make sure that it is a something you enjoy!!!

<3

Taking back control

Good evening everyone. This week I have decided something, I'm over feeling defeated. Liz Taylor once said "Put on some lipstick, pour yourself a drink', and pull yourself together." Well, my Kate Moss collection fire engine red lipstick is on, my gin martini is in hand, and I am ready to take back my world! Starting with work. I adore my job. Planning weddings was what I was meant to do! Unfortunately at the moment, no one in the wedding industry knows who I am yet. I attended a wedding expo this past weekend with my company and it was amazing. Networking with my company went pretty well. But like I said, no one knows who I am yet, so I'm not making the big bucks just yet. For now I need a second job. Luckily for me I have some skills....as a bartender. Perfect night job. Having two jobs isn't ideal but it will help me save up and get me back networking myself as well, not just the company I work for.

The next thing I am taking back control of is my home. OK so I never actually lost control of this one, but I have been lazy lately. Laziness is never a good way to start off the year. So I have decided that this week is a power cleaning week. I am going through EVERYTHING!! I am going through my kitchen cabinets and cleaning them out, I am going through my desk and throwing out papers I don't need, I am going through my makeup and trowing out colors I don't use. I am even (as painful as it is) going through my closet and getting rid of everything I haven't worn in more then 4 months!! I am pairing down to the bare minimum! That way I can start the year fresh.

And finally I am taking back my body. Everyone makes this commitment at the beginning of the year "I vow to work out more". Well I am going to do more then that. For every workout I complete I tip myself one dollar, at the end of every month I am going to put all my workout tips in my savings account. I have decided that this will be my wedding dress fund. The day will come eventually when I get engaged and I will need to buy a dress. This way I'll have some money and I'll be in shape!!! Notice how I said in shape and not skinny, this is because skinny is gross. I don't want to be skinny, I want to be healthy and fit. But more then just working out, I am going to change my eating habits. No more pasta side dishes unless it is whole grain. No more over eating or late night snacks. These are the things I need to work on most! Not that I am fat by any means. I am just not as on shape or as healthy as I want to be.

I am taking back control of my life, and so far it feels great. If you feel like you have lost control I suggest you do the same. Ladies, get out your red lipstick, make yourself a cocktail, and pull yourself together.

But seriously , you'd be surprised what a little red lipstick can do for you confidence!!!

Running out of rain

 Every storm runs out of rain. This is super cheesy. I know it is cheesy because I got it from a song. But my life has been one big storm lately. I have no money, my car is breaking down (but its a Chrysler Sebring so that is expected), I live in a...ok well my apartment isn't that bad but its really not ideal, my relationship...well my relationship is a few things. Let me start off that last part by saying that I love my boyfriend very much. He is the person I want to be with. I feel safe with him, and not the boring kind of safe, but the kind of safe where I wake up in the morning and smile and think 'In years I know I will still be smiling about this man'. But the issue there is that I am bored. And not with him because believe me, there is nothing to be bored about. I know that one day it wont be bored. But it is both of our faults, we are in a very weird place.

Let me explain. My boyfriend and I have been together since we were in high school. Basically our senior prom. And back then, we were exciting. Everything was new. Every kiss was electric. Every time he walked in the same room of me I would smile and all of the sudden feel shy. I can still remember our first kiss. We met playing volleyball with friends, we had the typical high school flirting. Well I did at least. He was kind of clueless. But in an adorable way. I was a tornado back then. My best friend says I still am. She was the first person to ever call me that. The funny thing is that most people would be really upset being called that. But me personally, I take it as a challenge. You see a tornado is something that comes in once in a while, everyone fears it, it fucks shit up, and yet when it is over everything rebuilds better and stronger until one day those tornadoes don't even effect hardly anything anymore. It mother natures way of making things stronger. I like to make things stronger. Sometimes I accidentally mess up while doing it. But my intentions are good. Anyway I went off track...my first kiss with my boyfriend. Anyways he was so nervous. I could tell. No girl had ever been as forward with him as I was. But that was my style. Like I said, I was a tornado. Ever since I was in middle school and walked right up to this really cute guy at a track meet and told him that he was a really cute guy and my friends and I had been staring at him for about a solid 45 minutes from across the track. So I did what I did best. I told my boyfriend that I thought he was "kinda cute" I think were the exact words. He blushed. Then I "stole" his money clip. I hung it on my pants pocket where he couldn't see it. We got closer and closer until finally I lifted my chin to basically tell him he could kiss me. Luckily he wasn't totally clueless and got the hint. And there we stood in the In and Out parking lot, making out for the first time against the door of his truck. When I finally pulled away I left him hanging claiming that I needed to get home. As I sauntered away (yes I actually sauntered) I told him "call me sometime". Ok so not only was I a tornado, but I knew it and I loved it. But for the first time I thought that my reign would come to an end and I  was falling in like. It only took about 4 months after that to fall in love. That was about 6 years ago now. I can still remember how he made me feel back then and from time to time now I can still get flashes of it. But alot of the time is more practiced and rehearsed. I want him to sweep me off my feet again. And that is why I know it is still meant to be, how I know that he is still the man I love. Because I don't say "I want to be swept off my feet", I say "I want HIM to sweep me off my feet"

But back to my storm. My relationship is currently the easiest thing in the world. It wasn't for a while but that isn't my issue right now. I don't even know what my issue is. It's not my man, and I currently have a dream job...

Let me explain my job...I am a wedding planner. I make dreams come true. It's exactly what I wanted to do all of my life. Not the money I want to make but that will come eventually. You have to walk before you can run. I understand that but without money I am lost. I have problems with money. As soon as I have some its gone. I wish I could save some I really do. I just don't know how.

Anyways I have bored you enough for now with my problems. I am working on myself. And I know if I put it down on paper (or on the internet) then it is not on my head and I can finally move on.

Every storm runs out of rain. Lately my life has been a down poor. I usually love rain, I sit outside on my patio with a glass of wine and listen to the rain slap the ground. I think about a time when things that are important today were not as important. But in life rain is not always good. But its true, every storm does eventually run out of rain. Grey skies turn back to blue. And a new day start. So I hold my head up and figure out a way to dry everything out.

Every storm runs out of rain.