Thirty-One

It's no secret.  I LOVE MY BIRTHDAY!  I try to celebrate it the entire month, but it doesn't always work that way and I have to settle for, you know, a birthday week!  HA!  This year, I have happily turned it into my birthday weekend and it started off on the perfect note this morning with my kids running into the bathroom when they woke up, while I was getting ready for the day, with the Lisa Leonard necklace that I have been wanting forever!  Then, spoiled by the girls at school at school with breakfast and lunch!  A visit from a few former students and then home for dinner at my favorite place in the entire world to eat, Ah-So, with the fam!  Today was a great day!  Hoping to spend time chillaxin' by the pool this weekend in between cooking the golf buddies favorite dinner {a tradition that we do once or twice a year for my dad and his friends that come down to golf!  You can read more about it here}!

In honor of turning 31, I thought I would share 31 fun facts about me!

1.  I am obsessed with spray tanning!  I am a Jersey Shore girl at heart?!  I stop my membership for the summer, but September is coming soon and it will be time to get my spray on!

2.  I am a hoarder of old, gold picture frames.  The gaudier the better!  Some I paint, some I leave alone!

3.  I drink way too much unsweetened ice tea.  I usually go through the McDonald's drive thru and order two or three at a time.  They do sit well in the fridge overnight, that is if I don't drink them first!

4.  I just hired my sis-in-law to be my house cleaner.  It took her three days to give my big ol' house a good deep cleaning and holy cow is it sparkling!  I am sure she is hoping that she won't ever have to do that again and she probably won't, because she is coming in every two weeks to do the basics from here on out!  It is so nice to be able to come home and not have to clean, just pick up!  Best decision ever!

5.  I have been watching All My Children {the soap opera} since my mom birthed me, no joke, and this September it is going off the air!  I don't know what I am going to do when I can't watch these people's lives unfold right before my eyes each and every day!  Sad times for sure.

6.  I teach 8th grade reading.  My first year of 8th graders are graduating from high school this year!  So proud of them!  Before I taught 8th grade, I taught Kindergarten, and those Kindergartners are graduating 8th grade this year!  So crazy to think {and see} them now!

7.  When I first moved to Arizona, I got a job at a restaurant called Bobby McGees.  The waiters and waitresses had to dress up as characters and sing songs and play jokes on customers that came to dine!  It was so much fun!  Wanna know who I played?  Give up?  I'll tell you, the one and only Tinkerbell!  I had the lost boys in the bar mixing up magic potions {drinks} for people and Peter Pan on the grill!  

8.  My foot grew a whole shoe size when I became pregnant with Kyan.  I went from a size 7 to a size 8, which I now where!

9.  I hate doing the laundry and am lucky enough that the hubs does it 98% of the time.

10.  I started my own photography business a few years ago, Rosie J. Photography, and each year it just keeps getting busier and busier!  I am thankful.

11.  I go to bed almost each and every night reading on the iPad.  It relaxes me and lets me escape into another world, everything else goes away when I read.  I am currently reading the YA novel, Some Girls Are.

12.  My word of the year:  patience.  I don't always have it.  I want to though.

13.  I have been married for almost 8 years.  Chad and I tied the knot in Hawaii on the island of Oahu!  It was magical.

14.  I can make a mean batch of chocolate chip cookies, thanks to my aunt Heidi of course!

15.  I am a copy cat crafter.  If I see something out in blogland that has a tutorial {sometimes it doesn't even have to} I try to make it myself!  I get a sense of pride knowing that I did it!

16.  I like to be told that I am doing a good job at ______________.  Fill in the blank.  It doesn't matter what it is, just tell me I am doing it right!

17.  I try to avoid confrontation at all costs.  I don't just mean physical fighting {although I hate that kind of fighting too - and have never been in a fight btw, I would get rocked}.  I try to make everyone happy and don't like when feelings are hurt.

18.  Number 17 being said, I have developed quite the backbone as of late and won't stand to be pushed around, by anyone.  This has helped me both personally and professionally.

19.  I have bad eyes.  I wear both contacts and glasses.  I remember the first time that I told my mom I was having issues seeing, it was a stop sign on the way back from shopping {imagine that, my mom shopping?!}.  What I wouldn't give for lasik eye surgery.

20.  If I could afford to quit my job and just craft all day long, I would.  I am envious of those that get to do just that.

21.  Ten more things to write?  Seriously?  Ummmm....my favorite color is pink!  Although turquoise isn't too far behind!

22.  I am obsessed with all things leopard print.  I know, what am I, like 10?  I can't help it, I have a leopard phone cover, the back cover of my calender is leopard scrapbook paper, even my notebook that I made for all of my team meeting notes has leopard pennants on the front cover!  No leopard print in the house though, the hubs happens to not be a fan, however, I am going to try to find a way to sneak it in there!

23.  My favorite cereal of all time - Lucky Charms.  Oh, okay...healthy cereal, Post Brand Raisin Bran!

24.  I wish I had longer hair, just a little bit longer, but it won't grow.  Ok, truth.  I have an obsession with cutting my hair.  The second it even starts growing, I cut it!  Ugh.  I need to stop, but don't know how.  

25.  I happen to win a lot of things via blog giveaways.  I am lucky like that!  Whenever I tell my husband about my winnings he rolls his eyes and asks me how much it really cost me!?

26.  I have acrylic nails and the best nail lady in the valley.  I get them filled once every month to six weeks.  Bad I know, but she does such a good job and they don't lift at all, so I try to stretch it as long as I can between back fills!

27.  If I had to pick one clothing store to shop in for a new wardrobe, I would pick Ann Taylor Loft.  Love all of their clothes.

28.  Speaking of shopping, I shop mannequins!  Meaning, it looks good on the form, I want to try it on!  I am not very good at putting together outfits, so if I see it already done, I am sold!  If I don't have the opportunity to shop the mannequins, I like the employees to bring me clothes they think will look good on me {why I love The Buckle so much}!

29.  I would rather find something old, refinish it, and make it new again.

30.  I watch too many ridiculous shows on TV.  One Tree Hill, 90210, Teen Mom, Awkward, Jersey Shore, Bachelor Pad.  Thank God for DVR!  

31.  I love tattoos and would love more on my body, just have no clue what I would permanently want!  My four little birds took me forever to decide!  

That is it, 31 things you may or may not have known about me! 

Happy 31st Birthday to me!

Did I leave anything out?  

Have a question for me?  Ask away...