Simple Math.

Math was never my strongest suit, but this equation is probably the easiest I've encountered in my 23 years.

-

=

I don't know how much longer I can wait.

Gotcha!

Remember my post about the critters in ma attic?

I was hearing serious noises upstairs in my new house. I thought I had a raccoon, a ghost, or a not-so-friendly homeless man wreaking havoc above my head.

Thank you, Mr. Exterminator, for changing the population to (hopefully) 0.

my squirrely friend is quickly regretting his decision to shack up with me.

His triumphant finds? One dead rat (the trap got him, R.I.P.), and one pesky little squirrel. These guys are to blame for the noises I've been hearing in the morning, afternoon, and in the middle of the night.

It's good to know I'm not going crazy, right?

Now I can watch Criminal Minds before bed without the freak outs over a possible serial killer in my attic. I'm a newbie to this show, and I can't get enough of the millions of reruns.

Speaking of addicting TV shows, is anybody else getting a kick out of Brad Womack's return to The Bachelor? My mom watched his previous season, and I only saw the very end, but I'm already tired of the declarations of how he has changed, etc. We get it, Brad, and good luck with those crazy pizza-breath nutjobs. I think I'd take the real live vampire first.

Brad wants his own man version of Twilight.

I wanna know what ya'll think!

bLyssful THANK yous!

I have to thank Julie for the bLyss Designs shoutout she gave me on my birthday this past Saturday on her blog. She must have known I needed some more traffic to the bLyss etsy site. ;)

Julie's Wine-O glass. and I still have one for sale!

While I'm at it, I should thank all my great friends who have been helping me make this business finally successful. After all of my Christmas orders, I'm finally out of the red and making money on my wine glasses! It's amazing how accomplished it can make you feel when you can turn a hobby into a moneymaker.

Jill's beer mugs with the Irish flag

THANK YOU, THANK YOU to my etsy buyers, Kristie, Anastasia, Chelsea, Jill, Alyssa, Amy, Momma, Maggie, Michelle, Lisa-Marie, Maria, and Lauren. And anyone I may have forgotten. Ya'll are AWESOME!

this one was for Salisbury's veterinarian, Rebecca!

(and Maria, Mich, Chels, Alyssa, and Amy - yours are coming soon, promise!)

the beach glass.. see the sandy bottom? :)

Remember, most of my designs I don't even put on etsy. The site has been more of an exemplary site for my buyers, who for the most part request personalized designs with special colors. I'll try almost anything... I've even made a pink John Deere tractor beer mug for somebody!

monogrammed glass

Annnd, now debuting, bLyss CANDY dishes!

for his birthday, my dad asked for a Sno Caps candy dish.
I fashioned it like the candy box.

gooo terrapins! I was pretty proud of my Maryland "M" on the base of this one.

Apologies for the incredibly cruddy quality of these photos. I still can't find my camera, and as you can tell by my pictures these past few weeks, I'm lost without it.  :(

one zebra for sale!

So here's another sales pitch - they make awesome gifts, I do martini glasses, wine glasses, beer glasses and mugs, margarita glasses (if I can find them in stores), candy dishes and anything I can find in glass. Keep that business comin', 'cause I'd love to make something for you!

Is 23 old yet?

At what age does one officially become "old?"

happy birthday "two" you, baby lyssa. it's two bad your bangs aren't straight.

I was feeling pretty young today when I got a birthday blessing by the birthday fairy at school. This gem of a lady visits the school every month to "bless" each child for the month of their birthday.

birthday fairy blessing, hoo-rah! I even got to hold the wand.

With my 23rd birthday tomorrow, I'm kind of still feeling like I'm never going to be old. I'm going to be that old lady who still cures boredom with the Disney Channel, has a stupid excitement over bulk candy stores and ice cream, still thinks Jesse McCartney is dreamy, and loves to bust a move on the dance flo'. I do share a birthday with Elvis, after all.

let's face it. we'll be doing this 'till we're old and gray.

It's so funny how turning 21 is what everyone looks forward to with so much anticipation... and then, it's downhill from there, right? Sadly, running around declaring, "I'm twenty-threeee!" isn't near as cool as screaming "I'm twenty-ONNNEEEE" all day at the top of your lungs.

that "2-1" made an appearance all night long.

It's also a lot harder to hold up the 2-3 in the right order than it is when you turn 2-2.

foreeever yooouunnggg..

Let's face it, I'm never growing up. ;)

Does this mean I have to take down my coveted 22nd birthday card my good friend, Abby, made me? It's been on display in my room for a year now...

the birthday card that keeps on giving... Abby's so talented.

I'm off to Lake Gaston after work for a birthday weekend with my wonderful friends, John and Cynthia. I can't waiiiit!

Wine tastings, funny movies, and lots of corny games are in my near birthday future.

And probably not a birthday puppy. ;) I'm still holding onto my dreams!

what a surprise! A puppy?! I never even asked for one of those!

Next time I post, I'll be "twenty-threeeeee!"

Critters In Mah Attic

As a lot of you know, I've been hearing interesting noises coming from my attic since moving into my new little house.

Before I moved in, the house was vacant for a number of months, so it wasn't a big surprise to find the house pretty dirty. My parents and I did the best we could to clean up the place before moving everything in.

And theeeen, I started to hear banging above my head.  I had never been in the attic, so I was pretty weirded out. I could hear things being moved, I could hear little thumps, and I could hear pounding.

After a few days of this, my dad put a humane large animal trap up there.  I kept hearing noises and was hoping whatever it was up there got trapped, but when dad came to check it a week or so later, nothing was in the trap.

empty, empty trap. nobody in my attic likes the apple with peanut butter as much as I do?

This is the point where I get a little creeped. Whyyy am I hearing noises? Is there a bearded homeless man living in my attic? Is there a ghost? Oh, help.

I decided I either needed and exterminator or a ghostbusters. Duh-duh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh...duh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh, nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh...

"I ain't afraid'a no ghosts."

are you in my attic?

The straw that broke the camel's back (and the reason for my calling the exterminator) was the  poop   early birthday present someone left me in my hallway on Tuesday.

not the kind of birthday gift I had in mind

After looking at the poopies in my hallway yesterday, he told me I must have rats.

Glorious.

After checking out the attic and the holes in my roof leading into the house, he determined that I not only have rats playing my attic, but squirrels as well.

go get'cha own house, suckaaa

Yet another reason this girl needs a puppy! ;) After all the traps around my house/attic right now, I', willing to bet the squirrels are looking more like this...

you're gonna wish you never invaded my attic. 

Remedies for the coughing, sneezing, sore sickies

I hate it when people bring up when it's "that time of year." Like my sore throat, stuffy nose, and swollen glands haven't already let me know that the season changes wreak havoc on our otherwise healthy bodies.

With a birthday approaching in just two days, I'm in full defense mode as I start to feel lightheaded, stuffy, and sore-throated. You should see me... I look like a ghostbuster. Only I'm not busting ghosts. I'm busting bugs. ;) Bugbuster? Sinus-defendah? I need to come up with some better superhero names.

my defensive line

With my armed defenses up in this chilly weather, I thought it may be a smart time to share my tricks and tips for when I feel a cold or sinusitis coming on.

 The HandiBac
I hate generic hand sanitizers because they dry my skin out. Bath and Body Works is my savior for moisturizing in the cold weather plus killing bacteria (and it smells niiiiice). I keep this baby on my desk at work and in my car. *TIP: If you buy 'em now, they're cheap! BBW is having their semi-annual sale.

chloraseptic + benadryl = magic spray = feelin' good and ready for birthday activities!

 The "Magic Spray"
Chloraseptic Spray is one of the foulest sore throat remedies some people have ever tried, but I SWEAR it works. I hate surrendering to the spray, but I'm always glad I did once I get over the initial shock of the gross gargle. Plus, a tip I learned from my nurse practitioner back home in New Jersey: mix liquid Benadryl with the Chloraseptic, and the magical combination will reduce swelling, numb your sore throat, and clean out the bacteria all at the same time. This works way better than a saltwater gargle, I promise.

 The Citrus Vitamin C Halls Defense
These babies are the money. Not only do they taste delicious (especially the grapefruit flavored ones), they provide your daily recommended Vitamin C for the day. Yuuuum + Health!

 Raspberry Emergen-C
Warning: this stuff is gross in regular water. I don't recommend drinking it that way. I do, however, love it in my tea. Trust me on this one: hot water, tea packet, and emergen-c are great together - it's like a sweet flavored tea, and you're getting lotsa vitamins as you sip!

 AIRBORNE! 
It's true, working in a school really does make you susceptible to so many more germs per day.  The genius airborne supplement was created by a schoolteacher, and I've used it ever since my mom brought it home when it first came out.  Take the stuff in water at the first sign of a bug, and you're way more likely to pull through.  I'm not a huge fan of the taste, but the lozenges are great. If you grab the tablets, head for the grapefruit flavor.

 Check that diet.
Many people don't realize what they're eating can make them sick, too. I have a lot of friends who think they can get by without eating fruits and veggies and wonder why they're sick all the time. When you're sick, it's important to not focus on a low-fat diet. Focus on the well-balanced meals you're putting in your body. Get that protein, fruits, veggies, and starch, then add all the comfort food you're craving. Also, watch your dairy intake. That'll worsen the mucus rolling around your sinuses. Ga-ross.

 Watch what you're touching.
I make a constant effort to not touch public territory. Grab a door handle with your sleeve or on a spot most people don't touch, avoid handrails in a stairwell, and carry your antibacterial!

 Get some ZZZ's!
Sleep is what the body needs most to recoup.  Give yourself at least 8 hours if you're starting to feel under the weather so your body can renew itself and your defenses can build.

 And, don't forget momma's advice: HYDRATE!
I will insert an e-mail I received from my mother.

She does know best.

I hope you all are feeling better than I do today. How many others are battling a cold today?

I got my butt kicked by a DVD.

Yesterday, I had an "oopsie."

I'm extremely busy on the reg. It's very rare that I find myself with free time and nothing to do, and a product of my... productivity... can my a little bout of absentmindedness.

After work yesterday, I went to change into my gym clothes, as per usual, and I discovered... shoot. No shorts. Meeeeeh.

Since I'm not one to go run 5+ miles on the tread in sweatpants (Shamrock Half Marathon training is in full swing), I rolled my eyes and figured I'd go home and run outside.

Of course, since it's the middle of winter, I forgot that it would be pitch dark out by the time I got out the door.

SO... pepper spray, keys, iTouch, AND my new Forerunner GPS training watch in tow, I chugged outside for a quick 2 miles.  I'm a baby when it comes to running in the cold much like good ol' Julie, so getting out there in the chiiiiilly temps was a pretty big leap of faith in myself.

my new training friend, thanks to Mr. James. now I can track my pace during the halfs! (halves?)

I probably looked like a paranoid, lost psychopath determined to lose my holiday poundage.

don't mess with me. I've got the red one and I'm not afraid to use it.

After the lung-burning, snot-dripping 2 miles around the neighborhood (thank goodness it was dark), I popped in this new gem from the $9 holiday rack at Wal-Mart.

"nine dolla, you say? I'm in."

I'm typically not one for the video workout. I find them boring, annoying, and not near challenging enough for a good workout.

Jackie kicked my booty.

I found myself huffing and puffing to this 32 minute weight plus strength workout with three jacked-beyond-belief girls on screen telling me "it's not that bad." I silently cursed the overachievers and the fact that I don't have any hand weights less than 10 pounds.

As I struggled through the routine, I came to several conclusions:

10. I'm coming down with a cold. That's why this is so hard.

9. See? My body really does hate the cold. It shuts down after just 2 miles out there.

8. I need to go buy 7.5 pound dumb bells. Maybe 5 pounders. Okay, Maybe 3.

7. I really hope no one can see me through that window.

6. I hate her. And her jacked friends.

5. Do I really care if I have sculpted shoulders? Does anyone notice those, anyway?

4. She has bad hair. I'd rather have nice hair and not-so-sculpted quads.

3. I need to start putting extra shorts in my car to escape this hell and go back to my beloved treadmill.

2. Jackie doesn't know how to count 10 seconds.

1. Jackie must be the real deal.

If you have a $9 rack at Wal-Mart, go hit up Jackie.  She'll make you wish you didn't. ;)

Take That, Cancer.

The "C" word is a really scary one, and when it's used in regards to someone close to you, it's even scarier.

My mom's mom, my Mamoe, passed away from colon cancer last winter. She lived to be 89, and was one of the strongest women I've ever known. Her husband, my poppop, has survived two different types of cancer. It's people like these we learn to live from.

When my dad came to Virginia Beach to meet me for lunch one day this past fall, I had no idea I'd leave Panera Bread in tears. My dad had really scary news for me; he's been diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Forget the fact that many men live with prostate cancer. This was my dad. I've never seen him sick. He's always the strong one taking care of other people. When I had to hear those words coming from his mouth, I was scared to death.

daddy had hair when I was little!

To those of you who didn't know, does my really emotional birthday post to my dad make more sense, now? :)

Fortunately, his doctor is one of the best. After lots of tests and a second opinion, my dad was scheduled to have surgery to remove the cancer on the day before new years eve, December 30. Quite an eventful start to 2011, huh, Dad?

The hospital is here in Norfolk, VA, so I got to be at the hospital with my parents after his surgery. He was in the operating room from 8:00 a.m. until almost 2:00 p.m., and had the da Vinci robotic surgery. As far as surgery goes, how cool is that? The doctor essentially plays a video game and uses robotic hands to do the removal.

"hes proud'a me, so proud'a me!"

When I saw my dad for the first time in that hospital room, it was a little upsetting for me. I was used to seeing my dad knowing everything, fixing houses, and taking any lake on water-skis like a champ. His hurting was really hard for me to think about.
Fortunately, my dad is a champ. After I stayed with him in his little recovery room overnight, he went on a walk through the hospital wing the very next day, and did well through his two hour ride home in the back of the minivan.

I've been learning more and more lately that it's hard times such as these that show you just how strong people are. I so admire the strength of my mom through all of this, and I love how both of my parents have taken the attitude of just getting through this. Cancer is surmountable, and we will conquer it.

Dad's now at home and recuperating with his Kindle loaded up with new books, DVR full of fresh TV shows, and my momma at his side!

the muskrat spirit shines. he'll be up and at'em in no time!

Take that, cancer. You've got nothin' on us Halters.