To be or Not to Be

Posted by vagirl on Oct 19, 2013 in government, pop-culture perhaps, Wedding | 0 comments

(photo courtesy)

To Be or Not To Be
A Government Employee… ?

To be… a wedding planner?

With the government shut down finally over, I feel as though I can resume wedding planning. Not that the plans were ever put on ‘hold’, but just felt as if I were ‘hold’-ing my breath, waiting, as if this wasn’t going to end well. As if this ongoing stalemate was signaling something worse in the economy, or as if congress would actually deem all programs for women and children no longer worth funding. So I held my breath and considered optional career plans.

I’ve always liked real estate. Its fun to look at houses and having grown up in NVa, I have seen how drastically the real estate- homes, neighborhoods, and commercial properties have changed the landscape of the DC suburbs. There are now expensive condos and tall office buildings where there used to be dilapidated houses. There are now multi million dollar homes where there used to be section-8 (low income) housing.

In the end, if the economy is not so good… i.e. if the government were to have default on their debt, then, the housing market would plummet, as would my real estate career! Lol!

So then I thought… well, I have all this new-found knowledge on the wedding industry. I now have a 45-row spreadsheet with the details, costs, specifications, packages, and deposit structures for dozens of venues between Charlottesvile and Baltimore. Not only that, I also have lists of preferred and highly preferred florists, musicians, etc for the area along with their cost structures.

So, I actually have a lot of interesting info that would lend to me being a wedding planner.
But then the government re-opened, and as I realized I was going to go back to my wonderful job (which I do love) but also back to the daily grind (which I don’t like), a part of the whimsical, creative side of my brain went back down into the back of my mind to hibernate with everything that lies dormant when you’re a government employee.

It would be so fun to at least be a part-time wedding planner… or set up a side business that would be part time… or find a planner company who would be willing to put up with my limited hours in exchange for my knowledge, organizational and social media skills…

If I were to set up my own business, I’d charge half as much as other planners (because I know how much most of them charge in the area) just to get some experience and only take a few clients here and there so as to maintain my part time status. Luckily most weddings happen on the weekends so, wouldn’t conflict with work in most instances.

So, we will see how it goes. If I get promoted again next year then I may forget about all of this. Lets forget the fact that I have been studying public health and policy for the last 10 years and attended two of the top universities in the world all to dedicate my life to improving the livelyhoods of low income women and children… sometimes I just want to play with flowers and pretty things. Having started to plan my wedding has opened my eyes to a world of amazingly beautiful things!! So, sometimes you just have to enjoy it…

So, I probably need to finish planning my own wedding first. I did find a lovely planner for my Charlottesville wedding finally – Events with Panache. Jennifer will be helping me with day-of coordination, I selected the ‘Amanda’ package. I just love her, she is the nicest planner I spoke with, she totally ‘got’ me. I didn’t feel like I was ‘just another client’ with her, she listened to all my rambling thoughts and concerns and has been so supportive!

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Baby Shower Planning

Posted by vagirl on Oct 8, 2013 in pop-culture perhaps, shopping | 0 comments

I am posting the inspiration I used to plan my sister in law’s baby shower held in August. The baby shower turned out great! I don’t have a ton of pictures, but here are a few, and more pinterest images.

The nursery colors she chose were yellow & gray chevron. So, I used this pinterest image as a general inspiration:

I loved this napkin ring idea! I went to Michael’s and found some chevron grey paper and cut stripes for napkin rings. I made them even prettier by using a martha stewart boarder paper cutter to cut flowers along the edge! After you cut them out with the edge maker, just wrap a ribbon around it for a finishing touch!

You can buy this paper puncher right here: http://shop.marthastewart.com/Martha-Stewart-Crafts-Punch-Around-The/A/B00455VGNQ.htm

Then I found a cute pattern for an owl to crochet, and I made a set to hang over the cake! This is how it all turned out:

I made this ‘its a girl’ sign using felt and chevron yellow paper for the letters!

Owl Crochet in Grey and Yellow!

You can also find these printables to bring everything together. I found these on etsy:

You can find the etsy listing here: http://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/127928586/yellow-and-gray-polka-dot-chevron-baby?ref=br_feed_21

We played ‘baby shower bingo’… everyone loved it!!

You can find the template and rules here: http://www.parents.com/baby/shower/games/fun-baby-shower-games/

For more yellow chevron babyshower ideas, check out my pinterest board: http://www.pinterest.com/VAGirlBlog/baby-shower-planning/

For food, we provided a buffet with chicken, salad, fish, and a few other things, and cupcakes and a cake for desert.

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Government ShutDown: Day 3

Posted by vagirl on Oct 3, 2013 in government, in the news, Local Life, pop-culture perhaps | 0 comments

Day 3 of the Government Shut Down

The latest article from GoogleNews is:

Analysis: U.S. government shutdown fight could morph into debt limit superstorm

I thought at first this would last a week at the most. The government would be up and running by Monday…

Maybe not!!

Maybe I should consider alternative career options.

Federal employees are blocked from seeking other employment while they are furloughed. This is according to ethics laws and policies at each federal department. So, that means that federal staff who have dedicated their entire careers to their public service jobs are now entirely dependent on their own savings. People across the country are suffering from government services being shut down or their own salaries being put on hold. There is no guarantee that federal employees will be paid after the furlough ends. A separate bill has to be passed through congress in order for that to happen.

I can imagine that people who love their jobs are left feeling that they are not sure what to do now. There is no ability to plan for even a short trip for feds who have the money to travel, since everyone is just waiting around, hoping the next day will be better.

For now, some feds are at least enjoying a little bit of sunshine and trying to stay positive. But they are glued to the news and holding their breath, putting plans on hold for trips and even weddings… unsure of how long they will have to fare without a paycheck.

Feds who are working are guaranteed a paycheck but are not getting paid during the furlough and will only receive a paycheck after the furlough ends.

:O :O :O

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How was YOUR summer??

Posted by vagirl on Sep 15, 2013 in doggy, Healthcare | 0 comments

Apparently I’m not having the best summer ever. So, I am not that sad that it is over.

First… The dentist replaces one of my caps in July and then tells me, after the fact, that cold foods for 6-8 weeks might be painful. I ask him, “You Mean I can’t have ICE CREAM for the rest of the summer?” I am shocked. He could have mentioned this before.

He responds… “uhhhh… yea, I guess SO. sorry.”

WOW. Dentists need to think about what they’re saying.

And it was true, it was so strange how much it hurt every time I accidentally had something cold… not even cold water was okay. I felt like such an old lady asking for water with no ice at restaurants. Not to mention I haven’t had frozen yogurt since JUNE!

Now, Its mid-September and I just had yogurt 2 days ago for the first time without noticing any pain!! finally.

So then, in early August, of course, someone stole my wallet right from under my nose. That was dumb. I think there’s a post about it right before this one.

In late august…. – I broke my nose….

My little adorable jack russell terrier jumped up while I was bending over to pick him up… and slammed right into my nose! It was the loudest crack and the most painful thing I’ve ever experienced. I went black and really blurry for a while… I mean, my vision. My fiancee went to get ice and I kept it on ice and couldn’t stop cryyyying from the pain… but also laughing bc I felt so dumb about the freak accident.

I was in disbelief that it was actually broken. It didnt look too bad after I iced it. This was two thursdays ago, so I stayed home friday and kept it on ice.

On friday I also went to the dr. he said he thought it was broken. I still didn’t believe it, even though he jiggled my nose (yea that felt weird) and looked at it. He sent me downstairs to get ex-rays. My primary care dr is absolutely the best, and practices at VA Medical Alliance, in Springfield, VA. If you are looking for a highly experienced, thoughtful and caring doctor, go there!! He is great. I got ex-rays right away since conveniently, the ex-ray place is in the same building and so you just take your ‘order’ right downstairs and they see you right away!!

So, then my Dr. called me on Monday himself!! Did I say how nice he is?? I really didn’t realize Drs dont always call themselves, when my fiancee needed an ex-ray, he got a letter in the mail 2 weeks later that he needed surgery – from his lame dr.- I thought all Drs. just called you directly. heee

So, my dr. told me that I needed to go see a specialist … my nose was broken!! He sounded serious, but I still thought I could go to the beach and I would be fine with going to the Drs. after I got back. It would suck if the only vacation I had taken in 2 years got foiled by a broken nose!!

At that point, i was taking like, 800 mg of advil, advised by him, so I wasn’t in any pain, and didnt think it was a huge deal. When I looked at my nose, it looked fine. I didn’ realize it was still swollen so you couldn’t tell how bad it was by just looking in the mirror. I set up a specialist appt for late the following week. I would have preferred to stay at the beach (labor day week) the full week but knew I should at least listen to my dr…. since he is so nice.

Went to a specialist who also had a specialty plastic surgery (just in case!). I really thought this would be a quick appointment and we’d have the rest of the week and weekend to relax. I hadn’t looked in the mirror much since We had just gotten home late the night before. As I sat in the examining chair, he shined the light on my nose while he held up a mirror. My nose was completely caved in on one side and the top part was completely crooked. With the light shining down, there was a clear zig-zag where my regular strait nose bone used to be. I was horrified… gross !!The Dr. said that the side that got hit crashed into the other side pushing it out on the other side, when Sparkee slammed into me. (wow)

And, he said I needed surgery Right Away! I was like, what, this ruins everything! He scheduled me in for surgery the very next morning.

What transpired following the surgery was the most painful experience of my life. And I’ve had pancreatitis (whereby I drove myself to the hospital, lol!)

There was a cast on the outside and on the inside of my nose. I couldnt breathe through my nose. The minute the pain killers started wearing off,… i felt like DYING. Some would call me a wimp… I would agree. But, it definitely was worse than when sparkee broke it 2 weeks ago!

Definition
By Mayo Clinic staff
A broken nose, also called a nasal fracture, is a break or crack in a bone in your nose — often the bone over the bridge of your nose.

Common causes of a broken nose include contact sports, physical fights, falls and motor vehicle accidents that result in facial trauma.

Signs and symptoms of a broken nose include pain, swelling and bruising around your nose and under your eyes. Your nose may look crooked, and you may have difficulty breathing.

Treatment for a broken nose may include procedures to realign your nose. Surgery usually isn’t necessary for a broken nose.

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Union Station: Watch your Wallet !

Posted by vagirl on Aug 2, 2013 in Local Life, pop-culture perhaps | 0 comments

I was in union station, grabbing a coffee, taking a breather… It was a weekday morning and I had been at a conference at a nearby hotel. I bought some coffee at Le Pain Quoditien, located right by the door of the entrance to the main level.. by the flowers-door… and as I got up to grab some sugar,… someone lifted my wallet!!!!

I just got up, turned around for 3 seconds, to grab some sugar for my coffee.. and I never saw my wallet again. The thief worked fast, he/she charged a $60 metro card, a $10 something at one of the nearby gift shops, and over $200 at a DC – Marshalls!!!

Marshalls?? Really? That’s where you go with a stolen credit card??
Okay… what – ever.

It wasn’t two hours later that the bank was mad at me that I had waited until I was feeling safe at home before I called them. What with my metro card and ALL my cash gone, I had to take a cab to my mom’s office (luckily she works downtown), she paid for my cab, and set me on my way with a metro card and additional cash, and a bottle of water (to cheer me up…:) )

On my way back to my office… I look through my purse… my badge is gone. It was in my Wallet…. I either need my badge or my driver’s license to get into my building… I was completely SOL. Despite my fiancée and his parents working in my building… there was no way in without some form of identification.

So, I shamefully get off the train going towards work and take it in the opposite direction… Vienna. Luckily I still had my car keys. I walked to the metro parking lot after getting off that long-ass metro ride and felt completely safe again once I got in my car.

Then I got locked out of my house an hour later….

I’m having a week.

I haven’t mentioned how I started doing squats this past Sunday and did… 25 of them… all at the same time. Apparently you’re not supposed to do that. I just saw a video on you-tube about it and it looked so easy. So, I thought I would just incorporate them into my lazy sit-up work out routine. And, so when I say “walked to the metro” or anywhere else for that matter… I really mean HOBBLED.

I filed a report about my stolen wallet at union station’s security desk website. I called security and they said I had to file a “lost and found” report online. AS IF its “lost”? But I did it anyway. I would be shocked if someone ever calls me back.

I have traveled all across Europe and all over the US and even Latin America and have never lost my wallet… and yet it gets stolen 15 miles from my house! That’s DC for you. And I was considering actually buying a condo in the Union Station area. NOT ANYMORE !

Its sad. This is why Virginia is the best place to live… its SO SAFE HERE!

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A little busy…

Posted by vagirl on Jul 11, 2013 in pop-culture perhaps | 0 comments

Its been forever since I’ve posted. I was just reminded that I have a lot going on right now. I didnt even realize it. I guess when you are busy, someone else needs to point out how busy you are.

Its like when you forget to eat because you have a ton of papers to write…? grad school…? I know im not the only one who lost 20 pounds bc they forgot to eat in grad school… right ??

Okay, so first, I have been buried at work. People think that just because you can leave at 5 or 5:30 you’re lucky… no. You get home and you’re exhausted from the long day you’ve had. Being a fed is tiring, it drains your soul… lol.

The only think I want to do when I get home is lay down in bed! I have high plans to go to the pool, the gym… walk the dog… make dinner… but… No. None of those things happen very often. I am just glad I have a dog walker who takes Sparkee out in the afternoon so I dont have to rush home and take him out right when I get there. I do have to remember to feed him…. luckily he reminds me

So then, I also happen to be attempting to plan a wedding! WAAAAAAT. You know whats fun about it…….. pinterest, and twitter. Everything else is just WORK! So, I actually havent gotten very far beyond making too many pinterest boards and perusing and following wedding vendors on twitter.

I need a planner !!!

But you know what comes with hiring a planner…..? FINDING A PLANNER.

There are tons of planners in the DC area, but you have to interview them, peruse their former weddings and their blogs and websites to make sure they they match your style, understand you, and then you have to figure out if you can afford them… LOL!

Okay… so I go around in circles with wedding planning: first from local to away wedding… it just popped in my head last night (as i was reviewing the Georgetown westin venue) that there is a westin in ST. JOHNS that IS ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL… WHY DONT WE JUST FREAKING HAVE THE WEDDING THERE!!! ??????

So, there’s that.

Then, there’s the planner vs. day-of coordinator debate. SOME VENUES have their own very helpful planners!! So, why would I spend an extra $$$$ to hire a planner for a venue which hasnt been selected so that I will then have 2 PLANNERS to deal with ?!?!?!

Am I over thinking it? Whats wrong with me…. Why am I worried about everything? lol.

ANY-way

Then in the midst of all this wedding planning I am just avoiding…. I GOT PROMOTED!!

Because work is more fun than wedding planning. THERE. I SAID IT. Its TRUE. Ive spent the last year focusing on getting promoted and have not done any wedding planning. :O :O

I’d rather review medicaid waivers than conduct a logistical analysis for which venue has the best value while still being close enough to my church…

heheeeeeeee

Okay then… I got addicted to crocheting. Because… when youre too tied to moove, nothing says brain relax more than wrapping beautiful colors around your fingers and twisting htem around in knots.

I kid not. (haha no punn intended)

I even wrote a blog article about it!! HERE: http://thedcladies.com/author/sylvia-sosa/

So that comes to the other reason I’ve been kind of busy… not only am I addicted to crochet but I also signed up to be a blogger on “The DCLadies” blog… which is really cute!! (thedcladies.com)

Anyway. So I forgot my cousin was pregnant, I just found out bc apparently she is scheduled for a c-section later this month and it conflicts with the baby shower I am planning my sister in law. (yes i will post a blog on baby shower planning later)

So, i asked my mom and she was like- uh, yea you might have forgotten, you have a lot going on.

And thats when I was like… I DO ?????

Maybe I do….

Maybe I shouldnt feel so bad…

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Doggy Birthday Party

Posted by vagirl on Apr 14, 2013 in doggy | 0 comments

Sparkee, my Jack Russel Terrier has turned 10 years old! This is a major celebratory event, since, its a freaking miracle I have kept him ALIVE this long… or anything ALIVE for that happens to be completely dependent on me remembering to feed, clothe, feed him. Luckily he is a brilliant jack russell terrier! So, that means he learned quickly that he has to remind me to feed him, take him out, come home.. etc…

Luckily, I also had considerable help. < < it takes a village >> Particularly when I left him to go to London, Rome, Prague, Athens, Boston, …. etc etc. Luckily is from a good family. My mom, his ex-daddy, my mom… yes. Who knows where he would be without his family!!

So, I felt the need to celebrate that he has managed to stay alive for this long Despite, having ME as a mother.

Well, generally, I shower him with love, kisses, and all the praise a doggy could ever want, and teach him new things every day… and take him to the vet. It just the little things, like, ongoing maintenence. Dogs are creatures that need constant attention!! If I had to do it all again… i would. I love this breed too. I had two jack russells growing up so, I knew I wanted another one once I left home.

Sparkee has also been quite the sickly doggy, especially the first few years of his life. First he had the most sensitive tummy, so I had to make him customized meals of boiled chicken and rice. Then he got lyme disease and had to receive a series of anti-biotics and I was so scared he wasn’t going to make it! But now, he is as healthy as ev-er! He eats a high protein low grain diet (“Call of the Wild” dog food is amazing) and I spare no expense on all his wonderful treats and healthy food. He plays outside and has so much strength and stamina, he doesn’t seem a day over nine…

Sparkee has also been the most consistent man in my life over the last 10 years (hehe!) and is always there to keep me company, a shoulder to cry on when ‘boys’ have been less than wonderful, a source of entertainment, and love, and keeps my feet warm at nights…. In fact he is lying right next to me as I type this. He is such a sweetheart. I can only hope my * future * children can be as perfect as him!!

Yes… future children, you have a lot to live up to!!

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