2015 started with a BANG.

While I wish that I could really lay out every detail of my life on my blog it really just cannot happen sometimes. These past few weeks I have wanted nothing more than to come here and pour out my soul onto these pages. I have cried myself to sleep, questioned everything in my life, almost lost my marriage, had to medicate myself through panic attacks, and honestly I have barely had the strength to get out of bed most days.

I had to keep away from my blog because I needed to keep what was going on private at the time I was in shock because I didn't think I could make sound decisions about what to share and how to share it.

Now, here I am, ready to come back and write and I try to piece my life together. It is going to be a process. 2015 is going to be the year where everything changes. It is either going to be really good and things are going to be better than they have been in a long time or it is going to be really tough and soul searching.

Only time will tell......

#Blogmas14: What Christmas Means To Me

Christmas to me is.....

FAMILY- The very first thing that I think of when I think about Christmas or the holidays in general is family. My husband has a huge italian family and it is one of my very favorite things about the holidays. My family has always just been my parents and I so we are used to a small low key holiday so we celebrate twice and they are polar opposites!

Foster with "Kiwi"- 2012

Foster with Nana- 2012

Foster with Auntie Meg- 2012

Foster with Papa-2013

Foster with Great Gram- 2012

Foster with his cousins (and dad) - 2012

Our family of 3 - 2013

Foster with Grandma and Papa Chesnut- 2013

Daddy, Mommy, Foster, & Bella- 2013

Gram and all her grandkids and great-grandkids - 2013

FOOD- Justin's family being italian does TONS of food for the holidays. About 40 types of cookies among other desserts. Gram makes handmade ravioli (both meat and cheese ones), homemade sauce & meatballs and more.... it is divine! I look forward to Grams christmas dinner all year. She also cooks a roast beef and a bunch of sides including yorkshire pudding (Justin's favorite).

Decorating cookies with my mom and baby.

Sprinkles are serious.

LOVE- There is so much love at the holidays and it makes my heart so happy!

TIME TO GIVE- I love giving gifts to my family and friends but even more importantly this is a season to remember those who don't have what we do. I try and volunteer at the food bank or other places during the holiday season. I also do angel tree children that I shop for. I just think this season is a great time the spread the love and help others.

MEMORIES- So many memories are made around the holidays. I wish that they came around more often ;)

#Blogmas14: Christmas Tree Reveal

Well, ladies and gentleman, I am going to have to apologize on this one because my tree is up and lit but the ornaments are not on yet. They were supposed to go on tonight but a toddler that I know was being extra sassy and bad tonight so he was told we couldn't decorate the christmas tree. Wednesday this tree is getting trimmed!

Here is our tree last year:

#Blogmas14: Gift Guide for Him

I don't know about anyone else but I think that men can be SO hard to buy for. My husband never knows what he wants, my dad has everything he wants because he goes out and buys it, and men are just tough to buy for in general. So, when coming up with a holiday gift guide for men I decided to pick things that I would love to see on my man. So if I were to build a dream man these would be things that he would wear. Most likely my husband won't wear half of these BUT my second husband will be someone that likes these things ;)

Scarf / TOMS / Wayfarers / Wallet

Razor / Cologne

#Blogmas14: Gift Guide for Her

I like giving more than receiving but since I need to make a list of gifts for women this year I am going to use my list as a reference. There are a few things on this list that appear on mine and some other things that I have and love that I think other women would love as well.

TOMS Wedge / Kate Spade Earrings / Coffee Mug

Sugar Lip Treatment / AE Sweater / Viktor & Rolf BonBon / Hunter Boots

#Blogmas14 Day 2

Day 2 of #Blogmas14 is well underway and I am so in love with today's topic... Favorite Family Christmas Card. I was unable to pick just one so I chose two. Here they are, 2012 & 2013, of your viewing pleasure. My how my baby boy grows!!!

Happy December! #Blogmas14

I decided to join in with a couple girls whose blogs I adore (Ash & Tay) to participate in the 25 days of Christmas on the blog.

Today is December 1st so it is time to get started with my first day of Blogmas14!

This girl is THANKFUL!

I know this post is a little late but I took the holiday long-weekend off to be with family and go out of town and I didn't even take my computer with me. For those of you that know me IRL (in real life) this probably knocked you off your chair. I am normally attached to my macbook pro but this year I wanted to really just soak in the family time!

I would like to share some of the things that I am most thankful for this year:

1. Foster: I am so incredibly thankful to be his mommy. He is blossoming into such a loving and polite little boy right before my eyes. The days when I thought I would never be a mommy were plenty so these moments are not ones that I take for granted. Every holiday, event, moment, and activity is made so much more special by getting to experience it through his eyes and with all of his excitement. He makes his momma proud.
2. Health: Minor health problems are nothing in comparison to the things that many deal with. I am so thankful for the health of myself and my family this year.
3. Work: Not only am I thankful to have a job because any do not but I have a job that I love at a place that I love.
4. Tonks: (my kitty) She is a ball of cuddles and makes my heart warm and fuzzy.
5. My pups (Boston & Bella): They may drive me crazy a LOT but I am thankful for their shenanigans and love.
6. Christmas scented candles: Yep, you read that right, these rank right up there. LOVE ME SOME CANDLES! They get me in the mood for the holidays.
7. Holiday Hand-soap: It is now at all sinks in my house and I wash my hands throughout the house to enjoy it. Yep, i'm odd.
8. WINE: Obviously. Enough said.

Linking up with The Collective! Head over and check it out...

Work In Progress...

I am a work in progress.

I in no way, shape, or form think that I am done figuring out who I am. To that same point, there are many things about myself that I have figured out but I am not happy to settle on and want to change. Examples:

- I am messy.
- I can be unorganized in a few areas of my life because I am SO organized in others.
- I am inpatient.
- I spend money like more is always going to come.
- I don't know what this "saving" is that people talk about... money literally burns holes in my pockets.
- I have trouble forgiving people who really hurt me.
- I am chronically late, like so chronic.

There are also things about myself that I don't want to change and that I hope never go away. Examples:

- I am passionate.
- I am VERY driven. No accomplishment the end goal for me, there is always another goal.
- I love, hard.
- I give my friends 200%, there is NOTHING that I wouldn't do for my close friends.
- I don't lie. I think it's horrible karma and that nothing good can come of it.

Are you a work in progress or do you have it all figured out?

Success at a young age.

I have given lots of thought whether to write this post or not but, honestly, it needs to be written. Even if for nothing else than my own mental sanity. I do not intend to offend anyone or insinuate that all people act in this way because I know that is not the case. It just seems to be more common than not and what I have run into a lot.

What is so threatening about a young woman who is successful? I know that it isn't necessarily fun to have someone younger than you as your supervisor or requesting things of you but sometimes it is just going to be the case!

I find that having had my master's degree and being a board certified Nurse Practitioner already in my 20s is not the norm. I knew this going in but I don't think that norms should dictate what I do with my  career. What I didn't expect was the huge amount of resistance I would have to fight against in work scenarios afterwards to command authority and respect.

I thought that I could be the real normal "me". I could be friends with everyone at work and just be fun and real and they would respect the few things I need from them because, well, thats just how it works. Well, that isn't how it worked. So I find myself trying to navigate this space and draw back from my friendships because these "friends" aren't respectful when they need to be at times at work and they honestly talk because they are threatened.

It makes me sad. I wish it wasn't something that I had to deal with but it seems to not be something that is going to change soon seeing how I am only 29 currently.

Do you find this in your place of work or career field?
(I would love some input on this!)

Mingle Monday- 11/17

This week's Mingle Monday question is: What is on your DIY project wishlist?

Here are the top 3 things on my list currently.

I love a good wreath (heavens knows I have like 30 in the basement) and this one makes my heart happy. Love the pom poms!

This is so rustic and classic. This is one that I would never get sick of or feel like it was out of style. If makes me think of snow and the woods and christmas <3

Every year I make a christmas tree ornament and give them to all our family. This is a contender this year, I think it is precious and I am burlap obsessed this year.

Six on Saturday

Yea, yea, I know that isn't a real link up {or at least not that I know of} but I needed a catchy title.

1. You may be feeling like you have no idea what blog you are on and that is because I changed the look of my blog and the name too! "The Crafty Practitioner" just didn't feel right anymore. I closed my etsy shop due to being super busy with my real job and I haven't been feeling crafty at all. This name feels much more ME because wine is my bff.

So, how do you like the new look?

2. I got the new iPhone 6+! I was really nervous that it would be too big but I knew that I had 2 weeks to return it if it wasn't working out between us so I went for it. So this beauty is my new companion:

We are getting along fabulously and so far I am thinking it is a keeper.

3. We are supposed to get our first snow that sticks to the ground here in Columbus, Ohio tomorrow and I cannot wait! Most people are dreading it and complaining profusely but I love snow and I am excited like a 5 year old on christmas eve. Bring it on mother nature!!!

4. Boston, our Vizsla puppy, is a little bit coo-coo. He literally cannot stand the car. He shakes like an earthquake thinking about the car, hides from me in the morning so that I cannot find him to get him to the car and once I do find him, I have to drag him like a 2 year old. It is insane, and I am not even exaggerating. He also drools {if you can even call it that} profusely for the first 20 minutes in the car. Evidence as follows:

So. Dramatic.

5. Justin's engine in his car {a 2010 subaru, WTF!} blew up on a trip for work and he was stuck in Maryland. We now have to pay for a whole new engine before the holidays. Are you kidding me?!

6. So happy to be back to blogging, I missed it. Sometimes a facelift is all I need!

Halloween with Captain America

Foster was so fun at Halloween this year. He really understood it and had anticipation for it so that made it very exciting (and I cannot wait for Christmas now). He had two costumes that we had picked up at Costco while shopping one day as dress-ups for the house so I decided that he could use these since they were fairly new.

We went to Boo at the Zoo and Foster chose to dress up in his "Racecar" (Racecar driver) costume for this event. Is was cold out and rainy so this was a great choice on his part. It was great practice for him to say "Happy Halloween", "Trick or Treat", and thanking people for the treats they were passing out. Here are some pictures of the fun that we had:

                                        

                                        

   

For trick or treat Foster wore his Captain America costume, he also wore is to school that day for his Halloween Party. He was SO excited to be dressed up as Captain America and would not take off the costume the whole day or evening. He ate dinner in it, haha! He did such a good job trick or treating. We went out with him and Boston came with us. We explained that the houses with the lights on are houses that want trick or treaters. Wouldn't you know that after that Foster had to go to EVERY. HOUSE. WITH. THE. LIGHTS. ON. "But the wights are on!!!!!!!!". Silly silly mommy, 3 year olds don't forget things like that.