Its the most wonderful time

of the yearrrrrrr. Christmas music in the background everyday, trying to survive at my family's deli WITHOUT punching someone. HA! It gets difficult after a while dealing with customers that are difficult and on top of that there is no structure or rules just yet so anything goes!! And that bothers me sooooo much. Working for other people for the past 5 years has given me an advantage about the people that live in my town, no matter what, you let them cross a line, they will keep and keep and keep crossing it. Unfortunately of course.

Just a short post tonight, seeing as its 1:00 am and I would like to get to the gym somewhat early in the morning!

Went shopping on Monday with my best Heather and got a bunch of super cute dresses, gotta go shopping again. It's an addiction and a very bad habit haha but I love it [and need clothes. Losing weight and getting older I threw a lot of clothes away and behold: I have no clothes!] and I would like some more :)

Anywho I will be posting more and more after the holidays, it is just super hard. I think I am going to take a semester off of school to figure some things out, which I feel is the best thing for me. Hope everyone's pre-holiday week is going good! I have yet to do any shopping, even though I would like to do things mostly hand-made but you need time for that and I find my days getting shorter and shorter with free time.

I will be back very soon though! and show you the adorable dresses and such that I got. Scored a New Years dress [SCORE!] Super happy!

Lovelovelove! : )

Night<3

Time to relax...

Finally : )

Last week of school and it is finally over. Thank goodness. I can finally concentrate on baking : ) I have missed it very much so. I did get to cook a

kick-butt dinner tonight if I do say so myself. The worst part of my dinner was the wrap I bought. Although high in fiber [yay!] lacking a lot of taste. Lots ha ha ha. Here is a picture for you to drool over... well maybe not in this picture but it is very delicious!

No recipe here but I will tell you it is scallions, tri-color of peppers, black beans, corn and then ground turkey just browned and all seasoned with pepper, salt, chili pepper, cinnamon [ just a little! ] and garlic. So a good ending to a rough week, along with a great workout : )

Trying my best to get into shape and stay healthy. It is hard because we are hardly home so we don't go grocery shopping very much. But I am trying to stay on top of it. Obviously not working all that much ha ha ha

So there really isn't much more to say, my brain is fried and I am currently watching Robin Williams Self Destruction. I definitely don't agree with him on his political views but he is hysterical and I am enjoying it. So have a good weekend and a good night! I will be enjoying my day off and will come back again soon!

Ello there!

So this weekend definitely brightened my spirits from this past week. It wasn't a bad week but it just wasn't a great one. Very difficult to say the least. BUT behold the weekend proved to be a success! Kor came down for the weekend and spent the whole time here, which was grreeaaatt. We finally had a cute little date night tonight, god knows how long it has been since we did that! It has just been a crazy busy couple of months and every time he would come home from school we both would be way too tired.

But that all changed tonight! : ) We went to this cute little place called Tradition and went shopping for some stuff I needed for christmas [handmade gifts this year! whoop] Got to Michael's and another great surprise! Not only was half the store on sale but some guy that worked there gave us an additional 15% off my entire purchase! HOLY CRAP was I happy! Only spent 29 dollars! Cheap date, I know ; ) We got something quick to eat and then headed back home to build our $8 gingerbread house we scored at Michael's as well. Watched a movie and now I am relaxing while he is in my brother's room reading and falling asleep. Unfortunately he has to leave early tomorrow but he will be back soon enough.

I should be getting to bed too. Working on some secret presents/stocking stuffers for my family and than probably hitting the hay. Super tired and have to work tomorrow : P Last week of school as well which is freaking sweet!! CANNOT wait to be done.

Here are a couple of photos from this weekend and that I have been meaning to post. Hope everyone had great weekend! A new week to start fresh : ) Goodnight!

Our gingerbread house we decorated/built : ) Front and back-side view

It is not professional but we love it.

Our baby christmas tree that we got to decorate : )

Sophia and I [my niece] from the night I watched her. So cute!

New shoes and flats that I scored at Target! Love 'em!

My first instant photo from my new Fuji camera! Love it! : )

Well there you go! hope you enjoyed crappy photobooth photos of everything! haha : )

Aloha...

Woo haaa Wednesday! So today has been a day, went to work and got home later than I wanted to. A very busy week so I really won't be able to post what and as much as I want. But I do promise this weekend I will do a mega, awesome and long post with stories, photos galore! 2 tests in the morning and a house to clean, oh what joy!

Hope everyones week is going a little better than mine, I will be back soon!

It's been a Monday

today to say the least. Didn't get a lot of sleep last night so I am absolutely exhausted. I have a lot of school work to catch up on so right now I am just posting to say HI! and I will be back with stories, pictures and some laughs! Hope everyone's week started off a little better than mine!

Lots of Love!

Thank you..

Everyone in my life,

Thank you.

Thank you for: always being there; being able to make me see good in people; helping me through tough times; showing me who I really am; making it easy to let you go; being a true blessing in my life!

I cannot believe today is Thanksgiving, boy am I excited!!

: D This is my favorite time of the year [ of course more enjoyable somewhere where the "norm" in november ISN'T 85 degrees ] BUT today is a true blessing. It isn't hot, a little humid but that too shall pass. I couldn't ask for a better day for today! Nothing exciting so far but I do need to go get ready... soon of course.

Last night I got to spend Thanksgiving Eve [i created a new holiday, if you didn't celebrate there is always next year silly] with my 4 year old niece. We made s

mores, made hand turkeys, decorated my sister's apartment [w/ said hand turkeys and some paper loops!] and watched Cinderella. I couldn't have asked for a better night. AND since she had eaten before hand, I had to make myself some dinner... and oh boy did I treat myself. I was running through Publix trying to find SOMETHING I was in the mood for to go with pasta and chicken. Millions of possibilities, I know, but I wanted to try something out of the ordinary.... so I did!

I sauteed some onions in a pan, cut up my chicken in bite sized pieces. The best part you may ask, I sauteed some pears with the onions AND made a kick ass goat cheese cream sauce. Heaven?! YES! Put it over linguine, and BAM! Heaven in a bowl. Holy moly it was delicious, I do have to say there was something missing but it was divine. I have leftovers so that might be my light [haha!!] lunch before turkey turkey turkey! Oy vey, I'm dreaming about it now...

If you are up for it, I would definitely try that out. There really isn't a recipe but it included: small yellow onion diced, boco pear diced, chicken breast diced [vegetarians can substitute something of their liking or sweet baby peppers goes very nice as well!] goat cheese, heavy cream, salt pepper, little garlic, and cooked linguine! mmm

mmmmm so delicious please do try!

Mine turned out looking like this:

Yes, I was smiling. That was before I ate it! Very goood : )

So enough about food right!? mouth watering yet? Sorry about that.

Well anywho I should get going and get ready. I was supposed to have already left for my hubs house, WHOOPS!

Have a great holiday everyone!!!

new post!

coming tomorrow! its way too late and i have a busy busy day ahead of me!

errands, work, gym and babysitting! might not sound like much but that will be taking up my whole day!

be back tomorrow!

good night and happy early turkey festivities!!

This has been odd

to say the least... a very odd last couple of weeks or so. I think it might be my new prescription from my doctor. Very moody and short tempered, and i do NOT like that! I try and stay away from that as much as possible.

But I did get some fresh ink on thursday, SEE:

Isn't it just wonderful!? I had this idea to get betty boop about a week or two ago when i was out to dinner with my hub and best friend but it didn't happen that night so I have gone back and talked to my artist, Jared. He did the piece on my arm [ my mixer ] and I love it all so far. But I got this for my grandma, who by the way told me it wasn't me fair that I was getting betty boop and she wasn't, she's so awesome ha ha. It means a lot to me to have a piece of her with me at all times.

Well anyway, it has been a very weird week. Just been feeling down and out, just a little stressful i guess. BUT I am going to try and turn that around this week!

For now, I am going to go relax and do some laundry! Have a great weekend!

my little cave

is where I have been for almost the last week.

came down with some sinus back-up saturday and I am still trying to fight it off..

I will be back soon. Promise.

So this is where it all begins...

Well almost. I decided to delete my past blogs and start fresh! I decided to do this because I feel like I am going through changes, and not normal "teen" changes but big BIG changes. I remember hearing everyone tell me, it is going to fly by and you are going to wish it didn't or it's a new chapter in your life. I have to disagree. I didn't have a horrible time in high school, I had awesome friends and wouldn't change it for anything. However, wishing it didn't go so fast is not something I am doing or did. I miss it, yes but I am so happy I am where I am right now and I wouldn't change this for anything, ever.

And as for a new chapter, it is a whole new book! I am coming into my own and becoming my own, individual person and I couldn't be happier. Yes, on some days I miss my old friends and don't love my life in that moment but I'm coming to realize this is part

of life, whether we like it or not. I have been told th

at too, and I agree there. I wish the friends I had last year were still my friends now but it just doesn't work that way, in my case at least. But I am a different person than I was even 6 months ago. I'm happy about that though. In a way, I feel that staying in high school for as long as I did held me back from this experience. This experience of growing up and being comfortable in my skin, truly comfortable. I'm getting there.

This year has been a big roller coaster ride and I can't believe how quick it has gone. So much has happened and I can't even register some of it, most of it actually. But I'm okay with how it went and everything that has happened.

So, with all this said Here's to Starting Fresh and Beginning the long road of Life! Cheers, aye! Proper introduction is in order, right?

Well Hello there, My name is Nicole. Please to meet you [feel in your name here]. This is Crystal, my 2 lb. maltese, and I in my room at, yes this late, 12:30 am. She is my best friend and is always there when I need someone. No, I'm not a loner that spends all her time with her dog, sorry I'm not her so go take your jokes and laughter else where. Thank You : ) Anywho, I am a full time college student and a full time employee at my family's NEW deli and bagel place. I do spend most of my time either at school, work, or at home doing one of those 2 things. But I try and have a life somedays, somedays. I am really enjoying my life right now and the

opportunities that I am being handed are a bit overwhelming. It is definitely a different pace when you begin to start making decisions for yourself, that only affect you.

I enjoy working, most days.. well okay fine some days [you got me, sheesh], on my down time I try and take naps [mm love those], paint a nice picture [trying to do a mini-series, keyword trying], hanging out with my family or either one of my 2 best girls, or just

vegging out. I am trying not to veg out and nap as often as I would like. Trying to get more energized and not waste my day away, which has been a journey in itself. The last couple of months I have been seeing a nutritionist [along w/ my other half : my sister] and have gotten down to [i can't believe i'm saying this] 145. I have more to go but I am back where I am comfortable. It has been a hard and bumpy ride but it is totally worth it. Determined to get healthy and fit BEFORE new year's.

What is happening now you may ask. Or maybe I am the only one reading this, but anyway! I am relaxing getting ready for bed. I have school to wrap up, so looking forward to that. Work at 11 in the morning and then I get to spend time with my hubby [kory, we aren't married but might as well be!] and carve pumpkins and enjoy each other's company. He is away at college somewhere near Tampa, not too bad but he still isn't here. Ne

xt step, hahaha, I am working on a painting for my sister for her new apartment. It is for her bathroom, red lips. ha ha don't ask why [if you must know, marilyn monroe theme bathroom. yes i am super jealous] need to finish that ASAP. Here is a preview of what I have done so far:

Not done yet but it is just my base anyways. So I think that is it, besides trying to help my parents get their deli really up and running. We are expanding into a restaurant and believe me it is going to get a lot harder and a lot more work. So pray we come closer and not fall apart in this time! It can make or break a lot of relationships, and family is important so we don't want that.

Well I think I have rambled on for quite some time now and feel its necessary to shut up and go to bed. Ha ha. I don't even know if anyone will read this. But Goodnight and sweet dreams to you insomniacs!

Oh! 2 more things, I promise this is it!

1) I will keep the name butter and jelly because well i love the name and there will be some posts, a lot more than i think hopefully, about baking,cooking, food experiences and such. I do hope to own my own bakery one day so I am not changing the name! Said and final : )

and

2) Going to play a game that has been going around, ask me what you would like to see of my life [i.e. place of work, favorite quiet spot, book, movie, make-up, coffee mug, etcc etcc] and I will make a post [and pictures!] about all of the questions/requests that I have received [if any]. So TAG; join in the fun!

GOODNIGHT! : )