In a Nutshell...

I was made in the ‘80s. I grew up in a family where we didn’t have a lot of money, but we had a lot of love. I was raised in a small town of about 1000 people, in a little neighborhood by the lake. I have memories of a simple childhood with my older brother. Those days were full of Barbies vs GI Joes, forts in the woods and in the house, and fighting over Saturday morning cartoons. Creativity and imagination were vital in those days! We didn’t get everything we wanted and are better for it. I enjoyed the simple things then, just as I do now.

My biggest struggle in life, then and now, has been my weight. I was the chubby kid without very many good friends, teased a lot of the time. I was extremely insecure and shy for a long time. Somehow in high school, I broke free from the shell somewhat and became involved in a lot of things. I played the flute in the marching band and was a majorette aka baton twirler extraordinaire. I played tennis and was a member of several clubs. I made good grades and graduated 3rd in my class of 54. I was the nerd that earned four years of perfect attendance, a feat not earned by very many! My fondest memories of high school are the crazy ones I made with my best friend, Melissa. Nevertheless, I always dreamed of getting out of my small town; somehow I just felt like I didn’t belong.

I worked and paid my way through junior college, close to home. I met some amazing friends that gave me a second chance at the friendships I missed out on early in school. While in college, I began dating my husband, Justin. He is the best and brightest thing that ever happened to me. We fell in love instantly and knew we’d be together forever. After dating for one year, we took a short trip to Galveston to celebrate our anniversary. While there, we visited Crystal Beach, and thus began our obsession with the beach town life.

Justin began trade school, and I finally moved away from the small town headed for the big city for college, just like I always planned. But, that’s where the plans changed. I hadn’t counted on falling in love. After a semester at university, the money ran out which was a good enough excuse to come home to Justin. Eight months later, we were married in a quaint but beautiful little ceremony at our church. We lived in the tiniest little shack. Our means were small in the beginning, but our love made up for what we lacked in possessions…still does!

A few years later, Justin finished trade school, and together we moved to the big city where I finally got to finish college. It was hard, definitely the toughest thing I’ve ever done. Architecture/Interior Design School is no joke. You have to be committed, so Justin supported me while I finished school. From beginning to end, it took me nine years to graduate from college. It was very disappointing to realize that after all of my hard work, I would be graduating in the hardest year of the worst recession since the Great Depression. My field is a luxury, so employment opportunities are few and far between. So for the last year, I’ve exhausted myself looking for a job…any job, anywhere. After a very brief, disappointing job for a (*gasp*) interior decorator, my heart just wasn’t in the search anymore. People often interchange the terms interior decorator and interior designer. I assure you they are not the same thing. I’ll jump on that soapbox later!

I’ve used the year to get to know myself a little better, work on my health, and catch up on some one-on-one time with the hubby. Now, we are at the position where we have some decisions to make. Believe it or not, we’re not fond of the big city. We want to go back to our country roots, but we have to be careful that there will be future employment opportunities wherever we end up. We think we’ve decided where we want to be. So, we’re in the process of making moves to make that happen if it is God’s will. We choose to let God lead our lives and follow the directions He gives us.

That’s me in a nutshell…definitely a coconut shell!