Queen Bee Market

I had an awesome blogger date this weekend with Kara at Ramblings of a Marine Wife. 

We met up at the Queen Bee Market. I didn't really know much about it going in, but have some grownup time out of the house, sounded like a great time.  Kara and I actually spent more time talking afterwards than we did shopping, it was so nice to meet her and chat, she is just as nice in real life as she is online. I am looking forward to meeting up again. 

But... back to the market. 

There was lots of cool things, antique furniture, Christmas ornaments, hand made bags and jewelry. Lots of great stuff. But I made out with hair accessories, for me and Evey. 

First the bows, they are mostly for me but I can share them if Evey can not destroy them with dirty little fingers. 

 I recognized the Hello Kitty one right away. A bow with Hello Kitty bows on it? YES PLEASE! 

A Little Delight had some of the cutest bows, and other hair ties. Very cute stuff. 

Next up we have Bacon and Eggs. Seriously so cute. Also Bacon is one of Evey's new words (and favorite foods), so of course I had to get her one. 

The Bacon and Eggs clips are from SoCutie. And they are So Cute! 

Last but not least we have the Jellyfish. 

Holy Moley Jellyfish is the cutest ever. 

It also has a little bit of Velcro inside that helps keep it in the babies hair. This is genius. It makes it difficult for the baby to pull the clip out.

Jellyfish is made by Shining Stars Boutique

Please ignore dirty baby face. I didn't want to fight with her. She's still cute. 

We love all of our new hair clips. And we really hope the dog doesn't eat them. 

Sadly I guess this is the last QBM that will be held, but you can check out all of the vendors on the page, if you are looking for local vendors in So Cal, they are all listed on the vendor page. Lots of cool stuff. 

*this is not a sponsored post, I purchased all of the items shown*

I feel like I know you

Hey Bestie!
Okay maybe you're not my bestie. But you may feel like it, I hope at least some of you read this and think to yourself "yeah, that Alana chick is pretty cool, I feel like I know her"
There are several blogs I read out there that give me this feeling, not all of them, but I can think of a handfull that I look forward to their blogs, and I feel like they are my friend sharing with me a story. These are some of the bloggers I would totally love to meet in RL. I wont list them because one of my biggest fears is rejection and I don't want them to read my blog and think "wow, that's kind of creepy"
I have never met another blogger, that I met through bloggy land first. I have a handful of friends that I knew prior to them (or me) being bloggers and now we continue to follow each other that way.
Anyone else feel that way? It doesn't have to be about me, just any fellow bloggers.
I really hope to meet some other bloggers someday, even though in RL I am pretty shy, I think it would be fun.

- Alana

Mom's Day!

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!

This is from when my mom visited me in Okinawa. It was the first time I had seen her in person in about 2 years. (Thanks to Skype, we would see each other regularly via the internets) 

My mom is my best friend and I would be lost without her. We talk on the phone daily, often several times a day. Living a bajillion miles away from her is hard, but since we are stateside now I see her every few months. I'm totally not lying when I say she is my best friend, Oh, she's your mom you have to say that, No I don't. But she is, when something happens good or bad, the first person I want to call is her. When I hear a funny joke, or watch a good movie, the person I call to tell about it is my mom. When I want to cry because I left the milk in the car for 5 hours on an 80 degree day, I call my mom (and she laughs at me). 

I love you mom. 

I'm a shitty friend

What was it, like 3 months ago I was complaining about not having any friends?
Now I've got like 4 people who want to hang out, and be my friend, and I never call them, or make plans to hang out.
I suck at this game.

I think that I've just become so content in my anti-social lifestyle that being alone 90% of the time doesn't bother me as much as I thought it did.
And then there is my social anxiety that weighs heavy when ever I think about calling someone to hang out. That and the cold weather just depresses me and I want nothing more than to sit inside and be warm in my underwear.

Source: google.com via Cora on Pinterest

I need to work on that part of friendship.

Social Anxiety

I think I have a problem.

(beware I'm putting my crazy out there today)

I've never really had a problem making friends until I moved to Montana.
Maybe because I was younger with all of our moves.
Maybe because before now I was put into an environment with other young military wives.
Maybe I'm just too old for this game now.

I've met a few people over the last few months that I think would be cool to hang out with.

But each time it comes time to contact them about getting together or whatever I get serious anxiety.
This is why I have lived here for over a year and still have no real friends, I have practically given up.

This last week I've been trying to get together with one girls who I met a few weeks ago, and she needed to drop something off to me, I've been sick so that was part of the reason it took me so long to get back to her, but I had major anxiety about calling her, and seeing her.

The stupidest things were going through my head
What if she decided she didn't like me.
What if she thought my house was messy.
What if she thought I was rude for not calling sooner.
each moment that went by these fears got worse, so I procrastinated further.

Finally I called her and two days later she called me back, All I could think was that she hated me.

I am totally irrational.

She just came by and dropped my things off and said she lives real close and we should hang out.
I am totally excited.
But now.
What do we talk about?
What should we do?
Should I invite her over?
She has kids, she may not want to come over, and I have rowdy dogs, that may jump on her kids.
Maybe we should go to lunch...

I don't have this problem at work, I can talk to anyone.

But I am almost shaking right now.

So I ask you:
How do you make new friends?
What do you talk about?
What do you do on a first 'friend' date?

Making Friends

Moving every 3 or so years is hard enough.

When you are military and you move to another military instillation you are thrust into an environment where many other families are doing the same thing. Hundreds of families move between military bases all the time. All of these families need to make new friends. Most of them are starting over with a clean friendship slate.

I think making friends in this instance is fairly easy because there are so many people who need friends as well. Also you are all sort of in the same boat. You are all military families, you understand the long hours, the late nights, the unexpected working weekends, drills, exercises, and deployments.

Moving into the civilian world is very different. Over a year ago we moved to Helena, Mt. I can honestly say I have no friends in a 40 mile radius. The only people that I could maybe call friends are a few people I work with who I am 'facebook friends' with, but don't see outside of those walls.

I've survived this because I am very introverted, I don't mind sitting at home, all by my lonesome, surfing the net, knitting, sewing, crafting, reading, blogging, playing with the dogs, working out, doing housework (oh who am I kidding) watching reality TV.

But today I went to get a pedicure, and after hearing my (pathetic) story about living in Helena for over a year and not having any friends the woman doing my nails invited me to her house tonight for a Pure Romance party (naughty toy). I was extremely hesitant, not because I am awkward about the whole toy thing but because I am awkward when it comes to making friends. Even after I decided to go, before I left the house I near had a panic attack, the first one in months. I had to take an anxiety pill for the first time since before christmas.

Alas I pulled myself together and I went and had an amazing time. I met some really cool people and got invited to another party in two weeks. I gave my phone number to a few girls and I hope to hear from them soon. I am so happy tonight, perhaps happier than I have been in a while. I don't think I realized how much I missed woman companionship until I got to hang out with a big group of ladies tonight.

Saying Goodbye.

(no, I am not saying goodbye)


Goodbye is just a part of Military Life. 


We all leave, we are all left. Friends move away when they get new orders. About every three years it's time to move for a Marine Family. Sometimes it's just to a different unit at the same base, sometimes it's across the globe. 


A list of our moves: 
I was born and raised in Tucson, Az. 
Early 2005 We moved to Chicopee, Mass. Stationed at Westover Air Reserve Base. 
(in 2006 we moved from an apartment to base housing)
Early 2008 We moved to Okinawa Japan. Stationed at Camp Courtney. 
(in 2009 we moved from base housing into an off base house)
Late 2010 We moved to Helena, Montana. Stationed on recruiting duty. 


Moving every three years is a huge pain in the ass. There are boxes stored in my house that haven't been unpacked since we lived in chicopee. But the worst part is making friends and saying goodbye. 
It's not often you meet people on the same rotation as you, so usually you or your friends are leaving while someone is staying behind. We were lucky in Okinawa, many of our good friends were on the same rotation as we were so we all were together. My two best friends and I all left the island in a matter or months from each other. With Paul and I being the last to leave. 
I am still in contact with most of my friends from our travels. But it's hard to keep in touch when they are so far away, and our current lives are so full of work, and play, and trying to make new friends. 


We have made new friends that are leaving soon. That's the luck since we got to Helena, we make friends and then they leave. I have just a few people here in Montana that I would call a friend. 


I deeply love each and every one of my military friends that I have made over the last 6 years. I treasure so many of the friendships I have been blessed with. I hope that we all get to see each other again someday. 

One thing I learned this weekend.

No matter how long you are apart it's easy to pick up right where you left off. 


Love you Nikki. 


That's just how things go when you move around all the time though. You make friends then you move, make more friends then you move. Sometimes you come full-circle and you are back with old friends again and things just fall back into place. 


I need to find some old pictures of us and scan them in. I am sad I didn't get any of us this weekend. I fail. 

Day Ten

Day 10 - A picture of the person you do the craziest things with

The hardest part about this post was choosing a picture. Hands down, craziest things have been done with this girl. She was there for much debauchery and bananas craziness.

I miss you C and we'll have crazy times again someday.

PCSing & Friendship

Making good friends is hard enough. Moving every three or so years to a whole new part of the country (or world) means you have to make new best friends. Tonight was the second time since we arrived on Okinawa that we have had to say goodbye to great friends. I cried. I tried to not let it be seen but it was unavoidable.

It's good and bad I guess, In 10 years when Paul retires we will have friends in: California, Arizona, Montana(hopefully), Idaho, Texas, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont and who knows where else. We have made some amazing friends thorough the years, and saying goodbye always sucks. Goodbye never means forever though, I always try to say "see you later" because who knows when we will cross paths again. I have made some amazing friends because of the military, people who I may not see for years, or physically talk to on the phone for months, but they are people who I know will be there for me if I need them.

Goodbye never means forever.

Oh Happy Day

Today is quite possibly my favorite Holiday.

Since I can remember it's been a big deal in my family. On my Moms side it's always been important because their is a tradition on that side of the family to get married on Thanksgiving when it falls on the 23rd of November ( I continued this tradition). So you can see how this has been a big deal. Also I love turkey, mashed potatoes, and green beans.

On Dads side it was a time where we could all come together and it was pretty entertaining. Also grandpa made the best rolls (well he bought them, but they were still the best).

Growing up with a pretty big extended family, Thanksgiving was all about spending time with family, and all the fun and drama that comes with it. Now as an adult, living the traveling military life Thanksgiving is about friends, and little to no drama. I can't say which I like better, they both have ups and downs.

Last year we started a tradition with our friends of Sushi. Hey we are in Japan, why not do it Japanese style? This year our neighbors are having a big Thanksgiving lunch/dinner, and me never being one to pass up Turkey, added our names to the list of attendees. I am so excited this year because we get to have our Japanese Thanksgiving for dinner and American Thanksgiving for lunch, the best of both worlds. Turkey and Tuna.

OH! and I am making a ham, and my house smells freaking amazing right now.

Bye Alex!

This last two weeks Joselyn's sister was here visiting. We had alot of fun, the girls got me out of the house for dinner, shopping, running from the rain, eating pineapple, spending money and mani-pedi's! Here's some pictures from the week:

Lucy Bag !! completion

i finally finished Jen's bag, it only took me two months, i hope it doesnt take that long for me to get it into the mail, that would make me a shitty friend.i made it bigger than the original, some how the straps seem shorter, but i think the will strech with use, i also made the straps wider to compensate for the bag being bigger.

note the size of this behemoth of a bag before felting. HUGENESS!

aint it funny

i think its really weird that Paul and i have so much in common with our new friends. Last night we went bowling and with them and their son, well the girls and the boy were on one team and the men were on another. well i got beat bad, because i suck, but i got beat by a 5 year old. thats a little sad. but we had a lot of fun. After that we went over to their house, across the street and hung out around the fire pit until the wee hours of the morning, it was so nice, but we discovered quite a few weird things we have in common. i really like them and i am going to miss them when we leave.

Babies?

this evening was spent with two good friends of ours who live across the street, oh how i love military housing, i am surrounded by families who know what its like, who know what i go through every day. i am surrounded by friends.
Tiff & Mike have two of the cutest kids we spent the evening playing with them and feeding them, i want kids so bad, Paul does too, well sometimes, he keeps changing his mind, on on hand we are both getting older and if we had kids today we would be almost 50 when they graduated. i dont want to be 50 and trying to entertain children, i want to have a big family, and i know i cant have 3 babies at once, well i can but thats just unnatrual. on the other hand if we wait we can have more fun as a married couple, explore, travel, experience life, who knows what will happen, neither of us can make up our minds.