I finished my first UI/UX class a few minutes ago.

I finished my first UI/UX class a few minutes ago.

I don't think I told y'all I signed up for another DeepDive, but I did. This one is 3 days/week until May.

I guess if I'm trying to have my own web design business, I will need to be good at design.

One of my beta testers...

One of my beta testers told me that my app is already better than Lacquergram.

😳😳😳

I could literally cry.

I'm probably gonna. 😂

Happy tears, at least. 😁😁😁

Putting indie/boutique/mainstream banners on my polish app like:

Putting indie/boutique/mainstream banners on my polish app like:

Just kidding. It was meant for the top left corner, and I'll get it wrangled over to there. That accidental placement just gave me a chuckle. 😂

Things are really coming along. I hope to have my first couple of Brand Pages being tested by Friday.

Also, I got my EIN today.

Exciting times!

I watered some plants today.

I watered some plants today. They were thirsty. It's not gotten cold enough for them to sleep, I don't think.

I've missed them. I probably need to spend more time in the greenhouse.

The support from CNM is unreal.

The support from CNM is unreal.

I just registered BluPrint Designs as a web/application development LLC.

I was so lost, but I reached out to one of the amazing advisors from the school, and we got on a call and he walked me through it.

I'm now just waiting to see if my business license is approved.

I'm planning to start beta testing my very first app on Friday. 🤞🏻

This all feels so unreal.

My teeth have been hurting for about 3 weeks.

My teeth have been hurting for about 3 weeks. They are getting progressively more sensitive. It's hurts to talk, eat, drink, and brush them. It's not a single bad tooth; it's every tooth at once.

That's another possible symptom of peri. Low Estrogen is bad for your bones.

I am on HRT and still struggling not to fall apart. I guess I'm going to talk to my doctor this week.

Who else wants to do things, but can't make yourself do the things?

Who else wants to do things, but can't make yourself do the things?

And how do you get yourself to do the things?

I want to skate. I watch videos. I have everything I need. But sometimes I just can't DO IT.

I don't even need a lot of space. I could do drills in my kitchen or garage or whatever. I literally have no excuse, but I'm fighting my brain.

Help?

Ooh, my first time charging away from home.

Ooh, my first time charging away from home. I needed to learn how to do this, anyway. Gonna do my DuoLingo while I wait. 😊

Edit: Well, that was easy. And cheap!

I've gotten 3 boxes from Short Story...

I've gotten 3 boxes from Short Story, which is a company that sends clothes that fit petite, aka SHORT people. At 4 feet, 9 inches tall, the struggle is real. Almost everything I buy is too long, which results in me looking like a kid playing dress-up. I'm 43 years old and last week at the pet food store, one of the employees said "I hope Santa brings you something nice!" 😂😂😂 So yeah. I need the help. 🤷🏻

After losing almost 30 lbs this year, none of my pants fit. I looked so raggedy. I don't really consider myself to be a vain person, but it affected my confidence. It was also super uncomfortable hitching my pants up frequently. I don't use belts due to sensory issues, so I've had a pair of my pants zip-tied on the sides since August. 😂

(Side Note:  People really don't seem to love my genius ways of getting my clothes to stay on. This is reminiscent of the time I was taping a coat shut because the zipper was broken and a friend of a friend bought me a new one. I know I straight up looked homeless, and I was also much more broke back then - but I also really liked that coat, and yes I still have it. 😂)

Anyway, between Short Story, Halara, and a couple of pairs of Gap Curvy jeans, I've got petite pants now that fit. I feel so much better. Short Story has also sent me a few tops that I couldn't turn down. I have asked them in my next box to send some business casual tops and blazers. I'm excited to see what I get.

Since I'm looking for a job and doing a bunch of networking around here, I want to look nice in person. Unfortunately, I've never been into styling myself; I have always just thrown on whatever was comfortable. So I'm a whole mess, is what I'm saying. 😂 In the boxes, they send a pamphlet with pictures of the clothes on models and that really helps me determine if the garment is fitting me correctly. It's also helped me start judging how the clothes I already have are fitting. I've discovered that most of my shirts are WAYYY too long and not doing me any favors when I wear them. 😬

Today after I got my box and did some trying on, I didn't stop. I have gone through most of my closet trying on things to see if I can make them look nice. I really hate tucking shirts in, but I've found that tying the bottom of my button-down shirts shows my waist and has a nice effect. I can leave the knot showing or roll it under for a cleaner look. That works for me.

There are a bunch of shirts that I probably need to have hemmed. I'm getting rid of almost every pair of pants that isn't new because they are too long and just all-around too big since I lost weight. I think I'm going to hit a few consignment stores this week and see if I have anything they'll take. I would just donate it all, but I haven't worked since April and could use some money.

So yeah, I'm still a t-shirt and leggings girl at home, but I need to cultivate a more polished version of myself for a professional environment. I'm pretty smart and well-spoken, but damn, do I look like a mess most of the time. 😂 It's not doing me any favors, but with a petite clothing box to help me, I can do better. I'm excited for this growth. It's long overdue.

Ooh, I am sore today!

Ooh, I am sore today! I think from the falls I took yesterday. My neck and shoulders hurt, which is probably from catching myself when falling.

For the last few weeks, my hips and knees have been hurting again. I think it's due to Psoriatic Arthritis. The Psoriasis on my skin has been pretty itchy and flaky, although it hasn't been too much of a nuisance in years. So... I've got a referral to a rheumatologist. I am going to look into starting treatment again. I can live with skin inflammation, but I really need to protect my bones.

So, I'm feeling pretty rough physically today. I'm definitely not skating this weekend, even though I really want to. I think I'm going to do some chores and take it easy.

I hope you all are having a nice weekend. Mine is going well, all things considered. 😊❤️❤️❤️

I took my new skates out for a ride this morning.

I took my new skates out for a ride this morning. It was fun, but I am wayyy out of practice. I have lost some stamina in my time off, as well as some muscle mass with my weight loss this year. I have plenty work ahead if I want to feel secure while skating again.

The wheels I have on are different than what I'm used to, as well. They have edges, whereas I've only ever skated with rounded wheels outdoors. I'm going to have to look up the difference between those. Also, there was a lot of debris out there. I was on a small basketball court that looks pretty unused, so if I go there again, I'll bring a broom. 

I fell 3 times, but I got right back up again. Pads are a necessity at my age. If only they stopped that awful jarring feeling when you land. I'll probably have a nice bruise on my butt, but other than that I was protected and have only have some minor scratches.

These were super comfortable to wear and my feet didn't go numb or start hurting. I didn't stay out super long since it was my first time back out in a while, but I'll build up to longer outings. 😊 Also, they're super pretty with their iridescent toe covers on!

https://www.facebook.com/blu.xenethos/videos/1319382706892296

Edit:  Added info about the wheels. Interesting.

I Googled. I started skating on rounded wheels because that's what came on my Chaya skates. I did feel like I had more control with these Jelly Roll wheels because of the edges, but it also felt like the debris was a bigger deal. I'm gonna give it some time and see how well I adjust before switching them out.

It's another skate post. 😂

It's another skate post. 😂

This is my current lineup of skates. Starting on the left are my speed skates that I'm terrified to try. When I had my skate birthday party here in Albuquerque a few years ago, the rink gifted me these. I've never skated in a flat shoe and I imagine it's not THAT different than skating with a slight heel, but I've still never tried it. Part of the reason is because those look like indoor wheels and I mostly skate outside. The other part is the fear. 😂 But I'll definitely try them out one day, hopefully soon. They're dressed up with iridescent toe covers to protect them and make them pretty. They also have dragon wings laced on.

The second pair from the left probably has hybrid wheels on them. I bought them in 2022 and I'd wear these indoors, as well. They were from an up-and-coming company the didn't last, and they were also Limited Edition. The company was called Moonlight Rollers and they usually had a moon cut out at the ankle, but these have hearts. I got them for a discount because of some imperfection I've yet to discover. They toe stop is heart-shaped and has cow print on it. They also came with cow-print toe covers, but that's not my style. I put some pretty, reflective toe covers on them because I thought it looked nice, and I also have pads to match.

The third pair are my new VNLA skates that I got from ebay. I put the toe covers on tonight and re-laced them, so I'm ready to roll! Hopefully I can take my first spin in them sometime tomorrow.

The fourth pair is my Love is Love Chaya skates, also toe-covered and re-laced. I got Shaun to change the wheels because I don't like touching them. We took off the Limited Edition wheels and put my hybrid light-up wheels (that I had on my holographic skates) on them for now.

The last photo is of the skates I'm going to sell. The first pair is speed skates that I bought used from ebay before I had any idea what I wanted... before I'd done enough research to know the difference between indoor and outdoor wheels. 😬 I never really used them.

The second pair is my holographic skates that I'd put rainbow laces and light-up wheels on. I used them for indoor skating. Since I'm selling, we put back on the stock laces and wheels. I bought them new and took great care of them.

The third pair is my set of Chaya Melrose. You can tell I skated in these because the wheels are dirty, but toe covers really make a difference in the condition of the boot. The pink toe covers that are now on my navy blue Chaya pair are what was protecting these, and you can definitely tell.

I'm going to try to sell these last 3 pairs locally, and if that doesn't work I'll list them on ebay, most likely. They are great skates and I really enjoyed them, but they are just too small (not too short; too narrow). None of them were able be worn comfortably for a skate session, so I just needed something a little larger. There are ways to deal with a small amount of extra length, but nothing really to be done with a narrow width. Even a boot stretcher didn't help, unfortunately.

I'm sad to be selling the skates that got me started, but I hope they find someone who can fit comfortably in them and will take them out more often.

I REALLY want to replace the holographic silver pair because they are so pretty, but literally I do not need 5 pairs of skates. I wish that was the end of it, but I'm gonna be fighting myself not to. I swear I'm a ferret in person clothing... I have a HARD time resisting shiny things. 😂 At least they aren't very expensive if I lose this battle.

Here's a photo from my birthday last month.

Here's a photo from my birthday last month. I was so busy that I didn't think to post it. A few of my friends from the bootcamp came over to have pizza and cake with me. It was a good time. ❤️

Shaun had a really delicious red velvet cake made for me. The pizza was from Dion's - it's always tasty. Can't miss with a 505 (green chili and pepperoni).

It was a quick and impromptu get-together after class, but I appreciated the company. Maybe next year I'll get to have a skate party again. 😊

These are my "birthday" skates.

These are my "birthday" skates. I'm so happy with them! 😁

On the left, we have VNLA Parfait and on the right, Chaya Melrose Elite "Love is Love." I got both of these from ebay advertised as "pre-owned" for the price a single pair went for brand new. They're previous generations of skates, but as far as I can tell, practically brand new. It looks like someone did a test skate in the Parfaits, and the white wheels of the Chaya are PRISTINE. The wheels on the Parfaits are a high-quality outdoor wheel that the seller had changed from stock. They sent the stock wheels with the skates, though, so that's great.

I used to skate pretty frequently these last few years, but with work and also my feet hurting, I ended up stopping. I think I'd bought my first couple of pairs of skates too small. 😬 I wasn't able to skate for long periods, and my feet always went numb while wearing them, and then hurt after I took them off. It got harder and harder to get myself to put them back on.

I got both of these pairs in a size larger, and so far they are much more comfortable. The VNLA in particular have been said to be better for wide feet, and that is holding true. There is a pair of VNLAs that I want pretty bad, but they're more expensive, so I'll wait and see how these break in before I even think about buying them. But VNLA might end up being my "fits like a glove" brand.

Both pairs currently have outdoor wheels on them, but I'm definitely changing the Chaya wheels. Those "Love is Love" wheels were Limited Edition as far as I know and they're so pretty that I don't want to mess them up. Those might end up being my indoor skates. I skate indoors far less frequently than I skate outdoors.

I really kind of want to go hard on the VNLAs to see if I actually needed a size larger or if I just needed a skate that would be comfortable on wider feet. I have heard great things about the brand, but I never bought them before because they cost more than I was comfortable spending as a newbie. But now that I know how much I love to skate, it feels more like an investment than a test.

Anyway, my too-small skates are in great shape and I can't imagine I'll ever wear them again. I guess I should try to sell them to someone with smaller feet. 😂 If you can wear a size 5 in women's shoes, let me know!

It's been a couple of weeks...

It's been a couple of weeks since I had time to peek in the greenhouse. Most of the plants are doing pretty well, if a little thirsty. I'll have time this week to clean up, tend them, and get them hydrated. I'm excited to spend some time with my babies. 😊

Cookies from yesterday.

Cookies from yesterday. Graduation was fun. 😊

I just woke up from a letdown migraine, because of course I did. 😂🫠

I just woke up from a letdown migraine, because of course I did. 😂🫠 I guess all of my great days have to find their balance. 😂😂😂

If anyone wants to see my Personal Website Project, here it is. I'm really proud how it turned out.  www.polishallthethings.com

I don't know if anyone is really interested in how it was built, but I used Flowbite components and styled it with Tailwind CSS. My Contact Form (for now) is made with EmailJS, but I do plan to switch over to React when I have time. There's also a lot I want to add, especially in regards to the Blog because I have years of nail content, but this is a great start.

I think it turned out pretty and fun. I love my semi-transparent menus and the gradient background. No, there is no store linked at this moment, but that's ok; everything is a work in progress. The last 10 weeks of the bootcamp were mainly focused on our capstone, so I wasn't able to prioritize this site.

Anyway, let me know what you think!

Tomorrow is my graduation...

Tomorrow is my graduation from the CNM Deep Dive Full-Stack Web Development program. It's been a fun 12 weeks and I've learned a ton.

If anyone wants to attend my presentation/graduation virtually, here is the Zoom link. I'll be presenting my personal website project, as well as our capstone web application.

Presentations start at 10; our team specifically will present at 11 Mountain Time/Noon Central.

https://cnm-edu.zoom.us/j/91677093789

I'm proud of this.

I'm proud of this. I've only used 2 streak freezes since I started.

I'm stressed. And sad. And tired.

I'm stressed. And sad. And tired.

I'm about to get some sleep.

This is the last week of the bootcamp. I think we're officially done coding on Wednesday, then we have Thursday to work on our presentations... which is kind of a big deal because there will be employers there.

I ate too much junk food because of my birthday and I've got the inflammation to prove it. Psoriasis on my face before this presentation? Sure, why not. I will try to eat clean this week and hope it helps.

I did some retail therapy at like, 3 this morning. We don't have extra money right now, but I bought myself two pairs of skates. I haven't skated in at least a year. 😬😭 I miss it and I dream about it all the time. But Bear doesn't like the sound, so doing it at home is out of the question. When I was working, I found it hard to get to the skate park. After I was laid off, it wasn't on my mind. But after I started this bootcamp, I really started craving an outlet and some alone time, so that's probably why I've been dreaming about it. I love to put on some earbuds and just ride my feet.

For what it's worth, I bought both pairs from ebay. They are barely used - seriously, the wheels aren't even dirty. 😳 I got them half off of retail, and one pair even comes with an extra set of wheels. 😳😳😳 They're both a larger size than my current outdoor Chaya Melrose skates, so hopefully they'll be more comfortable. One reason I stopped skating so much was because those skates made my feet go to sleep after a while, so that's probably not a good sign. 😂

I told Shaun today that I shopped, and he was like "Happy Birthday, I guess." 😂 He's so patient with me.

But also, I'm probably gonna sell my Chaya Melrose skates. They're in super great condition; I just feel strongly that they belong on smaller feet. I did measure my foot the way all of the videos said to before I bought them, but my feet are wide and the narrow toe box never loosened up enough. 🤷🏻

Anyway. I was just having a ramble to clear my mind so I can sleep.

Wish me luck. It's a big week.

❤️❤️❤️