New Blog!

Aloha Everyone!

Firstly, I would like to say thank you for your prayers, blog comments, and moral support through all these I have a new Blog address, its:
http://hawaiianshells.blogspot.com

You're more than welcome to visit, and comment on it. :) Also, if you have any links to my old blog, you can update them, and if you use my last name along with that link, be sure you use Smith from now on. ;)

I love you guys,
~Shelley

So over...

A few weeks ago, Jon asked for a separation. He's not happy. He wants to be happy. I can't say I've tried my absolute hardest to try to make him happy, but I did my best, considering I wasn't quite myself up there. I was depressed, lonely, sad, homesick, and kind of useless. I can't say that I blame him. At all. He deserves to be happy just as much as I do, and for 4 years we worked on it... I will be the first to admit that I didn't put my best into it, and as much as he tried, it wasn't what I needed either.

It kind of started when I was so adamant about coming back to the states the weekend after they let me back into Canada, after Dave & Logan's wedding. I thought it would be fine to come and go (as I've always dreamed of doing... literally, the best of both worlds!) But no, they wouldn't let me back in, and Jon hasn't let me forget it either. Especially because I was pretty much yelling at him when I left for the last time.

Since then, I've been living with the Desrosiers, adhering to their lifestye, schedule, and trying my hardest not to intrude (I was staying there rent-free for like 2 months), or over-stay my welcome. I think I've done a great job with helping out as much as possible, and also not intruding on their life. Well, it seems, in the process of doing so, Jon has felt neglected, and in 2nd place. He's had a lot of alone time to think things over, and he just doesn't want to be married anymore.

The nice thing about all this though, is that he's still my best friend, and we're better off as friends. Living together was near impossible. We were just too different, in so many ways. We truly are better off as friends. I know he'd agree too. I'm just glad it's been as healthy as it has been so far, mutual too. We tried for as long as we could, really. We're still ok enough to run a business together. So I'll stick around these parts for a while. Besides, I love my job. :)

For the first week or so though, I was in total denial/freak-out mode. And I totally know how Cristina felt from Grey's last season. The clip below is perfect.



So... I'm fine. I may need to change my blog address... and get a new banner... but that can be figured out later. Thank you in advance for your love, support, and prayers. :)

Sick.

That's what my week has been, well my past two or so weeks really.

I'm sick.

I've been sick for about a week now. I have no Dr. and the closest thing we have to "insta-care" up here will cost me $115 just to see a dr. I'd rather self-medicate thank you very much. Nyquil here I come. I feel like its moved out of my chest at least, granted, its moved up to my sinuses, and that's not good, but really, $115 to see a dr? Are they serious? It's bad enough I'm staying home from work today, and missing out on precious income... I can't afford to be sick. I think I'll go to work tomorrow no matter what.

The other thing that is sickly lately is Jon and I. But this post isn't quite the right place for those details... Maybe I'll feel up to posting them soon. Who knows...

I'm going to go cuddle myself next to the fire, and drink Nyquil.

Best Gift Ever!

Last night, I got home from work, to a lovely package from Tennessee. My amazing, talented, beautiful sister in law Amy recently picked up the amazing talent of stitchery. I am completely amazed at this skill, and I sincerely wish I had it. She posted on her blog a few weeks ago, how she finished her first stitchery. I was mind-blown, seriously. It was beautiful. I commented that I'd love to have one, and pay her for it! It's so incredibly adorable.

So... what do I find in my package from her yesterday?



Yep! She sent me the Way To Be stitchery! I'm so so excited! It's even cuter in real life! It's big too! Like 8x10 and PERFECT! She used these little bees and they're 3-D, it is so so cute, I love it even more in person!

Thank you Amy! I love you! :)

Mix Tape Swap

Hey gals...

I just tried to play the CD I made in my car stereo, and it said it couldn't read it. Is anyone else having this issue? If so, I can try and burn it again either with a different computer, or a different burning program. Mine said the Table of Contents was screwed up. I hope yours works for you! If not, let me know! hawaiianshells (at) gmail! I'll make you new ones, you need to have these songs! :)

My car is offical

I finally registered my car in New York last night. The first 3 letters on the license plate is EDD, so instead of calling it my Jeephicle, it'll now be called the EDD-mobile. Worst thing about these plates, is that my name isn't Ed. lol

But it's good for 2 years, and its legal, so I don't care too much.

Can you believe though? I couldn't get a NYS License. I don't have my SSN card on me, its in Canada. So I've got to figure out how to get it. I don't want to have to pay for a new one... Drama.

Birthday Splurge!

So... This post may be a bit on the TMI side... but I'm really excited and happy about it, so I'm sharing. Brace yourselves.

For years and years, I've wanted an epilator. Why? Because, I have translucent skin, and I don't have the blonde hair on my legs that I once did as a kid. It's pretty much dark brown. That with my see-through skin makes my legs hideous, not to mention all the veins that are visible, but you can literally see the roots of my leg hairs. Its yucky. So, to remedy this situation, I've been doing some research, and the best resolution I've found, is laser hair removal, I can't afford that, so the next best thing is an epilator.

I ordered one from target.com last week, and it arrived yesterday. So, I took some advil (which is highly recommended, especially if you have a low pain tollerance), waited an hour, and epilated my leg hairs away. I'm not going to lie to you. It was painful. BUT, after the irritation and redness goes away, my legs are much better looking than they were before. :) I'm rather pleased with this early B-day gift to myself... Plus it was only $19.99, I could have spent $80 or more. It took a while, especially because I got the "Emjoi EPI Slim Hair Removal System", but I must say, the time and efford and $20 bux is well worth it.

I really hope I don't get ingrown hairs as a result, but so far I'm loving this little contraption. It is battery-powered, but I use rechargables anyway, so I'm thankfully already hooked-up in that department. If I weren't, I probably would have opted for a more expensive, rechargeable one. But I like this little one. It's cute.



This little part is for Holly... I used this on my underarms, and while the pain there was even more excruciating than my legs, I'm so so so happy with the results. I have such smooth pits now. I'm so loving it! lol I know... TMI... but, you were warned. ;)

I think what I'll be loving more, is the fact that I won't have to shave for 4-6 weeks! I HATE HATE HATE shaving. HATE IT! So, Happy Birthday to me. :) It's the gift that keeps on giving! (4-6 weeks baby!)

Shelley 101

My turn to school you all in the kooky ways of Shelley.

1. My legal name isn't Shelley.
2. My legal last name is still Smith.
3. Canada hates me.
4. I'm 4th out of 6 children.
5. I'm also the youngest girl.
6. I love being Auntie Shelley, can ya blame me? My nieces & nephews are adorable!
7. I'm a major computer geek.
8. My shoe size has shrunk over the past 4-5 years. I was an 8 before moving to Canada, now I'm like a 7.5 or even a 7 Wide. There may be something in the water up there eh!
9. All of my teeth are sweet teeth. (My mom has dentist bills to prove it.)
10. I don't know if I have one favorite sweet/dessert thing to eat. I could possibly come up with a top ten if forced to though.
11. I love my husband's cooking.
12. I don't love the mess left over afterwards though.
13. Who am I kidding... I hate all messes, but 9 times out of 10 I'm the queen mess-maker in the house. I don't know why cleaning is such a chore for me.
14. I skipped Kindergarten. (Ok, i didn't *really* skip it. I was 5 when the fam moved to Hawaii from Utah, and I was placed in 1st grade, because of my age, not my smarts... but I still never went to Kindergarten... Pre-school to 1st grade yo.)
15. I want a pet fish. The beta fishies kind.
16. My favorite ethnicity in the foodage arena is Mexican.
17. I actually LIKE Taco Bell.
18. Mighty Taco is good too. I'm getting hooked.
19. I drive a 1997 Jeep Cherokee that has been lifted 3 inches.
20. Soon, very soon, this vehicle will have been safety checked and registered in 3 different states over the course of my owning it. (CA, CT, & now NY).
21. Crossing the US/Canada border either way, makes me so nervous I could vomit.
22. My passport expires in 2012.
23. This is my favorite number.
24. From 1995 to 2002, I dyed my hair. It has been every shade of brown, red/orange (oops) and black you could imagine. I'm so happy its all natural again. :)
25. I hate nylons. Any and all lengths.
26. I will wear tights instead though. Or trouser socks, if I can get away with it.
27. Target = Euphoria to me. I walk through the doors, and my troubles melt away. I don't even have to make a purchase. Just being there makes me feel better about being me.
28. I didn't have my first kiss till I was 18.
29. This is how old I'll be next Saturday.
30. I like mini things.
31. I've always been a little on the selfish side.
32. I miss Hawaii (I'm not Miss Hawaii, I'm just homesick).
33. I adore Third Eye Blind.
34. Actually, I adore most music from the late 90's. That's MY kind of music.
35. I'm nutty about the color Orange. So nutty that I (well we... Nicole too) call it "Buck Bailey". If you ever hear me say it, it means "Orange".
36. I'm borderline anemic.
37. Because of this, I've been denied when donating blood before.
38. I am also fanatical about donating blood. I do it whenever I can. The Red Cross commercials make me cry.
39. I'm also a bit crazy about recycling. I guess its just me, doing what I can. I've been this way since SPEBE 1995. I went to Hilo, HI for 5 weeks, and we learned about Environmental Studies. It was a blast.
40. I've been contemplating some major life decisions lately.
41. I love popcorn.
42. I hate the snow.
43. I don't like being stuck in Buffalo.
44. But I do like my job. I wish I could have this same job, and be closer to my husband. :(
45. Sometimes, I really hate food.
46. I hate eating sometimes.
47. And I really really despise doing dishes.
48. I'd rather clean the toilet than do dishes.
49. If it wasn't so bad for the Environment, I'd use paper plates, forks etc. every day. :-s
50. I cried in the bathroom at work yesterday.
51. I love makeup.
52. I love Hot Chocolate.
53. I really love Crunchy Cheeto's (They taste AWESOME, plus, they're orange! double bonus!)
54. I like the rain.
55. Thunder is thrilling. I like it when it sets my car alarm off.
56. Normal boots don't fit me, I blame my calf(s).
57. I don't like working too closely with other women.
58. Maybe that's why I like my job so much. I'm just one of the guys, with a little sister type feel to it. It's comforting.
59. I love potatoes. (Boil 'em, mash 'em, put 'em in a stew!) And I could eat them in every form, for a good long time.
60. Same goes for the above, but with Chocolate. The only chocolate I don't likey is the alcohol-filled kind.
61. Speaking of, I've never consumed any alcoholic beverage. I accidentally ate a brandy chocolate, but i hated it and spit it out immediately.
62. I've also never smoked anything either. Drugs, cigarettes, no thank you.
63. ER is my favorite tv show. I just love it. I cried when Carter left.
64. I believe crying is therapeutic.
65. I love John Grisham books. The movies aren't half bad either. Tom Cruise was good in "The Firm".
66. I used to seriously stalk Tom Cruise. Just ask Hayley. The stalking was at its peak in College.
67. I was fully licensed the August before I was 16.
68. I love driving. I once considered a NASCAR career...
69. Realized I wasn't white-trashy enough for that, so I didn't pursue that career.
70. I'm good at cooking Chicken Parmesan (that's what the Desrosiers tell me anyway).
71. I miss my long hair.
72. I hate taking showers in the winter.
73. The reason is that when I hop out of the shower, I hate HATE being cold! It makes me so stabby.
74. I have issues.
75. Deep seeded, get me some counseling issues.
76. My favorite movie is probably Garden State, with Hope Floats following soonly after.
77. I love a good sale.
78. The shirt I'm wearing is orange, v-necked, and cost me $2.98 from Target. I love.
79. I love my husband.
80. I also love ice cream, but not as much as I love the hubby.
81. The stars have always intrigued me, but I've never learned the constellations (other than the dippers, and orion anyway...)
82. Actually, come to think of it, most of God's creations intrigue me. I'm totally blessed to be able to live on this earth.
83. When I was young, I used to pretend I had a large chest... Now I wish I didn't.
84. I love my Young Women. They are amazing girls. I really miss them too.
85. We were told to dress up for Halloween for work, but I don't know what to go as.
86. The first car I drove on my own was a Mitsubishi Precis, 1989.
87. I miss that car. LOTS of HS, and College memories with that baby.
88. I took AP classes in HS, and never scored higher than an "AP C" which was like a normal people's B. I don't know why I bothered with them. I would have done better in general classes.
89. I love Gerber Daisies. They make me happy. (Especially if they're Orange).
90. We had a trampoline growing up.
91. We used to jump off the roof onto it when mom and dad weren't watching. :)
92. I "broke" my fourth toe on my right foot when I was like 7 or 8... I was riding my bike barefoot (Hey man, no one wears shoes in Hawaii), couldn't decide if I wanted to go up the curb onto the sidewalk, or stay on the road... at the last minute I decided, and it was too late, I crashed, and the jagged/metal bike pedal sliced my toe off like 95%.
93. I don't think its *quite* sewn on straight. (Hayley is cringing reading this... She hates feet, let alone imperfect icky ones... although she said she didn't "hate" my feet in college... And heck... they're smaller now than they were then. (see #8)
94. I still don't make good decisions. (or quick ones).
95. My earliest memory, is probably when my siblings were burying me in the snow (My last winter in Utah, I had *just* turned 5, so it was a while ago)... They buried me with a metal snow shovel. I got the snow shovel between the eyes, on the bridge of my nose. I also got Popsicles all weekend, and my older siblings got punished.
96. To this day, the fact that I got Popsicles, and they got punished brings me a little bit of joy. :)
97. This experience also taught me a LOT about keeping the Sabbath Day Holy... Yep, I was buried alive in the snow on a Sunday! :-o
98. I don't like the sticky feeling the ocean leaves between my fingers after swimming. Unless there's a shower *right there* I'd rather not get in the ocean.
99. I really like Turtles' Chex Mix.
100. I love my Friends
101. I love my Family

I guess there's more... but that's enough of my freakdom on display for you all.

I next tag Amy, Paula, Jamie, Logan, Dave, Michelle, and YOU.

Too cute not to steal!

Sorry Amy, I'm stealing your most recent post about Ella. She is way too cute to not be on my blog too. I love this girl. How could I not? Look at those big beautiful eyes!

She's 14 months old, and I am in love with this girl. :) I need to pinch her or bite her or something. (Maybe Amy could do it for me by proxy?) How could you not love this girl? She's adorable!

When in Buffalo...

Well... Thursday, it seems, is Buffalo Wild Wings day. They apparently have a sale on their Boneless Buffalo Wings today. They are delish!

They have a wide wide variety of hot sauces, and their Blue Cheese is amazing. So far I've tried their boneless buffalo wings in Asian Zing, and Spicy Garlic. I think my husband would love this stuff, especially the Caribbean Jerk sauce. I'm not too keen on bone-in wings, but these boneless ones are awesome.

We normally all order some on Thursdays. 8pcs for $5.00 bux is a pretty good deal. I likey. And this week, I'm having sinus issues, so my lunch is also providing a medical purpose too.

If you're interested, there aren't any locations in Utah yet, but there are some near Houston, Vegas, and Killeen, TX (closest to Austin I could find).

Wow. A co-worker got the Mango Habanero on the side, and asked me if I wanted to try it. I scooped some onto my to-go box with the end of my fork, and stupidly licked off the end of the fork. Wow. Tastes like Burning!



I didn't eated the purple berries... but it really tastes like burning! I don't even taste Mango in it, it is flat out, straight burning.

I need to go swallow some Blue Cheese dressing now. YIPES!

Cool Tools!

Oh man! I love October! How cool is this! I am loving http://www.tomboytools.com

The hammer is $14.95, and they will donate $3.00 of that puchase to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, and they will continue to do this through next August! How cool is that?

For you hard core fix-it gals out there (like moi), they also offer a full-blown pink tool set for $69.95. The hammer is included even! It is so so cute!



The set comes with the following items:
- Standard Pliers
- Utility Knife
- Multi-Bit Ratchet Screwdriver
- 13 oz Hammer out Breast Cancer Magnetic Head Hammer
- 16' Fractionalized Tape Measure
- Torpedo Level
- Mini Hacksaw
- Latex-Grip Gloves

AND They'll donate $7.00 for each of these purchased to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Totally awesome!

I love this stuff!

My New Background Poll....

Didn't quite work as well as I wanted it to... Only one other person voted for the one I liked too. So I'm still confused, because the three that got 2 votes, I like too. Maybe I'll surprise you all and change it weekly, who knows.

*sigh*

Happy Birthday Dad!

Today is My Dad's birthday! Its barely past 9am in Utah, but I'm sure he's been up for a while... He's always been an early riser.

A few of my favorite memories of my dad would have to be on the night before the first day of school each year, we would have a family home evening of sorts, where we'd all get blessings, he did this before each of us left home on our own as well. I'm glad I have him as my Dad. He's such a great example to me of love and kindness.

He had a stroke in 2002 I think it was... I went to Utah to visit in April of 2002, and I taught my dad how to re-sign his signature. I don't know how or why, but his signature always intrigued me. I practiced it so hard, I got pretty good when I was younger. I never used it for evil purposes though. Don't you worry. I think my purpose in learning it was so that I could teach my dad how to sign it again. It's now more than 5 years later, and he's doing well. The stroke wasn't as bad as it could have been, thank goodness, but his right side isn't as good as it was before.

I'm so happy I have the dad I do. I wouldn't trade him for a million bucks! The picture below was taken at the Manti Temple, we were all waiting for Dave and Logan, we must have been waiting for like 15-20 minutes or so... Very anxious to see them come out. Just then my dad walks out of the temple, and acts all surprised, like we were all there to see HIM! It was too funny! He threw his arms up and acted all surprised, the photographer got this shot right after that. It was cute. I love my daddy. Happy Birthday Dad!



Here's another cute picture, My Parents. :)



I love them both.

My Ohana

So, Logan and Dave got their pics back from their photographer, and they're all online. They're in "crappy" small proof quality, but the purpose of these pictures isn't to save (hence the annoying watermark) if we want high quality, we have to pay more... Ah well. Here's the most updated pic of my immediate family, minus my hubby, of course.



I also like this one of My Grandma (Mom's mom) and the great grandkids.



This one is just plain fun... I miss all the wit-o's we had so much fun the week we were all there! Sometimes I hate being so far from them.



These were just a few of my favorites. With 5 siblings, and 8 nieces and nephews, we had such a blast. :)

Look at this cuteness

No, not me... Baby Courtney!

This is Paula's daughter, she was born this past June, and she was kind of my date for Dave's wedding 2 and a half months ago. Everyone else was getting family pictures, and since I was there, without the hubby, I took pictures with the wit-o Courtney. She was a lovely date, and I think we're both kinda cute in that picture. :)