Let's make some changes.

I found this article called "5 reasons why marriage doesn't work anymore." I was really put out when I read the title. After I read the post, I still don't believe that marriages simply don't work anymore. I feel like that is a very immature thing to say, because any marriage has the capability to work. I did pull out these 2 pieces from the article that really struck me, though. I have such a hard time with social media and technology. I wrote a previous post about this and yes, I too am a victim. But when I read things like this, I am truly inspired to make changes. 

-We're more connected than ever before, but completely disconnected at the same time.

Let's face it, the last time you "spoke" to the person you love, you didn't even hear their voice.

You could be at work, the gym, maybe with the kids at soccer. You may even be in the same room.

You told your wife you made dinner reservations ... through a text message.

Your husband had flowers delivered to your job ... through an app on his phone.

You both searched for furnishings for your new home ... on Pinterest.

There's no physical connection attached to anything anymore.

We've developed relationships with things, not each other. Ninety-five percent of the personal conversations you have on a daily basis occur through some type of technology. We've removed human emotion from our relationships, and we've replaced it colorful bubbles.

Somehow, we've learned to get offended by text on a screen, accusing others of being "angry" or "sad" when, in fact, we have no idea what they are feeling. We argue about this — at length.

We've forgotten how to communicate yet expect healthy marriages. How is it possible to grow and mature together if we barely speak?

Years ago, my grandmother wouldn't hear from my grandfather all day; he was working down at the piers in Brooklyn. But today, if someone doesn't text you back within 30 minutes, they're suddenly cheating on you.

You want to know why your grandmother and grandfather just celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary? Because they weren't scrolling through Instagram worrying about what John ate for dinner. They weren't on Facebook criticizing others. They weren't on vacation sending Snapchats to their friends.

No.

They were too preoccupied loving and respecting one another. They were talking to each other at dinner, walking with each other holding hands instead of their phones. They weren't distracted by everything around them. They had dreams and chased them together.

-Social media just invited a few thousand people into bed with you.

We've thrown privacy out the window these days.

Nothing is sacred anymore, in fact, it's splattered all over the Web for the world to see.

Everywhere we go, everything we do — made public. Instead of enjoying the moment, we get lost in cyberspace, trying to figure out the best status update, or the perfect filter.

Vacations are no longer a time to relax, but more a time to post vigorously. You can't just sit back and soak it all in.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with sharing moments of your life. I do it myself. But where do we draw the line? When does it become too much?

We've invited strangers into our homes and brought them on dates with us. We've shown them our wardrobe, drove with them in our cars, and we even showed them our bathing suits. Might as well pack them a suitcase, too.

The worst part about all this? It's only going to get worse.

Well, there you have it.

Countless times, I have been offended by a text message because the sender didn't use a certain punctuation mark or replied with a one word answer. I would automatically assume that their tone was negative if they didn't use 3 exclamation points or a smiley face! That is not how it should be! Human connections should not be replaced by things. It's so easy to let technology devoid us of emotion. Emotions are a beautiful thing. It is heart breaking to think that this may only get worse. I've been trying to make small changes in my life by spending less and less time on social media, especially in the presence of my loved ones. It feels good. It really does. I challenge you to do the same. Nobody wants to talk to someone who is only half there. What's the point?

Keep ya eyebrows thick...

Is this button the greatest or what? I'd love to put this on my purse! 

I've never really considered having much to do with business. Being a business owner sounds very stressful and to be honest, I don't know much about what it even takes to own your own business. However, I am dating a man who is very very interested in the world of business and he has inspired me to start up a little gig of my own (along with my sister's inspiration, as well.) My sister has her own little shop called "My Poppy Creations." She makes beautiful handmade children's moccasins, handmade blankets, and leather bags. She has always been the creative daughter in our family ;) 

Take a look at her Etsy shop if you are interested in any of these adorable items. 

Anyway, just getting back from Lithuania, I was trying to find ways to make extra cash while I was trying to find a job. They both mentioned "hey, why don't you try a pet sitting or dog walking gig?" 

well, okay then. Why not?

So I did! I made up a flyer...

and I've just been rolling in the dough.

Haha. Just kidding. 

But it has been going great! I've gotten a few great clients so far and it has been fun. Plus it's not time-consuming and it's something I can easily do on the side :) If you know of anyone who needs help with their pets, send them my way!

I've also been stitching away at these babies:

I was inspired to make a pretty wall hanging piece with these embroidery hoops that would look something like this:

as you can see, mine is very mediocre compared to these, but I think it's just so pretty and nice. I want it in my rooooom! 

As far as the Geo Deer canvas, I thought I would frame it and set it up on my shelf. This is also another potential business idea of mine. If I get better, I'll probably start selling these babies. I think they are very chic and modern and they look very nice and clean. If you are interested in one, give me a shout. I could probably do just about any animal :) 

I'm feeling pretty good right now. It's nice to fill up my time with things I enjoy doing. My job is super simple and very laid-back. I work with super kind people and the work environment is very pleasant. I do have a lot of down time though, so that can be a plus and a negative. It's nice because I can do a lot of blogging and research and stuff like that, but negative because it makes the time go by a bit slow :p It's like a dream job for lazy people, really. Sometimes I prefer a bit more moving around, so we will see how it all goes :) 

I'm excited because I'm going to be starting a tap class on Monday nights. I just ordered a new pair of tap shoes that should be arriving soon. My old pair is now 2 sizes too small. My feet grew almost a whole size while I was in Lithuania. I love tapping though and I am super excited to start attending the class! Maybe later on this year, I may get back into musicals/plays as well. Now that I have nights off (seriously, best ever!) I'd be fully capable of doing a show. I can't remember the last time I have ever worked a job where I had nights off. Ummm....try never? So this is pretty great :) 

Not much to complain about right now. Life is treating me well.

Oh! One of my best girlfriends ships off to Lithuania tomorrow!! 

I'm so excited and proud of her! I know she will have a wonderful time and will gain so much life experience by doing this. Then when she gets home we will go frolic around San Francisco because we are so in love with it! <3

Thanks for stopping by!

Look Up

Did you watch that video?

Good.

I have found myself re-watching this video for the past couple of years. The first time I ever saw it, it hit me like a cannon. I felt foolish, because I knew I was a victim of technology, just like everyone else. I went around preaching this video, posting it on social media (Ironic), and discussing it with friends. I wanted people to take it seriously, like I did. The amount of time we spend on our phones really is a huge issue, and it is sad to me that a lot of people don't see it that way. I am grateful that I have chosen to surround myself with people who tend to agree with me on this. I found myself often getting upset because I would spend my time with friends who would choose to hold their phone in front of their faces the entire time we would hang out. Now, when I first got a smart phone, I obviously thought it was the neatest thing, because I never had savvy gadgets growing up. Friends would often point out to me that I was spending way too much time online and they would express that it sort of hurt their feelings that I would rather look at my phone than look at them. I had to take a step back and really observe how much time I actually was spending on my phone. Once I did that, it has been a lot easier to put it down, and absorb myself in the world around me.....not the world of my iPhone.

As I sat and people-watched during my lunch break today, I was surprised at how many people had their phones out on the table. Maybe I shouldn't be surprised because it has become the norm to do so, but I certainly was. Also, almost every person in line was mindlessly scrolling Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. Notice how I said "Mindlessly." They (most likely) didn't have any purpose or direction in doing so, except to just see into other people's lives. Why do we do this? Does this not bother anybody else? What is so special and personal about seeing an Instagram photo of your friend that has also been viewed by 300 other people? That is just the thing...it isn't personal. If I could have it my way, I would scratch Facebook, Instagram, and all of this Twitter bull crap and go back to E-Mail and snail mail. It feels so much more special to receive a personal e-mail from a friend with photos that they only want to share with you. And a physical letter? Even better. Is it really so fulfilling to log on and see that you have 364 likes on a photo? I don't even know 364 people! I went through my Instagram followers and cut them down to strictly my closest friends and family members. It does nothing for me to see a bunch of random strangers or people from high school who I haven't spoken to in years liking my photos. I guess it does it for some people, but certainly not me.

I am so happy that I was born in the 90s. I was able to have an amazing childhood where I played outside every single day. I called my friends up on the phone and asked to play and then I walked or rode my bike down to their houses. I wrote stories and colored pictures. I played house and pretended I was a doctor or a teacher. I played with dinosaur figurines and I did puzzles. I swung on swings and slid down slides. I watched my childhood through the VHS tapes that my mom so meticulously created.

But what about kids growing up now? In 20 years when they want to see videos of their childhood, will they only be able to see them in 7 second increments that have been posted online? Or childhood photos spoiled by filters? It is a shame to think so.

I definitely try my best to constantly be aware of my phone usage. I am lucky to have a boyfriend who enjoys having intellectual and deep discussions about many different things, and when we do so, I appreciate it when we can both put our phones away and not be distracted while we are talking.

As you can probably tell, I am not much of a writer but I do enjoy recording my thoughts. Social media and technology is something I am quite passionate about, so I may ramble on about this quite often.

Thanks for stopping by!

-Shelbi