100 Followers :D and Some Updates

Wow, everyone...I'm speechless!  Well, almost.  I don't think I've EVER been at a loss for words in my entire life! ;)  100 Followers!!!  I can't believe it!  My ultimate goal was to reach 100 followers on this blog, and thanks to all of you, I've achieved that goal.  Thank you so much for reading, following, and commenting on my blog.  You have truly made this a wonderful experience, and I am so grateful to all of you! :)

I almost feel like I need to figure out another goal now.  Maybe another 100? :D  Who knows?  Regardless, I am so thankful.  I've had so much fun already, and I am really excited to see where this blog ends up.

So, while I'm here, I might as well give you a few updates. :)  As I mentioned earlier, I listed some of my Barbies on eBay.  Quite a few, to be completely accurate.  It was kind of tough to let them go, but I knew it was time to let them move on.  It was silly to have them stashed away in a box somewhere when our house has a shortage on storage space.  Especially since we're not doing as much with Barbies with my daughters.  Now, they are hopefully in places where they can be enjoyed as they should be. 

Well, the Lord blessed my decision, and between the Barbies, a yard sale, and my Breyer horse collection on Craigslist that FINALLY sold, I made about $230!!!  It was actually closer to $300 before deducting eBay and Paypal fees (I'd forgotten how much that adds up!).  I can't tell you how excited I am.  Thank you, by the way, to any of you who happened to bid. :) 

The really exciting result from my business venture is that it's pretty likely that My AG #55 (aka Hayden Brooke Hathaway) should be a part of my dolly family by sometime next month...I think. :}  I've decided I'm going to set aside $50 towards her from my earnings.  My birthday is coming up at the end of this month, so I'm hoping for some AG gift cards or birthday money that can go towards my purchase. :D  I also want to wait until October just in case another free shipping code comes up, like last year (every little bit helps!).

The rest of the proceeds went towards clothing, shoes for my hubby, and credit card payments...and just a couple of things to review for the blog. :)  One kind of funny/sad thing is that shortly after my sales, we had to replace the back tires on our car.  It cost about $300!  I was pretty disappointed at first, thinking that my money should just go towards that.  My hubby was really sweet, though, and told me to keep the $50 set aside and to get my clothing (I really desperately needed a few new things for church...I've been rotating between the same 3 outfits for a while now!).  I'm still going to get his shoes, too.  We had some money set aside in savings that is going to pay for the tires. 

Things are still tight financially, but the Lord is providing for us.  Hubby has been working A LOT.  In fact, two weeks ago, he had almost 80 hours in one week between the two jobs.  I hate to see him working that much, and wish we could change things, but we're kind of stuck for a while until we can get some things paid off.  Now is not a great time to be looking for new work, anyway.  I'm hoping I can start doing some short story or article writing for pay to help out a bit, but we'll see how that goes!  Anyway, it's been good for me to have to say no to some activities and items and to try to think carefully about budgeting.  I've still got a long ways to go, but I'm learning! :)

And by the way, please don't think of us as completely destitute in a run-down shack somewhere.  We're not.  We have a roof over our heads, lots of family in the area that are very encouraging, food to eat, a wonderful church family, and plenty of clothing and items to fill our house.  We're not as well off as many, but we're definitely in a better situation than many others in our country, too.  The Lord is good!

Let's see, another thing I wanted to update you on was my whole weight issue.  I haven't said much because there hasn't really been much to report.  In the past couple of weeks, though, I've tried something new that seems to be working for me.  It's a combination of nutritional vitamins and switching to a low glycemic diet.  So far, it's been successful.  My carb cravings have been reduced, I'm eating more healthy foods than I have in a long time, and I've lost 10 pounds. :)  I'm not foolish enough to think I'll never have temptations or problems again, but I'm just trying to take one day at a time and make wise decisions day by day.  I would love to lose another 10 if I can, but I also don't want my focus to always be a number on a scale.  I just want to be healthy and feel good. :)

In other doll news, I wanted to give you plenty of warning that Piper will be moving to my aunt's house.  I still really love her, but I just haven't bonded with her as much as I'd hoped to.  I have so much invested in My AG #55's character and personality, and as a result I don't have as much invested in Piper.  The cool thing is that she'll still make occasional appearances, as my aunt lives in the same town I do.  Also, my aunt is getting into dolls as well and doesn't have an actual AG doll yet, so she's really excited to give Piper a new home.  Plus, they both like musicals, Bollywood and Shahid Kapoor, so it's a good match. ;) 

I've got some other posts in the works, including my second Bollywood review post (I promise I haven't forgotten!), and some photo shoots. :)  I'm having a rough time adjusting to the school schedule this year, so bear with me as I try to organize and prioritize my time. :)

Thanks again, everyone!  I am so excited to finally reach 100!!!  I hope to provide you with many more exciting posts and reviews in the years to come. :D

To close, I'll leave you with a sneak preview of one of the photos from my shoot. :)

Lovely Emma

Talk to you again soon! :D