It's Mrs. D for Short

I passed my state teaching exam!!! Woo hoo!! I've been on pins and needles since last Tuesday and I finally got the email this morning. Some people asked what I thought of the test. I said that it was a lot easier than I thought it would be, but that's because I studied a LOT because I really didn't know what it was going to be like. I ended up buying a book to help me study, but there wasn't a review class or anything of the sort like there is in real estate. I definitely think the big yellow book helped me...which is why I am bequeathing it to Courteney (lol). I am sooo very over state exams! I've taken two in the last six months - real estate and now teaching. PHEW!

Things are slowly, but surely coming together though and that's a great feeling to have. It's also a coincidence because I go to one of the school districts today to fill out some paperwork for substitute teaching too. Yippee! My substitute teaching will also cover my observation hours, so that's a good thing.

What's next?

Well, I start pedagogy training (face to face training) in a couple of weeks. These will be during the week and on certain Saturdays until mid December. It's long, but I think it will be a lot of fun and a lot to learn. Courteney and I are in the same class so it will be nice to have one of my besties there.

Now that I've passed my state exam, I can start interviewing for teaching jobs. I cannot step into a classroom though, until the pedagogy training is finished.

Depending on what happens when I start interviewing, I may go ahead and take the Bilingual supplemental test just so I can add that as a credential. This would be a great thing to have since I want to teach inner city kids. We shall see what happens in the next few weeks or so.

Thanks a million for all of your support! xo

The Giving Tree

We are just so touched by the housewarming present we received a couple of weeks ago! As a housewarming gift, Rachael and Chad sent us a tree seedling to plant in our backyard from The Greenworld Project. Even though we live in the city, we do have a small backyard, however there isn't any grass. And if you know my dear husband, we won't be putting any grass there any time soon...yes, you are safe to assume that he doesn't want to cut the grass, mow the lawn, tidy the greens->however you wanna call it. This being said, we decided to plant the tree in a little area we have and heck, if it gets bigger, we will just have to move it! This gift is so special to us because, as Rachael and Chad put it, it is in bumpkin's honor. We all hope that this tree will grow so that one day, we can watch our kids run around it, while never forgetting about the special bumpkin we had. It was such a thoughtful gift and really touched our hearts. As soon as we read the note that they wrote and what the tree was all about, we teared up...not necessarily tears of sadness, but tears of hope, of love and of thanks.

Here are pics of Jim and I happily planting the tree. Thanks again for such a wonderful housewarming present...this gesture is something that will stay with us forever!


Me with the tree and the special note!


Jim with the shovel! We didn't plant the tree here...in fact, we dug way too close to a power line - oops!


Jim planting the tree


There it is! What a great memory to have!

Bullseye Bodega! HUH?

I remember when I first moved to NYC and Jim mentioned that the corner stores in neighborhoods are called bodegas. I was like, huh? A what? A who? A bodega! It's basically a mini-grocery store. You can find canned goods, laundry detergent, ice cream - you name it. We don't really go to bodegas unless it's to buy a pack of gum or something to drink. We do, however, like to frequent our neighborhood Duane Reade for some goods. Duane Reade has become our version of Target. Oh - let me back track. For those of you who don't know - there isn't a Target near us. WAH!! I loooove me some Target (pronounced Tar-jhay). You go in wanting to buy one thing and come out spending a fortune on random things...Target just has that hold on me...and I can't help it. We usually frequent the one in Long Island - mainly because we can also get our chain restaurant fix in (Chili's anyone?).

Anywho, I happened to come across an article in New York magazine on these Bullseye Bodegas. What?! Hold up. There's mini-Targets in the city?!? Hold on to your hats folks, I may be running to one that fast. This being said, I just so happened to see one while I was walking, from a few blocks away and my mouth dropped. There it was - the Bullseye Bodega. I dragged Jim and had to see it for myself. Well, you can imagine my disappointment when I realized that it wasn't all that great. It's not even really a mini-Target. It's almost like the mini-outlet of Target. So not like the original. You know how Diet Dr. Pepper tastes just like the real Dr. Pepper, but just slightly different? I thought that it would be just like that! Well, it's not. So-Annoying. Who knew Target could be such a tease? It's like finding out the guy you wanted to call you so bad did call, but then hung up after one ring.
Ugh - Target definitely wears the pants in this relationship.

Business Spotlight: Courteney Miller Photography

My business spotlight for the week is Courteney Miller Photography. Besides being a great friend, Courteney is also a great photographer! Why nobody gave this girl a professional camera before is beyond me! She has a passion for taking pictures and it definitely shows. Prior to taking off in the Houston photography industry, Courteney worked with a few of Houston's renowned photographers such as Ashley K and Scott Kelley. If you're interested in learning more about Courteney, seeing her work or if it's time to update those picture frames around your living room, give Courteney a call!

For more information, visit Courteney's blog at: www.courteneymillerphotography.blogspot.com

xoxo!

Business Spotlight: Hera Couture

Since there are so many people out there who are taking the chance, biting the bullet and following their dream of pursuing their passion, I decided to blog on a Business Spotlight (once a week, I hope). This week's business spotlight is Hera Couture. My friend, Kaitlin, has a knack for passion in the bridal industry. We currently work together, however she also has a boutique/shop based in Hoboken, NJ and can be seen in local magazines. Her designs can also be found at Bella Bridesmaid boutiques as well. Her bridesmaids' dresses are made to order and her designs are just as unique...and soooo very cute!!! Most importantly, "You can totally wear them again!" If you've seen the movie 27 Dresses, you are laughing just as you read that last sentence.

If you're interested in learning more about Hera Couture, check out her website!

Hera Couture
728 Washington Street
Hoboken, NJ 07030
Phone: 201.420.8004
www.heracouture.com

Enjoy!