A Weekend with Etta James

Etta James… so many things I can say about this adorable pup! She is sweet, silly, happy, lovable, cuddle bug… an actual angel. Absolutely nothing bad to say about this dog.

For the whole weekend, I got to snuggle, eat snacks, nap, and play with a pup who couldn’t stop smiling and wagging her tail.

Etta James has been through the worst of the worst and still… she has this joy in her heart that she has to spread to those around her. Sweet Etta had her leg amputated and has to hop around with only three legs. She has tumors all over her and is suffering from mass cell cancer. She doesn’t have a lot of time left, and while it breaks my heart and I hate this for her, she still keeps going. She doesn’t dwell on the sad parts of her life, and instead, she gets excited about everything.

Her face when she hears someone in the kitchen

She lives to hear the fridge opening. Her ears go all the way up and she listens so intently, hoping for a snack of any kind. Mom got her chicken nuggets from McDonalds, gave her cheese crackers, and we made her eggs. She had cheese bacon flavored dog ice cream and doggie cookies too. She was eating to her hearts content and nothing less the entire weekend (she also couldn’t stop passing gas lol).

And what’s so adorable… she loves to lay in your arms and be pet endlessly. She requires lots of pampering and I have no problem giving her all the snuggles. If anyone deserves it, it’s Etta James!

Mom and I even got to take her for a car ride to say hi to my grandma and go for a ride in the PetSmart cart around the store and outside in the parking lot, taking in the fresh air. It was one of the best weekends I have had in a long time. I wish I could permanently foster her, but unfortunately, no one in my family is home all day to do so.

Etta needs someone home for the most part to help in case she needs it… especially with moving around. It’s so hard for her hopping around on the three legs with her little body. She is such a trooper though!

I will be taking Etta for many weekends coming up. I plan on giving her as much love as I can and picking her up just about every week for as many days I can be home with her. I want to give her so much attention. She needs and deserves it. I will do everything I can for this sweet, kindhearted animal with the biggest heart.

Thank you Emma and Sedona for sending miss Etta James my way. 🙂

My Little Buddy

Kona has been a sweet, little dog and good for the soul. I know for a fact Sedona sent her my way just as she left this world.

Our dogs look after us even when they’re gone. They never leave us and become little guardian angels, making sure we’re OK down here.

They are so special…our pups. I can’t imagine life without them. It just wouldn’t be the same. Kona has become my little companion… my new buddy to spend time with and have that sweet connection and love like I did with Sedona and Emma.

Kona may not be my dog but she’s still an important pooch in my life and who I love very much.

There’s nothing like going over your grandma’s house, and you walk into the hallway, and there… you see a fluffy tail going at full speed, and a silly canine smile on a cute pup’s face. Kona loves to jump on me and give me the biggest kiss, too. It’s adorable and brings me so much joy.

Even if you don’t have your own dog right now, go visit your family and friend’s doggies, go to a shelter and volunteer… find some dogs to snuggle, and it’ll make you feel so much better. 🙂

I LOVE my Kona girl!

If Only Our Dogs Lived Forever…

It’s been about a week without my sweet senior pup. It’s too quiet all the time. I keep thinking it’s a nightmare and I just need to wake up. If only…

In honor of Sedona, I’ve been getting photos printed of her. I’m going to hang some up so I can have her close to me. Pictures of her make me smile and remind me of how wonderful she was.

You want your pets to live on in your hearts. After all, we can never forget how special each dog is. They all have unique personalities that make them lovable and great creatures to care for. It’s why it’s heartbreaking to say goodbye to any of them. They become our family. They become our whole world.

If they lived forever, our precious animals… the earth would be ten times better. But I know they’re too good for this place. They are too good for us. I think God gives us dogs to teach us how to love better, live better, just do better as people. Dogs remind us that life is too short… make the most of every single day. Dogs give us a purpose… a reason to get up every day. Dogs comfort us on our worst days and cheer us on our best days. DOGS ARE THE BEST.

Keep rescuing no matter how hard it is after losing a pet. There are so many out there looking to find love from a family. Be that family for them. I know it’s something I want to continue doing. I need to rescue more dogs and give them a safe place to feel adored and happy.

Adopt or foster… NEVER SHOP.

Dear Sedona

Dear sweet Sedona pup,

I love you so much. I’m happy when you’re happy. I’m sad when you’re sad. I’d do anything for you. Anything. I just want you to live forever and love every moment you spend with me.

It’s hard knowing I can’t save you from the pain you face. I can’t fix your back legs. I can’t fix the pain in your hips. All I can do is give you medicine, take you to the vet, pray God heals you, pray He gives you more time with us.

If I could take all the pain away for you… I would in a heartbeat. I just want you to smile with your lil canine teeth and wag your nub of a tail 24/7. Seeing you like this, well… it breaks my heart…to say the least.

I wish I met you sooner in life and had even more time with you. But, I’m still so grateful. I wouldn’t trade the past 3 years I got to know you for the world. You have brought all the joy into my life. I felt so lost when I lost my childhood dog, Emma. You helped me through it. You put a smile on my face again. You made me laugh with your prancing around and being silly. You made me loved with your kisses and hugs. Thank you, my sweet girl.

Getting to cuddle and watch movies with you on the couch, going for walks, eating lil snacks together, taking all the cute pictures… I treasure every moment I have spent with you. I’ll continue to until the very end.

I promise to make the time you have left here on earth special and full of love and snuggles. You’re my best friend. You always will be. I love you to infinity and beyond (I know Toy Story is your favorite movie).

Love always and forever,

Your Chea

You Are Never Too Old for Animated Kid Movies

My last few posts have been emotional for me. Talking about Sedona, my sweet senior pup, makes me smile and get teary eyed at the same time. Let’s talk about something else today, OK?

I think for even just a moment, I would like to pretend everything is fine and dandy and talk about something else… anything else…distracting myself from the sadness I’m going through. So, let’s do this, shall we?

Animated Kiddy Movies

You can be 26 and still watch cartoons. There, I said it! I don’t know why it’s weird. I mean, I don’t think it is. Cartoon, kiddy shows relax you. They remind you life isn’t perfect but sometimes it helps to have a little distraction. I rather laugh at a movie like Finding Nemo than sit around moping about paying bills and all the hard parts of being an adult. Of course, not going to lie, sometimes these kid movies get me all up in the feels! Yes, Finding Nemo is cute and funny, but do we really need to kill off Marlin’s wife and all of Nemo’s siblings right at the beginning of the film??? (Other than that, I do love the movie).

My Top Ten Fav Animated Children Movies

1) Zootopia

2) Finding Nemo

3) Turning Red

4) Incredibles

5) Toy Story 3

6) Elemental

7) Tangled

8) Luca

9) Emperor’s New Groove

10) Monsters Inc.

Time for me to go watch a few of those cute lil movies! Talk to you soon, Bloggers!

30 Things That Make Me Smile

List 30 things that make you happy.

I like this writing prompt! I couldn’t resist making a lil post for it. So many things put a smile on my face. Big moments… little moments in life. I try to always find the good in everything because it’s important to enjoy it all. Taking life for granted is a bad idea (I don’t recommend).

Look for those things that make you happy! Go out of your way to do all that makes you content and full of life. Don’t look back and say you never felt joy— never made the most of your time here on earth.

Listing 30 things that makes me happy… not a problem! The easiest list I’ll ever make. Sure, I got way more than 30, but we’ll just go with this number so you’re not sitting here reading a crazy long post.(;

30 Things That Make My Heart Merry

1) Spontaneous trips (anywhere with friends or family)

2) Going on an iced coffee run

3) When my mom surprises me with ice cream from Cold Stone (she’s been doing that a lot lately)

4) My senior pup greeting me with her nub wagging after I’ve been gone all day

5) Cuddling with my senior pup on the couch as I watch a movie with her

6) Going to the movies at night (I’ve been seeing the Barbie movie lately… more than once…10/10)

7) Relaxing in my bed watching Disney/Pixar movies

8) Reading a Colleen Hoover book (I’ve read them all and love re-reading them)

9) Listening to 80s music while I workout at the gym

10) Anything that is pink

11) Cleaning my room

12) Spending all day Sunday shopping

13) Getting a burrito from Fileberto’s

14) Having off on Fridays from work

15) Going swimming at my grandma’s pool

16) FaceTiming friends

17) Writing for fun 🙂

18) Spending time with my mom & grandma

19) When a package arrives in the mail from Amazon (who doesn’t love that)

20) When I get a free food or drink item from a restaurant (coupons are a girl’s best friend)

21) NAPS

22) Dressing up and taking pictures for a special occasion

23) When someone pays me a sweet compliment

24) Getting to work on time 😉

25) This is a weird one — going to bed with wet hair (it feels so cool and refreshing— puts me instantly to sleep)

26) When my therapist gives me great advice and helps me see the good in bad situations

27) When Mom cooks meatballs and spaghetti or pot roast

28) When someone lets you cut and go in front of them in line at a store or restaurant

29) Painting my nails

30) When someone holds the door open for me

You could say this is a silly list. I would agree. It is silly but it’s what makes me the most fulfilled— the most joyful.

I’m so grateful. I have a good life. And in less than a week, I will be 26 years old. I’m getting older but that’s OK. Life goes by pretty fast ya know? All I can do is try and keep up.(;

I Have Found My Home

I used to call Jersey my home. The place where I always felt safe. The state I belonged in. The state that has everything I could want.

Then, one day, in 2020, I took a leap of faith. I moved out west to Arizona. I had been there every other year since I was four— taking trips to visit my grandparents— so I knew what to expect. But, I didn’t fully know what it would be like to actually live permanently in the Grand Canyon state. A state filled with endless sunshine, lizards crawling everywhere, pretty palm trees, crazy heat temperatures.

I’ll be honest and say I didn’t like it after moving out here. The heat got to me immediately. The lizards freaked me out. I didn’t have the safety net of familiarity to me. My world— my life, it felt like it was all back in Jersey waiting for me to return. I missed my family. I missed my friends. I missed the beaches. I missed how close everything was. I missed all the green. I even missed the squirrels.

I’ve been in AZ for 3 years now. So much has changed. I no longer hate this state. I found the good in it. I started stepping out of my comfort zone. I found a full-time job, got my very first car (brand new), and began doing more with my life out here. I’ve gotten to explore more of AZ, checking out different towns, coffee shops, parks— you name it. I’ve learned to adapt to a new change in scenery.

One day, recently, I was driving and heading home from work. I looked around— seeing the mountains ahead of me and the palm trees swaying back and worth. I thought to myself, This is home. And, of course, I was listening to one of my Spotify playlists and a song came on. “You’re My Home,”- by Billy Joel. Yes, it’s about falling in love and feeling like that person is your home because he/she feels safe with them and happy. Home is wherever they go. But, that key word home stuck out to me. Home is a place that can be anywhere. It’s the place you always know you can go to no matter what and feel that sense of safety and security. And, I believe I’ve found it in Arizona. 🙂

“The magic thing about home is that it feels good to leave, and it feels even better to come back.” — Wendy Wunder

My First Tattoo

I got a tattoo! I never really thought I would get one. I liked the idea of it but never could seem to head over and actually do it. But, I wanted one. Really bad. So, here I am! I HAVE A REAL TATTOO ON MY BODY.

My cousin and I had been talking about getting matching tattoos for a while now. We went to Dame of the West Tattoo, Scottsdale AZ yesterday (Sunday), and finally got our matching sunflowers (we decided on a sunflower with the help of Pinterest).

It was a fun lil adventure going to get tattoos with my mom and grandma tagging along. Mom, Grandma, and I went and picked up my cousin; Kayla, in Tempe and got lunch at Panera. We went to Club Tempe Tattoo first (since it was nearby but no luck)! The wait was going to be three hours (of course we said no to that).

Kayla and my grandma have matching palm tree tattoos (they got last year) and had there’s done at Dame of the West Tattoo, so we went there! They took us in 20 minutes. Perfect!

The place was such a vibe. Candles lit, plants everywhere, a cozy waiting area, and super friendly tattoo artists— it was a 10/10 experience.

I was nervous I would jump when the needle entered my skin. But, the guy that inked me with a cute lil sunflower was good! He made me feel relaxed and comfortable as I sat on a table, with him holding my leg tight while he traced that sunflower with the ink. He took his time making sure I liked it and it wasn’t a painful experience (which I really appreciated). You don’t want a bad experience getting your first tattoo! And thankfully, I didn’t move my leg too much and was able to sit there pretty still.

It was an easy process, and honestly, not that painful at all. He would stop every couple seconds and wasn’t drilling the needle in the whole twenty minutes. He would take breaks and when the needle was in my skin, it felt mostly like tiny cat scratches. On a scale of one to ten, the pain was a 4. I only got a 2 inch tattoo and no coloring, so it was an awesome experience overall!

I’m glad I did it and can finally cross getting a tattoo off my bucket list.

I think a sunflower tattoo is the perfect first tattoo for me and it’s cool because I did it with my cousin. I got to have a special tattoo bonding moment with her. She’s moving back east in just a couple months, so the tattoo is a nice lil reminder that I have a fun, awesome cousin who was down to get a matching tattoo with me and something to remember her by.

Plus, a sunflower tattoo is known as the “happy” flower. I’m a pretty happy, easy going person and having that on my leg is a reminder that life isn’t perfect, but having a positive attitude and being that ray of sunshine will keep you content (no matter what happens). I just want to live my best life & that’s exactly what I’m doing!

Hmmm… I wonder what tattoo I’ll get next! 😉

Did Someone Say National Coffee Day?

I’ve been obsessed with iced coffee for ten years! Ten years I have made Dunkin runs. 10 years I have made my friends meet me at Starbucks for iced coffees. Ten years I have had a coffee in hand like it’s an accessory. TEN YEARS I’VE BEEN A CAFFEINE ICED COFFEE QUEEN. And with today being National Coffee Day, you already know it’s a good day for me.

I have gone to so many coffee shops and tried all kinds of flavors these past ten years (I had to check it all out— I just had to). Let’s just say, I am committed to drinking iced coffee every day, even if it’s just at home — even if it’s just a cup from the Keurig. I can drink coffee all day every, single day— I really can (no joke and as long as it’s iced). And… a decade later… I’m still not tired of the strong, bold flavor and cream and of course, the flavored syrup. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of it at this point! I mean, what else would I drink? Iced tea? I think not!

I’m celebrating this lil coffee holiday and a decade of being coffee obsessed with trips to some of my favorite coffee shops to see if they’re offering any free coffees or specials deals today! I know for certain that Dunkin is giving out free coffee today— if you purchase something with the drink (I already stopped there earlier— I couldn’t miss out).

Well, anyway, if you’re a big coffee drinker like me, don’t forget to stop somewhere and get one today. Why miss out on an opportunity to get free coffee?

Everyone deserves to treat themselves every now and then. Today’s the day to do just that, friend! Get your favorite coffee— hot or iced— vanilla or perhaps something different like maple pecan— and live your best life today! 🙂

I like my coffee iced, iced baby! – Unknown

Happy Girl

Do you ever have those moments where you just feel so happy? The kind of joy where you catch yourself smiling randomly and looking forward to everything— even the simple things like going out to Starbucks to get a pumpkin spice latte (it’s finally back). If you’re saying yes, well, what a coincidence… I FEEL THE EXACT SAME WAY.

Lately I’ve been excited about everything. I don’t know what is, but I’m vibing right now and enjoying all the big and small moments.

Good things do come to those who wait. I’ve been having a good day after good day after good day. If my happiness could last forever, well… that would be WONDERFUL. So we’ll see! I’m hoping for the best.

It’s as though ever since I turned 25, I became more content and all about doing everything that makes me super happy. Because let’s be honest, life isn’t about work and other people’s opinions of you. Life is about doing all you can to make yourself feel complete. Every day should feel special and something you look forward to. I’m just loving this stage of life I’m in. My mid twenties… how did I get here? I don’t know— but I do know 25 has been treating me good so far and it’s barely been a month of it!

A few lovely things that have happened to me…

• I started freelance writing again! I’m currently writing/working for my grandma’s friend— editing her autobiography (PUTTING MY ENGLISH DEGREE TO GOOD USE).

• I’ve become comfortable at my retail job and have gotten more hours and really understand the position now (if you ever have shoe questions— I got you).

• I got another ear piercing! So now I have five holes in both ears and they look super cute and sparkly!

• Fall has basically arrived so now I’m buying cute flannels, sweaters, and saying all sorts of fall puns (I’m corny— can’t help it).

• I’ve been getting more fit and toned from working at my job and going to the gym and feel really healthy!

• I’ve been able to still make time to hangout with my senior pup and cuddle with her and make her feel loved (no matter how busy I get).

• I’m going around ordering different pumpkin drinks from Starbucks, Dunkin’, Colados and Crepes— all the fabulous coffee shops and getting my fall coffee treats (so good).

To sum it all up, I’m in a super duper great place and feel so relaxed and joyful and it’s an amazing feeling. Being able to say everything is going well for me (really meaning it) and not having anxiety is just, well, AWESOME. It took some time to get to this point in my life, but I’m here— I’m finally here. I’m really finally here. It’s safe to say I’m smiling as I write this. 🙂

“The only thing that will make you happy is being happy with who you are.” – Goldie Hawn