I miss Tom

I miss Tom.

It's great being back home,

it's great to be able to see family,

but I miss Tom.

People ask me if i'm happy to be home.

Yes&No

I can't really say no because that's not true.

I'm very happy to be home to be with family,

and to see a few friends here and there.

But I miss him.

I literally feel like half of myself.

I've been keeping myself really busy with work stuff

and getting my Etsy shop back up and running.

But now everything is starting to settle and

I am just feeling a little lonely.

I'm not lonely with my family,

i have a great relationship with them

but i'm missing a vital piece, a vital person

and i'm just really counting down the days, hours, minutes

and seconds until he lands here in Texas in a few weeks!!

On top of missing Tom like CRAZY

I'm trying to get used to living back at home

with my family, I haven't permanently lived here

since I graduated from High School in 2009.

I've grown to be pretty independent over the years

so moving back home has been an adjustment.

I love it, but it's definitely different.

I do realize that these are small, teeny tiny tweaks

in the grand scheme of things and i'm very fortunate to

be able to make these decisions and i'm lucky

that my British Stud Crumpet is on his way to

America in a few short weeks.

It's just that all of these life changes can become

a bit overwhelming at times and well, i'm overwhelmed.

If you haven't already guessed it, I miss Tom!

The comfort that the person you love brings you

is something that is really indescribable.

When I'm with Tom I feel so complete and so happy.

When I'm not with him i'm actually pretty miserable on the inside.

You'd never know it on the outside but now you know how my insides feel.

That kind of sounded a little weird reading out that last sentence ;)

I'm going to leave it in there anyhow.

I just love Tom so much and i'm ready

for our long distance shenanigans to be over.

LET'S GET HITCHED!!

No, I'm not proposing on my blog ;)

I'm just saying, this whole long distance thing is for the birds.

I'm ready for that money tree to appear so that this becomes easier.

I'll let you all know if and when that happens and we'll share the wealth.

We both feel the same way about all of this.

I just don't want you guys thinking i'm a crazy girl

who talks about getting married while the guy is like..

We'd both just like for the world to get a little bit cheaper.

But then again wouldn't we all like that ;)

When the world does get cheaper, or we both have enough money

to make it feel cheaper, that is when big things start happening.

:)

Hope you all have a great Monday!!

Lollzz

I built a website!!

In late April of this year I was contacted

by a friend of mine from way back.

This friend had an idea, a dream, a business proposition.

I listened to his story and within minutes I knew I wanted to be involved.

The proposition was to

to create an online retail website.

So I thought it was a great idea and it was something

that I could be involved in while over sea's...which is where I was when this began.

So for the past two months I have been building a website for

our online retail business.

When I say building a website I mean using a website

that already has sites built, you just have to fix them up real pretty.

There was zero coding in my job.

Thank goodness!!

But it did take some time to create a logo and get images

and products and product info and prices and options.

I mean there is a lot that you have to do on the back end of a site.

We've now got the site up and it's LIVE so I wanted

to share it with you guys :)

Oh yea, we sell Kids/Adults UV Swimwear.

We have the brands Snapper Rock, Tuga, Ecostinger and UV Skinz so far.

The site is called Sadie's Surf Shop and it's really cute.

Link Here

Running a website is a pretty fun gig.

It's busy, there's always more products to add or products to edit

but overall it's been really great.

The experience alone has been amazing.

Opening a store, managing a website...These are things

I never thought i'd be doing right out of college but i'm really glad that they popped up.

Now let's all just think positive thoughts about the success of this business ;)

If you visit the site read the about us story to learn more

and maybe even buy something if you feel like it ;) No pressure!!

We are really proud to be partnered with the SnowDrop Foundation

which provides scholarships for college bound pediatric cancer patients and childhood cancer survivors while raising awareness and funding for continued research to cure childhood cancer.  

We hope you'll stop by and take a look around!!

:)

One dollar Prints |ETSY|

|ETSY|

So over the last few days i've been racking my brain

trying to come up with some cute and unique prints to put into my shop.

A stroke of pure creativity came over me yesterday and Voila!!

I've listed 15..i think...15 new prints in my shop.

The BEST part??

They're all just $1.

A buck.

That's all!!

It's $1 for an instant download of the print

which i  personally feel is super genius!!

There is ZERO waiting on your part

plus you can print it out on whatever paper you want

and then put it in your favorite frame.

I would advise sticking to 8x10

or going smaller not larger as the image

sizes aren't like ginormous ;)

They're perfect for 8x10 but any bigger would be a streettcchhh...

I took pictures using my iphone so the pics definitely do

not do the prints justice.

They are all really beautiful when printed out.

I really like making it easy for people to decorate their space

and not spend a fortune.

Most prints on etsy that are cute cost $5-100

depending on if they're digital or physical prints.

I myself have spent about $30 on a few different prints

but I just didn't want to charge that much.

I think everyone should be able to have 

affordable prints and i'm here to give it to you!

I'm going to constantly be adding more prints to the shop

so if you don't see what you're looking for just keep checking back.

Here's the shop, just swing by and take a look!!

:)

In my spare time

Over the past few days i've had

the hardest time falling asleep.

I'm talking staying up till 3 or 4am...

Is it possible to get Jet Lag two weeks after

you've landed back in your home country?

But that doesn't even make sense because

I should still be tired even on UK time...

I'm writing this blog at 12:18am and

i'm not even a little bit tired.

Ok I just yawned..so maybe there's hope after all ;)

Since i've been back home i've had to

re-evaluate my spare time.

Back in England I used my spare time to hang out with Tom

or go to the movies with Tom or go out to eat with Tom...

Tom isn't here, yet, so i'm having to find things to do

when I'm not working on my new job.

Oh right I still haven't told y'all.

I designed/built/manage a website now.

That's the project i've been working on since early May.

I'll post more about that tomorrow.

In my spare time i've been doing a few things.

The one thing i've devoted most of my time to is

trying to build up my Etsy shop.

I really need to get that moving and grooving because

the funds are running low.

I'm also working on a few personal projects.

Like learning to reupholster a chair from the early 1900's.

When I took it apart I found out that it was stuffed with hay.

I guess they had to get their padding from something ;)

I've also continued the room redecorating and I have to say

it's turning out better than I ever expected.

It's just a cute, calm place to come and work or relax.

Now here's a weird thing i've been doing in my spare time.

I've been looking into real-estate in Florida.

I don't even know why i'm doing this?

I can't even afford a shack at the minute so why look at houses??

Well I actually find it quite fun to look at homes in places you could see yourself living.

Did I ever think I'd see myself in Florida?? No!

But i've reevaluated it and i'm not totally against it.

I'm yearning to live somewhere cool, with beaches and fun places to eat

and cool places to hang. You know??

I know there's lots of places like this in America

but Florida seems to have location for a good price.

I'm taking notes and holding onto these ideas for the future.

I'm not saying I or "WE" will be living in Florida ;)

I'm just looking into things!!

It never hurts to be prepared ;)

I hope you are all having a wonderful day!!

:)

ETSY SHOPPE

Hello Hello!!!

I'm really really excited because I've

been working on getting my etsy shop back up and running.

So now that I've actually got more than one product available

in my shop I feel that it's a good time to market it up a bit.

I did quite well with the canvas's with custom states.

These are still available to purchase in the shop.

Everything else you see in the shop is new.

Here's the new things i've added today.

1. Chalkboard Tray

2. Framed Chalkboard (For wall)

3. Framed Cheetah Hustle Print

4. Tassel Garland

5. Digital Downloads

6. Art Prints (in Different Sizes)

So there you have it.

I'm pretty excited about selling my images.

I think they all turned out so beautiful.

I love Etsy, i think it's such a great way to earn a few extra bucks.

I really need a few extra bucks to keep up with a long distance relationship ;)

My shop should really be called..

'Donate to Tom & Emily' Ha! ;)

So head on over to the shop and just take a look around.

Here's the link - LaBelleMasion

Hope you all have a great weekend!

:)

The first day | One year ago

Did you guys know that yesterday was the yeariversary

of the day Tom and I met...like met met...like real life met??

June 19th, 2013

I don't really remember the day because I was such a hot mess!!

I woke up in a panic, I was a few hours away from meeting my British Dreamboat,

So panic was my one and only plan for that day.

Panic because it might not be what we thought.

When you're talking to someone online

there is always something in the back of your mind

that say's "STAY ALERT" just in case red flags go a flailin.

I never once had a red flag moment with Tom

because we were both really honest and really real with each other.

But that did not stop me from panicking the day he would arrive.

I've told this guy that I love him, before i even met him.

That's not really something I told a lot of people for fear that

they would look at me like I was totally crazy.

But I did love him, the idea of him, being exactly what I thought he was.

Luckily what I thought he was, was what he was and well...I still love him.

I love him even more now than I did a year ago.

But while I waited in that waiting area at the airport

the only thing that was running through my mind was what if this doesn't work.

What if he's not what you expected, what if I'm not what he expected.

I mean I put myself through the ringer that day.

Questioning everything that i could possibly question.

Would this work? Are we right for each other? What will he kiss like?

Smell like? Be like in person? Will he like me? Will I like him?

Will we still want this once we meet?

Well as you all know, I didn't need to worry ;)

After he walked through that weird circular door

we started over, we started fresh.

It was as if I had never seen this person before.

I knew him, and his backstory but this was in the flesh.

This was new, this was unlike anything either of us had ever experienced.

We hugged, awkwardly.

We kissed, even MORE awkwardly.

And then we took this super awkward first photo...

We held hands, we poked each other, we got his bags,

we got in my car, and we drove away from the airport in an awkward haze.

I mean I was SO EXCITED that he was in Texas

but I was also SO NERVOUS that this was not going to work.

I had my guard up really really high.

It wasn't until his second day in Texas that

I ripped my guard down and took a different approach.

I was so concerned with this not working for that first day and a half

that I almost, ALMOST gave up on us.

It was never my intention to give up on us that quickly.

I know why I felt that way, I was terrified of letting my guard down,

of letting someone in, of really falling in love.

Falling in love is scaarryy and it was my first time really putting myself

into a long term committed relationship and I just didn't know what to do.

But like I said I put my guard down significantly and just let it happen.

Fast forward three weeks later and I'm in tears and absolutely devastated that

the love of my life was leaving me so soon.

I mean I really kicked it into gear in those three weeks ;)

I could not imagine life without Tom.

He makes me over the moon happy on a daily basis

and I'm SO glad I listened to myself and let myself

relax and feel the love that Tom had for me.

It has been the most magical year ever since that

awkward airport day last June.

Here's to many many more years of Tomily to come

:)

Negotiating gives me hives..

When I was in my last semester of College

I took a class called Negotiations.

In this class our teacher taught us how to

be amazing negotiators.

I must have slept through it or something

because i'm a TERRIBLE negotiator.

In fact just thinking about  having to negotiate

makes me really really nervous.

I'm a people pleaser, if they say $20 I'll say $25...

I don't know why i'm like this but I am.

So yesterday I went by goodwill to drop off some clothing.

As I pulled around the back of the shop I saw

this green velvet old english chair.

I.Fell.In.Love

At the time I was in my little Honda and there

was no way that chair would fit in my car.

So I left it and didn't anticipate on returning.

Well I told my mom about the chair and she said

if I liked it enough that we could go look at it.

I decide that we need to go back

and so my mom and I head back up to Goodwill.

We go around back and the chair is still there.

We ask the men if it's for sale and they say it's in the trash pile.

They said "you can just have it, it's trash"

So I got all giggly and jumpy and ran over to the chair

gave it a big hug and well I really over did it because

at that moment one of the guys was like "HANG ON"

Awwww snap, what's he up to??

They all run inside and a few minutes later come back out

and tell us that they'll sell the trash chair to us for $20.

Ehhhh?? Whaaattt??

My excitement lit an excitement in them

and they realized that I wanted the chair enough to buy it.

So they got all sneaky on me and took my free trash chair and

charged me $20 for it.

Well this chair was not in perfect condition...

It had a big rip in one of the arms, just the fabric part,

but other than that the rest of the chair was flawless.

So I was like, meh, $20 isn't that bad.

But my mom was like we won't pay more than $10 for it.

Here we gooo...

We had to walk in and talk to a lady in the store about buying it.

Once we got in she had already printed off a $20 tag for the chair.

sneaky sneaky

So then my mom is like can we pay $10?

She was like "naawwww $20 is the best I can do"

So I'm standing there like hey let's do it

but my momma is not having it.

They go back and forth and the lady isn't cracking on her price.

She told us that the chair would get sent to corporate 

and it would be reupholstered and resold again.

However the men outside said trash?

So now i'm just really confused.

She reiterates once more that $20 is the best she can do

and that's when I open my big ol dopey mouth and saaayyyy

"I'd pay $20 for the chair"

My mom looks at me like i've just fed her to the lions...

Sorry mom but all of this back and forth is giving me hives!!

So I give the lady $20 and we go collect my chair.

My mom was not happy with me haha ;)

But i'm really happy because look at this beauty!!!

All I'm saying is once we've reupholstered this gem we

could sell it and get our money back plus some.

So I know I botched the negotiation

but i don't really care all that much because

we payed $20 for a gorgeous chair with so much potential.

I mean these types of chairs cost a small fortune

so I think we've done really well!!

Plus now everyone knows not to bring Emily to a negotiation.

Which is totally fine with me!!

:)

Root Canals / Room Re-Do / Flights

Well it's been a pretty eventful first week back in the states.

Let's go back in time to last Monday night.

I landed in Dallas looking like a hot mess!!

Tuesday and Wednesday were spent lazing around

the house trying to un-jetlag myself one powdered sugar donut at a time.

Thursday rolls around and I have to go to the dentist.

Backstory...

Before I went to England in January I had a pretty

traumatic dentist experience that consisted of 6 fillings.

Listen...flossing is not my thing, it totally should be, but it's just not!

I need to floss, i get it!!

Moving on...

Twice while I was abroad I had some terrible

pains coming from one specific tooth.

While in Italy the pain was taken to a new level.

Web MD said mouth cancer...So obviously I was concerned.

So Thursday's dentist appointment was for answers.

The answer = ROOT CANAL!!

womp womp

My appointment is this wednesday and I feel sick just thinking about it.

On a happier note my dentist said he heard a little British accent

slipping through my southern accent.

I was thrilled because I wasn't even trying to have an accent.

So apparently I have a tiny British accent nowadays.

Even my family hears it. 

It makes me SO happy!!!

...

On Friday I had a little business meeting to discuss

a project i've been working on.

I can't wait to share it with all of you.

It's all pretty exciting because it looks like

this is going to turn into a nice little work from

home in the comfort of your pj's job.

HOLLLAAA!!!

Other job news...

I applied to be a mystery shopper and was accepted.

I say accepted as if it's like super prestigious buuuttt it's not.

Am I supposed to even tell you guys this??

How will it be a mystery if people know that i'm one of them??

Anyways I'm excited to try it out and see if it's a good use of time.

All I know is you get paid to shop, so yes, i'm in, let's do this!!

Plus any extra money here or there is great!!

...

A few weeks ago I posted about redecorating my room.

An anonymous commenter called my post a snoozefest.

They used that word, snoozefest, so rude!

If hearing about other people's random life happenings

is boring to you then you should probably stop reading blogs.

Anywwayyysss

I wasted no time in getting my room put together.

It's the space i'll be living in for who know's how long so

I wanted it to be nice and I have achieved nice!!

I'm really really proud of it.

There is still some work to do but I think it looks great so far.

| Terrible quality :( Thanks Iphone |

Tom and I have been able to skype pretty much daily.

It's so great that we have the ability to still see each other

when we're so far away.

We hate being away from each other but we're doing ok.

We've only got about 40ish days until Tom lands in Texas.

I think I can survive until then but

I miss him so so so much.

There have been lots of teary moments away from him

so I really can't wait till we're back together again.

We're still trying to find cheap flights for his trip over here.

I've been looking into using a credit card to get some travel rewards.

Have any of you gals or guys used credit cards purely for travel perks??

And if so what card do you suggest??

Or do you suggest no credit cards??

I'd LOVE to hear so feedback on this.

Hope you guys are having a good week!!

:)

Saying goodbye {Again}

Sunday night Tom and I decided to try our

hand at having an all nighter.

We'd spend it finishing 24 season 2

and eating lots of emotional snacks like

fizzy cherries, and magnum ice cream bars.

We wanted to just spend our last night together

hanging out with each other, awake.

We made it to about 3am and then both passed out.

We're wimps, or I'm a wimp because I was the sleepy one.

5am rolls around and i'm up, got my shower, packed the last few things

and by 6:30am we were out the door and off to the airport.

We both sat in the back seat of Tom's grandads car.

Holding onto each other tightly, so tightly that I was sure we'd

have to be separated when the time came.

When we pulled up to the airport I gave Billy a big hug

and then took Tom's hand and we went into the airport.

Airports are a weird place for us.

On one hand they are full of excitement.

We like airports when one of us is flying to see the other.

But on the other hand airports are horrible places.

It's in airports that we have to say see you later.

It's in airports that one of us always has to walk away from the other.

And it's always really really hard.

It was especially hard this time.

We knew spending so much time together

was a blessing and a curse because while it was

so so so great it also made it really hard to leave.

I got so used to just being with Tom.

It became my normal.

[This is one of my favorite pictures that I put into the app Waterlogue. Def a Framer!!]

So we checked my bag and started walking towards

the lonely one way escalator.

I started crying because that's what I do.

I cried, hugged him, cried, kissed him.

People were starting to stare.

I watched some of the people who were staring

and they all looked as if they knew exactly what was happening.

They looked as if they were partaking in my heartbreak.

It was like they knew how hard this was for us.

Then I looked at Tom who gave me a big kiss and a big hug

as we waddled closer to this one way escalator. 

We stood there hugging for another minute or two

before I released him and walked toward the escalator.

We waved, we blew kisses,

and then it was just me, again.

I felt the ache instantly, of not being with him.

I found wifi as soon as possible and called him

and we talked for about 45 minutes before I had to

go find my gate.

The first flight was long and painful.

I actually kept wanting to cuddle up to the guy

next to me just out of habit, but thankfully I didn't

or the flight would have taken an awkward turn.

Once I landed in ATL I had about 5 hours to sit and chill.

I skyped Tom most of the time I was sitting there.

I also had some Panda Express which was freaking delicious!!

I slept the whole way from ATL to DAL 

which was good because it helped a little with the jetlag.

My family was overjoyed to see me.

It was a great moment being reunited with everyone.

So now I'm back in Texas and it's bitter sweet.

Being home is great but I'm just not all here anymore.

I've left half of myself back in England.

When It was time for me to go up to my room

and go to sleep my emotions hit me hard.

I was tired and I was sad but happy at the same time, it was weird.

I cried for a while before finally falling to sleep.

I miss Tom, i'll never not miss him when we're not together.

I'm so thankful for the 5 months we had together and

I can't wait for him to be here in a couple of weeks.

I'm also looking forward to the next year or two

where we've got plans to spend even more time together.

So my tears and my sadness all stem from

being emotionally distraught because I've had to leave the one I love.

But I'm fully aware that we have some amazing time's ahead of us

that include long term plans so these tears are temporary.

Tom will be here before I know it and I'm so looking forward to that!

So while we're not together we'll both be keeping busy

with work and working out [for the caribbean] and i'll be doing

some re-decorating and some etsy shop creating.

So we'll be ok, I know we will.

It's hard but we've done it successfully before

and we'll keep doing this until we're to a point where

we are both financially ready to take another step ;)

I'm so thankful for this blog because when the time comes

for that next step immigration can just read all of this

and then they won't have any questions for us haha

On a different note my baby brother graduated from High School last night!

We are so proud of him and I can't wait to take him up to

my Alma Mater this fall where he'll start College!! So crazy!!

Thanks to everyone who has followed me on this journey

over the past year and a half. I'm so thankful that Tom and I are able

to do everything that we've done and I can't wait to see where we go from here.

It won't be long till the British Cowboy is back ;)

Hope you are all having a great week!!

A quick shoutout to my British family!!

Miss you guys so much!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOM!!!!!

Today is a really really exciting day!!

Today is Tom's 24th BIRTHDAY!!!!!!

I love love love birthdays,

especially when it's Tom's, especially when we're together!!

This is the first time we've been together for either

of our birthdays and it's so exciting!!

I met Tom online when he was a wee 22 year old.

So much has changed since then.

I've grown to love and adore this 24 year old Brit.

So you'll be reading this after i've already gone through with

some of my birthday surprise plans.

I'm going to blow up balloons while he sleeps

and try to put them all over his room and in his doorway

without him waking up..

So i'll be sitting in the hallway blowing up

balloons in the middle of the night.

Not weird at all.

{Update}

I've also got some birthday donuts with candles

for his birthday breakfast.

{Update)

We'll spend the day bowling and eating then

we'll finish the day back at the house with the fam,

eating pizza and celebrating Tom.

It's going to be a great day!

:)

Happy Birthday Tom!

You have made me smile every single

day since I first met you. You are my best friend

and my adventure partner. I love how we can jet off

to new places together. Exploring the world with you

has been and will continue to be my most favorite thing.

You make me laugh more than I've ever laughed in my life.

Which say's a lot because I am quite the laughy gal.

We click, we clink, we're just so right with each other.

You make me so happy i could burst. I love when you

make fun of my hand talking, and when you give me

big bear hugs with a kiss on the forehead. I love how

we say 'I love you' about a thousand times a day.

I love how nice you are and how thoughtful and

caring you are. You make this all so easy because

you're such a lovable guy, plus there's the accent

which never hurts. ;) It's scary moving away from

home for an extended period of time but you have
made me feel so loved at 'at home' this entire time!!
I love you bug, you're my favorite!!
Happy Birthday!!
<3

The final days

I remember telling people that I was coming

over here to spend 5 months with Tom.

The replies were mixed.

Some thought it was "SO COOL"

while others were like "Wow...that's a long time"

Followed by worried wide eyed looks.

Well 5 months sounds like a long time 

until you're in your final days and then those 5 months

just aren't long enough at all!!

I know my parents and sibs and family and friends

are sooooo ready to see this shining face of mine.

They text me saying

"I'm so excited, it's almost time"

I text back

"I know, i'm excited too"

They text back 

"Don't lie ;)"

haha

Well truth is I am very excited to see everyone.

I can't wait to see the fam and hang with some friends.

But I think by now everyone knows that I've been cut in half.

Half of me will be in Texas celebrating my homecoming

while the other half is over here with my boo thang.

I'm actually not sure i'll ever be whole.

Being in a long distance relationship makes

being whole a very daunting task.

Because when I'm here with Tom and his family

I'm missing my family and when I'm in Texas I'm

missing Tom and his family.

It's very likely that I won't feel totally whole until

there is some sort of event where the entire family is present 

...like a get together wedding...

;)

I'm just SO happy that I don't have to be without

Tom for very long since he's coming to Texxaass in August.

We've been checking Sky Scanner like it's our job.

Trying to find cheap flights from Manchester to Dallas is

becoming veryyyy difficult.

So we're getting a little creative to get the cost down.

Like flying Tom to Ireland via a budget airline then from

ireland to New York for much cheaper than Manchester to Dallas

and then from New York to Dallas via our budget airlines.

Doing all of that ^^^ rather than just flying MAN-DAL

would save Tom around £300 or $500.

Yesssssss Please!

We've got some fun plans for the last few days.

They include lazing around in matching outfits...

We'll also be researching some new ways to spend more time together next year,

like Tom getting an internship in the USofA more specifically Texas!!

And finally we'll be partying!!

It's Tom's birthday on Saturday.

He's going to be 24.

I'll be dating an older man for a few months.

It's pretty exciting stuff ;)

I may not blog too much between now and when I leave.

I've got some pretty important stuff to be doing over the next few days.

I did promise a Tom blog though so i'll try and get him to get that posted

before I leave or at least right after I get back.

Hope you all have a great week!!

:)