Stocking Stuffers For The People In My Life

Ironically, the year I'm living in an apartment with a fireplace, I don't have stockings. I had plans to make some but don't have the money yet. But I don't mind too much since my girls aren't aware enough to notice or care. And they're still getting gifts so it doesn't matter.

Below I've made short lists of stocking gift ideas for all different types of people that I see commonly in my own life. Because they are stocking stuffers, I tried to stick with as cheap as possible. Also, can I get a shout out for writing most of this post on my phone because my laptop wasn't working? It's so hard to do this on a phone!

FOR WRITERS

Let's start with a category I'm most familiar with because I'm a part of it. I highly recommend 642 Tiny Things To Write About and Q&A a Day. I have both of these and while I don't use them as much as I should, they are both great for helping boost creativity. Notebooks and pens and pencils are always great items as well.

PET LOVERS

While you can always give them dog or cat toys directly, most things with an animal, or specifically their animal is appreciated. For example, I have a sheltie so dogs like Lassie appeal to me more. People also tend to give me cow or cow print items because they know I'll appreciate it. Keychains, notebooks, stuffed animals, and mugs are great go-to items.

STAY AT HOME MOMS

I'm now (mostly) a stay at home mom. It was a weird and hard transition for me, but totally worth it. For someone taking care of kids all day, great gift items include slippers or comfy sucks, books, music, baby toys to entertain the little ones, and... I'm often told wine, I personally don't drink so I don't know what wine drinkers enjoy, but if you know the recipient is a fan then go for it!

MUSIC LOVERS

Ah music. I'm obsessed. As a music lover, I'm always a fan of CDs, iTunes giftcards, and headphones.

MAKEUP ARTISTS

I always appreciate new makeup tools and products to play around with. There are literally too many options out there and most makeup items can fit within a small budget. Just visit Ulta or your local drugstore to get good prices on fun items.

BEARDED MEN

I love having a husband with a beard. Beards are sexy. Beards also take a lot of upkeep. Similar to makeup, there are a lot of options out there, you just have to go look.

NERDS & GEEKS

Being a nerd or geek is the best. I think everyone has something that they're a nerd about. For me, it's Arrow and Sherlock. For Chris, it's Star Wars. For my sister, it's Harry Potter. Though I'm positive all of us have a lot more nerdy-loves as well. One of my favorite Christmas gift ideas is to find that person's nerdy side and just go with it!

COOKS

Bakers and cooks are fairly easy, because buying simple cooking tools can be really cheap (you can get like anything from the Dollar Store). Because it's so easy, it's fun to make it cute. Like giving ingredients for a cookie recipe in a mason jar, or wrapping wooden spoons in pot holders. There are tons of cute ideas on Pinterest for this one. 

FITNESS JUNKIES

This one can get more expensive, but it doesn't always have to. Headphones, water bottles, sweat towels, and other small items to help out a gym goer are always appreciated. 

These are the most common people in my own life, but hopefully, this gives you an idea for other types of people as well. Buying stocking stuffers doesn't have to be expensive, in fact, I typically go to the Dollar Store for most things, it's all about being creative, finding a person's niche, and having fun with it. Overall, people will love you just for the effort you make to get them a gift. 

What category do you fall into or which one did I miss that relates most to you? Let me know down below!! Thanks, you're a hero! 

My Christmas Wishlist

Hello, friends and welcome to December!! I am doing Vlogmas this year, which, we'll see if I can actually complete it, but I'm determined to post a short video every day til Christmas. So if you aren't already, go subscribe to my YouTube channel to watch all the videos. And wish me luck. But because of that, I will also have more blog posts this December that relate to or go with the videos, so follow me on all my social media accounts to be notified of those.

I'm working on designing an awesome emailing list, where each email would give you recent highlights from my blog and other projects, a preview of upcoming projects, and a special message to my readers. I'm hoping it'll be ready for the New Year, but this month may get a little too crazy. But be on the lookout for that and then you'll always know what's been happening with me and my blog!

If I'm being honest, my real Christmas wishlist are things that other people can't get me. Like getting me into the new apartment that I want. There's a big waiting list so I'm out of luck there for a while. I also really want a Mac PC, but that's completely unrealistic to ask for as a gift. So is asking for a second car, which we really want/need. So in this post, I'm sticking to the more realistic things I'm wanting.


PAJAMA PANTS

If you follow me on Twitter you may have seen my sad tweet about getting a hole in my favorite (and albeit, oldest) pair of pajama pants. I'm super upset about it because they were perfect. They were long, soft, not too thick and hot, and were black, white, and silver, AKA, my life esthetic. So yeah, I'm upset, especially since I don't have many other options and do laundry specifically for those pants. But now they're dead, I'm sad, and I need some new ones.

FUNKO POP FIGURINES

I love these things! We currently have Jon Snow, Moriarty, BB-8, and R2D2. But Chris and I have a running list of ones we want. We need Rey from Star Wars and Luna from Harry Potter because those are our twin's middle names. But I also really want an Oliver Queen/Green Arrow one, more Sherlock ones, like all the Harry Potter ones, Toothless, and there's a ton more I want. I think they're super cute and fun and show our nerdy side because Chris and I can be big nerds.

THROW BLANKETS/PILLOWS

I'm just a huge fan! I love comfort and snuggling and it really bothers me that in my entire marriage (coming up on five years now, yay us) we have never had throw pillows on our bed! I know Chris does not like them, but it's not like I want a million. Just a few good ones to make the bed a bit cozier. Plus, in my history, when I have throw pillows I'm more likely to make the bed because I want it to be pretty. So... win.

A MIRROR

I want a couple mirrors actually, but what I really need is a full-length mirror. Storytime! So during my pregnancy, I was ridiculously swollen, but I never had a full-length mirror, so I honestly didn't realize how big and swollen I was. It wasn't until I saw my sister's wedding photos that I really saw the full length of myself and I was a little shocked by it. And if I was so in denial and unaware then, then maybe I still am a bit too. I really want one.

AN AREA RUG

Except, if you're actually buying me Christmas presents, maybe don't. Because I'm super picky when it comes to rugs apparently. Why else would I still not have a rug in an apartment with no carpet? I've looked around but honestly, I just cannot decide or don't have the sufficient funds (ha, when do I ever have money to buy anything?).

CLOTHES

I have a carefully mapped out plan to post one fashion post on this blog every week next year. But I absolutely HATE my current wardrobe. I know what I want, I have a plan, but I'm being stopped to completely change my wardrobe by two things: I'm not at my ideal weight and still have some pregnancy weight to lose and, again, the money thing. It's really hard to make money when you're forced to leave your job because you can't afford daycare, but if you can't work then you can't afford your lifestyle and sometimes even your rent. Honestly, one of the first things I said in this post was that I want to move to the other apartment we have picked out because it'll save us so much money and will just be a better situation for us all around. If I had known we were having twins, we would not have moved to this current apartment. But... anyways... I want clothes.

BOOKS & CLOTHES FOR MY GIRLS

I love when people buy things for my girls. I want to buy stuff for them all the time, but, again, money. But buying cute baby girl clothes is something I'm more likely to go out and buy because it's just too cute. Funny how becoming a mom changes your priorities. I also just want books. Lots of books. All the books. I grew up reading all the time and then college stopped my reading habits (I also think it had to do with getting a laptop and internet access...). I'm trying to get back into reading this year and I want my girls to grow up surrounded by books and reading. Reading is the best.

A DOG BED AND TOYS

Zoram needs a bed. He's so cute and has a specific place by my side of the bed and I put a pillow there that he rests his head on, but I'm sure he'd appreciate a bed of his own, even if he sticks to his usual habits and only puts his head on it. Also, those throw pillows in the following widget are just the best things I've ever seen seeing as all day long Zoram is in my bed sleeping.

BLOGGING & VIDEO THINGS

Lastly, I want video editing software (which I'm still debating on which one I want), an external hard drive, a computer that doesn't freeze and shut down every other day, a camera stabilizer, and for someone to give my blog a makeover. Yep. None of this I actually expect to get for Christmas. It's more on my "saving up for" list. AKA, I want money for Christmas.

What's on your Christmas Wishlist? Let me know in the comments below! Thanks for reading, you're a hero!! 

Thoughts On Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms, future moms, and women who have influenced someone else (yes, that counts). This marks the first year my husband gave me something for Mother's Day: white roses and "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" the movie, because, let's be honest, he's been rereading all the Harry Potter novels and he's a bit obsessed at the moment. But I appreciate the gift, all the same, I love the movie too.

I remember last year Mother's Day was very different. I had lost my child months prior, had been trying desperately to get pregnant again, to no success, and was absolutely devastated that I wasn't a mother. In my younger years, I was the type of girl who dreamed of being a mother, of taking care of my children. I was not the type of girl who dreamed of who I would marry. I wanted a family, I wasn't desperately looking for a man. I knew, even at a young age, that the man I marry would have to be a good father, and would want a family as much as I do.

Good thing the Lord led me to my soulmate, who hit all my qualifications and more.

I've now been married to my soulmate for four years. Which, when you believe that you are sealed together for eternity, doesn't seem like very long, but at the same time, it's a fairly long time in our current society. Chris is my best friend, and over the past four years, our marriage and friendship have continued to grow. I'm a huge fan of that Brad Paisley song, "Then", which states "And I thought I loved you then." The day I got married, four years ago, I didn't think it was possible to love Chris more, but I find my love for him grows stronger every day.

And now, here we are, months away from becoming a couple with a dog to a family of four. Having twins was completely unexpected, yet at the same time, when I heard the news, it just felt right. I am always amazed at the path my Father in Heaven has set for me. I lost a child and was heartbroken over it. And while nothing can replace that child, I now get two at once to help make up for lost time with my first. They say a woman becomes a mother when she gets pregnant, well I first got pregnant in July of 2015, so I am ready to be a mother. 

And I know that having twins will be a struggle. Money has always been an issue as I am still struggling to figure out exactly what I want to do with my life. Being pregnant with twins is already making me miserable, and I'm not even halfway through my pregnancy. Caring for two kids, no, two babies can't be the easiest feat when I've never had a child of my own before. Yet I have been filled with so much peace and confidence, that I barely even worry. 

I know the reason I am so confident to become a mother, is because of the many women who have been mothers to me in my life and their influence on me. 

Growing up LDS, I had my ward family. I had primary and young women's leaders who were like second mothers to me. And they still are. There is a whole group of women in my parent's neighborhood who love and support me. When I moved back into my parent's home last September, I began to realize how much I love these women, how much they love me, and how much they support and influence my life. They have always encouraged me to do my best, to be my best self, and to live my dreams. These women supported me and showered me with gifts as I was getting married four years ago. They were excited when I first got pregnant and showed me all the love and heartbreak of a true friend when I miscarried. And now, as I am expecting my twins, they want to again shower me with gifts and love because they are the secondary mothers that helped raise me. 

I love these women and the way they have shaped me into who I am. Just this last week I watched as many of them first learned about my twins. One even cried, coming up to me, and told me how grateful she was for God's hand in my life. These women want the best for me, even after years of living away from them. They are my other mothers and I love them and am truly grateful for them. 

I grew up in the dance world. And while "Dance Moms" may get a bad rap on TV, there were many dance moms and teachers who helped me through my life. I believe that as a child, I had a hard time recognizing my depression because dance made me so happy. And through the dance community, I had a group of women, and fellow dancers, who helped me when I needed them. Particularly in college, when I was away from home, my dance coaches were like my other parents. They cared about me and pushed me to be my best. When they came to my wedding I was both shocked and thrilled. These were people who helped me through my first few years of college. They were my other parents, my college mother, and I have so much love and appreciation for them. 

Despite my hatred of high school, I have a particular love for the women who were my English teachers. I want to be a writer, and it's not an easy path. But I had so many wonderful teachers who believed in me and my writing. They supported me and my future career. They taught me the foundation that could lead me to success. I never believe I thanked them enough, and when I got to college and realized my professors weren't nearly as supportive as my high school teachers, my love for those few teachers grew even more. These were all women who had thousands of students passing through their classrooms, but they took time, even just a little bit, to tell me that I could succeed, that I had potential, and that, if I continued to learn, I could achieve my dreams. 

Throughout my life, I've had two extra mothers, my Nana and my Grandma. Both of these women raised their children with such love and respect, believing in their children and supporting them through it all. As their granddaughter, I've gotten a lot of this same love and support. As a child, I remember the excitement of exploring my Nana's backyard and the fun when had doing crafts together. My Nana taught me to find the beauty in little things, as we turned pinecones into a work of art. Four years ago my Grandma moved to Utah to be closer to my mom and aunt. Over the past few years, my relationship with my Grandma has continued to grow. Her excitement for the small accomplishments I achieve make me feel proud of myself. She believes in me, as does my Nana. Both my grandmothers, while not being my real mothers, are extra mothers to me. They show me all the love and support of my real mother and I've had a lifetime of their motherly love, and could not be more grateful for them. 

Four years ago I gained a new family, a family that was so easy to love as much as my own. In my marriage, I gained another mother. My mother-in-law is an incredible mother. The love that she has for each of her boys has been an incredible thing for me to watch and to learn from. And that I get the spoils of that motherly love as well, blesses my life and my marriage immensely. This is a woman who believes in God through everything and asks for his help through even the smallest of things. She influences me to trust in God more, even when I am at my worst. When I lost my child, she lost a grandchild, and she shared in my heartbreak. She gave me a beautiful painting of Jesus holding a child, and while the artist didn't paint it for me, I see that painting and know that my lost child is with Jesus, that they are protected and loved. 

I love the man that I married and I know that he is the person he is today because of his parents, because of his mother. I am so grateful to my mother-in-law for the man that she raised. I am treated like a queen on a daily basis. Chris didn't have any sisters, all he knew about relationships with women was built in his relationship with his mom, and I am continually amazed at the person that she has shaped him to be. I love my official second mother and the support and love that she gives me and my husband. She cares for me just as much as she does her own children and I love her with all of my heart.

It is impossible for me to love another woman the way I do my own mom, though. 

My mom has helped saved my life. In high school, when I was suicidal, my mother found my diary and learned of the pain I was going through. She wrote me a letter, a letter I still have to this day, that changed my perspective. My mom is my greatest hero. I've watched her go through trials and come out on top. She is such a hard worker and has done so much for her children. She loves each of her children and wants them to be their best. She believes in us and wants us to be happy, but has helped let us know that happiness cannot always come easily. 

My siblings and I were raised in the church, and while I myself have had my struggles staying in the church, as I am finding my way back, I realize what a blessing it was to grow up in. I would not have had my ward mothers without the church, I would not have been the person that I am, and being doing the things I'm doing with the church, and, most important, I would not be with my soulmate without the church. I cannot thank my mother enough for raising us as Latter-Day Saints. I would not be who I am without it, I would not have survived my depression, my miscarriage, without it. And while being a member of the LDS church has never been easy for me, I know that it's the right path for me, and my mother helped keep me on that path. I could not image raising my children without the gospel. As my twins are on their way, I'm putting more focus on the church because my children need it as much as I did, and I'm grateful for my mom for teaching me that. 

My mother is already spoiling my twins and I'm so happy that I'll be the first to make her a grandmother. I'm also grateful for the way she raised her own children to be best friends. My sister and brother are my best friends, and I hope and pray that I can be like my mother and create strong friendships between my own children. I want to be a mom like my own mother. I want my children to have the same love and support that my mother always gave me. I want to be able to teach my children about life the way that my mom did. I want to be the same mother to my children as my mother was to me. For me, there is no greater mother to influence me. 

As I am on my path to becoming a mother to two children, I am influenced by the many mothers in my life; ward members, neighbors, dance coaches, teachers, friend's mothers, grandmothers, in-laws, and my own mother. These are all women who made me who I am. These are all my mothers and I wish each of them a happy Mother's Day, and hope they know how much I love them all and how I am striving every day to take the lessons they taught me, to become a wonderful mother for my own children. 

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

2017 Goals & Resolutions

Hello friends! It's 2017. A new year. A new opportunity. Anything could happen. Time for new goals.

Back in November (because I was completely ready for a new year back then) I wrote down over two pages in my notebook of the goals I had for the new year. A lot of them will not make sense to you, but they mean something to me personally.

And while the majority of you already have your list, if you need a bit more inspiration, here's my lengthy list of goals and resolutions for 2017 by category.

HEALTH

-Eat healthier
-Get to sleep/rise early
-Workout 4x per week
-Run a 5k
-Lose fat, gain muscle
-Dance

HOME LIFE

-Cook more
-Move into an apartment
-Clean home daily
-Craft more
-Sew four projects
-Grow a plant

BLOGGING

-Find my style
-Work on the Chris & Kaylee Show
-Find my voice
-Be myself
-Become a #BossBabe
-Blog at least 2x per week
-Get 2 blog sponsors
-Learn how to make money blogging
-Start vlogging
-Take video editing course
-Be more active on social media
-Work on photography skills

SPIRITUAL

-Pray daily
-Read the Book of Mormon
-Visit the temple monthly
-Become more Christlike
-Give service daily
-Have family home evening

WRITING

-Weekly writing prompts
-Find my voice (again)
-Learn more
-Go to a writing conference
-Take a writing course
-Publish a short story on Amazon
-Write 30 minutes a day
-Read more

FINANCIAL

-Pay all bills on time
-Save up money for a trip
-Become financially stable

FUN

-Find 1 new city event a month
-Explore everywhere
-Visit museums
-Sing more
-Dance more
-Plan a trip

PERSONAL

-Think positively
-Be a warrior
-Become pregnant/learn what my body needs to have a baby
-Be a better wife
-Love more
-Work with passion
-Find my voice (third time)
-Tell my story
-Be myself


Now I'm well aware that having this many goals makes it more difficult to acheive them all. So the main goal is to follow my theme song of the year, "The Weight of Living: Part II" by Bastille, which asks this question: "DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON YOU'VE BECOME?" And if the answer is ever no, then it's time to stop what I'm doing and make a change.

These are all goals to help me become the person I want to be, the person I know I'm capable of becoming. I've gotten lost so many times along the way, but I know I'm capable of so much more. I know it's a lot, but if I can even just acheive half of them, then I'll be changing myself for the better.

If you're still reading this, I want you to know that I will have one monthly specific goal for myself as well as challenging my readers to do as well. For this month my goal, that I challenge you to do too, is to find 5 quotes that speak to you. Whether they are song lyrics, scripture verses, or spoken by a parent or friend, it doesn't matter. Anything that's important to you is elligable.

My first quote was included in my Theme Song post, the quote above is my second, but I still have three more to find. Pinterest is where I find mine, but go searching the internet for what speaks to you.

At the end of the month I will do a whole post on all 5 quotes that I picked out and in the comment section of that post we can discuss all our quotes and why they specifically speak to us. I want this blog to be more of a community, and that what these monthly goals are for.

Good luck with all your goals and resolutions this year! Hopefully you don't have as many as me...

______________________________________________________

What are some of your goals? Let me know in the comments below!  

Benjamin Baker vs. the New Year's Party | Heroes & Villains 1.8

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Ben stood near the doors of the large hotel ballroom. It was Bakersfield’s annual New Year's Eve party, the biggest party the company threw all year and the talk of the whole city until the next one. Ben was casually greeting the guests as they entered, barely recognizing any of them. It was a big company, he could hardly be expected to know all the employees and their dates. It was always a classy party for adults only, although Ben’s high school age siblings were in attendance tonight. Those who didn’t work for the company spent large amounts of money to be able to attend. Every Bakersfield party was about money and how much of it they could raise for another year of technology and parties.

Ben caught sight of Ellie entering the room and his whole body perked up. She looked beautiful, her red hair curled off to one side, her makeup dark, and the long pale pink dress with the low neckline hugged her body perfectly. Ben couldn’t keep the smile off his face as he moved towards her. He watched, his expression changing to a frown, as a man came up behind her, placing his hand on her lower back. The man wore a pair of jeans, a white button-up shirt, and tie, haphazardly done, and a worn blue blazer. Ben reached Ellie and she grinned as she caught sight of him.

“Hi Ben,” She exclaimed, in her normal bubbly personality.

“Ellie, you look incredible,” Ben said, glancing over her again. Ellie blushed, catching hold of her skirt in her left hand and giving a fake curtsy. The man beside Ellie snorted with laughter.

“She’s overdressed.” He said. Ben turned his attention toward him as the man extended his right arm. they shook hands, the man's grip painfully firm. “The name’s Arthur Wallace, but everyone calls me Art. I’m Ellie’s long-term boyfriend, we live together so don't even think about dating her. And you’re Benjamin Baker, next in line to run this disastrous corporation bound to destroy the economy of Apple Creek.” Ben’s eyes narrowed, anger creeping over him.

“Art,” Ellie said sharply. “I told you, not tonight.”

“And I agreed that I wouldn't share my views on Bakersfield when you told me we would be hanging out with your work friends and I assumed they were all pathetic data entry workers. But you changed the rules. You said nothing about knowing Benjamin Baker.” Art said giving her a stern look. Ellie sighed and glanced towards Ben.

“I know Benjamin Baker.” She said slowly.

“And you never mentioned this before because…”

“Because we only work together.”

“Ellie’s an exceptional employee, a valued member of our team.” Ben spoke up giving Ellie a smile. “You should be proud of her.” Ellie blushed.

“Team?” Art asked. “You call it teamwork to put small, hard working companies out of business? You’ve taken over most of this town with your pushy team.” Ellie lowered her head, her cheeks flushing, clearly embarrassed. Ben kept his eyes on Ellie, trying to decipher her emotions.

“We do what we can to keep the city’s economy stable, and if that means weeding out failing businesses and taking over then that’s what we’ll do.” Ben spoke hurriedly. “Anyways, this is a party. No fun in discussing work things. The bar is in that back corner, dancing in the center, and the drawings for giveaways should begin  within the next hour...” Ben let his voice trail off, watching in surprise as Art began making out with Ellie, his hands firmly on her bare shoulders. Ellie lightly pushed him away, her cheeks turning bright red. Art turned his attention back to Ben, putting his arm protectively around Ellie.  

“How much money did you spend on the giveaways?” Art asked. “I know you yourself are disgustingly rich, but shouldn’t that money be going to the people you’ve pushed out of business? Or the areas in the Island your factory explosion destroyed.”

“That was over eighty years ago,” Ben argued, his eyes narrowing. “Bakersfield has paid for the damage there already.”

“Not enough, clearly. We’ve got freaks running all over the city claiming they’ll either save or destroy the city. It’s a mess out there and it’s all your fault.”

“Art, that’s enough.” Ellie grabbed his wrist and began pulling him away. “It was nice seeing you again Ben.” Ellie muttered as she continued leading Art towards the bar. Ben frowned staring after them. He couldn’t comprehend why Ellie would date a man like that.

Ben sat at the table with his family. His dad was wandering, speaking to as many of his guests as he could. Kacey was critiquing the dresses of all the women on the dance floor, her twin brother Brad giving his own opinion every now and then, though his option was more often on the woman wearing the dress than on the dress itself. Ben was sipping on a beer watching Ellie on the dance floor. She seemed happy, laughing with Art as he held her close. Ben could feel the scowl on his face. He couldn’t help but feel annoyed with Ellie’s choice in boyfriends. There was only a handful of people in Apple Creek who despised Bakersfield, and it amazed Ben that Ellie would chose one of them as her boyfriend, especially considering she was an employee of His family's company.

“Hey!” Kacey shook Ben’s shoulder. Ben glanced towards her. “Isn’t that the girl who gave you your watch?” Kacey asked, pointing towards the dance floor. Ben didn’t bother to look back.

“Yeah,” Ben replied.

“A girl gave you a watch?” Reese spoke up. Ben turned to his mom, finding a surprised smile on her face.

“It was a Christmas present.” Ben shrugged.

“It was a really nice watch,” Kacey told Reese sternly. Ben tugged on the sleeve of his dress shirt, hiding the watch from view.

“It was nothing,” Ben said.

“Certainly sounds like nothing.” Reese gave him a gentle smile.

“Who’s her date?” Kacey asked. Ben glanced back to her.

“Her boyfriend, apparently,” Ben muttered. Kacey glanced over him, a smile slowly spreading on her face. Ben rolled his eyes. “I told you, Kacey, she’s just a friend.”

“She’s very pretty,” Kacey said. “That dress color looks really good with her hair.”

“Yeah,” Ben said through gritted teeth. He took a long swig of his beer, draining the glass.

“It’s even prettier up close.” Kacey continued. “Lots of details. Is that lace?” Ben frowned as Ellie spoke up from behind him.

“Yeah, it is.” Ellie smiled. Ben turned around quickly and pushed himself up from his chair.

“Ellie.” Ben smiled.

“Hey,” Ellie said grabbing Ben’s arm. “Can I talk to you for a second?” Ben nodded as he looked over her. She looked stunning and it was difficult to take his eyes off her.

“I’m really sorry about Art.” Ellie said her eyes darting between Ben and his family. “I warned him before the party not to discuss his personal views on Bakersfield with anyone, but I had failed to mention you were on the list of people we might run into, and he tends to not have much of a filter.”

“It’s fine,” Ben said, unable to keep from grinding his teeth. “Where is he now?”

“At the bar getting drunk.” Ellie glanced towards the back corner. “You wouldn’t expect it, but him drunk gets rid of his negative feelings for Bakersfield.”

“Excellent,” Ben said. Ben glanced back at his table. “Ellie, I’d like you to meet my family.” Ellie’s body froze slightly as she looked over the table. Ben began pointing out his family members. “This is my mom, Reese. Then my younger brother Bradley, and I’m sure you remember Kacey. My older brother Brian isn’t here tonight.” Ellie looked over him, catching onto the hint of irritation in his voice.

“It’s an honor to meet the Baker family,” Ellie said, her voice shaking slightly.

“And how do you know my son?” Reese asked with a smile.

“She works for the company,” Ben answered. “She does a lot for us so we meet often.” Ellie glanced toward Ben.

“Yeah, that’s… right, I… yeah.” Ellie stammered.

“I thought you weren’t going to date any more employees,” Bradley spoke up. Ellie’s mouth fell open and her cheeks flushed. Reese shot her son a glare.

“We’re not dating,” Ellie spoke up quickly. “I have a boyfriend. He’s actually right over there.” Ellie pointed towards the bar.

“I love your dress,” Kacey said, looking over Ellie.

“Thank you,” Ellie said glancing down. “It just a rental, actually, I could never afford to buy something like this. I’m no millionaire like you guys.”

“I think it’s billionaire now,” Bradley said rolling his eyes. Ben groaned.

“That’s great,” Ellie muttered. “I should get back to my date. It was such an honor meeting you all.”

“Likewise,” Reese said with a smile. Ellie gave Ben a weak smile before turning to walk away. Ben rounded back on his family.

“Seriously, Brad?” Ben shook his head.

“Bradley’s just now realizing he’s better than everyone else,” Kacey spoke up. “You should see the way he treats the other kids at school.”

“This is different,” Ben scowled. “Ellie is an employee at our company, very valuable. She helps make the money you’re bragging about. And she’s an adult so you have no right to speak to her like that.”

“Oh come on,” Bradley rolled his eyes. “We all do it. You treated everyone like garbage after you graduated high school. Kacey went through it at thirteen, and Brian’s still in his never ending stuck-up phase. You can’t get mad at me.”

“I definitely can.” Ben shook his head and turned away, rushing through the crowds back to Ellie. He placed a hand on her shoulder and she turned back to him. “Hey, Ellie, I’m really sorry. Bradley’s just going through a phase and…”

“Ben, you don’t have to apologize to me.” Ellie shook her head. “I grew up in the Island. We’re tough and we know we’re poor and just live with it.” Ben winced.

“I just…” Ben hesitated. “I just don’t ever want you to feel like you’re…”

“Ben,” Brandon Baker spoke up, approaching them. Ellie’s mouth fell open staring up at the single owner and CEO of Bakersfield. “Have you seen your Aunt Benny? She told me she would meet me here a half-hour ago.”

“No, I haven’t seen her,” Ben said. He glanced towards Ellie. “But I do have someone I’d like you to meet. Dad, this is Eleanor Washington,” Ben said gesturing to Ellie. “She works in the tech department as a data analyst.” Brandon held out his right arm towards her. Ellie took it timidly and they shook hands.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Eleanor,” Brandon said kindly.

“And you. I mean, I’m happy to meet you too.” Ellie began chewing on her lower lip and glanced towards Ben. He was grinning towards her, always entertained by the way she reacted when nervous. “But I’m not a data analyst. I’m in data entry. I just input the numbers that the data analysts look at. It’s basically a nothing job.” Ellie sighed, looking embarrassed.

“No job at Bakersfield is considered small,” Brandon replied with a smile. “Are you enjoying the party, Eleanor?”

“I am, I’m having a good time,” Ellie said. “You certainly know how to throw a lovely party.”

“Well, a lot of it has to do with my wife,” Brandon said with a smile. “I don’t know how I would pull these things off without her.”

“She is rather amazing,” Ellie said. “Your whole family is. Very well put together and a well-dressed group. Well, I wouldn’t know about your oldest son, I’ve never met him. But your... this son, I know quite well.” Ellie pointed to Ben. Ben laughed.

“It’s good to hear my son is branching out and getting to know more employees in the company.” Brandon glanced towards Ben. There was a shout across the room and the three of them turned, seeing a confrontation at the bar, Art in the middle of it. Ellie stifled a groan.

“I have to go,” Ellie said. “It was such an honor to meet you Mr. Baker.”

“Likewise,” Brandon replied. Ellie glanced towards Ben and gave him a smile before lifting her skirt and rushing across the room towards Art. Ben watched her a moment, amazed at how effortlessly she was able to pull Art away from the other rowdy drunks.

“Ellie built my new suit,” Ben said without looking towards Brandon. Brandon turned his head and looked over him carefully. “She also restored the computer system in my control center and installed a new communication system.”

“Did she design it?” Brandon asked calmly.

“Yes,” Ben said. “She’s brilliant. She’s overqualified for her current position. She’s capable of a lot more than what we’re giving her at Bakersfield.”  Brandon let out a sigh.

“I’ll have to keep a closer eye on her then.”

“Please do,” Ben said sternly. “She’s been a great asset to my team and I need her around.” Brandon smiled looking over his son.

“You know I can’t promote her without good reason. Especially if she’s in data entry.”

“Just take a look at her background, she deserves it.”

“We’ll see,” Brandon said placing a hand on Ben’s shoulder before turning and walking away.

__________________________________________

Happy New Years Eve! Only two stories left in this current rollout... one of which isn't completely written yet. I'm stressing out a bit. I have it all in my head, it's just a matter of writing it down. So I may delay the final story just to make sure it's completely finished and at the level I want it to be.

It's currently late, I'm nauseous and have a headache, so I only did minor editing on the above story. If there are big fixes that need to be made I'll correct them, but otherwise I'm not going to worry about it too much.

Sorry, I don't have a picture for this one. Again, I might correct that later, but I just never found the right place to take the perfect picture. Possibly at New Years celebrations tonight I'll find something and add it on.

I hope you all have a lovely and safe holiday and that you can make the best goals for what you want to accomplish this year. If you haven't already, check out my theme song for 2017 by CLICKING HERE.

UPDATE: I totally intended to show you Ellie's dress but somehow the dress that inspired this post vanished. So here are a couple other amazing dresses which combined together make Ellie's dress... or a fashion disaster. One of the two.

You can buy this one HERE, but I cannot promise the authenticity of the website.

This one is for sure the color I envisioned. Buy it HERE. Again, don't know the website, buy at your own risk. 

I have an entire Pinterest board called Princess Dresses because if I had one wish it would be that I could wear dresses like this every day of my life. So if you love pretty dresses too, go follow my board.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!