Big girls don't cry

Hi everyone!
  It's been a while since I've posted, but it feels like every spare minute was being used for something important this past month.  This will be week six at the new job (bank holiday today though yay!) and I love it so far.  Last Tuesday I passed my boards and officially earned my lending authority (basically I get to keep my job) so there's a little less stress in my life.

I also competed in the Miss Sussex County pageant on Saturday.  Always a ton of fun, but I'm definitely sore now.  Congrats to Sarah Timmons for taking home the title :)  Also Steph Bailey apparently rocked it at Miss New Castle County last night (*proudmommy*lol).

The roomie and I also went out and bought a treadmill last week...from the display...and tried to get it home in a Prius...needless to say we ended up calling someone with a truck and finally talked my brother into setting it up for us last night.  Gonna go get my run on :)

Love,
Janemarie

p.s. if you'd like to help Children's Miracle Network and also help me get back to Miss Delaware you can check out the link below :)

http://missamericaforkids.org/donate/janemariecovel

Taking a Break

You see, my immune system has this funny thing it does when I have a TON of things to do in a row...it shuts down. I'm really trying to feel well for my first day of work on Tuesday.  So far the soup, tea, orange juice, water, and nap seem to be helping, but prayers would be appreciated :)

On another note Kaitlyn's wedding was beautiful yesterday, and I am very honored to have been a part of it.  She's now in Florida on her Disney honeymoon, lucky duck.  I was talking to her cousin Lauren (another bridesmaid) yesterday and we were talking about the power of words of affirmation.  And it's not that we don't know that people love us, but if we aren't reminded it's easy for doubts to creep in.  I realized during church today that it's the same with a relationship with God except that we have His Word of affirmation and access to it every day.  If I took advantage of that more often, there wouldn't be room for the uncertainty that can plague our minds.

Okay, back to work!

Peace & Love,
Janemarie

Belated

I've been meaning to post for about a week and a half now, and somehow time always seems to escape me.

I wanted to thank all of my amazingly talented friends who performed at the Children's Miracle Network Cabaret.  I've heard from people who heard from people about how fabulous you all were :).  Also, we were honored to have not only Miss Delaware's Outstanding Teen, Morgan Burris, but also Miss Delaware, Alyssa Murray (happy birthday by the way), in attendance.  Also a big thanks to Premier Centre for the Arts for letting me use the facility, and to Jeffrey Smith for being the best tech guy ever!  Renee also blogged about this event, and she even got some pictures (unlike me-sadness).  You can check it out here: http://missatlanticcoast.blogspot.com/2012/09/weekend-fun.html

This next week and a half is going to be crazy, so if you think about it, pray I survive!
One of my best friends is getting married this weekend.  Bachelorette party, rehearsal dinner, wedding.
My other best friend's birthday. :)
I start my first full time job on Tuesday!
A good friend is coming home from college Friday or Saturday ;)
Wizard of Oz at the Everett in Middletown (choreographer) opens Friday.
Miss Capital on Sunday.

October's going to be a whirlwind, but I've been trying to take the past month to prepare myself for all of the insanity to come.

Take some time to breathe, eat something pumpkiny, and appreciate the beautiful fall weather as much as possible this month!

Love,
Janemarie

I am never ever (EVER) getting back together...

...with White House Black Market, and I am so excited!  I put in my two weeks today, and I start a new chapter in my life on October 9th.  Through connections and the grace of God I was offered a position as a credit analyst at Bank of America.  The crazy thing is that I honestly wasn't even looking (although I should have been).  Student loans start November 1st, and now I can actually pay them. Yay!  This is definitely one of those situations where God knows what we need when we don't even know what to ask for.
          The best part is that I still get to dance.  I'll still be teaching at PCA three days a week which will definitely keep me sane.  There are many of my students that I've adopted as little sisters, and I would miss them like crazy.  I'm also planning on competing in my first pageant since Miss Ohio on October 14th (it's going to be a big week for me!).  Prayers and support are appreciated...clever segue...
          And the Children's Miracle Network Fundraiser Cabaret is this Sunday.  Only 80 seats, so make sure you claim one.  Miss Delaware's Outstanding Teen is performing, and there is a wonderful cast of entertainment.  Tickets are $10 (cash or check please) and it's at 5pm at 27 Anderson St.  Middletown, DE.

And if you can't make it, you can always donate here:

http://missamericaforkids.org/donate/janemariecovel

It finally feels like my life is piecing itself back together, and I haven't been this happy in a long time.  Thanks for your role in that, whatever it was.  Have a fantastic weekend, and as always, I'll keep you posted.

Love,
Janemarie

Knowledge is...guilt? (finance tip #2)

As promised, another finance post!  Okay so this is something that I learned to do my senior year of college that I got away from this summer.

WRITE EVERYTHING DOWN!

Sound simple?

Kind of.

I LOVE to shop.  It's a problem.  Not only do I work in a beautiful boutique, but I'm a gifter.  If I had the money I would buy presents all of the time.  It's very difficult to stay on budget, especially when you let yourself fall into the "ignorance is bliss" mentality of spending.

This will catch up with you eventually, and you will not like it.

I told myself that September I was going to start tracking down everything I spend, but a week into it and I hadn't written down a thing.  I had to go through all of my online banking and eventually caught myself up.

It wasn't pretty :/

If I had been writing everything down as I bought it, I can guarantee I would have guilted myself out of buying at least of couple of "must haves."

It's all about being aware of your habits and telling your money where to go instead of the other way around. (For all of you health nuts, this is the same concept as keeping a food diary).

Your spending tracker can be as simple or as complicated as you like.  Personally, I have two.  One is a notebook that I carry in my purse so I can write down a purchase immediately.  The second is a spreadsheet with columns for income, source, spending, source, total income, total spending, and net income (a positive number for the last one is generally a good thing lol).

Take a 30 day challenge and just try it.  You might be shocked by what you find out.

Love,
Your fellow shop-a-holic

End of an "Era"

It's already time for another transition...I have no idea where the summer went.  Legally Blonde is over, and it's really bitter sweet.  It was the first full show I've done since high school, and even though I didn't think I was going to get through at some points, it was an amazingly rewarding project for me.  I'm going to miss the cast dearly (especially some of the ones who are off to college already or in the near future).  Now fall season starts on Monday and I have 9 classes I'm teaching.  I'm super excited, but I always get a little nervous when I'm starting something new.

While this isn't exactly new, it has been a while, but I'm pretty sure I'm coming out of pageant retirement.  I've been talking to a lot of people about it, and this is what I want to do. :) I also wanted you guys to be the first to know that Renee Bull and I are having a Children's Miracle Network cabaret fundraiser on Sunday September 23rd at 5pm at Premier Centre for the Arts in Middletown.  I'll have more details up soon, but mark your calenders!
Ok that's all for now!
Love you,
Janemarie

Crazy Camps and Legally Blonde

What a whirlwind of a month!  I can't believe how quickly the time has flown.

Week 1: Dance/Theater Camp.  I fell in love with a few little dancers and a few theater kids as well. :) I was sore every day and I don't really think I slept.  55 kids put on an epic show that weekend.

Week 2:  Princess/Superhero Camp.  I had 20 little girls who spent the morning with me making crafts, dressing up, reading stories, and being Disney princesses.  I kept getting tackled by children, I was sore every day, and I think I slept even less.


Week 3: Pageant/Rock Star Camp.  I taught a couple little girls about what it really means to be a pageant queen.  We worked on walks, talent, and interview and put on an amazing show with the rock stars on Friday.  We even had special guests come in!  Thanks again to Miss Blue Gold, Renee Bull, and Miss Kent County, Steffi Holmes, for making the week extra special.  There was a little more sleep, but not much lol.


Week 4: Legally Blonde Tech Week.  Wow...I don't even know what to say about every crazy thing that has happened this week.  All I know is at the beginning I wasn't sure how everything was going to come together, but now I am SO excited to open the show tonight.  Everyone has worked so hard and been so amazing.  Honestly I love tech week because of all of the relationships that I get to build during it.  If you have a chance come see what I've been working on all summer.  :)


Until next time!
Love,
Janemarie

Finance Tip #1

For a while I've been thinking that I'd like to diversify my blog into more than just the thoughts that pop into my head, life events, and updates.  Also, my degree taunts me as I walk by it every day lol.  At least I can pass on some of my tips and tricks that I've learned from four years studying finance/trying to live as a poor college student/grad.

Get a library card.  Yes, I can spend hours browsing in Barnes and Noble and be perfectly happy.  Yes, there is something special about the way a brand new book smells.  BUT I am a chronic binge reader.  I will knock out a novel in one day if I have the time (I've read 4 or 5 in the past two months).  Spending $20 on a new book is an incredible waste of money unless it's something specific to reference/reread.  Even if you're not crazy like me, books are good three weeks at a time and renewable.  You can order books in from other libraries across the state too.  Just go in with your driver's license and walk out five minutes later with a pretty yellow card.  They'll even give you one for your key chain.  My dad also loves that he can borrow a book on his Kindle through the library.  That's super cool.  And if you're germophobic...you can do what I always did and Lysol the books :)

All twenty of you who will read this now think I'm completely crazy, but I plan to take advantage of working two minutes away from the Appoquinimink Library.

Happy Reading!

Janemarie

"dreams last so long, even after you're gone..."

Happy belated birthday America!  It was so nice to have a break from both jobs and just spend some time with family today.  Life is about to get very crazy, so I'm trying to store up some energy for the times to come.  Legally Blonde practice started yesterday!  I taught the girls their bend & snap and they are going to rock the stage in August :).  Dance/theatre camp is all of next week and I have a lot of dances to choreograph before then!

A quick thought before I crash (work at 9am tomorrow)...as I was listening to the LB soundtrack tonight, it caught my attention that Elle says, "I had to find my way.  They day you broke my heart, you handed me the chance to make a brand new start...There's still so much to learn, so many dreams to earn...I'm gonna find my way."  This hits home for me in more ways than one, but it's such a true statement.  So often we are under the illusion that dreams are something that are handed to you if you get a lucky break.  But that's not true.  Dreams are earned by hard work, dedication, and faith.  Nothing worth having comes for free.


Never give up, because I'm sure there are things that you want to "do when you grow up" that you aren't doing.  "Just Do It"


Love & Hope,
Janemarie

Frog update, Grants, and Pageanty news

Hello everyone!

I've had a lot on my mind the past few days.  First of all, thank you to everyone who was concerned about my froggies.  We buried Yoshi next to spot the bunny in the backyard, but Pascal was really sick.  After trying to find information on Google (there apparently aren't that many people with pet frogs...) I finally decided that the best thing to do was to quarantine him and see what happened.  He was in a lot of pain and I didn't know whether or not to put him in the freezer (what the pet store told me to do) and put him out of his misery.  But I am so excited to tell you that he looks a million times better and I moved him back in with Tiana in the big tank today (after sterilizing everything and purchasing new substrate) because he finally started eating again! :)

Secondly (clearly I have strange priorities), I got a promotion :)  I'm now the dance director at Premier Centre for the Arts in Middletown.  I owe so much to them.  This is the place where I learned what it meant to be a performer.  This is where I truly fell in love with dance and knew that I wanted it to be a "job" (if you can call that working) and not just a hobby.  They do so much to make the people there feel like family and have even started a scholarship fund so everyone can have a chance to be a part of it.  Now they are in a contest to be considered for a $250,000 grant.  To qualify, we need to get 250 votes by Saturday.  We are only half way there.  You can sign in with Facebook, search "Middletown, Delaware" and click next to "Premier Centre for the Arts".  I'll leave the link for you below:
https://www.missionsmallbusiness.com/


Also: teaching dance camp July 9th-13th

AND Pageant Camp July 23rd-27th

http://pcade.com/SummerArts.htm



Finally, I wanted to say congratulations to a few friends of mine! Love you all <3

Elissa McMracken, Miss Ohio 2012

Alyssa Murray, Miss Delaware 2012

Anjelica Francisco, Miss Greater Butler County 2012, Top 5 at Miss Ohio (the lovely lady I crowned in March)

Erin Magnin, Miss Wilmington 2012, Top 5 at Miss Delaware (former sister titleholder)



Love Always,


Janemarie

Yoshi died :'(

Until today I had a toad and two tree frogs.  They have been living happily together for a while now.  The toad I found in September, and the baby I got at Christmas.  They've been on several road trips, spent most of their time in a college dorm room, one even escaped and made it into the hallway (we found him hopping around covered in dust).  My friend Maryann came to visit me from Ohio this evening, we went to say hi to the frogs, and Yoshi was very dead.  She wasn't when I left the house a few hours ago.  Not only that, but Pascal doesn't look good either.  After several google searches, I think he has "red leg" and it almost always results in death.  I feel terrible and helpless, and like a bad mommy.  We cleaned out the cages and quarantined him, but he doesn't look good.  Tiana still looks okay, but I hope she doesn't get sick too.  I know it sounds weird, but if you could say a little prayer for my frogs I would appreciate it.

Pressing On

Well today was one of those days when it seemed like everything in the world was against me.  It's always so difficult on me because I try so hard, and these kind of situations make me feel like it's never enough.  I'm far from perfect, and trying to be everything for everyone all of the time is just plain exhausting.  It's times like that when we have to make a choice.  I can either keep feeling sorry for myself and get stuck in a rut, or I can decide to let go of the past and do the best that I can with the future.  I'm not going to pretend that sometimes a good cry isn't necessary, but that's not what makes you weak.  But today was not about the things that went wrong.  Today was about two little girls who had their first ballet class and had to hug me five times before they would get in the car with their parents.  Today was a good day.

Hues of Grass

It's so easy to get stuck in the trap of feeling like your problems are the most life altering struggle the world has ever seen. Not that anyone ever thinks the world revolves around them, but we are all guilty of acting that way at times. I guess it's all a matter of perspective.
I was thinking about this today after one of my favorite professors texted me to see how I was doing with the job hunt (yes, I always have been a teacher's pet lol). As it turns out, his life has been turned upside down in the last few weeks. Somehow he managed to take a few minutes in his day to show kindness towards someone else. His attitude was still that he's "so glad God is faithful through all circumstances of life." I wish that I always had that kind of faith.

It's social media like Facebook and Twitter that convince us that everybody's life is so much better than our own. Yes it's still crazy hard to see all of my friends getting married left and right, and both my Ohio and Delaware friends have their state pageants coming up, but I still have so much for which to be thankful. Even being a poor recent college graduate, I'm still wealthier than 99% of the world. I can feed myself and the motley assembly of animals in my house (two beagles, three frogs, and a passel of fish), which is more than most can say. Most importantly, there are so many people that go out of their way to be nice to me when I need it most, and I don't think they have any idea how much it means to me. I'm going to try to pass on the kindness. Maybe if everyone took more time to care for the people around them, we wouldn't need to worry about ourselves so much because we'd already be taken care of. Just food for thought.

Love, Janemarie

Doing What I Love

As I posted to Facebook a couple of weeks ago, I got my dream job! I love all the support that I got from that statement, but I guess I wanted to clear up a little bit of *possible* confusion. The job I got was to teach ballet, tap, and be a choreographer at Premier Centre for the Arts in Middletown. This is where I studied under some AMAZING teachers including Miss Delaware 1990, Lisa Bonacquisti.

But isn't my degree in finance??? Why yes, yes it is. Four years ago when I was choosing a major I picked business and I told my dad that I'm going to learn everything else I needed to know to open my own studio some day. I spent the rest of my life learning dance, and I started teaching eight years ago, but I had no idea how to run a business. Well I get there and essentially the first 2 1/2 years are the same for everyone in the department, then you choose a concentration. A strange series of events led me to finance, partly because I've always been a math nerd and partly because I wanted to pay off Cedarville as quickly as possible. The truth is I had gotten so caught up in trying to do what I thought I was "supposed" to do as a soon to be CedarGrad. Ring by spring, check. Network like crazy, (Miss Ohio connections) check. Find an apartment in Columbus, check. Try to get a job at a bank, check. I was stressed, depressed, going crazy, and my professors were starting to get concerned.  I had traded in my dreams for what I thought was expected of me, but God has an interesting sense of humor.

 A month after graduation and I feel incredibly liberated.  I had my first "official" day at PCA yesterday substituting for a teacher who was sick.  It was two hours of ballet, jazz, and tap, and I had an absolute blast.  Two of the girls I had when I was student teaching about six years ago, and it was so great to see them all grown up and what great dancers they had become.  So no, I won't make the kind of money I would if I used my degree, but I know for a fact that I wouldn't be this happy either.  For the first time in a long time I truly feel like I can do anything that I want.  I have a few more dreams I want to try to make true, but I'll keep you posted on those when the time comes ;)

love always,
Janemarie

Rumor has it...

Hi everyone! If you haven't kept up with me on facebook, a lot has changed in the last two months.... 1) I'm back HOME in DELAWARE!!!!!! I never thought I would be so excited about that, but after four years in Ohio there really is no place like home. 2) I FINALLY have my bachelors degree...didn't quite think I would make it, but I did, with 10 minutes to spare! (DBA experience....) :) 3)I got a JOB! okay, it's part time, and retail, and I transferred from my store in Ohio, but I have to pay off school so I'm thankful for whatever I can get. Whenever you're at the Christiana mall stop into White House Black Market and say hi :) (I ran into Kayla Martell on my first day!) And that's all I know for sure right now. God's been bringing all the pieces of my life back together (slowly but surely), and I hope that when this rebuilding stage is over He'll let me know where to go from there. It's been really good to spend time with my family too. Don't tell her (she'll get a big head), but I've desperately missed my mom. I watched Mamma Mia recently and just bawled when her mom helped her get ready for the wedding (you know that's a bad sign). Everyone already knows that I missed my other half, aka Larkin the beagle basset. I have a couple of pet projects I'm working on as well. I've always wanted a "breakfast at tiffany's" room, so that's in the works. It is killing me to have most of my stuff still in boxes and suitcases, but eventually it'll be great. My other project is more long term, but I'm trying to get my family healthy. I almost died when my dad told me a lot of times he eats fast food twice a day...I'd like to have him around for a while, so things are going to have to change. At least there's a lot to do to keep me busy and distracted. I'm slowly but surely trying to embrace this new normal that is nothing like what I thought my life would be now. It's always hard when things don't work out the way they were "supposed to", but I've been reminded lately that God's plans are ALWAYS better than our own whether it seems like it right now or not. I'm only 22, and what I've realized recently is that I really can do anything. My tomorrow is the result of every small decision that I make today. People don't become who they are by accident. Choose today who you will become. You can do ANYTHING. Love, Jane

My life in Quotes (You've Got Mail)

This has been one of the craziest months in my life...so much has changed, happened, and been said...I don't know what to say, but lines from my favorite movie keeps popping into my head:

People are always saying that change is a good thing. But all they're really saying is that something you didn't want to happen at all... has happened... But the truth is... I'm heartbroken. I feel as if a part of me has died...and no one can ever make it right.

It's so difficult because I think I have a plan that I'm ready to follow, then God tells me that I'm using the wrong map...I've been learning to trust, let go, and humble myself in the knowledge that I am not in charge of my life. I'm looking forward to taking this summer to really look at myself and figure out what I want and what God wants for my life.

Sometimes I wonder about my life. I lead a small life - well, valuable, but small - and sometimes I wonder, do I do it because I like it, or because I haven't been brave? So much of what I see reminds me of something I read in a book, when shouldn't it be the other way around? I don't really want an answer. I just want to send this cosmic question out into the void. So good night, dear void.

love,
Janemarie

Quotes from: Kathleen Kelly, You've Got Mail

My Last Full Day

My thoughts have been very full this past week. I've known for months, but it is still hitting me hard that this stage of my life will be over forever. For those of you who don't know, I'm getting married in 4 months, graduating in less than 2, and moving into an apartment sometime between then. So many changes at the same time make me wish desperately for me to be five years old again. But I digress...
I know it's not just me (although it feels that way sometimes), but I am chronic "what if"er. Life is a string of decisions, and a million little changes could have led me down a completely different path. At the end of the day, I'm glad that I am where I am (not the putting off finishing my paper part, but the general state of my life lol). It wasn't God's plan for me to be Miss Delaware or Miss Ohio, but the fact that I got to try has been so rewarding. I've been thinking back on all of the opportunities I've had over the years, I am truly amazed. I've had conversations with a state governor, a state senator, and even a Miss America. I've visited children at CMN hospitals in Dayton & Philadelphia (where I also passed out for the 1st and 2nd time in my life lol). I've been treated far better than I deserve by people who are selfless and kind. I developed a love for fitness and politics, while learning the skills to having a killer job interview. The Miss America Organization has definitely shaped who I am today, and I am so thankful for the time I've had with the people who make it up. My family has supported me through the hard times and prepared me for the mountain top moments as well. My directors (Jacci & Jacky) pushed me farther than I thought I could go. Mamma K and Mamma Soucek believed in me when I didn't. Thank you.

Three of the most memorable weeks of my life were the two state pageant weeks, and I am truly excited for (and honestly a little jealous of)the wonderful woman who will be crowned Miss Greater Butler County 2012 tomorrow night. I pray that she will cherish every moment, serve every person, and learn about herself in this next year of her life.

God Bless,
Janemarie
Miss Greater Butler County 2011