Studio Update: Office MakeOver!!

We finally got to make-over my office.

Ok wait. I finally have an office. One that I cannot wait to work in starting this week. It is finally something that I am so so proud of. I cannot wait for everyone to be at the studio this week to see it all completed. I have new shelves, a new desk, curtains to divide the space and a beautiful rug (thank you, Ikea). I'm so excited to get organized! I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I am to organize all of my files. It makes me giddy. Is that weird? I want to be confident every single day that my business is running smoothly and is growing like it should be. I'm so happy!

Matt built everything for me. He helped me paint the back wall too. I am so so thankful that he helped me with everything. 

Here are the photos of the update. 

We have not put the velvet curtains up yet as we need to make a trip to Home Depot to find a rod long enough to go from wall to wall in the studio. My goal is to do this tomorrow after my morning classes. 

{Junior Team kids excited about the new rug}

{my amazing husband hard at work}

{all organized now}

{love}

{a dream come true}

I am so excited to go to work tomorrow! :)

-Chelsea-

A Few of My Favorite Things

Tonight I feel like writing.

I have nothing in particular to write about, so I'm just going to write about some of my current favorite things.

Currently, I have 3 favorite series that I am obsessed with...

Sunday nights we watch Revenge and 666 Park Avenue. I get super scared before going to bed after watching 666 Park Avenue but I'm hooked! I run into our room immediately after it's over (literally run...and jump on the bed away from under the bed). I get scared because we have a mirror over where I sleep that used to be Matt's Grandma's and I don't like looking in it at night after watching that show. Scary!! Matt does the same thing lol. He'll go turn off all the lights and then bolt into our room yelling "turn the light on, turn the light on!" Ha!!! If we ever have kids one day, they are going to be the biggest chickens lol! 

Anyway, I love the show so much!

We just started watching Revenge this season but we get what's going on and it's really good!

LOVE this show! I look forward to my Monday nights after teaching dance for 4 straight hours knowing I get to chill and watch this after. : )

We've also been watching, "The Voice." That's good too.

I'm also obsessed with these bad boys lately and am on my 3rd bag since Saturday...oops...stressed much?.... Mmm, Milano Double Chocolate Cookies!! 

My favorite fall drink from Starbucks right now is a Grande Salted Caramel Mocha. Mmmm!!

We also have been snacking on our bowl of candy corn mixed with peanuts! Tastes like Payday candy bars! Holy yum!! 

Oooh aren't we healthy over here lol. I figure dancing 21 hours a week I'm allowed to eat as many cookies as I want ; ) Matt's been taking super long walks with Cogsy everyday too so he's allowed as well ; ) ha! 

Oooo...I am also currently obsessed with my orange and blue oversized scarf, my teal fleece and my moccasins. : ) 

It's the little things that I have to focus on making me happy lately. 

It's also helping knowing that in just 22 days we will be at Disneyland! 

Alex told me tonight that beginning in November she'll take two more of my classes :) So my schedule in November will be way easier, I'll just have 16 classes/week then! Yay!!! I can totally do that :) 

I realize this is probably boring to read, but it's my stress reliever to write when I get home. 

-Chelsea- 

Sisters Thoughts :)

Growing up, I always wanted a sister. 

Then when I was 12 years old, my parents adopted my little sister, Cylie.

I was the happiest big sister around.

I got to help throw my mom's baby shower for her and took care of her every chance I could.

Two years later, when I was 14, my parents adopted my other little sister, Cirrah. 

At this point I looked at being a big sister in a whole new light.

I took care of them a lot and taught them a lot.

What I didn't know then but am thankful for now is that they were really the ones teaching me.

They taught me not only how to take care of a baby and then a child, but they taught me an extreme amount of patience. Which is now a crucial part of my job teaching mostly 2, 3 & 4 year olds dance. 

Now as an adult and as a wife I feel so lucky to have gotten 2 big sisters with this deal ; )

I really am "The Middle Child" with 2 big brothers, 2 big sisters, 2 little sisters and 2 little brothers. 

My big sisters, Mel and Megan, have taught me so much too! 

Mel has taught me to chill out and just laugh sometimes and Megan has taught me to breath. 

I am so thankful for all of my sisters.

I saw a post today written by one of the bloggers that I love to read. It was about her sisters and now her daughters having sisters. She is giving away the new Tinkerbell movie that Matt and I want really bad, so I was excited to write this post about my sisters.

Although I don't share the same blood as any of my 4 sisters, that's never seemed to matter much :)

Here's the link to the Tinkerbell Giveaway blog :)
http://thelarsonlingo.blogspot.com/2012/10/sisterhood-secret-of-wings-movie.html

Learning & Goals

I have taken this week to re-evaluate a lot of things.

I needed to take a step back and remember what is really important.

I am a people pleaser by fault.

I have a really hard time when I know I've let people down.

This is the first week that I have had Miss Alex teach one of the classes that I have taught since Day 1.

This class is full of little ones that I have taught for 2 years. Little ones that I have had since they were just 2 years old...It was hard. Today was hard being somewhere else teaching kids I've never met knowing all those kids were having dance class and I wasn't there to watch them grow. I had to fix another teachers mistakes. I needed to pick up the pieces. I left that class today with happy faces and hugs from these kids I've never met. It was all okay in the end and I am looking forward to teaching them.  

I am learning.

Today, I am up to teaching 22 classes/week. 

That is a lot of dancing...A lot of little kids...and A lot of patience. 

So far, this week, I have survived.

In the past three days, I have taught 14 classes on top of everything else running the business. I still feel like I've got enough patience & energy to get through the week.

I have interviewed a new teacher tonight that I think will work out well. But, I'm not just going to throw her to the wolves. I'm going to teach with her for the first 2 classes, and then sit outside and evalutate for the next two that she's alone...things are changing around here.

This was the first week that I could take a deep breath. I got to pay myself again. Like a real paycheck. I felt so accomplished seeing that come in the mail today knowing that I wasn't stressed about it. I earned it and don't have to feel guilty about it. 

So...some goals. 

*Hire & train new employees so that my classes go from 22/week to eventually 10/week. I'm not going to just let anyone in there, so it's going to take some time. There is a light though. I have great dance parents that are 100% supportive.

*Get organized. 

*Get organized.

*Get organized.

*Take time for myself. Today was great. Mid-day I went on a walk with Katie from the Community Center to Starbucks and back. It was perfect. Time with my best friend, fresh fall air and a treat at the end. I need to do more things like that. 

*Make sure I am taking time for Matt so he knows how much he means to me. Sometimes it's okay to work for 10 hours and come home and watch a roller coaster show... 

We're re-evaluating a lot around here. Making some not so fun decisions, but ones that we know will be better in the long run.

Not So Fun Decision #1...We have shortened our Disneyland trip to just the long weekend. We were going to be going for a 6-Day Park Hopper...we shortened that to 4. That's 3 days with my team kids doing the Christmas Parade and one full day to enjoy each other together at our favorite place on earth. I almost cried, but then I didn't. Matt said it's because I'm different now.

There are a few not-so-fun's we're talking about...but just one thing at a time. 

I haven't had a panic attack in a very, very long time. 

I'm stronger. I can feel it when I have parent conflict or situations at dance. I don't take it personally and I'm harder. There's more of a shield in there than there used to be. I have confidence in myself and my program. 

--Chelsea Kay--