Blessed Are the Weird People – - Poets, Misfits, Writers, Mystics, Painters, Troubadours – - For They Teach Us to See The World Through Different Eyes.

Can't sleep.... May as well blog!

The title to this blog post couldn't ring more true, for society has mainly become mindless dronism.  Anyway...

Still waiting on the people on that lovely writing website to review my work and take the damn hold off of my account, and although I've found a couple of other things to at least semi occupy my time, they don't compensate near as well.  If nothing else, the last year has taught me great patience, and I don't just mean work.

 

Tell me the little hat doesn't make your life

SO WHAT DO I MEAN?

Well, let's just say in the last year, I've had to do a lot of waiting.  Oh that's right... You've only half been filled in on my backstory.  Remember how I said I met John in a bar about a year ago?  Well I was actually with someone else when it happened, and although I within the first five minutes of talking to him that he was the man I wanted to marry, there were a few things standing in my way of being with him for the rest of my life.  For instance, I owned a house with the moron I was with.  

 Baha, if you Google Image "young and dumb". this is what pops up

Along with a few other complications that the entire world doesn't need to be made aware of.  Anyway, it taught me patience, along with still being unemployed, and other stresses.

MOVING ON

So as I wait for the lovely editors to rate my work and take the hold off my account, I'll be continuing to look for online work.  If there's anything I can do for you, please, let me know.

Speaking of continuing to look, I should probably be doing that now as blogging pays me less than nothing.  Spring is coming, folks.  Hope you're enjoying the snownado free weather! 

UNTIL NEXT TIME

“Its hard to wait around for something you know might never happen; but its harder to give up when you know its everything you want.” – Unknown

 

  

Stay Away...

... From blogging when you're emotional, or you'll end up with a post like the one previous to this -_-.  So yeah, ignore that

Even this bear thinks that was ridiculous

MOVING ON

As preciously mentioned, I finally figured out a way to make the writing gig kind of work.  So get this - I do my first five articles, and I'm informed that the lovely people that run the site have frozen my account for review - after the first five, this has to be done but they assure me that although they review after every five or so, this is the only time that the account itself will be frozen.  OI! Wouldn't be so bad had I not gotten so excited about finally finding something that works and doesn't take 13 hours of work to make $10.  Oh well, once it's done it's done.  And hopefully I'll get a better rating (aka higher paying jobs).

Though writing is what I mainly intend to focus on, it looks like the real money is in Logo design, so I think I'm gonna play around with that a bit while I wait for the lovely people on that site to rate my stuff and unlock my account.  My one day (hopefully, anyway) father-in-law had me do this for him one day this past week.  This is version #3.  Version #1 was in my opinion the best but I couldn't get the AI file to convert to a .JPEG, so I threw this together in paint for him:

  I know the text isn't quite even, but I like it.  And he did too (I think lol)

IN OTHER NEWS

The weather is FINALLY starting to warm up.  Now, if the wind here would just bugger off we'd be all set.  I started making lists for the gardens we want to have this year (herb, vegetable, and flower), so now the anticipation is killing me.  Of course, I'll be taking pictures so you can go on my first growing "journey" with me, and possibly help me out if things aren't working out for me lol. Lucky for me, John has a VERY green thumb.  I've seen him bring plants back that were completely dead.  No joke.

The important thing is, I'm back in flip-flops.  It's the most wonderful time of the year!

 Not quite tanning weather yet, but I'll take it!

UNTIL NEXT TIME

Love unconditionally, laugh, and make sure you're telling the ones you love just how much you do.  They may need to hear it.

“Challenges are what make life interesting and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.” - Joshua J. Marine

 

The Real Test In Life is Not Keeping Out Of the Rough, But in Getting Out Once You're In

It's amazing what money (or lack thereof) can do to people. And despite how hard I try, I can't make that phone ring with a job.

**Backstory**
I'm originally from Muskoka.

Google it.  It's gorgeous.

It's also nothing more than a tourist town that gives you roughly two months to make all the money that you can before everything shuts down again.  Yet I managed to not only get but hold a job there.  Now, I'm not saying by any means that I made the right choice quitting the job I had to move in with a boy.  But I was so in love and couldn't stand to be away from him anymore.  Not to mention that I was still living with my ex and hating every second of my life.

I screwed up.  Badly. And a lot.  But truth be told I've never cared for anybody but myself before and it screwed me up, I didn't know how to deal. Which sounds like a sad excuse for a 26 year old but trust me, if you knew me before, I could have cared less about anyone but myself - but I'm sure you'll learn more about my backstory as this blog continues.  And it seems no matter how hard I try, things just keep getting worse.

I've probably sent out well over 500 resumes in the last eight months.  Someone's gotta call soon, right?

Either way, this blog is supposed to be about my personal life as well as my journey to being a freelancer, or figuring out a way to make the interwebz work for me, or whatever.  I just want the boy I love to love me as much as he did, as much as I love him.

I just want this back.

Ah well, enough blubbering.  The point is I have to make this work, I'm gonna make this work. And hopefully, despite how incredibly unlucky I am, I'll be able to scrounge up enough luck to get him back. Like I had him.  Because seeing him like this kills me and makes me feel worse about myself than I ever have.  Because I know it's my fault.  

Okay okay, before I go on another sob story, I'm gonna sign off.  Hope you're all enjoying the wonderful sunshine out there!

And remember, if you're looking for a freelance writer, think Shanda de Vries :)

“Just know, when you truly want success, you’ll never give up on it. No matter how bad the situation may get.” - Unknown

Back With a Vengence... And a New Blog

For those of you that don't know me, let me introduce myself.  My name is Shanda de Vries and I'm a 26 year old Freelance Writer from Ontario, Canada. My life revolves around my incredible boyfriend, John and our puppy, Hannibal (he's a chihuahua/miniature dachshund mix). 

John and I met last year (at a bar, of all places).  I knew from the second we started talking that he was the man I wanted to marry.  So I walked away from everything and everybody I've ever known, and moved out to farm country.  It's absolutely beautiful and although I wouldn't trade it for the world, I wish there was more work out here.

After being unable to find a job, I decided to take up freelance writing.  Since I've always loved to write, I assumed it would be a piece of cake.  It wasn't.  I wrote 13 hrs a day for $10.  Then, I finally had some luck with getting a job and put the writing dream on the backburner while I went to go work in an office for a little while.

I'm not going to bother explaining the whole story, but the long and short of it is I'm a very unlucky person and had way too much going on in my head at the time, and I ended up losing my job.  Getting another one has proven to be rather difficult (seriously, the job market sucks around here) , so back to the drawing board we go!

So hi, I'm Shanda. And if you have a freelance writing gig, I'm your girl. I'm willing to take on any sort of proposal you may have.  This blog will be dedicated to my journey, and I hope to hear from you soon. Also, feel free to check out my Twitter and Facebook pages.

Thanks a lot for reading, tell your friends!

 “The best revenge is massive success.” – Frank Sinatra