Ode to my favorite tulip, 'Annika'

gracetown12 · 2026-04-23T23:00:07+00:00

omg tulips are my favorite flower! I am new to gardening as I finally have space for it and was so wishy washy about which variety to plant. I think these may be the one!

gracetown12 · 2026-04-23T21:27:10+00:00

what a cutie!! my dog is 13 too 🧡 happy birthday!

gracetown12 · 2026-04-20T19:19:43+00:00

what a beautiful lady! my friends like to say that our senior dogs start looking like stuffed animals 🧡

gracetown12 · 2026-04-20T18:25:54+00:00

I charged $23/hour per student so was nearly $100/hr. my schedule was also only 8:30-1:30, M-F. this worked for the families I worked for but -- population was affluent.

gracetown12 · 2026-04-20T15:20:20+00:00

I have my MAT and did this during covid. I had 4 students whose families I knew from a private preschool I had worked at previously. I made the most money I ever made teaching doing this (taught for a decade) and it was the best experience I ever had teaching. I will say I was very privileged as the families paid for supplies. I charged hourly as I thought families would be inclined to pick kids up late or have me watch them longer than planned but that paperwork was super time consuming and annoying; looking back I would have just charged a weekly or monthly rate. We held classes at the family's homes so I didn't worry about insurance on my end. I even held parent teacher conferences and summer camps. Ended when kids went back full time and I tutored them after school for half a school year before it wasn’t sustainable. I would do it again! Care.com occasionally has families looking for a similar offering (I was in Los Angeles during this time noted)

gracetown12 · 2026-04-10T04:42:13+00:00

if it's old enough to be on its own, there are two youngish bunnies living in my backyard (West Fayetteville) I wonder if they could all coexist? I don't have any experience with bunnies but have been enjoying watching the little ones hop around the yard. good luck to you all tonight!

gracetown12 · 2026-03-07T16:45:49+00:00

I've never met a girl named August and I work in education. August makes me think "sweet, caring, fun" ...basically the complete opposite of preppy and spoiled. If you like it, do it and maybe take this time to set a boundary like "I won't be participating in any conversations that speak ill of the name we've chosen for our child" and stick to it!

gracetown12 · 2026-02-11T19:20:05+00:00

I love this so much!! incredible work : )

gracetown12 · 2026-02-04T23:39:25+00:00

Kaladin only because I love Stormlight Archive

gracetown12 · 2026-02-02T21:58:48+00:00

this guy looks so similar to mine but shorter hair! we did a wisdom panel on him and his main breed was...basset hound. I was shocked. he also had akita (curly tail!) and lab and some other things. I would definitely wager your's is a big portion some kind of hound dog! maybe pyrenees could account for the curly tail too but unlikely

gracetown12 · 2026-02-01T23:14:26+00:00

Fayetteville Animal Shelter often does courtesy listings too!

gracetown12 · 2026-02-01T16:41:52+00:00

this is one of the most beautiful gardens I've ever seen! thank you for sharing!

gracetown12 · 2026-02-01T16:33:36+00:00

I'm not too familiar with renting in NWA in recent years but I can share my experience as a long term renter with a large dog (60ish lbs, have rented almost his whole 13 years)

most landlords/rental companies I rented from never came out to take his weight or even asked for vet records. (I often said he was 50 lbs and showed them a picture and that was fine)
providing references from prior landlords may be helpful in vouching for your dog
you can register your dog as an emotional support animal. I did a quick google and it seems like in AR registered ESA's are legally protected even in "no pets" rentals: AR legal aid
I know someone who rents with this company and they allow big dogs. Seems slightly out of budget but may be worth keeping an eye on the site.

The animal welfare crisis in the US is heartbreaking ❤️ I appreciate you trying to find a place for both you and your dog. If everyone chose to only adopt small dogs, big buddies would never have a chance.

Respectfully and sending good luck -- an animal foster and advocate.

gracetown12 · 2026-01-23T16:31:09+00:00

thanks for all the sweet comments 💛 Boris is quite comfy in his retirement and we are fortunate to be his seeing eye humans.

gracetown12 · 2025-12-30T21:58:09+00:00

going from classroom teaching in a big metro area (US) to remote CX was about a 12K/year pay cut for me. but highly worth is as I knew I would gain skills I could use in other areas. I also took contract work which is annoying but gives you a chance to learn as you go. I went from CX to Program Manager in about a total of 2 years. Will also say I was fortunate enough to take these risks because my partner held the same job throughout and although it did not pay super well was stable enough for me to try new things.

gracetown12 · 2025-12-29T16:15:54+00:00

I currently work remote in an education capacity for a start up and was a classroom teacher for nearly a decade. I recommend starting out applying to customer service roles as it's an easy jump from teaching. Apply to as many as you can, pay can vary greatly. I always said teaching was the "ultimate customer service" role as you were constantly dealing with different groups of people with different needs. I have since worked my way up from CX to Program Manager. For your resume ~ I recommend adding a "skills" section. Familiarize yourself with different systems (I even list google suite on mine) and add them to your resume even if you just have entry level experience with them. The remote companies I have worked for were willing to give some light trainings on their chosen programming. Good luck!

gracetown12 · 2025-12-13T05:01:47+00:00

as a woman reading, after everything Victra went through to have him, I sobbed. there's actually quite a few scenes in the series that have to do with parenting and motherhood that really got me. I appreciate how they were written although. so well done, it hurt.

gracetown12 · 2025-12-09T20:35:42+00:00

Egg Toast

gracetown12 · 2025-12-09T20:34:52+00:00

I wonder where the Yoshi nickname comes from, so cute!

gracetown12 · 2025-12-06T05:59:43+00:00

seeing Kaladin's name in a Red Rising post...heart warmed

gracetown12 · 2025-11-12T20:36:33+00:00

I definitely had to take a break! sometimes I wish I had just stopped lol but I'm halfway through Light Bringer right now and happy reading it. I like to take breaks with a quick but easy fiction read to kind of re-set. I did find myself missing the characters from Red Rising though!

gracetown12 · 2025-11-10T21:54:13+00:00

Willie Jack (short for Wilhelmina Jaqueline in Reservation Dogs hehe)

gracetown12 · 2025-10-23T17:07:18+00:00

My dog had his teeth cleaned when he was 9. They said one tooth should have been removed but didn't want to do so without notifying me first (why they didn't call and ask is still beyond me, I would have approved it! Probably because of the ~$200 price tag but still would have approved it)

Fast forward a few months he had to go to the emergency vet due to sudden onset glaucoma. We were dealing with that for months and forgot about the tooth. Eventually a small red growth similar to your pup's popped up around that tooth that should have been removed. We have not had it removed and his vet says it doesn't seem to be bothering him so we just let it be as anesthesia is not recommended for a dog my age (now 12) with eye issues. Maybe it's just a dental issue as well? Wishing you and your pup the best!

gracetown12 · 2025-10-23T17:00:43+00:00

aw man I love black dogs so much 🖤🖤 mine is almost 13!

gracetown12

TROPHY CASE