about slate & stylish

Hello my name is Deja Powell.
I was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah.
I have been blind since birth, nystagmus, cone-rod dystraphy and spasmus nutans.
I have loved to dance from day one.
I have also loved food from day one, still do, too much.
I went to the school for the blind in Utah, for my preschool year.
I then when to public school grades k-12.
I graduated from Granger High School in West Valley City, Utah.
I love chocolate, always have always will, may die of eating too much chocolate. I'm okay with that.
I lived out a dream of mine and went to school at BYU Hawaii for a quarter in beautiful Laie.
I then moved from sunny Oahu to freezing Logan, Utah.
I graduated from Utah State University in 2005.
I got a degree in Journalism.
I then went to the Louisiana Center for the Blind (LCB) for blindness training.
I lost my best friend, my dad, to a medulloblastoma brain tumor in 2005.
I graduated from the LCB in 2006.
I went to graduate school at Louisiana Tech University to get my masters degree.
I got it in Educational Psychology with a concentration in Orientation and Mobility in 2008.
I worked in Utah teaching blind adults at Utah Division of Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired.
I survived my then boyfriend's (now husband's) deployment to Iraq, barely.
I moved back to Louisiana.
I worked at the Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness at Louisiana Tech.
I married my soldier (who I refer to as GQ in this blog) on March 4, 2011, my dad's birthday.
I also tought blnd kids in my area cane travel.
I was the national coordinator for the National Certification in Literary Braille (NCLB) exam.
I found teaching is my life passion.
I was a columnist for The Ruston Daily Leader, Louisiana's Number One Newspaper in 2011.
I am an aunt to the two cutest nephews and most beautiful niece ever created.
I am a fashionista through and through.
I now live in beautiful St. George, Utah. St. George is a city located in the southwestern part of Utah. It has a population of about 75,000.
I am the Family Readiness Group Leader for United States Army Reserve.
I am currently a PhD candidate at Capella University in Education.
I love crafting, restoring old furniture, shoes, chocolate, food and blogging (of course).

Meet some of the important characters in my life...

my sweet gq

the lovely ladies in my life...
{SIL: Brenda, Sister: Ambree, Mom: Diane and Me}


The top men in my life...
{BIL: Derek, Nephew: Gavin, Nephew: Jaxxon, Step-Father: Al, Nephew: Iszacc, Husband: Lucas}
 

my {adorable} nephews and niece


{studly ike}

{handsome gavin}
 
{the jaxx man}-
 
 
 
{my beautiful  maycee moo}

 
my fabulous family
 
 
oh, yes, & me!
 
 
Thanks for stopping by! :)