Happy Wednesday
Friends! I promised I’d post the photo of my owl once she came out of the kiln,
so here she is. And Ted’s sharp dressed owl accompanies her!
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Girl of All Trades
In the midst of my
unemployment struggles, my sixteen-year-old sister has been bringing home the
bread, literally! I get laid off and she get’s hired. She’s working at our
neighborhood bakery and let me just tell you, the benefits are superb! Every
morning I’ve had a treat to go with my coffee. This got me thinking about what
job I was doing at 16… I realized that of all of my odd jobs, not
one of them involved food more than making coffee in the morning. Check out my
list:
1. Babysitter of Devil Children
2. Massage Spa Receptionist and Laundry Girl
3. Golf Course Learning Center Receptionist
4. Montini Catholic School 5th Grade
Spirit Squad Coach
5. Guitar Lesson Instructor
6. Transcriber of a Religious Manuscript for a
Professor
7. Receptionist and Graphics Production
Assistant at MODO Exhibits
8. Instructional Technology Resource Center
Team Leader & Student Consultant
9. Event Manager for Saint Mary’s College
10. Art Class Teacher at The Studio
11. Bridal Consultant, Invitations Consultant,
and Designer at Kathryn’s Bridal
12. Model for Ball Horticultural Photographer
(Ok, it was only once)
13. Photo Professor’s Teaching Assistant
14. Worked as Part of the Design Team at an Engineering
Firm
15. Freelance Graphic Designer
Lately I have been
filling out applications, attaching my resume, and talking about work
experience almost daily as a part of my new job search. I’m 23 years old and I’ve
held about 15 jobs and never been fired, I think that’s an accomplishment! Not
a single one of these jobs involved food, which may or may not attribute to my
severe lack of cooking skills. It’s fun to look back and think about these
jobs, the people I met, and the things I learned. I’m sure that each
contributed to getting where I am today. Now it’s time to sit back and wonder
what could possibly come next…
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Home Alone Four
Although I was not at work this week, I did work quite hard! Mom went to the sunny west coast to vacation in California and left me to tend to her studio. (Isn't she lucky that I wasn't busy...) I was doing really well; keeping up with phone calls, scheduling her helpers, teaching classes, until I completely forgot about Wednesday night class! The poor painters were waiting outside the studio for me to let them in but I never showed up! I felt horrible!! And all I had to do was unlock the door... Darn! So sorry painters.
I also taught two classes this week. The first was Clay Class for pre-teens, my assignment for them? Letters! Folks, that is what happens when you leave a graphic designer in charge of Clay Class. Guess what letter I made? That's correct, a t! I'll post it when it comes out of the kiln. My students were great and really had fun with the assignment too!
The other class was After School Art, grades K-2. Woah. An hour and a half with six little people is enough for me. High fives to the elementary education teachers! I knew class was not going well when one little boy asked, "what time is art class over?" with a big grin on his face, within the first 15 minutes of class... Not soon enough, kid. Ok I'm kidding, I had more fun than he did - they are just so darn cute! But let's just say, I'm glad mom is coming home tomorrow to relieve me of that duty. My kid quota is good for a while...
On the bright side, I did finally get to glaze my handmade clay owl. :) I can't wait for him to come out of the kiln! He's so fly... Ok, that was a bad joke...
I also taught two classes this week. The first was Clay Class for pre-teens, my assignment for them? Letters! Folks, that is what happens when you leave a graphic designer in charge of Clay Class. Guess what letter I made? That's correct, a t! I'll post it when it comes out of the kiln. My students were great and really had fun with the assignment too!
The other class was After School Art, grades K-2. Woah. An hour and a half with six little people is enough for me. High fives to the elementary education teachers! I knew class was not going well when one little boy asked, "what time is art class over?" with a big grin on his face, within the first 15 minutes of class... Not soon enough, kid. Ok I'm kidding, I had more fun than he did - they are just so darn cute! But let's just say, I'm glad mom is coming home tomorrow to relieve me of that duty. My kid quota is good for a while...
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
It's Time for Me to Fly
"I know it hurts to say goodbye, but it’s time for me to
fly.” A little bit of wisdom from the big hair and skin-tight pants clad REO
Speedwagon band members. How do those rockers know just how to tell it like it
is? (listen to it here)
Today is my first real day of unemployment. I was laid off
from my stuffy corporate job and now I am realizing that being laid off is a
lot like being dumped. There is a bit of wallowing in self-pity, but once you
get over that, you realize that what you had wasn’t that great anyway. Everything
happens for a reason and I am going to move on to a much better job! (Ahem,
potential employers, please note my optimism and confidence!)
Although I am not excited about losing my job (and the
paycheck that came with it,) I am excited to have some time to myself. My portfolio is shaping up and I made
new business cards! Look forward to more posts and a new paper cut currently in the works....
Monday, July 11, 2011
Where did June go?
How the bleep is it already July?
Summers used to be long and lazy, and full of adventures. This summer is busy, a bit hectic, but still full of adventures. I'm not saying I would trade a minute of it, but sheesh! I wish it would slow down. I spent all winter ancipating the summer and here it goes, flying by whenever I blink my eyes. Not to mention, every time I start to get a hint of a tan line, I can't get outside again and it goes away. There is no hope...
I spend a lot of time at work thinking of things to do outside of work. I google events, look up flights and train schedules, and send messages with my friends until my calendar looks like a kindergartener's coloring book. (See earlier post from April...) Thank goodness I have flexible people in my life.
Even though my pale Irish skin doesn't show signs of summer, my bank account sure does! I've decided that it is impossible to save money during the summer, there are simply too many good things to spend money on... Don't worry, I'll resume saving come September. But really, this time is precious, and at my age (23), no one really knows where they'll be in 6-12 months. This is the age where people re-locate for jobs, get married, move to big cities. I need to clock as much "friend time" as possible. Gosh, I really am an adult.
Also, Nikki the Nikon needs to make an appearance because I have practically zero summer photos! I checked my iPhone stash and this was the most recent. Don't ask me for an explainatin because I don't have one, but just so you know, the licesnse plate reads "ZEBRA," in case you needed a label...
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Summers used to be long and lazy, and full of adventures. This summer is busy, a bit hectic, but still full of adventures. I'm not saying I would trade a minute of it, but sheesh! I wish it would slow down. I spent all winter ancipating the summer and here it goes, flying by whenever I blink my eyes. Not to mention, every time I start to get a hint of a tan line, I can't get outside again and it goes away. There is no hope...
I spend a lot of time at work thinking of things to do outside of work. I google events, look up flights and train schedules, and send messages with my friends until my calendar looks like a kindergartener's coloring book. (See earlier post from April...) Thank goodness I have flexible people in my life.
Even though my pale Irish skin doesn't show signs of summer, my bank account sure does! I've decided that it is impossible to save money during the summer, there are simply too many good things to spend money on... Don't worry, I'll resume saving come September. But really, this time is precious, and at my age (23), no one really knows where they'll be in 6-12 months. This is the age where people re-locate for jobs, get married, move to big cities. I need to clock as much "friend time" as possible. Gosh, I really am an adult.
Also, Nikki the Nikon needs to make an appearance because I have practically zero summer photos! I checked my iPhone stash and this was the most recent. Don't ask me for an explainatin because I don't have one, but just so you know, the licesnse plate reads "ZEBRA," in case you needed a label...
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Big City
Today I want to blog about the big city where I work and eventually want to live, Chicago. There are so many people here, yet I manage to run into people from my own sphere.
The other day I was heading outside to eat lunch with my co-workers when who do I see, but a friend from college! We both stopped dead in our tracks, did a double take to make sure, and then ran and hugged each other smack dab in the middle of the pedestrian walkway. How do these things happen? It's not like I was searching for this red headed bombshell, in fact I thought she was currently living on the East Coat, but boy am I glad I found her among the bustling mass of people. This turned my average day into a great day.
One thing I LOVE to do is spontaneously meet up with friends who work and/or live in Chicago as well. One day this winter I got a text from a friend asking what I was doing that night, a few texts later we were meeting at a bar and planning an awesome night. It's amazing what a few texts and an Friday night can produce. This night was fantastic and I hope we can make it happen again.
And then there are the lunch outings. I usually bring my own brown bag lunch from home, but whenever I get the chance to meet up with one of the girls I jump at the idea. I mean, who could turn down a fresh sandwich and great conversation with the best company I could ask for? So worth the extra pennies. Not to mention, these dates give me something to look forward to in the morning, and leave me smiling for the rest of the day - especially when we find a spot to eat outside in the warm spring sun. Wow, this post is full of warm fuzzies.
To what do I owe these wonderful little meetings? Maybe I am indebted to my Saint Mary's roots and the connections developed through college. Maybe I owe this to Chicago, for being the best city in the world and the Midwest's largest transportation hub. Maybe I owe this to my friendly personality and urge to be around good people. To whatever factor I owe, I thank it! And please continue bringing me these wonderful Chicago moments with people I love.
The other day I was heading outside to eat lunch with my co-workers when who do I see, but a friend from college! We both stopped dead in our tracks, did a double take to make sure, and then ran and hugged each other smack dab in the middle of the pedestrian walkway. How do these things happen? It's not like I was searching for this red headed bombshell, in fact I thought she was currently living on the East Coat, but boy am I glad I found her among the bustling mass of people. This turned my average day into a great day.
One thing I LOVE to do is spontaneously meet up with friends who work and/or live in Chicago as well. One day this winter I got a text from a friend asking what I was doing that night, a few texts later we were meeting at a bar and planning an awesome night. It's amazing what a few texts and an Friday night can produce. This night was fantastic and I hope we can make it happen again.
And then there are the lunch outings. I usually bring my own brown bag lunch from home, but whenever I get the chance to meet up with one of the girls I jump at the idea. I mean, who could turn down a fresh sandwich and great conversation with the best company I could ask for? So worth the extra pennies. Not to mention, these dates give me something to look forward to in the morning, and leave me smiling for the rest of the day - especially when we find a spot to eat outside in the warm spring sun. Wow, this post is full of warm fuzzies.
To what do I owe these wonderful little meetings? Maybe I am indebted to my Saint Mary's roots and the connections developed through college. Maybe I owe this to Chicago, for being the best city in the world and the Midwest's largest transportation hub. Maybe I owe this to my friendly personality and urge to be around good people. To whatever factor I owe, I thank it! And please continue bringing me these wonderful Chicago moments with people I love.
Summer Friend
Happy June!
I'm so excited to have a new paper cut to share with you. He's been in the making for quite some time now... I love his nonchalant attitude - he's ready for lazy summer days swimming in the lake, and so am I!
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