Two Week Notice
April 28th, 2011 § 13 Comments
Day 117
Last Thursday, I gave my two week notice.
I know I keep a lot of my professional life off the blog – and really that will remain the intent here – but I wanted to let you all know last Thursday was a big day for me.
I’m leaving a company I have worked for on and off since I was in college. While it hasn’t been a bad experience, it also hasn’t been the most wonderful. I fought through a lot of adversity and negativity, especially since I moved to Texas, but I came out better for it.
No longer will I be working late hours or weekends. No longer will I need to pick up a second job at a restaurant to afford gas. I won’t have to ask, “Table or booth?” Waking up every day won’t mean going to work every day. Finally having the peace of mind to form a workable plan to tackle my debt is a relief I cannot accurately describe.
It’s going to be an adjustment to work Monday through Friday again. I’ll miss my mornings spent sipping coffee pouring over photos and reading amazing posts from my insanely talented friends.
But, I know I will love the stability. The steady income. The feeling of contributing to society. Having an office and coworkers. Spending my Saturdays and Sundays the way I choose to spend them.
Again, I am going to keep the details private but to answer any looming questions in your mind, no it is not a permanent writing position nor is it one to solely be a photographer. This job utilizes the communication skills I have and piques my interest in technology and the Internet in a way I never could have imagined.
I’m still going to be posting and snapping away. If anything, I am pursuing photography with more passion than I could have these past four months. I’m really excited for what’s to come and I’m extremely grateful for the support of everyone who comes here – whether daily, weekly or just once – and speaks love and life over me.
I resisted moving here for a long time, but I prayed and took my time and now it’s all very clear. Life went from a box of shuffled screws, pieces and directions of attach A to B to a beautifully built shelf I can put the prettiest of things on, stand back and admire.
The heart of the matter is I fought through a lot of struggles in recent months and I’d been waiting for an opportunity to present itself.
The waiting game is over.
Celebrations will take place starting tomorrow. Goodbyes and thank you’s will be spoken. There’s a lot of anticipation in the air. Life is finally going to launch that red ball at me and I can’t wait to keep chasing my dreams.
On Space
April 19th, 2011 § 5 Comments
Day 109
This is what my desk currently looks like. Magazines still sit in their plastic, anxiously awaiting their inaugural flip through. Books that I draw so much inspiration from haven’t been cracked open in weeks. Notebooks without a drop of fresh ink. There are photography contracts, looming deadlines, a random necklace and an envelope of baby coupons (let this be a warning to anyone shopping at Janie and Jack, you will end up on a new mom mailing list.) A shoebox. (I know – really? But there are really cute heels inside, I promise.)
You’d understand, naturally then, why I choose to take my work to another space to get things done.
The only bad thing about making the kitchen your office? The breakfast possibilities.*
*Definitely not oatmeal.
To Knee or Not to Knee
October 18th, 2010 § 33 Comments
That is the question.
Today, I’m not going to say much because I want to hear from you. Yes, I want you to chime in on that comments section because I am really torn about how I feel regarding the situation I am going to share with you.
As you may know, I am working part-time for the same company I worked for in Pittsburgh. I chose to step down in terms of rank and work for a different entity, but it’s all pretty much the same. I’m not going to talk about my company, as I never have, and I ask that if you know where I work, please keep that information to yourself.
Here’s what you need to know: I work with the public, I am fully visible to them and sales are involved.
On Saturday, I walked in to see my team dressed in jeans. Many Saturdays, we are allowed to wear jeans. Prior to this particular day, I was not told that, so I opted to wear my regular uniform of black pants. However, instead of wearing long black pants, I donned these:
These are black (obviously) hit the bottom of my kneecap while standing and are from The Limited. I am not sure of the material here, but it’s the same blend as my dress pants. When I worked in Pittsburgh, I wore these all the time. Both here and there, my “uniform” includes a black collared blazer over the t-shirt or whatever top I choose to wear. (May I also remind you it is still 80 degrees where I live.)
As soon as I walked in, my superior said to me, “Your pants? They are a little too short. Technically, they should be to your mid-calf – more like pedal pushers. This is a little too much for our corporate dress code.”
My first thought was, “Wait, you’re all wearing jeans. That is not corporate.”
Then she asked me if I had anything to change into, when I didn’t, she told me to go buy panty hose.
OK, hold up. If the problem here is that these pants are too short, what good does panty hose do?
I was ashamed and embarrassed. A separate conversation the night before with this same superior had already bruised my ego. It had nothing to do with work and more to do with financial status. Don’t. Judge. My. Money.
I tore through Target, crying. There was no way I was going to wear panty hose – I didn’t see the point. After trying on several pairs of black pants, I purchased a pair and kept the tags on. I’ve got a closet full of them but driving home would have taken too much time out of the hours I already depend on.
When I returned to work, she couldn’t believe I was wearing a pair of pants.
“You could have just bought a pair of $1 hose,” she said.
I just didn’t see the purpose of that. I didn’t have time to try and hunt down the dress code, either. At the entity I worked for in Pittsburgh, though, we were allowed to wear this style of pants as it was in the dress code so long as they were knee length.
What would you have done? What do you think about those pants? Are they showing too much?
Fluff
February 11th, 2010 § 13 Comments
Well it certainly has been interesting around here with this whole snow thing. I am sure y’all are as sick of seeing it – if not in person then on the Internet, blogs, etc – as I am. It has really screwed with daily life this past week. Here in the ‘Burgh we’ve been topped off with several more inches in the last few days. Being that I work about a half an hour north of the city and where I live, my drives to work equate to a progression of more serious conditions with every mile I clock. As I like to keep work and blog lives separate, I am not going to go into any detail as to what I do, etc. but just know that I have a somewhat authoritative position that leads me to have to fill in when others can’t.
Yes, this is real. He lives on my block and is like, 12 feet tall. Cute and all, but really, CAN WE BE DONE WITH THE SNOW, BUDDY? Just melt. Please. I keep having dreams I see grass when I look out the window.
For that reason, I am playing the waiting game right now as to when I must make the trek to my place of employment. What does this mean for you dear readers? It means this shall be a post of utter fluff and nothing too thought-provoking! I have received a few of the blogger awards/tags in recent weeks (who am I kidding, months) and today I am going to roll them all into one and do another addition of Seven Things You Did Not Know About Me brought to you by Abby’s nomination. Thank you beautiful blend Abby!!! I figured I might as well post this, I mean, who doesn’t like a little fluff on their Thursday afternoon?
1.) I am a decedent of one of the Pilgrims. You know, that group of radical Europeans who got on three boats and flipped the bird to the King as they sailed off in search of a new life? One dude, William Bradford, was elected to lead them all after the first governor died. He held the title for most of the rest of his life. If you trace my maternal family tree for about the next seven-ish generations, your finger will be brought to an abrupt stop at none other than Ms. 25th.
Hmm…I think I see a striking resemblance. Do you think we look alike?
2.) I like to sing. I don’t just mean my ghetto jam on the drive to work or when I hit the club with my best gals. I mean everywhere. As in homegirl will sing in conversation. Not songs- the actual conversation. A lot of times I do it to reiterate a point. Sometimes I just bust out – like when driving, “Burger KIIIIIING!!! WHOPPA!!” It’s kind of like when Oprah does it on her show, but instead of going down an octave or two, I will go up. This happened a lot during Cabin Fever about the snow and conditions outside, “Whiite out! Buffalo chicken dip!” Yeah, shit makes no sense. But it’s entertaining in person, I promise. It’s a very sub-conscious thing. Sometimes I just do it and then when someone laughs I realize that I was, in fact, just singing out my thoughts.
3.) One of the surefire ways to my heart is through purchasing me anything that is affiliated with mint. Mint lotions, mint bodywash, shampoo and conditioner, mint creamer, mint ice cream (not mint chocolate chip though). When Edy’s had the Peppermint ice cream, I thought I had died and gone to mint heaven. If you’ve been reading for awhile you know that I am more than obsessed with Starbucks Perppermint Mocha – which is available year around if you just ask! I also was thrilled when Coffee Mate announced its creamer boasting the same flavor would be available year round. It was like the mint angels opened up the heavens and sang, “Ahhhhhhh!” (with fresh breath, no doubt.) Anyone have any good recommendations out there? I have tried Origins mint products, Giovanni shampoo and conditioner, Williams & Sonoma lotion and Philosophy’s body wash. I am finding out (the hard, sad way) that mint products are few and far between outside of the holidays.
4.) I generally have no shame when it comes to acting like a fool in public. Now, I am not going to completely berate myself into looking like an ass (i.e. I will not bring other strangers into my debauchery, nor will I remove any article of clothing for a laugh.) I will however, talk loudly, dance anywhere – no alcohol necessary, playfully mock others, ask the “stupid seemingly obvious” questions no one else will and be that person that gives the group a little jolt – or feeds into the silliness. I love laughing and making others laugh.
5.) & 6.) I have an affinity for remembering weird, random and/or useless knowledge. If you tell me your birthday, even if we only meet once, I will probably remember it, or at least fall within the week in the month that it is in. Same goes for if you tell me about an article you read, a song we both like or a shirt you saw three months ago. I will be that person that calls and says, “You know that white button-up shirt with the french cuffs you were eying up at J. Crew in December? It’s on sale for 60 percent off and there’s one medium left. Shall I hold it hostage for you?” Or when I hear that favorite song of yours, I am no doubt sending you a text about it. Meanwhile you are on the other end, all “Huh?” in disbelief that I remembered. My best friend always tells me that I forget nothing. I beg to differ. At any one given time there is always one key thing in my life that is missing. It generally circulates between my Tiffany’s ring (a gift to myself which is something I recommend all women do at some point in their lives) my earrings, my zip drive, various important documents (i.e. registration and insurance paperwork when I put my car solely into my name) – you get the picture. Something is always misplaced in my life and if I could just remember where I stashed half my stuff, I wouldn’t always be stressed. By the way - right now it’s the zip drive.
7.) I love quotes. Really great quotes. Whether it’s a classic, a soundbite from a celebrity interview or something one of my friends said, there is power in great words. With that, I leave you with my favorite, which I now have on both a candle and a new coffee mug!
Peace. It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.
**Update, I have jumped on the bandwagon – Go Ahead, Ask Me Anything and I will post about it next week! All this snow is making me crazy (aka bored).
The Heritage Tree
December 25th, 2009 § 5 Comments
Hi y’all! Merry Christmas to you! First, let me just thank you for visiting my site today whether you’re a regular reader or just happened to find me by chance or circumstance. If you celebrate Christmas, I hope it is/was a wonderful one for you and yours. If you are a regular reader, you know I celebrated the holiday earlier in the week, check out the previous post if you want to check out my loot. I have more of a recap to give you of the rest of my trip, but that will be for a different day.
This gorgeous timber lives in Cedar Park, TX and is the largest Live Oak in the area, also known as The Heritage Tree. Over 50,000 lights set this beauty twinkling every night and it is truly a sight to see. As we drove away last night, I couldn’t help but wonder how many rings circled the inside of its core – a telltale sign of its age. Just how many Christmases has The Heritage Tree seen? If it’s as old as I imagine, I’m sure it’s seen Christmases in happy times and hardship. Christmases with plenty and Christmases without. It’s seen people come and go and times change and still it stands.
What about you? What kind of Christmases have you seen? Have you had Decembers that filled your memory for years to come with wonderful times and moments? Or have you been less fortunate and experienced a loss of a loved one or a dwindling bank account that didn’t let you give your loved ones that special holiday? Have you woken up in tears dreaming that your beloved soldier would make it back from war in time to open gifts, only to realize that was only just that – a dream? Have you traveled somewhere far to be with the ones you love, or simply to spend the holiday in an nontraditional way on a beach or in another country?
I have been abnormally blessed with wonderful holidays with the exception of eight years ago when my grandfather ended his battle with cancer just two days before Christmas. As you can imagine, that was an extremely tough holiday season. I’ve had family and friends overseas fighting for our country, too, but I can’t imagine if it were a parent, sibling or significant other. Most of us would rather turn our attention to something else than think of those hardships, but today I challenge you to count your blessings. Say more than one prayer for our troops, thank the next man or woman you see in uniform, pray for those who aren’t having a Merry Christmas, and if you celebrate and you are religious, don’t forget the true reason for the season.
In recent years, I’ve had to let go of many traditions and hold on to the simple, yet sometimes difficult truth of growing up. Just like The Heritage Tree, I’ve seen people come and go and I’ve “grown” new branches that extend and open up to change. Although I have run the gamut on my feelings circling all of this change every year I’ve had to endure it – from sadness to anger and frustration – eventually I come around and I’m OK with it. Well, as OK as I can be. This year, I’ve gone through the stages and am about to embark on another “new” - flying on Christmas. I’ve had to return on the holiday before – for work just like today – but it was only a two-hour drive that I could hold off until the evening. Today, I’ll be departing sunny skies in Texas to head back to the blustery cold of Pennsylvania. I can’t promise how merry I’ll be. While you’re stuffing your face with ham and pie and relishing in your gifts and family, I will be 35,000 feet above you breathing in recycled air crunched in seat 25C watching “Sex and the City” on my Mac desperately trying to forget what everyone below me is doing. That may make me a bit selfish, and I’m OK with that. Don’t we all want the world to be perfect on Christmas?
By the time I land tonight, all will be well in my world. I’ll schlep home, unpack and head back to normalcy tomorrow. After work, I’ll be heading back to my hometown to see my lovely and wonderful friends and also visit for the first time since my parents moved away. Time will continue moving forward and things will slow down for a while after the holiday rush. Life will bring its blessings, hardships and changes. I’ll return next year – if not sooner – to see The Heritage Tree and marvel in another 365 days of living. See you then, friend.
Again, Merry Christmas. I am so thankful for each and every one of you. Every comment, email and tweet brings a smile and makes my heart warm. Thank you.
Another one down
November 23rd, 2009 § 7 Comments
Hello friends!
Sorry you haven’t heard from me in a few – I have been exceptionally busy with a little thing we call work! Basically, I am getting in all my time before I head down south on holiday!
Another weekend has come and gone – care to recap what a 25-year-old’s looks like? 
As I said in my last post, Christmas season officially began Friday! I attended my first Light Up Night. Boy was it ever an event!
That entire bridge was packed! And if you turned around, the opposite side of the street was just as crowded. It was nuts. (I loved it!)
We took a walk across the bridge to scout our food vendors. All I wanted was a gyro, but the tent was hidden with tiny signs we didn’t see at first, so I settled for a cheese steak.
Having spent a considerable amount of time in Philly, I now consider myself spoiled. No cheese steak even comes close to the original(s). When I asked the guy at the tent for cheese whiz, he looked at me like I just asked for tofu. I had to settle for provolone. 
We walked around a bit then headed into Olive or Twist for a few beverages.
And, of course, proceeded to be silly fools
Then it was off to watch some sparkles in the sky!
We went out for a bit afterwards to a sports bar in the middle of the Stadium Loop. I would be lying if I said there was no dancing. Those who have never had the pleasure of going out with me surely would be in for a treat – I will dance anywhere, with anyone – no alcohol necessary! No, I am not one of those, “I don’t dance” people. I definitely get as much out of it as a workout. Apparently, this time around I even had a little audience watching me – I was too busy having fun making my friends laugh! I have a dance for every song
Saturday brought a full day of work followed by an evening spent catching up on Grey’s Anatomy and watching a Behind the Music documentary on Pink. I went to her concert last month and I think she is an amazing performer and a gifted musician. She sure has been through a lot and I admire her umm, general “I don’t give a f*&# attitude.” She says what’s on her mind!
Saturday I also made an investment piece purchase by buying a very nice carry-on bag for my future flights to Texas. More of that later this week!
Today, I once again – everybody! – “worked!” Tonight, we made family dinner, which is a slowly building tradition in our house where we cook dinner and invite over friends to share a meal and just connect. It’s a good way to start the week. Tonight we had delicious salad with tomatoes, avacado and my roommates specialty dressing followed by mashed taters and steak glazed with brown sugar – oh man was it good – and I am not a big meat eater!
We talked about our Christmas decorating ideas over dinner. We are going to go cut down our own tree when I get back – I cannot wait! We always had fake ones growing up so this should be an adventure!
Off to finish prepping to “start” my week even though I’ve worked five straight days.
How was your weekend? Do you mix up fun and relaxation too?
