Yes, Guitar, Yes!

I have a confession. I've neglected a very generous gift - my electric guitar. I first wanted a guitar about six years ago. I had a friend who could play and thought that she was all the more cooler because of this skill, so I decided that I should learn myself. Christmas morning arrived and I excitedly opened the giant gift that sat under the tree with my name under it. I played it that day and tried my best to learn on it in the weeks to come. I even enrolled in a guitar class at my high school and carried my electric baby to school two times a week so I could get a feel for what she could do. Time passed and I became less and less dedicated to learning guitar. When I left for college, my guitar (given the name "Big Red" for it's bright color and big sound) came with me. I vowed to learn while at school, but classes and friends took up most of my time and I only sat down to play on a rare occasion. Now that college is over and I am only working part-time, it would be silly for me not to take advantage of the chance to really learn guitar. So far, I have been refreshing myself on chords and working on a strum pattern. What's next? Stardom? Maybe not. I would like to learn a song well enough to be able to play it at The Well, the Bible study that my church is starting up this month.

I'm Human, But I Was Raised By Elves...

I know, it's again been a long time since I last posted... but I do intend to try to keep up more regularly. Since my last post I have said "Yes" to a number of interesting and challenging thing. The first was a seasonal job. I had been unemployed for about a month and needed to find some sort of work that was (hopefully) fun. I was able to get a seasonal job at Kate's Paperie and have learned the art of Japanese gift wrapping. I love working with people, so working retail is ideal because I get to do a lot of that with customers. Unfortunately, not all of the customers reciprocate my feelings. I'll admit that there have been a handful of customers that just haven't been nice. The good thing is that happy customers outweigh unhappy customers.

Since seasonal work is only part-time, I have been filling in with more odd jobs. I said "Yes" to being a promotional model for a local bakery. I got to go to a few local events and hand out tokens for free cupcakes. It was so much fun! I have definitely been learning that working face-to-face with people is important to me. Whatever my passion is, it must involve working with people and doing something to enrich the lives of others (even if through a cupcake token).

I also said "Yes" to taking on a job as a face painter. Craig's List has been good to me. I have been fortunate enough to find a number of interesting and fun jobs on the site, including this face painting position. A secret confession of mine is that I have always wanted to have a job around Christmas that involves me dressing up as an elf. It's weird, I know... but imagine my excitement when the woman who hired me to do face painting asked if I would be willing to dress up as none other than an elf! I agreed immediately and tried my best to hide my elation through e-mail by using minimal exclamation points and capital letters, but I still think that she could tell how excited I was! The only draw back was that I am not a professional face painter at all, but since art has always interested me and face painting is fun, I thought I'd give it a shot. I was happy with the results and I think that my customers and the woman who hired me were too!

My dad let me practice on him. Here he is as a tiger! Grrrr...

Here I am in full elf garb. I think I might have liked dressing up a little too much because I kept the costume on for about an hour after getting home from face painting!

I loved this job and would definitely work as a face painter again. I think that the two things that I enjoyed most about the experience were being able to work with people and having the chance to be creative while doing so. Creativity is definitely a passion of mine. I am finding that if I am able to find a way to combine being creative with helping people, I am more likely to feel satisfied with whatever work I am doing.

Yes! Yes! Yes!

No, this is not a blog post dedicated to Herbal Essence... I'm just feeling enthusiastic. It's been a while (weeks) since my last post. I apologize for not being as dedicated a blogger as I originally had set out to be. To make it up to you (whoever you may be), I am going to make this post chock-full of photos because photos always make blog posts better in my opinion! Here goes nothing...

Over the past few weeks I have said yes to something that was originally easy to say "yes" to, but then because something that I wanted to exclaim "NO!" to. That something is unemployment. When I first finished my internship at the end of October I was happy to have free time to do what I please. Sleeping in had only been a weekend option for most of the summer, so saying "yes" to hitting the snooze button felt like heaven for a while. Then things started to change. After returning from my road trip with the What Now Wanderers the fact that I was unemployed really hit me. I started to worry about money and paying bills and I became anxious about the whole not-having-a-job thing. I had high hopes prior to the road trip that someone along the way would surely offer me a high paying executive job. When I returned home with no job offers and a case of wanderlust much more severe than any that I had ever experienced before, I started to feel depressed. I didn't think that I had enough money to get up and go on an exotic trip across the ocean and I started spending hours a day online searching and applying for jobs. I heard back from a few, but nothing came of it. To help keep me going, I started doing odd jobs. From pumpkin carving to working at the polls - I was doing it all.

I took a break from job searching to go to yet another talk show taping - this time The Rachael Ray Show. I have been to a taping of the show before and must say that it's my favorite so far. Rachael Ray ALWAYS sends you on your way with loads of goodies. At this taping I got two trail mix snacks for Snack of the Day (we were a part of two different tapings, which meant two snacks!) and I won some delectable truffles for being willing to go up in front of the rest of the audience and answer a few questions. I even got to say hi to Rachael Ray while I was up there!

Outside the show

Hayley, Lauren and I getting ready to go into the studio

One of the many Rachael Ray photos inside the studio

When unemployment started to get the best of me, I headed for a weekend at my Grandma's house to unwind and reflect on my current situation. While there, my cousin Carly talked me into saying "yes" to dying my hair - for the first time EVER! I was really nervous about it, even though I was only planning to dye it a shade or two lighter than my natural color. Carly assured me that I was in good hands (she is the renown hair dyer among her friends) and after seeing the results, I knew that she was right. She did a great job! Although no many people (including myself sometimes) have noticed the change, I still see my first hair dying experience as a big step! It helped me to realize that hair is just hair - it won't make or break you and it is always good for me to trust someone else with something that I care about. It helps to build trust between that other person and myself! I would definitely entrust my hair to Carly again.

Here's my hair before... After picture to come

I came back from my Grandma's feeling refreshed and hopeful. That was this past weekend. I must admit that this past week of unemployment has been the most balanced. Rather than spending all of my time at home, I have made a conscious effort to go out and do things this past week. Monday I relaxed and did a few things around the house. Tuesday night I went to a fun event hosted by my local chapter of The American Liver Foundation. I designed a poster for their "Flavors Of..." event and was invited to attend the event for free! I enjoyed a wonderful cocktail hour and got to be a seat filler for a little while (I got so far as soup and then was politely kicked out upon the arrival of my seat's rightful owner).

Cool (literally) ice sculpture at the event

Fancy soup

Me and Marla, the woman I worked with to design the poster

Wednesday I had to drop off some ornaments that I had decorated for the ice cream shop that I used to work for. They were decorating a tree for our neighborhood Junior League's Enchanted Forest. It was a lot of fun to decorate the ornaments and it helped to remind me just how much I love doing craft projects! Okay, so maybe I never forgot how much I loved being a crafter... but I did say "no" to a lot of craft projects over the summer because of lack of time due to my internship. Now that I'm unemployed, I can say "yes" to crafts as much as my heart desires!

Finished bulbs

After dropping off the ornaments, I went to apply for a seasonal job at Kate's Paperie - the perfect place for someone interested in making money doing crafts to work.

Thursday I traveled to New York with Sarah and Lauren to conduct our final interview for Roadtrip Nation. Lauren wasn't feeling up to it, but Sarah and I decided to get up before sunrise to go to The Today Show. Sarah and I both love the show and have always wanted to be one of those people waving behind Al Roker's head.

We got on camera! (not just on my camera...)
We had a variety of signs. The one that I'm holding says "I SKIPPED UNEMPLOYMENT TO BE HERE"

We didn't just stand behind Al Roker... Sarah got to stand with him for this picture!

This picture isn't very good, but that's Tony Bennett!

Okay, so this dog wasn't on the show, but isn't he so cute?!

After the show, Sarah and I met up with Lauren and headed over to interview Deb from Smitten Kitchen. She makes all sorts of great food from her apartment and blogs about what she makes. Her blog has become so popular that she was able to quit her job and dedicate all of her time to it! We've been back from the road trip now for about three weeks, so we were all a little rusty when it came to using the camera. Once we got reacquainted with our old friend the camera, our interview went off perfectly. Deb was so helpful and had so much insight to share about the confusion transition from college to the real world.

Friday I went to The Enchanted Forest to help set up the ice cream tree, which I sadly do not have a picture of. The rest of the day I got ready for a craft fair that I had signed up for on Saturday. I spent the day making greeting cards and knitting hats for the event. On Saturday morning I got up earlier than usual (meaning 8am or so...) and packed up my things to go to the fair. I have wanted to be a vendor at a craft fair for a while now, but have just put it off over and over again. This time I had no excuse. With the power of saying "yes" to whatever it is that I am interested in doing and the freedom of being unemployed with a little cash saved up to spend however I'd like, I was able to set up for a few hours and sell some of the items that I've made. I shared a table with Sarah (who sold hats to benefit Kids in Crisis - the non-profit that she worlds for) and her sister (who sold some of her beautiful and delicious baked goods) and though I didn't make a killing selling my items at it, overall the event was a really fun. We got to mingle with a lot of different people from the area and I had the chance to visit my old pre-school stomping grounds (the craft fair was held at the church that used to house Tiny Tots - my pre-school alma mater).

Our table

Happy crafters

My favorite hat that I made

It's Been a While...

Day ?:

Sorry for not posting for a while! This past week and I have I was on a road trip with two of my good friends. We traveled from the Northeast to the Midwest and back. You can read all about our trip on our team blog here: What Now Wanderers

During the trip, the three of us marveled at how long it felt like we were on the road and now that the trip is over, I am having a hard time accepting that all the planning, driving, and fun is behind us! We traveled on a grant given to us through PBS' Roadtrip Nation and the goal of our trip was to interview people about their different paths in life. We were able to sit down with a number of people who interested, inspired, and taught us and to ask them questions, on camera, about their stories. Our interviews range from talking to street performers in Nashville, TN to Chris Johns, the Editor in Chief of National Geographic. It was an amazing trip. I will never forget the experience and what it has taught me.

I was able to make a dream a reality with this road trip. Last February I had a desire to travel and interview "experts" in certain fields, but did not have the funding to do so. I was led (by something bigger than myself, I believe) to the Roadtrip Nation website where I applied for a grant and now here I sit on the other side of everything complete and utterly amazed by the experiences before and during this trip. I am still processing everything that I have learned on the road from my fellow road-trippers, from the people that we were able to interview, and from our time on the road. For whatever reason, the world just seems clearer while driving on roads that lead to endless miles of corn fields.

I was able to investigate some interests that I have while on the trip, such as the greeting card industry and the world of video production by spending time interviewing writers at Hallmark Cards and two internet comedians via iChat. I may still not know exactly what my passion is, but I do know that I love the feeling of freedom I had while on the road. I loved meeting the people who we interviewed and hearing their stories. I loved seeing what life was like in new places. I loved being able to document my entire experience on video. I want to chase after how I felt while on the road. I will find a way to live my life at the level of excitement that this trip has given me.

That Still, Small Voice

Day 10:


Within my heart of hearts lies a voice of sorts. I'm not crazy or hearing anything, but there is something in me that urges me on in certain directions. I've been hearing it a lot more lately, maybe because I'm trying to pay more attention to it, and sometimes it can get pretty loud. Today I watched one of those True Hollywood Stories about Oprah. I'm not a regular viewer of her show, but I do admire what she has chosen to do with her life. The show talked about Oprah's philanthropic work, the way that she gives back to so many people, as well as her global influence. While watching the show, this still, small voice inside me was saying things like, "I want to do this" and, "I'm going to stand for that".

I've been thinking a lot about service lately and how I think that whatever I do needs to give me the chance to give back. I spoke with a very knowledgeable co-worker of mine while at my internship and he asked me a series of questions about, of all things, cars. I'm definitely not a car buff (I'm content with a car as long as it provides me with transportation and music), but the questions he asked were revealing. He asked me what type of car I currently drive, what my dream car is, and what I am doing now to make a difference in the world. From my answers, he was able to tell me that I would be the most happy doing something that I found rewarding where I could give back to the world in some way. Dead on! I didn't realize it before speaking to him, but this most likely explains the reason why I didn't feel fulfilled at my internship. Though I loved the people and the work was fun, I didn't see any greater purpose in it.

Over and over I think and pray about what it is that I want to and should do with my life. In church today the pastor answered the question, "What is the purpose of my life?". Heavy, right? But he was able to simplify it into four pieces:

4.) Work
3.) Recreation
2.) Relationships
1.) Relationship with/Loving God

Everyone may not agree with these four pieces, but it makes sense to me. I remember feeling lost before starting a relationship with God and I have seen, since getting to know Him and working on my relationship with Him, that all of the rest of the pieces fit in more easily when piece #1 is in place. Anyway, I am telling you all this because I am going to try to focus on piece #1 more in an effort to work on the rest of the four pieces. I will continue to listen to that still, small voice and pray about what I hear from it. I'll update you along the way!

List, Lady, List!

Day 9:

I am a fan of lists. I've written a great number of lists in my life. Some are goal oriented, others not so much. There was a time in college when I would write a list every day of the things that I had to do before sunset. I would give each list tremendous attention (more attention was given to them during boring classes) and make a plan to check off each activity from the list that I had completed. Sadly, I did not pay as much attention to the actual checking-off of listed items... let alone doing the items I had listed as I had to creating the list.

Now that college is over and I have no boring classes to create lists in, I miss the process. The other day I was feeling nostalgic and decided to create a list... actually two of them. The first is a list of things that I really love to do. The second is a list of things that give me a rush"... meaning get me excited about life, not turned on, thank you..

Check them out! I'm hoping that honing in on these sorts of things will help to identify some of the things that I am passionate about and bring me one step closer to my life's passion.

Sit Down! Okay. Take a load off! Sure.

Day 8:

I have to admit... I have not really blogged this past week, so this post will serve as a compilation of a weeks worth of saying "yes".

This past week marked the end of my summer-long internship and the beginning of new adventures. Last Friday was my last day of work. I was fortunate enough to begin my internship on a high note with it beginning on the second day of our company's olympics! I spent theweeks following olympics working Monday-Thursday with Fridays as half days. We would work until 3:30 PM on Friday and then spend the rest of the work day playing Wii as an extension of company olympics. For any professionals out there reading this, tournaments once a week are a definite necessity if you are looking for a more cheerful and productive work environment. It's true... All work and no play DOES make Jack (or any working professional) a dull boy (or girl...) I also ended my internship on a high note by conveniently scheduling my last day for the same day that Lee's Denim Day was. The day was jam-packed with a bake off, tons of sweets, people wearing denim, and a record long game of Palace Asshole (an original game made by my co-workers and I and probably the best card game out there!)

The end of my last day of work was marked by a showering of gifts and hugs from my co-workers. It's so amazing to leave a place knowing that you were appreciated and will be missed. I will definitely miss everyone there! I was able to go out with some of my work friends at the end of the day. It's always fun to see the other, non-working side of people and Friday night allowed me to do just that! The rest of the weekend felt like any other weekend, but was mingled with the usual amount of craziness that I enjoy on my days off. I spent one of the days helping my friend Sarah move into her new swanky apartment along with my friend Lauren. Saying "yes" to helping out a friend is always a rewarding experience... especially when it gets mixed with a trip to Stew Leonard's, the world's largest dairy store. They always have the best samples. I enjoyed my fair share of sweet potatoe chips and a double serving of fresh mozzerella cheese (not together, don't worry!)

Sarah and Lauren moving stuff into Sarah's new pad:

Some lady told Sarah and I that this cauliflower would taste like cheddar cheese. I might have believed her for a second... might have meaning that I totally did.

Making the Chiquita Banana lady dance is really the top reason why I come to Stew Leonard's.

Monday marked the beginning of my saying "Yes!" to taking time to relax and enjoy being home as a college graduate. I did have a few weeks before I started my summer internship this past June, but I haven't been home during the fall for a long period time since my senior year of high school. Seeing the leaves change back home and witnessing my family's first fireplace lighting of the season is definitely worth the week off from a paid career. Besides, who knows when I'll have time like this that is flexible and free and open-ended again?

This past week has been included a lot of my saying "yes" to a lot of little things. Friday night I said yes to hanging out with my friends from work outside of work, something that I hadn't had the chance to do previously. Yesterday I said "yes" to exercise... something that I, sadly, have not done in quite a while. I went for a wonderful walk at the beach by my house and flexed my artistic muscle by taking pictures of anything and everything that inspired me along the way. Today is just unfolding. So far I have said "yes" to taking the first step towards writing my ever-looming children's book. Writing a children's book has been something that has been on my mind since the seventh grade when I wrote one for my English class. I wrote another in eigth grade and a third in high school. (You can see the cover art for it here.) Since high school I have had a growing number of ideas for children's books dancing around my mind. Now is the perfect time to seize one of them, nail it down, and make it the best that it can be. I've started reading a few of those "Dummy's Guide for Idiot's On Writing Children's Literature If You're Stupid" books. I'm enjoying them so far and take no offense to their blatant jabs at my intelligence. Hey, I really am pretty unknowledgable when it comes to the subject, so why not admit it by reading a book with a title that says just that?!

Here are some of the photos I took on my beach walk:

Right now I'm at the library preparing to study up on some of the more successful children's books that are currently out there. I'll let you know how it goes in my next (not a week later) blog post.