Linzers Lounge

New Blog!

2010-03-15T02:48:00.000-07:00

Bookmark my new blog:
www.linzers124.wordpress.com.

I don't like some of the features on Blogspot, so I switched! Follow me over there :).

My Chip Dip Brings All the Boys to the Yard

2010-02-07T22:59:00.000-08:00

Well, congratulations to Kim Kardashian on winning the Super Bowl. Personally, I was rooting for Kendra Wilkinson.
For the big game I went over to Antonio's house and "watched" it with him. I brought my computer and did some work and did my nails during the game :).
But, I did make an amazing chip dip! Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:
1 package 2% reduced fat Velveeta cheese
1 can of Ro*tel (I used mild, which I think gave it just enough of a kick, but feel free to use original or the extra spicy one)
1 package of frozen chopped spinach

Unthaw the spinach in the microwave and drain out all the excess water with a strainer or paper towel. Cut the Velveeta in to cubes and melt in a separate bowl in the microwave. Drain excess juice out of the can of Ro*tel and add to Velveeta. Then add the spinach and microwave for about 30 seconds one last time.

Super easy, and delish! It was a big hit. It pairs very well with tortilla chips versus regular potato chips.

Digital Getdown

2010-02-06T18:42:00.000-08:00

I found out a little more information on the earrings that I got from my mother (not from her of course, but from a friend). Turns out she didn't spend all that much on them (don't worry, they are real diamonds), but there is a neat story behind them. Why she did not inform me of this is beyond me. Did she just want me to think that she had spent $1000 on my birthday present? Who knows.
As I mentioned in my previous post, I need a computer of my own. So, I ordered one! I'm so excited to get it, but it'll be at least 10 days until I do. I got a really good deal on it, plus qualified for free shipping; always a goal of mine when making online purchases. I also ordered Adobe PhotoShop Elements, it was nicely discounted compared to Best Buy if purchased with the computer.
Picking the right computer was tricky! I had been planning on getting a Dell for a while now, but ended up with an HP, which gives you more bang for your buck I feel. HP has a really cute mini PC that I was so tempted to get, but decided against that at the last second because I wasn't sure that I would like typing on something so small, so I went for a normal 16'' laptop. So excited for it to get here!
Oh, and for the record, I'm rooting for Kendra Wilkinson in the Super Bowl. She's so much better than Kim Kardashian (although I do find myself watching her show on a regular basis).

A pile of rocks

2010-02-02T14:14:00.000-08:00

I got my birthday present from my mother yesterday. I had to go pick it up at the post office. Turns out she got me diamond studs. They're not huge, I'd say they're 1/2 carat total weight, but just by looking at them I can tell they're good quality diamonds.
I don't get it. Why does the woman spend all that money on jewelry for me without so much as talking to me in the last 5 years? I don't understand at all.
I was kind of hoping that she was going to send me a computer, I really need one of those. Oh well, diamonds will work too :).
The final season of Lost starts tonight, have that set to record. I started watching the show before the 5th season started, so it will be interesting to see how the 6th and final season plays out.

She's Got Betty Grable Eyes

2010-01-29T19:35:00.000-08:00

This is somewhat of a rant I suppose. I'm not the prettiest girl on the block, so I have no idea why I've been getting hit on so much lately. All while at work. Just let me do my job people! Here is a sampling of what I've heard in the past 3 days:
-You look just like Betty Grable, the pin-up girl from the 1940s
-You have the most amazing eyes I've ever seen
-I really like your aura, are you single?
-You have eyes like those models on TV
-You know, Valentine's Day is coming up, would you be my Valentine?
And the zinger is...
-(after asking a customer what he won on a scratch card I gave him) Look, I won free sex with the girl that gave this card to me!

Sigh... I guess I've gotten too pretty for my own good! Ha, if only that were true. But the guy who asked if I was single and the Valentine's guy were totally serious when they asked me.
Do guys really not look at a girl my age's hand before asking these questions?

Life in the Fast Lane

2010-01-28T20:21:00.000-08:00

So far, 2010 has been pretty good! My birthday was this past Sunday, I'm now officially closer to 30 than 20, OMG! And fortunately, this birthday was 1000% better than last year's. The day before my birthday I went out to celebrate with my dad, grandma and Antonio. We went to one of my favorite restaurants, Domo 77. Yum! Then on my birthday I slept in until about 2pm, which I hadn't done in forever, so that was a great treat! I then met up with Antonio at Cooper's Hawk for dinner. I enjoyed my favorite turkey/apple/brie sandwich along with their amazing peach sangria. We even got little cheesecake lollipops for dessert! The restaurant has a little gift shop, and I got a bottle of their Riesling wine, which is delish! For my birthday Antonio got me a bouquet of roses, Fannie May Mint Meltaways, a spa package and a pimp cup. Yes, a pimp cup. Way back last May I challenged him to make something for me. He went to Michael's and bought a bunch of stick-on rinstones and actually make a real nice looking cup! I was very impressed with how it turned out :).

I can't wait to use my spa package either! I'm going to do a pedicure, facial and massage. The package is for this spa in Downers Grove called Spa Constintine. It's in an old mansion I think, very neat decorations from what it looks like on the website. I'm going to wait until it gets a little nicer out so that I can show off my pedicure!

Ok, I've been working a ton this week, off to bed early to catch up on some sleep!

Happy New Year

2010-01-05T22:25:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! For New Years Antonio and I went to the Hilton next to the Hancock in Chicago for the evening. We toyed with going out to the bars but decided against it because it was cold and we didn't want to deal with the crowds. So, we ordered pizza and made ourselves some cocktails and played Pictionary! All in all, we had a fun time, but I think next year we'll try and do a different hotel. It was ok, but nothing amazing. We liked the fact that we got a suite, but the water heater didn't work in the room so I couldn't take a shower in the morning!

This Saturday we had tickets for Tony N' Tina's Wedding at Phesant Run in St. Charles. It was one of my Christmas presents, I was so excited, I've always wanted to see that show. But, the other day we got an email saying the show had been canceled! How crappy!! So, we tried to get Lady Gaga tickets for this weekend instead, but they were all sold out. So, we'll eventually get to a show, who knows when though!

High School High

2009-12-27T22:28:00.001-08:00

High School graduation, 2003

This was our senior prank, the entire school smelled like Sharpie markers that day!

My friend Tracy and I in downtown Chicago. We were so excited to take a picture with those sailors, too bad none of them were cute!

Prom 2003. I didn't go, but my girl friends and I dressed up and went out to dinner at Stir Crazy. I absloutely loved that dress I'm wearing (still do!)

Getting ready for a friend's birthday party, I look so skinny here! If you look close enough you can see faint purple streaks in my hair

This had to have been our junior year, a girls night at TGIFriday's

My 17th birthday at Uno's Pizzaria

On Facebook I posted some old pictures from high school. What a fun trip down memory lane!

(This computer isn't very good for formatting these posts, so I'm not even going to try to get them in order)

Let it Snow

2009-12-27T00:08:00.000-08:00

Today I braved the elements in the name of hair dye! Like I mentioned in my previous post, my hair was in desperate need of some professional attention. The salon I go to now is real close to my house, so I was able to just take the side streets. My new car does well in the snow, but I still slipped around a little bit.
But, now I have freshly bleached hair and bangs again. Well, the sweepy bangs like I used to have. My forehead is just too big not to cover!
When I got home I watched Music & Lyrics and Surviving Christmas, both were on TBS. I hadn't watched either before. M&L was ok, but Surviving Christmas was just awful. I don't reccomend that one at all.
No real plans for tomorrow, and Monday I'm still hoping to bring Pearl to the vet.

Jingle Bell Rock

2009-12-25T20:38:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope everyone is enjoying the holidays. Yesterday, for Christmas Eve, Antonio and I went to his aunt's house in Inverness to celebrate with his family. There was a trivia game for all the cousins to win gift cards, which was amusing. I think Ant ended up with JC Penny and Barnes & Noble. 2 of his aunts got me a gift card to Nordstrom and Starbucks, which was very nice. Ant's parents got me a gift set from Bath & Body Works.

For Christmas I got Ant a tungsten ring, cashmere sweater, tie, 3 button down shirts, socks (he was in desperate need of new ones!), a mini fondue set and a molten chocolate cake mix. He got me a bracelet, necklace/earring set, tickets to Tony N' Tina's Wedding and our hotel for New Years Eve. Oh, and he got me the Glee DVD, which doesn't come out until Tuesday.

Today my brother and his girlfriend arrived from Colorado and we had Christmas dinner at our house. My dad's girlfriend and her family came over along with Ant and my grandma. We had dinner, watched some football (woo...) and opened presents. I got Julie&Julia on DVD, a scrapbook, scrapbooking organizer, Bath & Body Works gift card, some cash and... a GPS!

My grandparents in South Carolina sent me a scarf and a gift card to Old Navy. Also, my mom sent me some books and gift cards to Ulta and AMC. She sends me stuff every year, which is nice enough, but she literally lives 10 minutes from my house, and spends $30 to send stuff to my house. I don't get why she continues to send me stuff, yet refuses to answer letters I send her or pick up the phone herself to talk to me. Last year she friended me on Facebook, but 4 months later she deleted me from her friends list... who freaking does that?

Anyways, it was a pretty good Christmas all in all! I'm hoping tomorrow or Sunday I can get in to the hair salon to get my hair fixed. I need to start going more regularly, I've got over an inch of out growth right now, ewww! I also need to make an appointment at the vet to get Pearl's yearly shots and check up. I'll try to do that for Monday.

Happy holidays everyone!

Busy Bee

2009-12-14T23:09:00.000-08:00

Well, seems like I haven't updated this in a long time! I'll try and do better, I promise! I have been super busy with my new job. This past weekend I had to go to Champaign/Urbana again to work a special event at one of the stores down there. There were only 2 of us at the store, there were 8 events to do that day! I ended up doing 5 of them myself. Whew, what a long and busy day that was! Definitely a good experience to keep under my belt though. I think I did pretty well under that kind of pressure.
I got to stay the night at a hotel in Urbana the night before the event. I was put up in the Comfort Suites, which doesn't sound like anything fancy. But, to my surprise it was a super nice hotel! It looked like it was just renovated and all the furniture was new and clean. And I must say, that bed was one of the most comfortable beds I've ever slept in!
Hmmm, lets see what else I can update my faithful readers on. The new car is great. I love driving it! I won't be taking classes at Stephens next semester unfortunately. It has been a big struggle for me balancing work and school this semester, and all my money is going the new car. I want to go back at some point, for the most part I've enjoyed the classes and have learned a lot in the program.
For New Years Antonio and I got a hotel in downtown Chicago. We're got a suite at the Hilton across from the Handcock. We really wanted to stay at the Palmer House Hilton but they didn't have any suites available when we tried to make the reservation, so we picked the other Hilton. It's gotten mixed reviews on Trip Advisor, but should be fun regardless.
Alright, well back to the grind!

Vue from the Top

2009-11-08T15:52:00.000-08:00

Here's a picture of the new car!

I'm really liking it so far! It's a very smooth ride and the engine is really quite. I even have a free trial of Sirius XM radio! That's been fun to have. I also have power windows and mirrors again, something I didn't have on my Grand Am. Having 4 doors again is nice too, the doors on my other car were just so long it was a pain having to get in and out of tight spots.

A New Vue on Life

2009-11-07T21:57:00.000-08:00

After spending the better part of 7 hours at the car dealership today, I am now the proud owner of a 2009 Saturn Vue! I test drove 3 cars: 2 Vues and an Equinox. I liked the Equinox the best, but it was a bit more expensive than the Vue and I wouldn't have been able to get it until Monday at the earliest. They had a black one and a blue one to choose from that were exactly the same price. Since I just had a black car, I went with the blue one. It's a really pretty dark sparkly blue. Here's a stock picture of what the car looks like:

I don't think mine has the roof racks. I will try posting an actual picture of my "beast" in the next few days. At the dealer I was calling it the "mini beast" because I thought it was smaller than my dad's Blazer. But, when I got home and compared the two, its obvious that my SUV is bigger! Although it drives like a car instead of a truck, which is nice.

Bye Bye Miss Pontiac Grand Am

2009-11-06T14:33:00.000-08:00

My car died. Not like it died while I was driving and I needed a jump start, like literally DIED.
I went to turn my car on Monday morning and it wouldn't start. Fortunately my dad was home working so he let me drive his car. Best case scenario my battery was bad. On Tuesday Antonio and I took the battery to Autozone to have it tested. It came back bad. The battery was still under warranty, so I only had to pay $30 for a new one. It didn't do anything.
So, the next thing we thought was wrong was the starter. My dad replaced it for me, and much to our dismay it didn't start.
Yesterday I had it towed to the mechanic shop that my family has used for years. They called me up today and told me that my engine is ruined. Not because of anything I did (he actually said that my car obviously had been taken care of very well), the particular engine I have has been known to do exactly what mine did. I don't know exactly what was wrong with it, but something with one of the belts and the compression and spark plugs... maybe?!? Basically, I would have to purchase a $6000 engine for my car that is only worth $3000. The mechanic pretty much told me to go out and buy a new car!
And you know, as horrible as it is, everything happens for a reason. I've been wanting a new car for a while, and this just kicked me in to gear! We're gonna go shopping tomorrow, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I'll have a new car in 24 hours!

Here is what I'm thinking of getting:

Chevrolet Equinox

P.S. Wish me lots of luck!

The Cat's Meow

2009-11-02T21:08:00.000-08:00

Today I did my first actual demo! One of my stores is short staffed so I went in today and did a strawberry yogurt demo. I think it went really well, everyone who tried it liked it and it seemed that a lot of people bought the product as well, which is always the goal!
Getting to work this morning was a different story. I got in my car and it started making a really loud noise and then stopped. I tried turning it on again and it still wouldn't start. Luckily I was able to use my dad's car to get to work. When I got home we tried jumping my car, to no success. I'm going to take the battery in to AutoZone tomorrow to see if that is the problem. Everyone please pray that it is rather than something more costly! I really can't afford to spend any money on my car right now. Not to mention I'll have to pay for a tow truck to take it to the body shop if the battery thing doesn't work out.
Have you guys heard of the website www.catsinbags.com? A girlfriend of mine told me about it a while ago, the site is pretty self explanatory, lots of cute cats in bags (and boxes)! I submitted a picture of Pearl of course and I've been anxiously awaiting her debut. Today for the first time since I started looking at the site they updated. Pearl's not on it... sigh. But, there is a very similar picture to the one I submitted, #235. Definitely not as cute as this little gem:

Hopefully this picture will make it on to the website soon, I'll update when it does!

Wishin' & Hopin'

2009-11-01T21:27:00.000-08:00

Here are some of the crazier wishes I've had (both old and new):
1. I always wanted a baby to be dropped off on my doorstep. As a child I would occasionally open the front door just to see if there was a bundle of joy waiting for its new big sister.
2. I always wanted to live in the 1800s or early 1900s. This was such an obsession of mine that when my friends and I played house we would normally pretend that our "house" was a covered wagon on the Oregon Trail. Naturally I was also obsessed with American Girl Dolls. (I also would have accepted being Amish.)
3. When I was 3 or 4 years old I wished for a building for Christmas. We lived in Saudi Arabia at the time and my dad worked in a big skyscraper; I liked it so much that I felt I needed one of my own! Christmas morning rolled around and much to my dismay there was no 10 story building in the middle of our living room, but rather a small toy house for me to play in that my parents tried to pass off as "my building." Needless to say, I was dissapointed.
4. In 1st grade I loved reading the Babysitter's Little Sister books. In one of the books the main character, Karen, got glasses. I loved those books and wanted to be like Karen, so I wished that my eye sight was so bad that I too would need glasses. So, I told my mom that I couldn't see things and she took me to the eye doctor. Apparently I didn't fool him, so no glasses were ordered. In 3rd grade I really did start having trouble seeing the chalkboard in class, and told my mom. Of course, she didn't believe me despite my constant nagging (I seemed to have forgotten the Boy Who Cried Wolf tale...). My teacher noticed the trouble I was having so she wrote a note to my parents about it. That finally got my mom to make me an appointment, and on the first day of 4th grade I strutted in to class with the most amazing pair of pink and green rims.
5. On a more recent note, I have always wished I was on a reality show. Not like Survivor or anything, more along the likes of Jon and Kate Plus 8 or Little People Big World. This is probably one of my more feasible wishes, as I've actually known a few people who have been a part of reality TV, but I don't really have anything special about me to facilitate a whole show dedicated to Lindsey. I was thinking that while I was unemployed it would be cool to document the life of an unemployed college graduate, but that was the best I could come up with. Maybe if I get pregnant with 2 sets of conjoined twins I could star in a reality show...

Fall Back

2009-10-31T23:33:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween!
Yesterday was my first official day in my stores! It was interesting, but it was nice to finally get started. I think I'm going to have to change a lot to make the systems work for me, and hopefully I'll have time to get all that done this week or next at the latest. One thing I have not enjoyed is staying on my feet for so long! That will definitely take some getting used to again.
Oh, and I mentioned a few posts back, I started using the new Matte BareMinerals makeup. I love it! I've used the original formulation since high school, and this is definitely an improvement on the product, I'm hooked!
Alright, after a short posting I'm off to bed to celebrate "falling back" with an extra hour of sleep!

Shut Up and Drive

2009-10-29T23:32:00.000-07:00

Well, I've been quite busy this week, which I suppose will be the norm from now on.
Yesterday I had to go to Champaign, IL for work. I met another one of the Area Event Coordinator's down there and we interviewed a potential candidate (fortunately for everyone involved, he followed my simple rules from a previous post :P), did inventory at both stores and did some recruiting around the UofI campus. Antonio's brother goes to school there, so he tagged along and hung out with him while I was working. After I got done we all met up with Rob's girlfriend and went to dinner at this excellent local pizzeria. Antonio also made a detour to a liquor store to pick up some Boulevard Wheat beer, since they don't sell it in Chicago.
Today all of the Chicago area managers met up with our district manager to do some more recruiting. It was very helpful to do recruiting with some seasoned professionals, I'm now much more confident about how to go about doing it without acting like I'm trying to steal other people's employees, which is important.
We also had a meeting with all of the Store Directors in Illinois introducing our new program (and us!) to them. Everyone seemed really interested in the new program, so hopefully the transition will go smoothly.
After work I met up with a couple of my girlfriends for some Kona Grill. I haven't been there since Robbins Bros. closed, so we were definitely due for a visit! They now serve margaritas, which were decent for the $4 happy hour price. And the pot stickers were fabulous, per usual.
Once I got home I got some stuff prepared for work tomorrow and watched all 4 of my Thursday night shows: Parks and Rec, Project Runway, Grey's Anatomy and of course The Office. I really liked this week's The Office, the scenes with Pam and Andy were great! And you much watch the newest webisode, Subtle Sexuality, so funny! As far as this week's Grey's, it paled in comparison to last week's superb episode.

Good Golly Miss Molly!

2009-10-24T15:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was formally introduced to the company as an Area Event Coordinator! Because of all the changes going on we weren't announced to the stores just yet. But now it's all official, which is great!
After the meeting yesterday I met up with Antonio who got us MOLLY'S CUPCAKES! Molly's is a bakery in the city that I've heard a lot about. I've been wanting to try their cupcakes for a while and after finishing his shift at the radio station Antonio went and picked up a dozen. Wow, they're incredible!

Top from L: Peanut Butter Nutella, Chocolate with buttercream frosting, red velvet
Bottom from L: The Ron Bennington, Vanilla with chocolate frosting, red velvet

Top from L: Mixed Berry, Chocolate with vanilla frosting, Cookies-n-Cream
Bottom from L: Red Velvet, Chocolate with vanilla frosting, Chocolate Moose

Today I worked at event at the Brookfield Zoo! We gave out gummy vitamins and coupons. It was really cold, but there was a good turn out. Most of the kids there were dressed in costumes, so cute! My favorite was a family who was dressed as the United States Postal Service. There was a mailman, mailbox, giant letter, and giant package. They won 1st prize in the group category of the costume contest. And we get to go back tomorrow and do it all over again.
I took my Project Management final on Thursday. Much to my surprise, I didn't do half bad! I was thinking I would get a C on the test, but I got a B-! So, for now my grade stands at an 85%. I still have one thing to turn in, but I should retain the B, thank goodness! I was worried that I was going to get a C in the class, meaning I would have to work even harder on all my upcoming classes to retain a 3.0 cumulative GPA (you can't graduate if your GPA is under a 3.0).
*UPDATE*
With the final portion of my final project turned in, I managed to get 100% and pulled my grade up to an 87%, B+! Pretty impressive considering I had a C in the class a few weeks ago. PHEW!

Advice:

2009-10-22T00:13:00.000-07:00

I offer you all a few interviewing tips:

1. Don't call the interviewer less than an hour before the scheduled start time and ask to change the location of the interview
2. Do some research on the company... visit their website perhaps?
3. Remember where you found out about the position and what enticed you to apply for the job in the first place
4. Be available to work on days that coincide with the company's needs

5. Memorize your work history so that you don't need to reach in to your purse and refer to a folded up copy of your resume

Oh the Places You'll Go

2009-10-20T23:52:00.000-07:00

Just an update of sorts, I guess. Tonight I was watching TV in my room and Pearl , who was being her cute self of course, found a new sleeping position.

She always likes to prop her head up on a pillow, and being that she couldn't find a pillow, she improvised and used the bar at the bottom of my headboard as her pillow. How funny! I couldn't stop laughing when I saw it.
Earlier today I went to Ulta, and got 3 OPI polishes for the price of 2 (Parlez-vous OPI?, You Don't Know Jacques! and Designer Series Extravagance), what a deal! I also got the new Matte bareMinerals foundation. I've used regular bareMinerals for 7 years so I'm interested to see how the new formulation stacks up. After I've used it for a while, I'll let you know.
Tomorrow I'm conducting my first interview with my new company. I'm excited! We need to hire quite a few candidates, so I'm really hoping that the interview goes well tomorrow.
And, I've discovered my new favorite drink... Coke Zero! As far as no-calorie pop goes, I've always preferred Pepsi products to Coca-Cola. For the past few months I've been drinking a lot of Pepsi Max. Antonio has been drinking Coke Zero for a long time, and I remember trying it a while ago and not liking it much. He had one the other day and I decided to give it another try. OMG, it's freaking awesome! I actually think I like it better than regular Coke, which is saying something, since I absolutely love regular Coke. If you haven't tried it, I highly recommend it.
Ohhh, and speaking of Coca-Cola, I got an A on my Coca-Cola paper for my Strategic Management class! I was kind of shocked with my grade, as I was expecting a B or B+, but definitely did better than I thought. Unfortunately I can't say the same thing for Project Management. That class has not gone as well as I'd hope, but I still need to do the final project and take the final test... wish me luck.

I Simply Remember My Favorite Things

2009-10-20T00:11:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the second edition of My Favorite Things!

My necklaces! I have a few more, but they all share chains, so I wasn't able to showcase all of them.

My shoes! These are 2 of my favorite pairs, besides my 25 pairs of Crocs :).

Sugar Sugar

2009-10-19T00:04:00.000-07:00

Sweetest Day was yesterday, and as I posted previously, Antonio already got me my gift, seasons 1-5 of The Office. But yesterday he gave me a card and a pretty bouquet of flowers, and took me out to dinner at Applebee's (Fiesta Lime Chicken, anyone?). Afterward we went back to my house and watched one of the greatest kids movies of all time, Camp Nowhere! You can't tell me you didn't swoon over Andrew Keegan when that first came out!

For Sweetest Day I made Antonio a Mizzou fleece blanket and scarf. For our 6 month anniversary back in college I had made him a White Sox fleece blanket, which he has completely worn out, so it was time for a new one. Needless to say, he was really surprised to get it, and totally loves it :).

Working Girl

2009-10-16T14:21:00.000-07:00

I'm almost done with my paper, I've got until midnight tonight to send it in, so I should be fine as far as that is concerned thank goodness!
Yesterday I traveled down to Normal, IL for work. All of the new Event Coordinators got trained on how to do new hire orientation. I had been through the paperwork just the other week when I was hired but I hadn't watched any of the videos or anything else so it was nice to see how everything will work. There were 4 new employees who went through yesterday so that's why we traveled all the way down there.
Today we all met at the Stratford Square Mall and went over some of the administrative stuff, which was helpful. I had heard about a lot of the forms and reports but it was nice to actually find out what they all meant! Afterward I attempted to do some recruiting. It was my first time ever doing anything like that, and it went alright. I didn't do it alone, so hopefully we'll get some responses from the people we spoke with.
Back to the paper for one more round before I turn it in!

Under Pressure

2009-10-14T09:57:00.000-07:00

Like they say, when it rains, it pours!! This week has been crazy, and it's only Wednesday. First session classes end next week, and logically, I thought that my big paper for my Strategic Management class was due then (I'm not the only one who thought that), but luckily I checked the syllabus on Monday only to discover the paper is due by this Friday at midnight. At that point I had only about 5 pages written, so yesterday I buckled down and got up to 10 pages. I still have at least 8 or 9 more pages to write, but I think I'll be able to pull it off in time.
On Monday I met Antonio downtown after work and we went to this great tapas place called the 1492 Tapas Bar. It's located in an old Victorian mansion in the River North neighborhood. Very cute and quaint, and delicious! We got there before 6pm so we were able to enjoy their happy hour special of $3 tapas plates! We ended up ordering 6 items! We tried: marinated artichokes (my favorite dish!), garlic potato salad, garlic mushrooms, meatballs, crispy potato cakes and chicken flautitas. I enjoyed dinner with a glass of sauvignon blanc, and Antonio of course had a Jack and Coke. If you're ever in the city and looking for a nice but inexpensive restaurant, I highly recommend the 1492 Tapas Bar! I love discovering great little restaurants like that :).

After dinner we hopped in a cab to the House of Blues. Hanson was playing! They're on tour with Hello Good Bye and 2 other bands. We got to the venue in time to catch Hello Good Bye play the last few songs of their set. This was my 5th Hanson concert, the last time I saw them was at the House of Blues back in 2004. Antonio likes their music, so he was happy to go with me. As usual, they put on a great show! They're coming out with a new album early next year so they played a few songs from that CD, but other than that, they played all songs that I knew. And for their encore, they played a most amazing cover of "Don't Stop Believin'." OMG.OMG.OMG. I, along with everyone else in the place, was freaking out! Needless to say, it was a great night.

Antonio with all our Tapas!

During the acoustic part of the set

Trying to get a picture with the band

Yesterday I worked an event at the store in Rolling Meadows. Normally events are only scheduled Friday, Saturday and Sunday, but this was a special occasion! We hosted Chicago Blackhawks player Duncan Keith for a cooking demonstration and autograph signing. Honestly, I had never heard of him before, but apparently he is one of their star players. I was surprised at how large of a turn out we got. I was expecting like 50 people, but there had to be at least 250 people in attendance. Everyone seemed to really enjoy the event and Duncan happily signed autographs for every person in line.
Tomorrow myself along with the 3 other new Event Coordinator's are training on how to train our staff. And then on Friday we are going over office/administrative stuff.
Alright, enough procrastinating for now, time to work on my paper so I can get it turned in on time!

Sugar Pie Honey Bunch

2009-10-11T17:50:00.000-07:00

The other day I bought a red velvet cupcake at a local bakery that I love. I wasn't too impressed with it, so I've been craving red velvet ever since. As I'm sure you are aware, red velvet is the most heavenly cake flavor. So, I went to the store and bought a cake mix.
When I got home and started making the batter I couldn't find the standard 8 inch cake pans I had intended to use. So, I compromised and made my own red velvet cupcakes!
I don't bake all that often, but when I do I always substitute the oil for applesauce. I don't think there is any noticeable taste difference and it saves a bunch of calories and makes the confections less greasy, always a plus in my book. I think they turned out great, alleviating me of my craving... for now.

Taking Care of Business

2009-10-09T18:21:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I returned from my business trip in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I had a nice time learning more about the company and what we do. We even got to visit headquarters, which were very nice. The last day of training we got to visit 2 stores to see how their programs work. The program will be starting here in Chicago in November.
I was surprised at how big Grand Rapids was. They actually had a handful of mini skyscrapers! Our second night we went to a really great Italian restaurant called Bistro Bella Vita that had an amazing flourless chocolate cake. Later that evening we went to a local brewery, Founders Brewery. I thought the place was going to be similar to Columbia's Flat Branch Brewery, but the place had peanuts on the floor, need I say more? It wasn't the classiest place, but the honey wheat beer was delicious! After the brewery we went to some club where things got a little crazy. I think 4 shots were purchased for me?!? We didn't get back to the hotel until 3am, and I was awake by 6am, albeit hungover. By 9am I was fine, so no harm, no foul.
I should be getting a netbook for work soon as well. I'm super excited about that. I'll also be getting a printer/fax/copier to go along with it. So, today I went to Target (I know, I did go to Meijer first but they didn't have the best furniture selection!) and bought a Shabby Chic desk, chair and lamp to create a little office space for myself. Once I get it all set up I'll post a picture.
Ok, hopefully this post made sense, I'm exhausted and not thinking clearly right now, but I wanted to give a little update on my trip.

Observe and Report

2009-10-02T19:22:00.000-07:00

I just want to point out how backwards the Cook County Circuit Court is. Last Sunday I got pulled over (for tailgating after I speed up trying to get through a yellow light... totally unwarranted if you ask me, but that's another story for another day), and was issued a ticket. The ticket states that you must pay your ticket within 7 days, and you can chose to pay it through the mail or online. Naturally I choose to pay it online, as it is much more convenient than having to walk to the end of my driveway and stick an envelope in the mailbox.
Tonight I went to the website and the site indicates that tickets will be posted on the site 7 to 21 days after being issued. I'm not kidding, it really does say that. Why even have a website if it completely defeats the purpose of the "within 7 days" clause on the ticket?
Uggh, off to the mailbox.

Get a Job

2009-10-01T21:26:00.000-07:00

This morning I went and met with the area manager and filled out all my new-hire paperwork. So, I am now officially employed! And on Tuesday I will be starting work with my first business trip!
Unfortunately I didn't find out much more information today. I was hoping to find out my assigned stores and how everything is going to work, but no such luck. We will all find out everything once we get to Michigan.
On a different note, how amazing is The Office this season? I am SOOO excited for next week's wedding episode! This season I'm also really liking Parks & Recreation, Grey's Anatomy and GLEE. And then in January American Idol and LOST will start up. I've got a lot of TV on my plate this year!

Confessions of a Shopaholic

2009-09-30T21:51:00.001-07:00

Yesterday after I discovered I had more money in my account that I originally thought so I went to Ulta and bought a few key items.

OPI Pinking-Of You nail polish

L'Oreal Infallible Lip Gloss in Raisin

Seche Base Coat

Seche Vite Fast Dry Top Coat (one of the best beauty finds ever!)

Dermalogica Total Eye Care

Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant (yes, I bought it!!)

Last week I also ordered some new shampoo and conditioner from Sephora. I got the package this morning and upon opening the box I discovered that they had screwed up and sent me some woman's order from North Dakota. Normally I would have been super upset, buuuut, the woman happened to order the exact same makeup in the exact same color that I use! How crazy is that?!? I called the company this morning and they are sending me my correct order, so no harm no foul :).

Change is Gonna Come

2009-09-30T20:39:00.000-07:00

Well... I GOT A JOB! I will be an Event Coordinator with a company that is outsourced by Meijer (a store similar to Target or Wal-Mart). I'll be coordinating the sample programs and managing all of the "samplers." Originally the company was going to hire 11 Coordinators, 1 for each store in the area (this is a new program being rolled out), but they've decided to hire only 4! So, from what it sounds like I'll be in charge of 2 or 3 stores, which I am very excited about. When I got the call yesterday it sounded like they were still trying to work out all the details, but I'm going to fill out my new-hire paperwork tomorrow so hopefully I'll find out more about where I'll be working. I'm really hoping that I get the Elgin, Bloomingdale and Rolling Meadows stores, so keep your fingers crossed!
And next week I'm going on my first business trip! It's just for a couple days to train in a Meijer store that has the program already. I think I'll get to hire my own staff as well! It's just a part time gig, like 32 hours a week, but I'm thinking they might increase our hours because we'll be managing multiple locations.
Also, yesterday I went and got my hair done, finally. My hair is finally all blonde again and I got a cute and funky new haircut. I was going to this place up in Roselle for about a year, called Rockstar Salon, which was great, but expensive. As you all know, my funds are tight right now and a new salon called Colorific just opened by my house and after checking out their website I saw that they were significantly cheaper than Rockstar, so I decided to give them a shot. I really liked how my hair turned out! The girl I had really listened to what I wanted, which I can't say for every cosmetologist I've worked with. Here's a picture of my new do!

Emmy Fashions

2009-09-28T01:08:00.000-07:00

Because I am so qualified to give opinions on Red Carpet fashions, here is a rundown of my best and worst dressed at last week's Emmy Awards.

Best Dressed

Mariska Hargitay looked great in this metallic dress, I just wish her necklace would have been more colorful, I think a big chunky emerald or pink sapphire necklace would have been great

Sandra Oh has never been one of my favorites on the Red Carpet, but I think she really nailed it this time, she definitely pulled off this very glamorous look

Kourtney Kardashian definitely did maternity wear right, she looked radiant and appropriate in this flowing gown

Kara Dio Guardi knows how to pull off a white dress, I think the sillouette is new and fresh, a real show stopper

Vanessa Williams is another star who's Red Carpet looks I don't usually understand, but this understated gown really works for her, the color and fit are a nice contrast to the chandelier earrings

Drew Barrymore nails it once again, this was my favorite look of the evening, very soft and girlie and I enjoyed her bold lipstick color for a bit of contrast

Worst Dressed

Victoria Rowell needs to hire a stylist because whoever told her wearing the President's face on a handkerchief as a dress deserves to go to jail

Christina Applegate always seems to get it wrong on the Red Carpet, this year was no exception as there is just too much going on with this dress to even be considered remotely flattering

Mila Kunis' dress feels either too long or too short, the top is also ill fitting, creating an overall hot mess

Mary-Louise Parker should know better than to wear an ugly tri-shade cocktail dress to an awards show, she should have saved this look for a movie premier if she had to wear it

Leighton Meester is all kinds of wrong for wearing a dress that resembles maxi pads, I'm embarrassed for her

Sarah Silverman is a funny girl, and as my worst dressed pick, I have to believe she chose this unflattering frock as a joke, there is no way she actually thought this was going to flatter her figure

Wish List

2009-09-27T04:16:00.000-07:00

I could think of 100 things I want right now but can't afford, but here are the top 5 of the moment.

Dell Studio 17 laptop computer in pink

Swan Creek Lemon Icebox Cookies soy candle; I had one and used the entire thing, it smells divine!

New tires! This is an absolute must before winter

Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant; see previous posting

Stephens College lapel pin

Skin-y dilemmas

2009-09-27T03:26:00.000-07:00

My favorite skin care line is Dermalogica. It is a high end brand that focuses on creating healthy, vibrant skin for its' users. I've been using the products for about a year, and I couldn't be happier with the line. Of all the products I've used my favorite is the Daily Microfoliant. It is a powdery substance that you mix with water to create the most perfect exfoliant. The only thing I don't like about the product is the price: $50. The bottle I had lasted over 6 months, but in July I ran out and purchased St. Ives Microdermabrasion exfoliator. The product worked surprisingly well, but I said that I was only going to buy one bottle before I returned to my precious Microfoliant, assuming that I would get a job and be able to afford it again.
Well, obviously I didn't find a job yet and yesterday I ran out of the St. Ives. I went to Walgreens to get another bottle, but they didn't appear to even sell the stuff. So, I purchased the Roc Exfoliating Cleanser. I'm hoping that it works, otherwise I'll have to go and find the St. Ives stuff somewhere else because my skin looks absolutely disgusting if it isn't exfoliated properly.
And on a kind of unrelated note, my makeup brand, Bare Minerals, just came out with a new Matte formulation. I won't need to buy more for at least a couple of months, but I'm excited to try the Matte, hopefully it works as well as it claims to!

A History Lesson

2009-09-22T20:11:00.000-07:00

****15 YEARS AGO (1994)****
1) How old were you? 9
2) Who were u dating? I had a few crushes, but nothing too serious
3) Where did you work? Nowhere
4) Where did you live? Wheaton, IL
5) Where did you hang out? the ice skating rink, at friend's houses
6) Did you wear contacts and/or glasses? I think I had just started wearing glasses
7) Who were your best friends? Brittney, Nicole, Diane
8)How many tattoos did you have? 0
9) How many piercings did you have? 0
10) What kind of car did you drive? My mom had a Ford Taurus station wagon
11) Had you been to a real party? I threw some killer birthday parties in my day
12) Had you had your heart broken? No
13) Were you Single/Taken/Married/Divorced? Single

14) Any Kids? I was one!

***10 YEARS AGO (1999)***
1) How old were you? 14
2) Who were you dating? No one
3) Where did you work? During the summer I worked at a hair salon as a shampoo girl and I babysat
4) Where did you live? Wheaton, IL
5) Where did you hang out? Football games, friend's houses
6) Did you wear contacts and/or glasses? I had just started wearing contacts
7) Who were your best/close friends? Kiersten, Brittney, Christina, Gina, Meredith
8) What were you driving? Nope, my mom was still driving that Taurus though
9) How many tattoos did you have? 0
10) How many piercings did you have? Just my ears
11) Had your heart broken? No
12) Were you Single/Taken/Married/Divorced? Single
13)Any Kids? None

***5 YEARS AGO (2004)***
1) How old were you? 19
2) Who were you dating? No one exclusively
3) Where did you work? During the summer I worked at Door Systems, and I was an RA at school
4) Where did you live? Columbia, MO
5) Where did you hang out? Around Columbia and in the dorms
6) Did you wear contacts and/or glasses? Both
7) Who were your best/close friends? Laura, Lauren, Jessie, Meredith, Tracy
8) What were you driving? 2001 Hyundai Elantra
9) How many tattoos did you have? 1
10) How many piercings did you have? 5
12) Were you Single/Taken/Married/Divorced? Single
13)Any Kids? None

****NOW 2009*****
1) How old are you? 24
2) Who are you dating? Antonio
3) Where do you work? Collecting unemployment for the time being
4) Where do you live? Wheaton, IL
5) Where do you hang out? All over
6)did you wear contacts and/or glasses? Just contacts now
7) Who are your best/closest friends? Kristle, Tracy, Laura, Meredith
8 What are you driving? 2002 Pontiac Grand Am
9) How many tattoos do you have? 2
10) How many piercings do you have? Just my ears again
11) Had your heart broken? Yes
12) Are you single/taken/married/divorced? Engaged
13) Any Kids? Nope

Now that's a dress!

2009-09-19T14:57:00.000-07:00

I love seeing what the stars wear to all the big awards shows just as much as the next girl, but I've never been too concerned with fashion. That was until I came across a picture of Drew Barrymore in this AH-MAZING Alexander McQueen number. It truly is a work of art, I am in love! Now Drew's hair, that is a different story, it's well, interesting.
What do you guys think of her dress?

Sweetest Day came early this year

2009-09-17T20:05:00.000-07:00

I must admit Antonio definitely made up for his lack of awareness of Sweetest Day last year. The holiday isn't until mid-October, but I got my present already! Last year he got me a package of animal crackers, and I bought him a bunch of Mizzou memorabilia. This year he stepped up to the plate and got me seasons 1-5 of The Office! And by the looks of this picture, I'm not the only one who is going to enjoy it!

Think positive

2009-09-17T19:03:00.000-07:00

Well, I am just getting more and more depressed by the day. The job I interviewed for the other day said that they would contact me in the next couple days. I haven't heard from them yet. I really thought I was well qualified for the position and it seemed like I would gain a lot of good management and event planning experience from it. I was excited to start with the company. Since I haven't heard from them, I don't think I got the job. I shouldn't really be surprised though, that has been the story of my life for the past 7 months. The $250 I get every week from unemployment really doesn't go that far in the grand scheme of things.
On a positive note, my brother is home on leave for the next 2 weeks. He got in early Tuesday morning; he drove straight through from Colorado! I don't know what all he has planned while we're home, but we are throwing him a big party at Alta Villa next Saturday, so that should be fun.
Today for lunch Antonio and I went to Domo 77. That has been one of my favorite restaurants since I was a little girl, it is a Japanese Hibachi grill. They have a lunch special going on right now for just $9 per person. It wasn't the entire hibachi experience, just the salad, chicken (or shrimp if you wanted) and fried rice. They also didn't cook it at our table, like they normally do. But, for $9, it was a great lunch! We are definitely planning on going again before the promotion ends.

YouTube Hall of Fame

2009-09-15T19:19:00.000-07:00

In keeping with the animal theme, here are 2 more adorable YouTube videos you have to watch!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hly0vuXPG-M

(the owner of this video doesn't allow embedding, so just click the link!)

Deep Thoughts

2009-09-15T19:11:00.000-07:00

Well, I suppose I will chime in on the VMA hoopla. Don't get me wrong, I think what happened between Kayne and Taylor was just disgraceful, but I am saddened to see the media focused so much on the event rather than what was supposed to be the screen-stealing moment: the Michael Jackson tribute. So, thank you Kayne West, not only did you take away Taylor Swift's moment, you have caused the American media to completely forget about the bad ass tribute to the King of Pop.
And what surprised me the most, even more than Beyonce giving up her time on stage to Taylor, was how amazingly calm and collected Taylor was during her performance 5 minutes after the whole thing happened. I've always loved her (I saw her in concert last summer), and I love her even more for being so graceful about the whole thing. If it were me that it happened to, Kayne would have probably gotten a big bitch slap right there on stage!
The whole thing seems to definitely have worked in Taylor's favor, listening to the radio today while driving around, I heard one of her songs at least 10 times, no joke! But, I was kind of surprised that I did also hear Kayne, but this is his hometown, so people will support him no matter what.
And did you hear that President Obama called him an asshole? How funny is that! Especially how hard Kayne campaigned for Obama, both being from the Chi.

Anyways... I think I'm pretty close to getting a job! I've had 3 interviews with the company, and it seems promising. I'm excited about it and all, but the job is only part time. I don't want to discuss it too much right now, but I'll talk all about it if I get it!

YouTube Hall of Fame

2009-09-13T01:20:00.000-07:00

I was watching The Bonnie Hunt show yesterday and she showed this adorable video of a cat drinking water and taking a shower at the same time. My cat, Pearl loves to drink out of the sink, but does it in a more conventional way. Take a look!

Always remember

2009-09-11T08:01:00.000-07:00

I was thinking this morning about the events that have happened during my lifetime that I remember where I was and how I found out about the news.
9/11 of course being one of them. I was a junior in high school, and it was during Mrs. Garrity's 2nd period math class that our principal came on the loud speaker and told us about the first tower being hit. My initial reaction was that it had been an accident, that the plane had lost its ability to steer or something like that. We chatted for a moment in class about what we had just heard, but class continued as normal. About 15 minutes later, our principal came on again announcing that the other tower had been hit. Of course at that point we all realized it was no accident. The day went on but I don't recall learning anything. The teachers had been instructed not to let students watch TV during class, but my psychology teacher, Mr. Fitts let us watch TV the entire period. He said that what was going on in the world was more important than class that day.
After I got home from school I called my mom and she told me that I should go and fill my gas tank up. So, I turned on some AM radio and went to the gas station near my house, where I waited in a line of about 15 cars to fill up, crazy! I got home and immediately turned on the TV and got ready for work. My shift was supposed to start at 5pm, and about 4 o'clock my manager called and told me that the store was closing for the night so I didn't need to go in.
I also remember that it was a Saturday morning my senior year of high school when the space shuttle Columbia exploded. My mom had called me in to her room to tell me and I watched the news coverage on her small TV.
It's funny how somethings like that we never forget. I feel that today there is a new sense of rememberance. I recall the last few years not much has been covered by the news. I was glad to see the memorials taking place were being featured prominiently throughout the media today.

Excitement down at the unemployment office

2009-09-09T15:55:00.000-07:00

Well, we acted too soon. My girlfriend and I went to the unemployment office for probably the 65th time this morning. The line was unusually long, so we waited about 15-20 minutes before we were helped. When we got up there the lady had informed us that we had both been paid. A nice shiny envelope was waiting for me when I got home confirming the funds. So, I wasted 40 minutes of precious mid-morning sleeping time.
Only thing is, I only got paid for 1 week. I don't believe that has ever happened to me before. Normally we get 2 weeks worth of pay since we only certify every other week. I'm rather confused, hopefully I won't just lose that week of pay.

(The cartoon below completely embodies the feeling we get when we go to the office!)

This is my list

2009-09-08T23:15:00.000-07:00

I promised that I would not use this blog to be negative, but I'm almost having a mental breakdown, so bear with me as I vent. The unemployment office has suspended my benefits for a 2nd time because I'm a student. As I previously mentioned it took over a month for me to get my money. I was in better shape back then because I still had someone else paying my credit card bill. Not so this time, my credit card expired in July and I was not gifted another one. So, I'm seriously broke. I am going to the office again tomorrow to try and clear things up so that I don't have to wait as long for my benefits, but the people at the office really don't care, so they like to take their sweet time.
Anyways, here is a list of things I need that I cannot afford.

1. Haircut and highlights
My hair is so unprofessional looking right now, I think it is at least part of the reason I haven't found a job yet
2. New tires
My old ones are old, I also would like to get the air-conditioning fixed in my car, but that is definitely not a priority
3. A laptop
Being in school it would be helpful if I could take my computer with me wherever I choose to study instead of using my dad's desktop until 3am and getting yelled at the next day for waking him up when I went downstairs
4. Car insurance
I won't have to renue until October, but thinking ahead I'm not sure how I am going to afford the $500 I'll have to pay
5. Textbooks
Again, this won't come up until October, but I will need to buy another textbook at the beginning of the month, so there's another $100+ I need to come up with
6. Medical expenses
I have medical expenses that I haven't paid since I got laid off because I haven't had the funds, I'm nervous that the bills are going to go in to collections

Oh boy, I've got a lot to pay for in the next couple months. Even with the job I was working at Robbins Bros. that would be hard for me to cover everything. I really don't want to quit school so soon after I started, but that would definitely alleviate some of my financial woes. Why couldn't I have been born a Hilton or Kennedy?
On a more positive note, I've come across the most wonderful website that you all must see: www.peopleofwalmart.com. It's one of the most amazing things I've encountered in a long while. I might need to take a trip to Wal-Mart to see if I can't add to the collection!

Time Warp!

2009-09-08T12:43:00.000-07:00

On Saturday Antonio and I went to Medieval Times in Schaumburg. If you're not familiar with the concept, it is a dinner and tournament. The show takes place in a castle during the twelfth century. They feed you huge portions of chicken along with soup, ribs, potatoes, and a dessert. All without silverware! You have to eat everything with your hands. If you know me well, I absloutely hate getting messy when I eat. So, this was somewhat of a challenge for me! Thankfully after the chicken and ribs they passed around wetnaps. I had been to Medieval Times once when I was probably 7 years old, so I didn't remember a whole lot about the experience. It was so much fun, I would totally go back! I've posted a bunch of pictures below, but when I uploaded them they were displayed in reverse order (that's one thing I don't like at all about BlogSpot!), but you'll get the idea.

Painting Progress

2009-09-04T09:23:00.000-07:00

Like I mentioned before, my dad and I are repainting our dining room. Here is the progress thus far.
I didn't take a picture before my dad took down the wallpaper, so here is an older picture from last October to show you what it originally looked like.
The room after the wallpaper had been stripped off.
The room all primed and ready for some color! We are going to do the top portion of the wall a creamy yellowish color and the bottom a darker tanish color. I will post pictures when we complete the project!

Cuisine and textbooks

2009-09-03T21:32:00.000-07:00

Wow, who knew school was going to take up so much of my time! That is pretty much all I've been doing this week, and it is only the 2nd week of classes! So far so good... I think! I am now just crossing my fingers that I will get my unemployment benefits on Monday with no problems or delays, not quite sure what I'm going to do if I don't.
The other night Antonio and I had a culinary celebration, if you will. There is this place in the city called The Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder Co. that sells pizza potpies. He picked up a frozen one and brought it back to my house where it spent a relaxing two hours in my oven. It might not look like it, but it was delicious!

He got the large size, which doesn't look very big, but for the two of us it was way more than enough. After dinner we went to the grocery store and tried retrieving all the ingredients to make a peach cobbler. My family makes a little different version of a cobbler than I've ever seen, and it took us 3 stores before we finally found the key ingredient! It was my first time making the cobbler (I got the recipe from my aunt) and I will definitely be tweaking the recipe a bit when I make it again, but it wasn't too terrible.

This weekend I am so excited because Antonio and I are going to Medieval Times! I have only been one other time before, and that was when I was 6 or 7, so its been a while. I will try and take a bunch of pictures and post them afterward.

Weekendings

2009-08-30T14:45:00.000-07:00

This weekend was pretty good. On Friday I went over to a girlfriend's house and we ate Chipolte (which I don't completely hate anymore as long as I have a huge drink with the meal because it is so spicy!) and then studied until 2am. I got quite a bit done and Saturday was spent working on some classwork and applying for jobs.
One of the case studies I had to read for my Strategic Management class was about Costco. I like Costco a lot, and from what I read they seem to treat they're employees really well, so I went on their website and applied for a job! Wish me luck!
Last night both Hairspray and Enchanted were on HBO so I watched those. I always liked Hairspray but the first time I watched Enchanted I thought it was a little too overdone, but the second time around it was better.
And this week I will be painting our dining room. We had a very outdated looking wallpaper up, so my dad took that down and I am going to paint it a beige color I think. I will try and post pictures of the progress.

A better header

2009-08-28T00:01:00.001-07:00

I just spent the last hour and a half working on my new header! My original intention was to find a cool picture of a camera on a couch via Google Images or Flickr, but as luck would have it, I found nothing. So I dug up my dad's old Minolta camera (circa before I was born) and sat it on our even older chartreuse couch.
A little editing and a background change... and voila! I wish I would have taken graphic design classes in college. I worked with PhotoShop a little in my digital photography class but we pretty much just learned how to airbrush a zit off of someone's face. I don't recall working with layers or creating images right on the screen.
Alright, time for bed before my massive study session tomorrow.

I simply remember my favorite things

2009-08-27T13:41:00.001-07:00

Here are a few of my favorite things I'd like to share with you all. I think I'm going to make this a semi regular thing here on my blog. Enjoy!

OPI Nail polish!
I honestly can't remember the last time my nails didn't have polish on them. It was sometime in 2008.
(L to R: Chick Flick Cherry, Shorts Story, Purple with a Purpose, It's a Doozi Says Suzi, and Clubbing til Sunrise)

My rings!
I have a large collection, many from the jewelry store I used to work at.

My scrapbooks!
I scrapbooked all throughout high school and recently started again when I created a scrapbook dedicated to my trip to Cancun last year.

Pearl!
She is my two year old Birman cat. She is definitely the friendliest cat I've ever met and acts like a dog most of the time.

Going strong on two hours of sleep

2009-08-26T14:32:00.000-07:00

A completely non-photography related post... I knew this blog would turn in to something more!
Today, one of my girlfriends from Robbins Bros. and I made our way down to the Unemployment Office for the fourth time since June. Last time, we waited until classes began before telling them we were students. This time we went in before we had to report it (we have to call and verify weeks of unemployment every two weeks). Hopefully our information will be processed this week and that there will be no delay in receiving payments. Last time we were held up over a month in getting paid, which was horrible!
I had an interview at a technology firm in Naperville today. It was for an administrative position. It seemed like an easy job, nothing I couldn't handle. Similar to the work I did with Door Systems. I think I was talking to the manager for five minutes before she asked me about salary. Now, I've had a bunch of interviews this summer (and over the course of my life) and never once has salary been brought up that quickly. My only guess is that they've had trouble finding someone who will work for the salary they were offering.
I don't mean to be ungrateful, but there is no way I would survive on that salary. I HAVE to move, so it just won't cut it. And besides, depending on where Antonio gets a job too; one of us might have to drive pretty far to work, which can get expensive pretty quickly.
So for now, it is back to the drawing board. I recently rediscovered the Stephens Career Connection website so I am going through that and seeing if any alums might be able to help me out.
On a desperate note, I purchased Clairol Root Touch-Up today. I can't afford to go to the salon right now and my hair looks a hot mess. I've got about an inch and a half of dark brown roots growing out of the top of my mostly blond head. I am very skeptical of this product, but according to the information on the box it is guaranteed to match any hair color, including salon brand dyes. Before I use it I am going to Google it to see what other users of the product have said. Wish me luck!
Oh, and one more thing. My second semester of graduate school started today. As I feared, the class I took over the summer was a walk in the park compared to what these two new classes seem to be! I hope I can survive them! Second session I have the same teacher I had over the summer, so I am really looking forward to that again. Only eight more weeks to go!

Warrenville at it's finest

2009-08-25T17:09:00.000-07:00

In continuing my West Suburban Forest Preserve Photo Extravaganza I ventured to Warrenville and took photos at both Blackwell and Warrenville Grove. It was a really beautiful sunny day, which made photographing a little harder than on an overcast day. When it is so sunny out, it is hard not to get your shadow in the shots! And it was so bright it was hard to see the screen on my camera when I was trying to focus an object.
Another thing I found frustrating was that all the plant life was pretty much the same as at Herrick, with a few exceptions. I guess that is to be expected, seeing as all three preserves are contained within a three mile radius. I think the next location I want to shoot is the Morton Arboretum in Lisle. As you can probably guess by the name of the place, there are lot of trees there. But if I can remember correctly from my third grade field trip, they had lots of different types of foliage. There's also this place called the Graue Mill in Oak Brook. Although I think I want to wait until the leave turn colors before I photograph there.
On a completely unreleated note, I start my second semester of grad school tomorrow. I am taking four classes this semester, each eight weeks long. In that regard, I am glad I don't have a job right now so I can focus on my school work. After looking at the syllabi (I had to look that one up!) I'm going to see if I can't get a head start on some of my projects and papers to get them out of the way before I do get a job.

Take 2!

2009-08-25T15:56:00.000-07:00

Since it started raining at Herrick Lake the other day, I wasn't able to get pictures of everything I wanted. So the next day I went back and took a few more shots. I was lucky in that the sky was overcast that day as well, so the photos all look like they're from the same shoot. Take a look!

A..B...C...

2009-08-21T23:41:00.000-07:00

I think from time to time on this blog I will post some of my favorite photography done by others. To start off, I want to introduce you all to Alphabet Photography. The company creates word art using different photos that take the form of letters. The company has even been featured in O Magazine! And for what its worth, custom prints are relatively inexpensive. I urge you all to check them out. Here is a sample print I created on their website.

How refreshing!

2009-08-21T22:47:00.001-07:00

Well, today I started my photography adventure! It was an overcast day, allowing for the most perfect outdoor light. So, I went to the forest preserve near my house and took some photos. I think I am going to try and photograph all of the forest preserves in the area to begin with. Last fall I went to Matthiessen State Park and did some very mediocre photography there, I would love to go back and really give it a try. Please take a look at my new pictures and tell me what you think!

P.S. You can click on the pictures to see a larger view.

It started raining, and then... it started pouring!

Inspiration

2009-08-20T17:11:00.000-07:00

I need some inspiration. I recently saw the film Julie&Julia and have become somewhat inspired. Well, I've been inspired to do something. What that something is I'm not sure. For those of you who don't know, the film is about a woman in New York circa 2002 who lacked inspiration. Her desire for cooking inspired her to cook her way through Julia Child's cookbook in 1 year, over 500 recipes! It was a great movie, and one that has affected me personally.
I need to come up with something like that. This whole unemployment thing has really taken its tole on me. I lack any sort of motivation right now. I think I want to do something with photography. I have always loved doing photography. I took a digital photography class in college and really enjoyed it.
Now the next thing to do is to come up with a subject or topic to photograph. I was watching Late Night with Jimmy Fallon the other night and Hugh Dancy was on and shared his photography of airport carpets. No kidding! Check out his entertaining website at www.carpetsforairports.com. If only I'd come up with that idea when I was 6 months old, I'd have just as many shots as he does!
There was also that stolen garden gnome. Well, in my hastily conducted research, there have been many stolen garden gnomes that go on adventures with their kidnappers who photograph the gnomes in exotic places. Too bad I don't have the cash to travel around the globe with a garden gnome as my only companion.
But seriously, I need to start taking pictures of something. Here is a list of possible subjects. Any input would be appreciated!

1. mullets
2. beards
3. mailboxes
4. food (this could be broken down in to several categories if I get really serious)
5. abandoned gum (like on sidewalks, desks, etc)
6. random junk I find on the side of the road, or wherever

I don't know how interesting any of that would be. But, I'll put up some of my photography for some inspiration (how many times have I used that word in this blog?)

On the bridge overlooking the intersection of College and Broadway in Columbia, MO.

One of the many community boards around downtown Columbia, MO.

This picture was featured in Stephens College's literary magazine, The Harbinger.

I'd have to say this is probably my favorite picture I've ever taken. It's of Stephens Lake Park in Columbia, MO. All I did was put my camera in the grass and press the shutter.

I took this on a camping trip to Finger Lakes State Park, just outside Columbia, MO. This was my second submission featured in The Harbinger.

I was in the St. Louis Mardi Gras parade one year. I loved the old man with the red shoes. I had to take the picture really fast, but I think it turned out pretty neat.