Welcome to 2012!

Clearly I've been busy with school. I'm back to my normal self after a few very-tired months of catching up and learning the ropes at Aveda. I'm doing hair 4 days a week - color, highlighting, cutting, blow-drying, and hopefully making people feel awesome. I love it, and each day I keep changing my mind about what I want to do in this industry. 


These last few weeks, aka the beginning of 2012, I've thought a lot about goals. For this year, for next year, for years to come - it's been a very thoughtful couple of weeks in terms of what's coming up for my life. And our life - 2 new graduates come June means big stuff for the summer. Whether it's a goal I share with him, or a goal for myself only, I wanted to hold myself accountable for some goals on here. Apparently I think that by posting it publicly, I'll be more likely to achieve said goals. Some will be achieved, some will probably change over time - and that's ok. 


1. Read. I used to read all the time when I lived alone. Thankfully, public transportation allows time at the beginning and end of my day to get some reading in if I can't get to it at home. 
2. Learn. As much as I can about hair. And try new things outside of school. (up next, ballroom dancing!)
3. Play tennis. This would have been 'exercise', but that sounds too 'resolution-y'. Tennis is fun, we enjoy it together, and even invested in lessons. Tennis it is! 
4. Yoga. At least a few times per month, especially when my back feels out of whack. 
5. Phone calls. Make them, take them, return them. I've been a less-than-stellar friend to keep in touch with, so it's time to no longer fear the phone. (This includes text messages) 
6. Girlfriends. Make sure I see people more than a few times a year. Especially when we live in the same city. 

I would have listed 12 goals for the sassy title, but they would have consisted of the typical "eat better" and "manage money better", etc. I think 6 goals of things I enjoy and need to make sure I stick with is a pretty sweet list. Poor me, having to read, play, and talk to my friends on a regular basis in 2012. :) 


Happy 2012, everyone. Maybe this year will be a good blog year, too!

What Relaxation feels like...I think.

I'm helping my parents out this week while they are out of town on business/vacation. Normally when I'm at my parents house, I'm tensely waiting to go back home for whatever work is waiting for me. But this time, I think I'm doing what most would call "relaxing." Here's how I know: 

*I'm not annoyed whatsoever by the dog waking me up by 7:30am. When he wants to hang out in the yard for awhile, I'm happy to hang out with him. And any time he comes to me, I immediately tend to his needs. All of this sounds normal, but before now I was always in a hurry with him and always made him wait for me to finish whatever I was doing. 

*My girlfriends came over yesterday. We sat outside all afternoon with the dog. I had no concept of what time it was, and I was perfectly happy to just go with the flow. When we were hungry, we ate. I had crab legs for the first time (YUM). We went for a drink last night to one of my favorite college bars and were happy to call it a night by midnight. Again, I didn't even bother worrying what time it was, or what time the dog woke me up this morning.

*I'm taking care of things around my parents house that I typically would roll my eyes at or do only because they wanted me to. Perhaps it's because as an adult, you lose the 'tude with the parents. But I think it also has to do with the fact that I currently don't feel like people are asking the world of me during the week, so doing things around my parents house doesn't phase me. And it gives me breaks between readings and Gilmore Girls episodes. 

*I think I just now realized how much work my parents have done with their yard. By walking the yard with the dog, I see they've done a ton of landscaping, put in a beautiful patio, and have potted plants everywhere that make it feel like an outdoor sanctuary. Mind you, I've been to parents house in the last couple of months when all of this was completed. Obviously my brain was distracted. 

*Lastly, I don't feel bad taking my time to get things done. Cleaning, cooking, visiting, walking the dog, reading outside: no time constraints. I don't feel bad for not checking the time every so often because right now it doesn't matter. It's kind of like vacation, except for me I currently don't have a job to go back home to, which makes me relax for real. Honestly, I'm not so heartbroken about it. 

I was a little afraid that being alone for so many days with the dog would drive me a little crazy. Not that I don't check in with the BF each day, or text with people, but just the idea of being alone in my parents house with no cable was kind of nerve-wracking. Now that I'm here (and have activities planned each day anyway) I'm using my quiet time to listen to what I really want in my next venture. And I think getting away from my Now Home to my Then Home is a great way to check-in with myself and get away from the craziness of the city we live in. I never thought I'd appreciate the quietness, the woods, and the fresh air at Mom & Dad's the way I do right now. Funny how that works...

Blast from the Past

 I was poking through another blog I've contributed to in the past - some of you may remember "Just a little thing called life." Me and two of my best ladies started it one day with the idea that maybe we'd turn it into a book one day for other 20-somethings to learn from our thoughts/mistakes/successes/etc. Well, you'll see that the last post was January 2010 - one of us is blogging up a storm on her own, I've been taking my own path through life that left writing on the back-burner, and the other one had a baby last year. But sometimes it's nice to go back and see what your thoughts were years ago - which is how I stumbled upon this entry I posted right before I moved back to the Midwest almost 2 years ago. While some things in my life have changed, my overall thought process has not. And I think this is a great reminder for myself and others that happiness is the ultimate goal and we shouldn't be afraid of it. 

From July 13, 2009:

What happens when you realize you thought you had it figured out, but actually have no clue?

My goal after graduation was to work for a non-profit because you learn how to do everything. You have to work really hard to get results and typically others in the non-profit world also work really hard.

I've found all of these things to be true. But it's not enough. So, where do I go from here?

As 20-somethings, we are goal-oriented from the day we are born. All we are told is that we should finish school and work toward a great career that will provide security and insurance. Hopefully, you love what you do, but the biggest thing is to make sure you're taken care of. I have all these things, and my job is fine, but I'm getting to the point where my job is simply paying my bills. As a non-profit employee, I think it's important to want to give 110% every day to ensure the success of your programs. Not even a year in and I'm already tired of giving my 110%. To be honest, I care a little less every day about my job. I still work hard, but it's because I'm supposed to, not because I want to. Is this what I spent my whole life working toward?

And what happens now that I realize this? Do I just simply quit? Do I look for another job, even though I haven't even been there a year? Or, do I pursue what really makes me happy at the expense of losing some of my current security? Would that really be a bad thing?

My fellow 20-somethings, I hope we are all brave enough to take a chance on our lives and strive for happiness, even if it goes against the status quo.

Untying the Knots

Yesterday was my massage day. I haven't had a massage in years, but Mr. L treated me for my birthday and I couldn't think of a better time to use it.

My job was pretty stressful most of the time - always number-crunching, always finding new leads, always have to be on top of your game. I basically didn't sleep on Sunday nights in anticipation of the upcoming week (and probably dreading 7am meetings every Monday). So when the massage therapist asked if there was anything in particular I wanted her to work on, I told her that I was sure I was carrying a lot of stress in my back. And boy was I right.

Did you know that in between your shoulder blades you can acquire the biggest knots ever? I didn't. It was painful, but the kind of pain you have to get through to get some relief.

As I walked home, feeling noodle-like and completely relaxed, I couldn't help but think that the tension she worked out of my back has probably been building for months. I know I haven't been taking care of my body like I should, especially in the last 8-9 weeks. Mr. L and I were good about workouts after the first of the year, but once March hit, things shifted and I became more focused on my stressful job. That means no yoga, no jogging, basically nothing except the occasional walk in the last couple of months.

I'm not here to blame my job for my knotted back. But I think I've realized that if a job, relationship, commute, overall schedule is a constant stressful situation, is it really worth it? Obviously you have to make time for yourself, whether it's a quiet moment in the morning while you drink your coffee, or hitting the gym for a yoga class a few days a week. But when other factors in your life don't let up for months at a time and end up distracting you from taking care of yourself, sometimes those other factors have to change so you can lead the life you want. My newly-acquired time off is the reminder I needed to realize that I'm in charge of the amount of stress I have in my life. And taking time for myself isn't a crime - in fact, doing things I enjoy should be a daily requirement.

awake is the new sleep, so Wake Up.

I'm newly unemployed. 6 days in. 

I won't go into details here, mostly because it's not a great feeling to talk about and I don't like to air my dirty laundry on the internet (unless someone REALLY deserves it...well, no, I still wouldn't put it on the internet). 

I will tell you that I've been on a search for the next thing - whether it's a new job or education I've yet to determine. Now that I don't have a job tying up my days, when I'm not feeling sorry for myself (usually the morning, when everyone else is getting ready to serve a purpose for society that day) I'm allowing myself to take some time to figure out what's important to me. 

After college, we hear a lot about a "5 year plan". Some go as far to create a 10-year plan, but for most the 5-year looks a little something like: get job - maybe get married - stay with company to get promoted - buy house with new promotion money - have kids (if applicable). You get the picture. Everyone's is different, but very similar in the career department. 

So what happens when you bounce around careers and nothing happens? Maybe not nothing, but you feel like you're not making any headway? I'm 3 years in to my 5 year plan and I've yet to come close to any type of promotion, let alone save enough to get a house in the next couple of years. What happens when you realize that the path you've been on (or paths) has you led you to....nowhere?

I have some things in the works, but nothing definite. In fact, this is the first time since college I feel like I don't have a plan. And I'm relieved. Is it stressful being unemployed? The short answer is Yes. But here is my to-do list for the next couple of weeks: 

Get a massage. 

Get hair done. 

A couple of meetings for potential job leads. 

Write when I want. 

Indiana for a few days. 

Walk the city to learn the neighborhoods. 

Yoga. 

And of course, apply for jobs. 

I have rent money in the bank for next month, and I'm working on some babysitting gigs to hold me over for a little while. But I think focusing on the things that make me happy is also important. Don't get me wrong, my confidence is at an all-time low any given day. The recovery process will take some time, but sometimes we just need to allow ourselves to dive in and rediscover who we really are. I'm seizing this wake-up call as the opportunity I needed to find me again. 

This post's title is a Ben Lee song called "Whatever it Is."

2010 Reflections

As I was driving home from the city tonight, I was reflecting on my life this year. I know the year isn't quite over. There are probably plenty of things that could happen to me in the next 5 days before the new year starts. But, I still have things that I'd like to acknowledge. Some are things that you may already know about, some are things you may not. Either way, I think it's healthy to take a step back and look at what one has accomplished and learned. So here it goes: 


Living: I moved once this year (yahoo!). I like my neighborhood, me and the roommate are just as good if not better friends than when I moved in. I'd say that since I moved here, I eat a lot more Portillo's and yummy pizza than I should. 


Work: I'm on my 3rd job. I started at the salon, moved here to work retail, now am doing business development. I'm so happy I worked retail for the last year. Being a manager and working my way up in the fashion world was fun - but my personal life felt very lacking. Luckily, my great networking and sales skills landed me an interview for my current position. I started in September and am very much looking forward to what 2011 will bring. 


Financial: With a new job came a nice pay increase. Since I started in September, I now have 1/3 less debt than when I started. I'd like to pat myself on the back for that one. :) 


Health: My cholesterol was tested recently: 182 - yes! I told the nurse she was my favorite person. I also lost about 15 pounds over the course of the last year. I did it unintentionally - the joys of running around in 3-inch heels for 8 hours a day combined with having time to eat half a salad and a handful of pita chips for lunch. But I'll take it! 


Friends: One of my best friends had her first child in June, and I'm a happy Auntie Mer. It's so exciting seeing him growing up. One of my other bff's is expecting her first child in March. It's been great catching up with old friends, Purdue friends, and my roomie and I try to have fun whenever we can. I get to see so many of my favorite people on a regular basis - how lucky am I? 


Family: Seeing my family more regularly has been awesome. They live about 2 hours away, so I've been able to see them at least once a month. We had some loss this year - a cousin in Florida who was nothing but wonderful to me when I lived there. And one of our family dogs - any of you animal lovers will understand that it's like losing a family member. I saw my family a few days after, which was good to see them after the tough week they had at home. After living in Florida for a year, I'm grateful that I'm able to be driving distance instead of flying distance. 


Love: Yep, this will make the list for 2010. We'll call him Mr. L. We met at the end of May and we've enjoyed every moment since then. He's my partner and I can go to him with anything. I feel loved and laugh every day - both at him and with him. He supports me in ways I didn't think I needed anyone to, and I'm so happy he's become such an important part of my life.


Miscellaneous: As the year wraps up, I've been able to take part in a yoga class and I started volunteering with Junior Achievement again. My schedule now allows me to take a little bit of time for myself to help kids and do what I need to do to re-center. In fact, traveling to Boston and Naples would fall into that category. I visited friends in Boston. Mr. L and I went to FL for 5 days to soak up some sunshine before the holiday madness. So this is what it's like to feel like a normal human being, eh? 


I think that's basically my year in a nutshell. I have some things to be proud of, some things I may have done differently, but overall - I'd say 2010 was successful. Lots of learning, lots of love, and lots of fun - I wouldn't have it any other way.

10 months.

That's how long I have before my living situation could change. It could potentially run longer than that, but with roommate graduating from grad school and finding employment who knows where, I could very well need a new place to live in that time. And right now, I can't afford it. 


Sticking to a budget has proved to be difficult for me. But with the help of family and friends, I will be held accountable for any extraneous shopping I feel I should be able to do. I think I don't make enough money, but the reality is that I can pay my bills. Choosing to purchase X, Y, and Z for $100 each is my poor choice. So, instead of shopping, I'll be watching my credit card bill get smaller while my savings account gets bigger. 


How much more do I need anyway? I have plenty of shoes. My work wardrobe is taken care of. I always think I need new jeans, but I never wear jeans. "When have you seen me wear jeans?" - me to manfriend. His response: "Um....never." Exactly. I have dresses, sweatshirts, tshirts, and running shoes that are old, but fine since it's not like I run marathons. 


Working retail, you tell everyone every day that they NEED these new items - it's like nothing they've ever seen before! I love everything we sell at work and wish I could have it all. But why do I need it? It's time to start ignoring what I tell other people. Just because the stuff I have isn't the newest, doesn't mean it's not sufficient for what I need it to do. There's a lot to be said for living more simply. 


Yesterday I played kickball with manfriend and friends (pause for WTF?! moment. I actually enjoyed it and was not horrible at it). I didn't miss shopping one bit and I didn't even care that I was in a tshirt and basketball shorts in public. It was free, it was a beautiful day to be outside, and I met some new people who just like to have fun together. Those days of real human interaction seem so few and far between for me. It was nice to just worry about who's turn it was to kick instead of worrying about what people thought of my outfit. 


I think of myself as a material girl, but maybe material girls need a break from their material world sometimes too. And if breaking from that materialism will get me what I want (a place downtown no matter how tiny) in 10 months, that seems worth it to me.

The Land of Opportunity

What happens when opportunity knocks at the door you're not you want to open?

I have the best problem to have: potential new jobs while having a job. And the job I have, I like it for the most part. The honeymoon period is over and the last few weeks have really tested me, but I like the basic job function and the people I work with. I feel like I'm coming to a sort of crossroads in my career (whatever it is I think I'm doing). Do I want to stay in the industry I have a love/hate relationship with, or do I venture back home to try something that may or may not lead to bigger and better later?

Financially, especially long-term, I would probably be better off leaving. At this point that's the only thing that sounds like a good enough reason to pick up and go (again). The problem is that I'm getting some resemblance of a life here. Plans every week with different people, roommate shenanigans, enjoying days off in the city, a new boo (yes, but that's all you get for now). My point is that my network of Chicagoans is growing and I don't know if I'm ready to leave them. As much as my schedule is not 9-5, having a day off during the week means I can get downtown and relax while everyone else is at work. Working evenings til 9pm means I'm not sitting in front of the TV and I still get home by 10 at the latest. And Saturdays in retail fly by when you're working. It is now weird to me when I have a Saturday off. I never thought that would happen.

Yes, vacation time is tricky and I still get phone calls from the store on my days off. But the calls are fewer now and I trust they'll keep dwindling. And the reality is that I make my own schedule. If I want to take a long weekend, it's easier to just schedule it in so I don't have to take vacation time. That kinda rocks.

Say I left for something a little more "normal": i.e. regular Monday through Friday, flexible vacation time, weekends off. This opportunity is not in Chicago, so does that mean I spend every weekend in the city? Driving two hours every once in awhile is not a big deal, but every weekend? That could get old real quick. Would the money be worth being away from my new network of peeps I'm growing accustomed to? Sure, a few friends are back home and family is obviously there. But I can't help but remember that living there, all I wanted was to be here. Now that I'm living here, I don't have the same yearning to live there.

While I think it's important to love what you do 40 hours a week, I also think it's important to love where you're living. If I'm not hating what I'm doing, maybe my love for Chicago will trump whatever comes up elsewhere.

The Year of the Tiger

Those who know me well know I have a birthday coming up. It's my golden birthday (the date is the same as the year I'm turning) and I've always looked forward to my golden birthday. When I was in grade school, I always imagined what I would be like when my golden birthday came. The hope was that I'd be a fabulous adult living in an awesome place downtown with an awesome job, driving a really nice car with life totally figured out. Guess again!

Mind you, I'm happy where I am and enjoy my wheels, but the whole figuring-out-life thing is definitely a life-long process you don't realize when you're in grade school. One thing I still have yet to figure out, and this a biggie: money.

Remember a couple posts ago when I was asking how much is enough? Well according to my budget, I have plenty to live. Living expenses, car expenses, and even some money is thrown into my budget. And guess what else needs to stay in my budget right now? My credit card bill.

My store credits are paid in-full with every bill I get, which is why I rarely put things on store credit. But my major credit card, that's a different story. And it's a sad one at that.

I have a plan. In my budget, I allot for credit card bills. Great! That's a step in the right direction - that means I can pay it off, right? Ideally, yes. For me, probably not.

So here's my birthday gift to myself, to celebrate my golden year: No using the credit card until it's paid off. My living expenses are good and I still have fun money. There's virtually no actual reason to use my credit card. It's time to buckle-down and save like normal people for things. I always like to think I'll pay back my credit card right away, but it's so much easier to forget about it and just pay the minimum payment when it comes. So this year's the year.

Disclaimer - I'm giving myself until my actual birthday to start this challenge for myself. But to be safe, I've grounded myself from shopping for the rest of the month.

Ask and you shall Receive...

Today I felt like myself again. After months of soul-searching, moving, waiting, and not shopping, I felt rejuvenated.

I ventured downtown tonight to scope out the art district. It's galleried streets offer window art ready for you to take in, green tea frappucino in-hand. It was also home to a style event that showcased Chicago designers selling and talking about what they love: the living art of fashion.

It was wickedly hot inside, but the complementary cocktails and sushi helped. It also helped being surrounded by so much creativity. Jewelry, bags, dresses, jackets...you get the picture. I even ran into a designer who graduated from Purdue! I, of course, purchased a lovely dress for summer from her. I looked at it as my way of supporting local arts. It was a fantastic evening of food, new friends, and our love of fashion. Being able to talk to the people who worked so hard to present these pieces was awesome. It's like any other artist, really. They have these brilliant thoughts and things to say. They just don't verbalize their thoughts, they instead create them for the world to enjoy and interpret. It was nice to be able to compliment the person who fabricated the garment you'll wear this summer. Despite the drive into and out of the city (Chicago construction is awesome!), I'd do this every day if I could.

It's important to have these days sometimes, to remind us of what we truly enjoy. It refreshes you, keeps you on your toes. Or luckily, for me, motivates me even more to continue on the path that I'm on.

Speaking of which, the last time I posted I mentioned waiting for opportunities. My opportunity came the day after, and I interviewed and officially accepted a new position. Funny how things work out, huh?

What's Enough?

I left my full-time salary-with-benefits-job to pursue a career in the industry that truly interests me. This particular industry is a blast to work in; I have fun almost every day. The hours are all over the place. The clients are interesting. And I get to dress people in fabulous clothing and accessories - pretty sweet!

Since I moved back to the Midwest, money has been a huge concern for me. Living in FL, I was starting on the path of financial hope - hope that my bills could get paid, I could money in savings, and my debt would be finished. My job was steady, so it was completely feasible to accomplish all of these things. However, I love to shop, eat, go out for the occasional beer/cocktail, and travel. So saving real amounts of money was difficult for me. Then I moved home for 6 months with no living expenses, a car to pay for, and a credit card and apartment fees to pay on less than half my previous income. Totally capable of taking care of myself financially in the comfort of my parents' house, yet it still didn't happen. So, moving to a new, steadier job seemed like the logical thing to do next. Living at home with no living expenses wasn't deterring me from spending on silly things, so living on my own working my way up in a company made sense.

Now I'm here. And it still doesn't feel like enough. I work hard, things are progressing well. I tell myself weekly that financially, I should be good to go within a year. Once I'm making more money, my concerns for finance will cease. My credit card will be taken care of, I'll have money in savings, I'll even make enough to live in my own place again. But I can't shake the nagging feeling that I'm going to be poor forever. (Ok, that was dramatic, maybe not forever). When does this feeling go away? How much money does it take to not feel poor? Is it a specific number? Maybe when my credit card is paid off, will that mean I can relax a little? And will I really be able to do it in a year?

Perhaps it's time to make myself truly accountable by using the internet to budget for myself. By sharing my credit card progress, maybe I can keep motivating myself to keep up on my finances better instead of just paying bills because they're there. I try to tell myself that I don't need to go out all the time because I'm still paying off probably 2 years of fun on my credit card. Shouldn't that be enough motivation?

Maybe there's never enough. Enough money, time, motivation, energy...maybe it's all about doing the best you can with what you have. Maybe that's the question I should start asking myself: am I truly doing the best I can with what I have? If we ask ourselves this question regularly, I wonder what kind of answers (and excuses) we can come with...

Life Reminders

A recent article assignment led me to meet some Lafayette-enthusiasts. On this particular day, it was a dreary morning and my lovely cup of coffee just wasn't doing the trick. All I could think was, 'if I was in Florida right now, I would be waking up to sunshine and way happier about it.' Lucky for me, I was on my way out the door to chat with a few women who promote Lafayette to the masses.

It was a Monday morning, which is typical to find people less-than-chipper. But when I walked into this particular establishment, I felt nothing but excitement for the week ahead. Every one of the ladies I talked to (5 in total) was happy to talk to me and gush about our little corner of the world. They reminded me of the quaint, yet busy, downtown that's booming with activities every weekend. They reminded me of the outdoor recreation we have thanks to parks, trails, and festivals. They reminded me that the university provides decent sporting events at the right price. All in all, it was a great reminder of why I moved home.

I've wanted to live in downtown Chicago since I can remember, and that dream hasn't gone away. But that doesn't mean that I shouldn't buck-up and appreciate where I live and the fact that I have great friends and family nearby. And the beauty of living closer to family and friends means I can spend my future vacations visiting those warmer places instead of coming home.

Would it have been fun to go to Indy or Chicago to go out with friends? Sure. But instead, I spent this weekend taking my dogs to one of the parks and strolling around the outdoor Pre-Thanksgiving Market. And after 5 days of rain, it was the perfect way to enjoy a gorgeous November weekend.

Isn't funny how life sends you friendly reminders about why you're where you are?

Get Your Glow On

All Aveda products are 80-95% natural, from the packaging to the fabulous product in the bottle. I've heard from people that Aveda changes you. Any hair or skin issues are rectified with the use of Aveda. So, I figured, while I work for a salon/spa, maybe I'll check out what these people are talking about. I've come to find out it's true.

I've tried many a face cleanser in my day, and come winter, my skin is drying out (which is incredible since I have oily skin, go figure). One of the estheticians pointed out to me that my skin is sensitive if I'm suffering from breakouts. This makes sense because that's how your skin reacts to what you're doing to it. Some folks are lucky enough to have skin that's a bit more mello. For me, I needed a gentle cleanser that doesn't completely strip my skin of it's natural oil. And, I needed a moisturizer that would keep breakouts at bay, but also keep my skin feeling good. So, I tried the Outer Peace Foaming Cleanser, Acne Relief Lotion, and the Tourmaline Charged Protecting Lotion.

The Foaming Cleanser gently cleans out your pores without harsh chemicals to kill the dirt and bacteria. It doesn't leave your face feeling tight and dry. With 2 pumps of product and some gentle scrubbing, your skin feels healthy and clean. Here in Lafayette, you can get it for $25 off the shelf. I know, a little much for those of us watching our pennies, but I purchased the travel size version and that lasted me about six weeks. My guess is that this larger bottle will last a solid 3 months at least.

I use the Acne Relief Lotion at night. It has salycylic acid, which kills the bacteria lingering in your skin. Personally, I've had back reactions to this type of acid, but the kind Aveda uses is derived naturally from a plant. The man-made stuff is what irritates my skin. In the morning, my skin looks and feels refreshed and ready to combat whatever the world wants to throw at it for the day. The lotion is a bit on the pricey side, too, but you use a finger's-worth once a day: it's worth it and it'll last you awhile.

For daytime, I use the Tourmaline Protecting Lotion. My fair skin needs SPF, even in the Midwest (I already have sun-damage according to a recent facial, so you should probably be using SPF too!). And this moisturizer isn't heavy or greasy. It's just the right amount of love to keep your skin feeling great. This bottle is about $40 I believe, and a finger's-worth is all you need.

Your skin is your biggest body organ, and one of the most important. It protects us from damage from the everyday elements. So why not protect it while it's protecting us? Many cleansers are advertised to "scrub away dirt" and "attack bacteria". Instead of attacking our skin, let's show it some healthy love to give us a glow.

What's Your Occasion?

In my travels and experiences since graduating in May 2008, I, like many other 20-somethings (and human beings in general), am trying to find my place. I find myself dabbling in different interests. I'm figuring out my life's balance, though I feel like it won't really be balanced for some time. Still, I'm taking steps to figure out who I am and who I'm not.

I've figured out that I'm currently exploring my purpose. While working for JA, I figured out my purpose pretty quickly. I don't mean my general job duties, I mean the thing that makes me get up and go every day. My purpose was to help the kids in Osceola County, Florida to become better citizens. I still have a passion for helping kids, but my desire to learn more about the fashion industry led me to my current job with the Aveda salon. My general job duties are outlined, of course, but I'm still figuring out my overall purpose. I'm exploring some opportunities within the business that will be supplementary to my daily routine. It sounds like these opportunities will be helping the business put on events to benefit our community. I like my job, don't get me wrong. But this extra piece of it, the piece that I'm volunteering to do, I think will end up being my purpose here. Not only will I be helping to coordinate the daily workings of a top salon, I'll also be promoting our salon via community outreach as we try to help some of the nonprofit organizations in town. This aspect of my job at JA was my favorite part - getting out there and showing the people what we were made of (and helping people in the process).

So, even though I'm in a completely different position/work environment, maybe this is another sign pointing me toward where I'm supposed to go. At least I feel like I'm on the path.

This quote inspired today's post:

"Your life is an occasion. Rise to it." ~Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium

I'm figuring out what occasion I'm rising to, one day at a time.

Premiere Week

Some of you may know that I didn't subscribe to television when I lived in Orlando. I had internet, so I watched things online. Now that I'm living at home, my television habits are back in full swing and there is a whole line-up of shows back in action this week. Let's break it down:

Monday: How I Met Your Mother

If you're not watching this show, you need to start. Following the lives of early-30-somethings in NYC, HIMYM is one of the funniest shows I've found on television. It has a silliness that everyone's witnessed in their respective night-out-situations while Ted narrates the story to his children. With each episode, the viewer comes closer to finding out the age-old question, how I met your mother. Dear Jason Segel: I've loved you on this show, but after I Love You, Man, I love you even more. Each episode brings a smile to my face.

Tuesday: The Good Wife

Mr. Big is back as a political figure who gets caught in the usual sex scandal. But this time, we get a glimpse into what may happen once the cameras are turned off. Julianna Margulies plays the wife of Chris Noth's character. Seeing her playing it cool during a press conference, then proceeding to slapping her husband in the face once they're alone has this girl wanting to know more.

Wednesday: Mercy

The commercial got me hooked on this new series, too. After returning from Iraq as a military nurse, Veronica uses her instincts to save lives in a U.S. hospital. She uses a straw to save a man in a car accident. What's not to love about medical improvisation?

Thursday: Grey's Anatomy

Last season's finale left me so stressed out, I'm already nervous. We left George on an operating table after being hit by a truck and Izzy was suffering complications from her surgery. We see them both in the after-life at the hospital, but it looks like one or both of them will be returning to Seattle Grace to continue their life. Who will it be? I'm on the edge of my seat, ready to find out!

In addition to a great week in TV, I also have the day off tomorrow. Don't get too jealous, I'll be working Tuesday through Saturday. But, having a three-day weekend this weekend is nothing to complain about!

And, check out my Examiner.com column for some snippets of Emmy fashion! Enjoy: http://www.examiner.com/x-14742-Indianapolis-Fashion-and-Style-Examiner

Not-So-Personal Belongings

When I moved to Florida last July, I packed up two suitcases and jumped on a plane. The rest of my things slowly made their way down via my wonderful grandparents who make the drive from Indiana fairly regularly. Now I'm getting ready to pack up my car to drive home in a few days. And I've come to the conclusion that moving as a grown-up sucks.

I don't even have that much stuff. I don't need a moving truck (at least at this point, I don't think I do). My furniture is going to a good home here. I'm donating some things. I've packed my books, DVDs, some kitchen things, and my bathroom things. So that should leave clothes and shoes, right?

Apparently I have more things than I thought. And less boxes than I thought.

Moving makes you realize the beauty of living as simply as possible. I was all ready to just throw out the things that don't really matter, that I can just buy new when I get my own place again. Moving in with Mom and Dad means I don't need much. There are things I'm hanging on to because I have some sort of attachment to them. And I'm trying to tell myself that so much of this stuff is just that: stuff.

But what if it's stuff my Mom bought me because my parents are wonderful and helped me get on my feet here? What if it's stuff that my family gave me because at some point I actually liked it? What if it's stuff that I just don't know how to deal with?

*Deep Breath*

Some day there will be another apartment that will need new things. The things I have for this apartment were for this apartment. Who knows if I'd even want it later? It's too expensive to move it and I don't want to store it; I'd rather it be used. Even though it's just stuff, why is it so difficult to decide what to do with it?

I guess the question is this: will I miss my stuff as much as I miss my friends and family right now?

Answer: I highly doubt it.

Happy Anniversary

As of July 18, I have now lived in Florida for one year. Here is what I've learned about Florida and myself since jumping on a plane just 12 months ago.

~My favorite beach is Clearwater.
~If you live here, you are on everyone else's spring break or family vacation the entire months of March, April, and December.
~Disney is not my thing. It's just not.
~People here are...different. I've dated, I've gone out downtown, and I work here. And people are crazy wherever you go.
~Wearing a tie isn't necessary.
~Linen suits are supposedly ok.
~In the community I work in, there are people working so hard every day to make it better. That's pretty cool.
~It seems to me that being a workaholic is weird.
~I am capable of jumping on a plane and making it work.
~I miss my family, which is something I never thought I'd say.
~I miss having close friends within driving distance.
~I know my way around here, but that doesn't mean I like driving here. Tourists are nuts.
~I also know that we need the tourists because that's a huge part of Florida's income. I could still do without them.
~I'm accepting the fact that Florida is not the place for me.

This has been an enlightening year and a good experience for me thus far. As my priorities are changing, so are my wants and needs. As a 20-something, how long does it take to realize what makes you happy and actually act on it?

Wake-Up Call.

I've made some not-great decisions in my lifetime. It's to be expected as a human. Camo-jeans, frat parties, waiting until the last minute to study for a test, or choosing to purchase Ray Ban sunglasses instead of saving money for groceries: all of these are a sampling of the silly things I've done as a young adult (except the jeans, those were 6th grade). And I'm here to admit today that I've driven after having a drink or two. We're talking alcoholic beverages. And yes, there have been a couple instances whenI had no business getting behind the wheel, but did it anyway. These were only a couple instances, but still inexcusable. Before you start judging, my guess is that you or someone you know has done the exact same thing. I'm not telling you this so that you can tell me how dumb I've been because I know. In fact, I knew immediately afterward how stupid it was. I'm telling you this because I now am fully aware of the potential consequences for these actions.

With that being said, I'm here to tell you that drinking and driving will no longer be even close to an option for this girl. Not even 1 drink (which supposedly increases your chances of a car accident by up to 50%).

A 16-year-old girl was killed in Santa Fe last weekend, along with three of her friends, due to a drunk driver crashing into them. Four out of the five people in her car were killed instantly, including her, and the driver of their car is barely alive. The driver of the other vehicle walked away. He also has a DWI on his record already.

The girl I'm referring to is the daughter of a great family I grew up with in Illinois. I held her when she was born (July 4th, today is her birthday). All of us kids played when our moms wanted to get together. We visited them when they moved to New Mexico. We saw her mom last year when she came for a visit.

The news of this tragedy immediately brought shock. I couldn't speak. And when I did speak, it was pretty much me cursing like a sailor. Then the tears came. I couldn't be in my apartment alone and everyone I talked to that night and the next day could barely understand this story because I was talking through tears.

Typically I don't like to share this much emotion via the Internet, but I think this deserves attention. Even though I've made some really unfortunate decisions, I'm ok. I haven't hurt anyone else. This guy's decision took 4 lives in a matter of minutes. Am I lucky that it's never happened to me? Maybe. Or there's a guardian angel giving me X amount of chances to be stupid. Either way, this was my wake up call this week. It's been an emotional roller coaster and I thank my friends for dealing with my instability.

Expressing emotion through writing is an avenue I thought I'd take to try to deal with this. So, I figured sharing her story with you would help me overcome my sadness and grief while maybe providing you readers some insight into what happens when you make stupid decisions.

Can I do anything about the decisions I've made? No. Can I change how I act in the future? I plan to.



And click here for the article.

We were lucky to have known you and will never forget you. Thoughts and prayers to you and your family.

Nail Polish and Tattoos

I started volunteering at Give Kids the World today. For those who are unfamiliar with GKTW, this vacation spot is meant for children with disabilities and/or life-threatening diseases. Some people think it would be very difficult to volunteer in a place where you see sick kids all the time. But this is a place where kids can come without being poked and prodded and just be kids. They offer wheelchairs that can go in pools, they have parties, they have dinners, games, all kinds of activities. And it's all paid for. The families stay in villas set up like a neighborhood. They travel to theme parks, the beach if they can, or they just hang out and enjoy their time together. Here are a few observations from today:

-A 9-year-old girl who was in a coma in December and her family never thought they'd be able to travel to Florida. She went to Disney and couldn't make the walk from the tram to the gate, but after getting her nails painted at the spa in GKTW, her long day was a little more bearable.
-An 8-year-old boy who went to Disney on Saturday, his 2nd day in town. He ended up in the hospital Saturday night. The cancer in his blood takes a lot out of him. He was thrilled to get an airbrush tattoo at the spa with his younger brother.
-Siblings who offered all the support they could, no matter how old they were.

And last but not least, parents who, no matter what's happened to their families, were excited to see their kids happy. They are some of the strongest people I've ever met considering they don't know how much longer they have with these brilliant kids.

I booked spa appointments, helped kids pick out tattoos, and heard about how much fun they had seeing Shamu. It was wicked awesome.

To be continued...

I'm finding that traveling by plane is my favorite way to travel. I get so much accomplished. And I'm not even talking about work, as much as I greatly appreciate a day of nothing but productivity. I'm talking about relaxing.

I was able to finish a book and three magazines last weekend while flying back and forth to Philadelphia to visit a friend. I apparently don't finish reading material at home, so why not count on a flight to make it happen?

My real relaxation was actually during the course of the weekend, though the flight helped. I've forgotten my appreciation for the northern states. I stayed outside the city, which is aesthetically appealing, unlike Florida. I slept more than I've slept in months. We drank wine, talked, played cards, wandered around the New Jersey/Pennsylvania border, and ate more ice cream than I should have.

It was an incredible break from the craziness of my life here. And not even my own life, but being able to enjoy myself without feeling like I'm on everyone else's vacation. Plus, the weather was perfect. Warm sun during the day, and cool evenings without humidity. It was actually comfortable to sit outside.

It was a perfect weekend for some reflection time. And while I'm still in the reflecting process, I came across this quote:

"You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do."

In other words, I'm thinking about things that would be out of my comfort zone, but so exciting to take on. And with that, I'm leaving this post as a cliffhanger until I figure out what's coming next. :)