Go with the Flow

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Life has been going really smoothly lately. I have really learned the power of a budget and the power of a salary. If you are living off day to day pay like a server or a retail worker I would definitely suggest you always save about 50% of what you make every day or week for your bills that are always there. Then remember to build an emergency fund...this is hard. I will absolutely admit that emergency funds take will power. It will help down the road though. 

As for salary pay if you are not making a lot for what you work a part-time gig or doing free-lance work (if you have a skill that lends itself to freelance work) can help a lot. Budgeting a salary is much easier to do too. Especially if you COOK FOR YOURSELF. 

Cooking for yourself can be hard to do because you are tired and you feel lazy. Trust me I lived off of take out or order in food for like a month. Wanna know what happened? I gained 15 pounds. Luckily I found CalorieCount.com and with just counting my calories I have lost 5 of those 15 pounds. I have also found that it is hard to cook for myself all the time. So usually I bring things in for breakfast and lunch and put them in the fridge at work. For breakfast I have been eating yogurt and a banana. Sometimes I have a small snack before lunch. Then for lunch I have a low cal microwave meal, lean pocket, light can of soup or I make myself a sandwich. IF the meal is a little too low cal I will bring a piece of fruit or even a pudding snack. 

Dinner lately has been the best. I decide what I am going to attempt making and go buy the ingredients. Lately I have found that arugula is a delicious low cal high vitamin ingredient and it is yummy too. Also goat cheese can be cooked into so many things. Stuffed mushrooms, cream sauce, or even baked and put on top of a pasta dish. So many endless possibilities to try.  

Going with the flow of life feels good right now. I have been in a good place and am just trying to stay there and get healthier while doing it. 

FALL has Arrived...Again!

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A lot has happened to me lately. Aaron moved into his own place and soon Odin will be moving in with him. My job is going well and I now am the Marketing Coordinator for 2 clients. I still handle all of the Receptionist/Assistant duties until I get a 3rd client. Which is fine my clients are nice and pretty easy to manage for now.

I am still designing on the side for PJ Skidoos which is awesome. 

Also I have been dealing with my cat Cedo. He is a sprayer and I have decided to try and end it once and for all. The Xanax that was prescribed to him obviously wasn't working. So I brought him to this local vet and had him tested for a UTI, nothing wrong with him. And since this vet practices both eastern and western medicine he decided to try my cat on some herbal medications to promote calm and lessen his stress levels. I am also going to need to buy another litterbox and I am not happy about it. Also if this medication doesn't work the vet is probably going to try acupuncture. I think that would be interesting and even if the medication does start to work I would still be interested in having him go through acupuncture sessions. 

Halloween is also next Monday and I am just going to wear my steam-punk costume. Maybe my heavy metal costume...not sure which yet.

I will say just starting out in a career the one thing I have noticed to be difficult is wardrobe. There are a lot of great options for easy wash suits and work clothes so I would stay away from dry-clean only. Also Macy's always has great sales you would be surprised how cheap you can get last seasons things on their clearance rack. Other saviors is thrift stores and getting the things from thrift stores tailored or learning to tailor them yourself. And stores like ROSS and TJ Maxx. You really can save a lot. But remember the big department stores have sales so just keep an eye out for the really good sales from places like that because the better clothes from the better stores often last much longer.

In Need of Topics

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Now that I have landed myself a job, though I get peeved with it sometimes, I find that I am without much to talk about. I am living on my own with roommates, my cats inhabit my space instead of my parents and I graduated college. What else is there to write about when it comes to living on my own? What would people like to read about? Does anyone have suggestions?

I am becoming very good with budgets, to-do lists, handling bills, handling roommates, and handling having pets (of the feline variety) in a small space. I am just unsure as to what would be the most interesting for readers.
...Help?

Updates Before the Fall of 2011 Starts

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BUwahahahahha!  Today I am off to a Music Festival. This is my second one, my last one was in July and it was all the way in Up State New York called The Big Up. It was a very long trip but super fun with the camping in a random field on a random farm in the middle of no where. Luckily our camp neighbors were really nice since Aaron and I were the only ones who went it was nice to make some friends and meet people to hang out with. 

This Festival we are going to, I don't know the title of, is in Pennsylvania so it is a much shorter drive. I hope to finish taking pictures on my disposable camera, that I bought for the last festival, at this festival so I can finally develop them. I am kind of scared to see what will be on that camera.

As for my new job 

Here is a photo before my first official interview at that job.

 I had a casual interview at the office before but that was when they were not hiring. 


Well after the pictured interview took place I went to a second interview and was hired.  Later I got to start my job and now have been diligently working there for a month.

The job is at a marketing firm which I will not name incase anyone ever reads this. I don't want to get fired for posting my jobs name on my blog or something.


The job itself is fine and I am learning a lot. My co-workers are fun and really funny but they are perfect. No Comment on my boss.


Being Done with School

So I am done with school. I do hope to go back and get my MAT (Masters in Art Teaching) one day and then maybe a PhD to teach art on a college level. But for now I really just want to pay off my debt and then begin to save for my Master's.

  Apartment and Roommates

Roommates are cool I have 3 as I believe I have stated before. Of course as with any apartment with people my age the trash piles up and the dishes sit in the sink.  At least we have a dishwasher unlike the last place I lived in. All I can really ask for is that there is no drama and the cops don't get called on our apartment more than once. Which so far neither has happened so I think we are doing pretty good.  All my roommates are working on their Master's, one is on a break but has her's about half done.  The two guys I live with are working hard on theirs to just finish them asap.  But we all work hard to pay the rent and bills and we survive.  The only roommates I do have complaints about are my cats they are 3 rambunctious boys and can get very annoying. They are lucky I love them.

Big Day

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One of the first steps to the rest of my life is today. An interview at a Marketing Company that is in the market of Beauty, Spa and Health.  I am nervous simply because this interview is a much bigger deal than the one I had previously with this company. Hopefully what I know can help me get this job so I can continue to learn about the advertising and Marketing field.

The way I see it as long as I get a job that I can use what I have learned in college and what I have learned in high school and in life then life will be good. Especially if that job gives me the opportunity to learn even more. No matter what job I get I plan on being the best I can be and working to make myself better.  Doesn't matter if I am serving, designing, or retailing I will always work hard to do my best.  

I never want to end up back home living with my parents. If that happens I must have hit rock bottom because I am willing to work multiple jobs to ensure that never happens to me. 

People of the GenY need to have the motivation to do whatever it takes to land a job to sustain so you can land the job that will lead you to your dream. And who knows that job you use to sustain yourself could need someone with your talents for their business.  I know my current job at a restaurant has a lot of use for a graphic designer and it is nice because it keeps my portfolio growing. Not to mention I never stop networking to try and find more free-lance clientele.

So GenY lets get out into the world and show it what we're made of.

Moved In and Loving it!

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Hello Blogosphere,

I am now moved into my new apartment with my 3 roommates and cats.  I am so happy about this apartment it is beautiful, the pool is nice, it has a gym, and was super easy to move into.  

My full-time job is going well.  Lifting all those trays and serving, running around and everything has really gotten me into better shape. The people I work with are nice too of course not all the customers are nice but that is to be expected.  Can't please everyone.

I am also applying for this job at a marketing firm.  I had contacted them a few months back and feel like I could be a very good fit.  I prepared my portfolio, got a nice outfit for my first interview and now just need to paint my nails and make sure I look really nice. It is a marketing firm in the beauty and spa industry so looks are very important.

Otherwise everything has been going great, as long as I make rent ;-)


Graduated/Full-Time Job/New Apartment/Some Fun

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Since March a lot has happened.  The Senior Art show for Mason was great!  Here is the site http://masonseniorshow.com/spring2011/info/ and here is a picture of my book.

  I hand bound the book and also the cover was screen-printed.  The show was a bit stressful to put together but when it was all done everything turned out great.
After my show I had finals which went fine.  As an art major the finals are usually not too hard.  Except for the Art history, that is hard, mostly because I have a hard time with history in general. 




         
But after my finals were done and I passed all my classes I got to decorate my cap and strut around in my cap and gown.  It was a lot of fun to graduate and walk across the stage.  It is amazing how fast those 4 years went by.
It was actually the day before I graduated that I got hired at my new job that I am training for (training ends after today YAY!).  I am now going to be a server for a really great restaurant.  Sure it isn't a design job but it will pay the bills while I create a great portfolio. 

I've also finalized everything for my new apartment and new roommates.  I will have 3 roommates that I am friends with and my cats will be moving with me.

Last update is I went to Starscape again and it was AWESOME!!!!  I got to see so many great artists and I also got to see Flux Pavillion live for his first US show.  It was so much fun.  I also got body painted. Check it out!






Of course you got to love my new shorts that I got at the beach too.


Officially a BFA/applying for a townhouse

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Hello one and all! It is official I am graduating college with a BFA in Art and Visual Technology concentrating in graphic design from George Mason University.  I would like to thank my professors who gave great references even though I didn't even request them you may not know it but thanks to your kind words I got into the BFA program simply because you all said I was worth it.  I can't thank you enough for believing in me.  

Now for the housing situation.  May is coming up faster than it seems and I need a home.  My roommates and I are applying for a townhouse near campus and hopefully will get accepted.  

I am also applying for my MAT which is a Master's in Art Teaching or Art Education.  After I gain experience as a Graphic Designer I would love to become an art teacher and help young artists find their way and their visual voice.

Room Mates!!!!!!

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I actually have people who are 100% in on the moving into a place.  So excited.  My friend Rob is 100%  and my friend August is about 90% I'd say.  And we have many prospects on a 4th person.  This is gonna be an awesome time.  We can get a townhouse have my cats be their.  Yay!  Even though it will be different being the only girl in the household, I still think it will be fun.  But who knows, the 4th person could be a chick.

Yay for 2011

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I have begun a couple new goals for myself to attempt to keep up for the next year.  

Read daily
Learn Chess
Do creative exercises
Lessen my TV watching
 just to name a few...

Anyhow.  This May is coming up pretty soon and it is kind of scary since I am not sure if I'm gonna be able to find roommates and therefore maybe not a place to live this May.  I sure hope it will happen and not have too many problems.  :-(       I would love it if people who knew some answers for these problems would comment on this blog!

Brand New Year :-)

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So these past couple of months have been very busy.  This is my Senior Year in College after all.  This past semester I had taken 17 credits which is a LOT and I past all my classes and only got a C in one of the classes.  It was Art History and I always end up with a C in Art History (darn those dates!).  

Also this past semester at my apartment my roommate and I had been getting all these bites. First we thought fleas...checked the cats...no fleas.  Then we thought Gnats (yes they do bite) cleaned the apartment very thoroughly...alas still more bites.  Exterminator came and said it was...bed bugs.  So I had to move my cats to my parents place.  Clear out and wash and dry ALL my clothes, curtains, bed stuff on HIGH heat.  Anything that was too delicate for that I am leaving in the freezing cold air all winter long.  We have been out of our apartment for about 4 weeks.  So today I am going into the apartment to air it out because those chemicals they used smell like cigarettes.  And I need to vacuum everything and scrub all the floors and surfaces.  Also every thing we had that wasn't clothing is bagged and stored in the bathroom and kitchen.

Big time advice:  Bed Bugs are becoming a large problem not just for me but globally if you want to prevent bed bugs use a bug killer called Good Night, it is for bed bugs, use it on your mattress and furniture.  Also Diatomachious Earth is a great prevention on bugs.  Lightly dust it around your baseboards, bed, house perimeter and carpets to keep bed bugs and other bugs from staying in your house or apartment.

On a lighter note I am applying for my BFA this semester (cutting it really close).  I need to get my portfolio together before the semester starts which is in 22 days.  I just have to tell myself I can do this.

Housing plans:  My lease for my apartment is up at the end of May and my current roommate is leaving for MD.  So far I have one roommate that is for the most part sure she is looking into a Masters.  I also have about 3 other prospects for roommates.  I am unsure their plans but I know this year is the year I get a townhouse with roommates.  I can feel it.