Go with the Flow

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!

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.

Updates Before the Fall of 2011 Starts

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.

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

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.

And I'm Off!

I am in my new place and my kitties have moved in with me.  Soon I will be sure to post pictures of them being with me in the new apartment.  


My camp job has started and I am working with 3 year olds.  They are definitely learning with every step they take it is very interesting to watch.  


So far with my photographer assistant job I have designed a few things which is awesome and I can add them all to my portfolio.  


In my class I have also designed some logos and am working on designing a Business Package.  This summer is turning out to be very lucrative for my design portfolio.

New Goals

So this summer is pretty busy working two jobs, taking a summer course and paying bills for the first time in my life, but new goals have been put into place.


1.  Finish my training for a 5K
2.  Run a 5K
3.  Start my garden on the porch.

WAY Too long since last post...Sorry

So much has happened since I last posted.  I moved into my new place.  My cats are going to be moving in within the next two weeks.  Hopefully they handle the transition well enough.  


My job at Jerry's is also ending this Friday and I will be able to go back pretty much whenever I want which is nice to know.  After that my job at the camp will start at the end of the month.  I am taking one week off to get my cats settled in and also to get my car registration taken care of.


I also got to go to Starscape 2010 it was a lot of fun my favorite part was getting my back painted.

It is totally kickass.

Also my summer classes start tomorrow and hopefully I can utilize what I learn at my photography job.  Get that guy some branding tips.

All in all everything has been going really great.  I still can't wait for my cats to be up here with me.

SCORE

Finally.  A and I have an apartment.  I was so scared.  Ok well we don't HAVE it but we have applied for it and it was taken off the available listings.  So we are pretty sure that we have it.  So we will be moving in around May. It is so exciting now all we need to worry about is furniture.


Also I have a job interview this Thursday to be a photographers assistant.  And this week I will be hearing back about a job as a camp counselor at the Jewish Community Center.  No I am not Jewish but a lot of my friends are and I have been around that culture for quite a few years now.  Also you don't have to be Jewish to work there.  Which is nice since I am one of the least religious people I know. :-p


This Wednesday I am going to a TV show premiere that will have a program that I designed.  And I can mingle and network.


This Weekend I will be a hair model in a hair runway show.  I am so excited I can't wait to see what they do to my hair.  Hopefully one of my photographer friends can come.


Wish me luck on all accounts please.

April 1st update (not a joke)

So this month is starting off with a little less than a bang.  Ok a lot less than a bang but at least there are possibilities.
Job hunt updates:
-Apple called back to schedule an appointment for an interview and hopefully I can get a job there.  It would be fabulous.
-Pizza job is still available if I get one of the Camp jobs.
-So the internship with Wolf Trap said NO to me.  I can still look for a job.




School updates:
-Going to go for the BFA, which means a class during the summer and next summer but I will still walk in May.
-Job instead of internship would probably be better that way they will understand that I need to go to class.
-Good bye business minor...ewww




Housing updates:
-Still hunting and we are sticking with just the 3 of us and the pets.  Screw trying to find a 4th person it is too much hassle.
-Hopefully the Realtor will find us something nice.




FUNNN!!!!!


Look at the awesome stuff that I am on.  I got to be on a cataloge cover for a photographer.  And it was handed out at a wedding convention Yay!

Photo of me on display.

me on the cover!!!

Modeling Shoot

I forgot to post that I had another shoot this month over Spring Break.  It was fun.  I was a bride for a day.  My boyfriend came with me.  He is not the one in the shot but he watched as I modeled.

A lot has happened...

Earlier I had said I had a lump found.  Well I had the biopsy on Friday and it was kind of scary.  I was definitely nervous.  But it all went well and the results will be in Monday(tomorrow).  

The Interview I had at Target Portrait Studio also went very well and they will call me if I get the job.  They had other people to interview that day besides me.  Fingers crossed everybody.

Also I got a Graphic Design Gig.  I applied for a gig I heard about through my school and the lady actually liked my designs the best.  I am so excited about it :-)   

For this semester since I have been pretty bored I signed up for the 4Paws volunteer Cat rescue.  This should be a lot of fun helping poor kitties find new homes.  It will also be good expeirience for when I sign up for the Veterinary Assistant Program.  I am looking into Penn and Foster right now.  I am planning on doing this after I graduate or during my summer.

Lastly, My mother and I mailed my grandma some wildflower seed packets to help her prepare for spring.  She has been snowed in for about 3 weeks now and is going crazy.  Before this snow she was snowed in for 2 weeks.  I think she will be happy to never see snow fall again.  Hopefully the seeds will give her something to look forward to when Spring comes.  Also the townhouse search time is coming up.  I can't wait for it to get here so I can move out on my own with my friends.

KATSUCON WEEKEND

As I said I was going to do in a previous blog.  I went to Katsucon.  It is an anime convention near DC.  It was a lot of fun.  The best part was getting to wear my costumes.

My main costume designed and created by me.

Me and my friend with the guy who helped write POWER RANGERS!

Me before the rave part of the convention

INCREDIBLE SNOW!

Look at this! the amount of snow we got today was ridiculous. It was actually up to our thighs.

Here I am so bundled up I resemble Kenny from South Park.

This is a snow we had last Tuesday. We thought that was a fun snow? It was only 5 inches. Right now we have going on 28 inches.

Me Playing in the 5 inch snow earlier this week. The bench I am standing on was actually so slippery that when my friend came over to help me down I slipped and accidently head-bumped her. It hurt pretty bad.

Me getting a picture with the pretty snow.

Well I hope you all enjoyed my snow day pictures. And I hope this 28 inches of snow goes away fast.

Feel much better

I feel so much better now. I think I was mostly downish because the dishes weren't done but I just went ahead and washed all the dishes and the kitchen. Hopefully my girls-night-in tonight will go well because that would be awesome and just make my snow-filled-boring day.

Update on school, stress relief activity of the semester, house hunt, and job hunt

Well, this semester so far has been really good. Only 14 credits gives me more free time to job hunt and house hunt as well as get myself into shape and maybe a bit of my life together. Hopefully the extra time doesn't just make me more lazy.

Today I got some things to organize my very little living space on campus, which I hope works. Also have been finding a good number of people to help in the house hunt which will go into full throttle in May and June. The job hunt is already in full throttle but I have been less diligent about it. I know that is very bad. Job hunting is so nerve racking. I just need to suck it up and send out those resumes. So many people have given me hints at where to apply and I also need to follow up on the photography place that I applied to.

As for the stress relief activity for the semester I am going to Katsucon. I even made up my own character to go as. No dressing up as someone else's character for me! Mostly I picked to do this to save money. All in all it should be really fun.

Thats all for the update on all categories hope to type back soon!

VOTE PLEASE

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Understanding my Generation

After naming my blog A GenY on Her Own I figured I should read up on the subject. My search started at Wikipedia but it was too basic of information. So I narrowed my search down by typing in 'generation y characteristics'. This lead me to the article at this link. It is all about the work priorities among other characteristics of GenY. I found it very interesting how much of that article applied to me.

Above I have also posted a cartoon for Generation Y. I just thought it was funny. Also I am planning on creating a header for my blog and I was planning on using this cartoon for inspiration.

So far the market for affordable and rent-able townhouses in the Burke, VA/Fairfax, VA areas are not very good. But I will keep my eyes open and hopefully I will be able to find a place not to mention a job by June.