Moving In

It took me about 3 weeks to fully move in, mostly because I repainted my bedroom. Technically I am still trying to organize my clothes out of their packing containers but that will be over with in time. Everyone is moved in, my friends and I found a fourth roommate and my cats are also moved into the basement. So far life is going good. 

We have had some roommate debates about the decor and layout of the living room. Mostly one roommate wants everything her way which I was fine with until she wanted to put the loveseat into the dining room. That is just wrong. Luckily the loveseat didn't fit in the dining room so she moved it back. 

As far as the decorating goes it has all been coming together really nice. Especially since I don't really care how the main floor is decorated I just let everyone else figure that out. But for the basement I have been figuring out how I want to decorate it and my bohemian room is coming together very nicely. With the lovely turquoise wardrobe and cabinet and the tapestries not to mention the tufted violet bed that will be in there. It will look great!

My cats seem to be adjusting really well too. I hope they behave themselves in this new place. 

During our first 3 weeks at this new house we did have a little bit of drama happen. Someone in the neighborhood reported that more than 4 unrelated people lived at our location, which is not true. Luckily our landlords didn't hold it against us and they suspect it was the grumpy old man across the street. We have lovingly dubbed him Grand Torino. The fire department did their inspection and found nothing to be wrong with our living situation and now it is over. Since we cannot 100% verify that it was Grand Torino that made the report we can't confront him and honestly unless he actually confronts us I have no desire to speak to the grumpy man.

This is how I imagine Grand Torino

Finally Living in a House and how I got there

This week is a good week. After months of searching, hunting, attacking and failing. My roommates and I have managed to convince someone to rent to us. The best part is that it was our personalities that won them over! I have definitely learned over the years that when you are young it can be very hard to be able to rent anywhere without a co-signer or to even be considered because well you need a co-signer. Apartments are an easier route when first starting out. That's what I did. For anyone reading this and wanting a place to live just so you can party and avoid the cops well...this isn't the blog post for you sorry. 

If you are young, responsible and just want a decent place to live I totally understand. I've been there. Heck I'm still there in a sense.

Starting out I just needed a place that was cheap and would take me, my roommate and my two cats. (Renting when you have pets can be very difficult) Eventually I ended up living in an apartment complex I consider the Ghetto of the city I live in. It had no dishwasher, the kitchen was small, it was probably built in the 1920s for all I know and I could hear my neighbors from all sides at all times. It was an experience.

After that lovely time I tried to find me and my new roommates a place to live. We really wanted a townhouse. Unfortunately we got desperate and settled on another apartment complex. This one was nicer. It had 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. One of the roommates actually lived in the dining room. We actually got that apartment to be pretty homey.


Now I have new roommates, best friends of mine, and we are moving into a townhouse this week. It was hard but we didn't give up. We were lucky and were able to get this townhouse on Craigslist. Now when renting a place from Craigslist there is a big benefit less paperwork. Also you usually deal directly with the owner which is nice. When you go through the rental process with a realtor and a property management company it has a lot more paperwork, rules and stipulations. With the property management company they are usually less likely to rent to anyone that says they are a student, has a co-signer, or has a pet.


This week will be a busy one with moving but I couldn't be more excited!

Try to Get out of a Slump

Work has been going alright. It's been productive. I still feel like I am missing something. I have a job, a wonderful boyfriend and I am independent. What more could I want? Well for one I want to lose all this extra weight I have gained. I want to have a healthy lifestyle again. It would be nice to succeed at this new idea of crafting as a hobby. I've also signed up for soccer in the Fall. So I definitely should get in shape for that. I hope I don't make a fool out of myself with that one. With the extra pounds getting added on from this desk job I've really gotten into a slump self image wise. I need to get motivated, I need to work on myself, and I need to start NOW.

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.

Big Day

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!

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

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

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.

Brand New Year :-)

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.

Last Year Of College Semester 1

This upcoming semester is my second to last semester at college.  It is very scary.


Living at this apartment has been a very good experience so far.  The neighbors are loud and the walls are thin so that isn't great but after this semester I am going to try to find a townhouse with the two roommates I have found for next year. (Yes the cycle of roommate and house hunt will start...again...soon)  I am walking to places and as soon as I get a bike lock I can start to bike to class.  My cats are still doing totally awesome except for one deciding to spray but this stuff call Natures Miracle No More Mark Spray has been working really well, it cleans, gets rid of the smell and prevents my cat from going back to the spot.


My job at the camp was great because of that job I was able to survive on my own all summer.  It gave me huge hope that after graduation I do not have to move back home.  I think it is total crap to move back to your parents just to save up money to be on your own.  Find a job even if it isn't in your major and start building those survival skills. Sooner you start better you will get.  I am still substituting at the preschool which is great for extra money and I am going to be modeling for the Art League again which is exciting.  I really want to do some photo modeling again.  I miss it.

3 Days to go

This has been a very interesting summer break so far. I've been living at my boyfriend's place for a week now and let me tell you I need to do laundry.  So I am in  a townhouse with 4 guys and it really isn't as bad as most girls would think.  Sure the toilet paper supply runs out and then gets replenished days later but that is what the overflowing stacks of Chipotle napkins are for. And you know what it is also true that cockroaches scatter when the lights go on but they are kinda like my many mini kitchen roommates (lol).


This Saturday A and I are moving into our apartment.  My boss gave me a free TV (totally awesome of him).  I got 2 large area rugs for 30 bucks (total deal).  And my apartment people said I can bring both my cats for the price of one.  Seriously can life get much better?  I mean my cats are going to come up and live with me at school YAY!!!!!!  Also I wont have to buy a parking pass because I can walk to school or take the Cue bus.  Sure the walk will be about a half hour but that is a half hour of decent cardio.  As long as the weather is good.


Other steps to adulthood I have taken:
-Got my own renters insurance
-Building up my emergency fund and planning on getting and building an IRA


Also there is an internship on campus with the printing place in the Art building and I am going to apply.  It could be interesting.  Sure that means my first semester will be like...20 credits but hey hard work pays off.  If my work is better and I have more of it then I will be more likely to get accepted into the Fine Arts program.

End of School Year #3

Hello,
This year has been a blast filled with new beginnings and new challenges to be met.  So far I have got myself a new boyfriend who I absolutely adore, A and I finally found an apartment yesterday, and we will be moving in at the end of this month.  Right now I am about to pack up my computer and leave my on campus apartment for the last time.  This feels very sad but I am still excited. Hopefully this move will be a wonderful start to the summer as I clear out the old and prepare for the new.  


I found a new Job 3 to be exact.  Jerry's I will stop going to June 15th, The photographers assistant job starts this Friday and my camp counselor job starts at the end of June.


Also this June I am taking a class for two months.


Lastly A and I found our apartment I know I already said that but still it is very important.  Yesterday we just went to this one apartment complex and applied for an apartment.  The lady is even working with me so I can bring my cats with me. She is beyond nice she is like a ray of sunshine.


So look out world here I come.  :-)

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.

Results...

I got my results this past Tuesday about my breast lump.  Turned out that it was benign which is good.  I was very happy about the results and at least now I don't have to worry.  


My exams for my classes that didn't have to do with art turned out not so good.  I really need to work on my studying skills.  I feel so bad about it.  At least I didn't get anything less than a D.  I had thought I did better but I was wrong.  I feel so less motivated now that school is getting closer and closer to the end.  But I need to step it up and really dig into my work especially the classes that I understand less like this business management systems course.  Hopefully I can summon the drive to do it.


Also I really hope I get a job at Apple it would help me out so much.  I have put the resume in and my friend should be able to get me a job there, it is very exciting.

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.

Weekend...

This weekend started with some bad news but hopefully next weekend will help it become not so bad news.  Last friday I had a breast ultrasound and the doctor found a lump that is almost an inch (long or wide I dont know I was too shocked to ask).  So this upcoming Friday I will be having a biopsy done to see if the tumor/lump is cancerous or benign.  If it is benign than it is most likely fibroadenoma.  So that is what I am hoping for.  


I know my brother will probably read this and say I am being ever so slightly melodramatic posting something like this but it is my blog diary thing and I like to think of it as my digital memory keeper.  So there!

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