Goal Setting

Today at work, my bff J-estes and I had a heart to heart, much like we do during our down times of the day.  Jeremy is such an amazing person - and I am so glad to call him one of my closest friends.  I know that no matter what direction life takes us (him toward the ocean and me to the seas of grain) we will still remain close friends.  Besides, an amazing floral designer as a best friend is every event planner's dream!

Anyway, both of us have been talking a lot about our goals and dreams for the future, but that's mostly all that we've been doing.  Last weekend Jeremy found an AMAZING space to open his very own floral studio.  I have everything crossed that he makes one of his biggest goals happen, and I will do anything to help accomplish it.  Today, we both decided it was really time for it to happen.  No more BS talk about it.  So, what follows is my one-year plan to make my organizational line, design line, stationery line, etc. happen:

This is probably the biggest goal: to attend the New York Stationery Show next May as an attendee.  This year, the most important thing I can do is network.  Find the small lines that started just like mine (eventually) will and get advice about where to go.  Talk to designers about how the outsource printing.  In order to get this accomplished, I have to establish credentials to attend.  This means actually forming a business...or at least having an exceptional reason to go.  That means - I need cash!

By the end of this year 2009, I would like to have an established portfolio.  This way, when I make my next move I can apply for graphic design positions in order to gain experience.  I am so sick of the designs I keep seeing over and over and over again as far as stationery and weddings go.  It's time to create & innovate.  (Hmm...slogan?)

Those are two pretty huge goals.  I know I can do it, I just have to force myself.

Smaller scale:

Network.  Send emails to the lines we carry at PPP and let them know what I'm interested in.

Create a few prototypes of planners that I know young, professional men/women would love to carry.  Innovate.

Speak with a few event planners that I know through my class/work to see if I can shadow/intern a few days a week.

Get a second, third, fourth job.  Income, baby.

So, it's official, the hunt to Oprah's favorite things begins.  Because I wrote in this.  I can hold myself to it....it's time to actually get off the floor!

If I could end up like Cheree Berry - she has had all of my dream jobs.  Serious.  She designed the entire Kate Spade line for Crane (now a best seller).  Now she designs amazing wedding invitations out of St. Louis - anyway, I would settle to close to her and be over joyed.

Library Card

It's been awhile - I apologize.

Some exciting things that have happened since I last blogged - Dog Days of Summer Sale Downtown.  There were so many things that I wanted to buy at the boutique down the street!  Being on a tight budget really makes me think twice about spending money.  Although, those jeans were awfully cute, making a car payment is a much smarter idea.  There are more important things in life than cute clothes - like affording groceries for a month.

Today I had my second interview!  It was for the University Hospital and unlike the last one I am kind of excited about it.  I'll basically be a receptionist, checking patients in.  I'll either work in the main hospital or the ER.  Although, I must admit the thought of working in the ER made me queasy (especially when the girl interviewing me said brain matter) I think it would be interesting and ER was my favorite show!  If I can watch it on TV....anyway, I'm not getting my hopes up at all but it has been nice to get some action and go on interviews.  Makes me hopefully that someone will actually want to hire me.  I am going to call the restaurant that I've applied to as well.  FINGERS CROSSED!

This afternoon I am going to go, for the first time, to the Columbia Public Library.  With the dreamy vacation just one week (!!!!) away I will definitely need some reading material.  Don't you just love getting lost in the library?  So many books, so little time.  College reading just wasn't the same...I hate required material.  The thought of getting lost in 7 books (one a day keeps the eye doctor away!) just sounds phenomenal.   Some of my fondest memories from summers in Iowa City involve the Public Library.  And Prairie Lights.  And the poool.  :)

I hope that your Mondays aren't giving you the case of the Mondays.  And reading suggestions are now welcome!

P.S.  The night I posted my snacky post, I went to the store in search of some ingredients.  My favorite magazine Real Simple, had a feature on healthy snacks to get you through the day!

What's for dinner?

The job hunt continues.  So does life.

But, in the meantime I need your help!  For those of you who don't know, I really dig food.  This hasn't been the case.  In fact, on the (not rare) occasions I clean my plate in front of my family the reminisce about the days I could barely eat 3 grapes and a cube of cheese.  This is no longer the case.

I have a need to eat about every two hours.  It drives boyfriend crazy...because we just ate.  It's the worst, however when I'm at work.  I can't eat anymore crackers or potato chips.  Do you have suggestions of any healthy and easy for on the go snacks that I can eat?  Dinner and to-go lunch ideas are also welcome.

Much like the rest of my daily activities, I don't like to eat alone.  As a communication major they (some professor) suggested (and assigned!) that we go to dinner and a movie by ourselves.  The memories are still painful.  So, living alone it is always hard for me to come up with things to eat.  I can eat anything I want, because it's just me.  But cooking for one is hard and not fun at all.  I also think when you eat alone, you eat too much because you don't do much talking.  Just a thought.

Any suggestions or helpful advice will greatly be appreciated.

In the meantime, I'm going to try a few of the recipes that I've found here.  NieNie (as the blog world knows her) is one of my favorites to read daily.  I won't make the tofu recipes, but some of these baked goods and pastas are just too wonderful sounding to pass up!

love,

monica faye

Stupid allergies.

This morning I woke up with my eye gooped-shut due to allergies.  HORRIBLE!  Worse?  I had to go to work looking like Quasimodo.  I hope I didn't scare any small children.

Tomorrow I'm hoping my swollen eye will be gone.  Laying out all day seems like a good idea, complete with lots of sunscreen.  And of course wishing the mama a happy birthday!

Hope your Saturdays were less gooey than mine.

love,

monica faye

midnight ramblings

Wasn't that puppy that I posted about yesterday SO cute?  I would love to have a dog.  But I'm being mature and I know that I couldn't really give that dog the life it deserves.  I'll have one, in the next couple of years.  And I shall call him Cohen.

I have been in the worst funk lately.  I just can't motivate myself to do....anything.  All I do is sit at home on my floor, camped out for hours at a time.  And I just watch mindless TV by myself.  And then I move to my bed and do it all again the next day.  It's turning me into a zombie that just doesn't give a snot about anything.  It's horrible.

Staying in Columbia for the next year was one of the biggest decisions that I've had to make in my 22 years of living.  It was an easy decision to make, but at every commercial break I wonder if it was the right one?  But then, I think if I had moved anywhere, I would probably be doing the same thing.  Sitting at home in a one-bedroom apartment with a peeling back to it's original pink bathtub, alone.  I should have thought more seriously about a roommate (a puppy!).   Part of the reason that I wanted to stay here was that I was determined not to move back into my mama's house.  Although, I've come home to it practically every-other weekend and I'll be back there in two weeks.  So, that plan failed.

I just knew if I moved home, everything would be really easy.  I would have all of my high school friends back.  I could get a job at some cute little boutique.  I could figure out what to do with my brilliant mind!  And best of all, I wouldn't have to pay rent.  The funny thing now, is that I can't wait to move back.  But I know when I do, it won't be back to my beautiful green room at 2017.  (Don't worry, Tom.  You can have that big house all to yourself.)  At least not permanently.

Plus, there was the job thing.  Everyone in college was telling us that the job market was horrible and that we could count on channel-surfing for at least a year.  And if we are lucky enough to find ANY job, to take it.  So, I had a job.  Stay in Columbia.  Easy choice.

Today at work, a really sweet old man came in looking for a donation from Veronica.  He has come in about twice a week all summer long.  And I know that I will see him after Wednesday of next week, too.  Because he told me.  Anyway, he asked me (for the fifth time, I think) what I want to be when I grow up.  I used to want to be a pediatrician.  My math skills failed me on that though.  Now I know what I want to do, for reals: design beautiful invitations and plan beautiful events.  Not just weddings, any event.  I would love to plan a little Jewish child a bat/bar mitzvah.  The old man told me that I need to "just do it then."  Stop wasting time and do it.  I laughed and said "I know."

Time to get out of this funk and get my mind in the game.  Stop thinking about all the things I could be doing instead of watching the Top Chef marathon on Bravo and actually do them.  Be productive.  Do the dishes instead of just lazily putting them into the dishwasher (and save money! double bonus!).

Tonight I watched He's Just Not That Into You.  Boy am I glad to not be single right now.  There are way too many ways to be hurtfully rejected.  And if I was single, I really wouldn't do anything (wait, isn't that what I do know?).  Except, eat WAY tooooo much.  It was a cute movie, but doesn't deserve an Oscar.  And big surprise, everyone ended up happy at the end.  I wish that someone could re-write the romantic comedy and make it less simple.  It sets everyone up for having too high of expectations because, NEWS FLASH life ain't that easy.  Someone should make a show about it.  I'd watch it.  Even the re-runs.

love to you all and here's to getting this chicky out of the funk!

monica faye

Dear Santa

Dear Santa,

I know that it is early for me to be writing you, but I have been a very good girl this year (so far).  I graduated from college, live on my own, bought a car (with a little help from my family) and keep my apartment very clean.

That is why i deserve a puppy that looks like this.  She is precious.  I will take very good care of her and love her like I have never loved anything or anyone before.

Thanks, Santa!

Monica

Reminder: I work retail.  Christmas is really only two months away for me.

Image from here.

Just turn it over, ma'am.

Work recently has been...slow, to say the least.  Every hour (or so...) a customer will come in for 15 minutes and leave without buying anything.  But then, there are some gems of people that come in and stay forever.

Today, a woman was boogie-ing (so not a word, but whatevs) to our music.  She thought it was Marvin Gay (it was Al Green) and sang along while rocking out.  Then she complained to me that we had a horrible card selection.

Which is true.  But it's summer, so we at the Triple P are having more time eating fresh tomatoes from our Farmers' Market to care that the cards are low.

So I said, sweetly "I'm so sorry.  I hope the next time you come in we can satisfy your needs."  What I wanted to say is "if you wanted such a large selection, go to Hallmark and feed into the big box stores that have taken over little stores like this one."  Ugh.

The other day a couple came in.  The man was wearing an Old Navy Flag shirt.  It wasn't the 4th, so I don't understand why he was wearing it.  I hate those shirts.  I mean, don't you want to use that freedom that our fore fathers fought for (whew! alliteration!) to be an individual?  Everyone & their pet cat Lucy has that shirt.  Sorry, tangent.

Anyway, he came in with his wife.  That looked at EVERY SINGLE CARD in the store.  Asked me 23u912u9305 times how much each cost and what they said on the back.  Hint: if it's wrapped in plastic, it means that the message is on the back, if it has one.  Turn it over!  Her husband sat down at our bride table that has a collection of bridal magazines on it (my goal: to memorize them this summer) and took out his phone.

It was an iPhone.  I want an iPhone so badly.  Everyone I know has them, including my grandfather and twelve year old twin girls (how come they deserve that anyway?) that came in today.  He played with his phone the whole time that his wife looked at cards.  He kept twisting around in his chair to see if she was still looking at cards (she was).  He huffed and puffed as loudly as he could.  She didn't hear.  He banged his finger on his phone.  I wanted to tell him to be gentle, that little toy costs a lot of money!

Then his wife complained that we had covered the inside message on the back of the card.  I told her the card was blank.  She argued back.  I'm telling you, retail is making me cynical and hateful, she honestly thought she knew more about the card then me.  Don't worry, I wasn't arguing meanly, like I would/did/do with my sister.  I was gentle and calm.

Finally, the woman found a card.  One card.  In the hour and a half (ok, exaggeration) they were there and after looking at every single card in the store, she bought one card.

Greeting card lovers, I tell you.

An ode to the Camp I love.

When I was in third grade, I went to Camp Shalom for the first time & I hated it.  I cried pretty much the entire time because I missed home so much.

The next year, I went back.

And until about three summers ago (jeez, has it been that long?!) I went there every summer for as many weeks as possible.  I worked there for two glorious summers and met wonderful little children that forever changed me. I also worked with fabulous Jesus-loving college aged adults and had the time. of. my. life.

Camp Shalom has been a part of my family's life since it was first created.  My mom worked there.  My uncle worked there (Boober!) and met his now-wife (my aunt) at the Maquoketa ool( because there's no pee in it!).  My other uncle worked (or at least went...I'm a little fuzzy on the dets).  My bro worked there (and might have had every counselor/camper girl in love with him.  I worked there.  My little sister worked there...and hopes to again next summer!  Never the less, there is nothing better to me than an evening at camp.  Playing all-camp.  Eating snack.  Singing by the campfire. 

I've been thinking a lot about camp lately.  Maybe it's because I'm jealous that my beautiful sister Kaeli gets to volunteer there in about two weeks.  So. Jealous.

So, I went through my pictures (most of them by the fabulous camp photog, Sarah) and picked out some gems.  MISS YOU, Camp Shalom.

love,

monica faye

Cross "blog" off the list

It's hot.

Welcome to my first blog post, Mom!  I'm sure you will be the only one that reads it.  Until the news about it catches on and readers catch on like fire.  (A girl can dream, right?)  I have been contemplating creating this daily-ish blog (no way am I making a daily commitment, I have a life.  Sometimes.) for a while now.  I'm addicted to blog reading and am inspired by blogs that I read.  Like this one, and her.  And this.  My blog addiction started because of my job.  I mostly read about weddings.  Mostly, because I want to be a wedding planner when I grow up.  And I've only attended one wedding (that I can remember).  It was Jewish wedding in Lincoln, NE.  My mom & I left right after the wedding because a) we had to drive all the way back home and b) there wasn't much to do in NE.

Anyway, in high school I loved to write.  College too.  But in college the writing became less fun and more...assigned.  So, now that I've graduated from that dump, I'm moving on to bigger and better things - a blog!

I'm not too sure what I will write about in here.  Probably my life.  My summer resolution is to take more pictures, and now that it is about half way through summer (small tear falls down cheek)I have realized that I haven't taken any.  So look out for those.

And probably some inspiration.  I am inspired by all things design & art.  That includes but is not limited to: pretty things on paper, furniture, books, paintings, photos, etc.  I am also inspired by people that surround me like my fam: 

(baby sis, big brother & i in Hawaii.)

the boyfriend: 

(chef & i)

and among other people, my boss' dog:

(trip.)

I am sure that you will come to know (and love or hate, your choice) all of the people I have just mentioned. 

I am also inspired by TV.  Sounds silly, but as a recent college graduate living in a college town with all the college people gone, I may be addicted.  I am really inspired by food, and having a chef (wannabe) boyfriend is a good deal for me.  Not so much my middle, but the positives outweigh the negatives.

And I'm inspired by my hometown, Iowa City & the Hawks.

But mostly, I'm inspired by little details.  Duh.

I hope this first post didn't bore you all.  Especially you, Mom.  Because I'm counting on you to spread the word like fire!