The BK

So I went to college in NYC. My favorite roommate during this time was Claudia. She's just so awesome and cool, an aspiring artist hoping to go into industrial design. Currently she lives in hipsterville, the BK. I hope to one day rescue her from their clutches. I don't know if that will ever be possible though. Last night she had a VIVID dream about water filters. I fear she's already lost...

Christmas Hangover

What is this you ask? Why it's the baby rhino sculpture my dad gave me for Christmas. You mean you didn't get one? Weird, I thought they were the hot item for '09. Don't worry, as far as I know it's not possessed and has no plans of killing me in my sleep, but I'm definitely watching my back for the next few days. If he checks out I'll be happy, because I secretly love him and love that my dad would look at him and think "That's perfect for Jac."

So Christmas '09 has officially come and gone and I am still standing. This is quite an accomplishment when you are recovering from a cold, have a Christmas Crazy five year old with a drippy nose, and dozens of friends and family members wanting to spoil her rotten. Let's just say the house looks like a Toyland war zone right now. We're currently awaiting relief aid from the Salvation Army. I've just been too tired to actually work through the piles of old toys, books, and clothing she has accumulated and filter out what can be given away.

I thought I was going to do this today. Instead I got sucked into playing Barbies for another five hours. The drama in the house is unbelievable. Aladdin is trying to kill Jasmine's friend because he doesn't like her clothes, a depressed Snow White is moping on the coach because Prince Charming is overseas for Christmas, and both Barbies are making a play for Ken (ps B doesn't even own a boy doll so these guys are just imagined into the plot line) Seriously, Barbie's Dream House has more action going on then any daytime soap. These dolls have had more excitement in their lives in the last two days then most people experience in a lifetime.

Which is fine with me, but all the Dynasty drama has worn me out. Luckily, I managed to sneak a little nap in this afternoon by suggesting B play with her new Leapster while I rest on my bed. Thanks D for gifting this diversion, I would have ended up face down in Barbie's kitchen if I hadn't gotten to rest.

I hope you all had a happy and healthy Christmas spent enjoying time with your friends and family. I also hope you enjoyed the over abundance of food, booze, and sweets and that today was spent sleeping off that holiday hangover. Only two more months until stores start their Christmas attack again ;) so make sure you get lots of rest and exercise so you're better prepared to scale the dessert mountains that form in your office, arm wrestle a grandma for the last zhu-zhu pets, and resist the urge to go postal when you hear "Jingle Bell Rock" for the millionth time in September.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Jac

Best Advice Ever

For all the classy ladies out there. Tips from our Grandmothers' generation.

Christmas Shopping

I'm a lover of online shopping. Most of the time it's just window shopping, ie procrastinating on the work I really need to be doing, It's just so easy to do. So many pretty things just pop up on your computer screen begging to be bought. Luckily, I'm pretty miserly when it comes to spending cash on myself so I can find some way to refuse their promises of savings and free shipping. When the holidays roll around though all logic goes out the door and it's like I can't spend my money fast enough.
Awaking Black Friday the first thing I did was hop on my computer and start sniffing out the sales. Forget freezing my butt off at 3 am to ransack a store, I prefer to do all my looting and pillaging in my pjs at the far more decent hour of 6 am, when I'm startled awake by my daughter. I finally tore myself away from the screen around 11 am only because my bf was heading over and I needed to polish up the crazy crackhead look I was currently sporting. I brushed my teeth and hair and put on sweats. A step up to common derelict, the perfect look for tracking online sales. Danny came over saw my outfit and my computer glazed gaze, rolled his eyes, and proceeded to curl up for a nap on my bed. Yes, I am a lucky lady to have a bf who knows not to mess with the important missions in life. By 1 pm I had completed all my shopping, except for my brother's gift. It was too late though. I had become a online junkie and I was in desperate need of a fix. I continued to gaze, gape, and ponder all those little images filling my screen. Was there anyone I was missing? Is there something better to buy? Should I buy more? Sadly for me, and luckily for my bank account, the answer was no.
It is now four days later and even after buying gifts for different charity projects I still wish I had more shopping to complete. Does that make me sick? Mind you I'm still unemployed with no prospects laid out before me, with living expenses that I can't ignore, and a budgeted lifestyle, and yet when it comes to Christmas and birthday gifts I could care less about these issues. I guess I just want to get each person something they will really love because when I see how happy they are it makes me happy. It's so true that giving is better than receiving because really it provides you with a natural high. There is nothing better than watching someone's gift opening reaction and just knowing that you nailed it. Their whole expression and mood changes and you can just feel their excitement even if all they do is grin and say thank you. That is seriously one of the best feelings in the world. I guess I really just wish I could carry that feeling with me all the time right now as I struggle with figuring out my future. Seriously, if someone wants to bottle up that feeling and sell it on the internet, I'll buy it... full price.

Dirty Shiny Pretty for sale

So I finally did it. I've started selling my jewelry! I'm using Etsy since I'm already a big fan of the site and it seemed like the least intimidating way for me go about the whole process. I will posting more items over the next few days and will be adding new pieces as I complete them. I eventually hope to have other things for sale as well, but right now it's just jewelry. So please go buy something and help a broke girl make some $$$.

Job Search

I'm supposed to be searching for a new job, but the actual search keeps getting pushed back further and further on my to do list. Honestly, it's just really hard to be motivated to do it. I was in this situation a year ago and didn't expect to be back here so quickly. Just setting up profiles, updating my resume, writing cover letters drains so much time, that when it's finally time to start searching I'm exhausted and it's late in the afternoon. The other problem is that I don't really know where to search. I mean obviously I'm using the normal job boards, but so much of what's posted on them is not for me. Since I no longer want to be in the ASI really isn't a good option for me, but what is? Most of my contacts are in the ASI or still in school, outside of that I'm pretty much on my own. I do know I would love to do marketing/PR for a creative company like a fashion label or record company. Besides logging onto company websites to apply for jobs and cold emailing HR departments does anyone have a suggestion on how to get noticed by these companies? Anything would be helpful. Or even just tips on how to stay motivated, focused, and upbeat through this whole process would be great.

Music makes the World go Round

I looooooooove music and am constantly awed by the effect it holds over me. I mean how boring would this journey be without a soundtrack playing in the background? I think we would all end up going crazy from the lack of connectivity between our souls and what we do/think/feel/say. There are so many times I've relied on music to help me cope with issues, vent anger, or even just express the emotions I'm feeling at that very moment. Music has helped shape my life and I can still recall what I was listening to during each period of my life. I can't remember what I wore two days ago but I can remember being 12 riding in my dad's car to go get a movie at Blockbuster and making him idle the car in the parking lot so I could finish listening to "Jelly Head". Don't judge me on the song (I still secretly love it).
Since about 8th grade my musical preferences have remained rooted pretty solidly in rock, more specifically punk, alt, and classic, but that doesn't mean I don't listen to anything else. I have a major weakness for simple songs consisting of an acoustic guitar and gravely voice. The contrast between the voice and guitar just make me swoon. And then there are days where all I can handle are cheesy pop songs, ala Britney, delivered via Top 40 radio. God help me I don't know why this is. I'm embarrassed that I'm actually admitting something like that. It just goes to show how powerful the cyclical effect of music on mood and vice versa is.
So like I said I love music but I feel lately that I'm stuck in a rut. I want to add some new music to my playlist but I don't even know where to start. Every time I search the itunes store I'm either overwhelmed by the selection or am disappointed to find they don't carry music by the band I'm looking for. I'm also a total ADD music collector, and have many artists with just one song in my song catalogue. I will hear a song I like, look up the band, and then discover that I don't like any of their other songs. I don't mind this and if you have any awesome song suggestions I would love to know them, but I'm really trying to find some awesome bands to get behind. I don't care how big/small they are in the music world all I care about is their sound. So please post your recommendations.

F.Y.I. I hate pretentious (ie too cool for school) bands. Skinny jeans, a psychedelic music video, and Ray Bans do not a good musician make.

This is why I blog

I've been thinking about starting a blog for awhile. Initially, I was going to blog about the ups and downs of being a young woman in the action sports industry. I was really fed up with the way women would often be passed up for new positions or promotions so that the hiring manager's bro could get the spot instead. I mean I've watched some guys with very limited brain capacity and drive make it pretty far up in a company because of bro hiring tactics. I understand networking and getting ahead through contacts. I mean really isn't that the way most jobs are found now a days, but a foot in the door shouldn't automatically lead to your butt in a cubicle. Frankly, I don't give a flying rat's ass if these guys surf the same spot every morning, this is work, give the job to the person most deserving of it. Sorry, if I sound bitter. Right now I am, but I'll be over it soon. just have to rant for a minute.
After three years of working my butt off I've just found out that my job position has been eliminated for the second time. Yes, that's right. I've been hired, laid off, rehired, and laid off again by the same company in practically the same job just two days from exactly a year between lay offs. The thing is that I'm not sad about losing the job. It sucked and is not what I wanted to do at all. I'm just angry that I wasn't able to get anywhere while I was there. I definitely tried. I knew everyone who worked for the company, made sure all the right people knew that I was interested in moving up into their departments, and even took on an extra position for free, in a dept. I wanted to work for to try to get ahead. Instead, I got to watch about 5 guys who hadn't worked at the company at all or as long as me and/or had the same/less experience than me get jobs hand to them or even worse created for them. I was offered two different jobs throughout my stay there, but neither were positions that would lead me where I wanted to go so I turned them down. I'm glad I did too, because after having a crappy job for so long I refuse to settle for another one.

Dirty is as Dirty does

So I use the word dirty throughout this blog and I just want to clear up what I mean, only the problem is that I mean lots of things. I mean physically dirty, like the way you get when creating something with your hands. I mean wear and tear dirty, like a scuffed Chanel bag at your local vintage shop. I mean dark mood dirty, like the feelings behind a beautifully tragic love song. I mean imperfect dirty, like runny paint colors or a pen mark on your favorite dress. I mean perfect dirty, like playing with your friends in the rain on a muddy field. Dirty tricks, Dirty attitude, Dirty jokes and I could go on and on but I think you get the picture. Dirty can be many happy, fun, pretty things. We all need to remember this and embrace the dirty in our lives because often beneath the grime shiny pretty things can be found.