Weekend Wonders

Oh what a fantastic weekend it was. It started with just being able to see some of the best friends that I hadn't seen in a little while, like Chris and my ginger, Kirsten. We had been invited to a Halloween party, and let me tell you, I sure love Halloween.

I love coming up with an original, funny costume, and I feel like Kirsten and I really did that this year. We went as the great Russian gymnasts Komova and Mustafina. Our costumes were complete with medals, name badges, hair clips, and LOTS of hair glitter.

The next day was a hell of a great day for a Georgia Bulldog. There is nothing like college football, and the rivalry game between The University of Georgia and those jean shorts wearing people from Florida.   And for the first time since 1988 and 1989, UGA won back to back matches. The game on Saturday sure was an ugly one, but a win's a win, and a win over the Gators is oh, so sweet.

Sunday has been quite the lazy day, filled with job applications, junk food eating, and some healthy cooking for dinner. I tried tempeh for the first time, thanks to my lovely vegan roomie Ann. I have to say, I sure enjoyed the tempeh chili she made, and would definitely eat it again.

Tempeh and bean chili is definitely approved by this non-vegan

For my own dinner, I went with one of my tried and true favorites, sautéed onions and yellow squash. It was even better tonight because Ann suggested using Mrs. Dash, and it added just the right amount of extra flavor. Definitely using it every time from now on. My nice, warm, home-cooked meal was quite the addition for the cool weather that we now have, which I am absolutely loving. I live for cool, Ugg boot-wearing weather.

My oh-so-yummy dinner

Now, to finish my evening, there will be more job applications, but with the addition of the greatest Halloween movie ever made, Hocus Pocus. I kid you not, there is no other Halloween movie that even comes close to the amazing-ness that is Hocus Pocus. I watch it approximately 15-20 times every Halloween, both on TV as well as on my own, seeing as it's one of my favorite DVD's that I own. I'm also still wearing my Ugg's, which I should have removed while cooking, seeing as they have now suffered an oil spill, and will forever bare the mark of my favorite dinner.

My favorite Halloween movie, and my poor, forever stained Ugg boot

I will also leave you with what could be my favorite scene from the movie. Definitely top 3.

Loving Lincoln

Okay, I have an admission.

I absolutely LOVE Abraham Lincoln. Like, I have a favorite President, I love him, I want to be friends with him, I think he's awesome. All my friends know of my love, and thankfully they accept me for it.

My favorite places to visit in Washington DC are the Lincoln Monument and Ford's Theater. I'm a big ol' nerd for Lincoln.

So I cannot express to you how freaking excited I am about the new movie 'Lincoln' that is coming out.

Now, I'm sure everyone saw the previews for 'Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Slayer" and let me tell you, I was not amused. That is stupid. Don't you dare insult my Abe with a movie as dumb as that one. No, I did not see, nor do I ever intend to.

But 'Lincoln,' starring Daniel Day Lewis, Sally Field, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Tommy Lee Jones looks ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENAL. I cannot wait to see it. I will be the first person there the day it comes out, and will probably see it more than once. Actually, I know I will, because I have already arranged to see it with three different people, including my dad and grandpa. Yes, the love of Lincoln seems to be genetic.

This post really didn't have much of a point, except to share with you my love of Lincoln. And to force you to click on the following video and watch the preview. Then go see the movie and fall in love like I already have.

My 9 Week Book Challenge

So, I've decided to start a book challenge for myself. Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a major book nerd. They also know that I have an obsession with buying books. I can literally spend an entire day moseying through a book store, just flipping pages and checking things out. 

This, however, can backfire when you end up with an entire library of books that you haven't read. When I moved to my new place, I brought along only books that I hadn't read (with the exception of a few favorites) to encourage myself to stop buying and start reading. 

And yes, they are alphabetized by author's last name. I'm that OCD.

Another reason for this challenge is because I spend far too much of my spare time on the computer and using technology instead of getting back to what has been a lifelong passion - reading. 

So now, with the help of one of my favorite gingers, Ann (@Ann_the_ging), I am picking six books to read before the end of the year. I'm picking some biographies, some fantasy, some history, a little bit of everything. 

Originally this challenge was going to be to read ten books, but instead I've chosen six, seeing as I do need to be dedicating quite a lot of time to finding a full time job. 

I've already planned future book challenges for myself, such as re-reading all of the books that I was supposed to have read in high school and college, but my first step is reading six books in just over two months.

Thankfully Ann respects my love for Abraham Lincoln, and has picked a book about him to include in my challenge, so I think I'll be going with that first.

Here's my list, and I'll keep it updated with when I start and finish each book!

1. Stealing Lincoln's Body, by Thomas J. Craughwell

2. Into Thin Air, by Jon Krakauer

3. Profiles In Courage, John F. Kennedy

4. Best Friends Forever, by Jennifer Weiner

5.  Game of Thrones, by George R.R. Martin

6. Conversations with Tom Petty, by Paul Zollo

Books 1-4 are Ann's choices, books that she also wishes to read once she has more spare time as well. 

You can follow this challenge by checking out the 'Book Challenge' tab at the top of the page!

Living with Vegans

So, as I mentioned last post, I moved out of my mom's and moved in with three friends. What I don't think I mentioned is that those three friends all happen to be vegan. Let me tell you, I'm amazed by them.

From an outsider's point of view, being vegan seems so incredibly hard. Having to always check what things are made with, knowing which restaurants are and are not vegan friendly, and having to refuse desserts even though they look so good seems pretty damn hard to me.

However, Ann, Megan, and Jon make it look so easy. And oh so healthy. They are always experimenting in the kitchen, cooking up fun, new crazy looking meals that I'm not sure I can even identify.

Even though I am a meat-loving carnivore, I can still admire their dedication to being vegan. They all three have their own reasons for it, and I think it's awesome. They have inspired me to at least try and eat healthier, as well as cook more. And although I don't know that veganism is for me, I don't mind broadening my horizons and at least trying those black bean and tofu brownies that they make.

For now, however, I'll just share this photo, of my soon-to-be scrambled eggs underneath a now very contradictory sign.

Playing Catch Up

Wow, it's been forever since I've posted. And so, so much has happened in my life it's insane.

I've become an aunt, I moved out, I got a job, I quit the job a day later, I've attended sporting events and have been heartbroken by said sporting events. So many things have happened, I don't even know where to begin.

I guess I'll start with the best part - becoming an aunt. I never knew just how excited and emotional something could get me until I held my niece in my arms for the first time. There was no fighting the tears when I got to see her only a few hours after she was born. Ella Madison is by far the most beautiful little being I've ever laid my eyes on.

One of the best texts ever received.

Only a week or two before becoming an aunt, I also received a temporary position through a staffing agency, and was so excited to have a position. That was the last blog post I put up - about how excited I was to finally have a job. However, as I mentioned in that post, I knew hardly anything about the position, and it turned out to bite me big time. It was a horrible match and I hated every second of the two days I was there. I felt like such a quitter not making it longer than that, however when it's not right, it's not right. So I'm back in the hunt again, hoping something else comes along, and soon.

Then, at the beginning of September I finally moved out. It's been absolutely amazing, can't lie. I loved living with my mom, but it's nice to finally be back on my own, independent and living with three great friends. It was hard living on my own for four years in college and then moving back home and being out of the loop away from my friends. Now being back out there feels so great.

A highlight of my fall was the Atlanta Braves finishing the season strongly and making it to the Wild Card playoff game. Which, don't even get me started on the stupidity that is that game. But anyways, Kirsten and I were able to go to the Wild Card game and cheered our hearts and voices out for our Bravos. However, it wasn't enough, and a few errors and two bad calls ended the season much too early. The Braves deserved to be playing in the postseason, and the fact that they're not is truly a disappointment.

Heartbroken besties after the Braves season ended.

Plus, all season long I've attended all but one University of Georgia football home game, seeing as I'm a first time season ticket holder. I've been able to cheer my Dawgs on to all home victories, and unfortunately watched that one ugly loss on TV. Can't even tell you how much I hate Steve Spurrier and the Game Cocks. Gross.

So that's a very brief catch up, and now hopefully I'll be back on the blogging bandwagon and not wait two months before my next post.

And So It Begins

Well, great news for me... I GOT A JOB!

That's right, I have a full-time position. I'll be doing HR for a software company in Atlanta, which is exciting and nerve-wracking all at once, seeing as I've never worked HR and I know nothing about the software industry. Oh well, guess there's only one way to learn, right?

Tomorrow will be my first day, and as today has gone on, I've gotten more and more nervous. I'm one of those people that when I'm doing something new like this, I like details, lots of and lots of details. And that simply is not possible when using a recruiter/staffing agency.

I actually had to email my recruiter today and ask her what time I was supposed to be there, seeing as no one thought that was pertinent information. Also had to ask about parking, seeing as it's a private lot, who to ask for when I get there seeing as it's key code restricted - all stuff that it's kind of helpful to know.

So the lack of info is definitely stressing me out. But other than that, I'm excited about starting a new adventure. And at least now I'll have something more to post about, instead of talking about my lack of a job.

So as I head off to bed, I've been jamming out to the song, "Lucky Strike" by Maroon 5. If you haven't heard it, definitely check it out. Have to thank my running ginger, Kirsten, for introducing me to it! 

Your Typical Sappy Posting

This is going to be one of those sappy-style posts... my apologies in advance. But over the last couple of weeks, I've started really focusing on being a positive person. We all have negative things in our lives, but it's important not to harp on them.

I'm not saying that I'm in denial, because I'm not, but I've decided to focus on the positive things going on in my life. There's lots of things I wish were going differently (like having a full-time job), but there are so many more happy things going on that I'm choosing to focus my thoughts on.

Like for instance, I am blessed beyond belief to have the greatest friends a girl could ask for. In fact, I know you're pretty much the only ones who read this blog :)

Anyways, for my birthday, they plotted and surprised me with one of the best surprises ever - my best friend driving four hours to attend the Braves game with me. I literally burst into tears because I was so happy that they would do this for me. That's one happy thing to focus on.

The best friends a girl could ever ask for! Minus my two favorite gingers, of course!

Second, I am getting a niece in approximately 28 days! This is the happiest thing ever and I cannot wait to hold that precious little girl in my arms! I am counting down the days on my calendar, and I'm ready for that phone call saying that she's on her way. Ella Madison, get here already!

And third, I also get to help plan a wedding and be a bridesmaid! My oldest cousin who is also one of my best friends just got engaged and we now get to plan the perfect beach wedding for her. And the best is that we get free range on our dresses. It's beachy, and I get to be barefoot, so basically it's perfect. So beachy-style dress suggestions are very welcome!

With all of the negative in the world, I really believe it's important to focus on the happy things. I am lucky enough to have a job, even if it's not my dream job. I am in good health, so are my family members, and there are great things happening right now.

That's my cheesy corny advice - to be positive. To realize that no matter how crappy things may seem, there's always something more important to focus on. And as strange of a post as this may seem, it's really helped me out. In the past few weeks, I've just felt better all around, because I've chosen to be positive during all of this insanity in my life.


And one final thing - according to my Blogger statistics, there are people reading this from some pretty cool places, so if you are, say hello! I promise I'm friendly!

Interviewing For An Interview

Yep, just like the title says, I interviewed for an interview today. Another day, another experience for me.

I got a call Friday from a staffing agency asking if I was interested in interviewing for two positions they were trying to fill. Of course I was, so I agreed to an interview today. The only thing I had to do before the meeting was write an essay about myself. Yes, an essay. What are your two biggest accomplishments from your last two jobs? Seriously? Whatever.

After getting lost and turned around driving, I finally found the place, only to then have to search for the one suite among many in this strange complex. Anyways, found the place, then got to fill out loads of paper work.

The jobs are basically temp-to-hire jobs, with a 90-day trial period. But whatever, a jobs a job at this point. So fingers crossed. The best part. They didn't even ask for my nicely written personal essay.

In other news, my niece is due in just four short weeks, and I CANNOT WAIT! It's about dang time. I want to finally meet the little creature.

I got some great news on the family front the other day, but can't quite share that yet. Soon though :)

And lastly, my birthday is one week from today! The big 2-4. And of course the only way to celebrate is with an outing to a Braves game. The game's at 4 though, so bring on the sunscreen.

No place like Turner Field. Can't stop the chop.

That Damn Word Again

Well, here it comes again... EXPERIENCE.

That's all everything boils down to. I had another interview Thursday that went spectacularly. Going into it, I wasn't exactly sure that it was what I necessarily wanted to do, but then I met with the two owners and realized that not only could I enjoy it, but that it would be a fantastic job to have, and I would learn an insane amount from it. So the interview goes really well, and I'm told that the time frame of hearing something is less than a week.

So now I'm excited and hoping that things work out. I know I can do a great job for this company.

And then comes the call from my recruiter.
- I interviewed great.
- They loved my personality.
- They thought I'd be a great fit for the company.

BUT...
I didn't have enough experience.

But let me tell you why I'm so confused. The final line of the job description I was given said they were looking for "someone green that they could train to use their methods." So, last time I checked, that would include me, and not someone with more experience.

I know that I'm one of a million kids looking for a job and facing the same problems, but at some point, what do you do? How do you get more experience in a field when no one will hire you? It just gets so frustrating hearing the same thing over and over again.

Anyways, done with my venting for now. Instead, I'm going to go wallow in self-pity, close my eyes, and listen to the following song and dream of being out on the water.

Networking? How About Pretending We're Back In College

So last night was a blast. The UGA Alumni Association hosted an event at the Sweetwater Brewery in Atlanta, so Courtney, Ann, and I got dolled up to go mingle and network. I mean, what a great opportunity to make connections, right?

Well, it ended up feeling more like we were back in a bar in Athens, except on a classier level. It was still a blast though. Plus we looked cute.

It was all you can drink Sweetwater beer, which was awesome because we got to sample the different kinds, and I discovered a new favorite. We saw a few friends from school, and even got a picture with Hairy Dawg, the Georgia mascot, which we never actually managed to get while we were in school.

 Courtney, Hairy, Ann, and I

We stayed and mingled for a few hours, grabbed a couple of freebies, and then decided to head out. Next stop, Decatur. We picked up a friend and headed for Twain's in downtown Decatur, where we ordered an obscene amount of bar food. Try, deep fried green beans, sweet potato fries, deep fried macaroni and bacon bits, wings, and chips and dip. It was a pig-out heaven.

Our deep fried green beans and some of the best sweet potato fries ever. So delicious, and oh-so-Southern. Yum.

After that we headed for another bar that was fairly empty so we were all able to chill out and get to know one of Courtney's co workers and his brother that had met up with us. All in all, it was a great night.

At the start of the night, we were hoping for a little more networking possibilities, but instead had a great night on the town with great friends. It was a much needed and long awaited evening of relaxation.

Although I feel so old with how tired I am after getting in at 3:30 AM. Probably why this doesn't happen very often anymore.

Experience, Experience, Experience

That's what it comes down to - experience. I got rave reviews from the company I interviewed with and they would have hired me immediately...had I had more experience.

Now can someone please tell me how you get experience when NO ONE WILL HIRE YOU? I mean, experience isn't exactly easy to come by in some fields.

Internships have to be for course credit, which obviously I am not getting. Internships give you experience. Can't have a job until you have experience. So really, how does one get that experience?

Okay, rant over. Had to get that off my chest. It's just frustrating to hear that you're perfect for a position, but another candidate had more experience and would therefore require less training.

At least the interview itself gives me more experience. Yes, there's that word again.

Alright, really moving on now. I have another interview tomorrow, for a completely different type of position. So we'll see how that goes. It's more social media/advertising oriented, so I know I'd probably enjoy it more. However, it also includes some administrative work, and I'm not so sure about being someone's errand girl.

But while I look for that ever elusive full-time position, I still have my part-time job to head to. The nice part is that I get to wear close to whatever I want. Soooo... even though I am super opposed to the 'MySpace style, self portrait in a mirror' look, I did it today. The following is my new favorite outfit.

Head-to-toe Old Navy, can't lie. The coral shorts are my faves, and I've been wearing them non-stop since I got them about two months ago. And the top is so comfy and flowy. And all together, it totals only about $25, because this poor, under-employed kid only shops with a bargain in mind.

Now, back to the NHL Awards, because yes, I watch them. And you should too. Super hot, buff men.

Harsh Reality

So the interview itself went fantastically. I was so comfortable, and I felt like I answered everyone's questions really well. My first meeting was with the manager, and she administered my math tests. Let me just tell you, I rocked them. The tests were more like puzzles, and I love a good math riddle/puzzle, so that didn't phase me at all.

I was a tad thrown off with the next portion of my interview, because it was the first time that I've experienced a group interview. It was me and three senior reps from the department I would be working in. Almost felt a bit like a firing squad at first. But they were all very welcoming and made me feel really comfortable.

After the interview, I did the necessary 'thank you' emails and then called my recruiter to report on the interview. She said the company had already followed up with them about me, wanting to know my thoughts on the interview.

However, I have already gotten the news that I didn't get the job. That's another perk of using a recruiter - because they're in constant contact with the company, you find out almost immediately how you did and if you got the job or not. The good news was that I apparently interviewed really well. Minus my lack of experience in this particular field, I was a perfect candidate. Too bad another candidate had more experience than me.

Oh well, add it to my interview experience. It is a great boost to my interview confidence to hear that I did a good job.

I also got to rock my favorite interview outfit. It's been my go-to for about five interviews now, and since they're all with different companies, who cares? At least I feel comfortable. I think that's very important during an interview - you have to feel confident.

Pleeeease ignore the awful photo. This was taken post-interview and 100 degree car ride, so it's not my best.

But this is my all-time favorite dress. I got it on super sale from the Banana Republic outlet last Labor Day, and have worn it as often as possible since.

The nude heels are also a fave of mine, and despite being one of the higher heels I own, they are insanely comfortable.

Finally, my necklace that I stole from my mom. It was a gift to her from my grandparent's trip to Rome, and it's slowly made it's way into my collection.

So, that's my story for the day. I have to admit that while this blogging thing makes me nervous and almost feel somewhat self-conscious, it's also quite therapeutic. I don't have any followers now, but I like being able to type this all out at the end of the day. Like a less-personal diary.

Welcome to the Real World

Well, turns out I've been doing the job search all wrong for the last two years. Today I met with a recruiter for the first time, and it was the most successful meeting/interview I've had since I graduated two years ago. She was so insanely helpful and gave me amazing advice. Plus, I already have an interview lined up for tomorrow through her! What have I been doing wrong the last two years? Well, who knows, but at least things seem to be moving forward now. Fingers crossed that things go well tomorrow. Only really nervous about the fact that I will apparently be taking a math test during the interview.

Yep, a math test.

So looks like I'll be spending my evening researching the company and brushing up on my fractions and percentages as instructed.

I'll also be figuring out just what exactly to wear - always a huge decision. 

Time to get back on the blogging bandwagon.

I created this thing and then took a nice long break between my first post and now, but I'm back. I've packed a lot into the last two weeks or so that I decided not to blog, so I guess it's time to share.

Seeing as it's prime baseball season, my friends and I have been packing in the games. I have been to five Braves games already this season, which I'm pretty sure is a personal record. The last game I went to was this past Wednesday night, where it decided to pour down rain. Thankfully the game continued and we stayed dry, but it definitely made for an interesting night.

 Here we are doing our best Kimbrel impersonation. Yes, we're very tough.

And here we are after we have sweated it out and gotten a little wet. Even with the Braves losing, we still had an incredible time.

That's my post for now, but I'll be working on another one soon to share my awesome Good Will purchases of the week!

I truthfully have no idea what exactly I'll be writing in this blog. I love to read all sorts of blogs, and yet I'm not sure I'll know exactly what to include in mine, but I'm giving it a shot.

As someone trying to break into the ever-growing social media field, I kind of figured it was time to jump on this whole blog idea. No telling who will read this and what they'll find, but I hope someone somewhere might find it entertaining.

This thing will contain just a little bit of everything, which in reality represents me pretty well. I like a little bit of everything, and I know a little bit about a lot of stuff. So prepare yourselves, this thing will probably be as scattered as my thoughts.

Hope you enjoy.