This just in: Adobe has bought Macromedia. They're saying they want Flash capabilities and are interested in mutual growth, but I personally don't see how this isn't a little too Bill Gates-ish politicking for me. After all, a buyout is the perfect silencer!
But, according to this story at Bloomberg.com, "Adobe Chief Financial Officer Murray Demo said in an interview last month there are 'too many software providers out there chasing too few dollars.' He said 'customers basically want to have fewer relationships with software vendors.'"
The article further said that "the Macromedia purchase, Adobe's biggest-ever takeover, brings together two 'complementary' products."
Ummm, let me see: what's left? A sudden coup of the QuarkXPress stronghold? Are we consumers so terribly confused that we can only buy software from a single company?
I'm insulted.
Monday, April 18, 2005
God Makes No Mistakes
I really believe this. Even when I'm about to pull out my hair in frustration, or don sackcloth and ashes in protest of my now officially two months of joblessness. Even when I get letters like this polite, hopeful, yet (if you read between the lines) firm rejection from a health-care facility that I applied to be a receptionist at, with comments by me:
Dear Ms. ______:
Thank you for your interest in career opportunities with ________ Health Systems. This letter is to inform you that your application has been received and will remain active for a period of 90 days. In the event a position comes available that match or mutual needs [note from me: this is my favorite part! Our "mutual needs!" What a way to put it! You're broke—we need slave labor, let's chat over coffee! But I digress . . . back to the letter], we will contact you for an interview [Yeah, right]. Please visit our web site (www.____________.com) for future employment opportunities. We wish you the very best in your career pursuits [since you won't get hired here anytime soon].
Sincerely,
[Signature Here]
HR/Recruiter
Oh well, they weren't high on my list of "mutual needs" anyway.
In the meantime, I truly am trying to trust that God has a plan for my career while I work at getting Ruby Red off the ground. If there is one thing I've learned in my life so far, it is that when I least understand what's going on, that's when He brings things into focus and I go, "Ohhhhhh . . . now I get it!"
Dear Ms. ______:
Thank you for your interest in career opportunities with ________ Health Systems. This letter is to inform you that your application has been received and will remain active for a period of 90 days. In the event a position comes available that match or mutual needs [note from me: this is my favorite part! Our "mutual needs!" What a way to put it! You're broke—we need slave labor, let's chat over coffee! But I digress . . . back to the letter], we will contact you for an interview [Yeah, right]. Please visit our web site (www.____________.com) for future employment opportunities. We wish you the very best in your career pursuits [since you won't get hired here anytime soon].
Sincerely,
[Signature Here]
HR/Recruiter
Oh well, they weren't high on my list of "mutual needs" anyway.
In the meantime, I truly am trying to trust that God has a plan for my career while I work at getting Ruby Red off the ground. If there is one thing I've learned in my life so far, it is that when I least understand what's going on, that's when He brings things into focus and I go, "Ohhhhhh . . . now I get it!"
Sunday, April 17, 2005
better than a lemonade stand
So I did a little searching and found this game that I played when I first starting "surfing" the Internet back in 1995. It's had a bit of a face-lift over the past ten years (did we all have Java back then? I can't remember!), but it is still the smart little addictive game I remember it to be.
For the entrepreneur in all of us, it's an old-fashioned Lemonade Stand without the lemon juice stinging your eyes, and no sunscreen required! Give it a whirl!
For the entrepreneur in all of us, it's an old-fashioned Lemonade Stand without the lemon juice stinging your eyes, and no sunscreen required! Give it a whirl!
Friday, April 15, 2005
If She Could Do It, You Can, Too
Here is the story of a young woman who started making Valentine's Day cards in the late 1800s and turned it into a $100,000 business, a very tidy sum at the time. In an age when men ruled the business world, Esther Howland's accomplishment was oustanding and nearly unheard of.
Logo Progress
Well, it was a long, late night (or should I say early morning?), but between my restless mind and the Diet Coke I had, I just finished my rough sketch of the Ruby Red logo. It has taken me nearly four months to settle on a design.
I now have a couple of to-scale comps, which I am about to begin bringing into Freehand to make into an EPS file. Now's the time I really, really wish I had a scanner, but it looks like I'm going to just have to take a trip to Kinko's. I have promised myself that as soon as I have a steady income once more, I am buying a scanner. I am!
I now have a couple of to-scale comps, which I am about to begin bringing into Freehand to make into an EPS file. Now's the time I really, really wish I had a scanner, but it looks like I'm going to just have to take a trip to Kinko's. I have promised myself that as soon as I have a steady income once more, I am buying a scanner. I am!
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
Rain, Rain, Go Away
So it has been pouring all morning and afternoon. My poor Zoe girl had been tied out on the porch and I didn't notice the rain until she had already taken refuge underneath the stairs and was beginning to get quite wet. I felt horrible!
Incidentally, here she is, my pride and joy, my baby, the adorable spaniel mix princess herself, Zoe.
This picture was taken by the Humane Shelter I adopted her from, before she was Zoe. They called her Lola. I just couldn't envision myself calling, "Loooolaaaa!" every time I wanted her to come. I mean, that justs makes me think of Looney Tunes.
Incidentally, here she is, my pride and joy, my baby, the adorable spaniel mix princess herself, Zoe.
This picture was taken by the Humane Shelter I adopted her from, before she was Zoe. They called her Lola. I just couldn't envision myself calling, "Loooolaaaa!" every time I wanted her to come. I mean, that justs makes me think of Looney Tunes.
Dear God, Never Again
I just watched Hotel Rwanda this evening.
I didn't cry much until an hour after the credits had rolled across my television screen and then the tears slipped down my face unheeded as I realized how much I have just to be free from that kind of fear, and how little I truly know about my world.
There have been horrors before, and there will be horrors after, but I had no idea that in my lifetime nearly 1 million people could be slaughtered in the space of 100 days without so much as a tsk-tsk from the global community. Some of the most devastating footage was in the special features of the DVD, in which the real-life Paul Rusesabagina returns to the Hotel in which he saved the lives of 1200 refugees, and when he visits the memorial of a mass-grave of 45,000 people, from an attack that only 4 survived. Officials found bodies, preserved by lye. These bodies—real, not plaster—are on display on tables for visitors to the memorial to see. The machete gashes in their skulls and crushed bones of their limbs a silent testimony to the atrocities that were done to them.
I am still sick, just thinking about it.
I didn't cry much until an hour after the credits had rolled across my television screen and then the tears slipped down my face unheeded as I realized how much I have just to be free from that kind of fear, and how little I truly know about my world.
There have been horrors before, and there will be horrors after, but I had no idea that in my lifetime nearly 1 million people could be slaughtered in the space of 100 days without so much as a tsk-tsk from the global community. Some of the most devastating footage was in the special features of the DVD, in which the real-life Paul Rusesabagina returns to the Hotel in which he saved the lives of 1200 refugees, and when he visits the memorial of a mass-grave of 45,000 people, from an attack that only 4 survived. Officials found bodies, preserved by lye. These bodies—real, not plaster—are on display on tables for visitors to the memorial to see. The machete gashes in their skulls and crushed bones of their limbs a silent testimony to the atrocities that were done to them.
I am still sick, just thinking about it.
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
blog stuff
I'm playing around with my blog today. See the new template? (Of course you do!) I still am dependent on Blogger for my artwork and coding, but I'm learning little by little. One day this place will really look like it should. One day!
a-choo!
*snuffle, snuffle, sniff*
Okay, this is just getting plain ridiculous. I pump myself full of Claritin, take a pain reliever or two, and I still have a horrible headache, swollen throat, fluid in the ears, and what feels like every nasal cavity ready to explode.
Ahh, Spring.
Uggh, Allergies.
Oh well, as the French say, "C'est la vie." Such is the life of a hay-fever sufferer come the prettiest months of the year. Having said this, I'm feeling a little reflective today. I have an amusing (true) anecdote or three pertaining to this topic. I will tell them in story form.
Story #1: Little Red Runny Nose
Once upon a time, there was a young girl with a very, very red nose. Nobody could figure out why. She would go outside to play under her favorite maple tree, and, invariably, every spring the effect would be the same.
"Aaaaachoooo!" she would say, "achoo!"
This happened every day, until one day, she watched a Maple flower float to the ground. "Hmm," Little Red Runny Nose said, "My what a lot of pollen you have."
"The better to tickle you with, my dear," said the Maple flower.
So, being the brilliant child she was, Little Red Runny Nose picked up the yellow Maple flower and sniffed. Bits of pollen tickled her nose. She felt an itch coming. "Aaaaaachoo!"
Little Red Runny Nose ran back inside her house. A kind mother with a box of tissues rescued the sneezy girl and tucked her up in her bed to recover, spooning Cherry-flavored Children's Benadryl into her mouth. The End.
Story #2: A (Bad) Poem About A Hike
Up the Mountain Forest we went,
Huffing,
Puffing,
Until my eyes
swolled nearly shut.
Rubbing,
Rubbing,
I tried to calm
the nagging itch
that wouldn't
go
away.
I cried; 'til
Daddy's handkerchief,
dipped in spring water,
placed across my forehead,
soothed my eyes.
I wore that handkerchief
All
The
Way
Down.
Story #3: Is it Contagious?
"I'm sorry," I said after sneezing as politely as I could, "I have hay-fever."
He looked alarmed. "Is it contagious?" he said.
Okay, this is just getting plain ridiculous. I pump myself full of Claritin, take a pain reliever or two, and I still have a horrible headache, swollen throat, fluid in the ears, and what feels like every nasal cavity ready to explode.
Ahh, Spring.
Uggh, Allergies.
Oh well, as the French say, "C'est la vie." Such is the life of a hay-fever sufferer come the prettiest months of the year. Having said this, I'm feeling a little reflective today. I have an amusing (true) anecdote or three pertaining to this topic. I will tell them in story form.
Story #1: Little Red Runny Nose
Once upon a time, there was a young girl with a very, very red nose. Nobody could figure out why. She would go outside to play under her favorite maple tree, and, invariably, every spring the effect would be the same.
"Aaaaachoooo!" she would say, "achoo!"
This happened every day, until one day, she watched a Maple flower float to the ground. "Hmm," Little Red Runny Nose said, "My what a lot of pollen you have."
"The better to tickle you with, my dear," said the Maple flower.
So, being the brilliant child she was, Little Red Runny Nose picked up the yellow Maple flower and sniffed. Bits of pollen tickled her nose. She felt an itch coming. "Aaaaaachoo!"
Little Red Runny Nose ran back inside her house. A kind mother with a box of tissues rescued the sneezy girl and tucked her up in her bed to recover, spooning Cherry-flavored Children's Benadryl into her mouth. The End.
Story #2: A (Bad) Poem About A Hike
Up the Mountain Forest we went,
Huffing,
Puffing,
Until my eyes
swolled nearly shut.
Rubbing,
Rubbing,
I tried to calm
the nagging itch
that wouldn't
go
away.
I cried; 'til
Daddy's handkerchief,
dipped in spring water,
placed across my forehead,
soothed my eyes.
I wore that handkerchief
All
The
Way
Down.
Story #3: Is it Contagious?
"I'm sorry," I said after sneezing as politely as I could, "I have hay-fever."
He looked alarmed. "Is it contagious?" he said.
Monday, April 11, 2005
Milestone #2
It's the little things in life that count …
I just made my very first product mock-ups for a line I'm developing of mini-journals and notebooks. I am very, very excited!! It feels so good to have them all neatly packaged, just like I want them to be one day soon. Granted, I used papers on hand and not the real deal, and my "labels" are hand-written, and the gold-foil "seal" is just a recycled larger sticker from a different product that I cut in two, but still!
Since they are going to be hand-bound (at least at first), I can foresee actually beginning to sell them in the next few months, once I have set up Ruby Red legally, and once I can find a wholesale paper supplier that has papers I like.
So, my current goal (other than find a job to support myself in the meantime) is to begin working on a website and promotional literature, plus finishing the plans for my upcoming lines. I am determined to have my business up and running, even a small scale, within the next six months.
But for now, I'm keeping my mockups in full sight so that every time I look at them I feel just a wee bit more encouraged.
I just made my very first product mock-ups for a line I'm developing of mini-journals and notebooks. I am very, very excited!! It feels so good to have them all neatly packaged, just like I want them to be one day soon. Granted, I used papers on hand and not the real deal, and my "labels" are hand-written, and the gold-foil "seal" is just a recycled larger sticker from a different product that I cut in two, but still!
Since they are going to be hand-bound (at least at first), I can foresee actually beginning to sell them in the next few months, once I have set up Ruby Red legally, and once I can find a wholesale paper supplier that has papers I like.
So, my current goal (other than find a job to support myself in the meantime) is to begin working on a website and promotional literature, plus finishing the plans for my upcoming lines. I am determined to have my business up and running, even a small scale, within the next six months.
But for now, I'm keeping my mockups in full sight so that every time I look at them I feel just a wee bit more encouraged.
and, since I am feeling so elated
Here's a link I got from various sources. (marketing book, college classes, online directory)
Color Marketing
I heard about these people in my Mass Communication classes several years back. They are responsible for forecasting (and thereby influencing) the trends in color for nearly all industries. If you ever wondered why once a color gets popular you see it EVERYWHERE, they're why. It's so, if you really felt led to do so, you could match your sofa slipcover's floral pattern color to your dress, which, in turn, obviously matches your new summer sandels!
You have to register for the most up-to-date forecasts (2004-2006), but 2003 is there for the looking.
Color Marketing
I heard about these people in my Mass Communication classes several years back. They are responsible for forecasting (and thereby influencing) the trends in color for nearly all industries. If you ever wondered why once a color gets popular you see it EVERYWHERE, they're why. It's so, if you really felt led to do so, you could match your sofa slipcover's floral pattern color to your dress, which, in turn, obviously matches your new summer sandels!
You have to register for the most up-to-date forecasts (2004-2006), but 2003 is there for the looking.
Friday, April 08, 2005
Long Time No See …
The job hunt has been all-consuming. I'm over/under qualified for most of the administrative jobs, clerical jobs, medical receptionist jobs, data entry jobs, etc., etc., etc.
I've submitted resume after resume, filled out one application after another, gone to interviews, sent thank-you notes, and been filled with a sense of inadequacy, swiftly-approaching poverty, and dread.
When, oh when, will I ever save up the $$$ to start this business-o-mine? Student loans, gas, car insurance, and "break lease" payments are already eating up my tax return I got this week—the last source of income I have. It's enough to make a paper-lovin' gal throw up her hands in defeat.
I have had one positive lead for a graphic design position, but the hiring VP is out of town for a few weeks. Meanwhile, I just found another non-design job at a public library that I completely fit the qualifications for, and the pay and benefits aren't bad; it's just the commute that's killer.
I'll keep you posted, as long as I keep my sanity that long!!
I've submitted resume after resume, filled out one application after another, gone to interviews, sent thank-you notes, and been filled with a sense of inadequacy, swiftly-approaching poverty, and dread.
When, oh when, will I ever save up the $$$ to start this business-o-mine? Student loans, gas, car insurance, and "break lease" payments are already eating up my tax return I got this week—the last source of income I have. It's enough to make a paper-lovin' gal throw up her hands in defeat.
I have had one positive lead for a graphic design position, but the hiring VP is out of town for a few weeks. Meanwhile, I just found another non-design job at a public library that I completely fit the qualifications for, and the pay and benefits aren't bad; it's just the commute that's killer.
I'll keep you posted, as long as I keep my sanity that long!!
Wednesday, March 30, 2005
It's a Bee-you-ti-ful Day!
Thank you, God, for sunshine. And blue skies. And green grass.
Oh my, oh my, I am in a most definite spring fever mood. Yee-haw!
My mother and I just spent about an hour outside photographing the books that I helped design at my last job. She's learning professional photography skills (slowly), so she was more than happy to try her hand at doing a "product shoot," and I was more than happy to let her. I need to have some good examples of my design work so that my portfolio has more than just my college things in it. If either one of the design jobs I've applied for comes through, I need to have something to show for the last 6 months of my professional life.
I'm hoping and praying that whatever job comes my way will:
a) be just in time to pay that pesky lease-break fee come April 15.
b) allow me to have time to work on Ruby Red (not to mention the finances!)
c) not be as stressful as my last one.
That's not too much to ask for, is it? Oh, well. At least I enjoyed the wonderful spring weather here in Tennessee! My apologies to any reader who is stuck in the North and can't share my jubilation : P
Oh my, oh my, I am in a most definite spring fever mood. Yee-haw!
My mother and I just spent about an hour outside photographing the books that I helped design at my last job. She's learning professional photography skills (slowly), so she was more than happy to try her hand at doing a "product shoot," and I was more than happy to let her. I need to have some good examples of my design work so that my portfolio has more than just my college things in it. If either one of the design jobs I've applied for comes through, I need to have something to show for the last 6 months of my professional life.
I'm hoping and praying that whatever job comes my way will:
a) be just in time to pay that pesky lease-break fee come April 15.
b) allow me to have time to work on Ruby Red (not to mention the finances!)
c) not be as stressful as my last one.
That's not too much to ask for, is it? Oh, well. At least I enjoyed the wonderful spring weather here in Tennessee! My apologies to any reader who is stuck in the North and can't share my jubilation : P
Tuesday, March 29, 2005
Weird Dream
So I had a dream last night that I had to go back for one last test to prove that I had remembered everything I learned in high school.
"But I graduated from college! Doesn't that count?" I whined.
Alas, I still went to the testing site, where I was led down into an ancient cavern. The "floor" of this cavern was covered in about six feet of slimey, gooey, disgusting black-brown bogginess. My test, it turns out, was to strain this bog of vegetation, trash, and, are you ready for this?, dinosaur skeletons. Dozens of them.
Next, I had to clear an enormous field by hand and plant corn in it. By the time I had (miraculously) finished my two impossible tasks the sun was setting and I realized, with horror, that I had never shown up at my first day at work for the job I had just gotten the day before!
Well. I don't normally publish my bizarre dreams so others can poke and prod about my brain and its subconscious endeavors to sort out my life, but I don't think I need a shrink to figure this one out. How does this sound:
1. I'm stressing out about my lack of income and my job hunt to support myself and my baby business. (Being unable to show up for work due to unusual circumstances).
2. I feel like my graphic design education has failed me and pulled me down into a dirty, nasty mess (hence the archaic dinosaurs and the bog).
3. I'm scared my future design employer will not think I have what it takes. (The test after college for basic skills).
What do you think? Maybe I should just scrap the stationery business idea and go into the interpretation of dreams biz.
"But I graduated from college! Doesn't that count?" I whined.
Alas, I still went to the testing site, where I was led down into an ancient cavern. The "floor" of this cavern was covered in about six feet of slimey, gooey, disgusting black-brown bogginess. My test, it turns out, was to strain this bog of vegetation, trash, and, are you ready for this?, dinosaur skeletons. Dozens of them.
Next, I had to clear an enormous field by hand and plant corn in it. By the time I had (miraculously) finished my two impossible tasks the sun was setting and I realized, with horror, that I had never shown up at my first day at work for the job I had just gotten the day before!
Well. I don't normally publish my bizarre dreams so others can poke and prod about my brain and its subconscious endeavors to sort out my life, but I don't think I need a shrink to figure this one out. How does this sound:
1. I'm stressing out about my lack of income and my job hunt to support myself and my baby business. (Being unable to show up for work due to unusual circumstances).
2. I feel like my graphic design education has failed me and pulled me down into a dirty, nasty mess (hence the archaic dinosaurs and the bog).
3. I'm scared my future design employer will not think I have what it takes. (The test after college for basic skills).
What do you think? Maybe I should just scrap the stationery business idea and go into the interpretation of dreams biz.
Sunday, March 27, 2005
He is Risen
I had an amazing thought today--brace yourself for this one--It's perfectly acceptable for me to not be the absolute best at everything I do.
I know, I know, this isn't a new idea. Many have said it before me, but I think I just acknowledged it all over again this morning as I sat in the Easter service at a church I had never before attended.
It's all about focus. That's simple enough, right? Except I have so many dreams, so many goals, so many ideas!
I know many people do not share my beliefs, so I do not mean to tread on any toes here, but, for me, God is the center of my existence. He is my focus. Everything else needs to fall in line behind.
I've known this for as long as I've been a Christian; in fact, I said as much in one of my recent posts, but everyone needs a reminder of their priorities now and then. Mine just came in the form of a gentle nudge inside, a whisper, if you will. The Man of Gallilee holding out his hand and saying, as he did so many years ago, "follow Me."
If following Him is the only one thing I truly accomplish in this life, then it will have been worth it.
I know, I know, this isn't a new idea. Many have said it before me, but I think I just acknowledged it all over again this morning as I sat in the Easter service at a church I had never before attended.
It's all about focus. That's simple enough, right? Except I have so many dreams, so many goals, so many ideas!
I know many people do not share my beliefs, so I do not mean to tread on any toes here, but, for me, God is the center of my existence. He is my focus. Everything else needs to fall in line behind.
I've known this for as long as I've been a Christian; in fact, I said as much in one of my recent posts, but everyone needs a reminder of their priorities now and then. Mine just came in the form of a gentle nudge inside, a whisper, if you will. The Man of Gallilee holding out his hand and saying, as he did so many years ago, "follow Me."
If following Him is the only one thing I truly accomplish in this life, then it will have been worth it.
Saturday, March 26, 2005
I'm Internet-ed Out
I've been online for literally hours today. Mostly haunting http://www.paperpreneurs.com .
Whew! I'm exhausted.
Whew! I'm exhausted.
Friday, March 25, 2005
Can you say, "overwhelmed"?
Well, for some reason I've written about three posts that Blogger hasn't published. I hope this one gets through.
So much has happened. In chronological order, give or take a few days:
1. I turned in my keys and gate entrance card to my apartment. The move-out is official. By March 31, my prior address will be a thing of the past, and within two weeks I somehow have to pay them $150 towards what I owe them for breaking my lease.
2. Just as I'm driving the 5+ hours home with the last of my things, my parents tell me their house is now under contract to be sold in May, and my dad did not get the job he interviewed for in hopes of moving closer to where my brother lives and were I lived about 30 minutes from after graduating college. This means . . .
3. In two weeks, we have to find a house to live in. As long as nobody puts an offer in over Easter weekend, I think we've found the perfect place.
4. But that still leaves me nervously approaching the last few dollars in my checking account, with no income in sight. The IRS owes me big time, but I need to wait at least two more weeks for my refund check. I don't know which bills I can pay before then!
5. I got turned down for a job typing bills for a trucking company from 6 p.m. - 2:30 a.m. I guess I wasn't enthusiastic enough when I filled in my answer for the question: "Why do you want to work at _____________?" I put: "So I can earn a steady income while pursuing my goals." *Buzzzzz* Wrong answer! So much for being honest. I have a resume in at a furniture manufacturer for a graphic design job they listed. I don't have enough experience according to their add, but it doesn't hurt to apply anyway. I'll see how that works out. If it doesn't, I guess I'll apply at Cracker Barrel. I've done it and hated it before, but at least I can recite their motto "Pleasing People".
6. I keep searching the internet, lazing about, and doodling card ideas in my red sketchbook. I'm also addicted to logging on to Paperpreneurs.com for the latest buzz.
7. My soul is wilting from lack of nourishment. I've neglected reading the most important book in my life: the Bible. My prayers have been reduced to desperate pleas for help, and I no longer have a church to call my home. I've got to turn this spiritual slump around and find a good church to attend before I lose my sanity! Thank God He's in control. If it weren't for the faith I have placed in Jesus, and my unwavering belief that He has a reason for all this (trust me--I know. It's the story of my life!) I don't know how I'd make it through.
Sorry—long post, I know.
Until the next (and cheerier!) post,
So much has happened. In chronological order, give or take a few days:
1. I turned in my keys and gate entrance card to my apartment. The move-out is official. By March 31, my prior address will be a thing of the past, and within two weeks I somehow have to pay them $150 towards what I owe them for breaking my lease.
2. Just as I'm driving the 5+ hours home with the last of my things, my parents tell me their house is now under contract to be sold in May, and my dad did not get the job he interviewed for in hopes of moving closer to where my brother lives and were I lived about 30 minutes from after graduating college. This means . . .
3. In two weeks, we have to find a house to live in. As long as nobody puts an offer in over Easter weekend, I think we've found the perfect place.
4. But that still leaves me nervously approaching the last few dollars in my checking account, with no income in sight. The IRS owes me big time, but I need to wait at least two more weeks for my refund check. I don't know which bills I can pay before then!
5. I got turned down for a job typing bills for a trucking company from 6 p.m. - 2:30 a.m. I guess I wasn't enthusiastic enough when I filled in my answer for the question: "Why do you want to work at _____________?" I put: "So I can earn a steady income while pursuing my goals." *Buzzzzz* Wrong answer! So much for being honest. I have a resume in at a furniture manufacturer for a graphic design job they listed. I don't have enough experience according to their add, but it doesn't hurt to apply anyway. I'll see how that works out. If it doesn't, I guess I'll apply at Cracker Barrel. I've done it and hated it before, but at least I can recite their motto "Pleasing People".
6. I keep searching the internet, lazing about, and doodling card ideas in my red sketchbook. I'm also addicted to logging on to Paperpreneurs.com for the latest buzz.
7. My soul is wilting from lack of nourishment. I've neglected reading the most important book in my life: the Bible. My prayers have been reduced to desperate pleas for help, and I no longer have a church to call my home. I've got to turn this spiritual slump around and find a good church to attend before I lose my sanity! Thank God He's in control. If it weren't for the faith I have placed in Jesus, and my unwavering belief that He has a reason for all this (trust me--I know. It's the story of my life!) I don't know how I'd make it through.
Sorry—long post, I know.
Until the next (and cheerier!) post,
Wednesday, March 09, 2005
I'm S-s-scarrrred.
Oooooo. My apartment is so empty! I came back to pick up some more boxes and do some cleaning. I walked in, after only a week away, and felt like I was entering somebody else's home. I don't know if that makes sense, but it was how I felt. It even smelled like vacant rental property! I wanted to sleep in, but that was impossible, as I retrieved a notice off of my door handle upon entering the night before that told me the maintenance crew would be stopping by in the morning to do a "preventive inspection" for bad smoke detectors, air filters, etc.
Anyway, the point is that my place didn't feel like my place anymore. It didn't feel like home, and my parent's house doesn't quite feel like home, and I just don't know what does feel like home anymore. It makes me kind of sad!
So, I've begun second-guessing myself. Is this really what I should be doing? Am I crazy? Is there anything else? And, most importantly, how in the world am I going to survive on what is left in my checking account?????
Considering that one of the problems with my prior job was that I was not as trained in the specifics of various computer applications as I was in "visual communication" in general. I know good design when I see it, and I have a solid grasp on at least the basics of my profession. Is it just me, or did my former employer simply fail to train me in "their way"? It terrifies me to think, however, that I may have just spent thousands on a college degree that is not going to back me up! So should I invest a few more (non-existent) thousands on an additional degree?
This is a very negative post :(. I shouldn't whine; it's unladylike, but I still feel like a little girl standing on the playground full of unfamiliar faces. I desperately want to jump on the merry-go-round with the rest of the kids, but I'm scared I'm going to fall off when it starts turning!
Anyway, the point is that my place didn't feel like my place anymore. It didn't feel like home, and my parent's house doesn't quite feel like home, and I just don't know what does feel like home anymore. It makes me kind of sad!
So, I've begun second-guessing myself. Is this really what I should be doing? Am I crazy? Is there anything else? And, most importantly, how in the world am I going to survive on what is left in my checking account?????
Considering that one of the problems with my prior job was that I was not as trained in the specifics of various computer applications as I was in "visual communication" in general. I know good design when I see it, and I have a solid grasp on at least the basics of my profession. Is it just me, or did my former employer simply fail to train me in "their way"? It terrifies me to think, however, that I may have just spent thousands on a college degree that is not going to back me up! So should I invest a few more (non-existent) thousands on an additional degree?
This is a very negative post :(. I shouldn't whine; it's unladylike, but I still feel like a little girl standing on the playground full of unfamiliar faces. I desperately want to jump on the merry-go-round with the rest of the kids, but I'm scared I'm going to fall off when it starts turning!
Sunday, March 06, 2005
128 sketches later . . .
So I didn't make it to 200; that's okay, I'm sure I'll be sketching more!
I went on an expedition to browse bookstores yesterday and ended up haunting the shelves of Barnes & Nobles for over three hours. They had a wonderful selection of design books, as well as extensive craft, book binding, and papermaking section.
I left feeling recharged, if a little poorer, since I ended up taking home several of the books I browsed through while in the store. As it was, I sacrificed a Grande Decaf Latte at the coffee shop so I could bring home this book.
I also found several computer application reference manuals that I wanted to bring home, but seeing as I haven't yet saved up enough $$$ to buy Photoshop or Illustrator for myself, I decided to forego purchasing any how-to books at this time.
Instead, I'm going to continue to work on my logo design. Once I've perfected it, I'm planning on sending it here to be made into a seal and embosser.
I went on an expedition to browse bookstores yesterday and ended up haunting the shelves of Barnes & Nobles for over three hours. They had a wonderful selection of design books, as well as extensive craft, book binding, and papermaking section.
I left feeling recharged, if a little poorer, since I ended up taking home several of the books I browsed through while in the store. As it was, I sacrificed a Grande Decaf Latte at the coffee shop so I could bring home this book.
I also found several computer application reference manuals that I wanted to bring home, but seeing as I haven't yet saved up enough $$$ to buy Photoshop or Illustrator for myself, I decided to forego purchasing any how-to books at this time.
Instead, I'm going to continue to work on my logo design. Once I've perfected it, I'm planning on sending it here to be made into a seal and embosser.
Thursday, March 03, 2005
Wow . . . it's actually real.
I'm unemployed!
The move (so far) has gone smoothly. I have a couple of more trips to make back and forth to get the rest of my stuff out of the apartment. I have way too much "stuff."
In other news, the only progress I've made on Ruby Red is to finish compiling my inspiration book, a 3-ring binder chock full of magazine and paper clippings. I get my creative juices flowing by mixing and matching textures, patterns, and fashionable accents. I'm currently in a jewelry mood.
Next up: thumbnail sketches. I'm gonna do lots and lots of thumbnail sketches. You'd think the last two years of college's drawing class and pottery classes and design classes would have worn me out in the sketching department, but I've had my year-long break and I'm rarin' to go.
My goal is to do, oh, I don't know, a couple hundred sketches (we're talking very small, very quick sketches here) by this Saturday. I'm also going to get out a notebook and write down all the things I need to do to make Ruby Red official. And then I'm going to do them. It's that simple. *hah!*
The move (so far) has gone smoothly. I have a couple of more trips to make back and forth to get the rest of my stuff out of the apartment. I have way too much "stuff."
In other news, the only progress I've made on Ruby Red is to finish compiling my inspiration book, a 3-ring binder chock full of magazine and paper clippings. I get my creative juices flowing by mixing and matching textures, patterns, and fashionable accents. I'm currently in a jewelry mood.
Next up: thumbnail sketches. I'm gonna do lots and lots of thumbnail sketches. You'd think the last two years of college's drawing class and pottery classes and design classes would have worn me out in the sketching department, but I've had my year-long break and I'm rarin' to go.
My goal is to do, oh, I don't know, a couple hundred sketches (we're talking very small, very quick sketches here) by this Saturday. I'm also going to get out a notebook and write down all the things I need to do to make Ruby Red official. And then I'm going to do them. It's that simple. *hah!*
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