Hello there readers!
Hope everyone's holiday season is going well and merry! ^_^ I realize that it's been a while since I posed last. I have also been pretty busy. Let's explore...
Working. Been working lots during the holiday season. Approximately 40 hours a week at Wal*Mart and then about 20 hours at Things Remembered. Yep! *enter sarcasm tone here* Working is fun! *end of sarcasm*
It's actually not too bad. Just leaves little to no time for anything else. However, with the season being practically over, hours will lessen... leaving time for.... ME! And all the other stuff that I need to do. :D Yay! haha
Things in my life... Travis and I are great! We're coming up on our 18 month anniversary right before the turn of the year. ^_^ It's been an amazing 18 months so far. Looking forward to the many months so come. <3
We're still looking to move into Sioux Falls in the next few months. Unsure of the details, but we should get them sorted out soon. Hopefully....
Watching House with Travis while we're sitting in Eau Claire with the Pickerign side of the family. Tomorrow, we take off for Huron to see Travis' parents and brother. 8 hours of driving ahead. *sigh* At least it's not too complicated, just long.
Well, I guess that's all for now. Be back soon!!
Stay Tuned!
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Monday, November 21, 2011
Soooo many numbers...
and I hate math.
Stay Tuned!
Crunching the numbers for rent and other expenses.... We may be moving to Sioux Falls. Yes, Dell Rapids is nice and quiet, but it may actually be costing us more than we thought. *shrugs* Figures.
So, I've been researching apartments all over Sioux Falls to see what would work best for us. We've found a few.... we'll see what happens.
Of course, we haven't calculated in the moving costs themselves. :S We know we're going to need a Uhaul for all of our big pieces of furniture. Then, there's the deposit, application fees (if needed), and gas to go back and forth.... Oh boy. Good thing we'll get out deposit back from here when we decide to get into gear. *sigh* Hopefully soon... I guess. It'd be nice to not have to leave 45 minutes before each shift for the drive. :P
We'll see how it turns out.
Stay Tuned!
Monday, October 31, 2011
.... something.
Something is gone...
My energy is down. I seem to be irritable all the time... and/or tired. Even my days off aren't relieving anymore...
I don't like this. I want to be happy and "shiney" again... Even my hair colorist (who sees me every 2 months or so) said the other day that I wasn't "my normal happy self"... *heavy sigh*
Why? I can't seem to finish anything. I've given up on the 365 Project... and I started that 30 Day Drawing Challenge and only made it a week. Motivation is a stranger to me.
I think I might know what this something is.
Human interaction.
Seriously. I think that may be it... Since I moved to Dell Rapids and started working, I haven't had much interaction with anyone outside of Mandy and Travis. And I am, by no means, demeaning the interactions that I have with them. If I didn't have them, I'd probably go nuts... (Like I'm 'not' already...)
How did I find this out? I went to Madison to watch the play on Saturday night. I watched the performance. I watched my peers perform on stage... without me. I had nothing to do with this production and it was a surreal feeling for me. But it was afterwards... the reactions from the people that I knew was overwhelming in the best way possible. Every single one of them recognized me by my laugh... of course... but I was perfectly fine with that. I laughed that night, during and after the production, more than I have laughed in the last month. No lie.
I just... was so happy to see them. I had that same "theater energy" as when I was actually in the productions. I miss acting. I miss Drama Club... I miss so much about college. Now, I'm out in the "real world", working.... and working. This is what I have to look forward to for the next 80 years? Outlook is bleak at this point.
And I have no real complaints. Travis and I just passed the 15 month mark. We're still going strong. No big fights. Work is going well. I'm getting 40+ hours between the two jobs. Should not be unhappy.... but I know something is off.
Then, it's when that something starts to invade my thinking... and makes me overthink. Overanalyze everything. Why isn't this happening? Why can't it? What am I doing wrong? etc... >.<
Any suggestions? Advice?
Have you been there?
My energy is down. I seem to be irritable all the time... and/or tired. Even my days off aren't relieving anymore...
I don't like this. I want to be happy and "shiney" again... Even my hair colorist (who sees me every 2 months or so) said the other day that I wasn't "my normal happy self"... *heavy sigh*
Why? I can't seem to finish anything. I've given up on the 365 Project... and I started that 30 Day Drawing Challenge and only made it a week. Motivation is a stranger to me.
I think I might know what this something is.
Human interaction.
Seriously. I think that may be it... Since I moved to Dell Rapids and started working, I haven't had much interaction with anyone outside of Mandy and Travis. And I am, by no means, demeaning the interactions that I have with them. If I didn't have them, I'd probably go nuts... (Like I'm 'not' already...)
How did I find this out? I went to Madison to watch the play on Saturday night. I watched the performance. I watched my peers perform on stage... without me. I had nothing to do with this production and it was a surreal feeling for me. But it was afterwards... the reactions from the people that I knew was overwhelming in the best way possible. Every single one of them recognized me by my laugh... of course... but I was perfectly fine with that. I laughed that night, during and after the production, more than I have laughed in the last month. No lie.
I just... was so happy to see them. I had that same "theater energy" as when I was actually in the productions. I miss acting. I miss Drama Club... I miss so much about college. Now, I'm out in the "real world", working.... and working. This is what I have to look forward to for the next 80 years? Outlook is bleak at this point.
And I have no real complaints. Travis and I just passed the 15 month mark. We're still going strong. No big fights. Work is going well. I'm getting 40+ hours between the two jobs. Should not be unhappy.... but I know something is off.
Then, it's when that something starts to invade my thinking... and makes me overthink. Overanalyze everything. Why isn't this happening? Why can't it? What am I doing wrong? etc... >.<
Any suggestions? Advice?
Have you been there?
Monday, October 24, 2011
Still Going....
Hey there readers,
I know it's been a while and I'm sorry for that. I've been busy, busy, busy... Okay, not so much as busy as working A LOT.
Wal*Mart has been going well. There was a while there where I wasn't getting as many hours as I wanted because they were "cracking down" and limiting all the part-timers to their 32 hours.... But now it's "Christmas Season" so there are more hours available and I will be working approximately 40 hours there per week for the next couple of months. This is will be great for saving up the money I need to.
Then, there's Things Remembered. It's getting a lot better now. I was so nervous when I started, but I'm able to lead sales and bring in the numbers pretty well. I've been assigned to work all day Sundays... so being there for more than a handful of hours at a time helps. :D For example, yesterday I made 281% of our goal! Oh yes. haha I actually really like engraving things. It gives me some sort of creative outlet since I haven't been able to sit down and paint or draw.
Which.... I'm really sad about. I tried really hard to stick with the 30 Day Drawing Challenge... and I failed. Horribly. I ended up stopping after day... 11... or 12. Something like that. I think I wasn't able to think of what to do for one so then I skipped it that day and said I would do it the next day... Well, we know how that turned out, don't we? :( *heavy sigh* Bleh. Even now, I want to draw and paint, but my body and mind is just too tired. :( Gr.
Anyway.... what else? OOooo, Travis and I got a bed frame for our bed... FINALLY! haha It's so beautiful! It's one of those almost antique looking ones... solid wood and sturdy. (Pictures soon) A couple of downers... It came without the screws to put it together and I realized that we need a box spring. Sooo, for now we're going to use a piece of plywood until we're able to afford the box spring.
Yea... that's really all that's new lately. Thanks for tuning in!
Stay Tuned!
I know it's been a while and I'm sorry for that. I've been busy, busy, busy... Okay, not so much as busy as working A LOT.
Wal*Mart has been going well. There was a while there where I wasn't getting as many hours as I wanted because they were "cracking down" and limiting all the part-timers to their 32 hours.... But now it's "Christmas Season" so there are more hours available and I will be working approximately 40 hours there per week for the next couple of months. This is will be great for saving up the money I need to.
Then, there's Things Remembered. It's getting a lot better now. I was so nervous when I started, but I'm able to lead sales and bring in the numbers pretty well. I've been assigned to work all day Sundays... so being there for more than a handful of hours at a time helps. :D For example, yesterday I made 281% of our goal! Oh yes. haha I actually really like engraving things. It gives me some sort of creative outlet since I haven't been able to sit down and paint or draw.
Which.... I'm really sad about. I tried really hard to stick with the 30 Day Drawing Challenge... and I failed. Horribly. I ended up stopping after day... 11... or 12. Something like that. I think I wasn't able to think of what to do for one so then I skipped it that day and said I would do it the next day... Well, we know how that turned out, don't we? :( *heavy sigh* Bleh. Even now, I want to draw and paint, but my body and mind is just too tired. :( Gr.
Anyway.... what else? OOooo, Travis and I got a bed frame for our bed... FINALLY! haha It's so beautiful! It's one of those almost antique looking ones... solid wood and sturdy. (Pictures soon) A couple of downers... It came without the screws to put it together and I realized that we need a box spring. Sooo, for now we're going to use a piece of plywood until we're able to afford the box spring.
Yea... that's really all that's new lately. Thanks for tuning in!
Stay Tuned!
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Rediscovering Passion
That's right.... I've rediscovered my passion for painting. Although I've done mostly abstract pieces, I've just finished a portrait and it felt amazing. And I used watercolors... which I haven't used since high school. Yea... just a little long. But paying close attention to the details and getting back into using them was a great feeling. It's a day early, but he doesn't read this often enough for me to worry. :P So... here's Travis' 15 month anniversary gift....
The eyes ended up a little bit off to me... but not too bad. :D I hope he likes it. ^_^
Now that I've looked at it for a while... It looks like someone dancing in water... You know, I typically wait until I've finished a painting before naming it, but this time I had the idea and name all planned out before I even had the materials to do these paintings!
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| This is my favorite picture of him. It's from when we went to Florida for Spring Break last year. |
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| And my version. |
I guess I don't hate watercolors as much as I thought... Maybe it was just using them for landscapes that I didn't like... Or just one specific landscape in high school that I did that ended up looking like green mush. :P Thinking I'll have to use them a little more often. Especially if I'm (hopefully) going to go back to school for painting.
So... other updates... There's another painting that I've finished recently.
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| "Summer Dance" |
I feel so great right now! I have a feeling that all these blank canvases aren't going to be blank for much longer!
Stay Tuned!
Stay Tuned!
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
New Things
Alrighty.... it's been a long time. Too long. I'm trying to get better at this posting thing... and since I have a new blog for MelJean Designs I really need to get better at it. So... I'm going to try and make it a goal to post every day.... (Notice *try*...)
So yea... Let's see... Okay, so it's been since the end of July since I posted. :( Or at least the last thing I talked about was the vacation to Iowa. Alright, major catching up to do. Let's get started....
First thing... I officially started my job at Things Remembered about 3 weeks ago. It's going really well so far. I've only worked about 4-5 training shifts, but I've absorbed a lot. Or it seems that way, anyway. My manager, Nicole, started me on engraving last week. That was fun! I hope I'm on the engravers during the holiday season. I have some plates and stuff that I practiced on!
Stay Tuned!
So yea... Let's see... Okay, so it's been since the end of July since I posted. :( Or at least the last thing I talked about was the vacation to Iowa. Alright, major catching up to do. Let's get started....
First thing... I officially started my job at Things Remembered about 3 weeks ago. It's going really well so far. I've only worked about 4-5 training shifts, but I've absorbed a lot. Or it seems that way, anyway. My manager, Nicole, started me on engraving last week. That was fun! I hope I'm on the engravers during the holiday season. I have some plates and stuff that I practiced on!
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| Different kinds of plates using different techniques with the machine. YAY! :P |
So yea... those are just a few. More to come later... OH, wait! I did do some glass last time!
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| Isn't it puuuurty?! ^_^ |
So yes, I am excited to be working at this place. Granted, I was a little shakey at first, but it's awesome. It's a nice change of pace from Wal*Mart. Of course, I haven't experienced the holiday season with either place... We'll see how that goes. :P Nicole called a "meeting" tomorrow night for all of us. We're meeting at Chevy's. Never been there and I haven't met everyone yet, so it should be fun! :D
Second.... I've started painting more now. I finished two paintings in one weekend a few weeks ago... have another painting in my head. Well, actually it's three... three canvases put together to make one painting. Just have to get some stretcher boards and possibly more canvas. I have three blank, white canvases, but I really wanted to have the background of the natural canvas showing through... Yay for clear gesso. :P I can't wait to start it! I have it all planned out in my sketch book. I usually don't do that, but I was half awake a couple of mornings ago and just had to sketch it out or else I would have forgotten it. Thursday, aka payday, needs to get here quick.
Third.... I think my website is getting there. I haven't talked with Chad in a while, but I just checked it and there's a start to a website there. haha (Mental note: I need to send off my check to him....)
Fourth.... Um.... What else is new? OH! Britney asked me to be the Maid Of Honor in her wedding next summer! She had one and I was just a bridesmaid, but the other person wasn't doing so well, so I got promoted! haha I'm really excited! This will be my first shot at being an actual Maid of Honor. I have been before, but I wasn't able to actually perform any of my duties. Only held the title. Therefore, I have started a notebook for the "job" and jotting down notes and what not. ^_^ She and I are actually going to Sioux Falls together tomorrow. I'm excited!
Fifth.... Travis and I update. We are doing well. Still going strong at almost 15 months (Sept 30 will be 15 month anniversary). I think living together has turned out to be a great thing for us. I think it's somewhat helpful that we're on different schedules because the time we do get to spend together is more precious. However, there are times, like this weekend, where it gets a little frustrating. For instance, we both stayed the weekend in Sioux Falls at his aunt's place to save on gas. Well, we didn't see each other except for maybe 2-3 hours total all weekend. It sucked.... However, we both have tomorrow and Friday off! Last week we called that this Friday was our "date day." The plan is to do some fun things, but not to spend money. Course, that will be another payday for me, so it won't be horrible if we do... just limited spending. I love him so much. ^_^
And finally.... I think I'm going to head to bed now. I will (hopefully) be back tomorrow... Just not sure what else I'll be updating on... Ooo, maybe show you those new paintings!
Stay Tuned!
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
My Summer Vacation
I made it back to Iowa for a little while.... *sigh* It felt good.
Not sure what it is, but it's always nice to be home... Being around Hope and Charlie was awesome. Charlie is in Colt Cadets (Colt Cadets Info) so he was in rehearsal or performance most of the time I was there, but still got to spend a little time with him. Actually, I stopped in Dubuque to catch the end of one of his rehearsals. When I pulled up, they had just started their last run of the whole show. It ended up bringing a tear to my eye... Between seeing him do the same kind of thing I did in high school and missing doing that myself, emotions took over. It was a good thing. Then, later he had a performance that ended up getting rained out. :( There was quite the storm that went through Dubuque that night. Lightning, thunder, and two tornadoes. Driving home in pouring down rain was a little scary.... made it though.
Next day, was more or less just a hang out day. It was nice to just kick back and have no worries. Wait! The kids and I went to Dubuque to the mall. That's what it was! ^_^ Charlie ended up off with his friends and Hope stuck with me. She and I found her a cute shirt and earrings all for under $10! It was awesome. lol Also found out that I hate driving in Dubuque....
So, Friday.... Charles had Colt Cadets rehearsal in Friday instead of Thursday because of the early morning rain. Therefore, Hope and I ran into Maquoketa for the day. We first went to WalMart for some things and then off to the park. We hung out and chatted for a while. We headed over to Coyla's for the afternoon even though we weren't supposed to see her until Saturday. :P Hope ended up going to the fair with Hannah that night so that meant I stayed at Coyla's until about 10 pm.
Saturday was more or less the same as Friday except that Hope and I went to the fair that night after eating an amazing supper with Mom. We had steak, mashed potatoes, and brushetta with mushrooms, tomatoes, and spinach. OMG.... so delicious or as Grandma Jean would say, "Derelicious." haha Then, after cleaning up, settling down, and contacting Dena, I made plans to go to the fair to see Leah, Jill, Tim, and Dena. Hope wanted to go really bad.... she asked Mom and she said to ask me. So cute little Hope comes up to me and asks if she can go with me. At first, I wanted it to be just my friends and I since I had spent most of my time home with her, but as soon as she started looking sad, I couldn't tell her no. So... off we went. She went off with her friends and we checked in every 45 minutes or so. I went off with my friends and caught up. It was awesome. Even ran into a few other people I wasn't expecting to. ^_^
Then, Sunday arrived. The day I had to go home. :( I got up early... ish. I was on the road by 9:15 am. It was sad to say goodbye, as always. The drive was long... and hot without air conditioning. Luckily, for the reunion in a couple of weeks, we're taking Travis' car. hahaha
So... other than my big trip home, things are going well. Work is work... it's not bad though. I've been working nothing but 2-11 pm shifts for about 3-4 weeks now so that's a little boring, but I've learned most of the things I need to know in my position. Oh yea! On my way to Iowa, I got a call back from Things Remembered. Hopefully, I can get hired on there too... Maybe work mornings there and nights at Wal*Mart. I dunno. I just know that I need to do something... I'm just getting by with even 40 hours a week at Wal*Mart. Bleh. I hate feeling like I'm not getting anywhere.
Freelance work is at a sort of stand still. I'm working on it when I can, but with these 2-11 shifts... it's not helping. In a couple of weeks, I have a mix of different shifts so that'll be nice.
The living situation has greatly improved! Our ceiling is fixed! (For the most part... Travis and my room still need replaced, but the roof itself is fixed so it's not leaking anymore!) We didn't have to pay rent this month because of all the inconveniences. (Thank goodness too, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to take that trip home.) Now, we're just getting our faucet and possibly fridge fixed. Faucet leaks and fridge doesn't keep our stuff cold... even on the coldest setting. It's making it impossible to keep milk around... and that makes me sad. I haven't had milk forever... I'm very picky with my milk's temperature.
Let's see.... I can't really think of much else at the moment so I'll leave you with that. I hope to be able to make more time to blog more often... Oh yea! And I started up a blog for MelJean Designs! ^_^ Posts will be up there soon too!
Stay Tuned! ^_^
Not sure what it is, but it's always nice to be home... Being around Hope and Charlie was awesome. Charlie is in Colt Cadets (Colt Cadets Info) so he was in rehearsal or performance most of the time I was there, but still got to spend a little time with him. Actually, I stopped in Dubuque to catch the end of one of his rehearsals. When I pulled up, they had just started their last run of the whole show. It ended up bringing a tear to my eye... Between seeing him do the same kind of thing I did in high school and missing doing that myself, emotions took over. It was a good thing. Then, later he had a performance that ended up getting rained out. :( There was quite the storm that went through Dubuque that night. Lightning, thunder, and two tornadoes. Driving home in pouring down rain was a little scary.... made it though.
Next day, was more or less just a hang out day. It was nice to just kick back and have no worries. Wait! The kids and I went to Dubuque to the mall. That's what it was! ^_^ Charlie ended up off with his friends and Hope stuck with me. She and I found her a cute shirt and earrings all for under $10! It was awesome. lol Also found out that I hate driving in Dubuque....
So, Friday.... Charles had Colt Cadets rehearsal in Friday instead of Thursday because of the early morning rain. Therefore, Hope and I ran into Maquoketa for the day. We first went to WalMart for some things and then off to the park. We hung out and chatted for a while. We headed over to Coyla's for the afternoon even though we weren't supposed to see her until Saturday. :P Hope ended up going to the fair with Hannah that night so that meant I stayed at Coyla's until about 10 pm.
Saturday was more or less the same as Friday except that Hope and I went to the fair that night after eating an amazing supper with Mom. We had steak, mashed potatoes, and brushetta with mushrooms, tomatoes, and spinach. OMG.... so delicious or as Grandma Jean would say, "Derelicious." haha Then, after cleaning up, settling down, and contacting Dena, I made plans to go to the fair to see Leah, Jill, Tim, and Dena. Hope wanted to go really bad.... she asked Mom and she said to ask me. So cute little Hope comes up to me and asks if she can go with me. At first, I wanted it to be just my friends and I since I had spent most of my time home with her, but as soon as she started looking sad, I couldn't tell her no. So... off we went. She went off with her friends and we checked in every 45 minutes or so. I went off with my friends and caught up. It was awesome. Even ran into a few other people I wasn't expecting to. ^_^
Then, Sunday arrived. The day I had to go home. :( I got up early... ish. I was on the road by 9:15 am. It was sad to say goodbye, as always. The drive was long... and hot without air conditioning. Luckily, for the reunion in a couple of weeks, we're taking Travis' car. hahaha
So... other than my big trip home, things are going well. Work is work... it's not bad though. I've been working nothing but 2-11 pm shifts for about 3-4 weeks now so that's a little boring, but I've learned most of the things I need to know in my position. Oh yea! On my way to Iowa, I got a call back from Things Remembered. Hopefully, I can get hired on there too... Maybe work mornings there and nights at Wal*Mart. I dunno. I just know that I need to do something... I'm just getting by with even 40 hours a week at Wal*Mart. Bleh. I hate feeling like I'm not getting anywhere.
Freelance work is at a sort of stand still. I'm working on it when I can, but with these 2-11 shifts... it's not helping. In a couple of weeks, I have a mix of different shifts so that'll be nice.
The living situation has greatly improved! Our ceiling is fixed! (For the most part... Travis and my room still need replaced, but the roof itself is fixed so it's not leaking anymore!) We didn't have to pay rent this month because of all the inconveniences. (Thank goodness too, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to take that trip home.) Now, we're just getting our faucet and possibly fridge fixed. Faucet leaks and fridge doesn't keep our stuff cold... even on the coldest setting. It's making it impossible to keep milk around... and that makes me sad. I haven't had milk forever... I'm very picky with my milk's temperature.
Let's see.... I can't really think of much else at the moment so I'll leave you with that. I hope to be able to make more time to blog more often... Oh yea! And I started up a blog for MelJean Designs! ^_^ Posts will be up there soon too!
Stay Tuned! ^_^
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Yyyyea.... I know.
Been busy lately... I know...
So, I am thinking I should just take down the 365 project from here... It's on Facebook... thoughts?
Travis and my one year anniversary was amazing. ^_^ We had a picnic in the park. It was a little windy, but it was awesome anyway. I got him a shield pendant necklace engraved with "TJ Bentley" on one side and "I love you, always" on the other side. He liked it! He got my 2 seasons of Will & Grace and a book with all the 'behind-the-scenes' stuff about Sex & The City. ^_^
Other than that, I've been working at Wal*Mart "part time", but working 40 hours a week. Still a little "eh" on that, but it's money to pay the bills right now so... I can't complain too much.
Freelance work is still kicking. Working on a few things today... Just needed to take a break for a little while. Need to clean up our room... Kind of want to have it clean and spotless for when Travis comes back. Oh, yea, he went to Huron for the weekend/his birthday. I feel bad because I can't afford anything for his birthday since I got him something pretty big for our anniversary. It's not fair to lump it together. That's like being a Christmas baby... a lot of people end up just bulking the two things together... Not fair. I will think of something... or try to anyway. I wanted to have something else done for him by now, but between moving and working, I haven't been able to work on it at all. Maybe by our 2 year anniversary, I'll have it ready. *sigh*
Anyway... I guess that's all I really have for the time being. Even though I don't post as often anymore, I hope you all....
Stay Tuned! :)
So, I am thinking I should just take down the 365 project from here... It's on Facebook... thoughts?
Travis and my one year anniversary was amazing. ^_^ We had a picnic in the park. It was a little windy, but it was awesome anyway. I got him a shield pendant necklace engraved with "TJ Bentley" on one side and "I love you, always" on the other side. He liked it! He got my 2 seasons of Will & Grace and a book with all the 'behind-the-scenes' stuff about Sex & The City. ^_^
Other than that, I've been working at Wal*Mart "part time", but working 40 hours a week. Still a little "eh" on that, but it's money to pay the bills right now so... I can't complain too much.
Freelance work is still kicking. Working on a few things today... Just needed to take a break for a little while. Need to clean up our room... Kind of want to have it clean and spotless for when Travis comes back. Oh, yea, he went to Huron for the weekend/his birthday. I feel bad because I can't afford anything for his birthday since I got him something pretty big for our anniversary. It's not fair to lump it together. That's like being a Christmas baby... a lot of people end up just bulking the two things together... Not fair. I will think of something... or try to anyway. I wanted to have something else done for him by now, but between moving and working, I haven't been able to work on it at all. Maybe by our 2 year anniversary, I'll have it ready. *sigh*
Anyway... I guess that's all I really have for the time being. Even though I don't post as often anymore, I hope you all....
Stay Tuned! :)
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Major Overdue Update
Alrighty... Where do I start....? I think a bullet list would be best.
-New apartment in a new town with roommates. Amanda (Mandy) Schager, Travis, and I have moved into a 2-bedroom apartment in downtown Dell Rapids. We are still settling in, but it's only the last few things. It's spacious, it's relatively new... ish, and can fit everything. :) Pictures soon.
-Also, Travis has moved in! Yes, that's right... he's moved in!
-New jobs sprung from previous one. After seeing how hard-working I was helping out with the west-side Walmart's remodel, the store planner, V, decided to take me over to the east-side store with her to help out over there on overnights. Before that even, a few of the store associates working with the remodel team had recommended me to the store for hire. So... I filled out an application and got an interview. Actually, three interviews all in the same day. The third one wasn't really an interview, but more of a filling out of paperwork because I was hired. ^_^ Tuesday is my orientation for apparel/jewelry department. Woot, woot.
-Freelance design work is taking off. I have about 6 little projects lined up ranging from tattoo designing to logo vectorizing to wedding invitations. ^_^ I'm very excited! I was even hired to photograph a wedding... turned out well. I won't say that my work is anything unique... I haven't developed my eye behind the camera yet... :S
-Everything else.... is going great! :D The past few days, we've been adjusting a few things here and there. I hung up Travis and my curtain rods yesterday. (Still gotta find the other curtain... have no clue where it ended up in the shuffle...) Really, the last room that needs completed is Travis and my room. :D Other than that... I guess I have a whole list of things that I've done or helped with so far...
-Travis and I put together my bookshelf and set it up in the livingroom
-I took down a couple of towel rods and moved one of them to the kitchen.
-Mandy and I hung up artwork/photography in the apartment to break up the white walls.
-I've organized the cabinets with the aid of wire shelving. (Bought by all three of us)
-I made our bathroom closet more useable with cube shelving and more inconspicuous with the use of a sheer curtain.
There's other little things, but I can't think of them right now. I'm excited to get everything done and say it's all put in it's place. Sadly, some of that requires more purchasing that none of us can afford right now... so we're kinda sitting at a stand still. I'm actually still looking for a second part-time job to help with that problem. I've applied at a couple of places, but haven't heard back. I guess we'll see. :)
Stay Tuned!
PS. I know I'm UBER behind on the 365 project.... :s It's updated on Facebook. When I get time, which will probably be tomorrow, I will be sure to update it. :D
-New apartment in a new town with roommates. Amanda (Mandy) Schager, Travis, and I have moved into a 2-bedroom apartment in downtown Dell Rapids. We are still settling in, but it's only the last few things. It's spacious, it's relatively new... ish, and can fit everything. :) Pictures soon.
-Also, Travis has moved in! Yes, that's right... he's moved in!
-New jobs sprung from previous one. After seeing how hard-working I was helping out with the west-side Walmart's remodel, the store planner, V, decided to take me over to the east-side store with her to help out over there on overnights. Before that even, a few of the store associates working with the remodel team had recommended me to the store for hire. So... I filled out an application and got an interview. Actually, three interviews all in the same day. The third one wasn't really an interview, but more of a filling out of paperwork because I was hired. ^_^ Tuesday is my orientation for apparel/jewelry department. Woot, woot.
-Freelance design work is taking off. I have about 6 little projects lined up ranging from tattoo designing to logo vectorizing to wedding invitations. ^_^ I'm very excited! I was even hired to photograph a wedding... turned out well. I won't say that my work is anything unique... I haven't developed my eye behind the camera yet... :S
-Everything else.... is going great! :D The past few days, we've been adjusting a few things here and there. I hung up Travis and my curtain rods yesterday. (Still gotta find the other curtain... have no clue where it ended up in the shuffle...) Really, the last room that needs completed is Travis and my room. :D Other than that... I guess I have a whole list of things that I've done or helped with so far...
-Travis and I put together my bookshelf and set it up in the livingroom
-I took down a couple of towel rods and moved one of them to the kitchen.
-Mandy and I hung up artwork/photography in the apartment to break up the white walls.
-I've organized the cabinets with the aid of wire shelving. (Bought by all three of us)
-I made our bathroom closet more useable with cube shelving and more inconspicuous with the use of a sheer curtain.
There's other little things, but I can't think of them right now. I'm excited to get everything done and say it's all put in it's place. Sadly, some of that requires more purchasing that none of us can afford right now... so we're kinda sitting at a stand still. I'm actually still looking for a second part-time job to help with that problem. I've applied at a couple of places, but haven't heard back. I guess we'll see. :)
Stay Tuned!
PS. I know I'm UBER behind on the 365 project.... :s It's updated on Facebook. When I get time, which will probably be tomorrow, I will be sure to update it. :D
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Well, well, well.... Things are finally coming together! ^_^
First, late last week, I was called by my new employer and asked to start 2 weeks early. SO... I'm starting in Sioux Falls helping them remodel the West Side WalMart until May 30th when I start working in Brookings. However... after finding out information that you'll read in just a little bit, I'm going to ask if I can stay in Sioux Falls as long as I can.
What could that information be? Well......
As of today, I will be moving to Dell Rapids in about 2 weeks. So excited! I will be moving in with Mandy and (hopefully) Travis. It's a 2 bedroom place and will be very nice on the financial front. I haven't seen the place, but I'm thinking it will be an awesome place. ^_^ Very, very excited to finally know what's going on. haha Well, with me anyway.... Travis is still waiting to hear back, but we're still hoping for the best. ^_^
*sigh* Travis is spending this weekend with me and it's been amazing. He got here Friday afternoon and we went to Jordyn's (his "cousin") graduation party. Then, came back from that and just hung out. Today, we took a walk, before it started raining, ran a few errands and are now using Classic Corner for their internet. lol Tomorrow will probably follow the same kind of routine. It's so nice not to have anything to HAVE to do or anywhere we HAVE to be. :D
So yea... I will be starting work 2 weeks early.... 45 hours a week.... Monday - Friday, 8 am - 5 pm. It's appealing now, but I know it's not going to be tons of fun. It will be alright though. Just a summer job. This will give me a little more time to look around for a job to continue with in the fall. Excited to have money again.
Stay Tuned! ^_^
First, late last week, I was called by my new employer and asked to start 2 weeks early. SO... I'm starting in Sioux Falls helping them remodel the West Side WalMart until May 30th when I start working in Brookings. However... after finding out information that you'll read in just a little bit, I'm going to ask if I can stay in Sioux Falls as long as I can.
What could that information be? Well......
As of today, I will be moving to Dell Rapids in about 2 weeks. So excited! I will be moving in with Mandy and (hopefully) Travis. It's a 2 bedroom place and will be very nice on the financial front. I haven't seen the place, but I'm thinking it will be an awesome place. ^_^ Very, very excited to finally know what's going on. haha Well, with me anyway.... Travis is still waiting to hear back, but we're still hoping for the best. ^_^
*sigh* Travis is spending this weekend with me and it's been amazing. He got here Friday afternoon and we went to Jordyn's (his "cousin") graduation party. Then, came back from that and just hung out. Today, we took a walk, before it started raining, ran a few errands and are now using Classic Corner for their internet. lol Tomorrow will probably follow the same kind of routine. It's so nice not to have anything to HAVE to do or anywhere we HAVE to be. :D
So yea... I will be starting work 2 weeks early.... 45 hours a week.... Monday - Friday, 8 am - 5 pm. It's appealing now, but I know it's not going to be tons of fun. It will be alright though. Just a summer job. This will give me a little more time to look around for a job to continue with in the fall. Excited to have money again.
Stay Tuned! ^_^
Thursday, May 5, 2011
*insert witty title here*
I usually come up with a witty title before starting to write the entry..... This time I'm blanking. :(
Anyway, today is my last official day as a DSU student.... I have a presentation at 1 and another at 4... then, I'm D-O-N-E, done. Wow. I'm done....
It sort of hit me last week, but now... It's really like... *BOOM* Hitting me in the face hard enough to land me on my ass... Yea.
Family is coming in today and tomorrow.... Grandparents tonight, Mom, Randy, and the kids tomorrow, Uncle tomorrow... Aunts and grandpa tomorrow... Neither my father or dad can make it. Callie can't make it either. :( Been wondering if I should invite Mike and DeEtt... (They are brother-in-law and sister of Scott's... but they also helped me move in... Yep, inviting them. Wouldn't have been able to get where I am now without their help in the beginning. Done.
So yea... apparently Scott will be up here too. It's that weird ground.... He's friends with my dad... so that makes him a kind of "family friend", as well as his family (i.e. Mike and DeEtt)... then again, he's my ex... Odd ground to walk on... Bleh. Not a fan.
Anyway... OOOO! B in Marketing! Sweet! ^_^ (Just found that out. haha)
Alright, that's it for today. Probably will write one after the big day.
STAY TUNED! ^_^
Anyway, today is my last official day as a DSU student.... I have a presentation at 1 and another at 4... then, I'm D-O-N-E, done. Wow. I'm done....
It sort of hit me last week, but now... It's really like... *BOOM* Hitting me in the face hard enough to land me on my ass... Yea.
Family is coming in today and tomorrow.... Grandparents tonight, Mom, Randy, and the kids tomorrow, Uncle tomorrow... Aunts and grandpa tomorrow... Neither my father or dad can make it. Callie can't make it either. :( Been wondering if I should invite Mike and DeEtt... (They are brother-in-law and sister of Scott's... but they also helped me move in... Yep, inviting them. Wouldn't have been able to get where I am now without their help in the beginning. Done.
So yea... apparently Scott will be up here too. It's that weird ground.... He's friends with my dad... so that makes him a kind of "family friend", as well as his family (i.e. Mike and DeEtt)... then again, he's my ex... Odd ground to walk on... Bleh. Not a fan.
Anyway... OOOO! B in Marketing! Sweet! ^_^ (Just found that out. haha)
Alright, that's it for today. Probably will write one after the big day.
STAY TUNED! ^_^
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Trademarking
Alright people. As you may or may not know... I have a few freelance jobs coming up (i.e. wedding invites & photos)... So, I want to come up with a "company name" for myself... so to speak. Here are my options...
First, do I use:
-MelJean
-Melissa Jean
or something else like...
-Traveling Artist
-Starving Artist
Then, what about these choices:
-Productions (almost seems too... animating studio-ish)
-Graphics (overused?)
-Media (too interactive-based...? I don't do web...)
-Boutique (too... flowery...?)
-Designs (too plain.)
So... make combinations from all of those... I'm not sure which one I'd like. The services that I would offer would be:
-Fine art
-Graphic design
-Minor video editing
-Very minor photography
So mostly fine art and graphic design... I have no right to call myself a photographer... so I don't want to give that impression. So... yea. Thinking I need to keep thinking... Bleh.
Stay Tuned! (... and let me know your thoughts!)
First, do I use:
-MelJean
-Melissa Jean
or something else like...
-Traveling Artist
-Starving Artist
Then, what about these choices:
-Productions (almost seems too... animating studio-ish)
-Graphics (overused?)
-Media (too interactive-based...? I don't do web...)
-Boutique (too... flowery...?)
-Designs (too plain.)
So... make combinations from all of those... I'm not sure which one I'd like. The services that I would offer would be:
-Fine art
-Graphic design
-Minor video editing
-Very minor photography
So mostly fine art and graphic design... I have no right to call myself a photographer... so I don't want to give that impression. So... yea. Thinking I need to keep thinking... Bleh.
Stay Tuned! (... and let me know your thoughts!)
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Whoa!
Hey there followers!
Okay... so this is what's been going through my phone and email lately as far as responses for job inquiries.
Harold's Photo - Email, not hiring until they can better define the position they're hiring for
Daktronics - Call, have a phone interview on Thursday for the Painting department... thinking night shift just in case I happen to get the Fresh Produce internship... Yes, it's a "manufacturing department" job... BUT someone has to do it and it usually pay pretty well. :)
Fresh Produce - Should hear back from them on Thursday whether I have the job or not. The interview went well! The only question that got me was when they asked, "What's your creative process?" Still feel pretty confident about it!
Professional Training Services - Had an interview Saturday, sent a follow-up email... waiting to hear back
That's pretty much it... I'm very excited! Everything is coming together. OH YES! I still have to send off my DVD and such to Prairie Graphics, Inc. & Funky Fresh. Wow... much better outlook than I ever imagined.
Stay Tuned!
Okay... so this is what's been going through my phone and email lately as far as responses for job inquiries.
Harold's Photo - Email, not hiring until they can better define the position they're hiring for
Daktronics - Call, have a phone interview on Thursday for the Painting department... thinking night shift just in case I happen to get the Fresh Produce internship... Yes, it's a "manufacturing department" job... BUT someone has to do it and it usually pay pretty well. :)
Fresh Produce - Should hear back from them on Thursday whether I have the job or not. The interview went well! The only question that got me was when they asked, "What's your creative process?" Still feel pretty confident about it!
Professional Training Services - Had an interview Saturday, sent a follow-up email... waiting to hear back
That's pretty much it... I'm very excited! Everything is coming together. OH YES! I still have to send off my DVD and such to Prairie Graphics, Inc. & Funky Fresh. Wow... much better outlook than I ever imagined.
Stay Tuned!
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Fruits of My Weekend Labor
Alright people! You want to see my portfolio?!
You didn't think I was going to start you off with the final product did you?! :P
Since I couldn't use the full size suitcase like I wanted, I decided to downsize. Therefore, that meant building one... from scratch. SO... I started sketching. And taking notes. And more sketching...
Then, I started implementing and putting together some prototypes. Ended up not even using mat board at all...
These are the boards that go on the inside. They are 5x7. Brilliant, right? lol That was most of Saturday, actually... It took forever to figure out what was wrong with the printer. The two on the far right printed off just fine, but when I had to print off the pictures that were full color and everything, they looked horrible. Turned off the gloss optimizer, as Travis suggested, and they printed out beautifully! ^_^
Now, most of today was actually putting the whole thing together. Very tedious. Being the perfectionist that I am, it probably took me a little longer than needed. However, I think it paid off!
I think lining the inside may have been the most intricate part... or perhaps wrapping every piece of foam board with paper. So much glue. LOL Anyway, the canvas string lies underneath the boards in order to help me lift them out. :D Still stumped on how to fill that empty gap between the canvas "box" and the outside walls. :S I wanted to make the canvas go from the "box" to the outside walls so it looks like the boards are just sunk into a "bed of canvas" or sorts... Just couldn't figure out how. :S
Alright... are you ready for them? Here are the pictures of the final result!
So that's what my weekend consisted of. :P Now, I get to try it out tomorrow for my interview with Fresh Produce! ^_^ I'm excited!
Stay Tuned!
You didn't think I was going to start you off with the final product did you?! :P
 |
| Sketches |
 |
| My first though on materials: mat board. |
Then, I started implementing and putting together some prototypes. Ended up not even using mat board at all...
 |
| The labels on the backs of the boards with the information. |
 |
| Top of the top... :P This is the texture I used all over. It's actually some resume paper that I picked up about a year ago to print my resume and stuff on, but never used... Perfect for this! |
 |
| Inside of the top. Resume on the left, business card on the right. Used transparent photo corners to keep them in place. |
Now, most of today was actually putting the whole thing together. Very tedious. Being the perfectionist that I am, it probably took me a little longer than needed. However, I think it paid off!
 |
| All of the same thing, just 3 different states. |
Alright... are you ready for them? Here are the pictures of the final result!
 |
| The insides... |
 |
| And the outside! Found parts to make it look like a suitcase! |
 |
| They make it look real! |
Stay Tuned!
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Are You Tuned In?
Oh my... tonight I'm on another role.
I was stressing about trying to print on big paper (that I'd have to buy) and mount those prints on mat board (that I'd have to buy) and then trying to finish the full-sized suitcase version of my portfolio. Then, I looked down at a pile of 5x7 pieces of mat board that I had brought home from Beadle Hall basement a while ago... That's when it hit me. I can use the extra mat board from there (that I don't have to buy) to build a smaller version of my suitcase. Then, I can print my portfolio pieces on the 8.5x11 paper that I already have (and therefore, don't have to buy). Done!
So ever since then... which was about 6 pm... I've been sketching and working on the print outs to mount onto the 5x7 pieces of mat board to put into the small suitcase. I'm very excited to be working this all out. Hopefully, it works out that well in my head. ^_^
Then, there is fantastic news that.... I AM A FINALIST FOR THE FRESH PRODUCE INTERNSHIP!
o.
m.
g.
So excited! I think that was part of the inspiration because I have to have something to show them when I go for the interview next week. Which reminds me... anyone going on Monday or Wednesday between 1 & 5 pm? I could use a ride... heh heh... Yea. If I don't find a ride, I will *hopefully* be able to do an over-the-phone interview. We'll have to see. I put a call in as soon as I received the email so I should have first dibs on when I get a time...
Let's see... I'm pretty pumped to be getting somewhere on my portfolio. :D AH!
Okay... now I'm starting to get tired... Just a little.
Oh, yea... about the post from the other day (that no one commented on... :() A living situation may be figured out for after graduation. Not 100% sure yet... have to wait for other things to be sorted out first so I will leave it at that for now. But it's a great situation if it works out!
Then... I guess I should get going to bed. I'll probably do some more sketching and then go to bed. Fall asleep with the pencil in my hand again, maybe. Bwahahaha :P
Stay Tuned!
PS. Thank you to all the new followers! ^_^
I was stressing about trying to print on big paper (that I'd have to buy) and mount those prints on mat board (that I'd have to buy) and then trying to finish the full-sized suitcase version of my portfolio. Then, I looked down at a pile of 5x7 pieces of mat board that I had brought home from Beadle Hall basement a while ago... That's when it hit me. I can use the extra mat board from there (that I don't have to buy) to build a smaller version of my suitcase. Then, I can print my portfolio pieces on the 8.5x11 paper that I already have (and therefore, don't have to buy). Done!
So ever since then... which was about 6 pm... I've been sketching and working on the print outs to mount onto the 5x7 pieces of mat board to put into the small suitcase. I'm very excited to be working this all out. Hopefully, it works out that well in my head. ^_^
Then, there is fantastic news that.... I AM A FINALIST FOR THE FRESH PRODUCE INTERNSHIP!
o.
m.
g.
So excited! I think that was part of the inspiration because I have to have something to show them when I go for the interview next week. Which reminds me... anyone going on Monday or Wednesday between 1 & 5 pm? I could use a ride... heh heh... Yea. If I don't find a ride, I will *hopefully* be able to do an over-the-phone interview. We'll have to see. I put a call in as soon as I received the email so I should have first dibs on when I get a time...
Let's see... I'm pretty pumped to be getting somewhere on my portfolio. :D AH!
Okay... now I'm starting to get tired... Just a little.
Oh, yea... about the post from the other day (that no one commented on... :() A living situation may be figured out for after graduation. Not 100% sure yet... have to wait for other things to be sorted out first so I will leave it at that for now. But it's a great situation if it works out!
Then... I guess I should get going to bed. I'll probably do some more sketching and then go to bed. Fall asleep with the pencil in my hand again, maybe. Bwahahaha :P
Stay Tuned!
PS. Thank you to all the new followers! ^_^
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Best. Non-Rejection. Ever.
Melissa,
Thank you for your interest in [INSERT JOB TITLE HERE] I regret to inform you that
Boy, I hate starting rejection letters that way, so today I’m not going to. Scroll back up there and delete that line. I’ll give you a minute.
Done?
Good.
Prairie Graphics does not currently have any job openings. I say “currently” because you just never know. One of my employees might steal all the money in the till tonight, or make a bad pot of coffee, or park in my spot, or set fire to a customer’s underwear, or I may just get tired of putting up with some annoying personal habit… you just never know. You see, Prairie Graphics operates much like a pirate ship. Oh sure, it all looks glamorous and exciting, but once you realize that swabbing the deck, peeling potatoes, heaving-to, weighing anchor, and trying to figure out just what “Avast!” means consumes most of your working day, the shine starts to wear off if you catch my drift. Like pirates, I’m pretty sure most of the crew here are averse to bathing, have too many tattoos, complain about sleeping with rats, and spend those hours swabbing the deck filled with dreams of mutiny.
Here’s what I propose: I would be happy to receive a copy of your resume and some examples of your work to keep on file just in case any of these current scurvy dogs decides to saw halfway through my peg leg again. After they’ve been made to walk the plank, I would be happy to put into port and give you a holler to see if you’re still interested in joining the crew. Deal?
Jon Bultman - Captain
S.S. Prairie Graphics
This was the email that I received from Prairie Graphics, Inc. after I had inquired about a job opening. I have to say, it's the best email that I've read in a while. hahahahahahaha Highlight of my day.
Thank you for your interest in [INSERT JOB TITLE HERE] I regret to inform you that
Boy, I hate starting rejection letters that way, so today I’m not going to. Scroll back up there and delete that line. I’ll give you a minute.
Done?
Good.
Prairie Graphics does not currently have any job openings. I say “currently” because you just never know. One of my employees might steal all the money in the till tonight, or make a bad pot of coffee, or park in my spot, or set fire to a customer’s underwear, or I may just get tired of putting up with some annoying personal habit… you just never know. You see, Prairie Graphics operates much like a pirate ship. Oh sure, it all looks glamorous and exciting, but once you realize that swabbing the deck, peeling potatoes, heaving-to, weighing anchor, and trying to figure out just what “Avast!” means consumes most of your working day, the shine starts to wear off if you catch my drift. Like pirates, I’m pretty sure most of the crew here are averse to bathing, have too many tattoos, complain about sleeping with rats, and spend those hours swabbing the deck filled with dreams of mutiny.
Here’s what I propose: I would be happy to receive a copy of your resume and some examples of your work to keep on file just in case any of these current scurvy dogs decides to saw halfway through my peg leg again. After they’ve been made to walk the plank, I would be happy to put into port and give you a holler to see if you’re still interested in joining the crew. Deal?
Jon Bultman - Captain
S.S. Prairie Graphics
This was the email that I received from Prairie Graphics, Inc. after I had inquired about a job opening. I have to say, it's the best email that I've read in a while. hahahahahahaha Highlight of my day.
Monday, April 11, 2011
^_^
Alright, very excited!
Plans are starting to take shape.... Everything is kind of waiting on other things to happen, but we'll see soon.
Do you want to know the details....?
COMMENT! hahahahahaha
Stay Tuned!
Plans are starting to take shape.... Everything is kind of waiting on other things to happen, but we'll see soon.
Do you want to know the details....?
COMMENT! hahahahahaha
Stay Tuned!
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Off Day
Today is just an off day...
Was talking with Travis and things just turned weird... *shrugs* We were talking about one thing and I told him how much I cared for him and felt for him and he seemed to disregard it as if I didn't say it... Am I overanalyzing things? Am I going overboard? I'm not sure... Just... off.
Was talking with Travis and things just turned weird... *shrugs* We were talking about one thing and I told him how much I cared for him and felt for him and he seemed to disregard it as if I didn't say it... Am I overanalyzing things? Am I going overboard? I'm not sure... Just... off.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Positive Energy!
Well, after having my car die yesterday, today is turning everything positive.
Within the last hour, I've been asked to design wedding invitations for a June 2012 wedding and been handed the opportunity to design a logo for a food bank. Today is a good day. More later!
STAY TUNED!
Within the last hour, I've been asked to design wedding invitations for a June 2012 wedding and been handed the opportunity to design a logo for a food bank. Today is a good day. More later!
STAY TUNED!
Monday, April 4, 2011
Ups & Downs
Good Afternoon Followers,
The following blog is part rant, part depression, and part fear for the future. Please, proceed with caution.
Alright... we'll start at the top of the morning. Travis stayed over last night so when we woke up, it was amazing to see him there. We had breakfast and then started heading to Howard to get my car. (For those who didn't know, I was finally able to get someone to tow my car to Howard and it's been sitting there for a few weeks. When I called last week to check on it, one of the guys told me it was just the spark plug wires instead of being the fuel pump like I had thought.) When we get to the shop, I go inside and talk to the guy I talked to in the way beginning. He comes to tell me that the other guy mixed me up with someone else and that they don't know what's wrong with my car. Yep, that's right. He tells me that not only is the fuel pump *probably* still bad, but also that the transmission is probably going to be going out soon. Oh yes. The two most expensive problems with my car.... So, now it seems like my car is just a ticking bomb before it just stops working all together. >.< Positive aspects: 1) I have my car back. 2) I was able to break the amount due into payments. Only paid about $30 today. 3) Ended up with free lunch from my aunt for Travis and I.
Then, there's the fact that I'm broke as a joke. Work study is definitely not enough to get me by like I thought. :( Applying to a few places.
-AmericInn in Madison. Just turned that application in hours ago.
-Daktronics in Brookings. Applied online.
-Fresh Produce in Sioux Falls. Sent "mini portfolio" in on Thursday.
-Funky Fresh in Sioux Falls. Preparing another "mini portfolio" to send out to them this coming week.
We will see if I hear back from any of those in the next couple of days/weeks. *crosses fingers*
Let's see... The musical is over and it's definitely bittersweet. I have more time during the week for homework, etc. However, I'm going to miss seeing everyone so often. We really became a family and it was awesome. ~To anyone reading this that was involved with the musical in anyway, I will miss you!~ I will also have time to clean my apartment. That is one area that has severely suffered due to my lack of free time. In addition to those things, I'm hoping I will have more time for my own artwork... but I know that's asking a bit much at this point in time.
Starting to gather things for graduation... sort of. I guess I don't have much to "gather"... just finishing up projects and such. I have articles to write, a portfolio to complete, a character to give expressions to, reading to do, papers to write... Yea, lots of stuff.
Thinking of all of those things makes me think of what's going to happen after graduation. Friends that I may not see for a while... or perhaps ever. Makes me sad to think I may not see some of these friends again. Thankfully, there's Facebook and such, but that can't replace actual interactions. Of course, quite a bit rides on where I end up working. Yes, I feel a little behind, but now I feel a little better knowing I have my resume out there in a few places. Still worried about other things though... *sigh*
Living life one day at a time.
Stay Tuned!
The following blog is part rant, part depression, and part fear for the future. Please, proceed with caution.
Alright... we'll start at the top of the morning. Travis stayed over last night so when we woke up, it was amazing to see him there. We had breakfast and then started heading to Howard to get my car. (For those who didn't know, I was finally able to get someone to tow my car to Howard and it's been sitting there for a few weeks. When I called last week to check on it, one of the guys told me it was just the spark plug wires instead of being the fuel pump like I had thought.) When we get to the shop, I go inside and talk to the guy I talked to in the way beginning. He comes to tell me that the other guy mixed me up with someone else and that they don't know what's wrong with my car. Yep, that's right. He tells me that not only is the fuel pump *probably* still bad, but also that the transmission is probably going to be going out soon. Oh yes. The two most expensive problems with my car.... So, now it seems like my car is just a ticking bomb before it just stops working all together. >.< Positive aspects: 1) I have my car back. 2) I was able to break the amount due into payments. Only paid about $30 today. 3) Ended up with free lunch from my aunt for Travis and I.
Then, there's the fact that I'm broke as a joke. Work study is definitely not enough to get me by like I thought. :( Applying to a few places.
-AmericInn in Madison. Just turned that application in hours ago.
-Daktronics in Brookings. Applied online.
-Fresh Produce in Sioux Falls. Sent "mini portfolio" in on Thursday.
-Funky Fresh in Sioux Falls. Preparing another "mini portfolio" to send out to them this coming week.
We will see if I hear back from any of those in the next couple of days/weeks. *crosses fingers*
Let's see... The musical is over and it's definitely bittersweet. I have more time during the week for homework, etc. However, I'm going to miss seeing everyone so often. We really became a family and it was awesome. ~To anyone reading this that was involved with the musical in anyway, I will miss you!~ I will also have time to clean my apartment. That is one area that has severely suffered due to my lack of free time. In addition to those things, I'm hoping I will have more time for my own artwork... but I know that's asking a bit much at this point in time.
Starting to gather things for graduation... sort of. I guess I don't have much to "gather"... just finishing up projects and such. I have articles to write, a portfolio to complete, a character to give expressions to, reading to do, papers to write... Yea, lots of stuff.
Thinking of all of those things makes me think of what's going to happen after graduation. Friends that I may not see for a while... or perhaps ever. Makes me sad to think I may not see some of these friends again. Thankfully, there's Facebook and such, but that can't replace actual interactions. Of course, quite a bit rides on where I end up working. Yes, I feel a little behind, but now I feel a little better knowing I have my resume out there in a few places. Still worried about other things though... *sigh*
Living life one day at a time.
Stay Tuned!
Monday, March 28, 2011
I'm on a roll!
Holy cow... Been working for like... 4+ hours on my resume package. Finally, it's progressing. I'm not even sure why I'm still up at 3:45 am working on it... I guess I haven't really gotten tired yet. I think the nap I took this afternoon helped... a lot. Take a look....
So... I need your thoughts! Working on the Director file now, but if I can't finish it by Tuesday night at the latest, I will just have to put a slideshow on the DVD instead. LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK... (Denise. :P)
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| This is the DVD case. It will open horizontally instead of vertically.... |
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| Now... this is the resume and it will be the insert for the DVD. However... on the case, i added the rounded rectangles and kind of liked them. So.... |
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| Do I keep them? Do I need to add more to the resume?... :S |
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| You know I had to make a DVD label! |
Stay Tuned!
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Is it wrong....
That I'm staying at Travis'... On the futon... without him by my side and all I want to do is go and cuddle with him in his room... even just sleep on his floor?
SOooooo, I asked him about getting an apa
rtment together this summer... "I'm not completely against it, but I would lean towards separate." *sad face*... I mean, I understand. It's a huge step and he said that too. Just.... If I'm going to be over at his place all the time, why not move in? And... it'd be financially responsible, right? Hm... we'll see how he feels closer to graduation.
Ugh... so much more tired that I thought I was. More set building this weekend.
And I apologize that I haven't been keeping up on the pictures. I've taken pictures, but just haven't posted them. :S
Okay. Going to. Pass. Out....
Stay Tuned!
SOooooo, I asked him about getting an apa
rtment together this summer... "I'm not completely against it, but I would lean towards separate." *sad face*... I mean, I understand. It's a huge step and he said that too. Just.... If I'm going to be over at his place all the time, why not move in? And... it'd be financially responsible, right? Hm... we'll see how he feels closer to graduation.
Ugh... so much more tired that I thought I was. More set building this weekend.
And I apologize that I haven't been keeping up on the pictures. I've taken pictures, but just haven't posted them. :S
Okay. Going to. Pass. Out....
Stay Tuned!
Friday, March 25, 2011
Time is flying....
Um, yea... too fast, at that.
Over the past couple of days, I've felt the pressure of graduation... Projects, money issues, living situation...not issues, but... unknowns. There we go. Projects: So many... just a little overwhelming at the moment, but I'm going to work through it! (I hope... of course) Money issues... yea, lack of income other than work study isn't ideal. I'm applying to Americinn for housekeeping. Doesn't seem like such a bad deal if I can get weekends. As far as the living situation unknowns, it applies to after graduation. I worked up the courage to ask Travis about the possibility of moving in together... It's still developing. I'll keep you posted on that.
Let's see... I'm slowly working through my mile-long to-do list. After play is done next weekend, I will be able to start working faster through it. :) I'll be sad when play is over though. It's my last performance as a DSU student. Wow... a month and a week after that, we graduate. WE. GRADUATE. *walls closing in*
I'm a little relaxed though... I have a couple of things lined up. Pretty sure I've mentioned these... Anyway, I'm not completely in the dark... only partially. :)
Alright, I'm off to bed. It's almost 2:30 am. Sleep!
Stay Tuned!
Over the past couple of days, I've felt the pressure of graduation... Projects, money issues, living situation...not issues, but... unknowns. There we go. Projects: So many... just a little overwhelming at the moment, but I'm going to work through it! (I hope... of course) Money issues... yea, lack of income other than work study isn't ideal. I'm applying to Americinn for housekeeping. Doesn't seem like such a bad deal if I can get weekends. As far as the living situation unknowns, it applies to after graduation. I worked up the courage to ask Travis about the possibility of moving in together... It's still developing. I'll keep you posted on that.
Let's see... I'm slowly working through my mile-long to-do list. After play is done next weekend, I will be able to start working faster through it. :) I'll be sad when play is over though. It's my last performance as a DSU student. Wow... a month and a week after that, we graduate. WE. GRADUATE. *walls closing in*
I'm a little relaxed though... I have a couple of things lined up. Pretty sure I've mentioned these... Anyway, I'm not completely in the dark... only partially. :)
Alright, I'm off to bed. It's almost 2:30 am. Sleep!
Stay Tuned!
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Public Transportation = BUST
Yep, that's right. I couldn't figure things out so we ended up waiting for Michael to get home for lunch and he just took us to the mall on his way back to work. :P Would have been an adventure though... hopefully a good one anyway. (Sorry to hear about your incident, Preston... if you're reading this.)
Either way, Travis and I have DISNEY tomorrow! ^_^ I'm really excited! We have all-day passes to one of the parks of our choosing. Any guesses as to where we're going? MAGIC KINGDOM, of course. hehe We're getting up and going around 10 tomorrow, I think. After the morning rush hour. Plus, it will be in the middle of the week so it shouldn't be *too* crowded. We'll be there all day! Even going to stay until the fireworks at the end.
What did we do today? Well... today was shopping day. We went to the Florida Mall and hung out there all day. Well, half the day. We ended up at M&M World and I'm pretty sure that was the highlight of the day. Tons of pics, both silly and "serious"... And my "serious" I mean creative photographic opportunities. lol
Either way, Travis and I have DISNEY tomorrow! ^_^ I'm really excited! We have all-day passes to one of the parks of our choosing. Any guesses as to where we're going? MAGIC KINGDOM, of course. hehe We're getting up and going around 10 tomorrow, I think. After the morning rush hour. Plus, it will be in the middle of the week so it shouldn't be *too* crowded. We'll be there all day! Even going to stay until the fireworks at the end.
What did we do today? Well... today was shopping day. We went to the Florida Mall and hung out there all day. Well, half the day. We ended up at M&M World and I'm pretty sure that was the highlight of the day. Tons of pics, both silly and "serious"... And my "serious" I mean creative photographic opportunities. lol
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| Travis standing next to the M&M at the entrance... entranced. |
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| Wall-o-M&Ms |
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| Favorite picture of the day, really. |
So that was our time in M&M World. Of course, we stopped at other places... They just weren't as much fun. :P
Stay tuned!
Monday, March 7, 2011
Crack of Sunshine
Omgosh... So beautiful down here. Amazing to get some sun, relaxation, and time off from school. *aaaahhhh*
So, we've been down here for 2 whole days now. Landed Saturday night/Sunday morning (at midnight) so we didn't get much done after that. Sunday, we slept in until about 1 pm. SOOOO nice. I don't remember the las time I did that. I usually don't sleep that long, but I'm sure the whole previous day of travel helped with that. After we got up though, we went to see a St. Patrick's Day Parade. Isn't it funny how early some holidays are celebrated...? Correction: how early parades for holidays are held... that's better. Okay, so we watched the parade, which I ended up with tons of pictures of. Yea... I'm averaging about 100 pictures a day... so far. Then, we went walking around in the shops around where the parade was. Walking. Lots of walking. Today, we ended up going to downtown Orlando. It was a little disappointing... I was expecting more little shops and what not like where we were yesterday. Just not so. We only went into one place and that was a chocolatier that happened to sell gelato too. White Chocolate Raspberry. Mmmmm... and wouldn't you know it... I didn't take a picture of it. Figures. :P
Bleh... so full from dinner. Chinese. Yea, surprising, eh?
Let's see... tomorrow, Travis and I are going to try our hand at public transportation. We'll see how that goes. We're gonna head to the mall tomorrow. We'll see how many pictures I get then. haha
Don't forget to check out the Centerfold page to see my 365 Project! ^_^
Stay tuned!
So, we've been down here for 2 whole days now. Landed Saturday night/Sunday morning (at midnight) so we didn't get much done after that. Sunday, we slept in until about 1 pm. SOOOO nice. I don't remember the las time I did that. I usually don't sleep that long, but I'm sure the whole previous day of travel helped with that. After we got up though, we went to see a St. Patrick's Day Parade. Isn't it funny how early some holidays are celebrated...? Correction: how early parades for holidays are held... that's better. Okay, so we watched the parade, which I ended up with tons of pictures of. Yea... I'm averaging about 100 pictures a day... so far. Then, we went walking around in the shops around where the parade was. Walking. Lots of walking. Today, we ended up going to downtown Orlando. It was a little disappointing... I was expecting more little shops and what not like where we were yesterday. Just not so. We only went into one place and that was a chocolatier that happened to sell gelato too. White Chocolate Raspberry. Mmmmm... and wouldn't you know it... I didn't take a picture of it. Figures. :P
Bleh... so full from dinner. Chinese. Yea, surprising, eh?
Let's see... tomorrow, Travis and I are going to try our hand at public transportation. We'll see how that goes. We're gonna head to the mall tomorrow. We'll see how many pictures I get then. haha
Don't forget to check out the Centerfold page to see my 365 Project! ^_^
Stay tuned!
Friday, February 25, 2011
Fully Restored... Well, sort of.
YES! I was able to put all the pictures back up! However, I didn't put any captions on there... So the question of the day:
Should I put them all back on there or not?
They're all on Facebook so it's not like it'd take THAT long to put them back on there... just copying and pasting... but I don't wanna go through the work if they're not going to be read... I dunno.
It's up to you. Want them or not? Let me know.
Great news of the day! Travis and I have found FREE parking in Minneapolis while we're off to Florida for Spring Break! SO excited! Thanks to "Pirate" here at DSU, we're able to save an extra $70. Woot! Can not wait until next weekend! OMG, it's NEXT weekend! AH! Can't wait! Did I mention that already?! lol
Stay Tuned!
Should I put them all back on there or not?
They're all on Facebook so it's not like it'd take THAT long to put them back on there... just copying and pasting... but I don't wanna go through the work if they're not going to be read... I dunno.
It's up to you. Want them or not? Let me know.
Great news of the day! Travis and I have found FREE parking in Minneapolis while we're off to Florida for Spring Break! SO excited! Thanks to "Pirate" here at DSU, we're able to save an extra $70. Woot! Can not wait until next weekend! OMG, it's NEXT weekend! AH! Can't wait! Did I mention that already?! lol
Stay Tuned!
Monday, February 21, 2011
Ugh...
So, the other day I thought I would clean up some of the duplicates that I had in my album attached to this blog...
I ended up deleting some of the pictures that were actually in my 365 Project's page. Go figure.
SOOO... that means I have to reload them into that page again... Therefore, it will be "under construction" for the next couple of days. Luckily, the pictures are in the album still so I won't have to upload them again, but I do have to go through and add all the captions and what not again.
Ugh.
Thank you for your patience and as always...
Stay tuned!
I ended up deleting some of the pictures that were actually in my 365 Project's page. Go figure.
SOOO... that means I have to reload them into that page again... Therefore, it will be "under construction" for the next couple of days. Luckily, the pictures are in the album still so I won't have to upload them again, but I do have to go through and add all the captions and what not again.
Ugh.
Thank you for your patience and as always...
Stay tuned!
Thursday, February 17, 2011
To Go or Not To Go
Alright... I am torn. My mom presented me with a proposition.
"You can come to live with me after graduation (in Iowa) and not have to pay rent."
Oh boy.
So, I've barely been putting any thought into this since she mentioned it a couple of months ago, but she brought it up again today. Needless to say, it's rolling around in my head. Let's review my current options.
A: Stay in my current apartment > (Hopefully) Acquire job in Sioux Falls until grad school
B: Move with mom after graduation > (Hopefully) Acquire a job in Iowa... most likely Dubuque or Davenport
A.... I get to stay closer to the friends I've made over the last 5 years, including staying closer to Travis. I already have 2 opportunities (possibly 3) lined up in Sioux Falls. I just have to get my car fixed...
B.... I would be going back to my high school area... to my old friends... who don't know me now (compared to knowing me back then). I'd be away from Travis and the friends I have here. AND as far as job hunting goes... I haven't done any in that area so I'd be starting from scratch.
Ugh. Decisions that need to be made, but I just don't have the time to make them right now. >.< Therefore, I'll be putting off this discussion with myself for probably another couple of months. *makes event in mental calendar*
Onto other things... --interruption of prank caller-- Wow. I haven't had one of those on my cell phone before. How lame are some people? Really? >.<
ANYWAY... Things are going pretty well. School just keeps going... homework comes in waves. A bajillion projects/assignments one week, then like 2 the next week. Sucks, but I've been feeling more productive as the semester goes on so I'm hoping it really kicks into high gear soon. :)
As far as those prospective jobs in Sioux Falls go, I have until March 31st to get my resume/ portfolio ready. Once I start thinking about that, my workload triples. I guess I could tell you about my idea for my mini portfolio, eh? Okay... Thanks to Travis, I will be able to make a cost-effective "mini" version of my suitcase portfolio. Ready...? Wait for it... wait for it... DVD case that looks like a suitcase. :D Ta-da! It wouldn't open like a DVD, but like a suitcase instead. Oh yea. :D The title would be "Melissa Jean: Traveling Artist/Musician." Done. haha Tell me your thoughts!
And I have to give a shout out to my readers!
-Denise, I know you are reading my blog even if you don't comment just like I read your even when I don't comment! Love your TCT shots. :D
-Molly, I wasn't aware that you read this until the other day in choir. ^_^ Thanks for reading!
-Everyone else, thank you very much for staying tuned! Hopefully, I can keep you interested! LOL
"You can come to live with me after graduation (in Iowa) and not have to pay rent."
Oh boy.
So, I've barely been putting any thought into this since she mentioned it a couple of months ago, but she brought it up again today. Needless to say, it's rolling around in my head. Let's review my current options.
A: Stay in my current apartment > (Hopefully) Acquire job in Sioux Falls until grad school
B: Move with mom after graduation > (Hopefully) Acquire a job in Iowa... most likely Dubuque or Davenport
A.... I get to stay closer to the friends I've made over the last 5 years, including staying closer to Travis. I already have 2 opportunities (possibly 3) lined up in Sioux Falls. I just have to get my car fixed...
B.... I would be going back to my high school area... to my old friends... who don't know me now (compared to knowing me back then). I'd be away from Travis and the friends I have here. AND as far as job hunting goes... I haven't done any in that area so I'd be starting from scratch.
Ugh. Decisions that need to be made, but I just don't have the time to make them right now. >.< Therefore, I'll be putting off this discussion with myself for probably another couple of months. *makes event in mental calendar*
Onto other things... --interruption of prank caller-- Wow. I haven't had one of those on my cell phone before. How lame are some people? Really? >.<
ANYWAY... Things are going pretty well. School just keeps going... homework comes in waves. A bajillion projects/assignments one week, then like 2 the next week. Sucks, but I've been feeling more productive as the semester goes on so I'm hoping it really kicks into high gear soon. :)
As far as those prospective jobs in Sioux Falls go, I have until March 31st to get my resume/ portfolio ready. Once I start thinking about that, my workload triples. I guess I could tell you about my idea for my mini portfolio, eh? Okay... Thanks to Travis, I will be able to make a cost-effective "mini" version of my suitcase portfolio. Ready...? Wait for it... wait for it... DVD case that looks like a suitcase. :D Ta-da! It wouldn't open like a DVD, but like a suitcase instead. Oh yea. :D The title would be "Melissa Jean: Traveling Artist/Musician." Done. haha Tell me your thoughts!
And I have to give a shout out to my readers!
-Denise, I know you are reading my blog even if you don't comment just like I read your even when I don't comment! Love your TCT shots. :D
-Molly, I wasn't aware that you read this until the other day in choir. ^_^ Thanks for reading!
-Everyone else, thank you very much for staying tuned! Hopefully, I can keep you interested! LOL
Monday, February 14, 2011
Valentine's Day Weekend
This past weekend could not have been any better. Really amazing.
Alright, it started Friday. Travis and I got together with a few friends and just had a good time. He and I walked together to Stadium. Even the walk there was nice. It was a little chilly, but I was walking with Travis. Anyway, we went to the bar, not to get drunk, but to just hang out and have a great time. When we were done at about 1-2 am, we were dropped off at my place. He stayed with me so we could get ready to go to Sioux Falls early the next morning.
Saturday couldn't not have been any better! Travis and I went to Sioux Falls for the entire day. Got there about 10 am and went all over town. We started at Hobby Lobby so I could look for ideas for sending out my resume and portfolio in mini form. Came up with a great idea that I will explain later. After that, we took to Target to look at the toys for him and swimsuits for me. We both found what we were looking for, but wanted to still shop around so we figured we would come back later. Then, we went to the mall. Ended up spending most of the day there going to multiple stores. Basically, we took a left from the food court and followed the path around. Hot Topic (where I ended up buying him a second gift of a Deadmau5 hoodie), Victoria's Secret (that I had coupons for, but wasn't in the buying mood. Not sure if it was because of all the people in there or what, but I just wasn't comfortable), Walden Books (This is where I ended up telling him what I had gotten him... and I ended up really bummed because now I didn't have a surprise for him... still kind of bumming about that), and Kay Jewelers. Yes, Kay Jewelers. We went there because they have Pandora-like charms that they called "Charmed Memories" that work with Pandora bracelets. So, beforehand I had chosen some of the charms out of a book, but I forgot the book in the car. Because of that, I went with him to pick one out. Well, actually... We picked out three different ones and then he made the ultimate decision. Which was perfect...
Alright, it started Friday. Travis and I got together with a few friends and just had a good time. He and I walked together to Stadium. Even the walk there was nice. It was a little chilly, but I was walking with Travis. Anyway, we went to the bar, not to get drunk, but to just hang out and have a great time. When we were done at about 1-2 am, we were dropped off at my place. He stayed with me so we could get ready to go to Sioux Falls early the next morning.
Saturday couldn't not have been any better! Travis and I went to Sioux Falls for the entire day. Got there about 10 am and went all over town. We started at Hobby Lobby so I could look for ideas for sending out my resume and portfolio in mini form. Came up with a great idea that I will explain later. After that, we took to Target to look at the toys for him and swimsuits for me. We both found what we were looking for, but wanted to still shop around so we figured we would come back later. Then, we went to the mall. Ended up spending most of the day there going to multiple stores. Basically, we took a left from the food court and followed the path around. Hot Topic (where I ended up buying him a second gift of a Deadmau5 hoodie), Victoria's Secret (that I had coupons for, but wasn't in the buying mood. Not sure if it was because of all the people in there or what, but I just wasn't comfortable), Walden Books (This is where I ended up telling him what I had gotten him... and I ended up really bummed because now I didn't have a surprise for him... still kind of bumming about that), and Kay Jewelers. Yes, Kay Jewelers. We went there because they have Pandora-like charms that they called "Charmed Memories" that work with Pandora bracelets. So, beforehand I had chosen some of the charms out of a book, but I forgot the book in the car. Because of that, I went with him to pick one out. Well, actually... We picked out three different ones and then he made the ultimate decision. Which was perfect...
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| Absolutely beautiful addition! |
And it's reasons like these that I have to thank my mother for the bracelet in the first place so that I can have memories and stories like this with each charm. <3 Then, after we've chosen the charm, he turns to me and says, "You should go to another store... just in case." As if that wasn't a big enough hint for what was to come later, I followed his request. I ended up in Claire's, but decided that was too close because I could still sneak peeks at him. So, I went to another store that I can't even remember because I was so excited and so... just... thinking. lol Then, I end up leaving that one and drifting further away from Kay's so I wouldn't be able to spoil anything, if anything, that he had planned. Just as I was doing that, he came up behind me. (How perfect, right...) *sigh* After that, he ran the bag out to the car and I met him in Express. I tried on a couple of shirts, but by then, I wasn't really in the buying mood anymore. We had already been walking around for like 4 hours by this time. However, I ended up buying some camis and that was it. We were getting hungry and this point because we were trying to avoid the lunch rush we saw when we first got there. We chose to eat at Burger King (yes, very bad... ) since it was completely different from where we planned on eating supper. When we finished our food, we ended up heading back into Victoria's Secret so I could use my coupons and then, we were done.
Barnes & Noble was our next stop. All I had to do here was pick up his non-surprise gift of the 30th Anniversary Wooden Rubik's Cube. I'm pretty sure he has almost one of every kind they have so I thought that would be better than "The Incredibles: Collector's Edition." He even said it was the better choice. *thumbs up* He looked around at a few things and I followed. I didn't want to be tempted by anything and my feet were hurting. :P
Hm... then, we heading next door to WalMart to finish up with most of the shopping for the day. That's where I had most of the stuff I needed to get. Um... We looked around there for a while... basically killing time at this point until we went to dinner. Found some cute rings on those cheap towers... One was with hearts and an asymmetrical design. Even Travis thought it was cute. Now... at this point, I was confused because our shopping was almost over and, to my knowledge, Travis hadn't found my second gift. While I was trying not to think of that fact, I went about and picked up everything I needed. Done.
I'm pretty sure that's when we headed back to Target because we still had more time to kill. I definitely didn't find anything better for swimsuit selection at WalMart so I wanted to go back and get the one I had tried on. Even though we were killing time, we thought it best to split up, so he went to go look for his Halo action figure. THEY WERE BOTH GONE! His action figure and my supposedly-cleverly-hidden swimsuit were GONE. Unfortunately, his figure was the only one of the kind he was looking for and the bottoms to my swimsuit I picked out was the only one in my size. I guess it was okay about my swimsuit though because I ended up picking out one that I liked a little bit better. (You'll see pictures of that in about 3 weeks!)
Then, we were finally ready to eat! We pulled up to Chili's and parked. We had decided earlier in the week that we would exchange gifts over dinner so we brought those inside with us. As we were doing this, I mentioned how it doesn't really even matter because, I thought, that we didn't have any surprises for each other since we had either picked out what we wanted or ended up telling what we bought. (>.< Still kicking myself for that.... ) Anyway, we sat down, without waiting, and ordered our drinks and appetizers. It was at this time that we decided to exchange gifts since it was before our hands would get messy and what not. I gave him his first. He still loved it. I mixed it up for him and he solved it in less than 5 minutes. I have no idea how he does it. Amazes me. Then, it was his turn to give me my gift. Remember, at this point, I'm under the impression that I'm only receiving a charm from him so when he puts this down:
I was just a little confused. "Why all this wrapping for something I already know what it is?" I keep unwrapping it, just thinking it's my charm. I get all the paper off and open the box to find the jewelry box. Then....
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| O. M. G! |
SO SURPRISED! I just completely started nervously giggling and covering my face. Yes, I teared up. Just a bit... quite a bit. I probably kissed him like 50 times. I just couldn't get over it. I mean, jewelry is a big deal to me. Any kind. Well, like... the charm wasn't really a big deal. I mean, it was because it was from him, but the necklace... Huge. Totally unexpected! And perfect. I kept telling him that I wanted something that I could show off and say it was from him. Now, I have two!
And now, it wasn't just the gifts that made this weekend amazing. Actually, those were an added bonus. The overall feeling that I have when I'm with his is so positive and so... good. So awesome. *sigh*
You think I'm done now? NOT! We still have the movie! We went to Century after we were done eating the great food. Any takers as to what movie we saw? The Eagle (2011) It was actually pretty decent! It was so nice to be able to sit down for an extended period of time since we had done so much walking all day.
When the movie was over, we didn't waste much time getting back to Madison. We were both tired. We ended up putting in close to 12 hours of shopping/hang out time in. That takes a lot out of a person... So, when we got home, we had a little ice cream cake, hung out for a bit on the couch, then ended up going to bed to watch TV. Yea, we actually almost fell asleep with the TV on. Nothing else happened... and I was perfectly okay with that. I fell asleep in his arms. That was the most wonderful ending to the most amazing day. <3
So there you have it. That's my Valentine's Day post. And in case you didn't know, I love Travis J. Bentley with all my heart! *sigh* ^_^
Definitely Stay Tuned!
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Free time.....w-w-what's that?!
That's basically how I feel lately... Last week... or should I say that last, like, 3 weeks have felt that way. This week was actually a little bit of a break. I didn't have much due other than my Computer Graphics II Project which was my stop motion.... Lipton Tea Party. Enjoy! Oh, and let me know what you think! :D I enjoyed making that! :D
However, in one day, my list of homework went from having about 3-4 things to having about 10... or 12. Yea. Thankfully, there are a few things that aren't due until the end of next week or later, but still... GAH! It never ends, does it? And it just had to be that way for my last semester, huh? Here and I was silly and thinking it would be an easy last semester. Ugh... Oh well... Keep on going!
Working out is sort of working out. I've been doing my work outs at least once a day even though I wanted to get into the routine of doing them twice a day. However, with rehearsals in the evenings... and they incorporate dancing... I really don't have the motivation to work out more than once a day. >.<
Alright, I guess I wasn't as into writing a blog today as I thought I was. Today is just kind of... tired. lol Okay, I'll be back as soon as I can. :)
Stay Tuned!
However, in one day, my list of homework went from having about 3-4 things to having about 10... or 12. Yea. Thankfully, there are a few things that aren't due until the end of next week or later, but still... GAH! It never ends, does it? And it just had to be that way for my last semester, huh? Here and I was silly and thinking it would be an easy last semester. Ugh... Oh well... Keep on going!
Working out is sort of working out. I've been doing my work outs at least once a day even though I wanted to get into the routine of doing them twice a day. However, with rehearsals in the evenings... and they incorporate dancing... I really don't have the motivation to work out more than once a day. >.<
Alright, I guess I wasn't as into writing a blog today as I thought I was. Today is just kind of... tired. lol Okay, I'll be back as soon as I can. :)
Stay Tuned!
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
1 down... 11 to go...
YEA! I was able to keep up with the project for a whole month! Sweet!
Very excited! There are something things that have happened in the past few weeks while I haven't blogged that are good and, of course, there are some bad. At this point in time though, the good is outweighing the bad and I'm loving it.
Let's see... not sure if I mentioned this or not, but right before I left for the ACTF trip, I was laid off from Classic Corner. So, I was worrying about money and everything while I was on the trip. Thankfully, my father was able to electronically transfer money to me to help relieve the tension. Then, while I was on the trip, I filed for unemployment so I could still be able to get by while finding a job. However, I quickly realized that looking for a job in this weather, without a car, is not enjoyable in the least. Plus, it's not likely that someone is going to hire me since I can only work weekends anyway. Bleh... New subject needed.
Okay... let's see. ... It's the first day of February. Valentine's Day... Red. Is. EVERYWHERE. Granted, I'm all about celebrating with a loved one... but it's horrible if couples only celebrate each other and their relationship once a year. I'm pretty sure Travis and I show our appreciation of each other all the time. <3 Speaking of, Travis and I are going to be having our Valentine's Day celebration on Saturday. We're going to Sioux Falls for a whole day. Shopping, dinner, etc. Maybe even a movie... Hm. Not sure though. We'll see.
Now, I'm going to take the mention of shopping and head towards Spring Break. While we are in Sioux Falls, I'm going to have him help me pick out a swimsuit for our trip to Florida! Warm, sunny Florida for a week sounds pretty damn good compared to this 3-foot high snow pile we call Madison, SD. OMG. So, so excited. ^_^
Feeling like a different color....Purple? Green? Yea, green... for now. :P I'm feeling a little bit better about life beyond graduation. As far as jobs, I've decided that I'm re-applying for an internship at Fresh Produce. Then, I have a toe in the door at Funky Fresh because I applied there for an internship after my summer one fell through and they actually contacted me again wondering if I still needed an internship. I told them that I graduate in May and would be happy to work then. So... For Fresh Produce, I need to apply by March 31st. I plan on having my resume and what not ready by then anyway so then I will send it to Funky Fresh at the same time. Hopefully, my car will be fixed and running by then too.
There's another problem... my car is still out of commission... Hopefully with my tax refund coming in the next couple of weeks and another refund from the school, I should be able to handle paying to get it fixed... I hope. >.< Not having a car is getting really old.
Anyway... New subject to finish out on. Can't leave it on a bad note. Um... I guess...
Stay tuned! :P
Very excited! There are something things that have happened in the past few weeks while I haven't blogged that are good and, of course, there are some bad. At this point in time though, the good is outweighing the bad and I'm loving it.
Let's see... not sure if I mentioned this or not, but right before I left for the ACTF trip, I was laid off from Classic Corner. So, I was worrying about money and everything while I was on the trip. Thankfully, my father was able to electronically transfer money to me to help relieve the tension. Then, while I was on the trip, I filed for unemployment so I could still be able to get by while finding a job. However, I quickly realized that looking for a job in this weather, without a car, is not enjoyable in the least. Plus, it's not likely that someone is going to hire me since I can only work weekends anyway. Bleh... New subject needed.
Okay... let's see. ... It's the first day of February. Valentine's Day... Red. Is. EVERYWHERE. Granted, I'm all about celebrating with a loved one... but it's horrible if couples only celebrate each other and their relationship once a year. I'm pretty sure Travis and I show our appreciation of each other all the time. <3 Speaking of, Travis and I are going to be having our Valentine's Day celebration on Saturday. We're going to Sioux Falls for a whole day. Shopping, dinner, etc. Maybe even a movie... Hm. Not sure though. We'll see.
Now, I'm going to take the mention of shopping and head towards Spring Break. While we are in Sioux Falls, I'm going to have him help me pick out a swimsuit for our trip to Florida! Warm, sunny Florida for a week sounds pretty damn good compared to this 3-foot high snow pile we call Madison, SD. OMG. So, so excited. ^_^
Feeling like a different color....Purple? Green? Yea, green... for now. :P I'm feeling a little bit better about life beyond graduation. As far as jobs, I've decided that I'm re-applying for an internship at Fresh Produce. Then, I have a toe in the door at Funky Fresh because I applied there for an internship after my summer one fell through and they actually contacted me again wondering if I still needed an internship. I told them that I graduate in May and would be happy to work then. So... For Fresh Produce, I need to apply by March 31st. I plan on having my resume and what not ready by then anyway so then I will send it to Funky Fresh at the same time. Hopefully, my car will be fixed and running by then too.
There's another problem... my car is still out of commission... Hopefully with my tax refund coming in the next couple of weeks and another refund from the school, I should be able to handle paying to get it fixed... I hope. >.< Not having a car is getting really old.
Anyway... New subject to finish out on. Can't leave it on a bad note. Um... I guess...
Stay tuned! :P
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
*drumroll*.... And....
DENIED!
Yes, again...
Let me explain. For those of you who don't know, I'm currently attending the American College Theater Festival (ACTF) in Ames, IA. I am here because I was chosen as a partner for an Irene Ryan Nominee. If you feel so inclined, you can look up all the information at the KCACTF Website. Anyway, we take anywhere from 1 to 4 months to prepare 2 scenes and then the nominee also prepares a monologue. All three pieces must equal a maximum of 6 minutes. Usually, the first scene is 3 minutes, the second scene is 2 minutes, and the monologue is left for the last minute. Today, we performed the first scene, then waited to find out if we went on to the next round to perform the second scene...
*drumroll*.... And.... DENIED!
Makes more sense now. :P Yes, we spent that long working on both scenes only to find out it wasn't really worth it... It's bittersweet. Now, we have the rest of the week to attend workshops and performances... but we, again, don't get to see what it's like to go beyond the first round of Irene Ryan. *sigh*
So... let's see... what else. Ran into a friend from high school! That was exciting and unexpected... Well, I should have known that she would be there because she's completely into acting. Pretty sure it's going to be her career. It was awesome! Then, on Wednesday I will be meeting up with someone from my high school class. Very excited. ^_^
Hm... ended up taking a nap today. Not sure when I ended up so tired, but I passed out about 4 this afternoon and didn't wake up until close to 7 pm. Haven't done that since I was sick last year... or this summer... I can't remember when I was sick last. I see that as a good thing.
Another good thing? Travis called tonight. Well, we've been texting, as usual, all day, everyday. We're getting more into calling while we are separated for more than 3-4 days. It's nice. ^_^ Loving it... *stares off to daydream*
*remembers* Oh yes! Half of us got stuck in an elevator today! Yes, no lie. It was only for about 15 minutes, but it was definitely interesting. And kind of funny... so I had to take a picture. It almost won out on the picture of the day, but didn't. However, I still think it needs to be posted so...
Yes, again...
Let me explain. For those of you who don't know, I'm currently attending the American College Theater Festival (ACTF) in Ames, IA. I am here because I was chosen as a partner for an Irene Ryan Nominee. If you feel so inclined, you can look up all the information at the KCACTF Website. Anyway, we take anywhere from 1 to 4 months to prepare 2 scenes and then the nominee also prepares a monologue. All three pieces must equal a maximum of 6 minutes. Usually, the first scene is 3 minutes, the second scene is 2 minutes, and the monologue is left for the last minute. Today, we performed the first scene, then waited to find out if we went on to the next round to perform the second scene...
*drumroll*.... And.... DENIED!
Makes more sense now. :P Yes, we spent that long working on both scenes only to find out it wasn't really worth it... It's bittersweet. Now, we have the rest of the week to attend workshops and performances... but we, again, don't get to see what it's like to go beyond the first round of Irene Ryan. *sigh*
So... let's see... what else. Ran into a friend from high school! That was exciting and unexpected... Well, I should have known that she would be there because she's completely into acting. Pretty sure it's going to be her career. It was awesome! Then, on Wednesday I will be meeting up with someone from my high school class. Very excited. ^_^
Hm... ended up taking a nap today. Not sure when I ended up so tired, but I passed out about 4 this afternoon and didn't wake up until close to 7 pm. Haven't done that since I was sick last year... or this summer... I can't remember when I was sick last. I see that as a good thing.
Another good thing? Travis called tonight. Well, we've been texting, as usual, all day, everyday. We're getting more into calling while we are separated for more than 3-4 days. It's nice. ^_^ Loving it... *stares off to daydream*
*remembers* Oh yes! Half of us got stuck in an elevator today! Yes, no lie. It was only for about 15 minutes, but it was definitely interesting. And kind of funny... so I had to take a picture. It almost won out on the picture of the day, but didn't. However, I still think it needs to be posted so...
 |
| Dustin, Jamie, Ryan, and Jason hoping the technician shows up soon. |
There! :D
Hm... what else. Again. I guess that's all I have for today...
Stay tuned!
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