The Countdown is On!

Goodbye Christmas :(

It's a tragic time of year. Christmas decorations come down and are packed up. Christmas lights are ever so gently stripped from a tree and thrown in a box, only to be cursed the following year for getting tangled. Girls are making resolutions to starve themselves and become exercise anorexics lose weight. Guys are counting down the days until they can stop listening to the aforementioned girls crying about how they just wanna lose 3lbs. Resolutions only last for so long, right?

I'm going to be the first one to admit it. I have been seriously slacking on my list. Seriously. Slacking. In 2014, I vow to accomplish more on my list. This means more doing and more blogging (hey there Number 35).

Here's my plan -

• I'm tackling the 'No Booze for a Month which started just after my darling friends birthdays January 4th and 5th. January 6th was Day 1 of my Detox. Luckily for me, my detox ends 3 days before visiting my besties L&L in NYC for the weekend. Talk about perfect timing. That will put a "Done" next to item Numero 89.
• On January 26th, I'm doing my first 5k of 2014. Since my honey got me some SWEET hot pink Nike Lunar's for Christmas, there's really no excuse for my fat ass not to run. So hoping my "training" goes well, I'm running the entire thing and crossing off Number 4.
• Numbers 72 and 90 will be knocked off my To-Do List in March. My darling Uncle has insisted my mother and I take a trip to Vegas to visit him. I know what you're thinking, how much fun could you possibly have with your 60 year old mother and uncle? To respond....do you know my family? Mom is allowing me to pick the Cirque show, and the Uncle is taking me gambling. I went to Vegas once before (for work) which was still awesome. This time I'm looking forward to doing touristy things - like shopping, shows, and tons of gambling. Especially craps, blackjack and placing bets on basketball....helllllo March Madness. 
• Number 52 will be accomplished right now. This new year has brought about some incredible changes and I'm pleased to announce one of these changes includes my profession. I accepted a position with my sorority's foundation. I am beyond excited to give back to an organization that has done so much for me. Without further ado, here are my 5 professional goals as of January 1, 2014 - 

1. Break into the non-profit world and be a rockstar. Give it your all. It's not about the money - it's about helping people. This is your new mantra. I repeat, not about money. You were born to help people...it's in your DNA. 
2. Spend less time surfing the internet, social media-ing, and online shopping at work. If you have free time, it's going to be sent learning something relevant. Something that can be helpful in your profession. Webinars, podcasts, white paper perusing, etc...Seek out formal and informal professional development opportunities.
3. Keep the big picture in mind. I'm sure there will be tasks I don't like to do. Just remember someone has to do these tasks in order for the foundation to succeed. Having a positive outlook will make it easier. This is an amazing opportunity and it will require an "All Hands on Deck" mentality. Your job description doesn't quite cover it. Be open, flexible, and available to assist in any way possible.
4. Work on management skills. Learn to train others with more patience and understanding. Listen more, boss less. You might not manage a group of people now, but you will in the future. Do it right.
5. Working with all women will be a huge change. Do not get into office politics, gossip, or drama. Be friendly, approachable, and a listening ear but do not sink to the level of others. 

I'd actually love any and all advice, professional goals, feedback, anything from friends who work in the nonprofit sector. So please reach out! 

So now I shared my plan. Let me celebrate the small success of checking something off my list. I completed my "Pinteresting" baking challenge and have continued to power through. To round out the list of 10 - these delicious breakfast muffins. I also made cheeseballs. And pepper/bacon egg patty things. Can you say "overachiever"?

Number 95 deserves a post all to itself. Sit tight my little chickadees.

Until next time,
L

Here Fishy Fishytail

Truth be told, I wasn't entirely sure about the whole aztec print trend sweeping through stores. But this last Thursday, I finally succumbed to purchasing an oversized aztec cardi (partially for charity, and partially because I wanted to be trendy). So Friday morning, I hope up out the bed, turn my swag on, and toss on black leggings, tan boots, and my new cardi...it's Casual Friday, y'all. Only one problem, my hair. Now is the time to cross something off my list, number 83 - part 1. Must. Learn. How. To. Fishtail Braid.

Enter the wonderful, gorgeous, talented Lauren Conrad. This 3 minute video was literally life changing. Granted, I had to watch it twice before giving it a go, but it worked....voila, my first fishtail braid (and said aztec cardigan).

Another thing I'm knocking off the ol' list came to me out of the blue. It's number 75, something to honor my grandparents. Well, it's something to honor my grandmother, who turned 90 a week ago. Talk about impressive. My mom, aunts, and uncles were throwing her a bash to remember and I wanted to be in charge of the "guest book". Little did anyone know that the "guest book" would be interactive and something that my grandma could hang up and look at daily.

If the photo was a little larger, you'd be able to read the paper above the frame. The gist was that people were to "leave their mark" on the frame and sign by it, as a little reminder of all the people my grandma has "touched" with her wonderfulness, even if they can't "put their finger on" what their favorite memory is. This would also be a wonderful idea for weddings (with a larger frame) or family reunions. This picture was taken when only immediate family was there, so it's a little bare. I'd highly recommend a much larger frame if you have more than 50 people attend! I believe it was a 16x20. One thing I will say, spring for the fancy scrapbooking/calligraphy pens that will stand the test of time, and not smudge, or fade, or do anything but look perfect now and forever. With that being said, Happy Birthday Grandma! I hope you love your frame :)

One final thought before I go, don't despair by the fact that Christmas movies are on, or that SBux has now switched to red cups (I already inquired and YES you can still get Pumpkin Spice Latte's), or that some people are decorating for Christmas already *cough cough I'm guilty of it too*. Please, for the love of football, sweater weather, and leaves changing colors: Keep Calm it's [STILL] Fall Y'all. P.S. How cute is my DIY Chalkboard? Gotta love Chalkboard Paint!

Until Next Time,
L

Things They Don't Tell You

I had a very eye-opening experience last week. In fact other than work, it took up the majority of my week. Being the fabulously over-committed sorority advisor that I am, I offered to help with a huge chunk of the interviewing and slating for next years officer positions. Truth be told, I wish the current board would stay forever because I honestly love them dearly. Alas, they need to flutter into the world of med school and dental school and grad school and whatever higher higher education they are going for. You'd think graduating from Emory with a 4.0 would be enough to land a stellar job, but no....you have to go a little further these days.

So as I'm sitting here listening to the future leaders of the sorority, campus, and beyond tell me why they'd make the perfect candidate, I can't help but revert back to my 19 year old self. Here are some things I wish someone would have told me back in the day-

1. Being president of this, sitting on the exec board of that, and volunteering in your free time won't land you your dream job. Sure, it will teach you valuable skills like: delegation, respect, listening skills, organization, time management, prioritization, empathy, budgeting, etc....but do you really think you can put it on your resume and land a job? Most likely, not. It will damn sure help you get into grad school, but after that...highly unlikely any corporate real-world job will scoff at the fact you were Homecoming King & Queen Director or Morale Director for Dance Marathon. You can't have a resume filled to the brim with your extra-curricular activities, sorry.

2. Recruitment is not the most important thing to do over the summer...STUDY ABROAD! One of my biggest regrets in college was not studying abroad. I honestly thought sorority life would cease to exist if I was not there to run recruitment. I wish someone would have pulled my head out of my ass long enough to put me on a plane to Paris for the summer. C'est la vie.

3. Grad school will work for you under 2 circumstances - it's totally paid for by someone else or it's what you really, wholeheartedly want to do with the rest of your life. The very first day they said, "One of you will finish this program and do nothing related to psychology or counseling as a career". I had a funny feeling it might be me. Within the first two weeks of grad school, I knew that would be me. I stuck it out because my Dad reminded me it was only two years of my life and the economy sucked. Both were true. Now as I make student loan payments, which I'm sure I'll be making for the next 20 years, I cringe. Did I mention, when you put that you have a M.A. on your resume, most places (that scream they want someone highly educated) won't even look at your resume because they think they'll have to pay you more? Nice Catch-22.

4. Internships will get your hired. Being in a leadership position you're treating as a makeshift internship will not. Being the PR Chair for your volunteer organization is not the same as working for a marketing firm handling their social media or special events. It's just not.

Speaking of internships....if you're in a field where you aren't getting paid for your time as an intern, that's a red flag. Chances are, you will not make money when you have finished your internship and are ready to be hired. Case in point: I worked 20-30 hours/week for 3 semesters during grad school as a legit mental health counselor. Upon graduation, they wanted to hire me full time, making $26,000/year with no benefits working roughly 50 hours/week. I declined, respectfully of course. In total, they have asked 3 times. Yes, I'd be helping people but I'd also be forced to apply for welfare. Money doesn't mean everything to me, but when your student loans outweigh your prospective income, you just have to say no.

5. Psychology is a waste of a major unless you're really super  into self-exploration. Don't get me wrong, it's wonderful for finding out who you are, or why you are the way you are, or whatever. I learned a lot about myself, a lot about culture, and a lot about listening and empathy. However, psychology as a career....no. I chose it because I got A's in every psych class I took. And my uncle is a Psychologist and I thought it would be really cool. Then I went straight into a Clinical Psych Master's program, which unbeknownst to me was a Pre-PhD program. Half the people got accepted into programs, to which they are still in school racking up mounds of debt. Upon graduation, they'll need to be professors, clinical researchers, and publish just to stay afloat. Don't even get me started on mental health counselors. If you are considering this as a profession, I will fly to wherever you are and take you out to coffee to discuss alternative careers. I'm dead serious.

6. When they tell you a career is in "high demand" now, look elsewhere. In four years your "in high demand" field will be inundated with inexperienced recent college grads looking for their dream job, just like you. If I had to guess, I'd say 10% of you get hired. The other 90% will work outside their field or go to grad school. Or both.

7. Get a degree in something you're passionate about. And if your college doesn't offer a B.A. in Ancient Egyptian history and culture, get a business degree. That is without fail one of the best majors you can have. It allows you to do anything, if you can pass financial accounting. Not to sound cliche, but if you find something you love to do, the money will follow. You'll become an expert in your field and then all of a sudden people will pay you ridiculous amounts to do what you love. I'm still looking for someone to pay me insane amounts of money to be a blogging/crafting/pole-dancing queen....one can dream :)

8. Go to as many football games as possible. Or try to at the very least. When you've graduated and moved away, you'll crave the glory days when you'd wake up hungover from a killer Friday night out, throw on a cute sundress, oversized shades (the bigger the better), and your Vera Bradley/Longchamp backpack filled with Bud Light and head to your favorite frat house to pregame 8 hours before kickoff. So what if you need to head home and take a power nap between half time and the end of the game? At least you have the experience, and some memories thanks to your besties constant muploads on various social media sites. You'll want it once it's gone.

9. Dress up as much as you possibly can in college. Post college, it loses a lot of it's fun and acceptability. Unless you're having a themed birthday with 50 of your closest friends or bachelorette party, you can't rock 90's gear in public on a Tuesday evening. You'll just look odd.

10. For the love of all that is holy, if you break up once...stay broken up. Nobody likes the yo-yo couple and rarely do you work out. If you break up, there's a good reason for it. Don't waste 4 years of your life on someone who makes you miserable, jealous, insecure, vulnerable, crazy, etc...


I like to live life without regrets. So please don't think I'm looking back at my college career and cringing. These are just things I'd love to tell someone who is just starting out in college. Some final food for thought...Enjoy the moments you have being a young adult, when your biggest problem in life is figuring out what you're wearing to the "Used to Be Cool" social next week. You will find some of your best friends in college so make sure to enjoy the time you have together, before you move away and start your life - airfare ain't cheap. And start saving for weddings...you'll have a lot to go to, so prepare well in advance! That's about all the life lessons I can dole out for now.

Until next time,
L

The Queen of Halloween

Oh hello there. Welcome back! Today's post is in dedication of the greatest holiday around, Halloween. I'm not only saying that because you can take a break from reality, personify someone or something completely out there, and wear the most ridiculously large fake eyelashes ever....but you also get to watch scary movies, stuff your face with candy, and have a justifiable excuse to be creepy.

In my last post I ranted and raved about the glorious time of year, where ghosts, cats, witches, skeletons, and pumpkins are in full effect. Think of this as a continuation. Let's get to it, shall we?

In case you haven't met him yet, this is Freddie. Word on the street, he's the hottest dog around.

Speaking of hot...it was the opposite of hot this last weekend when I volunteered with some other Junior Leaguers at Atlanta Zoo's annual event, Boo at the Zoo. We arrived around 9am, where the temperature outside was hovering right around 40. We were assigned to the "really really good" Candy Station in the back of the zoo near the reptiles *icky creepy crawlies* . Just my luck, there was no sun and it was super windy, but we did have the best candy. So that was a plus. By the time the 2nd shift of volunteers arrived, none of us wanted to leave. My fav costume was the little girl who dressed up as Si from Duck Dynasty....so creative! If you've been living under a rock, please Google and/ or watch an episode. You're welcome in advance. And honestly, it took all I had when little lions came up not to get them to do diamonds with me.

So after that was my Spinarella Halloween showcase. Our routine was awesome, and incredibly creepy. We dressed up as demented dead children throwing temper tantrums. Utterly terrifying for most people in the room. If you want to be creeped out, please click here . I'm jumping rope and on the right side.

Immediately following the Showcase, the good doctor and I headed out to a local bar crawl. Note to self: you're not 22 anymore and cannot do sugary room temperature shots unless you want to be severely hungover in the morning. After about the 3rd bar (where some very drunk youngin' ran into me and broke my Paper Doll costume....RUDE) we decided to do the responsible thing and drop out of the bar crawl. And buy a beer tower of Bud Light instead. Like I said, responsible.

Fast forward a couple days and we arrive to Halloween Eve. Nails painted all scary-like and spooktacular, Kitty costume laid out with my work clothes, cupcakes were made, and bags of candy purchased for our Trick-o-Treaters. My vanilla candy corn cupcakes didn't turn out quite as planned considering the bf ate almost all the candy corn before I got a chance to drop it in the batter. I mean, they still turned out pretty good. Someone even went so far as to say "the best cupcakes ever" but I don't think they've experienced the wonder that is Cami Cakes. I highly recommend.

So now here I sit, writing about my favorite holiday. Still wearing my cat ears. Watching all the gloriousness of ABCFamily and their 13 Days of Halloween programming. Only slightly disappointed because; 1) Hocus Pocus isn't on 2) we didn't get a single knock on our door and 3) there's leftover cupcakes which I will undoubtedly devour at some point this weekend 4) I have to wait 365 days for this holiday to be on a weekend - where I can actually enjoy myself.

One final thing. It's my 10,000th day on Earth. Yay me! Okay, I'm slowly slipping into diabetic shock since I decided to eat all the candy meant for the kiddies. Sorry not sorry.

Until next time,
The Queen of Halloween

A Slight Obsession with Halloween

I personally blame Walt Disney Pictures for bewitching me into making my favorite holiday Halloween. Hocus Pocus is one of the best things about Halloween, and if you try to argue that point, then you can just click here and the good people at Buzzfeed will walk you through why I'm right. After doing the math in my head, Hocus Pocus came out when I was 7, and I loved Halloween far before that.

I can remember dressing up in costume from a very early age, since I could dress myself. A princess. A parrot. A pirate. A bride. I just loved to put costumes on. My first dance recital costume reminded me of Minnie Mouse, so I wore it all the time. My first cat was a black cat named Spooky. Poor little Spooky was catnapped 2 weeks before Halloween when I was 6 years old. My mom and I had 6 little wooden pumpkins that we'd decorate with sharpies every year. Of course we'd have to paint over them each year, but that didn't matter. Decorating was an art. Cobwebs, black lights, etc...Even in college, I decorated the door and windows of my tiny little 10x10 room in the sorority house.

Now I have a place of my very own (with my roommate/boyfriend/life partner and pooch). Luckily, they don't mind the decorations, or my need to watch Sally and Jack in The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Did I also mention that my 10,000th day on this Earth will be on Halloween? What are the odds? How cool is that? Cooler than a polar bears toenails if you're as obsessed with Halloween as I am.

So let me show you what I've been up to in terms of Halloween crafting. I've added a few things to my Pinterest DIY list, and actually completed Number 29 - Pinterest Projects!

1. Glass apothecary jars. These little babes were made from a combination of glass vases, glass and wood candlestick holders, terra cotta trays, ribbon, paint, and a buttload of hot glue. Yes, "buttload" is the correct form of measurement.

2. Candy Corn Wine Bottles.
Step 1 - Drink lots of wine.
Step 2 - Scrape off labels.
Step 3 - Spraypaint white. Then yellow. Then orange.
Step 4 - Touch up as needed.
Step 5 - Enjoy your creation.

3. Painted Pumpkins. I think I need to get a better close up so you can see how stinking cute these little guys are. I bough 3 pumpkins from the farmer's market...each was $1. What a bargain. The biggest one has black chevron. The middle child pumpkin has a white stem, white polka dots and tiny black x's. The tiniest of all the tiny pumpkins has black and white stripes.

And look who it is.....Little Freddie Monster wondering: a) why momma is outside
b) why I'm not outside with momma
c) is it time to put on my Hot Dog Halloween costume yet?
d) is it time for food yet?
e) all of the above

 My guess is E.









Last but not least, project numero quattro (number four for all you non-Spanish speakers)....Wooden Spooky Plaques. Granted, they look more happy than they do spooky. There's 4 in total, but Mr. Spider/Bat is not finished yet. A spider doesn't really scream Halloween, but that's what Pinterest told me to do. I'm thinking about giving him RedBull - so he can get wiiiiiiiings and be a bat instead. Then he will join the likes of Mr. Pumpkin, Mr. Frankenstein, and Mr. Casper on the shelf above my TV. Right in front of the cinnamon broom....ahhhhh the smells of fall.

Beware: I'm sure I'll do another Halloween post, complete with costumes, recipes, and other spoooooooooky shenanigans.

Until next time,
L

The Only Constant is Change

I'm about to drop some knowledge on y'all. Get ready. The Greek philosopher Heraclitus was the genius behind the quote "The only constant is change". I know, I thought it sounded a little like Dr. Seuss too. Instead of sharing with you my Top 10 Dr. Seuss quotes (is it weird he's one of my favorite authors?) I'm going to talk about change. More specifically, changes to my list.

When this list was created, the first 80 or so flowed out of me like wine at an Italian wedding (or a Junior League meeting - whichever you prefer). Breaking it down by weekly, monthly, and yearly goals was a stretch. Instead of being authentic, a lot of things seemed forced. Either that, or I just gave up completely. So I'm doing a little editing of my list. Meet the new members of the gang -

12. Feel beautiful, comfortable, and confident in my own skin
89. No booze for one month

90. Vegas, baby

91. Go home for my 10 year reunion and not HATE it.

92. Learn how to drive a manual car

95. Find and stick with a good skincare regime

The six new and improved additions are meant to improve my life. Wearing my retainer twice a week, although beneficial to me and anyone gazing at my pearly whites, is not as important as going balls to the wall in Vegas. Or learning how to properly take care of my face. Or learning how to drive my bf's manual Audi.

And now I leave you with not one, but two of my favorite quotes from the good Doctor....

Until next time, 

L

Saying No to Love

It's not what you think. Me and the bf did not break up - even though after the few weeks we've had, I'm shocked he's still around. I'm about one crisis away from a full on mental breakdown, AB style.....yowza!

Moldy old apartment - sick for 3 weeks, but allowed to break lease (yay). 2nd degree burn on upper thigh due to rogue hair wand being placed on bed (no, it wasn't me...I know not to put something 400 degrees on a polyblend comforter where someone could potentially plop down on). Move into new apartment - which floods 20 hours into our lease thanks to a loose hose on washing machine. Then normal stressors like work, being a puppy parent, and really just life in general. Ugh.

This entry relates to "Saying No to Something I'd Normally Say Yes to" - or the second half of number 78.

Many many moons ago...back in my sorority days...lived a smiling, giggly, beautiful, bubbly, charismatic brunette (nope again not me. I was bleach blonde back then) who all the girls wanted to be around, and obvi the guys too. She was one of my sisters, and to be more specific my Secret Little Sister (SLS to be sneaky)- my bad, secret's out now D. 

As the story goes....boy meets girl, girl flirts with boy and gives him "Sweet Kisses" on the cheek (PS those are the best thing in the world...I digress), boy and girl become and item, eventually they get engaged, married, and live happily ever after. By the way...the pic to the right is their first official picture as a couple, remember D?

This is where my story comes in. Thanks to the stressors in my life - see paragraph one - I can no longer attend the Big Day. Something about flights shooting up to $550, my inability to sit on my burn for an 8 hour drive, etc...So I am mournfully having to say No to my SLS on her wedding day. I've set up some FaceTime dates with the bridesmaids and demanded that a small gift be given to my sweet SLS on her big day. So this little post and picture montage is dedicated to her, her future hubs, and me - obvi. I had to cut down the picture selection from roughly 1000 to 6. 

Sorry I can't be there D, but I'll be there in spirit...throwing popcorn and twerking like it's my job. Again, in spirit. Because if I did that at your wedding, it would be embarrassing. I'm just glad I got to jump on board the Hot Mess Express aka her Bachelorette Party and show you some moves. Wishing you and K all the love and happiness possible. Love you both.

Until next time, 

L