New Year, New Beginnings!

Hello Readers!

Welcome to 2013! This is one of my favorite times of the year because it is a time that (more often than not) seems filled with hope and optimism. The hardships and heartaches of last year, and the years past, are behind you. The new year, with all of its possibilities of, lies ahead.

This time of year also happens to coincide with my birthday. And, this year it also coincides with a new job. As many of you already know, I've been faithfully and ardently searching for a new job for quite some time. And, as a few of you know, I accepted a position with a company near home. And not just any position, a position that I am so excited about! I am eager to learn and be stretched through this career opportunity, to become a more effective communicator, and to put into practice the knowledge and skills that I've been studying for so long! This job is an answer to prayers in so many ways!

This career change will undoubtedly lead to a few changes in my wardrobe. My narration of self, at least through clothing, is already in the process of being altered. My love of feminine and somewhat quirky dresses will remain, I'm sure, but in different ways. It will be interesting to see how my style changes as I adjust to a corporate culture...

I imagine that the next week will be a bit hectic, but I will try my best to keep you all updated!

Thanks for reading, and happy 2013!

Happy 2013 and Happy Birthday to me!

It's My Least Favorite Time of The Year...

Hello Readers,

Yes, it's that time of the year again. My least favorite time of the year... When people I love sing to me. When I get presents, greetings, and compliments just because of this day. When I get to eat cake.

Sounds great, right? Well, not entirely. All of these things are wonderful, but this time of the year also brings about insecurities like: shouldn't I have my life figured out by now? Shouldn't I be this or that by now- and why aren't I?

I tend to wallow in my uncertainties around my birthday. Maybe it's because my birthday is so close to New Years Eve/Day? Yes, let's go with that.

This year, instead of wallowing again, I'm going to reconsider uncertainty as possibility. Instead of focusing on the bad birthdays (the birthday I was snowed in, the birthday I had strep, the birthday when I thought everyone forgot my birthday...) I am going to remember the good ones and celebrate the friends, lessons, and memories I've collected along the way.

Speaking of memories... here's one I wish I could remember:

Why am I sitting in this box? And what am I thinking about? Birthdays?

A Fresh Start

Hello Readers!

2011 is here! I don't know about the rest of you- but I am happy to leave 2010 behind. Yes, many good things happened in 2010 (teaching Public Speaking), but it was also possibly the most intense year of my life as a student and perhaps the most overall stressful year. So. . . with a renewed sense of optimism and focus, I welcome this New Year with open arms!

Yesterday, as many of you will know (you probably even wrote on my facebook wall or sent me a message), was my birthday. The BIG 2-5. I don't think that I've ever really been a fan of milestone birthdays- my 10th birthday, my 16th birthday (when I convinced myself that my parents were going to surprise me with a car, and there was no car), my 21st birthday (I went to Greenville, so I couldn't drink alcohol), and now my 25th birthday.

This birthday was by no means a let down, but it was much more quiet than birthdays of years past. Maybe it was because I'm getting older (25 IS a quarter of a century, after all), but I am going to claim wisdom teeth extraction recovery as the reason, and a mid-week observance of my birthday. . . yes- those are the reasons.

My birthday began with a trip to The Fresh Market with my mom to pick out a cake (we chose a Coconut Cream Layer Cake). Usually, I get a cake from Trefzger's Bakery, but last year we changed things up a bit with a cake from Hansen's Le Bakery, and this year I decided to try something new again. I'm not sure how many of you have ever visited The Fresh Market before, but it is like the Anthropologie of grocery stores. It's a place of tranquility, well-organized shelves, and a calming interior.

After The Fresh Market, we ate lunch at Panera. This is another place I love, and I was glad to include their tuna salad sandwich to my mild-mannered birthday celebration. Thank you mom for the delicious lunch!

For dinner, my dad took me to Basta O'Neill's where he had Pasta Carbonara (one of his favorite dishes) and I had the lacquered Atlantic salmon over whole wheat pasta and green beans- delicious! Sometimes salmon can be a bit of a risk in the Midwest (especially from an ocean)- but this was as delicious as the salmon I remember from my days in the Pacific Northwest. My compliments to the chef!

After dinner, my dad and I went home and then almost everyone in my family (minus Grant) gathered around my lovely coconut cake and sang happy birthday. Thanks guys! After I blew out the candles, my mom presented me with an unexpected gift from Grant! At the ages that my brothers are, it is quite uncommon for them to buy birthday presents- but he did!

Sometime during Christmas break, I mentioned a book that I wanted to read- and Grant remembered and even ordered it from Barnes and Noble! (Inside a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know by Alexandra Horowitz). Good job Grant! I look forward to reading this!

Hopefully this book will help me understand my dog, Meeka (pictured below)