Jules

House Sitting

2010-08-16T17:17:00.000-07:00

For the last week and a half I've been house sitting for an MD I work with. Watering plants, collecting mail/paper, and feeding 3 little dogs. I recently realized that I am sooooooo not a dog person!

They each have their individual personalities...

Gyser - Is an Emphazemic pug that enjoys taunting me by barking at 4am, not coming when it's breakfast/dinner time, breathing heavily on me when I'm sitting trying to get my homework done (Seriously, he needs a doggie breath mint), and then the worst of all? When I sit down to try and pet him, he proceeds to rub his nose/face all over me for the next couple mins, and then walks away.

Rusty - Is a sweet springer spaniel, that believes he is a baby. When I sit on the ground, he comes up to me and sits on my lap, and then gives me a baby look, like I need to pick him up and cradle him. Needless to say... a little annoying. AND then... he likes to lick. There's only so much licking I can handle...

Last but not least is... Maverick. Maverick is a Norwich terrier that is absolutely adorable. He has a cute little face, and is so even keeled, and just excitedly spins all around when it's time for food! :)

Oddly enough I love these dogs and am VERY happy they are all small dogs (cause I don't think I could handle 3 golden retriever size dogs). One thing's for sure they make me appreciate my cute little kitten Pumpkin!!

What I want to be when I grow up...

2010-08-11T17:14:00.000-07:00

So I think that I've narrowed down my answer. For some this question is easy to answer and all throughout grade school, jr high, and the beginning of high school, it was for me too. I knew I wanted to be a grade school teacher. And then I spoke with a teacher, and she flat out said, "You don't want to be a teacher!" backing it up with a legitimate rationale: Long hours, little pay. I had always known this, but coming from her, it held more weight. I'd never had a teacher tell me they'd wish they'd chosen an alternative profession. Consequently, the last year of high school, and even my first year of college I had no idea as to what I wanted to do with my life. It's taken 10 + years to figure it out, but after doing some research, I've decided that I would love to get a degree in Graphic Design (Possibly with a journalism minor) and get a job with a magazine! I've always enjoyed being creative and I think this will be an excellent opportunity to do this full time! (Knock on Wood)...

ADDITIONALLY: I recently found out that the University of Washington has a Graphic Design School - although I believe it's called something else... Obviously I need to do a little more research. BUT this is freaking awesome, as I've always wanted to go back, and actually get a degree from the UW! The other option would be the Seattle Art Institute. Either way... I'll be moving back to the beautiful city of SEATTLE!!! :)

Thoughts?

Central Oregon Fun

2010-08-02T17:05:00.000-07:00

So I finally explored more of what is Central Oregon this weekend...the GREAT outdoors!! Having hailed from the Evergreen state I'm well aware of some of the Pacific Northwest tourist traps; Mt. Rainier, Mt. St.Helen's, Puget Sound, etc. However, Central Oregon has it's own amazing features too! (Go Figure!) Namely, The 3 Sisters, Mt. Bachelor, Rivers, Lakes, and State Parks with different lava rocks, and caves formed from lava!

Previously, on a couple of our last 'family' summer vacations, camping about an hour outside of Bend, we quickly realized that we weren't accustomed to the scorching temperatures (yeah, I'm a wuss). The Newberry Lava Cave would be our salvation! I know it's kind of silly, but this place was so cold that if you didn't bring/wear sweatshirts and sweatpants you would come out an icicle! The cave is about 2 miles long, dark as all get out (lanterns/ flash lights are needed), part of the cave passes directly under the highway and the best part (yeah, right) you may even encounter a bat or two!

After moving to Bend, a couple summers ago, I made the quick 20 minute trip to Mt.Bachelor, paid my $15 and took a ski lift up to the summit. WHAT AN AMAZING VIEW! I'm pretty sure I could see all the way to Portland! Ok, not that far... but FAR! In addition to the view there is also a fair hunk of snow still left, even in early August! When was the last time you had a Snowball fight in the summertime?

For the last couple of years, the 'Bend-ites' that I work with have made lists of places for me to visit, and with all the GORGEOUS weather we've had recently I've decided to start exploring! This past weekend, a group of friends and I visited a part of the McKenzie river. The campground we visited was about an hour outside of Sisters, and was well worth the drive. Not the best place to enjoy the sun, as it is mostly covered by trees, but a great place to sit and relax - right next to a quick moving river. On a side note: I can't wait to actually river raft this particular river. Don't get me wrong, it scares the HE-BE-GE-BIES outta me, but I am TOTALLY GAME! (Far better to dare mighty things, right?)

Unfortunately, no pics this time, but next time I'll post some! Hopefully it'll make ya'll want to visit!

Hello Hello Hello

2010-07-28T17:14:00.000-07:00

And I'm back... May I just say a quick Hello my fellow bloggers out there! After just a short break (so much for my goals of the previous post), I actually have my Computer Concepts class to thank/blame, for blogging again :)

Since my last post, I have enrolled and am now attending classes at the local community college! What I thought would be terrifying, has really turned into an eye opening and interesting experience. The classes I've taken so far include entry level courses in writing, computer concepts, and MATH (I'm currently taking Pre-Calc now)! Gulp! I've never been one to enjoy a math class (I can remember dreading Mr. Lutz's Algebra II Trig class in high school) - but now, I am understanding concepts, and, dare I say, enjoying MATH. Alright, Alright... I know that sounds weird, but even as I write this I'm contemplating taking the dreaded ... CALCULUS! That has not been set into stone quite yet... I'll keep you updated...

Happy February Everyone!

2009-02-01T07:56:00.000-08:00

A month into the year and my new years resolutions are still going strong! Here's my list:

1. Lose weight
2. Make a bigger effort to keep in touch with friends
3. Blog at least once a week
4. Start my own website
5. Save money for traveling

1. Losing weight! A struggle for most of my life, something has finally clicked. For years it's been either, changing my diet, OR exercising. Never the two put together. So in January, to incorporate my exercising goal, I joined a local gym/pool - which was the best move I could have made. A usual week includes an early morning swim (each day), ZUMBA (twice a week), Deep Water Running (twice a week), and on Wednesday I'm giving Yoga a shot! To help with my diet I joined Weight Watchers with a friend of mine. To be quite honest with you, with all the 'diets' out there, I think WW does it the best. They don't tell you that you can't eat certain foods, but that to eat all foods in moderation. In addition to both of these I have a 3rd piece of the puzzle that has helped!

As of the beginning of the year, my work started a Biggest Loser competition. In this contest, I'm on a team with 3 other people, I attend weekly nutritional talks, and I weigh in every other week. This is proving to be a huge motivation as the winner (person with greatest percentage of weight lost) gets $500!! So far, I'm proud to say that I've lost a total of 18 lbs since the beginning of January, my BMI has gone down 2 whole points, and I feel GREAT!

2. Making a bigger effort to keep in touch with friends! I make cards in my free time, and I finally thought to myself, "Hey! You could send these out instead of keeping them for your portfolio, and actually keep in contact with people!" Novel idea...I know :) PLUS I'm trying to get birthday cards out on time too! :) I still need a few more addresses though...*cough* Mer, Amy, and Jackie!!

3. Blogging at least once a week! It occurs to me that I wasn't very good at blogging last year... well not this year! Enough said!

4. Start my Own Website! It's either this or make a brochure with all of my work - which would be a pretty big brochure. I would like to make more people aware of my wedding invites and miscellaneous cards. As it stands right now, I can show locals my past ideas, but when friends in Seattle want to see them, it's a little harder. Not to mention I'd like to expand and be able to touch base with people all over! :) (This is me thinking big!) My brother's mother-in-law makes websites for a living, and is all set to help me design one! However, there are a few steps I need to take to get there ... A name (for my very, very, small business), design at least 5 more ideas, take nice pictures of invites, cards, etc, and then I may be able to start thinking of a website design.

5. Save money for traveling! I don't do too much traveling, and I figure you're only young once, so do it now! A couple friends and I will be doing a trip to the East Coast later this year! The major stops will be Boston, Philly, New York, and Washington DC! I have never been to the East Coast, and cannot wait for this trip!!! The only thing standing in my way is money (go figure). I have a tendancy to buy things I don't need, ie: card making supplies. So shopping has been cut down to once a month (which seemed to work last month), and I have become conscious of the fact that I have an abundance of card making supplies so I should probably start using what I have. We'll see how much I can save between now and then! Oh and if people have suggestions of where to visit on our trip, please share!!

Phew! This is going to be a busy year! BUT! I'm ready! Bring it on!

Until next time!

Let's Catch Up!

2008-06-08T21:18:00.000-07:00

Hello All!!!

So it's been awhile... i think I actually missed posting during the month of May all together! Since my last post, I completed two of the three wedding invites that I'd been working on (ALL ON TIME!!!). The third is still in process... Hopefully we'll finalize something soon!!! I've been experimenting with computer graphics on this one, and I'm really out of my comfort zone! I really need a program like Photo Shop or Elements, and unfortunately I don't have either - because they're both $4937272920 (OK, I think I should have just left it as 'very expensive'). So I'm stuck with the generic 'Paint' program, which I'm not all that comfortable with. We'll see what I'm able to come up with...

Other than that, I've been pretty busy at work. People leaving, new people being hired, and a relatively new staff... never a good combo for a stress free work environment. All I know is that I've been putting in a lot of overtime, and I CAN'T WAIT to get my next paycheck.

ALSO! I have a friend in Bend,Oregon!! (Gosh, that sounds so pathetic!) My old roommate, Rachel, has recently moved down here! She visited the first couple weekends in May, and like it! So, she found an availablity at a nearby resort, had an interview, got the job, and quickly found a place to live. We have plans to find a place together, the first of September! WHICH MEANS NO MORE LIVING WITH THE 'RENTS (...who I love very much!) :)

One more thing! I walked in a 5K a couple weeks ago. It's my first participation in anything like that and I totally loved it! I was afraid that I'd be the last person to cross the finish line... BUT I wasn't!! And Much to my dismay, there WASN'T a FOOTBALL PLAYER at the end of my race!!! ;o) About 3000 people participated and over $100,000 was raised for Breast Cancer Research. Next year I am hoping that my work (over 400 employees) will want to have an organized team!! I'm already putting together an idea for our t-shirts!!!

So I've been quite the busy bee! Hopefully I won't go another month without posting!!! Who knows!! It's gotten a lot nicer here, so may find myself outside!!! YAY!!! NO MORE RAIN!!!

Spring Cleaning!

2008-04-02T08:59:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I rolled up my sleeves and organized ALL my card making supplies. As promised here's what I was able to come up with:

<- These craft cubes are wonderful!

I found this wire shelf at a garage sale! $2!!! Great Buy! ->

Jackie sent me an e-mail the other day for Closet Organizer from the Container Store... This is what I need to save up for!!

http://www.containerstore.com/browse/Product.jhtml?searchId=13479141&itemIndex=33&CATID=68559&PRODID=72922

(Not to mention I'd need a closet (or WALL) big enough to fit it all!)

I can dream...

I Had To Share!!

2008-03-24T22:13:00.000-07:00

LOOK WHAT I FOUND!!!

Inventing Invites!

2008-03-24T20:35:00.000-07:00

As I've mentioned before I am currently working on 3 different wedding invitation ideas (ALL for August weddings). A couple weekends ago, I met with the first bride, and we locked in an idea!! (I enjoyed that small victory all the way home to Bend - All 7 hours) The following Monday I ordered all the supplies and to my surprise, they arrived the VERY NEXT DAY!! So now all I have to do is create the Assembly line. Mom has agreed to be my apprentice for these 3 weddings - THANK GOODNESS!!

Since then I have been working on my 2nd of the 3 invites and as of tomorrow, I will be mailing my ideas to the happy couple, as they live in Arizona! I have about 10 different ideas to show them and am surprisingly happy with all of them! I'm hopeful that they will like at least one of my ideas - But who the heck knows! It is at this VERY point, that a website would come in handy, if not having professional pictures taken of my work. I tried taking my own... here's the best I could do:

For the 3rd wedding, the bride went online and found something she really likes - making my job a lot easier. She is still finalizing the colors, but for the most part we are good to go.

One thing's for sure! I'm learning a lot about ways to streamline my potential business. I think the biggest thing I've learned is get a feel for what the couple wants before creating ideas! As of right now I'm starting with a blank canvas, and with 3 TOTALLY different couples, it becomes QUITE exhausting! Yes, with each wedding I do, I'm building my collection, but it's still not quite enough. I think once I've done about 15 weddings, I'll be able to create an impressive portfolio.

This whole process is exciting and exhausting, and I truly enjoy it. Right now I just wish I had a room used ONLY for my card/invites. The new Martha Stewart Living has a couple great ideas for organizing!!!! I LOVE EACH OF THEM! It makes me want a house!! :( Just another reason to SAVE my $$$$$$ and not spend so much of it!

Ok, well my cat just knocked over (and broke) one of my mom's favorite vases, so I'm gonna say g'night! 'Air Kitten' AKA 'Distructor' Pictured here:

TAG I'M IT!?

2008-03-18T22:55:00.000-07:00

Tagged, huh? Thanks ahead of time, for granting me the fun of being tagged Mrs. Herbison. I enjoyed your seven random facts so here are seven random facts about me...

1. I would love to be a MOVIE star!! (Ok, sorry, but I had to start off with a bang!) Don't get me wrong, I have no doubt in my mind that I would suck at it (knowing my nerves), but how cool is it to be able to BE anything you want, DO anything you want, have someone pay you to do it, and after a year or so, choose something else. Not to mention visiting the cool places, work with awesome directors/producers, and ohh yeah... the potential of making out with Brad Pitt? Not too shabby!

2. I enjoy being creative. I love taking different materials and/or different sounds, and making it into something neat. I'm not sure which side of the brain it is, but I tend to use it more than I do the other side...which gets me in trouble a lot. Over the years, I've attempted knitting, embroidery, beading, making earrings out of friendly plastic (as opposed to unfriendly plastic), modge podge, and have finally settled on card/invitation making.

3. I love coffee! I wish I could drink it black, because I KNOW the stuff with a whole bunch of milk, sugar, flavors, etc... is not only bad for you, but it masks the TRUE flavor of this heavenly goodness. However, right now, and until I can actually drink black coffee, I enjoy my double tall, hazelnut Latte on Friday mornings!

4. I'm a huge procrastinator. Unfortunately, this isn't a recent trait. I can remember waaaaay back in elementary school, waiting until the last minute to practice my Clarinet, sounding awful the next day, and getting a 'NEEDS IMPROVEMENT'. THEN, I had problems with procrastination, but now, I have it down to an art. (As I type this, I'm pretty sure I shouldn't be all too proud of this :) I honestly think I do my best work under pressure. But that's just me...

5. I played chess, competitively, from about 4 years old until my Senior year in High School. As most of you know it's a predominantly male activity, and being one of the only girls was very cool. For instance (Let me describe the scene for you): It's the first round of the tournament, you sit down at your board, and wait for your opponent to arrive. He does, and yells to his friend 3 boards down, "Sweet! I'm playing a girl! This will be easy!". I'm here to tell you that there's no better feeling, than beating him within 5 minutes of the round starting, having his friend ask him if he won, and him running off crying... Ok, I'm a real big dork. But this kind of reaction made me want to be a better player, in an effort to continue to show people that girls too, could play chess.

6. I didn't like Cottage Cheese until recently. My previous rational was: Anything with the description of Small Curd, just didn't sound appetizing to me. Now? I LOVE it! Especially with Purple grapes!!! It's funny that now (in my old age), I'm open to trying new things... Within reason (ie: no bull testicles, dried insects, or liverwurst!) For example, I have never liked fish much, but now seem to enjoy Salmon, Shrimp, and Lobster. I guess my taste buds have matured.

7. I too am a TV Junkie, although it's getting harder and harder to find quality TV shows. Some of my favorite are : West Wing, Gilmore Girls, America's Next Top Model (don't ask!), Ugly Betty, Grey's Anatomy, Samantha Who?, Lost, and The Biggest Loser!

Well...there you be! 7 interesting things about HOOOOLIA~

Being that I'm new to this whole Blogging thing, I can really only tag Dennis. We'll see if he answers the call to duty!

Quite the Change!

2008-03-09T20:12:00.000-07:00

OOOOOOOH! How fun! I finally have my own blog! OK, I have to admit this is a little weird, but I'm open to it. I think if anything, this will help me keep in contact with all my friends that I have lost contact with - you know who you are! I think the real question is - Do I really have that much to say? We'll find out!

That being said, I'll let you all know that last November/December, I quit my job of 7 years, sold all my furniture, and made the big move to Bend, Oregon. It was both terrifying and exciting all at the same time. And... So far so good! Actually, didn't think I'd like it as much as I do. Previously only vising the area for camping expeditions, I recently found myself here, on vacations and holiday's (The 'Rents made the big move too - 6 years ago). But I've already found a job that I enjoy, I've started making friends, and the weather is incredible! The first month I was here, we had snow!!!! And I'm not talking about a few flakes here and there, I mean, SNOW! We had about 7 inches that stayed around for about 3 weeks because it was soooooo cold! However, now? Clear and sunny skies! Sunrises and Sunsets are AMAZING!

Currently living at home, in an effort to save money, I honestly have been pleasantly surprised. I'M ACTUALLY GETTING ALONG WITH MY PARENTS! (Words I never thought I'd type) Yes, it may have something to do with the fact that I'm more mature, but I think the folks are happy to have me here - READ: They like having a Cinderella home! :) And with rent at a flat rate of $300 a month, I'm happy to oblige.

They have also been very accepting of my ambition to start my own business. Well, let me back up, at this point calling it a business is somewhat incorrect. For the past few years (since my brother got married), I've been creating, producing, and loving making invitations (specializing in weddings). Last year I did the invitations for Becca & Sean, Bianca & Bob, Brooke & Tony, and then helped finalize Noel & Daviel's. Needless to say it was quite a busy year, and 2008 is going to be busier than ever! I'm in the process of designing 3 invites (ALL AUGUST WEDDINGS!!!!) Shoot me now! ;) Andrea & Randall, Steve & Keely, and LeaAnne & Dan. So far, I have about 20 different designs going and am not very happy with any of them... Hopefully they do!!! :)

Well, At any rate, it turns out that I have a bit to say... So stay tuned!