Target.

I love Target. I don't really know why... but I do. I'm not going to lie that there have been times where I'm just having a flat out bad day and I think to myself, "I'll go to Target. That'll make me feel better." Pathetic... but true. Tonight I went to Target, but not to cheer myself up because I had a good day at work and a nice dinner at Panda Express (I love Panda...) with Dad and Cory. I just went because I was in the mood...

The thing about Target is that you walk in with the intention of buying something and then walk out with four other things you didn't plan on buying. (I feel like I'm ripping this post off of my friend Jeff who recently posted about a similar thing here. Copycatting is the best form of flattery, right? At least that's why my mom always told me...) Anyway, tonight I went into Target without any necessary purchases which is extra dangerous. I resisted a few purchases like: three different pairs of flats that I thought I needed, a shade of OPI nail polish that I also thought I needed but likely already own, and a copy of the most recent InStyle which I will probably be receiving in the mail soon because my awesome cousin Anthony gave me a subscription for Christmas. While I was proud of myself for turning all of those things down, I did leave with quite a few guilty pleasure purchases. Which is ultimately why I love and hate Target. It surprises me with lovely things that I just have to have but it also surprises my bank account with yet another Target purchase.

Here's what I bought tonight:

1. A mustard cardigan (I found one! Which is crucial for this so I'm psyched!)

2. Two fashion magazines (but I put back the third, so props to me, right?)

3. A candle that happens to be in a cute tin that matches my room perfectly AND it smells really good...

4. A pack of multi-colored Sharpie pens

How I love Target...

Etsy.

I love Etsy. If you don't know what it is or have never been there... you're missing out. (I won't be offended if you stop reading my blog and go there right now. Here's the link.) It's a website that is basically equivalent to a marketplace where artists can sell their work. I recently have been looking for a calendar to put in my cubicle. I've never really needed a calendar before, but you'd be surprised how many times I have to look at a calendar and say, "You requested this loan on January 17. We quote 7 to 10 business days for you to receive the check. *look at calendar* That makes today day 5..." (You'd be amazed how grown adults lose their patience while waiting for money.)

Anyway, I thought it be nice to make the business day queries a little bit more enjoyable by buying a cute calendar. So I've been looking all over Etsy for quite a long time to find the perfect one. One that was cute, fun, simple, and reasonably inexpensive... and I found one. It was by this artist on Etsy named Fresh Pulled Paint. I got it in the mail today... and apparently I was his first customer on Etsy! So he wrote me a note... Too cute. I loved the note and I loved the calendar. And I figured I'd give Fresh Pulled Paint a little plug because he kind of made my day! (Also, here's a link to his flickr page that he wrote me about.)

Copycat (aka For Valeria).

One of my very best friends, Valeria (you should check out her page, she's one of the coolest people I know...) posted this picture on my Facebook wall the other day saying that it reminded her of me (it came from this blog). I'm honored, because I think it's super cute. I told her I was going to try to recreate the look and would document it for her. Crazy thing, I know it's hard to believe, but I don't own a mustard cardigan. I've looked all over online and can't really find any good ones... So I had to settle with an old mustard hoodie that I had. Here's my attempt (my boots are a bit darker than the picture, but hey, it's a pretty big step for me that I even own boots. I was kind of anti-boots for quite a long time...) Anyway, this post is for you, Valeria. Love you, girl. Move to Kansas City already... :)

(P.S. This bottom picture doesn't show off the outfit at all, but I really liked it. I love my room... and somehow I feel like this picture just kind of represent my world through my eyes, kind of. I don't know, I just like the picture. Not because I'm in it but because of what's behind me and what it represents...)

Acoustic Guitar.

Let's take a break from my silly stories of my lack of professionalism, e-mail friend, and dislike for the color red and get back to the heart of this blog: the things I love. I can't believe that I haven't blogged about this before because for some reason this thing, the moment I hear it, literally takes a hold of me and can transform my mood and heart in an instant. What is it, you ask?

Acoustic guitar. It's my favorite sound in the world. Hands down. And for a girl who sounds are everything, that says a lot. I love the sound of acoustic guitar. It's funny, I can be having a horrible day and the second I hear it, it's like all is right in the world. That sounds dramatic and unreasonable, which it is... But it's true. It's like it puts me in a trance. I love it that much.

Here are a few of my favorite songs that display the beauty of acoustic guitar.

Props.

Props to my awesome little brother Cory for more reasons than one...

1. He designed the header for my blog yet again. My blog would look lame without him. That's a fact.

2. He took my laptop to the Apple store to visit a Genius and see what's wrong with it today. Not only did he drive 30 minutes and take the time to get it checked out... he came home and did some more work on it himself when he got home. Above and beyond? I think so...

3. He's just a great guy. I don't think I've ever met a cooler 18 year old in my life.

Love you, Corky! Thanks for being such an awesome brother...

2010 In Review

I was looking through some of my old posts and came across a post a did last year called "2009 In Review." It was cool for me to look back and be reminded of everything I did last year, so I thought I'd do it for this year, too. If not for you, then for me, and just reflecting over the past year of my life. It's been a crazy one... So here I go.

January: I graduated from college at the end of last year so I began looking for a "real job" at the beginning of 2010. While trying to track down this "real job" I became the queen of odd jobs. The list of jobs included: Spanish teacher, dog sitter, house sitter, baby sitter, test proctor, and more but I can't think of them now.

January-...: Of course, a big odd job was baking. Here are two of my favorite creations of 2010.

February: I was hired part-time (so you can't really call it a "real job") as the "arts ministry assistant" at my church. Basically I got to be creative and organized for Jesus (like redecorate our "green room"). Pretty cool job, eh?

May: I went to Charleston, South Carolina to see my best friend graduate from Navy Power School. It was pretty amazing... I also got to see lots of beautiful, old homes and buildings. It was a great trip!

June: I took a vacation with my mom's side of the family to Silverthorn, Colorado. It was beautiful and such a great time with the family!

July: As a side job, I co-managed the fireworks stand fundraiser that my church puts on every year. I learned a lot about leadership, ministry, and Black Cats in a matter of two weeks.

July: I went to Portland, Oregon with my friends Rob and Corrie and their kids. They're Portland natives so I loved traveling with them and seeing all of the beautiful sights inside and out of the city. I also had my very first concert with a band that I'm in. Good times...

July: From Portland I flew straight to Odessa, Texas to go to my aunts' house for a girl's weekend with my mom, aunts and cousins. We had a great weekend of eating, swimming, and relaxation.

August-October: This was a blurry time where I was trying to figure out what to do with my life because I heard news that the church wasn't going to be able to offer me a full-time job like I'd hoped or even keep me on part-time. The search for a "real job" continued...

September: I was offered a job at JP Morgan as a "retirement education specialist." I knew nothing about finance (which is what the job required)... only that I needed money to survive so I was going to take the job. I was offered the job a month before I actually was going to start. September 14 to October 18 was probably the longest month of my life. I suck at transitions. We'll just leave it at that.

October: I sadly quit my job at the church. I had a week in between my two jobs so I decided to travel a bit. My mom and I went and visited my cousins Dana and Marc in Sublette, KS. I can't think of a better way I could have spent that week. It was truly a blessing...

October: As soon as I got home from Sublette, I packed my bags and was on a flight to visit my friend Valeria is Dallas, Texas. What a great weekend I had touring Dallas and hanging out with V. (I also got to see my friend Kate one day for lunch.)

October: I finally started my job at JP Morgan. I successfully passed my tests and obtained my Series 6 and 63 licenses (if that means nothing to you, don't worry... about 2 months ago, that's where I was, too.) Basically, I answer questions and "carry out transactions" for peoples' 401(k)s. I wear "business casual" clothes (although they are getting closer to casual and further away from business with each lazy day...), I work in a cubicle, and I have a name tag that looks like this. I'm legit.

December: After 9 weeks of tests and training, I FINALLY started my official position. That was last Tuesday. So that pretty much brings you up to date.

And that was my year. If you made it this far, I'm impressed. Thanks for reading. And thanks for being a part of my life this past year! Now let's see what 2011 has in store...