Now that summer is long gone and a darker, colder season is upon us, I'm re-engaging with online content I've neglected for a while. I'm reading online (and trying to read more offline, too!), updating profiles and trying to organize my content. I'm figuring out where I'll post smart articles I've read, funny pictures, recipe ideas, etc. -- all things that I like to share and express online, but don't need to share on every site I'm a part of.
Blah, blah, blah... it's a nerd thing.
Okay, let's get into something fun!
Over the past several months, I've discovered and tried amigurumi, using patterns from Easy Crochet Critters. Here are the critters I've made so far -- a penguin and a pair of monkeys:
And today I found some adorable work on Crafty is Cool. I really enjoyed Moonrise Kingdom, the movie these characters are from, and these dolls are precious!
Ha, this time I've only gone two months without blogging instead of three. I've been busily fulfilling New Year's resolutions instead! Since I'm a huge fan of bulleted lists (and my resolutions were in bulleted list format), here's a breakdown of what I've accomplished thus far:
Dance more. I've taken dance classes at an Arthur Murray dance studio 1-3 days each week... a mix of private lessons, group classes, and practice parties. And we just started rehearsing for a flash mob (being in a flash mob is on my bucket list)!
Work out more. I caved and joined a gym. It's only a few blocks from home, and as long as I go to it 12 times each month, I pay less than $20... and it's just nice to have a place to go that's just for working out. My roommate Ashley and I have joined a cycling class there, which we've been consistently attending (and making it through the whole sweaty hour!) once per week.
Eat good food. I've been doing really well not going out to eat more than once a week, though I still haven't consistently planned a formal menu each week. I'm eating well, though!
All of that has been really satisfying, and I'm happy that I have opportunities to do all these things I enjoy. At the same time, though, I've started to feel like my personality needs some more down time than it's currently getting. The constant search for a perfect balance of activity and down time continues. :)
What will help me find this balance [along with generally simplifying my schedule]? Something that arrived yesterday and I'm very excited about, something that will provide a workout, transportation, stress relief, and fun... MY NEW BIKE!
I'm really fortunate to work in a building that's bike commuter-friendly (space for bikes and gear, showers, etc.), and in a city with a network of trails that allows me to avoid traffic on the way to work. I have yet to put my route and "commuter kit" (not sure yet what this will entail) together, but it has to get done by April 1, when 30 Days of Biking begins!
I think that's all I've got for now. Back to enjoying the first 60-degree MN weekend of 2012!
I had no idea it's been nearly 3 whole months since I posted anything! I only have a few minutes, but here goes nothing:
Let's talk about resolutions. I finally made mine measurable on Sunday night - until then, they were just ideas - and here they are, by category:
DANCE MORE.
Take 1 private lesson (working 1-on-1 with an instructor) at Arthur Murray per month (and attend as many group classes as possible to get my money's worth!). I already know this will be a challenge because the studio I really like is about an hour commute from work/home, but I NEED dancing back in my life.
I'm considering taking a community ed class also - Argentine Tango, tap, whatever fits into my schedule.
WORK OUT MORE.
Exercise 3 times per week - 1 dance lesson + playing volleyball, using a workout DVD, taking a long walk, just something to get me sweating more than I do walking to and from the bus stop every day.
Once it's nice enough out again, I'll bike once a week at least. I hear you hardcore cyclists out there - "but it IS nice enough!" - but until I get better cold-weather attire I'll be working out indoors!
EAT GOOD FOOD.
Plan a menu every week, and stick to it.
Go out to eat only with other people, and only once a week. This is a challenge when I have client meetings away from the office and it's inconvenient to bring a lunch, but that's why I'm doing this - it's challenging!
MISC.
Sell a card on Etsy.
Read 1 book every 3 months.
Complete 3 crochet projects.
In general, pinch pennies. (Starting to pay my student loans back = MAJOR budget changes.)
It seems like a big list, but I think it's totally doable... and I'm excited about it! AND I'm already making progress:
Scheduled a dance lesson at Arthur Murray.
Planned a menu and actually COOKED twice this week.
Okay, need sleep now - it's been a stressful week. Hope to write again soon!
Videos like this make me hungry for more mountain bike rides. The accomplishment a rider feels after having made it through a tough section of trail, the rush of zipping through the woods... SO MUCH FUN.
I've joined Pinterest, and like so many other online things, it's pretty addictive. I joined Tumblr a while back and was basically doing EXACTLY what people do on Pinterest - sharing interesting images that link to other blogs (about crafts, food, fashion, whatever... it's like a virtual corkboard/bulletin board) - and then I came across Pinterest somehow and was like, "Whoa! Somebody anticipated my need for this!"
Anyway, feel free to check out my "pins" here. I wanted to share one that I found particularly funny and I suspect to be true...
Came across this on craftgawker and thought it would be a nice follow-up to a previous post featuring the flower chain I made. The post that this photo came from gives tips on making flower crowns!
Yep, because that's the title of this entry I feel compelled to post this video as well:
Okay, now for the real reason for this post's title. I'm job hunting. *Wah wah* It's not fun, it's not fast, it's just a lot of hard work. I don't know if I've ever done so much referring to my school "archives" (the notebooks, worksheets, etc. that I've kept from my classes). I'm glad to have resources I can trust, though, rather than having to Google everything... because there are over 7 MILLION RESULTS when you Google "job hunting tips." Part of this process was creating my own basic portfolio website. Putting it together was fun and satisfying because I love to figure things out, and it encouraged me to "package" my past work (complete with visuals) and update my resume.
Perfectionist that I am, I want to create a "perfect resume," a solid brand of myself, an amazing portfolio website... but on a regular basis I am reminded by peers and life experiences that endless tweaking and "perfecting" is almost as bad as waiting and doing nothing. It's easy to get in that rut because it feels safe-- there isn't a risk of rejection. However, being safe and comfortable has never been part of landing a great job in the past, and I don't think it ever will be.
Blah, blah, blah. On to the fun stuff!
My formation team performed at the Twin Cities Open! The fact that it was our last performance makes me sad, but I'm so happy to have met this fun group of people and dance at least once a week for the last six months.
I also saw my friend Amy perform in the professional show, which was awesome!
That weekend, I headed home to Wisconsin. One morning, my mom asked me to pick up my younger brother from an event at which he was helping to serve breakfast. When I arrived, I found that it was a mountain bike race. I was geeking out so hard, checking out the bikes and wishing I'd known about the event so I could see more of the races! I was lucky enough to see the start of a youth race-- look at these kids go!
Later that day I attended a family reunion. It was fun to see my extended family, some of whom I haven't seen in 5-10 years! Now that we've all exchanged contact information, I hope to keep in touch with them. After all, I do love writing letters and making cards.
Fingers crossed that I'll find a full-time gig by the time I write my next post!
