Under Pressure

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!

French braiding... not just for hair.

Flower chain I made while hanging out at the park yesterday.

"Snuggling is not a crime."

Love this card and the other work of this photographer/designer on Etsy.

Peanut buttery cuteness!

These are adorable, and seem pretty easy to make. I'll have to give this recipe a go the next time I have a hankering for some cookies!

Oh joy, it's June

I've finally started photographing again! Hooray for you all because now (hopefully) I will ramble less and just "show" more. Without further ado, some June happenings in the life of me...

I spent a couple hours mountain biking two weeks ago, and I found "Minne" the Lake Creature. She has her own website! I'm hoping to get back out on my bike again soon, but there's been too much rain lately. 

I mentioned in my last post that my room was being painted. Behold the transformation!

Spent a lovely afternoon sipping iced coffee, listening to music, and carefully cleaning my favorite "recreational vehicle"...

...had the privilege of spending a different afternoon with Millie, a dear friend and ex-roommate visiting from England...

...and yesterday, the boyfriend and I saw Cirque du Soleil's "Ovo" show! It was INCREDIBLE, even from the "cheap seats" (that weren't actually that cheap)! My sense of wonder has been renewed, and I really appreciate the performing artists that remind us of the beauty in the world and in what human bodies are capable of. *Sigh* For a one-minute glimpse of the show, you can check out the trailer on YouTube. Below is the stage as it was set before the show actually began, in a photo that I suppose I wasn't really supposed to be taking...

Last, but not least, some greeting cards I made recently. I'm considering starting up an Etsy account to sell my cards online (every little bit of income helps), but waiting to see what happens over the next few weeks in terms of my other jobs and my motivation to continue making cards like this.

Sweet dreams of a perfectly furnished room

My bedroom is getting painted tomorrow!
I'm envisioning a grey and blue color scheme, open to black/white and green accents. I've been looking for some decorating inspiration (thanks, Google images!), and this is one of my favorite images so far.

Hello, summer.

After spending all of last week out of town (and in a car almost the entire time), I knew I'd have a lot of work waiting for me when I came back home. I wanted to make today really productive, to kick off the week by plowing through my to-do list.

But I woke up this morning and the productivity bug just didn't bite. Instead I spent most of today trying to get as much sunshine and fresh Minneapolis air as possible. Who could blame me after logging nearly fifty hours in a car in the past seven days!?! I spent hours on my bike, went for a little afternoon walk, and the time I spent catching up on emails was near a window with the sun streaming in.

I'm so happy to be back in cyclist-friendly Minneapolis, and I welcome summer with open arms... but only for as long as I can balance in that position before placing my hands back on the handlebars. Hooray!