thoughts on work

i am kind of regretting not taking paper source up on the offer for the 4th and final itnerview for assistant manager. when i drive to carlsbad, i don't regret it, because i would hate hate hate the commute. it's just TOO far to go. but, i'm seriously, seriously, seriously, in need of a creative job. i can't sit in an office any longer. i need to be interacting with people, inspiring people, making art, around pretty paper and stamps and pens and stickers and cards and stationery. i need to be an idea person. i need to help others make beautiful projects. i need to plan. i need to organize. i need to have the freedom to create. i need to wake up in the morning (most mornings, at least) and be glad that i get to go to work. i am waiting for a new door to open - waiting, praying, hoping - searching. scouring the internet for opportunities, and networking. networking is key.

sigh.

weekend update

while i didn't accomplish everything that i wanted to this weekend (i should be used to this by now ... i hardly ever get everything done. i set out to accomplish so much & always fall short, oh well) ... i did get some stuff done! i made some layouts & a mini book for the polaroids from the photo shoot. i used the tutorial from rachel's steady hand, faulty heart class ... contact paper instead of colored duct tape (still on my to-buy list) but it looks great! i'll take pics/ scan it, asap.

i didn't get to work on the pillows because i didn't go to my mom's (no sewing machine) though my friend carrie was nice enough to let me borrow her mom's --- BUT i forgot the pedal, so no sewing for me. bummer.

PAPER SOURCE WAS AMAZING. i mean, i knew it would be, because i used to gush over everything in the cambridge store, but this carlsbad store is BIG and i just seriously wanted to move right in. we spent a lot of time there and i got some things that i'd been wanting for a while. a stamp, mini envelopes, three sheets of paper, rabbit business cards, labels, etc.

i also bought a few things at Z Gallerie ... two candles (green in a glass jar with white & copper designs) and a WOOD GRAIN candle. plus an awesome mirrored candle holder.

browed at anthro ... and wanted everything. oh man, i am so in love with that place. mmmmm it's so delicious.

sunday greg & i cleaned (For real!) and then we went and got a dresser at pat's for cheap! they are going to refinish it (light blue is the color we decided) - shabby chic it up, and then we'll pick it up. i asked them to drilly holes for knobs but not to bother putting any in, since i'll splurge and get mis-matched ones at anthro (i've been waiting forever) ... can't wait!

pictures/scans to come. and some more crafty goodness.

a crafty weekend awaits me ....

the plan for this weekend is:

to work on some art journal pages for steady hand, faulty heart [i am seriously excited about the newest prompts, they are JUST what i need currently] ...

to find [cheap] plain fabric to use for the backings of some pillows. i bought scraps of heather bailey's fabric from the fat quarter shop, and am going to make some awesome pillows. so, buy fabric & sew them up area major part of this weekend's plans.

to go to papersource's grand opening - i am beyond excited. i will try very hard not to spend a lot of money. but, papersource & anthro & zgallerie & freepeople in one shopping center = minor freak out.

to enjoy a lovely saturday night with my amazing friends. i have realized lately how blessed i am to have such a unique group of friends. a group of friends who are drastically different, absolutely crazy [more pics of the photo shoot will be up soon for proof], funny, loving, accepting, and honest. i spend some time feeling sad that i don't have any "crafty" friends here in san diego [sadly they live in boston] - but, at the end of the day, i am so happy with who we have become, how we have grown, how our friendships have shaped, how we continue to bring laughter & joy & support to each other's lives. ok, sappyness officially over.

in other news, i've been obsessively blog stalking my little sister marta's blog about her adventures in africa. i check is CONSTANTLY, waiting for new updates, new pictures, new tidbits about her life in a new land. i'm obsessed.

and now ... back to work. hopefully more pictures soon! gotta find a place to develop the film from my diana+ (this is the experimental roll, i have no clue if they'll turn out).

xox, d.

an update, in list form.

i'm proving to be unreliable with this whole photo thing.  i'll work on it, i promise.  i've been so busy this past week! 

1. i got a new job, phew.  working as a case manager for the ymca child resource service. wow- a job in the field that i think i want to go in to (social work)! go me.

2. the day i accepted the new job i also got a phone call from paper source for a 2nd interview, very exciting.  that's on friday.  i don't have my hopes up, but i'm still going to do it, what the heck.

3. i started on a mini-book for my sister to take with her to south africa when she studies there in the fall.  she wants to bring an album of pictures to share with her host family etc, about her life here in the states.  so i'm putting it together all scrapbook-y and cute. 

4. i just ate an eclair and it was delicious. yummm.

5. i did not do as much art as i wanted to this past week.  i have received rachel's book kit and while i've marveled over the loveliness of it, i've yet to make it, it's sitting on the living room floor in the pile of craftiness that will eventually be made in to several mini books.  why on the living room floor you ask, when i have a perfectly good craft ROOM, yes and entire ROOM of crafty goodness?  well, i have a perfectly good explanation for that - the craft room is a complete DISASTROUS MESS and there's no way i can work up there.  this leads me to number 6.

6. i have yet to be home for a period of time long enough to clean anything in the house.  i just tackled the pile of dishes that had been piling up in the sink for days. there are piles everywhere that need to be put away.  i'm just so tired by the time i get home, and waking up at 5 am has proven more difficult than i imagined.  i'm waiting for a whole weekend of nothingness so i can put our home back together. 

7. i spent part of last week in la with my best friend, alana, and her husband, sam.  alana and i went to the skyy vodka (aids benefit) vip pre-screening of sex and the city on THURSDAY (a day before it was out) in hollywood.  it was fabulous.  absofuckinglutely lovely.  after the showing there was a q&a with michael patrick king and the one and only kristin davis (aka charlotte york).  she looked stunning, and is, honest to god, the cutest little thing.  i loved the movie, and loved spending some quality time with alana.  we also went to the skirball museum and saw the exhibit on bob dylan.  it was good, but i wasn't super impressed.  oh, and how can i forget, we also ate not 1, not 2, not 3, but 4, yes, 4, cupcakes at sprinkles.  ok, it wasn't that bad, three of us shared 4 cupcakes.  they are so good.  we got chai latte, pumpkin, red velvet, and black & white.  if you go to the site, be prepared to drooooool all over your keyboard. no joke.

8. i feel like i had so much more to write about, but i'm kind of drawing a blank. 

destiny.

does anyone else get excited when people comment on their blogs?  it seriously makes my day, so thanks! 

well, i had a phone interview today for paper source.  FIRST, let me tell you, my lovely fellow san diegans, that paper source will be opening in SEPTEMBER in carlsbad at the forum. yey for us, right?! the forum is also home to anthropologie, zgallerie, and a bunch of other places ... some "mainstream" stores and some boutiques ... for those of you who have never been there. i also hear that free people is opening ... which would be really exciting.  anthro + free people + z gal + paper source, what more could i want?!  by the way my interior decorator friend carrie is the visuals girl at zgal at the forum so if you go there, say hi, haha, she's fabulous! 

anyway, my interview ... so, i have BARELY any retail / management experience.  ya, i minored in small business mgmt in college, and had an internship.  that's about the extent of it.  so i'm clearly not qualified to be the assistant manager of paper source.  i knew that.  but i thought, what the heck, i have nothing to lose.  the lady who interviewed me was a doll, and we had a nice chat and she seemed optimistic about my lack of experience.  she said that other things make up for it, and, worse comes to worse, would i be interested in a shift supervisor position instead.  seriously, i just want to work at paper source.  at this point, i'd be willing to freaking scrub the floor with a tooth brush (oh god, not really). a sample of how the convo went:

paper source lady: so what about the craigslist ad made you decide you'd want to work at paper source? (or something like that)

me: well, actually, i've wanted to work at paper source for forever, and in fact, i often joked about moving to la just so i could work there, even though i hate la with a passion.  gosh, i mean, how could i not want to work in a place that was filled with so much paper and prettiness? it really just makes sense, i mean, i hoard paper.  all kinds of it.  (but it didn't end there, i rambled on for like 10 more minutes about how much i love paper and how the stars and moon and sun must be alined perfectly and it's fate that a paper source is opening and needs employees JUST as i'm job hunting for like the 100th time in the past 2 years.  clearly, destiny at work) ... yes, i was that long winded and dorky. 

paper source lady: oh good, so you're familiar with our store ...

me: yes, i'd say so.

jobs, obsessions, decorating, etc!

so for the past few months i've gotten increasingly obsessed with the idea of working in a paper / scrapbooking store. but not a lame one like scrapbook your life or even cool scrapbook stuff in poway (which i love, just wouldn't want to work there, i don't know how to describe why). anyway i have always LOVED paper source. like, omg, love that place. in college my classes were mostly in a building RIGHT ACROSS the street from one and god i loved going there. beautiful papers, fun cards & crafty gift things. god, it's just pure LOVE. and then, of course, i read elise's blog, and she works at the paper source where she lives in dc, and the obsession has just blossomed from there.

OK, to the point. yesterday i was browsing craigslist as i do every day because i'm going to be jobless in 4 weeks, and GUESS WHAT?! A PAPER SOURCE IS OPENING IN CARLSBAD. now, carlsbad would not be the most fun commute since i've recently moved from north county to north park .. but, i think i totally would do it. I MEAN SERIOUSLY, a job where i get to be surrounded by PAPER AND PRETTINESS ALL DAY? i don't want to get myself over excited, because it probably won't happen. i don't have a ton of retail experience. BUT i have customer service experience and so much craftiness experience, haha.

i just REALLY want to work in an awesome environment and i love paper stores.

ok, look at me, again, going on and gushing about all this stuff.

so i took some pics on my sister's camera and i was all excited to post them and i realized that i didn't bring the cord that connects the camera to the laptop. grrrr ... so maybe this weekend i'll get it and then i can post some pics of the projects i've been working on AND the on going project that is our home sweet home ...

thats my second biggest obsession ... decorating our home. it's so nice that we finally have our own place that we OWN. greg even sometimes seems interested in the decorating which is awesome. a few weeks ago we hung up a bunch of picture frames for a "cluster" wall ... and the craft studio is starting to get more organized ... it's a slow process but totally worth it.

alright, time to go help with dinner! have a great weekend (it's going to be HOT HOT HOT here paper source, camera woes in san diego)