Friday, February 25, 2011

another new direction

I'm trying this out for a while:
http://graceacoustic.tumblr.com

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

a new direction

First of all, I do realize that I told you I had a surprise that would come after the last post once I'd given you enough time to watch the video. Well, I hope you watched the video - you've definitely had plenty of time - but my surprise didn't work out the way I'd hoped. I wanted to take a picture to show you, but it doesn't quite come out in the picture: I got a tattoo. A white one. It's on my left inner forearm, and it says "i am enough."

I've had many a conversation about tattoos with people. I've always been intrigued but there's never, ever been any single thing that has been important enough to me to put it permanently on my body... until I saw Brene Brown's Ted Talk. The moment I finished watching the video, I knew I wanted to tattoo "i am enough" on my left inner forearm, and the next day, I did! I chose white because it wouldn't stand out - I think some tattoos look super unnatural - but instead it blends into the skin like a scar. More like a part of me. It hurt less than I thought it would, and more than I thought it would. Corbin held my hand the entire time. And though I wish I had spent a little more time planning what I wanted to look like, I'm really happy that I got it!

p.s... I've already got an idea for my next tattoo.

Alright, now for another new direction! I've begun an adventure that may or may not pan out for me, but I am particularly psyched out of my mind about it (Elf anyone?).... I've started a business. On Etsy. Well, it's not on Etsy yet... it's still in start-up mode... but I've mailed in my Articles of Organization to establish Grace Acoustic, LLC under which I will do business as Acoustic Handmade on Etsy. I will be making and selling lip balm.

So, here's how this started. All of my life I've had issues with my lips peeling (ew gross, I know), so for years and years and years I tried chapstick after lip balm after lip gloss, never really finding that perfect product for my lips. I even got a lip balm-making kit from Martha Stewart and had an awesome time making it. The peeling problem has improved incredibly over the years, but I'm still very picky about what I apply to my smackers. So last week, when I spent a few days on Etsy and became obsessed and decided I had to be a part of it, I realized that the creativity I could contribute is in lip balm. I have the chance to make it awesome and then make some money on it!

So research mode started. Do I need to do something legal about this? What kind of taxes do I pay? How do I do this? I figured out that if this thing does blow up and I make enough money to have to pay taxes on it, then my life will be a billion times easier if I've already taken care of tax and business stuff. So I decided to establish a business and get a tax ID. I also knew that I would have to be super organized, keeping track of absolutely everything, so I bought the supplies I needed to do so (a filing box, folders, etc), made an excel spreadsheet to keep track of expenses, and opened a checking account exclusively for business.

Research on the lip balm itself commenced. I searched for recipes. I searched for supplies. I read blogs. I scoured Etsy for other people who sell lip balm and asked them questions (the people on Etsy are so ridiculously helpful, even to somebody who may be their competition!). I found a remarkable website where I was able to find nearly everything I needed - Majestic Mountain Sage (thesage.com). I purchased my first round of supplies - containers, ingredients - and broke down the prices of all the ingredients to figure out how much it would cost me in supplies to make the lip balm.

Now I'm just waiting for the supplies to arrive so I can start COOKIN'!! I'm so ridiculously excited to experiment with ingredients and flavors and scents. And then test them on people. I'm also in the midst of designing a label, which will be awesome and professional-looking.

New and exciting things!

Oh by the way. I got to talking with a client that I was shampooing today (I work in a salon, remember?) and, through our conversation, we realized that I am all over the map. I went to JMU wanting to be a theater major. Then I was a business major. Then a religion major, film studies minor, music minor. Then I decided I wanted to be a music supervisor. Then I decided I wanted to go to culinary school. Then I decided not to go to culinary school, but I still wanted to work in a kitchen. Then I decided I didn't want the fast-paced nature of cooking for money, so I looked for an administrative position because I like organization and tasks. And now that I'm in that position (which I love, by the way!), I'm starting a business selling lip balm on the side.

Who am I!? I'm crazy. But I love it.

Friday, January 21, 2011

Were you ever really listening like I want for you to listen now?

1. That line is from an Avett Brothers song. It's beautiful. And I have a deep love for the Avett Brothers despite the fact that I haven't even heard all of their music. Please love them also.

2. A few weeks ago I decided that the culinary career path is not for me. I love to cook, but I do not want to cook for a living, so culinary school is off the table (and I'm totally happy and at peace about that!). Because of this decision, I also decided that working at Liza Jane's was no longer for me. It's a good place, but I think it was the combination of my recent decision and the fact that it was start-up -- not steady, no system in place yet, still feeling out the market -- that made me feel like it wasn't for me. So...

3. I found myself a new job. Given that I didn't want to work in food anymore, I looked for administrative/receptionist/office positions. It took little to no time to find myself a position as the receptionist for La Bella Hair Studio, a small salon in west end Richmond (corner of Patterson and Three Chopt for you locals). There are three stylists and a receptionist (me!) so it's a small operation, which I like. There's something I love about the organization of it - the list of tasks that need to be completed, the computer work, the schedule/database upkeep. I really like it a lot! I'm about to finish week two.

4. I have discovered that I need two days off per week. Period. I worked six days a week at Liza Jane's and it just did not cut it. At La Bella, I get Sunday and Monday off. It's awesome. And my schedule is still such tha tI can go home and cook dinner -- and, better yet, I have the energy to cook dinner. Like.

5. I have something very important to share with you. Please watch it, because it's important to me and important in general. And once you've watched it, I have a special surprise, to come in the next week or so... once I've given you all enough time to watch the video! :) FYI, it's 20 minutes and worth it.




She changed me.

Sunday, January 02, 2011

The Ballad of Love and Hate

Love writes a letter and sends it to hate:
“My vacation's ending I’m coming home late.
The weather was fine and the ocean was great.
And I can’t wait to see you again.”

Hate reads the letter and throws it away.
“No one here cares if you go or you stay.
I barely even noticed that you were away.
I’ll see you or I won’t, whatever.”

Love sings a song as she sails through the sky.
The water looks bluer through her pretty eyes
And everyone knows it whenever she flies
And also when she comes down.

Hate keeps his head up and walks through the street.
Every stranger and drifter he greets
And shakes hands with every loner he meets
with a serious look on his face.

Love arrives safely with suitcase in toe.
Carrying with her the good things we know.
A reason to live and a reason to grow
To trust, to hold, to care

Hate sits alone on the hood of his car
without much regard to the moon or the stars.
Lazily killing the last of a jar
of the strongest stuff you can drink.

Love takes a taxi, a young man drives.
As soon he sees her hope fills his eyes.
But tears follow after at the end of the ride
Cause he might never see her again.

Hate gets home lucky to still be alive.
He screams over the sidewalk and into the drive.
The clock in the kitchen says two fifty five
And the clock in the kitchen is slow.

Love has been waiting patient and kind,
Just wanting a phone call or some kind of sign
That the one that she cares for who’s out of his mind
Will make it back safe to her arms.

Hate stumbles forward and leans in the door.
Weary head hung down, eyes to the floor
He says, “Love I’m sorry” and she says, “What for?”
I’m yours and that’s it, whatever.
I should not have been gone for so long.
I’m yours and that’s it, forever”
“You're mine and that’s it, forever”


                            

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Chrimbus

Given the extended length of time since my last post, I thought I'd write a quick one since it's Christmas time. I'm sitting in my parents' house, on my mother's computer, in my old bedroom, looking out the window at the snow. It started snowing last night - Christmas - and it hasn't really stopped since.

There's a distinct comfort that I feel being here. Suddenly, I can let go of my responsibilities. I'm not in charge. This isn't my house. I don't have to work. I'm folded back into the dynamic with which I grew up, with a few tweaks: my sister, Ginna, is accompanied by her new husband, Alex, and a few extra rings on her fingers; my sister, Catey, also carries a new ring on her finger, as she is now engaged to Scott as of last Saturday.

I think that I've desired control for a long time. But at some point, I also began to desire the ability to relinquish it. A few months ago I wrote a post about the summer camp that I went to, Ballibay. I had just felt a massive emotional swell, which was unexpected, and I came to two conclusions about why it happened. But here's what I left out: at that time in my life, I was not responsible. The most for which I had to be responsible was remembering the lines to a few songs. No rent, no bills, no serious relationships, no dogs, no job, no path of my own choosing. I was told where to go and what to do and it was glorious. I miss it.

So being here in my parents house with my family throws me back to that time. It's a weekend when I get to let go. Tomorrow I have to go back to work. Tomorrow I have to cook dinner. Tomorrow I have to walk my dog. But today, I get to sit in my old bedroom and watch the snow fall, totally unable to control it.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

New Job Galore

I can't believe I haven't blogged about this yet, but at the same time, I can totally believe it, because I've been busy and stressed out of my mind for two weeks.

I will start from the beginning, but let me warn you, this is a life update story.

A few weeks ago, an employee of mine at Aromas, Ashley, put in her two weeks notice because she was moving out of Richmond. Knowing that my other employee, Tarae, would be appreciative of more hours, I didn't hurry too much to hire a new employee (meaning I put an ad up the next day rather than that day, and I didn't stress out about scheduling interviews). I put ads up on Craig's List several times that week, and one time I typed in "bakery" just to see what popped up. Three listings: Cheesecake Factory (eh), some place in Ashland (eh), and an ad for full- and part-time positions at a cafe/bakery/coffee shop now opening! I checked my resume to make sure it was presentable, whipped up a quick cover letter, and sent it to the address on the ad. It was Friday.

Monday, I received a call from the lady who placed the ad, Kelly, who wanted to meet me on Tuesday. Tuesday was a day off I had scheduled for myself so I went in at 11:30 and found myself in a small cafe inside of a very cute consignment shop (housewares more than clothes). The cafe was precious, with zebra stripes and polka dots and bright colors everywhere. When I started talking to Kelly, it quickly became clear to me that this was not an interview - it was basically just a meeting to make sure I didn't have two heads. She explained to me what they were doing and what they wanted me to do - mainly coffee, but they would train everybody to do everything. She talked to me about pay, benefits, hours, schedule. And when I left there, my understanding was (and correctly) that I had the job.

I didn't know what to think, because that happened CRAZY fast! Mind you, this was the very day before Ashley's last day. So now not only did I need to finish hiring and train somebody for her position, I now had to hire and train somebody for my own position. And I only had two weeks. And I would begin working part time at the new place (called Liza Jane's Sweet Shoppe and Cafe). I was excited, but I kinda flipped out because the prospect of all of that stress was scary. When you're used to working behind the bar by yourself, and you don't have a concrete list of things to teach, it's very stressful when suddenly there's somebody else behind the bar with you and you're trying to remember everything that you know and do.

I waited a few days before talking to my boss about it all, and I gave him my two weeks notice on that Friday. By that time I had hired somebody for Ashley's position and I would put up an ad for my position over the weekend (to give you an idea of the timing, it was Halloween weekend).

Week one of last two weeks at Aromas was crazy. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday I opened at Aromas at 6:30 am. I had Tarae come in for me at 11 so that I would have exactly enough time to eat, nap for 30 minutes, and take a shower before heading to Liza Jane's from 2 until 7 (lots of travel time in there, too - about 25 minutes to and from both jobs). Tuesday and Thursday were normal days for me - Sam's and a closing shift at Aromas on Tuesday, and a closing shift on Thursday. No Liza Jane's. That week I spent half of each shift training Sarah, the girl I hired to replace Ashley, and the other half interviewing people for my job and attempting to complete any tasks that needed to be completed in that shift, in addition to helping customers. It was ridiculously stressful and tiring for me.

Week two of my last two weeks at Aromas I spent training my replacement, Zach. That was less stressful because he is already very experienced, and we didn't need too much time for me to teach him everything. Nevertheless I was still working a 50-hour week, just like the week before, so I was tired. And my saint of a boyfriend, Corbin, was stuck walking Ivy at least an hour and a half nearly every day because I didn't have time to split the responsibility with him like usual. Also, our apartment looked (and still does look) like a bomb went off.

You have no idea how happy I was to be finished at Aromas on Friday. For the most part, I liked working there. But when you're working as much as I was and counting down the days until you're done... well let's just say I was relieved.

So this week is my first week at Liza Jane's full-time. To tell you more about the job, I basically do everything. While I was brought on for my coffee experience, we're not selling all that much coffee yet, so I'm preparing a lot of food and taking a lot of orders. Cleaning a lot. I work 11-7 Monday through Friday and 9-2 on Sunday. It will take some time to get used to working 6 days a week, but my hours are pretty awesome compared to having to get up at 6:00 at Aromas. I really like the people I'm working with, I like the atmosphere, the food is delicious, and I think I'll have the chance to make things and sell them (like soups and baked goods) since I told the owner that I cook and want to go to culinary school. Also, I get to watch the food network all day, and I actually get a lunch break (a concept which is foreign to me)! I am on my lunch break as I write this in fact - I just finished my grilled cheddar on rye, tomato three-cheese soup, better cheddars, and pickle. I'm sitting in a very comfortable leopard-print chair and the food network is on in front of me. I love it.

Anyway, there's an update for you - apologies for the gap, but as you can see, I've been busy and tired. I'm so happy to have a regular schedule now, I like having Saturday off cause Friday still feels like Friday, I like knowing when I'll be at work and when I won't, instead of my schedule changing all the time. Also, I'm going to the Harry Potter midnight show on Thursday night. Yes indeed. Life is good.