How to Win Over the Office Folk:

I started my new job this week and am already off for a snow day. I'm already loving working for a big corporate office! One of the scariest parts of starting a new job is worrying whether or not you'll get along with all of the people that are already there! I think I've found the key, though, and having the cutest cubicle first thing isn't on the list:

1. Buy their kids' fundraiser stuff! This week I have bought girl scout cookies and kettle corn, but hey! Everyone likes the yes man.
2. Come in early, even when there is ice on the interstates and slush everywhere else. 
3. Accept all invites to lunches and order what they order. See number 1 about the yes man nonsense.  4. Take notes. Pretend like you're learning and retaining everything. Even if it's overwhelming and you can't retain anything, pretend!    5. Be likeable. Sounds easy, right? Not when you're nervous.  If you're not normally likeable or personable when you're nervous, fake it because everyone loves someone sweet and peppy. 

How to Know When it's Time to Go

Friday is my last day at my job. It's been my everyday grind for 2.5 years and I'm done.  I love my work and I love the people I work with, but that's about it. If you've been around these parts for a bit, you know that I've had a bunch of interviews that were dead ends until this one.  I accepted a position at Dollar General's corporate office.   After being given the offer, I had my doubts and my fears about taking the leap to the next step of my career.  I went to submit my resignation and my boss was less than understanding. In fact, it did not go well at all and I was dumbfounded by how unprofessionally it ended.  Needless to say, I knew I made the right decision.   That didn't discount my terrible feelings about leaving my first grown up degree related job, leaving the people who had invested in me professionally and personally, and those I grew to love seeing in the hallways (even if it was a "oh so you're actually working today?").  

I knew it was time to leave when I... ...woke up dreading work, certain people, and my environment. ...was negative Nancy 24/7 because of those around me. ...took on the mouth of a sailor ...was losing hair because of the stress ...was having to make my own executive decisions because bosses weren't accessible and getting in trouble for it. ... figured out there were no moves I could make in my personal life because of how poorly I was paid. ... was being undermined and talked down to almost daily ... could no longer see myself here long term    I'm going to miss a lot of this job, and a lot of it I won't miss. I'd appreciate prayers, too, as I make this leap! :) 

When I Retire...

I love retirement parties. Love them. Even if I barely knew the person.   It's not about the cake or the finger foods or anything else besides listening to people love on this one person. I love looking at pictures and hearing stories of things from years gone by.    We had a party for the second person ever hired with our company who retired after 24 years.   She is seriously the sweetest person. She was the first person to take me under her wing and make sure I was okay when I started working there.  The sweet words spoken by our president, our commissioner, and all of the employees she has inspired and loved were tear worthy words, and she cried and cried and cried. Grown men, friends, shook as they sobbed on her shoulder and thanked her for taking a chance on him.  My heart.  Our company started in 1991... the year I was born... and it was so awesome to see pictures from before then of people I was standing next to at this party.  
It got me thinking.... when I retire, I want people to sob on my shoulder. I want people to love me the way people love her. I want to be able to look out in the crowd of people and tell funny stories about each of them.  I want people to think about how awesome it was to have worked with me. A little vain, yes, but honest.  
I love my job now, but it's not necessarily a company I think I'll retire from... which then sends me into a tailspin of what will I do for the rest of my life? My job now is family friendly, will be helpful when we have a baby, I have time built up that I can take when that happens, and (for the most part) I love my co-workers.  Yes, I am only 23, but it makes me wonder what I will do when I grow up (ha). 
I've been working on giving up my plans. I mean, if we're 100% honest, my plans don't matter in the scheme of God's plans, but hey, they're fun to make.  If I'm meant to stay in my current job until I retire, if that's God's plan, then I will be content and happy with that. If not, when the time comes, I will take the leap of faith to start a new chapter.  For now, I will live for the day I'm in, and enjoy what I'm doing. 
What are your thoughts on retiring? What do you want people to say about you?

Friday!

  1. This week, I ordered our 2014 book from Shutterfly. I love recapping our year in book form.  From here on out, I will probably do chunks of years in each book or else we'll have one book per year, plus baby books, plus wedding and honeymoon books and not enough shelves to hold them all.  It's an obsession.  I just love Shutterfly in general.  I had 30 free 4x6 prints - hello new recipe cards (they're easier to write on with the matte finish)!

  2. I finally buckled down and bought some new jeans from ThredUP.  I hate paying more than $15 for a pair of jeans, but I was in a pickle because my favorite jeans were starting to show signs of rippage to come!!   I bought a really cute Ann Taylor T-shirt to go with them! ;)

3.  I am loving my job more than ever. Since my promotion, I do work that matters, work that is intriguing, and more work in one day than I used to do in a month. I am so thankful that I'm gaining experience and that my new daily set of tasks doesn't leave me wanting to sleep out of boredom.   4. I got to finally break out my ear warmers!! It hasn't been cold enough to wear it until now! It just so happened that I had the perfect scarf to go with it!

  5.  I may or may not have taken the huge plunge and made a bigger commitment than I'm ready for. I ordered business cards for my embroidery side of life.  I also may or may not have set up a website for all of my work

 

 

Friday!

This week has been a busy one.  Like I said earlier this week, work has been crazy lately.  Absolutely crazy!! But I'm looking forward to a relaxing weekend with weddings and sleep.   1. Tuesday, I painted with some sweet ladies from church. I love how my pumpkin turned out, but now I don't know what to add to it!

  2.  I planned my vacation for the rest of the year and still have a whole day to use.  Boss lady gave me my birthday, the day after, and the whole week of Christmas off of work.  #win   3. We are having brunch with one of my best friends from high school to celebrate Jackson's birthday, our tenth friendiversary, and just life in general.  Love that girl!!  

the semi-beginning of our friendship in 2004ish

 

4.  Today is my sweet M-I-L's birthday! She's a wonderful woman, and we can't wait to give her her present!! This is hopefully the last year that Garrett will be thousands of miles away and won't be able to celebrate with us. Yay, freedom day coming this July!!   5. and Last but not least, we have a wedding to go to tomorrow! One of our sweet friends from church is marrying his lovely bride tomorrow! I'm sure it will be absolutely perfect!!    Who else has big plans for your weekend?  

 Linking up with Karli and Amy and Lauren and 5 on Friday

Friday!

1. I used our $0.10 off to get gas this week and it was under $3 for the first time in forever.  This is a sight for sore eyes, but it was so so welcomed!! 

2. I had to take a work trip on Wednesday to Lawrenceburg, but hey, our boss bought us Dairy Queen on the way home! :)   3. I installed the iOS 8 update, and I have to say, I'm not really impressed.  It made my phone look prettier, but there's nothing really special or different about the way my phone works.  I do like that I can answer a text in an app without having to go to the messages, and the "recent" bubbles at the top when I double click.  But other than that, meh.   4. We have zero things planned this weekend minus a bridal tea on Sunday after church for which I have to make cake balls. Insert eyeroll here.  I'm looking forward to a weekend of relaxing and football.... and maybe picking up the Conjuring from the redbox because Jackson has never seen it!! Wife of the year, right here.   5. Thank you all for your sweet words and prayers for our family's possible new adventure with Jackson's possible new job.  Keep praying!! He talked to the boss of the department who said he was highly recommended by a guy he used to work with who now works there! I hope you all have a wonderful, restful weekend!!  

Linking up with Karli and Amy and Lauren

Confessions

I'm having one of those weeks. The kind where you just want to cry because everything is going wrong. everything.  Plus, I'm so tired, I could die.   I confess....   ... I brush my teeth and floss twice a day, and my husband doesn't always, but I went to the dentist yesterday and I have a cavity in almost every tooth and between almost every tooth.  The thing I went in for wasn't even a cavity.  I have really awful dental anxiety, so I am dreading it all. I may or may not be reassuring myself by thinking that they have seen much worse than mine. 

  ... I didn't get the job I interviewed for last week.  I am more than just a tad bummed.       ... the fair didn't quite meet my expectations this year, but I blame the heat. It was like 97 degrees on Saturday until it poured rain.   ... Pretty Little Liars..... I 100% predicted it, but I was still shocked.  I didn't watch it at 7 because I was in a painting class, so I had planned to watch it at 9.  I ruined it before I watched it by getting on Facebook.    ... I've been playing on Trulia and Zillow a little bit, and I am in awe of how some people allow their houses to be listed. Some look like an episode of hoarders, some are a game of "find the cat in each picture, no the pictures on the wall don't count."

 

... I am contemplating skipping church this evening to sleep. Exhausted doesn't cover it, and it's only Wednesday.

 

How is your week going so far? Better than mine, I'm 100% sure.

Friday!

This was one of those weeks where every single day seemed like a week by itself.  I stayed busy at work, busy at home, and this weekend will be a busy one.    1.  Finally figured out what to get Jackson for his birthday! He has one pair of jeans.  Mind you, he doesn't wear them hardly ever because he has a work uniform and when he's not in that, he is in comfortable clothes or khakis.  His favorite jeans are American Eagle jeans, and they were on super sale (like $26 including shipping), and I had a coupon, so I ordered him a pair.  I'll put gift cards in the pockets.        2.  I love ordering wedding presents for others! We were so blessed with our showers and received everything we registered for.  We have a wedding every weekend in October, so of course we are in the thick of shower season.  It's expensive, but so worth it.   3.  Wednesday was a definite stay at home to avoid the storms kind of day.  However, we recovered nicely.

  4.  Can we just talk about that moment when you add another reason to the list of reasons that your best friend is your best friend?  We got to facetime with Taylor and Jason Wednesday evening, and this conversation occurred Thursday ;)

    5.  Thursday at work, we had a snow cone truck come.  It was so much fun, but I was in fear the whole time about getting the dye on my white pants. Can you imagine trying to get that out?

 

 I'm so excited for our weekend to come! We're going to the fair tomorrow and having a lazy day Sunday.  Next week is a whole other story. Can't wait to read about your weeks!!  

Linking up with Karli and Amy and Lauren

 

Confessions

I confess...   ... Last week I heard Vitamin C's Friends Forever song. You know the one. I broke down in tears. Like ugly crocadile tears. I've been incredibly reminiscent lately about school, so that just killed me.

    ... I had an interview for a new job on Monday and I think it went really well. I sent a thank you card yesterday for the final umpf! :) There are two spots open, so I am really hoping I have a shot. I am dreading telling my current boss. I do love my job and the people, I'm just ready for a change.  

   ... I am so excited for the Wilson County Fair this weekend.  Jackson and I usually go on Sundays after church, but the last day happens to be a Saturday. We are going to ride rides, see exhibits, and eat fried food!! We rarely ride the rides because we are too cheap and rarely get our $25 per person worth because the lines are so long.  We plan to be there when it opens on Saturday, though.  I can't wait.      ... I am tired of people assuming I will do their sewing projects for them. Don't bring me your busted jeans or ripped hoody and expect me to fix it.  #rude

  ... I have completed a spreadsheet with the costs of raising a kitten in effort to convince Jackson we need one.  Overkill? not one bit.    

   

My Garden

I'm struggling with a lot of real-life moments as this summer draws to a close.    The first is a hard one for me. I won't be going to school this fall. No, I didn't drop out; it's my first fall semester after graduation. This is the time when I'm usually buying books, organizing things to move back to my dorm or apartment, and now, I'm not.  Not because I don't want to, but because I'm done. How do I, the person who needs to learn and read and take tests and write papers, manage those needs outside the classroom? I loved, and still love, sitting in lecture halls, learning and taking notes. I love turning in papers and that anticipation that comes before you get back what you know will be an A.  I miss my campus, I miss my classes. I see my graduation cap hanging in our room and it's a reminder, yes, of all I've done, but also a reminder that I'm done. I'm past that season of life and now I'm stuck in the 8-4 Monday-Friday crunch.

(via: Daily News Journal)   Which brings me to my second horse pill to swallow. My 8-4 Monday-Friday crunch is not (I don't think) what I want to do for the rest of forever.  I see my friends decorating their classrooms and getting nervous for their students to come to class. I realize Metro Nashville is not the greatest school system, but I want to be there. I am a product of that school system and the few loving teachers that poured their time and money into making me something.  I just feel like I'm not doing enough with my life. I'm settling for the bill-paying job... the job where I spend my 40 and clock out mentally and physically. I want the bulletin boards and the lesson plans and the kids into whom I can instill important things!!   Would I have to go back to school to obtain that degree? You bet. So you say, "Hey! You kill two birds with that one stone! Go get your degree!!" Hang on, I'm not quite done.   Have you ever felt like as much as you didn't want to be somewhere doing something that it was your place to be in the here and now? I recently watched some videos about a man named Ed who has ALS.  They're part of a series called Ed's Story.  One of his videos talks about the fact that Adam and Eve were in the garden to tend and nurture it, and by doing so, they were worshiping God. That video will not leave the depths of my heart and brain.  I'm in my garden.  My job is my garden. So while it's not the garden I want it to be, maybe it's the garden God wants for me.  I'm trying to learn to be content and happy with that fact. I am thankful that God trusts me enough to put me here and let this be mine for now.  I'm sure when I've done all He needs me to do here, he will send me elsewhere to tend to another garden.    What is your garden? How are you dealing with trying to be happy in your garden rather than admiring someone else's?  

 

Confessions

I'm having a rough week. Everything that can is going wrong and I just want to sleep until Friday.  Please? Pretty Please? I confess...   ...I'm in a funk.  I'm tired of waiting on this stupid car, but we don't really have the finances to buy a new one.  I am trying to be patient with having Jackson home and not being able to spend any time with him.  It's just... funky... and I'm over it!  

  ...I'm totally loving this mid-summer freeze. Oh hey, Nashville cold snap!? Where'd you come from?! I'm not even mad! Just a little chilly   

 

... I have had to practice my secret keeping skills this week, and I am awful at keeping secrets. So I told Taylor and my daddy and that's all. That's what "tell no one" means, right?  

    ... My ThredUP box should be here this week. I have forgotten what is in it because I ordered it so long ago.      ... Maybe I have baby fever a lot worse than I thought. I sent a text to my best friend asking for prayer for my funk and she sent me a onesie and said "this should help". She knows me so well.  

 

... seeing all of my friends setting up their classrooms is really making me hate my job a little more.  I should have been a cowboy teacher.       ... I hate that awkward interaction between yourself and someone who bought you a really expensive gift, even after you've written the thank you note. It's like the elephant in the room.  At work, that gets awkward fast.       ... I'm really hoping that "You've moved on in our hiring process because you were qualified" e-mail doesn't end in a dead end.  I'm ready to move out and up.       ... I am starting to have little to no tolerance for the "I have no money, I'm going to probably file bankruptcy, I have it so bad" people who find money for clothes, restaurant dinners, and elaborate vacations. It's a matter of time until I say something I'll regret.