Happy Feet

Sometimes in life it is the little things that can add a splash of cheer to an otherwise dreary day.  I have a well known affinity for rhinestones and this simple purchase of rhinestone flats has helped keep a bounce in my step all day even after a trying week at work.  

I'm back

After a very long hiatus from my blog, I'm back! 

T-Mobile Huddle Up – Boys and Girls Club

I love volunteering; it all started in high school when I volunteered with Toys for Tots and Habitat for Humanity.  Since then I try and make an effort to help out with various organizations including the work we have done with a local youth group for the last 4 years.  When I first started working with CapGemini after I graduated college I got involved with several programs they offered including cooking meals at the Ronald McDonald House, 5k’s for cancer research, and donations for Dressed for Success.  About a year and a half ago I moved over to working for T-Mobile.  I hadn’t had a chance to serve through the community through any T-Mobile programs until I heard about Huddle Up.  It is a community outreach and service day that happens once a year.  I was so glad when I got a confirmed spot for the event. 

I spent the day working outside and making a difference for the kids that go to the boys and girls club for after school programs and athletics.  We split into 7 teams to tackle various projects at the facility, my group created a new play area complete with a swing set and filled with mulch to keep the kids safe.  We also built storage benches and basketball racks for their sports equipment and we stained the woodwork on all of those items.  I woke up the next morning and my forearms and knees were sore but it made my heart happy because I helped make a difference even if it was only for 1 day, those improvements will be used and loved by lots of kids for years to come.  The best part was seeing the reactions of the kids when they walked in.  They were so excited and so thankful for all the time and money we had put into the projects to make it a safer and more fun place for them learn and grow.

The First Penguin

I just finished rereading “The Last Lecture” by Randy Pausch.  It is such a though provoking and well written book and it is full of wonderful advice for people of all ages.  One that caught my attention was an excerpt called the first penguin.  Often times we cling to the security and comfort of following the crowd.  It makes us feel safe and leads a lot of us to lead very calculated and cautious lives.  I have found myself falling into this category more often than I would like.  The concept of the first penguin is that when looking for food one penguin has to dive into the water first.  This is a big risk because if there are predators this penguin could be in danger but if the waters are clear the first penguin will reap the benefits by getting the best fish and will not go hungry. 

Human nature calls us to be simultaneously cautious as a self preservation mechanism but also to be bold in order to get ahead in life.  I am still trying to find out where this ideal balance is in my own life.  I am very cautious in my job choice.  I work for a large company in a cubicle because I like the comfort of bi-weekly paychecks that do not fluctuate and the security that large companies can provide.  As a result I like my job but I am not doing something that I truly love that would likely (at least initially) provide significantly less compensation and would fluctuate greatly.  I have decided that this is in part due to my nature but also due to some of our life choices.  We chose to buy a house which represents a 30 year commitment (less since I pay extra principal but let’s say 30 years for arguments sake).  This commitment is the same amount every month and is due without fail, so how do you pair a non-traditional job with traditional commitments?  I unfortunately don’t have an answer for this but it’s something I find my thoughts returning to over and over again.  My guess is that Randy would say it requires the bold move of diving in head first (or in this pictures case - feet first).

Traffic Patterns

I woke up late on Friday (aka consciously/subconsciously chose to hit snooze way too many times).  In waking up late I left for work about 30-45 minutes later than usual.  I noticed several things during this shift in my morning commute.  Traffic was much worse on Chamblee Dunwoody because the high school starts at around 8 AM so I was stuck behind car rider parents/kids and a slew of school buses.  The stoplight for entering the highway was turned on so entering the highway on the ramp took longer than usual.  My normal XM stations have different programming as the morning goes on which includes more talking than I care for on my morning drive.  My favorite parking space wasn’t available so I had to settle for my second choice.  Since I was already running late I didn’t have time for my weekly Starbucks fix, I try to limit myself to only Fridays as a reward for surviving the work week.

These things may seem mundane but these things completely changed my Friday morning from my normal routine.  In these encounters it reminded me a lot of friendships/relationships.  At times in your life you are perfectly in sync with some friends and you are able to see them all the time and it is glorious.  At other times in life the rhythm of your lives gets a little out of sync with one another and you feel more distant.  It is easy to blame yourself or your friend for the change but what if it is as simple as the issue of what time you leave for work.  The stage, location, and priorities in your life can cause everything to have an entirely different flow and feel to it.  So maybe it is time that we stopped blaming ourselves or others and started understanding the impact of our life patterns and simply do our best to work with/around those life changes. Instead of expecting our relationships to remain static even when our lives do not, shouldn’t we instead expect our friendships/relationships to be dynamic?  That way we are flexible enough to leave room for things to grow and change as we do.

The Help by Kathrym Stockett

I am so glad this book has become so popular!  Every now and again a book comes around that is both entertaining, relevant, and helps people keep perspective on our culture.  Americans think awfully high of ourselves for a country that was extremely oppressive less than one lifetime ago.  I have been talking to my mom and my dad about the book; they are both in their early sixties and were actually alive during the civil rights movement.  My mom grew up in the South and she confirms that the book is not exaggerating and that people truly treated African Americans that way.  In Virginia and Georgia where she grew up the mentality was deep rooted.  My dad had a very different experience since he grew up on air force bases.  The schools and facilities on the bases were fully integrated.  He shared stories of going to Metter, GA to visit family and seeing firsthand what life was like outside of the base.  He remembers the separate water fountains at the Piggly Wiggly and watching as African Americans walked down the street with their eyes cast downward to avoid starting a fight.  He told me how sad it made him.  As I read the book I thought about the courage it took to start the civil rights movement and what tremendous sacrifices were made.  I am so thankful to have grown up in a time and in a home that raised me that people are people and should be judged on merit not on characteristics.  In Georgia I can still see traces of that horrible mentality but I am thankful that they continue to fade.  I am very excited to see the movie and I hope all of you read the book!

Jewelry Holder Project - Inspired by Pinterest

As I previously mentioned I found a wonderful site called Pinterest and one of my favorite finds was a DIY jewelry holder made from a cutlery holder.  I decided to try it myself using a cutlery holder, brass hardware, and cute cabinet knobs from Hobby Lobby.  I love the outcome and plan to make one more that focuses on necklaces and rings.  Here is a picture of their version and then one of mine.  The main difference is that I didn’t line the cubby holes with scrapbook paper.  Part of me loves that it is plan because the knobs and the bracelets really take center stage instead of the paper but I do love the vintage feel of the paisley paper they used so I’m still on the fence as to whether or not I made the right call about leaving the birch wood plain.

I also made a gorgeous necklace holder out of a Manzanita branch we used for décor at our wedding.