This week.

our apartment is out of control.

We've been up to our ears in projects this week, whether it's work, personal or gift related. I was in charge of making the family calendar for both families this year, which means I made 8 different versions of the calendar between the two families. It was really fun to look at pictures and see the final product but lots and lots of work. All of that to say, I have thought about blogging numerous times but just haven't gotten around to it. (I don't even want to show you the other things I haven't gotten to this week, a.k.a our apartment and laundry…. It's bad.) The laundry isn't totally my fault though because our dryer has been out of commission for the last week and the repair man is late ever time he is suppose to come by like 2 hours. He was supposed to be here an hour ago so maybe he'll be here in a hour haha

I start a new part-time gig next week and then go back to full-time come the new year. This fall has been an incredible learning time and I have been very grateful for this time to heal (so many pinched nerves and pain in my neck/back but it's getting better!) and for a very supportive husband! God also provided so many odd jobs and work for me to be able to keep up skills and incoming money for us. It's been incredible. I'm thankful to go back to full-time though because I'm a schedule girl. The fall has had it's challenges because I don't always work well without a schedule. There have been so many things (devotions, neck/back exercises, relaxing, working out, etc) that have suffered because I just kept forgetting to do them. But this week has been great and I think things will continue to get better as I get back in the groove of things.

Katie's last night with us is tonight. (boo!) We've had a lot of fun times and she has been a constant friend while Adam has been so busy. Speaking of Adam, he took his last exam last night and graduates on Sunday. Whoot! Whoot! We are so excited over here ;)

Anyways, I gotta get back to designing some wedding invitations but wanted to a least blog one time this week.

Happy Weekend!

New job

I started a (very) part time job yesterday and I really think I am going to love it. I will be the graphic designer for the graduate school at Wheaton College in Illinois. You may be wondering what a girl living in Milwaukee is doing working part time in Illinois and I'd say you're not the first person to wonder that. (In fact, the HR office had called me before I interviewed to make sure I knew that it was only a part time job and that in fact was in Illinois haha) I wondered it myself at times during the interviewing process but this is the door that has been opened to me. So for now, I know I will  enjoy 15 hours of work each week and if it leads to more in the future then it would be my dream job. I'm really excited for what God has in store for us ;)

Hope you guys have a great weekend. I have lots of catching up to do on the blog next week including our vacation (that seems so long ago) and our adventures so far with Katie (who moved in with us over the weekend) so be excited.

New Beginnings

via

Today is my last day at Kohl's. It was a hard decision but one that I have thought and prayed a lot about and then decided to give my notice a couple weeks ago. The thing is, I have nothing bad to say about the company or the people I work with and never would but it just isn't for me. I look around at people flourishing in their position and I go home a lot of days wondering if design is for me. Some of it could be because I developed carpal tunnel in both arms which really makes you consider your work because the pain reminds you that you are doing just that, working. The position is temporary and for the unforeseeable future will be. They have open positions but because of the hiring freeze they are unable to fill them and I as a freelancer am unable to do some of the jobs that deal directly with merchants/vendors. I therefore have decided to take a leap of faith and see what doors God will open for me. I don't have anything lined up at the moment (which is a really scary thought) but I need to be moving into something that is furthering my career and that enjoy and my current position will never be that. It's a bittersweet because I have made some really good friends here and I finally know what I'm doing at work but I know there will be other opportunities and other friends to be made. For now, all I can think of is I'll be unemployed after this day and I'm going on vacation. Two very different thoughts but exciting nonetheless.

May is my jam

Last year about this time is when I really started to feel settled. I started to get friends, know where I was going, have fun things to do, and love the weather. I think all that sunshine really makes a difference.

Speaking of weather, the weather around here is getting to be so awesome. 70's and sunny at least 4 days of the week and then in dips a little down but I love those four-ish days. I have been eating outside every day it's nice for the past three weeks with the other freelancer in my department, Stephanie. It has been so nice. We're getting tans and getting to see the baby geese that just hatched this week. They are way too cute.

 She has a friend at Kohl's and that friend has a friend so now the four of us have been eating lunch together. It's really nice to know people. We are all Christians and three of us are married so it's also nice to have those things in common. Well all of that to say, Stephanie got a new full-time job else where and so unfortunately today is her last day. On one hand, I am so excited for her that she will get to be a designer again (since her and I don't really get to design at all but instead just help the designers) and get paid vacation (which is an awesome adult perk), but on the other hand (the selfish hand I sometimes always have) I'm bummed to lose a work friend just when it was becoming fun. It kind of sucks. Not like the pull your hair out and cry yourself to sleep kind of suck but more like you spend 2 hours making a gourmet meal only to spill it all on the dirty floor. You can make that gourmet meal again but it's going to take time. I can make more work friends but it's going to take time and now I won't get to see her as frequently. At least, her having her last day today means we'll have a food day (everyone brings in food and we eat literally all day- whenever you want) and it'll provide some quality fellowship.

In other news, Adam and I are almost done with our table. I can't believe it. We've been working on it for over a month. I am hoping to finish it over the weekend and reveal it next week. Anyone have any plans this weekend?

Quick lists

1. Adam's dad called me last night just to say hi and make sure that Adam was treating me right. It was so nice. Of course, Adam is treating me right but it was very sweet of his dad to check up on me. I am truly blessed to be a part of his family.

2. I am finishing up the temp job in Kenosha tomorrow and I have an interview with Kohl's corporate today for a 6 month graphic design gig. We'll see how everything plays out. The Kohl's opportunity would be a little closer than the current one (10-20 minutes depending on traffic) and it would be longer term, which would be nice.

3. Thanks to Kate, I made this smoothie yesterday and luhoooved it! When I finished, I wanted to make another one right away. I hate spinach but you can't taste it in this smoothie at all (at least I didn't). It's healthy but doesn't taste that way. Next time, I'll either have to use less greek yogurt or use regular yogurt (which will make it a little less healthy) because that greek yogurt is strong. My stomach still hurts a little from it.

4. I got a new broom and slider for curling! I'm pumped. I got one with my membership to the curling club but it hadn't come in till this week. I had been using the Junior Curling supplies hehe There are playoffs tonight for Curling (our team didn't make it) and then the second part of the season starts next week. I'm not sure why it isn't one big season but I guess that's how the Curling world does it.

5. Adam's sister is coming this weekend to visit us. We are so excited even though we have no idea what we are going to do hehe Adam made her a painting for her upcoming birthday so I am excited for him to give it to her.

6. I thought I sold my wedding dress and I was really excited to make money and get it out of my house. Don't get me wrong, I loved my wedding dress! If I had a reason to wear it again, I would in a heartbeat but I don't and that dress wasn't cheap so I wish someone would man up and buy it hehe It is the theme with all my wedding stuff. People say they want it but they won't come and actually buy it. Oh well, just a first world problem and not truly a big deal at all.

Today

I'm working at a golf tournament today for IWU, which will be a nice change of pace and then taking a vacation day to head to Chicago to hang out with Marie, Adam, and Travis.  Marie was my roommate for 3 years and T-mart was Adam's roommate for four years and actually the first person that Adam met at Asbury. I'm so pumped! Marie and I are having a girl's day tomorrow and then packing as much as we can in one weekend in Chicago. Katie, we might do more than you and I did in one weekend ;) Crazy, I know.

I'll have to post about it next week. Hope you have a good Friday and great weekend!

Office Life

We have a lot of fun in our office.

Here is Jer's new bag for his lighting.

Here is Kelly showing how big that bag really is.

Our lobby

This lobby has been on our project list since before I started at IWU. We have talked and talked about what we wanted and who was going to do it and I finally did something about it.

Our lobby was seriously at it's worst right before everything came in that we ordered for the space. This is what everyone saw as soon as they entered our office.

The random tree in the corner is actually from when the women's bathroom got redone a few years back. Somehow it ended up in our office.

We ordered stuff from Ikea, Target, Crate & Barrel, and Pottery Barn and were so excited when it all came in!

We found a gumball machine in storage that isn't used very often and got to move it in to our space.

It took a few weeks for most of the stuff to come in. I had to go all the way to Ikea last time I was visiting Adam because Ikea shipping is ridiculous!

We needed to add dimension to the room so we put together a shelf today.

We still need to add the frames and shelfs over the couch but it's almost done ;) It's very exciting ;)

Outfit Fail

We're getting lots of projects done today!

Have a very happy 80's/crossing guard/hunting/construction worker day. You know we are having a good one ;)

 (Disclaimer: Got dressed in the dark with no full-size mirrors to check out the final outfit. Haters back off)

Happy Labor Day weekend! I'm off to Chicago to get the chairs we want for our office lobby at Ikea and hang out with Adam and family ;)

Photoshoot

I love my job and the people I work with ;)
It's coming upon the one year mark for a lot of our team members so we're coming into familiar territory since at least one person has done this part of the year before. I've almost been here for 8 months but it's cool to look back and see how far our team has come.

Since a lot our team members our new, we are still catching up with projects. So even though it's summer, we're still busy. Last Friday however, since we had been so productive last week, we got to work on a project for our own department. It was so refreshing to be the boss and get to decide where our project was going. Kelly and I came up with concepts and content and then had our photographer, Jer, do a photoshoot of us so we could use the pictures in the book. Here's some pictures from the shoot. Kelly is getting married in 29 days so she happened to have photo booth props at the office.

We were trying to put glasses on each other and I forgot she was so short hehe

We love the mustache ones.

I don't have a nose in this one... oops 

I'll have to show you guys how the guide book is coming next week and explain more about our project.
Happy Weekend!

Ice Cream Party

Happy Thursday!


Our boss told us we could go to Ivanhoes as our reward for last week. It was so fun and so good. Good team building, I say.

Me, Kelly, and Jennifer respectively eating with our choice of treats ;)

Jer made this photo from our recent photo shoot into a white board for us Tuesday so Kelly had some fun with it yesterday hehe I'll have to post more photos from our photoshoot on Friday.

Exciting Friday

Today I am excited to announce two things. ( announce is probably too dramatic of a word to use for these statements lol )



1. I get to go WEDDING dress shopping tomorrow with two of my sisters and my mom. I also get to see my brother-in- law, nieces, nephew, Neil, and my brother which is also exciting. Oh and jack, Katie's dog. So basically a mini family get together along with wedding dress shopping. That spells a good weekend to me ;)

2. We have been über productive this week.If you can't tell, that says we got 19 jobs done. We worked on over 40 projects this week but only closed 17. Two are printing but won't technically be done till Monday. Can't wait for our boss to come back on Monday and see all we've done. Since we've been so productive this week, we've taken the time today to do fun projects for our office that we have been meaning to do for a couple of months but just didn't have the time. We even did a hilarious photoshoot (of which I'll share pics of next week) for one of our current projects. It has been such a fun day! What a great way to end the week ;)

Happy weekend!

Mid Week Motivation

My boss (and boss's boss for that matter) went on vacation this week so before he went he decided to give us a motivational speech and goal. The most projects we've finished in a week is 15 so our boss wanted us to finish at least 15 jobs this week.

ME: What do we get if we complete that many jobs?
JENNIFER (project manager): You get to keep your jobs.
ME: Yeah, yeah, in addition to that. Maybe an ice cream party (because I was feeling like a 5 year old that day)
SCOTT: mmm okay, if you finish the jobs, you guys can not only keep your jobs but get ice cream too.

So our goal this week is productivity.
Our motivation is ice cream.

7 down. 8 more to go in the next three days ;) I think we can do it!



Oh and Happy Birthday to Buck! He's super old today ;)

Projects

A frequent question I get is what a graphic designer does all day. Anything that is printed or put on the web has an origin. Whether it's the secretary creating it in Word or the designer using specific design programs, the facts are the same. Someone had to create it. Here is an example of a project our office worked on.

This is what a certain office wanted to make as gifts. Classy chocolate boxes like this.

They got this instead. 

(There was a little miscommunication between the printer and the client)

 So our office got to see if we could help for this time and then they would go to a different printer next time.  Kelly designed candy labels and we hand cut them all out. It was an experience. (Usually for these things, you get them printed somewhere and they have a die cut made. The die cut is the specific shape of the finished project.  It saves the work for someone having to hand cut them all out, makes the end product all the same, and is uniquely shaped.)

 For the box not being ideal, the chocolate looks pretty sweet.

Coworkers of the week

I have some of the best co-workers and thought y'all should know.

One week, us girls were not motivated to work. at. all. We said we just needed something to look forward to. So Jer said, "Alright ladies, your procrastination is wearing off on me. Make a list. I don't care what it is, I'll get you whatever you want." So we made him a list and he got everything us we wanted. Down to the fun pez holder.

The next week, I got the stomach bug and my car was in the shop. I just wanted some ginger ale and crackers but didn't think I could make it to the gas station and back. So my fellow designer went and got me stuff on her lunch break. It was such a blessing.

My other coworker and her husband volunteered to come and mow my lawn and trim the bushes. I knew the weeds and bushes were out of control but I didn't have the tools to do it. My yard looks so good now. Seriously, I work with the best people.

If I had a gold star, I give them each one ;)



I'm off to the big bad California tomorrow. Prayers are much appreciated.