2011 is almost done. What's on the horizon?

Blog friends! Hello there. I've been neglecting you big time. I always say I'm going to come back and post more, and then I fail miserably to follow through. But this time. I MEAN it! I'd like to start by sharing some reflections on this last year of my life:

There's the obvious: Wedding. Marriage. Awesomeness.
I'm probably the happiest I've been in life in a looooooong time. Recognizing that there is someone in your life so special that you want to stand by this person forever is a huge enough revelation in and of itself. But taking the step of verbally committing to that person in front of your closest friends and family is something so profound I can hardly find the words to talk about it. I don't know that having a piece of paper that says I'm now legally related to someone else has changed our relationship significantly, but I am still as in love as I was just over 6 six years ago when I first laid eyes on a tall, geeky blond boy in Belgian restaurant. I am so excited about our future and what we can accomplish together!

Then there's the money bit.
We spent a lot of it this year. On our wedding and honeymoon. While I generally have no regrets, I kinda wish we has spent less on the wedding. It was an amazing day - literally everything fell into place as I had imagined it. Everyone had a great time, and in fact, people are still talking about it. I have gorgeous photos (that I can't stop looking at). But lately I've been fantasizing about real estate, and there is so much affordable property on the market in our neighborhood (which we love, like, a lot, and never want to leave) right now it pains me to know that we just don't have the funds to capitalize on the opportunity. And the question lurking in the back of my mind is when we do have the money in a couple years' time, will we be able to find what we want and can afford? So next year, I think it may be time to institute some financial goals and go on a little post-wedding money diet.

The J-O-B...
Well, friends, this is the part I'm most excited to share. In my heart of hearts, I love what I do. Working in the museum world I think has ultimately made me smarter. And I've made some great connections. However, it's very cyclical and the kinds of challenges I like to handle are becoming fewer. But having to plan my wedding this year has unleashed this insane creative energy that I had no idea I really had in me. I've always been a creative, crafty person. But I was able to take lots of already-great ideas out there in the world of weddings and cobble them together with my own spin, feel, vibe, and creative touches. And I've never had more fun! My mind is still racing with with ideas, talents and skills I'd like to hone, but most importantly, the prospect of going out on my own. It's always been part of my long term plan to do my own thing eventually, but I just feel like I kind of have this momentum going right now, so why not harness that sooner rather than later? I have a pipe dream that I'll share with you later on, but I would like 2012 to be the year when I figure it out. What is it, of my many skills and talents, that I can offer that is special, useful to people, and at which I can successfully keep running long term and support myself? Excited to share some of my ideas in another post, but my goal is to do as much as possible! Ok, here's a little taste: it involves making awesome, interesting and beautiful things!

While 2011 brought together a lot of people, it made me realize that as time passes, I feel further away everyone. My local circle of friends is dwindling. On the one side, I was all over Facebook and discovered Twitter this year, and have gained a bunch of awesome virtual connections out there who I am excited to tap into for creative resources next year. But on the other, I realized that I need to make a bigger effort on cultivating some offline relationships. So as part of my longer-term adventure into becoming self-employed, I am going to be more social in 2012. I'm going to shut down the laptop more and stay at home a little less. Step one: I joined a Monday night bowling league! Don't rub your eyes - I actually just said bowling league! I used to play in a volleyball league here in NY pretty regularly, but a series of related and unrelated injuries kept me from re-joining. I may eventually go back to it when I'm feeling a little more in-shape, but bowling requires little physical involvement so I figured it would be a good place to start.

Last but not least, I'm going to work on my health. I was able to lose 20lbs in honor of looking fab in white dress for a day, but shortly thereafter, I took the road many newlyweds take. We've been eating out a lot. I've been buying my lunch every day. I've gone to the gym twice since the wedding. As of today, I've gained back about 10 of those 20lbs. No bueno! This year, I am going to return to healthier habits and keep it that way. So prepare yourselves for the occasional health/recipe/food amazingness posts next year.

As you may have already discovered by now, all of the above things are linked together! Having better job perspective and a goal to move toward means I can make more time to focus on those things. Which means more time to do healthy stuff like cook and go to the gym. And more time to do things that will help me be more social and launch my own business (flower-arranging classes, anyone?). Which means ultimately saving money and making money at the same time!

I'm not typically one to be excited by a new year. To be honest, I think I'm more excited about 2012 than I was about 2011. Seriously, I'm just bursting at the seams with all the ideas and plans and things I can do over the next 12 months. I hope you'll all still be around to watch and help and offer advice and perspective. I will definitely need it!

I sincerely wish you all a HAPPY new year and hope you find ways to celebrate all year round! I tip my glass to you! Until 2012...

(source)

Slacking, Slacking, Slacking... and Happy New Year!

I can't really believe it's been 4 months since I posted something. WOW! How embarrassed am I? Sorry folks! Life has taken some interesting turns, and I hope you'll forgive me when you learn why. But I'm really sorry for neglecting my blogging duties! I promise, I'm back!

So besides that ridiculous snowstorm that happened the day after Christmas (yeah, what was that about??), both of my fiance's grandparents died within a month of each other. I mean, they weren't necessarily at 100%, but I was holding out a little bit of hope that they were going to make it to the wedding. I am thankful I was able to meet them at least, and they lived long enough to see their two great-grandchildren (fiance's niece and nephew). And I know what I'm about to say is a little, um, unorthodox, but the amazing thing about having witnessed these two deaths is that I think now believe that death by broken heart is really a legitimate cause of death. My fiance's grandfather died first, and literally, just five or six days later, his grandmother followed suit. How in love must they have been for one not to be able to go on without the other? It's as sad as it is inspiring. I'm not an optimist, but I'm a softee and that hits me right there. Le sigh. So I think on our wedding day, I will leave a symbolic empty chair in the front row on both sides for both sets of grandparents.

In work news, my firm was selected to do the exhibit design for the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture! I am super excited but unfortunately, having been promised to other projects already, I won't really be getting my hands dirty until next year. It's an exciting time nonetheless, and something I'm looking forward to it!

The wedding planning has been up and down. Deaths in the family always remind people of those they should have invited, which inevitably almost happened. Our guest list, and budget, have since ballooned - so much so that even all of the free and free-ish stuff we've managed to get hasn't really saved us much of anything. Another post on that later - and hopefully a lesson to you out there! So we've been trying to pick up the pieces, since we can't uninvite people at this stage. We will sadly have to cut back on some things that we wanted to do to make our a day a little bit more extra special. Probably my first real bridezilla moment, but I think I was in my right ;) I can hardly believe the big day is just a few months away! I am giving you fair warning though, that I will probably experience some serious WPW (Wedding Planning Withdrawl) so I'm gonna have to hit you with a little more wedding stuff even after all is said and done. You'll indulge me that, right?

And now back to your regularly scheduled blogging...

Don't Quit Your Day Job: How to make the best of your work situation

It's been a tough few years economically. Jobs are scarce, and in many workplaces, morale is low. A good friend of mine moved to another coast completely to work for a startup that rapidly proceeded to go bust. And though my company has managed to more or less bounce back from the downturn, I remember a terrifying round of layoffs that happened about a year and half ago. I survived unscathed, and so I am blissfully thankful to the gods of fortune that I:
1) still have a job
2) have have a job I looove
3) have a salary that is growing, not shrinking

I am very conscious, however, of many folks upon whom fortune has not smiled so kindly. Working just because you have to pay your bills, or because you just need to keep this job, is no fun. I've been there.

(Source)

But I wanted to offer a few pieces of advice, for what it's worth, that may help you over the hump. There is a silver lining, no matter what, and you can use your position to your advantage.
- Stick it out. If it's a job you happen to like, stick around for as long as it makes sense for you financially and goal-wise. Try to negotiate other job "perks" as an interim trade-off: ask for a few extra vacation days, 1/2 day Fridays during the summer, an adjustment in hours (if you don't work a particular shift), or the ability to work from home from time to time. Chances are that if your employer recognizes you as an MVP, they'll be willing to offer you something even if it can't be monetary.
- If you feel like you're stuck at a job that you aren't crazy about but need to stick with it because you need to pay the bills: focus on doing whatever it is you do really well, or go the extra mile even when you don't want to. Even if you have big plans to peace out, leave a lasting impression behind. Being a hard worker never goes out of style and will likely pay off either with a raise/promotion when your workplace gets back on it's feet (I thought it would never happen for me in a previous job, and it did, 10x over!), or when it comes time for recommendations for your next position.
- Network! At first, I had no idea what this meant. But if what you want to do is kind of specific, start spreading the word among people you know in that industry that you're jonesing for a career move. Talk to all of your friends and relatives and neighbors. You just *never* know what's out there or who the people you are close to have connections with.
- Go solo, even if only temporarily. If you have a good amount of experience doing something, try freelancing for a bit. While not devoid of its own stresses, freelancing at least allows you to focus on doing the thing(s) you love, all the time! It's a huge personal growth opportunity as well as an opportunity to learn more about the industry that you're embarking on a deeper journey into. And also, Network! You'll need to market yourself somehow and word-of-mouth is one of THE best ways to do it, and doesn't cost a dime :)
- This may be obvious to some, but stay positive. I know, some days it seems like you can't even drag yourself out of bed. But trying to keep a positive attitude and smiling in the face of challenge is something employers really appreciate. Again - think of the long term: you want your reputation to precede you when possible, especially if your goal is to stay at your current workplace and advance up the ranks. Seeing a challenge as an opportunity is also the best way to keep to keep yourself engaged and motivated. If you can turn your situation around to work for YOU, you'll always be an indispensable employee.

I recognize that some of these tips won't be applicable to many of you out there. But I've had about 6 jobs in the last 8 years, few burnt bridges, and I'm where I want to be career-wise. The moral of the story is that you should just try, as the ever-fabulous Tim Gunn is of saying, to "Make it Work!"

To your health (and pocketbook)!

In an effort to begin the wedding weight loss, I've returned to the gym as of today. Wanna know a l'il secret though? The wedding alone and looking good in a white dress wasn't really motivation enough on it's own. Nope. Sad but true. The real reason I'm returning to a regular gym routine: dollah dollah bills y'all! I recently learned that my company's new health insurance will reimburse you up to between $200 & $300 every six months for a mere 50 visits. That works out to be roughly twice a week. Living in NYC, I have been victim to exorbitant gym membership fees; but this new incentive softens the blow. Assuming I get the lower end of the scale, my net effective monthly membership cost goes from $79 to about $46. Not too shabby! 49 visits to go!

From what I hear, this seems to an across-the-board policy being implemented my many many insurance companies. Makes sense. If you're going help people get healthy and stay healthy, understanding that access to exercise and regular activity is often cost prohibitive to many, why not help them out a little? So I encourage everyone out there to start looking into their health insurance company's extra benefits - you may find something very useful and something that will put a few more Benjamins back in your pocket! (On a side note, I've also noticed many insurance companies are now starting to cover acupuncturists and nutritionists like a specialist doctor - that means you only have to pay a copay! Such a great thing for anyone who benefits from alternative medicine and more holistic health care).

It's been awile... I know

Wow! It's November already. Sigh. I know I've been MIA for a loooong time, but remember all that free time I was complaining about not having? Well life set sail on a slow moving ship after late May, and I have been devoting my life to planning the wedding and sticking to our budget! I'm in the midst of so many things right now and I'm just bursting with excitement!

On the wedding front, we've managed to book all but one of our major vendors (and the last will happen w/in the next few weeks or so) - awesome. The not so awesome part? How 'bout our budget being eaten up rather quickly? Between mid-June when we booked our *fantastic* venue and now, I've bought my dress, and we've made deposits on our ceremony musicians, a band for the reception, and paid for our engagement photo session. The florist is our last item to tick off booking for 2010. We were doing well until I decided to buy my dress at Kleinfeld's and we caved in and booked a live band. My mom offered to pay the difference of what I had budgeted for my dress and the final cost of the dress which was great, but I still have to pay for alterations - boo. And the band really only was $600 above our budget, but it means I'll need to finagle some other things I had been dreaming up (or not do them at all) so we can afford everything else we actually still have to pay for. I'm socking away lots of money, and the fiance is too, but I'm still a little nervous about where we'll be financially when we really have to start paying for stuff! But some things that have helped out immensely: we won a photography contest and now have (nearly) free wedding photography; I won a giveaway that paid for some cute bridal accessories; and I won free invitation design! I've been stalking lots of wedding blogs like a hawk, and hopefully my winning streak will continue and I'll win more awesome stuff!

This year on my job scene had been going well I think. My 2 yr anniversary was in late September, and I have yet to have a review scheduled, which is frustrating. I am really hoping for another raise this year, but I won't necessarily be disappointed if it doesn't happen. But I do have a wedding & honeymoon to pay for so some extra dough would be really really awesome :)

I can't believe the holidays are here already! I am trying to think of some unique, crafty items to get my friends/family and I'm coming up empty! I can't afford much in the way of gifts this year, so I need to find some good alternatives! Open to suggestions though.

I always seem to end up writing these right before I need to go to bed. Oh well! Until next time!

Hmm. Here I go!

This is day one of my blog. I've always thought blogging was cool. So I'm giving it a whirl. Why should anyone read this? Well, pull up a chair and listen to a little story.

I just turned 30. Three months ago, I got engaged. About 9 months ago, said fiance and I landed a sweet sweet apartment in Brooklyn. A year and a half ago, I landed what might possibly be my dream job. Nearly 4 and a half years ago, I landed said fiance. So it seems like things are just going peachy for me, right? Well, not so much...

Sometimes in life, and especially in life, we get ourselves into these little predicaments that make all of the really awesome stuff look just kinda ok. For example:

In 2006 I entered a Masters program at NYU (which shall remain nameless). It appears that, due to the complete lack of professionalism, good sense and compassion of said Masters program staff, I will probably not be graduating. Why? I am an exhibit designer. As in museum exhibits. By some strange act of fate, my first project at my really awesome design firm happens to be a 50,000 sq. foot, multi-million dollar museum....in Charlotte, NC. Us creative types a) don't make tons of $$, 2) work insane hours (and in my case, travel to our project sites frequently), have frequent and often unrealistic deadlines that we have to meet, and are generally understaffed, and c) happen to want to move ourselves up in stature in this very small creative museum world by getting additional degrees. Hmph. Well, this degree is hanging in the balance and appears to be tipping in the NO-GO favor. Of course, I still have to pay for every last minute that I participated in this program regardless of whether I get a stinkin' piece of paper to show for it or not. There's much more to be said here, but I won't bore with more details. More will come, I promise

And speaking of finances... I have a wedding pay for!!!!! Yeah. Which, in theory is really great. But I get to live like a pauper for the next year because a massive chunk of that pocket change I make called a salary is getting stashed away for what I hope to be a very worthwhile event! However, sticker shock is a bi***! Does everything wedding-related really need to be this expensive? Which leads me to issue 2: I have been working and traveling for work so much in the last month and a half that I have not been able to devote ample time to the best thing ever: planning my wedding!! It makes me sad. Especially since there are just too many awesome places to do the deed within a hundred mile radius of Brooklyn, and I just have so little time....

In a nutshell, my life is nothing short of insane right now. But I thought maybe someone out there might benefit from reading about my insanity and how to deal! Over the course of the next year or so, I will attempt to drop some wisdom about 3 W's (yes, I was an English major): Wealth, Weddings and Work, and how to successfully (ehem, or unsuccessfully as might be the case) manage all three, all the time! I'll provide a little backstory on each of these on another day, but for now, I need to conserve my energy for Work tomorrow!