Simply Spray...

I am an avid reader of several blogs.  One of my favorites is Hyphen Interiors.  Kristy Swain is an interior designer who recently moved to Austin.  She has some awesome design ideas.  I feel honored that she and I correspond with each other every now and again.  Unfortunately she lives in way south Austin and I live just north or Austin, so we haven't had a chance to meet up.

Long story long... Kristy is becoming famous for painting upholstery on furniture.  She did a series about Simply Spray which is an upholstery spray paint.  I was quite intrigued and can't wait to try it.  I have 4 chairs that I love, but they are looking a little shabby.  I think Simply Spray will spruce them up so I can hang on to these chairs for a few more years.

Go check out Kristy's blog.  You won't be disappointed!

I am so blessed...

Oh where does the time go?  I have the best intentions of keeping up with my tiny bit of cyberspace and then I run out of time.  I was actively volunteering at my son's school and at my church until 3 weeks ago, when I started a new job.  This job kind of snuck up on me.  I posted for the position at the first of the year.  I had forgotten about it until I was called for a phone screen.  We hadn't even started the phone screen when I was asked to come in for a face-to-face interview.  The interview went so well, I was offered the job the next day.  I have never had things happen so fast like this.  It has been the most amazing ride in the 3 short weeks I have been there.  We are a small office and I have been welcomed and accepted with open arms.  Never in my career and I felt so at home with a group of people.  They genuinely care about their co-workers.  Our office is small right now, but we are definitely growing and I see a long and fulfilling career with this company.  God is so good.  He provided for me while unemployed and just when things were about to get a little tough, He provided for me and my family again.

I haven't really done a whole lot of crafting.  I think I burned myself out a little working so hard for the fall craft show that kind of flopped, I just haven't been able to get back into the crafting swing of things.

I did, however, purchase a Silhouette Cameo.  It arrived the other day and I have been poking around with it just a little.  I think I'm going to really enjoy having it in my collection of die cut machines.  I really would like to design my own cuts, but tend to get confused and frustrated, then I quit.  I'm going to see if I can find some online classes to take to get me over this hump.  I'm hoping this will get my crafting mojo back into motion.

Hope everyone has a great week.

I Found A Giveaway For A Silhouette Cameo!

As I have posted in the past, I own 2 cricut machines: an Expression and an Imagine.  I have invested quite a bit into both machines as well as cartridges.  I like my cricuts but am tired of being limited on what I can and can't cut.  I won't give them up (at least for now), but I have been researching all of the other electric die cut machines on the market.  After hours of scanning the web and reading about all of the other cutters, I am following with the masses and am now wanting a Silhouette Cameo.  I think this will open up a whole new world to some of my crafting.  There have been numerous give aways for the Cameo that I have entered and have yet to succeed in winning one.  I found one more give away and am keeping my fingers crossed! :-)

Sherry K Designs makes some really awesome cut files and she is giving away a Cameo.  You need to check out her cut  files and digital paper.  I just love them.

Highs and Lows

Today has been a great high and some really low lows.  I'm still not sure whether to be happy or depressed.  My nature is one of not letting the bad stuff get me down, but I'm not sure I can take any more.  The day started out really great with with 2 birthday cards from my husband and son sitting on the counter.  I was also taken to lunch by some very good friends and they gave me some awesome b-day goodies.  Good food, good friends, cool gifts, a girl can get really spoiled... until I got home.  I was checking email and my inbox had 10 job rejection emails.  It is so frustrating knowing you are a great candidate for a job and get told "no" repeatedly.  I don't know what to do anymore.  I have had several recruiters tell me my resume and cover letter is one of the best they have seen, so I'm not sure where I'm going wrong.  I keep hearing on the news that the Texas job market is getting stronger and stronger, but being unemployed since August is now taking a toll on my confidence.  So, it was a great day, and yet it was a depressing day.  I know there is a plan for me and I keep telling myself God will provide as He has done all summer, but my human-ness keeps wondering "when" and "how much longer do I need to wait?".  What lesson am I supposed to be learning?  

I also found out I didn't make the design team that tried out for.  I'm not so upset by that since the ladies that were chosen are uber talented.  But in a day of several rejections, this was the icing on my b-day cake!

I am going to work really hard on keeping my blog updated (use it as my diary of sorts) as well as posting any new craft items I have completed.  I have one item in progress and hope to have it completed by the end of the week.  I found a centerpiece on Pinterest and fell in love with it, so I am creating my own.  So far, I'm really pleased with my creation and how it is turning out.

I will keep pushing along with a smile on my face, but would sure like to catch a break one of these days.

All good things must come to an end....

I have one week left of being unemployed.  I was offered a short-term assignment for a company who needs someone to fill in while their regular person is on a medical leave.  I am glad to be going back to work since I really like to spend money!!!  Although, I really like staying home, too.  But, since I need to feed my habit of buying crafty items, I guess having a paycheck will help to feed my habit.

I am very excited to start this new chapter.  The hiring manager is letting me work flex hours.  I have worked a 6-3 shift for 20 years and I don't think I could adjust to working a regular 8-5 job.  I tried a few years ago and was miserable.

I have pretty much figured out what items I want to make for my church's craft fair in October.  Now I need to start making my items to sell.  The hard part for this little venture is determining how many of each item to make.  I have no idea what will and won't sell.  So, I think I will stick to about 6 of each item, since I have so many different things and then take orders if I run out.  My last small dilemma is trying to figure out the best way to show my items.  I'm seriously thinking about buying a Clip It Up unit to use as a display, that way customers can see my cards and then if they would like to purchase one, I can pull from stock.  I'm still mulling all of this over.  I want people to be able to see what I'm selling, but want it to be organized as well.  Most of my stuff will be cards, but I have a few home dec items as well.  Last year's craft show was very successful, they have moved it to a larger room and are expecting more people.  This is the first time I have ever done anything like this, so hopefully the day will be a success.

Well, I'm off to start working on my cards.  I have lots to make and not a lot of time now that I will be working full-time again.

I love the World Wide Web

You can find so many awesome things on the world wide web.  I find so many talented designers and crafters by searching blogs.  I learned about a really kewl new tool called the Envelobox Creator.  You can find it on the Crafter's Companion blog.  There are times when I make a bigger card and the cricut just can't cut the size of envelope I need.  I don't think I would have that problem with this handy tool.  You should go check it out.

In the meantime, I am no longer employed, so while I search for a new job, I will be able to spend more time in my craftroom getting more organization done.  I have also decided to work on some of my cards and home dec items to sell at my church's 2nd annual craft show this fall.  I have had too many people tell me I need to sell my stuff, so this is my opportunity to see what kind of response I get.

I can't believe this is the first day of August.  My son starts 2nd grade in 22 days.  I'm trying to figure out where the time keeps going.  I keep trying to slow down and the world keeps getting faster and faster.  Hopefully this school year will be better than last year.  The "boy" had his teacher's number and knew how to push all of her buttons, which he did on a regular basis.  The last half of the year was a little trying since she just didn't know how to handle him (nothing like getting a brand new teacher who is still wet behind the ears).  I can only hope for a more seasoned teacher who won't allow him to push buttons.  We shall see.



Job Interview

I have been writing about my search for a new job for a few weeks now.  I had 2 interviews with one very small company to be their Executive Admin/Office Manager.  All of the guys in this company were really awesome, but I just didn't think I would be a good fit.  This worked out for the best as they selected someone else for the role.  I know they will be much happier with their new person.  I am so used to working for Fortune 500 companies.  I tried working for a small company after being at Dell and it just wasn't for me.

The Wednesday before I left for Hawaii, I was called by someone at HP for a Portfolio Manager position.  Turns out, this was the position my friend's husband recommended me for and the hiring manager was impressed by my resume.  The person I spoke to was impressed with our conversation and passed on his comments to the hiring manager.  I ended up having a phone interview with her yet that evening in between getting my parents settled and packing to leave the next morning before the birds were even up.  The interview went very well and the hiring manager wanted me to come on-site to meet the executives I would be working with.  While I was on vacation, they scheduled my interview.  I had my interview yesterday (Monday) and it was over 5 hours long.  Throughout my career, I have never really had to interview for the positions I held, so this was a first for me.  It was grueling.  My brain was total mush the last hour and my last interview was with the hiring manager.  She asked some really hard questions and I struggled to answer them.  So I left feeling really unsure about this really awesome opportunity.  She is interviewing a few more people this week and will make her decision and let us know by next week. The wait is causing me to second guess myself, but I know things happen for a reason and God will provide for me.  I'm trying not to get my hopes up, just in case.  The good thing is the all of my other interviews went really well and I felt good about those.  I knew 3 of the 4 interviewers from my past life at Dell.

Now I wait and hope that this is the opportunity for me.  I know I can make a difference on this team and I am so excited about how close this whole organization is.  I picked up on that immediately.  The VP's admin later confirmed how close this organization is.  That is rare.

So, as I wait and pray this is the job for me, I get to spend my next few weeks training the person who will be taking over my job at AMD.  They hired another contractor instead of keeping me.  I don't have very nice thoughts about all of this, so I will need to keep those to myself!!!

Our 3rd day in Hawaii

African Tulip Tree on the Dole Plantation

We are staying on the North Shore and are about 10 minutes from Haleiwa.  This little town is a very trendy surf and swim town.  I can't wait to really scope it all out and check out the shops.  We tried a pizza place last night and today we went to a tiny hole-in-the-wall bakery that is known for their turkey sandwich.  The pizza was just okay, but those sandwiches and baked goods were really good.  We have all decided to eat out one meal a day and cook at the house the remaining meals to cut down on cost.  So far, our meal really haven't been all that expensive.

Today we went to the Dole Plantation.  It was really interesting to learn how long it takes to actually grow a pineable.  They also grow mangos, sugar cane and various plants.  It was really pretty.  Of course we had to try the pineapple ice cream.  It was good, but I don't think I would want to have it everyday.  I love my Blue Bell Milk Chocolate ice cream.  The rest of the day was spent hanging out at the house.  We are all still trying to acclimated to the time change.  It is really doing a number on me an my son.  Here are some pictures of some from our visit to Dole

FAQs on raising pineapples

Baby red pineapples

Mountain views from train on Dole Plantation

Jet Lagged and Sick Make for the Start of a Great Vacation

Whew, what a week this has been.  Somehow, I ended up working 44 hours in 3 days.  It was crazy and stressful, but I am thankful I was able to get a little OT since I won't get any type of pay for next week at all (as a contractor, I don't get paid if I don't work).  So... long hours for work, then getting up in the middle of the night (2:45am) to leave for Hawaii.  This has now put my body into a total tailspin.  It is 1am Hawaii time and 6am Texas time.  I can't sleep and I feel like I need to stand out in that busy street outside of our rental house and let them run me down.  Let me tell you, this is not a good way to start a vacation. :-(

Thoughts on Hawaii... It is BEAUTIFUL (at least what I have seen), but the traffic is HORRENDOUS.  I honestly think the traffic here is worse than Austin (I didn't think that could ever be possible)!  We are staying in the Honu Hall II house.  I would love to have a beach house like this.  It is a gorgeous house.  If you are interested in staying somewhere in the North Shore, check out this house.  My only complaint about the house is the amenities say there is AC in the house... well, there is and it is nice and cold, but it is only in main part of the house, the bedrooms and bathrooms do not have AC and it is a bit muggy and warm.  This causes one to be just a bit uncomfortable at night when one suffers from really bad night sweats (and feels "icky" all at the same time).

Update on my job hunt... I have had a flurry of activity this week with job opportunities (I am giving all my thanks, glory and praise to my most Awesome Heavenly Father for taking care of me).  I had a second interview with the small software company and met all of the employees (10 total).  WOW! These guys are just fabulous.  They made me laugh, I made them laugh... I felt that it was a successful interview, but just not quite sure that is where I'm supposed to be.

On Wednesday morning a I received a phone call from a manager at HP wanting to pre-screen me for a position for a new team that is really needing help managing their portfolio (all of their projects and the stuff that goes with it).  The gentleman that I spoke to was very impressed and passed this on to the hiring manager and I ended up having a last minute phone interview (that lasted an hour) with the hiring manager.  She wants to bring me on-site to do final interviews with their executive partners.

Later that night I get an email from a good friend who has blasted my resume out to all of her contacts (whom she has thousands), and she told me that her husband's team at HP is also re-visiting my resume and want to bring me in.  She said I should hear from them in the next few days.  This is the one that surprises me most.  The hiring manager for this team saw my resume and wanted to hire me immediately without even talking with me (that never happens to me).  My friend told me that this team brought my resume up again (with a hiring freeze recently put in place) and I should be hearing from someone on this team in the next few days.  This is the position that interests me most.  I'm also wondering if this position and the one I had the phone interview with on Wednesday evening are one in the same, but don't know that for certain.  God is definitely bringing me good, strong leads and giving me the words to be successful when talking to the managers.  I'm also thankful that I'm a computer geek and have a gazillion computers, one of them being a netbook that I was able to easily bring with me so I can stay in touch with everything that is going on with my job search.  I never use this little computer and I think I may just start carting it around since it is so small and light weight.  I have an iPad, but still struggle with how things show up on the screen.

I am now going to go have my morning quiet time since sleep is nowhere to be found.  My brain is having problems shutting down and when this happens, I know I'm up for the long haul.  So I will use this time to read my Bible and give my blessings to the Lord for all that He has given to me.

Thankfully, we have a semi quiet day today as my dad and hubby are going on an all-day deep sea fishing excursion.  I'm glad for this since I am currently awake in the middle of the night and know I will probably need a nap sometime during the day so I can get my body on Hawaii time and hopefully get rid of this cold.  I am hoping to post some pictures while I'm here in this beautiful state.  We have 2 concrete things planned for all of us that should be fun and hopefully picture worthy.  I get so caught up in what I'm seeing, I forget to take pictures until its too late (and I call myself a scrapbooker!). Until next time, Aloha.

You know your getting old when...

...You struggle to decipher blog code so one can make their own template!  I have now spent the better part of two weekends looking at various free blog templates and looking at the code.  I tried creating my own template so I could have everything I liked and wanted.  Did it work?  Well... not yet!  I think I'm starting to figure it all out, but for now, I'm sticking with yet a new free template until I can get mine to work.  In the meantime, I have been able to get a little bit of crafting done, but not as much as I would like.  Thank you to all of these awesome coders providing free templates for those of us who like kewl pages.

I want to thank those of you who are now following me and every one's comments on my banners and pennants entry.  I am now following each of you as well.  I absolutely love the crafting community.  Everyone has such huge hearts, are very complimentary and have such a wealth of knowledge they love to share.

Can we say Yippee-skippee... I got the new pink frames for my imagine yesterday!  They look so much better than those gray ones.  I was playing with my imagine the other day still trying to figure it out and was looking at the sides and thought they looked like they could easily be removed, then not a few hours later, an email came out on the cricut blog saying pink frames were now available, so I jumped on that one before they sold out (woo hoo)!  Now I need to work on cutting out some vinyl bling to make my cricut just a little more personal.  Now if only the new "Black and White" cart would come back in stock, I would be one happy little camper.

I have way too many projects I want to do and just not enough time to do it.  I won't be doing too much this week, as my church is doing VBS and I'm helping out.  It will be interesting to see how they are doing the music this year as we are in 4 different locations in our town and it is all outside (can we say, wowzer, that's going to be hot! Central TX has already reached the high 90's and its still hot at 6pm).  This is a first for our church. We have had VBS at the church with only 30 minutes of outside time.  But we want more of the community kids to come out and participate, so we are going to locations that are convenient for the community.

Well, off to work on one of my many projects and hopefully get a couple of errands ran before it gets too late.  Blessings to all.