I heard this somewhere about produce (such as lemons)...if the fruit isn't the right color, they use a wax to sort of paint it the desired color. I can't speak for others, but I can tell you that losing my job has provided me with days when I just don't feel it - I'm blue when I want to be yellow. What does a normal person do when they want to feel more chipper, energized, and happy? I'm not sure...because I'm not normal. What I did was west to Menards and bought 11 gallons of paint, 2 doors, and a bunch of odds and ends cleaning products. My resume looks good, I've lost 6 pounds, and now my house will hopefully look like something from Better Homes and Gardens...or...I'll be asking for the name of a good (ie: professional) painter in a few weeks to fix the job I botched.
As for starting my own business...still looking into that, but that particular book is under the paint swatches and decorating ideas.
If the house looks good, I'll post some pictures...if you never see any pictures, you'll know I failed. But there's no harm in trying something new.
Happy Sunday all - and if you're not feeling 'yellow', consider a bright nail polish color, bright colored sweater, or something fun to brighten your mood. A walk in the sunshine is never a bad idea either! If you DO feel like painting, here are the colors I just couldn't resist:
Rich Confection (pinky pink)...Carmen's Bedroom
Spiced Vinegar (tan)...Great Room/Living Room
Gold Buttercup (yelloweeee)...Kitchen
Red Gumball (no explanation needed)...Bathroom on Main Floor
Earth Matters (brown)...back entry way lower
Rustic Pottery (orange)...back entry way upper and side entry
Carob Chip (brownish purple)...master bedroom
Great Grape (bluish purple)...Office/Music Room
Delicate White (no explanation needed)...Bathroom Ceiling and trim
Blogging Mama
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Thursday, February 23, 2012
H20 + Cucumber + Lemon = Refreshing!
I'll be honest with you - coming up with the blog title is more difficult than one might think. The truth is, I'm feeling very refreshed today. A plan is in my head and is coming together. I also sliced up a cucumber and a lemon and tossed it in my pitcher of water which seems to match my optimistic and refreshed mood today. (and if you must know, I am drinking this delicious beverage out of a wine glass...just to keep the neighbors wondeing)
You want to know what the plan is, right? Am I going to pursue the bank job? the credit union? the hospital? the sales/marketing job? What about MaryKay? Each has it's pros and cons. I want to use the skills I have, and I don't want to compromise ANYTHING (for more on that topic, might I recommend you pick up a copy of "Bury my Heart at Conference Room B" by Stan Slap. His book will help you align things and come to the reality that the YOU at home, is the same YOU that makes you successful away from home.) But that's Stan's 'bag' - he's the expert...and a great guy might I add.
So, skills...presenting, writing, researching, process improvement, training/development, compliance, and let's not forget organization. These skills could be applied many different ways (or so I was told when I took the WOW survey - World of Work). Ultimately, I have the personality and talents to be a Director of Operations. This makes me go hmmmm....since that was the position I was terminated from. There's one sure fire way to make sure I will never be terminated again - mystery solved - I'll be my own boss.
I can work from home and eventually turn my hom into an office (120 year old Victorian so close to Lake Michigan that you can hear the waves most any time of day). I can hire my friends and have as much fun as I want! The yard will make a great coffee garden, and the music room can be converted to a conference room. That's all good and well, but what services can I we offer and to whom? The latest craze? Virtual Assistants (google it, I didn't make it up). That's it - but I don't want to be just a virtual assistant, how about virtual executives? Dedicated Virtual Professionals Network? What an idea!
Now dear reader - we may look back at his epiphany as the beginning of the end - OR - we may look back and talk about what a genious I am. Either way, I think there will be a wine glass on my desk filled with cucumber/lemon water. The real question is, will there be any money in the bank? Only time will tell.
Ta Ta For Now Dear Reader - thank YOU for your support!
Success is a State of Mind - do you live in that state or are you still dreaming of vacationing there? The future is up to you!
You want to know what the plan is, right? Am I going to pursue the bank job? the credit union? the hospital? the sales/marketing job? What about MaryKay? Each has it's pros and cons. I want to use the skills I have, and I don't want to compromise ANYTHING (for more on that topic, might I recommend you pick up a copy of "Bury my Heart at Conference Room B" by Stan Slap. His book will help you align things and come to the reality that the YOU at home, is the same YOU that makes you successful away from home.) But that's Stan's 'bag' - he's the expert...and a great guy might I add.
So, skills...presenting, writing, researching, process improvement, training/development, compliance, and let's not forget organization. These skills could be applied many different ways (or so I was told when I took the WOW survey - World of Work). Ultimately, I have the personality and talents to be a Director of Operations. This makes me go hmmmm....since that was the position I was terminated from. There's one sure fire way to make sure I will never be terminated again - mystery solved - I'll be my own boss.
I can work from home and eventually turn my hom into an office (120 year old Victorian so close to Lake Michigan that you can hear the waves most any time of day). I can hire my friends and have as much fun as I want! The yard will make a great coffee garden, and the music room can be converted to a conference room. That's all good and well, but what services can I we offer and to whom? The latest craze? Virtual Assistants (google it, I didn't make it up). That's it - but I don't want to be just a virtual assistant, how about virtual executives? Dedicated Virtual Professionals Network? What an idea!
Now dear reader - we may look back at his epiphany as the beginning of the end - OR - we may look back and talk about what a genious I am. Either way, I think there will be a wine glass on my desk filled with cucumber/lemon water. The real question is, will there be any money in the bank? Only time will tell.
Ta Ta For Now Dear Reader - thank YOU for your support!
Success is a State of Mind - do you live in that state or are you still dreaming of vacationing there? The future is up to you!
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
I'm a Lemon Baby!
I'm a lemon Baby!
A few weeks ago I thought I had it all together, but now I'm a big yellow lemon (yes...as in: when life gives you lemons). I failed. I made it where I thought I wanted to be and then fell flat on my face. Big fat promotion a few months ago (Director of Operations if you must know) and now...I earn $363 per week on unemployment and the State of Wisconsin is requiring me to attend a class about creating my resume. Never mind that I already met with a life coach who helped me spruce up my resume, signed up for a class at the local college to help me identify my strengths, applied for over 28 jobs, AND have had a handful of interviews.
If I want to continue receiving my $363 each week, I need to sit through a class. I guess the good news is that I'll be contributing to the economy by spending $15 on child care, and will likely spend over $5 for a latte' on my way to class. Maybe I'll find out more about being over-qualified.
But really - if you know me, you know I'm sarcastic and I just wanted readers to understand why I'm calling myself a lemon. It is my hope that the next months/years/decades will turn that lemon into lemonade and we will all enjoy countless laughs as we look back to where this all started. I could wait until I'm a business owner, international success story, etc...and then start blogging or writing things down, but let's face it: Alzheimer's disease is on the rise, and I did smoke pot...so the chances of me remembering much useful information in 2037 is unlikely.
I'm not going to go into the details of why I was terminated from my last position (after nearly 10 years), and I'm not into finger pointing...so you won't get much of that either. I don't really know what I did wrong at my last job, but I do know that I like my life right here and now. I like being able to come and go as I please. I like being able to pick and choose what I want to work on and how I want to spend my time. I enjoy not having to be nice to everyone. Most of all, I enjoy having time to really talk to people. In the past, I was never really present. Oh yes...my 200 pound 5 foot 8 inch body was there...but I probably had a cell phone in my pocket, an ipad in my purse, and countless to do lists running through my mind. I likely didn't notice that you weren't having a good day - because I just didn't have the time to care. There were times I wondered how long I could keep going at this pace, but I was determined to prove the world wrong and really 'have it all'.
Then I got terminated, and I'm just going to be honest with you - I came home and alphabetized my DVD collection and cried, while thinking that I should just shoot myself in the head. Yup...great optimism...especially considering that I'm a single mother and I have a laundry list of things to be thankful for. So I had a weak moment - I'm done beating myself up for it. I brought it up so if my readers have ever had those thoughts, they know they aren't alone. The long and short of it is: don't define yourself by WHAT you do. Define yourself by WHO YOU ARE - on the inside.
I'm a Lemon - and if you stick around long enough, we can sip lemonade together (feel free to add a splash of vodka if you wish)! If things go really well, maybe we can make a lemon meringue pie too - so bring on the Lemons!
A few weeks ago I thought I had it all together, but now I'm a big yellow lemon (yes...as in: when life gives you lemons). I failed. I made it where I thought I wanted to be and then fell flat on my face. Big fat promotion a few months ago (Director of Operations if you must know) and now...I earn $363 per week on unemployment and the State of Wisconsin is requiring me to attend a class about creating my resume. Never mind that I already met with a life coach who helped me spruce up my resume, signed up for a class at the local college to help me identify my strengths, applied for over 28 jobs, AND have had a handful of interviews.
If I want to continue receiving my $363 each week, I need to sit through a class. I guess the good news is that I'll be contributing to the economy by spending $15 on child care, and will likely spend over $5 for a latte' on my way to class. Maybe I'll find out more about being over-qualified.
But really - if you know me, you know I'm sarcastic and I just wanted readers to understand why I'm calling myself a lemon. It is my hope that the next months/years/decades will turn that lemon into lemonade and we will all enjoy countless laughs as we look back to where this all started. I could wait until I'm a business owner, international success story, etc...and then start blogging or writing things down, but let's face it: Alzheimer's disease is on the rise, and I did smoke pot...so the chances of me remembering much useful information in 2037 is unlikely.
I'm not going to go into the details of why I was terminated from my last position (after nearly 10 years), and I'm not into finger pointing...so you won't get much of that either. I don't really know what I did wrong at my last job, but I do know that I like my life right here and now. I like being able to come and go as I please. I like being able to pick and choose what I want to work on and how I want to spend my time. I enjoy not having to be nice to everyone. Most of all, I enjoy having time to really talk to people. In the past, I was never really present. Oh yes...my 200 pound 5 foot 8 inch body was there...but I probably had a cell phone in my pocket, an ipad in my purse, and countless to do lists running through my mind. I likely didn't notice that you weren't having a good day - because I just didn't have the time to care. There were times I wondered how long I could keep going at this pace, but I was determined to prove the world wrong and really 'have it all'.
Then I got terminated, and I'm just going to be honest with you - I came home and alphabetized my DVD collection and cried, while thinking that I should just shoot myself in the head. Yup...great optimism...especially considering that I'm a single mother and I have a laundry list of things to be thankful for. So I had a weak moment - I'm done beating myself up for it. I brought it up so if my readers have ever had those thoughts, they know they aren't alone. The long and short of it is: don't define yourself by WHAT you do. Define yourself by WHO YOU ARE - on the inside.
I'm a Lemon - and if you stick around long enough, we can sip lemonade together (feel free to add a splash of vodka if you wish)! If things go really well, maybe we can make a lemon meringue pie too - so bring on the Lemons!
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