I have always loved art, fashion and technology. Everyday after school I would come home and made crafts, I had a huge desk filled with everything you needed to create… glitter, pipecleaners and crayons… it was a dreamland for me.

We got Supernintendo and I was OBSESSED with Mario Paint (I think that’s what it was called). Does this bring back memories for anyone?! Seriously, that mario composer.. ahmazing!! (Cat. Mario. Baby. Baby. Baby) Genius!

And then sometime in the 90s we got our first PC. I remember the original tutorial actually taught you how to double click. I seriously outperformed my family at this “New computer training” and pretty much thought I was a prodigy.

My favourite computer “game”… obviously Microsoft Paint. I spent hours creating pictures… I would  have to say the spray can was my favourite tool and making rainbows with it was my speciality. Endless creations, no mess and I could start over… and over… and over.

So now, all of these things are so nostalgic to our generation… to the point that going back to using these tools with the updated features (textures?!?!?! no way!!!) grasps our attention and interest and the imperfection of “hand-made” graphics made using your mouse is oh so encapsulating.

My latest creation, made using a paint application on my iPhone, used to create my vision for the next fall accessory trend:

yay me

So this job hunting thing is a real grind, it’s hard, it’s tiring and it requires you to take a really good look at yourself, especially when you come from a general business degree. I have spent a lot of time defining what it is that makes me great and how I can show that to employers through my words. Here are a few tips that I have from the process:

• Keep an inventory of everything you have ever worked on or were a part of, you never know when you will need that skill again and it will make your resume building process much less lengthy
• Within that inventory note the impacts that you have had.. this is what employers want to hear about.. not that you made phone calls, filed papers, tried to save the world.. but what you can do for them that will add value to their cause
• Build and use your network. This is key, especially if you are switching industries or trying to do something you have never done before. Your resume does not tell about skills and experiences you don’t have, you’re network can help you explain that you’re capable
• Spend the time. Ok so in the most tedious and annoying night of my life I spent 3 hours on Skype with my brother and his girlfriend going through my resume and cover letter with a fine tooth comb. It was not fun, it was horrible…. but… it was worth it. You have 2 pieces of paper to sell yourself, those 2 pieces of paper will be among hundreds… can anyone say need in a haystack?! so make it good.

Although this process is a grind and I find myself spending all of my free time sifting through jobs, making cover letter upon cover letter and spending hundreds of dollars on gas to go meet people who may not change anything… it is totally worth it. I am much happier now than I was before I started this process… I am starting to feel a little sparkly

I was honestly obsessed with having “the life.” Finding a great relationship, buying a house,  saving for retirement. Thinking back to that now kills me and that lets me know I am making the right choice. I am excited when I find a new job to apply to and although I may not be hearing the phone ringing off the hook yet… or at all… I am still motivated on this journey.

I thought my change would be finding a new career and moving to a new place. The real change is working towards my own happiness rather than pushing for something to fill that same void.

I have even made a little change in my reading materials (thank god)…

I know that we haven’t even got to the heat of summer yet but I can’t help but start getting excited about my favourite season for FASHION…

It’s only been about a week and a half and I already feel like I’m climbing a huge mountain. My original thoughts.. oh ya, apply for a few amazing jobs, have a couple interviews and then make the extremely though decision.. which offer will I take?! Hmmm…

…not so much…

I have applied for about 15 jobs. Everyone says I should be applying to a hundred but at this point this is the search for my happiness, I’m not going to go for something that I really don’t feel excited about. No sense wasting my time or theirs and I’m hoping this will lead to the holy grail… the sparkle job!!

So here’s the worst part so far… telemarketers. I know. We all hate them, but being on the job hunt makes you hate them even more, especially now that they have our cell phone numbers (who’s bright idea was that?!). My phone sits on my desk in front of me all day, I stare and wait for the call… and then it comes… finally… some obscure number that is definitely not my dentists office or the vet… I don’t recognize it at all. My heart is pounding, sweaty palms, but of course I can’t pick it up at work. So I sit and wait for the voicemail to pop up… click the screen… click the screen… click the scr-FUCK!. I take to Google, typing the number in furiously and what comes up, about 10,000 Yahoo answers about the number being some pyramid scheme. COME ON!!

On a positive note, the phone ringing at least gets the adrenaline pumping so I can continue on the journey, thank the lord!
LoveLife SideNote: I’ve been widely telling people that I absolutely do not want to meet anyone right now because I am on my journey to personal happiness. Everyone knows that it always happens when you want it the least… right… hello?

Pharrell

Singer, songwriter, record producer, fashion designer and Star Trek enthusiast.

I am inspired because Pharrell did it all early on, he does it with grace and passion and does not require insane media attention or wild publicity stunts to remain relevant. He is widely respected in his industry and crazy talented.. not to mention pretty easy on the eyes.

His twitter page, my 2013 version of firehotquotes.com

A creative man is motivated by the desire to achieve, not by the desire to beat others. – Ayn Rand

— Pharrell Williams (@Pharrell) June 4, 2013

Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm. – Winston Churchill

— Pharrell Williams (@Pharrell) May 31, 2013

Decide that you want it more than you are afraid of it. – Bill Cosby

— Pharrell Williams (@Pharrell) May 28, 2013

He is one celebrity that I respect enough that I would absolutely be afraid to approach him in public if the opportunity presented itself… which it did… Miami Beach 2013… Location: Sushi Mikasa… Pharrell seated at the table next to us… and I die

…Excerpt from a job application… eeek no spelling mistakes this time!

Using a consumer friendly product or experience in order to generate buzz in a somewhat trivial or un-exciting product is something that has been peaking my interest as of late. For example; something as simple as a large financial institution using Blackberry Playbooks and iPads in order for clients to enroll in their products, or a grocery chain using cookies to entice clients into signing up for a credit card to a brewing company creating a massive event/experience that people actually purchase tickets to in order to market beer. It is interesting to see both the pros and cons to this approach. While a buzz is definitely generated it is a fine balance between increasing sales and brand awareness and putting too much of an emphasis on the “other product,” and the brand gets lost in the shuffle. The excitement needs to capture the attention of the audience, but once engaged the brand must take over and somehow relay the benefits of the core product to the consumer in order for this to be successful. This is a very interesting balance to watch and every time I see it being practiced I can’t help but contemplate what message is being portrayed to the consumer. What is the consumer walking away with? A free bag of cookies? Or as a new and engaged client of a large financial institution?

I’m ready to take a huge leap. It all came at me at once today.

The Plan: Find a job I will LOVE, move to T.O, sell my car, be a city girl, have a new super awesome exciting life… sex in the city, nah, that will come later, focusing on being the career girl I always knew I was.

I take to the job site. You know how it is, first off it’s a challenge to even decide which key words to search for… and then you come across that perfect job title AHHHHHH – queue the angels. Open the job description, you are either under qualified or there’s a tag line like “Make $100,000 in your first year.” Right. It’s a grind but it’s necessary. I finally sift through all the bullshit and find 5 passable positions and quickly fire off my resume and standard cover letter making absolutely sure that I have changed the name of the company on each one… phew. Good thing I remembered to do that.

I am so pound and so excited, I know the phone calls will start ringing in like crazy tomorrow and I will have an incredible new opportunity in no time. Hmmmm, an afterthought. Maybe I will take some time to look over my resume and cover letter to see if there are any updates I need to make before I start applying again tomorrow…

FUCK FUCKKKKKKKKKKKKK SHIT NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

5, yes I repeat, FIVE spelling and grammar mistakes. The horror.

I am the friend who helps everyone with their resumes. I get all up on my high horse and judge and criticize them on their poor spelling and grammar. To be honest I have had the holier than thou feeling more than a few times. My friend Julie (sweetest girl in the world, couldn’t ask for a better best friend) sent me her resume full of spelling mistakes.

My reaction: “Are you kidding me Julie, just know what none of the places you applied to will be calling you or ever calling you, this is horrible”

Karma. No one will be calling me tomorrow. Lump. In. throat.

Time to get off of my high horse, need to take a good look in the mirror.

Like Gwyneth, strutting down 5^th Avenue to… who cares where…

You know the feeling. It’s Monday morning, you just went on a massive shopping spree and you’re ready to debut your perfect new outfit to your onlookers… ie. Sarah and Irene in accounting. I felt like a million bucks, brand new everything; nude pointy toe sling backs, a nautical navy and cream horozontal boat neck T, a gold and pink neon necklace to add some interest and to top it all off, the piece de resistance, totally fashion forward navy polka dot pants. PERFECTION!

Sarah – “Why are you wearing your pajamas to work?!”

Initial Reaction – ‘Ummmmmm maybe if you picked up a magazine you would realize that these pants are AH-mazing and at least I’m not wearing an ugly fur-trimmed Abercrombie hoodie from the 90’s’

HOLD UP! Every girl knows what to expect when they wear that perfect outfit. There will be the guys who hate it just because they don’t understand, the girls who compliment you like crazy and ask you where you shop and the girls who make snarky comments about your “fashion risks” – still a compliment by the way.

This comment was none of the above, Sarah is a doll, definitely much kinder than myself, never one to criticize, maybe to a fault. I’m in a mid-sized town working in financial services and Sarah isn’t being snarky… she just doesn’t get it. The love for fashion and having “that feeling” just doesn’t matter to her. Nor does it matter to most of the other people I was surrounded by in the dull grey walls of my office building.

This is the moment. The moment I realized I’m not where I’m supposed to be. I could have never pictured this. I have made a huge mistake. Im totally comfortable… and I hate it.

BTW – I love fashion – but I am definitely not a guru – written as I sit here in sweat pants and a neon YOLO tank top