I'm an Event Planning Fool!

With the Fall semester up and running, I have events coming at me all over the place.  Check out some of the posters our graphic design student worker has done!

I have to assist tognight for the Crowdsourcing event, and tomorrow I moderate two panels - the Casting Directors (in from Los Angeles) and Gina Rugulo, Talent Manager.
I can't wait until Saturday!

End of Summer Realizations.

Every August, I am the most destitute of the year.  Even more so then Christmas.  However, I am thinking ahead this year and I am working on making my Mom's cookbook which are a collection recipes from my Grandmother, into a cookbook for her.  I'm also adding mine and Amy's favorite recipes.
This is what I have so far: Taste Book. 
However, I'm switching over to Create My Cookbook because that way I can add family photos, and with Taste Book, although that one is fancier and more modern and sleeker, for some reason I can't change the cover.  And that bugs me!

September 1, we have two new Creative Industry Liaison's starting.  My boss, Caroline, is off to get married and move to Boston, so instead of one person replacing her we have two.  One is going to be focused on music and marketing, the other one on design, fine art, photo, illustration and advertising, and I have film, television, radio, dance, theater, journalism, etc.  I'm pretty freaking nervous about this whole thing.  I don't feel like I know enough yet. I came into this position before Industry Night, so it was a different situation then coming in at the beginning of the semester.  It's not like a regular job where you have XYZ tasks at hand, its about planning, attending and organizing events and meeting with students.  But I'm unsure how to handle this but I hope to handle it well.  I'm going to make this job what I want to - this is still my dream job and I want to be 150% for students.  That's the whole point.

And in family life, my dad has to have some serious surgery.  He had a lump removed, we're waiting for the biopsy results, but regardless he has to have surgery to pull up his stomach lining over his esophagus.  It all stems from Barrett's Esophagus which  runs on his side of the family, and its a 5 day hospital stay at Northwestern Hospital.  And having a double hernia removed.  It's a nightmare, and I'm scared.  But we will deal with it when it comes.  :(

Hello August!

Yipee!  Bill got a job back at Nordstrom!  We won't be homeless after all!  We've still been looking at houses, but we keep seeing amazing ones that are mindblowing, but they are SO FAR.  Like this far:

One hour without traffic via public transportation to my work.  EVERY DAY.  TWICE A DAY.  Ugh I don't know if I can handle it.  But a 4 bedroom, 3 full bathroom, 2 car garage, full finished basement, giant backyard on an over-sized lot. Sigh.  Amazing.

I really hope that this month is great.  This is the last month of summer before the students come back.  My boss is leaving, our office manager is leaving, and I'll be sitting in my office with two dudes.  Ugh the male/female ratio at work kind of sucks.  And then entering the Creative Industry Liaison world alone!  Without Caroline (my boss) and making it my own.  I hope its a GREAT YEAR.  I pray its a GREAT YEAR. I'm really nervous.

About everything.
Oh, and my latest addiction is "Words with Friends" on Android, Angry Birds Rio and Spotify. 

My Dream has COME TRUE!

I have always been a career motivated person.  Always.  The last job I loved waking up every morning to go to was The Real World Chicago which was back in 2004 I think.  That's a long, long time to wake up in the morning to something that isn't your passion or your dream.  I am grateful that I have had a job for 5 years, which started on the first day of Hurricane Katrina, and have had it until now.

I worked last semester in the Portfolio Center as an Industry Expert.  It was my calling.  From only 4 hours a month, I wanted to do it 8 hours a day.  A job was posted for the Creative Industry Liaison in the Portfolio Center, and I jumped on it.  I got the job.  Not just a job, but my DREAM JOB.  How many people get to say they have their dream job? It's all I have wanted in life, to be happy with my career, to make a difference, to love what I'm doing.  I am so, so, so  happy. I don't think I've been this happy since my wedding day.  It's that important to me.  I will be helping radio, journalism, arts & media management and interactive media students put together their portfolios for the outside world, booking and planning events, etc.  It's an awesome place to be and I can't wait to start.

I am grateful for my current job and boss, I was terrified to tell her, and of course I cried, too.  It's hard working with one person for so long, but I know she knows its best for me.

So ready world?  Phase 3 of my life officially begins!  I can't wait!!!