Buckle up, it's going to be a bumpy ride cheres!

Calla Lilies to Cala Cakes - Buckle Up, Chere - It's Gonna Be A Bumpy (but fun) Ride!

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

It's A Week...

It's a "week" alrighty...?!?! Busy as skidditch on a bid and client-whispering, trying NOT to throttle the 'sorority' folks. And having spent Monday evening on some much-needed housework, last night having dinner w/my Dad and tonight was the second installment in the "New Orleans: 5 Years After" lecture series - will have to push wakeful, professional follow-up messages to the companies already 'tapped' and also send out more resumes. I have a couple of things up my sleeve, so maybe something will pan out on those avenues?

I am headed back to New Orleans in mid-Feb for the MUSES Bead Distribution Party! And hopefully, if I can get some interviews, too? Time's running out, I REALLY don't want to pay for the full month of March in this joint if at all possible.

Thanks again to EVERYONE for their support. The sooner I have something 'for sure', the better and I can share the news and forthcoming furniture sale w/more folks! ;)

Friday, January 21, 2011

No News Is...Well...No News

I must be some high level of naive. Sent resumes to four places two weeks ago and have heard NOTHING back. Not even a chortle or guffaw from the one company that (in their electronic submission gateway) requested a salary requirement. I guess I thought I'd at least get a quick little 'We have received your information/e-mail and will review it, thank you' form e-mail or SOMETHING.

I'm going to send out more and hope something sticks. I'm also going to send some 'just checking to see you got it' e-mails to the ones that are on radio silence.

Two weeks ago was just after the new year's holiday - and sure, some folks were still on vacation...but c'mon. At least say "Sorry, can't help ya."
Maybe broaden my spectrum? Anyone want me to come clean their homes? I scrub a mean toilet, I love to vacuum and I can organize the hell out of your place. And I can come by and keep you that way. I can help you get ready for parties, do the pre-shopping, theme set-up. Probably even knock out a funky cake, too!

I'm just in a funk. I've been feeling congested, goopy and coughmeister general since coming back to Houston on Monday.

My future home city is 5-1/2 hours away to the east via car/moving truck (well, probably about 6-1/2 hours or so by moving truck), my dearest love who is my boyfriend is a day away by car (if I wore Depends and had a refueling jet to follow me) the OTHER direction and here I am Stuck In The (veritable) Middle, in Houston.

Time to get the roast going - at least there will be po' boys in Houston this weekend.

Saturday, January 15, 2011

All Is Right w/the World...for the weekend anyway...

I am 'home'! I am in New Orleans! I am in my (if I can score a frakkin' job) future temporary home-base!

I love this shotgun double! Something like this would be awesome for me and my sweetie.

Mid-week, I did speak with a gal about a bakery position at a local place but since I'm not 'here' yet - that's causing all manner of issues. BUT...I sent her the flickr link to my cake pics and she wants me to come in once I'm here to maybe talk to her boss re: specialty cakes. :)

As I see places when I'm driving around, I'm jotting them down to send info to anyway. If I could even get a part-time job in an office (or flex-hours) and then part-time in a bakery?

Went to the MUSES 12th Night Bash last night, fun - but the music was too loud and some of the non-members (namely fellows) kept jabbering while the MUSES gals were making announcements... Came back here and went next door to the bar - literally, next door! Such a great vibe.

It may sound 'soupy', but I miss having my boyfriend w/me... Granted, that's true on a daily/nightly basis in Houston, but even though NOLA is my "10" of a city, when he was here w/me at Halloween, he cranked it to "11". :)

Okay, time to get scrubbed up and face the day w/wild hair.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Well...at least this Tuesday wasn't...

as fraught w/ZOMG!STRESS as last week. I've sent resumes out and haven't heard even a hollow laugh back. I'm trying to stay upbeat.

Played w/a budget to see what I really need to make minimum. Make sure the car, insurance, mobile and such are covered. Huzzah, I can get by on less! Just about a year to get the car paid off! WOOT!

Waiting to hear the outcome of the big bid that gave me such crazy busy holiday time...and stressful week last week. Other big client is making changes to a floor currently on order and there is no 'return' policy and they can't finalize the changes. Oh well - I'm headed to New Orleans this weekend...I'm not the boss of them, so there. Shaking it off.

Here's hoping to hear something soon - would be nice to talk to someone (job-wise, that is - I know I'll be hanging with friends) while I'm in NOLA. I want to be able to sit down w/my folks and tell them of my plan to move, but want to know I have some viable job prospects.

I'm wanting to get a storage room and maybe drag some stuff with me this weekend. I have played with the layout of the storage room to see what would fit and what items I am wanting/needing to part with.

The pile of books and magazines to get rid of is guhroooooowwing! :) As is the stack of clothes to donate, too!

Trying to pull the list of furniture for sale together, wanting to frame it as 'realizing I really don't need all of it and am planning on moving to a smaller place' for work. Which...is true.

I need to set up my next visit to NOLA for mid-Feb, which is the MUSES bead distribution and Krewe du Vieux.

Lots of planning in a possibly short timeframe...gah!

Okay, gotta put the laundry away and keep up on the shoes.

Friday, January 7, 2011

My First Blogging Friday

Wow, I've been at this approximately a week now! I called in sick today - I seriously needed to have a non-weekend, non-holiday day to call my own and be chill for me. I am not going to make myself ill over stress. I can't, I won't.

I'm flitting between the desktop computer and the laptop, as the laptop has the broadband card on it right now - but the desktop is where my copy of MS Office is running. The laptop is also easier to use as the desktop computer is ironically, not at a desk, but the CPU is running the vid through my flatscreen t.v., and sitting on the floor has proven to be less than 'fun' for my hips/back as evidenced by the whole xmas wrapping-related back pain. Sitting in my task chair at the tele isn't optimum, either - because I can't put my feet up to balance the keyboard. I know, kvetch, kvetch, kvetch... :)

The resume' is as done as it can be for now. I have one for standard stuff like I do now, and one geared more towards the powdered sugar side of the fence.
I have some friends that are offering to spread it around, woot! And I'll need to finalize and share to companies myself.
The standard version's cover letter is still needing addresses and actual names, so I'll keep plugging away on that.

But now, lunch is calling! Cheese grits? And once I get the resume' off to a couple of places, I can get back to 'da shooooze' and finish them. Oh, and by the way - I've opted to just finish 2 shoes, too much going on and I need to pare down.

This weekend is purge time, big time.

Happy Friday! Feel free to comment!

UPDATE: 3:03 p.m. - have submitted a request to Haydel's and also have sent my
cover letter and resume' to Sucre'!

UPDATE: 5:15 p.m. - have submitted my resume' to a grave-designing company for a CAD position...I probably put too high of a salary, but hey, if you don't go for the gold, you'll never get silver (or bronze, or copper)!

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Time Is Fleeting...

I have got to get my resume' out. It's updated, but I also want a 'creative' one to go out to bakeries. The website will help, but I haven't had time to get back to editing down the photos to web-digestible size.

This week has been a BEAR (and no offense to bears, in truth, I love you smelly, fuzzy, marshmallow/honey-loving beasts!). Had a very stressful Tuesday, was better on Wednesday, and today is fine - except for all of the things I HAVE to do.

I tried to post an entry last night after Lotto Night dinner, but blogger was being a pill and not letting me enter anything in the posting field.

I have plans to have dinner w/a very dear, very special friend who is in town and his former beau tonight...but I may have to put that off in lieu of the resume' getting out.

Okay, flinging this on from the office, time to go below blogcasting depth and get some work done. Cheers!

Monday, January 3, 2011

First Monday After "The Decision"

Was able to stay mostly focused - yay me. But it wasn't easy. Asked a friend about a painting I want to sell. Client gave it to me about 6 years ago when they were clearing out their basement spaces (part of a corporate art collection). I've enjoyed it for that time, but now - if I can get some money for it, more's the better. Especially if it's close to the labeled price on the back! That would be good money for the move or for the settling in.
I've requested my vacation time for the 12th Night Bash, so I'll be in NOLA the weekend after this! :)

I'm about to tuck back into working on the MUSES shoes. But for the moment, I'm pondering what bits of furniture to part with. What I know for sure:
- the big painting
- the three nesting Ikea side tables (two white, one black)
- the four bookcases (all are three shelves high - one is a walnut-type color and about 3' wide, the other three are black-brown, 2 are ~3' wide and one is ~18" wide) - later I'll decide what size bookcases to get and hopefully, there are built-ins...or my sweetie can build some to suit. :)

Going to have to go through all of my glassware/crystal/china/whatnot that's still in storage...and figure out what's to keep.

The hard decision is: the bed. My beautiful, antique, Henri II bed and matching nightstand. When I scored it just over 7 years ago - I knew it would be fantastic in my future NOLA home. So, in that I think I just answered my own question. It's about 150-160 years old...and I've moved it 6 times, and heaven knows how many times it's been moved before that.

My biggest problem is my clutter and my inability to part with things. But I've been improving on that. :)

The sacred bits are my kitchen goodies. My c'top Breville oven, my KA Artisan, my basic cake pans (I can sculpt most anything from basic rounds & squares).

Thus, I hereby promise to:
Cull my art supplies (donations to a senior center or something like that)
Cull my books (there will always be more, only the costume history, cake art and some classics will stay for now)
Cull the items still at my Dad's and stuff that's still being stored at my Mom's from the last move.
Sell the bits I listed in the earlier segment.

Okay, it's shoe time! :)

Diving into the glittery depths! :)

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Sunday Developments

Okay, what a day.  Woke up early (-ish), went to breakfast at the O.C. - had the waffle and much needed coffee.  Stopped at La Madeleine on the way home to pick up a baguette for po' boy making and watching the Saints' game.  Sadly, the game didn't go so well.  I guess it's time for a spirit saving po' boy.

The MUSES shoes' soles are painted, now it's time to tuck into the glitter part.

And I have set up my first-ever website...  It's very rough right now, but I'm rather lacking in website-building savvy. Here it is - but please know it's under construction.  Wear your hardhat and steel-toed boots, please. ;)

http://www.wendyscreativeside.com/

Okay, I'm rather on the hungry side of the fence.  Thanks again for swinging by. :)

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Giving in to the Glitter...

It's the new year!  After becoming a member of the Krewe of MUSES in mid-2010 I have been looking forward to the project I am set on today and tomorrow.  I have four shoes (two pair) to set up and execute sparkly looks for! 
This will result in at least three things:
1. Exercising my creative muscles (thus far the only ones staying in shape...I'm working on others, though)
2. Making four glitter-spangled shoes for throws for the 2011 MUSES parade
3. Starting to decrease the creative goodies in my inventory...all the better to have less to move you know? :)

I'll post pics to my flickr as I move through the steps! (link will follow)

Cheers and Happy New Year!  And on that note:  Be sure to get your black eyed pea and greens quotient in today - gotta get back to prosperity, so every little bit of influence helps!  (hey, just keep up w/the healthy greens be they literal greens or any good green veggie - I'm opting for sauteed spinach (sauteed in olive oil w/garlic and baby Bella mushrooms.  I also have some asparagus tips I'll lightly cook through.  I'm also making cheese grits and drizzling the debris gravy over.

Much love and many blessings today and throughout the year! W.