If you knew me better...

you'd know that I've had my fair share of hard conversations and I do just fine

that I will never resent you for your weaknesses, if you're patient with mine

that I will never expect you to do more than just try

If you knew me better, you'd know that I think with my head and decide with my heart

that I'm a natural optimist

that regardless of what happens, I'll be okay

If you knew me better, you'd know that I'm not in this just for me,

and that I'd love nothing more than to be something you need

But really, if you knew me better, you'd know that honestly, I just want to get to know you better

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*And nearly two years ago, somehow I knew this would pretty much sum it up.

girl power

This past week, I've been in a retro girl power mood. Madonna, Whitney, even a little Mariah and K Clark (who I realize is not from the same era, but really, she's got enough soul and spunk to fit in with those ladies, right?).

Anyway, apart from filling my ears with the beautiful soundtrack of the 80s, this week has been great. Major events:

-Monday--all-nighter scrambling to get everything ready for Tuesday, 1am 7-11 run for hot cocoa and only getting 30 minutes of sleep before heading to Sundance.

-Tuesday--Recruiter's fair up at Sundance. Got to talk to some really cool agencies and make some good connections. I'm slowly realizing that graduation is actually going to come and I'm going to have to grow up and be a real adult. Yikes/Yay!

-Wednesday--Meeting with more recruiters and following up with those from Tuesday. Ice cream social with the Leo Burnett crew.

-Today--Catching up on some homework, Adlab stuff, random errands. Comfort Food (aka grilled cheese and homemade tomato soup) party at mi casa with all the ad geeks. We all just chilled, played a little Just Dance 3 and it was fantastic. I seriously love my major and all the people in it. We know how to work hard and play hard.

It was a stressful but really good week. It's nice to be able to see my work on a website (check it out, kids!). I'm really proud of it, so that always makes it easier to show to other people.

weekend

An El Salvador clan reunion a mi casa with late night pizza making and inside jokes,

a very entertaining commercial shoot,

a fantastic concert by Ryan Innes (blows me away every time, check him out here),

an uplifting and hilarious Sunday watching Downton Abbey and Boy Meets World with a favorite movie-watching comrade,

Kneader's all you can eat french toast with the roomies this morning,

and this beautiful Monday holiday.

Couldn't have asked for a better weekend.

Hopefully this means I'm refreshed and prepared to kick some advertising butt this week getting ready for next week.

Wish me luck.

have a little faith

Right now, I'm learning a little about faith.

In myself, in others and in a loving God who has a plan for me.

Someone who knows the timing better than I do, and who can see the whole picture.

On a less dramatic note, in 11 days representatives from 14 ad agencies are coming to look at our portfolios and I get nauseated just thinking about that.

I'm really excited, but this just means I have to be ready to show my soul to them in advertising form and hope that they like it.

It's vulnerability to a degree that I have not yet experienced.

But I prefer this to stagnant growth any day.

Here's to the sweat and tears that will be spent over the next 11 days, putting my book through the refiner's fire.

And here's to having a little faith.

The Help

As if enough book clubs haven't blogged about this book already, I'm going to add my nickel or dime, too.

I feel like Skeeter and I are kind of similar. 23, college graduate (or soon-to-be), single and trying to write out a place in the world.

Since the first time I went to South Carolina when I was a little girl, I've loved the South. Maybe it's my grandmother's Charlestonian blood running through my veins.

I feel confident that I could live in the South for only one reason: the food. And after reading about Minny's caramel cakes, and fried chicken and pork chops, all I want is some down home barbeque.

Over Thanksgiving, my family visited the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis. I could have spent all day walking through the exhibit, reading the labels and quotes from everyday people and prominent leaders of that movement, but we only had a couple of hours.

We saw the room where Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated and read about so many others who suffered simply for trying to speak out. It became so much more real to me. I have so much admiration for those who fearlessly fight for justice, anywhere and everywhere. Whether that is by staying put in a bus seat or taking huge risks to report the truth.

All I can really say about The Help is: read it.

And then think about it.

We study history so we don't repeat it. But, just like everything in life, it's never all bad. I loved reading the stories of tightly-knit bonds between women, remembering that despite the tough times, in the long run charity never fails.

image via google

12

Maybe my New Year's resolution should be to stop neglecting this little blog of mine so often.

Just to warn, this is going to be one of those catch all, catch up posts. Don't expect beautiful writing or any attempts at poetry; it's just the raw, real stuff.

Because life is messy sometimes.

So let's see, major updates:

1st semester of the creative track is done. (weird, but it was a crazy busy, fun, good time)

I'm graduating in less than 5 months.

I'm realizing I'm much more of a flirt than I thought. (good or bad? This could be a post of it's own, so maybe more on this later).

Finals are over and grades turned out better, in some classes, than I expected.

Christmas at home was wonderful. My family is incredible. Lunch with Dad, Downton Abbey with Mom, last minute Christmas shopping and Panda Express with the little brother, Portland adventures with the sister (and sister's friends) and bro-in-law, sooo many treats and tins of fudge with Oma, a family history lesson with Opa, a visit from Grandad, and plenty of Rock Band and Just Dance with all.

New Year's adventures in Portland with Hilamonster (aka this girl Hilary who made sure I didn't die in El Salvador): getting kicked out of a birthday party turning into a girls night out on the town, eating sick-nasty oatmeal at Le Montage (potential remnants of ashtray contents included), and a rockin New Year's Eve dance party.

Welcome, 2012.

Here's to another year of adventures and misadventures, and all the nonsense in between.

(Oh, and as far as boys go, I can't say there is a boy, but there is the hope of something with a certain boy.)