Archive for Life

Unemployment and working on a schedule

June 21, 2010 / Twix / No comments

Hi. This will be somewhat brief. Needing to do laundry. I’m trying to work out a haircare maintenance schedule that I’ll be sticking to. It’s based on six weeks with two six week treatments and a plan of only relaxing every two months.

  1. Relax
  2. Deep Condition
  3. Color
  4. Deep Condition
  5. Protein Treatment
  6. Deep Condition
  7. Trim Splits
  8. Deep Condition
And then, since relaxing and coloring would conflict at week 9, I guess I’d start the whole cycle all over again from week one in what would have been week nine. I’m also going to get someone else to do my eyebrows for me each deep conditioner week.
Laundry will be done on a weekly basis, as will vacuuming. These pets are driving me nuts. Hair everywhere. I’m trying to determine what plan of action is best for me right now, because I’m having to turn all my goals inside out. The next plan/post will be about me and my schooling. Hopefully that gets sorted out quickly.

Marketing Internship, and Goals, Goals, Goals

June 1, 2010 / Twix / No comments

So I’ve gotten pretty busy. Work is surviving, but there have been issues cropping up in there. But I had a phone interview (in person because my phone was out) for a marketing internship at an office nearby. I had a second interview after that. It went alright, but it was last Wednesday that I had that interview and, even with the long weekend, I have not heard back from them today, so I’m not holding my breath. My car died yesterday, and if I have to get a bike I REALLY am not going to be able to afford the apartment that I’m living in right now, so I might have to move on campus. I don’t know. I’m very confused.

My two year relationship ended, and it was amicable, but everything is in shattered shambles right now. I’m trying to adjust, but I don’t think that it’s going very well on the financial side of things. Right now I am on Satisfactory Academic Progress probation because I missed assignments and had to take a fail grade for several classes, along with trying to work more just to make ends in the apartment meet. I have to file my appeal and explain to them why my life turning inside out and backwards affected my ability to complete the semester, as well as being overly ambitious. Hopefully they accept the appeal.

Right now, I’m working on trying to redo and reunderstand my goals, my capabilities, and my potential. Nothing really makes sense to me anymore. I am working on honing my skills as a web designer (adding PHP and jQuery under my belt, by the time the summer is done) as well as adding a marketing emphasis to my learning.

I feel like the more that I try to stay here in Texas, the more god or karma or whoever stabs at me. Like I’m hanging to a ledge and someone is stamping on my feet. I am a fighter, and I keep fighting, but the black spots in my vision and the inability to breathe very well anymore is getting staggering and painful.

That’s it for now. Supposed to be going to the gym, but if I end up riding a bike here all the time then the gym might be unnecessary. Goals will be forthcoming…

Found Another Sheet of Goals

April 15, 2010 / Twix / No comments

While transforming our empty dining room into our office/studio.

Twix’s Five Year Plan (as of December 12, 2009)

  • 2010 – 23 years old
  • 2011 – 24 years old – Graduation, Spring 2011
    I am on track for this goal
  • 2012 – 25 years old
  • 2013 – 26 years old
  • 2014 – 27 years old
December 12, 2009 – May 12, 2010
  • Get a raise to $12.00/hour at work by February 12, 2010
    This is what I was originally supposed to be getting paid. I did go in and discuss it with my boss, who said that she would up my pay, but she hasn’t done it yet. Since my hours are limited, I am not able to do as much around the office as either of us were anticipating this last semester, so I am not currently in a position to negotiate it with her at this time.
  • Pay off at least 1/3 of my cumulative debts
  • Refine my web design skills (how?)
    My boss actually did talk to me about this one… I need to perfect and hone my CSS design skills so that the websites I create have a more polished, professional look. I need to pay closer attention to detail and to learn to utilize shortcuts where I can. Detail work is the biggest clench for me right now though.
  • Improve my portfolio to include samples of my web work.
    Done.
  • Achieve at least a 3.5 average in all course.
    If I’m lucky this will happen… again I bit off more than I can chew in a fit of ambition. I think the four classes I have I will get at least a 3.0 in. I’ll take only 12 credit hours, POSSIBLY 14 with my portfolio practices class if I can help it in Fall 2010; I am scheduled for 14 this summer.
  • Get a summer internship with a web design firm or a game design company.
    I have already taken steps toward applying for a marketing artist position at game design company in Plano; I also already work for a web design place, more or less, so I question this goal. It may do me well to go out of the academic setting and familiarity of my job so that I can accomplish more.
  • Lose 48 pounds by May 12, 2010
    I’ve lost 13 pounds so far; it was 16, but like I said last time, I am going to reweigh after my “aunt” leaves town. I don’t think that I’m going to be able to lose 32 pounds in a month though. :P
  • Have at least one of my blogs turn profitable.
    Not really my priority goal at this point… Need to finish school and develop myself as an artist, writer, and art historian first.
These goals will have deadlines between Feb. 12, 2010 and May 12, 2010.
  • Get a raise to $12.00/hour by Feb. 12, 2010.
  • Pay off at least 1/3 of my debts (in number) by May 12, 2010.
  • Get my driver’s license by February 12, 2010
    Yay! I did this! But it wasn’t until March but WHATEVER I DID IT! 8D
  • Update my web design skills to be more interactive by May 2010.
    I started qualifying my goals better here… Still working on this.
  • Improve the variety of websites in my portfolio by April 2010.
    I have a few in here, mostly interfaces, but I think I need to step to this.
  • Achieve at least a 3.5 GPA in all courses for Spring 2010.
    Likely not gonna happen. I’ll try my hardest though.
  • Be accepted for a summer internship with a web design or game design firm by May 12, 2010.
    Eep.
  • Produce at least 2 design documents by May 12, 2010.
    Double eep.
  • Lose 48 pounds by May 2010.
    HA.
  • Have at least one blog turn profitable by May 12, 2010.
    This is doable, I suppose. And I think that my new contracted gig with Break Studios fills this qualification. I wanted to make a profit off of my writing.
Now I get to assess where things have gone wrong:
  • I haven’t lost as much weight as I would have liked, much in part to the fact that I don’t go to the gym. I hardly make it to class most of the time, let alone the gym. I will be more careful from now on with how I schedule my classes, so that I have time for both myself and school, even if it means that I will have to do school part-time.
  • The raise thing. I have been spotty with work because of how limited my hours are. Again, I’m going to adjust my workload to be something more manageable, so that I can still continue to earn a living while going to school. Money goals are also tied to this; I barely made enough money sometimes to cover our bills. But hooray! My boyfriend got re-employed, and his income is definitely helping out with things.
  • I need to develop a tighter schedule, which will be much more feasible now that my live-in-boyfriend has a job again and, more importantly, a consistent work schedule. We’ll have to plan around each other, but so far, so good. I don’t want anyone to think that he is an obstacle to my growth; I guess we’re just having to adjust to having to work around another person being in our lives.
  • Portfolio: again, time. However, part of this is due to me not making time. I spent a lot of time on Facebook and things like that, and even now I do… I have been cutting back though. I just need to stay motivated and assign myself deadlines and STICK TO THEM.
Alright. More revising to more realistic goals and the addition and merging of the two lists to account for the future shall happen at a different time. I’m a bit tired and still have lots of work to do tonight.

Goals: From July 2009

April 14, 2010 / Twix / No comments

I found a notebook that has the goals I wrote down in July 2009. I figured that it’s a good time now for me to re-examine myself and my goals, because things have gotten to be in a disarray again. Here’s the text from the journal. I’m writing corrections underneath it in a different color…

July 30, 2009

Writing down goals from a yellow legal pad.

  • Graduate by Spring 2011 with a BFA Visual Communication and a history minor.
    I’ll be graduating in Spring 2011 with a BA in Studio Art with a painting emphasis and an art history minor.
  • Save $10,000 toward the purchase of a home by 2014.
    Still working on getting my finances straight. I’ve run into a lot of unforeseen issues, and my school situation has attacked my work hours. =/ But this goal is pretty far off.
  • Have 3 children, adopt 2 children.
    Not happening right now. Married first in 2011. Thank god I realized that this goal is still ambiguous back then and didn’t put any nearby date on this.
  • Be 165 pounds by August 2010.
    193 right now! I was down to 190, might still be; I might have water weight right now.
  • Have Braces off by Sept. 2011.
    Not happening. Still have to get the braces on.
  • Bra strap length natural hair by August 2010.
    Self-relaxing with lye relaxer setback; will try aiming for this by August 2011?
It goes on to talk about this purity movement thing that I wanted to do with art, but that’s unimportant. I’ll write more. I have homework to do. I know I have another list of goals around here, and there were specific things that I was aiming for. I need to revise these soon, though; graduation is approaching and I want a good game plan.

Thumbprint Cookies

April 14, 2010 / Twix / No comments

Thumbprint cookies! There is an awesome bakery here, but in South Arlington, called “Paris Bakery”, that makes very awesome thumbprint style cookies. Even though they’re only fifty cent a piece (sixty cent a piece, if you get the double cookie with the filling), they’re pretty addictive, and a dozen of them equals six bucks! So I decided to learn how to make them on my own. I combined two recipes: a thumbprint cookie from allrecipes.com, and a chocolate frosting recipe from cooks.com. That said: here we go!


For the cookies:
1/4 c. butter, room temperature
1/2 c sugar
pinch salt
1 tsp. vanilla
3 tbsp. milk
1/2 c cornstarch
1.25 c. all-purpose flour (my all-purpose flour has whole wheat flour in it, but it’s cool if yours doesn’t!)

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F; line a baking sheet with parchment paper. (I did this, but I think next time I’ll use foil, like I usually do. The wax paper that I do makes cookies stick to it…)
  2. Cream together butter, sugar, and salt. Beat in vanilla, milk, and cornstarch; stir in flour until combined.
  3. Roll dough into 1 inch balls and roll in course sugar, if desired (I didn’t). Place on the baking sheet and make a shallow indentation with your thumb.
  4. Bake for 12-13 minutes, until just brown.
  5. Cool on wire rack.
Supposedly, this yields 2 dozen cookies. I’ve made the first dozen, but am allowing the dough to chill in our fridge until I’m ready to make the rest, lest they all get eaten right away. Now onto the frosting! I only used half the recipe for the chocolate frosting and, because our coffee maker is broken right now, I don’t have any available. I will be using it next time though!

For the Chocolate Frosting:
6 tbsp. cocoa
 6 tbsp. butter
 1 tsp. vanilla
 3 c. confectioners sugar
You want to just combine the ingredients for the frosting, but make sure to do it with a flat spoon or something, and start out pretty slow; the confectioner’s sugar will try to get everywhere otherwise, and the butter needs to combine with the dry ingredients very well in order to accomplish the frosting. That said, I think they turned out pretty great! I might add a bit more milk next time to the cookie recipe, as the dough was still a bit crumbly. These aren’t the exact texture as the cookies from the bakery, either, but I did enjoy them. I’ll probably start making them for friends and neighbors as gifts.
Also, I’m pretty sure that the supplies for two dozen of these darlings costs me wayyy less than the six they cost at the store. Still; I love Paris Bakery, and I’ll still shop there and support a nice local bakery.

Well. It’s been awhile

March 21, 2010 / Twix / No comments

Sorry that I haven’t updated in awhile. Real life got a strangle hold on me. I’ll be going to workout on Wednesday and will weigh myself then. Last I checked, I lost 16 pounds and got down to 190 pounds. I’ve likely gained some of that back (I’m fairly certain I gained five back).

I’m transitioning to natural hair that I’ll be straightening once a week. :P Had some breakage, learned my lesson about doing self-relaxers.
That’s about it for now. I’ve become insanely busy this semester. One of my new goals is to build my portfolio and get into SMU’s Guildhall game design graduate program. I have a bunch of scholarships to apply for as well.
Thanks a ton for reading. Or continuing to watch.

Inspiration Pictures

January 30, 2010 / Twix / No comments

It’s been so odd yet so refreshing to see my itty bitty waist again. I’m going to have to invest in a pair or two of new pants, though. Belts are hardly helping.

Still on the clean eating kick… I get in a few non-clean snacks here and there. I still manage to have fun and eat fun foods with my friends; hopefully in this upcoming week I will be able to get in to the gym (yeah, it’s crazy… I lost 10 pounds without going to the gym. Talk about cleaning up the way you eat!). I’ve fiddled around my schedule so there is gym time and study time scheduled in there. I won’t lose! =)

Anyway. I found some pictures of women whose physiques I use as my inspiration to kick my own butt. Here’s for 10 more pounds of weight loss come February! 186, here I come!


10 pounds down!

January 22, 2010 / Twix / No comments

I told myself at the beginning of the year that I was going to lose 10 pounds a month for the next five months, so that I would get to my target weight (156 lbs). I have been eating a ton better, have been making plans to go to the gym (am starting this next week), and recently people have been telling me that I “look like I have lost some weight”.

Last night, I was feeling horrendous -chills, feverish, all sorts of nasty things – and I ended up going to the doctor today to get checked out. Doc said she had to weigh me, and I was like, “okay, okay. Same story. I get on, scale says 206, I get off”.

I got on the scale.

196.2 pounds.

WAHOO!

If I have lost 10 pounds from just better eating, then exercise is gonna really melt these pounds!

Sorry that I haven’t written in awhile!

January 14, 2010 / Twix / No comments

Some very quick updates:

  • Relaxed my hair on 1/11/10. Am going to cut the split ends that I keep catching, though that goes against this challenge that I took. Am going to have to ask the challengers if cutting the split ends is against the rules if I notice that they’re causing breakage. I don’t think they are.
  • I start classes next week on Tuesday.
  • Will be purchasing my car tomorrow so that I can get to classes and the gym on campus. Will have to configure my schedule so that I can squeeze in that.
  • Will be searching out another part-time job in the area to do after classes end for the day. I have decided that I want to be able to afford my 1 bedroom apartment, insurance for my car, gas, and utilities myself. Being dependent on another person sucks, especially if that person ends up being unable to pull their own weight… That’s more later, or not.
  • Have to look into getting the braces put on soon. My two molars on the left side of my mouth DEFINITELY have to go. Will talk to a dentist/orthodontist about getting the other molar on the right side and the wisdom teeth next to all these molars pulled in order to accommodate my braces.
  • I have been working on a lot of projects, including a e-magazine for black females and a farming simulation MMO game. I need to get all of this plotted in on weekends or something.
  • Will be setting up my personal-care maintenance schedule. I already have meals for the week planned, so that lunch won’t be a major panic during the week.
The biggest thing here is that I have GOT to get serious about losing this weight. I read from notes that I took that I promised my doctor in September or August that I would lose 20 pounds in the three months after that… didn’t happen. My pants don’t fit as tightly as they did before (so I guess I am losing weight at the waist), but I have eaten cookies, ice cream, and other Not Good gunk in the past few days, many times in substitute of meals. Hectic schedule, but that’s not a good enough excuse.
(though, not having much food to choose from in the house due to not having a car definitely may count)
I want to be the best me I can be. May 2010, I will be 156 pounds. Mark my words. I’ve gotta kick it into gear here.

Facebook Job Posting for Product Designer

January 6, 2010 / Twix / No comments

Changing this whole post! User Interface Engineers are the computer science types. I guess I want more of this:

Strong portfolio featuring interaction design samples
Expertise in PHP, Unix, XHTML, CSS, Javascript, AJAX
3+ years of experience building web or desktop applications
Clear verbal communicator and detail oriented
BS or BFA in any field

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