She's Baaack!

I know, I know....my periodic disappearing acts can be tiresome. It is never my intention to vanish in thin air. It just seems that...well...life happens and I find myself pulled in too many directions. Like most woman (particularly those of us who fall in the single mom category), it is often the things I love most that must be pushed to the back burner. Not conducive for maintaining serenity and recharging my personal battery, I must admit.
So, here I am...landing back in my comfort zone with an (hopefully) audible THUD! For those of you who might have been concerned that my life was in upheaval of the negative sort, rest assured, all is quiet on the Western front. I don't even recall what my last post was about, but I took a job working in the mall (YUCK!), at Sephora during the holiday season. I'm having a deja-vu moment, so I must have mentioned that. At any rate, they did offer me a full-time position, extending beyond the holidays. I managed to white-knuckle it through February and...for my own sanity...had to resign (can you resign from a position you've only held for 3 months???). I could go on & on about my reasons for leaving, but suffice it to say: I am NOT cut out for "corporate America". That term, in itself, is a bit of a joke because all I did was put a perky smile on my face and stand in front of a cash register for 8 hours at a time. Not a whole lot of room there to display my vast array of creative skills (stop laughing, ladies!).
As many of you know, my all-time favorite word is: SERENDIPITY and I especially love when it applies to my own life. Shortly after I left Sephora, my former employer & good friend contacted me about helping her with some public relations work for her two, AMAZING consignment shops. We've been working on sprucing up her website, expanding her customer base, etc. The cherry on top is that I got the opportunity to start a new blog that focuses just on her stores, The Fashion Exchange. WAIT...before you click on that link (to her store website), I need to remind you that I've never done a "real" website design before, so you have to be gentle with me. As always, though, I welcome any and all feedback you might have. I deeply respect the opinions of each & every one of you and would love the opportunity to grow from your experiences.
I still have a bit of work to do, on Janet's blog, before it is ready to "launch". I am SO excited about this new endeavour, so I'm sure I won't be bale to hold myself back for long.
Oh MY, it's SO good to be back. Funny how you never realize how much you love something until you spend some time away. Note to self: don't let this happen again...no more blog hiatus!

Busy Bee

Thank you to my sweet friend, Monica, who gently reminded me that I have neglected to put "blogging" on my daily to-do list since I started my new job. I am slowly acclimating to balancing work and my responsibilities as a single mom. I am enjoying my job at Sephora, although there is a LOT to learn. It's certainly a far cry from working at The Fashion Exchange (a small clothing boutique)...welcome to corporate America! The job is very fast-paced, the atmosphere is always high-energy and both aspects suit me quite well. With the approach of "Black Friday" and Christmas, the "cast" has been primed to step up our game. Oh Boy....the next few weeks will either leave me in a catatonic state or have me ready to run a 5K! Fortunately, this job makes Christmas shopping easy...at least for the girls/ women in my life. I'm not sure how thrilled my 14 year old son will be about finding his stocking stuffed with exfoliating serums and lip plumping gels.

I am "off" all weekend, so it is time for me to catch up on the household duties that have been ignored during the week. Perhaps I will find a quiet moment, later today, to write about some of the Christmas goodies I have been working on.

Cozy Corners

It dawned on me, today, that I haven't posted any pictures of our new home. I must confess: that is largely because I still have bins stacked throughout my living space and have run out of room to put things. I am aggressively purging, but (as I'm sure you will all agree) that takes time and my final adieus get a little drawn out. I realized I could easily photograph around the bis, thus creating the illusion of a neat & orderly abode. 'Course I blew that out of the water when I fessed up to the true state of clutter, but I'm nothing if not candid about my chaotic life :-)

Since I've already forgotten what cozy corners I photographed, the pictures will just have to speak for themselves.

I am now off to memorize the Sephora handbook. Tomorrow is my first day of training and, I must admit, I'm good and ready to get out of the house and venture out into the wide, wonderful world of grown-up people!

Gainfully Employed...at LAST!

I haven't spent any time lamenting about my job search woes because...well, my personal life woes are enough for all of you to tolerate. I have been without steady income, however, for almost a year. Suffice it to say, as a single mother of two, that's just not good. It has taught me some very important, albeit painfully humbling lessons about reaching out for help. Thanks to the support of my wonderful family, I have been able to keep my head above water...just barely. A few weeks ago, I applied for a job at Sephora, but I never heard back from them...which had become my expectation, given the current economy. Last Tuesday they called me for an interview, which (if I do say so myself) went beautifully. I'm one of those really weird people (OKAY, stop nodding your heads in agreement and let me finish!)...I'm one of those really weird people who enjoys interviewing. I think my lack of anxiety stems from 2 things: 1.) I pray first and put it in God's hands...which is where it is anyway, but He appreciates that acknowledgement anyway and 2.) I love meeting new people, so I try to focus on that aspect of the process. The manager called me back yesterday afternoon, asking if I was still interested. I stopped short of shouting, "You bet your sweet Sephora butt I am!!!". I start training next week and am SO excited. I think I'll really enjoy the job and I believe it's something I can do well at. It's only supposed to be for a seasonal position, but they told me it's very likely to extend beyond that, assuming I am a good "fit". I have to do that legwork, but that too is in God's hands. For now, I am simply grateful to have found a job! WOOHOO!