Not your everyday cubicle. Not your everyday woman.

People ask me what I am working for. What I am working towards. Why I am such a workaholic and why I act like I am 30.

Well, I'm not the kind of woman who wants to wakes up early every morning to a crying baby. I don't spend the day at the park and I can't cook so why should I be home to put dinner on the table at 5? I'm just not the housewife or stay-at-home mom type...not yet anyway! In fact I can't cook at all. I burned soup today. True story. But there is something I am good at and that I was meant to do. I am meant to be a career woman that get's up every morning, hits a starbucks and powers through the day with full force. I love my job and I was meant to do it. MARKETING, public relations, media relations, websites, brochures, graphic design, writing, project management and client relations are my thing.

I will admit that I bite off a bit more than I can chew sometimes. And I admit that I have had days in which I get angry phone calls from screaming clients. And I admit that my days are often consumed by the stress of multiple pending projects on deadline. But, fast pace works for me. Long nights and 60 hour work weeks work for me. It works for me because I love the people I work with, I love my office and I want to give my clients what they pay for. Many companies/businesses (both large and small) think they can't afford marketing in today's economy. The truth is that you can't afford NOT TO HAVE marketing. You can't attract business if 1)people don't know you exist and 2) if people don't buy into your image. A strong, competent marketing firm can do just that and more.

ANYWAY (that was an F'n tangent) I wok late, I never turn down overtime and Iv been known to eat lunch while sending emails. Even working 40+ hour weeks, I get to spend the weekends doing WHATEVER I want. We travel, go on Stay-cations, full blown vacations and can do things with just a moments notice. That works for me right now. Everytime someone asks me when I am settling down, having children...etc I want to shake them and say... I AM 22 F'n years old!!!

Flip SIde: I have a feeling that the moment I have the big office, the big house, the great cars, the big paychecks and my own company with 15-30 people working for me....that's when I will realize that all I want is to wake up every morning, put the kids in the stroller and go to the zoo. The best part about that is that when that day comes, I can do it. I can leave my job, sell my company and have babies! With no regrets and no "what-if" moments.

So to those who have asked me...That's what I am working for.

I snapped a few pics of my office. --Check it out.

Rock Climbing for Two!

If y'all have not tried this yet- yopu have too! It is something B & I both have always wanted to do. So we did it...and it was a blast. It is a hard core work out. You have to bring water and you MUST go with someone you trust with your life-because the person below you is literally your lifeline if you fall. They hold the ropes and keep it tight so you can climb safely. We had to watch a 20 minute video before we went into the gym because we had to learn how toi tie all of the knots, use the equitment and hold the ropes correctly if your partner slips and falls. There is actually alot that goes into it. You have to be really aware of the climber when you are on the ground. The hardest part is the climbing though. It looks easy--BUT IT IS NOT. Reaching the top of the wall seems like an impossible task when you start but b4 you know it you are there. I just took it one step at a time. By the end of the day Brian and I were like little monkeys, climbing up like pro's! The scariest part is coming down....you are at the very top and have to put your feet flat against the wall and LET GO!!! That's where "trusting the person below you" comes in. It is their job to let you down at an easy pace and keep you from swinging and smacking into the wall. There was a few other fun things to do there like walk the tight rope to practice your balance-that was so much harder than it looks. I couln't believe it...we were there for over four hours!

Can't wait for the Carnival Elation!

Ok, I have been on a dozen cruises over the years. But I have never been with Brian and I am so excited to see his reaction to the experience for the first time. I couldn't believe he had never been on a cruise...or an airplane...or Disney Land/World..or the beach when I met him. It is so fun to see people experience things for the first time ever.

We have taken vacations together that last two or three days but I think this will be our first whole week away together. Check out some of the photos I have pulled off the internet of our ship below. IT IS SOOOO NICE. It better be though, for the money that went bye bye for it. ;)

I am so excited to get away, vacation, eat, drink, dance and be merry. I have decided that we are gonna go all out...and do everything they offer when we stop at the ports. Whoooho! I can't wait...but I going to have to for another 2 months!

Graduation, New Year, New Decade Ahead

Graduation 12/18/09: I went to ASU right after I graduated from High School having NO idea what college would be like. What I found was a wealth of opportunity that i honestly didn't even know existed. I had no idea how much my life would change when I started my freshman year of college. As a just-graduated high school student, I thought I knew almost all there was to know about life, love and the workings of the world. Most of all, I thought I knew who I was and who I was going to be...BUT I WAS WRONG. After 4 1/2 years of college-I can honestly say I am nothing like I thought I would be. The girl that I was at 18 is far from the woman I have grown to be, going on 23 today.

Yes, it was partly the culture shock of moving from a small-town to a big city. Yes, it was partly the social experiences that I took in from joining a sorority to networking and making proffesional connections that would pave the way for my carreer and yes, it was in part, the ability to get away from family, my high-school boyfriend and everything else I knew that allowed me the space and the opportunity to become the person I wanted to become.

Today, few things are the same as they were 5 years ago. But I can honestly say-taking that leap...moving away and tackling what seemed like an impossible goal at the time has proved to be more than worth it. The sence of accomplishment will go unmatched throughout the rest of my life. This is one thing i did on my own, for myself and nobody else. It's a wonderful feeling to have something to show for a half decade of hard work that CAN NOT BE TAKEN AWAY.

I am so thankful to my family who stuck with me through the hard times and made this accomplishment possible. I also have to give a shout out to that "high-school" boyfriend I mentioned above who fought for me and growed with me through this experience. He is my best friend and will make a wonderfull husband and father.

The tassle was worth the hassle. ;) Happy graduation to me!

New Year/New Decade:
With a degree in hand, the future looks bright! With a future-husband by my side, I can see many smiles and laughs on the horizon. The new year and fresh decade ahead seem to offer a blank canvas that I can't paint however I want!

Brian and I both have amazing jobs that we have each been at for about a year. My marketing firm and his audio-installation company are both doing VERY WELL despite the current state of the economy. As a result of this company sucess, B and I have both recieved raises and are well on our way to the careers we have always hoped for.

This year is sure to have alot in store for B & I. We have spent the past 6 years getting to know eachother and have focused on getting education and careers in order. Now that graduation has come and gone, our plans as a couple can take priority. I always tell people that we have been planning a marriage not a wedding. And, we are both very excited to see our dreams of becomming a family of our own come to fruition.

My new years resolution is to blog more. This year we will be posting a ton of fun adventures. Thus far we have a week-long cruise planned for March and a friend's wedding in Cancun to look foward to. STAY TUNED!

Few pics below from my graduation. (All others are on my Facebook)

Christmas 09'

Christmas 09 was a wonderful holiday. Brian and I went back to St. G to celebrate Christmas with the family. It is always a bit of a struggle to manage keeping up with the activities of both families. It takes a little bit of strategic planning a time management to get the job done. We spent quite a bit of time opening presents this year. We were opening gifts from like 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Brian's parents house. Most of that time went to Hunter (HE IS SO CUTE- just watching him open his gifts and get uber excited makes me want to have kids.) Then it was over to my mom's casa (which had two fully decorated "parade of homes" type trees), we had breakfast and tore open presents for about three hours. Granted-we went home with a car FULL of stuff-but gosh-it was exauhsting!!! My favorite gift? Brian got me a brand new, Grade A camera. ;) I know, I am spoiled. Check out some of our Christmas 09' pics below. (The whole collection is on Facebook as usual.)

5 Year Pictures

I know. It isn't until the 6 year celebration comes up that I feel it necessary to post these from last year. Hahaha. Better late than never!