Just for Swag, I mean Fun

"He Will Return"

"The Creation of Conan"

The new social media craze I'm With Coco has been flooding the web with images, comments and creations after the whole NBC/ Jay Leno/ Conan O'Brien fiasco earlier this year. Since then 2 online competitions have been held to win some swag and I of course had to play along. Conan as Baby Jesus ("He Will Return") received Honorable Mention and I will let you know what happen with "The Creation of Conan" after the contest ends Sunday night.

I'm #Lame, but these people ROCK!

Image above: Copyright Anna Bongiovanni

I was poking around my new friend Anna's blog - Soft And Fleshy. And she is an amazing artist! Seriously, I feel lame for not drawing as much as I should be! I have a ton of great friends who are great designers and artists. I am inspired to start some new work! Every year the Owatonna Art Center hosts the Festival of the Arts and I figure if I can't get in this year then I can save up and put some work in the MCAD Art Sale this coming fall/winter. Some other awesome people can be found below:

Alison Stump
Casey Cubulski
Evan Palmer
Jared A May
Joel Vollmer
Ricci Gertz
Steve Robbins

3-2-1 PUNCH!

The MCADers had such a great time together again! We celebrated an early St. Patrick's Day! Green foods, beer and green drinks! This lemon/lime punch was a BIG HIT! I recommend it for any time of the year.

St. Patrick's Day Party Punch (alcoholic)
2 (12 oz) cans frozen limeade concentrate
2 (12 oz) cans frozen lemonade concentrate
2 (2 liter) bottles lemon-lime flavored carbonated soda (7up or Sprite)
1 (750 milliliter) bottle rum (I used 1 L of Bacardi Superior)
2 quarts lime sherbet (I used 2 Pts)
ice

In a large pot, combine limeade, lemonade and lemon-lime soda. Stir in rum. Mix in the lime sherbet. (Cut's in 1/2 very easily.)

Enjoy!

Freelance Work

One day I was cashiering at Mikes and I was making some small talk with a pastry cheff, The Cake Diva, Janan. She gave me her card so I could check out her work for my sisters future wedding and I noticed she needed a logo. I slipper her my card and the rest is history. Today, I got my first freelance paycheck! I was pretty excited.

Some other illustration while working on The Cake Diva's logo.

Catch 22

"People familiar with Joseph Heller’s novel are irritated when they see “Catch-22” used to label any simple hitch or problem rather than this sort of circular predicament: you can’t get published until you have an agent, and you can’t get an agent until you’ve been published. “There’s a catch” will do fine for most other situations." Source Link

I've been trying to move my life always towards bigger and better things. I graduated from a private 4 year college, did the clique road trip, found a great paying (for just out of school) job with benefits and the whole nine yards. Economy went down the tube and I lost my job.

I get a part time job, keep busy through the holidays and when things slow down I get a second part time job to keep up the type of hours I needed to pay my bills (while still getting help from the government and my parents). I found a balance between the two jobs... yes, I have no social life, but I really didn't have one to begin with.

A higher level position at my first job became available, so I applied and interview... things went well. Today I learned that I was passed over for another coworker because of my availability. I asked in the interview if that would be a factor and I was informed that it may BUT not likely because of the other number of employees who have this same level position. I'm happy for my coworker who got the position... he's a nice guy, but I'm still sad for me.

So the Catch 22 of it all: I paid for this expensive degree to get a nice job, one that would help me get the things I want in life, nothing fancy, I don't want a mansion. But, when no one hires you or gives you a chance when you are right out of school (or opens up entry level jobs)... you can't pay your loans back. #FML