Design Inspiration

My rut is over! I figured out a solution to my kitchen! I also figured out what I want to do in my living room, found a light fixture for my breakfast room, know how to get out of the bored funk I'm in with my bedroom, and make my guest room a little more exciting! 

Of course you'll have to wait for the after pictures, but how how exciting is that?!

I'm Alive!

Yes, while I've been silent, I am alive! I finished my first full week at the new job. I'm thrilled to say that I LOVE IT! It's an amazing company with amazing people. It also has an amazing city view from the parking lot! I love the commute. I love feeling smart again. I love that my entire body feels like it's been run over and I've dropped 4 lbs. just from going back to retail! Those are the pros. The cons are that I'm new. I love to be an expert and the whole "trusting the process" rather than getting all of my training in an 8 hour day (like I would like) is annoying. I hate not feeling smart! I also have worked a ton of hours. That's it! It was a great first week!

I still haven't gone to take "after" pictures of my big design project I wanted to unveil. I've been working like crazy, and the homeowners had to take an unexpected road trip. Therefore, my design blog has no design content! 

I am renaming my window blind post because the number of creepy googles about how much people want people to see them naked is alarming me. That's just not really my target audience and I'd rather they find a more appropriate blog, rather than my boring (fully clothed) one! This experience has made me really think twice about my googles. Everything you type into that search bar goes to the website you open because of those results. I don't know about you, but 70% of the knowledge I've gained since college has been because of google. I google a lot of random stuff!

I got a speeding ticket for going 30 over the speed limit several weeks ago. I haven't gotten a ticket in YEARS, and of course got one just days after my accident while driving my fresh rental car. I wasn't even paying attention and was cruising right along. I've been driving like a slow old woman since and about 12 times a day I worry about what consequences I face! Ugh. 

I want to reorganize my pantry, refrigerator, and closets. If you're into creating order you'll love those posts! If you want to know how to paint something you'll have to give me a little time while I find a few more walls (although I'm trying to resist the urge to redo my guest bedroom "just because"). 

That's all that's really new with me! When I haven't been working I've been sleeping, attempting to ready myself for a 5k I have next month, and having a social life! So, let me leave you with this week's favorite Pinterest-found quotes:

Make sure that every conversation that you have with someone that matters to you leaves nothing unsaid. You never know when it will be your last. Something about doing that helps me sleep great at night with everything off my chest :)

Until next time!

-EJ

Crazy Exciting Announcement!

I know that I recently made you aware of my new business. I know that in the past I've told you about Africa and about how it always comes up in my mind. 

Wondering how my new business and Africa link? While I can't physically make it back to Africa right now to help, I've decided to donate a portion of my earnings from each job to the exact orphanage I got the blessing of living at! Not only am I going to do that, but you have the opportunity to do that too! There's an "Africa" tab on my webpage but the information also right here:

They give 100% of what you donate directly to the orphanage. To the kids you saw in my pictures (who are a little older but are all over their website if you look hard)! 

That, ladies and gentlemen, is my crazy exciting announcement :)

Evolution

This blog began as a kind of therapy. I was miserable at the Top Secret Retailer. I was in a big relationship slump with a boyfriend that had vanished off the face of the earth and a wrapped birthday gift for him sitting in my coat closet. I was sad and just needed to get some things out. I was literally crying over my pie at Baker's Square with my parents one night complaining about all of this. I then switched to telling a work story and my dad suggested I write a book, or start a blog, or something because I told stories differently than most. I took their advice.

This blog was born.

At first it was all over the place about the things that made me happy, the things that made me sad, and the things that made me me. Writing made me happy! Since then this blog has evolved. It's still all of those things. But, it's shown me a passion I was never able to put my finger on. I also started working at an art school with a great Interior Design program. One day I was talking to the head of the department. She said "there's girls that don't know if they want to design fashion or design interiors. I always ask them 'What did you do when you played with your Barbies? Did you spend your time dressing them and doing their hair or did you spend your time setting up the Barbie house?'" It was like a light went off over my head. I went to school for fashion, but when I thought about opening my own store I pictured its interior. I went to school for the wrong thing! I have always wanted to be unique. I grew up forced to associate with someone who imitated what I wore, how I did my hair, and what I wanted to do with my life. I intentionally went a different direction with my future as a blatant statement that I wanted to be unique... Not my smartest move! Anyway- Blogging about interiors, working in a creative environment, self evaluation, and encouragement from my friends has led me to this place of evolution.

I'm starting my own business!

While I'd love to not be dependent on just me and my income, I am. It will not be my full time job. I don't have the resources to do that... Yet. But I will be doing what I love. Someday I'm determined to have the resources to do that 24/7 (husband or not)! 

Allow me to introduce you to EJ Bee Designs:

It started as this (just a sketch on some notebook paper):

 My test webpage looked like this:

Finally, the real webpage was born (you can click on the bee to get there)! 

I want to say a big thank you to my loyal readers that helped me uncover this hidden talent, and a big thank you to my friends and family who have literally spent hours helping me take this concept from just that, to reality! If you, or someone that you know lives in the Chicago area needs some design/organization work done please think of EJ Bee Design.