Tired of the Job Hunt

I love you, The Littlest Birds, really I do - but you're not giving me enough hours. And my bills are squeezing me to death.

I have to find something to compensate, but Demand Studios editors can be such complete morons, making it really discouraging to write for a real income.

Job hunting is so fatiguing. I'm so sick of it. I've been doing it nearly constantly for almost three years now. I am so tired of it. When will my one real job come?

Wkend Recap: Post Sickness Fun

Thursday: Stayed at home for the last day of a three-day run so that I could fully recuperate from the Sickness that had plagued me all week. It was a lazy day, it was a productive day.

Friday: Worked my last day at the B&B! Then came home to find that I had left my keys in the apt. Called to interrupt beau's Mela lunch so he could come let me in. After all this, we joined the beau's parent's and a French family friend (she lives in the same neighborhood as Johhny Depp in Paris![swoon]). We spent a fair amount of time walking around some of my favorite spots in downtown and having coffee. And then had the always delicious goulash and bread and cheese. Afterwards, we played some darts, smoked some hookah ("shouldn't you close the window - isn't this illegal?") and collapsed for sleep, precious sleep.

Saturday: Halloween! Worked at The Littlest Birds till 6. Got dressed in an old halloween costume (flapper!) while watched bemusedly the beau have costume identity issues (his final choice was a hot skull-faced woman). Spent the night at the Pocket, got drunk way too quickly, failed miserably at beer-pong and ended the night w/the best Waffle House experience ever (hashbrowns by candle-light).


Sunday: Worked at TLB till 4. Went to a potluck w/the beau that Alexandra was hosting and ate some unbelievable orzo salad, chicken pot pie and vegetarian pizza, among other yummy dishes. Also made a lovely spill of red wine on my favorite white shirt and cardigan. Then we went over to a co-worker of the beau's to pick up a sweet little kitty, named Tabitha. After a hilarious car ride back home we watched her explore the place and contemplated her replacement name (goulash, cinnamon, cardamon).

<3

Wkend Recap: Mountain Adventures & Parties

Thursday: Worked at the B&B. Watched Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince at the Asheville Brew and View w/Steph, D & the beau. Had some yummy Ninja Porters.

Friday: The beau and I had a mountain adventure...but not like it sounds. We started our day in the hopes of making it to Mount Mitchell, the highest peak in the US east of the Mississippi. After eating at Asheville Pizza, we soon realized the day was much too foggy and rainy. So we continued on eastward. We stopped in Marion at a visitor's center and found a map and decided to venture to Johnson City, TN taking all back roads. So after taking many windy, old beautiful roads we made it to JC. We walked around the town and the beau's alma mater and remincsed about the days when we were still in college. We also stopped by the wonderful Acoustic Coffee House for some beer, tea and chips. As the sun began descending, we thought we'd head back home (the fast way). Back in Asheville! We then hung out w/Alexandra & Nik, where the girls throughly kicked the guys butt at both Trivial Pursuit and darts. Take that!

Saturday: Worked at The Littlest Birds. And instead of doing anything exciting, I just stayed at home and relaxed w/a cup of warm tea.

Sunday: Worked at The Littlest Birds till 4. Nik dropped off his cat, Gonzo, so he could make a visit to his parents in Chapel Hill. Next, we headed to the Mountain Xpress' Best of WNC party at the Orange Peel (The Littlest Birds won Best Kid's Clothing Store & the owners gave us the tix!). We had a blast filling our bellies from some the best restos in Asheville and listening to an amazing bluesy-rock teenage band, called Skinny Legs and All.

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Wkend Recap: Wine & Beer!

Thursday: Worked at the B&B. I'm a little hazy now as to what happened on Thursday. ;)
Friday: Worked at The Littlest Birds (TLB) all day, my first time working on a Friday. It was a success! Hung out with the Heather and Sam. Ate at O'Charley's and visited our favorite sections of B&N, having good laughs in the Sexual Interest section. Came back home afterwards to watch the 2 most depressing episodes of Buffy to date.
Saturday: Worked at the B&B (and put in my 2ks notice of resignation!). Came home and passed out instead of doing anything productive. Dreamily woken up by the beau. Cleaned the apt, while the beau made goulash and we prepared ourselves for some new frenchies. The poop-face and his parents visited us and gave us a nice bottle of wine from the Biltmore Estate. We ate goulash, sipped on wine and tea and listened to the hilarious, but sad, airport stories from Jean-Marie. Afterwards, we had our first darts & liquor night. I won!
Sunday: Worked at TLB till 4. Hung out w/Alexandra at Asheville Pizza. Had two yummy Ninja Porters and a quesadilla. The food and the convo was super-excellent.

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Wkend Fun: Frenchies & Old Friends

I really adore Lu's Weekend Recaps. So I thought I'd try a version of this:

Thursday: Worked at the B&B. Had a glorious shower and headed to TN to see the Gilots, Lu, Mitch & Eli & special guest Eliane, Alain & Rosine. Had a scrumptious meal of Morracan Cous Cous & Chicken + Banana Flan for desert. Followed by a French-dubbed version w/English subtitles of Chocolat (Johnny Depp just isn't the same in French) w/tea & petit gateau.
Friday: Wake up at 9:30 to have a petit dejuner w/the Frenchies. Good convo & translations. Talk about Wal-Mart, birds, dreams & bigger bugs in the U.S. A slow mid day of reading, catching up & lunch. Then back to NC where I worked at the bookstore (& gave them my 2wk. notice!). Ended the night w/some yummy Asian Chicken Noodle Soup (how I adore cilantro & ginger!) and listening to my stepdad (And the Address) on Asheville FM.
Saturday: Worked at The Littlest Birds until 6. Seba, the poop-face, visited. We ate at Universal Joint, where I had a yummy Blue Cheese & Bacon Burger and a Foothills Oktoberfest. Then we met up w/our old college friend Mary + her new beau + Nik at Hookah Joes. Ended the night w/trivial pursuit where poop-face kicked our bums.
Sunday: Worked at The Littlest Birds until 4. Then made some disastrous pork, mushroom & tomato pasta. Was super tired so I just stayed at home and watched old episodes of CW shows while the beau played pool.

<3

Newness

(Source)

New job!

The Littlest Birds: organic baby boutique in W. Asheville. (More deets found here.)

New apartment!

A 2 bed/1bath w/a huge kitchen and lots of light! (Pictures soon to come.)

<3>

Why you should hire me

(Weheartit.)

I have written for:
-The Echo
-Search Placement's clients (includes more than 50 websites)

I currently write for:
-Demand Studios

I have done work for:
-The Mountain Xpress
-The Global Report

I have written:
-Press Releases
-News Articles
-Feature Articles
-Opinion
-Movie Reviews
-Product Reviews
-Guides

You can find more of my work at:
-Lu-n-Am
-Rainbow
-Roller Girl

<3

Won't you give me a job?

I can write. And when I'm really into it, I can really write well, even. I can write about anything and everything. I have written about nearly everything. Aw, come on now - don't you want me to write for you?
<3

off to the beach for a while!

I shall be going to the beach in a very short few days! I am very much excited (despite the fact, it's putting me a debt a wee bit). I need a break from worrying about finding a job. I am terribly, terribly sick of it. I really do have so many talents, and I am just wasting away searching for someone who will take a chance on me. So that's why it's the time for the beach! Now!

(Via flickr.)

Nevertheless, I will be taking my laptop with me (I am so literally & pitifully addicted to my online existence) and so my mind will not be very far away from the online universe.

Also, I will be making mucho efforts to be as earth-friendly as possible while on the trip. To read about how I'm going to do this click on over here to read my Lu-n-Am post about this.

Much love!
Bisous!
<3

I'll be back!

(Source.)

I'd like to not say this but I've got to take a short break from here. It should be just a week. I've got to get my life a bit more organized. Have to find me a job - or some source of income. So bye for now, but not for forever in the least.

<3

Feeling Crafty

I've been feeling super crafty lately. I think it mostly has to do with not having a job and therefore having copious amounts of time laying around to play with.


This crafty feeling has permeated my life to the extent that just the other day I made a list (big surprise!) of all the things I want to make and eventually sale on Etsy (and any other place I can find). Here's a sampling of the list (I won't torture you with the whole list - it was over 2 pages long!):

-Bar Soaps (for hands, body, face, hair, etc.)
-Candles (Soy and Beeswax)
-Cleaners (for laundry, dishes, all-purpose, etc.)
-Bags (grocery, tote, purses, laundry, etc.)
-Slips (for ipods, laptops, various portable electronics, etc.)
-Hair Accessories (clips, barrettes, headbands/wraps, etc.)
-Jewelry (necklaces, earrings, rings, bracelets, brooches, etc.)
-Clothing (dresses, skirts, blouses, coats, undies, bathing suits, etc.)

Enough, maybe? Hardly. :)

(In addition to using my time for crafty things, I've also spent many hours writing for my blogs and trying to connect socially - via the internets. If you haven't noticed I've a had a plethora of posts on my other two blogs: Lu-n-Am & Je Suis Un Rainbow.)

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Job Hunt Fatigue

I've been on the job hunt for so long now. I'm so tired of it. And most days, I just sit around looking at pretty pictures and blogs instead of being tirelessly in pursuit of a job. In a word, it's simply depressing. Depressing to be looking, looking & looking but not even being considered.

(Source.)

I did have an interview with this awesome non-profit organization, TACF, on Tuesday that I have high hopes for, but other than that there are no prospects. I had an interview with A Faraway Place last week, but even though I thought the interview went well, they never ended up calling me. So when I took the situation into my hands and called them, they told me I didn't have enough retail experience. Seriously? I have an effing Bachelor's Degree. Do you think I really need more retail experience? Argh.

So that's my rant, for now. If you know of any jobs out there, then please send them my way! Thnx.
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jobless

omg. omg. omg.

(From creaturecomforts.)

i need a job. i need a job. i need a job.

please give me one. :(

*can i be a professional blogger? i'd like to be.*

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what cha' doin'?

What's been going on "dans ma vie":

Listening to - GirlTalk:



Reading: Wheel of Time # 4, Breaking Dawn & The Audacity of Hope.

(Cue the Beatles-mania-esque screams.)

Doing: Applying for jobs. I have a part time job, but dear lord, I need mo' money! I'd love to have my old regular job back, making $10/hr. and being able to work from my apt.

Creating: Writing some, actually. Ideas for more ideas for more ideas. Ecetera, ecetera.

Planning: Going on some trips, if I ever get a better job. Where to? One friend wants to go to Myrtle Beach (eek) and another wants to go on a train trip to Portland Oregon (yes!), but the beau and I are seriously thinking about a 3-wk trip to the northeast/Quebec, which is exciting and should give me more inspiration to find a good-paying job - stat.

Ciao, loves!
<3

getting on the wagon

So I've been busy trying to get my butt in gear to get another job. I've put posts on Craigslist, the Mountain Xpress, and Digital Point offering my writing services. I've applied to many jobs. And I've been tweaking my resume and cover letters.

Right now, I'm at the "in-laws" relaxing and it feels so good, but it doesn't mean that I should be lax about searching for something better in the job arena.

I met up with a friend on Friday and she's always great for inspiration and for giving me ideas for pursuing my goals and interests. A couple of suggestions were: to create a business card and hand it out at networking gatherings, to attend Green Drinks and to look at magazines and papers' ads & call up companies I'm interested in to see if they could possibly be hiring.

(Sounds yummy, fun and useful, no?)

So that's what I've been doing during these relaxing hours. I've also been trying to get the bf in gear to do the same thing. He's currently student teaching, but he could really use some better organization skills and should really reconnect with important and relevant connections. So I've been doodling a business card for him, and I also set up a gmail account for him.

Steps in the right direction? I think so.

Any more ideas? I'd love to hear them!
<3

tis the season

I've been super busy lately. I've been working like an ox (well, this is my Chinese astrological sign...) at the bookstore, buying presents, making presents, wrapping them all up, making pretty decorations for the apt (so it can look remotely festive and femme), packing, moving and unpacking, preparing for three festive days, and cuddling with my love.

(Droolicious. Photo courtesy of juliedesmeules.)

So these are the things have kept me away from my ole woman (i.e. my blog!). But all in all, they are good things, and I am thankful for it all when it comes down to it. So when you feel like absolute poop and you think you couldn't be more irritated/angry/fill-in-the-negative-feeling - sit down, breathe and think about everything good in your life, the people that love you. It makes all the negativity slip away. :)

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i gots me some

Sooo, I got an apprenticeship with a sweet, sweet letterpress company located in West Asheville. The joint is called the Blue Barnhouse. They make and print beautiful handmade cards, invitations, posters, coasters and other paper products. They do this by using hand cranked letterpresses.

It is unpaid. But it is way awesome, so it makes up for the lack of moolah. It also means I'm getting free education. So makes it even sweeter.

(A sampling of their raunchy cards.)

Check out the cute little place, I can guarantee you that you'll find many things that you'll like and will want to purchase. Immediately.
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update-o

So here's the latest, wha-wha:

-I've got a job! Two, actually. They are far from my ideal jobs, but they work for the present time. They are:
...Bookstore X & Shoe store Y. At the bookstore I am sales associate, while I have somehow miraculously snagged a job as keyholder at the shoe store. A keyholder is, for those of you who have never worked in retail, a managerial position. I suppose you are given a key and some responsibility. I'm especially excited about working at the bookstore b/c, well, I lurve books! And if there is anything I can get excited about when trying to sell something, then it's books. I'll be working part time at both of these jobs but they should add up to nearly full time work. We shall see. At this point, it's just good that I'm employed.

-I was able to get my loan payments deferred for 6 months. Yay! This is sooooo, so good. I was paying $200/month, which is a huge, huge expense. This is a huge relief and will enable me to save more money.

-I went to Knoxville last week and hung out the oh-so-lovely Lu. I had an absolutely awesome time there. I love hanging out with Lu and it was a good break for me - a good change of pace for a while. I also went to some of her classes and I took full advangtage of some free education. I also went to a club with her and some of her friends. This was a hilarious and head-trippy time. I got really drunk on cheap beer and bootydanced with her friends. Who-wee. We also hit up this sweet hookah joint, which withheld many mellow times. Good times, indeed.

(Poster from Knoxville club.)

So that's that and this is this.
I'm optimistic. Hope it lasts!
<3

oy vey

Hey everyone, I'm still here. Just stressed is all.

I did finally move from my cute apt. in the best neighborhood in my area to a friend's place. It has been a tough move. I have so much support. But I am feeling like a pest to everyone. Having no car and not living where I use to live SUCKS.

Being in this new place away from the Frenchman has, I don't know, maybe changed things between us? Not sure if things are better or worse. I feel like every other day I am telling my friends/my mom that I have just had a huge talk/fight w/zee Frenchman. It's exhausting. It's safe to say that, at least.

It's also safe to say that we are both making efforts to concentrate on ourselves. I have to let go and not think about him possibly coming back to me. If it happens, it will happen and there's nothing I can do about.

For a girl like me who's always been on top of her game, this new territory is confusing, straining and scary. I just don't know what I'm doing now. So I have taken steps to figure out my life. And next Tuesday I will hopefully be able to breathe a little easier.

I am also waiting too-anxiously about this company I've been interviewing with. For them to be so adamant about getting a person for the job in asap, they are taking their precious time. It's frustrating. I am going to have put my pride aside and apply for places I don't actually want to work at. It's getting to that point. Finding a good, well-paying job in Asheville is nearly impossible. Argh.

(I'd like to go here & destress. Beautiful photo courtesy of Guido 62.)

Well this is just a little update. Hopefully (I know they will), things will slowly get better and I'll be back to life-lovin' self.

Love &
Bisous*
~Amber~

home, sweet home

I will be moving out of my quaint little apartment this week. And, no, I haven't found a sufficient replacement yet. That is why, after being offered many, many times, I have accepted the invitation to live at my friend's house. I have been against this idea for some time now, but after looking sadly at my bank account and realizing that I'm going to need to save as much money as humanly possible in the upcoming months, I have given in to the hard cold fact that I need to stay somewhere where I won't have to spend too much money.

(One day I will be back in this sweet, sweet neighborhood.)

There are many reasons I have been hesitant. I love this friend. She is a best friend. But should you live with your best friend? I learned the hard that living with your good friends isn't always the best or smartest idea for your friendship. My friend also lives with her mother and relations between the two of them aren't always the smoothest. Her mother has always been super nice to me, but I'm just hoping that I won't get entangled in their mess. The house also isn't in central downtown, which is where I was hoping to stay. I love the area, full of hub-bub and life. Always something happening and easy access to public transportation and in good walking distance of almost everything awesome. The house isn't too far away though, about a 10 min. drive but I don't have a car and the roads are not built to be walked on in my friend's neighborhood. I'm a little afraid of becoming a "prisoner" (yes, that sounds a bit over dramatic) there and becoming claustrophobic in this home. One other thing is that I've been very independent for a long time. I've basically lived on my own since starting college 5 years ago and I don't like depending on people for certain things all of the time. I am going to be depending on my friend for rides - and probably other things, too, that I can't think of right now. These are just some of my worries, but I'm hoping they will remain unrealized worries.

I am fortunate to have this option. I am fortunate to have friends and family offer me this kind of support. Incredibly fortunate. They are good people and I hope to not take advantage of them.

The plan, I think, is to pay my friend's mom about $100/month. $100, that's it. I'll be paying for electricity, water, internet and cable (even though I will refrain from TV as much as possible) with that $100. So cheap. So nice. I plan on buying my own food, but I have a feeling that they'll offer to buy me food and supplies quite often. The one expense I will have that will be a lot more than before is gas. Since I'll be depending on my friend for rides I will definitely have to pay for gas. But this is still less money than I'd be spending otherwise. I will also be deferring my loan payments until further notice because I am unemployed and will not be able to spend $200/month repaying my loan.

My plan is to stay at my friend's house for the rest of year, save up a ton of moolah and move into my own place in January of 09. And by my own place, I mean my own place. I want to have an apartment of my own - or if not on my own then with either (not both) of a couple of friends of mine from college.

Once I'm in my own place I hope to be able to be paying my loans again (although I hope I can do that sooner), be making payments on my own car, applying to Goddard so that I can start there in the Fall of 09, and be making things everyday. I also hope to have an awesome job (Lark Books or ChiLiving would do me just fine) and to be having fun everyday with my friends, family, and, eventually with the ex.