starbies

About five months ago I began the next adventure of my life as a barista at Starbucks.  The majority of me puts hope and faith that this is a very temporary phase of my life.  However, I'm sincerley trying to work on "blooming where I'm planted." There are days where I'm headed off to work at 4 am, very disheartened that making latte's is what I spend the majority of my time doing these days. While I know Starbucks most likely isn't in my deck of cards for years to come, I've decided to take the most I can out of this experience.  (and also, of course, partake in as many espresso drinks as possible while I'm on the clock.  they're FREE y'all!) 

I work in an insanely busy and active store; having a line out the door all day long is our normal.  While this makes the time go by more quickly, I truly have never had a job that has been quite so exhausting.  Recently, I was promoted to a shift manager, as well as asked to participate in the Starbucks Coffee Master program.  It's been a little bit of a coffee information overload for the past month of my life, but I can truly say that the coffee industry is absolutely fascinating; and the scale at which Starbucks participates in the industry is incredible.  I've gained more respect for Starbucks as a company; for their social and economic initiatives, fair-trade coffee production, and ongoing relationships with small scale farmers and cooperatives.  Did you know that by 2015, Starbucks will only serve 100% ethically grown and sourced coffee?  Pretty great.

I've always loved coffee, so I was grateful to have the opportunity to go through this program.  Now I can officially say that if I quit Starbucks tomorrow, I'll be taking away more knowledge than how to grind a full batch of coffee.  I've gained soooo much knowledge on coffee growing, production, processing methods, roasting methods, and flavor profiles of every kind of coffee you can imagine.  Basically what I'm saying, is that if you EVER, and I mean EVER have any coffee related questions, send them along my way. :)  

Oh, and also if you want to bootleg some Starbucks recipes, they are all imprinted in my mind-brain.  SABOTAGE!!   Just kidding.  Kind of.

In college I had this quote posted above my desk.  I think it was an attempt to try and make the act of studying something that it inherently isn't...happy.  But I've loved this quote since the first time I read it. 

It's a reminder that is relevant to me each and every day.  From the journey through college, to working at Starbucks, to waiting for my husband to come home from business trips...being content with where I am in that exact day and moment is something of great value.  Being happy with my current season of life is essential in enjoying life to the fullest.  Yes, it's important to have dreams and goals, but not to the point that you start to dislike and become ungrateful of what you have.  

So here's to traveling happily. I have so much to be grateful and thankful for.  

...hair cut...

hopefully highlight of my day...

getting my hairs cut.

non-highlight of yesterday...

thinking i was getting my hairs cut, taking a 30 minute L ride, and being wrong about the day of my appointment.

this was an especially sad moment for me, as i had discovered that myself, my sister, AND my mom had all unknowingly scheduled hair cuts for the same day. turns out i was the lame one who missed out.

oh well.

so...in less than an hour i need to decide what to do with my hairstuffs.

potential ideas

lots of layers, and keep the side-bang (which i'm currently sporting having grown out my blunt bangs)

short hair, and back to the blunt bangs

keep it long, and bring back the bangies.

i never know how i'm going to get my haircut until i'm in the seat and ready to go. but one thing i know, is that i'm going to steer clear from any haircut resembling this...

...so true...

is it ironic that i'm posting this from a coffee shop?

and that i just applied to work at starbucks?

and that i'm about to go return four books that i picked up from the library earlier this week?

yes, i read them all.

...the X factor...

Oprah gave me a big N.O. when I tried to win tickets to her show.

So much for "favorite things."

It's a good thing I didn't go through with this tattoo.

Well... I'm going to The X Factor instead. Take THAT Oprah.

I don't really know what the X-factor is, except for my friend Jill told me that it's the show Susan Boyle was discovered on.

So Jill and I are going.

They are taping a show here in Chicago, and I'm off to see the infamous Simon Cowell yell at some undeserving people. Excellent!

One particular nugget of interest is the dress code required for all X-factor guests. Since they can describe it better than I, here is the dress code, verbatim, from the confirmation email.

DRESS CODE IS STRICTLY ENFORCED FOR OUR INTERNET TICKET HOLDERS! Hip, uspcale attire is mandatory. Colorful, spring colors are requested. ABSOLUTELY no apparel with logos of any kind on the front or back are allowed in the studio audience. ABSOLUTELY no t-shirts, sweatshirts, white tops, shorts, or flip flops! We'd prefer you don't wear jeans. Please dress hip and upscale as if going to a nice club or restaurant. You will be on camera so it is very important that you dress nicely! When you look great, the show looks great!

IF YOU DO NOT DRESS ACCORDING TO THE DRESS CODE YOU WILL NOT BE ADMITTED.

Yikes.

Hip, upscale attire...I'm going to OWN* you on May 20th!

*no reference to the Oprah Winfrey Network. I boycot all things Oprah. Except for Nate Berkus, as I have recently submitted a request to be on his show in hopes that he buys me a new couch.

...mother's day...

I'm glad there is a whole day devoted to mothers.

I think there should be several dispersed throughout the year, so we are constantly reminded of how much our mother's do for us. But one day is a good start.

When I think of everything my mom means to me, I can't really find the appropriate words to explain it in writing.

Thank you mom for being a constant supporter, and always fiercely standing beside me with unconditional love.

Thank you for being a role model as a mother, companion, friend, and most importantly as a follower of Christ.

Thank you for drawing faces on my fruit and vegetable stacks.

Thank you for your unwavering help and support in the past couple of years when I moved, and then moved, and then moved again, and then got married, and then moved again.

Another great thing about you is that you're an awesome dancer. And sometimes when you're talking you break out in a truly convincing southern accent. (But only for a couple of words)

Thank you for setting an example in your marriage for Tim and I, Abbey and Josh, and yes, eventually SPENCER.

Thank you for being a best friend to me, and to everyone who has had the pleasure of being close to you.

Thank you for taking care of this poopscotch.

And this one...

Thank you for not caring when I make you ugly/"unique" cakes with a #9 candle on top.

Thank you for being willing to risk having a meal with me when I used no directions in cooking.

Thank you for your company.

Thank you for being who you are, and for teaching me what it means to live a life worthy of the calling we have received.

I LOVE YOU MOM!

And I couldn't let the day go by without also saying a big HAPPY MOTHERS DAY to my mother- in-law Victoria Erickson. Thank you for raising your son to be a wonderful man of God, and also my husband! :)

...when did this happen?...

Upon facebook stalking my own flesh and blood (aka my brother), I stumbled across his high-school senior photos.

One word.

Stud.

He's such a handsome guy! I'm a lucky girl to have such an awesome little bro, who is not only a looker, but has a matching personality.

He's one of the funniest people I know. Hilarious, in fact. Anyone who disagrees with me can BRING IT, because I'll defend him to the grave. THE GRAVE!

Oh, and did I mention he's on a D-1 golf scholarship to Oral Roberts University.

Yeah. D-1.

Let's talk about it.

...visitations...

I, as a Chicagoan, have hosted my first guest in our apartment.

We pulled out all the stops. Gourmet food. Delightful breakfasts. The best accommodations and sleeping conditions. Everything was simply perfect.

Who was the visitor? None other than the great Abigail Davis.

No, she is not, nor will ever be a politicians wife, even though I still claim her name sounds very regal.

And no, accommodations were anything but perfect. Even though I had the best intentions of testing our air mattress before Abbey arrived, somehow it just didn't happen. As a result, the plushy air mattress I had promised her ended up being more like a paper thin layer of padding against the hard-wood floor.

Abbey ended up sleeping on a "pallet," (her words, not mine).

The pallet was a camping pad.

She's a good sport.

After the failure of her sleeping situation, I tried to woo her affections with food.

Making her latte's in the morning...

And the best of my Italian cooking work at night...

And of course, the finest wines.

That's just how we roll.

...irony...

It rains in Chicago. It rains a lot. At least right now it does.

Us city dwellers don't really let it get us down. We're out and about no matter what the weather might hold.

But here's the thing....it's no easy task to stay dry whilst walking from place. You see, not only do we have rain, but we have wind. It winds a lot. Always.

I'm currently cozied up in a window seat at Starbucks. This has given me the privilege of watching person after person walk/run/canter/skip down the street trying to stay dry.

I've seen a lot of this.

sad and sadder.

Having experienced this unfortunate circumstance myself I have the opinion that umbrella's should be made of sturdier stuff than this....

Alternate solutions to the problem? Definitely NOT the floor length fur coat I just saw passing by the window. That seems like a recipe for smelling like a wet animal....

I suggest this.

The only downside appears to be that your arms get wet. But just look at the range of motion she has!! Not to mention the protection from the rain and wind.

In any case it's better than my idea to simply carry attachable wings with you everywhere, so you can at least take advantage of the wind and fly to your destination, instead of trying to hop around puddles filled with dirty street water. Also, flight eliminates the chance of being doused by street water by a passing car or bus.

It hasn't happened to me yet.

YET.

...address...

Now that I actually know where I'll be living for at least a year, I'm yearning to get a return address stamp. I love writing letters, random notes, etc.; and I've been wanting to get a pretty address stamp since freshman year of college. Unfortunately, my troubadour and stingy ways have prevented me from making the purchase.

I'm thinking of biting the bullet.

There are so many pretties to choose from....

These three are from paperwink. I used one of these stamps for our wedding rsvp cards, and am supremely jealous that the stamp hosts my parent's address, and not mine. :)

And look at THESE from Primele on Etsy. Custom calligraphy. So beautiful.

...oprah...

Oprah and I go way back.

Way back to the time when I tried to go trick-or-treating at her Montecito mansion in California, and was promptly turned away by her gate security.

That's how far back we go.

Obviously Oprah and I have a bond, so I thought it only fitting to try and go to a filming of her show. Besides moving to Chicago for my husband's schooling, a chance to see Oprah was a close second in terms of reasons to move.

Not really....

Actually I can count the number of times I've watched the show on one hand. HOWEVER, I have heard tale of her "favorite things" episodes--because who hasn't--and I think I'd really like to get a bunch of free stuff from O herself. So I've been visiting her website daily to see if the reservation window will open and give me a chance to get my name in the lottery for seeing a show.

BOOM.

I knew Wednesdays could be good for something! I officially have my name in the lottery for seeing an Oprah show. Apparently I'll know in 48 hours if I'm in or not...so I'm taking all the support I can get.

Prayers.

Positive thinking.

Incense burning.

Sun salutations.

Finger crossing.

...and obvioulsy...

Tattooing.

I might go there. I really like free stuff!