Redhead Records

The New Year's Resolution I Never Made

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Tue, 28 Jan 2014 04:28:00 +0000

For me, 2014 is turning out to be The Year of Trying New Things. I never planned on it, it's just sort of happening.

The majority of my new experiences are a direct result of my new job, which is also the reason I haven't blogged since October. If you follow the history of this blog, you will notice that I am very prolific when I am unemployed. However, when I'm clocking a 9-to-5, all I want to do when I get home is eat and watch TV.

I strolled into 2014 like I do most years: optimistic and only a little bit hungover. I stopped making actual resolutions years ago, but not because I feel above such things, it's just that, they rarely work out. The only time-sensitive goal on my mind was fitting into the size-10 bridesmaid dress I ordered for July. (I don't consider this a New Year's Resolution, but rather a decision to not be the token fat girl in my friend's wedding party.)

A common NYR, especially amongst bloggers, is to try new things. I like the idea, but I never made a conscious decision to do so. It just started happening, and I want to keep it up.

So far I have:

Re-upholstered furniture
It's not that impressive, I actually just neatly stapled new fabric over two Target storage ottomans. I decided to use my Christmas money to spruce up my living room, so bought a new TV stand, hung curtains, bought new pillows, and covered the ottomans to match. I may do a "budget decorating" post about it, with pictures!

Mentored an Intern (ongoing)
You know this whole "pretending to be a grown-up" thing is working when your boss assigns you an intern. I'm now responsible for supervising an intern, assigning her projects, and teaching her how to have a big-girl job. I can't help feeling I'm being tested just as much as she is, but I choose to embrace it.

Baked a Mardi Gras King Cake
My new boss is a former New Orleanian, and apparently Carnival isn't just the week leading up to lent, as my Catholic upbringing and high school French classes taught me. Carnival starts on Epiphany (or Twelfthnight, the 12th day of Chirstmas) and goes until Mardi Gras, which usually falls sometime in March. (I just want to take a moment to discuss that fact that if New Orleanians celebrate all the major Western holidays, they are partying from Halloween to Mid-March. THAT'S SIX MONTHS!) Anywho, the King Cake tradition is a big part of Carnival. A person will host a party and bake this special cake with a bean or plastic baby charm baked inside. The guest who finds the charm in their piece has to host the next party and bake the next cake. So, we have a weekly King Cake in my office. The Boss bought the first one, and I got the baby, but instead of buying one, I decided to bake it myself. I am not a regular baker, and I've never made anything where I've had to knead dough and let it rise (twice!) but it was super fun and very satisfying. It took a whole evening, but it was worth every second. I decided to make the cake myself when I thought about just how much of a TV zombie I had been in the previous week. It felt good to work on a project for a change. Also, it was beautiful and delicious!

Next, I will be volunteering at the Special Olympics in Austin. It's not something I ever pictured myself doing, but the more I hear about it, the more excited I get about it. The Boss volun-told us today that we have the sign up for a shift and represent our organization. I was unsure at first, but then I got put in charge of helping the interns sign up. One of them had volunteered with SO before and she loved it, so we are signed up for a bowling awards ceremony on Sunday. I'm really looking forward to it.

I'm interested to see what other new things are headed my way.

Happy 2014!

Halloween History

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Wed, 30 Oct 2013 05:39:00 +0000

I was a little bummed that we don't have Halloween plans for this year, so I threw together a sweet collage for my Facebook cover photo showing some of my favorite "costumed" moments from my past.

They aren't all Halloween (I am crazy for theme parties) but they are some of my most shining moments in costume. Left to right we have:

1. Emo highschooler. This was from a college theme party. The theme was emo. (I know, you wish you were as cool as me and my crew.)

2. Hipster Ariel. Last Halloween the Hipster Disney Princesses were huge, though a guy at the bar scoffed at my sign. We were at a microbrewery.

3. Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne. Halloween '09. Best. Couple Costume. Ever. And probably the last one I will ever get. Corey hates dressing up but he does a mean Ozzy impression.

4. Snooki. From my girl Justina's Jersey-themed bachelorette party. I'll let you guess whose idea the theme was.

5. Bond Girl. I chose a classic 60s look for my friend's Bond-themed birthday last January. Again, if you're my friend, easily swayed, and having a party, odds are, it will become themed.

My costumes are rarely DIY. Instead I try to build them out of pieces I already own or new pieces I will wear again. I can't stand spending $40+ on a piece of crap that will barely last the night. I may spend $10-15 on specific accessories (or $20 on an amazing zebra print dress on clearance) but the rest is totally street-ready. For example: with the Ariel costume, the corduroy skirt is totally work-appropriate, and the top is cute for working out. The Sharon outfit is just suit separates, and the dress from the Bond Girl is a bridesmaid dress. I also find that this method of costuming keeps one from dressing too slutty. Not that I'm against such things, it's just, my days of skimpy Halloween costumes are long over.

That said, Happy Halloween and Happy Anniversary to my rockstar husband! 10-30-10!

Self-Improvment Spree, Body and Mind

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Thu, 24 Oct 2013 18:17:00 +0000

In light of my current "employment intermission," I decided a while back to take this opportunity of ample free time to improve my quality of life. I was determined not to spend this time eating junk food and watching the entire Netflix library.

The first thing to tackle was my health. After spending two months living with my in-laws, I gained a not-inconsequential amount of weight. Prior to the move, I was already unhappy with my weight, and adding the summer gain, I saw a number on the scale I'd never seen before. I knew I would never have this much time and so few excuses not to exercise again, so I have been counting my calories and exercising daily.

My current favorite fitness tools and tricks are:

Myfitnesspal.com calorie counter, both the iPhone App and the website. It just plain works. If you are accurately recording your calorie intake and exercise, you cannot possibly fail.
Zumba Fitness Core for the Wii. It burns a ton of calories and I am never bored. The game has 40 different dances and classes that are 20, 40, or 60 minutes long. Just scroll through the classes and do a different combination of dances every day. You can even design your own classes if you want. I am super-excited for the next Zumba game coming in November!
This beginner yoga video on YouTube. I took yoga a looooong time ago, and I want to get back into it on my cardio rest days.
Skinnymom.com for the recipes. I'm not planning on being a mom anytime soon, but I love the easy and healthy meals and snacks on this site.

I'm also determined to read more, the reasons being twofold: to broadening my mind and keeping my ass away from the TV.

Recent reads include:

"River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze" by Peter Hessler; a memoir of a young man teaching English Literature in China. It was recommended by David Sedaris during his 2011 tour. I bought it at the reading and never cracked it until now. I learned more about recent Chinese history than I ever assumed I would, and the story is touching.
"Such a Pretty Fat" by Jen Lancaster; a re-read for me, but just as fun the second time around. It provided some inspiration and comic relief for my own fitness journey.
"Tough Sh*t" by Kevin Smith; yes, Silent Bob. Corey has a man-crush on Kevin Smith and bought his book a few months ago. He wanted me to read it so we could talk about it. It was actually very inspirational, though all the jokes were ruined by Corey telling me them first.

Currently I'm reading a novel for the first time in a while. (Note the above trend of memoirs.) I'm reading "Mrs Queen Takes the Train" by William Kuhn. The book was a gift, and I'm finally giving it a try. I have to say, a novel about Queen Elizabeth II taking an Audrey Hepburn-esque holiday is better than I expected.

I'm enjoying reading more than I have in a long time, however, it's not totally keeping the remote out of my hands. I still make time every week for Once Upon a Time, Revenge, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and Once Upon a Time in Wonderland. I'm also catching up on Pretty Little Liars online. I apologize for nothing.

Sometimes my feelings taste like Sauvignon Blanc

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Thu, 17 Oct 2013 17:07:00 +0000

Monday was not a good day for me. I was not offered the job that I had three interviews for. It hit me that I have been searching for three months and I've had one phone interview, one series of interviews for the same job, and a trial run as a waitress which I turned down. Monday was a three-glasses-of-wine kind of night.

Seriously, SIMI should sponsor my pity parties.

When I was planning my job-seeking strategy for Austin, I knew we had enough money saved up that I could take my time looking for a career-oriented job and not just a bill-paying job. I've been passing over retail and dental office jobs for non-profit and PR jobs. I though by mid-October I'd be settled in somewhere, but it seems I have a way to go.

I'm trying not to act like an entitled millennial snot about it, but damn I feel like I've worked hard for this. I feel like I worked hard enough in school and at my first couple of post-grad jobs that I could start choosing my path instead of taking whatever job will have me.

Since I decided on my career path, I felt that going back to school would be the perfect fresh start. I could learn about the business of non-profits and arts administration in a classroom setting where I could be absolved of the sins of my undergrad years. I would work hard for straight-As, network through student organizations, and be eligible for student-only internships again. The rain on my parade has always been "can we afford it?"

After my wine-soaked pity party, Corey and I finally agreed that I should apply for grad school and if I get accepted, we will figure out financials form there. Whether I go full-time, part-time, or online will also be decided by where and when I get accepted. I have RSVP'd to two grad fairs for next week.

After finally coming to this decision, I feel like the little back rain cloud over me has dissipated. I feel like with grad school possibly on my horizon, taking a bill-paying job is not a defeat, but another brick in my path.

Study Space by laurenbcunningham featuring a pocket chair

Insufferable on the Internets

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Wed, 16 Oct 2013 01:43:00 +0000

You may have read the Huffington Post Blog piece that is making it's way around the social media circuit titled "7 Ways to be Insufferable on Facebook." Glancing at the title quickly, I thought I may enjoy the post. Now that social media is a part of our lives, it's only natural that we develop digital pet peeves. (Mom, it is not necessary for you to sign Facebook posts.)

The thing is, those pet peeves are no one's problem but mine. The beauty of social media sites is that your feeds can be tailored to your specific interests and tastes or, novel concept, completely ignored! If you are too insecure in your own life choices to be bothered to read that your colleague from undergrad just finished his master's thesis, if you find the fact that this person feels the need to share this achievement with this friends and family so reprehensible, then un-friend the inconsiderate bastard. How dare he soil your news feed with his pompous douchery. He should be posting links to entertaining Onion articles like a decent Facebook friend.

In all seriousness, there is a right and a wrong way to talk about oneself and one's accomplishments. Some people employ appropriate tact, while others cannot help themselves from hosting their own telethon. The thing is, you have just as much control over the people you choose to spend "real" time with as you do over who makes your precious news feed. If one of your Facebook friends is constantly posting statuses that you cannot abide, you can hide their posts, remove the friendship, or even block them for all eternity from your social media bubble through which nothing you find offensive can ever penetrate.

I really did not want to go point-by-point with this piece, but a paragraph toward the end really summed up the author's holier-than-thou attitude quite beautifully:

"And that's why insufferable Facebook behavior will never go away -- there's no dislike button or eye-roll button or middle finger button on Facebook, and it's bad form to be too much of a dick in the comments below a status. So annoying statuses are just positively reinforced, and people remain un-self-aware that they regularly bring down the quality of everyone else's life."

Oh you poor lamb (who by the way has NOT included a by-line with this blog), un-self-aware people are diminishing your quality of life? in the privacy of you own home? Well let me buy you a damn muffin and tell you about life. You know what you do in that situation? IGNORE those people and worry about YOURSELF. It is not the rest of the world's problem to change our behaviors to protect your delicate sensibilities. If people suck so much that you find it unbearable, becoming a literal and digital recluse is totally an option. Leave everyone else to enjoy their lives.

In all fairness, the author may not be availed of Facebook's many customizable settings. If you are in need of instruction, I suggest the latest edition of Facebook for Dummies (www.dummies.com). You can learn all the latest settings for tailoring your news feed to your specifications. You may even find it entertaining, if only a little self-serving.

The Waiting Game

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Sat, 12 Oct 2013 06:20:00 +0000

My last post was about two job interviews I had back on 9/23. One was for a political campaign, the other for a serving gig. Currently, I am neither canvassing nor waiting tables.

The campaign interview went fine, but I think they sensed I was not crazy about the idea of canvassing, especially by myself in a city that I don't know very well. They never called me back which kind of annoys me. If you actually took time to meet with me, why would you not even call to say "thanks, but no thanks?" (It could be because the guy who interviewed me was an Ohio State fan. Boo.)

I turned down the serving job. I shadowed a server for a few hours on a slow night, and all my repressed anxiety from my previous (and disastrous) serving job came flooding back. I called the next day and told the manager "thanks, but no thanks." I figured that if I need a temporary gig to make some kind of paycheck before I find something stable, I will stick with what I know (read: retail).

However, since then I have had three interviews with a local private school for a campus manager position. It's a great job with awesome benefits and a salary that will keep Corey and I living comfortably. It's a non-profit school, so I would consider the job a real career move as opposed to just another bill-paying job. I feel really good about my prospects it since everyone I have met (five people in three interviews and a shadowing) has been so welcoming and encouraging. I had my third interview on Monday, and I'm still waiting to hear from the HR manager. I didn't get the impression that many people made it to the third interview, so I am cautiously optimistic. I'm debating whether to email the HR director on Monday night if I don't hear anything by then.

In other news, Corey and I have been attending some awesome performances lately, and I realized I haven't written about music in a LONG time, so I am preparing reviews of an outdoor installation piece, UT's New Music Ensemble, and a CLUTCH concert (UT's student composers organization). Bonus: we celebrated our anniversary a little early by seeing The Book of Mormon on Wednesday. (Spoiler Alert: It was AMAZING!)

Two-A-Days

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Mon, 23 Sep 2013 21:46:00 +0000

Tomorrow's schedule contains two job interviews, neither of which have anything to do with my currently defined career path.

The morning interview is with a political campaign. I received a phone call from the manager who received my resume from a charity I applied to several weeks ago. I didn't get that job, but this campaign is in need of a field organizer for canvassers. I've coordinated volunteers before, but I have NEVER worked in politics. I agreed to the interview, and immediately called one of my best friends who used to be a campaign organizer and is currently a union organizer. She helped me figure out what questions to ask and how my experience relates to the position. I love having friends in so many career fields!

The out-of-the-blue phone call was very welcome since I have yet to find a job, but I'm nervous. I think the interview will go fine, but if I'm offered the position, I hope I can handle it. I've never even considered working in public policy. However, it's only temporary, 6 weeks exactly, and the board of directors is a well-connected bunch. If I can pull this off, it would be a huge opportunity for me.

In the evening, I will be "testing out" the idea of serving at a cute sandwich and pizza place three blocks from our apartment. I happened to come across an ad on Craigslist for servers and bartenders, and I recognized the name from driving past it all the time. I figured it would be a good way to bring in a paycheck while I keep the career search going. My last experience serving was not great, but it was a management issue and not lack of effort on my part. I stopped in last week with my resume and the owner asked me to come back and shadow for an evening.

So still no calls from non-profits, PR firms, or university admin offices, but public policy and food service are interested in me. Go figure.

Working Title

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Mon, 16 Sep 2013 18:27:00 +0000

I've been making a lot of changes lately to Redhead Records, and it occurs to me that the name of the blog may sound a little disconnected from the theme. When the blog was called Married to Music, and I wrote almost exclusively about concerts, the theme and title made perfect sense, but I now feel I railroaded the transition to a career and real-time memoir without much explanation.

@RedheadRecords started out as my Twitter handle. I thought it was a cute play on words since I was "recording" my thoughts and I was a huge music fan and I love nothing more than well-placed alliteration. I also had one obvious identifier: my hair.

I started tweeting in 2009, and by that time I had been a redhead for nine years. I started coloring my hair red when I was 13, and it was immediately my most recognizable feature. My hair color has been a huge a part of my identity for my entire adult life, and I fully embrace it. People remember me as "the Redhead." I've had many nicknames based on it, tons of compliments, and only a few crude questions from guys in bars. Obviously, once you get to know me, I'm more than my hair color, but I don't mind being initially identified by something I'm proud of. It makes me feel unique and memorable. (Also, it doesn't hurt that it makes me stand out in job interviews and at networking events.)

I chose to use Redhead Records as the name for my blog for the same reasons I chose it for Twitter. Being a redhead is who I am, just like being a music enthusiast, a career nerd, and a wife are also a part of who I am.

Redhead Style by laurenbcunningham on Polyvore

(Watch for my upcoming Redhead Beauty series on JustinasGems.com)

How it went

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Sun, 15 Sep 2013 23:14:00 +0000

My non-interview interview was not exactly what I was expecting, but I am choosing to remain optimistic. As it turns out, the "part-time job" turned out to be a volunteer opportunity. I learned that the organization does not have the funding to pay the salary of an office manager, and they are in great need of help.

With an extremely dedicated artistic director and a small but enthusiastic board of directors, the ensemble stays afloat, but they need help with recruitment and fundraising. Color me crazy, but my response was "I'm in."

No one knows as well as I do that I need a bill-paying job, but this group touched my heart, and the part of my brain that knows the value of getting in on the ground floor. This could be an amazing opportunity for me if I can help them raise their numbers and their account balance. From the performance I saw last night, I saw endless potential for growth; the organization just needs another pair of hands to get some necessary projects off the ground.

I expect to meet with the artistic director sometime this week. My goal now is to keep searching for a job with a regular schedule and benefits that will allow me to work part-time for this organization while still keeping food on the table. Should be a cinch, right?

Preparing for a non-interview interview

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Fri, 13 Sep 2013 23:16:00 +0000

Tomorrow I will meet the executive director of a local music ensemble that is in need of an office manager. I attended my first SAI Austin Alumnae meeting last Sunday and one of the members is on the board of this ensemble. When she heard I was looking for work, she asked me to come to a concert this Saturday to meet the ED. The position is part-time, but I am willing to do anything to get a foot in the door of this music scene.

So now I am preparing to attend this concert with my most professional foot forward. It is important to take any meetings like this as seriously as any formal interview. I must prepare to look professional, ask good questions, talk about myself in a professional way, and have my resume at the ready.

Step One: Ensemble.

Not only is the a professional engagement for me, but the concert is going to be held in a church, so appropriateness is doubly important. It's still in the upper 90s in Austin, so I think a pretty shift dress with a modest neckline would be perfect.

This one is from Old Navy, my favorite store for inexpensive, age-appropriate garments. Perfect for the young professional on a budget. This dress covers me, it's comfortable, and it's perfectly business-casual. If this were a real interview, I would just add a structured jacket for a put-together look.

I have a pet peeve regarding shoes in professional situations: NO OPEN TOE! I try to stick with flats for interviews unless is with a really formal company. Again I'm going with Old Navy for my shoes. The straw-like material is a fun alternative to a leather or fabric flat.

I haven't worn them yet, so I'm breaking them in tonight. Happy early Halloween! :)

As for accessories, I'm going with a watch--an interview must-have--and a pretty bag that's big enough to hold an envelope with my resume.

Step Two: Conversation Prep

I can't really do regular interview prep because this is not really an interview, but I must be prepared to ask questions and talk about myself. Examples of good questions in this situation would be:

-What do you feel is the most important task of the office manager?
-Are you looking for just an office manager or do you need help with marketing, social media, development, education, etc?
-What are your goals for the ensemble this season?

These questions have specific answers that can lead to a meaningful conversation about the position and about my qualifications and previous experience. Also, I will not leave the conversation before getting an email address.

Step Three: Resume and Letter

I've printed out a fresh resume and written a short letter to go with it. The letter is slightly shorter than my normal cover letter, and includes a message of "nice to meet you, looking forward to seeing you again soon, etc."

It think with all this preparation, I am ready for my non-interview interview tomorrow. I promise I'll tell you how it goes!

Temporary homemaker

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Fri, 30 Aug 2013 22:55:00 +0000

We've been in our new place for a week now. We're 90% unpacked and the apartment is 80% decorated. Thanks to my father's inherent handiness and, shall we stay, attention to detail, most of our art and curtains are already up. Next on my To-Do list: write a mushy love letter to U-Haul. We used their shipping boxes and save for one bent-beyond-use Rubbermaid bin lid, we had no casualties.

Still no job yet, but with Labor Day weekend upon us, I assumed my phone would remain quiet today. I got an email from the phone interview person and no dice. So now that Corey has started classes, I spend my days keeping house and reading. I figure I will enjoy a clean house for as long as possible, since I know that when I'm working again I will have no extracurricular motivation for housekeeping. We're also watching our pennies since we have a finite cash stash until I start earning a paycheck, so I'm cooking a lot more now. With college football season on the horizon, we are saving our "dining out" funds for game days at the local Michigan bar! (I haven't traded in my Maize and Blue for Burnt Orange just yet. I'll wait until the weather gets cooler.)

I'm looking forward to writing more with my free time. The only reason it took me this long is to post is because we don't have Internet at home yet. I'm typing this on my iPad from the Starbucks near our place. It's awesome because its within walking distance, but seems to be the hang-out spot of choice for the local middle school set. Boo.

Coming up, I'm planning some posts on interview style, my new-ish job of being Corey's business manager, and pictures of my mad decorating skills.

Building an Empire

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Wed, 21 Aug 2013 16:11:00 +0000

After two days on the road with two very annoyed cats, we made it to Austin on Monday night. We are living in a little motel off of I-35 until we can get into our new place on Saturday. Corey is doing his placement testing and classes start next week. I spent yesterday in the room, so today I decided to venture out. I'm writing this post from the Fine Arts Library on the UT campus. I've applied for two more jobs this morning, to I figure I can take a break to write something for myself.

I had a phone interview last week that went OK. They said they would let me know in the next 10 business days if they want to meet me in person. The job may be a little out of my league, but I'm choosing to stay positive. What I lack in experience I make up for in enthusiasm and scrappiness.

I came across a quote or meme or whatever you want to call it on Facebook the other night that really spoke to me:

I don't know where it originally came from, and the random fan page my friend from high school shared it from had an offensive name, so I chose to save the image an re-post it. Thought he language is a little grandiose, I love the message. Corey and I really are struggling right now, but I'd rather struggle with him than be kept by anyone else.

The lack of responses from my job applications and our slowly diminishing bank account balance have gotten me down lately, but this quote inspires me to keep going, to keep working towards our empire.

Before I sign off, I want to be clear that I don't judge anyone else's choices. I really don't know that many women who haven't chosen love over an easier life, and I don't think I'm better than the ones that do. I just need to be reminded that one day, Corey and I will have careers and a solid financial foundation too, and we will have had love the whole time.

Thoughts on coffee

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Tue, 06 Aug 2013 17:14:00 +0000

I am not a morning person; never have been, never will be. My mom will tell you about the shouting matches that occurred in the mornings during my elementary school days. In middle and high school it got a little better since I started to care about how I looked, but I'm still on Team Snooze.

My mom used to tell me that I'd become a morning person once I got my first job out of college. She also told me that I'd get used to rising early and start drinking coffee regularly. At that point, I was only drinking coffee on occasion and for pleasure, not out of necessity.

Fast forward to my second job out of college, my first "big girl" (i.e. full time) job. I was stationed at a reception desk with the company's payroll department behind me. The office coffee pot was situated on a little counter top to my left. The way the was the room was set up, everyone in the office had to pass by me (and the boss's office window) to grab a cup. The boss had strict rules about only making two pots per day, and people had to supply their own creamer. The first pot was always drained as soon as it was finished, and some scavengers would come for the their second cup before the second pot was finished brewing.

Now, I get it that in a company that offers few perks, you want to get your money's worth in free coffee, but crappy Folgers drowned in french vanilla? I didn't get the appeal. This desperate need for sup-par caffeine confused and worried me. After witnessing this Lord of the Flies for coffee, I decided that I never want to become chemically dependent on caffeine, no matter how perky it would make my mornings.

My Elle Woods Moment

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Fri, 02 Aug 2013 15:11:00 +0000

If you're familiar with the "Legally Blonde" franchise, you know that the main character Elle Woods uses hair analogies in during litigation and while addressing Congress. It always starts out sounding like sorority house babble, but ends making an excellent point.

I had my Elle Woods moment today when I realized that my relationship with my hair is a metaphor for my relationship with myself. Stay with me on this one...

Growing up my hair was frizzy and awkward. All I wanted was straight, long, glossy hair that would, with little effort, look pretty down and adorable up. All throughout high school I tried whatever remedies my allowance could afford, but nothing worked. I would stay up late watching infomercials about miracle products that would heal my crispy waves.

When I got my first job and saved enough money, I ordered my first ceramic straightening iron online. This was 2005 when the technology was still relatively new. It cost $100.00.

The results were amazing to me. The 100% ceramic transformed my course waves into shiny straight locks. I felt like a whole new woman and went off to college with confidence.

It didn't take long for me to become addicted to the straightener. I never left my dorm without spending 30 minutes taming my mane. I still feared humidity, and God help me if it rained.

Later came sulfate-free shampoo and Argan oil, both discoveries were on equal footing with the ceramic wonder. I was winning the battle against my hair!

Recently I decided that since I'm moving to a warmer climate, I want to start embracing my hair's natural texture. (Full disclosure: I also want to embrace current trends. Super-straight hair is SO five years ago. I use that phrase only semi-ironically.) I'm getting used to the awkward waves, but since treating my hair to healthier products, the frizz has settled down. Still, I find myself twitching when a certain lock of hair falls in what I deem and weird way.

Going with my hair's flow is about relaxing and letting go of my perfectionist tendencies, live and let live. Here's where I realize that accepting my hair for what it is becomes a metaphor for accepting myself for who I am. I was awkward in uncomfortable in high school. During college and my early twenties I learned some lessons, some tips and tricks if you will, on how to be the person I wanted to be. I took those lessons and followed my heart, and they lead me to where I am today. I am comfortable with my flaws, and I'm slowly learning to see them not as flaws, but as the accessories to the outfit of my personality.

Great, now I'm making fashion analogies.

Transitioning again

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Wed, 24 Jul 2013 18:53:00 +0000

I'm writing this post from the desktop computer at the home of my in-laws. Corey and I are living here in transition between Ann Arbor and Ausin, and because of our move-in date, our stay here is going to be a bit longer than we originally planned.

Don't get me wrong, I love my in-laws. Corey and I realize how lucky we are that we not only love our respective in-laws, but both sets of parents enjoy each other's company as well. So my mild misery has nothing to do with prolonged proximity to childhood bedrooms.

The melancholy comes from the fact that this time two years ago I was in a similar situation. I was about to move to a city I'd never visited and responsible for finding a job that would house and feed and family of two adults plus two cats.

Between application emails and labored sighs I have two thoughts:

#1: THIS again? I HATE sending the cover letter that says "here's how qualified I am, but I can't interview for another four weeks." A motherly voice would remind me that I signed up for this when I married perpetual student , and I know. All the job rejections in the world wouldn't make me ever regret being with Corey, but it's frustrating none the less.

#2: Shit. All my talk about "starting my career" is Austin is now slapping me in the face. I feel compelled to get a job in a non-profit and fast. There's no outside excuses now for not diving headfirst into my career. For months I've been talking about a career in the arts and now I've really got to figure out how I'm going to get there. In between job searches, I'm researching CFRE courses and MPAff programs. I'd be reading my "Grantwriting for Dummies" if I hadn't packed it in Michigan.

The bottom line is I get SUPER antsy during these holding patterns, but the silver lining is that this should be the last one. Austin is it for us until one of us gets a better job offer elsewhere. Who knows? Corey may be following me next time.

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My Internship!

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 13:41:00 +0000

So the reason I have been failing epically at the posting schedule I set for myself a few weeks ago is because in addition to my full-time job, I accepted an internship with the Ann Arbor Summer Festival! I'm so excited to be back working for the arts, especially in a festival setting. Some of my readers may know that I interned for the Eau Claire Jazz Festival in college and had a blast.

I'm tired and a little stressed, but I'm mostly excited. I'm happy to be tired and stressed working for the arts! I am interning with the Volunteer Coordinators. We essentially wrangle the volunteer greeters who greet festival-goers and ask for a $3/person donation to keep the festivities free. It's a great price for 2-3 bands (per day!) and an outdoor movie. (To read more about the Ann Arbor Summer Festival, check out www.a2sf.org)

Gaining this experience with the A2SF right before I move (literally, I'm actually staying at a friend's place for the final week of the Festival while Corey and our parents move us back to WI) is just the professional pick-me-up I needed. I've been struggling for two years to find a career in the arts in the Ann Arbor/Detroit area to no avail. As a watched my arts admin experience pushed further and further down my resume, I worried about my future prospects. So when I saw that the A2SF was accepting applications for interns, I sent off my materials with hopes of refreshing my resume while working at the best summertime hang-out spot in Ann Arbor.

There have been times during the last two weeks that I've thought, "Am I crazy? What was I thinking taking on this internship when I work full-time?" But like I said, I'm happy to work hard for the thing that I love, that being the arts AND supporting my family.

I'm looking forward to a great time in the next three weeks. Volunteer training is tonight and the Festival opens on Friday. I'm going to be gaining a lot of great experience, building my resume for the future, and helping to give the town that has been my home for the last two years the best Summer Festival yet.

(Follow my Ann Arbor Summer Festival experience on Twitter @ReadheadRecords and Instagram @RedheadRecords!)

Checking in

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Tue, 21 May 2013 00:44:00 +0000

So I currently suck at sticking to the blog schedule I set for myself two weeks ago. Here is a current status update of my life:

1) I am starting an internship with the Ann Arbor Summer Festival. My job description is not yet set in stone, but I am super excited to be a part of this awesome event AND get back in the saddle of arts admin. My career has pretty much stagnated since moving to Ann Arbor, so I am SO excited for this opportunity. I will be heading to Austin with a shiny new résumé.

2) I just completed my first week of meal planning and it went OK. I somehow forgot when I was making the plan on Sunday that Corey's birthday was on Tuesday, so adjustments had to be made. In related news, this move is turning out to cost us a buttload of money, so we are severely trimming back our "eating out" budget to afford it.

In blog-y news, I am working on a Redhead Beauty series/feature for my dear friend and fellow blogger at Justina's Gems. You may recall my previous work for her when the blog was called TruBeautyGems (Justina and her co-blogger decided to strike out on their own). I love guesting at her beauty blog, it's just so fun! Watch for the link!

O, Pan-ada!

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Sun, 12 May 2013 16:41:00 +0000

I know I said on Tuesday that I would post on Saturday, but I'm pulling a Jenna Marbles. Sometimes the post just doesn't get finished until the next day.

With only 7 weeks left in Michigan, Corey and I have a sort of Michigan Bucket List going. At the top of the list is a trip to Canada. It's literally 45 minutes away, we've been so close that we could shout and be heard there (Joe Louis Arena), but we've yet to actually cross the border.

Additionally, I found out a few weeks ago that the Toronto Zoo received two giant pandas, and they will be ready for visitors on May 18. For those of you that don't know, I'm obsessed pandas. When Xiao Liwu was born at the San Diego Zoo last year, I was glued to their Panda Cam for days. When I read about the Toronto Zoo pandas, I freaked out. Toronto is about a five-hour drive from Ann Arbor. Much closer than San Diego :)

I'd been bugging Corey about it for weeks, and finally last night we booked two nights in Toronto over Memorial Day weekend. We're staying at a cute B&B in downtown Toronto, and we're going to see the pandas!

So this Memorial Day weekend, I will be checking off two I've-nevers: a Canadian visit, and a panda viewing. If you've ever been to Toronto or Canada in general, what else shouldn't I miss while I'm there? Let me know in the comments!

Happy Mother's Day,

Lauren

Goals

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Wed, 08 May 2013 02:27:00 +0000

It's been over six months since I last posted, and now I stand at the precipice of yet another new chapter of my life. No, I'm not pregnant.

Corey graduated last weekend from the University of Michigan with his Master of Music. We have eight weeks left in Ann Arbor, will be spending the month of July in Wisconsin, and moving to Austin, Texas in August. Corey will be studying at the University of Texas for his DMA. The program lasts for 3 years.

So again, I am moving to a city and state to which I've never been. I am actually very excited to start fresh and hopefully start my career in earnest. And in the spirit of fresh starts, I am starting now. I'm setting several personal goals for myself, including re-starting this blog.

I wanted my first blog post "back" to be about my goals. I feel like if I publish them, I will be more accountable.

First, slowly but surely I want to get back into blogging regularly. I'll start by posting every Tuesday and Saturday. For Tuesdays, I'm planning on more music, travel and news-y posts. I also have a few friends who are working on some exciting projects that I'm happy to plug. Saturday posts will be diary style: checking in on my goals, the moving process, and checking in with Winston and Egon (they're great btw).

Second, I'm working on losing weight and getting healthy. I don't want to turn this into a diet blog, but I feel like sharing my experience will help me reach my goals. I'm not planning to get into specific goal weights and the like, but I will post about my progress and strategies.

Third, Corey and I spend WAY too much money. The bulk of our "disposable" income goes to eating out. I'm starting to plan meals weekly and grocery shop accordingly. It may take a while for me to find a good job in Austin, so we should be saving all we can now.

For the blog, I working on a more active Twitter and Instagram, and I'm considering venturing into YouTube at some point. For now, look for me on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

It's pronounced Pah-VEE-uh...

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Sat, 22 Sep 2012 16:34:00 +0000

...and it is beautiful.

(Coperto Bridge over the Ticino River, Cathedral of Pavia in the distance)

Pavia, Italy is a small college town in Northern Italy. In the middle of summer it's just the right amount of quiet while still being fun (much like Ann Arbor, or Eau Claire for that matter).

For two weeks, Corey got to stay in a little apartment on campus, take composition seminars, have private lessons with some pretty big names, have a piece performed, take Italian language and cooking lessons, and just chill in this amazing little town. AND he had the pleasure of my company for the first week :)

The down time was a lot of pizza, wine, window-shopping, and walking. LOTS of walking. It was really great to soak up the culture of this off-the-tourist-path town. It was like being part of the community for a little while. A lot of the shops and restaurants we went to had the posters for the festival concerts on display, and the bartender at the Irish Pub in town knew our group by the end of our second day.

(Basilica of St. Peter in Golden Sky, the resting place of St. Augustine, the Lombard King Liutprand, and philospoher Boethius. It is mentioned in Dante's Devine Comedy.)

(The Certosa di Pavia, a country monastery outside Pavia.)

(Yummy local wine!)

Even though I was registered with the festival as a guest, all of the classes were open to me as well. I attended the Italian lessons and seminar classes with Corey every morning. The seminars were short presentations by the festival participants about their music. It was really cool to hear bits if pieces by composers of all experience levels, from undergrad to post-doc, and from all over the world. Unfortunately, all of the concerts were scheduled for the second week, so I could not attend any.

For all my composing friends, I highly recommend the highSCORE music festival. The classes, lessons, and concert opportunities were excellent. Corey (and I) made some great professional contacts, and he is feeling really good about his doctoral applications after this experience. Aside from the professional and educational advantages of this program, the setting was amazing. The town is so beautiful and inspiring and just plain fun!

Two of the teachers at the festival are a couple. I've told Corey that after he's found a good teaching job, his next task is to find a sweet summer gig in a similarly gorgeous location as Pavia. I could get used to this :)

So Long Summer

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Sun, 16 Sep 2012 19:43:00 +0000

Summer is over and the academic year is in full swing. That means concerts, football, and socializing. Hence why I have been delinquent in my posts. Also, I'm at war with my ever-slowing computer, so I haven't been cracking it open much lately.

We are finally, as of today, all settled in our new place. I just put on the finishing touch by hanging the living room curtains. I have more decorating ideas, but as of now, all of the pictures, window treatments, and decorative items that we currently own are on display. I also don't want to put too much work into this place if we are only going to be here for a year. Corey's doctorate applications are due on Dec. 1 (2 1/2 months!) and by April (6 months!) we should know where we are going. I'm really anxious about the next chapter in our life, and I'm excited to number my days as the sole money-maker in this family. (Well, Corey is going to be bringing in some cash this semester, but more on that later.)

To keep me honest, I wanted to post a list of upcoming posts so that I am accountable to my audience (however small).

1. The Italy Trip! I know I've totally slacked on this one. It was an amazing experience, and I really want to help spread the word about the highSCORE festival.

2. Michigan Football: Corey and I have season tickets this year and are in with a group of hard-core tailgaters. You might already know this if you follow me on Twitter or Instagram :)

3. The Julliard String Quartet: Our first concert date this season. The Chamber Music Society of Detroit is debuting it's "InDepth" series this season with casual Friday night concerts.

4. I'm singing again: I am now a member of the University Musical Society Choral Union. Rehearsals start tomorrow!

Also, for those interested, be on the lookout for my guest appearances on the beauty blog TruBeautyGems. One of the main bloggers (my bestie) is about to have her first baby any day now, so I will be helping out with the blog load.

That's all for now, except GO BLUE!

New York Style

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 00:48:00 +0000

Two weeks ago I took my first real trip to New York City. I say my first "real" trip because my only previous NYC experience was for a few hours and we saw Times Square, the MoMA, and 30 Rock. This was a real 48-hour tour of the city.

Corey's cousin and her husband live in an apartment two blocks off of Columbus Circle. We crashed in their living room for two nights before flying to Milan. Corey stayed with them for a week last summer while he had grad school interviews on the East Coast. I, however, had to stay home and go to work.

So this was my first chance to really experience the city. My one tourist-y request was that we go to the Empire State Building; I wanted to pretend to be Meg Ryan (or Debra Kerr) for a little while. Well, let's just say that only Meg Ryan in a movie can run into the lobby and breathlessly cry "observation deck!" and be immediately whisked into an elevator to find Jonah's backpack waiting for her. Of course I didn't expect there to be no line, but it was room after room of lines, and two hours later we were looking out across the city from it's most famous vantage point. The wait was worth it, but I will pony up for express tickets next time.

After the ESB, we went all the way downtown for lunch, then took a stroll around Battery Park and Ground Zero. We didn't go in to the memorial, but it felt right to just have a moment of stillness on the sidewalk. We had drinks in the Village and dinner at home. The next day we had some time to kill before we had to be at the airport, so we got burgers at Shake Shack and walked home through Central Park. It was amazing.

Now, being a small-town girl from Wisconsin, I went into this trip thinking that every New Yorker was fabulous and polished and on-trend. What greeted me in the city was much better. Everyone in New York wears exactly what they want. They present whatever image they want, and they do it with a confidence that I've never seen anywhere else. It's just sort of "this is how I look and what the f*** do you care?" I love it.

I've fallen in love with the confidence and anonymity that New York City offers its people. You have it even if you are just visiting because it's contagious, and grows with every minute you spend in the city. I truly think that if I awoke one morning with the uncontrollable need to find myself, I'd need to go to New York to do it. And it's not just about fashion choices, that's just where it starts. It's like being a tweenager and your first real experience with independence is choosing your own clothes. You pick an image to present to the world before you've even begun to know who you are inside. The image may change as you learn more about yourself, but you have to start somewhere. It's much more urgent for you to live and interact in the world immediately; self-identity will catch up when it can.

This breaks down to the simple notion that one can become confident in one's image first, then in one's self. Once you are confident in your appearance and stop worrying what others think, there is much more time for self-discovery. The anonymity of a large city like New York gives me the confidence to stop fretting about how I look and focus on enjoying my life and being an awesome person, wife, and career-girl. I can't wait to go back.

Married to Music: Networking at Corey's Summer Festival

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Sat, 04 Aug 2012 22:34:00 +0000

I'm finally over the jet lag and settled into the weekend. I've been too tired to write until now, since I went back to work immediately after traveling for 12 hours and sleeping for 7. Corey is on his way home and will be back on Monday night after a brief stop in New York.

This trip was amazing in so many ways. I saw New York City for the first (sort of) time, I spent time in a lovely corner of northern Italy, I heard some great music and I did it all with my best friend. I even did some networking for myself and picked up some career tips that I'm really excited about. I was not expecting to make any career connections for myself at the festival, I was just planning to be a tag-along, but I was pleasantly surprised. I learned that every opportunity Corey gets has potential for me too, which is lifting my spirits after the career drought I've been suffering from since, well, graduation.

I had a major job interview right before we left. It was a part-time gig, but the company (which for professional reason will remain anonymous) was such that it would have majorly kicked-off my career. A year working part-time for this place could have easily boosted me to a full-time gig in a smaller market. I write in the past-tense because I did not get the job. I'm sad about it but I'm trying to stay optimistic. I've got a few more applications out there, and at least one more to write when I'm finished posting this.

Anyway, someone I met at the festival in Italy told me about weekend courses in arts management that are offered at NYU. It's a little over $500 to take a class Friday, Saturday and Sunday. It would look great on my resume and would be a great test-run for grad school, plus I would make connections just by showing up. Right now I'm digging around for funding. The professional development grants offered by my music fraternity are only offered to applicants who already work in a music field. Boo.

This trip has really inspired me to take charge of my career. I'm going to keep applying, networking, volunteering and studying until I can get a job in arts administration. I will keep my loyal readers posted :)

The Fifth of July

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 15:26:00 +0000

After a huge storm last light, half of Southeast Michigan is without power. We're fine at home, but my office is dark, so I'm on standby until the power comes back. According to DTE Energy and AnnArbor.com, it could be awhile. We have power at home, but since our recent move we still don't have internet yet, so we're hanging out at a Panera Bread in an area of the grid that is still running.

The move went great. We have some awesome friends that came over on Saturday to help us move furniture. About 20% of our stuff is still at the old place, but we have until the 15th to turn in our keys, so we're taking the rest little by little.

For the Fourth, we hung out with some friends, grilled burgers and played lawn games. Their were no fireworks in A2, so we watched the DC and Detroit displays on TV. In Detroit they fire them from boats on the river between Detroit and Windsor, Canada. I'm seriously considering going to Windsor to watch the fireworks next year, just for the story.

Corey is putting the final touches on his piece for Italy. It's for solo electric guitar and electronics. I've heard bits on Sibelius play-back, but he hasn't sat me down to listen to the whole thing. I'm a little bummed because we got the schedule for the festival the other day and I'm going to miss all of the concerts. However, I get to take Italian lessons every morning and a cooking class on Tuesday evening. I'm getting really excited!

We finally booked our tickets and we'll be staying in New York for the weekend before heading to Milan. We'll be staying at Corey's cousin's apartment. She'll be gone for a bridal shower, but we'll just hang out with her husband for the weekend. I'm not holding my breath, but I REALLY want to see the Book of Mormon!

The Summer Solstice that sneaked up on me.

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 00:52:00 +0000

Oh em gee, I can't believe it's June already. Scratch that: June is almost over and I haven't written at all this month.

The following is a list of reason/excuses for not writing in the past 3 weeks:

A. Corey's parents and aunt visited us for a couple of days. We have a great time dining out, visiting the Detroit Zoo, and showing them around Ann Arbor.

B. We are moving NEXT WEEKEND. We have until the 15th to completely vacate our old place, but the 30th was the only day we could get enough friends together to help us move the big stuff. As such, I've been spending a lot of free time packing. We get the keys to out new place on the 29th, and I am so stoked. It's a two-bedroom in Ann Arbor proper and a five minute drive to my office. I'll post pics when we get in. :)

C. I finally started, and finished, the Hunger Games series. I don't want to get too into discussing it, but it was awesome. Two thumbs up, and I can't wait to see the rest of the films. (P.S. Team Gale if you were wondering, but ::SPOILER ALERT:: I wasn't disappointed with how it ended.)

D. The countdown to Italy has started. 26 days until we take off, spend the weekend in NYC, then a week in Pavia. I've been preparing by shopping, mental packing, and studying my phrase book.

E. The Ann Arbor Summer Festival is in full swing! I had only heard rumors of it's awesomeness, but it far exceeds my expectations. Its so great that the community comes together to create and support almost 3 1/2 weeks of concerts, outdoor movies, and other family fun, AND with some pretty big names (Feist, Al Green, and Ira Glass to name a few, plus the improv group born out of MST3K's cast.) We went to see one of Corey's professor's band last Wednesday, hung out in the beer garden with friends on Friday, and we're going to see an outdoor showing of Ghostbusters on Tuesday and Jurassic Park next Sunday.

I'm planning to get back into the swing of writing regularly once we're back from Italy. I'll definitely have some interesting concerts to talk about and hopefully an exciting trip in general. I'm looking into getting tickets to the Book of Mormon while we're in New York.