This Saturday I had the great experience of volunteering some of my time and craft skills to work with a group called Charity Chicks Houston. The event was called Operation Valentine, a mission for people to make homemade valentines for our troops overseas.
I started hearing about the event earlier in the week on Twitter and from there I watch as the chicks found people who wanted to participate and then reach out to a local hometown business, Coffee Groundz for a place to set up shop. It was amazing watching this whole event get set up and promoted through a series of tweets.
When I showed up on Saturday the room was FULL of a people spread out all over the place with glitter, glue, markers, stencils and paper surrounding them. I recognized some of the “regular” Coffee Groundz goers so I quickly said “hello!” and set myself down at a table of strangers to start creating my masterpieces.
As I started to introduce myself to the people around me I was thrilled to learn that I “knew” almost all of them from Twitter and I had actually sat myself next to one of the people I had set out to meet in 2010, the lovely Danni Jaw. How cool is that?!? If you don’t know her, meet her, cause she is awesome. And if that wasn’t enough I also got to meet the beautiful Candace Kizer or as many of you know her @candacitabonita.
The beautiful @candacitabonita
The lovely @dannijaw
I got an e-mail today from the Charity Chicks founder, Jamie, letting us know that there was over 25 people that attended Operation Valentine and over 200 valentines were made!
Look at all the cards!!
It was great spending time with some pretty fabulous people, playing crafts and giving my time to a good cause. I can see those 2010 resolutions getting marked off my list already, and it’s only the 10th!
1/11/2009 Follow Up:This morning I got a tweet from the founder of Operation Valentine, Delaney Gates. She had seen my blog post and wanted to introduce herself (I love the digital world we live in). I have put a link to her site and all the information you might need should you want to make Valentines on your own. Remember, though, your cards have to be post marked by January 15th, so get crafty!!
The other day I was shopping with my sister and I noticed this really cool shirt ( see below). As sisters usually do I pointed the shirt out and proclaimed, “OOOO, I really like that!”
My sister then proceeded to tell me that the shirt I had pointed out was not only Super Cool, but it represents a great cause called To Write Love On Her Arms. Sarah, my sister, briefly explained that this cause is to create awareness for those suffering from depression and suicide prevention. Immediately I knew I wanted to get involved.
I’ve often felt depression has been an overlooked illness that many know nothing about. In fact, some people I have spoken with don’t see depression as an illness at all, but as a symptom of illness or events going on in ones life. There have been many people in my life that have been affected by this terrible sickness and that is why I feel so passionately about getting involved with this organization.
The project, I learned from the site, was based on a true story of a young girl. This story soon blossomed into a life saving awareness campaign. As the campaign grew and more research was done, they discovered that “two out of three people who struggle with depression never seek help, and that untreated depression is the leading cause of suicide.In America alone, it’s estimated that 19 million people live with depression, and suicide is the third-leading cause of death among those 18-24 years old”(TWLOHA.com). Something had to be done.
One of my resolution this year is to volunteer and this is the perfect opportunity to get involved with something near to my heart. Today I joined the street team, added a badge to my blog, added myself to the Facebook fan page and wrote this blog to create some awareness. I am not stopping there, though. Throughout the year my street team leaders will be sending me on various missions to create awareness and I couldn’t be more honored to be part such a great cause.
As I turned on my computer this afternoon at work I have to admit that I was not excited to see what my e-mail box contained. I had been away for two weeks on Christmas vacation and had done a pretty good job of not checking my e-mail while I was on vacation. As I started to go through the 100 plus e-mails in my inbox I came across an e-mail from my boss asking us to come up with our 2010 goals by Friday. Friday!?! EEEEK!!
I am awful about resolutions/goals. Not just the keeping of them, but the creation of them as well. This may be the year though that I make a “real” list, and thanks to you I will be held accountable for it. I feel I would have more luck declaring this list publicly than if I just scratch some ideas on a note card and shove it in the back of my desk.
So here is goes:
My 2010 goals
1. Travel- I have plans to go to Chicago for the first time this summer to see my amazing friend Annie Donely perform with her improv comedy troops. Remember her name guys, she will be on SNL one day, mark my words. I also have plans to go to NYC for New Years 2010-11 with my bestie Kelly. It’s going to be ”Rockin”!
2. Record a song in a recording studio- So I sing and have done so for quite some time. My dad always complains that after the years of voice lessons and performances I have been through, he does not have one ”high quality” recording of me or my sister. I think this year we can change that. If you guys know anyone that can help me make this happen, please let me know. Thanks!
3. Read and Reflect- I love books and I am already pretty good about reading books on a pretty regular basis, but too often I find myself without someone to discuss the book I am reading. I also need to read some non-fiction to give my brain an escape every once and a while, even then I would like to find someone out there who would like to talk about what we are reading. I have found that sometimes you learn more through reflection that you do from the actual reading. If you would like to read a book and reflect with me let me know! I would love to get to know you through a book.
4. Take more pictures- I want to be a better photographer. I have a nice camera, but I am so nervous to change the settings to experiment with different exposures that I think I might be missing out on some pretty great shots.
5. Volunteer- I want to be able to give my time to helping those in need. A lofty goal would be to go on a mission trip to a third world country, but I would also have no objection to jumping in to help those in need right here in Houston. If you guys have any charities or organization that are near and dear to your heart I would love to hear about them!
6. Loose 15lbs- As many of you know I have a thyroid disorder which cause me to have some pretty funky things happen to me, but now that I am feeling better, I am ready to loose that extra weight. I want to workout 3 times a week, even if it’s just a walk on the treadmill, and get back to going to yoga. I really miss my yoga time, and I am hoping to find the perfect studio in 2010.
7. Continue to develop relationships my Twitter peeps – I seriously wish you all lived in Houston so that I could meet everyone of you. Your comments are so encouraging and kind. Please, please, please, if you come to Houston, let me know so that we can meet! Even if it’s just for a hug and a “thank you”. I owe you that!
Wow- reading the list over is really overwhelming, but as my dad always says “how do you eat an elephant?”…”one bite at a time” . Dads are so wise. What are your new years resolutions? I would love to be part of the process of accomplishing your goals for 2010.
So since we are in the beginning days of a new year, its a good chance to start fresh. Listed here are 5 easy things that will help you wrap up 2009 and begin 2010 with a bang!
1. Clean out your closet- DONATE anything you did not wear at least once in 2009. This includes clothes, shoes, purses etc. Don’t keep clothes that don’t fit anymore, cause lets be honest if you do loose that annoying weight you have put on you are going to reward yourself with new clothes anyway.
2. Cleanout and/or change your purse or wallet- With fashion the way it is these days, the bigger the purse the better. Unfortunately this causes majority of bags to become a ”black-hole” for anything that may be thrown into it. Take a chance to dump it all out, throw away those old gum wrappers or receipts, and gather up all that loose change. You will feel so much better knowing you are not carting around all that extra weight.
3. Clearoff your camera- You know you have been meaning to do this for quite some time, but now is your chance. Start 2010 with a clean chip, disk or whatever type of camera you use.
4. Clearoffyourdesk- File away all your old 2009 paperwork, recycle the pile of old magazines that are stacking up (I know you have been meaning to read these, but we need to be honest with ourselves), and make yourself some shiny new folders for the coming year.
5. Give your dog a bath- Because even your pet deserves to start the year off on the right “paw”.
I know many of you out there have your own list of things that you do to prepare for the new year and I would love to hear them! Please leave a comment below to share them.
2009 Learning experience: The best learning experience I had in 2009 was learning about true friendship, and what that really means. I gained many friends in the past year and with that I lost some as well. It was definitely painful and a bit of a roller coaster, but it was good for me and I learned a lot about myself and the kind of friend I wanted to be to others.
Best 2009 Gift You Gave Yourself: The best gift I gave myself this year was new bedroom furniture for when I moved into my new apartment in August. I spent a lot of time mulling around in Ashley Furniture, and I probably laid on over 100 mattresses until I found the right one. That is one thing that you never go cheap on, a good mattress! I love my new furniture and I love that its a purchase that I will be able to enjoy for a long time.
Best 2009 Insight or aha! moment: So I have a great friend who I can always rely on to be completely blunt and honest when I ask for her advice( if you have one of these friends keep them close, they are more valuable than you probably give them credit for). Anyway, I was going through a bunch this year and she said something profound that really stuck with me. She said, “You can not be responsible for how other people feel”. Wow, in that moment a huge burden lifted off my shoulder and vanished. I have reflected on this piece of advice several times throughout the year and will most definitely be taking it with me into 2010.
Best 2009 Social web moment: My favorite social media moment of 2009 was seeing all my amazing Twitter friends at the Interactive Strategies Conference in September. Even though many of us had not met in person before, we embraced each other as if we were longtime friends, because truthfully we were! It was such a cool thing and since then we have made it a point to get together more. Thanks Twitter!
Best Stationery of 2009: My favorite piece of stationary that I used in 2009 was not a piece of card or paper, but a notebook that I bought half way through the year. I like it because it’s really small and fits into my purse so that I can pull it out whenever I have a passing thought, idea or just want to write something down that I heard someone say. It doesn’t have a true purpose like an address book or a journal, instead it’s just there for anything I want it to be and that’s why I love it!
Best Laugh of 2009: My sister, Sarah, is one of the funniest people I know and in this past year she has made me cry with laughter on more than one ocassion. Sarah manages a large retail store and works with some really funny characters of whom my family and I hear about daily. My biggest belly laugh of 2009 came from my sister doing an impression of one of her co-workers when we were at lunch one day. Because of privacy issues and the like I am not able to release his name or what he does, but if you ever run into my sister ask her about her co-workers and I promise she will make you laugh till you’re red in the face.
Best Ad of 2009: I hate commercials. I don’t watch anything at its scheduled time so that I don’t have to watch the commercials. I do, however, want to take a moment to give major props to Apple this past year for turning me on to some pretty hip tunes. Their commercials have had some pretty catchy songs playing in the background that have really added a spice to my Ipod in 2009.
Resolution I Wish I had Kept in 2009: I wanted to take more photos in 2009. It is always some thing that I enjoy doing, so I am not sure why I don’t do more of it. To be truthful, though, alot of 2009 did not have me smiling and therefore I didn’t not think it picture worthy either. Here’s to making 2010 picture perfect!
Project of 2009:My favorite project this year was actually the launching of this blog that you are reading right now. Thanks to the patience and knowledge of my amazing co-worker, Karla, I learned some awesome Photoshop tricks that helped bring the napkin sketched concept to fruition. Having only been live for about three months, this blog has given me the chance to reach out to friends, old and new, and I am really excited to see what exciting adventures this blog opens me up to in 2010.
Start up of 2009:Daisy’s Doggie Duds is a dog clothing business my mom actually started this year. I am so proud of my mom for taking a chance with this business, creating her own website and diving into the social media scene head first. You should follow her on twitter! @daisy_thewestie If you have any questions about dog clothes, or keeping your pet warm this winter, she is the lady to ask.
Mom, I am super pumped to see where this adventure takes you in 2010 and I am so excited to be able to tag along for the ride.
Web Tool of 2009: This one is easy as pie, after using this tool I could never go back to doing my job without it. It is none other than…Tweetdeck. God bless you Tweetdeck for allowing me to manage all 5 of my twitter accounts at once and communicate in a more streamline and efficient manner. I tell everyone I know about this tool, and totally start out my speal with “this is going to change your life as you know it..”, cause it’s true! Since using Tweetdeck I don’t think I have logged into Twitter.com once … should I? Do I need to? Better go check on that.
My favorite new person of 2009 is the lovely Camille Crockett. I actually met Camille at the end of 2008, but it was in 2009 I found myself thanking God for bringing such a wonderful friend into my life.
A little about Camille: She is probably the nicest person you will ever meet, she rarely is not smiling, she is an amazing conversationalist, gives fantastic hugs and has a heart of gold.
When I met Camille she had just returned from living in the Dominican Republic for 2 years. She had spent her time there teaching English and loving on the amazing people of the DR. Yes, you read that right, I told you she was amazing.
Camille began a new career in 2009 as a teacher in an under privileged school in downtown Houston. Again…she is amazing. She definitely has a gift of service to others, which is something I truly admire. While Camille was trying to finish up her teaching certificate this summer, she and I lost touch a little as I started a new job and she was busy studying, but we reconnected this Fall and we picked up exactly where we left off. There are not many people in this world that you can do that with, which is again why Camille is so special.
Until yesterday I had no idea who I was going to put as my favorite person of 2009, but I had coffee with Camille last night and as we were talking it just came to me that she was more than worthy of this title. I know Camille would never think of being chosen for something like this, but I want everyone to know what an incredible person she is and what a great friend she has become to me in the short time we have known each other.
My best car ride of 2009 was not actually a ride but a purchase. In 2009 I bought my first car all by myself. This was a really big deal because just thinking of my savings account shrinking like that gave me a panic attack, but after months of shopping I did it and it felt so good!
You see, it wasn’t just my first car to purchase, but it was the first step of creating my new life here in Houston. I guess one would never know that unless I told you. The car was definitely a necessary purchase, though, I wasn’t just being frivolous or trying to fulfill my life with tangible things. My old car had been in the shop several times at the beginning of 2009, and one day at lunch with my mom it just died, so it was time.
I knew the car was not going to fix my life or that I would get in it and suddenly all my problems would be solved, but it was a start to something fresh and that’s exactly what I needed at the time.
Either way, my new car, Candy, is a joy to drive and I am so proud each time I see the bill come in my name……but then I have to pay it.
This Saturday I had the great experience of volunteering some of my time and craft skills to work with a group called Charity Chicks Houston. The event was called Operation Valentine, a mission for people to make homemade valentines for our troops overseas.
My sister then proceeded to tell me that the shirt I had pointed out was not only Super Cool, but it represents a great cause called 
1. Travel- I have plans to go to Chicago for the first time this summer to see my amazing friend Annie Donely perform with her improv comedy troops. Remember her name guys, she will be on SNL one day, mark my words. I also have plans to go to NYC for New Years 2010-11 with my bestie Kelly. It’s going to be ”Rockin”!
books on a pretty regular basis, but too often I find myself without someone to discuss the book I am reading. I also need to read some non-fiction to give my brain an escape every once and a while, even then I would like to find someone out there who would like to talk about what we are reading. I have found that sometimes you learn more through reflection that you do from the actual reading. If you would like to read a book and reflect with me let me know! I would love to get to know you through a book.
5. Volunteer- I want to be able to give my time to helping those in need. A lofty goal would be to go on a mission trip to a third world country, but I would also have no objection to jumping in to help those in need right here in Houston. If you guys have any charities or organization that are near and dear to your heart I would love to hear about them!
1. Clean out your closet- DONATE anything you did not wear at least once in 2009. This includes clothes, shoes, purses etc. Don’t keep clothes that don’t fit anymore, cause lets be honest if you do loose that annoying weight you have put on you are going to reward yourself with new clothes anyway.
into it. Take a chance to dump it all out, throw away those old gum wrappers or receipts, and gather up all that loose change. You will feel so much better knowing you are not carting around all that extra weight.
4. Clear off your desk- File away all your old 2009 paperwork, recycle the pile of old magazines that are stacking up (I know you have been meaning to read these, but we need to be honest with ourselves), and make yourself some shiny new folders for the coming year.
Best 2009 Social web moment: My favorite social media moment of 2009 was seeing all my amazing Twitter friends at the Interactive Strategies Conference in September. Even though many of us had not met in person before, we embraced each other as if we were longtime friends, because truthfully we were! It was such a cool thing and since then we have made it a point to get together more. Thanks Twitter!
not a piece of card or paper, but a notebook that I bought half way through the year. I like it because it’s really small and fits into my purse so that I can pull it out whenever I have a passing thought, idea or just want to write something down that I heard someone say. It doesn’t have a true purpose like an address book or a journal, instead it’s just there for anything I want it to be and that’s why I love it!
Start up of 2009: 
create your own at 
My favorite new person of 2009 is the lovely Camille Crockett. I actually met Camille at the end of 2008, but it was in 2009 I found myself thanking God for bringing such a wonderful friend into my life.
My best car ride of 2009 was not actually a ride but a purchase. In 2009 I bought my first car all by myself. This was a really big deal because just thinking of my savings account shrinking like that gave me a panic attack, but after months of shopping I did it and it felt so good!
