30 before 30

well, it appears there are 442 days remaining until my 30th birthday. since my life tends to revolve around to-do lists... why not have a 30 before 30 to-do list! so, here we go! feel free to give suggestions to any of these!

1. buy new towels for the bathroom & throw out the old ones
2. go to a nice restaurant downtown wearing a cocktail dress
3. run a 5K straight without walking
4. visit 1 (maybe 2) new states
5. go to see a play/musical/ballet/opera
6. treat myself to a massage
7. read 10 new books
8. get my next tattoo to celebrate the 10yr anniversary of my surgery
9. go on a trip with my sister (without the nieces)
10. take a dance class – something new
11. complete a bike/run race (muddy buddy will suffice)
12. cook thai food at home by my self
13. lose 10 pounds
14. create a morning schedule and stick to it
15. sew a pair of pants that fit correctly
16. go out of the country (preferably someplace new)
17. go skiing
18. do a 50s pinup photo shoot (the classy kind though)
19. start writing the book i’ve been talking about for years
20. spontaneously take a weekend road trip (no planning whatsoever)
21. take an art class – the real kind
22. make fresh homemade bread
23. find a good dermatologist
24. start an etsy shop for grits&lime
25. mail my postsecret
26. make a meal for my family – holiday style
27. host a party
28. complete a sprint triathlon
29. create a real savings account and leave it alone
30. buy something nice for myself from tiffany’s (it is my namesake after all)

cast your vote!

well it's vacation time. well, almost. i've got one more work week then i'm taking this show on the road.

there are three objectives for this vacation: plenty of beauty-rest, plenty of beach time, and finally catching up on my reading. that's where you come in. i am planning on taking 5 books with me & want your input! which of the following ten books should i bring and write a quick review on? cast your vote & stay tuned for the reviews!



1) elizabeth gilbert's eat, pray, love
2) barbara ehrenreich's nickel & dimed
3) chelsea handler's chelsea chelsea bang bang
4) ian mcewan's the innocent
5) gary vaynerchuk's crush it!
6) michael j. fox's always looking up
7) kathryn stokett's the help
8) sue grafton's u is for undertow
9) stieg larsson's the girl with the dragon tattoo
10) jacqueline jones' saving savannah

also posted at grits&lime

small obsessions are a good thing, right?

one of the great things about my "day job" is that i can truly do what i love and be myself 100% which is admittedly quite quirky and precisely what has inspired this post.

a large part of my quirkiness is that i have some fairly random obsessions. i was reminded of a few of them recently, so i thought i'd welcome you into my world!

i absolutely love to cook. it's yet another way for me to be crafty and try new things. don't get too excited... that's not the obsession. it's my choice of cooking utensils. i am in love (aka have a deep obsession) with wooden cooking utensils. it seems you can't have too many. at least not in my world. i found these gems over the weekend from crate&barrel! so pretty!!!



i've also always had a little obsession with buttons. i don't actually collect many things. however, buttons are definitely one of them! i have jars of buttons. i buy buttons, save buttons, pick up buttons that i find. i know, i know... random. but i warned you!



the last of my tiny obsessions that i'll share (before i scare you off...) is journals/notepads. i've always had a fascination with paper products! ironically, one of my best friends was a print management major in college so she was always working on projects for school that quickly became little gems for tiffany! today, i game across these beautiful journals and desk sets at papercrave. yes, please!!! they're gorgeous!!!



so what little obsessions do you have?

also posted on grits&lime!

interview the interviewer

Interviews are often a chance for the employer to sell the company to a potential employee. How can you tell if company is stretching the truth a little about how great they are? What are some little signs to look for that show it's a great workplace?

You are correct! An interview is a two way street. You've got to sell yourself and so does the company! As an internal recruiter, it's my job to be a cheerleader for the company and discuss our best qualities. Just like any relationship, you should know what qualities, values, or personalities are most important to you. You should take the time to write these down and then ask questions during the interview to find out if the company matches them.

Is customer service a passion of yours? Ask about their customer service creed. If they don't have one, clearly customer service isn't a priority.

Is respect or integrity more important to you? Ask them about their corporate values (most have them).

If employee engagement and fun at work is important to you, ask about teams or leagues employees can participate in.

Take the time to interview the company.

Ask me anything

continued growth

We've moved into the third month of the year which is the time when most people start slacking on their new year's resolutions. I'd like to note that I'm still going strong!

Day 52. I treated myself to some new work clothes with my newly won LeasePlan money!
Day 53. Sometimes its worth putting your opinion out there because you never know who's listening.
Day 54. Successfully started to tear down some walls.
Day 55. I trumped the expressway entry from the last time... Make that... I successfully drove on the expressway during a snow storm!
Day 56. I nearly doubled the number of participants at the Chicago Career Fair compared to last year.
Day 57. I visited West Palm Beach, FL for the first time. This trip was also a huge leap in faith that I haven't been willing to take in a long, long time.
Day 58. A rainy day in Florida equals a GREAT movie day!
Day 59. I had the best date night EVER!
Day 60. I realized that, sometimes, home is not where you live...
Day 61. I was nominated for a front-row parking spot by a front line employee who appreciated the career fair. I felt so honored.
Day 62. I drafted my first sales offer letter complete with a confidentiality agreement.
Day 63. I bowled my all time high score - 153!!!
Day 64. I was reminded that I should focus on the things that I can control.
Day 65. I pulled out my paint brushes for the first time in months and created two new pieces!

formspring.me (creating a professional image)

I'm wanting to enhance my professional image but don't know how to do that? Suggestions?

You professional image is very important to developing your career. First, consider the qualities that you want to portray. Then, make a list of people you admire that represent those same qualities. The list may start out with "famous" people. When it comes to dressing for success, you may want to consider mimicking their style. Make sure that you add people to your list that work at your current organization, as well as people in your network (school, professionals in the same field, church, or other social activities). Take the time to sit down with these people. Ask them questions about tips they have for you to develop your personal image.

Ask me anything

a break FOR inspiration

I took the last week to finally take a vacation. I went on a cruise to Cozumel and Grand Cayman. This break was the perfect time to reflect on who I am as a person, enjoy the company of some amazing people, and get some additional inspiration for grits&lime. Of course, I kept up with my New Year's resolution and really put myself outside my box and had a blast doing it!

Day 27. Got a phone call from my sister and it really was my niece asking for me. My sister and both of her beautiful daughters are soooo very special to me.
Day 28. Great planning makes even the most hectic of days go smoothly.
Day 29. One of my special talents is packing. I managed to pack 6 days of clothes in 1.5 carry on bags.
Day 30. I took my first vacation in 1.5 years. This trip was much needed.
Day 31. I put myself really outside my comfort zone and hit on a guy! woo!
Day 32. Went to Grand Cayman for the first time. I also sang karaoke for the first time. I sang Donna Summer's "Last Dance" and it was soooo much fun!
Day 33. We returned to Cozumel and I drove our Jeep around the island. Thank God I know how to drive a manual!
Day 34. I took a moment in time to acknowledge and stand up for who I am, what I believe in, and my expectations.
Day 35. I started reading an inspiration book and found a quote that reminded me to not be afraid to be by myself. This is the best time to find out who I am.
Day 36. I logged into my work email to catch up even though it was my day off... And actually restrained myself from actually doing any work. That's a first!
Day 37. I spent the day in my pjs and completely ignored my to-do list. For those that know me, know exactly how out of the box that is for me.

I should also note that while on vacation I came up with three new dress designs for grits&lime. Taking a break was an amazing time for inspiration!

a little inspiration: with a twist

This blog was originally created to provide tips, feedback, new ideas, and suggestions about recruiting, training, and career development as a whole. Some of the information is geared toward my fellow recruiters and trainers, although even more so for my fellow followers, friends, and those looking to distinguish themselves. More importantly, this blog was designed to be a creative outlet for myself. In a way, it was really a chance for me to distinguish myself.

In recent months, I've come to realize that I am, in fact, a creative person. Not only do I thrive in situations where I am continually learning something new, but in situations where I can be creative and put my hands to work. I've been sewing as long as I can remember and have always loved making gifts for my family. Most recently, I started painting which has been an amazing release for me. Now, you may be asking yourself why I'm so surprised at realizing this about myself... Well, I'm always great at using the analytical side of my brain. I've always been good at math, love working with spreadsheets, and even come up with random equations in my head while running (trust me, I know how odd that sounds). My entire family is like this and I've always been steered in that direction because its what made the most sense.

Well, it may have taken almost 28 years to figure this out about myself, but I couldn't be more excited. Actually, let me rephrase that. I couldn't be more inspired. That inspiration has lead me to work with one of the dearest and most creative friends I know, Nicole, to start grits & lime. So follow us @gritsandlime for updates on what's to come and check out {nicole galletta} for a great explanation of how we came up with the name!