One Month until Shanel's runway show

Just sent the Lela/Shanel Runway show postcard to print this morning. Shanel's one talented designer - if you're interested in fashion plan to attend.

Sept. 12, 2009
321 N. Broadway Ave. Milwaukee
7pm Cash Bar
8:30 Pm Runway
$25 cash at door
After Party at Clear

New Job Update

With now three weeks under my belt at the new job I'm feeling more comfortable. Still haven't figured out how the coffee machine works or what everybody does, I have a comfortable workload. The clients I've been working with think I'm brilliant. I have yet to blow my paycheck - because that's what your suppose to do. I don't get out shopping soon I'll be shopping for fall. Something I'd rather not think about.

I'm so cool they made a BMW after me.

From DesignBoom.com

BMW GINA light visionary model concept car
BMW recently revealed the GINA light visionary model concept car, an innovative new exploration in car design. instead of the traditional steel and plastic body shell, the GINA concept uses a textile fabric starches over a wire frame. this unique idea allows the car’s skin to change shape, stretching to match the position and curve of the wire frame. this idea is demonstrated in the ‘blinking’; headlights and the flexibility of the car doors as they open. the project began by questioning the purpose of a car’s body and exploring new possibilities. The car is currently on show at the BMW museum in munich, germany

Baking

Pictured is my attempt at baking purple basil biscuits from a cooking light recipe. Turned out more like a salty paper bag scone with a hit of basil.

Stimulating the economy

My mini cooper will turn four on July 20th. On it's third birthday I took it's for it's last free oil change under warranty. (Only needs an oil change every 13,000 miles or once every year.) I have not put any money into it besides gas until today when I took it to Urban MotorWerks an honest BMW auto on the edge of the gettho. I brought my bike so that I could bike away from the auto shop to Bayshore because they needed to check out some noises I'd been hearing.

So I biked to Bayshore, had a cup a coffee at Alterra, learned my car would have to stay overnight and I'd be stimulating the economy to the tune of $550. There goes the first installment check of my web design work. Ok that's fine I have a gift card to H&M I've been dying to use and I been on the hunt for some cute carpris that I could wear at my new job. Right at 10am I burst through the H&M doors and start shopping. I have a few outfits already drapped over my arm when all of a sudden this buzzing goes off. Oh...it's the fire alarm...no biggie... I look around and everyone is still shopping and no one is running outside and I don't smell any smoke. I just found the magenta miniskirt in my size. The skirt I've been looking for! I'm so happy!

A store clerk comes up to me, who I think might help me put my clothes into a dressing room. No? She does some hand motion to the door. I have to exit the store? I have to leave my new outfits behind? There is actually a fire? I waited about 50 seconds before huffing and heading to a different store. Twenty minuetes later people are still standing outside and there are two firetrucks and no hot firemen to admire. I will not be buying any new fun clothes.

I hop on my bike, car-less for the next 24 hours. Get on lake drive and bike down to Mike's office downtown.

Crossed off my list:
bike ride
get my car fixed
finish shopaholic and baby book
watch 5 minutes of Michael Jackson tribute

A week off

Monday morning I will awake and not have to think about my job. Correction: After my 8:30 exit interview I will drive away not having to thinking about my job. I will then do fun stuff like take my car to get the oil changed and find out what the wierd noise is when I turn around a corner and go shopping for NEW work clothes and try to make cinanamon basil biscuits.

I hope it's a productive week. I hope to get hundreds of purses sewn to last through the summer and toned abs and maybe a haircut. I do hope our new free HBO package doesn't pull me in. Thank the weather that it will be nice out all week. Bike rides and beach reads here I come! Oh all the things I can do this week! I love vacation!

32 hours left of work

I'm excited to leave, sad to go, but excited for what's next. It's like getting out of a bad relationship. I'm breaking up with my employeer. Mabye it's because I've enjoyed design affairs and now how creatively juciy an end product can be, maybe it's the lack of respect, maybe it's just time to try something new.

I have 32 more hours of work left before I leave. In the past week I've sent 3 catalogs, 2 brochures and a postcard to print, spent countless hours updating the website, ate 3 lunches at my desk, went out to lunch, went to a retirement party, sat through meetings and argued about deadlines.

This 32 more hours will be very close to hell. Transitioning my projects to the two other designers will lead to many questions. Launching a new website on the first of July will probably mean driving home opening a cold bottle of beer, slamming it, and opening the next one for sipping.

My boss once told me you can never move up if someone can do your current job. So here it goes - here's to transitioning.

Last week, I quit my job

As you know I have been bloging about how I might be better suited for a different job. Last week Thursday, I told my boss I was leaving and my last day was to be July 3rd because I GOT A NEW JOB!

It took over three months but I've accepted a job offer as a Senior Communication Specialist at the UWM main campus. I'm excited, scared and ready for a change. Telling my boss was sobering. It was like ending a relationship that wasn't going to work out under the current circumstances. On Tuesday I have to tell the rest of the team I don't know if i'll be happy or sad or what their reaction will be.

Now I'm thinking about how to stimulate the economy with my first new paycheck. Insert big Woo Hoo!

This Weekend I learned:

1. The bartender at the Crown Plaza Hotel would rather converse with her West Allis family than close our bill and manage a tip.
2. The table and chairs at Innovation, the restaurant in the Crown Plaza where both wet.
3. I would pay $9.95 again for subpar food but not for the service (with the exception of our waiter who was really very nice)
4. I like hanging out with Freddie, he reminds me of my coworker who never has a bad thing to say and can hear him through the office walls
5. I have a natural direction instinct in order to make it to my cousin’s wedding in Rio, WI a minute before the ceremony started
6. Many women have left their bras at Will Bill’s Saloon in Pardeeville, WI
7. Drinking makes my family happy, hence the stop at Will Bill’s, the first to order at the Best Western bar and the cooler of beer in Uncle Dave’s mini van.
8. My friend Sue makes a good point about couples who honeymoon in Disney: They want to have kids right away.
9. I will probably not produce the first Johnson great grandchild if #8 is true.
10. Bruch with the girls at Café Hollander was surprisingly good.
11. Yogurt with the fruit on the bottom isn’t good for you.
12. Mike’s newly built spice cabinet is still wonderful.
13. My Grandma in Oconomowoc really wants to live outdoors since she has bought more lawn furniture for her living room.
14. There is a small golf course walking distance from my house – how about that!
15. My cousin in the 7th grade set up an excel spreadsheet and insert equations WAY better than me.

Etsy Shop is finally up!

Record Day

Yesterday at the Milwaukee Public Market I broke my last record selling bags. The weekend after the JS article hit I sold 19 bags over the course of a week. This week, no article...just facebook, twitter, and the anticipation of a new line of purses I sold almost 30 bags over the course of 5 days. I'm estatic! This week more sewing, my fingers hurt and I have a sneaking suspicion Mike thinks I'm now dating my sewing machine.

Please don't lay me off

Governor Doyle Asks for More Sacrifices

By Matt Smith

Thursday, Governor Doyle proposed more layoffs and cuts to cities and schools in an effort to tame the state's growing budget deficit.

Governor Doyle calls the plan a "responsible agreement under extraordinary circumstances," while Republicans say it's anything but.

The governor's office reports this proposal will close the $1.6 billion shortfall that's occurred in just the past few months.

Thursday we learned that means as many as 1,400 state employees could lose their jobs -- even more than first announced.

"These are painful cuts that will affect the services people rely on and the employees who deliver those services."
The governor's proposal paints a clearer picture of what will be lost.
Each state agency must cut five percent from its own budget.

Non-union employees will not receive a raise, and all state employees must take 16 furlough days over the next two years. Schools and cities across Wisconsin will see state aid cut by two-and-a-half percent.

"I know it's very hard on the districts, students, families, but we don't have any other acceptable option," the governor said.

But some Republicans call the plan sneaky, a closed-door deal, that takes money from critical funds to help offset the governor's spending.

"He has increased borrowing by 60 percent. In addition to that, he has increased spending. And On top of that the way he increased spending is he has stolen from various funds," Rep. Phil Montgomery (R-Ashwaubenon) said.

"Despite the economic downturn, despite the growing budget deficit, we're doing everything we can to first of all pass a balanced budget and second of all do it on time," Rep. Tom Nelson (D-Kaukauna) said.

The Joint Finance Committee will begin voting on the budget Friday -- a move criticized by Republicans for trying to pass it on a holiday weekend.

A new website

For those interested in my professional work, check out my portfolio website. If you know someone in need of a graphic or web designer please forward my information on. Enjoy!

www.makeitbreathe.com

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all the woman who have looked over me.

Grandma Heine: For teaching me patience and making sure I don't marry a married man with kids
Grandma Rose: For her humble wisdom and the taste of gin
My Aunts: For their special way to point out how danielle or I remind them of mom
My old boss Debbie: For her compassion and conversations and taste of good food
My friend/coworker Mary: For her boldness and importance of beliefs
To Mike's Mom: For treating me like one of her own
To my friends: For direction, laughs, openness, love and really really good night out
To my Best Friend Sara: For putting things in perspective and undeniable wit
To Bonnie: For reflection and really sound advice
To my woman coworkers: For maturity and inspiration
To Terry: For open communication, bold advice and optimism
To my sister: For renowned friendship, sense of style and ability to make me laugh without meaning to.

Happy Day to you.

Fun working for the State of WI

Doyle calls for layoffs, furloughs, cuts to fill $6.5 billion hole
By Steven Walters and Stacy Forster of the Journal Sentinel

Madison - Gov. Jim Doyle said Thursday that the budget deficit has exploded to up to $6.5 billion - a historic gap he wants fixed by laying off up to 1,100 employees, furloughing non-emergency workers eight days a year, rescinding 2% pay raises and making new cuts in aid to schools and local governments.

Doyle said the $5 billion deficit he and lawmakers faced in March has soared because tax collections are running far below estimates. The potential $6.5 billion gap will occur over a three-year period ending June 30, 2011.

"We are facing tougher choices than ever about what level of state services we can sustain at a time when people need them most," Doyle said. "I am fighting to protect the middle class, education, public safety and health care.

###

MY SOLUTION
Since Doyle's a billion off budget, he proposed this idiotic play to deny our 2% raise and give us 8 NON-PAID days off for two years. I'm fine with not getting raise - I'm just happy to have a job. But the 8 days is absolutely nonsensical. State employees already get around 3 weeks of vacation and 2 weeks sick leave. Add on another 8 required days off and you've got state workers sitting at home for a month or taking every Friday off for half a year. It just doesn't make sense. With the amount of work just in my department, trying to connect with clients, printers, coworkers is already difficult. We have many meetings and abundance of work - taking those 8 days would only put more stress on our heavy workload. My solution is to go ahead with denying the 2% raise, and for the next two years, the state will cut back 4 days of vacation and 4 days of sick leave. If an employee does want to use that time off, it then goes unpaid. There you go, you have your employees working now 8 days more. Just imagine if Doyle's office had 8 extra days to figure out how to save the economy. Yeah it probably wouldn't work but it's worth a shot.

What comes after green?

Why in the past two years "going green" has become the new thing to do. Why didn't it happen sooner to the majority of the population. Was it not cool? Was there just not enough information on how to be green?

Just think if one sector, for example car makers went green 10 years ago where we would be today:

Car companies would have started their research back in the late 80's early 90' on how to produce a more environmental conscious car. Today we would have been driving efficient cars, relying less on foreign oil, and emitting less pollution. The car companies going bankrupt today would be in a different scenario. It's because they aren't producing what people need and want efficiently that drove the company to the ground. Who wants to get only 10 MPG when they can get 30+.


Where do car makers go from here? What happens after bankruptcy? Why hasn't a better car company emerged out of those that have already conceded? Surely the talent and the tools are there. Just think of how many jobs would be available if the car sector got it's act together.

Looking for a summer job

I was thinking how nice it would be to have a summer job. Like going back to the college days of working part time and spending the rest of the time laying on Bradford Beach. I'd put in a few hours at the desk, sorting, filing, answering the phone thinking wow I have a great job. And the rest of the time I'd be reading a book, working on an art project or waiting for my roommates to get home so we can go out for happy hour. Wasn't that the best? So relaxed and carefree what's stopping me from leaving my full time desk job?

Health Insurance and my 403B.

Let the countdown begin - 30 more years till retirement.

Revenge of the Scale

After eating the best chips and dip in Milwaukee (Cafe Lulu Chips with Blue Cheese Dip) I decided I thought I should weigh myself. I was under the impression that I was still in my early 20s where I could eat anything and not gain a pound. This year, after turning 27 I found that is just not the case. I stepped on the scale and there it landed 10 lbs over my usual weight.

Really? After eating Lulu chips - 10 lbs? I know I haven't got on the spin bike in a week, and have been eating healthy for most of my meals so really that's all it takes a couple days off the track and Lulu chips?

I was bummed the whole weekend. Sunday I had planned to go shopping but how was I suppose to fit in any pants I wanted to try on? I already can't buttom of them that I wore last summer. This was bad, I'm going to have to buy a whole new wardrobe. So I did go shopping. I did fit in my usual size pants at the Limited. How could this be?

I stepped back on the scale Sunday night, yup still 10 lbs over. Step off. Step on. Still 10lbs over. Step off. Look down - the scale is off! Hallelujah! Relief pours over like a beer after work.

I said YES!

I said Yes!

Yesterday Mike and I had reservations to go to the first restaurant we ever ate at which was almost two years ago. BUT before that he said we needed to check out a new sign hanging at the Milwaukee Public Market. I was cold and didn't understand why we were walking over there. Mike turns me around and in chalk was written a proposal. SO confused! Was this really happening! Oh My Gosh he has a ring!

Mike has gotten down on one knee and taken my hand before. I think twice in the kitchen and he'll ask what I want for dinner. Once in Door County and asked if I wanted my $5 ring put back on my finger, once on the sideway and asked if I would wait for him while he tied his shoe. I thought the same thing was happening again!

The public market is where we first go to really know each other. Every Saturday two summers ago Mike would come by my stand where I was selling bags. I sat down and we had candid conversations about past relationships, life, family, values. Our first dinner at Coquet he ordered fish and I thought to myself, wow he likes fish, good start!

I ordered the same meal last night, equally fantastic and Mike explained how he had dinner with my dad, how he got the ring, how excited he was. I was very excite to tell my family.

Little did I know Mike had that all planned out too. My friend sent me a text message seeing if we wanted to meet them for a drink and watch some basketball. Yeah I'm in for that. We get to Riverfront Pizza and I'm trying to look for her and then I see Brandon, and then Mike's cousin and then my friend Sue from Chicago. WHAT! All of our good friends and our family that could be there was there. Yes I did cry as soon as I saw everybody. I couldn't believe they were all there to celebrate this event. It was truly touching.

We are ridiculously happy.

Productivity

It's warmer outside, the snow has melted, the stock market is going up, girl scout cookies have arrived and I no longer have a cold. It's a very good start to the week. I have also been keeping a couple of my new years resolutions, to stay on top of my freelance work and to work on designing new bags.

I've been able to tackle and turnaround freelance projects much faster and get paid quicker. It's a good situation because my clients are happy and I am turn in happy. Before I had so much freelance I wasn't able to get to it when I needed to and projects could go on for months. Many of my clients are non-profits who don't have big budgets for web design or print design so I work within their budget, but the other day a client mentioned I should charge more for my work. I have to say that felt really good hearing that.

Since beginning of February I have been indulging in my other love, recycling. I have so much donated fabric in my Wauwatosa basement and in my West Bend sewing room that it seriously needs to go somewhere. It has been a kick in the pants to start working on some newly design handbags. After experimenting with zippers, rivets and pockets I've put together a few samples. The response from my purse loving friends has been exciting. Right now I'm currently working on very small purses or wristlets and a larger clutch version. Now I just have find a zipper supplier and fix one of my sewing machines and then I'll be sewing sewing sewing....with some freelance mixed in.