Fan Friday: Super Bowl Commercials

So, I'm a Falcons fan + there is absolutely zero chance of my dirty birds making it anywhere near the Super Bowl this year -- unless we're talking highlights of the last time the Broncos were in the Super Bowl (which was also played the weekend after my birthday...) So as far as I'm concerned this year it's about the snacks, drinking games (like this winner Venus came up with), + the commercials.

Also I don't think I care who wins this year either -- if the Broncos win I'll be pumped for Peyton + Knowshon. If the Seahawks win, I'll be pumped for their first Super Bowl win + those fun colors they have. Win Win for me!

It's been easily 5 or so years since this was a Super Bowl Commercial -- but for some reason it's still my absolute favorite.

burritos at 4 am parties that never end and and and twiiiiiiins 

Oh man. I was going to write up about how much it costs vs. the possible reward of purchasing a Super Bowl ad but when I googled to find the actual rate they were going for this year I found this article that has like ALL of the Super Bowl ads for this year (um. spoiler much?) but I stopped with Ellen because she used my logic "it's my birthday + it's my show so I get to do what I want." So we have an early frontrunner for my favorite commercial.

Linking up with Venus because Fan Friday!

I REALLY Want To Be Selfish.... But..

Today is my birthday. We're not going to talk about how old I am -- because I refuse to admit I passed 22. There's also a crippling snowstorm gripping the entire state. Which also isn't unusual for my birthday.

I probably caused this snowstorm -- let's be for real. Every. Single. Time. I make birthday plans it snows, or it freezes, or there is some outrageous storm that keeps me from celebrating. Then I can't even be sad or grouchy or any kind of a brat about it because there are people who have been in their cars for over 24 hours + people who weren't as lucky as me to be home, drinking beer, next to a fire last night.

Lucy is mid-air at this point...

I'm using this platform to be outrageously, incredibly selfish because if I use any other form of social media I will feel guilty, people will judge me.

All I wanted for my birthday was a job, to go to Sweetwater + dinner with my friends tonight. Big loud rowdy 25th birthday -- right? Outrageous. Mother Nature had so many other plans + I am just thankful that our neighborhood watering hole was open because it's a family place + the family can walk to the restaurant.

On that note -- I learned they make a cinnamon flavored tequila + I urge anyone + everyone who doesn't know that it's cinnamon flavored to stay away. I will enjoy the occasional Fireball whiskey (+pick a fight -- one day I'll explain how whiskey makes me pick fights rather than "frisky" like Luke Bryan says) but I was expecting a tequila shot -- they even gave me salt + a lime. Moral of this story -- don't drive in Georgia snow + don't drink cinnamon tequila.

Super Cheap Wine Cork Shadow Box DIY

So I've been seeing these shadow boxes full of wine corks with cheeky wine quotes on the glass. They're selling on Etsy for like. $75 -- I thought "oh, I could totally do that" so I searched pinterest for "wine cork shadow boxes" + found only the ones that you can buy already completed (side note -- I just did that same pinterest search + there are tons of how-to's now. Figures.)

So I started this project a little before I thought "hey! I could blog about this!" + you'll have to forgive me for the late start on photos. Anyways -- here's what you'll need:

-- top loading shadow box (I found mine at Michael's + it even had a picture of wine corks in it..)
-- rubbing alcohol
-- "all purpose paint" (I used a Martha Stewart pearl color that specifically mentioned use on glass)
-- paint brushes
-- print out of the quote you want + how you want it to look (I used "the best wines are the ones we drink with friends")
-- beer or glass of wine..

First, you need to "cure" the glass with alcohol. Which means you have to basically clean the surface with alcohol... not drink beer.

Wait, this isn't what you meant by cure with alcohol?

Then tape your "stencil" inside the box. This was the best idea I could have had (unless I had a Circuit machine, because then this would have been so much easier...) after that, I painted over the letters + let them dry about an hour between coats, added some wine corks I had on hand, + viola! 

When it is nice + full of wine corks, you won't be able to see that I didn't think about the cardboard on the back showing through when I started the project. I wish that it was a little smoother -- but I like that you can tell it's handmade + not something I dropped a lot of money for. I spent about $20 on the entire thing. 

While I didn't manage to get a picture of myself, my friend Laura (the recipient of said shadowbox), + our first bottle(s) of wine enjoyed to add corks to the collection -- I did end up with this one + it feels like a very fitting end to this short little DIY story. 

Margarita Monday!

I don't suppose I can call myself a margarita master without sharing my not even a little bit secret recipes. We'll start off what I'm assuming will be a long adventure in margaritas worth making with the basic + delicious margarita.

I never measure anything when it comes to my drinks. So if you're hoping for a one part tequila, two parts mix guide -- you came to the wrong place. Plus it's all in what you like. For me, I like the taste of tequila + hate paying for that margarita mix.

Here's what you'll need:
- tequila (I'm using Jose Cuervo Gold because that's what we have. Free is my favorite kind of drinks.)
- mix (again, using the free stuff I already have on hand -- when I'm buying I usually go for the cheapest version)
- orange liqueur (Grand Marnier is totally worth the money y'all. You only use a little so it goes a long way)
- fresh lime
- margarita salt
- two glasses (or I guess if you have one of those fancy shakers you only need one glass + said fancy shaker)

Okay! So first, fill the cup you're going to be drinking out of with ice (I also like to keep my tequila in the freezer because the colder the better).  Start with the tequila -- I like to have more than 1/3 tequila but less than 1/2 tequila. So math aside -- after the tequila fill the glass most of the way up with the mix leaving about a shot's worth of room in the glass.

Add a splash of your orange liqueur + using the other glass mix your margarita by pouring from one cup to the other. When you feel like the margarita is mixed -- leave it in the mixing cup + squeeze the lime wedge over your drink + run the lime wedge around the rim of your drinking glass to add salt. Pour your margarita into the cup, add an awesome straw, + enjoy!

Do you have a special type of margarita you love? I tried a pomegranate passion fruit something or other a couple weeks ago + I'm pretty sure it was so sweet it gave me a cavity...

Fan Friday: What's With All of the SEC Hate?

I may be a little bit biased, being a Georgia girl through + through -- but I think that there is some seriously misplaced hatred for the best conference in college football. I know plenty of people will argue that it's tall talk + there's nothing to back it up -- that's incorrect. I did a quick little search -- according to SDS there are 57 former SEC players in this weekend's AFC + NFC title games. FIFTY. SEVEN.

Plus we make awesome videos like this one:

One Dream from Georgia Football on Vimeo.

It's easy to hate a conference when they play harder than you in every game. When they recruit top athletes + have that obnoxious BCS Title Dynasty thing we had going on for so long. Even if Florida won some of those. I hate the gators -- but I will cheer for them to not lose if the other team isn't an SEC team. I did love this though:

via

I think the thing not SEC people hate the most is that we tend to stick together. When our team isn't in the big game -- you pick the SEC team in the big game (because let's be for real -- there usually is one). Apparently you're supposed to cheer for the other team. Which makes no sense to me -- wouldn't you want the team that beat you to end up being the best? Don't get me wrong -- I didn't want the end of the Georgia Auburn game to become legend -- but at the same time I didn't really want an ACC team to win the last BCS title.

I'm really looking forward to the whole playoff situation next season though. THAT should be interesting. Plus that whole replay in baseball thing -- 2014 is going to be an interesting year...

Doing Good: Race to End Homelessness

Photo via 

Being a sister in Delta Gamma drove home my ultimate desire to make the world a better place every day. It also gave me a motto to do it with. I've always had my career as a vehicle to do good but right now I want to take the chance to use the attention I'll get for my birthday to do the same. 

When I was with the Atlanta Braves -- I had the opportunity to work with the Atlanta Mission (visit their website here!) and see first hand the incredible work they do in the community. I was able to visit with women + children who's lives were being improved by those at the Mission. 

On January 25th I will be running in the Atlanta Mission 5k to End Homelessness. I have set a small fundraising goal of $100 to help + I'm asking for donations! Check out my fundraising page here! 

Free Agency Survival -- Or How to Survive Unemployment

Today is day 52 of Free Agency (I haven't quite decided if I should capitalize that or not...) and I'm still hopeful that a team will pick me up soon. That being said -- I have had a job since I was 15 years old. I have always worked + having all of this free time is new to me. To be honest? I'm incredibly bored. I apply for anywhere between 5 - 10 jobs every week but that's not nearly enough to keep me occupied. So here are some things that I have found help me get through the lull in activity.

Rediscover Your Pinterest Obsessions:
Remember when Pinterest first surfaced + you sat for hours scrolling through pins + planning dream weddings, setting outrageous fitness goals, pinning recipes you would never try but want people to think you're going to.


For example -- I have one titled Offseason Projects with tons of arts + crafts ideas that I've never had the time to do. I have the time now, but I can't guarantee I'll be successful with any of the projects. They're nice to imagine + you can spend hours on Pinterest...

Learn a New Hobby
Technically, this blog is my new hobby. I'm also stalking the internet for how-to tips on Photoshop + Web Design. I know the basics -- but I'm a little rusty. So the layout here will probably change on a weekly basis until I get something super fun. For example -- it took me like seven tries to make my "About Me" graphic one I liked..

See?

Work Out

I could completely + 100% spend my entire day laying in my bed eating cookie dough + getting fat. By that same logic -- I have no good excuse to not be physically active. I have all day to do whatever. I struggle a little bit with the whole home workout -- but I'm trying to wait out the "New Years Resolution" gym members. Instead I try these ridiculous workouts I find on -- you guessed it -- Pinterest.

obviously if it helps new mommies have better abs, it will help mine?

READ!

I have always been an avid reader -- but usually my reading is limited to poolside on rare off-days in the summer. Lately? Plenty of time to read! I read the entire Divergent series in three days. I highly recommend it even though it will break your heart. 

Originally when I started this post I was going to make lots of jokes -- like keep the liquor cabinet stocked because Jose Cuervo is always your friend, watch cartoons in your underwear, + other ridiculous things. Somehow it turned into something productive instead of funny. So there's that!

On Rejection

source

We're looking at day 49 of free agency, for those of you who maybe lost count. I have always had a very specific career goal -- I was always going to work in the Community Affairs department for the Atlanta Braves. That was always my end game.

When I graduated college there weren't any open forever positions with the Atlanta Braves -- so I started applying for other jobs. My senior year of college, before I even went to the PBEO job fair at Winter Meetings, I must have applied for 75 jobs (including the Trainee program). I probably heard back from ten of those teams, and interviewed with three over the phone. None of those teams ended up offering me a job (that's roughly a 13% success rate hearing back from teams, and a 4% success rate getting interviews) but they did suggest heading down to Winter Meetings.

I went to Orlando that year without knowing a single person who would be there. I wasn't sure if anyone I had worked with previously would be down there, I was on my own. Luckily I made friends the first day. While at Winter Meetings, I dropped off a solid 50 more copies of my resume, that's 125 job applications. I even applied for the Trainee program again while down there. I interviewed with teams, accepted a position I would later turn down, and eventually took a position completely across the country in California.

At the end of my year in California, it was clear I still wanted that job with the Braves. I applied for the Trainee program again and it was radio silence until my first day at my new job in Texas. I worked in Texas for a year before applying for the Trainee program again. The last time I applied I put all of my eggs in that basket. If it hadn't worked out my parents would have killed me. I gave up a perfectly good job to hopefully get my foot in the door in Atlanta.

Fast forward through what was probably the best and worst 11 months of my life, I'm right back where I started. Applying for job after job after job and hearing absolutely nothing until I get a generic rejection e-mail from TeamWork Online (TWICE. They always send me the e-mail twice). I've found that is the second worst type of rejection to receive. The worst kind? When you don't hear anything and then find out through the grapevine (ie, the team welcomes their newest staff members).

Long story short: I've been told "no" more times in my life than I've been told "yes" but I'm still an incredibly positive person absolutely sure that I will be an asset to any team that gives me a chance. That is the only way to deal with rejection like this. You take the entire process and learn from it. What can I do better in my next interview? How can I improve my cover letter to make my resume stand out? Can I improve on my resume? The best way to be rejected is by a real human being. Yes, it hurts, but it's a chance to ask those questions. More often than not, a hiring manager is more than happy to explain how you can improve for the next opportunity.

Sometimes you do absolutely everything right, you're qualified, you would kick ass at the job, and you absolutely rocked your interview -- but you still don't get the job because you're not a fit for the organization. That kind of rejection always hurts my heart, I think "I'm a great person + I would have blown that job out of the water, how could you not like me as a person?" It's absolutely nothing personal. It's not your fault and in the long run it's probably something to be thankful for. Even if you're the best possible candidate for something and you aren't a good fit for the organization you would be miserable. If you can't get along with the people you work with every day, you will not be happy.

Keep your head up, your dream job is out there + you're going to find it when the time is right.

Free Agency

Today, January 3rd, marks day 42 of my "free agency." It's a more positive way for me to say "in-between jobs" because I work in baseball (get it?)

I'm going absolutely insane. I take back every time I ever thought to myself "man, it would be nice to not have to work + just sit around in my pajamas all day" because all I want to do is fight with my alarm Monday morning, pour a terrible cup of coffee in the break room, and talk through the cube walls to my coworkers about how I'm ready for Opening Day already.

I recently finished the Trainee Program with the Atlanta Braves. It was an outstanding experience that I wouldn't trade for the world. That being said, the program ended and I went down to Baseball Winter Meetings for the PBEO Job Fair (hey, I blogged about those for MiLB here!) but I was thus far unsuccessful.

So right now I'm working on not spending every day moping and stalking the job boards. Hopefully I'll be able to make something out of this writing adventure and contribute something better than those viral lists of things "twenty somethings" need to do before they turn thirty (but right after they win the damn lottery..)

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