Friday Five

Happy Friday, everyone! We made it! It's been quite a busy week even for the unemployed. I feel like I have been cranking out a lot of "business" all week.  This is actually a super happy Friday -- I've received a formal offer letter this morning for the job I was really hoping to get an offer on.  I went for my final meeting Wednesday morning and they shocked me by pretty much calling me within the hour with a verbal offer.  I'm a couple weeks from a start date -- they are now vetting me like crazy with background and I still have a feeling I'm going to have to promise my unborn child to them at some point.   Oh well. I guess it is just part of the process to make sure I'm not crazy.  Let's hope that nothing bounces back because hey -- I just announced I got a job. We don't want this to end in tragedy. 

1.  As mentioned above -- formal offer letter received today.  I really can't even believe how this job came about.  I am actually going to transition out of claims handling and work for a broker.  I have all the feelings this week. 

2. In other news I am a super "girly girl" and I have ordered this as new office wear and maybe First Day of Incredible New Job Outfit.  It's on super sale this weekend online at J. Crew Factory.  It is pink and has capped sleeves.  I don't know what's not to love. 

//buy here//

3.  Can I just take a moment and say how amazing Unemployment 2014 has been? And not even because I haven't had to go to work for a few weeks.  This reflection is ultimately complete amazement and gratitude to have had such a great reminder of all the loving, supportive, faithful, and positive people I have surrounding me in my life.  I love all of you. Every comment, phone call, and pep talk has meant the world to me. 

4.  I am seriously newly obsessed with La Croix sparkling water.  It gets me through the day and keeps me full so I can fit into a wedding dress.  I really have no idea if it's actually healthy or not but you can't win 'em all. 

5.  Also filed under things I probably should eat but that I love -- frozen taquitos. May every Thursday be Taquito Day in the future. 

~the single gal~ 

Interview Recap

Interviews are hard.  While they usually ask a lot of the same questions no one interview is ever the same.  Therefore we enter my favorite thing -- expecting the unexpected.  I actually didn't have to interview for my last two claims jobs because hey, I'm truly that awesome so  I really hadn't done this in a while.  Not to mention these two interviews were really a big sales pitch about  how I can transition into another career that I may not have as much direct experience in as someone else.  So there is extra stress.  I have to say, I did feel pretty prepared.  I wrote out answers prior to going to a number of questions they may ask and even though they didn't ask many of them I still am glad I did it.  I do feel like I talked too much.  I tried so hard to cut myself off but I can't do it when I am nervous I have some disease where I feel the need to fill the space. 

Interview One 

This one was definitely the hardest of the two.  I met with 5 different people  and it lasted about 4 hours.  Tough.  Also it didn't start until 1 p.m. so I had plenty of time to get freaked out before I even got there.  Needless to say I really was pretty exhausted afterwards.  Again, really had to sell myself and also answer some of the same questions over and over again.  I really worry that I wasn't specific and that I was so nervous my hands were clammy when met with each person.  This job is a toss up.  It would be an incredible opportunity but also a pretty stressful transition for me in that I would have to learn a ton probably my first 20 months there.  The one good thing was that I had previously worked in the same office with the first person I met with so she was fun to talk to and was able to get me into the grove for the rest of them.  If you need good sample questions just Google a bunch of articles on Forbes.  I found them super helpful. 

Outfit: Black tweed blazer from Forever 21, red JCrew blouse and black pencil skirt.  I wasn't thrilled about it. I felt like I was trying to go out for UGA Homecoming. 

Interview Two 

This interview was more fun.  I felt a good fit and really liked the people I met. Not to say the Thursday peeps were bad but this just felt more natural and the position was an easier sell. Also, I loved their big beautiful building in Buckhead.  I was a little taken aback because the VP I met with was fairly young, really nice, and really tall.  OK and maybe nice looking.  I already feel like I struggle a lot with eye contact in interviews.  When can I look away? I want to appear very interested and connected...but I worry that I just come off as SUPER CREEPY GIRL THAT STARES and feel this especially happened with the nice looking VP guy.  I met two other people -- I thought they were super.  I want to feel really hopeful about this one.  I thought it went really well other than the fact that I realized halfway through I was perspiring like whoa.  

The Outfit: On Fridays we wear pink.  Bright pink sleeveless shell, black tweed blazer, black pencil skirt.  I loved it.  It made me happy. 

After this last one I decompressed at yoga and came straight home to get through those awkward thank you notes.  Really loved that the people from interview #2 actually took the time to write a quick note back! 

So, hopefully in the next two weeks I'll be posting some gif of Sally Field's, "You like me, you really like me" Oscar speech and drinking all the wine and doing dances around the house with a job offer.  

Weekend Round Up

Hello! Happy Weekend! Just wanted to check in and round out (up?) this week and see what we have going for this last full week in March.  How is it the end of March already? Was it not just time to ring in the new year?! Where is the time going? Seriously. 

Last week was really nice! We marked some items off the wedding list.  I guess that big stuff most people nail down in the first month. It took us about two.  Whoops. We have a signed contract with our wedding/reception venue! It took some back and forth but I appreciate the restaurant we chose working with us for the ceremony.  Made my life so much easier (well, 3 Putt's too because WOW all the arguments) and I feel like we are super on track with our budget.  We also know from Wednesday's post I got the dress jitters out last Monday.  And now since the ceremony/dinner is finalized I can email the photographer this week and finalize our contract with her.  Once I order my dress I think I can relax until June.  

Other stuff...I do want to get up an interview post this week.  Not that I know everything but I do want to recap and link some things I found helpful (yay internet) and awkward.  I closed out the week strong in stress, hope, and perspiration.  And now we have the waiting game! Enter me starting a bonkers home project because I need something to occupy my mind and the best way to do that is keep my hands busy.  Legit taking a trip to Home Depot today. 

This week is about trusting and breathing.  I've done all I can for the job stuff that was on the horizon.  Let's keep our heads down and our eyes on the prize for the last week of March.  

~the single gal~

Missing The Old Routine

I know I have interviews this week but wow -- this weekend I may have had a mini-meltodown. While being off for a month and taking my vacation was pretty nice I'm pretty ready not to see the house all day every day anymore.  I really think the dogs are even tired of seeing my face.  They probably want their old routine back -- and guess what? So do I.  Also, I usually am working while I am faced with an interview slot.  So while I am glad to have plenty of time to prepare I am also having plenty of time to over-think them and get super freaked out and nervous about life.  Finding a job is a slow process. I knew that would be the case but telling yourself things and living them are sometimes two different things.   Anyway, I cried a bit this weekend and ate my feelings in copious amounts of peanut butter and am trying to focus on things at hand, not what may happen in 1 week, 1 month, or 1 year.  I just can't wrap my brain around anything else right now.  

That's all I have for today!

~the single gal~

High and Low

This week has also been full of highs and lows (again).  3 Putt and I are still working on combining assets and feeling out living together.  It has been really nice but definitely have had some biting remarks and a rocky start to a morning here and there.  I guess we still have to get used to each other and I will always vote that we don't keep the plastic Flora-Bama beer pitcher no matter how many good memories were made there doing God knows what.  In other news I sometimes offer what I think may be helpful advice during a task that is taken the wrong way or maybe I say it the wrong way.  So there's that, too. 

As far as a high we got really good news from our wedding restaurant about letting us come in early for a quick ceremony and I have two interviews with great companies that would transition my career scheduled for next week.  I would continue to squeal with joy but I'm scared shitless. Seriously.  I am.  At least I am trying to be brave and get outside of my comfort zone. I hear that's what life is all about.   

Another high --  it's been a super productive week here at the house and I am excited to say that thanks to 3 Putt we threw up a gallery wall downstairs and I think it looks super cute.  But then again it's my house and I love my house.  

On a low note the one time The Housewife got away to blog this week #1 left her room at nap time and destroyed The Housewife's carpet by rubbing a lot of her expensive makeup in it. Super sads.  Let's all thank Housewife for her sacrifice.  She is accepting Sephora gift cards. 

//all the little notes on all the potential jobs//

//crafting with the Housewife the last two weeks. hey curtains.//

//presents to celebrate our cousin's wife to be//

//bathroom stuff i love at Target!//

//gallery wall prep//

//gallery wall (!!!)//

//baby bar area under gallery wall. happies!//

//started "the little friend" by donna tartt//

//pugs don't like selfies. word.//

How is your week? 

~the single gal~