Call Me, Maybe?

"Call Me, Maybe?" is my guilty pleasure song of the moment...

My life has been quite the whirlwind these past few days; after recovering from my horrible sunburn, I once again took to the coast to cheer my two younger brothers on as they played in their first lacrosse tournament with their summer select teams.  It was lots of fun to watch my brothers play and hang out with my usually MIA sixteen year old sister.  Both of my brothers and their teams played pretty well, with both teams playing a combined total of ten games over the course of the weekend.  Now, ten games sounds like a lot of cheering and watching on my parents', my sister's, and my parts, but luckily, three games for each happened simultaneously on adjacent fields.  We would just set up our folding lounge chairs in the middle of both fields and run back and forth between the two, screaming and cheering and booing and shrieking at both games rather equally.  Though we got to equally support both of my brothers, it was one of the most confusing experiences ever, and none of us were ever able to keep track of the respective scores.

My family had lots of fun hanging out at the hotel too; we got to chill and bond over "How I Met Your Mother" and the ever-quotable classic Mean Girls, while also getting to relax in the hotel's pool and hot tub (...well, my sister and I sang a lot while in the pool and hot tub).  It was a fun, carefree, and necessary weekend.

The one problem with going back to the coast after a mere few days of being there and only a week after a nine hour round trip to the wedding I attended was that in the course of ten days, I had traveled in a car for a 23.5 hour total.  Though that sounds rather impressive, I really, really HATE car rides and the intermediate travel from place to place.  I abhor traffic and bridges and lonely countryside roads more than most things in this world; I just don't have the patience to deal with them, particularly in excess as I have, and bridges (or falling off them) are my worst nightmare.  I am also TERRIFIED of developing blood clots, especially since my dad had blood clots in his leg and go through his heart and lungs less than two years ago.  They got so bad since my family took a LOT of car trips that summer; apparently, long car rides without a lot of walking around and circulation cause blood clots to form and grow more and more severe.  I am so paranoid about getting them that I would get out and jog and stretch every time we stopped.  I am definitely planning a break from road tripping for the next few weeks at least.

If all goes as I hope though, I won't have time or energy for any other big vacations this summer.  I have been unemployed since I have returned home from my sophomore year of college; I did have a work-study music library position all school year, but that unfortunately ended for the summer.  Thus, even since before I moved back home for the summer, I have been desperately seeking a job.  I have filled out more online applications than I have even dared to count, but so far, this has been to no avail.  Most of the places that provide opportunities near my house are full or have limited themselves to hiring only those with "previous retail experience".  Considering that my previous jobs have been in a hair salon and day spa, an amusement park dancer, and in a music library, I don't exactly fit the bill.  However, I don't understand how I can ever gain retail experience if retailers will not hire me because I lack it.  Oh well.

Today, I decided to be super proactive about my job hunt and went to the mall (about 20 minutes away) with my boyfriend (who also is in need of a summer job).  We made our rounds throughout the mall, focusing on all of our favorite stores, as well as stores that we've never been to but think look really cool.  I was shocked and slightly disappointed with how many of the shops still utilized paper applications over online ones; I thought that everywhere was trying to go green.  After gathering quite a thick sheaf of applications, we made our way over to our favorite little artsy cafe in the downtown historic district.  A grilled cheese, green tea, hand cramps, and a few hours later, we had both completed a substantial number of applications and made our way back to the mall and turned in our applications.  I got really lucky and scored an interview at one of my favorite clothing stores for Thursday!  I was super excited and now I cannot WAIT for Thursday to come.  Fingers crossed that I get this (or ANY other) job!

One more thing: today at the mall, I exchanged a too-long maxi dress from the always lovely Forever 21 for this adorable, fashionably professional, ikat print pencil skirt:

Ikat Pencil Skirt- $17.80

Since my usually style is pretty casual, I plan to wear this to my interview on Thursday, as well as other (hopefully) potential interviews yet to come in the world of fashion retail.  I love how this skirt is a playful take on a classic silhouette, and I believe that it will help convey my sense of style and fun-loving nature to potential future employers.  Check back soon for a variety of ways to style this uniquely fun skirt!  In the meantime, I will be anxiously waiting for my phone to ring...

Love, Leaza