a day in the life.

Many of you may be wondering, what IS it like to live a day in the shoes of Mary Campbell, (worst. blogger. ever.)? Well, my friends, in celebration of the fact that I just purchased a digital camera with my GF that is both portable and takes video footage, I am going to invite you into what was an exciting, adventurous day for me, yesterday, the 28th of December.

It started with coffee....well, sort of...it started with my graceful GF spilling my perfect Caribou latte on the Creative Loafing...a piece of local literary genius. Luckily, I have a pretty good sense of humor plus I wear burn resistant drawers so no harm was done. After that, we headed off to PepBoys auto shop were a gas cap was purchased and I bought some tear gas...for my safety. Watch out midtown, I am now armed with rapist-repellent. After this exciting journey, we went to the mall. GF needed some makeup so we visited the local Clinique counter where some face beautifier was purchased...after this, we visited the restroom where we rested, I dried my hands with the paper toliet-seat protectors and GF forgot her recently purchased makeup in the restroom stall...only to be realized and hour later. We then headed to Banana Republic to check out the sales and I tried on a really sweet hat that was a mere $130.00. When I start making the green, watch out people...I am going to be on the edge of fashion. After that, we made our way to the food court where we feasted on Atlanta's finest culinary delights: make-shift lebanese food. At about 2 hours, my mall-tolerance begins to wane and we decided that departing from this cultural treat would be in our best interest...plus, it was getting late and we still had plans on playing tennis. I haven't played tennis in a while, but still managed to hang on to my tennis skirt from high school...I used to play a lot...and, as you can see, my game face is still pretty serious. I was definitely a force to be reckoned with, though my GF and her more zen-inspired moves did give me a run for my money. Today, however, I am suffering from some minor sports injuries including a hurt right butt cheek, a sore forearm, and blisters on my hands and feet. I will probably not require any medical care, but flowers, candy or singing telegrams are always welcome. I feel pretty certain I will be recovered and ready for another match pretty soon. Please stay tuned. After this, we went to Taqueria del Sol for dinner with Audrey. She left for New York today and we had to have some chips and salsa and a celebratory margarita to send her off appropriately. Dinner was fun, we advised Audrey on New York fashion, being careful of people who might slip a *mickey* in her drink in the big city and the fun of eating knish (an Eastern European snack food popular in Jewish communities. A knish consists of a filling covered with dough that is either baked or fried. Knishes can be purchased from street vendors in urban areas with a large Jewish population, sometimes on a hot dog stand). Afterwards, we took some fun pics in the parking lot. I wanted to do the *prom pose* with Audrey which is why I have the silly expression on my face. I also enjoy making bunny ears behind people when I take photos with them. That is something that, in my book, never gets old. The day ended with watching the movie Dumb and Dumber and a video interview with the new camera. Film footage to be debuted soon.

5 things.

Tagged From Debbie Millman
5 things you may not know about me (or want to).
1. When I was in high school, I dated a boy named Butch. You can imagine the irony of this for me as grown woman who now dates women.
2. I love junk. I have a borderline obesession. Thrift stores, discount *outlets*, salvation army stores, garage sales...any place that I could potentially unearth a priceless treasure.
3. As a kid I dreamed of being a veterinarian. I also wanted to live on a farm. As an adult, I have dreamed of being an actor, artist and teacher.
4. When I was a kid and my parents and I would drive across country on a road trip, I would search the night sky for UFOs...sometimes, I still do.
5. I LOVE trashy magazines like US Weekly, INtouch, and other periodicals that consist mostly of celebrity pictures.

Hard Candy Christmas.

Well, it's nearly Christmas...I am in Baton Rouge, with my family and they are all sick.

Great. Maybe I'll get a virus for Christmas.

So far, it's been a pretty uneventful trip. I've seen my friends, eaten too much food and had riveting conversations with my parents about what I am going to do when I finish school. My mother has, all of a sudden, developed this anxiety about the *demographics* of Atlanta. She is worried that I will not get a job because an equally qualified minority candidate might get it instead.

What?

I've never worried about this at all. I would like to get a job based on my merits, skills and talent...I pretty much feel like the right opportunity will present itself to me. But hey, she's a mom...it's her job as a conservative, republican white woman to worry about the aggressive minority population stealing opportunities away from the poor, disadvantaged white, upper-middle class, educated females of the world.

Alas, it is Christmas...the season for love, laughter, giving, and, most of all, tolerating family.

Happy Holidays everyone!

White and Nerdy.

Sometimes I feel like this. White. And. Nerdy.

WTF???

Click on the above to read.
I found this in the AJC this Sunday.
Here is the Left Behind website if you are curious for more info. Even I don't know what to say about this....

opportunity.

Well, I just completed 6th quarter....

Whew...

ONE (count em', o-n-e) quarter of *real classes* left. How time flies. Aud leaves for NYC for her 7th quarter and I will be without my design sidekick for the next 3 months. That sucks. I will be recruiting for a temporary sidekick for the next 3 months...an internship, if you will...please let me know if you are interested. Duties include inhaling compressed air, listening to my philosophical rants about the meaning of life, love and design, making sure my type is kerned properly and leaving pics of my celebrity crushes on my door. It's really quite the opportunity, if you ask me.

LOCUS

Here are some pics and a blurb (see below) of my big project this quarter....LOCUS.

In a post 9/11 world, we crave community, connection and intimacy with our friends and families. We are more fully aware of the transient nature of life and value our time and the quality of our experiences more than ever.
Locus strives to create an environment where people can spend time alone or enjoy time with friends and, additionally, take advantage of local and regional art, poetry readings and other cultural events.
Locus provides this third environment for individuals who want, not only a sense of community and a place to socialize, but also an opportunity to participate in the arts while still in a relaxed and comfortable environment.

Wanna Wrestle?

Hell yeah I wanna wrestle!!!
So, I found this on MY front door the other day while on my way to school...I wonder who could have put that on my door? Could it be my sneaky neighbor, Audrina? I may never know. Anywho...this is Mariska Hartigay...she is the female detective on Law and Order's SVU...and she is my number 1 celebrity crush.
Happy Tuesday Everyone.

Red Dog, Yard Explorer.

So, my GF (girlfriend) has a kick ass backyard that my beagle enjoys inspecting in detail. I thought, the other day, he might benefit from having a spelunker's headlamp to help him navigate the dense brush...plus, he tends to get lost frequently and has really poor listening skills...this may help us keep tabs on him.

Holidaze.

I have never been particularly good at letting go. Historically, I have been relatively rotten at it...life has a tendency to soften our edges and we find that we grow in ways we never thought possible when we are open to the lessons and open to the changes. For me, that has meant a struggle to be open to the absences, open to the losses that we incur along the way. To feel a void is always the most difficult because there is often an impulse to want to fill it...to make it whole again...and, sometimes, we simply have to be in the presence of absence. We have to sit in it, absorb it, allow ourselves to heal. I have learned the hard way that avoidance of this process only creates a stockpile of unresolved pain and emotion. There is no particular reason that I write this blog today...other than the fact that the holidays always remind me of who is in my life that is important. Perhaps, this year, I realize that sometimes the most important people to us are no longer a part of our day to day life. Feeling that void and also, understanding that we get to keep the gift of their love, their beauty, the mark they make on our heart...well, it makes things seem a little sweeter.

studio week.

Studio week is here. I really cannot believe that I am at the end of my second to last quarter at PC. This has been a most bizarre quarter...I'm ready for it to be over...I have hit a saturation point with my work, my attitude, my motivation and I am tapped out. I just want a break...to be away from all of it. I know I'll get past this funk and it is all part of the process (blah blah blah) but for now, this is where I am. I think it is time for an adventure completely unrelated to the world of design...a change of scenery...as much as I love and crave routine, I am yearning for a break from it. I want to see something new. I want to see something other than Peachtree Road and the walls of my apartment. I don't know what that is, but I know I want a change. I have a tendency to hyper-focus and push push push myself...then I hit a wall. I am face to face with that wall right now. I have no choice but to get through it and do my work regardless, but I fully intend to get into some sort of trouble over my break that will, hopefully, breathe new life into my soul.