In our last episode.....

... we left our heroine (me) desperately searching for a job, studying for the Foreign Service, watching the World Cup and getting ready to move house (that part you may have not known about).

As you know, the Germans lost to Spain (stupid Octopus) taking third when it was all over. They had some great team members this year: Klose, Mueller and Oezil - and my other favorite Schweinsteiger (because you know it is a fun name to say). It was shame to see the team captain Ballack out on the wounded listed.

As for the FSWE, I did not pass (again). I knew it the second I finished the multiple choice, which is such a shame because my essay rocked! It was a topic that was catered to me – could have argued it any which way and I felt I could have given a solid, grammatically correct short essay. But they do not grade the essay unless you pass the multiple choice. I didn’t even bother to ask what my score was this year. I knew that I had failed and that was that. I decided to take this June off and will sit for the exam this fall (2011).

By end of last summer we had moved into a large house with my brother and spent a fabulous week’s vacation with my sister’s family at OBX.


This year I was able to plant a garden! (I know I kill things but we shall see how it goes – that is if the damn deer don’t eat it all first!)



And what about my job situation? After almost 8 years, Jacqui decided to sell Woolwinders. It was obvious her heart was not into it anymore as she had started a new amazing business that was meant to be a side thing, but really took off. Paige, one of the teachers and employees made an offer Jacqui and Lew could not refuse. She bought the store, remodeled and opened an all new Woolwinders one month later. The store is beautiful! It is a different atmosphere but still a beautiful place to shop and visit. During this time I was offered two jobs, one of which was sort of of out of the blue as it was something that I had interviewed for 2.5 previous and had heard nary a word. The other was a job at another yarn store as a part-time manager, which I WOULD HAVE LOVED!!!!! But alas, medical benefits and larger salary came in to play – even Fritz and my brother were sad for me since they knew how much I really wanted the yarn shop gig to begin with.

All things work out for the best! On August 10th I began my training as a store manager for one of the 2 major fabric chains in the country. I don’t plan to ever link to it or say its name because I know they troll the internet (like all bosses these days) to see what their employees might be saying about them. It's the one that is less craft more fabric.Yes, it says it on my Facebook account and I will leave it at that.

The initial downside of the job was that I was offered the store in Leesburg, VA – 50 miles away – not the one in Gaithersburg only 13 miles away. I had a beautiful remodeled store with a fabulous crew (minus an assistant manager) that I hand-picked and it was a breeze – almost no customers really. But then I got my wish and as of February 28th I was moved to the crazy, insane, floor falling apart Gaithersburg store and I LOVE IT!!! More than half my crew is Spanish speaking to go with more than half my spanish speaking customer base. I have been learning to understand a lot of sewing-Spanish.

No more 15 hours of commuting a week and less money spent on gas and no toll road! More time spent with Max and I was able to plan his fabulous Robot themed 4th birthday party!
That is another post for another time (and I promise there will be more other times now that I have caught up with my life – almost)

OLE OLE OLE OLE OLE OLE OLE

IT IS WORLD CUP FEVER here in my home...well only in my sewing room as Mr. Fritz is not a football aka soccer fan. So silly of him.

Watching the first match as I type, getting ready for my second shot at the FSOT/FSWE this afternoon...oy!

For those who may not care about the Beautiful Game but want to know if they look good or not, read here.

And in crochet news - if you are free this sunday and in the neighborhood, come check out my Sunday in the Salon at Woolwinders:

Ten years ago today!!!

Happy Anniversary Fritz!

(if you would like to know how we got here, read here)

btw: WORLD CUP IN ONE WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How to find a job -

This is my new approach to finding a job:

DEAR SIR OR MADAM:

LOOK AT ME! LOOK AT ME!

This is how I feel I should start all my cover letters when applying for a job!

LOOK AT ME!!!! I really want this job. I would not be wasting your time with my whack costume designer/ costume shop management resume/retail experience if I really did not want to work for your organization. I have no interest in killing myself time and time again, getting my hopes up even, about a position I didn’t think I was qualified for and capable of doing.

LOOK AT ME! Why would I spend all this time and energy researching your organization and what you are about if I really did not want to be there? Do you actually read these cover letters? Do you see that I am trying to tell you about how I want a career in International something or other so I can go into the Foreign Service? Did you not notice the whole “has experience working overseas” bit or the “years of management and über-multi-tasking” bit or that this applicant and speaks another language and would happily take on 5 more if it meant I had the job?

LOOK AT ME! And what about the fact that you have posted this job *3 times* in the last 9 months? If you did not like my resume the first or second time, why did you tell me to apply again? Why don’t you send an email, postcard or voicemail and tell me you are not interested? Why, when I call to confirm that you have received my information, you tell me to call back as you are just too busy to check? And when I call back at the time and date you proposed, you get snippy with me? (See, you *do* need and assistant – you are overworked and need someone to help you get it done.)

Now here, let me hem those pants for you as they are a bit too long.

Call me!

Thank you for your time,

Marietta AFGH


PS Check out my cute new hair!

Roadblock

Just over 3 months since I last blogged. ACK! It is a disgrace in the land of blogging, I know.

Sad – pathetic even! (Imagine Snagglepuss saying that)

What was I doing? You really want to know?

Well let’s take a look in the life of me in pictures:


Studying for the FSOT (and did not pass - barely - there is always next year)



Knitting


Jan’s wedding (for which I sewed the veil and made my own dress to wear – but no good pics yet)


Max looking cute in suit



Me sitting on couch



Okay that last one is obviously Daddy and Max on the couch. I admit - I am vain and any pictures of me sitting on the couch other than the one of the cool hair and studying for an exam, are absolutely horrendous!
Although that last one is mostly what I have been doing. Theatre is quiet in the summer and the lack of work has turned me into a non-creative couch potato.
No bueno.

The lack of employment is very frustrating. Financially and creatively.

I know. I know. Many of you might think to yourselves that this would be a perfect opportunity to use my time wisely and market myself more or become more creative and more productive. Maybe sew more for myself or Max or others even…..

Ummmmm…… not so much. I think that it is hard for those who have creative jobs to become more creative in these times. This is one of those moments that I am considering taking the other fork in the road and becoming more businesslike in my endeavors. I find it hard to create when the thing that has kept me in the black is the thing that is keeping me from getting a job.

There seems to be a roadblock in the employment department.

That roadblock is the so often heard phrase of “But you’re an artist….” or “But you work in the arts why would you want to work in an office?”
The second roadblock is my résumé and those who see it in a professional/non-theatrical setting.

I have an amazing résumé. (Of course I believe this :) afterall, it is MY résumé.) It just seems to me that the word THEATRE has been written in N1H1 flu ink or something and very few look past the titles and not see what I have actually accomplished. It is possible that I haven’t been clear enough. I have had some really good friends look at it for me and offer some brilliant advice on how to change the language and style a bit. Which I think has helped.
It doesn’t help that more than 10% of the country is out of work (I believe it is more than 15% due to those who have stopped looking for work are no longer on the official register and there are those like me who are “self-employed” artist types who are not eligible for unemployment based on your State’s unemployment laws). There are many talented people looking for work…so I know I am not the only one.

And maybe discussing this on my knitting blog is not one of my better ideas….but if the employers find this post then they must be truly interested in me and want to know who I am. Basically, they Googled :). There are some fabulous ‘made for Marietta’ type jobs out there (Museums and companies who deal with Language training…department of commerce is also very interesting to me …maybe going back to school?)….alas……

On a positive note (there are some good things here): I AM spending more time with Max, who is ridiculously cute, and I have been working more at the yarn store this fall and teaching a new Safari class on Saturday mornings.

I am also looking into teaching workshops at a local Art Co-op as well as teaching knitting and crochet at MC to students who have developmental disabilities - expanding on my experiences of designing costumes for ArtStream (who I will be designing for again spring 2010).


So it is not all bad.

Spring Cleaning

i know, i know - another month has gone by and i haven't blogged.

It isn't that i don't want to - it is just that there doesn't seem like there is much of anything to share. Nothing exciting I guess....i think i am in a bit of a slump.

I was so crazy busy for so long and now everything seems to be in a big long pause...and the work is not coming in as regularly as i would have liked ...but that means i have time to take on this disaster:

and make it look like this:

It may not seem perfectly clean - but there has been more labeling and organization going on which *is* making it easier for me to use my space again.

One of the things i seem to be taking on is bridal alterations. It is that season after all!

And i spend alot more time with Max. He is talking so much! And he is a dancing cheesehead :)


I really need to take some pictures of the items i have been working on - a sweater for Max, more crocheted toys, and a gift for my friend Jess.

One of the new and crazy things in my life is the time and energy that I am putting into a possible career change. It would be a huge change...not theatre at all. I think the last 6 years fried me a bit. I am loving the new groups that I am working for, but I have lived this dream for almost 20 years, why not live another?

2

2 years since my dad'd passing
2 weeks until Max's 2nd birthday
2 shows i am designing in
2 different states
2 weeks until they both begin tech
2 weeks since one of my best friends went into the hospital for chemo
2 days a week at the store
2 fat kitties on the couch
2 days a week in german class
2 very important men (one big, one small) in my life

2 many projects on the needles and under the sewing machine
2 much time spent on facebook

Why can't i sleep at night?

The last few months have been crazy and ridiculous and not filled with much sleep.
After much deliberation and stress, I decided that it was time to leave my full time gig.

You are thinking:
Marietta! In this economy? Are you daft girl?

Well, my answer is:
duh! of course i am stupid!

But (because there is always a but) I have been ...unhappy in my job for awhile. And not really unhappy, just needing to do the next thing. Needing to move on and grow as a costumier (pretentious SAT word) and develop other mad skills (like how to type and spell) Or verbesser the Deutsch
Financially, I'm screwed - and really who isn't right now? But (because there is another but) mentally I will be happy as a clam (...do clams smile?)

As i mentioned in an earlier post, part of my reasoning was for this guy:


(Max as Luke Skywalker Halloween 2008 - and, no, he does not have a light saber. A light saber is a prop, not a costume. Props fall under Daddy's domain and Daddy did not get his prop)

The other reason is because of Fritz - who we shall now refer to as MR. Fritz :)
Here is Mr. Fritz's First Day of School picture:


Now here is his 2nd day of school picture:


Getting up at 5:30 am does not make Mr Fritz pleasant - nor does a nagging wife who wants a picture.

Fritz of the tshirt and jeans is now Mr Fritz of the shirt, tie, jacket and Dockers. He is now a High School Teacher of Technical Theatre.

My plan is a little vague at the moment - but I will be freelancing in the theatre world and in the knitting world a bit more.
Since September, I have built costumes for 3 shows at work, 1 dance company, 1 small opera, 1 high school show, another dance company assisting a broadway designer and building costume for another theatre on the other side of town. There might be something that I am forgetting.....

oh and raising a baby.

side note: yes i voted!!!! and i the lines were crazy long and i am thrilled i helped make history! i am really looking forward to the next four years and no, i idid not like what Michelle Obama was wearing on election night. So far that was the the only one total miss out of all her campaigning outfits.

Halloweens past cont'd

So fast-forward approximatley 10 years and here I am in HighSchool as Dorothy from the Wizard of OZ. My mom made the dress from a table cloth found at a community theatre's garage sale. The shoes were something in my closet that i painted red and then glittered the hell out of them. And it was DAMN-COLD! so i had to wear a turtle neck.
Now what the heck am i holding in my right hand?....oh! i think it was supposed to be a picture of Auntie Em and Uncle Henry.....i think.....