over the past few weeks, i had the privilege of interviewing high school students at indianapolis metropolitan high school (check out the new site — it’s looking very spiffy). this is why i love my job. i got to talk to these amazing students when they are right on the brink of starting life post-high school. they told me their dreams, why they’re thankful to have met the people they’ve met, and why they’re looking forward to the next step. so read on, because these kiddos give me hope.
back in the fall, i got to shoot with the wonderful britt franken. here is a sneak peek of some shots from the wedding. more to come soon!
so, you know when something is hanging over your head and it keeps getting bigger & bigger to the point where you just avoid it because it seems too overwhelming?
welcome to my blogging life for the past 6 months.
i’ve been hiding because i don’t feel like i’m even in a place where i know enough about my own life to blog about it. i’ve been in hiding because i don’t have a clear vision for what this blog is going to be. i’ve been hiding because i doubt whether or not i have any worthwhile insight to share. i’ve been in hiding because i fear becoming a cliché. now, i’m finally in a place where i am slowly, but surely, understanding that it is incredibly important to keep creating, keep moving, and keep writing. if you don’t ever create or give something a chance, then how will it ever become clear or whole?
i’ve lived a lot of life these past 6 months. let’s do a quick recap:
- i’ve continued to dive headfirst into this new beautiful city that i get to call home.
- i got to stand by one of my best friends on her wedding day. credit to gina meola photography for taking such beautiful, breathtaking photos. gina & marcus are the kind of photographers that i aspire to be. they are artistic, authentic, compassionate, and they leave a lasting impact on everyone they meet.
- i experienced Christmas in chicago for the very first time. enough said.
- i felt the full repercussions of my risky/brave/crazy/call-it-what-you-want decision of moving to chicago without a job or any job leads. i’ve decided to consider it a combination of all three. even though i’ve been in a limbo of uncertainty for the past few months, i am blessed beyond belief. i have two part-time jobs that i love with my whole heart. i work with amazing people. i feel valued & appreciated at both jobs (one working retail and one working for goodwill industries where i worked this past summer). maybe it’s not a full-time job. maybe there’s not long-term stability. but i am digging in and pushing myself to be the best i can be in these two jobs, while still keeping an open mind & an open heart to whatever may come next. is it hard to answer the question, “so, what do you do?” yes. did i have a minor freak-out when i realized that in five short months i will have graduated from college a year ago? yes. but this is where i am.
expect to see me around a lot more often. hold me to it.
getting a little more personal today. below is a letter from myself to the girls who now live in my college home, sunny & share (the house name. it’s a duplex and the left side is sunny side up and the right side is share the love. yes it’s brilliantly clever, we know). i lived with three amazing friends in sunny side up for my last two years of college. now, the four of us have graduated and moved on to live in different cities. some younger, dear friends have moved into our college home, and this is my letter to them of encouragement and lessons learned. i will forever look back on this season of my life with love, laughter, and the overwhelming feeling of being blessed beyond belief. enjoy!
the girls
the house
——————-
dear new sunny & share girls,
i am having very bittersweet feelings about this letter. for a few reasons:
a) i am beyond excited for you to live in this wonderful house that was a home to me for two years.
b) you are all incredibly special to me and i wish i could still be there and live with all of you (oh heyyyyyy everyone i’m back! don’t be surprised if it happens).
c) you girls moving in is the final step in the reality that we (myself and my three roomie counterparts) don’t live there anymore.
i have a few parting words of wisdom and love to send your way from my chicago apartment. side note – our sleeper sofa is always open. visitors would be MUCH appreciated!
cherish this time. sit back and soak in the lazy saturday mornings. make pancakes and a full pot of coffee and invite friends over. maybe you’ll be lucky enough to have some generous friends who will bring donuts from the oxford doughnut shoppe.
don’t take it for granted when one of your housemates is home and you have one-on-one time with her. talk to her, ask her questions about her day and life, don’t let these next two years slip by without ever truly knowing the wonderful women that you share space with – share life too.
as often as possible – spend weekend mornings all crammed onto one bed.
forgive each other, show grace to one another, but be honest. when dirty dishes are piling up and you’re about to tear your hair out – just have a conversation about it. you can be loving and direct at the same time. i promise.
a milkshake from UDF can cure oh so much – from study headaches to boy problems. i recommend the cookies & cream with chocolate milk. anddd my mouth is watering.
use your home to love and bless others. this was the number one thing that I loved about my other housemates and our vision for our home. from the beginning, we wanted our home to be a haven, for us or for anyone else. invite people over and welcome them with open arms. this is a precious season of your life where you have the space and the time to be a haven for others. do it. it will make all the difference.
i love you girls more than you know! and don’t forget to thank mitch. often. because he really is a great landlord – especially when its 12 degrees outside and it’s snowing and he shovels and salts the sidewalks and driveway. ahh what a SAINT!
you will all be in my thoughts and prayers this year. i’m always just a phone call / car ride away if you need anything!
love,
allie
I think it’s safe to say that my summer internship was different than most. I left my two-month Goodwill internship with hands-on job experience, portfolio pieces, and a newfound die-hard devotion to thriftiness.
I joke that working at Goodwill has made me a mainstream retail store snob. After looking at a $50 lamp at Target, I shake my head, laugh, and pass it by saying to myself, “I can find that at Goodwill for $4.” Maybe it’s an unintentional budgeting technique (a successful one at that).
Have you had a Pinterest party yet? It's the thing to do. The Goodwill Indy Interns took on a hefty project for their first Pinterest party - tufting. They both began strong, but in the end, Allie was the victor with a truly fabulous tufted night stand. Alix still has a ways to tuft, but will surely prove to be a tufting queen in the weeks to come.
