How great it feels. . .

To FINALLLLYYY have an internship.

After about 50 applications, it is nice to finally have one.

Erika Lyremark has been a life coach, public speaker and founder of Daily Whip, since 2005.

Here is a little more about her - - from her website (http://www.dailywhip.com/):

Having spent nine years as an exotic dancer, Erika Lyremark (LEAR-A-mark) used her street smarts and hustling finesse to muscle her way into partner and co-creator of a commercial real estate investment firm. In 2005 Erika parlayed one successful career into another and created her professional coaching and consulting company. Sassy and unstoppable she’s made an art and science out of whipping you into action. Erika stays connected to big business by working in her real estate firm while helping her client’s with their businesses and careers.

Erika has been featured on Twin Cities Live, KSTP Channel 5 News, Twin Cities Business Magazine, Metro Magazine, and in 2009 Mpls/St. Paul Magazine listed her coaching as the #1 thing to do to make your life better.
She also has a new book coming out called "Think Like a Stripper: How to Make it in Any Economy." It will come out later this year.
I will pretty do whatever she needs me to do - research, marketing, newsletter, etc... But, I couldn't be MORE excited! - - She is an amazing woman and I know I will learn a lot from her!

Best COMBO EVERRrrrr!

Beer + lemon + green olives + a little salt on the rim = GREATNESS, love, bliss.

PERffffect for those hot, summer days!
Don't hesitate to try it today! :)

WOwwwwwww...

Sometimes that is all you can say.

On Wednesday I had worked about 3 hours on a PowerPoint presentation for my trends class - - I even skipped class. I was also in charge of putting together a PowerPoint presentation for my project management class. - - Both were due on Thursday. So, Wednesday night - - Jonner and I were both laying in bed with our computers, like technologically-savvy old people (without the papers). Of course I had my flash drive in at the time, Jon got up to get something and totally snagged it. BAM! Just like that. . .FML. We noticed that it was still blinking. Stupid us, we figured that it would still work after we pulled it out. OF COURSE, it didn't. Didn't back up ANYTHING - - learned my lesson, the hard way, like always. Brought it to some place down here, $30 to try and recover the data and $200 if it works, what the hell kind of a deal is that anyway? SOOOoo, they couldn't recover anything - - keep in mind, the chip is, in no way damaged, it's just the connection. . So these dudes told us that the connection was bad (durrrr) and they tried soldering it, and it still couldn't be recognized when you plugged it into a computer. We are planning on sending it to this place that has a 97% data recovery rate. Takes about a week. .$100 to send it in and if they are able to do it, they email all of the files directly to you, so no worries about sending it back in the mail. WOWZA. . got past midterms - - luckily I emailed one of them to myself and just added what I hadn't previously done. . the trends one had to be re-done, although my teacher offered my an extention - - who wants to present a week after something is due? ANYWAYS,moral of the story...back up everything, multiple times, EVERY time! Don't be like me, who kept saying, I need to back up my flash drive in case something like that ever happens - - Kelsey Durken aka the Queen of Procrastination aka a Hot MESS for midterms 2010. Pray for me that I can get everything back for portfolio time. . :(

All registered for my final quarter. . .

well, for now.

I am taking 24 credits (including an internship! YIKES!) my LAST quarter, which - - of course - - falls smack-dab in the middle of summer (July 12 - September 26th). This part is always SOOOO hard for me, simply because all of the friends in 'normal' school are just getting out for summer vacay. . .where they will be working, partying, on the beach and be doing whatever the hell they want, while I'm in a damn concrete jungle and a school that is FAAA-reeezing during the summer. I don't understand that - - Must be a dress-code issue. Well, I guess I will be done before most of them too - - the pay-off will soon come, yet it still seems a little too far away!
Be patient, Kelsey. I would really like to think that I'm going back to school after I get my Bachelor's, but for now, all I want to do is work, start paying off the debt and hopefully start saving/accumulating some money - - I can always go back. I heard that it wasn't really worth it (something to do with being over-qualified). hhmmmmm, idk. I guess we will see where life takes me. . .Until then, I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Why is it so damn hard. . .

to find an internship?

H o n e s t l y, I never EVER thought it would take me this long. . .
Come on people, I graduate in Septemeber, give me something to do! ANYTHING!
Pshhhhh. I did go in for an Assistant Manager position at Heartbreaker, went great, looked promising, was the longest interview I had ever had - - over an hour!
Only to hear her tell me she needs 40 hours a week, no less. U M M M, not happening. . .my last quarter, I'll be taking 24 credits. GAHHH. I guess I have the rest of my life to work, right? Right. I have just been broke for way too long - - I realize that I will be even more broke once I start paying back my student loans, but that's whatever, it has to be done. My sort of 'plan' after graduation was to get a couple years of management experience in, just to have it. But, I have come to the conclusion, I do not want to manage a store. Funny, that's part of my major. . .but so is a lot of other things - - product development, buying, visual merch., sourcing, sales project management - - marketing research and consumer behavior - - of which are my two faves. I am hopin' and prayin' that something in those areas come up for me, otherwise, it's on the sales floor for me. :/ borrrrrrrrring. On a more exciting note: heading to Litch. for the weekend (who knows, it just might be my last if I find something ;] ) haha - - Mom's birthday tomorrow! - - Nina B's birthday Saturday - - Mother's Day Sunday!!

Busy weekend of l o v i n' the mamas. :)