Another Year has Flown BYYYYY...

And this girl couldn't ask for more.

When I think about all of the occurrences that have taken place during the past year, I cannot believe just how lucky I really am and just how much can actually happen within 365 days. Let us reflect on some personal highlights of 2010...shall we?!

[1] Jon and The Northern Lights took a trip to Canada for the 2010 Winter Olympic games and I got to watch him play via a live feed online - right on my couch. No cell service in Canada - longest 2 weeks eveerrrr.

[2] Our 3 year anniversary on St. Patty's Day. Luckiest day ever. Hands down.
[3] Moved out of the one bedroom apartment with my sis, downtown (bunk beds and all) and moved back into a studio to finish up my last few months of school.
[4] A NEW addition to the Barrick family: Breck James Barrick was born April 26th. It's so fun to see how much he's grown already!
[5] Countless interviews, while I was in school.
[6] Taking 5 classes and an internship. During the Summer. My last quarter in school.
[7] FINALLY found an internship after MONTHS of searching - as a Marketing Assistant for Ms. Erika Lyremark and The Daily Whip.
[8] Spent my last few months as the VP of Communications and Membership for the Fashion Forward club and planning events like crazy.
[9] Bailing hay at home, for MAYBE the last time - since we sold ALL of our cows before winter hit.
[10] My last Glamorama in the second row...EVER...or at least until I'm able to afford the $800 seat tickets.
[11] Spent an hour with Mr. William Clark in his studio, an amazing fashion photographer that lives in uptown.
[12] Took a photography class during my last quarter, TONS of work, but SO glad I did.
[13] Submitted my Spring 2011 Ready-to-Wear Trend Forecast in the Summer 2010 Student Juried Show at AI, and won in the Management category. My works were featured in a month-long gallery exhibition.
[14] Jon started school at Augsburg - where he also plays hockey - and we moved into our first place together - FINALLY. I couldn't be happier with our decision. It's been great.
[15] Graduation and portfolio show took place at the end of September, where I took Best in Show for Fashion and Retail Management.
[16] Aggressive searching in the employment department and several meetings with some pretty important people to find a job in this shitty economy.
[17] Started a job, in October, as a Market Research Assistant for Leede Research..have learned so much already.

[18] My boy finally turned 21.

[19] Graduation ceremony (cap and gown day) took place middle of December - a day I'll never forget.

[20] Christmas marked a lot of firsts for us: Christmas cards, Christmas tree and our first big purchase - a massive, LCD, tv - now we just need a new entertainment center to fit the beast. One thing at a time.. ;]
[21] Finding out my family will be heading to Hawaii, in exchange for Christmas presents this year - What a gift.

Here's to a great year - Soo much has changed and I anticipate many more changes/happenings within just the next couple of months - - I am soo excited to see what the next will bring...
Have a safe New Year Eve all! and remember,
Stay FABULOUS.
Photo via weheartit.

offices...

are boring. as hell.

I am fortunate enough to say that I do, in fact, have an office at work - complete with doors, a desk, a phone, a stapler (amazing, i know), a window!, etc, etc. I know, lucky me, right?! No really, I could be stuck in a tiny, four-sided, cubical somewhere, but I'm not - we even have a cute little pond outside that doesn't freeze over during this time of year, simply because the 30 ducks are not going to take 'ice' for an answer. As I was sitting at my desk today, on the phone and on hold with some medical firm, just taking in the jazzy, elevator, youreonholdsowe'replayingthissoyoudon'tgetimpatientlyangry music. I found myself slipping into a daydream (me, daydreaming? noooooooo wayyyy) and staring at a yellow, Accent highlighter, until the A and the T seemed to melt from the plastic and dance with one another to a Mr. Miles Davis tune. Is this normal? God, I'm weird. Good thing today's my Friday...

PETA

is the shit.
I am in love with their I'd Rather Go..ads. Most of them feature celebs that share the same, deep passion for animals. The ads dominate simply because they are an advocate for animals that don't have a voice of their own. Here are a couple of my favorites:

Annnnd, it's amatuer hour, folks - faux fur is far from a fashion faux pas - looks like these celebs missed the memo...ish.

Pictures via Google Images.

The Most Wonderful Time. . .

of the year...FOR SURE.
Sure, Summer will always have my heart. As guilty as guilty gets, however, I partake in a yearly love affair with Mr. Winter, just because of Christmas. A seasonal one night stand, so to speak. SHhhhhh, don't tell. I am willing to look past his flaws for a few months out of the year - blizzards, car tows, hours of my life wasted in traffic, the toe-numbing cold and the list goes on...I try to look at the positives that the season brings - food, food and MORE FOOD, sweets (followed by endless gluttony), presents, time spent with family and friends, kisses under the mistletoe, toasty fires inside, appreciation for summer months, etc., etc., etc. For these reasons and more, I love me some Christmas vacaaaayyyy.

Lovely Christmas eve hors d'oeuvres.

 Trouble x 4.

 The cutest santa evvverrrrrrr.

Jon and I's very FIRST Christmas tree, what a looker!

The Ultimate Social Experiment

"So when you think no one is watching, do you step in, step up or step away, we ask - what would you do?!"

As you have all probably realized, I watch quite a bit of tv and I feel like most of the shows I am infatuated with are reality, or smutty talk shows (Jerry Springer, Steve Wilkos, etc.) Again, not exactly sure why, I just find them so gosh darn interesting, as well as entertaining - of course! There is nothing that gets me more worked up, however, than hearing Mr. John Quiñones say that opening quote at the beginning of every What Would You Do? episode. In my opinion, ABC struck gold when they produced this show - an ethical, hidden camera (according to their website) masterpiece (according to me), that throws testing situations at unknowing subjects AKA normal human beings AKA you and I. Some of my favorite scenarios include Baby Left in the Hot Car, Pregnant and Drinking, Abusive Boyfriend, Forced into Polygamy and MANY more.

Needless to say, I am OBsessed with the show. Although these, particular, fictional situations may be staged, similar situations - if not identical - are happening in our society on a daily basis. There is often a Social Psychologist that appears on the show and comments on what is taking place and why. . .As a lover of social psych., I think it's great that ABC is out there, with cameras in hand, making sure we're all behaving ourselves and watching out for one another. Because, once that day comes when no one gives a crap - it'll be the end. Since the show travels all over the place, it wouldn't hurt to be prepared - as if you haven't already spent your life preparing, right? Let's hope so, but in the meantime, here is a quiz I found on ABC.com- test yourself and your ethical views: What Would YOU Do?!?! Quiz. OH...and if you haven't catched an episode yet, I HIGHLY recommend it - OBviously.
Photo found here!

As I sit in traffic. . .

for a good 2 hours longer than usual, gridlocked and going 5, yes I said it, 5 miles/hr. on the freeway....
All I can think of is my happy place, a place that I drift away to often - that looks exactly like this:

As shocking as it is, I will be meeting my HAPPY place in a little less than a month! Never has this girl even been on a plane! ANNND, only in my dreams (more frequent during the winter) have I ran through white, warm sand and clear, blue waters. Instead of buying Christmas presents this year, my family has decided that we are long overdue for a vacation (and they think that it's only a matter of time before weddings and kids come along - it might be our last chance, so to speak), sooooo we are going to HAWAII! This picture is actually taken minutes from where we're staying. Needless to say, I'm soooofuckingexcitedddddd! A little bummed, because I really enjoy buying presents for people and, of course, getting them in return. :) However, I know the memories that will be made during a week in the sun will be those to cherish forever, and MUCH more valuable than anything that one could find under the tree.

Graduation Dayyyyyyyy.

I'm a big girl now - evidently.

This past Friday, December 17th, 2010, I walked across the stage and received my pretend diploma (I was already mailed my diploma a couple of weeks ago). I officially graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Fashion and Retail Management from the Art Institutes International, MN and had my portfolio show at the end of September, so it was a little weird to be back, but not really...I felt like participating in the ceremony was something that I had earned and I knew I couldn't nooooot walk. In the end, it is truly a day I will never forget - almost like spreading the yummy, buttery icing on the cake that I had been baking for about 3 years now. Also, it made graduating from college seem a little more real, since it really hasn't even sunk in yet - but it helped. Since September, I have been working as a Market Research Assistant for Leede Research - a small marketing research firm in Plymouth, MN. I am learning a ton and brush shoulders with Fortune 500 clients on a weekly basis. I'm still keeping one eye out for something that pays a little more - but for now, this girl needs all the experience she can get and can't get too picky with the slow economy.

I am looking at the Ph.D. Pyschology program at the U of MN - Having already missed the application deadline for December 1st, I figure, if I truly want to go back in a couple of months - I can start preparing - studying for the GRE/GMAT - getting together recommendation letters, etc. Grad. school preparation/acception is no easy feat, but as of now, I cannot stop thinking about it, so it will most likely happen. Until then - this WOMAN is now in active pursuit in the employment department - get ahold of me. :)