My Messy Office

Dear....God...please help me to never ever accumulate this much junk again!!! 

Here are the excuses:
I've moved 4 times in 4 years and even though I did get rid of a lot of stuff each time, apparently I didn't get rid of enough.  So I finally decided I'd go through each room and get them all organized in such a way they would be easier to clean and just contain less needless junk.  But where does all that needless junk go?  It goes to the last room I tackle - my office...and it goes there to be fruitful and multiply. 

I created a mountain of the madness and today I finally conquered that mountain. 

The office is clean.  There are a few things I still have to get for it, but behold the cleanliness:


We still need to get new office chairs and eventually we'll get John a real desk instead of this table - but it works for now.


 And no - those aren't his ribbons - this is the office/craft/wrapping room and oh so much more. 



I freakin love my desk.  It has that traditional look, but is still a computer desk with lots of room and no wasted space.  And yeah - no curtain yet.  The bright white sheet looks amazing though lol.  You would be surprised how hard it is to find bright white blackout curtain panels.  I mean isn't white a common color - uh I mean non color or abundance of color...whatever.  And what is that growing on my desk?




Yeah that's right - I totally found this plant that produces electronics.


So cute - I love it!  My camera and phone's new home.  Yep - it's a charging station.  And just when I thought I couldn't get any more nerdy...had to put my little Ikea light over the top so the grass can get its photosynthesis on.


As you can see it looks pretty bare (but clean!) so as I get shipments in and get some things completed, I will update this blog with photos of the progress.  Such as the new chairs, the new gadgets, the artwork, dry erase board etc etc.

But I couldn't end the blog without mentioning this awesome thing:



The picture I took of mine turned out too blurry, but here it is.  This is a wrapping paper holder.  I outgrew the one I had.  I don't put it over the door - it's in the closet.  This one holds a lot of paper neatly and see that little pouch situation at the bottom?  Yeah that detaches.  So your ribbons and scissors and tape can go with you wherever.  I'm also thinking about putting my cards in there.  Love love love it!!! 

Love & Gratitude,
Erica Nicole
______________
Also - in a previous post I had discussed creating a new blog about weight loss after my office was clean.  It is in the works and I will update this post with the link as soon as I have it.  I'm settling into this office and getting a schedule worked out which will include an exercise program.  It is definitely on the way!


Update: 
This chair just arrived for the office

I looove it so far.  It is so much more comfortable than you'd think.  The backrest isn't meant to really be leaned against all the time - the ball sits you straight up.
The claims are that it "relieves stress on the spine, helps prevent back discomfort and repetitive motion disorders, helps prevent health issues related to poor posture, illustrates non-impact strengthening exercises and stretching, keeps you active, even on busy work days."


Update: 
Link for my new 'fat' blog:  http://atetheweight.blogspot.com/

Hurry Up and Wait (and a sidestep to hater-ville)

Yesterday I was so productive - after having a red bull in the morning...I was zoomin all over checking everything off my 'to do' list.  Now I'm just sitting here waiting for a package to arrive.  I've played some World of Warcraft for most of the day so far (working on my mage - holla if you're excited about Cataclysm around the corner!). 

To get out of the slump - I start making a 'to do' list and start feeling like this kid looks:

This is a huge drawback of working at home.  So many distractions - cats and laundry and errands and no one believing you if you say you have to work because they think you sit at home and do nothing lol.  If I had a little commute to work, the washer and dryer would be a little harder to reach and nothing but work could be on my mind at the moment.

At this point, I do have the logo, the website, a whole ton of information at the ready, and everything else...is in my head.  I have written various thoughts down, but no real work beyond that has taken place on the site.  The first day of real work is slated to start when I have my office clean.  It is very close. 

I have a handful of things that need doing and I find myself truly not wanting to do them.  After much start and stop, I had to take a step back and reflect on why I am having a 'blockage' of sorts.  Why am I making this an obstacle when it really isn't?

Suddenly, at what could be the beginning of it all, instead of rushing to get everything done so I can get a move on - I find myself in my baggiest and comfiest of pj's, thinking of ordering a pizza because I'd rather not get dressed and leave the house today. 

Logic: So if I'm looking for ways to be more comfortable, that must mean I am counteracting something very uncomfortable.  Or maybe my head is not where it needs to be for the first steps to take place. 

I have been struggling with needing vs. not needing approval.  In today's 'it's all about me' society - it feels like a tug of war.  On one side me, the other - the world.  Do I include others on the journey to the top?  Do I let them see my hardships and do I admit my failures?  Or do I dress for success and pretend everything is perfect - not to be misleading, but to be optimistic?  You know - that whole dress for the job two levels above the one that you want thing?

The problem is - if people see you are doing well, they will point their attention toward those less fortunate who actually happen to be equal in fortune to you.  For lack of a better phrase - 'the squeaky wheel gets the grease'.  It seems we like people on one side of the spectrum or the other.  Rich or poor.  Strong or weak.  Mediocrity is not rewarded.

So do I become proud and independent to be labeled by 'haters' as pompous and arrogant or do I become giggly and humble to be seen as weak and unconcerned? 

Ideally I'd like to be somewhere in the middle.  I see myself as somewhere in the middle.  Accessible and down to earth in a down-to-business kind of way.  But the thing is, haters are gonna hate.  Everyone needs to be an authority on something and usually the perfect opportunity for these vultures (these vultures being humans) is a spot behind a computer screen with a pseudo name and a bad attitude.

I'm taking a page from Pollyanna and playing the glad game today.  I'm taking a page from Alice and believing six impossible things today.  I'm taking a page from Kandee and knowing that all the manure in my life will produce pretty flowers soon and that a broken mirror produces more shimmers.  I'm taking a page from Frank and knowing that the best is yet to come.  Takin a page from Eminem because I'm not afraid.  And finally...I'm taking a page from Jay-Z and gettin that dirt off my shoulder today.  <----clicky that link if you don't know what it means.

Those of you who are sensitive - EXPLICIT LYRICS - Don't click play if you will get offended.


Love & Gratitude,
Erica Nicole

Woh!

Kandee Johnson's going to be on tv.  She's been all over the web and in fashion magazines and now she'll be a guest judge on the Oxygen channel's Hair Battle Spectacular tonight (9 central time)!

If you haven't heard of her - read about her on one of my past blogs: Personal Empires (she also commented on that blog - ha ha - love her).

Coming Up...

Upcoming blogs:

1.  My Messy Office
2.  Revealing the Logo
3.  I <3 Graphic Design
4.  Inspirations
5.  Technical Difficulties

These are some I'm working on and will be posted very soon.  As always the support on this blog makes me feel loved and appreciated in this work.  When you put your heart out there - your goals and dreams for others to see and it is accepted warmly - that kind of support is not easily forgotten.  I know I've been somewhat cryptic with the actual idea for the website, but there will probably never be a blog in which I reveal the entire thing at once until it is finished. 

This blog is actually more about the process anyway.  It's more about the frustrations and excitement one experiences in getting something like this together.  It's a lot of fun and definitely will help me stick to my goal date of October 31, 2011.  And it was brought to my attention that the clock widget on the right column of this blog does not work well in firefox.  I'll be looking out for one that works with both  IE and Firefox.

Again, thank you for the emails, the comments, and for following.  It means the world ;-)

Love and Gratitude,
Erica Nicole

Quick Summation of the Trip

Amazing vid right?

Well the Silicon Valley portion of the trip was summed up in the previous posts so let's skip right to San Fran.  We started out in the Mission District - and I'll admit - I was freaked out.  There were some interesting characters there, lots of graffiti, and we walked by a couple people talking about someone who was in 'the wrong place at the wrong time'.
We were trying to get our donut from Dynamo Donuts as previously discussed in the last post.  But when we got there - they were out!  Boo!
So onward to the Golden Gate Bridge.  We get there and this is what we see...

amazing.  This is where they send the people in CA to die...they don't come out the other side...I checked.

So we go to the Buena Vista to get an Irish Coffee, hoping this stop turns out a little better than the last couple. 
Oh it did...it did.  John had a couple Irish coffees.  I had a couple sips - very good - now back to my Sprite.

 
This place was the first to serve Irish Coffee in America.  You can get the recipe here.  Of course there's more to it - the perfect ingredients, but I imagine you can get pretty close. 
We also had fresh crab dishes that were just yummy.  I got presents for the fam near Alcatraz and Fisherman's Wharf.  The city was amazing in this area.  The hills and buildings and lights - gorgeous! 

So after driving around exploring a bit, we got back to our hotel and crashed. 

This hotel was better than the last.  Both were great and both were Hyatts, but this one was so airy and it didn't hurt the view was of the bay.

I don't think I put a link to the actual site for the first hotel so here's the Silicon Valley Hyatt and for the San Francisco Hyatt.  Have to give credit where credit is due. But kept it in tiny type so it wouldn't look like an advertisement ha ha. Both are highly recommended!

The next morning, someone brought me this:

Woo hoo - finally!

I also tried the Chocolate Rose and hubby tried Spiced Chocolate, but the star was the Maple Glazed Bacon Apple.  It tastes like high quality perfect bacon on sweet sweet bread with a hint of apple and maple syrup.

Then off to the airport we went.  San Francisco airport - plane delayed - finally on, a stop in San Diego, then on to Pheonix.  It was HOT in Pheonix.  We came from 68 degree weather and walked into 108 degree oven.  Pheonix airport is where I had a hot dog I shouldn't have and for punishment I dropped some on my shirt.  So yay - I get to go through the airport with a stain.  No fears - we'll be on the plane then into the car quicker than you know it.  Ha!  Wishful thinking!  The flight was fine until we got about 30 minutes from St. Louis.  Then we saw the storms.  This is the video we took of us flying above the lightning filled chaos. 

This was the weirdest landing I had experienced.  Side to side, this way, then that.  Didn't even hear the landing gear open.

After that, when we were getting ready to pull in, they wouldn't let us because of the lightning.  About 5 minutes passed and we pulled in.  Not bad.  We make our way to baggage claim and nothing's coming.  For 10 minutes we sat there...15 minutes....announcement:  "Due to lightning we cannot allow our crew to get baggage - we apologize for the inconvenience...if you'd like to leave, let us know and we will lock your bags up and you can come and get them tomorrow."

Four to six planefulls were waiting for their bags.  Various camping settlements broke out.  Thankfully a breakthrough two hours later.  We get our bags and get a move on through the storm.  Rain went away as we got closer to home, but we saw this little truck at the power station.  Then watched as the dark houses went by...and no streetlights...awesome...no garage door opener....no power.  St. Louis says welcome home in such a weird way.

So after we got home about 30 minutes later we had power again. 

Today we are recovering from a ton of travel and good times.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As always, throughout the trip, I analyzed every business - from the guy who prints the graphics in the kiosks to the plastic in the air masks on the plane.  How did these companies come to be, how did these employees get here?   What did the owners start with?  How many failures did they have on the way?  What kind of business do they do in this location and would it serve them to re-locate or expand? 

I bought a Harper's in the airport and was reading Freud's theories and the unhappiness in America and I couldn't help but think of how many times I think 'if I just had my business up and running like these people - I'd be happy'.  But it's that same old thing...if I had this business...if I were this weight...if I had this, if I was that...the key, is to find happiness now - wherever you are, be happy with what you have - Like What You Are Doing Now! 

People are fascinating creatures and the things we have accomplished in this world are astounding.  We look at the rich and famous as some kind of myth or superhero, but the truth is we are all the same.  Every one of us has the same basic needs and functions.  All the people we look up to started in the same place we did.  Born naked into the world.  Yes, some have a proverbial silver spoon, but whether it was their grandfather or his grandfather - someone started out having a lot less and wanted to be the one who made the difference and kept their determination and knew they would be successful....some way...somehow - they would realize their dreams.

LA, San Francisco, New York City, Chicago, Minneapolis, St. Louis, and any other major cities I've experienced - do have very different energies and yet it all comes back to the same basic feeling.  First - the need to survive, then the need to succeed and make a mark in the world, hopefully changing it for the better.  Love it!

Okay forgive...I am still in such a head fog lol.  But that was the quick summation of our trip and I am spent.  Time for some at home recovery today, a lot of laundry, and a little nap.

Love and Gratitude,
Erica Nicole

P.S.  My surprise pics I wanted really badly (mentioned in a previous post) was the various scenes in Full House - yeah Imma big dork - shhhh.  But it didn't happen.  Not enough time.  So here's a video of the opening theme - hope it makes up for it ha ha.

Going to San Francisco

Btw - this is just a vid for the song - someone else's vid from youtube ;-)  Sing along time.


I wanted to go to Alcatraz, but it's at least a 4 hour situation and reservations were recommended.  I want to see it, but don't know if I want to spend four hours looking at the place where people were miserable when we don't have much time.  If nothing else it would have been cool to see it since movies have been filmed about it...The Rock - good flick. 

Anywho...we went to two amazing places yesterday.  I mean we're in Silicon Valley - there's not much else to do besides going and annoying the people at big companies.

And by the way - as I see myself in these pictures I am sorely reminded that I am no longer a size 6.  That will be addressed very soon - but one goal at a time.  Once we get back - office clean first, then time for some serious attention to exercise and such. 




Google was massive.  It's like they have a building for everyone.  This was one of the many signs at the google campus.  The cutest part of seeing it was the google colored bikes people were riding.  Most people know by now that Google is one of the best places to work.  I'll find one of the many articles about it and link it here.  Look at this bike - they were all over the place!



As nerdy as they look - I still want one lol.


We did see Microsoft and I know Apple is around here somewhere but those weren't the priorities for the moment.  Google was one and Facebook the other.  That's right..I now have a picture with the Facebook sign for my Facebook profile page.  Giggity.



Yeah I was gonna do something cute here...but people were watching and so I just leaned on the cement - now it looks like I'm using the potty behind the sign or something.  Whatever.  We got the pic - all that matters.



So now we're off to San Francisco in a few hours.  One of my favorite tv shows of all time is The Best Thing I Ever Ate.  I don't know why I torture myself with it because very few things from St. Louis ever end up on that show.  But we are in friggin Cali now and we're gonna have some things. 
Dynamo Donuts...look at the donut menu.  I'm not even a donut fan, but I want to try about every single one of these.  We may be in a sugar coma before we return.

The two I'm definitely going to try:  Chocolate Rose and the Maple Glazed Bacon Apple which was the only one featured on the Food Network.

Other than that - pics of us at the Golden Gate Bridge and I'm hoping in front of a certain house only a geek like me would love - not a techy geek - just a geek...possibly even go as far as saying a dork like me would love...I won't spoil the surprise right now.  Hopefully I'll be writing later tonight or tomorrow morning.  We'll see how the day goes. 

Love & Gratitude,
Erica Nicole

I've Been Everywhere, Man, I've Been Everywhere

Not really.  But again - stuck in my head - so voila the new title. 

Hello from very sunny California!  I can't even take a picture of the view from our hotel room at the moment because the sun is blinding.  The picture above is as we were descending to LAX.

I am so tired.  I feel the energy returning though.  I just had some breakfast.  Continental breakfast can be yummy - it's free and I was hungry...perfect.  Now put me in a shower and I'll be good to go.

I'm not a big fan of flying - getting to our destination quickly - yes.  Being cramped on a small loud plane - no thanks. 

I'm normally not a germophobe, but an airport brings it out in me and I forgot my hand sanitizer and my vitamins.  I'll be going to the store very soon! 

Traffic is insane, but I'm sure this is normal for the natives.  It's flowing nicely - there's just a TON of it.  We're near San Jose at the moment.  We'll be heading back to San Francisco tomorrow.  I know as I take pictures of me by the Golden Gate Bridge, I'll be singing the theme to Full House.  I can't help it.  Child of the early 90's here.

This Hyatt is pretty nice.  This is the room we're staying in. 

Lobby:

 Just as the reviews said - very clean.  It smelled nice right when we stepped in from the parking lot. 

I can hear the guy in the next room having a very loud phone conversation - I haven't figured out if he's from a different country or he's Sylvester Stalone.  It's so weird - it's like a cross between a thick Louisiana and New York accent.  But anyway - other than that guy - it's really quiet - we have adjoining rooms with Sylvester so that's one reason why I can hear him. 

From this trip I may try to compile an energies blog - all of the major cities I've been in have different work energies about them.  I love them all because there is something to learn from all of them.  I'd still like to feel the energy of Las Vegas and Anchorage and Orlando and Austin as well.  Traveling while starting this business is going to be helpful, I'm sure.  I would not be able to travel near as much if it weren't for my husband.  Going to LA or NYC may seem so cliche, but seriously their energies are inspiring.  I'd love to go to Tokyo, Japan as well.  Talk about a working energy!  I bet it's amazing!

I'll also be working a couple blogs on some upcoming things for the site - such as making it mobile.  There are several things that came to me on the 4 hour plane ride from St. Louis to LA.

Well I'm still in a fog and probably not making much sense so I'll write again tomorrow.

Love and Gratitude,
Erica Nicole    

Update:  View from our hotel room - the sun moved over a bit for me: 

Omg - How Old Am I?

Do you ever feel like you are just a lost little kid pretending to be an adult?

As I'm sitting here messing around with grown up business things, I can't help but think my cousin and I played this game when we were little.  We used to play office, house, restaurant, and things like that all the time.  We never got paid for it - except maybe a quarter we swindled out of family for our theater performances.

I remember thinking - scratch that -make that knowing I was going to be a doctor when I grew up.  I still have those thoughts like I should have gone through with it.  Maybe I made the mistake of working as a nurse's aid before being a doctor.  I saw how the doctors acted toward patients behind their backs - being tired and burnt out and, let's face it, a little snobby.  I also saw them being on call whether they liked it or not - if they had a patient in the hospital - they were called at 3 AM for something as little as tylenol and I suddenly didn't want it anymore.  Yet there's still such a nagging in me whenever I go to a hospital and walk by any medical staff - including maintenance - it just feels like home.

Even though I know I would enjoy some elements of the job, I know I wouldn't be happy with being a nurse.  Nurses deserve a lot of acknowledgement.  Yes, they all have their snotty moments, but dear god, the things they have to see and do (nursing assistants and paramedics have it even worse!).  So, as long as they do their job well - I don't care if they don't say hello to me in a happy sing song voice everytime I encounter them.

I had the chance to keep working in the medical field - all the way up to being a doctor.  I had so many things come in to hinder my progress.  But I have to ask myself, if I truly wanted it - deep down - would I have allowed anything to come between me and that dream?

So now here I sit.  Creating a business from scratch.  Carving out a niche for myself and, of course, I'm scared I won't be successful, but I believe in it and I'm moving forward! 

This is why I hate it when people ask kids what they want to be when they grow up.  I do it too because it's so cute to hear and you want to know what their brains are thinkin.  But when I was little - I always felt pressure everytime I told someone.  And now I realize, dreams change and that's okay!

I definitely do envy those people who know what they want from an early age and have a one track mind of getting there. 

I had a dream of owning my own business as well, but it was always something cute like a flower shop or little corner store or a coffee shop. 

Who knew I'd make a business out of encouraging people like me.  This website will be more than saying 'hey, good job!'  - it's something slightly different.  I can't wait to show you!  I can't wait for people to praise the site as well as rip it apart!  I can't wait for the debate and opinions - both good and bad.  It should be a blast!   :-D

Love and Gratitude,
Erica Nicole

The Final Countdown...

Europe's Final Countdown

We're leaving together

but still it's farewell

and maybe we'll come back,

to earth, who can tell?

I guess there is no one to blame

we're leaving ground (leaving ground)

will things ever be the same again?

It's the final countdown.

The final countdown.

Okay - not that dramatic, but had the song stuck in my head so it became the title. 

Ladies and Gentlemen, please look to the right column - a new toy!  I added the countdown clock for the launch date of the Small Goalz website.  October 31, 2011.

Woot woot - exciting!

Over a year is a long time compared to sites I've done in the past.  But this is more than just making colors work together and integrating a template.  This one is coming from scratch - the function, set up, design, and idea behind it.  I know the idea will evolve as time goes by and doing this 'right' is more important than doing it quickly.

Are you excited?  I'm excited.  Are you nervous?  Oh freakin' yeah!  Are you ready?  I'm sooooo ready!  BRING IT!

Don't forget to follow ;-)

Love and Gratitude,
Erica Nicole

This is What's Up...

Ugh.  I cannot concentrate today.

I deactivated my personal facebook page and created a new one that will be more professional and linked with a Small Goalz business page. 

I have been continually working on laundry and organizing our bedroom closet.  It is so close to being complete.  I can't wait for it to be finished so that I can organize the office and start purchasing decor for that room.  And most exciting - I can actually start working in that room!

Today's (or yesterday's as it is 2:50 AM) long blog on Alice in Wonderland was time consuming but so worth it.  If for nothing else than to explain one of my inspirations and something that has got me on the road to realizing my dreams.  You never know where you'll find inspiration and it's different for everyone.

I think I'll look into adding a countdown for my goal date of having the website up and running.

In other news I've developed a twitch.  My eye has been twitching for the past two days almost non-stop.  Any suggestions?

Have You Lost Your Much-ness?

Alice in Wonderland - especially Tim Burton's version - is a story of coming of age, gaining self-confidence, and becoming oneself.

Alice was bound by life's (excuse me) crap.  Everyone telling her who and what she should be. 

You may not have people breathing down your neck to marry a certain someone, but how many people are pushing you to do things you'd rather not?  Including yourself. 
How many people have the wrong impression of you?  And are you giving them that wrong impression for the sake of saving face?

Once Alice goes to 'Wonderland' - she is constantly questioned on whether she is THE Alice.   And the point you are to get here is that she is not the correct Alice.  Not at the beginning - not yet.  Through people questioning her on this point constantly she gets a little angry.  She gets annoyed at the fact they have her questioning herself - wondering if she is the correct Alice.  She realizes she is herself, this is her 'dream'.

The quotes speak for themselves.  The best way to read this for self-empowerment and fun is to replace Alice with your own name - replace slaying the Jabberwocky with a goal of yours that seems completely irrational and out of reach.

**Possible spoiler alerts**

Lord Ascot: Charles, have you lost your senses?  This picture is impossible!
Charles Kingsley: Precisely.  Gentlemen, the only way to achieve the impossible, is to believe it's possible.


Alice Kingsley:  How can I be the wrong Alice when this is my dream?

Blue Caterpillar:  The question is - Who are you?
Alice Kingsley:  Alice.
Blue Caterpillar:  We shall see.
Alice Kingsley:  What do you mean by that?  I ought to know who I am.
Blue Caterpillar:  Yes.  You ought, stupid girl.

After unrolling a calendar of sorts to show Alice what she is going to do (more of an instance of showing who she is and who she isn't at this moment in the film).  The characters show her the picture of Alice slaying the Jabberwocky.

Alice Kingsley:  That's not me.
Doormouse:  I know.
White Rabbit:  Resolve this for us (talking to the blue caterpillar).  Is she the right Alice?
Blue Caterpillar:  Not hardly.

All the characters are annoyed, disappointed, and a little aggravated at Alice now.

Alice Kingsley:  I'm sorry.  I don't mean to be the wrong Alice.



Mad Hatter:  Do you have any idea what the Red Queen has done?  You don't slay.
Alice Kingsley:  I couldn't if I wanted to.
Mad Hatter: You're not the same as you were before.  You were much more..muchier.  You've lost your muchness.
Alice Kingsley:  My muchness?
Mad Hatter:  In there. (pointing to her gut - she is small here so it's possible he was pointing to her heart - you get it either way ha ha)  Something's missing.

Alice speaking to the hound after Mad Hatter has been taken.  (this quote set is my favorite)

Alice Kingsley:  We're going to rescue him.
Hound:  That is not foretold.
Alice Kingsley:  I don't care.  He wouldn't be there if it weren't for me.
Hound:  The Fractious day is almost upon us.  You must prepare to meet the Jabberwocky.
Alice Kingsley:  From the moment I fell down that rabbit hole, I've been told what I must do and who I must be.  I've been shrunk, stretched, scratched, and stuffed into a teapot.  I've been accused of being Alice and of not being Alice.  But this is MY DREAM.  I'LL DECIDE WHERE IT GOES FROM HERE.
Hound:  If you diverge from the path.....
Alice Kingsley:  I MAKE THE PATH.


Red Queen:  What happened to your clothes?
Alice Kingsley:  I outgrew them. I've been growing an awful lot lately.


Blue Caterpillar:  Who are you?
Alice Kingsley:  I thought we'd settled this.  I'm Alice.  But not THAT one.
Blue Caterpillar:  How do you know?
Alice Kingsley:  You said so yourself.
Blue Caterpillar:  I said you are not hardly Alice.  But you're much more her now.  In fact, you're almost Alice.


White Rabbit:  Who will step forth to be champion for the White Queen?
(various characters come forth)
The twins: (after looking at the picture of the frabjous day with Alice slaying the Jabberwocky) If it ain't Alice.  It ain't dead.
White Queen:   Alice.  You cannot live your life to please others.  The choice must be yours.  Because when you step out to face that creature - you must step out alone.

(Alice backs up and runs away)

Blue Caterpillar (in cacoon, to Alice):  Nothing was ever accomplished with tears.
Alice Kingsley:  Why are you upside down?
Blue Caterpillar:  I've come to the end of this life.
Alice Kingsley:  You're going to die?
Blue Caterpillar:  Transform.
Alice Kingsley:  Don't go.  I need your help.  I don't know what to do.
Blue Caterpillar:  I can't help you if you don't even know who you are, stupid girl.
Alice Kingsley:  I'm not stupid.  My name is Alice, I live in London, I have a mother named Helen and a sister named Margaret.  My father was Charles Kingsley.  He had a vision that stretched halfway around the world and nothing ever stopped him.  I'm his daugther.  I'm Alice Kingsley. 
Blue Caterpillar:  Alice.  At Last.


Alice Kingsley (after the Jabberwocky is called forth):  This is impossible.
Mad Hatter:  Only if you believe it is.
Alice Kingsley:  Sometimes, I believe as many as six impossible things before breakfast.
Mad Hatter:  That is an excellent practice.  However, just at the moment, you really might want to focus on the Jabberwocky.

Alice Kingsley (to herself while fighting the Jabberwocky):  Six impossible things.  Count them Alice.
One, there's a potion that can make you shrink.
Two, a cake that can make you grow.
Three, animals can talk.
Four Alice.
Cats can disappear.
Five, there's a place called Wonderland.
Six, I can slay the Jabberwocky.


Alice goes back to her world and makes the choices she wants and doesn't follow along with what a girl should do and what is deemed 'proper'.  She picks up her father's business with her own visions where his left off.  She is offered an apprenticeship from her late father's business partner.  Part of the ending gets a little cheesy for me while she's telling everyone what's what - but you know - it's her life...not mine ;-)

Cute touch...a butterfly lands on her shoulder at the end and she greets him as the former 'blue caterpillar'.  A symbol of her transformation and new life.

Just like with Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, characters in Alice's Wonderland reflect her real life family, friends, and enemies for better or worse.  It's a fun fantasy, but has amazing real life lessons.  One could dig even further for what each character and situation represents.  The depth of this story has no bounds, but for what it meant to me - these quotes wrap it up amazingly well.  Hope you enjoyed ;-)

Don't forget to follow.

Love and Gratitude,
Erica Nicole

Do What You Love....

"Find a job you love and you'll never work a day in your life."     -Confucius

Dear lord!  I got so sick of hearing this.  I envied those who knew what they wanted and had a one track mind in getting there.  I probably came close to developing a sick fascination over people who were living their dreams.  What did they have that I did not?

They knew what they loved to do.  I had no clue!  I felt like I was some alien who didn't know what I had fun doing or what I was good at.  I can learn to do anything at a basic level rather quickly.  But by the time I need to excel at it - I'm bored with it. 

I tried so many quizzes and read books on the subject of finding my passion.  All I could come to was that I loved many different things and my greatest skill was sitting on the couch with my laptop finding new and interesting things on the net.  A research assistant perhaps?  That would be an amazing position.  I know I would enjoy going to work everyday, but apparently - there aren't a ton of openings.  NEXT! 
I won't bore you with my many attempts at jobs I thought I would enjoy.  Let's skip ahead to how I found what I want to do.
                                                Try It!

I came across this amazing site that asked questions no quiz or person or book ever asked.  And granted, everyone is different so don't be horribly bummed if this doesn't work for you the way it did for me.  I also had already come to the conclusion of what I wanted, this just enforced everything and made me more determined. 

So here it is.  Good luck and let me know if it helps!

Personal Empires

By personal empire, I simply mean a variety of avenues that will be of value and interest to the public.

For instance, my dream is to have my own magazine and a profitable website.  This is the journey I'll be blogging on.  A huge undertaking, very scary, but oh so exciting! 

An example I love to use on 'homemade' personal empires is Kandee Johnson.  Kandee is an extremely talented makeup artist and hair stylist, but instead of just going to work and coming home from set everyday - Kandee decided to expand her empire and marketability by beginning to blog and then vlog (video blog).  She utilized blogspot and youtube.  After gaining a whole lot of popularity (much deserved, I might add), she began to hold 'glaminars' and teach what she knows regarding makeup and share her falls and triumphs in her own personal life. 

My biggest fear of sharing Kandee's success here, is that I will lose any readers I have to her - she is amazing and inspiring and her videos on youtube are as addicting as candy (original - I know). 
I would have never known about her if it weren't for youtube.  Thank God for the internet and it's many tools.  Because she decided she had more to offer than just making people look pretty...she now makes people feel pretty inside and out. 
As you can tell she is one of my inspirations and I'm definitely not alone.  You can bet when I'm down and out during this journey...one of my go-to's will be watching a pick me up vid by Kandee.

I will be mentioning many of my inspirations throughout this blog.  Those who are successful despite their struggles or because of them inspire me to no end.  I love rooting for people along the way and learning what makes them lovable to the masses. 

Taking the pain and suffering all humans feel at some point and turning it into something positive is a gift we all need to learn. 

In my next blog I'd really like to post one of the tools I used in finding what I wanted to do with my life. 

Love and Gratitude,
Erica Nicole


P.S.  You can get addicted to Kandee, but remember me!!!  ;-)

Like What You Are Doing

Yeah - at this moment LIKE what you are doing.  I assume when I say LIKE - the facebook action pops into mind.  Pop culture.  Whatcha gonna do? 

But really instead of pointing out the frustrations - just like what you are doing.  When you feel stressed that you've got to take your kid to practice or you've got too much laundry to do and you'd rather do something else - just stop and like what you are doing. 

Like doing laundry?  Are you crazy?

Liking laundry would be crazy...I'm saying like what you are doing - by doing laundry you are taking care of a family - yeah that goal you had when you were a little tyke playing house - you did it.  You are playing house in real life and you can just stop and like that you are taking care of your home and family and yourself.

Stress comes from wanting to be somewhere else and wanting to do something other than what you are doing. 

So just stop and like what you are doing at this moment.  Trolling the internet?  You're having a bit of fun - you're taking a moment from the day to tap in to the information of the world and perhaps stay in touch with some friends.  Like what you are doing.  Do not feel guilty....but perhaps you should go LIKE some work ;-)

Love and Gratitude,
Erica Nicole

What is Up With Me?!

For the past few days I feel like the most productive thing I've done is create this blog.  I am in such a funk! 

But I wanted to write a quick note about the blahs.  It is so overwhelming sometimes to keep up with everyday stuff and still keep my eyes on the prize.  It's pretty draining. 

My biggest struggle is finding some sort of peace and balance with everything.  Nothing will ever be perfect, but there are a few things I'd like to get done before some major work begins.  One is organizing our bedroom closet. 

I have already organized the rest of the house except the bedroom closet and the office.  My way of organizing every other room was putting exactly what I wanted in that room and then shoving the rest of the junk in the office so I could go through it all in one place and pack it up for yardsale and donation.

I was watching Hoarders last night and thought  'Oh god - I need to jump on that office situation NOW!'

The reason the organization is important to me is that I want our home to run as seamlessly as possible so I feel like I can get through the household chores quickly - putting things in their place and cleaning up.  And then I am free to concentrate on my dreams. 

In doing this, maybe I'm just putting my dreams on the backburner and procrastinating them away.  But a good friend of mine said that it is probably my way of preparing myself and getting my thoughts in order and that I'm giving myself a tangible goal while I work the big one out and think of where to begin with it all.  Whether that's true or not - I like it so I will go with it ha ha. 

I do think procrastination has some benefits.  If you're struggling with doing something it is either a very unsavory task OR if it's something you want to do, but you're finding excuses not to - or are 'too tired' - perhaps - you are not in the right place to take this thing on at this moment or it is just not time for that task at that moment - the universe is not ready for it - or it's not ready for the sub par version you are going to produce if you do a half assed job.  Maybe when we feel we are procrastinating on something too much - we should take a step back and figure out why. 

Well...time to take my own advice..

As I sit here thinking on it...my issue with getting things done today is that I feel I'm being pulled in a billion different directions.  In all honesty, I'm the only one pulling.  I want to get so many things done at once - it's time to break them down into small goals.  Small goals work because they are attainable and they are mini triumphs to get back on the track of success.  Remembering what victory feels like can change gameplay.

Writing lists and actually checking items off is an example of a bunch of small goals that you write 'CONQUERED' all over the face of. 

Not only am I in the middle of organizing our home, I'm trying to decorate it, keep it clean, trying to do work with a hot laptop on my lap and papers scattered over the living room since the office is out of order at the moment, trying to get a beauty and workout routine down, taking care of our family and many other little random things.  My load may not seem like much to others and in comparison - I usually think I have it quite easy.  But everyone gets stressed by their own picture they have in their head of what it all should be and what you are afraid everyone actually sees. 

For me, I think my perscription for the day is:  making myself look and feel presentable, writing a shopping list for the closet organization, actually going shopping this time and not getting sidetracked, and then finishing the closet tonight.  One small step for me - one giant leap for my psyche. 

Love and Gratitude,
Erica Nicole

Do You Have Dreams?

Basically, the gist of this blog is showing my struggles and victories during my quest to get my own personal empire up and running by October 31, 2011.  It may not be complete at this date, but it will be functional.

The purpose of this blog isn't for me to vent or have something to do, nor is it to sing praises to myself for my accomplishments.  I am hoping what I write will inspire others out there like me.  The people who want to reach their goals and realize their dreams so badly, but have no idea where to begin. 

Well that was (and still is) me.  I want you to read this blog and say to yourself..."If she can do it, I can do it." 

If I had to choose a main focus - an audience for my blog - it would be anyone with thoughts aka everyone, but more specifically - artists, housewives, people with ADHD or some other disorder that is nagging at them daily and telling them they are less than when you know, deep down, you are an amazing person - a diamond in the rough - who just needs the chance to shine. 

I've realized I can't wait for people to give me that chance.  I have to create the moment myself.

Many people begin a blog when they have already accomplished something to share.  I have nothing to offer except my will and determination and the hope that you want to go along for the ride.

Love and Gratitude,

Erica Nicole