You Live and You Learn

I know you learn new things every day, but I feel like I've been learning at an exceptionally fast pace recently. Involuntarily and voluntarily. Academically and culturally. I've been pushing myself an insane amount, because being behind is one of my least favorite things in the world. I hate HATE missing things, opportunities, people, events. The right side of my brain has slowly been engulfing my life. Everything is design. The things I do to procrastinate have to do with design.

I'm officially "Linkedin." I have become a "prospect" in the Graphic Design playground, "Dribbble." And I've stuck my foot in a variety of things I am still completely unprepared and way too amateur for. #exhausting

The other things I learn and attempt to keep up on are all about culture. Last fall in Minnesota I was intoduced to Toms. I told my friend who lived in Chicago about them, and she said everyone in Chicago had them. They were old news. So now I'm in Chicago, and I think about this all the time. I wonder whether or not the popular Jeffery Campbell shoes that have five inch thick heels will be popular outside of the city.  I wonder if Hunter rainboots are common outside of the city, because by golly everyone has them here. I start to forget that in other cities, saying, "I'm vegan" will get you blank stares and questions and not a, "Yeah, me too."

But I miss cheap thrift stores.
I miss $.99 Arizona tea.
I miss no tax on clothing.
I miss fall in Wisconsin.

And I still think my favorite place to be in anywhere in the middle of nowhere.

Other than that, everything is still wonderful. I can just see flaws more clearly now and think more realistically about what it's like to live in the city.

Now, one final thing. One of, if not the best night thus far here was spent at a screening of Like Crazy at the Chicago International Film Festival. Not only had I been excited to see this movie ever since last winter when it won at Sundance, but I was able to see it with the actors and director. It was so surreal and wonderful. I got to ask the very last question, and Anton Yelchin (that funny Russian boy from Star Trek... :] ) looked me straight in the eyes as he answered. So lovely. I think these are the only pictures I've taken so far, since my phone camera died.

Not to mention the film is phenomenal.  Pheeenooomenal.

Men.

Dear Man Who Hates To Shop,

I love you. You're so willing to be helped. You take my opinion like it's fact. You talk to me like we're friends, and you take suggestions like candy and compliments like winning the lottery. You make me smile, you brighten my day, and I absolutely love picking out outfits for you. Thank you.

Come to my store, let me help you.



Dear Man Who Hates To Shop,

Don't come shopping with me. I will probably be in the store longer than you want me to, which is not at all. I know you're not happy waiting outside, but darling, sometimes a girl has got to shop. You're frustrating because I really want to please you, but your strut into a mall feels as though it should be accompanied by the Funeral March.

Stay at home, I cannot please you. 


--------------------


Yesterday, the first customer I said hi to looked at me with this huge sympathetic smile and said, "I hate shopping." This is something that happens a lot, and I absolutely love it. But this man just made me smile so much. He told me what he was looking for, so we talked about it for a little while. Within 60 seconds of knowing me, he looked at me and said, "I'm sorry, but are you a drawer or a painter?" Confused, I nodded and told him I was majoring in Graphic Design. He said, "Yeah. I got that vibe!"

I felt like he knew me, in a non-creepy way.

In the dressing room, I had him try a few things ("I hate trying on, so I'm only going in there once!") and we found an outfit that he fell in love with. Oh, the strange things that feel rewarding. I spent the whole night in the dressing room, and it's officially my favorite place to work. It's messy as crap, but if I give an opinion, they will take it. It's so cute.

When we were learning about selling to men, my supervisor said, "What if you were in the dressing room, came out in a pair of pants and a guy said "Oh those look fantastic on you!" One girl said, "I would buy them in every single color." So true.


It works like a charm. Like a charm!

Selling to men is not something I've ever had to think about. But it's really interesting how different it is than selling to women. If you say, "This is our most popular fit." to a man, he will say okay,buy it in three colors, and not come back for six months. If you say, "This is our most popular fit." A woman will probably say okay, stare at in for a few minutes, try it on for a few more minutes, not like the stitching on the back pocket, and go back to the floor for round two.



Today is beautiful.
I like the smell of dead leaves.

xx

Stitched

Today, I have a picture, quote & a song for you.

I listen to Oh Land on the train. OH my LANDta I'm obsessed with her.

  Perfection by OhLand

“I myself am made entirely of flaws, stitched together with good intentions.”

-Augusten Burroughs

Alright, now that we've set the mood, here are some things.

Today I was eating lunch at Panera (some things never change...) and next to me was 5 or six businessmen eating lunch on their break. They were probably between the ages of 28-34. I could hear their conversation quite clearly, and when I realized it was about a love interest, the ears perked up. It was SO cute, I'm not going to lie. They were giving one of the guys advice on a woman he was interested in. From what I could gather, she was leaving soon or had a layover here for a short time or SOMETHING that had to do with an airport, because of the guys said, "Go to the airport and stop her from leaving!" Another said, "Yeah! It works in all the RomComs!"

Two friends from Minnesota came this past weekend. It was so much fun because I had an excuse to be a tourist and do touristy things. Except when one is a girl and one is a boy, you are guaranteed either said boy or said girl will be a puddle of boredom at some point of the day. Don't you hate this? When you're responsible for plans that keep everyone happy? It's a tough job. Goodness. Anyway, I think it turned out well. Minus the shoe shopping.

Today I had my African American history class. It's about a 25 person class, and I'd say 5 of us are  white. Anyway, it's always a very discussion oriented class with some very opinionated people. I'm usually more timid about my thoughts, because I know less about where they came from and what kind of environment they grew up in, ya know? Well today I was the one who knew what NAACP stood for. I think I got major props for this.

Anyway, I'm writing a 15 page cultural ethnography on Nerdfighters as a culture. We're supposed to do a culture we can physically go to a location and observe, but I made a case for the overwhelming online presence of Nerdfighters. So I might be observing ya'll. o_0

What I think:

Boots are way too expensive.

What I know:

I am starting to get nervous for my brewers.

There was so much more, I know it. I can't remember. I'll talk sooon then.