Keeping Up Appearances

As I might have mentioned before, I am a Recruitment Specialist for Alpha Gamma Delta. My Provinces are 21 and 22, which means I oversee recruitment for the 7 chapters in Michigan's lower peninsula. This weekend, I had the opportunity to visit the Zeta Sigma chapter at Northwood University. What an outstanding group of women! I had such fun and I think we all learned a lot.

One of the universal topics that comes up during recruitment is "image." The chapter's image, each sisters personal image and the type of reputation the group has. Of course, being visible on campus, participating in campus events and other student organizations and always being well groomed and presentable come up as ways to achieve and maintain a positive "image."

As a visiting Recruitment Specialist, I like to do a combination of observing the chapter while they have their own discussions while jumping in and facilitating where necessary. As I was listening, I was also applying this concept of "image" to my own newly-begun professional life. This is just one more place where being Greek gives us an edge up over non-Greeks - everybody hears how important it is to clean up your online presence and dress appropriately, but few can actually see in action just how important those "silly" things really are!

I am currently working for a domestic violence and sexual assault agency. I did an internship there last academic year and now am working there part time as a paid employee. I love the agency, I love my co-workers and I am passionate about our mission and philosophy. I hope to be employed there for a long time! I am grateful that I made such an impression on my supervisor who helped me get this job; without her, I would probably still be unemployed and wondering how I was going to pay for my gas and books this semester!

So how does a chapter's image during recruitment relate to my personal work life? Well, even though I would like to be employed there for a long time, it might not work out that way. A full time position that I'm qualified for may not be available when I graduate. It might not pay what I need in order to make my loan payments as well as every day expenses. In this case, I would need to find another position.

Like in Greek life, being in the field of social work, human services and mental health means being in a professional community where everybody talks and has to work together. Your reputation (or that of your agency) often precedes you. The more things you are positively involved in and the more constructive interactions you have with a variety of people, the better. This is why maintaining a professional yet friendly demeanor, appropriate dress and behavior is so important - particularly for those of us just entering the workforce. The Millennials have challenges previous generations never dreamed of: we are often over-educated, underpaid, inexperienced and vying for positions people with 20-30 years of experience are also trying to secure - all while shouldering crushing student loan debt, trying to keep our chins up and our of our parents' way (many of us are living at home well into our 30's...).

But we have one thing on these experienced (often) Baby Boomers: We have not had 30 years to get into trouble. If we can keep our image sparkling clean and our reputation spotless, it can really give us an edge. We already have a bit of a reputation (true or not) of wanting everything to be handed to us. If we can show employers that we are hard workers, professional, responsible and trustworthy, we can show them that as inexperienced but motivated employees, they can mold us to the workers they want in order to achieve the results they desire within their organizations.

So what it comes down to is this: Whether you are a Greek organization trying to attract new members, new members trying to get into a fraternity or sorority, or a new professional it is important to remember this: your reputation precedes you. If what people see and know of on the outside isn't shining, they won't take the time to get to know what great things you have to offer on the inside.

Do you have any examples of where a reputation (good or bad) really had an impact on a group or individual?* 

*If it is negative, please change the person/groups name out of courtesy!

Book Review: "Summer Rental" by Mary Kay Andrews

Synopsis (from GoodReads.com):

Sometimes, when you need a change in your life, the tide just happens to pull you in the right direction….

Ellis, Julia, and Dorie. Best friends since Catholic grade school, they now find themselves, in their mid-thirties, at the crossroads of life and love. Ellis, recently fired from a job she gave everything to, is rudderless and now beginning to question the choices she's made over the past decade of her life. Julia—whose caustic wit covers up her wounds--has a man who loves her and is offering her the world, but she can't hide from how deeply insecure she feels about her looks, her brains, her life.  And Dorie has just been shockingly betrayed by the man she loved and trusted the most in the world…though this is just the tip of the iceberg of her problems and secrets. A month in North Carolina's Outer Banks is just what they each of them needs.

Ty Bazemore is their landlord, though he's hanging on to the rambling old beach house by a thin thread. After an inauspicious first meeting with Ellis, the two find themselves disturbingly attracted to one another, even as Ty is about to lose everything he's ever cared about.

Maryn Shackleford is a stranger, and a woman on the run. Maryn needs just a few things in life: no questions, a good hiding place, and a new identity.  Ellis, Julia, and Dorie can provide what Maryn wants; can they also provide what she needs? 

Five people questioning everything they ever thought they knew about life. Five people on a journey that will uncover their secrets and point them on the path to forgiveness.   Five people who each need a sea change, and one month in a summer rental that might just give it to them.

One of Library Journal's Best Women’s Fiction Books of 2011

My Thoughts **spoiler alert**:

I really enjoyed this book. It is absolutely a summer read (and is advertised as such!), but the author has such a talent for description that she made me feel like I was AT Ebbtide and in Nags Head with the characters.

Ellis seemed to fall a little flat to me: I understood her angst, her torment over joblessness and manlessness. At times, it almost seemed like she was the main character, even though the story was supposed to be about the three friends- Ellis, Dorie and Julia. 

Dorie also didn't do much for me. I could appreciate her unique life situation with her husband leaving her for another man just as she learned of her pregnancy, but as a person, I didn't really feel much for her. Julia, on the other hand, procrastinator, model and pot-stirrer was a bit better. She certainly threw a few wrenches into the plot. 

The person I was most interested in, however, was Madison/Maryn, the woman on the run from her abusive and embezzling husband. Funny thing is, she was supposed to be a "sub-plot" but she was the most real of all of the characters. 

Of course, this isn't supposed to be a work of literary genius: it's pure entertainment. And entertain, it does! Recommended for a quick, easy, amusing beach-read.

Final Word: B+

Product Review: Staniac Lip & Cheek Stain

I am not a fan of "stains." I have had horrible luck with them staining where I don't want them to, fading, being way too dark, not spreading and looking splotchy - any drama you can think of, I've experienced it. I obtained a sample of theBalm cosmetics Staniac lip and cheek stain in the color "Beauty Queen" and have little negative to say about it!

The other stains I have sampled (mostly Benefit, to be honest, but a few drugstore brands as well) have been runny and dry too quickly for me to spread the pigment where I want. The Staniac product, however, is more of a gel texture and takes a bit longer to dry, allowing more time for even dispersion. I was very happy with the wand applicator particularly because I primarily used this product on my lips. 

I did try it on my cheeks, but it was a bit bright for my taste. The "Beauty Queen" color is a bright magenta pink. I would like to try this product in "Prom Queen" which is a lighter pink and might suit my needs for an every-day stain better than the deeper shade. 

In addition to the workability of this product, it did not leave my lips or skin feeling dried out and while it did fade throughout the day (no product lasts forever!), it faded evenly. I did not have any weird lines around my mouth where some pigment was still hanging on while the middle of my lip was completely bare. I say if a product is going to wear off, it should wear off evenly! 

Finally, unlike other stains I have tried which completely take over and come through any other product I would layer on top (gloss, powder, etc.) the Staniac lip and cheek stain blended very nicely with bronzer, powder, lipstick and lipgloss which gave me much more control over my exact color and coverage. This product costs $17 for .3fl oz and can be purchased at theBalm.com, Nordstrom, Amazon, or through Birchbox. 

Overall Grade: A-

Book Review: "Keeping the Moon" by Sarah Dessen

Synopsis (from Barnes & Noble): 

"Fifteen-year-old Colie has never fit in. First, it was because she was fat. Then, after she lost the weight, it was because of a reputation that she didn't deserve. So when she's sent to stay with her eccentric aunt Mira for the summer, Colie doesn't expect too much. After all, why would anyone in Colby, North Carolina, want to bother with her when no one back home does?

But Colby turns out to be a nice surprise for Colie. Almost without trying, she lands herself a job at the Last Chance Bar and Grill. There she meets fellow waitresses Morgan and Isabel -- two best friends who teach her what friendship is all about, and help her learn to appreciate who she really is."

My Thoughts: 

Something to keep in mind: This book is definitely written for middle to high school aged readers. There are often books that I find in this genre of "Young Adult" literature that I think, "This really could be shelved in the general 'Fiction' section - it was really good!" This, however, is not one of them. Not that it wasn't good, it just was very juvenille.

I certainly would recommend it for readers who are in 7th - 10th grade who are feeling the oh-so-common angst of that age. It might help them gain a new perspective to have a main character as relatable as Colie. It is certainly a "surface read" - that is, what you see is what you get. There isn't a whole lot of "deeper meaning" to be found within these pages, but with the target audience presumably having their own adolescent traumas occurring, that might be a good thing.

It is fairly well written, but again, very simplistic. It touches on friendships, romances, and self esteem among other popular teenage topics. My favorite character was Aunt Mira: self assured, eccentric, creative, heart of gold. But overall I felt the story was a bit cloying and I lost interest a few times. Cute gift for the misfit teen in your life...

Final Word: C+

Book Review: "A Great and Terrible Beauty" by Libba Bray

Synopsis (from GoodReads.com): 

A Victorian boarding school story, a Gothic mansion mystery, a gossipy romp about a clique of girlfriends, and a dark other-worldly fantasy--jumble them all together and you have this complicated and unusual first novel.

Sixteen-year-old Gemma has had an unconventional upbringing in India, until the day she foresees her mother's death in a black, swirling vision that turns out to be true. Sent back to England, she is enrolled at Spence, a girls' academy with a mysterious burned-out East Wing. There Gemma is snubbed by powerful Felicity, beautiful Pippa, and even her own dumpy roommate Ann, until she blackmails herself and Ann into the treacherous clique. Gemma is distressed to find that she has been followed from India by Kartik, a beautiful young man who warns her to fight off the visions. Nevertheless, they continue, and one night she is led by a child-spirit to find a diary that reveals the secrets of a mystical Order. 

The clique soon finds a way to accompany Gemma to the other-world realms of her visions "for a bit of fun" and to taste the power they will never have as Victorian wives, but they discover that the delights of the realms are overwhelmed by a menace they cannot control. Gemma is left with the knowledge that her role as the link between worlds leaves her with a mission to seek out the "others" and rebuild the Order. 

My Thoughts: 

This book felt familiar to me, as if I had read it before. But after I got into it a bit, I realized that it must have been a book I started at some point and then put down. I’m honestly not too sure how I did that (if that is truly the case) because I really felt myself wanting to read on and on and on! The author spent just enough time on detail and descriptions that I felt like I could get a feel for the characters, but it moved at such a pace that it kept me interested and wanting to know more.

While it is an easy read and takes place in the late 1800’s, it deals with some very real issues that are still relevant today. For example, the loss of both parent and friend are addressed as well as social issues like cliques, self-injury and bullying. There is also a theme of forgiveness and a focus on increased understanding throughout the story in regards to both family relationships and friendships. 

I’d like to share one quote I found particularly well written: 

            “But forgiveness...I’ll hold on to that fragile slice of hope and keep it close, remembering that in each of us lie good and bad, light and dark, art and pain, choice and regret, cruelty and sacrifice. We’re each of us our own chiaroscuro, our own bit of illusion fighting to emerge into something solid, something real. We’ve got to forgive ourselves that. I must remember to forgive myself. Because there’s an awful lot of gray to work with. No one can live in the light all the time.” 

I believe the target audience this author was intending this story to be for is a bit younger than me, however it is an interesting and entertaining read for teens and adults alike. I’m glad it’s a trilogy - I can’t wait to get the next installment! 

Final Word: A-

Microvolunteering: Giving Back for the Frazzled Do-Gooder

I am so excited to share with you all this new site I discovered. It's called Sparked.com and it is a "microvolunteering" website. When I first heard of it I thought, "What in the world is microvolunteering?!" It turns out that it is a way for people all over the world to help others - right from your computer! It only takes a couple of minutes to truly have an impact.

When you sign up for an account, you will be given a very brief questionnaire about your talents and the types of causes you're passionate about. Based on your responses, it matches you up with "challenges" from groups who need some type of help. For instance, I included social media as a talent and that I was interested in programs involving youth. I was matched with an organization called Asian Youth Ministries. This group is just getting started and they needed help finding out who were some top influences on Twitter that might be interested in promoting their cause. All I had to do was check out Twitter, then copy and paste the usernames of the best Tweeters I found onto a response board! That's it!

There are so many ways to get involved: helping choose a logo for a new girls school in Africa, creating a recycling program for the Girl Scouts, being a guest-blogger for an environmental group, or even translating short articles in to Portuguese! If you've got a talent and you've got a few minutes, you can truly make a difference. There are nearly 10,000 "challenges" open and in need of microvolunteers. I encourage everyone to take a look at the Sparked.com website - it's a new frontier in volunteering and an easy, quick way to get involved and make an impact!

Time for a Change!

As summer comes to an end and we enter autumn, the season of change, I am considering making a few changes around here. I feel that limiting myself to "Books, Blooms, Beauty, Baking, and More" leaves out a large parts of my life that I'd like to share. 

While this will most likely continue to be mostly reviews of book and such (honestly, I have a lot of opinions about a lot of things!) I am very involved in my Greek organization, Alpha Gamma Delta. I am an alumna* and as such, it can be a challenge to stay involved. I hope to share ideas with fellow Greek women on ways to stay involved with your organization post-graduation (*for the unfamiliar readers, please refer to this post to understand the different levels of Greek membership). 

I'm also passionate about volunteering and being active in the community and I also hope to share ideas on ways you can realistically become involved in improving your neighborhood and beyond. I am looking forward to the changes I will be making; I truly think that by expanding the topics I blog about, I will not only be more consistent, but it will also be more interesting! 

Book Review: When We Were the Kennedy's by Monica Wood

Synopsis (from GoodReads): 1963, Mexico, Maine. The Wood family is much like its close, Catholic, immigrant neighbors, all dependent on a father’s wages from the Oxford Paper Company. Until the sudden death of Dad, when Mum and the four closely connected Wood girls are set adrift. Funny and to-the-bone moving, When We Were the Kennedys is the story of how this family saves itself, at first by depending on Father Bob, Mum’s youngest brother, a charismatic Catholic priest who feels his new responsibilities deeply. And then, as the nation is shocked by the loss of its handsome Catholic president, the televised grace of Jackie Kennedy—she too a Catholic widow with young children—galvanizes Mum to set off on an unprecedented family road trip to Washington, D.C., to do some rescuing of her own. An indelible story of how family and nation, each shocked by the unimaginable, exchange one identity for another.

My Thoughts:

I had really high expectations for this book to be a lot all at once: a tear jerker, laugh out loud funny, a sort of coming-of-age book all rolled into one. After all, the description makes it sound like this is exactly what it is! While it wasn't as funny as I had hoped, I did find myself consistently wanting to read on to find out what would happen next.

The story is told from middle-sister Monica's perspective. The Wood family has some unique dynamics that made their [mis]adventures more interesting: a special needs sister, a priest uncle who desperately wants to fill the "dad" void but who takes up drink, and distant relatives from Prince Edward Island who seem straight-from-the-fairy-tales. 

The death of a family member, particularly a parent or spouse, is earth shattering in its own. However, once the story moved beyond that (the even happened in the first couple chapters), nothing truly astounding happens for the rest of the book. Sure, there are a few surprises here and there that make you want to jump up and cheer (or run and give someone a hug), but overall it was a fairly mundane story with a few cute anecdotes. I particularly enjoyed the parts about the Nuns in Monica's school. 

I did have an overall feeling of "too much Oxford!" As someone from a small town, I can completely understand the feeling that a single business can be the lifeblood of the community. However, after Dad dies and things start to settle, I felt it rather tedious to keep coming back to the state of the Oxford throughout the story. Not until the very end did I see the point the author was making; to me, this is not particularly stellar writing. I should be able to follow the line of thought continuously, not flounder along until things click at the end. 

Overall, I'd say this is a Good Read! Particularly recommended if you have lost a parent recently. You will probably find more humor and heartbreak in this story than I because it will be more relatable. But even if you have not lost a loved one, this is still a pleasant read with a few twists and turns that will keep you interested throughout. 

Final Word: B-

Book Review: Mountains of the Moon by I. J. Kay

I won the book Mountains of the Moon by I. J. Kay from GoodReads First Reads (along with another, which I'm reading now!) and I was really excited to read it. Here's why...

Synopsis (from GoodReads.com): 

A highly original novel about a young woman’s journey from shattered youth to self-discovery.

After ten years in a London prison, Louise Adler (Lulu) is released with only a new alias to rebuild her life. Working a series of dead-end jobs, she carries a past full of secrets: a childhood marked by the violence and madness of her parents, followed by a reckless adolescence. From abandoned psychiatric hospitals to Edwardian-themed casinos, from a brief first love to the company of criminals, Lulu has spent her youth in an ever-shifting landscape of deceit and survival. But when she’s awarded an unexpected settlement claim after prison, she travels to the landscape of her childhood imagination, the central African range known as the Mountains of the Moon. There, in the region’s stark beauty, she attempts to piece together the fragments of her battered psyche.

Told in multilayered, hallucinatory flashbacks, Mountains of the Moon traces a traumatic youth and explores the journey of a young woman trying to transform a broken life into something beautiful. This dazzling novel from a distinctive new voice is sure to garner the attention of critics and readers alike.

My Thoughts:

Sounds pretty intense and interesting, right? I was so wrong...

I don't want to say it was "terrible" because it wasn't atrocious. However, I did not enjoy this book much at all. The hallucinatory and fractured way in which the story is told is so complex and multilayered that even when paying attention, it's nearly impossible to follow. Add (intentionally) misspelled words, (unfamiliar) British slang and fragments of song lyrics to the mix and it's a complete nightmare. Maybe it's just not my "cup of tea."

If I had not read the synopsis, I would have absolutely no clue what this story was all about. Even after reading it I feel the description is a bit of a stretch. If you are going to read this book, read the synopsis right before you begin the book and then again immediately following. It will help put everything together. 

I will say this: the author is gifted with descriptions. Even though I usually had absolutely no idea what was going on in the story, I felt like I was there (where ever "there" is...) I wish I could say more about the story, but I couldn't really follow it so I'll just leave it there.

Final Word: D