Preparing for Christmas

What makes Christmas 2008 great...

1. Puting a real wreath on the inside of the door, because no one will see it on the outside since our front door faces a walled-in staircase.
2. Blue and white lights that will eventually go around our small windows.
3. Early presents from Mom and Sister in NYC.
4. Radio City Rockettes.
5. Spending Christmas Day with the Coopers.
6. Buying that one special gift for my someone special.
7. Getting Christmas sweaters for the babies (Kiko and Bubble).
8. Hopefully making Christmas cookies soon.
9. Snow in NYC.
10. Making our second Christmas together special in our new home.

And the number one thing I'm looking forward to this month:

Nana's Holiday party mix.

Cipriani Accessories

My New York "job hunting" trip went really really well. I had four interviews scheduled with different companies. I had an interview with Donna Ricco (check out her website www.donnaricco.com) last Friday. Then I had two interviews with Nitches, Inc. which is the company I've worked for for the last six months in Texas. And then I had one last interview with Cipriani Accessories (www.ciprianiaccessories.com). Cipriani asked me back for a second interview the next day, and offered me a job a few days later. I'm so excited!

Tony and I are moving to Manhattan soon. I start work at the end of July. I'm so blessed and thankful and nervous and just really really happy! God is really blessing us right now. All of my prayers from the last year are being answered in very cool ways. He is taking care of us, and making our transitions pretty smooth. I couldn't ask for more than that. :)

Yay!

New York here we come!

Job Hunting

Update:

Thursday: Last day at work.
Thursday evening: Fly to NYC
Friday: Interview with Donna Ricco
Saturday: Apartment hunt in NJ
Sunday: hmmm.... haven't planned it out yet.
Monday: Interview with Cipriani Accessories
Monday evening: Ranger's game with Christi
Tuesday: More interviews???
Tuesday evening: Fly home hopefully with a new job!!

I need a new job...

Looking for a job takes more time and effort than an actual job, I've decided. Networking is everything. And here I am in Dallas, Texas, working all my contacts to find a job in NYC. I guess it might be a little easier if I was networking all of my contacts in NYC to find a job in NYC.

But what can you do? I just hope my voice on the telephone sounds as enchanting as I would hope my face looks. :) No need for any comments on that one.

5 Things I Wish I Had

1. A cool suit to fly around in like Iron Man.

2. An endless supply of sunless tanner for my legs.

3. A baby blue Mini Cooper S with white racing stripes and two sunroofs.

4. A huge closet with plastic organization units from the Container Store.

5. Lipstick that would stay on and not stick to my hair.

www.ashleygarcia.net

For those of you who read this, I am creating a new portfolio website for myself. It is www.ashleygarcia.net, in case you are interested. Not quite finished all the way, but almost there. :) Enjoy!!!

MY HUBBY IS HOME!!!!!!!!!! No more counting.... Does that mean I need a new title for my blog?

Speech

For those of you who know that I am graduating on Friday and who cannot be there, I am posting my speech on my blog. Oh yeah, I have to say a speech because I'm Valedictorian... haha who would have thought! So here goes, I hope you enjoy:




The direction in which education starts a man will determine his future life
- Plato

Education is more than going to classes, paying your dues and doing your homework. It is the beginning of the path that will take you through life. I have had enough education to know that everything you learn in class will not necessarily be used in real life. I have also figured out that if you apply yourself, your education can be 100% useful to dealing with what comes your way.

Lou Holtz said that “Life is ten percent what happens to you and ninety percent how you respond to it.”

You will find that long after you leave Wade College, your choices in how you deal with situations in your life will determine your success. There will be times where we all will have to do things that we do not want to do. Some of us will have to choose to take care of our families instead of pursue the career of our dreams. Some of us will choose different careers than what we studied here at Wade College. And there will be those of us that find themselves places in life where we never expected to be. It is how we choose to act in these situations that will help us to eventually achieve what we want in life. I hope that you all choose to embrace the talents that God gave to you, and use them for good in all aspects of your lives.

Aldous Huxley said that “The most valuable of all education is the ability to make yourself do the things you have to do, when it has to be done, whether you like it or not.”

I believe that through prayer and really hard work, we will all find our purpose. It may not be what you thought it would be, or what you think it should be. But there is a plan for all of us, and how we choose to use what we have learned and how we choose to act, will determine our success.

Some of you may become wealthy business people, respectable fashion designers in New York; or maybe some of you will some day have the privilege to become awesome mothers or fathers.

Whatever it is you find yourselves doing, I challenge you all to dream big, give your requests to God, and be selfless people.

Portfolio Show/Graduation

I am so excited to annouce my pending graduation and my fashion design portfolio show. Here is the deal:

Portfolio Show:

• Thursday, May 15; 6pm to 8pm at the Infomart in Dallas, Seventh floor Conference Room
• 1950 N Stemmons Freeway, #6038

Graduation:

• Friday, May 16; 1 pm to 3 pm at the Infomart in Dallas, Seventh floor Conference Room
• Same as above

I would love for everyone to come if you can! I'm so excited to finally be on my way.

Frustration

I am frustrated that a person I work with speaks to me like I'm a blubbering idiot, or that I have not heard a bit of logic in my lifetime. Sarcasm. Rolling of eyes. Repeating everything I say in a different way, and then explaining it again to me as if I hadn't heard it (or said it!) before.

O Lord, is this my preparation for the industry I'm in???? If so, I need more patience!!!

Day 63

Time is a funny thing. Sometimes you look up and it has gone by really really fast. Sometimes you feel like you live in a moment for ages. And then sometimes it feels like you aren't even moving at all. Which moments do you savor?

I find it really hard to live in the moment. I really want to, it's just that I always find something holding me back, or thrusting me forward... trying to live in the past or the future. How do you live in a moment that you don't necessarily want to be in? I suppose that is when prayer and faith carry you to the next moment when the time comes for that moment to pass.

I guess the real trick would be to figure out how to want to be in your moment.

Day 47

I went to see my Nana tonight after work. She had been in the hospital for 4 or 5 days due to dehydration, Bronchitis, confustion/dementia, and lack of food. She is 87 years old; survived cancer twice! What a trooper she has been. She was... is so sweet. Was very weak, but in good spirits. She thought I was my mother for the last hour or so I was there. She kept telling me she remembered when I won the baby pageant in Ozona, Texas. I don't think I've ever been to Ozona! Haha, or EVER won a pageant.

Seeing her tonight helped me remember how much I cherish her. I treasure those sweet moments I spent with her tonight. I hope to always remember them.

Day 40

Holy smokes, 40 days since Tony has been gone!! But, I got to see him in West Palm Beach, FL last weekend. I WANT TO BE A TOURING MUSICIAN!! *sigh* I guess I'll settle for being a working fashion designer instead. :)

I've been working on my final collection for May, and I'm super excited. I wish I would think to sew more in my down time. I really love doing it. The jacket below is an example of the types of drawings I do at work. Fun fun!

Day Seventeen

Wow. I can't believe it has already been seventeen days since Tony left for tour. It feels like yesterday Lyndsey and I took him to the airport. Today he is in Canada. He told me he built me a snowman, named Ashley, that had some interesting attire and accessories. He should have photos up soon on his blog. I'll be looking forward to those.

Why is it that I have to relearn to trust God with my fears and with my dreams. I have so many fears that usually involve change. I'm afraid of moving away from my family. I'm afraid of failure. I'm afraid of lots of things, and God has shown me over and over again that it isn't about me. He has shown me that He is the one that gives me my opportunities, so I don't really understand why I always worry about accomplishing things that aren't really up to me in the first place. I'm often frustrated with myself for feeling so afraid. Somehow I can't seem to kick the habit of going up and down on this rollercoaster of trusting God one minute and things go great, and then trying to take over all the while failing to be in control the next minute.

When will I ever learn???

These are some photos of garments that I have made in the last few months. I made the patterns, draped and constructed/sewed them, and took photos for my portfolio. Enjoy!

Day Twelve

I'm feeling humble, timid and frustrated with myself right now. I feel certain things, and even though I know that they are unprecedented, they are still there. I don't really know what to do about it, or feel about it. I just wish I knew how to deal with my negative feelings in a way that is not hurtful to the person they involve.

So with that said, now I'm going to "turn off the light." Tony, that one was for you. :)

I love my job. It is so fun to get to see the complete production process. And it is really rewarding to see your idea go into production, especially when a buyer at market wants to order the piece for their retail establishment. I can't wait until I start to see some of my ideas go into that transition. It will be such a milestone in my goal and dream of becoming a fashion designer. Plus, it is awesome that the people at my job are really nice. They are laid back, helpful, polite, and normal. It makes working so much more fun.

Day Seven

In case anyone wonders what I do for a living now, the image on the right shows a knitted sweater I sketched day before yesterday on my CAD program. I also created the print, and the company I work for will be presenting it to a buyer to see if they are interested in mass producing the print.

I really enjoy my job. :)

It has been a full week since Tony left. I feel like I'm roaming around in this strange level between being married and living with someone, and a strange single life I feel like I should have left behind. Not that I am acting single; its just when you suddenly live by yourself again after living with your husband/best friend, it feels very strange. You start to develop a sense of independence again you thought was gone. You eat when you want. You throw your underwear on the floor when you want. You play whatever music you want and as loud as you want. Some of these things I'm just filling in a scenario because I would never trade any of these things for Tony. The joy he has given me, and the love and excitement I feel when he is around trumps playing music you like any day.

So with that said, I have developed somewhat of a routine rather quickly. It involves waking up on my own, taking Kiko to my parents' house in the morning, driving to work, working all day, and then picking Kiko back up, driving home, and finishing out the evening. That usually means I go to the gym, eat dinner, watch CSI, talk to Tony briefly on the phone, and then go to sleep. A view variables change here and there, but that is the gist of what I have done the past week.

Pretty soon, I'll be adding night-class into that routine. Geesh....

There is one perk to this whole crazy decision to let my husband leave for four months: Kiko gets to sleep in the bed with me. :)

Day Four

First of all, I am sad that Heath Ledger has died. It was the buzz going on all over the news this afternoon. Very very sad.

Day Four.....
I keep staying up later and later, feeding the night-owl inside of me. I don't really want to get in that habit, so I'm going to have to go to bed earlier; especially with the new Big Girl job that I have. I miss Tony terribly, but I have been continuing to watch Project Runway to keep my mind off of the silence that is in our apartment when I'm by myself there. Tonight our friend Kevin and I baked a cake in the shape of a Texas. I was very proud. Those close to me know that I'm not usually the baking type.

It is also very cold right now here in Texas. Although I've yet to see any snow.

I'm dreading the early Feb. start of my last trimester in school. I know that the earlier I start, the sooner I'll finish; but I now have a full time job, I'll be in night classes, and producing my final collection for fashion design. When will I have time to sew? When will I have time to take Kiko out to pee? When will I have time to eat? Or sleep!!???!? I'm somewhat anxious about this. I want to get back in shape for Tony when he comes home in May. But I am having trouble seeing when the reality of this will take shape.

Anyway, Day Four is done and tomorrow is another day.

Day One

So this is Day One; Tony flew to Philly early this morning. We both bawled like babies, and the goodbye was one without enough words to adequately express the love we feel between the two of us. Maybe it was because we both did not want to say goodbye that made it so difficult. I know that I went home feeling like a hole had been dug in my gut with a sledgehammer. I felt like I should have said more, should have hugged tighter, should have kissed longer.

I spent the majority of my day with my dear friend Lyndsey, who came to support me in sending my wonderful husband off on his Broadway tour. We talked for hours, went out to eat, and watched Project Runway episodes. We ate ice cream, looked at magazines, and pretended it was a perfectly normal girls' weekend. It was so nice to not have to go to my apartment by myself.

So this is the end of Day One. One hundred twenty-two to go.....