It's That Time of Year Again

Noticed I've been a little MIA lately? You're not the only one. Creative projects are sitting half-done and the only love the house gets these days is a 15 min. pick up in the morning. Yep, it's Tax Season!

I work for a Big 4 accounting firm and in this Valley, the bulk of our business are public corporations (which means our actual busy season is July/August since the extended due date for Corps is Sept. 15th). However, all tax campus hires are required to get 600 hours in four of the seven areas of tax and since I got 450 hours in my individual tax 'bucket' last season, I wound up signing up with that group again this year. Do I love individual tax? No. Actually do I love being a tax accountant at all? Not really.

My job does have it's perks. The firm is great, I work with some really kind and brilliant people, the pay is not bad, there is a lot of swift and structured upward mobility, and I am free to do what I want as long as my charge-ability stays above a certain % and I produce work at the level one would expect from a Big 4. I have always been a nerd and there are times I get a kick out of understand a body of knowledge not many other people do, but they dryness of numbers and the tax code takes it out of me. I crave creativity but can't deny that I have a knack for what I do and the praise I get feels good.

I found this article on the blog of a graphic designer I admire and although she wrote it a few years ago, I love what she has to say. The post is "On Being You" which requires three things:

1) Find your niche
2) Do what you love. Delegate the rest.
3) Design your life.

I encourage you to click on over to her full article but these three things got me thinking. What is my niche? It would be a waste to abandon accounting completely but I want to find a way to incorporate what I've learned into something that inspires me.

I asked Mike the other day if he really likes the day-to-day details of his job and he said not really... but he believes in the Company and likes his boss/co-workers. I know the grass is not always greener on the other side, but I feel like if I worked for a company that produced a product or service I was passionate about, it might be a good middle ground.

If I could "design my life" it would include me being my own boss, working with passionate people who value creativity and beauty, and supporting entrepreneurs - especially women who take a chance on their dreams to set up their own shop.

What do you think? If you could "design your life" what would that look like?

Best Year Yet

2013 was a huge year for Mike and I. It started off with me visiting my sister in the UK for New Years. It was my first time off the continent and I was so happy to spend some much-needed bonding time with my sister.

The next few months were busy but not very exciting as tax season hit and I got my first taste of what it was like to work 50+ hour weeks for two months straight. It wasn't my favorite thing in the world but I definitely felt myself settling into my role at EY and found a group I clicked with. I'm not overjoyed at the prospect of doing this year after year for the rest of my life and when the right opportunity presents itself I hope I have the wisdom and courage to take it - but for now it affords me the life I want and I'm beyond grateful for that.

May was a huge month between Mexico and getting engaged. I think I had a permanent smile on my face the entire month. Our trip to Mexico with our friends Drew & Danielle was just what I needed to relax and we had an amazing time. Just a few weeks later Mike surprised me by popping the question in Napa on a perfect late-spring day with our parents there to celebrate with us. I still joke with Mike that I have no idea what he said when he was down on one knee because I was in total shock and that he will have to write it down for me before he forgets too.

Summer is corporate busy season at the office which meant more 50+ weeks for me but we did sneak in some wedding planning and decided to buy a house (and launch the blog!). This house feels more and more like home everyday and love that we have a place to call 'ours'.

Labor day was spent at the Russian River up north with a large group of friends. Highlights included floating on the river all day, singing karaoke at a gay bar, champagne tasting at Korbel, and a certain fiance of mine cannon-balling into a hotel pool mostly clothed and running home sans those clothes and a game we like to call dancing-around-the-bottle. I think chants of 'River Mike' will haunt him for many years to come.

The year wrapped up with my 25th birthday, lots of wedding planning, a trip to Tahoe, holidays with the family, and of course our new fur baby Goose.

2014, you have some big competition for the title of Best Year Ever. It will be a close tie with the wedding, honeymoon, and digging into some of the big house projects we've been putting off but one thing is for sure, I'm excited for what this new year will bring!

Elegance

"Do you know what elegance is? 

It is not only what you're wearing,

 it is how you wear it, 

who you are inside. 

It is the way you decorate your house, 

what you surround yourself with, 

what books you read and what your interests are."

-Carolina Herrera

Sometimes elegance is associated with snobbery but I think the way Carolina describes it is such a worthy goal and a resolution I plan to stick with this coming year. At 25, I realize I'm still very young but something happened this year where all-of-a-sudden, I feel like a grown up. 

But don't worry friends, I'm not planning on abandoning my goofiness any time soon -- I just want to be more mindful of my thoughts and how I present myself both at work and in my personal life. 

I know it's only November, but what personal attributes are you hoping to focus on this upcoming year?