Fashion blog? From me? What the what?

Don’t worry, those of you that know me are aware that I’m am not a purchaser of luxury fashion, I don’t read magazines with luxury fashion and I don’t dream about someday owning luxury fashion. However, I just left an informal Q&A session with Angela Ahrendts, the CEO of Burberry. The woman absolutely fascinates me.

Ahrendts will be speaking our our commencement ceremony on May 8th and I’m incredibly excited for it. The reason I’m excited about it: She’s from Indiana and attended Ball State. Now, I’m not trying to be a Ball State plug and talk about how awesome Ball State is and all that hoopla. The part that I’m interested in talking about is how she’s given me much more confidence in myself.

Growing up in Batesville and then continuing my higher education in Indiana, I convinced myself that I’d be able to do great things in my career somebody, but there was a point people would be like, “OK, you’re from the Midwest, this is where you have to stop moving up the career ladder.” Who knows where I got my mindset? (And, by the way, there’s nothing wrong with the Midwest as I explain later.)

After seeing Ahrendts (over Skype), she gave me so much confidence that you don’t have to be born in New York or London or LA to be a big thing. You don’t have to have rich parents and connections out the wazoo already. She moved to New York the day after she graduated and never stopped growing from there. She searched for a job and managed to prove herself in her industry, fashion.

Something that I really liked that she said was that one of the reasons she’s the CEO of Burberry is because she was born in the Midwest, so she was raise to be accountable. I completely agree with that (for the most part.) I think many people in my generation and the ones before me have been shaped by the work ethic and drive of the Midwest. I’m proud that I was raised her because I think it gives me a sense of accomplishment, a sense of focus.

Yes, I’m a designer, and I’m passionate about it. I’m trying to figure out what industry I need to apply my design, marketing and public relations skills to. Is it fashion? Probably not. I think that’s something that has to be in your blood. I mean, when I got to college I asked someone in my dorm, “What are all those C’s on the glasses these girls are wearing.” Welcome to the world of Coach, Stephanie. I racked up my awkward points that day I think.

Anywho, I guess what the whole point of this post is: Someday, I’m going to accomplish everything I want to. I’m going to be a leader, someone who is passionate about their career and someone who’s damn good at it.

You guys are all going to laugh when someday I’m walking around in Burberry trenchcoat.

I’m not usually one for the sappy stories…but..

It’s true. I’m not a hopeless romantic and I don’t usually enjoy the sappy side of things. Heck, for this Valentine’s Day, the boyfriend and I are celebrating with beer and wings. No cards, no gifts – definitely no flowers. I don’t see the point of wasting money on one day. I thought you’re supposed to love each other everyday? I think I might pick a fight on Feb. 14, just to spite cupid.

However, I did get this story in my inbox today regarding a love story that was started by TOMS Shoes (Shoes for Tomorrow.) Well, considering I’m a campus representative and lover of TOMS, I couldn’t help but think it was a great story. A girl gave a guy her number, solely (bahaha..I know, I’m funny.) because he was wearing TOMS.

You can check it out here on the TOM’s Shoes Blog. If I ever get married, I will definitely have the wedding party wear TOMS. Great idea.

TOMS is doing such awesome work and I’m excited that I can be a part of it. This is my second semester as a TOMS rep and I absolutely love it. Last semester our BSU team put together an event at a bar by campus and had two fantastic bands (Eight Stories High & Asteria) play for us. Go here for the TOMS YouTube channel.

This semester, we’re going to have a Style Your Sole event. This is a chance to TOMS fans to paint their own pair and put personality into their shoes. Be on the lookout for more information. Oh and April 8th is A Day Without Shoes. So take off those sneaks and let your feet breathe!

Buy a pair of TOMS today…and save $5 by typing in CAMPUSBLSU during checkout. (Yeah, you’re welcome.)

This wasn’t supposed to be a promotion blog for TOMS, but I can’t help it: When I’ve got TOMS on the mind I just start rambling. I just want everyone to be as fascinated and excited about cause marketing as I am. There are some great ideas out there in many other companies as well, so give a little support!

Working for a nonprofit, or at least a company focused on cause marketing, is my goal after graduation. I want to work somewhere that the power of consumer purchases is being used for good. I’m crossing my fingers that I get my dream job post-graduation. Cross your fingers!

118 days…but who’s counting

My final semester of my college career begins tomorrow. It feels a little surreal.

I remember my first three weeks at Ball State vividly. The morning I left, my parents and I packed the car and we headed to Muncie. I drove my own car with my boyfriend at the time, sister and her boyfriend. I kept a smile on my face until all three of them fell sleep. Just me and road, and me crying like a baby. I was overwhelmed and scared, but at the same time excited.

I spent the next three weeks at Ball State, pathetically missing home and wishing I was back in Batesville. I would call my mom crying, and it stressed her out. She’d have my dad talk to me, and of course I sounded tough as nails then. He thought I was fine. She thought I was going to have a meltdown.

After Labor Day weekend, I was fine. I made friends and figured this college life out. I stopped focusing on what I did have, and instead, all the exciting things in front of me.

Well, that feeling is back again. I don’t think I’ll have a breakdown like a child this time, but I’m excited, overwhelmed and nervous. I don’t know where I’ll be or what I’ll be doing.

I just feel like this last semester I need to make it the best one yet. I need to continue the trend of reading my textbooks, work even harder and make sure I spend time with all the people I may never see again. (Okay, that’s dramatic. But who knows who I’ll actually see once we all graduate.)

One of my best friends will be going to South America with the Peace Corps, another will go wherever her boyfriend finds his job…others will still be in Indiana.

Tomorrow will be my last first day of my undergraduate semester. Soon I’ll be saying it’s my last Monday of my undergraduate semester. Then it will be the last hour, the last minute of my undergraduate semester. Yikes.

I’ll be taking 18 credit hours, so let’s hope I make it through. Media Editing, Campaigns, Capstone Graphics class, Magazine Design Class, Anthropology and Social Work.

Syllabus Week, here I come!

Goooooodbye, Ball State.

Help me find a new home!

The job search is probably the most complicated experience I’ve encountered so far in my life. It’s so overwhelming. I mean, do you choose a location you want to work in, or do you just close your eyes, apply everywhere and hope it’s somewhere you’ll like.

If you choose by location, how do you know what’s best for you if you never get the opportunity to travel? I’m the type of person that is fascinated by every place, and in my mind I make some parts of the United States seem absolutely fascinating. In reality, these places could be just like Indiana. Indiana’s a great place, don’t get me wrong, but I feel like I need to get out and go somewhere completely different. If I don’t do it now, then I never will. So that’s why I’ve been focusing my job search on different locations.

Well, I took this test (twice…about 3 months apart) to see where I would fit best. I want to live somewhere with trees, water and mountains. But, I don’t want to go somewhere that it’s constantly hot. I don’t want to live a life like The Hills or Jersey Shore.

In my mind, the Northwest and Northeast are absolutely fantastic. I’ve been looking into Oregon and Washington, as well as Maine, Vermont and Pennsylvania.

I found this great site, BestPlaces.net. It gives you reviews on just about every city or town in the country. Then I realized I need to stop reading them, because of course people that live there are biased and have some hatred for area, unrelated to the physical location.

So below I put the results to my “Where Should I Live?” quiz on a Google map. Just a tidbit to look at. Maybe you can help me decide, or give me some new locations.

(You can drag the map around with the white hand.)

View Larger Map