frigid wind

it is so cold here today. annoying because it would be perfectly fine if there wasn't this blasted wind! it's so cold that the local wildlife is using my deck to protect themselves from the wind! poor bunny!

cupcakes

it was my birthday this last weekend. to celebrate i cleaned my apartment and made super-complicated cupcakes. boston creme pie. i knew they needed specialty equipment (frosting tips, which i found at michael's), but i never thought they would be so time consuming! i used a boxed yellow cake mix (duncan hines) and foil cupcake wrappers. i made the cupcakes as directed on the box. for the custard i used a jello boxed custard. i started by making the custard with the hope that it would be chilled enough to pipe into the cupcakes as soon as they cooled. the cupcakes weren't even in the oven when my boyfriend arrived. and then when the cupcakes were done, the custard was still liquid. so to the bar we went. the next morning, the custard was set and ready to pipe. it was a total disaster with the decorating tip. once i got a system down, it worked out. then came the frosting. i had found a simple recipe online: one cup cream and one bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips. it worked wonderfully. it was better on chilled cupcakes and after some time. the glaze needed to set up in the pot before applying or it tended to dribble off of the cupcake. even with all of this hassle the cupcakes turned out beautifully!

why do you design?

my goal in life and in my designs is to allow people to live to their fullest. i want businesses, offices, stores, museums, and even homes to provide people with the environment that allows them to live fully. i think that the thing in our lives that impact us most is our environments. if you love where you are you think about it less, which gives you time to do other, more important things.environments are incredibly influential and i want to mold that environment to the individual.
i have to write a professional statement for grad school and i think that if i can solidify my thoughts about what i want to do with my life it'll help me not only with the statement but with my cover letters to potential employers. i'll be able to tell them why this job would be excellent for me. my dream job is anything with gensler. i had my internship with them and it was a phenomenal experience and would do anything to work for them again. they have two positions open. one as an interior design which would be great, and another as a junior design strategist, which sounds much more awesome. there's no concrete designing. i would be assisting in creating new business structures and ideas for companies. and if that includes new designs, it does, but it isn't the only thing i'd do. i think it would help me a lot if i ever started my own company, which i'm more and more inclined to do.i'm incredibly fascinated by why companies do what they do, and being able to stick my own ideas in would be awesome!!! the first thing to do would be to apply to the position. but i'm having an awful time writing the cover letter. plus i'm not sure if they want sample work. i don't think so because they also opened the position to business majors. why do i design?

these are the times that try men's lives

still jobless, i've been thinking about what makes me happy. and what things i need in my life in order to be happy. i have a short list, that can expound into a massive list; it contains only four items.
one, a good living situation. that can mean apartment, or roommates, or neighborhood. as long as you like being at home. and don't dread coming home.
two, doing well at school. this one seems temporary, but it fits in the larger bracket of a satisfying social life.
three, a wonderful relationship with someone that makes you happy. and allows you to be who you are.
and four, a purpose to life. something that occupies your time and makes you feel accomplished.
i have three of the four. that leads me to conclude that to be truly happy you need all four. i love my apartment. it's my favorite out of all the places i've lived. and i can imagine living here for a considerably long time. i'm getting good grades and making friends at school which was the point of going. i have an amazing boyfriend, who is completely understanding and loving and perfect (even no one is). all i'm missing is the purpose. and a job would fill that for me. school is entertaining and educative, but it doesn't take enough time nor does it give an immense feeling of accomplishment. a job, i feel, would do exactly that. now if only i could get one that isn't a total waste.