BYOB Painting in ATL {Dip 'n Dab}

In case you haven't noticed, I've become a Groupon groupie and I've let these deals guide my activities in ATL. So my most recent ATL adventure was going to Dip 'n Dab, a nearby BYOB painting studio! And it was such a fun date night! We got there early, so we got great seats and got to watch everyone else come in. 

It's a really fun, relaxing, and colorful environment that you're sure to enjoy. Although I went as an interactive date night, other people were there in groups for a girls' night, with family members, or with another friend. And, you're encouraged to bring your own beverages and snacks, it really is a painting party :)

So we first got to see what we'd be painting (see above). Our instructor was really friendly and pleasant throughout the entire time, encouraging a positive environment.

The instructor gave us step by step directions (so don't worry about a lack of painting skills), everyone can do it! 

After we had our background painted, my boyfriend and I kind of did our own thing, hehe.

Luckily they provide aprons and a good amount of space for food/drink, because things can get messy.

 My bathroom decor is yellow, so I wanted my painting to match and be my newest bathroom decoration. For the most part, everyone in the class ended up with similar final paintings. 

The two-hour class went by so quickly, and I really want to go back and paint something else. This is a fun and therapeutic activity, perfect for adults of all ages. And, it's more interesting than just going out to dinner!

Check out our final paintings :) 

If you see a class you're interested in taking, register quickly because they fill up fast!

Have you ever been to one of these BYOB painting places?

5 things you should do before an interview

I've been getting several emails asking for tips for job/internship interviews and interviews for organizations. I'm happy that recently I've been doing more interviews as the interviewer instead of the one being interviewed. It's great to see this situation from both perspectives so that I can give advice and learn from my experiences in both positions. 

As a freshman in college, I was terrified of interviews and still remember sweating and blanking out during an interview for an on campus organization. But now, as a recent grad with lots of work experience and current graduate student, I welcome interviews! I seriously love them. So I'm sharing a few tips I've learned over the years that will help you make a great first impression in your interview!

5 things you should do before an interview

1. Research the company/organization and if possible, the person who will interview you.

Before I go to an interview, I research the history of the company, the leaders of the company and their backgrounds, find out if I know anyone who is or has been associated with the company, and current projects the company is working on. So much information can be found online these days that there is no excuse not to know simple facts about the company. Knowing information shows the interviewer you are truly interested in belonging and you valued the company enough to do your homework.

Also while doing research, look for commonalities or connections between you and the company.

2. Make copies of your resume and pack it in a professional padfolio/portfolio along with business cards, your CV, any other work samples you think may be helpful.

Even if you've already sent a copy of your paperwork to the employer, it never hurts to have additional copies and supplemental information.

3. Look up typically asked interview questions for your field and then write out how you would answer these questions. Then, practice saying these answers out loud. It's even better to practice saying them to someone else as you would in an interview.

I always review my resume, recent courses, and involvements before an interview because it's so easy to forget them in an intense setting if you haven't made a point to remember them. Also, I look up typical interview questions and write out how I would answer them for a particular company. Then, I practice giving my answers to a friend/family member. This is so helpful and can prevent you from stumbling or being awkward in an interview. It's uncomfortable for you and the interviewer when you go blank during an interview.

4. Come up with a few good questions you could ask the interviewers at the end (if they ask if you have any questions). Some examples

How have you enjoyed your time with this organization/company?

How would you describe the company culture?

What is the most rewarding part about working here?

What qualities are you looking for in the person who will fill this position?

And, be sure to have a short concluding response after the interviewer answers your question.

5. Find out exactly where the interview will be held, and give yourself 20-30 more minutes than you think you need to arrive. It's always better to be early than to be even a minute late. If you've never been to the place where your interview will be, it may be good to drive there a few days before so you don't risk getting lost and being late for your actual interview.

As an interviewer, there is nothing more frustrating than an applicant showing up late and coming into the interview flustered. If you live in a busy city like Atlanta, try and schedule your interview so that you won't deal with rush hour traffic. I typically schedule interviews around class time, but still late morning or mid-day.

Soon I'll be sharing my 5 tips for things you should do during an interview. 

Good luck interviewing!

Obsessed with this {bow front top}

Spring is coming! This past weekend in Atlanta was glorious, and I'm ready to start rocking Spring fashion after a brutal winter. 

I spotted these Bow Front Tops and thought they were too cute and affordable! They would go so well with some solid shorts or capri pants. And I love the mint and coral colors for this top.

Which color do you like more?

VKV Communications update & Facebook page

I appreciate all of the kind emails and tweets supporting my newest business, VKV Communications LLC! (If you're new to the blog, you can read more about it here.) Here's the update you've been asking for!

First of all, I've redesigned my website (again), just doing some rearranging and designing on different pages, but it's the same concept as the previous design.

February was an incredible month for business, and I've learned so much about myself, my business preferences, interacting with clients, and more about new fields. And March is off to a really great start with more photo session requests every day! I'm very grateful to be living this dream.

I made business cards for my company because my current business card does not have my new website on it. I'm excited to have these with me when I attend all sorts of events with college students and young professionals who are seeking the services I provide.

These are my new business cards

You can order 50 free business cards from Moo here.

And yesterday, I finally had time to create a Facebook page for my company.

 You can view it and "Like" it here.

I'm so happy with how things are going, and that I have more business requests each week (good problem to have). This week, I'm working on setting goals for my small business for the rest of the year. And I'm working hard to complete several projects so that I can truly enjoy my Spring Break next week.

I hope you have a great week!

How to keep remembering a foreign language after you graduate

I'm sure you've heard the saying, "if you don't lose it, you lose it." Well, it's definitely true when it comes to remembering a foreign language. I started learning Spanish in elementary school, took classes in high school, and minored in Spanish in college. I even studied abroad in Spain two summers ago, and became fluent in the language. So imagine my panic attack when the other day I couldn't remember how to say a simple phrase in Spanish.

I hadn't been using my Spanish, and I was starting to lose it. I've heard way too many stories of older adults saying how they "used to know Spanish/French/Italian/German, but stopped using it and completely forgot the language," and I don't want that to happen to me!

Even though I'm no longer taking Spanish courses in college, I have written out some other ways that I can interact with the language throughout the week and keep my speaking, writing, interpreting, and translating skills sharp. Being able to say you're fluent in another language is very impressive when it comes to applying for jobs, and I want Spanish to remain one of my standout skills. So here's what I'm committing to doing more of so that I will interact with Spanish throughout the week:

How to use it, so you don't lose it

Text friends who are native speakers in Spanish

Communicate with another friend who is learning/knows Spanish, in Spanish

Watch TV shows and movies in Spanish

Read/watch U.S. news in that language

Change my Facebook/Twitter/MacBook to Spanish

Change my iPhone to Spanish on the weekends (it changes some of your email correspondence to the language as well, FYI)

Take notes for another class in Spanish

Read signs/billboards in Spanish

When I meet someone who speaks Spanish, practice with him/her

Practice my Spanish at Mexican restaurants

Listen to Spanish music/Spanish radio stations/Spanish Pandora stations

Take an occasional course on Spanish (online or in a community classroom)

Browse through old Spanish course notes on road trips

Keep a notebook where I write down one word/phrase in Spanish and the translation every day

Do you know another language besides your native language? 
How do you keep up with it ?

In case you missed it...

What a week it's been! I am screaming TGIF because I'm finished with school work for the week and tonight is the fundraising event that the nonprofit board I serve on has been planning! (If you're in Atlanta, come! If you're not, consider donating!)

The internet has been buzzing this week with so many great things, here are a few of my favorites:

17 Shocking Food Facts That Will Make You Question Everything 

'The Simpsons' recreates the famous Oscar selfie

Emoji version of Beyonce's Drunk in Love

'Annie' is coming to theaters in December!

#MeatlessMarch

Have a great weekend!

Cheap vegetarian meals and recipes {part 1}

It's Day 6 of #MeatlessMarch and I'm doing…surprisingly well! I haven't passed by a Chick-fil-A yet, so I haven't had any serious meat cravings. Plus, I've been enjoying the challenge of creating and cooking vegetarian & pescatarian lunches and dinners. My first attempt at a veggie dinner was making black bean burgers, and I loved them!

I mixed black beans, spinach, corn, white onions, mushrooms, an egg, and black pepper and basil in a bowl and formed it into small "patties." Then, I added a slice of pepper jack cheese and I baked them for 10ish minutes in the over.

I then topped them with peach mango salsa and slices of avocado, and put it inside a fat free tortilla/wrap.

It was amazing…already one of my favorite veggie dishes.

I cooked some spinach + radishes, mushrooms, & onion to go with my black bean burger.

spinach + radishes, mushrooms, & onion

Another day I cooked spinach, radishes, onions, mushrooms, and carrots in a skillet with olive oil

And I boiled some tomato penne noodles

Then I combined the skillet veggies with the pasta + mango salsa

Another delicious dish!

All so tasty and inexpensive ingredients! I'm excited to keep creating new meals and learning more about the pescatarian & vegetarian life. A big thanks to my meatless friends who have been so helpful and encouraging this week :)

I think I will continue my fast of meat through the Lenten Season. 

Are you giving up anything for Lent?

College Drinking: It's more dangerous than you realize {guest post}

Photo via Flickr

College is often touted as the best four years of your life, due to the seemingly care-free lifestyle full of freedom and new experiences. Often times, this freedom leads to lots of experimentation, including wild parties with alcohol abundant. It all seems like harmless fun and games while you’re dancing with your friends and doing keg stands, but drinking in college can come with many consequences. Some consequences leave us wondering, is it really worth it? Read on to find out why college is so dangerous and how you can stay safe at school.

The Majority

According to recent data compiled by 12 Keys Rehab in Florida, of the 21.6 million students who attend college, 17 million undergrads consume alcohol regularly. That’s twice the population of New York City. Of those 17 million students, 50% of them, or 8.5 million, binge drink. That’s like the whole state of Virginia being drunk at once!

Every week the average freshman in college has five alcoholic beverages. While the average female has four drinks and the average male pounds nine drinks. The video, embedded below, puts into perspective how much college students actually drink.

Infographic by 12 Keys Rehab

The Price is Wrong

With the amount and frequency that college students consume alcohol, there is no doubt that it’s a costly extracurricular activity. In fact, each year the average college student spends $500.00 on alcohol, which is enough money to pay for textbooks for one semester. The extensive budget that college students reserve for alcohol may be a big reason that they can only afford to eat Ramen noodles and pizza.

The Consequences Outweigh the Benefits

Aside from the cost of alcohol consumption, drinking in college also takes a toll on health and performance in school. Each year college students suffer major consequences from alcohol consumption. In one year, 1,825 students between the ages of 18-24 will die due to alcohol and 690,000 undergrads will suffer from assault while under the influence. The list of negative occurrences due to alcohol increases as many students become victims of sexual abuse, crime, become injured or even find themselves in jail.

Drinking in college can also hugely impact a student’s academic performance. As the average student is drunk 10.5 hours per week, time spent studying can be greatly reduced. In fact, 25% of students’ studies take a hit when they drink, causing them to miss class, do poorly on exams and have lower grades overall.

Proceeding with Caution

With all the negative consequences surrounding drinking, it’s important to either avoid drinking altogether (especially if you are underage!) or find ways to consume with caution. If you still plan on imbibing but want to do it safely, try to keep track of how many drinks you’ve had and know your limit. Be sure to drink plenty of water along with your drinks – advise consuming equal amounts of water and alcohol. Make sure your beverage source is safe and not from a stranger. Finally, never go to a party by yourself and never get into a car with a driver who has been drinking.

If alcohol consumption seems too risky, there are plenty of other ways to spend your weekends. Surround yourself with friends who aren’t interested in drinking either and you’ll have just as much fun without all of the consequences.

As college students are notoriously thirsty, it’s almost impossible to avoid alcohol altogether. However, if you stay aware, safe and in control you can avoid a lot of health consequences and stay out of trouble with the law.

Adrienne is a freelance writer and designer. In college she started Wellness Housing with her roommate, a drug and alcohol free living space for students who chose not to drink. She loves that even after graduating, she has had the chance to continue promoting alternatives to our society’s drinking culture. To get in touch, follow @adrienneerin on Twitter or check out her design blog, Design Roast.

This post was sponsored by Design Roast.

New necklace obsessions

I've been seriously mixing up my necklaces recently. I typically stick to a simple pearl necklace, but in 2014, I'm expanding and diversifying my style - this includes necklaces. Check out some of my new accessories that I have worn recently. Statement necklaces are so much fun!

Peach strand necklace from H&M

Golden statement necklace from Charming Charlie

Tortoise statement necklace from Forever 21

Tortoise statement necklace from Forever 21

Pearl Statement Necklace from Forever 21

Tortoise statement necklace from Forever 21

Which necklace do you like best?

How to plan for a busy week {college students}

The past few weeks, and this week, of grad school are what I call ridiculously busy. You know those weeks when you have something to do, some assignment due, some meeting scheduled, some obligation on every single day of the week?! That's how it's been recently. In undergrad, I had to learn how to handle these weeks in order to survive and be successful in school and other areas of my life.

Currently, I'm taking 12 hours of classes, working part-time off campus, involved in a nonprofit organization, lightly involved in a few campus organizations, working for my own company, blogging, and maintaining a healthy social and eating lifestyle.

I'm sharing how I handle a ridiculously busy week during the school year

Use your planner/agenda

At the start of the week, I look at my planner/agenda and see what all I have to do for the week. I use the week view for homework assignments and events/places I need to be. Whether you use a paper agenda or your iPhone, if you're in college, you should have some method for organizing your time and keeping up with your schedule. During busy weeks, I schedule my tasks by the hour.

Then, I categorize and prioritize the things I have to do in 3 ways (must do's, should do's, and could do's). You can call them whatever you'd like, but this is how I cut down on my list of things to-do. If I can move the could do's to another week, I move them back and lessen my load for the week.

Must do's - non-negotiable priorities such as eating, sleeping, school assignments, studying, keeping in touch with family/friends, attending classes

Should do's - important priorities such as attending social functions, appointments & meetings that can be reschedules

Could do's - optional priorities such as attending non-mandatory social functions, social media, shopping 

Use additional lists

During busy weeks, I write additional to-do's on a separate list or post-its and add them to the pages of my agenda. As I complete these tasks, I highlight them. It helps to separate these list by day so they aren't so overwhelming. Do things in the order they must be done instead of trying to do it all at once.

Limit your social media

These are the weeks when I want to spend hours on Facebook or Instagram, ignoring reality…but I can't. I limit my social media time during busy weeks to 30 min. - 1 hour a day and use this as a break or combine it with my eating time.

Schedule in rest, breaks, and eating

Maintaining your health during these busy weeks is really important. Balance out the coffee with tea and water. Schedule in when you will go to sleep each night. Take breaks during the day to workout, talk with a friend, or do something you enjoy - just be sure to put a time limit on it. Schedule in eating breaks or you may forget to eat! If you'll be on campus all day, pack snacks or work in a place nearby food options.

Plan ahead

If you know you have a busy week coming up, do your laundry days before, prepare meals and snacks for the upcoming week so you won't have to spend time during an already busy week doing that. Also, if you can reschedule meetings or appointments, do that. Clean up your work space so you'll have a good environment to work in during your busy week. Reach out to friends and see if they have upcoming busy weeks and think about studying/working with them.

Celebrate

After you get through your busy week, celebrate! I typically treat myself to a manicure/pedicure, some sleep, or some frozen yogurt. Here are other ways to celebrate.

I hope these tips help you as much as they've helped me! My break (for blogging) is over :) 

Have a great week!

Pescatarian for a month

This is a big deal (for me). I don't think I've ever gone more than a few days without eating chicken or turkey. And I along with a friend have decided to eat like pescatarians for 19 days. But I'm pushing myself and going to attempt this diet for the entire month of March. This diet change officially started yesterday, March 1. So far, it's going well! But I know I will be challenged and tempted by my favorite meals that include turkey or chicken.

I know that many health issues faced by Americans come from eating red meats, and I do want to continue improving my health. For now, I'm looking up delicious pescatarian recipes and restaurants in Atlanta, naturally. I'm hoping this month of no meat will lead to a complete lifestyle transformation of being a pescatarian. We'll see! I'll be sharing my journey throughout the month. 

Pescatarian and Vegetarian Recipes
Peach Mango Black Bean Burger
Peach Mango & Spinach Pasta w/ Tomato Penne
Blueberry Herb Crusted Salmon
Avocado and Spinach Brown Rice Pilaf
Avocado and Mushroom Pasta
Raw Veggie Salad w/ Brown Rice
Black Bean Soup w/ Sweet Potato Fries
Salmon & Apple Gorgonzola Pizza

Are you a vegetarian or pescatarian? 

Or do you know someone who is?

Atlanta nonprofit fundraising event {Foreverfamily}

For months, I've been working with some stellar Atlanta young professionals to plan a fundraising event for the Atlanta nonprofit, Foreverfamily. You've probably seen it on my Philanthropy page or sidebar because it's an organization I'm proud to support. All of the proceeds from the event go toward sending some really great children to camp this summer to provide them an experience they wouldn't receive otherwise. 

This was my first time being involved in planning a fundraising event for a nonprofit, and I didn't know what to expect. It's been a very valuable and teaching experience because I've learned the in's and out's of this organization, how to get donations, and more about event planning. It's been a busy, but fun process and our event is almost here!

For all of my Atlanta readers who love supporting great causes, you're invited to attend our event this coming Friday at Monday Night Brewing. You can read more and purchase tickets here.

And if you're not in Atlanta, you can still help make this event a success by donating here.

What's your favorite cause/nonprofit organization?