Rachele Cermak | Life Stream & Portfolio

Two-thousand-eleven started off slow, but during February things took off!

Exactly four weeks ago I started my photo project www.28daysofhappy.com. The postcards were printed and I’m about to start mailing these minute instances of happiness to strangers. Hopefully it will inspire people to notice the beautiful moments we experience everyday!

Go to www.facebook.com/28daysofhappy to share your moments.

I also finished my training sessions at the Animal Humane Shelter in Golden Valley, so now I get to play with puppies (and foster)!! More to come on that.

If you’re interested in volunteering, the organization is super inviting. It does take $20 in an application fee, finding two references, about 12 hours of orientation spread over five time slots before you are ready to be volunteering and interacting with animals, but it’s well worth it!

In February I was also asked to join a team to help start a non profit focused on bettering Slam Media distribution. We are still working out the details, but the link is here: Button Poetry

So those are the unpaid pastimes…

As for my career life: I was asked to be an online brand manager for Untiedt’s Vegetable Farm, I returned to the Minneapolis Farmers Market as their creative coordinator and I still am the marketing manager at Keefer Court Food.

Life has ramped up a bit since December!

But you’ve gotta work hard to play hard

And if you’re wondering how all of that work can be possibly done with any level of quality – you’d be surprised how far you can stretch an hour when you’re working with a proactive team. Look for more posts related to each of my projects/jobs. Everyone is excited to read what Colle+McVoy has to say about branding the Minneapolis Farmers Market.

For those who don’t know, I work at a Chinese Fortune Cookie Factory so I pay attention to the new year’s zodiac reading. I am born in the year of the Tiger and it seems much good can be expected in the Year of the Rabbit.

The owner of the company I work for swears by this website because of the depth of background information you can read regarding the zodiac: Chinese Fortune Calendar

I printed this reading and have it in my purse for good luck. It’s sole purpose… give me something to believe in when things aren’t perfect.

Tiger people probably didn’t have too much good news in 2010. In the year of Rabbit, however, Tiger people will have much better luck in career, money and love. From March, Tiger people will have very good people relationship and love connection. All the gloomy mood in 2010 will disappear. Tiger people should prepare to welcome the coming shining sunny days. However, the job pressure from the previous year will carry over in the beginning of the year. Since the job position and power competitions are continuing from last year, Tiger people still need to watch their speech and behavior at work. Also, Tiger people need to watch their health in the year of Rabbit.

Career: The Lucky Sun Star appears in the year of Rabbit to Tiger people. This is a good sign for the career luck. You will often receive the support and help from the people born in Rabbit. You will get along with your colleagues and boss, which will make your job easy. However, there is a Dispute Star appearing in this year, too. That means you might have conflict with someone because of a different business development approach or concept. Whenever the disagreement happens, Tiger people can look for people born in year of Pig, Horse, Rabbit or Dog to help you to coordinate the communication channel. Then the Sun Star will help you to remove the career’s obstacle.

Money: Tiger people have good money opportunity in 2011. Men have better money luck than women. Besides the income from salary, Tiger people have good chance to earn extra income from the investment. However, any money investment you still need to read the terms and conditions carefully into avoid any financial fraud. Since there is a chance of a financial dispute and money loss in the year of Rabbit, if you have extra money to lend to friends or relatives, then you have to make sure you don’t need money back in the near future. Otherwise, you might have a money quarrel with people this year.

Love: With the appearance of the Romantic Star, Tiger people have very good love opportunity in 2011. If you are single, then you have very good chance to meet the opposite sex and build a good relationship in spring. The best time is March and April. You need to increase your social events. Your soul mate is waiting for you. ( eek! ) If you are in love, you have same opportunity in spring. Your love relationship will go deeper. If you already have very good love relationship, then you might consider about the marriage. But you have to watch your words and deeds to prevent from unnecessary quarrels. If you are married, then you might have chance to meet the opposite sex in your social life, but you need to keep the distance. Otherwise, you will have the conflict in your marriage because the Dispute Star is standing in the corner.

Health: Tiger people should have good energy in the year of Rabbit. But an Unlucky Star related to health appears in 2011. There is a chance that a chronic disease causes you illness. Therefore, Tiger people should pay attention to their health. If there are any ailments, you should visit the doctor to make sure that no big problem is bothering your body. Also, you need to make sure you have good habit of enough sleep, right eating, proper exercise and good sanitation in your daily life. During August and September, Tiger people should pay attention on driving safety to prevent from getting any injuries.

Fortune: 2011 will be a good year for Tiger people. Their friend relationship, love connection, career opportunity, and money investment are showing auspicious signs. Tigers know they have to fight before owning the booty. Therefore, you still have to work hard in order to gain the return you are dreaming for. Hopefully, Tiger people won’t miss this golden opportunity in the Rabbit year.

Tiger people usually are brave, vigorous and may even have a radical personality. It’s easy to have quarrels with people. If Tiger people can prevent creating conflict with others, then they can avoid unhappy events in career and unnecessary loss in money or love.

Look onto the shelves of my bookcase. These titles serve as an invitation. You’ve already made it into the house. Stop for a minute while standing in front of these sheets of paper resting on top of their more intact relatives. What color is the wood? Are the bindings cracked? Did I write my name inside the cover?

Pick one up. Is it dog-eared and highlighted? This one still has its college bookstore USED sticker stuck on. This one has never been opened.

You thumb through one with yellowed edges and mildew scented cologne. As the sun sets, casting a cut-out shadow through the blinds, a photograph drops from one of its pages.

To set some personal goals, here is my checklist of things I want to do in 2011 (this does not include things I normally do like go to the beach, slams or shows). I will post updates/photos of every goal I complete! Wish me luck

1. Search for the winter medallion

2. Learn basic Romanian

3. Foster a pet from the Humane Shelter

4. Attend the Japanese Lantern Lighting Festival, August 21
(http://www.spacestwincities.com/outdoor-style-and-floral/ci_15817826 )

5. Go camping ( I have never done this before )

6. Attend the International Film Festival (April)

7. Attend the May Day Parade, May 1

8. Watch an outdoors Twins game

9. Go Geocaching

10. Catch some more comedy shows at Acme

11. Participate in National Night Out because I just bought my first house, so this is a big deal!

12. Have multiple Grill Out Parties at my house!

13. Perform at one open mic a month

14. Write more blog posts

15. Peddle Pub!

16. Take Salsa Dance lessons
( Four Seasons Dance)
16.b) No wait – take some Hip-Hop dance lessons
(with $5 OFF coupon)

17. Watch the Ten Second Film Fest, Fourth of July
( http://www.tensecondfilmfest.org )

18. Plant a garden – in my own yard!

19. Attend more Third Thursday events at the MIA

If a 2011 edition occurs:
Attend B-Girl Be
Plan a Walker Open Field event.

And in 2012:
Visit the Art Shanty Project
Partake in the Polar Bear Plunge.

I <3 MY TWIN CITIES!