Work in Progress (part dos!)

So, I changed the color scheme to go along with my retro blog look (see bottom image in this post) and changed my header font to ChunkFive, at the suggestion of the lovely (and brilliant) Melissa.

Round Dos!

The page for my recent work

About me, version 2!

And the blog that's inspiring it all

Also, a main category page, in progress!

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Days that matter (via There is a crack in everything)

This video is the most amazing, touching, and heartfelt video I have EVER seen… there IS good in the world, kids.

Today is Rachel's birthday. She's heading out the door to church with the boys and I'm staying at home…. supposedly to do some house work and also because it's only been a week since chemo and I'm *cough*cough* not feeling too good *cough*cough*. Truth be told the last 4 weeks I have been on a marathon planning crusade to organise a surprise party as well as a few other bits and pieces. Rachel is a very social creature, not like me at all in th … Read More

via There is a crack in everything

BlogHer, here we come!

In just a couple short (and jam-packed) weeks, my awesome bosslady/partner-in-crime from Shoestring and I will be headed to NYC for my very first conference.  Lucky for me, it also happens to be the epic annual BlogHer conference, where thousands of women bloggers unite to talk all things bloggy.  Here’s what I’m excited for:

1. NEW YORK CITY!- not much needs to be said about that. It’s been since 6+ years since I was there…oh, how I miss that city.
2. Networking- with over 2000 lady bloggers (and a few guys too), BlogHer is a crazy opportunity for anyone interested in blogging and social media
3. Learning- there are so many sessions to choose from, it will be so hard to decide! Definitely want to hit the one on designing my own WordPress theme, though! I’m also crazy lucky to be going with Melissa, serial entrepreneur and the brains — and beauty– behind Shoestring. Not only does she rock, she’s also a great mentor and well-connected, which will make the entire experience even more beneficial.
4. Blogging- since that’s the whole idea of BlogHer (who woulda thunk?), I hope that will push me to do more exciting and thought-provoking blogging, both that weekend and in the future.
5. Brand interaction- alright, that makes me sound like a sellout. But really, it’ll be interesting at the very least to interact with representatives from brands, both big and small, that I use/buy on a regular basis. And I’ll be honest, I’m totally ok with getting free swag, especially now that I won’t have Caltopia to replenish my pen supply this semester!
6. Extreme Social Media- I have the feeling that this weekend will be chock-full of Tweets, FB posts, blog posts, etc. etc. etc… and I couldn’t be happier. Nerdy as it may be, I really am a digital native and there will be lots of learning going on in the rest of the social media sphere this weekend too!

Other happenings coming up include our Worchester Clothes Swap on 7/31 (Nightline will be there!), starting contract work for my fried pickle friend Sonja at The Cultivated Word, and, as always, startup networking events.

What are you excited for this week? Fun projects at work? Relaxing with family? Getting through to next weekend?

Schadenfreude and such

As you might have noticed, my new domain (lindsaygoldner.com) has decided to implode on me and is now under construction… which means the last two photo posts are lost somewhere in cyberspace for the time being. Sad.

**In happier news, I was just published on GreenhornConnect, which is huge for me as a newly-initiated member of the Boston startup scene! Check out my awesome article HERE… enjoy and pass it on!

Hopefully, once my domain is back up and running, LindsayGoldner.com will be my new home. But for now, here’s a pretty picture to tide you over:

Serenity at its finest in Provincetown, MA

East coast livin’

It’s officially been a week since I moved from CA to Boston… and I can officially say that I’m loving it here! Granted, the weather has been bipolar at best, and completely psychotic at worse. Don’t believe me? Check out this video that @Lor3nzo filmed from the Microsoft NERD center yesterday! Thunderstorms in June aside, Boston/Somerville/Cambridge etc. are so amazingly vibrant. There’s always something interesting going on, which is great because I’ve still got tons of free time right now.

I’m still sleeping on a 2″ pad, but now I have a (free) bedframe so it’s one step closer to a real bed. I bought earplugs last night, which are a GODSEND. Seriously, if you have noisy neighbors, don’t hesitate. Buy them! I lucked out by having my dad’s family out here, and they’ve all been really helpful in trying to get me settled. I’ve been even MORE lucky in that I’ve got my two best friends from college out here, both of whom I’ve gotten to spend time with already! Seriously, could my friends out here get any more awesome? (see below)

The past week has been filled with so many amazing things, here’s a little rundown…

Looking back at the last four years

Now that I’m leaving what has become more “home” to me than my parents’ place in SoCal, I’ve started noticing things about Berkeley that I’ll miss when I’m gone (and other things I’m glad to be leaving behind, to be honest). Here’s a fun little list that those of you in Berktown– or Cal alums–will appreciate:

Things I’ll miss:

• Gamedays. The thrill, the sense of community, and of course, the free food
• Sunny days on Memorial Glade or in Willard Park
• All the cute puppies that people bring to Willard
• Sandwiches from Sam’s Deli
• Speaking of food, Gypsy’s (mmm cheap italian), La Med, La Bu (for disgusting but cheap mexican food), Smart Alecs despite their health code violations, cheese from Cheeseboard
• The seediness that is Kips
• Bear’s Lair and Honey Wheat Beer
• Random streakers/naked people– while not so pleasant to see, it’s so stereotypically Berkeley
• Pointless protests and people living in trees (see above)
• Tutoring my athletes :*(
• Going out with athletes, even though I was always the shortest and most out of shape one
• Becoming great friends with a few athletes and then celebrating their athletic successes along with them!
• The Main Stacks– we have a love/hate relationship, but they’re just so pretty
• Memorial Stadium. I’m leaving my heart there.
• World-class professors: Dr. McQuade, Prof Moran, Prof Picciotto, Prof Justice, Prof Muller… definitely my top 5!
• Random adventures, like finding a steering wheel on Durant
• Telegraph Avenue… what more needs to be said?
• Beat the Clock!
• The laid-back college culture in general. This holds true much more so on campus, than in the townspeople themselves.
• It being acceptable to wear leggings, a sweatshirt, and Uggs to class. Guilty as charged.
• Feeling great when I’m the only one in class who did my hair/wore makeup.
• Having a set goal/purpose. That’s a biggie.
• Catching the 1/51/7 just as you arrive at the bus stops
• Seeing 3 51′s arrive at the same time
• Happy Happy man!
• The dude on Telegraph and Bancroft who always says “Good morning beautiful” and makes me smile
• The seagulls that fly in when the weather is nice
• Oh hai, Campanille
• The lawn outside of VLSB on sunny days
• The ever so creepy “Campaign for Berkeley” posters- I want one of me, damnit!
• Playing in Ludwig’s fountain, especially when someone soaps it
• Chicken strips from late night. Yum!
• Getting dressed up for Cal Day/Gamedays and reppin’ my school.
• Oski. Particularly when he hits on me. So inappropriately hilarious.
• The Big C
• Bonfire
• Big Game!
• Go Bears chants and Cal songs
• The Men’s Octet (so good!)
• Ridiculously-themed frat parties
• Shopping for said parties/halloween
• Having to explain to my mom “Where the rest of my costume” is (thanks, mom!)
• Huffing and puffing by the time I get to Wheeler, oops.
• Ready to die by the time I get up to Evans/LeConte
• The creepy owner at the Derby Mart who was always a little tooo friendly
• Sandwiches at Sacks coffee
• Natalie, my English bff for 3 years now and my source of sanity this semester
• The other friendships I made that will hopefully last for a long time
• Scheduling classes so I don’t have to be productive until 2. Man, I’ll really miss that.

Things I won’t miss so much:

• Always being accosted for money by street kids
• Walking everywhere in heels when you go out
• Naked hippies
• Hippies
• People who make you feel bad because you’re not a vegetarian
• People living in trees
• Ridiculous protests that interrupt class, grr
• Midterms
• Finals
• Papers (so, all the stuff I came here for)
• Telebears
• Waiting for grades to be posted
• The bureaucratic red tape when you need to get something done asap
• Students who flaked on tutoring sessions
• The lack of chain stores… I wish Target were closer!
• No parking. Oh wait, I’m moving to Boston… crap.
• The crazy lady who lives above me and calls her kitty at midnight every night
• Construction in the building next door
• High school dramaaa (yeah this is #1)
• Bipolar Bay Area weather
• Earthquakes!
• 9.75% sales tax
• $3+ gas
• The Tang Center. No, I’m not pregnant, and I’ve had mono twice, so I don’t have that either. Now can we figure out what the real problem is?
• Hipsters
• Driving behind bicyclists going .5 mph in a 25-30 mph zone
• Driving in Berkeley, period.
• Moving every few months. Also, roommates/housemates from HELL. Never again, I tell you!
• Comcast Internet. Hellacious and expensive. RCN, here I come!
• Rain in May. What the eff?
• Crazieeeees. Although they’re often good for a laugh or two.
• Did I mention homework?

I’ll update as I come up with more

• 

  One of my first ever gamedays!

My first post for @iGrad is up!

My first post for @iGrad is up! http://ht.ly/1PSNM

It’s all about decorating on a budget for your new rental apartment. Great for college kids and recent grads, and inspired by my many college living situations!

Leaving, on a jet plane!

Today marks the one-week-out point before I pack up the remainder of my junk and move to Boston. Holyyyy crap.

In case you couldn’t tell, I’m freaking out a bit. I can’t quite put my finger on what it is that scares me so much- maybe it’s the weather (oh god, snow and humidity), the accents, the different culture, the new apartment, the lack of a job, or being so far away from the CA side of my family. I’m so lucky that I’m already being totally supported by my MA family (that’s ironic, since it’s actually my dad’s family… hardy har har). They’ve been so helpful in checking out places, letting me send boxes to their houses, and hopefuly stocking my fridge as a graduation gift before I show up. It doesn’t get much better than that.

But still, every time I really start thinking about the impending move, panic sets in. I’m a big girl, I’ve been living on my own (well, physically anyways) for the last 4 years. I like to consider myself independent, although I still talk to my parents at least once a day (sorry, mom!) There’s just something about packing up the first 4 years of my “adult” life to move crosscountry, where I know all of 3 or 4 people my age, and haaving no set purpose. It’s the purpose thing that I think worries me the most.  When I was looking at colleges, even when I was leaning towards Emerson or NYU, it wasn’t as scary because I knew I’d be a student for the next 4 years. Depite indecision over majors, club involvement, etc., my path was still pretty set.

Post-graduation, though, it’s really sunk in that I have no clue what I’m doing. I know what my passions are, and I certainly know some things I don’t want to do– please, no more food-service!–but that’s a long way from being able to confidently state, “I want to be a ____” or even, “I’m going to Boston to ____.” Eventually, I think I’d like to go to grad school, but that may be in business or digital publishing or god knows what. For now, when people ask me the big question (WHY are you going to BOSTON?), I just shrug and say “It’s time for a change in my life, and I’m hoping to get a job once I get my feet on the ground.”  Hoping is a pretty loaded word though, especially in this economy and for a lowly English/American Studies grad. I’m so excited to experience what Boston has to offer, but man, right now? I’m a nervous wreck. It’s okay though, I’m trying to channel that nervous energy by blogging and packing– and trying not to eat all of the food I have left at once– and trying to distract myself with design blogs for inspiration for my new place, not to mention job-hunting!

Anyways, my lease is in the mail, the first twelve (yikes) boxes of my stuff have arrived in Boston, and Finners got the a-ok to fly at the vet’s today. Speaking of which, he and I are both going on diets… he now weighs SEVENTEEN pounds! Oiy, fat kitty ftw. In other misc news, my phone is dying rapidly, so I’m hoping that a new battery will tide me over until I can afford a new one, even though I’ve only had it for a year and a half. Damn you, verizon!

Oh! And some things I’m super excited for about the move (I’m not always so negative nancy, I swear!) is the opportunity to try out all the cool little specialty food stores, Planet Fitness ($15/month!), and thrifting for furniture!! I’ve been doing a lot of lurking on Yelp.com and the Davis Square LJ community to see what’s going on Also, I think it’s pretty awesome that my sis will be living in Davis, CA and I’ll be living in Davis Square, MA! We’re bicoastal Davis people, apparently…

I think I’ll leave you with a cool inspiration picture that I found today…

I'm SO stealing this mismatched chairs idea in my new place! From Allthingsthrifty.com (click on pic for link)

I’m a Cal alum! (part 1)

General commencement was today… I’ll write about it when I’m not so exhausted, but for now here’s a few pictures from my camera!