Last summer, I found myself in need of a new journal to capture all the great adventures I was having while studying abroad in Cambridge. While rummaging around in a little shop, I found the perfect one.
It had a retro floral design and grid lines- 2 of my personal prerequisites. And it was the perfect size, 5 in x 7in. Needless to say, it was love at first sight.The name of the company that made all my journaling dreams come true was called "jill bliss". The biggest surprise of the journal was that it was made in San Francisco! I had to travel across the pond just to buy an American-made product...ironic, in my opinion.
jill bliss offers a lot of fun and intricate designs in her paper goods and other products, like jewelry and wallets. Her products are even good for the environment- my "Native Flowers Journal" was printed on 30% post-consumer waste recycled paper. "the underlaying hope in everything that i do is to inspire others, and to encourage a more thoughtful art and design industry that focuses on local economies, fair practices, reusable or sustainable materials, and less consumption tied to ever-changing trends." - Jill Blissjill bliss products are available online at jillbliss.com.
Ever since I was young, I've been winning things-not anything based on skill but solely on luck. I consistently get crusehd in sports or games. However, if you enter me in a contest of some sort, there is a relatively good chance I can come out on top.It's a joke in my family that I always win things and for the most part, it's true. The first things I remember "winning" are free sodas from soda machines. I have no idea why but machines used to give me drinks when I pressed a button, even if I hadn't put any money in. The biggest prize I've ever won came at a time when I couldn't even use it. Every year my mom and I used to go to the Holly Day Fair, a huge craft festival in Fayetteville. Each hour, they sold raffle tickets for door prizes and it never failed that each year, I would win at least 2 door prizes. They would be small things, like a necklace or spices from one of the vendors.People who didn't win the door prizes were entered into the grand prize drawing. So although I'd won door prizes, I must have still had at least one ticket that didn't win and it was entered into the big drawing. About a month after I had been to the festival one year, I got a call saying that I'd won the grand prize: a trip for two to a casino in Biloxi, MS. At the time I was only 11 and legally unable to go, so my dad got to reap the benefits of my luck. The funniest part about winning that contest was that it came not too long after I'd won a 6 month supply of M&Ms after finding the gray M&M in a bag that my mom had bought me at the grocery store that night. I was just excited to have candy and be watching my favorite tv show at the time- "Walker, Texas Ranger." I guess Chuck Norris really can work miracles.My next big win came in high school. I entered into a contest on a teen magazine's website and won a cell phone. After it arrived, I was playing a text trivia game and won an iPod. My parents were convinced I was involved in some shady business that allowed me the money to buy fancy technologies.Recently, I got my car towed and was not happy about the situation. I was annoyed that I had to spend $100 just to get a man to give me back my own car. Feeling defeated and broke, I went home to volunteer at my mom's school the next day. It was their Fall Festival, so there were tons of kids running around and playing games. My mom gave me money for some ice cream and with the change, I entered in a raffle for two $50 gift cards; one to Wal-Mart and the other to a gas station. At the end of the night, a little girl came up to me and told me I'd won. While I squealed in excitement, my sisters and mom just shook their heads like they had been expecting it the whole time. It was absolutely one of the most ironic things that's ever happened to me. What are the chances that I would spend $100 only to get it back the next day? Things like that only happen in the movies!Maybe I won't ever be the best at sports or games but if luck is a skill, I'd say things are looking pretty good for me.
