La Vida de Betty

My random musings, current events and whatever else.

[bliowen837]

OMG so yummy! They were so pretty I didn't want to eat them...#chocolate #decadence

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Development Rocks Out New PandaDoc Features

New PandaDoc features that improved iOS and Android apps, auto-update catalog, expanded content library, attachments, and image features.

Check out my first professional blog post! Features the June feature releases of PandaDoc! And yes that’s my voice in the videos!

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Came across this in a #memorybox. Gotta love #stress #humor.

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As you may already have seen and heard, residents in San Francisco have been attacking the buses sent by big tech companies to pick up their employees at home to take to work and vice-versa. This is not a new benefit that companies offer to their employees. These buses are using existing public...

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Job Opportunity at PandaDoc

PandaDoc​ is hiring Account Executives and Sales Development Representatives. It's a SaaS startup HQ in San Francisco, but has offices in South Carolina and Minsk.

Links below are to the job posts and contact me directly if you're interested or know of someone who may be interested.

Account Executive

Sales Development Representative

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I put handwritten Thank You cards in the mail for my former colleagues in the office and maintenance yard on my last day. I'm not very good at in-person good byes and wanted to let them know how much I appreciated them as a friend and the hard work they put in. It's nice get a shout out back in return.

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In days, the most important FCC decision of our lifetime happens -- save net neutrality or lose it forever...

The most important FCC vote of our lifetime is about to happen, but Congress is trying to kill net neutrality. Help us change history.

[bliowen837]

After almost a year, I finally got it.

A job offer! Whoop, whoop! Fist pumps! Running man. Sprinkler. Cabbage patch. Whatever cheesy dance move, I did it (twerking, was not included) immediately after the call from the COO.

My journey towards my new job has been long, filled with ups and downs. Many emails, phone calls, video interviews, in-person interviews, and even a timed 4-hour test. For a non-technical position, I was really surprised that it was a part of the interview process. But I was game and passed it. I didn't end up getting an offer, but it was a great learning experience.

For those that are in the hunt for the dream job, here are a few words of wisdom that were given to me and/or that I came up with:

Don't be discouraged. If you are discouraged, take a break from the hunt to recharge. Once your head is cleared, dive right back in. Just make sure your break isn't too long. If you are frustrated, find something you can safely shake the sh*t out of. Mine was little doll that had an internal bell. So the harder I shook it, the more cheerful it sounded. It eventually became too silly for me to stay mad because of the bells.

Network, network, network. If you are located in a small town, there's still social media. Surprisingly, Twitter has been very helpful in connecting with a lot of people that were more than ready mentor those looking for a new job. I frequented #TChat, #OMCchat, and #JobHuntChat the most. I would not be able to attend live, but I checked them out afterwards.

Google yourself and don't forget to check out the images! You get to see what others will see if they search for you. I have been fortunate enough to have a unique last name so I was able to find myself quite easily. If you see something negative, go to the source and see if there's a way for you to get rid of it. Sometimes, it's just a simple privacy change on Facebook.

Clean your social media accounts. In addition to your resume and cover letter, your public image is very important. It shows off who you are, outside of work. Your profile picture of you dancing on tables during a wet T-shirt contest is probably not going to help in your search. Of course, you don't do that everyday and you only did it that one time. But that hiring manager doesn't know that. Don't forget to look over any written posts as well. A simple sentence can have many different meanings depending on the body language and tone being used. In a typed sentence, both of these are lost. So be careful on how you say certain things.

For those that are interested in the sites I have used in my search, here they are:

LinkedIn

Twitter

AngelList

Quora

About.me

Tumblr

I made sure each social media accounts had the same/or very similar user name for consistent branding. I thought it made it a lot easier for people to associate user name with me. Then for my LinkedIn and AngelList profiles I made them formal and relied on my other social media accounts to present my personality and interest. 

Twitter is great to show case how you communicate with others in a very concise manner. You are only allowed to use 140 characters and to use more than one tweet to convey your idea is generally frown upon. Occasionally it does happen, but I have only had that happen a handful of times out of 1,700 tweets. You should definitely check out #TChat, #OMCchat, and #JobHuntChat if you are interested in meeting those mentors I talked about above. 

I like Tumblr as well because everyone understands that it is a blog. Being that it is a blog, I posted anything I wanted. Opinion pieces, new experiences, DIY, random pictures, anything. However, I made sure that it would highlight my strengths and personality. This was important to me because this was my way of showing off how I could potentially 'fit' into the culture of the company. 

I hope this helps you in your hunt for the dream job. It is a perilous journey, but do not be discouraged by it. If you are getting interviews, it's a good sign. If you are not getting interviews, it may be time to reevaluate your methods. It is a good thing do an evaluation on your progress, regardless of whether or not you are getting interviews.

Good luck!

[bliowen837]

Did the utility pole decide it suddenly wanted to be a tree instead?

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Easy DIY Gift Bag and Bow

A friend posted a DIY Gift Bag video on Facebook. I decided to try it and it was pretty easy. The DIY video from Meredith Viera's Show and it's super easy to follow. Just make sure you have your gift, wrapping paper, table and scissors ready to go.

Once I was done, I thought it looked a little plain, but I didn't have any bows. But I did have a bunch of ribbon that I had purchased years ago during a post-Christmas sale. So I thought, there's got to be a video to make a bow with poly ribbon (that plasticy satin ribbon, that you can't curl). And sure enough there was!

The key to this one is to make sure you use ribbon is at least an 1" wide. I tried it with 0.5" ribbon and it didn't work. 

To attach the ribbon, I used a hole puncher and made an opening. Then I used left over string from the ribbon and threaded through the hole. Made a couple tight knots and viola! 

Yes, it probably would be easier and cheaper to buy a gift bag from the dollar store. BUT your gift will stand out in a sea of store bought bags.

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Before and after present wrapping session. #Christmas #photobombingsnowman

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Expanding My Wardrobe Without Breaking the Bank

I LOVE CLOTHES!!! However my wallet is no where near big enough to feed that appetite, nor can I really justify buying cute outfits that don't have a purpose other than just being cute. I buy clothes because I need them for work or for some kind of special event. The outfits I wear to special events then get recycled to date nights or going out with friends. However, I do have champagne taste with a beer budget...an extremely small beer budget.

So when my sister asked, "Will you be one of my bridesmaid?" I said, yes, but my mind was spinning at the thought of what everything was going to cost. She has a champagne taste with the champagne budget to back it up.

A couple months later, it was decided that my sister was going to have two receptions: a western and a Chinese one. 

Another couple months later, it was decided to go to Las Vegas for her bachelorette party. We were given a list of what outfits in acceptable matching colors to bring. I had a couple outfits already, but had to buy another one. This does not even count the shoes, makeup (which I hardly had), transportation, and bridal shower. I got my hustle on and was able to get everything needed.

Fast forward to late October 2014, I began panicking because I had not found a cocktail dress for my sister's 2nd reception within my budget. With the holidays coming up, the budget was small.

I was now my sister's official wedding planner for that event, and I had a commute of a 180+ miles round trip. I didn't have time to go shopping at all. (Anyone hiring in SFBA so I can work closer to home? This is a serious question.) I spent the last couple weekends before the reception running errands and DIY projects for my sister asked me to do and tons of last minute add-on ideas from my mother.

I started to see if there was a small possibility of renting a dress. I did not want to spend the little bit of money I did have on a dress I did not like. Renting dresses is pretty common in Asia, but not so much here in America. 

I googled, "San Francisco Rent Cocktail Dress." And that's how I came across Style Lend. I checked out the website, read the yelp reviews. Since I was off the next day, I made an appointment to go their headquarters in San Francisco to try on dresses. 

You do not have to go in person. They offer free standard shipping for dresses to be shipped to you to try on, or if you are willing to pay $10 they will bring it to your door. This is only available in San Francisco and New York City at the moment.

With my body, I'm all over the place size wise. Depending on the cut of the dress, I could fit a 4. But I could also be an 8 depending on material and the cut. I'm not afraid to admit that I'm almost 5'-3" and weigh almost 150 lbs. I can be a small on top, but a medium on the bottom. 

On the day of my visit, it was Halloween and the Giants 2014 World Series Victory parade was going. So it was a traffic nightmare. I had been e-mailing Matylda (Customer Experience) about my ETA and I felt soooooo bad! I had left about an hour early anticipating the traffic, but that wasn't enough! I eventually gave up on my ride and decided to walk. By then, I was close enough to make the 2 mi trek.

I arrived about 45 minutes late to my appointment. Matylda was such a sweetheart and completely understood. We quickly went over when the event was, the event type, and what I was looking for. She picked out a couple dresses that I fell in love with first: a gold and black sequin number by Rachel Zoe (Rental Price: $46).

Photo Courtesy of Style Lend

I loved the way it fit on me, but it was just too short. I knew I would have to mingle with the guests, my family, and also run interference to make things run smoothly for my sister during her reception.

Matylda pulled a few more and I fell in love a 2nd time with this Nicole Miller Dress (Rental Price: $45). It made me feel like Sofia Vergara. The color was gorgeous and fit perfectly.

Photo Courtesy of Style Lend

One of the last dresses I tried on was from Adrianna Pappell (Rental Price: $50) and I loved it because it was so girly. Something that was very different for me. When I dress up, I usually go for the tight and/or sexy dresses. This one was practical because it even had pockets.

Photo Courtesy of Style Lend

I told Matylda that the Nicole Miller was my No 1 and the Adrianna Pappell was my No 2. She had them reserved for me and I would pick them up the following week.

During the following week, I couldn't help but window shop on their site some more and found another strong competitor by Narciso Rodriguez (Rental Price: $41).

Photo Courtesy of Style Lend

I immediately e-mailed Matylda and she set it aside for me to try on when I came to pick up the Friday before the event.

The pick-up day came and I was torn. I had shown the dresses to my co-workers and my sister. They all gave me different opinions. Brittany (StyleLend's Sales and Marketing Director) helped me narrow the choices.

I put on the Narcisco Rodriguez dress, and I liked it. It fit very well, but it didn't get the, "That's so fierce" vibe. It was the perfect dress for a maybe a conservative work function, but not for my sister's reception where the fierce vibe was needed.  

I chose the Nicole Miller dress. It had the fierce and sexy vibe without upstaging my sister. 

Brittany helped me accessorize my dresses. My jewelry was very understated and would not have contributed enough to the outfit. I needed a statement necklace, but uncomfortable about picking one out. She showed me a few on the spot, but I fell in love (I know I'm saying this a lot, but it's true!), with this one of a kind necklace (Rental Price: $8).

On the day of, I received so many compliments on my dress and necklace. Because everyone typically sees me in jeans and a T-shirt, I definitely surprised them on what I wore. I'm wearing Vince Camuto nude pumps. My glasses also matched the dress perfectly as well.

Total cost of my rental: $58. The retail price of the dress alone is $425. I think I scored a deal.

I got to keep the dress and the necklace for a week, but I returned it a little early. I happen to have the day off and was able to return it. It would have been a quick drop off, but I got to play dress up again! Once again, Matylda helped me find some dresses and Brittany was also available to offer her opinion. Thank you so much Matylda and Brittany!

I just reserved another dress for the holidays and will have it delivered to my home online. I will be writing another post about my online experience as soon the time comes from start to finish.

I am not being paid by Style Lend to write this post, nor did they know that I was going to write about my experience with them. I sincerely recommend them as the dress selection is great. But most importantly, Style Lend staff is extremely friendly and knowledgeable about their inventory. 

[bliowen837]

Got my hair did at a beauty school. Am I crazy?!

I don’t think I am. 

I go to the University of California, Berkeley’s School of Optometry to get my eyes examined. After the students go through the entire exam, they call their professor and they go through the students’ finding. Then the professor does another quick exam. They love me there because I have textbook holes/tears in my retina and I allow the students to really take a good look at them. Sometimes, they’ll call other students in and I see spots for next 30 minutes or so.

If I let students shine a bright light in eye, why wouldn't I do let a student mess with my hair as well? I am all about teaching or helping people achieve their goals. Someone along the way took the time to help me achieve my goals, I want to do the same for someone else. It just another form of pay it forward.

I have heard of other people getting their hair done at beauty schools, but did not know of any in San Francisco. Recently, I heard about Cinta Aveda Institute and booked an appointment. What did I really have to lose?

1. The prices were reasonable (Haircut: $18 - $24) 2. Educators were on-hand to ‘fix’ any mistakes 3. It’s hair. It will grow back…Eventually.

My appointment was in the made for the 1st available time slot (9:15 am). I arrived early and had to wait for them to open the doors to open at 9:00 am. There are 3 receptionists to check-in clients, but they did not start doing so until about 9:10 am. I think there were about 15 people there for various services.

While waiting, I was offered water or the hot tea. I took the tea and it’s their own blend. It was really good. It’s called the “Comforting Tea” and it really does work. Right before drinking the tea, I suggest breathing in the tea. The smell of it is what makes it comforting. I do wish they had larger cups though, instead of little paper cups.

Once I got check-in and directed to where I needed to go, I met my student stylist, Josie P. Josie is very soft-spoken and sweet. After greeting me, she consulted with me on what I was looking for. I told her that I was growing out my hair and showed her a couple pictures on Pinterest. I asked for her opinion on what might look best and she offered it. Once we agreed, she informed me that she was going to get her educator to go over the cut process. Josie informed her about our consultation and had me show her my pictures. The educator asked her a few questions on how she was going to proceed and the types of product she’d use. When Josie answered them to her satisfaction, she gave her the go ahead to wash my hair.

Josie checks in with her educators several times before the major step (i.e. before and after cut, drying the hair, styling). I appreciate this because I have no idea if what she was doing was correct. She was comfortable in asking her educators to help her on something she was unfamiliar with. She had never cut bangs before, point cutting, or thinning. So she stood off to the side and watched her educator performed those techniques.

As a part of the initial consultation, Josie also offers me 3 types of messages. Scalp, head & shoulder, or a hand massage. I chose the head & shoulder one because I had needed one after a stressful work week. She offered 2 types of oils for me to choose for the massage and checks in on whether I was comfortable with the pressure. The message was at least 5 minutes long and it felt really good.

After the haircut and final styling, the educator came by to go over a checklist. It was a checklist of at least 3-5 steps Josie should have performed. She did all of them. The educator then had Josie walk me back out, go through the Aveda store to pick out the products she used, and then led me to front desk again. The product sale is a part of what the students do and you are not obligated to buy anything.

At the end, you are given a stack of paperwork with a envelope stapled it. The envelope is typically where the tip goes. You are not required to give a tip, but I did. Josie showed a lot a promise as a hairstylist. She was friendly without being overly talkative. Concentrated at on cutting my hair and made sure that I was having a good experience.

So for $18, I got: - a fabulous hair cut that did take almost 2 hours from start to finish - styling advice - neck and shoulder massage

Would I get my hair did again at Cinta Aveda Istitute? Heck yeah!

You should check it out as well.

[bliowen837]

Easy DIY Moneybox/Cardbox

My little sister got married this year and she had 2 wedding receptions: Western and Chinese one. For the Chinese one, I made her moneybox/cardbox. Culturally, we could not use white or green in the decorations unless it's in the flowers. I found some really nice ones on Pinterest and Etsy, but cost $60-100. 

I was not going to let her spend that kind of money on a box that will only to be ripped open, so she could get the cards she's dying to read.

I ended up spending $20 for the box. This covered the cost of the fabric and trimmings. I had the other items already at home. She chose all the fabric and trimmings.

If you know ahead of time that you are going to need to make one, scope out the local fabric store to check out their sales. I got lucky because everything was 50% off.

Here is the list of things you'll need:

1 - Cardboard Box (I recycled one from an online order)

1 to 2 yards - Fabric (I recommend taking your box to the fabric store so you can get a better estimate. Iron if it is wrinkled.)

3 yards - Beaded trim

0.5 yard - 1 1/2" Satin Trim

2-3 old greeting cards that are different sizes (only if you have any saved)

Hot Glue Gun (But if you get a really thin and light fabric, use a spray glue)

Sharp box cutter/razor blade

Scissor

Pen/Pencil/Marker

Scrap postcard/junk mailer

Step 1: Take your box and open up one end. This will be really handy when you have to cut the hole for the cards and envelopes to go in. Decide where you want the hole to be and mark it on the box with a pen/pencil/marker. Ideally, you would want it centered on the box.

Step 2: Using the a really sharp box cutter/razor cut the hole out. Take your time because if you cut too fast or if you have a dull blade you can will get some really jagged edges. As you are cutting, if you have little pieces that are hard to cut, reach in the opening of the box and gently pull/rip it off.

After cutting the hole, take your old greeting cards and put them in the box. You are checking to see if the hole is big enough. 

Step 3: If you have not ironed your fabric, do it. The wrinkles will show when you glue it on the box. Do not assume that you will be able to pull it taunt enough that the wrinkle will not show. 

Wrap your fabric around the box to check to see how much fabric you will need to cut off. Make sure there is some overlap along all seams before you cut. When you are satisfied cut the fabric with the scissors.

Step 4: Now it's glue time. Before you start gluing, make sure that the seam is on the opposite side of the opening you cut out. If you put on any of the adjacent side, you will see a big seam on the finish product.

When you are ready to glue, put a very thin layer of hot glue down on the box and place the edge of fabric on the glue. Press it firmly against the box. If you put a glob of glue, it can go through the fabric and burn you.

Once the glue has set, place some glue along the edge of the hole that was cut out. Press the fabric firmly against the box gently. 

Wrap the rest of the fabric around the box and glue it in place.

Step 5: Find the hole that is now covered by the fabric and use your box cutter to cut into the fabric. 

Add a few more cuts so that it can be easily glued to the inside of the box. You do not need to cut a hole that matches the fabric. It should look like this:

Step 6: Now it's time to tuck the fabric into the hole. My glue gun does not fit into my box, so I had to improvise. I folded a postcard I found in my recycle, rolled it up and globbed on the hot glue. 

Moving quickly, I smeared the glue along the edge of the hole on the inside of the box.

Still moving quickly, push the fabric in from the top with one hand. Use the other hand to push the fabric against the glue. Be careful, because your glue can still be hot.

Do this until all the sides are glued down. It should look like this on the inside.

And on the outside:

Step 7: Now this is the area where I messed up the order in which of the strips should be glued down on around the hole. I glued down the long sides down first and the shorter sides. Do not do that.

Take the satin trim and place it along the short edge of the hole. Play around with how much of the satin trim you want to show along the edge and carefully cut it. Cut another piece that is the same size and the same for long side of the hole.

Satin does tend to fray if you do not cut it carefully.

Glue the shorter pieces and then the longer pieces. If you do it this way, you will see less of a seam. Here is what it should look like:

Step 8: Glue the box flaps closed.

Step 9: Finish wrapping the box with the fabric like you would a gift. Before you glue the fabric, make sure that it lays smoothly on the box. Depending on the fabric you use, you may have to cut some excess fabric. The finish side should look like this:

The next step is optional. If you do not want trim along the top and/or bottom of the box, you are done. Step away from the box and take the time to admire the awesome job you did. If you want trim, continue on.

Step 10: Take your trim and run it along the top and see where you want to it to be. For me, I wanted to run it along side along the edge. Put a little dab of hot glue just past the corner on the small side of the box.

You do not need to run the glue along the entire edge. Just put some glue about every 2 to 3 inches.

After you have gone all the way around, cut the trim. Repeat if you want it along the bottom as well.

And now you're done! Here's the finish product.

If you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail me at bliowen837[at]gmail.com or message me on Twitter! 

[bliowen837]

Detective Jack Mook listen to his heart and was able to save a couple of foster kids. I wish I was in the position to do the same, but every little thing helps. Donate to organizations that help foster kids and volunteer whenever you can. Foster kids are also a part of the future and they shouldn't be forgotten.

[bliowen837]

Throwback Thursday Mixed CD dated February 5, 2004

In honor of Throwback Thursday, I played a mixed CD dated February 5, 2004 on my way home. Here's the playlist in order:

1. Audioslave - Like a Stone http://youtu.be/7QU1nvuxaMA

2. The Bangles - Eternal Flames http://youtu.be/PSoOFn3wQV4

3. Bon Jovi - It's My Life http://youtu.be/vx2u5uUu3DE

4. Christina Aguilera - Dirrty http://youtu.be/4Rg3sAb8Id8

5. " " featuring Lil Kim - Can't Hold Us Down http://youtu.be/dg8QgUIKXHw

6. Faith Hill - It Matters to Me http://youtu.be/Nj_ZznMMRic

7. Jimmy Eat World - The Middle http://youtu.be/oKsxPW6i3pM

8. Linkin Park - Somewhere I Belong http://youtu.be/gcs5PRxEXq4

9. Michael Jackson featuring Janet Jackson - Scream http://youtu.be/0P4A1K4lXDo

10. Norah Jones - Don't Know Why http://youtu.be/tO4dxvguQDk

11. Pearl Jam - Last Kiss (Acoustic Live) http://youtu.be/qfZqohA5Hxc

12. Puddle of Mudd - She Hates Me http://youtu.be/BYE4CVhVkhw

13. Ricky Martin - Vive la Vida Loca (Spanish) http://youtu.be/n8F55puGHIs

14. Roy Orbison - Oh, Pretty Woman http://youtu.be/lnRS3A_iIYg

15. Savage Garden - Crash and Burn http://youtu.be/qjGSXGCi4Fc

16. She Moves - Breaking All the Rules http://youtu.be/4gms1fjqmak

17. Wilson Phillips - Hold On  http://youtu.be/uIbXvaE39wM

18. Cher - The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss) http://youtu.be/yCpKQjqb8Y4

19. Nine Inch Nails - Closer http://youtu.be/PTFwQP86BRs

What was I thinking when I made this CD?!

[bliowen837]

Predict my Salary at Salary Fairy

Want to do something fun, addictive in a good way and beneficial to your career? Salary Fairy takes your LinkedIn information anonymously and allows its registered users to guess your salary. Using the crowdsourced information, they have also turned it into a game.

You can see how well you stack up against other users. Take your best shot with mine. 

According to Zoe Landon, she was able to negotiate a 40% increase in salary. Read more about her story. I'm a little skeptical about that, but I definitely would not hesitate to use it to my advantage if the opportunity presented itself.