f o l d e d - n o t e s @ l j . c o m

( We Gotta Live Like We're Dying. )

I swear, I should just write entries that consist of song lyrics.

( wounded. )

One of my dreams to design my own graphic tee is being fulfilled!



I created the I've Gone M.I.A. design and I'm going to be involved with it getting printed on a print screen!
It's gonna be printed in silver ink! AHH!
I'm so happy!

Click the images to check out more of their designs, including their new one that designers and my friends Henry Morales and Jillian Spencer created!



:)))

( Lyrics Behind the Cut )

So right now I'm in the cafe of Miami International University.

I don't know about you guys, but it's taken me a while to really start feeling Halloween this year. I wasn't really interested or excited for it until I came to my school this morning and saw everyone all dressed up with the candy and everything everywhere.

I really am grateful and am just excited with the Student and Career Services at my school. They are ranked under the Top 50 Schools in the US with the best Career Services program in the U.S. and while that may not seem as much, it really is.

I get emails for jobs in New York, LA, and they are for huge corporations like Red Bull Music or Sony Recording Studios for events. I'm just grateful because honestly, that is what makes you feel welcome.

In High School if I even dressed up for Halloween the faculty would make me wash out my make up. Here they commend you to go all out and dress all up and the best one gets a prize, lol. They're setting up like four tables right now for cupcakes and candy, so I'm holding off for that. I've been eating very little all day, I've been munching lightly on some candy and I just finished half of a chicken wrap with no cheese.

I am on a mission to get my life back.
I've been doing so well publicly and professionally, but when the doors are closed I've really been somewhat of a depressed person. I'm done feeling lonely and being sad. For the past week I've been eating healthy and really enjoying my life. It's been my third day without eating at night - it can be so hard but I'm beginning to feel more confidant to go without in the wee hours.

I'm fixing my car and am waiting for the two major parts to come in. Once they do, I'm going to spend four to five hundred dollars and just re-vamp it completely. Fresh parts, fresh paint, new interior. I am so excited.

My car is going to be a representation of myself. A grunge, music-storing art-mobile that has had a couple crashes, wrecks and damage, but through it all I am making it and doing well.

I have a meeting with Grammys at 4p in South Beach. I'm going to be the official representative for GrammyU at aiMIU. Anyone that wants to do events involving advertising or art with my school will have to go through me. I'm so excited because in addition to the resume filler and all of that other stuff, I will be doing what I love and working with people I deeply respect and admire.

The last project I did in relation to the people involved with Grammys gave me the opportunity to do the design, manage artists and carry out tasks to help launch the event as a representative from my school. It was such a fast-paced rush of an experience.



There was so much publicity for it that it was published in the New Times, the Miami Herald, MTVU News, The Miami Hurricane and even got us all on their websites.

That's why I love events, just setting something up like and launching it out is awesome and so much fun...it's crazy getting it all together but once it is all said and done the result is amazing.

Hopefully there will be so much more to come! I am so excited.



:)

List of Things to Take Care of:

• Buy books for classes.
• Buy parts to fix car.
• Mechanic & body services to fix car.
• Buy a new iPod.
• Get a Blackberry. Yeah, this is most likely not going to happen. 
• Pay off Insurance, T-Mobile & 24 Hour Fitness.
• Give $200 to parents to help pay bills.
• Give $100 to my sister for her qualifications in Miss Miami Tropics Beauty Pageant.
• Printer Ink for School Projects

I picked up two parts today from the junkyards of Miami (the lights) and I bought the rest of the parts like the bumper and hood online.
As soon as it gets to me I'll be able to finally get it fixed :)!

I need to check whether or not I get paid Monday. If I do than I'll be able to have enough money to live (gas, food, etc.) and have extra to buy the iPod of my dreams lol...an iTouch 32 GB! ;)

I would really like a Blackberry but I need to dispense myself from dreaming and realize that what I have right now aside from the lowering coverage, is not that bad of a cell phone and that although it would be awesome to get one I have other things I need to worry about.

Life is good! :))

So I made a point when I was creating my schedule to have Friday's off for some down time and for shit I need to take care of in my life.

I planned out this Friday to get all the parts needed to fix my car. Last time I had this situation I spent all day at Miami's junkyards and I ended up only finding 2 out of the 3 parts that I needed...one of which, is still there because a shop had to order them from needed to wait for the shipment.

I am really grateful for the internet - it has really changed the way a lot of things are done.
One of them being shopping and finding things. I am so grateful for that one.

My Dad told me to look online before planning another day out to make a trip.
After googling I ended up finding an awesome website called getusedparts.com (there is my free PR of the day, lol)

What was amazing about it was that I put in my information about my car, the year, manufacturer, etc.
And not even a minute later I received over 40 emails of nearby places and nationwide parts sellers that had that specific part I was looking for.

To me that was crazy because if you think about it, the odds of finding something for your specific car model are very slim in junk yards...although I love them because there just cars stacked upon cars and it just makes me feel like I'm around piles of potential pieces to make the ultimate car...this was was such a time saver and I know for a fact I'm getting my pieces!

After comparing prices, I ended up getting a bundle deal from a corporation that is based in New York but has affiliates all over the US so when the parts arrive I can just head a couple blocks down and pick them up.

In this day and age, we tend to take the internet for granted - I'm really grateful for it.

Now I am off to get my lights and call up a friend who will help me get everything fixed!
Within a week my baby should be back and running in perfect condition! :D

My Sister was selected to enter in a modeling agency beauty pageant.
It's called Miss Miami Tropic. She's competing as a "Little Miss" in the competition.

My sister is so beautiful, I'm so happy for her and I really hope she wins.
My parents have been going crazy with all the things that it takes in order for her to be able to compete, I've even been helping them out with it financially because I know how much of an opportunity this is for her.


Everybody send her your love and wish her luck! I'm going to dedicate this song to her:

Party in the U.S.A. by Miley Cyrus

I hopped off the plane at LAX
with a dream and my cardigan
welcome to the land of fame excess,
am I gonna fit in?

Jumped in the cab,
Here I am for the first time
Look to the right and I see the Hollywood sign
This is all so crazy
Everybody seems so famous

My tummys turnin and I'm feelin kinda home sick
Too much pressure and I'm nervous,
That's when the taxi man turned on the radio
and a Jay Z song was on
and the Jay Z song was on
and the Jay Z song was on

CHORUS:
So I put my hands up
They’re playing my song,
And the butterflys fly away
Noddin’ my head like yea
Movin my hips like yea
I got my hands up,
They’re playin my song
I know im gonna be ok
Yea, It's a party in the USA
Yea, It's a party in the USA

Get to the club in my taxi cab
Everybody's lookin at me now
Like “whos that chick, thats rockin’ kicks?
She gotta be from out of town”

So hard with my girls not around me
Its definitely not a Nashville party
Cause’ all I see are stilletos
I guess I never got the memo

My tummys turnin and I'm feelin kinda home sick
Too much pressure and I'm nervous
That's when the D.J. dropped my favorite tune
and a Britney song was on
and the Britney song was on
and the Britney song was on

CHORUS:
So I put my hands up
They’re playing my song,
And the butterflys fly away
Noddin’ my head like yea
Movin my hips like yea
I got my hands up,
They’re playin my song
I know im gonna be ok
Yea, It's a party in the USA
Yea, It's a party in the USA

Feel like hoppin' on a flight (on a flight)
Back to my hometown tonight (town tonight)
Something stops me everytime (everytime)
The DJ plays my song and I feel alright

CHORUS:
So I put my hands up
They’re playing my song,
And the butterflys fly away
Noddin’ my head like yea
Movin my hips like yea
I got my hands up,
They’re playin my song
I know im gonna be ok
Yea, It's a party in the USA
Yea, It's a party in the USA

So I put my hands up
They’re playing my song,
And the butterflys fly away
Noddin’ my head like yea
Movin my hips like yea
I got my hands up,
They’re playin my song
I know im gonna be ok
Yea, It's a party in the USA
Yea, It's a party in the USA

Good luck my ficus! :)

Olga, your attitude is almost as repulsive as you come off by pretending that you are confident.
Get over yourself and become a human being.
This is why you have no friends.

You are dead to me.
Good luck with your life.

List of Things to Take Care of:

• Buy books for classes.
• Buy parts to fix car.
• Mechanic & body services to fix car.
• Buy a new iPod.
• Get a Blackberry.
• Pay off Insurance, T-Mobile & 24 Hour Fitness.
• Give $200 to parents to help pay bills.
• Give $100 to my sister for her qualifications in Miss Miami Tropics Beauty Pageant.
• Printer Ink for School Projects

The iPod and the Blackberry are things that may happen after everything else is taken care of.
God knows I could use both. Thanks to T-Mobile's wonderful service, my sidekick sucks now & my iPod has weird little dots all over it and freezes every time I use it.

I'm honestly just really grateful because I feel like I have gone from beggar broke to bodacious billionaire lmfaooo.
I can finally take care of my shit and help my family with theirs.

Dear Livejournal; how have you been!

In the news of my life:

• I recently switched from Firefox to Safari - I have a Mac and the text tends to follow better on Safari so we'll see what happens.
• I am in my third week of Fall Quarter at MIU and it is going well! I'm taking 5 classes: a scriptwriting storyboard class, a digital layout class, a Copywriting class, a Public Relations class and I finish the week off with a History of Western Art class! It's a lot of work and I'm going to be very busy, but it was the same level of classes more or less last quarter and I got honor roll so I suppose it does me well.
• Things are going beautifully for The Advertising Federation of Miami MIU :) 
• I'm doing more events for WB Engineering, I went to a seminar yesterday and was quite pleased to actually go to an event for once.
• Listening to Third Eye Blind never gets old, ever.

I cleaned my house today and then slept until 3p.
Chibi and Bloo are coming over! I haven't seen them in literally a year...
We've all been so busy but I am so glad that we are all off today!

:)

My office, haha!

I love Art.

It's been such a long time since I have written an all out feeling-oriented post, and I'll tell you why:
I've been afraid of what others that like to read this, people who I don't want reading this, people who are no longer in my life anymore - to read this and form assumptions or hatrid towards me.

I've been scared for too long, I am fuckin' over it!
You are going to judge me whether I want you to or not, so from now on it will be nothing but what I think, when I think it.
Like it should be.

For the past two years I was in an on again off again situation with someone who I really cared about, but unfortunately the person was way over her head with feelings of her exes ad what people thought of her, and didn't realize or flat-out care about how I felt at all. Towards the end of our relationship we began to see each other more s friends, but I couldn't get over her attitude or intentions behind the scenes.

When it comes to anyone, there is always another side - when you cut through all the bullshit, there is always that layer of a persona that we all have. Hers was control. She always had to be in control. She planned how we went out, how she would buy shit and then return it, how her image of something was - and at first I thought it was attractive. Unfortunately, that was the downfall in the end.

I remember thinking how I had always been friends with my exes - great friends - and was wondering why there were things that I felt were in the way of this becoming that way.

My friends warned me - and the thing about that was that I tried to keep my private life private - I was discreet and never shared information that went on - but they knew what was going on and warned me countless times.

It wasn't until she tried to manipulate me businesswise and even get my sister involved was when I had to see it for what it really was: and as soon as I did, I cut the shit off.

It has been about two and a half months since then and let me tell you - I feel great.
I have been getting my life together - focusing on classes, hanging out with a lot of people, and I've been able to do it all without having a heart attack and just being able to have a good time!

My parents are seeing me grow up and although they get a little scared and worried, they are beginning to completely trust me and they don't even question anything I do anymore - I guess my craziness have officially gotten the best of them.

My sister is so beautiful.
She has a boyfriend who is a reliable dependable guy who I get along with.
Whenever she isn't working on homework, watching Law & Order SVU or when she isn't in every school event known to mankind, she's relaxed or she is locking herself in the bathroom to talk to him lol.

I have been hitting the gym hard and I have lost 10 LBS! :)))
I'm not gonna lie, the other half besides working out IS FOOD...I've been watching myself and not going to crazy on them burgers lol.

I am also really grateful to all my friendships that have blown amazingly over working together as well - I do the web & design work for Sinful Sweets By Andy Lee, Inc. - it has been recently titled Inc. because with all of its customers it has met the qualifications! :))

I am in charge of design communications for The Advertising Federation of Greater Miami - It has been so awesome to put up banners and ads all over everywhere :)

There are discussions of me being an official student representative for The Grammys (if all goes well that would be so awesome! That would be a good opportunity for my career with music)

and most recently I have been the Web + Conceptual Designer for TIS SCREEN PRINTING! I also manage their blog, SERIOUS NEWS! I have gone to events and partied for free, and I have gotten free shirts. On top of that, I have connections to printing designs - and since I have helped process an order with AdFed, I have a feeling I will be helping in the design of the organization Tees! Meaning I will be an amateur designer for shirts! AH it is all to exciting right now!

& ALL WHILE still maintaining my job as the Marketing Coordinator for WB Engineering! ;)
Jess and I have a great time in the office, and while things aren't always as we would wish for the office, I am so grateful for that career and all the opportunities WB has offered me - I love the work, the web, the graphics and the breath-taking industrial manufacturing design I have learned so much about.

I'm just so fortunate for everything that has happened in my life.
Everything is going well, and I want to give back.

I'm working on a breast cancer awareness campaign. I'm mad excited about that.

I'll give more info on that later, but right now I am off to sidekick my IM thoughts and watch a movie with whatever Showtime can provide of me.

Peace!

So I'm in my library in the heart of the Downtown Miami art district within my school :)
Life is so good right about now, it's gonna get crazy later on lol.



I love advertising so much.
Everything is involved in it, you create an idea and you design it out. As long as your idea gets a point, you get paid to be creative as you want.

You get paid to party. All you have to do is wear a shirt and take some pictures.

I've been getting deeply involved with a lot of projects lately - one of them is blogging for TIS!

I wrote info about them a while back, TIS stands for This is Serious Screen Printing.
They basically design clothes and primarily print shirts for anyone - an organization, a company picnic, a baseball team, a club, you name it.

With a team of people like me, we have all been rising to the top in publicity and I am so proud of that.



If you click the flyer above it will take you to the blog I manage!
Add it your favorites because it will be giving you access to all the 411 on artistic Miami, Downtown events, the music world, Fashion and so much more.

So in addition to clubbing and getting shit-faced promoting, blogging and expanding TIS, I also saw this amazing advertising art documentary called Art & Copy on Friday.



It was pretty amazing.
I recommend you google it and see it if it is still available in your area.

I'll post the trailer later, but right now I am off to class!

( Say it ain't so, I will not go, turn the lights off, carry me home. )

So after these past couple of weeks with finals, school work and then WB Engineering I have been mad exhausted...but it's all worth it now! :)

I've just checked my grades for MIU and all the crazy courses and finals I have taken that I've gratefully finished this week and:


:D!

I am so happy.
The lack of sleep and constant caffeine was totally worth it :)!!

Life has been so great for me.
I've been busy, but very productive and I'm really glad - what's even better is that I've been working with friends.



+ I celebrated Kim's birthday with a bang! ;)



Next up is the Blink-182 concert in Tampa!
ROAD TRIPPP!

I'm so excited!
Have a great weekend dudes and dudettes! ;)

One of the best movies of all time.

I love it - every aspect of it. Jersey, New York....the 90's grunge aspect of it and of course the message.
Love shouldn't be about what two people look like, what gender they are or their past.
It's such a beautiful movie.

:)

So last week: Monday night. Professor Kbar's lab.

She decides to let us know that we're having a final exam in take home form.
Exciting? Yes, if it were any other Professor...but not Kbar.

She gives us a 10 question vocabulary term section, a 15 question document where each question is broken down into 5 parts each...Then a 50 question segmented essay exam! WTF!

That was by far the HARDEST exam I have ever had in my life.
We could use the book, but half of the information in the test was information that isn't in the book. Information that she taught.

I spent the night at my friend Erika Stein's house with a bunch of people PLUS we had cell phone communication with other students AND we were emailing each other left and right with other students in our class.

I started the exam at 5:30pm and I finished at 7:45AM.
It took me 15 hours to conquer Kbar's final.

I feel like I am on drugs. I'm twitching, trying to compose myself but I feel like those nasty homeless people that ride the bus...
That is not good.

I have work at 10a and I'm going to try to leave early.
Man, Jess and I are going to be some grump ass kids today...I hope noone fucks with us lol.

It has been a year since I started MIU...a year ago from today it was my Professor's birthday who was one of my first classes of my first quarter, in my first week.

It's crazy to think that I was a tadpole a year ago...and now I am in 6th or 7th quarter! (They go by so fast, I don't even know anymore haha)

This Professor has inspired me to work my hardest, use my bullshit relationship tragedies as motivation for art and design, and most importantly, to be real, down to earth, strong and to not take bullshit from anybody.

Happy Birthday Razack, have a great one.