I'm not a shop boy.

For those of you who don't know, my post graduate degree has landed me with a nice receptionist job. It's no one's fault, really, but what do you do with a BA in Anthropology? While being a receptionist was never one of my lifelong goals, i have learned some very valuable skills over the last year.

Growing up, I was incredibly shy. I never talked more than I had to, and didn't care enough to have much of a social life, so my communication skills were practically nonexistent. It was the thing I lacked most, and it was the one thing that I felt was absolutely essential to be successful in anything in life. And then i started working at a hair salon in my hometown, and i was just so happy to be getting a job that i didn't think about what the job actually entailed. My official title is "receptionist"; one who receives people. I am the first thing clients see when they walk through the doors, and i am the first impression they get of the salon when i talk to them over the phone. For the first few months of the job, I was convinced that they had hired the absolute wrong girl. The job was everything i hated or feared in life! (Talking on the phone, making small talk with anyone and everyone waiting for their appointments, telling off salesmen, and doing all of this with the brightest smile) yeah, it didn't sound like me at all. I was used to being the one in the background, no makeup, shabby hair, i wore hoodies and jeans more than anything else, and i understood caveman speech better than smalltalk.

Here I am,  a year and a half later, doing things I would never even considered doing in the past; talking on the phone (and doing it WELL!), starting up conversations with people of all ages, taking a leadership position and being part of a team. I feel like I have grown so much as a person from my experience in the beauty industry.

The Point:

For those of you feeling discouraged about a current life choice or position, just remember:

1. It won't last forever
2. There is something to be learned in every aspect of life
3. Accepting those lessons can help you get the job you daydream about, and they might just make you a more rounded person as well.
4. The people you meet and the connections you make will stay with you as long as you allow them to
5. Have fun!

Just because you don't have the dream job you've always wanted right now doesn't mean that it is unattainable. The only way you will be in a life long career that you hate is if you allow yourself to be there. You don't like your job? Change it. It may be hard, but making excuses won't help you either. Having a positive mindset is pretty important! So you've landed a job that is not using your full potential. What can you do while you are planning your next step, and what can you learn in your current position? Just remember that your social standing and self worth are not defined by the job you have.

And as my favorite author, Neil Gaiman said in Stardust; 

"There are shop boys, and there are boys who just happen to work in a shop for the time being. And trust me Tristan, you're no shop boy."

Hi there!

My first post comes to you in the midst of holiday chaos and festivities. I have camped out on my stairs, bundled in my favorite hello kitty blanket. I always loved sitting on the stairs during the holidays when I was little because of the twinkle light garland that we wrapped around the banister. I always thought the dim lighting was always the most magical part of the holiday season. I also have a mug full of my favorite cran-apple juice, which is being kept nice and freezing cold due to the fact that my father loves to keep the house at a comfortable 58 degrees during winter. As a mini introduction to me, the blogger, I can say that I am very pleased to be starting up this blog and hope that it will help many others as much as I hope it will help myself. I live in the North Eastern United States and the snow has finally started to settle in for the winter. Good thing my family and I are so similar to the Stark family and totally revel in the cold weather. Wow, kicking things off with a Game of Thrones reference. I guess you can already tell what kind of blog this is going to be.

But in case you don't, here is what I have planned for Queendom this year. This blog was designed to follow me through my post graduate career and life, which, in itself, is always packed full of nerd culture, vintage fashion trends, plenty of anthropology research, and artistic inspiration and experimentation. So if any of that sounds interesting to you, stick around because you are bound to see tons of stuff aimed to kill normalcy. Yep, I have a mission, and that is to make everyone question the norms around them, to think differently, and to bring their own unique gifts and traits into the world!

Was that an ok introduction? I hope so.

Now let's get down to what I am very excited to say is my very first post to Queendom!

It's December 14th, and somehow, christmas has snuck up on me this year. Many people are blaming the late thanksgiving, but I really have no excuse. I've always had such an easy time buying gifts for my family and friends, but this year I've hit a roadblock that I just can't seem to get around. Everyone has me stumped this year! So I turned to the internet to help me find those perfect, unique gifts for my loved ones. And I wasn't disappointed. Here's what I found:

• For those nerds who love showing off their fandom pride, superherostuff has some wonderful superhero stuff!
• Heruniverse also had some great geek chic apparel.
• For the more rad steampunk fans in your family, Shanalogic has everything from Cthulu to American-Horror-Story-esque jewelry and accessories. 
• This etsy shop has the coolest patches I've seen so far, for all your punk DIY fashion needs.
• And for the more conservative hippie on your list, these acorn necklaces are not only cute, but incredibly well made! I bought one for my friend's birthday and she loved it. 

Welp, that's all for today. Good luck with christmas shopping! Stay tuned for more cool posts.