sara mcguyer – Page 16

In the Bag

You can tell a lot about a person by what they carry. I have seen ‘what’s in your bag?’ type memes make their rounds on the web, but haven’t ever shared before. I swapped bags recently so it’s a little less chaotic than usual, but this is unedited. Complete with ancient cough drop!

1.The bag – HOBO International has the best leather bags. This camel tote has been with me for many moons, and just keeps getting better with age. It can serve as a light weekend bag, or is big enough for my laptop and lunch during the work week.

2. Laptop bag – Oilcloth bag by danica studio. The perfect bag for the chronic spiller (that’s me!).

3. Water bottle – well-loved, with a barely visible Bicycle Garage Indy logo.

4. Blue folder – reading material and resumes for the Musical Family Tree internship position.

5. Moleskine notebook – for doodles and to do lists.

6. 3 Pens – Pilot Precise v5, a fine instrument for writing.

7. Apple ear buds

8. Indy Film Fest name tag

9. Keys

10. Cough drop – from last year I think! It was tucked in a crevice.

11. Green wallet – another one that ages wonderfully, bought in a long-ago-closed boutique in Chicago, circa 2001. And a little cash.

12. Card holder – the bamboo silk printed case has things like IMA membership, library card, Speak Easy key card and unused gift cards.

13. Wallet – People for Urban Progress dome card holder for the essentials: license and bank cards.

14. Lip gloss and balm – I’m a Burt’s Bees devotee. It’s the best stuff out there, period. The others, Neutrogena and Bite gloss, see a lot less use.

This post is part of Think Kit by SmallBox
I chose one of the lifeline prompts for today’s Think Kit. “What’s in your bag? Let’s see those old receipts and cookie crumbs!”

Lesser Excuses

This morning I ran. After a full day, I braved the madness of holiday traffic to buy one last gift for my husband. By the time I made it home at 8, I was ravenous and tired. And then I remembered my promise to buy two twin bedding sets for my workplace United Way adopt-a-family. To go, or not to go?

After twenty minutes of inner battle, I pumped myself up to run my errand. And you know what? Walking out of that store, carrying new warm blankets for two boys who need it was worth it.

I came home and collapsed on my couch. In my coat. Seriously. I’m actually still laying here, blogging via iPhone, wearing my thick wool coat (photo evidence even… Can you tell how exhausted I am?)

Stretched out on my couch, I was about to give up on blogging for the night and ruin my Think Kit streak. Tired. That’s a lesser excuse.

I never want to say being tired got in the way of life. One could go on living half of a life in various states of tired. If I could remove any one obstacle it would be wearing out; my super power would be limitless energy.

But for now, I’ll just keeping pushing past tired. I’ll let myself back down when I have a better excuse.

This post is part of Think Kit by SmallBox
Today’s prompt: “No limits: If money, time or other commitments were no obstacle in 2013, what would you do?”

Random Nicing

All morning I plotted ways to nice people, thinking I could easily weave random acts of kindness into my whole day. It isn’t as easy as it sounds. Being nice can take a little work.

I got started with the nicing early by tucking a note and Reese’s Tree into my husbands lunch bag. My mom used to randomly surprise me with a note when I was very young. Those were always good days.

I treated someone to breakfast. But she was doing me a favor, so that doesn’t really count.

And then I went to work and got busy. I was actually working on gift bags for clients, one big ol’ nicing. But I meant to nice my co-workers. Fail.

After work, I decided to try the drive-through surprise at Starbucks. Idling in the road, I kept checking in my rearview mirror, watching for someone to come for me to cover their tab. No one came. At seven o’clock in the biggest shopping week of the year, this Starbucks of my choosing was woefully dead. I finally stopped waiting. Another big fail.

It was time to take matters into my own hands. I needed to level up on my nicing plans.

In that brief moment of defeat at Starbucks, I remembered the leftover iris bulbs. I’d bought a big batch, planted most of them, but had run out of ground for a good handful or two. To take it up a notch, I made a Target run for some supplies.

My shopping list:
Cellophane Bags,
My Little Pony Figurines,
Gift Tags.

Behold: Sparkle Pony Iris Nicing

In each cellophane packet, I placed a few bulbs, a couple of tiny My Little Ponies and a note: “You’ve been NICED!” With the bags peeking out of my pockets, I left the house on a mission to nice my neighborhood. You’d think there was gold in my pockets. Or that I was carrying out a secret but very important mission that just might lead to world peace if I could get it right.

I may never know if anyone found them, or if the bulbs got planted, but no matter. The simple act of doing this felt amazing. I’m already wondering what little surprises I can distribute next.

For now, look out, South Broad Ripple. You might stumble upon a Sparkle Pony Iris Nicing on a corner near you.

This post is part of Think Kit by SmallBox
Today’s prompt: “Nice someone. Write about what you did. (What is nicing?)

Lost and Found

This spring I got lost in NYC.

On the High Line, I learned how to feel in two worlds at once. A park in the clouds, a cityscape on all sides.

I got lost in the beautiful simplicity of a hot dog lunch.

In the courtyard at the MoMa, I got lost in a chair.

Gazing into this shimmering water, all bejeweled with copper coins, I pondered what wishes lived in this pool.

Looking up at the sky, I got lost in the colors and soft whisperings of flags flapping in the wind.

I got lost in it all, even when I knew just exactly where I was.

See more photos of the trip here.

This post is part of Think Kit by SmallBox
Today’s prompt: “Share a time that you got lost this year, whether you didn’t know where you were or you were working on a project or activity so fiercely that you lost all sense of time and place. Did you learn anything?”

Finding the One

I’ve lived in my house for just a couple of years. From the start, it’s felt cozy and full, save above the fireplace in the living room.

For months, I stared at the blank space, dreaming about the art my husband and I would buy to hang there. We browsed at art festivals, hunted at Midland, we gallery-hopped on First Friday, and still didn’t find the right thing. I saved and spent the money for a painting to fill the void several times.

And then we found it. The one.

Contracted by Susan Hodgin

I’ve been buying art since I was in high school. Over the years I’ve acquired a couple of paintings, a handful of prints and more than my fair share of ceramic pieces.

I’ve been gripped by art plenty of times before, but this was different. This was love.

A couple of months in and it still takes my breath away when I walk through my door. This year, I learned what it feels like to be a collector.

This post is part of Think Kit by SmallBox
Today’s prompt: “What new things did you learn this year?”

From Accidental to Dream Job

During college I worked at Barnes & Noble. I didn’t intend to stay as long as I did. Nearly seven years in, I’d held 5 positions at 4 different stores in Evansville and Chicago. I had the chance to lead really diverse teams of booksellers and got loads of practice in hiring, interviewing, providing professional development and performance reviews, and building teams.

I loved many things about working there, including visual merchandising, hand-selling books, and the people side of human resources, though managing a book store was not my long term dream job. When it was time to move on, I got started with my first marketing gig at United Way, where I learned a lot about community building and digital marketing.

A couple of creative agencies later, and I’m just starting a new role that combines different bits from my past experience, including what I sometimes call my “accidental career” at Barnes & Noble. I had no idea how critical the things I learned there would be to my present day dream job.

I couldn’t be more pleased to take on the new role of Chief Culture Officer at SmallBox, where I’ve been working as a marketing strategist for the past couple of years.

In true SmallBox form, the job is mine to shape over time, but it includes a mix of marketing, business development, human resources and, of course, focusing on our culture.

Our CEO Jeb Banner frequently says he’s driven to design dream jobs for our team. In my case, mission accomplished.

This post is part of Think Kit by SmallBox
Today’s prompt: “Handwrite a tweet to a friend. What’s it look like?”

Listen Up

When I go to a yoga studio, I seek out the instructors who move at a faster pace. This typically lands me in vinyasa flow classes with a “one breath, one movement” approach. The kind of class where I leave drenched, and not because it’s a hot room, but because I worked for it.

At the other end of the spectrum is yin yoga. It’s peaceful and slow, focusing on fewer, deeper postures. I find it incredibly challenging, but not in a physical way. My brain just goes all over the place.

I’m a thinker. If there’s anything I continuously fail at it’s quieting and calming my mind. I’ve been aware for some time that my one big beast is finding focus.

It didn’t occur to me until today that this might affect my listening skills. I know. Hello, Captain Obvious, right? If my mind is always moving, I can’t possibly listen as deeply as I should.

When was the last time, with a clear mind, I gave full and total focus to the conversation at hand? When I could honestly say there wasn’t something – an incoming email, a random thought, my next meal – lurking in the corners of my head?

Today, a couple of things happened. This is about to get heavy. I went to ThriveMap, a purpose-finding and goal-setting event. They asked me to write my eulogy, what I hope my loved ones would write about after my passing. This is a grounding and sorrowful thing to consider.

Then, the horrific news from Connecticut, another senseless loss of lives. No pretend stuff here. Real eulogies that shouldn’t yet be written.

If ever there was a time to listen, to love, to live in the moment, now. Now I will go home and listen as deeply as I can.

This post is part of Think Kit by SmallBox
Today’s prompt: “Listening — when was the last time you listened to someone, where, why?”

There and Back

A city looks different by bike.
I’ve traversed the length of Indy’s Monon Trail, from wooded tracts, surrounded by green on all sides, to unexpected skyline views, through neighborhoods and alleys way, industrial zones.

I’ve biked all the way to where the paved trail ends, and dusty gravel takes over. Far north, up to 169th street, and back down to SoBro where I live.

I’ve never done the full length all in one trip, but soon.

Soon, I will take that dream trip by bike, a two wheeling loop through this place I’ve come to love.

This post is part of Think Kit by SmallBox
Today’s prompt: “Plan out your dream trip! Is there somewhere you really want go in 2013? Pick a place in Indy, or anywhere in the world.”

This One Goes to 11. Or 12.

Food is the perfect place to push comfort zones. If you don’t like something, there aren’t major long term implications. A bad taste in the mouth lasts a minute, a lifetime of missing out on something you’d maybe love? Well, that’s just sad.

I recently tried egg nog for the first time. My main question: what the hell was I waiting for? I thought it’d be too thick, too sweet, but the Traders Point Creamery version was fantastic.

After one cup, I got inspired to cook with it. Egg nog waffles, anyone? Or my favorite idea, which might also be a project for this weekend, egg nog custard pie.

Tonight I tried Taco Lassi’s white chocolate habanero cookie. I’d been warned of it’s heat. And here’s a lesser known fact about me: I love hot foods, but if the food has mega-intense, off-the-charts flaming, I mean “this one goes up to 11” heat, I can get a serious and lengthy case of hiccups.

With a little trepidation, I dug in. And it was good. And it maybe went up to 12. But guess what? No hiccups.

Pictured here with the cookie is a snack mix of unknown ingredients, also from Taco Lassi. My husband dove in first, and his reaction was sort of like when Buddy the Elf tries fruit spray in the department store. After his reaction I was better prepared for the palate shock, but it was, shall we say not my favorite. But hey, no big deal. A sip of tea and a bit of habanero cookie later, all was well again.

This post is part of Think Kit by SmallBox
Today’s prompt: “Try something totally different. Have something for lunch or dinner you don’t normally eat. Make up a new recipe. What did you come up with?”

A Year, Graphed

2012 left plenty to be desired. Consider the ultimate pie chart as evidence.

Exhibit A: Days I Ate Pie

Obviously, there’s much room for improvement here. Not nearly enough pie. Considering the deep relaxation I find in making pie dough, I think it’s a clear do-more for 2013.

On a more serious note, in sketching out my year in graphs, I uncovered a connection worth noting.

Exhibit B: The Happiness/Song-Singing Correlation

Much to the dismay of my husband, I chronically make-up and sing songs. This is directly connected to a strong belief that life needs a sound track. In middle school, the year book noted: “Can you imagine Sara McGuyer not singing?”

Every year I set a goal to actually write and record songs with Louie. Maybe 2013 will be my year for music.

Here’s a balance I can really use to work on.

Exhibit C: Connected v. Free

For the purposes of this graph, “Connected” means near my phone or computer, being tuned into incoming email, tweets or other digital notifications. And “Not Connected” means totally unplugged, a.k.a. sleeping, or doing one of the few other activities I enjoy sans tech devices: running, dog-walking or yoga. And “The Fuzzy Betwixt” is that lowly state of checking the iPhone in the morning, half falling asleep while doing it and accidentally dropping phone on face. Raise your hand and admit along side me if you’ve been there.

I’m not sure what 2013 holds, but as my last graph shows, the outlook is good.

Exhibit D: Outlook for 2013

This post is part of Think Kit by SmallBox
Today’s prompt: “Draw a pie chart or Venn diagram of your year, possible activities: eating, drinking, sleeping, working, playing.”