life law luck: January 2014

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Jonah Freakin' Hill

Have you seen Wolf of Wall Street yet? Besides my main man Leo (growing up, my walls were covered with photos of his beautiful boyish face and blond hair...obsessed and still am), Jonah Hill is in it and he is just superb. Remember Moneyball? Remember how funny he was as Brad Pitt's sidekick? For Wolf, it's much of the same and it's so so good.

If you missed Saturday Night Live this weekend (like I did) you missed this gem of a monologue featuring Jonah freakin' Hill and the one and only Leonardo DiCaprio.

So much love for these two. Happy Tuesday!

xoxo,

Alex

Monday, January 27, 2014

Monday Motivation: 1.27.14

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The Philanthropist Diaries // Breakfast With Nonprofit Rockstar Trista Harris

//In early 2013, I started a blog called The Philanthropist Diaries. In trying to simplify my life, I'm consolidating blogs and will now feature posts of The Philanthropist Diaries on Life Law Luck. It's my life, it's how I'm using my law degree, it makes sense to me. If this topic doesn't interest you, I'll be back with recipes, DIYs and random other things that make me smile. This post was previously published on 2.10.13. //

Two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend the first Breakfast of Champions event put on by the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network Twin Cities chapter. The spotlight champion was Trista Harris, Executive Director of the Headwaters Foundation and co-author of the book How to Become a Nonprofit Rockstar.

The breakfast was one part networking and one part learning from Trista. She focused her talk with us on sharing 6 tips to be a Nonprofit Rockstar. I thought I'd share my quick takeaways from Trista's talk:

1. Develop Expertise

Do your job well. You are in charge of your success or failure. Develop your own personal development plan. Learn everything you can about your job. Build your skill set.

2. Build a Network

Build your relationships in places you want to be. Volunteer at conferences in your industry. Being an introvert is not an excuse - turn it on when you have to.

3. Establish a Great Personal Brand

Your brand is what people say about you when you are not in the room. It is up to you to establish your brand. See the context of where you are working and work within it. Highlight your strengths.

4. Practice Authentic Leadership

Be a leader even if you aren't in a manager position. Lead a committee or an initiative. Manage a budget. Be intentional about your leadership.

5. Plan for Balance

Nothing else matters if you burn out or quit so find balance that works for you. Un-volunteer for stuff. Build a leadership pipeline in the organization that you volunteer in; it gives you an exit strategy. Keep a thank you note file to remind you that you matter. Keep perspective.

6. Move Up

Having the hard conversation is critical to your career advancement. Ask for the raise or promotion. Determine what value you add to the organization. Set big goals for yourself. Have people who will push you to the next step. Enjoy the thing you are doing now.

Over the weekend, I devoured Trista and Rosetta Thurman's book, How to Become a Nonprofit Rockstar. This should be reading for anyone making their way in the trenches of the nonprofit world. They offer a ton more tips that are easy to implement and highly relevant for getting ahead in your nonprofit job. If you want to be a nonprofit rockstar, you must check it out!

Monday, January 20, 2014

Monday Motivation: 1.20.14

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Happy Monday! And a very happy birthday to my dear friend, Kait!

xoxo,

Alex

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Channeling Ina.

I love cooking. I love that there are directions. I love that there are an infinite number of options. I love that there are things that look really difficult and impossible but when you take it step by step, magic happens in the kitchen.

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And that's how I feel when I channel Ina Garten. She can sound a bit pretentious but damn, that girl knows her food. She makes these incredibly delicious dishes that look terribly hard but when you sit down to eat, you feel like a champion.

Over break, I caught an episode of Ina Garten's cooking show where she recreated a meal from her trip to Florence. Enthralled, I decided to try to recreate two of her dishes - Celery & Parmesan Salad and Herb Roasted Fish. So I channeled Ina, bought most of the right ingredients, and kicked ass in the kitchen. And you can too.

I also made Parmesan Risotto - OMG. I'll share the recipe with you as soon as I can write it up. If you are familiar with Ina, you know she goes on and on about how fresh parmesan is the best. Well, she's right. Do yourself a favor and take Ina's advice on this one. It made this entire meal insanely amazing.

Ok, check out Ina's recipes and add this to your list. You'll be transported to Italy in no time.

xoxo,

Alex

Monday, January 13, 2014

The Philanthropist Diaries // Today's Philanthropist

When I was younger, I dreamed of one day being a philanthropist. I voiced my ambitions to my father who laughed and told me you have to have money to be a philanthropist. Determined not to be discouraged, I set out to not let money dictate my desire to give back.

The word philanthropist calls to mind visions of old white men millionaires divesting their fortunes at the end of their lives. Well, I'm hear to tell you that today's philanthropist has changed.

By definition, a philanthropist is one who makes an active effort to promote human welfare. I didn't see "wealthy" or "rich" as a requirement to be philanthropic. Today's philanthropists are young and committed to social change. They volunteer in their spare time, if not choosing to make promoting human welfare part of their career. Social entrepreneurship is no longer just a buzzword.

But from one philanthropist to another, I want to let you in on a little secret: It's okay to be selfish when committing your time as a volunteer to a nonprofit. That's the key to becoming one of today's philanthropist.

You need to ask yourself, what's in it for me? Think about how can you utilize this experience to learn a new skill or improve your current ones. What will be your takeaway from this experience? Take on a leadership role, head a committee, volunteer to be a greeter at the event if you are shy, or brush up on your design skills. Maximize your time with the organization or cause to make it worthwhile for you.

Don't let money decide whether you will join the ranks of today's philanthropists. But do let your capacity for leadership shine through in each opportunity.

Saturday, January 11, 2014

Tidbits: 1.11.14

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I still have 3 original American Girl dolls - Felicity, Kirsten & Addy. I wouldn't dream of selling them but fun to see what they might be worth.

Made these this week. Yum.

Hopping back on the infused water wagon.

The Magic of Makeup.

Sort of craving a camel coat now.

Don't these dining banquettes look divine?

This would make my mornings so much easier.

Cue wanderlust.

Aren't these drink toppers fun?!

18 Things Women Shouldn't Have to Justify.

Best. Tweet. Ever.

Things that make us happy.

And in case you missed it: Winter hibernation began in full force, my epic 2014 reading list, and I'm giving back through Mary Kay.

Also, the blog got a bit of a make-over! New year, new look. What are you up to this weekend?

xoxo,

Alex

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Mary Kay // Giving Back, Doing Good

I love Mary Kay. I have been using it since high school and I can honestly say I love my skin. At the end of last year, I decided share my Mary Kay experience with others. While I have always been a personal-use consultant, I am ready to grow my business and to use it for good.

Each month, I will be giving a portion of the proceeds to an amazing charity. As a passionate philanthropist, I'm so excited to use Mary Kay to give back. And now, you can too.

Here's how it works:

1. Visit www.marykay.com/amcampion and place an order. If you have any questions about product, feel free to contact me!

2. Each month, at least 20% of the proceeds will be donated to the selected nonprofit of the month. If you have a favorite charity, let me know and we can feature them during a month.

3. I place an order once a month, on the second to last day of the month. I don't keep any inventory on hand, which is a little different than typical Mary Kay consultants.

4. Once the order arrives, I will send out your product. The turn around is obviously slower than if I kept inventory or if you went to the drugstore, but I can vouch that the quality of Mary Kay product is fabulous and your order gives back to a great cause.

Check out my Mary Kay Facebook page for updates and to invite your friends to participate!

January Featured Nonprofit

Order by 1/30/14 to support the CGL. Visit www.marykay.com/amcampion!

xoxo,

Alex

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

My 2014 Reading List

I am what you would call a voracious reader. In fourth grade, I read over 500 books. Law school killed my love of reading a bit, but this August, K gave me a Kindle and I can't stop reading. I started making a list of books to read, and then I asked friends for their suggestions, and my list began to grow. Which is great, because one of my goals for 2014 is to read more. There are so many books I haven't read. And because I just love sharing book suggestions, I thought I'd share my epic list with you. Here we go!

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

Beautiful Player by Christina Lauren

Bel Canto (P.S.) by Ann Patchett

Envy by Sandra Brown

Everything Is Perfect When You're a Liar by Kelly Oxford

Following Jane by Samantha Scordato

Frida: A Biography of Frida Kahlo by Hayden Herrera

Genesis by Bernard Beckett

Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage: Stories by Alice Munro

I Shall Be Near to You: A Novel by Erin Lindsay McCabe

Last Night I Dreamed of Peace by Dang Thuy Tram

Love Does by Bob Goff and Donald Miller

Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

The Monuments Men by Robert Edsel

Mutant Message Down Under by Marlo Morgan

Personal History by Katharine Graham

Rules of Civility by Amor Towles

Same Kind of Different As Me by Ron Hall & Denver Moore

Six Years by Harlan Coben

Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison

South of Superior by Ellen Airgood

Southern Cross the Dog by Bill Cheng

State of Wonder by Ann Patchett

Sycamore Row by John Grisham

Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin

Tell The Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt

The Accidental Creative by Todd Henry

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown

The Buddha in the Attic by Julia Otsuka

The Circle by Dave Eggers

The English Girl by Daniel Silva

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

The Girls of Slender Means by Muriel Spark

The God of Animals by Aryn Kyle

The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck

The House Girl by Tara Conklin

The Lantern by Deborah Lawrenson

The Liars' Club by Mary Karr

The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin

The Paper Garden by Molly Peacock

The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert

The Silent Wife by A.S.A Harrison

The Sisterhood by Helen Bryan

The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp

The Starboard Sea by Amber Dermont

The Woman at the Washington Zoo by Marjorie Williams and Timothy Noah

The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud

The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston

The Women's Room by Marilyn French

Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed

Until I Say Goodbye by Susan Spencer-Wendel and Bret Witter

We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver

When I Found You by Catherine Ryan Hyde

With my passion for leadership and gender equality, I've also made a goal to read a feminist book a month. Here's the list I'm working off of:

A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf

Backlash by Susan Faludi

Big Girls Don't Cry by Rebecca Traister

Daring Greatly by Brene Brown

Fear of Flying by Erica Jong and Fay Weldon

Get to Work by Linda Hirshman

Half The Sky by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn

How to Be a Woman by Caitlin Moran

Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert

The Awakening by Kate Chopin

The Beauty Myth by Naomi Wolf

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir

Women Who Don't Wait in Line by Reshma Saujani

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Any suggestions to add to my list?

xoxo,

Alex

Monday, January 6, 2014

Winter Hibernation

Winter is the time for comfort,

for good food and warmth,

for the touch of a friendly hand

and for a talk beside the fire:

it is the time for home.

- Edith Sitwell

Work is cancelled today because Minnesota is experiencing ridiculously cold temperatures. We braved the crazies and preppers to hit the grocery store on Saturday so we are ready for aything. My Kindle is charged, paint brushes are ready, and my stash of hot chocolate is full. Let my winter hibernation commence.

Stay warm, friends!

xoxo,

Alex