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

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

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.



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

//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 2.3.13. //
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


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.


Sort of craving a camel coat now. 

Don't these dining banquettes look divine?


Cue wanderlust

Aren't these drink toppers fun?!


Best. Tweet. Ever. 


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
Following Jane by Samantha Scordato
Genesis by Bernard Beckett
I Shall Be Near to You: A Novel by Erin Lindsay McCabe
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 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 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


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

Friday, January 3, 2014

Tidbits: 1.3.14


Above is my new desktop, at home and at work. Download it for yourself here via Lovely Indeed.

Haven't made your resolutions yet? Try this creative way from Kathleen Shannon.

Was your 2013 awesome? I bet it was. Celebrate it.

Stop everything and watch this kitten version of The Lion King. Now.

I'm Team Katniss but loved this post in defense of Peeta.


We're totally doing this next Christmas.


Happy 2014!

xoxo,
Alex

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Stay Golden, 2014!


Happy New Year! 2014 is going to be a year full of amazing adventures, I just feel it. Be bold!

xoxo,
Alex

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