creativity Archives - Meredith Rines

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Knowing When You Have The One Worth Fighting With

Posted on June 18, 2013 by Meredith Rines, MBA, CFP®

Want to know a secret? I’ll let you in to a little personal secret of mine pertaining to my past relationships. You see, back in high school and undergrad of college most of my friends thought of me as this “2 week girl.” No, not because my relationships would only last 2 weeks, but because I couldn’t stand having a disagreement with someone. I just never saw the need to fight or not get along. It wasn’t really important to me to fight. I thought, why waste your time?

So, that’s where my “2 week girl” came into play. You can bet that after an argument that I just didn’t see the importance of the guy and me would be over in about 2 weeks.

I promise that I am not this cold-hearted, stone-faced woman. I really do have a heart and I would bend over backwards to help my partner out. I would be there for them, whether if it was helping study, a family crisis, etc. I was there. I just did not see the need to fight. Why?

Then it all changed. One night, I met J and he changed my world. We fell fast for one another. We decided early on that it would be the two of us. The two of us against the world and we would be together.

It hit me one day – J was worth fighting with. We may not always agree on every topic. We frustrate each other. Our personalities are not identical. I am much more reserved and J is very outgoing. I am a homebody and J is happy out with people.

We also make each other happy, laugh, and work harder at being a better person. J pushes me to go after my dreams. I do not think I would have been as passionate about MereLynneConcepts on Etsy without him. We are there to listen to one another and help each other.

As women (well most women) we watch these romantic comedies, you know – the cliché ones. The movies where at the very end, right before the credits roll the two characters embrace and say something like, “I’d rather fight with you then make love to anyone else.” Then there is an extremely long and passionate kiss.

Super unrealistic.

J and I may get into it time from time, but he is worth every hard discussion, every time I have to admit I’m wrong – J is worth it all. We’ve had to learn how each other react to a fight or disagreement. Not just learning but compromising our typical actions for the one we love.

I may not have the romantic comedy ending, but I do have the person that makes my soul instantly melt. I found the person that I will face the world with, as a team. For that I am grateful.

M.I.A.

Posted on June 11, 2013 by Meredith Rines, MBA, CFP®

I feel as if I’ve been M.I.A. for the past few days. I haven’t felt like doing anything. My poor house is a mess, the dogs need baths, and my little ole blog has been neglected.

Where have I spending my time?

Well for starters I’ve been attempting to do Crossfit 3x a week… it’s slowly getting there. At least I can wake up the day after and not fall out of bed because my legs aren’t there to catch me.

Next, we went to a Springfield Cardinals game last week. J had won a contest at work and got free tickets to the Budweiser suite. Of course we could not pass up a night of Cardinals baseball, beer, and stadium hot dogs.

Then I’ve been adding prints to the MereLynne Etsy shop. If you haven’t seen the new listings, please check it out. Plus, learning the ins and outs of Etsy has been a bit challenging for me. Promoting my pieces, my site, and my Facebook page are a bit time consuming.

Finally, I’ve been spending some quality time with J and the pups. I’m sure they appreciate that the quality time does not involve water and soap, but they can’t escape that for long. Honestly, I should have cleaned around the house this past weekend. I really, really should have. But the couch looked some comfortable and there was a really good movie on all day… so alas I did not clean.

I’m pretty excited because my parents are coming for a visit this weekend. My Dad hasn’t seen our new place yet. Which means two things: 1) our house has to spotless before 8pm on Thursday night 2) we need to go grocery shopping so that it appears we have food and are doing just fine.

You know, the basics before any parent comes to visit. Don’t look like a slob and pretend that you have enough food to feed yourselves.

It’s going to be a pretty busy week and I’m glad that I took the weekend to prepare for it. See, I’m still trying to convince myself that it was a good thing I was lazy this weekend.

Cheers!

{new listing on Etsy}

Posted on June 4, 2013 by Meredith Rines, MBA, CFP®

I’ve added a new listing to MereLynneConcepts.

Think Outside The Box. This sign can be customized and would be perfect for an office. Nothing like a little inspiration in the work place!

Check out the Etsy store.

Cheers!

Like me, please

Posted on June 3, 2013 by Meredith Rines, MBA, CFP®

If you’re like so many out there and have a Facebook I would love for you to show MereLynne Concepts’ blog and Etsy store some love. Click here to “like” my page.

I have plans of offering a giveaway in the month of June, so please feel free to share my page.

It would mean a lot to me!

Cheers!

An exciting time

Posted on May 28, 2013 by Meredith Rines, MBA, CFP®

It’s a pretty exciting time for me right now. I’m ready for what the future has to offer, my eyes are open and I will not ignore any more opportunities.

The most exciting part of 2013 is J and I’s wedding in November. We’ve been planning, organizing, and buying items for it. The closer we get the more ready I am for it to get here. I haven’t been too overwhelmed yet, but I’m sure it’ll hit. We are almost 5 months away from the big day!

These two pups mean the world to me. The love I get from them and give to them is priceless.

And finally, my new Etsy venture is thrilling. I will be adding more items to the shop this coming week. I’ve spent time creating new designs, working on my policies, and even my business plan. I may have a degree in Marketing, but actually attempting to use what I’ve learned is a whole new ball game. I’ve been reading up on SEO, advertising, sponsorships, etc.

Cheers to exciting times!

Prioritizing

Posted on May 15, 2013 by Meredith Rines, MBA, CFP®

photo by DColeman Photography.

Priorities. I’ve given it a lot of thought. I know what makes me happy in life from work-life to home-life. I know what I need to succeed and go to bed each night knowing that I have accomplished something that day. Whether my accomplishment is big or small.

For me, it’s pretty simple (at least I like to think so). I need:
– the love of my fiance, J
– cuddles from two rowdy pups, Maggie and Tiny
– a job that not only pays the bills, but one that I feel I am truly helping someone else
– a roof over my head
– something to be working towards
– my friends
– my family
– being creative

A lot of these parts intermingle with each other. For instance, being creative, having a job, and something to works towards can all be combined. I believe that if I find a passion that combines all three then I will have found my dream job.

Having something to work towards is something that I’ve recently struggled with. I graduated with my undergraduate degree. One year later, I started pursuing my Masters. Now, I’ve graduated and … now what? It’s hard for someone who has always been working towards some sort of degree to know where to go to next. I know that I need to find a career that I am passionate about; however, I am wanting to move out of Springfield within the next few years. So, for me this time needs to be spent finding out what qualities of a job make me the happiest, what qualities I want to avoid at all costs, and where J and I want to end up.

It’s a process. A deep process with quite a bit of thought and time. I cannot rush and I have to go with the flow.

For someone who is as Type A as I am, this time can be challenging. Here’s to hoping that I can take a deep breath.

Cheers!

10 Things I’m Thankful For

Posted on November 22, 2012 by Meredith Rines, MBA, CFP®

Happy Thanksgiving! I’ve decided that since it was Thanksgiving and all that it would be a good time to write down what I’m Thankful for this year.

1. My family. After this afternoon’s FaceTime session with them I realize that they are quite unlike any other family I know and for that I’m truly thankful.

2. J. It has been a wonderful year with him and I am grateful every day that we met sitting in Steak-N-Shake late one night. It’s great having a guy that is so supportive of my ideas, my dreams, and everything going on in my life.

3. My friends. The first text I received this morning was from friends wishing me a Happy Thanksgiving. It’s great to remember all the fun times we’ve shared in 2012: a cruise, a haunted house, road trips, weekends at the lake, ‘family’ dinners, and so many more.

4. Work. This year has been quite a departure for me from the past several. I started an amazing journey as a Weight Watcher Leader and have met so many amazing, supportive people since that time. I’ve also been blessed with a job at a local law firm that has supported me through my school with a flexible schedule and has always been a place to go when I need an extra quiet study room at midnight. Finally, I recently started a job as a Sales Associate at a retail store and cannot wait for my future with such a bright company.

5. Maggie. We all know how obsessed I am with that pup so it’s no surprise that I can’t even make it half-way through my list without mentioning her. Maggie and I have had quite a life together these past years. I am thankful that she picked me that cold, rainy day in a hospital parking lot.

6. Graduate School. Though I complain about it. I am grateful that I’ve had the opportunity to further my education. In less than 25 days I will be walking across the stage at Missouri State receiving my Masters in Business Administration degree. Alright, so I actually won’t be getting my diploma that day, but I will be receiving an empty leather holder that symbolizes all the hard work and late nights I have put in these past 2 years.

7. My parents. I know that I mentioned family as number 1, but the more I thought about it I really think my folks deserve their own number. My Mom and Dad are awesome. Seriously, I have the best parents around. They support one another as they support their two kids. I cannot say thank you enough to the two people who brought me into this world, guided me, and taught me to be an independent, educated, young adult.

8. J’s family. They have welcomed me into their lives this past year and I’m grateful. J’s family is absolutely wonderful and knows how to have a good time.

9. My Grandmas. I’m lucky to have two amazing Grandmothers that have taught me a lot as I’ve grown up. Still to this day the sound of wind chimes puts a smile on my face thanks to my Grandma D. who always had them on her front porch. Grandma W.’s sandtart cookies are my all-time favorite and each Christmas I look forward to them.

10. Creativity. I like that I can think out of the box (most days) and have a passion for creating. There are so many ways to reduce stress out there and I’m glad that the one that helps me calm down the most is just so simple.

Okay, I know this post was a bit long. Sorry. Happy Thanksgiving and may your day be filled with happiness!

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