Increasing Volunteer Engagement

I’ve been racking my brain lately about the Pareto principle and how to engage the 80%. While I have come up with no concrete solutions… I did realize that I speak about the 80/20 principle as fact. (Which may be in economics (A topic I am completely unqualified to discuss.)) However, in terms of volunteerism and participation, the 80/20 rule is more perception than reality.

Oops Paint - Leftovers of the Painting World

Do leftovers exists in the paint world? Oh, yes they do! I’ve painted nearly my entire house with them! Leftovers are the paint that was mixed and rejected at the paint store, (more commonly referred to as “oops paint”) or the remnants of your own past projects. My personal collection started with 11 gallons of paint that we acquired when we first moved into our house. It is as though someone was planning to paint every surface, got started … and gave up. Boy am I glad they did! It would’ve been a huge waste of time to paint the interior of a house white before someone as exuberant as me moved in. I would go crazy in an all white house! I need color! Big color! The more saturated the better…eggplant accent walls, anise entry way, blood-red half-bath, navy blue living room, and my favorite: a peacock-inspired master bedroom. (That’s right: purple, teal and green – delish!)

Mom Friends

Here we are, another Mother’s day ... what a year it’s been. Having only been a mom for 7 years, I’m still getting a handle on this whole Mother’s day thing. It’s different as an honoree, but I am really enjoying my role as mom. But I couldn't do it without a huge support system. My hat goes off to all my mom friends (you know who you are.) You are my band of sisters. So this weekend, as we prepare to accept our handmade gifts and construction paper cards ... I reflect on what it means to be more than a mom but to be a “mom friend.”

Homeward Bound

Sometimes I surprise myself. My first job out of college was in advertising. I loved it. But after a few years I decided to go work a desk job at a state agency. The hours would be better for a mother with a young baby. My husband also worked there so we could tackle the demands of working parents together.

The work was intriguing, but I longed to return to my former life in the world of advertising. After our second child was two, I moved back to the land of marketing at the coolest agency in Topeka. It's great, intriguing work. Full of cool benefits, creative people and exciting events. I loved the energy being  around these fantastic people who were so knowledgeable about so many things. I was so excited, but here is where the surprise comes in. As much as it is what I thought I wanted, my heart wasn't in it. I missed my job at the state.

Being Me

I've spent a good many years trying to decide what I want to be when I grow up. It was not until recently that I found an answer to this ponderance. It's not "what" but "who". There are many things that I am unsure of in life but of this one thing I am 100% positive. I want to be Carrie Jo when I grow up.

Now this may seem like a silly thing to say, but how many times in your life have you been encouraged to do something because others thought it would be good for you? Or you make a decision because you think that you should be something more than you are? It's a simple situation,"The grass is always greener on the other side." Right?

The Water Feature

What a challenge this project was. Not only did we have no idea how to take care of the deep concrete hole outside our front door, but nobody we consulted seemed to know what to do with it either. Dennis and I spent many hours researching garden shows, specialty pond stores, and swimming pool companies. While a great number of visitors were sure we should just fill it in, we were determined to find a plan to make it amazing.


After three years of caring for the concrete hole, I finally decided on an idea I was excited about. It including a paint a mural, which made the project more like two, but I was hopeful it would only take a couple weeks.

The Beginning

Life_and other projects

I used to write; I loved to write… not necessarily for anyone to read but mostly for myself. When I was younger writing helped me make sense of the things I was thinking, feeling and doing. Now as a 35-year old mother of two, I don’t get to do much of anything that does not include a child on my lap. Not complaining, I love my girls, but if I were to try and keep a journal now, I fear it would end up turning into a sketchpad for them and a to-do list for me.

So here I am, my first blog. Sticking my thoughts and feelings on-THE-line as it may. Processing the things that occur in the many projects of my life. Learning from my thoughts and sharing with the vastness of my curiosity from on the other side of the screen. I write as I think. Here is not the place for grammatical correctness, judgment or opinion. This is merely the verbal sketchpad of this great project I call my life. Enjoy.