I, however, am in the middle of my quarter life crisis. And guess what? It doesn’t end with a shiny new car.

Signs Your Having a Quarter Life Crisis: 

1. Bills sneak up on you unexpectedly.
   
2. You find yourself second guessing your career choice.
   
3. It’s no longer acceptable to respond “I’m so sorry,” to pregnancy announcements.
   
4. You spend hours looking at houses on Zillow from your bed in your parents basement.
   
5. Crying about your situation becomes a weekly occurrence.
   

Sound familiar? Don’t worry – you can get through it.

• Don’t beat yourself up and don’t compare yourself to others. Your friend in law school may make triple your teaching salary, but don’t forget the struggles (and case briefs) you’ve avoided.
  
• Talk to anyone who will listen. Find a mentor (or a group of them) and ask questions. Have one too many margaritas with the girls while being vocal about your love life (or lack there of). Call your boyfriend at 2am and debate whether or not you should go to grad school. That’s what friends are for.
  
• Lie a little. Do you have your dream job? No, but does your grandma need to know the most important task you have is to make coffee? Absolutely not.
  
• Take time for yourself. Whether it’s a walk in the park, a mani/pedi or a chilled glass of wine, leave yourself enough time to relax.
  
• Remember, it will all be over soon.
  

I wanted to write this post because I keep seeing tweets that look something like this:

@username: Well guys, I need to start applying for internships so it looks like it’s time to make my Twitter private #NoMoreRetweets

And I’m all like:

As a young professional trying to break through the clutter (no matter what your profession), now is not time to hide on social – It’s time to shine! To quote
 one of my besties and social media professional, @tweeeterin, “So you want
 agencies and companies to know you and hire you, but the first thing you do is 
hide?” Social media is such a powerful resource and like many things (ahem…
internships) you get out of it, what you put in. So use it to your advantage!

If you’re not sure where to start, below are four steps to getting noticed (in a good way) on social:

1. Create Your Personal Brand
This is your chance to showcase who you are, what you excel at and a little
 unique personality – Just because you’re growing up, that doesn’t mean you
 have to be boring. Employers want to hire someone they would enjoy having 
around the office everyday, so it’s good to show your fun side. While setting
 your accounts to private may be a simple solution to potential snooping,
 making them public could place you way ahead of your competition if you use 
them to your advantage. It’s like you’re saying, “Go ahead and look for my
 social media profiles. Check out how awesome I am”. Your Twitter bio is a
great place to start in creating your personal brand. If you had to sell yourself
 in 140 characters, what would you say? Here are a few examples of some of 
my favorite Twitter bios:
@joshkocurek

@michaeltomko

2. Adapt Your Content
One of my favorite things about public social accounts is that it sort-of holds 
me accountable for what I post. Sure, you’ll see me posting about last night’s
 Bachelorette episode and adorable puppy videos but that stuff’s harmless – I’m talking about negativity. People love to endlessly rage with negative rants on Facebook and Twitter and it showcases them as an unpleasant person (and probably not the type of person your coworkers want to work with everyday). Having a public social presence makes me think twice about what I post. Think positive – because you can never take back a post that you regret.

3. Be Easy to Find
No sense in having a public social space if no one can find you, right? Take
 advantage of the opportunities social gives you to share your various media
 platforms. For example, post a link to your LinkedIn profile on Twitter or if you
write a blog, be sure to link to your other social accounts. Add this info to your 
email signatures, too! The more they intersect, the better!

4. Network!

Find people in your field and join the conversation! You can search for other 
professionals on Twitter and join in on discussions that apply to you. For
 example, I like to join the #BareItAll chats because it directly relates to my
field of social media and marketing, where we share insights on industry
 trends and strategies. I’ve connected with several other professionals (who 
I would’ve never met otherwise) this way and still keep in touch. This kind of 
professional activity can put you miles ahead of your competition because 
employers will notice your enthusiasm about your industry and eagerness
 to learn. But don’t forget: While online networking is important, never underestimate the power of good, old-fashioned, in-person networking!

So what do y’all think? Are your social media accounts public or private? Have
 you had any experiences where your public social media account had a hand in
 landing you a job?

I’d love to hear your thoughts! You can find me on Twitter – @chelsrose. Talk to
 you soon!

P.S. Thanks, Ashley, for letting me guest post on Glatz & Glamour! xo

You’ll Need
- Cork Board (I bought an 11×17 framed one)
- 1/4 yard of Fabric
- Stapler
- Paint (to match fabric)
- Pins

1. Lay your fabric over your cork board. You’ll want enough to cover the board and wrap around the frame.

2. Pin the corners of your board down. Use your finger nail to create the crease inside the frame.

3. Staple the inside of the frame. I did four along the short side, five along the long.

4. Flip your cork board over, and staple the additional fabric tightly.

5. Place pins into the back side of a paper plate & paint to match your fabric!

SO EASY. I actually painted my frame first, but decided to cover it with the fabric instead! Overall, the project cost about $15.

Fiber One 90 Calorie Brownies

WW+: 2

• 90 Calories
• 3g Fat
• 18g Carbs
• 5g Fiber
• 8g Sugar
• 1g Protein

As you can see, you’re not getting a whole lot for those 90 calories, but the taste is good. It’s a rich chocolate flavor, but I could not taste the chocolate chips or the chocolate drizzle on top. It’s a good post-lunch dessert, but it’s not going to replace actual brownies anytime soon. I still prefer the Skinny Cow Heavenly Crisps for the same point value, but these are definitely worth a try!

Tampa Bay Lightning – Sully Hat Trick Pack

Recognize that voice? Yes, It’s Anthony Sullivan from OxiClean. With a voice like that, it’s obvious he’s not a Tampa resident, however he’s known well-enough to make you do a double take.

OK – this is actually their opening video, but while I’m on the subject…

Chicago Blackhawks – Stand For You

(Sorry, the NHL makes it impossible to embed their videos)

I love the city tie in. Even if it’s a city that just became hockey fans in the past three years.

BONUS: St. Louis Cardinals – Some Nights You Win the World Series

A better use of Fun’s “Some Nights” (at least to me).  Plus, it still gives me chills.

I can’t be the only person with this problem. As an early college graduate, I had my first job at the ripe age of 21. Sure, age isn’t brought up much in the corporate world (I assume because most people are as bad of a judge of age as myself), however when you look like a high school senior, it doesn’t help. Lucky for me, my first two jobs out of college were at advertising agencies, which are quite a bit more laid back then corporate offices. That also can be damaging to someone who needs to dress “older”.

I’ll never forget my first client meeting – I had been working with the client for about a month, and brought them in to review ideas for upcoming promotions that had previously been OK’d. After printing booklets and preparing all morning, the client walked in and gave the worse stare down I’ve ever had. He immediately disliked our ideas, and made us redo them four times (to the point that it ended up being the original promotion we suggested!) The entire time I worked on his account, regardless of the success we had, he questioned my judgement because I was “just a kid.”

Some things you can’t change – and in 15 years, I’ll be yearning for the days of being “just a kid,” but for now, it’s important to me to rise above the “young” stereotype. I make it a point to shake hands with a strong grip, look people in the eye, and avoid the filler phrases (at work at least, at home, I am stuck on “like.”) I’ve graduated from ill-fitting black pants and J.Crew sweaters to well-fit blazers and lady-like dresses, but I do not own a suit set. I make sure my actions speak louder than words – I get results, regardless of my age. And at the end of the day, I know I have some growing to do, but I won’t let that interfere with my success.

Have you had any #PostGradProblems yourself? 

1. Attend a Cardinals game at Busch Stadium. I have tickets to my second straight home opener against the Cincinnati Reds!)
2. Visit the St. Louis Zoo at Forest Park and make sure to see the new Sea Lion exhibit, although the Penguins are my personal favorite.
3. Get your custard served upside down at Ted Drewes.
4. Take a Brewery Tour. And I don’t necessarily mean Budwesier. St. Louis is home to many craft breweries, including Schafly, O’Fallon, Urban Chestnut & 4 Hands.
5. Eat, drink and be merry at Food Truck Friday in Tilles Park. Sarah’s Meltdown (grilled cheese), Sarah’s Cake Stop (cupcakes) and Zia’s (Italian) are my favorite.
   
6. Stop and smell the flowers at the Missouri Botanical Garden. Bonus points for going on Wednesday nights during the Whitaker Music Festival.
7. Head on over to Fast Eddies. This is top of my bucket list this summer!
8. Watch a concert on the lawn at Verizon Wireless Ampitheater. 
9. Soak up the humidity and see a show at The Muny in Forest Park. It’s incredibly hot, but totally worth it.
   
10. See the city from the Rooftop bar at 360. Sadly, I have not had this pleasure yet.
11. Grab a root beer at Fitz’s Bottling Company in the Loop. Then pop across the street for a burger at Blueberry Hill.
12. Brush up on your French and visit the annual Jour de Fete in Ste. Genevieve. 
13. Head to Live on the Levee under the Arch. Don’t miss the fireworks, either!
14. Load up on carbs at the Hill. You won’t regret it.
15. Take your bets at Fairmount Park. I need to make it to a Party in the Park on Friday nights this year!

Of course, I could go on for days, but instead, I invite you to add your Must-Do in St. Louis! What is your go-to when the weather gets nice?

*Yes, I left off the oh-so-popular ride in the Arch. It’s definitely a must-do if you’ve never been to the city! 

NASCAR: Twist

NASCAR has been on a branding tear in the past few years, and this seasons spots lived up to their predecessors. From the great imagery to Tony Stewart’s flying helmet, NASCAR’s “Twist” made me excited to watch cars driving 190 MPH – something that hasn’t happened since my childhood.

Diet Coke: Credit

In general, I’m a sucker for Hooray for Hollywood, thanks to Walt Disney World’s Hollywood Studio’s Great Movie Ride. But the timely spot so brilliantly displays the backbone of the movie industry. Plus, can we talk about how gorgeous January Jones looks as a classic starlet?

Did any of Oscar Sunday’s ads catch your eye? 

For you last minute Valentine’s, Facebook is offering real gifts for your Valentine (generated from your relationship status).

Clearly the wolf tee is screaming Andy’s name, but options range from candy and clothing to bar items and make up.

Would you “gift” your Valentine on Facebook?

I picked up the original recipe from Recipe Girl, and let me tell you – it’s DELICIOUS!

Cake Ingredients: 

• 1 box white cake mix (the recipe called for an 18.25 oz box, but mine was less)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated white sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/3 cups water
• 2 Tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup sour cream
• 4 large egg whites
• Cupcake liners

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Place cupcake liners in cupcake pans.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together cake mix, flour, sugar and salt. Add remaining ingredients and beat with hand mixer for 2 minutes, or until well blended.

3. Use ice cream scoop to fill prepared cupcake tins- fill about 3/4 full. Bake about 19 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Here’s my little secret – I waited 5 days to ice them!

Icing Ingredients:

• 3 cups powdered sugar (that’s a box and a half!)
• 1 cup butter, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 to 2 Tablespoons whipping cream
• Pink gel coloring
• Valentine’s Sprinkles

1. In a large bowl, with a hand or stand mixer, cream together sugar and butter on low speed. Mix until well blended. Increase speed to medium and beat for another 3 minutes. You will be beating forever – seriously. It took SO long for me! 

2. Add vanilla and cream and continue to beat on medium speed for 1 minute more, adding more cream if needed for desired spreading/piping consistency. I added another tablespoon or so.

3. Scoop into a piping bag and pipe decoratively onto cupcakes, or spread onto cupcakes as desired.

The original recipe says this will ice about 12 cupcakes, but mine stretched to 24. It was my first time using a piping bag, and good lord did I over fill it!

They went over incredibly well at our trivia night (WHICH WE WON) and Super Bowl Sunday!