1. Major and Year: 3rd-Year Graphic Communication
3. Crazy-cool (or just crazy?) talent: My thumbs make a 90 degree formation when I bend them back… It’s more uncommon than you think!
4. Worst meal you ever had on Cal Poly’s campus: I tried Chopstix at VG’s and hated it. The rice was hard as rock. Bleh!
5. Best meal you ever had on Cal Poly’s campus: VG’s burritos… No shame (I still like them…)
6. If you could choose your middle name, it would be: Roxy. I’ve always been drawn to that name for some reason.
7. Do you have a job? Yes! I work as a sales associate at two sister stores called Lucky Lulu’s and Lulu Luxe downtown.
8. What are your hobbies? I’d say my number one hobby is definitely crafting. I’ve always been a crafty person which is why I started the planners. But in general I like anything art-related. Fashion, cooking, and decorating are a few of my other hobbies.
9. Tell us about your planners!
The planners were a summer project for me that I did in my spare time just for fun and to initially earn some extra money besides my retail job downtown. After taking a summer class that taught me about a design program, I was able to more efficiently design my planner.
I designed three different planners. The most popular was the Cal Poly version, which included special features such as all Cal Poly academic dates as well as a section at the end for teacher contact information. It’s nice to have teacher contact information in your planner so that you have it right at hand without having to rummage through your binder to find your syllabus. I also designed a regular school planner that would be fitting for those of my friends who go to other schools. Lastly, I created a 2015 planner that spans January-December. Although I’m done selling the Cal Poly and school planners, I do plan to bring back the 2015 planners before Christmas time in case people want to gift them to family or friends.
Besides cost of production and supplies, all of the money went to World Vision, which donates school supplies to children in need. After designing the planner I realized I would rather donate the proceeds to a charity. It reminded me of how happy it makes me to give to others, just like my childhood crafting days. I’m a big advocate for giving and volunteering because it makes you feel good, boosts your self-esteem, and humbles you by making you appreciate what you have. It was hard for me to choose what charity to donate to, but I chose World Vision because it relates to the planners I’m selling. So while someone who buys one of my planners gets a school supply they need, they are simultaneously helping out a child who needs school supplies as well.
The planners were an overall success and I plan to bring them back next summer with multiple designs. I will also take pre-orders a lot sooner and have the printing company do both printing and finishing. What people may not know is while I had these all printed at a company, I actually did all the binding and finishing that’s seen on the planner. It took a lot of my time (especially during the first week of school) so I plan to have the printing company do all of it next year.
10. Do you consider yourself a creative person?
Yes, I’ve always been super crafty. It’s not only fun for me but it’s a great stress reliever and of course gives me something to do when I’m bored. Since I was little, my hands were always making something. I would have all these crafting supplies sprawled out on my bedroom floor and that would be my little work station. I still laugh at how upset it would make my mom that my room was such a mess after finishing crafting or that sometimes the floor was full of glitter. Vacuuming my bedroom floor became a regular routine for me.
I have probably spent over $2,000 on crafting/scrapbooking supplies during high school, when it really became an intense hobby of mine. I’ve also always had a tendency to spontaneously make stuff and give it away to family members and close friends without collecting money. I think that was another reason that inspired me to donate the profits to a charity. I probably still have that giving-artwork-side instilled in me.
11. What’s your personal style?
My style honestly varies. If we are talking fashion, I usually like the grungy-punk or bohemian look. I have been into black clothes a lot lately. It’s a very versatile color, I think. For some reason I have a different taste if when it comes to accessories such as school supplies, iPhone cases, or laptop covers. I love the girly floral look. Hence why I incorporated flowers on my planner.
12. Which Etsy shops do you wish you had unlimited gift-cards for?
I don’t really have a favorite Etsy shop. I like to shop on Etsy if I’m trying to find something really original. For example, there are some really awesome phone cases on there because they are people’s custom designs. There’s a lot of great stuff on there because it’s a handmade marketplace so everything is really unique.
13. If you could make up a holiday, what would it be?
Hmmmm. Good question. Burrito day? Those are my go-to. I could honestly eat them for every meal of the day and be content. It would be kind of fun to officially celebrate on one day of the year.