Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Life, Love, and the Pursuit of Happiness: A Guest Post!

Today, I am pleased to present you with a guest post, the first of it's kind around here at Family, Scrapbooks and Coffee! Author, Stephanie Haefner, graciously agreed to do this guest post for me as part of her blog tour promoting her newest release, romance novella, Soap Dreams. Be sure to read all the way to the end of the post - she has a surprise for you!!  Please make sure to stop by her website and show her some love.  If you have read any of her books: share, share!!

LIFE, LOVE and the PURSUIT of HAPPINESS

When I was a little girl, I wanted to be a teacher when I grew up. I think about that now and realize how ridiculous it had been! That career path is so not me!! I think it's a great job and I completely appreciate what teachers do...so so thankful...but I just do not have the patience. And dealing with all those parents who think their kids are perfect??? Yikes.... Huge kudos to all those teachers out there! :)

After that career dream faded, I wanted to be a beautician. I wanted to do hair, makeup, nails, everything. I practiced on one of those Barbie heads. I loved makeup...had tons of it, and me and my friend would get all glammed up when we did sleep overs. At least this dream was a little more in the right direction...it was creative. I had always been a creative kid...doing crafts and such.

I can't remember how I changed my mind, maybe it was starting high school. I'd been accepted into a Horticulture program at a vocational high school. I'd wanted to go to that school and playing with plants sounded fun. It was there I first learned floral design and I really liked it. New career: floral designer!

Flash forward about fourteen years and I had already worked for several years in flower shops as a designer and ran my own business out of my home specializing in wedding flowers. But I just didn't love it anymore. Couldn't find one specific thing...it was many small reasons...but I knew I was done. The love and passion for it had been replaced with something else. I wanted to pursue a writing career.

If there's anything in this world that I believe with my whole being is that we need to be happy with our lives, our careers. I know that doesn't always happen for everyone...we need money to live and sometimes our dream jobs are unattainable for one reason or another and we need to do what we have to do to buy the necessities. But I always encourage people to find happiness wherever they can. Life is way too short to be miserable.

All commenters will be entered in a drawing to win a fabulous Grand Prize: a signed copy of A Bitch Named Karma (US only, sorry) and digital copies of both Paradise Cove and Soap Dreams! Please leave your email address!
Stephanie Haefner is a wife, mother of two. and novelist from Buffalo, NY. Her debut, A Bitch Named Karma, is available from Lyrical been Press, along with her latest, Paradise Cove and Soap Dreams. Her shorter works have published in Nickel City Nights: Erotic Writing in Western New York, Flash Me Magazine, Chicken Soup for the Soul, and Voices from the Herd. She is a member of Romance Writers of America and the Buffalo Writers Meetup Group. When not writing, she enjoys dance, scrapbooking, and Disney World. Visit her at http://www.stephaniehaefnerthewriter.com/

3 comments:

ReviewsSheRote said...

Having been a preschool teacher for 12 years I can understand the start of your post ALL to well!!!!

Thats why when my kids were born I stopped and stayed home with them! =)

Its the best job ever---and I may have to pinch pennies but its worth it!!! AGREE LIFE IS WAY TOOO SHORT TO LIVE IS MISERABLE!!!!

Stephanie said...

So so true Pamela!!! Thanks for stopping by!!

Unknown said...

This was fantastic Stephanie!! I had no idea you were a floral designer (actually I think I did... I just forget!)

I found that growing up I wanted to be an architect since I was 7. The minute I hit High School I jumped from idea to idea. It wasn't until writing I knew I'd found what I wanted. It allowed me to be WHATEVER I wanted to be for 4-5 weeks while I worked on my novel and then decided on a new profession with a new character.

I am so excited to read Soap Dreams! I need to download it on my computer :)