VT (for all of my design-obsessed peeps)

imagecourtesyandreaguitterez.com Peeps, Anyone who has the courage to jump ship from: working for the Man/getting by/sitting it out/ whatever, I need a paycheck/just doing what I have to do/putting in my time until retirement, and so forth, should be commended; and the entrepreneur-inclined among us should be twice saluted and given seconds of bubbly for having the sheer audacity to forge their own path in spite of innumerable obstacles which loom even larger in this time of a sluggish market, greater competition, and tighter credit access.  In exchange for full autonomy, one gets to play all roles of a business company without the satisfaction of an assured income, or the periodic pep-talks from a 'concerned' supervisor whose interests may differ markedly from yours--or the employer's bottom line which can run contrary to your ethics or sense of purpose (in life). Thirds of bubbly and heaped spoonfuls of caviar for women who bravely charge against the walls of sex...

illustrationceciliacarlstadt viabijouxandbohemeblog Peeps, Even after the bouquets of vibrant roses have faded, and the carefully folded stacks of greeting cards have begun to yellow, moms (and sisters and sisters-in-law and nieces and girl cousins and grandmothers and stepmothers and indeed all that belong to the fairer sex) still should be celebrated and honored for their contributions, of which perhaps foremost is the ability to bear offspring, although not limited to this, foremost and singularly.  While the numbers of women who enter the workplace has significantly increased at this time, sadly, a significant pay gap still exists between female workers and their male counterparts, even if performing the same tasks.  Jobs performed largely by women, such as child-rearing, house-keeping, teaching and nursing, secretarial and lower-to-mid level white collar jobs, rarely command the respect and salaries attributed to more male-dominated arenas such as banking and acc...