The last day of my last summer job. Ever. Pretty much.

Today was my last day at my internship. It was mildly strange because I'm sure I spent a large percentage of my day, while working on other projects, thinking that (since I'll still work at the library during the school year) this is pretty much the last day of my last summer job ever. Even if I go to grad school, I'm not sure you can qualify those summers as official summers. And the more I thought about it, the older I felt. So I made sure I came home and ate some animal crackers and fruit snacks and did several cartwheels throughout my apartment. Better. 

I really did love this job a lot. I was fairly hesitant at first, due to the fact that a) I already had a job for the summer, and b) it was super far away by bus, and c) I want to go the fine art route in life, and companies like this always intimidated me. But as it turns out, a) the people are super awesome (and sarcastic times 12), b) it's not all mindless corporate work--there's a lot of creativity that happens, and c) they supported my other art. Heck, I got paid to make things all day! Like, I seriously sat at a big huge table that I had all to myself, and took my Xacto and scissors and piles of paper and got to work. It was amazing. And I really did learn a lot from it, which makes me less scared of potentially working for a company like this one day.

Tuesday, when those of us who were on a shoot went to lunch, we started talking about the merit badges I had been making. What merit badges? Oh, let me show you.

I had been hand embroidering little merit badges throughout the summer since first making cryptozoology themed badges. The other day, I finally cut them out and sewed up the edges. And I got a really good response from the people who saw them. So my coworker told my boss about them, and when I showed them, he a) said I was really weird, and b) liked them enough to apparently tell someone about them. 

So since today was my last day, I decided I should say thank you. And the way I do that best is by giving a handmade gift. So I pulled up their website, and found their funny little monkey logo they use occasionally, and, tilting my head and following this tilted image, I started drawing with thread (I rarely draw out images first anymore for hand embroidery). At 11:41pm. It seemed like a good idea at the time. Since I was tired, I left the background blank, but I kind of like how it came out. It might be an option for some designs, and would certainly lower the price if I were to sell them in my Etsy shop.

 Here's that strange little monkey listening to headphones. (And many nearby projects.)

 This is what he looked like before I cut him out.

 And after I sewed him, he looked like this. As you can tell by my grid, he's about 2 inches in diameter.

 So I packaged him up and gave him to my boss today.

He asked if it was under warranty. Haha.

This has been my favorite job ever. And I'm still surprised it even worked out. I feel so fortunate to even have this opportunity. Tomorrow I work at the library. Saturday I go hunting for a pair of shoes that won't get holes in them. Sunday starts orientation leader training week. Monday the 29th I start my last year at CIA.