Who is Christal? Well, I grew up in Los Angeles, CA. My life had been fairly simple. My parents loved to garden so we always had a large backyard garden, honey bee hives, fruit trees, goats, chickens, rabbits, dogs & cats. It was by no means a farm, In fact, it was just an average house on a corner lot in an average neighborhood.
I loved growing up like this. Between all of the heathy food & tremendous amount of exercise, my brother, two sisters (all younger) and I had, we were most undeniably the healthiest kids around.
I am from a long line of artist & performers. I sing, well I did, and dance as well as act plain ole silly on stage, while the rest of the family does the same but also adds comedy & acting to the scene.
Art work is something I adore. From graphic design to ceramics, I love it all. I took graphic design as well as several art classes at Auburn University of Montgomery. I think that was most definitely a favorite time in my life.
I really enjoy painting with acrylics. Now I realize someone who paints with oils might look down at that, but I really enjoy it. Why, you may ask. Acrylic paint dries quickly, unlike oils which can take a day or more. I guess I don't have much in the way of patients. That is the same reason I write short stories. I want to see resuts quickly.
Recently I have started virtual painting. Oh what fun that is. I haven't done a lot of it yet because of lack of time, but I have really enjoyed what I have done.
I have been a photographer both amateur & professional for many years although my skills are quite rusty now. I'm very good at photo editing though. I love playing with photos on the computer and putting graphics along with it to create great layouts for ads, books or what have you.
I use cad & other computer design programs to design homes. I enjoy doing the floor plan layouts with full room decor. I work on every detail so that I can creat a realistic virtual walk through. I have only designed one million dollar home for purchase by a man that had a beautiful lot on the beach in Destin Florida. I impressed myself with that one. Most of what I do for this is for myself or for different businesses I have owned.
As most of you know, I love writing spicy stories. I have to admit though, I enjoy writing a softer more romantic or or inspirational stories as well. This is probably my favorit style of writing. I will send in some of these short stories soon to see what all of you think. After all, you have become my sounding board, my inspiration and my guides in so many ways. Some of you have become more personal & I would consider you to be my friends.
I have owned many salons & spas over the past 28 years. I owned my first when I was 18 years of age. It was a modeling school. The reason I do not own my own busines now is because of my ex-husband. He was very sick throughout our marriage and would have times when he would be put in the hospital & would need assistance for weeks when he would get home. So I would close the business & take a lessor job so that I could stay home for a good part of the time to take care of him. Unfortunately doing this, I later found out, is why he divorced me. He didn't want me to miss out on opportunities in life because of him. I was devastated when I found this out after our divorce as I would have never allowed the divorce to take place for this reason. I guess you could say I am an old fashion girl when it comes to being married for life :(
I became an exotic dancing because the job I had when I moved to Atlanta had ended in February of 2011. I had been looking for a job every since in graphic design, the beauty industry, hotel sales & marketing or anything else that might come up but my skills in the way applications & resumes are taken on the Internet are evidently not very good. My resume gets kicked out of the system before it ever goes to a human. Technology can be great, but sometimes, or shall I say most of the time it is rotten not having the human involvement.
The few times I didn't have my own business I would walk into to a place I was interested in becoming employed & I would be hired on the spot.
Well guys, there it is. Simple, sweet & to the point.
Can't wait to hear from you.
Goats and chickens runnin' round the backyard? In L.A.? That's a little unconventional.
Sorry to read of the divorce. Unfortunately it's a tough job market in general and very tough in particular fields like design.