Islara Vazquez

Angela Karen

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24/7 with Islara Vazquez, Support Analyst at Sycle.net, Birmingham Alabama

My passion: Is music. I love almost all of it. It has always been a big part of my life. From the moment I learned to speak, I was singing.

Words I live by: Marilyn Monroe said: "Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius, and it's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring."

If I could be totally wild, I would: Move to New York to pursue a career on Broadway.

The food I could eat every day: Sushi. I'm not talking about the kind you get pre-made at the grocery store. I mean freshly made sushi.

If I were a superheroine, I would be: Catwoman. She had this line in Batman Returns: "Life's a bitch and now, so am I." I loved that! She was always such a badass.

I still can’t get the hang of: Chopsticks. I've been trying my entire life and I just can't seem to get them to work for me.

When I grow up, I want to be: In the music business, doing promotions, event coordinating or talent-scouting for music event companies, radio stations or nonprofit music organizations. I would also like to write about music for a city magazine or paper.

At the end of a long day, the first thing I want to do is: Slip into my pajamas. I don't know what it is about pajamas, but somehow all of the stress and tension of the day melt away once I've got them on.
 

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I love: Sleep. I don't ever get enough of it. So, when I actually do fall asleep, I want to stay asleep for as long as I possibly can, mainly because I get cranky if you try to wake me up too early.

My favorite possession: My cell phone. Ugh...I feel so materialistic for saying that, but it's true. If I ever leave my phone at home, I feel so lost and the rest of my day is ruined.

My best bargain find: I found the cutest bright pink Coach wallet at Parisian (you know, that store before Belk came along) for $50. I was so proud of myself for finding it until the cashier told me it was tagged wrong. I was so disappointed that the cashier felt sorry for me and gave it to me for $50 anyway.

My hometown: Is two and a half hours Southwest of Birmingham. It's called Butler and it is probably one of the smallest towns I have ever seen. I mean...I graduated with 23 other people. Yeah, I know...it's tiny.

I’m thinking about: Moving to San Francisco. I've always wanted to move out of Alabama but I'm nervous of moving somewhere new, especially if I don't know anyone.

I can’t live without: Music. I think my life would be dull and boring if I didn't have music to listen to or if there weren't any bands and musicals I could go see.

I’m inspired by: My family and friends. I only get to see my family about twice a year, but I try to talk to them and keep them involved in my life as much as possible. My friends are my family here in Alabama and they mean the world to me-- which is why I'm always sad when I lose touch with one of them.

What keeps me awake at night: The TV. I have to sleep with it on, but half the time I just stay up to watch what's on. I'm a super light sleeper though. Once you wake me up for something, I can't ever go back to sleep.

Right now I’m reading: Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. I bought it because I was planning on seeing the musical and wanted to read the book that it was based on. The only problem is that I just saw the play last week, and I'm only half way through the book. I'm such a slow reader.

The one item that has changed my life: My straightening iron. I am no good at blow drying my hair straight, but now I don't have to worry about it. I can let my hair air dry into a huge afro, but once I use my straightening iron, I feel like a pro. What did we do before those?

Favorite website: Google. I can find anything from a quick recipe to the season's latest fashions just by googling it.

Last major purchase: A fabulous Project E shirt from Manhattan South. It's become my new favorite store. If only I could afford to buy a lot more from there.

The food I never want to eat again: Raw oysters…ugh! I tried them on a cracker with Tabasco sauce and they just weren't for me. Just their texture is enough to make me want to throw up.

My blog: I don't blog, but I think I would like to get into it. My friend Jessica has a blog on Skirt! and I love it! She's hilarious!

I wish I’d known: How badly credit card companies like to screw people over, especially college students. I was walking out of class one day and this guy asked me if I wanted to apply for a student credit card. I thought I was so cool for getting one. Little did I know that I really couldn't afford one at the time, so I ran up all kinds of finance charges on it. Seriously, I don't know how those people can sleep at night.

I’d like to learn to: Play the guitar. A friend tried to teach me, but it was no use. My hands tend to have a mind of their own...just not a good one.

Something most people don’t know about me: I used to be a wild child when I was younger. Now the wildest thing I do is get to work a few minutes late. That's because when my alarm goes off in the morning, I spend a few extra minutes in bed saying "Really? It's already 6:20 am? I just went to sleep! There's no way it's time for me to get up already". I know, I'm such a rebel.

My mother always said: To follow my dreams no matter what anyone else tells me.

The worst idea I’ve ever had: Was to stay with my boyfriend after I found out he cheated on me. The entire time we were together, I just kept worrying that he was still cheating on me. That was some much unneeded stress that I could have avoided. I will never do that again.

The smartest woman I know: Is probably my sister. She has gone through a lot and has picked up tons of information on the way.

My first job: Was as a cashier in a local grocery store in Butler, Alabama.

Always... live for the moment.

Never... forget your friends.

I wish… I could do more volunteer work. There are so many organizations in town that I would love to work with. It's really hard to volunteer with all of them. At the end of the day, I do what I can and hope that is enough.

My work: I work at a software company called sycle.net. It is a practice management system for Audiology Clinics. I train new and current users on the software as well as answer any questions they may have about it.

I am most proud of: My little sister. After graduating college, she packed everything into her friend's car and drove from Orlando to LA to pursue her dreams. Now she's marrying a wonderful man who she met during her adventures in LA. I've always admired her for being brave enough to do that.

One thing I never want to do again: Wait tables. I don't know if people realize this but servers only make $2.13 an hour. They literally rely on your tip for income. Some people I waited on were so rude to me, I walked away from the table in tears. I can never do that again.

The nickname I wish I had: When I saw younger, some friends tried to call me "Boo Boo" because I was so short. That nickname didn't last long though. I really wish it would've stuck. I always thought it was cute and personal.

My theme song: Changes constantly, seriously. Right now it's "Defying Gravity" from the Wicked Soundtrack.

If I could do it all over again: I would stop and think about the consequences. There are so many mistakes that I've made in my life that I wish I could go back and change.

My favorite body part: My eyes. All of my other body parts are too big or small, but I've always thought my eyes were pretty.

The best thing I ever won: I never win anything ever! So, it was to my surprise when my name was drawn to win a pair of 7 for All Mankind jeans at a party I went to last year. I had been wanting a pair forever! I was the happiest person in that room!

My best friend says I am: fun, sassy, fabulous, and sweet!

The world would be a better place, if only: Everyone (men and women) could get a free manicure and pedicure every month. It is so relaxing to me when I get mani/pedi done. I think more people would lead stress free lives with free, mandatory manicures and pedicures.

Whose diary would you most like to read? Coco Chanel's. She just seemed like such a fascinating woman who didn't seem to care about what anyone else thought. I wonder what was going on in her head throughout her life.

What do you fear the most? Disappointing people, especially my mom. It is the worst feeling in the world when you know that you've let someone down and I don't ever want to experience that again.

Early bird or night owl?: Definitely a night owl. I am not a morning person at all.

Favorite color and why?: Red is my favorite color because it is such a daring and bold color. I think I secretly want to be bold and daring.

I feel strongest when: I'm done working out. I feel like I can do anything after a good workout. I start to flex my arms and show my muscles off to my boyfriend. He just laughs at me because I don't have any defined muscles in my arms...yet.

I am guilty of: Singing really loudly in my car on my way to and from work. Sometimes I get really into the songs and make motions with my hands. I'm sure the people that drive by me think I'm crazy.

The most important thing I ever lost: When I moved out on my own, my mom gave me our old Christmas tree ornaments that have been around since she was a child. An old roommate of mine accidentally took them when she moved out of our place. I still cry every time I think of losing those ornaments.

Best one-liner you ever heard: My friend Jessica told me this one the other day: "How much does a whale weigh? Enough to break the ice". I thought it was really cute!