:) (Picture)

I’ve wanted an American Girl doll for years and years. I live in Chicago, where we have a store called American Girl Place, so I can go in there and see the dolls up close and in person anytime I want. I’ve been secretly going into this store and drooling over the dolls and the cute outfits. Today, I finally got one!

Newest Family Member

She’s one of the “Just Like Me” dolls, and she’s the closest one to me I’ll ever find. I brought her home with me today, and named her Riley. She wears glasses like I do, but the camera glare isn’t friendly to them. So, like me, she photographs without glasses. :)

I’m so excited. I haven’t bought a doll for myself in years!

(Originally published at Anywhere Is…)

Comments Off on :) (Picture)

Random Life Stuff (Picture)

The other day, Chris asked me if I ever updated anymore because my updates are so few and far between. I’ve just been working a lot, eating, and falling into bed, or staring at my monitor playing endless word games until my eyes cross. Or, my new favorite pastime: reading The Hunger Games over and over and over and over.

I am obsessed with that book. Mandy told me about it months ago, but I didn’t get a chance to get my hands on it until earlier this year. Holy cow. It’s sooo freaking good. I love books about dystopian societies anyway (that has to be why The Giver is another one of my favorites), but this one is unbelievably awesome. AWESOME. I can’t stop talking about it. Or reading it, apparently. I was even sent an arc, and I carry that in my bag, while I keep the hardcover by my bed. I am so looking forward to Catching Fire.

Work has been crazy! Last week, I clocked a record 61.5 hours. That’s nothing. One of the operators clocked more than 80 hours! It’s a good thing I like the work, and I’m a night owl. Those late nights can be rough sometimes, but I manage.

This week, I’ve been trying out the “wild” hair again.

Randomly Playing on Photo Booth

It’s really easy to do. I co-wash it (that’s when you use conditioner instead of shampoo), then I scrunch it all up with curl-enhancing mousse, then I let it air dry. Really easy, and my hair gets a break from all the heat styling. Seems like the more I want it to grow, the more it breaks off, or just plain stops growing. I want to take biotin to encourage growth, but my nails are out of control. I’m cutting them down every two weeks, it seems! The biotin will make them even crazier. But you know what? I’ll take cutting my nails more often if it means getting shoulder-length hair again.

I saw Twilight and actually really liked the movie. I’m in one of two moods when I watch it: either the mood for the romance and tension, or in the mood to LMAO. I’m buying it when it comes out Saturday, then I’ll get the Blu-ray version when it comes out in May (whoever heard of releasing the Blu-ray version on a different date????). Thinking of attending a party at Borders tomorrow night, but we’ll see. In the meantime, I’ve been enjoying the score and the soundtrack.

I recently got a hold of Trisha Yearwood’s Jasper Country CD, and it’s really good! :) Yes, it’s a few years old, but I don’t really know much about country nor do I follow it much. I got this CD because the audio guys at work were unloading tons of music. This was in the pile, so I grabbed it. I’m glad I did. :)

A few weeks ago, I got the American Idol Karaoke Revolution game for Wii [LINK]. IT IS SO MUCH FUN. The first night Adam and I played, Adam tried singing Staying Alive, and whatever he did to that song made Crookshanks give him the most murderous look. It was hilarious. I’ve never seen a cat look at someone like that before. It was a combination of OMGeeeeWTeverlovinF and NEVERDOTHATAGAIN KTHX. I played it tonight and had a blast (and didn’t get any evil looks from the cat until I accidentally stepped on his paw, then he yelled at me and Ophelia yelled at me, too). The only bad thing about it is that it encourages those of us who are HORRIBLE singers. I put it on easy, and on easy, all you have to do is barely get the pitch arrow to skim the line and you’re good. So, knowing DARN well I have a voice that could kill plants, I sing my little heart out and LOL as Randy, Paula, and Simon praise me up and down, as the crowd goes wild, and as I nail perfects or near-perfects on every single song! And I played the tournament and WON. It’s hilarious when other contestants are sent home, a big “FAIL” box pops up by their names/pictures. Bwah. It’s great to live in that fantasy world, you know? And the game has some cool songs. Classics, newer songs, simple ones, complicated ones. Even a Kelly Clarkson song! I highly recommend the game, I have a blast playing it.

I guess that’s all around these parts. I’m gonna run, go try to Becky at a couple more games of Word Twist on Facebook, then read Masquerade by Melissa de la Cruz. I decided to reread the Blue Bloods series so I would stop reading The Hunger Games over and over. Speaking of The Hunger Games (best book ever!), how exciting that there is going to be a movie????? OH YEAH!!

‘Til next time! :)

(Originally published at Anywhere Is…)

Comments Off on Random Life Stuff (Picture)

Bwah! (Picture)

Adam got me a Snuggie®!!!

Snuggie Time!

(Originally published at Anywhere Is…)

Comments Off on Bwah! (Picture)

A Potluck Entry (Pictures)

Saturday, I got the pleasure of meeting Meg Cabot, NYT Bestselling author of The Princess Diaries and 4935843954987 other books. It was lucky for me that during the author table chat, my table didn’t have an author so I ventured over to Meg’s table. I was shaking because I was so nervous! She was absolutely sweet and gracious and adorable, and she told me that I was gorgeous! Here we are!

Seventh Annual Children's Literature Breakfast
Meg and me! ♥

The breakfast was a lot of fun. The last time I went to one was in 2007. One of the best things was running into Laura Ruby (didn’t get a pic with her, unfortunately, although she is awesome!!) and Cynthea Liu!!!! Cynthea is just as energetic and adorable as she comes across on her Web site and on her Live Journal. ♥

Seventh Annual Children's Literature Breakfast
Cynthea & me!!!!

My guess is that we’ll be heading to this breakfast every year from now on. :) And 2009 makes the fourth year in a row that I got the chance to meet a NYT best-selling author!

(I’m thinking that black was THE color for the breakfast. Adam wore black, too.)

I’ve been working some crazy hours. Last Tuesday, I popped in at 10am and ended up working until 2:30 the next morning. They bought me dinner and paid for me to take a cab home. I didn’t go in until 2pm the next day, I stayed until about 5:30pm, and I got paid for the whole day. Today I went in at 9am and stayed until 7pm. Tomorrow, I am going in at noon and I plan to be there until about 4 o’clock Thursday morning. But then I get Thursday off with pay. It’s going to be crazy, but I’m taking some comfortable clothes! On a “normal” day (’cause face it, there are no normal days at Ogilvy), I’d work from 10-6 or something like that. I love those hours.

Books! I’ve acquired many books. I bought Stealing Heaven by Elizabeth Scott, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (OMG amazing book!!), an autographed copy of The Giver by Lois Lowry, an autographed copy of Forever Princess by Meg Cabot, and a copy of Copper Sun by Sharon Draper, which she autographed for me on Saturday. (She has the best autograph ever, by the way). Mandy sent me the ARC of Along For The Ride by Sarah Dessen. I’ve been in BOOK HEAVEN.

I also did my yearly “What’s In My Bag” photo. I’m late this year–I usually do it in January. Anyway, here’s what was in my bag last night:

What's In My Bag - February 23, 2009

That’s about all for now. I’m pretty tired, so I’m going to play a few games of Word Twist on Facebook and then go read. I get to really sleep in tomorrow, but the night will be rough. I’m a trooper, though, so I’m mentally ready for it. ‘Til next time!

(Originally published at Anywhere Is…)

Comments Off on A Potluck Entry (Pictures)

Work It!

It’s very nice to be called into the boss’s office and told that you’re doing a great job and they want to keep you around. :)

My trial period at Ogilvy was supposed to end tomorrow, and I was to learn the fate of my freelance status. On Tuesday, I was kind of a wreck because well, I need this job, you know? And even though I’d been getting kudos, I still sometimes self-doubt because as a new person, I wasn’t working up to my own standards. Of course, I am new, so I’m not going to be an expert right away on things, but still. I’m hard on myself that way. Anyway, I came in Wednesday morning to find a note from Gail (the lead proofreader and the person who is training me), and she told me I was doing fine. That made me smile. Later that day, the recruiter who initially found me called and asked if I’d be interested in staying on. “Absolutely,” I said. She then began to relay to me all the complimentary things that Gail and Sean (my boss) had said about me. Then, last evening, Sean pulled Gail and me into his office where they told me lots of nice things about my work and said they were happy to have me there!

I’m happy to *be* there. It’s such a great company. Last night, I worked kinda late, and they ordered dinner from this awesome Greek place. I got grilled chicken spanaka and IT WAS OUTSTANDING! I’d never had it before, and I certainly couldn’t finish it all (there was a ton!), but my Adam was able to polish off the rest for me when I brought him the leftovers.

I am learning so much and I love everything I’m learning. There is so much to absorb, so many different products and styles to learn. I’ve proofed presentations, coupons, displays, banners. I was the girl who wondered “who gets to proofread these things?” Now, I’m the girl doing it! I’m excited to come into work every morning.

The days can be long, but the 10am start time is perfect for me. There is the ice cream, the game tables (which I haven’t even played yet), the breakfast foods on Mondays. I love wearing jeans to work every day, listening to my music while I proofread all sorts of projects. I like the dark Studio, no bright glaring lights. Just desk lights and the glowing of computer monitors. Speaking of monitors, I love my HUGE monitor, and the Mac that is updated with new software. I like sharing iTunes libraries. I know that there are going to be some insanely busy times coming up (next week, for instance), and people have been known to sleep there overnight. But I am getting good money to do what I love, and I get to work in an atmosphere that makes me feel trusted and comfortable and pushes me to do better every single day.

I feel very lucky and grateful.

(Originally published at Anywhere Is…)

Comments Off on Work It!