Grateful

They are the kind of people who would never expect recognition. They would never seek it. They certainly haven't gotten it nearly as much as they should.

But they deserve it.

They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life. 

Some of you may know Elliott and I have been living with some friends since partway through July. Their names are Brittany and Curtis McConnell, and they are our family, as all our close friends in Los Angeles have grown to be.

Some of you may know that living in LA is mad expensive, and making a living in the entertainment industry is not known for paying well unless you hit it big (or are extraordinarily blessed), and even then it can be up and down. In some ways, Elliott has hit it big, and we are excited. We are grateful. But financially, nothing has yet been "hit." Things have just mostly equalized out. Things aren't amazing, and they aren't bad. They just are. And we are grateful.

Therefore let us be grateful....

With that, we have been looking to save money to get into a better financial place and into a better living situation. We loved our old apartment, the only place we had ever lived in LA, but it just wasn't feasible long term. It was a studio, and families don't grow in studios. When we decided it was time to move, Britt and Curtis immediately -- no, really -- suggested we move in with them as an interim. I'm not even sure they discussed it first -- their generosity just erupted. We were hesitant to accept and "fought" the idea for some time. We have never had roommates before, and as a rule, I don't like to accept favors, charity, help, or gifts. Which is hilarious, considering gift giving is my love language. Irony.

So in the end we accepted, and moved in here, with this beautiful family. We got a lot of warnings: "Things are different when you live together." "Be careful." -- and questions: "How has it been?" "But really (leaning in), how has it been?"

My answer, without hesitation, is that it has been wonderful. Just wonderful. We have loved living with our friends, and it has been simple, easy, fun, and above all, a blessing.

Count your many blessings.

 
Elliott and I have had far fewer opportunities to be as generous -- or have we? -- as we would like to be, but I hope we have seized every opportunity we've come across. I'm sure we haven't. I aspire.

We've been living together six and a half weeks now, and our lives have been so busy it's felt like three. We will be sad to go when we do but happy to give their home, which they have so freely gifted out, back to them in its entirety.

One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.

But home is where your family is, isn't it? So I guess we'll never really leave.

What I mean to say is this -- thank you, our dear, dear friends. We appreciate you. We are grateful to you. We love you.

Love your neighbor as yourself. No other commandment is greater....

I GOT A JOB!!!!!

About a month ago, I finally made the decision to really start pursuing entertainment work. Sunday, March 11, I had the good fortune to meet a friend of a friend (a guy who helped some awesome friends of mine get cast on "Deal or No Deal" a few years back) at church who works in casting. He told me about this fab.u.lous. Facebook group called "I NEED A CASTING DIRECTOR," but you have to be added to it by a current member (invitation only, people, what). I applied for about 2 or 3 entry-level positions early in the week, mostly casting assistant positions, and then on Friday, the 16th, I applied for an assistant coordinator position. The job posting said the position required excellent phone skills and organization. DING, DING, DING. Done. I applied.

About an hour after I applied, I got an e-mail that I'd landed an interview. WHOOP WHOOP! I knew I would kill this, I knew I would murder this, I knew I would--um . . . have to figure out what an assistant coordinator IS. So I hit up some friends who work in the industry, two editors and one PA. After sifting through what they all thought an assistant coordinator does so that I would be at least somewhat prepared and knowledgeable about this role, I reviewed my own resume and worked on those awkwardish interview questions that often come up:

"What is your greatest strength? Tell me about yourself. What is your biggest weakness? Why should I give you this job? Are you willing to promiseyourfirstbornor attheveryleastyourpetinexchangeforthisjobbecausethereareabout 5011otherpeoplewhoareatleastasqualifiedifnotmoresothanyousowhatmakesyousospecial, huh? Also, are those sweat stains on your shirt right now? Calm down, girl, no pressure, goodness."

So I went to the interview, answered the questions, went home, and by three hours later, I was convinced I didn't have the job. I poured myself into the editing job I had, dying work for me as you know, and worked myself into a state of blase not caring. But I did care. So when the call came at 6:39 p.m. that I'd gotten the job and they would like for me to start first thing the next morning, I was plenty down to be brought WAY back up. I was so excited! Elliott must have fist-bumped me 28 times that night. It was really cute :)

Today is my fourth day on the job. This is definitely an entry-level position, but I am really loving it here! We are working on a new prime time show for one of the top four broadcasting networks, and I am mainly dealing with the paperwork of the talent. I also get to make fun phone calls to ask questions about legal issues they listed in their questionnaires. I feel a bit Nancy Drew like, even though the clue is always just an answer in questionnaire and the solution is always whatever the talent explains to me. Ha! I'm also working with a great group of fun, smart, and talented people who keep my day interesting and who are teaching me industry jargon and such I need to learn.

So for the next four or so weeks on this contract job, my first in-office job in the industry, I am planning to soak up all I can and move on to the next show, whether here or elsewhere. I'm just so happy to be working again and in a brand-new, exciting field. I kind of feel 22 again. Holler!

When to Phone it In: Defining Career Moments

It's been said enough times to make it a cliche that life is full of defining moments that alter the course of one's life. I think this week might have held one of those defining, life-altering moments for me. If you've read anything on my blog, or at the very least, my profile, you know I am a copy editor. You know I love books and you know I want to make a career in book publishing. I've done that so far. Or at least until about 4-6 months ago when my work dropped off dramatically. I'm a freelancer, and that's the name of the game -- there are ups and downs, busy seasons and slow seasons. And then there are seasons like this one, when I can't even call myself a freelancer. I'm just unemployed.

So what is a girl to do? Tomorrow is my 25th birthday. I've been freaking out about it since my 24th birthday. Maybe that was just a premonition that as of tomorrow, I'd feel like a failure. I had a pretty vulnerable conversation yesterday with an extremely close friend about the current state of my professional life. I'm not a crier. Like, really. I've cried in front of friends, maybe, MAYBE 5 times in my entire life, and yesterday was one of those times. Well, it was like a well-up, lip-quiver, maybe not really a cry. Whatever. But I explained that I've loved working from home. I love being a freelancer. I do not thrive in an 8-5 atmosphere. But I also don't thrive when I don't feel like I'm contributing in any way financially at home. Or creatively. Yes, I'm a major sounding board for Elliott, my husband, but lately I've felt like I have nothing that's mine. I feel very peripheral.

I don't think I'm done being an editor, but I have to face it: my industry is not in LA. What is here is showbusiness, and that is a true love I do have. The two loves in my life really have always been showbusiness and books. I think it was my talent that made me go for books, but also my insecurities. Elliott is such a star that I think I became comfortable helping him grow brighter than pushing myself. That is something I will never stop doing, but I think it's time for me to go for it, too. I think it's time for me to phone in editing, at least as a lifetime aspiration. Maybe my world is in showbusiness. On the back end, behind the camera at the very least.

And perhaps I should be thankful for tomorrow, my quarter-life birthday. I do think I've experienced one of those instances that might change the course of my life. And I thank Elliott so much for pushing me to pursue it. May God bless year 25, and Elliott and my friends for helping me to not be afraid.

Los Angeles book publishers, where are you?

When my husband and I started planning our move to Los Angeles three and a half years ago, I thought finding work in book publishing out here would be a no-brainer. Major cities host all kinds of major businesses, and while print book publishing may be on the decline, book publishing itself is not.

While still living in Gainesville, FL, I started researching potential companies I might like to work for like the uber-professional-and-anally-prepared-for-all-things person I was then. I found a company called Phoenix Books, which published fiction and non-fiction titles, many of which were written by Hollywood celebs and well-to-dos. Now, THIS was a company I could see myself with. After calling, e-mailing, and sending my resume and several cover letters, I scored a Skype interview with Kimberly Miletta, the newly named vice-president of Phoenix. It was scheduled for my 23rd birthday (unbeknownst to Ms. Miletta), February 22, 2010, at 2:00 p.m. That day, I went to work as usual at Maupin House, but I took some personal time halfway through the day to rush home for my appointment. I had tested my computer's camera, got the lighting in my home office just right, made sure my dog, Gilligan, was occupied with something so he wouldn't bark during this oh-so-important conversation, and I still had 15 minutes to spare.

At 1:58, my phone rang. Caller: Phoenix Books. It was Ms. Miletta's assistant asking if we could reschedule for April or May, closer to the date when I would be relocating to LA. She knew we were planning to move here in July. All the breath rushed out of me. "Yes, of course," I heard myself say. "I'll make sure to call back at that time, and we'll set up another interview."

After working myself up so much and being as prepared as I possibly could be for this interview, I could only describe myself as heartbroken that day. Although the woman on the phone insisted they would still like to interview me, I just felt hopeless, like that interview would never actually come. And it didn't.

On April 26, 2010, Phoenix shut down without warning (I have no idea why its website never did). Here is the story Publishers Weekly released at the time. I was at the International Reading Association conference in Chicago with my company that weekend, and my boss broke the news to me. She had read online about the abrupt closing while we were working our booth, and knowing I had my sights set on Phoenix for once we moved out, she told me right away. I just couldn't believe it. I remember asking if it might be another company with a similar name. But she was right. It was the Phoenix Books, the only publisher I truly wanted to work for (and one of the only ones I even knew about) in LA.

With this knowledge in hand, I used my break time at the IRA conference to visit other publishers' booths in the exhibition hall. I met with Teacher Created Materials and Shell Educational Publishing, as well as Creative Teaching Press and Pacific Learning, which are all located in Huntington Beach. I interviewed with nearly all of them over the phone in the coming weeks, not only for editorial positions, but also for marketing roles. I was so excited! Even though educational publishing is not the niche I would like to be in long term, I had learned so much at Maupin House during my time there, and I do so very much enjoy any work with any books.

All of these publishers are in Huntington Beach, a mere 35-40 miles south of LA. In Florida time, 35-40 miles equals 35-40 minutes. I thought this might be workable! But I found I was sorely wrong after doing more research. LA travel times can't even really be quantified. We were moving out here specifically for Elliott's career goals, and it didn't make sense for us to live so far south (time wise) of the city Elliott was going to be spending most of his time in. I turned down all the job offers I received.

Thankfully, since we've lived in LA, I have gotten on as a freelance proofreader with Teacher Created Materials and Shell, but I haven't been able to accept many jobs from them because of the pay grade for freelancers. And I have found nearly no actual book publisher in Los Angeles itself. Huntington Beach? Sure. Thousand Oaks? Of course. But LA book publishers, where are you?

Books Read in 2011

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll

Crazy Love by Francis Chan

Love Wins by Rob Bell

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by JK Rowling

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling

Where Are You Now? by Mary Higgins Clark
Cross Country by James Patterson
Smells Like Dog by Suzanne Selfors
Skin by Ted Dekker
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
World War Z by Max Brooks
The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler

I know I'm missing some! Time to research my year....

Brazilian Blowout, Baby

UPDATE: Scroll to the bottom to see my hair air dried on 06/08/11, three weeks and one day after getting the Brazilian Blowout. (It looks close to how my hair did before the BB, after blow drying only.)
--
After a couple of years of research, I have finally gotten my much-desired, long-awaited Brazilian Blowout, thanks to an amazing Groupon deal!

Here's some back information. It's pretty confusing if you just Google "Brazilian Blowout" to decipher exactly what that means. It has kind of become a generic term when it shouldn't be, the way people use "Band-Aid" to describe any old bandage. That's a specific brand made by a specific company, and one is not always like the other.

That being said, I specifically got the Brazilian Blowout from the Brazilian Blowout brand. There are treatments, such as the "Brazilian Keratin Treatment" and others, that might be called a BB in layman's terms, but they aren't the same thing. For these other treatments, you can't wash your hair for 1 to 3 days, get it wet, put it up, put it behind your ears, or anything that could create a bend in your hair. These are also the ones that tend to have high levels of formaldehyde and other -aldehydes that are carcinogens and harmful. They specifically are straighteners, but the BB is a smoother that also straightens some. After getting the actual BB, you can go home and wash your hair, put it up, do whatever you want to with it and it's not a problem. Thank God! I can't imagine going THREE DAYS without washing my hair. Ick.

If I didn't cover something in this blog you'd like to know more about, leave a comment for me and I'll address it if I can.

So, at last, below are a bunch of different before and after pictures of my hair before and after getting the treatment. Let me know if you have any questions, and I plan to do an update in a couple of weeks!

Before the BB (blow dried and flat ironed, about 22 minutes)
Don't let this deceive you. Sure, I could get it looking pretty good, but it was a huge struggle and very time consuming. I used a lot of product and shine spray to get it to this point.

Before the BB (air dried, took a long time) #1

Before the BB (air dried, took a long time) #2

Before the BB (just blow dried, 16 minutes)

After the BB (just blow dried by the stylist, with BB serum) #1

After the BB (just blow dried by the stylist, with BB serum) #2

After the BB (just blow dried by me, with no product, 7 minutes) #1

After the BB (just blow dried by me, with no product, 7 minutes) #3

After the BB (just blow dried by me, with no product, 7 minutes) #3
As you can see, this looks just as good as it used to after only a few minutes blow drying, zero product, and no flat iron. I'm sure I'll keep using a smoothing product just for an extra boost, but I don't have to anymore!

After the BB (air dried)

2010/2011 New Year's Resolutions

I failed. It's true. My 2010 New Year's resolution was to read 25 books in 12 months, but I only made it to 17. Should've shot lower, I know! But I was being ambitious. So, I'm going to shoot for 15 this year, and I think I'll actually be able to reach that again. We shall see.

I also want to blog about every book I read this year. Clearly, I only blogged about a few in 2010, which cheated me out of the purpose of this blog -- to express my opinions about the books I read by writing them out.

Other than that, my 2011 New Year's resolution is to wake up earlier. I'm not and have never been a morning person, so once I started freelancing full time, I took full advantage of it :) My plan now, though, is to be more productive in 2011 than in 2010, and that will certainly require me rising before the Today Show ends. I'm shooting for 7:30 a.m. Monday through Friday (and if it happens to be 8, I won't beat myself up!).

Onward.