eeeeeeagle!!!

I am officially a week away from vacation!!! I can't even believe it. This time next week I'll be in sunny Florida at my older sis's new house! My new swimsuit came in the mail, I've got my packing list made, I have a hair appointment this Friday, I got an awesome new carry-on bag that I have been reallllllly good about not using until the trip, and I've barely had time to read the Vanity Fair I picked up like...what, a month ago?...so I won't even need to buy any new magazines! Who am I kidding; yes I will. I always buy new magazines for any trip that includes a plane ride and a beach. It's just kind of one of those things I have to do to celebrate the occassion.

And, by the way, I love flying. Everything about it! I know many people (my dad included) do not get the same kick out of flying that I do. So let me describe it to you from my perspective.

First, there's the thrill of racing through the airport to make your flight. Or, if you DO have lots of time, you get to take in all the fun things that an airport has, like moving sidewalks, stores that sell pillows, and crazy folks.

Then you get to sit and wait (cue magazine) for your flight to board. Now, even if your flight decides to run late, this is still fun because it gives you a chance to scope out (over your magazine) all the people you will be sharing a plane with, and try to figure out who they are and why they're going wherever they're going.

Next and at long last comes the excitement of boarding the plane, then watching (and yes, I do watch as a form of entertainment) the flight attendants do their little show about emergency procedures. And I always make up stories about the flight attendants and what they're thinking (wouldn't that be a great reality show? Oh, the drama!). Sometimes I narrate for them in my head. Like, I imagine Chelsea the perky red-head is secretly in love with Luke, the blond guy, but he's dating Renee the long fingernails girl who is clearly so over this job and hates everyone on the plane except for her blond BF...no wait, she actually hates him too because she's planned to elope with the co-pilot as soon as we land. Then there's Grumpy Drink Cart Lady (that's her name) who gets special satisfaction of catching Mile High Club inductees in the act, and finally the tall, flamboyant Roger, who knows he rocks the emergency procedure demonstration like nobody's business and is def. gonna get that promotion next week.

Then there's -- dun dah dah dun -- TAKING OFF! Always a major highlight; I don't get scared, I don't go to sleep, I don't read. I just look out the window and enjoy the miracle of flight. I also love flying on a sunny day because then I get to wear sunglasses, which makes me feel supercool.

Now, my ears do pop terribly on airplanes. Sometimes I feel like my head is going to explode from the pressure. And that part is not fun. I always wonder for a few minutes if the whole head exploding thing is physically possible. Then I do the thing where I plug my nose and blow, then I stuff six pieces of Orbit in my mouth and chew like an angry goat, and if that doesn't work, I just get the magazine back out and try to focus very hard on the comeback of the cork wedge slingback. Or if it gets too bad, I may ask Grumpy Drink Cart Lady to bring me an aspirin for my headache, or flag down Roger to ask him what he thinks about the "Who Wore It Better" page of my magazine. At any rate, the ear-popping problems will NOT ruin the flight.

Now, I love sitting by the window, because I love looking at what's below us, especially when it's nothing but clouds and you can see the plane's shadow. I just think that's unreal. And then the big finish...the landing! To me, this is just as exciting and suspenseful as watching an Olympic gymnast finish her balance beam routine. Will she stick the landing? I always sort of judge the landing and give it a score.

Upon landing, here is what you do, you savvy jetsetter, you: put your magazine away, put on your shades (in case you weren't already wearing them), whip out your cell, and call whoever is coming to pick you up. Then, be cool. Everyone is in a hurry to get off the plane, but guess what. We're ALL getting off the plane. Let the poor moms and dads herd their little munchkins down the aisle, help the lady who keeps dropping stuff out of her four different carry-on bags (how did she get that many on the plane in the firt place?), and let the self-important business dudes go ahead of you, because it's fun to watch them try to get out in front of everyone and then shake their heads and sigh impatiently when they can't. When the path is clear enough to get through without stopping every two steps, you go. Wave g'bye to Roger, thank the pilot, and cross your fingers hoping that Chelsea and Luke really do end up together.

And of course, the best part of flying is getting to a NEW airport in a NEW place just hours after leaving someplace that was colder, darker, and less exciting than your warm, sunny destination! By now you've probably made friends with someone on the plane, so you exchange excited "well, here we are!" looks, part ways, and go find the awesome person you've come to visit so they can help you find your luggage at the baggage claim.

See, half the fun IS getting there! And I'll be there in just one week! Yay!

material girl

I know, I know, probably not the best topic for a post during Lent, but...what can I say?

Yesterday was definitely a "me" day. And I loved it! I had a hair appointment at nine, so with an hour to kill between getting off work and going to the salon, I got an English Toffee cappucino from the nearest Circle K and then scooted into Walmart to see if there was a new issue of Lucky for me to pick up and read while getting my hair done. There was a new issue, and I was halfway to the register when a couple other magazine covers caught my eye.

This was the first one:


You'll notice that among some of Judd Apatow's favorite funny men stands the lovely Paul Rudd...reason enough for buying this issue. But on the inside was a photo spread of several up-and-coming comedians reinacting famous movie icons. An updated "Honeymooners" photo with Bill Hader and Jason Bateman made me mad (once again) these two guys are married...and...famous. Flip a couple pages and you have the cutest couple in comedy: Amy Poehler and Will Arnett. And there's a lot of other great stuff in there too; I'm just mentioning my favorite people.

Then I saw something that nearly made me squeal in the middle of the store:


My girl Ashley Tisdale on the cover of Cosmo.

Now, if you've read some of my other posts, you'll recall that the whole reason I read Lucky is to avoid the stuff typically found in magazines like Cosmo...the 150 sex positions you can do in the ocean, the 20 most embarrassing moments in the history of love-making (I swear they make that stuff up), and the 10 most manipulative mind games you can play on your boyfriend. I just want to look at fashion spreads and get good ideas for shopping...and maybe read some fun facts about an actress I sort of recognize. But just because Ashley Tisdale was on the cover, I decided to trade in my Lucky for a copy of Cosmo, a magazine I honestly doubted I'd ever see this squeaky-clean girl on the cover of.

And of course, right next to her face is the word "SEX" and under Ashley's name is the magazine's claim that she's "blowing off her good-girl image." Well, when you read her interview, you can tell the gals at Cosmo had to really try to spice this one up. When you take out the fancy magazine lingo, what you really find out is that Ashley is a very centered 23-year-old person who's addicted to Coffee Bean and lives four doors down from her mom and dad, and keeps her relationship with her boyfriend on the DL because she doesn't want her life sprayed all over the tabloids. She stays out of trouble by multi-tasking in TV, film, music, and executive producing, and the craziest thing she's ever done with a guy is tell him she liked him without knowing whether he liked her.

Kinda boring, right? Do you see why I like this girl?

Alright, moving on. So I also splurged over the weekend on something I've been eyeing for awhile:


Something about the entire Soap & Glory product line is just so appealing...I love the retro look of the packaging, as well as the exclamatory promises printed on the containers! I love the nod back to that era when advertisers depended on consumers to believe everything put into print. But of course the best part is that all of the products have such clever and hilarious names. And I don't know if this lip pucker really works the way it says on the box, but it does make your lips tingle for about an hour, which makes me think something is working! I've also noticed it lasts a long time and my lips don't chap after I've been wearing it. So if you don't have any already, go on out and get yourself some sexy motherpucker! :)

OK, that's it for me. Time for bed; if all goes well, I might get to spend time this evening with two of the coolest people I've met since graduating college!

Have a fabulous day!

twenty-five

This came from a Facebook game, and I'm not asking anyone to play it here...although it does make for a kind of fun blog post if you want to try it! I just thought I'd post mine on here for that very reason.

(The Rules: Once you’ve been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, you choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you.)

Here are my 25 REALLY random things:

1. I am a social networking junkie. I have a blog, two YouTube channels, a Twitter feed, and (of course) Facebook! I don't have MySpace, though. Do people still use that?

2. I wouldn't say I hate cooking, but I don't enjoy cooking just for myself. (And I don't mean making burgers in the George Foreman or scrambling up an egg omelette -- in my book it only counts as cooking if you actually measure out ingredients and stuff.)

3. I do enjoy living on my own, even if that does mean cooking (or frying, or microwaving) for one!

4. I love my job. Even on the days when things don't go well. It doesn't matter how much money I make...I just love what I do.

5. I'm left-handed. Did everybody know that?

6. I have so. Many. Shoes. Most of them are heels because...

7. I am 5'2". Just like Reese Witherspoon, Ashley Tisdale, and Amy Poehler!

8. My dream jobs include: Marci Klein's job at SNL, Gellman's job on Regis & Kelly, being a personal assistant to Tina Fey just so I could soak up her awesomeness (did you catch how that's a reference to Mean Girls, written by Tina Fey?!), producing my own TV show, performing on Broadway.

9. I'd really like to write and publish a book someday.

10. I am so proud of my friends; so many people I know from high school, church, college, and after college are incredibly talented and I can't wait to see them make it big so I can cash in on those friendships. Totally kidding. But I truly believe that so many people I know have absolute star quality!

11. I have lived without cable television for 3 and a half years. I still keep up with a lot of TV shows; I just watch them all online or buy them by the season on DVD.

12. I do not, and probably never will, like the taste of coffee. I think it smells good, but tastes gross.

13. I don't remember a moment in my life where I stopped believing in Santa Claus. Most people can tell a story about how they found out, but I have no recollection of that happening...which makes me think I probably still believe in Santa Claus.

14. I also don't remember a point in my life where I started believing in God and in Jesus. Most people have a story to tell about that moment, too. But for me, the belief has just always been there, although that belief has definitely evolved and been challenged and dissected throughout my lifetime.

15. Back to accessories...I also love handbags and hats. I think my love of hats is what gets me through the winter.

16. I think it'd be really cool to live in the South, but I love-love-love the change in seasons that we get here in the Midwest. I would have a hard time giving that up.

17. I want a dog, really really a lot. I think everyone knows that. Hopefully I'll have one by this summer!

18. A lot of people ask me this, so in case you're wondering, here's what my work/sleep schedule is like: I go into work around midnight. I stay until 8 AM (give or take, depending on how much other work I need to do), then I go home and go to bed, usually from 8 or 9 AM until 4 or 5 PM. I don't have black curtains or heavy shades to block out the daylight. I'm just nocturnal, like an owl or a vampire.

19. My all-time, hands-down, no-contest favorite song in the world is "More Than Words" by Extreme for three reasons: (1) it reminds me of being at the lake (I don't know why), (2) the harmonies are beautiful, and (3) I love the lyrics and I think they have an awesome meaning. YouTube it and listen.

20. $20 bills are the worst. It seems like most bank machines and cash-back options always start at $20, which annoys me because usually I just need 5 bucks to put on my laundry card and I don't want to spend money just to break the 20, and I feel like a jerk just walking up to a random cashier and saying, "Hi, I'm not gonna buy anything, but will you just break this for me?" And it's hard for me to actually go to the bank and get cash in the amount that I want because I'm usually asleep during bank hours.

21. There's an episode of "The Office" where everyone was naming the five movies they'd bring with them if they were going to be on a desert island (the game is called "Desert Island" and it's supposed to be books, but I guess everyone was mildly illiterate, so they did movies). So anyway, here are my Desert Island 5: Big Fish, Singin' in the Rain, The Wizard of Oz, Ferris Beuller's Day Off, and Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium. I think. I'm never completely sure; I like a lot of movies!

22. My favorite color is pink. I feel like everyone knew that one too. My dad actually ordered me a pink phone without me having to ask. Isn't that awesome?!

23. On your 23rd birthday, you go off your parents' insurance. When I turned 23 I was working two part-time jobs, so I didn't have any insurance. It was that way for a few months until I got hired full-time at the TV station. Luckily, nothing bad happened.

24. I have a lot of fake foliage in my apartment. Fake flower vines around my kitchen, fake lilies in a vase on my counter, fake ferns on my window sill, a sconce with a fake bouqet on my wall, a vase of fake flowers in my bathroom, and a big fake flower sitting on my dresser in my bedroom. Low maintenance beauty, folks. That's what it's all about. Although I do enjoy real flowers too.

25. My favorite magazine is "Lucky." (I just bought one today, so that's what made me think of it.) I like it because you don't have to see any stories like "most embarrassing moments" or "101 sex tips." It's just all about clothes, which is my only reason for reading fashion magazines anyway.

And that's it! You might give it a try...just start at one and write about the first 25 things that sort of just pop into your head!

Have a great weekend :) Until later!

Magazine

I talked to Ryan yesterday about wanting to start a girls’ magazine that falls somewhere between Seventeen and Brio. As we were walking through Walmart, I was explaining to Ryan how sometimes I wish I could read a magazine that had good fashion pages and interesting articles, without the sex tips and disgusting embarrassing moments and stuff. The problem with magazines like Glamour and Cosmo and even Seventeen is that they have a mixed message; they have articles about ethical issues, feminism, and healthy body image right next to bits about how to get a guy’s attention, quick and easy ways to lose weight, and so on. The language used in the magazine even lends itself to peer pressure; they use all this really trendy-sounding lingo. No one I know talks like these magazine writers apparently do, and that’s just it—you don’t know what it means, so you feel like you’re not as cool as the people who write these magazines, or as cool as the other people who read these magazines because apparently they understand this lingo, otherwise why would the writers put it in there? So it’s subtly saying, “If you start to read this magazine more, you’ll start to understand how the cool girls talk and then you can be one of us.”

Ok, I’m sure that sounds exaggerated, and I’m sure that some sweet lady working for Allure is totally offended by what I’ve just said, and is ready to tell me about how the magazine she works for is all about empowering women.

Nah, I’m sure she’s not even reading this journal.

What does empowering even mean, anyway? I get so tired of that word. I can’t remember ever being empowered as a woman because I don’t know what it’s supposed to feel like. I’ve felt powerful, confident, smart, strong, and even bossy. None of that had to do with being a woman, except for the fact that I am one—being comfortable in my female body and having a healthy body image. But is that empowerment? I don’t feel empowered when I look in the mirror and think I look good. I feel pretty. Or sexy. Or cute. I don’t feel empowered when I recognize my own competence at my job or in school. I feel smart. I don’t know what this whole empowerment thing is about, so if someone wants to educate me, feel free. I may or may not buy what you have to say.

Anyway, back to my magazine idea. I grew up reading Brio, a teenage girls Christian magazine, which is really pretty good for what it is. I mean, I really respect what they’re doing there. They give examples of modest—yet trendy!—ways to dress, what secular music and movies have some positive stuff for girls wanting to live a godly lifestyle, and articles and stories that present the common struggles of a teenage Christian girl. They also have a beauty tips feature (which is excellent!) and an advice column, which is ok. The thing that concerns me about the magazine, and especially the advice column, is that Susie, the editor-in-chief, I believe, who writes the advice and organizes the content of the magazine in general, is giving her best personal advice to these readers about how to handle situations—tough situations—as a Christian. Sometimes I really agree with her. Other times, I don’t. But the difference between this and other advice columns is that if I don’t agree with her, I almost feel like a “bad Christian.”

And I think that’s the downfall of magazines like Brio…this magazine tries to present itself in a way that is attractive to girls by using a similar format to that of the secular magazines. The problem is, the secular magazines are basically using literary peer pressure to keep its audience. Now transfer this to a religious magazine, and it’s not about being one of the cool girls anymore—it’s about being one of the righteous girls. And this time, if you don’t understand, agree, or care, it’s not that you aren’t cool. It might be that you’re not a good Christian. It might be that there’s something wrong with your faith.

And once again, if Susie, her staff, or the current Brio Girl ever happened to read this, I’m sure they would feel very offended, misunderstood, and misrepresented. So if anyone who is reading this is offended and really likes Brio, I’m sorry to offend you. I don’t hate Brio. I don’t even dislike it. I just feel that sometimes it lends itself to turning our discernment mechanism off.

In Velvet Elvis (great book, you should read it. Ryan has given it to like everyone he knows, including me!), the author, Rob Bell, says that we shouldn’t have to accept something without thinking about it just because it has the label “Christian” on it, and we shouldn’t rule stuff out just because it’s labeled “secular.” And I think Brio is on the right track. I just think sometimes they try to make the discernments for you instead of letting you decide for yourself. A big exception to this would be the entertainment review column. The guy who writes this is great because he tells you the good and the bad about an artist or movie. He’s honest. He’s not trying to dissuade you from listening for yourself, he’s just saying, “Hey, some of the stuff in here is a little raunchy or doesn’t reflect Christian values. Just so you know.” I think that’s great.

I guess I just want something that provides some positive material for girls to be entertained or occupied with, without sterilizing it. I realize the need for magazines like Brio, because some parents won’t let their kids listen to or read anything that isn’t “Christian.” But what about the girls who get to read it all and hate sifting through the sex articles to get to the good stuff? (Not that the sex stuff isn’t educational, just non-applicable at this point.)

Is there a market for that out there? I don’t know, but I think there is. Ryan said he thought I should pursue it because I sounded passionate about it. Maybe I will. I would just have to figure out where to start.