Happy Friday

Maybe it's the ice storm outside, or maybe it's my love affair with metallic polka dots and Taylor Sterling, or maybe it's just plain old procrastination of me not wanting to transcribe interviews from this week and proof and rewrite drafts. Whatever the reason, I find myself currently lost in a whimsical daydream of sparkles, sequins and pastel-colored furs. I can also blame New Years and the rapidly-approaching holiday rush, but honestly I think it's just where my mind settles lately.

As a result of pondering the question of my last post, I made a trip to good ole Barnes and Noble to focus my wandering mind. What I stumbled upon is a happy blessing I'm excited to share. 

I made four purchases: a hot pink "inspiration/mood board" book, a black and gold prayer journal, a gold metallic 2014 planner, and a book on entrepreneurship (specifically how the founders of the shopping site Gilt turned their passion and knowledge into a wildly successful business).

There is a method to my madness (aside from the fabulous color palettes I was able to find). I've been feeling a bit restless as of late, and wanted to stop dreaming and start doing. The prayer journal is specifically for my career goals and aspirations. It reminds me to pray about the wanderings of my mind  as much as (or more than) I talk about them (which lately has been a lot). The inspiration book is already filling up with clippings from magazines and quotes and tidbits that send my mind off in a million directions. It's a mood board of sorts that allows me to feel like I have a creative outlet aside form my writing and 9 to 5 job. The calendar is (duh) to make order of my hectic schedule, and the book, By Invitation Only, is already challenging and teaching me in ways only a business degree sprinkled with fairy dust would.

I'm sure this isn't the last of these ideas I'll share, but I'm excited to focus my scatterbrained-self into realizing what exactly I want out of my degree in journalism and what possibilities might be around the corner, praying about it every step of the way.

Stay safe if you're out and about in Memphis today,

 and as always, Happy Friday!

*photos courtesy of Pinterest and myself.

Coffee Table Book Love

My love of large, picture-filled coffee table books is no secret ( I own this, this and this as proof), but I've never quite found a place to indulge this craving (except of course Barnes and Noble) that's convenient ....'til now.

Book lovers behold: One Kings Lane (specifically their book sale today)

I'm currently lusting over this (below)

this

this

this

this

and this

but I'm not completely thinking of myself. I'd get:

this for Mary Jane

this for JT

and this for Mere bear

 

Thanks for the mention of the sale, 

Design Darling.

League of Extraordinary Women

In an attempt to stay relevant in the workings of career-pathing and general networking benefits, I try to read articles and books (my latest is Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook-- a gift from my equally fierce and career-minded mama and so far, so good). I stumbled upon a great article earlier this week on a website called Levo League, and have since noticed that the site is full of useful nuggets for those interested in reading about careers/job advice/or just pure curiosity.

A few that I've found today include the following:

 1)  Article: "Working With a Sibling Can Be Crazy, But Also Crazy Wonderful" By Meredith Lepore

Topic: (in case the title didn't tip you off) Sisters who work together professionally:  aka Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Venus and Serena Williams, Jessica and Ashlee Simpson, all seven of the Kardashians, etc.

More about Author: "Meredith Lepore is the former editor of the women's career site, The Grindstone. Before that she was on staff at Wall Street Letter and Business Insider and was a contributing writer for Learnvest. She earned her Masters in Magazine, Newspaper and Online journalism from the Newhouse School at Syracuse University after graduating with a degree in Brain and Cognitive Science from the University of Rochester. Meredith resides in New York full time and enjoys reading, jogging, shopping and playing with her puppy, Otis." 

2) Article:  "7 Ways Busy, Young Professionals Can Volunteer"

By Candace Faber

Topic: (again, in case it isn't obvious) "Studies show that volunteering makes people happier and healthier, but contributing to a cause you believe in has other benefits as well, from expanding your professional network to providing leadership opportunities you might not get in the workplace for years to come."

More about the Author: "Candace Faber is a foreign policy and gender issues expert who has worked for the U.S. Department of State in Afghanistan, Belarus, Poland, Russia, and Washington, DC. Before becoming a diplomat, she served as editor-in-chief of the Georgetown Journal of International Affairs and co-edited the 8th edition of Careers in International Affairs. She holds a Master of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University and bachelor's degrees in political science and Russian from the University of Washington. Candace currently lives in Seattle, Washington, where she enjoys racing triathlons, writing short stories, and working on her latest book project, a compilation of interviews with trailblazing women."

3) Article: "Beyond the Pencil (skirt): Meet Sarah, Teen Vogue " By: Kathryn Worsham

Topic: Behind the scenes at work with Teen Vogue Assistant Fashion Market Editor Sarah Pillai

More About the Author: "Kathryn is a Communications Associate at Levo League and the writer and photographer of Beyond the Pencil (Skirt). Follow her on Twitter @kaworsha"

So, if you fancy this type of networking/reading, join, or simply read up on things that interest you (there are tons to choose from).

For Example: 

 

{click here for above article}

{click here for Two Jobs are Better Than One}

And a personal favorite:

{click here for The Golden Rules of Happy Hour}

 

72 and Sunny

Despite the title, it is not 72 in M-town today (more like 27), but it is sunny; so, I'll take it. In keeping with the Bachelor theme from the past few posts (here, here or here), I wanted to dig a little deeper into the past of a few of the lovely ladies. I'm particularly interested in their jobs, since most of them actually had interesting ones this go around.

Starting of with Sarah Herron, a fan favorite for sure. Sarah is a Jr. Designer for 72 and Sunny ad agency (named best ad agency by Ad Age in 2013) in the city of angles. I'm particularly intrigued by working for an ad agency since I imagine most of them to be extremely cut-throat, but since Sarah is basically as sweet as pie, there's hope.

She's stylish, sweet, a "sister wife" with some of my other fav. contestants, and a work-related book nerd (much like myself). Easy to see why she was a fan favorite from the beginning.

 {sister wives: L to R, Lindsay, Ashlee, Jackie, Sarah, Lesley, and Des}

 

{Navajo style}

 {advertising books + wine = epic}

 May or may not have a job crush on Sarah.

I Dreamed a Dream

Happy Monday ladies and gents. Lately I've been thinking about some of my career aspirations but then I got distracted and the list turned out to be mostly wishes and aspirations with a few dream careers sprinkled in. So, in case you were curious, here's my current list of day dreams/aspirations/wishes:

1) Have a custom Inslee Haynes illustration. 

If you've ever read/seen my blog you know how utterly obsessed with her I am, and a custom illustration might just make me faint [that, and well, meeting her].

2) Have and/or collaborate on a nail polish line. Preferably with OPI or Essie.

 3)Employ an assistant

I know this sounds horribly vain, but it would be fantastic to not have check my emails only to delete 50 useless ones and have a purse full of to-do lists, amiright??

 {Giuliana Rancic and her assistant, Sarah Knight}

4) get afford regular pedicures

5) write get a book published

6) be the go-to person for holiday parties (a la Tori Spelling)

7)Create a brand logo

8)Talk at a speaking engagement and not die of a panic attack

9)Meet: Giuliana Rancic, Tori Spelling, Emma Stone, Katy Perry, and Kate Hudson

10) Furnish a home from Leontine Linens

I guess a gal can dream, right?

Blog to Book?

It's no secret that I'm an uber fan of SATC and SJP. Not only does Carrie Bradshaw manage to make a successful living as a columnist, a 4-time author and Vogue contributor, but she also lives in a Manhattan brownstone apartment and has a closet any gal would kill for. Granted, I'm well aware that Carrie Bradshaw is a fictional character (click here for the "Carrie Bradshaw Lied" blog for a glittery dose of reality); ergo, her accolades are fictional. But do they have to be? 

{Compelation of Carrie's fictional (as in they don't exist.. not just fiction reading) books}

This is a question I find myself asking whenever my mind wanders to one day writing a book and/or novel. Thankfully, my handy dandy helper, pinterest, has a few tips for those of you out there who might also be thinking about writing one day. And if she can turn her columns into a successful book, who's to say you can't turn a series of blog posts into one too?

This user-friendly site answers that question, and then some. It's a perfect starting point to turning content you already have into a potential best-selling book. And if you're looking to completely start from scratch, or make new characters (considering most besties aren't going to let you air their personal lives to the public just to earn a profit), this next cite (below picture) is the next step to stardom.

 {site numero dos}

Now, if you think you want to create a book/novel and don't have any previous content you can recycle/don't want to, then starting with characters is a must. Once you have an idea in mind, you'll need a plot (duh, characters don't just create their own stories here people), which is where the last site comes into play. And by site I do mean book, because you're going to have to do your homework and use your imagination to create a totally brilliant new plot.

As Ms. Huntley used to say, "there's no such thing as a free lunch," and it's gonna take some effort to get on the NYT bestsellers list. Hope this has helped a little or maybe inspired you to even consider writing. Everyone has a story, and what good is it if it's never told?

13 Spooky Reads for October (for Deep South Mag)

As a contributor for Deep South magazine, I wanted to link to their list of 13 spooky reads leading up to Halloween! 

Check out their Pinterest, too.

{the list includes American Ghost by Janis Owens}

Ronda Rich Book Signing Events

Ronda Rich, bestselling Southern author, will be hosting two book signing events for her book There's a Better Day A-Comin': How to Find the Upside During Down Times in the Memphis area this week. The first is Thursday, October 4th, at 6:00 p.m. at The Booksellers at Laurelwood; she'll be reading excerpts from her book and signing copies afterward. The second event will be Friday, October 5th at Oxford's Square Books at 5:00 p.m. and features a reception and book signing.

The book features stories from people, including Jeff Foxworthy, Alan Jackson, Paula Dean, Dale Earnhardt, and Bill Elliot, who've pushed through the storm to find the silver lining.

Rich is a former NASCAR publicist and sportswriter who transitioned to Southern novels with ease. She's written two bestselling books (What Southern Women Know that Every Woman Should and What Southern Women Know About Faith), and writes for the weekly column, "Dixie Divas" which appears in newspapers across the Southeast. She's been published in Cosmo, Southern Living, Redbook and more, and lives in Atlanta, Georgia (no doubt near my besties currently taking ATL by storm).

Think I might find a lil room in my schedule to skim a few chapters from my favs including Dolly Parton and Dale Sr.

Delta, Delta, Delta, can I helpya, helpya, helpya?

Being that I've been born and raised in Memphis, the northern-most point of the Mississippi Delta, it's always fascinated me. From the floods and factories, to the farms and agriculture--it's just interesting to me.

As some of you might recall, I went "country" last fall and had my first true taste of Delta-life. While parusing the Memphis magazine website today, I stumbled upon a new treasure.

{buy it here}

This book is now added to my ever-growing "need to read" list, and it should be on yours too. Don't take my word for it though, Memphis agrees with me.

if you have to cry, go outside.

"If I could wish anything for you, it would be that you could accomplish in one year what it's taken me forty-four to figure out. The world needs you. It needs you to find and fearlessly manifest your true and powerful and authentic self, and it needs you to enjoy the pleasures that are here for the taking. "

-kelly cutrone, If You Have to Cry, Go Outside

I just (finally) finished the wonderful book that I picked up this summer, and I have to be honest, I loved it.

Kelly is known for her no-nonsense honesty in the fashion PR world, but most people probably recognize her from The Hills.

[she was Whitney Port's blunt boss at People's Revolution in L.A.]

[and if I'm not mistaken, people's rev. still represents Whitney's fashion/clothing line]

Regardless of if you've ever heard of her, I highly recommend her book. I just went out and bought her second book, Normal Gets You Nowhere, and I can't wait to start it.

I'm being serious when I tell you that my copy is more marked up than any textbook I've ever owned, and that's saying something.

I love how honest she is, and I, being that I'm about to begin my struggles in the working world, was the perfect audience for her job tips.

My favorite lessons from Kelly are as follows:

1)"Let's face it: being nice does not always remove obstacles, and in fact sometimes it creates them. You don't have to say anything you do not mean." p.79-80

2)"Detachment doesn't mean I'm trying less hard. It just means that fears and emotions that used to torment and paralyze me no longer have the same power over me." p.83

"But as you move through your career and your life, you will have to learn that if you're not what you do, then what you do has no business keeping you entertained [awake] at night." p. 84

3)"I had to get out of my own way...I was going to be fine." p.87

"If you ask yourself often enough, Is this the voice of God? the answer usually becomes obvious. A voice telling you that you suck, that you're not important, that you're heading toward impending doom of some kind or another, is probably not the voice of your soul, or the Divine, or the Goddess." p.90

4) "In an industry like fashion [and in life], people always behave badly all around you, but if you resolve to become a spiritual warrior, you learn to laugh and laugh, knowing that other people don't define you and that ultimately their behavior is just helping you work out your own [stuff]." p. 94

5) "It's time to figure out what you are selling and how you are going to make people want to buy it." p.130

"...consider your whole self..." p.130

"Your point of differentiation does not need to be edgy or groundbreaking; it just needs to be different, and it just needs to be you." p.131

"When you find something that feel right, concentrate on refining your skills and educating yourself about your chosen field." p.132

"This detour taught me that even when a career looks perfect to others or seems perfect on paper, it can still be totally wrong choice for you." p.133

[kelly's second book]

Finally, 6) "There will be days when, regardless of what you do and how much you love it, you'll be disgusted and/or exhausted by it.") p. 176

and in the end...

"Worldly success and divine transcendence are not mutually exclusive. Fame and success will not bring you happiness without a deeper knowledge of yourself and a connection to something greater than yourself."

p.187

*if you really wanna get a feel for what you're gonna get before you pick up the book.. check out a clip from her show: Kell on Earth

Stay-at-home career gal..?

"A girl should be two things:

classy and fabulous."

Coco Chanel

Some of you may know that it's one of my life's goals to be a famous blogger (much like The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond). Others of you may know that I would also like to, one day, write a book of some kind (also, think Ree Drummond).

About the fabulous, Mid-Western blogger above that I thought I'd never be able to find a replacement for.. she now has competition.

Stepping into the ring to battle it out for "Anna's Favorite Blogger" (a title I'm sure everyone's dying to claim...ha) against The Pioneer Woman is this lovely lady below, Maegan Tintari of LA. (both of these ladies have published books or books in the works)

She runs a successful daily blog that includes fashion, D.I.Y (my new obsession), and more. She is a beauty expert and style editor, and she even gives hair tutorials complete with instructional videos.

{anyone who you pin these shoes is a friend of mine}

Maegan's icing on the cake, if you will, was that she even has a special tab on her blog for her nails... I mean seriously, I think we're soul-mates.

Here are a few of my favorite of her nail masterpieces:

{and yes, I'm also freakishly obsessed with her pink, morganite, 3-carat wedding ring.. don't believe me, check out my subtle tribute to it on pinterest}

Okay, Okay.. there really isn't any comparison; it's like oranges and apples:

Pioneer Woman

-Rancher

-Country

-Food

-Entertainment

-Book

-Cowboy Husband

...Love Maegan

-LA/City

-Fashion

-NAILS

-Beauty

-Book

-Businessman hubby

Final Score = a tie to cater to the split personality of the only judge (me)

*Don't let me sway you... check the BOTH out and see the awesomeness for yourself.

*photos courtesy of ...lovemaegan.com