Category Archives: Other

And a category, of course, for everything else. Thoughts, stuff to share, anything that doesn’t fit elsewhere.

Personal and Professional Development

Just Life, Other, ,

So the new job that I have is pretty much amazingly awesome and my dream job. (Well, anyone who knows me really really well – though maybe Josh is the only person who knows me this well – knows that my real dream job is to make fake food, like this stuff, but my current job is definitely right up there.) I feel so lucky to have landed such a great job so soon, and it really is great; I get to write, organize, help make an awesome product, and work with fantastic people.

Part of the awesomeness that is my new job is the Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers Workshop, one of the premier writing conferences for authors and illustrators of books for children and young adults. The members of the writing department at my work are going this summer, and I’m excited! Excited and nervous… Though I can’t wait to learn more about writing and how to be a better writer, I’m a little nervous because I’ve always just considered myself a writer “wanna-be.” What if I’m way lacking in skill and experience compared to the other workshop members? What if it’s humiliating? What if all the other writers laugh at me? What if … what if … what if? But I guess I can’t keep asking myself “what if?” If I don’t take a risk, how will I ever improve? So…here’s to personal and professional development and this coming summer’s conference! I’m looking forward to it, so wish me luck!

Fads in Our Lifetime

Other, ,

We like making lists, and a fun one that we recently came up with is a list of fads that we’ve seen in our lifetime. There are so many crazy things out there! We thought we’d share, and feel free to contribute others. Enjoy!

The Silver Lining

Just Life, Other, ,

I believe the difference between a good day and a bad day, between an awesome experience and an awful one, can all be in the way you look at it. Take our kitchen cabinets, for example. The house we’re renting (as we’ve discussed) is old, less-than-perfect, and quirky. When we first moved in and saw the kitchen cabinets, I thought, “Wow, they’re all white and made of metal. Taa-cky.” But then, one happy day, I was looking at our refrigerator, which is crowded with magnets and wedding announcements and cards from family, and then I looked at our cabinets…back at the refrigerator…back at the cabinets… “Hey!” I thought. “Those have potential!” And now (after a Christmas present from my sister of lots and lots of new magnets), I’ve turned our kitchen cabinets into more displays of cards, photographs, letters, and family love. Awesome!

So it’s all in the way you look at it, really. About finding the silver lining. Joshua and I were talking tonight, and we want to try to do that more often. Even when our lives are in flux, and we don’t know what changes with internships and jobs and such the next few months will bring, and life is scary and uncertain, we’ve decided we want to be better about looking for the silver lining.