Spring Break '98

Okay, so this weekend my aunt and uncle were SO incredibly kind and drove a moving van full of my sister's stuff all the way from Michigan so she and her bf can move into their new apartment, and sleep on something other than an aerobed. What I didn't know was that tucked in between the tupperware and towels was a secret timecapsule back to 1998. (Thanks Mom!)

My mom had sent boxes of goodies with my photo albums, my high school diploma, and secret photos from spring break with my high school girlfriends that I thought had been (or SHOULD have been) lost forever. There were also my baby books, and some other dusty artifacts from the early 80's that I got a good laugh out of. I thought you would too. So on this snowy Tuesday, let this blast from the past warm your soul, and make you want to get out your scrunchies and put your hair in a side pony. You're all welcome.

My first Christmas, back in 1985... look at that tinsel!

To Santa Clas.

Drawing I sent to Santa. See, I was an artist even at 5.

First grade. Check out that hot pink side pony!

Eighth grade. I can't believe I'm even sharing this. The photographer made me laugh mid-shot, okay?

LOM Day

Pajamas were the uniform of the day today. We stocked up on the essentials: pizza rolls, mozzarella sticks, cheetos, chicken nuggets, french fries, and ice cream. I know, I know... I'll start the diet next week, I swear. This was an emergency. It was LOM Day.

LOM Day (Lifetime Original Movie Day) is a sacred tradition in our family, and since my sister and I both had the day off, (and my little birdies will soon be fleeing my proverbial nest to get their own apartment) we molded custom butt crevices into the couch, donned our PJs and Snuggie slippers, and spent the day bringing justice to wife-killers, psychopathic stalkers and teenaged bullies.

The good people at Lifetime were kind enough to provide us with a superb lineup: "Total Stranger," "Rivals," and "Black Widower." We laughed, we cried, we threw empty pop bottles and crumpled bags of cheetos at the television.

These are the moments I have missed out on, not having lived in the same state as my sister for the past 5 years. And I have to say that it feels damn good to be able to do these things together again. My waistline is a little pissed, but I've nestled the perfect crator into my couch and I got to spend the perfect day with my sister.

First Day at Cosmo

I still, to this day, have never been as nervous in my life as I was on my first day working at Cosmo. Here I was, a midwestern girl with no fashion sense, working at one of the biggest magazines in the world. I don't know what I expected, really. I think I blacked out for the elevator ride up, so anxious I could die. I clutched my fake Prada bag (from a purse party, what what!) close to my side, suddenly realizing I was in the company of ladies who could sniff out my imposter. There was no time to fret, though, as the elevator doors opened to the front desk of the Cosmopolitan office.

It was like a fashion paradise. Girls in five-inch heels and designer summer dresses flitted through the lobby toting racks full of clothes I had only seen in, well, magazines. Hair perfectly done, bodies perfectly toned, I suddenly wondered what I was doing here.

I swallowed my fear and approached the girl behind the desk, telling her I was here to meet with Annie, it was my first day as an intern. She smiled pityingly and directed me to where Annie's cubicle was. She was a short, pretty Asian girl with perfect hair and an even more perfect wardrobe. She gave me the once over and began barking directions. I suddenly realized where the confusion from me even getting the job in the first place stemmed from; Annie was a ball of energy, all over the place, all the time. She pointed out the cubicle I would be sharing with my fellow interns, Jackie and Lindsey. I was thrilled to discover that despite my preconceived (and completely erroneous) imaginings about these girls, that they were INCREDIBLY sweet and very helpful. I couldn't believe my luck in being put to work with them, they made my summer SO much better.

A few hours into the day, we heard a loud CRASH then a blood curdling scream coming from near the water cooler. A girl dashed out of the room, Gucci shoes in hand, looking like she had just been through a tsunami. The water cooler lay tipped over on the ground, tears ran down her face, and girls gathered in a circle around her. "Oh my gosh! Are you okay??" Annie asked the clearly distraught girl. "Yes, I THINK so, but my vintage Guccis got all wet!" Gasps were audible through the crowd, as bystanders approached to assess the damage. I stood near the back, and a chuckle escaped my lips. A few heads turned toward me, laser beams shooting out of their eyes. I immediately pinched my lips together and forced a concerned expression, realizing quickly that the girl was not, in fact, kidding about being upset over the shoes. And in that instant, I also realized that my whole sarcastic world would be turned upside down in this strange reality that was Cosmo.

It's a strange feeling, when your dreams become reality. Like everything you ever wanted is being handed to you. It's like growing up all of your life with pictures of what the Disney Castle looks like, and then standing as a small girl staring up at it in wonderment. You realize that anything is possible, and that (some of) your expectations were far off from what you actually begin to experience, as the people around you are humanized. These girls were real, this job was real, and the people behind putting this larger-than-life publication together... were real.

Cosmo Days: First Trip to the City

Note: I figured I would get in my time machine and write a few posts about my days at Cosmo, just for kicks. I'll return to posting about K and the kitties soon! Enjoy :)

The weeks in between getting the job at Cosmo and the actual move are a total blur. I had to move out of my apartment at MSU, came home for maybe a week, then jumped in the car with my mom and stepdad to venture out to New York to my aunt and uncle's house, who so graciously agreed to let me stay with them while I worked in the city.

I remember bits and pieces of the ride out here. I remember listening to Alanis Morrisette and Mariah Carey on my iPod (don't judge!), trying not to think about how scared I was, and how sad I was to leave home. I am a big fat scaredy cat, contrary to how it might seem from this adventurous story, and I was TERRIFIED. I was also so excited I thought I might die. Who gets their dream job and moves to New York in a month??

My first trip down to the city was breathtaking. My uncle took the entire day off so we could map out my train ride and which subway routes I'd take to work every day. I worked at 57th and 7th; (which meant nothing to me at the time; now I excitedly point to the TV every time they show the Hearst Tower.) We walked around Central Park, and I still couldn't believe my eyes that I was actually in New York City. I mean, we had been down for trips when I was younger, but it was nothing like being thrown in with both feet and working down there ALONE.

On my first day, I woke up at 3:30am to catch the 4:15am train (my uncle would drop me off each day before he had to go to work.) I made sure to get a window seat; I wanted to see the Hudson on the ride down. I listened to my iPod and tried not to throw up from nervousness. The train took 1 hour and 41 minutes; and pulled into Grand Central Station. I was still SUPER early, but I had no idea where I was going and I was afraid to look stupid. So I took the S train, then the N train and finally got off on the corner right across from Carnagie Hall.

When I walked up those stairs onto the streets of New York, I was so overwhelmed I couldn't breathe. The woosh of hot air from the subway below met the cool summer air, and I was caught in a tornado of warmth. It matched my emotions. I didn't start for a few more hours, so I decided to get some coffee and breakfast since I had been up so early. I sat in that coffee shop, staring out the window watching people walk by for several hours. It was one of the most memorable experiences of my life. I felt so incredibly out of place, yet somehow I belonged there. I still couldn't believe it. I wasn't sure whether I would pass out or throw up from the excitement; I have still to this day never been as nervous as I was that day. And when I stood up to smooth my skirt and walk next door to my first day at Cosmo, I thought my heart was going to beat out of my chest.

Me? A Cosmo Girl?

In the spring of 2006, near the end of my senior year of college, I applied for an internship that I never thought I'd get. I came across the post on CreativeHotlist.com (an awesome source for creative jobs, my fellow designers) for an art intern at Cosmopolitan Magazine. At first I passed over it, thinking it was completely out of my league. When I came across it a second time, I had a "what the hell" moment (I'm convinced these are the best moments of your life, by the way) and I applied. I heard back from Annie a few weeks later for a phone interview, and she let me know that they would contact me. Months went by. I enjoyed the last frat parties and bar crawls of my senior year, and dove into working full-time at my other internship at an agency in Detroit.

I read the book "The Devil Wears Prada," and it reminded me that I had never heard from Annie. Dejected, I figured I hadn't gotten the job, but in a brave (maybe stupid) moment, I called her and left an awkward and erratic message to gain some closure that sounded something like this:

Hey Annie, we spoke a few weeks ago regarding the internship in the art department, and I am assuming you filled the position, but I just wanted to call to make sure. Thank you for your time.

I would never hear back from her. It had been months, and I was sure with her busy fancy job that she wouldn't bother to even let me know the position had been filled. My current internship drew very near its close, and I wondered what the hell I was going to do about finding a job.

My phone rang a few hours later, it was a 212 number. My heart dropped. Could it be? Hands shaking, I picked up the phone in my most professional-sounding, non-moronic voice. "Hi S, it's Annie from Cosmo. I just got your message, and wanted to give you a call back. You'll start in the beginning of May, do you have housing arrangements?" I stuttered for a moment, trying to process all that was occurring. Though I didn't want to sound like an idiot, I backed her up a bit. "Wait... did I... get the job?" I asked her, cringing at the sound of my own voice. "Um.. yes! Didn't we talk about that a few weeks ago?" OMG! I HAD GOTTEN THE JOB. IN NEW YORK CITY! It's every girl's dream. I was going to be working at one of the biggest fashion magazines in the world. I couldn't BELIEVE IT! I tried to calm myself down so I could answer her question without making her feel like a dope. "Wow! No, actually, I didn't know I had gotten it. I believe I can make arrangements; let me make a few calls and find out." "Okay, great," she said, sounding nonchalant. We ended the call, and I nearly dropped the phone. I couldn't believe it--I had gotten the job of my dreams. Now, to figure out how to move to New York and survive in the big city (and in the world of Cosmo) with my poor fashion sense and lack of experience...

From the Mitten State to New York

Well with everyone starting their own blog these days, I thought I'd jump on the virtual bandwagon. My story is one of growing up in the midwest, (with a pink gingham pillow shaped like a heart, hence the name of the blog.) I have a wonderfully dysfunctional family who have taught me the meaning of unconditional love. In college, I studied advertising and design, and once the time came to graduate and get a job, my Aunt and Uncle so kindly adopted me as their live-in niece so that I could work for Cosmopolitan Magazine down in Manhattan.

The story goes that I never intended to stay out here, grow roots, start a family. I came out for a summer internship down in the city, (I'll intermittently post fun adventures from that time in my life, they were pretty entertaining!) I had my plane ticket booked and paid for to return home at the end of my internship in August... and that was when I made the phone call to my Mom to tell her that I was staying out here. For good. My mom is a ball of emotions, God love her, so you can imagine how that conversation went.

I went through the trials and tribulations of finding my first jobs, making friends, dating a number of people who taught me a myriad of things about myself and people in general, until finally I met K, the man of my dreams, one night out in Saratoga at a friend's birthday party. He stood 6'6", with a large coffee stain on his short-sleeved, collared shirt, and I knew that we were a match made in Tide-to-go heaven.

So now here I am, living in upstate NY with my wonderful boyfriend and our crazy blended family of 3 cats (and also my sister, her boyfriend and her kitty too for the time being, since they are in the process of moving their lives out here as well.) I work from home full-time as an art director for an advertising agency, and I'm finding myself somewhere between the post-college years and the married-with-children years. It's a great time in my life, there are certainly ups and downs, and I thought I'd like to share some of my adventures (and rants) with you. Comments are welcome, thanks for reading my blog!




There's nothing better than kitty snuggles in the morning :)