My 3 New Year's Goals

Since this year is drawing to a close, I figured I would write a post about my goals for 2016. Everyone talks about their resolutions for a new year, but I find that term to be too easily forgotten. I think calling them goals makes for a definite result.

2015 has been a year of ups and downs for me, and I learned a lot (blog post possibly to come about my lessons from this year) and decided that I have three definitive goals for the coming year. Here they are.

Pst, yes that's me. This is from a NYE photoshoot at my work :) 

I recently came up with this goal in the last few weeks, and I think it encompasses my entire life. Towards the end of this year, I found myself becoming more bold than I had normally been and having it completely pay off in the end. A great example is my new job. My previous job wasn't challenging me at all, so I made the decision to start looking for a new one, and boy was that a fun time. It took me close to three months, but I finally found the perfect fit. I not only had a phone interview, I went to a career fair with the company, had another phone interview, a two and a half hour interview with top executives, and then they offered me the job. All of that could not have been possible if I wasn't bold in my desire for a new job. And let me tell you, it so paid off because I am madly in love with my new position. 

Being bold doesn't just apply to the job department though. In 2016, I want to be more bold in my relationships, which means not waiting, but just going for it if I feel it's right, in any relationship capacity. No fear. I need a little more spontaneity in my life. 

This second goal is something near and dear to my heart. My papu, Marx, passed away in March of 2014 and, while I had always planned to write something for him, his passing has made the desire even greater. In 2016, I will force myself to sit down at least a half hour a day and focus on the outline and writing of a children's book in his memory. 

I have the basic outline written down, I just need to hunker down and write it out. I also spoke with the graphic designer at my work and he sounded interested in drawing the illustrations for it, so that has me motivated to get started. I cannot wait to see what it turns out to be. I would love to go further into the plot of the book, but I've decided to wait until I've fleshed out the narrative more before I write anything on this blog. Stay tuned :) 

This is a big one for me. Lately, I've had pretty intense anxiety. Whether it's about a certain situation in my life, or just a small event, I tend to let myself get sucked into a black hole of worry and obsession. While this will be the hardest goal on my list, I truly need it the most. 

Anxiety is a beast, and sometimes it just needs the right method for relief. I have found certain ways to calm it, whether it's coloring, reading, writing, or taking my dog for a walk, but it always comes back. I find myself taking situations that don't necessarily have to be devastating, and twisting them in my mind until they are life-altering to me. It's completely irrational, and a part of me knows this, but it still feels so real. To someone who doesn't really experience this kind of anxiety, it's difficult to explain, but let's just say it's not a picnic. In 2016, I've decided to find a more effective way to calm my anxiety. Whether that means trying to talk to a therapist, or taking weekly yoga to ease my mind, or both. I need to put a pause on my mind and realize that there is so much to be grateful for in life, rather than constantly worry about. I have a lot going for me right now, so might as well be aware of it. 

Well, those are my New Year's goals, what are yours? 

Rambling Reads | Beautiful You

Over Thanksgiving break, I went on a magical journey to New York to visit my cousins, and for the eight hour plane ride (both ways) I ended up finishing the latest Chuck Palahniuk novel, Beautiful You. Here are my thoughts.

Palahniuk starts off this novel with a horrifying courtroom rape scene. I won't lie to you, I almost couldn't get through it, but I forced myself to push past those first few pages and I'm glad I did. All of Palahniuk's novels come with a specially-packaged message on society. Fight Club centered around materialism, Invisible Monsters focused on society's curse of unattainable beauty, and Survivor serves up a steaming pile of knowledge surrounding depression and cults.

In Beautiful You, sex and gender are the two main themes. Warning: This book is not for the faint of heart, or reader who's uncomfortable reading about sex, because dear god there is a lot of it. The main character, Penny Harrigan, is introduced as a normal, slightly boring twenty-something living in New York. This wannabe lawyer never truly pushed the boundaries of sex and eroticism, but all that changes when she meets C. Linus Maxwell, or as he likes to call himself, "Climax-Well." He is fascinated by her, and is constantly described as taking tedious notes in his little notebook, jotting down her every response and movement.

Once Penny and Maxwell begin their torrid affair, things take a turn for the experimental. Maxwell begins to test out hundreds of different sex toys on Penny, bringing her sexual experience to a whole other level. While it's a wild ride for Penny, she eventually yearns for any sense of love from Maxwell, but it's clear he's not capable of it.

Penny soon begins to realize she is part of something much larger than just experimenting with Maxwell, the highly attractive nerd. It turns out that Maxwell is using Penny as his last test subject for his line of feminine sex toys called Beautiful You. Once their relationship comes to an end, he releases the line and that's when the shit hits the fan. Penny watches as all the women of the world become consumed with desire for these glorious sex toys. She, and quite honestly the reader, becomes conflicted with the idea that women should have the complete right and feel empowered by pleasuring themselves and exploring their sexuality, and the evil plot Maxwell has for these women.

This book is full of twists and turns, like a regular Palahniuk, so I won't spoil them for you. Let's just say that it's a doozy. Personally, I found Beautiful You to be an extremely empowering novel for women. The narrative centered around the idea that women control most of society's capitalism and, with the help of sex toys, can become more powerful than the opposite sex. While it takes ideas about gender and sex to the extreme, Palahniuk gets straight to the point that masturbation involving women is still regarded as a taboo subject in our society, which I believe is why he goes entirely over the top with his descriptions of sexual encounters throughout the book. His purpose is to make you uncomfortable, and he does his job.

Lastly, my favorite part of the book was at the very end. Penny has conquered Maxwell and is able to control her own body, rather than have Maxwell controlling her. Feeling unsatisfied after the end of Beautiful You sex toys, Penny decides to use the last stimulator to give all women a complete sense of self worth and empowerment. She gives them the gift of appreciation for their own bodies. It was a wonderful moment to read for women, especially coming from a male author. Palahniuk successfully writes in the tone of a female, and champions for all women and their ability to love themselves.

Okay, so I might be slightly biased when it comes to Chuck, but I would suggest giving this book a read, if you are comfortable with reading about a good deal of sex. If not, I wouldn't really suggest any of Palahniuk's novels, honestly.

Have you read Beautiful You? What did you think? Tell me in the comments below!

6 Ways I Attempt To Deal With Anxiety

Having anxiety is never fun. I won't go so far to say that I'm constantly anxiety-ridden, but there are moments when I'm stuck in my head and can't find a way out. Recently, I was waiting to hear back about a fantastic potential job and every waking thought was consumed by self-doubt and anxiety on hearing back. Every day that passed, I analyzed why it was taking so long, when it all seriousness, I had no control over when they called me with any kind of news.

P.s. I got the job, but more on that later. 

It was in this chaotic few days that I learned what helps to ease my anxiety, so here are some of the things that work for me, maybe they'll work for you too!

Do some doodling

This activity is a fairly recent discovery for me. When I was at the peak of my anxiety last week waiting to hear back about this job, my cousin told me about adult coloring books. She told me they would help me with my anxiety, so I went on a quest to Michael's and found a gorgeous coloring book to doodle away in, I bought myself some colored pencils, because I'm 24, I have no colored pencils lying around. When I got home, I started coloring and man does that shit work. It's like a form of meditation because the illustrations in the book are so detailed and intricate, you really aren't focusing on anything but what you're coloring. I would suggest coloring books to anyone who is searching for a way to quiet their mind for a little bit. Plus, it's just fun. 

Here is my first masterpiece: 

Watch your favorite TV show/movie

Yes, this may seem like an easy one but it works wonders. It's the perfect distraction for my always-working brain and it gives you some laughs. My go-to shows are The Office and Friends, those two will forever brighten my mood and help me to laugh my anxiety off. 

Call your go-to person 

That person will always be my dad, he knows how to calm me down and put things in perspective so I don't completely go off the rails. However, that may not be the case for everyone. Your go-to person could be your mom, your sister, a best friend, or even a boyfriend. Or maybe your dog, who knows. Whenever you are feeling the anxiety start to overwhelm you, pick up the phone and call your person. I am so very grateful that I have my dad, who is probably one of the only people who understands my anxiety, to talk to when I'm stressed. Not everyone has that person, and it's so important to be thankful if you have that person in your life who will pick up the phone at 2 in the morning just to talk. 

Chill with your pet 

According to WebMD (aka my homepage because I'm convinced I have about 10 different illnesses) having a pet is a serious stress soother. Just petting your cat, dog, bunny, bird, or whatever animal you choose to imprint on for life, can not only lower your blood pressure, it helps your body to release a relaxation hormone, and cuts down on levels of a stress hormone. It helps even more when you hug your dog super tight and force him to cuddle with you...nope, sorry that's just me and my dog.

I think I'm doing it wrong. 

Listen to your favorite playlist

Whether you use Spotify, Pandora, ITunes, Apple Music, or you go old school and just buy CD's, music is a huge stress reducer. Personally, listening to a folksy playlist with some The Civil Wars, The Weepies, and more recently Matt Corby, calms my nerves and really puts me in a dreamy mood.

Here's one of my favorite folksy playlists, The New Retro: 

Breathe

Just breathe and realize that everything will be okay. I know, it's really easy to just say that, but to believe it is another thing. A little while back, I started up yoga and I absolutely loved it. Focusing on breathing did wonders for my mood and mindset in life. To this day, when I'm extremely anxious or stressed out, I stop what I'm doing and take three seriously deep breaths and focus only on my breathing, and I open my eyes and my anxiety is lessened. While this may not work for everyone, it's definitely something you should try, you never know if it could.

So, those are my go-to stress smoothers, what are yours? 

The 5 Greatest Halloween TV Episodes

Halloween is quickly approaching, so it's time to reveal my all time favorite Halloween TV episodes. These aren't ranked in any type of order because having to decide which episode is #1 gives me too much anxiety. Let's do this!

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: "Halloween" 

While there are several classic Halloween episodes of Buffy, I think the second season's is the best. In this episode, Buffy and the Scooby gang are all forced to take the neighborhood kids trick or treating by the Principal, but the night has other plans for them. Ethan Rayne, the douchebag of chaos, comes into town and takes over the costume shop, magically turning everyone's Halloween costumes real. Hilarity ensues with Xander becoming a real Army dude, Willow turning into a ghost, and Buffy transforming into a noblewoman. This is the first we see that Ethan Rayne is actually the old friend/enemy of Giles, and he takes him down in good ol' Ripper fashion. 

Bonus: My absolute favorite part of this episode is when Willow, who was self-conscious about her costume so she wore a ghost sheet over it, abandons her sheet and her fear, and walks down the street in her revealing outfit. It's then that Oz, or the adorable Seth Green, sees Willow for the first time and utters, "Who is that girl?" Swoon. 

Boy Meets World: "And Then There Was Shawn" 

  

It's not Halloween until you've watched the Halloween episode of Boy Meets World. Quite possibly one of the greatest Halloween episodes, it revolves around all of the BMW squad having detention together....or so they thought. It's really just an entire episode mocking all of the popular 90's scary movies like Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer. Jennifer Love Hewitt even makes a cameo. I don't know that I'll ever get over seeing Mr. Feeny murdered, but watching Cory, Shawn, and the gang run around the high school hallways does make it a tad easier. 

Parks and Recreation: "Meet N' Greet" 

In this Halloween episode, April and Andy throw their first Halloween party and it's quite the rager. I hope my Halloween party will be as cool as theirs. One can dream. April dresses up as a deflated sumo wrestler (awesome) and poor Ben learns to express his annoyance with the fact that April and Andy never asked him about throwing the party in the first place. 

The Office: "Costume Contest" 

I'm probably biased because I love this show way too much, but this season seven episode takes the cake. Pam gets everyone all excited for the prize of the costume contest, a gigantic coupon book. Everyone dressed up in their best costumes, except for Jim. He's usually not the type to dress up, but at the end of this episode, he dresses up as Pop Eye for Pam and their daughter, like the adorable character he is. 

How I Met Your Mother: "The Slutty Pumpkin" 

This show has some impressive holiday episodes, and Halloween is one of the best. In the first season of How I Met Your Mother, Ted goes on yet another quest to find a long-lost lover. This one happens to be the "slutty pumpkin," aka the girl dressed as a slutty pumpkin at the rooftop Halloween party. Apparently, Ted looks for her every year since he met her, and blames Lily for throwing away the candy wrapper that she wrote her number on. Get it together, Lily. 

So, those are a few of my favorite Halloween episodes! What are yours? Tell me in the comments below! 

Rambling Reads | Dorothy Must Die

It's been awhile since I've done a Rambling Reads review because I haven't been able to actually finish my book in so long. Life, man.

However, I managed to finish my latest read, Dorothy Must Die, this past weekend and here are my thoughts.

Dorothy Must Die tells a much different story than the traditional Wizard of Oz tale. While I'm usually a huge fan of fairytale retellings, this one wasn't my favorite. It's almost like Danielle Paige, the author of the novel, did too good a job writing the book in the perspective of a teenage girl because I wanted to pull my hair out like 80% of the time while reading.

The tone of the book is immature and Amy, the main protagonist, isn't a character you are rooting for. By the end of the story, I could have cared less if she defeated Dorothy or the Cowardly Lion bit her head off. Too much of the story was centered around Amy's all-too-quick infatuation with Nox, one of the witches in The Order, a mysterious group of Wicked witches trying to revolt against Dorothy. More adventure, less googly eyes. A young adult series that does a fantastic job of creating an empowering, young female protagonist is Cinder. This story is a twist of several different fairytales, and takes you on a journey of action, adventure, and the appropriate amount of romance.

Now, don't get me wrong, there were a few redeeming qualities of Dorothy Must Die. I did somewhat enjoy the twist of the traditional story. The book goes that Amy, a lonely girl from Kansas, is swept up in her motor home to the land of Oz. Upon her arrival, she finds that Oz is nothing like the storybooks say. The reason for this sad, depressing version of Oz is Dorothy. She isn't the sweet, innocent girl everyone talks about apparently. In this tale, Dorothy returns to Oz because she can't handle the boring, non-magical world of Kansas. Oz makes her a princess when she returns, and everything goes downhill from there.

She takes over Oz and magic consumes her. She sucks all the magic dry, making Oz a wasteland. Enter Amy. This annoying, immature, and relatively selfish young girl will be your hero for the next 500 pages. Enjoy. I would have to say that the only scene in the book I genuinely connected to was when Amy uses a magic mirror to see her mother in Kansas. She finds her attending an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting and telling a friend she wished her daughter were here to see her now. Amy then goes on to think how much she misses her mother and how proud she is of the change she has made. However, she also is angered by the fact that it took her leaving for her mother to get help, and I found that reaction to be extremely real.

There are so, so many young adult books that revolve around retelling traditional folklore and fairytales that sometimes you can find a dud. This is the case with Dorothy Must Die. I can't say I'll run to the bookstore and look for the next book in this series. Sorry Danielle Paige.

Well, that's my take on Dorothy Must Die, what was yours? Did you enjoy the book? Let me know in the comments. 

#WhyIWrite

Today is National Day on Writing, and to celebrate, the New York Times, along with the National Council of Teachers of English, and the National Writing Project, have teamed up to create the hashtag, #WhyIWrite.

Inspired by a classic essay by the infamous George Orwell, this hashtag has been around since back in 2011, and it's been going strong. The New York Times attempted to live-blog the trending hashtag, but it was so successful that they couldn't keep up. Thousands of timeless authors, and unknown creative authors, participated and inspired us all to keep our creative juices flowing.

The #WhyIWrite hashtag can really be anything. You can post your thoughts, ideas, work, memories, photos, or videos to join the conversation. It's just a fantastic way to express your admiration for writing.

Personally, I think this is an inspiring thing for Twitter to do. Most of the time, I sign onto Twitter and I'm instantly bombarded with meaningless hashtags and entirely too enthusiastic One Direction fans, but this means something. Writing can be a way for so many people to express their innermost fears, joys, and even feelings they are afraid to talk about. It's an incredibly cathartic experience to write out one's emotions, and it's a big reason I enjoy it so much. In the spirit of this National Day of Writing, I'll give a few reasons #WhyIWrite.

Sometimes, that can be extremely difficult. I have always been the kind of person that enjoys sharing my memories and life stories with people, so I've personally never found it very hard to write down my experiences. However, expressing a specific emotion or feeling can be tricky. Usually, I only write when I'm feeling an emotion pretty intensely. Writing isn't something I can just do with the drop of a hat. I've found that my ability to feel very deeply is because I love to write. It's been a thorn in my side in life, but in writing it only gives me the advantage. To feel deeply makes you an easy target, but when I'm writing it makes for a wonderfully cathartic journey. I can start out feeling an overwhelming amount of sadness, and the words will ooze out of my fingertips, and onto the page, making them raw, real, and no longer my burden. What can I say, it's cheaper than therapy.

I also write to pick myself up, which is similar to what I wrote above, but it's important to realize that it's okay to cry shit out. Whenever I'm having a terrible day. I go to my laptop, open up a blank Word document, and just type. It doesn't really matter what I'm writing, just the action of writing is soothing, and emotional for me. Sometimes you just gotta cry onto your laptop (or journal) while you listen to The Civil Wars. It allows you to have the feeling and then move on from it. I've always been a firm believer in owning your emotions and moving past them.

Being a human being can be hard. Especially when we have to do it every day. We are constantly comparing ourselves to others and living in our minds. I know I do. I don't think my brain is capable of a mute button. Believe me, I've tried. Writing helps me focus my disconnected thoughts, and it also gives me motivation to try and connect with other people. When I write, I'm writing for myself but also in the hope that maybe just one person reads just one sentence, stops for a second, and thinks, "I know that feeling." Because really, we all want that connection. We may not admit it, but it's something every person is craving.

My Papu, Greek for grandfather, was always my cheerleader in my writing. Every Christmas, he would only ask for all the copies of everything I had written that year and every year I would make him a little book, and he would sit next to the tree and read it. While I always wanted to honor him, it was his passing away last March that truly motivates me to honor his life and his influence on mine. I have a goal for next year to write a children's book about him. It's a comforting feeling to know that by writing about the people you have lost, they are still alive.

This is probably the most important reason. I write for myself, no one else. I have very much learned, from years in college and creative writing classes, that people aren't always going to like what you write. They can actually really hate it. But guess what? Doesn't matter. You didn't write it for them. Own your words and no one can hurt you. This ideology comes from years of writing groups and coming home from class crying because some latte drinking chick in a beanie and glasses told you the story you wrote about your grandparents is "too cliche." You gotta go through those moments to get the thick skin I've developed in my writing. Everyone feels it, and they live to tell the tale. It will make you stronger, and a better writer.

Well, those are the reasons I write. I want to hear your #WhyIWrite! Leave them in the comments below, or write your own blog post!

6 Life Lessons Friends Taught Me

Since it's the 21st anniversary of Friends, the greatest TV show ever created, I thought I would write about what each "Friend" has taught me about life.

Monica Geller

Monica taught me to let your freak flag fly. Although she is my least favorite character, Monica doesn't apologize for being herself. She is highly obsessive, uptight, and incredibly high maintenance but she allows her closest friends to see her true self, so they are able to all laugh it off. Also, she tells it like it is. She doesn't sugar coat things for her friends and forces them to see what they may not want to at the time. Monica does this many, many times for Rachel and her countless moments of weakness with Ross. 

Rachel Green

Rachel taught me that you can make mistakes when you're young, but learn from them. When we first meet Rachel Green, she is a runaway bride. Although she was raised with Prada and yachts, Rachel learns the hard way about becoming an adult and working for her money. Whenever I'm feeling down about not having enough money or seeing my bank account cleaned out by rent or student loans, I just think, "If Rachel Green can do it, so can I." 

Phoebe Buffay

Phoebe Buffay: Buried Alive. Phoebe taught me that it's perfectly fine to be weird. And to be yourself. Most of the time, you have no clue what she's actually talking about, but you love her anyways because she is so authentic. She also taught me to fiercely love my friends, because Phoebe's family is so chaotic that she considers her friends to be family. 

Joey Tribbiani 

Joey taught me quite possibly the greatest lesson of all: not to share my food. Well that, and he taught me heart. Although Joey wasn't the smartest crayon in the box, he had more heart than any of the other five friends combined. You could clearly see from any episode that if one of them truly needed him, he would come running. It was also heartwarming to see Joey step up to the plate when Rachel was his pregnant roommate for a tiny bit. 

Ross Geller

Ross taught me that even though life gets you down, you have to pick yourself back up. His character is very much known for having trials and tribulations, with his Eeyore-like "Hi.." revealing to the audience when he was really down and out. But, through all of his divorces and breakups, Ross still managed to find the positive, and the funny. 

Chandler Bing

My all-time favorite character obviously taught me to find the humor in life. Delivering some of my most quotable one-liners, Chandler Bing is the epitome of funny. Although he is all jokes, Chandler also taught me that humor can come from love. Throughout all ten seasons of the show, Chandler's wise-cracks all came from a place of pure love and admiration for his friends. Sometimes, he would even make jokes because he knew they were going through something tough, like the episode right after Ross and Rachel break up for the first time. Chandler is overflowing with jokes during the whole episode, which is clearly an attempt to distract his friends from the fact that this happy union has come to an end. If Joey is the heart of "Friends," Chandler is the well-meaning funny bone. 

Happy 21st anniversary to a wonderfully funny show with characters filled with heart and friendship! Who is your favorite friend and what did they teach you about life? 

5 of the Most Magical Roald Dahl Movie Adaptations

Happy Roald Dahl Day! Not only is this a day to celebrate one of the most inspirational children's authors that ever lived, but it's a day to honor his creative work in literature and adaptations into film. I may be biased because I'm obsessed with everything involving this man, but here are a few of my favorite film adaptations from this wonderful fella.

Fantastic Mr. Fox

Directed by Wes Anderson, Fantastic Mr. Fox has a funky vibe with loads of sarcasm, so it's just great. It keeps relatively close to the original plot of the novel, with Fox and his wife living under a dangerous tree near a farm. Their son, Ash, is an adorable ball of emotions, and his new pal Kristofferson makes his sullen personality shine. I always loved this rebellious, snarky tale of Fox taking on the man, which was the Berk's Squab Farm, and George Clooney does a flawless job bringing Fox's personality to life. There are other Wes Anderson regulars who lend their voices to different characters in the film, with Bill Murray voicing Badger, Josh Schwartzman as Ash, Owen Wilson as Coach Skip, and Wes Anderson even plays the part of Stan Weasel. If you loved Dahl's book, you will get a kick out of this adaptation. 

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory

If you haven't seen this movie, you never had a childhood. That's right, I said it. Roald Dahl's Charlie & the Chocolate Factory is a classic story of a young boy whose dreams of touring a mansion filled with candy, chocolate, and small, yet judgmental men were answered in a golden ticket. While there was a more recent adaptation done with Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka, I much prefer this version. Gene Wilder is Willy Wonka. The actor is the embodiment of the inner child that is Wonka's character. Don't lie, that tunnel scene gave you nightmares. 

Matilda

This movie is everything. Being a 90's child, I clearly associate it with my childhood. When reading this book, and then watching the movie, I felt such a connection to Matilda. She's a young girl who is bold and doesn't care what people think of her. Her family looks down on her for her love of books, but she continues to learn anyway. Dahl taught all young children that reading can not only be an escape, but can bring people together. The classic book and movie was recently adapted into a play, which I would die to see. Last, but certainly not least, Trunchbull is the worst. 

James and the Giant Peach

Although this movie has a sullen tone, the songs get stuck right into your head and the characters are lively. I absolutely love that this adaptation starts out live action, and when James eats the peach, the world is magically transformed into animation. Also, all of the bugs from the beginning part of the movie have come alive and are living inside the giant peach with James. It's a wonderful tale of adventure and friendship, and how important love is over violence or greed. 

The Witches 

By far one of the strangest books, and adaptations from Dahl, but it's a movie you'll never not watch when it's on TV. Anjelica Huston slays as the Grand High Witch, leading her gaggle of cackling witches in a quaint little English town. My all time favorite part of the book is when Luke, the main character, sneaks into the witch's meeting and sees that all of the things his grandmother told him about witches are true. Slowly but surely, we see the witches go from beautiful women to disgusting witches. They take off their wigs, and shoes, which reveal the true nature of their feet: completely square. While it's an incredibly silly scene, I always loved how imaginative Dahl was in terms of the witches, and how Luke's grandmother was right all along. 

Happy Roald Dahl Day! Be sure to celebrate this magical author's work by either reading his tales or watching any of these great adaptations! What's your favorite adaptation? 

My Favorite Quotes about Reading

Today is International Literacy Day! It's so, so important that children all over the world still know the joy and magic of reading, and I'm inspired by these quotes on a daily basis. Reading is sexy, after all.

Frederick Douglass is the embodiment of this quote. During the time of slavery, being a literate slave was unheard of. Douglass learned to read by copying bible verses and hearing sermons recited out loud. We don't appreciate the ability to read until we realize how precious it can be to others.

I may want this tattooed on my body at some point, because it's one of the more beautiful quotes ever said, in my humble opinion. Personally, reading is a constant gift and starting a new book is like Christmas.

Reading can also be an escape for so many people. If you are stressed from a long day at work, dealing with family, or relationship, drama, just crack open a book and get away from it all. Go ahead, take yourself to another world filled with wise-cracking centaurs, or loyal hobbits.

Nothing scares me more than my mind deteriorating. I'll be reading until my last day on this earth, you can count on that. My Yaya (or my grandmother, for the non-Greek folks,) is past 80 and she still reads her usual murder mystery novels. It's a tradition near and dear to my heart to visit her and just sit in silence and read a good book. She has dementia, so it's nice to have memories with her right now.

This one doesn't need too much explanation because Roald Dahl is the king of children's literacy. In his time, he urged parents to throw away their TV sets and head towards their bookcases instead. Dahl was ahead of his time in knowing the true importance of children and literacy.

J.K., I love you girl. Speaking personally, bedtime stories are part of the reason I love to read so much as an adult. My mom bought me countless books as a child, and I lived for bedtime so I could choose my adventure before falling asleep. It's something every child should get to experience.

So let's hear it, what's your favorite book and how did it inspire you to read more?

This is Erica (As Told By Friends & Family)

My awesome ginger friend, Morgan, gave me some inspiration for my latest blog post! She created an introduction to herself by having her friends and families write about her! I decided to do the same, and totally did not force my family and close friends to write an introduction about me. 

So, here we go. Get a little glance into the silliness that is Erica as told by my family and friends: 

Morgan, my blogger (and fellow ging) friend: This is Erica. She's a totally rad red-headed land mermaid who would marry an avocado if it were a man. She loves her furry son, Gus, and he loves her back because she's awesome. Obviously.

Lauren, my super rad friend: This is Erica... she's a dedicated dog mommy who has an unnatural obsession with Avocados and burritos, but it's ok because she posts hilarious memes about it, which I thoroughly enjoy. She can hold a great conversation and loves her some Harry Potter!

Alison, one of my best friends: This is Erica...she is the best at taking awkwardly adorable photos with her dad (and friends too!), she is on point with hilarious and sarcastic gifs, she could probably start a food blog with all the food porn pics she posts and she is going to marry Rupert Grint one day and have ginger babies...which would make me very very happy.

Kara, quite possibly the sweetest human alive: This is Erica...she is well-versed in sarcasm and often provides hilarious one-liner-zingers to my ridiculous social media posts, which I quite literally laugh-out-loud to upon reading. She is insanely supportive, so if I am having a bad self-esteem day, I should probably hit her up because she certainly knows how to cheer a girl up. Erica is a fellow romantic and is still waiting to know if my boyfriend's brothers are recently single...I'm working on it. She is a fellow-lover of folk music, avocados, and dogs. So I think that automatically makes her trustworthy and a good human.

Christina, a genuinely beautiful person:

Accepting of everyone and everything 
Ridiculously hilarious 
Inspirationally intelligent 

Clever 
Above all else, one of the most genuine people that has graced earth 

What does it spell?! ERICA! Erica is one of those people that you wish you were friends with since birth. From blogger, dog lover, great daughter and sister, book worm and everyday ginger pride leader. This lady has got it all.

I realize this is a different format than "This is Erica.." but I don't care. It's adorable. 

Eilene, a fellow nerd and fierce individual: This is Miss Erica: has such shiny orange wavy hair, you would think she's a Disney princess.  She has a PHD in Harry Potter, along with a masters degree in Rupert Grint and a bachelors degree in Comic-Con Hall H Panels. What can't this woman do?  She's sweet, kind but also she's FIRE so be careful.

Erica. 

We can't replace that. We need her on this earth. We need Erica's (red headed) energy. 

Thank you for your presence. You're like, omg cool.

My wonderful mother: This is Erica, my baby girl that has the biggest heart I have ever seen. She is a lover of words, animals and authors. Wears her heart right out there in the open. She is beautiful and bright, full of life's light. I am so proud to be her Mom. She is my red headed lioness, strong, beautiful , smart and growing into a wonderful women!

Mom, STAHP. 

Katelyn, the best friend a girl can have: This is Erica...she is someone that you cannot forget, and someone that will not forget about you. A vibrant personality just seems to radiate from those fiery locks. Once you're friends with this living, breathing ray of sunshine, be thankful, because she'll always be there for you. Like the sun, she will always come back around to check in on you, to say hey, and it will always feel like you haven't been apart for more than a single day. Even if you've been apart for six years.

I think I got quite the response for this post. To be honest, I started crying halfway through writing this post because I feel so lucky to have these people in my life. 

From these introductions, it's very clear that I love dogs, avocados, and being ginger. Those are just the trifecta. It's so nice to know there are people who truly appreciate you for exactly who you are. Nothing more, nothing less.

This post was more sentimental, but I promise to write something way more interesting for my next post. I'm thinking it will be Frankenstein themed because I just finished the COOLEST Frankenstein graphic novel by Gris Grimly. It's gunna be good, guys. Don't miss it. 

Lastly, thank you to all my friends and family who took time out of their day to write something for this post. You all mean so much to me and I love you dearly. 

6 Totally Kickass Female Authors

Today is Women's Equality Day, so let's rightfully celebrate some of the most badass female authors to ever take pen to paper.

Mary Shelley 

The author of one of my favorite novels of all time, Mary Shelley was a pioneer in her time. Her mother was Mary Wollstonecraft, the author of The Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792) and is often considered to be the first feminist. Her husband, Percy Bysshe Shelley, was one of the major English Romantic poets, but Mary totally overshadowed him by writing Frankenstein. She started writing the novel when she was just 19 years old. When I was 19, my greatest accomplishment was marathoning all of The Office in a week. 

Her novel influenced popular culture for at least a hundred years, with several adaptations of Frankenstein such as Tim Burton's Frankenweenie, and the newest adaptation coming to theaters, Victor Frankenstein. It's said that the plot for Frankenstein came to Mary in a dream about a scientist who created a monster, and Shelley is normally credited as writing the very first science fiction novel, so you're welcome Doctor Who fans. 

Gillian Flynn

I wanted to shake it up a little bit with this list because there are just so many worthy women authors from every generation, and Gillian Flynn is one of those ladies. She wrote the uber popular Gone Girl, which tells the story of a crazed, yet brilliant wife who leads her husband on a wild goose chase that only ends in a straight terrifying way. 

Flynn began as an Entertainment Weekly reporter and TV critic before making her way into mystery novels, so she has the haunting ability to delve deep into the media aspect of Gone Girl and Dark Places. I've read both, and had to have a pillow right next to my face throughout the book, just so I could either scream or hide from how beautifully disgusting the writing is. 

Dark Places is officially gracing movie theaters! I personally cannot wait to see how the adaptation into movies goes for that complicated novel. Although I'm not a huge fan of Charlize Theron as the main character, the rest of the cast looks perfect. 

Toni Morrison

This talented woman came into my life in the form of a college literature class. We were assigned to read Beloved, one of her classics. I didn't know what I was getting myself into, but by the end of the book, I was crying. Morrison's ability to strike deep into the hearts of her readers is flawless. Her characters are broken, damaged and gorgeous. 

Morrison herself is a force to be reckoned with. She was the first African-American woman to win a Nobel Peace Prize in Literature in 1993, and attended Cornell University for her Masters. In 1988, she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Beloved. 

Anne Rice

I've always been a fangirl of Rice's work, so it's obvious that I would add her to my list of favorite women authors. Ann Rice has written so many powerful novels in the fantasy world. In my humble opinion, she dominates the vampire genre. When I think of vampires, Twilight certainly doesn't come to mind. The Vampire Lestat does though. 

I have a personal love for Rice's work because she actually attended the same college as me, San Francisco State University. Even better, the first publication of Interview with the Vampire was published in SFSU's Fourteen Hills, one of the literary magazines on campus. 

J.K. Rowling

Where do I even start with this magical woman? She started from the bottom and now look where she is. Her story is truly one of inspiration and dedication to the craft of writing. Sometimes it still blows my mind that an entire universe was just hanging out in her mind. Not only is she one of the reasons I truly believe in the magic of writing, she gave so much love to gingers. Weasley family, represent. 

Maya Angelou 

This graceful woman has some of the most quoted, and most lyrical, poetry ever written. She also had quite the wild life. Her real name was Marguerite Johnson. After divorcing her first husband in 1954, she started a nightclub career in San Francisco and dropped her birth name, taking on the name Maya Angelou. Get it, girl. 

She had a rough journey in life, being sexually abused at just eight years old by her mother's boyfriend. The man was arrested, but only spent one day in jail for his crime. Four days after his release, he was found dead. It's rumored that Angelou's uncle sought revenge. 

Angelou went on to drop out of high school in order to work and become San Francisco's first African-American cable car conductor. She later went back to high school and graduated while pregnant. She partnered with Malcolm X in 1964 at the height of the Civil Rights Movement, and helped expand his Organization of Agro-American Unity, moved back to Africa to discover her roots, and was a Calypso singer and dancer. She also wrote Hallmark greeting cards and cookbooks. To put it shortly, she got shit done. Angelou's life story has always been incredibly inspiring to me. She put her full self out into the world, and didn't really care if you liked it or not. 

Well, those are my six totally kickass female authors! Believe me, I know there are so, so many more beautiful book babes that could be on this list, but that would be the longest blog post known to women. Who are your favorite female authors?

5 Elegant Elephants From Your Childhood

Today is World Elephant Day, and what better way to celebrate than to remember all the priceless elephants from our childhood? Whether it be from a book, or a movie, there are so many adorable pachyderms to choose from.

Babar

Who didn't LOVE Babar?! This fictional elephant prince was created by a French children's book author, Jean de Brunhoff, in 1931, and I'll admit, this is the way I'll always remember elephants as a child. Brunhoff wrote about them with such beauty and grace. The actual story of Babar is quite tragic. His mother is shot by a hunter and he flees the jungle only to find himself in the big city. That's when he is befriended by The Old Lady, and the adventures only grow from there. He later goes on to be King of the Elephants and marries his second cousin, Celeste. They're elephants, guys. 

Horton

We know him. we love him. It's Horton, from Horton Hears a Who by Dr. Seuss. Written by Dr. Seuss in 1954, it tells the story of Horton, an honest and overly eager elephant who suddenly hears a small speck of dust speaking to him, Turns out the small speck of dust isn't dust at all, it's a tiny little town called Whoville, and the Mayor of Whoville is the one talking to him. The Mayor asks Horton to protect them from harm, and Horton gladly does so, saying "a person's a person, no matter how small." I always adored Horton's character for his passion and acceptance of his new friends without even being able to see them. This is such a classic, and if you haven't read it, I don't think we can be friends. Kidding, just read it. 

Tantor

Although Tantor is originally from the novel Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs, I'm going to talk about the movie Tantor, because this elephant was my entire childhood. Tantor is technically a generic name for elephants in the fictional language of the great apes in the novel Tarzan. In the book, as well as the movie, this particular Tantor befriends Tarzan in his youth. The neurotic pachyderm spoke to me as a small child, with scenes of him dipping his toe in the water and asking his mom if it was sanitary. This elephant is me as a 24-year-old. Once Tantor grows up, he doesn't quite realize he is a gigantic elephant, which just makes him even better. He lets Terk step all over him, but when Tarzan is in danger, he gets shit done. 

Dumbo

This annoyingly cute elephant is the main character of the Disney movie Dumbo that came out in 1941. The poor guy was born with crazy big ears, and constantly gets picked on because of it. Too bad he can fly. This story tells the always awesome message to kids that it's okay to be different. Good work, Disney. 

Heffalumps

I don't know about you guys, but when I think of elephants, I go straight to heffalumps and woozels. That's normal right? These critters are part of Tigger's stories, which eventually turned into shape-shifting elephant-goblin hybrids that haunted Winnie the Pooh's dreams. Fun stuff. They're super weird and a little bit creepy, but I get real nostalgic when I see them. The cartoon drawings of heffalumps are similar to the Pink Elephants on Parade from Dumbo. 

Those are some of my favorite elephants from literature and movies! What are your favorites? 

What I've Learned in My 20's So Far

It's been awhile since I've posted anything, so I figured I would do something more personal. I've been wanting to do another book review, but I can't seem to get far enough into my current book. Isn't that the worst? Nothing makes me more annoyed.

Since moving out of my mom's house this past April and being thrust directly into the belly of the beast that is adulthood, I've realized I have some wisdom to share. Just in case any of you guys needed some help straightening up the chaos of your lives. Because I'm so put together, HA. Alright, alright, let's get to the nitty gritty.

Now, this is something I've really had to work on. Merely a few years ago, I would not have considered myself a very compassionate person. However, it was getting laid off from my previous job that forced me to realize my life could use a little more sensitivity. At my previous job, I was laid off when I was just starting to feel really confident about my abilities in my position, so it was a real punch in the gut for me. When my bosses brought me in to do the deed, there were some tears, on both sides, and at the time I was only really able to see things from my own perspective. I was really devastated and freaked out about not having a job anymore.

It wasn't until I had a new job that I looked back on the meeting and realized something. I now feel more compassion towards my previous bosses because, let's face it, that's not something people enjoy doing. Also, the company as a whole was experiencing money issues, so it only got worse after I was gone, so it was a blessing in disguise, really. But there was a moment towards the end of the meeting where one of my bosses said, "I'm really so sorry, this is really unfair." And it was then that I thought, I feel for her. Not only did bringing some compassionate for others give me some peace of mind about the whole situation, it forced me to grow into a more sensitive human being. 

I cannot stress this enough. There have been several times, in the career of being in my 20's, that I've based my self-worth on others. If he likes me, then I'll like me better, or if he doesn't text me back, then obviously I'm not good enough. This is a common thing that girls do, and it's just wrong. Yes, I completely understand that texting can be a frustrating, pulling-out-your-hair kind of ordeal, but it doesn't have to tear down your self-worth. When it comes to feeling confident in yourself, it's not something that comes easily, but it's definitely worth the wait. Fall in love with yourself, and don't let anyone tell you you're not good enough. Ever. 

This is something I've learned much more recently. I'm referring to the dating world, boys and girls. Playing games is just a general annoyance of the dating world these days, and quite frankly, I'm not a fan. I never really have been. If you genuinely enjoy another person's company, i.e. their personality, humor, and yes even their looks, then SHOW THEM. It's all fun and dandy to text flirty things to each other, but what's the point when you could possibly have no clue where it's leading? If you know it's just something for fun, that's perfectly fine. At least you are aware of where you stand. There is absolutely nothing wrong with just having a good time until the right person shows up. Mr. Right Now could have a really sexy beard, or a hilariously convincing Sean Connery impression. If you know yourself well enough, and know you won't get too attached, then go for it. I can be a person that gets super attached to people, but I have to feel like it's genuine and goes both ways. So having fun is fine, until Mr. Right takes my hand and pulls me away from the rest of the crowd. That's my image of dating currently, could be wrong. Could be irrational. Who knows. 

This one was tough for me. A few months back, I had a really bad argument with my parents over money, which is just the worst thing to have to talk about with your parents. I won't get into details, but the whole thing really forced me to realize that I still have some growing up to do in the financial category, i.e. getting my own separate bank account, and I needed to realize my parents aren't always going to have the answers. Lastly, I've very much learned that it's crucial to pick your battles. Some things are not worth getting upset over. 

No, I don't have all the money in the world, but yes, it's okay to treat yourself every once in awhile. When the world feels like it's stabbing you in the back, it's perfectly acceptable to go to your favorite bookstore and buy a book, just for you. Or, buy that tote bag you've been eyeing online. It makes you feel a little better, and you can afford it, so go for it. Plus, there are plenty of other ways to treat yourself that don't involve money. Take a walk around your neighborhood, or go on a hike with your dog. Whenever I'm feeling a little down, I like to take my dog, Gussie, on field trips. He's a whiner, but he loves it, and so do I. It's knowing that you are capable of making yourself happy that counts. 

Recently, I've come to realize who is really worth it in my life. Normally, I'm a very intense friend. I come off a little strong, but it's because I just enjoy being in people's lives. But, it has to be mutual. They need to enjoy being in mine, and that's the key element I've discovered lately. I've had some negative experiences where old, close friends have let me down and bailed on the friendship completely, and I tend to think it's something I've done. But, it's not. And that's a huge realization as well. It's not something I did, it's something they are dealing with. If they truly wanted to be in my life, they would be. It's as simple as that. 

When you know who's worth sticking around for, it will be so easy to have a real, genuine friendship. By sticking around, I mean being there for 2am boyfriend drama texts, family issues, venting about work, planning a girl's night out when one of your friends is feeling down. I've always loved being there for other people, and it's definitely an emotional, and wonderful, feeling when they are there for you back. 

Well, those are my nuggets of wisdom from my experiences as a 24 year old so far. I wonder what 25 will bring? I challenge Morgan & Gina to write a blog post telling what they have learned from being in their 20's so far. I know you haven't been in your 20's for very long Morgan, but still, it's a fun idea!