True Meaning of the Pink Ribbon

As September fades into October, pink ribbons are popping up everywhere. This simple pink ribbon symbolizes Breast Cancer Awareness, and October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. In the past few years, I have become involved with Lee National Denim Day and also Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Reading the stories of survivors and their struggles made this cause especially dear because these are someone’s mother, daughter, sister, grandmother or aunt. Until recently though, no one in my family had been diagnosed with breast cancer. This all changed about a month ago, when my only aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer. Even though I know all the statistics and the prevalence of breast cancer, I somehow thought my family was safe; however, breast cancer does not discriminate against race, age, or family lineage. It can happen to anyone, even men, which can be very scary.

Instead of focusing on the scary, I choose to believe there is a cure. I have to believe because I have a grandmother, a mother, an aunt, a female cousin, two sisters and four nieces. My aunt underwent a lumpectomy and received partial breast radiation. This is a new technology, which would most likely not be possible without the funding for breast cancer research. I am thankful for every dollar raised and every person who participates in the cause.

Next Friday, October 8 is Lee National Denim Day. I would love if you would donate to my aunt’s team. Her name is Susan, and I know it would mean a lot to her as well to me. In the span of a lifetime, it is almost impossible not to know someone effected by this disease. A small $5 donation can truly help bring a cure! You can follow the link Denim Day Team: Knutzen or go directly to denimday.com and search Knutzen.

Heat Wave

Since it is officially fall, it is only appropriate that Los Angeles now experiences record breaking heat! Being from Oklahoma, I am used to above 100-degree weather, but Los Angelenos don’t know how to handle it. At first I didn’t understand why people freak out about hot weather, until I went to go to sleep last night. My room was a toasty 88 degrees. Many apartment complexes, including my own, do not have central air conditioning because it normally cools off at night. This was not the case last night. It seems in the time I have lived in Los Angeles, I have experienced not only their coolest summer in years but also its hottest day to date. Evidentially I bring the heat extremes with me from the Midwest! Since my room never did cool off, I made a makeshift bed out of couch cushions right in front of the wall AC unit in my living room. While I may have not got the best night’s sleep, I give myself some props for making do with what I had. Tomorrow I will be buying myself a fan for my room, so I hopefully will not be sleeping on the floor again. 

Note: It hit 112 in downtown Los Angeles!

One Month

August 26, 2010, I moved into Brentwood apartment, marking one of the best days of my life. In the last month, I have experienced more “firsts” than I could have ever imagined. For the first time in my life, I have lived a mere four miles from the beach. It's motivating me to get into shape so I can just run there!

For the first time in my life, I experienced a fashion show for Fashion Night Out marking the kick off to fashion week in New York City. Here my roommate and I got a taste of something unexpected at a night dedicated to fashion- the Grilled Cheese Truck. This food truck serves up the most amazing, cheesy combinations. I only wish I would have thought to put macaroni and cheese on a cheddar grilled cheese sandwich first. 

For the first time in my life, I got to see a live VMA performance. My roommate and I drove over to downtown to check out the MTV Video Music Awards. We were hoping to get a glimpse of the “white” carpet but sadly couldn’t really see it. Deciding to make a trip worthwhile, we walked around soaking in the scene. Noticing a stage set up right outside the VMA’s, we stuck around to see if anyone we knew was performing. Whispers surrounded us that Justin Bieber would be performing here. While I have not caught the “Bieber Fever,” we stuck around to see if the rumors were true. Forty-five minutes later, we were surround by a hundred teenage girls pushing to get a glimpse of Justin Bieber. Lip-syncing suspicions aside, I’ll give it to the kid for having pretty good dance moves.

Needless to say a lot has happened in the last month. Everyday is an adventure, and everyday is full of new “firsts.”

Changing Seasons

While my birthday, September 22, marked the official first day of autumn in North America, today is the Autumn Equinox. If you didn’t know, the Autumn Equinox happens when the sun is in line with the equator causing equal parts day and night. Just one more fun fact, for the first time since 1991, autumn was welcome in with a full moon. If you missed it last night, the moon should still be almost full tonight.

Normally at the end of September the temperatures are cooling off into the 60s and 50s, but here in sunny Los Angeles the temperatures are rising. For the first time since I moved to Los Angeles, it is actually going to be in the 80s, which means only one thing- beach trip. I have always loved the beach. Something about the sand between my toes and the breeze coming off of the ocean instantly boosts my mood. So while I won’t be enjoying the changing colors of leaves, I will be getting extended use out of my bikinis.

End of my Golden Year

As my golden birthday year comes to a close, I'm left wishing I could stay 22 forever. So many great things happened during the past year. I spent the majority of my 22nd year enjoying my senior year at the University of Kansas. From football games to trips to the Sandbar, I soaked up the last of my college experience in total bliss. Did a little of that thing called studying too.

Now on the eve of my 23rd birthday, I'm thankful for the past year and the memories I'll try not to forget. The best part of my 22nd birthday will happen tonight. For the first time ever, I will get two extra hours of my birthday- since I live in LA now! While turning 23 frightens me, I'm excited for what the next year holds. If it is half as amazing as the last year, it will be one for the books.

Definition: Golden Birthday- When you turn the age of your date of birth. For example: I was born on the 22nd of September, which made my golden birthday 22.

The Art of Reading Scripts

A year ago I was on the fast track to living in downtown Chicago hopefully working at a public relations agency. Today I am living in Los Angeles, working for a movie and television producer. Funny how life doesn't always go as planned. Although I can't say I'm disappointed with change. A few days a week my life gets a glimpse of Hollywood. They don't exactly teach how to read and comment on a script in public relations classes, but my years of movie watching seem to have finally paid off. I read different genres engrossing myself into a horror film one day and a drama the next. Reading takes me out of reality into a different world described from the author. While I am not normally a horror fan, I find myself turning the pages nervous and excited to find out what is going to happen next. Writing summaries and expressing my opinion makes me feel like I somehow have a small influence on the film industry. Reading scripts truly combines two of my passions, leisure reading and creative writing. For right now, this is the perfect job for me, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

California Sandbag

California Sandbag also known as "cornhole" originated as a popular tailgating game in the Midwest. With a few tweaks this tradition has made its way to Santa Monica. This past weekend, I experienced my first California Sandbag tournament. My right arm got a work out as I attempted to throw bean bags onto a propped up board with a hole in the center approximately 20 feet away. Winning our first game, Lauren and I experienced some beginner's luck and advanced to the second round. Unfortunately our luck ran dry, and we lost our next two games by large margins. Even though we did not win, I am officially a fan of California Sandbag. It is a great way to hang out with people of all ages and from all different backgrounds.

New in Town

Three weeks ago from today I made the big move from Oklahoma to Los Angeles. I always talked about living near a beach, and now I actually do. My life has done a 360, and I absolutely love it. To make sure I don't forget a single minute, I decided to journal about my roommate and I's daily adventures. After a week of writing and pages filled in a journal, the twenty-first century won me over to the digital age. While I am a lover of all things technological, there is something special about the scrawl of a pen over clean, lined paper. I have tried blogging before but always burned out, but this time I actually have something to write about. In the last three weeks, I have experienced so many "firsts," making every day even better than the last.