Starting off the new year cocky.

I think I received the most cockiest yet super awesome gifts for journalism. I’d like to say that I am set for upcoming New Year with reporting and school in general! I got an awesome bag from my girlfriend and it has secret pockets and large ones that I could reorganize in any way that I want (sadly, no picture included)!

But I am set with a smartpen, cocky-confident shirts, and other supplies to help me out with my writing in general. I even have a keychain dangling down my lanyard that says, “Headlines & Deadlines are my life”. Look what else Santa got me HERE!

Ah…little hints of the inspirations of this blog. Best coffee mug as well!

“Once upon a time…there was a beautiful and extremely gifted writer…”

This set includes: Livescribe’s Echo Smartpen, a blank-paged notebook, a writer’s workbook, and two journalistic shirts – “Don’t make me use my journalistic voice!”

A water bottle that scares — I mean, says, “If you were in my novel, I’d have killed you off by now.”

…the cockiest yet truest of all!

Like some of the things I got? Find them here:

• Journalism Tees
• Echo Smartpen by Livescribe 
• Ready. Set. Novel! by Chris Baty, Lindsey Grant and Tavia Stewart-Streit from National Novel Writing Month

Merry Christmas, I’m obsessed with owls.

I know it’s not Saturday, does it look like I care?

You can never get too old for Christmas, especially when you’re in my family. I don’t think anyone celebrates Christmas anymore like we do.

On the Eve of Christmas, we exchange “gifts-from-the-family” to each other; gifts from Aunt Pat, Uncle Ben,   Poppy, Brother John, ect…

My family and I always get nice gifts from them such as gift cards, jewelry and other accessories. All together, I think my brother and I have about $220 from gift cards.

On Christmas morning, Santa fills up our stockings and we enter the living room with delight. Presents all shapes and sizes paitently wait for my brother and I under our glistening Christmas tree.

Of course, Santa always knows what you want every year. In my stocking, I found a set of Hello Kitty cards, a smelly gingerbread marker, a blue hair extension that glows, owl ornaments and a flat wooden figure of an owl (I’m putting this on my door when I return to my apartment). Last but not least, I found at the very bottom of my stocking a fresh grapefruit. Like the days during the depression, this grapefruit made me appreciate the small things, especially since the Wal Mart in Reno isn’t carrying them right now.

Leaving fruits in a Christmas stocking is a family tradition on my mom’s side. My great-grandmother gave my grandmother a fresh thing of fruit every Christmas during their times in the Great Depression. Nothing was a clean and fresh as a fruit back then, and it brings the magic of appreciation. My mother decided to pass the tradition on to us, whether the economy sucks or not. I think I’ll pass it on as well, if I decide to have children someday.

Along with the gifts below, I got a plastic pan to make chocolate owl lollipops (or popsicles for the summer). My brother got me a lovely owl bracelet, followed by a new video game to add to my Xbox collection: Cartoon Network Punch Time Explosion XL. 

Check out the other cool things Santa brought me. My Christmas was also very “journalisticky”, too.

Merry Christmas to all, and have a wonderful New Year!

Adventure Time glasses – A gift from a friend

I have another stuffed owl named Ellie – what would be a good, enchanting name for this one?

Owl ornaments for next year and an owl “woodie” for my door!

My close friend gave me a plush Hello Kitty…wearing a Nevada shirt!

Finally, I can get back into my creativity…for a while 😉

…and Merry Christmas to all! 🙂