A Nice Way to End 2009!

So I was away for a few days at Christmas.  Upon my return, I checked the comments and found that I have received an award from not one, but two readers (who are both great bloggers themselves!).

How fun!

Here are the rules that came with the award:

1) Thank the person who nominated me for this award.

2) Copy the award & place it on my blog.

3) Link to the person who nominated me for this award.

4) Tell us 7 interesting things about yourself.

5) Nominate 7 bloggers.

6) Post links to the 7 blogs I nominate.
 
First of all, I'd like to thank Nikki of Are you there, youth?  It's me, Nikki and Sadako of Dibbly Fresh for bestowing this honor upon a lowly almost-30 cube-dweller who likes pink way too much.  So that takes care of 1) and 3).
 
Now I'll tell you 7 things about myself that you may or may not find interesting:

1) My graduating class had 34 people.  That's right: THIRTY-FOUR.  And people wondered why I wanted to go to college in a major city.
2) I was named after an actress whose real name was Betty, but had a name made up for her when the movie studio deemed Betty too boring. 
3) Last night at yoga, I did a handstand by myself for the first time ever!  Granted, it was up against the wall, but still.  :)
4) When I was a kid, I tried to light a match and burned myself.  I've been scared of matches ever since.
5) The band I've seen  most often in concert is They Might Be Giants (four or five times).
6) I once hung out with Jen Lancaster, before her books got really big.
7) I've written three YA novels.  The first is one I started in 2007, have rewritten three times, and will be re-submitting to agents and publishers.  The second began as a short story for a fiction class I took early this year.  I just finished the second draft and submitted it to a YA novel contest (because of contest rules, I couldn't submit my first novel).  The third I wrote for NaNoWriMo, and will be revisiting soon.
 
Now I'll nominate 7 bloggers I love.  I may not be so good about posting in comments, because I think some of these guys read this blog!
 
1) Dibbly Fresh: all things old-school YA and new-school pop culture.  Sadako is a ton of fun, and I was a fan long before I started this blog.
2) Etiquette Bitch: my friend Mare Swallow's fun and funky blog that proves politeness never goes out of style.
3) Vinotarian: delicious recipes and wine recommendations from two funny Southern ladies.
4) Lifetime, Wow!: two hilarious snarkers take on Lifetime movies.  Freaking hysterical.
5) Are you there, youth?  It's me, Nikki: because I never tire of the fiction of my youth, AND because Nikki and I love Mike O'Malley!
6) Life, Words & Rock 'n' Roll: the blog of astoundingly talented YA author Stephanie Kuehnert (I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone, Ballads of Suburbia).  Read her stuff.  Now.
7) The Coffee-Stained Writer: a Florida-based freelance writer offers writing prompts, tips, and encouragement.  Sometimes it's nice to know we're not alone in our artistic pursuits!
 
And finally, I want to thank all my readers.  For a long time, I hesitated to start my own blog because I thought, "who's going to care about the babbly musings of a 29-year-old office employee?"  Thank you, thank you, thank you for proving me wrong.  Keep spreading the blog love and here's to a great 2010!
 
Tonight, whether you're living it up or staying in, please be safe.  I want to see your comments next year!
 
(And if you ARE living it up, why not check out my post on New Year's Eve bar etiquette?  Goes down real smooth!)

Like a Golden Globe, but BETTER!

Whaddaya know, I won another award! I feel so loved, y'all. Thanks for reading!

*cue Dave Chappelle with Exit Music machine*

Ah, but there's a catch! A FUN catch.

So, award-er Sadako says that I must name seven of my favorite things, then nominate seven other blogs. I'll be honest--I don't read a ton of blogs. That said, I'm happy to spread the love.

To quote the glorious Julie Andrews/Maria von Trapp, these are a few of my favorite things:

1. My extralong lavender yoga mat. Now if only the douche at the studio would stop using it (that's what communal mats are for, sir/ma'am. Namaste).

2. Steamed broccoli (really!)

3. Sitting in a dark theatre and watching a movie. Never fails to calm me.

4. Friday afternoons!

5. My right-hand ring I bought at Venice Beach for $25. It looks a little like Blair Waldorf's ring.

6. Getting new library books which I will subsequently tear through.

7. Starbucks. My corporate coffee o' love.

My seven fave websites/blogs:

1. The Dairi Burger

2. Dibbly Fresh

3. BSC Revisited

4. Screenwriting Tips...You Hack

5. The Chick Manifesto

6. Bryn Donovan

7. Broadway Abridged

Happy Friday, everyone! Watch for a new post on Monday--I combine YA, indie cliche, and trauma lit and it will BLOW YOUR MIND.

I WIN!

Thanks to Sadako of Dibbly Fresh and Get a Pencil and Your Casebook, The Unprofessional Critic has won its very first award. And what an award it is!

The Evil Pink Unicorn sees all, knows all, and spears all annoying teddy bears who get too close to her essential pinkness. She also commends good bloggers for being hilarious, bizarre, and just plain fun.

And here is my acceptance speech:

OMG, I had no idea I was going to win this! (Pulls out a pre-prepared JFK quote, a la Alice Ripley at the Tony Awards) John F. Kennedy said, "A blog in the hand is worth two in the bush." What beautiful and inspirational words those are. I'd like to thank my nonexistent literary agent; my nonexistent children--Go to bed, kids, Mommy loves you!--and I want to give a shout-out to ALL THE PEOPLE who said that a 29-year-old office employee couldn't write a blog that was worthy of the Evil Pink Unicorn! Haha, I showed YOU! Most of all, I would like to thank God, because I feel God in this Chili's tonight. WOO! *tears of joy as exit music plays*

Seriously, y'all, thanks for reading. Special shout-outs to Sadako, ihatewheat, and Rachel, my unofficial publicist. I wasn't even sure my friends were going to read my ramblings (because they have to hear them in real life), and now I have cool readers whom I don't even know!

PLEASE keep reading, and pimp this thing out! Forward it to your friends and even people you don't like. If you have a blog you'd like me to guest on, or if you've created something you'd like me to review, email me at maybeimamazed02@yahoo.com. I do have some possible book reviews lined up, but they won't be happening for several months, and I'd love to get the scoop on up and coming artists!

Coming up on the Unpro: reviews of (500) Days of Summer and Julie & Julia, the latter of which I was able to see last night at an advance screening. Stay tuned!