I think I'll go to Boston...

Well hello friends! 

Last week, I had the opportunity to go to Boston for a conference. Did I mention how fabulous my job is? Anyway, the conference, hosted by CASE, was for Publications Professionals in Higher Education. The first thing I learned was I am officially a nerd when it comes to publishing. I was excited to attend all the different sessions and learn from the best in the business, and being in Boston was an added bonus!

I first went to Boston when I was 17 on a family vacation. I remember my sister and I being super annoyed because our parents wouldn't take us to the beach. We thought it was going to be some lame family vacay with lame tourist stops - man oh man were we wrong. Boston was the beginning of my love affair with travel. I had never been anywhere like it before, and as soon as we landed in MS, I wanted to go back! Eight years later, I got that chance.

I landed in Boston Tuesday afternoon, and I called up my cousin Bobby. We met at a pub called Beantown Pub on Park Street. It was great to catch up with him, play pool, and choose ridiculous choices for the juke box (Britney Spears anyone?).

Wednesday after the conference ended for the day, I headed to the North End to meet up with my old friend Scott Hays. It's hard to believe we've known each other for 10 years! Anyway we went to one of his favorite restaurants Pomodora. It was the cutest little locally owned Italian restaurant, and the food was fabulous! Afterwards we headed to Brasserie Jo's for drinks. It was great catching up with him and getting to see his city.

Thursday, we had a long lunch break, so I took the shuttle, along with some other women from the conference to Harvard Square. It was one of the things I didn't get to do last time I was in the city, so it was a must see. The area was very busy and there were lots of great shops and restaurants. I had lunch at Mr. Bartley's Burger Cottage, a recommendation from Scott, and I sat at the bar and made friends with the bartender. I couldn't stop laughing at all his comments about the different people in the restaurant. He pointed out that there were a lot of "characters" in the area, and that he was on a first name basis with a hobo on the corner. There were lots of homeless people in the area with various signs. My favorite one read: "Got to get to Cali before I freeze my baaaaalllllllllsss off!" With a little time before I had to catch the shuttle back, I strolled along the Harvard campus wondering what it would be like to be a student there.

Harvard

I made sure to hit Newbury Street that afternoon for a little shopping. No trip to the city would be complete without some much needed time spent at H&M! That night Bobby and I went to a bar called Scholars for a beer. It was a really cool place that had a dance floor downstairs and pool tables upstairs. Friday, our conference ended at noon. I went with one of the girls I had met at the conference to Faneuil Hall to get a Lobster Roll at the Walrus and the Carpenter. Then we headed to the North End to a jewelry store called High Gear. She goes every time she visits Boston and buys lots of great affordable jewelry. It was perfect! I got an awesome necklace and some great earrings. I'll definitely being going on my next visit. Before I headed back, I had to walk down to Mike's Pastry Shop and get a canoli. It was as good as I remember from last time - maybe better!

I left the 30 degree weather wearing a hat, scarf, and gloves, and when I landed in Memphis it was in the 60s. Talk about a shock! 

If you're headed to Boston anytime check out some of my favorites:

Duck Tours I know it seems cheesy, but it really is a great way to see the city

The Freedom Trail This is a must-do! There is so much history in Boston, and this is the perfect way to see it.

Mike's Pastry Shop 

North End - Ah Little Italy, my favorite part of the city

Faneuill Hall 

Have you been to Boston? If so, what were some of your favorites?

Happy Travels friends!

xoxo

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes!

Hey y'all!
Sorry it's been awhile since my last post, but I've been crazy busy! And I have some MAJOR news.... 

Drumroll please...........

I now have a new job! Sorry for those of you who had to learn about this on my blog, but it honestly happened so fast, I didn't have a chance to call everyone. Last Friday, the 31st, was my last day at Coopwood Communications, and I started my new job at Delta State University this past Tuesday. I'm the new Assistant Director of Alumni Affairs. My first week on the job was awesome! Everyone has been super nice helping me get adjusted, and I love being back on campus. Leaving Coopwood was a little bittersweet, but I think it was the right move for me. Here's my last column from The Cleveland Current, our weekly newspaper. It kind of sums up everything.

Recently, I interviewed someone for an article, and something he said really stuck out in my mind. "Change is inevitable." Wow. I had never thought about it like that. Of course, I know this to be true. I've been through many changes in my lifetime, especially in the last five years. In the past five years I've graduated from Ole Miss, obtained my master's degree from Delta State, moved to a new town, started a new job, and met tons of great people along the way.

Now it's time for yet another change. This is the last edition that I will serve as the editor of The Cleveland Current. I told myself a long time ago that I would take chances, and if a good opportunity presented itself, I would take it, no matter how hard it was or how scary it may be. That's how I got to where I am in my life now. So, it's time for me to take another chance. I've been offered a position as assistant director of Alumni Affairs at Delta State University, and I will be starting next week.

The move is a bittersweet one as I've had an incredible experience here at Coopwood Communications. I'll never forget the first time I walked into the office. I was scared to death, and I thought I was coming to talk about writing freelance articles. Much to my surprise, two days later I was offered the position of editor of the Delta Business Journal, a magazine that, I can now admit, I had never heard of. I took the leap of faith, and I have learned so much and made so many memories along the way. I went from being unsure and nervous about covering events where I didn't know anybody to being much more confident in those situations.

There are so many thing I will miss about this job. I'll miss attending every Board of Aldermen meeting each month and feeling like I'm "in the know" in Cleveland, I'll miss the random adventures I've been on to get the perfect picture of the perfect interview, like the time I ventured out and found the Bolivar County rubbish pit, I'll miss my awesome co-workers who went from aquaintances to close friends in no time, I'll miss my view of Court Street from my office, I'll miss being in walking distance from Mississippi Grounds, I'll miss my trips to the courthouse, but most of all, I'll miss you, the readers. Because you are the reason we do what we do here.

So, while I'm confident this is the right move for me, I'll still look back on my time here at Coopwood and think of it fondly. And, I'm taking comfort in the fact that I'll only be right down the road at Delta State and just five minutes away from a visit.

So that's basically it in a nutshell. I'm really looking forward to getting in the swing of things at Delta State, and I'm so excited for what the future holds.

To read the press release that Delta State sent out about me, click here.
And for those of you who are DSU alums or just friends of the University, click here for the Alumni office website and think about joining the Alumni Association!

That's all I have for now. Check back soon for more updates. Thanks for reading!
xoxo
JET

50 Shades... of Terrible

Let me preface this by saying I am not, nor do I pretend, to be a professional book reviewer. I do, however, read a lot, and I do mean a lot. I like to read so much, I majored in English, and then, because I wanted more, got a Master's in English. Needless to say, I have racked up almost 100 hours worth of English classes, so I know a thing or two about literature.

I had to write that ridiculously long and self-import intro, because what I'm about to say is going to shock some, hurt others, and might possibly lose me a friend or two. Nevertheless, the English nerd within me can not be silenced anymore....

I can not stand Christian Grey. (Insert dropped jaw here).

But seriously, I was extremely apprehensive to read 50 Shades of Grey in the first place. It actually popped up on my Kindle recommendations after I finished The Hunger Games. Amazon was way off on that recommendation. After reading the summary, it didn't seem like something I'd like, so I put it back on the proverbial shelf for a bit.

Everywhere I went it seemed like people were discussing gushing over Christian Grey. I was finally convinced to start reading it. I went ahead and read the entire trilogy, against my better judgement, in order to give a more accurate review. Plus, everyone kept telling me the first one would make more sense if I read the second and third one. Here's what I thought about it:

Plot summary from Book One: When college student Anastasia Steele goes to interview young entrepreneur Christian Grey, she encounters a man who is beautiful, brilliant, and intimidating. The unworldly Ana realizes she wants this man, and Grey admits he wants her too — but on his own terms. When the couple embarks on a daring, passionately physical affair, Ana discovers Christian's secrets and explores her own desires. (courtesy of Amazon.com)
*I didn't include the plot summary from Books Two and Three to avoid spoilers for those of you crazy enough to who haven't read it.

E.L. James' world in which men rule and women are basically shiny toys for them to play with was enough to turn this almost-feminist completely off. I found her world not only to be completely unbelievable but insulting at the same time. Anastasia Steele is a very innocent college student — too innocent to in my opinion. When I first read that she didn't, and had never had, a computer, I was confused. I'll give James the benefit of the doubt here and say maybe she couldn't afford one? But I don't think that's the case. I really just think James is out of touch with the generation she's trying to write about.

Another problem I had with the book is the dominance Christian possesses over Ana. I'm sorry, but I don't care how good looking a guy may be, he is not going to control every detail of my life, including what I wear, where I go, and who I go with. Yes, she did leave him once, but, spoiler alert: she comes back. And, I'm not even going to get into the S&M aspect or the demeaning things he does to her in the bedroom. If you really want to know, read the book. The very fact that he insists on driving her, or having his assistant drive her, to work everyday is ridiculous. She's a grown woman! Sorry, enough from the feminist in me.

There are some people who love the story line, and think it's romantic, and understand why he's like the way he is, but even if you're one of those people, the entire trilogy is horribly written. Seriously, James didn't think about her language at all. Last time I checked this is the 21st century and people don't use the word "shall" casually in everyday language. And normal twenty-somethings don't call their significant others Mr. or Ms. I honestly kept wondering what time period this was written in. It was just a complete mess that was all over the place. She was also horribly repetitive. For example if I had to read that Ana "exploded" one more time, or that Christian was wearing "those shorts that hung there," one more time, I might have thrown my Kindle at the wall.

It was hard for me to get past the first book because I just didn't understand him at all, but I did read all three. Although books two and three cleared up Christian's past, I still wasn't fully convinced. I mean yeah, your mother was a crack whore who died when you were very young and her pimp may have burned you with his cigarettes, but you were adopted by an extremely wealthy family as a four year old, cut your losses and move on already. Be thankful for what you have instead of obsessing over the things you lost.

All in all, I think it was a bad rip-off of the Twilight series. She basically took Stephenie Meyer's plot format, took out the vampires, and inserted a super wealthy, control freak who treats women horribly. Will she win a Pulitzer? Hell no. But she did sell a shit load of books and got a whole lot of middle aged women all hot and bothered. Yes. Mission accomplished?

What did you think about Fifty Shades of Grey? Are you a fan of Christian? Or, do you feel the same way as me? I'd love to hear you thoughts!

The Olympics, y'all

It's here, it's here! Four long years are up, and the Olympics are back - this time British style. I personally am a huge fan of the Olympics. One of my favorite Olympic memories is the 96 Olympics. I remember watching Kerri Strug vault on a sprained ankle to secure the gold medal for Team USA. As soon as she landed that vault, my sister, my parents and I all jumped up and cheered! That's what the Olympics is to me - celebrating great moments together.


I was super excited to see what the Brits had come up for the Opening Ceremonies. I thought the opening ceremonies were fabulous! I loved how it was comprised of different segments that together showed the essence of Great Britain.  Of course, there are many who were disappointed and felt that it was all over the place. I thought it was genius, especially the segment highlighting Britain's literary greats (English nerd alert). 


Some of my favorite moments were:
Mary Poppins defeating Lord Voldemort
The ENTIRE technology segment (how cute was that!)
The music
The Queen along with James Bond skydiving into the arena (Was that really her?!?)
J.K. Rowling reading that beautiful passage about Neverland
And of course, the Parade of Nations


Two things I thought were missing:
Harry Potter - I mean really, how can you have Voldemort and not Harry?
The Spice Girls!!!!! I just knew they would at least play one of their songs


Another thing I was disappointed in was Team USA's outfits. I mean really who styled them? I didn't understand the berets at all. We are NOT France. And the women's skirts were a terrible length. I honestly thought the whole look was dated.

Sorry Ralph Lauren, but this is not one of your better looks, and they were made in China.

Here are some of the outfits I did like:

Brazil

The length of the women's skirts were much better than the U.S. and I love how they incorporated their country colors. Also, they just looked like they were having a blast.

Italy

Of course Team Italy looked classic yet stylish as always.

Mexico

So tacky they are awesome! But seriously, they stayed true to their style, which I think is great.

Russia

Loved the hats! Much better than our terrible berets.

Great Britain

 I loved the host team's subtle nod to the gold medals in which they all hope to win!

Overall, I thought it was a very successful opening ceremony. I can't wait to see what the rest of the games hold!

Inspired by Starry Night

I have a confession. I have a slight obsession with Vincent Van Gogh. Yes, I know his life was uber tragic, but his work has always inspired me. My visit to Europe two summers ago to spend time with Margaret ending up feeling a lot more like a Van Gogh pilgrimage. While in Amsterdam, we visited the Van Gogh museum. Then when I was in Paris, I drug my sweet friend E'Lane to the Musee d'Orsay to see even more of Van Gogh's works at the Impressionist Exhibit. Ironically, I've seen almost all of his works, except my favorite: Starry Night.

Luckily I did manage to snag some sweet coasters with Van Gogh prints on them. While surfing the web procrastinating at work today, I stumbled across some other Van Gogh inspired items. Talk about functional art! I guess these will have to do until I can finally see the real thing.

Stay artsy and dry at the same time

How awesome is this cake!

Starry Night inspired Toms... too cool

Trinket box... perfect for keeping jewelry safe and doubles as eye candy for your dresser.

Art is meant to be experienced, and I love the idea that you can experience your favorite art with you on a daily basis (with the exception of the cake of course!). Just another way to make everyday life a little more special.

What a week!

Wow, I'm not even sure where to begin! Last week was full of family, friends, and even a few surprises. Because the 4th of July was on a Wednesday, we took the whole week off at our office to celebrate. Of course, this meant we had to put together two of our weekly newspapers in one week, which equaled a lot of stress and craziness at our office. After lots of long nights and to-go lunches eaten at our desks mixed in with a few tears and even some delirious fits of laughter, we did it! So after finishing up, I headed home to Grenada to spend some quality time with the family. I spent lots of time reading, catching up with my family, and hanging out at the pool.

Friday, I packed up my stuff and headed to Oxford for Lelia Burkhalter and Hunter Ferguson's wedding weekend. It was perfect, and I got to see all my friends who I miss terribly.

Frannie, Julie, me and Lauran waiting to walk down the aisle

Me with the beautiful bride

Lelia's wedding was beautiful! Everything from the flowers to the food at the reception was so well thought out. This was my sixth wedding to be in, and I can say from experience it's the little details that make weddings so special. I loved how Lelia had her mother and Hunter's mother both wear blue to be part of her "something blue." Such a cute idea!

I have more pictures from the wedding, but sadly they are on Jacqueline's camera on a cruise with her and her husband Jim. Hopefully she'll send me them when she returns and I can post them.


Other things I loved from the wedding:
The all white flower arrangements
Hunter's grooms cake, which was a replica of Vaught Hemingway Stadium (Hotty Toddy!)
The way Hunter couldn't stop smiling when Lelia walked down the aisle
All the gorgeous candles on the alter
The way the light bounced beautifully from the stained glass windows of Paris Yates Chapel
Getting my make-up done at Amy Head with Lauran and Frannie (Thanks Sara!!)
Playing paparazzi with Jac's camera :)


Sunday morning I had another surprise. Frannie called me at 9:15 (can you believe I was awake?) to tell me Michael had popped the question! We all headed over to her parents' condo for a celebratory brunch. The ring is absolutely gorgeous, and I'm so happy Michael proposed while we were all in town so we could celebrate together. Congrats to the happy couple, and I can't wait for June 22, 2013! Let the planning begin!

 Celebrating at brunch!

 Me and Fran!

 Bling, bling

Each time one of our friends gets engaged, Frannie's mom, Mrs. Jane, gives them a white bag with their new initials monogrammed on it. It's such a great tradition, and Frannie finally got her's. Mrs. Jane even filled it with bridal magazines!


After the crazy week, I headed back to the flatlands of Cleveland to try to return to normalcy. I had a great time, but I was glad to get back into my routine. And seeing the Delta sunset, falling behind a field of corn was the perfect way to welcome me home.