Life Updates and Things

Hello guys!

Considering how busy I have been lately, it looks like I will be posting only on Sundays for now. But if  you would like more frequent updates, check Twitter (@Bookishbelle) or my Tumblr (zgulliksen.tumblr.com) for pictures about everything and nothing at all.

My work coffee mug & desk things

My new job at MoviePass is pretty amazing actually. I'm the Social Media & Events Director where I get to talk about movies all day long. I can't explain what we do JUST yet but you should be VERY excited. We launch in August but until then you should follow our Twitter (@MoviePass) and blog (blog.moviepass.com) both of which I am currently taking over. I will also be at SDCC this year to talk about it, so add me to your list of people to say hi to!

I also tried fondue for the first time with Spider writer Dan Slott. (@DanSlott) It all started because I told him that I had a dream that we went out for fondue and so we made it happen. It was quite ironic because we had it on the hottest day of the year so far, but nevertheless it was delicious. I mean, how can you say no to bread and cheese? We felt like Peggy Carter and Howard Stark =P

Currently:

Reading: Peter and the Starcatcher Annotated Script of the Broadway Play, Strangers in Paradise vol 5 by Terry Moore, and One Fifth Ave by Candice Bushnell. Okay so that last one is 100% a guilty pleasure. I need something to read on a train ride home and picked up this chick fiction at a train station bookstore that did not require a lot of thought process to get through. So far it has way too many characters that are fighting over a 20 million dollar apartment. I wish I had $20 million to fight with.

Strangers is brilliant as always, and if you haven't read this series, I suggest giving it a shot. For years I was reluctant to start it because I didn't quite like the art. Now I'm in love with not only the art but the complicated characters as well. Pick it up.

Peter is the script of the play I loved so dearly, and I was dying to get my hands on this book so I could have a mini speech Molly gives:

"And when I marry, I shall make it very clear to this person-that sentimentality is not on the calendar. He will have to lump it, or leave it. And if he should leave, I'll stay a spinster and pin my hair back and volunteer weekends as hospital. And I will love words for their own sake, like "hyacinth" and "Piccadilly" and "onyx". And I'll have a good old dog, and think what I like, and be part of a different sort of family, with friends, you know? -who understand that things are only worth what you're willing to give up for them."

My review of the book is going up on the Daily BLAM soon, so keep an eye for it.

Listening to: I made Barney's New Year's Eve Playlist from How I Met Your Mother on Spotify and it's been on repeat for a while. My favorites include "You Give Love a Bad Name" by Bon Jovi and "Sail Away"by Styx. 

Watching: This week I saw Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and Brave. Although the writing for Abe was just awful, the cinematography was stunning and overall entertaining. Brave I greatly disliked though. The story was shallow and everything felt forced. This week I'm going to see Ted on Tuesday, another screening on Wednesday (which Pietro hasn't told me what it is yet) and then Spider-Man again on Thursday! I love working in the movie business. ^.^ I also have been having a Digimon: Season 1 marathon with my brother. We are amazed at how good it still is after all these years.

Wanting to: Mhmm. Get back into running shape. Start eating a more balanced diet. I'm a vegetarian, and often I don't get the nutrients and protein I need and as a result I feel lethargic and sick. So this week my goal is to eat MUCH better. I also want to do really well at my job and prove to them that I am invaluable. 

My goal this week is also to be more understanding with people. This next month will try my patience more than I'd like. In the past, when people become too much for me to handle, I simply stop talking to them. Instead, I am learning to just shut up and bear with it. Just because certain circumstances hurt me, I can't expect to be happy with everything. It's just life.

Things I Saw This Week:

Hellboy, Jersey style. As seen upon a train station garbage can

88 cent pregnancy tests, as seen at Wal-mart

That's all for now! I hope everyone is having a good afternoon, and I'll see you on Twitter!

Sunday Updates: New Job & Roller Derby Teams

I've been up since 6:30 this morning, which is unheard of on a weekend (or any day,  really) for me. However, I am very anxious person and I'm feeling very jittery about my new job tomorrow! I view my anxiety as positive element though, and Pietro (@poni_boy) just reaffirmed this on the phone with me. He said that when I become nervous, especially in a work situation, I don't mess up- instead I perform even better than usual. So I raise my Calming Tea glass to being anxious. I thought waking up early would make me more productive, but all I did was stalk Tumblr and watch an episode of True Life on MTV. This is time I could have been snoozing.

Now for some Sunday Updates!

Currently:

Reading- This week I read "Promethea" by Alan Moore, courtesy of Kristin (@dramaqueen327). Novel wise I'm reading "False Negative" by Joespeh Koeing, a pulp fiction Hard Case story. I am LOVING it so much, however the "scandalous" cover has convinced my family I am reading "sex stories".

Listening To- This week I have been playing a Broadway Playlist that I made on Spotify that is probably driving this household bonkers considering I sing along quite loud. I also am tone deaf. Songs include "People Will Say We're in Love" from Oklahoma, "For the First Time" from Tarzan, and "On The Street Where You Live" from My Fair Lady. However, this morning I'm listening to Britney Spears' original album. Come on, "Baby More More Time" is a classic.

Watching- This week I watched The Black Dahlia  and New Year's Eve. Both movies are known for being terrible films, however I enjoyed them much more than I expected. The Black Dahlia's cinematography is stunning and was nominated for an Academy Award. However, the script was all over the place and unfulfilling. Thank goodness for 1940s culture and Scarlett Johansson. New Year's Eve was also not as bad as everyone said it was. Sure, The Ashton Kutcher/ Lea Michelle story line made me want to claw my eyes out from boredom/grossed out. But the rest of it was actually surprising and heart felt. I'm also a sucker for sentimental movies that take place in New York City.

Wanting To- Become a Roller Derby Girl. If you have been following my tweets this morning, you have seen that I'm bringing up my ridiculous dream to be a hell on wheels babe in a kick ass outfit. I wouldn't actually be good on a team though because I'm not aggressive/competitive and I have poor coordination. But I think I would look really good in weird outfit and I would very much enjoy skating around Central Park. I've talked to some girls on Twitter and I plan to start a team where we just drink milkshakes and skate on flat terrain. Super hero costumes also will be involved. Interested? Drop me a line.

New Job starts tomorrow, which is pretty surreal every time I think about it. For years and years 2012 was going to be when my whole life changed. I had three goals: graduate from college, land an awesome job in the city, and then finally move to the city. Well 2 out of those 3 have been accomplished and all I have left to do is move out of Jersey at last! Hopefully this time will come sooner than later.

That's all for now, tootles!

-Zoë 

*wish*

Many people have asked my what the story is behind my *wish* tweets they have seen so often. I've given quick responses but I think it's high time that I write up the full back story, just in time for Father's Day. 

My dad used to fly airplanes. When he was a kid his neighbor, Mr. Fitzgerald, was a pilot for Pan Am and would take my dad flying. As he grew older, my dad wanted to be a professional pilot, however he couldn't support a family on the salary so he took a job working in Manhattan wearing a suit and tie. 

Many years ago my dad gave mea book called "The Man Who Ate the 747" and it was signed by the author, Ben Sherwood. This book is a very simple tale about the lengths a man would go to prove his love, and the people who are affected by this devotion. My copy is currently packed away for my impending move this summer, but one of my favorite quotes is found all over the Internet:

“We chase wild dreams and long for all that eludes us, when the greatest joys are within our grasp, if we only recognize them.”

This book made an impact on me, as did my love of flying from my dad. The number 747 represented what I loved most about planes: the adventurous notion of being able to fly anywhere you want. The romance of air ports. The thrill of take off during a flight. Proof in a metal contraption that men can indeed fly. The number 747 went on to mean a lot of things to me, including inspiring my favorite year: 1947. In the beginning this number just represented WWII, a time period and culture that I'm obsessed with. However, that year has gone on to mean so much more.

The DC Comics character Black Canary first appeared in August of 1947. It was also the year of the infamous Black Dahlia crime, when Miracle on 34th Street premiered in theaters, when the Polaroid Camera is introduced in New York City, and Stephen King was born. Many Captain America comics also take place during this year.

The Boeing 747 plane was first introduced by Pan Am in January 1970. All of these things are what drive my love of the number 747, as well as my passion for Pan Am history. Most people wish when they catch 11:11 on the clock, however I will tweet a simple *wish* whenever I catch 7:47. It represents adventure, seemingly impossible dreams, true love, and a desire for something more.

Movies I've Seen in 2012 (So Far)

I realized that last year I saw so many movies, and one of my goals for 2012 is to keep track of all movies I watch for the first time. Here is my list so far:

Shame*
What's Your Number?
The InnKeeper's
Haywire*
Ocean's11
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Harold & Kumar Christmas
Casino Royale
Paranormal Activity 3
Just Friends
Transformers Dark of the Moon
Puncture
Tower Heist
Like Crazy
In Time
Armageddon
The Artist*
Young Adult
Footloose (2011)
Bounce
Hunger Games*
SDCC Documentary
Chinatown
The Big Lebowski
Rock of Ages*
The Black Dahlia
The English Patient
The Nanny Diaries
Falling Up
The Amazing Spider-Man*
Seeking a Friend for the End of the World*
Avengers*
If You Only Knew

* saw in theaters

I might be missing a few, but those are the ones I've remembered to write down. At the end of the year I'll do a full list!

Catching Up, New Job, & Fan Art!

Hello everyone!

I know it's been much too long since I've written a blog post, but I was on a long over due mini vacation from the world. I graduated from Rutgers University with a degree in Creative Writing and Organizational Leadership in May. (No more writing 20 page term papers on Prostitution in the 17th Century!) I also left my regular job at a Barnes and Noble on campus, so I spent a month being productive! I got things done! I woke up every morning at seven! I ran 5 miles a day!

okay, no I didn't. Honestly I slept a lot, watched TV (I mean really Dick van Dyke back in the day was a stud), hung out with my friends in the city, and applied to jobs like no tomorrow. I wrote a library of cover letters and devoured sites such as Indeed.com and SimplyHired.com searching for a job in New York City that I would love to go to everyday. The sleeping a lot part was great, but the job market is fierce! I busted my ass off though, applying to no less than 20 jobs a week. 

To my surprise, the difficult part wasn't finding someone to hire me, it was finding a job that paid more than $10 an hour! So many companies want to start you off as an intern and then "maybe" (more than often not) hire you after your time is up. It was extremely frustrating to say the least.

However, I am very happy to say that I found my dream job in Manhattan and I start this up coming Monday. I can't say much about it yet, except that its a social media and event planning position for MoviePass.com Thank you so, SO much to everyone who has helped me with the job search and gave me such outstanding references! 

So what else is going on? 

With Kristin & Len

I've recently befriended one of my favorite writers, Len N. Wallace who wrote Love Buzz. This book has always meant a lot to me and it's pretty insane that we're friends now! He even had brunch with Kristin and I the other weekend where we swamped books and movie recommendations. By the way, have you guys met Kristin yet? She's the Gwen Stacy to my MJ, Tinkerbell to my Wendy! Kristin (@dramaqueen327) is the coolest geek girl in New York and my future roommate in the city. We are already planning on having the geekiest apartment this summer.

BEA after party hosted by DC Comics!

Kristin and I also attended BookExpo America with Cassie (@yrchmonger) and Pietro (@poni_boy) where we all took home bags and bags of free books! Pietro and my dad are huge fans of the author Lee Child so we waited in a very long line to meet him. The signed book for my dad was too good of a Father' Day present to wait until this weekend to give to him. For once I was able to surprise my Dad with a gift he thought wasn't the typical cheesy gift.

I know my Twitter has been down for about a week now. It's because my account was accidentally mixed in with a bot sweep, but as of the latest email I received, it should be up and running quite soon! HUGE thank you to everyone who has tweeted at Twitter support and apparently started #SaveBookishBelle. Seeing that hashtag made my heart melt.

There are a few other adventures that I found myself in during the past month, but those will have to wait to be told. Instead I will leave you with an incredible drawing my dear friend El Hino did of me as a pin up Captain America!

Isn't it just beautiful? He has done many other sketches of me, but this one is for sure my favorite. You can find his other work at http://el-hino.deviantart.com/

Until next time, Tootles!