Working with writers.

My friend Lee Horton, sports reporter for the Peninsula Daily News, recently wrote a letter to a group of fellow former copywriters that included a great description of what it's like to work with writers. So accurate, so endearing:

If we never had a conversation about [ending a sentence with a preposition], I guarantee we could have. Jessica would probably be okay with using them at the end of a sentence, but Crystal might have some reservations. I haven't decided what Jordan would think about it, but he would express his view passionately. Then somebody would bring up the next potluck. Amanda would be excited about that, but she would be against placing prepositions at the end of a sentence. Jessica doesn't care, she's still okay with it. Kenneth would then take his graduate degree out and place it on top of his desk. He would then eloquently explain the arguments of both sides, including their origins. He concludes that we are all free to end sentences with prepositions, even though he never does. Crystal reminds us that it is time to talk about potlucks, and Emily screams.

Brilliant and accurate caricatures of some of my favorite people. Our lives were driven by potlucks and grammar.

I stole this entry from my other friend, Kenneth. Follow his blog. It's good.

For the record, I fully support ending a sentence with a preposition. To quote Churchill,"This is just the sort of nonsense up with which I will not put."

Hardware ranch elk.

LIFE UPDATES! It's been a minute since I've blogged about regular life stuff. Today we took lots of pictures at the elk fest in Hyrum at Hardware Ranch, and I had a minute between laundry loads, so I thought why not update about my new job and such?

The DWR (where I now work) organizes a festival with activities and sleigh rides this time annually. This is the time of year when hundreds of Rocky Mountain elk visit the ranch to rest and eat in the meadow. The sleighs are pulled by a team of large-breed draft horses and the drivers explain the ranch's history and elk's behavior. It's such a sweet experience, seeing the huge elk in their natural environment. They don't seem to mind the loads of people on sleighs winding through their herd. They're actually very charming, the little ones with their whining noises when they want to suck milk from mom, and the big bulls perking up, judging us with their intimidating stances.

My new job is going very well. I have always been a wildlife lover (observer, not hunter. though I have no moral objection to hunting.) so it's nice to learn more about the different species and what Utah does to protect them. I'm so happy to be part of that effort. I had been to Hardware Ranch before, but it's been years. I'm glad we got a group together today and went for it. It was such a lovely day fulls of smiles, wildlife and sunshine. Perfect!

With Breanne, bundled up, ready to head out.

Inside the visitor's center at the interactive wildlife display. Breanne and Stormie got super cozy with that taxidermied elk.

LOOK AT THAT CAT BEHIND ME

Chris loved being in a car for four hours with us gals.

Rick, John, Izzy, Liz, Abby, Storm, me, Breanne

(huge elk off in the distance)

The sweet man on the right was our sleigh driver. Super informative and totally polite.

APPROACHING THE HERD

At the end of the day, we went back to my house and Chris made us all hobo dinners on the grill outside. YUM. We also snuggled up with blankies and watched Raising Hope (which is hilarious; netflix it). 

What a great day.

Life changes.

As some already know, I received a job offer from the Utah Department of Natural Resources (wildlife division) which I hastily accepted; I'm going to be a writer! This job, you guys, is truly my dream job. I've always wanted to end up in a government position ('cause of the stability, growth opportunity and longevity) where I could write and be involved with animals (two passions in one) and have a chance to positively impact the community. Expect posts, links and plenty of updates.

With a heavy heart, I gave my two weeks' notice at Sun. My last day is this Wednesday. That job, though short-lived, taught me a lot. It gave me opportunities to travel, learn and start to wiggle outside my comfort zone. The people are fabulous and talented beyond belief. I could never match their passion for laundry--but I did try. The company takes care of their employees by offering fantastic salaries, good benefits and lots of fun community activities. Tons of perks. I'd recommend it to anyone. But as of now, I'm looking forward to a bright and thrilling future.

Here's to new beginnings!

Side note: Chris took me to Chili's for lunch the day the call came. I ordered a pomegranate margarita. (Don't judge me. Sure, it was barely one o'clock but I deserved some victory liquor.) But folks, this drink...STRONG. Like, I'm-wondering-if-it's-within-legal-limits strong. And if I'm saying it's intense, then you know it must be..to the max.   

My business trip in snapshots (Chicago edition)

The week after Connecticut, I went to Chicago for a conference. I had never been there, either. Bustling city with lots going on! Here are some shots from the trip.

 

Finally got one of those neck pillows for the plane. I napped in the air for the first time ever. I felt a little dorky. The pillow is fluorescent orange.

 

 View from my 7th floor hotel room.

 Cute pillows in the hotel on my king bed. This room was fancy shmancy. But I did miss my own bed. 

 Look at me. This city could eat me alive. Thank god I wasn't traveling alone.

 Best part of the conference? Treats. 

 Chicago river.

 Picked up a menu from Michael Jordan's steakhouse for my nephew. 

 Cocktail of choice on this trip: Strawberry blonde.

 

Now, hopefully, my feet are planted firmly in Utah for a while.

My business trip in snapshots.

Last week I left to Connecticut for a few days. I flew in to JFK, but alas, didn't get to see much. I had meetings scheduled the entire time. I've never been to the east coast so it was a bit of a bummer. I'll go back with Chris someday.

There were definitely some highlights of the trip, though. Traveling for business was pretty stress free, much to my surprise. Plus I met a lot of cool coworkers. Here are some snapshots from my days there.

 NYC from a distance

 I loved all the trees. The humidity didn't bother me either.  Future home? I don't know. Maybe.

It was all planned for me. Meals, flight, car rental. I even had a weather report. That was nice.

 Everywhere I went there were name tags and place settings for me. I felt fancy.

A fountain in the Wilton office. Sun has incredible facilities back east. 

A kiss picture sent to Chris the morning after I left. Fun fact: this trip was the longest Chris and I have been apart. Three days. I know, I know: totally pathetic. It was hard. I missed my boys. Thank goodness for video chat on my phone. 

The local restaurant where we had dinner and cocktail hour with a bunch of executives and colleagues. It was yummy. My mojito was deliciously strong. I had two. 

On our way out of town, we got to JFK a little early. Cocktails and dinner? Yes, why not?

Overall, it was totally pleasant. It was nice to be away from the office. Next week, off to Chicago! 

It's a new job.

It's been a long, interesting, long, strange, sometimes fun and long tenure at Overstock.com. After three years, I'm moving on. Thanks to a friend and ex coworker, I was referred for a position at Sun Products. Hence the Snuggle Bear in the last post. Yep. This means getting to learn the ins and outs of the laundry world. You know I love doing laundry, right? It's a happy thing. It's such a happy thing. All of this is just unreal. (Comparable to how other Utah women feel when they discover they are preggerz.) Thanks to friends and family for the support!  

Here's to the not-at-all-creepy Snuggle bear.

Morrocanoil hair, lush lashes, etc.

Apparently everyone uses this Morrocanoil hair care line. I've heard great things about it but haven't tried it myself yet. It's on sale today on Eziba and I looked at the current report...it's selling fast. So is the Envyderm.

If you're not signed up to get these sales events, use my personal link:
https://www.eziba.com/invite?personalLink=cross
Or use your current O'stock login info.

Whimsical throw pillows on sale today.

Eziba is offering Josey Miller throw pillows (CUTE ONES) and drapes today. EEK and some are already selling out! I may have a small obession with pillows. Have I told you about this?

Use my personal invite link to sign up:
https://www.eziba.com/invite?personalLink=cross
Or sign in with your Overstock info.

I am thrilled to be purchasing this little lovely guy for my new bedroom setup.

(It also comes in a light blue/slate-ish color)

James Blunt and I...we're friends.

See?

Last week James came to Overstock for a quick private concert. Now, I have to be honest: I was not super thrilled about this concert. My mom is a fan so really, I went on her behalf. But once he started singing, I'll tell you what--it was like angels (who say the EFF word) rejoicing in the heavens above. That voice is phenomenal. Plus, it helped that he has a charming and witty with a dirty sense of humor. Now, I'm a fan. And we're friends.

Mrs. Fields cookies on sale today.

Support a Utah business and grab a treat for a lover. Mrs. Fields cookie baskets are on sale today on eziba.

Use this link to sign up if you haven't.
https://www.eziba.com/invite?personalLink=cross

I sent a pack to my mom when she was in Iraq. The delivery was smooth and cookies....divine.

Overstock.com has a sale site.

Yep. Your eyes are not deceiving you. Eziba.com is Overstock's sale site and it's been up and running for a few months now. I have some stuff around my house (rugs, thingamajigs, etc.) that people have asked about. Welp, this is where they're from.

The same return policies apply. Same $2.95 shipping. It's kind of great, actually. Every day offers a new sale (home decor, shiny jewels, furniture, home improvement--the list goes on).

Use my invitation link below and you'll be signed up to get the daily sales via email.
https://www.eziba.com/invite?personalLink=cross

Oh yeah--AND, you'd be supporting me since my new job at Overstock is the eziba.com copywriter. I write these zippy little sales blurbs:

Enjoy!

Overstock.com commercial.

Chris and I are on the front row, 18-20 seconds--heads bobbing singing away. My friend Jessica is the one at 20 seconds with the tongue piercing causing all the controversy. C'mon peeps. Aren't there more important things to get uppity about? This was a lot of fun to make. I really wish they would have chosen the take where I made an 'O' shape with my hand and peeked through it during the "Oh oh oh the big big O" part.

Lookin to buy a desk?

Buy this one from someone you trust. Me. Your Home Office Specialist. (Don't believe me? Watch the video.)

Caveat: I am not a home office specialist but I do work for overstock and I did get to be in this awesome how-to video. Also, I own this desk now and it's pretty great, in case you were wondering. 

 Here's a great photo of it, as I type this post.

Engagement donuts

we have high creative standards for sharing news with each other at work. here was my little last-minute idea:

delicious!

my birthday: part 1

Friday, October 30, I turned 25. I woke up to a picture text of the pups from my mom, a happy birthday hug from Chris , song from Grandma and Kloe and a bunch of sweet texts and emails from friends and family. At work, there was a halloween potluck with themed foods, picture taking, costumes and a music power hour (thanks joel!) dedicated to me (and halloween). It was amazing.

Thanks to my awesome coworkers for bringing so much delicious food.

Parts 2 and 3 coming soon (oh, and they're GOOD).

nothing sweeter

Have you ever taken a tour of the Sweet's Candy Company? It's a factory tour in Salt Lake complete with hair nets candy  maker  hats, knowledgeable tour guide, chocolate pipes and 75,000 pounds of sugar. No kidding.  Set up an appointment here. With or without kids (or even with a rambunctious crowd of people from your work) it's amazing.

So, I love taffy--especially the blue raspberry kind. During the tour, they pass out all sorts of candy samples from jelly bean centers to raspberry sticks. At the end, they give you your own lil pack of salt water taffy (it's their #1 seller, and with good reason). You'll also get to watch many of the candy making processes, including the famous chocolate enrobing.

So, once the tour is over, the guide will make sure you know that there's a store right there in the warehouse where you can buy ANYTHING & EVERYTHING that Sweet's has to offer. I made sure to bring my debit card. (I knew the free samples wouldn't be enough to satisfy my sweet tooth.) I couldn't resist the packaging of this Happy Hour taffy (and besides that, it's ALCOHOL FLAVORED CANDY). Does it get any better?

I purchased a big ol box of Swedish Fish to leave at work, and last (but definitely not least) chocolate sticks. But these aren't ordinary chocolate sticks, or even raspberry or orange...they are CHAMPAGNE chocolate sticks.  Click here to buy some RIGHT NOW. You should. Oh you really really should.

Hear my voice

on the Overstock .com website. 'Cause it's awesome.

Turn up your speakers to hear p r o f o u n d voiceover copy written and recorded by me.

Click the link below then the VIDEO tab just above the image.

Here's a watch.

Here's a jacket.

Yes, I am aware I complain about my job sometimes...but today, I think it's cool.

UPDATE: They recorded over my awesome voice. I think because the CEO didn't like the pornographic music. Sigh. No more famous voice. 

Forget diamonds...

Band-aids are a girl's best friend. Well, this girl at least. I have finally come to terms with the fact that I am accident prone. Well, I really always knew I was (because it runs in my blood, and my brother is just as bad) but I just denied it because I didn't want to be that girl. You know the one I'm talking about... that girl. The clumsy one that trips, falls, spills, gets attacked by flying butter knives, starts kitchen fires, etc.

After a series of about six small accidents in the last month, it's time for me to divulge (or even embrace?) this unfortunate characteristic; that way, people can steer clear of me. Or maybe by blogging about these ill-fated experiences, I will in some way be cleansing my aura and the universe will quit pointing and laughing at me. Uh?

So, to get you up-to-date (if you're my facebook friend, then you already know)...

If you recall, I grabbed a hot burner a little while back. I know, I know. STUPID. I thought it had cooled. But who needs fingerprints?

A couple days later, I cut my finger while cleaning out a used Campbell's Soup can. Sheesh. That's what I get for trying to save the world. It hurt. I danced around the kitchen yelling "OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD" until Chris came over and helped me clean it up. Not quite deep enough to need stitches, but deep enough that I could see all the white muscle, tissue and clear fluids.


Then I hurt my hamstring at the gym.

I fell down while putting on my pants (twice). I can recollect Chris saying something like "Wow, are you serious?" then the second time that same week "That was sexy, babe." It's a good thing he loves me.

Shortly thereafter, I burned the cookies to a CRISP because I didn't hear the timer. That was embarrassing because I was baking for guests. So they should have cooked for 12 minutes and were in there for, hmmm, I'd say about 45.

I started a kitchen fire (twice). Once by grabbing the burner with an oven mitt and once -- well, I blame that one on Chris for leaving crumbs under the burner. Wow, those burners really hate me. Our smoke detector goes off regularly. The neighbors love us.

I currently have an oozing blister on my wrist from a curling iron.

Now for the flying butter knife attack (you guys will love this -- it comes with pictures). I work in a warehouse as a copywriter writing product descriptions for the website. So my job entails of sitting, staring and typing. Oh yeah--AND the occasional walk to the warehouse to carry products to shelves. Apparently that was too labor-intensive for me? The work environment is very professional and we take our jobs very seriously.

Anyway, I'd just finished writing a very elegant and heavy-duty 65-piece sterling silver flatware set. It looked similar to this (pay close attention to the display window, because that comes into play later):

I carried it out to the warehouse, like a good lil employee, and placed it a shelf or two above my head. As it started falling, natural instincts took over, and I put my arms out to catch it. Well, the butter knife in that damned display window happened to be at the perfect attacking angle. It sliced my right index finger TO THE BONE. Yep. A butter knife.

Doctor at workcare center: [while preparing tools to scrub my cut] "So, what do you do, Crystal?"
Me: [ashamed] "I'm just a copywriter."
Dr.: "How'd this happen?"
Me: "It was just a freak accident. I don't even know." [eye roll]
[long pause during cut scrubbing]
Me: "If you could just throw some super glue on there, OR SOME OF THOSE DISOLVING STITCHES (!) I'll be on my way."
Dr.: [laughing] "Nope, sorry. Not with a laceration like this. You need stitches."
Me: [sob sob sob]
Chris: [in whispers] "Hey look, babe. That nurse looks like Christina (from Grey's Anatomy).
Me: [smiles]

She really did look JUST like her. And she talked like her. And walked like her.

This is what it looked like after it had been gushing blood for about 40 minutes already:

This is what the giant bandage looked like:

This is what it looked like after I got 4 stitches and endured the indescribable pain of the numbing shot:

This is what it looks like now (four weeks later):

It's healing up quite nicely; the only problem is, I've lost the feeling in my finger. Because the cut was so deep (to the bone, yeah, OUCH) there's sensory nerve damage. I'm hoping the numbness and tingling subsides because it's sort of a pain to ask Chris to open all the jars. And I like my index finger. I've grown quite fond of it.

So, there you have it. Butter knives are deadly and being a copywriter is a dangerous job, but someone has to do it.