the travelin' soul

I've always loved the fact that I've lived in roughly the same place my whole life. It makes me feel like I can travel far, far away to places I've never lived before or experienced and that I can come right back to the place that knows me best.

the sunset through my windows

When it comes to friends I've always been apprehensive and a little jealous of their need to travel. Planning to move far away, getting frustrated that they're 'stuck' in the town they live in, where I am as in love with the city I was born in (fact: I was born in Chicago) as the first day I arrived. To me there is no better place than being in the city. The buildings, the lake, the experiences I have there are always lasting ones.

That being said I am starting to grasp an understanding on what it's like to want more. To literally expand your horizon. I always think of it as discovering a new land, and in a way, it is. Yes, people have discovered and settled down across the world but I haven't. I'm seeing it for the first time so it's like I'm discovering it, staking my flag in the ground and claiming that land for Abby.

I want to see what the sunset looks like on the Atlantic Ocean... and then compare it to the Pacific. As for my friends, I kind of want them to travel to where ever they think they're supposed to go, it gives me tons of places to visit. In fact, I want to know a friend in every state so I can road trip across the country and never have to stay in a hotel. I want to visit Boston in the fall (thank you Veggie Tales!), sightsee in New York, hopefully prove Tim Allen right that Michigan's extra relaxing, stop for a St. Louis root beer, go to ALL of SxSW in Texas, see amazing art in Kansas and dig my toes in the sand on a California beach.

I know that it doesn't matter where I set up shop and sleep at night, Chicago will always be home. I can be the furthest I've ever been but know where I can come back to. If Carrie Bradshaw had a relationship with Manhattan I am in it for the long run with Chicago. : )

I am free to move about to country.

stay tuned! cuz this here is real.

feedback

i'll be changing the header in the next few days and trying out some things on here. feedback is much appreciated!

for the record i have NO idea where this header came from. i totally had something completely different already designed and then i just... got a fit of the happy bubbly giggles and that was born. happy bubbles LOL. I'm gonna live with it for a few days then see what goes on.

Also i have something in the works that will be... a miracle if it happens. Basically I just need to design... designdesigndesign all day and all night but I can't design something without material. So that's where you come in. Give me things to design. Suggestions, w00t shirts, logos, posters, your grandmother's 80th birthday invitation I don't care I just know when I do stuff for myself there is NO drive. For the record I am working on stuff for myself, I just deal with deadlines so much better. It's the designer in me? Heh...

If and when things play out I'll tell you the why of what i'm doing. First I need some what's. Collaborations are also welcome (I'm looking at you Kate and Katherine).

x o x o

Dear Lauren Conrad,

I've got some beef with you. First, a confession. I really liked the Hills. I can't lie. I watched all the episodes up until you left cuz it seemed like you had a little bit of sense. I didn't watch Laguna Beach though... Kristin makes me wanna slap-a-ho. I mean I should have known better when you passed up Paris to stay with a dude. I mean, come on. It's a dude. I bet he has enough of his parents money to fly to Paris and visit you and make fun of the French because he is, in fact, THAT STUPID. But I digress.

Now on to the real reason I'm writing a fake-yet-sincere letter to a celebrity who will never see this. I recently found your blog the beauty department via pinterest and all the buzz over your hair-do "twisted sister". I added you to my google reader and everything. I thought it was pretty cool that a celebrity offered a blog full of hair tutorials, make-up tips and general style advice.

Until I realized that your blog friggin SUCKS.

OK, I correct myself. Your whole blog doesn't suck. The advice you give is pretty sound especially on hair tutorials but it's the way you present them. Have you ever... read a blog before in real life? Or does your team of people that actually make your blog MAYBE read blogs. Pulling images willy-nilly from the web and crediting them to weheartit.com, iStockphoto and PINTEREST is not a proper credit. I have found an image via weheartit many a time but I try not to credit them for every photo I put on here.

Now, I'm about 87% sure that you have a photographer, web designer and copy editor at your beck and call. Is there a reason why your photographer can't take your photos for you when they don't involve your face? Heard of the iPhone 4? It's got a good camera! Use that! Camera + is your BEST. FRIEND. Really! Try it... I mean I know your life is so busy and all writing books about how you were on a staged TV show for half your life *whew!* but... just. try it. Or! If you do retrieve a photo from another blog, credit the original photographer of the blog or at least put a disclaimer SOMEWHERE that you are not the original taker of the photos.

Until then, just know, your blog needs slight improvement. Looking forward to it.

xoxo, Abby.

via google images :D

let's play catch-up

Hello all! I keep meaning to update and then I get sleepy and go to bed. True story. But I'm listening to Beyoncé's new album and feelin good! Also why do people say let's PLAY catch-up? It's not a Wheel-Of-Fortune puzzle, geez.

I had an epic day on Thursday that included LPK (Lincoln Park Apple Store), red velvet pancakes from Bongo Room, friends and Chicago adventuring. It was a GORGEOUS day and I decided to bite the bullet and take Ingrid out for her inaugural ride. It was bliss... until I rounded the corner to come home, I lost control and ATE it. Seriously... my face is scraped up (although I have this awesome ghetto lip scar that TOTALLY adds to my attractive qualities. I feel like Queen Latifah in "Set It Off") and a ton of bruises (and I don't bruise easy at ALL). My handlebars are a little wonky so I need to get those adjusted. So if anyone has any tips on how to improve core balance for bike riding I would GREATLY appreciate that. awesomethanks.

*oh snap! music modulation on Beyoncé's new album - DANG! three modulations! if this was a church song people would be out of their seats and... OMG ANOTHER MODULATION! she learned that from the Olivetians. I'm so sure of that.*

In other news I am totally a twitter-design-stalker-fan of StudioMates and their new temporary tattoo line tattly. the day it launched I snagged two designs from Jessi Arrington and Jessica Hische (two of my very favorite people I've never met). Jessi is my design equivalent of Joy the Baker so you obviously know that love is hardcore. Seriously though if you're unsure of permanently inking yourself (I will be getting my first tattoo sooooon! eeee) these brilliantly designed temp tat's will do the trick!

How cool is that color wheel?! Hint of spectrum, hint of spinny pinwheel of death on the Mac, hint of PURE UNADULTERATED AWESOME. Also the stamps on the packaging totally made me think of this. I think they did that on purpose haha

this week is going to be upper 90's and humid. Planning on making a LOT of iced tea and iced coffee. Heck YES.

p.s. who is on Google+? find me! add my face! I really wanna do a hangout it looks SOOO COOOOL.

oh hai!

oh hey guys in case you didn't know...

i go alllll natural curly for the summer. it's my favorite way to be. but it's only for the summer (keeps things interesting)

don't you love it?!

between my 'long' hair, my NORMAL hair and "summer curly" i keep everyone on their toes. 

alas, i am not my hair and who i am never changes but DANG i love keeping it interesting : )

my best moment

after a year and a half of working at Apple my best moment came today. Maranda and I helped this woman and her autistic son with her iPad because it was unexpectedly broken. She was so heartbroken because her son has made so much progress in such a short amount of time. Long story short we took care of it and she actually burst into tears. She thanked us... hugged us... blessed us... all while her son is standing next to her unable to control is actions. It just broke my heart. It took everything within me NOT to cry.

That one interaction was a breath of fresh air into my entire working career. Apple is intense. We strive for excellence and excellence is not obtained by being lazy, lackadaisical or passive. Excellence is TIRING haha. The summer is especially EXTRA crazy just for the sheer fact that there is no school. It can be... taxing. This woman reminded me what Apple IS and WHY Apple is. I mean what happened today ended up transcending even Apple itself. Yeah, we're the company that makes the device that helped this little boy be a better version of himself but... the little thing that we did touched her whole LIFE! and that's CRAZY.

At the end of the day I thanked God for putting me and Mandy in the right place at the right time so we could help her. I'm thankful that I was at the right company in the right place at the right time. It's crazy... and makes me tear up every time I think about it. Her gratitude was so genuine and moving.

I know I'm gonna get bogged down again by people asking me exactly WHAT the iPhone 5gS will do and what we're gonna do when the iPad 3 is on 4G and that's okay. I won't ever forget that woman, because she impacted me more than she'll ever know.

I wrote an email explaining exactly what happened and I know I can't put the whole thing on here but I think I can put the last portion up:

"The thing that got to me (and still makes me teary) is she told us that

because of that iPad - a barebones, 16 gig, 1st gen iPad - she had seen a child

that she never knew was inside her son. It was like seeing a different

kid. His cognitive skills were so much more advanced than ever before. He

is starting to write and recognize words. Her son couldn't control some of

his actions but she said he can spend hours on the iPad just tracing

letters or recognizing shapes.

I can't lie... I've been in a work slump. Back to school season wears me

out and I feel like I can't ever get a break, but this was a ringing

reminder of why I'm here and why Apple is the best company to work for. We

cover issues all the time... but this time it made a woman's day and kept

the ball rolling for her son's development and future.

I'm thankful I'm here.

Abby."

know what the frustrating thing about God is? I can't walk to Him tap Him on the shoulder and say, "hey! i need to talk to you. i got some beef. here's whats going down." i can't break down in tears and find solace in a hug. I can't hear ANYTHING. and it is FRUSTRATING. i feel like that's horrible that i'm frustrated with God... but on the other side of the spectrum i do THANK God sending people like James Miller and his family and Maggie into my life...

i need to sleep.