8:11 October Highlights

Operation: blog catch up is going strong! ;-) October was my first full month in Dallas... and it was a bit of an emotional roller coaster to say the least. Luckily, several visits with old friends and family helped ease the craziness of adjusting to this new foreign place. :-) Here are my 11 favorite things I did at 8:11 pm last month...

8:11-drinks w/ @gretgru I've been waiting for this moment for approx a decade. (I was her summer camp counselor).

8:11- SO happy to see my LA darling, Cathy. A much needed little piece of home.

8:11- #OU/Texas eve din w/ these lovely darlings. #boomersooner.

8:11- drowning our Sooner sorrows with a bit fancier food now (at Lark on the Park).

8:11- poolside grilling with the mother (again). Legit new hobby.

8:11- long overdue reunion w/ @kaylashakira, @abirk, and Vaness!

8:11- I love #chicago. I love these girls. I love this bar.

8:11- #chicago style hot dogs at portillo's. SO GOOD.

8:11- being able to visit my sweet grandparents on the weekends= one of the reasons I wanted to move…

8:11- so, so, so good to see my LA darling @smitheycasting. ❤❤❤

8:11- #halloween partying.

xoxo,

Annie.

8:11 September Highlights

Operation: blog catch up continues! I moved at the end of September, so that month had many wonderful/bittersweet moments on my farewell tour of LA. Here are my 11 favorite things I did at 8:11...

8:11- @masaofechopark w/ Katie...these are a few of my VERY favorite things.

8:11- @corbitthoward's campfireball! This month's event includes catered ice cream, a tie dye station, a dueling tournament, Japanese lanterns, etc.

8:11- my Warner Bros. going away party... sad to leave these wonderful people!

8:11-so lovely that my last WB premiere is at @theacademy! It's like the circle of my LA life.

8:11-experiments in large group selfies: wonderful last-day-of-work din at @BenjaminFriday's

8:11- my going away party!! I will miss all these people SO much. ❤❤❤

8:11-happy birthday to my wonderful dear @GarrettFBaker! Party/read-through of his new script time!!

8:11- din/drinks with my wonderful first coworkers in LA. ❤

8:11-my last Community Group in LA. Love these people so, so much. Cue the tears...

8:11-wine tasting w/ my mom and @mckenziemorris across the street from our apt. I ❤ #losfeliz so much.

8:11-the last (LA) supper. Words can't express how much I will miss these people. ❤❤

< insert teary-faced emoji >

xoxo,

Annie.

8:11 August Highlights

It has literally months (plural) since I blogged. There are several reasons for this. 1.) I moved halfway across the country to Dallas and that's a bit time-consuming. 2.) My first job in Dallas unfortunately was not a good fit, so I threw myself into a job search, which is also time-consuming. (I have since started a great new job at FleishmanHillard and it is a much better fit). And 3.) The next blog post in my 'need to write' queue was my 8:11 highlights from August. (I told you, I'm wayyy behind). August was my last full month in LA. My transition to Dallas was initially so tough and I missed LA so much that I couldn't even bring myself to look at those photos for fear that it would send me down a black hole of emo-ness. I still miss LA and every single person in the below photos A LOTTTT (and always will), and Dallas does not feel like home in any way, shape, or form yet... but at least things are improving a bit. :) 

That said, let's take a little trip back in time... here are my 11 favorite things I did at 8:11 pm in August:

8:11-With the gorgeous bride and groom! Congratulations @emcox18 and Mike! A+ wedding.

8:11- pop open the bubbly...it's #thebachelorette finale! Hollaaaa.

8:11-screening of the #WizardofOz (for the 1st time in 3D!) followed by Oz inspired cupcakes from Cupcake Wars.

8:11- pre-birthday din at my fave place @masaofechopark. #treatyoself. #birthdayweekend.

8:11 (on 8/11!!)- my birthday partyyyy!

8:11-experiments in large group selfies for my @bootiemashup preparty. Holllaaaa.

8:11- putting on a smile for bestcoast at the El Rey.

8:11-SO EXCITED for the @taylorswift13 concert w/ @jane_p_lok. Ready to sing/dance the night away w/ all the 14 year olds surrounding us!

8:11-finally trying Ethiopian food for the first time after wanting to for many years!

8:11- Facebook at @ucbtla with @GarrettFBaker, @codygibbs, and Parker.

8:11- Korean BBQ with my wonderful CG. Love these people so much. Cheeeers.

8:11- spending this hot LA night at the #HollywoodBowl w/ the master composer John Williams (and also Julie Andrews!)

I miss you guys. I'll come visit soon. :) 

xoxo, 

Annie. 

Goodbye LA...Hello Dallas.

(Musical accompaniment for this post: A Fine Frenzy – Now Is The Start). 

This very big news has been trickling out for a few days now, but in case you haven't heard... I AM MOVING TO DALLAS.  

(gasp.)

This HUGE life change is definitely bittersweet as I am sad to leave my beloved Los Angeles and all my wonderful friends here after 5.5 crazy, fun-filled, better-than-I-ever-imagined-they-would-be years. There is nowhere else in the world I wanted to be right after college, so much so that I took the plunge and drove myself out here even when my job offer I had lined up in the spring of my senior year fell through. I knew I had to give it a try... I wouldn't be satisfied anywhere else.  A few weeks later I had a new job at The Academy, and I was more in love with LA than ever. But even then in the height of my Los Angeles love, I knew that this city was absolutely perfect for me at that time, but eventually I would want to move closer to my home. I didn't know exactly when that would happen or what that would look like... but here it is! 

I will be joining an exciting new digital agency called Socialized Monkey as a Senior Digital Marketing Manager (heyooo). This small start-up will be a 100% different environment/experience than my time at the Academy and Warner Bros., and I'm excited for that! I'm also excited to be in Dallas just in time for OU/Texas (for the first time since 2007), and to be able to drive up to Norman for any game day for that matter.  I'm excited to be a 3 hour drive from my brother in Oklahoma City, a 4 hour drive from my parents in Houston, and just a 2.5 hour drive from my sweet grandparents in Louisiana. I'm excited for a slightly slower pace. I'm excited for a change. For a new start. 

For the most part, I am feeling a great sense of peace about this crazy huge move, but the sadness/emo-ness has been creeping in too.  I will miss my incredible friends out here... some of the best friends I've ever had in my life. I will my miss my church- my favorite church I've ever attended. I will miss my awesome neighborhood, Los Feliz. I will miss the perfect weather, the beautiful beaches. I will miss the opportunities to unexpectedly share a table at your neighborhood Thai restaurant with Michael Cera, work out next to Victoria Beckham or Zac Efron, and accidentally photobomb Meryl Streep. ;) 

Who knows... Dallas might not be the best fit for me.  I might be back in LA in a year. Or I might move to Austin or Chicago or Italy next. But I know if I didn't take this opportunity and try it out, I would absolutely regret it. So, ready or not... Dallas here I come. 

(LA friends... I will miss you a lot, a lot. You have less than 3 weeks to hang out with me. Let's make it count... and also please come to my going away party 9/15. Invites coming shortly). 

(Dallas friends... let's please hang out when I get there! I don't know Dallas very well at all and I need you to show me the ropes). 

xoxo, 

Annie. 

The Big 2-8

My birthday month is officially over (boo). I had a really great "Annie Week" this year... one of my better ones in recent years I would say (despite having a killer cold during the whole birthday weekend). Festivities included (but were not limited to) a glorious spa day at Burke Williams, din at Masa (where else??), brunch at my new favorite spot downtown Perch, blowouts at Dry Bar, and a party at Mohawk Bend.  I had the best idea at my party this year- (almost) all the attendees did a photobooth strip with me which I had them put in this scrapbook accompanied by a note.  Such a wonderful memento! I wish I had done this for all my parties in the past. Ha. One of those things you're like "I'm definitely going to show this to my kids one day." 

The past several years, I've made a list of goals for myself on my birthday that I want to complete before my next birthday.  (I like it way better than New Year's Resolutions). Here's how I fared on my goals from last year...

• Go to Europe.
• Done and done! (Deets here). 
• Do yoga at least 2-3 times a month. 
• I found a great yoga studio walking distance from my apartment, and I've really enjoyed getting back into this year! If you're in the Los Feliz area, I give Yoga Vibe two thumbs up. 
• Have at least 1-2 days a month dedicated to "dolce far niente" (Italian for "the art/sweetness of doing nothing"). 
• I've gotten a lot more restful on Sundays... so I thiiiink I can cross this one off. I could definitely still get a little better at this whole 'resting' thing. Ha. 
• Go to one of Richard Simmon's work out classes at his studio in Beverly Hills. 
• Yes, and it was hilarious and amazing. 
• Visit Anne in Chicago (when she moves there from South Africa). 
• Can't technically cross this one off yet, BUT I bought a ticket to visit her in October, so I'll be there soon!
• Visit Mary in NYC in a season that's different than Thanksgiving time. 
• Yes! The Big Apple was lovely in May. (Deets here). 
  
• Send more handwritten notes. 
• Maybe? I feel like I could still step my game up in this department, so I'm not going to cross it off just yet. 
• Go to more concerts. 
• Yes! Some of my favorite concerts this year include: Jack Mannequin's final show, Andrew McMahon's first solo show, The Postal Service, The Lumineers (at the Fonda and again at Coachella), Capital Cities, Best Coast, John Williams conducting the LA Philharmonic Orchestra, and One Direction when they played on the Warner Bros. lot (ha).  

• Read the Harry Potter series. 
• Unfortunately no, BUT I did become the manager of all official Harry Potter social media this year, so I am now very immersed in that magical world. 
• Go confidently in the direction my dreams.
• Check.
• Enjoy this year to the fullest. 
• Always. :)

My goal list for 28 is currently in progress. Stay tuned. ;)  Thanks to everyone who made my birthday (and entire 27th year!) so great. Love you, mean it. 

xoxo, 

Annie. 

8:11 July Highlights

Hello darlings! Apparently I have a new habit of posting the previous month's 8:11 highlights at truly the 11th hour right before the END of the current month. (Boo). I have high hopes of doing some legit blog catch-up this (long!) weekend, so here is my very tardy catch up post #1- my top 11 favorite things I did at 8:11 pm in July. (Sidenote: as you may recall, I spent the first 15 days of July traversing through Europe with Kayla, and of course ALL of those 8:11s were legit highlights of my YEAR. However, for the sake of not being completely redundant to my Europe recap post, I'm letting Euro-pics account for only 5 of the 11 faves). ;)

8:11- fiesta time in Madrid!

8:11-delish food tour of #Italy starts NOW. So happy to be back in my motherland.

8:11-our welcome to #italia continues w/ copious amounts of free alcohol/food at dinner.

8:11-We tried a new form of transportation to Sicily-an overnight ferry. Much to our surprise/delight, it was a wonderful mini-cruise ship complete with nice restaurants, a casino, and a disco. Ha.

8:11-great ending to a perfect day- sunset at the gorgeous beach in Cefalú. #italy

8:11- @UofOklahoma alumni event at Lexington Social House w/ @c_mcnuggets @jenlstu @mike_beier. #BoomerSooner.

8:11-PJ (my dad) is in town!! Just saw #PacificRim. We give it two thumbs up.

8:11-the #PostalService has been on my "concert wish list" for approx 10 yrs. so excited to cross them off tonight with Elisa!

8:11-just took my first @popphysique class. I legitimately might not be able to walk tomorrow.

8:11-thanks SO much to @katpf for inviting me to experience the glory of her homemade Sunday din. Sooo delish.

8:11- thoroughly enjoyed BJ Novak's "uncollected stories" (as always) at @ucbtla w/ @eric_mark.

Holllaaaaaa.

xoxo,

Annie.