I’m a day late!  My bad.  Which I guess means my 5TT post will go up tomorrow.  

From KCRW, because they say it best:

Zach Condon recorded his debut album as Beirut at age 18 after dropping out of college and running away to Paris. A decade later, he found creative inspiration in his newest international home – Turkey – for his fourth album, No No No. He plays songs from across his discography in this live session recorded at Cutting Room Studios in New York.

Enjoy!

IT’S OFFICIALLY TREAT YO SELF DAY.  And well, that’s the best news ever.  Anyways, here’s 5 things going on with me:

1  IT’S STUPID HOT IN LA AND I HATE IT - You guys, I don’t understand what is going on with the weather in LA. It legitimately has been 100 degrees this week and everyone is miserable.  

And since I don’t have AC in my car, I’ve been sweating bullets every time I go anywhere. It’s so gross.  

HOT WEATHER GO AWAY! It’s supposed to be autumn! It’s supposed to be sweater weather!

2  TONIGHT I MET A NINJA TURTLE - Life is crazy sometimes. I went to go babysit for a bunch of people tonight who were having a weekly Bible Study. Oh yeah, sometimes I nanny on the side because I’m pretty good with kids.  Small detail.

Anyways, it was a crazy couple hours watching seven kids. But one of the adults there was a guy named Alan and when we met I immediately thought to myself “you’re a ninja turtle.” 

Technically I know him from NBC’s I Can Do That because I watched it all summer (he and Jeff Dye were hilarious). But it was just weird to be like “Hey, I know you. And you’re here with these people every week to talk about Jesus. That’s pretty cool.”

LA is so weird like that. Since I’ve been here I’ve met and gone to community group with a Jabbawockee and also nannied for Jenna Fischer’s neice (so weird seeing her in that family’s wedding photos - I was like “is that Pam Beesly?”).

But anyways. LA life. It’s a little nutz.  

3  THE CUBBIES ARE ON THEIR WAY - YOU GUYS! BACK TO THE FUTURE 2 MIGHT’VE BEEN RIGHT ALL THIS TIME! SO CRAZY!

Tonight the Chicago Cubs won Game 4 against the Cardinals and are advancing! They just might be World Series Champs! Who knows!

4  OKLAHOMA PLANS ARE UP IN THE AIR - As of now my plans to go to ORU’s 50th anniversary has been put on hold. For the first time, Alaska Airlines is fling to OKC and I can finally go there but there’s not enough passes to make it there and back and go home for Christmas.  

It makes me sad because I really want to go and be there for all the festivities and see my friends. But I have no idea how to swing it. Anyone want to sponsor my trip to Tulsa? Please let me know!

5  TREAT YO SELF 2015 - It’s been three years since Tom Haverford and Donna have shared the wonderfulness of TREAT YO SELF day to the world.  And today is that day!!

First, watch THIS VIDEO to know what I’m talking about.  Even if you haven’t watching Parks and Rec.  It’s just so great.

And two, GO TREAT YO SELF.

I still need to do something too.

What to say about this song. It really got me through a rough season this last few months.  

Those words. Why are you downcast, oh my soul? Why so disturbed within me? 

There’s so many times I’ve asked myself that. When I’m just a hurricane of emotions and I don’t know how to pinpoint why I feel the way that I feel.  

And to think that there’s a God out there that loves me so. And that I should remember that He’s good and that He’s wonderful. And that I shouldn’t have to worry about anything else.  

Honestly, I can probably dissect the lyrics here and would have remarks about everything because I identify with all of it. This is the season I’m in. Or was in. Or why I was absent for awhile.

I needed to rest and be satisfied in Him.

Hello.

How goes it? I know it’s been awhile. I guess I was on some sort of social media sabbatical. Not completely, just enough to not share everything that’s going on with life.  

It just really got to me how there’s this subculture of people so into their technology and who they are online that they’re not enjoying life to the fullest. IRL.  

Anyways, I thought it was about time to comeback. Because I do miss you people. Not sure if you missed me! But at least I’ll be getting back into the swing of things. It always helped to process life this way. And to just throw something out there for friends to read.

Anyways, here are 5 things going on with me:

1  BOOK READING CLUB - I’m not sure if I’ve talked about it so much but I’ve discovered this crazy thing called THE LIBRARY and got myself a little library card thingie to put on my keychain and have been just placing holds online. And all these amazing books that I’ve been wanting to read and never gave priority to - I’ve been reading!

You guys, I’m super proud of myself. There’s some great stuff out there. 

By far my favorite book has been Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari. It is SO FRICKIN FASCINATING. I also really loved Yes Please by Amy Poehler. And One More Thing by BJ Novak.

Do you have any book recs? I’d love to add some to my reading list.

2  GO MODE - So I’ve been kicking the biz in high gear with coordinating multiple test shoots. This time I’m reeling in agency models, hair & makeup artists, assistants, and wardrobe stylists. Which is great because I really need new stuff in my book.

But it’s so much work! Coordinating everything and also doing all the creative directing. I guess this is why people hire production managers! 

It’s crazy because I see the trajectory of where I want to be .. and it’s almost in reach. Almost. 

Anyways, check out this mood board I made. I call it “print & pattern” - trying to pull something new in my portfolio. Photo cred: We Are The Rhoads, Sarah Laird & Co, Zara

3  TALKING DEAD - So it doesn’t hurt to have friends in high places. Or at least high places at CBS. Thanks to an amazing friend I was able to score two tickets to the live taping of the Talking Dead episode for the Season 6 Premiere of The Walking Dead.

If you know me at all you know that I’m obsessed with that show. And I cannot wait for this.

CANNOT. WAIT.

4  PRINT SHOP PRELAUNCH - So I’ve been brewing over this idea for over a year. I’ve been wanting to create signature prints forever now. And so I’m doing a soft launch.  

I’ve only gotten a handful printed and they’re small (5x5) but they look so good and they look even better framed!  

Currently I’m working on creating sets (the first to launch is the Sky’s The Limit set) but I also want to eventually make larger prints and t-shirts.

Yeah!  T-shirts.  I’m really excited about that one.

All this time doodling t-shirts - maybe it was worth something after all./

Anyways, check out the shop.  (it’s still in beta mode).

5  NERDWAX ON SHARKTANK - So more friends in high places. Last year some HA alumni friends of mine had launched a Kickstarter to create their first big batch of Nerdwax (it keeps your glasses up). Their goal was something like $5000 and within days they raised over $61,000.

It was nutz.

Anyways, the latest big news is that they’re going to be on Sharktank this week! 

I’m so excited for them and am so happy that the Lord continues to bless them.  

Y’all can send me some of those good vibes my way ;)       <— I’m talking to the Hejny’s. 

Anyways, watch it!  And/or buy some!

Oh hey there. It’s been awhile.  

You’re probably like “Jo, where the heck have you been?”  I’ll tell you more about that later. But for now, I just want to bask in the wonderfulness (haha … the Wonderlands) that is Jon Foreman.

If you know me at all, you know that I LOVE Jon Foreman. Like, I love Switchfoot. But I LOVE Jon Foreman.  

I love his music. I love his writing. I love his stage presence (Switchfoot shows are unreal). And I absolutely love his voice. There was a time in my life that when I was super stressed out, I’d play Switchfoot just to mellow out.  

Recently I went to a concert at the Greek where they were one of the four bands that performed (NeedToBreathe, Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors, and Colony House). It was an amazing outdoor concert under the stars. But I swear I had some sort of spiritual experience. And it wasn’t just me - everyone was moved and probably tearing up some.  

[SEE PREVIEWS OF THAT CONCERT AND THAT WEEKEND WITH TRES DUDES HERE]

But seriously, I walked away really emotionally raw and just sad at how I lost myself these past few years.  

Anyways, I’m in the process of finding myself again.  Trying to get back to who I am.  And well, Jon Foreman’s newest set of EP’s couldn’t have come at a better time.  

Enjoy!