Idolitry is the finest form of flattery??

I sent Meghan 3 separate e-mails last night gushing about my newest favorite author. As the night went on... they got progressively more desperate. By the time I decided I should stop sending e-mails they sounded something like this:

I have decided now that I have spent MANY hours reading Jen Lancaster's blog that I HAVE to find a way to be friends with her. I don't care that she is older than I am and lives in Chicago and probably has 1000s of crazy girls much like myself trying to be her BFF.

That's right.... I spent about 5 hours reading her blog going back into last year. (Yes, you can feel sad for me!)

Now, I am normally a very level headed young lady. I have never been so star struck by someone in all of my life. Of course I have had my celebrity crushes.... Leo, Josh Hartnett, McDreamy.... but my girl crush is different. This chick gets me!

Her writing sounds just like my inner monologue. She is witty and sarcastic, just like I dream myself to be. She can be crass and loving in the same sentence. She is not perfect and she is the first one to call herself out on it.

When I first quit my job, I had a lot of time to read. Only I didn't have anything to read. I had just finished reading the Twilight series and I was ruined on books. I loved the series so much that I read all 2700 pages in about a week. (I'm not ashamed) I didn't think I would ever find a book I loved as much as those books. I contemplated reading other vampire books, but they all seemed chintzy. I bought book after book looking for one I couldn't put down. I wanted a book that I could tell Meghan about. (She is always finding the good stuff first. It was my turn damn it)

Sidenote: I LOVE Borders Books. They are always having sales on really good books. Now if they would just pair with Starbucks, instead of that other coffee company, I would be in HEAVEN!!!!

After reading about 23 pages of a book that made me want to rethink my current take on graphic novels (If you read graphic novels, that's fine.. I just don't get it), I went to Borders yet again on my quest to find a book that didn't suck. They had put up a table with books that were buy one get one half off. And there it was... "Bitter is the New Black, or why you should never carry a Prada bag to the unemployment office." The title itself grabbed my attention. Unemployment office???  I'm not the only one that doesn't have a job!! Maybe its wrong for me to find solace in that fact, but hey... I am only human. I immediately bought the book. I figured anything with a title as sarcastic as the thoughts going through my head was worth $13.00 if nothing else but to brag to my friends about the title. 


I knew it had to be a good book when I walked into a restaurant at lunch and the waitress, spying the book I had just sat down on the edge of my table, said "I just finished that book and I LOVED (she really went all high pitch-y here) it!!" This girl with her Lisa Lobe glasses and stringy hair pulled back in a messy twist looked like someone who I could take sarcastic book advice from. She looked like my kind of jadded. 


I breezed through the book in two days. It was awesome. I called Meghan after I was only 30 pages in. I started telling her about every thing I found funny in the book. I barely remembered to stop and take a breath. I was instantly smitten with Jen's writing style and her sarcasm. Her writing sounds just like my inner monologue. I told her she had to go out and buy it ASAP. She didn't. (Apparently I didn't convey my enthusiasm enough, or maybe its because no one ever listens to me.)


My point in all of this... 


I hate change. I literally hurts my heart when my life is up rooted. (Remind me to write about the time I moved.) This book saved my sanity. I am free falling into oblivion (ok, maybe its dramatic, but that's how I feel right now) and the book made me realize I am not the only one. Its what inspired me to start writing my own blog. Not because I expect a book deal like she did, but because when she started her blog, it was cathartic. I thought... what's good enough for the goose is good enough for the jobless gander, si? 


Now I think I would be completely remiss if I didn't tell you to first... go get the book, "Bitter Is The New Black" .Then go to Jen Lancaster's blog. I promise you will not be disapointed.   


She is coming out with a new book on May 5th and because of that she will be in Atlanta on May 15th signing that book. You had better BELIEVE I will be there trying to convince her that we MUST be friends. I have started drafting my letter to her and it goes a little something like this:

Dear Ms Lancastster Jen, 

I think we need to be best friends. I can't think of a single reason why we should not be friends. You like Lacoste, I like Lacoste. You like Prada, I like Prada. You obviously like you, and I like you too. When I read your writing, it's like you are in my head know exactly where I am coming from. In order to facilitate our new, growing friendship I am willing to go on the rest of your book tour in order to give you inspiration. Please do not thank me, it's the least I can do considering I feel like you saved my life. I think we will be sharing beauty tips and boy stories in no time. I can't wait to hang out! Call Me!!!!


-Jen (not Lancaster.... but isn't it funny we have the same name?)

I am expecting the restraining order any day now.