Rockstar

December’s Rockstar: Lana!

 1. How long have you been coming to PurplePjs?
I've been coming to PurplePJs since about 2002 or 2003.

 

2. What pages have you written for in the past? Which would you say was your favorite?
I started out writing for Got Faith. Since then I've been a temp for quite a few pages. I've written for Travel Bug, Fitness Farm, Good Question and now Book Worm. I really loved Got Faith - it became like my baby! It helped my writing skills and research skills. I now adore writing for Book Worm because I love reading. 

 

3. Along with being an editor and the columnist for Book Worm, you are also Staff Coordinator. What exactly does that involve?
I basically have to keep things running on the ground level. I address staff concerns, train new staff, hire columnists and brainstorm with Janet when bigger decisions need to be made. I love my job.

 

4. What is your favorite book? Or, if you can't pick just one, who is your favorite author?
Wow, so many! My favourite author is probably John Irving. I've read many of his books and remain a loyal fan. As for favourite book, there are a few! I enjoyed Pillars of The Earth, Shantaram, Brave New World, Jane Eyre and 1984. But those are just a few...

 

5. What has been the best part about your holiday season so far? Do you have any New Year's resolutions?
I've been working for most of the holiday, so I'd have to say the best part were those days I didn't need to work. I love relaxing at home and tidying my room. I've also watched the most recent seasons of Grey's Anatomy, so now I'm up to date!

My New Year's resolutions never work. However, this year will be a year of big change. I'm moving out of the country in February, and will be living alone. So, my resolutions are to work hard at university, keep my apartment clean, remember who I am, and start to eat more healthy. Ask me again in mid March how many I've kept!

 

6. Right now, what are you most looking forward to?
My boyfriend is visiting in a few days, and staying well into the new year, so I'd have to say I'm most looking forward to spending time with him. I'm very excited about 2010 because my life will change dramatically. But right at this moment? I'm looking forward to the chocolate I will have in 10 minutes!

 

7. How do you find time to manage all of your responsibilities at PurplePjs as well as dealing with family, friends, and everything else in life? (Any tips for how to manage time effectively?)
I'm probably the worst person to ask about time management. I'm very bad at it. I'm a master procrastinator. I manage my PurplePJs responsibilities by trying to keep up to date, and breaking the work down into little pieces. It's best not to try and do it all in one day per month. I talk from experience! I think readers should tell me how to manage my time better, instead of me telling them!

 

8. What do you do for fun?
I browse Facebook, search random subjects on Google, play trivia with friends, watch movies, and read as many books as I can. Sometimes I take on a project - currently I'm working on my scrapbook. I basically do anything that doesn't require much mental ability!

 

9. What makes your best friend special?
We laugh at the same jokes. She knows when she should take me seriously, and she knows when I'm simply messing around. She's just one of those people who make your day better no matter what

 

10. What is one issue that you are passionate about?
Animal rights. I've been vegetarian for 4 years, and while I don't force my views and lifestyle on anybody, I believe people should make informed decisions about their lives. If you ask me why I'm vegetarian, I will not shy away from my reasons. I don't expect anyone to agree with me, but I do ask for respect.

 

11. If there was one piece of advice you could give the readers of PurplePjs, what would it be?
Be nice to everybody, but choose your friends wisely. Your friends are the people who influence your life, so they should be a healthy addition and not a toxic one, even if that means having only one or two best friends. It's all about quality, never quantity.

 

(From top left:) Lana in Europe with her boyfriend; Amsterdam, which Lana visited in September; her dog, Jack; with her friend, Lishha

Tags: book worm, rockstar, decemer, lana, staff coordinator

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November’s Rockstar is…Ivette!

Annie: How long have you been a fan of PurplePjs?

Ivette: I started to come to the page in 1999, so I've been a fan for a loooong time.

What is your favorite part about being a Big Sister?

I enjoy helping others, so I think the rewarding part of the whole experience is knowing that I am helping make a difference in someones life.

Who do you usually turn to for advice?

I would say my best friend, Diana or my boyfriend, Ivan.

Who's your favorite singer/band?

Oh easy! At the Drive-in, and their lead singer Cedric Bixler-Zavala, I was a fan of them since I was 8 and they're from my hometown too, so it would be natural for them to be my favorite band.

Is it difficult to write for two different pages? (Note: since the interview, Ivette has actually taken on another page- at least temporarily- Style Files!)

I think when submissions are low it makes things a little hard, but other than that it's doable.

What is your favorite way to relax?

I like being in comfy pjs and getting online.

Where did you get your screen name on the lounge from (Beee)?

Oh, I just made that up, jaja. My name is Ivette so some family members (especially the youngest ones) call me Bee for short.

What color best represents your personality?

I think it would be yellow, I am a very calm and happy most of the time.

Any recent accomplishments that you'd like to share?

I got A's in all the tests I took last week! And well, I am the November Rockstar

What do you like most about PurplePjs?

I think the people that are involved with PurplePjs make me love it so much. It's a very friendly online community and that's why I've been a fan of it for so long.

 

Ivette and her brother celebrating Cinco de Mayo in Mexico.


With her cat, Edie.


At the Andy Warhol Museum with her best friend, Diana.


Ivette's parents.


A recent picture of our beautiful Rockstar!

Tags: style files, big sister, music mania, november, rockstar, ivette

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Kaitlin-Master Chef Columnist and Editor

Sydney: What made you want to apply to be a columnist at PurplePJs? Why Master Chef?
Kaitlin: I found PurplePJs kind of by chance, and after reading for a few weeks, I felt compelled to apply. I really love writing and I love the community that is PurplePJs. I didn’t get the position I applied for - in fact, I don’t even remember what page it was! A couple months later Master Chef became available, so I reapplied specifically for that page. I’ve always enjoyed cooking and baking, so I figured it would be a good fit. Not too long after I applied, I got it! I’ve written Master Chef on and off for the last year and a half.

Sydney: What have you learned from Master Chef?
Kaitlin: The most important thing I have learned is how to be creative! Master Chef doesn’t get a ton of submissions, so I am constantly wracking my brain for new ideas. It’s a lot of fun, though!

Sydney: What are your favorite foods? Least favorite?
Kaitlin: I have so many favorite foods that I can’t even begin to decide. Homemade macaroni and cheese, pizza, ice cream, avocados, tomatoes, pineapple, cherries, red grapes, medium rare steak, potato soup. I could name more… but I won’t.

Sydney: Are you a picky eater?
Kaitlin: I used to be. There was a time when I was very unadventurous. I used to hate steak and tomatoes, and now they are two of my favorite foods! My tastes changed as I grew older though, and now I will try almost anything. However, I really detest mushrooms, shrimp, and sauerkraut.

Sydney: What is your favorite thing to cook?
Kaitlin: Nothing beats my grandma’s chocolate chip cookies. I’ve had the recipe memorized for years now, and they are truly amazing. Of course, they also make the house smell extra-homey, so that’s just another perk.

Sydney: Do you like being an Editor? What exactly does an editor do?
Kaitlin: I adore being an editor. I would almost venture to say that I make a better editor than I do a writer – not that I would ever give up Master Chef! Before the site changed, as an editor, I was responsible for editing all the pages that were posted for Mondays and then updating the website late Sunday night or very early Monday morning. I also kept in communication with my columnists, and helped them with anything they from figuring out how to prepare an update to helping come up with theme ideas. Now though, since the site has changed, my role as an editor is a bit different. Now I am responsible for keeping track of certain pages – tracking when they update and how often, and of course still reading them and checking for spelling and grammar. Of course, I also still keep in touch with my columnists and help them however I can!

Sydney: On first meeting you, what would be the initial impression of what you're like?
Kaitlin: On first meeting me, you would probably think I am shy. But I’m really not. I do tend to stay in the background though, and absorb information until I feel more comfortable in the situation. In actuality, I would like to think I’m a very fun, easygoing person. I laugh a lot.

Sydney: What is one thing you can't live without?
Kaitlin: Only one thing!?! Well since, you said “thing” instead of “person”, I’d have to go with my computer. I know, that sounds very materialistic of me. But, I am a writer, so I spend a lot of my time on my computer working on writing. If it were something other than a “thing” though, I would have said my family. They are the real rockstars.

Sydney: Using the letters of your name, create an acronym that describes you!
Kaitlin:
Kitchen-lover
Adventurous
Interesting
Talkative
Laugher
Indecisive
NaNoWriMo-er

Questions from PJers

If you could meet anyone, dead or alive, who would it be? –Angie
Kaitlin: Oh gosh. Well, I would really like to meet Mercedes Lackey. She is my all time favorite author! She writes fantasy books, and they never fail to make me laugh out loud, stiffen in fear, and cry in sadness, even when I’ve read them dozens of times.

What's your favorite PPJs page to read and why? -Julia B.
Kaitlin: If I have to keep it to just the one page… I’d go with Travel Bug. I really love traveling, and learning about new places that I’ve never visited, or reminiscing about those I have!

Sydney | September 20, 2009

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