Lisi Harrison's Blog, page 19

MY HAPPY PLACE

I know how much you girls love to read so I'm going to give your eyeballs a rest and give you a visual blah-g today. Here are some shots of my new office. Do you love or do you love?

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Enter through that door and into the foyer. How ah-mazing is that glam light? Those books on the shelf are the books I have written. To the left is a mirrored cabinet. Inside is a collection of all the foreign books, dolls, clothing, etc…that came from the Clique and Monster High. See?

[image error] seriously organized.

Then you walk through a fab YELLOW door into the main office.

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WELCOME!!!!! How cheerful is this? J'adore that striped post. See Bee Bee sleeping on the floor. She loves that rug. And if she pees on it it will match the rest of the place. I thought of everything.

Look to the right and you'll see my desk with my WALLPAPER!!!!!

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Then to the right of my desk is my "conference room." The white wall is covered with dry erase paint so I can write on it. I was going to show you the wall with all of my latest scribblings and then I got paranoid someone would zoom the picture and steal my idea. Yup. I'm psycho. So here is the boring version.

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Okay I lied. I used words. I can't help it. It's what I do. Change is the biggest inspiration in the world for me. If any of you are stuck or bored change things up. Rearrange your room, walk a different way to school, shower at night instead of the morning, read this Blah-g backwards. It helps. I swear.

TTYW,

Lisi

SEARCHING FOR THE ONE

What's up party people? I am back from NYC and ready to work. My meetings were great. My new office is almost done and I am totally organized. I'll post pics next week.

I am so excited to write The Dirty Book Club and even more pumped to start El Mysterioso. I feel like I'm dating two guys at once. Only I don't know one of the guys' names and it's at the point where it's too awkward for me to ask so I have to come up with a clever nickname so he doesn't figure it out. In other words, El Mysterioso is nawt the real of my YA series. I can't think of a good title. I have thought of a million so-so ones and a billion horrible ones. But I haven't found The One.

I would love to tell you what it's about and see if any of you can help me but Erin, my editor, told me I wasn't allowed. She said we need to announce it to the press first. But in order to do that I need a title. See what I'm dealing with here? Unless…

(LOOPHOLE ALERT)

Can you come up with something based on the following synopsis? (This isn't cheating is it?)

It's the story of five super popular high school _____ who are asked to _____ a _____ . Someone ___ the ____ and _____ them to the _____. Life as they ____ it is so done.

Get back to me on that, will ya?

TTYW,

Lisi

XXXXX

Leaps and Bounds

Hey everyone,

This has been a busy week. Thank gawd it's a leap year. I totally need the extra day.

1. I had my first meeting with the jewelry design team.

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That's Mary Beth, Gorjana, and Jason. We spent a lot of time talking about what I represent as a writer because I want this piece to do more than dangle off a wrist or scrape along a collar bone. I want it to mean something, not only to the charity it will benefit, but to you.

After last weeks post about accepting my crazy arms, I realized that an ongoing theme for me is finding the courage to accept ourselves, flaws and all. It doesn't mean we should love our flaws. That's not realistic. It means finding a way to live with them. So they don't bum you out and make you self concision.  Because really, what choice do we have?

That said, I want my piece to inspire. I want it to give me strength to deal with whatever is freaking me out. It can be a new thing every day (I will not get stage fright, I will not eat fries) or it can be one thing that takes years to accept (I will smile and pretend I love my braces). Regardless, I want the freedom to be able to change that thing as my insecurities change.

Soooo, I'm thinking a bracelet that has a secret hatch. You can write your confidence mission on a piece of paper that goes inside and then close it up. Only you will know what's inside (unless you tell your BFF). Everyone else will just see the sparkly exterior. And if you keep smiling through your insecurities, the same will apply to you.

I'll post sketches as soon as I have them.

2. I am moving offices today. One floor up. It's bigger and it has a window. I am going for a bright girly vibe this time. I went with the birds wallpaper and will show you the finished product when it's done.

3. I will be in NYC next week meeting with my editors. I will be discussing The Dirty Book club with Karen, my new editor. And then I will be meeting with Erin, my YA editor. Erin and I will be going over the outline for my new  teen series. I am hoping she loves it so I can finally tell you what it is.

That means no Blah-g next week.

TTYWednesday March 14th.

Lisi

IN ODD WE TRUST

Massive exhale.

I'm back from Park City, Utah in one piece. Physically, that is.  My heart, however, got broken into a billion pieces.

Day one. Kevy (life crush) and I went snowboarding. The sun was blazing and the snow was fluffy. It was perfect. He even committed to a day with me on the slopes which, for an ah-mazing snowboarder, must feel like jogging with a 95 year old. I can get down the mountain but I am afraid of extreme speed and those narrow cat trails which I renamed cat walks to try and give them some appeal. Because, for a snowboarder they are not savory. Unless you take these winding narrow paths with cheek-puffing speed you're going to come to a stop and will be forced to hop your way to the closest incline.  But I was doing it. And much to my surprise Kevy wasn't embarrassed by me. In fact, he said I was a 7 out of 10 (on a scale made for beginners and spazzes.) I was proud. So was he. So he rode ahead and recorded me coming down. Later that night we reviewed the footage. I was pretty good. If you don't count my swinging arms.

Usually snowboarders (good ones) have a very relaxed stance. Their arms are slack and their hips pivot with hula dancer ease.  I looked like I was constantly hailing a cab. I began to beat myself up and get self conscious.  I looked much better when I couldn't see myself.

No matter. I would go for slack arms the next day.

Day two. The sun was gone. The wind was vengeful. My board no longer glided. It scraped. My pivoting legs were sore. And my lips were chapped. Still I was going to look relaxed if it killed me. Which it almost did. We ended up  on a run that was 100% cat walk. I was miserable. Kevy kept shouting at me. "Keep your speed up!" and "Ride the high ground!" but all I could think about were my cab arms. And then I'd fall. My circuits were getting jammed. I was too concerned with how I looked. I kept telling myself to stop being so shallow. But that became one more thing to think about and I'd fall again. I was getting frustrated and tears were forming. Still, I got up and persevered. Then, just as I started getting into a rhythm some older dude whizzed past me. (A SKIER!) He was flailing his arms in the air and shouted, "Try using your arms more! Ha!"

It was a pole straight to the heart. I fell. I cried. Okay, truth? I bawled. I shouted, "Ass!" because that's all I could think of. I was shocked. I mean, who does that?

I lay in the snow crying. People passed and stared. Kevy had to assure them I wasn't injured. He was getting annoyed that I was being such a baby. I was too. I never cry. But I felt so sorry for myself. There I was trying and progressing. And that ass-pole had to come along and ruin it. What did I ever do to him? Why me? Couldn't he see that I was a beginner? And that I was already a 7 out of 10?

Later that night I asked myself why I got so bent out of shape. I mean, I preach accepting yourself and your flaws. I write books about it. I tell people to celebrate the things that make them different and not to hide them. And there I was, crying because I do some weird arm thing when I snowboard and someone called me out on it. Poor me.

And then I started to giggle.

I imagined myself DIY-ing some feather-glitter sleeves so when my arms flail I'd look fabulous. Because that's what I'd have one one my characters do. She would own her crazy quirk. She'd turn it into a thing. And that's why we would love her. So I decided to become the Crazy Arm Boarder. (CAB, get it?) Maybe I'll get made fun of again. Or maybe I'll start a new trend. Either way, I'll get a giggle out of it. And that's always better than a cry.

TTYW

Lisi

The Latest Dirt-y

Happy (belated) Valentines Day sisters. I hope you all felt loved. Kevy, my life-crush* and I are not into the Hallmark Holidays so we didn't do anything. We are going out tonight instead just to be rebels. Sushi at Katsuya if you much know. No one tells this girl when to love.

(Segue needed)

Yesterday the news broke. I will be writing an adult book! I wasn't allowed to tell you until the press release went out and it finally did. See?

Publishers Marketplace

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Deal News

Author of YA series THE CLIQUE, Lisi Harrison's debut adult novel THE DIRTY BOOK CLUB, about four women in the 1960s who start reading provocative fiction and form a secret club that changes their lives, to Gallery, in a pre-empt.

I will be taking questions now.

For those of you under the age of 18 (okay, 21) I am also working on a new YA series. I'm not allowed to post that dirt yet because the contract has not been signed. But I am writing it right now. And I am loving it. I can't wait to share.

(Segue needed)

It's a year of change ladies. New office, new books, necklace design, AND a new _____. I'll save something for next week. Just know I am updating it all. I will keep you informed every step of the way.

Thanks to those of you who weighed in on my office wallpaper. I am going with the birds. I want my new space to feel dreamy and airy. Hopefully, I'll live to see it.

(Good segue alert)

I am going snowboarding on Friday in Park City, Utah. I can snowboard but I am a massive spaz. There's a reason I write. My athletic build is not my best feature. If you happen to be on the mountain between Friday and Tuesday please accept my apologies in advance. I didn't mean to bash into you/run over your hands/knock down your energy drink/block your path as you try to get off the chair lift/give you a black eye. It was an accident.

TTYW, if all goes well.

Lisi

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* Yes, to clear up the confusion, Kevy my life-crush is also my husband. Like I said, I have a slight issue with being told what to do or say. The word "husband" sounds so boring and unromantic to me so I call him my life crush. It's a lot more exciting. At least to me.  I call my dog BeeBee my hairy best friend. She thinks "pet" is condescending. Her words not mine.

Hola Ami-Gaga

Hola my amigas!!! I am back from Mexico and better than ever. Most of my pictures are not suitable for this Blah-g but I will show you one that might make up for all of the ones I'm hiding. Yes, privacy still matters.

The house I stayed in was directly next door to the house Lady Gaga rented one week earlier. It was vacant when we were there so I weaseled my way in and Kevy, my life crush, snapped a photo of me laying on her bed.  Check it out!!! That's me on her bed. Pinky swear!!!

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Anyway.

As you know I have been blah blah blah-gging about the necklace we will be co-creating  and I'm pleased to let you know I am meeting with the designer in two weeks so I will have a lot to share very soon.

Just to get your co-creative juices flowing I am going to give you a say in the wallpaper I will be putting up in my NEW OFFICE!!!!!!

That's right. I am moving offices ah-gain. This will be the fourth one in six years. All in the same building I'll have you know. But for me change is very inspiring.  I will be starting two BRAND NEW series' this year and I need a fresh start. I'm like that with perfume too. I can only wear a scent once, then, when the bottle is tapped it's on to the next. Repeating scents makes me feel like I'm going back in time and I am not one to live in the past. There is only one exception to my perfume rule and that's Kiehl's Cucumber oil. It is seriously the best smelling thing ever…other than Lady Gaga's sheets.

Ew! I'm kidding.

Anyway.

The point is I am changing my office vibe. I want airy, girly, glam. There is one huge wall behind my desk and I want to slather it in wallpaper. The other walls will be glossy white. Here are my top three choices right now.

1. Birds

[image error]2. Poppy's [image error] 3. Yellow Thingy's [image error]

I really love them all and I can't decide. Help me!!!!

It's good to be back!!!

TTYW,

Lisi

Silver Lining

You guys are ah-mazing!!! Seriously. I love how you responded to this jewelry idea. So far it's clear we are going silver and not gold. You are pretty unanimous on that one. The charity is still undecided, so is the accessory, and the design.  But the comment numbers still have a long way to go so clearly we have our work cut out for us here.

The good news is I will be away next week so you have two weeks to build up our clique.

I am going to Mexico with 7 friends so I won't be blah-g-ing next week.  I have an appointment to meet with the jewelry designer when I get back so hopefully we can get started in February.

I also have a meeting tomorrow and Friday with my editor Erin, from Little Brown to talk about my new series so I should have some cool news on that soon.

I will take lots of pictures of my fab beach poses and post them on Pose. So we can stay in touch that way.

Stay warm,

Adios!

Lisi

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OCCUPY LISIHARRISON.COM

Thank you Nadia Smalling for your kind words and thank you Hana for explaining why comments are down these days. I was seriously starting to wonder. Exams. Midterms. I get it. I respect it. I hate it.

We went from thousands to hundreds. Don't get me wrong. I'm not Ashton Kutcher. I'm not looking for a ton of followers just to say I have them. I have plans for you ladies.

I have teamed up with a jewelry designer http://www.gorjana.com so I can create some killer (and affordable) accessories. I will donate the money to charity.

But which charity? I'm thinking anti-bullying. What do you think?

A necklace or a bracelet?

A toe ring or a pinky ring?

Gold or silver?

Design?

Message?

Packaging?

There are a billion decisions that need to be made and I was hoping you could help me. My plan was to post the options each week and have you all weigh in. Sketches, ideas, materials…

That way the final product would be something we created together. Something we can be proud of. By our global clique. For our global clique. But alas. I need more than 129 opinions. And so I put it on you. I will head up the project but you girls need to bring in the peeps. If you each bring ten girls to the sight we'll be 1000 strong in no time. Then we can get to work in February.

Kick butt on your exams and then text your friends and tell them we have some real work to do. The fun kind.

TTYW

XXXX Lisi

POSE HORSE

January through March is known (in my brain) as the Dead Zone. The weather is grim, our dewy skin flakes, and the only movies worth paying for are being screened at Sundance. For people with stylists! Getting dressed feels impossible. Everything looks old and drab. Searching my closet feels like that crazy opening and closing the fridge thing we all do when we're bored. Each time we hope something new will magically appear inside even though we know there's only one crusty jar of mustard and three-day old chicken fried rice inside.

But who has the money–or desire–to shop these days? Didn't we just spend all of December at the mall playing Santa and smelling like food court?  So what's a broke, bored, flaky skinned clothes horse supposed to do until spring? Nayyyy with me here because I have a few ideas.

It's all about working with what you have and making it feel fresh again. Here's what I did.

1) I went through my closet and pulled out EVERYTHING I haven't worn in the last year. So what if I bought it and haven't taken the tags off yet. Admitting I messed up is part of the healing process. If I didn't wear it in the last 12 months I'm not going to wear it now.

Put the rejects in a crate.  I got mine at the Container Store. See?

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If you can't get to a CS a suitcase or box or clearly labelled trash bag will work just as well. Now get the clothes out of your room. JUST GET THEM OUT! Garage. Attic. Anything, but don't toss them. Their story isn't over yet.

2) Rehang and fold the clothes you have left. Maybe you need some new hangers. The kind with the felt so your boho tops don't slip off and land in your boots. Target has some great ones. Potpourri or something with a fresh scent will help invigorate the survivors.

There's something about the lack of clutter that is inspiring. You will find a bunch of new possibilities now that the dud duds are gone.

3) Tell your friends to complete steps 1 & 2 and then have a clothes swap party. Look at all the new things you have!!! Fun, right?

4) Donate the items no one wants to a homeless shelter, Goodwill, or the theater department at your school. You never know when they'll be putting on a production of Les Miserable.

5) All you need now is inspiration. I love fashion mags, don't get me wrong, but 1/2 the stuff is out of my price range and the other 1/2 I wouldn't even wear to a Nicki Minaj costume party. (Um, Teen Vogue much?)

I get my best ideas from the streets. Well, I used to, when I lived in NYC. But style in Laguna Beach has the edge of a spoon. So I started perusing POSE. Register online or download the App. I did and I'm loving it. Members post pictures of their outfits and latest finds. They even tell you who made the clothes so you can start working on a wish list.

FOLLOW ME and check out my daily outfits and faves. Search for LisiH. Let me know what you think. Post your own creations and I'll check them out.

Together we can, and will, survive the Dead Zone of 2012. One outfit at a time.

TTYW,

Lisi

If You Love Something…

Set it free! And if it was meant to be it will come back to you!!!

Or something like that. The words might be a little off but the point is dead awn!!!

Anyway.

I luh-uved your artwork and it was lost. Remember?

(This is me looking 'tward the heavens, waiting for it to come back)

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I had all these grand plans to post it in the FROM U section of my website and it vanished? I know, that's not exactly setting it free but work with me here…the point is, IT CAME BACK!!!! Webmaster JJ's sister found it in her house. It was in a Bey Blade Stadium (those of you with younger brothers will know what I mean) and the crazy part is I bought that Bey Bade Stadium for one of her kids for his birthday. And they left that behind too.

It's like the folder clung to my gift–my essence! Like if the folder and the stadium had been my pets, and they had been freed from their cages by noun activists and were trapped in the wild waiting to get rescued..Moments before the search party gave up on them they were spotted, clinging to each other for warmth. Deciding which one to eat first. A folder full of colorful art or a plastic dome? (Um, like the answer isn't obvious.)

Anyway.

It is being driven back from Bakersfield, CA as I type. I can't promise it will be up next week because I still haven't hired a new webmaster. Nuh-thing productive happens in the business world between Thanksgiving and New Years. Especially when Mercury is in retrograde, which it was. Which was why I broke 3 iPads and crashed my car in one week. But that's so 2011.

I am ready for 2012.

I am meeting with my editor Erin on January 26th to discuss the new series. She asked that I sit on my gossip fingers until then. But as soon as I get the green light I will pull my hands out from under my butt and tell you everything. I will say it's probably going to be about freshman in high school. Let the speculating begin…

It's great to be back. I hope you all had an amazing holiday and I wish you all a Happy New Year.

Let's rock this one.

Thanks for coming back to me

TTYW,

XXXX Lisi