Katie Leimkuehler's Blog, page 4

Girls Night In

[image error]

It’s a sacred, timeless tradition of chocolate, gossip, laughter and tears where girls can just be girls. That’s right, I’m talking about a girls night in, a night where it’s totally acceptable to ditch the guy and ditch the dress for best friends and sweatpants. And as every girl knows, no girls night in is complete without one important accessory — no, I’m not talking about the wine…though that never hurts — I’m talking about chick flicks! Whether you’re in the mood to laugh, cry or both, I...

Wonderful Books to Have on Your Nightstand

Because I work in publishing, a lot of the time, reading is my job. That basically means that I have the best job in the world, but I used to get nervous that I would somehow burn out on reading, as if doing it every day at the office would make me stop enjoying it in my free time. I’m happy to say that has never been the case. If anything, I love reading now more than ever.

I do have to make time for myself to read, otherwise it’s just another thing at the end of the to-do list that gets over...

Creating Ivy Westin

Over a year ago, author Katie Leimkuehler sat down with Melissa Wilson and Jennifer Yih to create the four women who became the Shy Town Girls. They sketched out personalities, backstories, fears, dreams, and future storylines. Katie felt herself drawn to Ivy Westin and claimed her as her own.

“Ivy is an inspiration of my own life and the lives of my friends,” Katie explains. “She is daring and pushes people out of their comfort zones to live life more.”

Ivy certainly stays true to that summati...

Non-Profit CEO Carol Multack Fights for Returning Veterans

Vet2Tech is a Chicago organization that provides scholarships for approved technical job training to veterans. Carol Multack is the CEO and president of the company, but the route she took to assuming this role is unconventional, to say the least.

In fact, Multack didn’t obtain her bachelor’s degree until she was 53 years old. The CEO graduated from Northern Illinois University with a degree in English in 2012. College was put on hold because, as one of 10 children, it wasn’t a financial possi...

Date Night Obsession: Art Galleries

Considering that my photographer boyfriend, Oliver, has a gallery of his own, it’s no surprise that one of our favorite things to do on a date night is visiting art galleries. There’s something magical about strolling through an exhibit, taking in the beauty that someone has crafted from joy or pain or any other number of emotions that you might identify with. Ollie is especially wonderful to have along because his eye catches things in the composition that go right over my head sometimes, bu...

Why Being a Twenty-Something Is Better Than Ever

An ex of mine once said… “Like a fine wine, you get better with time.” Yes, he really did say that. I remember thinking, “Is this guy serious…?” (For more reasons than one) and began thinking I wasn’t ready to grow older.

It seems like we spend so much of our time always wanting to be somewhere else other than where we are.Now that I am a twenty-something, I am learning to embrace getting older. There are great things that come with age that many often get denied.

1. We are not stuck, although...

Author Jennifer Yih Creates Ella Stewart For Book Three

Author Jennifer Yih

Book Three in the Shy Town Girls series is in the works! The third volume will be through the eyes of fashionable Eloise Stewart, although you might know her better as Ella.

The narrator may be new, but you’ll find that you’re already familiar with the author for the next book. Jennifer Yih, the writer who brought you Book One and created Bobbie Bertucci, will pen the third installment of Shy Town Girls.

So how does someone sit down to create a whole new character after she b...

Bust Out Those Tennis Shoes and Get in Ivy’s Running Routine!

If you’ve read Book Two of Shy Town Girls, you know Ivy Westin is something of a runner. She may not be training for the Chicago Marathon, but she takes to the Chicago streets whenever she needs to work through some emotions or just get out of her own head.So what are some of our girl’s favorite running routes? We’ll let her tell you herself.

No one can deny that Chicago is a city of seasons, and don’t look now, but the one we’re in right now is coming to a close. Soon, it will be bye-bye pump...

Enjoy the Chicago Fall with These Running Routes

If you’ve read Book Two of Shy Town Girls, you know Ivy Westin is something of a runner. She may not be training for the Chicago Marathon, but she takes to the Chicago streets whenever she needs to work through some emotions or just get out of her own head.So what are some of our girl’s favorite running routes? We’ll let her tell you herself.

No one can deny that Chicago is a city of seasons, and don’t look now, but the one we’re in right now is coming to a close. Soon, it will be bye-bye pump...

New Chicago Designer, Timeless Story of Success Part II

Continued from Part I…

Photo courtesy of Kelly King

OnceKellygraduated, she returned to the town she loves: Chicago. As she put it, “I could have gone on to New York, but I wanted to be in Chicago. I think it is a wonderful place for design and will just become even better as more designers make it their home.”

Kellyhad also followed Ashley Zygmunt, a Chicago fashion designer who was taken into the Chicago Foundation Incubator and who was also a Purdue grad like herself. “I followed her and reso...