Blogging fail. (Flickr, Amanda Woodward)

So, before I go ahead and lap myself in terms of blogging (does that last one really say August? What time trap did I fall into, exactly?) I thought I’d take a moment to actually update the front page of my site so that it’s clear I haven’t skipped town (and by “town,” I mean “the internet”).

Catching up properly at this point is bound to turn into a multi-post epic, so let’s just give you the TV version of “here’s what you missed,” and get on with it, shall we?

Here’s what I’ve been up to for the past, uh, several months…

• Life at home: You may remember—a long time ago now—some references to a new apartment. Well, it’s not really “new” anymore, but it’s still all kinds of awesome. B-rad and I are loving our new digs in this much less stabby part of Toronto. There is a movie theatre down the street, a Starbucks on the corner and a Greek restaurant across the road that makes a mean flaming cheese. What more could a girl ask for, really?

• I’m not getting any younger! In fact, I’ve gotten another year older. Funny how that whole birthday thing works, isn’t it? Anyway, no doom and gloom here. I’m looking forward to all that 27 has to offer…

• Wedding update: The Dress has been ordered and now I’m on a quest to find the perfect shoes. Let me clarify that—the perfect purple shoes. We’ve also secured the most delicious cake of all time. Wedding planning is crazy fun times. Srsly. Six months to go!

But wait! There’s more…

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Happy Friday, all! I have many stories to share, but after soaking up the sun with the Terrible Two (aka my adventure-loving cats) this afternoon, I’m a bit wiped out. Before I head off for a night of Wii and wine, there are a few things I’ve stumbled upon in my travels around the Interweb this week that I simply have to share. Enjoy the link love!

• F**k You, Penguin
If you can get through the entries on this blog (that tells cute animals what’s what) without laughing, let me know, and I will send you a prize. Because seriously? Hilarious.

• Viva La Love Story
If you’re just tuning in… Hi, my name is Alicia, and I’m a bit of a music junkie. That said, is anyone really surprised that I am loving this instrumental mash-up of Taylor Swift’s Love Story and Coldplay’s Viva La Vida by John Schmidt? It’s fab. Trust.

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Now that I’m in my third week of class at Ryerson AND working as a web intern at St. Joseph Media, I’ve become slightly obsessed with all things web-related. Back in the summer when I was browsing through job listings, I kept running across the phrase “Web 2.0″ and had absolutely no idea what it meant. I Googled it, of course, but the details were still a little fuzzy. 

Enter Kat Tancock, my Creating Website Editorial prof at Ryerson (and web editor of Best Health magazine). On my first night in class, she shared a great video by Michael Wesch that is not only very cool, but does a pretty good job of explaining the awesomeness of the Internet. And because I think it’s so fabulous, I’m going to share it with you. Enjoy!

If you find yourself in a state of panic because Christmas is but days away and you haven’t finished your shopping, I have only one thing to say to you:

Welcome to the club.

While B-rad and I are frantically hitting up the stores this weekend (assuming we can get out of the house, thanks to “Snowmageddon” here in Toronto), you can rest easy with a few helpful shopping tips from yours truly, which are being featured right now as part of Canadian Family’s Holiday Survival Guide. 

Until next time, bust out the hot chocolate and stay warm!

If you’re endlessly optimistic – like yours truly – then the news has certainly not been your friend as of late. The constant stream of stories about political shenanigans, massive job cuts and the global financial crisis compete with the cheery sounds of Christmas carols, making for one very confusing trip to WalMart. Do I get the special edition copy of The Dark Knight? Or the very frugal – yet timeless – ball in a cup? WWPMD? (What Would Peter Mansbridge Do?)

There’s no denying that we’ve run into some tough times. But we’re not alone. I recently had the opportunity to read a great piece by Yuki Hayashi in the Winter 2009 issue of Canadian Family that delves into a side of this financial meltdown that we may have overlooked – the global food crisis.

While many Canadians find themselves fighting to make ends meet this Christmas, for those who already struggle to provide food for their families every day, our current economic reality is even more of a crushing blow. And it’s not just here – it’s everywhere. Global food prices are skyrocketing. Staple foods like rice and grain are harder to come by. It’s a dismal truth that even the sunniest optimist can’t deny. Dismal, but not hopeless. (more…)

Happy December 3rd, all! With Christmas only a few weeks away, I’m sure everyone is starting to feel a little more holly and jolly. But if you need some help getting into the festive spirit, head on over to the Canadian Family website and check out the piece I wrote about Christmas picture books for kids.

Enjoy!

There are a few things that I will admit to being addicted to, happily and without shame: magazines, good books and big cups of tea are around the top of the list. But it seems that somewhere along the line, learning has crept its way into the ranks. As such, I am heading back to school. Again.

One very cool thing about my line of work is that I feel like I’m always learning new things. Whether I’m researching a story or proofreading someone else’s work, I end up taking in a lot of information… which often comes in handy during Jeopardy, or late-night games of Trivial Pursuit.

But there is something about learning in a formal environment that I just really enjoy. I like lectures. I like taking notes. I like walking away from a class feeling like I can do something that I couldn’t do before. And that’s exactly what I’m hoping to take away from the continuing education class I’ve enrolled in at Ryerson University…

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Well, hello there! As you may have noticed, things are looking a little different around here…

As much as I loved my old layout, I decided it was time to take this site to the next level and get myself a little attention. Thanks to the creative genius over at Broken Studio, I’m thrilled to be able to unveil this great new look.

Along with a list of the editorial services that I provide, I’ve also added a spiffy new bio and a contact page. Very soon I’ll have some material up on my portfolio page, which will showcase some of my latest magazine work.

In addition to the new look, I’ve decided to take this blog in a new direction. Soon you’ll see posts that reflect my life as a writer and editorial intern, including news, updates and all things word-related. But if you’re feeling nostalgic for the days of random awesomeness, don’t worry! They’ll still be making the occasional appearance, too.

So, welcome to the new aliciamcauley.ca! As always, I’m very happy to hear your feedback. Let me know what you like and what you’d like to see, so that I can keep improving this site as much as possible… But most importantly, stay tuned! There are great things to come