Less Than 10 Minutes to Go...

With less than 10 minutes to go, I am concluding my project on Kickstarter. Time's up and my 35 day funding period will be over soon. I have worked so hard putting up posters, creating contests and giveaways to encourage people to share my project, reaching out to lots of friends and family members, and using every social network I have an account on to try to advertise my project. Ninety percent of my attempts to fund one of my dreams failed and in less than 10 minutes the rest is history.

However, there is a bright side to funding my novel through Kickstarter. A lot of my friends, family members, people I know, and even some of my clients were very supportive through out the whole journey. Although my project was not successfully funded and I did not receive any money towards my novel at all, I learned that there's a time and place for everything and that I will publish my novel, just not this year. I also learned that if you're truly serious about your own work, people will do whatever they can to support and encourage your endeavors.

My novel will hopefully be published next year and I will be sure to keep everyone updated. Also, to those who pledged and selected a reward tier that included a copy of the novel will still be sent a paperback copy of my novel as soon as it's published. Just as a thank you.

You can still check out my novel "Within the Bindings" on Kickstarter, Like the "Within the Bindings" page on Facebook, Tweet me questions or comments with hashtag #WithinTheBindings, and read all about my novel writing journey on my blog.
xoxo,

What I'm Into Now...

Everyone has phases and times in their lives where they are attracted to certain hobbies, movies, shows, music, people, food, books and of course style. This year I have been all over the place. I've gone from watching "How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days" a hundred times to watching marathons of a show about a detective called "Monk". Last year I  refused to wear colorful jeans, but this year I bought my first pair of mint colored skinny jeans. Last year, I hated days where I was forced to wear my eye glasses instead of my contacts, but now I'm glad that sometimes I'm able to go back to the old me.

"Time does not change us. It just unfolds us."
- Max Frisch 

We have different views of things from time to time. Some things that I have claimed to always hate somehow made it to my favorites list and certain things that I have always claimed to love, I no longer do. 

These little things we love at a certain time in our life actually make a difference. These things define who we are. No matter what definition that may be at the time. 

Here's a list of things that define me at the moment- things that I'm into now.

Frozen Yogurt - For some reason I just can't seem to have enough of it. I have tried almost every flavor at my local frozen yogurt place. I've had about fourteen ounces of Mango & Coconut yogurt with chocolate turtles, nerds, white chocolate, and sprinkles every day all summer. Probably not very healthy, but oh well the summer is almost over.

How I Met Your Mother - A couple years ago, I was stuck on watching every episode of Friends. I would stay up all night trying to find out if Ross & Rachel ever ended up together. (Spoiler Alert) They did. This show is basically my new "Friends", but much more modern and funnier. HIMYM is the perfect combination between heart-warming life experiences, hilarious moments with your friends, and how destiny and the people we meet in life are significant in our lives. Barney Stinson played by Neil Patrick Harris (also known as my favorite gay person) is my favorite character. A guy who always wears a suit, has a blog, and is completely awesome (HIMYM joke). Plus, the new season starts in September and I cannot wait! This will be the first sitcom I'll actually see end.

My Polka-Dot Wedges - Shoes are very important to style any outfit. Seriously. I do not joke about shoes. This particular pair of wedges has been perfect for me this summer. I could wear them with jeans, capri(s), tights, skirts, and dresses. They are extremely comfortable too!

My Awesome New (unbranded) Headphones - Okay so they aren't THAT awesome. My new headphones have no brand, but I am really glad I decided to bid on them on eBay. Who knew generic headphones would work so well? I have had several music phases growing up.When I was twelve I thought Britney Spears was the best singer in the world (of course I had no idea what her songs meant back then). When I was fourteen, I decided I was going to be a rocker chick and started listening to alternative rock bands such as All Time Low, 3 Doors Down, and others I can't remember. I wasn't ALL THAT of a fan, however, I still do listen to an alternative rock band named SafetySuit whose new song "Never Stop" is my ringtone. Then I just stopped listening to music for a while. It became pointless to me. That's until I bought these headphones. Something about them makes me want to wear it all the time even if I am not listening to anything.

My New Short Layered Haircut - I was feeling a bit rebellious a couple weeks ago so I chopped my hair in half. Actually, my hair stylist did and cut it up pretty nicely. I was glad I finally made a change. My hair has always been so long and dull. It's perfect now. I want to keep it this way for a while.

As of right now, these are the five things I'm into now. I wonder what everyone else is into right now. 
xoxo,

A (not so) Unusual Busy Day

It is really no surprise that I am always busy. So yesterday was basically what an average day in my life looks like. However, today I enjoyed every second of it. I made the most of my day and ended up having a lot of fun doing so. After work, I had lunch with my sister, Tabeer, at home. She's not much of a dine outside person and although I am always asking her to hang out with me, she just simply prefers staying at home. We ordered Japanese food from our local Sarku Japan fast food restaurant. I'm not much of a fan of their food, but my sister loves it so I decided to try something new.



Their Chicken Teriyaki Rolls weren't that great and their portions were small, but it wasn't too bad. Still not a fan though.

Then, I printed out some flyers for my novel project on Kickstarter and headed out with my best friend to advertise it everywhere in town! Only a few weeks left to fund my novel and I'm both nervous and excited at the same time!

Unexpectedly though, my best friend decided we go out to a diner instead and I was so glad we did!



Dinner was a lot better than lunch by far!

I had a great time, a well needed break from all my chaos, and was able to leave some my flyers at the diner as well! It was a great Friday!
xoxo,

Share It to Win It: Win a $25 eGift Card to Barnes & Noble!

I have been going insane trying to get the word out on how my novel "Within the Bindings", is being funded through Kickstarter. I have been sending e-mails, handing out posters, and making overseas calls- it's all very hectic. Beyond that, I am trying to focus on writing the novel itself and getting everything in order for it to be published. It's a lot of work to do on my own so I'm asking all my readers and friends to pitch in, hence this Share It to Win It contest!

The Prize
The person who directs the most referrals will win a $25 eGift Card to Barnes & Noble. The eGift card can be used both online and in stores and will be sent to the winner via e-mail on August 25, 2013.

How to Enter
Share my Kickstarter project link (http://kck.st/11kQSYo) for my novel by writing a blog post OR by posting it on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, or Google +.

You can also pin my Kickstarter video (found on Kickstarter) or any of my campaign photos (below) on Pinterest.

E-mail (me) zobia@theeternityjournal.com the link to your blog post or social network posts and the person whose link gets the most referrals (I will be checking through Kickstarter) will win the $25 eGift Card to Barnes & Noble! 

Feel free to use any of the information or photos in this post!   

My Novel's Details
Title: Within the Bindings
Author: Zobia Alvi
To Be Published: Mid-November 2013
Short One Sentence Summary: A novel about family, love, Muslim culture in the United States, and the meaning of life that we're all trying to find.
Full Summary: 
After becoming a successful entrepreneur and living a comfortable lifestyle, Zara Abudallah-Cummings knew she had what she had always prolonged for. She had earned all of her success and changed almost every aspect of her new beautiful life. The only thing Zara never changed about her life was the way she perceived her past. Her past shaped her; it created the person she became. She kept her past in her heart and mind at all times. And every now and then, she would think about the life she lived.Mistakes were made and her dearest were deceived, but Zara never failed to see the light of it all.

  

Her family was clueless as to what secrets she kept from them. Little did she know, she was not the only one with a secret. She believed her past was the wall that stood between her and her family, but as her journey to life continues, she learns it was "the outsiders" that gradually tore her family apart. The more she opened herself up to others, the more detached she became from her family.

Based on some of my personal experiences and all the wonderful people I owe my inspirational soul to. A story about family, true intentions, and loyalty in a generation that has forgotten the value of love and true friendship. A story about Muslim families adjusting to the westernized life in America, while trying to keep the tradition of family alive. Told in the perspective of Zara herself portraying people in her life that have left an imprint on her heart, but had her push away from those whom she truly loves.

Campaign Photos for You to Use





This contest basically consists of getting the most referrals, no one is obligated to pledge. However, please encourage your readers/followers to support the novel! There's only 16 days left and I'm 25% closer to my goal! Every dollar counts! 

Thanks for your support & good luck!
xoxo,

Everyone Starts Somewhere!

I have met hundreds of amazing people through the Internet and in real life. I look up to these people, these people inspire me. They're self-made, confident, and content people. They are creators, inventors, and out-of-the box thinkers. People like my best friend, my parents, my sisters, and even people you may know such as Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, and other bloggers I have followed since the beginning of time (well my time as a blogger). I always wondered how these people came to be the way they are. I mean were they always this great?

The truth is everyone starts somewhere. Whether you start as a waitress and become an big CEO of a major company, start a blog to share small tidbits of yourself and become a full-time professional blogger, or a girl from a usually "unknown" town who has a laptop and a HUGE dream of making record of the most wealthy female entrepreneur in the technology field on the planet (like myself), we all start somewhere!

In order to reach to the top, you must start at the bottom and work your way up. It's how life works.

This is my bottom. This blog is starting out from the very bottom and as I get older and share more life experiences, it'll gradually grow into something bigger. My business is starting out from the the very bottom and although it has been a year, it's still growing. Other projects such as my novel haven't even been launched yet. Plus, I like my job, but I don't see myself working for someone when I'm older. I'm starting from the very bottom and one day I'll have people working for me and rise up to the top through time.

Things take time and sometimes it's hard for me to realize that.

I compare myself to the people I look up to often, but they started out the same way I did-at the bottom.

Where did you start? Where do you see yourself in the future?
xoxo,

August Sponsor Sale!

Sponsorship ads for prices less than a cup of your favorite frozen yogurt!

It's the first week of August and I'm looking for some sponsors to take over my blog's sidebar! All sponsorships are $1 or $2! Depending on the size you need. It's the biggest sale ever!

Plus, add my Social Media Package to your cart for $5! I'll advertise your blog and/or website all week on all my social networks: (Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest). You'll get some great exposure and gain more fans and followers!

Here are my stats:
Blog Followers via Google Friend Connect/RSS/BlogLovin - 180+ followers
Facebook -  193 fans
Twitter - 250+ followers
Pinterest - 200+ followers
Stats as of August 4, 2013

So what do you say? Sponsor me? Go to the sponsor page now!
xoxo,

My First Day at Work!

Photo
Although I have been working online since I first discovered the amazing powers of the Internet world, I never had a real job until now.

My first day was great, I was pretty excited about it. My co-workers seemed to be pretty friendly. I even made a work buddy on my first day! Plus, I was comfortable enough to talk about my novel and how I am funding it through Kickstarter and even passed out some business cards! Hooray!

What I hope to gain from this job: Besides experience I hope that I can learn how working at an office actually works inside and out. I want to know and understand what would work best for my own cooperate office or small business office one day.

In a career seminar once, a local business man said "You have to start at the bottom and gradually learn how to do every single job from the bottom to the top and then you can be the boss." This stuck to me and well, everyone has to start someone so I suppose working in an office environment is starting somewhere for me!
xoxo,