Some people are so damn cute you just wanna Lennie* them. I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Amy Estes (aka Just A Titch) in person yet, but I’m pretty damn sure she is 100% grade-A Lennie material. Just look at that smile!

*Lennie. Verb. Def: To squeeze to death with ferocious fondness. See: Of Mice & Men.

When I learned that Amy had NEVER been interviewed before (guh-whuuuh?!?) I immediately swooped in to steal her interviewginity. She consented. So here we are.

1. Quick! In 140 characters or less (cuz it’s the Twitter generation, doncha know) tell us who you are, and what you’re gunning for.

I’m a copy-writing, champagne-popping, coffee-drinking, list-making blogger living in Sacramento, CA. I live for good music & great stories.

2. You are crazy cute, and your blog – Just A Titch — is adorable. As a lady-blogger, do you feel “pressure” to stay insanely upbeat?

One comment I hear fairly regularly is that I’m “much nicer on my blog” than I am in real life. I’m not sure that it’s that I’m nicer, but I do tend to be really positive online because I know that I am really turned off when I read of problems but see little effort to make things better. I also tend to be very pro-active about taking care of things that bother me in my life offline, and I think that translates in my writing. My blog is also a place where I tend to work out how I’m feeling about things, and trying to see the positive, writing about it can help me get on track. On the other hand, I tend to shy away from writing some of my best stories and being really honest for fear of it being received as negative or snarky. I’m definitely working on striking a balance between honesty and relentless optimism.

3. Your background is in education, but you’ve recently shifted into a slightly different line of work. Tell us about that transition — and the biggest “life lesson” from the past year.

Sometime last year, I read something along the lines of, “The things you spend your free time doing is what you should be doing for your line of work.” Because I loved teaching so much, I never considered doing much else, but then I noticed how much time I spent reading blogs, writing my own and engaging with social media. When I found out that I was officially laid off, I was upset, but I was also able to recognize that I wasn’t at my happiest where I was. I made a list of all the ways I wanted to feel in my new job — not necessarily what that job had to be, but how I wanted to feel. I put things like “valued” and “comfortable with the fact that I have a social media presence” (my old job was terrified of my blog and Twitter presence!). When the school year ended, I was relentless about applying for jobs that were in teaching but also jobs that utilized my other interests. When my current job came up — a hybrid of writing/social media and customer service — it seemed like a perfect balance. Thankfully, my employer felt the same way and I literally accepted a dream position. About a week into my job, I found my list again, and it was the most amazing moment of realizing that my hard work had paid off into getting a position that made me happy. I’m trying to translate the effort I put into getting a job into doing other things I want to do, like losing weight and doing some more freelance writing.

If I learned anything in the past year, it’s that I’m capable of surprising myself. Last year, if anyone had told me that I’d be making money from writing, doing some freelancing and working for a company I’ve loved and respected, I wouldn’t have believed that I was capable. I think that being confident in your abilities and working your tail off to showcase those can lead to success. If you constantly put yourself out there for opportunities you’re excited about, it’s likely to pay off.

4. Is there a particular quote or song lyric that really sums up your soul + spirit?

I use lyrics to define different times in my life, but lately, I’ve been really into Metric and my girl-crush Emily Haines. I love the lyric from “Help, I’m Alive” that says “If my life is mine, what shouldn’t I do? I get wherever I’m goin’, I get whatever I need…” To me, it’s a perfect balance between going for what I want, because defining my life really is up to me and a testament to the fact that things really do always work out and to worry less. Not sure that’s what the brilliant minds of Metric had in mind, but it works for me. I’m also doing a lot of secret dancing to “Teenage Dream” by Katy Perry. But don’t tell anyone.

5. Do a little self-pimping, please. What kind of clients are you cruising for, and if the Internet could grant you one wish, what would it be?

I’m passionate about raw, genuine stories. So, whether that’s telling more of my own story, helping a new blogger get all set up and helping them develop a mission or getting a small business online with Twitter / Facebook / blogging which can help drive new business and create a community, than I’m into it. I’ve helped create content and curate info for a few businesses and I am loving writing copy about cool businesses for my current gig. If you need some help with that, I’m your lady. I’m also seeking awesome people to interview for my own blog — and by awesome, I mean anyone with a story that they’re willing to share. And finally, a secret wish: I read a scary amount of music blogs and see as many shows as my wallet will allow each year, and yet, that never makes it into my blog. I’d love a chance to write about music. But ultimately? I just wanna write my own story and help others share their own. Period.

Follow Amy on Twitter @JustATitch, and try not to Lennie her too hard.