There's a section in Girl Code right under "Thou shalt not steal thy best friend's boyfriend" labeled "Thou shalt not copycat", right?
I've heard it said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but I think someone must have made that up to soothe the tempers of the girls whose friends have broken Girl Code and stolen a look and called it their own. I'm not talking about inspiration. I love to check out what other bloggers are wearing and trying out with their outfits, but give credit where credit is due. If I'm channeling someone else's look in my outfit, I like to think I'd do my best to cite my muse. I think its fair.
I saw The Roommate for the first time since returning home from my latest tri-state tour (PA, NY, NJ) yesterday. Coming home to the apartment after she's been alone here is usually a bit of a shock to my system and it takes me a bit to readjust to living with her. As I'm getting in my freshly scrubbed shower (the apartment doesn't get cleaned by anyone except me), she's telling me about her weekend. She brings up my orange dress. You know, the orange dress that I love and rocked in NYC earlier this summer? I am in love with that dress. She knows how much I am in love with that dress, so I was surprised to hear, "You know that orange dress you have from Target? I found it in black this weekend." Oh. Umm... WHAAATTTTT?!?
Awkward moment number one of Wednesday. Thank goodness I had the shower curtain to hide my face, because I'm sure it would've displayed pure shock.
Later on, after she got home from work at the grease trap, she excitedly hops into my doorway holding a pair of black shoes. "And, ooo, look what else I got! They're these cute little moccasin thingies! They're so soft and comfortable and are dressy enough to wear to work." Uh-huh. They are not, in fact, dressy enough for a professional work environment, but whatever. I do know how comfortable they are. Do you want to know how I know? I know because they are already in my closet from last year!! I say something of to that extent to her, yet it doesn't phase her that I am or should be at all annoyed by the fact that, while I was away, she was apparently busy duplicating certain favorite elements of my closet.
What. The. Heck? Commence hair pulling, Girl Code has been broken.
Thou Shalt Not Steal Thy Girl Friend's Boyfriend NOR Her Shoes/Clothes/Accessories.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Monday, August 1, 2011
Two-Toned Twinkle Toes
I first saw Essie's Lilacism on Joanna Goddard's blog, A Cup of Jo. After she wrote about it, lilac kept popping up, so I decided to give it a try. Lilac was a nice, summery change from my go-to ballet pink (Dear Diary... by Sephora by OPI). I had to take the polish off of my fingernails after only a few days for a job interview, so I haven't decided if its a contender in the long-wearing category like the Sephora by OPI polishes are. I've been wearing it on my toes, too, and its seemed to do alright.
I took another tip from some fashion bloggers and decided to try the half-moon pedicure. I would've done a manicure, but I didn't want to have to take it off for an interview, especially not if I ended up liking it. I applied a few coats of Lilacism as a base and waited for it to dry. Then, I used binder reinforcement stickers at the base of each nail to cover the lilac. Using Caffeine Fix by, you guessed it, Sephora by OPI, I carefully painted the front half or so of each toenail and carefully peeled the sticker back to reveal a lilac crescent. A little more drying time and I finished the job off with some topcoat.
 |
| Lilac = Lilacism by Essie/Dark Purple = Caffeine Fix by Sephora by OPI |
Friday, July 29, 2011
That Time I Walked Out of a Job "Interview"
Since I am in desperate need of a new job, I'm not in a position to turn down interviews. Jenna first started calling me about an interview while I was in NYC. She told me that her company worked in the health and wellness field and had many opportunities available. It was clear that she didn't have my resume since she knew nothing of my work history or education and didn't disclose the name of her company, rendering a Google search impossible. It was also clear that she was calling me from her personal cell phone when my calls, which she never answered, only returned, went straight to an at capacity voice mailbox. We played phone tag over several weeks and darn if she wasn't as persistent as she was vague.
I agreed to meet with her one evening, since the "Wellness Center" office was fairly close and I had the time in my schedule. When I entered the office, I was greeted by fairly loud, upbeat music and a small crowd of what I could only assume to be fellow job seekers. Great, I thought, a group interview. A small woman came up to me to ask who I had an appointment with. As it turns out, this was Jenna. She asked again about my work history and I gave her a resume. We had a pleasant get-to-know-you conversation in the midst of all the other would-be candidates. When I asked more specific questions about the company, she told me that there was going to be a group presentation to explain the details which would be followed by a one on one interview. There was also some training being held later that night. Whoa?! Training?! I knew I wasn't in the position to accept an offer that night, especially since it wasn't my only interview of the week and could already smell something fishy about the situation.
The presentation began with a powerpoint slide show. Several slides in, I glanced the phrase "direct marketing" and started to look for an escape route. Of course, I had to be sitting front and center. The presenter went on to talk about the products their company sells, mainly a diet pill. Strike two. I have several friends who work in direct marketing as Arbonne consultants and even tried my luck with Mary Kay right out of high school. My Arbonne friends love their work and products and, if I were to venture into direct marketing, it would probably be with Arbonne. Secondly, I don't believe in diet pills. They tempt me every once in a while, but as someone who struggled with eating disorders for years, I consider them dangerous and psychologically addicting no matter how effective they are or aren't.
I had to get out. I may have audibly let out a sigh of relief when, about twenty minutes in, the presenter dimmed the lights for a brief video. I grabbed my bag and scooted for the door. I looked for Jenna, as I intended to politely excuse myself. She was nowhere to be found, but the presenter noticed me and asked if I wanted to go home. Like I had a boo-boo, or something. I informed him that I wasn't interested in direct marketing. He thanked me and we went our separate ways.
The next evening, Jenna called again. She called to find out why I left and to see if I wanted to come back for a second "interview". I told her the same thing I told the gentleman the night before, that I was not interested in direct marketing. I also added that I was not in favor of diet pills, but was rather an advocate of natural wellness. She claimed their product was all natural. I hadn't stayed long enough to get an actual ingredients list, so I can't say for sure, but I doubt that their pills fit anywhere into the healthy, organic, vegan, or natural categories. I also asked her how she'd gotten my number in the first place. She couldn't give me a name, but told me it was probably a friend who'd referred me, since they work mainly through referrals.
Moral of the story: anytime you are called by an interviewer on their personal cell phone, any and all days of the week, wanting to set up an interview through a vague company at 7 pm on a Tuesday is probably not worth your time if you are seeking professional employment.
I agreed to meet with her one evening, since the "Wellness Center" office was fairly close and I had the time in my schedule. When I entered the office, I was greeted by fairly loud, upbeat music and a small crowd of what I could only assume to be fellow job seekers. Great, I thought, a group interview. A small woman came up to me to ask who I had an appointment with. As it turns out, this was Jenna. She asked again about my work history and I gave her a resume. We had a pleasant get-to-know-you conversation in the midst of all the other would-be candidates. When I asked more specific questions about the company, she told me that there was going to be a group presentation to explain the details which would be followed by a one on one interview. There was also some training being held later that night. Whoa?! Training?! I knew I wasn't in the position to accept an offer that night, especially since it wasn't my only interview of the week and could already smell something fishy about the situation.
The presentation began with a powerpoint slide show. Several slides in, I glanced the phrase "direct marketing" and started to look for an escape route. Of course, I had to be sitting front and center. The presenter went on to talk about the products their company sells, mainly a diet pill. Strike two. I have several friends who work in direct marketing as Arbonne consultants and even tried my luck with Mary Kay right out of high school. My Arbonne friends love their work and products and, if I were to venture into direct marketing, it would probably be with Arbonne. Secondly, I don't believe in diet pills. They tempt me every once in a while, but as someone who struggled with eating disorders for years, I consider them dangerous and psychologically addicting no matter how effective they are or aren't.
I had to get out. I may have audibly let out a sigh of relief when, about twenty minutes in, the presenter dimmed the lights for a brief video. I grabbed my bag and scooted for the door. I looked for Jenna, as I intended to politely excuse myself. She was nowhere to be found, but the presenter noticed me and asked if I wanted to go home. Like I had a boo-boo, or something. I informed him that I wasn't interested in direct marketing. He thanked me and we went our separate ways.
The next evening, Jenna called again. She called to find out why I left and to see if I wanted to come back for a second "interview". I told her the same thing I told the gentleman the night before, that I was not interested in direct marketing. I also added that I was not in favor of diet pills, but was rather an advocate of natural wellness. She claimed their product was all natural. I hadn't stayed long enough to get an actual ingredients list, so I can't say for sure, but I doubt that their pills fit anywhere into the healthy, organic, vegan, or natural categories. I also asked her how she'd gotten my number in the first place. She couldn't give me a name, but told me it was probably a friend who'd referred me, since they work mainly through referrals.
Moral of the story: anytime you are called by an interviewer on their personal cell phone, any and all days of the week, wanting to set up an interview through a vague company at 7 pm on a Tuesday is probably not worth your time if you are seeking professional employment.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
NYC in Photos
Since my camera broke several days into my trip, I was either camera-less or borrowing my boyfriends. This meant that many of my posts didn't have and snapshots to go with them right away. I thought, rather than go back and amend all prior NYC posts, why not just post 'em all, album style? Enjoy!
 |
| In Central Park: First thing we did together : ) |
 |
| @ The Fireworks: Tired and sweaty from a long day of travel and walking |
 |
| By the Jackie O. Resevior on our way to The Gugg |
 |
| The Guggenheim |
 |
| Me, in somewhat recycled but favorite outfit |
 |
| @MoMA's Free Friday Nights |
 |
| Broadway Boogie Woogie: A favorite |
 |
| My squirrel friend in Battery Park |
 |
| @ The Cloisters |
 |
| Cloisters Garden |
 |
| Another garden! |
 |
| Just a little Tiffany (@the Met) |
 |
| One of my SoHo finds. The light fabric was great in the heat |
 |
| Me & Hatshepsut know how to pose! |
 |
| I love his sense of humor! |
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Art & Sugar
My last full day in New York City was certainly full of excitement! The main event on our agenda was to take advantage of the two-for-one Metropolitan Museum of Art/The Cloisters admission and see them both. We'd intended to see the Met first and then rush up to The Cloisters before they closed, but we accidentally got on an express train that changed our minds for us.
When we got out of the subway, we walked through the beautiful Fort Tryon Park which boasts incredible views of the river and beautiful and well maintained flower gardens. It would be a great picnic spot, just saying. By the time we arrived at the medieval looking building, I was glad for the air conditioning. We spent a few hours looking over the artwork and admiring the architecture, some of which was actual pieces of old monasteries and the like that had been shipped over from Europe. I'm so glad to have a boyfriend that likes going to museums and engaging in thoughtful conversations about the work in them. I was a very happy girl that day.
We knew we weren't going to have enough time to see all of the Met, so when we got there, we took a moment to grab some lunch (the Met cafeteria puts potato chips on their mac & cheese, just sayin') and pinpoint the galleries we wanted to see the most. For The Writer, it was the Arms and Armor and I wanted to make sure we got to the Egyptian wing and temple. We also managed to make it through some of the painting and photography before the guards decided it was time for us to go. I'd wanted to see the McQueen exhibit, but we'd heard the wait was an hour and a half and we didn't have that much time there. Unfortunately the exhibit will be closing a mere three days before I return to Manhattan.
Since we'd had a late lunch, we weren't quite hungry for dinner when the museum closed. We were, we decidedly, quite ready for some ice cream. On our way to the subway that would take us down to Lula's, I spotted a sign in the window of Purple Elephant Cake Boutique that said they had vegan cupcakes. While neither of us are anywhere close to being vegan, The Writer's lactose intolerance keeps us on the hunt for dairy-free treats and vegan is always a safe choice. We stopped in and got a few cupcakes, even though we were on our way to eat ice cream. He had a vanilla cupcake with chocolate icing and I had a sweet-n-salty vanilla cupcake. I used to never be a cake person, I preferred fruity treats like pies, but this trip ruined me. I officially like cake.
Not letting the fact that we'd just had super sweet cupcake deter us, we continued downtown to Lula's and enjoyed our vegan ice cream cones. Dinner, at this point, was out of the question. We were too full on cupcakes and ice cream. We did feel quite kiddish, having had every kids' dream dinner, so we decided to go to FAO Schwartz because what kid doesn't want to go to a toy store after a sugar-filled meal? Unfortunately, it had closed by the time we got there. Bedtime, I guess. Plan B was to stroll casually through the lobby and shops of The Plaza hotel, just to check it out. I wouldn't mind staying there sometime, that's for sure.
We walked around the park area for a bit before grabbing some groceries and heading to bed. It seemed the sugar rush we'd ingested was no match for the mileage we'd covered that day.
 |
| The Cloisters |
 |
| A chapel in The Cloisters |
 |
| One of many lovely gardens |
We knew we weren't going to have enough time to see all of the Met, so when we got there, we took a moment to grab some lunch (the Met cafeteria puts potato chips on their mac & cheese, just sayin') and pinpoint the galleries we wanted to see the most. For The Writer, it was the Arms and Armor and I wanted to make sure we got to the Egyptian wing and temple. We also managed to make it through some of the painting and photography before the guards decided it was time for us to go. I'd wanted to see the McQueen exhibit, but we'd heard the wait was an hour and a half and we didn't have that much time there. Unfortunately the exhibit will be closing a mere three days before I return to Manhattan.
Since we'd had a late lunch, we weren't quite hungry for dinner when the museum closed. We were, we decidedly, quite ready for some ice cream. On our way to the subway that would take us down to Lula's, I spotted a sign in the window of Purple Elephant Cake Boutique that said they had vegan cupcakes. While neither of us are anywhere close to being vegan, The Writer's lactose intolerance keeps us on the hunt for dairy-free treats and vegan is always a safe choice. We stopped in and got a few cupcakes, even though we were on our way to eat ice cream. He had a vanilla cupcake with chocolate icing and I had a sweet-n-salty vanilla cupcake. I used to never be a cake person, I preferred fruity treats like pies, but this trip ruined me. I officially like cake.
Not letting the fact that we'd just had super sweet cupcake deter us, we continued downtown to Lula's and enjoyed our vegan ice cream cones. Dinner, at this point, was out of the question. We were too full on cupcakes and ice cream. We did feel quite kiddish, having had every kids' dream dinner, so we decided to go to FAO Schwartz because what kid doesn't want to go to a toy store after a sugar-filled meal? Unfortunately, it had closed by the time we got there. Bedtime, I guess. Plan B was to stroll casually through the lobby and shops of The Plaza hotel, just to check it out. I wouldn't mind staying there sometime, that's for sure.
We walked around the park area for a bit before grabbing some groceries and heading to bed. It seemed the sugar rush we'd ingested was no match for the mileage we'd covered that day.
*Photos by The Writer. I borrowed his camera for a few shots, but most (not obviously taken with a webcam or otherwise cited) are from his camera, as mine is broken : ( *
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
