Spring!

Glorious sunshine!

It's 72 degrees outside right now. A bunch of us had lunch outside in Copley Square. We're going out for Margaritas after work. It's too nice to stay stuffed inside all day!

One of My Favorite Movies.

One of my favorite movies is Napolean Dynamite. Mostly because I love the random and awkward comments that come out of Nap D.'s mouth. So you can imagine my excitement when a friend of mine (ACE) emailed me a link to the Napolean Dynamite Soundboard.

It contains sound clips from the movie. Very enjoyable.

Season without Sickness.

Since my husband was sick this week with some version of a cold or flu, it got me thinking... With the exception of some food poisoning, I have not been sick once this Winter season. So now that Spring has sprung and we're getting ready to roll the clocks ahead this weekend, I felt the need to proclaim my status as an "Iron Woman."

I think between the flu shot I got last November and all the Bikram yoga I have been doing, I have been able to ward off any potential threats to my immune system.

This is most excellent.

It's Not Country. It's (Some Other Kind of Music).

I don't like country music. I grew up in Arizona with my parents listening to it. And I was never "down" with it. Can't stand it in fact.

So yesterday, KT (who I work with) was looking at my iPod Nano seeing what kind of music I have downloaded on it.

"I have a lot of random and cheesy pop music on it. Hillary Duff, Beastie Boys, Ashlee Simpson, The ramones," I said.

"Ohh! Dixie Chicks! that's country," said KT.

"No it's not," I protested. "It's pop music."

She rolled her eyes at me as if to say "Whatever. Kid yourself if you want."

But it got me thinking... because I have quite a bit of what others might consider "country" music, but I certainly don't. What makes it pop versus country?

Pop music means "popular" music. And I guess if they play the video on VH1, I consider it pop music. Shania Twain? Pop music. Faith Hill? Pop music.

What about music that is traditionally "r& b," "hiphop" or "rap"? Is that pop music? Yes... If they play the video on VH1. So, Nelly? Pop music. Mary J. Blige? Pop music.

Bottom line... I don't listen to country music. That's not how I "roll."

Verbal Jujitsu.

I was chatting over email with a friend a little while ago... He had read my last blog entry about the former co-worker who was trying to allege that she had worked on a project with me. He asked who this person was, and it turns out (because he used to work with me) that he knew her too. He made a reference to this girl's tactical skills in "verbal jujistu"... When you tell her something she's done pisses you off, she would say "I'm sorry you see it that way."

I told him that she had "assaulted" me in this similar fashion. I love his description of what she does... "Verbal jujitsu." That's just funny stuff. Genius even.

Knocked-Off and Knocked-Down.

Reading through the Thursday Styles section and saw one of their articles on designer knock-offs and how they are hurting the fashion industry.

While I agree that it is important to look in many places for "trend inspiration" in which to dream up your own work, I do NOT condone buying flat-out knock-offs or stealing someone else's designs and making them your own. (Allen Schwartz of ABS., I'm directing this to you most of all... With you Oscar gown clear rip-offs.)

I know, you're probably wondering "If you're so into fashion and try to be a good consumer, and find similar trends at a cheaper cost, why are you so against knock-offs?"

It's simple. I think it is bad karma to buy something that you try to pass off as the real thing, but isn't. There's a difference (a clear one in my opinion) between everyone following a trend and having similar looks at different price points in one season and out-right copying. But when you go out there purposely buy a fake Fendi or Coach bag just to carry the label around, you're committing a crime against fashion.

I like to compare designer knock-offs to people plagarizing other writers or taking credit for things they didn't do. For example, last month I found out that a former colleague of mine at my last job was claiming credit for doing a report that I thought up, created and completed. She didn't have any part of the report for the client. She sat in on my initial meeting with my team to see what we could do with the client. But she never contributed anything... And she was going around, a year later, and claiming she designed this innovative document. Umm... sorry girlie. You did nothing. I'm the one who spent hours figuring out what the design of the doc should be. I'm the one who did the research. I'm the one wrote the copy. I drew out all the illustrations. (Catch the theme here?) You did nothing. And for that I think you will have bad karma cast on you professionally.

So, to sum it up folks, don't buy knock-offs. Sure, subscribe to trends for a season, but don't cast bad karma on yourself for the sake of saving a few bucks.

Keep it real!

"One" of the Best Songs. Ever.

My "new" favorite song is actually an "oldie" from my teens. I was 14 when U2's "Achtung Baby" album came out in the early nineties. I immediately loved the song "One." (Really now, who didn't?)

Well, I am absolutely in love with the updated version of the song U2 has done with Mary J. Blige. It is, simply, a wonderful piece of music.

I highly recommend downloading it to your iPods as quickly as possible, if you haven't yet.

The "New 20."

Today is my husband's birthday. He turns the "new 20" today. (Which means he's actually 30.)

I always thought 30 was a very mature age when I was younger. But now that it is here for him and nearing for me (next year!), I realize that it is not as "stuffy" and old as I thought it was. In two weeks, I turn 29 (the last 20-something birthday!). When my mum was my age (29) I was five years old. She also had a 8 1/2 year old son and a 1 1/2 year old son. So three kids by the time she was 29.

I'm nowhere near that mature. I still but Hello Kitty stuff and listen to my music way too loud. I also swear quite a bit (which my husband hates). So what I've realized over the past few years is that 30 isn't old. There's plenty of time in life to be mature and responsible with children. And you can still listen to loud music and buy Hello Kitty stuff when you have children. But you can't swear as much. (At the very least, you can't use any of the good swears around children. Only the boring ones... Like "Damn" and "Sh@#.")

I'm glad I have another year till I hit the "new 20."

Rollin' in W-town.

I hate having to commute outside the city to work occasionally. It's such a bi-atch to get out here. But I haven't worked at this location in about a month, so I was due to come out.

This is such a boring little section of the greater Boston area. Not much around. No real public transportation comes out here. The only reason I do like coming out here is to visit the people I work with out here. They're very cool.

Giving a daily "shout-out" to my W-town people...

"Whiskey," "Wight-y," "Rain," "T-$$$," "Murph" and "McLaugh."

Bikram Yoga Update - Week Two

I finished up my second week of my Bikram Yoga commitment yesterday. I went only four times last week. (Bad!) I got sick on Tuesday/Wednesday, so I couldn't go those days. And I skipped Friday's class as well due to work stuff... Which is a pathetic excuse... As I made myself promise to make this the priority over work. (Makes me wonder if I actually have the balls to make good on actually believing what my priorities are... Some of you know what I'm talking about.... Do I have the balls to do it if it actually comes down to it? I think so. But I'll never know until I am actually given the ultimatum.)

Any way, back to yoga...

This is the start of week three. Yay! I intend to go every night this week. And both days this weekend. I feel really good about my progress so far. I've gone to 10 classes in 14 days. That's pretty good - yeah? I definitely notice a difference in my body. And my poses are getting better and better.

In yesterday's class, I was able to go deeper into Dandayamana Dhanurasana, or "bow-pulling" pose.



I can't get my back elevated leg that straight... But I am doing the pose much straighter with both hips down, and my toe pointed. So that's good progress.

The only pose that I have been able to do since day one is Ustrasana, "camel" pose.



I have a very flexible back. So this pose has never been a problem for me. It completely opens the front side of your body. It stretches your lungs and gets fresh blood going through your kidneys.

Can't wait for tonight's class.

Tonic w/ a Twist of Tea Tree Oil

Hmm! I love the smell of tea tree oil. It's so useful for many things; cleaning yoga mats, cleaning your shower, treating acne and even your hair.

I have long naturally wavy hair. And it gets knotted so very easily. To combat this, my stylist Beth (at Umi) hooked me up with this Tonic from Blumble and Bumble... And I LOVE it!



It has tea tree oil in it, and I use after every lock-washing. I can feel it tingling after I spray it on my roots and let it sit for a few minutes before combing my hair. It's a great product to use for controlling frizz (which I have a lot of) and it smells so clean.

Dot-Vom(-it).

I never took typing or keyboarding class like some people in middle school. Because of this, I never learned the proper technique for typing. I leave out spaces, I mis-type words, etc... And very often, when typing websites, I accidentally hit the letter "v" instead of the letter "c." So instead of "website.com" I type "website.vom."

This is what I will use to describe websites I don't like. Such as this one. Total "Dot-Vom." Makes me want to puke.

Candy-Coated Spring Shoes.

I was out browsing at Urban Outfitters this afternoon when I came across some delicious "licorice-whip" flat sandals.



The price was too good to pass them by ($34). So now I need to re-prioritize my "Must Buy" list for Spring and Summer. Maybe I should add some "gum-drop" earrings.

Zombie-chic.

Apparently "zombies" are what's hot now.

No suprise there. I had an attraction to the whole zombie genre before most people jumped on the bandwagon over the past three years... It started for me in college when I saw the 1968 movie "Night of the Living Dead" in a film class.

It's about time the rest of the country picked up on the whole zombie craze.

Where Did All of These Channels Come From?

My husband and I have had a crapatastic experience with our cable system since we moved into our apartment last year. The building, as charming as it is, is very old. And running cable wires through it is not easy. So we have always had bad reception on our cable. Many channels pixel-ate and we don't get all of them.

In the past year, we have not had easy viewing access to Fox News (no loss there), Family Channel (no Gilmore Girls re-runs!), History Channel (I like to watch this on the weekends while drinking a class of prosecco and making bracelets) E News (True Hollywood Story and #1 Single!)...

So, now that March Madness is here, my husband decided he had enough with the bad reception interfering with his playoff viewing. So he called the cable company to come fix the problem for the third time. And miraculously, our cable guy (Tim) was able to fix the problem!

So now, we have excellent crystal-clear reception... AND on top of that, we now have channels I never knew we had. Independent Film Channel? NICE! A&E? We have that? And my new guilty pleasure.... The Style Network!!!! I had heard of this channel, but I didn't know we had it on our system.



SWEET!

What to Wear When You Want to Sweat.

It is so hard to find stylish yoga apparel.

When I was in Toronto back in September, my husband and I stayed at the company condo on Bloor Street. While shopping in the neighborhood one afternoon, I came across this great yoga store called Lululemon.



I walked into the store and saw that it was top to bottom fashionable yoga apparel. I stocked up on a few things while I was there. But once I was back in America I had wished that we had a store like that here... Because it is so hard to find cool yoga apparel.

Well, soon I won't have to go far to find rockin' gear to sweat in... Lululemon is opening a store here in Boston. It doesn't say when they are opening it. But I can not wait.

Little in the Middle, But You Got Much Back.

It surprises me how many women there are in world who have small waists and big butts. Yet there are very few jeans out there that look good on this body type. So is a girl like me (and many others like me) do? Go out and try some Paige Denim!

Specifically, go out and try the "Laurel Canyon" style of Paige Denim.

What's so special about this style of jean? It's cut for women with a butt and hips.


Also, you'll notice looking at the back pocket, that there is a smaller pocket within it. It's called a "credit card" pocket. (And that's what I've actually stored in it when running out grocery shopping on a Saturday morning, when I didn't feel like taking my entire purse.)

These are the perfect jeans for those of us who "got back."

Strappy Sandals to Dream About.

Apparently tonight's episode of "Sex and the City" is the episode where Carrie's Manaolo Blahnik Strappy Sandals get stolen right off her feet by a mugger. (Great episode. All about karma.)

Seeing the preview for tonight's episode got me thinking about how I don't own a paid of Strappy Sandals. All I own are flipflops and a few pairs of platforms. But nothing sexy and strappy.

So I was on Bergdorf Goodman tonight "browsing" and came across these in the sandal section of the shoe department.


So sexy and so pretty. And they're in my favorite color, red. They're very pricey. And I likely won't buy them. But they are definitely worth dreaming about.

Birthday Present!

I got my birthday gift from my family today. Even though my birthday is two and a half weeks away, I decided to go ahead and open the gift. (Scandalous!)

They got me some sweet noise reduction headphones from Sharper Image. I LOVE these things. I've already begun to use them, and they do a wonderful job of blocking out noise. If I have these things on, I can't hear anyone else. It's wonderful!



Thanks family!

Bad Yogurt.

I went down to the buildin cafetieria to grab some lunch today... And I got really excited for two reasons...

1. They finally had strawberry-flavored yogurt available!
2. It's the new Dannon "Light and Fit" yogurt that only has 60 calories per container.



So what is there NOT to get excited about?!?!? My favorite flavor of yogurt AND it has fewer calories! Oh boy!

Oh no!

Yuck!

Horrible! Beyond horrible! Completely FOUL.

Stay away from this product at all costs! It tasted like crushed tylenol. They used a ton of artificial sweetener. It is so bad.

What a Dick?

(Ha-ha. Couldn't resist.)

The Smoking Gun published the "rider" for Vice President Cheney online. His demands for any hotel where he stays include:

• 4 Cans of Diet Sprite
• 4-6 Bottle of Water
• Newspapers - NY Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Washingon Post, Local Papers
• Temperature set to 68 degrees

His demands are actually not unreasonable. Especially when you compare them to the demands of other celebrities. (Wow. Never thought I'd be complimenting Dick Cheney.) In fact, the only odd thing he requests is that all televisions in his suite be tuned to Fox News.

Dick Cheney is a low-maintenance guy. Wow.

Other Blogs to Read.

...(Other than my own!)

I do a lot of reading online. And not only do I blog, but I read many other people's blogs too, on a daily basis.

Here is a list of blogs I read and why.

Dave Greten's Blog - Dave is a friend I met at a previous job. We both have low tolerances for complete and utter B.S., which is why we got a long so well at this previous job. We both also share a passion for laughing at right-wing Republicans and we both are very "bear-ish" on the current real estate market in the Boston area. Dave blogs about political and pop culture things. It's always a good read.

Charmain Madamba's Blog - Charmaine probably doesn't know that I read her blog. She is also a person I met at a previous job. She is patient and very observant. And this mentality bleeds into her blog. I get a giggle out of reading about her adventures and observations from Boston to San Francisco.

Beauty Addict - Hmm... I would LOVE to be a beauty blogger myself. But I am not as diverse about beauty products as the Beauty Addict is. She has a passion for trying new products and is an expert on a wide variety of beauty things. I, on the other hand, stick with very specific beauty products (Bare Minerals and PCA)... But I love reading about new beauty products.

Cutty's Blog - Matt Cutt's is a Google engineer. I read this blog daily because:
1. He blogs about search engine optimization stuff (work-related)
2. He also blogs about random stuff too

The Liquor Snob - Another friend from a previous job writes for this site. If you are particular about your liquor (or even beer) you will enjoy reading about "all things liquor."

Brevitt's Blog - A friend from my current job who is no longer working with me. (Very sad about this.) Brevitt is pretty random and funny as hell. In another life, I would like to come back as him, as he seems to live a very exciting life.

JolieinNYC - Another beauty blog. A good read when it is actually up and running.

Blocked from Blog Reading.

One of my favorite blogs to read online (and there are quite a few) is JolieinNYC. But reading it isn't always the easiest thing. Occasionally (like once or twice a week) I get an error page of sorts that tells me I haven't installed WordPress yet. WTF?


Frustrating!

A Whole New Realm of Stuff I Need.

I can not wait to get pregnant.

Right now, I am going through each day in life thinking about what I should and shouldn't buy with my hard-earned SEM $$$... Most things, to be honest, I don't really need. I just want them. But once I get pregnant, there will open a doorway to a new dimension of things I need as a pregnant woman.

And lucky for my husband, the Boston Globe has published and article on this so he may read it.

Massages and yoga are definitely on my list. And of course, I must have designer jeans.

Also, I've been giving a lot of thought lately to the idea of not carrying around a typical "diaper bag." I really think I'd rather use a more fashionable everyday bag. And really, I could absolutely get away with doing such a thing... Because big bags are in right now, and I really think they will be in this time next year too. So, instead of a traditional diaper bag, I would rather have the following bags:

Chloe Edith Bag


Cole Haan Sierra Bag


*These would make fabulous "push" gifts.

Destination Weddings and Wedding Etiquette.

It seems like the new thing to do with weddings lately is have a "destination wedding." Sounds like a great idea... You know, go some place far off with your friends and family and get married in a truly unique place than anyone else you know. It definitely beats the same old typical wedding most of us have and attend. But there are definitely things you should keep in mind if you choose to have a destination wedding... Including...

1. Give plenty of notice to everyone you are inviting.
Sure, you might think 5-6 months is sufficient notice. But if you're getting married in a very far-off place that is expensive to fly to and difficult to get to, you should really give closer to 9-12 months. This gives everyone plenty of time to save money to make the trip as well as book off the needed vacation time.

2. Don't expect everyone you invite to make the trip.
And don't be disappointed if a lot of people can't make it. This doesn't mean everyone isn't happy for you and cares about you... Major trips are big expense and time-consuming. Not everyone can get the time or save the money.

3. Do your research and provide guests with plenty if information about the destination.
The more foot-work you do when you send out the "save-the-date," the more likely it is that guests will be enticed to actually go to your wedding. Research hotels and other lodging options, as well as logistics of getting from major airports to the wedding destination. If possible, arrange for activities to do the days before your wedding for guests who can make a longer stay.

4. Register for wedding gifts online and home delivery.
Gift-giving can be tricky. Typically, you're wedding party is responsible for informing other guests where you are registered. And with destination weddings, you definitely don't want anyone bringing the gift to the wedding. Make sure you let guests know to just have the store either hold the gifts for you to pick them up or have them delivered to your home.

iPods and Commuting drive fashion.

Anyone who knows me knows that I am not big on owning a car. (Not going to get into the reasons in this blog entry.) I am big on commuting via public transportation, and apparently so are all the true style-conscious people out there.

My friend "McCrack" sent me a link to this cute website called Style Bakery. Within the pages of the site I came across this new tie by Thomas Pink that is really sweet!!!



The back of the tie comes with a pocket to hold your iPod Nano. How cool is that?!?! It comes in three colors: Pink (no thanks), a grumpy blue (not really into that) and this power red (LOVE IT).

If only my husband believed in iPods and had one... Then I could get him one of these ties.

Sick and working.

Got sick at work today. So now I am at home working. Sad.

"D-oh!" The family's sticking around.

Yay! One of my favorite all-time shows has been renewed for two more seasons!

I was 12 in 1989 when the first episode of The Simpsons came on. It was the Christmas episode where they get Santa's Little Helper, the dog. I was hooked from that moment on. It's a very witty and funny show. I'm glad to see it has maintained for this long.

I will be at least 31 when this show ends. Possibly older. I think it is wonderful that I have, in fact, grown up from childhood with this show.

And people wonder where I got my sarcasm. People, I spent a lot of time watching this show as a child.

Bikram Yoga - Day Seven.

Bad class. Horrible, horrible class.

I had a rough day at work and "cramps" today, so my lower back was in a lot of pain and I wasn't properly hydrated for class. I couldn't do any of the backward-bending positions.

But I went to class and still attempted all of the postures. So that's good.

Spring is here... It's the day of finding lost crap.

For about a week, I have been looking everywhere for some new Physician's Choice of Arizona cream I had bought from Drugstore.com last month... But I couldn't find it.

Additionally, earlier in the month I lost the Two-Faced "Lip Injection" lip-plumping gloss I bought at Sephora, so I went out and bout some DuWop "Lip Venom."



Wouldn't you know it, Spring hits, I decide to clean out my make-up drawer and yoga bag... and what do I find? The cream I bought AND the "Lip Injection." After I bought replacements for BOTH things.

Ugh. What a waste of money. I won't need to replace either of these things until December of this year probably.

Bikram Yoga - Recap of Week One

Yes... I skipped class on Saturday and took a nap in the afternoon instead of going to yoga. But I did go Sunday. Which means I did six classes in seven days. This is 9 hours of exercise in one week. More, if you count the walking to and from class. (I live a mile from the studio.)

One of my teachers told me yesterday that everyone who teaches is happy with my progress and proud of me. They have noticed a change in some of my postures. And I can definitely see the difference in my body. My stomach has gotten tighter. My ass is slowly getting smaller. I think the biggest differences have been in my thighs and my arms. The thighs are noticeably trimming up, and the arms are slendering out.

And my poses... My poses are definitely better. I can feel it. Not only have I built up the endurance to hold them longer, but I am holding them more correctly. You knows... straight back, arms pulling, stomach pulled in... etc... Like I said, I can feel the difference in each posture.

This is excellent progress, only to be matched by this week... As I will be going seven days this week.

Chunky Heel Sandals.

I was cruising Net-A-Porter a few weeks back and I came across the Chloe Chunky Heel Sandals.


Totally cute, yeah? Totally. Totally expensive too ($676). When I saw the price, I lost my appetite right away. I mean, who knows if they'll be in next season? I couldn't justify the price for the potentially passing trend.

Lucky for me, I totally don't have to...

I hit the Prudential Center Mall after yoga today, and I saw these.


They look totally the same, don't they? Close enough anyways. And they're much, much cheaper ($80.00).

So it looks like I can subscribe the chunky heel sandal trend after all.

These will look fantastic with the new pair of gaucho knee-length pants I bought this weekend.
Yay warm weather!

Spring "Must Buy" List.

After weeks and weeks of research, I have now put together a pretty full list of fashionable pieces that I am definitely going to buy for Spring over the next month.

Shoes

Faryl Robin Bisette $138


Faryl Robin Bee $138


Sequined Gap Flipflops $19.50



Tops

Gap Tank Tops $10 each


Blue Striped Button-Down Blouse $78


White V-Neck Shirt $58


Black V-Neck Shirt $58


Bottoms
Terraza Gaucho Pants $98

New Favorite Bath Product.

I was at CVS the other night after yoga class picking up some stuff, I came across a display for this new product from Olay...



It's called Ribbons Body Butter. It's a body wash with moisturizing ingredients and micro beads. And it smells REALLY good. Normally, I'm not particular about bath products. But this one is now one I can't live without. I've even filled up a small travel bottle of it to take to the gym with me.

Had a whole top diamond and the bottom row's gold.

"Call me George Foreman, cuz I'm selling everyone GRILLZ."

Why is that every time this song comes on Radio One I feel the need to turn up the volume and nod my head?

This is bad.

Taxonomy of Barnacles. A tax on my brain.

This is a book I just finished reading last night. I wasn't too impressed.

The book, written by Galt Niederhoffer (who wrote and produced "Prozac Nation"), is about six sisters (ranging in ages 29 to 10) and their competitive nature to constantly out-do each other. Their father calls them to dinner at the beginning of the book and tells them whoever can prove they will do the family name proud and carry it on wins the family fortune to themselves.

First of all, the book was written in a dry way. Nothing was striking about the prose. I felt like I was reading the editorial form of the movie "The Anniversary Party," "Sideways" or "Garden State" (three of the WORST movies of all time.) There were parts where I was drawn in... Such as the end when you find out the youngest girl wasn't fathered by the patriarch running the contest, that the patriarch is the biological father of his ex-wife's adopted son, and that the father actually doesn't have a fortune to leave to his daughters. He made the whole contest up just to get them off their privledged asses and motivated to do him proud.

It was a disappointing read. I don't recommend it to anyone. Maybe it would transition well into a film, but it was difficult to really care about the characters in book form.

St. Paddy's Day.

Happy St. Patrick's Day to anyone indulging in my blog!

I am a bit Irish. However, I don't really celebrate this day like most people in Boston. In fact, on major holidays, I tend to see them as great days to get some of my errands done. So tonight, instead of going our bar-hopping in Boston and drinking beer (which I really shouldn't have anyways - it would ruin my yoga progress) I am going to hit the bookstore for the latest magazines and do my grocery shopping.

These places are bound to be less-crowded than normal, so why not?

I am a very lucky girl, because my husband feels the same way. We're not party animals. (Never have been.) And while we both went out quite a bit with our friends when we lived in NYC (so many mornings where I came home from the bars at around 4 or 5 am), we are certainly more content to do something quiet.

This is how we celebrate St. Paddy's Day.

It's like, a totally important designer.

One of my favorite movies from 1995 is definitely "Clueless." (Any film major from college would agree with me that this was an excellent film. Not only because of the script, but because how seamless the whole story looked.)

Anyways... In the movie (as you probably recall) there is a scene where the lead character is getting held up at gun-point. The gun-man orders her to the ground after he takes her cell and handbag. She hesitates, opens her coat, shows her dress and says "Oh no. But this is an Alaia."

The gun-man says, "An a-whata?"

She says, "It's like a totally important designer."

The gun-man says, "And I will totally shoot you in the head, now get down."

She lays on the ground while the gun-man takes off.

I think this is the first moment in most of our lives where we were introduced to the likes of Mr. Azzedine Alaia. In fact, most of us probably still don't understand how high fashion Mr. Alaia's stuff is. He's not as in the mainstream as Prada, Calvin Klein, Oscar de la Renta or even Marc Jacobs (my favorite).

Well, last week when I wrote my "review" of the new Barneys New York in Copley, I neglected to give them props for one thing they have done right in the shoe department (which I was greatly disappointed in overall)... They carry Mr. Alaia's shoes.



This is the first place in Boston I have seen his shoes. They are pieces of art. It's worth the trip to Copley just to go to Barneys and look at them.

Bikram Yoga - Day Four and Day Five

Incredible!

I went to the 5:30pm class last night AND the 6am class this morning. This is five days in a row. I've never gone five days in a row. So I am quite proud of myself for being motivated to go everyday.

I lied.

The Hello Kitty computer mouse is back up and running. (Hooray!)

I guess when I turned the computer on earlier, it didn't load the mouse program. Yay!

Darn you, Hello Kitty.

Blast!

My Hello Kitty mouse isn't working!!!!!


I brought my own mouse into work to use with my laptop, and it has stopped working. Now, I have to go over to the Hello Kitty store on Newbury Street and buy a new one. Bummer!

*A replacement of this mouse would make a FANTASTIC b-day gift for me next month.

Hmm... Delicious SPAM.

I love the SPAM filter in my Gmail.

Why?

Because one of the features of Gmail in general is that it serves you ads at the top of your mailbox page that are based on what your email subject is about.

And inside my SPAM filter I get SPAM recipes. Here is today's featured recipe I was served.

SPAM IMPERIAL TORTILLA SANDWICHES

1 cn SPAM Luncheon Meat (12 oz)
1 pk Cream cheese, softened (8oz)
1/3 c Chopped green onion
2 tb Chopped fresh dill
3 Flour tortillas (8")
1 md Cucumber, peeled and thinly-sliced
1/4 c Sunflower seeds
1/2 c Alfalfa sprouts

In bowl, combine SPAM and cream cheese. Stir in green onion and dill. Spread 1/3 of SPAM mixture evenly over each tortilla. Top with 1/3 each cucumber, sunflower seeds, and alfalfa sprouts. Roll up tortilla jelly roll fashion and wrap in plastic wrap. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Refrigerate 2 hours. to serve, cut each roll in half.

Now, I have never in my life eaten SPAM. And I'm gonna do my best to never eat SPAM. But the recipe doesn't sound half-bad. Think I'll substitute grilled chicken or pork for the SPAM in this recipe.

Bikram Yoga Day Three.

Still going strong. Great class last night.

Position One - Yay!

Well, this didn't take long.

As of today, I am in position one in Google on the term "oncommonground blog". Yay!



Actually, I am positions one and two. The description for position one was pulled from the text of the page. The description for position two was pulled from the meta description I wrote.

As I always like to say, "You can't stop progress!"

Search Marketing $$$.

Because I have worked at two different search marketing shops I get asked all of the time by people in the industry (and PR people who try to recruit me for freelance work - sorry folks, can't!) what the salary ranges are for people in my industry.

I came across a good industry article today that talks about search marketing salary ranges. Here's a clip from the piece...

Based on information gleaned from the few firms that publish salary ranges in their job openings, several compensation trends appear. An entry-level SEM position tends to range from $30,000 to $45,000, for example. I did come across one firm, though, that sought an SEM marketing analyst for $10 an hour. You had to answer the phones, too.

If you possess three- to five-years experience in the industry, salaries range from $50,000 to $75,000. This includes the majority of the salary information published for online marketing account managers. More tenured, expert-level paid and organic search optimization specialists can garner $75,000 to $90,000 a year.

Senior management salaries tend to range from $70,000 to $120,000, while SEM directors can earn $95,000 to $150, 000. Of the few VP-level positions that post salary ranges, the most common offering is from $100,000 to $200,000 a year.


What the author of the piece basically says (and I agree with them) is that salaries will vary greatly from SEM shop to SEM shop... But the more experience you have, the more you will make, whether you work at a firm or in-house doing SEM.

Bikram Yoga - Day Two

Progress has been made!

After going to yoga the past few weeks, I can actually see a difference in my body... And this is exciting. This past weekend I had noticed that my arms had begun to slim down. They aren't all buff and creepy like Madonna's arms...



But they are longer and leaner-looking. I'm no longer afraid to go sleeveless in an outfit. (Yay!)

In addition to the arm success, I have noticed that all of my pants are a little bit looser. Just a wee bit... But I've only been going to yoga for 3-4 days a week for the past two weeks. So imagine what will happen to my legs over the next 30 days!!!!!

I'm so excited! Yay!

Bikram Yoga: Day "Une"

I had a pretty good yoga class this evening. But the classroom was hotter than usual. And there was a rough spot for me.

I copped out during Dandayamana Bibhaktapada Janushirasana, "standing separate leg head to knee pose."



I got really dizzy and had to set down for a few seconds. Weak!

I know tomorrow's class will be better.

I need to get cuffed.

A few weeks ago I came across these Luella Bartley cuffs from Target. However, from the moment I noticed them, they have been out of stock!


WTF?

Aren't they fabulous? They're nearly "punk rock" and totally "U.K." And, they're only $12 each. Such a great deal.

My younger brother works for the Target corporation. I wonder if he has an "in" and get me these cuffs. One in each color.

Take this (everyone) as my calling out to all of you... If you come across these cuffs at your local target, pick them up for me (please). I would be most grateful.

Busted!

My husband asked me this weekend what I would like for my birthday next month. I asked, "Don't you read my blog?"

His response was, "Umm," (stalling) "Not for a week or two."

BUSTED!

I'm going to put together a super huge list of things I'd like. Really expensive things.

That'll teach him not to read my stuff.

30-day Bikram Yoga Commitment.

I felt really, really good about my effort of getting to Bikram yoga last week most days. So good that I have decided to try a 30-day Bikram yoga commitment. This means, between today (March 13th) and my birthday (April 12th) I go to yoga every day.

That's right... EVERY DAY.

This is my priority for the next 30 days. Everything else in my life (facials, waxing appointments, industry events, etc...) are not a priority. Yoga is.

My hope is that by actually stating that I intend to go every day I will get in most of those days. I doubt that I will actually make it in every day. But I will try.

Namaste.

Dejargonator - Cut through the B.S.

A friend and former co-worker, Dave Greten, started a blog this weekend dedicated to cutting through B.S. on corporate websites and getting to the gist of the message.

On the dejargonator, Greten takes snippets of copy from company websites that are convoluted with marketing "speak" and rewrites it so his "mom can understand it."

This is hilarious! Greten is such a good writer.

My new friend Edith.

A girl can always use a new friend. In fact, you can never have too much of the following:

• Too many friends.
• Too many shoes.
• Too much water.
• Too much money.

And if you have much of the last one on the list, it will get you another of the first on the list... A new friend. In specific, my new friend "Edith."


I met my new friend Edith through the friend I've known quite a while, Chloe. Edith is the latest "it" bag from the design house Chloe. It is a soft, buttery leather "briefcase" tote. It's priced at about $1300, making it cheaper than the eternal Chloe "it" bag, the Paddington.

I like the Edith bag very much. But I don't know if I will rush out to buy it. (It's not even out yet and it's "sold out" anyway.) It's a cute bag, but I don't know that I need another "tote" bag. I like shoulder bags lately. Also, I don't know if the bag can hold my laptop. And the next bag I get should be able to hold my laptop. And even it is does hold my laptop, I don't know that I want to carry around the machine in a tote bag. I prefer fashionable shoulder laptop bags, like my current one... Cole Haan's Paige bag.



I think I'll wait a while before I rush out and invite my new friend Edith to come visit. Plus, I want to see what other colors she comes in after she's been out a while.

The "Full-time" and "Working" Mommie Wars.

I'm not even pregnant yet, and I am already defensive on certain issues when it comes to motherhood.

In particular, the issue of being a mom who stays home (and not work professionally) or being a mom who works outside the home (and hires a nanny.) I am open to both options. And I think both options are fine choices. However, I am leaning more towards being a mom who works professionally outside the home.

The thing I have an issue with is the terminology that gets thrown around whether you are a mom who stays home or a mom who leaves everyday to work. I take great offense to the term "full-time mother." For me, saying this term and having it apply to only those moms who stay home (and not work) is complete B.S. Are moms who choose to work professionally not full-time moms too? Do they not think and earn money to take care of their children? And what about the term "working mother"? Are moms who stay home not "working?"

Whenever I tell people (those I don't work with) that I am probably going to continue working once I have a child, I get a look if dismay. They are all moms who do not work professionally. And while yes, my husband and I can afford to live well off of just his salary, I still want to continue doing my job. I like what I do. And to be honest, if it came down to it, I don't need to be with my company to do it. I could do it on my own. But I like my company. And I like the people I work with. And I am pretty sure that once I do have a child, I will still like working there and like the people.

But who knows? I could easily change my mind.

New rule.

I've lived in Boston almost three years now. (Gasp!) And in this time, I've adjusted to the colder weather. I go outside without a hat in winter all the time... And I rarely need to button up my coat.

So because I have adjusted to the chill, I have come up with a new rule for myself. Whenever the temperature hits above 55 degrees, I get to wear flipflops.

Seriously, we Bostonians spend months with our toes tucked into some of the most unattractive shoes (like Uggs). So when the heat breaks a little, we should feel inclined to show off our feet and put on some cuter shoes.

I spent the entire late morning and early afternoon out in the city (from Boylston and Newbury Streets all the way to downtown crossing) in a pair of jeans, a creamy sweater I bought ages ago at H&M and my black Reef flipflops. It was really comfortable. And I hope next weekend, I will be able to do this again.

She was a bi-atch, but she designs good shoes.

Five years ago I was a mere bridal consultant at a well-known media company. I spent my days in beautiful old townhouse on Manhattan's upper east side (73rd and Madison to be exact). My job was to assist brides with wedding-related things.

One of my brides was a shoe designer who was quite a piece of work. She was mean, and felt very entitled to my services whenever she pleased. She left nasty messages on our shop phone. She was mean to the staff when she came in. I was surprised she had friends and that there was a man out there who wanted to marry her.

Anyways... Five years later, the bride's shoes are actually something of consumer interest, and quite cute.

Definitely going on my "Spring Must-Have" list.

Barneys... You disappoint me, kind of.

After I got over not being on the invite list for the opening of the new Barneys in Copley (tear), I decided to buck up and go over there any ways to case the joint.

No. I'm not thinking of stealing. (I've never stolen anything in my life... Except a co-worker's poker chips at a pretend casino night.) I wanted to see what this Barneys (which is much smaller than the real Barneys) had to offer those of us with some disposable income.

First off, I will admit, the place looks (and smells) 100-times better than the old Loews theater that was there last year. And I like that there isn't an escalator connecting the two floors the store resides on; rather there is a column of steps instead. Everything is bright and feels organic.

However, I was disappoint about a few thing....

First, the women's shoe department (I had heard) was supposed to take up 4500 square feet. However, it certainly didn't feel like it was that big. And the selection of shoes are similar to what I can find at Neiman and Saks. Infact, the only like I saw them display that I can't get at either of the two stores is the Barneys "Co-op" line. This is a good line. But I need more selection.

Also, on the second floor there is a huge wall display of jeans, jeans and more jeans. But, most of the jeans were Seven Jeans. I think to buy Seven Jeans today would be a bit "passe." I mean, they've been around for ages, everyone has bought at least one pair... I'm not opposed to them carrying Seven Jeans, but it shouldn't be their main jean. They did also have James Jeans and Salt Denim (which I haven't seen anywhere else)... But they didn't have any Paige Denim. WTF? Enough with the Seven Jeans!

On the plus side, however, they do have a really great variety of designers I haven't seen "in-store" anywhere else... Including Behnanz Sarapfour, Rochas, Lanvin and (of course) Barneys Co-op (which is more my price range.)

So, basically, if you're working with my miniscule budget, you're going to find the same stuff available at Barneys that you can find elsewhere already. But, if you have more $$$ to throw down, Barneys has unique and tasty offerings for you!

Spring is here!!!

Holy craptastic!

It's 64 degrees outside in Boston.

Birthday True or False.

This blog entry is dedicated to K., a friend and co-worker of mine whose birthday is today.



Below is a "True or False" quiz, in celebration of K.'s birthday. Please feel free to take the quiz and respond to me with the results.

1. True or False K. is 25 today.

2. True or False K. is REALLY into pirates.

3. True or False K. works in search engine optimization.

4. True or False K. collects cute little garden gnomes.

5. True or False K. is the bestest friends with this guy.

6. True or False K. rides the bus home somedays with this guy. (They live in the same hood. He's pretty entertaining, yes?)

7. True or False K. graduated from Babson last year.

8. True or False K. is hardcore and doesn't wear stockings in wintertime with her her skirts. (She goes bare-legged.)

9. True or False K. is good about partying and making it into work the next day despite her hangover.

Happy birthday K.!!!!! Don't go too crazy this weekend!

XOXO,
The Missus