I Can Legally Drive!

Boo-yah!

After about seven changes of address in the past 12 years, I have FINALLY updated my license...

I have a New York State one now!

My old license, procured on December 4, 1999, didn't expire until I was 65 years old.

Yes, you read that correct.  SIXTY-FIVE!

In Arizona, you have the option of not having to bother much with renewing it (unless you change address) until you hit the relative retirement age. So even though I have moved seven times since getting the thing, I just never bothered to change it.

But I had grown afraid of trying to drive in Arizona.  If I was pulled over, they would see that I hadn't shown up for jury summons because I was living out of state. (I am paranoid. Not that I had been summoned. But if I had been, I wouldn't know.)

But now it is updated. And I can once again freely drive.

How Do I Use This Thing?

I am nearing a week at my new job.  And with this new one, I couldn't get out of taking a company phone. I had managed to avoid it at previous agency jobs, because I didn't want to carry around two phones.

But with my new role, it's unavoidable.  I will be traveling and in meetings a lot.  So I have to have one.

Thing is though...

The new phone is a Blackberry.

Standard issue for most companies.  However, I am NOT versed in the world of RIM.  And therefore, have no idea how to use this thing. I have tried to see if I can figure out how to set the voicemail greeting on this thing... But after 45 minutes, I give up. I will just wait until I get into work tomorrow and see if someone can show me.

I have figured out how to do the following though (and therefore, should receive huge credit):

• Taking pictures.
• Setting the ringer to "vibrate."
• Change the wallpaper on it.
• Check the email.
• Browse the web.

But since I am not a "phone" person... This may be all I need to do with it.

Saddest Sign Ever.

Received an urgent email from Frogger, in Boston this morning.  She needed help with something, and only I was really in a position to potentially assist her.

And the truth is, I would have been helping myself as well.

Last day: Hermes sample sale. Soiffer Haskin 317 W. 33rd st NYC

Since it was only a 10 minute walk from my apartment, I jetted over. The chance to pick up a discounted scarf or a cuff for Frogger? I am there!

And then, got there.  And saw this...

I emailed the photo to Frogger. Her response was, "That is the saddest sign ever."

Indeed.

Guilty Pleasure: Macarons.

Spent part of the afternoon walking around the city, looking for some things for the apartment.  As I walked through the West Village... I came across loads of cupcake shops.

Tres boring.

I am not in a "cupcake mood." Not today, anyway. Perhaps tomorrow.

I found myself craving something else sweet and confectionary... Macarons.

As I circled back to my neighborhood (above 14th), I finally came across a shop with macarons.

Divine!

They had so many flavors; but I ultimately chose a pink champagne, pina colada, white chocolate with coconut and pumpkin. 

The pumpkin one was the best.  Now I need to plot out where other macaron shops are in this city. I intend to walk to as many as I can over the next few months.

NYC Apartment Decorating.

Furniture finally arrived yesterday.  So I am busy settling in this weekend, getting everything in its place. I still have some things to buy... Like art. But the place is livable and coming together.

Here is my bedroom...

It's a melange of different bedding pieces I found on sale at various shops. I didn't want a complete set of anything.

My desk, in the living room.  

It's mirrored.  That makes it more fun.  And speaking of fun... Check out my chair!

A burst of sunshine! I love it.  It mixes nicely with the simplicity and coziness of the couch.

The rug and the coffee table are from West Elm, which s where I ordered most of my furniture.  

And here is the TV and mirrored console...

The windows go from the floor to the ceiling, as well as run the entire length of the bedroom and living room.  So there is a lot of light that comes in during the day.  And at night... I get to peer into my neighbors' apartments across the street.

I love New York.

Still need pillows for my couch and art or the walls. But am quite pleased with what I have put together in the span of a week.

Displaying Jewelry.

Moving back into a New York apartment means figuring out how to make do with less space. This time around, I am living in Manhattan instead of Brooklyn. And that means I pay more $$$$ for less space. So when picking out furniture last week, I had to make a decision about what I wanted to buy for my bedroom.

Obviously a bed was important. But I decided against getting a headboard. I also decided against getting a dresser, since I have a large closet.  I realized I could easily buy small stackable baskets to house all things I kept in my dresser drawers back in Toronto.  But there was one issue I was having...

"What do I do with all my jewelry?"

I like to have my jewelry displayed, so that I can see it.  If it's just shoved in a drawer, I am less inclined to wear it. I need to see it to piece it together with an outfit.

So in order for me to accomplish this, I chose a different way of displaying it...

On plastic hooks, hung on the inside door of my closet!

Now, to figure out a way to display my scarves...

LES Meandering.

Lovely night's sleep on the new mattress last night meant that I didn't wake up until 10:30am this morning.

Good lord!

But given that I did so much my first two days back in the city, I had no agenda for the day.  Well, just a vague one.  I wanted to get lost walking around the lower part of the city.

So off to the High Line I went, walking to the end.  Then down into the West Village, to Bleeker. Stopped in at the Marc by Marc Jacobs store and picked up a few tank tops (cheaper than at the GAP!!)... Then walked Bleeker to the East side.  Then down Orchard towards Houston. I was on a slight mission...

I wanted to find Babycakes, the gluten-free vegan bakery. And I did!  I went in to the tiny and adorable shop. I saw Erin, the owner, behind the counter.  A CELEBRITY! (I think she is, anyway.)  I picked up a gluten-free carrot and maple cupcake.

Carrot cake and maple-flavored faux cream cheese. YUM! And the blackstrap molasses drizzled on top gave it a nice bitterness.  Perfect!

I Am A New Yorker.

I have no Internet in my apartment. Or furniture.

Well, that's a lie.

The previous renter of the apartment left her Simmons Beautyrest pillowtop mattress, box spring and frame in the apartment.  As well as an expensive garbage can.  I tossed the mattress... Kept the box spring and frame and garbage can.  My Simmons Beautyrest pillowtop mattress arrived from Sleepy's this morning. So last night, I slept on my yoga mat on the hardwood floor.

Needless to say... I am exhausted. The past two days have been EXHAUSTING.

But I am here.  And extremely excited. I have been to The Container Store and Bed, Bath & Beyond way more times than I care to admit.  I have unpacked the TV I ordered and plugged it in. I somehow have a ton of channels, even though the cable guy doesn't come until Tuesday this week. It sucks not having Internet though. And all of my neighbors are smart enough to password-protect their wireless.

Where's the trust, people? (Kidding!)

Work starts next Wednesday, when I fly to Chicago to do some on-boarding.  Furniture has been ordered, and will hopefully start to arrive in the next week or two.  But I am fine for now, as long as I have a bed and a TV. Though, not in the same room.

I will share pictures of the apartment as furniture starts to arrive and the place looks human. But for now, I leave you with a peek at one of my most favorite things about New York City...

Cheap bodega flowers!

These are from the bodega on the corner. You can't beat 20 beautifully pink roses for $8.  EIGHT DOLLARS!

I forgot about the flowers in NYC!  Love!

Now, to Skype with The Husband.  As we do every evening now. Though for now, I do it from a Starbucks.

Oscar De La Renta - Spring 2012.

Oh Oscar...  Truly one of the great American designers.  He knows how to create colorful, elegant and feminine looks. This is one designer I absolutely CAN NOT afford to buy, but truly wish I could. His Spring 2012 collection is a joy to look at.

Simply divine!

The one element I was obsessed with while viewing the collection was the shoes.  Sure, the color and the flow of the pieces were eye-catching... But one particular shoe had me hooked, and I felt it gave the collection a more tangible feel for me personally... As it has an androgynous element.

What was it?

The spectator-esque shoes...

Images source

I am a sucker for mixing typically "manly" elements with feminine pieces.  (Am currently craving a man's watch to wear for work.  So chic! Not a fan of dainty feminine ones.)

Pictures Of David, The Swede.

In honor of my wandering friend from long ago (I can't believe it's been 10 years!), David Tengelin, here are pictures I accumulated from my time around him.

I wasn't able to scan them in, as my scanner isn't working right now.  So they're a bit dodgy-looking, in terms of quality. But I know there are people who will appreciate these, as they may not have ever seen them.

I don't know what took me so long to share them.

April 2001

March 2001

Canadian Thanksgiving 2000

March 2001

December 2000 - And those of you in the know, please note: I cropped "Raging Hard-On Guy" from this photo.

April 2001

NYC Home.

A sigh of relief!

I now have a home in NYC.  Phew!

I had been freaking out over the past few weeks, as I pretty much fell in love with the first apartment we saw when we visited three weeks ago.  We looked at a few other apartments, but none compared to this one.  So we started all the paperwork.

But it wasn't as easy to secure as a typical apartment rental in NYC, because it is a condo.  Which means the owner first has to like your profile.  Then you have to fill out a ton of paperwork, including various certified checks for fees of all kinds. And then you have to get some things notarized.  And you need references (personal and business). And you need to annually make 40 times the monthly rent you will be paying (which I do easily, on my own.)  And the condo board who gets final approval is allowed to take 30 days to decide on an application.

So, if they hadn't approved it, I was going to be screwed.  As I start my job in just a few weeks.

So, as you can expect... I was all sorts of anxious.  Not sleeping. Not really eating. (I've been living on Pumpkin Spice Lattes.)  I am the kind of person who plows through projects, doesn't stop till their done.  And this was a case where I wasn't in control of everything, so my patience was eating away at me.

But now it's been approved!  And now it's just a matter of working out the final details.

Here are some pictures I snapped of the place when I was there last month...

Kitchen

Living Room

Chanel Denim.

It may not be the best quality nail polish out there... But I still love it and am a total sucker for the seasonal colors.

Talking about Chanel nail polish.


Every season, there is some new color out for which I am completely gaga...  Earlier this year it was Black Pearl.  While in Hong Kong, I picked up a bottle of Particuliere.  And this Fall, I see myself adding one of these colors to my collection...

It's the new denim-inspired colors!

Chances are, it will be Blue Rebel that I go with... As the Coco Blue is too "baby" for me.  And "Blue Boy" is a touch too "Cornflower Blue" for my taste.

Bikram Teacher Training: Avoid The Following...

Now, as I mentioned earlier, expect anything to happen at Bikram Yoga Teacher Training.  Because, really, anything (good or bad) is possible.

But as promised in that post, here is my list (based on my observations at training) that you can piss off Boss at teacher training.

So, try to avoid doing the following...

1. Talking back.  Birkam is going to test you. He will say some things that will completely go against what you believe to be right and true. Just listen to what is being said. Politely ask questions, if the opportunity arises.  But whatever you do, DO NOT TALK BACK TO HIM.
2. Making eye contact during yoga class. First, you should be looking at your own body.  Trying your best to see your own reflection in the mirror.  And listening to what is being said. If you make eye contact with him, he will see you. And he will make you do the posture over again, all by yourself. Or he will yell at you.  But in a loving and funny way, which you will only realize after the class.
3. Not doing the posture when he yells at you to do it. So, referring back to number two above...  If Bikram yells at you to do the posture a second time, just do it. No talking back (refer to point one.) But, it's a big room. And sometimes its hard to tell if he is yelling at you or at someone else in your general direction.  Basic rule of thumb, if you think he is yelling at you (but aren't entirely sure), just do the posture.  This may mean that there are five of you in a general area of the room doing the posture a second time.  Just do it.
4. Not taking things seriously. This comes out, usually, during Half Moon posture clinic.  Bikram can see everything he needs to know about you (so he says) by watching you deliver Half Moon.  And if you come across as not taking things seriously ("MISS VANCOUVER!!!"), he will let you have it.  All in all, it's his way of helping you grow.  It's important to remember that in all growth, you have to be willing to experience some level of uncomfortable feelings.  If it's too easy, you're not growing.  You're just coasting.
5. Complaining. Oh sweet Hrithik Roshan! Please... Avoid complaining.  He doesn't tolerate it. Just deal with whatever the issues are. Try to problem solve things yourself.

That's all I can think of.  If any other teachers know of anything that trainees should avoid doing, leave them in the comments.

And with that, I leave you with one of my favorite Bikram quotes from training:

"I called you an 'idiot.' But that's a compliment. You know why? Because I used to call you 'dumb fuck.'"

Bikram Yoga Teacher Training: What To Expect...

I have compiled, based purely on my own experience (and recognizing that there are people out there who would disagree with them), a list of things to expect for those of you who are about to embark on the Fall session of Bikram Yoga Teacher Training.

Here we go.

1. Expect everyone else to be as excited as you are. When you get 400+ people in a room, there is electricity in the air. And its hard not to catch it. The first few days of training, everyone is going to be awesome to each other.
2. Expect to be charmed by Bikram himself. He has a kind heart. He is funny. He is wildly perverted. You will laugh. But for the love of sweet baby Jesus, try to avoid pissing him off. (I will do a separate post based on my observations of what pisses him off.)
3. Expect to lose your appetite in the first few days.  By the end of week one, I was having to force food down my throat.  All that yoga, my body was rebelling. The thought of food made me feel sick.
4. Expect to have other digestive issues.  Peeing... Pooping... Too much, too little. Your body will be on its own schedule. IT HAPPENS TO EVERYONE.  Please don't force laxatives down your throat, though, if you find yourself constipated. Just drink more water. And let your body figure out what it wants to do. Eventually, it will find its rhythm.  
5. Expect the room to be ridiculously hot the first few days, at least. Sometimes it takes a few days for the heating engineer to figure out how to heat the room as evenly as possible. 
6. Expect to be shocked at how many people leave the room. People will leave for various reasons. RARELY is it because the room is too hot.  It's usually an emotional thing.  And for some people, it becomes a nasty habit. Just be warned, if you walk out of that room, the staff will yell at you to get back in. And rightly so. Unless you are vomiting or have passed out, you should be in the room.
7. Expect to be regularly kept up till 2am.  My training was lucky. We only had like three 4am nights.  Bikram was generous with us, in terms of how late he kept us up.
8. Expect to fall in LOVE with Hrithik Roshan.  He will be the star of quite a few of the movies you watch late at night.  And even if I hadn't been so deliriously tired, I still would have found him hot.
9. Expect to encounter REALLY ANNOYING TEACHERS visiting training.  The staff at training are great. At least, they were at my training. But some of the visiting teachers were really super freaking annoying.  I would name names as to who I KNOW you will encounter at training that are annoying, but I don't think that's fair.  You should develop your own opinion about them. I am just here to warn you that there will be annoying teachers in posture clinics who really aren't helping people become teachers. They're just there on power-trips. My advice: zone them out.
10. Expect there to be fellow students who are really freaking annoying. OHMYGOD! If you only knew! I was fortunate to only have one annoying student in my posture clinic group (they never memorized the dialogue... they were always late... they left the room during class every single time)...  But like they say at training, "If someone steals your peace, you are the loser."  And trust me, you will be a loser a couple of times during training. Because that much time with these people, for so many hours a day, in that small a space...  It will test your limits. 
11. Expect to be surprised by how prepared you are to teach your first class when its all done.  Trust me, you'll likely be in the majority that walks out of trainings thinking, "There's no way I can teach 90 minutes! And I have to do it next week! Ahh!" But trust me, you'll be able to do it. Be confident.
12. Don't have any expectations.  LOL! I know. Contradicts this whole list. But just sit back and let training evolve, and watch yourself evolve by it.  I guess maybe a better way to say it then is, "expect anything to happen."  

Fashion Week & FNO.

Even though I truly detest clowns... I wish I was in Paris, so I could attend this...

Tonight is Fashion's Night Out (FNO)... In Paris (it seems) and in NYC.  Fashion Week NYC begins today.  I wish I was already down there, so I could at least visit some of the FNO parties. Instead, I will settle for watching the shows streamed online.

In case you were wondering when the shows are, and where to watch them, read Mashable's article on how to keep up with fashion week.

Can Con Regulations Greatly Peeve Me.

The one thing that annoys me about Canada (which is actually a very nice place to live) is this...

I learned about two years ago NOT to get excited when I see a video posted online that looks intriguing.  Because chances are, I won't be able to view it.

Imagine how excited I was to see a video posted on NY Magazine's site that was a "joke reading" of a scene from Sex and the City Movie 3... And imagine how sad I was to get the above message when I actually tried to play it.

I certainly won't miss the Canadian Content regulations for TV and the Internet when I go back to the states. 

Feng Shui: Forward Movement Into Autumn.

One of my friends loves to acquire art when she travels. Art or scarves.  (But then, the scarves she acquires are usually pieces of art.)

When she looks for art to bring home, she has a preference for images that show forward-movement.  Like this...

Her belief, and it makes sense, is that having art in your home that draws you forward is good feng shui.  It keeps you moving forward, and prevents you from staying in one place.

I snapped the photo above today on my walk home.  I applied a filter to make it look more "Autumn-like." Love. Tempted to print it out and hang it on a wall.

Yorkville Trash.

Walking through my neighborhood this afternoon, I came across something someone is tired of...

I don't know that I have mentioned it before... But the neighborhood I live in up here in Toronto skews a little bit older than me. My neighbors, on average, have about 20 years on me.  (Except for the gorgeous trophy wife down the street.)

But until today, I had always considered them up to speed with the times, especially technology. I guess this s just someone looking to upgrade.  But who faxes much anymore anyway?  Much easier to just have a scanner connected to your computer, that way you can scan things in and then email them.

Signs Of Autumn.

Leaves changing color.  Apple-picking. A drop in temps with a slight crisp to the air.  Scarves with blazers.  Kids hopping on the Hogwarts Express to head back to school.

These are typical signs that Autumn has arrived.  But I have a couple of other signs to add to the list...

TIFF & Yorkville Avenue

This is a picture of the Hazelton Hotel on Yorkville Avenue.  In about two days it will be filled with celebrities and important film industry people who descend on the town for the Toronto International Film Festival. I won't be able to walk down this part of Yorkville Avenue because there were be security gates and paparazzi.

Pumpkin Spice Lattes

Yum!  Today is the first day of the PSL season.  And I was at Starbucks by 7:45am, setting up camp at a table, and procuring myself a PSL.

Rookie Mag: A Return To My Teen Years.

I spent most of my teen years, outside of school and school activities, at home reading.

Tucked away in my corner bedroom, I would be listening to music (mostly from a pop station 75 miles away in Tucson, as my small town near the Mexican border lacked a proper radio station) and reading.

Books and magazines... Over and over again. I would re-read things - just as I still do today - because I would discover something new within the words. Something that would help me imagine a life beyond the bedroom I occupied in the small town where I resided.

In December 1991, when I was a Freshman in high school, I received a copy of a magazine from my "Secret Santa"gift exchange with my junior varsity cheerleading squad. (God! How small-town America is that?!?! Love!)  I spent all that afternoon absorbed in the pages of the magazine, having read nothing like it before.

• It didn't talk down to me.
• It wasn't doused with the typical make-up tips for fair-haired, tanned and blue-eyed beauties... Which was the opposite of me. (I was pretty. Just not blond and tan.)
• The fashion tips weren't silly non-sense.
• The articles felt more adult, but still appropriate. There was no gloss to the words. They were more real.

The magazine was Sassy. The December 1991 issue.

Sadly, Sassy ended in the mid-90s, after I had stopped reading it.  (I did re-read that one issue many times over the years, while in high school though.)  And no teen magazine has come about to try to take its place.


Till now.

Teen (though it is silly to refer to her as that, as she is and dresses as a sage old soul in the body of a 15-year-old) Tavi launched an online magazine this week called Rookie, just in time for the school year to start.  And it's just as awkward and charming as those teen years I remember from so long ago.

I love it!  I am a mid-30s woman, and I love it! This is definitely going on my "Must Read" list for each week.

Things That Make Me Angry.

I am not an angry person.  At least, not outwardly.  I mean, I think I come across as compassionate and nice.  Accept when presented with the following things, for which I have anger towards...

• Salmon. I do not like salmon. I had some in Hong Kong last month, though. And it for the first time in my life, I found it delicious. But in general, don't give me salmon. It creeps me out.
• Mussels.  And pretty much most shellfish... And squid, while we're at it.  
• Frogs.  Like Savanna Guthrie, I have an irrational fear of slimy amphibians. Which is probably why I had a lot of first dates back in my dating days. I just was not willing to kiss any frogs and settle.
• Hard boiled eggs. This one is for reals, serious. You want to see me get angry... Try feeding me hard boiled eggs.  I am creeped out by them, their texture, their smell, their look.  Eww! And no, putting them in something and mixing it all up does not help. In fact, it only makes me angrier.
• Santa Claus. And any other character that adults like to dress up as to entertain or entice children. It's just wrong. The Easter Bunny.  Disney Characters.  Freaking clowns!  Holy shiz! You want to see me lose my shiz, put a clown in front of me.  
• Snails. It's funny... I can deal with mice and spiders... But snails? (Shudders)
• Lack of feminism.  Now, in case you are unaware, feminism is defined as "The advocacy of women's rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men." So, based on this definition - unless you are sexist - everyone should be down with "feminism."  It's just about women wanting to be equal to men. So at a minimum, ALL WOMEN should be feminists.  And most men too.  Unless you really truly think men are superior to women (which they're not), in which case I think you're not a smart person. (And that's me being nice with how I express it.)
• Anything Cristina Aguilera does. I can not stand this woman. Such a wasted talent. Too much diva these days - actually, she's been too much diva since she got started.  And she's not original.  Everything she does is lame and usually ripped off in some way from someone else.  Beautiful voice though. 
• Grey's Anatomy. Ugh. I know so many people who watch this show. Some of you are my online BFFs, even. But this show bores me to tears. I don't even need to watch it, and I can tell you what's going on... Because it ain't got real good writing. Bad formula.  Weak characters. It makes me angry to have to know this show is still being watched by people.
• Reality TV. Not all reality TV is bad. Just 99% of it.  Off hand, I can't think of any reality TV that I do watch that is actually good.  I only watch it if there is nothing else on that's good.  The only TV I seem to watch consistently lately is HBO on Sunday nights.
• American Express. Oh, Amex...  How you did me wrong.  True Story: About a month ago, just before I left for Hong Kong, I called Amex (the only credit card I kept live after moving to Canada) and told them I would be traveling in Asia. They told me not to worry, that my card would work fine. In fact, the representative told me that I didn't have to tell Amex when I was traveling, as they have a system in place that ore accurately detects fraud. They also told me I would not need to worry about having my card shut off while traveling, as they don't do that  to customers. They told me to have a great trip, and actually let me know that I had a $140 CREDIT on my card for over paying it.  (I'm anal with bills that I actually have knowledge of.) Well, guess what happens once I go to check in to my hotel in Hong Kong?  My Amex gets declined. Why? Because it had been shut down.  Why? Because I HADN'T USED IT IN A FEW MONTHS. Seriously, that's what Amex told me when I called them FROM HONG KONG, ON MY DIME to ask, "WTF?"  They told me, "Oh. Sorry ma'am. Your card was actually cancelled three months ago due to inactivity.  We don't keep cards open that don't get used."  When I explained that I had called TWO DAYS before and none of that had been mentioned to me, they apologized.  I asked about my $140 credit, they're response was, "Oh yes. We see that. I guess we'll have to cut you a check."  I guess you won't get my business ever again, Amex.  And such a shame too, because I am a customer who ACTUALLY LIKES TO SHOP AND HAS MONEY TO PAY THEIR BILLS.  So, in my loveliest voice, Dear Amex, "FUCK YOU!" (Sorry for the un-lady-like tone there. But come on! You shut my card off for NOT USING IT AND OVER-PAYING?)

I think that's pretty much it. These are the things that make me angry.  Lately.  I really should do a post that covers the things that make me swoon lately.  Besides Carine Roitfeld.

Carine's World.

I was never a follower of French Vogue during Carine Roitfeld's time.  I occasionally would pick up a copy in the bookstore, flip through it, look at the price and put it back down on the rack.

It was too expensive for something written in a language that would take me an hour for each paragraph to read and figure out what it was referencing.  Though I enjoyed the styling of the pictures... I've never been a gal who can look at something and be amazed by it.  Not with men (oh! he's so cute! I love him!). Not with fashion (it's so severe and gorgeous! I must have it!).  Not with anything else.

I have to have a little bit of knowledge and/or a conversation about something before I can commit to it.

One thing I am intrigued by, recently, is Carine Roitfeld... The former editrix of French Vogue. And her most recent work has my interest piqued...

Styling a catalog for Barney's... This is her photo from one of the adverts. And I love it  She looks edgy and glamorous. I love the crimson nails and the star in her cheek.  And the softness of the leather and cashmere combo... Plus her shiny hair...

Swoon! Girl crush, the likes of which have not been seen since Ginnifer Goodwin circa 2007.

Gray & Yellow.

So as a I truck along in the process of securing my NYC apartment (almost there... Hopefully will have a finalized "Yes" next week), I have added to my ideas for furnishing the apartment.

In addition to the "girlie grey" look I am keen on, I want to throw in some yellow with this chair...

It's the Chloe chair from Crate and Barrel.

It's different from what I have in my house here in Toronto. So it helps give the NYC place a look and feel of its own that is completely unique.

Plus, it's girlie. And dammit... This apartment is GOING TO BE GIRLIE!

SK-II Facial Treatment Mask.

There are many things up here in the Great White North that I do not have access to, but wish I did. One of these things is a product line called SK-II.

In particular, for the past two years I have been anxious to try to Facial Treatment Masks...

This is a mask for giving your skin some intense hydration. Here's what they look like on...

And yes, I tried to make this picture look as scary as possible.

You leave it on for anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes. Your skin soaks up the amino acids, pitera, organic acids and vitamins in it. Then you take it off and rub the layer that is left into your face and neck.

It makes the skin look plump and smooth. A nice, refreshing drink for your face!

Chanel Shade Parade.

Came across this from one of the Elle Canada interns I am friends with on Facebook.

I love Chanel polish.

Really, Advertising Grads, There Are NO Jobs?

Now, I recognize that this may ruffle some feathers. But I think it is time for a reality check for a segment of the graduating classes in recent years, looking to work in advertising.

According to a story in the NY Times Style section this week, there are some graduates from recent years that are in "limbo."

I work in an industry for which I did not go to university. At the core, the industry itself didn't really exist when I graduated 12 years ago. Advertising existed. But it held no interest for me. What did I want to do? I wasn't really sure. But I went to university to work in journalism. Specifically, broadcast journalism. I worked for a the first while after I graduated at a TV station in Tucson. But as I found myself coming in every day, and working for $8 (while also having to wait tables on the site to be financially secure), I had a thought cross my mind every day:

I don't fit in here. I don't really like the people. I have three hags in my department who are jealous of anyone young around here - and they make it obvious. I have a boss who sexually harassed the young woman in my position before me, and who had made passes at me. And I've lived in Tucson for the past five years. Do I really want to stay here my whole life?

Hell. No.

So I went to NYC, for a vacation, and came back with a job. Packed up all my stuff, and moved myself across the country three weeks later. The job I took was in public relations... Which held absolutely no interest to me. But it was my "foot in the door" to living the life I wanted: A big city life. One where I could just sit back and observe the world evolving.

But some of the graduates in this article, to be perfectly frank, are not very smart. Or ambitious. Especially the ones who want to work in "advertising." They only saw one specific way of their careers evolving, because they had a specific picture in their mind, and when that failed, they simply gave up... And communicated, "It's too hard! There are no jobs in advertising out there!"

Um. I beg to freaking differ.

As I said earlier, I work in advertising. And it's not where I originally planned to be. But I fell into my specific career, and found I LOVE it. I do search engine marketing. It is the FASTEST growing section of "advertising" out there. And if you like any of the following things, you should consider a career in search:

• Writing. Whether it be content or ads. You like to write? This is a great place for you.
• Social media. You like Twitter and Facebook? Come on over! I got stuff for you to do, and guess what? You get to play around on these two sites ALL DAY!
• YouTube and other video sites. Holy crap! You know how much time each week I HAVE To spend on YouTube? A LOT! And it's not because I am screwing around. It is because I have to optimize a video. Or look at a competitor's video and see what they are doing. Or maybe there is a new tutorial out from Google that warrants my attention.
• Math. I ain't no math genius. Not at all. But I rock at paid search and budgeting and estimating what is going to happen with a client's advertising spend in the search engines. I do tend to hire, however, plenty of math freaks out there. And they totally get off on doing paid search. They feel quite lucky to be able to do what they do all day.

Is search marketing glamorous?

No. But here's the reality people: The Mad Men world of advertising DOES NOT EXIST. Once you get your head out of the clouds and realize this, you will see the light.

Does it pay well?

Hell-to-the-yeah. Once you have a few years under your belt and you are reliable, it pays very well.

Can you advance quickly?

Oh yes! If you are good and ambitious, you can advance very quickly.

Is it a filed that will die out?

Hell no. In fact, it has grown so much in the eight years I have worked in it. (I am so ancient in this field! And only at eight years in!)

Is there a need for people in this field?

OMG! You can not imagine how hard it is to hire! We're ALWAYS looking for more people.

How does one get started in it?

Look to work at an agency. That is the best way to learn. Many people dabble in it on their own first. And pick up a few clients as freelancers. However, as a hiring manager, I tend to be skeptical of these people. They usually have bad habits and an even worse work-ethic. Best to learn it first at an agency, then maybe go freelance. But then you really have to hustle. And finding big clients on your own his hard.

So here is a reality check:

• There are advertising jobs out there.
• You don't need to have a masters or an MBA to work in search. (In fact, you won't get paid any more than any one else, even if you do. So don't bother.)
• You just have to stop thinking of your career path as having one potential direction... And realize that there are opportunities out there. You just have to leverage them and turn them into what you want them to be.

I Was Wrong...

Pumpkin Spice Lattes do not arrive at Starbucks today, the first day of September. They don't arrive till next Tuesday, after Labor Day.

I am waiting, anxiously, for Fall to arrive.