We're poor in New York. Who needs a microwave?
Kortlyn certainly doesn't. She also happens to look like a postcard from the 1950s. Hence, why she's on the blog.
Melting butter with a candle - Our own example of "roughing it."
Fall Trendspotting 2011
There are a few fashion and lifestyle trends I’ve noticed
when walking the streets of NYC. Whether it’s a person strutting their stuff in
Soho, random subway commuters, or an Astorian hipster, people definitely try to
achieve a certain look. Fashion, food, books, movies and more are constantly in
flux. So here’s a list of a few things I’ve noticed trending around town.
1) Divine Desserts - Move over cupcakes and
mini-cupcakes. There are two new desserts littering New York’s city streets.
First the cake pop. Basic in appearance, these yummy snacks are essentially
pieces of cake dipped in flavored icing. Starbucks carries some of my favorite
types, with super moist cake dipped in chocolate and espresso. The second
dessert trend is the macaron (which I’m finding online as spelled both
“macaron” and “macaroon”). These treats are made from egg whites, lots of
sugar, and usually some form of almond powder. They look like two puffy cookies
held together with jam or cream.
2) Spot On! - I’ve been seeing polka dots all over town.
Black and white, blue and tan; you name it. Dare I say spots are trying to
trump recent winning trends, like the stripe? No, no… I don’t know about that,
you J Crew lovers. But it’s there – so watch out!
3) Loose Braids - This is one of those trends I wish I could
emulate, but alas, braids and me never really work. I’ve been seeing girls do
this loosey-goosey look all September, and I think I’m kind of jealous. Summer’s
parallel trend: The top bun.
4) Website Updates - Facebook isn’t the only site getting a
facelift. Pandora was just restructured, loosing the 40-hour listening limit
per month. Blogger also streamlined its homepage, giving a more modern look to
their site, and Pinterest received a few moderate changes. I feel like I’m
forgetting one… Oh yes. There’s also Google+.
5) Tablet Debates - Step aside iPad, if only for a season or
so. Amazon has just released the new Kindle Fire at the shockingly low rate of
$199. This took the market by storm last week, but what of the Nook Color 2
expected to be released this autumn? I’d say one trend for now is “tablet
consumer confusion.”
Things of note: jade green dresses, animal print, organic
burger joints, Occupy Wall Street protest, iPhone 5 release (if it’s
released…), debit cards that charge you, Hulu Ad Swap, book clubs.
*Note: Editor does not agree with or condone all above
trends.*
Tour the New Facebook Timeline
I downloaded the new “Timeline” feature through Facebook last night. Now before you go stalking my page, if you don’t currently have the Timeline feature, you won’t be able to see anything new. Right now, it’s currently in developer mode, meaning you kind of have to hack…er, um… mess with Facebook
a little bit.
a little bit.
And believe me, if Facebook minded, they wouldn’t let you.
So, want your own Timeline?
Well. Google it, my friends.
Here are a few snap shots of what’s coming. The first two pictures are the new profile homepage, aka the actual Timeline. Notice “the cover” photo at the top of your page now.
*Click each photo to expand the view. The browser will not open a new window, so use the "back" button to return to The Why Blog*
*Click each photo to expand the view. The browser will not open a new window, so use the "back" button to return to The Why Blog*
You can also see your photos albums and your friends in an updated format:
“Big events” are highlighted in the Timeline with a picture-adding option available. So the profile information change I made when I graduated college now looks like this…
I can even go back to the beginning days of my Facebook in 2005. It’s pretty humorous to see your friends saying they “got sucked in to this whole Facebook thing.”
And now your reward for reading my blog post in its entirety…
Here is the link I used to add the new Timeline feature. Follow the steps carefully, and then let me know if you’ve updated! I want to check out some new profiles. Happy Friday peps.
Interview with Jeremiah Brent
I was almost running late.
The press event began at 11am, and it was currently 10:15. Technically I was leaving right on time - plenty of time to grab a coffee and catch a ride downtown. But then… there’s the subway.
How unfortunate that all trains going into the city were running express, and “because of construction” were only leaving from one stop. Not my stop.
Sigh. As is life.
Somehow I managed to get to the event by 11:10 (albeit, a little out of breath), giving me plenty of time to wonder the Sherwin-Williams and Fisher-Price displays. Free, delicious looking munchies lined several tables, and a large canister of coffee sat proudly in the middle, as through all the food bowed down to him.
Well, I certainly did.
Grabbing a hot cup, I turned around to face more display tables. It was always slightly awkward at these press events, not knowing anyone, with most attendants being long-term editors from other magazines. Still, I can always play a part. And I was wearing my Jimmy Choos. Don’t judge – it helps. And high heels are expected at these things, particularly when you are about to hear from celebrity stylist, Rachel Zoe.
She was promoting a new online tool called Room to Bloom. Several PR agents had walked me around, highlighting features about the product and asking how it would best work for my audience.
Rachel Zoe then appeared, with new assistant Jeremiah Brent in tow. They gave information, answered a few questions, and talked about Rachel’s new baby. I’m not one to be star-struck, but it did feel surreal staring into the face of a woman I watched on TV.
How crazy?
I suppose I was part of “the press.”
How crazy?
I suppose I was part of “the press.”
Expecting to watch a short presentation on Room to Bloom, and then head back to work, I was surprised when a friendly PR agent I’d been talking with earlier approached me. “Would you like to try and get an interview with Jeremiah?” she said quietly as the presentation began.
I nearly choked. I didn’t have any questions! I really wasn’t prepared! I just ate a sandwich! Was there anything in my teeth!?
“Oh, yes. Definitely,” the calm, collected outer Britney replied.
Inner Britney was a little more frantic. I walked down a hallway and passed a man offering champagne. “Oh no thanks,” said a woman in front of me. “I’m trying to stay slim!” Another lady eyed the sparkling glasses, ’Thank you but no. I’ve got a long day ahead of me.”
Champagne man looked me as I unceremoniously grabbed a cup. “I’m going to need this…” I mumbled with a small smile. “Get it girl!” he replied in out right laughter.
Next I scribbled down a few quick notes, trying to gather enough questions for about a five-minute interview. My phone was fine on battery, and I said a quick “thank you!” prayer as I remembered my newish iPhone has a microphone. The whole interview could be recorded and I could focus on not looking a fool.
“Alright so…” I said to the one and only, Jeremiah.
“What’s up,” he smiled.
“How are you doing today? Are you stressed with Fashion Week?”
“I’m good! It’s been a lot... ”
But just so you know, it went well.
And I didn’t have anything in my teeth.
let’5 pl6y A little Game 4 Some Fun, shall w4?
In the above sentence, 3 numbers and 4 letters will give you a code.
And that code unlocks something entertaining for you.
Can you guess my game?
Comment below when you figure it out. Happy Friday ;)
So for everyone’s benefit: This is a “free movie code” for the new Blockbuster kiosks. You can use one per movie. Any of these should work through Sept 26: 76RMAQ8, 53MMKC6, 75JMMF6, 33CHAH4, 2950BW3, and 22DWTM9
UPDATE!
Billy got the answer: 56AGSF4
So for everyone’s benefit: This is a “free movie code” for the new Blockbuster kiosks. You can use one per movie. Any of these should work through Sept 26: 76RMAQ8, 53MMKC6, 75JMMF6, 33CHAH4, 2950BW3, and 22DWTM9
Note that sometimes the codes don’t work for movies that are over a $1.
"We Can Fly, We Can Fly"
There was a piece of garbage that rolled down the steps of the subway with me.
The red, plastic slip of paper was moving faster than I was… Falling – no, flying past groups of commuters. If you’ve ever visited the city, you may have noticed strange crosswinds that catch your wrappers and your napkins and your hair (or unfortunately your dress) at off-beat moments throughout the day. The gusts come from seemingly nowhere; just air trapped inside the grid of the city trying to escape.
I stepped onto a subway train.
The man across from me was asleep. The woman next to me was reading. Two men stood near the door, discussing a business proposal. And to my left… No. It couldn’t be. But it was. My piece of red trash friend was resting next me, tired of riding the breeze.
I laughed to myself. Small city.
As I exited the underground and stepped into the sun, police cars were lining up everywhere. Something was happening. But not in the chaotic sort of way. You can feel it in the air when something unexpected happens, and this? This was controlled chaos.
“On the sidewalk miss!” a cop yelled at me.
I quickly moved away from the road and tripped over my other foot. Wait, that wasn’t my foot. Ah! My best friend, Red Trash, was attached to my shoe! I blatantly smiled at the piece of paper.
Yes, I smiled at paper. We seemed to have a connection.
Quicker than I imagined, another blast of wind swept through the city. Red Trash unlatched himself from my shoe and flew up, up, up into the gray sky. He floated happily towards the East River, abandoning me for a carefree trip through town. "What a sense of adventure," I thought wistfully.
Is it odd that I was jealous of Mr. Red Trash?
And missed him a little bit?
I saw the President today. He’s been visiting New York for the United Nations conference. And this afternoon, I popped inside of Google’s headquarters to discuss tablet technology for work.
But for some reason, I felt compelled to tell you about that red piece of paper. I think you would have enjoyed him as much as I did. And I think, when he left for his next adventure, you would have missed him just as much too.
The red, plastic slip of paper was moving faster than I was… Falling – no, flying past groups of commuters. If you’ve ever visited the city, you may have noticed strange crosswinds that catch your wrappers and your napkins and your hair (or unfortunately your dress) at off-beat moments throughout the day. The gusts come from seemingly nowhere; just air trapped inside the grid of the city trying to escape.
I stepped onto a subway train.
The man across from me was asleep. The woman next to me was reading. Two men stood near the door, discussing a business proposal. And to my left… No. It couldn’t be. But it was. My piece of red trash friend was resting next me, tired of riding the breeze.
I laughed to myself. Small city.
As I exited the underground and stepped into the sun, police cars were lining up everywhere. Something was happening. But not in the chaotic sort of way. You can feel it in the air when something unexpected happens, and this? This was controlled chaos.
“On the sidewalk miss!” a cop yelled at me.
I quickly moved away from the road and tripped over my other foot. Wait, that wasn’t my foot. Ah! My best friend, Red Trash, was attached to my shoe! I blatantly smiled at the piece of paper.
Yes, I smiled at paper. We seemed to have a connection.
Quicker than I imagined, another blast of wind swept through the city. Red Trash unlatched himself from my shoe and flew up, up, up into the gray sky. He floated happily towards the East River, abandoning me for a carefree trip through town. "What a sense of adventure," I thought wistfully.
Is it odd that I was jealous of Mr. Red Trash?
And missed him a little bit?
I saw the President today. He’s been visiting New York for the United Nations conference. And this afternoon, I popped inside of Google’s headquarters to discuss tablet technology for work.
But for some reason, I felt compelled to tell you about that red piece of paper. I think you would have enjoyed him as much as I did. And I think, when he left for his next adventure, you would have missed him just as much too.
Fall: The Time to Play Catch... Up
I’ve been bad. There is so much to fill you in on, and moments are slipping away faster than I can type them up. By the way, where did August go? Now September is disappearing as quickly as the changing sun. And you know what that means…
Alright, okay…
For any New Yorker reading the blog, I won’t say the dreaded “w” word.
Just for you.
Just for you.
Fall embraced the city almost over night, and school has started up once again. With that comes Pumpkin Spice lattes, Saturday study days, Sunday football, and of course, the late-night crunch. My college roommates will love this statistic I’m about to drop: Average hours slept per night last week: 4.7. Hours spelt on Sunday night: 2.5. Goal for hours to sleep per night this week? Eh…. That’s why you love me!
But here’s the reason I know it’s time for a blog post: I’ve been finding napkins in my pockets and scraps of paper in my purses with hints written from my creative self, addressed to my frazzled self.
Most of memos read something like, “Need 2 blog bout tennis,” or “Dont forgt: park pic.” I couldn’t even tell you what my coding means for half of these notes. But an even bigger problem? I couldn’t even tell you when I’m actually going to sit down and write out these entries.
So. Basically, I’m asking you to bear with me. Once my loans have gone through and my new roommate is settled and classes calm down and my thesis is well underway and people stop being so dang enjoyable, I promise, I promise, I promise to give you some fabulous blog posts.
But for now, enjoy this embarrassing picture snapped right before the hurricane. Happy Tuesday! Keep "holding on" until the weekend!
Baahaha.
Come on.
I couldn't resist a little word fun.
The Bloggity Blog Awards
Oh you shouldn't have! A big thanks to Sarah, who sent me this blog award two weeks ago! Somehow I missed it in my comments section, but it caught my eye today. Thank you Sarah! I'm quite honored.
And in blog award tradition, I'm passing this badge on to the following people. I love your stuff, and I hope others will too:
1) Mary & Ben at The Cooks in Tanzania
2) Brian at Dirty Richmond
3) Katelyn at Katelyn James Photography
4) Laurie at City Chronicles
5) Janelle at Short Story Time
And in blog award tradition, I'm passing this badge on to the following people. I love your stuff, and I hope others will too:
1) Mary & Ben at The Cooks in Tanzania
2) Brian at Dirty Richmond
3) Katelyn at Katelyn James Photography
4) Laurie at City Chronicles
5) Janelle at Short Story Time