Media Love

Alice in Wonderland

2009-12-30T10:38:00.001-08:00

*squealllll in excitement*

All my clients drive me crazy, never show no guts at all. For the peanuts that they pay me they get logos 10 feet tall

2009-12-29T08:38:00.000-08:00

I stumbled across this today after checking out some design related videos on YouTube. Stefan Sagmeister never ceases to amaze me with the stuff he comes up with.

Can anyone get me the full lyrics?

A tree house affair

2009-12-26T13:41:00.000-08:00

Christmas was yesterday and a family member of ours got a really cool book about AMAZING and BEAUTIFUL tree houses. Both Ian and I thought we would find our favorite one (although it's a restaurant) and we were sadly disappointed.

Yellow Tree House Restaurant is found in Auckland on private land. The only way you can find yourself dining at this restaurant is by getting really lucky. Also once you go on the site, you'll see a yellow bar on the bottom of the page and "day 66". It's a timeline of the construction of the amazing restaurant. Drag along the line and you'll be amazed to see how much was accomplished in 66 days.

And I think that the website design for the restaurant is also pretty damn cool. I've been inspired!

the architecture drawings

Minimalist Ads-- I'm in love

2009-11-13T14:14:00.001-08:00

Yes, I love color and layers and information BUT at the very same time I'm a sucker for clean, straight to the open, white background (aka Minimalist Ads). I stumbled across a collection of some of these ads and I'm in love... it has actually made me look back at my work and had me thinking on how to simplify my own stuff.

Barcodes i'd like to collect

2009-11-11T09:06:00.000-08:00

Japanese barcode that I would love to see here in the states. I would certainly start collecting the packaging that these barcodes are found in.

(via swissmiss and Fast Company)

Alice in the eyes of an illustrator

2009-10-06T21:29:00.000-07:00

I may have found my new favorite illustrator and her name is Jill Lin. I do not know much about her, all i know is that I've been on her website for the past hour trying to pick my favorite pieces and still can't decide-- Alice in Wonderland series above is a top contender. Make sure to check out her collaboration with Ban.do -- that is how I found her work.

I mustache, you mustache, we all mustache

2009-10-06T07:56:00.000-07:00

Yes, I sort of, kind of have an obsession with all that is mustache related. Well actually everything but having an actual mustache. I've been seeing a lot more designers and people in general incorporating it into a lot of stuff in clever ways. It's time that I bring all my findings together.

Let's start of with mustache band-aids--- SOOO CLEVER.

As expected, they're being sold at Urban Outfitters where you can find any other mustache inspired object.

And then there's the baby clothes with a mustache print you can find over at Handsome Howard

I wish I had a baby just so that I can buy it.

We live in a city where it gets bitter cold and windy in the winter.. well thanks to American Apparel, you can combat the harsh feeling on your face with a mustache mask.

I will end my post with the mustache pencils that can be found at Atypyk

I have lots more mustache related items that I've found on the web-- there's enough material for at least 3 more blog posts that will come at a later time. Thank you Swissmiss for feeding my "interest" in all that is mustache related. If you're wondering when this all started for me, ask Monica over at Lobese-- she's responsible for it =)

Beautiful Silhouettte

2009-10-05T08:35:00.000-07:00

Jenny Lee Fowler has these cute, simple silhouettes that have made themselves onto my desktop background. Again, simple, elegant and on sale over at Etsy.

This is a great way of showing someone you care. I'm sure you know of someone that has dried the petals from a rose they received. Well this is sort of a modern twist on that.

I only draw when I'm bored

2009-10-05T08:15:00.000-07:00

Okay anyone who knows me can tell you that I am not a fan of drawing. I can draw semi-well, assuming I actually get a pen to a paper. Ian always tells me that it's just me being lazy, the reasons are much different...

Anyhow, I stumbled across IamBoey's work. His details are amazing and a breath of fresh air. It reminds me of all the times I used to draw on styrofoam cups (prior to being more aware of the environment) Certainly check out his site and I'm sure you'll find a cup that you love. It was very hard for me to choose a few.

Diversity in advertising

2009-09-28T16:01:00.000-07:00

It is time to embrace it and celebrate it!
(and yes, i'm part of the video)

Junn Omictin and his Rendez-vous

2009-09-28T15:58:00.000-07:00

Rendez-vous from junn on Vimeo.

Fellow Prattonian and what was his Senior Thesis.

David Ellis does it again!

2009-09-28T15:56:00.000-07:00

COMBO a collaborative animation by Blu and David Ellis (2 times loop) from blu on Vimeo.

I like to work in the dark

2009-09-09T11:45:00.000-07:00

I went through my cleaning phase that I go through every once in a while when I'm feeling overwhelmed and need to clear my head. Today's focus area was my desk/studio/work area/where the magic happens. As you can see, I have all sorts of colors EVERYWHERE-- it's a huge component of all my work.

And yes, I was reading the latest on Apple and it's new Ipods-- slightly upset about no Beatles announcement

Boy and Girl got up for the sunrise

2009-09-09T08:40:00.001-07:00

Boy and girl went to the beach
Boy and girl got up for the sunrise
Boy and girl collected shells, played in the sand, soaked in the sun.
This was the first time girl had gone to the beach in 8 yrs
Boy and Girl fell in love again!

Playing with your food

2009-09-09T07:53:00.000-07:00

What a great, creative and fun way to get people excited about a festival that I wish I could attend.

Kudos WHYBIN/TBWA, Sydney, Australia for a great campaign

Milton Glaser

2009-09-09T07:22:00.000-07:00

There are 2 artists [yes designers can become artist] that inspire me like there's no tomorrow and just this morning I watched this video of Milton Glaser and it was a great thing to wake up to.

oh and the second artist that inspires me is Sagmeister

Musical Birds

2009-09-09T07:06:00.000-07:00

Birds on the Wires from Jarbas Agnelli on Vimeo.

Catering to the creative side in all of us

2009-09-09T06:43:00.000-07:00

I am soo tired of the stereotypical commercials for cars where it's driving up a road and it has close up shots of this part and that part... and then at the end of it all they talk about the car offers this, that and that.

Now I'm a fan of car commercials that cater to the creative side in all of us.. take the one below as an example

tsunami = 9/11... not so sure about that

2009-09-09T06:38:00.000-07:00

The tsunami killed 100 times more people than 9/11.
The planet is brutally powerful. Respect it. Preserve it. www.wwf.org

A tragedy is a tragedy but I'm not sure the two are on the same level. I will say though, it does help put into perspective the fatality caused by the tsunami. Thanks I Believe in Advertising

Creative Juices are back

2009-09-09T06:22:00.000-07:00

Okay so it has been rough the past couple of weeks, even months in dealing with a lot of personal issues, dealing with the second biggest disappointment in my lifetime-- this time it was in relations to my job and work. I was knocked off my horse and it has honestly taken me this long to get back on it.

For a while I found myself not interested in doing much design work-- you can say that I was going through creative block. I just wanted to stay home and do nothing. Those who know me well know that this is not normal. I'm always on the go, multi-tasking and loosing sleep.

After finding closure with some things, spending quality time with the boy and family at the beach [realizing that I want to watch the sunrise and work from there later on in life] I am back on my game and taking over the world-- you better watch out too.

No more being lazy with this blog, I'm back on my media diet getting inspired and doing work. I have some great things in the works that I'm extremely excited about. Expect lots of posts-- I'm behind with a lot of them.

"Pouring on the pounds"

2009-08-31T19:13:00.000-07:00

Downright disturbing which could be interpreted as effective. Yeah now anytime I think of drinking soda [rarely the case] I will think of this AD.

Who has the scoop on what agency did it?

A side project- the beginning of something new!

2009-08-17T16:41:00.000-07:00

As you've noticed, the past couple of posts on this blog have been about a dance form that I find very close to my heart and roots. Well I'm working on a little side project, helping to generate some awareness on Afro-Cuban dance and art form. Not only have I been taking classes with Noibis Licea at Peridance Center and Alvin Ailey but I've also been working closely with him on shining some light on this folkloric dance form.

His website [designed by yours truly] will soon be up. For now, we have a blog going with more day to day info on what his class schedule and performances are.

So yes, please check out the Afro-Cuban Modern Dance blog- tweet it, digg it, stumble it and pass the word out.

An afternoon of colors, sun, dance and good music

2009-08-16T17:02:00.000-07:00

Oyu Oro Afro-Cuban Dance Ensemble performs at Heritage Sunday for Lincoln Center Out of Doors

So yes, I gave Oyu Oro a second chance today. All dance companies have their good and bad performances. The performance today was GREAT, GREAT and GREAT! It was fun, colorful and representative of what a good show should be like. The costumes were great, the musicians weren't ear-shattering loud and the dancers were in unison.

It shouted summer and all of us in the audience wanted to keep soaking it in. Two thumbs up dancers, musicians, choreographer and organizers of the event. Better yet, two thumbs up audience members for supporting this style.

Oyu Oro

2009-08-08T19:33:00.000-07:00

Thursday July 31, 2009 Ian and I found ourselves on the 7 train, getting off at Shea Stadium and getting on the shuttle bus to the Queens Theatre in the Park which is located in the Flushing Meadows Corona Park. If you ever watched Will Smith's Men in Black, you know which park I'm exactly talking about. Another reference for you- at one point the World's Fair was held at this location.

Oyu Oro Afro-Cuban Dance Ensemble had the great honor of kicking off the Chase Latino Cultural Festival. I wish it had done the honor justice and it breaks my heart to admit it.

I am by far not an amazing dancer but can be quite the critic in analyzing dance and choreography. When I state my opinions on subject matters like dance, art and food, it is based on personal experience and tons and tons of research. It is what I do and what I've done for years now. Because I didn't start my dancing early enough in life, I've never been a "WOW" dancer so instead I took to choreography.

Okay time to get down and dirty on this show. Let me start of by saying that I had been looking forward to this show for weeks ahead of time. I've been taking afro-cuban classes with Noibis Licea at Peridance Center for a couple of months now and have developed a friendship with him. We're currently working on a couple of projects that perhaps I will share later on a different post.

I may get into some uncomfortable situations later on considering the fact that I know the choreographer "La Mora" but that was not a well put together show. After I got past the live music, the bright and colorful costumes and the fact that I was finally there, i saw many flaws and soooo much potential for whoever is worthy of taking up the daunting challenge.

The dancers were not in unison, the music was wayyyyy tooo loud and the choreography became monotonous. The quality of movement was also off. With Afro-Cuban your knees are bent, your back is curved forward and you're at a middle level-- ALMOST NEVER standing straight up. The reason for this is because the movements are representative of those that worked the sugar and coffee plantations. They were all about working and getting through the day. As a side note, this are general characteristics, it can change depending on which Orisha deities it is representative of.

The first part of the show showcased the traditional afro-cuban repertoire derived from Yoruba and Dahomeyan cultures of West Africa. The Orichas that were represented are Eleggua, Ochún, Yemaya, Oya, Arara, Bicheb/Yagueto. The small description on some of the Orichas below should give you all an idea about what the dance movement and quality is based on.

Eleggua was the first piece. He opens and closes the doors for all. You will find many childlike, mischievous behavior characteristics in his dance movements. Eleggua will always open and close all ceremonies and his colors are red and black or sometimes white and black-- depending on who you ask.

Ochún is my favorite of the Orichas that I mostly connect to. Her colors are yellow and gold which often times represents sweetness like the honey that is often offered to her during ceremonies. She is the queen of the rivers, lakes, waterfalls and rain. She represents love, beauty and fertility.

Yemaya reigns over the oceans, seas and lakes. She's the goddess of maternity. She is known to be the mother of most Orichas. SHe is motherly and strongly protective. her colors are blue and white like water

Oya is the goddess of the Winds of Change. Lightning, fertility fire and magic is associated to her. She is the guard of the underworld and easily creates tornadoes and hurricanes. Her colors are 9 different ones but never black.

The second part of the show was a special treat to me. The stage transformed into the festive and joyful medley of what Cuba is on a good day, in the cultural community. It included a dance with cutaras which Ian really enjoyed. The best description that I'm able to give is borrowed from the program.

"Cutaras- A dance of the percussive voices of wooden slippers that engages in a dialogue with the drums appeared in the 1930s. The dance is characterized by the rhythmic tapping of the Cutaras [wooden slippers] and the sound of drums, sometimes guiding and sometimes accompanying. At times the percussion stops and the Cutaras themselves sound their syncopated contrapuntal variations, reaching a roaring and shattering effect"

This whole second part was one giant party-- the last piece "Comparsita" in particular. Try combining carnival, amazing hip shaking music, costumes with every possible color, tons of glitter and bedazzled-overboard. Comparsas still go on in Cuba. I remember being part of a few during my childhood.

I applaud the performers, the choreographer, the musicians and the organizers of the event for shinning light on what in my opinion is an unknown style of dance here in New York and in most of the world. It was a great time-- believe me!! I found myself being pulled on stage at the end of the show and having a good time but I just think that it needs to be tighter in order to do it justice and correctly represent and educate the audience on what Afro-Cuban is. I don't doubt for a second that "La Mora" doesn't know what she's doing because she is an amazing dancer and dance ethnologist. I'm just a tough critic because I know what its potential is and what it can become and I'm just not seeing it.

Do not let this post discourage you from enjoying and supporting this folkloric dance form. You will want to jump out of your seat and join in on the fun. We've seen an increase in those showing up to the dance classes and it makes me soooo happy.

A worthy challenge

2009-07-29T07:22:00.000-07:00

Okay let's talk about great concepts with true insight into the mary jane culture. I stumbled across this on a friends facebook page. I'm a sucker for good package design and love love love what these top four companies came up with.

So Print Magazine asks the following: what if pot is legalized-- how should it be branded?

"The Heads of State, a Philadelphia duo comprising Jason Kernevich and Dustin Summers, wanted to stick with the illicit connotations of the drug--pointing out that to eliminate that bad-boy rep is to do a disservice to the product (and it's various brand connotations). So they kept the whole "bag of weed" concept, and branded the various strains with goofy sticker"

"Strømme Throndsen, an Olso firm that won the 2009 Award for Design Excellence for its flour packaging, produced the design strategy most likely to make it to the real world: Their packaging concept is modular, with a big box containing smaller packages, so that the user need only take whatever they need with them. Inside, the invididual cases could be branded to suit different demographics--which, by the looks of it, would include a red-eyed Apple designer and Paris Hilton"

"The New York office of Base worked with its branches in Europe, to create a goofy nod towards weed's illegal past, with containers made from repurposed packaging from other brands--in other words, a reference to the stash boxes ubitquitous in dorm rooms all over the country"

"Lust, a graphic design practice in Amsterdam, tackled the controversy of the product head-on---albeit in a very dry, very arch manner. They opted to cover the package in infographics about weed, and its effects--which they claim would create an anti-brand brand, and also, presumably, turn the product into something more neutral than the demon weed. The only stoner reference is the Jamaican & Rastafarian color theme"

Alice in Wonderland amazingnesssss

2009-06-22T11:50:00.000-07:00

Okay so I'm excited about a couple of movies coming out in months/years to come [i.e. where the wild things are, HP] but I am most excited about Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland.

Below are images I've found that go along with articles on USA Today

Quite excited about what will be another Tim Burton classic

Post-It Stop Motion Animation

2009-06-11T12:25:00.000-07:00

"This is my senior project at Savannah College of Art and Design. Where my idea comes from is that every time when I am busy, I feel that I am not fighting with my works, I am fighting with those post-it notes and deadline. I manipulating the post-it notes to do pixel-like stop motion and there are some interactions between real actor and post-its"

clever-- i love it!

The Cure for Search Overload Syndrome

2009-06-09T09:36:00.000-07:00

This bing.com commercial almost gave me an anxiety attack by the end of it. Aside from that, it's clever and well written/shot

elephant love and prank of the week on TOSH.0

2009-06-05T18:10:00.000-07:00

Last night as Ian and i hung out with some cool people at the BOND summer party including producers for Comedy Central, we were given some inside scoop on what to expect from Daniel Tosh's new show TOSH.0. We were told of a particular youtube video that we are anxiously waiting to see.

The premise is simple and quite brilliant. It's similar to The Soup in how it works but taking full advantage of the crazy social media world. Daniel's commentary on many youtube videos, tweets and vlogs.

"Blogs, vlogs, tweets and pokes have taken over everyone's lives and it's high time someone takes these new technologies to task. Nothing on the Internet is safe in the hands of comedian Daniel Tosh. The show is a weekly, topical series that takes on everything the Internet has to offer through the comedian's sarcastic and biting point-of-view."

Here's one of the videos from youtube... I'm posting this as we watch the re-run. I'm sure there are plenty of other videos as the show goes on that I might have to find and include on this post.

You say I can't, I show you I can

2009-06-05T14:20:00.000-07:00

I first saw this through Alyssa and then I stumbled upon it once more through trendland

The artist is Brock Davis

Dance like no one is watching... oh wait

2009-05-30T20:27:00.000-07:00

There's no need for much explanation.
- rain delay
- bored baseball team
- easy going coaches
- someone with a camera

Is it too late to ask for this for my bday?

2009-05-29T10:30:00.000-07:00

I stumbled upon this cool little product via Swiss Miss . I know that my birthday already passed but hmm can someone get this for me? I love the colors too

CableDrop is a simple cable holder with an adhesive back that you can easily stick anywhere. It can hold your USB cables, earphones or pen.

Vendor Client Relationship

2009-05-29T09:11:00.000-07:00

This video hit the nail on the head. Not only does this apply to vendor-client but sometimes also with junior level designer. Actually now that I think of it, just about any type of career/job works.

I spot something orange

2009-05-29T08:02:00.000-07:00

Okay so I've tried this a couple of times: A weekly photograph or two of mine. I can never do it more than a week, mainly because I have too many to choose from and always give up.

I was having a discussion with a friend of mine about colors the other day. I absolutely LOVE color and surround myself with it. We talked about how we tend to associate a color to a person. It turns out that mine time after time is orange. She wasn't the first one to link the color with me and my personality. So here I am, trying a new thing.... photographs of mine that have the color orange in them [whether dominant or not]. It turns out that I have a lot of them and actually have surrounded myself by accents of the color.

I went on to search the world wide web to see the meaning of the color. Some very interesting results came up.

Orange combines the energy of red and the happiness of yellow. It is associated with joy, sunshine, and the tropics. Orange represents enthusiasm, fascination, happiness, creativity, determination, attraction, success, encouragement, and stimulation.

To the human eye, orange is a very hot color, so it gives the sensation of heat. Nevertheless, orange is not as aggressive as red. Orange increases oxygen supply to the brain, produces an invigorating effect, and stimulates mental activity. It is highly accepted among young people. As a citrus color, orange is associated with healthy food and stimulates appetite. Orange is the color of fall and harvest. In heraldry, orange is symbolic of strength and endurance.

Orange has very high visibility, so you can use it to catch attention and highlight the most important elements of your design. Orange is very effective for promoting food products and toys.

Dark orange can mean deceit and distrust.
Red-orange corresponds to desire, sexual passion, pleasure, domination, aggression, and thirst for action.
Gold evokes the feeling of prestige. The meaning of gold is illumination, wisdom, and wealth. Gold often symbolizes high quality.

A jellyfish day

2009-05-29T06:03:00.000-07:00

In this economy, it is hard to not let things get you down. We are all wondering about how long our job will last for and sometimes we even wish we had a different job. This morning I had an email waiting from Ian's mom. she often sends us funny, quirky, sometimes down right disgusting but everyone once in a while the funny ones have a message worth listening to. This is what the email said....

I LOVE MY JOB

If you don't laugh out loud after you read this you are in a coma! This is even funnier when you realize it's real! Next time you have a bad day at work think of this guy.

Bob is a commercial saturation diver for Global Divers in Louisiana. He performs underwater repairs on offshore drilling rigs.Below is an E-mail he sent to his sister. She then sent it to radio station 103.5 on FM dial in Indiana, who was sponsoring a worst job experience contest. Needless to say, she won. Read his letter below.

Hi Sue,

Just another note from your bottom-dwelling brother. Last week I had a bad day at the office. I know you've been feeling down lately at work, so I thought I would share my dilemma with you to make you realize it's not so bad after all. Before I can tell you what happened to me, I first must bore you with a few technicalities of my job. As you know, my office lies at the bottom of the sea. I wear a suit to the office. It's a wet suit. This time of year the water is quite cool. So what we do to keep warm is this: We have a diesel powered industrial water heater. This $20,000 piece of equipment sucks the water out of the sea. It heats it to a delightful temperature. It then pumps it down to the diver through a garden hose, which is taped to the air hose.

Now this sounds like a darn good plan, and I've used it several times with no complaints. What I do, when I get to the bottom and start working, is take the hose and stuff it down the back of my wet suit.

This floods my whole suit with warm water. It's like working in a Jacuzzi. Everything was going well until all of a sudden, my butt started to itch. So, of course, I scratched it.

This only made things worse. Within a few seconds my ass started to burn. I pulled the hose out from my back, but the damage was done. In agony I realized what had happened. The hot water machine had sucked up a jellyfish and pumped it into my suit. Now, since I don't have any hair on my back, the jellyfish couldn't stick to it, however, the crack of my ass was not as fortunate. When I scratched what I thought was an itch, I was actually grinding the jellyfish into the crack of my ass.

I informed the dive supervisor of my dilemma over the communicator. His instructions were unclear due to the fact that he, along with five other divers, were all laughing hysterically. Needless to say, I aborted the dive.

I was instructed to make three agonizing in-water decompression stops totaling thirty-five minutes before I could reach the surface to begin my chamber dry decompression. When I arrived at the surface, I was wearing nothing but my brass helmet. As I climbed out of the water, the medic, with tears of laughter running down his face, handed me a tube of cream and told me to rub it on my butt as soon as I got in the chamber. The cream put the fire out, but I couldn't shit for two days because my ass was swollen shut.

So, next time you're having a bad day at work, think about how much worse it would be if you had a jellyfish shoved up your ass. Now repeat to yourself,

'I love my job, I love my job, I love my job.' Whenever you have a bad day, ask yourself, is this a jellyfish bad day?

May you NEVER have a jellyfish bad day! !!!! Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

Mr Fuzzy takes his pants off

2009-05-27T11:27:00.000-07:00

Soooo funny and entertaining

My kind of poster

2009-05-27T11:12:00.000-07:00

Okay so after what has turned out to be a not so great London Olympics logo, the committee can redeem themselves by hiring Alan Clark to do the poster design. His proposal designs are fresh, clean and full of energy. [thanks @palio_saratoga for sharing the link]

Just take a look at them below... don't you agree?

It's been a while

2009-05-27T11:00:00.000-07:00

I know I know, i've been gone from the blogging world for a bit too long. I'm sorry that I've been soo MIA. I know that some of you have been checking daily to see what I'm up to and sorry to have disappointed you.

Enough sadness, I'm back and happy about it. I went through a stage of wanting to be away from technology and have been reading a lot. Twitter and sometimes facebook were the only exception to this case. I've been missing out on a lot and glad to be back.

I have plenty of work/inspiration that I've been gathering and ready to share it with you all. I have a lot to make up for and hope that you're ready to enjoy it.

Dear Friends

2009-03-31T14:47:00.000-07:00

My birthday is approaching [may 18] and if you were thinking about getting me something, please don't spend your money. I've come up with a better solution that will make me SUPER SUPER happy.

I'm sure you've seen the Pepsi Refresh Everything ads... yeah well I LOVE THEM [you may not share the same love]. If you're ever riding the G train or the L in the coming weeks and see the posters I'm talking about and are a risk taker-- think of me! I'm noticing more and more missing everyday and I'm always in a packed train. I WANT ONE! Especially the HOORAY one since that's my nickname at work. If you have better ways of getting one [aka NOT taking them from the trains] let me know.

Oh and please take time out of your schedule the weekend before my birthday... we're going out!

It's that time of the year

2009-03-27T11:48:00.000-07:00

Apartment hunting is DONE! Woo hoo. Now it's time to move and to decorate.

16ft ceiling with exposed wooden beams. Brand new kitchen, lots of closet space, 2 bathrooms... soo exciting

Kudos to Ian for being the awesome fiance he is and taking over in finding us our new pad. We saw some HORRIBLE places, some okay ones but as soon as we saw it, we fell in love. We had very particular criteria and this just about meets them all. It's right on the L train, 15-20 minutes for me to get to the office [walking included]. I'll come back later and finish this post... and sorry pictures are out of order

drama drama drama

2009-03-23T15:34:00.000-07:00

So I'm watching Brooke Anderson on CNN and they're discussing dosomething.org's latest PSA. In the PSA, there's a narrator giving specific details of a guy and girl in a car. The guy is smashing the girls head against the passenger window, at one point start choking her.... sound familiar?

Yup DO SOMETHING used the affidavit released for the Rihanna and Chris Brown domestic abuse case. I applaud the organization for this. Yes there are some moral issues with what's being shown but we know that this is a sworn affidavit, something that did happen. As it has been said before, a picture speak a thousand words-- well this is shouting a million words. It's not enough for someone to read about the events, we're a nation that gets bombarded with violence and terror in movies, tv shows, in the news. We're are all desensitize to such horrors. I won't really go into how I feel about Rihanna because she is a victim and she is human but I'm glad someone is trying to set a good example with this whole case.

Below is the video

BLOOD, BREATH OR DEATH

2009-03-19T20:08:00.000-07:00

Hm so my wisdom teeth extraction was scheduled for 9am. Of course with my luck, I didn't get anywhere past Pre-Op until 2:30...no wonder why as RAs at Pratt we were told to never go to Brooklyn Hospital unless it was blood, breath or death.

I patiently waited and waited and waited. I was surprisingly patient. I understood that there were 2 emergency oral surgeries before me but seriously, I just wanted to get it over and done with. I expected myself to be a nervous mess considering the fact that I've been terrified of the dentist since I was young.

I was more annoyed at how I could have finished Breaking Dawn in the time I patiently waited. I instead took several naps, read a 2 days old newspaper and joked around with everyone. The pre-op staff were funny and very understanding. I overheard them several times expressing their frustration over how long I had been waiting. I did become a bit annoyed when I later found out that no one went out and explained to Ian that I was still waiting to go in. I asked 3 different nurses, at 3 different times.

Finally 2:30 came around and Dr. Mull came out. He felt really bad for keeping me waiting and explained to me why it took so long. I guess the guy in front of me had a really busted jaw with a horrible infection. He proceeded to fill me in with what to expect and blah blah blah.

He walked me into the prep area and filled some paper work. The anesthesia guy came by and talked to me for a few about different things. I then got a pleasant surprise. They brought Ian in to see me before I went in.

To my surprise I wasn't knocked out before going into the OR. I've had 3 surgeries before and don't remember anything from Pre-Op on. For this one, I actually walked into the OR with my own two feet and layed on the table. I was in heaven-- keep in mind that I've always loved medicine and wanted to be a neurosurgeon. Perhaps it's something I will get into at some point. Dr. Mull has a very calming nature to him which is greatly appreciated. They finished all the prep work and then asked me to go to my happy place, my favorite warm beach in Cuba. Last image before I passed out unfortunately was the blood splattered ceiling of the OR. That seriously has to be a health code violation.

I woke up with an extremely swollen bottom lip and parched. Ian was already there waiting for me to open my eyes. I was in a bit of pain and just wanted something to drink. A few more pain killers and I was in good shape to sit up and start getting ready to go home. I was given some apple juice and OH WOW, I've never been a fan of apple juice but this was necessary. I drank it the best that I could considering the fact that my mouth was still under the influence.

I was fine to walk home after we left. The pain was under control yesterday. The bottom lip and chin issue was really starting to bug me. I woke up this morning and that was done. Unfortunately, the pain is SOOOO MUCH WORSE TODAY. I'm pretty certain that I have a sinus infection. I was warned that I would since my top 2 wisdom were too close to my sinus cavity. I can't clear my throat or blow my nose. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to speak to Dr. Mull today when I called and his assistant must not have passed my message along. They will be getting a mouth full from me tomorrow morning. I'm in incredible pain and Codene is not doing it for me, not even every 4 hours.

I've been getting spoiled, watching movies all day and eating in bed. I don't think I'll be loosing weight-- i've been eating soft food all day.

Nai-Ni Chen

2009-03-16T08:26:00.000-07:00

After class Saturday I found myself at the Baruch Performing Arts Center for Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company's performance. The venue is small and intimate.

When I first got there it was 10 minutes before show. I walked in and there were maybe less than 1/3 of full capacity. It made me question what their following was. After all, the company has been around since 1988. Five minutes later and the whole place was PACKED to full capacity. I found a good percentage of the audience to be Chinese.

The first piece was Calligraphy II. It was first shown in 1995. As the dancers appeared on stage, you could feel their presence, their strength and their power. The movements were fluid and then sharp at times. You could just feel and see how the dancers breathed through the movements.

I found the dynamic and interaction between the dancers far more intriguing and inspiring than Nai-Ni's solo towards the end although it was still beautiful. Once the dancers came back on stage with a long ribbon attached to a stick [calligraphy brush], I instantly saw the Calligraphy. It was beautiful and powerful.

The second piece was Bamboo Prayer, first presented in 1998. It's an all female cast. In the program it was mentioned how Nai-Ni chose rattan (flexible Bamboo) to symbolize the strength and resilience of women. I felt the strength. The power and the women working together all throughout. It was slightly violent and I think it had a lot to do with the music.

The following piece was Crosscurrent. It was being premiere in NY. A duet where passion and love was a running theme. It reminded me of contact improv, melting onto each other at times-- goosebumps throughout. At times there were very suttle movements between the dancers in which you would see a cause and effect. A simple touch to the hand would cause a shiver throughout the girls body. I got the sense of the male dancer being her protector and guardian, always aware of where she was on stage.

The following piece was a solo by Noibis Licea. I have previously blogged about him, he teaches the Afro-Cuban class at Peridance Center. I don't ever read the title of the pieces. It often times ruins for me what it is about. This piece took my breath away by far. The movements evoked emotions in me that the previous dances hadn't. There was an internal struggle in the dance. I saw and felt pain in his face. His melting, fluid movements showed progression. I found it amazing that he was able to do about half of this intricate dance with his eyes closed. That shows a lot of talent and skill. That further evoked the feeling of self discovery and that this dance was about him, something personal. By the end of the piece, you could see a sense of accomplishment. Interestingly enough the piece is call Quest. This was a piece that I easily identified with, on many levels.

The last piece of the evening was Mirage and it was a NY premiere. There was a lot of heavy drumming, there were lots of lifts and dancer to dancer body interaction. Everything about it built up, the music, the movements, the set. In the program it is described as "Inspired by the unique rhythms and dance movement of the Uyghur people of Xinjiang, China... Its tranquility and passion evoke the images of the desert area and the people who lived in oasis towns.

Nai-Ni's use of floor pattern and traveling is phenomenal and that's an understatement. The best way to describe it is if each dancer had paint on their feet, the pattern on the floor would be a masterpiece of art-- one that I would want hanging in my living room.

hm yes

2009-03-12T12:03:00.000-07:00

RAWRRAWR

2009-03-09T16:35:00.000-07:00

One of the MANY MANY reasons why I love this chick. My life has been empty with her being out sick. What am I going to do when she goes home for Spring Break??

There was a time when...

2009-03-01T18:47:00.001-08:00

Remember your first love? And how you two probably didn't work out. Now remember seeing that person again years down the road and how you got that tingly feeling?

Well that's what I'm going through with photography right now. I have done it since middle school and was damn good at it. It was my addiction and my therapy. I would spend hours upon hours in the darkroom where nothing would bother me. The fondest memories of my life are of when I spent the summer of 2004 at New York State Summer School of the Arts for Media Arts. All we did was breath, eat, live photography for a whole month 8am-7pm, an hour of lecture and then back to the darkroom. I swore to myself that I would never do digital and then freshman year of college came around. I no longer had endless supplies of paper or film. I also started working as an events photographer for The Munson-Williams Proctor Museum which required digital, instant results. Classes for my major got more intense and I spent less time shooting, especially 35mm and medium format. The main reason for going into Communications Design and not Photoography was so that I could learn new skills and have a job at the end of it all while still shooting on the side. Yeah that last part didn't quite work out.

Any time in the past 3 years that I've mentioned that Photography is my first love, I get a funny look. Understandable though, I've never been one to show much of my body of work but that is changing. So is me doing just digital. Starting tomorrow, I'm picking up a Holga 120FN and going to start shooting away. I love the quality of photographs taking with Holgas and will love having my first love back.

Ever Forward

2009-02-25T16:41:00.000-08:00

I couldn't be more proud of my sisters!!

The lovely ladies of Sigma Sigma Sigma Sorority- Eta Phi chapter have 4 amazing new members as of last night in their first semester as a chapter. Although I'm no longer a collegiate member, I have been able to meet the new ladies through my advisor position and they are fabulous. As they learn about Tri Sigma's philantrophic endeavors, it's history and it's values through their new member program, each of them will be one step closer to becoming a sister- my sister

It's amazing that what started in 1898 with kindred friends gathering in the trunk room at the State Female School in Farmville has made it's way to Pratt Institute where it continues. We strive to break the mold and make something of ourselves. The ladies of Eta Phi are not your stereotypical sorority girls. They are strong, confident, independent [yet dependent on each other]

Just as our founders represented a cross section of interest and personality, each had a unique contribution to make. A harmonious little band, they had common interest, but they had private dreams and goals.

A splash of color

2009-02-25T12:56:00.000-08:00

Color is soo important in my life. I grew up surrounded by saturated, rich ones. When I am down, all I need is wonderful hues to cure my blues.

Lately I've been gravitating towards blues, greens and purples. I've also been down lately, not in the zone and thought it would be great to share some of my colors with you. The images below are from the Fuerza Bruta show which I've previously blogged about. A sensory overload for sure!

Bring some color into your life, you'll be amaze at how it can help with the winter cold and feeling down.

A new wave of talent

2009-02-24T11:38:00.000-08:00

I am soo proud of what my fellow friends/prattlers have been up to lately. I can't help but get really excited for them and try to do whatever is possible to help them out.

Fellow Munsonite and photographer Alana Davis has started Luz Magazine. I look forward to the possibility of contributing.

Luz Magazine is an online curated magazine showcasing promising & talented artists. We hope to promote, exhibit, and publish many talents. While prominently a photography based mag, it will also feature various art medias. This includes interviews as well as a collection of work from many emerging artists.

And then there's REPUBLIC BROOKLYN who just had their Digital Rituals: New Art in the Fourth Dimension, curated by Jason Voegle and Lauren Culbreth. I was bummed to have missed out on the show but anxiously waiting for the next one.

*photo by allison joyce

Monica Lo is now a contributing writer for Modern Glossy. That girl is insane, a go-getter and honestly, i don't know if she ever sleeps.

I'm sure there is a ton more of awesome successful Pratt students that are taking full control of their dreams and aspirations. Congrats to all and let's keep doing what we do.

As for what's going on with me... well I guess you're going to have to wait and see :)

I want it, i want it

2009-02-23T00:04:00.000-08:00

It's 3am and dealing with a ridiculous episode of insomnia. After tossing and turning for what seemed to be hours, I decided to go online. I missed the Academy Awards so what better way to pass the time then to find out who won, who didn't and who wished they had gotten a nomination. Well aside from the no brainer of Slumdog Millionaire winning just about EVERYTHING [congrats btw!] I found this year to be an interesting one when it came to fashion and jewelry. I'm a girl, what can I say. Below are some of my favorite pieces. Someone please let me know when knock-offs start going on sale because that will be the only way I will be able to wear something like it.

Jewish Art

2009-02-22T21:24:00.000-08:00

Go and experience the beauty that the Jewish Museum is.

This past Saturday Ian and I went and saw the "Chagall and the Artists of Russian Jewish Theater, 1919 - 1949" as it was wonderfully suggested by the lovely Jacquie.

I'm not great at describing museum experiences, much less work and perhaps that's why Art History was never on my list of well-liked classes, but this museum took my breath away. Ian loves them and can't never stop talking when in one about the work. I'm the complete opposite... i like to just walk around and enjoy the work for myself. Well for the first time ever, Ian didn't say more than 5 words and that's because it was a new experience for him. What you find there isn't often found in your 19th or 20th century history books at Pratt.

I thoroughly enjoyed the drawing styles of the costume designs of the Russian Jewish Theatre. I could see most of those pieces beautifully displayed on my walls if I had them as source of inspiration.

Check Jacquie's blog, she goes into details about what you can find there.

Next weekend's museum trip?
Perhaps the Cooper Hewitt... i have yet to go

I just want to dance.

2009-02-22T11:41:00.000-08:00

I have resumed dancing. It has been gone from my life for way too long [thanks knee problem.. boo] and I've missed it. I have been thinking about my return but needed to find the perfect class for it.

My criteria: modern base, full of rhythm, and a fun environment/attitude. The last thing I would need is for my rusty self to be in a studio with 20 amazing dancers who live and breath dancing every day of their lives. That was me 5 years ago- not today!

I turned to the always trusting, extraordinary dance studio that Peridance Center is. It's right around the corner from work and I could just head over at the end of the day. All dance classes that I've ever taken while visiting or living in NYC have been at this place.

Peridance has many options, all depending on what you're looking for. I contemplated beginners ballet to get back into the technique aspect of things but that didn't really fit my original criteria of fun, full of rhythm. I then found Afro-Cuban taught by Noibis Licea...

His class description:
"This class is intended to create a movement environment that explores the various forms of Afro-Cuban dance tradition, while using modern techniques as a basis for strengthening and warm-up. The class will include discussion of the form’s history, and practice of different movements representing the Orishas (deities from the African traditions brought to Cuba) and allow discussion of the symbolism and importance of each movement and its application in dance expression. Each Orisha has its own unique identity and rhythm, and the steps and movement characteristics represent this through stories and interactions portrayed by the dancer. The class will develop an understanding of each Orisha’s specific steps and language in place, and as the course progresses, students will be able to use these combinations in traveling movements and be able to discern the different rhythms and calls to explore an even greater interpretation of the essence of each deity."

COINCIDENCE? [just for you molo] Members of my biological fathers side of the family practice Santeria and I have an uncle on my mother's side who is a Babalawo. I grew up around it. Although I have never been a believer, it is fascinating.

Back to the class-- it was amazing, an incredible work out that I'm most certainly feeling all over my body. Afro-Cuban is new for most of the students in the class. The way your body moves is unexpected. You could tell that a few of the dancers have a modern or ballet background. Most do the class for the experience of being exposed to an unfamiliar movement. It is loose and rhythmic, your body melts and grooves. Of course, I started out worrying too much about the combination and stopped having fun. Noibis probably caught on to that and reminded us all to just let ourselves go. I got over that hump and just closed my eyes and let the music guide me.

To my disappointment, the class is only being taught on Saturday evenings. It was originally supposed to have been on Fridays as well but because there isn't such a large turnout to the class, especially on Fridays they're going to see how the Saturday classes turn out and decide from there. I want for there to be a loyal following to this class, myself included. Pass the word out, not many Afro-Cuban classes are being taught in NYC.

"... so much bigger than i thought"

2009-02-12T15:14:00.000-08:00

Monica and I were watching CNN today and the Vermont Teddy Bear commercial came on.

OMG, sooo cheesy and ridiculous

and so I went to their website and found it even funnier when reading some of the bear options.... wow

sadly enough, i know some people who would actually do this...

Tick Tock Tick Tock

2009-02-09T19:59:00.001-08:00

If today is any sign of what the rest of the week will be like, let's just say that it's going to be a busy, frustrating, ever changing one. I'm counting down the hours until Ian and I get on a bus Friday morning and sleep through our ride to Saratoga Springs-- home at last. At the same time, I wish I wasn't counting because it is a constant reminder that there aren't enough hours for me to accomplish all that is on my to do list.

This is a short entry. It is that time again where I play the Fuerza Bruta soundtrack 7 times in a row, pull an all nighter and create some badass work.

Progression and Change

2009-02-04T11:42:00.000-08:00

Everything lately has been about "refresh" and "change". Well I jumped on that bandwagon once again-- with my hair. I am extremely iffy with who cuts it. Keep in mind that I've only let 4 people in my 22yrs of existence cut my hair.

I woke up last Friday and decided I was going to go shorter with my hair. For the past 3 years I've been getting my hair cut by Chuck from Arrojo Studios. Yes the studio owned by Nick Arrojo from What Not To Wear. It is also the same studio that Nicole from Season 2 of Shear Genius is from. I have always come in with an image of the haircut I wanted. Today was different. I walked in and said to Chuck "you're going to love me today, DO WHATEVER YOU WANT WITH MY HAIR-- as long as it's short, fun and playful". He turned me around and started cutting away. I put my long hispanic locks in Chuck's hands 3 years ago and he did amazingly. Once again, he has done amazingly... I love it, it's fresh, light and playful. New hair for a new season.

I've always had long hair all the way up to junior year of college when I had a few life changing experiences.

Vivid dream

2009-02-04T09:16:00.001-08:00

Last night I had one of the most vivid dreams I've had in a while. I was at what used to be my family's beach house back in Cuba. There isn't a single day that goes by that I don't miss the beach and the culture. It's been more than 10 years since we left the country and although I'm no longer associated with my family in any shape, way or form-- I miss Cuba and that part of me. I cannot wait until I can travel back and be able to bring Ian with me. I feel like he has been missing out sooo much on who I am and what has shaped me to be who I am today. And then this morning, I read this article on CNN... I hope it happens and that it happens soon!

Lunch affair with Monlo

2009-02-03T19:03:00.001-08:00

For those of you who read Monica's blog, my apologies as you'll hear and see about the same thing she's been blogging. We are taking full advantage of Restaurant Week. Our second lunch date was to Central Park Boathouse on a beautiful Friday. The weather was perfectly sunny and warm. We snuck out of work and took a cab to Central Park. The scenery is beautiful and I cannot wait to go back for more. Next up, Ian and I are going to experience Tavern on the Greene

Food images from Monica

2009-02-03T18:22:00.000-08:00

Cold Sesame Noodles and Tofu and Seaweed soup at Joe's Shanghai

Soup Dumplings at Grand Sichuan, it is supposed to be better than Joe's Shanghai, well it is NOT.

Third time I've been to Crif Dogs and it has me coming back for more.

Restaurant Week has been extended to February 27, that is going to be HEAVENLY.

tengo hambre

2009-02-03T17:31:00.000-08:00

So part of the semi-new me is to be more adventurous with what I eat. I'm an extremely picky eater. A lot of it has to do with food allergies and the way I was raised. Fortunately I work with the biggest food junkie ever and she has become the biggest influence on me with what we grub on weekly. Below is the photo dump of what I've been experiencing lately.

The Mutton Biryani at Madiba's is to die for. We have always been a fan of this South African restaurant on Dekalb ave but have barely made it there due to our schedules and well their prices are a little high. They are all about your experience while you're there. They are a well established hang out spot in the Fort Greene area. During the Inauguration of President Obama, they were jammed pack. Fortunately their brunch menu is amazing, delicious and affordable. We have made it our Sunday brunch tradition and have been going there every week for the past month.

Before we discovered Madiba's amazing brunch menu, we checked out Rice which is a block further down the street. Their food is light, perfect pertions and a mouth watering experience.

my new years resolution

2008-12-29T20:05:00.000-08:00

I'm a homebody. I like my sweatpants and bed a little too much. I rather go home after work then go out and have some fun. Not going to lie, more often than not, I am exhausted but I live in the most amazing place in the world. Most young people my age would die to be in the position I am with my career and personal life. It is time for me to become the true city girl I am meant to be, I walk down the street and see someone with a cute outfit and then I think about it-- i have the same pieces at home but don't wear them. Time to lock away my hoodies and bring out the heals. I may not have a million bucks but I can damn well try to dress myself like I do.

My New Year's Resolution...

- I work hard therefore it is time that I play as hard... and look good while at it.

- To keep kicking ass at work, only one way to go and that is UP UP UP!

- To make more of an effort to spend time with my girlfriends and sisters.

- To stay the healthiest I possibly can.

photo dump of break

2008-12-28T11:52:00.000-08:00

We went to Brook's BBQ Chicken in Oneonta to visit Ian's grandparents. I had to take some shots of the ribs that I got and of Ian's chicken for Monica!! When you come to Saratoga in the summer, we are taking a ride out to Brooks. They are world known for their chicken. We had a game night and played Yahtzee 2 nights ago. Ian created his own drink, we are calling it the Sour Patch Kidz drink. It even had a red and green one to go with the occasion. We also spotted a deer across the lawn.

relaxation.... at last

2008-12-28T11:21:00.000-08:00

HALLE FREAKING LUJAH for the Holiday Season. I have been going sooo non-stop that I was headed straight into a messy crash and burn. i had a feeling that if it kept going, it wouldn't have been a pretty sight. Fortunately break arrived just in time. Ian and I left for home Tuesday at 9pm. We had little by little brought my bags over to the office, that way I wouldn't have to deal with 3 large bags in the L morning commute. For once, I didn't have anything to do at work Tuesday [very weird and surreal, i know] and just hung around with Jacq and Sung. I went to Barnes and Nobles and bought New Moon of the Twilight Saga. I was halfway through that when Jacq suggested going to the movies. We saw Seven Pounds with Will Smith and Rosario Dawson. I cannot explain what the movie is about without giving it all away but it is NECESSARY that you go and see this movie. It is heart warming, inspirational and could possibly change the way you view your life. It made me think about mine. It's been hard to get Ian's family to go see it and not being able to tell them what it's about.

When we arrived at home, allergies immediately hit me. I wasn't sure if it was it or me finally crashing and burning. Regardless to say, I've been in a fog this whole time home. It's been quite a bummer but I'm sort of used to. I'd rather have allergies the whole time than not be here at all. Christmas eve we spent it with the whole family at the Montgomery's where we had our Chinese Auction. It's very similar to white elephant gift exchange and it is a tradition of this family for many years now. Poor Ian, he got his gift stolen and ended up with a bag of coals. Tee hee hee.

The next morning we got to open our gifts at home. I will say that by far, this has been the best Christmas ever. Not only did I get some very kick ass gifts, but Ian and I were able to give everyone the gift we wanted for them. We didn't have to settle for less.

All in all these are what I can remember off the top of my head...

- nikon s60

- matching bracelet to my ring.
[My first Christmas with Ian, he bought me this beautiful hand-made silver ring. It was made by a jeweler in France. We saw last year that my favorite jewelry store here in Saratoga Springs had a matching bracelet for it. When we found out that the store was closing for good, we went to find the bracelet over thanksgiving break. I got very sad when I saw that it was gone. I nearly cried because I really wanted that bracelet. Well it turns out that Ian had his parents go and buy it for me.]

- mario kart for the wii

- lots of clothes, business attire stuff

- new earring rack and a total of 6 sets of earrings to go

- back massager
[monica, i will most certainly share this gift with you :-)]

- george forman grill

- lots of kitchen stuff

- kanye west's new album
[good production, he SUCKS at singing, i kinda wish i could mute his voice]

- The Tales of Beedle the Bard
[J.K.Rowling dropped the ball with this one, I haven't even been able to finish it]

- shamwow

- a framed, signed photograph of Bernardini as he's crossing the finish line at Travers race in Saratoga Springs
[Bernardini was my favorite horse on the property the first year Darley had their horses here for the summer. Bernardini has since been a great race horse almost winning the triple crown. It is now retired and making babies for LOTS and LOTS of money. I credit his success to all the extra carrots I'd give him daily]

- bright colors nail polish set

and many many gifts.

We were able to give Aunt Lorraine, Aunt Barb and Nan a day at the spa. We gave Jim the Neil Diamond box set. I have become a huge fan of Neil Diamond since. We got Dylan a set of speakers to go with his new Mac laptop. We got Pop Pop a traveling blanket and pillow and the Kite Runner book. We also got Nan a fondue set and we put it to work last night. Again there were also many many gifts. Each of the kids got one too.

Christmas is not about material possessions, it is about spending time with your loved ones. In years past I have wished that perhaps I had gotten that one gift I really wanted but this year, I could have done without all of my gifts. There has really been a change to who I am as a person within the past year. It's hard to explain but I know that I'm not the same person who I used to be. Not sure why I feel this way but I just do. I hope that everyone has had a a wonderful holiday. I know Kim did, her and Mike are engaged now. YAY YAY YAY YAY YAY YAYYYYYYYY!

happiness

2008-12-23T12:17:00.002-08:00

microwave power

2008-12-23T12:17:00.001-08:00

Jib Jab 2008

2008-12-23T12:01:00.000-08:00

not the best.

do we get vino from PLUMS?

2008-12-23T08:35:00.000-08:00

Ahhh holiday parties! Gotta love them. Last night was PLUMs and it was fabolous It was at the Greek restaurant across the street from the office. The wine was good, the food was good [they kept bringing it out]. The best part of it all was the company. We all greatly missed Monica, I wanted her to be there sooooo bad. Ian joined me as my significant other and had a blast. Not until I have a point and shoot can I provide my own photos, therefore I'm stealing Stu's.

I cannot wait to leave for home tonight and have amazing food and an amazing time with the family!! Yay we get to see Layla!!

may i have this watch please?

2008-12-22T14:32:00.000-08:00

My junior year, I was thrown into the vault of H.Stern for a design competition through Pratt. I made it to the top 25 and had my work displayed in the final exhibit along with everyone else. I ever since, have been dreaming of wearing H.Stern jewelry. A lot of their pieces are beautifully detailed, eccentric and well above a price range I can only dream of ever having.

I am head over heels with their Diane Von Fustenberg collection, particularly the Sutra Sports Watch in Black or Tan. The tan one is with crazy amounts of diamonds and well about $9000. The black one is $1600. I most certainly want the black one as a birthday/christmas gift next year. I know it's pricey but that's all I want. Everyone can put all the money they would spend on me together and buy it for me. Or better yet, i'll continue to make big bucks and buy it for myself.

I got my present early... sort of

2008-12-22T13:29:00.000-08:00

Christmas has arrived early for me! I asked the boy to get me an ipod touch for xmas and then last week, we stopped by sunglass hut and I changed my mind. I am always stealing Ian's Ray-Ban aviators until now. A while back I did a spec campaign series for Ray-Ban and found some interesting facts. I love the brand and what it stands for.

Ian hasn't had much time to go get them so today after grabbing lunch with Alyssa at Chopt, I quickly walked over to Lenscrafters/Sunglass Hut on 14th and 6. It was fre fre freezing, 10 degrees to be exact. I opted for the Ray-Ban wayfarer for a few reasons, main one being that I needed a more dress-up, less attitude pair of shades. I have a few sets of aviators at home that I can always choose from. I then went into Urban Outfitters and did some more personal shopping.

My goal now is to try and convince the boy that there's no need for him to wrap it and wait until Christmas to give it to me. They look better on me than in the case. Perhaps if I let him have his Aqua di Gio now, he'll budge on letting me keep them.

this season, i challenge you

2008-12-19T17:21:00.000-08:00

I have always been creative with my wrapping. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the holiday season because it means that I will have lots of gifts to wrap. When I was in school and had access to the RA butcher paper, that's what I would use for wrapping. Ever since I've been using old magazines. In years past, we have wrapped our gifts in regular, ordinary Christmas wrapping paper. This year I have challenged Ian's parents to do all their wrapping in either newspaper or white butches paper. Nan's response was "well then it isn't colorful and pretty!". Well then add a bright colorful ribbon that can truly be reused next season. No two gifts are the same exact and you can do crazy things with ribbons. Think about it, crisp white paper with bright colorful ribbons-- how much prettier can that be. It also helps recycling and the environment. I just finished wrapping the gifts we have bought here in the city with magazine paper and I CHALLENGE ALL OF YOU to do the same!

Starting from the beginning

2008-12-19T17:01:00.000-08:00

It's interesting for me to think that this blog started almost a year ago for Sebastian Kaupert's Business, Design, Results class. When it all began, it served the purpose for everyone in the class to see what the rest of us were up to and to post up the answers to the thought provoking questions and he research he would have us do. I still have all of those sheets and continue to ponder on those same questions. The answers have changed as time has passed by and I've gained more experience and skills.

One of the main purposes is for all of us to post the photograph of the week. One related to the previous one. Since I am no longer in class and often time I get questions about my photography, I will now start posting one or two shots from different shoots I've done/currently doing. I'm hoping that this will help me get back into shooting more often because honestly, I miss photography like WOAH!. It was my second passion... dancing being first. That's my next goal, to start taking classes again-- after all I'm right around the corner from the studio.

Summer '08

Luke Lucas

2008-12-17T13:39:00.000-08:00

http://www.cpluv.com/www/feeditem/7010/

Eta Phi

2008-12-17T13:19:00.001-08:00

I've been meaning to post this screen capture up. Congratulations ladies!! We did it.

my old man crush

2008-12-17T13:05:00.001-08:00

Monica and I are currently waiting for our next task at work and watching CNN. We both went OOoooOOoOo AaaAaaaA when Anderson Cooper came on. We both agreed that he's most certainly our old man crush! OOoooO la la...

what is my body trying to tell me

2008-12-17T12:50:00.000-08:00

I've been told that research shows that people in our field suffer from ADD, OCD and INSOMNIA. I thought I was lucky in only suffering from ADD and OCD. That's no longer true.

I have been soo busy with work and coming home late. I wake up at 7am [although i've been failing miserably the past couple of days] and go home 7pm at the earliest. By the time Ian and I get into bed, it's 10ish. I have always been a sound sleeper and can fall asleep ANYWHERE, ANYTIME. Well that hasn't been the case lately. I've been having the hardest time falling asleep and staying asleep.

I've been afraid to take something for it because I know it will cause for me to not wake up and miss work.

Someone HELP ME PLEASE! I love to sleep and I haven't been able to get more than 3 hours.

hoggin' monica's pics 'til i get my point and shoot!

2008-12-15T12:37:00.001-08:00

"Tis the season...

2008-12-15T11:57:00.000-08:00

The last couple of week have been a stressful, exhilarating and life changing. Work has been crazy busy and when I say crazy, I mean crazyyy.

There has been ongoing joke about how we are no longer plum but plump- because we are always ordering take-out and enjoying one too many glasses of wine at the end of the day. Well I have nothing to worry about. The other morning I tried on a pair of jeans that I never returned. When I bought them, the line was too long for the fitting room so I purchased them to later find out that they were too small on me. In getting ready for work, I wished I had another pair of skinny jeans and TA-DA, they fit me!! I did my little butt shaking and shared the news with the boy. This means that I have kept off the weight since working at Il Porto and then some!!

Monica is now working at PLUM... Yay and got to experience the craziness within her first hour. Her working there has reinforced my hunch of us being a good team. We bounce ideas back and forth and there's absolutely no baby mama drama. We've enjoyed being able to call some shots here and there and most certainly have proven ourselves worthy of being there. Although we are both under 23yrs of age, we are not letting anyone stop us. Monica and I are the youngest people in history working on the US Census campaign- that speaks volume. Like she once stated, we go together like black beans and rice!! We are the "hybrid chicas"

Last Tuesday we went to the Eargoo holiday party which was a blast. We met a lot of fun, industry people and most certainly expanded our network. We played WII sports and I lost to Monica and she lost to Nicole. Speaking of which, she's a cool chica. She also is 22 and definitely making a name for herself. She's a producer at Eargoo and working on such shows as The Desperate Housewives of Atlanta. Her office and ours is merely 10 blocks away-- lunch date soon!!

Last Wednesday was Lorraine and Taso's Copywriting Rumble at Pratt. It was amazing to seeing the caliber of work and be able to give our personal input to the students. This was my third time being on the panel of judges, yet it was different from the previous times. This time, I really got what it means to be a mentor and be able to give feedback and make a sound decision. It's interesting how much I've grown as a designer, art director and leader. I could immediately see some of the students faces when their group didn't win and went into encouraging mode". My semester- my team didn't win, Monica's semester- her team didn't win and yet look at us. We're both Art Directors, not interns creating amazing work. Stu from Pangea with whom we work with and Billy Kent, commercial and film director work the other two judges on the panel

Ian and I got all of our Christmas shopping done!! YAY! I won't share what we got for everyone because most of the family members have access to this blog! It feels great to be able to spend money on everyone's gifts and not have to look under the couch for pennies [HA, not that we have a couch or anything]. We will be leaving for home late on the 23rd and although it will be nice to get away from NYC, it won't be the same. I'm pretty certain that I will be doing work the whole time and won't really be able to enjoy home as I know it.

Monica and I bought everyone at PLUM their Christmas gifts today. We got 6 goldfishes, each one matching everyone's personalities. We went to Fish's Eddy and both an assortment of glasses that also go with everyone. We also went ahead and named them all:

Lorraine is Luda because of the Ludacris Pepsi spot she worked on
Taso is Beyonce because of a spot he worked on
Sung is Mickey because he used to work for Disney
Jacq is Gentleman Caller because of a reference she made one day at work
Monica is Rice and I'm Black Beans cuz of how we work together.

Everyone from Pipeline and THEM are probably wishing they had fishes too. Monica and I are a little concerned with the temperature change in the office at night and our new office pets. We shall see how it all turns out.

no time to recap...

2008-12-11T07:56:00.000-08:00

What she said!

this makes me not want to love NY

2008-12-07T10:32:00.001-08:00

Ehh really,what's going on here. 17 million dollars for this account and yes although not all of it goes to the agency that butchered the iconic logo, that's still a whole lot of money that was wasted. Clip art comes to mind when I saw this. I was at dinner with other designers the other night and I said "hey what do you think of the I <3 NY rebranding, my friend that was sitting across from me nearly spit his food onto my face. There has been a lot of talk about this slaughtering and it hasn't been a good one. The style guide for the logo is not half bad, they must have realized that they dropped the ball and needed to make up for it.

'tis the season...

2008-12-01T13:54:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving dinner was the best this year, the same can't be said about the break as a whole.

At home we have 2 tables- one for the adults and the other for the kids. Well the kids aren't really kids anymore. Ian and I happily sat with the "kids" this year to accomodate uncle Henry celebrating with us. Our table was the loud and crazy one. The one where manners were thrown out the window and having a good time was a requirement. Dinner was delicious and very filling. Due to my oh so wonderful wisdom teeth, I wasn't able to finish all of my food and quickly passed out. Not quite sure whether or not this is as a result of all the turkey or the pain meds- let's just say both!

I am used to having home as my getaway from work, where I can just vegged out on the couch and watch mindless tv... the place where I can take my shoes off and take walks around the property. I'm using to having the option of going downtown with Ian if I want to. I am NOT used to having to bring my work with me and actually doing it. It wasn't much of a break. Perhaps its all my fault for being the workaholic that I am and for loving what I do. When we got back last night, I was more mentally and physically exhausted than when I left. Coffee will be my best friend as I try to survive the next 3 days of crazy work, followed by wisdom teeth procedure. Maybe then I'll get some rest- although knowing me, that won't happen.

Good thing about home... We got to see how big Layla has gotten and experienced the first snowfall of the season!! It was good to also see the family.

gotta love it

2008-11-24T17:37:00.000-08:00

Let's' get ready to rumbleeee- I know it sounds cheesy but its an awesome expression.

Last Wednesday through Friday I was part of a creative rumble at draftfcb for the 2010 census campaign. For those who aren't familiar with the term, it is a time when a couple of agencies are brought together, given a creative brief and sent to a room with 5 hours or less to come up with a concept and apply it to print, tv, out of home and so on. At the end of the day we all come back to the main room and each agency presents their concepts to the ECD. He will then either that night or the following morning will give everyone some food for thought and more direction. This process is repeated for a few days until a concept or big idea is found. From that point, every agency present will execute the concept with their target audience in mind for the coming weeks.

Let me just say that this has been a life changing experience. I wasn't quite sure what to expect and what my role would be. Pratt most certainly got me prepared for this stressful, minute by minute event. I obviously can't go into details about the project itself but I've been impressed with the work everyone has brought forward. Some have overpromised, others have been off strategy but overall, its been a good bucket of concepts.

Draft FCB at first seem huge but now I can navigate it in my sleep. Everyone there has been awesome and hope to continue this experience with them! Always be kind to your host and they will in return be kind to you, especially when you need to make print outs.

2008-11-10T18:15:00.000-08:00

AWESOME!

Yo hablo espanol!

2008-11-10T18:13:00.000-08:00

I love love love when hispanic people don't realize that I'm hispanic and that I fully understand spanish!! This morning on my way to work I stopped by the pratt car service place to find out how much it would be for a mini van to take me to the B&B that the national officers are staying at, pick them up and come back to Pratt. After explaining to the guy (let's call him Bob) how it needed to be and that it would be a total of 6 times from thursday to sunday, Bob took forever to find the place on the map. He then proceeded to ask his buddies in the back how much I should be charged. His buddies said $50 but Bob decided to tell me $60. Bob didn't realize that I fully understood their spanish conversation and even heard the jokes that referred to me as a rich girl (hello, I was in sweat pants and hoody, def didn't come off as rich). Anyhow I proceeded to respond to him in spanish " I will pay you $45, not $50 like your buddies in the back suggested and most certainly not. $60 like you personally want me to. I understood what you said, you either take my $45 or I just simply go down the street to myrtle car service who is cheaper to begin with". Bob look stupified and stumble every word from that point on. He agreed to $45 but I'm still going to myrtle car service to get a quote. Lesson of the day, spanish is a good thing to know, it saves you money!

what i need to do work

2008-10-29T21:58:00.000-07:00

1. yummylicious banana split flavored hookah
2. our office dimly light
3. the boy on my right hand side contributing to all the design work [yay team]
4. jack johnson, jason mraz or radiohead softly playing in the background
5. random 15 minute breaks .. one not so random, the daily show- it's a most every night

...and with these necessities and more, Ian and I continue to work through tonight. It is 1:35am and I set myself a deadline for midday tomorrow to have everything finished!

paris for president?

2008-10-28T16:01:00.000-07:00

can't stand her but she actually brings up some interesting points.

paul rand work and animation

2008-10-28T15:12:00.000-07:00

niko- check out 1:10

to the RED states from the BLUE states

2008-10-28T13:27:00.000-07:00

This was in my inbox this morning.. talk about being clever and good writting...

To: The Red States

From: The Blue States

We've decided we're leaving. We intend to form our own country, and we're
taking the other Blue States with us. In case you aren't aware, that
includes California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Minnesota, Wisconsin,
Michigan, Illinois and all the Northeast. It may even include Florida and
Ohio, they are seriously considering it. We've given them until Nov. 4th to
decide. We believe this split will be beneficial to the nation, and
especially to the people of the new country. Since we're dropping the
middle states we're calling it United America, or simply the U.A.

To sum up briefly: You get Texas, Oklahoma and all the slave states. We get
stem cell research and the best beaches. We get the Statue of Liberty. You
get Dollywood. You can take Ted Nugent. We're keeping Bruce Springsteen and
Billy Joel. You get WorldCom. We get Intel and Microsoft. You get Ole'
Miss. We get Harvard and 85 percent of America's venture capital and
entrepreneurs. You get Alabama. We get two-thirds of the tax revenue, you
get to make the red states pay their fair share.

Since our aggregate divorce rate is 22 percent lower than the Christian
Coalition's, we get a bunch of happy families. You get a bunch of single
moms, and the highest concentration of pregnant unwed teenagers. Please be
aware that the U.A. will be for a woman's right to choose and anti-war, and
we're going to want all our citizens back from Iraq ASAP. If you need
people to fight, ask your evangelicals. They have kids they're apparently
willing to send to their deaths without just cause, and they don't care if
you don't show pictures of their children's caskets coming home. We do wish
you success in Iraq, and hope that the WMDs turn up, really we do, but
we're not willing to spend our resources in Bush's Quagmire. We'd rather
spend it on taking care of sick people, and educating our children.

With the Blue States in hand, we will have firm control of 80 percent of
the country's fresh water, more than 90 percent of the pineapple and
lettuce, 92 percent of the nation's fresh fruit, 95 percent of America's
quality wines, 90 percent of all cheese, 90 percent of the high tech
industry, most of the U.S. low-sulfur coal, all living redwoods, sequoias
and condors, all the Ivy and Seven Sister schools plus Stanford, Cal Tech
and MIT. With the Red States, on the other hand, you will have to cope with
88 percent of all obese Americans (and their projected health care costs),
92 percent of all U.S. mosquitoes, nearly 100 percent of the tornadoes, 90
percent of the hurricanes, 99 percent of all Southern Baptists, virtually
100 percent of all televangelists, Rush Limbaugh, Bob Jones University,
Clemson and the University of Georgia. We get Hollywood and Yosemite, thank
you.

Additionally, 38 percent of those in the Red states believe Jonah was
actually swallowed by a whale, 62 percent believe life is sacred unless
we're discussing the war, the death penalty or gun laws, 44 percent say
that evolution is only a theory, 53 percent that Saddam was involved in
9/11 and 61 percent of you crazy Redies believe you are people with higher
morals then we Bluies..

Peace,

Blue States

a life full of work

2008-10-23T19:40:00.000-07:00

I love working in the advertising industry and I might sound crazy but I also love sleepless nights doing work for the next day-- as long as I get to take a cat nap the following day and spend quality time with the boy. The work that I've been doing has been loads of fun and quite the learning experience-- I cannot wait to keep going at it.

I'm no longer working at the restaurant and can give my full time to all the design work. I will miss the employee discount. Speaking of restaurant, Ian and I made our way to Kif for dinner tonight. Oh my godddd i died and went to heaven with the food there. The chicken soup that was one of the specials was just like the one my grandma used to make me when I was little back in Cuba. It had corn and vegetables and it was thick and an explosion of flavors in my mouth. Ian got the hummus, it was potent and fresh. The pita bread that came with it was fluffy and not stale like Zaytoons. I got the boneless short ribs and mashed potatoes.. Ian got the burger. We split a coconut flavor flan. The atmosphere in there is amazing. For days now we've been overly stressed, anxious and overworked. As soon as we walked in, we immediately settled down in the corner booth and was greeted by our waiter who by the way had a french accent to die for. Everything there helped us wind down and relax... just what we needed. I cannot wait until I get my camera for Christmas and I can start taking pictures of these new food experiences like Monica does.

Back to watching Primal Fear with the boy.

burrr

2008-10-22T16:00:00.000-07:00

i hate the cold and i hate not getting enough sleep
i love ian and the fact that he will do anything in his power to keep me warm.
i hope to get sleep soon and i'm sad to know that i am done working at the restaurant.

vote for hope

2008-10-21T09:25:00.000-07:00

Obama '08 - Vote For Hope from MC Yogi on Vimeo.

baconnnnnnnnn

2008-10-07T10:45:00.000-07:00

An Article on CNN this morning

"WEST CHESTER, Ohio -- One of Rep. John Boehner’s local offices was evacuated Monday afternoon after a suspicious package arrived in the mail.Staffers received the letter from Georgia by U.S. mail. After noticing it was leaking an oily substance, they called the Capitol police in Washington, who advised them to evacuate as a precaution and call in local authorities. Multiple police agencies responded to the Republican congressman’s West Chester office and began an investigation.

After an X-ray analysis, investigators determined the package contained bacon.

Boehner voted twice last week for a $700 billion bailout of the financial industry, which passed Friday and was signed into law by President George W. Bush.

Some critics have charged that the legislation contained unnecessary giveaways, which are sometimes referred to as “pork barrel” spending.

A spokeswoman said it's ironic someone would send Boehner bacon because he has spent his career fighting pork barrel spending.

No injuries were reported, and the incident remains under investigation. A note found in the package with the bacon was not disclosed by authorities."

ian has fallen in love...all over again

2008-10-06T15:12:00.000-07:00

On our way to Fuerza Bruta, we saw this half scale, fully functional van. Ian fell in love with it and now wants it.

and on a more serious note

2008-10-06T11:33:00.000-07:00

Forward this link to your friends and family, everyone needs to hear about this.

i love political humor

2008-10-06T11:27:00.000-07:00

and the SNL debate skit

another year of wisdom, a night of fun!

2008-10-06T02:31:00.000-07:00

Ian turned 23 yesterday and after being misled about rush tickets and prices for Fuerza Bruta [brute force], we finally got our tickets. We quickly grabbed a bite to eat and headed back to the Daryl Roth Theatre in Union Square. On our way in, we noticed 2 couples who were leaving and overheard about being misled on the tickets. I followed them outside and gave them a code that would reduce their ticket price to $39 as opposed to $70 a pop. They were extremely grateful for my help [good karma points]. We made it into the lounge/waiting area and the place quickly filled up. I began to feel slightly clausterphobic and Ian reminded me that this is not the place nor time for this.

There's no way of doing the show justice in trying to describe what it is about. It is a sensory overload and an experience that is one of a kind. The show is 70 minutes long and you are in a theatre with no seats. Everyone stands for the duration of the show and is ushered around during the performance. We all essentially become performers and feed off everyone's energy. There are several moving set pieces including a treadmill, a stomping floor, a confetti explosion, a rotating ring and a mylar pool over your head. My favorite part was most certainly the mylar pool.

The mylar pool has 4 female members dancing, jumping, sliding and splashing. The boy next to me at the time as well as everyone else got a peep show several times. This was the longest set piece. They lower the pool enough to where you can touch it and make direct eye contact with the performers.

I'm going to stop trying to explain the show because like I said, it won't do any justice to it. I'll upload some photographs from it and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE - if you are ever in Union Square, want to see an amazing show, aren't clausterphobic and won't have seizures caused by strobe lights then GO SEE THE SHOW! I wouldn't bring a fancy camera because you won't be able to enjoy the crazy, wet rave party at the end of the show without getting it soaked.

And so we left the show feeling like it was all a dream and headed back to Brooklyn. We ended up going to Madiba for dinner and finished off the night with a delicious dinner, drinks and dessert. Oyy that white russian and sambuca aren't settling too well in my system right now.

when is it enough

2008-10-03T17:12:00.000-07:00

I was chit chatting with the lovely Mandi Hulme last night about our lives and everything in between. We talked a lot about what has been going on and after reading back on our conversation, I have been doing a lot and have accomplished so much in the past couple of weeks.... yet i feel like i'm at a stand still. I feel like I have not accomplished anything and this is perhaps because it has all happened so fast that my days have blended in together.

In the past month i have accomplished the following:

- Started developing the concept and brief for Blue Rare with Monica.
- Casted, directed and produced 3 National Radio spots for Metlife and Partnership for a Drug Free America.
- I have found a new interest in pursuing arts other than visual arts -- yay for music.
- I have lost close to 15lbs.
- Design work for Sigma Sigma Sigma and the National Convention.
- Design work for NCSHLA.
- Have worked 30+ hours every week at Il Porto
- I have become more aware of my fashion sense and have sort of given myself a boost of confidence.
- I have solidified my relationship with some very special people and at the same time have ended some toxic friendships.
- I have tried to stay involved with the colony as much as possible [yay for 10 new ladies!]

...and yet, I'm obviously not that impressed with it-- much less happy. Don't get me wrong, I'm not sad... I'm just not all that satisfied.

Things that I look forward to in the coming days/weeks that will hopefully ease my mind and perhaps make me feel more accomplished...

- FCB and Plum [crossing my fingers like there is no tomorrow]
- Breakthrough with Blue Rare, I sort of need time in the day when I can actually do work for it and be happy with it.
- Continue to work towards my weight goal and tone up once I loose a few more pounds.
- Break it to Ian my thoughts of quite possibly applying for the LC position with Sigma. I really want to do it but it is all dependent on how things play out in the coming weeks.

Something has got to give! I always need to stay busy and be satisfied but what will it take to get there?

a new mii

2008-09-27T17:37:00.000-07:00

I've lost 12 lbs! yay

Ian just got Wii Fit for his bday and it will be just what I need to keep the weight off - I'm slightly obsessed with it.

a positive session

2008-09-26T14:09:00.000-07:00

Ian and I have been meaning to get our tarot cards read for a while. Ian had his read by Carol about 4-5 years ago. Carol was the one that predicted that I would come into Ian's life shortly. She nailed me down to even my astrological sign.

We just got back from a session with her. Ian's mom went with us and took notes about our readings. Ian went first and nailed him once again, especially with his job and what he should do. I must say that I was a little nervous about what the cards would say of me- I'm a private type of gal and don't like when people who don't really know me see through me. Overall it was a positive, optimistic read.

Ian and I had the same exact cards when it was about relationship, children and our lives together-- Carol was amazed at that, she had never seen something like that. We are meant to be!

Based on my birth date, this is what she gathered:

Very good nurturer, mother earth, the mother in the group
Excellent at expressing whats on my mind
Goes after what you want
1.5 years ago, I went through a big transission

My first card was the Queen of Clubs
Very beautiful, Very psychic. She asked me if I agreed and I definitely do. My mother and I have always had a very strange connection. Often times I have dreams with events that later on occur. Nonnie is always with me! Carol suggested that I try tea leaves. My second card was the same as Ian and its in regards to being conservative with our money. Light blue color is an important one to me. She said that a BIG project will be well in its way and be quite successful [Blue Rare is happening then]. I'm a lover of trees and should definitely have a garden.

She warned me to take it slow with an offer that will be made to me. It will not be a bad offer but give it some thought. With my creative area, children are involved. Ian and I had the same card. She asked if we've talked about it and if its a concern for us [anyone that knows what has been going on know this is a worry] The marriage card was also very positive and the same as Ians. I had four consecutive cards with the #4 of all suits. She was very intrigued by this. She asked us if Ian and I were planning on eloping and that Spring seems like the right time to get married. I am in a very good mature relationshps. She said that I like working a couple different jobs and that it suits me very well... that I should continue to do this.

My 10th area is foundation. I have a real calling in life and that I am very musical. Although I do not play any instruments, that will soon be changing. I am very positive, with new wisom. Very strong- lots of growth especially with nov/dec. Health is very positive. There is an underlying worry-- Ian had the same card.

She asked me if I have ever wanted to go to Ireland, particularly Dublin-- HMM no! There will be more info revealed to me. She said that I have to be very busy and constanly need activities. She told me to not be foolish- things will be very positive.

She ended by saying that I have a good relationship and that we motivate each other. We enjoy and are successful at doing the same things. Last thing Carol said was a warning "Don't get cut off from the world"

I would have to say that she read right through me and did well. I feel a little easier thinking about whats ahead of me and I'm optimistic with it all.

i am not a student

2008-09-22T08:51:00.000-07:00

I need to keep reminding myself of this.... I am no longer a student and I need to start trusting my gut instincts. I have great opportunities to let my opinions heard and make decisions with big campaigns and i need to make sure I take advantage of these.

No more sitting in the back seat and waiting for others to ask me "what do you think". If I don't agree with something, I will speak out about it and help the work be better.

Big things are coming up and I better be ready for it all!!

" a nail in the coffin "

2008-09-19T21:18:00.000-07:00

day full of recording, directing, and producing 3 national spots
a sarah palin like voice
an "oh yeah" boy
5+ bottles of red wine with mentor, past professors and monica
night full of opportunities
"a nail in the coffin"

-god i love the world of advertising!

good night... let's hope no wine hang over tomorrow morning

day full of compliments

2008-09-18T18:08:00.000-07:00

Today was a day full of compliments. I did casting for my first national radio spot and it was an amazing learning experience. After arriving about 20 minutes late {they forgot the south in Park Ave] i was worried about first impressions. I met with the owner and casting director of the agency. He's a "fabulous" guy with a lot of charisma. I found myself alone with Donna who was doing the recordings and the individuals who were auditioning for the parts. I was the only one who understood Spanish and therefore calling all the shots. Like Monica said "I'm officially an Art Director". After a long, joyous day I listened to the tracks and made my decisions. I emailed them to Lorraine this morning and the client agreed with my decisions!!

As I was getting ready this morning for work Ian goes "hey I thought you'd be gaining weight working at Il Porto but instead you've lost weight". Now those are the words every girl should hear every once in a while.

On my way to work this morning, i got an email from Lorraine about how Don [casting director] called her to rave about me. Apparently they all "instantly fell in love with me" and that I was beautiful. He then proceeded to ask Lorraine to get in touch with me because he would like for me to audition for some parts. HA! We're talking about the biggest casting director for movies, TV and radio in NYC. I took that quite as the compliment! I told Lorraine "yeah sure, what do I have to loose, life is full of opportunities and I plan on taking advantage of them" who knows, maybe you'll hear my voice on the radio or see my face on TV! [don't hold your breath]

I'm at the restaurant working the lunch shift and I get a 8 person table. One of the guys turns to me and says " hey I remember you , you're an RA at Pratt. No one can ever forget that beautiful smile". He was one of the detectives that was working on an incident. He was the one that knocked on my door and woke me up at 7 on a Saturday. I don't recall ever giving him a smile, especially that early in the morning. I recognized one of the other guys at the table as a contestant on last seasons of American Gladiators. He was the one that got taken out by Wolverine on the rings. He happily shared with excitement his experience with the show. He said that there were 10-20 minute pauses as they got the camera angles right and that the gladiators never stepped out of character.

It was nice to see some familiar faces at the restaurant today Asheley and her friend had lunch there and it was fun to briefly catch up on classes and what I would be doing had I stayed at Pratt.

I had dinner with my friend Tim from high school in Chinatown tonight. I haven't seen him in a few months and it was long overdue for us to get together and catch up with everything that has been going.

Time to do some major work before my session with Monica tomorrow and catch enough sleep for my directing debut tomorrow. I'm a little nervous about it but all I have to do is trust my instincts. I've been taught well!