It’s Black Friday again, the busiest shopping day of the year. Whether you prefer to purchase in-store or shop online on Cyber Monday, our holiday gift guide has our top five favorites for both the guys and dolls on your list this year.
Being the resident cocktail nerd in my family means that at holiday gatherings, you will inevitably find me stuck behind a bar, mixing drinks to order. While I am happy to share my love of cocktails during the holidays, I rarely get the opportunity to mingle or just relax. This holiday I want to change that, but I don’t want to sacrifice the quality of beverage that I’ll serve my guests. Enter party punch queen, Naomi Schimek, who reigns as Beverage Director at the Spare Room in Hollywood.
I was serendipitously invited to a benefit event, Simply Divine, where naturally, I was drawn to the Champagne display, as my double-x chromosome dictates. Initially, I was enchanted by the display and promise of inebriation, but in short-order was drawn in by the effervescent blonde who was pouring bubbly and chatting up party-goers. Tawnya Faulkner, proprietor and CEO of Le Grand Courtage, (a French sparkling wine), stood out at this event as a rare bird, a female wine merchant pouring her rosé and brut with the earnestness of a protective mother, imploring you to have more. Equally intriguing was the origin story of Le Grand Courtâge, with the twists and turns of a journey worthy of its namesake. As she recounted her story of having quit a career as a real estate developer to pursue her Champagne dreams, I immediately recognized the familiar blueprint of the transformative fantasy that many people have, but few make reality. I am pleased that she could share her story with our readers and I hope that her journey inspires many more of us to take that leap of faith and follow our dreams.
The King of Pop has been synonymous with Halloween ever since his breakthrough short-film-slash-music-video, “Thriller” hit the airwaves in 1983. Michael Jackson’s dance moves thrilled audiences when the video premiered on MTV, featuring iconic choreography by Michael Peters, (who was also responsible for the slick moves in “Beat It”). Featuring werewolves and zombies straight out of the mind of Rick Baker, “Thriller’s” zombie dance number has been replicated by prisoners, wedding parties and teenagers, making it an ubiquitous touchstone of pop-culture.
Life can get pretty busy this time of year, and though we may have the best of intentions for creating and donning elaborate Halloween costumes, it just doesn’t always happen, try as we might. And so, we bring you a simple solution to the ever-buring question of “What am I going to be this year?” Look in your closet. With a little imagination, it’s easy to piece together an ensemble that’s clever, cute, and cost-effective. Here’s what we found in our closets.
Coming up with a cocktail menu for All Hallow’s Eve is a devilish task. Finding beverages that do not mimic blood, guts, or unnatural ghoulish greens proved difficult. Most Halloween cocktails fall on a scale between saccharine and gimmicky, putting me dangerously close to my personal hell which is laced with candy corn and a chaser of Skittles-flavored vodka. So, if you come trick or treating around my door, I will be sure to provide you with a few suitable adult beverages that celebrate the season but don’t seem like they were made for kids.
When September rolls around, it can be marked by some perennial truths: back to school, changing leaves and the return of football. When it comes to women and football, lines are drawn in the sand between females that bleed their teams colors and those who can not tell a “flea-flicker” from a “read-option” quarterback. I needed to claim football season in my own way. I needed an expert. So I called my friend, The Fantasy Football Girl, Liz Loza, to ask her for a new way to enjoy football: as a woman. Noted as “the most followed, discussed, and respected independent female fantasy analyst in the blogosphere,” she is the co-host of the X’s & Y’s podcast, where she breaks down her football picks for the week from the female perspective.
You may recognize Janessa Anderson from her ongoing contributions to our style section, sharing monthly Trend Report picks to keep you looking chic every day and in the workplace. In her daily life, she manages the women’s collection for Tommy Hilfiger, overseeing their press placements worldwide. Janessa’s job description intrigued me as an indicator of what many professional jobs look like these days: a mix of creativity, technology & business. Newsstands and webpages often bombard us with the glamorous sides of fashion and entertainment, but we rarely get a peek behind the curtain at the creative professionals who make the magic happen. Janessa was kind enough to lift the curtain so we could get a glimpse at the flip-side of side of fashion.
Our world changes so quickly. Technology is rampant, social mores keep evolving, and office politics can be a minefield as gender, race and sexual orientation diversify the modern workplace. This developing landscape is exciting, but knowing how to interact with our fellow human beings without inadvertently being offense can prove challenging. I often find myself asking Ashley her opinion on these modern interactions. “Is it rude if I don’t respond to an email invitation if there are eighty people invited?”
Once upon a time, instead of holding a passenger, the front seat of my car held via seat-belt, a mini hanging-file-folio and a portable printer. Safety first! My beverage holder cradled a cup full of pens and multi-colored highlighters. Such was the life of a transient with a mobile office. Until the digital age, I made do with this ‘mobile office’ as the only way to conduct business while on the road.
Here are 3 essential mobile apps that will allow you to take your office with you: in your pocket.