Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Monday, December 22, 2008
After messing up the date about ten times today at work, I think I have finally accepted the fact that it is December 22nd, 3 days before Christmas! If you are anything like me, your tree is decorated, your presents are wrapped, and you are ready to hit the buffet and mistletoe and get out of your office. My girlfriends and I spent much of the weekend trying to solve the great mystery of what did we do with ourselves over our unending college breaks? Oh, how naive we were to the fleeting "vacations" of the real world...
A refreshing update from your usual Hallmark catch phrase. I'm assuming these are meant to be sent in good humour, but I'm already browsing their Valentine's Day selection... Ex's beware.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
I'll be taking a blogging vacation for the week, too much work and many holiday preparations! Enjoy the holiday season with family and friends... be back soon!
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Despite the balmy weather in Boston today, I know that many of you have been planning outfits for your holiday parties. In the effort of being true Recessionistas, I know it is important to have an outfit with what I like to call "recyclable pieces"-that can make the smooth transition from the office to a classy party on a budget. Most of these items are available on the cheap at your local mall or online and the shoes were too good to pass up for a splurge. That's what Santa is for, right?
Today I'll give my top picks for a daytime outfit that will shine in the office, and check back on Friday for the Cinderella transformation for out on the town!
Black Sequined Cardigan (Old Navy, $29.50), Pants (Forever21, $24.80), Navigation Linen Ruffle V-Neck Tank (Jcrew, $39.99), Lace Triangle Scarf with Fringe (Urban Outfitters), Miu Miu Grey Suede Cap-Toe Bow Pumps (Bluefly, $408), Earrings and Headband (Forever21, $4.80), Merona Large Hobo Bag (Target)
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
It's officially the time of year when you should have started your Christmas shopping, which means it is also the time of year when more annoying toy commercials start to pop up and I'm happy that the majority of people on my Christmas list are over 20.
My Christmas Wishlist (circa 1990, ish)
-Cabbage Patch Dolls
-Barbie Dream House and pink Barbie Corvette
-My Little Pony
-Easy Bake Oven
Thursday, December 4, 2008
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Grab your warmest coat, your closest friends and a warm cup of hot chocolate-the official Boston Common tree lighting is tonight!
The event takes place from 6-8 when Mayor Menino and Santa Clause himself will flip the switch for the 46 foot Christmas tree from Nova Scotia and the other elaborate displays. You can catch the smooth sounds of Brian McKnight while your there (not my favorite artist but I'm sure he'll be able to belt out some carols) as well as some other local celebs.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
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My usual Tuesday night routine is to watch my TiVod Gossip Girl, but since Gossip Girl did not air this week I settled for watching A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.
I had low expectations for the holiday classic that I've seen many times before. Charlie Brown serves his friends pretzel sticks and jelly beans amongst other delicacies and then they all realize the true meaning of the holiday (unforeseen I know, I prefer the Christmas version with the reject Christmas tree).
After the classic Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, ABC broke out a Charlie Brown film I've never seen before, The Mayflower Voyagers. Living half an hour from Plymouth, Massachusetts, it takes an impressive story on the pilgrims to catch my attention. I have seen the Plymouth Rock and Plymoth Plantation on far too many school field trips. For all who live nearby, I'm sure you can relate that the area loses it's historical significance after a night of Margaritas at the Cabby Shack down the road.
But, The Mayflower Voyagers, as cheesy as the name sounds, was an simple recap of the story of the pilgrims and the hardships they endured on the first Thanksgiving. When I think Thanksgiving, I think food and shopping. So it was nice to have a little reminder of the historical significance of the holiday. Those days of dressing up as Pilgrims and Indians just aren't around any more (they are actually banned in most schools I believe) and sometimes you just need a classic American cartoon to get the message through.
In case you missed the special, it's on again tomorrow at 8 p.m. on ABC. I'm a pretty big advocate for holiday movies in general, so I was happy to find this holiday TV schedule guide as well!
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
"It’s hard to tighten your belt when you’ve always had an elastic waistband"
0 comments Posted by Rachel at 2:15 PM
On yesterday's drive into work listening to Matty in the Morning, I was impressed by guest Lauren Beckham Falcone, columnist for the Boston Herald. Lauren was upbeat, intelligent and down to earth-just the company I like for my morning coffee and commute.
Below is Lauren's comical yet interesting take on the shoppers that she's seen lined up at the local malls and why they are still vying for deals. I think she hit it on the nose.
And that’s outside. Inside? Teeming with shoppers throwing elbows for a bargain iPod Nano.
Checkout lines are the new bread lines.
At Banana Republic at the Chestnut Hill mall this past weekend, there was a 15-minute wait just to try stuff on. And Bloomingdale’s was booming, with Big Brown Bags stuffed with boxes and baubles, thanks to a 20 percent discount atop a 40-percent-off sale.
Define “cash-strapped,” please?
The thing is, no matter how scary our bank statements get, we cannot stop shopping. The consumer generation doesn’t know how to do anything else. Meandering around the mall is America’s daily exercise. Yes, the high-end section of the Natick Collection is choking, with its luxury stores and their over-the-top price tags, but if you can’t afford the Prada, there’s a Payless right around the corner.
And as God is our witness, we’ll never go without a food court corn dog again.
Rather than rein it in, we just change where we ring it up. Recessionistas are an actual, sought-after demographic. The reformed label-lusting set haven’t curtailed their devil-may-care spending, they’ve just traded in their Saks card for a Marshall’s Visa. Discount stores are thriving, with Wal-Mart and BJs posting gains when everyone is in the red.
And now we have “returnistas” - those who buy, panic and return. It’s the retail version of “I didn’t inhale.”
Like the lush who kicked the booze for a few weeks, people who avoided the malls in September are rewarding themselves with a buying bender - on bargains, yes, but a good deal is just a gateway drug.
It’s hard to believe - especially when you’re 10 deep in line to buy a kid’s coat at Gymboree and listening to “Rocking Around the Christmas Tree” for the zillionth time - that retail sales plunged by a record amount last month, down 2.8 percent to a seasonally adjusted $363.7 billion, the largest decline since such studies began in 1992, the Commerce Department said.
Yet consumer confidence rose unexpectedly, according to a survey released last Friday. Give credit to tumbling gasoline prices. Or maybe folks were buoyed by the fact that the Coach bag they coveted was sold out.
And heaven forbid you lose steam during a spree. At Simon malls, not only can you catch Santa, shows, movies, sales, free valet and preferred parking for carpoolers, you can chill at the Rejuvenation Stations, complete with soft-seating lounge areas with big-screen TVs, free coffee and beverages and a concierge service.
Sure, spending is great for the economy. I bought a flat screen just so the terrorists wouldn’t win. But even when we should be saving, cutting back and doing without, we’re searching for sales, standing in line and slowly, but surely, racking up our credit cards, even if it’s in smaller increments.
For Americans long used to instant gratification, the bottom line is this: It’s hard to tighten your belt when you’ve always had an elastic waistband.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
[Photo: Boston Winter Night by Philocrites on Flickr used with permission under Creative Commons Copyright.]
Today’s Globe announced the massive plan, which is still a work in progress, to revamp the Common. The proposed main draws will be a dog park and a full-scale commercial restaurant. Other ideas include a grand entrance to the common, perhaps with a redesigned visitor center and a parade of international flags leading to the site.
Officials want the initiative to be primarily supported by private fundraising (Ah hem, Beacon Hill yuppies, cough, cough) so yea! for none of my few tax dollars being contributed either.
"I would like to see some real nice little refreshment carts out there where people could pick up food," Menino said in an interview. "But I don't want to see liquor at the Boston Common at all. You've got kids playing there; it's a family atmosphere, where people can walk through."
I think we all know that there are enough brown bag drinkers in the park as it is, but if Menino is thinking more hot dog and roasted nuts stands I do not consider that an improvement. Take a hint from NYC, Menino, it won't kill you.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
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I hate to follow up yesterday’s post on job losses with another Debbie Downer topic, but last night at my company’s Q4 meeting we got the official news I’ve been dreading. Time to pack away my party dress I bought in August and forget my plans of sipping on company bought champagne: our holiday party has been cancelled.
I suppose I should be focusing on our CEO’s more optimistic announcements that we won't be having any lay-offs or pay cuts, but I’m giving myself one day to pout. I love Christmas and all the cheesy, over commercialized, over the top festivities that go along with it. So what better way to celebrate than to go all out on your office’s dime?
At least the news didn’t come as too much of a surprise, given the trend of a no frills holiday season for most offices and many families. Many NYC bashes have taken big hits, and I’m sure the cancellations in Boston will unfortunately soon follow.
Woman’s Wear Daily reported that Marc Jacob’s cancelled his annual masquerade holiday party, which had been scheduled for December 10th at the famed Rainbow Room in NYC with a "Rock and Roll Circus" theme. Marc Jacob’s holiday soiree is known for being an over the top event, W Magazine described the glamour of last year’s event:
“Masked revelers at Marc Jacob's annual holiday bash at Gotham Hall took the Venice Carnival theme to heart, partying as if the city of canals would be underwater by morning. Gondoliers hit up the champagne fountain, French poodles flirted with one another and women strapped on corsets so tight they could barely speak”.
Bank of America, American Express, Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs are all cancelling or cutting down on the festivities too. The Estee Lauder annual Christmas party and the famed Conde Nast (publishers of The New Yorker, Vogue, Glamour and Vanity Fair) lunch at the Four Seasons are also not being scheduled. Viacom, whose parties are normally hosted by divisions such as MTV and Paramount Pictures, is opting for a more than fair trade. They’ll be getting two extra paid days off in lieu of the usual holiday party.
For those of us that have fallen into the hands of Scrooge, we are not alone. Challenger, Gray & Christmas, a global outplacement firm, found that 77 percent of companies are planning holiday office parties this year, down from 90 percent in 2007. The firm also found that one in five companies is scaling down its usual year end party.
In the spirit of the holiday season and giving, I suppose it wouldn’t be appropriate to fulfill my dreams of ice sculptures and gourmet hors d'oeuvres at Top of the Hub. I’ll make due with a more modest celebration and be happy that my office isn’t cutting any of its charitable giving. But I’m not returning my party dress yet, just in case ;)
Friday, October 31, 2008
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Happy Halloween!
I love this holiday. Traffic was light this morning, I started eating candy corn at 10 a.m., and my work day has consisted of printing numbers for my Deal or No Deal costume and taking an extra long lunch break to check out the dressed up college kids in Harvard Square. Bonus of working in a family friendly office is that the kid's Halloween sugar high totally rubs off on the parents. The NOT fun part of the day was me sleep walking through Central Square freezing at 9 a.m. when a freakshow Scream costume jumped onto sidewalk. Boo hoo.
It wouldn't be Halloween without the cliche slutty costumes too. I can't hate though, we've all been there. KISS 108's Matty in the Morning had a hilarious discussion about Halloween promiscuity this morning. Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll came by to speak about the city's Halloween festivities and increased police presence. She noted one of the main problems of the partying to be the lack of underwear on girls. I guess it's good that the Mayor is addressing the problem but really? I would NOT forget that part of my costume ever, no matter how many Keystone's or SoCo shots I had in my dorm.
One Salem resident called in to note the joy she gets from watching all the girls strut around in their skimpy costumes at 7 p.m. and then seeing them at 11 puking their brains out in the gutter while their bumblebee friend in some lame costume holds their hair back. I guess that as I reminisce back on college Halloweens I had my day-I pulled out the minuscule "gangster" (a.k.a. pin striped lingerie) costume I wore freshman year which you couldn't pay me to wear now.
Wednesday's Lipstick Jungle had a insightful comment on the holiday too:
Kirby: I love Halloween.
Nico: Oh come on it's just an excuse for woman to dress up like sluts and for men to wear makeup without their masculinity questioned.
Kirby: ...and there goes my Jack Sparrow costume.
You hit it on the nose, Nico.
But I guess Halloween is all about being someone your not, so put on your skimpiest costume while you still fit into it and rot your teeth out. Meet you in the gutter around 11 :)
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
With some 200,000 stall holders it's sort of like a crafts fair, with the added convinience of the internet to sort through all the crap you wouldn't buy and organize your favorites.
The easiest way to browse through is by categories (such as clothing, books, jewlery, etc.), but you can also use their gift guide option to search by price, who your buying a gift for and what they like (example: search for a gift between $20 and $50 for my female friend who likes environmentally friendly products house warming party). Through their program Alchemy, buyers can post requests for custom handmade items, and then sellers bid on the opportunity to make the goods.The site is very well organized and fun to navigate and is the perfect place to find a unique gift for someone else or yourself!
Etsy is all feel good products too because buying homemade is always better than buying mass produced (plus you'll have a one of a kind product). You can also choose to "shop local" and buy from vendors in the Boston (or wherever) area or view their Geolocator to choose where on the globe to buy from.
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