Full circle

It's crazy to think that a year ago this week I was arriving in New York to intern with IMG during my first Fashion Week. I remember being more excited and nervous than I've ever been, not knowing what to pack, not knowing what to wear and not knowing what to expect.

Since that time, I've moved to the City and been to another Fashion Week. I now know what to expect and how things work, but that doesn't mean that I'm any less excited! Today I went and picked up extra invites at IMG thanks to a friend from my internship. I was expecting to get just a couple, but I was given a whole manilla envelope! Laurie and I are sufficiently covered for most of the week and will even be able to check out Milk Studios, Bryan Park's main competition for shows. Milk is supposed to be a much smaller space, but with much more exclusive guests.

I can't wait till Thursday, and know this will be a great opportunity for eFlirt Expert. Stay tuned.

Fashion Week Countdown: 2 days

The perfect weekend

This past weekend can only be described as perfect.

On Friday, Rich and I celebrated our six-month anniversary with dinner at Tavern on the Green. It was so beautiful. The floral walls, colored chandeliers and intimate tables made it one of the most romantic restaurants I've ever been to. Plus, being at such an iconic New York landmark was really special. The food was surprisingly delicious, and the lobster bisque was the best I've ever had. Then, Rich surprised me with a room at the Hotel Pierre right by Central Park. It was the perfect way to celebrate our first big landmark in our relationship.

Then on Saturday we went to our friends' Josh and Leighann's birthday/housewarming party. They have a great roof deck and it was great to be with close friends and make some new ones while grilling out and having a great view of the East River Bridge. So much fun.

Sunday was a great, relaxing day. Around 3 o'clock, Rich and I went to explore the High Line. The High Line is an old train track that was used for transporting materials in the '70s and hasn't been used since then, so it became overgrown with weeds and plants. It's now been turned into a park, which is really cool. Also, it's about a block away from our apartment, so there's no excuse for us not going to see it. It's just one of those really unique New York things and it was a beautiful day to experience it. Then we wandered around the Meatpacking District and came across several fun restaurants and shops, and ate dinner at a cute Mexican place with a lot of character. Finally, we met up with Josh and Leighann to see the movie "Julie and Julia" for a little double date. It was a perfect way to end a perfect weekend.

Below is a picture of the High Line:

Since Rich and I spent so much time away from the city this summer, we're making an effort to experience New York more while we can. Last weekend we went to the Met and the Museum of Natural History with the kids, which was a really fun time. I had never been to the Natural History Museum before, so that's one more museum checked off the list!

To say I'm lucky would be a great understatement.

Fashion Week Countdown: 10 days!

Special deal for Life's a Runway readers!

Attention deal divas everywhere - get $30 off Ugg boots! The owner of www.whoogaboots.co.uk is a fan of this blog and wants to offer you all a discount from her store! All you need to do is visit her Web site and enter the code FIERCEFASH into the cart. There are no conditions and it's possible to ship to all countries.

She sells a few different styles of sheepskin boots including the classic tall and short styles and also the mini and metallic (gold and pewter) boots. They are an Australian-owned business and have been selling sheepskin boots for about six years. Their main focus is on providing the best customer service and the highest quality boots - which they do by only purchasing the highest quality (A Grade) Merino sheepskin.

The price for their most popular boots the Classic Talls is $115 USD (which makes it $85 if you use your $30 gift card). Everything is still handmade and they use a grading of sheepskin fleece which is slightly thicker than traditional ugg boots which creates a softer and more cushioned feel.

Hooray!

Fashion Week countdown begins!

This just in: I'm going to Fashion Week again! I've been trying to get in to The Tents so Laurie and I could network for eFlirt Expert (and because I wanted to get into The Tents) so I sent out a few e-mails to people who I knew had a few extra passes. And we're in! One of the people I interned with at IMG came through yesterday and told me I could pick up a couple a few days before Fashion Week starts. These passes don't get us in to any shows, but they get us in to the Tents, which is good enough for me.

This is a really great opportunity for eFlirt Expert. Crazy networking goes on inside the Tents and it's a way to get some high-profile clients. Plus, Laurie has never been to a Fashion Week, so I'm excited to take her during the last time it'll be in Bryant Park. It's moving to Lincoln Center next year.

Fashion Week Countdown: 35 days

Mom's visit!

My mom came to visit Rich and I in NYC last weekend, and we had a blast! The only other time she's been to the Big Apple was when she and I were touring colleges when I was a high school junior, and that trip was quite the adventure. Neither of us had any idea what we were doing, which provided some comical experiences.

Let's just say this trip was the opposite of that. Thanks to my new knowledge of the city and Rich's generosity, she got to see how awesome New York can be. Rich hooked her up with a room at the Palace, and the first night she was there we had an awesome meal at the traditional Italian restaurant Il Menestrello. I stayed with her at the Palace the first night so we could be up bright and early to take the Circle Line tour around Manhattan, and that night we had dinner with Rich's parents at the Chart House in New Jersey. We had another amazing meal, but the best part about the restaurant was it's marvelous view of the New York skyline.

The last day she was there we went to brunch and then to the matinee of "Hair." Ok, maybe I should've done more research before picking a play. I knew Hair was about the '60s and Vietnam war and all that, but I wasn't prepared for how ... sexual it was. Let's just say the full nude scene took us all by surprise, among some other parts. But the play was still very good and we all had a good time. We finished off her trip with dinner at the classic New York steakhouse, Smith & Wollensky.

The trip went by so fast! Two and a half days is nowhere near enough time to see all that New York has to offer, but we all had a great time and now we know what we want to do when she comes back! It was really special to experience it with her. And a big thanks to Rich for making it all possible. =)

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

Here it is! eFlirt Expert's first real press - and it's in the Washington Post!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/23/AR2009072301172.html

Laurie also had an interview with the Boston Globe, and hopefully that will be hitting news stands this weekend or next weekend too! Press = exposure which hopefully = clients! Woot!

Family, fun and sun

So, it's been almost exactly a month since I last posted - which could be the longest I've ever gone since starting this blog - but I have a good reason! For the last three weeks I was on vacation surrounded by family, fun and sun. The first week I was in Orlando for my grandmother's 80th birthday and the last two weeks I was in Lavallette in the Jersey Shore with Rich and his family.

Some highlights:

• Rich got initiated with the Hartmans with little to no injury, haha. No, just kidding, the visit went flawlessly. It was the first time he'd met everyone except my dad and they were all very accepting. Even Uncle Rick.
• I got to take Rich to see a little of Orlando through a native's eyes when we went to my favorite restaurant, Cafe Tu Tu Tango, and to Pat O'Brien's at CityWalk.
• I also got much closer to his family while at the Shore. His kids and I bonded a lot. I've spent a lot of time with his family before, but this was by far the longest at one time. Thankfully, I think they still like me.
• I had forgotten how much I missed the beach. This trip came at just the right time - I was really stressed out about my job situation (or lack thereof) and needed to get away for a while. Some sand in my toes and sun on my skin did just the trick.
• After loving the beach so much, I was actually really worried about how I'd feel when I came back to the city. But thanks to some promising news with eFlirt Expert and the knowledge that I'll still be able to work from home for ICE, I at least knew that I'd have some work to do. And as we were driving home, I got a perfect view of the New York City skyline and it took my breath away like always. I suddenly felt refreshed and ready to take on the future.
• I started a couple freelance stories while on vacation that I'm pretty excited about. I don't want to say too much on here yet, but I think if I do the right research and interviews they could be glossy sellers. Hopefully.

So that's where I've been. Rich and I are headed to dinner with a good group of great friends tonight, and I'm really excited about it. I belong here.