Where I'm at

In February of last year I decided to leave my full-time job that had been going nowhere fast for at least a year and take a marketing internship. I went from a salary with benefits to an embarrassing stipend for a person of my age who is not a full-time grad student. So why did I do it? Well, I had known for a while that my full-time job was not going the way I thought it would when I had started. Last fall I took a marketing class to try out a hunch that it was the field I wanted to go into. An A later (thankyouverymuch) I was better prepared to dive into the job search.

Turns out, one marketing class does not a marketing maven make. So when the opportunity to take a six month internship in the marketing department of a magazine came up, I jumped at the chance to add some experience to my resume. My contract finished at the end of August and since then I have taken on some part-time publicity work to build those skills. Otherwise, I'm job searching pretty much all the time.

So what do I want to do? What's my dream job? I want to be.... well, I don't know. There are aspects of many careers that I would like to somehow combine. I just need to figure out where to start. I do have a good idea of what I want my dream office to look like, though...

The Triumphant Return

Well, I'm back. Luckily no one reads this, so I didn't leave anyone hanging.

When I started the blog, I was influenced by the magazine Vogue and thought, as one of those idealistic girls that move to New York in their early 20s, my goal should be to end up in their pages, photographed at some fabulous event (looking effortlessly glamorous, of course). Don't get me wrong- I would still be pretty happy with myself if that scenario were to work out. I began to disagree with the direction the magazine was taking, however, especially after reading the article that appeared in July, 2008 about the lack of diversity in modeling. I expected Vogue to put out something more thoughtful and sophisticated than just a collage of the five black models they have featured in the past 20 years. In protest, I cancelled my subscription and was glad that I did. (I was also impressed with the readers who so eloquently wrote in their disagreement.)

Since last summer, I have not thought of the blog too much. At times I considered what I could use it for, if I should save the name, and did I really have anything to write about (do any bloggers?). Seeing The September Issue- the night it came out- restored some of my faith in Anna Wintour, though I still believe her pulse for fashion is her real gift, not her editorial skills. (Sidenote: how much do you love Grace Coddington after that movie???)

In short, I'm back. My writing needs practice, if nothing else. I am still "hoping for vogue", but my definition of vogue is evolving.

*Hope Anna doesn't take any of this personally.

Image found here.

Weekends Away- Lake Placid

Summertime as a grown-up is a difficult adjustment. Come mid-June you are still expected to go to work every morning (still at 9am), you have to stay inside for most of the day (except for an all-to-brief lunchtime hour) and not only have to fit the beach trips and excursions into your allotted vacation allowance, but these trips must be approved by your supervisor! This is the age when you learn to appreciate the long weekend. Especially those created by national holidays- no vacation hours used!

For the Fourth of July this year, I returned to the same place I celebrated my independence in 2007- Lake Placid, NY. Being a native Northern Californian, Lake Placid reminds me of summers spent in Lake Tahoe. The cooler temperature at night, the lazy days boating and swimming on the lake and the beautiful surroundings full of rolling mountains and hills covered with trees. I'm lucky enough to have made friends with the owners of a wonderful lake house who enjoy hanging around outside just as much as me. The weekend was full of barbecuing, enjoying the fruits of our barbecuing and constantly reapplying SPF 50. I've put up some pictures of the boat house and the lake. Cheers to the weekends!

Above, two ducks that swam by our dock together two days in a row. Below, a water skier on the lake.

Current Favorites

These are a few of my current favorite things:

1. Stationary

2. Summer fruit

3. Pitchers for iced tea (There's one in the office kitchen that has been abandoned and I'm contemplating its disappearance...)

4. Weekend getaways

5. Full skirts with solid-color tanks or tees tucked in

I also just had a flash of inspiration for the kitchen of my next apartment- I want block letters that spell out "EAT" on the wall. Maybe spray-painted silver. I saw some on sale at Anthropologie recently- I may have to go back. Even though I won't have a new apartment for three months...

Photos courtesy of Anthropologie.com and Le Creuset

Latest Issue

I am always so happy when the latest issue of Vogue arrives in my mailbox. I only recently began my subscription and, after a rocky start (at first I was only mailed back issues...odd), Vogue and I have been getting along famously. Though I really should be unpacking from my weekend in Connecticut where we attended a good friend's beautiful wedding, Nicole Kidman and her suspiciously small baby bump are calling out to me. Wonder what Andre has been up to...!

Introduction

Hello all, I am starting this blog in an effort to chronicle my quest and aspiration to be as chic and stylish (effortlessly of course, or at least to look as so) as an issue of Vogue. Every day I see beautiful, interesting things- people, clothing, buildings, gardens- and I hope this blog becomes a place that keeps me inspired to continue searching for and finding these treasures. Enjoy!