Super Crazy Shortened Recap Version of My Life Since August 1st

Hello loyal followers!


First off, my apologies for not posting a new entry since, well, August 1st. I know. Unacceptable. I've been busy. 


Here's my condensed recap of the fantabulous things that have happened in my life since then, in mostly chronological order:


1. I wore the amazing beautiful DKNY Cozy that I blogged about in my last entry. It was magical. (This part isn't chronological. I wore it yesterday. Chronology will rule from here on out though, I promise.)
2. I finished my internship, which was one of the best experiences of my life. And I was invited back for next summer! I know, awesome. It's something I am definitely strongly considering!
3. I turned 19! My birthday celebration was a lot of fun. I went to a restaurant with a bunch of friends and then we came back to my house for cake and to hang out. That's some of us.

4. I went to the Jersey Shore (no, not that Jersey Shore - Long Beach Island!) twice with some friends, one of whom has a condo there. It rocked. We beached and cooked and whatnot. That's most of us.

4. I saw Maroon 5, Train, and Matt Nathanson in concert at the Nikon Theater at Jones Beach. I most definitely did not take an accidental detour through Brooklyn on the way there. (That's a lie.) Anyway, the concert was amazing! Train sang "Words." Listen, learn, love.

5. I started my sophomore year of college! I'm taking some awesome Communications classes including my first Public Relations class, in addition to a Marketing and Business for comm majors class, and a class on Civilizations of Africa. I'm supposed to be doing my reading for Africa class right now. Things happen.

So, that's where I am! I've been having an amazing time at school so far, and although I'm crazyyyyyy busy (classes, Relay For Life is about to start, Phi Mu, etc.) but I've been loving every minute.

And tonight...I'm going to Fashion's Night Out! I go to school in DC so I'll be attending the Georgetown event (not NYC, sadface) but I am still really looking forward to it! Even though it's been raining for a week and shows no signs of stopping tonight....oh well.

Are you going to FNO? What are you looking forward to?

I'll post my highlights soon!

Summer Goals Update

In a previous post I talked about my summer goals, and I'm happy to say that I'm on my way to completing them!


One of my short term goals was to unpack from college, and I'm happy to report that that finally happened (a month after getting home...but it happened!) I still haven't created the freshman year scrapbook page, but I've pushed that to a long term goal.


And as for my long term goals, I'm doing pretty well! My internship is going incredibly well, and although I didn't know much about the internet world going into it, I'm really lucky to be learning so much and be delegated so much responsibility.


My first big project within the company was to help my mentor plan our first rooftop party, (which went fabulously!) and I had so much fun doing it. Event planning is the best. I've also been creating a contact outreach list for potential bloggers to pitch to, which is helping me learn about the prominent blogs in the digital industry.


One fun part of my job is getting to know the other interns. There are 10 of us in total, scattered in different departments, though I'm the sole PR intern. We were just given a huge project - we get to handle all of the branding, marketing, and PR for an app that was just released - and I am so excited to take it on! We get to pitch our brief to one of the heads of the company, and it'll also be an unbelievable addition to my résumé.


So, that's the internship. Other goals I've gotten to cross off my list include visiting my roommate, Amanda, in Massachusetts this past week, and starting to exercise frequently. We went shopping on Newbury Street in Boston, and I got some awesome deals and gorgeous clothes at Urban Outfitters and H&M (including 2 blazers (black/beige lace), 2 tops, tan sandals, a cream-colored flowy skirt). We also went to the gym, where I updated my now-awesome workout playlist, and I cleaned off my treadmill when I got home, which is now ready for use!


I started eating healthy, fell off the wagon, but am now slowly hopping back onboard. The workouts are making me feel guilty for carbs and fried foods though, which is a good thing.


My summer reading list is going really well. I finished If You Have to Cry Go Outside by Kelly Cutrone (and LOVED it!) and I also finished Bossypants by Tina Fey (which I highly recommend). I started reading The Help by Kathryn Stockett, and I'm really enjoying it so far, although I'm still at the beginning.


In terms of learning to cook (AKA watching a lot of Barefoot Contessa), and I'm doing both. Well, mostly watching Barefoot Contessa, although yesterday I made chocolate-covered strawberries as per Ina Garten's recipe (one of the easiest things I've ever made, and delicious. Highly recommend!)

I served them for dessert at Father's Day brunch this morning, and they were a big hit! I also made a fruit platter:

Goals I still need to complete include visiting DC (trip booked for July Fourth weekend!), working a fashion show (if anyone has any suggestions for how to accomplish this, please let me know!), and continue wearing heels often (though I'm on my way).

Happy Father's Day!

SPREADSHEETS

Personally, I love spreadsheets.


But don't go into PR if you can't handle them. Because this is the third week of my internship, and I've already made/edited at least 10 different spreadsheets.


PS. If you've already landed an internship but don't know how to use Excel AND Numbers, learn learn learn learn learn!


So important.


xo.

Handmade Maxi Dress

Last week I had a craving to do something I haven't done in far too long - sewing. The last piece I made was a circle scarf (2 matching ones) out of a gorgeous purple fabric I received as a gift. I made those over spring break, but it was a quick project, and didn't involve much creativity.


Last week I had a craving to do some real sewing, and to go to Mood, the fabric store I frequent (if you're wondering why the name of some random fabric store sounds familiar, it's because that's where they go on Project Runway.)


Anyway, I stopped by Mood after work one day last week and picked up 3 yards of a gorgeous abstract-patterned jersey, and some plain black jersey. I spent Sunday working on it, and (after making some rookie mistakes that wouldn't have happened had I been keeping up with my sewing) ended up with a finished maxi dress!


I wore it to work today, styled with brown American Eagle sandals, a brown, green, and gold chunky beaded necklace, and long gold beaded earrings.

Super Ridiculously Awesome Discounts on Moxsie.com

My favorite thing about going to work today: finding out that Moxsie.com is having a 60% off the entire site blowout sale!


So, I bought an awesome dress. For $16. Rock it!


This is it:

And since I love you all so much, I am posting the coupon I received - $15 off my (YOUR!) next purchase! Here's the catch: it expires in approximately 3 days, meaning Friday, June 3 at around 11:45 pm. It only works once, so whoever gets to it first, gets the discount!

Let me know what fabulous new purchase you make!

-----


Update: To be fair, I need to give my review of this dress. I was really excited when it came, and the fit was awful - to the point where tailoring it would not have helped. The fabric was scratchy, and this dress was sadly a waste of my money. This isn't to say anything about Moxsie, but as for this particular piece, I was very disappointed.

3 Things To Know About Interning in NYC

Two weeks ago marked the beginning of my summer internship in NYC, and since I live in Westchester County, I've been saving rent money by doing the MetroNorth commute. I started my internship a bit earlier than most, so I decided to do a post on this right as a lot of interns are starting.


For those of you who are just moving to NYC, welcome, and good luck with your internships! Before you start, here are some things you might like to know:


1. Flats are your best friend. For some reason, I've always had a hard time with flats - they rub my feet in the wrong place, my heel slips out of them, whatever. But working in NYC (especially when you need to take the MetroNorth to Grand Central to the 7 to the A) means you need to find a pair or two of flats that are comfortable. Trust me, they will make your life a hell of a lot easier, because NYC means walking. I have always had one trusty pair of red patent leather Jessica Simpson flats that I love, and I recently bought two pairs of inexpensive, super comfy Charlotte Rousse flats in both charcoal and tan - practical colors, and cute!

 2. First Day = First Impression. Dress to...ahem...impress. Seriously. I happen to be working for a company where the attire is pretty casual. Granted, my only interview was a phone interview so I was going into work on my first day blindly, but even if I had been to the office before, I wouldn't have changed my first day outfit. It's important that on your first day, you show that you care about your internship (or job), and the easiest and fastest way to do so is by dressing professionally. I wore black pants, a fitted pinstripe button down, my red flats, and a chunky necklace for accent. I've dressed it down every day since then, but not by much. Remember - you're an intern. You need to prove yourself every single day, so even if you're dressing casually, make sure you look neat and put-together (AKA no chipped nail polish!)


3. What To Bring? Great question. There are some things you must schlep to work every day, no matter where you work (and even though you may not need them daily). 
a) Always have a copy of your resume, cover letter, and list of references on you. (The copy of your cover letter should be a general one geared toward your field, but shouldn't mention any specific company. You never know who you might meet!) 
b) A notepad and pens. Pens, plural. You will have to take notes. 
c) A small healthy snack to get you through the day. Some days are busy, and you might not have time to run down the street for a snack. Bring something to help boost your energy; I suggest a power bar, a bag of almonds, or a yogurt (if you have a fridge). And a water bottle.

I hope these tips help you with your internship! I'd love to hear about it, so always feel free to leave a comment about how your internship is going, or if there's anything else you always remember to bring!

Summer Goals

One thing that has been brought to my attention that I tend to do is set up goals for myself over a certain period of time. I never really noticed that this was such a positive thing to do, until it was pointed out that I actually fulfilled several of my New Years resolutions without even realizing it - simply because I had set them for myself.


This year, I took full advantage of my MacBook Pro by color-coding my life (AKA my Stickies feature) into categories, and my blue Stickies, labeled as "To Do," currently feature my long -term and short-term summer goals. They are:


Short Term:
-UNPACK

-Make freshman year scrapbook page

("Unpack" is in all caps because I have now been home for 17 days and have yet to move everything out of my garage.)

Long Term:

-Build relationships within TBG; learn about PR

-Work out several times a week

-Eat healthy

-Fulfill summer reading list

*If You Have to Cry Go Outside: And Other Things Your Mother Never Taught You by Kelly Cutrone

*Normal Gets You Nowhere by Kelly Cutrone

*Putting the Public Back in Public Relations: How Social Media is Reinventing the Aging Business of PR by Brian Solis

*The Help

-Learn to cook (AKA watch lots of Barefoot Contessa)

-If possible, work a fashion show

-Visit DC (July 4th?)

-Visit friends from AU

-Become comfortable wearing heels (often!)

I can say with confidence that these goals are not out of my reach, and I've already sort-of fulfilled one of them! I'll explain. This weekend was my uncle's wedding, and since my family had theater tickets to see a production of Curtains nearby, we decided to stay in a hotel overnight and make a little family vacation out of it. This morning I simultaneously carried two suitcases down a 3-floor walk-up hotel staircase in high heels. I'd consider that a goal I can cross off my list.

"Yeah I'm Out That Brooklyn, Now I'm Down in Tribeca"

My internship is in Tribeca...that's why Jay-Z inspired my post title. Next.


So I know I've posted a lot leading up to the start of my internship without having gone into much detail, but never fear! This post will be smushed full of detail. Not too much detail since I signed a non-disclosure form, but let's be honest - I've been there for 2 days. I don't have too many secrets to disclose.


I'll start off by telling you about the company. It's a full service digital agency, which basically means they do a lot of interactive marketing - websites, apps, events, everything. Digital. I'm the PR Intern, so my job is (/will be) a lot of tracking press coverage and event planning, for the most part.


Let's start at the beginning. What did I wear, you ask? Well, I'll show you.

It's a little hard to see in the photo, so I'll describe, from the bottom up: 

-Red patent leather Jessica Simpson flats

-Black suit-type wide-leg pants (but more casual) 

-Brown thin braided belt (H&M)

-White button down with thin blue double pinstripes, cuffed (H&M)

-Black beaded multi-strand necklace 

Since I interviewed over the phone, the most I had to go by in terms of attire was what they had told me: business casual, heavy on the casual. For the first day though, in my opinion, it's always better to dress it up. Look professional as hell, and then once you're comfortable you can dress it down. (On my second day I wore dark jeans, a black top with a black blazer over it, a chunky brown and green beaded necklace, and brown sandals - a little more casual, but still professional.) The office attire is very casual. I can definitely still wear all of the business attire clothes I bought, as long as I dress the outfits down a bit, which is fine.

On my first day, the first thing I did was get a tour of the office. This place is awesome. They have chalkboard walls for brainstorming, an espresso machine, tons of couches and posters, and the best part? A room with videogames and a ping-pong table. And all of the conference rooms are named after classic rock songs.

Next, I went out to lunch with two women who work in Account Services, and the other intern who was starting that day. It was a lot of fun, but I can't wait to meet my boss! (She's out of the office this week, so I'll be meeting her Monday.) It's awesome though, because since the company is so digital, I've been IMing with her constantly to keep in contact. After lunch, the IT guy set up my computer, gave me access to all of the servers, databases, set up my company email address, etc. Then we got a presentation on the history of the company, and I spent the rest of the day completing my "missions" (one of which included emailing an embarrassing photo of myself to the entire company - company policy!)

There were a couple things about my first day that made me realize I was going to love working here. (Besides the fact that everybody is so chill and witty.) First, I had some downtime on my first day, and I was sitting at my boss's desk, and she had a copy of Putting the Public Back in Public Relations: How Social Media Is Reinventing the Aging Business of PR by Brian Solis, which is one of the books I'm currently reading! The other thing was this: as some of you know, I have a Snow White decal on my MacBook Pro. One of the employees saw me on my computer and asked if I was borrowing my boss's laptop while she was gone. I said that this was my computer, and they told me that my boss has the same decal! It's going to be an awesome summer.

Today was my second day (I'll be working Mondays through Wednesdays, with the occasional Thursday). I spent most of the day working on a Press Coverage spreadsheet for a bunch of the company projects. The newest one, which is getting a lot of awesome press, is called Screenstagram: a Mac screensaver of the best Instagram pictures (popular ones, or your own!) I downloaded it to my laptop, and you should too!


Anyway, that took forever, but I was excited to get into the swing of things. I can't wait to see what the summer brings!

New Content!

I'm finally finished moving all of my original-content Tumblr posts over to Blogger, which means...new posts! And I've got so much to blog about. Stay tuned for posts about the Alexander McQueen exhibit at the Met, the first day of my internship, and more!

In my free time, I daydream...

…about the outfit I will wear on the first day of my internship. Is that over-the-top? Well, this is a fashion blog.

I was told by one of my interviewers that the office atmosphere, especially in terms of clothes, is pretty laid back. Business casual, but leaning toward casual. I still think that most of the clothes I bought for the internship will work, but I’ll probably have to dress it down a little, which is fine.

So, I’ve been brainstorming some options, and I’d love to know your opinions!

Outfit Option #1:

Internship - First Day (1) by itsactuallycerulean featuring leather tote bags

Outfit Option #2:

Internship - First Day (2) by itsactuallycerulean featuring wide leg pants

French Connection wide leg pants
$168 - usa.frenchconnection.com

Bloch flat
$150 - urbanoutfitters.com

Michael kors tote
375 GBP - theoutnet.com

Brown belt
$13 - shopruche.com




***Update: I actually started my internship today, and there will be a post about it coming soon!

[Originally posted on my previous blog on 4/27/11]

Internship Attire: 5 Key Words When Shopping

Today I went shopping at H&M for clothes for my internship this summer. Internship clothes shopping can be tricky, so here’s a guide to make it a little easier! Here are the five most important things to consider when shopping for any specific reason:

1. Style

2. Color

3. Occasion

4. Price

5. Season

In my case, I needed to focus on (1) professional/business casual, (2) mostly neutrals since I’ll be in an office, (3) internship in NYC, (4) good quality but inexpensive, because I needed to buy a whole new business wardrobe, and (5) summer!

Posted above are photos of three pieces I bought. When considering what clothes to buy for a summer internship, it’s important to remember that most employees dress a little more casual over the summer. You should focus on buying staples, which are neutrally-colored pieces that you can mix and match other pieces with. It’s also important to remember to buy clothes that are stylish but lightweight, because of the summer heat.

On my shopping spree today, I ended up buying a black linen dress (pictured above), two pairs of high-waisted wide-leg pants (in black and tan), a white button-down shirt with blue pinstripes, a white eyelet-lace skirt (pictured above), a tan cowl-neck shirt with a black tie-belt, a linen dress with a tan bust and flowered skirt, light pink shorts (pictured above), white fitted pants with blue pinstripes, a beige blazer-vest, and some braided bracelets in the color scheme of everything I bought.

Many of the pants and dresses came with a thin brown belt, or a thin braided brown belt, which add a lot to the outfit. I still need to shop for some more collared shirts and definitely a few blazers. My color palette for most of the clothing consisted of blacks, pastels (blue and pink), and tans/beiges. 

Now, we all want to be able to afford a fabulous Theyskens’ Theory blazer, or an extravagant Dolce & Gabbana suit, but since these options aren’t available to the average person, there are tons of other great options. Check out places like H&M, Forever 21, Urban Outfitters, and other fun, less expensive stores! 

Feel free to comment and let me know where you like to shop for professional clothes!  

[Originally posted on my previous blog on 4/23/11]

"It's Been a Long Time Comin', But I Know a Change Gonna Come"

Random Sam Cooke reference in the title? Weird way to start off a fashion and PR blog, you might say. But it got stuck in my head.


Anyway, my name is Stacey, and you can see a full introduction on my "About the Blogger" page. The not-completely-irrelevant "A Change is Gonna Come" reference is regarding my blog host. Some of you may have found this blog as a link from my old fashion blog, It's Actually Cerulean, which was hosted on Tumblr.


I decided to switch to Blogger to create a more clear, professional blog, with all original content (no "reblogging," etc.) I've also decided, since I will be starting a summer PR internship on Monday (eek...so excited!), to make this a blog about the two loves of my life: fashion and PR (shocking, I know).


So whether you're here for the fashion (new trends, old trends, favorite pieces, famous pieces, runway shows, designers, other fashion blogs, fashion news, my designs, etc.), here for the PR (my internship, PR pro articles and links, event planning stories, social media, digital media, book reviews), here for both (I love you already - let's chat!), or here to offer me a job (What? You'd like to check out my LinkedIn?), welcome to Strategy in Stilettos!


*Note: The next several posts will consist of my original content, previously posted on my old blog.