Ok, well not really.
But thanks to my friend Will, I discovered the most amazing red wine from Chile. The 2007 Carmenere is called Casillero del Diablo, and it costs $9.99 at most liquor stores. Even winos will want to get their palettes wet with this grape juice. You must pick up a bottle or dos and share with amigos.
Another amazing South American red wine is Malbec, from Argentina. This is one of the most delicious red wines I've had recently, and it is also cost-friendly. Malbec is actually one of the up and coming red wines. So start drinking it before it's cool and they make a movie about it.
I always knew I had a thing for South American men, but now I'm hooked on their wine too. ¡Que peligroso!
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Monday, April 6, 2009
Gossip Girl is My Drug of Choice
This year, the Gossip Girl schedule is like a very unstable relationship. After coming back from winter break, our favorite Upper East Siders left us high and dry during most of February and half of March. To the delight of thousands, the show returned four weeks ago, only to give us three new episodes. Now we have to wait again until April 20 to get our latest fix. OMFGG!
Why are you such a tease, Gossip Girl? You can either have me or not, but make your decision and stop going back and forth! It's exhausting and I can't take it any more.
It's not you, it's Gossip Girl.
And even though the show never calls when it says it will and has a serious fear of commitment, I still can't get enough of the high school drama.
High schoolers sipping martinis at Butter, wearing haute couture clothes and sleeping with their professors is the farthest thing away from reality - and that is exactly why I love it. It offers a perfect escape from my real world of no income and last season's handbag. If I want to watch a show about real life, all I have to do is turn on the news and there I have it: recession, depression, layoff, bailout, budget, blah blah blah. It's downright depressing.
Gossip Girl is the perfect guilty pleasure: it won't make you fat, broke or brain-dead. It's the one precious hour a week that I can forget about job searching and paying bills. It's the one hour a week that I have my "one and only source into the scandalous lives of Manhattan's elite."
I'd much rather dwell over the tumultuous love affair of Chuck and Blair than ponder my own relationships. First Blair tries to seduce Chuck, but when he finally wants her, she is chasing Nate, all the while Nate is happy with Vanessa, and now Vanessa is hooking up with Chuck. Oh I how adore the love triangle (as long as I'm not actually in it)!
While we're sitting in our cubicles (or not) on this down-pouring Monday, Poppy and Serena have jetted away to sunny Spain. Take me with you, Poppy! This week is holiday in Europe, which would be the perfect time to work on my tan at la Costa Brava with S & P. ¡Me encanta España!
The closest thing I will be getting to Spain is the boxed Sangria at the liquor store across the street.
The April 2 issue of Rolling Stone has a fantastic article, entitled "The Nasty Thrill of 'Gossip Girl,'" which juxtaposes the fictional high school students with the real New York City. Contributor Jason Gay writes,
"Still, it's good to be a Gossip Girl. Outside La Bottega, New York is imploding, gutted by a financial catastrophe of its own doing. Day traders are now delivering pizzas, and real-life Upper East Side socialites are brown-bagging it out of Hermès, too embarrassed to be seen luxury shopping. But like insects preserved in amber, Gossip Girls occupy a fantasy world where young people don't blanch at $18 cocktails and $700 Christian Louboutin pumps. It's the spring of 2007, running on repeat - New York remains a boundless, optimistic place, in which the Dow is topping 13,000, Bernie Madoff's collecting clients and the velvet-rope VIP party never stopped. Right now, you'd rather be Blake Lively or Leighton Meester than the head of Goldman Sachs."
Amen.
Oh those poor housewives, having to carry out their new Birkins in the brown cloth, instead of the bright orange bag. But seriously, I think even the wives of hedge fund managers would trade their lives in for a Constance school girl.
When season three starts this fall, will the gossip girls and guys feel the burden of the economy? I hope not. I don't want to watch Blair shopping at Forever 21, or Serena taking a night off of partying to save money. I can't imagine Chuck riding the subway instead of being chauffeured in a limo. Nobody wants to watch their heroes go down.
We all prefer New York at it's finest, when the job market was as overflowing as the $15 Cosmopolitans we drank every night. Until we have that city back, we have Gossip Girl to remind us of a bustling New York that offered endless opportunity and hope.
You know you love it.
XOXO,
Jobless Girl
Why are you such a tease, Gossip Girl? You can either have me or not, but make your decision and stop going back and forth! It's exhausting and I can't take it any more.
It's not you, it's Gossip Girl.
And even though the show never calls when it says it will and has a serious fear of commitment, I still can't get enough of the high school drama.
High schoolers sipping martinis at Butter, wearing haute couture clothes and sleeping with their professors is the farthest thing away from reality - and that is exactly why I love it. It offers a perfect escape from my real world of no income and last season's handbag. If I want to watch a show about real life, all I have to do is turn on the news and there I have it: recession, depression, layoff, bailout, budget, blah blah blah. It's downright depressing.
Gossip Girl is the perfect guilty pleasure: it won't make you fat, broke or brain-dead. It's the one precious hour a week that I can forget about job searching and paying bills. It's the one hour a week that I have my "one and only source into the scandalous lives of Manhattan's elite."
I'd much rather dwell over the tumultuous love affair of Chuck and Blair than ponder my own relationships. First Blair tries to seduce Chuck, but when he finally wants her, she is chasing Nate, all the while Nate is happy with Vanessa, and now Vanessa is hooking up with Chuck. Oh I how adore the love triangle (as long as I'm not actually in it)!
While we're sitting in our cubicles (or not) on this down-pouring Monday, Poppy and Serena have jetted away to sunny Spain. Take me with you, Poppy! This week is holiday in Europe, which would be the perfect time to work on my tan at la Costa Brava with S & P. ¡Me encanta España!
The closest thing I will be getting to Spain is the boxed Sangria at the liquor store across the street.
The April 2 issue of Rolling Stone has a fantastic article, entitled "The Nasty Thrill of 'Gossip Girl,'" which juxtaposes the fictional high school students with the real New York City. Contributor Jason Gay writes,
"Still, it's good to be a Gossip Girl. Outside La Bottega, New York is imploding, gutted by a financial catastrophe of its own doing. Day traders are now delivering pizzas, and real-life Upper East Side socialites are brown-bagging it out of Hermès, too embarrassed to be seen luxury shopping. But like insects preserved in amber, Gossip Girls occupy a fantasy world where young people don't blanch at $18 cocktails and $700 Christian Louboutin pumps. It's the spring of 2007, running on repeat - New York remains a boundless, optimistic place, in which the Dow is topping 13,000, Bernie Madoff's collecting clients and the velvet-rope VIP party never stopped. Right now, you'd rather be Blake Lively or Leighton Meester than the head of Goldman Sachs."
Amen.
Oh those poor housewives, having to carry out their new Birkins in the brown cloth, instead of the bright orange bag. But seriously, I think even the wives of hedge fund managers would trade their lives in for a Constance school girl.
When season three starts this fall, will the gossip girls and guys feel the burden of the economy? I hope not. I don't want to watch Blair shopping at Forever 21, or Serena taking a night off of partying to save money. I can't imagine Chuck riding the subway instead of being chauffeured in a limo. Nobody wants to watch their heroes go down.
We all prefer New York at it's finest, when the job market was as overflowing as the $15 Cosmopolitans we drank every night. Until we have that city back, we have Gossip Girl to remind us of a bustling New York that offered endless opportunity and hope.
You know you love it.
XOXO,
Jobless Girl
*DEAL OF THE DAY*
Have a bike? If so, ride it to the MoMA tonight for half-priced admission.
Cyclists get free valet parking and a reduced price at Bike to MoMA's Monday night event, from 5:30pm - 8:45pm. One Monday a month, the museum stays open after hours so visitors can enjoy exhibitions, films, DJ, cash bar and food at the cafe. The first 600 ticket buyers after 5:30pm receive free admission on their next visit.
I wonder if you get an extra discount for wearing spandex?
Cyclists get free valet parking and a reduced price at Bike to MoMA's Monday night event, from 5:30pm - 8:45pm. One Monday a month, the museum stays open after hours so visitors can enjoy exhibitions, films, DJ, cash bar and food at the cafe. The first 600 ticket buyers after 5:30pm receive free admission on their next visit.
I wonder if you get an extra discount for wearing spandex?
Friday, April 3, 2009
Vitamin Fun!
Maybe it's because my Dad pushed vitamins on my brothers and I when we were younger, but I just really love Vitamin Water. I've tried ever flavor and have my favorites that I gravitate towards in every middle eastern-owned market in the city.
I'm especially excited that the Vitamin Water is now making 10 calorie (per serving) drinks! Sean and were strolling up Broadway and were completely distracted by the bright Vitamin Water promo shop. The lights! The colors! The live model in the window!
The friendly hostess welcomed us in and invited us for free mini bottles - they are just so cute - of one of the four new 10 calorie drinks! The space was funky and colorful and reminded me of the Apple store. It was a fun place to pass the time while it poured in SoHo.
Not only are they giving away free mini bottles for the next 9 days (it's a 10 day pop-up-shop... get it? 10 calories, 10 days), but they have a super fun free photobooth! And even though Sean is 10 shades tanner than myself, we jumped right in!
It probably has been over a decade since I've visited a photobooth, and it's good, clean free fun! You can choose from black & white or color, and your pictures come out in.... 10 seconds!
I give the Vitamin Water shop a perfect 10!
TOPDEAL
This morning topman Sean and I headed down to TOPSHOP expecting block-long lines and pushy tween crowds. We arrived around 10:30am, to find (gasp!) no lines and no annoying Jonas Brothers fans! After walking right in, I was in paradise. Finally, all of the cute spring clothes have arrived! It was a floral overload at times, but for the most part, TOPSHOP is top in my book.
The price-points are fairly reasonable, and while they are higher than H&M, they are no Saks tags.
Here's the best part: TS offers a 10% discount to students. Most of us have graduated from our student ID years, but I am still hanging on to my precious SMU ID. It's always handy to have in emergencies like these. I didn't know about the discount and I didn't have my ID on me, but Sean and I started chatting up the cashier about how we were grad students so he gave us the discount without even asking for our IDs! Next time I will come prepared with my ID, and I suggest you do the same.
Also, if you spend more than $100 they are giving away free tank tops! Who doesn't love free swag?
All in all, we were satisfied with our purchases as we strolled back up rainy Broadway carrying our new canvas TOPSHOP totes!
The price-points are fairly reasonable, and while they are higher than H&M, they are no Saks tags.
Here's the best part: TS offers a 10% discount to students. Most of us have graduated from our student ID years, but I am still hanging on to my precious SMU ID. It's always handy to have in emergencies like these. I didn't know about the discount and I didn't have my ID on me, but Sean and I started chatting up the cashier about how we were grad students so he gave us the discount without even asking for our IDs! Next time I will come prepared with my ID, and I suggest you do the same.
Also, if you spend more than $100 they are giving away free tank tops! Who doesn't love free swag?
All in all, we were satisfied with our purchases as we strolled back up rainy Broadway carrying our new canvas TOPSHOP totes!
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Funny Money
They say that history repeats itself. Well if I wasn't a firm believer of this theory before yesterday, I am now.
On Wednesday, former HOLLYWOULD president, Laura, took me to the beautiful and historic Morgan Library & Museum on 36th and Madison. The enormous collection of antique books is housed in J.P. Morgan's mansion from the 1800s. I've never seen a library quite as breathtaking as this one. But I'm not here to talk about books.
Laura and I visited the museum to view the current exhibition, "On The Money: Cartoons for The New Yorker." I admit, sometimes I pretend to be reading The New Yorker cover to cover; however, I am really just scanning for the cartoons. Since 1925 single panel cartoons have appeared throughout the magazine, and I'm thrilled this is one old tradition that still exists in modern madness.
This particular collection of cartoons all shared one common and very relevant theme: money. The theme of money-related cartoons dates to the magazine's founding amid the dizzy glamour of the Jazz Age, on the cusp of the Depression, and has thrived unabated through the successive periods of boom, bust and stagnation. The work of more than thirty artists is represented in this exhibition by drawings that range in date from 1927 to 2003.
We made our way around the room from the earliest cartoons, and as we went along chuckling at the one-liners, both Laura and I couldn't get over how frighteningly relevant these historic comics were to today's financial turmoil, scandal and anxiety.
A 1988 comic depicting a man in court for fraudulent accounting bears a striking resemblance of
A 1988 comic depicting a man in court for fraudulent accounting bears a striking resemblance of
Bernie Madoff. A 1995 setting of a woman at a bar telling a banker, "I wish I had known you when you had money." A 2002 picture shows three business men, as one says "Well, we've licked taxes -- that just leaves death." From the same year, a husband and wife are holding a jar, the man asking, "Do we have a place for our portfolio's ashes?"
Were these guys cartoonists or psychics?
The comics joke about recession, suffering real estate, unemployment, spending and other financial topics that continually haunt the news today.
1929, 1987, 2008... we are not in completely unfamiliar territory. While we are all praying that it doesn't get as bad as the era of food stamps, it is quite interesting to witness the cycle from the eyes of the past, present and possibly future.
These artists remind us to laugh no matter what. These comics help make light of a situation that is only portrayed as doomsday in the media. While our situation isn't funny, we certainly should keep our sense of humor, otherwise insanity is sure to follow. I'd rather be broke and laughing on my couch then strapped in a straight jacket, thankyouverymuch.
The exhibit is running through May 24 and it's totally worth going to. Go on a Friday from 7 - 9pm when admission is free!
Alice + Olivia SAMPLE SALE
ATTENTION SAMPLE SALE SHOPPERS:
Blue Light Special, Aisle 40th Street!
I was strolling around the city today, and as I was walking along Bryant Park I happened to notice an Alice + Olivia sample sale going on at their store on 40th between 5th and 6th! I browsed through their merchandise, and they have quite a bit of dresses and tops. Almost everything is Spring/Summer, so go stock up! Prices go from $39 - $99. It wasn't too crowded and there are no lines to get in!
A girl can never have enough party dresses.
Blue Light Special, Aisle 40th Street!
I was strolling around the city today, and as I was walking along Bryant Park I happened to notice an Alice + Olivia sample sale going on at their store on 40th between 5th and 6th! I browsed through their merchandise, and they have quite a bit of dresses and tops. Almost everything is Spring/Summer, so go stock up! Prices go from $39 - $99. It wasn't too crowded and there are no lines to get in!
A girl can never have enough party dresses.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
TOPSHOP IS FINALLY HERE!!
My favourite British outpost -besides Pret A Manger -TOPSHOP is finally opening its grand doors Thursday! They've been putting this off since October it seems, and tonight feels like Christmas Eve to hundreds of NYC girls and boys. Hope you've been good this year, kids!
The store reminds me of my summer in London, when the "Spice Girls" and I frequently made trips to TS. Fashionistas can find some really great pieces here, and the prices won't kill you. Many of us have traded our Intermix days in for H&M, and I'm looking forward to see what this British invasion has to offer. I just hope it doesn't disappoint like the Kate Moss for TS at Barney's a couple years ago.
http://www.topshop.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/TopCategoriesDisplay?storeId=13052&catalogId=32051
The store is opening at a perfect time, when shoppers have turned into gawkers, and we're seeing the same things in stores. TOPSHOP's recession-friendly prices don't cause buyers' remorse and will leave us with some extra cash in our accounts. While all the luxury stores are suffering, I'm seeing a huge quantity of shopping bags from H&M and Forever 21 being carried by people ages 1 to 92. While luxury stores send out speical offers each week, practically begging us to spend money, the lower-priced stores continue to flourish. It's a sign of the times, my friends.
I'm breaking up with Bergdorf and trading down to TOPSHOP. Billion Dollar Babes?... I'm thinking more like babes on a budget.
The store reminds me of my summer in London, when the "Spice Girls" and I frequently made trips to TS. Fashionistas can find some really great pieces here, and the prices won't kill you. Many of us have traded our Intermix days in for H&M, and I'm looking forward to see what this British invasion has to offer. I just hope it doesn't disappoint like the Kate Moss for TS at Barney's a couple years ago.
http://www.topshop.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/TopCategoriesDisplay?storeId=13052&catalogId=32051
The store is opening at a perfect time, when shoppers have turned into gawkers, and we're seeing the same things in stores. TOPSHOP's recession-friendly prices don't cause buyers' remorse and will leave us with some extra cash in our accounts. While all the luxury stores are suffering, I'm seeing a huge quantity of shopping bags from H&M and Forever 21 being carried by people ages 1 to 92. While luxury stores send out speical offers each week, practically begging us to spend money, the lower-priced stores continue to flourish. It's a sign of the times, my friends.
I'm breaking up with Bergdorf and trading down to TOPSHOP. Billion Dollar Babes?... I'm thinking more like babes on a budget.
Drink for a Cause
Although this recession has hurt our drinking budgets, we have not succumbed to prohibition. We still enjoy haunting our favorite bars and socializing over drinks, so why not sip a cocktail for charity?
My friend Courtney is hosting a fundraiser tonight through Young Life Alum and Friends supporting immigrant students living in NYC and trying to find their way. Everyone that moves to our city is technically an immigrant at one point, whether they be from Arizona or Albania. We all know the feeling of being lost in the craziest city on Earth. These students need extra help, and you can get your fill of community service by attending the event and having a drink or four. There is no cover; only a percentage of the night's proceeds will be donated to the organization. Did you get that? NO COVER.
When: Wed, April 1, 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Where: Katwalk, 2 W. 35th St. at Fifth Ave.
"Hosted by Young Life Alum and Friends living in NYC. Unwind a little mid week, have a couple drinks, and know that this happy hour is for a very good cause. Young Life Gramercy Park serves immigrant students in New York City, trying to help create a sense of home and community by supporting and providing them with a safe, fun outlet and alternative to gangs and the streets. So please come out for a fun night with friends, network, meet new people and help us give back. There is no door cover and we are not requesting donations. We receive a percentage of the night's revenue and will have three friends of Young Life guest bar-tending for tips to support Young Life NYC! If you would like to contribute financially, you can do so via manhattanyl.younglife.org, but it is not required.
...and we have some friends/alumni of Young Life tending bar: Meredith Dulaney, Marino Ruiz, Scott Dyer, Kevin Feltes and Kristi Bell. All of their tips will help send inner city kids to summer camp."
While the entire country is cutting back, non-profits are especially struggling. This is your chance to help out someone else without spending $250 on a ticket for a fancy dinner uptown. You will feel better about yourself by helping someone who, believe it or not, is worse-off than yourself.
Eat, drink and be charitable!
My friend Courtney is hosting a fundraiser tonight through Young Life Alum and Friends supporting immigrant students living in NYC and trying to find their way. Everyone that moves to our city is technically an immigrant at one point, whether they be from Arizona or Albania. We all know the feeling of being lost in the craziest city on Earth. These students need extra help, and you can get your fill of community service by attending the event and having a drink or four. There is no cover; only a percentage of the night's proceeds will be donated to the organization. Did you get that? NO COVER.
When: Wed, April 1, 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Where: Katwalk, 2 W. 35th St. at Fifth Ave.
"Hosted by Young Life Alum and Friends living in NYC. Unwind a little mid week, have a couple drinks, and know that this happy hour is for a very good cause. Young Life Gramercy Park serves immigrant students in New York City, trying to help create a sense of home and community by supporting and providing them with a safe, fun outlet and alternative to gangs and the streets. So please come out for a fun night with friends, network, meet new people and help us give back. There is no door cover and we are not requesting donations. We receive a percentage of the night's revenue and will have three friends of Young Life guest bar-tending for tips to support Young Life NYC! If you would like to contribute financially, you can do so via manhattanyl.younglife.org, but it is not required.
...and we have some friends/alumni of Young Life tending bar: Meredith Dulaney, Marino Ruiz, Scott Dyer, Kevin Feltes and Kristi Bell. All of their tips will help send inner city kids to summer camp."
While the entire country is cutting back, non-profits are especially struggling. This is your chance to help out someone else without spending $250 on a ticket for a fancy dinner uptown. You will feel better about yourself by helping someone who, believe it or not, is worse-off than yourself.
Eat, drink and be charitable!
Unemployment Olypmics
Because the unemployed are special, too.
My friends Courtney and Tiffany sent me these links to the Unemployment Olympics that were held in Tompkins Square Park on Tuesday.
http://guestofaguest.com/nyc/best-401k-i-ever-lost-the-unemployment-olympics-like-a-circus-for-adults-without-jobs/
http://gawker.com/5192781/picking-up-the-phone-and-throwing-it-away
The games even included a "401k Run."
It's a good thing that Michael Phelps is still allowed to swim after those pictures leaked; otherwise, maybe we would have seen the Olympian doing the Butterfly down the East River!
My friends Courtney and Tiffany sent me these links to the Unemployment Olympics that were held in Tompkins Square Park on Tuesday.
http://guestofaguest.com/nyc/best-401k-i-ever-lost-the-unemployment-olympics-like-a-circus-for-adults-without-jobs/
http://gawker.com/5192781/picking-up-the-phone-and-throwing-it-away
The games even included a "401k Run."
It's a good thing that Michael Phelps is still allowed to swim after those pictures leaked; otherwise, maybe we would have seen the Olympian doing the Butterfly down the East River!
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