One Big Table

I have a recipe in this book! Talk about a FANTABULOUS birthday present!

I have yet to own a copy of the hefty 880-page read written by former New York Times food columnist Molly O'Neill, but as I've just found out tonight, my Milk Chocolate and Marshmallow Cornflake Cookie recipe made it on page 756! Here's a snippet from the Simon & Schuster website, describing the book and its author:

"Meticulously selected from more than 20,000 contributions, the cookbook's 600 recipes are a definitive portrait of what we eat and why. In this lavish volume—illustrated throughout with historic photographs, folk art, vintage advertisements, and family snapshots—O'Neill celebrates heirloom recipes like the Doughty family's old-fashioned black duck and dumplings that originated on a long-vanished island off Virginia's Eastern Shore, the Pueblo tamales that Norma Naranjo makes in her horno in New Mexico, as well as modern riffs such as a Boston teenager's recipe for asparagus soup scented with nigella seeds and truffle oil."

You'll find the full article here. And, my friend, Bianca Garcia—whose Pork and Chicken Adobo recipe is on page 502—blogged about One Big Table at Confessionsofachocoholic.com.

Will post my feature and recipe once I have a copy of the book!

Image courtesy of Simon & Schuster.

UPDATE 01/19/11: I have a photo of the page! Click on the image to zoom in and view the recipe.

UPDATE 06/07/12: You can also view the full recipe at All My Sugar :)

All I Want for Christmas

Budget limits and practical reasoning aside (at least for certain items), here's what's on my holiday wishlist:

1) An ergonomic chair
For my back. For my writing. Enough said. I did finally manage to buy a desk from Ikea. I went to the store twice: the first day, to get the legs; the second day, to buy the tabletop. Up until then I didn't realize how easy it was to commute to the store in Red Hook, Brooklyn.

The new Canon PowerShot S95.

2) A new camera
I'm not too thrilled to say that my new Nokia phone seems to take better photos than my six-year-old Sony Cybershot, at least for certain shots in low light. And, since blogging is part of my livelihood, it's probably about time to do an upgrade.

3) A TV
I do not own a television set. I can go for months without seeing live broadcast. In fact, the first thing I did when I moved to the Bronx was remove the TV and cable box in my new room. The Food Network is the only channel that I've consistently watched whenever I've had television access. And, I catch up on favorite shows like 30 Rock, White Collar, and Burn Notice via Hulu.com, the NBC and USA Network websites, and others.

Yet, if I want to eventually work in TV, I need to watch TV and have daily access to it.

4) A citrine ring
Just because. Well, ever since I'd dropped my faux citrine cocktail ring two years ago, I've been on the lookout for a replacement. I saw a real, precious one while walking home from the library, and simply got reminded of this bejeweled craving.

Bialetti 3-Cup Moka Express

5) A Bialetti Moka Express...
...That I finally got to buy on Amazon! I initially lusted after a Nespresso machine or any of those pod-ready coffee contraptions, however, upon giving it some thought, I realized I preferred the Moka pot's natural approach to good espresso. Hence, I gifted myself with the shiny silver brewer (it's much, much more affordable, too, than the former!).

6) A manual pasta machine
There is an attachment for the Kitchenaid mixer but I would actually prefer a good ol' pasta maker.

7) A new daytime, full-time job.
For me to actually afford all of the above (not counting the Moka pot).

A new daytime job, where I could work for at least a year. While working as a consultant and freelancer has been FUN—and my writing plate has never ever been empty despite the lack of an office cubicle/corner office—I now desire something more long-term. It reminds me of dating—that stage when both parties decide to commit and go for the long haul.

Born Champagne Metallic flats.

Hence, it's all (cyber) window shopping and wishlists for now.

(Speaking of online shopping, check out Zappos.com for cute Born flats, clogs, and women's Oxfords.)

Images courtesy of Friedchillies.com, Canon.com.au, and Zappos.com.

Sweet Silver Bells

10 months later and I'm still talking about the wedding. I can't help it: I never thought I would be married. I was never one of those who grew up planning their wedding day. In my own family, weddings have been few and far between, and in the last 20+ years, I have only gone to three weddings of relatives. That's a very conservative number considering my grandmother has eight living children and more than a dozen grandchildren. Most members of my family have chosen to elope or get wed without the whole shebang of a ceremony and guest list, and a handful of them are on their second or third marriages/life-partnerships.

My own parents got married when I was eight, they were too busy making a living to actually put together a party. So if I'm not mistaken, their "wedding" came in the form of Mama handing Papa the court papers in the bedroom for Papa to sign, and then Papa adopting me so I could take on his last name. They separated after about 20 years together and they're both happily partnered off to their respective new better halves. Again, no bells, no hooplah, and the two of them are still friends.

So how did I end up having this lavish(?) out-of-town shenanigan complete with gowns, bridesmaids, catering, and everything? It just happened. And, the nice thing about not having expectations is the chance to be radically surprised.

All My Sugar

Mini lemon pies from Go For A Bite.

Have you been to AllMySugar.com lately? Check out Go For A Bite—it's about this quaint little shop in Greenwich Village that sells delicious cream puffs (that are indeed, creamy AND airy!), and Orange Chocolate, my latest sweet indulgence from Target.

I haven't forgotten about this blog though. I've just been...busy, for lack of a better word. Over Thanksgiving break, I went home to Denver for a little R&R...where I actually got to make cream puffs from a recent issue of Martha Stewart Everyday Food. More on that in another post.

On the work and writing front, my plate is quite full these days, even if you exclude the mounting blog backlog (sometimes I wish I had one of those tiny, tiny Sony Vaio netbooks, so I can blog whenever, wherever. I do have an Acer that's pretty much portable so I essentially have no excuse). As for the search for a new writing day job, I've been applying here and there so for sure I will keep you all posted when I have exciting news to share.

Lanvin for H&M

The big shopping bag is by far my favorite part of the collection. It's cute enough to cut out, frame, and hang on the wall.

Alber Elbaz's new limited collection for H&M  hit stores today amidst wild anticipation from fierce fashionistas all over the metro, and dare I say, the world. The curious thing about this is that I don't consider myself an avid follower of fashion, as I tend to be "French" in my choices—as in keeping key pieces in heavy rotation and purchasing trendy pick-uppers and wardrobe boosters every season or so—and, I'm not exactly a fan of either brand. Lanvin, for obvious practical reasons; H&M, because of how items in the store seem to have dwindled in quality and overall Wow! that was so ubiquitous and unique of the brand back in 2006. [Afterthought: Well, Lanvin is French after all. So maybe eventually, when I can afford couture et. al., I'd have a better appreciation for the brand.]

Promising. (And yes, you do get a hanger when you buy a piece from the limited edition line.)

At a brand identity seminar I'd attended at my old job, words that came up to describe the store were "low quality," "cheap," with the speaker brazenly declaring that if it weren't for China, H&M wouldn't even be possible. In recent years, the store has cultivated such a bad reputation as witnessed by run-of-the-mill frocks so close to being actual designer knockoffs...or at least that's what people in New York have been saying, more or less. I for one, used to really like the store, up until maybe 2007, when I noticed that the items were, indeed, not so great anymore, and had a "cheap" and "plastic" feel to them, especially with the accessories. Gone was that whole Swedish-Euro vibe that first drew me in when I initially got to know the store on my first trip to London and a succeeding trip to Milan (I still have and wear H&M accessories purchased from back then).

You also get a cute canvas garment bag with your purchase of a dress, or in my case, a t-shirt.
(Or, you can politely ask the cashier for one, which I did.)

By the looks of it, Elbaz's new line promises to bring back that sense of quality and quirky-but-accessible fashion it seems to have lost amidst the mass production and plasticky neon accessories. But then, by all means do not take my word for it; I am no official authority in fashhh...ion. Plus, walking to where the Lanvin pieces were, I caught a glimpse of the regular accessories section and things seem to be looking up. I may just go back for that ballet-slipper pink floral statement necklace.

All that said, I hadn't seriously planned on being at the store to witness the hooplah surrounding the Lanvin for H&M collection. Yet, I do have "fierce fashionista" friends—former/current fashion editors, fashion students, etc.—who keep track of these things, and as if by osmosis, I am easily and automatically updated because if it were entirely up to me, I would only concern myself with food and home-related accoutrements, such as Giada de Laurentiis's collection for Target, you know...those kinds of things.

The smaller paperbag for the smaller pieces in the collection.

So, this morning, I discovered how the folks at H&M figured out a way to manage excited crowds by issuing color-coded wristbands that corresponded to specific timeslots. You had to be there early to get a wristband, along with some freebies. Well, I wasn't there that early; my friend/cousin-in-law, Happy David, gave me an extra wristband, and I had about 10 minutes to look at everything by the time it was my turn. I'm not kidding, I'd barely browsed the merchandise—which by noon had dwindled to a skeletal few—when someone announced, "four minutes." I got a cute embellished t-shirt and that was it. I'd originally wanted the yellow dress my other friend Kat Dy blogged about here but upon closer inspection, it didn't feel worth the splurge (plus, I'm still technically jobhunting, so $199 for a dress is a major no-no at this point). The shirt was a reasonable $39.95, considering the whole Lanvin thing, the embellishments, and the handmade feel to it.

I didn't have time to admire this embellished tee at the store, but when I tried it on at home, I found it to be quite fab. It can be dressed up or down; worn both in cold and warm weather. Now, how to wash it...

A Surge of Splurge

When it comes to big-ticket purchases, handbags ever so rarely make the cut for me. I do own a Longchamp canvas tote that my husband (then boyfriend) got for me two years ago on our first official shopping trip...I say 'first' because at the time, we'd been together for four years and have never gone somewhere to "just shop" for items that do not necessarily fall under the "need" category.

Rebecca Minkoff M.A.B. Mini

This year, the closest I've come to actually forking over a decent amount of cash for a designer bag was when I had briefly considered a Rebecca Minkoff handbag, the Morning After Bag Mini in particular, a.k.a. the M.A.B. Mini back when I was still working at Avon. I first heard of the brand from one of the mark. interns who had actually met the New York-based designer. (Minkoff, by the way, also writes a cute blog, aptly named, Minkette: a streamlined space that also reminds me of Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop).

So, anyway, the special shopping session mentioned above is why my Longchamp tote is dear to me. But, Prada handbags, Marc Jacobs handbags...really, they don't mean much to me. And knockoffs are an obvious no-no. Maybe I would reconsider a Minkoff bag someday. (There's a cute yellow version over at Bluefly.com, and the classic black one at the designer's own shopping website.)


What I did spend money on today were prescription glasses by Vesterby Denmark. I just call them "Scandinavians" because that seemed to be the nickname du jour back at the optical shop. I had actually already stopped wearing my old glasses over the past year or so because last I had my eyes checked, they were fine. But over the last couple of days, I started getting headaches again. Hence, the random splurge.

I'm loving my new "Scandinavian" frames. And, they have a "Brooklyn" feel to them.

He got new frames too!

Circa 2004.

Hope

Earlier at mass, the priest talked about the emotion of hope—the kind that lets you and I say, "I hope I get that job," or "I hope I pass that class." That versus the virtue of hope, centered on the will; the kind that gets marathon runners to cross the finish line.

He told the story of the 350 people who heard mass three weeks ago on Halloween weekend, the Sunday of which was the feast of All Saints. What was striking, according to the priest, that this wasn't even an official holy day. Yet, these people heard mass in the only Catholic church... IN BAGHDAD.

Needless to say, armed men came in and killed more than 50 of them, including the three priests who celebrated the mass. More than 80 were wounded, and from Vatican came the Pope's plea to fly them via cargo plane to Rome to get these people proper medical care.

The following week, more than 600 people went back to hear mass.

Chidingly, the priest said (I paraphrase), "I don't know about you, but if I were in Baghdad, I wouldn't want to hear mass, or say mass. Clearly, the story above is a manifestation of the virtue hope."

It's this kind of hope that lets us live for something bigger than ourselves; that which gives us strength and perseverance to make it to our own finish lines.

More French Goodness

Over the summer I had picked up a copy of Women, Work & the Art of Savoir Faire by Mireille Guiliano, author of the best-selling French Women Don't Get Fat books (a cookbook version is now available).

Reading the first few chapters, I'd typed up some quotes on my desktop and I'd like to share them with you. I would also recommend getting the book since it packs in more notable insights from the author not included in this blog post. Cathie Black's Basic Black actually comes to mind, in terms of the kind of book one could go back to from time to time for sensible musings coming from experts and leading women in the field. Black is Hearst Magazine's former president and current chairman; and Guiliano is the former CEO of Cliquot Inc, under the prestigious LVMH umbrella. Guiliano has managed to make that mustard yellow champagne label so ubiquitous and the marker of fancy celebrations that it is now. And, in her business tome, Guiliano takes on a tongue-in-chic approach to women and the workplace, along with lifestyle advice you won't find in business books written by men. That,

p9 - 10
"So much for planning, in business or in life. Lesson learned. Things happen. Opportunities are often unpredictable."

p 23
"Yes, but with talent, hard work, and being in the right place you can help make your own luck. By my late twenties I had something of a vision of myself in some sort of management position that permitted me to eat at all the top restaurants on someone else's dollar."

p26
"Concluding such stages in life presents opportunities and invitations to relaunch or reinvigorate a career or professional life. They are also times when you can make your own luck or at least put yourself in a position to be receptive to "lucky breaks." So again, think opportunity. Whether these are sad or happy times emotionally, remember not to think failure. (Where does that get you, anyway?)"

p30
"...I believe that life is lived in episodes and stages, and it is clear that some passions can fade while new ones emerge over time. Indeed, our first loves and passions can be overrated and it would be unwise to pursue them. Others are pursued earnestly for a time, then discarded. C'est la vie."

p53
"Life's too short to worry about the past. And after a while, believe me, you can't even remember the details of the past that were once so consuming. Move on. We all have made mistakes or think we have; living is about the moment and the future. Look ahead."

Image courtesy of http://prettysavvy.ca.

Gadgeteering

My latest 'tech-quisitions.'

I am most inclined to leave the gadget-speak to former T3 Magazine EIC Vince Sales who now writes the blog, Third World Nerd. He also happens to be the husband of my very good friend Frances of Topaz Horizon and MORE (by that I mean author of two other popular blogs and EIC of entertainment mag, Ok!).

So, for you techies out there, the disclaimer for this post is simply, you won't find technical specifications here; Google and Amazon would be better for that.

Anyway, the two above are my latest 'tech-quisitions': a Nokia C5-00—a gift from my husband who knows me too well to not have gotten me a QWERTY phone, as I am old school that way—and a Western Digital My Passport Essential Ultra-portable Hard Drive, Robot Limited Edition (isn't it so cute?).

Two things:

1) If you regularly read this blog, you'd know that I'm not once to switch up or buy gadgets very frequently. But, since my Acer netbook has been with me for close to two years now (time flies!) I've started to get that nagging feeling to back up. Up until today, I've never owned an external hard drive, unless you'd count my old iPod, the one with the black-and-white screen. The Western Digital My Passport 'Robot' actually feels like a wider white iPod. Again, very cute. It's plug-and-play meaning I have to get used to not manually dragging and dropping files for back up.

2) I've had the same Nokia 6300 phone (photo here) since 2007—it still works great, is mega-sturdy, and reliable. Hence, it will be a little bit of a challenge to transition to the new C5-00, as I've come to rely on my 6300 for many things, which includes cooking and baking (for the countdown timer), notes (for blog ideas), calculating, etc. It will now house my Smart SIM card for roaming. That's all for now. I wanted to write about an aborted iPad purchase, but the details are kind of boring, so I'll save the iPad talk until I actually own one; which, by the looks of it, won't be until January.

Cute little things.

Oui, Wee!

In America, the articles I've read so far have all referenced 2009 as the year Phoenix became 'famous' in this part of the world. Yet, the French band from Marseilles has been churning out tunes waay before that, as early as 2000. I picked up my first Phoenix album It's Never Been Like That in 2006, when the single, "Long Distance Call," started playing in a radio station I'd listened to in Manila. Prior to that, their song "Too Young" was part of the Lost In Translation movie soundtrack in 2004, although I wasn't familiar with the band at the time. I eventually did find out that vocalist Thomas Mars was the boyfriend of director Sofia Coppola, whose movie mentioned above I particularly enjoyed (enough to have purchased the OST).

2009 was when the band's latest cd, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, came out, which contained the now popular "1901" (featured in a Cadillac commercial), along with plenty of upbeat, happy songs that have been featured in a slew of movies and TV shows. That's when the bigger part of the U.S. started seriously noticing the French foursome. The Saturday Night Live and late-night talk show circuit guestings may have also helped.

What a great show!

The setlist, minus the awesome encore.

So, on October 20, my husband and I finally got to see them live at the Madison Square Garden! It was awesome! Plus, a SURPRISE performance by the electronic duo, DAFT PUNK! You can read about it here and here.

I want to be them next Halloween.

Images courtesy of http://pitchfork.com (album cover and Daft Punk) and http://www.brooklynvegan.com (concert and setlist).

Something to Smile About

Click on the photo for my latest (short) post at AllMySugar.com. Quite an amusing (and tasty!) breakfast cereal I've recently come across at the grocery store.

Tell me if you got the joke right away! And I'll know how old you are :)

Goodbye, mark.

I love how this picture "speaks" so many things.

When I got laid off from my job as a copywriter last week, I didn't feel as distraught as I'd had in the past when I'd experienced the loss of a job. For one, this was an honest-to-goodness, budget-related layoff—no boo-boos, no office drama...at least that's what I'd like to believe and what I've been reassured of.

In the 12 weeks/3 months I was working for Avon, I've come up with memorable taglines, emails, and collateral copy for the trend brand that is mark. I've met beautiful and amazing people in the course of my time there—so no regrets, more or less. I only wish I'd had more moments to grow and blossom within that environment, but I believe that the time one is given in a place, is the time one has in that place, like I've said in this post.

And, unlike in the past wherein it took me months, or even more than a year to pen my thoughts, this time I'm speaking out while it's fresh. It was such a very pleasant conversation that I'd had with my boss, that I now have fond memories of the office and of mark. Plus, I still have the eBoutique I'd put up for research, so maybe now I could actually market it; or at least finally shop for items online.

The photo above was taken over the weekend at a friend's birthday party. I love it because it speaks a thousand words: the mark. outfit and lipstick; the genuine smile and excitement that comes with the anticipation of dessert; the way my stacked rings were captured in the photograph; the delicious banoffee pie a friend of mine made (a recipe that a former colleague shared), and more. And just like how newlyweds cut the cake as a symbol of their new life together—or, as I've learned from an elderly, soft-spoken painter I'd met at the party, how stomping on a wine glass in Jewish weddings signifies "getting the first disaster out of the way"—I welcome this change with the same sheer anticipation of all great things to come.

With friends Kat and Happy at the latter's birthday breakfast where I got to borrow one of these gorgeous Alexis Bittar necklaces on my last day at mark. (the two actually had no clue that it was).

Martha My Way

Martha Stewart Weddings, September 2010–February 2011 issue.

Yahoo! I'm one degree less separated from one of my favorite people in the world, with the recent feature of our beautiful/wonderful/fun/exciting wedding in Martha Stewart Weddings Philippines. Special thanks to editor-in-chief and my good friend, Tata Mapa, who had requested for the exclusive 'rights' to be the first to feature our wedding in a publication—print or online. Now, I'm not one to say no to anything Martha, so, here we are! Tata had actually met her in New York City and later on received a handwritten note from the domestic diva and kitchen maven herself. Love the gracious gesture and manners.

So now I can really share our photos with the rest of the world. You'll find some in my blog posts, "I got married!" and "Talking about suppliers," and of course, the YouTube slideshow below that I doubt I'll ever tire of viewing (and listening to) by photographer Pat Dy and team.

(Music by Jon Schmidt, "Love Story Taylor Swift meets Viva La Vida Coldplay Piano Cello" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfH2BY5pdLw.)

"Upward spirals; not circles."

For the first time ever, I found myself crying in yoga class. Albeit discreetly, I sobbed and kept reaching for my towel at the beginning of the class (thankfully, as we were all on our backs with our eyes closed) to wipe away the tears.

It started when our teacher pointed out that it was the last day we would have the class on the second floor, where, for many years, all the sessions had been held. The new studios would now occupy the third and fourth floors of the same building. Seemingly not a big deal, I know. But last days of anything seem to bring about a sense of melancholy: last day of school, last day of work, last day of a relationship. So it wasn't that big of a surprise to me that when she started to get teary-eyed, I perfectly understood her sentimentality—which then prompted my own sob session.

What really got the tears flowing was when she said the following (and I paraphrase):

"It is when when we move around in circles and find ourselves in the same spot that we ask ourselves, 'Why am I here again? Why is it that I never learn?' When in fact, we're actually moving in an upward spiral, not in circles; that when we end up in the same spot, we've actually gone one level up."

Facebook Status

"I welcome God and the universe's way of letting me move forward, and I [happily and willingly] place myself in a position of excitement for life's next adventure."

A Beauty Lesson

There's more science in the beauty and cosmetics industry than meets the eye.
At the Pond's Institute in Trumbull, Connecticut back in 2006.

I never thought I would become a beauty editor. Not once did it even occur to me that I would be working as one. True, at 18, I told myself I wanted to be an "editor" by age 24. But, at the time, I actually had no idea how to go about it and what kind, actually. (I did manage become an editor at 24, but that's the subject of another blog post.)

So what happened? I started as an intern at Seventeen Magazine back in 2000 when it launched its first international edition. Shortly before graduating, I was hired as an editorial assistant—not an unusual career trajectory for people who intern at magazines. The "beauty" part came in about two years after being hired for the position. I was getting fidgety, watching my contemporaries rise up to fashion, features, and managing editor positions, while I remained a work-all-sections EA, which quite frankly, was actually fun because I got to do everything. But, I probably had that particular career timeline at the back of my mind—or not; I was simply feeling envious of my colleagues. I brought this up to Maya, my first boss (see previous post) who earnestly told me and I will never forget this:

"Mariel, don't compare yourself to others."

I actually forgot exactly what she said after that, but the gist was that I shouldn't indeed be comparing myself with the other EAs who have already "moved forward" because 1) Seventeen was a different magazine, and 2) The position I wanted for myself—lifestyle and fitness assistant/editor—didn't exist in our magazine's masthead at the time.

But more importantly, Maya wanted me to make a decision. To paraphrase, "I don't know where to place you, what do you want to do? You can choose between beauty or features." At the time, Maddy, the fashion and beauty editor was getting ready leave for New York and the position was going to be shared by a fashion editor and a beauty editor who were yet to be hired.

Lille, the features editor (who remains a very very good friend, like most of the Seventeen girls), nudged, "Why don't you do beauty? You just got a car and you can drive to do pull-outs?" It was a simple as that: I could now physically go to the stores and borrow merchandise to write about.

So, that essentially was how I got my start in beauty. And then I walked the walk, talked the talk, worked the work. As the years went by, I no longer had to pull from stores because products simply arrived at my desk, beautifully packaged and brimming with all the science I've come to love to digest.

Parental Guidance

Don't we all love success stories? Steve Jobs, Oprah, Reginald F. Lewis...who else can you think of who had gone past early adversities and turned their lives around to yield magnanimous and amazing results?

I only have to look into the stories of my own parents to be inspired: My mother moved to the U.S. when she was 33 with NOTHING. Sure, she had a bit of money left earned from back home, but that was it. I am guessing it was probably only enough to last her a couple of weeks. No trust fund, no credit card, no working papers. Yet, she made it work. She's written her success story on her own terms, and she simply had an attitude and work ethic that wouldn't quit—seven-day workweeks, multiple jobs, even odd jobs. Fast-forward 17 years, she's fit, fabulous, and doing well, in career and in life. True, she's not the mega-millionaire I'm sure she'd be happy to be, but she's in a good place. (Plus, she's running her first 5k race this weekend!)

My father, on the other hand, lost everything he had—the bookstores he'd worked hard to put up in our hometown—to the calamity that was the Mt. Pinatubo eruption of '91. He and my mother had to start out from scratch by adding to my grandparents' mini-grocery business at the market. They would wake up at 3am to open shop, barely having gotten enough sleep from their bedtime of 12 midnight or so. Eventually, when Mama moved to the U.S. to seek greener pastures (and I guess to escape the grueling market schedule and stress surrounding the events succeeding Pinatubo), my dad moved to Manila to, again, restart a new career as a newspaper reporter. He practically worked as a volunteer, until management took note of his talent and dedication (he literally LIVED in the office in a small room with a bunk bed he shared with other reporters) and he zoomed past the tiers of the masthead and reached a high position that paid him well and gave him quarterly bonuses. Now, Papa is retired and has a thriving eBay business selling rare stamps to an international clientele. Again, he's not the mega-millionaire I'm sure he'd be happy to be, but he's in a good place.

The two experiences above perhaps explain and provide a better understanding on why I literally get stressed out and bothered when faced with a situation wherein a person who has the brains, background, talent, and skills to move forward and succeed gives up prematurely and concedes defeat so early on—without putting up a fight, logging in the hours, exhausting one's all. It's a challenge for me to bear witness to these moments knowing that life is full of stories of individuals who simply made it work amidst hurdles and challenges that, at first glance, were seemingly impossible to conquer.

On Affirmations

In the movie, Sunshine Cleaning, actress Amy Adams looks at the bright (and clean) side.

I've come across the concept of saying affirmations over the years, but haven't really consistently enacted the habit in my life. I also noticed how in movies, people who do them are portrayed in a cooky kind of way (e.g. Amy Adams in Sunshine Cleaning) and are in situations that don't necessarily immediately reflect the words they repeat to themselves.

However, every now and then, I write notes to myself and tack them on the wall, but they're usually goal and career-related, hardly ever, "I'm a rockstar, I'm gorgeous!" The most vivid that I do remember and one (or two) that had quite an impact in my work life was one I'd written back in 2002 and put up on the wall near my bed. It listed the following words:

editorial assistant
lifestyle and fitness assistant
beauty and fitness editor

In between the lines were arrows that mimicked a flow chart of sorts. This note reflected the trajectory I wanted my career to go. I had a goal of being an editor at 24—which was two or three years from the time I'd posted the note.

Another one on the wall read (from what I can remember):
"I am a good and talented makeup artist."

This resulted from an early experience as a freelance makeup artist when I'd encountered doubts about my talent; an incident wherein a starlet-then-model completely mocked the bright lime green eyeshadow I put on her. The green was actually the makeup theme given by the director of the fashion show and I was simply following directions, and picking up from a beauty forecast I'd read in Elle that time (that green was going to be the big thing that year/season in eyeshadow).

Anyway, suffice it to say that I've enjoyed a fun, engaging, and exciting beauty career on both counts as an editor and makeup artist. The makeup part has been on the backburner for quite some time now, but recent events and opportunities have again piqued my interest. So let's see how that goes.

The point of this post being, I wanted to share with you an affirmation I'd actually verbalized the other night, part of a string of messages that also included the "I'm fabulous" kind which I shall keep to myself:

"I will not put up with bad behavior."

It's so simple, straightforward, and encompassing. It's applicable to work, friendships, and relationships. And from there stems all the other facets of affirmations such as feeling confident, having clarity and conviction, and so forth.


Image courtesy of Indiewire.com.

24 Hours

I seem to be on a career-writing groove these days. I've just read the blog post, "How Many Hours Are There in a Day" by speaker, author, and "employment specialist" Jay Block. I'd like to copy and paste the whole post, but instead you can read it here. Meanwhile, here are some snippets that called out to me and I hope are quite helpful to you:

“Do you know that the ONLY DIFFERENCE between a happy, successful, and financially independent person and an unhappy, unsuccessful, and financially broke person is what they do in their 24 hours? You see, it’s not hard to figure out that rich, successful, happy, and influential people do not read the same things as those who are struggling just to make it through the day.”

“It’s not hard to figure out that rich, successful, happy, and influential people do not watch six hours of television a day, do not allow themselves to be influenced by the media or voices that thrive on negativity and pessimism, and do not allow themselves to give up on their dreams, expectations, and goals; while underachievers and life strugglers always seem to settle for less and blame everyone but themselves for their misery and despair.”

“It’s not where we were born, what our childhood was like, our education, or our environment that determines our success and happiness. What determines success is our inner drive, our commitment to our values and our dreams, and how we integrate that into the 24 hours a day we have.”

In the rest of the post, Block outlines eight tips that help maximize the 24 hours we're all given. They're spot-on, no-frills, and neatly worded.

My Own (Legal) Advice

This was so much fun to watch! And remember the early 90's movie, Green Card, starring Andie MacDowell and Gérard Depardieu?

Earlier this afternoon the paralegal from the lawyer's office called, asking for my birth certificate. I'm in the process of renewing my green card, which expires every 10 years (only the card itself expires, not the permanent resident status, FYI). It's routine paperwork, but with immigration, you never know. Fortunately, I've kept a scan of the document on my computer so I immediately dashed home to get to it and send it over.

Now, remember how I said before that I would never want to live in New York City again, and then eating my words by moving back? (No regrets, by the way) Also, haven't I been heralding more than ever the importance of staying positive? The universe has a sense of humor, I believe. It occurred to me on the way home that I do have to follow my own advice.

And, I'm not having difficulty doing so. I know that whatever time I have and am given to be here, is the perfect amount of time that I have to be here. If it's until next year, it's until next year; if it's another 10 years, then it's another 10 years. It's as simple as that. I've always let God hold the steering wheel of my life. I've kept this quote on my phone that goes, "A man plans his way, but God directs his steps." The note says it's from Proverbs. I must have picked it up from a homily at mass.

Now, funny when I was thinking about the possibility of no longer getting to live here in New York City, or Denver, or in any city in America down the line, my foremost concern was that I now really, really had to make the most out of my trips to Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Maoz Falafel, Lobster Shack, Tokyo-san Bowl, Serafina, the taco trucks, Halal food stalls...and all the palate-pleasing opportunities this country has to offer!

Image courtesy of http://moviejunkieonline.com.

UPDATE 10/12/10: My new (renewed) green card is here! So, onto this American journey.

3 Best Career Tips: Straightforward & Straight Up

Look up and smile: It's going to be a fun and exciting ride.

Summing up all the career articles I've been reading for about a year now, plus personal experience on the tricky and nuanced world of career planning and jobhunting, it would be the following:

1. Be proactive.
2. Ask for help.
3. Follow up

Let me elaborate:

1. Be proactive
Looking for a new job, eyeing a new career, or simply considering changes in your current work situation starts with a DECISION and a MINDSET. You have to prep your mind, body, and heart to attract new opportunities, and be willing to do the paperwork and logistics to make that happen. It also helps to have a positive attitude. If you start thinking defeat when you haven't even started, you might as well stay exactly where you are.

In the span of two (or three) years, I've submitted many many emails and résumé packets containing clips and many many permutations of a cover letter. Some, with the help of former colleagues, and a bigger percentage, simply by looking at mastheads and articles. Some have resulted in actual meetings, some have emailed back with their regrets, and majority have not even bothered to get back to me.

Should you be disheartened by this, or in any form of rejection? No. The process of updating your CV, printing letters, sending them out, puts you in that mode wherein you become extra-receptive to opportunity. So when that coveted moment comes, you're alert, awake, and ready to grab it—quickly!—versus sulking and wondering why no one has called you back yet.


2. Ask for help

And when you do, strive to be specific. An example I've read that perfectly illustrates this is paraphrased as follows: If you have the option to pass along your résumé to a faceless HR person or massive and countless online job boards, versus targeting a SPECIFIC person with a clear title and influence in an organization, why wouldn't you go for the latter? And, if you know someone who knows someone who knows that particular someone, then by all means ask for a little nudge to get your toe in the door. What have you got to lose? What's the worst thing that could happen? Rejection. See #1.


3. Follow up.

After you've asked for someone to point you towards the direction of an influential person, it's now ENTIRELY up to you to do the work. You have to walk the walk, talk the talk, do the phone calls, send handwritten notes, WHATEVER it takes to capitalize on that initial push. Make it worth everyone's time. And, at this point, it's your obligation to not make the person who recommended you make a fool out of her/himself by being flaky or unreliable.

Of all three tips, this is the one I'm guilty of not following through 100%. True, I'm proactive. True, I don't hesitate to be kapalmuks [thick-skinned] to people I barely know and I don't hesitate asking friends and former colleagues for names, email addresses, and even simply putting it out there, to "stay on your radar." But following up? This is perhaps the most challenging part—because more than anything, life gets in the way: there are other emails to answer (on a side note, try to answer EVERY email you receive. I know that's like shooting for the moon, but it helps to set the bar high), Facebook messages to respond to, chores, laundry, D.I.Y. pedicures… Here is where it's best to be organized about the whole process. How organized? Think: Excel sheets, checklists, calendars, written plans…whatever will help remind you that you've promised to touch-base and finally send that application in.

When I moved back to NYC this year, I'd asked a former boss to help forward along an email I'd planned to send to an editor-in-chief of an inflight magazine. I charted the names and dates relating to the emails that ensued, and made sure I kept in touch, and saw the conversation through and through. I didn't get a job at that particular office, but, sending that first email started the ball rolling that resulted in 28 other people I'd contacted. That's a small number compared to the 100 I'd aimed for, but more importantly, I know that I can always pick up that initial email exchange down the line and send a "refresher" hello to whomever was in the loop, in the event I have to be on job-hunt mode again. Even better, I have an Excel sheet to go back to and add to (I only hope not in the near future!).

On the flip side, don't be desperate. Desperation tends to repel people. This advice was given to me by Ok! Mag EIC Frances Sales right at the beginning stages of this year's jobhunt. I know it's a delicate mix and balance of being thorough and diligent, versus being makulit [annoying/repetitive]. Here's the gist of what Frances said:

"Mariel, just be chill. Sometimes you give off this vibe that you're nervous and eager to please. I will tell you about Steve Carrell, who found success when he was 40. He said, 'I immediately started getting more work when I became a father. I just auditioned differently. When you audition and you really need the part, a producer or a casting director can smell desperation. It is an immediate turn-off and you probably won’t get cast. But if there is a confidence, not an arrogance, but a sort of nonchalance about it [...] you get it.'"

Frances pointed out: "It's the same with all jobs: people like happy relaxed people especially in a bad economy because they want that energy."


All of that said, I never hesitate on helping people, unless I sense a lack of conviction and desire…or find an inclination to want to be spoonfed. Actually, the spoon-feeding part isn't that big of a deal as I don't mind sharing and passing these tidbits along (i.e. pay it forward). I actually put more weight on being positive and proactive. You have to want something really bad, decide you want it, and get up and start moving. It's not up to me to boost your morale (although I'd be happy to point out your good qualities and give a pep talk every now and then); that is a decision you and only you can make for yourself.

And when you become successful, please don't forget me. I am happiest with a bar of ridiculously good premium chocolate.

Image courtesy of Andrews University.

RELATED CAREER POSTS:
A Reason for Every Setback
No-nonsense Career Advice

Thank you, Seventeen

More and more, everyday, I recognize and realize how unique the working circumstances I'd had back at my first job in Seventeen. Along with the friendships that have stood the test of time (10 years!), the life lessons and work attitude I'd picked up along the way have proven to be invaluable. The funny thing is, it never even occurred to me that that training I received was quite the exception more than the norm. My first boss, Maya Calica, was exemplary in a way that she inspired and encouraged us to go for our goals and dream, DREAM big (even bigger, biggest…). We were all encouraged to verbalize what direction we wanted our careers to go, all the while putting a premium on quality work and an unwavering positive outlook.

So to Maya, Fran, Tata, Lille, Maddy, Anne, Monica, Margie, Mia, and everyone who made a Seventeen difference in my life, thank you for the experience of a lifetime.

Image courtesy of Whosdatedwho.com.

5 Before Hopefully Not 35

I want to write about this wedding, do a blog redesign...and more!

As much as I'm thrilled by all the recent developments in my career, I tend to beat myself up over personal goals, deadlines, and projects that I am aching, aching to tick off my checklist. Inspired by the blog, 25 Before 25, published by also a writer and editor I'd recently befriended, here are my 5 before I'm hoping way before I turn 35 (I'm only 30, folks!).

1. Redesign NyMinuteNow.com, featuring a more streamlined template with plenty of white space to keep things sleek, pristine, and easy on the eyes. (If you have absolutely bug-free suggestions, let me know! Again, no bugs; I need something plug-and-play with HTML I can still modify. Sorry, no CSS for me AND DO NOT even mention Wordpress; the latter is NOT an option. Case closed. I've written about that issue here.)

2. Migrate this current version to its backup Blogspot address, for people who like this design, also for myself, when I get melancholic...or in case I change my mind about the new one.

3. Repost my Yummy.ph articles and recipes because the site did a redesign and the bloggers' pages are gone(!). Anyway I desperately need to take care of my AllMySugar blog too! (Oh, why do I do this to myself?)

4. Finish rewriting and editing my chick-lit novel. Sigh...

5. Do a Wedding Series here, because I have at least five wedding-related posts brewing that I haven't gotten around uploading. Plus, I'd recently started contributing to Summit Media's relatively new venture BridalBook.ph. I've accepted that I've happily jumped into the big-day bandwagon. Now that I'm married, it's a different kind of excitement and delight when I hear of other people's engagements, or, in the case of a recent wedding I'd attended, being a guest.

I'm sure there's more than the above, but for now I'm keeping it to five so as not to get ahead of myself!