I have been published! In addition to my in-house internship in New York, I also occasionally submit articles via email as a contributing intern (I guess? They were actually quite vague with my role.) for the recently launched international lifestyle, fashion, entertainment, arts, and culture magazine Chic Today. I am, for the most part, happy with the turnout of my piece. However, I had initially pitched a piece on the summer fashion trend of diaphanous maxi-dresses. A few email exchanges with the editor in charge of the intern submissions later, I somehow ended up doing a cinema/travel piece instead. Oh well, it’s definitely better than nothing!

A Cinematic Summer: Discover New York through the Lens of Classic Film

So make sure to go read my article! The more hits it gets, the more likely it is that I will be asked to write more pieces! Ah, to be a struggling intern and aspiring writer….

“O for a Muse of fire, that would ascend
The brightest heaven of invention,

A kingdom for a stage, princes to act
And monarchs to behold the swelling scene! “

- Henry V, Act I, Prologue

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With a busy internship/class/commute schedule, flagging inspiration, and a general overwhelming sense of exhaustion, I have not recently had the chance to do what I love most: write. Thankfully, however, a series of events have pushed me back towards my normally-creative self. Specifically, my recently invested-in iPhone has been my most useful muse.

This one gadget, small enough to slip into even the tiniest of stylish clutches, has propelled my productivity to an entirely new level. Once seemingly complicated programs – extensive multi-category to do lists, in-depth calendars synced to my computer, instant gratification email, weather updates, etcetera, etcetera, you name it – are now all part of my everyday life.

On the other end of the spectrum, my recent room redesign and update has given me a breath of fresh inspiration to inject new creativity into my life – be it in my everyday fashion or in my writing. Plus, as you can see in the photo below, I now have the option of channeling Carrie Bradshaw while gazing out an open window as I finesse away my next piece (or just waste hours perusing style.com). Sadly, my computer overlooks a not-so-great street in West Philly and not East 72nd but, hey, a girl can always dream, right?

Also, as the picture shows, I have come up with the ultimate solution to showcase my jewelry, allowing me to have the best selections in plain view when I piece together the day’s outfit. The jewelry-presentation idea stemmed from a conversation between the editors of the magazine where I am currently interning. As we were all hiding in the magazine’s library, eating frozen yogurt to celebrate one editor’s birthday, someone commented that the head editor was wearing a particularly stylish, yet interesting, fashion combination. As a result, the topic of getting dressed in the morning came up. Almost everyone in the room pointed to the lamentable problem of not being able to see everything they owned, particularly jewelry, while getting ready. This was my solution.

While I am sure that my current jewelry collection is incomparable to their fabulous wardrobe and jewelry stashes, I came up with this artsy – yet practical – answer. My bulletin board has (thankfully!) evolved from showcasing the random nostalgic photo or to do list: it now features around two dozen necklaces carefully strung to give the impression of a haphazard montage of gold chains, pearls, and random costume jewelry.

Surprisingly (or not so surprisingly?), this one piece led to a major theme that I continued throughout the revamping of my room. In my opinion, this one presentation seemed to embody organized chaos – which, coincidently, best describes myself – and I sought to recreate that at points throughout the room. I have all of my rings stored in two clear champagne glasses on a chest next to my bed, my purses are displayed on hooks hanging on the wall usually hidden behind my door, and my bracelets and bangles are seemingly chucked into the scale I use when making jewelry. Next to my desk, I have a three tiered basket piece, in which my pens, headbands, and straightener/hair dryer have their own respective baskets.

Ultimately, I guess you could say I have created my own stylish, inspiration haven. It really represents who I am and I can’t help but feel at home and at ease… and ready to jump back into what I love most.

I just discovered the best solution for when your cute flats leave you limping. Today, on my walk from the subway to the office, I managed to dig a hole in my heel from the cute, never-worn, hand-me-down Ferragamos my grandmother just sent me. While I tried to suck it up, there was no way I could make it through the day when my newly-formed blister was on fire, even while just standing at the copier.

Back at my desk, which just happens to have a stockpile of bags, boxes in all sizes, tissue, bubble wrap, you name it, I came up with the handy solution of slipping a slice of bubble wrap into the back rounded heel of my shoe. It worked perfectly… Better than a band-aid!

Aside from the occasional pop!pop! coming from my right foot, you cannot even see that I have the bubble wrap in my shoes and I cannot even feel the blister. A solution come true.

You know, I think the kids over at www.ed2010.com have it right: set yourself a goal and work like crazy to achieve it. That’s my plan as of right now. I have fallen in love with my internship: I love love love what I do, even though it’s more grunt work and sample returns than I am sure a respectable future in this field would entail.

However, I do get to observe the fashion team at it, assembling the fall outfits and beauty stories. Yes, you would never believe it, but we are working with tweeds and furs in the July heat as preparation for the November issue has already begun. I still have a hard time fathoming how people set the trends for each season this far in advance. However, I guess if you go to the fashion shows and catch the eye of Anna Wintour, she simply decides – a la Project Runway – what is in and what is out.

for example: this….

translates into this…

which ultimately translates into this…

(weird halo effect usually not included)

Anyways, as mentioned, I am a firm believer in goal setting. And – over the past few weeks at my internship – those goals are slowly emerging. I want to be a fashion editor for a Health and Fitness Magazine (think Fitness, Women’s Health, Shape) or, more broad

ly, an editor of a fashion magazine in the realm of fitness, fashion, and beauty. For example, if I could have one dream job, it would be the Fitness & Beauty editor over at Elle.

Sidenote: I love Elle magazine. Who else would include witty, somewhat obscure, literary and psychological (think Freud) references? However, I do wonder how many heads those somewhat snarky quips soar over. So, if anyone from Elle is out there, I plan on interning there next year and have goals to achieve. Get ready.

I have been so busy for the past two weeks, I don’t even know where to begin. I apologize for the personal blog – I have to admit, I regard personal blogging too be a bit narcissistic and self-indulgent for my tastes – but I have been so busy: the parents came up two weekends ago to help me move into my new room, I have been juggling my new internship and a night class, and, finally, this past weekend, I couldn’t get any work done as I was enjoying a romantic weekend with my visiting boyfriend. Finally, however, things can’t start to slow down and get back to normal. I mean, it is 4th of July week, right?