C H E C K I T

I want to first let everyone know that back episodes of History Channel's GANGLAND is now on Netflix InstaWatch. Check it!

Second, I want to let everyone know about a great blog that I'm incredibly sad isn't mine. It's called Crepes of Wrath and it's everything I want to be in a blog. Check it!

And third, for all of you who are way prepared and ahead of the game, I want to let everyone know about Les Trois Petits Cochons for all their holiday gift-buying needs. It's a gourmet cheese, sausage, etc (French style of course!) online store. Check it!

Hope to have more exciting blog and video notes soon! Check it!

Bck 2 Skewl

The joys and/or doldrums of the First Week of School finally befell on the Northwestern campus last week. And yesterday (Saturday) was my first day of real graduate school. The day began early, with my alarm waking me at 7:15. By 7:53, I was on my way to Evanston via the CTA. I arrived by 9:10, filled my belly with a chive-cream cheese adorned sesame seed bagel and cup of black coffee and headed to our small lecture hall to begin the three hour session of Change Management with Prof Roloff.

The guy is amazing. First of all, he requires no book. But that's a real superficial reason for liking a teacher.   He was captivating to listen to, with a quick and humorous pace. His profile reminded me and the girl sitting next to me of Robin Williams and this seemed to amplify his jokes and their delivery. He gave us a general overview of the course, touching a lot on the aspects of psychology that must be considered when directing a group or large organization towards change. I am really looking forward to this class to better learn how to implement change in the work place successfully.


Today was a good day for me. I woke up at 11:15am after staying up until 1:30am to watch Titanic (such a good movie! Omg, I forgot how good. I cried and cried and. . .). I ate, watched HGTV, dressed, and then I took a looooong walk north on Michigan Ave, my destination being a certain woman's lingerie store because I had a coupon for a free pair of underwear. Along the way, I stopped at various stores and tried on various clothing items, many of which I liked, and all reasonably within budget (particularly at Forever 21). But I didn't buy anything, not even the $5 tunic. Why?. you ask. Simple. Because NEWS FLASH PEOPLE: Buying clothes won't make you happy. So I've decided to hold off on buying clothes that are merely for the purpose of momentary happiness.

And now I am working on becoming Lady MacBeth's agent. IAMS Dog Food is hiring new doggie models so I will be submitting some pictures of her for her audition. Below are the ones that Mark has given me. I also plan on attaching one of the videos of Lady with Mark in the pool. More soon!

First Assignment

My first assignment for school was to describe two threats to my company. I knew the first one right away--duh, The Economy!! But the second one was a little trickier. I'm curious to hear what other people have to say is a threat to their company, job, or school work. Right now, I've said that a threat is the managerial staff of companies that I try to recruit out of. I also want to say something about the stigma of recruiting, but I also don't want to go there because I think I understand this sentiment a little too well... More on this later.

Wrigley Field

Wrigley Field and the Cubs versus Giants game was the most amazing experience of my life. Since living in Chicago. The stadium is beautiful, the crowd so lively (way  more so than Sox fans), and sitting in the 13th row on the third baseline allowed the perfect view of a rather slow game. Below are pictures of the evening. I hope that I can go back there some day and maybe even convince Mark to tag along :)

And it's root root root for the...

Oh Sh*t, tomorrow I'm going to a Chicago Cubs versus San Francisco Giants game and I have no idea who to root for. Cubbies? Giants? Ahh! Even though I haven't seen a Giants game since they still played at Candlestick, I think it's in my blood to root for them. My family (minus my grandma who is an A's fan), and my extended family, are all Giants fans. But now that I'm in Chicago, I feel that it's time to adopt them as my team. I feel so conflicted. I just have to remind myself that "Oh ya, it's a sports game, something I care very little about. And at least I'm not a White Sox fan..."

photo courtesy of: gettyimages.com

When my mind isn't all-consumed with mindless sports battles, I found a great blog page filled with new music while I was researching Mumford and Sons (a Tallest Man on Earth and Avett Bros combo--very good!). Here is the link. I suggest everyone download the songs and enjoy! I especially like Band of Horses and Mumford.

photo courtesy of: johngushue.typepad.com

Last post I blogged about Ettie and Billie, an organic skin care line. As I read about their products more and researched, I came across this blog called Fig+Sage. It's a blog devoted to organic beauty and wellness and conscientious consumerism. I love the layout of the blog and the products they feature, even if they're too expensive for me at this point in my life. I may be needing some lavender destressant pretty soon...

photo courtesy of msc.northwestern.edu

Because school starts on Saturday!! I'm a little stressed only because now I have to start practicing my time management skills while I'm at work AND at home, but I'm really looking forward to those meals at the Kellogg Building. Woo Hoo!!

The Pursuit

I know that the Lulu manifesto says that the pursuit of happiness is the source of unhappiness, but c'mon, check this thing out! The moment I find this will be a defining moment in my life, I'm sure of it:

Thank you to my girl Rosalind for sending this along! My jaw dropped when I saw the pic, but a huge smile also came to my face knowing that Rose was thinkin' of me.

And to continue in Jordan's and my quest for the best blog, I came across this one today, after visiting the Etsy store called Ettie + Billie, a San Francisco-based organic beauty line. There store can be found here, the founder's Twitter here, and her blog here. While scoping E + B's blog, I came across a link to a design blog, which then led me to this: Unplggd, a site dedicated to homes and work/art spaces that are clutter free. The designers, work, and suggestions are all kitschy but clean, modern, and approachable. It reminds me of a more fun version of Real Simple. I suggest everyone check it out!

In other news, I'm off to Evanston tomorrow for Orientation for my graduate school. I officially start next week, Saturday the 25th. I'm really looking forward to it!

Fly Away Home

Well, as some of you (the few who read this AND talk to me on a regular basis) know, today my French host sister Eulalie flew home to Lyon. Well, actually, her trip isn't that simple. First, she flew to Boston, then to Dublin, then to Paris, and then a train from Paris to Lyon. I know she'll be exhausted, but also so relieved and happy to be home. Plus, I packed her a snack pack so I know she won't be hungry.

But now that she's gone, I have found myself with TONS of time after to work to do nothing. So, after talking with my friend Jordan about the challenges of keeping fit, I've re-started my workout program today. Thanks to my $950 rent, I've got the blessing of having a small but ample workout room in my building, which is great when you're not feeling up to walking outside, especially now that it's getting dark so early. So tonight, after a stressful but exciting day of work, I did my 75 sit ups, some yoga, and 30 minutes on the elliptical.

I'm not saying I feel like Hulk Hogan, but I do feel great. So, my challenge to everyone is to do something today that makes your body feel good: maybe a hot bath, a walk to and from the grocery store (instead of taking the train), or a home-cooked meal with some fresh veggies (see: not frozen). I mentioned I did some yoga, but because I've never been very self-disciplined, I found a great Hatha video on Youtube that was 35 minutes long! I encourage anyone looking for a 10-15 min workout routine to check out Youtube as well.

This isn't the video I watched, but it's the only embeded video of yoga I could find for the purpose of showing you. Just google "yoga video" and great things will come up. So easy!




Me and Lilou:

Sent to me today from my boss

For everyone feeling a little loss, or jealous about the new LuluLemon collection, read this, their manifesto on life. It's a great daily reminder of things that are more important than deadlines, deals, and dollars.

the lululemon manifesto

• Drink FRESH water and as much water as you can. Water flushes unwanted toxins from your body and keeps your brain sharp.
• A daily hit of athletic-induced endorphins gives you the power to make better decisions, helps you be at peace with yourself, and offsets stress.
• Do one thing a day that scares you.
• Listen, listen, listen, and then ask strategic questions.
• Write down your short and long-term GOALS four times a year. Two personal, two business and two health goals for the next 1, 5 and 10 years. Goal setting triggers your subconscious computer.
• Life is full of setbacks. Success is determined by how you handle setbacks.
• Your outlook on life is a direct reflection of how much you like yourself.
• That which matters the most should never give way to that which matters the least.
• Stress is related to 99% of all illness.
• Jealousy works the opposite way you want it to.
• The world is changing at such a rapid rate that waiting to implement changes will leave you 2 steps behind. DO IT NOW, DO IT NOW, DO IT NOW!
• Friends are more important than money.
• Breathe deeply and appreciate the moment. Living in the moment could be the meaning of life.
• Take various vitamins. You never know what small mineral can eliminate the bottleneck to everlasting health.
• Don’t trust that an old age pension will be sufficient.
• Visualize your eventual demise. It can have an amazing effect on how you live for the moment.
• The conscious brain can only hold one thought at a time. Choose a positive thought.
• Live near the ocean and inhale the pure salt air that flows over the water, Vancouver will do nicely.
• Observe a plant before and after watering and relate these benefits to your body and brain.
• Practice yoga so you can remain active in physical sports as you age.
• Dance, sing, floss and travel.
• Children are the orgasm of life. Just like you did not know what an orgasm was before you had one, nature does not let you know how great children are until you have them.
• Successful people replace the words wish, should and try with  I wil.
• Creativity is maximized when you’re living in the moment.
• Nature wants us to be mediocre because we have a greater chance to survive and reproduce. Mediocre is as close to the bottom as it is to the top, and will give you a lousy life.
• lululemon athletica creates components for people to live longer, healthier and more fun lives. If we can produce products to keep people active and stress-free, we believe the world will become a much better place.
• Do not use cleaning chemicals on your kitchen counters. Someone will inevitably make a sandwich on your counter.
• SWEAT once a day to regenerate your skin.
• Communication is COMPLICATED. We are all raised in a different family with slightly different definitions of every word. An agreement is an agreement only if each party knows the conditions for satisfaction and a time is set for satisfaction to occur.
• What we do to the earth we do to ourselves.
• The pursuit of happiness is the source of all unhappiness.

 For anyone unfamiliar with LuluLemon, it's an amazing line of exercise and yoga clothes for real women. They have a store on Sherman in Evanston.
 

European Tour of Iowa and Illinoise

PEOPLE!

Miss me? I'm sure...This week has been really crazy in regards to my schedule (and time I'm able to alott for blogging) because my French host sister arrived on Tuesday and we've been keeping really busy. She was able to easily find my apartment from O'Hare and we've been seeing the sites ever since, after of course, we got caught up on each other's stories.

Now that Eulalie is here, I have a reason to do many of the touristy things that I before did not have reason enough to do (mainly it was my pride that prevented me). On Wednesday, we walked up Michigan Ave in search of an ice cream shop and instead stopped at Giordano's for a deep-dish pizza and 312 beer. On Thursday, we went to the Art Institute (which is free on Thursday's after 5pm) and saw two amazing exhibits: a Persian art display and a retrospect of Henri Cartier Bresson's work. HCB is a renowned photojournalist who has traveled all over the world catching such moments as Ghandi's funeral, Mitterand's inaguaration, and Sunday morning in Harlem. I was particularly excited by the exhibit because it contained a photograph of his that I wrote an essay about for a French class my junior year of high school. This is it:

photo courtesy of: google images/flickr

Lilou was especially thrilled by the warm reception of a fellow Francais. For the long Labor Day weekend, we went to Iowa and stayed with Mark in Iowa City. On Saturday, we visited my family in Des Moines, where my parents made an all-American meal: fresh-mdae hamburgers, corn on the cob, coleslaw, and iced tea and lemonade. Lilou had never had corn on the cob, so that was an especially thrilling moment. After lunch, we drove around the city, stopping at TJ Maxx (where my sister works), Von Maur, Audrey's and my high school, the Farmer's Market, etc. It was a beautiful day and with my family, one of my best friends, and a full belly, I couldn't have been much happier.

Yesterday, L and I managed to convince the boys to go the resevoir to soak up some rays. I actually got in the water and I actually got some color. Afterwards, we drove to Tiffin where we stopped at "Jon's," a diner/drive thru type place. We had none other than an Iowa pork tenderloin. She seemed to enjoy it. I certainly did.

I wish I had pictures of all this. Eulalie does, but we can't upload her pics onto my Mac without a cord (which she left at home) and roommie Jamie has her computer with her (her PC is able to accept the card from L's comp). So...long story even longer, pics will be up soon. In the meantime, below is a picture of my amazing sister, who works at TJ Maxx, and nannies, and has her own car, and has beautiful dark curls, and is a great seamstress. I'm jealous of her in more ways than one. My dad was able to catch her in the midst of another (I'm sure) wildly successful day at TJ:

Photo courtesy of Jim

 Also, many thanks to Lawrence for driving us back to Chicago.