play and enjoy

This past weekend, we took the family to watch a burger eating challenge at our neighborhood burger joint: Kenny’s Burger Joint. We’re big fans of this place because we know and like “Kenny.” Another big reason we treat this place as our kitchen away from home is because the manager there, Liz, is just like family to us! She makes us feel completely comfortable, yet special each and every time we’re there.

So - this past weekend there was a special event that centered around the eating of a HUGE burger which includes 7 lbs. of meat, cheddar fries, lots of salad and condiments all within a big bun. This is known as the El Jeffe Challenge. Eight men gathered around a bunch of tables trying to become the first person to complete the challenge within the hour time limit. There was a DJ, a balloon guy making works of art for all of the kiddos in the joint, special event signage, a news crew taping, giveaway prizes and a big crowd there eating and watching.

Ultimately, we had a very memorable time (not because someone that was eating the challenge burger lost it, because THANK GOODNESS that didn’t happen!). The whole experience endeared us even more to this establishment. 

It was memorable because we had So.Much.FUN. 

The lesson I took away from the experience was that if you can create an atmosphere of fun in a professional environment - you’ll reap better productivity, creativity and people will enjoy their work. Ummmm . . . . tasty.

looks so easy

There is a hair style that is showing up all over this place. For example, the image above came from a Madewell email. Nicole also sports the style frequently on Bravo’s show “Work of Art” and looks so stylish with her black turtlenecks (very artsy!).

I was considering trying something similar, but have yet to find a successful version that I would feel comfortable leaving the house with. Maybe with more practice . . . on my daughter. Not sure how well this would translate for corporate.

one piece of paper that says a lot

Sorting through resumes is like a treasure hunt. Looking at the actual organization of the document and reading through the information is part of the challenge of discovering who you need to spend time with in an interview. There is so much great talent available in the job market right now that a good resume (and a good connection!) is critical.

I actually keep the resumes that I thought were the most well put together and attractive. (I’m not like a bag lady with over-stuffed files, it’s just a small collection.) A nice resume can help make the difference between getting interviewed and getting ignored (watch out for typos!).

so excited!

Sigh, sigh - happy sigh! Just got my August J.Crew catalog (and all of the corresponding emails) announcing some of the new fall looks. I’m pretty darn happy with the idea of purchasing some new dark gray wool sweaters (this summer has been SO HOT - it’s nice to imagine feeling a little chill at some point). They also had a really nice selection of oxford heels. 

I could be completely happy if J.Crew could also introduce a nice pointed toe flat (slightly dressier than a ballerina style) or kitten-heel. Fingers are crossed!

Very happy with what’s been offered for fall. Just flipping through the catalog makes me excited about cooler temps and a darker wardrobe. The other big fall accent? Bright orange/red lips 

and nails. 

Looks great! Can’t wait!

partners make all the difference

I’ve been working on a lot of random (but very important) reports and projects this week. I’m really glad to have the weekend so close! I feel like I’ve earned some good family time, maybe a nice dinner out with some good friends . . . 

What I REALLY love about the idea of this weekend is spending some good time with my hubby. He was out of town most of this week for business and I missed him. When I came home from work last night, he had gotten in from the airport and actually had a very yummy dinner waiting for me!! I’m very spoiled by him! (I think he cooks so yummy when he’s in town because he feels sorry for me since all I eat when he’s gone is tomato soup and salads). He’s the best partner and I’m so lucky that he’s with me.

Along the same lines (but different), it’s also pretty darn important to appreciate the super amazing partners that you have at work. You know, the people that you feel so incredibly blessed to work with and how much you understand can be learned from working with them? I have an amazing boss, an amazing team that I work with, and I really like the senior management of the company. They are all super smart and I know that I can learn a lot from each of them.

What’s the saying, “Lucky in love, lucky . . . . at work?” Not sure, but I like it!

to do list

My “to do” list at work today:

• call agency about contract freelancers for holiday season
• call HR about contract freelancers
• give feedback on brief for upcoming focus group
• complete project count projection for budget planning
• write a creative brief for a task force initiative
• budget model/stylist costs for next fiscal year
• write new job descriptions for HR
• create new salary planning sheets for HR
• update job schedules
• complete Q1 project plans
• proof reviews
• prep for Friday team meeting

what is UP with that?

If I had a reality TV show that focused on my profession, and my profession was real estate, and I was aware that the film crew would be filming my office - I would SERIOUSLY consider what my office decor said about me as a professional in my industry. 

This lady is clearly SUPER smart at what she does (this past week’s episode of “Selling New York” on HGTV reaffirms that notion), but her office doesn’t. (BTW - I could be completely skewed in my perspective here because my mom was a top broker in the real estate industry and she was a NEAT FREAK. She kept a very tidy office. Everything was in it’s proper place. She didn’t have a TON of papers crowding her desk - or looming over her from the wall. She had files in her file cabinets. Active listings where kept handy and past transactions where placed further back. Anything pressing was kept with her in a legal sized, leather portfolio.)

I know people that thrive in clutter. They are awesome at what they do and maybe that is the case here, but I have to say that I was really surprised to see the lack of effort in this office. In an industry where design just oozes from every corner, there are absolutely no touches of it in her office space (all while she’s literally wearing a Chanel charm bracelet which means that she could afford a better-looking chair for her guests if that was her desire). Even though there is no question that she’s a no-nonsense businesswoman, this space just doesn’t match her personality. The walls aren’t painted, there’s no art or any reflection of her travels. It’s bland and hurts her company brand. Her real estate company specializes in selling properties in Manhattan (or Miami or Connecticut - wherever her clients prefer), but you just do not get that idea from looking at her work environment. 

It’s really depressing to watch good professionals work in sad offices. Maybe HGTV can allow their design talents to “makeover” this office for the show. I think she would be SO much happier (and maybe productive) in a space that suits her better.

This really makes me wonder what Barbara Corcoran’s office interior is like. I’m SO curious!

Viva Italia!

Many years ago, my husband and I took a trip to Italy. On the flight over, I met an amazing woman who just exuded style. She was American, but clearly traveled to Italy frequently. One of the things about her that really stood out to me (as this was my first trip abroad) was how much gold she wore.  Many gold bracelets of all different styles, many stacked gold rings and really nice gold earrings - she just took my breath away. (She was also dressed really nicely for the trip with her own cashmere blanket - and this was back when cashmere was completely out of my price range.)

I’m influenced by my travels. For instance, when I came back from South Africa - I couldn’t stop wearing the wood bead jewelry that I had brought back with me.

Well, as we make our family plans for the upcoming year, we’re considering a trip for our family back to Italy. We want to expose our kids to a whole new culture and world which is very different from our neighborhood. Since we’ve been discussing this trip, I couldn’t stop thinking about that lady and her jewelry. It had me finding the gold bracelet that we bought in Florence. I’ve been wearing it lately with another treasured gold bracelet that was a very special present. Gold has such a feeling of authenticity and value. Couple that with the personal history of each piece - you really feel as though you’re wearing a treasure.

I’ve been really pleased with how comfortable I am wearing these bracelets together just about anywhere. They add just a touch of “special” to my usual ensembles without feeling bulky or getting in my way during work.

I likey.

Is anybody ever really . . .

I’ve noticed lately that even though there’s a lot going on at work - and I’m staying later to get things done - I’ve really lost that feeling of being “caught up.” 

Oh yes, the small victories come and go. Today I rewrote some outdated job descriptions to try to help our compensation team understand why one position is considered a higher level gig. I have been working on those (off and on) for the past month. I even tried to finish and email them before my vacation (talk about stress!). Today was the day that I concentrated (as much as possible in a busy work environment) and knocked them out. Felt amazing! Walked on air for about . . . 3 minutes.

Then I realized how much else was left to do on my handy-dandy “to do” list. 

Scary. 

Do you ever feel all caught up - or does your list feel never ending (which I guess is a good thing - like job security)?

timed just right

So our vacation ended, but I have to say - the timing was perfect. We left for our beachy vacation on Saturday, June 26th and came home on Saturday, July 3rd. The location was not overly crowded. We really had plenty of room and fun on the beach and at the pool. We didn’t have to wait very long at the restaurants for our table (for eight!) and there were spa times available and plenty of room at the local miniature golf place. 

Once home, we had a couple of days to unpack, do all of the laundry and just ease back into the usual routine. It was really perfect and I’m already thinking about how it might be possible to plan a vacation for next summer around these same dates (June 25th through July 2nd). 

It was just long enough to really feel like I got away from the office, but also long enough that I was ready to return to my usual workday routine.

spaaahhh

When my friend asked if we should do a spa day while on our vacation - I hesitated. 

Then I kicked myself for that brief blip of insanity and quickly rebounded with a “YES.”

Okay, so generally, I’m not much for massages. Hardly ever would I take some personal time for this “treat.” I don’t enjoy it. Typically. At all. 

BUT - for some reason, I totally realized that this was a trip in which I NEEDED to take some time and just relax. 

It was not perfect (read: car alarm sounding off just outside my window for a good portion of one of my relaxing treatments), but it was nice to get away and just be still for a little over an hour. 

Pretty sure I overtipped (accidentally, honey) - but my overall experience was a very good one. It’s like that rare moment for a nap on a Sunday afternoon during which I generally feel slightly guilty about enjoying. 

Then I remember that I lead a very busy and hectic life. Sometimes you need to relax and rest up to better prepare yourself for what lies ahead. In this case: the mound of work that I will face after my vacation.

nice guys finish . . .

All over this beach-front town, our vacation crew has picked a new restaurant for each and every dinner. If it’s a question of where we should go between one place or another - we choose the place with live entertainment. Therefore, throughout this trip, we’ve been experiencing “Brown Eyed Girl” in many different forms of talent. 

With all of the kiddos around (thank us very much), we’ve enjoyed a variety of reactions from the entertainers. Some clearly happy to have a group of willing (VERY) audience members to have some fun with and some CLEARLY ready for our table to be ready and for us to go away. 

Just wanted to mention, that it was such a pleasant surprise when the guy (whose name I totally didn’t get) in the background of this silly picture actually had fun with the kiddos. He took each and every song request (read: many) seriously - and actually did a nice job on all them. Even as dads were trying to throw some curveballs his way - he came out victorious. It was a really fun evening, he was nice to our kids (and patient with us adults) and had a great voice. 

It was also fun thanks to the silly antics of the man in the foreground of this picture. He always cracks me up! “All you can eat snow crab legs” INDEED.