Overshare

I hope her employer doesn't see this.... oh wait, NBD, she doesn't even care. 

Space Race

I've blogged before about how much I love the White House Flickr feed and (yey!) now I have a new feed to check in on from time to time.... the NASA Flickr feed!

And PS: Did you know that last November, I saw a shuttle launch. Yep, it was awesome. 

Busy Bee

I was reading Chris Brogan's post about all his responsibilities, and, in addition to making me feel less than productive, it made me hope that someday I will be as ambitious (albeit, busy) as he is. Here's what's on my plate now...

• Online Account Coordinator at Atomicdust
• Editor at Girls Guide to the Galaxy
• Blogging on my own at Addicted to Television and here at Another Blog from Danielle
• Board member (and future scholarship coordinator!) for Mu Chapter House Corporation
• (Possibly) Volunteer Coordinator for Run for Sight 2011
• (Possibly) Web Director for Delta Gamma St. Louis Alumnae Chapter
• Committee member (and possibly 'webmaster') for Delta Gamma Lectureship in Values and Ethics at the University of Missouri
• Chairman of the Mu Chapter 105th Anniversary Celebration (in 2014)
• frequent attendee of Social Media Club STL, STL Women in Media (possibly a board member?), and other random tweetups and meetups
• good friend, good girlfriend, good daughter, good sister, good dog owner (perhaps the most daunting of any of these tasks...)

So I guess I do have quite a few responsibilities, even though a lot of them are 'possiblys' and/or way in the future....

Here's to being busy (and productive!). Cheers. 

Retro Camera

I've decided that my next life goal is to become a good photographer. Not like professional or anything, just good enough to take cool pictures at farmer's markets and people dressed nice (a la Sartorialist). Give it or year or so, ok? (I don't even have a nice camera right now...). 

In the meantime, I've discovered this Retro Camera app for my Droid so I can fake it. I'm glad I discovered it just in time for LouFest this weekend...

Keeping a Promise

I went to New York City (a month ago). I promised you a recap (a couple weeks ago). Well, I've failed. I do, however, have this little write up I did for Girls Guide to the Galaxy about what I think they great Gateway City can learn from the Big Apple. Oh, and this girl sums up NYC perfectly for me. Love.

Not too mention I think she looks like a cooler, nicer, more modern Betty Draper. No? I just hope she doesn't slap her children or threaten to cut their fingers off...

Image via Dress Design Decor

[Rebog:] I Heart NY: What STL Can Learn from the Big Apple

Note: This post originally appeared on Girls Guide to the Galaxy. The site has since gone under, and I'm not sure how much longer these posts will still exist. But they were good. And I don't want to loose them. To see the original, click here. 

I never had any intention or desire to live in New York, much less visit it (despite being in a contest that would have required me to do so…). I just didn’t get the allure. It’s big. It’s dirty. It’s expensive. The people are crabby. It gets really cold. There is concrete everywhere. Why would anyone ever want to live in or visit a place like that? Putting it simply, I [did not] ‘heart’ NY.

And then I went there.

And I realized the city isn’t so bad. Okay, okay, it is actually pretty wonderful.

Don’t get me wrong, I love St. Louis. I am not just settling here or stuck here, I’m staying here. I want to see this city grow; I want to see the Archgrounds get a makeover; I want to eat toasted raviolis til the day I die. That being said, I think there’s a thing or two that St. Louis can learn from The Big Apple…

Let Your Hair Down

I’ve always said that my hair thinks it is living in the 70s, but now I’ve determined that it just thinks it is living in New York. Girls Women in NYC do not have perfectly teased and styled coiffes. They have normal, natural hair. It’s straight; it’s curly; it’s sort of wavy (like mine); but it is not uber-manipulated (like many Missourians think it should be). Oh, and when it is hot, girls women just throw their hair up in buns and ponytails. They aren’t perfect. They aren’t tidy. They are convenient.

My hair is practically unmanageable. I hate blow drying it. I’m no good at ‘updos’. They way my hair turns out, I end up looking lazy or messy. Let’s take a cue from these NYC ladies and just let our hair be.

Walk it Off

Part of the allure  of NYC (for me), is that people are out walking everywhere. I’ll admit, here in St. Louis, I drive. I do not take the Metrolink or ride my bike or walk to the store (shame on me, I know). However, I have friends (you know who you are) who live and play in walking-friendly areas like Soulard that roll their eyes at me when I suggest we walk to a local restaurant or bar or market.

Granted, I know we have better driving (and parking) conditions than NYC, but walking is sometimes fun. I bet if we all walked around our city more, we would (1) cut down on gas and pollution and all that jazz, (2) burn some calories, even if we are headed to a bar to drink them back up and (3) our great city would look a little more lively.

Happy Hour

Something absolutely magical happened to me during my week in NYC: I experienced a real happy hour. Picture this: a pub-esque bar packed with twenty-somethings dressed in their best business casual-wear drinking $3 Bud Lights (which is a good price for NYC, no?)… at 8pm. They had mostly all been there since breaking free of the shackles of their desks at 6pm, joining together to enjoy friends, brews and free popcorn. St. Louis, can we make this happen?

Also note, I got there at 8pm and was still paying happy hour prices. St. Louis, can we make that happen too?

Go it Alone

I like my friends, really I do, but sometimes I really don’t mind grabbing a bite to eat or going shopping or taking a walk by myself. The problem is, here in the Gateway city, when you show up somewhere alone, people look at you funny.

“What is wrong with that girl that she is sitting here, alone, eating brunch. How sad.”

There is nothing wrong with me. I repeat, there is nothing wrong with me. (Wow, that’s fun to say..) In NYC, people do tons of things all by their lonesome. They eat dinner. They go shopping. They ride the subway. Companionship is nice, and necessary, according to Maslow, but sometimes it’s okay to be alone.

What the French?

On my list of food/drinks I eat too much of appreciate: coffee, bread, cheese, wine… So why aren’t their more little cafes in St. Louis? I don’t want Starbucks or Panera. I don’t want over-priced, uber-expensive wine bars. I just want an iced coffee and muffin in the morning and a glass of wine and assorted cheese plate at night. Is that too much to ask?

On Broadway

While I was in New York, I was lucky (and smart) enough to splurge on a ticket to go see Promises Promises on Broadway (it was fantastic, by the way). As I was sitting there, enjoying this fantastic musical, I said to myself, ‘If I lived in NYC, with all these fantastic shows available to me, I would go to the theater all the time!’

You know when the last time I was at the Fox was? Me neither.

Granted, I’m a lover of musical theater. I have season tickets to the Muny. I mooch off my parents’ season tickets to Stages in Kirkwood when I can. I’ve been to a handful of shows at the Fox and the St. Louis Repertory Theater. But what am I waiting for? This coming season, St. Louis is welcoming shows likeShrek, Billy Elliot, State Fair and Romeo and Juliet (among many many others). I’m making a vow (and you should too) to go to more of these shows…. at least I can pretend I’m on Broadway, right?

Hug a Tree

If there was one thing I missed while I was in New York, it was nature. Grass, trees, the sky, stars. They call it the ‘concrete jungle’ for a reason. But on the flip-side, it makes people appreciate places like Bryant Park and Central Park all the more. These little green patches in the city are treated like treasures. Ours? Just overlooked.

A few weeks ago, I spent a Saturday morning taking a stroll through Tower Grove and it was seriously fun (Bonus points: Walking and Nature! Win!). I can almost guarantee that no matter where you live in St. Louis, there is a park nearby. Grab a friend, a blanket, (a bottle of wine, perhaps?) and go there.

This Makes Me Nervous

Real Wedding

I pull a lot of my #WeddingWednesday posts from other blogs, but this time it is from someone I actually know (yes, I do have actual non-virtual interactions with people).

Check out these gorgeous pictures from my friend Laura's wedding! Honestly, I expect nothing less from my Italian-exchange-student-turned-model-in-Hawaii friend...

Easy Street

From Vanessa Jackman

As Easy as One, Two...

On my way to lunch today, I heard Hey There Delilah in the car, and I was reminded about how much I love this other Plain White T's song....

Totally should have been included in my top 20 favorite videos countdown!

#MusicMonday

Tailor Made

Loving everything about Emerson Made's line.....

Words of Wisdom... on networking

A while back, I blogged about some advice I had for college kids, and today, I ran across a discussion on LinkedIn from recent Mizzou grad Chris Schmidt. Chris asked, "Besides networking, what are some suggestions you would have for a recent grad trying to find a position in the marketing/advertising industry?"

This bit of advice came from Paul Peterson, marketing manager at Nevco and owner of Big Screen Games, and I literally agree with every word he said.

1) Volunteer. Find a non-profit organization or cause that you're passionate about and volunteer your services. (If you can volunteer marketing/advertising services, so much the better, but any kind of volunteering will do.) It gives you something to do, something to keep your skills sharp, something to put on your resume, and something to talk about when you network.

2) Network in trade associations in your profession. Groups like PRSA, AMA, IABC and others have lunch and learn meetings every month. Go to those. It keeps you up to date on what's happening in your industry. And you never know who you might get to sit next to. (That's how I found my current job - a man I met at an AMA lunch who connected me with someone at my new employer's company.)

3) Network with a servant's heart. When networking, try to treat it as an opportunity to help others, not an opportunity for a job. If your primary intention at a networking event is to find a job (or someone who will give you a job, or someone who can connect you to someone who will give you a job) you will repel people. People think "Oh, he needs a job and I can't help him, so I won't bother talking to him." If you network with a servant's heart and look for people you can help (instead of people who can help you), then you'll be more approachable. Try helping others and Karma will boomerang it back at you.

I know my job search wasn't perfect. I was 'unemployed' for six months. Sure, nowadays, I'm a social butterfly when it comes to tweetups and meetups with local professionals, but I wasn't doing those things before I got my job at Atomicdust. I wish someone had told me this advice.... Better yet, I wish I would have asked.

Fate

I saw a wrapper for one of these strawberry candies on the ground the other day and seriously considered taking a picture of it to send to I'm Remembering.... and then it shows up on the site this afternoon! Crazy. 

But seriously, I love those things. 

It's Nice to Share

Took a trip to NYC; stayed at a W hotel; filled out a survey when I got back, and then got this email...

Aside from the super corny 'W's', I was rather impressed. Prompting you customers to leave reviews on websites? Not a bad idea. I had a great stay there, but wouldn't have thought to leave a tip on any travel site. Anything that encourages people to use social media/user generated reviews and content is fine by me...

What do you think? Good idea, or bad idea?

R Patz... You Got Nothin'

Sigh. Alexander Skarsgard, you are so dreamy. 

Don't forget to see more of Skarsgard and his True Blood friends on the Rolling Stones cover (might be NSFW). Oh, and did I mention he goes sockless (also might be NSFW)...

Paper Cranes

Lauren + JP from Matt Odom on Vimeo.
This is a super cool alternative to doing a lame wedding video!

And PS: Haters on the Internet, you are so rude. Get a life.

#weddingwednesday

Wild

In love with these images from The Animal Print Shop. Ugh, adorable. 

Epic #Fail

From Failbook

Take It Back!

I am NOT in my 40s.

Be Careful.

Lazy Hazy Hot

After being out of town for three weekends in a row, I'm more than ready for a weekend at home. Festivities include (but not limited to): dinner and drinks at Robust with Monica, friend visiting from Chicago, hanging out at the pool, a little home improvement, and a pedicure. Not too shabby. 

Have a happy weekend!

PS: I love this image from Sebastiaan Bremer.... I feel like this is what St. Louis heat looks like! Stay cool!

[Reblog:] Meet Me at the Muny…

Note: This post originally appeared on Girls Guide to the Galaxy. The site has since gone under, and I'm not sure how much longer these posts will still exist. But they were good. And I don't want to loose them. To see the original, click here. 

For me, summer in St. Louis means one thing… Muny time!

I’ve been My mom has been a season ticket holder for something like five or six years, and before that we always used to sit in the free seats (yes, I said free. Didn’t know you could explore this St. Louis treasure without dishin’ out the big bucks? Well, now you do. More on that in a minute…). The Muny has become part of our summer traditions- every Wednesday, we meet for dinner, head to the show, and spend the whole car ride home chatting about what we liked, what we didn’t like, and which singing audience member annoyed us the most.

The Muny season is about to come to a close- this is the last weekend to go see Showboat, the last show of the season!- so I thought it was high time for me to weigh in with my tips and tricks to enjoying your season at the Muny. Use them to your advantage, this season or next…

Dress appropriately

Okay, I get it. To some people, the Muny is the theee-A-tor, but remember, you live in St. Louis. It is a million degrees outside. Gals, throw on a comfy but cute sundress and pull your hair back in a bun or ponytail. Guys, polos and shorts will do the trick. Trust me on this one.

Leave the kids at home

I’m going to get a lot of debate on this one, I just know it. But seriously, the Muny is (usually) no place for children. You are asking your ADHD four-year old to sit in the heat with limited food and bathroom breaks for something like two hours and expect for them not to be a disturbance to fellow patrons? Are you kidding?

On the flipside, kids should be exposed to the theater. My advice? Make sure it is a show they really want to see (and one that is appropriate for them to see… Miss Saigon for five-year olds? Bad choice) and get them pumped beforehand by showing them the movie. My first show at the Muny was Oklahoma, one of my absolute favorite movies when I was a kid (and still now). The Muny has ‘family-friendly’ shows every year, for example Beauty and the Beast, Wizard of Oz, Annie, Peter Pan…

Take your seats

The Muny is huge. (Seriously. It is the biggest,and oldest, outdoor amphitheater in the country!) No matter where you’re sitting, you might be leaning from side to side to see around that big head in front of you. It’s just a fact of life (and a fact of the theee-A-tor). The best thing abut the Muny’s size though is that there really is no bad seat in the house. Every seat gives you a different angle, a different view. And like I mentioned before, the Muny has free seats. That means you can go for absolutely nothing! Genius.

Don’t force it

Got a family member, friend, boyfriend, or husband that doesn’t enjoy musical theater? Don’t ask them to come to the Muny. Simple. It is too hot, too long and too boring for them. Let them stay home in the AC and you can enjoy the show without their complaining.

That being sad, I believe there is a show out there for everyone to enjoy. Which leads me to my next point…

Pick your shows wisely

As I said before, every year, the Muny features at least one family-friendly option. This is usually the big, blockbuster performance that runs two weeks (aka the one they can make the most money off of). The rest of the season will be rounded out with a few classics, a sort of operetta show, and a new, trendy musical. Take this season for example:

Showboat- classic

Sound of Music- classic; family-friendly

Cats- operatic-style

Beauty and the Beast- family-friendly

Titanic- operatic-style

Footloose- new and trendy

Damn Yankees- classic

Every season is different and there will always be a handful of shows you aren’t interested in seeing (for me, it was Cats – because I didn’t like it at all last time it was there- and Sound of Music- because I’ve seen it a gazillion times and I prefer the movie to the stage version), but you’re bound to find one that fits the bill. And don’t be afraid to try new shows! Most of my favorites have been shows I had never seen before (Aida, Annie Get Your Gun, Damn Yankees, My One and Only…)!

The Muny matters

Paul Blake and the rest of the Muny crew spend countless hours bringing these shows to our city every summer. These are not traveling groups like you would see at the Fox… these shows are all unique to the Muny! Produced just for us, just for this stage! The Muny matters to St . Louis. It was part of the 1904 World’s Fair. It is part of historic Forest Park. It is a major player in St. Louis theater tradition. We should be proud of it, and enjoy it!

PS: Make sure you are following The Muny on Facebook and Twitter! They post tons of pictures and information, even in the off season!