Worth it

An unintentional shrine to Miuccia; tying up some pretty packages

Sometimes, mostly on exceptionally trying days like the ones I had last week, I find myself wondering if this is all worth it. "This," of course, being the following: waking up at 5:15 in the morning and not being able to go to sleep any earlier than midnight; spending 12 hours a week on a bus; working in a clothing store all weekend instead of relaxing so that I can afford to commute three days week; staring at InDesign until 11 at night so that the Style section of the newspaper layout is done in time for our printer's deadline; fielding emails from writers for the magazine and trying to explain nicely how the editors have the final say in their captions or their titles; not hearing from my Hong Kong group members until the night before our assignment is due; realizing only 10 minutes before Multimedia: Space class that I don't have half of the materials I needed for this week's installation because I didn't have time to go to CVS; eating another giant bowl of quinoa or rolled oats and an apple for dinner because I didn't have time to go to the grocery store; declining another Friday night outing with friends because my bus doesn't get in until 8:30 at night. 

Then, some really spectacular moments occur, like one did on Tuesday. Last week marked the Fall/Winter 2014 Miu Miu show in Paris, and only days later we received some preliminary lookbooks in our office. These smaller, spiral books were bound in a soft pink textured cover, and while each look was numbered, there were no items names, product numbers or color codes. I was instructed by the press assistant to package a number of lookbooks in a very specific manner: first, I wrapped them in soft grey tissue paper. Then, I placed them in a tiny Miu Miu bag, and I tied the handles with two bows of custom Miu Miu ribbon. That's when I noticed the handwritten notes attached to each book. "Dear Anna...", "Dear Grace...", "Dear Virginia...". The press assistant passed me a larger bag and said to put three of the books in it, for the Vogue girls. I'm sure my eyes popped out of my head because he chuckled a little and told me to personally address three labels to three very important women in the Conde Nast building. I was tempted to slip in a fan-girl love note to Grace, confessing my adoration for her visionary talents as well as her British sass, but I managed to restrain myself. I knew that this was grunt work, but I still find myself getting starstruck by all of the influential people I'm surrounded by who before only existed in an unattainable, far away place called "the fashion industry."

Some days, I feel like PR really isn't for me, and it weighs on my conscience. I'm interested in more than just a name on my resume, I want a fulfilling experience. I realized last week, exhausted and on the verge of a minor meltdown, that I have too much on my plate. One person should know better than to do everything that I'm doing and expect to stay sane, or even expect to get a full night's sleep. But deep down inside, I know I would regret not working on all of the projects I'm involved in. If I don't make some sacrifices and give it my all, I'll never get where I want to be. Then, when I get to touch the same lookbook Grace Coddington may or may not also touch, it makes me realize I'm one step closer than I was yesterday to working in the offices at Vogue.

P.S. One of the other interns didn't even know who Anna Wintour was. Who is she and WHY is she here???

On Camera: HuffPost Live

On this past quiet Sunday evening, I received one of the most unexpected emails, well, ever. A producer from HuffPost  had read my articles here on d&m@Work and wanted me to contribute to a segment on the effects of commuting. Yeah, I thought it was a joke at first too, but I knew I had nothing to lose.

I myself was rather unfamiliar with HuffPost Live, so I did a bit of binge watching the night before. Each segment is hosted by a Huffington Post correspondent who presents a topic along with a panel of individuals with relevant experiences who contribute via web chat.

 Huffington Post notes their Third Metric initiative is to redefine success to include well-being, wisdom and compassion: "The current model of success -- which equates success with burnout, sleep deprivation, and driving ourselves into the ground -- isn't working." This particular segment was addressing a recent study conducted in the U.K. that correlated longer commute times with greater levels of unhappiness and anxiety. Much to my dismay, all of the data noted a relationship between bus and coach travel and the highest level of stress. You can probably all infer that I was not the least bit surprised.

The other contributors consisted of an avid biker and blogger from Seattle, a screenwriter who commuted to work by car in Los Angeles, and a researcher from Wales. Dr. Newman, the researcher, concluded that individuals who walk or bike to work by choice are more content because they feel more in control of their situation. I realized immediately that my commute was so stressful because I am merely an passive rider. I'm subject to weather, traffic and drivers who don't know their way around and ends up making a wrong turn or two. It was also noted that economics played a significant role in the way people choose to commute, and as my internship is unpaid I can only afford to take the most inexpensive method of transport: the bus. Despite my less-than-ideal commuting situation, my supervisors are not only incredibly understanding but also respectful of the effort I'm making to commute such a long distance in order to work.

Check out the video here!

In Her Bag: Winter Edition

One of my favorite sections to run in The Triangle is a feature called "In Her/His Bag," where we unpack a student's bag and have them talk about what they have inside. As the primary photographer for the Style section, I like it because I enjoy piecing everything together like a puzzle for the photos, but it also gives us a revealing look into what that person considers their most essential items. Maybe this is just a reflection of how our consumer culture has become such a prominent part of our day-to-day lives, or maybe I'm just nosey. Here, I've emptied my bag to show you my own work-day essentials.

Madewell Sloan Satchel: Some people are shoe people, some are bag people, but I wouldn't consider myself to be either. I have three or four bags that I rotate based on occasion, with one for everyday, a larger tote for school, and smaller bags for going out. After completely destroying several of my everyday purses, I realized how important it was to invest in quality items, especially when it's something being used every day. This is my second Madewell leather bag and I'm absolutely in love. I'll also note that all of these items were a bit of a tight squeeze...I couldn't close the zipper!

Urban Outfitters Wallet: I bought this wallet on sale about a year ago after I broke the zipper on my previous one. I love the floral motif and sometimes, when I'm in a rush or only have to go a short distance, I'll carry it alone. It never fails to receive a compliment or two. I also like wallets that don't fold or crush my dollar bills.

Madewell Teddy Loafers: On this particular day last week, I was trudging through a lot of slush and puddles, so wearing my wellies to work was essential. I knew I wouldn't want to stomp around the office in rain boots all day so I stuffed these flats into my bag.

Asos Cable Knit Beanie: Up until a few weeks ago, I didn't own a winter hat. I know that sounds maddening, and you're probably shouting "Courtney, no wonder you're always freezing!" But I'll let you know I have a pair of earmuffs that I used on the daily. I've recently succumbed to the beanie trend and it's actually a million times warmer, which should come as no surprise. The things I'll do to protect my hair...

Moleskine Weekly Planner: I'm not sure what it is about Moleskine notebooks, but they're my favorites. Maybe it's their luxurious leather covers, fun colors or interior pockets. I splurged a bit on this one but it's essential in order for me to stay on top of my myriad of obligations: class, work, the newspaper, D&M Magazine, shifts at my part-time job, when to go grocery shopping, etc. If I don't pencil in time to sleep, I probably won't do it.

Micron Pen: I love a good inky pen. Nothing is more satisfying than a nice, dark inky pen line.

1GB USB Drive: Anything less just wouldn't do, and at any given moment I'll have half-a dozen working layouts for the magazine and photos for the newspaper stored on this guy.

Burt's Bees Lip Balm: This is a year-round necessity for me, but it's especially helpful in the bitter midst of winter.

Hair Ties/Bobby Pins: When I finally get home at the end of the day, I often find myself running back and forth to either clean up the mess I made that morning or making dinner. The last thing I want is hair in my face or hair in my food, so I always have something on hand. You also never know when you'll be caught in some bad weather, so I also consider this my Bad Hair Day Emergency Kit.

Samsung Galaxy S4 & Klipsch Headphones: Would you believe me if I told you this was my first smartphone? It was a gift for my birthday last spring, and I was so reluctant to switch because I pay for my own phone bill. Now that I've owned an Android I know I could never go back to a device without a mobile network. Welcome to the 21st century, self. These Klipsch earbuds are also noise-cancelling and are lifesavers whether I'm commuting on the bus or on the subway.

Make sure you check out the next issue of the Style Section for a new In Her Bag feature!

New York Without the Fashion Week

Earlier this week, one of our instructors asked a student to recount her experiences at New York Fashion Week. Like me, she's working as a PR intern for a designer in New York, but she worked during fashion week and I didn't.

At first, I felt the pangs of FOMO - the Fear of Missing Out. Why didn't I work at fashion week? Why didn't I intern with an American designer? Why didn't I do more and work harder?

Even the two other interns were sent to KCD on the first Friday of fashion week to stuff envelopes for show invitations, whereas I was in the office all day taking care of press clippings and the like. But, at about 4 in the afternoon, the woman's PR coordinator called me over to ask something important. She handed me a corporate credit card and a look book. I need you to go to this address and pick up these looks from this person, she said. They were just shooting these looks today, so I needed to verify that each and every piece was in the garment bag. I grabbed my coat and I embarked on my mission to recover two runway looks.

Hailing a cab was no problem, and it wasn't long before I had arrived at Highline Stages in the Meatpacking District. I stepped out of the cab into a pile of brown roadside snow...and a cluster of photographers. They weren't taking photos of me, I'm pretty sure, but there were a series of mini photo shoots all over the sidewalk. One tall model-esque man with floppy blonde hair was changing his shirt under an overhang. A woman in a fuzzy coat was being instructed to walk back and forth across the sidewalk in the same spot. Another woman in a pretty unimpressive outfit was leaning against a doorway for a shot. But, most importantly, most of them were in my way. I had to weave through a photog and "excuse me" my way into the door.

I entered the third floor studio and it looked like a scene from a movie. Indie music was playing in the background, fashion assistants dressed in all black were organizing racks of clothing, and a seamless and lights were set up in the middle of the room. And then I saw her. I'm probably not allowed to say her name, but I will say that she is a former international Vogue editor and street-style darling who was shooting for her own independent publication. And I was in the same room as her.

At that point I was so overwhelmed that I dropped a very expensive designer silk blouse to the floor and left the fashion assistant scrambling to pick it up. They then insisted that I let them pack up the samples while I stood there and stared at one of the most influential editors in the industry. The whole experience lasted about five minutes, and even though I tried my best to be cool and nonchalant, I'm pretty I looked as excited as I felt.

When I got back to the office, I returned the credit card and lookbook to my supervisor and asked what the shoot was for. She confirmed my suspicion and I got all excited again. "I have to go tweet this!" I exclaimed, rather embarrassingly, and she and the men's coordinator both laughed. On my way out, as I wished everyone a good night, she said to remember, you saw that editor today.

So I didn't go to New York Fashion Week, and now everyone has left for the Milan shows leaving me once again feeling like I missed out. But I was in the same room as one of the most influential international fashion editors, so that's cool I guess.

The Breakfast Club

As I've mentioned before, my commute to work often leaves me crunched for time. I realized early on that skipping breakfast resulted in both a miserable commute and endless morning. More often than not, I broke down and fell into the processed grain pitfall that was the basket of bagels and muffins in the cafeteria. Making sure I was putting something nutritious into my body took some preliminary planning, but I've developed a series of breakfast spreads that are my go-to on my busiest mornings. The best part? Almost all of these ingredients are super inexpensive!

Gluten-free Rolled Oats & Banana

My favorite meal by far is a bowl of Trader Joe's gluten-free rolled oats and a banana. If you have a sweet tooth like I do, you can add a teaspoon of agave nectar or honey and a dash of cinnamon to your oats. Not only are they super inexpensive, but they're filling and gluten free. Sometimes I mix the banana in, but it's a great complement and also ridiculously inexpensive. Sometimes I'll bring an extra banana with me to snack on at my desk, but this breakfast almost always tides me over until lunch.

I am also proud to say that after years of being an avid coffee consumer, I have officially made the transition to tea. Relying on coffee every morning was a bit troublesome, and the migraines that ensued on the days I would skip my cuppa were totally not worth it. When I'm in a hurry, I'll just use a tea bag, but loose tea is my newest obsession.

Apple with Almond Butter & Hard Boiled Eggs

At the beginning of each week, I like to hard boil about half-a-dozen eggs and set them aside in the fridge. I've recently fallen in love with Trader Joe's almond butter, and I was completely astounded to read that the only ingredients in it were almonds. That's it. I'm not kidding! Who knew clean eating would be this easy? I sat down and compared the nutrition facts to a jar of peanut butter my roommates had left sitting on the table and I will note that a serving of each has about the same amount of fat, so I like to indulge in it sparingly. I like to cut up a whole apple and spread it with some almond butter, which along with two or three eggs is a pretty decent amount of protein. I usually end up snacking on a handful of almonds or a second apple mid-morning, I think because our bodies process the natural sugars in apples at a rather quick pace.

Grain-free Banana Pancakes

When I have a little more time on my hands, I like to make banana pancakes! These take a little more time to prepare and cook, but the preparation process is insanely easy. In its simplest form, all you need for these no-grain pancakes is one ripe banana and an egg. I like to add a pinch of baking soda to make them fluffy and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Drizzle them with a spoonful of honey or agave nectar if you're looking for a little something sweet, but these taste great on their own. If you're looking for something really filling, I would suggest doubling the ingredients by using two bananas and two eggs, and maybe even a tablespoon or two of almond butter mixed in.

Do you have any quick and simple breakfast recipes? I would love to hear them!

Great Expectations

Now that I've been working in my new position for over a month, I felt it was due time for some reflection. I'm not entirely sure what I was expecting from this internship, especially considering the fact I've never worked in New York City before. My previous internship was in a similar corporate environment, albeit we catered to quite a different market, so I had no idea what to expect.

That's right, there's seven of us. Of course we're not all here on the same day, but I can only imagine the chaos that would ensue considering we only have one desk, one computer and two chairs. Actually, only five interns work in the PR office and the other two spend their days two floors above us in the sample room. If I were to count the two Miu Miu interns as well, that would round us out to a grand total of nine interns.

I was by myself for the first two weeks, and when I arrived on my first day I knew exactly why the press assistant seemed excited to have me start earlier than the rest of the team. Our desk was piled high with every magazine imaginable, waiting to be read and tabbed and scanned and filed and then archived when a newer issue arrived. So there I was, fully caffeinated and wielding two nimble thumbs, ready to page through the dozens and dozens of glossy publications threatening to fall over and hit me on the head. Now that there's five of us to get the work done, my days have been considerably less busy. But, most importantly, our desk is immaculate.

I knew what I was signing up for when I decided to commute to New York via bus. I even gave myself a thirty-minute buffer between the time I arrived in the city and the time I needed to be in the office. I think I was also mislead by my experiences traveling during off-peak hours, where I would whiz through each toll booth and enter the Lincoln Tunnel uninhibited. Now, I often find myself staring at the NYC skyline from a highway in Weehawken, where my bus will sit for no less than twenty minutes as it attempts to merge into the lane that takes us to the tunnel. Thankfully, my supervisors seem to be impressed by the mere fact I commute such a distance three days a week, and they don't seem to mind when I arrive at five-past-nine.

If you know me, you know that I don't like to take the subway unless absolutely necessary. When I can avoid it, I even forgo SEPTA and walk into work in Center City Philadelphia on the weekends. However, after two weeks of numb toes and blistering winds, I bit the bullet and bought a Metro card. It took me a trip and a missed stop or two to figure out the subway system, but my morning commute was made slightly less stressful.

"Let's talk about your commute," said one of my supervisors to me during lunch last week. "How early do you wake up? Because your hair and makeup is always done."

My priorities in the morning have always been askew. I often spend a little too much time perfecting the wing on my eyeliner, leaving me with no other choice than to grab breakfast on the go. Now that I have to wake up even earlier, I have found that I'm skipping breakfast more and more frequently. I'll also already be on the bus when I realize I don't have enough cash on hand for the cafeteria, meaning I'll have to splurge on Seamless or make a pit stop in Pret-a-Manger on the way to the office. And, for the same reason I don't like to use the subway, I hate spending money on food when I don't need to. My recent initiative to avoid processed foods also means all of my meals are made from scratch, so the last thing I want for breakfast is a spicy chicken biscuit from 7-Eleven, even though that's all I'll have time for.

As with any major lifestyle change, it has taken some time for me to adjust. I think the fact that I like what I do, and that it will (hopefully) provide me with whole new set of opportunities, makes this all worthwhile.  

A Commuter's Nighmare: Part II

The weather gods have not been kind to me over the past several weeks. Whatever has settled over the east coast is making this one of the coldest winters I can recall in recent years, and it looks like it's here to stay. When last week's forecast called for snow on Tuesday, I felt a knot of worry form in my gut. I made a series of rather fruitless calls to BoltBus customer service on Monday, asking if they planned to cancel any of their buses, but the woman I spoke to was rude and provided no helpful information. I woke up Tuesday morning (on time!) and prepared myself for the worst. I got on the bus at the Philadelphia departure point without seeing a single flurry. However, within half an hour the sky was grey and the roads were dusty with a layer of snow.

My already normally frigid walk to the office now presented me with slippery sidewalks and a wind that blew snowy bits directly into my face. Hailing a cab in this weather was futile, and traffic was already slowing to a more cautious speed. I noted the covering on cars, stoops and street corners and knew this didn't bode well for my commute home. At 9:38 a.m., an email confirmed that my bus going home had been canceled. At lunch, another intern asked how I planned to get home, and I explained how I would take an NJ Transit train to the Trenton Transportation Center, at which point I would transfer to the SEPTA Trenton Line that would take me into Philadelphia. She raised her eyebrows and wished me luck.

Much to the surprise of everyone else in the office, an email sent to all of corporate announced a 4 p.m. office-wide early dismissal. Even though the rest of the PR team appeared to be staying, the press assistant urged us to be on our way. A shuttle waiting to take employees first to the Port Authority Bus Terminal, then to Grand Central Station, was waiting outside. It would have been convenient had there not been bumper-to-bumper traffic, which made what should have been a short trip about 45 minutes long. Making it out of the city in a snowstorm would be no easy feat.

A short subway ride from Port Authority took me to Penn Station (and forced me to buy a Metro card) where a train to Trenton was patiently waiting on the tracks. For once! A lucky break! I hopped right on the train and with virtually no delays, made it to my transfer location. When I arrived in Trenton, a SEPTA train was also waiting to go to Philadelphia, which made me feel seriously relieved. However, due to some indiscernible emergency announcement made over the speaker, our train was destined to sit on the platform for another half an hour. When we did finally begin to travel any significant distance, the train would slow to a stop, where it would sit for another ten minutes. I arrived at 30th Street Station after over 3 hours spent on the train, and to be honest, little feeling in my behind. After a slippery walk over snow-covered sidewalks, I finally made it to my apartment where I promptly curled up in bed, too tired to even think about making dinner.

I knew that commuting in the winter would come with its challenges, but I never expected them to be this exhausting.

A Commuter's Nightmare: Part I

When I accepted a part-time internship in New York City, I was aware of the complications that would come with commuting. In order to save money, I opted to travel my bus rather than by a direct train, a more costly but time-saving method. A friend of mine warned me of the temperamental nature of BoltBuses in inclement weather, but being me, I convinced myself I wouldn't have a problem. Lo and behold, the Northeast was struck by a Polar Vortex.

The first week of my internship coincided with my first week of classes, so making the adjustment from my winter break sleep schedule was a challenge in itself. In order to make it to work by 9 a.m., I have to catch a 6:30 a.m. BoltBus. That's right, 6:30. This mean's I'm awake at 5:30 three days a week. If you know me at all (or have ever had a morning class with me) you're probably aware I'm not a morning person in the least.

My first week as an intern was coming to a close and it had being going incredibly smoothly. The only problem I had was an ongoing fight with my off-kilter sleep schedule. My internal clock was keeping me up until way past midnight each night, giving me little time to rest. An early wake-up call on work days coupled with two 9 a.m. class periods and freezing morning temperatures caught up with me rather quickly, and by Thursday night I was feeling massively fatigued. On Friday morning, my alarm woke me up from a dream-inducing sleep, so I gave in and pressed the snooze button. Five minutes later, I turned off the second alarm and lay back in bed, thinking about what I would wear that day and promising myself I would get up in a minute or two. What a mistake. After what seemed like no more than 10 or 15 conscious minutes, I finally got out of bed and saw that my clock read...8:39.

This was a stress dream come to life. I had nervously dreamt about what would happen if I slept through my alarm or missed my bus. I was plagued by imaginary scenarios where I would try to run down the sidewalk, but my legs felt like they were wading through molasses, or weighed down by some imaginary force. And now, it was coming true.

Expletives flew out of my mouth like automatic fire from a machine gun. I jumped out of bed and threw on whatever clean clothes were closest to me. I ran to the sink to put in my contact lenses, briefly considering just wearing my glasses, and threw some essential makeup items in my purse. I grabbed my coat, slipped into my boots, snatched up my keys and was out the door in five minutes, hoping to catch the 9 o'clock. Much to my dismay, when I reached the lobby of my building, I saw that I was about to walk into freezing rain. There was no way I would be able to make it to the bus, let alone walk the 20 blocks from my bus stop to the office without an umbrella. So I returned to my apartment, where I ate a quick breakfast and made myself look slightly more presentable, before I went to catch the 9:30 bus.

Upon arriving at the departure location, I along with the other people in line, were informed that all buses were running 15 minutes late due to icy road conditions. The bus coming in to get us was late, and our trip to New York was running about 20 minutes behind schedule, so by the time I made it to the city it was noon. My only lucky break of the day was when I hopped off the bus, ran around the corner and found a taxi sitting on the corner. I knocked on the window and he said he was on duty, so I made it work in a matter of minutes and didn't even have to hail a cab.

Showing up to work 3 hours late was enough to scare me into setting a second and third alarm. I may resort to sleep aids, or perhaps I'll get so tired my body will force me to go to bed at a reasonable hour. Until then, I'll just continue my struggle to wake up on time.

P.S. I fell asleep again this morning and didn't get out of bed until 6. My future doesn't look so bright.

Life After Co-op

Hello! I’m no stranger to the D&M media hub (this past summer I blogged about my study abroad experience at d&mAbroad, and in the spring I made a couple of videos for our new Youtube channel), but allow me to introduce myself. My name is Courtney Denton and I’m a senior design & merchandising student. Along with graduating in June 2014 with a bachelor’s of science, I’ll have a minor in art history and a concentration in fashion product promotion and special events.

While most of the students here are writing about their co-op experiences, my position is a little different. I completed my co-op in the fall and winter of my junior year as a merchandising intern at A Pea in the Pod in Philadelphia. I had a great experience, learned more than I ever expected and was even able to stay on as a part-time intern once I started classes again. Despite having such a positive experience, I was ready to try something new once I returned to school this year.

I used to speculate about interning in New York, perhaps pursuing my likely unattainable dream of working for a fashion publication, but for some reason I decided that was an impossible goal. I think my pragmatism got the best of me, and I settled for some more accessible opportunities here at school. Without any industry connections or a dozen internships already under my belt, I didn't have a chance. Who was I kidding? Somewhere along the line this term my mindset changed pretty drastically. I completely redesigned my resume and started applying for internships like it was my job. I sent out no less than 20 applications, and even though I only got one interview request, somehow everything worked out.

I’m incredibly lucky to have gotten the position I did. I’ll be working as a public relations intern at the e U.S. headquarters of Prada! This means I will be commuting to New York from Philadelphia three days a week, while still taking a full load of courses. Wish me luck! I think I’ll really need it.