Nail Polish: OPI vs American Apparel

I may not always be the most fashionable when it comes to clothes- I usually stick to black or denim trousers with a neutral top- but when it comes to nails, more often than not, they will be painted. 

OPI was really popular in college so most of my collection is OPI, though Dior is now my favorite. However, neither of these brands are particularly cheap. I wanted to try out a mint nail polish, but didn't really want to spend more than $10. There's an American Apparel between my office and the subway so I popped in to see if they had nail polish- they do! They're under $10, don't have DBP, toluene or formaldahyde in them AND it dries really quickly.

Since I like to do an accent nail or two, I used both the colors in the photo above. 

Pink = OPI, Mint = American Apparel

and look what happened to just the pink nails! Both of my accent nails were ruined. 

I can't get over how fast the American Apparel nail polish dries, and the color is just like you see it in the bottle. The only downside being that they have mostly trendy colors and their range is not great, but next time I need a trendy color, I know where to go!

I ended up redoing just the accent nails (and painting one with a purple/gray color from Lancome instead) and then having some fun decorating them. I ended up loving the mint and light pink combination so much that I used the same two colors when repainting them the next time. 

Check out the designs below!

//  Do you have any great nail polish/makeup finds?

On the Road... To Las Vegas!

The bachelorette party I was so fervently planning is finally here! I left work a tad early and took a bus, subway and airtrain to finally get to JFK. It's raining here in NYC so I'm extra excited to be in Vegas.
The Delta Airline's wing smells like fast food, but makes up for it with a bunch of charging stations. They're a bit squished together, but totally get the job done, and are plenty of space if your legs are corgi-esque like mine are. The stations come with a little desk so I'm just sitting with my bottle of water and ipod to get some work done... on paper. At a charging station but working old school :)
The first picture is my travel outfit... more like uniform since I wear it all the time. The shoes change, but today I'm wearing my Ked's with Uniqlo's leggings pants (aka my comfy travel secret), a loose button up shirt from Banana Republic (i also switch up shirts depending on weather), and Coach crossbody. It's just so nice to have at least one hand free by using a crossbody. Plus, this camel color matches just about anything.
Time to find some dinner and get some work done!
Happy Traveling!
x, Erica

Solo Lunch

I work in a small office, so it's very common for all of us to eat together, or at least groups of whoever has a good stopping point at that time. If we're busy, we'll eat at our desks. Today I stepped out to grab some food to go since it's so gorgeous out, but as I was heading into the restaurant, I thought I'd just stay and eat in. Table for one.

It felt SO GOOD. I often travel solo, or at least some parts of the trip are solo so it's just something I enjoy now. If I learned something today, it's that I need my alone time. And not necessarily a night in, but a nice or a fun meal. Like scheduling events with friends, I might start setting a lunch or dinner aside that I enjoy on my own.

In Recent News... Tornadoes hit the Midwest

By now you've probably heard of the tornadoes that have occured in the Midwest of the US. For those who are looking to stay informed via the internet, here are some media outlets that are providing live updates. 

• Washington Post
• Huff Post 
• ABC News
• News 9 (local news station)
• NewsOK (local newspaper)

Please note that you should always question the information that any media outlet provides to make sure that you have accurate information. The death tolls are often different depending on network and in fact, the Medical Examiner's office even revised their death toll number today from 91 to 24. 

I've also found this twitter handle of the National Weather Service in Norman, OK very useful in getting up to date weather information for that area from a reliable source. 

• @NWSNorman 

Things that you can do

• Keep those affected in your hearts
• Research & Donate to a reliable charity or fund
• Stay informed! 

This last one is particularly important. You never know what's going to happen so even if you don't plan on being in an area with tornado risk, you should know what to do if a tornado siren goes off. I had no clue until yesterday, but now I know!

• Get in a basement. If not possible...
• Get in a bathtub (with a mattress on top). If not possible...
• Move away from all windows

There are also specialists who explain why the region is not only prone to tornadoes, but also why we are seeing such destructive tornadoes so late into spring. 

My thoughts are with those affected. 

_________________________

*Please note that I am not endorsing any of the media outlets listed or linked above.

Alumni Event at 7 WTC

Last night, I had the opportunity to attend an alumni event at 7 WTC, the only one of the planned world trade center buildings that surround the 9/11 memorials. One of our fellow alumni is on the architectural team and talked to us about the innovations that have gone into the blueprints of these buildings. I found it especially timely that the NYTimes had printed an article today about the security that is being put into place and how that might take away from not only the aesthetics, but also the experience of the area.

What the towers are going to look like when they are all built. 

You'll notice that 1WTC is the tallest and they spiral down in height. 

The WTC buildings are all to have floor to ceiling glass, allowing for amazing views of the area and for the sky to be reflected by the buildings. 

9/11 memorial

This was my very first alumni event, and I had such a great time! I'm definitely going to have to go to more. It's so nice to be around people who understand the difference between Pacific and Atlantic salmon. ;)

// Have you ever been to an alumni event? Tell me about it below!

Weekend Brunch

My brunching habits are getting out of control. 

Seriously out of control. 

The recent trend has been to have family brunch on Saturdays, and then brunch with my friend and fellow brunch-lover, Kristen on Sundays. This photo here is from brunch at Boulud Sud, one of Daniel Boulud's restaurants. This one is Mediterranean inspired. 

Of my prix-fixe meal of house smoked salmon & Spanish omlette and ice cream (blood orange, anice, cinnamon), I have to say that the ice cream was the best. I wish I could get pints of it, though I'm sure that one pint alone would be my weekly dining out budget. 

However, they did have an interesting couscous yogurt parfait in the stater options, which would be amazing to be able to recreate at home. It was honey greek yogurt, large couscous, crasins, pomegranate and pine nuts. Seriously, try this at home. (and then let me know if you come up with a good recipe ;) )

// Do you have any weekend rituals? //

In Recent News... 04/02/2013

How often do you read the news?

I have to admit that before I started working in broadcasting, I read the newspaper very little, and watched the news even less, mostly because I was so busy reading blogs. After starting my new job, I am always knee deep in newspapers and the news is like white noise to me. I thought I'd start doing a little run down of interesting news bits that have been going on so you don't have to skim the papers yourself.

Please note that this isn't intended to spark any debates and I am not saying that any opinions that I express are the ones that you should have. I just want to curate the news so it's more palatable to you. BUT I make mistakes. If you see an error, please kindly let me know in the comments!

North Korea
why you should care: The US has never been on good terms with the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea), but things are starting to get seriously heated as shown by this headline: "North Korea Eclipses Iran as Nuclear-Arms Threat." Even the new Pope, Pope Francis I addressed this issue in his Easter speech.

• This weekend Kim Jong-un signed approval to send missiles to the US (HI as well as the mainland)
• Just today, they are re-starting a nuclear reactor to increase their capacity to create nuclear weaponry.  This reactor was deactivated in 2007 as part of a nuclear disarmament treaty. 
• Also today, the US moved an Aegis-grade naval vessel closer to North Korea from where it was stationed in Japan to closer monitor North Korea and to be able to intercept any missiles.

ATT (Arms Trade Treaty)

why you should care: Because constant global conflict continues to drive people out of their homes, to kill the innocent, and bring corruption to many parts of the world. It also applies to the US and the ability for US citizens to purchase assault weapons (the NRA is not happy about this). 

• This UN treaty puts restrictions on the multi-billion dollar international weapons trade in an attempt to decrease the accessibility of assault weapons to 
• Iran, North Korea & Syria do not support the ATT, while the rest of the UN member nations passed it unanimously.  

Oil Spills
why you should care: We all consume a historically high amount of oil. Even the most eco-conscious person out there. It's so ingrained into our systems that we can't avoid it- yet. Putting aside the fact that we are depleting non-renewable energy sources at an alarming rate, oil spills are detrimental to the environment. Think it's a localized problem? Think again. The ocean gets around. Remember all that garbage that's washing up on the west coast from the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan? Oil is much lighter than that.

• Just a couple days ago there was an oil spill in Arkansas.
• Remember the BP oil spill? That's still not taken care of. It's still affecting the environment (including wildlife!)

Violence Against Women

why you should care: Gender equality still does not exist. That means that half of the world's population is being discriminated against. For something they can't control. 

• Tourist from the US is gang raped while her bf is handcuffed and beaten in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• A huge spread in the NYT told a story of an Afghan father who agreed to trade his daughter as a child bride in order to settle debts. The word "bride" in this case simply means that she legally belongs to the family.
• North Korea's King Jong-un made a gender-based bash on new South Korean President Park

Fun News

why you should care: Because smiling is also a part of life. 

• The White House's April Fool's prank
• Orphaned baby polar bear taken to zoo in Alaska (It's sad, but the bear is ADORABLE.)
• How one company is empowering women through accessories (Okay, this is shameless self promotion, but it's still a cool company and you should read it.)