6 WAYS TO SHiNE ONLiNE AND iRL

I recently saw an artictle on IFB on how to be a social media butterfly, and in particular how to be a gracious Tweeter. Once again, it is an article that can be wonderfully applied to more than what it is written for, as the tips are applicable to real life as well as the internet! There were 6 main points made in the article, which can help anyone shine both online and IRL:

1. Listen, respond thoughtfully, and ask questions or make statements that can spark lively conversation.


2. Don’t suck up to bloggers/editors/celebrities/publications that you follow. You’re too good for that, I promise!


3. Be confident, be gracious, be vivacious!


4. Share things that are interesting, beautiful, funny, thought-provoking, fashionable… you get the idea. Use photos (Instagram is awesome), links, and videos to add color to your dialog.


5. Do not be the Debbie Downer of Twitter. Keep the emotional, personal, and self-pitying tweets to a minimum.


6. Be yourself, of course! Your unique voice, your perspective, that’s what matters. It’s why and how you write a fabulous blog, and why you further engage with followers and potential new followers (and friends) through social media.

STELLA MCCARTNEY WINTER 2012

I've stopped posting on all of the shows during Fashion Weeks, as there are too many beautiful looks to upload and it's overwhelming to keep up with. Furthermore, every fashion site and blog re-posts the same photos and reviews, so I didn't want to add to the jumble. Instead, I've satiated my FW sharing desires by pinning one or two favorites to Pinterest (see, so handy!).


However, today's Stella McCartney show at Paris Fashion Week had too many great looks to bombard Pinterest with. Here are a few moments from Stella's "Winter 2012" collection, following her completely amazing "Fall 2012" private show in London, also shown below on her fab model friends. Enjoy!

Winter 2012

 Fall 2012

Photos via Style.com

Other Fashion Week highlights for me have been Jason Wu, Victoria Beckham, Burberry Prorsum, Emilio Pucci, Nina Ricci, Chalayan, Haider Ackerman, and Giambatitsta Valli (aka Emma Stone's new wardrobe). What have been your favorite shows so far?

EVERY HOME HAS A STORY

I once wrote a post on how each piece in your home can tell a story. At the time, I was sharing a lovely apartment with a girlfriend, and our home was reflective of our friendship and memories with our group of girls. Six months ago, after our lease ended, I moved into my own apartment for the first time. Living alone can be a little scary, but overall, it feels refreshing and empowering to become responsible for my own place. I've enjoyed creating a space that's reflective of my individual story and goals for the next chapter of life. Besides, in a way, I'm sort of never really alone in my apartment. Many of my pieces have been passed down from my great-grandmothers, exchanged between my grandmother and her sister, and shared by my mother and her sisters. Together with photos of friends and mementos from my past, my first place of my own creates a warm story of love: a story of my evolving life.


Normally, I really don't like talking about myself or my stuff (all this writing in the first person makes me nervous-- do I sound self-indulgent?). But I have come to notice that some of my favorite things to read online have to do with people's personal stories or experiences, and I especially love peeking into real people's homes. I hope you enjoy this post in that way.


One of the favorite spots in my home is the entry way, which is the first things guests are welcomed by when they enter.


Left Side

1. "Graceful Dancer" by Lesley Fotherby

This was a greeting card from my mom a few years ago, an ode to my dancer past.

2. 1964 edition of my favorite book, Gone With the Wind 

My grandmother got this edition of Gone With the Wind while working in the public library when my mom and aunts were in school. The inside page has a penciled-in name, "Mary Lou Huston, 1969". I always wonder whose hands the book has passed through, and whose hearts the story has touched.

3. Golden pineapple lamp

When I was in junior high, my mom let me help re-decorate the front entry of our home. We saw this funny little lamp at the now-defunct Bombay Company, and I absolutely loved it. I'm glad I get to have it in my entry way now.

4. Fashion illustration

This is an atelier sketch from a fashion house I interned for while still in school. The dress in the sketch was worn by the Best Actress winner at the Golden Globes that year, a project I was very proud to have helped make happen. I treasured my internship experience, and it helped set me on the path toward my career in fashion PR. 

5. Letter from Marilyn Monroe

This typed letter is addressed to the German Consulate General on Wilshire Boulevard. It reads, "Thank you for your champagne. It arrived, I drank it, and I was gayer. Thanks again." Not only did I think this quaint note was very funny, but I also live on Wilshire, so I had to have it displayed.

6. Nostalgia in Vogue

This is my treasured copy of Nostalgia in Vogue. I have written how deeply I adore this column and book, so it had to have a prominent position.

7. Venetian mirrored console

This piece used to be in my parents' entry way. At Christmas, we would put dozens of candles on the top, the glittery silver trees and twinkling tea lights all reflecting their warmth a thousand times over in the mirrored surface.

Right Side

1. Gold scrolled mirror

This was in one of my parents' first homes together. When I was little, I thought it was a princess mirror.

2. Vogue Covers

This is the British edition of Vogue Covers, given to me last Christmas by one of my most lovely friends from work.

3. Masquerade photo

This vintage frame belonged to my great-grandmother Viola. The photo was taken at my birthday party year before last, during which we all donned masks and drank champagne.

4. US Army frame with party picture

This vintage frame, with a dignified eagle perched atop, was a frame issued by the US Army to hold an official portrait of my great-grandfather during World War II. The picture in the frame now was torn out of a magazine, and reads, "The Party: At home or on the other side of the globe, no matter where you party, make sure to do it in style... and always in the company of good friends!"

5. Brass candle sticks

These have belonged to my mother for as long as I can remember. They look slightly vintage, and when I was little, I always thought they were very elegant.

What are your favorite pieces? What stories does your home tell?

GARANCE DORE FOR JALOUSE

Garance Doré for Jalouse. Shot at the Chelsea Hotel, New York

SNL'S REAL HOUSEWIVES OF DISNEY: BE OUR GUEST, BE OUR GUEST, CAVIAR, VERSAAAACE

The media has been buzzing in anticipation of Lindsay Lohan's hosting spot on SNL tonight, but gossip and opinions on LiLo's performance aside, her turn as Rapunzel in "The Real Housewives of Disney" was truly one of the funniest things ever. "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" is a secret guilty pleasure (my office was next door to housewife Lisa Vanderpump's restaurant, Villa Blanca-- after battling hordes of paparrazzi every day, I had to tune in to see what the fuss was about, okay), so I got a huge kick out of the parody. Kristin Wiig's Cinderella, a thinly-veiled RHOBH Kim Richards, stole the show, but Belle's remix version of "Be Our Guest" was also pretty amazing.

Disney Housewives video here

P.S. Yes, I just used RHOBH as an acronym.

8 WAYS TO DEAL WITH ANXIETY CAUSED BY UNCERTAINTY

These are uncertain times for many people. There are many established professionals whose careers have been wrested away by an ailing economy, and many young people struggling to build a life for themselves in an over-saturated market. There are lonely people wondering if they will ever be blessed with a life partner, and there are those who grapple with walking away from an unfulfilling or toxic relationship. These uncertainties can wear away at our spirits, leaving us feeling depleted, depressed, and unworthy. Psychotherapist Bonnie Katz, who counsels those in the (notoriously uncertain) performing arts industry, confirms that uncertain times have the power to keep people locked in constant anxiety. This anxiety chips away at self-esteem, making it difficult to hold on to past achievements, and nearly impossible to put our best foot forward.

So how can we overcome anxiety when we find ourselves in an uncertain place in life? In her article, "Dealing with Uncertainty", Bonnie outlines eight points to help gain perspective, reinforce confidence, and make a positive change. The points are geared toward the actors she counsels, but can be wonderfully applied to anyone.

You can begin working on your uncertainty by following these eight tips:

1. Know and understand your emotional blocks caused by old belief systems formed from past wounds.
Replace negative self-talk with positive words that will move you forward instead of backwards.    Remember playing those negative tapes in your head will only set you up for fear and unhappiness. Stop them now! 

2. Focus on the process and not the outcome. 
When auditioning, stop fixating on whether or not you will get the part, instead set your intention on simply having an illuminating experience. Think journey not destination.

3. Make generosity a way of life.
Giving to others will bring you more balance. What you are experiencing will feel a lot less overwhelming when you open your heart and give to others. 

4. Dwell in the present without obsessing about the past or the future. 
Practice being in the present moment by learning mindful meditation.

5. Avoid comparisons.
The next time you are among other actors waiting to audition, look around and see them as colleagues not competitors. You are all in the same family. 

6. Stop trying to control the uncontrollable.
Instead, strive for excellence in everything you do and be content in knowing that is enough. 

7. Gratitude will protect you from unhappiness. 
“People who keep gratitude journals on a weekly basis are healthier, more optimistic, and more likely to make progress toward achieving personal goals.” –Robert Emmons. 

8. And above all when you feel doubt and uncertainty, stay grounded by remembering who you are today including all of your accomplishments and successes.

"Change is possible, but it takes time and effort just like everything else that is worthwhile in life.
Don’t expect outside material things to take care of your internal insecurities, it’s an inside job.
No one can give you anything that will be worth more than what you give yourself.
To deal with the uncertainty in your profession and in your life, don’t let fear shrink you.
Learn to face the fear of uncertainty by keeping an open mind and an open heart.
Strive to be a courageous soul who welcomes whatever shows up at the door today." 

-- Bonnie Katz, MFT

If you ever find yourself in an uncertain place, I hope these points help you to remember that your unique gifts will light the path out of the darkness, and give you the strength to overcome anxiety.

Photos: Natalia Vodianova by Paolo Roversi styled by Cathy Kasterine for i-D via FGR