Did you send out holiday cards this year?

So instead of receiving paychecks (Where arrrre you? It's effing Christmas time!!!) or Crate & Barrel catalogs in the mail yesterday, I got like 50 (ok, five) Christmas cards from my friends--all of which included a recent wedding photo or baby picture. That is some grown-up shit right there. I love receiving mail (even if it does make me feel inadequate), so why I hardly ever send any is puzzling. Maybe I'm just a lazy asshole. In all of my adult years, I don't think I've sent one Christmas card to anyone. This year, the only two people receiving cards from yours truly will be my boyfriend's parents who live in London.

If I did send out holiday cards, this is most likely what they would look like. No one wants to see my face on a card--you see it on this blog enough as it is!

I thought this was pretty funny, too. Man, if I could send cards like this to all my relatives without offending them, I totally would. It would make things so much more fun! Maybe these negative feelings have something to do with the fact that my mom made the three of us wear matching outfits every year--until we were 14--for our Christmas card pictures. It was a total pain in the ass. Hmm, looks like I know what next week's Photo Shoot Friday will be!!!

What about you guys: Who's a mature adult that sent out holiday cards this year? And who's a big loser like me?? ;)

Do you watch Mad Men?

Ok, so it might seem like a throw away post to write about my favorite TV show, but I can't remember the last time I was this obsessed with something. My boyfriend and I recently started watching the Season 1 Mad Men DVDs, and I can't get enough! The show is genius—I have no idea why I'm just now discovering it.

Some of my friends don't like the show because of all the infidelity that goes on, but I love sexy scandals—I say bring it on! So yeah, women weren't treated the best in the workplace back in the '60s, but I think it's interesting to learn about the way things were back then. I'm all for women's rights, but I'm by no means a feminist, so the lewd and degrading remarks the men say to the women really don't bother me. Don Draper could say just about anything to me, and I'd be putty in his hands.

The man has crazy sex appeal--there is no denying that. He has made me consider a career change to advertising, but why do I have a feeling that only Don Draper wannabes exist on Madison Avenue? And can we talk about the constant drinking that goes on in the office? Yes, please! I can only imagine the brilliant ideas I'd come up with if I was under the influence 24/7.

I recently got Liza into the show, too. She's not far enough along to see why Peggy is by far my favorite character (other than Don). It took me three or four episodes to get over her horrendous bangs, which I'm guessing is what Liza is struggling with, too. She's smart, relatable and charming in her own quirky way. Love her. I can't wait to see what happens with her character--don't spoil it for me!

What about you guys: Do you watch Mad Men? Who's your favorite character? And which of the men would you most want to have an office romance with? That's the thing, I'm really not into anyone other than Don. I hope a few more hotties come on board in the upcoming episodes!

Did you dream about your wedding day as a little girl?

I didn't. And I'm not trying to pretend to be a hardcore bad ass by saying that, but it's true. I might have dreamed about marrying Jon Knight from NKOTB (umm, yeah, I didn't know at the time just how unobtainable he was), but that's about as far as it went. Even at 29 years-old, I have no idea what flowers I like best or what the heck the difference is between a princess-cut diamond and a...umm..what other kinds are there? See, I don't even know! Friends have explained it to me before, but it always goes in one ear and out the other. Guys, is this normal?

You'd think that working at a wedding magazine for the last three months would have helped me develop more opinions on the subject, but it hasn't really. However, today I did see some of the most beautiful bridal gowns here at the office, and I couldn't help but to stop and stare. For a really long time. I suppose the thing I do have the biggest opinion about is the dress (and the bridesmaid's dress--I've been in eight weddings already!). The one that caught my eye was a square-neck style with cap sleeves and lace detailing on the top--classic, yet modern. And I have TOO many opinions about bridesmaid dresses--that will have to be an entire post on its own one day!

Don't get me wrong, when the time comes, I know I will be allll about it. But until then, I'll stay chilled out about the big day--I think my boyfriend will appreciate that, haha.

What about you: Did you dream about your wedding day as a little girl? If so, and you're already married, was it everything you thought it would be?? I'm not a scrooge at all on the topic of weddings--I actually really like discussing it, so share away!

How good is your sense of direction?

I already mentioned the story I'm about to share on my Facebook fan page (which, ahem, you would know if you are in fact a fan), and FnF reader, Elizabeth, suggested I blog about it, too. I'm sure this won't come as a surprise, but I am absolutely horrible with directions. Horrible. Yesterday after work, I heard a man, obviously a tourist, tell his two little boys, "I hope we're walking north because I want to take you to this famous deli, called Katz's!" Oh no, oh no, I thought, they are going south! Faaar south. Occasionally when I overhear a conversation and know someone is heading in the wrong direction, I will offer my unsolicited help. For whatever reason though, I didn't last night, and I felt totally guilty about it afterwards. It was freezing outside, and the dad and his two sons were at least a 15-minute walk from where they needed to be. Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned.

It is a sin not to help someone with directions in this crazy city, especially when it's cold out. Lord knows I had to ask a million people for directions when I first moved to to New York. Hell, I still do on occasion when I'm in a 'hood I don't frequent often. But I guess that's the difference. I ASK people for help, and even though I've lived here for over five years, I'm not embarrassed about it. (Well, except when I'm entertaining out-of-town guests). There is no way that man asked anyone for help--he was just too far away from his destination. Eh, men.

It's a wonder I can navigate my way around Manhattan. It took me forever to be confident on the subway--just look at that map! One time I got really lost driving my boyfriend home from the airport. Umm, we were in Lexington, KY--the city I lived in for 18 years! I was incredibly embarrassed, especially because we hadn't been dating that long. I had hoped he wouldn't discover my ditzy side until much, much later. Oops.

Surprisingly though, I drove to four different cities in Pennsylvania for a John Gosselin story when I was working as a tabloid reporter, and managed to do OK. I didn't have a GPS or a Blackberry, so I had to find random Kinko's stores and print out the maps. Of course I got lost a few times, but I was pretty impressed with myself. Hmm, maybe I need to pretend my life job is on the line every time I need to go somewhere. Despite my lack of sleep on that fun little excursion (can you hear my sarcasm?), I suppose I was more alert than normal, which is something I should practice more often.

What about you guys: How is your sense of direction? Have you ever been lost in New York?! It's the worst!

Everything I know about love, I learned from Jack Nicholson

Ok, so that's not true, but I'm watching As Good As It Gets right now, and I thought it sounded cool, so that's what I wrote. I freaking LOVE this movie. My girl Courtenay can attest to that. I watched it on repeat for about three months straight during my senior year of college. Anyway, the movie is almost over, and it's almost at the infamous "You make me want to be a better man" scene. When I saw the movie for the first time over 10 years ago, I thought that line was totally Velveeta.

However, now, I totally get what Jack Nicholson was saying, and I think it's very important to feel that way about your partner. In past relationships, I played the role of the savior, and always put my energy towards trying to fix and mend someone else. With my current boyfriend though, the only person I'm trying to "fix" is me. He drives me to be the best I can be, which is the main reason why I'm writing my third blog post of the day and researching some business ideas he's been encouraging me to look into, instead of doing what I really want to do, which is absolutely nothing.

I don't know why this is really. I guess when your partner is working hard, doing neat things and thinking outside of the box, it's easy to get inspired. We're a team, and I'd like to think I have the same effect on him, too.

So what do you think: How important is it for your partner to make you want to be a better person? And what's your favorite line in As Good As It Gets?? C'mon, I know you have one!

How long should a girl wait to give up tha booty?

Three dates? Five dates? One date? I know I can be totally lame sometimes, but when it comes to dating and hooking up, I'm a bit more old-fashioned. Of course, everyone is entitled to a carefree romp from time to time if they so desire, but overall, I think girls should make guys work for tha booty. And this might surprise you, but that's what a lot of guys want, too.

I remember one of my friends telling me, "But..but...you're going to have to give it up soon!" regarding a guy I dated in college. (Ok, so I don't think she actually said "give it up," but I'm keeping things PG so that my mom and 13 year-old cousin aren't scared to read my blog). I don't know, I've just never had the mentality that I had to put out (yes, I said it) in order to keep a guy interested. Why? Because if he isn't happy with the goods he's getting, then he's not good enough for me--Next!

Ok, so this pic is a little random, but I thought it was cute--even though grandpa's junk is a bit more prominent than necessary. An.y.way. After my current boyfriend and I had been dating a while, he confessed that he liked the fact that I was a challenge, and if hadn't been, he might have placed me in the "girl I just want to have fun with" category instead of the "girl I truly want to get to know better" category. I'm sure there are plenty of guys--and girls--rolling their eyes at this, but I also just read a personal essay on Glamour.com that supports everything I just said--and it was written by a dude. It seems to me that guys don't even know they want a challenge...until they get one.

I'm sure there are many girls out there who could tell me stories about how they had porn star sex on the first date with their now husbands or current boyfriends. And to you, I say congrats. I don't think that is the norm, but of course, it does happen. Maybe I'm naive as hell, but this is my opinion and I'm sticking to it. Even so, don't be shy to tell me what you think, you'll never receive judgment here.

So tell me: How long should a girl wait to give up tha booty? Check out the Glamour article here and give me your thoughts on it. Guys, I better hear from you, too!

What do you wear on job interviews?

Sadly, it's been so long since I've been on a job interview, I feel like I have forgotten how to even prepare for one. Picking out an outfit that is stylish, yet appropriate is always stressful. I usually wear basic dresses and heels and jazz them up with a cool piece of jewelry, belt or cute cardigan.

I'll never forget the time I wore an outfit that was completely wrong for an interview. It was a black sleeveless V-cut dress from Club Monaco, which I paired with a cream cardigan and bangles. I bought the dress in a rush, but somehow managed to convince myself it was the perfect interview attire. Wrong. Even though my look was semi-conservative, I realized later (in the reception area, when it was way too late) that my plunging neckline was a no-no. The dress wasn't tight and my cleavage was under control, but I just felt uncomfortable. A couple times during the interview, I swear I caught the editor looking at my chest. I'm not sure if she was batting for the same team or if she wanted to let me know that my dress was inappropriate. Either way, I got her message loud and clear, and I learned a lesson.

My bangles were also a mistake. My intention in wearing them was to showcase my personal style, but the result was noisy handshakes and annoying jiggling sounds every time I made a hand gesture. Not cool. Needless to say, I haven't repeated these mistakes, but I looked at my wardrobe the other day and realized I don't have many interview-friendly pieces. I need to tackle this issue--stat--you know, for all the job interviews I'm gonna have in 2010!

Tell me: How do you feel about your interview outfits? Have you ever made a big fashion faux-pas like I did? One of my PR pals recently told me about a new TV show that is doing head-to-toe fashion and beauty pre-interview makeovers. I'm considering applying to be on the show, and if you live in the New York area and need a little help in this arena, you should too! The info is below.

Summary: TV Show Casting: People in desperate need of a Pre-Job interview fashion and beauty head-to-toe Makeover

Name: Jobs Makeover Show – NYC
Category: General
Email: NYMakeover@yahoo.com
Title: Pre-Job Interview Makeover - NYC
Media Outlet: TV Show
Specific Geographic Region: N
Region: NYC Boroughs: Queens, Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Staten Island
Deadline: January 4, 2010
Query:
Are you out of work and in need of a complete head-to-toe makeover to boost your confidence before your next job interview? If this sounds like you or someone you know, then you could be chosen to appear on a television show for a complete wardrobe makeover — which will include professional styling from Celebrity Fashion Stylist Felix Mercado, (new clothing and accessories) and a beauty makeover by his glam squad! If you believe you “fit” the mold of any one of the four types we are looking for (see below) then please send us:

1. Your Name and contact info
2. Photos of yourself (Please try to send photos that back-up your story)
3. Tell us why you deserve a makeover

And be sure to include the title that best describes which makeover candidate type you are applying for. NOTE: All candidates must live in NYC (all boroughs) and must be available for the Television show in January 2010

YOU SHOULD BE:

1) A woman mid to late 40’s – lost her job at least a year ago – and hasn’t been having much luck finding another one. Her confidence is low – and she feels that her age is working against her.

2) Young woman early 20s – finished school within the last year. Has been looking for work – so far unsuccessful – is worried that her “look” isn’t helping her! She doesn’t know what to wear – needs guidance on what’s appropriate etc.

3) 2 brothers or friends – in their 30s – both out of work (laid off) --– both have been looking for a while. They know they need help! – have no idea how to improve their wardrobes – they need to be rescued!!

4) A woman in her 20s or 30s who has a very limited budget – she’s out of work – looking – and doesn’t think she can afford to “dress the part” to find a job