The A List: 6.10.16

It’s officially my birthday weekend! Yup, my birthday is tomorrow, June 11. I’m not a blow-out birthday bash type anymore but I am looking forward to a cocktail or two, good food, and a small low-key celebration.

In the meantime, here’s a look at what I've been enjoying this week.

 This Week in Startups Podcast

I’m about 5 years or more late to the podcasting train, but after listening the Bill Simmon’s interview with Scott Harrison last week, my latest obsession is This Week in Startups, specifically the episode with Chris Sacca. It’s honest, sometimes to a fault, but Chris and Jason give a real look at the landscape of silicon valley, how to differentiate your product for investors and they basically cut through all of the bullshit. I especially loved that Chris shared that he won’t invest in groups that haven’t had crappy jobs, it’s his “entitlement test” for all new investments. I couldn’t agree with him more.

Columbus Arts Festival

It’s officially festival season in Columbus starting this weekend and it kicks off with one of my all-time favorites: Columbus Arts Festival. Set on the picturesque Scioto Mile, the fest is more spans the entire length of the downtown river walk. Columbus’ festivals have always been my source of jewelery in the past, and this year I'm looking forward to finding more great pieces, as well as listening to some great artists (and of course sampling the food). Want more info on Arts Fest? Check it out here. (image via)

UnReal Season 2

There’s currently a serious Bachelorette bracket competition happening in my office, it’s hilarious to hear my coworkers debate and defend their picks for Jo-Jo's final two. But I can’t really get into The Bachelorette anymore, it’s become such a fame-grab that you can see right through most of the contestants intentions. Which is why I love Lifetime’s UnReal so much. It’s a scripted show about the behind-the-scenes drama that happens on the fictional show Everlasting and the storylines are straight out of crazy town. I Love It - it’s so salacious and very very addicting.

Nuzzel

Ever have those days where you’re stuck in meetings and don’t have enough time to check your twitter feed but wish someone could tell you what you missed? You need Nuzzel. Chris Sacca (see above) mentioned this app in his TWiS episode and it’s fantastic. Not only do you get a daily digest via email of what you missed, but the app will display the links and topics you missed based on how many of your friends mentioned or tweeted about it. So no more FOMO worries for social media, Nuzzel has you covered.

Snapchat’s story redesign

Boy, is this list tech-heavy this week or what? You can tell where most of my energy has been spent lately (don’t worry wine, I didn't forget about you). It’s a little Vogue, a little Pinterest and a little Flipboard-esque, but I’m loving how the stories are more than just a logo, with full images and headlines teasing the stories behind the channel. Snapchat is on fire with their innovation as of late, word is their daily users have surpassed twitter, and I’m a huge huge fan of how they’re continuing to stay fresh and relevant. I can’t wait to see what they do next!

Decorating an Office Cube: Inspiration

One of the fun parts of starting a new job, besides getting to know your new coworkers and projects, is the blank space that a new desk provides.

And just because my new desk is a cubicle, doesn’t mean I haven’t thought about how I'd like to decorate it. I’m lucky that my cube’s colours are navy, gray and black, all colours that I can use for my latest office decor crush: the Scandinavian look.

But since I only just started my new job a few weeks ago, I’m definitely still in the inspiration stage, gathering looks and clips of spaces and items I love from around the web. And what better way to store my inspiration than with a Pinterest board?

So as I browse the web for little touches and pieces I want to purchase, here’s a look at some of the spaces that I'm pulling inspiration from to add a little personal touch and decor to my space in the future.  

Links Loved <3

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It’s been awhile since I’ve rounded up some of my favourite articles from around the web so I thought I’d share some of the links that have caught my eye over the last couple weeks.

Without further ado, here they are:
 

Man Repeller: 11 Women with their shit together

Save this article when you’re having a day full of doubts, a day where you need a confidence boost, and most importantly a day when you want to know that everything will be okay.  I LOVED the frankness in this article, how forthcoming the women were in telling their story, and how bare and authentic each of their stories seem to be. A great great read.

What Your Personality Type Means for Your Career

I’ve taken some form of the Myers-Briggs test a bazillion times and each time I usually come up with the same one or two different combinations. What makes this chart different is that instead of just telling you your personality traits, it shows how you relate to the rest of the US population and how your personality traits might transfer into your salary. (Basically, this chart proves what I already knew - i think a lot differently than the US population - rationalists FTW!)

BookSeer

I couldn't have found this website at a more perfect time, it’s perfect for vacation season. Bookseer has you input the last book you read (and liked) and based on your book, recommends new books for you to try. You never know, you just might find your next juicy beach read here.

The One Thing I Can’t Stand About Rory Gilmore

Count me in as one of the Gilmore gang who’s counting down to the new Netflix series. OMG, I can’t wait to go back to Stars Hollow. But until then, this article about Rory, specifically her relationship and conflict with wealth, is a great read. Even though I loved Logan in the series, Matt Czuchry is so darn adorable, Logan really did change Rory and the values Lorelei instilled in her for the worse. This is a great read about Lorelei’s values and will only whet your appetite for when Seasons debuts on Netflix.

Hockey Players with Pets

This website is just pure, adorable fun. We used to joke when I worked for the hockey team that the easiest posts to get the most engagement were players with puppies or babies and this site takes that to a whole new level. If you love adorable pictures of puppies with quasi-adorable pics of  their human hockey players, this site is for you. Just remember, most of them are early twenties - such babies!

The World’s Best Dressed Street Style Stars According to Photographers

The world of street style is fascinating, from the clothes to the crowds to the poses and to social media, and between the photos and the hashtags it might be more influential than designers and their shows in fashion today. What I love best about this article is that it’s the photographers choosing their favorite street style stars, street stylers known more for their actual style than their ranking on the celebrity famous list.

Career Code: How Emily Weiss Turned a Brand Into a Beauty Movement

If you’ve seen my Instagram or even read things here on my site, you know I’m obsessed with everything Glossier. Their products are easy, simple and fabulous, but what I love most about them is how transparent they are with their creations and their staff. I loved this interview with Emily Weiss, Glossier’s Founder and CEO, not only for insights into how she stays up to date with the beauty industry, but also for the approach the company takes when hiring. Great great stuff.

The A List: 6.2.16

It's officially Gemini season and my birthday month and I can't wait to see what the sixth month has in store more me in 2016.

In the meantime, here's a look at some of my faves from this past week in this edition of The A List. 

Homey Oh My! Blog

Since I’ve moved into my new digs at my new job, I've been brainstorming ways I can decorate a boring old office cube into something a little more stylish to spend my day. Upon searching for planters and accessories at one of my modern favorites, West Elm, I came across Homey Oh My! from their Front + Main blog. Amy’s decor is amazing, and the perfect modern, Scandinavian and black and white palette that I’m looking for. Her blog is full of pictures of her stylish home and super easy DIYs, some of which I'm going to have to try. Homey Oh My! has instantly shot up near the top of my daily reads list. Check her blog out here.

Birthday month!

It’s my birthday month! Bring on the cake, cocktails and glasses of bubbly I love a good celebration during my birthday month. The more the merrier - celebrations and friends to share them with. Cheers! (image via)

Carven Roller Ball

Summer temps and humidity definitely arrived this week and my “prevent summer temps after effects” bag in my work tote came with it. One of my easiest ways to beat the summer yuckies? Freshening up with a great summer scent. And nothing is more perfect than this super portable Carven rollerball. It’s easy and convenient and a perfect scent for layering with my other perfumes no matter if they’re floral, powdery or even super modern.  Leave it to the french to find that perfect summer scent, it adds that je ne sais quoi that french women just naturally exude. And what’s more summery than that?

Alexis Bledel’s Brooklyn Loft

HOUSE. GOALS. Seriously, when I first laid eyes on Alexis Bledel’s Brooklyn loft I thought “this is my dream home.” (Anyone have an extra $3mil laying around I can borrow?) It’s open and airy, modern and Scandinavian, neutral and textural and most importantly, has an urban outdoor space. I’ve always wanted a space in an urban area like this - it really is house porn for me - and it’s just another reason to absolutely adore Rory Gilmore IRL.

Jimmy Kimmel Live: Game Night

One of my favorite parts of the NBA Finals, if not my favorite, is Jimmy Kimmel’s Game Night half hour specials before the games begin. At only a half hour, it’s 30 minutes full of sports and comedy, with superstars and shenanigans galore. Last night’s episode kicked off this finals series with Mariah Carey but the mean tweets segment really stole the show. It’s laugh out loud funny and part of me hopes the finals goes to seven games so we get seven of Jimmy’s sports specials.

June Playlist

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Sunshine, sunroofs, and summertime.

When I think about the month of June, those three words are immediately what come to mind.

They’re also the three words of think of when choosing my soundtrack for the month, songs that work while driving with the sunroof open sporting my shades (and killer car singing voice), songs that are relatively new to symbolize summer 2016, and most importantly songs that are fun for listening to with friends on a patio or a picnic blanket.

So take a listen to my fun, carefree summer that’s ahead.

June 2016 Playlist on Spotify