It's Sunday and this is officially my last week in New York City. I have never been so excited to leave a place to get back to Texas. It is not that I do not like this city, there is so much liveliness and wonder that this place possesses unlike any other place, but there is something about the South that I need to get back to.
My last post I briefly described a lull in internship, but it officially passed. Between my buyer and I there was a bit of workplace tension that would not pass, so I scheduled a private one-on-one meeting with her to discuss how we could get past this down point in the internship. It was very courageous to sit face-to-face with her and verbally describe how I felt there was a problem with our lack of communication and how I wanted a second chance to prove myself as a strong asset these last few weeks of the internship. After the meeting initially I did not feel like I had got my point across but as the week went on there was alot less tension and we even enjoyed a few laughs on Friday.
My weekend overall has been less than eventful since I have a final internship experience paper due on Wednesday. I have mostly been in and out of the public library and Starbucks. It is a pretty easy write, but it the finding the willpower to write it for more than an hour before I stray away from my Word Document. I am about 4.5 pages into it and it is 5 pages minimum, but I haven't even put a dent into answering all parts of the prompt so that is an accomplishment.
On Friday, after the graduation ceremony Ross is holding for us, I will be saying goodbye to this big bright city, and get back to suburbia for a few days before it is off to my next big adventure, Disney World!
I promise to make a post of long lost NYC pics that I didn't post throughout my summer so stay tuned!
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Highs and Lows
It has been a while since I last posted and I apologize; it has been just so busy with work and all the things to do in the city. I have even sacrificed sleep, which is something I love! Anyways I seemed to hit a low point in my internship. There are always times in a job when you are just not performing at your best and everything seems to be going less than swell. Well this is my week! Really it officially started last Friday and seems to be carrying over into this week. I was sure a weekend would do me some good because we would all be away from the office and Monday would be a fresh start. That has not been the case.
Last week we received our mid-term evaluations from our department and from HR. The constructive criticism was valuable and beneficial and I hoped to be moving forward from that point. Friday just seemed to open the floodgates for destruction. My biggest need for improvement is with communication and follow up to my buyer. Which seems to be the root of this week's issue, miscommunication. I know that this is just a low in a sea of highs this summer and I will get past this. I cannot let a few days dictate how my entire internship will be.
Tomorrow will be a nice break from the office because we go to New Jersey for comparison shopping and get to visit a Ross Store since there are not any in the state of New York. So hopefully by my next post I will have resolved the issue and be back to posting about wonderful moments while in NYC.
Also this past weekend my friend from Texas, Delisia came to visit the city for a weekend. I will be sure to post pics of our weekend soon!
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
1 Peter 5:6-7
Last week we received our mid-term evaluations from our department and from HR. The constructive criticism was valuable and beneficial and I hoped to be moving forward from that point. Friday just seemed to open the floodgates for destruction. My biggest need for improvement is with communication and follow up to my buyer. Which seems to be the root of this week's issue, miscommunication. I know that this is just a low in a sea of highs this summer and I will get past this. I cannot let a few days dictate how my entire internship will be.
Tomorrow will be a nice break from the office because we go to New Jersey for comparison shopping and get to visit a Ross Store since there are not any in the state of New York. So hopefully by my next post I will have resolved the issue and be back to posting about wonderful moments while in NYC.
Also this past weekend my friend from Texas, Delisia came to visit the city for a weekend. I will be sure to post pics of our weekend soon!
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
1 Peter 5:6-7
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Punk: Chaos to Couture
I promise to do an extended holiday post, but today was such a special day I had to share! Over a year later, but I finally made it back inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art (the largest art museum in the United States to be exact) today. Jessica and I ventured out to the Upper East Side this afternoon towards 81st and 5th Ave. It was her first time visiting but none of the other exhibitions seemed as important as a special one, Punk: Chaos to Couture, that "examines punk’s impact on high fashion from the movement’s birth in the 1970s through its continuing influence today" (excerpt taken from MET website). We were excited to see this fashion exhibit! I have not been to tons of fashion exhibitons but this has to be one of my favorites. Although the top prize for best fashion exhibits hands down goes to The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk from 2012 shown at The Dallas Museum of Art (DMA) & The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA). Anyways, I loved how it blended both punk style of the US (circa 1975) and London (circa 1976). There were over 100 pieces including many from the infamous duo of London's SEX 430 King's Road boutique, Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm Mclaren. Other designers featured included Alexander McQueen, Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren (Viktor & Rolf), House of Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Hussein Chalayan, and Burberry to name a few.
Basically the exhibit is about the punk rock movement being more than leather and torn cloths; it was the self expression through clothing to make a social statement using unconventional methods like D-I-Y, recycled and reused materials, and of course, studs and spikes. In my opinion, the outfits mirrors some of the styles that have been recurring the past few seasons such as the studs and spikes and leather moto jackets. This year has seen a huge resurgence of the choice punk footwear, the Doc Marten boot.
Unfortunately I was not allowed to take photos inside this part of the museum, but I got a few photos online to give a glimpse of the awesome punk fashion. ALSO for those wanting a guided tour with narration by Andrew Bolton, curator of The Costume Institute the video is at the bottom. It is quite interesting even after I walked through. I do not own any of these photos.
Basically the exhibit is about the punk rock movement being more than leather and torn cloths; it was the self expression through clothing to make a social statement using unconventional methods like D-I-Y, recycled and reused materials, and of course, studs and spikes. In my opinion, the outfits mirrors some of the styles that have been recurring the past few seasons such as the studs and spikes and leather moto jackets. This year has seen a huge resurgence of the choice punk footwear, the Doc Marten boot.
Unfortunately I was not allowed to take photos inside this part of the museum, but I got a few photos online to give a glimpse of the awesome punk fashion. ALSO for those wanting a guided tour with narration by Andrew Bolton, curator of The Costume Institute the video is at the bottom. It is quite interesting even after I walked through. I do not own any of these photos.
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Kyla's Internship Search Tips
It's 2013 and internships seem like the only way to even come close to landing a career after college. People have been asking me how can they get an internship, since I have done two. So finally I have decided to give some tips that would be helpful.
Here are a few tips from a novice internship finder such as myself that can help you land your first or your fourteenth internship:
Searching for an internship takes work people. If you do not put in the effort to make yourself stand out from other candidates, then point blank you do not want an internship bad enough. It seems harsh, but it is the truth. Big companies hire interns who are the cream of the crop, why would you not want to be in that top spot?
Here are a few tips from a novice internship finder such as myself that can help you land your first or your fourteenth internship:
- You Gotta Have an Internship to Get an Internship: This is kinda like the whole you gotta have work experience to land a job sort of theory that most teenagers have faced when trying to land that very first job. These days nobody wants to hire candidates that do not have experience, and in the internship world, this is no exception. If your dream internship is to work for Cosmopolitan Magazine, I recommend seeking your first internship at a local newspaper/magazine company. By all means I am not suggesting aiming low, but through experience I know big companies tend to pick candidates with lengthy resumes. The goal is to build up your resume to have the best chance possible of landing your dream internship. Also, working for your school's journalism department, helping with the school's newspaper, and joining an organization or club for journalism are all great additions to helping land that internship. Any kind of internship experience is beneficial. If I had never participated in the Disney College Program (DCP), I do not think I would be interning this summer in New York. Disney did not necessarily correlate with Corporate Buying, but skills learned through the DCP are transferrable to other areas in business. If you are a nursing major, go ahead and apply for that summer internship at a local PR firm. There are skills you will learn there that can help you in the long run, as well as build your resume.
- Have an Expert Look Over Your Resume: I have had my resume looked at my at least 6 different people. Do not just let anyone look at it though. Your stay-at-home mother may not be the best person to ask resume advice to, unless she worked in HR. Get as many professionals to look over it and give you suggestions. You can never be given TOO much advice from people. Be prepared for each person to give their own opinion about it though. One person will tell you to change the entire layout of your resume, while another will let you to change it again. Be open to suggestions but overall find a style or two that you feel showcases your greatest talents foremost. If you have more relatable work experience to the internship you are seeking have that information closer to the top. If you have had a lot of unrelatable jobs (such as waiter or sale associate) and are seeking an internship in a field unrelated (such as Marketing) have your skills experience before work experience so recruiters read about your involvement in your school's Marketing Club for example.
- Use Internship Search Engines: There are tons of websites out there that companies list their internships openings to. Here are a few of my personal favorites:
- http://www.internshipking.com/
- http://www.internmatch.com/internships
- SCHOOL'S CAREER SITE
- Don't JUST use the internet: You limit yourself when you only apply to internships online. A lot of smaller companies may not even know they need an intern. That is where you come in! Cold call a few companies to check and see if they are willing to take in an intern. PLUS if you mention you are willing to do work for free, you increase your chance of gaining experience. You never know until you ask.
- Job Shadow: If you cannot intern for a company at least ask to maybe shadow someone in a field you are interested in for a day or two. If you play the "student" card, it's the perfect reason too! My sophomore year I shadowed a department manager at Neiman Marcus for a day and even got to contribute to the effort during an in store jewelry trunk show for David Yurman. Let's just say there were live models, music, and expensive jewelry. Job shadowing is the perfect way to live like an employee for a day without either parties committing to a long term agreement.
- Pick up a copy of Lauren Berger's book!! I read this book from the InternQueen herself, which I HIGHLY recommend anyone searching for internships should buy. It is called ALL WORK, NO PAY: Finding the Internship, Building Your Resume, Making Connections, and Gaining Job Experience. It is an extremely easy read and it is not even 200 pages long. She does a great job breaking down topics and highlights the main points at the end of the each chapter. I would say she is an expert in getting internship expert because over the course of her undergraduate studying she had 15 internships! Here is the link to purchase from Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/All-Work-Pay-Internship-Connections/dp/1607741687/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1370997658&sr=8-1&keywords=all+work+no+pay - Prayer: Asking God to lead you in the right direction should really be the first step, but I placed it last because it is the most important. He can help you find your way, and He will open doors for you unimaginable if you were go through the internship search by yourself. So by putting your faith in Him can make your internship wishes a reality.
Searching for an internship takes work people. If you do not put in the effort to make yourself stand out from other candidates, then point blank you do not want an internship bad enough. It seems harsh, but it is the truth. Big companies hire interns who are the cream of the crop, why would you not want to be in that top spot?
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
As an Intern: Week 4 Recap
Week 4 of my internship has come to an end. Before I know it I will be packing my bags and heading back to Texas. Thinking about it is bittersweet. I have great appreciation for my state being in New York, the southern hospitality unparalleled, air condition everywhere, and the space! There are things about New York that I love too! I love walking the streets among hundreds of different types of people. The term cookie cutter does not exist here and I love it. Never have I drank Starbucks as much as I do here, and I am not even ashamed about it....not too much. I am going to miss Central Park! I need to get out there a few more times before.
The entire shoe buying team headed to Miami for SMOTA Shoe Trade Show last week, without me, unfortunately. On the plus side it was the perfect time to be independent and hold myself accountable for office tasks I was given throughout the week. I was given My buyer set me up to shadow with buyers from other departments too. On Monday and Wednesday I worked with the womens lingerie and socks buyers.On Tuesday and Thursday I was with the newborn and kids pajama buyer. The two worlds were so different than going out and buying shoes. My experience with the clothing aspects were quite similar. Over the course of the four days I went to a womens sock vendor, a little girls panties/bras vendor, and two newborn onesies vendors. Little kids clothing is just so cute and colorful. It was cool to notice similar trend patterns between the clothing and shoes for kids. I also got to share my opinion during appointments about some of the shoe trends we are noticing (sorry folks the trends are classified information be on the lookout for fall in stores).
Friday was a new experience altogether. My team did not come to work that day since their delayed flight did not make it back until the wee hours of the morning and I do not blame them for not coming in. My buyer gave me the task of doing shoe markdowns. I felt so empowered given this responsibility to perform all by myself. 2.5 hours and over 250 markdowns later it was finished and I was off to my lunchbreak. I frequent this self serve place called Cafe Bistro on 34th because they have so many types of foods to choose from. And for a flat rate of 6.99 a lb you can get as much or as little food in a container as you want. Their vast selection of fresh fruits and salads is what I crave. They also have tons of drink options including about 5 different brands of ginger ale, my go to soda when i drink it!
My afternoon task: go out into the city and go window shopping at some of our competitors. I felt like my buyer had placed alot of trust in me to send me out solo for this task. The afternoon was awfully hot as I walked the streets of Manhattan. Luckily Starbucks was having a special, 1/2 price Refreshers from 3-5pm. Since there are over 70 Starbucks in the city I had no trouble finding out and quenching my thirst. I made my rounds in Burlington Coat Factory, Aldo Shoes, Steven Madden, and GEOX before calling it a day. My next task was to use my notes and pictures to create a small presentation for my buyer. I will let you know how that goes when we discuss it on Wednesday.
Everyday I am learning something new about the job or the city in general. Well overall as the weeks go by in my internship and I get more accumulated, I am loving being an intern for Ross more and more. Until next time. Peace!
Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold.
Proverb 3: 13-14
The entire shoe buying team headed to Miami for SMOTA Shoe Trade Show last week, without me, unfortunately. On the plus side it was the perfect time to be independent and hold myself accountable for office tasks I was given throughout the week. I was given My buyer set me up to shadow with buyers from other departments too. On Monday and Wednesday I worked with the womens lingerie and socks buyers.On Tuesday and Thursday I was with the newborn and kids pajama buyer. The two worlds were so different than going out and buying shoes. My experience with the clothing aspects were quite similar. Over the course of the four days I went to a womens sock vendor, a little girls panties/bras vendor, and two newborn onesies vendors. Little kids clothing is just so cute and colorful. It was cool to notice similar trend patterns between the clothing and shoes for kids. I also got to share my opinion during appointments about some of the shoe trends we are noticing (sorry folks the trends are classified information be on the lookout for fall in stores).
Friday was a new experience altogether. My team did not come to work that day since their delayed flight did not make it back until the wee hours of the morning and I do not blame them for not coming in. My buyer gave me the task of doing shoe markdowns. I felt so empowered given this responsibility to perform all by myself. 2.5 hours and over 250 markdowns later it was finished and I was off to my lunchbreak. I frequent this self serve place called Cafe Bistro on 34th because they have so many types of foods to choose from. And for a flat rate of 6.99 a lb you can get as much or as little food in a container as you want. Their vast selection of fresh fruits and salads is what I crave. They also have tons of drink options including about 5 different brands of ginger ale, my go to soda when i drink it!
My afternoon task: go out into the city and go window shopping at some of our competitors. I felt like my buyer had placed alot of trust in me to send me out solo for this task. The afternoon was awfully hot as I walked the streets of Manhattan. Luckily Starbucks was having a special, 1/2 price Refreshers from 3-5pm. Since there are over 70 Starbucks in the city I had no trouble finding out and quenching my thirst. I made my rounds in Burlington Coat Factory, Aldo Shoes, Steven Madden, and GEOX before calling it a day. My next task was to use my notes and pictures to create a small presentation for my buyer. I will let you know how that goes when we discuss it on Wednesday.
Everyday I am learning something new about the job or the city in general. Well overall as the weeks go by in my internship and I get more accumulated, I am loving being an intern for Ross more and more. Until next time. Peace!
Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold.
Proverb 3: 13-14
Monday, June 24, 2013
Intern Recap Week 3
So I just finished my third week of my internship. Time is really passing by fast! It is a little sad. I want to do so much during my time in the city. One of the drawbacks I face here is coming home after work and being exhausted. It is not a physical exhaustion, instead I am mentally exhausted. In between, meeting new people each day, going to vendor appointments all around the city, and the tons of new information I am learning about reports, trends, and vendor personalities I feel like I am going 1000 miles an hour. I will say I appreciate NEVER having a dull moment on the job. There are interns working for other companies that count the minutes until the end of the day and are bored, but for me I do not face that dilemma at all. Instead I am trying to figure out how to get everything accomplished before the end of the day. Time seems to fly by so fast that I blink and it is lunchtime. I blink again and it is already 4pm and I am in crunch mode to finish running and formatting reports that I have not finished in the morning before getting away from my desk.
I attended a shoe vendor show in New Jersey Monday morning, and as GLAMOROUS as it may sound, it was exhausting. Yes do not get me wrong looking at shoes is never a bad thing, but I have been going to see shoes for three weeks and the styles get old. There are only so many ways to style a mens loafer or a girls combat boot. I have caught on to the lingo of the shoe business "there is nothing fresh". Anyways that day was long, and I couldn't wait to get back to the city and back to my apartment. The following day came a change to my routine, which was very much needed. I went to market with another buyer. I got to experience the world of clothes buying while accompanying the little girls clothing buyer. We went to three appointments, one for leggings, dresses, and denim shorts. What I took away from that day was that clothing vendors are totally different than shoe vendors. Whether of not the vendors we met were a good representation of clothing vendors, it is too soon to tell, but I found they were refreshing to the shoe vendors I usually encounter. Every side of the business is so different, and I learned that. Maybe I have found my calling, kids clothing!
Finally after three weeks, I am starting to get the hang of how to be of help to the buyer. With the assistant buyer on vacation the latter half of the week, I was forced to step up to the plate and perform tasks she normally does. My buyer expressed to me how impressed she was with my fast learning, and it made me finally feel like I was apart of the team. I ended Friday being proud of myself for a job well done.
I will be sure to blog about my weekend affairs soon, including pics!
I attended a shoe vendor show in New Jersey Monday morning, and as GLAMOROUS as it may sound, it was exhausting. Yes do not get me wrong looking at shoes is never a bad thing, but I have been going to see shoes for three weeks and the styles get old. There are only so many ways to style a mens loafer or a girls combat boot. I have caught on to the lingo of the shoe business "there is nothing fresh". Anyways that day was long, and I couldn't wait to get back to the city and back to my apartment. The following day came a change to my routine, which was very much needed. I went to market with another buyer. I got to experience the world of clothes buying while accompanying the little girls clothing buyer. We went to three appointments, one for leggings, dresses, and denim shorts. What I took away from that day was that clothing vendors are totally different than shoe vendors. Whether of not the vendors we met were a good representation of clothing vendors, it is too soon to tell, but I found they were refreshing to the shoe vendors I usually encounter. Every side of the business is so different, and I learned that. Maybe I have found my calling, kids clothing!
Finally after three weeks, I am starting to get the hang of how to be of help to the buyer. With the assistant buyer on vacation the latter half of the week, I was forced to step up to the plate and perform tasks she normally does. My buyer expressed to me how impressed she was with my fast learning, and it made me finally feel like I was apart of the team. I ended Friday being proud of myself for a job well done.
I will be sure to blog about my weekend affairs soon, including pics!
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Jessica's View of NYC
Last weekend my very best friend, Jessica came to New York City to visit me. It was her first time in the Big Apple and I wanted to show it all to her. Over the course of the weekend, we saw a good amount of stuff that every tourist should see, as well as some hidden gems of the city. I usually recap the adventure, but I am going to let my dear friend Jessica take the reins this time and let her share her experience in the city with y'all!
Take it away Jess!
Pictures courtesy of J.Estrada herself
Take it away Jess!
Hey
everyone, this is Kyla’s best friend – Jessica! Aka Jess, Crystal, JoJo,
Shorty, etc. Yeah…I have a lot of different names people call me. So not this
weekend but LAST weekend (specifically June 14-17), I had the privilege of
going to New York City for the first time to visit Kyla. Before I left for NYC,
it sort of felt unreal that I would be going to the Big Apple because for
starters, I have never traveled that far by myself. I go to school in Oklahoma
City, but I’m from Dallas. So of course, it is only about three and a half hours
away. Not too far at all. Since my parents trust Kyla so much and have known
her for a while, they let me visit her in NYC. So this is how my mini journey
to the city that never sleeps begins!
Early
morning of Friday, June 14, I left to New York from Dallas. I was supposed to
arrive in NYC by 1:10 in the afternoon, but I didn’t arrive until 2:30 due to delays
at the airport. I got off the plane at LaGuardia airport (which is so much
smaller than I thought it would be) and caught a cab to go to mid-Manhattan,
where Kyla’s apartment is located. Since it was my first time in a cab, I was
excited and nervous because I was in a huge city by myself! I didn’t have much
time to feel nervous though because the taxi driver talked my ear off; I was so
glad when I arrived at her apartmen.t Let me tell you, the walk to her job was SO awesome!! It was my first time
on the streets of NYC, and I was taking in as much as I could. Just by walking
on 34th street from her apartment, I saw so much – The
Empire State Building, Madison Square Garden, and the Manhattan Center! People
were walking in every direction, so many cars were driving by, music was
playing in different shops, and I was just in awe of the city.We met at a Starbucks next to
her building and were SO excited to start doing things around the city. We took
care of business first though…we ATE DINNER at
this place called Cosi. It reminded me of Panera, but better! We tried this
Tucson chicken sandwich with raspberry mojito lemonade that was delicious! After
dinner, we strolled around Garment District for a while and then to Macy’s at
Herald Square. Then, we took the subway to go to the MOMA because it’s free on
Fridays 4-8 pm. I was even in shock when I went on my first subway ride. I
totally stood out from all of the locals in the subway because I was taking
pictures. By the time we made it to the MOMA, they were closing in fifteen
minutes. That didn’t stop Kyla and I from looking around though. Afterwards we walked around Rockefeller Center where NBC Studios is located, and
we even met some people from Henderson, Texas. YAY TEXAS! The last thing we did was…TIMES SQUARE. As we walked down 42nd street, it
wasn’t hard to notice because of all the lights and commotion. It
was AWESOME!!! I was in the same spot where they filmed Disney’s Enchanted (I’m
a little obsessed with Disney movies by the way)! Needless to say, I had a great
time seeing everything in that area like the Broadway theatres, the New Year’s Ball (which
is NOT that big by the way), the M&Ms store, the ginormous Toys ‘R Us, and so much more. Kyla was tired from work, and I was tired from being at the
airport all morning, so we got back to get some sleep for Saturday!
Saturday
was A LOT of fun, but it was also very tiring because of all of the walking we
did. We left in the morning and took the subway to the Upper East
Side where all of the fancy places are at like the St. Regis Hotel, the Trump
Tower, Henri Bendel, Tiffany’s, and Bergdorf Goodman.After another five minute walk, we were crossing
the street from the Plaza Hotel to Central Park. I LOVED Central Park! Kyla and
I were listing off the MANY different movies that we have seen that were filmed at the
park.We took a bunch of pictures, too! It was so cool to see
where they filmed that famous “That’s How You Know” song and dance number in
the movie, Enchanted. Then, we walked over to the MET to
take pictures on the steps like the infamous lunch scenes on Gossip Girl with Blair and Serena.
We asked a girl to take a couple of pictures of us “acting normal,” which
wasn’t a total fail because we got a decent picture out of it. We also tried
our first NY hotdog on the MET steps. I am not a big fan of hotdogs, but
the ones from NY are pretty good! It was about noon, and we took a taxi to
Brooklyn because Kyla bought us tickets for a Hipster food tour. We went to
Williamsburg, which was totally awesome because of all the shops and
restaurants. Before the food tour started, we walked around for a restroom because
Kyla had to pee so bad! Another thing I learned from Kyla about NY was that it
is VERY hard to find a public restroom. We finally found one in a local food
market. Soon after, we ate some macaroons at a cute bakery, and THEN met up
with our tour guide and the rest of our group for the food tour. Oh my
goodness, the food tour was YUMMY. We tried a slice of brick oven pizza, a
bagel with some really good spread, some cheese (the cow cheese was FUNKY
because it smelled and tasted so bad, but the goat cheese was alright), some
Oklahoma-style BBQ (Kyla kept asking me if I thought the BBQ was good since I
go to school in Oklahoma but I had no idea haha), a piece of peanut brittle at
a candy shop, and some rich chocolate at Mast Brothers. Our last stop was at a
Hipster winery, which was pretty cool! We didn’t try any wine though. If you
know Kyla and me, you know we’re not about that life! The food tour was an
awesome choice, and I am so glad Kyla choose an awesome one to go to. Our Italian
tour guide was even Hipster! As Kyla put it, he looked like a more put together
Russell Brand. I thought he looked like Jesus, too. Too bad we didn’t take a
picture with him. Anyways, after the food tour, we went down to a pier and saw
the Manhattan skyline. It was so beautiful! The Williamsburg Bridge wasn’t too
far either. We then took the subway to lower Manhattan to meet up with Kyla’s
other friend named Jessica. Before we met up with her, I got to see that famous
bull in Financial District, as well as the World Trade Center. We met up with
Jessica at the 9/11 Memorial Site, but it was closed! Instead, we took the
Staten Island Ferry to see the Statue of Liberty. Since it was nighttime, Lady
Liberty was lit up as well as all of the buildings, which looked incredible. I
actually got a pretty decent picture of the Statue of Liberty! Once we arrived
back in Manhattan, we took the subway back to their apartment. We were SO tired
and hungry! We stopped at this diner, Tick Tock, to pick up food. Kyla and I grabbed our food
and ate in one of the cute study rooms in the building and talked till almost
two in the morning! It was some good girl time.
Sunday
was another full day. My feet hurt throughout the day, but not as bad as
Saturday. If it were possible to change my feet like changing my shoes, I totally would have done it. Sunday morning, Kyla and I had tickets
for the NBC Studios Tour at 9:45. We couldn’t take pictures though, which was
lame! We got to see the studio where Brian Williams does the Nightly News and where
Jimmy Fallon does his Late Night show (which used to be the studio of Late
Night host, Johnny Carson). We also saw some other floors of the building,
which was awesome and even took an awkward picture at a news desk! Yeah…we
didn’t buy the picture at the news desk. Anyways, after the tour, we went to
Times Square to get tickets for a Broadway musical. After searching for the
best deal for a show, we got tickets to see Annie starring Jane Lynch as Miss
Hannigan. The show was so much fun!!! Everybody laughed at Jane Lynch, even when
she wasn’t trying to be funny. It was great! When we left the musical, we had
Annie songs in our head for the rest of the day. I still do even now! After the
show, we took the subway to China Town. Kyla had never been before either, so I
was glad she was able to go somewhere she hadn’t been to in New York yet. Literally,
we walked out of the subway and Chinese people were EVERYWHERE! I felt like we
were in a different country, but it was an awesome feeling. If you ever go to
New York, and you want to buy stuff for cheap, China Town is for you! While we
were in Chinatown, we grabbed some delicious bubble tea and some food from this
place called Prosperity Dumpling. I got four dumplings for one dollar! They
weren’t my favorite, but the price wasn’t too bad. This pancake thing Kyla got for
two bucks was really good! After China Town, we took the subway to check out
Grand Central Station. This train station is HUGE and really beautiful, so we
took a bunch of photos! At the station, we stopped at a bakery so I could try
the famous NY black & white cookie. It was so yummy! It was almost ten in
the evening, so we made our way back to Webster. Before we got ready for bed, Kyla
took me on the roof of Webster, which has a spectacular view of the city. I
couldn’t stop taking pictures! We called Sunday a night, and Kyla kept
convincing me that I really wasn’t leaving New York the next day – I was only
going back to Dallas for vacation.
Well
Monday came, and I ate breakfast with Kyla and her friends before they left for
work. Kyla was leaving to the Penn Station for New Jersey, so I was able to
walk her as far as I could. I didn’t want to say goodbye to her! Since we talk
all the time, I knew we would hear from her soon. My flight didn’t leave until
3:55 in the afternoon, so I decided to go to Times Square one last time before
I left. If you haven’t been to NYC yet, you’ll find out that it actually is pretty
safe walking on the streets because there are people everywhere. Especially in
Times Square, there is pretty much nothing but tourists so I felt completely
fine walking by myself. After Times Square, I grabbed some lunch from this
place called Café Bistro and ate on the roof of the apartment. It was such a
nice feeling to eat on a NYC roof while listening to some worship songs. I
didn’t want to leave the city! I imagined that I would stay there for a couple
more days, and that I would wait for Kyla to get off of work and we would
continue to have a blast in NYC. But, it was time for me to make my way to
LaGuardia airport. I caught a cab on 34th street, and made it an
hour and a half early before my flight had to leave. God had other plans for me
that day though! My flight back home was supposed to leave at 3:55, but I
didn’t leave until 6:30. I was supposed to arrive back in Dallas at 8:45, but I
didn’t make it back home until midnight! It was a super long day for me just
because I was at the airport for forever, but I was just so thankful that I had
been in NYC for a few days.
My
dream to visit New York City came true because my bestie, Kyla! If it wasn’t
for her, I would not have been able to go. This girl is already like a local up
in NY! Even if we got lost on the subway a couple times, she knew where to go
for the most part and she showed me a great time. Kyla and I even made a bet on
Saturday night. Here it is: Whoever gets married first, owes the other girl
$100. So now I’m hoping Kyla meets a guy up in NYC. She said it won’t happen,
but anything is possible, right? Anyways, this NYC trip is definitely the
highlight of my summer! Thanks to Kyla for being the greatest friend anyone
could ask for by making it possible. LOVE YA, girl!
And
thank YOU for reading! You are awesome. You know why? Because this blog post is
super long, so God bless your little eyes for reading. Until next time…deuces
everyone!!
Pictures courtesy of J.Estrada herself
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Every Good Thing
Sharing my experiences with you I want to take a moment and introduce a song. It has been in my head constantly and I have even gotten my friend Nicole hooked to it. I am hoping to maybe do the same to you!
The Afters came out with this song earlier this year "EVERY GOOD THING" and I heard it on the radio a few times thinking how catchy it was. Once I saw on XM Radio who the artist was I had to acquire the song and share it. Joshua Havens and Matt Fuqua share in the first short clip the meaning behind writing the song. I suggest watching it before listening to the song because it gives a great understanding of where they were coming from in writing. (BTW Havens and Fuqua formed the band while working together at a Starbucks in Mesquite, Texas!!! Yay Texans for awesome music!!!)
I am so grateful to be able to go different places and have many new and exciting experiences. God has made all of these things possible and I give him all the credit for bringing good fortune to those who believe and trust in his Word. His greater gifts are not tangibles of this Earth but are the gifts such righteousness and His everlasting Grace make I am so very grateful for as well. Because he is the reason for every good thing!
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
James 1:17
The Afters came out with this song earlier this year "EVERY GOOD THING" and I heard it on the radio a few times thinking how catchy it was. Once I saw on XM Radio who the artist was I had to acquire the song and share it. Joshua Havens and Matt Fuqua share in the first short clip the meaning behind writing the song. I suggest watching it before listening to the song because it gives a great understanding of where they were coming from in writing. (BTW Havens and Fuqua formed the band while working together at a Starbucks in Mesquite, Texas!!! Yay Texans for awesome music!!!)
I am so grateful to be able to go different places and have many new and exciting experiences. God has made all of these things possible and I give him all the credit for bringing good fortune to those who believe and trust in his Word. His greater gifts are not tangibles of this Earth but are the gifts such righteousness and His everlasting Grace make I am so very grateful for as well. Because he is the reason for every good thing!
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
James 1:17
Story Behind the Song
The AWESOME song!!!
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Exploring NYC 1
I sit at one of the 50 plus Starbucks that are near me in this grand city on Manhattan Island. The internet at my apartment is almost impossible to use during peak hours, so I am forced out of the apartment to blog and people watch. The people in NYC are so eccentric, especially the people that sit around me here at this moment. They are so engaged in their conversations; I absolutely love it!
Well anyway I am here to share about my weekend of wandering through the city. The Lord was good to us because the weather was wonderful Saturday and Sunday. Today, well the rain here is a different story. I finally had enough energy to go out and explore the city.
SATURDAY
My new friends Ashley and Jessica, from work/apartment building ventured past the Financial District over to South Street Seaport. Amongst the bustle of the area, there were storefronts boarded up from popular shops such as American Eagle and The Body Shop. Even though Hurricane Sandy came through and left it mark on the area, most of the shops were open for business. There were also plenty of street vendors selling local items.. It was there we found the cutest store, Christmas in New York, where it is always the most wonderful time of the year. We made a reservation to eat out on the deck at a restaurant, Cabana Nuevo Latina. It probably wasn't the best thing because it was a bit windy near the water, but hey it's New York! Do as the locals do. Rain or Shine! Speaking of locals, I saw the plate of the man sitting next to me and didn't care what the dish was, I knew I wanted it! It was a good choice too, Coco Cabana Pollo, which consisted of chicken breast, potatoes, green peas, broccoli, carrots, spinach, yuca, calabaza, coconut milk, curry, and peppers topped with rice. Oh gosh it was delicious. I think I may start ordering like that more often. See what a local is eating and literally point it out the waiter and order. The only problem with that is I might be afraid when I get the check!
Our next stop: CENTRAL PARK! This is byfar one of my favorite places in New York City! It is the perfect place to take in the city in a relaxing manner. It is so breezy and lush from the trees. The people that linger in this humungous place are so interesting, whether it's the guy guarding the memorial for John Lennon in Strawberry Fields (btw there are no strawberries there, I know how unfortunate) to an improv salsa class or a group of college students picnicking in the grass, there is so much to see and do here. While at this beautiful place, we met up with my friend Tanya (she works with us and we go to school together). On our way out of the park we even stopped to watch a group of street performers (or should I say "park performers". Not only did they put on a good little acrobatic dance show, they were crazy funny! We ended the evening on the rooftop of our apartment building where we get an awesome panoramic view of the inner city including the One World Trade Center, the Empire State Building, and East River.
SUNDAY
Jessica and I decided to venture over to the piers of East River where we saw the cutest dog park! We are both obsessed with dogs, and any dog person is good in my book. We made our way back up and ended up in Chelsea neighborhood where we found the most awesome street market. The vendors set up shot each weekend and it is basically like an outdoor thrift store. I saw some awesome finds: vintage pillbox hats, actual 90s Dr Martens, fur coats and tons of turquoise jewelry. I am definitely going to check this place out more often and buy something in the future, after a paycheck or too.
Well anyway I am here to share about my weekend of wandering through the city. The Lord was good to us because the weather was wonderful Saturday and Sunday. Today, well the rain here is a different story. I finally had enough energy to go out and explore the city.
SATURDAY
My new friends Ashley and Jessica, from work/apartment building ventured past the Financial District over to South Street Seaport. Amongst the bustle of the area, there were storefronts boarded up from popular shops such as American Eagle and The Body Shop. Even though Hurricane Sandy came through and left it mark on the area, most of the shops were open for business. There were also plenty of street vendors selling local items.. It was there we found the cutest store, Christmas in New York, where it is always the most wonderful time of the year. We made a reservation to eat out on the deck at a restaurant, Cabana Nuevo Latina. It probably wasn't the best thing because it was a bit windy near the water, but hey it's New York! Do as the locals do. Rain or Shine! Speaking of locals, I saw the plate of the man sitting next to me and didn't care what the dish was, I knew I wanted it! It was a good choice too, Coco Cabana Pollo, which consisted of chicken breast, potatoes, green peas, broccoli, carrots, spinach, yuca, calabaza, coconut milk, curry, and peppers topped with rice. Oh gosh it was delicious. I think I may start ordering like that more often. See what a local is eating and literally point it out the waiter and order. The only problem with that is I might be afraid when I get the check!
Our next stop: CENTRAL PARK! This is byfar one of my favorite places in New York City! It is the perfect place to take in the city in a relaxing manner. It is so breezy and lush from the trees. The people that linger in this humungous place are so interesting, whether it's the guy guarding the memorial for John Lennon in Strawberry Fields (btw there are no strawberries there, I know how unfortunate) to an improv salsa class or a group of college students picnicking in the grass, there is so much to see and do here. While at this beautiful place, we met up with my friend Tanya (she works with us and we go to school together). On our way out of the park we even stopped to watch a group of street performers (or should I say "park performers". Not only did they put on a good little acrobatic dance show, they were crazy funny! We ended the evening on the rooftop of our apartment building where we get an awesome panoramic view of the inner city including the One World Trade Center, the Empire State Building, and East River.
Jessica and I decided to venture over to the piers of East River where we saw the cutest dog park! We are both obsessed with dogs, and any dog person is good in my book. We made our way back up and ended up in Chelsea neighborhood where we found the most awesome street market. The vendors set up shot each weekend and it is basically like an outdoor thrift store. I saw some awesome finds: vintage pillbox hats, actual 90s Dr Martens, fur coats and tons of turquoise jewelry. I am definitely going to check this place out more often and buy something in the future, after a paycheck or too.
We met up with Ashley later in the evening to attempt to get a glimpse at stars on the red carpet of the Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall. Jessica swore she saw Neil Patrick Harris; moments like that I curse my short height. There was not much to see other than the tons of non-famous people walking past us in beautiful gowns and tuxedos making their way to the ceremony. Since we could not see the Broadway stars, we went to the next best place, Ellen's Stardust Diner, the place where Broadway wannabes work! We got a great show at a fraction of a Broadway ticket cost. Plus I got a huge plate of food.
Saturday, June 8, 2013
First Week as an Intern
So it's officially been a full work week as an intern for Ross, and it has by far been one of the best work experiences of my life. I am one of 98 interns for the company's New York Buying Office that employs around 900 people. We just increased the size of the office by 10%; we definitely make a presence!
This definitely isn't the type of internship where you are in charge of bringing coffee; people are bringing it to you! I go to appointments with the buyer and assistant and I am treated like a equal as I sit in on meetings with vendors. As an assistant buyer intern, I have not sat at my desk for more than about 30 minutes at a time. I am paired with a buyer and her assistant for men and children shoes. The best part about working in shoes is the shoe vendor shows and going around the city to go to different showrooms. The office is on the edge of the Garment District (think Project Runway area) so buyers working in the clothing departments are walking distance to their vendors. In the past week I have travelled to Queens as well as up and down the streets of Manhattan in the Flatiron District and Union Square area. FFaNY (Fashion Footwear Association of New York) held a shoe show the latter part this week, so I jumped right into appointments.
MONDAY:
For my first day we spent the first half of the workday in orientation as one big group getting all sorts of information needed from the fabulously Human Resource team. After 4 hours of orientation, our mentors came to pick us up. It literally felt like kindergarten where you sit and wait for your parent to pick you up from school as each person's name is called out. Our mentors took each of the interns out to lunch around the city. My mentor and her assistant treated me to lunch at a Butterfield 8, a local place that takes pride in being the place "where business professional meets the social scene". With that in mind, my pesto chicken sandwich and side salad ran at $16, a little steep of a price, but for that place, the price came from its location.
http://www.butterfield8nyc.com/
After lunch and back in the office, I got settled into my desk. By the way I love the location of my desk because it is in a training room converted into a large intern office. The room houses computer desks for about 12 interns in total and I feel we can really help each other out being together we are all working under buyers and doing around the same type of work. Good move on Ross's part. I spent the afternoon between my desk setting up calendar meetings and shadowing my mentor and her assistant at their desks. Before I knew it the day was over and was off the clock at exactly 5:30.
I met up with my new friend and co-worker, Ashley and made our way back to our apartment in the rain for dinner in the dining hall. With the rain outside, and exhaustion waning our bodies we stayed inside for the rest of the evening.
TUESDAY:
I was excited for my second day of work because I was already going on my first shoe vendor appointment so soon. I have to admit when I was told we were being picked up by car to go out to the showroom in Queens, there was a bit of excitement. How exciting to be an intern getting to ride through the city chauffeured in a Lincoln Towncar that waited for us until we also finished the appointment. This definitely was not your average taxi service. We went to a mens work boot showroom where I learned there were so many options to make a mens work boot different. To the common eye all the boots looked the same, but there were slight details that made each shoe different, from the material of the sole to the height of the actual boot.
After my lunch break, I spent most of the afternoon in a training class with other interns about computer programs. The little time left, I shadowed and learned the basics of some of the reports used. I was surely thankful for the Merchandising Math class I took this past semester because terms used throughout the reports made sense to me.
WEDNESDAY:
The morning was spent in another training class for interns. My teacher for the class was an amazing man who also just happens to be featured on a new show on Bravo, Princesses of Long Island, where his daughter is one of the main characters. I have not gotten a chance to watch it because I never watch TV.
After lunch I got to go the the first day of FFaNY shoe show. After meeting a group of vendors we headed to an appointment at Nina, a company that specializes in womens and girls shoes. The showroom was absolutely adorable as well as their staff, a great group of people. This trip even featured pastries and coffee which is always a plus in my book.
This was the first time I had been exposed to childrens shoe buying. The little girls shoes for Spring 2014 are just precious. Unfortunately I cannot go into detail about what I saw but let's just say little girls are going to have foot candy basically.
Our next appointment was another showroom that makes shoes for licensed characters such as Spiderman, Batman, and Disney. I had never seen Spiderman on so many different shoe styles! There were blue and red canvas shoes, boat shoes, sneakers, flip flops, and clogs, oh my! And for every hot cartoon character around. I met the nicest man there from Texas and we had a moment sharing stories about our home. It highlighted my day, being so far from home and meeting people that know where you are from. We were not too far from work, so we walked it back to the office and called it a day.
THURSDAY:
This is was best shoe show day. I literally spent the entire day at FFaNY. I had never seen so many shoes at one time in my life. I was exposed to thousands of shoes on three floors of convention center space. Even though we went searching for children and mens shoes, the majority of shoes at these shows are womens. The market for womens shoes is extremely vast with tons of options.
Our first official meeting for the day was nearby for Rachels Shoes. They specialize in little girls shoes, especially the really cutesy play sandals that feature little flowers and butterflies with velcro straps, those types of shoes. The room had a few hundred styles of shoes, each shoe being an open toe sandal for young girls.
Afterwards we headed over Vida Group, which is a company houses 15 different shoe brands including Carters and OshKosh for kids, Unionbay and Sag Harbour. We met with Carters and OshKosh. During the meeting a younger gentleman came into the room and sat his chair right next to me. Richard, was the head shoe designer for the two kids brands. I was a little starstruck, even though he was a regular person. He walked us through the story line for the Spring 2014 collection and he was really able to express to us what he was going for with each shoe color and print. It was a great moment being able to listen to him express about his designs. We stopped by Unionbay for a bit and I saw the design team for Kohls, a large group by the way of about 10 people, at work picking, choosing and discussing shoes for their stores. What I found interesting was that they had a model who would try on shoes for them. She would be handed a shoe, try it on, and do a few posses, then again with the next shoe. That was very interesting.
Our last formal appointment was with mens showroom for Giorgio Brutini, GBX, and Bass Shoes. I had noticed throughout the past few days, but it was during this meeting that I realized the shoe business was run by men. Liked stated before this place was no exception. I really appreciated the craftsmanship in shoes at this company that specializes in men dress shoes. Leather is a business they know very well.
We ended the day back at the FFaNY floors where I got to meet 2 shoe buyers from Ross's Buying Office in Los Angeles and our womens shoe buyer. We accompanied them to a few different vendors to see how they did business and saw what they were looking for. Again womens shoes is like a whole new world as far as options. There was just a plethora of shoe styles and colors.
That was a long day and ended the day at the shows.
FRIDAY:
The tropical storm had began to make its way to the city as it rained the entire day. Today was team building activities for the interns which was more fun than team building sounds. I think at this age we have the idea of not appreciating team building activities because they take us out of our comfort zone, which in fact is the point of these things. I think the rain was what also put a damper on the idea.
Overall though I thought the day was fun, plus getting paid for these types of activities was fine in my book. We were instructed to not go to our desks at all today. Our first challenge was a scavenger hunt around the city. We were broken up into groups of ten and sent out into the cold steady rain. For about 4 hours we made our way as far as 60th St and 3rd and all around getting total strangers to take group photos of us for the hunt. Our team only got 17 points out of 49. We were not too upset about it since the objective of the day was to get to know each other. At one point we made our way into Saks Fifth Ave to dry off for a bit and had major bonding time with browsing. On the way out though a girl and I totally spotted an NBA basketball player with his entourage of 4. Unfortunately neither of us knew who he was or what team he played for. They walked right past us and he totally looked back at us because he knew we recognized him. If only we knew who he was we could have gotten his picture with us for 5 extra points to our total. Some of the places we checked off our list where: Gershwin Theatre (home of the Broadway Musical Wicked; great show btw), Carnegie Hall, Rockefeller Center, Plaza Hotel (Home Alone), and Tiffany & Co.
We were treated to pizza back at the office and got to dry off for a bit before the afternoon of more team building. We had a team t-shirt contest, and played the name game in groups of about 20. That was a huge challenge since I was the third to last to go! Our final game was 2 truths and a lie and I must say it was during this game that people obviously forgot that they were in a work environment. Some of the truths told you would have wished were lies! The day was ended overall with a great laugh and a better acquaintance to more interns. Despite the downpouring rain the day was a success.
This definitely isn't the type of internship where you are in charge of bringing coffee; people are bringing it to you! I go to appointments with the buyer and assistant and I am treated like a equal as I sit in on meetings with vendors. As an assistant buyer intern, I have not sat at my desk for more than about 30 minutes at a time. I am paired with a buyer and her assistant for men and children shoes. The best part about working in shoes is the shoe vendor shows and going around the city to go to different showrooms. The office is on the edge of the Garment District (think Project Runway area) so buyers working in the clothing departments are walking distance to their vendors. In the past week I have travelled to Queens as well as up and down the streets of Manhattan in the Flatiron District and Union Square area. FFaNY (Fashion Footwear Association of New York) held a shoe show the latter part this week, so I jumped right into appointments.
MONDAY:
For my first day we spent the first half of the workday in orientation as one big group getting all sorts of information needed from the fabulously Human Resource team. After 4 hours of orientation, our mentors came to pick us up. It literally felt like kindergarten where you sit and wait for your parent to pick you up from school as each person's name is called out. Our mentors took each of the interns out to lunch around the city. My mentor and her assistant treated me to lunch at a Butterfield 8, a local place that takes pride in being the place "where business professional meets the social scene". With that in mind, my pesto chicken sandwich and side salad ran at $16, a little steep of a price, but for that place, the price came from its location.
http://www.butterfield8nyc.com/
After lunch and back in the office, I got settled into my desk. By the way I love the location of my desk because it is in a training room converted into a large intern office. The room houses computer desks for about 12 interns in total and I feel we can really help each other out being together we are all working under buyers and doing around the same type of work. Good move on Ross's part. I spent the afternoon between my desk setting up calendar meetings and shadowing my mentor and her assistant at their desks. Before I knew it the day was over and was off the clock at exactly 5:30.
I met up with my new friend and co-worker, Ashley and made our way back to our apartment in the rain for dinner in the dining hall. With the rain outside, and exhaustion waning our bodies we stayed inside for the rest of the evening.
TUESDAY:
I was excited for my second day of work because I was already going on my first shoe vendor appointment so soon. I have to admit when I was told we were being picked up by car to go out to the showroom in Queens, there was a bit of excitement. How exciting to be an intern getting to ride through the city chauffeured in a Lincoln Towncar that waited for us until we also finished the appointment. This definitely was not your average taxi service. We went to a mens work boot showroom where I learned there were so many options to make a mens work boot different. To the common eye all the boots looked the same, but there were slight details that made each shoe different, from the material of the sole to the height of the actual boot.
After my lunch break, I spent most of the afternoon in a training class with other interns about computer programs. The little time left, I shadowed and learned the basics of some of the reports used. I was surely thankful for the Merchandising Math class I took this past semester because terms used throughout the reports made sense to me.
WEDNESDAY:
The morning was spent in another training class for interns. My teacher for the class was an amazing man who also just happens to be featured on a new show on Bravo, Princesses of Long Island, where his daughter is one of the main characters. I have not gotten a chance to watch it because I never watch TV.
After lunch I got to go the the first day of FFaNY shoe show. After meeting a group of vendors we headed to an appointment at Nina, a company that specializes in womens and girls shoes. The showroom was absolutely adorable as well as their staff, a great group of people. This trip even featured pastries and coffee which is always a plus in my book.
This was the first time I had been exposed to childrens shoe buying. The little girls shoes for Spring 2014 are just precious. Unfortunately I cannot go into detail about what I saw but let's just say little girls are going to have foot candy basically.
Our next appointment was another showroom that makes shoes for licensed characters such as Spiderman, Batman, and Disney. I had never seen Spiderman on so many different shoe styles! There were blue and red canvas shoes, boat shoes, sneakers, flip flops, and clogs, oh my! And for every hot cartoon character around. I met the nicest man there from Texas and we had a moment sharing stories about our home. It highlighted my day, being so far from home and meeting people that know where you are from. We were not too far from work, so we walked it back to the office and called it a day.
THURSDAY:
This is was best shoe show day. I literally spent the entire day at FFaNY. I had never seen so many shoes at one time in my life. I was exposed to thousands of shoes on three floors of convention center space. Even though we went searching for children and mens shoes, the majority of shoes at these shows are womens. The market for womens shoes is extremely vast with tons of options.
Our first official meeting for the day was nearby for Rachels Shoes. They specialize in little girls shoes, especially the really cutesy play sandals that feature little flowers and butterflies with velcro straps, those types of shoes. The room had a few hundred styles of shoes, each shoe being an open toe sandal for young girls.
Afterwards we headed over Vida Group, which is a company houses 15 different shoe brands including Carters and OshKosh for kids, Unionbay and Sag Harbour. We met with Carters and OshKosh. During the meeting a younger gentleman came into the room and sat his chair right next to me. Richard, was the head shoe designer for the two kids brands. I was a little starstruck, even though he was a regular person. He walked us through the story line for the Spring 2014 collection and he was really able to express to us what he was going for with each shoe color and print. It was a great moment being able to listen to him express about his designs. We stopped by Unionbay for a bit and I saw the design team for Kohls, a large group by the way of about 10 people, at work picking, choosing and discussing shoes for their stores. What I found interesting was that they had a model who would try on shoes for them. She would be handed a shoe, try it on, and do a few posses, then again with the next shoe. That was very interesting.
Our last formal appointment was with mens showroom for Giorgio Brutini, GBX, and Bass Shoes. I had noticed throughout the past few days, but it was during this meeting that I realized the shoe business was run by men. Liked stated before this place was no exception. I really appreciated the craftsmanship in shoes at this company that specializes in men dress shoes. Leather is a business they know very well.
We ended the day back at the FFaNY floors where I got to meet 2 shoe buyers from Ross's Buying Office in Los Angeles and our womens shoe buyer. We accompanied them to a few different vendors to see how they did business and saw what they were looking for. Again womens shoes is like a whole new world as far as options. There was just a plethora of shoe styles and colors.
That was a long day and ended the day at the shows.
FRIDAY:
The tropical storm had began to make its way to the city as it rained the entire day. Today was team building activities for the interns which was more fun than team building sounds. I think at this age we have the idea of not appreciating team building activities because they take us out of our comfort zone, which in fact is the point of these things. I think the rain was what also put a damper on the idea.
Overall though I thought the day was fun, plus getting paid for these types of activities was fine in my book. We were instructed to not go to our desks at all today. Our first challenge was a scavenger hunt around the city. We were broken up into groups of ten and sent out into the cold steady rain. For about 4 hours we made our way as far as 60th St and 3rd and all around getting total strangers to take group photos of us for the hunt. Our team only got 17 points out of 49. We were not too upset about it since the objective of the day was to get to know each other. At one point we made our way into Saks Fifth Ave to dry off for a bit and had major bonding time with browsing. On the way out though a girl and I totally spotted an NBA basketball player with his entourage of 4. Unfortunately neither of us knew who he was or what team he played for. They walked right past us and he totally looked back at us because he knew we recognized him. If only we knew who he was we could have gotten his picture with us for 5 extra points to our total. Some of the places we checked off our list where: Gershwin Theatre (home of the Broadway Musical Wicked; great show btw), Carnegie Hall, Rockefeller Center, Plaza Hotel (Home Alone), and Tiffany & Co.
We were treated to pizza back at the office and got to dry off for a bit before the afternoon of more team building. We had a team t-shirt contest, and played the name game in groups of about 20. That was a huge challenge since I was the third to last to go! Our final game was 2 truths and a lie and I must say it was during this game that people obviously forgot that they were in a work environment. Some of the truths told you would have wished were lies! The day was ended overall with a great laugh and a better acquaintance to more interns. Despite the downpouring rain the day was a success.
Monday, June 3, 2013
New York State of Mind
It is a stormy Sunday night as I sit at my desk in my small New York room listening to the sweet melodies of Ella Fitzgerald, a fitting choice since she got her start in this very city! So I have officially moved into my new place for the summer as of Saturday evening. With my internship starting tomorrow morning, I am excited and anxious for what is in store for me with Ross Stores. It is like a dream come true, a summer internship in New York City.
After missing my first flight, US Airways was very accommodating and put me on a noon flight. I changed planes in Charlotte, North Carolina, and was in New York City by 6pm. Even though I missed my 8:30am flight, the day went pretty smoothly. I had even better seats on the plane this time around with seats at the front of the plane, SCORE! I headed straight to where I am living for the summer, at Webster Apartments, which sits on the outskirts of the Garment District. The location of this building is absolutely fabulous! I am walking distance from Ross's office which is also situated in the Garment District 12 minutes away. The Piers on Hudson River, Chelsea Neighborhood, and even Times Square is all super close to me!
I have not done any exploring of the city yet since I got in later in the evening last night. Today I had lunch in our building in the dining hall with a fellow co-worker/resident Ashley. We connected through LinkedIn of all social media networks! Ashley is from Pennsylvania and is doing a planning internship for Ross. Her room also just happens to be 4 floors directly below me. How oddly funny. After lunch we ventured on into the streets of Manhattan so that I could run a few errands. Our first stop was to the closest tattoo shop, not to get a tattoo though. I needed to get a nose stud to replace my nose ring for work. Infinity Tattoo NYC was where we ended up. The storefront can be seen from the street but to get inside you must taken a semi-hidden staircase from the the street up to the second floor of the building. They were very nice and professional and even put my stud in for me. Plus the stud was not pricey at all, only 10 bucks!
The location is 614 8th Ave #203 New York, NY 10018
http://infinitytattoo1.com/home.html
Our next stop was at a nearby Kmart for some snacks for the room. Word to the wise, do not shop at Kmart on a Sunday afternoon because everyone is there! With a small case of water with me we headed back to Webster and I rested for a bit.
The evening came around and I met up with a classmate staying at Webster who is also interning with Ashley and I, Hahna. We quenched our thirst at one of the plethora of Starbucks cafes near us and headed to see where Ross's Buying Office was located. We would be walking to work so we wanted to time it out. Food was our next objective, so we stopped at a nearby eatery, Bravo Kosher Pizza, where a slice of pizza will run between $2.99-4.50. Also try the garlic knots, they are knotted garlic bread rolls and cost $1 for 3. There are few locations around the city. Post dinner was a quick exploration of Times Square before heading back home for the night.
http://www.bravokosherpizza.com/Welcome.tpl
New York City will be my playing ground for the summer and I want to take advantage of every bit the city has to offer! I also plan to take away tons of beneficial knowledge through my internship. My entire college career has led to this Buyer internship. My dream job is to be a retail buyer, and I will officially have my foot in the door starting this summer.
This next piece is a thanks to Jesus Christ because through him all things are possible. He is my rod and my comfort and he provides me the strength to go out and seek opportunities that are outside my comforts of my hometown. I want to thank the Lord for him believing in me and seeing a great achiever inside myself, that I sometimes struggle to see. People ask me how do I get to do the things I do and see the places I have seen and I am here with one answer: I serve a Great Lord who never leaves my side wherever I go or whatever I do. It is through God's strength that I am not alone in my decisions to travel and seek new knowledge. I challenge those who feel they cannot be "as bold as me" to trust in the Lord with life decisions. God would never mislead or forsake you in life. So my answer is: TRUST!
After missing my first flight, US Airways was very accommodating and put me on a noon flight. I changed planes in Charlotte, North Carolina, and was in New York City by 6pm. Even though I missed my 8:30am flight, the day went pretty smoothly. I had even better seats on the plane this time around with seats at the front of the plane, SCORE! I headed straight to where I am living for the summer, at Webster Apartments, which sits on the outskirts of the Garment District. The location of this building is absolutely fabulous! I am walking distance from Ross's office which is also situated in the Garment District 12 minutes away. The Piers on Hudson River, Chelsea Neighborhood, and even Times Square is all super close to me!
I have not done any exploring of the city yet since I got in later in the evening last night. Today I had lunch in our building in the dining hall with a fellow co-worker/resident Ashley. We connected through LinkedIn of all social media networks! Ashley is from Pennsylvania and is doing a planning internship for Ross. Her room also just happens to be 4 floors directly below me. How oddly funny. After lunch we ventured on into the streets of Manhattan so that I could run a few errands. Our first stop was to the closest tattoo shop, not to get a tattoo though. I needed to get a nose stud to replace my nose ring for work. Infinity Tattoo NYC was where we ended up. The storefront can be seen from the street but to get inside you must taken a semi-hidden staircase from the the street up to the second floor of the building. They were very nice and professional and even put my stud in for me. Plus the stud was not pricey at all, only 10 bucks!
The location is 614 8th Ave #203 New York, NY 10018
http://infinitytattoo1.com/home.html
Our next stop was at a nearby Kmart for some snacks for the room. Word to the wise, do not shop at Kmart on a Sunday afternoon because everyone is there! With a small case of water with me we headed back to Webster and I rested for a bit.
The evening came around and I met up with a classmate staying at Webster who is also interning with Ashley and I, Hahna. We quenched our thirst at one of the plethora of Starbucks cafes near us and headed to see where Ross's Buying Office was located. We would be walking to work so we wanted to time it out. Food was our next objective, so we stopped at a nearby eatery, Bravo Kosher Pizza, where a slice of pizza will run between $2.99-4.50. Also try the garlic knots, they are knotted garlic bread rolls and cost $1 for 3. There are few locations around the city. Post dinner was a quick exploration of Times Square before heading back home for the night.
http://www.bravokosherpizza.com/Welcome.tpl
New York City will be my playing ground for the summer and I want to take advantage of every bit the city has to offer! I also plan to take away tons of beneficial knowledge through my internship. My entire college career has led to this Buyer internship. My dream job is to be a retail buyer, and I will officially have my foot in the door starting this summer.
This next piece is a thanks to Jesus Christ because through him all things are possible. He is my rod and my comfort and he provides me the strength to go out and seek opportunities that are outside my comforts of my hometown. I want to thank the Lord for him believing in me and seeing a great achiever inside myself, that I sometimes struggle to see. People ask me how do I get to do the things I do and see the places I have seen and I am here with one answer: I serve a Great Lord who never leaves my side wherever I go or whatever I do. It is through God's strength that I am not alone in my decisions to travel and seek new knowledge. I challenge those who feel they cannot be "as bold as me" to trust in the Lord with life decisions. God would never mislead or forsake you in life. So my answer is: TRUST!
Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation." Isaiah 12:22
Monday, May 27, 2013
Island in the Sun: Hawaii
I just got home from a week in Paradise, a place my friends Nicole and Courtney call home, the island of Oahu. It was a Disney reunion of not seeing my friends for a year. The girls showed me their island and I must say God gave this place great beauty and wonder.
To start I want to mention how I came to the island with no expectations. My eyes were wide open to all aspects of the state of Hawaii. The common question I received from people was how expensive it was, but I had the help of my friends who knew how to have an amazing time while not breaking the bank. We did tons of sight seeing without spending crazy money. We checked out Pearl Harbour and Dole Plantation, we hiked Pillboxes, experienced great weather at Pali Lookout, and of course spent plenty of time at the abundance of beaches. I went to five in total! The most expensive activity we did was the luau at Paradise Cove for $65, which was pretty reasonable because there are other shows that can be almost $200 a ticket! Maybe when I make my marvelous six figure salary working in corporate America, but for now this college student is ALL about a great deal.
Originally I was going to blog each day about our adventures, but by the end of each day I was completely and utterly exhausted. So instead I will highlight the moments that truly made our Disney reunion special!
To start I want to mention how I came to the island with no expectations. My eyes were wide open to all aspects of the state of Hawaii. The common question I received from people was how expensive it was, but I had the help of my friends who knew how to have an amazing time while not breaking the bank. We did tons of sight seeing without spending crazy money. We checked out Pearl Harbour and Dole Plantation, we hiked Pillboxes, experienced great weather at Pali Lookout, and of course spent plenty of time at the abundance of beaches. I went to five in total! The most expensive activity we did was the luau at Paradise Cove for $65, which was pretty reasonable because there are other shows that can be almost $200 a ticket! Maybe when I make my marvelous six figure salary working in corporate America, but for now this college student is ALL about a great deal.
Originally I was going to blog each day about our adventures, but by the end of each day I was completely and utterly exhausted. So instead I will highlight the moments that truly made our Disney reunion special!
- THE REUNION: Seeing my friends after leaving the Disney College Program last year was magic. We told each other we were going to see each other again and after months of planning it happened. Seeing them was surreal and yet it was like we had just seen each other a week or so ago. It could not have been a year since we left Florida! I also reconnected with a old tennis mate from high school. We had come to the conclusion that we had not seen each other in over six years because we both moved away from the school. Of all places and people to meet again it was Jeremy and me!
- Staying at Ko Olina Marriott Beach Club: I am so glad we decided to stay near the city of Kapolei over Waikiki Beach. The entire Ko Olina area was majestic and hidden away from the hustle and bustle of Waikiki and Honolulu's hecticness. The hotel was a paradise in itself. It was also on the same street as Disney's Aulani Resort. (In my opinion Marriott Beach Club was nicer than Aulani especially for people without small children: nicer beach area and better hotel room).
- Leonard Jrs Hot Malasadas: Portuguese originated heaven!! I ate them like water!
- Driving to North Shore: You leave the city and drive through the mountains into the countryside. No buildings no traffic lights just the open road (and a slower speed limit than the mainland that's for sure!) Being at North Shore was where I felt like I was living like a local.
- Jumping off a 30 foot rock at Waimea Bay: If it were not for my friend Alika, I would not have had the courage to jump off not once BUT TWICE! I just learned how to swim about two months ago and my biggest fear was not the jumping off the rock but the water below. I overcame the fear with his help and I feel I can conquer the world, literally!
- True Aloha Spirit: Courtney and Nicole's family and friends welcomed me with open arms and an Aloha spirit. They let me into their homes and into their lives and I am truly grateful because they have forever made a lasting impression about what Aloha spirit is! Both ladies parents showed my such generosity and I gained so much knowledge about the culture of the island and the people that call it home. Also their friends I met, both Laurens, Tiffany, Nick, and Danielle, Dylan, and Chris, the sweetest group of friends! The way you guys look out for each other, to say you guys are friends is an understatement. You guys are a beautiful blending of cultures, Ohana! And you took me in as part of it. I loved it! I even left the island with a nickname, Professa!
- Food: I was NEVER hungry during my trip. From Red Velvet Macadamia Nut Pancakes at Cinnamon in Kailua to Pork Hash from 7-Eleven to Acai Berry Bowl in North Shore, there was always delicious food around every corner.
- BEACHES: How could I not fail to mention the beautiful beaches of Oahu! I visited 5 in total, with my favorite being Waimea Bay. I also visited Ala Moana Beach, Ko Olina Beach, Lanikai Beach, and Waikiki Beach.
- Windows down, cool breeze blowing, blasting our favorite tunes! There is something about singing aloud with your friends to a song on the radio. Spotify is like God's gift of music with the abundance of songs at our fingertips. There were moments in the car that stuck out to me the most: singing along to Island in the Sun-Weezer as we drove home from North Shore and the night drive from Waikiki while we did a quartet to Buffalo Solider-Bob Marley.
- Speaking of music, Nicole+Me+Bag of Godiva Chocolate=Pure Madness!! We were on a sugar high for Christ that Sunday night! We walked around Waikiki Strip singing Christian songs like the Holy Spirit himself! We did our best renditions of songs from Hillsong, Chris Tomlin, and many more!! That was a great moment in itself.
Now the moment you have all been waiting for....PICTURES!!
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