Luxe Vending Machine

According to The Luxist, the Hudson Hotel in NY just launched their very own Luxe Vending Machine. The vending machine contains items varying from mini skirts to 24K handcuffs to Ouija boards. Read more here.

As mentioned in my previous blog, vending machines are making a serious comeback. No longer are they just for snacks and soda. Now, you can find a wide assortment of goods and services housed in these little machines. The new "luxe" vending machine at the Hudson even includes a Ferrari rental for $10,000. Something for everyone!

Have Country Clubs Gone to the Dogs?

Forget the dog park and the beach, dog owners in Lala have a new option called The Club - Beverly Hills. Yes, that's right, a country club for dogs.

The amenities include, but are not limited to: yoga, aromatherapy, massages, personalized bedding, jacuzzi soaks and personal portraits. A one-day stay is about $270, not including overnight accommodations. Lucky for you, there's a 50% discount on Gilt City right now. (insert sarcasm here)

I have enough trouble coughing up money for pet deposits and pet rent, forget about a doggy country club membership. It's bad enough that the dog doesn't have a job to pay for his portion of the rent, but now he gets a country club membership, too? I'm amazed that there's a market for this. Probably the same people who purchase the Doggy Mansions. Mind you, this is coming from someone who is utterly obsessed with her dog.

Adorable, right?

One thing's for sure, there's a growing supply of high-end goods and services for pets. Although I'm not in the market for said goods and services, I can't wait to see what's next.

Crazy HOAs

I'll admit, I'm at a point in my life where I really envy people who own their homes and no longer have to pay rent. I often find myself watching hours and hours of HGTV's House Hunters, fantasizing about the day when I can hunt for a house of my very own.

Then reality hits and I'm reminded of how crazy some homeowner associations can be. This list contains some of the most ridiculous and unreasonable rules that I've ever seen.

If I had to remember to carry my dog every time that I had him in common areas, I'd probably rack up a nice little bill to the HOA, too. Unbelievable. I'm grateful for this article because it reminds me that owning a home isn't all it's cracked up to be.

The Future of Advertising

Ever since the movie Minority Report came out, I've been anxiously awaiting the day when advertising billboards would specifically address me by name with a customized message.



Okay, so this scene does seem overwhelming, but it is definitely kind of cool. You have to remember, I'm looking at this from a media buyer's perspective.

Fast Company recently published a story about Iris Scanners and I think the above movie clip is what most consumers may be afraid of after reading the article. I envision it being more subtle and personalized. Rather than the ads simply mentioning your name, they will be relevant to what you need and want in the near future. It would be like having ads shown to you which correlate to items on your "to do" list. Billboard and internet ads will serve as little reminders throughout the day instead of invasive distractions.

One thing mentioned in the Fast Company article that I disagree with is that fraud will be "eradicated". That's an unrealistic expectation. I mean, didn't they see this scene from Minority Report?



All I know is that I'll be one of the first people to opt-in. I hate carrying around a wallet and cash. I foresee a decline in purse and wallet sales. Come to think of it, I wonder if the iris scans work while wearing sunglasses.

Freakonomics Documentary

I don't think I've ever been so excited to see a documentary. For those of you who haven't read Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner, the book is centered around "the hidden side of everything". Levitt & Dubner compare extremely different things and illustrate, by way of economics, how they are strikingly similar. For example, sumo wrestlers are compared to school teachers and the KKK is compared to a group of real-estate agents.

Seeing the trailer makes me want to read the book again. This documentary and book will be mandatory for my kids one day.

Inception and Duck Tales

After seeing the Inception trailer for the first time, I remember being confused and moderately intrigued. Now that I've actually seen the movie, I feel that the trailer does it no justice.



There were so many things I loved about Inception. It had a great cast, an intricate story and phenomenal imagery. I left the theater thinking that Christopher Nolan was pretty amazing. Taking all of that into account, I was very surprised when I started to hear rumors about Inception being a rip-off from an old Duck Tales comic.

The comic is called "Uncle Scrooge in the Dream of a Lifetime". I believe Video Gum broke the story with this post. Since then, the web has exploded with information regarding the similarities between the latest summer hit and my favorite cartoon.

The comic in its entirety can be found here. Of course, I had to read the comic in order to form my own opinion and I agree that there are some obvious similarities. Basically, the Beagle Boys are attempting to rob Uncle Scrooge yet again. This time they decide to use one of Gyro's new inventions to invade Uncle Scrooge's dreams and steal the combination to his safe.

Here's an excerpt that I found to be of note:


Furthermore, if you've seen Inception, you know how important "the fall" is. Gyro discovered its importance when Donald went into Uncle Scrooge's dream to help him.

Personally, I'm not sure if I believe Christopher Nolan stole the Inception idea from Duck Tales. Either way, I still love the movie and I now appreciate the cartoon so much more.

A Tunnel Bus in China

They're calling China's latest creation the "3D Express Coach", but essentially it looks like a bus with a built-in tunnel. In order to save money and decrease traffic, China will be building a bus that can drive over cars that are no more than 2 meters high.

I don't know about you, but I would be terrified if a bus drove over me. It's scary enough having them on the road alongside me! Although I do think it's a clever way to alleviate traffic congestion, I can't help but consider some of the safety issues.

What if the bus accidentally goes over a car that's more than 2 meters high? What if there's an accident beneath the bus while it's driving over traffic? Since the "3D Express Coach" can carry between 1,200 to 1,400 passengers, it's a huge liability.

More details and pictures can be found here

A Golden Safety Net

Call me morbid, but I find it fascinating that a "suicide barrier" is going to be built 20 feet beneath the Golden Gate Bridge. On average, 30 people a year jump from this bridge, which makes it the most popular place to commit suicide in the WORLD.

The first suicide occurred a mere 3 months after the bridge was constructed in 1937. It would seem that this problem would've been addressed by now and I'm surprised that it has taken over 70 years to reach a consensus. Unfortunately, there is still a long road ahead as this barrier will cost approximately $45 million to build.

The full story can be found here

Cat Fur Purses

There's nothing I enjoy more on a Saturday afternoon than watching Animal Planet. Today I was watching a show called "Cats 101". Many different breeds are discussed in-depth and later summarized based upon life expectancy, health and whether or not they are good family pets.

Out of everything I saw on today's episode, one thing stuck with me. There's a cat groomer in Upstate New York who uses the leftover fur from Persian cats to create purses. Here's a video clip from Animal Planet:



As described in the video, I think I'm one of the "ew people". There's just something about it that doesn't sit right with me. On the other hand, I suppose it could be a cool keepsake. I am not at all surprised that people are willing to spend up to $400 for a cat fur purse. I also appreciate that it's humane and resourceful, but I'd prefer my Silky Yorkie's fur over Persian cat fur.

Shoes via Vending Machine

So, it's a Saturday night and after wearing your heels, for what feels like forever, your poor feet feel like they just might fall off. The sad part about this dilemma is that you knew this moment would come when you were getting ready and decided to wear those cute, black, peep-toe, 5-inch heels, but went along with it anyway. Why? Because well, they looked cute.

To avoid having to pull a "Britney Spears", you trudge along wishing you could've somehow fit a pair of flats in your adorable Fendi clutch. Turns out, a man named Matt Horan from the UK has come up with a very clever solution - Rollasole. Essentially, he has taken old vending machines and stocked them with an adorable assortment of ballerina slippers. Since ballerina slippers are extremely comfortable and the sizes are typically true to fit, the idea has pretty much taken off in the UK, Ireland, Ibiza and Australia.

For a minimal price of roughly $10, you can hit up a Rollasole vending machine at the end of a long night of wearing heels and still look cute. I'm upset that a woman didn't come up with this idea and I'm even more upset that I wasn't that woman. On the bright side, these vending machines are expected to come to the US soon. Maybe there's still time for me to stock some vending machines of my own with a Hawaiian spin. "Slippahs" (flip-flops) anyone?

Weighing In

I believe that weighing yourself frequently, versus avoiding the scale, assists with weight loss. I'm not sure where I got this notion from, but as usual, I was right. ;) Turns out, the University of Minnesota facilitated a study in 2005 that proved this to be true. Out of approximately 3,000 people, 40% weighed in frequently, 40% moderately and 20% avoided the scale. Over the course of 2 years, the group that got on the scale frequently lost an average of 12 pounds. Those that weighed in moderately lost about 6 pounds. Lastly, the 20% that avoided the scale gained 4 pounds.

Unfortunately, weighing yourself at the same everyday can be a pain. I keep track of my weight and body fat percentage by writing it on my bathroom mirror with a dry-erase marker. Not so fun whenever a guest uses my restroom. Something I didn't really take into consideration until my girlfriends pointed out how awkward it was. Oops. At the end of the month, I transfer the data to my FitBit account. The entire process is, well, a process. I would so prefer to just have my weight automatically recorded and stored on my computer every time I stepped on the scale. A great invention, right?

Turns out, this nifty little gadget exists. It's called the Withings scale. The scale has a wireless card and transfers your weight, broken out by lean mass versus fat mass, to your PC. It's genius if you ask me.

Unicorns

Do you remember the San Diego Zoo campaign with unicorns on the billboard? The copy read: "If they're not here, they probably don't exist".

While at lunch one day, our San Diego Zoo client shared with me that she actually got a call from an organization that was livid about the campaign. They claimed that unicorns did exist and wanted the ads pulled immediately. Unfortunately, I can't remember the name of the organization, but it was something similar to the National Association of Unicorn Believers...except it was real.

Anyway, I think those people would appreciate this video:

Every Nail Has Its Thorn?

Apparently the Thorn Manicure was hot in the 60s and is making a comeback. Achieving this look isn't too strenuous. All you have to do is de-thorn a rose and paint the thorns whatever color you choose. After painting them, you stick the thorns onto your fingernails.

Step by step directions and pictures of this dangerous manicure can be found on Nylon Magazine's website.

I, personally, think it's a good idea, but it's looks hideous. I like my nails to look smooth and perfect. This manicure looks too textured and messy. Additionally, you could scratch someone. Maybe if it's executed correctly, it could end up looking "fierce". I suppose only time will tell if this trend catches on. I'll definitely be on the lookout for thorny nails.

Water Bottle Island

Richie Sowa has created his own island in Cancun from water bottles. I'm still unclear on how he was able to create this foundation supported by water bottles in nets, but it's so fascinating that I had to share.

Doggy Mansions

I love my dog, but if I EVER consider purchasing one of these I really hope someone stages an intervention.

The cost of a Doggy Mansion starts at around $5,000. The houses usually include water, indoor/outdoor lighting and are climate-controlled. Some of the models even include swimming pools, flat-screen TVs and DVD players. What in the world??? I find it mind boggling that there's a market for this, yet I'm not too surprised. People are obsessed with their pets, so why wouldn't they want to give them the finer things in life?

Model, Rachel Hunter, had La Petite Maison build this detailed replica of her Mediterranean-style home for her dog:



This is the world we live in...(shoulder shrug)

Tryst :: Coffee Shop Lounge

My favorite past time is people watching. That might be the reason why I continue to stay in "Earthquake City, USA" aka Los Angeles. During my time in Maryland, we wandered into Adams Morgan. The area is full of bars, clubs and restaurants, which allows for some great people watching.

Out of all the places we stopped in at, my absolute favorite people watching destination was a crowded coffee shop/lounge called Tryst. Now, I'm an LA girl, so I automatically associate the name with the nightclub in Las Vegas, located in the Wynn hotel. The Tryst in Adams Morgan is something completely different.



Not only does this spot have amazing desserts and a great selection of caffeinated drinks, they also have a fully stocked bar. As you can imagine, this draws a very diverse crowd. There were students studying, couples on dates and even some older folks enjoying a cup of tea with red velvet cake. The place is filled with couches and it's a challenge to find an open seat.


You know you have a moneymaking idea when your venue can be the pre-party, the actual party and the post-party spot. I was so impressed and entertained. I can just imagine studying there and later meeting up with friends to have some wine and cheese. If you're ever in DC, you have to stop by : http://www.trystdc.com/

Mask, Swim, Action!

Since you can take pictures underwater, it was only a matter of time before video taping would become commonplace. Not only is this a cool gadget, but it's pretty affordable. I would love to see someone's underwater footage. ThinkGeek :: Video Swim Mask

The Last Airbender

After much anticipation, we went to see The Last Airbender tonight. In the month leading up to the release of the The Last Airbender, I made it my homework to watch every episode of Avatar, the Nickelodeon cartoon on which the movie is based.

I don't watch cartoons very often and was pleasantly surprised by how quickly I seemingly breezed through the 20 episodes of Avatar. Anyone who's watched the cartoons would easily be excited to see the movie adaptation.



I know the movie has gotten less than favorable reviews and there have countless racist accusations regarding the cast, but I really wanted to give M. Night the benefit of the doubt. To my dismay, the rumors are true!

I completely understand that it's probably difficult to streamline the story into an hour or two and expected a lot of scenes to be missing. What I didn't expect were Shamalamadingdong's additional scenes. He completely fabricated entire scenes of the movie to fit his adaptation. Essentially, he stayed true to the first and last scene of the Book of Water and rushed through the middle. The characters weren't developed and none of their personalities came through. It was dark and monotone. Similar to this poster. Please note the striking difference between the movie poster and the cartoon image above.



One main thing that bothered me throughout the entire movie was that the pronunciation of the characters' names. Aang was pronounced "aaaang" instead of "eng" and Sokka as "so-ka" instead of "sa-ka". Now, I studied Japanese for 6 years, so I'm aware that the movie is phonetically correct, but if the characters were portrayed by non-Asian actors, why suddenly stay true to the name pronunciations? It made no sense and it was distracting.

Last, but not least, the 3D was clearly an after thought. The only 3D experience I had was during the previews.

M. Night, do us all a favor and please don't make any more Avatar movies.

Travel in Style

I love to travel, but there's something about flying on Virgin America that just adds to the excitement. VA is leaps and bounds ahead of the competition and continues to impress me. Aside from the in-flight wi-fi, satellite TV, live chat and on demand ordering system, they also have outlets for your electronics and serve VeeV vodka. Who says you have to leave all the comfort of home while you travel?

I discovered VeeV a couple years ago, but now that I've gone gluten-free I'm ready to "re-discover" this amazing drink. I believe we'll be reunited on my flight to DC this Saturday. VeeV is made from Acai berries, which have 57% more antioxidants than blueberries. Most importantly, it tastes like heaven!



For those unlucky few who have not yet experienced Virgin America, I leave you with their in-flight safety video:

I Love Burgers

Since I've gone gluten-free, I may never have a real cheeseburger again. A real cheeseburger being one with an actual bun. Nowadays, I'm all about the "protein style", but that can be messy. Burgers are messy enough, let alone eating one wrapped in a slippery leaf of lettuce. Scrumptious!

Although, UrbanDaddy has dubbed the CHOMPr as something we left in 2009, I'm thinking of bringing it back to solve my "protein style" problem.

Grown Ups

Let me first start by saying that I may never see another movie after 12pm again. I mean, it was only $14 for my bf and I to see Grown Ups this morning. Maybe I've just become cheap at my old age (28) or maybe movies are a supreme rip-off after 12pm. Depends on your point of view, I guess.

Now, I had been wanting to see this movie ever since I first saw the yearbook ads while waiting in line for SATC 2 (an epic disappointment). Perhaps it was all the build up leading into the movie that left me underwhelmed. Don't get me wrong, there were definitely some funny moments. I just felt like I had seen the best material in the trailer. I realize that's what got me to buy my movie ticket, but the trailer was a serious spoiler alert. From the kids wanting to get "chocolate wasted" to blue dye in the pool, I found myself anticipating the good stuff.

Since the cast included Chris Rock, Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider, Kevin James and David Spade, I thought there would be some bloopers at the end or at the very least, some still photos of funny stuff. That might have made me feel like I got to see something trailer viewers hadn't. More than anything, I felt that it was a narcissistic move on Sandler's part to make himself the most successful of the group. He was affectionately referred to as "Hollywood" by his friends after becoming an agent. He was also the boy who scored the winning shot during the championship game. In love with yourself much?

All I know is that my expectations were high for this film and I left the theater grateful that we didn't pay full price for our tickets. I'm ready to see a great movie and although it's a completely different genre, the countdown is on for The Last Airbender: http://www.thelastairbendermovie.com

In The Heights

Right before Christmas, Pantages Theatre sent out an e-mail to commemorate their 80th Anniversary. At that time, they were selling eight tickets to eight shows for eight dollars. The tickets sold out within minutes, but luckily we were able to snag some! So far, I've been seven shows at Pantages this season - that's a record for me. We only have one show left in our series and I'm starting to think that I'll need to buy season tickets for the Fall, too.

Last night was the opening night for In The Heights. As usual, I researched the play a bit during the day and read the synopsis. I already knew I was going to like it because it included salsa dancing, but I wasn't sure what to expect regarding the storyline. Would there be a storyline?

We were running late for the show and got to Pantages a few minutes into the first number. Luckily, we didn't miss much. I had a tough time following the storyline in the beginning since a lot of it was being rapped or said in Spanish. For the most part, everything in Spanish was repeated in English or easily translated based on context.

I was pleasantly surprised by how great the singing was, specifically the female lead, Nina. In addition to the singing, every single person in the cast could dance. A cast of "triple-threats" - dancers, singers, actors. They did a good job establishing each character during the first act. Each personality was so unique, it was tough to choose a favorite. During the first act, we were also given a glimpse of what each character's problem or conflict is, but before intermission, we were let in on a secret which could solve everyone's problems.

Act two went by pretty quick and even though they hit us with some drama, it all ended up working out. Overall, I really enjoyed this play and would recommend seeing it. I might even buy the soundtrack.

Another Wedding Under My Belt

As a hobby, I've been doing "day of" wedding coordinating for friends or friends of friends. It's something I would LOVE to do full-time, but breaking into the wedding industry can be a daunting task. More than anything, it requires working for half price in order to gain experience and build a portfolio of happy clients. That being said, I've made it a habit to always welcome any opportunity to work on a wedding. Lucky for me, I'm at an age where everyone and their sorority sister is getting married.

My boyfriend and I have already been invited to five weddings this year. Of those five, two are destination weddings in Nicaragua & Hawaii. It should be a fun year! I'd be lying if I said I'd rather be a guest than a planner. There's just something so fulfilling about helping make that day possible for a bride and groom.

The most recent wedding I helped with was an interesting scenario because I was originally a guest, then the bride asked if I would be her coordinator. The girl she had hired wasn't being responsive and she needed me to replace her about two months before the wedding. I was so excited, especially since I was unemployed and searching for something to keep me busy.

The bride is a friend from college who I have had a lot of fun times with. She met her groom on Match.com and they immediately hit it off. They have been inseparable ever since. Previously, I had helped with weddings where I had no relationship with the bride, so this was new territory for me. She wasn't just a client, she was a close friend.

As the wedding drew near, our phone time increased substantially. I was kept in the loop on all things regarding the wedding, from bridesmaids to center pieces. There were a lot of "firsts" for me. For example, the wedding reception included a ten-course Chinese meal. I had no idea Chinese weddings hooked you up with so much food. Awesome. There were also nine bridesmaids, three of which were added a week before the wedding. The banquet manager was fired a couple weeks before the wedding. In addition to all this, the bride had to purchase a new wedding gown 48 hours before she walked down the aisle because the dry cleaner ruined her dress!

Last, but not least, on the day of the wedding, I was greeting the vendors when the previously fired wedding coordinator showed up with her mom. Since they were also wedding guests, I wasn't too surprised to see them. They immediately proceeded to ask the hotel staff for seating charts, table numbers, candles, etc. Luckily, I had already introduced myself to everyone and they were redirected me. This sort of thing can cause a lot of confusion on the day of a wedding. I insisted that I had everything under control and told the fired coordinator and her mother that I would reach out if I needed any assistance. Within minutes, I did a quick walk-through of the banquet hall and overheard the fired coordinator telling the florist that she would be placing the flowers on the wedding cake. I actually had to pull the florist aside and tell her that she was the only one to touch the cake per the bride's instructions.

I was completely thrown off by this, but knew better than to drag the bride into it. To this day, I haven't been able to tell her what happened the day of her wedding. Thankfully, it wasn't my first rodeo, so I was well aware of what tasks I needed to complete and the time allotted for each. At the end of the night, I was satisfied with the how the day went. A lot of fires were put out and it was a beautiful wedding. Here's a snapshot of the ballroom before the final touches:

A Quick Catch Up

I have officially been unemployed for 4 months and it's been absolutely amazing!! I cannot emphasize how important it was for me to take a break from the world, especially the world of advertising. I admit that though the break was much needed, it was extremely abrupt. As I think back over the past few months, I can't even believe how long it's been since I've sat in a cubicle and filed e-mails in Outlook.

The good news is that I'm re-entering the workforce with a renewed sense of ambition and it's exactly what I need for the next phase of my career. I recently went on a first and second interview with an online company. The position seems promising and I honestly can't wait to get started. Unfortunately, I have not been offered the job yet and there is one other candidate being flown into LA on Monday.

Even though the General Manager never told me if my competition was male or female, I automatically assumed it was a woman from San Francisco. He also didn't mention where she was from. Isn't it funny how we make assumptions like that? All I know is that you don't fly a candidate from anywhere unless they are talented. Why waste the money?

Aside from being unemployed, I've also spent some time training for and completing the LA Marathon, going to spin class, wedding coordinating, meditating, traveling to Portland & Hawaii and lots of long dog walks. I've also been cooking quite a bit. Specifically, I've gotten into the habit of making soup. My boyfriend says it's my new hobby. I'm rather impressed with my soup-making skills. Vegetable bouillon is my secret ingredient, but since I've become gluten-free, I need to find an alternative.

All this being said, I have so many new topics to blog about. In the coming weeks, I foresee many changes taking place. From the new job to potential apartment hunting, the topics are endless. For now, I'd like to leave you with my new favorite quote and quite possibly my new life mantra: "Approach the present with your heart's consent. Make it a blessed event." - Gurumayi