This is one of my favorite berries. They are so healthy for you. Strawberries are packed with lots of antioxidants, which studies show is linked to decrease in chronic disease. So eat up!
What’s your favorite fruit?
Losing The Pregnancy Weight
Losing weight is hard. Losing weight and keeping it off is even harder. Losing weight post-pregnancy is worst! And that’s where I am today.
A few months ago, I suspended blog posts on iamglor.com because I started a new chapter in my life that so far has been the best thing I’ve ever done, ever.
Today however, as my maternity leave gets closer to the end, I am trying to psychologically prepare my brain for major weigh loss regimen. It’s not going to be easy, I know, but I am willing to put in the work.
*I know I have to start small.
*I know not to beat myself up about not dropping 5 pounds per week. (that’s not possible, I know).
*I know I have to change my diet drastically. This should be easy because I’m generally a very healthy eater.
*I know I have to exercise for at least 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week.
My goal is to be active as much as I can, so here’s to losing my pregnancy weight.
What do you think about my weight loss goals?
My new obsession: The Booth At The End
So I have a new obsession with a show called “The Booth At The End“. I stumbled upon the show on Hulu.com while perusing through to find interesting shows to add to my H+ account. At first I was hesitant to watch, but the question “How far would you go to get what you want” made me do it. Let’s just say within the first five minutes of the show, I was hooked. The way the different characters walk into the diner to the booth at the end to get their wishes fulfilled by ‘The Man’ (played by Xander Berkeley), the way they approach with fear and yet with great anticipation to meet HIM draws you in.
Creator and writer, Christopher Kubasik (@MakerCK) is the mastermind behind this thought-provoking dark show that really seeks out to answer the question “How far would you go to get what you want?” I mean really, when you think about it–how far would you go? At first the story lines seem independent of one another and then by the third episode you realize that it’s quite the opposite, and in my opinion, it’s a brilliant way to tell a story that surrounds this man. Oh, and let’s not forget the diner (and it’s sole waitress) also play the an important role because let’s face it without the booth at the end of the diner where would these people go to get their wishes granted?
You have to see it for yourself to understand exactly why I am obsessed with the show. So do yourself a favor and WATCH the show: http://asm.ly/Tt. Come back and tell me what you think!
–Glor
Baby and Birthday
Today is my 31st birthday and the best gift ever is my daughter whom I’m yet to meet. In the meantime, my amazing boyfriend has made my day…well, amazing.
Stuff I Collect
I collect movie, concert and play stubs as well as matches. I started collecting movie stubs back in 2004 when I lived in Miami. My friends and I went to the movies almost every weekend and on weekends when we didn't go together, I would go alone. And so to keep track of all the movies I've seen I started collecting the stubs, which then grew into plays and concerts.
With matches, I started collecting when I was probably 20-years old when I traveled to Dallas, TX. I went to a local bar with co-workers and I'd noticed the bar had their name and contact info on the matchbox. I really wanted something I could take with me to help me remember the bar, so I grabbed one. Ever since then I make sure to grab a matchbox from a bar or restaurant from whatever city I find myself in. I have matchboxes from TX, FL, NY, Boston, Rhode Island, Connecticut, DC, Virginia, Wisconsin, and California.
I Still Love You, iamGlor Fans, I Do!
Howdy folks!
I know it’s been a while since I posted to iamglor.com. I promise I have good reasons. Without going into too much details, here’s a recap of what’s been going on with me:
- New job–I started my new job with a national association on Capitol Hill in DC as the HHI Senior Web Coordinator. I will be providing oversight and information / architectural layout and support for a national program website. I also have been working on creating social media and communications strategies and plan.
- First work conference–next week, I will be at our annual mid-winter conference. I’ll be leading our Twitter / Facebook updates live from the conference. I’ve also been assigned press release task for a very high-profile award recipient. (Hint: he’s a Senator!).
- I was recently awarded the Online Contributor for Tysons Corner title on Examiner.com. My focus will be on events, restaurant reviews/profile, shopping, etc in Tysons Corner, VA. So be sure to checkout my page, follow and submit story ideas! I will love you more for it! And don’t forget I’m also DC Homelessness Examiner!
Now do you understand why I’ve been MIA? Send me some virtual love. Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter @iamglor. I miss you all!
xoxo, Glor
Posted from WordPress for Android via my HTC EVO 4G
New Beginnings, But First Starbucks With Rosenberg
I hope you had a great Valentine’s Day. I had a low-key Vday at home with some wine and dinner.
I recently resigned from my position with a nonprofit organization where I worked for nearly three years. It was tough to leave, especially saying goodbye to people I’ve come to like and enjoyed working with and learned so much from. I’ll always be grateful for the opportunity, but as they say all good things must come to an end.
This week though, I will begin another fun and exciting working relationship with a national association in Washington, DC; I am very excited about my new job. I have all the emotions that comes with starting a new job, meeting new people; learning new skills and SO ready to take-on a more leadership role. With new beginnings come new learning curves, challenges and adjustments. I will experience all of the above, not at work (I hope, OK a little), but I know I will definitely experience it with my commute to work. Now, I’m not new to the metro system, in fact, I’ve been on it several times alone while in college and with friends to festivals and museums. My friends know I’m not a big fan of public transportation because I’m a huge control freak and like things done in a very structured manner. So giving driving control to someone else is going to be tough.
To help ease my anxieties of riding the metro, my boyfriend and I did a dry run over the weekend, and I decided to do another one alone today. Here’s how it went: I missed my 8:39am metro bus to metro station; was in a train car with way too many people; I tweeted; and on last connection we were delayed for >10 minutes; and had to stand the entire ride into the city. I took it all in stride…I was not flustered, but was definitely annoyed and held back from yelling at the riders who stood WAY too close to the doors; therefore causing it not to close for at least a minute.[tsk, tsk, tsk]… as you can see, I’m going to need more time to get use to riding the metro. Look, I’m not complaining, I’m just saying… anyway, I gave it a try nonetheless and for that I’m proud of myself.
My Tweet: “Observation: riding w/weekday metro riders vs weekend is so different. Personally, I prefer weekday riders! I’m just saying…”
I rewarded myself with some Starbucks green tea and banana walnut bread when I arrived and read Arthur D. Rosenberg’s book, ’101 Ways To Stand Out At Work’ [Adamsmedia, 2009; ISBN-13:978-1-59869-981-4]. By the way, I highly recommend this book.
I’d like to know about your experience and what anxieties you had when you had to start a new job, or if you’ve recently moved to a new city. How did you handle it and what would you do differently? Share your comments below–thanks for reading and sharing.
–Glor
Posted from WordPress for Android via HTC EVO 4G
Turquoise Talk: An Interview With Designer Cat Horn
Last week I received an email notification from Twitter saying that a ‘@Katire1′ was now following me on Twitter. I am always interested in connecting with different people online via Twitter, and I found her profile, especially her bio line, which read, “Costume designer for this play we call life. Accessories and apparel design”, intriguing and so I clicked through her website link to learn more about her and her designs.
I was even more intrigued after seeing her jewelry designs and sketches on her website. I was so excited I had to have a chat with her to learn more about her designs and inspirations. Thanks to technology, we connected via Google Chat. I thought you would love her pieces too so I wanted to share a transcript of our chat with iamglor.com fans. Feel free to share your comments at the bottom.
iamglor.com: So, I just want to say thank you for taking the time to chat with me today. I really appreciate you taking the time—I know you are very busy. As I said in our email exchange, I am excited to chat with you about your work, which I love by the way!
Cat Horn: It’s not a problem, I’m flattered you wanted to write about my designs…thanks, I’m glad you like them. I am working on all new stuff for spring so I am always updating.
iamglor.com: So tell me, who is your inspiration?
CH: I am inspired by free spirited type of woman. I cannot think of anyone in particular since it’s more the feeling I go with. I love gypsy lifestyle, flapper. In general, [I design for] the type of woman who is individualistic, self confident and above all playful.
iamglor.com: Wow, that is great because your pieces are great…why accessories and apparel, and which do you enjoy designing the most, if you had to choose?
CH: I think accessories; I love to design clothes as well. I have a degree in fashion design and worked in the industry for a while as a costume designer, which I loved. But the way I dress myself is I choose very simple clothing and dress it up with a lot of accessories. I really like how a simple outfit can be taken to another level with the right accessories and can give it real character. I always have on about five or six bracelets, a necklace, tons of rings and my hair done up some way or another but I am always wearing just a tee shirt and jeans.
iamglor.com: I can definitely tell that you love accessories, and you are right it does make a difference in the entire ensemble.
CH: Definitely…
iamglor.com: What was it like being a costume designer and where did you do it, locally in Philadelphia or NYC?
CH: I live in Philly, but I actually did Costume design in Pittsburgh, where I grew up. I wanted to study fashion design to become a costume designer. I worked on costumes for the Washington DC Opera and a History Channel movie called “Desperate Crossings”. It was a blast. I love historical dress, and it is really what inspires a lot of my work. I hope to go back and do it again some day.
iamglor.com: So it sounds like you started out in costume design, how did you branch out into jewelry?
CH: I have been making jewelry since I was about 10. I took a 3-week trip across country with my family that summer and I fell in love with Native American bead weaving and the colors and patterns they used. When we got back, my parents bought me my first beading loom and I was hooked. I taught myself how to bead weave, then macramé and eventually wirework. It had always been a hobby but one day a friend of mine told me I should sell my stuff on Etsy, and it just kind turned into a career path.
iamglor.com: your friend was right –you are talented! And Etsy is a great outlet for selling your handcrafted goods!
CH: I love Etsy; it is such a great community to be a part of. I can never say enough good things about it. I know a few of my other designer friends got their start there as well.
iamglor.com: who do you design for—what age group?
CH: My target customer is 18-39-year-old woman; she is an Indie-type girl, or guy since I’m trying to design a few things for men as well.
iamglor.com: Cool, so tell us about your accessories / apparel pieces. What are your top five pieces, and why they are your favs?
CH: my number one favorite is my Fools Gold Silk Friendship bracelet, and in a close second, the Silver and Silk Friendship bracelet. They were really the first thing I designed for the Etsy shop. They were based on a song I learned as a Girl Scout that goes “make new friends but keep the old one is silver and the other’s gold.” I think it is such a sweet, but not cheesy, way of showing you friendship.
iamglor.com: no, it is not cheesy at all. That is actually fascinating.
CH: …next, I love my brand new ear cuffs; I just put them up in the shop now. I always loved the look of having multiple ear piercing but was too scared to get more than the one I have. And, unlike wearing big heavy chandelier earrings that tug at your piercings, these are really lightweight and [they] don’t hurt to wear for a long time. Plus, I really love asymmetrical earrings.
iamglor.com: oh, yes, I saw those in your Flickr style group. I absolutely LOVE the leather cuff bracelet—the turquoise was a great color choice.
CH: I was actually just going to say that my other two favorites are the Leather Cuff bracelets and the Chainmaille. The turquoise is awesome; it is a major player in my spring designs. I think it is going back to my first inspiration with Native American jewelry that is probably why I like them so much.
iamglor.com: Yeah, it is really beautiful. You have great pieces in your collection and I can see your inspiration in each one.
CH: Yeah right now I am really inspired by Tribal cultures, art history, and geology.
iamglor.com: knowing that now, it makes sense and I can definitely see your inspirations in your accessories—really nice work, Cat
CH: Thanks!
iamglor.com: So tell me, who is you favorite jewelry designer?
CH: I think that is a tie between Digby and Iona and Erica Weiner. Digby and Iona have a lot of really cool ornate casted pieces that are very whimsical. I have a ring from them that is a roaring lions head on the body of a sea serpent type creature that wraps around the finer and I wear it all the time. The thing I love about Erica Wiener’s work is that she uses a lot of vintage items and I think she is really inspired by history of costume as well. She made my other favorite ring, which is a rough-cut crystal solitaire; very simple but gorgeous.
iamglor.com: A tie? Well, that is great that you love their pieces. So do you think your design style is more like Wiener’s?
CH: I think so, that is probably why I love her pieces. Actually, I think her ring was the first thing I ever got from Etsy.
Quick Questions –seeing that Cat was so inspired by others’ works, I had to learn about her personal style.
iamglor.com: What is the ONE piece of clothing or accessory you cannot live without?
CH: Hmmm, tough one…there are so many pieces I wear almost every day… I think though [that] I would be lost without my Fender Watch. I have worn a watch every day of my life, and I feel naked without it. And this watch in particular is awesome because it is big and chunky but very sleek…like the guitars it is designed after.
iamglor.com: Nice… that is great answer. I have a watch I got as gift and it definitely feels weird when I do not have it on…so we know we find and buy your pieces on Etsy, where else can we find your jewelry?
CH: Right now, I only sell in one other place, Beadworks here in Philly. I hope to expand more into small boutiques in the coming year.
Horn’s top five pieces from her line:
Fools Gold Silk Friendship bracelet
Silver and Silk Friendship bracelet
Ear cuffs
leather cuff bracelets, and
Cooper Chainmaille
iamglor.com: That’s so great—I hope you can expand because people would love your pieces. What’s next for you, you mentioned Spring collection –talk about that a little bit. What can we expect?
CH: Well, the collection is inspired by tribal culture, art history, and geology. I plan to add a lot macramé and Chainmaille pieces. The stones I am using will be several different types of Turquoise, Crystal, Agate and Jade, and Pyrite, and maybe a bit of Lava rock. I am planning to use a lot of wood and shell, too. I am also looking for vintage pieces to use as well, like, clock keys and religious metals.
iamglor.com: Do you have any accessory advice or styling tips you could share with our readers? If we invest in one thing this season, what should it be?
CH: A big trend I am seeing is wrap bracelets. I think specifically ones that can double as a necklace. I love them because you pretty much get two-for-one. I’ve been calling them convertibles!
iamglor.com: HAHA. Nice that sounds innovative and smart!
CH: Yup, also really long necklaces can sometimes work the same way if they have a clasp.
iamglor.com: I know you are on Twitter, Etsy, and Flickr, where else can people find and connect with you?
CH: Well, people can connect with me on my Facebook page and I have a blog called Cat’s Cradle.
iamglor.com: well, THANK YOU again so much for taking the time to chat with me.
CH: Anytime, it was a pleasure.
–###–
Cat Horn is an Accessories & Apparel Designer bases in Philadelphia. She has been working in the fashion / design industry for many years. To see the entire collection of Cat Horn’s jewelry, you may visit her Flickr photostream. Follow Cat on Twitter (@Katire1), and become a fan on Facebook. To purchase some of her cool jewelry pieces and accessories, visit her Etsy store.
I would love to hear from you so please share your comments and thoughts below. Thanks for reading and come again. (Thanks, Cat!)
–Glor
Tips on Managing Stress
Plinky asks, “Are you stressed out?”
Am I stressed? Right now, no, I am not stressed. But, I will say we all face stressful situations in our personal and professional lives; and each individual manages stress differently. Contrary to popular belief that stress is more prevalent during the holidays, we deal with stress year round. Stress can lead to emotional highs and lows, poor judgment, overeating, insomnia, alcohol abuse and severe increase in cortisol, which increases belly fat and a host of other health conditions. However you look at it, the physical and emotional consequences of stress can be detrimental to overall health.
Causes
While there are common causes of stress like work, relationships, financial, etc; stress factors differ from one individual to the next. Identifying your stress factors is as important as managing and dealing with stress. The stresses of work can be very difficult to deal with because you have to remain professional at all times in the workplace. For me, the stresses of managing multiple web development projects and high profile projects can sometimes be stressful. I’d have admit I have fallen victim to stress in the workplace. Below are some of the things that helped me deal with and manage stress in my personal and work life:
Managing stress–
- Exercise – participating in any aerobic / cardio exercise will help reduce your stress dramatically. You don’t have to hit the gym for hours, just taking a 30 minute walk around the neighborhood goes a long way. And if you don’t have time to workout in the morning, you can walk during your lunch hour. The key is to stay consistent and motivated.
- Yoga –as a yogi, I can honestly say that yoga is one of the best stress management techniques I have practiced. As an avid jogger, I am addicted to the natural highs of endorphins, but yoga is different in the sense that it calms your body, mind and soul. And the breathing exercises can be practiced anywhere.
- Balanced nutrition and diet –eating a balanced diet of seafood, plenty of fruits and vegetables, drinking tons of water and moderate amounts of green tea (preferably decaffeinated) will help keep you healthy from the inside out.
- Make a to do list – making a list of your projects is a great first step to keeping stress at bay in the workplace. Listing all the things you have to work (or home) on will help you stay focus on tasks. Moreover, checking off the completed tasks will give you a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment.
- Set priorities – identifying your priorities is closely related to making your to-do list. You can set priorities by tagging your projects in order of importance. For example, A=high; B=medium; C=low, etc., and then tackle each project based on priority.
- Communicate with your boss (or family) – sharing your project list with your boss (and/or loved ones whatever your situation) is important and allows s/he to know your workload thereby allowing him to assign new tasks accordingly; therefore ensuring that you do not have too much on your plate.
How do you manage stress?
Strategies for a Successful Blog
I subscribe to a daily public relations and social media news feed from PR Daily News Feed. In today’s email, Mark Schaefer of the award winning, “Grow” had a great post on “The 10 Best Corporate Blogs in the World“, and I liked it so much I was inspired to share.
Mark’s post got me thinking about some of the strategies I used to turn my blog into a Lifestyle website, www.iamglor.com. Now, I’m not posting this just for fun, I’m posting so you can read and learn from what these corporate blogs are doing to engage their customers, expand their brand, teach their customers about their services and products. In my opinion, blogging is going to be one of the fastest growing ways to increase overall brand awareness on- and offline because it gives customers the opportunity to stay abreast on new product development and services being offered by the company.
With that said, below are my top five strategies or elements for starting your own successful blog.
- Who – identify your audiences both internal and external: existing customers, new customers, key stakeholders and partners?
- Why – Identify the reasons for your blog. It is important to set realistic and achievable goals, and be prepared to adjust accordingly.
- What – what is the purpose of your blog? Whether you want to increase brand awareness, promote a product or service, it is important that you identify the purpose in order to archive your goals successfully.
- Where – where you host your blog is equally as important as the first three, so whether you pick a sub-domain off your main URL, or Blogger, WordPress, remember to hyperlink to your website.
- How – And finally, how do you intend to market, promote, and create new and original content for your blog?
Whether you already have a successful personal or corporate blog, or you are just starting a blog for yourself or company, I hope Mark and I have inspired you and I especially hope you will follow these five steps to creating your blog. Don’t forget to stay focus on your topics; staying focus allows you to put forth clean, consistent, cohesive content. And lastly, write with a voice that tells readers you are the expert!
I would like to hear from you so join the conversation and tell us what strategies have worked for your corporate blog.
