Happy 4th of July

The design for this patriotic bauble was insired by a 1940's candy-striped
plastic bracelet  that James de Givenchy purchased online for his daughter.

When the World Gives You Lemons, Take a Staycation



Image of NYC cityscape taken from the Williamsburg waterfront.

Located between N 6th & N 7th Streets just off East River State Park.

If you are "retired", "semi-retired", or recently came out of "retirement", there is a chance that your original summer vacation plans may have changed. Don't waste your time feeling sorry for yourself or creating some excuse about having to keep on top of your job search. Whoever you are sending that job application to checked themselves out on Thursday evening or Friday at noon. And let me tell you something, if they respond to an email, it's not going to be yours. It's out of sight, out of mind until Tuesday (or the week of July 10 if they are taking this week off.) The Pink Lady listened to her own advice and decided to take a staycation. (For those of you who are not familiar with the term "staycation" it is defined as a vacation spent in your city.) I am spending my weekend doing my favorite thing; exploring the Orchard of Style.

Freshly Picked-Williamsburg, Dinner & a Movie

Located between N 6th & N 7th Streets just off East River State Park,
 Smorgasburg, is a two-minute walk from the Bedford (L) station

I asked fellow staycationer and friend W to accompany me on my journey. We hopped on the 6 (no 4 or 5 service this weekend), transfered to the L at Union Square, and arrived in Williamsburg in under 30 minutes. First stop, Smorgasburg. Smorgasburg, is a food-lover’s bazaar. Filled with 100+ food vendors, Smorgasburg’s intention is to spread the sea of change in food consciousness by making fresh, innovative, and affordable eats available to a broad and diverse audience, and that it does.

Obscene! 
Images from Smorgasburg.

Lunch at El Almacen

Tilapia w/sweet potatoes and pine nuts,
brussels sprouts, mixed green salad, and avocado fries.

Post-Lunch Williamsburg Walkabout

One of my favorite home decor stores.
The Future Perfect's business card is tabloid size.
The presentation is as unique as the pieces they carry.

Radish, a prepared food store that offers a seasonal menu,
showcases what's "In Season Now" on a chalkboard.

Page One & Peels
We were back in Manhattan by 6:30 and headed over to the Angelika to see Page One, Inside the New York Times (See tomorrow's post for a review of this not-to-be-missed film.) followed by dinner at Peels.

Red Quinoa Salad, 3-In-1 Cream Pie,
Warm Parker House Rolls, Cheeseburger 

If you haven't eaten at Peels then you should move it to the top of your list. Located at 325 Bowery (Corner of 2nd St.), Peels is owned by Taavo Somer and Will Tigertt of the popular Freemans crew. The food was fantastic, the atmosphere was chillergenic (relaxed but bustling), and the service was just as good. Peels is renown for its Build-a-Biscuit and outstanding bakery. Perhaps I will return for breakfast before Tuesday.

My First Week Out of Retirement or Learning How to Use the Office Microwave

I apologize for not posting consistently. Last Monday marked the official date that I came out of retirement and re-entered the working world. Although, my hours are more than manageable—9 AM - 5 PM or 9:30 AM - 5:30 PM with a mandatory lunch hour that must be taken anytime between 12 PM and 2 PM—it appears as if I got a bit too comfortable in my “relaxed state” because I was completely wiped out by the end of the day. We will see how I feel after week 2.

But-On-Koncept top-loading microwave.

Starting a new job—full-time or temporary—can be overwhelming. Remember how you felt on your first day of school?  Anxiety sets in before you even get there and begins with the question of “What should I wear?” (The company that I am working for has more of a relaxed-chic dress code and employees can wear jeans. I wore a pair of white AG for Calypso chords and a navy sleeveless blouse with a white-piped ruffle running down the front.)  Hopefully, you were proactive and mapped out your route a few days before and already know how long it will take you to get there. You walk into an office with a completely different security system (card, key code, or finger print) and into a room of new people and personalities. Then you must acquaint yourself with and learn a completely new set of systems. When you are settled into your office or cubicle the most important question to ask is, “Where are the bathrooms?” so you can map out your route and estimate the time it will take you to get there in case of an emergency.

Electrolux Dish 5 microwave

The Pink Lady worries about all of the above as well all but there is one additional item that I did not mention and failing to figure this one out on your first day will surely make you the topic of conversation by the water cooler for days, maybe even weeks to come. I will give you two hints. One, this skill does not relate to your job. Two, it involves knowing how to operate a certain piece of equipment and it is does not fall under the AV or IT categories. If it’s not AV or IT then what could it be?

The office microwave.

But-On-Koncept top-loading microwave in orange.

Maybe it’s just me but why is it that you can never simply press Reheat and Start for the microwave to begin the job it was programmed to do. It’s not rocket science. I own a microwave and use it every day. (It was my go-to cooking/reheating appliance before I learned how to use my gas oven and overcame my fear of it exploding in my face. I am not joking. When Madame Pink Lady helped me move into my first apartment in NYC she put the flint igniter in the broiler oven. She turned on the oven and 10 minutes later, there was smoke and flames.) I think that all office kitchens should be fitted with standard issued microwaves.

I refuse to get a smaller size cup of coffee and prefer the java from my local spot so I am one of those people that reheats the same cup of coffee several times during the day. It’s  my first day of work, noonish, and it’s time for reheat #1. I enter the office kitchen. I make my approach. I open the microwave door. I place my cup inside. I locate the menu that will tell me what number I need to press to reheat everything under the sun. I locate the number that I will need to press to reheat a BEVERAGE. I press 4. I press START. Nothing. I press START again. Nothing.  I go through this exercise a few times with no success.

IWave Cube Personal Microwave. I
could keep this unit by my desk and avoid
this situation in the future.

Out of my peripheral vision, I can see someone coming up from behind. They are toting a semi-defrosted Lean Cuisine chicken something or other. Not only are they starving and unhappy that their lunch consists of  Chicken a La but they are beginning to realize that they may not be eating their lunch any time in the near future because this idiot, the Pink Lady, is figuring out how to use the microwave during their lunch hour.
 
Suddenly, I am having déjà vu back to the first day I ever commuted. It’s the day after Labor Day and I am trying to figure out how to purchase a New Jersey Transit Pass. Unable to find the number associated with my destination or figure out which pass—one, three, seven, 10, one-month, or one-month unlimited—to purchase, I am holding up a line of people who are cursing me under their breath.
 

10 is the microwave.

Ugh! The pressure. I can feel the Lean Cuisiner’s eyes staring into my back like daggers. I start again. I press 4. I stop long enough to see 0.5 appear and an image of something that resembles a cup beside it. I press 4 again and the 0.5 changes into a 1 and the image of the cup appears to be a bit bigger. I press START. The light goes on and we have lift off. I turn around and I am now face to face with my new frenemy. “It’s my first day.” I said. I didn’t get a response but instead was given a look that said, “OK but this better not happen again.”
 
Don’t get me started on the coffee maker.

Happy Birthday Mme. Pink Lady

"One should never trust a woman who tells her real age. If she tells that, she'll tell anything."  

                                                                                                                            -Oscar Wilde

Sunday was Madame Big Apple's (the mother of Mme. Pink Lady) TH? birthday. A lady should never reveal her real age, or her mother's for that matter, but you are only as old as you feel, and my mother started taking Zumba classes last year. Need I say more?

How does my mother’s birthday relate to the terms style and the act of finding a job? Let's start with style. My past posts have described her fondness for footwear and flair for party planning. Let's move on to the word job. The hardest job in the world, according to me, is that of a mother. She may never have to hear the words “You’re fired!" or “I am very sorry to have to tell you this but we are eliminating your position as of today.”  but that is a trade off for sleepless nights, unnecessary anxiety, and the “occasional” confrontational argument.

Because of current financial restraints, I am unable to buy my mother as many birthday presents as I would like to and since we do not live in the same city, I will not be there to celebrate it with her. What I can do is show you what I would give her if things were different and as they say, it is the thought that counts. (If Harvey Weinstein options my blog for a book or movie deal, I could buy Mme. Big Apple all of this and so much more.)

Breakfast in bed.

A beautiful flower arrangement.

Calorie-free French Macarons

Tickets to the Book of Mormon

Brace Yourself

Love these oversized Hermes bracelets.
Hermes, Madison Avenue.

Brace yourselves. The Pink Lady is coming out of retirement as of this Monday. In an earlier post, I mentioned that any freelance position that requires me to be on-site will be referred to as "positions that take me out of retirement." Since this is a three-month maternity fill-in and not a permanent position, I am going to refer to this transition as "semi-retired."

I am excited to embark on my new adventure and feel very fortunate that I secured this opportunity because job listings for someone at my level, or for someone at any level for that matter, tend to slow down in the summer. A maternity fill-in is also a good test to see if both the employer and employee would be happy working together if a permanent position was to materialize. In this case, the freelancer is usually the first candidate they will consider.

I will continue to write about style and design but instead of sharing the trials, tribulations, and tales about my job search (aka coming out of retirement) I will recount the funny and interesting events of my life from the perspective of a first-time freelancer.

Don’t forget to tell your friends, family, and co-workers about The Apple of My Eye. Harvey Weinstein will never discover the Pink Lady and commission her musings for a book or movie deal unless you spread the word. Don't worry, she will never forget where she came from or thank the people who helped her get there.

A Playlist to Search to a Job To

Searching for a job can be a very tedious activity. It involves copying, pasting, attaching, and deleting copies of your resume as well as revising your cover letter to call out specific points of a job listing, all the while hoping that your Internet connection does not time out. After a few hours of doing this, you may find yourself jumping out of your seat and giving yourself a high five every time you see the words “Your application has been successfully submitted.” appear on your screen. Looking for a job is a workout in itself so if there are playlists to run, jog, and bike to, there should be a playlist to search for a job to.

As I flipped through the July issue of Self  magazine during today’s mid-morning-job-search-gym-break, I found an interesting article on page 99 entitled “Get a Rockin Body.” Followed by the sub-head,”Music may just be the ultimate trainer. Studies show it helps you to work harder and helps you fight fatigue. Harness its power with tune-up tips and exclusive moves that keep top pop stars fit. Note to pounds. Just beat it.” Since I consider searching for a job a workout, I reviewed the tune-up tips to see if they could help me improve my results.

I love this record player!

Tip 1: Music pushes your pace.

Will this help my job search? YES. The more resumes that I can fill out per hour the better but just as you should not sacrifice your form to complete more reps, make sure to remember to check for spelling errors. I tend to make stupid spelling and grammar mistakes when I am in a rush.

Tip 2: Music motivates you to keep going.

Will this help my job search? YES. If  music can keep me from getting up every 30 minutes and creating unnecessary distractions for myself I may be able to submit an additional 4-5 applications a day.

Tip 3: Music makes the work feel easier?

Will this help my job search? YES. I am all for anything that will make the arduous process of filling out a job application easier.

Tip 4: Music helps you pump iron.

Will this help my job search? MAYBE. I am not sure about this one but I guess I can type with my right hand and do pencil arm curls with my left or I could type with both hands while doing plies. I will have to try both of these exercises.

Tip 5: Music gets you grinning.

Will this help my job search? YES, and sometimes I even start singing and grooving in my desk chair.

 

Based on the above analysis, music should help me “Get a Rockin Job.” That being said, here is my Playlist to Search for a Job To. (All songs available for purchase on itunes.)

A Recipe from the Kitchen of the Recently Retired

My Saturday ritual goes a little something like this; I get up anywhere between 7 AM and 8 AM, do what it is necessary to make myself look presentable for Saturday morning viewing, and walk five blocks to the Farmer's Market where I purchase my groceries for the week.  

I have to thank my friend L for bringing this little local treasure to my attention. I have lived in my current orchard for a little less than four years and had no idea that this Saturday-only purveyor of some of the freshest regional produce, baked goods, jams, hummus, spices, flowers, and everything else you need to prepare a quick meal or host a dinner party for 10, was so conveniently located. (Although, some of the vendors are seasonal, the market is open all-year-round.)

My weekly shopping list includes a variety of fruits and vegetables that I can throw into my Breville juicer. A juicer was never on the “must-buy” list of appliances. Actually, I have never had a list with anything kitchen related on it except for paper towel. The word juicer conjured up images of me slaving over a sink cleaning it and Jack LaLanne. I was spending $7 or more a day on a 16-ounce juice. Then I Googled “Best juicer, easiest to clean” and found the Breville Compact Fountain Juicer, Model BJE200XL. After reading several positive reviews, I made my purchase. I am obsessed with my juicer and use it daily.

Preparing to juice.

A few additional tidbits of information you should know about the Pink Lady. Besides a few glasses of wine on the weekend and indulging in a large bag of movie theater popcorn (with butter) on occasion, I exercise daily, watch my diet, and do whatever is necessary to keep the wrinkles at bay. I am also a vegetarian but if that was not the case maybe I would have called this blog Prime Beef, Fresh Selections from a Purveyor of Fine Meats.  

My unexpected retirement has me cutting back in certain areas and one of those is dining out. I used to despise cooking and when I was coming home from work at 9 PM every night, the last thing I wanted to do was cook. If I did not meet friends for dinner, I was ordering in. In a previous post, I mentioned that retiring has allowed me to things that I did not have the time to before, and one of those things was cooking. Lately, the bill from the Farmer's Market has increased from approximately $30 to $50 a week but I am saving at least $200 because of my new found hobby. I am becoming quite the chef  and “bakress.” I will admit that some of my initial attempts were rather unsuccessful. For example, the cranberry pumpkin scones that you see below. They look more like flat bread than the latter but I have improved since then.

Pumpkin Cranberry Scones

Asking my friends with discerning palettes to be my test kitchens, I have been told that my banana cranberry quinoa bread and pumpkin cranberry muffins are bakery-worthy. Going forward, I have decided to dedicate one post a week to cooking. Here is the first in the once-a-week feature that I like to call, Recipes from the Kitchen of the Recently Retired.

Banana Cranberry Quinoa Bread

Two medium ripe mashed bananas

1 cup vanilla soy milk or almond milk (or any other type of non-dairy milk)

1 tbsp ground flax seeds

¼ cup canola oil cup agave nectar or pure maple syrup (I prefer coconut nectar. I purchased it at my local health food store but if you cannot find coconut nectar the agave and or maple syrup works just as well.)

½ tsp. vanilla extract

1 ¼ cups whole-wheat flour

¼ cup almond flour

1 ½ tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. cardamom

1 ¼ cups cooked quinoa

½ cup dried cranberries

½ cup pumpkin seeds and or slivered almonds

1. Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees

2. Spray a 9x5-loaf pan with an organic non-stick cooking spray

3. Mix the bananas, milk, ground flax seed, canola oil, agave nectar, and vanilla extract in a bowl

4. Combine all of the dry ingredients in a separate bowl

5. Add the dry and wet mixtures together and mix well

6. Pour into loaf pan

7. Bake for 60 minutes, let cool, and slice (should make 10 slices)

Banana Quinoa Cranberry Bread