…and the winner is…

JESSIE!! Congrats Jessie!

Jessie, keep an eye out for an email on how to claim your winnings. =)

Thanks again everyone!

Yes, I’m giving away a PAIR of tickets to see the BOSTON RED SOX on Monday, September 6th at 7:10 pm against the Tampa Bay Rays at the historic FENWAY PARK in BOSTON!!!  If you’ve never seen a game at Fenway Park, it’s truly remarkable.  I grew up a Mets fan, and loved taking in games at (the old) Shea Stadium, but seeing a game at Fenway Park….you can just feel the history there.  Plus - the tickets are absolutely free!

The game is during Labor Day weekend.  I hate Labor Day because it marks the unofficial end of summer, but I love Labor Day because of all the “top songs of the summer” countdowns.  There’s nothing like hearing a song and instantly being brought back to happy memories of the summer.

HERE’S HOW THE CONTEST WORKS:
In the comments section below, list your favorite song of the summer of 2010, both artist and title.  I want to know: when the Labor Day countdowns start in a few weeks, what tune will you be happiest to hear?

RULES:
1. You can only enter ONCE – so make it count!
2. HOWEVER, you can get a bonus entry for including a summer memory linked to that song in your comment.
Example:
“My favorite song of the summer of 2010 is Gyptian’s ‘Hold Yuh.’” = 1 entry
“It’s my favorite because I first heard it on our honeymoon in Jamaica in late May, and when I’m driving home from the gym on a warm summer evening with the windows down and I hear the song on the radio, I’m instantly reminded of the fun memories of our honeymoon” = Bonus entry
3. Please include your email in your entry.  It won’t appear in the comment – but I need it to contact you if you’re the winner!

Post your entries by 9 pm EST on TUESDAY, AUGUST 24th.  One winner will be picked at random and announced on Wednesday, August 25th.

Good luck!

(via www.theawl.com)

‘New York Times’ Bans the Word ‘Tweet’

by Choire posted @8:42 AM

Phil Corbett, the latest standards editor at the Times (maybe the greatest job in the world?), has issued a proclamation! Yesterday, the following memo went out, asking writers to abstain from the invented past-tense and other weird iterations of the magical noun-verb “Twitter.” His case isn’t terrible, actually—and he offers this terrifying vision: “Someday, ‘tweet’ may be as common as ‘e-mail.’” Oh dear. Well, read for yourself and decide.

How About “Chirp”?

Some social-media fans may disagree, but outside of ornithological contexts, “tweet” has not yet achieved the status of standard English. And standard English is what we should use in news articles.

Except for special effect, we try to avoid colloquialisms, neologisms and jargon. And “tweet” — as a noun or a verb, referring to messages on Twitter — is all three. Yet it has appeared 18 times in articles in the past month, in a range of sections.

Of course, new technology terms sprout and spread faster than ever. And we don’t want to seem paleolithic. But we favor established usage and ordinary words over the latest jargon or buzzwords.

One test is to ask yourself whether people outside of a target group regularly employ the terms in question. Many people use Twitter, but many don’t; my guess is that few in the latter group routinely refer to “tweets” or “tweeting.” Someday, “tweet” may be as common as “e-mail.” Or another service may elbow Twitter aside next year, and “tweet” may fade into oblivion. (Of course, it doesn’t help that the word itself seems so inherently silly.)

“Tweet” may be acceptable occasionally for special effect. But let’s look for deft, English alternatives: use Twitter, post to or on Twitter, write on Twitter, a Twitter message, a Twitter update. Or, once you’ve established that Twitter is the medium, simply use “say” or “write.”

Make of it what you will. But, my quibble? I cannot believe he takes that horrible turn in the last sentence! No one “says” anything on Twitter! That’s pollution of the language. One either WRITES or one SAYS. I will never accept the argument that these words are interchangeable!

(nerd alert) These are so cool!

I’ll have stories and I’ll post more pictures soon, including honeymoon pics.  In the meantime, enjoy the pictures from our photographer Joe from Photography By Media Concepts.

OUR WEDDING PHOTOS:

http://bit.ly/MDwedpics2010

Me with my amazing husband!

Me and my sister Cordie, also my maid of honor

Quick background: Mark purchased my engagement ring at Lander’s Jewelers, a nice family owned business in the South Shore Plaza in Braintree, MA.  We looked for our wedding bands there back in August of 2009, but didn’t see anything that fit our styles or budget.  We headed downstairs to Kay Jewelers and ended up finding bands there.  And that’s when the horror began.

Now, as a PR professional, I am sensitive about critiquing a brand online based on a minor incident.  But in this case, with MULTIPLE issues at multiple stores and with multiple associates, I am happy to voice my honest opinion about Kay’s.  Across the board, they had no disregard for their customers and were completely out of sync with their repair services.  Even worse, they made errors that they didn’t even seem to care about fixing and/or blamed us.  AND, I saw them treat other customers with the same disrespect.  So I am more than glad to warn my fellow brides and grooms about shopping there for bands – or, frankly, any jewelry. 

So without further ado, here is our saga:

Rings purchased on August 1, 2009 at the Braintree location (#8407)

1. Salesperson informed us we could notch my band so it fit against the prongs on my princess cut engagement ring and have it filled in again at any point, no charge
2. We also could bring it to any Kay’s location to have any work done
3. We sent it out on August 1^st to be notched against engagement ring
   1. She told us it would take no longer than 2 weeks, but we asked if we could have it done by the 14^th so we could get the engagement ring back for August 15^th

August 12^th – We received the call that the ring was ready to be picked up

1. We were not given any details on the condition of the ring, just that it was ready

August 14^th – Mark went to the Braintree store to pick up the ring

1. The sales associate, the same one that sold us the ring, gave Mark the ring
2. Mark, not the associate, pointed out that the job had been done improperly and the ring was notched crooked
   1. Why didn’t she check and then tell us that when the phone call came in to save us the trip?
   2. She also blamed us and said because we wanted it in 2 weeks, they probably had to do a rush job and that’s why it was botched – THAT  IS NOT OUR FAULT IF THEY DID A BAD JOB!

August 22^nd – I brought the ring back to Braintree to get re-notched properly, due to be ready by September 4^th

1. Same associate as before, again she blamed the fix it shop and our need to have the job “rushed” (even though she had told us 2 weeks would be adequate)
2. No charge because they had made a mistake

September 12^th – Picked up the ring

1. Associate had never seen that done on a ring
2. Notches still didn’t fit perfectly, he offered that we still had plenty of time to get it re-filled at no charge
3. I said we would hang onto it and bring it back if our mind changed

January 15^th – Went to Brockton store (#1273) to have notches filled in

1. Spoke with associate who had never seen that done before on a ring
2. He brought it over to his manager
3. She had never seen it done either
4. She called an associate at Braintree to get the full story
5. Brockton associate said that while she could send it out to get done, because their fix-it shop (different from Braintree’s) didn’t do it originally, she would have to charge us.  So I would have to bring it back to Braintree and have them send it out to their shop to get fixed and then we wouldn’t get charged.
   1. If they all send it out, why can’t they send it to the same shop, or why can’t Brockton just send it to Braintree’s shop?  Why is it so separate?
   2. Frustrating that we had to bring it to Braintree again when we were told we could take it to any Kay’s to get work done

February 13 – Went back to Braintree store to have it filled in

1. Even though store wasn’t busy, had to wait with another customer for help – even though there were associates not helping other customers and who looked over at us and ignored our calls for help
2. Associate had never seen that done before on a ring
3. She recorded it as worn on the sales slip when I informed her it has never been worn (we’re not married yet)
4. She told me because now the choice to have it filled in was purely cosmetic, they’d have to charge us to do it
   1. When asked for an estimate, she couldn’t give one – we’d just have to wait
5. While I was helped, another customer was helped, who was picking up a ring he had bought for his soon-to-be fiancée (he had it sent out to be resized & had finally paid it off to propose in time for Valentine’s Day on the next day)
   1. The clerk gave him the ring without inspection and he looked at it and noticed a HUGE diamond missing
   2. The clerk took it back, confused, and asked him, “Oh, so you’re bringing it in to have the diamond filled?”  He said, “No, I just came in to pick it up – you just gave it to me!!”
   3. She said they’d have to send it out again to get filled
   4. He was like, “Why didn’t you check it when it came in?  Why can’t you do it here? I need it for tomorrow!”
   5. She just said, “Oh well, sorry.  We can’t fix it here.”
   6. Why don’t clerks check merchandise before it comes in?  That’s twice the fix-it shop made a mistake and the customer wasn’t notified about it until they came in.
   7. Why should I send it out again to a shop that clearly has made more than one mistake??

February 19^th – Received the call on the estimate, which was in the triple digits

1. When I explained the situation and my anger and frustration to the clerk, she was just, oh well.
2. When I told her we were told we could have it fixed in again at no charge, she said we needed it in writing.
3. She told me we had about a week to decide and was quick to get me off the phone

February 28th – Went back to the store

1. We first met with a jeweler at another store to find out if they could fill it if Kay’s refused to drop the charge
   1. The other jeweler said they were ridiculous to charge us HALF the price of the ring for a $15 service.  Yes, a $15 service. 
2. Mark and I brought this story to explain to the manager at Kay’s
3. He remembered us and so finally decided they would fix the ring at no charge.
4. He entered the order into the computer and we left the store.

March 11^th – Received the call that the “repair” was ready

1. I went to the store on March 13^th to pick it up
2. The manager from the last time helped out and gave me the ring – which was NOT fixed at all
3. When I pointed this out to him, he just went, “oh”
4. He checked the system and realized when he put in the order, the ring was ALREADY back at the store, not fixed
   1. Scary that they don’t have an updated computer system to notify them when customer’s products return to the store
   2. Why did they call 2 weeks later if nothing happened to it?
5. He put in the order AGAIN, so now we had to wait another two weeks and come back on a separate trip

March 25^th – Received the call that the ring was ready

1. Went to the store & the clerk couldn’t find the ring anywhere in the ring holds
2. He checked the computer, which said the ring was already picked up on March 13^th
   1. I explained to him the last situation, he was in shock that it had happened
3. He and 2 other clerks continued to search the store
4. They finally found it, with a different work order number than my slip (which is why he couldn’t find it)

LO AND BEHOLD, the notches were filled in.  The ring was actually, truly, really, ready.

I walked out of the store and vow (no pun intended) never to walk in again.

Why did the clerk tell us how to adjust a ring if NO ONE else, at multiple locations, who have been in the industry for years, has never seen that done?  Did she “make up” a service to close the sale?  Is that why the shop can’t get it right, because it essentially shouldn’t be done?

Moral of the story: Sometimes it’s worth it to pay a little bit more at the mom and pop shop.  If you are looking for engagement rings, wedding  bands, or any other kind of jewelry, head to Lander’s first.  Trust me - it’s worth it!

Comments welcomed from anyone else who experienced such awful and unprofessional and disorganized service at Kay’s as well.

Faves of the moment (in no particular order):

I love Boston in the springtime!

• The fact that I’m writing this post on a BlackBerry…while riding on a train!
• My wedding is in 53 days!
• Free pastry day yesterday at Starbucks
• Glee is coming back next month
• I have the most awesomest bridesmaids ever
• Hearing a song come up on my iPod and then imagining everyone dancing to it at the wedding
• 90s Fridays in me and Meg’s office!
• 5ive’s “All Around” (still one of my all time fave feel-good songs)
• Wearing flip flops for the first time again
• New season of Saving Grace this summer
• Checking things off the bridal checklist
• Max and Dylan’s in downtown Boston
• My coworkers when we’re all beyond stressed and get into that end of day silly mode. It’s good to laugh with the people you spend most of your time with
• So many friends who got engaged and had babies so far this year
• Hearing Teddy Geiger while sitting at a bar, drinking a glass of Prosecco and sitting next to a window opened onto a bright spring day.  It’s like I’m 25 all over again.
• When the summer concert venues finally release their summer schedules!
• Getting RSVP postcards in the mail
• Afternoon snack of oranges and a handful of mixed nuts
• The new Saturday hip hop abs class at the gym. I miss my girl Marissa but you can’t beat a high intensity aerobics workout that includes “Humpty Dance” and “Plane to PR” in the same set.
• Sliced salami
• Ecco in East Boston
• Catching up with old friends on the phone (especially those who allow you to keep them on speakerphone so you can keep cutting out rehearsal dinner invites, lol)
• I am getting to marry my best friend and soulmate in front of our closest friends and family in less than 3 months
• When the episode of Glenn Beck is over so we can go back to everything else on the DVR, lol
• Finding an old favorite album I only have on cassette in the used CD sale bin at Newbury Comics
• Getting a pedicure
• The new Liberty of London line at Target
• Two and a Half Men
• My blue wedding shoes. I cannot wait til after the wedding so I can wear them out of the house, haha!
• Long text message conversations with Kate
• Sunshine!!
• Ricky Martin’s “Drop It On Me” (featuring Daddy Yankee)

What are some things making YOU smile this week?

In fact, one post I’m waiting on putting up is a result of all this wedding planning … while good things can come out of it – like finding amazing vendors (Joe, Deb, Ron F, Em, Stephanie, Carol, etc…), bad things also do too – like finding not-so-amazing vendors (ahem, Kay’s!).  So I’m waiting on this particular situation to FINALLY come to an end … but when it does, oh boy, believe me, you will get to hear all about it …

In the meantime – planning a St. Patrick’s Day party this year?  Check out my post with some very clever ideas to help you host a lucky event.

Out of that disappoinment came my concession that it just wasn’t going to happen.  I resigned myself to that fact and by now have moved on.  I know that someday in my life I will own a pair … just not now.

I decided to take the money I would be putting towards the Louboutins and put it towards a fantastic pair that I would find elsewhere.  I would walk into DSW and for once, not look at prices, but the shoes themselves.

Last weekend I went hunting with my MOH (and fabulous sister) Cordie in NY.  We hunted around Century21 on Long Island and found a stunning $250 pair of silver designer heels, just not in my size.  We scoured Luv My Shoes in Carle Place, we window shopped in Union Square.  But we came up empty.

Today I took the chance again at DSW in Stoughton, MA.  I gave myself plenty of time and went in with an open mind.  And determination to walk out of there with a pair of shoes.  I saw a few pairs I liked, went over to TJ Maxx to keep searching, realized I had made up my mind, and went back to DSW.

Ladies and gentlemen, I am proud to announce that after months of searching,
I HAVE FOUND MY WEDDING SHOES.

Even better – I have found not one, but TWO pairs.

Yup, two pairs.  They are completely different – couldn’t be any more different, in fact – but both express ME.  And they’re both pairs I’ll wear again.  One pair is a little subtler, a little more vintage, match my dress and are nice enough to be wedding shoes without LOOKING LIKE wedding shoes.  The other pair, my “something blue,” are fun.  Different than regular bridal shoes, quirky, they stand out, and they scream “I’m here to have fun.”  Both speak to my personality and are examples of who I want to be as I take my first steps into marriage and into the next stage of my life with my honey.

Pictures are below (sorry for the low-res, they’re straight from my cell phone).  Thanks to the ladies of the bridal party for weighing in at the eleventh hour, too.

Some girls get two wedding dreses.  I get two pairs of wedding shoes.  And I couldn’t be happier about it.

My "something blues" on the left and vintage-style ones on the right

Mix No. 6 "M-Onyx"

 There’s been SO much coverage of 2009 reflections and looking back at the 00′s (or the naughts, or the decade of Y2K…).  And there’s been a lot of coverage of music and the music industry over the past few 10 years, which I love.  So I wanted to share some of the recent cool stories I’ve seen – enjoy!

• Forrester reflects on the past 10 years of the music industry
• Boston Globe picks out the top 10 most irresistable songs of the decade
• Not just about music, but a really cool look back on where we were 10 years ago in history from USA Today
• A recent Rolling Stone issue calls out some Top music-related lists of 2009, including RS magazine covers, albums & songs of the decade
• 2 stories from Mashable: Rise of digital music and predictions for 2010
• Music Choice (ya know, the music channels on Comcast cable) is on Twitter!
• AND, 2010 kicks off with my Dad as a featured artist on MyLItv.com!
• Songza Sets just launched – they’re mini 10-song playlists that stream online.  Lots of really intriguing categories.  Love the weekly highlights from the Hot 100 lists, and I really love the selections on the Ska list

If the 2000′s could sing:
“I don’t know where I’m goin’
Now that I am gone
I hope the wind that’s blowin’
Helps me carry on
Turn on your radio, baby
Listen to my song….
Turn on your record player
Listen to my song
Turn on your night light baby
Baby I’m gone…”
-Harry Nilsson, “Turn On Your Radio”

New Year’s Eve 1999 was 10 years ago.  I was trying to think back to where I was then:

I was in the middle of my freshman year of college.  Didn’t know where I was headed after graduation, but I think at the time was gearing up for a career in radio (I was a Communications major).  We had a big group party at my friend Felix’s house on Long Island.

It was a blast.  We played a board game version of Family Feud and lots of rounds of Twister.  We met Sterling, thanks to Jen Ro.  Kate and Pakalika at one point donned a witch wig found in Felix’s house and sang to a song from Rocky Horror Picture Show.  At one point I climbed out the first floor guest room window and dashed out into the snow to dance around with my friends and demand piggybacks (I was in a funny stage).

I remember waking up on January 1, 2000 still in my black poufy Jessica McClintock prom skirt I was wearing the night before (after prom, I insisted on getting my money’s worth and wearing it to every New Year’s party for a couple of years).  I still had some tinsel and glitter in my hair, and someone had written “Hi Mem” on my arm (thanks Kate, I think it was you…).

And I remember thinking, now what?

I was in such a different place than I am now.  Ten years ago I wasn’t in a relationship, still called Long Island my hometown, and felt like I had thousands of years ahead of me until I became an adult.

Now fast forward ten years.  I won’t even begin to go into the many changes since New Year’s 1999, but I can tell you that had you told me ten years ago (heck, even five years ago!) that I’d be where I am now, I would’ve laughed at you. 

But I’m here.

And I love it.

2010 starts off with me loving my PR job in Boston and only five months shy of my wedding to the most amazing guy.  2010 kicks off the beginning of our life together, a whole new chapter in my life that will lead to even more wonderful chapters – our first house together, kids, etc …

When I look back at the 2000′s, I see a lot of happy times.  But I see a lot of sad times, too.  I see a lot of lonely times, and frustrating times.  I went through a lot of guy hell through the 2000′s.  And it’s finally time to close that chapter on my life for good.  I’ve found happiness, and I’m not looking back.

Billboard recently released the top one hit wonders of the past decade.  It made me start to think about what song I would use to sum up the 2000′s for me.  But I can’t.  There’s too many songs that might fit.

However, I feel like this song is a good indicator of where I am now.  See ya later, 2000′s – I’m ready for the next step.