to essie, with love.

i've had several pinch me moments upon moving to new york, and meeting essie and her husband most certainly has been one of them. they are the sweetest duo in new york city and they have so kindly taken me under their wing as an adopted daughter from the west coast. a queens girl herself, essie is the heart and soul of this city and i admire her quick wit, sense of humor, and genuine sweetness. she is the living, breathing example of how following what you're passionate about can lead to sheer success. as she says, life is too short not to follow your passions. 

essie is an aol expert, a project i run at aol, in which we partner with fantastic influential individuals on creating engaging and premium video content for aol users. i've been so fortunate to meet the most interesting people along the way, essie included.

in one of essie's videos, she describes how to pick the perfect red. it all comes down to your skin tone - simple tips from the wisest beauty expert on the block. and don't forget, you're never fully dressed without a manicured nail.

i am so grateful for these two wonderful people and i'm thankful that new york has connected me with such lovely human beings. i will cherish my moments with them throughout my entire life.

*for more articles on the essie + aol collaboration see The Frisky, Elle, and Entrepreneur. 

because you're worth it.

before december disappears on us - heck - before twenty thirteen does, i have to squeeze in just one more *pinch me* moment. sometimes at work, i am lucky enough to be the fifth or sixth person in line asked to attend certain events {and hopefully cover them} when others on the team can't. it's one of the perks of being on a lean 'n mean team of talented folks.

well, this time i got to attend the l'oreal paris women of worth event at the very swanky pierre hotel in the upper east side. it was a night spent honoring a select, nominated group of women who are making a difference in the world. many leading ladies chosen by l'oreal were in attendance to give the awards. it was a jaw-dropping-i-am-in-awe-and-oh-so-very-inspired kind of evening. you can read my article over here on stylelist and here are a few photos shot from my iphone.

starstruck over hoda, lea, diane, and andie {we're going first name basis here}.

sweet trisha yearwood {this is when i parked it right next to the press from extra and e!} 

the presenters cheat sheet. 

my favorite star sighing of the night... mr. bill cunningham himself. it was beginning to feel like this whole new york thing wasn't real without seeing bill in the flesh {remember this post?}. and so, there he was, blue jacket, vintage camera, and all. i guess it's real after all. 

the bottom line after experiencing this night was that there are some pretty kick a** women in this universe {amen to that!} and i'm just trying to be more like them. i snuck out at the end on a high. a complete high. that's the thing about this city, in the matter of minutes, just as it has the ability to make you feel down and out, it has the ability to make you feel like just about the luckiest and coolest girl in the world. new york is a great metaphor for life - take the good with the bad - it all evens out. i am so grateful to have had this *pinch me* moment... one that i will cherish forever.

pinch me moments.

so that one time when i lived in new york and got attend the victoria's secret fashion show...

...the story i'll think back on and smile and feel lucky and grateful to have had that experience. celeb sightings, taylor swift performing, and probably the most beautiful human beings on the face of the planet walking the runway. this rivals the two thousand nine grammy's {yes, it was documented the second month i started it's all happening...!}.

i remember in college we would huddle around the tv at theta for this momentous night in early december {a religious routine!} and motivate each other to be healthy, and to somehow, someday look like a victoria's secret model {so silly!}. and then, a few weeks ago, i found myself sitting in the audience staring at the a-listers in the front row thinking to myself, how did i get here? 

taylor kicks it off with british invasion.

alessandra ambrosio poses for shipwrecked.

karlie kloss puts her hands up during snow angels.

adriana lima waves during snow angels {and that's adam under her arm!}

the grand finale!

i think the lesson here is really in embracing it. don't ask questions. just go forth. hang on to what you're good at. persevere. stay strong. stay grounded. say yes. take chances. soak it all in. and live. live life for all that it's worth.

it was a night to remember forever and i am so so grateful. pinch me!

p.s. you can tune in on tuesday, december tenth to see the live show on cbs. also! check out the media running on stylelist as well as the countdown clock starting december fourth. so excited!