Chiseled performances.

Come on. They KNOW they're gorgeous (Levi's Show)

Lights, camera, male models. What's up Levi's fashion show backstage. My second fashion show this week was for Levi's, and ABPR's client Stila produced makeup for the event. Chiseled is a good description. (Minus picture to right) For the models, and for the gay makeup artists as well (who I kind of gravitate to-and they gravitate towards me?). At the show today, I was told I could come until I "get in the way." (Hashtag internlife) Which is how I felt most of the time while I was standing there un-introduced. The two gals from the office and I went to the show to check in media backstage and make sure they get their interviews with Stila's celeb stylist, Sarah Lucero about makeup products. Oh my gosh, Sarah is the most vibrant woman, very friendly, always smiling. I liked her. She even introduced herself to little ole' me, the intern. Media would walk up, and the account exec from abpr would introduce herself and the other girl, and then a small glance would be made in my direction before moving on. Nice.

I chatted up this one gal who writes for Her Campus, a website dedicated to the college woman. I told her that I have just moved here and am an intern for abpr.

The lumberjack and the feminist. Male models.

"Oh, that's why they didn't introduce you," she jokes.
"I'm just waiting for my debut."

She was a gem -- said she'd put in good word for me, and gave me a pat on the back. I feel like I deserved that. I started chatting up people, but sometimes was tentative to. Hi I have no clue about fashion, but let me try to be charming in my naivete. Regardless, I found the !E team and introduced myself to Jenna, a girl I had also seen at the Alice+Olivia show but didn't have a chance to chat with. I think they were live blogging about backstage. There were no cameras following them. Jenna is very chic, and always wears a trendy hat. I need a statement look. I need a bigger bank account. (looking up sadly at my mac n cheese cupboard...)

Gosh the male models were attractive.
"Hey can I get a picture for our beauty client Stila?" One point for Jessica...

I didn't get a shot of my favorite, an Usher lookalike chatting up the hot foreign models (girls). I know how to pick em. Prob one of the only straight men there.

Alice+Olivia was the other show I went to this week. I was much needed to give a pen to the gal I went with out of my purse. It was my favorite leopard one. She never gave it back...

Sarah Lucero

While I was at Alice+Olivia I met Dustin, a hairstylist walking around with a camera following him (Sarah Lucero's husband was the camera man, and she was doing Stila makeup at this show as well). Dustin said he guessed I was 22, he could smell it (sniffs all of the air around me as I mentally take note I forgot to wear perfume. awesome.) We chat about life, and I say one of my thoughts was broadcasting, I'm just waiting for my moment.
"It's now girllll." Shoves microphone in my direction.
"Hi this is Jessica Foreman, reporting from Alice+Olivia. Currently I'm wearing Stila makeup like the rest of the models with a convertible color blush in coral...blah blah blah."
He was pretty funny.

Thought she owned the show. It worked for her (Alice+Olivia)

The dresses at Alice+Olivia were AWESOME!! Sequins galore, gorgeous, gorgeous gowns. My pick was a sequined corset dress that blossomed into a puffy ballerina skirt. The models looked fierce in dark, dark lips and liner, and even more fierce when posing. Made me want to be in front of a camera....which happened after I left the show. A woman with a camera stopped me on the street when I was leaving and asked to take my picture for street fashion during fashion week for a fashion website. Did she know I was wearing a fake leather jacket and a tunic from Ross? No, because I posed like I wasn't...hello fierce.

I started reading The Hunger Games, basically because I was looking for another Harry Potter kind of obsession and I need something else to do on the Subway besides look at people. They don't like that, and eye contact is usually awkward if the person doesn't get off at the next stop.

Not always though--this one guy had to have terets which was accompanied by a walking cane that he enjoyed banging on the ground while chanting dah dun dun dun. Better than the F word I guess... Anyways, looking up I met the other guy's eyes across the subway car we shared a "oh, we live in New York" chuckle.

Madison Square Park

Today I told the Staples worker I was the best intern ever as I made a smart decision to not only get more bubble wrap than expected but to save ten dollars. Feeling on cloud nine for my 7 block walk back through Madison Square Park I started getting my sexy city strut walk on. Remembering you can't be sexy with 175 feet of bubble wrap (after I watched Mr. Suit's man's eyes go from mine to my extra large bag over my shoulder), I toned it down and just took in the sun setting on the park, which I've grown very fond of. It has a clock tower that looms over, and large trees surrounding some sort of fountain that I'm sure has water in it during warmer months. I really do love all of the parks NYC has to offer. Gorgeous escape havens from architecture. Makes everyone remember that is this thing called nature out there. And space.

Valentine's Day was yesterday. Uzbekistan apparently banned the holiday and decided to focus on the Moghul emperor Babur's birthday. The country decided they're not a fan of western ideals. I was tempted to spend the day there, short flight. Instead I wore red lipstick, red high heels, and got a chocolate cream filled heart donut in the morning. The chocolate kept on coming all day; I call it loving myself. I even smiled at all of the men carrying bouquets to their significant others.
"Ohhhh that's a good one." Audible judgement on the street. He was probably taken by surprise as he did shoot a glance my way. I began to rate them throughout the day. Threw out a few 8 and 9s even.
The Empire State building was pink and red. It was beautiful.
Qdoba had buy one get one free entrees if hungry people "share a kiss with a significant other, friend, family member or even an understanding stranger at the cash register." Thank goodness I took my roommate Audrey with me. We had already been sharing the same lipstick all day. Don't think kissing an innocent stranger is beneath me when free food is on the line. (*see above mac n cheese reference)

Rumor has it one of the interns from Baylor got our group tickets to the Nicks game this Sunday playing the Dallas Mavs. I'm hoping the gal at David Letterman can pull some strings too eventually? (Shout out Logan!!)

One month anniversary NYC!

Our apartment has been singing our own renditions of award-winning Adele and the tragedy-stricken Whitney Houston throughout our failed watch party of the Grammies. Now that I’m incapacitated with Caitlin’s homemade popcorn and online delivery food, and a little petrified after Nicki Minaj’s offending exorcism bit that even Lady Gaga was rumored to say “Well, that’s weird,” I’m feeling exhausted. Marked by the purchase of another month-long subway card purchase, I’ve lived in New York City for an official month. While I cannot even imagine going back to living past experiences and a life I used to know, I’m starting to wonder where I’ll be in my future.

I met an Australian on the subway this weekend and chatted the world-traveled butler up about how he followed his husband to America, and also about his recommendation for my future home, Melbourne, Australia. Normal casual subway convos. Having an international affair and snorkeling the barrier reef IS on my bucket list and I think Australia, London, and of course New York City will be places I look for a job that begins after graduation…why not.

My fave, she was so pretty!

Designer Victoria Bartlett

My first New York City Fashion Week show was Saturday at Chelsea Piers on the Hudson River for the clothing line VPL by Victoria Bartlett. I escorted social media writers to the backstage craze where five different people would be hovering over a model with makeup brushes, hair product and flashing cameras while she sat there stone-faced. Elyse with ABPR was interviewing with the writers about our clients’ beauty products that were featured in the show. A glamorous looking man with perfect cheekbones said he liked all of my jewels as I was wearing a huge pearl necklace. I like to tell myself he was someone really important and I am someone who is aspiringly chic? After backstage was closed to media, I was able to watch the twenty-minute show that had the defining feature of underwear as outerwear. I kept on getting distracted with the awkward pelvic-thrusted walk of the models. While I saw many men in high heels carrying metallic purses, many skinny foreign models (“I am model.”), and the stylist herself, I’m not as star-struck as I thought I would be. What an incredible experience still!! But I left the show feeling very…hungry.

Chelsea Piers

Models in the show

Backstage chaos.

Stephanie came to stay with her New York Wall street intern beau, Eric, this weekend. After running into an embrace at Grand Central station we found a great restaurant that was featured this past week in New York Restaurant Week, called 9. After hours of salacious gossip and catching up, a bottle of wine, and exquisite food on Papa Americano, Stephanie's dad Herb, her boyfriend Eric and his roommate Drew stopped by (inconvienient timing, might I add, as our waiter had just began to give us a first round of drinks on the house).

We rendezvoused to a few other bars around Wall street before calling it a night.

The next day, Elyse, another girlfriend I had met in Spain, took the train into NYC to meet us for Spanish tapas and wine. Patatas braves, peach sangria, and tortilla Española later, Elyse had to meet her brother who goes to school here and Stephanie and I found ourselves arm and arm strolling Central Park (London’s Hyde Park flashbacks) and talking about our uncertain futures.

Saturday night it was a bit of a task to find someone to dominate the city with me. The only rallying I could do was with my roommates to the gym where we formed a circle and I taught them my memorized Envy Girls’ workouts (“Ok, now really focus on flexing here ladies!”) A very Jessica-type tattooed meat head came in mid workout, and so when I finally made it back to my apartment fourteen floors above our gym, I mustered up the courage to go down the elevator to Mr. Man and “look for my missing phone.”

“Have you seen my phone?” (Second time walking in--first time he was mid lift, and so when I left speechless my Baylor friends in the room next door gave me a quick pep talk)

“Um, no, no I haven’t...”

“Bummer…”

Jessica needs to work on her game. I buddied up to my lobby doorman, Gabriel, and asked for deets on the dude in the gym. “He only likes Asians, doesn’t look at anything else nice.”

“I could be Asian?”

“No, you really couldn’t.”

Fail….

Audrey and brought Gabriel a 4 am brownie after we finally went out based on our endorphin levels. It’s a good idea to have this informant on my side, and after late night binging on mac n cheese we didn't want it anyway.

Most exciting news of my internship week was the Millionaire Matchmaker coming into the ABPR showroom. I walked right past her, unnoticing. Another fail. For me and my future rich husband. Apparently Melissa Joan Hart from Sabrina the Teenage Witch was in the office the same day, and I'm sure I walked right past her too. I need to be more celeb aware...

I was able to sit in on an Erno Laszlo (expensive skincare line that had specific formulas designed for Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, other icons) meeting with the UK publicity team as they set out their 2012 goals and discussed new product launches. I very much enjoyed this, not only becuase of their British accents, but it was exciting to hear about the plans for a grand opening party (classy classy, super glam) of an Erno Laszlo Institute in the States set for this year.

I finally made it to church--a necessary fuel to conquer my uncharacteristic apathetic mindset to several components of my life right now. Trinity Grace is a church with several locations around the city, and I was intrigued when someone said that an Australian pastor heads it all (OK THE SIGNS ARE EVERYWHERE!), and I figured what a great way to keep me awake on a Sunday morning, or in this case a Sunday evening as the 5pm service on the lower east side is more appropriate after sleeping off a 4am mac n cheese binge with my roommate (ew).

I have two more fashion week shows this week: Alice+Olivia and Levi's. Need my beauty sleep to keep up, or maybe some of those $250 Laszlo face creams.

Designated brain waves

I’m crossing over to the NYC lifestyle—sitting in a coffee shop blogging in the “Laptop room” as laptops are not permitted in the record room where records cover the walls and are available to listen to while you drink your perfected brew. Who would want to ruin their coffee experience with a computer? So not artistically chill.

Queens has many unique neighborhoods, and that’s what characterizes home for many New Yorkers I think. The hustle and bustle of the city has its pleasures, excitement, appeal, but when you find yourself alone among the masses, it’s the neighborhoods that provide an escape and a quintessential homely haven.

Emily, Audrey, and Cherie at the "Intern Table"

I’m beginning to feel like an essential contributor at my internship, and this brings much more enjoyment to the table for me. This week my biggest project was planning/sending out a shipment of new Matrix products to editors of consumer and trade magazines in the hopes that the newly launched Matrix Colorcare line would be a future feature in an upcoming issue. The pr plan of enticement was to first send an orchid flower to the editor with a tag of “an orchid’s color never fades, soon you’ll realize your hair color doesn’t have to either…keep your eye out to find out how” or something or other and then the box of hair product would be received a little later. Creative. Love that idea. That is one thing about ABPR I like. Fresh ideas, original angles. I had to unpack boxes of Matrix products, order bags-the right color of pink tissue paper-the right sized boxes-orchid plants, put together numerous gift bags, tie bows. Wednesday felt like an arts and crafts day. I stuffed gift bags with tissue paper, tied pink bows, put together boxes, wrapped and re-wrapped…

Thank goodness this was my project...

Yes I’m the runner and the bottom of the totem pole, hello I’m an intern. In all of that though, while I didn’t create the idea, I implicated the plan, did all of the grunge work, made it happen, and I have to find satisfaction in that. Expert gift bag coordinator, Skilled Fed-ex label creator—check. Put that on the resume.

...and this wasn't!! SO MANY.

Baked by Melissa cupcakes are a client of ABPR, and when the man comes in to discuss his PR account, he always brings in a batch. Wednesday they were blueberry flavored and the bite-sized artistically decorated cakes were too beautiful and too small to consider the probably 50 cals in each one. So I had four. The other evening, I dropped in a cupcakery on the Lower East Side, which used to be considered affordable and low-end but now is morphing into a pricier hipster scene full of cute boutiques and delish restaurants. Almond icing, lemon cake and raspberry infused filling formed Princess Dream which would just make sense for me to purchase. I think finding a different cupcake bake shop each week could be a healthy New York habit.

Alison Brod talked to me this week. She critiqued my bows on the sendout, which I happily fixed, said my dress was cute, which I had tried on from the showroom in the office, and when I brought her a slice of pizza (she bought me one too) she talked about her cravings and gotta have it moments. She’s human. I still consider her a celebrity, and she still doesn’t know my name, but hey, progress.

Inside the ABPR showroom. Clothes,
accessories, shoes galore.

And my mentor still addresses me as “The Intern” via email and IM. What’s in a name anyway. My mentor still rocks.

Audrey had luck this week at work, and stopped by a press conference for Godiva Chocolate which was hosting a Valentine's day sweepstakes for couples to write in their love stories to be critiqued by  romantic novelist Nicolas Sparks. For added publicity, one of Sparks' many fans, Blake Lively (GOSSIP GIRL) was there as well. Audrey sent me a blurry pic of my idol from her camera phone. Still ecsatic for her, and will forcibly make her watch an episode.

SKRILLEX (click on link for YouTube video of performance) came to Pacha this past Wednesday, and what a wild experience that finally ended around 7 am.  Yes I wore my pink hair extensions and rave wear, and no everyone didn’t live up to the normal attire expectations that a dub-step concert brings (think pasties, animal hats, and everything provocatively weird). The one thing that remains consistent when attending a dub-step concert is the unifying experience. The whole crowd is moving, dancing, hands in the air; it’s a sea of moving bodies, some without rhythm. Skrillex is hard to listen to without moving, the beat, the industrial sounds, the drops, the bass. It’s more about losing yourself in the atmosphere. Everyone’s “alter-ego” comes out. Mine involves challenging everyone around me to dance-offs. I’d like to think I was winning until about 5 am.

I did meet many interesting people. One was a German who was admittedly on drugs and also a European-renowned ballroom dancer who had traveled all over the world in competitions. He’s going to be a director someday in the horror or comedy department. Similar genres...? Another cute guy (think Timothy Olyphant or Josh Duhamel) ruined his appeal with back to back text messages x5, and his life story about a quest to be an opera singer. Looking forward to re-saving the rejection hotline phone number. Tips: when meeting someone at a club at 4am, one text the next day, if you ever actually use the number attained, can be considered appropriate. Ten just brings up images of men in tears or future serial killers. Both are disturbing.

On my way to find Pacha, the five story club that also has a location in my beloved city, Madrid, I asked some promoters in Times Square for directions. They ended up being comedians. We chatted for awhile, and they gave me four free tickets to their shows. Whoever said New Yorkers aren't friendly never stopped to ask for directions...