Winter is here. Which means parkas, toques, scarves, mittens and, of course, winter boots. Dressing for winter can be a challenge as it seems that this is the one season where functionality and fashion are not mutually exclusive. Like any gal, I like to look fashionable, but as the years have passed, I will admit that if I have to make a choice, I’d rather be warm than fashionable when it’s -20c outside.
There are many articles right now on how to stay warm and look fashionable when the temperature plummets. These articles talk about wearing layers, cute sweaters and scarves. That’s great and all, but I live in CANADA where winter weather can be unforgiving, with high wind-chills, heavy snowfalls, blizzards, freezing rain and extremely cold temperatures. And it can last for almost six months depending on where you live!
So let’s talk about what you are going to wear on your feet with that cute outfit when there is 15+ cm of snow on the ground and the windchill puts the temperature at about about -35c. As every Canadian knows, a thick pair of socks can only take you so far… Then you need to invest in a good pair of winter boots.
As someone with a healthy shoe obsession, you might be surprised to hear that I only have five pairs of winter boots. (I don’t count those is my 65+ pairs of footwear.) Some are for pure function, like my Merrell hiking-style winter boots that I use for walking my dogs. Others are for warmth for long stretches of outside activity where I want to look a little more ‘stylish’, like my glorious Joan of Arctic Sorrels (which I tend to pair with an Under Armour thermal base, skinny jeans, a winter leather jacket and a crocheted hat).
But when traveling to work, or meeting up with friends for indoor stuff, these babies are not going to cut it. Sorrels are very warm and perfect for being outside, but not that functional in a restaurant! That’s when I break out my high-heeled rubber soled faux-fur lined boots that are a bit more stylish.
I picked these babies up at a shoe sample expo. No idea who makes them. If you know, let me know.
Remember last year when everyone thought the world was gonna end? What really happened was that the 2012 Winter Solstice coincided with the end of the Mayan calendar.
Now you are probably wondering how is this related to winter boots? Isn’t it obvious? Life is short but it can feel like the end of the world with cold feet.
Picture Perfect Tuesday: Abstract
Many (too many!) years ago in college we had a photography assignment with one word for instruction: Abstract.
I was excited as ‘abstract’ could be anything I wanted it to be. A close-up on a wall, a blurry reflection in water or a smattering of colourful elements – wherever my imagination took me.
The great thing about abstract art is that it doesn’t reflect any form of conventional reality, all you see are shapes, colors, lines, patterns, and so on. Sometimes it just looks pretty. Sometimes it doesn’t. Regardless, when you see a piece of abstract art, the first response is to ask the creator what it is in order to create context for what you are looking at. However, with abstract art, there is usually a lot more than what initially meets the eye.
Abstract art is about energy; the energy that makes a piece ‘speak to you’. So really it’s not about asking what the piece is, but about acknowledging what the piece is to you… (is your mind blown?)
So for this week’s Picture Perfect Tuesday, I give you an abstract.
Fashion Fun Friday: Ugly Holiday Sweaters
Have you noticed the increasing trend in Ugly Sweater themed parties? How did all this craziness start? I blame Bill Cosby with his crazy patterned sweaters for making these sweaters mainstream in the 80s. The revival among younger people throwing ugly Christmas sweater parties, according to Time Magazine, started as a way for young adults to mock their parents’ love of festive looks and thought the sweaters were (gasp) cute.
However the history of the first ugly sweater party can be traced back to 2002 in Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada) where two friends, Jordan Birch and Chris Boyd, decided to host one at their house. Now celebrating their 12th event, this once small house party is now the official The Ugly Christmas Sweater Party(TM) – an annual fundraiser for the Children’s Wish Foundation. Their motto: Be Ugly. Do Good. Connect. Give. Reconnect & Be Kind.
Despite the popularity of these parties, it’s surprisingly hard to find a good ugly sweater these days. While it can be argued that one person’s perception of ugly is another person’s beautiful, when it comes to finding an ugly holiday sweater it seems that we all are seeking the same thing. That tacky sweater that you perhaps once owned in the 80s because you got it as a gift and your mom wouldn’t let you throw it out. In fact she may have even been the one who bought it for you. Although it is pretty safe to assume that these ugly sweaters were designed with the original intention of being attractive. So begs the question: Which came first, the sweater or the ugly?
Determined to be successful this year, I set out once again in search of the perfect ugly sweater at the usual places: thrift shops such as Value Village, the Salivation Army and the like. Nada. Zip. Zero. The problem with searching “the usual places” is that this is where everyone else is looking too. So either everyone has already cleaned them out long ago or there are just no ugly holiday sweaters to be found. Have we actually run out of tacky leftovers from the 80s??? Where does one find an ugly holiday sweater these days??
Turns out there are now entire stores dedicated to the ugly sweater. In fact when I went online to see where I could find one of these tacky gems, I only had to type the word ‘ugly’ for Google to immediately return the suggestion of “ugly Christmas sweater”! Here’s what I found:
TheSweaterStore.com has a slew of ugly sweaters ripe for the picking. They promote themselves as having “The World’s Largest Selection of Ugly Christmas Sweaters.” Like this one:
Not to be outdone, MyUglyChristmasSweater.com boasts having a large selection of tacky 80s sweaters. They do. Check out this beauty:
And then there is Canadian retailer HolidayRejects.ca who not only offers a selection of ugly Christmas sweaters, but LED light kits to add some extra ‘pizzazz’ to one you may already have.
And then there is TipsyElves.com. This site has some cheeky tacky sweaters with reindeer in compromising positions and gingerbread men fearing for their lives…
Now when you find yourself with an invitation to an ugly sweater party, you’ll be set! Be Ugly. Do Good. Connect. Give. Reconnect & Be Kind. Happy Holidays.
Picture Perfect Tuesday: Hoar Frost
Do you know what Hoar Frost is? I hadn’t heard of Hoar Frost until this weekend. Also called White Frost, according to the all-knowing Wikipedia, Hoar Frost is the white ice crystals that form from frozen dew. It typically forms on cold clear nights when heat is lost into the open sky causing objects to become colder than the surrounding air.
For this week’s Picture Perfect Tuesday, I present Hoar Frost:
Picture Perfect Tuesday: Stratford
I snapped this picture immediately upon arriving in Stratford, Ontario this past summer. I love everything about this gentlemen. He is the perfect embodiment of how I found Stratford to be: quiet, rural, charming and dignified.
Picture Perfect Tuesday: Irony
Proof that people today treat their dogs like children.
Fun Fashion Friday: Bombe!
Have you ever purchased a piece of clothing, a pair of shoes or an accessory that, when you wear it, you feel instantly transformed? You know what I mean, you feel like a million bucks. What makes that happen? Is it just good product marketing? Or has the designer seen into your very soul and created that special item so you can let your self shine? That’s a lot of pressure to put on a designer. Or on a pair of shoes…
High heels are definitely one of the most important items in any girl’s wardrobe. A good pair can make you feel elegant, skinner and glamorous. The designers at Alexander McQueen hit the mark with their BOMBE 5.5 inch stilettos. Wearing these shoes, I feel like a movie star. Sarah Jessica Parker, I just bumped you off the best dressed list. BAM!
Did you know the history of high heels can be traced back to Egypt, 3500BC? Historic murals show upper class citizens wearing heels for ceremonial purposes… AND Egyptian butchers wore them to make it easir to walk through the blood of dead animals (you can thank Wikipedia for that mental image).
Despite this, it wasn’t until the 16th century that high heels were claimed to be properly invented. The year was 1533 and Catherine de Medici decided to wear heels at her wedding to Henry II. The story goes that Catherine wasn’t really a beauty and
her husband had a tall and hot mistress. So, to dazzle the French on her wedding day, she opted for two-inch heels to have a more towering physique. It is said that she set the rage in Paris for heeled shoes. Heeled shoes became popular with the rich and powerful and was seen as a dividing line between classes. Hence the phrase ‘well heeled’ used as a reference to rich upbringing.
Fun Fashion Friday AND a wee history lesson. Because being smart is the BEST accessory!
#Unplugged
I was reading in the most recent edition of Fast Company, Baratunde Thurston’s article how he decided to #Unplug for 25 days. For 25 days he was not on Facebook, Twitter, Four Square or Instagram. There was no peeking on friends’ statuses, no quick FB messages, likes or comments. There were no Instagrams of what he was eating. There were no emails read or sent. He only used his phone to call or text friends to make dates. He focused his time on spending time with friends – in person.
As I read this article, I stared to think about the technology I use daily for business and social. In today’s market, there isn’t really a defining line of when you are “off the clock”, because with our smart phones, we’re always on the clock. This is especially true with us PR folks. Our careers are a lifestyle. If a client sends me a note in the evening, I’ll send a quick reply. I’ll share articles, tweet and re-tweet at all hours. Social networks run 24/7.
This got me thinking about how we interact on a regular basis. I have an iPhone that I use to share content and communicate information daily – from texting, sending emails and tweeting, to managing online communities and sharing thoughts and images through blog posts and Instagram. The least used feature on my phone is well, the phone part. I spend more time texting and sending messages through Facebook to friends than I actually talk to them on the phone. I know I’m not the only one here. We all know that times have changed. But have you paused to think about HOW much it’s changed?
What did we do before we were all so #PluggedIn? Before news alerts were sent to your phone? Before you could stream movies and TV? Before Podcasts? Do you remember how you communicated with friends before social networks? What tools did you use for communicating professionally? How the heck did we engage audiences and get messages out there?
Do you remember:
- A time before email?
- A time before the personal computer?
- Using a typewriter to draft formal communications?
- Faxing media releases?
- Snail-mailing media kits and party invitations?
- Calling people to make plans? Three-way calling? A land line? Corded? Rotary!?
Today we have begun to take for granted the speed at which we communicate. We receive instant gratification by sharing content at the press of one button. We have absorbed this 24/7 culture of consumption into our daily lives without even noticing.
There’s an analogy about how if you want to boil a frog you have to slowly raise the water temperature so it doesn’t notice. If you toss one into a boiling pot, it will leap immediately out. That is what has happened to us with social media. The number of tools has risen at a steady pace; and as we adopt more of them into our daily lives, we start to boil without even realizing it. Until one day we do. Then we do just as Thurston did and temporarily #Unplug…
What’s GOOGLE saying about you?
With new social media channels and sharing sites popping up, it’s easy to jump from one new thing to the next. Especially when you’re an early adopter. But what happens after your initial interest in the property wanes or you decide that the channel just isn’t for you? You stop updating information and forget about it as you move on to the next hot thing.
You may have forgotten about it, but Google hasn’t. Now think about what happens when you are applying for a new job. If someone does an online search of your name does that old information pop up? Does this older information enhance your profile or does it detract? While it’s great to have an archive of your achievements easily accessible for prospective employers and clients, some of the information that is forgotten online can detract from your brand. I’m sure your prospective employer got a kick out of your pics on your now de-funked – and very public – MySpace account.
We joke about people who Google their dates before meeting them in person, but employers do this on a regular basis too. So friends, when was the last time you Googled yourself?
As I am currently looking for a job, I regularly do searches on myself to see what content a perspective employer might come across. What usually pops up are my recent Twitter posts, my LinkedIn profile, links to this blog, Pinterest, old press releases that I sent out and such. And then there’s the other stuff…. There is the Slideshare account I signed up for to so I could access a presentation; my abandoned Classmates info; and an outdated version of my online resume courtesy of Visualze.me (which is now up to date!)
Managing your online and social brand is never ending. So what’s a professional to do? Here are some tips to get your started:
- Be selective of which new social sites you participate in. Don’t jump on every new thing just because it’s new.
- If you jumped on the new thing and it’s not for you, shut down or deactivate your account.
- In case you just missed that tidbit: SHUT DOWN YOUR ACCOUNT if you are no longer using it. You can reactivate most accounts if you change your mind.
- If you have negative or outdated content that is not within your control to remove, start posting new content that is representative of your brand. This will help to drive the outdated stuff farther down in searches.
- Be mindful of what you publicly share. Be mindful of what you privately share, because once something is shared; it is really no longer private… and the Internet never forgets. (She says in booming ‘movie voice-over’ voice…)
I Know You Watch TV
If there is one thing that can generate a discussion, it is asking someone about their television viewing habits. The typical knee-jerk response is that they don’t watch much at all. As the discussion continues, it is only then that their true viewing habits are revealed: “I don’t watch much TV at all… except for this show and that show…” Love it or hate it. I know you watch TV. I do too. Statistics show that the average Canadian watches 16.9 hours of television a week. Although television remains the predominant mass communications device worldwide, consumption patterns have changed as new technologies have entered the market. Apparently, we are still watching our favorite shows. But how we watch them is changing.
Let me start with this: I have a love-hate relationship with television. I love watching it, but I hate watching it. For six years I worked at a television station doing their PR. I had a television in my office so that I could monitor our channel. So for eight hours a day, I watched TV. I watched it on-air. I watched it being created in the studio. I watch it from the control room as the director called out camera shots to the crew. I watched the product placement, the scripting and a slew of other technical and creative aspects. I watched how a show came to life. I watched how the producer determined the content of a live show. I watched how the director lead a team of cameramen, floor directors, production assistants, audio, video and graphics teams to fulfill the creative vision.
When my workday was done, I went home… and watched more TV.
Television shows were an obvious choice for water cooler discussions. Whether you work at a TV station or not, one can agree that discussing TV shows is an easy way to bond with new people as you get to know one another. In fact, one of my close friends and I met, and instantly bonded, over our love for Buffy The Vampire Slayer. However watching all this TV came at a price. I wasn’t reading as many books. I wasn’t practicing my violin. And, if I’m being honest here, I wasn’t really using my brain as much. Like many people, I like to watch TV to “zone out” when I’m feeling drained after a long workweek. I want to spend time with my “friends” on CSI solving cases. I want to explore freakish events as part of the Fringe team. And although I am solving these cases alongside these characters, television is still remains a passive medium. It doesn’t ask me to do anything other than to turn it on. But too much television viewing made me sluggish. It was time to shut it off.
After conducting what I’m sure were many costly studies, broadcasters realized that during the summer months, people watch less TV. So the traditional viewing season now ends as the warm weather beckons us out to play. I noticed that during these summer months, I am a happier person. The effects from the added Vitamin D aside, I recognized that this was in part because I was watching less television. I read more books. I socialized with friends more. I had more ‘free time’ as I was not tied to a broadcast schedule.
Over the years my personal viewing habits have evolved as technology has evolved. The creation of the DVR/PVR has freed us from the traditional broadcast schedule and allows me to watch my shows when I want. My time has become my own again… and I feel liberated. As newer options to view content are growing, audiences, such as myself, are now able to choose how, when and where we receive content. I now have the option to watch show on my iPad, phone or laptop. I can get programming through Netflix and iTunes. I rarely, if ever, watch live television.
For me, my love-hate relationship with television comes down to finding balance. It’s about watching my favourite shows – guilt free – by ensuring that my viewing habits do not cannibalize other aspects of my life. It’s about the freedom to choose when I watch these shows.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to watch True Blood.
The Publicist Diaries 