I have been waiting for a little tuxedo kitten since 3:30 this afternoon. I signed up and got a blessing from M. to foster a kitten or two, once in a while. We both love cats, and I feel so sorry for them in those cages in Petcos or shelters, not to mention the possibility that there might not be enough room for all the homeless cats out there.
So, we are supposed to take care of this little guy for a week or two. I am so looking forward to it! I wish I could say the same for Nina, our cat. She's such a spoil queen of the house, and we also read that female cats are very territorial.
That's why we plan to put the kitten into the other bedroom for a day or two, and then introduce them to each other. It's also a good test for Nina, to see how well she would get along with another cat. That's why we got a male kitten to foster. That, and the fact that it's probably one of the cutest things on this earth.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Super cleaning
My mother left today. It's always a bit sad when a person you care about leaves your home, even if it's just for several weeks.
She was here briefly and I wanted to make her stay as fun as possible. I took her places she likes, like the home stores and affordable shoe stores as well as Bloomingdales. And I felt guilty for not cleaning the place really thoroughly before she came, or getting some help in that. She, of course, cleaned our whole apartment despite my nagging and asking her to go out or to the gym with me. She just can't be here without cooking or cleaning. Period. I really didn't want her to do that. I wanted her to see New York and enjoy herself. And she did, for about a half of her stay. But the other half she spent in my apartment, perfecting it.
I'm not a very homey type of person. I clean only when visible dirty or when I have guests. And I did clean her room and bathroom before she came, but obviously not up to her high standards. And they are high indeed. Even those several times M. and I got the maid to help, she still found a few flaws to the job. The ones I would never even notice.
She was here briefly and I wanted to make her stay as fun as possible. I took her places she likes, like the home stores and affordable shoe stores as well as Bloomingdales. And I felt guilty for not cleaning the place really thoroughly before she came, or getting some help in that. She, of course, cleaned our whole apartment despite my nagging and asking her to go out or to the gym with me. She just can't be here without cooking or cleaning. Period. I really didn't want her to do that. I wanted her to see New York and enjoy herself. And she did, for about a half of her stay. But the other half she spent in my apartment, perfecting it.
I'm not a very homey type of person. I clean only when visible dirty or when I have guests. And I did clean her room and bathroom before she came, but obviously not up to her high standards. And they are high indeed. Even those several times M. and I got the maid to help, she still found a few flaws to the job. The ones I would never even notice.
Monday, June 2, 2008
ABC's unique gifts
I took my mother to ABC yesterday, at the beloved Union Square. ABC is an extremely large, six level furniture, and everything else you could think of, store. It is glossy, and flashy, in a good way and shiny and extremely expensive for the most part. It is also connected to the hand-made chocolate cafe, as well as one of the best tapas restaurants Pipa and her sister Lucy.
I usually don't buy much jewelry for myself. I think that I have too many as it is, since it's M's favorite gift as well as a Serbian one. But there they were! Beautiful, hand made designer earrings with Swarovski crystals, but not gold not silver. Copper and nickel, I believe. The salesgirl told me and mother something of a sort.
When I realized that they go from $18 to $180, I decided to treat myself. I wanted to get one little ones for my Mom as well, but she wouldn't hear of it.
So I found this adorable blue-turquoise pair of hanging roses, with two clear crystals. They go so well with my face and they made me happy for a couple of hours. Not that I generally am not happy. I am.
I would definitely recommend this spot for you if you are anywhere close to the Union Square, and whether you need a unique gift for a woman, or a chocolate kick.
I think the jewelry designer's name is M. Negrin.
I usually don't buy much jewelry for myself. I think that I have too many as it is, since it's M's favorite gift as well as a Serbian one. But there they were! Beautiful, hand made designer earrings with Swarovski crystals, but not gold not silver. Copper and nickel, I believe. The salesgirl told me and mother something of a sort.
When I realized that they go from $18 to $180, I decided to treat myself. I wanted to get one little ones for my Mom as well, but she wouldn't hear of it.
So I found this adorable blue-turquoise pair of hanging roses, with two clear crystals. They go so well with my face and they made me happy for a couple of hours. Not that I generally am not happy. I am.
I would definitely recommend this spot for you if you are anywhere close to the Union Square, and whether you need a unique gift for a woman, or a chocolate kick.
I think the jewelry designer's name is M. Negrin.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Bloomi's, Nespresso and the open Lex
My mother came to visit last night. She's been staying with my sister in Washington and helping with the baby. I guess they needed a break from each other.
I was looking forward to her visit, since I like to take her places and brag about how fun the city I live in is.
So I took her to Bloomingdale's first. But on our way there, the Lex Avenue was closed for the piazza, an open market, that stretched from approximately 42Nd until at least 56Th, or 57Th street. The international vendors had everything from food and drinks to arts and crafts. My mother loves outdoor markets, so she enjoyed the first New York one, and I enjoyed seeing her excited about it.
In Bloomingdale's, we got an offer for a complimentary make-up. While she was under the skilled hands of one of the Clarins' make-up/sales women, she kept smiling and saying how much she enjoyed the treatment.
But afterwords, they wanted us to buy stuff. A lot of stuff. I swear, the same African-American lady, who did my Mom's make-up, wanted us to buy at least 10 different skin care products. Talking about greed. They were priced from 20 something to 100 and something. All together, at least $500 worth of skin care, such as five different moisturiser for every wrinkle one might have on his or her face. They kept offering us gifts, free lipsticks if we buy... I asked my mother, what does she need. She said nothing, since she still has her needed skin care at home. So I said, thank you, I'll buy a lip product for myself, and we'll think about the rest. "There's just too many of them, I can't buy all of them, and we don't really need anything right now..."
Oh, boy, was she unhappy! I could see her thinking: "I did that makeup for one $20 product?" But, her approach was wrong. She didn't ask us if we're interested in buying Clarins. She just literally approached us with: "Come one, I'd like to do your make up for free..." Wouldn't you take it?
So, the little harassment by Clarins women spoiled the Bloomingdale's experience a bit. But then, we went to Nespresso. We all loved that, M. my mom and I. She especially liked the free yummy cappuccinos they made us to show how their machines work. And they didn't harass us to buy them afterwords.
I was looking forward to her visit, since I like to take her places and brag about how fun the city I live in is.
So I took her to Bloomingdale's first. But on our way there, the Lex Avenue was closed for the piazza, an open market, that stretched from approximately 42Nd until at least 56Th, or 57Th street. The international vendors had everything from food and drinks to arts and crafts. My mother loves outdoor markets, so she enjoyed the first New York one, and I enjoyed seeing her excited about it.
In Bloomingdale's, we got an offer for a complimentary make-up. While she was under the skilled hands of one of the Clarins' make-up/sales women, she kept smiling and saying how much she enjoyed the treatment.
But afterwords, they wanted us to buy stuff. A lot of stuff. I swear, the same African-American lady, who did my Mom's make-up, wanted us to buy at least 10 different skin care products. Talking about greed. They were priced from 20 something to 100 and something. All together, at least $500 worth of skin care, such as five different moisturiser for every wrinkle one might have on his or her face. They kept offering us gifts, free lipsticks if we buy... I asked my mother, what does she need. She said nothing, since she still has her needed skin care at home. So I said, thank you, I'll buy a lip product for myself, and we'll think about the rest. "There's just too many of them, I can't buy all of them, and we don't really need anything right now..."
Oh, boy, was she unhappy! I could see her thinking: "I did that makeup for one $20 product?" But, her approach was wrong. She didn't ask us if we're interested in buying Clarins. She just literally approached us with: "Come one, I'd like to do your make up for free..." Wouldn't you take it?
So, the little harassment by Clarins women spoiled the Bloomingdale's experience a bit. But then, we went to Nespresso. We all loved that, M. my mom and I. She especially liked the free yummy cappuccinos they made us to show how their machines work. And they didn't harass us to buy them afterwords.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Holiday sleep deprivation
M. and I decided to trick the holiday traffic but driving down to D.C. area early on Saturday morning. Very, very early. The initial plan was to leave at 5a.m., at the crack of dawn. Instead we left at 5:30a.m.
We ended up sleep deprived, of course, and depending on caffeine. We had to nap at our destination, and I, the non-New York-to-D.C.-driver, half-alive, half-asleep, on the passenger seat, half-down, half-upright, managed to steel a couple of Z moments.
The strategy worked on our way there-there was barely any traffic and we made it in a record three and a half hours, or so.
Not so much on our way back. We left on Tuesday morning at 6:15a.m., still exhausted despite the whole 45 minutes of extra pillow-hugging. I had to struggle to keep my eyes open, again. I didn't succeed at all times. Then, I was lucky to have couple of hours before work, upon arrival. M. wasn't that lucky. I'm still amazed at how he made it through the day.
Anyway, we still got hit by the bad traffic around Baltimore, Philadelphia and of course New York. It took us four and a half hours, with only two very short stops.
Overall, did our strategy work? Maybe on our way to D.C. We hate the heavy traffic so in a way it was justifiable. I can't even imagine how the traffic was on Friday and Monday, the Memorial day. I guess sometimes gamble pays off, sometimes it doesn't. Gamble with traffic, that is.
We ended up sleep deprived, of course, and depending on caffeine. We had to nap at our destination, and I, the non-New York-to-D.C.-driver, half-alive, half-asleep, on the passenger seat, half-down, half-upright, managed to steel a couple of Z moments.
The strategy worked on our way there-there was barely any traffic and we made it in a record three and a half hours, or so.
Not so much on our way back. We left on Tuesday morning at 6:15a.m., still exhausted despite the whole 45 minutes of extra pillow-hugging. I had to struggle to keep my eyes open, again. I didn't succeed at all times. Then, I was lucky to have couple of hours before work, upon arrival. M. wasn't that lucky. I'm still amazed at how he made it through the day.
Anyway, we still got hit by the bad traffic around Baltimore, Philadelphia and of course New York. It took us four and a half hours, with only two very short stops.
Overall, did our strategy work? Maybe on our way to D.C. We hate the heavy traffic so in a way it was justifiable. I can't even imagine how the traffic was on Friday and Monday, the Memorial day. I guess sometimes gamble pays off, sometimes it doesn't. Gamble with traffic, that is.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
La vie en Rose
Last night I've seen one of the best movies ever--La vie en Rose. It was amazing in every aspect. Not a boring moment in the movie, impeccable acting, a workout of a sort for the viewer with the unconventional back and forth story line, but it all pays of at the end, when everything comes together.
For all of you who don't know anything about La vie en Rose, it's a French movie about a French singer Edith Piaf, who lived until 1960s.
The principal actress M. Cotillard is a true revelation. Who ever found her deserves kudos as well. Not a single moment of overacting, and she had totally transformed herself. She became Edith Piaf who looks and moves and seems as a completely different person.
I predict she will go for the stars. She certainly has it all.
It's one of those works of art you really must see. Really.
For all of you who don't know anything about La vie en Rose, it's a French movie about a French singer Edith Piaf, who lived until 1960s.
The principal actress M. Cotillard is a true revelation. Who ever found her deserves kudos as well. Not a single moment of overacting, and she had totally transformed herself. She became Edith Piaf who looks and moves and seems as a completely different person.
I predict she will go for the stars. She certainly has it all.
It's one of those works of art you really must see. Really.
Friday, May 23, 2008
My first paid voiceover...hopefully
I've done my first voiceover job in New York City yesterday. The best thing about it, I didn't even know it was a job!I thought it was a test recording! I've been to so many auditions and I acted for free that I forgot that I should get paid for work.
Oh, was I happy when I got an e-mail with the invoice and a nice figure for a half an hour job!
I love voiceovers! It was so much fun! I got four and a half pages of text in English and Croatian to voice, read into the ether! If I knew it were a job, I would've been completely relaxed, as appose to nervous. I was a bit nervous. Mostly because there was one word I've never seen before-concatenate. I know, you're probably thinking, how come I've never heard this word before, it's so common, blah, blah...
Well, believe it or not, I've never seen it before. Not in the GRE book, not at AU.
So, it made me more nervous, especially because it appears more than once in the text.
Croatian was easy, of course. English too, for the most part. I made couple of mistakes, but luckily it wasn't live. These things almost never are. If you make a mistake, you just start over, and then someone over there edits it. Sweet!
Oh, was I happy when I got an e-mail with the invoice and a nice figure for a half an hour job!
I love voiceovers! It was so much fun! I got four and a half pages of text in English and Croatian to voice, read into the ether! If I knew it were a job, I would've been completely relaxed, as appose to nervous. I was a bit nervous. Mostly because there was one word I've never seen before-concatenate. I know, you're probably thinking, how come I've never heard this word before, it's so common, blah, blah...
Well, believe it or not, I've never seen it before. Not in the GRE book, not at AU.
So, it made me more nervous, especially because it appears more than once in the text.
Croatian was easy, of course. English too, for the most part. I made couple of mistakes, but luckily it wasn't live. These things almost never are. If you make a mistake, you just start over, and then someone over there edits it. Sweet!
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