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TGIF Giveaway: Fit in Clouds Rollable Flats

29. March 2013 · Write a comment · Categories: Chic Living · Tags: , , , ,

Some of you may have figured out that one of my clients is Fit in Clouds, a shoe company that makes rollable flats that can fit in your purse. Fit in Clouds have been mentioned by Oprah, Martha Stewart Weddings, Seventeen, Redbook, and more, so of course I was thrilled when they contacted me via Twitter to ask me to manage their online presence (helllooooo Twitter, Facebook, Polyvore, Instagram, Pinterest, PicMonkey, etc!).

Since Fit in Clouds pays part of my bills, it may be hard for you to take me seriously when I say these are seriously the most comfortable flats ever. I used to hate flats, but I have slowly succumbed to their power as the perfect shoes for coworking, running errands, and hanging out with friends. But these flats are just about the only ones that 1) don’t force me to go through a painful adjustment period of blisters to get used to them and 2) fit super easily into my work bag or purse.

But don’t take my word for it- you could win your own pair of rollable flats!

Fit in Clouds TGIF Giveaway TGIF Giveaway: Fit in Clouds Rollable Flats

Just click the image above for details and to enter

In the meantime, follow along with Fit in Clouds:

Twitter // Pinterest // Facebook // Polyvore

Stress-Free Party Planning {Clueless Chick Style}

10. December 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Chic Living, Social Life, Tips · Tags: , , , ,

Remember when I put out a call for guest bloggers? I got several responses, including from Jennifer Durbin of the Clueless Chick. I’ve been following her on Pinterest for awhile now, so I was excited to get her proposal for a post on stress-free party planning for the holidays. Take it away, Jennifer!

holiday party planning ideas clueless chick 807x1024 Stress Free Party Planning {Clueless Chick Style}

For many of us the holidays are anything but stress-free with all of the shopping, wrapping, cooking and endless events, so it can be overwhelming to think about adding party planning to your to do list.  Enter the Clueless Chick.  With Party Planning Tips for The Clueless Chick, your party planning will be, dare I say it), FUN!

So stop avoiding hosting a holiday party and start creating your guest list.  From a large holiday open house, to an intimate dinner party for six, there are a few party planning tips that are guaranteed to leave you looking for any excuse to have another party:

Have fun with it

  • Forget the stress of trying to throw the perfect Martha Stewart Holiday Party and focus on throwing a party that is all “you”! Pick a party theme that is easiest for you – if cooking is your least favorite pastime, have a cocktail party late in the evening when you will only need to serve light appetizers (which you can even buy at your local wholesale club).

Setup like a pro

  • Save yourself a lot of day-of stress by setting up as much as possible the day, or week, before the party.  You can also choose a menu that freezes well so that you can do a majority of your cooking the weekend before.  Don’t forget to setup with cleanup in mind.  Emptying your dishwasher before the party is an easy way to ensure that you have a place to stash dirty dishes throughout the party.

Outsource

  • Hire a party planner, if it fits into your budget, and let the expert stress for you.  Or, a much more budget friendly option is to team up with a friend and co-host the party.  Find a friend with a “party ready” house and offer to bring the food – a perfect division of labor.  Don’t forget to enlist the help of your friendly local teenager* for anything from running errands to post-party clean up.
holiday party planning ideas clueless chick2 1024x773 Stress Free Party Planning {Clueless Chick Style}

Now that you’ve got the secret tips for stress-free party planning, it’s time to start planning!  You have a lot of work ahead of you, but every bit of it is worth it when you see the looks on your guests’ faces.  The most important thing to remember is to have fun!  Just remember to relax and enjoy every minute of the fabulous party you are about to throw.

Until next time,
Jennifer

clueless chick party planning tips 300x231 Stress Free Party Planning {Clueless Chick Style}

 

Jennifer Durbin is a Type A/OCD overachiever who is obsessed with over-researching everything.  Jennifer has turned her expertise in cutting through the noise and making research palatable into the Tips for The Clueless Chick™ series, life’s contemporary CliffsNotes™ for the modern woman. Jennifer received her MBA from Kenan-Flagler Business School, has a successful career in Information Technology and runs a popular Event Design business in Raleigh, NC where she lives with her husband and two small children.

*Cristina’s note:

I recently started doing some work with Sweeps, a local business that allows you an easy way to hire a college student for just about any task. Consider using a Sweeper for your holiday party- just use Sweep’s easy Post a Job form!

you’re invited: clothing swap

22. November 2011 · 1 comment · Categories: Blog group, Chic Living · Tags: , , , , ,

My blog is so funny in that I can go from drug testing for welfare recipients to a clothing swap party. Hey, life’s all about being balanced, right?

youre invited youre invited: clothing swap

This clothing swap is open to young female bloggers in the Triangle. After the event, we’ll have each girl blog about the best item she received icon smile youre invited: clothing swap  Haven’t joined the group yet? Contact me!

Updated: The Wine Feed, a Raleigh-based online wine retailer, has offered to sponsor the swap party! Several wine varieties will be available to sip on throughout the evening icon smile youre invited: clothing swap

a retrospect: top + favorite posts from my blog

21. November 2011 · Write a comment · Categories: Archives, Business, Career Development, Chic Living, College, Cooking, Coworking, Deals, Decor, Entrepreneurship, Food & Drink, Gluten-Free, Inspiration, Life Advice, Life Updates & Recaps, Raleigh, North Carolina, Social Enterprise & Non-Profit, Trends, Vegetarian · Tags:

It’s interesting for me to look at which blog posts of mine get the most traffic vs which ones are my favorite. There is some overlap between the two.  Part of my mission with this post is to bring to light some of my poor neglected posts that I think deserve a spotlight! I put my favorites in bold and added a few others below.

Some of my top posts (in order):

Some of my other favorite posts:

cristina’s weekly lessons

18. October 2011 · Write a comment · Categories: Chic Living, Inspiration, Life Advice, Raleigh, North Carolina · Tags: , , ,

Let go: I made an insensitive comment (completely unintentionally!) the other day and I kept beating myself up about it. What I finally convinced myself of: if you feel you should apologize, do it. If not, let it go. Everyone says and does dumb stuff, and chances are nobody else is still thinking about it.

cristinas weekly lessons

Unplug: I did the Tir Na Nog run through Historic Oakwood last night and it was so great to run without headphones. I felt like I had discovered a whole new part of the city! The crisp, beautiful fall air and colorful leaves didn’t hurt either.

cristinas weekly lessons

Don’t do it just because you should: OK, all you North Carolinians, don’t be upset: I don’t like the state fair. I really want to. I want to love the food and the rides and the excitement (like in the picture below) but all I can think is: crowds, lines, tons of money, parking, and stress. So this year my sister and I decided that we were forgoing the fair in lieu of another fall festivity that we’ll actually enjoy, like yoga or a fall walk.

cristinas weekly lessons

Sometimes it’s okay to have that extra cup of coffee: I’ve been very conscious of my caffeine intake recently and I don’t generally need an afternoon cup of caffeinated coffee. I got 8 hours of sleep last night, I worked out, and I ate a healthy breakfast and lunch. But you know what? I’m enjoying my full-caf mug of coffee right now icon smile cristinas weekly lessons

cristinas weekly lessons

top 10 lists: songs, recipes, & inspiration!

14. October 2011 · Write a comment · Categories: Business, Career Development, Chic Living, Cooking, Entrepreneurship, Food & Drink, Inspiration, Trends · Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Here are some funny, intriguing, and creative top 10 lists to start your weekend off on a good note:

10 Words for Intriguing Concepts via Merriam Webster

10 Insights on Rethinking Work via The99Percent.com

10 Things to Add to Your Bucket List via Mainstreet.com

The 10 Hottest Jewish Women Drake Can Take Home To His Momma via Bossip.com {wish I was on that list, he’s my favorite rapper}

10 Young Entrepreneur Blogs you Should be Following

Top 10 Kugel Recipes

My 10 Favorite Songs of the Week

do something nice day

05. October 2011 · Write a comment · Categories: Chic Living, Inspiration, Life Advice, Trends · Tags: , ,

I heard on the radio this morning that today is Do Something Nice Day. While I always try to be nice (as I hope you do!), it’s nice to have a reminder every once in awhile to step outside of ourselves and make a conscious effort to improve someone else’s day.

Some ideas I have (some of which I found here):

  • Pay for the person behind me in line at the coffee shop
  • Bring baked goods in for the construction workers downstairs
  • Treat our coworkers to Krispy Kreme glazed donuts
  • Offer a few free hours of babysitting
  • Tell a friend how they’ve inspired me

The last point brings me to an email I received recently from a friend.

“one of the speakers [at an event] said something that reminded me of you:
someone asked him how they could inspire others, and the speaker said
that to inspire others, you must allow others to inspire you. that
reminded me of your blog post “entrenched in the field.” you were
saying that that you are inspired by [your friends] but i don’t know if you realize that you are one of the people who
inspire me the most, not only because you are going out there and
actively making your goals a reality, but also just because of your
attitude and how you look at the world.”

That one paragraph from one of my best friends meant more to me than any write up in any newspaper. There may or may not have been tears. So I encourage you to do something kind today- tell someone how they inspire you!

some very important reminders

28. September 2011 · Write a comment · Categories: Business, Chic Living, Entrepreneurship, Inspiration, Life Advice, Life Updates & Recaps · Tags: , , , ,
anything not everything some very important reminders

Words of wisdom

work1 some very important reminders

Hello, blogging!

collaborate some very important reminders

#Collaboration

creating yourself some very important reminders
she believed some very important reminders

wine tasting tips + a review

13. September 2011 · Write a comment · Categories: Chic Living, Life Updates & Recaps, Social Life, Tips · Tags: , , , , ,

dsc 00141 wine tasting tips + a review

This morning, it randomly occurred to me that we might have been supposed to tip at our wine tasting the other day. I did a quick google search and found that tips are not expected (whew!). I also came across several websites that list wine tasting etiquette, so I thought I would share some of their dos and don’ts. Shockingly, we didn’t break any of the rules! That might be a first icon wink wine tasting tips + a review

In general, the rules are: don’t bring loud kids (though we did bring the dogs, which are like children. But quiet ones!). Don’t confuse the palette-cleaning crackers with a buffet. Don’t smoke. Don’t wear perfume. Don’t chew gum. Ask for a spit cup. Don’t complain about the tasting room fees. Don’t get too drunk! Don’t ask for the sweet wine too soon, because it affects the palette.

As I was reading these unofficial rules, I realized how important it is to choose a winery where you will feel comfortable. We called two on the way out to Albemarle and ended up choosing to go to the one with longer hours but also friendlier staff members. In case you don’t know me and my sister in real life, we are very casual and not interested in putting on airs at a pretentious place!

Dennis Vineyards & Winery was exactly what we were looking for. Luckily, we were two of only a few patrons, so we received stellar individualized service. As I mentioned in my last post, I ended up realizing that I like semi-dry wines, not sweet wines. The wine tasting attendant customized our tasting menu to our tastes, choosing each wine based on our reaction to the previous. Because of this, we were able to narrow down our selection as we went.

On October 8, they are holding a Harvest Festival and Grape Stomp, complete with a fall hay ride. I encourage you to make the pretty drive to Albemarle to check it out. And don’t hesitate to contact me if you do decide to go!

frivolous to dos

07. September 2011 · Write a comment · Categories: Chic Living, Life Updates & Recaps, Raleigh, North Carolina · Tags: ,

hydrangeas 1 frivolous to dos

I’ve been working long, long hours (minus my two day jaunt to DC!), so I think it’s time for some creative self-indulgence.

I want to:

  • Relax with a trashy tabloid while getting a pedicure
  • Find a place in Raleigh for a fancy afternoon tea
  • Read an Emily Giffin book outside
  • Light candles and sip wine
  • Catch up on my blogs on Google Reader
  • Enjoy each and every sip of each and every Pumpkin Spice Latte
  • Make my bed in the morning so that I can sink into it at night
  • Take a yoga class
  • Leave the windows open
  • Pick up fresh hydrangeas or peonies
  • Wear my fun, colorful jewelry that I somehow never wear
  • Browse the books at an outside used book store
  • Find a perfect white couch for our office
  • Revive my basil plant
  • Eat al fresco with friends
  • Walk the dogs to the park
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+Cristina Roman