boots on the bus

I'm on my way to NYC. I am trying on the Bolt Bus for the first time and totally loving the wifi connection. I love that I can blog on the bus! Fabulous! 5 hours of surfing the web dreaming of things to purchase, places to visit, things to do. I love it. I was looking at a few sites and started obsessing over the boots. I have been dreaming of new shoes recently and found quite a few pairs of boots or booties I love. What do you think?

The big purple show above... my sister Chair has When I found out they were less the $40 I knew my name was written all over them. Must have! Payless, $34.

boots by rldamato featuring Calvin Klein shoes

How about these cute boots from Coach! Anything with a bow gets me! A tiffany blue box with a bow, a puppy with a bow, a headband with a bow...a boot with a bow! Coach $348

The zipper/ruffle on the Juicey bootie, too cute. $395

Black cut out booties too cute. I can picture wearing them with hot pink tights peeking through the cutouts. fun! Calvin Klein $138

Tall Patent Leather Boots with Buttons. Kate Spade. love....who knows how much!

xoxo

follow me

Sign up today to follow me along the way on Sunday! Click on Athlete Alert on the New York Marathon homepage. You will need to put my name in "Rebecca D'Amato" and possibly my bib number "344053". I will be starting in wave #3 at 10:20am. Text me, cheer me on, follow me. It's been a long training and a stressful one, but I will take deep breathes, sing along the way and take in the amazing supporters in the Big Apple! It is an experience like never before!

Oprah has done it! 4:29:20 Last time I ran in 2007, Katie Holmes ran, 5:29 (I was so looking for Tom & Suri when I crossed the finish line). And well me, 4 hours and 38 minutes. Hopefully I can beat that time.

I'm getting nervous. I know it will be good. I'm as ready as I can be. I think Mrs. Tom Cruises smile says it all in the pictures. Crossing the finish line in NYC is like nothing else. The past 2 times I have completed it I have started to hyper ventilate with a feeling of over excitement and accomplishment.

Thank you for all of your support:)

xoxo

sweets for Jenn

This weekend we hosted Jenn's baby shower in Boston. Jenn is the first one of my group of girlfriends to have a baby and yes....it's going to be a girl! When we found out that it was going to be a baby girl we knew that the shower would be covered in pink. After many emails back and forth we decided on Bubbles & Bubbly. Lots of pink! Pink everywhere! We greeted Jenn by blowing bubbles, bubbly champagne, bubbly pink lemonade, pink bubblegum, pink balloons. It was super girly and we can't wait to meet little Leila and shower her in more pink gifts.

I'm a little obsessed with everything that Amy Atlas creates. She created this amazing white dessert buffet and I was completely inspired by it. Christa bought the balloons, I bought lots of pink candy and at the end it turned out pretty cute! Below is my pink pic, unfortunately my iPhone pic doesn't look as nice as Amy's, bought it was adorable in person and a day to remember!

Maybe we can all get together and create the same thing for little Leila's sweet 16!

xoxo

R&R for the week

I have had a pretty busy week this past week! Sorry I've been slow on postings. Last week I worked around the clock and had plans after work. On Friday I jumped on the train to Boston for 8 hours for Jenn's baby shower. It was a wonderful pink party! I'll post pics tomorrow. Now I'm back in D.C. and realizing that this week must be filled with R&R, rest and relaxing. Yes, I have to work, do laundry and a few small runs, but all in all I need to take care of myself and relax before the big run!

6 days from now me and about 300,000 other people will crawl out of bed at 5am to get to Staten Island and get in line for the New York City marathon. My knee is a little sore, I'm exhausted, but all in all, I know I can do it! Here are a few things I'm doing to prepare:

1. H20 - I am forcing myself to consume lots and lots of water all week. NO soda! Water.

2. Sleep - my goal is 8 to 9 hours a night this week. Wish me luck.

3. Ice - My knee aches in the middle of the day. I need to find time to lay on the couch and ice it daily.

4. Stretch - I woke up this morning and did some sun salutations. First thing in the a.m. and last thing in the p.m.

5. Flats - NO HEELS. I made a vow, only flat shoes until Sunday!

6. bye bye Halloween treats - I overindulged in sweets this weekend. Candy buffet, cupcakes, sugar sugar. No more Halloween treats for me. All natural.

Wish me luck!!!! Today you can sign up on the New York Marathon website to follow me. My bib number is 56163. Go to http://www.nycmarathon.org/ at noon and sign up for Athlete Alert.

xoxo

the little things

Isn't it truly the little things in life that make you happy? A nice cup of coffee in the morning, buying a new song on Itunes, a card in the mail, a new accessory, a new magazine. The little things! I truly feel that way a lot! Recently I have had some long days at work, job hunting, marathon training, visiting friends and attempting to stay on a budget. Yep, the last part, budget, is one of the hardest. So when I think of little things it makes me happy because those little things stay within the budget much better.

I guess I do have a lot of "little things". Beau likes to them, chotsky, I like to call them treasures! If I can't afford a new pair of shoes that I'm dying for, the designer handbag, a day out shopping, buying something tiny that you love for under $20- makes you happy. Here are a few of my little fun finds I have found recently.

1. Sequin Beret - $14. from H&M. LOVE! It's awesome on a bad hair day and like Rachel Zoe says, a little sequin is NEVER bad. The picture is me last weekend at brunch in the beret!

2. Flower Earrings - $8. They may look kind of vintage, but nope, Forever 21 find.

3. XO Earrings - $12 . Urban Outfitters. An X on one ear and an O on the other. Yes, I love everything lovely and romantic and love putting XOXOXOXO everywhere. Life should be full of hugs and kisses so why not on my ears.

4. OPI for Sephora nail polish - $9. I am getting tired of Black Onyx and Lincoln Park After Dark so I was so excited to find "Never Enough Shoes". Black with Sparkles, and under $10, yay! And how cute is the name?

5. Mercury Glass Candle Holders - $5.99 at World Market. They are so pretty and have Fleur De Lis on the outside. I may not be able to afford a new couch, but new candles jazz up my place.

I wish I could go and splurge on some bigger items, but for right now my little finds make me excited during a shopping trip! Let me know if you find any good bargains.

xoxo

coco before chanel

I went and saw the new movie, "Coco before Chanel" this week. LOVED IT! What an inspiring women Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel was. How amazing it is too that a little orphaned girl created the spectacular empire of what is now, Chanel. I have always dreamed of owning a Chanel Classic Quilted 2.55 bag, preferably in black or...pink! I die! I will have it, some day:)

The drive that Chanel had was amazing. You can still see it today with Karl at the top of the company. He is still creating amazing innovative collections, run way shows, season after season. His latest muse, Lily Allen (i heart her!) performed at the resort wear show in Paris!

So wonderful to see the beautiful French actress, Audrey Tautou, play Coco. Audrey is always a delight to watch on the big screen. I have been in love with her since Amelie, all time fav! The movie had an amazing way of showing little ways that Coco saw inspiration for the Chanel brand from the beginning. I loved how she was always wearing men's inspired clothing, striped fisherman shirts and saw inspiration from the camellia flower that her all time LOVE "boy" wore in the film. I think I might buy an oversized striped shirt this weekend with a belt like she had.

I enjoyed the film so much. I thought it was beautiful. The life that Chanel had was quite inspiring. She never married, she did not settle for less then exquisite. She was a women who knew what she wanted and created it from her heart. It was quite a wonderful story to tell!

xoxo

Chanel Forever !! Coco avant Chanel !!!!!!! by violetablue featuring Chanel

pick myself up

So as you all know, I have been doing the job hunting thing for awhile now. I haven't found anything that I've accepted, loved or that has accepted me. This week I applied for a job I was REALLY excited about but unfortunately do not think I will be getting an offer for. I feel well over qualified for the position, but that is another story. After the emails went back and forth with their HR team I went to bed last feeling upset, frustrated and not very optimistic about really anything. I had a bust day at work today, I have a lot of events coming up, I'm running the NYC marathon, I haven't seen beau in awhile and all in all I was just blah.

Tonight I talked to my sister Chair who always has a great boost to give me. She is the oldest one of the sisters and always has a good perspective for me, "life is not that bad". I started ranting about running, being tired, stressed, job hunting, etc. She gave me three simple words that put it into perspective for me, take a break. Maybe this was just what I needed to hear. Take a break from the job search. I'm running the NYC marathon for my 3rd time, a lot of people don't get to do it one time. So she is right, I need to take a little break from the job search. I need to wake up tomorrow morning, go for a run, relax over the next two weeks, eat healthy, get sleep and enjoy the time I have for myself. After November 1st I can dive back into the job hunt.

So like Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire sang ... I pick myself up Dust myself off, Start all over again. I need to do this! I can't let the people who did not want to hire me bring me down.

I need to take a couple of weeks to regroup, focus on myself then start all over again!

xoxo

Sunday Soirees - my portfolio

Recently my mind has been filled with applying for jobs, interviewing and being on a constant hunt for the next career opportunity in Florida. Applying for jobs online, following up and never hearing from anybody other then an automated email response, well, it makes you feel very frustrated! I feel like I am "just another" piece of paper on a desk, another application online. Last week I realized that I need to start marketing myself more then just a resume emailed or a good cover letter. After being in the events business for 6 years it was time for me to finally gather up some pictures and put them all together of what I have accomplished and start sending it out.

I wish I would have saved photos from events beginning on day one of my career, but I can't go back. I think I have a nice start of a portfolio to grow. It made me feel proud to look at the pictures of what I have been able to create and be a part of. I often get frustrated, upset and angry at my current situation and looking over these photos made me feel excited again. I wanted to share a few pics from my soirees from over the past years. I'm proud of them and I can't wait to create even more wonderful things as the years go on!

xoxo

not just a boring suit

I remember shopping for my first suit. Job interviews for summer intern programs, I headed straight to Ann Taylor. Oh my. I guess that is what I knew it as. Once known for boring button downs and an everyday corporate suit.....things have changed!

Recently I keep seeing pieces from Ann Taylor's Fall line in magazines, blogs and on the streets. Ok, I know I live in DC, the land of government employees who wear suits daily to work...and white gym sneakers! ugh. However, I went into Ann Taylor recently and wanted EVERYTHING!

Ann Taylor has a new Director of Design, Liz Axelson. Reading that Liz came from Club Monaco was no surprise after my last trip to the land of what was the land of suits. Liz has made the clothes more chic and modern and quite honestly...I'm loving it! Affordable, chic business clothes. nice. Now I'm not saying suits aren't sold there because they absolutely are. However, now they are paired with chunky necklaces, patent leather belts and look oh so much better!

Here a few things I am loving! Leather bags with chain handles, leather motorcycle jackets, lots of bling and over sized jewelry, skinny jeans and platform shoes, grey leather booties, shirts with bows (are you surprised)black sweater dresses. They have a great line of leopard belts, bags and shoes. Great accessories! I really love it.

Ann Taylor had their first fashion show this year! How fabulous! Let's hope the Winter line is fun and affordable and we can all go out and buy a fun party dress!

happy shopping! xoxo

I love DC - #5

Brunch! Ok, so I guess brunch is something I love in NYC, Florida, DC, Paris, Cleveland, London....anywhere. I LOVE brunch! Love it. Brunch is a great way to get together with friends during the weekend and drinks lots of coffee, catch up and eat yummy omelette's and croissants. So in a dedication to my "I Love DC" posts, here are some of my favorite places to enjoy my favorite meal of the week, brunch! My favorite places to drink lots of coffee and chat with friends.

1. Le Pain Quotidien - I know that Le Pain is a chain, however I love it. I remember the first time I went here was in NYC city when I was an intern and Sofia Coppola was sitting at the table next to me. I thought, hello this must be cool and chic if she is here. haha. I love the Georgetown location because the backyard patio is so quaint and a great outside location in the middle of the city. The omelet with asparagus and goat cheese is a fav and I have to say, the bread basket with the praline spread and jam is oh so yummy. I have spent many mornings here drinking lattes straight from the little late bowls. 2815 M Street, NW

2. Tabard Inn - Tabard Inn is a 90 year old inn, quaint and charming in the middle of downtown DC. It is a great little place in the winter to feel cozy and warm by the fireplace OR in the summer the outside garden is charming as well. The restaurant is always booked for brunch so make a reservation. I was a little questionable the first time I went and walked through the dark teeny library, but now I LOVE. The menu changes seasonally but the mimosas, homemade donuts and quiches always stay the same. I love the quiche with corn, crab and cheese but the Eggs Benedict are also raved about. 1739 N Street, NW

3. Cafe Bonaparte - ooooo, I LOVE this place. The first time I walked in to this little (yes, teeny tiny) cafe in upper Georgetown....I fell in Love. The crepes and cafe au laits are so wonderful, you feel like you are in France. The savory and the sweet crepes are yummy. The red awning outside of the cafe always has a line out the door on Saturday mornings. I truly believe its worth the wait and the crowded room. It is also a wonderful romantic place at night:)

1522 Wisconsin Ave, NW

4. The Roof Terrace Restaurant - I think this place holds a special place in my heart because I remember being an intern here and bringing my mom and sister here for brunch. The brunch is in the kitchen so it's pretty neat. You actually walk through the kitchen to get your food, neat. It is a great place to bring visitors from out of town because it has a beautiful view of the Capitol. 2700 F Street, NW @ the Kennedy Center

5. Blue Duck Tavern - Located in the Park Hyatt, this restaurant I love. I would describe the decor as a chic New England tavern. Wooden rocking chairs in front of glass walls. When you walk in the open pastry kitchen that is in front of you makes you mentally note to order the homemade apple pie at the end of your meal. The cheese grits to share are an absolute MUST! 1221 24th Street, NW

6. Open City - This casual cafe is in Woodley Park. It reminds me a Central Perk, the neighborhood place where everybody hangs out. Beau and I use to go here maybe twice a week before work for morning breakfasts, because it was so great. Good food, fast service, not expensive, love it. OC is owned by the same people who own the Diner, the 24 hours Adams Morgan dive. Even better!

2331 Calvert Street, NW

Make your plans for the weekend now and head out for brunch! These are a few of my favs, but there are MANY more. Please sure yours. I hope these ideas helped!

xoxo

hello weekend

There are some weeks that you can not wait for them to be over, like this one. Yesterday I logged off of my work computer, walked out of the building and took a big breathe in, out, relaxed and thought, "hellllllllo weekend!". It started with a nice run, homemade pizza and a night of catching up on my DVR. I have no set plans and look forward to just relaxing. I'm sitting in bed right now doing one of my favorite things, reading magazines and drinking coffee. While I do have some homework to do (sending out more resumes and applying to jobs) I also have no big plans. Here are a few things I'll be enjoying this weekend.

New sites to browse:

Lonny Mag! - I can't wait to dive into this new site/magazine. Similar to Domino, Blueprint and a lot of inspiration.

Emerson Made - This site has such cute flowers. I need a little new accessory for Fall.

Cake is Happiness - Well, if you haven't checked out this new baking blog you MUST. It holds a special place in my heart/bookmarks due to the fact that my amazing sister Katie is behind it. Read it, love it, bake it.

Movies to see:

I'm going to see Paris tonight. Of course I am. We all now I absolutely adore any thing French. Did you check out Erin from Elements of Style trip to Paris? OH MY! I die! I dream of Beau and taking a get away to city of lights, the city of love.

Baking pumpkin cookies (a fall must of the D'Amato family), running, going to my favorite yoga place and relaxing. I hope you all have plans for a fabulous Fall weekend!

xoxo

working girl

The interview.

Yes, the interview on Monday went well. I had my little rental car and drove down to Miami in my ruffled shirt and blown out hair (which frizzed from the humid weather! must fix that!). For awhile I was a little lost of exactly what warehouse door lead to the office for the interview. Finally I got in touch with my contact, picked him up and drove to Starbucks. After almost a 3 hour meeting I think it went well. The company seems exciting, young, growing. The food seems interesting and it looks like they have a nice clientele they are growing. We ended it that they would contact me this week. Good thing!

When I drove away it wasn't the feeling I had before. That exciting anxious, can't wait for them to call feeling. The feeling I had was questionable. Was this what I wanted? What is it that I want? I am not sure of that answer. Recently I think my dream is too some day have my own boutique planning business: brides, corporate dinners, intimate beautiful affairs. I use to question that. It's a lot of work! My wonderful older sister is amazingly successful with her own design firm and my Dad had his private practice for year. Maybe these are reasons that I am realizing I'm not loving the big corporate world. It's tough, there are ups and downs. Big companies have structure, benefits, paid time off. Small companies have flexibility, more room to have your ideas heard, a feeling that you are making a difference. So it was hard when I left the interview and wasn't sure.

I asked myself what it is I'm looking for and I couldn't answer it. Do I really want to move down and make this big change in my life to be with Beau, a new area, a new change and be working 24/7 on something I may not be passionate about....I'm not sure. I'm moving so I can do something difference, be with my love after 4 years apart, see how life will be. So right now I'm taking some time to search. To search in myself of what will make me happy. I don't want to settle. Some days I wish I could afford to go to Pastry school for 3 months, think a little, learn a lot and start at it again. Working full time and searching full time is not easy. I guess the pastry gig could be an option!

Oh my, the working girl world. Wish me luck! There are for sure some amazing big companies out there and I'm looking. The economy is a little tough, but I have faith that it is turning around and people will once again want to plan an amazing event!

Wish me luck with the job hunt and with the career hunt. I'm looking for something to move to and I'm looking for what it is too make me happy. I know it is a long hunt, but in time I know it will come!

xoxo