Crista Takes On The Minne City

Shopping

No doubt, I am an avid consumer of material goods.

The Mall Of America (MOA):

• is the second largest enclosed mall in terms of retail space but is largest in terms of total enclosed floor area
• has a gross area of 4.2 million sq ft., with 2.5 million sq ft. available as retail space
• over 520 stores are arranged along three levels of pedestrian walkways on the sides of the rectangle, with a fourth level on one side
• opened in 1992, the mall received 40 million visitors in 2006

All that being said, you would think that one would be beside themselves to reside downtown Minneapolis, within 10 miles of this absurdly gigantic shopping center.

In view of the Redken Symposium happening this weekend, and a lack of spare time, I found it necessary to take a quick shopping trip to the MOA* – in search of a few swank & voguish pieces/accessories to wear.

After all, RS09 is THE place to be noticed, being that there will be 10,000** hairdressers in attendance. I am unwilling to show up unrehearsed and ill-considered, providing a perception of the mid-western Minnesota girl that is flourishing within me.

*Options for shopping in the Twin Cities:

• Mall Of America - the LARGEST selection of shopping
• downtown Minneapolis -which includes Macy’s, Off Saks, and Banana Republic
• the Premium Outlet Mall in Albertville -Puma, Banana Republic, BCBG, K. Cole
• Southdale/Edina that provides the option of Len Druskin.
• TJ Maxx
• OR Buffalo Exchange (the Minneapolis edition)

Plenty of money in hand (OK, daddy’s credit card that I am responsible for paying), I was ready to purchase any and every voguish item that caught my eye.

After hitting Bloomingdales, Nordstrom Rack, H&M, AND Forever 21 – using ALL of my resources @ MOA- I walked out of the mall empty-handed, forced to head back home to my closet full of yesterdays clothing.

(There was NO DOUBT at the very least, I would find a few disposable, on-trend items at Forever 21. WTF )

I went ahead and packed every piece of yesterdays clothing I own, and will make do.

**give or take a few thousand – we’re in a recession.

RS09

The Redken Symposium is the industry’s premiere educational event and gathers over 10,000 Redkenites from all across the world!

The REDKEN SYMPOSIUM atmosphere is unconventional and unrivalled by anyone else in our industry. This time, there are no rules to hold you back… no formalities that tie your need to twist tradition and adjust reality. Our talented artists will work without rulebooks to encourage you to entertain your innermost aspirations. Using your mind over attitude, you’ll sharpen your intellect with focus that inspires you, network with individuals who can think on your page, bring creativity from the outside in… and exhibit whatever you feel, whenever you feel it without judgment, attitude or compromise.

Las Vegas, a city which reinvents itself daily- and where color, energy, innovation and nightlife never end - will once again host the Symposium.

Join us at its most eclectic hotel, the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in 2009. redken.com

This is a small visual of what my world will look like as soon as I step off of a plane in Vegas on Friday. The Redken Symposium only happens every 2 years and is probably the largest event I will ever attend. Year after year, the Symposium is voted the #1 Educational Event by hairstylists across the nation.

I am proud to be a part of it.

But what the hell am I going to wear?? I will dress simply and let my personality do the talking. . .

ALSO, I apologize for the lame content of my blog since the turn of the New Year. I'm feeling slightly understimulated and I've been in a funk. The Symposium will drag me out of the funk I have been in and will be sure to load me with content to spill Crista From The Block* style.

Please do not forget to check your reactions at the bottom of the blog.

Peace, love & unicorns. xox

Sweetest Things of 2008 according to Me

2008 represented living the way I want to live without any apologies....

Lifestyle Changes:

• Going Vegetarian/Vegan-ish. I feel good - better than ever. It is certainly an addictive lifestyle.
• Becoming n NWA Worldperks Silver Elite member. Upgrade Me.
• Finding a Dog Sitter. Last year, I struggled with travel due to lack of places to put my dog while I was gone. My dog sitter/good friend has relieved that anxiety and stress.
  

Books:

• Skinny Bitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin
• The One Hundred by Nina Garcia
• A New Earth by Ekhart Tolle
• Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
  

Movies:

• Slumdog Millionaire best movie ever.
• Sex & The City The Movie
  

Trips Taken:

• Maui, Hawaii
• STVI
  

Hotel Stays:

• W Hotel Chicago, IL & Minneapolis, MN there is no place like home. the W should be my home.
• ::Night Hotel NY ::
• Ritz Carlton Kapalua
• Blackhawk Hotel Cedar Rapids, IA very unique hotel in the middle of nowhere Cedar Rapids. every room is different - you choose your room from a list online

Restaurants:

• Ecopolitan - Minneapolis, MN vegan.
• Mafolie - STVI best grouper ever
• Scalintella - Manhattan, NY
• Japonais - Chicago, IL best sushi ever
• Acadia - Minneapolis, MN black bean buger. mmm
  

Nights:

• @ Hard Rock Cafe Maui w/Marty Dread i remember dancing the night away....
• @ Dakota Jazz Club w/ Amel Larrieux in Minneapolis this accounted for two nights. back-to-back
• in New York on Broadway w/Chicago best show yet.
• My Golden Birthday
• NYE @ The W Hotel Minneapolis *smiles*
  

Purchases:

• Furniture from Room & Board
• the '05 Acura TL
• Marciano Jacket
• the iPhone. the ONLY thing I am not sold on with this phone is the fact that you can not text & drive. I KNOW! Not Safe. BUT with the Blackberry, I could text by feeling the keypad - without using my eyes....
• Shuella. Talk about saving lives... the lives of my Stilettos!
• Big Soft Fuzzy Grey Blanket

Discoveries:

• Lemonade Flavored Toothpaste did I ever mention that anything mint or cinnamon gag me?
• Blogspot
• That I am moving back to Chicago
  






"If you wait to do everything until you're sure it's right, you'll probably never do much of anything."

Tis The Season - Part 2

Naturally, when I went to start my car this morning, it would not start. Remember how I just purchased it, AND I park in the garage? No one / no car is immune - not even the Acura.

Whatev.

Instead of working, I was confined to my condo with unpacking, re-packing, and gift wrapping to handle.

I am headed 'home' to Fort Wayne, Indiana tomorrow for the first time in one year. I only go 'home' once a year for various reasons including: airfare, driving time, lack of interest, my busy work schedule, AND I live in the middle of BFE with no outlet to the outside world (not really, but it feels that way sometimes.)

I went back to Fort Wayne last year, and the trip turned in to a complete disaster. Flights were cancelled, luggage was lost, I was trapped in an undesirable location: The Airport (for hours and hours and hours.)

I got a phone call from pops this morning only to find out he has been without power since Friday afternoon- him and 50,000 + other people in Fort Wayne!

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - December 2008 Ice
Storm Update: 3:00 PM, 12/21/2008

Indiana Michigan Power continues to make progress on restoring
power despite hazardous weather conditions.

However, some customers
are experiencing repeated service interruptions today as a result of strong
winds in the area. I&M is advising customers to ensure alternate living
arrangements either through American Red Cross shelters (listed below) or with
family and friends, if they are in need of housing.

Weather forecasts for the remainder of today and
into the evening call for sustained winds of 20 -25 mph with gusts up to 40
mph.

As of 3 p.m. Sunday, about 54,400
I&M customers are awaiting restoration of electric service, primarily in the
Fort Wayne area.

I&M has brought in more
than 1,200 additional personnel to restore power to the Fort Wayne region and is
expecting more assistance to arrive today.

Property owners must make sure that the service entrance attached
to their structure is prepared to be reenergized.

I have spent the last 2 weekends in airports that are notorious for flight delays and cancellations. Out of the 4 flights I had scheduled, only one was cancelled and I was able to hop an earlier flight out that day (not without DRAMA.) My flight tomorrow with mark my 5th & 6th flight out of Minnesota in the dead of winter. Remember: Traveling is not always glamorous.... especially when 50,000 + people are without power in -2 temperatures, and another ice storm is anticipated at your final destination.

So, tomorrow marks the day for Crista's Holiday Adventure 2008.

WoW

W Hotel
+
Voss Water
+
Acura
+
Liquid Metal
+
Puma

+

♫♪ ♫ ★ ♫♪ ♫
=

ME

(seriously. I could swear the W Hotel caters to my EXACT needs and wants)

W Hotel = My Love

Jet Setter

Fact: I travel much more often than the average person.

Myth: I live a secret life while away from home.

Most people get very excited when it comes to taking a trip far away from home.

An airplane ride is a big deal, and is booked several months in advance. A 6 hour road trip is thoroughly planned. Days and days are spent laying out the items being considered for packing. Money for the big trip is saved for months and months. Numerous thoughts & images of the mysterious destination flood the mind. The trip's itinereary is carefully thought through, only after reading numerous online reviews.

My traveling experience is slightly different. MOST of the time, I am on the road for some type of work event, being a Hair Show, Meeting, or simply to visit salons in markets outside of the Twin Cities. My boss lives in a different state than myself, I have a home office, and am only accompanied by one other co-worker in the Twin Cities. The only way to connect with my co-workers is through travel. Pack the bags, hop a plane, meet up with them in a new city. We have become so accustomed to traveling, we have learned to navigate through any city, and make whatever city we are in 'our life' for that period of time.

When I am on the road, the activities I involve myself are similar to those of the average working-class american: Shower, Iron, Makeup. Breakfast. Coffee. Text friends. Meeting. Work. Lunch. Text. Happy Hour. More Work. Dinner. Text more friends. Hit the streets. OR lay in bed, remote in hand, blogging. There is a slight chance, that I may have FREE TIME in the evening after work to meet up with a friend or two local to the city I am visiting. A slight chance.

Often times, I share a room with a co-worker of mine, have no privacy, no alone time, and am caught up in the presence of people that I do not see often. Catching up on the 411 is an obligation. Did I mention that I rarely see the outside of the hotel?

Being away from home for 10+ days, booking a flight less than 3 days in advance, blowing off a flight, navigating large airports, losing my luggage for 2+ days, being caught alone in cities overnight due to bad weather, hopping in random cabs, making friends with cabbies, staying the night in hotels ranging from boutique to Marriot to Days Inn, hopping a flight to New York, or catching a plane jumper from the islands to San Juan are all daily activities for me.

People often associate my traveling with this sort of 'mysterious life' I live. It is hard for them to visualize exactly what it is that I am doing while I am off in what seems like some luxurious place where I have tons of free time to explore the city, meet people, and add names to the list of people I have screwed.

I can remember back to the very first vacation I took with friends-no parents involved. We stayed in a condo on Treasure Island, and spent our evenings running the streets of Ybor City. As we were preparing for our trip, people kept saying to just be careful. "Be careful.... just.. be safe..." was said in the most solemn of voices. People assumed we were going to Tampa to meet guys and get laid. I was taken aback by these ridiculous assumptions. We were headed to Tampa simply because we were offered a condo at an amazing price. Our agenda was sun-bathing, wave crashing, and drinking at the bar. We had no idea Ybor City even existed. We found it though... and this pretty much sums up our time spent there:

We never did shack up with any guys... and that was never our intention.

Fact: I am able to travel more often for leisure due to Miles earned while flying across the country for my job.

Fact: I DO get to see some cool ish and I DO visit some beautiful places.

Fact: I do NOT enjoy living out of a bag.

Fact: Clothing gets lost, shoes get damaged, and luggage gets torn while en route.

Fact: I am in and out of a buttload of Public Restrooms

Fact: Hotel Food disgusts me. (i would much prefer a home cooked vegan meal)

Fact: Staying home is a small luxury. (as far as I'm concerned)

i am mermaid.

The 4 Steps to becoming a Mermaid:

#1. strip down to minimal clothing and allow artist to paint fins with glitteratti blingin acrylic paint

#2. Photographer snaps shots in multiple "mermaid-like" positions

#3. artist sketch (see below)

#4. the final image including iridescent gliteratti fun. (coming soon)

I was reminded today that i was still eating hotdogs, porkchops, burgers, bacon, and bologna when the early stages of my mermaid-ness were taking place. nasty.

in this photo, i was a carnivore. blah.

xox Bird* a.k.a Ariel