The Weekly Wrap - All things life inclusive #391

photo respectfully taken from kiwi Brooke James' tumblr.

1. I know my tweets have been mainly about exercise but it's literally all I do in between working on graphics for promo material. Prepare yourself - I just found out about free exercise classes in the park. What have I become?! I wont tell you I socialize with soccer moms. Oh, wait. Lulz.

2. P-Money's new track feat. Skyzoo & Havoc. It's so good. Listen here.

3. Brooke James tumblr because, well, he's so good at what he does. Plus, he's from the long ma cloud.

4. The Blue Rose. How did I get addicted to this show when I don't even live in NZ?!

5. Revenge. Always.

6. Miguel's new video for Candles in the Sun. WOW, just wow. This track is going to be huge. 

7. J Law aka Jennifer Lawrence before, during and post Oscars. I'm not sure I like her movies but from what I saw, she's pretty hilarious.  

8. Just being not near home in general. I've realized how much I love being home yet how much I just slip back into old habits. It's easy to be the 'old' you but much harder to move forward. Woh, real talk.

9. Ok forgive me for another exercise related rant but I just started using this app and it is the best app ever. It's called NOOM. Download it. It's so good! I use the free version. SO good.

10. Going on an internet click fest and ending up on the wikipedia page for Charles Manson. Whaaat? How did that happen.

11. Parting words - Hang with me?

Morgs

My World Right Now - 11 things I've learnt in 11 months #272

colour co-ordinated friends I snapped at fashion week

1. Self education is the best kind of education. University etc can teach you something at a point in your life, but what happens when it's gone? Can you be more than what you've learnt in a scripted assignment.

2. Tavi Gevinson is changing the world. If you've never heard of her, don't worry, you will. Some may look at her and be like 'what? she's just a teenager who occasionally writes about the 60's and exists on the internet. She wont effect my life'. You know in Kanye West's song Way Too Cold he says, "I told you mother f**kers it was more than the music"? Same deal. The medium is just used as a platform for bigger things. It's an audience builder. Just you wait.

3. Your friends are important. Support them anyway you can. I kept looking round New York for talented people to work with, and believe me there are a lot, but some of the most talented people I know are my friends [cue the Oprah 'ah ha' moment]. Before you search for someone to help you, look at the person next to you.

4 . The world IS flat.  I now understand this. One word: INTERNET.

5. Being good at multiple things can often make things difficult. I am not 'tooting my own horn' here, I am not saying I know everything or know how to do everything. NOWAY. What I mean by that is I'm aware of my strengths, it's just hard to choose one that fits best for me to commit to. I now know which one that is. Please don't take that in an arrogant way. There's got to be one of you that understands that. You feel me?!

6. Your health is important. Still working on that one.

7. Surround yourself with people who have similar aspirations. People who act like they're constantly suck in the great depression - see you later. Also people who make you feel unworthy, or not good enough - you can bookmark this sentence mother f**kers 'cause I'll be referencing it in 10 years.

8. Travel is the best way to refresh yourself. Meet new people. Travel to new places. Be spontaneous. People always mock me for my last minute attitude, and yeah sure it has its down points, but for the most part it has made for some of my most memorable moments to date.

9. Not everyone wants to think on a global scale. This requires a whole post in itself, but the gist is that when I went home to New Zealand I realized not everyone thinks with a global perspective. I saw my friends settling into jobs in their hometowns, planning lives with children and husbands, and cars that have more than 4 seats. Ewww. My parents would always tell me "We don't care what you want to be, just make sure you're the best in the world at it." And I guess, in my mind, there really was no other option but to think on a global scale. And I was kind of judgmental in a way - to those who didn't aim for that; however, I now realize that everyone has their place in society and not everyone is meant for a global stage. Maybe I'm not either, but I'm sure as hell going to give it a try.

10. Abraham Lincoln is a really inspirational speaker. I'm not sure of his politics but his words, in relation to life, are incredible.

11. My family mean everything. Regardless of how big or small a problem is - you drop everything for your family. No exceptions.

Morgs.

The Two Weekly Wrap - NZ, LA, NYC, Fashion Week(s) #256

This is the result of me taking photos of Sarah tonight. This would make an epic inset-editorial. 

It's been a crazy two weeks, I have literally been halfway across the world and back. Do I mind? Not at all.

1. After touching down in New Zealand the first thing I noticed was how small everything was. You know when revisit places you went to as a child and they seems so small? Yeah same thing. Weirdest feeling ever. I think it would be different had I only been on holiday in NY, but given I live here it was deffo a big change. 

2. I actually cried when the Air New Zealand hostess said, "Welcome home to the kiwis onboard". Let's not talk about that. 

3. I surprised one of my friends at work. This is what happened. I walk through door, start looking at her, she looks at me and turns away. I think I've just been snobbed. She then does a classic double take. And shouts, in front of the whole store, "HOLY CRAP WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?!". I could have sworn she'd pee'd herself. True story. 

4. Seeing my family was delightful. I miss you crazy fellows so so so much. Everyday.

5. I drove my car in every possible direction. 

6. Coincidentally it was the beginning of New Zealand Fashion Week so I got attend the first day of shows. Not too bad. Ruby and Liam had the goods. 

7. By Wednesday night I was back on the plane to NYC. First stop L.A. I had a 9 hour stopover so I tried to make the most of it by catching up with friends in Hollywood. Turns out L.A traffic is the worst in the world. I almost missed my flight.

8. Touched down at 6:22am in New York, got to my apartment around 7:15am and was up at Lincoln Center by 8am to start my NY Fashion Week duties. I still haven't caught up on that sleep yet. Dammit. 

9. For 3 days straight I had to shoot streetstyle for online publications and my own print work. Here's the thing about streetstyle - it's exciting because you capture crazy beautiful people in fleeting moments. The downside to it is a lot of standing around and often an awkwardness when asking a person for their details - even more so if they're well known and you're not aware of it and then they get insulted because you ask them who they are. I had some serious 'Ugly Betty' moments. You can check them out here, and, here. 

10. The rest of fashion week I was between shows, blogging, editing photos, catching up on my Soustyle work, and writing articles.

11. It's now Sunday after the fashion marathon I've been running and guess what? It all starts again on Tuesday with the Capsule NYC womenswear showcase. I can't wait. 

The photo reel - NZ to the present:

The Unintentional Inebriation (Weekly Wrap) #142

The next day I found this in my handbag (I'm top left I believe) 

I was having a conversation with a friend a few hours ago and she mentioned that somewhere in the craziness of Saturday night I asked her (over the phone) to "Google Maps" my location. She was in a completely different part of the country. I knew little of where I was except I was somewhere in Brooklyn. It's ok, I was with friends.

Why am I telling you this? Good question. It was not my finest hour and I'd rather not share my night out  publicly, but I feel there's something to be gained. Thus, let the embarrassment continue. 

You know when you really don't plan to go out and it ends up turning in to a mini adventure? No? Well, for example, imagine you plan to go and watch a live band at a bar in Brooklyn around at 2pm. You decide to have a drink in the sun. The bar conveniently ends up offering free drinks. It gets to 4pm and you've forgotten how many you've had. You meet a little Indian female film director, who is probably very talented in her own right, but her conversation is so excruciatingly boring that you end up drinking your feelings. She then starts talking about her sci-fi film that is based on female period blood curing a disease that threatens to end the world. Your eyes glaze over. You drink some more. You and your friends get a little freaked out that she keeps taking photos of you. You drink more.

Setting a routine when you're freelance #123

Oh New York

If it's news to some I apologize, but my fulltime job at the moment is freelance writing/photography stuff. That means I don't have a set routine. Arrrgh. Don't get me wrong I'm not having a bitch about it, but it just means you have to be really disciplined (especially if you have other parttime jobs too). I am kicking myself at the moment because I went out 4 nights in a row, starting last Friday, and I can't get back in to rhythm. I like to work hard and get all my research done, and because I was being 'too cool' for my brain I am now paying for it. I pretty much spent 4hours today unable to think because I was too drained. And now I can't sleep. To my brain I am sincerely sorry, and to my deadlines I'll be kicking your butt tomorrow.

To anyone who is in the world of freelance this is what not to do:
- Have unnecessary 4am bedtimes. It's only acceptable if it's for work.
- Over do it on cocktails. Never a good idea. Even if they're free or if it's a work event.
- Work from home. Unfamiliar places are better.
- Eat unhealthy food.
- Avoid exercise.
- Lose your hard drive.
- Drop your camera.

Anyway learn from my mistakes because I sure will be. Got to get back to that Empire State of Mind right?

Why do strange things always happen to me? #122

I always seem to find my self in these awfully strange situations. I am yet to come up with a good explanation as to why I am constantly plagued with this insanity. What's that I hear you say? Weird stuff happens to everybody? No I don't think you understand.

Let me give you an example.

I would like to elaborate a little more on point 5 from last weeks '5 Reasons why you have to travel'. So I went to the movies with a friend to watch The Avengers (great movie by the way). We picked nice seats on the righthand side of the cinema, close to the aisle, next to an elderly woman. I strategically chose our seats and considered them to be the best in the room (I'm very particular about that). So the movie runs smoothly and I'm really caught up in the storyline. You can tell that it's nearing the end because the fight scene is in the all-the-characters-ban-together-for-human-kind phase. I'm totally hooked. Literally just as (*spoiler alert) the antagonist 'gets served' by none other than The Incredible Hulk two panels drop out of the ceiling on our row of seats. I hear the two boys a few seats down say "What the f***". I ignore it and try to keep watching the movie. Next thing some sort of fluid starts gushing out of the ceiling. My first thought is 'holy crap there's a swimming pool above us we have to get out or we're going to die'. I suddenly turn into Bear Grylls. However, just as I go to do a pseudo gymnastics side vault over the elderly woman next to me I hear the two boys say, "WHAT THE F***! THIS IS SHIT DUDE. THERE'S SHIT ON ME!".

It's Official I'm an Upper West-sider #115

Monumental Day. There will be no more hood ratting and strange neighbourhoods for this New Zealander. Yes I am now an official Upper West Side resident. I just moved into the coziest little 3 bedroom apartment with two other kiwis. Our apartment is literally steps from Central Park (be jealous) and it's got character; serious character. 'Character' is a nice way of saying "We love it! It has a few flaws we weren't aware of, but we can handle that because it's so adorable." A little TLC and this apartment will bring all the boys to the yard. If you know what I mean? No? Me neither.

Peace, Morgs
image source

New York in a Nutshell #76

There are 4 things that make me feel like I'm really in New York City

1. Rats in the subway.
2. Bedbugs.
3. no space. 
4. And people talking to me in Spanish.

A middle aged coloured man dropped a $100 note on the ground today and I called out to him to pick it up (this sounds like some cliche movie beginning. Yuck). He thanked me and said he was on his way to the 99cent store. I said, "Wow you could buy 99 things with that". He then began to speak to me in Spanish. I gave him a blank look. He said, "Oh you don't speak Spanish? Where you from? wait don't tell me. I know, you're Polish.". I reply, "No, no I'm not". He then adds, "oh no sorry I got that wrong you're definitely German". I promptly replied, "No I AM NOT. I'm from New Zealand. I moved here recently." He tries to cover his tracks, " oh ok. Wonderful country. Where you livin'? Wait I know you're definitely on the Upper West Side. You feel me?!". Wrong again (thinking to myself). I reply, "No I'm actually in Brooklyn". "oh, ok" he says. "I bet chu downtown Brooklyn hah?". Wrong once again. "No I'm in Bed Sty" I said. He replies, "Fo real girl I live in Bed Sty". Awesome I thought to myself. By that time we reached the 99cent store. Thank goodness.

And I'm out.
Peace, Morgs.

What am I doing? & Published Fashion Stuff #75

It's print time again.

DRESSING LIKE A BOSS
How to Survive the Wintour

Check out my full fashion article by clicking here.
Check out my awesome social media-ness by cursing your cursor here.

I thought I'd share a rough outline of what I do everyday (Mon to Sat). Everybody is asking me so lets all sit down for story time.
Morgs Day
7am-9am // wake up slap self in the face and get dressed. Possibly shower. Pee.
9-9:30am // answer emails, check blog etc.
9:30-10am // on train to Manhattan (if crazy landlord hasn't stopped to tell me his problems). Read Bossypants.
10:10am-11:30am // write 1st article
11:30am-1pm // Research for a fashion website I'm working for.
1pm-1:15pm // lunch/breakfast
1:15-1:30pm // stop at guitar shop to play. Realize your the only girl there and start showing up the boys.
1:30pm-2pm // Work on designs for art collective collaboration
2pm-3pm // Work on second article
3pm-4pm // go to The MET for inspiration
4-4:30pm // find somewhere to poo. Kidding. Think about dinner.
4:30pm-5pm // Sketch and research for own projects.
5pm-6pm // Work on articles that need finishing
6pm-6:30pm // ring someone to mull over ideas
6:30-7:30pm // Look for actual good paying side job
7:30-8pm // Find train to Brooklyn hood. Read Bossypants.
8:15-8:30pm walk home. Avoid landlords crazy stories.
8:30-9:30pm // Look for places to live
9:30-10:30pm // stress about money, living, world peace etc (normal people stuff)
10:30pm-midnight // Blog, Photoshop
midnight-1am // make family calls
1-2am // answer emails, blog check up.
2am // Sleep
Repeat.

It varies a little depending on work stuff but that's the basic model. It's definitely GO GO GO.
It's 2am and I'm a little behind schedule so you know what that means

And I'm out.
Peace, Morgs

70 things I've learnt #70

Note to me: Tenant. 

It's been 70 days since I started this blogathon. 70 days of New York madness or should I say American madness. This is a list of 70 things I've learnt:

1. There are a lot of crazy folk in New York. Actually I'd call them mentally unstable.
2. American's are very confrontational. 
3. Carrying a keyboard around people automatically assume you're Beethoven. And then they request a concert. 
4. Never catch a plane hungover. You will make irrational decisions like ditching your sleeping bag. Never ditch your sleeping bag. Ever!
5. The subway is actually really easy to use. 
6. Bedbugs exist.
7. Gossip girl isn't just a T.V show.
8. This.
9. How to survive in the 'real' ghetto. Head down + don't make eye contact + keep moving + blast some really intimidating East Coast rap = Home safely. 
10. Fame is weird. 
11. The woman at the vintage store down in the Lower East Side has a secret basement when she saves all the old school Lanvin for me. Then sells it to me for $12. She's definitely going on the xmas card list.

Inspiration Thursday #65

Some kind person left this in my bathroom. Thank you. 

This week has been one of the worst weeks in New York. My Blackberry got stolen (that's another phone I've lost), asdfghjk!!! So did my I-pod, asdfghjk!!! I got attacked by bed bugs (that includes my face) and my retarded skin decided it wanted to get all swollen. Bank accounts are still getting sorted from being hacked. This is not a racist comment it is based on fact from the fraud office, screw you Nigerian hacking m***** f***kers! Get out of my accounts because I am not in the mood. However, as my wise aunt Mary said to me when I left for New York, "Just remember when it gets hard think 'what can I learn from this?'. Everything happens for a reason". And that is what I have been doing everyday this week. This is what I have learn't so you don't have to experience the same:

1. If you're in America and you have a very bad experience with anything that needs medical attention threaten to sue them. I don't find any happiness in threatening anybody with anything, but after not sleeping for 3 days I was about to lose it. Justified.
2. Tape your phone to your hand like you're playing a really serious game of scrumpy. This is the second time I've lost a phone here. This time it was my Blackberry (I almost shed a tear). I am now torturing myself with a Nokia that looks like it transported itself here from 2002. And I feel like a 12 year old using it.
3. Realise how important your I-pod is. Since mine has been stolen I feel musically naked.
4. Never trust hotel cleaners. Enough said. I hope you assholes enjoy your new phone and I-pod. Karma gon' get you. And breathe.
5. Smile through it all. Repeat again. And again.
6. Get hooked on the show 'Revenge' so you feel like you're being productive.
7. Check you emails because Dad sent you a really positive and happy message.
8. Write in your diary. This will make a great story some day and it's therapeutic.
9. Think to yourself, "It can't possibly get any worse than this. The only way is up."
10. Find an alcohol store selling some cheap Oyster Bay. Get a little tipsy and write notes in secret places for people to find when they move into your room.

I also forgot to mention that I overlooked that it was St Patricks day this weekend, and the place I wanted to rebook at was full. That leaves me in a bit of a pickle, or more like a giant stew. But for fear of my whole family having a heart attack I have found somewhere in Brooklyn to stay over the weekend. Thank goodness Nana is away on holiday because I'm pretty sure I may have put her in hospital with that one. But if you happen to have found internet somewhere in Otago, Nana, I'm fine. Don't stress. ENJOY yourself!

And I'm out.
Peace, Morgs

INSPIRATION THURSDAY #58

People always ask me why I do the things I do. Here are a few things I live by that are perhaps the reason I am where I am: 

1. If you don't like doing something then move on. University included, it's not for everybody and too many people waste their time there thinking it's the 'right' thing to do. Some of the best minds in the world never got a tertiary education. Sorry if I just rearranged your future. 
2. Change your surroundings as soon as they become stale. 
3. Simple is best. 
4. Girls can do anything. 
5. Keep on, keeping on.
6. Surround yourself with like minded people. 
7. Do what you love and the money will follow. So far, so true. 
8. Dream big. Not everybody is meant to be a leader, but even if you're wanting to be a cleaner aim to be the best goddam cleaner in the world. 
9. Listen. Listen. Listen to anyone who wants to teach you. And learn. 
10. Write down your goals. F*** anyone who thinks your a weirdo for doing so. Look back at that asshole in in 10 years, I bet they're still the same.  
11. Smile when it gets bad. Real bad. It makes you feel like you have something happy left. (My bank accounts got hacked today but I'm still smiling through it all. FML.)
12. Lunch breaks are unnecessary. If the work you're doing makes you feel like you need a lunch break then you need to quit now.
13. Watch Steve Jobs commencement speech (below). If you have seen it already then click here for something equally as awesome. I found both of these about 2 years ago when I was looking for some calculus tutorials. Best thing I have every stumbled upon. I've lost count of the amount of times I've watched them. I now have them both downloaded on my computer.