Get Up Get Out

Hello! SO big things have been going on...lots of changes in my life, good and bleh...

This post is dedicated to my job.

But it didn't start this way... .. .
(said in cheesy MTV or Seacrest Productions reality show announcer voice, cue Journey or Katy Perry song)

First and foremost: My job is amazing, I couldn't be happier, and I couldn't be learning from better people!
That being said--
I was very intimidated after learning that I would be working more at Heist than at Undiscovered. These are both stores that are out of my league in general, but Undiscovered is brand new (opened at the tail end of January 2011) while Heist has been on the block for 6 years, going strong. There are customers that have been there since the beginning, that know everything about the store and the brands in it, i. e. way more than me--not a cute look if it were to be noticed by someone of importance. The clientele is very similar between both stores, but Heist deals with some serious, serious high end individuals. I was afraid that I would be unable to relate to these customers, leaving me feeling awkward and inadequate, and my bosses eventually disappointed. I mean, one bag or pair of boots in that store could be more than I spend on clothes annually. Not kidding. Now this being said, I spend less on clothing and accessories than 90% of the females I know. The luxury of shopping all the time (a few times a month) like a normal girl was taken away from me before the age of 16, so since then I've literally been getting by when it comes to clothing. I'd shop a couple times a year, grab some cute, fun, and cheap things when I absolutely needed them. So, what the hell do I have in common with someone who will drop 3 G's because they saw something in the window that appealed to them? I've sold to Jasmine al Fayed, watched Robert Downey Jr. and his wife browse around, and noticed that Julia Roberts is just a few customers down from my own name in the Heist customer database.

The first couple of weeks I was very nervous. I didn't speak with confidence when people walked in. I didn't want to "offend" anyone by letting them know that sale was upstairs and we had more sizes available. So many people have looked offended because I told them where sale was. Get over yourself, it's my job to tell you!! Nobody is too good for a sale, ole bitch asses. Anyways..Nilou, my amazing, wonderful, super cool boss has had me on this little project recently where I go through each piece of inventory and record where it was manufactured, weight, and other measurements (for shipping and internet orders). This has helped me become more familiar with the merchandise and in turn has increased my confidence. I can't sell something I don't believe in, much less something I don't know shit about.

Learning about all of these amazing brands and designers has been a huge learning experience, one that will continue for as long as I work there I'm sure! And while I would love to give some of the customers a reality check, the majority of our clients fill my head with wonderful stories from their lives and leave me in awe, excited for my own future. Abbot Kinney is a beautiful area, full of creative individuals from every walk of the world. I will go into my thoughts on Venice/LA in general another time. It's a great place and I'm happy to be a part of it :)

To wrap this up, Nilou & Shannon (Owner and General Manager) have been so wonderful! I look up to them both, and they are both openly very appreciative of me being there. Nilou surprised me today with an AWESOME gift, inspiring me to write this blog. She just had an amazing centerpiece built for Undiscovered by Chinese Jesus that was put in yesterday. The old centerpiece was a really cool white picnic looking table. She didn't know what to do with it, and she knew I needed furniture so she asked me if I could use it. Unfortunately, the table was longer than my dining room, otherwise I would have LOVED to take it off her hands. Well, she told me this afternoon that she had the table cut and for me to pick it up in the morning. !!! I'm SO excited! Now I will have a piece of Heist & Undiscovered with me forever, and I am bursting with cute ideas for the piece. How thoughtful and awesome is that? Dining room table=Check!

That's all for now! I plan on writing about my living situation soon, because at this point I don't know what else to do. It's been.....not what I expected, let's just say that. I am unhappy, feeling betrayed and taken advantage of, and stuck. No fun. BUT, I made my bed so I must now lay in it, and Life will always go on.

LAKE TAHOE TOMORROW! I can't wait to hang out with my thoughtful, sweet, sexy boyfriend and his sweet, fun sister!!

real quick...

I would just like to take a minute to give props to car owners and drivers in Los Angeles.

There was a lot of hype over Carmageddon last weekend, and as a new resident of the area, I naively worried about the chaos that was supposed to be "Carmageddon".\\

July 15-17, 2011 Carmageddon::

I have never had a more enjoyable ride to work, home from work, anywhere in LA. Nobody was on the road! Considering the 405 is basically always bumper to bumper, the anticipation of 405 traffic ALL over LA x 10 was definitely something that could have happened, if LA wasn't filled with outstanding citizens that all decided to use this opportunity to become more familiar with their own unique neighborhoods. It was so nice, not only because of the crazy lack of drivers out, but knowing that everyone was working together and enjoyed doing so. The people out here are really great, for the most part. There are exceptions in every group. :)

The drivers out here usually work together, which is awesome to be a part of. Everyone is trying to get somewhere, and the degree of selfishness on the road is slighty smaller out here, to me anyways. You get what you put out in LA. This city is filled with beautiful, creative, giving, kind, caring creatures. People take care of themselves and they take care of each other. It's a nice little world and I'm happy to be living in it :)