um yeah so....I'M THE EFFIN NEW ASSISTANT BUYER FOR Barneys 'Advanced Designer'.  yup ya'll...i got the freakin job.  finally.  i'm so so so happy.  the HR mgr called me on my day off and  gave me the news last night and i was literally speechless.  she was like 'marissa?  does that mean your accepting our offer?'  um yeah I AM dude.  so excited.  then i went back to work today and everything turned bittersweet.  two of my coworkers have teared up already.  i mean i'm happy to be moving on but i'm gonna miss my girls A LOT!  almost cried yo.

it was an awesome way to top off my three day weekend i just had.  saturday went to coney island with ric and two other couples.  our joyous actions inspired them both to act like actual couples.  enjoyed clams and fried foods and beer on the boardwalk and then the siren music festival.  oh yeah and rollercoasters!  and then sunday me, ric, and ric's friend penny took the train out to jones beach.  laid out and got butt dark.  my teeth look extra white nowadays.  and ric likes to call my coloring "porno star tan lines."  came back to the city, looking like beach bums and getting stared at  by passerbys.  mind you i was in halter top and hotshorts and penny was wearing bikini, see-thru top, and hotshorts...walking around in the city.  told you we just got back from the beach.  but we had to meet up with two of ric's friends for dinner, so we couldn't change.  got to the restaurant and had the most awesome sushi.  i love fresh yellowtail.  and then ric's friends brought out a mini fruit tart with candles to celebrate his bday (which was yesterday).  it was very sweet of them, hey i didn't think to do that.  then last night went to a friend's show at carolines comedy club, drank at a pub, and went home with ric...it was his bday afterall.  so all n all....wonderful weekend.  and we've been having a heatwave.  it was nice to get out of the city.  

now all i have to do is plan an actual vacation from this concrete jungle.  soon i hope.  i already know i get 3 weeks vacay with the new job.  holler...more than what i had in sales.  anywho...hope all is well with everyone.  miss you guys. 

dude...i don't think i'm going to vegas. i know the top 10 reasons are really good fuckin' reasons and i so wanna go, but it comes down to one thing really, MONEY! i just don't have it. and it's not just paying for the airflight, it's spending money too. i already got the vacay time off and everything. i just can't afford it. i'm sorry yo. i miss you guys. and we were gonna rep, dez and elaine. you'll still have major fun though. i'm bummed out.

it felt so good to be back home. see my fam...see my girls. i feel refreshed, revived. now my ass has to really get into gear back in nyc. i'm just glad to know my lola will be there with me always pushing me to strive for better, for more, to live life to its fullest because it's too short to waste. i miss her so much. thanks ladies for making me feel better and taking my mind somewhat off of things. she would never want me to sit and pout, she'd tell me to go out there and party. so i tried. i'll see you guys soon...vegas? two months. love you!

sometimes it just really effin' sucks to be 3000 miles away from my family. i wanna come home like right now. no money and i hate the unknown. why the restrictions? sorry just needed to vent.

in the process of choosing colors for the new apartment.  yes ya'll we're gonna be painting up in here.  we haven't even gotten permission yet, but it's fun to rummage through old 'dominos' and see decor ideas.  my roomie, rachel, is all psyched up and i'm glad she has a good eye for these kinda things.  she use to work at an interior decorating shop in nashville.  last night we agreed that we will have a PINK kitchen.  not that gawdy pink, a coraly light pink.  we got the idea cuz i purchased some cute oven mitts and towel set in coral from bed bath and beyond.  the color was also in the most recent issue of domino.  benjamin moore's "cool lava"...LOVE IT!

i'm really loving this apt.  it's cute.  has great details and new new new bath and kitch.  i use to hate the size of my room, but it's cozy and i think i have a theme now.  now that i'm single, i have freedom to "get girly" my roomie likes to say.  rid myself of the navy blue comforter and dark stark furniture.  i think i want to go spanish country-side rustic for the bedroom.  i've based this decision solely around a vintage mirror i bought from the flea market when i first moved to nyc.  it was lost amongst the ikea furniture and bland ole living rooms of my past apts.  so now it can be a focal point.  i love that mirror.  of course, this will all take mucho money so it'll have to be post-poned for now and an on-going project.  and i'm finally getting use to the commute, as well.  it's still long, but it doesn't bug me as much as it did before.  it gives me a chance to people watch...and hollah, i never noticed how many cuties there were on the train.  never looked before either.  

on the work front...still p/t sales and no word yet from the buying office.  doesn't that just suck.  i don't get it really.  they told me that there's another opening but it's for men's co-op buying.  i don't know what to do.  should i try else where?  these people, i don't get them.   and to top it all off, i was just given a customer service "holiday hall of fame" award by our president.  i'm the ONLY damn salesperson in the WHOLE nyc store that got it.  doesn't that count for anything?  each manager submits an employee for nomination, then the corporate people pick the winners.  that's a lot of freaking employees, and i'm the ONLY salesperson!  i got a plaque and some hugs from upper management.  that's it.  i was truly honored though, i started tearing when they gave it to me.  but everyone else was like where's ur monetary prize?  forget my prize, move me to the buying office.  argh!  i just need to complain, sorry.  but business is picking up, so more money to come.  that's the only thing that keeps me going at this point.  good news though, the store's HR manager, michelle, told the corporate HR manager, leslie....that out of all the people in the store that are trying/interviewing for buying positions and want to transistion, i'm the only candidate that she backs up 100%.  i love that michelle, i should really stop making fun of her wondering lazy eye. 

so kinda excited...my sis may be coming in the summer. yay.  and i may be going to vegas and cali in june.  leaning more to a definite yes, how can i resist dez's top ten reasons for going.  we have to represent, right dez?  and i have been bestowed with one of the greatest gifts of all time...a BLISS SPA gift certificate from my dear dear friends, who are way too generous and thoughtful. i love you guys and thank you.  i can't wait to get my 'sports massage' or should i do the backcial, hahaha?  how dare this bacne spring up on me!  i intend on getting the full bliss experience.  

looking out the bay windows of my living room and it is currently snowing, which is both awesome and weird.  awesome cuz i love the first day of a snow day and weird because du where's my spring at?  it's april darngonnit!  anywhoo thought i'd update a bit and say 'haylo' to my angels.  

toodles ma noodles...ooooo i could use some republic soup right now.  spicy duck in coconut milk with curry, mmmmm!  i don't care if mark lee hates it...BLAH!

they say the #1 most dreaded action is DEATH....wanna know what #2 is?  it's MOVING!!! and at this very moment, i most certainly agree.  but hey on the bright side, at least i have somewhere to move to.  you are now reading the journal of a new HARLEM resident.  yes ladies, i'm living in harlem.  actually, it's called "hamilton heights" a lil north of harlem.  it's very up there but cute.  my building is sweet, elevator/laundry/windows galore.  new kitchen and bath.  and my room has floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall closets, although it's smaller than my roommates, but she has no closets, ick.  so i'm still in the city, per se, just very upper upper upper west side.  hehehe.  i will divulge more later.  but i must get back to packing.  such a procastinator.  work better under pressure.   

hey yall...just wanted to update a teensie bit.  i have yet to find a new apt and i have exactly two weeks to do so.  not much time and i'm freakin the eff out.  but one ounce of good news...mike found a studio apt in astoria, queens.  we signed the papers last nite and it's a done deal.  he wanted me to look at the place for a second opinion and i soooo approved.  it's a studio so it's small but everything is renovated and it has huge bay windows, my fav.  and it's also near mt. sinai hospital which will give mike a chance to try and apply there after he gets his license.  it's gonna be hard when the actual moving out takes place, but seriously i'm excited for him and very proud.  

on the career front, i have had 3 interviews so far.  and supposedly one more to go.  but the head buyer is super busy ending fashion week n all and then in like two weeks, they all head out to italy for a month-long buying trip.  so they gotta squeeze me in before then.  i hope i get a call back.  the last interview was with lillian lee, who i'd be working under as her assistant.  she's super cool, young, chinese chick.  i think we meshed well but i felt like i was interviewing her.  she's not use to giving interviews, i guess.  i had mucho questions, anyway.  dude...all the buyers in shoes are freakin asian.  discrimination?  or are we really good at math?! and have super fashion sense?  i love shoes!  so still crossing fingers.  

so that's that...i hope everyone is well and has a happy valentines day!  i love you guys!  

p.s. dez, it was so good hearing ur voice last nite.  thanks for calling du!

reality TV and three words baby:  ashley parker angel

today's star sighting: paul bettany (jennifer connolly's husband)so attractive and british, the accent i love.

hello yall...i'm here...i'm alive n kicking. but i'm beat. business has been picking up so that's good. and our company holiday party was on saturday nite...more on that later, can anyone say "open bar"? i had work today and i'm exhausted. by the by, mini-naps are only sometimes helpful. now i can't go back to sleep.

oh today's barneys celebrity sighting (wait for it...wait for it...it's a good one): sienna miller and jude ef'in law. who has very big feet for a twiggy man. and dare i say, sienna was fuggly. sorry she was.

so i just wanted to update a bit, so you know i'm here and i've got ur messages. thank you. oh and i wanted to wish those who have finals, GOOD LUCK!!! the joy of school...it's all worth it in the end. update more soon.

toodles ma noodles!

jaime just sent me these pics from tommy's bday party:

l-r: margie, ? (forgot her name), winnie, tommy's sister above, christine, renaline, and me above.

l-r: erin from loss prevention, ? forgot his name also from LP, me, and rosano

guess who?

l-r: zac in the back, darrel, ?, ben above, jaime below, and tommy