So as you all heard, Sami and I went to New York this weekend.  My trip was business but I still had the best time.  The International Beauty Show was held at the Jacob Javits Convention Center, which was a beautiful space! Day one was full of classes and learning.  I saw new techniques for color, cutting, styling and bridal make up.  These people are my professional idols!  I saw Nick Arrojo and his team work on classic hair cutting techniques and talk about our industry. I watched Eve Pearl, a 5 time emmy award winning make up artist.  Her class was awesome!  I watched her do Hi Definition makeup on two women of different races, amazing!  I got such great insight from her about the business.  So of course after that I went to her booth and bought some product.  Pretty great, I wore it the next day.

Day two was full of more educational classes.  First I went to Martin Parsons up styling class.  He was unreal and I loved him so much!!!  (Sara and I later got our picture taken with him!!!)  Then we went shopping!!!!  We looked at trade books, beauty supplies, smocks, make up, tools…pretty much everything!  I got a new pair of shears!  I can’t wait to use them at work!  Then it was back to class.  The last class of the day was Jon Gonazales.  His class was about personal growth as a hairdresser and how to enhance your career.  It was life changing.  He was so inspiring uplifting.  It really made me look at my career and start to realize the path that I had to take for success.

Any one who is in the industry has to go next year!  It was the most amazing city and beauty is all around there.

<3mish

Stan and I got into New York just before 1pm, and we were able to check in early to our hotel and walk around the city. We had plans to meet up with my city-dwelling French companion, Tibo, at 4 at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) to check out the Tim Burton exhibit, but it’s nearly impossible to get into on a weekend. You have to go really early and get timed tickets specifically for the Tim Burton exhibit, and by the time we got there, they were all sold out. So, we’ve decided to save Tim Burton until Tuesday when we see Tibo again.

So instead we shopped around a bit, ate some ludicrously expensive food (but this is New York), and like any good Apple nerds, we visited the 5th Ave Apple store. It was gorgeous. A little bit smaller than I expected, but I think that’s because there were so many people there. I got some shots of the front of the store and a shot from underneath the Apple while we were in the glass elevator:

We met up with Tibo around 5 and he took us to Shake Shack in Madison Square Park. We had to do a double-take when we saw the line — who would ever wait in a 30 minute line to get milkshakes? Tibo promised us that they were “the best shakes in New York,” and he was right. They were super creamy, sweet but not too sweet. Next time you’re in New York, I highly suggest stopping by. They have food, too, like your typical burger stand. If you go to the Shake Shack website, they also have a camera so you can check out the line before heading there. Very convenient, but I’d say it was worth the 30 minute wait anyway. We may go back for dinner tonight…

As we were walking around, killing time before we met up with Mish, we happened upon a little cupcake shop, Baked By Melissa, and of course I bought cupcakes. Now, Melissa knows what she’s doing. Her cupcakes are bite-sized which is great because you get to sample more for your money without getting stuffed. I tried three — cookie dough, red velvet, and tie dye. All were equally delicious, but I have to say the cookie dough was my favorite because I’ve never had a cookie dough cupcake before. I was glad we found Baked By Melissa because it wasn’t on my list of cupcake shops, though Tibo had heard about it. They’ve actually gotten a nice bit of press. Melissa has been featured in the New York Times, Vogue, People and Daily Candy.

After swinging by Carmine’s near Times Square and finishing off Mish and her co-workers’ leftovers, we went out in search for a place to spend the rest of the evening. Tibo brought us to a tiny hole-in-the-wall type wine bar that features live jazz every night. Fat Cat was the perfect place to end the evening, kicking back, playing pool, and listening to some killer jazz.

More adventures, shopping, and cupcakes to come!

Hi readers!

We are super pumped to share some awesome news with you! This weekend, from Saturday – Tuesday, Poor & Pretty will be hanging out in New York City! Mish is going for business and Sami is going for pleasure, but we’re both planning on having some fun. Check us out as we liveblog and tweet our search for budget-friendly fashion, hair tips, and of course, cupcakes!

Have any suggestions for shops, restaurants, or bakeries for us to check out? We’d love to hear them! Leave us a comment!

xoxo,
Mish & Sami

My boss, a fellow cupcake lover, gave me this journal yesterday just because she’s super sweet. {I think she also intuitively knew that I have exams today and this was her way of telling me to not stress out about them.} The journal itself is printed by Peter Pauper Press on beautiful acid-free lightly-lined paper and features a pocket inside the back cover and glossy, embossed lettering on the front. It’s perfect for journaling or cupcake-hunting {more on this later}.

Besides being gorgeous, this journal’s message has a bit of a back story. Ever heard of the slogan, “Keep Calm and Carry On?” It was used by the British government during WW2, but never publicized. British government officials printed thousands of posters with the slogan on it  as a way to encourage their citizens to remain calm during the war. King George VI wanted to assure his people that all necessary measures were being taken to defend the country. Only a few posters made it into the public {see below}, but the poster was never officially issued, and instead was hidden and forgotten about for over 50 years.

In 2000, buried amidst a pile of dusty books purchased at an auction, the poster resurfaced and went pubic. It’s simple message still rings true today, and would even if we weren’t involved in a war. Don’t stress out. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Keep calm and carry on. Check out more of the Keep Calm and Carry On gear here. The Keep Calm and Have a Cupcake journal can be found in most major bookstores, or online at Amazon {though right now it’s sold out}.

Carry on, then! :)

Saturday was my birthday party at La Boca!  It was so so so much fun!  We got there at around 8 o’ clock, and since I didn’t make reservations, we ended up waiting a little while to eat.  But when we finally did it was awesome.  Sami and I split chicken fajitas and shortly after that followed my Hello Kitty birthday cake and mini cupcakes!!!  Courtesy of Sami and Suzi.  (These girls are freakin’ talented!)

After dinner we had some drinks with a bunch of close friends and a few surprise guests too.  A lot of people showed up!!!  I wasn’t expecting that.  Is it customary to send thank you notes for birthday gifts?  Because I want to thank everyone!  My gifts were adorned with Hello Kitties, cupcakes and vampires and judging  from the gifts I received, my friends know me pretty well.  I loved them all!  So by the end of the night I  made it home in my pumps and party dress and realized what a bunch of great people I have in my life.  Thanks to everyone who came and/ or left me birthday wishes.  It really meant a lot to me.

mish<3