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I am definitely going to forget someone if I do this in person, so: I spent some time catching with Tandy over the phone this afternoon. She sends her love, but she has chosen to stay in Europe for now, both to go exploring and to oversee the hotel she owns there.

Oh, and she mentioned that if anyone fancied a trip oversees to definitely let her know and she'd arrange for a discount.

When you are wandering around on the Internet, you almost cannot help not stumbling across them... posts about 'influencers' asking artists, wedding planners and almost everyone else you can think of to do something for them in exchange for exposure on their channels... I heard the stories from fellow events planners etc...

Well, today I got my first one and it was quite quite insane...

They wanted a Christmas Wonderland, complete with:
- Party/gala for 150 people, completely catered and with fitting entertainment
- Some kind of fair/playground for the children
- Styling for five female family members (including connections to borrow the requisite designer dresses of course)
- And so on...

And that all for exposure and a budget I would not even touch with a ten foot pole.

After way more time than planned... Abbott Consulting will finally be formally opening it's doors on July 27, offering a mix of image and etiquette coaching, event planning and public relations

I will be having a small reception at four pm for everyone who would like to see what it is all about or who would like to celebrate with me.

In the midst of filing out forms, making sure my certifications are in order, touching up my business plan and meetings with my lawyer and accountant there are also the fun parts of setting up my own business.

I just got my first design for the logo back from from my graphic designer. What do you think?

I am just reading the news on Le Monde about the terrible fire in the Notre Dame in Paris. I hope that all has not been lost.

I visited the cathedral with my parents when I was twelve or thirteen when we were on vacation in France. Something my father said to me always stayed with me and drove me in my appreciation for culture. He never was so eloquent, so that might be why it stayed with me.

“History, Philosophy, and Art... History is human memory, the examination of what came before us. Philosophy is human reason, or an attempt to make sense of what is. Art is human imagination, seeking to express what is, even while dreaming of what might be. History, Philosophy, and Art—that’s what sets humans apart from animals. Here, in the Notre Dame, is one place where all three of those come together.”

Even nearly a decade later I still agree with him about that.

Current Mood: sad

It seems I am not the only one going in the wider world. I will be heading to Washington DC in a few hours to spend some time with Cara and CJ, to attend some special workshops at Georgetown University and to see some of the sights. Even better, Barnard is giving me credits for some of it!

See you all in three weeks!

A few weeks back I heard I was selected for a diplomatic skills training program in August after having been wait listed for a while. Just got the program today and it looks really good!

There will be training in subjects like public speaking, negotiation and diplomatic protocol, speakers from the field, various short workshops in leadership skills, lectures and finally a simulation where we have to create a countries ourselves and engage in diplomatic relations.

I am really looking forward to this. Anyone else have exciting summer plans?

College majors are a real headache. *headdesks*

I have an appointment with an adviser at Barnard next week to talk about possible majors. But there are so many of them (mostly eyeing the poli sci major atm) but I want take more than one minor. I am interested in both business and PR.

And then there is the option to build your own major too and pick where you want to specialize...

People who have done this before, what did you do? How did you pick what to major in?

A photo of the RSVP card (pictured) surfaced on Reddit Thursday. It asks guests to pick between two choices of entrees - and makes it seem like children are also on the menu

Which entree would you prefer?

This one keeps popping up on my feed and it is very annoying. Why does it always have to be one or the other...

You can be a 'badass lady'. *sigh*

I was just reading one of my favorite blogs (Corporette) and I came across this handy guide for how you can pick out a nice piece of jewelry for a gift. With the gift season coming, I wished to share it. I hope everyone finds it just as useful as I did! The most useful excerpt I put below

1. Accepting vs. Fussy

( Read more... )

So in which category would people put themselves? I think I would have to go with Fussy Ornamented Demure...

I have had a very interesting week in Switzerland. Intensive French classes in the morning (conducted in French, no English allowed) and several other subjects in the afternoon. I learned a few things:

One, I really need to do more to keep up my French. Especially speaking it more...

Second, most of my other subjects I have studied before, like organizing various types of parties or style analysis, but that was mostly with my mother, aunt Beatrice or self study from books. Having a truly knowledgeble a teacher pull it all together is wonderful. Their knowledge and skills just helps me to give that extra bit of polish.

We had classes last week in table scaping, complete with creating our own flower arrangements etc. This was the result of my idea yesterday:

And with the candles on:

It's not everyone's cup of tea, but I am having a great time.

The pictures have been used with permission from http://betweennapsontheporch.net/mixing-china-patterns-in-a-table-setting-welcome-to-the-133rd-tablescape-thursday/

Two weeks I received the news a place had opened up in a cultural diversity program I had applied for early in the year. It took some arranging to get everything sorted out with visa, our school and travel arrangements, but I am currently on my way to the airport to catch a flight to Switzerland, where I wll be going close to Lake Geneva.

With several young women around the world I will have the chance for for intense tuition in languages, French in my case, as well as soldifying several other skills I have, all the while learning about their cultures from the others.

I suppose some would call it 'mini finishing school' under a policially correct name though. I am still very much looking forward to the experience though and I will do my best to stay in touch.

Maddie and I just got back to our hotel room after the opening ceremony and dinner with our delegation for Model United Nations. I think I will be making it a fairly early night after some last review of my notes or a last rehearsal of my speech, since we have our first session tomorrow at 8.30.

Today was mostly lots of information on how everything works, standing in lines (for security checks), the opening ceremony in the actual UN building (which was quite interesting to see on the inside) and the strange sensation of actually seeing Maddie in a business suit.

I was catching up on the international news last weekend for Model UN, especially on the Nuclear Summit in The Hague when this picture caught my attention:

album_large_2173570

Apparently all the government leaders had a dinner hosted by the Dutch King and Queen. But that was not what first caught my eye. All the paintings, even on the ceilings. It seems they are some kind of memorial to a very early Dutch politician if I read it correctly and the hall is very rarely opened.

And not only the paintings are stunning. What we can see from the event itself as well. The uniforms of the staff, the French style of table setting and the seating plan of the guests...

I wish I could organize such an event someday though. I was taught hostessing, but this is something totally different. A dinner party for a small group I can easily handle, but this is on such a large scale.

With the next season of Games of Thrones starting in April, I was rereading some of my favorite bits in the book series today. And suddenly a solution occurred to me to some of the issues going on in the series.

But before I go ahead...

My solution:

Also known as King Aegon and his wives...

From left to right: King Aegon, Queen Deanarys, High Princess Sansa, High Princess Arianne, and the Princesses Margeary, Shireen and Myrcella.

Honestly, it makes both a way to combine Aegon (Young Griff's) and Dany's claims to the Iron Throne, as well make alliances with all of the Seven Kingdom, with Sansa carrying connections to the North, the Vale and the Riverlands. The tactic of marrying wives of as means of alliances has been used by several leaders in our history as well. I seem to remember Genghis Khan doing something similar.

I will be leaving with my grandmother to go see the Nutcracker in a few moments, but we will be at the mansion a little before lunch...

I just got a phone call from my grandmother. She is flying into New York for Christmas as a surprise on 23 December and staying in a hotel there till Saturday or Sunday. I love my grandmother and I am so happy I will be able to see her.

But I think she will probably want to visit the school after Christmas. How in the world can I explain the demon damage?!?!?! I cannot say all are mishaps with powers!

Nineteen more to go. I finish those on Saturday, so I can mail out everything this weekend. That will be a relief.

Why am I doing this again?

It appears I am no longer the only mutant having been born in Bloomfield Hills. Michigan. A fellow violin student manifested while I was at and has been having a hard time of it. It is a physical mutation and her parents basically reacted by grounding her. She is being home schooled now as well.

I have been spending some time with her, which her mother has allowed after I told her about being a mutant. I gave her mother a few leaflets and brochures as well. Hopefully that will help her parents and my friend find another solution.

It did make me realize one thing though... in some ways I have been very lucky.

Even despite that, things are getting more tense between my parents and me. They are not fond of me 'associating with a potential mutant' and another talk we have had about some choices I have made they are uneasy with, still has not been resolved... Mother at least was pleased by me being able to manage a dinner party in the kitchen last Sunday...

S	M	T	W	T	F	S
			1	2	3	4
5	6	7	8	9	10	11
12	13	14	15	16	17	18
19	20	21	22	23	24	25
26	27	28

Floating Away...

Tandy sends her love!

Being asked to work for exposure

Finally!!!

What do you think?

The Notre Dame...

In Washington for a bit

Just got the program of my summer training...

I am having a 'major' headache...

Now this is awkward...

Seriously Facebook...

The turning of the seasons... or how to pick jewelry for a gift

The fruits of my works.

A great opportunity

Greetings from the Hyatt

Wow...

The solution to all of this...

Tomorrow...

Suprise, surprise...

Sixty four Christmas cards down

I am not alone...

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February 2023

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