A Perfect Pair: Tackling Two Internships

Two offices. Two desks. Two bosses. (Well, probably more like 10 bosses, but minor detail...)

Yup, this summer I am taking on two internships, both of which I have now started. This is my first full week of work and it isn't even a real full week because of Memorial Day Weekend. Yesterday was my first day with Ink PR Group in West Hollywood, CA. That is the internship that I am doing for credit meaning I have to write daily logs which I send to Professor Griffith. I also have two papers to write this summer. Ugh. Although, I guess that means I'll be less out of practice come August. That being said, I am including tid-bits from my log so you can get a taste for what I did on my first day.

"I got to the office around 8:50 am because I am always early. Natalie, my supervisor, was in the office. She showed me around, although there isn’t a ton to see. It’s a small office with up to 10 people at any time. There are two other interns. Patricia is finishing up her Spring semester internship and Joelle is doing a summer internship while she gets her masters from University of Memphis. It's entirely possible there are interns working on days that I don't and therefore may never meet.

I dove right into some of my primary responsibilities including press clippings which are sent out to our various clients. I am thankful for my layout experience in Photoshop. My biggest challenge has been figuring out this version of Photoshop. It’s from 2000 and isn’t in the CS family! Many of the shortcuts and editing options are different, but after 10 or so clippings I think I am getting the hang of it. Thank goodness for Patricia, the veteran intern, who answered all of our questions.

The press clippings include the publication logo, the article, and, if it is a major publication, the circulation numbers. For example, I did a press clipping from the Huffington Post Entertainment section and included that is has roughly 20 million unique visitors. I can get this information through Cision Point, an online database of publications, editors, and authors. We can access all of their contact information, so that we can pitch to the correct people.

I’ve also learned how to create FedEx shipping labels for when we send out celebrity gift boxes or items to magazines using them in a shoot. One of my jobs next week will be organizing the Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter lines for our children's clothing brand. Lucky for us, it is a relatively casual work environment where we can wear jeans and a clean blouse. The owner, Galit, is very outgoing and personable. I encouraged her to download Tweetdeck so she can schedule tweets. I have a feeling tweeting will become my duty. :)

I won’t be back until Monday, but I can already tell it is going to be a very educational summer!"

Now, I have to get to work!

xoxo

Gabbi

The 'Licious Life Takes Los Angeles

Good afternoon, everyone and welcome to my life in Los Angeles, CA! It was a whirl-wind, 7-day drive across the country. Most people seem to have mixed reactions about the idea of a cross-country road trip. Most people say, "Oh that is so cool!" There is, of course, the portion who tilt their head quizzically and say, "That's a lot of time in the car." Either way you slice it, I got the same result. I got from point A (VT) to point B (CA) with minimal hassle, minimal spending, and maximum laughs.

Zuma Beach, Malibu, CA

I have been in LA an entire 5 days. I spent the first four days sitting and reading. I sat on the beach, in a chair, at a table, and in the grass. I finished Michaelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling and Eat, Pray, Love. I started the Hunger Games yesterday afternoon! (I'm 250 pages in and it is killing me that I am at work and NOT reading!)

Follow my instagrams at Hall_Gabbi!

As you know from previous posts, I am spending my second summer in Los Angeles doing two internships. One is with Western International Securities and the other is with Ink PR Group. Today I began with Western International Securities. If you are a 'Licious Life regular, then you probably know that I spent last summer with Western. Conveniently, when I came into the office it was like I had just been on a sabbatical. I mean it. My computer log-in still existed and all my files are just as I left them. Even my post-it notes are still here!

It's kind of comforting to be back in the office. While it is work, it is nice to know I don't have an exam at the end of the week or a paper due Monday. I also have exciting news: There is another intern in the office!  I am so excited! Last summer, I was the only person in the office under the age of 25. This summer, there is an ASU student who is 20 years old like me! We both only really know family here, so it looks like I might have a beach buddy. #winning

I am hopeful that I will also make new friends at my second internship with Ink. I start that internship on Tuesday after Memorial Day ( I get to spend the weekend in Palm Desert with my Mom and Dad, Mima and Papa, and my Aunt, Uncle, and Cousins! I see mani-pedis in my future!). That being said, it is going to be a busy summer and I can't wait to see what opportunities it brings me!

Have questions? Ask me via email or Formspring.

xoxo
Gabbi

Cross-Country Road Trip Wrap Up

Good afternoon!

I want to preface this post by saying I am blogging from my phone because my computer has decided to unexpectedly die on me :(

That being said I am now safely in s Angeles, following what was one of the funniest/most fun weeks of my life. It's hard to believe that only a week ago I was exploring Washington DC for the first time. In some ways it seems like yesterday and in others it feels like a life-time ago. I'm sort of flabbergasted by the face that I drive 3,370 miles across 14 states in 7 days. I saw the nation's capital, Nashville, and the Grand Canyon. I ate amazing Barbeque in Nashville and unreal burgers in Amarillo, TX. I now know that I never want to live in Arkansas or Oklahoma.

My friend, Hilary, couldn't have been a better person to trek with. We laughed the whole way, sharing stories about all the embarrassing moments in high school, solving our boy problems, and casually flirting with guys we met driving down I-40 Weet.

At the end of our trip, we ranked the states from best to worst based on our experience in those places. (You can see it in the photo to the right.) California came it at #1 as it always will for Hilary and me. Also at the top were Washington DC and Arizona. Arkansas bottomed out the list at #14.

If you have the opportunity to drive cross-country, DO IT! It was an amazing and unforgettable experience. And guess what? I get to do it again in August :-P

xoxo
Gabbi

Cross-Country Road Trip - Parts 1 and 2

Hey!

Well, I am stop #3 on my trip, Oklahoma City. Today was an 11 hour drive from Nashville to Oklahoma City. It was SO BORING! Arkansas is horrendous and there is NOTHING in Oklahoma.

That video, however, hasn't been completed. Therefore, I am going to show you videos for parts 1 and 2, which span from VT to DC and DC to Nashville! Watch and hear about the adventures of Hilary and Gabbi! (Be prepared to think we are ridiculous!)

xoxo
Gabbi

Cross Country Road Trip - VT to DC

Hi Everyone!

Vietnam War Memorial

As you may know, I am driving cross-country with my friend, Hilary. I'm currently in the car on the second leg of our trip from DC to Nashville. Since we are on a stretch of 375 miles on I-81 South and Hilary took over driving, I figured I have time for a blog post.

We left VT 2 days ago (Friday) and drove 9 hours to Maryland where we stayed with some family friends. On Saturday, we ventures into DC. I've never been before and I loved it! It's really amazing and the weather was gorgeous!

I have been taking video on a flipcam this entire trip so I have started editing. The DC video is finished, but I'm not done with the "Part One" video. You can watch the DC video here: http://t.co/BHjz0kIR

As for now, I'm playing co-pilot, so I need to pay attention! Please ask my questions at www.formspring.me/gabbismc! I've got time! Enjoy the photos too!

xoxo

Hilary and I at the Lincoln Memorial

With the Washington Monument

#ThatAwkwardMomentWhen You Become a Senior

... and you realize you won't be an SMC Blogger forever.
... and you won't live on a college campus forever.
... and you'll have to pay cell phone bills.
... and you'll have to pay rent and taxes.

Oh, god! *Takes deep cleansing breath*

As of a half hour ago, I finished junior year. I don't know if I can technically be a senior until the current class graduates, but that is only a matter of days. Of course, a lot has happened to lead up to this point. Let's review my week.

Courtesy of Christina Perri's Instagram

Saturday: Christina Perri concert with Jazz Bruce

My guitarist friend, Jazz, had an extra ticket to the sold out Christina Perri concert at Higher Ground. (Check out our recording of The Only Exception by Paramore.)She offered it to me the day before and I wasn't not going to go. (Sorry for that double negative.) In the photo to the right, Christina's drummer took a photo of the audience. Jazz and I were in the back. I had heels on, thankfully, so I could see the whole concert really well! Obviously, I sang along to some favorites like "Jar of Hearts," "Arms," and "A Thousand Years." I have literally had Christina Perri songs stuck in my head for days!



Tuesday: INGO Website and Photojouralism Portfolio Due + New Hair

Today was the final day for me. I don't leave for my road trip until Friday, but school is done! Today I finished up my final website project for Global Communications on the INGO - Committee to Protect Journalists, which analyzed their media outreach. It was very interesting to analyze journalists working in INGOs. (Side note: I got my grade back on my France media analysis site and I did well! I got a 90% on my design and an 88% on my content! You can view it here!) I also turned in my photojournalism story on the Accepted Student Day in late April which got great feedback.

To top it all off, I got my hair cut. The Aveda O'Brien Institute, a student salon in Shelburne, was offering $8 haircuts for morning walk-ins. I had time so I drove down. For students on a budget, student salons are the way to go. They do cuts, color, waxing, manis, pedis, massages, and facials, all for discounted prices! The students are overseen by trained stylists and I have never had a bad experience. I think student might actually be better than trained stylists sometimes because they really listen to what the client wants!

For summer, I brought my bangs back. I am going to be getting highlights when I get to LA so I can start my transition back to blonde. For now, I like my bangs. They feel sassy :)

Now,  I'm going to finish watching the new NCIS and work on packing up my room! Have questions? Shoot me a question of Formspring.

xoxo
Gabbi

DEV at @HigherGround + @smcathletics Block M Dinner

Hello again! How are you doing?

It's the home stretch into summer and on Tuesday night to celebrate the end of classes, I went to concert at Higher Ground with Sarah, Fleur, and Hilary. DEV, the artist who performs "Bass Down Low" and "In the Dark," performed at Higher Ground, a local concert venue about 10 minutes from campus.

I don't really like to stereotype, but the group I went to the concert with embraced the "I just want to dance" attitude. Literally, we just wanted to go jump around and be silly. We had a great time and DEV was really good live. Enjoy the compiled video clips in this post!

The next day, I had my drawing portfolio due and the Block M Athletic dinner to attend. Basically, all the varsity athletes get dressed up and get together in Ross Sports Center for dinner. Outstanding athletes and seniors are recognized for their contributions to the school. We also watch slide shows of all the athletes. Everyone gets a photo shown. I never seem to have a good photo in the slideshow.... ever....

Anyways, the ski team was looking mighty fine. I really think we looked the best of any team. The guys had suits on and everything. Check us out below!

The Ladies! I'm on the far right. I'm the rebel wearing pants.

Men's team looking fresh!

The team and the coaches!

Today, I had the final Acabellas concert of the year and said "goodbye" to our seniors. :( So sad. We performed in the ones and it was a fun, new place to perform. Now, I'm headed to Sloane for dinner. I hope everyone is having a great day and enjoy your weekend! xo

Gabbi