Photo Credit: kallao on Flickr

You’d be sharing the house with me, my boyfriend and one of my female friends.

Hi everyone! Been a little quiet here lately, but trust I’m cooking up a storm over at http://mouthoftheborder.com. Here’s a cute set of porcelain berry containers I found the other day at Anthropologie. What’s been inspiring you lately?

With the perfect basics to cover all the bases, I set out to plan my wardrobe for a week in New Orleans at Tales of the Cocktail. Time to get creative with my lingerie!

Tales is an industry conference for bartenders, bar owners, liquor brands, media and cocktail enthusiasts. My schedule this year is just as jam-packed as last year’s, and I want to be picture-perfect every day. I’ll be interviewing liquor brands for stories on my food and beverage site, and being photographed at dozens of industry events and seminars all week.

This year brings the added pressure of repping my own business. I’ll be pitching brands to work together on my supper club/event platform Midnight Brunch and other custom events.

Tuesday:

The conference officially begins  on Wednesday, but I arrived in town ahead of the crowds so I could settle in and map out my food agenda so I can highlight local eats on Mouth of the Border. Day One for me was yesterday (Tuesday), when a number of insider events take place.

Very simple, but so summery and lightweight. Perfect for the most low-key day of the week. Yesterday, I met a few NYC friends for a drink at the Swizzle Stick Bar before they checked into their rooms. I then headed to a Grey Goose vodka event. Afterwards, I saw Rebirth, a brass funk band, at the Maple Leaf.

To see more details on each of these bras, check out yesterday’s post.

Wednesday:

Today’s highlight, if the weather holds up, is Brugal Rum Poolside Cocktails on the rooftop at Hotel Monteleone. There will be “flowing white linen cabanas” a DJ, an “island-inspired menu” created by Saveur magazine and of course three bars serving up custom Brugal libations. Above my bikini and my new Dolce & Gabbana sunglasses.

Wednesday’s other fun events include a garden party with Zacapa Rum. I can either wear the striped dress to that party, or change into my first nighttime ensemble.

The evening’s festivities include the Beefeater Masquerade party and the Swinging ‘40’s Shore Leave Ball with Sailor Jerry Rum and other William Grant brands at National World War II Musuem. [Edit: I just found out the Beefeater party's dress code is black & white! So, I'll be wearing my polka-dotted day dress pictured further below, which has its own 40s flair, too.]

The dress above gives off that flirty, 40′s vibe and I can’t wait to show it off in the perfect setting. The minimizer bra here will give me a great boost to create perfect decolletage for the sweetheart neckline, while giving me the support I need all night. I plan to wear these strappy vine-green peeptoe T-straps from Marc Jacobs. I scored them for a steal at Buffalo Exchange in Chelsea.

Thursday – Sunday:

Day dresses are everything!

I live in dresses, so I packed up my cutest and most vibrant sundresses for daytime. Bright colors and pure white look fantastic against my golden skin and really help me pop in the event photos that eventually make their way to Twitter, liquor brands’ Facebook pages and the industry blogs.

The t-shirt bras will look great under the dresses on the left with higher necklines, while the plunge bra will be perfect for the button-up and wrap dresses on the right.

Saturday night:

This dress practically begged me to take it home from the little Brooklyn boutique where I found it. It’s perfect for the historic Mahalia Jackson Theatre, where the Spirited Awards ceremony takes place. I know it’s something that I won’t see any other woman wearing!

The Spirited Awards is where the industry recognizes brands, bars, bartenders and other professionals who are doing the most innovative things and really elevating the art of the cocktail. Afterwards is one of my favorite events of the whole week, the Plymouth Gin Bartender’s Breakfast. You all know how much I love events that start at midnight (hello, Midnight Brunch!), and this event goes from after the awards ceremony into the wee hours. Looking hot is key.

The bra is a key part of the outfit here. It comes with clear straps that I can convert to criss-cross in the back so they won’t interrupt the lines of this flattering cut and I can show off my shoulders. The keyhole in the back of the dress also means I’ll need to move the straps down, which I can do easily with the low-back converter strap provided with the bra.

In addition to the Marc Jacobs heels, I’ll be wearing an attention-grabbing feather and rhinestone costume ring.

Wish me luck for a productive, fun and successful week. Thanks again to Maidenform for their support of me, my new business and my new wardrobe!

Previous Maidenform Posts:
Maidenform Makes My Boobs Happy
Buying the Right Bra for Your Boobs

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• Subscribe so you never miss a post!
• Follow me on Twitter for constant updates on what me and my boobs are doing.
• Check out my site about ethnic food, craft cocktails and mobile food tech, Mouth of the Border.
• Look at my pretty pictures on Flickr.
• Every day I’m Tumblr-in.

Added motivation came when I recently left my job to pursue event/digital media strategy and food/beverage writing full-time. While running my own business, I want to look my best all the time. Luckily, Maidenform is an awesome company and stepped in to help by providing me with a new lingerie wardrobe for free.

As a woman, you know that having good bras is important to looking good under your clothes, regardless of your breast size. However, the definition of a “good bra” is elusive, and it becomes even more so the more “well-endowed” you are.

I’m putting it all out there today when it comes to bras and lingerie as part of my Maidenform brand ambassador gig. This was the state of a couple of my favorite bras before Maidenform came to the rescue.

One of my former favorite bras in sad disrepair.

Raise your hand if you have a bra that looks like that. This bra below, jeez, I wore this thing until it literally fell apart. It was the only bra that worked with my lower-cut tops and dresses. It had a plunge in the front and just enough push-up to make “the girls” look great.

This was my very favorite bra. I wore it to pieces!

I was so stubborn about throwing those things away. But one shopping trip with a Maidenform fit expert, and I was more than happy to toss those old bras and breathe new life into my lingerie drawer and my self-image.

Maidenform gets a bad rap sometimes for creating “granny bras.” First and foremost, I should dispel that rumor. They make tons of cute, sexy and fashionable bras, panties and other lingerie. This first bra I picked is an example. It’s pretty and it makes the boobs look perfect under tight-fitting tops.

Lilyette Custom Lift Full-Figure Push-Up Bra, style 0812

The bra isn’t just pretty to look at. It’s perfect for my size. I’m a D, and I appreciate that it isn’t super-padded like a lot of push-up bras. I don’t need more boob, I just need nicely-placed boobs. Also, the straps are super comfortable.

Not all of my bras I picked out are that sexy-looking. A few are plain looking, but I picked them because of how they make me look when I put them on. What good is wearing a super sexy bra if you’re falling out of it all day, or constantly getting pinched?

This first white bra here is amazing.

Lilyette keyhole minimizer bra, style 0904

I picked mine out last month and I must be a good bra shopper because this very bra was actually just featured on the Today Show as a perfect t-shirt bra. Don’t be deceived by how plain it is. You put it on, and it just smooths you out and holds the girls in place all day. Now, it’s a minimizer bra. So it makes me look slimmer without giving me pancake boobs. This is just what I need under tight shirts and silky dresses (where lace bras would otherwise look bumpy).

Lilyette minimizer, style 0427

Above is another minimizer. This one isn’t so low-cut. It’s super comfortable and I like the pretty straps. It feels great across my back and under my boobs – no underwire digging into me.

Lilyette minimizer, style 0428

Out of all the bras I tried on, the one above was the one that I thought was the least attractive. I almost didn’t try it on. But I did, and pulled a thin cotton shirt on over it (I highly recommend doing this while you’re trying bras on) and BA-BAM!! My boobs looked AMAZING. It was like they were 18 years old again, except they were never that perky. If I had bought my boobs instead of being genetically blessed with them, I would have paid the doctor to put them exactly where they sit when I wear this bra. True story.

Now, on to some specialty bras. Every girl has certain dresses and tops that call for a specific style of bra. Maybe they need a little boost to make their boobs sit just so, or perhaps they need skinny straps or halter straps or straps that criss-cross in the back.

I personally love asymmetrical (one-strap) tops and sundresses with skinny straps, so my challenge is always making sure my straps don’t show, or if they do that they at least match or look delicate. Also, quite a few of my dresses are cut lower in the front. Showing more skin there accentuates my neck and collarbone, which I think are some of my good features.

This bra below is perfect for almost any top or dress I have. It’s very low cut in the front, so it won’t peek through. It’s lightly padded, so I have a little boost where it counts. It’s smooth, so it won’t look bumpy under tighter tops.

Maidenform custom plunge convertible, style 07747

Lastly, you can wear the straps several different ways. And it comes with clear straps as well, for those outfits where it’s almost unavoidable that your straps will show.

Extra straps for the custom plunge convertible bra

This one below is an actual Maidenform brand bra.

Maidenform Pure Genius Extra Coverage T-shirt bra, style 07539

You can see most of the others ones I chose are the Lilyette brand, which is the Maidenform brand made for full-busted girls. My size in most of the Lilyette bras is 34D. When I move to the standard Maidenform size, I’m a 36D. Just goes to show that it pays to try on each bra, even if you think you know your size in that brand. Each one fits differently depending on brand, style, etc.

This Maidenform style is similar to the first white bra (the keyhole minimizer one). It’s perfect under t-shirts, but unlike the other one, it has a little push-up. I’d wear this one under a v-neck t-shirt, and I’d wear the white one under any other type of neckline. Also, when wearing white clothes, tan bras show through less than white ones.

So, those are all of my new bras! I was so excited to add these to my wardrobe. I already wore the awesome pink and tangerine-colored one for an NBC news taping. The rest of them will make their debut during this jam-packed week while I’m in New Orleans for Tales of the Cocktail. I’ll share more here tomorrow on how I’m working these bras into my wardrobe.

Maidenform didn’t just send me bras. Unless you want to go commando, pretty new panties and a couple of slips are also a must for any lingerie makeover.

These are five of the pairs of pretty panties I picked out. I’m not a huge fan of thongs. I consider them a necessary evil in some cases but bikinis, boy shorts and tangas are sexier on my shape.

Below is the first slip I picked out. I remember when I was little, my grandma always made sure I wore a half-slip under dresses for school and church. Frankly, I miss those days. Slips prevent VPL (visible panty lines), and since I’m sort of against thongs, slips are a no-brainer solution for me. Also, here in NYC, you’re constantly wondering who can see up your skirt when you’re going up and down the endless stairs of the NYC subway. Slips give an added layer for modesty. Much appreciated.

Luleh shaping slip with built-in bra

I chose the above slip because it’s gorgeous and has a nice built-in bra. Can’t wait for the cooler weather of autumn so I can wear in under sweater dresses and my favorite classy business combo of a button-up blouse and pencil skirt.

Below is my new favorite, the Flexees “Fat Free Dressing” slip dress. This one will come in handy under sweater dresses, too, but it’s real appeal is that I can wear it on its own as an actual dress.

I raved about this in my last post about Maidenform because it really takes me down one whole dress size. It just sucks me in all around. It’s soft and comfy, and I don’t even need to wear a bra underneath. It’s definitely one of those things you can throw on for a Saturday with espadrilles and sunglasses and be done with it.

Flexees "Fat Free Dressing" Slip Dress

Thanks again to Maidenform for their generous support of me, my new business and my new wardrobe. I feel like one of the ladies in their iconic advertisements of older days (shown below).

Iconic Maidenform advertising on the gift bag they sent me.

“I dreamed I took over the world in my Maidenform bra.”

So, what are your bra horror stories or shopping questions? I’m happy to share about my boob-related adventures for your benefit. I want every woman to have the perfect bra, because I really think feeling good under your clothes helps you feel more comfortable and confident in your skin.

Other links:

• Maidenform Bod Squad’s Bra Term Definitions
• Maidenform Bra Sizing Guide
• Maidenform’s brand heritage (cool story!)
• Friend Maidenform on Facebook

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• Subscribe so you never miss a post!
• Follow me on Twitter for constant updates on what me and my boobs are doing.
• Check out my site about ethnic food, craft cocktails and mobile food tech, Mouth of the Border.
• Look at my pretty pictures on Flickr.
• Every day I’m Tumblr-in.

Over the weekend, he introduced me to my newest crush. Please meet Mr. Grilled Spinach Burrito from Creek and The Cave in Long Island City.

We split one with shrimp and brown rice in a whole wheat wrap. It comes with avocado and cheddar. It is stunning. If it were a person, my mouth would go dry when I saw him and I’d hump his leg. Or something.

Anyways.

When I got a taste, the obsession officially claimed my heart and my mind. I could not wait to do my grocery shopping so I could whip up another one of these bad boys.

Problem: The reason we split the burrito is because he is a big boy. Innuendos aside, I really shouldn’t attempt to eat the whole thing by myself. So, I made myself half a burrito for dinner last night. Do you know how hard it is to make just half a burrito?

Half a burrito

I sent Niles a pic of my attempt.

My texts in green, his in white.

The burrito beta is currently closed, but you can request an invite. We’ll be sure to let you know when Burrito 2.0 is ready.

Recipe: Grilled Spinach Burrito (serves 1)
1/2 of one 10-in. whole wheat or “regular” flour wrap
1/4 c. cooked brown or white rice
2-3 tbsp. shredded cheddar
1/3 c. lightly steamed spinach
1/4 very ripe avocado
4-5 cooked shrimp (use whatever spices you like when you cook them, but at the very least use salt and pepper)
1 tbsp. sour cream or greek yogurt (optional)

Directions:

• Grab some paper towels and a margarita.
• Lay the flour wrap on a plate vertically (should look like a half moon facing you).
• Layer the remaining ingredients in the order listed in the middle third of the burrito.
• Take the end of the burrito furthest from you and roll tightly around the fillings until it’s all rolled up.
• Eat the burrito with the paper towels close by. Drink the margarita.

Modification:
Double everything in the ingredients list and make one whole burrito (and double the margaritas, too). It is much easier and probably twice as tasty if you eat it all yourself. Leave me a comment after you drink the second margarita and tell me how you liked it.

In the professional life I left, I was close with some the country’s leading marketing executives. One of those execs is an amazing woman named Lucille DeHart, who currently serves as the Chief Marketing Officer for Maidenform Brands.

Maidenform Bras at Macy's in Herald Square, NYC

When I talked to her about starting my own business, I mentioned that I feel like I need a whole new wardrobe to reflect who I am now. The fact is, my lifestyle is totally different now than when I moved here from New Hampshire close to five years ago yet my wardrobe hasn’t changed that much.

So, Lucille and I came up with an idea. Maidenform was started by two women – this aspect of the brand is right up my alley as I’m feeling especially Girl Power-ish these days. They are also the official lingerie for the ladies of Mad Men, which totally fits my bombshell wardrobe aesthetic. Lucille and her team would work with me to provide me with some education around the importance of a solid lingerie (or “foundation”) wardrobe. They would also provide me with sample garments and I could share about how having undergarments that fit properly changes how I feel about my wardrobe or even about my body.

If I write about Maidenform’s goodies and show you pictures of some of them (but not of my boobs), maybe you’ll get excited too, and we can bring back the days where ladies wore slips and then you won’t have to see women’s business on the way up the stairs every morning on the subway.

The first fun thing we did was get me fitted for new bras.

Bras!

Last week, I met up with a wonderful fit expert named Alicia in the lingerie department at Macy’s Herald Square. I highly recommend paying her a visit if you’re in need of a few new bras.

I did learn a few things about my boobs and buying bras. Mind you, I worked for another lingerie retailer all through college. I know how you’re supposed to measure yourself for bras but, let’s face it, I was too lazy. Add to that that my clothing size (and therefore my bra measurement) has changed from smaller to larger to smaller over the years, but I never bothered to replace some of my bras. So, I have a weird assortment in my dresser drawers.

Most of my bras are 38C or 36D. My fitter Alicia said that my current size is a 34D. (I measure 33 around my ribcage right now, so I’m sort of a weird case.)

The Maidenform styles that were a little more padded or meant for boosting run small so I still needed the 36D.

The biggest lessons I learned during my fitting are:

A) For the most part I need “full figure” style bras with larger cups to avoid the dreaded side boob. I’m between a size 8 and a size 10 clothing right now, so I wouldn’t have guessed that. I’ve always associated “full figure” bras with “plus size.”

B) Even within the same brand, sizes can be different from style to style. I don’t think I’ll ever buy a new style of bra again without trying it on first from now on.

Now that I can make my own schedule, I’m definitely refocused on getting back into the shape I was when I moved to NYC. I have between 10-15 lbs to lose and want to go down one clothing size. It will be interesting to see if my bra size changes. It did the last time I lost a significant amount of weight (I went from a D cup to a B in 2004) but I don’t much weight to lose this time around. We’ll see.

I will be keeping you updated here on what I learn about how lingerie plays a part in feeling like a successful woman. I’ll also be hunting for the best strapless garment for us D cup girls and sharing that with you. Next time we talk about Maidenform, it will be to show  you the bras I chose during my fitting and talk a little bit about why I chose them.

I’m looking forward to sharing a lot more here now that I can refocus on writing and being happy. Regarding the new business, I wrote about that on my food website here.

Other Maidenform posts: Buying the Right Bra for Your Boobs

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If you like bras that fit and nice companies who allow me to dress LIKE A BOSS, friend Maidenform on Facebook.

Please feel free to chat with me on Twitter, leave a comment and subscribe so you never miss a post.

I lost one of my best friends this week. Tim was a badass. He and I were friends the last two years of high school, and he had a big part in helping me be the independent woman I wanted to be. He and another friend, Derek, they were fans of critical thinking and that’s something that had been missing from my education up to that date. I can’t thank him enough for that.

Tim was gorgeous, but we both knew nothing like that would ever happen between us. He became a rock, the person I could and would talk to about anything.

What I remember most: His blue, smiling eyes, how much he made people laugh, how his parting advice in my senior yearbook was “stay away from boys with jeeps” (he was one, by the way) and how much he loved his motorcycle.

That I, we, lost him in a motorcycle accident seems incomprehensible. He survived 9/11 only to die “doing what he loved.” He had a wife Amy, who we went to school with, and two young sons. Their uncle asked people to share stories about Tim so they could tell the boys. So, below is my letter to his sons.

I love you, Tim. Thank you for giving us the most you could in the time you were here. I know you loved living as much as I do, and I promise to LIVE HARDER for you.

In Loving Memory

Dear Beau & Jake:

Your daddy was awesome. He and I were best friends the last two years of high school. We met because we were in all of the advanced classes together. Tim was one of the smartest kids in school. You should know that, because he’d want you to know that you two are bright and special, too.

So many people loved your daddy. He was kind, inquisitive and mischievous. You know, a little bit of a troublemaker. We had a chemistry lab together and one time, when we partnered up for an experiment with potassium, he broke the rules on purpose. You’re not supposed to get the potassium wet. But Tim wanted to see would happen if he picked up the chunk of potassium with wet tweezers. He caused a small explosion, burning a hole in the paper and probably the lab table underneath. I still have the paper somewhere. It has a K, the symbol for potassium, and then a giant hole burnt into it.

Tim was so sweet, but I think sometimes he just liked to shake things up to make sure life stayed fun. One time, him and another close friend Derek (THE smartest kid in our class) did something to get themselves suspended for a week. I really don’t remember what they did, but it was pretty amusing to me since Tim and our Valedictorian were otherwise harmless.

Given that we were all looking forward to college, Tim and Derek couldn’t let being suspended keep them from getting their schoolwork done. So, every day after school, I’d let Tim know what they missed and what the assignments were. We all graduated, of course, though I don’t think any of us three went where we thought we’d go for school. Tim wanted to be at Pepperdine but wound up finishing at Penn State. I was supposed to go to NYU, but then Derek and I both wound up at the University of New Hampshire.

After that, we lost touch. I became a journalist. Tim, who had owned his own company since I met him, continued on his path as an entrepreneur … consulting to other companies and helping them build the systems they needed to work properly. He lived in NYC for a short while, but your family can tell you about that.

I haven’t seen your daddy since we finally reconnected at our high school reunion. Your mom was there, too. They were happy and we all had a good time. Neither of you had been born yet. Two weeks later, I moved to NYC.

Tim and I stayed in touch here and there afterwards. I never expected to get a phone call saying he’s not here anymore.

I’m so sorry you didn’t get more time with your daddy. He was an amazing man. Gentle, smart and FUNNY. And he loved you two so much. You were his world.

So, know that he loves you. He’s probably looking out for you right now.

Love,
Emily, Tim’s old friend

UPDATE: That is, until May 12: Facebook Launches Photo Tagging for Pages

From the Hubspot Article: “According to Facebook, only Pages in the Brands & Products or People categories can be tagged in photos at this time.

The Tagging Process:

1. Click the photo you wish to tag and select “Tag This Photo” below the photo.
2. Type the name of the people or product Page you wish to tag.
3. Repeat this process for every Page in the photo that you would like to tag.
4. Click “Done Tagging” in the bottom left corner.”

More details on how from Facebook.

Happy tagging!

Four years later, I have dear friends here and experiences that I’m lucky to be able to cherish every day. I have an awesome job, I’m getting ready to start my own business on top of that and I’m happy to say that I can usually get where I intend to go without getting lost first. I couldn’t convince my bestest friend to move here, but she is now just weeks away from having her second baby. Everything comes full circle.

I’ve had SUCH a good time eating and drinking and writing for my food website that I’ve earned a bit of a rep for being a hedonist. Starting today, I get to share my knowledge of the NYC food and beverage scene as a trendspotter for Scoutmob NYC. Check out the article by clicking the screenshot below.

Stories from MouthOfTheBorder.com will be featured on Scoutmob’s website and in their emails once a month. You can download the app (Apple and Android) here, and sign up for the daily deal emails at Scoutmob.

Below are some parts of the interview you won’t find on the site. Consider it an EmilyCavalier.com Reader Exclusive.

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What’s the best thing about being a local food blogger? Meeting the people behind small local businesses and eating their food! I’m very into helping local people succeed. I love NYC, especially Brooklyn, and want to see it stay the unique city that it is. A big part of that is making sure that the people who make the food and provide other experiences I enjoy are able to pay their rent.

What’s your favorite part of living in NY? Being able to walk down the street and hear people speaking four different languages in the space of one block. I dreamt about that before I moved here. The cultural access we have here is unparalleled.

Least favorite part? The B61 bus, which I used to have to take to get to work, and trains that move sideways, like the G, S and L. I don’t trust them.

Where do you go when you want to escape from blogging or other work? To Barnes & Noble. I grab a dozen magazines, turn off my cell phone and immerse myself in fashion, food, music and décor for a few hours.

Your favorite “curious find” in New York? (Something—anything—that others may not know about, but that you love) Go to any ethnic neighborhood and wander around their bodegas and food markets. You have no idea what kinds of spices and weird produce they have for sale. You walk past them every day without realizing that you have this gem right in front of you.

You have friends from out of town visiting you who’ve never seen the city. Where are you taking them on Emily’s Tour de NY? I actually wrote about that on my personal blog when I was a brand new New Yorker here and here. Katz’s Deli and Il Laboratorio del Gelato are top picks. I also adore Crif Dogs and the bar inside, PDT, is my favorite bar in Manhattan. Now that I’ve lived here for four years, though, the list would be more Brooklyn-centric. I always take friends to my favorite brunch spots (Maggie Brown and James).

We’d walk around the Brooklyn Flea, go get cocktails at Weather Up and wind down over a quiet dinner at Brucie. I’d finish up with late-night cocktails at my friend’s bar, Dram. (Dram is different from Dram Shop, which is another great spot also owned by friends of mine.)

If we had more time, I’d also definitely take guests to drop in on one of my friends’ supper clubs. The crew behind A Razor, A Shiny Knife and Whisk & Ladle are super-talented and always deliver a memorable experience that lets you see food and cocktails in a whole new way.

What’s one thing people don’t know about you? I never write my cat’s name online. She’s only referred to as “cat.” I think knowing a person’s child’s or pet’s name puts you on a different level with her. So much of my life is available online that it’s nice to have one little detail of my life that is private for the people who know me best.

Describe New York in three words. Intense, Electric, Straightforward

Finally, a shameless plug for you and what you have going on right now: I’m focused on teaching people about food, culture and cooking, so please subscribe to my site, MouthOfTheBorder.com!

In 2011, I’ll be bringing the hotness with food and cocktail walking tours and my new supper club. I’m also looking to partner with NYC public schools to create an after-school program to teach kids about other cultures through food, so reach out if you’ve got an interest in partnering there. Lastly, I’m taking on more consulting projects. I just wrapped up executing Gourmet Live’s partnership with Foursquare. Gourmet Live is the mobile reincarnation of Gourmet magazine – a really exciting combination of food and technology. I’m looking for other major brands or media businesses who need help developing or executing creative event- or technology-based projects.

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Some of you reading this might get a kick out of the first blog post I wrote after moving to NYC. Check it out: The First 72 Hours in New York.

My cupcake was girly and delightful, just like Birchbox.

Over the summer, my friend Sarah sent me an invite to join Birchbox.com, and I totally ignored it because I was busy.

A couple weeks ago, Sarah tweeted about some awesome product she got in her Birchbox and I was jealous. I wanted to try it! How it works is Birchbox sends you a monthly box of deluxe sample-sized goodies of beauty and cosmetic products for $10 each month.

If you like the products and buy them on Birchbox, you earn points towards future purchases. You can also earn points by answering products surveys on the site and by getting your friends to join.

Who doesn’t love the idea of a box of goodies showing up every month (and most especially during their birthday month)? I also love that this company was started by a pair of women who seem to geek out over beauty products AND technology even more than I do. I want them and this idea to win. I signed up last week and got my first box this week.

Here’s a quick video showing you what’s in my first Birchbox.com delivery

Let me know in the comments: What is your favorite beauty discovery of 2010?

Note: This is not a sponsored post. I just love what this company is up to. Like the idea? Sign up at Birchbox.com. (Want to help me earn points? I will send you an invite and I’ll get referral points when you join!)