The Funemployed

OMG I WON!!! The skinny on my trip to LA to meet Lauren Conrad – Part 1

Posted on September 2, 2013 by Morgan of DCFunemployment

So where do I begin?!? I guess with HAPPY LABOR DAY!!!! Sorry I’ve been MIA but things have been a little crazy these last couple of months!! I left one job, began another, left that one and started 2 more, became a brand ambassador for Don Ciccio & Figli, took a trip to Cali, came home, won another trip to Cali, and went to my graduate school friend’s wedding!! I think that covers most of the major highlights but I’m sure the thing you wanna hear about first is THE FREE TRIP TO LA?!?So it is a little crazy how lucky I am at times!! So my best friend from college, Sammi D, is a huge Lauren Conrad fan!!! So when I saw this contest in my Popsugar Monthly Must Have Box I was like REUNION TIME!! I entered and sent her a quick text like wouldn’t it be crazy and then promptly forgot all about it.

UNTIL I got the email that went a little something like this…

Congratulations Morgan –

You are the grand prize winner of POPSUGAR’s Enter For a Chance to Win a Trip to Los Angeles and Party With Lauren Conrad, and have won a trip for two to Los Angeles to attend our POPSUGARparty and meet Lauren Conrad!

About right here is where I started screaming and jumping up and down like a kid who just discovered Christmas in August. Now to the only downside… When I called Sammi to share my excitement about our incredible upcoming trip (because OBVIOUSLY I was taking her for an LA reunion) our jumping for joy was short lived when I told her the dates. Her first event for her new job was right smack in the middle of the trip and (un)fortunately my favorite Midwestern girl has a strong work ethic and to the shock of her mother (and myself), who thought she would quit her job to go, she had to stay in Florida. I was depressed but I knew the show must go on (and Sammi was like you HAVE to still go and tell me everything) so who to take???

My blogger BFF (who is definitely official BFF after this trip lol) Carlis of Spicy Candy DC. She just launched The Spicy Candy DC Social Media Agency which means as her own boss, she could let herself for a few days to go gallivanting across the country to LA on short notice. So once we finished all the paperwork (man is there a lot of paperwork!!!) We got our tickets in the mail the day before we left and suddenly it was REAL!! We were really going to LA… FOR FREE… the next day!!

We were still in shock when we started our Instagram storm in the airport. We boarded our direct flight on Virgin America to LA and it was a such an easy dream of a trip! First of all you board the plane in the soothing purple lights with the pleasant staff and the in seat monitors that offer the promise of a smooth and entertaining flight. Especially when we decided it was CHAMPS TIME!!!

Our lovely flight attendant asked us what the occasion was and when we told her that we were celebrating our free trip she was like that’s soo fun and cool!! Enjoy your champs ON US!!! Say what?!? Free Champs?!?! The universe must really love me!! So after we enjoyed some more champs we made a smooth landing and hopped a cab to the Mondrian LA (part of the Morgan Group Hotels – coincidence?! idk…) When we got checked in and walked up to this view!!

And knew it was time to go and test out the pool and make the most of our 48 hours! So we hung up our clothes (which looked like a mini boutique) and changed into our swimsuits to go enjoy the view from the top up close.

And boy did it feel good!! Summer is coming to a wrap and we both knew this would be our last summer vacation so we needed to make the best of it so we did. Especially when we got a call from my friend Cole Walliser who was down the street directing indie artist Darnaa at Whiskey A Go Go and invited us down to her listening party before the shoot.

I had heard about Whiskey on my previous trip and it was definitely very cool to get to attend an event there! Boris Kodjoe was the host for the night and we got to enjoy some food, booze and that tall drink of water until Darnaa came out and performed! It was a really good time and definitely a good start to the weekend.

We started off the next day correct as well with some CHAMPS (if you haven’t noticed, we like the bubbles… the bubbles… my bubbles…)

MY BUBBLES!!

We figured we should probably have some food with our champs so we decided to enjoy the final days of Asia De Cuba and split a sandwich.

That was quite tasty!!

And then it was back to the pool time until we were sunned out and decided to go explore the area. We hit up Dash LA, Marc Jacobs and stared longingly into the Monique Lhuillier store window before taking a break for a quick photo shoot!

I love this comfortable and easy dress!! This high low dress is from Bebe with my Rainbow sandals and this Ada Collection Leather Sash Wrap Belt from South Moon Under with my Longchamp bag with the city scene!!

This belt was definitely a great purchase and can dress up any look!

After this is was PARTY TIME… Want to see more? Check back in the next 48 hours for pictures of the main event!! For some more pic check out my Instagram – @shmorgan85 or to see more from a Spicy Candy Perspective check out her post here.

Posted in Contest, Event, Fashion, LA, Popsugar, Subscription, Travel | Tagged Contest, LA, LaurenConrad, Malibu Rum, Mondrian, MustHaveBox, Party, Pool, Popsugar, Travel, Vacation, VirginAmerica | 7 Comments

Event: G.L.A.M. LLC AKA Giving Labels A Meaning Presents A Summer Fashion Event

Posted on June 20, 2013 by Morgan of DCFunemployment

Come and check out this awesome event tomorrow and you may see a familiar face 😉 !! Make sure you get your tickets here before they’re all gone!!

Posted in DC, Event, Fashion, Fun, Gift-bag Alert, Great Cause, Music, Washington, Washington DC | Tagged DC, Events, fashion, GLAM, GLAM2013, GLAM_LLC, Modeling, Shopping, Washington DC | Leave a comment

Support Fashion: H’Art Speax as a RAW Artist

Posted on June 18, 2013 by Morgan of DCFunemployment

I had the pleasure of working with H’Art Speax and being their March monthly feature in a piece called “I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar“.

They were a joy to work with, despite the cold weather we had to shoot in!! I loved how the photos came out and I hope you do as well!!

Alysa made shooting in the cold on gravel fun and that’s no easy task. She is quite talented!!

I really love the quote on the last photo!! Thanks for taking such great photos!! Now make sure you all support H’Art Speax as a Raw Artist on June 23, 2013!!!

Continue reading →

Posted in Art, DC, Event, Fashion, Photography, Washington, Washington DC | Tagged Art, CapFabb, Creativity, DC, Events, fashion, Photography, Photoshoot, Washington DC | 1 Comment

Awesome Alert: Fortique – A new boutique for Services

Posted on June 13, 2013 by Morgan of DCFunemployment

I recently had the pleasure of meeting with Stephanie of an awesome new online marketplace called Fortique!! What is Fortique you ask? Well in their own words – “For·tique \fȯr-ˈtēk\ (n) – an online marketplace for local talent and creative services”. It is like Etsy for services with a touch of Angie’s List because a little known detail about Stephanie and Fortique is that she meets with each of the people she hosts on her site!!!

When I signed up for Fortique, I was able to sit down with Stephanie so that she could get to know me as a Photographer and Stylist and also so I could get to know her for my blog and it was a pleasure. We met on a pleasant sunny day outside of a Starbucks off Dupont. She has a wonderful idea and business that I am looking forward to seeing take off even more!! One things she found surprising was how many creative and talented people there are in DC (although I think she suspected when she thought about launching this business!!).

In these tough times, a lot of people are stepping outside of their day jobs to supplement their incomes and Stephanie is there with a tool that can increase success. While side businesses can be lucrative, they can also be a lot of work. Fortique is made up predominantly of entrepreneurial people with day jobs they don’t have the time to really make a side business shine. Advertising, marketing, work examples, portfolios, it all can take time and be exhausting but Fortique makes the life easier for those . It is often easier to brag about someone else than it is to brag about and sell yourself and that is what Fortique does. For Fortique is that no job is too big or too small. It can find you the just right fit for the job you have.

So how did Stephanie dream up this much needed marketplace? It began when she was planning her sister’s birthday and she wanted to do some cute DIYs for the event but didn’t really have the time to complete them. She needed someone to come and help her set up and plan but she didn’t want to take on the cost of a full blown event planner but how do you connect or find someone small scale and local that would take on the task? From that Fortique was born.

So how can you use Fortique? Currently they are offering the following services:

Photography
Personal Styling
Event Planning
Interior Design

As the site continues to grow and expand so will the services offered. Our afternoon ended with discussions of where things can go from here. I won’t spoil what’s to come, you’ll just have to join and see but I will say, the possibilities are endless!!

Posted in DC, Event, Fashion, New, UpAndComing, Washington, Washington DC | Tagged Creativity, DC, Events, fashion, Innovative, New, Services, UpAndComing, Washington DC | 1 Comment

Event: DC Scout 5th Anniversary Party

Posted on June 11, 2013 by Morgan of DCFunemployment

Join me today for DC SCOUT’S 5TH ANNIVERSARY!!!

They’re rolling out the red carpet at the Renaissance Dupont Hotel with 15 pop-up gifting suites and beauty lounges. Visit the mini- boutiques and fill a goody bag with loot from South Moon Under, Queen Bee Designs, Urban Country and Gossip on 23rd. Then, get pampered with salon services from Salon Virage, Merle Norman Cosmetics and more.

TUESDAY, JUNE 11TH FROM 6-9 P.M.
AT THE RENAISSANCE DUPONT HOTEL (1143 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVE. NW)

Click to purchase VIP and General Admission Tickets. Snag your tickets before they’re sold out!

Upon arrival at the DC Scout 5th Anniversary party, you’ll receive a base gift bag—already jam-packed with treats. Then visit over 15 sponsored gift suites and use your tickets to add even more loot to your stash or pamper yourself at the beauty lounges. (See full list of sponsored gift suites and lounges below.) Plus during the party, you could win one of eight giveaway prizes. (See list of prizes below.)

VIP ticket holders:
– Score an exclusive gifting hour from 6-7 p.m. before the event is open to General admission ticket holders.
– Enjoy complimentary cocktails from Little Black Dress Vodka and light bites and sips from the Renaissance Hotel restaurant.
– Automatically entered into giveaway prize raffle. (See list of giveaway prizes below.)

– Receive 5 tickets to redeem for gifts or salon services from the sponsored gifting suites.

General admission ticket holders:

– Gifting hours: 7-9 p.m. – Enjoy complimentary passed cocktails from Little Black Dress Vodka, light bites and a cash bar from the Renaissance Hotel restaurant.

– Automatically entered into giveaway prize raffle. (See list of giveaway prizes below.)

– Receive 2 tickets to redeem for gifts or salon services from the sponsored gifting suites.

DC Scout 5th Anniversary Sponsored Gift Suites:

Score stylish loot like gift cards, earrings, accessories and beauty products at the Gossip on 23rd, South Moon Under, Queen Bee Designs, Urban Chic, Hugh & Crye, Urban Country, Merle Norman and Scratch DC.

Plus, get dolled up with smokey-eye makeovers, blowouts and curling beauty lounges from Salon Virage, Piaf Salon and Luigi Parasmo Salon.

Don’t forget to snag one of the assorted flavored cupcakes from the Georgetown Cupcake Bar!

DC Scout 5th Anniversary Giveaway Prizes:

All ticket holders will be automatically entered into our giveaway. Upon arrival, guests will receive a base bag with a copy of DC Scout’s limited edition The Scout Book: Your Guide to DC Style and Beauty. Giveaway prize winners will have a pink insert inside the front cover of the book that indicates what prize they’ve won. Giveaway prizes can be redeemed at the DC Scout suite. Plus, the 9:30 Club will be giving away concert tickets at their music lounge.

Giveaway prizes include: $150 Rent the Runway gift cards, Hobo Bag, Urban Chic gift bag, $50 South Moon Under gift card and Kolton J necklace.
Click to purchase VIP and General Admission Tickets. Snag your tickets before they’re sold out!

Posted in DC, Event, Fashion, Gift-bag Alert, Washington, Washington DC | Tagged DC, DCScout, Events, fashion, Shopping, Washington DC | Leave a comment

Event: City Paper’s Best of DC Fete

Posted on April 23, 2013 by Morgan of DCFunemployment

AWESOME…

I’m done… nothing more to be said…

Okay maybe there is a little more to be said but for this event I will let the pictures do most of the talking. Before the photo reel though, let me give you a little background. The Best of DC Fete is a celebration of Washington City Paper’s Best Of 2013 winners from both their editorial and reader votes in over 300 categories! For one night they brought together 50 Best of D.C. winners and finalist restaurants, local breweries & other artisans to wine and dine us. To set the mood, they also had 5 live entertainment stages in addition to all the food and drink to make this one of the Best D.C. event of the year! A portion of the ticket sales will be donated to Food & Friends to help deliver hope, one meal at a time the Best of DC Volunteer winner. Food & Friends is a local nonprofit that provides meals, groceries and nutrition counseling to children and adults in the Washington region living with HIV/AIDS, cancer, and other life-challenging illnesses.

First I have to shout out South Moon Under for this gorgeous dress I got at the Fashion for Paws fundraiser!! It is super soft and comfortable and went perfectly with my new Stella & Dot Fiona Bib Necklace that I am OBSESSED with. Of course I had to rock THE BAG I scored at Violet boutique (another obsession of mine which is why it’s THE BAG)

When I first arrived, I was pleasantly surprised to see a couple of familiar faces!!! Chef Karida Celestine and Chef Steven Hughes making some delicious bites from B. Smith for everyone to try.

Yum!!This bite from Zenga was also DELICIOUS!! (I may have gone back a couple times…)

PJ Clarke’s was cooking up some delicious mini burgers that were BOMB!!!

Best Mixologist Gina Chersevani showed us why she was the best with her “Rye Not? cocktail” that was delicious!!! Continue reading →

Posted in Food, Fun, Washington, Washington DC | Tagged Best of DC, DC, Events, Food, Foodie, Washington City Paper, Washington DC | Leave a comment

Event: Luri & Wilma First Print Edition Soiree

Posted on April 1, 2013 by Morgan of DCFunemployment

Some of you may have seen my previous Luri & Wilma post about their Jan/Feb Love, Food Edition about two months ago… wow times is really FLYING!! Anyway on March 16th we mixed, mingled, nibbled & toasted for the debut of the first printed edition of luri & wilma. We spent the evening at Meeps in Adams Morgan shopping the looks from the issue and snacking on some of the homemade treats made from recipes in this edition as well. (That were quite yummy!!) I really wanted to support the cause so I bought my own issue (over 100 pages, printed in DC on 100% recycled paper) as well as a tote bag and all the spring punch I could handle! (well before we shut the place down lol). But I digress… Luri & Wilma’s mission is “to deliver an eco-friendly-edited mixture of fashion & lifestyle reader content that is as equally “in style” as it is earth-conscious.” They are a “way of life” and while I am not a DIYer (yet – want to be but I’m just not crafty lol) but other than that, it’s a lifestyle I can agree with!! They are a group that believes in vintage, handmade and eco-friendliness, I lifestyle we could definitely all afford to go back to more!! In support of this, there were some wonderful ladies there selling their wares.So once I got past the food lol, I feel in love with a Fascinator and it’s maker, Nina O’Neil!!! The more I learn, the more I think she’s a rockstar!! Above you can see some of the wonderful pieces from her line, Ciao Nina. The only one not above is the one I literally bought off her head cause I loved it so much!! It was a tough choice because I fell in love with two similar pieces, the second one being a more unique color and had some feathers… Which I may end up returning for later lol… but I figured for my first fascinator, I should go with something more traditional that I would get more use from (first wear was the following Sunday and the church ladies loved it!!! I had 3 ladies ask to borrow it for tea so I told them where they could buy their own!!). I also found myself encouraging a stranger to buy one cause it looked so darn good!!I mean that was made for her and could be worn in a variety of ways! After playing dress up for a bit, I moved on to the other Esty store present, Handmade Habitat. Amina makes delicious smelling candles and beautifully died scarves.

“My inspiration from my products comes from what I personally enjoy in life – simple luxuries. I am tote bag addict, cozy sock fiend in the winter and candle addict. Also, my cats looovee catnip and making toys for them myself is far more fun and cute. To make these items in a sustainable fashion became my mission. ” With the exception of the cat part (#doglover #sorrynotsorry), I totally agree with her view of the simple luxuries!!

I also ran into the gorgeous and super fashionable Kimmie of The 2Fs. Who is she you ask? Well in her own words… “I’m just a Washingtonian who is trying to take over the world, one sequin and one taco at a time. So please follow my journey with the 2 fs of my life, fashion and food. But, only if you dare. ” Little did I know our paths would cross again soon… I did know that she was killing it with those shoes!!

So HOTT!!! Kinda like these beautiful ladies…

In closing, I will use the words of these lovely ladies behind the magazine. “For ladies as hellbent on managing a smashing career as they are about baking pretty cupcakes, luri & wilma is here for you. If you’re a free-spirited gal who thinks social awareness > celebrity gossip, rock a mean pair of vintage rose-colored glasses and oh, so love on some delish food – we know one thing, you should roll with us.

Posted in DC, Event, Fashion, Food, Washington, Washington DC | Tagged DIY, Events, fashion, Luri&wilma, Shopping, Washington DC | 4 Comments

Event: Violet Boutique 2 Year Anniversary

Posted on March 28, 2013 by Morgan of DCFunemployment

So one of my current obsessions is a two year old… a two year old named Violet Boutique!! (Located in Adams Morgan). It is different from the stereotype I feel most people have about boutiques. Where many are overpriced and obscure, Violet boutique is unique and worth it’s moderate prices!! While I know some of the names I’ve found there and haven’t recognized many others, I leave every time I visit knowing two things, that I’ve gotten a quality piece and that I run only a small (like minutely small that only exists because I go to events with fashion bloggers who are in the know and shop at Violet Boutitque lol) risk of having an “omg she’s wearing my dress” moment. That cannot be beat!

When I first arrived, the first thing I spotted was this lovely spread…

Grilled cheese, crab stuffed tomatoes (that were AMAZING!!! new mission*find the recipe), macaroni and cheese and other deliciousness!!!

I arrived a little early so I had to wait on the food so I went to another love of mine, SHOPPING!!! The good thing I have discovered about arriving early to things is that you get first dibs on all the great stuff. Like a fabulous dress (to be featured in an upcoming post) that is a head turner and can be styled for every season and that was also the last one available and I guarded it with my life along with this…

OBSESSED!!! This bag and I are currently engaged in an INTENSE love affair and are deep in the honeymoon phase. First of all it is two bags in one. The inner bag keeps everything organized and also has a strap and can be used independently as a small cross-body The large outer bag has an AMAZING chain link strap that goes perfectly with the purse in all occasions. But enough of my infomercial cause he it’s mine and we are never breaking up!!

But I digress…

Another highlight of the evening is the owner, Julie Egermayer, who is one of the nicest people I’ve met, very welcoming and sweet with a hint of quiet reserve. Julie and her staff are great at what they do and whenever I come shopping solo I don’t feel alone because they are like having your girlfriends there. I’ve never felt lied to for a sale and I always get just the right amount of help, there when I need them but not annoying me following two steps behind. Hopefully they all felt the pat on their backs reading this which leads me to another point I must highlight of the night, Julie’s back!! Continue reading →

Posted in DC, Event, Fashion, Washington DC | Tagged Anniversary, BloggingBuddies, fashion, Shopping, Washington DC | 2 Comments

Event: Defining Your Womanly Curve

Posted on March 27, 2013 by Morgan of DCFunemployment

Earlier this month, a few lovely (fabulous, amazing, spectacular, I could go on…) ladies from the DMV area were honored by The Womanly Curve Magazine for Women’s History Month at Indulj Resturant & Lounge. Candice Nicole & The Womanly Curve Magazine highlighted 5 influential women in Washington, DC. All of these women have collectively defined their womanly curve through their fields. I agree with Candice’s message that “as women, it is important to celebrate the accomplishments of one another and to support each others dreams.”

DSC03703 - all honorees

Drum roll please for our honorees!!! For Health & Fitness the inspirational Caroline Jhingory was chosen to be honored. For entertainment they chose WPGC’s always Sunny Socialite Sunni (yes I did it and yes it was cheesy but she always makes me smile!! – also random but I did not know she was Bosnian, so cool, I learn something new everyday). In Communications they chose Lauren Wesley Wilson of the Huffington Post. For style the chose the FABULOUS Jennifer of Comme Coco who I totally admire but I never really tell her cause I think it makes her blush lol. Last but not least for Lifestyle they chose Maaden Eshete. The music was provided by DJ MIM, with complimentary makeup services by Plush Beautiq.

Now some of you may be wondering… WHAT DID I WEAR?!?

Dress is a print dress from BCBG and the belt is also BCBG. The shoes are from Shoemint and the bag is a new favorite of mine that I picked up in Violet boutique in Adams Morgan. For similar items see my Lookmazing Page!!

I also got to see the lovely Waverly of Pich & Roar looking fabulous as always… still a little sad that the cold and transportation prevented our usually post event food and ~~gossip fest~~ life updates session but next time!!!

Continue reading →

Posted in DC, Event, Fashion | Tagged CapFabb, DC, Events, fashion, Washington DC | 3 Comments

What I Wore: To Meet the Clintons!!

Posted on March 12, 2013 by Morgan of DCFunemployment

I had the honor of meeting the Clintons a little while back and they were both amazing and gracious people but I definitely had that typical moment before heading there where I had to decide… “WHAT DO I WEAR?!?”

So I started off with a great backless lace dress that I found from Current Boutique that I made appropriate with a double button blazer from the Gap. My bag for the evening was a new favorite bag called Law from JustFab.com that comes in a range of fabulous colors