New York Minute

If you are just tuning in I recently was a winner of the "H&M Style Eye" along with two other girls, Lauren Brock (Creative Director at LA Vintage) and Jesse Lagoy (Legal Assistant). As winners we won a trip to NYC, a video shoot to with H&M where we kept the looks we picked out, a $500 shopping spree with H&M, Lupe Fiasco concert tickets, and a photo shoot for Lucky Magazine. I have to admit that the prize was so amazing I almost thought it was a scam, luckily I was wrong!

I was pleased at how smooth the entire trip went. All three of us girls got a long so well. I even found out that Lauren works at one of my favorite online vintage stores LA Vintage! The first night we got to meet a few people who were coordinating the weekend. We grabbed some drinks and delicious Thai food. We learned that we would be shooting a video and having our pictures snapped from 6:40 a.m. till 5:00 p.m. the next day.

 Let me tell you that waking up at 5:15 a.m. the next morning (2 am California time) wasn't easy, but  since I was so excited the tiredness faded quickly! The second we stepped foot outside we were having our pictures snapped every second and we had to be natural while at the same time act like three friends who were new to NYC and were soaking it all in (all three of us have been to NYC several times before). I have never experienced having my picture taken so many times and I have a new found respect for models and actors. 

When we arrived to H&M on 5th Ave the videotaping was set to begin. There was no one in the store, but us and the crew. They filmed us looking around this giant flagship in amazement. They wanted to see how we go about shopping in a store of that size and what things attracted us. H&M in New York is a huge three story store and is filled with so many fabulous clothes it leaves you feeling like a kid in a candy store. After we did a little shopping we had a "New York Minute" to get our final spring outfit on and start filming. We got to romp around the city in our new H&M attire. We were strolling through parks, taking the subway, and hailing cabs. Many people on the street were stopping to watch and snap our pictures. It felt surreal.

The next stop we made was H&M's showroom in Soho. This was one of my favorite parts of the trip. The showroom is filled with all of the upcoming summer pieces. There were so many fun bright colors and the designs were unique and you could really see that H&M is on top of trends and knows what women want. They had something for everyone. The three of us have different styles and it was easy for us to pick out things that we felt beautiful and stylish in. Once we put together our summer looks we headed out into the city to strut our stuff on camera. It felt very "Sex and the City".

Once the shoot was wrapped up Jesse, Lauren and I were feeling a little tired, but there was a dinner and concert planned for us. So, we got ourselves cleaned up and headed to Faustina at the Cooper Square Hotel (were we were staying) for a scrumptious dinner and drinks. Dinner was so fun we all felt too tired to make the concert.  

The next morning we were off to our photo shoot with Lucky Magazine. In this shoot we were wearing the H&M summer looks that we picked. I was surprised how comfortable the three of us felt with hair, make-up, photographers and editors running around primping and directing us. I have never had my picture professionally taken before and was worried that I would be nervous, but everyone involved was so nice and genuine that it put me at ease. We also had to go into a room and record audio to dub over our video. They asked us about New York, H&M, and our personal style. Throughout this entire trip I kept thinking how lucky I am to have amazing readers who support me and helped me win this trip. You all make me feel comfortable in my own skin. I honestly don't think I would have known how to act or what to say without the experience from this blog and my interactions with all of you. Also, every single one of you can do things like this. One thing I have learned from my blog is that you can achieve anything as long as you work hard and  give it time. Don't be afraid to reach out to people you admire, ask questions and work extra hard to get what you want. 

Thank you to everyone who was involved in this amazing experience. I know that Jesse, Lauren and I had a blast and will never forget this trip! Please, keep your eye out for us in the July Issue of Lucky Magazine and I will let you know when the video comes out.

(These are the photos that are either from my cell phone or from behind the scenes. We are not able to post any from the actual shoot). Remember, that I am a Lucky Alpha Shopper- check it out for shopping and style tips!

{ First, fifth, and sixth  picture: H&M jacket, Nasty Gal dress, Sam Edelman booties, House of Harlow 1960 pendant, Marc by Marc Jacobs handbag. Second, third and fourth: all H&M, eight, ninth, tenth and eleventh pictures: H&M jacket and top, J.Crew pants, Urban Outfitters flats}