Having recently moved to Manhattan, I’ve discovered that one of my favorite aspects of this city is its rich culture and devotion to the arts. I am constantly inspired by the artists that surround me, whether in my classes at F.I.T., while waiting on a subway platform or at a performance. Over the past eight months I have made a conscious effort to dive into the community by attending musicals, symphonies, ballets, modern dance performances, as well as museums and art galleries. Out of these experiences, the one that stands out in my mind was the Art After Dark event…

As someone who is squeamish at the mere thought of a doctor drawing blood samples, I’ve been quite adventurous in my recent entertainment choices – AMC’s TV series The Walking Dead + the NYC Bodies Exhibition…I’ll get to the latter, later. Before the hit series Mad Men was all the rave, AMC barely existed on my radar and now, the network is home to some of my favorite dramas. The Walking Dead, which is based on a comic series, follows a group of survivors post zombie apocalypse, taking everyone on a ride back to life without cell phones, computers and…

It’s funny how when I move, I don’t even attempt to make it a smooth transition. I would pinpoint my theory as something along the lines of “If I’m going to change my surroundings I might as well do a 180.” Which is how I find myself living in New York and working in SoHo, where the trendiness is almost overwhelming. Especially since, where I come from, suspenders and wide brimmed straw hats are considered the height of fashion. The jump from my parents farm in Lancaster County, PA (aka Amish Country) to New York is a shining example of…

                Yep, it’s that time again…time to sport the green t-shirt and raise your pints to wish your companions “Slainté!.”  But what is this holiday really about?  Here’s a quick history lesson: St. Patrick’s Day marks the Roman Catholic feast day for Ireland’s patron saint. Irish brigands kidnapped St. Patrick at 16 and brought him to Ireland. He was sold as a slave in the county of Antrim and served in bondage for six years until he escaped to Gaul, in present-day France. He later returned to his parents’ home in Britain, where…

Next to the invention of string cheese, Netflix is probably the best thing that’s ever happened to me. For one, I’ve never been good at purchasing and collecting my favorites films, so to have a library of entertainment at my fingertips makes my lazy Sunday afternoons even more enjoyable. Second, the variety of streaming options is actually pretty great. Case in point…Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey. The award-winning documentary follows the story of Kevin Clash, the man who would become the puppeteer for the beloved Elmo that we know today. Starting in his youth, Kevin was fascinated by puppets. He…

On Tuesday, In a page out of the Murphy’s Law playbook a gentleman by the name of Richard Siewart Jr. took on the job of Chief Public Relations Officer at Goldman Sachs.  One day later, Goldman executive Greg Smith published an Op-Ed article in The New York Times after resigning from GS over conflicts with the company’s culture. He felt the organization was rife with indecencies and disrespect for clients, in direct opposition of its founding principles and intended public persona. While we don’t know much yet about the newly minted celebrity Mr. Smith, who today found his disclosure the…

This March marks the 100-year anniversary of Japan’s gift of 3,000 Cherry Blossom trees to the United States. In 1912, Tokyo’s Mayor Ozaki donated the trees in an effort to enhance the growing friendship between the United States and Japan, and also to celebrate the continued close relationship between the two nations. With New York experiencing near record weather highs this week, this is a beautiful reminder of not only warmer weather,and also helps to give people a sense of renewal after the (semi) cold winter. In Buddhist culture, the Cherry Blossom is a symbol of the transient nature of…

  I just read a blog post extolling the virtues of American “heritage brand,” Dockers. I know, right? While Dockers has been king of the business casual castle since 1986, I’m of the opinion that if a company has only been around long enough to appear in the final verse of “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” then it hasn’t been around long enough to warrant “heritage brand” status. So now that we’ve established the ground rules, let’s discuss my favorite heritage brand, Canada’s 342-year-old Hudson’s Bay Company. As North America’s longest continually operating business, The Hudson’s Bay Company may have…

    Okay, can anyone tell this writer when people started saying/using “my bad” for “my mistake”? I keep seeing it pop up in emails, heard it used in a current TV ad for Allstate…so wondering if the origins are the hyper-abbreviation of today’s communicators or some other verbal hybrid? Did Kutch use it to tell his followers he was breaking it off with Demi and then it just became universally embraced? In my mind, “my bad” is the perfect descriptive preface for… hair day…breath…luck…dog Ernie. After all, if I’ve made a mistake, I want to own up to it….

Today’s Guest Blogger is Emily McGill of The Hartman Group. The Hartman Group is a playmate of VP+C – learn more about our current collaboration here. Emily says: We have had a new officemate at The Hartman Group this week, Princess Mia.  I’m not sure why, but I always feel the need to call adorable lady puppies “Princess.”  Miss Mia has been a welcome addition to our office family, helping us through a crazy week (I blame the full moon) and bringing joy to the office in a time when we are nose to the grindstone, trying to get everything…