so a while back, i got one of those really sweet amazon free magazine deals, and i got a subscription to marie claire magazine. obviously not a terribly remarkable event, but it would be the catalyst for me getting a UPS package full of crazy free stuff last week, so listen up.
so, by subscribing to their magazine, i got the “privlige” of winding up on the marie claire email list- most of which i deleted and ignored. except one.
“join the marie claire style council”
it was really unclear exactly what the job involved (and still is), but i heard the magic word “free stuff, and decided to fill out the survey. and then, congratulations! the next survey. and then one more survey after that. and then, i had to make a video. 2 minutes about how fashionable and articulate i am. i had a month to get the job done, and i had all these lofty plans about scripting and star wipes… but somehow i ended up waiting until 3 am the night before the videos were due, and did the whole thing on my laptop web cam in bad light in my sweatpants. i was an ugly, styleless, babbling mess, and i assumed that it would mark my end journey toward hot fashion magazine swag.
not so!
a few weeks after the video disaster (so humiliating that even in my general shamelessness, i refuse to put it up on you tube for the world to scrutinize), i got an email telling me that i had been selected for a telephone interview. weird. another 10 minutes of crazy babbling and manic giggles, apparently i impressed my (very patient) interviewer with my knowledge of some more obscure labels (at least that heinous fashion job i had for 2 years was good for something!). i was in! although i’m still not entirely sure what that means. all i do know is that they sent me a sweet package full of random free stuff just to say hello. fancy kitchen spray, some sorta novel, tote bag…
on an partially related note, i also go a weird email from a local marketing firm about product testing out some new flavors of baileys coffee creamer for national coffee day! although national coffee day is 9/29, and i still haven’t gotten my samples yet, so maybe they changed their mind. regardless, people are at least considering sending me free stuff, and i like it.
oh, and here’s some random weekend pickthrough stuff. i had a busy week, so it’s less than impressive, but those hipster dinosaurs make it ok.
this volcano used to have integrity (and other sentiments from hipster dinosaurs).
a big list of things that you think are true, but totally aren’t. (i’m a little crushed that george washington carver didn’t actually invent peanut butter)
i completely forgot that there were movies at the PMA, and october there are some pretty kick ass selection. mark your calendar for october 29th- damnationlad. 7 short horror films from maine directors. apparently, it’s “the way life should bleed”.
just so we all don’t have to have any embarrassing showgirls style faux pas, somebody finally made a resource to help us clueless jerks figure out how to pronounce fashion designer’s names.
kind of a gross article that involves the most hilarious star wars gag i’ve heard in a long time.
calling all single ladies! the classiest craigslist personal ad ever. (jump on this shit now before it disappears!)
broke 207 
yes, i have theoretical coffee creamer coming my way too! and i got a weird email from tomoson products, one of which is country bob’s all purpose sauce. um, i’m good thanks!
omg, we can have dueling reviews! i’m gonna review the shit out of that coffee creamer- just you wait! although they really need to get their act together STAT, national coffee day is nigh. maybe today’s mail will have good news? i can’t believe you refused country bob’s all purpose sauce. ALL PURPOSE kate! the material practically writes itself 🙂
I had really wanted to respond to that craigslist ad…
why didn’t you? i for one am DYING to meet this gem of a human being.
You guys are being sarcastic about the Craigs List ad, right? Right?
Anyway, I don’t know if you have ever joined the Hannaford marketing panel. I think that anyone can join right at their website. If you regularly answer their surveys when they send them, you may find yourself invited to take part in a Focus group. I walked away from the one that I attended with a crisp fifty dollar bill. Mmmm, cash! Not bad for about an hour’s worth of conversation that included canapes. However, I accepted a second invitation and then had to beg off. I never got invited bad, sad to say, at least not so far…
yes. absolutely kidding about the angry psycho in the craigslist ad. as for the hannaford marketing panel, i’ve never heard of such a thing! i just signed up, but i doubt that they’ll want me because i’m a childless vegetarian jerk who mostly shops at shaw’s. i do however enjoy canapes and crispy $50s. thanks for the tip!
I never got invited “back” I meant to say.