Love Drunk

Posted on September 23, 2014 by Annush!

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Hugh and I love to go out on dates.  In fact, we love dates so much that we don’t waste an opportunity to sneak one in if the conditions are favorable (and by favorable I mean, neither of us is physically/ mentally exhausted).

But last night was different.

I spent all day yesterday going back and forth between the Social Good Summit and the Social Media Week events that were scheduled for yesterday.  Hugh was working all day and participated in a panel on “Design as a Tool for Social Change”.  By the time we got home, we were wrecked.  It took all the energy we had left to go to the Social Media Week reception that was scheduled for the evening. I didn’t really want to go but I’m so glad we did!

After the reception we ended up at Sushi Samba and had an amazing date!

In fact, it was so amazing that this morning I woke up with that not so amazing feeling that makes one need comfort food (or in my case comfort iced lattes) and a bed.

I cancelled most of my commitments for the day and have spent the day in recovery mode dedicated to catching up on everything that’s been happening while I have been otherwise engaged….

  1. It’s been raining cats and dogs.
  2. The lovely Olee informed us that Bocce Bar got a new chef and a new menu.  This had me nearly in tears until because the old menu was very “Annush friendly”  and the food was always on point.  Apparently the new chef is Southern so the menu has more meat than it used to. But it appears I can still eat there.
  3. But on the upside, Ari and Dani gave us a heads up about Pubbelly going vegan on October 2.  At first I couldn’t believe it, but it’s true! My poor mom…her birthday is October 2 and we are taking her out to dinner.  I hope she won’t notice the lack of meat on her plate 🙂
  4. Emma Watson gave an amazing speech in front of the United Nations a few days ago to launch #heforshe.  You must watch it!!!  This is definitely one of the  conversations we as a society need to be having.
  5. There may or may not be a woman in Florida with three breasts.

Now I need a nap.

Posted in Community, Conferences, Events, Food, Life, relationship, Tech, Uncategorized, women, politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Social Good Summit: What do you want the future to look like?

Posted on September 18, 2014 by Annush!

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What type of world do I want to live in by the year 2030?

That’s the question we are asking this year during this two day conference held during U.N. and Social Media Week, on September 22-23, that aims to examine the impact of technology and new media on social good initiatives locally, and by extension globally.

I’ve actually been thinking a lot about the future and how I can make it better on a personal level for everyone around me- particularly my community.  It’s this thought that’s been the driving force behind many of the changes I’ve been making in my life and the greater interest I have in being involved in my community.

My involvement in this conference this year is solely on a volunteer basis. However, Hugh and many of the community-minded thought leaders in our community will be taking the stage here in Miami to discuss technology as a means of social good and hopefully provide some insight as to what can be done.

If you’d like to be a part of it but can’t join us here in Miami, there is also a conference going on simultaneously in New York, as well as multiple meetups around the world.  If you want more information, just click here.

Remember, we must be the change we wanna see…and to achieve this, we must get involved and continue having these important conversations. Only then will we make the world a better place.

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Fashionably Conscious!

Posted on September 17, 2014 by Annush!

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It’s that time of the year again…YAY!

I love clothes (and shoes and bags), but have neither an unlimited amount of money to spend on luxury items, nor do I wear everything I actually own.  So what’s a girl to do?

Well, every year some of Miami’s most fashionable ladies (me included) donate the gently worn designer clothing and accessories they collect throughout the year to Fashionably Conscious.  If you are wondering what that is, it is a yearly sale benefitting Coconut Grove Cares’ The Barnyard Community Center, which provides free after-school and summer programs to the children and families of the West Grove.

The items are sold at a 50%-80% discount and 100% of the proceeds go to help those less fortunate.  Not a bad deal.  You’ll feel good for helping and look good doing it.

I will definitely be there.  As should you.

And if you have any gently worn designer items in your closet that you are willing to part with, you can still donate them TONIGHT between 6:00pm- 8:00pm at at Adolfo Dominguez Miami at the Village of Merrick Park. Your donation is tax-deductible and as a small thank you, you get bubbly, snacks, and 20% off any purchases.

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The Pooches Need Help and LOVE!!!

Posted on September 15, 2014 by Annush!

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Before we got Sophie, we really didn’t understand what a hard life dogs without forever families have.  It also goes without saying that we also had no idea of how difficult it is for those great organizations who take care of these dogs.   It is for this reason that we became involved with the PetNet, the young professional group of the Humane Society.

I’m not going to lie…so far, I haven’t been to most of the meetings BUT as the new year kicks into effect, so will my participation. It is for this reason that I would like to ask you, if you are a young professional in Miami and love animals, to join us for happy hour on Thursday and we can talk about how together we can make a difference in an animal’s life.

If you can’t, that’s okay too.   You can always help out by making a much needed cash donation, or by adopting a pet! I encourage you to make adoption your only option 🙂

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Happy Fourth of July!

Posted on July 4, 2014 by Annush!

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Life in the slow lane.

Posted on July 2, 2014 by Annush!

Being stuck at home for weeks at a time is not good for me. As I go into week 5 of my recovery (with 4 more to go), I am on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Or maybe not a nervous breakdown…I feel like that time we went to Texas for six weeks and I was convinced Hugh and I were the last remaining players in a real life version of The Hunger Games. But this time, I feel like I am playing against myself.

Some people need to keep busy to make sense of the world around them.

I am one of those people.

The last couple of weeks I was lucky enough to have three projects I could work on from the comfort of my bed, going on at the same time: Along with an amazing group of people I participated in the organization and execution of Social Media Day Miami, which turned out to be a great success. I also had the opportunity to plan a Major League Baseball event in Baltimore, and am still working on the gala for the Young Patronesses of the Opera coming up in October.

Yes, I overexerted myself in the process and have had to spend the last 3 days recovering. Still, being productive kept me from getting bored and made these past weeks go faster than they otherwise would have, which is why I now feel like I need something else to occupy my time…

Last weekend my friend Alexandra had a spa party. I had heard about parties like that happening, but I’d never actually been to one. This one involved a whole bunch of bubbly and a bunch of “all natural” skin/ beauty products. It was fun, but having already solved my skin care product situation, I felt like I was taking up space.

But then this morning, as I was buying the book that’s going to entertain me for the next 4 hours, Startup Mixology, I started thinking about going one step further in my attempt to live as naturally as possible and making my own skin care products. Or at least try. So I did. After doing a little research, I made a scrub and it worked amazingly!

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:
1 cup demerara sugar
2 tsp unrefined coconut oil
2 tsp shredded coconut

Preparation:
Mix shredded coconut and sugar in a small bowl, stir until blended. Heat coconut oil in a small pot just until melted. Pour coconut oil over sugar and shredded coconut. Stir oil into the sugar mixture. Continue until the sugar has an even consistency.

In hindsight, I should have taken a few pictures. I am sorry I didn’t. Suffice it to say though, I was proud of the end result. So much so that going forward this will be one less thing I have to buy, one less container I will need to throw out, but one more thing in my arsenal of homemade goodies.

Maybe my next project should be more homemade skin care products…

Posted in brain food, Health, Life | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Social Media Day Miami!

Posted on June 24, 2014 by Annush!

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ONLY FEW DAYS LEFT until Social Media Day Miami 2014!

Come join us for a day of learning, networking, and fun this Sunday, June 29th at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts – FREE

To register, click Here .

See you there!

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A Case of Bad Luck!

Posted on June 24, 2014 by Annush!

For a long time, I seriously overestimated my body.

Somewhere along the line I got this crazy idea that I was born with a body that would allow me to do anything as long I took care of it.  I knew about illness and disease, but in my mind some of them were caused by not taking care of the body and the rest by bad luck (the most horrible of which was of the “genetically predisposed” variety).

But then I got sick.

Little by little (and unbeknownst to me) my body began to fail me and then, quietly and unapologetically,  it almost caused me to die.  Talk about bad luck!

Obviously, I survived the ordeal and I think that my near death encounters are over (at least for the time being).   Still, as I work to fully grasp the gravity of what I went through one thing that sticks out is that the effect the body has over the mind, extends beyond our awareness of the physical self.

People always say that “it’s all in the mind” and that “you can do anything if you put your mind to it”.  That may very well be true, but our physical well-being also affects how our minds work and how we perceive the world. It isn’t enough to just go for a run or eat organic.  We need to learn to hear what our body is telling us.

For a long time I thought I was just tired.  Then my mind started to get tired.
Now my body is healing and I feel like I can conquer the world.

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RIP Maya Angelou

Posted on May 28, 2014 by Annush!

mayaI was always inspired by Maya Angelou.  I discovered her work in my early twenties and once I read  “And Still I Rise”, I had to read everything.   Through her words she made me want to be better: A better daughter, a better sister, a better friend, a better person.

This has always been one of my favorite quotes…it is so simple and yet so honest.

I’ve always strived to remember this.

You will be greatly missed Dr. Angelou.

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The Humane Society of Greater Miami Needs Your Support

Posted on May 16, 2014 by Annush!

R House RSVP

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