I've been active on Poshmark for 1 year and 3 months now and in that time frame I've been blessed/cursed with hosting two Poshmark parties.

With my first Poshmark party, I was notified in the end of July and asked whether or not I was still up for the job!  I submitted a Poshmark Party Host request in March, just a few months before, and knew the wait would take a little bit of time.  Honestly, I was surprised just how quickly my request went through!  The date for the party? October 3rd!

I flipped through listings and Instagram posts from other party hosts to see just how they were promoting their hosting duties.  Using that inspiration when Poshmark reached back out to me in September to confirm the theme, I made a listing on both Poshmark and Instagram.

Immediately, I was flooded with comments like "Congratulations [insert a ton of emojis here]!  If you're looking for a host pick, please be sure to check out my closet and my PFFs [insert a long list of user handles]."

As the party grew closer, my notifications grew and exploded the day before when Poshmark announced my "Plus Size" theme.  Direct shares, tags to items I would like (even when they weren't on theme), comments begging for a host pick, and even some interesting minor bribes.

Poshmark asks that you limit host picks from your own closet.  I find it incredibly cringeworthy when people have the guts to place their entire closet in the host pick section.  Like, c'mon, we know you'd pick them, you're selling them for crying out loud!  I picked one nice plus size red button down with gold buttons I really couldn't pass picking up at the thrift store.

In the initial PDF Poshmark sends you, they also ask that you try to include new Poshers.  With this in mind, I sat down the day of and started to pick out items on a spreadsheet to ensure I was not only spreading the love, but making sure that their closets were Poshmark compliant - another requirement for a host pick.  You can't max over 100 host picks and that night I was determined to use them all.

The night of was like a whirlwind.  I happened to sell a bundle during the mayhem, but neither were plus size items so I think it was by chance.  The whole process was time consuming and exhausting.

By the time my second Poshmark party rolled around, I considered myself a pro.  I don't think I requested to be a host, but Poshmark reached out and asked me (again, I think on this one, who knows what I did in March 2017) at the beginning of January if I would be available.  The time frame was much shorter.  Set for February 15th, I knew that this time around, I wasn't going to announce my role as host until the very last possible moment.  Why?  Because the flood of comments, tags, and direct shares weren't making me any sales.  In fact, they were distracting me from the genuine likes and bundles in my closet.

I created a Party Host listing on Poshmark to give the rabid commenters a place to talk to me instead of directly commenting on my listings - something I find to be incredibly rude and a little too thirsty for my taste.

For my Style Crush theme, I actually upped my own listings in the pot and added in 2 whole listings!  I also heavily used the direct share feature because I knew this would cut down on time I needed to go seeking items - especially when the theme is so broad.

I sold 0 items.  Woof.

TL;DR?  Poshmark parties are...interesting.  I'd like to think that back in the day, they helped to drive sales for the Poshmark Party Host, but it really just felt like a vacuum sucking my time and my phone battery dry.

So, if you really want to be a Poshmark Party Host, you have to make sure your closet is compliant.  I do know someone who sat on the list for 6+months to be denied because they had an insignificant item that was technically non-compliant.  I think they also make sure that you're not a complete asshat, commenting mean things on other people's posts.  At least, that's what I like to think.

If you've never been a Poshmark Party Host, that doesn't mean there's something wrong with you or your closet.  Continue to focus on your goals and I promise you, it will be far more rewarding than the groveling of random strangers strewn about your listings.  Trust me.

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Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed

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A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby

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The Girls by Emma Cline

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Of Love and Other Demons by Gabriel García Márquez

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Okay, so as I've admitted multiple times, I love to watch Vanderpump Rules.  I am fascinated by the immense egos and complete lack of self-awareness by this entire group of people who consider themselves "besties."  It terrifies me most when I recognize some of their behaviors and responses to conflict in some of the people I love most.  They are a reflection of the worst of ourselves.

That being said, it's also about hoping that Jax really means what he says when he's done being an asshole.  Until five minutes later when he picks a fight with a guy for doing the same exact thing he's done for decades.  And then trusting ten minutes later after a healing session, banishing the evils of his soul.  With the way the world is going, we need Vanderpump Rules to distract from the harsh realities of life.

Over the weekend, my boyfriend and I visited Washington DC.  By Monday morning, however, I was knocked out.  As someone who never sleeps, my head felt pulled by an invisible magnet hidden in my pillow.  My boyfriend has a conference and instead of touring the town, I tore myself out of bed at 11:30 and forced myself to stay up, fearing I wouldn't sleep Monday night.

The hotel had Bravo. And you know what was on?  A Vanderpump Rules marathon featuring episodes from the fourth season was scheduled for the day.  While this was a few years ago and I had seen the episodes repeatedly since then, I don't think I've ever watched so many episodes back to back before.

I.  Wanted.  To.  Vomit.

I think over the years, I fooled myself that the cast members were improving with age.  They're not.  In fact,  I think they are worsening with age and botox.

And I'm at fault, I support their behavior which helps to fund their lifestyles.

With a pounding headache, I'd made it up until the new episode was to premiere.  My boyfriend came back from his conference and promptly changed the channel.  Too weak from my Vanderpump overdose, I was happy to swap The Witches of WeHo for some cheesy male comedy I can't even remember the name of because my mind has literally been turned to mush.

It's making me rethink the whole "guilty pleasure" thing.  Do you have a guilty pleasure?  Do you think it could potentially be toxic?

As an update to my September 2016 post, 10 TV Shows I Watched Obsessively, I've decided to make a list of 10 Binge Worthy Shows to Watch.  So now you have no excuse to not procrastinate on that thing you really, really need to get done.  You're welcome.

More than anything in this world I want to be someone who is identified with creativity, someone who dives deep and comes up with fresh and interesting ideas.

But...I'm often blocked and when that happens I tend to allow frustration to win, throwing my hands up and walking away.  Recently, I realized that not having a creative outlet also upset other areas of my life.  The blockage was forcing word vomit and negativity out of my mouth.  I decided to jumpstart my creative endeavors (one of the reasons I'm forcing myself to blog for an entire month!) and here are some of the tricks I used.

Free Writing
I recently signed up for a Yoga & Writing Workshop and it was so eye-opening.  Typically, yoga is designed to force you to remove yourself from your thoughts.  In this class, we were encouraged to think and break poses to jot down anything that came to mind. At the time, I was really stressing out about a huge life change and what the right decision was.  After the yoga, we were guided through free writing exercises that forced me to keep pen to paper and not stop. 

It was the most refreshing practice I've ever tried and really opened me up to dealing with what I was going through because I couldn't stop.  Free writing gives you ideas when you're feeling blocked and taps into your creative side because you're forced to pound on the door until it opens.

Exercise/Movement
When I was in college, I used to get on the elliptical for thirty minutes and I would imagine these crazy scenarios the entire time - the time flew.  Moving my body really got the ideas flowing and I was focused in this time frame to let my thoughts and daydreams drift.  After I got home, I would jot down the main ideas and used them for most of my creative writing pieces.  The elliptical doesn't provide me with the same motivation it once did, but walks around my neighborhood have proven to be successful!

Creeping
Yes, you are reading that correctly.  Nothing can be more inspirational than the self-imagine life of a stranger and there are two ways you can do it - publicly or privately.  In public, I'll sit in the cafeteria at work with a book propped in front of me or

Privately, I'll set a timer and for twenty minutes I will surf Instagram through the Search and bounce through suggestions, seeking "regular" people (celebrities aren't great for this task because they already have a narrative they are striving to tell). I'll glance through the lives they choose to post and imagine scenarios to put them in, what their personalities are like, whether they speak to their parents or not.

Creating my own stories through real people is entertaining and a fun game.  I've created lots of characters and received interesting inspiration in fashion and decor through the various strangers I've encountered.

Change Your Routine
When I'm stuck in a rut, I'll lie on my couch and stare at the ceiling and pick apart all of the things failing in my life.  Yeah, that's productive.

So I'll move my couch to the other side of the room.  Change my bed sheets to a new color.  Sometimes, I get used to seeing the same things every day and it clouds up my vision, making it difficult to draw inspiration from the little things.

I'm a huge believer in seeing things from a different perspective to try and understand another's perspective.  Moving things around or adjusting the time I wake up and go to bed are simple but they allow me to view my world from a new angle.

***

Do you have any tricks you use to motivate creativity?  If so, share them down below!

Last year, I briefly dabbled in the idea of opening a boutique.  Working full time while writing resumes freelance already made my plate full and I thought being able to order inventory from my phone on my lunch break would be a much simpler process for me overall.

It wasn't.  I crashed and burned and crashed some more.  I am not a fashionista and what I like is not necessarily what the general shopping public likes. So I learned my lesson and decided to dive into thrifting, which for this cheapskate was a high.

By September, I was still working my way through clearing out the initial inventory I ordered wholesale (fun fact: still have some of I'm trying to unload).  The one successful piece I ordered was a black lacy dress that racked up lots of likes immediately.  With one piece left, I happily accepted a lowball offer that allowed me to make back what I spent on the piece and a couple dollars too. 

I shipped it off and felt lighter - even though she purchased on Labor Day and I couldn't ship same day and she gave me a bad vibe when it wasn't immediately shipped.  I removed the cross-posted listing on eBay and went on my way until a week later when a case was opened against me: the size tag was missing, so the buyer couldn't identify where the actual tag was.  I reached out, told her it was....and heard nothing back.

The buyer was a huge fat liar.  While not in the traditional spot on the upper back of the dress, the tag was located within the seam of the dress and was actually quite large.  So my buyer wasn't clueless, she was sneaky.  The dress didn't fit and she found her opportunity to return.

I was frustrated and I told Poshmark exactly where the buyer could find the tag - but they accepted the return anyway.  I felt cheated.

Waiting for my dress to be returned, I anticipated the tag being removed completely from the dress to prove her point.  How else could she get away with her claim without damaging the dress? A few days later, the dress returned and I tore through the tiny box she smooshed it in.

And there, within the seams of the dress, was the size tag plain as day.  She didn't remove it at all.  I immediately filed an issue with Poshmark and took pictures of the dress.  I was genuinely concerned she would pull this crap again.  To send and return this dress, it cost Poshmark $12 which would most certainly affect their business model.  Basically, they shrugged their shoulders and said we'll keep an eye out for her.

I blocked her, immediately.  Mostly because I didn't want to accidentally share items to her or sell to her again if she liked something else in my closet.  She cheated me once, I wouldn't give her the opportunity to again.

I relisted on Poshmark and eBay and within HOURS of my relisted on eBay, a repeat buyer purchased at full price.  In fact, they were incredibly happy and couldn't believe how beautiful it was in person.

Of course, all of this was before the new returns process rolled out (which I have yet - fingers crossed- to experience).  I've had a few return cases opened and closed since then, but I've learned that anger won't serve me any real justice.  People will lie and cheat, but overall, the experience has largely been positive.  Letting one buyer destroy my entire experience with reselling would let her win - so whatever, she lost out on a great item and I made more money than I would have if she simply accepted.

At the end of the day, I'm grateful she didn't destroy the dress.  There's much worse.  I learned to hone my customer service skills and to stick up for myself when I knew I was right.

I am not a foodie. I'm picky and I get hangry and generally I'm the worst person to grab a meal with.  I like what I like and I eat what I like.

Leaving New York and coming back to Pittsburgh, I had grown accommodated to eating exactly what I liked when I wanted to.  I was pleasantly surprised when I landed back here two and half years ago to find the food scene had exploded.

So, looking for a great place to grab food with a picky eater?  You have come to the right place!  Below are a few of my most highly recommended places in the city.

Bagel Factory
Looking for a good breakfast option?  The bagels at Bagel Factory are tiny compared to an NYC bagel, BUT the taste is fantastic.  I love stopping in here early on the weekends before the parking meters start.  Price is good and the store is huge so you can either take to go or relax and stay a while.

Square Cafe
I really enjoyed the menu at Square Cafe - way more diverse than other brunch places.  It gets crowded but it is oh-so-worth it.

Shady Grove
I constantly find myself at Shady Grove.  It's such a great place to take a group of people who are all into something different.  My dad repeatedly requests to go to Shady Grove when he comes to visit me and is always disappointed when I choose somewhere else (sometimes I just like to torture him).  The only thing I haven't tried are the pizzas, but I plan on it!

Alla Famiglia
Always, always, ALWAYS.  My boyfriend and I have designated this as our birthday place.  There is nothing I can say to describe the amazingness that is Alla Famiglia.   It's pricey, but it's justified.  Just go, now...you're going to slow go now! I MEAN IT!

La Palapa
Such a great staple on Carson Street, I have never walked away hungry from La Palapa.  Food is authentic and you can fit a good size group of people in here.

You can also follow my adventures on Yelp - I'm Yelp Elite!