A day in the life of LV

beep beep beep BEEP BEEP BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!

Ok, ok! I am up!
I reached over to press the white button on the alarm clock and with extra effort crawled out of bed. Passing by the mirror I caught an unpleasant glimpse of my creased face, kitchen-broom hairdo and scurried towards the bathroom.

I've been living at this penthouse on Madison Avenue just over a month and no longer do I miss the one bedroom mouse infested pad I used to have in the Oh so unfashionable part of Queens. The luxury of five rooms with high ceilings, marble fireplaces surrounded by mirrors that reflect the gold and orange flames of the burning wood at night is still somewhat new to me.

I've been a clothes and bags and shoes whore since the approximate age of 5 and so having two walk-in closets feels like a fantasy.

Leeet's see what to wear today ...

It's cold today ... I'll go with Winter white MaxMara pants, a Gucci light brown satin blouse and some bling bling with gold! That's it!
High heels, off-white long coat with glamorous fur collar to match (No, not real fur! ... I can not be seen in my mink coat these days.
It would be sacrilegious if I take into consideration my clients that may all be animal rights activists - it's the fashion these days! I could not do it for personal reasons either - Misa who kills even their mice with the biggest love and care would not forgive this one!

Hurry up Elv! You're running late!
I use self-reinforcement to beat the ticking clock.
Charles has been waiting for me in front of the building for more than half an hour. (I'll give him a generous Christmas bonus!)

"Good morning! How are you today Miss Vida?"
"A bit sleepy, but good! Thank you Charles!
Will have another trip today! I have to be in Soho at 1 pm for a meeting!"

He greets me with ever charming politeness as he swings the door open wide with his black leather driver gloves. Stepping inside the car I simultaneously switch on my cell phone, expecting the nokia to go crazy with buzzing messages after last night's party at the Waldorf Astoria.

Warm, singie, ssssss ssss and a bit too fuzzy voice:
"Hi Elvi! This is Ed. It was nissssssce meecsting you. As I mensztioned last night, I am emailing yoyou the information about the fasshion writer we had talked about. She is faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaabolous! I hope it works out and gimme a buzz when the deal is sealed! See you later daarling.
Gotta goooooo! Byeeeyyyeeyeeeeee"

Strict, short, impersonal and a bit panicky voice:
"Elv? Hi! This is Janet! We have a problem with that fashion shoot scheduled for Friday! We may have to find an emergency story to run! Will explain later! Get back to me ASAP! Thaaanks!

Kissing my butt voice:
"Hello Ms. Vida, my name is Rob Marve and I am calling from Kenneth Cole. We would love to invite you to our annual Christmas Party this December 16th at the Rockefeller Center. I've already mailed you the information, but wanted to extend this invitation on a more personal level. I am looking forward to seeing you there!"

So many years in this business and I still get excited about going to work! I am looking forward to every single day as I picture myself looking through the newest fashion trends, meeting with writers, designers and company reps promoting their beauty products!

Clothes/Image - such a seemingly superficial business, yet you ask any woman how they feel in a beautifully matching outfit that turns heads of WOMEN (and men of course, but that is secondary!) VS. clothes that they randomly decided on the last minute and no-one notices at all, and the satisfation results will be undoubtedly in a favor of group one!

If I wasn't a fashion editor, I 'd be a travel writer. Too bad I had to give up extensive traveling when I was diagnosed with breast cancer, otherwise I'd be working for the National Geographic and trotting the globe non-stop!

If I wasn't a travel writer, I'd be a tango dancer (See? Marina did it! - links!),
a salsa queen and a samba slave ...

"Excuse me! Where is the bathroom?"

"Charles! I need to go to that meeting in Soho ... "

"Miss, miss! Excuse me! Do you know where the bathrooms are?"

"Chaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarles?!"

"EEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeexcuuuuuuuuuseeee meee????!!!!!!!!!!"

I see but I don't observe, I listen but I don't hear!

I am not wearing my off-white coat and I am not sitting in a leather chair of the 35th floor on Fifth Avenue!

As a matter of fact, I am sitting bored at the lobby of the UN building supposedly registering participants for a seminar at the auditorium.
They've all arrived! No-one is coming any longer. At just about this time most of the attendees are already falling asleep in their too comfortable chairs listening to monotonous voices mumbling something about doing business with the UN ... right ear in, left ear out. Even the pro-active listeners are sneaking out to grab a cup of coffee - proven to help improving pain and suffering of falling eyelids.

"Ohh .... Maaam!
The bathroom is down the stairs, next to the coffee shop!
The tours are straight ahead on the left!
I do not know where the UNDP conference is, but I do know that YOU! YOU! YOu! just brought me back to reality and guess what? I DO NOT LIKE IT!"

Warning:
Reality can utterly spoil your life or at least your day! It happened to me!