Hi friends, I have an exciting update to share! Next week at Internet Week New York on June 7, Kaboodle is putting on the first ever crowd-sourced fashion show in partnership with Bloomingdales called the Fab @ Five Fête & Fashion Show. The looks have been selected based on a styleboard contest a few weeks back AND the “models” are all media and bloggers including yours truly! I am beyond honored to be among the group, which I’ll share more about in an upcoming post.

As a side note, I’m totally terrified. I already have a repuation for falling down…a lot…so the thought of a runway in heels sounds like the perfect storm to showcase my clumbsiness in front of a live audience. That said, if I do fall, at least I’ll do it in superior style thanks to Kaboodle and Bloomies!

In case you haven’t played on Kaboodle.com before, here’s a little background: the Hearst owned social shopping site is the largest on the web with more than 1.5 million users and aims to make online shopping easier and more fun. This event is to celebrate the five year anniversary and unveil a brand new redesign of the site.

I have my fitting this week and between now and the show, you know I’ll be practicing my stiletto strut around my apartment.

Finally, if you’re in NYC and want to check it out, the details are here. If you’re not, you can follow via the Twitter hashtag #Kaboodle5 (the event is Tuesday, June 7 from 6-8pm EDT). You can also follow the action and get updates from @Kaboodle and @Bloomingdales.

PS If you have any advice for easing nerves (that might help reduce my chances of tripping), I’m listening!

Anyone who knows me knows I’m a bit of a prankster. I like to flex my harmless, but mischievously creative muscles from time to time and April Fool’s Day is the perfect opportunity to do so where you don’t have to ask for forgiveness.

So…today I changed my Facebook profile to say my birthday (which is actually July 3) is today, April 1. Motives were pure. I work in digital marketing, which is something I’m very passionate about, and I wanted to think of a silly April Fool’s joke that I could also learn from for “work.” Research, you know? The results after about an hour of changing the date are after the jump. 

Anyway, I’m starting to feel guilty about the people who don’t know me well enough to know I’m full of crap. Such kind words. I mean, it actually feels kinda nice too on this gloomy Friday afternoon while I look out the window at the slushy snow, yes SNOW in April, coming down on New York City. By the way, props to Jessika for realizing, but not calling me out and to Nichelle and George for actually calling me out. Matt – almost, buddy! Your paranoia was warranted, but got the best of you!

So, here’s what I learned…which is more proof of a hypothesis I had in mind when changing my birthday to begin with (I wasn’t lying – research, remember?). Among many other things, we’ve come to rely on Facebook to help us stay organized when it comes to our relationships. Generally speaking, do people even remember birthdays or phone numbers anymore? Facebook even let’s you list your anniversary date with a significant other…so guys are completely off the hook now, which I’m sure they still manage to screw up anyway. Also, it’s sad that a Facebook wall post has become the norm for wishing someone a happy birthday. On one hand, it allows more people to wish you a happy birthday, but on the other, it’s become a beyond acceptable medium for those who might have otherwise, picked up the phone or sent you a card (or even an ecard). I’m guilty too!

Take it up a level to how much we rely on digital in general…like addresses. I don’t even look up where I’m going before I leave my apartment anymore. I pull up a map application on my phone as I’m heading out the door and trust that it will tell me exactly what subway to take, when to get off and what direction to walk. It hasn’t always steered me right, but for the most part, it gets me where I need to go.

What other things apply in terms of digital dependency?

To all of those I fooled today – please don’t feel like the 12 seconds you spent writing on my wall were in vain. You helped me learn something and prove a point. Plus, it’s been ages since my last post. Thank you for giving me inspiration. Also, Happy Birthday to Angie Hall and Hazel Grace, two beautiful Seattle friends who I miss terribly! Xoxo

P.S. I’m going to leave it as my birthday until later today to see how many people end up calling me out. Who knows, maybe some of my friends actually read my blog?

UPDATE (2:23 pm EDT): So, check out this Twitter direct-message convo I had with Peter Ha….the last person I thought would fall victim to my April Fool’s joke. After all, we celebrated our birthdays, which are a week apart in July, together last summer. Dude…you made my fake birthday!

In case saying and typing ”winning” aren’t enough, Complex has developed an interactive soundboard that lets you tap into Charlie Sheen’s deepest thoughts about “winning.” Enjoy…(thanks Michelle Gordon!)

My geeky background in gagdet obsessions often leads to exciting opportunities to work with technology brands. I also USED to work in consumer tech PR, which has helped feed said obsessions. As I’ve noted time and time again, I’m not an expert, just an enthusiast. With that…today has been awesome! I just dropped by a little meetup for the official launch of Windows Phone 7 availablility and they sent me home with a T-Mobile HTC HD7 to test out including a Zune Pass, a month of mobile service from T-Mobile and a gift card to purchase Windows Phone 7 apps! Here’s a first look…isn’t it pretty!? It even comes with a little kick stand!

More to come in an experiential review…Tonight, courtesy of Windows Phone 7, I’m going to check out a concert by Katy Perry in NYC. They are also doing one in San Francisco with Maroon 5. They have a bunch of cool things going on for the campaign and are also working with Minka Kelly and Rob Dyrdek on a “Really Rally Road Trip.” Check out the videos after the jump!

AND if you haven’t already seen one of the “REALLY?!” ads, check it. While I haven’t dropped a phone in a toilet, I’m definitely guilty of some of these offenses. Windows Phone 7 is meant to be the phone to save us from our phones and I’m about to find out with the HD7!

Finally, here are some additional pics!

Nautica is launching an Ocean to Ocean that features and celebrates coastal living with real people doing extraordinary things in their coastal communities.  The campaign will highlight the people and places that bring to life an everyday passion and deep connection to the water – sailors, kiteboard champions, marine biologists, families, local hidden spots, community events, etc.

 The first town to kick off the campaign is Bainbridge, WA (just outside of Seattle – shout out to my homeland)! Check out this video featuring fellow Seattleites, the Seely brothers, talking about why they love the coastal lifestyle Seattle breathes. 

If you’re free  tomorrow morning (September 16th), you can check out the kick-off at the Bainbridge ferry station to learn more about the campaign, meet some of Seattle’s coastal heroes and grab a FREE Nautica umbrella.

Stay tuned for more on Nautica including the Spring/Summer 2011 collections and a special giveaway.

More info on the Nautica Ocean to Ocean campaign:

Starting tomorrow, you can also explore individual stories and learn more about Ocean to Ocean here at www.NauticaOcean2Ocean.com.   Early next year, Nautica will select up to four (4) finalists—real people to feature in a custom advertorial where their real stories and personal definition of the American Coastal Lifestyle will be portrayed in the May 2011 issue of Travel + Leisure.