A few new things added to this site.
I’m still revamping this site but in the meantime check out these new features:
You can now call me with my google voice number. I actually love chatting on the phone (texting can be overwhelming sometimes). Depends on what time, but I’d rather that you call to offer jobs haha. By the way, since this is Google Voice, I totally screen my calls (duh). This is a test though so don’t abuse it.
Facebook Like for Design Lady NYC Group.
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Jerlyn Jade M. Thomas likes |
I’ll be adding contests soon so be ready for this. It’s in celebration of my 10 year old domain. Yes, my first domain is making 10 years in about a month! Countdown! That means I have been blogging and coding for over 10 years.
Also, you should interact with the poppy’s to the left because you can win cool prizes, also join the contest!
Fried foods would be the death of me…
Posted by Jerlyn in General, My Life in NYC on August 11, 2010
So I woke up yesterday and did my third bootcamp session. I have yet to be fully rested the night of any of my classes. For each class so far, I’ve had a different teacher. For every class so far, I have drank the night before (Apparently I lack the discipline).
I hope that over 800 calories have been burnt like they advertised because I am completely drained. By the way, update on my vegetarian diet: I had 3 BBQ wings two nights ago. Something must have been wrong because I felt really tired and drained that day not sure if the meat helped though. I did feel a little gross having it.
Yesterday morning I felt like poo, trying to decide if it’s the food or guinness. I decided to simply cut down my intake than remove it altogether. The truth is: I need a nutritionist if I am going to make a significant change. I tried vitamin supplements and protein shakes but my energy level didn’t rise. I did feel great the first couple weeks. I sort of felt like a failure temporarily but I will get over it.
I also did something awful: I had a Ranch Crispy sandwich from McDonalds and I received complete hell from my peers. They were right, I did feel like shit after.
Anyway, now I am sick and not sure from what.
As for diets, I will continue having vegetarian inspired diets but with the right to have meat when I listen to my body. Replacing things like eggs and yogurt to me was very difficult. Also, I ended up having too much fried foods, like falafel.
By the way, shout out to Brian who I met yesterday because I don’t like adding people that I haven’t met to my facebook. Not sure if he wants to be linked. Brian’s a chef and he also criticized my McDonalds experience. If you’re on my facebook list and we haven’t met I think it’s time that we do. I decided to make that change about a year ago. I like this because I can put a face to you and your mannerisms. Also, we usually become genuine friends that way. I’m not in any way interested in being popular so I don’t randomly accept requests because I am in fact pretty opened about a great deal on facebook than I am on twitter or my blog.
For everyone else, you can join Design Lady NYC on facebook, it’s sort of the same but stripped and it’s all aggregated in one spot. Soon, I’ll start adding prizes (joy)!
Wallpaper
Posted by Jerlyn in Inspiration on August 11, 2010
I customize everything to make it “me.” So naturally I replaced my current work machine’s wallpaper from this:
To this:
You can get it here. You can check the artist’s work here: My painted thoughts!
Share your desktop wallpapers with me!
Jerlyn knows the last digit of pi
Posted by Jerlyn in General, My Life in NYC on August 9, 2010
This was based on me being obsessed with MacGyver when I was a toddler. My dad used to introduce me to other toddlers as, “This is Jerlyn, she likes MacGyver.” MacGyver was hot, and I knew this when I was just a kid. Who’d thunk? Chuck Norris has nothing on MacGuyver! There I said it! Rumble in the comments sections with facts please, or else you’d just be wasting time. Keiron posted it on my status earlier and Rey decided to side with Norris… this means 1 for Norris and since I discussed it with Revi, there’s now 3 votes for MacGuyver!
Anyway:
This was today’s look, I started a new gig where I will be styling and animating for the iPad and iPhone… haha irony that I don’t own either but I do have an iPod Touch (sorry messy room!)
I figured I’d add some “Jerlyn fashion” in here since I did join the poppy project (to the right of this blog)! If you like this blog tweet “Grow, poppy, grow! #jpoppy #coachpoppy” 
Thanks! There’s some awesome prizes and I heard that there’s a $2500 – really, who wouldn’t want a $2,500 shopping spree? Rhetorical!
This post will be semi-intimate. It involves my dating life (in a way), love life (in a way) and maybe touch base on my job life.
Dating and Love: “With the past, I have nothing to do; nor with the future. I live now.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
My life is quite content despite random set backs in the recent months. This is exactly what has made it extremely exciting in the past months. It would be quite disappointing if I lived the exact way everyday. I get to observe others as they go into work and see the gloominess that I hope never to have — I smile. I just appreciate my life where it is right now, I’m happy. However, I had another set back today where I absolutely poured my heart out to someone. It’s something that got ruined because of timing and an insignificant person (an ex gf surprise, surprise). C’est la vie right? I still love with reckless abandon despite what my heart goes through. I often imagined how my heart looks like, possibly beaten up from the torture that I have placed it through in the past months.
Yes, it was someone from the past. When I reflected this evening of how our life would be now I realize maybe I wouldn’t like it. I did consider him a great friend for 2 years but when I think of the time that has past, it won’t be able to be exactly how it used to be. I have been single for 2 years, since my brother passed away. I did grow up in the past months — figuring what I wanted. We aren’t the same anymore. I’d moved on from everything else. Then I snapped out of it and reminded myself about living in the now. I won’t say I’d never ever see him again, we never know what life does to us so, I just won’t give it a second thought.
By the way, photo credit goes to Newsy who captured my element.
I don’t normally pour my heart out on my blog (I used to when I was younger) but it feels right sharing this since many of you admitted reading it (Thanks). I just feel like mutated angst that I need to get over. Other than that, I just have hilarious dating stories (I have a 2nd blog for that). Maybe I should turn it into a book someday (by chance the next person I go on a date with will read this post – ouch!).
Job: Don’t let the past steal your present. ~Terri Guillemets
Very few know this story but I haven’t worked at Aviary since May. If it’s a shocker to some of you folks, I guess you missed that entry it’s here. Don’t worry it needed to be done. It was definitely a dream of mine and I did it. I was on their beta since 2008 and I reached that goal but when you reach goals you have to make more right? Well, it has been uphill since then. So far, I’ve been freelancing in these past months and I learned so much. I’ve done things like designed devices, websites, pitches, brain storms for fortune 500 clients, banks, traveled, etc. I’ve learned:
1. It can be intimidating but freelance can be quite flexible if done right.
2. Reach out to all your connections:, I’ve had some pretty sweet projects these past months and it’s because I had friends who believed in me and my work (my job was not to let them down).
3. You can never have too much money if you didn’t have any to begin with. (Save, save, save). Luckily I saved enough as emergency fund.
4. I’m easily stressed (Yes I am) if I’m not in reality. I can’t help it that my creativity leaves me in an imaginative state.
5. You might have to pretend to be the mafia to get paid. I haven’t been paid on time by an agency that I worked for since June 29th. It’s now August 9th, I had only been paid 1 check. I was supposed to receive 2. They weren’t on time with the first. I had to send them a very strong email earlier. Hopefully I will get paid by this weekend. Apparently everyone I owe wants to get paid on time, doesn’t seem to be the same for people who owe me.
6. Balance is essential. Sleep, diet and exercise! (I have bootcamp in the morning).
7. Your friends and family are supportive (well most are). Keep them close! I have undying love for my friends now. They have been so great to me. I LOVE them and I wish I could tell them everyday how I feel. I feel honored/blessed to be inspired by them and appreciated by them and the feeling is mutual! Plus, my family just rocks – enough said.
8. I’m talented. F’ it! I said it! I earned it! I’ve been coding since I was 11. I’ve built my PC, crashed it, formated, and installed OS on it. I went to a really great school even if I grew up poor. Got scholarships, came to a country that I had barely visited and made it my home. Made honor role all through High School and Deans List all through college. Became a published illustrator reached my dreams and more. Felt heartbreaks to sustain my dreams! F’ it, I earned it. *insert Mel Gibson catching his breath here [haha if you don't know what that means you fail pop culture]* This is the first time that I had to admit that I deserve being conceited and I WORKED hard. (It’s possible that God might not like this post).
9. Keep setting goals. My ultimate goal is to reach a point where I can work pro bono. I want to make others happy. A wise man told me that in order to helps others I need to help myself get out of my situation first, I’m doing that and giving good back into the world while that happens.
<3. Good night.
36 things every single girl must do before she settles down
Posted by Jerlyn in My Life in NYC on August 9, 2010
In more posts about improving my “live-in-the-now” lifestyle and since I’m one of the web’s most eligible bachelorette: I got this off FunkyBrownChick’s Blog and she got it via Erin Meanley, a dating blogger at Glamour. It’s a list of experiences single folks should try before they settle down. Just like FBC, I decided to cross off what I’ve already done.
36 things every single girl must do before she settles down
To Build Your Confidence…
1. Go to a movie alone.
2. Lift weights.
3. Try surfing, water-skiing, or some activity you don’t already know how to do. Could be riding a bicycle. (I’m a certified scuba diver, I can ride a bike, I do need to learn to snow board any takers?)
4. Take out the trash, set a mousetrap, do your taxes, build a bookcase. (Done, Done, Done, Done)
5. Live alone, or at least move apartments in NYC without the help of family (Doing that)
6. Train for (and finish) a huge physical test like a half-marathon. (Does a 10K count? I couldn’t even run before!)
7. Go to a scary doctor’s appointment by yourself. Done and it wasn’t so scary in the end.
8. Quit your job. (Yup)
9. Fly to a foreign country by yourself.
10. Learn to stand up for yourself.
To Be Able to Look Back and Say “I Had Fun”…
11. Witness something once-in-a-lifetime, like Jokulsarlon, a lake next to a melting glacier in Iceland.
12. Revel in being able to watch all the reality TV you want.
13. Get drunk during the day, just because you can. Attend Santacon, the convention for Santas, or something similar.
14. Go on a date with someone who actually makes you nervous.
15. Go out with an older man who takes you somewhere nice and makes you feel like a million bucks. NYC makes everything so easy. I did this and makes me not settle for less, being spoiled can be awesome.
16. Go out with a guy who makes you laugh ‘til it hurts. These are the guys I actually prefer.
To Get Perspective…
17. Be a good wingwoman. It’s not always about you.
18. Chill with your widowed and single grandma. She knows “alone”! Hopefully a random widow worked in this example.
19. Volunteer.
To Make You Appreciate the Next Guy…
20. Do at least one Valentine’s Day alone. Story of my life.
21. Attend a wedding (or 15) alone. (I don’t get invited to weddings, not sure if I would want to.
22. Date the creeps. You’ll really value the nice guys afterward. (Ok I am tired of the creeps!)
To Make You Feel Sexy and Attractive…
23. Buy yourself some flowers. (I miss these)
24. Invest in a LBD (little black dress) and some sexy stilettos.
25. Sit at a bar by yourself and drink a martini. (Glass of wine, beer, etc 
done done done).
26. Buy something frivolous and expensive that you LOVE wearing.
To Make the Most of Your Free Time…
27. Finish all your schooling if you can. (will still continue)
28. Throw yourself into something time-consuming, like learning a foreign language. (Working on it )
To Make Yourself a Better Partner in the Future…
29. Make a list of all your faults. (Yah, I am my biggest critic)
30. Learn to cook well. Do you need convincing?
31. Get some hobbies. (That’s why I am never bored)
32. Let your married friends edit your online dating profile. (Haha will need to do that)
33. Get your finances in order.
To Appreciate Being Single…
34. Babysit someone’s baby for an hour. — Yikes
35. Help a friend through her divorce or a bad break-up.
36. Host a girls-only night. I think some coupled-up women forget how much we need each other.
Since I haven’t done only 4 things on this list, does this mean I am closer to being “coupled up?”
Burlesque, crêpes et un tatouage
Posted by Jerlyn in My Life in NYC on August 7, 2010
Last night I went to my very first Burlesque show and ended up getting a tattoo before I headed back to Brooklyn.
I’ll admit, it’s not my thing but I am happy that I went. It’s a basically fancy strip act if you haven’t been to one.
A Burlesque is “a humorous and provocative stage showfeaturing slapstick humor, comic skits, bawdy songs, striptease acts, and a scantily clad female chorus.” - dictionary.com
It’s not my thing because I don’t need to see it I suppose (Not because I don’t like it)? The girls were beautiful and the acts were great. However, a random guy sat with us and he said that he goes to them frequently (and alone) and I didn’t understand why… Then again, I don’t understand strip clubs either (I’d blame it on me being a girl).
I enjoyed the act
Right after the show, I went to have crêpe avec ma amie Revi.
The place happened to be next door to Addiction Studios at 116 MacDougal st New York, 10012. It was pretty late and I met Simon (now my tattoo artist) along with his coworker Austin.
I asked for a tattoo. At first I wanted a zodiac symbol but I was born on a cusp so it’s always complicated. I settled for a butterfly. If you’re used to my work, you will notice that I have an obsession with butterflies. So, there were thoughts behind it :p.
“It is a symbol of freedom and creativity. It’s delicate and small but makes such an incredible impact which represents me, a singular entity making the vast web beautiful.” [from my post]
“Butterfly represents a need for change and greater freedom, and at the same time it represents courage: one requires courage to carry out the changes necessary in the process of growth.”
This wasn’t a difficult conclusion to come to because 1. I was completely sober 2. I’ve recently been into tattoos (watching Miami ink and LA ink didn’t help).
I remember never wanting one (also didn’t think i would pierce anything other than my ears). Mostly because I felt like I would change my mind. So I got it in a very discreet place that wouldn’t be visible while I work .
This is Simon’s sketch:
Here’s the transfer:
Finally, here’s how it looked swollen and all:
This is my very first tattoo. People said that I will get addicted to it and get more. Who knows? I live in the now. Realize how opened I am, I go to Burlesque shows anything else can happen on my adventures.
Here’s video:
If you ever wanted to know how getting a tattoo feels, imagine someone is pressing their nails into your skin and dragging it… coloring it feels like they are scratching very hard with their nails.
Quarter Life Crisis?
I posted this before (source). However, I shared this with a lot of my friends in the recent months since we are all in our early, mid or late twenties and go through the same issues. So this is quarter life crisis:
It is when you stop going along with the crowd and start realizing that there are a lot of things about yourself that you didn’t know and may or may not like. You start feeling insecure and wonder where you will be in a year or two, but then get scared because you barely know where you are now.
You start realizing that people are selfish and that, maybe, those friends that you thought you were so close to aren’t exactly the greatest people you have ever met and the people you have lost touch with are some of the most important ones. What you do not realize is that they are realizing that too and are not really cold or catty or mean or insincere, but that they are as confused as you.
You look at your job. It is not even close to what you thought you would be doing or maybe you are looking for one and realizing that you are going to have to start at the bottom and are scared.
You miss the comforts of college, of groups, of socializing with the same people on a constant basis. But then you realize that maybe they weren’t so great after all.
You are beginning to understand yourself and what you want and do not want. Your opinions have gotten stronger. You see what others are doing and find yourself judging a bit more than usual because suddenly you realize that you have certain boundaries in your life and add things to your list of what is acceptable and what is not. You are insecure and then secure. You laugh and cry with the greatest force of your life. You feel alone and scared and confused. Suddenly change is the enemy and you try and cling on to the past with dear life but soon realize that the past is drifting further and further away and there is nothing to do but stay where you are or move forward.
You get your heart broken and wonder how someone you loved could do such damage to you or you lay in bed and wonder why you can’t meet anyone decent enough to get to know better. You love someone but maybe love someone else too and cannot figure out why you are doing this because you are not a bad person.
One night stands and random hook ups start to look cheap and getting wasted and acting like an idiot starts to look pathetic. You go through the same emotions and questions over and over and talk with your friends about the same topics because you cannot seem to make a decision.
You worry about loans and money and the future and making a life for yourself and while wining the race would be great, right now you’d just like to be a contender!
What you may not realize is that everyone reading this relates to it. We are in our best of times and our worst of times, trying as hard as we can to figure this whole thing out.
Jerome Diaz
“We seem to be going through a period of nostalgia, and everyone seems to think yesterday was better than today. I don’t think it was, and I would advise you not to wait ten years before admitting today was great. If you’re hung up on nostalgia, pretend today is yesterday and just go out and have one hell of a time.” ~Art Buchwald
I love living vicariously in the lives of others (well not everyone) – those who have embraced life and taken risks. Those who have in fact – lived. Life is there to be experienced so why should you live the same way day to day? I will follow up on this post with a post about living in the moment soon but I want to mention that today I met a photographer named Jerome Diaz. You can read much of his bio on his site. However he is originally from Venezuela and interned with Helmet Newton before he passed away. When I spoke to Jerome today I was so inspired. Here’s one of his images from Sports Illustrated.
We both shared stories about our lives in travel and experience. His career spanned way ahead of my college career and had been entirely in film. He’s self taught initially and has worked for a large scale of clients from FHM to Playboy. What inspired me the most was his dedication and drive throughout his youth.
His work is indeed impeccable and he shared his personal book with me. The way he explained what he used to do showed me true passion as an artist.
View some of his work at his domain (he hasn’t updated it in years).
Happy Birthday Gilbert
This is an intimate entry… As the years pass by I can’t help but wonder what could’ve been or should have happened. Death gave me such epiphanies of life and I shall forever be appreciative of what little I have, when I have and not take the people that are in my life for granted.
I lost my brother a couple years ago (I visited him when I went back to the Virgin Islands to replace the dice on his gravestone), I wrote an entry when he would have been 20 last year but today, he would have been 21. Today I dedicated my facebook status to his memory. One of my facebook friends messaged me and wondered whether I had ever spoke to a counselor about it. I admitted to her that I hadn’t but told her that I am aware that death affects people differently. I do think of him often but it hurts less and less when I think of how he has touched each of us.
The thing is, my brother’s death affected my family (I’m sure that death affected everyone’s family when they experience a loss). I’m a certain way towards others today because of our loss.
I’ve been able to see beauty in things that I hadn’t seen before. I’ve also been able to look past a great deal of things and not live in a bubble of how my actions may affect others. I’ve been able to worry less about frivolous things because life is short. I’ve been able to love with an open heart regardless of whether or not I was hurt by someone.
However, I can’t help but wonder how he might have been today. I think that I will always wonder how he would be years into the future. I do remember when I was 21. It was like a “right of passage” through time. If he would have been alive today I might have joked that it’s finally legal for him to drink in the U. S. (it’s 18 in the Virgin Islands). I wonder what he would have studied, whether he would be dating or not, the latest book he would have enjoyed (the last book he was reading was Rage Therapy by Daniel Kalla that i finished for him), the new song he would have been into (the last album he purchased was an Album by Akon), etc.
I still remember his voice and I hope that I never forget it. I love him and I do miss him. I do know what I would have gotten him for his birthday.
Health matters
Posted by Jerlyn in My Life in NYC on July 27, 2010
In the past entries, I’ve been sharing various activities that I’ve been doing in NYC. I’m going to discuss one more: Boot Camp Training. I found a coupon online for 5 sessions and I’ve completed one thus far and it kicked my butt.
I care a great deal about my health. By constantly remaining active, I feel better and sleep better. So when I saw this I was all for it!
This is the website http://www.brooklynbridgebootcamp.com/. I had my session with Ariane and found out that she recently did a triathalon, that girl’s hardcore!
The bootcamp took place from the Manhattan part of the bridge and back. We did lounges, pushups, sprinting, speedwalking, running, curls, etc. The next day, I felt like I was hit by a truck.
She was impressed that it was my first time and I kept up. Point for me!
This was a great change of pace besides my 5 am runs.
I certainly intend to complete the next 4 sessions.
Another thing I’m trying is my very own exercise equipment:
This is the BodyForm Total Fitness Platform and the BodyForm Fitness Slider. I selected them at Brookstone (who provides free delivery), however I saw them on Amazon for the same price so it made sense to just get them there.
My gym membership ran out (even if it’s only $75 per year). The hours were not convenient to me so with my morning runs, yoga, bootcamp, pole dancing, calisthenics, and these two additions I should be fine!
I’ve never really had a specific routine so I’m going to try to log what I do daily which was inspired by my friend Francky who has stopped smoking for a month now – I’m so proud of this! No one usually listens to me when I preach about not smoking and he did. I know it was difficult for him to give it up. However, I am happy that he did.
It’s almost August, have many of you kept your resolutions to lose weight, start a healthy regiment or stop smoking?
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My name is Jerlyn Thomas. I run this site as my design filled life in NYC and my portfolio can be seen at my personal domain.
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