In the mood for images instead of words today? Photos above are by fabulous New York City photographer Diana Levine. Snapped during Social Media Week. See more party pics. For personal snapshots and other stuff, you can check out my TwitPic, Flickr or the “In Pictures” series on Funky Brown Chick.

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In Pictures: Social Media Week Photos by Diana Levine

How do you enter to win? It’s easy. Whether or you’re married, single or other, I want to know what you’re doing for Valentine’s Day. So, tell me! There are three ways to let me know (and, thereby enter to win the free Match.com goody bag). Here’s how: (1) Leave a comment on www.funkybrownchick.com; (2) tell me on Facebook; or (3) reply on Twitter – @funkybrownchick – with the hashtag #MatchKit. No need to do all three — e.g. don’t respond on the FBC and Facebook and Twitter. Pick one method, whichever method is easiest for you. Deadline is midnight (New York time) on Wednesday, 2/10.

Since I’m asking about your plans, it only seems fair to tell you about mine. For Valentine’s Day 2010, I’ll spend the afternoon making long distance telephone calls to my family back in Illinois. During the evening, I’ll be at The Grown and Sexy Valentine Party, a private gathering of friends and lovers with champagne, cupcakes and chocolate served. In other words, this year, I’m taking timing out to appreciate the love I have in life (friends & family) instead of focusing on what I don’t have at the moment (a boyfriend). Yep. That’s the plan. Now, let me what you’re doing.

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Full Disclosure: I don’t receive compensation or kickbacks from Match.com. I’m not promoting this giveaway because I’m on anyone’s payroll; I’m promoting it because I was approached, and I thought the opportunity to give Funky Brown Chick readers free stuff sounded delightful.

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Free Giveaway: Valentine’s Day Love Kit (Deadline: 2/10)

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Living my life as I see fit. Pursuing my passions. Hanging out with good friends. Drinking nice wine. Seeing beautiful sunsets. Dipping my toes in warm ocean water on sandy beaches. Practicing my faith in a place of worship that doesn’t judge me. Being loved. Being free.

What is your greatest fear?

Dying alone.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

Strength. But, it’s weird; I have a love / hate relationship with this trait. Hear me out …

Ages ago, on This American Life, I listened to Genevieve Jurgensen talk about the death of her two young daughters. After their funeral, she said someone told her: “You will see, you can get used to anything.” She responded. “It is certainly the most simple, true, brutal perceptive thing that anyone said to me at the time. You could interpret it as either a message of hope, or of a crushing contempt of human nature.”

I never know how to react when people tell me they think I’m “strong” or “independent” or whatever. On one hand, it’s a certainly compliment. On the other hand, it’s frustrating because resilience, by definition, is the capacity to withstand and rebound from catastrophe, pain and loss. Hence, the more resilient anyone is, theoretically, the more “practice” they’ve had at sharpening this skill/trait. I remember talking to one of my church’s ministers about how difficult life was for me at a certain point a few years back, and he told me: “Life can be unbearably hard at times.” Yes, it’s true. I know. And, if strength is the product of surviving adversity, sometimes I wish I wasn’t as strong because that would’ve meant I hadn’t experienced as much adversity.

What is the trait you most deplore in others?

Stubbornness. Bigotry. Closed-mindedness. Ignorance. Pick any; they’re all one in the same.

Which living person do you most admire?

Whoopi Goldberg, Halle Berry, Oprah, Barack Obama, Cher, Madonna, Eminem, Jay-Z, Sean Combs, Zoe Margolis, Abiola Abrams, Rachel Kramer Bussel, my family and others — both known and unknown, famous and obscure — who’ve made their way forward and are doing things they love on their own terms.

What is your current state of mind?

Conflicted about living in New York beyond the next 3 – 5 years. Resolved about my dating life. Happy that I’m living, clothed, fed, sheltered and moving toward being debt free.

What do you consider the most overrated virtue?

Chastity. Seriously, fuck that.

What do you most dislike about your appearance?

That I (and women in general) have to do our hair, wear make up and do other seemingly purposeless and annoying things to look “polished.” I know women who won’t leave this house without makeup. Obviously, I’m doing it wrong because I rarely wear the stuff & regularly post pictures online sans makeup and sans curled hair. :)

What is the quality you most like in a man?

Honesty.

What is the quality you most like in a woman?

Self esteem. Women who have healthy levels of self esteem are generally less bitchy and annoying to deal with than those who don’t.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

I say “or something like that” and “right” and “like” and other stuff a lot. I blame my days living in California :)

What or who is the greatest love of your life?

There’s not one “who” because I think everyone has several “great loves” throughout their lives. If I had to answer “what” is my greatest love, I would say happiness. I like being happy.

When and where were you happiest?

Adulthood.

Which talent would you most like to have?

I’d like to have a better singing voice.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Happiness and positivity. Neither came easily, I work at both.

If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?

A butterfly. They’re really pretty. I like looking at them. So, yeah, either that or a chocolate cupcake. Or, maybe, a stone.

Where would you most like to live?

At the moment, I’m okay in New York. When I look into the future, I think I’d eventually like to save more money, plan for early retirement, buy property, have a bigass dog for a pet, grow a garden, etc. It’s not impossible to do these things in New York, but it’s certainly harder to achieve that stuff here than it is in other places. Five years into the future, I will have lived in NYC for a decade. That’s a good run. Not sure where I’d go after that. Maybe I’ll stay here. Maybe I won’t. Maybe I return abroad. Maybe I won’t. Who knows.

What is your favorite occupation?

In the past it was international affairs / international education. Now, it’s writing.

What do you most value in your friends?

Loyalty. Integrity. Honesty.

Who are your favorite writers?

Too many to list!!! Langston Hughes, Anne Frank, Gabriel García Márquez, Kafka, Hans Massaquoi …

What is it that you most dislike?

Shitty people.

What is your greatest regret?

I don’t have regrets, per se. I have tons of mistakes that I’ve learned from, and I try to apply that knowledge whenever I’m in similar situations. For example, I used to live in London by myself. I left because I was scared and didn’t know if things would work out in the long run. In New York, when things didn’t work out in the beginning, I stayed because I already knew what it was like to run away.

How would you like to die?

Without pain, in my sleep while dreaming about my loved ones.

What is your motto?

Life is short. Enjoy it.

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Voyeurism and The Proust Questionnaire

If you could pick a “Theme Song” for today, what would YOU choose?

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It’s going to be a sunny 71° F in NYC today.

Last night. Outside Molton Brown’s SoHo location. 128 Spring Street, New York, NY.

Today. My bathroom sink. I bought Skinfresh facial wash, Skinbalance tonight lotion and Facezone Overnight Renewal. (I still use Clinique’s daily moisturizer (yellow container) because it has SPF.)

Urban Gypsy getting a mini-facial last night.

Now that I look at all the pictures, I wish I took a group shot of our faces because everyone looked so pretty and relaxed after our mini-facials and massages. See that? Brown on Brown Love! :) Given my friends and I walked out with bags of purchased goodies hanging from our fingers, I guess the Molton Brown + Funky Brown Chick affair was a smart business move. That said, I don’t get the impression they throw private parties w/ wine and massages for everyone who walks in the store. So, I’m grateful for their kindness and generosity.

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In Pictures: Molton Brown + Funky Brown Chick = Brown Love Affair

Now, on a much lighter note … This sexual harassment / office humor video from Ebaums world is sooo wrong … and hilarious (h/t to @VioletBlue for the link)! If the clip above doesn’t load, you can see it on YouTube.

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A HILARIOUS Sexual Harassment Video

By the way, in case you were wondering, I’m moving because I wanted something more centrally located. In 2005, when I first moved to New York, I lived in the West Village and, later, Hell Kitchen. Both neighborhoods were great. But,  I lost my job shortly after settling in. I wasn’t freelancing yet, so my funds plummeted. I pretty much started living off my credit cards and I totally fucking wrecked my credit. :( I didn’t talk (or blog) about it a lot because I was embarrassed. I thought my credit score was like a GPA for the “Are you being a good, responsible adult?” test, and I was flunking because my rank was bottom floor low. On top of that, I thought I was going to be forced to leave New York because I couldn’t afford to live here anymore. Luckily, things worked out and I got back on track. That sentence sounds more “passive” than it should be. Getting back on track didn’t just “happen.” I fought like hell for it. I sold all of my furniture and decreased my expenses by moving further out of the city into a furnished apartment. I also increased my income by working more than one gig: took on social media consulting projects, added more pay-per-click ads to my site, did more freelance article writing, etc. etc. Now that I’ve finally figured out how to live as a freelancer in New York, things are going well. I’ve been stable, making money and fixing my credit for a little while now. Hence, the move. New life. New start. New apartment. I still have to buy furniture to make it feel like home, but I’m going to furnish the whole place with 90% thrift store bargains and  found items. It’s a more unique, greener and less expensive way to decorate. See image below or click here to see pieces and layouts I’m considering:

Yep, that’s exactly 439 square feet of new home located only a few blocks from Central Park. In New York, I swear the rents are based 90% on location and only 10% on square footage. Take that guy Kevin Patterson, for example. He’s a New Yorker and he won Apartment Therapy’s contest for the smallest, coolest, teeny tiny apartment. His place is 210 square feet and his monthly rent is $1,550. I’m originally from Illinois — where $1,550/month is considered a “luxury” rate — so I’m still dealing with the sticker shock. Paying less than $2,000/month is actually a really GOOD DEAL for the Upper West Side. This city is insane. Actually — and, yes, this is totally off topic but — speaking of “only in New York” stuff, did you see that New York Times story about the place with a drug dealer as the previous tenant? When the current tenant dude was on vacation, people actually broke into his apartment and tore up the floorboards to get $900,000 rumored to be buried under there. Needless to say, the new guy is moving to a different place now. Glad my previous tenant was a totally awesome chick in new media who (to my knowledge) didn’t stash extra drug cash under the floor. Hmmm, actually, I would’ve liked the extra cash … just not, you know, that whole “druglords chasing it” stuff. ;) Anyway. It’s going to take me a little while to settle in and get the place presentable. I’ll post additional pictures as it starts to looks more like a “home” rather than four bare walls and a floor.

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Life in New York City: I’m Moving (Again)

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Last Post: No More Funky Brown Chick

1. UNDERSTAND LE BODY. It took me a while to figure it out. Condoms often give me yeast infections and make sex uncomfortable. So, I used to always use lube to make everything flow easier. BUT … After a couple gynie visits, my doctor and I figured out the spermicidal lube on the condoms irritated my skin more than the condoms themselves. So, I sometimes buy other varieties when/if I feel like playing around with that stuff. And, sometimes I just don’t use it at all.
2. MAKE MY PARTNER WORK HARDER. If I’m with a guy and I’m not self-lubing, it could be because I’m not wet. If I’m not wet, it’s likely my partner (or me) isn’t doing enough to get me aroused. In those cases, fuck lube — I just get a bit more vocal in bed. “Baby, touch me here like this instead.” Then I begin manual instruction or, if desired, a self demonstration.
3. TEST SHIT OUT ON MY HAND FIRST. INTENSE is a tiny 0.34 FL OZ / 10 ML black bottle with “20 uses in pump.” Because I’d never used the product before, I squirted a bit on my hand and massaged it in. (1 down, 19 17 to go.) As I’ve mentioned before, I have sensitive skin. Everywhere. I’d rather go to my doctor with an inflamed hand than an inflamed hooha. You’ll be happy to know INTENSE, inflamed neither. ;) It’s actually a pretty nice product. Not at all sticky, very smooth. Because of its name, I think I expected it to burn / over warm (like that icy-hot stuff they stick on athletes) when I applied it, but it didn’t.
4. KNOW WHAT’S IN IT. Sex toys are products. Products are made of chemicals. A Chinese toy recall was instituted for the younguns’ playthings, right? Um, where are many vibrators are made? Ding, ding, ding. China! And, of course, US and other factories aren’t above tainted chemicals either. (Sidenote: Learn about phthalates.) Before I rub anything on or insert it into my horny bits, I search online about for details about the products’ chemicals. For example, KY INTENSE Arousal Gel for Her contains propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, PEG-8, hydroxypropyl cellulose, tocopherol and niacin. Thankfully, all relatively safe. If you’re curious about organic options, I think the calendar party gift bags contained Sliquid. They may or may not be organic; I’ve gotta look into that a bit more to find out.

So, there you have it! If any of you are interested in trying out KY INTENSE Arousal Gel for Her, stay tuned. I might have a lube “Pleasure Giveaway” on Funky Brown Chick soon. Very very soon.

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How to Use Lube (PRODUCT REVIEW: KY – Intense Arousal Gel for Her)

What’s the story behind your username (marianaa)? What’s your real name?

Mariana Alvarez. That’s why it’s mariana a.

99designs says their site has almost 29,000 designers who’ve submitted 1,398,691 designs for various contests, winning more than $4 million in prize money. Presumably, not everyone lives in the US. Where do you live?

I live in Montevideo, Uruguay. It is in South America, in the middle of Argentina and Brazil. Here in Uruguay, like in Argentina, we are all descendant from Europeans, since 1900s immigrants.

Okay. Unfortunately, I don’t know much about Uruguayan people, food or culture. But, I’m a soccer fan. You guys were in the World Cup. Yay Uruguay! Tell me more about you. For example, why do you like design?

I’ve loved to draw since I was a child. So when I had to decide what to do, I took this way and I really like it! I also have a lot to learn, I learn every day from others designers.

Great! If someone sees the logo you made for me (above), loves it and wants to pay you to make a logo for them, how should they contact you?

They can contact me by mail anytime at [mariana.alagarde on gmail]. I work from home, full time :)

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So, there you have it! Q&A with Mariana Alvarez. Not only is she an interesting and talented designer, working with her was an absolute pleasure. Now, tell me about YOU, dear reader — since you guys are the lovely people who voted for her. Please use the comment section below to tell me where you’re sitting right now. For example, I’ll start: I’m in New York. I’m sitting in from in my computer in Midtown Manhattan, and I’m excited about meeting my friend Sexy Schultzy for lunch later to day. Where are you?

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Where in the World Are You?