My parents, Gabe, and I had the pleasure of dining on Sunday evening at The Bay on Lopez Island.

The incredible Tim and Kristin Shea are the new owners of The Bay. Before signing on as the new owner of The Bay, Tim spent the last 11 years as a server, manager and maître d’ at Bis on Main in Bellevue, Washington. And we can all attest that he has brought culinary excellence to Lopez.

Staying true to the island's roots, Tim uses as much local agriculture and produce to customize his menu.

We toasted our evening with an excellent bottle of Lopez Island Vineyards Cabernet-Merlot.

Then, the meal began with Gabe and I both I starting off with the most delicious cup of clam chowder followed by a hearty meal. I won't spoil you with what we devoured but will tell you it was nothing less than epic.

Tim and Kristin were affable hosts, greeting each guest with a smile and very sweet recommendation. The Bay just may be what the San Juan Islands need; a restaurant of five star quality and friendliness just the same.

Daily I get people asking "How did you get such a great job?" or "Tell me what I should do to enter your field?" I realize that I've been guilty of publicizing (sheesh, after all, I am a publicist) the incredible awesome, kick-butt, amazing work that I get to do. But it wasn't always that way. This past Friday I had a great conversation with my boss John about how our group (the PR team) works around the clock 24/7. And it's true. We are never completely disconnected from work (just ask Gabe whose eyeballs widened when I took out my laptop to work in Belize). I love my job, however, it wasn't and isn't always glamorous. Here's why:

1. You Must Hop on a Plane at a Moment's Notice.

That's been my life the past 6 months. Everything in the fashion PR world - especially when it comes to dressing starlets - happens last minute. So forget about making concrete plans because you may be beckoned to LA or NYC. Nobody cares if it's your Mom's birthday. They need you and they need you NOW. 

2. You Snooze, You Lose.

Yes, you worked all night pitching that fabulous celebrity wearing your brand, but it doesn't stop there. If People StyleWatch or InStyle needs credit information and you're snoozing then  better luck next time (or next job, I should say). Be available at all hours to deliver what the editor or stylist needs.

3. What's a Weekend?

I work weekends. ALL the time. Whether I'm traveling or not - there's never a weekend I'm not on a call, pitching an editor or working through a strategy. I appreciate my quality time with my boyfriend, family and close friends. But when push comes to shove, many times it comes second to work.

4. Go to the Next Level By Working for Free.

Yes, you heard right. Along with my normal 40 hour work week at CNN, I worked for free on overnight shifts (which mainly consisted of 10pm-8am on Friday/Saturday nights) with the CNN International assigment desk. It not only shows your heart and dedication but proves that  there is nothing that will keep you from achieveing your dream. And It works. 

5. Get Through a Lot of Bad Bosses.

This has to do with management specifically. I've talked about how my manager,  John, is the best  I've ever had.  But that wasn't always the case. I've had bosses in the past that were just terrible at managing people. Some were bullies, some were threatened by my personal performance and the list goes on. Don't be surprised if you have a handful of bad managers before you find one that truly wants to see you succeed.



With hard work and dedication, you can have the career of your dreams. But it's going to take a lot of sacrifice. So, the question is, ARE YOU UP FOR IT?

The beautiful Bitsie Tulloch and I have yet to meet in real life, but when we do, I have a feeling that it will be as if we've known each other forever. 

I've seen both her work and TV interviews and I kid you not, she is as BEAUTIFUL as she is down to earth. Bitsie has had quite a year already - having been a cast member of the Academy Award Winning Film "The Artist" and stars in the very successful NBC Drama, Grimm. Enjoy this very special interview with a very special actress. Enjoy!

JVP: First and foremost, congratulations on such a great first season of Grimm! We're excited for the second season! Can you give us any inside scoop?

BT: Thank you so much :) The first season was so much fun to shoot, and I'm excited to get back to Portland at the end of May to start shooting Season 2.  As far as sharing any scoop with you, I wish I could, but I have either been sworn to secrecy or I don't know. Of things i can share - You can definitely expect to see the fallout from Nick telling Juliette about his secret (season 1 finale episode), the Monroe/Rosalee relationship is going to grow, and they are going to delve into the Captain Renard/Seven Royal Families storyline, but I can't really get much further into it than that. Sorry!

JVP: Thanks for the info! And why do you think viewers are so engaged with this drama?

BT: Well, for starters - the 5 men I work with are all very handsome and talented, which doesn't hurt. but on a more basic level, I think it's because Grimm can't be pigeonholed into one genre - there's something for everyone: crime procedural, fantasy, horror, sci-fi, buddy comedy, romance, etc. and people all over the world are familiar with the Brothers Grimm tales - so it's fun to tune in and guess which story is being re-told, and to see how the writers have interpreted it in a modern-day setting. And in my opinion Grimm is the perfect amount of edge-of-your-seat scary without going overboard.

JVP: Tell us about the amazing makeup department at Grimm?

BT: They obviously are some of the best in the business! What's it look seeing their before & after looks? Barney Burman is the fantastic gentleman in charge of all the makeup effects on the show - we are lucky to have him! He won an Academy Award a couple years ago for "Star Trek." I only personally had to work with him once - for a small hand prosthetic for the cat scratch in the season finale. And he spent quite a bit of time prepping it - his attention to detail is seriously incredible. One of the reasons the fans find the "morphing" so convincing is how flawlessly Barney works with VFX guys - between Barney's work on set and their work in post-production, we're covered. 

JVP: You've also starred in the Academy Award Winning film "The Artist" and more recently, the indie film "Caroline & Jackie." What do you specifically look for in a role?

BT: Needs to be fun, engaging, and challenging,-- a character I want to imbue with integrity, and bring to life.... and hopefully something different from anything else I've done recently. It always helps if there is some aspect of the character that scares me a little bit. My roles this past year as Norma in "The Artist," Jackie in "Caroline & Jackie," and Juliette on "Grimm" literally couldn't be more different from one another :)

JVP: My dream director to work with is.....

BT: PT Anderson, Mike Leigh, Woody Allen, Lynne Ramsay, Martin Scorsese, Kathryn Bigelow, Steven Spielberg, Gus van Sant, Nicolas Refn.... I literally could go on and on. There are so many directors I would love to work with.

JVP: Explain your sense of style and what it means to you.

BT: The outfit I wore to the Tribeca Film Festival premiere of Caroline & Jackie summarizes my style: chic vintage dress that I bought off eBay and had tailored to fit me, Jimmy Choo stiletto heels, vintage red and black lace clutch  - so everything was a mixture of expensive and vintage - simple/elegant with a pop of color. and the black pearl and diamond Blue Nile studs I had on were gorgeous. And perfect with that vintage black and white dress. :)

JVP: My favorite piece of Blue Nile jewelry is..... 

BT: My garnet and diamond ring is never off my fingers. I'm wearing it right now. I can't wait to get more Blue Nile cocktail rings! I also adore the diamond and emerald studs (also currently have on) --  they are so old-school chic. Very easy to dress up or dress down :) 

                   FOLLOW BITSIE TULLOCH ON TWITTER @BitsieTulloch

Today at the Blue Nile culture club meeting, we discussed different words that describe who we are as individuals and as a company.

Integrity, Authenticity, Education, Elegance, and Respect were all tossed around and it started to get me thinking. 

We spend so much of our week at the workplace that it's imperative we have clear definitive values that help us manage our employees, work effectively among our peers and create our voice.

I have emphasized before how Blue Nile has been the healthiest workplace to date. And I don't mean people that continuously exercise during their lunch break and eat from all the major food groups.  (Although they do that too!)

I mean everyone is committed to the same healthy values that have helped steer our culture. Clear lines of communication, a bottom up approach to innovation and creativity and superior customer service are just a few.

We run so fast sometimes that we forget to take a step back to realize how powerful a company's core values really do impact us as individuals.

And when I do - whether its sharing with my colleague Luba today how much I learn from my boss, or taking a minute to appreciate how dedicated the QA engineers are to a perfect customer experience - I remember how gosh darn lucky I am to be at Blue Nile.

So take a step back, whether you're self-employed or work in a large corporation, to ask what values do you hold as an individual and are they reflective in your corporate culture?

You may learn that it's a perfect fit or ---  the shoe just may be on the wrong foot.

Clearly it's CAMERON DIAZ, who looked absoultely radiant, fresh-faced and simply glowed at the Met Gala. I felt like I was watching her when she first stepped onto the scene in "The Mask." Kudos to Cam's stylist, Rachel Zoe for a job well done. Honey, call me next time for jewelry ok?

I'll never forget the first time I visited The Big Apple. My grandparents, Raymond & Jeannette, took my Mother and I to New York City for my special 16th birthday. Three years after my Bat Mitzvah, they pledged to take each grandchild to New York when they turned 16. I wanted to revisit that first trip and how it's changed now that I've been over a dozen times.

Where We Stayed: 

The St. Regis Hotel opened my eyes to what a makes a five star hotel so extraordinary. My Mom and I stayed in one of their suites and everything from the decor to the service was impeccable. Now do you see where I get my great taste? ;-) 

What We Ate: 

I can't remember which restaurants we dined at, however, I do remember lunch at the famous Carnegie Deli. In true Carnegie form, I shared a gigantic pastrami sandwich with my grandfather. 

Where We Went:

I vividly remember taking a lovely horse-drawn carriage ride around Central Park, going atop the Empire State Building, and having  dessert at The Plaza. I'll never forget the smell of my grandfather's cigar and scotch that evening. I felt as if I was surrounded by royalty. 

Places We Shopped:

There  is no way I would be able to forget this! I was baffled by the amazing Takashimaya department store. It was the most fantastic shopping experience I'd ever encountered at that point. I was sad to hear they left 5th Avenue in 2010 but look forward to visiting their Tokyo store in the future. Also, I remember spending ample time at the Bijan store (which relocated to Beverly Hills). My mother still has soaps and lotions from this upscale retailer. Other shopping highlights include the usual's Bergdorf Goodman & Henri Bendel.

Much has changed about New York City but the fact remains that it had me at "hello" when I first visited at 16.