Sabrina

Every day is beautiful.

Profile

Experienced multi-media journalist
Writing and Editing | Greater New York City Area, US

Experience

  • Mar 2011 - Present
    Managing Editor / Newlyweds-Dish.com
    -Developed the first online space for women to share stories of being newly married

    -Led site to 42k page views from 50 countries in site's first 30 days

    -Assembled group of talented young professionals to engage with and grow online community
  • Oct 2008 - Present
    Author and Editor / Slice of Lemon.com
    -Influence, lead, motivate women ages 13-55 in blog community in responsible, effective manner

    -Increased number of visitors to site by 45 percent in 4 months

    -Expanded site's global reach by 20 percent in 5 months
  • Dec 2006 - Oct 2008
    Breaking News Producer, Web Editor, Project Manager / The Washington Post
    -Increased number of collaborative projects with Metro print staff, Web, multi-media department

    -Created original video pilot on Muslim women's fashion, which was promoted on site's homepage

    -Promoted from Metro local to National newsdesk in less than 4 months

    -Helped develop strategy for online coverage and presentation of local news and information
  • Jul 2005 - Dec 2006
    Staff Writer, Columnist / The Observer Newspapers
    -Created award-winning news piece on illegal immigration affecting Washington, D.C. suburbs

    -Authored weekly column based on volunteer work at HIV and AIDS camp in South Africa

    -Coordinated copy flow between newspaper and Web site for 60k circulation weekly; updated Web site with news, events

Education

  • 2001 - 2005
    Virginia Wesleyan College
    B.A. in Mass Communications, Journalism and Media Studies
    Activities: Reporter and columnist for award-winning student news paper, The Marlin Chronicle; member of women's lacrosse team.

Additional Information

Honors:
-Chosen from among 1,200 bloggers to announce runway fashions by designer and Project Runway contestant, Diana Eng, for FashionWare (Living in Digital Times) at Consumer Electronics Show, 2011 -Chosen from among 1,200 bloggers to join BlogHer Publishing Network's senior staffers to participate in fashion panel, presentation for Target brand managers, 2011 -Chosen from among 1,200 bloggers to join NY Times best selling author and host of Food Network show "The Pioneer Woman," Ree Drummond, and BlogHer Publishing Network to film Macy's sponsored series, "Putting it all Together," 2010 -Voted "Top 5 Female Examiners to Know" by Examiner.com corporate, 2009 -Featured in "Fashioning Faith," a documentary film on fashion from the American-Muslim perspective, 2009 -Received Honorable Mentions in categories "Best New Blog," and "Best Designed Blog," from BrassCrescent.org, 2009 -Awarded: news, column, feature writing by Virginia Press Association: 2002, 2003, 2006

Uploads

Posts

October 09, 01:55 PM

I realize that this poncho is frightfully expensive. Though not as frightful as how frail the girl wearing it is. Someone get her a glass of chocolate milk while I write this column. Also, get me one too. Ponchos...

September 20, 09:13 PM

The weather is getting cold in L.A., and yes I realize that that sentence should be followed by, I'm an east-coast bred transplant to L.A. turned sissy. This morning, when the man I married got...

August 23, 03:44 PM

My hiatus is over. After some much-needed time away to work on writing projects, personal projects, and to spend time with my family on the east coast, I've returned. I'm back to give my commentary...

May 25, 01:28 PM

As a general rule of thumb, every woman should have a handful of pieces that cover the basics of evening wear.The Formal Party: This is a wedding, your parents' 50th anniversary dinner, or your best friend's graduation from...

May 14, 04:43 PM

A few years ago, a friend of mine asked me if she could come to the mosque with me. I told her she was more than welcome, and when she asked me what she should wear, I said, “Whatever...

May 11, 08:19 PM

I love the minimal look. I also love the over-the-top, wearing-so-much-jewelry-you-can't-see-your-arm look, but unlike all things minimal, frou frou doesn't work everywhere. Like, you couldn't show up...

May 04, 11:53 PM

Dear Kobe, I recently saw this, and I have to tell you, for being a fairly attractive man, this photo shoot that GQ bamboozled you into partaking in is about as far from flattering as the third nose job on...

April 16, 09:46 PM

Fact: I have never subscribed to a magazine.Fact #2: I have however flipped through the Sassy subscription my sister had when she was 15. Why have I never had a magazine mailed to me? Because nothing ever changes. You...

April 05, 06:08 PM

It's a little presumptuous for me to be giving advice on how to dress elegantly, since I'm pretty sure elegant would be the last word anyone would ever use to describe me. I'm more brash, a little...

April 02, 10:32 AM

As much as I've tried to go hands-free when it comes to carrying a purse, I've found that it's near impossible. I don't understand why I need to keep an umbrella with me at all...

March 25, 01:18 PM

Jeans are an absolute staple for any closet, and even if you don't wear them out in public (for personal, or religious reasons) chances are, you probably still have a pair (or six) that you wear from time to...

March 22, 02:37 PM

Remember that time when you were at a party, and your friend nudged you and was all, "Omigod, look at her. She should like, NOT be wearing stripes."Remember that?Two things: First, I hope you have since...

March 10, 01:04 PM

OMG, You Guys! Did you know that clogs are in style again? The first time I went to Holland, the world was my heaven. It was a swirly sweet candy land filled with the New Shoe smell of clogs and...

March 03, 05:26 PM

There are a few types of people that wear long skirts: people who are awesome, lots of Muslim women, people with a little extra meat on their legs, and also people that are awesome. Oh...and me. (In case you...

February 20, 07:37 PM

Owner of Dame, a women's clothing boutique located in Santa Monica, Ca., Dana Rossi is waiting at Los Angeles International Airport, just minutes away from boarding her plane for a week-long trip to Europe when we connect.She...

February 16, 10:01 PM

When Ronny Kleyweg, owner of Animal House, a new and vintage clothing store in Venice, Ca., opened his store in the 1980s, vintage clothing hadn't yet found its niche in the clothing market, which made Animal House a hot...

February 10, 12:58 PM

When Darla Montoya's two-toned red and white 1961 Chrysler was hit on Interstate 405, the small settlement she was awarded didn't make up for the sentimental damage to the vintage car. Rather than heading to the mall...

February 02, 09:27 PM

I'm scoping out local, Los Angeles-based clothing desingers and boutique owners to feature in this column, and I need your help! If you, or someone you know would like to be featured here, e-mail: sabrina@sliceoflemon.com...

February 01, 04:57 PM

Owner of The Runway Outlet in Los Angeles, Alli Byrum left her home in Australia three years ago after falling in love with an American man (now her fiancé) who was in the Land Down Under for business. After...

January 25, 05:40 PM

Last Chance Boutique, located in Culver City, feels like an extended version of your own closet when you walk in, and Store Manager, Dahlia Sayegh says that's exactly how they want customers to feel.“This feels like home...

Posts

February 07, 10:58 AM

MY GOD, THE LIGHT! You might not be surprised to know that at one point during that epic montage of me fighting with the sun, I tried to use WHITE paper and Scotch tape to block the light. Genius, I know. I love these ladies and am so happy to be working with them at Newlyweds-Dish! And thank God for Michael who puts up with all our antics!

February 02, 10:02 AM

I don’t understand why this video doesn’t have 8 million hits already. Also, unless you or someone you know VERY WELL isn’t from Hyderabad, India you will not find this funny at all. Oh, and also this video is not in English.

February 01, 08:45 AM

The Internet is a pretty great resource for aspiring authors. When I started to seriously look into how to write query letters for my “book” (yes, still in quotes), I found a ton of information on professional Web sites, on blogs, and simply through asking my other writer friends (both published and not yet published) if they’d be so kind as to help a fellow writer out with resources. I got a into a good rhythm last summer of understanding what different agents look for when reading query letters, and just when I thought I understood The Process, I spoke with a published writer friend who basically said Yeah, it’s nothing like that.

Thanks a lot, Internet!

Because I’m writing non-fiction, I’ve heard a lot of mixed advice on submitting a partial versus a full manuscript. Based on the information I read on line (liars!) non-fiction or memoirs could be submitted unfinished while fiction had to be submitted in full. But now, I’m learning that some publishing houses and some agents want your full manuscript even if you’re writing non-fiction and/or a memoir. So you’re entire manuscript has to be done before you can even query an agent.

In my head (i.e. an ideal world where everything is about me and life’s laws functions accordingly) I would submit about 3 chapters of my unfinished manuscript (though I imagine an agent would know whether or not they liked my voice after less than 10 pages), the agent would contact me and enthusiastically squeal, “I’m in!” and then guide me through the process from there. And what I mean by “guide me through the process” is that they’d say, “Okay, next up, I want you to send me 5,000 words about your childhood…GO!” and so on. Through this guided process of writing, editing and re-writes I would be able to stay focused and develop actual chapters as opposed to having one large file that’s saved as “First Draft” on my computer.

I’ve been reading and writing a lot this month and have found that tackling a manuscript is so much different than the work I do as a journalist. When I’m writing a feature story, or an editorial piece, or even reporting on a hard news piece there is one topic at hand, a handful of people to interview, a few hours doing research and an editor (or editors) who I have constant access to. And that’s where my talents shine. My craft is in telling other peoples’ stories so to sit down and tackle my entire life (up to present day) with just me and my laptop is a daunting task.

So far I’ve got 29 pages completed that make sense in spurts. I edit myself with a really heavy hand so even though I’m disappointed that I don’t have 50 solid pages logged, I know myself so I understand why. This process of putting pen to paper in a personal format is reading (right now) exactly the way I think: 13 topics at once, something hilarious that if said aloud will probably offend a lot of people, a really profound life observation or thought that I’ll forget if I don’t write down in my journal AT THIS EXACT MOMENT (who cares if I’m driving 85 mph down 91!), and valuable and inspiring messages buried under a rubble of well-intended chaos and disorganization.

Come to think of it my brain at this very moment looks a lot like what my dorm room did my freshman year in college.

 

Posts

September 20, 01:11 AM

September 20, 01:08 AM

September 20, 01:05 AM

September 20, 01:01 AM

August 23, 08:16 PM

August 23, 08:14 PM

August 10, 01:57 PM

The Bridge of Flowers, Shelburne, Mass.

August 10, 01:54 PM

Savoy Mountain State Forest, Florida, Mass.

August 10, 01:53 PM

Savoy Mountain State Forest, Florida, Mass.

August 10, 01:51 PM

Savoy Mountain State Forest, Florida, Mass.

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