Ideas come from everything.
Brooklyn, New York
I’m inspired by…
Hard work.
When I’m not working I’m probably…
Playing handball… so see me in the courts.
The best luck I’ve had in my life so far was…
Having siblings.
My favorite ITC process is…
QA’ing orders. (Checking to make sure everything is accurate.)
An uncommon fact about me…
I actually draw whenever I get some type of inspiration.
Working at UncommonGoods, I’ve learned…
To use Microsoft Excel more than I ever have before.
Would you rather… have the ability to fly OR to be invisible?
I’d rather have the ability to fly so that I could go anywhere in the world whenever I’d like.
New York City
I’m inspired by…
My kids.
My favorite process in the UncommonGoods warehouse is…
THE MACHINE! (A machine in our warehouse that allows us to automatically pack certain products, saving time and packing materials.)
Since working at UncommonGoods I’ve learned…
How to be more vocal.
The word that best describes me…
Punctual, leader, and determined. Oh you only wanted one. Lol.
My guilty pleasure is…
Playing video games.
If my 3rd grade teacher could see me now, he or she would say…
“I’m so proud of you for the person you are today.”
Would you rather…have perfect self-discipline OR no self-discipline, but never feel frustrated?
No self-discipline.
The next Instagram Challenge theme is WANDERLUST. We believe we all have a free spirit living inside of us somewhere. Whether you’re an avid jet setter, saving your pennies for that Round-The-World ticket, or have been longing for an outdoor camping trip just an hour away from home– wanderlust is a powerful thing, and the only way to get rid of it is to GO. Summers are usually the time when we hop on a plane (or boat, or bike, or train!) and travel off to a place to discover, experience, and explore. When sharing your photos, be sure to use the hashtag #UGInstafun for a chance to win a $50 gift card! Visit here to see all of the travel entries we’ve received so far!
Congrats to @bunsk1 for winning our NEIGHBORHOOD #UGInstaFun challenge!
Every team member here at UncommonGoods gets a chance to tell a bit of their own story, but every now and then someone comes along who really steals the show. For the past two and half years that person has been (que in spirit fingers) Gabrielle Dolceamore. (Yes, that is her real last name. And no, you are not pronouncing it right.) Gaby has been one of the most public-facing Ugooders yet. If you read the blog, follow us on social media, or attend our events, you know Gaby. So, like us, you’ll be sad to see her leave UncommonGoods. Sure, we’re bummed that we’re losing our friend and coworker, but we also feel lucky to have had her as part of the team and are proud to celebrate all she’s accomplished here.
As Community Outreach Coordinator, Gaby’s done great work telling our brand story through lookbooks and PR events, chatting up artists and designers (on stage!) as a design panel organizer and moderator, and building our community through design challenges, email newsletters, and social media. We’ll miss her clever hashtags (#UGInstaFun), consummate style, and impromptu ukulele concerts.
Besides her major responsibilities mentioned above, Gaby is also known for her witty one-liners, shopping online like a gold medal Olympian, zenning out through after work yoga at Prospect Park, and her entertaining Avenue Q one-woman-show outbursts.
Gaby, we love you, we will miss you, and we thank you tremendously for sharing your undying love for Barbara Streisand, teaching us how we can make everything look better with the miracle of washi tape, and heavily supporting our Pinterest procrastination. Good luck in all of your future adventures!
Summer afternoon—summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.
Product: Boombox Touch Speaker, a portable speaker that’s cord free and will blast out your tunes by simply setting a smartphone on top of it.
Research:
I love to jam out (preferably to Motown, MJ, or the Rent soundtrack ) while taking my morning showers, prepping dinner, or cleaning my apartment. And although I could play music out loud with my iPhone, it’s never quite loud enough. As a temporary solution, I used to walk around with my iPhone in my back pocket and wear headphones in my apartment, but that quickly became a nuisance. So I decided to search for a convenient speaker that I could use with my iPhone. I wanted something that I could easily bring from room to room without a hassle of setting up or constant plugging and unplugging.
Then I discovered the Boombox Touch Speaker while browsing UncommonGoods at work. I have to admit when I heard that this speaker could play music if I just simply placed my iPhone on top of it, I was definitely skeptical. Trust me, I’m usually a glass-half-full type of gal, but I felt like this little tech discovery was too good to be true. The description claimed that there was no need to set up Bluetooth® and no cords were needed. For such a great price, what exactly is the catch? Poor sound quality? Needing to download a $3 smartphone app? Will it break easily?
Skeptical and hopeful at the same time, I’ve decided to test it out on my own to get to the bottom of this mystery.
Hypothesis:
I was sure that the product would work, but definitely with a couple of setbacks. I was expecting to hear a bit of static or that the music wouldn’t be as loud as I would want it to be. (And super loud Billie Jean is always better than I-could-kinda-hear-you Billie Jean.)
Experiment:
I planned to test out the Boombox Touch Speaker at my neighborhood park for a nice little lazy Sunday. Nothing at the time sounded better than flipping through fashion magazines, snacking on guacamole and chips, and chit chatting with my good friend, Christina, while listening to a few Motown favorites in the background.
When I got the speaker I was immediately surprised by three things: the size, the weight, and the feel. I expected it to be bigger because in my mind “big sound equals big speakers.” But I guess we’re not living in the ‘80s anymore and this doesn’t necessarily need to happen anymore. It was nice to know that I could pop it into my tote bag and still have room for other gadgets and gizmos.
The weight was lighter than I expected as well, even after seeing its small size – I thought it would still be a bit heavier than it was. That was a relief because it would have been a hassle if I had a heavy speaker weighing down on my shoulder during my commute or if I had to complete errands. I hate being slowed down!
The last thing I noticed was the feel of the entire speaker. It’s surprisingly soft, smooth, and easy to hold and carry around. I could place it on my nightstand, fireplace mantel, kitchen counters, or on the shelf in my bathroom. I love that it’s so versatile and doesn’t necessarily need a specific spot to live in my home. So far, I was definitely impressed. (But still skeptical!) I was ready to test the speaker! Off to the park we go.
The next step was simply to just turn on the speaker. I turned it on from the switch in the back, and a blue light popped up. I was happy I didn’t need to charge it or place batteries in. I was like a kid opening up her birthday gifts. I wanted the toy to work – no time for other nonsense!
In the photo below I was so excited that the speaker weighed less than the bag of tortilla chips I was holding!
Now, for the moment I’ve been waiting for! Without reading directions, I placed my iPhone on top of the speaker… and….I didn’t hear one sound come out of the speaker. I knew it! Too good to be true! I turned the switch back on and then off. Tried again. And again. And again. Nothing.
But right when I turned the phone around, I heard good ol’ Marvin Gaye crooning loud and clear, literally. The sound quality was amazing. Success! It was a lot louder than I expected it to be and I actually had to turn down the music through the volume control on my iPhone. (Although, I’m sure others at the park wouldn’t have had any objections to Marvin being a part of their Sunday!)
Conclusion:
I’m glad I was very skeptical of the Boombox Touch Speaker because I feel if I wasn’t, I wouldn’t have been as eager to test it out. I’m 100% happy with it, and would recommend it to any music lover. (AKA: everyone!) My only tip is to make sure that your phone is facing the right way. For the iPhone, make sure the top of the phone sits closest to the speaker, its screen facing up. (Seen in the photo above.)
Now I am able to listen to loud music at home in any room (headphone free!). Also, it’s always a fun to bring out and show off to my friends on any of our rooftop parties or afternoon picnics. I honestly had three people ask me in absolute awe “How is that even possible?” And just as the description advises to do here, I shrugged and said, “It’s magic.”
Watch me test out the speaker and bust a couple of moves in the video below. Happy grooving!
My hometown is…
Cotuit, Massachusetts
My favorite project I’ve worked on at UncommonGoods is…
Constantly improving our mobile experience. I guess that’s more like a million unending projects? Whatever, I’m a sucker for punishment.
I’m inspired by…
Warps and wefts. Deep, deep water. This kid.
I’m passionate about…
Honestly? Everything. But my short list would have to be puppies, then… more puppies?
An uncommon fact about me…
I used to work summers in a biotech lab, harvesting white blood cells from crabs. We called it the Crab Lab. I think that’s all I’m legally allowed to say about it, but I loved that job. Science is fun!
My favorite place I’ve traveled to is…
Sintra, Portugal. It’s the westernmost part of Europe and you can literally ride your bike right up to the spot where Portugal drops off into the ocean and peep over the edge. It’s this weird combination of jungle contrasted by acres of scrubby plants that completely cover the rocky, rolling hills. And then, nothing.
My style is…
I like to think it’s a nice balance of Rayanne Graff and all my horse-themed clothing.
Since working at UncommonGoods I’ve learned…
You can’t always get what you want. More importantly, that it’s perfectly okay to not always get what you want.
Would you rather…go on a one-time shopping spree at your favorite clothing store with no spending limit OR get to eat at your favorite restaurant for free for two weeks?
Shopping, always, that’s not even a question.