You have read me hinting around that I am finally writing my book tentatively called Naughty Secretary Club Jewelry. Please feel free to send over wittier titles if you have one. The theme is going to of course be jewelry in my traditional big, obnoxious and tack-a-liscious way, but with a secretarial theme. I was an administrative assistant for almost 4 years straight out of college, hence where the name of my company came from. I am trying to rack my brain and remember all the tools of the trade that I used back in those days so that I can incorporate them into my book. I have asked you for help in this area before, but since I have to have all my jewelry projects in by the end of the month now I am kind of begging. The kinds of questions I have are…
Can you think of songs like “Take This Job and Shove It” that have to do with working in an office?
Any movies such as 9 to 5 that make you think of administrative assistants?
Did you ever make necklaces at your desk out of paper clips?
What makes you think of secretaries: phones, typewriters, white out?
What are your job duties as an administrative assistant? I filed, typed reports, answered phones, opened mail, made travel arrangements – those types of things.
Just anything that makes you think of office life that you think I might find applicable for book research would be super duper awesomely helpful.
I have to say last time I posted some questions and searched for advice on this topic a handful of people wrote to me slightly offended about the use of the word secretary. That just breaks my heart because I would never think of that term or profession in a negative light. Again I was a receptionist/secretary/office assistant for almost 4 years. My sister was one for 2. I am bringing empowerment to the word and having fun with a profession no different than if I was a doctor when I started my business I would have been the Naughty Doctor Club and writing a book on making jewelry with gauze and alcohol wipes. When I personally was a naughty secretary I wasn’t exactly working I was making jewelry under my desk and that is why the book is going to have a similar vibe.
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
When I say Naughty Secretary Club, what comes to mind?
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11 comments:
I hope you find what you are looking for... here are some notes I had :)
"Office life taught me to be tolerant, lazy, and a good gossip" - Bob Mortimer
Swimming with Sharks - a movie with Kevin Spacey... might have something
Working Girl(1988)is a good movie starring Melanie Griffith(sp?)The Devil Wears Prada another good on.Erin Brockovich. OK that's all I can think of for now.Now that I this in my brain can probably think of more throughout the day.:)
I made bracelets with rubber bands before( the colorful ones), made earrings out of paper clips though.
When I think of secretarial duties( and no secretary is not a bad word that's what we were called, never had so much fun and bored out of mind at the same time) I think coffee and doughnuts and bagels. Definitely lots of coffee.Seems like I was always making coffee and ordering doughnuts and bagels.That's what I always think of when you see those miniatures coffee mugs in gifts stores. You know what I mean they have peoples name on them? Something with those could be fun like a bracelet.
Oh and post its. Seems like you can never have a enough post its.Other things would be staplers ,hole punches, and files.
Yep I did all those things to.
Is you blog collage going to be the cover for your book.Its cool.
Hope I was some help. Have a great Fourth of July!
I agree take back the power!
Seriously though,a vintage film you might want to check out is with Robert Morse(i think)called "How to succeed in business without really trying" Its a fab time capsule musical,and just in case you haven't yet seen it,it has the whole secratary pool vibe goin' on. "Pajama Game",withDoris Day is another bid'nessy type musical,with fun company picnic type themes,hey,the company picnic,theres a neclace waitingto happen!
Oh these are great suggestions! I need to add all these movies to my Netflix que.
I also had not thought of the company picnic that is a perfect theme idea.
Thanks dudes, keep em coming!
I used to stael the Sharpies, paint my nails with WhiteOut and surf the net all day. Wow, I guess I was a naughty secretary too!
Office Space springs to mind. Working in an office is so boring, that you have to amuse yourself with the office supplies.
Nothing can really top 9 to 5 in terms of setting the right mood. I used to work in a really slow office with minimal supervision. So we got away with quite a bit. A favorite past time was making hats out ups shipping bags then doing interpretive dance to old Duran Duran songs.
I'm just thinking of the top of my head about great moments were the Secretary (or assistant) saved the day or is featured...
-Principle Ed Rooney's secretary in Ferris Bueller.
-The Hudsucker proxy.
-Liar,Liar.
-Devil wears Prada.
-Batman Returns (Catwoman is a secretary)
-Jerry Maguire (Rene Zellweger is Tom Cruise's assistant)
-Carol Burnett's Mrs. Wiggans character.
-Murphy Brown had the running gag of never having the same secretary
every episode.
-Lucille Ball was Gail Gordon's secretary at the bank in the later "Lucy Show"
-Radar O'Reilly in MASH.
-Diana Prince (AKA Wonder Woman) was Col. Steve Trevor's secretary in WW2 in the early comic books and TV series.
-R2D2 was the greatest personal assistant any Skywalker had.
to continue with movies...
-"Clockwatches" with Parker Posey
-"Secretary" with James Spader and Maggie Gyllenhaal
Are they secretaries in Last Days of Disco?
After thinking the word secretary so often...isn't it interesting how Secret is the main part of the word...
Dave Lowe I'm impressed!
Excellent idea for a book and I'd keep the title - It's "you"
I use office supply stuff a lot w/my jewelry making. White out bottle make good dowels for wrapping wire when you need a large hoop, pencils too of course for that and jump rings. Then there's paper binders I use to hold onto things like thread or elastic when I'm making stretchie bracelets.
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