Friday, December 2, 2011

Thanksgiving Happenings

Ever since I was little, Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays. (This could be because it's always the same time as my birthday though lol.) This was my first Thanksgiving away from home and I couldn't have been more thankful my brother James came to visit me. 

Since I had most of the week off, we were able to spend lots of time together. I was so excited to not only show him around the city, but my neighborhood as well. I wanted him to see what it was like for me living here. We went grocery shopping, ate at my favorite pizzeria, walked down Fifth Avenue, saw the Plaza and the Apple store, took the subway, walked around Chelsea Market, went to the Upper West side to see all of the balloons that were going to be in the parade and went to one of my favorite bars, The Stumble Inn. And that was all in his first day here. 


My friend Jill moved to D.C. about a week ago and came up Wednesday evening to spend Thanksgiving with us. I was so excited to see her since it has been way too long! She is so chill and amazing that it seemed like the three of us could have been childhood friends. On Thursday we all hung out around the apartment, watched the parade on TV (we agreed there was no way we were waking up that early to go wait in the cold), watched football, cooked, drank and had fun. 


Since there ended up being eight of us for Thanksgiving, we had it over at Erica's boyfriend’s apartment. The food was absolutely delicious and we had more than enough. Erica's dad came in town, so it was nice to have a parent there. He gave a very sweet toast about our new lives and all of the "firsts" we would be experiencing. I hadn't given it much thought, but I realized how right he was. It made everything that much more special. I passed out on the couch from a food coma, so James, Jill and I went home to watch some more football.


Friday afternoon we went to a beer garden in Astoria called Studio Square. It wasn't the one I wanted to go to (the original one is 100 years old) because it didn't open until later that night, but we figured this new one would be just as good. I haven't ever been to the original, but I have a feeling it must be better. Granted we went on a Friday afternoon, but the place was almost completely empty. We decided to eat, hang out and watch some more football while James drank his beers. Eventually Jill and I got bored, so we left.


 Afterwards we were feeling semi-touristy and went to Rockefeller Center to see the Christmas tree. The whole area was already decorated for Christmas, the giant tree just wasn't lit up yet. Afterwards we went down to Bryant Park by Grand Central and walked around the Christmas shops they have set up. There is also an ice skating rink that I plan on skating at some point this month. James is really into trying unique types of beer, so we went to some cool pubs/bars in SoHo and Greenwich Village. 


Unfortunately Jill had to leave Saturday. Alexa took her to the bus at Penn Station and then met up with us. While she was doing that, James, Shaina and I went to Eataly. It's the largest artisanal Italian food and wine marketplace in the world owned by Mario Batali, Lidia Bastianich and Joe Bastianich. There are about five different restaurants and a complete market. It has everything you could imagine. One of the best things (besides the food) is you can walk around the entire market with a drink in your hand! I had probably one the best glasses of wine I have ever had and ate delicious pasta. Afterwards we went to the Baylor bar and watched the Bears beat Tech (Sic'em!). 

James and I decided to take it easy on Sunday since we were both so exhausted. We slept in, ate yummy waffles for brunch, watched lots of football and a few action movies like the old days. Sadly James left at 3:00am Monday morning to catch his 5:45am flight back to Houston. 

Overall my Thanksgiving week was wonderful. I was able to spend quality time with my brother, see old friends, have time off from work, and go to new places in the city. I couldn't have asked for a better holiday in the city. I will say that I can't wait to go home for Christmas though!

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Another Year Older

As many of you know, I turned 23 years old last Tuesday. While some people would freak out about getting older, I actually prefer it. That could have something to do with me always feeling like the youngest/a child because all my friends are older. Or the fact that I hate telling hot, older guys how young I am. Either way, I was excited to be turning 23. 

While normally I am always prepared with some sort of birthday celebration, this year was different. I'm in a new city with new friends and a new life. I felt almost a little foolish making my birthday a big deal to people who had only known me for a few months, so the only thing I planned was going out to dinner on my actual birthday.

Little to my surprise my friends had something else planned. My friend Jess had planned a surprise party for me down in the Flatiron District. I was absolutely shocked! I couldn't believe that they had been planning this all along and I didn't have a clue about it. I was so surprised and happy to see them all. I instantly knew this was going to be an amazing birthday.

My friends had a drink ready, balloons, a birthday sash and tiara. They tied the balloons to my wrist, put the crown on my head and the sash on me. I tried to protest, but they wouldn't allow it. Every time I took it off, Shaina kept putting it back on so I gave up fighting her (until the last bar when she stopped noticing). I also ended up loving the balloons (until some rude girl popped them) because they got me free drinks and birthday wishes all night!

After Flatiron we went down the Lower East Side to a place by my friend's apartment called Dark Room. It is everyone's favorite place to go at the end of the night. It was so much fun! There were tons of cute boys (some had foreign accents so that's always a plus) and great music. We danced, laughed and had an amazing time.

The entire weekend was filled with amazing birthday activities. We went to brunch on Saturday and shopped for a dress for me for my birthday dinner. Sunday Alexa and I went to brunch in the Lower East Side at NoLita House. On the weekends they have live bluegrass music and a boozy brunch special. The music felt a little like home and the food was delicious!

At my new job our office was only open Monday and Tuesday so my brother flew into town Tuesday night for my birthday and Thanksgiving. We were all supposed to go out to eat in Greenwich Village at the tapas restaurant Alta, but long story short, it didn't work out. Instead I picked a bar down in Alphabet City. It was listed as the best place to get group drinks online, but it ended up not being that great of a bar. Luckily my friends are chill and didn't even care (or at least they said they didn't). We still had fun hanging out before everyone left for Thanksgiving. 

My friends throwing me a surprise party and buying my drinks all weekend was more than enough. To top it all off though, I got some excellent presents as well. Alexa gave me two AMAZING cookbooks, a Christmas cd and a Christmas ornament. Erica got me some pretty Bobbi Brown makeup. My parents bought me new clothes while my mom was in town and then sent more gifts with my brother. They send a gift basket with another great cookbook, an electric wine opener, two bottles of wine and more amazing goodies. My brother flew here to see me, so that was more than enough. 

While I started out with low hopes about my birthday, I ended up being more than thrilled with it. The surprise party was more than I could have asked for. The fact that they even took the time to plan it meant the world to me. They could have stopped right there and I would have been happy, but they continued. I couldn't have asked for better friends or a better first birthday in New York!

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Too Busy to Keep Up

I know I am a complete slacker and haven’t written a post in forever- sorry!! I have been so busy since I returned from Waco, I haven’t had time. I was waiting to find my camera cord so I could upload pictures, but that doesn’t seem to be happening anytime soon. Also, I don’t really have time to write up my blog at work anymore, so that’s another reason I’m behind. I’ll just give you a quick update on my life and try to write more this week.
Homecoming was absolutely amazing!! I got to see tons of old friends, the beautiful Baylor campus, and eat amazing food.  I caught up with my best friends and went to every happy hour I could. I drank more margaritas and ate more Mexican food than I have since I moved to New York, and it was heavenly. Scruff’s was packed all weekend as expected, but it was a blast once we got inside. Tailgating was fun and the game was amazing. I cheered, drank and cheered some more. I didn’t get very much sleep hanging out with my friends all night and the time change causing me to wake up so early.
A few of my favorite highlights include: a group of us hanging out at George’s and going to Piano Man; hanging out with the guys at 9th every chance I got (they didn’t really have a choice, I basically would just show up whenever I felt like it); having late night chats with Haley like we used to when we lived together; getting ready for the game, and tailgating with all my friends.
While Waco was amazing, I was ready to get back to NYC. I was shocked how much I missed the city. I missed walking the streets and all the noise that comes with it. I flew back Sunday night and my mom flew in Monday night to come visit. I had two days off from work before I started my new job, so it worked out perfectly. She cleaned my apartment and washed all my clothes, which I was so appreciative of. I showed her the Met, Tory Burch, my neighborhood and several other places around the city. We ate amazing food and had a great time. I’m glad she was finally able to get a sense of what my life is like here.
This past Monday was my first day at my new job and so far I absolutely love it! The people I work with are so welcoming and very inclusive. I get along great with my team and enjoy what I do. Even though it takes me about 45 minutes to get to work, I love the new neighborhood my office is located in. It’s on Houston Street and I walk through SoHo to get there. I never really come down to this part of the city, so it’s nice to see new places. Hopefully since I don’t work as much now, I’ll have time to explore the area more in the future.
Today is my birthday, and if you know me, I have already started celebrating. My brother is coming in town in time for my birthday dinner in Greenwich Village. Luckily I only have to work today and tomorrow, so I can’t wait to show him around the city and celebrate my birthday and Thanksgiving with. We are going to have so much fun together. I’ll write more about my birthday, my job and my brother’s trip later this week, don’t worry. J

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Waco Bound

Today I leave for Waco and I'm beyond excited!! It's Baylor's Homecoming weekend and everyone is going to be in town. I have been looking forward to this more than I can explain to any of you. I land today in Austin at 12:15pm and will be in town until Sunday evening. (Sidenote: to those of you who helped me be able to afford this trip, I am truly grateful. I cannot begin to describe how much it means to me! Thank you.)

While living in Waco, I never once thought I would miss it, but somehow I do. Actually it's more like I miss my friends and a few restaurants. My list of things I want to do consists of the following, plus whatever else happens to come up while I'm there (in no particular order):

 Piano Man
 Ninfa's happy hour with Melodie and Kathryn
 Lunch at Teriyaki Park with Michelle
  Hanging out with all the boys
 Jimmy John's with Cami (perfect hangover food) 
Hanging out at George's and drinking Big-O's with Haley, Michelle and Dana
  Driving around jamming out to music with Haley
 Scruff's (duh)
 Dinner with my beautiful AXO family line
 Tailgating and the football game
 Brunch (I'll definitely need a few Bloody Mary's this weekend)
Being reunited with all my friends (obviously)
Taco Z late night with Blake
 Staying up all night and laying in bed talking with Haley
 Walking around campus
Ranting about dumb stuff with Alex
and much, much more.

Yes- I realize I have a pretty extensive list and will only be there for four days. I figure it's a good possibilty that some of this won't happen. I'm just going to go and have the most fun I possibly can and not worry or stress about anything. (I have already told myself I'm not going to let anything or anyone ruin/put a damper on this trip, I'm too excited.) No matter what I do or who I hang out with, I know this weekend is going to be amazing!

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Halloween

Halloween has never been my favorite holiday. I never get into dressing up, but that could be because I'm never creative enough to come up with a good costume. Halloween also happens to be my best friend's birthday. Ever since the third grade, Halloween has been more about celebrating Shelby's birthday than the actual holiday. Unfortunately though, the rest of America loves getting dressed up and celebrating Halloween. Being in New York I almost felt obligated to go out and celebrate with all the other crazies here.

I went back and forth all day at work on whether I was going to go out or not. This was not because of my usual lack of enthusiasm for Halloween, but rather because it was SNOWING. Yeah freaking crazy I know. All I could think about was how cold I would be in my costume and what shoes I would wear. I mean I had already almost busted it several times in my rain boots, I couldn't even imagine what I would do a few drinks later in high heels. After much deliberating, I decided to suck it up and just go.
With my work schedule, I didn't have time to prepare/think about my costume. It was literally a last minute thing. This is how my outfit came together: Friday- I borrowed a flapper dress from a girl I work with at the museum. Saturday morning- a girl from Tory brought me two long strands of pearls. As soon as I got off work, I went to Ricky's and bought a feather headband and a cigarette holder. I went straight home, put on my costume (praying it would fit), and left to go over to my friend's house to get ready and pre-game. I got there, borrowed a pair of fish nets and a pair of heels from her roommate. Finally after putting it all together and having the girls help me with my headband and lips, I was ready.
While it wasn't the best costume out of everyone there, I must admit I was rather impressed at how it all came together at the end. My friends and I all hung out, took pictures and celebrated until we left to go to the MTV party near Penn Station. It was fun and we all had a great time. Unfortunately I had to wake up and go to work the next morning, but oh well that won't be the case much longer.  
I didn't go out on actual Halloween day because I after work I was too exhausted. I heard the parade down in Greenwich was awesome and my friends said they have funny stories to tell me tonight at dinner. I'm glad I went out and spent time with my friends, but even New York still didn't convert me into being a huge Halloween fan. I'm already over it and look forward to going to Waco this weekend!

Friday, October 28, 2011

The Real Deal

So if you keep up with my blog or me, you know I have been working two jobs for the past month and half. While it has been overwhelming and stressful at times, I have loved it. Well my job situation is changing, yet again. I have recently been offered a full-time position at a media agency in the city!

My boss at the Met has been very supportive and has allowed me to end my temp job here early. She understood that I should not pass up a career opportunity and could not guarantee me a job here at the end of December. This was so amazing because it was a HUGE factor in whether I was going to take the job or not. You have no idea how badly I stressed over talking to her about it and leaving the Met early (I wasn't able to sleep and was physically making myself sick over it). After all it is very scary to leave a job you love, even if it is temporary, for one that you only think you will like.

So now about my new job. I will be the new assistant media planner for two luxury goods accounts. My first day will be Monday, November 14th.  I am going to continue to work at the Met and Tory until then. The company wanted me to start sooner, but I pushed it back a bit. I wanted to wait to start until after my trip to Waco and my mom came in town. That way I don't have to use up any of my vacation days. Also, I sincerely enjoy working at the Met so it will be nice to have an extra week or two with the girls in my office.

Everyone I have met at the company so far has been amazing. They are very open about me moving up within the company, saying this is a starter position and most people are promoted within a year or so. They also said after I had been at the company a while, they were willing to work with me if I wanted to move to different departments or work on different accounts. They are allowing me to do as much or as little as I want. I feel like this job will be an amazing experience and I will truly learn a lot from it. I know I will be able to grow here and it will help my career for the future.

The main downsides (besides having to leave the Met) are the pay and location. The salary is much less than I was looking for, but hopefully I will prove myself and will move up quickly. I'm going to have to start out this salary eventually, so I figure it's better to get it over with than continue to postpone the inevitable. I'm just nervous with winter and Christmas coming up (I literally don't own "real" winter clothes and I'm obsessed with buying people multiple Christmas gifts). I finally decided the sooner I took the pay cut though, the sooner I can get to higher positions for it to be increased. God always provides me with everything I need anyways. This will also help teach me how to better budget my money (my dad will love that haha). 

The other downside is that it is about 45 minutes from my apartment. I will definitely no longer be able to walk to work, which will probably turn out for the best with winter quickly approaching. I also figure that I don't plan on living in my current apartment/neighborhood forever, so it shouldn't be a deciding factor. Who knows, this time next year I could be living on the west side. Also, since it is so far, I won't be able to work at Tory Burch at night during the week. This was kinda sad since I am taking a pay cut; I wanted to be able to have more money coming in from somewhere else.

After stressing out about these and many other things for over a week, I decided this was an excellent opportunity I couldn't pass up. I believe it will lead me to great places and they are offering me many opportunities that most other companies would not in the same position. Plus it's going to be nice to be able to tell people I have a real job. I feel like I'm finally growing up lol. I'm sad I only have a few weeks left at the Met, but I can't wait to start my new job and career!

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Laughter Heals the Soul

Often times after graduating college, you lose touch with many of your friends. Work, distance, new friends, dislike of talking on the phone by some, and just life in general somehow always seem to get in the way of making time to catch up. This has been especially true for me since I moved and work all the time.

The past few weeks though I have caught up with several of my friends from school and have loved it. Catching up with the boys is probably the best. Even though most guys don't enjoy talking on the phone, I think we have had some of the best conversations. I have laughed harder during some of those 20 minute phone calls than I have in months. I literally can't keep myself from smiling and feeling happy during and after our chats.

I have Grant to remind me how stupid boys can be and always responds to my texts at 2:00am when I want to tell him about a dumb guy. He always makes me laugh and reminds me that these boys aren't worth it. Then there is Mark who I can banter with back and forth and always call him out. I'm sure our conversations sound harsh to outsiders, but we are laughing the entire time. I have Blaine to call me out on everything and then ask me the real questions about life. Kevin and I have been friends since we were three and it's always nice to know I have that go-to person who understands me and will listen. There are plenty of others, but I'm sure you probably don't care (in fact, I'm sure someone will call me and make fun of this blog in general, but I don't care).

While it is always good to catch up with old friends, I have needed it even more this past couple of weeks. I have been overly stressed and missing all my friends beyond words. It's hard living in a huge city with no one to talk to or who truly understands you most of the time. My friends have helped me forget everything and just love life. They have literally helped me be happy again and feel joy down in my soul (I know it sounds cheesy, but it's true).

The amazing thing is they made me feel so much better without having to do anything or even knowing it. With these types of friendships it doesn't always have to be a deep intense heart to heart talk to mean something. Just being able to talk, laugh, and sarcastically banter with them was enough.

Each time after talking with them, I have truly felt refreshed about life. They have reminded me why true friendships should never be taken for granted. I can't wait to see all of them next week and be able to enjoy a whole weekend of fun.

Friday, October 21, 2011

Good Times with Old Friends

This past weekend I hung out with some of my friends from Baylor. They were in town for four days on their Accounting Graduate trip. I was so excited to see them - I could barely contain my excitement. They arrived late Saturday night and met up with me and some of my other friends at a bar out in the East Village. I was so excited to be able to see them, but I was even more excited to hang out with them in New York.
I have always been the type of girl who gets along better/prefers to hang out with guys. (Blame it on me growing up with two brothers and always hanging out with their friends.) It's not near as easy to make guy friends in New York, though. Actually it's almost impossible. The kind of guy you meet out at a bar ins't the kind of guy who is interested in just being friends, and I work with all girls and they have boyfriends. So needless to say, I am constantly hanging out with girls.

Hanging out with the boys here was like a breath of fresh air. We always have so much fun together and it's always completely stress free, which is my favorite part. I can act as stupid as I want, vent, rant, get crazy and they are always there for me. They have seen me on some of my craziest nights and, for some reason, still hang out with me. We have had some amazing times together at Baylor together, gone on awesome trips, and occasionally take care of each other after a night of craziness.

Not only did I get to hang out with some of my guy friends, I also got to see two of my favorite girl friends! I was able to see my very first friend at Baylor, Kathryn. I love her to the moon and back and know no matter what, I know we will be friends forever. I also saw my friend Alex and hopefully convinced her to move to New York after she graduates! We are so much alike in many ways it's kinda crazy, but it works. Having her here with me would be absolutely amazing.

I have to admit though, I was nervous about showing them a good time. I felt like I should know the city like the back of my hand and be able to show them the best time of their life. The reality is my social/party life has been semi-lame lately.

Recently I have only been going out about one night a week. My tolerance is so low and I get tired easily since I go to bed ridiculously early now. I still don't know the city that well and there are millions of awesome bars I don't know about. There are also bars I know are amazing, but the drinks are so expensive we don't ever go there.

When it comes down to it though, I know they didn't really care all that much. The guys are so chill I knew they will have fun wherever they went, and the girls were happy as long as we got to hang out. This is what makes me love and miss them all so much. It's not often you find such amazing friends. I can't wait to be reunited with them and everyone else in a few week at Homecoming!

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Book Signing

Some of the perks of working two jobs are finally paying off. This past Wednesday the Tory Burch Madison Avenue store hosted a VIP Book Signing with Lucy Liu for her new art book, Seventy-Two!

When I arrived at 5:30pm there were already people everywhere preparing for the event. I walked downstairs to the basement to change and I was surrounded by some of the most attractive men I have ever seen. Come to find out the catering service we use hires male models as their servers. That night I saw more attractive men , than I have the entire time I have been living in the city. It was like heaven and surprisingly they were all very nice too.

All of Lucy and Tory's closest friends were invited. Everyone there was an important person in some way or another. One person everyone was excited to see at the party was Patricia Fields, the stylist from Sex and the City. I was more amazed by Lucy Liu. She was just as pretty in person as she is in the movies. She was so nice and friendly to everyone. I loved being able to stand by her and Tory as they were taking pictures together.

 It was fun to see the store transformed into a cocktail party with hot, rich people walking around everywhere. I loved being able to stand back and just watch people and see how they all interacted. Even though I would have much rather been a guest at the party, I really enjoyed it. I can't wait to see what other types of events we will have over the holidays! 

Here's a link if you want more information about the book or to see some pictures from the event: http://justjared.buzznet.com/2011/10/13/lucy-liu-book-launch-tory-burch/

Thursday, October 13, 2011

My First Day Off

Since I started working both jobs, I have been working seven days a week, every week. I have not had a single day off since then and if it wasn't for Columbus Day, I would have had one until November. Luckily for me the museum was closed on Columbus Day though.

As soon as I found out I had the day off, I told myself I was going to be selfish and do whatever I wanted to do. It was going to be a complete "me day." I began making a list of everything I wanted to do and places I wanted to go.

I immediately knew I wanted to go shopping since I haven't been able to since I moved here. My list became so long that I knew there was no way I would ever be able to do all of it in one day. I also realized that in order to get even half of it done, I was not going to be able sleep in like I had planned.

Sunday night I prioritized my list of places to shop and things I would like to do. I set my alarm for 8:30am and went to sleep early so I would be full of energy for my exciting day off.

Normally I don't really venture too far out with my wardrobe. Many times I will think things look way too out there for me or that it's cute, but I couldn't pull it off. Since moving to New York my perspective has changed. I am more open to trying on new things and not so worried about what I look like when I go out. Because let's be honest, I always know there will be someone else in this city who is dressed weirder/worse than I am. So I was determined to try on all sorts of things and go with whatever I liked.

I woke up, got ready and immediately walked up to 80th to check out a new store on Madison Avenue, Joe Fresh. It is from Canada and just opened last week. I went in and instantly began to find items I loved. I had a sales associate going through the entire store and pulling all sorts of clothes for me to try on. It was absolutely amazing. I felt like I had my own personal shopper. I found several things I liked there and bought items I typically wouldn't buy. For example, I bought some leggings with a leather stripe going down the side. I ended up with two new outfits and continued on my way.

I walked down Madison Avenue going in different stores I thought looked interesting. After a while, I wandered over to Lexington where the stores were more affordable and I got a few staples items like socks and face wash along the way.

When I reached 59th street, I wandered into Bloomingdale's wanting to buy new jeggings. As I walked around I decided to splurge on some new lipstick and perfume. About ten minutes after my two purchases, I had immediate buyer's remorse. I freaked out about how much I spent on those two items, when really I could have bought clothes instead. I went back downstairs and returned both of the items. I felt bad because both women were highly annoyed when I returned the items. While normally I would feel too bad to do this, I didn't care because I knew I would never see them again. (I think part of this has come from me living in New York.)

I wandered down to 42nd and the Grand Central Station area and continued to shop. I bought some new brown boots and more clothes. As I was on my way to J Crew to actually buy clothes I could wear to work (part of the original shopping plan), I realized I didn't need to spend any more money and that it was already 6:00pm and I was supposed to pull something out of the freezer for Erica two hours ago.

Too exhausted to walk the hour and a half back to my apartment, I hopped on the subway extremely happy with my purchases. While there was a lot I kept myself from buying and much more I still didn't even get to look at, I had a wonderful day. There are already a few things I plan on going back to buy this weekend and other stores I want to check out.

My two jobs are finally paying off and being able to see the rewards makes it that much easier to go to work each day. Since I can't really wear my new clothes to either job, I have to find time/energy to go out on the weekends with my friends so I have somewhere to wear them to!

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Tears

If you look up "tear" in the dictionary, the first definition that appears is: "a drop of the saline, watery fluid continually secreted by the lacrimal glands between the surface of the eye and the eyelid, serving to moisten and lubricate these parts and keep them clear of foreign particles."

If you ask me, this doesn't properly communicate the meaning of a tear. A tear can express many things. It can portray joy, heartache, pain, sadness, laughter, stress and much more. Often times tears come when we least expect them. This was the case for me the other night.

While, I will never think crying all the time is OK, I do think there are certain times in a person's life that letting a few good drops of saline form and fall out of your eyes is OK. Maybe it's your body's way to make you feel normal and remind you that you have emotions. That life can be tough and you will get through it.

The oddest part about crying for me is that it happens so rarely, that when I do allow tears to form in my eyes, I don't even know why it's happening. I will try and think if something specifically has happened to cause it and more often than not, I can't come up with anything.

The other night I hung up the phone after talking to my parents and silently cried in my bed so my roommate wouldn't hear. I couldn't figure out what it was, but at the same time I couldn't help myself. I hated not being able to control it or make myself stop each tear rolling down my cheek.

The worst part for me was not being able to pin point why it was happening. I prefer to be very rational and in control of my emotions and crying for no particular reason does not allow me to do this.

I laid there and thought about what it might be. Several different things ran through my mind of what might be the source of those dreadful tears. I thought maybe it was because I have to work two jobs and then I realized it wasn't that because I was the one who continually choose to do it. I thought maybe it was because I am unhappy with the weight I have gained and then I realized I was on a diet and being healthy. I told myself maybe it was that I was so exhausted and overwhelmed, but when I stopped to think about it, in all reality I wasn't and knew my life could be worse. 

So what caused me to cry? I'm still not sure why it happened, but in a small way I felt slightly relieved afterwards. Maybe it was everything over the past few months piling up and finally having to come out. Maybe I needed to release some stress and that was the only way my body knew how to react.

I do think having a moment where you allow your emotions, life and stress come to the surface and release it can be healthy. Maybe being able to express your emotions without having to explain them, is OK every once in a while. I don't plan on making this a habit, but maybe a few more emotional releases will help me better deal with everything in my life. 

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Being Healthy

Starting this past week, Erica and I have committed to being healthier. I even went out and bought a new pair of running shoes (I must admit it was slightly painful buying tennis shoes over a new pair of boots) and went to the grocery store for healthy snacks/food. We decided doing it together would make it easier to stick to and we could hold each other accountable.

Starting on Sunday we woke up around 7:30am and went for a run in Central Park. When we got home, Erica made my breakfast and packed my lunch for me while I got ready for work. Erica and I decided to start getting up at 5:45am during the week to do an abs workout and go for a run. If you know me, this is a big deal because I hate running. I find it painful and as soon as I start, all I can think about is how much longer until I'm done. Also, waking up when it's still dark outside doesn't make it any easier. Hopefully the more I do it, the easier it will get. Or at least that's what people tell me.

Erica and I found this book with lots of healthy recipes and a menu planned out, so we are following it too. We are cooking all of our meals. The book is pushing us out of our comfort zone with some foods, but I think it's a good thing. It's funny how whatever one of us loves, the other one seems to hate it just as much. The book offers a great variety, so I don't think we will get sick of it anytime soon. The only downfall is no alcohol for a month. I don't really go out much anymore since I work seven days a week, so it shouldn't be too bad.

I'm normally tired pretty early, but now I really feel like an old person. I try to be asleep before 10:00pm now. (Sad I know.) So far (and it's only been three days) I'm happy I'm doing it though. I feel healthier, I have more energy throughout the day, and it helps me get an early start on the day. I think it's going to be the hardest on the weekends when I work both jobs and I'm on my feet all day. Once I get used to the schedule I should be ok. Plus, Erica making me get out of bed helps too.

(Grant- Before you text me and complain, I'm sorry this post isn't more entertaining/interesting. I'm too tired from work to go do anything exciting lately. I'll try and work on it this weekend though.)

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Life with Two Jobs

I have been so crazy busy lately that I haven't had time to sit down and update my blog, or when I do have time, I'm too exhausted and just want to go to sleep. If you know me though, you know I would rather be running around like a chicken with my head cut off than be bored. I HATE being bored. So in a way it's perfect for me to work two jobs.

I have been working in the Special Events department at the museum and I LOVE IT. All the girls in my office are so sweet and amazing. It's so interesting to see all the different things that go into planning an event here. It's also crazy to see how many different internal and external events take place. There is always something going on here and it makes it that much more interesting.

I have had the opportunity to see the set up for several different internal events so far. It's awesome to see the different spaces transformed for a reception or dinner. I haven't been able to attend any events because I always have to leave for work, but hopefully soon we'll have one on a day I can go.

Working at Tory Burch has also been amazing. I can't explain why, but working there just makes me happy. Since it is my choice to work there and not an obligation, I enjoy my job even that much more. While standing on my feet all day and constantly running up and down two flights of stairs isn't ideal, the energy and attitude of everyone around me makes it worth it. Some days it is so exhausting and I feel like I am going to collapse to the ground, but somehow I make it through. Coffee has been one of my biggest support systems when I reach that point.

I have met lots of interesting people and I love everyone who works there. They are so friendly and fun to be around. I feel comfortable around them and they don't make me feel stupid when I make a mistake or ask question after question.

The only downfall working there is that I have already mentally spent my entire paycheck on items I want to purchase with my discount. I found two purses, an across the body small bag for going out, a pair of sunglasses, a dozen pairs of shoes, tops, scarfs, several pieces of jewelry and much more. This doesn't even include the new merchandise we are constantly receiving. Obviously I can't buy all of it, so I am already strategically planning what I am going to buy and when.

The only thing that kinda sucks is that I work every weekend. This means I am no longer able to get brunch with Alexa, I will miss any Baylor games televised during the afternoon, and I can't always go out with my friends. Even when I do get off around 8:30, I am so tired all I want to do is go to bed. I try and force myself to go out with my friends because I don't want to be "that person" who stops hanging out. I feel like when I go though I'm not much fun to be around. My brain is so empty I literally have nothing to talk about or can barely pay attention to people talking to me.

For now life is good though. I know in time I will get used to my schedule and it won't be as bad. It will become normal for me to work all the time and still go out and be fun. Hopefully it happens sooner than later for my friends' sake.

Friday, September 23, 2011

San Gennaro Festival

This past weekend while Erica's dad was in town, we went to eat at his favorite Italian restaurant Angelo's of Mulberry St. in Little Italy. Normally I love going to Little Italy for no particular reason, but this time it was even better since The San Gennaro Festival was taking place!

The 85th Annual San Gennaro Festival is the city's largest and longest running outdoor festival. It is held from September 15th through September 25th on the streets of Little Italy. Most of the restaurants set up a street side seating area to watch all of the festivities. There were a few carnival rides, vendors selling everything from jewelry to Italian aprons and other types of food carts selling different types of cuisine (I don't know who wouldn't want to eat Italian food at an Italian festival in Little Italy though). It also hosts a famous cannoli eating contest!


We decided to eat lunch first since we were starving. Angelo's was absolutely delicious! Everyone's meals were absolutely amazing. (I know this because I have an obsession with eating off other people's plates and sampled each person's meal.) The food was true Italian food and the atmosphere was sophisticated, but not uptight. I can't wait for my family to come visit so I can take them there!


After lunch we stopped by the Ferrara Bakery & Cafe since they are known for their amazing desserts. They had about four different booths set up and were selling sweets like crazy. I decided on a cannoli since I had never had one. It wasn't my favorite thing ever. I wasn't a huge fan of the pastry shell and the inside wasn't all that amazing. Erica and her dad love them though. I want to go back and try some of their other delectable desserts soon though.


While Erica and Tyler ordered gelato, Mr. Johasky and I walked down the street to the stage area. There was a man singing Frank Sinatra songs and I really enjoyed it. I have always said if I could meet a dead person, it would be him. I love all his music and Mr. Johasky and I sang along with the songs while walking down the street.


As we were standing by the stage we noticed a crew of Ferrara pastry chefs building a humongous cake to celebrate the festival. Much to the guys' disappointment, Erica and I watched them build the cake for about 30 minutes. It was so exciting each time they added a new layer and iced the cake. The piping bags they used were HUGE.




They had a blueprint of what the cake was supposed to look like when it was finished and it was awesome. We decided not to torture the boys anymore since it would be a while before it was finished and left to explore the festival some more. The streets were so crowded though we didn't get very far before we gave up. It worked out anyways because I had to go meet up with my friend Kara who came to visit from Boston and the cable guy was scheduled to come set up our cable around the same time.


Overall the festival was amazing and our lunch was even better. I enjoyed getting to know Erica's dad and being able to explore Little Italy with them. It was nice to see so many people out in the streets in the beautiful weather. I'm so happy we went and I already can't wait to go again next year!

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

We Have a TV!

During the hurricane Erica's dad was slightly uneasy about us not having a television to be able to track the hurricane. Erica explained to him we wanted one, but it wasn't exactly in our budget yet to be able to purchase one. He decided this was not ok and in case anything like this ever happened again he wanted us to have one, so he offered to buy one for us!

He picked it out online and Erica went to Best Buy to pick it up. It's a 46" LCD flat screen and we are soooooo excited and thankful!! We already looking forward to being able to record all our shows we have missed out on the past two months. You have no idea how hard it is for me to go this long without being able to watch the Food Network.





We are excited that when people come over now it won't be so awkward with nothing to do at our place. Also, after a long day at work it will be nice to come home and just mindlessly watch crime scene shows. And if for some crazy reason we ever have a storm again, it will be nice to be able to watch movies on an actual television.

I am so grateful to Mr. Johasky for buying us this TV. It makes our apartment look less empty and feel homier. Erica and I can't wait to start cooking dinner and having wine/movie nights together! We are already planning to cook dinner for our friend Heather next week so she can come see our apartment and we can all watch trashy reality shows (don't judge us, she got us hooked on it).

He actaully bought us the television about a month ago, but because DirecTV is a pain we still don't have cable. Ugh so annyoing. After waiting three weeks to find out DirecTV wouldn't work, I set up a new account with Time Warner. Hopefully we will have cable within a week! Yay!

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Finally Employed!!

Last week I became more serious about applying for jobs. After accepting I that might have to work retail, I picked the places I was most likely to spend money at and applied there. I figured if I was going to spend money there anyways, I might as well get a discount too. Later in the week I also had a meeting with a new recruiter and an informational interview at The MET. I decided I was going to do everything I could to find a job.

Long story short, I had five interviews set up over a week. The Met didn't have any permanent positions to offer me, but a temporary job in the special events department was in the process of being approved as I met with the head of HR. (Which was a sign since I scheduled my interview two weeks ago and that day was the earliest she could see me.) She offered me the position right away and said if anything permanent became available, I could apply for it at anytime and be highly considered with my previous experience there. (Plus anyone I have shown my resume to has already been impressed that I worked there, so this can only help me later on.) She said the position would start sometime this coming week depending on when the approval went through. 

After my meeting there I was on my way to another interview when the General Manager at Tory Burch (whom I interviewed with the day before) called me and asked if I was available to go meet with someone at their corporate office. Fortunately it was close by where I was, so it worked out perfectly. 

After my third/final interview of the day, The Met called to inform me that the position was approved and I could start Monday. I was so torn about what to do since I had another interview on Tuesday with a hedge fund and didn't know what Tory Burch was going to offer me. 

The thought of turning down potential full-time interviews/positions for a part-time one was not an easy feeling. On the other hand, I was aware if I turned it down, there was no guarantee I would get the other positions. Also, I knew that I wouldn't be able to live off of the Tory Burch positions salary alone. It was like the cliché "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush."

After talking to my dad and praying about it, I decided God had lined everything up for me to take the position at The Met. I decided that this opportunity could only open more doors for me down the road. Plus they said they would give me a week off for Christmas to go home to Texas which is not common here. 

I had been waiting to hear back from Tory Burch and was hesitant on whether I would get the job or not because apparently it's a lot harder to get sales associate positions there then I knew. I don't meet half the requirements and don't have this "book" that is required of employees. (Honestly I didn't even know what the book was, but didn't want to tell her that. Later I found out it was a book of clients you would bring to the store.) I had a good feeling though since at my interview the lady told me she liked me from the moment she met me.

The lady at Tory Burch finally called me Sunday evening to tell me she would like to offer me the full-time position. I told her I would only be able to work part-time and with my availability she didn't know if that would be possible. She said she would have to call her superior to discuss it. I told myself if God wanted me to have both jobs I would get it, if not she would tell me I couldn't be part-time. Well she called me back about 10 minutes later and told me they wanted me to be a part of their team so much they would work with my schedule and offered me the position!

I am aware being a temp and sales associate after college are not necessarily the greatest jobs ever, but I am so excited. I absolutely LOVE Tory Burch, the discount is going to be awesome and I get an allotted employee wardrobe which is so exciting!! Tory herself is in there all the time so I will have the opportunity to work with her which is AMAZING. I will be able to walk to both jobs from my apartment and it will help me financially. The museum is awesome and I already know I love working there. Also, I will be able to attend any event held at The Met and meet all the cool people they invite.

I know I am probably crazy for wanting to work 60 hours a week and one of the jobs is in retail, but right now I'm so thankful and excited. It will be exhausting and in three weeks there is a good chance I will write a blog about how I don't know what I was thinking, but for right now I'm going to enjoy it.

My dad made the observation of how my life had changed so much in just a week. When I stopped and thought about that statement, I was amazed at how God always provides and knows what is best better than I do. I believe this position will definitely teach me more than I realize and I have this feeling something amazing I can't even imagine right now will come out of it. Also, now when I attend all the events at The Met I know I'll at least show up fashionable!

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Central Park

Over the past few weeks I have been visiting Central Park more and more. Not having a job kind of frees up a lot of time to make this possible. Some days I want to get out of the apartment and in effort to save up money for this pair of brown boots I want, I walk the six blocks to the park. I haven't found my favorite area yet. It all depends on the day and the mood I am in. 


Some days I love sitting on the benches by the water where people can sail their toy sailboats. It's a great place for people watching. When I'm really stressed and needing to be alone, I will go lie in the grass, close my eyes and listen to music. It somehow seems to heal my soul. Other days when I just want to be outdoors for no particular reason, I will find a tree to lean against and read a good book until my butt becomes numb from sitting so long. Other days I like sitting nearish to one of the many playgrounds (in a completely non creepy way of course). On days I sit near the playgrounds I am always amazed at the groups of people I see in the park.


There are all types of people at the park: families, gays/lesbians, kids, fraternity pledges, elderly couples, teenagers looking for a place to make out, couples having a picnic date, dog walkers, running groups, nannies, friends catching up, work out groups and many many more. 

For people who think New York is a horrible city, way too busy, crowded, a place with no family values, etc. I challenge them to go to Central Park for an afternoon and just observe the people who cross their path. While yes there are some crazies, you would also be surprised at the amount of love and families in the park. 

The other day I was reading up on a hill and was amazed at what I saw. Behind me was a father chasing his little girl while she giggled and ran away, another father playing catch with his son, a couple taking a walk with their newborn in a stroller, a grandma taking pictures with her granddaughter, a family of four eating lunch, a mom helping her daughter control their new puppy on the leash and a dad teaching his son how to ride a bike. 

While I was sitting there taking all of this in, I realized how often people take these common things for granted. So often we believe that families don't spend time together anymore or that there isn't that bond/love between them like it used to be. People look at New York and automatically assume it is a place where family isn't as important as say in the South. After sitting there for 15 minutes, I knew this was nowhere near true.

Seeing all the love these people had for each other truly made me happy. It felt good to see people taking time out of their busy New York lives to spend time with loved ones and to do simple things with them. Often times it is the simple things in life that are the most important and normally it is the simple things that are taken for granted.

For anyone who doesn't believe me, needs a pick me up, or a reminder that there is still good out there in this world, I say go sit in Central Park for an hour and you will leave with a feeling a love and happiness. If you were having a bad day before, it will instantly be improved. I promise.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Internal Struggle

Since my last day working at the MET I haven't had a job. I have worked a temp job for a day here and there, but I haven't had anything permanent. Part of me has loved having free time to be lazy, run errands, read in Central Park and pretty much whatever else I feel like. The other part of me though can't stop thinking about how I am going to pay my rent, how much money is in my bank account, when will I receive my next paycheck and how am I ever going to afford to be fashionable in New York.

I have been dealing with an internal struggle I can't decide whether or not to face. On one hand I keep telling myself not to stress out and whatever is supposed to happen will. I trust God will provide for me and I will get the job He wants me to have. However, the other part of me wants to ignore the fact that I don't have a real job. It's like if I don't think about it, maybe it's not true or one will just appear when I least expect it.

 I know I can't afford certain meals or happy hours, but the alternative is sitting at home alone in my apartment. It's hard not having many friends in this huge city and choosing not to go out doesn't help the situation. It's almost like I have to spend money to have friends, as bad as that sounds. (Not that I'm buying my friends, but going out to do things with them costs money.)

The other part of my internal debate is that not stressing out about the job search, has made me less motivated to search for one. I am the type of person who performs better under stress. So by trying to not be overly stressed, I'm going to the other extreme in which I'm not stressed enough to do anything. 

I have a friend who lives here and is the same situation I am. He is so stressed that he can't sleep at night. While I am thankful I am not reacting like that, I wish I had some of his fear. I almost feel numb right now and I don't know what to do. I feel stuck in this limbo and I can't figure out how to shake myself out of it. 

I mean I can only apply to so many jobs and never hear from them before I start to begin believing it is ME and NOT THEM. Sometimes I see the same thought on my friends faces when I have to tell them I didn't get another job and that makes it worse. I know the job market is horrible, especially in New York. I know it's the end of the summer so most people are just now starting to hire. I know no one looks at those online applications and it's really all about who you know. I know it's not personal, but it's beginning to feel that way.

The main problem is I'm starting to lose faith in myself. I'm starting to believe I'm not qualified enough or that when people do meet me, they aren't impressed and don't see anything in me. I'm starting to feel like I'm not going to make it like I once believed I would. The confidence and determination that used to pour out of me no longer seems to be present. I might be able to talk to my friends like it is still there, but I don't feel it in my heart anymore.

Friends and family are always calling/texting me asking how the job search is going, When I meet people, the first thing they ask is what I do. I almost cringe every time I have to tell them I am a temp. I can see the immediate change in their face once I tell them. If I didn't know them or thought I would never see them again, I would make up some awesome job and sound really cool. Unfortunately I would feel like even more of a loser having to lie, especially in front of my friends who know the truth. (Plus I have way too much of a conscience to lie and would feel horrible afterwards.) 

Often times when people ask, I want to ignore the question. I want to pretend like it doesn't matter. I want to believe one day I will have an awesome job and people will be jealous, but right now that is not even close to the truth. 

I know I'm not the only/first person in the world to feel like this. I know there are thousands of people across the country without jobs. I know I have friends' back home living with their parents while they look for work. I know one day I will have a job. I know one day I will make enough money to be able to buy plane tickets for vacations and boots/clothes for the fall without having to overly stress out about it beforehand. I know this entire experience will only make me stronger. I know things could be worse and that I am nowhere near rock bottom. I know everything happens for a reason. I know God will provide and I will be alright. Knowing all this doesn't make it any easier to deal with though.

I just want to fast forward to that part, but unfortunately life doesn't work that way. So until then, I will continue to apply for jobs. I will go to interviews and keep my head held high if they don't offer me a job. I will temp whenever they call me and tell me they have an opening. I will smile and tell people I am a temp when they ask what I do. I will continue to pray for God to reignite my faith and self confidence. I will wake up each day, be thankful I live in one of the most amazing cities at only 22 years of age and know that one day, when I tell my children what I went through, it will feel like a lifetime ago and I will just look back and smile.

(p.s. I didn't write this for any of you to feel sorry for me. Actually that's the last thing I want. I did this blog because it is therapeutic for me to write down my feelings and thoughts (if you know me, you know I don't openly/willingly talk about them very often). Now that I have written it, I am already starting to feel better.)

Monday, September 12, 2011

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

A few weeks back I bought Alexa tickets for her birthday since we both love sporting events, and Alexa and I were excited since it was our very first Mets game. They were playing the Cubs, so we figured it should be a decent game (not that we follow the Cubs to know if they are actually any good). The tickets were for this past Friday night. While neither one of us are huge fans of the Mets (actually we aren't really fans at all), we really enjoyed it.


We took the 7 train out to the second to last stop in Queens. The stadium was so nice and huge (like most stadiums). We found our seats along the far end of the third base line. Our section wasn't full so we moved closer to the front for a better view. 


We cheered, laughed at the guys' ghetto dancing in front of us, smiled at the little kids trying to catch fly balls and pretended to be Mets fans for the night. During the 5th inning we decided it was time to eat the obligatory stadium food. Both of us agreed even if you showed up to a baseball game stuffed, you somehow always craved a hot dog or some other over priced food. 


We walked the entire third level and didn't see anything we wanted to eat, so we decided to go down to the food court area at field level. There was a Shake Shack, Blue Smoke, a taqueria place and more. While all of it looked good, we both decided in the end we wanted a hot dog and ice cream. We walked back up to the third level and ordered our food. 


We were standing behind the seats eating and realized this section had a better view so we went and sat in some empty seats along the first base line. While we were sitting there, these two young boys in front of us kept taking pictures of these two guys and finally went and met them. Later we found out the two guys were Snoop Dog's body guards. How those boys knew that, I have no clue.


We left at the top of the 8th inning so we would miss the mad rush to the subway. We found out on the subway the Mets ended up beating the Cubs. While we weren't converted to Mets fans, they did provide a very entertaining game. We decided though the next baseball game we go to has to be a Yankees game. 

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Labor Day Weekend

This past weekend was extremely fun and relaxing. I'll give you a quick recap of everything that happened.

Friday was my last day to work at The MET. It was bittersweet. I was excited to be able to have some time off to be able to run errands and relax, but I was also sad to be leaving. At 3:00 pm my boss, co-workers and I went to the rooftop bar and had a few drinks since it was my last day. The weather was perfect and it was a nice way to start the weekend. After we had been up there for about 30 minutes, my boss' husband showed up with cupcakes from Sprinkles for me. I was so excited! He chose six different flavors and we all sampled each one. It was sad telling everyone bye, but I have an informational interview with the head of HR this next week, so I'm going to grab lunch with them to catch up.

After work I met up with some friends to watch the Baylor/TCU game. Through some alums in New York I found out there was a designated bar to watch the game at, so we all went there. There were about 30 alums and it was so much fun! We all drank, ate, cheered, did Sic' Ems in the middle of the bar (which is something I'm never ok with, but when there are TCU fans cheering against you, I decided it was ok), and screamed like crazy when we finally won. It was the most exciting thing ever. While I would have killed to be in Waco at the game, I was glad we were there with other Bears. After the game, I went out some of the people I met there and had lots of fun.

Saturday Erica and I walked around our neighborhood and looked for a kitchen table. The weather went from being very nice, to hot and gross within a few hours. As soon as it changed for the worse, we headed back to the apartment to chill until her friends came in town. We all went out later in the evening and met up with some other people they know if the city. The day overall wasn't too eventful, but we met some new people which is always fun.

Sunday I was even lazier and didn't leave the apartment until around 9:00 pm. (Yes, I know that's extremely pathetic.) I went and met up some of the people I met at the game on Friday night. We went to the Frying Pan on the Hudson. It is an old war ship turned into a bar and dance area. The weather was perfect for sitting outside, so we hung out there for a while and then wandered around the area looking for new places to go.

Monday started off as a hot and humid day, but the weather changed for the better later in the afternoon. I met up with some friends for a picnic in Prospect Park in Brooklyn. They all had blankets, sandwiches and snacks. You can't drink in the park so I stopped at Starbucks for a cup of water to pour my wine in. We all hung out there for about four hours. Afterwards, some of us went out to dinner to meet up with some more friends.

Overall the weekend was amazing. Baylor beat TCU, I made new friends, found fun new bars, was able to relax and catch up on sleep. I thought I would have this whole week to relax, but I already have another temp job today and tomorrow. It's from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm which will be exhausting, but I'm just thankful to have something!

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Cocktail Tasting

Last week I was looking around on the internet I found a cocktail tasting at Crush. Each week they have different wines or liquors featured and offer people to come and sample them for free.

This past Thursday was a cocktail tasting to celebrate the end of summer. Alexa, her mom, Erica and I decided to try it out. We figured if we didn't like it or it was too crowded, all we had to do was leave and go to a bar nearby. 


Even though the event was free, I had to RSVP for it which I thought was odd. We arrived a little before 6:00 and signed in. They featured four different types of cocktails: The Blue Bandit, The New Old Fashinoned, Denizen Daiquiri Derivatives, and a Mayahuel Melon.

The Blue Bandit was made with Bluecoat Gin and Bar Keep Lavender Spice bitters. I have never had bitters before and found it to be interesting. It tasted like I was sucking on a Lemon Drop. It wasn't horrible, but I didn't want to get another on either.




The Mayahuel Melon was made with an agave tequila (the guy explained the difference, but I don't remember). The presentation was very pretty and the mint garnish was very strong. Our favorite part was the watermelon at the bottom of the glass.



I had one sip of the New Old Fashinoned and immediately poured it out. It had whiskey in it, so that is why I probably instantly disliked it. Alexa had been dying to try one though and enjoyed it more than I did.


The Denizen Daiquiri Derivatives had an option between four different bitters: Apple Bake, Thai, Raspberry and I don't remember the last one. I chose the apple bitters and thought it tasted like an apple pie. Alexa didn't seem to think so though.




While we weren't overly impressed by any of the drinks, the alcohol infused chocolate they had was amazing. They had three different kinds: Prosecco, Absinthe and Whiskey. My favorite was the Prosecco infused chocolate.


The cocktail tasting didn't introduce us to any drinks we would ever make at home or order at a restaurant, but it was fun. It was nice to be able to try drinks I normally wouldn't order and taste new kinds of alcohol. They also have a wine tasting this month we are already planning to attend. Hopefully we will like the wines more than the cocktails.  

Thursday, September 1, 2011

My Year With Eleanor

Ever since I graduated, I have been reading more than I did while I was in school. I have come across some amazing books lately that I want to share with you. Every couple of weeks I'm going to share some of my favorite books I have recently read. I just finished reading My Year With Eleanor by Noelle Hancock. I began reading this book after my friend Alexa gave it to me and it is AMAZING.

It is about a woman who lives in New York and was laid off from her job as a celebrity blogger. After writing about other people's lives for so long, she realizes she has forgotten how to live her own life. Over the years she had allowed fear to control her life. It got so bad to where she was afraid to go to dinner parties with her boyfriend anymore. One day on the chalkboard in her local coffee shop she saw the quote "Do one thing every day that scares you." by Eleanor Roosevelt. This simple statement resonated with Noelle and she decided to dedicate the next year of her life to conquering her fears. 

While reading her book, I not only related to her, but I also began to think about all the things in life that scare me. Reading her book was very inspirational and has been encouraging me to force myself out of my comfort zone and do things I normally wouldn't do. (A blog about some of these things will be coming shortly.)

I highly recommend everyone read this book even if you don't have a problem with fear. It is relatable, hilarious, comforting, encouraging and purely entertaining. You won't want to put it down, I promise.

Today my salad was comprised of broccoli rabe, quinoa, cranberries, tomatoes, grilled chicken and raspberry dressing. It was delicious!

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

J. G. Melon's

In past blogs I have told you how much I have wanted to try J. G. Melon's, well it finally happened. It has been featured on The Best Thing I Ever Ate: Burgers by Bobby Flay. This past Sunday Erica and I decided to walk a few blocks over from our apartment and wait the 30 minutes for a table to finally try it.

When we walked inside, it was very crowded. We found the man at the end of the bar taking people's table requests. He was not the most polite man I have ever met, but then again I am in New York. The restaurant is very small and has a cozy feeling to it. The place is decorated in an old school way that is nostalgic and comforting. The kitchen is set up to where it is across from the bar and you can see them cooking. We waited by the bar (the only place you can wait inside) and stared as we saw all the food come out. Since we were both starving, this was probably the hardest part. About 98% of the food that came out was hamburgers, so we instantly knew that's what we wanted.


When we finally sat down, all the tables were pushed as close together as possible. Luckily we were in the corner so we had a little more room than the people next to us. When the waitress came to our table, Erica and I immediately ordered. She ordered a plain hamburger, I ordered the cheeseburger and we split an ordered of cottage house fries. We were so hungry and ready to try these burgers all we could talk about while we waited was the food. Every time a waitress came into the room with food we were desperately hoping it was ours.

When ours finally came, we instantly started dressing our burgers and fries. Between the first and last bites, literally the only words that were spoken were "oh my goodness this is amazing" and at the end we both agreed it was the best burger we had ever had. It has to be true because I don't think I have ever gone a whole meal without talking because the food was so amazing (actually I don't think I have ever gone a whole meal without talking period). Oh and sorry the pictures are so dark!





After the burger, we decided to split a piece of pecan pie. The waitress brought it out and we quickly devoured it as well. The pie was warm and gooey, but still had the crunchiness of the pecans. The only thing that would have made it better was a big scoop of Blue Bell Vanilla Ice Cream.




On most occasions I am not a huge hamburger person. I don't enjoy ordering them at restaurants because they always fall apart on you and are never overly amazing. J. G. Melon's forever changed my mind.

Erica and I can't decide if it's a good thing we live so close or a bad thing. I think I could have one of their hamburgers every week, but I don't know how much my body would like that. We decided it would at least become a monthly tradition to eat there though.

Today I decided to eat my salad in Central Park while I read my new book Alexa bought me. I had a salad with spinach leaves, blackened onions, watercress, beets, cannelloni beans and Italian dressing. To my amazement I found out I actually love beets!