Quick Lola Pic

A few days ago, Ma Soeur sent me this pic of my sweet Lola after a romp in the garden. Is she not the cutest?? I miss her tremendously, but I'm so happy to get updates via pics and videos.

Day 28... IKEA, NY-style

Today, I FINALLY made it out to IKEA Brooklyn to get my very-badly-much-needed-omg-my-life-will-be-so-much-better-when-i-have-this desk. As you can imagine, a trip to IKEA in New York City is quite different than it would be in any other state. You can't just drive there, park, shop your heart out, and then come back and stuff your goodies into the trunk. Nope, you've got to take a... wait for it... WATER TAXI!

{image: timeoutnewyork.com}

So my friend Noel and I met on Wall Street, walked over to Pier 11, and hopped on the IKEA water taxi. And it was surprisingly lovely! There's a nice air-conditioned (tres important on 90-degree days like today) section with comfy seating and wonderful views of the water. The whole trip only takes 15 minutes, and it's quite pleasant. I highly recommend it!

Getting back with your stuff, however, is un peu less glamorous. But I got my desk parts and chair set up for delivery (and I think I may have ordered the wrong size desk top so... that'll be interesting). Everything is arriving tomorrow afternoon, and I *really* hope that I can make it work because I really really really want a desk. Like, now. I want a place to sit and type and write and apply my makeup and eat and all that other stuff other than my bed, which has been the hotspot of all aforementioned activity (no bueno). The desk is large, and if I do make this table top work, then it will likely take up half my room but... whatever! I don't need much walking space. ;) I'll keep you posted!

In other news, I cannot WAIT for my beautiful Filofax to arrive!!! I've purchased all the lovely diary inserts and other goodies to go inside of it, and I just can't wait to get my hands on it and organize and plan and color coordinate and all that good stuff. Why are planners so much FUN?

I am convinced that this whole "job search" bidness will go so much smoother once I have a proper desk and planner. Wouldn't you agree?

Dat 27... Dilation

Today was a Monday in every sense of the word. And apparently Monday's when you're not working at a soul-sucking desk job can be just as bad as those Monday's when you were. My day started late, as I was unable to fall asleep AGAIN until the wee hours of the morning. After doing some work on the macbook, I headed out for my eye doctor's appointment and was immediately hit with the most sweltering, swampy heat ever. I immediately regretted my outfit of pinks shorts and a drapey tee and wished I had worn my skimpiest bikini instead. By the time I got to my dear doctor's office, I was disgusting and literally had to pat myself down with paper towels so as to not disgust everyone around me.

Then my oh-so-pleasant eye doctor (who was really nice, but a typical NY style know-it-all jerk with little patience who dissed TX and then told me what lawyers should know how to do) proceeded to do all kinds of things to my eyes and put what felt like 100 drops of various who-knows-what onto my eyeballs (and in the process tugged repeatedly at the delicate skin under my eye which DON'T YOU KNOW DOCTOR IS THE SKIN THAT AGES ON WOMEN THE FASTEST???). An hour later I left with sore eyes, wrinkles and a complete lack of clear vision.

Naturally it started raining as I walked home. Once I got home, I discovered that I had missed the UPS guy who was delivering my new blender. And then I came back to my computer to realize that I completely suck at finding a job. I can't even write a good cover letter, for crying out loud, and then I really REALLY felt stupid and my eyes hurt and I couldn't see a damn thing and I was rude to my sister who is just trying to help me but clearly thinks i'm a slacking idiot and I ordered fried food to comfort me but it just made me violently ill and I just wanted to give up and crawl into a hole for a long, long time. So I turned off all the lights, pulled the shades, lit a candle, blasted the A/C, and covered my eyes for the next couple of hours.

And now I can see, but I'm still feeling incredibly ... stupid. What happened to me? What happened to my abilities? Law school is what happened. And being a lawyer. It destroyed my ability to write/think/act in a NON-legal (and therefore creative and interesting) manner, and now I feel like I am no more prepared to find a job than any bright-eyed and bushy-tailed 22-year old college graduate who likely does NOT have a mountain of student loan debt.

Sigh.

I'm just having a bad day. Mondays suck. Hope yours was better.

Days 24 - 26... Pizza, Babysitting & Free Yoga

My Weekend:

~ "Babysat" (I use the term loosely as I didn't once meet the baby while she was awake) for a friend of a friend in town for a wedding. Got to hang out at a sweet penthouse north of Times Square - easiest job ever!

~ Walked across the Brooklyn Bridge avec Roomies Deux et Trois to stand in line for 45 minutes at Grimaldi's, the famous Brooklyn pizzeria (took pics on the Holga - will share when I develop them!) Yes, the pizza was fantastic, but the walk and wait were exhausting! (Oh and obviously I ate cheese, which means I haven't been eating vegan, which is another post in itself. Stay tuned.)


~ Attended a free and very packed yoga class at a beautiful new studio in my 'hood - Yoga Maya. Lots of chanting... twas interesting. The teacher left us with 2 statements to ponder: (1) Your attachments prevent you from seeing the truth; and (2) If you center your life around the divine, instead of yourself, you will be a much happier person. (#2 is something my Mom has told me time and time again, so it was a nice reminder.) I am eager to start a regular yoga practice, something I haven't had for years.

~ Discovered the yumminess that is Amy's frozen meals. I have always abhorred frozen meals, but these are quite delicious, pretty healthy, and all organic!

~ Visited the brand spankin' new four-story, 90,ooo square feet Forever 21 in Times Square. It is literally a department store. Also? It's open until 2 a.m. on the weekends. I went after babysitting on Friday night/Saturday morning around 1 a.m., and it was PACKED (altho you can't really tell from the picture). Insanity.


~ Ordered a Filofax after reading this post by Gala Darling. (And yes, I ordered the exact same one.) I've been a Planner Pad fan for a couple of years now, but honestly, it's a pain to lug around, and I don't like how un-customizable (is that a word?) it is. So I'm giving the very versatile (and more portable) Filofax a try.

Days 22 & 23... Oh, the Food.

The food in this city is, without question, phenomenal. You can pretty much whatever kind of food whenever you want it and probably delivered to your door within 20 minutes. For this reason and the fact that Manhattan kitchens tend to be the size of a coat closet, many people spend their entire NY lives sans cooking. I thought I could hang with this mentality, and admittedly the novelty of ordering all kinds of delicious food off seamlessweb and having it arrive within minutes to my 3rd floor walkup was delightful. But after four weeks? I'm sick of it. I WANT HOME COOKED FOOD.

I want simple food, not-so-greasy food, not so overpriced food... I just want normal home cooked food. For the first time since my very first day here (remember the shower incident?), I miss my Austin apartment and its kitchen. And my ginormous fridge and pantry all to myself. And my granite island - OH the island! I miss being able to whip up all kinds of fun goodness. And? I miss my garbage disposal (yup no garbage disposals here in NYC...).

Alas, although my kitchen here isn't the size of my old one, it's still fairly big by NY standards. The problem is that I share it with 3 other girls (2 of whom do not cook and survive on lean cuisine... *shudders*). The fridge is always full of booze, takeout containers, and ridiculous, half-filled bottles of water (these girls? SO NOT GREEN, but that's a WHOLE 'nother post) so it's not like I can stock it with all my organic yumminess. So, I have to cook and eat simply. No elaborate recipes for me, no not anytime soon. Right now I have to stick with the basics and be happy with that.

So tonight I cooked for the first time since I've been here (like truly cooked, not just heated up a frozen Amy's burrito). I made a simple but delicious tomato sauce (think tomato basil meets arrabbiatta meets a whole lotta garlic) with whole spaghetti. It was delicious. I didn't even make any sides to go along with it, just had a big bowl of perfectly al dente pasta, and it was heavenly.

Also? I'm returning the Vitamix and just ordered a waring pro blender off Amazon for about 10% of the price. I know that a Vitamix will be in my future, but for right now, it's just too big and too much. (Also? I'm afraid someone here will break it.) I thought I could live off green smoothies from Terri, but they are SO not as good as mine and SO not cheap either. So I'll meet in the middle and make smoothies in my $50 blender that probably aren't as velvety smooth as my Vitamix smoothies, but they'll just have to do. :)

Days 20 & 21... Exhaustion

Today, I wallpapered and painted my closet (see below), stood in line for Yoga at the Great Lawn in Central Park, and did some job research.


Yesterday? I slept. ALL. DAY. As in... alllll day. I woke up at 9 and went back to sleep. I woke up at 12 and went back to sleep. 4? Back to sleep. Then finally up at 6:30 because I heard my roomies coming home from work. Uh huh... I was WIPED. Apparently my weeks of nonstop activity and past few nights of only 5 hours of sleep (SO not enough for moi) caused my body to shut down. I'm glad I caught up on sleep, but I'm still having trouble falling asleep at night, despite waking up earlier and earlier every day. Annoying! Any tips?

Days 18-20... Scenes From Le Weekend

drinking Caronas on the Hudson @ the Frying Pan with fun friends

spending quality time avec Roomie Trois (the petite blonde)

and her friend Mallory

cucumber/cilantro/sugar-in-the-raw martini @ Rabbit in the Moon

in Greenwich Village

fun times with old and new friends

scary movie night on Wall Street (yes, I am holding a bottle of Prosecco)

I am loving NYC more and more the longer I'm here. I've (mostly) mastered the subway system, I've made incredible new friends, I LOVE my apartment, and I am more sure than ever that I made the right decision moving here. I hope you too had a fun and fabulous weekend. Lots of love from moi to you.

Day 17... All Over the Place

This post will be all over the place because my day (and mood, apparently) is all over the place today. First, I painted this morning. WOO HOO! It's the first time I've woken up before 10 a.m. since I've been here (SHAME), and I did it all in the name of a beautiful pink room. I absolutely adore it and can't wait to finish decorating so I can post pictures!

Second, I passed Lucy Liu on the sidewalk today!! She literally walked right past me, and I never stare at the people around me (b/c otherwise I'd probably fall over and get crushed by the crowds), but I happened to be looking to my left and there she was in all her petite Asian beauty. (She is SHORT btw.) First celebrity sighting, and it was in my 'hood! Exciting!!

Third, there's no Paper Source in this city (thank God - that place is DANGERous), but there is a Kate's Paperie. Kate's Paperie is Paper Source in miniature form, and it's darling. I stopped by this afternoon to pick up some hot pink ribbon, and I had to snap a pic of the cute window.

Fourth, I had no concerete plans for the evening, and although some friends invited me out, I opted for a chill night since the rest of my weekend is quickly filling up. It was a gorgeous evening so I decided to go for a long walk and eventually found my way to Union Square. I remembered that the only Trader Joe's in the city is in Union's Square so I found it, picked up some goodies (read: chocolate covered everything), and proceeded to wait in the longest line I've ever waited in for groceries. It was well worth it though, and I enjoyed my long walk home avec dark chocolate covered raisins. A 2nd Trader Joe's is opening mere minutes from my apartment, and I can't wait. Whole Foods, je t'adore, but sometimes you can be a little bit too much.

Fifth, for some reason every time I speak on the phone with my Mom, I end up crying. I don't know why, it's something about the familiarity of her voice or something, but it gets me every single time. Tonight, however, I had good reason to cry. A couple of nights ago when we talked (yes, I talk to my Mom practically every day) she told me that she'd buy my a plane ticket to Dallas for my birthday (AUGUST 11!). I was stoked! I wasn't planning to go back to TX until Thanksgiving, so the knowledge that I could see my parents, eat free delicious food, and visit Super Target in just a couple of months was tres exciting. Unfortunately, I completely misunderstood the conversation. My mom meant that she'd buy me the ticket home for Thanksgiving... not August. After I pitched a mini fit, she then told me that I couldn't expect to come home only a couple of months after getting here, and that I was about to be 27 and needed to learn how to stand on my own. What can I say? I'm the baby of the family!

Note: I don't cry because I'm lonely or bored. I was lonely the first week here, but since then I've started to feel like this is truly my home. I've met loads of people and have exciting things happening every day. Tonight as I walked around the city, I couldn't stop smiling at the knowledge that I finally made it here, and that I truly love it. I love this city. I love love love it. (Ask me again in January how I feel.)

Sixth, my weekend plans consist of: Brooklyn Flea with my friend Noel on Saturday morning, cocktails at the Maritime Hotel tomorrow night with Roomie Trois and her friend Mallory, brunch in at the Roebling Tea Room on Sunday with my new friend Wendy and her roomies Michelle and Erin, church with Roomie Trois, and possibly dinner Sunday evening in Queens with a friend of my sister's from college. What do you have planned for le weekend?

Days 15-16... Food & Design

I've always had a big appetite (I blame my parents b/c I definitely get it from them, although I did not get my mother's naturally petite figure), but since I've been in the City, my appetite has been insatiable. I am constantly hungry because I am constantly on the go, walking here and there, running up and down the 3 flights of stairs to my apartment multiple times a day. On top of that, I've actually exercised twice this week (which is a rarity), so I'm even hungrier than normal! Luckily, the food here is fantastic and plentiful and EVERYONE delivers! It's crazy! It's amazing! It's seriously dangerous!! I LOVE IT.

Today I worked up my appetite running around town looking for a birthday present and then heading to Home Depot to get my paint and paint supplies (tres exciting!). Tomorrow is the big day! My goal is to wake up early and get started ASAP so that the paint will hopefully dry and not stink by the time I fall into bed. Design is on my mind once again, and I find myself dreaming up wild ideas of what to do in this petite room of mine. When you're only working with one room, you've got to give it all you've got, and that's what I plan to do! Stay tuned. :)

Day 14... Pink, Bien Sur!

Nothing major to report except that I absolutely adore Roomie Trois (we went to an event together last night and are planning another night out this weekend), and I've decided on a wall color for my bedroom. Originally, I wanted a pale duck egg blue color, but after searching and searching, I have yet to find it. And then I watched Season Six of Sex and the City and was reminded of how much I adored Carrie's pink bedroom wall (couldn't find a proper pic). And with that, I very easily settled on "Magnolia Grandiflora" - a gorgeous pale pink from the new Martha Stewart Living paint collection at Home Depot. (Bonus: It's low VOC, too!") I plan to paint this Thursday or Friday - HURRAY! I can't WAIT to have a room sans disgusting white walls w/ scary marks everywhere.

Btw, here are some "BEFORE" pics of my room. It's a pretty good size, and the closet is pretty fantastic! After painting the room, I plan to hit up IKEA for one piece of major furniture (a desk/vanity to replace the small bookshelf and white table) and then I'm going to either wallpaper (aka "giftwrap" with some fab print paper) or paint the inside of my closet (hot pink!). Fun, huh? I'll keep you guys posted and maybe I'll do a "room tour" video after I'm done! It certainly won't take long... (P.S. Excuse the mess!)

Day 13... Gym Rats (And Other Rats, Too)

So... everyone here has a gym membership. Like, every single person I've met. And not just rich people, my friends, I'm talkin' EVERYone. And gym memberships here are not cheap! They are, at the most inexpensive (read "GHETTO"), around $80/month. I mean... I'd much rather spend that $80 a month on something else, but apparently I'm in the minority. I was always of the opinion that I wouldn't need a gym here because I walk everywhere, but perhaps I'm wrong. Tonight I accompanied Roomie Trois to her gym (which is more like $100+/month) to take a "Just Dance" hip-hop cardio class. WOW it kicked my butt, but in a really really good way! The instructor was great, and the dancing was fun and HARD. This is why Beyonce looks the way she does, my friends. Anyway, I was a huge fan of the gym and found myself kinda wanting to join... Course that won't be happening until I have a steady income, but ya know, a girl can dream. ;)

Not only am I surrounded by gym rats, but I'm also surrounded by the other variety... as in the brown, large, and disgusting long-tailed variety. Yes, I saw my first rat on Friday night. Me and my friends Steph and David were walking home from the West Village, and it was trash night. And all of a sudden I saw a GINORMOUS rodent run across the sidewalk in front of us, and oh my gawd, I nearly died. Those things are HUGE here, I mean HUGE. Luckily rats are not the norm in apartments here, but apparently mice are. I'm happy to say that I've not yet encountered a single pest or rodent in my wonderful apartment! Nope, not even a roach (KNOCK ON WOOD). Yes, I plan to stay here forever (or at least until I move into my penthouse suite). :)

Day 12... Happy

(Pic from dinner Saturday night. Roomie Deux is on the right of moi and Roomie Trois is on the left!)

Today was one of those amazing lazy free flow days that begins with a brunch date in Tribeca and ends with a Tony's viewing party on Wall Street (how lame was Catherine Zeta Jones' speech btw??). Mix in a rainy stroll through SoHo, a couple watermelon martinis, and loads of fun new friends, and you've got yourself the perfect Sunday.

Yes, tonight I'm happy to be in NYC. It's not always easy though, and I'm not going to lie and pretend my life here is nothing but brunches, shopping and cocktails (although yes, lately, it seems that way). I miss Lola daily, I cry daily, I've never felt so far away from my family, and sometimes I stop and ask myself, "What the hell am I doing?" With no clear idea of what's coming ahead, I'm both excited and scared out of my mind. I've never not had a plan... it's terrifying. Also? I'm broke. Well, I'm going to be broke fairly soon, and the reality of that, my friends, is very very much freaking me out.

But I'm so grateful that you're here, and that I can come here after good days and after bad days and know that you'll be here to listen. Thank you. I love you. (Come visit!)

Day 11... Weekend in the City

I've been having a lovely weekend thus far, and it's only Saturday. After a delicious flurry of Korean food, sangria, and karaoke last night, I slept in quite late today and experienced the joy of having iced coffee delivered to my door. (Note: This cannot become a habit, I know, but it was just a special occasion, ok? Don't yell at me, Ma Soeur!) I'm planning an afternoon in SoHo then back here to get ready for dinner at Supper with Roomies Deux et Trois. followed by my friend Mili's 30th birthday bash. Bon weekend, friends!!!

Days 9-10... Oops!

Totally forgot to post yesterday - my bad! Last night I went to dinner at Josie's on the Upper West Side with a blog reader. Josie's is delicious, and their super fresh fruity cocktails are fantastic! I can't wait to go back and try more. Merci for a fabulous evening, Tracy!

Today I am waiting (yet again) for the Fedex guy to deliver another package from Mommy dearest. This one contains my Dyson hand vac (YES!), my Hello Kitty blanket (uh huh...), and some more goodies. It's cheaper for my Mom to send me my stuff from home than for me to buy it here so I'm expecting more packages in the future. The downside to not having a doorman is that I have to either wait at home for the packages to arrive or risk having to go pick it up later. Since these packages are not small, I figure chillaxin' at home is worth it. Although considering it's already 4 p.m., I'm starting to get a little antsy...

Luckily I have loads of fun plans tonight and this weekend. Tonight I'm meeting a very old friend for dinner at BCD Tofu House in Koreatown. Can I just tell you how PSYCHED I am to be in the presence of good Korean food for once?? Afterwards I'm meeting up with my friends Will and Ryan for a party in the 'hood and then we're hoping to meet up with other friends Steph and David later. I imagine the evening be a delicious whirlwind of parties, cocktails, bars and dancing. I'm down! What're you guys up to this weekend?

Day 8... Life Sans Lola

This post is going to be a short one. My day was pretty uneventful... it was chilly and raining all day, and since I had to wait for the UPS guy anyway, I chose to stay in. On top of that, my mood kind of matched the weather outside. Everyone told me that New York is the loneliest city in the world, despite the insane number of people walking around it. I can see why. Even though my time here has been a flurry of brunches, drinks, dinners, and friend dates galore, I miss my family, and I really miss my Lola.

There are, like, 7 pet shops within a few blocks of my apartment, and every time I see one I think, "Oh good! I can get Lola's... Oh. Wait." And every time I see a fluffy white dog on the street, my heart stops. I miss her so much, and sometimes I think I made the wrong decision coming here because it means being without her. Dramatic? Maybe. But she's my child and my love, so I don't really care how stupid or silly I sound. And no, she can't come here. First, I can't afford to have her here and give her a good life. Second, it's disgusting... seriously. I would have to bathe her every single night before we went to bed if she lived here. And third, her life would be about 10x worse than it was in Austin, and you know what? Her life in California right now is about 5x better than it was in Austin. You do the math. I mean, just look at her...

(She's sleeping in her cousin Sofie's bed despite the very large bed next to it. Love.)

I don't think she misses me as much as I miss her, but like a parent, I don't care (that much) as long as I know she's happy. And she looks pretty happy to me...

Day 7... Only in New York

Whee! I'm kind of on an NYC high right now. Spent this afternoon/evening with a friend of my sister's who is like another big sis to me, and we had too much fun. The highlight of the evening was attending the Coach Blogger Party. Basically four fashion bloggers (which you probably know if you adore fashion blogs as much as I do) designed their own limited edition bags for Coach, which were presented at this party, along with the bloggers themselves! My two FAVORITE fashion bloggers Emily and Kelly were both there, and I was beyond ecstatic to meet them.

You may remember Emily of Cupcakes and Cashmere from this post. She's actually the first "fashion blogger" I found on the web, and I just adore her sweet and chic California style. She is just as sweet and sparkly in person as I imagined she would be, and despite the immense popularity of her blog, she actually remembered me from a couple of emails we've traded. Score! (Psst - Emily is holding the bag she designed for Coach - isn't it darling?)


I discovered Kelly's fantabulous blog, The Glamourai, a bit later, but fell in love with her quirky glam vintage style immediately. She also designs her own jewelry, and it's pretty much fantastic. This girl is definitely going places. Plus, she's from Austin! Like Emily, Kelly was a complete doll, and we chatted about our mutual love for ATX and big baubles. (Kelly's also holding her bag, although you can't really see it.)


You can learn more about their Coach bags here. Sadly I did not walk away with any new bags because, well, I can't afford a new bag right now, but it was still fun to be there. Merci Emily, Kelly, and Coach for a fun NYC evening!

Day 6... A Basic Human Right

I love you all for commiserating with me over my shower woes. The good news is that the cleaning ladies came today, and my shower is now sparkling! (Well... as sparkling as it can get here.) I bought a drain cover (to catch the hair) and informed my roomie of my goal to keep the drain clear... I hope she got the hint.



After marveling at the cleanliness of the bathroom, I decided to take a morning stroll over to Chelsea Market since it was closed last night. The Anthropologie at Chelsea Market is PHENOMENAL. Seriously, one of the best Anthropologie's I've ever seen. Gorgeous layout, multiple floors... I felt like I was in a museum. And? Despite the beauty surrounding me, I didn't purchase a single thing. Which leads me to my next point...

This is a city of consumerism, for sure. Besides the multitude of beautiful shops, there's the food... oh the food. The amount of money I've spent on food since I've gotten to the city (not even one whole week) is astounding, and well, I am nervous. Because, you see, I am (or I'm supposed to be) on a strict budget here, and I've already blown the food bit. And it's hard because I've never had to pay that much attention to the money I spend on food. No, I don't go out for $200 dinners frequently (or EVER if I'm paying), but I don't hesitate to drop $40 here for dinner or $5 there for an iced coffee. Food is a basic human right! It's not like buying shoes or makeup, right? Wrong. I've got to get my food spending in control, but I'm just not sure how. Right now I'm scheduling meeting after meeting with friends of friends and other contacts, and they all revolve around food. That's not always going to be the norm, but what am I supposed to do now? I need to meet people! Not just for social reasons, but to make professional connections as well.

Tonight, for example, I met up with a friend of a friend at The Smith in the East Village for a late dinner. Although this dinner was fairly cheap (I didn't get a drink, and I ordered an appetizer salad and a side dish) at $18, it's still $18, ya know? But the time spent with her was priceless, and let's be honest, you have to multitask in this city. People have little time as it is so if it's not over brunch or dinner or drinks, it's not happening. And although cooking saves money, it still ain't cheap. Groceries here are expensive, AND my roomies don't cook which means there's no cookware. (So far my "cooking" has consisted of making green smoothies and heating Amy's frozen burritos.)

This is what I signed up for - living in a city that 2-3x more expensive at probably 40% the salary (and I don't even have a salary yet!). This is all part of the journey, the adventure, the struggle, but just thinking about my lack of spending money is un peu depressing. Sigh. Despite all that, I'm still in love with the city. I just need to learn how to live in it without spending a fortune.

Day 5... City Love

{Image: www.nytimes.com}

Today I loved the city. It started with brunch in the West Village at EXTRA VIRGIN with Roomie Trois. The West Village is home to the most coveted real estate in the city, as it is as charming as charming gets. Tree lined sidewalks, darling brownstones, and hip little bistros and shops on every corner. I adore it and love that it's walking distance from my apartment. Roomie and I were thankfully seated indoors but at a huge window facing the street so we could people watch. Gorgeous and effortless chic women and well-dressed older couples littered the streets, and I hoped to catch a glimpse of a favorite celebrity, as many of them live in the area. I didn't see anyone famous (this time), but Roomie Trois and I had a fabulous brunch, and I absolutely adore her and am glad I've found a friend in the apartment.

After brunch I ran to Chase and Whole Foods and then back home to escape the heat and humidity. After a long afternoon nap (in the A/C!), I woke up and decided eating in would be a good idea after 2 rich brunches in a row. I whipped up a green smoothie and heated a frozen Amy's burrito (okay, so I didn't really cook) and relaxed. Around 8:45 I found myself itching to get outside once again before it got super dark outside. I threw on a tank dress and ran out the door only to realize that the winds had shifted, and it was lovely and COOL and breezy and not humid at ALL outside. What a pleasant surprise! Despite being a little chilly, I wandered down to the Chelsea Market, crossed over into the Meatpacking District, and made my way back to the apartment. I adore my neighborhood and the fact that I can walk so easily to all these great areas. As I walked I couldn't help but smile. Do I really live here? Is it too good to be true? Despite the gross shower and dealing with multiple roommates with cleanliness standards a bit subpar to mine and wondering how on earth I'm going to cook in a kitchen with no counter space and no saucepan in sight, I'm still happy to be here. This is city love.

Hope you all had a beautiful weekend. Lots and lots love from moi to you.

Day 4... Bonjour, Brooklyn!

I had a FABULOUS day! My sleeping schedule is way off so my day began rather late (okay... close to noon if I'm going to be honest), and I quickly got up, got ready and headed out to meet my new friend Noel at brunch.


The Organic Grill is a darling (read: tiny) joint in the East Village, and I just adored it. I ordered the "Indecisive Sampler" or something along those lines which included blueberry pancakes, tofu scramble, and your choice of tempeh bacon or soy sausage. I opted for yukon gold home fries instead of the bacon or sausage option, but I'm eager to try them in the future. The pancakes were yummy, and the tofu scramble was PHENOM! I don't know how they season and cook their tofu, but it's fantastic! Not soggy or tofu-y or anything. Really great flavor with super fresh veggies. I was tres impressed. And Noel? Well, she's just fabulous. We hit it off immediately, and I'm so grateful to my friend Lindsay for setting us up (THANK YOU, LINDS!!!).

After brunch, we took the L train over to Williamsburg and walked to McCarren Park where the Renegade Craft Fair was happening. What fun! TONS of booths and lots of hip people (and pregnant women for some reason). We perused booth after booth. Naturally, all the letterpress/paperproducts were my faves, and yes, I may have purchased a couple things but not nearly as many as I wanted. I also got an amazing pair of earrings which I'll photograph next time I wear them. They're... interesting. ;)


After hours of walking, we headed back to Bedford Avenue and met up with one of Noel's friends from HS. He has a sweet (and huge) loft, and he treated us to lemonade/vodka cocktails upon arrival. It was so hot and sticky outside, so the drink was ideal. After finishing our beverages, we headed back to Manhatten, and Noel and I parted ways with promises of lots of future dates (including the Brooklyn Flea - can't wait for that!).

Later tonight I met my friend Steph and her two gal pals for dinner at Bobo. The restaurant was nice, but we were seated outside so we spent the entire meal sweating. Nonetheless conversation was good and the food was tasty, but not fantastic. After dinner, we frequented a couple bars in the Village, and I remembered all too well how much I can't stand overcrowded bars full of singles trying to pick each other up. My friend Steph said I need an attitude adjustment, and she's absolutely right. But I just do not see myself meeting anyone worth meeting at a bar... is that wrong of me? I mean, who knows who you can meet? It's NYC, right? Hmm, I don't know. It really got me thinking... when will I be ready and willing to "meet" people again? (And by people, I obviously mean men.) Je ne said pas. More on that later...

All in all, I had a beautiful Saturday. And despite my multiple showers today, I still love love love walking around this incredible city. But now? It's time for sleep. Bon nuit.

Day 3... Rant, Ramen, and Rest

I'm not feeling happy-go-lucky-I'm-in-NYC right now. Right now I'm annoyed b/c the FedEx guy STILL hasn't come which means I STILL haven't left the apartment. I'm annoyed because I tried to take the overflowing trash (strike 1) down to the trash room, but my key to the room didn't work. Fail. And more than that, I'm disgusted by the bathroom situation. This apartment has 4 bedrooms and 2 full bathrooms, which is pretty rare in the city. The bathroom I share with Roomie #1 is tiny, but seemingly clean enough. That is, until I tried to take a shower yesterday and realized the drain doesn't... drain. Standing in my dirty water isn't my idea of a refreshing shower. Afterwards I realized why - there was a layer of scum and hair covering the drain. Also? Lots of scummy nastiness around that area of the tub. Seriously? I tried to clear away what I could and prayed that the cleaning lady was coming soon (she's coming on Monday, apparently).

This morning as I stepped into the bathroom, I pulled aside the shower curtain to realize that there was, in fact, another layer of scum and hair left from Roomie #1's shower last night (strike 2). SERIOUSLY? She's supposed to be the "neat freak" one, and she can't keep a damn shower clean?? Now, I realize, I'm a bit on the OCD side, but come ON. That's disgusting on 100 levels. I looked over at Roomie #2 and #3's bathroom, and their shower was 20x cleaner than ours. I may have to beg them to share their shower with me because I can't handle filthy showers, especially when that filth can be prevented.

WHY am I always the cleanest roommate??? I'm not even THAT clean/neat of a person (at least not compared to my sister and my friend Jenny), but SERIOUSLY? I'm so grossed out right now.

Later...

FedEx guy FINALLY came around 4:30. As soon as I got the boxes in my room, I flew down the stairs and out the door. I love love LOVE my neighborhood. Across the street from my apt is this hilarious bakery. Will I get a big booty if I eat there? It's likely...



Also love that there's a Whole Foods mere minutes away. WF is actually one of the most inexpensive grocery stores in the city. As far as food prices go, they're the same as Austin prices so no sticker shock here for me!

Eventually I found myself in Koreatown and decided to stock up on some Korean grocery staples (aka spicy kimchi ramen, roasted chestnuts, and almond pocky). I then wandered over to Madison Square Park where a bunch of Marilyn "look-alikes" (I use that term loosely) were busy celebrating Marilyn's 100th birthday or something.



On Fifth Avenue, adjacent to Madison Square Park, there's a little concrete strip where people can sit at little tables and people watch. Or, in this man's case, take a petit nap...


After a few hours of walking, I found myself thirsty, hot and wanting to majorly veg out. I got myself a frosty beverage, ordered in, and spent the rest of the evening slowly unpacking my 2 FedEx boxes. Tomorrow is brunch @ The Organic Grill, Renegade Craft Fair, dinner at Bobo, and drinks with Roomie #3 and friends. Fun!