Life Lately: Springspiration, Dating and Bonnes Amies

I keep telling myself that I will blog more often. That I will, dare I say, blog regularly. That I will actually revamp my blog, find a focus, regain my readership, grow my readership, reconnect with my blog friends and jump back into the wonderful world that is the blogosphere. But then life gets in the way, and well, I find myself doing any and everything instead of blogging. #fail


Alas, I am here many, many days later. I am here to give you a quick update on my little life that I am loving so dearly. 


Springspiration: I am itching to buy spring clothes! So much so that I may have popped into the ginormous 4-story Forever 21 in Times Square last week in between social engagements, and one of the first things I found is the blouse below. How cute is that?? Love the bright orange pop of color. After spending less than $20 on it (less than $20!!), I wore it to work the next day and received a record number of compliments. Now all I want to do is shop for bright-colored sheer delights, among a number of other things. What's on your Spingspiration wishlist? Mine is forever growing, but I know it includes LOADS of pinks, corals, oranges, tangerines, aquas, emeralds, and yes, even some nudes. :)

Dating: Yes, so I signed up for Match.com. And I have a date this Friday. My first date in... well, in a long time. I'm not keen on dating (and have this thing against straight, unmarried men - I know, it's bizarre), but I think I'm finally ready and willing to open myself up to it. Any dating tips?


Bonnes Amies: Since the start of the year, my social calendar has been jam packed. And since reading this book, I swear, I'm making new friends left and right. I even picked up the sales clerk at the Calypso in Soho last weekend (she just moved here from Austin and is this adorable artsy type; note to self: text her)! Most recently I got together with my dear amie Lesley who I met years and years ago at Kimberly's yoga and creativity retreat in upstate New York. We went to a pre-fashion week Nivea event where we ate blue cotton candy, hung out with Rebecca Romin and Jerry O'Connell and picked up many a tube of free lip gloss.

I miss y'all. A lot. Gros bisous.


 

Book Review: MWF Seeking BFF

I'm writing this book review, and I'm not even done with the book - that's how much I dig it. MWF Seeking BFF: My Yearlong Search for a New BFF is nonfiction gold for 20-/30-something women who love having girlfriends. Don't believe me? Read below.

"When Rachel Bertsche first moves to Chicago, she’s thrilled to finally share a zip code, let alone an apartment, with her boyfriend. But shortly after getting married, Bertsche realizes that her new life is missing one thing: friends. Sure, she has plenty of BFFs—in New York and San Francisco and Boston and Washington, D.C. Still, in her adopted hometown, there’s no one to call at the last minute for girl talk over brunch or a reality-TV marathon over a bottle of wine. Taking matters into her own hands, Bertsche develops a plan: She’ll go on fifty-two friend-dates, one per week for a year, in hopes of meeting her new Best Friend Forever.

In her thought-provoking, uproarious memoir, Bertsche blends the story of her girl-dates (whom she meets everywhere from improv class to friend rental websites) with the latest social research to examine how difficult—and hilariously awkward—it is to make new friends as an adult. In a time when women will happily announce they need a man but are embarrassed to admit they need a BFF, Bertsche uncovers the reality that no matter how great your love life is, you’ve gotta have friends."

I bought this book on my kindle (my first actual kindle purchase!!) last week before I hopped on a plane to New Orleans for my law school bestie's, Pony's, wedding. After reading about it in several magazines, I knew I had to get my hands on it. After all, I know exactly how Rachel feels/felt. After law school, I found myself in an ah-mazing city (Austin - duh) lacking in the true friendship department. I had my other law school girl bestie, Jenny, and I had a couple of other friends I'd see semi-regularly. But the rest of the time, I found myself canceling plans with so-so friends with whom I felt little to no real connection. Quite frankly, I would have rather stayed home with Lola. So that's what I did.

Fast forward one year and a half, and I was not happy. I found myself constantly finding reasons to leave Austin, whether for the weekend or just the day, and sooner or later I found myself craving a different life altogether. Hello, NYC! 

Now my life is a series of social commitments, and I can hardly keep up. Reading this book, I find myself paying a lot more attention to my social calendar. Take yesterday, for example:

11:30 a.m. - Coffee shop catch-up avec my boys (Will and David) @ Grounded

2:00 p.m. - Brunch avec old boss/dear friend Megan @ Five Points

6:00 p.m. - Art journaling play date avec new friend/fellow art journaling enthusiast Tiffani @ her incredibly decorated apartment (more on this later - I am INSPIRED, y'all!) Psst - I was introduced to Tiffani via Valerie, another blog-y friend. Merci, Val!

In between was catching up with my roomie, another unexpected dear amie Annika. By the end of the day (around 12:30 a.m.), I realized I had been talking for about 12 hours straight. Phew! I was exhausted, but also feeling quite accomplished. All my conversations had been by choice, AND, more importantly, deeply satisfying on many levels. Throughout the course of the day, I had discussed, in no particular order: politics, interior design, goal-setting, boys, boys and more boys, hair color, fashion, self-confidence and affirmations, food... the list goes on and on. I wanted to whip out my iPhone and text Rachel about my successful day (that is, until I realized, we're not BFF's in real life - such a shame).

That is yet another reason I enjoy this book - because Rachel is totally and completely the kind of BFF I would want, so I can relate to her wants/needs/desires when it comes to bestfriendship. 

I highly recommend this book. It's funny, it's endearing, but it's also wicked smart and insightful. What more can you ask for from a BFF?

P.S. Also? I'm feeling so ridiculously, stupidly, blissfully grateful for the friendships in my life. How did I get so lucky? Note to self: Be a better friend in 2012.

 

Chatham

I had a wonderful weekend at the Cape. We went to a darling town called Chatham (I incorrectly pronounced it Chay-thum all weekend and it stuck so it will forever be Chay-thum to moi).  It was an extremely short trip, and most of it was spent in the car (5-6 drive each way), but I couldn't have asked for better company.  It was a road trip in every sense of the word: pit stops at sketchy gas stations for Sour Patch Kids and Twizzlers, eating at Wendy's for dinner (needless to say, I didn't get much), on-the-road games, and lots and LOTS of singing.  We are ALL singers in some capacity so there was serious harmonizing and belting going on.  It was dorky and AWESOME!!

Anyway, my friend David took most of the pics, so for now, I'll leave you with this one.  It was taken outside a bookstore on the darling main road of Chatham by a camera in the window.  Basically we walked by and realized that the camera takes a pic of the street every 30 minutes.  We just happened to get there at 3:28 PM so we HAD to stop and get snapped.  Et voila!

I absolutely adore these guys.  Spending that much time w/ them only reinforced my love for them, and they are probably the top reason my move to NYC has been so seamless. 

Hope y'all had a lovely weekend!  I'll be back to regular posting soon... lots to share.

Guest Post!

Hi, y'all! Check out this guest post I did on my dear friend Valerie's ah-mazing blog City Life Eats. V asked me to write a post on something I'm looking forward to in Fall, and naturally, I insisted on doing one on fall trends. I hope you like it!! And merci beaucoup to Valerie for featuring moi!

Scenes from Le Weekend

Quel weekend! My beach day was exactly what I hoped it would be, and I plan on making a trip back very, very soon. Friday and Saturday night both involved entirely too much vodka, and Sunday morning/afternoon was more than painful, but the dancing Saturday night made it totally worth it. What were you up this weekend, mes amies? Whatever it was, I hope it was exactly what you needed.








P.S. Happy August! It's my birthday month - wheeeee!!

Finding My Way Back

It is HAWT in the District. It's like 95 degrees and humid as a swamp kind of hot. But luckily, I met Valerie from City Life Eats at Cafe Green in Dupont for a spectacular vegan brunch and had one of the most delicious beverages of my life. It was a coconut water/coconut meat/raw cacao/agave iced smoothie concoction that rocked my freaking world and made the heat ever so slightly more bearable. Merci Valerie for introducing me to such a fabulous eatery! I will most definitely be back.

This quick trip to DC was just what the doctor ordered. DC is much quieter and un peu slower than the daily hustle and bustle of New York City. I've enjoyed the quiet here. That being said, I'm eager to get back to the city (and the afternoon shade that the tall buildings provide). Last night while we were out, I told my friend J that when I realized that I only had one more day here, I immediately thought, "Boooo I don't want to go back to Austin and go back to work..." And then I realized, HA - I don't have to!! And I must confess, it was a very, very good feeling indeed.

Being here has also reminded me to write this very post which I've been meaning to write for the past couple of weeks. For the past 6-8 months, I've been in a weird place. I've been sort of anti all things self-help/yoga/deeply introspective/whatever. I stopped journaling. I stopped practicing yoga. I stopped reading and collaging. And I stopped wanting to read that kind of content on the blogosphere or anywhere else. I just kind of shut down that formerly big part of my life and went elsewhere. I still can't fully explain why, but I am happy to report that since moving to NYC, I've discovered that I am slowly but surely finding my way back to that place. It probably won't ever be where or what it was before, but I think that's a good thing. I'm journaling again, I'm finding my way back to the mat, I'm eager to tear inspirational images or words out of magazines, and I'm rediscovering some truly beautiful blogs. It's a good thing.

My life has changed so drastically in the past few months that I'm often completely unaware of where I am, what I'm doing, why I'm doing it or where I'm going. I've always been the opposite. I always knew what my step was, whether I liked it or not, and not knowing for the first time in my life is both incredibly freeing and extremely terrifying. I'm more thankful than ever to have this blog as an outlet to not only share my triumphs and struggles with you, but to connect with so many of you who have either been through this before or are currently experiencing it now. Isn't it wonderful? It will never cease to amaze me how powerful the blogosphere has been and how lucky I am to have met (both virtually and physically) all of you amazing individuals. Je t'adore beaucoup. I hope you had a divine weekend. See you Monday...

4th in the City

What began as a day where absolutely nothing went as planned (no She & Him concert @ Governor's Island b/c the line to get on the ferry was 50,000 people long, no Toy Story 3 b/c they sold out as soon as we got to the front of the line, and LOADS of walking around the city in 98-degree weather), my first 4th of July in the city ended up being one of the most fantastic days I've had since moving here. Despite all the minor mishaps, I still had a beautiful day full of...

~ quality time w/ my friend Steph, sipping frozen limoncello drinks on a shaded patio of a darling trattoria in Tribeca

~ showing some Texas pride at the Texas on Tour event at South Street Seaport

~ a fantastic (and rather romantic!) viewing of the Macy's fireworks in a dark vacant apartment w/ dear amies

~ dancing and singing to the video belowwith my boyz (it's so funny, but it's also a REALLY good and catchy remix!)



~ ending the night with a major dance party at a nearby bar to Empire State of Mind (and Party in the USA, Can't Be Tamed, Alejandro, California Gurls...)

I couldn't imagine a better way to spend and end my 4th. I hope yours was just as magical and spent with loved ones! I'm so lucky to have the friends here that I do. *mwah*

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 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 2... Le Pooped

It's funny that I ever thought running errands in Austin could be exhausting. Because here? It's like... way way way worse. And the crazy thing is, I don't even notice how tired I am until I'm done. And I feel this physical exhaustion that I haven't felt in far too long (b/c, well, i haven't worked out in months). Oh and the bottom of my feet are... not cute. BUT STILL! The fact that I CAN walk to so many places is still amazing to me. I do wish it weren't so darn hot and humid here already, but c'est la vie. It looks like Febreeze and multiple showers will be a new norm for moi, at least for the summer. Thank God I have an A/C in my room! (A window unit - OH YEAH!)

I started my second day in the city with a lazy and late breakfast at Blue Dog Cafe and from there ran to Bed Bath and Beyond (again) and the drugstore. Came home and immediately hopped in the shower and realized the drain was not functioning at its highest capacity. Gross. Got out as quickly as possible and spent the next couple hours with the A/C on full blast, slowly getting ready for my afternoon meeting. (Oh and waited for the UPS guy who delivered my Vitamix - holla!) Walked to meeting and arrived sweaty, but the meeting nonetheless went well. Walked home and cursed my stupid decision not to bring flats. Came home, changed, and immediately went out to Whole Foods, which is, like many other fun spots, mere minutes away from my apartment. Got smoothie ingredients and a bar of dark chocolate w/ almonds and cherries (YUM). Came home, whipped up smoothie, chatted w/ Roomie #2 (there are 3!), and proceeded to majorly veg out on my sad, sad bed with no blanket and only one pillow.

As I laid in bed, watching the latest episodes of The City and The Hills, I wondered what other NYC-ers were doing. Does anyone here have a night at home? I have this perception that everyone is constantly out and about, for every meal, every evening, every weekend. (I have no idea how they afford that btw. My bfast was NOT cheap.) I have no firm plans for tomorrow either, but I plan to do some job hunting work and then take a very long (and inevitably sweaty) walk around the city.

As for le weekend, I have plans for a vegan brunch at The Organic Grill in the East Village and hitting up the Renegade Craft Fair in Brooklyn on Saturday, all avec a new friend who sounds super fun (we haven't actually met yet). More brunch plans for Sunday and then getting down to business on Monday. I have to treat this job hunt like, well, a job or else I'll get lost walking the streets of Manhattan. Here's to being productive!

Also? I plan to take interesting pictures and all that so that these daily ramblings won't be so word-y. Love you!!!!!!

Calling All (Your) NYC Friends!

Bonjour, mes amies! This week is going to be nuts - lots of packing and moving and then Thursday, I leave for California for 4 blissful nights - hooray! After I get back from Cali, I have one week to get my life together and move to NYC so I figured now was as good a time as any to write this post.

Although I'm fortunate to have some very, very dear friends currently residing in NYC, I'm still over the moon ecstatic about meeting many many more fabulous and diverse peeps once I get there! And since you, my dear blog readers, are a fantastic bunch, I thought I'd ask if you could put me in touch with any of your NYC friends. I'll have a lot of free time in June (and probably July) and want to spend it meeting with as many contacts as possible - business AND pleasure. So if you know anyone that you think won't want to shoot me in the face upon meeting moi, please shoot me an email (carolyn.park@gmail.com). My greatest fear is to get to NYC on June 1 and have no idea what to do, who to meet, and how to function, soooo any help is much appreciated. :)

H-Town

Tomorrow morning I'm driving to Houston (aka H-Town) to spend the day with my law school bestie, Pony. I haven't seen Pony in almost a year, but I know that as soon as we see each other, it'll be just like old times. Pony and I couldn't be more different (in some ways), but she is truly one of the best friends I've ever had. And she is SO sweet and considerate! She suggested a couple of vegan eateries in the area AND made sure her Mom stocked the fridge with plenty of fruits and veggies for our to snack on. Love it!

I hope you guys are having a fabulous weekend. I'll be back in Austin Tuesday night (working out of our Houston office Monday and Tuesday), but will KIT via twitter. :)

La Jalousie

Raise your hand if you're a little jelly of someone right now. Come on, don't be shy! Can you honestly say you're not jealous of anyone? If you can, BRAVO to you! Come share your secrets! (Seriously!!!)

Jealousy is one of the hardest things I struggle with, and I believe many women to be in the same boat. So when I stumbled across this post by the beautiful Ashe Mischief, I was thrilled, relieved even, that someone as fabulous as she could experience those awful visits (or extended stays) from the green-eyed monster. And she brings up a good point - the internet has made it super easy for us to feel even more insecure. As often as I am inspired, I am probably equally as often discouraged. Well, I'm not doing that with my life. Or that. And I wasn't invited to that event, and nobody has paid me to do that.

But the reality is that very few people (except for me, HA) wish to showcase the not-so-shiny parts of their lives. That's not the point! I mean, just look at facebook. Facebook is a game - who can make their lives seem the most appealing to the most number of people? (For the record, I hate facebook.)

So, I've learned that you can't judge someone's life based on their blog or their facebook or their whatever. Everyone's got problems, and everyone gets a little jelly sometimes. C'est la vie. C'est naturelle. It's how you handle that jealousy that differentiates you from everyone else. Ashe Mischef takes that jealousy and spins it for the good. I think I might just do the same.

Also? Chances are someone somewhere is jealous of you and your life. Wha?? The first time I heard of anyone being jealous of me, I couldn't believe it. WHY? Why would you want my life when you have yours? Um, exactly. Jealousy is often a two-way street, and once you realize it, it becomes easier to digest and live with. One of my best friends from law school is a gorgeous, slim, tall, stunning woman. On top of that, she made excellent grades and comes from a wealthy family. Going shopping with her could be so depressing at times b/c in my opinion, everything looked good on her, and everything was within her monetary reach. And here I was, the frumpy, chubby sidekick who couldn't feel worse about herself. Pity party for 1, s'il vous plait.

And then, one day, I decided to bring it up. I said, "Pony (our nickname for each other), love. I'm jealous of you. It's hard for me to go shopping with you. I feel ugly and fat and poor." And you know what she said? "WHAT? I'm jealous of YOU! You're so trendy and fabulous and everyone loves you." Threw me for a WHIRLWIND my friends, I had no idea what I was hearing. But you know what? It made me feel better. It made me feel better because: (1) I was reminded yet again of why Pony was/is my best friend - because she always sees the best in me and loves me and makes me feel beautiful and wanted; and (2) Even the girls who seem like they have everything feel like they are missing something. Which brings me to my favorite quote:

"To be without some of the things you want is an indispensable

part of happiness."

- Bertrand Russell

February Playlist

One of the best gifts a friend can give me is a mixed CD (if that friend has good taste in music, that is). I love making mixed CD's for my friends, and I especially love tailoring it to their individual personalities. Two of my dearest friends from law school are in town this weekend from NYC, and I whipped up this February Mix for their listening pleasure.

1. Tik Tok by Ke$ha - She may prance around New York Fashion Week sans pants, and you may not be the biggest fan of her glitterific makeup, but she sure knows how to deliver pop music. Upbeat and cheerful, this song is best listened to in the car, with windows down, and with your best girlfriend (or gay boyfriend) bopping along in the passenger seat.

2. The Party by St. Vincent - One of my faves by St. Vincent (aka Annie Erin Clark). Her voice is addictive AND she toured with Sufjan Stevens, which makes her extra cool.

3. Horchata by Vampire Weekend - I'm new to Vampire Weekend, but I am seriously digging them. I have fond memories of the first time I heard this song because I was in the middle of kicking my friend's ass at Scrabble during my trip to D.C.

4. These Friends of Mine by Rosie Thomas - My favorite thing about this song is how it begins.

5. Set the Fire to the Third Bar by Snow Patrol feat. Martha Wainwright - You may recognize this song from the Dear John preview, but I swear I had it before it came out! (Btw, if you're new to Snow Patrol, download "Run" ASAP.)

6. Need You Now by Lady Antebellum - The lyrics are pretty awful, but I still dig this tune and can't help but sing along. (Plus, let's be honest, we've all been there.)

7. Roslyn by Bon Iver & St. Vincent - Yes, this is from the New Moon soundtrack. Yes, it's still a really really good song despite that fact.

8. Possibility by Lykke Li - Yes, this is ALSO from the New Moon soundtrack.

9. Hallelujah (feat. Charlie Sexton) by Justin Timberlake & Matt Morrisson - Um... gorgeous/will-bring-you-to-tears/who-is-this-Matt-Morrisson-guy-cause-he's-got-an-AMAZING-voice kind of good.

10. Jackson by Hem - One of the most incredible covers I've ever heard.

11. Safe and Sound by Azure Ray - FAVORITE NEW BAND!! Can't stop listening to this album (the "Azure Ray" one). Sweet and melancholy and perfect. "Love is how it's lost not how it's found." LOVE IT.

12. Dream by Priscilla Ahn - The first time I heard this song was when I watched this video. Um... I want to be her. Just a little bit.

13. We Are the World 25 for Haiti by Artists for Haiti - Yeah yeah I know it's nothing compared to the original, and I know the rap is questionable, but I still get all warm and fuzzy when I hear it, AND it's for a good cause.

Happy listening!

My DC Trip in Pictures

As I said earlier, I had an amazing time in DC. It included oodles of eating yummy food, quality time with friends, exploring the city on foot, seeing the sights, meeting fabulous fellow bloggers (merci to Crystal, Lauren, City Girl, and Julia - LOVED meeting you gals!!), and surprisingly, NOT spending tons of money. Yay!


















DC - Thanks for having moi! See you soon. :)