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Tuesday, November 29, 2011

New York, New York



Ladies and gentlemen,

If you haven't been to New York, you have not lived.

Well that's not true, but you are seriously, SERIOUSLY missing out. In the same way that Vegas is other-worldly, New York's charm is not like anything else I've ever experienced. Crazy people on subways, pigeons in airports, and memorable celebrity sitings (we had one- Carson Kressly of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy sipping on a martini..I know, not THAT impressive, we did have to look up his name when we got home).


Wednesday night we left on a red eye from Sky Harbor to JFK. We were on our way to the land of honking horns, bright lights and the most breathtaking skyline you will ever see. Seriously, it's not one of those things that you see once and each time after it starts to lose its appeal (*COUGH* Grand Canyon); if I had to choose one thing to look at for the rest of my life (well besides Scott Avett), it would easily be the view of Manhattan from the Brooklyn Bridge Park.

Anyway, once we arrived and made our towards the big city via subway very, very early, we checked in to our hotel on the Upper West Side.


We had easy access to the 1 subway and the cutest darn jazz bar in the city- Smoke. We got to check this out on Saturday-it is truly a nostalgic and romantic place (it has a very 40s feel to it). If you get the chance to go, you definitely should. You will love it.

The first day we were there, we grabbed some delicious breakfast at Cafe Lalo (they filmed a scene from you've got mail here! Tom Hanks would be proud).


Afterwards, loopy from the coffee and full of excitement, we wandered around Central Park pretty much all afternoon. We just couldn't get enough.




We then wandered around through The Plaza, Rockefeller Center, Times Square, etc. Lots got done this first day, including a much needed nap to the lullaby of angry New York drivers holding down their horns (Fun fact: did you know that people get fined for using their horns in NY? I told you, it's like another world!).


The next day we got up and headed straight for the Empire State Building/34th street. Annie and I went by our lonesomes to the top of the Empire (do yourself a favor and don't pay the $15 extra to go to the 102nd floor. It is indoors and the pictures aren't as neat. The first level pretty much gets the job done.)


    
When we got back down, Lindsey and Megan were watching the Veteran's Day Parade.


We took the Staten Island Ferry so we could get a free view of the Statue of Liberty. In New York, free is good, and the view was certainly not terrible! We didn't get as close as I'd hoped we would, but a view on an afternoon like this makes it really, really difficult to complain.


We met up with our friend Lance (he came down from D.C.) and went dancing at a place called Home Sweet Home. The girls were Stylin' and the blue walls in our hotel were great for fun photos beforehand.

Before we went out, we wandered around Chinatown (great for looking at Graffiti, not so great for wandering at night), and ate at a Mexican food restaurant that claimed "we have black beans" several times on their menu...strange, but the quirky kind of stuff you have to love and embrace in New York. 

We went, we dance, we conquered..

(Wow, this post is getting pretty long. I'll speed it up a bit.)

We also were able to check out the 9/11 site, occupy wall street (not very impressed), and OF COURSE the infamous Carrie Bradshaw's stoop (and Lindsey was interviewed by it for some British documentary!)

Overall, it was a very successful trip with some FABULOUS friends. I truly can't imagine a greater city to hang out with your girlfriends (and boy-friends *ahem* Lance) in. So much to do, so little time. I guess that just gives us an excuse to go back...

For now, New York..


Tuesday, November 15, 2011

We are back from the Big City

Well, we have been out of commission for the last week because of our travels and adventures in the Big Apple. I'm still compiling and editing my pictures and waiting to collect some of Samantha's photographs for a real update on our vacation. Needless to say, I left my heart in NYC and my body is ready to move there and catch up already! 

Here is a lil preview though:

I made it to Carrie Bradshaw's Stoop!

<3

Monday, November 7, 2011

Nostalgia, Art Walk and a Masquerade Party

After spending Friday job hunting and thrift shopping for our Etsy I was really excited to just relax and visit with some family.

 My parents and I drove out to visit my grandma and bring her dinner. We ended up spending the majority of the evening looking at old photographs and listening to her recall stories of her youth. I felt giddy and nostalgic looking at her pictures from the 1930s,40s, and 50s. They included pictures of her friends in high school, their parties, my grandpa's WW2 photographs, and my grandma's old restaurant. 

My favorite ones though were pictures of my grandma and grandpa's journey of love and starting a family. 
I could listen to people's "how we met/fell in love" stories forever. 

Below is a picture of my grandma's dining room table. It just made me smile. 

After my grandmother's house, my friend Andrew and myself decided to make a trek down to First Fridays in Downtown Phoenix hoping to not get caught in the rain before we saw some galleries and visited a few booths. I only got to snap a few pictures before we were making a run for it back to the car. 

This was done out of colored dried frosting..crazy! 

 I love glass blown...anything, really especially if it's colorful and whimsical. I want to someday take a class.Marking that down on the life list.  


 Overheard the artist telling a couple: "If you like Hitler, I'm out of prints right now but I can special order some".
Andrew and I before actually seeing the Hitler painting: ".....?!?!"

First sign of Christmas! eeee!


Saturday was spent getting ready for Andrew's Masquerade party at our house to celebrate his 25th birthday. 

The Birthday Boy, Andrew. Welcome to your Mid-Twenties! 
  
I tried to wear Ricky's hat for the picture but it was just slightly too big for my head. oops!


Taken one second after Anthony pinched Sam's butt. This is why candid pictures are the best!

Matt and Leah looking stylish and adorable per usual

The traditional "boys" picture

The traditional "girls" picture minus quite a few of the girls

Ahh the Santa hat on Grant makes me so happy! 

Bekah and Sammy- you girls keep me young 

We had a full house of people that made for a crazy night of copious amounts of dancing and flip cup tournaments, laughter and new friendships (and a hatchet thrown in our pool?! but that's for another time..but seriously, what?).

Here is just a taste of the night's happenings...



**The awesome backdrop for the pictures was from the brain of/put up by our good friend Tiffany over at Kitten Paws Vintage**

Friday, November 4, 2011

If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere!

Only five more days until my roomies, our good friend Megan and myself are headed to the Big Apple for some autumn awesomeness in the Big City. I can hardly contain myself! Just thinking about it sets my stomach in to a butterfly mess of excitement. I have been to New York twice before but not since I've turned twenty one and now being in my mid twenties its time to go back and live up the night life of NYC with some of my dearest (see: crazy) friends. Plus, it's a place I have always dreamed of living and hope to get there someday( heres to hopin, wishin, and prayin it's before I turn 30!) and I'd like to see how my dream fits with my personality and spirit in reality.

I've done all the tourist-y/time square stuff with my family back in the day so I'm really ready to venture off and get down with the locals (after having a picnic in central park and seeing Carrie Bradshaw's stoop of course..got to have little tourist-y fun!).


(photo credit: Samantha's photos from her NYC trip in August)

I CANNOT wait to explore, thrift, eat, drink, meet people and give my dance shoes a much needed night out on the town.

Any local recommendations for food, fun,shopping, dancing, drinks?

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

"Adventure is worthwhile in itself" - Amelia Earhart

Ah, the inevitable crash back to the usual. Its a gnawing feeling that usually happens to me right after a long anticipated vacation or a fun/friend filled weekend (such as this past one with Halloween shenanigans)- the movement right back into the daily grind and right back into the mundane. 

As my roommate and myself were sitting in our living room last night settling down from the day and watching our usual weekday wind down show Law and Order: SVU (don't you judge us!) we decided we refused to let this feeling grip us and even if we had to create adventure for ourselves we would! I feel this is a pact that is really important to us at this point in our lives. I currently live with two of my closest friends and at this particular time all of us are single and do not have any prospects. I point this out because our house to me has become this really comfortable blanket of supportive and like minded friends that are there whenever I want to do something or need to talk. This is truly the household I am meant to be in but at the same time it has made me really lax in meeting new people which is something I loved to do when I was still in college. 

Needless to say, last night we ended up turning our Tuesday night from one where we were going to sit around  having wine and talking about who just announced their engagement/pregnancy on Facebook all while making self deprecating jokes to hanging out with a few guys we didn't know. And you know what?
 We had a really, really great night.

It may not be a big deal but it's a step towards putting ourselves out there more and I think that's a beautiful place to be.

Sometimes a girl just needs a lil' adventure even if she has to create it for herself.  
 “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. 
Explore. Dream. Discover.” 

-Mark Twain,


Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Style Watch: My Favorite Fall Trends!

As October went zooming by and as we officially enter into November, it is finally (FINALLY!!!) starting to feel like Fall in Arizona which means stores are currently stocking up on cardigans, leggings and boots...mmm fall love! Aside from those staples of autumn fashion, here are a few trends I'm currently loving..

Usually reserved for little boys or men attending black tie events, I'm currently loving the bow tie for women!

 How cute is this? She looks like a chic Mary Poppins!



(photo credit: first three pictures from unknown source, last picture of Lindsey from Phx Fashion Week)

Another staple of male fashion that I'm currently digging for women is suspenders:


 Suspenders AND bow tie? Ahhyeahhhh


 GLITTER SUSPENDERS, PEOPLE!


I know its totally 80s and doesn't follow the typical "fall color combinations" (we don't really follow those rules anyway) but I can't help but love scouring Ebay and Etsy for color block clothes/shoes/anything really. How fun are these?




 I basically want this exact outfit. Please? Ok

(photo credit: sources unknown. If you know the source, let us know. We will happily credit them)