Birthday Week

It's been a while since I've updated, so I'll go ahead and give you all the highlights of last week. 

Last Monday, I was able to sit in on yet another beauty ambassador interview for Almay, with Kate Hudson. She is basically a publicist's dream come true, professional, courteous, and very knowledgeable about all of the company's products. (It probably helped that we went sent her a ton of stuff with all the press releases for the products.) After my internship, I rushed home to change to go to school later that evening for an event. This event:

That's right. I had the opportunity to attend an assembly of sorts with Josh Radnor, aka Ted Mosby from How I Met Your Mother, aka one of my favorite shows. I am not even going to front. I am not a Social Research student, and my major is definitely NOT clinical psychology. I was just being a fan girl, there to take obligatory insta pics to share with my friends at home. But when an opportunity like this presents itself, I can't help but savor it. Despite my superficial intentions of attending this event, I was actually both entertained and informed. Radnor definitely shared similar characteristics with Ted Mosby, being highly intelligent and humorous in an awkward, sarcastic fashion, but he also diverted from his character, as he was not a hopeless romantic in any sense. He spoke about his experience acting and his new ventures as a writer/director. He also commented on the psychological aspects of being involved in the film/television industry and how it impacts the individual in terms of self-awareness. All in all, it was an interesting experience. 

Here's a photo I made my friend take for me, since I was too embarrassed. My school's instagram account even reposted it! 

Thursday evening I had the opportunity to attend the Revlon by Marchesa Event at the Oak Room at The Plaza. (Yes, like Eloise at the Plaza!) Being one of Manhattan's oldest, and most well-known hotels, I was thrilled to attend. Well, I'll be honest, I was not exactly an attendee, I worked the event. I assisted in the set up and worked the doors. It was an event for the launch of Revlon's Nail Appliques designed by Marchesa. Designers, Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig, for Marchesa were in attendance, decked out in their Louboutin's, in true New York style. At the event beauty bloggers and beauty editors from the top magazines were able to get their nails done by Revlon's in-house manicurists, enjoy champagne, wine, appetizers, macarons, and of course the goodie bags prepared by yours truly. All of which occurred in hopes of these editors writing about the new product and featuring it in their respective outlets, so that consumers will see it, love it, and want to buy it. I tend to e-mail many of these editors daily for product send outs and the like, so it was nice to finally put faces to the names I was reaching out to. It was wonderful exposure for me. Being at the Plaza for a major designer event did not hurt either. Here are a few photos of the venue and the gorgeous designs that inspired the nail appliques. 

In addition, on Friday I turned 22! It was nice to go out to dinner and drinks with a few of my girlfriends. Despite being young and living in New York City, I really wished I could have celebrated at home with my family and friends. Nonetheless, I strapped on my Jeffrey Campbells, sipped my prosecco, and enjoyed the perfect weather. 

Finally, after being homesick and stressed from midterms, I came home to this adorable package from my cousin/big sister. It was just what I needed, a few of my favorite things. WE LOVE WORLD MARKET! 

The package included: A bucket list journal, a delicious smelling candle, flavored almonds, tea honey, two packets of yummy coffee, nutella to go, hello panda, and the best part of all Arnott's! (Which are basically Tim Tams, if you're familiar with Australian treats that are to die for.)

So there you go: a Kate Hudson Interview, a conversation with Josh Radnor, a Marchesa Event at The Plaza, chicken, waffles, and drinks with the girls, and the sweetest care package. It was just another new week in New York of new experiences. I'll try to update this more as events occur. Take care everyone!

XOXO

Give and Take

For those of you who have not heard, I recently started a Public Relations internship with Revlon. Initially, when I began interning for the company I was stoked! Granted, I started in the middle of NY Fashion Week and was already working backstage, helping set up makeup stations and directing the models. However, in the weeks following, I started to question my decision to take the internship with Revlon. I found myself getting frustrated with the work I was doing in a chaotic, unorganized, high intensity work environment. There was a lot I had to figure out on my own. I knew going into this that no one was going to hold my hand. I knew that because the PR department was so small, it was going to be a lot of hard work. I also knew the cut-throat personalities engaged in this industry would try to break me down. What I did not know was how taxing it would actually be on me. I was anxious, exhausted, and irritated. Then, it donned on me. Why shouldn't these people expect excellence? Why shouldn't they want people who are intelligent and keen enough to resolve issues on their own? Under previous employment, I found myself often asking the reciprocal: why can't these people complete the most menial of tasks?

I asked for this. I moved out here for the prospect of being a part of something greater, something more than the confines of my home town. I could have easily stayed home, continued to attend the same local college, worked in the same God-awful customer service jobs. But I didn't. I was crazy enough to make the move here, and I knew there had to be a reason why. Today, I got that reason. I was given the opportunity to sit in on a phone interview with Halle Berry, Revlon's Beauty Ambassador. Listening, recording, and transcribing the questions to Halle from international beauty editors, I was in awe. How is this happening? How am I sitting, listening to Halle Berry talk on the phone right now? What the heck? She was kind and inspiring. Answering mostly questions regarding her favorite beauty products and daily regimen, she managed to weave in some profound insight on her thoughts on the relationship between beauty, aging, and female empowerment. She said beauty is as beauty does. It is so important to take care of yourself, to be aware of your worth, to accept what you have and love it. She said women become so much more beautiful when they age, when they accept the passage of time and the aging process. She said as time progresses, women become so much more accepting of themselves. They learn who they truly are, which makes them more confident. And that, is what makes them so beautiful. Beyond that, she expressed that the advice she wished someone had given her when she was younger, was to be the most authentic version of yourself. Don't try to be anyone else. Don't be afraid of saying what you want or doing what you love. This really resonated with me. Here I am, complaining to my family and friends how tiring this internship is....but it's like, HELLO! Of course it's not easy. Of course I'm going to be given a million tasks without any direction. If I didn't engage in this hard work, if I never took the risk of coming out here, would I have been on a conference call with Halle Berry today? The answer is absolutely not. So much of life consists of give and take. If you're not willing to give it your all, don't expect to take anything in return. Normal gets you nowhere. Average people love being average and doing average things, because no one bothers them. (Kelly Cutrone taught me that, CEO of People's Revolution PR company and all around badass.)

Mediocrity has always been my worst nightmare. This is what I asked for. This is what I worked my ass off for. I've got to pay my dues before I can be the woman on the other end of the line inspiring others. Until then, I'm just going to put up and shut up. This is what I asked for, and damn it, I'm going to get it.

XOXO

All That Jazz

One of my main objectives for coming to New York was exposing myself to new things: people, music, culture, experiences, etc. A few of my friends who attend the Jazz and Contemporary Music department of my school notified me that their department puts on numerous music events throughout the year. One of which I had the pleasure of being invited to was Alumni Night. This is an annual musical event, showcasing the wonderful talents of past New School alumni, that takes place at the Highline Ballroom in Chelsea. 

Last night, I took a nice little 20 minute walk and met up with a few friends at the venue. The Highline Ballroom was packed, so most of us ended up standing a majority of the time. I purchased a glass of Prosecco and soaked everything in. I'll be the first to admit, I am not a huge fan of jazz music. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate it and respect its history, but I am not the type to listen to it during my leisure time. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the talent that emerged from the New School. Brianna Thomas was exceptional during her performance, scat singing like a modern day Ella Fitzgerald. And the headliner, Bilal had a memorable performance. He hit those high notes like a pro and playfully established a relationship with the audience, evoking both humor and passion with his maniacal laughter and affectionate singing. All in all, it proved to be an enjoyable evening. I have found that being in New York, there is almost this perpetual need to step out of your comfort zone, but I have also found that in doing so, you have the ability to gain cultural capital as well as knowledge of self. Below are a few photos of Bilal from the show. Enjoy!

XOXO

Fall 2013 Foodie Tour

Despite my best efforts to eat healthy and organically and engage in physical fitness as much as possible, I am a true blue foodie in the depths of my soul. Luckily, I have had the pleasuring of finding a friend with the same closeted foodie traits. With the humidity subsiding and the fall breeze rolling in, we thought today would be the perfect opportunity for exploring around midtown, with a few eateries in mind. However, when we came across the increasingly popular CRONUT (croissaint/donut/diabetes/brilliance), it was game over. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you, Fall 2013 Foodie Tour: Midtown. Below are a few photos of the places we visited and decadent treats we enjoyed!

First stop was Mood Fabrics, popularized by Project Runway. To be completely honest, neither of us are currently or ever aspire to be fashion designers of any sort. We were only there to see and take photos of Mood's in-house pet dog, Swatch. Unfortunately, celebrity pups need their R&R as well, so Swatch was off for the day. Needless to say, it was an epic fail.

From Mood Fabrics, we ventured through Times Square to reach Rockefeller Plaza in search of macarons. However, on our way there we discovered this. The holy grail of cronuts. The adorable little bakery, called Crumbs, cleverly changed the name to CRUMBnuts. Word on the street is, these croissant-donut combos filled with bavarian cream sell like hot cakes in the city. People stand in line as early as 6AM to get their chubby little fingers on these flakey treats. Luckily for us, we were able to cop the last two in the bakery, and they did not disappoint. 

                     

                        

Heading up town, we decided to take a stroll to the serene, beautiful Bryant Park. Gorgeous greenery, little carousel, views of some of the best skyscrapers in town, need I say more?

Next, we walked to Rockefeller Plaza. We enjoyed the views of the plaza and anticipated iceskating in the winter. We also walked through the promenade and came across the Lego store. My brother was OBSESSED with them when he was younger, so I had to send him some photos of the Lego Rockefeller Plaza replica. 

Following our trip down memory lane at the Lego store, we headed uptown to The Plaza, the most extravagant hotel in New York, located on 59th with stellar views of Central Park. Clearly, we were not residents of the bougie 5-star hotel, but we did want to check out their food hall. Along the way we got a peak of The Plaza's brilliant foyer, fine dining restaurant, and a pianist playing sweet melodies in the marble-walled, mosaic tile-floored hallway. In the lower level of the hotel was The Plaza Food Hall, filled with various bakeries, candy shops, and cafes galore, each diverse in menu. After our stint at The Plaza, we walked down 5th Avenue and passed by all of the flagship, department and clothing stores. From UNI QLO to Zara to HM, we ended up window shopping at Bergdorf Goodman, Henri Bendel, Prada, Fendi, Tiffany and Co., Rolex, Cartier, and Harry Winston. In true fashion masochism, we had to look at the shoe salon in Berdorf's. Well, that was a mistake. Louboutin, Chanel, Manolo Blahnik, Jimmy Choo, forget about it. 

                                            

To cheer ourselves up from crying over the designer duds we were not able to attain, we made our way to Bouchon Bakery to enjoy giant macarons. Chocolate for me, of course. 

For late lunch/early dinner, we headed uptown. Our stop happened to be at one of the few subway terminals above ground, so photo ops were obligatory...obviously. 

We ended our day at a very inexpensive, highly yelp-rated, hole-in-the-wall sushi joint in Harlem called Sushi Sushi, where I enjoyed miso soup,  a shrimp crunch roll, and a banana/strawberry/nutella roll for under $10! Whew! It was a long and tasty leg of the Foodie Tour. More to come, I am certain of it!

XOXO

The Boulder the Better

One of the greatest aspects of attending school in New York, is the access to some of the city's hot spots on a poor college student budget. Many retailers, restaurants, and grocery stores offer student discounts to lessen the blow of the incalculable amount of money spent on rent and tuition. My school, in particular, also gives me free access to several museums as well as a few outside activities. The athletics and recreation department coordinates events for students at low rates including, kayaking, paddle boarding, tickets to Yankee and Jets games, trapeze classes, rafting, backpacking, bike riding, horse back riding, hiking, and indoor and outdoor rock climbing. Once a month, they even grant us access to Brooklyn Boulders, an indoor rock climbing gym, FO FREE. Some of the people I have met here are avid rock climbers and have memberships at this facility, so this evening a few friends and I headed over there to check it out. Nestled between Red Hook and Prospect Heights, Brooklyn Boulders is a totally rad spot that is on and poppin' Friday nights...apparently, since it was pretty packed. However, my friend that goes there regularly says it's always like that, so I guess it's just poppin' in general. The venue itself is really cool, with a variety of equipment and activities, as well as a flurry of graffiti displayed across its walls. I'll admit, I was a little overwhelmed and intimidated upon entering the building. I am far from athletic. I am actually extremely uncoordinated and clumsy, and I break basically everything (Bull in a China shop, some might say). I can't even do a proper pull-up. So I definitely anticipated falling...a lot, and failing miserably at climbing. The first thing I tried was bouldering, which is basically climbing without any ropes. As I advanced further up, towards the ceiling, I began to get really nervous and scared I would fall. As it would be, when I get nervous, I tend to have this annoying nervous laugh, and the more nervous I got, the harder I laughed, and the harder I laughed, the more shaky my position was, and I ultimately fell...obviously. However, I did get back up and made it to the top.  It actually turned out to be a lot of fun. I alternated between boulders and top line (climbing with a rope and partner) throughout the rest of the evening. My arms hurt, my hands were sore and chalky, and I was SPENT. But these are the things that make me so grateful for the move out here: new experiences, adventure, and the chance to prove to myself that I can do it. So here's to New York, to Brooklyn Boulders,  and to the exposing one's self to new people, places, and things. Have a wonderful weekend everyone. Go out and do something new! 

XOXO

Max Brenner is officially my hero.

This evening I had every intention of going out to a bar and even a little jazz sesh with a few of my friends, so I could offer you all an exciting story, but just as I finished getting ready, which if you know me at all is a dreadfully long and grueling process, they cancelled on me! Well, one of them did. Luckily, my other girlfriend (from London!), was still willing to go out, even just for a late dinner. Fast forward an hour, and low and behold, I give you Max Brenner, the real chocolate factory. It is a quaint little restaurant with an indulgent dessert menu and chocolates for days. You may have seen it in Vegas or elsewhere; it is not exclusive to New York, but it is new to me and also my heaven, and probably my friend from home, Kelsey's hell (For whatever reason, she has some brain malfunction that makes her not like chocolate. Whatever, her loss. I still love you, Kels!). Here are a few photos from this evening. 

These are just a portion of the adorable treats they have for sale. Aren't they just darling?

This was my dessert of choice, banana split waffles with caramelized bananas, vanilla ice cream, sugar krispies, milk chocolate ganache, and choco-pops. Maybe I've been watching too much Gossip Girl re-runs lately, but I have had a major craving for waffles the last few days. I refuse to purchase junk groceries, because I know if I have them at my place, I will eat them all in one day. However, when I go out to eat, which is a rarity (trust me), I do like to treat myself to a food coma. Mission accomplished. 

Hey, you listen here. Chocolate is good for you. Ain't that the truth. 

Signage in the foyer reads, "I invite you to watch, smell, and taste my love story."-Max

Finally, here are two actual vats of 100% pure chocolate. I'm sure Augustus is stuck in the pipes somewhere as well.