Audrey

‎"I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot.

I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls.

 I believe that tomorrow is another day. 

And I believe in miracles."

 -Audrey Hepburn

OBSESSED!!!!!!!

Thoughts in Motion

As the cool, crisp air awakens my face as I run past the water on this wintery weekend, I begin to think deep into the fact that I am living in New York City, by myself.  Tomorrow I will will wake up and go to work, a job in which I love doing and couldn't be happier with, but one that I didn't have upon my arrival back to the City, and the next day I will write a check addressed to my landlords to pay for this shelter that one calls an apartment.

It's moments like these when I really feel like my move to New York has been an out-of-body experience and I am so blessed to have so much support back home, always telling me "that I could do it."  I always knew that New York City was where I was meant to end up and I had to live here at some point, but I never knew it would have worked out the way it has.

Moving to New York was done subconsciously.  

I still think back to this summer and the moment that I decided that this was actually what I wanted to do. The moment that I actually hit Submit on my computer screen purchasing a one-way ticket.  The moment I realized that moving to New York was going to be in the cards.  It was going to happen!  I can't tell you how many nights I argued with my parents about being able to afford living in New York City.  I just knew it would work out.  I had no idea how, but I knew it was what I had to do and knew that eventually everything was going to be okay.  "How do you think you're going to afford rent and loans and expenses?"  I would just respond with, "I DON'T KNOW. I'll just figure it out when I get there!"  I didn't really ever think about how it was going to work out.  I moved here, started living with and relying on the support of my friends already here, and tried to work hard and find a job.  With the love and support of my NY friends, I did it.  Finally one day I had a job of my own and then a month later had my first apartment.  WOW!!!!

If you ask me today how it happened, I would just say, 'I have NO IDEA."

I moved here with 2 tote bags, 2 suitcases, and 1 really big DREAM  

Just some weekend food for thought for you all! :)

-xoxo Blair

The Situation

The Bears just lost.  

I really don't want to see the Steelers play the Packers so I'm really hoping for the Jets to win this one!!!! Now that I don't have to worry about the Bears being in the super bowl I'm rooting for NY!!!!! 

J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS!!!!!

The Weekend Update

Well I hope you are all enjoying your weekend.  Mine has been absolutely wonderful.  This weekend I decided to stay in the city all weekend because the NQ trains are down in Queens, so it would be another costly weekend spent on cabs.  

Friday was spent with friends at a dinner party in Brooklyn! Roasted chicken and gratin potatoes followed by Apples to Apples accompanied with PLENTY of wine!  The friends, the laughter, the food...all so wonderful! Thank you so much Sarah!

Saturday, woke up and ordered Select Burger with Nicola and Zach for breakfast.  Amazing.  I had a Four Season Omelet: spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, and broccoli served with home fries and wheat toast! SOOO GOOD.  Then spent the rest of the day writing.  I went to a little coffee shop in the east village that has a great atmosphere.  When I got there I was so excited because they chose to play 80s on 8 (XM radio station).  I knew every single song while continuously reminding me of how much I missed Stacks. (A famous bar at Purdue that shut down my senior year).  Around 7 went to Yoga to the People on St. Mark's Place.  So good.  I'm becoming obsessed with it!  Also, even just after going a couple of times I can definitely notice a difference in my arms and stomach! :)  After yoga ordered pizza with Nicola and Zach.  We all stayed in, drank wine, caught up on our NBC Thursday night shows via Hulu, and then had pb and oreo cupcakes for dessert.  I really couldn't have asked for a better Saturday night.

Today is Sunday Funday! Woke up today and hit the gym right away for a cleansing 3 mile run!  Every time I get on that dreadful treadmill I start to really question this 1/2 marathon that I'm going to be running. Now off to Brooklyn for a Sunday Funday Football Frenzy.  =)

I hope you are all having a great weekend!  Who are you all rooting for??? As a Colt's fan, I have chosen to pair my blue with a little orange and root for DA BEARS!!!! I'm also hoping that the Jets lose so I don't have to choose between the Bears and the Jets for the SB.  

My pick is Bears Vs Steelers!!!!!! Let's hope it happens!!!

xoxo,

Blair

Only 1 Borough

Living in Manhattan for a little over 4 months now I have become accustomed to the lifestyle and layout.  Being busy is the norm, north is up, south is down, and the NQR is NEVER RUNNING PROPERLY!

Despite the inconvenient train system that I am required to take, to get back home, I have also, unfortunately, come up with a phrase in which I have begun to say quite often.

"To me, there is only one borough!"

New York City, for those of you who may not be the most familiar, is made up of 5 boroughs:  Manhattan, Queens, The Bronx, Brooklyn, and Staten Island.  I live in Queens.  Living in Queens is a challenge.  It's uptown and pretty far away from where I like to play.  I really like my apartment and I love my roommate.  (Maybe one of the easiest people I've ever lived with) But I have developed a pure dislike for Queens.  

Please note: the following text is all just my opinion!

The thing about Queens is that when mentioned to others everyone brings up how good the food is there.  Peaceful, quiet, friendly, neighborly, and spacious are all adjectives that are used when describing Queens.  However, my experience has been the opposite.  I am normally a very positive person, but when I'm passionate about something you will know and I am definitely passionate about how I feel towards Queens.

First off, it's just not for me.  I went from living in the East Village for 2 months to moving uptown and to a completely different borough.  I used to have the ability to brunch at the drop of a hat, walk down the street at any time of the night, take various routes, in the city, while running and explore completely new neighborhoods.  But in Queens... it's completely different.

Everyone is Greek and has lived there for over 20 years.  My neighbors are over the age of 75 and have nothing better to do than stare out their window wondering when I will return home after a long stressful day at work.  I guess a safe neighborhood is translated to: neighbors who choose to stalk you.  I find it humorous that my roommate and I have lived in our apt for 2 months now and since then have been in trouble for having our friends come over.  Apparently, we aren't to have visitors more than 1 TIME A WEEK.  

NOW, don't get me wrong, I LOVE LOVE LOVE NEW YORK CITY!!!!!!! I couldn't be any happier and I am just thriving on the energy this city gives me daily.  The lifestyle I have chosen is one that I had only dreamed of for so long, but I have to say, my living situation right now is quite interesting.  I am apologizing in advance for my negativity, but I will definitely be posting more often, in the near future, about how crazy my landlords are and the current living situation in Queens.  :)

Consider it just a part of my crazy vicarious life!

For now...

Blair

The Weekend Update

I have decided the for 2011 I am going to not only post more often, but each weekend I am going to give a brief update on life in NYC.  Especially because when I was home I found out I had more readers than I thought.  :)

So this past weekend was amazing! It was the first weekend that I completely did everything that I wanted to do.  I started out the weekend hanging out with Kelly and her friends *who have since then become my friends) for drinks at The Hotel on Rivington to meet Kelly's dad and step-mom.  Saturday I wanted to begin with a relaxing yoga class and end the day on 5th Avenue looking at the windows and merchandise coming up for Spring.  I then met up with Kapil for coffee at The Bean.  After some deep and thoughtful writing, one post in, we get a call from our friend Sarah who had extra tickets to Rebel Bingo in the BK.  

The Rebel Bingo ended up being just a crazy Brooklyn rage party in which we chose to leave and the stumbled upon a Thai restaurant where we had the ability to try Lemongrass Tequilla.  Just when I thought Tequila didn't get any better... 

Sunday I went running outside and felt like a horse allowed out of the gated fields.  I ended up running 6 miles and felt better than I had in a long time.  Cleaned the apartment and headed in to the city to meet up with Kapil again, for more writing and a movie.  Tried street falafel for the first time and saw Black Swan! Erie, but soo good.  

Overall, a pretty good weekend.  

Leaving you with blessings for your upcoming week!

-Blair

Being Bill

Most of you know that I am a big Bill Cunningham fan.  I think he such an interesting complex man that I would absolutely love to meet, someday.  He is not only filled with such positive energy he is also so in tune to fashion.  He has an eye for creativity and an appreciation for unique styles throughout the city.

Last night I became my own Bill Cunningham.  I chose to head to Bergdorf Goodman's for a look at the Spring display cases and new spring erchandise, particularly located on the second floor. If you've ever been to Bergdorf's you know that the 2nd floor carries the designer shoe collections.  Christian Louboutin, Manolo Blahnik, Prada, Chanel, YSL, Lanvin, and Oscar de La Renta, all located on one floor; placed under beautiful department store lighting, adorned with plush couches to match the aesthetic of the collections.  My favorite had to be the Christian Louboutin's with silver spikes poking out of them.  No big deal, just a measly $2545.  That's just a little pocket change!

However, while out and about on 5th I was able to see some really interesting window displays. One of my favorite things to do is head to 5th Ave and analyze and soak up the interesting displays by BG.  They are normally extremely intricate and detailed.  It's just amazing at how inspiring they can be.

The holiday windows are my favorite.  One of which was this one.  

Just look at the amazing detail.  That woman's sailor outfit was made entirely of sequins!  

Here are their Spring Windows!

I have a feeling Spring will be all about the details.  Bold colors, prominent prints, and accessories, accessories, accessories.  

After BG I headed downtown and passed Anthropologie!  Even more impressed!

<3 BnB

A New Year, A New Start, A New Beginning

Well the new year is here and with it come the new resolutions. However, I've never been one to make "resolutions".  I mean, what's the point? Every time people make them, they just end up breaking them after a couple weeks of diligence.  I don't get it.  Why even make them?

For myself, I choose to create goals instead of resolutions.  A goal is a little more challenging than a resolution.

GOAL:: the end toward which effort is directed : 


A goal must encompass a beginning point, a checkpoint in the middle, and an evaluation at the end.  You set your goal, continue to work towards it and then in the middle of the process, step back and evaluate how close you are to achieving your goal.  Once the time has come for your goal to reach fruition you must check yourself on how well you accomplished the goal.  


For example:  My goal in 2010 was to begin this blog.  I had to laugh at myself at the time because I never would have thought I would have been able to continue to post as frequently as I did.  I ended up averaging out at 52 posts.  That is a post/week!  I was so proud.  I had 10 followers and I know that various people in my life have read my blog and become touched by the words I have written.  I'm not trying to sound boastful, by any means, this is just me expressing my thoughts on how happy I am to have had the ability to see where this blog has taken me and the people around me.  


2011 is here now and I will be 24 this year! Now, if you know me at all, you would know that I am beyond excited to turn 24.  To me, 24 is after 23.  When you're 23 you have recently began your new life, post college, and people can often times consider you "young and naive."  24 is an age before 25 so your 20s are not quite yet half over, and then you kind of really have to become an adult.  BOOORRRRRIIIINNNNGGGG!!!! I admit, yes, sometimes I want to/do act older than I am, but I feel like at 25 real things in life start taking place.  24 is just a nice happy medium.  It's just right.  But with my age of 24, comes the opportunity for me to accomplish a goal I have had for quite some time now.  I have wanted to run a race before I'm 25.  Well I will be 25 NEXT April and it might be too late by then.  My friend asked me to run in the 13.1 half marathon, taking place in Chicago, IL on June 5th, 2011.  I ACCEPTED.  I have now decided to run in a half marathon with three other girls who are all training in Indianapolis, IN.  I am in NYC and am committing myself to diligent gym attendance in hopes of building up my endurance for this half marathon.  1 week has indeed gone by and so far so good.  I am back into running and it feels AMAZING! Today I was even able to hit the pavement and ended up running twice the distance/time than I expected.  


Besides spending two straight weekends sick, 2011 has been incredible, thus far.  I know it's only going to fly by and I'm more than excited to soak up every minute of it.  "Oh the places you'll go!"

Farewell for now,

Blair