{TGIF Early Peeps!!!}

Happy Early Weekend Peeps!!! As of 12:00 noon today, I'm leaving work for a fun-filled weekend here in New York with my mom and aunt. Their flight lands around 12:30 and the moment they hit the concrete, me and my sisters have a full intinerary planned for them. We're doing Time Square, walking the Brooklyn Bridge, taking a boat tour, visiting the World Trade Center Park, going on a bus tour, Rockafeller Center, Chelsea Market, West Village, Central Park....and of course lots of shopping and good eats. I'm really looking forward to having visitors here to show off this fabulous city....there will be a flood of pics posted on Instagram for sure!
Instead of doing my usual weekly links, I'm going to give you a few tips of how not to look like a tourist in New York City - check it:

1. Don't stare. Even if a woman wearing a tiger costume sits down next to you on the subway (which happened to me once), or you see a woman cursing the heck out of a fire hydrant because it bumped into her (yep seen this too), act like nothing out of the ordinary is happening. Seasoned New Yorkers are always unfazed.

 2. Tourists always get overwhelmed when swiping their metro card. The last time my mom was here, she couldn't get the hang of it and we had to wait 15 minutes for her card to reset. There's a lot of fumbling. Just be cool (mom)--get your card out while walking down the stairs (mom), make sure the black strip is facing inward (mom), and swipe it like a credit card (got it mom?). LOL!!!

3. New Yorkers imagine that there's an invisible line down the middle if the sidewalk, and that to keep the flow going, you keep to the RIGHT. New Yorkers also walk at a brisk pace, and if you don't, get the hell out of the way or you'll get ran over.

 4. New Yorkers fold their pizza. While I haven't had a slice of New York pizza yet, I know that when I get some this weekend to definitely fold it.

 5. One thing tourists have on us: They look up! They noticed the grandness of the city. The skyscrapers! The churches! The bridges! If you want to look like a New Yorker, look down and keep moving. But you'll miss out.

I'm very much looking forward to being a tourist in my own city this weekend. I'll see you over on Instagram until Monday!!

{Shoes In The City}

My main source of transportation here in the city are my feet. I literally walk everywhere, and by now I thought my feet would be used to the nonstop stomping on concrete, but I'm not there yet and need to pamper them with some fabulous shoes. I received an email from a lovely reader the other day and she mentioned that she is having the same issues as me - just moved to a big city, walking everywhere, in need of cute and comfy shoes - so over the last few days I've been searching high and low for the perfect shoes and this is what I've found...

{Shop it: Cole Haan Wedge | TOMS | Strappy Sandals | Peep Toe Booties | Leather Flats | Flip Flops} 

1st on the list...the leather flats and the Cole Haan wedges. Do you have any comfortable shoes that you think would work well in the city?

{Welcome To My Crib}

So today I'm going to make good on my promise and show a few pictures of the pictures. There is still a lot of fine tuning needed (lighting, artwork, etc) but for a month in, here we go:
We decided to add a little color to the walls, and painted the kitchen this almost aqua color. We really like it as it definitely adds the punch we were looking for.  Finally we have a storage unit. We purchased an Expedit from IKEA, turned it on it's side, built in some cabinets to hide all of the boots and misc stuff that we can't seem to find a place for, and it works.  Here's the bathroom - blah - definitely needs some pizzazz...in time. On the right side of the toilet is a pedestal sink, and behind the little wall and striped curtain is obviously the tub {with the most amazing water pressure} My bedroom! I'm liking how it's coming together....  My window that looks out to a lovely flower garden... Pleated shear curtains that I just bought on Friday - that add a little elegance to the room... My necklace holder that my dad purchased for me - love it! Loving the pattern mixing I have going on in the room...one step in the apartment and you will quickly realize my obsession with stripes... My sisters room - it's definitely a taste of New York glam - don't you love this skyline picture! Just a touch of my sisters bling, she has soooooooooooo much more, it's like a sickness, lol!

So what do you think? We definitely have a ways to go....but it's coming along right?

{TGIF Peeps!}

Happy Weekend Loves! Would you believe that yet again, me and my sisters are back to IKEA this weekend? So long story short - we purchased a "TV cabinet" last weekend for our living room (which was actually a dresser), lugged it all the way home, spent 3.5 hours putting it together, all to find out that our sofa bed wouldn't fully pull out because of the "cabinet". Out of pure frusturation, we both went to bed and decided the following morning that we had to sell it on Craigslist because there was NO WAY on God's green earth we were taking that thing back to IKEA. 

Lucky us we sold it at full price and now, again, we are back to IKEA for a much better and practical option. I promise promise promise to post pics - promise. While the apartment won't be perfect, we're trying to get it as presentable as possible because my mom and aunt are coming to visit on Thursday for a long weekend in the city. Other than getting the house together (I've been saying that for a month now, huh?), and our itinerary planned for next weekend, I hope to get out and have some fun in the city. We're honestly sick and tired of trying to perfect this apartment - we need a b-r-e-a-k! So what's on your weekend plans? Is it ridiculously hot where you are, like it is here in NYC?

 
- Apple cider pancakes - oh mannnn.... while I would love to say that I'm going to make these this weekend, I can't splurge the calories.

- I've decided to grow out my hair and this is the exact cut that I want. I'm hoping by Decemeber. You like?

- Riesling Strawberry Slushies - looks refreshing...and simple to make

- I need one of each of these sandals...

Enjoy your weekend Peeps!

{Has She Fallen Off The Face Of The Earth?}

Hey Peeps! Sorry for the lack of posts this week. I'm trying to figure out this new photoshop on my computer, and I'm failing miserably. So bare with me as we I try and learn via YouTube - and until then, here's a little update...

Life in NYC has been great and again I learn new lessons everyday. Want to hear a few more? Ok, here we go:

1. NYC is extremely pet friendly, but their grooming prices are not. I paid a freakin $98 to get Addison cut on Sunday, can you believe that? Oh, I was heated and vowed that moving forward, no more cute little grooming shops within walking distance of my apartment....off to PetsMart we go. $98....hmph.

2. I just watched "Shit New Yorkers Say" and realized that while I've only been here a little over 3 weeks, I've already said "Ugh... tourists" and "Where's the train?" and "oh yea, I've read that in Time Out". Guess I'm fitting right in...

3. Speaking of Time Out - it's like a weekly bible of knowing what's going on in the city. I get excited every week to see the magazine sitting in the mailbox. My mom and aunt are coming to visit next week, so me and my sisters are using the mag to plan the itinerary for the weekend. Can't wait!

4. While in the cab the other day, the driver gave me some great advice about living in NYC, he said "be patient - and tough" - I smiled, said thank you that was wonderful advice, and gave him a very nice tip.

5. People complain that New Yorkers are rude, which I've learned is not true. New Yorkers are just busy, and they cannot tolerate dawdling. And that's a challenge, because the city is a choose-your-own-adventure game of constant decisions: cab or subway? subway or walk? tall or grande? Which do you want? Answer now!

6. I know I've said this already, but light clothing due to the heat is a must must must. I purchased the items from Anthropologie that I posted last week, but am in need of so much more. Typically I wouldn't think a sweater would be practical, but stumbling upon these lovely handmade sweaters {made by Etsy artist The Knit Kid}, I'm wondering if I could pull it off....they seem fairly light right?

A tad pricey, but I really love them and feel because they are handmade, splurging on one could be worth it...