welcome to jane street!

I had such a hard time with this post, because I don't feel like any of these pictures do the apartment justice. It's more open, and not so yellow and it has a really big kitchen with lots of windows that I don't have a good picture of.

Basically, imagine Kathleen Kelly's apartment in You've Got Mail (complete with lots of books and maybe even the same comforter??), and then you will know what it feels like to live on Jane Street. Tonight Tatum, Danielle and I are going to make food and drink wine, so maybe I will get some better pictures. At the least I will take kitchen pictures.

Work was long and busy yesterday in preparation for the 4-day!! weekend, but this afternoon things are slowing down. I might even go down for snack time at the cafeteria.

Have a lovely long weekend!... and imagine Jane Street less bright and more relaxing than these pictures let on

from westend to the west village

On Saturday Tatum and I explored the East Village and ate dinner at a barbeque place that reminded us of home. We left absolutely stuffed and decided to walk some of it off. We wandered through Chinatown, down Bleaker street, past boutiques in Soho, across Union Square and ended our trek in Chelsea.

After all that walking we bought some much-needed frozen yogurt at Pinkberry .

The next morning we went to church at Redeemer's westside location and loved it. Then we ate lunch and a homey, hole-in-the-wall breakfast place with delicious food and not so wonderful service. I can't remember the name, but I don't recommend stopping by.

Sunday night was my last evening with Brian and Jodey. I'm so excited to live on Jane Street, but the evening was bittersweet, because I have absolutely loved staying with B and J. They've been like parents away from home, and we have a wonderful week-night routine of appetizers, dog walking, dinner and New York movies.

We drank wine on the roof, and I took them to Nice Matin (a French restaurant in the neighborhood) to thank them for feeding and housing me for 3 weeks. I love them and their pets and I'm sure I'll be back on the upper west side soon!

(Jane Street is delightful by the way, and pictures are coming)

sunny saturday in nyc

It's too pretty and sunny to sit inside blogging, but I thought I would share this picture from last weekend.

It's by the water down in Tribeca where they've built put-put and beach volley ball and running trails and fishing docks so you barely feel like you're in the city.... until you look out and sky scrapers and the statue of liberty.

It was supposed to rain today, but since it's near perfect, Tatum and I are going to explore the East Village.

Happy weekend!

seventeen going on fifty

Yesterday a ton of other interns and I went to a Seventeen Magazine event to be the background crowd when it airs on MTV. Kylie and I almost left before it started, because we had work to do - but we stayed and I'm so glad we did.

The event was held for 5 real girls (as in not models or famous people) who are competing to be on the cover of Seventeen. Each girl gave a speech about why she should win, and each speech was more amazing than the one before.

These girls were 16 to 20 and they've accomplished so much. One was homeless and started her own fashion business, not to mention 2 trips to the White House to discuss the importance of entrepreneurial education with Obama. Another is in the running to be the first female Indy 500 racer.

I left with a cookies 'n cream cupcake in hand, inspired to work EXTRA hard at my emails and pitches and paperwork.

this weekend...

...my cousin Michelle came in town! and our days were full from start to finish.

Friday - We went to Union Square Market and ate lunch at Steak Frites , a delicious French restaurant where I ordered a smoke salmon and goat cheese omelet. Continuing in our French theme, we saw Midnight in Paris at night with Danielle.

Saturday - We packed a picnic, laid out in central park and stopped for pedicures on our walk home. We grilled burgers and s'mores for dinner with my aunt and uncle's friends and their 6-year-old son (he was adopted from Russia!).

Sunday - We started our day with brunch at Bubby's - go there if you're ever in NY. The food was so good, they had all you can eat biscuits and the Southern-shabby-sheek decor reminded me of Athens. After brunch we wandered through Soho, walked the Brooklyn Bridge and bought Mr. Softee ice cream to cool off.

I hope you had a fun-filled weekend too!

summer cleaning

This is what Kylie and I did today...

BEFORE

AFTER

Look how pretty and satisfying it is now!

We also taste tested 20 types of balsamic vinegar, but we volunteered for that.

Happy early weekend!

a sweet surprise

Instead of running up to Town and Country to make copies or grabbing a back issue from the floor below, today my fellow intern Kylie and I got to run a more exciting errand ...

We went to Magnolia Bakery to buy cupcakes!

There are three Magnolias in New York, and we dropped by one on the upper West side. The distressed checkerboard floor,bead board ceiling and cheery yellow walls were adorable. Armed with GH money, we bought one of almost every cupcake (and since we're going to the meeting later we each get one too!).

We also stopped by Whole Foods to pick up some pink lemonade. The whole day wasn't fun and games (we spent a portion of it cleaning out files into a dumpster), but walking to Magnolia's was a welcomed break from sitting inside on a sunny day. It's dangerously close to my normal route home, so I'm sure I'll be back soon.

my daily commute

Well, so much for promising to blog all the time now that I'm in New York. Now that I've finished my first week and settled into a routine I hope to do better!

New York has been absolutely wonderful. Every morning I wake up, have coffee on my aunt and uncle's terrace and look out at the city and the Hudson River. In other words, I wake up and feel like I'm living in a movie or romantic comedy which is my dream come true. I leave Brian and Jodey's apartment between 8 or 9 every day and walk

past street vendors

and taxis

and flower shops, and cafes, and Lincoln Center, and countless New Yorkers who flood the side walks. My commute ends at Columbus Circle, near the bottom left corner of Central Park.

I work at the Hearst Tower, and it's one of the coolest building's I've ever set foot in. The bottom half is an old building from when Hearst first started, and a tall, twisting, modern glass tower sits on top. The Good Housekeeping office is on the 28th floor, surrounded by windows, so we get to look out at the city while we work.

I love my job so far. I make copies and run errands like all interns, but I also get to do a lot of legitimate tasks. I've pitched books, mom blogs and kids health trends, and I even read an unpublished book manuscript. Unlike some magazines (whose interns I've met at lunch) GH's staff is incredibly kind and helpful. They go out of their way to answer questions and make us feel like part of the team.

I need to get back to researching mom blogs (let me know if you've seen any good ones), but I will try to share New York tidbits more often!

hello new york

Don't look now but...

THIS is Tatum and I's new home!!!

Note the cobblestone street, the overhanging trees and the oh-so-you've-got-mail feel. It's on Jane Street, which according to New Yorkers is the quintessential old West Village and home to more writers than any other street in the city. When the woman I'm subleting from told me the address she said, "Jane, as in Jane Austen," and I knew it would be a perfect fit.

Yesterday was my first day of work, and it was wonderful - not a Devil Wear's Prada experience at all. Before I share more though I need to sleep. I woke up at 3:30 and can't fall back asleep, but I need to give it another go. Goodnight!

in why see

In the rush of getting things together before New York I've terribly neglected this blog. I'm settled in NY now though and ready to write about adventures in a new city.

In a long story (too stressful for this blog) my housing fell though --- but I found a new place to live that's even better! It's the first floor of a brownstone in the West Village, and until then I'm staying at my aunt and uncle's. They are wonderful and graciously welcomed me with afternoon BBC's and dinner at Fusha , an asian fusion restaurant on the Upper West Side.

Before I left though....

I celebrated my roommate Kaiti's 21st birthday!!! I love her so much, and she looked beautiful in new birthday espadrilles. I had to miss the lake and Athens celebrations, but I'm got to be there for celebration part 1 and say goodbye to her and Emma.

On Friday night my family and I ate a farewell dinner at Empire State South , a Southern-inspired restaurant downtown. It was delicious. For our appetizers we ordered oysters and their house charcuterie (above). The charcuterie included mustards of every color and texture, along with meats and veggies, and the presentation was almost as good as the food.

Here are my brother Matt and my dad at dinner. I'm so excited to be in New York, but I have also loved being home with my family for the past 3 weeks. I love them more than I can say, and my dad has been so comforting and reassuring in these stressful past few days.

I hope your weekend has been wonderful and that you have a relaxing Sunday!