Oh Henri

  Anyone who knows New York, knows that Bendel's is the place to find that special something to complete your outfit. Its like stepping into accessory heaven, where all things glitter and shine, and the neutral brown/white color scheme creates the perfect shopping environment. Although as the broke college student that I am, I cannot afford much in the store, I always enjoy wandering around the upstairs area. I have also learned that it is better to take the side stairs near the main entrance that the back ones, because then you don't have to walk through the beauty section--the beauty section is the only downside to Bendel's: you will be asked at least three times if you want to try "product X", or smell this wonderful "perfume Y" as you walk the whole 20 yards to the staircase; it just drives me nuts.
  Anyways, last weekend I decided that my "trademark NY purchase" would be one of their lovely scarves. I wanted to buy something that I could keep forever, wouldn't get worn out like shoes, and that is versatile. I fell in love with their "Bendel Loves NY" scarf, but it is only 22"x22" and not large enough for me to put to good use. After about 20 minutes of touching, unfolding, and staring at multiple scarves, I fell in love with their limited edition "Girl Takes Off." Its got the iconic Chrysler and Empire State Building in the background, and Swarovski crystals spot the night sky. Its perfect. And I actually may go back today and buy the smaller Bendel Love NY one to frame and hang on my wall... who knows!

Circle of Life

  Yesterday, I witnessed what my mom referred to that night, as "the circle of life."  As a huge Lion King fan, I understand this concept, yet seeing it in action was heart-breaking for me.  As I stood at the Great Neck train station, waiting for my 7:47 to arrive, I heard a persistent chirping coming from below. I discovered that the noise was coming from the tracks as I starred at a little baby bird sitting in between the two rails. The little guy was old enough to jump around and had a nice plumage, but he couldn't quite fly yet. As it cried out for help, I looked around to see if anyone else was noticing this tragedy; but true to New-Yorker persona, everyone had their headphones in and couldn't care less. I strongly considered jumping in and rescuing him, but with the train arriving in 3 minutes and my mom texting me that she would kill me if I did, I had no choice but to stand there and watch him flutter his wings in attempt to escape the confines of the rail. His mother flew back and forth a few times to feed him and show him how to jump over the rails to at least get out of the way of the LIRR, but it was to no avail. He just wasn't quite big enough to jump that high and could not fly.
  I closed my eyes as the train arrived and almost shed a tear. When I got home that night there was no sight or sound of him, and I can old hope that he stayed in the middle and avoided the wheels of the evil LIRR... If only he had some help!

Adventures of a Shoe Lover

  This weekend, while perusing up 5th Ave, I decided to stop in Ferragamo, one of my favorite designers. I have always admired their iconic buckle, high quality leather, and simple bows. As the shoe-obbsessed-paid-intern-living-in-New York that I am, I of course wanted to spend my first paycheck on something nice, something designer. So I go into the store and pick three pairs of shoes to try on; after the sassy sales girl helped me for half an hour, I decided to buy the pair of dark salmon flats with the simple bow on top, lined with a thin gold trim. They were very comfortable and the color was easy to match with many of my outfits.

  I was literally about to hand my card over to the sales associate, when I asked to make sure that they would bring me out a fresh pair. The clerk told me no, that they were the last pair and unique to the store. Well, I had noticed a small dark stain on the top of the shoe and there is no way I was going to pay $400 for a pair of stained shoes. I asked them if there was anything they could do about it; the sales girl attempted to rub it off, then told me, "well, when you are wearing them, you can't really see the stain from far away." Ha. You have got to be kidding me! I asked again if they were sure there was nothing they could do but they would not lower the price.  I must say, for a high end store, I expected better customer service. But I still love them of course, I guess I will just have to go back another day to find my perfect pair...
  I may have left Ferragamo empty handed, but there are so many other stores for me to enjoy in this great city.

  Their 2010 ad campaign with Claudia Schiffer...I guess we have the same problem.

Even though I’m technically not from New York, having two parents and all of my extended family from there, I often feel like I am one.  So as a converted New Yorker (I was born and raised in North Carolina), it is in the contract that I attend a Yankee’s game. And what better game to attend than Yankees vs. Red Sox? I was able to snag a pair of tickets in the grandstand for $20 each, and luckily my best friend Natasha was back in NY (after only 1 day in DC for her new internship…) and so we took the #4 all the way up to the Bronx. Side note: If you ever want to feel like your personal space is being violated, hop on a train going to a Yankees game.

                Generally speaking, the temperature drops at least 10 degrees up here once the sun goes down, but let me tell you, the past two days, mother nature wanted nyc to sweat. Upon sitting in our seats for the first inning, we were so drenched in sweat that we could slip and slide back and forth on the seat... I’m just glad I bought tickets on the shaded side! So there I was, sitting with one of my best friends, watching a Yankees-Rex Sox game, and eating a foot long Nathan’s hot dog. It doesn’t get much better than that; except of course if it were 20 degrees cooler and the Yankees were actually winning…  But hey, it’s only pre-season!

City for the Summer

Exciting news just in! I have been offered an internship with Ehrenkranz and Ehrenkranz LLP this summer in NYC! E&E is a boutique investment/law firm that deals with mostly financial matters. Aside from the great professional experience that I will gain from this internship, I cannot wait to spend

my entire summer in New York. I have already begun my "business attire" shopping and I am currently on the lookout for neutral heels (or not so neutral) that are a walkable height. Although I do own plenty of 4 inchers, my Mother insists that they are a bit impracticable for a 9-5 work day in the city. Well, any excuse for new shoes is a good one as far as I'm concerned!

I am currently obsessed with the Seychelles brand, which sports a chunky yet stylish heel on almost all of their shoes. Check out endless.com for a great selection.

P.S. If anyone needs a roommate in the city or has an extra room, let me know! I am a great roommate I promise!

A day at the Museum

I am in New York visiting a friend of mine from school. Yesterday we went on an adventure into the city. Although I have been to the city many times, it has been over 10 years since I have returned to the American Museum of Natural History. This museum is hands down, one of the best in the world and I could spend a week there and still not see everything! Yesterday, Caroline and I spent over fiver hours just visiting the exhibits we wanted to see. My personal favorite is the Mammals of Africa exhibit. All of the stuffed tigers, elephants, zebras and monkeys seem like they could jump out at me at any minute, just like they did for Ben Stiller. And even though I have been a visitor to the great Empire State more times than I can count, I still like to act a tourist and take pictures of everything; Caroline however, refused to let me ask someone to take a picture of us standing in front of a giant tree stump...she said it was "too touristy". Anyways, we had a great time and it was so great to feel like a kid again and ignore the fact that I will no longer be a teenager in just about four months.