New Nautical Finds

So we alllll know that I am obsessed with anchors and all things nautical.  I follow the blog Nautical by Nature along with her facebook page.  Tonight she posted a link to a Chelsea Grey post here, entitled a little bit Nautical.  I LOVE it!  I just had to order the hair ties.  I wanted to order some like this anyway because I have heard such great things about them.  They are supposed to not leave marks in your hair when you take them out.  That remains to be seen, but how cute are the little anchors? 

One Last Hurrah in NYC

So I am moving in under 2 weeks now, actually I check in for my program in 2 weeks today.  Getting closer!  It was so cold last week here (2 degrees on most mornings with wind chills around -8) and I worked so much between my 2 jobs (around 60 hours- woohoo!) that I wanted one last trip to NYC.  I am going to miss it being a little over 2 hours away and able to pick up and go, basically, whenever I feelt like it.  I wanted to go, but it wasn't exactly planned so M and I didn't end up leaving until almost 1. When I walked out of my house it almost felt like a heat wave since the temperature was closer to 20 than the 2-5 degrees I was used to feeling.  I thought I dressed warm enough: cashmere blend socks, Ugg boots, pants, layered tops with wool sweater, coat, hat, gloves, etc.  I forgot how cold it gets in the City with the wind blowing between the buildings. 

We drove in through the Holland Tunnel and because we left so late we didn't hit a bit of traffic.  I was worried about the parking situation, but with only 5 minutes of searching on one street we ended up finding a spot on W Broadway near Prince Street.  We parked right by the Chobani restaurant/store (I went in there once and it was $3+ for a regular-sized container of yogurt and $5+ if you want a specialty- YIKES!).  We walked the few blocks to Georgetown Cupcake and picked up an order that I had placed well before Christmas.  Then we went to Peanut Butter and Co. on Sullivan Street for lunch.  It's only a small little restaurant, but they have the most amazing sandwiches (the bread is awesome!).  We each got the Lunchbox special (smooth pb, strawberry jelly, and a side of carrots and chips), along with a jar of peanut butter to take home.  I didn't want to carry it around all day, but this will play out nicely later. 

We walked up to catch the train to the UES so I could go to Laduree and get one last box of macarons.  Luckily, there wasn't a huge line and we were able to walk right in without waiting in the cold.  It must have been that they weren't as busy as they have been in the past (I was there in the summer and mid fall and the lines were insane!), but the service was super friendly and not rushed.  We walked all the day down to the Plaza Hotel along Central Park to check out the Eloise exhibit/store.  It was really cute and I am obsessed with Eloise since I was young.  While in the Plaza we had some really yummy strawberry fro-yo too.  Although from all my layers I was getting warm and once I went outside I started shivering.  That's when I really got cold.  Plus it was starting to get dark and the temperature dropping. 

We continued our journey down Fifth Ave to Rockefeller Center and watched the ice skating.  I've always wanted to skate there, but it's always super packed.  It wasn't super packed Saturday, but it was too cold for a 3 hour skating session out doors.  I ended up going in J Crew and found a nice warm scarf that I had been wanting since before Thanksgiving.  It was on clearance with an additional 50% off.  SCORE!  I picked that up and it kept me super warm and cozy for the rest of the trip.  I wanted to get a drink from Pret a Manger, but I got there too late and they ended up being closed. 

Off to Times Square we went so I could visit American Eagle, Aerie, Forever 21, and the Disney Store.  Normally I try to avoid TS at all costs, and I don't know if it was the date/time/weather, but it wasn't terribly crowded.  It was actually one of the better experiences I have had in TS.  We went over to the Hard Rock Cafe to eat and got our fav pulled pork sandwiches.  I also got a Southern Rock (fav drink), but it was way more than I could finish. 

After dinner we ran into Sanrio since it was right by the Subway station and then found the train we needed to get back to the car.  We waited and got on a pretty empty train and here is where NYC began to affect me like I have never been affected before.  There was an older man sitting across from us that you could tell was homeless.  I know, I know, there are a lot of people everywhere that are homeless, especially NYC.  There were many others that were homeless that we saw over the course of the day (including a girl panhandling for money saying she was poor, but then had nice clothes on and covered in piercings/tattoos- another story, another day), and I feel bad, but I am never to the point of tears.  Well the man was eating from a partial sleeve of broken Ritz crackers.  I felt terrible and as I sat there in my warm clothes, with a belly full of food, and on my way to my warm car to take me back to my warm house, I felt compelled to do something for this man.  But what?  I don't carry much cash on me, so that was out.  I didn't have any food on me, but cupcakes and they aren't actually healthy.  Or did I?  I had forgotten all about the fresh jar of peanut butter I was carrying in my purse all day.  When I opened my bag I realized that I also had a Kind Bar too, which is something else actually healthy.  When we were getting off the train at Prince Street I handed the jar of peanut butter and Kind bar to the man.  He seemed a bit startled as he took them and thanked me profusely.  As I was walking out of the train he said to me that he loved me.  I was walking away with tears in my eyes that something so simple could mean so much to someone. 

It was a good day overall, even with the cold, and I am going to miss NYC, but I will be back.  11 days until departure! 

The Sanctity of Love and War

One of my fellow colleagues (and friend), Amy Ferguson, recently published her first novel. It's called The Sanctity of Love and War, a historical fiction novel set in 1940s New England. The book was recently published and I am really excited to begin reading it since I finally bought my copy (in person, of course, so I could get it signed). I knew she was writing a novel and when I subbed long term in the office last school year she showed me pictures she was thinking about using for the cover (after telling me all about the book). I, of course, chose the picture with the lighthouse. Here is some information about the book, taken from Amy's blog.

Set in 1940's New England, The Sanctity Of Love And War is the story of the inhabitants of Shorham, Maine who, as a result of World War II, find themselves confronted by a series of events that greatly impact their lives. Piper Adams comes from a wealthy New England family, but is grounded by her love of nature and the close relationship she shares with her grandfather who fosters in Piper a sense of self in relation to the world. Nathaniel Winslow, a Maine fisherman, is a quiet, descent man who loves Piper, but realizes that their divergent backgrounds and his demeanor make the possibility of a future with her seem unlikely. World War II shakes the lives of Piper and Nate along with everyone else in Shorham, setting the scene for the survivors of the war to go on a journey to find peace and acceptance again in their lives. Their journeys take them to the far corners of the world where they meet and are influenced by others who have been impacted by the war. The Sanctity Of Love And War is a story of the redemptive qualities of love as it attempts to overcome the harsh realities of war.

You can also check out her blog as well as purchase a copy of the book here. You can also buy a copy of the book on Amazon here. They also have a Kindle verson of the book here. 

Happy 2013

So here is my first post from 2013. Happy New Year, ya'll! I can't believe it's already 2013 and that 2012 is over (can't say that I'm sorry to see it go). I am hoping to turn a new leaf and that this year is going to ROCK! I know resolutions are a bit hokey, especially since most people (myself included) tend to quit early on in the year. I am going to make some (realistic) resolutions that I can actually stick to this year. Because I know that saying I will work out 7 days a week and never eat a stitch of junk food, etc aren't exactly realistic. I want to blog more often. I started this blog to post random stuff and also to get my thoughts, ideas, reviews down. It's much easier to blog than to keep a journal. However, when I do my Disney internship I am going to try to write down at least 1 thing a day in a Lilly Pulitzer journal that I got. I want to maybe not so much "work out", but at least be more active 1-3 days a week. It would be something as simple as talking a walk somewhere. I think this is going to be easier once I move to Florida and have to walk through Disney, etc. When I went on vacation last year I came back weighing less than I left. I also want to limit my soda intake. I feel like I have started drinking a lot more soda than water and that is SOO BAD for you. I would like to cut that down to once a week. I mean I've only been drinking it 2-3 times a week, but that is even too much for me. I can easily make flavored seltzer with the soda stream (water and fresh fruits thrown in). I leave for Florida in 1 month, 5 days and I can't believe that it's getting so close. It's officially 5 weeks tomorrow until I leave and 5 weeks, 3 days until check-in. 6 months is a long time to be away from my family, but it's something I had to do. I couldn't give up an amazing opportunity like I have been given. I passed on a trip to Europe 9 years ago and I have never forgiven myself for that since I have never had the chance to go back.

Old Navy Style Council on Crowdtap

I am a member of Crowdtap and also the Old Navy Style Council through that site.  Periodically they offer Sample and Share opportunities to try new or redesigned products.  I have been lucky enough to try several, including Outerwear, layering tops, and Swimwear. 

I was recently chosen for their latest Sample and Share to try their redesigned Fitness and Workout Gear, Active by Old Navy.  I have been looking at their new items for quite some time, but I have a lot of Under Armour so I never purchased any of these items since I didn't need anything new.  I'm actually quite excited to be chosen for this, due to the fact that now I will get 2 coupons (one for myself and one to share with a friend) to choose a new workout "outfit".  I'm not sure what will be included (obviously I will be choosing a new pair of pants), but I wonder what types of tops or if we can pick the jackets, etc.

Here is a link to check out the new items and I also a link to join Crowdtap and the Old Navy Style Council too. 

Active by Old Navy

Lilly Pulitzer

I am not only in love with Lilly Pulitzer, but I also have an addiction to cute stationary products.  I have an insane amount of notebooks, pencils, folders, and the like.  I have hit the jackpot lately with Lilly Pulitzer stationary items at TJ Maxx and Marshalls (none in Home Goods as of right now).  One of my favorite patterns that I have been finding is Do the Wave.  It's so cute! 

Here are just two of the items I have been lucky enough to find. 

Moving to DISNEY!!!!

Well, I applied for an internship with Disney, but never thought I would get it.  So low and behold my shock when I received my acceptance letter.  That explains my absence in the last 2 weeks, where I have been trying to decide to go or not and actually accepting.  Sooo I am moving to Walt Disney World in February and will be there until August! 

I don't think it fully sank in yet that I will be away for 6 months on my own.  Even when I went to school, I lived there, but I was in the same town I grew up in so could go home at any point.  I am so excited, but at the same time a bit sad that I will be away. 

I would also like to say HAPPY VETERANS' DAY to all those out there who served and protected our country.  THANK YOU for keeping us safe!