Things I've Learned in NYC so far: two days

I arrived in New York City with my mom and sister around 8:30pm on June 3. Since that day, I have been doing the most amazing things and exploring the city non-stop. Expect a post full of pictures soon! The "vacation" ends Monday, but that's when the real fun begins and I start work! I can't believe it's almost here.

Chessie and I outside Eataly, being goof balls.

Here's a quick list of some of the things I've learned so far in the city.

MoMA > than the Met (but the Met is pretty great too.)

Starry Night is even better in person.
The Guggenheim is closed on Thursdays.

The Path train/Hoboken are both wonderful.
Chelsea is no where near West Village (takes me three trains and a bus to get to work! haha)
Meal plans are fantastic.

It's not always cool and rainy in NYC June.

It's ok to ask people questions (like directions) and most New Yorkers are happy to help.

I forgot how expensive the cost of living in New York is.
I am bad at saving money (already knew.)

Postcards make wonderful decorations.

Hydrangeas don't do well in the heat.
Living without AC is impossible nearly impossible, and fans are wonderful inventions.
Sensible shoes are not an option (in other words, my feet hate me, but they'll just have to get over it.)
What it means when you go Uptown vs Downtown
How to read a subway map and navigate the Subway (thanks mom!)
Easy Mac is a delicious and always affordable meal.

I can't survive without a microwave and/or refrigerator.

Living next to a Loft and Gap is DANGEROUS.

Cart escalators are still awesome.

Shampoo, conditioner and body wash are barely affordable in New York (even at the Brooklyn Target!)

The best things in life are free (Target Free Fridays at the MOMA)
I am without a doubt living here some day.
Eataly is NOT just a big, Italian grocery store.

I am in love with this city. (Already knew that too)

My parents are really nice people and definitely love me.

Unlike the last time I lived in NYC, I didn't take any time at all for me to reconnect with the city. I feel so at home here, and I'm lucky to have good friends be making new friends, which makes the transition much easier. I am so blessed.

31 days: New York, New York

I try to go to New York City as much as I can. My grandparents took me to the city for the first time when I was young, probably between 8 and 10. It was so long ago that we got to see the Twin Towers when we were there. I returned to NYC the summer before my sophomore year of high school, and again that year for my Sweet 16, then lived there for a month the summer before my sophomore year of college and finally, went last summer to visit family. I am obsessed with New York City because I am addicted to the energy you feel when your there. The sounds, the smells (not all good) and the hustle-bustle of the people just make me feel at home.

Ever since I got my internship (and to be honest when I started applying for internships) I started thinking about when I lived in the city. I went with AJ to study fashion at Parsons. I was an amazing opportunity to live in Greenwich Village with a good friend and learn in such an amazing place as the Parsons building in the Fashion District, right off of Times Sq.

The first week was really rough. I hadn’t been to NYC in roughly four years and I didn’t have the instant connection to the city I felt on previous visits. I was Lawrenced-out, and totally missing the Mid-Western hospitality of my college town. In New York, if you say excuse me to a person, they look at you funny! Classes were hard, I missed my family and the city was overwhelming. But after that first week, my connection came back and I started to walk really fast and feel like I belonged.

AJ, MB and I did the most amazing things that summer, but we missed out on some great things too. Here is a list of things we did that I’d like to revisit, and a list of things we didn’t do that I MUST do this time.

Dids:

Shakespere in the Park (It’s free and there’s usually a celebrity in the cast. We saw the amazing Anne Hathaway in the even better Twelfth Night)

Watch Serendipity, then eat at Serendipity III and visit Dillons Candy Bar while waiting to be seated for three hours.

See Broadway Shows with half price tickets (AJ and I saw Little Mermaid the Musical and Avenue Q)

Go to the New York Public Library and look at the Pictures section—it’s an amazing time for a photo/history buff. Also, visit the amazing magazine shop near the lib.

Buy lunch at places like Pax or Prett and eat it in Bryant Park.

Go to Museums for free or minimal cents

Visit Central Park

Vintage Shopping in Brooklyn (aka get totally overwhelmed in Beacon’s Closet—It’s MASSIVE)

Watch the cart escalators at Bed, Bath and Beyond

Attend a Jazz Brunch at Café Loup

Take walks around Chelsea and the Village

Trek to Brooklyn just to go to Target

Visit the Prada Flagship Store in Soho

Go to the Chelsea Market in the Old Nabisco Factory (Eat Fat Witches)

Visit amazing art supplies stores like Pearl Paint

Stand outside of the Tony’s and watch celebs walk the red carpet

Light a candle at St. Patrick's Cathedral

Eat Pinkberry AT LEAST twice a week

Visit Mood, and take advantage of their generous swatching

And of course all the touristy things that NEVER get old like seeing the Statue of Liberty and going to Times Square

Didn’t Get to Dos:

Visit the Museum of Sex

Go to the UN

Go to the Hamptoms

Be on Cash Cab

Go to 21+ bars/ clubs (especially excited for the ones in the Village!)

Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge

Watch a movie outside

And if I’m really lucky, maybe I’ll take a weekend to the Jersey shore to visit Karma (judge all you want)

Won’t dos:

Buy fakes on Canal Street

Go to sketchy clubs

Buy New York Minute for $22 (but only because I already did)

Pout

It makes me proud to say that I’ve done almost everything on NYC must do lists, and even happier to know that whatever I didn’t do I’ll more than likely do this summer. NYC won’t be the same without my family and friends, but it will be wonderful to make new memories with new people I meet!

We we we so excited! (understatement)

Something AMAZING has happened! I have achieved one of my biggest and wildest goals. I have been hired as an editorial intern for MARTHA STEWART WEDDINGS...IN NYC! (scream) Since I found out, my week has been filled with planning, celebrating and pinching myself.

The Spring 2011 issue of Martha Stewart Weddings, which I read cover to cover in preparation for my internship interview. During the interview an editor said, "Just face it, you have a Martha obsession!" How'd she know? ;)

I'll be spending my summer working at one of my favorite publications and helping create the Travel and Winter issues. MSW has a pretty small staff, so I am looking forward to a more individualized experience. The staff I've spoken with so far, Deputy Editor Cara Sullivan, Senior Editor Kelly Lack and Human Resources Associate Generalist Danielle Frizziola, have been extremely nice and helpful. I cannot wait to meet them and the rest of the staff in person. I know I will learn so unbelievably much and make the most amazing memories. It will be the experience of a lifetime!

Luckily, a friend from the J-School and my Jayplay editor will also be in NYC this summer (one interning at Shape and the other taking a publishing course at NYU) so we are all going to live in the NYU apartments, hopefully together.

I will be blogging the experience from today, as I begin preparing and planning, and throughout my internship and time in my beloved city. My internship starts on June 13, and I will be moving into NYU the week of June 5. My last day at MSW is August 5 and I'll probably be leaving on the 6th. Then back to reality! KU classes start on August 22.

Getting through the last four weeks of classes will be difficult. All I can thinks about is New York and my internship. I need to start putting together my professional wardrobe and making a list of everything I want to do. I'll also be studying the magazine, of course! My supervisor at Corbin has an entire folder of MSW clips she's saved, so I'll be reading those so I can go into my internship well prepared!

A welcome packet is on it's way, and I cannot wait until it gets here so I can start learning about what is in store for me this summer!

If you use the word alot, I will judge you.

As Miley Cyrus (or was it Hannah Montana?) sang before she grew up too fast, no body's perfect.

Until this year, grammar was not my strongest skill as a journalist. I am a terrible speller and last semester I had to take a remedial grammar course. But whenever I write something, whether it's a text, paper or blog post, I try to at least get the little things right.

This semester I'm enrolled in a multimedia editing course that's weekly grammar and editing tests have given me the respect and passion for correct word use of a New York Times editor. This means that my daily Facebook and Twitter visits, text and email conversations, and even reading the bulletin boards in the residence hall I work at have started to make me judge my friends a little.

Now, unless they're fellow J-school students, I don't expect people to write with the accuracy of Grammar Girl, but I can't help but cringe when I come across common mistakes that no one with a high school degree or higher should make.

Here some of the most annoying mistakes I see every day.

Offense #1: Alot.

Alot is not a word. There is the word "a" and the world "lot" and the phrase "a lot," but alot does not exist in the English language.

I have a lot of homework to do? or I love Facebook A LOT!

A lot is used to describe how much you have, "a" modifies lot, as in "a" or "one" lot or load or homework.

Don't worry about the mechanics of the phrase, just know that a lot is two words.

Offense #2 Your or You're.

Guess what. They're not the same thing and they're definitely not interchangeable.

The word "your" is possessive. For example...

They're your annoying friends. or I love your new profile picture!

However, "your" isn't the key offender. But it's used quite often in place for the word "you're."

You're means You are. (kind of like how don't means does not, or it's means it is.)

You're is used to describe people. For example...

You're such a noob. OR I think you're the coolest person I know.

Offense #3 Spelling errors.

My spelling has improved exponentially this semester. Why? Multimedia editing has spelling tests, and spelling and grammar check has been disabled in the Stauffer-Flint computer labs.

If you don't know how to spell a word, and aren't willing to take a few seconds to grab a dictionary and look up the word, then you should not be allowed to use that word.

Most internet browsers have spellcheck, but if your's doesn't and you don't want to, or have access to looking up a word, open up Microsoft Word, type it in and let the program do the rest of the work.

English grammar is confusing. The first response I heard to every groan I ever made in a foreign language course was, "English is the hardest language to learn." But there are some grammar sins that are unforgivable.

When you have to use spell check to correct a word, don't just right click and be done with it. Read the correct spelling and try to memorize it.

Grammar matters!

Today, potential employers like to use social media outlets to stalk... I mean check out job candidates. Every time you write a paper, send an email or update your favorite social media outlet, earn the respect of your audience by taking a few seconds to review your grammar. Never type and hit post. Take a few extra seconds to read through the Facebook comment to avoid judgement.

My Religion Is You

Floral denim high waisted shorts- Saver's, $3

Pink silk flower headband- J Crew, $25 (I think)

Shirt, Walmart SUPER SALE (I know classy) $1 (and now you know why)

The title is from Lady Gaga's Teeth. The song doesn't fit the look AT ALL, but I love this line and think it's pretty romantic, maybe a little stalkerish, but whatever.

Gaga's KC show is in 16 days, and she's all I'm listening to! It's sure to be a life changing show! I think I know what I'm wearing, something beaded and sparkly. It's kinda skanky but classy, but that's how I feel about Gaga. Love her.

AJ and I wanted to have a shoot, so it was off to the secret creek thing by my house. We discovered it with Michael a few weeks during another shoot because we knew there was a cement drainage ditch there, but when we found the creek and waterfall, we knew we had to switch locations. (And the ditch was dark and scary!) The first time we went bugs were crawling in our clothes, and I got a bite on the middle of my back that still itches, so this time we came prepared with bug spray!

We both had SUPER successful shoots that day, there were so many great shots to chose from, but the fist one on here (and the one on lookbook) was so poised (not intentional!) I had to choose it! (Photo and editing by AJ)

Drew got me this headband for my birthday!

IMMA DORK.

Vintage 999 (My ebay store) is up and running! Check it out!

my first outfit post

hello there!

I'm going to take a crack at this whole outfit bloging business, I mean now that I have a big, bad lookbook! eeeep!

So I have these two AMAZING friends. Their names are Alexandra Johnston and Michael Amboyan Brown. Not only are they extremely beautiful and sexy people, but they are also extremely TALENTED photographers. They're grrrreat teachers!

This look will be on lookbook soon, titled Begin at the Beginning. It reminds me of fall and how beautiful Kansas City is at sunset. I seriously love it.

Michael took and edited this one. It's so serene.

This and the rest are AJ's (unedited), only because she let me upload all her pics today after our shoot! mmmm basking in the sunlight!

Dress, Savers, $6 (this is where I get all my clothes now, btws... I'm there like once a week! It's an obsession.)

Boots, Target, $20

Hat, borrowed from AJ

Belt, it was my grandma's (loooove free vintage)

EXCITING NEWS! I'm starting an ebay vintage store! I already have a bunch of items to list! It's called Vintage 999 because all the Buy it Nows are $9.99 or less and the auctions start at $9.99! Vintage should be affordable, and that's what my store is all about!

Here's a preview of Vintage 999 goodness:

AJ looking fierce for Vintage 999

The store should be up by the end of the week, just need to measure/size and list everything and there will be fab finds for everyone!

AJ and I shot some looks today, so expect some lookbook posts soon. I'll also be posting more pics from previously posted looks on here. So much to do! But it's all good fun!

i LOVE new york.

This is a really old post that I started and never posted! so here it is! haha!

on the train headed to JBieb! Chessie being a nerd!

Hi. It's me again.

Last week...maybe the week before (it's summer and I've lost track of time) my grandma, sister and I went to NYC! It was mostly a trip to visit family who live in upstate New York, so we only went into the city two days, but NYC is still amazing, just in case you were wondering.

The celeb of our visit was my 91 year old, great grandmother, aka Grandma Rachel. I haven't seen her in WAY too many years, so needless to say the reunion was SPECTACULAR. And much over due. Although the importance of spending time with my cousins and aunts and uncles outweighed spending time with my favorite place in the whole wide world, we managed to have quite the adventure during our two days in the city.

Our first day in New York we went to Westpoint (Army.) It was... pretty? Although military stuff isn't really much of an interest to my sister or me, we still managed to enjoy the history of Westpoint, especially the college traditions, but not going to lie, we were a little bored and Chessie was VERY distracted. While we were driving to WP she got a text from a friend saying "JUSTIN BIEBER IS HAVING A FREE CONCERT IN NYC TOMORROW!" my sister is 13, so obvi she is obsessed. She's his biggest fan! Some how she convinced my great aunts and my grandma Carol to wake up at 3 am to catch a train from Rochester to Grand Central Station in time to make it to Rochefellar Plaza in time for his performance on the Today show. Unfortunately, 10000000000000000000000 people had the same plans, and a majority got there a DAY or TWO before us, so we were not exactly front row. But Chess got a glimpse of Bieber's famous hair flip, which made her cry, so it was well worth it! However, her reaction to such a small dosage of the pint sized pop mega star makes me nervous for when we see him on her birthday at the Sprint Center. Hope they have EMTs near the floor seats. Not joking!

After that we took one of those double decker bus tours. I've been to the city a million times, but I've always secretly wanted to do it, and we learned a ton! Despite the intense heat and exhaustion. Oh and Chessie napped thought it! She used her today show poster for shade.

The bus drove my Parsons in Times Sq, (ps learned it was named that bc the NY Times headquarters was there!) and the New School buildings in the Village, so I got to show my fam where I went to school last summer! And we saw the Flat Iron building, which I'm obsessed with, so it was a good day! Day 1 ended with a visit to the Statue of Liberty.

For our second day of the city, our cousin Ralphie hooked us up! He owns a bunch of buildings on 8th, one of them being the famous John's pizzeria! He treated us to a delicious lunch. Once we were full, we crossed the street to the Mystic Theatre to see Phantom of the Opera! We decided to go to a show just a few days before, but Ralphie worked his magic to score us Orchestra seats! EEEEP! The view from row I was amazing, as was the show! Possibly the best I've seen in NYC. I'd never seen Phantom before, and where better to see it than on Broadway, it's the street's longest running show!

We had a fantastic time in New York, but now it's time to have a productive summer! I just started nannying three times a week for the sweetest two year old twin boys, and will be putting the money towards that camera/bike!

ALSO I finally got a LOOKBOOK. I've been wanting one for about a year now, and after trying everything, I finally used the magic powers of a forum to sneak my way in. I know that's kind of low, but honestly, how rude is it to make a fashion website invite only? Fashion is for everyone, and people shouldn't be excluded from expressing themselves. AND I applied for one a year ago, so at least I tried! AJ (I had to share the secret with my best girl!), MB and I are having a photo-shoot tomorrow, so I'll be posting fab looks soon! The one I currently have up is the look I submitted God knows when!

Once Chessie returns from camp with the family camera, I want to start posting an outfit here at least once a week, but as you can see from how frequently I update my blog, we'll just have to see how that goes!

I also want to try and start an ebay thrifting biz with AJ. hmmmmm. Anything to make $$$! But seriously she is such an amazing thrifter, we'd be rich.

NYC PICS!

Chessie and I with Lady Liberty

Teaching my big city cousins how we laso in Kansas! (Joke, obvi. Unfortunately, I don't really know how to laso!)

Enjoying Delicious Pizza from John's!

(R to L: Gama Carol, Aunt Bunny, Me, Chessie, and Aunt Rosalie)

With the amazing Grandma Rachel!