Beloved Friday

So today "black Friday" is known as beloved Friday at Anthro - and honestly it was a great experience. Don't get me wrong I'm ready for the weekend but I had a great day working - even with all the crazies out there. I really enjoy how Anthro adds personal touches to everything - whether it be through hundreds of "tie on" ornamentation that I make to add to each candle lid, or the free hot chocolate we supplied to customers all day. These little touches make what could be a crazy day into an enjoyable holiday experience. I'm thrilled to work where I do.

Other than work I had a nice Thanksgiving alone in the apartment. Of course I missed my friends and family but I also LOVED having the day off to eat, sleep, do some crunches, and watch "say yes to the dress". It all started by waking up to a beautiful sunrise right outside my window. No I don't have blinds yet, but that just means I get to see this view all the time! (yes thats manhattan in the distance)

So lets get down to it - what did I eat! I don't like to brag but Mike and I eat VERY well on our grocery budget. We make dinner every week night and I look forward to it every day on the ride home. Waking up on Thanksgiving my immediate thought was "what do I want my first meal to be?" So I chose 2 over easy eggs with fresh ground pepper over blue corn tortilla chips, srirachi hot sauce, mixed greens, and an apple with some pear cinnamon cider. This was my first breakfast of course. My second breakfast was Trader Joes "Vanana" yogurt with pumpkin flax granola. I'll spare you the details of my grazing throughout the day but know that I pretty much cleaned out the fridge and am excited to go stock up at trader joes in the morning!

All of my holiday displays are done because the final deadline was black Friday so my next post will contain some pictures of the interior displays. 

New Yahk tip of the day: Can't find a parking spot? Just park your car in a strategic spot and wait - its better than driving around in circles stalking people. Let them come to you. 

Pizza pie to die for

So first off, I found it. The reason I have taste buds - its for this pizza.

Its from Nick's pizza in forest hills (the neighborhood we live in/by), which by the way is where Simon and Garfunkel met AND the neighborhood where peter parker is supposed to be from - so there is that. Anyway back to the pizza. We've been doing some research and taste testing of pizzas and this is the best pie i've ever tasted. We ordered a white pizza with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, spinach, and pepperoni. As you can see they did not skimp on the toppings. I have 2 left over pieces in the fridge that are calling my name right now. The salad I had for dinner just isn't making that little voice in my ear go away that says 'have another slice.' I'm sure i'll give in eventually.

Other than the pizza, we spent the weekend both in our neighborhood and in Manhattan eating brunch via groupon at a super nice restaurant complete with a bellini and mimosa. We watched the Ohio State game at the bulls head bar where we quickly realized why the beer was so cheap - might need to clean out their tap lines. Some light hearted dart playing with a sub par dart board lead to us researching dart bars to go to. We walked through the freezing wind to play some serious darts at Ace. As you can see below I lost in cricket by only ONE dart throw - defeated by white Mike.

On the way to Ace we stopped in a karaoke bar and sang with a small group of people having a really good time. I'm sure they enjoyed our version of "I believe I can fly." After the subway ride home we stopped in the local cafe"hot and tasty" for some chicken, vegetable, and rice soup for me and a chocolate chip cookie for Mike, which was an excellent night cap.

The last thing to report this weekend was our trip around Austin street in forest hills. We stopped in various wine/cheese/desserts shop and of course had to taste test those as well. We stumbled into a pottery painting shop and stayed to paint a spoon holder to put on top of our cooktop. It will be ready in about 2 weeks so I'm excited to see what it will look like!

 Oh also I visited a sacred site - Kleinfelds.

New Yahk tip of the day: bring cash with you EVERYWHERE. Or have a girlfriend that does.

the first furniture purchase

Hey you guessed it, I purchased a sofa (with a little help from my man friend). Its a rochester sofa from west elm in a navy velvet-y material. We picked it out in manhattan on Sunday and it was delivered yesterday. It feels good to sit on a cushion rather than a pillow on the floor. I'm really moving up in the world. You can see the sofa here.

We added for of my art pieces above it and are using a stool as a side table. Whats with the nifty plant you ask? Why it was a plant used by anthropologie in the summer that was free to a good home. I have named him Fredrick and we're in love. I have also received Jimmie, our kitchen plant, to be shown at a later date. Next to Fredrick is the bar cart that pretty much is my reason for existence. I can't wait till I get my extra discount on home goods at anthropologie when I will be able to purchase a decanter for it.

Oh and also if you're wondering why I'm home in the middle of the day it is because I had a split shift (7-11, 5-9) because I've been discovered as a model! No, but really my anthropologie store is having a fashion show tonight in which some of us will be modeling clothes for prospective buyers/those who are loyal to the anthropologie brand. Should be a fun time. I only wish I could partake in the champagne that will be served but alcohol and display work do not mix.

New Yahk tip of the day: People are either really dumb, or really intelligent here. There is no in between. You'll know within the first minute of talking to them.

back to black and white cookie

Today was my first day off work and I'm happy to report I used it wisely. After having a 3 course breakfast at home we hopped on the E train into the city. It's buckeye gameday of course so we researched a bar for Ohio State fans and went straight to "blondie's".

I highly recommend it for a great atmosphere and great food. We had some lunch and beers, met some other fans, watched OSU crush Illinois and went on our merry way. We stopped at some cool antique stores that made very good use of their tiny space and looked at some rugs/couches along our way to central park! The weather made it an ideal day to visit and we had a nice little hike while eating some roasted almonds and watching a toy boat race. Side note I was very impressed by the amount of different languages I heard while walking around. I would say it was 50% english speaking - gotta love the diversity. 

Weather dependent we will be returning tomorrow for some light scrabble or card playing. Tough life I lead, I know. The rest of the day was spent slobbering over food, looking at christmas decorations, watching some street dance performances, and grouponing (yes i might have made up a word) at a small pizza shop. The most touristy thing I did today was indulge in a black and white cookie. I originally went in to this bakery for a restroom, but stayed for the black and white cookie. It was horrible, as you can see below.

BUT THE DAY ISN'T OVER YET! we met a celebrity. Yes, ladies and gentlemen I got to witness the famous skateboarding dog in all its glory. Here is a short clip below for your enjoyment.

New Yahk tip of the day: Don't ever hesitate to eat anything in New Yahk, its probably awesome. And you'll want to try whatever it is in as many varieties as it comes in. 

long hours, big payoff

So I've made it through my 65 hour work week and weekend with a lot to show for it. Although I'm exhausted I'm still full of creative juices and things are getting done! I'm not allowed to show in progress photos of my display designs so you will only see completed projects - like my first window display seen below:

Everything you see in the window can be viewed 360 (inside the store and out). All pieces were created by hand and assembled from cardboard with small details including gold/silver leafing and crosshatching thread on the outer layer. I'm very happy with my first window and it keeps me motivated that putting in the hours pays off.  A BIG thank you goes out to all the other creative folk that worked over the weekend to get this up, this was definitely a team effort. 

We also worked on these "polaris stars" seen below that are located at the entrance of our store. They will be used throughout the holiday season as well as marking off the runway in our store fashion show! 

As I'm sure you can tell I'm thrilled at the environment I work in and even more pumped about my amazing co workers. Work is so much more enjoyable when you share a vision, and some laughs, with those around you.

New Yahk tip of the day: When scaling a 20 foot ladder to cut down a roped display from the ceiling, be a badass and carry a large carving knife between your teeth. 

Everybody's working DURING the weekend

So Thursday and Friday I was in Connecticut at another anthropologie store helping out and learning some tips. It was great meeting other display coordinators and talking about how we got to be where we are today. I joined the visual team at a very stressful time as we a decorating the store for holiday. I am working through the weekend to be able to get more done which means overtime pay! ...and no central park for Lauren and Mike. We had dreams of getting "Big gay ice cream" this weekend and walking around Manhattan. It looks fantastic and I can't wait to indulge. Hopefully I'll have next weekend free to do fun things that I can update you all about. Until then I'll be climbing ladders, accidentally spray painting my whole hand, and hot gluing parts of my body all while creating a wonderful holiday display. In other news our apartment is looking good. We just got a new magnetic knife strip and a new knife so we can continue our fabulous dining habits. Although I don't get to go out very much, we've been making some fabulous dinners (and drinks) at home.

New Yahk lesson of the day: Just stay in your lane, traffic isn't going to magically disappear by switching lanes

First day jitters no more

So my first day is over! It was fantastic. I'm really excited to get more acquainted with the position. After all my readings and paperwork I actually got to get to work in the art room for a few hours today. My art room is fabulous - the last person who worked in it left it so organized and there is everything you can imagine in there. While working on a new installation I bonded with a member of the team who hopes to be a Display Coordinator someday soon  (henceforth known as a DC).  We listened to 80's music while working and I got super inspired by one of those songs, had an "AHA!" moment and of course didn't write it down. A 10 minute google search has not helped me find the song so all of you that are waiting on pins and needles will have to wait till my memory comes back. Anyway in conclusion, great job, great co workers, a wonderful lunch with a manager, and hopefully many more great days to come. I don't even mind waking up at 5:45am.

New Yahk lesson of the day: eat your free lunch fast so you can finish it before lunch break is over, otherwise your stomach will consume your thoughts for the rest of the day.

AY! I'm moving HEYA!

Welp, I made it. After leaving Richfield, OH at 3:45am Saturday Nov 2nd I arrived at my apartment in Queens, NY a little before noon. Good thing our apartment complex only lets you move in until 3pm on Saturday so let the rush begin. First thing out of the Uhaul was Mike's king size mattress which as we soon found out is the exact weight I can carry 2 inches at a time. Cut to Mike carrying it himself on the back while I dust the leaves off from the timeS I've dropped it. After moving the uhaul closer to the basement entrance the real unpacking begins....and continues for the next 4-5 hours. We met our neighbors on the either side of our apartment and a ton of really nice people who held doors open, said hello, and introduced their blind rottweiler to us. I'm sure you can guess from here that the rest of Saturday and today were spent unpacking, organizing, decorating, and making a lot of trips to the trash room. I'm tired, which is why there will be no photos until my next post. It's kind of great living in a new place so far and I'm ready to start work in the morning. I'll keep you posted on my job as a display coordinator for anthropologie as well as my overall experience as a NEW "new yahker". Don't worry I only fake the accent.

New Yahk lesson of the day: A hacksaw is a very useful household tool. So it patience...and wine