spring roll out is COMPLETE

So spring roll out at Anthropologie is officially over and after my 13 hour work day on Friday I cannot be more relieved. Never fear though next week starts prep for the Earth day windows so there is no rest for the wicked. Sketches for the window were due last week so at least the ball is already rolling for that! I'm hoping for a calmer May...

But enough talk about how much physical and mental labor went in to making all these art installations possible, here are some photos of the store. I'll be putting more detailed/ well thought out photos next week after I do a photoshoot of the store but for now this is what we've got.

What got me through the week was having a lovely belated birthday brunch with my besties! (alliteration much?) Bottomless mimosa's, great conversation and  huevos rancheros can cure anything. I think the envelopes Chrissy and I addressed to Kat say a lot about who we are. Mine says "Call me Kitty Kat"  and Chrissy's is a lovely drawing of a cat face with a heart above it.

aahhh...another great weekend

After a particularly crazy week of working through lunch breaks to go the extra mile for displays I had yet another awesome relaxing weekend. On Friday I felt like a real New Yorker as a sped straight from work to my friend Chafin's modern dance performance. I got to the lower east side about a half hour early so I grabbed a slice of pizza and waited for Chrissy to join. After our pizza we walked over to The wild project which is a gallery space that plays hosts different art events. On this particular night there were 5 modern dance performances that blew our minds. We had known Chafin from our freshman year of college and frequently loved watching him and our other dance friends perform but have yet to see him perform since. His piece, which he choreographed and performed in with three others, was thought provoking, inspiring, entertaining, hysterical, deep, and of course filled with immense talent.

After the show we joined all the performers down the street at Sigmund's which during their happy hour serves up a free gourmet pretzel of your choosing with your beer. Chrissy and I chose the churro pretzels and were deeply in lust with it. 

On Saturday Mike and I spent some quality time at Sweet Afton after a Thursday and Friday night apart. He had the chicken and bisquits with a bloody Mary and I had the pimento cheese B.E.L.T and a screwdriver that was one of the best things I've ever had the pleasure of sipping on so we decided to recreate the recipe at home later that day. 

It called for vodka, hefeweizen, ginger, honey, and orange juice over a tall glass of ice. I garnished mine with blueberries.

After a relaxing, rainy afternoon of roasting beets and watching stand up comedy and house of cards we attempted to go bowling however it seems everyone in Astoria had the same idea. Since we didn't want to be on the wait list for an hour we decided to postpone it for another day.

Sunday morning consisted of home made multigrain pancakes with fruit and yogurt and church via Rock City.

If you want to know what I've accomplished at work this week with the help of my handy dandy assistant take a look below. This upcoming week is the last week of our spring interior roll out and the week after we get started on prepping for the windows!

UCB!

Well I think I can honestly say I've had one of my favorite NYC weekends to date.  Now that the temperatures are hovering above freezing and I have a fancy new coat I can venture outside! A few weeks ago when I was waltzing around Astoria while my laundry dried I discovered a paper sign that said "drink and draw" which immediately got my attention because it is something the "cool art students" would do at OSU. This drink and draw was at a local bar with a back room where a live model would pose and you draw using whatever medium you like while you enjoyed some good conversations with fellow art lovers and beverages of your choice. I absolutely LOVED it and wish they offered it more than once a month. This was only the third session Q.E.D put together but it was a packed house so I'm hoping it will turn into more like a weekly occurrence.

Q.E.D  describes itself as a place for grown ups to learn and a place to show and tell. They feature daily talks, comedy shows, informative work shops, henna tattoo practices, and classes that anyone can take. Some things are free, some are 5 or 10 bucks, and all of it seems amazing. I cannot wait to become a regular here as I'm already hooked after the first time. And look they even had a fireplace on the TV and anyone who knows me knows I'm a sucker for a fireplace.

Anyway drink and draw was Friday night and so Saturday night I wanted to plan a date for Mike and I so we went out in Chelsea for some fancy mexican food and then finally got to see an Upright Citizens Brigade show. For those who don't know the Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB) is an improvisational comedy group that was originally founded by Matt Besser, Amy Poehler, Ian Roberts, and Matt Walsh. Since Amy Poehler is a hero of mine I could not wait to check it out.

The show we went to had a cast of up and comers who are writers and performers in various shows around the city such as SNL. To say there were hilarious would be an understatement. I had only been to improv shows in college and wasn't a huge fan which is why I would normally frequent stand up comedy shows but this improv show titles "grandma's ashes" was full of some very talented people who know what makes a good show. The "theater" is more like a very intimate basement where I'm guessing about 200 people can fit. Mike and I managed to get in at the right time and snag a front row seat. The photos below were not taken by me but will give you a good idea of the theater set up. 

Welp, I'm about to go let this phenomenal weekend continue by getting my work out on, watching some church courtesy of Rock City , and who knows what else. Happy Sunday everyone

Update! We went to a new vegetable and fruit market in Astoria today and bought a ton of fresh produce and made this awesome salad! 

And I stained this table while I was cooking blueberry/lemon muffins! I'm a very project based person I've come to notice...