More New Things

I'm back from my Texas vacay!
And I brought lots of new things with me...because I have a self-diagnosed shopping problem.

But most notably, I'm back with these!


Birthday Ray Ban aviators!
The brown and gold ones. That match my hair.
Naturally.

Thanks Mom and Daddy!

I promise not to hurt these. And to keep them safely protected in their case. Tucked carefully into my purse. As to not drop them down the subway stairs. Or snap the lenses out.

:)

texas on my mind

dfw bound in t-minus 10 hours.

i'm so excited.

my plans include....nothing. a whole week of nothing.

well, if laying by the pool with my sister, getting mani's with mom, going to a rangers game with dad and cousins and playing with my cutie neice count as plans, then those are my plans. and i'm real pumped about them.

this has been one crazy work week. so in my rush to pack at 11pm last night, i think my (very heavy) suitcast is filled with something like this...

• 10 sundresses
• 2 pairs of shorts
• 7 tanks
• 2 skirts
• 3 t's
• 4 belts
• 2 cardi's
• 2 swim suits
• and 5 pairs of sandals

is 10 sundresses too many for 9 days? oops.

texas, texas! i can't wait!

Everything & Nothing

4-day weekends are the best. Because 1) you get 4 whole days of no-work free-time and 2) there are 2 consecutive 4-day work weeks. Brilliant!

This particular 4-day weekend was the 4th of July and the beginning of Jamie's 10-day visit to NYC. And it just so happens that the other 3 roomies of 9A were out of town for the holiday. So naturally me, Bethany and JMart did what any besties would do on a 4-day weekend staycation...

Reunion Sleepover! At 9A! All! Weekend!

We stayed up late giggling, catching up on everything we haven't g-chatted / emailed / texted about in the past 6 weeks since we'd seen each other. Ate unhealthy amounts of puppy chow, new fave pretzel m&m's and chips & homemade queso. We laid on the Great Lawn in Central Park. Getting sun, reading magazines, chatting and people watching. We watched Clueless, decided Paul Rudd might be one of our top 5 fave actors. Sat in Madison Square park plotting fundraiser plans that would help pay for a visit to Orlando and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Because we. must. go.

It was one of those wonderfully lazy and loungy weekends spent talking about everything and nothing. Just soaking up the summertime sun and each others company like no time has passed at all. It was really quite lovely.

Saturday night we had a West Village dinner at BOYB fave, Tartine. Surprisingly, no line. Guess it's a holiday weekend and everyone is out of town? What's going on here New York? A few bottles of Rose and 2 delightful french desserts later, we had a small photo shoot. With iPhones, Blackberrys and ultimately succeeded using actual cameras. With actual flashes. Hah.



On extra steamy 4th of July Sunday, one of our friends planned an afternoon fiesta at an amazing apartment where she was cat-sitting. We picked up the ingredients for Southern Caviar - one of Jamie's specialties and a guaranteed party crowd pleaser - and were off for an afternoon of 4th of July fun! Documented photographically because pictures are sometimes better than words...

See? :)

Susan & Bethany = Festive! Sparkles & flags & coordinating red / white / blue dresses!

Hanging out on the patio - Where we discovered that my new navy dress maaaaay not be so great for twirling...

...And that we really like colorful sandals & toes.

A quick walk down to Riverside Park for firework watching!

Shannon joined us from Long Island City for the fireworks too!

Oh how I love these girls. We are fun.

And then it was back to work for the week. A crazy 100 degree blazing hot week. Poor Jamie, it would happen that she'd visit NYC on the hottest and most humid week of the year. Ick.

But at least there was more time for playing! After her Cow Appreciation Day duties were done of course. 10 days of Jamie in New York?! Oh yes please.

One Hundred Degrees and Melty

I can't even pretend to ignore the record-setting, triple-digit temperatures we're experiencing in NYC right now.

I also can't even begin to tell you how miserable 100 degree heat + 80% humidity in this city is. Especially those of you who are in Texas and have had 100 degree heat for a full 2 months now. So I won't try to make you understand how it's worse here.

I can however, tell you how we're dealing.

Starting with a) flowy dresses and b) ice cream. But not just any ice cream...the quintessential New York summer ice cream. Affectionately known to us heat-exhausted New Yorkers as Mister Softee.

Yesterday the Mister Softee truck came to visit us at our office. Bringing gallons of frozen treats, topped with sprinkles, chocolate crunchies and / or dipped in melty chocolate or cherry sugary deliciousness. I'm almost embarrassed to admit that in my 4 years here, I've never stopped at one of the trucks that are fixed at every other street corner during the summertime. My excuse? I like Pinkberry?

"That's unacceptable, LJ." Bethany says. "It will change your life."

2 reasons why me and Bethany heart our jobs right now -- Chocolate Molten Crunchy Dip Cone and Cherry Molten Sprinkles Dip Cone. Enough said.

Mister Softee may not take away the misery of this nasty heatwave, but you know what? It sure does help! :)

Reblogging Stripetacular!

Today I must direct you here --

hannahkateflora.blogspot.com

This is roommate Hannah's blog. You remember her, right? She got to be a designer on an HGTV 'First Time Design' show. She's fab. And she's my new roomie.

She and roomie Lindsay Ann had big plans to redecorate the foyer at 9A prior to my arrival. And when I moved in, I was immediately on board with their plans. I mean, I love this entire apartment that they've lovingly decorated. And with taste like theirs how could I not?!

Last weekend was time to put these plans to action.
Paint was purchased. Schedules were cleared. Diagrams were drawn.
Operation: Stripes. Go time.

And let me tell you something about stripes. They are not easy friends. Not easy at all. After painting horizontal stripes (quite successfully I might add!), we feel like we could paint any room, any way, no problems. We are masters of the stripe.

What do you think? Do you love it?

I LOVE IT.
I feel like I've walked into a design catalog every time I turn the corner and see these perfect stripes. And oh, how happy it makes me.

Thank you, thank you to Hannah and Lindsay Ann for inspiring such stripey-ness in 9A. I'd say the results far exceed expectations. And what fun we had bringing them to life!

Hello 26.

Twenty-six. It doesn't quite sound as nice as 25, does it? I liked 25. Twenty-five was a good age, a good year. Filled with good things. 26 sure has a lot to live up to. And I'd say we're off to a good start, me and 26!

Last Friday Mom & Daddy sent me a lil early surprise package to work. And oh, did Mom have jokes. Here's what my birthday surprise package included --

A printed picture of Ray Ban Aviators. "Good for one trip to Sunglass Hut" she says. I've somehow talked them into buying me expensive sunglasses for my birthday. I'm not sure yet if it's going to be another sunglasses disaster or a massive sunglasses success. We all know how hard I am on sunglasses...Maybe twenty-six = better luck with keeping sunglasses in one piece / scratch-free / in my purse? Hah.


I also told Mom I wanted a super-pricey-but-ohsolovely Michele watch. Even though I knew it was much too expensive and she wouldn't buy me one. But a girl can dream right? Anyway, here's what I got --

"Mini Michele!" she writes. Oh Mom. You and your jokes. :) It's cute though, right? I can totally rock the watch ring.


If I haven't written it enough on this blog, I have amazing friends. Really really fantastically amazing friends.

Friends like new roommate Katie. Who was out of town for my bday, so left me these gorgeous roses as a surprise on Friday.


And friends like these pretty girls. Who joined me to celebrate on my actual birthday in the best way I know how! Boozy brunch. New York style.

I love brunching in New York. I love trying new brunchy spots in new neighborhoods that I don't usually visit. I especially love when drinks are all included in the brunchy pre-fixe.

This particular birthday Sunday, we did brunch in the Lower East Side at Essex. Oh my. It was delish. And...it was real hot. So don't judge us by our 95 degree + 100% humidity shininess. This is the epitome of New York summertime grossness. Like I said, good friends. Ones that brave the subway and un-airconditioned restaurants in unprecedented heat for your birthday celebrations.

New roommates Lindsay Ann and Hannah pointed out that Lower East Side staple, Sugar Sweet Sunshine Bakery, was right across the street from Essex. Totally necessary for post-brunch birthday treats!


And then on Monday, I walked into an office that looked like this...


Since Bethany was still in Texas for my weekend birthday brunchy celebration, she decided that decorating my office the day after was completely necessary. And birthdays just aren't birthdays without decorations.

I had lots. Pink streamers + confetti + cupcake balloon + prezel m&ms + this sign (written in scented markers of course) & magnet to announce the big day on my office door...."Life's too short to not live as a Texan...In NYC!" Italics = Bethany's additions. Fitting.

I don't know about you, but I <3 it. <3 it a lot.


And then, to top it all off, I received this cutie cutie gift in the mail from BFF Kayla in Texas.

It's an 'L' mouse pad! For my desk at work! I loveeeeeee it! A lot!!!!!! Thanks K, love you!



Cheers to 26! And everything new that it brings!

summoned

my parents have officially demanded that i return to texas to visit.

and i really mean demanded. the conversation went something like this...

"uncle johnny and your cousins are coming to visit in july. so you can come on july 17th. i looked at plane tickets, it will cost you $300. ok?"

...and then mom put a plane ticket on hold from saturday to saturday and sent it to my email. for me to book. and buy. you'd think that since it was a mandate, they'd buy it for me, right? negative.

clearly she knows that i'm the queen of procrastination, i am her daughter after all, and i'm more likely to purchase a ticket if she finds it for me. hah!

i have no excuse for the amount of time that's passed since i've been to visit. it's not that i don't want to go see everyone in tejas. because i do! i miss them lots! i'm just...and this sounds kinda bad...but i'm just a lil busy, i have stuff all summer. stuff i don't wish to miss.

oh she doesn't care though. she's forcing me to miss 2 bachelorette parties. she says, "you can't always do everything, lauren." but i haaaaate missssssing things. i don't like to miss out! especially on beachy weekend bachelorette parties.

but since she did put the ticket on hold, i bought it.

ok ok, not right away. actually, if i'm being honest, i forgot to buy it. and the cost doubled over the weekend. then i just felt bad. lucky for me, mom is in the habit of checking flights to and from nyc regularly. this week she found a lower cost and promptly emailed it to me. so much for her and daddy buying it for me, huh?

since my presence has been demanded, to texas i shall go. in 4 short weeks.

and even though i'm going to miss lindsay's beachy bachelorette party, and it will be 100 degrees the entire time i'm there, i'm real excited to head back south for awhile.