Birthday Surprise!

Birthdays. Aren’t they the best!? Mine luckily fell on a Saturday this year which meant I didn’t have to spend it at work. YES! On Saturday night, I was surprised by a group of sweet, beloved friends! I walked in to my best friend Carly’s apartment to a beautiful scene of friends, her homemade sangria, margaritas, and a beautiful cake. My friend, Daniel, was there snapping pictures, I felt a bit like a celebrity for a moment. We had a drink and visited Carly’s roof for the beautiful view! Carly also gave me a special birthday present, an old-fashioned friendship bracelet. She and I now wear the same bracelet with charms that say faith, hope, and love. Such a thoughtful and unique gift!

Then we headed to Cilantro for some Mexican food. (I am highly judgmental of Mexican food in NYC, so Carly had gotten a great recommendation from my fellow friend and Texan, Leticia.) We had more Sangria and Mexican beer and chips with hot sauce. Food note, they had yellow, blue, and sweet potato chips in their baskets-I was impressed. We had a great meal and Carly made a special toast. She had everyone write something they liked about me, and read them aloud at the dinner. I was so overwhelmed by the love and kindness the people in my life showed me on my birthday.

As the party ended, we feasted on a beautiful apple walnut cake from Buttercup Bakery that my parents had sent. It was great that they could be a part of it all the way from Texas.

I feel so blessed to have had such a great birthday. This city and the special people in it made everything perfect! Looking forward to a wonderful 26^th year of life.

Food Hopping

The church I belong too, Apostles, encourages us to join community groups. So I have been attending an UWS group since around August. I have met the sweetest group of people, I love them! We meet once a week to discuss the sermon and share our lives with each other.

So, in honor of the temps reaching a blistering 70 degrees, we had been planning a progressive dinner, NYC style. It was amazing to say the least! Here is how it went down:

Our group started @ 107th street on my best friend, Carly's rooftop. We sipped on Carly's homemade Sangria and Moscow Mules as we watched the sun go down over the Hudson. Then, we hopped over to Susan's house on 88th for appetizers. My favorite was the ricotta bruscetta (Barefoot Contessa-love her). Then it was time for dinner and a quick jaunt down to 76th to Claire's house. God bless Claire, she set up her table for 18 people! Pretty sure she is now the master hostess of the world! We feasted on pasta, rosemary chicken, salad, tabouleh, and bread from Balthazar. It was divine! Finally, we headed for dessert at Jason's house a quick 3 blocks away. There we found Leticia's carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, chocolate cake, ice cream, and a champagne toast to end the evening!

I haven't done a progressive dinner since my senior year of high school at prom, but it was long overdue! Plan one with your friends, it's totally worth the scheming!

Friends, food, NYC-what else could a girl need?!

iPit

As I shut off the last bit of news from Matt Lauer, grab my bag, and head out the door, I am comforted by that one little thing that makes my commute not such drudgery. That's right friends, its my iPod. A precious little piece of technology that I couldn't live without as a New Yorker.
I untangle the headphones as I scram down five flights of janky stairs and plug in. There I find music to inspire me, block out city sounds, and sometimes give me a nice beat to walk too. The train has some very annoying sounds such as kids crying, music from other iPods blasting, and occasional train performers. I am riding the train as I write this and realized I just turned the volume up because I had a whistler in front of me. Just whistling a happy tune for everyone I suppose.

Sometimes I try to think about what the train was like before iPods. Were people talking to each other? Were they listening to tape players, or discmans? What was going on!?
I call it the iPit sometimes because of the amount of money I sink into that thing. I think nothing of buying the latest song or new Glee hit. It feel like I am using monopoly money. I have purchased about 160 songs since I moved here in August! Let's not add the cost up, please.

My most favorite thing about my iPod and the time I spend listening to it is that occasionally I have the perfect song on, I am walking down the street or through the subway, and I feel this sort of movie soundtrack sensation. It's like everything around me is passing by but I am standing still, listening to my song, and the world is perfect. Sounds crazy and cheezy, but that's ok. I love designing that soundtrack everyday, no matter the cost. Go for a walk somewhere lovely and put on "What a Wonderful World." See what happens!

An Ode to Spring

It’s April 19^th and I am headed home to Texas, where it’s 88 degrees. It hasn’t been that hot in New York since August. It seems all things “spring” come later in the Empire State. I am on spring break in April, and I am just beginning to see signs of spring this month. I would be sporting flip-flops and shorts by this time in Texas. Heck, I haven’t even had a pedicure yet. What is the world coming too?

I am not all sorrows about this late change in seasons, as I have loved watching the city bloom the last couple weeks. Although the temperatures don’t feel it at times, the days have warmed. I don’t pile on layers or pull on heavy snow boots any more. I don’t wear my knit cap and gloves to go running on the weekend, and I don’t wonder if tomorrow will be a snow day. NYC is thawing out.

I took several walks through Riverside Park this past week and saw the beauty of spring revealed. The trees are blooming in bright yellows and lovely creams. If you’re lucky, you’ll see a pink cherry blossom tree standing there brilliantly. There are orange and yellow daffodils’ showing their cheerful faces to whomever passes. Squirrels are hopping about all over. I felt like I had landed right in the middle of “Snow White.” I was bracing myself for some little blue bird to come sit on my shoulder so we could sing a tune.

The park was absolutely gorgeous, as are the people. Commuters are shedding their heavy down coats and exchanging them for smart khaki trench coats. (a must have) I notice more smiles as people sport chic flats in all the colors of the rainbow. I have even seen some brave souls wear sundresses.

Spring is coming and I couldn’t be happier! Lots of fun to look forward too: picnics in the park, days at the beach, eating brunch outside in the sun, good times on Carly’s roof, and of course, rompers. I’ll enjoy those summer temps this week though, it couldn’t hurt. I’ll be back in the trench coat next week! Happy Easter blog friends!

A girl should be two things: classic and fabulous.

-Coco Chanel

Channeling Coco

A couple months ago, I watched the french film "Coco Before Chanel," the story of the woman behind the world wide brand. She had quite an interesting life and I was inspired by her determination and gumption. There was also a brilliant love story in her life, that I of course swooned over. It's a great film that stars Audrey Tautou, you should check it out, she is lovely.

There is a little second grader at my school who has sort of reminded me of Coco since I saw the movie. She has the same big dark eyes, long black hair, and inquisitive nature. Interestingly enough, this sweet girl would like to design clothes when she grows up.

So, the other day I was walking down Third Ave to "California Pizza Kitchen" with the 2nd grade on their field trip. (CPK does field trips where the kids go to the restaurant, learn how a kitchen/restaurant runs, and make their own pizza.) As we were walking, I noticed that this little fashion designer to-be was carrying a zip lock bag with a sandwich inside. So I said, "Friend, are you not eating pizza today?" She replied in a simple voice, "Ms. Thamer, I just want to wear Italian, not eat it."

Classic.

Then I had another summoning from Coco Chanel when I was practicing spelling words with a fourth grader last week. The words was none other than, channel. It was the only word she missed, but was quick to tell me that she just gets it confused with the brand. Did I know about Chanel when I was ten? Um no.

What do all these Chanel occurrences mean? What could Coco be trying to tell me? That I should buy a quilted handbag? I'd be ok with that!

The Busy Season

Since moving to New York, I have heard talk of the "busy season." It's a term that refers to the tax season for all my friends in that field, and it's a period of 3 months where your life is taken OVER with work. My friend Jason works at PWC, Price Waterhouse Coopers, and for the last few months has been getting home at like 10-11 pm and working weekends! Its craziness! Apparently, the coping method is that when you get done, life slows way down and returns to normal. It's a short term hell with a light at the end of the tunnel.

Well friends, I think that I too have entered a "busy season" in life. Things have been crazy with spring break visitors and friends in the city. Every time I try to schedule a day with no activity, I end up somewhere out in this big city. People that know me well know that I must have time on my own. I have to take time to recharge and reflect on life. However, I find those nights comes less and less now that I live in New York. I spoke to some friends about it this evening and they said they think it's a combination of things but mostly the city's fault. In New York, there is always something going on and people out doing it. Maybe they're out for coffee, having dinner, seeing a show, visiting a museum, shopping, running in the park, anything-it never stops. It sort of becomes your "new normal." It can be a blessing and a curse.

Also, this week I started a masters degree in school counseling at Liberty University. The school is in Virginia and it's an online program where I will actually go to the University for a couple weeks in the summer for intensive courses. I am excited about it, but it will definitely take some time out of an already busy schedule for the next 8 weeks.
I realize, it's all relative. Wherever we are in our lives, whether we are in college, raising kids, starting a new job, just married, having grandkids, or somewhere in between, things can get hectic. I pray I can use the time I have between all the "to dos" in life to invest in people and this city. I will try to remember to take a breath because everybody's life gets crazy sometimes. But doesn't that just make your resting time that much sweeter?

Sounds of the City

After eight months in the city, I have become pretty immune to the sounds of New York City. Well, most of them anyway. I don't think I will ever get used to the screech of a subway car, that is just jarring to all. Here are some noises I hear day to day in my apartment, on the subway, and in the streets.

-garbage trucks

-ambulance sirens (I don't even think they help in ny traffic.)

-delivery trucks (I think they may outnumber inhabitants on this island.)

-bike chains jingling as the Dominoes delivery guys lock up their bikes

-steam hissing through the heating poles and radiators in my apartment (My friend Claire thinks they sound like crickets.)

-iPods blasting on the train (Can you say hearing loss?)

-dogs barking

-subways screeching to a hault

-my tiny neighbor next door who does laps up and down the apartment at all hours, I think he's a future marathoner

-pipes whining as the hot water slowly creeps up to the 5th floor

So how does one survive the chaos of this clamor? I don't really have an answer to that, but I do however have a little round machine that makes it much easier to sleep. He is pictured below in all his glory, perched atop the chair. I turn him on and sink into dreaming bliss. I missed him when I was home in Texas over Christmas, it was almost too quiet. Thank you white noise machine for your soft whooshing sound that reminds me I too can find peace in this boisterous city.

my bff