a (fabulously) gloomy weekend

Miraculously, this weekend was not 8,000 degrees. Don't you just love when it's not 8,000 degrees? 

I'll start with the obvious and confess that I hopped right on the Birkenstock bandwagon. Did someone say, no regrets? I sure did! I've always wanted to find a way to make my size 10 feet look even more like bear claws than they already do, and these really did the trick (bear claws, not to be confused with bear paws). After spending the past few days together, I've decided that Birks are the shoe equivalent of mini vans - practical, indestructible, and completely ridiculous. And that's all I have to say about that. 

In other news, I am religiously counting down the days until October. As you know, I was done with summer roughly 10 minutes after it started and have been daydreaming about cooler weather ever since. This weekend was nice and overcast (on Saturday and Sunday!). The Oregonian in me was seriously jumping for joy. In the spirit of not burning our skin off the second we stepped outside, J & I spent most of the weekend wandering around the city, drinking hot coffee and pretending it was the middle of autumn. 

T-3 months, people. T-3 months.

Happy Monday! 

the thing about new york

During the last few months that I lived in Oregon, I became a professional Pouter.

I was so eager to get to New York that my impatience - which at one point might have been endearing - quickly turned me into a raging brat. I was dying to get to New York and had made up my mind that any time I wasn't spending in the city was a big, boring waste. (Sometimes I thought I was actually dying, but that's only because I'm really good at being a giant baby) To make matters worse, I decided that I had seen, tried, and tasted everything my little college town had to offer. I got in the delightful habit of throwing my hands up in the air and shouting, There's nothing left for me here!!! any time J suggested we go out to dinner or do something fun on the weekend. Living with me was pure joy.

For the record, Oregon is not boring and was never ever a waste. See above: big giant baby.

I have to say, though. Despite turning into a toddler, I might have been on to something.

The thing about New York is, it's impossible to be bored.
Remember the look on everyone's face when Harry kept accidentally saying Voldemort in the first, like, six movies? That's the same look you'd get in NYC if you complained about being bored. It's just offensive. Take it from Ernesto, my cab driver, "If you're bored in New York City, you've given up. You're probably an asshole, too." (Hey, he said it)

No matter what day of the week it is or how late you get off from work, there's always something to do and always people who are just as psyched as you are to do it. For example: on Friday night we were debating between 1) going salsa dancing, 2) going to a 'New Orleans-inspired Crawfish & Music festival', or 3) taking a trapeze class along the Hudson River. (What kind of options are these?! The biggest decision I've ever had to make on Friday night is whether to watch one episode of Seinfeld, or fourteen) I voted for the crawfish - who wouldn't? - but was sadly outnumbered and ended up salsa-ing my way to a whole new level of public humiliation. I only stepped on J's feet 78 times - a personal best!

What I'm saying is, if it's Monday night and you feel like drinking champagne and making papier mâché hats, there's a pretty good chance that you can find somewhere to do it (pretty good as in, 100%). Same goes for square-dancing on a Wednesday afternoon, taking fire-breathing classes, going to a restaurant that only serves oatmeal, and sword-fighting in Central Park.

Basically, New York is like, "I dare you to be bored."

photo via James Jowers

heather vs. summer

It's time for me to get something off my chest that I've been bottling up for over 20 years (that's right - years!). Are you ready for this? Here it is: Summer is my least favorite season. 

beauty soup | the upper west side

One of my favorite things to do on the weekends is wander around the upper west side and pretend that I live in one of those big, beautiful brownstones. As far as neighborhoods go, the upper west side is definitely my favorite hood in Manhattan. (My other favorite is the west village, but it would take some serious smooth talking to convince J to ever move down there. He can only handle so much cuteness.) The upper west side is pretty dreamy. The streets are wide and whimsical and so charming that it kind of makes your head spin (or is that just me?). No matter what season it is, the trees always overhang into the road so you feel like you're walking into a magical tree tunnel and after awhile, you're like, what movie am I in right now? (Just trust me) Oh, what I would do to wake up in the morning and have a cup of coffee at one of those big bay windows. And the stairs! The stairs. When I have stairs leading up to my front door, that's when I'll know I've made it in this world.

For the record, J thinks this new habit of mine is real creepy.
What I call 'admiring', he calls 'stalking'. (Tomāto tomäto, you know?) He digs the upper west side just as much as I do, but sometimes I get carried away while I'm window-shopping for my next dream home. Look at those windows! Can you imagine what it must look like inside? Look at the details! Ooh, look at the white one! LOOK AT THE WREATH ON THE DOOR! LOOK AT EVERYTHING! I WANT IT ALL!

He's made a point of walking 20ft behind me at all times in case one of the actual residents happens to notice that I've been circling their apartment all afternoon.

While I'm wandering/stalking, I like to channel my favorite New York City goddesses, Kathleen Kelly and Holly Golightly. Not surprisingly, this song is always playing in my head whenever I turn down West 69th, secretly hoping to stumble upon The Shop Around The Corner. There's something very romantic and old-New-York about the upper west side. It makes you want to play the saxophone and go on evening walks and drink red wine every night.

You know what I mean?

This post is part of the Beauty Soup project.

beauty soup (n) | a melting pot for all things worth admiring

on how it feels to be HIRED (!!)

Being hired sort of feels like:

1. Asking for a pony for Christmas your entire life and then getting one

2. Discovering that you can actually buy Girl Scout Cookies all year long (!!!)

3. Hitting a home-run while every single person you know is watching

4. Skipping school to go to Disneyland

5. Getting your acceptance letter to Hogwarts

YOU GUYS. I got a job.
It's been quiet around here for the last few weeks because I've been busy trying to wrap my brain around the fact that this actually happened. (I'm still waiting for someone to jump out and yell APRIL FOOLS! because this really does feel too good to be true.) I haven't done the best job of explaining what exactly I've been doing here these past few months, so let me explain How I Managed To Move To New York Without A Job, And Then Get A Job (Three Months Later).

While I didn't have much in the way of a plan, the one thing I did know when I moved to New York was that I wanted to start a career somewhere in the land of Marketing + Event Production. …..aaaand that's pretty much the only thing I knew. See, the tricky thing about moving to a city where you don't know anyone is, you don't know anyone. So where do you start? Who do you talk to? What do you do? I remember being on the plane from Oregon to New York, having visions of myself roaming through the city like a door-to-door salesman, knocking on every door and asking for work.

Thanks to my friends and family, I didn't have to knock on doors.
The #1 reason I've had any success here is because I've had lots of people looking out for me. People connecting me with anyone they know in the city (old college buddies, business partners, friends-of-a-friend). People keeping an eye out for any potential job opportunities. People going out of their way to introduce me to someone-who-might-know-someone-in-the-industry. I'm telling you, I have never felt more grateful for my family and friends than I have these past three months.

One of these introductions led to the best internship I've ever had (enter, reason #2).
If there's one piece of advice I could give to anyone who's looking for a job or wondering how to kickstart The Career You've Always Wanted, let this be it: Never underestimate the power of The Unpaid Internship. While I might not have a paycheck to show for it, I spent the last 3 months working alongside some of the most creative and passionate people I've ever met. I got to see parts of the city that I never would have had access to otherwise - rooftops, private balconies, photo shoots, grand openings, launch parties, the 44th floor, the behind-the-scenes. The experience I gained and the people I met through my internship are, without a doubt, the reason I got my job.

And best of all? It's a job that I really want.

Can I get a HALLELUJAH?!?!!

why you should go to café lalo, right now

If you called me right now and were like, Heather. I only have one hour left to spend in the city. Tell me where to go. I would throw you into a cab and have you hauled off to Café Lalo. 

Upon arriving, I would make sure that we sat in the corner, by the window. (Did you think I wasn't going to join you? Think again!) Because if we sat in the corner, then we would have a view of the whole café and would still be able to see the twinkly lights that are always on the trees outside (twinkly lights are pretty up there in my book, so these details are all very important).

After a few minutes, you would realize how overwhelming the menu is and you might start to panic. At this point, we would order two glasses of champagne to calm your nerves. This should help you see more clearly and realize that, yes, of course the Goat Cheese and Spinach Scramble with Rosemary Bread is the best choice. I would then demand that I get to eat half.

While we enjoy the tulips on our table, the music, and all the amazing aromas floating out of the kitchen, we will start to wonder if we are suddenly living in the middle of a romantic comedy. You will slyly look around the café to see if Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams are sitting at any of the tables nearby. Disappointed that they are not, we will request a dessert menu and another round of champagne. While you scour the 50,000 flavors of pie on the menu, I will gaze longingly at the blueberry cheesecake in the display case. Declaring it Love At First Sight, I will refuse to even look at the menu.

Too distracted by the Best Dessert of Our Lives (and the food comas that we are slowly slipping into), it wouldn't be until the last bite that we will both remember that you were only supposed to be in New York for one hour. By this point, three hours have gone by and you will have missed your flight. C'est la vie! we would say, and two more glasses of champagne would be ordered.

This is pretty much a play-by-play of brunch this morning with my mom, give or take a few minor details. We weren't in any hurry (no flights were missed) and we were much more concerned about cheesecake than we were with Ryan Gosling. Also, she didn't panic about the menu because when we get together, it goes without saying that everything we order is going to be shared. You all know how I feel about trying little bites of everything. 

The moral of this story is: if you're visiting New York, this is the *one* place I insist that you go. It's impossible not to love. (And when you go, I hope you'll tell me all about it!)

Café Lalo

201 West 83rd Street

New York, NY 10024

when friends come to nyc

For the past two weeks, my friends and family from the west coast have been parading through New York City. One by one, they march through JFK, armed with heavy suitcases, great expectations, and a glow that only comes with the bliss and freedom of knowing that you're on Spring Break.

Friends have visited, my favorite cousin stopped by, and this week my mom is in town for nine luxurious days (!). This is all very exciting for me, you understand, because I still don't really know anyone in New York, so this stampede of visitors has left me feeling like the most popular girl in school.

When friends come to New York:
- we eat crepes
- and ride the Staten Island Ferry
- we wade through Times Square (and immediately regret it)
- we visit the Met, the MoMA, and grab a $2 hot dog on the way to the Museum of Natural History
- we talk about seeing a Broadway show
- and since nobody brought 10 billion dollars, we treat ourselves to the world's greatest bbq instead

When my mom comes to New York:
- we have lunch at ABC Kitchen
- and wander through the Chelsea Market
- we order champagne with every meal
- and pretend we're in You've Got Mail
- we take romantic strolls through Central Park
- and walk along the High Line
- then we eat fancy cheeses at Eataly (to reward ourselves for all the walking and strolling)
- and fall asleep dreaming about cannolis from Caffe Palermo

Basically, when people come to visit, I find that the best way to show them around New York is to eat our way through the entire city. It really is the only option, you know? The way I see it, New York has the best of everything. The best pizza. The best delis. The best donuts. If we try little (or not-so-little) bites of everything, then they can go back to Oregon and California knowing that they've had The Best of Everything. (Think of the bragging rights!) More importantly, if I've done my job properly I can send them all home with a few extra pounds around the belly - a gentle, ever-present reminder of me, and the Most Delicious Spring Break Of Their Lives.

how to: live in new york city without a job

While I have your attention, I would like to take a few minutes to thank a very rare, very select group of people. A group so exclusive - so magical - that spotting one of them is like spotting a unicorn, or Platform 9 and 3/4.

They are, People Who Tip Their Baristas.

People Who Tip Their Baristas are the reason I've been able to live in New York City for the past two months without a job. I mean it. In case you've been wondering what my secret trust fund looks like, let me tell you. It looks like a 12oz mason jar stuffed with 2-years worth of coffee shop tips. Can you say, jackpot? Minus a couple loads of laundry and a few late-night ice cream runs (i.e. life or death situations), every extra penny I made making lattes and cappuccinos went into that jar.

To me, People Who Tip Their Baristas are on the same level of holiness/heroic-ness as Mother Theresa, Gandhi, The Incredibles, and Meryl Streep. Straight up angels is what they are. If you've ever found yourself standing in line at your neighborhood café wondering, Do I really need to give this person a whole extra dollar? All they did was pour my coffee and smile at me! This isn't brain surgery! Anyone could do that! Then, let me stop you right there. On behalf of all baristas everywhere, allow me to set the record straight:

You need to tip your barista. Okay?
For one thing, if you don't tip them, they will remember you. Mark my words! You will forever be known as The Guy Who Doesn't Tip. And while it may not be brain surgery, it takes a very special kind of person to pour 300 cups of coffee a day and smile at every cranky, impatient, "mochaccino" drinking son of a bitch that walks through the door. If you really need to justify forking over an entire extra dollar, consider this: Your barista controls your coffee. You never know when you might get decaf by accident.

Am I getting side tracked?

Here's what my girl Mindy Kaling remembers about being unemployed in New York City:

The greatest source of my stress was that it had been three months since I'd moved to New York and I still didn't have a job. You know those books called "From Homeless to Harvard" or "From Jail to Yale" or "From Skid Row to Skidmore"? They're these inspirational memoirs about young people overcoming the bleakest of circumstances and going on to succeed in college. I was worried I would be the subject of a reverse kind of book: a pathetic tale of a girl with a great education who frittered it away watching syndicated Law & Order episodes on a sofa in Brooklyn. From Dartmouth to Dickhead it would be called. I needed a job.

My story is pretty much the same, give or take a few minor details.
For instance, my book would be called From Bachelor's Degree to The Bachelorette - a collection of short stories about a girl with a great education who frittered it away watching back-to-back episodes of House of Cards and eating Chinese take-out. Or maybe, From Starry-eyed to Sing-Sing (who knows what could happen?).

And so. The job hunt marches on! And I march with it.
In the meantime, I can go on living indoors and eating Chinese take-out thanks to the greatest unsung heroes of our time.

To all the People Who Tip Their Baristas, thank you.

on decorating my first nyc apartment

If there's one thing I love, it's interior design.

Along with being a famous pianist, a published author, a professional florist, and a world renowned cake-taster, one thing I would love to be is an interior designer. My ideal Saturday would be spent wandering around Pottery Barn, picking out paint chips at Home Depot, and watching back-to-back episodes of 'Love it or List It'. Sometimes J has to come in and physically unglue my eyeballs from my Home Decor boards before I forget what day it is.

To slowly be able to turn a house (or apartment) into a home is one of my favorite things to do. Of course, I never want to slowly turn it into a home. I want to do it all in one day - quick! buy the furniture! pick out the art! paint the walls! - so that, come dinnertime, I can feel like I'm nestled into my own little Anthropologie catalog.

Having our own apartment feels so good.
We looked at a bunch of different apartments before we found this one, and it was the only place that felt like home right when we walked in the door. Amazingly, it's not the closet-under-the-stairs that we were both prepared to live in. It's small, but big enough for me to do cartwheels in the living room (which is typically how I measure the size of any room). We have hardwood floors, lots of light, and a fire escape outside our window which clearly signifies that I am now a true New Yorker.

While we haven't been able to do everything in one day, we've definitely made some progress in the decorating department. Thanks to my best friend in the whole world (IKEA), we are now the proud owners of a coffee table, a dresser, and a kitchen island. We are also the proud parents of four new houseplants! This apartment is basically bursting with pride.

Oh! And speaking of pride, I am also the proud owner of my very own orange kitchen (!!!). My dream finally came true! Last week, I came home after a long day at my internship with sore feet and a dangerous, ravenous need for Chinese take-out, only to discover that J had painted our entire kitchen from top to bottom. That guy. Hunger was quickly replaced with lots of squealing and jumping up and down. It looks so good! Once we get a few things hung up on the walls, I'll snap some photos.

We have successfully unpacked all four of the boxes we moved in with (thank you, thank you), so right now all the artwork I brought over from Oregon is lined up neatly along the floor of our living room, begging to be hung. I'm getting anxious, but J insists that we wait until we paint. We must wait to paint! We're experimenting with one turquoise wall in our bedroom, and maybe a gray and yellow living room?

The options really are endless.

image via bleubird

things new york has taught me

01. The best time of day to ride the subway. 
Early morning, when everyone is showered and awake and  in good enough of a mood to read the newspaper and give up their seats to the elderly.

02. The worst time of day to ride the subway.
Between 5-6:30pm, when the train turns into a sardine can, crammed with tired, cranky people who are too busy sweating through their 3-piece suits to give a damn about the elderly.

03. How to be a professional Speed Walker. 
Around here, walking down the street is like merging onto the freeway, but without a slow lane. Last weekend I sprained my foot for some "mysterious, unknown reason". (I blame my dedication to speed walking)

04. That it really is okay to wear black every day.
Really.

05. How much I hate sales tax.
Besides all the rainy days, the quinoa, and the bike-riding, one of my favorite things about living in Oregon was having no sales tax. Cereal and paper towels didn't claim to be something they weren't, you know? If they say they're $5.00, then they really are $5.00. I like my cereal and my paper towels to be honest with me. Sales tax is really putting a strain on my relationship with Cheerios.

06. No matter how much I don't want to admit it, there *is* a burger out there that's better than In N Out.
When I lived in Oregon, all my Oregon friends tried to convince me that this place and that place had better burgers than In N Out. (As if they knew anything about burgers) Fortunately, I am both a native Californian and a good American, so I wasn't about to be fooled. Trust me when I say, it's In N Out or bust. Except...when it comes to Shake Shack. All it took was one bite (one bite!). Now I can't even look In N Out in the eye.

07. "14 degrees outside. Wind chill feels like negative 11" is something you can get used to.
Like I said, native Californian. I used to wear winter coats in 60-degree weather. Last night it was so windy that my bag literally flew off my arm. I've only been here for two months and already, 30 degrees is starting to sound like summertime.

08. A view of the Empire State Building never gets old.
I've been meaning to tell you - I got an internship! On my walk home every night, I turn the corner and BAM! There it is, all lit up and sparkling like it ain't no thang. I don't think I'll ever get tired of that view.

09. If you're bored, you're doing something wrong.
Period.

10. No matter how cold, windy, expensive, tired or cranky everything and everyone seems, it's all good.
It's New York City.

we found an apartment!

We found an apartment! We found an apartment! We found an apartment! 

Ring the gong! Light the firecrackers! Pop the champagne!

J & I will be celebrating Valentines Day by spending our first night in our new apartment. Great timing, right? (Thanks, universe!) Tonight, the guest count includes:
- Us
- Our air mattress
- One large pepperoni-jalapeno-spinach pizza

Can you say, romance?

We'll be spending the weekend moving in and getting settled. Unlike our last move, this one should be pretty painless. The only things we actually have to move are 2 suitcases and 4 FedEx boxes (everything we own fits in there - I'm still amazed). Until we start buying furniture, our air mattress will not only be playing the role of Our Bed, but it will also be starring as The Dining Room Table, The Desk, The Office Chair, and The Couch.

I love that we get to start from scratch. The first thing we want to do is paint (we're tossing around the idea of an orange kitchen - !! - any opinions?). The second thing I want to do is turn all of our walls into little art galleries. I've been pinning up a storm with home decor ideas + inspiration. I've basically spent the last month dreaming about decorating a new apartment, and let me just say, I don't know how much longer I can wait.

We'll be internet-less for awhile, but stay tuned! Apartment details coming soon.

P.S. Who wouldn't want all of these prints on their walls? Ah.

01 / 02 / 03 / 04 / 05 / 06

my first month in nyc + what sarah jessica parker thinks

"They say when you live in New York City, you're always looking for a job, a boyfriend, or an apartment." 

These words have been floating around in my head all week (because that's what my thoughts do, they float around like balloons). One time I was flipping through different channels and something possessed me to pause on an episode of Sex and The City (hey, nobody's perfect). As she trotted down Madison Avenue in one of her tiny little skirts, Sarah Jessica Parker mentioned that when it comes to New York City dwellers, there are only three possible things on our minds.

It turns out SJP was right. Luckily I've already got myself a handsome gentleman friend, but when it comes to a job and an apartment, I'm still 0/2. I have to admit, I moved to New York with pretty optimistic ideas about what it would be like to job-hunt in the city. At the time, I think my head was filled with cotton candy and rainbows (it happens to the best of us). In La La Land - where I sometimes like to live - I would jet off to New York City, waltz right into my dream job, move into this apartment and live happily ever after. Sounds pretty reasonable, right? 

I'm sure you're just as surprised as I am that none of that has happened. I blame Sarah Jessica Parker.

This first month in New York has been full of lessons. The first lesson I learned was the delicious power behind street vendor gyros. I'll probably dedicate an entire post to those things pretty soon. The next lesson was about patience (and how I have absolutely none). I basically stepped off the plane in December and expected everything to happen at once. Day one, get a job. Day two, find the perfect apartment. Day three, start living my new, magical life. That's been my biggest problem - thinking that once I have all these things, that only then will this new chapter of my life really begin and only then can I start enjoying New York. Lesson three, I am my own worst enemy. 

I'm thinking about having this tattooed across my forehead: 

"Often people attempt to live their lives backwards. They try to have more things or more money in order to do more of what they want, so that they will be happier. The way it actually works is the reverse. You must first be who you really are, then do what you need to do in order to have what you want." - Margaret Young

my nyc // an update (aka lots and lots of words)

Well, it's almost midnight and I'm currently enjoying the biggest slice of lemon raspberry cheesecake I've ever seen in my life. Probably in your life, too. I'm also in pajamas. Can you say yolo?

Is it time for a New York update or what? Yeah. Tell me about it.

For starters, I've been reading up a storm. It's all that time on the subway! In the past month, I've read four of what are now some of my favorite books of all time* and have moved right along to this gem. You'll be pleased to know that I'm still laughing maniacally to myself in public every time I turn the page. Speaking of the subway, I'm making major progress! I've been riding that thing like a bike without training wheels and I haven't fallen off once (slash gotten lost).

What else. Oh! How about a wild turn of events? J landed himself a nice little job. I mean, it's definitely not a "little" job. It's a nice, healthy, normal-sized job. That was definitely an unexpected plot twist. As you know, when we moved here we both assumed we'd be looking for work for at least one month (if not twenty). This is New York City after all. Right when we started getting cozy in our routine of running around and exploring the city all day - weeee! free time! unemployment! fun! - BAM! He has to ruin our vacation and go to work.

What do you mean this isn't a vacation?

Heh. To be honest, I was a little panicked when I first heard this news. After all, who was I supposed to hang out with now?! What about me and my needs?! I mean really. How selfish, right? As you might have guessed, exploring this city on my own isn't so bad after all. In fact, it's been pretty fun. I've been walking everywhere and wishing I had a million dollars in my pocket so that I could try everything. And by 'try', I obviously mean 'eat'. (Slowly but surely I will eat everything, don't you worry. Everything!)

Are you still reading? You are? Wow! Hi. Let's continue on.

Here's something I never thought I would say: I joined a gym! (I know!) Just like every other year of my life, this year my New Year's Resolution was to exercise more. Original, right? Thanks. It's true though. I always feel so much better when I exercise (duh) and I'm determined to make it part of my routine. For real this time. I promise! Stop looking at me like that.

So, there's that. I'm running more! And walking everywhere. My legs are really enjoying New York.

The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God:
I miss my people. I miss seeing my friends and family on a regular basis and having people to do things with. I want to have someone to meet for coffee and to hang out with after work. (Wait. Does this mean I need to have a job so that I can have friends? It all makes sense now!) I know what you're thinking. It has only been a few weeks, and geez, won't I calm down already?. Don't get me wrong. I know what I signed up for with this cross-country move and believe me when I say that this is still a grand adventure. I'm just eager to meet my new people.

The good news is, I love New York. That's what matters, right? Despite the fact that I'm wandering through this giant, incredible city on my own, somehow I still feel like this is where I'm supposed to be. And yes, I'd love some wine with that cheeeeeese.


* P.S. I promised to tell you how this book was, remember? Well please, for all of our sakes, stop reading this sentence immediately and go get it! Seriously. It was really good. I might even read it again. I was actually sad when it ended. I wanted more! Hey, didn't I tell you to stop reading this?

my nyc // and now we explore the sea

Before I moved to New York, people kept asking me what I was "most afraid of" about living in the city. Shouldn't they be asking what I'm most excited about? I wondered. C'est la vie. There really is something about New York that makes people think you're going to be robbed or stabbed every time you turn the corner. Coincidentally, I told them that my biggest fears were being robbed or stabbed. Or murdered. (Hi mom!) After those three (obvious) choices came things like 'never finding a job' and 'getting lost'. Now, I don't really think I'm going to be murdered or stabbed while I'm here but I do still have a fear of getting lost. This is a pretty silly fear to have when there are so many maps around and plenty of people to ask for directions (you know, if I was really desperate). J has me studying the subway map every day. He even quizzes me. If you're on 81st street and need to get to Wall Street, which train do you get on?! How many transfers? Quick, woman! I started to answer and then realized that it was clearly a trick question because Why in the world would I be on Wall Street?

Heather, 1. J, 0.

Moving to New York City is kind of like starting a new job. You desperately want to know where everything is and how it all works and you don't want anyone to notice that you don't have a damn clue what's going on. Essentially, I want to know where everything is without having to consult a map which would obviously reveal my new-girl status and ruin the fabulous reputation I'm trying to build over here.

Ahem. 

nyc // i'm finally here!

guess who finally made it to new york city? 

after a handful of planes, trains and automobiles + a week in california + a week in portland, i finally made it to new york (just in time for new year's eve!). if you can believe it, then that makes one of us. 

excuse me while i let out a big giant sigh. 

hear me out. aside from all the important things that are usually on my mind like chocolate cake and don draper, moving to new york has truly been the only thing i've thought about for the past year. so to actually be here after all those months of waiting and planning and counting down seems pretty surreal. for starters, i keep thinking i should pack my bag and get ready to leave any day now. the fact that this is where i live definitely hasn't sunken (sunk? sinked? sank?) in yet.

other things that seem impossible: 

1) that i never have to go back to school ever ever again (ever)

2) or do any homework

3) i don't have a return flight home anywhere

4) this is my home now!

5) just kidding, i'm actually homeless*

6) and unemployed

7) what am i doing with my life? 

8) is this all just one long episode of girls? 

* an update: "homeless" might be a bit of an exaggeration. j's parents conveniently (and miraculously) live in manhattan, so while he and i look for jobs + an apartment, we'll be staying with them. more on unemployment and the adventures of living with my boyfriend's parents later. 

* i figured it would be important to have a picture of myself on my first day living in new york city.

as you can see, i'm blending right in. 

since there's really nothing sexier than a woman wearing 2 pairs of pants and 8 sweaters, this is the fashionable look i've been sporting for the past few days. i figured that as long as people can see my eyes poking out, i'll be making friends and getting job offers in no time! (right?) and despite my best efforts to stay warm (i'm wearing 3 pairs of socks!), today i learned what it feels like to have your eyeballs freeze inside your head. 

stay tuned, gang. lots of adventures and complaints about the weather to come.

p.s. when i was in portland, i successfully completed my mission to find the world's warmest coat. you can find it here. it's wind-proof, waterproof, and warm enough to keep a california-native warm in a new york winter. enough said?

nyc // how two college grads can afford new york (or so they think)

when we tell people that we're moving to new york city, j & i have gotten used to anticipating one of two reactions - one being horror, the other being pity. i'm serious, you'd think we were telling people that we were voluntarily cutting off our limbs with the reactions we've been getting. you'd think we were delivering bad news! i'm pretty certain that some of our friends think we're being sentenced to new york for some unspeakable crime because why else would two, seemingly sane college graduates choose to move there?!

at first, i was really bothered by their reactions. how could i not be? to me, moving to new york sounded like an adventure, but apparently to the rest of the world it was a death sentence. are we making a mistake? i started asking j. should we really be doing this? i'm starting to wonder if he's some kind of superhero because apparently he isn't afraid of anything, and certainly not new york city. it's going to be great, he said. and then he patted me on the head.

here's the thing that people aren't saying, but are thinking: new york is expensive. 

if all this time you've been wondering (like everyone else), how in the world are they going to afford it? don't worry! we've been asking ourselves the same thing.

our plan is a pretty simple one. i'd say it's a combination of:
1. saving
for the past four years i have worked as a barista and a cafe manager. from the moment j & i decided to move to new york, i started saving all of my tips. whether i came home with $5 or $50, it went into my "new york jar". (j kept telling me how irresponsible it was for me to keep money in a jar like that because what if someone broke into our apartment and stole it? i mean, after all) nevertheless, i kept the jar and watched it get fuller and fuller as months passed. while it isn't exactly a trust fund, it's still nice to be able to move with a little chunk of change. (and besides, trust funds are boring)

2. living minimally 
if you had seen me last week on moving day with my 897lb suitcase and backpack big enough to knock out a small child, you might not take me for someone who was determined to downsize. but to you i say, au contraire! in preparation for moving to (what will likely be) the world's smallest apartment in nyc, i got rid of just about everything i owned, minus my favorite sweaters and a few anthropologie teacups. in my head, "living minimally" means knowing the difference between 'want' and 'need'. i want a king-sized bed, but i'm going to need a pump for the air mattress that we'll be sleeping on for the first few months (or years). i want a new pair of boots, but i need to be able to afford a bagel. you see my strategy?

3. taking it one step at a time (and taking it for what it is)
honestly, sometimes my stomach hurts when i think about how expensive new york is. (all of our friends were right!!!) i start to wonder what kind of insane person spends their hard-earned money on taxis and subway fares? who in their right mind pays $2,000/month for a 500sq. ft apartment, when they could be living in an apartment twice that size for half the price, anywhere else in the country? when the hyperventilation sets in, that's when i know i need to take a step back (and calm the f down). people who spend their money on taxis and subway fares aren't insane, they are people who love new york city. (and hey, i love it too!) when i start to panic about how we're going to afford living in new york, i have to remind myself that i get to live in new york.

with all the risks and expenses considered, i think the adventure will be worth the cost.

images via pinterest

moving day

on saturday, j and i officially moved out of our apartment in oregon.

this past week has been so surreal. there was so much we needed to do - so much to pack and move and ship and wrap and give away and clean. we have been anxiously awaiting this day for so many months, that to actually have it be here was pretty hard to believe.

of course i'm more sentimental about things than he is so i couldn't help but think of everything that i was doing as being The Last. this is the last time we're going to eat pizza at 2am while living in this apartment! or, this is the last time i'm going to check the mail in this apartment on a tuesday afternoon at 3pm while it's raining!! things got more and more ridiculous as the week went on. this is the last time i'm going to cook eggs on the front burner of this stove!! or, we're never going to hang our coats in this closet again! in our entire lives!!! by the end of the week, j was ready to tape my mouth shut and ship me off to new york along with the rest of our boxes.

by the way, are you aware that moving is a giant pain in the ass? you probably are. somehow, every time i move i forget how terrible the whole experience is. i legitimately convince myself that it's going to be easy - and fast! i trick myself into thinking that i really don't have that much stuff, so why would packing be hard?

it took me about two seconds to remember that 'moving' is synonymous with 'hell' and that i was right in the middle of it. before living in this apartment i lived just down the street which is probably why i had this twisted idea of what moving would be like. the last time i did this, i practically walked my boxes down the street. moving across the country is a bit of a different story, i'm afraid. there was just so much stuff to deal with. for instance - what are you supposed to do with all your clothes hangers?! we had three closets full of hangers and no idea what to do with them. when it was finally time to leave, we were still panicked and undecided about the hangers so we just said, to hell with the hangers! and left them hanging there.

my biggest challenge was deciding what things to keep and what to let go of. i'm sure you remember the great de-cluttering adventure of 2013 in which i got rid of over half of my closet. after carefully selecting the shirts and sweaters that i just couldn't let go of, i essentially forced the rest of my clothes on different friends. take this! i beg you! i did the same thing with just about everything else i own (books, dishes, even shoes!). j and i were able to sell the big things - the couch, table and chairs, desk, bikes, etc. - but everything else we gave away. i'm proud to announce that i successfully packed one suitcase for new york. all the clothes i own fit into one (embarrassing, enormous) suitcase. i also have a backpack. and i shipped a few boxes of heavier things like coats and boots. but aren't you proud?! if you had seen my closet before i de-cluttered, you'd be proud. one suitcase - gigantic or not - is a pretty incredible feat for the secret hoarder in me.

it was strange to watch our apartment slowly go from a home to a big empty space. this really was a great first place for us. it was so big (1100 sq ft!) and the carpet was brand new and we had 12 beautiful windows and an elevator and basically, for two college kids, we were living a life of luxury. we had a lot of fun living here, but we're both excited enough about new york that it wasn't sad to leave. i mean, who wouldn't be excited to move from this place to a closet under someone's stairs and pay $2,000/month for it?

nyc // on de-cluttering and how (the hell) to pack for a big move

i officially have four weekends left to a) donate b) sell c) throw away, and d) pack all of my stuff. actually. one of those four weekends includes thanksgiving, and i plan to spend that weekend eating pumpkin pie and watching football. so we might as well throw that one out. three weekends it is. ahem. 

i've only moved a few times in my life, but they've all been relatively small moves. a new neighborhood. maybe across town. in fact, the last time i moved i only went as far as five blocks down the same street! the thing i always forget about moving, though, is how much stuff i have. you would think after one or two moves i would have de-cluttered enough that, by now, moving would be a piece of cake. you know? like maybe this time i'd only need a box or two. maybe this time i wouldn't find myself standing in the middle of my room (again), surrounded by piles of clothes and books and mysterious boxes, scratching my head and wondering, where did all this shit come from?

my favorite blog series right now is life in a tiny apartment. as far as guides on realistically-moving-to-new-york-on-a-budget go, this series has turned out to be the holy f*!#ing grail. if you happen to be in need of some really helpful (and hilarious) moving tips (to tiny spaces), that blog is where it's at. anyhow, last weekend i decided to tackle my first project: The Closet. i was definitely channeling this post about "purging" and de-cluttering the whole time.

so like i said, stuff.
it always amazes me how many clothes i own that i don't ever wear. are you familiar with this phenomenon? how does this happen, exactly? why do i buy things that i never wear? with all that merciless fluorescent lighting in dressing rooms nowadays, you'd think i'd be a better judge of what i actually like to wear. but alas, last weekend i packed up four giant bags of clothes that i never wear/clothes i'm willing to let go of.

then i took a 10-minute break.....and went back and did it again.

when i really sit down and think about how little space we're going to have in nyc, how much i can actually cram into one suitcase, and how much i don't want to spend my hard-earned cash on mailing/shipping (too many) boxes, i realize how little i can actually take with me. after a quick snack break, i went back to my closet and looked at the things i had decided to keep. there was a sweater that i hadn't worn in 6 months, but it was cute and i might wear it again sometime some day, maybe? gone. there was that skirt i bought last summer, despite the fact that i never ever wear skirts ever. gone. those red pants, that were kind of fun to wear that one ti-. gone.

i hang on to lots of things for sentimental reasons. you'd laugh if you knew how many t-shirts i still have with my high school emblem on them. but they're never worn! they just sit in piles, waiting to be reminisced over. for a minute or two (once or twice a year). and then back to their piles they go. (and who really wants to reminisce about high school anyways? ack!)  of course, j is the exact opposite. he has no problem donating/throwing things out. for the sake of this move, i'm trying to be more like him - more practical! less emotion!

i'm proud to tell you that my closet is now 1/3 of the size it was last week. as far as purging goes, i really went for it. i think i have twelve shirts now.

so, hooray. one project down! many more to come.

to put things in perspective, here are some fun reads:

The Smallest Apartment in New York

5 Super-Efficient Tiny New York Apartments

How to Make Your Tiny Space Feel Huge

Pinterest Makes Small NYC Apartments Pretty

Amazing Micro-Apartments in New York City

new york // and why (moving there) is always a good idea

alright people, let's talk shop. in t-2 months, j and i are moving to new york.

i realized it was high time to start writing about this, seeing as how new york is truly the only thing buzzing around my brain (at all times) (every day) (help me). really though - the closer we get to The Big Move, the harder it is for me to think about  a n y t h i n g  else. biking to school? new york. doing laundry? new york. debating between original and double-stuffed oreos? new york. (always go original, by the way)

moving to new york city is something i never thought i would do. even today, this close to the move, it still sounds like one of those things that someone-i-wish-i-was would do. you know what i mean? i have to keep reminding myself that this time, i really am that person. me me me! the whole thing is kind of thrilling. and kind of terrifying.

hopefully, thrilling + terrifying = adventure.

this photo was taken during our last trip. j had just taken me ice skating in central park because people do that in real life and i was like WHAT MOVIE AM I IN RIGHT NOW. and also, THIS PLACE IS MAGICAL. and finally, WE SHOULD LIVE HERE. and he was like, "okay!"

and that's how it happened.

just kidding.

i really can't believe that i haven't written more about this. there's so much to write! so much to tell you! for instance: how this wild idea first came to be, the moment - the ridiculous look on our faces - when we realized that we could actually make it happen, what our friends and family have been saying, the planning that we've been doing (or lack thereof), why we don't think it's crazy to move to nyc with only $12 in our pockets, etc etc etc.

instead of trying to tell you everything at once, let's start with some background -

the first thing you should know is that i've only been to new york two times. i think i've spent a grand total of 17 days in manhattan. maybe less. who knows. whatever the magic number is, it was more than enough time to convince me that that was the place i was supposed to be. (really though, i think one day would have been enough) i remember flying back to oregon after my last trip and feeling so sad - like i was leaving this major piece of myself behind. and it was only my second visit!

fast forward one year later, and here i am, buying a one-way ticket.

as far as plans go, the end! that's all we've got.
we're moving without jobs and without any real place to live (minor details). we don't have any friends in the city. just about everything in our apartment right now is going to be sold or donated. the couch, the bed, the table and chairs, the desk. probably even the plants! (sorry, plants) this next chapter of our lives is going to start with whatever we can cram into our suitcases. fortunately, my suitcase is roughly the same size as your refrigerator, so i'm not too panicked (yet).

there are so many unknowns to this whole thing. so many risks. and potentially, so many rewards. sometimes i wonder if we're setting ourselves up for total disaster and disappointment. so many unknowns! but other times, i think this might be the best and most exciting thing i could do right now. and how will we know unless we try?

besides. new york city is always a good idea.

sundays, new york, and other delights

sunday has slowly but surely become my favorite day of the week.

while saturday might seem like the obvious choice, there really is something special saved just for sundays. know what i mean? sundays are quiet and relaxing and cozy in a way that all the other days of the week just can't seem to be.

in the true spirit of sunday, today i woke up to the sound of rain. based on my reaction, you'd think it was christmas morning or something. i admit, i have a lot of favorite things, but rain really is at the top of the list. plus! it's been months since we've had any rain around here, so i'd say it was about time for a good downpour. without missing a beat, i threw open the windows, brewed a pot of coffee, and settled in to watch breakfast at tiffany's for what must be the one-hundred-and-eighty-seventh time (another favorite).

if you ask me, breakfast at tiffany's really deserves a whole post to itself, but i'll save that for another day.

what with the rain and holly golightly and Cat (the poor no-name slob) i couldn't help but think about new york. if you've been following house of h for awhile, you know that in a few months, j & i are moving from oregon to new york city. i've resisted the urge to start crossing days off the calendar or even to count how many days are "left" until the Big Move because i'm pretty sure if i do, i'll just wind up driving myself mad and months will start to feel like years.

while i try not think spend every second of the day thinking about new york, sometimes there really is no avoiding it.

these are a few photos from our last trip to nyc. 

it was the first time i've ever worn 3 jackets at once, and the last time i really felt at home. the last time i really felt that i was in the right place at the right time. do you know that feeling? that, of all the places in the entire world, somehow you've managed to land right where you're supposed to be? 

that's what new york feels like to me. 

there are still a few unknowns when it comes to the Big Move.

haha.

just kidding. i'd say it's 95% unknown. a big jumbalaya of unknowns! a giant pot of unknowns that we're choosing to dive into head-first. (where are we going to live? how are we going to pay for things? hooray!) maybe in a few years we'll look back on this stage in our lives and laugh at what fools we were to think that things like 'moving across the country without a secure job' sounded like an adventure.

maybe we are fools. but i think i'm okay with that.
j & i have both reached a point where we're ready for change. big, big changes. and we've decided that new york is just the sort of change we need. it's funny, really. besides all the fun, sparkly things that come to mind when you think about nyc, lately, most of the things i've been reading have been pretty daunting (or so they try to be). it's all about how new york will kick your ass and take your money and your happiness and your soul and turn you into a bitter, rotten tomato.

i'm sure any seasoned new yorker can attest to this, to one degree or another. if you'd like, you can read about the true devil that new york really is here and here. most of the time, when we tell people that we're moving to new york, we are met with one of two reactions. the first is the blank stare. just a long blank stare, usually followed by "you know it's really expensive over there, right?" or reaction two - the always reassuring look of shock/horror/awe. based on their facial expressions, you'd think we were telling people that we were voluntarily cutting off our limbs.

new york is funny in that way, i guess. have you ever heard of a place having such an effect on a person?

well. even if we do end up as bitter, rotten tomatoes with no money and no souls, we're still going to give it a try. how could we not? how could YOU not? (secretly, i think everyone should live in new york at least once in their lives)


if you ever need to feel a little bit better about new york city, try this, this, and this.

and look! more helpful tips that have been reassuring me that we are not in fact crazy for making this leap:

+ a guide to moving to new york city

+ tips for life in a tiny apartment

+ nyc guide: 10 ways to not look like a tourist