Banksy {and me} in New York.

Hello lovely blog world. If any of you follow the art world, then you may know who Banksy is. I had seen pictures of his work in the past, but I didn't know what he was all about until the past few weeks. How did I learn you ask?! Banksy is in New York City gracing us with his lovely works of art. Very cool. 

Apparently the only people who don't find this cool, is the NYPD. They are after him. So now Banksy is getting even more creative. He sat up a table in Central Park and sold his paintings for $60. Yes, $60. I almost cried when I found out I missed out on this. But this past weekend, I got the full Banksy NYC experience. He had an outdoor gallery featuring two paintings open Friday-Sunday. I happened to check out his website to find out about it, so Saturday after brunch we checked it out. 

Saturday was such a great day. After seeing the Banksy exhibit, we checked out a cute wine and cheese bar and then headed over to the Chelsea Market. I had a delicious strawberry, banana and Nutella crepe. I tried to snap a picture but turns out crepes aren't that photogenic. 

I also picked up a awesome, Hunger Games inspired ring. I love going to Chelsea Market. Such great things to try and cute little trinkets to pick up. It's a must see if you are visiting NYC. 

Another weekend event was introducing Arielle to the Southern goodness that is Bread Pudding. We ate at a cute restaurant in Brooklyn's Park Slope called Sidecar. The Buttermilk Fried Chicken and Bread Pudding were to die for. Luckily, it is right around the corner from Arielle's apartment so I will be going back. 

{Decisions, Decisions.}

{The delciousness of Sidecar.}

{Bread Pudding=Heaven.}

{Waiting to see Banksy.}

{...more waiting.}

{ Banksy pieces inspired by the Occupy movement.}

{Banksy just couldn't resist the blank brick.}

{ Awkward selfie. I obvi don't know what to do with my hands.}

{Make a serious face...?}

{Sunglasses on.}

{Sunglasses off.}

{Contributing to the Wish Tree.}

{Wishing...}

{What's your wish?}

{Ending the weekend at Chelsea Market.}

How was y'alls weekend? 

xoxo.

Weekend Eats.

One of the many perks of living in New York City is that you never have to eat at the same place twice.

Do I? Yes.

We are all creatures of habit, and sometimes I just crave a cheese burger from Shake Shack or a slice of pepperoni pizza from Ray's on St. Marks. 

I recently moved to Astoria, Queens where the food is "all the rage." 

I mean there is everything: Greek, Thai, Mexican, BBQ, and even MexiBBQ. 

{Yes, that is a real thing. I also like to refer to it as Southern Girl Heaven.}

That being said, I made it a point to explore this past weekend. 

I have been swamped with school work so I needed to take my mind off things. 

What better way to do it than some good food and drinks? 

My first stop this weekend was Astoria Bier & Cheese. 

It's a craft beer and cheese shop, and well, absolutely adorable. 

Its been on my "must try" list since I moved in May, and even though its 5 blocks away I just got around to it. 

We, Arielle and I, were just in the mood for a filling snack and great beer, and we got it. 

We had the assorted cheese platter and Caprese salad, paired with a delicious pumpkin ale. 

Then on our way out we picked up a few beers to take back to the apartment. 

I was beyond excited to see they had Shiner Bock, another gem in NYC for Southerners. 

Our next stop of the weekend was The Growler on Stone St. 

If you have never been to Stone St., you must go.

I seriously felt like I stepped out of New York and into Diagon Alley in Harry Potter.

Its a tiny, stone street lined with bars, and on the weekend they fill the street with picnic tables.

The perfect setting for a late afternoon brunch. 

The Growler also has an amazing brunch deal and is in touch with the DIY trend. 

$12 gets you unlimited Bloody Marys and to top it off you get to make them yourself!

I like to think I mastered the perfect Bloody Mary.

{Chipotle Tomato Juice, Worcestershire, A1 Steak Sauce, Pickle Juice topped with Cracked Black Pepper, Bacon, Lemon, Pickled Okra and Green Onion.}

I paired this delicious Bloody Mary with the Bacon & Banana Pancakes. 

Sounds weird, taste AH-mazing! 

{Arielle and me.}

xoxo.

What I Missed....

I've missed out on telling y'all a lot. 

I'm sorry, and I would promise to keep up with this but let me real, I kinda suck at it. 

So since almost a year has gone by, here is a little photo recap.

{I survived my first blizzard, named Nemo, and the Passion Pit concert in one night.}

{I made it to Destin, FL for Spring Break. Yes, we get Spring Break in grad school.}

{Casey came to visit, not once but TWICE.}

{Brandon got to visit twice too, and also got a job in NYC. He choose San Fran over New York.}

{I guess I'm okay with it since I can visit now.}

{I went home.}

{Jackie, my best friend, came to visits and talked me into doing this. NEVER AGAIN.}

{Then I went home again. Two weeks in the South was much needed.}

{I turned 24 and celebrated at Lollapalooza in Chicago. So much fun.}

{I finally saw the bean.}

That's pretty much what has been going on with me, with a lot of small things in between. 

I also moved apartments but that deserves its own post. 

I'll be posting, sooner than later. 

xoxo.

Goodbye June.

Since I haven’t posted in about a month, I figure it is only appropriate for a quick update of what happened during my first month in New York City. So here goes nothing—

After three trips to Ikea, I am finally settled into my room and have shelves and decorations on the wall. Though most of them are crooked and look like that might come crashing down at any moment, at least they are up!

{Carrying all this back to my apartment was a challenge.}

I went to my first east coast beach. It was surprisingly nice and reminded me of Destin, Fl. I have been there everyday I’ve had off work since.

{Rockaway Beach}

I finally strolled through Grand Central Station. AMAZING. I looked like a total tourist taking photos, but in my head I felt like I was in an episode of Gossip Girl. Spotted.

{Grand Central Station}

Friends from home have already come to visit. That was my favorite part. I love getting to see them! Living in the city would be absolutely perfect if I could just bring all my great friends with me. I know I will make friends that are great here but nothing can compare to those back home.

{Carly during our delicious breakfast at the Grey Dog.}

Lastly, I have a new roommate. My current roommate, Derick, decided to move back to Arkansas and attended the UofA for his masters. Now I have a Craigslist roommate, hopefully not killer. She moves in on Saturday so pray that this goes well for me.

{Derick's last day in NYC.}

That’s my June in a nutshell.

Xoxo,

four days down.

{Manhattan skyline via Ikea ferry.}

I have officially lived in the city for four days now. A crazy, busy and tiring four days. But I love it. 

After two trips to Ikea, I have a bed to sleep in and furniture to unpack my boxes into. I will agree that Ikea is a very convenient place to decorate your apartment at a good price, but that place literally gives me a panic attack. It is also quite annoying when you forget to buy a crucial part of the bed, like that boards that hold up the mattress. Yes, that happened to me!

{Before project Ikea.}

 

{After.}

Today was my first day at Bloomingdale's. That place is insane, but oh so amazing. I cannot wait to start abusing my employee discount. We went through a store tour today and it was nothing but a tease. I see my shoe and handbag collection growing significantly in the next few months. Along with my collection of black clothes. 

I am absolutely in love with the East Village. It is the perfect place to live. I have already bonding with a few neighbors over trips to Ikea. The village with people my age, great eats, and semi quiet streets (which is nice at night).

Short update on how life in the city is so far. I look forward to sharing the rest of my adventures with you.

{Night stroll in Central Park.}

xoxo,

I love you, New York.

{East Village apartment.}

My trip to New York was very successful. I found an apartment. Yay!! It was a stressful process but after a day of looking I now have a tiny, expensive apartment in East Village. I move back in exactly two weeks. 

It's crazy how fast the time is flying by. 

I also had a job interview while in the city. And I got it. I will be working at Bloomingdale's. I cannot wait. I just hope my employee discount doesn't get the best of me. 

While we in New York we didn't have much time for tourist activity but I did manage to go to a taping of the Late Show with David Letterman. It was so much fun, and somehow we managed to get front row seats. 

I probably won't have much time for blogging the next few weeks because I will either be working, packing, or soaking up every minute with friends and family. So if I don't, look forward to hearing from me once I get settled in. 

Until then, here are a few snapshots from our trip. 

{Roomie, Derick.}

{Washington Square.}

{Afternoon walk in the village.}

{NYU.}

{David Letterman.}

{Sad we didn't get to keep our tickets.}

{My new favorite entree, chicken and waffles.}

{Derick and me waiting in line for Letterman.}

{New York underground.}

{Tribeca.}

{Naked Cowboy, in the flesh.}

{Headed to Brooklyn.}

{Veiw from a Brooklyn bus.}

{See you soon, NYC.}

xoxo,