Dress Code

Today I convinced my roommates that we deserved french fries because it's Monday. Pomme Frites + wine = excellent beginning to the week.

I also decided I need more bracelets and rings in my life. Arm parties make any outfit better!

bracelets from Macedonia, and AE / Ring from UO /
Glamour Purse Essie polish

Happy Monday!

Kendra

Braving Brooklyn

Hi from NYC! How was your weekend? Mine was pretty interesting.

Jan 24th: Lynn offered to take me to an art gallery event at the National Academy Museum after work. I took full advantage of it to browse some contemporary art and network a little.

Emily had to work late at Rockwell so Amy and I stopped by Pomme Frites to bring her some gourmet french fries. It was probably the best fast food meal I've had here so far. I ordered Belgian fries with lemon dill mayo and it was so intoxicating I couldn't even eat all of it. It was fun to hangout with Em as she finished work and see what a New York design office looks like.

Jan 27th: Friday turned into a crazy work day when my catalog deadline suddenly materialized. I had about four hours to lay out eighty-five pages, which was insane. I was more than ready to meet Allie and Emily for a city-wide worship night. The service was set up a little more formally than I was used to but I was blown away at what God showed me. It was convicting to see that selfishness is a contagious disease in this city. It made me realize there is so much opportunity for compassion and generosity for everyone I walk by. It was definitely a thought I attempted to act upon all weekend. After the service we got dessert at Vive la Crepe. It definitely made me miss Cincinnati's It's Just Crepes, which are cheaper and filled to the brim with goodness.

Jan 28th: So we made the decision to jump the river and brave Brooklyn. I really had no idea what to expect, but it was really fun! We took the L train one stop east, which is crazy because I always forget how close Williamsburg is. Emily took us to Blue Bottle Coffee for cappuccinos. Their branding is unique and their coffee is hand-dripped and rich. Coffees in hand, we strolled down to peek at Manhattan through the bars of a really annoying fence. We also stumbled upon the Artists & Fleas market. I was instantly obsessed with the fantastic hand-made jewelry and eclectic clothing. Amy and I bought tiny brass rings because I saw the trend here. I also dragged the girls in to the Crossroads Trading Company for some quick thrifting. Three items for $24! I only vaguely remember low prices like those from my Ohio days...haha. Emily took us to Catbird and Papél for some design inspiration.

cappuccino / Manhattan from Brooklyn / inside the market /
typographic sign for the market / paper planes in Papél

When we finally made it home, I ordered some Indian food from someplace that did not compare to Deep India. Cincinnati food, I miss you! And all my Cincinnatians too, of course. We nursed our disappointment with David Tutera and ice cream. I'm so thankful for Netflix. Ps. Emily did a magic please-work-internet dance and the internet guy showed up! It's now working perfectly.

rain dancing

Jan 29th: Grabbed an amazing bagel sandwich (salted onion + sun-dried tomato) from Pick-a-Bagel and dashed to Hillsong NYC. I love the music and the message more than ever, I think I would move to Manhattan just for the spiritual depth—and yes, I know that sounds like a contradiction! But I really could see one direction of my life going here. I definitely dress like a Brooklyn girl though, I stick out like a sore thumb among the classy Christie's crowd.

Now, who wants to live in a brownstone in Williamsburg with me? Kendropolis

Friday Favorites

This week went so fast! It was really nice. We have a few weekend plans but I think we will play it by ear. Hopefully I can get some shopping in!

George R. R. Martin book / UO nail polish /

PANTONE postcards / L.L. Bean Signature clutch

Adam got me hooked on the A Song of Ice and Fire book series by George R. R. Martin. The books remind me a little of The Lord of the Rings and all the King Arthur stories, but with a lot more adult detail. The author doesn't write with a Christian viewpoint so they have to be taken with a grain of salt. They have a really great story however, and I have lots of theories about how the seven-book series will end!

Currently wearing cobalt blue nail polish. According to WhoWhatWear a little shot of bright cobalt in your life combats the winter blues (haha).

Bought these awesome PANTONE postcards to write to everyone back at home. PANTONE is a universal color identification system for designers and printers so it's kind of a nerd-chic thing to own something by them. In the process of picking out the perfect color chip for each person I'm writing to, expect mail soon :)

Finally, I bought this flashy little clutch because I somehow wound up with an L.L. Bean gift card after Christmas. Who knew they had a high-end line called Signature? Can't wait to use this clutch when we explore this weekend!

I'm always telling you about my weekend plans, why not tell me about yours this time? 

Happy Friday,

Kendrannnnaa

Wishlist

I promised I would show you my list of things I wanted to accomplish in NYC. It's twofold; below is the list of things I must accomplish or else. The link is my running list of everything I've heard was worth trying. If it's highlighted in green, I've done it and it was good. Red means I don't think it was worth it. Do you have any suggestions for me?

Or Else List:
Entertainment & Events

• see a Broadway Show (Wicked and Once)
• see a New York City Ballet
• sit in the audience of a TV show taping (MARTHA)
• attend a fashion week show, even if it's a small one
  

Restaurants

• take advantage of Restaurant Week
• eat brunch at Max Brenner's
• eat lunch at the Shake Shack
  
• eat dinner at Momofuku
  

Places

• visit the MET & the Cloisters
• visit Ground Zero & the Preview site
• visit the Natural History Museum
  
• walk the Brooklyn Bridge
  

Misc.

• have coffee with Bill Cunningham
• take ballet classes
• get a really good haircut
  
• make a contact at Kate Spade
  

Everything Else List:
Google Document

 

haircut / ballet/ fashion week

(all photos found on Pinterest, not taken by me)

Two Left Feet

In the past seven days I:

• knocked over my mug twice in a row at Horse Box (Dave the bartender yelled at me both times)
• spilled Emily's tea at Harney & Sons
• tripped on the cobblestones of the Meatpacking district in front of oncoming traffic
• dropped Emily's phone in Macy's
• flung my bread across the room at Fig & Olive
• threw a post-it on the floor instead of handing it Lynn

Obviously I'm having a really graceful week thanks to my rediscovery of ballet. I decided to congratulate myself with a new pair of kicks:

Okay, they aren't kicks but I sure can't wait to topple over in them!

Being the Priviliged New Yorker

I may not have a lot of money but working at Christie's can get me perks at quite a few places!

Jan 17th & 19th: I took more dance classes. The Advanced Beginner class was really hard and I had to work my butt off to keep up. I think I'll alternate between Advanced and Intro for the rest of the time I'm here.

Jan 18th: Emily and I went to Hillsong NYC's Exchange night on Wednesday. The first service filled up too quickly for us to get seats so we got ramen at Tarakawa Ramen to wait for the next one. Ramen, it turns out, is not just a 95 cent package of salty noodles at the grocery store. Ramen is a giant bowl of flavored noodles with veggies, meat, and other goodies added in. There were so many types at this place! I'm not very good at remembering Japanese names but the kind that we had was pretty good. Unfortunately, I had to eat the whole thing with chopsticks which was a giant mess. The service was pretty good. We met a girl from South Africa who was majoring in dance at Alvin Ailey, which is pretty awesome! She was really great to talk to, hopefully we can hangout with her again.

ramen with all the goodies

Jan 20th: As a special treat my roommates and I went out to eat at Fig & Olive. We made reservations weeks ago for Restaurant Week. Restaurant Week is when restaurants all over NYC fix their dinner prices at $35 for a special selection of things on their menu. Drinks are extra but you are guaranteed three courses. I ordered truffle mushroom soup, a seafood trio in a braise, and bowl of chocolate. The truffle soup was pretty amazing. And the pot of chocolate was the best dessert I've ever eaten. I think it was creamy caramel/chocolate covered in cream and served with a hazelnut praline. I definitely regretted my decision to wear heels that night, the Meatpacking district is mostly cobblestones. Ironically, we stopped at a shoe store on the way back to our apartment and I bought a pair of heels. Guess I'll never learn.

 chocolate pot

After our decadent dinner we hungout at the Horse Box again and played Scattergories. We also thought it would be a good idea to go out in "disguise." We're adorable, I know.

 Allie & Emily / Me & Amy

Jan 21th: I went to a museum! Using my awesome Christie's ID I got Allie, Emily, and myself into the MoMA for a total of $5. The art was so great but we only got through 3/5 floors. I took lots of photos and some of my favorites are below. Please forgive me for not knowing all the artists!

Starry Night / Jackson Pollock / Monet / Maholy-Nagy

stunning textures and patterns

After the museum we used my Rock Privileges Pass to get a discount at 'Wichcraft in the concourse under the Rockefeller Center. They have really interesting sandwich combos. We had wanted to go shopping but we kind of ran out of steam when we realized Macy's was eight levels. We did stop at Uniqlo finally but found its perfect organization really overwhelming. Is this how Japan looks?

spinning mannequins / holographic rainbow stairs

I think we all intended Saturday evening to be low-key but a mini house party just sort of happened. Amy's sister Erin stopped by with a few friends and Emily's friend Tyler popped by. Things were pretty entertaining for a while. When Erin & crew headed out Tyler led us in a rousing game of Quelf.

Jan 22th: I felt pretty sick so I slept in instead of going to Hillsong NYC. Mid-afternoon Emily and I ventured out to Kate's Paperie and a few other errands. It was nice to come home to Amy making us macaroni and cheese! I thought wings would be the perfect side so I ordered delivery from Atomic Wings. They took an hour and a half to come, even though they are just around the corner from us. I'll admit they were good though. Trader Joe's cupcakes finished off the night. Yum!

peanut butter filled chocolate cupcakes, get these!

I apologize for posting a day late, the internet has been terrible the past few days.
Much love, Kendra

Friday Favorites: Suprise Edition

Today's Friday Favorites is called the surprise edition because I got lots of unexpected gifts this week. I also thought it would be an appropriate name because, surprise! It's not Friday! Hahha.

1/2 letters from my lovely friend Lizz

 a four-tier cookie package from the Schultz family 

 Trader Joe's flowers

snow!

I got so much mail this week! Lizz wrote me a great five-pager about everything I'm missing in Cincinnati. And the family that I babysit for in Cincinnati sent me a care package of Cheryl's cookies! Don't know how I'm eating 50 cookies in the next few days but they are delicious. I also go my first paycheck last night, which I was expecting mid-Feb. It totally justified my plans to go shopping this weekend. Emily bought us really pretty flowers from Trader Joe's. They really brighten up our apartment.

I also got a confirmation email for MARTHA tickets! Ahhh! Emily and I are going in two weeks. I guess this is the last season so it should be amazing. The tickets were free, I just had to apply for them. I totally leveraged Emily's plans for a DIY wedding and I think they loved it.

Finally, this morning I woke up to snow. I'm not really excited about walking around in it. But I do admit, after not seeing snow for a month it's very pretty.

Have a wintery weekend!

Kendranomo

Let's Go to Mall! Wait...

Shopping here in NYC has been an interesting experience. You already heard a little about how painful getting groceries is. However, shopping for clothes is a new and totally addicting thing.

First of all, if you live in Manhattan, your all favorite stores are just around the corner. I've already been to two different Forever21's and seen about three Anthropologie's. They also have high-end stores like Zara, Madewell, and Uniqlo here. We all know that I love to shop but I have actually done a really good job in the past few months in preparation for this trip. Now I live in Shopping Central.

Secondly, if you want to go to a shopping mall...well why would you? They have "malls" in the city but those are mostly for tourists. If you're a hard-core shopper you just pick a district (SoHo, Union Square, Flatiron, etc.) and hit up all the individual stores there. The thing I still can't get over strip-mall style stores in the city. Who ever expected to see Kmart and Best Buy crammed into a skyscraper? For all the city-goers' suburban needs I guess. It's weird.

On Wednesday Lynn forwarded me an email about a sample sale that day. A sample sale is when a designer lowers prices on their sample pieces from their past collection to make room for new designs. I first learned about these magical events when I watched Confessions of a Shopaholic. Since going to a sample sale was on my NYTD (New York To Do) list, I knew I had to go.

Now, it was nothing like the scene from the movie; there was no screaming and pushing and the most recognizable designers being sold were Charlotte Ronson and Free People. Secondly, it was held in this shady 2nd floor showroom that was pretty dingy. But there were tons of clothes to go through and most of them seemed good quality. The deal was 75% on marked merchandise. The catch was that most of the merchandise originally cost $500. That's still $125 for a designer cotton tee which way out of my budget. But there were some pieces that were in the $10-$50 range. I finally settled on a metallic purple skirt (see Friday's post) that was a little pricy but something I was sure to wear a lot. I wasn't sure how many of these things I would be going to so I thought it would be worth it to buy one thing that I could say I got at a sample sale in New York.

But on Thursday my coworker, Chaz, forwarded me two emails about sales and today I got another one. I may have to be more careful and not run off to every sale I hear of. However, I do have a few things find before I leave the city:

New Bag

Watch, this is pretty close

Black Booties like this

Trousers

Statement Rings

More Boots like this

Voluminous Scarves

The Perfect Pair of Colored Jeans

 mini version of my coat at Zara

A Convicting Thought

Hey Friends,

I'm posting twice today because I watched this video:

Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus

It's really convicting and gave me lots to think about. I fully agree with this guy, but honestly, my outward actions hardly say so. My mission this week is to make it clear what I truly believe. I am sick of hiding the fact that I once was broken but by a wonderful gift am now made whole. My intent is to treat everyone around me in a way that acknowledges that they are just as worthy as a nobody like me to receive that gift. I hope you can be encouraged by this video too!

Love,

Kendra

Dress Code: Cold Weather Wear

It's cold. I know we got lucky with the 45+ degree weather my first few weeks here but now it feels like winter. And winter is bitter. When the icy wind blasts down the avenues you really remember that you are 100% surrounded by water on this skinny island. 

I haven't perfected the bundled New Yorker garb yet but this has been my best defense lately.

UO scarf / Anthropologie coat /AE ring /
F21 jeans / Capezio legwarmers / Target boots

Obviously there's more cold weather things that I will be investing in. Stay warm kids!

Kendra

Adventure Time

It's been a week since I posted about our recent activities. Lots to tell:

Jan 11th: During my lunch break at work I went to the Capezio flagship store to get dance wear. Taking a dance class consistently is on my NYTD list. I felt like I really needed a leotard, tights, technique shoes, legwarmers, and dance shorts so I spent a little too much. But after putting money down I knew I had no excuse not to take a class.

I was sick of avoiding the cold so Amy and Allie decided we would go to Dumpling Man, a tiny restaurant specializing in Chinese dumplings. I got soup dumplings which are cooked with broth (as well as the usual meat) inside. When you bite into them all the soup floods out so you have to eat them from the top down. I'm the world's least-neat eater (say that 10 times fast?) so I didn't master the technique. They were yummy nonetheless, especially dipped in green curry sauce. My favorite part about the place was that the little dumpling icon looked like a little smiling man. Happy things make great branding!

handmade dumplings / adorable menu

Jan 12th: After work I mustered the courage to sign up for a single class at Peridance Capezio School, which happens to be three blocks down the street I live on. They offer any type of dance you can think of. All I wanted to take was ballet but it was tempting to see the long list of styles. They have open classes for many different skill levels. A single class is $17 but I figured if I liked it I would get a ten-class pass that cuts the individual cost down to $14. Since it's been six years since my last classical ballet class, I opted for a beginner's section. Granted, I did take nine years of ballet, and have a lot of experience from dance team and choreographing, but I also know I have less than perfect technique and am out of shape.

The class was a really nice experience. It was at a basic enough level where I could pick up the moves quickly and then focus on my turnout and balance. The instructor helped me notice where I was weak but he applauded me for actively fixing it. I really liked the studio and I plan to sign up for slow intermediate classes next week. Hopefully I can go every Tuesday and Thursday. It's so nice to know I don't have to miss ballet anymore.

We watched the People's Choice Awards when I got home. I LOVE awards shows, no matter how cookie cutter they always are.

Jan 13th: Since Emily had a long day at work we knew we wanted to go out. After a few misses on the other side of the East Village, we ended up at the Horse Box, less than a minute from our apartment. The atmosphere was welcoming and less hectic than the other places we had checked out. They had this really frustrating game where you try to loop a hoop on a hook. All my roommates beat it except me. On the way home we stopped for late night pizza because you have to do that when you're in New York.

Horse Box with my roommates / having lots of fun

Bonus: A stranger informed me that plaid was definitely my color (I was wearing my winter coat). My best response was that I didn't know that plaid was a color...and laughed in his face. Oops, guess I'm not that polite when I'm being hit on. Beware strangers!

Jan 14th: Amy, Emily, and I stopped by a paper store, a shoe store, and Club Monaco for some light shopping. Then we headed back to Chelsea Market to browse and get produce. Of course we stopped at Anthropologie and I magically found a pair of frames for $10! I also got one of the Capri Blue candles I've been wanting forever. We ate lunch at the Lobster Place for lobster rolls. Really expensive but pretty tasty. I wonder what lobster rolls are like in Cape Cod...

glittery paper at the paper store

Jan 15th: Today Emily and I visited Hillsong NYC. I never knew there was one in the States! It was pretty wonderful, we got poptarts during the break and the music was captivating. The message was pretty different but I found myself paying attention more than ever. Hopefully we can find a small group there that works with our schedule!

After church Emily and I met Amy for brunch at Ciao for Now. We got free orange juice and fruit with any brunch item. I got huevos verdes because I love huevos rancheros so much. It wasn't as amazing as my favorite dish but it was still pretty good. I think I should make brunch a major meal in my day more often. We had to squeeze in more shopping because we couldn't carry all our groceries yesterday. (It feels like I'm constantly shopping here...more about that later.)

Tonight we plan on eating Secret Recipe Chili and watching the Golden Globes/Once Upon a Time. Yayy for awards season!

Sadly no museums this weekend, but I plan on going to MoMa very soon. Also, I have tomorrow off of work so I plan on getting a lot accomplished in my life.

Hope you all are doing well!

Kendra

Friday Favorites

It's Friday! I'm so glad it's the weekend, how about you?

SMITH skirt / new technique shoes /
EOS lip balm / cellphone case / Poketo wallet

Just a few of my favorite things from the week: I found this purple bubble skirt at a sample sale on Wednesday. I'm also taking ballet classes! I bought new shoes this week. More about that soon. EOS makes my favorite lip gloss, partly because it comes in a rubbery sphere. Emily got this cellphone case as a Christmas gift for me. It looks remarkably like my wallet—she knows me so well! It oddly matches the wallet I've had forever. Hmm...maybe I need to back off the rainbow triangles.

Have a fun weekend,

Kendrasity

Worklife

As promised, I am going to give you a glimpse of life at Christie's! It's going to be a little vague because I can't reveal any internal information. Also, as an employee of Christie's my opinions are strictly my own and do not reflect on the company. (Got that from Amy.)

One thing to know about New York is that although people like their jobs, they go in late and stay late. So although I don't get in to the office until 9:15. it's not unusual for the workday to start at 10 for everyone. I only work 35 hours during a normal week so I get to skip out the door around 5:30 everyday. My poor roommate Emily has been working from 9–9 this week because of a huge project and that's just the norm at design offices in NYC.

I sit in a cubicle with my coworker Manu. He's on the digital design team and really helpful if I have questions about anything. My boss's name is Lynn and she always has ideas about what to do in the city. She's given me three magazines and sent me many emails about awesome stuff. Taking complete advantage of this!

reading assignments for work / a little piece of Landor
in my drawer / millions of PANTONE books in the office

In the morning I walk by the mailroom and pick up the Creative Service's mail to distribute. It's nice because I enjoy saying hi to everyone. Around 1:30 (when New Yorkers eat lunch), Joyce and Chaz stop by our area to ask us to pick up lunch. I've only gone a few times because I'm trying to save money but the food is always good. Once we went to a Vietnamese-fusian food truck for grinders and another time we went to Fresh Day. Fresh Day has everything from salads to sushi, and Korean food to patty melts. I got a Korean type of salad that has beef and rice in it. Pretty amazing. I love that most people in the city are into eating ethnic because quiet honestly, American food can be boring. I'm not a steak person, sandwiches are blah, and I have to be in a funky mood to crave a hamburger. Maybe I should have been born in the Middle East...After we pick up lunch (because almost no one packs besides me) most of the creative team eat together. People always ask me about myself or where I've been exploring lately. Then everyone gives me a hundred ideas of where to go next. I can't keep track of them all but Chaz told me he's making a restaurant list and a fashion list! People also like to ask me about life in Cincinnati; why do we love chili? I'm not a true Cincinnatian so it's hard to answer most of their questions but it's pretty entertaining.

 Joyce getting food at the Big D's Grinders

The funniest conversation I had at lunch was with Manu, who was trying to list of super cheap dinner places in the Times Square District. "...oh, and Chipotle! That's a really cheap place to get a delicious meal." I cracked up and he got all defensive, "Hey! I'm not ashamed that I like eating at inexpensive places! Have you ever been there? It's sooo good." When I stopped laughing I explained to him that I have been to Chipotle countless times because it's a chain. He looked a little surprised at that. Joyce also asked me if I had ever been to Arby's...maybe in the big city people don't realize what is commercial vs. what isn't because everything is heavily marketed.

But my co-workers are really nice and I enjoy eating lunch with them. I probably have no room to poke fun because I am this wide-eyed little girl in a whole new place. I've done plenty of dumb things like pronounce Manu's name wrong repeatedly and get lost on my own floor. They're really gracious and welcoming and I really appreciate it.

So far I am working on designing text and layout styles for a new project we are working on. Right now it feels like I'm the only one designing the whole thing, but that could change as we get near the deadline. It's been good for me because all my work is very detail-oriented and specific. It can be frustrating because I hate to mess up but I think I will come out a better designer.

I work in the Times Square District which is the center of New York. It can be really crowded and touristy but there's an Anthropologie and J. Crew right outside my building. Also, everything is always decorated really beautifully for the holidays. And best of all, 30 Rock is across the street! I'll let you know if I run into Tina Fey.

outside of the gallery entrance /
beautiful ET displays / NBC studios across the street!

Hope that answers all the work questions!

Kendra