Be my BrightLine Valentine!

My new office was filled to the brim with Valentine spirit today! Actually, the entire city was... Everytime I stepped outside, I nearly got run down by five frantic delivery boys, heading towards their various recipients carrying flowers. Getting V-day gifts at work is clearly a thing here. Did you guys get any special deliveries today? My delivery must have just gotten lost in the city shuffle... Hah! Not likely. But the most delicious part of the day was when our office provided a whole table of heart-shaped cookies and all the decorating tools you could imagine; sprinkles, frosting, decorative tips, nonpareils, you name it! So of course we happily dove in and whipped up some of these spiffy creations for each other!

Top Front
A lovely honorable-mention-award-winning cookie by Kate
Left (Row 2)
A cookie I decorated for my desk-mate Amber
Right (Row 2)
"Love Bites." Another cookie by the Martha Stewart of BrightLine, Kate!
Right (Row 3)
A cookie I painstakingly decorated for Galina. But since I used "edible" spray paint, it ended up tasting a little toxic... Oops.
Bottom
The whole collection! Check out that Jenna Sais Quois inspired chevron masterpiece! Galina made that one for me, and I actually ate it, since it was sans spray paint. The middle cookie was one I made for Matt. He told me I single-handedly gave him diabetes. Um, can you say rude? Eh, he secretly loved every bite of it. And finally, the illustrative one on the bottom was depicting a wakeboarder for Jackie, who graduated with me from OSU design school, and put in a good word for me here at the new job! I'm happy to be here and eat cookies with my lovely new coworkers anyday, but especially on Valentine's day!

Burberry Prorsum Spring!

I have a bit of a crush on the Burberry Prorsum Spring/Summer 2012 collection... The looks are clearly strong, but the styling is definitely my favorite part. Christopher Bailey has blended so many different ideas together to create this sort of hand-made, tribal, equestrian, preppy, hipster explosion. There's really something for everyone. Fantastic outwear pieces, punchy color palette, beautiful patterns, sensational hand-crafted details... Also, those pom-pon hats are adorable. I am so getting one. Bet me!

Milly: Pre-Fall 2012

I have been planning this post forever, it seems like. Or at least there's been a Post-It stuck to my computer about writing it for roughly two weeks now... I am not sure how to feel about gearing up for Fall already when I should probably be jumping for joy about Spring fashion, but what can I say? It's just too beautiful to not gush about... So, I'll just get right to it! Feast your eyes on Milly's Pre-Fall 2012 collection. It's everything I could ever want. Black? Check. Pops of color? Check. Leather? Check. The perfect amount of polish? Obviously.

Just Another Manicure Monday

Well, it's actually Tuesday, but I couldn't resist... Anyway, one of my fave things about working as a designer is being surrounded by creative, trendy people all the time. And my new coworkers are already starting to inspire me as much as my Ohio pals! Which brings me to the topic at hand; Nail Art. It's an unmistakable trend, and I haven't been able to resist gabbing about it with my new coworkers, Kate and Galina. We even got to try our hand at making some of our own when Kate brought in her red nail pen...though nothing we created could even compare to the fabulous fingertips of Galina's friend Julia, an actual artist who also happens to be a nail artist! She even has a blog, Manicure Pixie Dream Girl (named after everyone's favorite female archetype, of course...) and each one of her posts is totally awe-inspiring! Julia definitely proves that you need more than just a little extra time and a very steady hand to give yourself a nail art makeover...you need some insane creativity too. So for those of us who are not artists (or even nail artists...) feel free to snag and recreate some fabulous ideas here:

All images via Manicure Pixie Dream Girl

1 Month in NYC

Wow! I've been here for a entire month already... Over a month, really. I hit the city on December 29th, and now it's February 6th! But, I've really been taking Manhattan (and parts of Brooklyn and Queens) by storm. To illustrate, I've put together a little map of my excursions (aside from the daily to-work-and-back...) for you. As you can see, I haven't let spending my winter in a relatively unfamiliar city stop me from popping up all around town. 

Some cool places I've been: 

Theatres

Ethel Barrymore Theatre 

This is where I saw Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin in their truly awe-inspiring cabaret performance. 

New Amsterdam Theatre

When my mom was in town for a visit, we went to see Mary Poppins here. It was actually really wonderful! I highly recommend it for the broadway novice or regular alike. 

Restuarants

The Smith

This restaurant (I went to the Midtown location) was really great. I had a tomato soup that was prepared almost like a French onion...with cheese and bread on top. High praise. 

The Beagle

Located on Avenue A in the East Village, this was the location of our belated office Holiday Party. The cocktails were amaaaazing. And I think the food was great too! The bartenders looked like they were plucked out of the 1930s and early 40s. I love that old fashioned vibe.

HB Burger

This place is in the Times Square area, but tucked away a little. I went here with my parents on my second day in the city, and they had a veggie burger that taste almost like a chicken parmeggian sandwich. I don't know how or why, but I loved it! 

The Counter

Speaking of burgers, this is another cool place in Times Square. Great for a pre-show dinner. It's this tiny little glass enclosed restaurant with great burgers, and "Burgers in a Bowl" which are basically burgers atop a delicious salad. Decent veggie burger, and amazing fried pickles.

Fred's 

New Yorkers are all about Brunch with cocktails. It's a thing here, believe me. That and drinking seltzer... But anyway, this place is great. If you bring in a picture of your dog, they'll find a place for it on their already very crowded walls. And they give you muffins with butter that's infused with strawberries. It was kind of epic. 

Bars

McSorley's Old Ale House

Abraham Lincoln drank here. And John Lennon, Woody Guthrie, and Teddy Roosevelt just to name a few. E. E. Cummings wrote a poem about the place! What more is there to say really? Try the black & tan, and don't mind the crowd. 

The Bowery Electric

This is the first place in New York that really reminded me of home. It was basically the East Village version of Skully's with music more akin to a trip to The Clampdown. And I danced and danced until the wee hours of the morning, and spent $40 on a cab home... Miss you, Columbus! Miss you, bars close enough to walk to!

M 1-5

This was my first NYC "Club" experience. A huge warehouse-type bar tucked away on a quiet side street in Tribeca with a neon bar and white, leafy trees hanging from above. It looked amazing, and I had a good time despite the fact that it was a bit too crowded to dance, and someone almost threw up on me in the ladies room. Ahhh, New York! Love it.

Upstairs Bar

This place is near my office, the beers are cheap, and it's never crowded. I think that's because it's literally a hotel bar...I've been there twice now, and I have a feeling it will be a regular stopping point on a Friday evening. 

Shopping

Uniqlo 

This place is amazing. I don't need to elaborate much, since I raved about it here! 

Sephora

It's about a block away from my office, and probably the place in NYC I've spent the most time, besides my apartment or work...It's very inconvenient on the wallet, as you may imagine.

Fishs Eddy

Another place I've previously raved about...

The Strand

I could literally spend half a day in this place and still want more. Books as far as the eye can see. Quirky or out-of-print ones are their specialty. Their art books section overwhelms me in the best possible way. 

Scott J Salon

Okay, not quite shopping, but they do sell Aveda products there... This is officially my new hair salon, although my heart forever belongs to Phia and Meagan back in Columbus. 

Wow! That was a lot. If you stuck with me, thanks so much! I've been neglecting this blog so badly that I just wanted you all to see exactly where I've been when I was NOT blogging... I promise I will be back soon with lovely content for you to feast your eyes on. And tomorrow there will be a post on NAIL ART, so stop back soon!

lights out

Chrissy from Harve & Polly here!

So... don't be sad, but today is my last guest post as part of the "Jenna moves to Manhattan" series - and what better send off to the city that never sleeps than a collection of night lights?

Also, I have been reading a book that has me leaving extra lights on... and night lights make me feel like less of a wuss than overhead lights....

01/ cassette light $45.00  //  02/ huggable light $179.00  //  03/ Delete key $11.00  //  
04/ DIY firefly jars  //  05/ demon light $88.00

Don't forget to visit me on Harve & Polly!

Candy Shop Denim

Umm... Can I just say that bright, colorful denim is my favorite part of this whole color-blocking trend we're in the midst of? So I don't even need to tell you how jazzed I am that a) THIS is happening this Spring at Topshop and b) There happens to be a Topshop in lower Manhattan.

Here's Lookin' at Uniqlo...

There is a store, well several actually, in New York City called Uniqlo and in my short tenure here I have fallen hard and fast... I'm told NYC is the only place in the United States that has these Japanese retail stores, and this is yet another reason why I couldn't be happier to call this city home! I would describe the store as sort of a preppy J.Crew-like style, with some hip Asian influences, but with prices more comparable to a Forever 21. So basically nice, affordable, well-made, classic yet trendy clothes! Did anything about that previous sentence not make you want to pack your bags and head East for a visit? I didn't think so. Below are some images from their early Spring 2012 lookbook, so a little taste of what's in stores now. Enjoy!

Date Night Outfit

1. Chevron Necklace 2. Aqua Dress 3. Sequin clutch 4. Snake Belt 5.Signet Ring 6. Striped Slingbacks

It's Libby again, with an outfit from my imaginary closet. I really want those shoes, so I had to come up with an outfit to justify buying them. Perfect for date night or fancy drinks with friends!

fun in the tub

Chrissy, again, from Harve & Polly!

01/ whale mat $16.00  //  02/ squid helper $35.00  //  03/ fish stopper $11.99  //  04/ suicide guy $30.00  //  05/ Frog bath caddy $30.49  //  06/ ducky curtain $25.00

It is cooold here in Boston! And my favorite cold weather fix is a soak in the tub. Bubbles, steamy hot water ... and usually my nintendo DS... what can I say, I'm not a big reader. But I am a big fan of all these items to make my tub time more awesome!

Snow and the City

I woke up on Saturday morning to the sound of a snow shovel scraping across gravel. I instantly jumped up and ran to the window to find that sometime during the night, New York City had been blanketed by at least three or four inches of perfect white snow! I could sense the aggravation of everyone else around me from roommates to those riding with me on the subway, but I didn't mind a bit. It was sort of my first taste of home in NYC. Something very familiar, and sort of Mid-West-like. Especially when I got off the subway at 72nd near the West side of Central Park and saw a million little kids in scarves and mittens and boots dragging their sleds through city crosswalks on their way to what I can only imagine is the most glorious sledding hill in all of Manhattan... This city has felt like home since the day I arrived, but now that it's snowed, it feels even more familiar.

I found an entrance to the park right across the street, and followed behind a few dads pulling their little kids toward a hill like a dog pulls a dogsled. Then I found a sign telling me I was in Strawberry Fields... I managed to snap this picture before my fingers nearly froze to my camera. And then, it was back underground to wait for the train again. Have I mentioned how much I love it here?

Classy Barware

1. Highball Glassware 2. Vintage Ice Bucket 3. Vintage Ice Crusher 4. Rolling Bar Cart 5. Pewter Horsehead Stir Sticks

Hello, it's Libby from FollowMeMoon. With all of Jenna's lovely Cocktail Hour and Cocktail Couture posts, have you found yourself in need of some classy bar accessories? I have! I especially love the blue rolling bar cart, which could function daily as a pretty bedside table but become a festive drink station for parties.

Just my type...

Hello again! Chrissy from Harve & Polly here with some gorgeous items for all the typography lovers out there! I know Jenna must be hard at work designing and decorating her new digs - maybe something below will strike her fancy!

/ type bookshelf $? / cast iron ampersand $250.00 / R print $45.00 / H bird $75.00 / fab type $58.00

Subway Survival Supplies

I've been living in New York City for just over a week-and-a-half now, and I have to say, it's been a pretty crazy ride so far! I've gotten lost a few times already, and I'd wager to say that about 98% of these mishaps have involved the subway... First there was the time on my first morning of work that I scurried off the train, panic-stricken, at the 125th street station, thinking I was at Columbus Circle. I was only about 100 blocks too far north... Next, I learned the important lesson that whichever end (front or back) of the train you board will majorly impact from which end of the station you'll end up resurfacing. That's how I ended up four blocks away from my apartment, thinking nothing at all looked familiar, and not knowing which way was North. The most recent blunder occurred when I wasn't paying close enough attention on the late-night local train, thinking I had all the time in the world, and then ending up at the very tip pity top of Manhattan, narrowly missing an unintentional trip to the Bronx.

In my week as a commuter, I've learned that there are a few things you should never board the train without... Be it necessity or entertainment, I am happy to present you my list of Subway Survival Supplies.

1  Whether it be a one-time ride for $2.50, or an unlimited monthly pass for $104.00, you won't get anywhere without your MetroCard!

2  I'm no germ-a-phobe, but I never forget to slather on some anti-bacterial gel the second I'm back above-ground.

3  Not a day has gone by that I haven't thanked my lucky stars for my Amazon Kindle! Both for curing boredom on a long ride or just distracting me while I'm standing up and clutching a pole as I'm herded toward 5th Avenue like I were on a cattle train.

4  A co-worker back in Columbus, Kaitlin, recommended I download the HopStop app and it's been a life-saver! I put in the addresses, both home and desired destination, and it tells you exactly what to do!

5  I am definitely a fan of listening to music on my commute. While I don't mind a train ride in the slightest, even a long one like mine, it always helps to disengage a little. It clears the mind! But really, the combination of music, reading and avoiding direct eye-contact is the perfect recipe for keeping the crazies away.

The subway system, including the many unique characters who ride it daily, is actually one of my favorite parts about this city. Having no car hasn't phased me in the slightest. In fact, I feel free as a bird without having to worry about it! No more parking tickets, designated driver responsibilities, street-sweeping schedules. It's just me and my MetroCard, Kindle, earphones, and anti-bacterial hand gel...hopping on the subway, ready for anything!

Sock Bun Success!

Photo via pinterest

Hi– Libby here. Have you all seen the tutorials flying around blogs and YouTube about the "sock bun"? Well, I'm here to personally endorse it. I tried it on New Years Eve, and it was so easy! (See my results below) As with most hairstyles, it works best with when styled on dirty hair and with lots of hairspray.

As an added bonus, when you take out the bun, your hair will have lots of volume with pretty, no-heat curls. Google "sock bun" for numerous tutorials on how to make this hairstyle.