Happy New Year: 2013

Happy New Year, friends! I hope you all had an amazing holiday season and an extraordinary New Year's Eve. We had a party here in our apartment and it was lovely to be surrounded by my new fabulous friends. It was very surreal to realize that I have joined such an amazing, shiny new group of people in exactly one year's time. See a few of my 2013 Resolutions below, and feel free to share some of yours! I'd love to hear them.

Image taken at the party via my Instagram account

1  BLOG MORE
I've talked about this many times before, but since I sort of fell off the blogging wagon last year while adjusting to my new surroundings (and an extremely taxing new work schedule), I vow to carve out more time this year to writing in this blog. It always makes me feel like the truest version of myself when I am taking the time to be creative and share my thoughts with all of you readers.

2  MAKE MY BED EVERYDAY
I am embarrassed to say it, but I still don't religiously make my bed in the morning. I am not a morning person so I tend to just roll out of bed, throw on some clothes, brush my teeth and get on the subway. But I'm proud to say that I took the time to wake up earlier and make my bed every morning this past week and it made my room feel much cleaner and more organized! And it was a much better sight to come home to, and more comfortable to crawl into at night too. This is one resolution I am definitely going to stick with!

3  SPEND LESS MONEY
This is getting into the cliched New Years Resolution territory, but I seriously need to stop eating out for lunch everyday. It's not healthy and it's really not affordable. Instead, I am going to pack a lunch the night before, or bring a Lean Cuisine or something. I am also going to take fewer taxis, as I've crunched the numbers recently, and that is a huuuuge cost that will definitely be easy enough to cut. I could also stand to cut out some of those guilty pleasures like after-work drinks too, which will be sure to lighten my monthly spending!

4  WHITEN UP
This is probably more of a vanity thing, but I'd really like to cut out dark beverages like Diet Coke and coffee, because I can tell they are slowly but surely staining my teeth. Everyone likes to have a bright, white smile, and I have identified a few things to cut out of my daily routine that will help brighten my teeth.

5  WORK/LIFE BALANCE?
This is the biggest struggle in the world for me...I tend to be a bit of a workaholic, and my job is equally very demanding. This is a disastrous combination, to be sure. I need to know when to say enough is enough, and leave the remaining work for another day. There's always something more I could do, but it often doesn't have to be now, now, now, and completely interfere with my personal time! I need to reclaim my life, and I'm planning on doing it soon!

I know that New Years Resolutions are commonly scoffed at, but I can't imagine ever discouraging someone's quest for self-improvement. It's a very human thing to want to be better and do better and this time of year feels like the closing of one chapter and the opening of another! Good luck with all of your New Years Resolutions! I will keep you posted on how mine are going...

The Great Gatsby

The character posters from The Great Gatsby have been revealed, and I am so, so excited! I have been looking forward to this movie since I first heard whispers about the project and ties to Baz Luhrmann, director of Moulin Rouge and Romeo+Juliet. I think he has such a unique, dreamlike visual perspective that will be perfect for helping to recreate the glorious jazz-age parties on Jay Gatsby's lawn. And the rest of the casting decisions have been equally exciting. I'm very much looking forward to the performances of Carey Mulligan, Isla Fisher, Toby Maguire, and of course Leonardo DiCaprio. Are you guys looking forward to the movie? Any fans of the book? It's one of my favorites. I reread it this past fall, and I have to say that while I enjoyed it as a 15-year-old English student, I have a completely different perspective this time around. Perhaps you need to have lived some life to really understand where Daisy and Gatsby are really coming from? But these costumes can be enjoyed by just about everyone!

New York, New York

Illustration by Carolyn Gavin

I have spent this entire year crafting a post to accurately explain just how much my life has changed since I moved to this crazy, crazy place. It's been both the best and worst and most epically different year of my life. I never use this blog to complain, so I certainly won't do that. But when you think about starting over in a completely new place, moving in with 3 new roommates, making new friends and meeting new coworkers, starting a new job and then subsequently phasing into about a 60-hour work week in no time flat...it's made these nearly 365 days in the city go by in the blink of an eye! Take something similar to the fall semester of your freshman year of college and multiply it by 50x more stress and 30x more fun, subtract ALL of your paycheck when you realize that you will now burn through shoes at the rate that an F1 racecar burns through it's tires...and then add 25% homesickness and 25% friendsickness, divided by the square root of Pi, for good measure. That leaves you with a pretty strange equation that equals my new life in New York City.

I explained to my roommate once that I was a bit depressed that I never got to see or do the things I thought I'd certainly have crossed off my to-do list in the first year. Things like walking across the Brooklyn Bridge, or eating a Nathan's Famous Hotdog at Coney Island, or freezing my butt off watching the Macy*s Thanksgiving Day Parade live and in-person. But then, he said something that really got me thinking...Jenna, you LIVE here. And you've LIVED here for a year. And that doesn't mean going to tourist attractions or vacation spots everyday. It means going to work, sitting on the couch, watching TV and eating takeout. It means paying way too much for a cab home because there is now nothing at all whimsical about riding the subway after a long, hard day. It's not about going to the hottest gallery openings, or taking vacations aboard Ramona Singer's yacht. Because life in New York is not a TV show. It's just life.

And for those of you who are curious about what I HAVE done in my time here, below is a list of things I am incredibly proud to have done/seen/accomplished:

1. I took a surfing lesson on Long Beach
2. I drove an actual racecar (!!!) in New Jersey
3. I got to sit in a floor-level box to see Madonna perform at Madison Square Garden (where Psy also made a surprise experience)
4. I added Hellmann's Mayonnaise, American Express, Klondike, and Dove Style+Care to the list of clients I've worked with
5. I drank a Black & Tan in the same bar that Abraham Lincoln used to hang out in
6. I saw Bon Iver perform at Radio City Music Hall
7. I saw about a bazillion shows on Broadway. Some favorites include: Newsies, Anything Goes, Porgy & Bess, Bring It On! The Musical, Peter and the Starcatcher, The Heiress (Starring the dreamy Dan Stevens from Downton Abbey...sigh), A Christmas Story, How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and maaaaany more.
8. I had visitors in the form of friends from high school, friends from college, friends of friends, my aunt, my parents, and friends of my parents...
9. I rode the Long Island Railroad and then took a train to Connecticut all in the same weekend
10. I got sunburnt to a crisp on the 4th of July on the beach at Fort Tilden Park
11. I danced the night away in a basement bar on Bowery street (a few times...)
12. I took the Chinatown bus back to Columbus for an incredible weekend
13. I made it through a major natural disaster relatively unscathed and sent many prayers to those who felt it's effects more closely
14. I have made incredible memories with incredible friends that I didn't even know existed only a year ago
15. and I have made an incredible, lasting bond with friends I did know existed but now I know them a whole lot better

It's been an incredible journey. One that I haven't been too communicative about...apologies about that. But while my plans of documenting my first year didn't go so well, I like to say that it's because I was too busy experiencing everything. And next year comes the writing!

A Christmas Story: The Musical

I don't think I need to tell you how magical Christmas in this city is...I've always thought that New York City was the setting of every Christmas carol from the chestnuts roasting on the open fire, to the city sidewalks, busy sidewalks all the way to the what are you doing new year's eve? But this season, I was happy to introduce a few original carols to my holiday season in the form of the show, A Christmas Story: The Musical. Of course it's based on the classic movie, and definitely sticks close to the plot (and the flagpole) for you die-hard fans. But the original songs and choreography add something even more special to this story. I've seen it twice now... And I highly encourage those of you near enough to the city to check out this Triple-Dog-Daring Musical!

1  Ralphie hates his pink bunny suit in the musical just as much as in 2012 as he did in the 1983 film.
2  The World Premier Cast Recording will definitely have you singing along.
3  The driving force of the show is Ralphie Parker's quest to unwrap a Red Ryder Carbine Action BB Gun with a compass in the stock (and this thing that tells time...) this Christmas.
4  The ensemble of kids in this cast will impress even the most top-notch Broadway connoisseur!
5 The leg lamp gets the fanfares, accolades and (spoiler alert) KICKLINE it truly deserves in the show-stopping Act I number that would make "the Old Man" proud.

12.12.12

I feel a little sad thinking about the date today. Is that weird? It's the last time the date, month, and year will be the same number for nearly another century. And certainly the last time we'll experience it in most of our lifetimes. Yes, that's a little dark. Are any of you guys experiencing the feeling like you didn't enjoy the last decade as much as you should have? Just me? OK, haha. Moving on! Below are a list of lovely little things to commemorate the date!

1  Motorcycle Image pinned by Danny O'Connor on Pinterest
2  Number Twelve necklace by TwoReasons on Etsy. $18.50.
3  Vintage 12 billiard ball from amyquerin on Etsy
4  Vintage Hotel Number, including braille from vintageseas on Etsy
5  French  Crown No. 12 Pillow from WordGarden on Etsy
6  Old School Colorblindness Tests
7  An Imprecise Clock spotted on Clusterflock
8  Twelve O'Clock High poster starring Gregory Peck

Post-Hurricane Report: Jane's Carousel

Hello, friends. I wanted to report that I am indeed safe and well after Hurricane Sandy blew through Manhattan a week ago, leaving disastrous damages to the city in its wake. I am lucky enough to live way uptown on top of a big hill, so flood waters weren't a concern. We never lost power either, unlike many of my friends and coworkers who live below 40th street and dealt with wind damage, power outages, and serious flooding.

But, I am very happy to report that Jane's Carousel (which, like me, is from Youngstown, OH) survived the flood as well, and it is sort of a beautiful hurricane miracle. This carousel, built in 1922, lived in a beloved, local amusement park, Idora Park, that both my parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles visited back in Youngstown, OH. It closed the year before I was born, after a fire swept through the park. Jane's Carousel was relocated, eventually, to New York City where it was housed in a glass pavilion in Brooklyn Bridge Park. This photo puts the hurricane into quite an eerily beautiful perspective.

Image by Koseli

Image by Door Sixteen

Naturals and Neutrals

I am usually quite a fan of color. This we know about me, yes? But I feel like as my style has evolved over the years, or perhaps becomes symptomatic of life in New York, I find myself gravitating quite a bit more to some lovely neutrals and chocolate browns, rustic woodgrain and chunky natural knits. I've assembled a little mood board of neutrality to explain just what I mean. Take a look!

Via They All Hate Us

L: Via Basics of Man   I   R: Via Sevier & White Interiors

John Derian's Apartment via From The Right Bank

L: Brianne on Pinterest   I   R: By Jared Fowler via HomeLife

Via Live from IKEA FAMILY on Pinterest

L: The Knot   I   R: Cha Cha Diaries

Barr-Co. Pure Vegetable products from Anthropologie

Chatelles

I saw these beautiful shoes over at Justina Blakeney's blog last week, and fell in love. First of all, they are so incredibly classic. And then there's the fact that I live in a walking city and flats are really the only option unless I want to cause myself some pretty significant pain by the end of the workday... But these shoes!! They are so fun and customizable (and colorful and tasseled and monogrammed) Also, did I happen to mention Justina and I have the same initials? So I knew I had to blog about them. Do any of you have a pair? I am busy pondering whether or not I can get them in the US...

Image via Justina Blakeny

Home Sweet Home

I just realized that I've lived in the city for 9 months now and still haven't shown you my apartment! Part of that is because I'm embarrassed to admit that it took me until about 3 weeks ago to finally finish it....but hey, hours are crazy and city life is a blur. And it's finally finished now, so I wanted to give you a little Instagram shot of my blogging headquarters, aka bedroom. The theme here is mixed patterns and textures, vintage flair, and tons of pillows. In my opinion, that's the secret to a perfect living space. What do you think goes into your dream bedroom?

City Showdown

Have you guys seen this adorable video comparing (in my opinion) two of the greatest cities in the world? I must confess, I'm a bit partial to bagels over baguettes, but I'll let you guys be the judge. Which one is your favorite?

     

J'Adore Jackets: 2012

The time for outerwear is back in a big way, so since I had so much fun scouring the shops for my top Jacket Picks of 2011, I wanted to do the same thing for this coming season. From faux fur collars to belted waistlines and 60s silhouettes, you can't beat a great jacket to amp up any outfit! I think my favorites are #1 and #2. How about you guys?

1  Morning Coffee Shop Coat from Modcloth
2  Stadium-cloth Boulevard Trench in Neptune Green from J. Crew
3  Meringue the Bell Jacket from Modcloth
4  Apt. 9® Boucle Wool Swing Coat from Kohl's
5  Plenty by Tracy Reese Undiscovered Tomes Coat from Modcloth
6  Women's Short Trench Coat from Uniqlo
7  Double Breasted Epaulet Caped Coat from ROMWE
8  Tall Tipped Peacoat in Black from J. Crew

A Rainy Day in NYC

I have been looking forward to Autumn in New York for basically this entire year. In fact, I have dreaming about it since I was a kid who watched way too many old movies with no idea about what life or this city would actually be like. I arrived in January, and saw the seasons change and build to what would no doubt be a sort of grand finale...And now it's here. And it apparently brings with it a fairly consistent downpour of rain. But, lucky for NYC, I feel about this town like Owen Wilson feels about Paris. So bring it on, New York. There's nothing you could ever do to really upset me.

Your Fortune

While I was sitting on a stoop in my neighborhood, enjoying the crispy Fall weather, I saw this fortune on the ground right near my shoe. It says "You can do everything you ought to do." Of course I snapped a picture. Really, I think we could all use a little positive reinforcement. An outside voice telling us we are doing a good job. Telling us that we can do anything. So I am declaring this a universal fortune for anyone who sees this photo. Sometimes the right fortune for you is on the ground instead of in the cookie.

JSQ Red Carpet Rundown: Highlights from the Emmys

When I say highlights, I mean, "Did anyone notice the overabundance of highlighter-yellow gowns on the red carpet??" I was a fan of some more than others... My favorite was definitely the sleeves and stunning silhouette on Julianne Moore, and the particular neon color on Julie Bowen was pretty as well. Hear why they chose their gowns here. But the problem is...with this many gowns on the red carpet, none of these ladies had a chance of being crowned 'Best Dressed.' Where's Rachel Zoe when you need her? She would never have let this happen...Or did she?

Christian Siriano: Spring 2013 RTW

I have spent most of the morning pouring over the beautiful lines, textures and embellishments of this gorgeous Spring 2013 Ready-to-Wear collection by the already-iconic Christian Siriano. Since his debut collection winning Project Runway Season 4, he has proved time and again that he knows how to dress a woman and make her incredibly beautiful. This pastel, ballerina-esque collection is just another gorgeous feather in his cap. What do you guys think? Do you love the collection as much as I do?

This trio of finale dresses are my absolute favorite part of the collection.