Lately

I've been mad busy with my thesis... And my first conference, one of my best friends being in town, a trip to Central America, work, and Easter (Orthodox Easter is this coming weekend). Until graduation and my parents' visit in May, things are only going to get busier! Thesis defense, concert with bestie C. Lu, job applications. Whew. I can't even keep up with me lately.

B in B-oston!

First conference!

Costa Rica chica

The most wonderful time of the year

This weekend, Courtney went to a free holiday concert at the Guggenheim featuring the Vox Vocal Ensemble and the Graham Ashton Brass Ensemble. It was a neat venue because of way the Guggenheim rotunda spirals up.

The music was beautiful, and they let the audience join in on a few songs. I also scored an awesome deal on a super warm down jacket from Lands End this weekend, it was on sale plus an additional 40% off... hello $100 coat for $25! Ignore the ugly mustard color in the picture, I got it in black. 

I think I will most definitely need it over the break, Utah is currently 10-15 degrees cooler than New York and there is snow in the forecast for the weekend. I'm okay with a white Christmas, which I can't believe is only a few days away. I'm not looking forward to my travel day today, but I'm really excited to see my family and furbabies. I hope everyone has a fabulous holiday week! I know my plans include copious amounts of hot cocoa, cuddling by the tree, and eating 'real' food (thanks mom!). Feliz Navidad! 

'Sup?

What have I been up to lately? Good question. A lot of the time, the answer is 'not much.' This is becoming an issue, since I am supposed to be 10x farther than I am on my directed study paper. Some of my favorite summer days (aka days off) have included:

• Any time with my friends in New York (for example Terrible Movie Nights with homemade ice cream and this gem of a film)
• Gorgeous weather, Wonder City donuts, New York Public Library tour, yoga, reading Boccaccio in Bryant Park
• Metropolitan Museum of Art and Magnolia Bakery banana pudding
• American Museum of Natural History
• Strand books, Sephora, Pizza Bash $1 Mondays, Union Square, NYU, reading in Washington Square Park, rainy walks through Central Park 
• Copley farmers market, a sunset cruise on the Charles River and Crane Beach
• Salem, Exeter, Portsmouth, and Kittery
• Watching movie adaptations of every Jane Austen novel

The rest of my summer will include finishing that darn paper (gah!), working, and hopefully Chelsea Highline park, Kleinfeld's, Levaine, Atlantic City, and Hoboken.  Summer has a really really bad habit of always going by far too quickly. Enjoy the rest of yours, and meanwhile I will enjoy listening to the song that one of my old flames wrote for me and sent over last night haha. If I can figure out how to upload a music file into a blog post, I will share.

Lately

Mad Decent Block Party at the pier in NYC

Squirrels like I've never seen

$1 pizza @ Pizza Bash by Union Square. Best.

Brooklyn, as seen from Manahattan South Seaport

Eyebrows? Me??

Playing 'ketchup'

I got to spend last week with my Bunnies in NYC followed by a Boston visit from one of my BGFs, Alex. It was kind of hectic only being home a little over 24 hours before heading straight to New York for a few days and then straight to Logan Airport to get Alex, but so worth it! Seeing Red Riding Hood and making muddy buddies, taking Bee all over NYC, lots of cupcakes, Serendipity frozen hot chocolate after a super short wait (finally!), dinner at Katz Deli (where Harry met Sally), and best friend time at La Caverna. Alex and I went all over Boston proper, the Freedom Trail, the Sam Adams Brewery tour, House of Blues, the most amazing restaurant called Grotto, and also to Castle Island, Salem (witches... I was right at home haha), and Crane Beach (aka my new favorite place in Massachusetts). Extensive Africa post coming soon, still recuperating and I have SO MUCH catching up to do for school, but in the mean time... see how cute my friends and I are!

Introducing!

Bee's blog! http://beesbeesknees.blogspot.com/ by Courtney and myself (Lu&Lolly Blog Designs). Check it.

Some stuff

A tender moment with the gibbon, my favorite animal at Hogle Zoo

Alta

Also this past week: watching scary movies with Courtney and jumping at all the scary parts, lunch with Brittany, hanging out with my BGF Ryan, going out with Julie and Alex, loukomades at church, family dinners, crocheting (I made a scarf!), babysitting, and lots of reading. Only one week left in UT! ... and then school again. Mer.

Lately

Lately I am loving:
-Snow (since I haven't had to drive in it and am looking forward to skiing after the holiday rush)
-Hot tubbing, despite 10 degree nighttime temperatures
-Playing 20 questions while hot tubbing
-Couch time with my BFF
-The mtv show 'My Life as Liz', as I watched the entire first season with BFF during couch time
-Cuddle buddies (boy ones!)

-Remembering about Zoobilee Zoo - and wondering how I was not majorly creeped out

Models.

Look! We are models. Keala is too legit to quit. I will post some more when we receive them :)

 



My apartment!

 

Don't even worry that I've lived here for almost 4 months and still hadn't really unpacked until...today. But at least it's clean since I am leaving next week and followed my mom's rule of pre-vacation cleaning.

Yay!!

My BFF is moving to New York in January because she is amazing and got in with one of the top ten public relations firms in the nation. Yup. And I'm HER BEST FRIEND! So lucky!!! (Just a little bit jealous is all.) This is the greatest development ever for a number of reasons:

1. She will only be a few hours away!
2. We can visit each other on weekends!
3. If I get a summer job/internship in New York we can be roomies!
4. We are a great shopping tag team! And NYC shopping is the best!
5. A year from now I'll be able to join her, living in our favorite city!

Sorry for all the !!s, this is just the best news I've had in while :)