They said New York changed us

They said New York changed us.

They meant it in a bad way.

They said New York made us hard. They said New York made us too independent. They said we became cold. They said the city made us cynical, even jaded.

They said New York caused our southern accents to fade and turned us into Yankees. They said we spent too much money on rent and too much time at work.

They said New York made us impatient. They said New York made us rude and abrasive.

They said we forgot who we were and where we came from.

They said New York changed us.


I say New York changed us.

But I mean it in a good way.

I say New York made us stronger. Made us braver. In fact, made us fearless.

I say New York stretched us. I say New York challenged us. I say New York taught us. I say New York required guts - required heart - that we didn't know we had.

I say New York was the fertilizer that helped us grow faster, greener, more vibrant, more colorful.

I say New York reminded us of home and made us even prouder of our roots.

I say God used this city to bless us. Prosper us. Ignite our passions. Restore our faith. Awaken our souls.

I say New York changed us.

And we will never be the same.

Video of the Day

T Swift and T Pain rappin' on the same track

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Let's Go to the Movies

Earlier this week, in an effort to return to the Old Hollywood roots of the '30's and '40's, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that there will be ten Best Picture nominees in 2010. Presumably, blockbuster hits like "The Dark Knight" and "Wall-E," snubbed for a Best Picture nomination, might actually have a chance amid critical darlings like "The Reader."

I actually have no strong opinion about this matter aside from the fact that I LOVE MOVIES and I LOVE THE OSCARS. As far as I'm concerned, the more the merrier. But while we're on the subject, I think it appropriate to share my ten favorite movies of all time with you, in quasi-order, along with the highest award each received. (Note: I have never made any claims to like high-caliber movies in lieu of feel-good romantic comedies.)

1. "When Harry Met Sally." Nora Ephron nominated for Academy Award for Best Screenplay
2. "You've Got Mail." Meg Ryan nominated for Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Comedy
3. "Shawshank Redemption." Nominated for Academy Award for Best Picture, Best Screenplay, Best Actor (Morgan Freeman)
4. "Gone With the Wind." Won Academy Award for Best Picture, Best Screenplay, Best Actress (Vivien Leigh), Best Supporting Actress (Hattie McDaniel), Best Director
5. "Sweet Home Alabama." Won Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie and Choice Movie Liplock
6. "Love Actually." Nominated for Golden Globe for Best Picture and Best Screenplay
7. "The Count of Monte Cristo" (2002). n/a
8. "Pride and Prejudice" (2005). Nominated for Golden Globe for Best Picture, and Keira Knightley nominated for Academy Award for Best Actress
9. "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days." Nominated for Teen Choice Award for Choice Actress (Kate Hudson) and Choice Movie Liplock
10. "Garden State." Won Grammy for Best Soundtrack. Nominated for Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie, Choice Actress (Natalie Portman), Choice Actor (Zach Braff) and Choice Movie Liplock

So there you have it. From one Academy Award for Best Picture to three Teen Choice Award nominations for Choice Movie Liplock, I'm pretty proud of the list. With this discerning taste, Roger Ebert, Gene Shalit and that British woman on the taxi cab TV better watch out.

Mix it up

Lately I have been dying for a KitchenAid stand mixer.

Yes, you read that correctly. And I'm as surprised as you.

Here's the deal. I hate cooking. I do my best to avoid it, at all costs. I think it's genetic. I do, however, love to bake. And big, fancy, colorful, $399 mixers are perfect for baking.

Still, I have never in my life had a desire to purchase any type of kitchen appliance or utensil, let alone one that costs more than $20 at Wal-Mart. I've always gotten by with whatever was there courtesy of my family or roommates. But a KitchenAid mixer... so pretty, sitting on the counter as a part of the kitchen decor... available in so many adorable colors... just waiting to be used for baking deliciousness... I think I'm in love.

I did a little research (and by research, I mean Googled, because we all know that I am a master Google researcher), and found a press release that KitchenAid issued for the 70th anniversary of their iconic stand mixer. According to Brian Maynard, KitchenAid Brand Marketing Director, "While its core following is among those who love to cook and bake, our research tells us that many less avid cooks simply want one on their countertop, largely because they like its design.”

Ding ding ding!

So, channeling Carrie Bradshaw's single gal registry for a new pair of Manolos, I'm considering making myself a one-item registry at Macy's for a KitchenAid stand mixer in - what other color - red.

Well, it's between that and the Christian Louboutins...

How did it get so late so soon?

"How did it get so late so soon?
It's night before it's afternoon.
December is here before it's June.
My goodness how the time has flewn.
How did it get so late so soon?"

- Dr Seuss


Thursday marked my three year anniversary of living in New York. However, I was globe-trotting (or at least Southeastern United States-trotting), so I was not here in the city to mark the occasion. Even more so, though, June has just flown by before my very eyes. My anniversary date, June 18, snuck up on me, just as today, June 24 has...and next week is 4th of July! In fact, I'm not sure where the summer is going at all.

How did it get so late so soon?

When I first moved to New York, I thought I would live here for a year, maybe two. Now I am five days in to year four. Age 23 has become 24 has become 25 has become 26 has become I-will-be-26-and-a-half-on-Saturday, so I have to ask,

How did it get so late so soon?

My time in this city is slipping through my fingers like grains of sand. One minute it's summer, the next it's fall, and before you know it, it's summer again. The first game of the season turns into last game of the season. The lease gets renewed. "I'm new" is no longer a relevant excuse for not knowing where the mail room is at work.

How did it get so late so soon?

I think it all comes down to the fact that there's just something about being on the downhill part of the journey that is New York, and with every day that passes, I get closer and closer to just somersaulting down that hill head first. My whole life I've dreamed of living in New York, since the day I stepped foot in this fine city when I was twelve years old. Even when I wasn't sure it would ever happen, I knew deep down that it would.

But now this chapter that I prepared for for so long is starting to draw to a close. This thing that I have worked for for so long - dreamed of, sweat for, cried over - is wrapping up. On the dawn of year four, I can see the faint light at the end of the tunnel as my train barrels through. And so I wonder,

How did it get so late so soon?

Because, my goodness, how the time has flewn...

Blame it on the rain

"I don’t think talking about the weather is a particularly exciting topic of conversation, but holy hades, it has been raining forever. New York City has up and turned itself into Seattle. I’ve practically forgotten what the sun looks like. I think it’s yellow, but I can’t be sure. All this grey weather has turned me into an emo kid. I recently dyed my hair black, cut myself some severe angled bangs, and took self photos in sepia to post to my Myspace account."

- 2 birds, 1 blog

You belong with me

My favorite Bachelors are dropping like flies, while the total creepsters and guys who may actually still be in high school hold steady. Jillian, my dear, what. are. you. thinking?!

Fortunately, the two winners of my highly scientific poll, Kiptyn and Reid, are going strong.

Kiptyn is by far the best choice for Jillian. He's adorable, they have great chemistry, and they seem to actually have some things in common. Jesse is the dark horse who has popped up since the creation of my poll. For some reason, he is just not my cup of tea, but my roommates and friends like him so I guess that's good. And Reid. Oh Reid, with your over-analyzing and glasses/no glasses debating. You are SO my type, and you belong with me.

I'm still mourning Jake's departure, but the saving grace is that he's just too good for Jilli anyway. And Wes. Wes, Wes, Wes. There are no words for your skeeziness. You belong with Daisy of Love.

iPhone 3.0

The new iPhone has a lot of cool features, some of which even work on my approaching-ancient original non-3G, really non-3GS version. Seriously... who would have thought that a copy and paste functionality would be so cutting edge?

But alas, it is. So we have cut and paste. And search. And landscape keyboard in mail. But I'd like to focus on the new little app that popped up on my home screen: voice memos.

Voice memos are essentially a way to record audio on the iPhone. The app is super easy to use, and it's also incredibly easy to share the audio file via email. Apparently text messaging the voice memo is on its way, allowing you to send someone a voicemail via SMS.

I just KNOW that voice memos have a million cool, useful, and/or hilarious things you can do with them...but I'm kind of at a loss for what exactly those are. So far I have the following list:

1. Record a baby talking his/her first words and email to long-distance aunt
2. Record a grocery list so you don't have to type a memo with fat fingers
3. Record a funny message for a friend that they can listen to on their iPod
4. Record an idea for a new song you want to write while riding on the subway

But I am neither an aunt nor a cook nor a comedienne nor a songwriter, so these are kinda lame ideas. What else can I do with the voice memo iPhone feature?!

A New York weekend

This weekend was a fabulous New York weekend. (Which is really the best kind of weekend of all, don't you think?)

On Friday night, my friend Bradley coordinated a group outing to the rooftop on the Met. I had never been up there before, but I have been missing out! It was one of the most beautiful views of the city I've seen... the weather was perfect... the sunset, majestic. It was quite magical to be laughing with friends, enjoying the views of the city and Central Park, and walking through the museum both on our way in and out. New York, you never cease to charm me.

On Saturday and Sunday afternoons, I ventured down to Madison Square Park for the Big Apple BBQ. This weekend is one of my favorites in the entire year! There's something irresistable about bluegrass music, tent after tent of the country's best barbecue, and loads of Southerners descending upon the park for one weekend. I caught up with rooomates, friends from UGA (including the social BBQ hostess extraordinaire Mai-Lise), coworkers, church friends and more. The one thing we all had in common? We're from the South. And were missing the sweet tea. New York, you feel more like home every day.

Saturday night, I went with my friend Cal and his friends on a sunset cruise around Manhattan. One of Cal's friends is leaving the city, and I can't think of a more perfect way to say goodbye to the Big Apple. We departed from a marina at 23rd St and FDR, sailed under the Brooklyn Bridge, by the Statue of Liberty, and up the Hudson. It was really so fun to be out on the water, looking at Manhattan from the outside in, dancing to "I'm on a Boat" (over... and over... and over again). New York, your skyline will always be my favorite sight in the whole world.

Photos courtesy of Steven Samuels' amazing iPhone

Quote of the Day

“Once upon a time there was a boy who loved a girl, and her laughter was a question he wanted to spend his whole life answering.”

Nicole Krauss, The History of Love

Gonna show this town how to kiss these stars

My friend Elizabeth posed the question, my friend Regina paid it forward, so, since you asked...

me, lately:

- also listening to Kings of Leon's "Only by the Night" album on repeat

- hopeful

- alternating between a feeling of totally freaking out (in a scared way) and totally freaking out (in an excited way)

- seeing a morning movie almost every weekend

- bored with Facebook, also loving Twitter

- getting iced coffee from Dunkin Donuts everyday, even if I'm running half an hour late to work

- the realization that makeup isn't all it's cracked up to be, especially in 100% humidity

- missing my grandparents a whole lot

- wrestling with performance-based salvation, the abuse of grace, and where the middle ground actually lies

- attempting to resist the urge to buy every sundress that I pass in every store window. (kind of succeeding. mostly failing.)

- obsessed with the Bachelorette

- trying to figure out how it's possible that I could still love this city even more than I did the day before while simultaneously plotting my exodus

you, lately?


Who needs avenues
Who needs reservoirs
Gonna show this town
How to kiss these stars

- Kings of Leon, "Manhattan"

Quote of the Day

“Be pretty if you can, be witty if you must, but be gracious if it kills you.”

Elsie de Wolfe

The Hard

Jimmy Dugan: Dottie, if you want to go back to Oregon and make a hundred babies, great, I'm in no position to tell anyone how to live. But sneaking out like this, quitting, you'll regret it for the rest of your life. Baseball is what gets inside you. It's what lights you up, you can't deny that.

Dottie Hinson: It just got too hard.

Jimmy Dugan: It's supposed to be hard. If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it. The hard... is what makes it great.

- A League of Their Own

------------------

The hard.

The hard is, well, hard. It's tough. It challenges you. It's scary. The hard makes you cry. The hard steals your joy. The hard wears you down.

Work is hard. Waking up early every day is hard. Being stuck inside on a beautiful day is hard. Not getting a promotion you deserved is hard. Losing your job is harder.

Relationships are hard. Doing life with other people is hard. Relationships are messy, and making something neat out of the mess is hard. Fights are hard. Misunderstandings are hard. Forgiveness is hard.

Faith is hard. It doesn't always make sense, and being confused is hard. Trusting is hard. Believing in something that you cannot see is hard. Hoping for light in the midst of darkness? That's hard too.

------------------

Coldplay sings, "Nobody said it was easy / No one ever said it would be this hard." But I'll have to disagree with you on that, Chris Martin. Jimmy Dugan says it's hard. I say it's hard. And most importantly, God says it's hard. We can choose to believe that it's supposed to be easy, but truth be told? It's supposed to be hard.

But the hard is what makes it great. Without the hard, as Jimmy Dugan says, everyone would do it. The most rewarding things in life, without fail, only come with the hard. The hard work gives meaning to the end result. The hard times lead to the happiest ones. The hard decisions reap the greatest rewards. The hard sacrifices teach us the most about our priorities. The hard obedience exponentially grows our faith. The hard leap takes us to a landing place we've only dreamed of. The hard goodbye leads to the most blessed hello. The hard "I'm sorry" yields an invaluable "I forgive you."

In all of these hard times, we're tempted to quit, because quitting? It's easy. Life, though? It's hard.

But it's supposed to be hard. That's just the way it works. We live in a crazy, sinful, messed up world, and, as beautiful and wonderful as it is, it's guaranteed to be hard. We can have hope, though, that in the end, the hard - the blood, sweat and tears, the trials and tribulations - the hard...is what makes it great.

------------------

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

- John 16:33

(dinner and dancing and eternity to follow)

Because one of my best friends is getting married soon, I am extra tuned into all things wedding. As such, I have recently come across two UNBELIEVABLE wedding invitations. Seriously, I don't know who these smashing creative couples are, but I would like to be friends with them.

First up, an invitation that I read about on Design Sponge, one of my new favorite blogs that roommate Hannah turned me on to.

(View a crisper, bigger version here.)

Next, a video invite that my friend Kristen shared. Bonus points for the Vampire Weekend soundtrack!

Bachelor Poll

I would like to call everyone's attention to the very important poll that I have added to the blog: Who is your favorite bachelor?

This is clearly an earth-shattering piece of research, so I hope all of you, including those of you on Google Reader, will weigh in. Your choices are Reid, Jake, Kiptyn and Ed. If your favorite is not one of these four, then comment here and validate your crazy.

As of press time, there are eight votes. However, in the spirit of full disclosure, you should know that three of them are me voting for Jake, Kiptyn and Reid, because I can't decide who is my favorite. So now you know. Yes, my name is Jamie, and I am running my own click farm.

But! I promise not to vote again...so let me know YOUR thoughts on who Jillian should choose!

Blog Design Giveaway

My fabulous blog designer, Sharon of Redbud Designs, is doing a free blog design givewaway right now. She is AMAZING, and I highly recommend her services to anyone who wants to spruce up their site!

In fact, Sharon has also designed several of my friends' blogs already...

Jessica

April

Amy

How cute are they all?!

So, blog friends, get over to the newly redesigned Redbud site and enter to win!

Zack Attack

This is the happiest 9 minutes and 31 seconds of my life:

Video of the Day

I'm late to the game on this one, seeing as it already has 1.4mm views on YouTube. Nevertheless, enjoy what happens when a pianist and a cellist come together and mix Taylor Swift's "Love Story" and Coldplay's "Viva la Vida."

Magical.

Sails up

Christianity Today has a great profile of Tim Keller, the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian here in Manhattan. It's a must-read, particularly for New Yorkers.

How Tim Keller Found Manhattan
by Tim Stafford

The city has changed in a way unimaginable to an older generation, who knew it as a good place to get mugged. Nowadays, Manhattan's crowded streets feel safe and exciting day and night, and New York is a magnet for young people. Crouch says the renewal of cities—not just New York, but cities all over America—is one of the most interesting phenomena of his lifetime. "Where is the cause and effect in this? To what extent has Redeemer been pushed along by the tailwind of demographic change? Probably a lot. At the same time, you have to have a sail. Tim came to New York and put his sails up."

My prayer for today: Lord, as I continue down this path in New York City, unsure of why you have me here, what I'm supposed to be doing, or what's coming down the pike, remind me to keep my sails up!

Summer shopping

I'm loving this Gap dress ($29.50 this weekend!):

I bought it in two colors, black and the green above. I will probably wear it all summer long, with a tank top underneath while running errands, over my bathing suit to the beach, and with heels and big gold earrings on Saturday night. So versatile!

I am also excited about these yellow peep toe wedges I bought at Payless for $12.99. Maybe I'll wear them with the Gap dress.



Next up? I am incredibly brand loyal to Clinique's Tenderheart lipstick, a "midtone blushing nude brown." However, this summer, I decided I needed to punch up the color a bit. Enter Clinique's Golden Brandy lipstick, a "golden orange with gold pearl." $14.


p.s. How do you get the job where you describe lipstick shades? Because writing phrases like "golden orange with gold pearl" is a job I'd like to have.

And finally, I used to carry a monstrosity of a wallet...bulging in my bag, full of change, a checkbook, dozens of gift cards, credit cards, old student IDs, etc etc. Recently, though, I traded in the 3 lb wallet for a J Crew magic wallet, and it has kind of changed my life. Cash, Metro card, debit/credit cards, and a driver's license. Turns out that's all you actually need.

I need a new one, though - mine is so dirty it doesn't even look like the same pattern that I bought. I'm deciding between these two:

J Crew doesn't currently sell magic wallets in the store, so either head to your nearest outlet or check out eBay, where the above choices are $22.22.

A reminder

This morning, it was pouring rain. My feet and the bottom of my jeans were soaked within one block out the door. I was tired.

I needed to mail some NetFlix movies in. It was kind of awkward rifling through my bag for them, umbrella in hand, all while I walked down the sidewalk approaching the mailbox.

(Because my building, like most New York apartment buildings, does not have a slot for outgoing mail. Neat, right?)

I finally got the NetFlix DVDs out, got my umbrella situated again, and walked toward the mailbox. As I stood there in the rain, I couldn't figure out how to open the slot...not because I'm an idiot, but because I had no free hands and the handle was kind of stuck.

But then, a man walked up to the mailbox to mail something. Not just something, though. A NetFlix DVD. He looked at me and smiled and said, "Looks like we're doing the same thing." And then he opened the slot for me and let me drop my movies in first. He followed, we smiled at each other again, and we went on our merry way.

__________________________


I think sometimes, God just likes to remind us that we're not alone.

Quote of the Day

“If a June night could talk, it would probably boast that it invented romance.”

Bern Williams

The Weekend: A Postmortem

Part I
In which I met Taylor Swift

On Friday, Lauren, Bethany and I attended a Rolling Stone luncheon with Taylor Swift.  The job perks are few and far between these days, so this was an extra special treat!  We have been to a nice handful of these luncheons over the years (Sheryl Crow, Adam Duritz, Wolf Blitzer, Milo Ventimilgia, Jennifer Hudson, and more), but we were all exceptionally excited about Taylor.  

I must say - she was one of the nicest, most down-to-earth people I have ever encountered.  Unlike most celebrities at these luncheons who just come in, sit down, and do a pleasant interview, Taylor walked around and shook hands with every single person in the room... and there were at least 75 people there!  She even had a lengthy conversation with Lauren about the pitfalls of curly hair in humidity.  She was totally delightful, with a contagious personality and an impressive articulateness to match.  Loved her!

Part II

In which I was scared by a creepy clown

On Saturday evening, I was down in Little Italy to get my hair cut.  (Thanks to the eleven of you who weighed in... I ended up going for a 2-inch trim!)  As I left the salon at dusk, I walked right through the most fascinating little street fair/carnival on Mulberry Street.  

Now, if you are familiar with the city in the summer, you know the typical street fair that pops up all around - grilled corn, cheap jewelry, bins of socks and sheets, crepes.  But this fair was different!  Yes, that's right - it had an Adventureland, Coney Island-esque carnival deal going on too.  A dunking booth with a heckling clown - ACK! - little games with water guns and balloons, neon lights, and even fried Oreos.  It was kitschy and adorable and bizarre and I loved every minute of it.  Except for the clown.

Part III

In which I compare a restaurant to Vietnam

"Food & Wine" magazine recently named New York one of the world's best food cities.  Within New York, F&W picked a "Hot Food Zone."  Where did they pick?  Before you assume it's somewhere downtown, think again - that's right, it's the Upper West Side!  

One of the hot spots included in the article (and getting lots of buzz all around) is the Fatty Crab, a downtown staple that's opened a second location a few blocks away from where I live.  Some friends and I had been dying to try it, but reservations are hard to come by.  So, we sucked it up and made plans to go Saturday night at 10pm.  Normally, this might not be my style, but it was absolutely worth it.

The Malaysian restaurant had a crazy unique vibe... casual (our waiter was wearing cargo shorts), but still a destination.  Big metal fans spinning on the ceiling, retro '90's tunes blaring, beachy cocktails with umbrellas.  It reminded us of both South Pacific (the musical) and Vietnam (the country/war), which I suppose makes sense given Malaysia's geographic location.  Best of all?  It felt like we were eating at a downtown hot spot, but we were right in the middle of our cozy hood.  Four stars from me!

Part IV

In which Sacha Baron Cohen made me feel really awkward (but not as awkward as Kristen Stewart did)

Did you watch the MTV Movie Awards?  Enough said.