Christmas Festivities

This year has been a very festive and fun Christmas. There have been lots of parties and fun events to attend and I think that is one of the reasons why I love this time of year so much. There is always a celebration and something to look forward to. 

Earlier this month my roomies and I through a house warming slash Christmas party. The three of us invited our closest friends and we all had such a great time. I love when you can put a random group of people together and everyone is so nice and interested in getting to know each other. 

Paolo's friends through an ugly sweater party, which I was really excited about because I haven't been to an ugly sweater party in years. To be honest, it has taken me a while to find a group of friends to hang out with. I have a few friends that I met and have been close with since I moved here a few years ago, but it has taken a while to meet a solid group of people. Now, thanks to my boyfriend and him introducing me to all his super great friends I feel like I have a family here.

Dirty French 

Lower East Side 

For our work Christmas party we ate at this fantastic French Bistro on the lower east side called Dirty French. I loved the food but I really loved the restaurant atmosphere. They have a lounge area with a fire place burning and Christmas decorations every where. It was really cozy and perfect. 

My friend Amy and I literally wore the same outfit to my holiday party!!! LOL

These are the faces of people after the party is over...tired and ready to go to bed. 

Aren't these two guys the cutest (Roman & Paolo) 

Bring on the Snow

So....it snowed a bunch last night and you know what? I am not too mad about it. There is suppose to be snow at Christmas time, it's what makes it complete!! I think the winter is cozy and beautiful. 

This morning my roommate Mackenzie texted me, and she said "as soon as you wake up we are getting bagel sandwiches" and that is exactly what we did. We walked over to the market near our apartment and treated ourselves to a delicious breakfast. 

Also, on another note, I am thrilled that John Legend has a new album out. Two years ago I went to his concert in Utah at Kingsbury Hall and I couldn't stop listening to his Love in the Future album! Now, I can't stop listening to Darkness and Light!

I connect really well with his music. Not only is his voice AMAZING but he sings about love, romance and heartbreak (all my favorite topics). It's a ritual of mine to come home from work and make dinner while John Legend is playing in the background. I often play Ordinary People, Each Day Gets Better and Slow Dance...but I mean it's so hard for me to pick favorites. I love all his songs for different reasons.  What can I say, I really am such a hopeless romantic and John Legend's music just feeds my soul! So...from his newest album, I posted a few of my favorites that I have on repeat. Enjoy! 

Jin Ramen

Jin Ramen is one of my favorite Upper West Side restaurants. Especially at this time of the year nothing feels better than a hot bowl of soupy noodles to warm the soul. 

Even though the weather is getting a little cooler, it doesn't stop New Yorkers from enjoying outdoor seating. All along Amsterdam Avenue, you will find people bundled up trying to soak up these final days of semi warm weather. 

I took my friend Emma to Jin when she came to town. I don't think she was too keen on the idea of pork belly in her ramen.... So she decided on the Green Coconut Thai Curry. It is chicken, pork broth; curly noodles, bean sprouts, zucchini, yellow squash and a seasoned soft egg. 

Jin Ramen has amazing pork buns! They are stuffed with pork, ice berg lettuce and spicy mayo. The buns are so soft and slightly sweet. They are the perfect appetizers and I order them every time I go. 

The Kakuni Ramen is my obvious favorite, and I get it almost every time I go. It is pork broth, thin noodles, filipino style braised post belly with bok choy, garlic chips and a poached egg. Nom nom nom!

Drew Came to Town!!!

Last weekend my very good friend Drew came to visit. He is with out a doubt one of my most favorite people on the planet. I met Drew my sophomore year of college and I have adored him ever since. He is clever, smart, creative and he makes me laugh harder than any one I know.

When Drew arrived last Friday night you could tell we were both so excited to see each other. He was so sweet and greeted me with flowers. Whenever we get together we can't stop laughing. I have been trying to convince him to move to New York for the longest time. We were best friends in college at Utah State and I am so glad we have stayed close since graduation. 

Jacob's Pickles is a very popular brunch spot on the Upper West Side and a couple blocks up the street from my apartment. It is comfort food that makes you smile. I mean you have to wait over an hour for a table, but it really is Southern-style cooking done well. I ordered a classic bacon egg and cheese and Drew ordered the pancakes. We were both SO full once we were finished. I can't believe how much food we stuffed down. 

Thrillist Empire Oyster Festival

On Saturday Paolo and I went to an Oyster Festival in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. I had been looking forward to this for at least a month, because I LOVE OYSTERS. I was introduced to them as soon as I moved to New York and they have been on my list of favorite foods ever since. Oysters are usually very expensive and the only time I ever get to eat them is if a restaurant is having an oyster happy hour. When I saw tickets being advertised for an all you can eat and drink oyster festival I was stoked!!! I really didn't know what to expect, but it turns out we had a really great time. We tried dozens of oysters and listened to a live band while we ate. We even got to vote for our favorite ones. Williamsburg, you know how to throw a party :)

These oyster were deluxe, that little piece of meat in the middle is pork belly. 

When it comes to eating oysters, the more simple the ingredients the better. I love dressing mine up with a little lemon and tabasco. So basic but so so delicious. 

This is a seaweed/oyster mini taco. This is won my vote! I had never tried something like this before. 

One Rainy Afternoon

The Smith Restaurant

Midtown, New York 

The Smith is one of my favorite places to eat in NYC

I love seafood and this lobster roll was so delicious 

 I am a bit of an Eggs Benedict junkie. 

It is always my go-to-brunch of choice. I love trying every restaurants version of it. 

Last Saturday, The Smith had a Lobster Eggs Benedict special. I wasn't daring enough to try it, but I did get to eat a bite of my sister's. It is two toasted buttery buns topped with lobster roll filling and two poached eggs, served with hollandaise. 

After we ate, we needed to walk our breakfast calories off.  We walked from Midtown East to the Upper West Side of Manhattan which is where my apartment is. The hotel my family was staying at gave us bright orange umbrellas to keep us sheltered from the rain. 

Thanks family for the fun weekend! Always great to see you! 

The Suite Life

When your shoes are matching but not really....but you still think it's cute so you take a picture. 

All you can eat buffets.... Yes we will take everything please....oh and can we have another hot dog? Thanks! 

Amy has some pretty sweet job perks and one of them included box tickets at the Red Bulls game  last night. We had SO much fun. When Amy first told me about the tickets, I was like what is a  Red Bulls game? I had no idea they had a soccer team. All she needed to say was free food and drinks and I was there! When we first got to the suite, we were like two little kids in a candy store, running around taking pictures!! We had to trek to Jersey for the experience but it was fun to have a change of pace from our usual city activities. 

Now....it's Sunday morning and to recover from this weekend (it was an eventful one) I am not moving from the couch. I have turned on The Office and I will probably be watching re-runs until the sun goes down. I can't believe it has taken me so long to appreciate how hilarious this show is. People have been telling me to watch it for years! I'm so glad I finally did because I can't stop laughing. I have to enjoy my last day of weekend freedom before the work week begins again :( 

Brunchin in Brooklyn

Today Amy and I brunched in BK at Bar Talbac and isn't our food so photogenic?

It tasted as amazing as it looks. I am going to make that quinoa salad.  

Amy and I had the cutest waiter serve us and he had the most adorable accent. I guess he thought we were cute too!:) Nikita is Amy's roommates dog. We brought her along to brunch today. 

Me, My Mom and I

I have to give a little shout out to my mother dearest for helping me get situated in my new apartment. 

My mom has ALWAYS been super mom. She will do anything for her children. She still mails me care packages and has ever since I moved away for college years and years ago. When she came to visit me in the city for a day, she bought my week's worth of groceries, took out my trash, cleaned my apartment, bought us cleaning supplies...I mean the list goes on. 

One thing that is great about my new apartment is its location. It is in the heart of the Upper West Side with prime restaurants all down the block. When I walk out my front door I have the choice of sushi, thai, italian, southern cooking, etc..etc... My mom and I decided on thai food at Spice. It was SO good. We ordered pork buns (I LOVE PORK BUNS) curry and shrimp pad thai :) When momma comes to town I eat like a queen!!!!! MOM, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR EVERYTHING! Mwah!

Making Myself Right At Home

So....great news. I am finally moved into my new apartment and it is a very wonderful feeling. August was a dramatic month of uncertainty and it is nice to finally feel settle. I am making myself right at home here on the Upper West Side. New York is the most charming place in the whole world and I get chills just walking to work, it makes me so happy. 

Tonight my roommate brought me home a whole bag of John Masters skin and haircare products. I was so excited, because I love John Masters. Some brands just make you fall in love. You have no idea what sets them a part,  you just know they work perfect for you!! 

This past week I have been revisiting a few of my favorite songs (which I posted below.) At nights and on weekends I look forward to grabbing a bottle of red wine, pouring myself a drink and listening to my favorite music. What is life if we can't experience all that it has to offer.

(FYI I repost this song all of the time, but I think it is so cute) 

New Music

Not Slowing Down

This summer has been so busy and it is flying by! I can't believe that July is almost over! It is my third summer living in New York and it has been by far the hottest one. I am use to hot summers, I am from Utah but the humidity is a killer!!! And not to mention that central AC is not something that exists in NYC apartment complexes. This whole summer I feel like I have been sweating non-stop and I am ready for it to rain soon so it can cool down a little. 

Besides feeling like I am going to melt away everyday, life has been great and extremely upbeat these last few months. There is a lot to do all of the time and I have little desire to ever stay home and sit in front of the tv. 

I am also in a bit of a transition period with my job and apartment. I need to be out of my current place in a a couple days and have no idea where I am moving to. Also, I have not even started packing....ugh I am crazy I know. Life is so unexpected ALL of the time...and I really really don't know where I am going to be one week from now. This next week is going to be rough...stay tuned..