Lost in Manhattan: Gelato & an Idea

         Last Wednesday I invited my friend to Meg ¹ to grab gelato at a place between our apartments on the Upper West Side. I had met Meg the same way I met most of my friends: off of Twitter. A while back I was searching tweets to see if other people were also hearing an “explosion” in my neighborhood. Meg was one of the fellow tweeters who thought it was an alien invasion. Like most friendships, we bonded over mutual fear that we would soon die at the hand of body snatchers.

Along with alien invasions, we soon discovered a shared love of Ally McBeal, fear of adult life, and frozen treats. At this most recent dessert trip, after a quick catch up on each other’s adventures (mine adopting a cat off the gayest black man in Harlem, hers of the woes of working as a secretary at Columbia), the conversation turned to my latest Internet endeavors.

She told me that she read my blog post about not being able to find something to write about. Admittedly, this is not a topic easily discussed with me. I hate getting writing advice from people, especially those who have no background in writing. Granted, Meg was qualified to give advice since she is a fellow writer, but more of the nonfiction/history variation. Still, I was not one easily open to hearing what I “ought” to be doing with my life.

However, she provided a good argument. I knew what I wanted to write about but I was too scared to. I wanted to write about life: life in New York City, life as a girl living on her own for the first time, and a life where I didn’t have a single idea what to do with myself. I want to be open and talk about matters that are important to me, but I don’t feel comfortable with people knowing such intricate details about my life.

Also, writing about myself gets to be rather boring. It’s not a thrilling because I’m myself every goddman day. What I want to do is write about life around me. What I did want to do was write about other people’s adventures, but I haven't know exactly how to approach that. This is an idea I was tinkering with for months.

I don’t want to be Gossip Girl, spreading the dirt on people I knew. That was cruel, childish, and tragically boring. That was when Meg offered up herself. She said that I could write about her adventures, a stenographer of sorts. If something interesting happened she would relay the story and I could post it online with my own added commentary.

She found this appealing because 1.) She was too lazy to do it herself and 2.) She signed a contract at work saying she wouldn’t discuss her workplace online. However, there isn’t clause saying that I can’t, under a pseudonym of course. I did admit that Meg had an appealing life for this sort of project: she was very much a New York girl in her earlier twenties everyone could relate to and yet had a side of trouble. Last year, during her final semester at Columbia, she had a minor affair with her history professor whom she was still in love with. He was the reason she now worked at the college, even though he currently doesn’t pay her much attention besides the occasional Snapchat.

Meg then also suggested that I talk to her former college roommate Olivia, whom I’ve met a couple of times. Olivia, on the opposite spectrum, did not have a job of any sort. She was pretty much Julia Roberts in 'Pretty Woman' post Richard Gere climbing up her fire escape. Meaning: she didn’t have to have a job because the gorgeous men who slept with her paid for her rent and clothes and all she had to do was stay beautiful and thin. I, on the other hand, couldn’t do either on my own.

I also suggested that I talk to my friend Henry, who loved men so much that he saw the fourth 'Twilight' movie in theaters four times, for “the visuals alone”.  He could provide the gay point of view to my discussions on life even better than Lady Gaga herself.

Still, I wasn’t exactly convinced.

Meg: It would be much better than the crap on that fat girl’s show

Me: You mean Lena Dunham?”

Meg: Yes.

Me: You really thought about this, haven’t you?

Meg: It was a boring day at work; nobody tried to steal my coffee.

Me: Nobody is going to want to read this.

Meg: We’ll see. 

---

1 All names have been changed to protect the identity of the people involved. Under no circumstances will I reveal their personal information, including Twitter handles and photos of mentioned individuals. ^↩

read more

Bookish Journal #7: GoT Party, Meeting Robert Redford, & Breakfast With Emilia

Hello all!

As you might have noticed, I've been rather quiet on the internet in the last couple of weeks. This tends to happen when you're real life become much too interesting to spend online! Here are some of the things I've been up to as of late:

1.) Game of Thrones Exhibit VIP Party: A week ago there was a party celebrating the opening of the free Game of Thrones exhibition provided by Time Warner and HBO in New York City. Pietro & I were one of the select people in the city invited to attend much to my fangirl enjoyment! The exhibit showcased costumes from the cast including Emilia Clarke's, Peter Dinklage's, and Kit Harrington's. You could also take a picture on a throne replica and play an archery video game. Endless plates of meat and a special GoT honey ale were provided and I will admit to getting more than just a little buzzed off that delicious ale.

I got to meet the cast that showed up but the highlights of the evening including talking with John Bradley-West (Sam) and Kit Harrington for a while! Sam and I discussed the best places in the city he should visit while Kit and I debated on whether or not we should have a meat throwing contest. To top off the night we were sent home with incredible goodie bags which included a bottle of the ale, playing cards, an etched beer glass, and more! Being a journalist may not pay much but you get invited to all the best parties and you get to meet fantastic people.

Which leads me to 2.) Meeting Robert Redford. I saw a screening of his new film he both directed and starred in called "The Company You Keep" and it is by the far the best movie of 2013 as of yet. It is a masterpiece of filmmaking with an incredible cast. My mom was so excited for me to meet him that she kept texting me the weekend before and the morning of fangirling about it. I couldn't get a picture with him, but he was wonderful to talk to and is still as dashing at the age of 76. And I grabbed his coffee cup ;)

3.) Seeing "Breakfast At Tiffany's" on broadway: Pietro and I were able to see the 2nd showing of this and I completely fell in love with it. This play is based more on the novella set in the 1940s and has major differences from the vastly popular 1967 movie with Audrey Hepburn  You can read my full review of it here. Emilia Clarke of "Game of Thrones" fame is marvelous as Holly Golightly, and I would highly reccommend catching a show if you have the chance.

Those are just the main things I've been up to as of late, but I'll blog more about the lesser exciting ones soon. (Such as why I binge watched all of season one of "My Mad Fat Diary" in one sitting because it's  fucking brilliant)

Until next time,

read more

Motivational Mondays: Fit Fan Girl Sara

Keeping up with Motivational Mondays, this week's inspiration for me is Sara Krueger, a super fangirl as well as total fitness badass. Since 2008 she has lost and kept off 90lbs! Sara tweets everyday about the everyday life of being a geek who also kick ass in the gym and at home. She especially inspires me for her 100% enthusiasm and positivity on Twitter with her goofy pictures dedicated to both geekery and fitness. Here is more about her:

You have gone on an incredible fitness journey, what was the turning point in your life that made you want to change? What inspired you? 

I was in the dressing room at my favorite store in the mall.  At that time my baby girl was 3 months old and I was ready to attempt to go jean shopping for the first time in what seemed like forever! I grabbed the usual 15/16 size jeans I always bought over the last 5 years, took them into the dressing room, slid my feet in, stood up, and the jeans didn't even make it up my thighs. You know that feeling when you get dumped, or when your crush rejects you, that is the exact feeling. I just sobbed into my hooded sweatshirt so nobody could hear me. I knew if I wanted to leave with new jeans, I would have to bump up to a size 17/18, which was NOT happening. THAT was my turning point! I refused to buy the next size up and I swore to myself the next time I entered that dressing room with jeans I was going to slip them right on and they will be in a size 13/14.

As far as bring inspired, that same day I went home, got online and just literally Googled "weight loss stories".  I came across one blog who was run by a college student.  She had lost 50lbs on her own while in school, and documented her entire journey. She took pictures of EVERYTHING! Her food, her cute workout clothes, post workout sweaty pics, her goal swim suit, what was inside of her fridge, and how she managed to lose weight and keep it off all while being a full time college student. She wasn't a mom. She wasn't a wife.  She didn't have a personal trainer. She was never a contestant on a weight loss relaity show with camera in her face for a million dollar prize.  She exposed her raw self for the world to see. That's when I thought, "Ya know what?  It's my turn!" That girl's blog was the start of my inspiration to get my ass moving! That was back in 2008. Since then, I can't even count how many people on a daily basis inspire me :) My daughter and husband first and foremost, as they have been my biggest supporters since day one!

Your handle on Twitter is @Fit_Fangirl, how has being a fangirl motivated you to stay in shape? 

I always stay true to who I am. Be the best version of me. I wanted to expose my journey to others out there who are just as driven and passionate about being a fangirl/fanboy but who also may be struggling with their body weight/image. When you think "fitness" do you really think of a chick in in a STAR WARS shirt and kneehigh R2D2 socks? Probably not. Which is why I ensure I stay true to my own "fitness swag" where I show  that you can be a nerdy fangirl and be able to rock out a 5K in cute geek-chic style! I want to show the world that you can get fit, live a healthy lifestyle and not change who you are! I am from Wisconsin, so I wasn't ever giving up my cheese! I'm a brat-eating-beer-drinkin-fangirl from the midwest and proud of it! I never plan on changing that either, so if I never have ripped "Dark Knight" armor suit abs then so be it! 

What are your favorite parts about being a fangirl?

Being considred a "rare breed" The girl who wears a Batman shirt on date night, the office chick who has the cool Darth Vader candy dish at work, the estrogen that dons a Rebel Alliance tattoo on the back of her neck, and given the choice between attending Fashion Week or Comic Con .. clearly we all know where I'm headed!

What are your top favorite comic books or movies?

I will openly admit I'm not hardcore into comics .. but .. I do appreciate anything by Frank Miller & Robert Kirkman. As far as movies goes...Star Wars, Batman (1989), Tron, Sin City, LOTR trilogy, Star Trek (JJ Abrams), Demolition Man, The Dark Knight trilogy, all the Alien movies, all the Predator movies, Mission Impossible 4, The Hunger Games, Prometheus, V for Vendetta, TROY, 300, and I have HUGE fangirl love for anything Disney & Pixar!

I love your geek style! Where do you find all your awesome clothes, especially those socks! 

Ha! Who me? Are you kidding me? I wanna raid YOUR closet girl :) All of my geeky kneehigh socks are from ThinkGeek.com, a dangerous website for this fangirl! That site has so much awesome stuff! A lot of my shirts I end up finding at garage sales during the summer months, I tend land comic/movie tshirts for less then a buck! I always like to hit up the "mens" section at stores like Target or Old Navy. They always seem to have great selection of "geeky" shirts and in which I just end up grabbing a small that fits great!

You can find Sara on Twitter at @Fit_FanGirl

and on her facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/FitFanGirl

read more

Nothing to Say: Marina Abramović Seeing Ulay

A story can suddenly affect you in a way that you don't quite understand. Tonight I was scrolling through Tumblr, as one does before you go to sleep, and I came across a gif set of Marina Abramović from her 'The Artist is Present' show at the MoMa in 2010. I'm familiar with Marina from a class I took on performance artists in college and I knew about this particular show. You may know her from that episode of 'Sex and the City' where the Russian takes Carrie on a weird midnight date and gives her a banana (actual, not figuratively) to keep in her purse.

Well, the gif set I saw on Tumblr was apparently from opening night of her show where a man named Ulay showed up. The gift set wasn't working properly but this was the caption:

“Marina Abramovic and Ulay started an intense love story in the 70s, performing art out of the van they lived in. When they felt the relationship had run its course, they decided to walk the Great Wall of China, each from one end, meeting for one last big hug in the middle and never seeing each other again. at her 2010 MoMa retrospective Marina performed ‘The Artist Is Present’ as part of the show, a minute of silence with each stranger who sat in front of her. Ulay arrived without her knowing it and this is what happened.”

I clicked on the link that led to YouTube and watched the following video:

This video made me cry, and then cry once more after I watched it again. I don't know anything about their relationship except from what the description above, but you can just tell in their expressions here how much seeing one another meant to them. 

I tried researching what happened to them after this night but I wasn't able to find any information. I like to think that they left the museum together, late at night, and spent at least one nostalgic night with one another.

What I get out of this is, so much can be said between two past lovers without having to say a single word. And that, is so incredibly frightening as well as moving that I wanted to share this with all of you as well. What did you get from watching this?

read more

'For the Girl Who Is More Than Just Geek'

Hello guys!

I just wanted to properly introduce you to my new blog header! The talented Chris Wilson illustrated this for me, and you should all check him out on Twitter (@ChrisWils45) for your commission needs. I love the style of his work and how he incorporated my love of Star Wars, my signature acorn necklace and even my Paperman tattoo! My cat Pan, though, obviously steals the spotlight.

I want to explain a bit about my tagline as well. "For the girl who is more than just geek". There are an abundance of geek girls dominating the internet in recent years, which is a wonderful thing! Finally I have female friends who not only understand what I'm gushing about but share my enthusiasm for all things comic book & cosplay related. I'm thankful for Angela (@Angelaplz) who got Lord of the Rings tattoos with me, for Mara (@MarvelousMaraW) who I have day long geeky text conversations with, and for all the incredible women on Twitter who continue to inspire me every day.

Being a geek girl is awesome. I started in the comic book business three years ago working at Midtown Comics in Times Square hosting their events and monthly book club. I was nearly on Kevin Smith's awful tv show 'Comic Book Men' and I have cosplayed at multiple conventions as Ramona Flowers, Black Canary, Peggy Carter and more. Through all these experiences I'm made some incredible friends and have had crazy adventures.

However, I am not just a geek. I am also a movie journalist, a lover of fitness, a passionate New Yorker, and writer. I like reading about crazy innovative products, adventurous events, and how people around the world experience life. So I wanted to created a blog that focuses on all aspects of modern life because my readers and friends are also more than just geek.

My 4 year Twitter anniversary is coming up in a week, how insane is that! Four whole years of sharing my crazy life with all of you and in turn gaining the best friends a girl could have. Thanks for sticking with me this whole time.

read more

Bookish Journal #5: A Typical Not So Typical Day

Today was one of the more chaotic days in my life. I had to take my cat in for surgery and then had two press events before going to work at night. I love being a freelance journalist because it means I have the time to be a part of the movie industry that not many people get to do.

First off though, I dropped my cat Pan off at the veterinarian to be spayed at 8 in the morning. I admit that I was incredibly nervous about leaving her for the first time. I have never thought myself to be maternal but in so many ways this cat has become a soul mate of mine and I was worried. But the deed had to be done so I hugged her goodbye and took the subway downtown to the first event.

Earlier this week I saw a screening of 'Stoker', a psychological thriller of sorts from critically acclaimed director Park Chan-Wook. It stars Mia Wasikowska as a young woman who discovers a dark past about her family as well as haunting secret about herself. Nicole Kidman plays her fragile mother and Matthew Goode as her seductive uncle. Today's press event included interviews with the director, Goode, and supposedly Wasikowska but she failed to show at the last moment which is typical of these events unfortunately enough.

Director Park was so inspiring to listen to as he spoke about his interpretation of a script and the message he wants to get across to audience. Goode is simply a great guy who was quick to defend his performance in 'Watchmen', even though that had nothing to do with this movie. You'll be able to read the interviews in full on The Daily BLAM soon.

Afterwards I had to go uptown to The Playwright Irish Pub for the press day for '21 And Over', a new comedy by the writers of 'The Hangovers'.  Usually press events are held as expensive hotels such as The Waldorf or The Ritz-Carlton, but this one was held at a bar! I loved the set up of beer cups, mardi gras beads, with poker chips and cards. 

I was most excited to meet Miles Tellers, who plays Miller in '21 And Over' because of his previous roles as playing Willard in 'Footloose' both on broadway and in the 2011 remake. Against popular opinion I love the hell out of the remake, especially the character of Willard because he was always my favorite part of the show and Tellers portrayed him perfectly. At the end of the interview I was able to tell him this and he signed my blu-ray of 'Footloose'. He also complimented me on my Iron Man phone case and called me a "pretty nerd". Another celebrity crush met!

Right after this interview I had to race across Manhattan to pick up Pan from the vet and bring her home. She has a shaved stomach and isn't feeling well, but is especially pissed for having to wear a collar around her neck. She is still however as feisty as ever playing with her toys so I'm not worried.

And so that is a typical day for me, in the way that none of my days are very typical. I don't have a set schedule which makes life interesting. If you're been keeping up with my latest blog posts then you'll notice that today I did not mention the detox I have been currently doing. I realized that after I felt so sick yesterday that I needed not to put so much stress on my body. I will continue eating better and eating as clean as possible, but I'm going to add coffee back into my diet (Thank god!) The detox was worth it because I did lose weight and I learned more about how to balance my diet. I just did not enjoy eating the same foods over and over again.

That's all for tonight, until next time!

read more

2013 Academy Awards Predictions & Wishes

I have not seen all the movies up for Oscar nominations so this list is a compilation of my own personal and very biased opinions in every category. I like guessing who actually wins compared to who I want to win. In the past I have had excellent Academy Season (such as when Lord of the Rings Return oft he King won 11 Oscars) and I have had bad years ( when 'Gran Torino' was snubbed and Sandra Bullock won Best Actress, events I will never stop complaining about).

This year I have strong opinions on certain matters, such as Daniel Day-Lewis should win Best Actor hands down for his heart breaking portrayal of Lincoln. I also would love for 'Argo' to win but Ben Affleck was snubbed for Best Director so I am uncertain that he'll win the Oscar. However, most of all I want the Disney's 'Paperman' to win Best Animated Short Film (for obvious reasons). 

And so without further adieu, here is who I think should/will take home Oscars tonight:

Best Picture:
       'Argo' (I don't think it will win but it by far the best movie I've seen all year. Lincoln might win)

Actor in a Leading Role:
        Daniel Day-Lewis (Without a single doubt in my mind)

Actress in a Leading Role:
         Jennifer Lawrence (I have no solid opinion on this, anybody could win at this point)

Actor in a Supporting Role:
         Christoph Waltz (He will probably win but I would also be happy with Tommy Lee Jones)

Actress in a Supporting Role:
          Anne Hathaway (Hands down.)

Animated Feature Film:
          'Wreck-It-Ralph' (This movie should win because it was the best but I have a feeling 'Brave' will)

Cinematography:
           'Life of Pi' (This will probably win but 'Django' equally deserves it)

Costume Design:
           'Les Miserables'

Directing:
           Steven Spielberg (Affleck & Tarantino were both snubbed, so Spielberg will easily win)

Documentary Feature Film:
           'Searching For Sugar Man' (I didn't see any of these films but this has the most buzz online)

Documentary Short:
            'Open Heart' (Same as above)

Film Editing:
            'Argo' (This film had me me literally on the edge of my seat. It NEEDS to win this.)

Foreign Language Film:

             'Amour' (This was also nominated for best picture, so it'll probably take home this category)

Makeup & Hairstyling:
              'The Hobbit' (I did not enjoy this movie but the Academy seems to like the team so perhaps)

Music:
              'Lincoln' (John Williams did the score, enough said.)

Original Song:

              'Skyfall' by Adele (I mean really, how can this song not win?)

Production Design:
              'Life of Pi'

Animated Short Film:

              'Paperman' ( 'Adam & Dog' is the only other film that could win but I would be shocked if 'Paperman' didn't win.)

Live Action Short Film:
               'Curfew' (I haven't seen any of these but this movie has the most buzz.)

Sound Editing:
                'Argo' (But 'Django' equally deserves it)

Sound Mixing:
               'Les Miserables' (They shot all the music LIVE. Seriously.) 

Visual Effects:
                'The Avengers' ('Life of Pi' might win because it's a favorite. 'The Hobbit' had horrible effects other than the scenes with Gollum.)

Adapted Screenplay:
                 'Argo'

Original Screenplay:

            'Django Unchained' (Tarantino 100% deserves this but the Oscar might go to 'Zero Dark Thirty')

Do you strongly agree or disagree with any of my predictions? Call me out! I want to know what everyone else thinks too!

read more

Getting 'Lord of the Rings' & 'Paperman' Tattoos With the Best Friend

Waiting to get tattoos

A week ago today my best friend Angela & I went to get our 'Lord of the Rings' tattoos, and then some. You may recall that a few weeks ago we had set up a fund to back our geeky tattoos but then the internet came out of no where and actually supported us-so we had no choice but to get them. 

Now, before this I had never gotten a tattoo before. I've wanted a few for many years, however my parents promised to pay for my entire college tuition as long as I didn't get inked until I moved.  Since I moved to the city back in September, tattoos were inevitable.

Angela and I have known for a long time that we wanted matching 'Lord of the Rings' tattoos to commemorate our undying love for the story as well as each other. (We are not lesbians, just to clarify since many people make this mistake. We are just in love in a Frodo & Sam sort of way). We discussed for about four hours on night to decide what exactly kind of LOTR tattoo we wanted. We toyed with the idea of getting the Leaf of Lothlorien, but none on the tattoos I saw on the Internet came out good enough for my taste. 

I really liked the idea of getting "Frodo" on myself and "Sam" on her since that's our relationship but it wasn't geeky enough for us. Other words were thrown around, though we wanted something different than all the other 'Lord of the Rings' tattoos out there. That was when I thought of it- what was the single most important part of the story we loved?

"Periandenor"

Simple: the Shire. The Shire is the beginning and the end. It is what Frodo and Sam were fighting for their whole journey. It is our idea of a perfect place and what we long for most in life. Unfortunately,  many people who get tattoos in Quenya (Elvish), translate using an online generator, and not a human being. This means many tattoos are actually gibberish. I had a professional, the genius behind Quenya 101, to translate "Shire" for me, and it came out like the picture to the left.

In Elvish it says 'Periandenor' which literally means "Halflingland". The picture above is the translation we received in the different fonts of the of Middle-earth. I decided to get my tattoo in the first one (top left hand corner) because that's the font the cast of the movies got their tattoos in. Angela wanted the fancier one used on the One Ring so she used the one to the left of mine.

Angela befriend the parlor pup

For our appointments at Red Rocket Tattoo in Midtown, New York City since I found it to be the  cleanest, most affordable for the best talent. Our tattoo artist was Ellen Murphy, who did a fantastic job with our tattoos. However, I would only recommend her to people who know exactly what they want and have had tattoos done before. Ellen is a non nonsense kind of person who may be small, but she is fierce as hell. 

I went first because I was actually getting two tattoos done that day. I wanted my 'Shire' one as well as the paper airplane from the Disney short animated film 'Paperman'. You can read why this short means everything to me here. I decided to have both tattoos done on the same day because I knew that once I got my 'Lord of the Rings' tattoo I would be dying to get my Paperman one right afterwards. Also, it was only $30 more if I got my paper airplane done on the same day due since I was already paying the base fee. 

Paperman tattoo!

I had the Paperman tattoo done first and at that point I kind of wanted to throw up due to panicking a little. I wasn't sure how bad it was going hurt and what it was going to feel like. I've been terribly curious about tattoos my whole life and I always felt that I would have a strong pain tolerance for them.

The best way I can describe the feeling is, its like a needle is being dragged along the skin. Very similar to a cat scratching me deep, and slowly. It hurt for sure but it was tolerable. Not at all enjoyable, as some people have told me. (You crazy masochists you!) I winced a lot and had to have Angela talk to me to keep me distracted but I mustered through it.

My tattoo

The 'Shire' tattoo came next and that one was on my right ribcage. Now I know that ribs are infamous for being one of the most painful places on the body to get a tattoo but Ellen was a superb motivator. She gave us a speech on how if women were built to shove a giant mass of flesh from our vaginas then we would be able to survive a tattoo. She was right.

I laid down out on my side and Ellen began tattooing away. At first it was slightly more painful than the one on my arm but it quickly became very painful. It felt like getting a shot very deep into my side. I managed not to cry but I did let out a whimper once, which Ellen would not have any part of. She quickly snapped "Cut that shit out!"in a humorous, no nonsense way I appreciated. Nobody wants a fucked up a tattoo.   

Some parts went deep and near my rib cage and it hurt like bitch, so I asked Angela to talk to distract me. She in turn read me Sam's speech from the end of The Two Towers, which is only a best friend like her would do.

Angela's tattoo

Angela was able to survive her as tattoo as well, muttering death threats once in a while but I distracted her with stories about our misadventures and the dumb things we've done over the years. After the tattoos were completed, we were exhausted. The stress and anxiety depleted our energy supply so we grabbed some McDonalds and went back to my apartment to watch more 'Lord of the Rings' and sleep for the rest of the afternoon.

And so we became hobbits for life, and survived our geeky tattoo adventure. During most of it we kept asking ourselves what the hell we were doing, but in the end we knew we'd do anything for the Shire.

Most of all, thank you to everyone who backed these tattoos. I'd give you shout outs on here but I think most of you preferred to be anonymous. Have no fear, your thank you cards will be in the mail shortly. I am forever grateful for the kindess my internet friends show me, and now I'll be able to carry that kindess with me always.

read more

Bookish Journal #3: "There's Some Good Left In This World, Mr. Frodo".

Hello InternetFolk! 

I've returned after a short hiatus that was a result of my laptop finally calling it quits. I wasn't sure what I was going to do since I couldn't afford a new computer and so much of my life relies on the use of a computer. However, one of my Twitter friends decided to buy a MacBook Pro off my Amazon Wish List for me without telling me, and it arrived yesterday as a surprise!

I am entirely grateful for the kindess of people I have never met before and am humbled by everything you all have done for me. Sometimes  well, more often than not, I lose hope that my goals and dreams are too lofty or I'm not good enough to make them come to fruition. But somehow in my lowest of times people surprise me and inspire me to keep working hard.

The other night on the subway I witnessed another act of kindess that proves humanity isn't all done for.

I sat on a crowded subway and a man walked on asking for help. In New York City every other subway ride features somebody asking for money. It's heart breaking to see so many people in need of serious help. However, this city is also known for having countless con artists who make thousands a year off of sympathetic tourists. Unfortunately this deters people from helping out those really in need.

Which is why when a man came on on my subway car and asked for a job, instead of money, he earned himself second glances. This man was in his early thirties, dressed in a clean jacket and jeans. The man told his tale of having been laid off six months ago and was looking for work of any time to support himself. 

A woman next to me, well dressed and in her late 20s, called over to him.

"Are you really willing to work?" she asked him.

"Yes m'am."

"Would you mind working the night shift?"

"No M'am."

And then she proceeded to write down the address of the company (somewhere on 5th avenue) and when he asked what kind of clothes he had to wear, she simply said to wear the cleanest clothes he had.

The woman then told him to come in at 10am the next day, and the man began to tear up.

"Thank you, thank you so much, I won't let you down m'am."

At the next stop the man and the woman got off, disappeared into the crowd, and that was that.

I can only hope that the man did show up the next day and continues to do so. I tweeted a more condensed version of this story and it currently has been RT'd more than 30 times. I'm glad I'm not the only one who was moved by this simple yet outstanding act of kindness.

And so, I am reminded that there is still good left in this world and it's worth fighting for. 

read more

Bookish Journal #2: February Frenzy

Hello all!

It's a cold and windy day here in Manhattan, the temperature this morning was 19 °F ! This cold  weather really threw me off in January and turned my daily run into a thing of the past. However, I'm determined to restart my focus and boost my motivation in the month of February. I greatly dislike running in the cold but I can't justify spending money on a gym membership right now, so it's time to just suck it and keep working towards my fitness goals!

I have other goals that lost their focus in January, such as learning French, so I'm going to keep working on those as well. I spent much of last month curled up under the covers watching movies and working on my blog, which was fine but I could have been more productive. My apartment has also turned into a "Lily Apartment", for those you who have watched the earlier seasons of How I Met Your Mother. As much as I loved that, it made me not want to ever leave- So here's to getting back on track!

Here you can see the pink,
but usually hidden under my other hair

There's also a lot of exciting things going on February such as movie screenings, Toy Fair, and getting matching Lord of the Rings tattoos with my best friend Angela! I'm so excited about all of this, and in general I'm a much happier person that I was at the end of last year. I'm doing things I have always wanted to do, but was either too scared to do them or was afraid of what people might think. Such as bleaching a strip of my hair and dying it hot pink. I love this little bit of spark in my hair, and I'm so glad I did it.

Last year I promised myself that 2013 was going to be my year of Happiness. That I would go after the things that I thought would make me a happier individual, such as better friendships, a healthier lifestyle, and a job that I enjoy. Already I feel better with the relationships in my life and I enjoy my freelance jobs very much. They pay enough for my apartment and food, and is considerably less than my previous salary job- but I was miserable then. I am willing to sacrifice money for a happier state of mind.

Tom Hanks

And so, life goes on in New York City. Things are always crazy here, for example Pietro went to a party while I was working and got to meet Tom Hanks! I was incredible jealous but he was able to have Hanks sign a moleskin for me. It's now one of the coolest things I own, along with water bottles that Spielberg, Colin Firth, and Frank Oz drank out of, but that's a different story.

Right now I'm going to go work on mailing out thank cards and letters to those who have already contributed to the Tattoo Fund, and watch Season Six of Gossip Girl that I got in to review. (Shush, it's my greatest guilty pleasure)

read more

Grand Central Terminal Centennial Celebration

On February 1st, 1913 the Grand Central Terminal's station master was handed the first set of keys to this iconic landmark. Shortly after midnight, on February 2nd, the first train left the station. Today, 100 years later, New Yorkers celebrated this momentous occasion with speeches, musical performances, museum exhibits and nearly free food. 

I promised myself that I would do more in this incredible city of mine, so I bundled up against the cold and joined in with the party at the station. For those of you who are not familiar with this train station, you might have recognized it from movies such as North by Northwest, Men in Black, Superman: The Movie, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Friends With Benefits, and of course, The Avengers.

Cary Grant, center, glancing at Alfred Hitchcock, between lights, during filming of a scene in Grand Central Terminal for "North by Northwest" (1959), from the exhibition "Celluloid Skyline: New York and the Movies." From the NY Times

My favorite part of the celebration was the 1913 pricing deals for some of the tenants in the terminal. They offered products for the original cost from 100 years ago! Most of the lines were too long, such as a 45 minute wait for 10¢ gelato from Ciao Bella or 10¢ french fries from Tri Tip Grill. Another problem I faced was the products had sold out by the time I got there at 12pm such as 6¢ loaf of rye bread from Zaro's Bakery.

However, I did score some awesome deals! I was able to buy 5¢ small drip hot coffee from Financier Patisserie, which also came with a petite madeline! I then bought 25¢ pieces of Legendary Fudge from Li-Lac Chocolates and a 100% silk scar for $2 from Toto. Event staff also gave out wooden train whistles and luggage tags with the Centennial celebration logo on them as well as earrings from Tias Place. Overall it was exciting and worth the trip for all the great deals!

Some of the goodies I grabbed!

A bird's eye view of the festivities, by MTAPhotos

If you would like to check out some incredible photos of Grand Central Station, Gothamist posted 21 Behind the Scenes Photos and Wikipedia always provides great background stories.

And I shall leave you with a quote by Tom Wolfe:

 "The grandest, most glorious of all, by far, was Grand Central Station."

read more

Bookish Journal #1: Pledging to Be More Open & LOTR Tattoos

Dear Readers, Hobbits, Pirates, & Robots,

With this new edition of my blog, there are things I want to put into practice that I was never really able to execute before. Most of them are already in the works, such as Company Spotlights, Product Reviews, and so many Giveaways coming your way! Another aspect of my blog that I want to put a strong effort into doing is personal posts. My favorite blogs to read are the ones who talk about their lives, tribulations, and adventures. I try to do that as much as possible, but so much of me keeps things to myself out of worry.

Worry about what my parents may think, future employers, people I knew from high school, relatives, or anyone who reads this at all. But then I think to myself, my blog isn't for any of those people. It's for my own personal pleasure with the hopes that my internet friends near or far enjoy what I have to say and perhaps find inspiration somehow. 

With that, I am pledging to be more open about my life in New York City, because it is rather exciting =)

Tonight's highlight is my best friend Angela (@angelaplz) and I finally deciding once and for all  to get out Lord of the Rings tattoos. We are very different in most ways, such as she is an extrovert blonde knock out going to Med School with a terrifying passion for european football. On the other hand I am an introvert brunette with an addiction to books, movies, and reveal in my geeky awkward life. However, what created an everlasting bond between us was our unmatchable love of Lord of the Rings.

We have gone to the extended movies marathons where we cried for hours and hours, or that time we went to the One Man Lord of the Rings show (which was amazing). We just have this deep connection to the movies that we can't explain, but we get it. And so we are going to get matching LOTR tattoos. I won't reveal what they are, exactly, those are being kept secret until we get them. 

And all of our incredible friends on Twitter asked if they could contribute to our InkFund, so we set up a page where as of right now we already have $70 out of our goal of $200! We are so surprised and thankful for all of you for the encouragement =) If you want to help too, click here. We plan on getting the tattoos before the end of February, so I'll keep you posted! 

All in all, I am glad that January is over, because this has turned into a month of blues for me. February is already bringing inspiration and cheerfulness back into my system! But tomorrow's blog post will be about that =P

Until next time!

-Zoë

read more

Disney's Paperman: Manhattan, WWII, & a Kiss

As most of my Twitter followers and friends known, Disney's Paperman animated short film was one of the highlights of last year for me. For months I had been following the making of this film because it simply held everything I hold dear. I could not have written a more perfect story for myself, even if I tried. Taking place in Mid-century New York City, there is a chance meeting at a train station, longing across an avenue between two skyscrapers, and the magic of paper?  In short, this is a WWII era romance set in Manhattan all in black white touched with a kiss.

Life doesn't get any better than this:

"Using a minimalist black-and-white style, the short follows the story of a lonely young man in mid-century New York City, whose destiny takes an unexpected turn after a chance meeting with a beautiful woman on his morning commute. Convinced the girl of his dreams is gone forever, he gets a second chance when he spots her in a skyscraper window across the avenue from his office. With only his heart, imagination and a stack of papers to get her attention, his efforts are no match for what the fates have in store for him."


Source: The Daily BLAM!

read more

Things I Love: Martha Stewart Acorn Lamp

This article was originally published at Martha Stewart's site in 2008. By my apartment there is an Center for Avian and Exotic Medicine and these acorn lamps are in their window display. Some of you may already know that one of my prized processions is my acorn necklace as seen in my default pictures across my sites. I have a special affinity for acorns and I fell in love with these lamps. One day I finally went into the center & asked where they purchased the lamps from. A worker told me they were made by Martha Stewart's in house crafter, Kristin St Clair, specially for them. Thankfully I found this article online and one day this year I'll make them for myself.

Tools and MaterialsLarge balloon
Tape
Vegetable oil
Cheesecloth
Fire retardant
Water-and-glue mixture (1 part white glue to 1 part water)
Brown or green tissue paper
Scissors
Foam brush
Brown or green felt
Hot-glue gun and hot-glue sticks
Utility lampshade
Bulb socket with brown cord
Fluorescent lightbulb
Leaf template
Pencil
Screw punch
Floral wire

Acorn Lamp How-To1. Blow up the balloon and tie. Tape the tie flat on the balloon -- this will be the point of the acorn. Grease the balloon with vegetable oil so the glue won't stick to the balloon.

2. Spray cheesecloth with fire retardant and allow to dry. Stretch treated cheesecloth over balloon and saturate cloth with water/glue mixture. Let dry.

3. Cut tissue paper into 2-inch-wide triangular strips. Brush water-and-glue mixture onto balloon with a foam brush, place a strip of tissue paper on the balloon (with triangle point at tip), and brush mixture over the strip. Repeat to create a layer of strips all over balloon. Allow the layer to dry and repeat, covering entire balloon with 3 to 4 layers. Allow layers to dry overnight.

4. Poke a hole on the rounded end of the balloon and allow the balloon to deflate. Remove the balloon. Trim excess tissue paper.

5. Cut 2-inch squares from felt and turn them on point so they are diamonds. Hot-glue the felt diamonds onto a utility lampshade, starting at the bottom rim of shade. Cover rim by folding diamonds over edge.

6. Overlap diamonds to cover the rest of the lampshade, using a dab of hot glue in the center of each to attach. Cut vent holes in the remaining felt pieces to align with the vent holes on the top of lampshade.

7. Wrap 1/2-inch strips of felt around a brown bulb socket cord, attaching with dabs of hot glue. To create little branch knobs, roll a strip of felt into a spiral and glue to cord.
Note: Felt can also be sprayed with fire retardant.

8. Screw in fluorescent light bulb.

9. Print and trace leaf template onto felt. Cut out leaf shapes. Make holes with a screw punch as marked on the template. Weave floral wire through the holes of each leaf and secure with a smidgen of glue at ends. Attach leaves to cord with hot glue.

ResourcesLamp parts are available at any hardware or lighting store. Tissue paper can be found in packs of 24 fromdickblick.com. Cheesecloth is available at most grocery stores and any fabric store. Wool felt is available from achildsdream.com. Fire retardant is available from natfire.com.

read more

Blog Relaunch!

Hello guys!

Welcome to my new and improved blog layout! I've spent the past couple of days bundled up in my  Leia hoodie fiddling with different layouts and styles, messing around with the coding, and finally I'm happy with the results. I hope you check out the new categories on the top bar and read some posts I've also just published. 

Be sure to check back for more mini movie reviews, fitness posts, and every day entries about my life. And if you have any suggestions on things I should add/change on my blog please let me know!

Until then!

-Zoë

read more