Mighty Wallets Giveaway Winners!
Thanks to everyone who entered my Mighty Wallets Giveaway! There were 478 entries, and 3 lucky winners! Congrats to Marcus, Mara & Chris!
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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!
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| 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.
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| 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)
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.
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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
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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!
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| Some of the goodies I grabbed! |
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| A bird's eye view of the festivities, by MTAPhotos |
And I shall leave you with a quote by Tom Wolfe:
"The grandest, most glorious of all, by far, was Grand Central Station."
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
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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:
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Spotlight: Flowering Rock
One of the best tea products I found at the New York International Gift Fair was Flowering Rock. The founder, Konrad Makowski, and the sales manager, Bruno Lucas, are two of the nicest guys I have had the pleasure of meeting. These men are passionate and excited about their tea, which they should be because it is delicious.
Their teas feature sideritis, which is from the Mediterranean region and has been used to aid digestion and strengthen the immune system. Their herbs come from an organic grower on Mt.Othrys, Greece with other botanicals. Their main products are six teas named after Grecian characters, each representing the theme of the tea. One of these is called Titan "The Giant of Strength and Stamina" which is believed to increase energy and strengthen bones.
Makowski believes that "in our Greek grower's organic farming methods and believes that these healing botanicals can benefit everyone's life and genuinely make a big difference for many small farmers and rural communities in Greece."
Personally, I love their Melete Tea, inspired by the Muse of Thought and Meditation. It contains organic sideritis with spearmint, as well as rose hips and hibiscus which can help enhance physical strength and mental acuity. (All aspects I could improve on)
Bookish Review: "The Thorn & the Blossom" by Theodora Goss
This is an adorable little book from QuirkBooks, and a must have for it's unique binding. In this box set you recieve not one, but the two stories of Evelyn and Brendan told on both sides of accordion folded paper. Check out this video to see the beautiful style of the book:
As a reader, you get to chose whose story you can read first. I chose Evelyn's story, as did a few other readers and we think it's a good way to start- but don't take my word for it. *coughreadingrainbowreference* After you chose whose journey to read first, you can indulge yourself with a little bookish romance between two fans of the medieval story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.
However, I warn you to be gentle with this book because the lack of binding on all "pages" has made the bok delicate, but no less worthwhile of your time. The story of "The Thorn & the Blossom" makes a perfect gift for the bookworm in your life, as well as on your own bookshelf.
You can purchase the book on Amazon and be sure to check out the awesome author and publisher on Twitter at @TheodoraGoss and @QuirkBooks
Things I Love: Vinca Diamond Earrings, Made of Wood
An artist I had the pleasure of connecting with at the New York International Gift Fair was Amanda Dimova, the designer behind Vinca USA. I fell in love with many of her wooden products, especially these Diamond Stud earrings made of wood. The picture above is not of me, but you might have seen me Instagraming my own pair this week, I love them!
These earrings are great because they are not heavy & are a conversation piece without being too flashy. The simple yet interesting design goes great with any outfit I throw on and they don't hurt my ears after a while, which happens with most pairs I wear.
Lucky for you these earrings are half off right now over at Fab.com! Grab your own now
Giveaway: Mighty Wallets
Is your wallet too bulky and filled with phone numbers you never actually called & fortune cookie sayings you never listened to? Then let Mighty Wallet make way for movie ticket stubs you have yet to collect or those 8 Metro Cards you can't seem to remember if they had money on them or not.
Enter the giveaway below to win one (1) of three (3) Mighty Wallets! If you are chosen as a winner, you can chose between a Crime Scene Do Not Cross wallet, A Beavis & Butthead wallet, or a DC Comics Flash wallet each a $15 value! You can enter many different ways, and each time will increase your chances of winning!
The contest ends Sunday, February 3rd at 12pm. Sorry, this contest is only open to USA muggles.
Spotlight: Bone Collection
One of the first companies I fell in love with at the New York International Gift Fair was Bone Collection, a brand that sells accessories for the iPhone, iPad, & iPod as well as flash drives and bags. They originate from Taiwan and are well known for their mascot, Maru the Penguin.
Bone's manifesto states: "Bone cares about our environment as well as great design. The high quality environmental silicone without heavy metal is 100% degradable. The changeable coats for the USB drives allow you to have a whole new product with no need to make unnecessary consumption. The most environmentalfriendly design is the best design which makes consumers keeping the products longer. Preserve the environment and treasure our design explains why Bone is green."
Bone's products are durable and green, which satisfies my geek without compromising my eco friendly mentality. The iPhone pouches are made of micorfiber, so your phone stays clean & clear all day. They have a line of Chinese Zodiac Flash Drives that are some of the cutuest and badass flash drives I have ever seen. Maru is one of my favorite parts about this brand because their USB drives featuring him are simple and still iconic. You can purchase Maru on a mug, iPhone pouch or cord wrap. My calendar featuring his adventures is one of the highlights of my day.
Update: Bone Collection tweeted this morning: "@BoneSA
BIG NEWS! Our online store will be launching on Friday! There will be some great opening specials and great deals, so stay tuned!" You heard the penguin!
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