Recently....

Just thought I would check in and let you all know how I've been lately with the new job and such!

Needless to say, working from 8 am to 5 or 6 pm has been pretty exhausting.  I've had to get up and leave by 7 am in the sometimes 5 degree weather and I usually don't get home until 7ish in the evening.

Downtown on a snowy morning

That's my only complaint though because I'm really starting to feel comfortable at the job and getting along well with my co-workers.  I'm definitely learning a lot every day and only hope to learn more so I can be as efficient as everyone else.

Getting up so early has turned me into an old lady though and I've been falling asleep by 10 o'clock pretty routinely.  I can't even make it through movies anymore, although we watched Life of Pi the other day (at a reasonable hour) and it was really good!  I read the book and really enjoyed it, and I have to say they did a great job with the film.  It was very emotional and captivating and very well done.

Today was my first full day off in a while since I've also been working at Urban on the weekends, and it was really enjoyable.  Guillermo and I went to MIT for a workshop he has been taking part in, and while he was there I killed time at the MIT book store and found a new book with a pretty cover.

I also walked around campus a bit; I never miss a chance to see some famous architecture.

Gehry's STATA Center

When he got out, we took the bus up to Harvard and walked around campus and the surrounding shopping area.  I found Anthropologie and pointed out a few things I've had my eye on for a while.  Maybe one day I will break down and buy them.  I absolutely love this vase and this candle; I think my love of candles is coming back from when I was in middle school and high school.  I've started collecting them here and there since my mom sent me one for Christmas, and Capri Blue candles seem to be everywhere lately.  I've only heard great things about them and I'm addicted to all things glass so I want one in every color!

It was a wonderful, relaxing day and now I'm curled up with tea and a movie.  Hope you all enjoyed your day as much as I did!

Weekly Update

I've decided that since I really don't have that much to talk about, I am going to switch back to writing less frequently.  I'm going to shoot for once a week, and I think with the new job taking up a lot of my time now this will work out a lot better for me.  Hope none of you mind.

This past week was a big one for me.  I worked two jobs, and found out I am going to be a bridesmaid in another wedding!  My friend Sonia from school has been engaged for a year, and she is starting to get down to business when it comes to planning now that they have a date ironed out.  I'm so very excited and so very honored she thought of me, and now I get to take part in the big day! She has already gotten her Pinterest on, and has set up boards for general ideas and bridesmaid dresses.  I thought that was pretty smart of her, considering all us 'maids live in different areas.  Plus it's fun to pin away everything I think would be great for them.

Aside from that wonderful news, last week was my first somewhat full week at my new job!  It was an exhausting week because I was working two jobs, semi-full time.  My first few days at Sleeping Dog were kinda hectic, considering I had a lot to learn, but now that my first week is over I can safely say I feel very comfortable there.  Everyone is young (although I still think I'm the youngest) and they are already giving me a hard time in a friendly-older-sibling kind of way.  Today has been my first day of a full-time week and we will see how I can take it.

I'll check back in in about a week!

New Year, New Lifestyle

Hey all!  How was everyone's holiday?  I can only hope it was as enjoyable as mine.  Here's a peek at what I've been up to...

Christmas dinner was a success!!

Couldn't be happier for my newly-wed friends. <3 

Shenanigans with my high school buddies

My cutie cousin Lilah.

I really enjoyed my time at home visiting all my loved ones and celebrating the season with them.  I came back just in time to ring in the new year with Guillermo; he picked me up from the airport and we had a lovely dinner together and had a relaxing evening watching The Incredibles up until midnight.  

This year, I decided that my New Year's resolution should be to start forcing myself into a routine schedule of waking up early and being productive.  Now...I am not what you would call a morning person so this was truly going to be a struggle, especially on the days I don't have to work until the afternoon.

But that all changes this week, because...

I GOT A REAL GROWN-UP JOB!!!

On the 4th, I had an interview at a firm called Sleeping Dog Properties and they offered on the spot to hire me for a 30 day trial-run with possible (and hopefully) full-time employment after that!  It seems like exactly the kind of place I have talked about working at; it's a small firm that does mostly small-scale residential and some commercial renovations.  The company is owned by two brothers who have a construction background so they do a lot of construction management as well.  I am super excited to start on Tuesday and finally get my career rolling.

Wish me luck!

Preparations

With Christmas just around the corner, Guillermo and I have decided to spend it with some of his new friends from school.  Three people will be coming over on Tuesday; a Chinese girl, Turkish guy, and Israeli guy.  We are going to have a very multi-cultural day, and I have to say that excites me a lot.  I love making friends with people from other countries and I love learning about their cultures and hearing their stories.  We may be lucky enough to taste food from some of those cultures, but I doubt it on Christmas day.  Guillermo and I are going to cover the ham and one side (the others are covering other sides and drinks), and I'm thinking twice-baked potatoes.  My mom always made them for Christmas and they are just so indulgent and delicious.

I'm still trying to come up with an idea for dessert, too.  Something tasty, but not too tricky. This is my first Christmas as a grown-up that I will be hosting and I want everyone to leave full of food and happiness. 

Deck the Hall

This weekend, I took some time to do at least a little bit of Christmas decorating in our apartment.  Now, I don't have too much space and I had a budget of about $0, but I think it looks kinda festive.  I'm proud!

The first thing I started working on was a paper and twine garland for the hall.  I had paper, paint, and twine laying around so all I did was paint the paper green, cut out leaf shapes, then tie them together along the twine.  Here's what it looks like!

All I did to tie them together was tie a loose knot around the center of the two leaves so the paper didn't tear.  I spaced them out by eye, so they aren't perfect, but that's ok with me.

The other thing I did was decorate the Peace Lilly that my mom got me for my birthday (and I haven't killed yet!!) with some teeny-tiny ornaments.  I got a package of 25 3/4" diameter balls for only $5 from Urban Outfitters and tied them to the leaves of the plant with thin wire.  

The little balls of color are so cheerful. :)

And finally, the small bookshelf we have in the hall is now where we display all of the Christmas cards we have been receiving in the mail.  Family and friends have been sending us cards and its so comforting to see them every day on the way into the apartment.

The ornaments that didn't make it onto the Peace Lilly are sitting in a glass jar from an old, used-up candle on the top shelf for a little extra fun.

Thankful for Friday

Well, Friday is finally here!  This week I'm thankful for friends and family.  We have been getting Christmas cards from our loved ones (and Fitzgerald motors...?) over the past week or so, and even a present already!  Although this year is going to be very different for me, I am sure it is still going to be wonderful-my family is going to be sure of it.  Guillermo and I are thinking about having some of his classmates over for Christmas dinner, since they wont be going back to their homes in other countries this year.  I'm hoping this works out because it would be nice to celebrate with some new friends, so cheers to new traditions!

Here's our Christmas Peace-Lilly

Happy Hump Day!

How was everyone's Wednesday?  Mine was wonderful because I had the day off.  I know I took off this whole past weekend, but because I was so busy the whole time it really didn't feel like a break from work.  Today I got to lounge, start a few projects I've had in mind, and meet up with some friends at a small church group.

Remember a few weeks ago I mentioned I went to church with my friend RJ?  Well every Wednesday night they have a small group for 20-somethings.  I have wanted to go since I went to church, but always seemed to work on Wednesday nights and never seemed to have the opportunity......until now.  It was a nice gathering and I even recognized a few people I had met previously.  We sang Christmas carols, ate snacks, and read through a bit of Matthew.

All in all, it was a great day off and a wonderful way to spend my evening.  I hope you all can say the same about your day!  And don't worry-the weekend is almost here!

Success

I would have to say this weekend in Brooklyn was just what I needed.  This is the first holiday season of mine not being surrounded by friends and family, and I have been missing both dearly as of late.  When I was in school I always had friends around and school to distract me, but this year all I have is a lot of down-time to reflect on those memories.

Going to my old home in Brooklyn did just the trick.  I got to see the people I have been missing most, and just in the nick of time because Taylor and Crosby will both be leaving for Rome shortly.  We didn't do anything too crazy, just ate Chinese food, drank, and played Mariokart.  It was really all I wanted; no going into Manhattan to fancy restaurants or seeing the tree at Rockefeller Center or ice skating in Central Park, just time with my friends doing what we do best.  (being immature and ridiculous of course!)

We did manage to go out Saturday night for drinks and merryment.  It was a great time had by all, and the first time in a very long time I have stayed up all night for pleasure, not for school.

I'm Excited to Announce...

Tomorrow I'll be going to New York City!!

Pretty much ever since I moved up here to Boston, I have wanted to go back to Brooklyn to visit my crazy roommates.  The first month after I moved out was really tough, but it has gotten a lot easier being away now that I'm settled into my new lifestyle.  I've barely been scraping by financially, but I decided that its now or never to go down for a visit because my friends Taylor and Crosby are leaving for Rome in January!!  (this trip sponsored by my lovely mom)  Taylor, a fellow Pratt student, is doing the same study abroad program I did 2 years ago (has it been that long already?!?!) and her fiance Crosby is going to go with her and study Italian cooking.  He works at an Italian restaurant right now and the owner is going to hook him up with a friend's restaurant in Rome.  I am soooo very excited for them and I promised I would map out all the best places to go in Rome.  Think: gelato, pizza, €1 shots, etc.

In addition to visiting my friends, I'm excited to be reunited with the amazing food New York has to offer.  Some places I plan on going are:

Urban Vintage for a delicious latte

Luigi's Pizza for THE BEST PIZZA ON THE PLANET

DOUGH for a light and fluffy donut

Choice for more coffee and some tasty pastries

And of course some other Brooklyn staples, like cheap Chinese food, PBR, and Bergen Bagels.

Confession

For a few years now, I have been feeling like a 40-something year old trapped in a 20-something year old's body.  I know that sounds odd and women usually wish its the other way around, so let me explain.

I've never really been one to go out and party it up and go wild.  I've never smoked a cigarette (or anything else), I've never gotten black-out drunk and stupid, I've never "hooked up" with anyone at a party, or anything else young-adult like.  I've always acted more mature than my age, but recently its kicked into high gear.

Don't get me wrong-that doesn't mean that I'm not happy with my life the way it is.  I absolutely love where I am in life and I'm so excited to see what will happen before I am 40-something, but sometimes I wish I could fast-forward.

I want kids.
I want to decorate for the holidays.
I want an apartment large enough to be able to decorate.
I want to craft.
I want to cook and bake all day.
I want to throw dinner parties and brunches, and do all the decorating and cute name-tagging and labeling that goes along with them.
I want to host family for the holidays.
I don't mind doing dishes or laundry.
Sometimes, I even wish I lived in the suburbs so that I could run errands in the car.

The problem with most of those things is that they require a stable income, which I haven't quite figured out yet.

And as I said, I am in love with my life right now.  I just can't help looking forward to the latter part of life.

Do any of you guys feel like you should be a different age?  Am I super weird for feeling this way?  I would love to hear your thoughts.

Thankful for Friday

Hey, all!

Today I am thankful for the safety of my cousin and friend who were both recently in car accidents.  I don't know too much about my friend's car accident except that she couldn't come to work because she was heading to the hospital.  I did text her a day or so ago when I heard, and she said that she isn't feeling too bad, she was just resting.  Thank goodness.

As for my cousin, she was hit from behind yesterday.  TWICE.  She slowed down in traffic and the guy behind her didn't, and ended up hitting her at 60 mph.  Then the guy behind him didn't slow down and hit him, who then hit her!  (following me?)  That means that my cousin was hit two times.  She was taken to the hospital in an ambulance and they did all the tests and x-rays.  Luckily she has no broken bones or any serious damage, although everyone says the third day after an accident is the worst.

That's what her car looks like after the accident.

I am so, so, so thankful that she didn't have her 3 year old daughter with her, and that she was ok.

Bad Blogger!

I know, I know-I forgot to post on Monday!  I apologize from the depths of my heart and I hope all of you will forgive me!

As for today.....I have a recap of my Thanksgiving to share!  I hope all of you enjoyed your holidays as much as I enjoyed mine because let me tell you-I had a great time.

Guillermo and I had two flights on our way down and back, and both times we flew right over NYC.  I got a pretty nice shot on the way down, but on the way back it was night and too hard to take a photo.  (Although equally as beautiful)

Well,

I don't really have too much to say today because:

1. I'm broke and can't work on any projects.
2. ALL I CAN THINK ABOUT IS LEAVING FOR NORTH CAROLINA WEDNESDAY!!!!!

Can you tell I'm really excited to see my family?  I can't wait, can't wait, can't wait, and today I bought something little for the trip.

It's a little book full of questions for your Dad to answer.  (they also have them for Mom, Grandma, and Grandpa)  I've always loved listening to my Dad's stories about how he is was a trouble maker and this will be a great way to immortalize those stories.  I figured I will give it to him now, and then he can give it back to me all completed for Christmas.  One present already done for him.


I won't be able to post again until next week because I leave Wednesday and I don't plan on taking my laptop on my trip.  I'll be sure to fill you all in when I get back though!  Happy Thanksgiving!!

Thankful for Friday

Last night was a blast!

After work, I went to a local bar with two girls from Urban for a few drinks.  It felt so nice to get out with friends and build relationships with them both.  We had a great time chatting about the crazy customers we get at work, school, our boyfriends, and other usual girl talk.

Not to mention, the bar really reminded me of a bar in Brooklyn that my friends and I used to frequent.  Made me feel right at home.   : )

I can honestly say that I'm making some good friends here in Boston now, and for that I'm thankful.


Hope y'all have a great pre-Thanksgiving weekend!

In One Week..

...I will be in North Carolina with my family for Thanksgiving!  I am soooo very excited to be able to go to my Dad's new house and see his whole side of the family.  All my aunts, uncles, and (most of my) cousins will be there for the holiday-Grandma is even coming up from Florida! Yay!

The last time we were all together was in 2005, for Christmas.  That was before my Grandpap passed away and before more babies were brought into the family and before my brother even hit puberty.  Here's a quick flashback:

My oh-so-handsome Dad

Most of the cousins with Grandma & Grandpap

Matching sunglasses at Gap

My adorable Grandpap and his favorite bread

We all had a wonderful time together then, and I'm sure we are all bound to have a great time together now.  I'm counting down the days!

Weekend Recap

Well guys,  I must say this weekend was pretty awesome.  The main reason?  I finally met up with my friend RJ!

When Guillermo and I first moved here to Boston, I tried to get in touch with RJ just about every other day so we could get together.  After all, he is one of only 2 people in this city I knew upon moving here.  Week after week, we couldn't arrange a meeting so we both just forgot/gave up.

Cut to Thursday night when he asked what I was going to be doing Friday-which I had off from work.  That meant we got to finally hang out!  I met him and some of his friends at a restaurant downtown called Papagayo.  It's Mexican and delicious and they make some bangin' margaritas.  We ate there, then headed back to his apartment so we could all relax and chat.  RJ has a hookah that he fired up and we all had a great time getting to know each other.

The two friends that I got to know the most that night, Catie (featured in the picture) and Ben, are both friends of RJ's from their church.  Since I've been looking for a church to go to here in Boston, they invited me to join them on Sunday and explained to me that the 4 o'clock service is the contemporary one so I would feel the most comfortable there.  I decided to go for it and met RJ at the church yesterday and had a great time!  They played my favorite song and I met a bunch of new friends.  I'm definitely going to try to make it my routine every Sunday now.

What about you guys?  How was your weekend?

Thankful for Friday

Today, I am thankful for people's generosity and willingness to help others.  Let me explain:

One of the blogs I like to follow is Project Little Smith.  It's about an architect-turned mother and the life of her adorable baby boy.  As I was flipping through her photos, I realized a lot of them looked familiar so I looked into where they live.  Turns out, they live in Boston!  Mama Smith still does freelance jobs here and there, but her husband (Papa Smith) is still a working architect in the area.  When I found all this out, I figured hey what the heck-I've got nothing to lose-so I emailed her asking if she knew of anyone hiring.

Well.

Yesterday, I got an email response from her husband saying he forwarded my information to the hiring committee at his firm, and I should be hearing back from them in 2-4 weeks.  I also got an email back from Mama Smith saying she forwarded my resume to multiple firms that she knows are hiring.

This just goes to show there are people out there that are genuinely nice and willing to help others!  I'm doing everything I can now to get myself out there more and network and not be afraid because as I said before-I've got nothing to lose and a lot to gain!


PS - Tonight I am going to meet up with one of my friends that I met studying in Copenhagen, RJ.  We haven't seen each other in over 2 years, so I'm so excited to catch up with him! (And he works at an architecture firm here in Boston as well!  I'll be meeting some of his work buddies too...definitely bringing some cards with me!)

'Tis The Season

...to start panicking about what to get people for Christmas!  With the weather turning cold (it's actually been snowing here all afternoon!) I have been thinking a lot about how to prepare for the holiday season.

Of course I would like to attempt at decorating our apartment, just a little bit.  There is no room for a tree at all, but I may snatch up one of the small fake ones we sell at Urban and try to make it...not so ugly.  Some crafty, handmade ornaments and some spray paint may be all I need to make it cheap-chic.  Aside from that, we don't really have a mantle or anything to decorate so I'm kinda drawing a blank on what to do, but I want to do SOMETHING.  Any ideas would be a great help.

When it comes to gifts I really only have one idea for my step-dad, and that's only because he blatantly pointed it out while he was here a few weeks back.  He found a pair of pint glasses he likes a lot and I plan on doing a little beer tree for him to go along with the glasses.  The tree would be like this (except it would be Bud Light, of course):

Aside from that, I'm clueless for gift ideas!!  I definitely want to start buying gifts ASAP so I don't drop a huge amount of money at once.  Just need to figure out what to buy.....

Next Project.

We desperately need a rug for our living room.  It's hardwood floors, and we have a hardwood coffee table that doesn't match the wood on the floors and it slides all over the place, which drives me bonkers.

When I say we desperately need a rug, that's probably not really true, but I'm allowed to be dramatic every once in a while.  I would just really, really like one because I think it would bring us one step closer to having a real, grown-up apartment.

Thankful for Friday

This week, I am thankful for my Thursday night and here's why:

As you know, I am looking for a job at an architecture firm.  (I'll take any help I can get!) Well, I talked to my friend Hai last week and he suggested I look up the AIA chapter here in Boston, which I did and I found out its called the Boston Society of Architects.  Turns out they have an exhibition space downtown, and Thursday night they had an author speak about his book Aerotropolis: The Way We'll Live Next, and about urbanism and global growth in general.  It was a very interesting lecture and it was nice to be in a room of creative-thinking people again.  

The real reason I went in the first place was to 'get out there' in the architecture world and network, and it seemed to work to some degree.  I met a woman named Katrina, who is a teacher here in Boston after graduating from Columbia in 2007 for architecture (I think).  She offered to put my name out there wherever she can and suggested that I email her my resume so she can then forward it to friends.  I am immensely thankful for her willingness to help me and hopefully we can keep in touch.  If she doesn't help me find a job, I may have at least made a new friend!