Goodbye, MacBook Pro-1.

Last Thursday at 3 a.m., I woke up with a 103 degree fever. I could barely swallow and basically wanted to die. I put off going to the doctor until Friday afternoon because I was pretty sure I had strep and figured that nothing the doctor would do would change that, but after maintaining that 103 degree fever for nearly 48 hours, I had to call it.

Yep, strep. Really, really, really bad strep. I've been given 10 days of antibiotics. (I am now on Day 6, by the way, but haven't gotten around to writing this until now...)

I spent the weekend in complete misery and was sicker than I think I have ever been as an adult. The good news is that the antibiotics kicked in by Sunday, and by Monday, I was able to at least put on pants that don't have a drawstring and drag myself into my cubicle. The bad news is that we, again, had Sales Conference this week at work, and I am now completely exhausted after being sick, and then returning to a week of back-to-back meetings.

To make myself feel better, I just bit the bullet and ordered a new 13-inch MacBook Pro, 2.4 GHz processor. My almost-6-year-old ORIGINAL MacBook Pro is on its last legs. I can't believe it has made it even this far. It's been a good 5 1/2 years, but it's time for this old jalopy to retire. (Does anyone else say "jalopy" ever? My mom says "jalopy.")

[this new, shiny goodie will be waiting for me at my parents' house next week]

My original, Gen-1 MacBook Pro has been with my since May 2006, a high school graduation gift from my parents. MacBook Pro had just released to the world at the end of January 2006, and I felt like the coolest kid on the block with my (then) hip technology. I made three different photo slideshow DVDs (most likely set to the Goo Goo Dolls or Matchbox Twenty) for my graduation party in June and thought that that was completely cutting-edge...

And, now, once I transfer all my docs, photos, and music next week, this ol' MacBook Pro is going to spend the rest of its days gathering dust in a Michael Kors shoebox in my closet at my parents' house. (No lie, that's where my last computer, the original "Blueberry" iBook clamshell still slumbers... I should really snap a picture of that when I'm home...) 

So without further ado:

An Ode to MacBook Pro-1

Dear MacBook Pro-1, do you remember when my roommate from Long Island spilled beer on your poor keyboard freshmen year?

Do you remember all the terrible Photo Booth pictures? Especially the ones of my terrible long-ish side bangs sophomore year?

Do you remember when you crashed during finals in May freshmen year, and I cried in front of you at the Apple store at Pentagon City? Damn Limewire.

What about that time when one of my roommates dropped her Diamond Board* on you? I still loved you, despite your dented exterior.

You were with me through some of the most terrible all-nighters in Gelman, down to the finish line, helping me crank out 15-page papers on the theories of Roman Jakobson or the themes of anxiety in Sartre, bringing me the joyful distractions of Facebook and YouTube and Pandora.

You kept your cool.

Until your fan and mother board and everything else started to go.

How did you get so good at cropping ex-boyfriends out of photos in iPhoto? You must have had a bad break-up in a past life.

Thank you for all the hours of staring patiently back at me as I tried to move the cursor across the screen and get these words out of my brain and onto the page. Thank you for not critiquing my clumsy metaphors in early drafts or lack of capitalization in virtually every single one of my poems.

Thank you for persevering. Thank you for accompanying me through college (and almost all the way through grad school!).

Do you remember when you crashed for the second time my junior year? When, it wasn't really your fault, but you lost every single last file/photo/mp3/short story/essay/poem off your silly little hard drive?

Yeah, I cried at the Apple store again that time. But, no, no, that wasn't your fault. It was mine. I was a bad mother, neglecting your hard drive and ignoring your memory issues.

I'll be better this time. I've learned.

Dear MacBook Pro-1, it's been real.

And bless you if you actually read all that. 

Tomorrow's my birthday. I may or may not wear something glittery to work.

*Diamond Boards are my sorority's version of a paddle... excerpt ours are literally diamond-shaped. And totally dangerous when dropped from a certain height!

Happy birthday to me.

It's my birthday next week, and I'll be celebrating in style with the besties. And glitter.

[matching flats + purse from J.Crew for a little birthday present to myself]

Better yet, they were on sale.

[Guess heels]

I got these heels a few weeks ago with New Year's Eve in mind, but now I'm debating. I might return them and just wear the flats for New Year's. If I'm gonna be dancing the night away, do I really want to be toppling over in 4-inch heels? Maybe. Depends how much champagne there is.

God, I love glitter.

More goodies.

I have an online shopping problem. When I don't leave my desk for lunch, I end up opening all those SALE ALERT! emails and buying things like these:

[Cole Haan Josephine Pump in Ironstone Suede, $119. I got it on sale earlier this week for $89... because I'm awesome]

[Cope Haan Tantivy Double Wrap Bracelet in Chestnut, $39.95. Again, I got it for $27 because I am so good at reading those sale emails]

[Michael Kors Double Breasted Hooded Trench Coat in black, $115 on sale at Lord & Taylor. The sale is still going on. 50% off rain coats! Go now!]

To be fair, I'm not just randomly buying things. I've been looking for a leather bracelet all summer, and I've been looking for a hooded trench coat for about 18 months... I even tried on this exact one from Michael Kors before, but decided to wait for it to go on sale!

And although gray pumps are a recent addition to my shopping list, I've definitely had my eye out for them lately. I have a pair of gray trousers for this fall and thought it would be fantastic to wear them with matching gray heels.

And yes, yes I am justifying my shopping habit here...

Collecting.

Can't wait for this goody to arrive via UPS.

{Bedford 3-Drawer File Cabinet from Pottery Barn}

My very first piece of Pottery Barn furniture, compliments of Mom & Dad.

I've been looking for a file cabinet that is pretty enough to serve as a bedside-table. Since in my tiny NYC 1-BR, every single thing in my apartment has to serve double-duty. The foot stool that hides my free weights and exercise bands. The dresser that has a secret compartment/jewelry tray. The foot-stool as desk chair.

You know, one day I hope to have a full house full of {single-duty} Pottery Barn and West Elm classics and quirky {read: frivolous} Anthropologie settees and rugs... but until then, I will cherish my file cabinet.

Keep calm.

Check out this lovely that will soon be gracing my kitchen.

{From KeepCalmCollection on Etsy}

While I think the ascendant popularity of these British-inspired Keep Calm prints has made them slightly cheesy, I can't resist the internet design blog peer pressure... and the kitsch. I want one. I {will shortly} have one!

My oldest friend (we've known each other since kindergarten!), Krista, is coming to visit this weekend. I am trying to figure out what all we are going to do, looking for the perfect balance of touristy stuff, hanging out, good food, and beating the 98 degree high that is supposed to hit NYC on Friday and Saturday. I am so excited to see her and have a fantastic weekend, but I am dreading the heat. We may have to spend more time inside at extremely air-conditioned theaters and museums than I originally planned!

I'll have to take a break from my internet shopping to scour the internet for some indoor activities and make a plan for this weekend :-)

Home over-haul.

I am re-decorating my apartment. Mostly because half the things in my apartment just relocated with me from college, and I don't particularly like them any more/think I can do better.

My mom and aunt (who is practically a pro decorator) are coming to help me paint in three weeks. I have been busy ordering accessories like pillows and art and other such things for the rest of the re-design. Mostly, I want to re-do the walls. I have art and pictures of friends/family on the wall that have not been swapped out since I was a junior in college. Yeah... I don't even look like that any more...

I am planning on framing all the art and arranging that first, then filling in any remaining holes with a few pics of friends/family/possibly kitties.

However, I am most excited about my first Etsy purchase:

{Chevron Pillow Squares from HoneyPieDesign on Etsy. SOLD! To me!}

I am anxiously awaiting my two Chevron pillows in white and gold from HoneyPieDesign. Check out her shop. Lots of cute pillows!

I'll share part of my process with you all as I pick out paint samples this week, have all of my random online purchases delivered to work (since I don't have a doorman), and in three weeks, attempt to rent a ladder from the hardware store and paint my first wall ever... under the careful guidance of my aunt.

I finally ordered two prints from Paris vs. New York.

And those Ork Poster Minneapolis and Manhattan maps.

Packing for the weekend.

I'm headed home to Minnesota next weekend for a few days at the lake. Here are a few picks for the perfectly packed weekend. The key is a few great pieces that can be remixed for different activities.

For the plane:

[flip flops//jeans//striped tank//cute ring//carry-on bag]

Add a classic black v-neck cardi to this combo, and I'll be all set for the plane. Some people prefer to wear something with socks through security for when they make you take off your shoes, but lately, I've noticed that they don't make you take off flip flops or basic sandals if there's no metal. I'll be crossing my fingers that I can get away without walking barefoot on the airport floor! Best to keep jewelry simple this day for the same reason - don't want to be taking off necklaces, etc. to go through security.

For the drive out to the lake/drinks on the patio Friday afternoon:

[pink tank//pleated jean shorts//army jacket//gold necklace//gold espadrilles]

A simple but fun look for the 90 minute drive to my family's lake house in Western Minnesota. Jean shorts and a tank make up the base so I'm ready to peel away the layers and hit the lake the minute I'm out of the car!

For a day on the lake:

[polka dot bikini//chambray shirtdress//braided leather belt//sun hat]

A light cover-up in case it gets chilly while cruising the lake. Flip flops are a must if we end up heading into town for drinks at the local watering hole. A floppy sun hat is essential to protect from UV rays... and to hide my eyes for a quick nap.

For dinner in town Saturday night:

[pink maxi dress]

A remix of the weekend's accessories with a pretty pink maxi dress from Michael Stars. This dress is really neat - it actually converts into a maxi skirt or a halter dress too! Great for a weekend when it's important to pack light.

And I'll round out the suitcase with leggings (for working out & for bedtime), Minnesota Twins t-shirt for bedtime, running shoes, a plain white tee (to remix with the Michael Stars skirt), sunglasses, black cardigan, black clutch, and Michael Kors watch.

Friday's five things.

Did I mention how busy I've been lately?

I just started my summer class, Advanced Book Editing, which involves 6 weeks of intensive reading and editing of manuscripts... and a lot of work. So far, so good. My family was here last weekend. It was a lot of fun, but I've been exhausted all week now. And now I'm so ready for summer! I can't believe it's June already!

I'm looking forward to a weekend of relaxing and doing homework. It should be pretty quiet. I have no real plans except tonight.

1. Tonight, I'm trying Hospoda, a new Eastern European craft beer joint on 73rd Street. I just happened to walk by it the other day, and I'm really excited! It's only been open a week now, so it will be interesting to see how people like it. They boast craft European beer and wine and a modern European menu. I'm not too sure about the food, but the beer looks great! I'm meeting Nat there tonight after work!

2. I've been craving a seersucker blazer. There was an adorable one in the window at Barney's last week. I don't know who the designer was, but I'm sure it's out of my price range. They styled it with a nautical, horizontal-striped navy and white tee, white cropped skinnies, and navy wedges. Adorable for summer! Here's a similar blazer from L.L. Bean for $139.

3. I went to the gym last night (when I was exhausted and didn't want to go! But I'm happy I did) and picked up sushi from Bamboo sushi on the way home. I overestimated my hunger and ended up with a leftover roll for lunch today at the office. Score!

4. I ordered these for myself yesterday. I've been ogling them for a while and couldn't stop thinking about them. I even went and tried them on at Macy's last weekend, but held off because I didn't want to pay full price. Then by the luck of the draw (or email alert...), I saw them for 33% off from Nordstrom.com yesterday and couldn't resist any longer! So excited to get them in the mail!

5. I plan on walking home through Central Park this afternoon. This is the official start of getting out of work a little early on Fridays and strolling through the beautiful park on the way home season!

Have a great weekend everyone! I swear, I should be back to regular posts at SOME point this summer...

Lunchtime shopping.

Next Monday marks the end of my third semester of grad school and the official beginning of summer for me. After this, I have one half-semester course this summer, two courses in the fall, and my capstone in the spring before graduation in May 2012. When I'll be 24 with a Master's degree. Word.

(We do a capstone project instead of a thesis paper at the end of our program. Lucky us - it includes a paper AND a presentation to the board!)

Therefore, since Macy's had a 25% off Friends&Family sale this weekend (code MACYSFF, ends Monday 5/2/11), I bought myself a little end-of-semester treat. I've been eyeing the gold Michael Kors watches for a while, and finally bit the bullet and ordered this one for myself:

Michael Kors Watch, Women's Goldtone Stainless Steel Bracelet MK5305 with mother-of-pearl face. Normally $250, for $187 with Macy's Friends&Family discount.

OK, and I threw in a new pair of flip-flops for the summer. I buy a pair of more or less basic black flip flops every summer and seem to run them into the ground by the end of every summer. These are my pick for this year:

MICHAEL Michael Kors Shoes, MK Flip Flops, black with gold accent. Normally $30, I got them for $22.50 with the discount.

There's a lot of clothes, etc., that I'm really craving for this summer, but it will have to wait until next month's paycheck... I'll post my shopping list one of these days, too. I swear. Once class is over next week, I should have a lot more time for blogging, and oh, you know, life in general.

Long live summer!

Friday's five things.

This week has been exhausting. The semester and work are both just catching up to me, and I think this is maybe the more tired I've been while working full-time and going to school. Only four more weeks, though! Here's what's getting me through to summer:

1. I just ordered these adorable bobby pins from Kate Spade for $31. I saw them on someone else's blog, and I feel terrible, but I can't find the original post! (Maybe Cupcakes and Cashmere? Maybe The Budget Babe? IDK.) Anyway. I'm super stoked to get these cuties in 4-6 business days.

2. I'm finally trying Peels on Sunday with the girls. I love brunch. I can't wait for their highly-recommended buttermilk biscuits.

via

3. I'm still reading Jane Eyre... and it's finally starting to get good. Although I totally missed the Goodreads Jane Eyre Challenge... Seriously, though, I hope to finish it this weekend.

4. While it's not quite warm enough, IMHO, it's already Sperry's season. I got these pink ones last spring at Macy's for like $45. It was fantastic. They should be going on sale again just about any minute now.

5. The warm weather has also brought out the Mr. Softee trucks in NYC. I haven't had my first cone of the summer yet, but oh, I have my plans.

via

TGIF, friends. Stay tuned for the next Single in the City story: the Most Boring Man in the World. Seriously.

Friday's five things.

So, I still need to post my spring break breakdown... but I have not been at home on my computer for more than 53 seconds straight in the last 2 weeks. I picked up a third class (1.5 credits for 7 weeks) for the second part of this semester which started after break, and I am so freaking busy now!

For now, here are 5 fun things that will hopefully help me make it through the next couple weeks until summer!

1. Cole Haan Air Tali Rain Ballet flat in Sunflower Patent, $138 from Colehaan.com. These bright and cheery goodies will be so perfect for the spring showers when it is too hot to wear my Hunters. I can't afford them at full price, but you can bet I'm counting down until they go on sale... something to look forward to!

2. Snapfish photo books are 50% with the code 11BOOKSBD - just in time for me to make a beautiful new photo book of my trip!

3. NYU is hosting a gala tonight for all Masters, law, medical, MBA, etc. graduate students. With free drinks and hors d'oeuvres. And law students. I'm going with a few friends and need to head home after work to decide what to wear! (Possibly green silk dress... possibly black New Year's Eve dress... unsure.)

4. Reese's peanut butter eggs are officially on the shelves. These are my favorite part of every holiday. They have about 2 times the amount of peanut butter as a normal Reese's cup. And are my biggest weakness right now. (Pssst! Mom! These are the ones I'm talking about!)

5. I plan on finishing Jane Eyre this weekend (the book) so that I can complete the Goodreads Jane Eyre Challenge and see Jane Eyre (the movie) before April 15th.

TGIF, everyone!

Friday's five things.

So, I ended up returning those boots. They were close, but they weren't perfect. I don't want to settle for something that I don't love. I've had a couple crazy weeks at work, and now I'm also trying to write a massive paper and get everything done before I leave for Europe on Thursday!!! I'm definitely looking forward to being productive this weekend.

1. I'm meeting Nat & G for dinner tonight at Go Burger on 2nd Ave. They have rum-spiked milkshakes and custom burgers that sounds delicious! We've never been there, but they got a great review from UrbanDaddy.

2. When I left this morning, the kitties' ducky was here:

When I came home, ducky was here:

They do this about twice a week, and it always makes me smile when I walk into the bedroom at the end of the day! I love when they "share" their toys with me!

3. This shirt, which I love, is on-sale at J.Crew for $49.99:

4. Did I mention alcoholic milkshakes?

5. I actually bought it last week... but... I bought a new camera! Because I dropped the old one... I got the Canon PowerShot 12.1 Megapixel SD1300 for $107 from Best Buy. It's pretty neat so far. I don't know exactly how everything works, but it's light and shiny and has great zoom!

TGIF, everyone!

Lunchtime shopping.

The most dangerous part about this cold weather is that when I stay in my cubicle for lunch, I tend to shop online...

I'm going to Paris & Copenhagen in a little more than 2 weeks, and I still have a lot to prepare for before I leave! I've realized that I don't really have good, weather-appropriate shoes for trekking all over Europe. I also have a broken digital camera that needs to be replaced ASAP. And I need all sorts of other things like travel size shampoo, band-aids, and perhaps a new dress or top for hitting the town.

I really want new flat black classic-looking riding boots that I could potentially wear and walk in comfortably for the whole trip. That may be asking too much, though, and at this point, I have to find something fast so I have a little time to break them in before I leave! I've ordered 2 pairs online so far that both failed miserably, and I tried on about 5 pairs in Macy's last week with no luck there either.

Today, I just ordered the Codi boots by Bandolino, on sale for $129.99 from Piperlime.com. It's so hard to say, but the comments make me hope that they may work. My problem is that I have wider calves and ridiculously skinny ankles.. so a lot of boots bunch up around my ankles. Cross your fingers that these are the ones!

In other news, I've been ridiculously busy for the last few weeks with work and school, and on top of it, I was sick for pretty much the last two weeks and unable to accomplish just about anything... There's no sign of anything slowing down any time soon, especially when I'll be going out of town for 10 days, but at least now that I'm back to full health, I'll actually be getting more done!

What I'm wearing New Year's Eve.

As I've been stranded here in Minnesota for an extra 3 days, I've been thrown into a little bit of a panic... I have friends coming to my apartment in Manhattan on Friday afternoon at 3 p.m. for New Year's Eve... so hopefully I will make it back to NYC before then to clean, get my outfit ready for the night, pick up some groceries and generally be ready to be a good hostess when I haven't been home in 9 days!

Here's what I'm planning on wearing... some of which I may have to run out and still find on Friday morning... or here in Minnesota tomorrow before I head to the airport...

Little Black Dress: I bought a LBD on sale for $30 at Ann Taylor on Black Friday. Remember back in September when I posted this? Well, I think it's actually the same dress. I never bought it this fall, and I actually never tried it on in the store. So, here I have a dress at home in NYC, and I have NO idea if it fits or if it will look right with the shoes I want to wear... I'm crossing my fingers that it will work!

Gold Glitter "Caryssa" Pumps by Steve Madden. $89.99 from Piperlime. Note: I ordered these for myself for my birthday. When I got them last week, I realized that they are MUCH taller than I thought they were! They are 5 inch heels with a 1 inch platform... I'm not sure how well I'll be able to walk in them, but they are perfect for the occasion! I might have to carry them to the party and change when we get there!
Annnnd accessorize with gold jewelry, black clutch, black tights, and black blazer. Problem is, I'm not sure if the gold jewelry I have will work with the outfit. And I definitely don't have a black blazer that will work! I'll keep you posted as I scramble in the next 48 hours to pull it together!

Winter beauty craveables.

I finally had a chance to flip through the November issue of InStyle last night, even though the December issue has been out for a few weeks... I'm THAT behind. There were a bunch of articles about winter skincare and dressing for the cold weather. I feel like I'm also two-steps behind on my winter skincare routine. The chilly NYC air is starting to wreak havoc. I don't remember it being this bad last winter, but maybe that's because I came in halfway through the season or something?

Anyway, here's what I'm craving right now to try and fix this situation!

The Revlon Hot Facial Sauna, a personal steamer to loosen pores clogged with city grime, $24.99 from Ulta.

The Clarisonic Mia Skincare system, a rotating brush head to exfoliate deeply at home, $149 from Ulta. I really want this and think it could drastically help my skin right now, but it's definitely out of my price range. I'm looking for a more reasonable, effective option and will keep you posted if I find something.

Olive Oil Body Butter, perfect for my super dry skin right now, currently 2 for $25 at the Body Shop.

Nars Cream Blush in Shimmering Poppy, to add a nice glow to my pale-as-a-sheet winter skin, $26 from Sephora.

Uggg I'm so not looking forward to this cold, long winter!

A steal from Nine West!

I ordered these shoes last week on a whim because Nine West had a 50% off sale! I got these adorable black patent leather flats for $20.87 including FREE SHIPPING because of their pre-Thanksgiving sale. Unfortunately, they're now back to $49.99 (which is still a great price!).

They come in 10 different colors and have a very supportive rubber sole. I just got them in the mail today, and I'm shocked how comfy they are! I think these will be the next flats that I wear to death in this city!

It's really hard to resist all these great deals and steals right now... This is a great time to be shopping for basically anything. I'm still looking for camel-colored chinos, a cashmere scarf and glove set, a casual blazer, and some new boots for this winter. Stay tuned for the rest of my shopping conquests!

Priorities.

Macy's has a great sale on right now for Veterans' Day. Free shipping with the code vetsday, and 10-50% basically anything you could need right now. So, naturally, I ordered this great MICHAEL by Michael Kors coat.

Okay, okay, I admit it: Michael Kors is my latest obsession. This man, this designer, can basically do no wrong in my eyes. I love his classic cuts, sleek designs, and timeless colors. I love the high-quality fabrics, supple leather, and impeccably detailed accessories.

However, I can really only afford Michael Kors on sale. Like this coat, currently $120 at Macy's, marked down from $225. And the great black patent peep-toe heels I got about a month ago for $62 at Macy's, marked down from God-knows-what.

With my current "working full-time on a barely liveable entry-level salary while paying for my Master's degree in the most expensive city in the U.S." situation, I have to really plan and prioritize my purchases. For example, right now I really need (1) a new winter coat (check) for the bitter cold New York winter that will be knocking on my door any second and (2) winter shoes/boots for work (check).

Next on the list: Flats for work, a Michael Kors watch, another pair of black pants for work, and an inexpensive biz-casual black blazer for work/play.

Also, Christmas gifts for all my friends & family on my list this year. I heart NY t-shirts are apparently unacceptable.

Booties.

I know it's been forever since I've posted, but I've been having such a busy fall! Lots to come, I swear!

For now, here are the new booties I just ordered from Bloomingdale's with my 20% Friends and Family coupon. What do you think?

I want to wear them with skinny black trousers and my new gray cowelneck sweater from Michael Kors (posted in my September crave-ables). Or with skinny jeans on the weekend. Or with basically everything. I love booties.. I think they're perfect for winter in New York on the days when it's not all slushy and nasty out. But I'll definitely still be waterproofing the heck out of these babies!

Fall Fashion Desires... Part 3.

The last of my fall shopping desires:

Black skinny trousers for work, $59.50 from Gap

Black leather booties to tuck those black pants into, $60 from Piperlime

Two-toned blousy-topped dress, $98 from Loft

Convertible crossbody bag, $98 by the Sac @ Piperlime

I'll let you all know how the shopping goes!