the tea chronicles: un

i am going to make myself like tea. everyone at the office drinks coffee, as in most offices. i neither like coffee, nor want to start liking it. what is there to gain from that toxic relationship? tea is a different story. so here begins my journey.

the accessories don't hurt either.

the mission started with vanilla+honey tea. though my sophisticated palette could detect neither flavor, after supplementing with some (a lot) of sugar and milk i started to enjoy. for my next experiment, i'm considering a fruity tea. perhaps a white tea? if any tea experts out there have any suggestions, shoot them my way!

the fool looks at a finger that points at the sky

i called brooklyn home for the first time today. after a few days spent exploring the neighborhood, i've fallen completely in love. something about brooklyn is distinctly different from manhattan, which i love. truth be told, i'm discovering that i'm not a manhattan girl. crowds stress me out, i like to walk slow, and it's entirely too mainstream for my tastes. yes, even you, the east village. manhattan has become synonymous with work, so no thanks.

one of the highlights of my past few weeks was a lovely visit from my dear friend miss alice riley-ryan. we experienced nyc last summer, though not as much together as i would have liked. she arrived with a smile on her face and a lovely bouquet in her hand.


it was so refreshing to have a good girlfriend in the city to hang out with! aside from a few dinner dates, i really haven't had the chance to connect with the girlfriends i do have in the city, much less spend a whole day just hanging out. it was awesome. we saw 500 days of summer (highly, highly recommend), made plans to travel abroad & ate a lot of red mango. perfection. we even saw a clown on the subway.


as a result of speaking with alice and being surrounded by the varying cultures in new york, i've been bitten by the travel bug - big time. i'm dying to spend time abroad. here i am, loving brooklyn and googling work abroad options in south africa & australia. go figure. in the meantime, i've got this tidbit of aussie culture to keep me satisfied.


my parents are coming to visit in about a week (i'm merely a stopover for a new england roadtrip they've been talking about for years - take me with you!). i can't wait to see them. absence really does make the heart grow fonder! i'm sure i'll have something entertaining to post after mom and pops take on the city - in the meantime, cheers.

like disco lemonade

after a glorious four day weekend spent with some best friends, it's time for an update on brooklyn life. work has still been going well, although i've already had my fair share of late nights. i'm learning that advertising is kind of like an unhealthy relationship - the tougher it gets, the more you fall in love. this dilbert cartoon posted at my boss's desk offers a great perspective.


throughout the course of my advertising bootcamp, i'm starting to get a grasp on the industry. little did i know it merited its own lexicon. maybe one day i'll be adding a word there myself.


i left "the city" for a different city to celebrate the 4th of july. it was a good change in scenery, and i had a great time with tara, katelyn & kate. true to form, tara packed up a literal picnic basket for our 4 hour road trip, and we were off for an adventure full of mcflurries and singalongs.


every trip should include the above essentials. after a lot of sleeping in, paddle-boating, dancing & consumption (which i will now refer to as "research"), i can say it was a great success. i hope everyone enjoyed the holiday with someone they love!

train tunes

if the moon's a balloon

hey friends. it's been about a week since i moved to nyc. i remember how nervous i was when i began writing about my experience in the city at this time last year. not so many nerves this time around :)

i am happily settled into my new apartment, which is nestled in "america's first suburb," brooklyn heights. it's lovely - a short walk to the promenade, beautiful brownstones, and easy access to the brooklyn bridge. far enough away from the hustle of manhattan to be relaxing, but close enough that i can get to the heart of it all in a matter of minutes.

today was my second day at work. i'll be working on the diageo account again, specifically smirnoff and baileys. promises to be a great time, just like it was last summer. it was so refreshing to see the familiar faces of the great team i worked with again - and to think that now i'm a real part of that team!

here are a couple things i've found to fall in love with in the city so far:

1. dogs. shocker, i know. i've loved dogs forever, and the fact that literally everyone has one here doesn't hurt.

the fat chihuahua is especially favored

2. 4 train entertainment. whether it's street musicians or just plain crazy folk, it's always a good time on the 4. check out this guy i saw today with the largest suitcase in the world. it was not on wheels. i couldn't even get the whole thing in the frame.

despite the fact that he is staring right at me, he has no clue this picture is being taken. thanks iphone.

3. a space to call my own. while it may not look like much yet, my desk will be my home base during the crazy days at work. can't wait to turn this blank canvas into a masterpiece of files, folders, paper clips and a personal photo or two.

now i just have to work on getting them to give me a mac...