Category Archives: NYC

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

And all of a sudden, tomorrow is Christmas Eve.

I have to admit, this year I’ve felt a bit like Amanda. I started out the season SO EXCITED for Christmas time, and all of a sudden it’s almost Christmas and I’m just more relieved to slow down than anything. This month has been a whirlwhind of busy days at work (hi, working for a fitness company just before January. Yup.), holiday parties and other obligations. I felt like I was just going through the motions and trying to get through the season with some sanity intact.

I didn’t decorate my apartment. I didn’t send out cards (but I bought some really cute ones on Etsy…) I didn’t get to go home and do Christmas-y things with my family. But I’m so excited to go home and have a few days quality time with them at the most wonderful time of the year.

It FINALLY felt like Christmas time, and I finally felt genuinely excited on Friday night.

American Ballet Theatre - Nutcracker

Some of my friends, including my friend Jen, are members of the American Ballet Theater, and they were having a performance of the Nutcracker at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.  I usually go with my parents to Lincoln Center, but my dad couldn’t go this year because of some health issues, so I wasn’t going to cheat on them at Lincoln Center.

It was fun, and I’m glad I went, but Lincoln Center > BAM and NYC Ballet > ABT.

Saturday, I did 95% of my Christmas shopping and errands for my COOKIE SWAP!

Yesterday morning, I took advantage of the mild, mild weather and did a little sightseeing run.

Giant Ornaments - 1251 6th Ave NYC

 

Somehow this is the fourth year I’ve done this cookie swap! This year, I invited wayyyy too many people, and I couldn’t hold that many people in my apartment, so Leanne at Uplift was kind enough to let me hold my cookie swap there. (Yes, we drank wine and ate cookies at a gym. Is that not normal?)

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Uplift is like my second home, so it didn’t feel that weird.

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I’m pretty sure Lacey has helped me set up every single year. I’m pretty sure Lacey wins friend of the year award.

 

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And Steph wins Prettiest Cookie of the Year award.

 

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Former Coworker Abby wins points for the prettiest store-bought cookies.

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Leah wins for just being the cutest. I don’t know if you can tell in this pic, but her sweater has furry sleeves. NBD.

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Jen wins for co-president of the Small Eyes Club.

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Katie and Meghan win for looking like they are chair models.

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Emily hands-down, without a doubt, wins for best-dressed with her cute, cute, cute Vineyard Vines skirt.

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Former Coworker Abby wins for brightest pants.

 

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Laura wins for best coordinated with the hostess.

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And my super-cute and sweet little coworker Alex wins Saint of the Year for having to deal with me before my coffee. Caitlin wins at life for the Best Single-Girl Card ever.

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We had the entire space, but everyone ended up congregating by the bar. Shocker.

Oh, except for when Gia, Kscott and I decided to do a little photo shoot.

Leanne, please let me come back? 🙂 Also, pro tip: do not pick up a heavier kettlebell than you’ve ever picked up before (30 pounds) after several glasses of bubbly. All ended well, but…there was definite potential for it not to.

Where’s the most random place you’ve ever held a party? What makes it feel like the holidays to you?

The Best Celebrity Sighting EVER!

On October 21, I started an awesome new job.

On November 3, I crushed my sub-4 goal at the New York City Marathon.

And on December 14, I saw Mr. Will Ferrell at a bar.

I AM OBSESSED WITH HIM, SO THIS IS MAJOR and definitely up there with a new job and marathon goal-crushing.

Yesterday, I started feeling like I had a cold, so I decided to skip planned drinks with friends in favor of rest.

I was in my jammies, all ready to go to sleep, when I saw one of the girls post on Facebook that Will Ferrell was at the bar they were at, Harlow.

ARE YOU STILL THERE? IS HE STILL THERE?

She answered yes, and yes, and I got ready faster than I ever have and hopped into a cab.

I walked in and couldn’t find my friends, so I made a beeline for the bar and ordered a glass of bubbly. I must have looked so sketchy as I just kept looking around the bar, hoping to either see my friends or Mr. Ferrell. The bartender and I started making small talk, and I told her that I’d rallied because I heard Will Ferrell was there.

“Oh, yeah. He’s in that private room behind us.”

There was a glass wall separating the bar from the private room area, AND SURE ENOUGH, WILL AND VIVECA (his wife, obvs, it’s not weird at all that I know her name) were about 20 feet from me, right in my line of vision.

I DIED. I felt like I’d won the lottery.

Any time anyone walked out of the room, I turned to see if it was him. Nope.

I stood there and thought about what I’d say to him if he happened to walk over the bar to me and say, “Hello, I couldn’t help but notice that we share the same affinity for elf culture.” Would I just stand there and quote his movies to him? Would I tell him OMG HOW MUCH I LOVE HIM? Would I tell him that we have the same marathon PR? (P.S. Competitor had a great interview with him the other day about his running. P.P.S I just Athlinks stalked him and he has done a whole bunch of races under his own name!)

As it turned out, my friends found me while I was contemplating this, and I went to join them at the table. As people in his party started leaving the private room, I basically turned and stared to see if he’d come out, flanked by the other members of the Channel 4 newsteam.

I probably blew up my own spot being a total fangirl, because he went out the other door.

But since I first saw Elf in 2004, I’ve dreamed of this day, seriously. I’m meeting Jillian Michaels at an event next month, and then I can basically die of celebrity sighting happiness.

Anchorman 2 comes out Wednesday but I am being a complete and utter fangirl and doing the Super Ticket so that I can see it tomorrow. I’ve waited nearly 10 years for this. I can’t wait two more days.

Favorite Will Ferrell movie? And/or favorite Will Ferrell scene? What’s your best celeb sighting or whom would you die to see somewhere?