Quick Update

Hey friends.

New York City consumed my life this summer. My internship as a copywriting intern kept me really busy, but I did find time to enjoy the city.

I won the Wicked lottery when my best friend + sorority sister came to visit me. Front row seats. $26.50 each. Well, I should say Meghan won the lottery. Either way, talk about an amazing experience. If you don't know what the Wicked lottery is, let me explain.

Wicked. Impossible to get reasonable tickets. Sold out for months. So, two hours before every show they give away 11 pairs of tickets. Two + half hours before the show, head over to Gershwin theater and put your name in the raffle. It doesn't matter what time you arrive, as long as you get your name in before the cut off. Then, 2 hours before the show, they start drawing names.

Yep, it was that easy. Make sure you bring cash. They don't take cards.

Book of Mormon also runs a similar lottery. And yes, after we won the Wicked matinee tickets we rushed over to Book of Morman after the show with huge heads and thought we would also win those tickets. :)

I'm currently in my hometown regrouping and gearing up for the job search. I'll be back in the city in a few weeks and hopefully gainfully employed soon after that. I love NYC, but there is something about sitting in your parents back yard drinking a Blue Moon that can't be beat by the big city.

Cheers!

BK

Yum its Friday!

Friday's at my office usually involves lots of chatter about food, the weekend, when it's going to be 5:00pm, and more food. I'm surprised there is not more pot-lucks. But I can assure you there are tons of take-out. (Today was Italian, in case you were wondering.) Anyhow, I thought I'd share with you today a very awesome recipe for Saturday breakfast/brunch. Cinnamon Roll Pancakes! My father and I tried these out a few weekends ago, and OH MY! Be ready for a party in your mouth. Melt in your mouth good. I originally found the recipe here, however we tripled and changed it slightly due to the small quantity it made. We have officially added them to the Christmas Brunch menu this year at our house.

See Foodgawker.com  and  Recipe Girl's Site for more amazing recipe's and photos!

Full Recipe after the jump! 

Goodbye to the Boy Who Lived

I was 11 when my Mom presented me with the first Harry Potter book, Harry Potter + the Sorcerer's Stone. Today, at 25, it doesn't seem possible that the adventure is coming to an end. When the Deathly Hallows was released in 2007, I read the entire book, cover to cover in less than a day. It was strange, I wanted to know so badly what would become of the beloved characters in the book, but at the same time, I didn't want it to end.

I related to Harry. He was the new kid at Hogwarts, I was the new kid at High School. He was awkward looking, I had a good 8 year awkward stage. He was bullied by Draco Malfoy, I was bullied by just about everyone. The books provided an escape for me during those pre-teen + teenage years when I was looking for a way to find myself.

I said goodbye while I read the final book, I didn't realize how emotional I would feel now that the last movie is being released. At first, I didn't care for the movies, but as I re-read the books for the 8th + 9th time, I began to realize that the Harry Potter in the movies was the same boy in the books. They were one in the same, an accomplishment that I don't think any author/director has have achieved.

My good friend from high school, James, sent me this fantastic set of illustrated posters depicting all of the events of Harry Potter. We shared our love for Harry, Hogwarts + Quidditch while spending many days together in the high school band room.

You can check out the posters by French Milk creator Lucy Kinsley here. Or download them in high resolution from her website OMGGRYFFINDOR.

To J.K. Rowling, thank you for making the most unbearable days, manageable. Thank you for honoring the characters you created in the beginning + giving them the ending they deserved. You've changed the lives of many kids, and adult kids, by teaching them the lesson of perseverance + that if you never give up, you'll always be in control of your own destiny.

Good Eats: NYC

I like being an intern + I like going to lunch with the other interns. Sure, my grad school friends + I would drink beer in the middle of the day to calm our nerves about the all-nighter that awaited us, but going to lunch with the people you work with is different.

There are things that happen during the lunch hour. People act like themselves. They let loose, a little. They tell you something about their personal lives they might never say in the walls of the office. These people, or interns in my case, that you've been forced, and I mean that in a nice way, to work with for 8 weeks in the summer, become human. You don't look at them the same way you did on day one.

Can't wait to re-live this all over again when I find my first job. Which, by the way, I need. If you know anyone looking for a copywriter in NYC, send them my way.

So one of my favorite lunch spots is Lena: Latin Grill on 34th between 5th + 6th. The concept reminds me of Chipotle, but the food tastes way better.

1. choose your style

• Burrito
  
• Salad
• Plate

2. choose your protein

• Chicken
• Steak
• Fish
• Tofu

3. choose your sauce

• So many to pick from. I like pico + butter lemon

4. choose your additions + sides

• The wraps + salads come with 2 additions each. I usually get roasted corn and coconut rice.
  
• Also, do not leave without ordering some sweet plantains.

Lena also serves a variety of freshly squeezed juices each day.

So what do I usually order? A whole wheat burrito with chicken, pico + butter lemon sauce, coconut rice + roasted corn, with a side of sweet plantains + a diet Coke.

Go to Lenanyc.com for more information + to check out a menu. See you at lunch!!

We Love Illustration

Happy Fourth from the Big O! We hope your day will be filled with family, friends and of course, food. Speaking of food, post a comment with the best thing you eat today! We'd love to hear about it.

It's hard to believe that exactly one month ago, I graduated from SCAD. Tomorrow will mark my one month anniversary of being in the Big Apple. The verdict: I love it here, but I miss the palm trees. Anyways, my first weekend in New York City I went to the Renegrade Craft Fair in Brooklyn NY. As soon as I saw the first booth, I fell back in love with design. Over the next few weeks, I'll share with you some of the talented artists that I encountered on that day.

First up, cakespy shop based in Seattle, WA. This fun husband + wife couple sells dessert-themed artwork at their gallery, along with indie art. Their tent was filled with fun pastries with cute expressions. The illustrations are playful and the colors are fantastic. The best part? All of their work is also available online at cakespyshop.com. I'm going to pick up something for my friend Liz's baby, Colton, born just yesterday!

Cheers! Have a fun + safe Fourth.

1,000 Ships

Sorry for the delay! Today's artist comes from the Big Apple and is not only a singer and a songwriter, but also a pianist and beatboxer. What a combo! Rachel Platten is a great artist who sings fun, catchy tunes that just make you smile. She's adorable too! (I think she looks like Mandy Moore.) She has a lot of good songs, but this one especially gets stuck in my head! It's called 1,000 Ships. I'm actually going to give you another song of hers to check out too, it's called Nothing Ever Happens. *ENJOY*

Rachel Platten - 1,000 Ships
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r61LFkzKzQQ

Rachel Platten - Nothing Ever Happens
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VB5INNI86fc&NR=1

Here is her website for more info!
http://www.rachelplattenmusic.com/fr_home.cfm

A Small World in the Big City

I've been absent from the big OC for awhile now. As some of you know, I recently re-located to New York City to spend the summer at an advertising agency. It's going great. I'm learning a lot, meeting a lot of people and getting lots of practice on the subway.

Ahhh the subway. When I first moved here, I refused. For 48 hours of my NYC life, I walked everywhere. It just wasn't for me, right? All those people. All those germs. I jest, I jest. Actually, I do have a bit of a strange rash on my face at the moment...Anyways, I read a map wrong, shocker, as Geography was the only class I had to withdraw from in college, and realized that there was no way I could walk to the tip of the island to meet a college friend for lunch. And so, I headed below the city for my first official ride on the subway.

I lived.

And I continue to utilize the subway system here in New York, although not so much for the purpose of getting around. I've truly come to love the musicians that take center stage on the platforms where I wait for the trains. I've seen movies, mostly bad romantic comedies, where some guy is on the street playing a saxophone in Central Park while a mismatched couple shares their first awkward kiss, but it's different underneath the streets of NYC. The musicians are passionate. They have to be to play often above 100 degree heat. They feel every note, they make every person on the platform hear them.

On one particular night this weekend I happened to hear the soulful sound of Paul Tabachneck. He caught me off guard. While I was happy to have a distraction from the sweat dripping off my back and my 100lb purse, I didn't know that I'd fall in love with the voice of a musician from Pittsburgh. He had a QR code on his guitar case, and as I got on the train, I realized that a little bit of home had showed up here in New York City.

You can catch Paul this weekend at Cafe Basilicia in NYC on July 3rd at 2 p.m. or in the Burgh on July 15th. For more information visit facebook.com/paultabmusic.