October was dressed as January for Halloween

When I moved to New York, I knew I was going to see a lot of snow. When I found out snow was predicted for New York on Halloween weekend, everyone seemed so calm. Id snow was predicted in Alabama this early, everyone would be in a state of panic. Despite the weather predictions, My roommates and I decided to take the train to upstate NY for some apple picking and a trip to the Vanderbilt Mansion. Little did we know, we were in for an epic adventure. When we got off the train, our taxi driver that took us to the apple orchid warned us to get out of town by 2:00. Since we had just paid for our train ticket up there, we decided to ignore his advice and go on about our day. The snow really began to fall when we were at the orchid. After we were done picking apples, we decided to call the Vanderbilt mansion to make sure they were still opened before we made the trip. They said they were so we had a taxi pick us up at the orchid and drop us up at the house.The taxi ride there was terrifying, We could feel the taxi fishtailing on the icy roadways. After about 30 minutes and several flashes of the past 23 years later, we arrived at the Vanderbilt mansion only to discover that it had closed down for the day.  While we waited for the taxi to pick us back up, we had the entire Vanderbilt estate to our selves and tons of untouched snow top play in. It was amazingly beautiful. The entire day I kept feeling like I should be in Christmas Spirit, but then I kept remembering it was Halloween and I had a while before the Christmas spirit set in. 

After a nice, relaxing dinner at a picturesque, wood-pannaled wall tavern, we got back on the train for what we thought would be an hour and a half trip back to the city. What should have taken an hour and a half took four hours due to trees falling on the train and the train tracks. We ended up having to transfer to another train because the train we were on was damaged from the trees! Overall, we had a fun day that I know I will remember for a long time.

On Sunday, I knew I wanted to see how the city looked with its Halloween Snow. After a fantastically fattening lunch at Shake Shack, my friend Jenna and I decided to explore Central Park. With Jenna's camera in hand, we set out to capture the rare  October snow. 

This past weekend was sone to remember. I am hoping and praying it was not a sign of a cold, snow winter to come!

Six Months

I can't believe it has been exactly six months since the April, 27th tornados. I remember that day like it was yesterday and I am sure I will remember it forever. The entire day was just a strange day all together. I was woken up around 5:30 that morning by the threat of early morning storms. Thankfully, those storms did not hit where I was. Little did I know, I would be a direct target later that day. I sat in Starbucks in Tuscaloosa that day for several hours working on a final project that I would never have to turn in. I had a seat right by the window and I kept noticing the sky getting darker and darker. I finally decided that I should head over to a friend's apartment just in case the weather decided to take a turn for the worse. After getting Chick F Lay and attempting to do our homework, James Spann began to grab our attention more that our homework assignments. After several panicked phone calls from our families in Birmingham, we decided to go to another apartment on the bottom floor of the building. We continued working on our homework until we heard James Spann say, "If you are a student at the University of Alabama, take shelter now, It is heading straight for you". Right after this was said, the power went out. We stepped on to the back porch to check things out and after seeing the tornado, we ran inside for cover. We went into a closet underneath the stairs. Right when we closed the door to the closet, the apartment began to shake and we could hear the windows begin to shatter. The tornado sounded like a mix between a jet and an airplane. We new the exact moment when the tornado was over us because out ears were popping and the building was shaking violently. Suddenly, everything got quite and the worried phone calls began to pour in. 

This is the first things I saw when I walked outside 

I found these soldiers in my car when I was cleaning out the glass

Poor Heidi

When we stepped outside, I was shocked. The apartment I was in was not more than 300 yards from complete devastation. I had no idea that the storm was that bad. The further we walked, the worse it got. The Starbuck I was in just a few short ours earlier was destroyed. Friend's houses were complete loses. Even though I didn't know anyone who lost their life that day, the town that I lived in for a few years was gone. At that point, I had live in Alabama my entire life and had the threat of tornadoes occur countless times. So much in fact, that I had assumed this one would just bring rain, thunder and a little bit of lightning. For days, Tuscaloosa did not have phone service which made i very difficult to get in touch with friends that were also in Tuscaloosa. Finding out that all of my friends were safe was a wonderful feeling.

Even though my friends and family were safe, many people were not so lucky. Please remember to keep Tuscaloosa, and other places that were in the path of this storm in your thoughts and prayers. 

A Huge Mountain, Two Bruised Feet and One Bee Sting Later...

Last Saturday, The Recent College Grad Group at the church I have been attending took a hiking trip to Cold Springs, New York to hike up Breakneck Mountain. We all met a little after 8 am at Grand Central Station and took an hour long train ride to the town of Cold Springs. It is hard to believe that places like this exist so close to the city. Even though I love being in the city, it was nice to get out of it and enjoy the beauty of New York State. The hike was a lot tougher than I thought it was going to be. I pictured my self with a walking stick and a red bandana holding my hair back and I walked up the rolling hills of the mountain. I couldn't have been more wrong. The first mile of the hike was straight up hill. I wasn't walking along rolling hills. I was propelling my self up rocks and positioning my body in awkward angles in order to get higher up the mountain. Even though the mountain was challenging, I didn't realize how much work I was doing until the next day when I realized I was sore in places I didn't know existed. I guess I was too busy talking with amazing new friends and enjoying the beauty of what was around us!

Almost Halfway There

Picture Break!

The Top! Looking over West Point.

Group Shot!

This past Saturday has probably been my favorite Saturday in New York! I had so much fun meeting new people and taking in the beauty of everything around me! It is easy to forget how pretty nature can be!

Only In New York

This season, I have really gotten in to the new TV series Pan Am! After catching up on it last night, I couldn't stop thinking about how fabulous New York was back then. When I woke up this morning, I checked my Twitter account and learned some very exciting news! 

PAN AM IS FILMING IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD TODAY!! 

I texted my roommates and my mom to let them know the exciting news! Little did I know that as I was walking to the subway, I would stumble upon the set! I would be lying to you if I didn't say I didn't consider skipping work to watch the filming!

  

Weekend Trip

Even though I absolutely love New York City, it is nice to get out of the hustle and bustle every once in a while. On Saturday, I took the train from Penn Station to visit some friends in New Jersey. The next morning, we woke up and headed for the adorable town of Princeton, home of Princeton University. The town is amazing. It is full of charming shops and restaurants.

Princeton has a Kate Spade, J Crew and Lilly Pulitzer on campus.

My favorite store was the Olive Oil Store. This store has every flavor of Olive Oil you can think of. From Tuscan Herb olive oil to Dark Chocolate olive oil, I was in sample heaven. 

After shopping around town, we decided to walk around Princeton's campus. The campus is beautiful. The building reminded me of a castle. We had a lot of fun walking around and pretending we were Princeton students. 

After walking around the campus, we decided to go to one last store, J Crew. This was a problem because I have a slight obsession with J Crew. The only problem with my J Crew obsession is that I can't really afford it. This trip however, was a different story. The clearance items were marked down an extra 30% (THANKS COLUMBUS! USA! USA!) and since I had my student ID, I got an extra 15% off. I scored a great button up and a sweater vest, yes, a sweater vest, for $26.00! Before we left, we stopped by a great cupcake shop called House of Cupcakes. I know I raved about Magnolia Bakery's cupcakes, but this cupcakes was seriously the best cupcake I have ever had. I knew it would be good because The House of Cupcakes was featured on an episode of cupcake wars! They ended up winning first place and donated all of the prize money to St. Jude!

I couldn't have asked for a better weekend and will definitely make another trip to Princeton soon! 

How Sweet It Is

Last Sunday, my roomates and I walked to a street fair in Brooklyn called Atlantic Antic. Several vendors lined the block of Brooklyn with their fun and unique products. The vendors had everything from vintage clothing to fried Oreos (DELICIOUS). After pounding the pavement in Brooklyn, we decided to head in to Manhattan. Our first stop was Dylan's Candy Bar. The candy store, owned by Ralph Lauren's daughter is a candy lover's delight. They have everything from gummy worms to candy themed cocktails. The store is absolutely adorable. 

 

 Candy Stairs 

 Cupcake Table 

After leaving Dylan's candy bar, we decided to stop by Magnolia Bakery for a cupcake. If you ever have the chance to try one of these cupcakes, please do. The icing is AMAZING! 

Tonight, our sweet tooth kicked in again and we decided to try a recipe for Cake Batter Bark. You only need a few  ingredients to make this delicious desert. 

6 oz of Dark Chocolate

12 oz of White Chocolate (we used Hershey's Cookies and Cream Bars)

3 TBS of Cake Mix (We used Funfetti)

Sprinkles 

First, melt the Dark Chocolate in the Microwave.

When the chocolate is completely melted, Spread on a cookie sheet. (Use tin foil or parchment paper to prevent sticking)

Freeze for 20 minutes

Next, melt the white chocolate. After it is melted, whisk in the cake mix.

Pour white chocolate and cake mix mixture on top of the dark chocolate.

Freeze for twenty minutes.

ENJOY! 

City Life

 

Entrance to Prospect Park

I am having a love affair with New York. Sometimes, when I step in to the city from the subway station, or see the Williamsburg Bridge lit up at night, I catch myself smiling, mesmerized by it all. Even thought I love Manhattan, I am also having a love affair with Brooklyn. I live in an adorable neighborhood in Brooklyn. I am in walking distance to the cutest shops and restaurants. Everything here is so charming. Living in Brooklyn is a nice break from the hustle and bustle of the city, while still offering all of the perks of city living. My roommates and I love to explore our neighborhood. Every time we explore, we find something new and exciting. Last week, we walked to Prospect Park in Brooklyn. This park was HUGE! The park was filled with people and their dogs enjoying the last few weeks of warm weather. We discovered running paths, a skating rink, a zoo, and even a place to paddle boat!

 We also like to walk to the Brooklyn Bridge. You get excellent views of the city while getting great exercise. The picture to the left is a picture of the Freedom Tower. (This is where the World Trade Centers once stood). I thought this picture was beautiful, yet erie all at the same time.

Brooklyn Bridge

I still can't believe I am actually here! I am living every minute of it and can't wait to see what other adventures I get my self in to!