I am back from New York and it was amazing. My mom and I had a blast and a half! Bon Jovi was unreal. I will give you a nice long post with all the details and pictures this coming week! Until then I am so super busy! Yesterday, I hopped off the plane from NYC and headed straight to my friend's rehearsal dinner for her wedding. Straight from there I went to Canterbury Park to see J's parent's racehorse race (more on that later this week too!) Then today I am working all day, then making my way to a friend's house for the big UFC fight! (That's right, I love the UFC). Then tomorrow my friend Brianna is getting married!!! When oh when am I going to catch up on all the lovely blogs I haven't read in almost a week, not to mention all of my recorded shows? Eeks!
I hope you all have an amazing and safe Memorial Day weekend and I will be back next week to update all you lovelies on the most crazy, busy, exciting, fun week of all time! Until then, feast your eyes on my gorgeous friend and her adorable fiance and be thinking happy thoughts for them tomorrow on their BIG DAY!
The summer after my senior year of college I went to New York with my dad and some of our family friends. The trip was so fun because Allison, whose 20th birthday was during the trip, had never been there. It was fun to do a lot of sightseeing stuff and we did our fair share of partying, taking full advantage of what the city had to offer. The main reason for trip was to see the Twins play the Yankees! It was the last year at the old Yankee Field, so we wanted to make sure to catch a game before all that history and nostalgia was destroyed (such a shame). The Twins lost the game but our seats were RIDICULOUS! We were just two rows above the Twins' dugout! Such a fun time and an amazing memory that I'll never forget!
Beautiful Yankee Stadium (the old one)
Allison and I in our Twins gear!
Yup, that's Joe Mauer. We were THAT close!
Thanks to this sweet sign we made, we were on TV!
I LOVE this picture! That's Mauer up to bat and obviously Cuddyer on deck!
Also, the day before the game we ran into A-Rod on Fifth Avenue. We told him we were going to the game...he didn't care. Too busy dating everyone in Hollywood to give a rats behind I guess.
My sophomore year of college I went to NYC with my dad, step-mom, brother and little sister. We did a lot of fun things that trip; we saw 42nd Street and Beauty and the Beast on Broadway, we took a tour of Madison Square Garden, we took rickshaw rides through Central Park, but there is one part of that trip that really sticks out. My dad treated my step-mom and I to a very special trip to the Mark Garrison Salon! Mark Garrison is one of the top New York hair stylist and has even done Michelle Pfeiffer's hair! We got to go and have our hair cut and colored by some of New York's best. Let me tell you, Those high end New York salons treat you like a princess! It was by far the most amazing salon experience I've ever had and I doubt my hair will ever look that good again!
Me and D getting our hair did!
Here's the BEFORE and AFTER shots of my beautified NYC hair!
As I mentioned HERE, this particular New York trip needs a post of its own. I tried to think of my favorite memory from this adventure but couldn’t, so instead I am sharing the whole thing….well, the parts I can talk about. Just kidding.
Wow, how do I begin? It was my freshman year of college and my friend Megan was going to school at Loyola University in Maryland. For my spring break I decided to go visit her for the weekend and together we were going to go to New York. At the time, Megan had never been there and I had only been there twice. This would be the first time going to the city without my dad and although I was a little nervous, I was beyond excited. I flew in to Baltimore on a Thursday and we had plans to spend a night in downtown Baltimore. It was a blast! I got to meet a bunch of Megan’s friends and explore a city I had never been to. A short side story…I was a good little girl growing up and made it all four years of high school and a semester and a half of college (in a sorority, nonetheless) without ever having a single sip of alcohol. That all changed the night I arrived in Baltimore.
About to go out in downtown Baltimore!
Friday morning Megan and I sprung out of bed (late of course) and flew out the doors of her dorm room to catch a cab to the bus station. Now, we were late getting out of bed but this cab driver was ridiculous. He was supposed to pick us up outside of the cafeteria but couldn’t find it. We waited and waited and waited and finally, thanks to some help from a friend Loyola employee we were in the cab. We made it to the bus station just in time to miss our bus to New York City. First-I called my dad freaking out. Second-the lady at the bus station told us there was another station across town that had a bus leaving in 30 minutes. Third-we got back into the stupid cab and started our journey across town. It should not be hard to make it from bus station A to bus station B in 30 minutes; however, we were unaware of what we now lovingly refer to as NATIONAL FIELDTRIP DAY! I kid you not, there were thousands of children in downtown Baltimore that day and they were all loading in to hundreds of school buses. It was insane and of course slowed us way down. Don’t you hate that feeling when you are in such a hurry and you’re just sitting in a car and no matter what you do you aren’t able to go any faster? It’s all out of your control. Ugh, stress. Finally, we made it to the bus station with time to spare. We sat waiting for the bus with our belongings clutched to our bodies praying we wouldn’t get mugged or worse. To say this bus station was shady is an understatement. Finally, we hopped on our Peter Pan bus and were en route to New York City!
Our plan was to get off the bus and hop a cab to Megan’s mom’s cousin’s place where we were staying, then quickly shower and change and head to Time’s Square because we had tickets to a taping of TRL. That’s right everyone, TRL! Our bus arrives late and we quickly realize there is no way on God’s green earth we were ever going to pull off this plan. We weren’t certain we’d even have time to go to the apartment and drop off our stuff. So again, I call my dad. He suggests we find a hotel, pretend we’re staying there and just ask them to hold our luggage until we get back. If you’ve met me or Megan you know we are not smooth. We’ll say this plan did not work and leave it at that. I honestly don’t remember what we ended up doing with our luggage. I know for a FACT that we went to TRL wearing crap clothes and no makeup, but what happened between getting rejected at the hotel and meeting Elijah Wood is a complete blur. (yeah, Elijah Wood was hosting TRL that day! Way cooler than meeting Carson Daly…and our un-cuteness was definitely shown several times on TV. Great. )
Me and Meg at Rockefeller Plaza after TRL...note, no makeup!
Friday night we went to Caroline’s comedy club and then had plans to go to Club Avalon, which was an old cathedral style church converted into a posh New York nightclub. Sacrilegious, I know…but it was amazing! While there, we met two brothers Ben and Sam who lived in the city. They bought us drinks, we danced, and it was wonderful! Ben and I have actually kept in touch after this trip and I have met up with him again during some other NYC trips. It’s fun to have a friend in the city because he always gives me great recommendations on places to go.
At Caroline's Comedy Club!
Club Avalon with Ben and Sam
Before I left for this trip, my dad and I sat down and made a list of all the places Megan and I wanted to go, and then he organized an itinerary for us. As nerdy as it sounds, it’s a must-have when traveling to NYC. There is so much to see and the city is so big that if you don’t plan to do and see things that are close to each other you waste a ton of time traveling, and we all know how expensive cabs are. I will tell you that after being out at Avalon until 5am that itinerary went completely out the window. We slept through a good chunk of the day on Saturday, and then went shopping! We spent of our time in Chinatown buying knock-off jewelry and purses and then window shopped our way up Fifth Avenue.
Showing off our knock off Louis bags from Chinatown...in front of the actual Louis
That night, we had plans to go to dinner and had tickets to Chicago on Broadway. For dinner, we went to my absolute favorite restaurant, Chiamm. It’s nestled in a cute East Side neighborhood and has the best Chinese food I’ve ever had! We walk in and ask for a table for two and the following conversation takes place:
Barely any English speaking Host: Christina?
Kristin: Nope, not me. Table for two please.
Host: Yes, Christina. Table for two.
Kristin: No, my name is Kristin, we don’t have a reservation
Host: Yes, yes. Your dad call. Two young girls. This time. Christina.
Kristin: Ok?
Host: He give us his credit card number. Dinner on him.
After the show, we met up with Ben and Sam at this really cool club that I don’t remember the name of. It had three floors and every floor played a different style of music. We were all about the 80’s floor!
Sunday, we finished up some last minute shopping and sightseeing then hopped back on that magical Peter Pan bus. The whole trip was hilarious and amazing. It was so liberating exploring the city on my own and I remember leaving feeling really proud. Megan and I had the time of our life on that trip and I will never forget it!
By the time this posts I will be on a plane heading to New York City!!! I know all my devoted readers would be beside themselves if they couldn't read my blog while I was gone for four days, so I scheduled some posts ahead of time to get your through while I'm gone. I thought since I am spending time in my favorite city in the world I would post some of my favorite memories from past trips to the Big Apple, so be looking forward to that!
To get you in the mood, have a look at these photos I have taken over the years of some of my favorite New York City landmarks.
Brooklyn Bridge
How gorgeous is this bridge?! One of these days I'd like to walk across it. And a word to the wise, if you ever take the Brooklyn double-decker bus tour...sit below until you're over the bridge! It's much too scary being up top and looking over the side of the bridge!
Central Park
This is one of my all time favorite pictures I have ever taken in NYC. I want to have it blown up and framed. It's so beautiful and really shows off the metropolitan feel of the city, even though you're in the massive and beautiful park.
This one was taken from a family friend's apartment...can you imagine waking up to that view every morning? Where do I sign up?!
This is the Bethesda Fountain. Every time I see if I am taken back by how beautiful it is. Here's some fun history for you. The fountain, also called "The Angel of Waters" was the only sculpture commissioned as part of the original design of Central Park. The focal point of the sculpture, the angel, symbolizes and celebrates the purifying of the city's water supply. She holds a lily in one hand symbolizing purity while the other hand is extended blessing the water. One of my favorite spots in the city.
Flatiron Building
I love this building! It's so cool! It's hard to believe at one time this building was the tallest building in Manhattan (can you tell I've been on a lot of NYC tours?) I love that it sits at a triangular intersection and mirrors the shape of the roads.
The Lion King
Alright alright, I realize this isn't technically a landmark but the Lion King is the most amazing Broadway show of all time. I've been lucky enough to see the show twice on Broadway and both times I was brought to tears. It honestly is remarkable. If you haven't seen it...GO. Whether it's on Broadway or not, every one young and old, male and female NEEDS to see this show.
The Empire State Building
A true classic. Probably the most recognizable Manhattan landmark and cripes is it high! My very first trip to New York we went to the top (see a pic from that HERE) and I was shakin' in my boots. That elevator ride seems like an eternity and being out on the observation deck was a little scary, until I got used to it, then is was amazing! The sky was really clear and we went at night, so we could see all the way out to the Statue of Liberty and could see her torch all lit up...super cool.
Saks Fifth Avenue
C'mon girls..I know you're feeling me on this one!
South Street Sea Port
I LOVE this area! It's right on the Hudson River, so you get to be by the water. There's all kinds of fun shops and restaurants and this is where you hop on to take the Circle Line Tour to see the Statue of Liberty! Plus, look how pretty it is!
Statue of Liberty
No words necessary.
Chrysler Building
This is my favorite building in NYC. I love when it's lit up in white every night. It's so gorgeous!!!
This weekend was another jam-packed, fun-filled, Busy Bee crazy time. Please allow me to recap the madness.
Friday night we celebrated my friend Robyn's birthday! Read about how much I love her HERE. We went to 1029, a small-town style karaoke bar in Northeast Minneapolis. We love it there! The best part, my friend Katie, now works there and runs karaoke!
The gorgeous bday girl singing Hey Jude
My friend, Katie, hard at work
Robyn, Sarah, Angie and I in our classic pose
My sister came!!!
Me and my boy with my girl
If you really want to be entertained, feast your eyes on the amazing video of me rapping my favorite song: Shoop, with my girls Robyn and Sarah backing me up! It's hard to see because it's dark, but you sure can hear it!
Saturday, I worked all day which normally isn't bad on a Saturday because it's our busiest day. This Saturday, however, was slow. It was a good day for a week day but not for a Saturday. So that kind of stunk. But, after work we went to my friend Megan's brand new townhouse that she just bought with her boyfriend. It was a Housewarming BBQ and it was a blast! I got to see a lot of high school friends I don't get to see very often! I am so mad at myself though because I did not take one picture the entire time I was there, not a one! I am so bummed, that's totally not like me. I guess I was just too busy chatting away.
Sunday, I worked in the morning and in the afternoon J helped me cross off one of the things on my 30 BEFORE 30 list!!! Woohoo!
14. Go to frickin’ Target Field since I am the only human in Minnesota who hasn’t been there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! One down, 29 to go!!! Our baseball team, the Minnesota Twins just built a brand new, super beautiful outdoor stadium and I FINALLY got to see a game there! It was amazing. The stadium is FABULOUS! The cheeseburgers are delicious! There's not a bad seat in the house, everything about it is wonderful. Well, except that we lost yesterday. Other than that it was awesome, and I was so glad to have an afternoon to spend alone with my honey. It was a much needed date day.
Outside the gate, ready to go in!
Our beautiful new stadium!
Lovin' life!
Added bonus! My little brother just happened to be at the game too!
After the game, J and I met my dad for dinner so that he could help me map out my New York trip! My dad always taught me never to go to NYC without what he calls a "blueprint."The city is so big that is you don't organize your plans by what is near each other you'll spend your whole trip in a cab, trying to get from one place to another. So, my dad and I strategically mapped out all the places my mom and I want to go and made a fabulous itinerary! I can't wait! I cannot believe I am leaving tomorrow morning! Hopefully, the second half of this day will speed up so I can get home and pack! I've got some fun stuff scheduled to post this week while I'm gone, so make sure to check that out! All of you lovely followers have a wonderful week!
During Coffee Buzz's slow times I spend the majority of that time facebook chatting with Carolyn. She decided to start a blog shortly after I started mine, and together we have been learning the ropes of Blog Land and together we have become obsessed!
Carolyn and I met a few years ago when J and I started dating because Carolyn was dating (and is now engaged to) J's best friend, Jake.
Me and Carolyn with J and Jake @ the Trail of Terror
We got along instantly. We are the same age, we were both in sororitys, we have a lot of the same interests and we're dating best friends. We had a little rough patch in the middle of our friendship and recently during a heart-to-heart realized it was probably because we were kind of forced to be friends. Don't get me wrong, we loved hanging out, but we never really had a choice in the matter. Our boyfriends are four years older than us and so are the rest of their friends and their wives. So, by default, because we're the same age, Carolyn and I stuck together. During this same heart-to-heart we realized that over the last year our friendship has really changed. Now we're friends because we genuinely want to be. I would definitely call Carolyn to hang out with or without our boys. It's so nice to have a friend who completely understands my relationship with J. J and Jake are so similar so Carolyn and I love a lot of the same things about them and a lot of the same things they do drive us nuts! It's great having someone to vent to or get excited with because she completely understands where I'm coming from.It also helps that we have a complete blast together.
I am so glad to have Carolyn as a friend and as my Blogging Bestie! I can't imagine obsessing over my blog by myself! Check out Carolyn's super cute blog here:
http://lifeloveandpuppyprints.blogspot.com/
And, because Carolyn and I are both completely obsessed with taking an inappropriately insane amount of pictures. Here's some of my favorites of us:
New Years Eve
Dance Party!
I don't know why we're doing this, but we look sweet
