bookworm

lately i've been making a conscious effort to read more.  i've had my kindle for just about two years now and it has easily become one of my most prized possessions over that time period.  instead of just reading on the subway ride to/from work i'm trying to take time to myself and curl up on the couch or in bed to plow through some books.  i'm currently reading gone girl by gillian flynn.  i'm just about halfway through and it's a tough one to put down. 

from the book description:

On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer?
   As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister, Margo, at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn’t do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet?
   With her razor-sharp writing and trademark psychological insight, Gillian Flynn delivers a fast-paced, devilishly dark, and ingeniously plotted thriller that confirms her status as one of the hottest writers around.

this book is amazingly well written and it feels like you're watching the most captivating, thrilling movie.  i can't wait to get through it and find out the truth.  thankfully i have a round trip flight to ft. lauderdale in my very near future for a few hours of uninterrupted reading.

the rest of the books on my current "to read" list include:

escape by carolyn jessop

the complete jessica darling series by megan mccafferty 

the new york regional mormon singles halloween dance by elna baker

these girls by sarah pekkanen 

any other great reccomendations? my list is constantly growing!

xx, C.

 

how i make that money honey

first things first - i have been a VERY bad blogger.  i got back late last saturday night from ireland just to hope on a plane first thing tuesday morning for a whirlwind work trip to Chicago (how fitting for this post!).  definitely working on an ireland recap since it most definitely deserves its own post.  in any event, today i'm linking up with the bargain blonde for one of the coolest linkups i've seen yet - how i make my money!  i think we're all a little nosy in that department and i know i personally love hearing what other people do for a living and their experiences.  so here we go!

 

College:

I went to Fordham University in New York.  There's a campus in Lincoln Center in Manhattan and the main campus that I went to in the Bronx directly across the street from the Bronx Zoo (which is free every Wednesday for students so needless to say I've visited there more times than I'd like to admit ha).  I graduated in 2008 from the Business School with a BS in Accounting.  Exciting stuff, I know!

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this doesn't look like its right in the middle of the bronx/new york city does it?  crazy, i know.

I basically always knew I would be going to business school and doing something in the field of finance.  While it's not the most exciting career path, I knew that I would gain tons of life skills and would have an extremely large amount of job opportunities living in one of the financial capitals of the world.  Math has always been my strong suit and once I got all my core classes out of the way freshman and sophomore year I was very happy to say sayonara to long, boring papers about books I had no interest in reading anyway!  After taking my intro to accounting class sophomore year, all of the principles came so naturally to me and I knew there was a huge demand in the job market so I marched right down to the dean's office and declared.

Internships:

Mayor Michael Bloomberg's 2005 re-election campaign (summer between freshman & sophomore year)

A small hedge fund in the oil & gas industry (year round sophomore to junior year)

Ernst & Young (summer between junior and senior year)

 with my mom after getting my diploma - this belongs in some cheesy college brochure for sure!

Full Time/Post-Grad:

I interviewed during the spring semester of my junior year for the Big 4 Accounting Firms (Ernst & Young, Pricewaterhouse Coopers, Deloitte & KPMG) internship programs.  If you're an accounting major in college this is the most common career path/starting point.  My huge draw to this internship was the fact that after the summer was over there was a full-time offer made if they liked you.  Locking down a job before senior year even begins? Sign. Me. Up.  Ernst & Young was my first choice based on my office visits and campus career fairs to the 4 firms.  I loved their recruiters and the corporate environment.  After a rigorous multi-round interview process I found out I got the internship and was thrilled and come late August, a full-time offer was in my hands.

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I took the summer after graduation off (freedom!) and started working full time at E&Y in September 2008.  I wont bore you with the mundane details but I worked in the Real Estate group auditing Real Estate Investment Trusts...exciting stuff, my friends.  I gained an amazing amount of knowledge, excel skills and experience while at E&Y, but after two years of grueling hours it was starting to wear on me.  There was about 6 months out of the year that I wasn't even allowed to take vacation during and there were nights (or mornings) that I wouldn't leave work until 11, 12, 1am.  For me, the lack of work-life balance is what really got to me in the end.  I was craving more responsibility, more freedom and a smaller company atmosphere.

Currently:

I'm going to ease up on the details here since I currently still hold this job, but I work at one of the major sports leagues in the Finance department.

which one??? :)

I LOVE my job.  Amazing perks, constantly changing and innovative field and best of all it's a casual work environment aka JEANS! My favorite.  My trip to Chicago last week was my very first work trip.  There really isn't much of a need for those of us in the finance department to travel since everything is based here in NYC so when the opportunity arose I jumped on it even though between my vacation and this trip I ended up being in 5 airports in 5 days last week.  I can honestly say I see myself working here indefinitely & I'm really looking forward to continuing to work hard and move up within the company.

So there ya have it!  I'm going to go over and link up with Lindsey and I can't wait to read everyone else's posts!

xx,

C.

over-packers anonymous [ and oh, how pinteresting wednesday! ]

sorry i have been a little m.i.a. this week.  with the holiday and getting ready for my upcoming trip to ireland (8 days away!) my schedule has been a little off recently.

in any event, i'm linking up a day late with the vintage apple for oh, how pinteresting wednesday.  today's theme is going to be outfit inspiration.  with a trip coming up, i'm going to try to pack as efficiently as possible, but as someone who tends to pull drawers out of the dresser and dump them into a suitcase, it's hard for me to downsize.  the weather in ireland this time of year is mid to upper 60's so it will be a very nice change of pace from the heat wave that has parked itself in new york and doesn't seem to be leaving any time soon, so that's why you might see some outfits that are designed for chillier temps!  let's get started..

Summertime! by cinnamonbabka41 featuring straight jeans

this outfit is perfect for a day of sightseeing with flats and a light jacket that can easily transition to drinks at the pub with some wedges 

Maxi dress by dyanna85 featuring marc jacobs handbags

i've been loving maxi dresses the past two summers.  throw a jean jacket on top and this can go from day to night with ease.  i love the casual boho-vibe.




 

Casual and Cute look! by katelynhanf featuring travel bags

there is nothing i love more than a pair of skinny jeans tucked into a great pair of flat boots.  comfortable, put together, and easy!


 

Untitled #9 by carolineharding99 featuring chrysoprase jewelry

leggings, a loose flowy top and a cute pair of flats is the perfect plane outfit for a long international flight.

 

neutral/blue/gold casual outfit by spress1 featuring long sweaters

another great casual outfit that looks pulled together but is still comfortable.  the scarf is perfect for those chilly moments in the morning and at night.


 

end of summer whites by carrie2 featuring a chambray shirt

a chambray shirt is so versatile.  i'm especially loving it paired with white jeans lately.



 

Errand Day by christygetscrafty featuring boyfriend jeans

perfect for shopping & sightseeing around dublin!


 

Untitled #58 by bbs25 featuring short dresses

there's nothing i love more than a simple black dress.  easily dressed up with some heels for a fancy dinner.

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coral is my go to color of the summer - it looks great with every skin tone. i really like the idea of pairing a blazer with a simple pair of tailored shorts and a white top.

i am so in love with polyvore and these amazing people who come up with great outfit ideas on pinterest.  i can't even tell you how many times i've found inspiration for new ways to wear clothes that are already hanging in my closet!  i  have amassed quite a collection so check out my boards on pinterest for even more! happy thursday & i hope everyone had a great 4th!

xx,C. 

friday favorites

i think to change things up a bit i'm going to do an all music friday favorites today!  these are all the songs i've been loving most lately.

the bargain blonde

eli young band - even if it breaks your heart

train - drive by

david guetta & sia - titanium

lionel richie & darius rucker - stuck on you

[ ps - if you haven't bought lionel's new album of collaborations, tuskegee, buy. it. now. ]

florida georgia line - cruise

happy friday loves!  hope everyone has a fun & safe weekend

xx, C.

thursday latelies

we're already back to thursday again?!  praise the lord!  linking up with bex for my weekly roundup of things i've been thankful for.

got my newest elf shipment in last night!  [ told ya i'd buy all the lip glosses ha ]  i placed the order just in time to be able to use the coupon code to get a free goody bag of stuff with my order since it was recently elf's birthday/anniversary.  the only thing in the top picture i paid for was the make up wipes, one blush and the setting spray - how amazing is that?!  can't wait to try out all these new products and colors.

this stuff has been my newest obsession - so good!  it's only 150 cals for 2.5 cups of popcorn, so a great way to get that sinful snack craving in without busting your diet.

 

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emergen-c has been a lifesaver this week.  somehow i managed to catch a horrible head cold while it's 90+ degrees outside...totally normal.  i religiously drank 2 packets a day of this stuff all winter and i never got sick, then i stopped when the weather got nicer and i guess it's finally catching up to me.  i don't take vitamins regularly [ i know, i know ] so this is an easy way for me to try and get them in [ and drink plenty of water to boot! ].  the raspberry, orange and tangerine are my favorite flavors.  the tangerine tastes exactly like clementines to me - yum!

 

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happy thursday everyone!

xx,C.

a love letter to nora ephron

"I’d known since I was 5, when my parents forced me to move to California, that I was going to live in New York eventually and that everything in between was just a horrible intermission. I’d spent those sixteen years imagining what New York was going to be like. I thought it was going to be the most exciting, magical, fraught-with-possibility place that you could ever live in; a place where if you really wanted something, you might be able to get it; a place where I’d be surrounded by people I was dying to be with. And I turned out to be right." - Nora Ephron

- Excerpt from "My First New York"

there are those certain movies you come across on tv, stop flipping, and watch.  doesn't matter if it just started, it's right in the middle, or about to end.  doesn't matter if its on dvd 20 feet away from you, ready to be popped in commercial-free.  you just watch.  and it's still just as amazing and powerful the 100th time as it was the first.  for me these have been, and always will be, nora ephron's movies.

part of the reason the upper west side was the only area in manhattan i wanted to live in was thanks to kathleen kelly, joe fox and my absolute favorite movie of all time: you've got mail.  every time i walk past cafe lalo or sit at the window seats at the 81st street starbucks, i can't help but smile.  it's like living in the magic of that movie.

the world lost an amazing writer and woman last night, but her wit, wisdom and spirit live on in the stories she told so well.

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"The whole purpose of places like Starbucks is for people with no decision-making ability whatsoever to make six decisions just to buy one cup of coffee. Short, tall, light, dark, caf, decaf, low-fat, non-fat, etc. So people who don't know what the hell they're doing or who on earth they are, can, for only $2.95, get not just a cup of coffee but an absolutely defining sense of self: Tall! Decaf! Cappuccino!"

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"Once I read a story about a butterfly in the subway, and today I saw one. I couldn't believe it. It got on at 42nd -- and got off at 59th, where I assume it was going to Bloomindale's to buy a hat that will turn out to be a mistake. As almost all hats are."

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"Well, it was a million tiny little things that, when you added them all up, they meant we were supposed to be together... and I knew it. I knew it the very first time I touched her. It was like coming home, only to no home I'd ever known.  I was just taking her hand to help her out of a car and I knew. It was like... magic."

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"I love that you get cold when it's 71 degrees out. I love that it takes you an hour and a half to order a sandwich. I love that you get a little crinkle above your nose when you're looking at me like I'm nuts. I love that after I spend the day with you, I can still smell your perfume on my clothes. And I love that you are the last person I want to talk to before I go to sleep at night. And it's not because I'm lonely, and it's not because it's New Year's Eve. I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible."

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"I'll have what she's having."

"Whatever you choose, however many roads you travel, I hope that you choose not to be a lady. I hope you will find some way to break the rules and make a little trouble out there. And I also hope that you will choose to make some of that trouble on behalf of women. Thank you. Good luck. The first act of your life is over. Welcome to the best years of your lives." - Nora Ephron

- 1996 commencement speech at Wellesley College

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i think a movie marathon and a trip to katz's deli are in order for this weekend.  rest in peace, nora, the queen of happy endings.

don't cry shopgirl, don't cry.

some worthy reads:

heartbroken in manhattan

five ways you've got mail ruined my life

things to do in NYC: the you've got mail tour

for my dear miss nora ephron - nat the fat rat

friday favorites

happy friday! it's time for another edition of friday favorites with the bargain blonde

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first things first - my absolute favorite thing in the world right now: AIR CONDITIONING.  one of my favorite things about living in new york is having 4 distinct seasons.  i may only really enjoy 2 of them [ spring & fall ] but it's still nice to get to experience it all.  blizzards in the winter, 100+ degree days in the summer like we've had this week and everything in between.  so as long as i have AC, i'm good!

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ever since buying apple tv about a year ago my netflix has been getting a lot more use.  this next show was recently added to their list of instantly streaming shows and i am LOVING it.  brings me back to the good ol' days.  though i do still contend that no high school students ever talk like this in real life, i do love me some dawson's creek.

essie - knockout pout

since i didn't get a manicure this week [ can't wait to go this weekend - i hate unpolished nails ] i do have a pedicure of the week color that i'm really loving.  the perfect combo of a bright and pastel pink in one..great summer choice for a mani or pedi.

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one of my all time favorite foods/appetizers ever is spinach artichoke dip.  that stuff is like crack and i can't stop once i start.  this is usually not a good thing as 99% of spinach artichoke dips are loaded with mayo and cheese and who knows what else.  while perusing the grocery store this week i came across lean cuisine's version of the dip so i obviously had to buy it.  i must say, this stuff is GOOD.  tastes just like real version except served in a much smaller portion to keep you a little more in control.  if you're a fan, i definitely recommend going out and picking this stuff up!

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i mean, when life gives you limes...

i hope you all have a great weekend!

xx, C.