Story By Story

Dearest Readers,

On Thursday, November 18th, I am ascending 42 flights of stairs in a New York City skyscraper for “Story By Story,” a fundraising event to support new beginnings for battered women and their children. Your support is most appreciated as Team Thomson Reuters climbs 756 steps to honor this important cause.

If you are interested in donating, my personal page is accessible at the following link:

http://storybystory.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=435176&lis=1&kntae435176=36F861709EEE4D03B713572FDD53B854&supId=309004437

Any contribution is much appreciated. Thanks in advance for your support--which I'm really going to need, as my thighs still hurt from walking out of the subway!

A Real Life Elle Woods

It is with great excitement that I announce today, that my life-long quest of becoming the next Elle Woods (minus the blonde hair) is well on its way: I have decided to take employment at the publication whose namesake is the same as Harvard Law’s blondest graduate. That’s right, my friends, I, KR have decided to join the ranks at ELLE!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I. AM. EXCITED! After six months of glorified intern life on the Mobility Team at Thomson Reuters, I am taking my first official, full-time position in the Emerging Media division at Hachette Filipacchi Media, the entity that oversees brands such as ELLE, ELLE Décor, ELLEgirl, Woman’s Day, Car & Driver and more. In my position as a Junior Product Manager, I’ll help plan, execute and market ELLE’s iPhone, iPad and Android apps and mobile website. I applied on a whim via MediaBistro, and somehow, the stars aligned in my favor! I gained great experience in the mobile space this summer, and am pumped about foraying from financial to fashion-centric content.

With two weeks to go at Thomson Reuters, I’m sad to leave my team—I feel like I’ve found a family here, and will always look back on the firm as the place that really helped me get my feet wet in Corporate America. But this new role is an exciting one—one that will bring change, great experience and, most importantly, lots of trendy new shoes and belts and bags and dresses and jackets and………You get the idea. Who feels like celebrating?!

Oh, and, this was my 300th post. THREE HUNDRED POSTS. Pretty fitting for such a major announcement, right?

23 Candles

I'm really an incredible hostess. This Friday, after failing at "meeting each other on the subway platform" (honestly, trying to find someone in a no cell service zone makes me literally question the world's existence at a time when texting wasn't a communal crutch), SA and I made it back to Queens a few hours later than we planned. So, like the amazing boriqua that she is, my dear pal offered to cook me dinner while I got ready for our night on the town.

Like I said, I'm an incredible hostess: in the time it took for me to shower, dry my hair, apply make-up and pick out an outfit, SA had prepared penne a la vodka with a side of sauteed eggplant and snow peas. And a screwdriver cocktail. All in the name of getting to our destination on time!

In an evening that took us from an apartment party in Harlem, to Jay-Z's 4040 club (never, ever again) and to the Murrary Hill frat zone otherwise known as Mercury Bar, SA and I relished in the LIRR train stoppage which left Manhattan blissfully void of the bridge-and-tunnel crowd... which, alright, I guess we technically belong to deep-down. Oh well. Life begins with L.I.

Saturday brought birthday celebrations for the fabulous KA (pictured here from our senior formal)! We dined at Dos Caminos, drank at Continental and danced at Phebe's. Turning 23 on the 23rd, it was a golden night for her golden birthday, which I was pumped to be a part of. :-)

The M's of L&O: SVU

So I had this incredibly witty post all about the similarities between Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and M&Ms candy totally set to go, but technology took it away from me. Since I promised you Wednesday, this here is attempt number two. Here goes nothing!

A few days ago, while relishing in the amazingness that is USA's ability to somehow always have an episode of my favorite crime-fighting TV show on air, I couldn't help but think of how closely related L&O: SVU and M&Ms candy are. Seriously! I'll break it into three categories:

1. Quantity. Have you ever eaten just one M&M? (Thought not.) Have you ever watched just one episode during an L&O: SVU marathon? Don't respond. The answer is too obvious.

2. Category. Just as M&Ms can be grouped (i.e. red, blue, green, etc.), so too can episodes of L&O: SVU (i.e. "Clergy Who Kill," "Psycho Sibling Rivalry," ones where the flirtatious tension between Stabler and Benson is too hot to handle, etc.).

3. Likeability. Does anyone ever say no to eating M&Ms? Does anyone ever decline watching an L&O: SVU marathon?

I rest my case.

Idolizing Boots

The feelings I have for these boots are unlike any feelings I’ve ever had for footwear—and I’m not afraid to admit that I have had quite the lovey-dovey obsession with several pairs of shoes before (including but not limited to my Cole Haan Ambrose Air Pumps, my Tory Burch Leopard Print Reva Flats and my Sparkly Gold Toms—swoon!). These bowtied beauties, affectionately dubbed—you guessed it!—Bowtied Beauty Boots by Anthropologie, just might have to make it straight to the top of my gotta, gotta, gotta have list for Fall. Beacause I just gotta, gotta, gotta have ‘em!

Honestly, shoes this cute are as amazingly rare as those Law & Order: Special Victims Unit episodes where Stabler actually dons a policeman’s uniform. And you know how great those episodes are! Which reminds me: stay tuned for tomorrow’s post, in which I compare L&O: SVU to Halloween candy.

I’m not kidding—it’s a scarily accurate analysis. See ya then.

Bought Off the Street

While I'm torn if any city besides the Big Apple could ever truly be my permanent home, you can bet that no matter what zip code I settle in, I will decorate with some seriously New York inspired artwork.

And by inspired, I mean bought off the street. You can't duplicate that character-ridden grit while shopping indoors!

Last Sunday, while strolling around Union Square with SA, searching for a ledge on which to enjoy our Artichoke Pizza, we passed by an adorable couple who are the masterminds behind mixed media pieces that merge the magic of my two favorite artists. I'm not kidding: their work looks like something that could only be the offspring of an Andy Warhol and Jackson Pollack union... if that were biologically possible. Check them out here at Esteban Kremen Art, and in person on the weekends in Union Square. I was particularly mesmerized by any piece that featured the Brooklyn Bridge and definitely plan to splurge soon!

"I have a tooth to pick with you."

Better late than never... my alumni weekend recap has arrived. Enjoy!

Though yet another pair of my aviators fell victim to Stonehill socialization, I think it was a fitting way to leave my mark on my first alumni weekend. Starting the mini-vacation off with a cruise up I-95 with KA and LR, my former housemates got to relish in the acoustic amazingness of my TI-heavy playlist. Precious Pink bumped tunes the whole way up, setting the stage for what was an awesome and eventful weekend (Oh, for those of you new to this blog, Precious Pink is my iPod. Yes, she really has a name.).

Let's recap in the most KR-appropriate style possible. Let's make a list.

Friday night:

-Quincy house reunion dinner. Lobster was involved. "I'm Too Sexy for My Shirt" was played. Juicy gossip was exchanged. In a nutshell, Cloud 9 was the name of the game.

-Young alumni event. I don't think I've ever given more hugs in such a short span before, and I'm someone who seriously embraces embracing! Dance moves were busted, mango-infused cocktails were drank, friendships were rekindled, old flames were ignited (yeah right) and chats with the chattiest of chatty reminded me why I love Stonehill so much. I also rocked a feroshh (that's an intentional double h) purple dress, oh the insanely still spirited Skyhawk that I am and will always be.

Saturday:

-Quincy Marriott. There is nothing like starting the morning off with a little throwback Kirsten Dunst (pre-rehab and Peter Parker). You know which flick I'm talking about... Does "I'm sexy, I'm cute, I'm popular to boot" ring a bell? Thought so. Yes. We indeed watched Bring It On.

-Stonehill stroll. The new dorm resembles the Ritz Carlton. Now, while I've never actually stayed in the Ritz Carlton, I imagine its luxury is on point with that of Stonehill's “New Hall,” soon to be “KR Hall” if my dreams come true.

-Sports Complex Parking Lot. So maybe our tailgates are a little pedestrian compared to those at the two other Catholic colleges who engaged in a brutal Holy War the same weekend, but I still had a damn good time hopping between cars, exchanging even more hugs like the embrace monster that I am.

The best part of the weekend wasn't the time I went behind the counter of Sweeney's Discount Liquors to take a picture with M, the cashier who was still so kind to give me an employee discount despite that fact that I’m not technically a student anymore. Nor was it the time I watched KA and BC battle it out hula hoop style in the family fun tent. Nor the time JW assaulted me to ensure his photographic presence on this here blog. Nor the time I broke into KA's car to retrieve my Magners and—whoops!—set off the alarm for a good ten minutes as I attempted to hide from the Jeep’s blaring alarm. Nor the time DG thought the phrase “I have a tooth to pick with you” was the proper lingo to express dissatisfaction. Nor the time KA threw down a $100 gift certificate at the Young Alumni Event to treat her old pal to a few cocktails--though that was definitely a close second, obviously!

No, the best part of the weekend was the surprise to top all surprises. JT, who you all know well, my former roomie but eternal partner in Law and Order: Special Victims Unit-watching crime, fresh from a group meeting at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville (which is pronounced Knox-vuhl, I learned), strolled onto campus in the most shocking entrance since Paul McCartney's parlay onto the Shea Stadium stage back in 2008. To say the least, it made for a fabulous Saturday!

Sunday:

-Wagamama. The name says it all. KA and I dined here for old times sake, as we did back when we were UK residents, back when this blog was called "Tales from Canterbury" and back when I subsisted solely on tortellini and Nutella, yet was somehow somewhat (somewhat) skinny. (No joke: that was literally my "study abroad" diet. I clearly had other fiscal priorities while across the pond. Priorities like leather jackets, pashminas and RyanAir flights.)

-NL's. Having pre-arranged a work day at TR's Boston office, I perched on NL's Southie couch all day Sunday, watching Jersey Shore and chowing down on Upper Crust Pizza alongside my dear pal.

PHEW. THE END.

Wild for the Warewolf

Before Bill [Compton] and prior to [Robert] Pattinson, there was Buffy the Vampire Slayer. (Remember when they did that musical episode?! SOOOOO freaking good.) And on that show was a warewolf. His name was Oz. He had a brief love affair with Willow the Witch. I don't remember anything else, though. Truth be told, that show seriously freaked me out. But anyhow, this post is not about vampires, wiccans or wareweolves: it's about the fact that Oz's real life namesake talked to ME today. ME!

That's right, folks. I, KR, met the one and only Seth Green.

We met at Artichoke Pizza in the East Village at approximately 4:30 PM. He, in all his 5'5" glory (damn, is he short!), walked by a neon pink and green sunglass-wearing brunette, said "Excuse me," and went on his merry way into Alphabet City.

That neon pink and green sunglass-wearing brunette was (well duh) me, in my own 5'5" glory (All my other normal looking sunglasses were MIA. NBD, though. I was below 14th Street. No rules!!!!). To his request, I obviously moved out of the way, too star struck to even mutter a charming, "Anything for you, Seth."

It was the best early bird special of my life.

For the Love of LEOPARD

The Alumni Weekend update is coming. It's typed on my iPad, but my wireless is as cooperative as a terrible two toddler, so no can do for now. Stay tuned. But I'll amuse down another avenue on this gorgeous Sunday. Let's talk about shoes. More specifically, a pair of booties that are itching for an unveiling in the worst way.

Be warned. These babies are as far from your basic black as can be.

Amazing, right?! Mr. Haan is yet to craft a pair of shoes that I don't like. I need to plan their debut carefully. Any ideas? I'm also working on a time to wear my Free People pink tutu skirt. And I'm not talking Halloween. My clothes are as loud as, well, me. So it's just fitting!

In other news, my weekend was wild! Friday marked both JT's birthday bash and MM's return to NYC, so needless to say, the night took us from Irish Rogue (for the Strongbow on tap!) to The Snug (for the extended happy hour and precious name!) to Continental (for their infamous deal!) and finally to M1-5 (for dancing!). Oh, and that last place? It's in Chinatown. Yes. We went out below Canal Street.

Saturday took me even farther into the city, where I dined on wine with RJ and RW in Park Slope!

And finally, to close this one out, here's a pic of me with my gents. Love them!

A Swing by Southie

My weekend in Massacusetts, lengthened just a tad by an impromptou business visit to the Boston office of Thomson Reuters (how official!), was made ever more fabulous by my time in the Irish capital of America, where I spent my South Boston Sunday lounging in front of a Netflix-ed disc of Jersey Shore Season 1 (read: when a "situation" was just a striking set of circumstances (not a Twitter-obsessed, muscle-resplendent, abbrev-spewin' fist-pumper), when "t-shirt time" meant bedtime (not the attire compliment to your nighttime shades) and when gym, tanning and laundry were simply your Saturday errands (not the three words that turned a reality TV show into a cultural phenomenon)).

Long due for a catch up with fellow Stonehill grad NL, I enjoyed my day-long veg-out on her incredibly (maybe even frighteningly) comfortable couch. It was the icing on the cake to my first alumni weekend at Stonehill... for which there will be a witty and wonderful re-cap post soon, dedicated to no one but my dear (and extremely charming) pal JW.

Until next time,

KR