Favorite Christmas Albums

 

Thanksgiving

This year I am most thankful for my relationships.  I have a lot of people in my life that have supported me through difficult times.  My life is not what I imagined it would be at 30 but I have never felt more blessed to be me.  I was going to write about this a while back but my friends never sent me pictures.  In early October I got a text from my friend S with all these exclamation points.  Turns out our friend C got us tickets to see Jay Z at the Barclay's Center in Brooklyn.  Now that's a reason to travel across a bridge or tunnel if I ever heard one.  During the concert I realized the following:

(1) I love Jay Z. - One of my resolutions for 2012 was to get tickets to a concert of one of my favorite artists and without even trying it actually happened.  (Thank you C!)  He totally inspired me when he said, "[I'm] a young black African male who was raised in a single-parent home in low-income housing and I stand before you as an owner of the Brooklyn Nets. . . . Don't let anyone diminish your accomplishments.  You don't have to be inspired by me, be inspired by Barack Obama if you choose to. Latinos in here, be the first Latino president. Ladies in here, be the first female president."  According to Jay, each one of us has a freakish genius talent bestowed upon us by God.  We just have to tap into it.  I agree.

(2) I know all his songs; - My favorite is PSA, but when he took is back with Money Ain't A Thang and the Best of Me remix I was in heaven.

(3) that I should start going to concerts again because I am withering up into an old fogey; prune. - I can't get excited about current artists and the older ones charge way too much for concert tickets.  But in my pre-law school days, I would go to about ten a year and

(4) that nothing beats having friends who have seen you through college, 9/11, job searches, job loss, breakups, Glitter and Crossroads.  I'm really bad at keeping in touch so one of my biggest challenges in life is maintaining relationships with the people I adore.  I'm so thankful to have at least three people who call me out of hibernation every now and then to share in major life events.  Yes, I just referred to the Jay Z concert as a major life event.

Christmas List

Yes, I still make one.

cute socks

blank cards

stamps for those cards

mittens

for fashion bucket list item # 5

Fashion Advice

There’s great fling material, and then there’s great husband material! Apply that to your wardrobe and it means invest in the key pieces you’ll want to spend time with season after season, the pieces that will help define your style. Don’t invest major money in the trendy pieces that will feel old by this time next year. Like dating that guy just for fun-it’s not to say you shouldn’t do it, just don’t sink a lot into it! -- Michael Kors

It Bag

So I have been needing a new work bag and also a new tote bag (bigger than my vineyard vines University of Mnnesota one) for some time now. I've come to the conclusion now that there probably isn't one bag that's perfect for work, trips, beach, church, fall, spring, summer and everything else but I really wanted to get as close as possible. My apartment is tiny and my budget is even tinier. My friend L made me this amazing chart back in May and I started wanting every bag on this list but the bags in my budget were ubiquitous in my zip code, 10065. Just click the chart to make it bigger but I know it's still hard to read for some reason.

I had been debating the Goyard versus the Louis Vuitton Neverfull for several months when I saw this bag on a blog and fell in love.  Last night I got home and found my much anticipated Frank Clegg bag had finally arrived. 

It's the perfect for me for so many reasons not the least of which are
(1) no one I know has this bag
(2) no patterns or logos (unlike the Goyard and Neverfull)
(3) matches everything
(4) made to order in America
(5) great for work and travel
(6) less expensive than all the other options yet if anything, higher quality

I haven't been this satisfied with a purchase since my classic flap bag.

Residing on Sandy

Annie's on Broadway and I'm super pumped to see it, hence the title.  I am blessed to have been in Georgia during the hurricane and to have come back to a warm dry apartment with electricity.  My friends experienced flooding, loss of power, water, heat and I even have a new roommate temporarily because some people lost their homes.  I had the opportunity to help friends and strangers this weekend and it made me embarrased at all the complaining I did about my cancelled flights last week. 

I've been through 9/11, the blackout in 2003, the subway strike in 2006 and Hurricane Irene and it took Sandy to finally get me thinking, is living on an Island something I want long term.  The irony is that this is the first disaster I've not been in the city to experience first hand.  Being away from the city probably inspired more fear in me because I had to rely on television for hints and the unknown is always worse to me.  If this is going to become a yearly event than renting definitely seem like the way to go.  Atlanta and Los Angeles are looking better and better but I'm definitely not there yet.

Today marks the fourth presidential election I've voted in and thus far, I've never picked a winner.  Here's hoping that I can go to sleep happy on election night for the first time.