A New York Minute

Hey guys! I wanted to share the rest of my time in NYC last week. The Kotex event took up the bulk of my trip but by arriving early the day before the event started I was lucky to be able to squeeze in some friend time. I already told you about my SoulCycle workout with Alec. I thought it would be fun it you got to meet some of my other friends and see what I was up to the rest of my trip. Also, if you love seeing the insides of hotels I took pictures of Four Points by Sheraton where I stayed. I love reading hotel reviews.

Meet Megan. She’s one of my best friends. We became friends in fifth grade in orchestra after I was paired with her twin sister Rachel (also one of my best friends) to be stand partners. They’re both bridesmaids in my wedding and I feel so lucky to have them as friends.  I finally also got to meet her boyfriend Micheal who I’ve heard so much about. He’s so nice and they’re so great together. She’s definitely found her Josh. ;p

We went to a Thai restaurant in the NYU neighborhood that I can’t remember the name of. The tofu pad thai was pretty good. It definitely wasn’t the best I ever had but I was way enjoying the company more than the food.

I got a kick out of the water glasses. Are we back in Vegas?

After dinner we went to Molly’s for cupcakes. Mike and Megan raved about them but I had never heard of them before. As soon as we walked in the door I knew this was a place I was going to love. They had swings instead of seats at the counter, you got to pick your own frosting and have it frosted on the spot, and there was a sprinkle bar. This place should be called Erin’s Dream Cupcake Shop.

I of course got a red velvet with cream cheese frosting. It is the best cupcake combo in the whole world. Some of the others to choose from were Nutella cupcakes, bananas foster, Boston cream, and Kahlua. My cupcake was one of the best I’ve ever had. When I remarked how this cupcake shop needs to get big so more people can try these awesome cupckes Megan told me the shop had won Cupcake Wars. Sometimes I live under a rock. ;p

I also got to see Morgan this weekend! Morgan and I were hallmates freshman year at Bucknell. Morgan also grew up in Bayhead, which is right next to Point Pleasant, NJ, where my Aunt, Uncle, and cousin live. I spent a few summers there, one of them working on the boardwalk. Because the towns are so small there Morgan went to the same high school as my cousin. It was so great getting to see her. Please excuse my sweaty face, I saw her immediately after finishing SoulCycle class. She was sweet to stand so close to me. ;p

We caught up over dinner at Le Pain Quotidien. I got the Organic Quinoa Taboule salad and it was delicious. My one gripe was that it was way too salty. I’m super sensitive to salt after growing up with a dad who picked the salt off my pretzels and never had a salt shaker at the table. A little bit goes a long way with me. It was so great getting to catch up with Morgan. I have never been a person with hundreds of friends but the ones I do have are so special to me. I’m so grateful we have been able to stay in each others lives despite how busy we’ve all been. I’m so excited to get to see Morgan at the wedding in a few months!

I had some time to myself in NYC as well and I used that doing some fun things. I got a cup of coffee at Starbucks while I charged my phone after getting off the plane. This wasn’t just any cup of coffee though, it was my ticket to a gold card. I told the Barista as she rang me up that I was now a gold member and she didn’t seem to really care. Oh well, I was celebrating inside!

I got to see the Customer Service floor at Tiffanys. I’ve had one of their silver ball necklaces for years and it’s gotten pretty dingy over the years without any polishing. I was so excited to finally get to stop in and have it cleaned.

Thanks for the cleaning Tiffanys! I love how shiny my necklace is!

After getting my necklace taken care of I headed out to do a little shopping. I ended up at a familiar place for a snack. There are Bouchon bakeries in places other than Vegas. I asked the lady serving me about it and she told me Bouchon actually started in San Francisco and expanded from there. I was so happy to get to enjoy another one of their delicious macaroons.

I always try to get a souvenir for Josh when I travel and I knew just what I wanted to get him in NYC. I’ve been obsessed with these Anthropologie mugs for a while now and when I passed by the store I decided that would be the day I get them. How cute are they?

Now for a review of the hotel. I stayed at the Four Points by Sheraton in Times Square. The first thing I noticed about this hotel (aside from its great location) was how friendly the staff were. I got there on a Tuesday at 9am (waaay before check in time) and they greeted me with a smile and checked my bags for free for me while I explored the city. When I got into the room I found it clean and welcoming. Those pillows were so freaking comfy! I wanted to roll one up in my carry on and take it with me.

There was a complimentary bottle of water every day. I really appreciated that.

I’m not a city girl so when I got to my room I immediately started changing for Alec’s and I’s SoulCycle class. I then looked out the window and realized I was not facing a parking lot or the back of a building but directly into an office building. Thankfully I don’t think they saw me. ;p

An obligatory bathroom shot. ;p

Here’s where the hotel is phenomenal. When checking in I asked if there was complimentary breakfast. The front desk clerk said breakfast was an extra charge as it is a separate restaurant attached to the hotel. We got chatting and when she handed me my room keys she slipped me two complimentary breakfast passes for each morning of my stay! I was blown away by that touch of kindness, and I really appreciated getting to fuel up with a delicious breakfast the morning before the shoot and the morning I traveled home. I would definitely stay there again in the future!

And now it’s time to get some schoolwork done, get an oil change done on my car, and get ready for this weekend’s trip to NYC! Josh and I are going to visit one of his best friends (who is also in our wedding) and to go see a show that is supposed to be awesome. I’ll be back on Monday with a recap of that trip. And if I’m super ambitious and get everything done that I’m supposed to today I’ll be back tomorrow morning with a Veggie Reviewed for you guys!

Question of the Day: What are some of your favorite things to do in NYC? Josh and I are looking for some fun things to do and good places to eat so please give us some recommendations!