Not your typical after hours party...

Unless after the party, Jay-Z went shopping with his gal pals at J.Crew and ransacked the dressing room while being waited on and served brownie bites and Pellegrino.

Dancy-Pants (Andrea) has a girlfriend who is a personal shopper for J.Crew and every now and then they shut the whole place down to let her and her girlfriends (including me) shop. 

So we did!

Last month we all met up at the 5th Ave store after close and we frolicked and galavanted up and down the stairs and in and out of the dressing rooms, with no other customers to interfere with our silliness. Basically, we ruled the store.

(Above is Nikki. Above and below is AnnMarie, Andrea, and Claire. Not pictured, is my sweet sweet friend, fellow hygienist, and one-time professor, Di)

Now, normally I don't shop at J.Crew (sooo cute, but SO 'spense-y), but because we got discounts, we couldn't help but spend some monies.

Here is the dress and necklace I bought (taken after a long day at work - the new work, bare the bobble-head picture!)... 

I also bought this BEAUTIFUL green silk blouse, but it's very wintery. The pictures do it no justice at all. It's 100% silk, which basically means it's made of butter, and I only paid $36 for it! That's unheard of at J.Crew!

Afterwards we all walked/rode bikes home because it was a beautiful NYC night.

It was so fun to shop and talk and catch up with some great girls in some great duds... some who I hadn't seen in a YEAR! That should never happen again!

Here's to shopping with your girlfriends, at a discount, late night, on 5th Ave!

Oh NYC, what beautiful surprises you bring in spring/summer.

Love,

~Kare*

Reunions, goodbyes, and beaded besties.

I don't think the blog has yet met Suzy B, but boy is she a keeper!

She just got back from living in Brazil for 2yrs but is one of my most destined friends. 

We met standing side by side (both with our Mom's) in a cancellation line at the Gershwin Theater just outside of Times Sq. Suzy had not yet moved here, but we found out we had mutual acquaintances and exchanged numbers. Talk about a small world! I had told her she'd love my girlfriends Judy and Bri and that we'd all hang once she moved here. Fast forward to her officially residing in New York City and we still hadn't met up for a second time. Separately, and on her own, she met my June-Bug and Bizza and both of them had the same reaction of, "You should meet my friend, Karrie," and voila. We've come full circle. 

Meant. To. Be.

So that's Suzy.

And... she's back! She came back for a brief stint to say hello to the city and people that missed her so and to grab some shake shack. Another thing we did? Oh just shop at Duane Reade (with Lu) like it was going out of style.

Girls night. Can't get enough. Obviously.

On another note, Hilary (you know, that gorgeous bride from a few posts back) graduated law school and will finally move in with her husband in California. 

She had a rooftop graduation/going away party on her amazing Times Square patio. Seriously, it's gorge - there's a gazebo and all - perfect for cookin' out. But I'm so sad to now have neither Jonny nor Hils! At least we have a good excuse to visit sunny California and luckily, Jon still has loads of family here so we'll for sure see them again soon! 

Following that party, I headed straight uptown to Reagan's place (remember that name? It's the name of my hairstylist whom I adore both in and out of the salon). She's a famous hair blogger, a sweet sweet girlfriend, & an amazing mom to Miss Piper Jane. 

Anyway, after an early brunch, flea market date, and sweep through TJ Maxx, shockingly Reags hadn't had enough of me for one day. I hit up Hil's party and then headed uptown to Reagan's house and guest starred in one of her 'tuts' (as she calls them). She does short video tutorials on her blog and invited me to be in one. I jumped at the chance to dress up and be silly, but I'm terrified of how it will turn out. Not due to her or the director's creative genius (they're brilliant), but due to my lack of screen presence and acting skills. It was totally worth it though for the fact that I had a BLAST and that it will probably give Diddz and Yelena a lifetime of fuel to the flame that is me embarrassing myself and them making fun of me. 

There is this bit of us (Reagan and I) supposedly primping and posing in front of a mirror before a night out. Reags went first watching herself in a real full length mirror, all the lighting and cameras set up perfectly around it. Then came my turn. I was shot in a different half of the room. Neighbors and cameramen/directors Franky & Joe moved all the camera equipment and adjusted all the lighting to accommodate my mark... everything but the mirror. Then Joe lifted his hand waved it at me frantically, like a child wrangler behind a family photographer, and said, "Ok Karrie, this is your mirror." Terror. I have no idea what I actually look like being as as I primped, twirled, and air-kissed, I wasn't actually looking at my reflection at all. But rather the floating palm of a man who I'd just met. I don't know if you've seen any of our 48hfp's, but I'm the worst actress ever so... I'm sure you're all excited for this video to finish getting edited and get posted so that you can be in on the making fun of me. It's called, "Beaded Besties." I'll let you know once it's up... maybe.

While I was there, Reagan let me try on her Christian Louboutins and play dress up for 5 seconds. Because that's all you can stand in those heels. They're insane. Uncomfortably and beautifully insane.

Love,

~Legs*

(literally)

A 'dinges' ate my baby.

I don't think I have to tell y'all how pleased I was with that title.

The month of May brought SUCH beautiful weather to NY! It was surprisingly beautiful, but totally allowed! Yelz, Lu and I spent a random Saturday in Central Park and Yelz had her first waffle with dinges... all after meeting up at a neighborhood block party and downin' a few burgers and sodas of course. 

Let me paint you a picture... with song...

While strolling through the park one day, in the very merry month of May, we were taken by surprise when a pair of.....  WAFELS AND DINGES?!?!!?!

Dont mind if we do!

If you dont already know about Spekuloos, get familiar son. I'll spare you since I know I've talked about it on here in excess compared to how much of it I've actually consumed in my lifetime.

Dinges (ding-uhs): used when you cant remember the name of stuff or people.

e.g. "Hey, dinges, can you bring me some dinges from the store?" 

Synonym:"whatchamacallit"

At the Wafels & Dinges trucks in NYC, the dinges are the toppings you choose for your waffle treat. I must've had a raging sweet tooth (surprise, surprise) when we stopped by because below is a list of my dinges from my waffle lover boy.

Butter

Maple Syrup

Dulce de Leche

Strawberries

Nutella

Spekuloos

Belgian chocolate fudge

Whipped Cream

Powdered sugar

and

1 scoop of ice cream (on the house)

And to think I was full before my waffle... 

Guys, never let me date the waffle truck guy! He had an impressive chance for a second, but then I remembered, he was prob 21yrs old and a waffle truck guy. But aside from the shameless flirting, the free ice cream scoop almost sealed the deal for me. Sad, but true.

We sat up camp in the park with our triple matching stripes and people watched like it was nobody's business... when in fact, it was not OURS.

But see what I mean? 

If ever there was an ideal place for people watching,

it's Central Park.

I could do this with my girls everyday, forever and ever amen, and NEVER tire of it!

I mean that with all my heart! 

I wish you all had these girls in your life and this park by your house.

You'd be soooooo content!

Love,
~Kare*

It's a wrap...

Dad completed his first song writing/producing experience and he LOVED every minute of it! He has a few other song ideas up his sleeve and he's excited to someday "lay those down," as they say in the 'biz'.
One back-up vocal session under my belt and suddenly I'm in the biz.
Not.

Anyway, The Curtain is complete and you can hear it HERE!
Feel free to comment as he is dying to get feed back, but I say, it doesn't matter who or how much people like it, as long as he loves it and loved doing it. Which he does and did.
Enjoy!

Next up, he's learning to play How Great Thou Art on the piano.
I'm reminded daily of how I'll never be as cool as my parents.
Ain't it the truth? Sad... but yes. It is the truth.

Love,
~Legs*

Sing sweet nightingale

Lucky for you guys, the evil stepsisters are out of town and ole' Cinderelly can blog as much as she wants to... distraction free.

Translation: I have no life without Diddz and Yelena, so the bliggity (blog) and I are bonding until Friday when they return.

JK, I have loads of other friends and plans, but at least this post will make them feel missed.
JK, they're missed.
Kind of.
Not really.
Ok, really.


Sing sweeeeeet.... Niiightingaaaale.

Love,
~Kare-erella*

Diddy's bday

Happy Birthday little Pickle!

Let the record show that I wrote THE most adorable post about this on the train to Long Beach a week ago and even though I saved it a thousand times, it was no where to be found on my phone or computer when I got home and I can't remember a thing I said... I mean, nothin'.  

We'll try this again anyway... I'm now writing from Central Park. 

Wish me luck.

This little chicken cutlet turned the big 2-8 last month and we celebrated as only the employees at Busch Gardens know how to... with lederhosen, oversized mugs, and shot-ski's in true Octoberfest style.

Speaking of Busch Garden's Germany, Drachen Fire was the worst ride ever. 

Seriously, roller-coaster hell. 

And I'm a roller-coaster lover.

And this (below) is a shot-ski.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

We should start with the girls-only celebration that took place on Diddy's actual birthday. 

We started with pressies at her place and then dined over the best Mexican food we've found in the city yet. Girls only, per usual.

Diddy loves mason jars. And drinks wine.

Cue, the 'redneck wine glass'. She also got a kindle.

I love these girls so much, I cant even write about.

The following weekend we decided to celebrate,
like most adult humans,
in mixed company,
at a beer house in Midtown appropriately called, Bierhaus.
Schocking, I know.

Diddz titled this one,
"I get by with a little help from my friends."

Here are all the friends that get her by... and get me by. 

Since she's nice and shares her friends.

I was told I had to have a beer in front of me to be included in the following picture with the birthday girl...

So I tried to eat it?

Makes no sense to me either. 

But apparently we thought it was funny.
Ultimately, I got my way.
Sans beer.

Now, you're prob thinking,
"Mixed company? But where are the boys?"

Well,

VOILA!

 Now if these aren't some winners...
I don't know who is.
Except everyone else. Ever. 

JK.
Love you boys.
Winky face.
Finger gun.

The day after our girls dinner, we missed each other so much, that we "hungout" on google+.
Who doesn't love a group video chat?

And the day after Diddy's big time party,
there was a lot of recovering to be done so after brunch we lounged, watched Burlesque, made cookies and I did my best Cher impression.

Then the boys came over and we had a 5 person love chain (myself included).
Because that's totally normal for full grown adults, right?

Look, I wont make this sappy.
But please know that I love this little pickle to bits.
And had I not met her (and ultimately Yelz and so on and so forth), I probably would've fallen out of love with this great city a long time ago.
To quote Jay-Z, without them, there would be, "no love in the heart of the cit-taay."

I love you too much Diddy.
You too Young Hov.
Love,
~Kare*