Fuck it, I'm gonna have a party!

The last few weeks of the semester at school were super busy, so we didn't get to do too much Christmas-y stuff unfortunately. However, with the Rockefeller Center tree and SantaCon going on, it was kinda difficult to escape all the festivities - and I'm not complaining! When Zach came up for the last weekend I would be in NYC, he brought me some beautiful flowers which definitely helped to cheer me up.

The photo on the right just makes me smile. It's a picture of Zach through a little heart-shaped paper straw cover he made for me while we were waiting for our food at Crif Dogs. Crif Dogs is an amazing hot dog place on St. Marks and has an awesome speak easy which you can access through an old phone booth built into the wall. Awesome place, one of our favorites. Also, you can see on the bottom of the photo how the table is a vintage video game player, pretty cool.

SantaCon, santas, Buddy the Elf, and Christmas trees everywhere! Lining the streets with the bars!

Cupcakes for a mid-day snack after finding out some really sad news - the boyfriend always knows how to cheer me up.

On a cheerier note, the beautiful Freedom Tower getting festive and colorful. Unfortunately, since Sandy though, the PATH system has been all messed up so we've been forced to walk all over Manhattan to find Zach a way home on Sunday nights when he comes up to visit me for the weekend :(

A HUGE highlight to my (was it last?) weekend. Zach brought me to see Nada Surf playing at the Bowery Ballroom! It was the first time I'd been to the Bowery although it's literally about five blocks away from where I live. They put on an amazing show, and played for two hours! Zach was a trooper, he doesn't listen to them but he didn't complain once, and he actually said they put on a really good show! I thought they did incredible, and they played a great variety of songs which I was really happy about (since they put out a new CD last year which I wasn't too crazy about). FYI, I have a Nada Surf tattoo which says "Always Love" on my ribs, and they are one of my all-time favorite bands, so I was beyond exited to see them play, especially since I hadn't seen them for a few years.

Rockefeller Center, that's the tree down there on the right! 

Santa in a Cadillac at Rockefeller Center - Zach walked up and got a high-five from him. He said that the lady in the passenger seat was filming, so we said how one day we will find the video online somewhere and laugh about it.

On the right is an image from a quick stop for a snack at Pomme Frites, the best french fry place in Manhattan without a doubt, with delicious dip options. 

On the left is the Chelsea Market decorated all beautifully for the holiday season. On the right are the presents I got for Zach all wrapped up.

Here is a funny image from Christmas, we kept feeding Daisy but I guess we forgot to give her a bowl of water! So she started drinking out of my cup haha! :)

One Mile House bar is right next to the Bowery Ballroom, it's a great little local spot we keep going back to with tons and tons of beer on tap!

Zach got me a new iPhone case because I was in desperate need of one, and it's pretty and was only five dollars! On the right is Jayne sawing off her arm with one of my friend Lauren's cousin's toys. We celebrated my friends Lauren and Kaydee's birthdays who both turned 20 this year right before Christmas.

This live version of Without You by Lana Del Rey has been stuck in my head for at least the last month. I think it's so beautiful, and honestly I like it better than the recorded version.

There are two big things though which have recently happened and I think deserve mentioning. While I was studying with a friend for one of my finals I heard about the Massacre in Connecticut. My heart goes out to all of those families who suffered a loss. I can't imagine going through something like that. Also, my roommates mother passed away right before finals as well. My heart truly aches for her, and my thoughts are with her and her family right now.

Lastly, here are some photos from New Year's Eve last year - I know it's not quite here yet, but I really wanted to share these photos. I miss the old days.

Melissa.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

Well this is what New York City has been looking like lately! There were some Christmas Carolers in Washington Square Park the other night which was really nice and cheerful for New York and also for the fact that I've been bogged down with work lately. It's nice to see a little bit of holiday cheer throughout the city, even if it sparingly. On the left are a few little decorations that I got to remind myself that it's Christmas and to be excited and enjoy the holiday season! They do cheer up our little apartment.

There is a lot of food in this post, because it just so happened that we went out to eat at new or interesting places over the last few weeks and I wanted to document them! On the left is artichoke pizza from the same-named place on MacDougal Street here in Soho. So delicious! And on the right is a croissant grilled-cheese with tomato from a little cafe around the corner from me that I just discovered, called the Little Fox Cafe. I believe it's a new place. Very charming, and extremely quiet, so when Zach and I went in to grab this special they were advertising we felt kinda strange talking while everyone was quietly studying. So, good place to study and bad place to go for socializing, I guess! Also, I went to pour some sugar into my cup of coffee I got there, and the entire lid of the sugar came off of the container and literally spilt all over the table and rendered my coffee un-drinkable! Also, our food wasn't very hot. The place is promising but all in all we didn't have a great experience there unfortunately.

My mister looking cute ;)

We also checked out AsiaDog for the first time, another place around the corner from me I've been meaning to try. They have delicious hot dogs and french fries, and it was interesting to taste the difference between hot dog joints in NYC (like, Crif Dogs is so much different, the two places just have such different tastes). Anyway, Zach got a hot dog with crumpled potato chips on top, and mine included chili and sweet onions, they were very good. Also, with the french fries we got some sort of delicious sauce that they recommended.

Eileen's Cheesecake, literally a block away from where I live, is ranked throughout the city as the best cheesecake place. This had only been the second time I had tried a mini cheesecake from there, but it was delicious. Actually, I had a raspberry, white-chocolate mousse, so not technically cheesecake but still delicious. On the right, back at home, I saw Daisy cuddling with Zach and couldn't resist a photo-op, although Zach thought otherwise.

At Spice! Can you tell we love this place? We're always here. Two words: Pad Thai.

This past weekend I was so happy to come home and find that my parents didn't get a Christmas tree yet, so I couldn't wait to go get some hot chocolate and search for the perfect tree with everyone! We actually went to a place we've never been to before because on a Saturday night at 10 PM apparently everyone was closed! Can you believe it? Anyway, the place we ended up in was really nice and had a beautiful little seating arrangement (on the left) where you could take pictures! And on the right is my mom decorating our tree, it came out lovely!

Zach looking charming under the lights while searching for a Christmas tree, and me posing with Daisy who wouldn't sit still.

On the left is the most adorable little puppy that Zach's mom is fostering for the time being. He came from a home with over 39 other huskies, because the owner was a hoarder of dogs. He is just so adorable and a really well-behaved puppy, surprisingly. And me with Daisy, on the right, because despite the fact that she is super stubborn, she still loves me :)

Also, I got my first internship! I applied for a position at the Editorialist, an online magazine for luxury accessories, went to an interview with the Features Editor, and then did some exercises via email. Then they offered me the position! I am so happy!

Once it is Thursday night, after 10 PM, I will finally be able to relax, but until then I have lots of work to do still. And even after then, I have to study for two finals...but each day that I finish another assignment, paper, or project, it feels that much better! So close, yet so far! And after this, I can't believe it, only one more semester (well, one and a half if you count a summer class..) and I cannot wait!

Melissa.