Subways, sweet potatoes and an apartment that is way too nice

Since Wednesday, I have:

Spent a night at the International House of Columbia University

Hauled all my bags/luggage up and down subway stairs and finally moved into a new apartment

Walked all around Central Park, 5th Avenue, and Spanish Harlem

Eaten delicious southern cuisine at Amy Ruth's restaurant

Went grocery shopping and bought some pricey organic produce

Walked the High Line and explored Chelsea Market

Found my way home on the subway all by myself.

It's already been an adventure, and I love it! Sometime I'll try to post pictures (but that would involve me actually remembering to bring my camera with me, first).

Our apartment is so nice. I feel like we're being spoiled by this summer because if I end up moving here for good, there is no way I'll be able to afford a place like this.

I love seeing so many different people and walks of life, and exploring this huge island. There really is no place like New York, New York.

image via

girl power

This past week, I've been in a retro girl power mood. Madonna, Whitney, even a little Mariah and K Clark (who I realize is not from the same era, but really, she's got enough soul and spunk to fit in with those ladies, right?).

Anyway, apart from filling my ears with the beautiful soundtrack of the 80s, this week has been great. Major events:

-Monday--all-nighter scrambling to get everything ready for Tuesday, 1am 7-11 run for hot cocoa and only getting 30 minutes of sleep before heading to Sundance.

-Tuesday--Recruiter's fair up at Sundance. Got to talk to some really cool agencies and make some good connections. I'm slowly realizing that graduation is actually going to come and I'm going to have to grow up and be a real adult. Yikes/Yay!

-Wednesday--Meeting with more recruiters and following up with those from Tuesday. Ice cream social with the Leo Burnett crew.

-Today--Catching up on some homework, Adlab stuff, random errands. Comfort Food (aka grilled cheese and homemade tomato soup) party at mi casa with all the ad geeks. We all just chilled, played a little Just Dance 3 and it was fantastic. I seriously love my major and all the people in it. We know how to work hard and play hard.

It was a stressful but really good week. It's nice to be able to see my work on a website (check it out, kids!). I'm really proud of it, so that always makes it easier to show to other people.

career addendum

Okay, I love writing.

And copywriting.

Really, I do.

The fact that my future career will include sitting in an office full of interesting people and coming up with ideas is so exciting to me. Who else gets to watch random Youtube Videos, surf Twitter, and scribble in a notebook all day and call it work?

I can't wait for the late nights coupled with cartons of orange chicken and fried rice, rushed deadlines, last minute changes, rejections and redos, brain frustration, pages and pages of words reduced to one line, and finally, the success of knowing we nailed it.

I am also realizing how much I love reading, eating and writing about food.

So I'm trying to figure out how I could combine those two passions of mine into something that can support that orange chicken addiction, or the fact that I really, really stink at scrimping on grocery bills.

And this would, naturally, be the part where I tell you that I discovered a fantastic career option and have decided to become a _____. However, the point of writing all this was that I have no idea what sort of combination of copywriting and cooking would actually suit me.

Ideas?

Copywriter

Give me five seconds to be totally self-absorbed and braggy to say:

I GOT INTO THE CREATIVE TRACK!

For those of you non-advertising majors, this means that I get to call myself a real writer of copy and get to work on cool projects, spend hours and hours brainstorming and juicing my brain of creative brilliance.

I can't wait.

why I love advertising:

Because even at 1 am, when we've already been here for 9 hours today, and we're tired and sugar-overloaded...we all still want to be here.

Because looking at blogs, surfing facebook and looking up information on wikipedia all counts as research.

Because our professors care enough to hang out with us until the work is finished, even if the stuff doesn't get done until 1am.

Because everyone brings food to share.

Because it's just fun.

Crunch Time

Okay, guys.

I know you're there, somewhere. (and if you're reading this, yes, I mean YOU).

I'm working on my creative portfolio and I need to include a few things:

a little bit about myself

some brilliant advertising

and (here's where you come in)

a few writing samples, extra creative stuff that doesn't fit anywhere else.

If you've read one of my blog posts or one hundred, now is your chance to tell me what your favorites are.

So pretty please leave me a comment with the title/link to a post of mine that you thought was good enough to reread.

image via

I'll always be into print

Loving this campaign and the purpose behind it.

Beauty is always better when it's back with good intentions.

photo via adsoftheworld

cowboy take me away

Maybe I need to add one more thing to the poll on my sidebar: go spend the summer with my extended southern family in beautiful South Carolina. Oh and this little ad shop intrigues me.

Hmm..I wonder what interning in the South would be like. Do they down too many cups of sweet tea instead of coffee, and have big porches instead of basketball courts? Do they still wear suits and say "Yes, Ma'am"? Do they get late night bbq instead of Chinese?

I fell in love with the South when I was 8 years old.

And I wonder if I'd make a better southern belle or city girl.

I think I might like the pace of the South better than the hustle and bustle of the city.

But, then again, there is something magical about the city that never sleeps.

"I want to walk and not run.

I want to skip and not fall.

I want to look at the horizon

and not see a building standing tall."

-Dixie Chicks

image found from the lovely colby ranae on Pray Hard. Live Easy.

Check the sidebar ---->

So...I know that summer is about six months away.

But I'm trying to decide what I want to do, which is where I'll be placing my efforts for those next six months.

I'm just curious what the world wide web-sters think I should do.

So vote.

Please?

(images from google)

swimming

This week I get to play catch up on all the responsibilities I skipped out on last week. Which means taking a test, learning at least a minute of a Viennese Waltz routine, relearning the foxtrot, loads of reading, and thinking of ideas for a commercial.

Oh well.

My room is clean.

My bed is made.

And I'm ready to conquer the world.

{Last week at this time, I was walking around the financial district, eating pizza at Grimaldi's and feeling like a real advertiser. I feel like I understand just a tiny bit how people who come back from study abroad feel. I feel no shame in saying I lived in Harlem for six days, and I'm allowed to miss it just a bit.

Someday, NYC, I'll be back.}

twenty-two

I'm back from New York.

Back to my own bed.

Back to {trying} to eat normally and not spend all my money on hot dogs and bagels.

Back to school.

Back to real life.

Back to doing my hair {maybe} and not living out of a suitcase.

I'm happy to be back.

But I'm definitely going to miss my east coast almost home. Even if it was only for 6 days.

I'll miss street food.

I'll miss feeling like I can spend as much as I want.

I'll miss the subway.

Oh and today, well, it's my birthday. The big 22. Which really isn't as old as it sort of feels right now.

But 21 was a great year.

And I'm looking forward to discovering the 22 year old version of myself.

Here's to life.

image via deviantart

these lights will inspire you

I just got chills realizing that, this week, I'll be checking #6 off this list.

I've daydreamed about soaking up those big city lights since at least the first time I saw You've Got Mail.

But probably before that.

On the list of things I really want to do are, among other things:

Eating at least one hot dog every single day.

Eating legit New York pizza (my jersey girl roommate raves about it)

Finding a free concert.

Mets game.

Broadway!

Pretend like every night is my birthday.**

And, most importantly: live and breathe the world of advertising. visit big agencies, and little boutiques. take copious notes in the new journal I just bought, and soak up as much knowledge about this industry as my mind can contain.

And I just might buy myself a bouquet of freshly sharpened pencils.

**Because, oh yeah, the day after we get back I turn 22. Madness.

I won't have a ton of extra time, apart from the business of Advertising Week, but if you only had one day to do whatever you wanted in NYC, how would you spend it?

image via google

maybe when things turn green again, it will be good to say you know me.*

a few things that have put a smile on my face as of late:

solid, low-drama friends
meeting new people
visitors
the crazy, sporadic, unexpected, beautiful world of advertising and the BYU adlab
pomegranate, acai, and blueberry sorbet
chili burritos and "bang!" at La Casa...yum yum fun


...and the glorious fact that it's finally warm enough to let my hair air dry.

*Oh, Mr. Mayer, how do you spell it out so well?

Don't lay a finger on my Butterfinger!

I love Butterfingers.

You might love Butterfingers.

And, of course, Bart Simpson and Seth Green love Butterfingers.

This might happen if someone took your crispety, crunchety, peanut-buttery treat.

Tell your friends.

Tell your roommates.

Tell everyone you know.

Because it might not be the League that Butterfinger wants right now, but it's the one they need.

This is why I love:

{my major}

2nd floor of the good ol' HBLL on the east side (hallway before you get to the religion/family history section), there is a little showcase of byu advertising's finest.

it's called the Half Show.
and it will blow you away.

so if you want to celebrate finals being over and see some incredibly talented undergrads in your midst,

go.
peruse.
veg.
let your brain relax.

and if you haven't seen this yet, you need to.

oh, and this, too. byu didn't do it, but it still gets me every time.




next year...

Thirsty

This is why I love advertising.

I know the people who created this brilliant idea.

They are masters. And I look up to them.

It's called the Tap Duel.

You challenge your friends to see who is more willing to pay up.

And you help thirsty children along the way.

And you can beat your friends, and even throw down a little good-hearted charitable trash talk if you want.

The best part is the children always win. {Even if you lose.}* Because it's about them anyway, right?

To find out more about the UNICEF Tap Project, go here.

*But you're not really a loser because you're still donating.

I'm puttin my dreams on the line and praying that they won't get stuck

This is a little late.

But this is my Advertising Application Video.

Many thanks to Natalie who was willing to be me for a few shots, Josh for shooting the whole thing in 3 hours on a Saturday, Bob and Janssen for helping with the editing, and thanks to the Advertising Program for liking it.

I heart you all. Seriously.

ps: It worked :)

MAJOR Love

Remember this post?

And this one?

Well.

I got in.

If you haven't seen this commercial, do watch it. It's fabulous.

And this one, too.

*sigh of relief*