A Week in Review.... Jeter, shopping, and a NEW JOB

I feel like I should start this post with the depressing news that has upset my week: Derek Jeter has fractured his left ankle and will be out for the rest of the post season.  Derek Jeter is my all time favorite athlete and I am literally on the verge of tears every time I see the replay of him falling to the ground.  No one wants to see their favorite player injured let alone him withering in pain on the ground.  As Joe Girardi stated Derek Jeter is one of those players that even if he's injured he insists that he can still play. To see someone on the ground and not getting up you had to know that it was a major injury.  I'm praying for a speedy recovery for you Jeter but if you need anything I'm only a phone call away!!!!

Here are some of my favorite pictures of Derek Jeter from some of the games I've been to:

Jeter from his rehab stint with the Trenton Thunder last year

Not my picture but it was the background of my phone for awhile... how ugly is that uniform?

In a more positive twist I finally had my last day at the Gap on Saturday and started my new job at J.Crew yesterday.  I probably had one of my worst days at the Gap but I didn't mind because I knew that it was my last day (thankfully).  On the other hand working at J.Crew was a complete change and I actually enjoyed working there.  I went shopping today there so I'll be sure to update you on what I purchased on my next post because I got a few things from the Gap in the last couple of days and bought a few things to J.Crew up my wardrobe.  I'm also trying to transition my wardrobe into Fall weather and am going to be putting away my summer clothes.  Whenever I do this kind of cleaning it's always a process that spans a couple of days.  I'm thinking of rearranging my room which could be a process in and of itself.

Until next time.....

Boston

Hello Lovelies....

I just finished uploading my pictures from my weekend in Boston and I figured I'd write a post about all the fun I had.  Now, as a Yankee fan I never thought I would ever like the city of Boston.  I was brought up thinking "Boston fans are the worst" and everything from Boston is "evil."  Unfortunately or maybe fortunately I know love BOSTON as in I kinda sorta want to move there.

So on Friday, my friend Amy and I flew to Boston from New Jersey.  I know a few of you may wonder why we chose to fly. Well, if you had the option of flying roundtrip for $120 and getting there in under an hour, driving for 5 hours paying for gas, tolls, and parking, or taking a 6 hour train ride.  Seems pretty easy right.  We flew JetBlue and thankfully we had an absolutely gorgeous pilot.  In a moment of bad judgement I tweeted JetBlue and got a lovely retweet with a creepy winking face.

So once we checked into our lovely hotel, The Boston Marriott Long Wharf we set out to discover Harvard.  Unfortunately, we missed the guided tour of the university but we did pay $2 to get a guided map of the university.  I don't know what I was expecting but Harvard was not as prestigious as I was expecting.  Don't get me wrong, it has a beautiful campus but I was expecting more.  After wondering around Harvard for a few hours we decided to head over to Fenway Park.  Like I mentioned above I am a die hard Yankee fan and never imagined I would want to tour Fenway Park.  Being that this year marks the 100 year anniversary of the park I figured it was an appropriate time to visit and I'm glad I did.

You probably can't see it but on the scoreboard it said "Kelly and Craig save the date 11-9-13"

The Yankee fan in me LOVED this sign

 After spending the day in Cambridge and at Fenway Park we decided to head back to our hotel and rest for a little.  After resting we decided to head to the "Little Italy" of Boston in the North End.  This strip of restaurants are all amazing.  It's really difficult to decide which one to actually go to.  We had a recommendation to go to one restaurant but when we got there we couldn't even decipher the menu so we decided to walk around.  Eventually we settled on this great restaurant that was packed.  The food was delicious and honestly I don't think there would have been a bad restaurant on that road.  After dinner we headed to Mike's a famous pastry shop.  Mike's is known for their cannolis but we decided to get their cupcakes.  I'm really boring when it comes to cupcakes but this vanilla cupcake was delicious.  We actually went to Sweet's cupcakes on Sunday and it was good but not as good as Mike's.

 On Saturday we started our day going on a Segway tour.  We decided to do the 2 hour tour with Boston by Segway.   Our tour guide Jay Arr was funny, he randomly would play music over the walkie talkie we had to wear and I'll admit it I danced occasionally.  We saw so many great sites and it was a lot of fun.  Although, my only complaint with the tour was that our captain would some times lead us into oncoming traffic.  Now being from Jersey I am use to bad drivers but Massachusetts drivers are in a class of their own.

After Segwaying we went to eat at the Barking Crab.  Now from the looks of the restaurant it wasn't too impressive but the place was packed.  The food was really good and it was a great atmosphere.  After eating we decided to head back to the Back Bay area of Boston.  This is home to Newbury Street which hosts all the expensive stores ever made also where Tom Brady lives.  This trip was filled with a lot of window shopping because frankly I couldn't afford anything on this street.

Other highlights from the trip include touching a stingray at the New England aquarium and seeing the cute little blue penguins.  

cutest little penguin I've ever seen

 Never in a million years would I ever want to admit that I'd love to live in Boston but I actually could see myself living there.  It's not too big of a city yet it does offer a diverse amount of people and experiences.  Who knows maybe in a few years I'll be blogging from Boston!!!!

Packing for BOSTON!!!!

Hello lovelies....

How has everyone been.  I'm taking a break from posting about all the things I've been buying (and let's face it, there's been a lot) to post about what I'm packing for my trip to Boston this weekend.  Now, I've never been to Boston before, mostly because I have a strong hate for the sports fans that reside there (I'm talking to you Red Sox fans)!!! However, I'm writing this post while watching the Yankees annihilate the Red Soxs and clinch the American League East championship and figured what better way to pack.

So onto packing.  This was a issue for me.  I am a self proclaimed over packer.  I pack things and then don't ever want to wear what I pack so obviously I need options.  I will be in Boston from Friday to Sunday so normal people don't need to pack a lot but I'm anything but normal.  This is also my first experience of packing a bag and carrying it on the plane without checking it.

The packed bag... which I swear looks bigger then any carry on I've ever seen.

My super cute luggage tag from Paper Source

An overview of the finished bag

As you can see I have my makeup bag right on top with a head band and a silver sparkly scarf from Express on top of my suitcase.

 The bottom layer of my suitcase consists of my shoes and pants.  The top left pair of jeans is a pair of boyfriend capris from Gap, a pair of black skinny jeans from Urban Outfitters, and pair of black workout pants from Gap, and my lovely navy and white polka dot Gap pants.  On the right side I have a pair of sneakers and belt and some tan ballet flats from Banana Republic (oh and some colorful socks).

The next layer are my tops and pajamas.  On the left hand side I have my leopard oxford from Gap, my loft blouse, a cream peplum tank from Banana, a cream polka dot sweater from Banana, and a black and white cardigan.  I'm not really sure what the weather is going to be like so I wanted to bring a lot of pieces that I could layer.  On the right hand side I have my owl pajamas from target, a plain blue shirt from Gap, a baseball tee, a pink burnout tee, and a black sweatshirt.  

Overall, I don't think I went too overboard but I'm sure I'm bringing a lot more then I actually need.  

In addition to these clothing, I'm wearing a pair of chestnut riding boots and a cream sweater to the airport.  I've also packed my windbreaker in my other carry on.  That bag has my umbrella, iPad, camera, purse, and wallet in there.  

I can't wait to go to Boston.... I'll try to update this blog on Sunday with what I did while there!

Shopping like my life depends on it...

Ok, well maybe my life doesn't depend on it but I need to shop till I drop at the Gap, because yesterday I gave my 2 weeks notice.  I wish I could say I gave my 2 weeks because I got this amazing big girl full-time position, but sadly that is not the case.  However, I finally decided that I needed a major change in my life.  I needed this because I needed to make a change that would improve my attitude and outlook on life.  Lately, I have been miserable at my job.  I thought it as only because I've been closing a lot but that wasn't it.  I was miserable there all day, everyday.

I sat down with a few of managers and discussed my options with advancing within the company.  My main manager was not as supportive of my decision as I originally expected, which was upsetting.  However, I finally made the decision to go to another store where my friend is one of the managers.  When I went to talk to her I was shocked that even the other managers, who I've never met before, wanted me to work there. With that being said, all good things must come to an end!  I enjoyed my time at the Gap over the last 4 years.  I've had some good and even some bad times (more then I would have cared to have).  I'll miss some of the people I've worked with and I'll definitely miss my employee discount.  However, I know it's my time to leave.

With that being said, here's the mini shopping spree I went on today!!!!

 Since my photos didn't turn out to good I decided to include the pictures from the Gap's website for some of the items.

Polka Dot Seam

LS Camo Epaule

A super soft off the shoulder sweater... it's called the Drop Shoulder sweater

FT Slim Crop Pant

Slim Crop Cash

Blouse from Old Navy

Ok this isn't from the gap but I found this bag at Marshalls the other day and I absolutely love it.  I was going to splurge on a Rebecca Minkoff or a Marc by Marc Jacobs bag but I'm actually really happy with this no name bag.   I paid $40 for this genuine leather bag.  It's bigger then the typical cross body and is dual toned, which I love about it.  It has tons of compartments to store the countless crap I put in my bag.

 Closer look at the lovely color of the bag

Love the inside detail of the bag... is this not absolutely perfect for fall!!!!!


Well I'm sure I'll be back in a few day with more stuff that I bought with my discount.

Until next time!!!!!!!!

What a TERRIBLE Day

Well today has not been my day.  First off, I made the very big girl decision that I need to make a major life change.  Currently, I feel like my life is so boring that I need to try something new.  I think graduating has finally hit me and I feel like since I don't have a full time job I need to do something else.  I can't continue in the position I have now.  With that being said, I've decided to apply for jobs elsewhere, both retail and non-retail positions.

I was hesitant initially about my decision but after the day I had today I feel completely justified in the decision I made.  I never thought in a million years that the company/store I've worked for the last 4 years would be so bitter and rude to me when I told them I was looking to advance my career and move elsewhere.  I should preface by saying 2 of my 4 managers are very supportive of my decision and understand why I need to leave but my other 2 managers are just being hurtful.  It's not fair! I've worked my ass off for this store and they feel me leaving just doesn't make sense.  I'm sorry I've practically done your job and your "sad" to see me go.   One of the stores I'm considering working at is actually excited to have me as an employee.  It's going to be so weird to work for people who actually appreciate me and want to encourage me to move up through a company.

I explained to another employee that I'm exhausted and defeated with where I work.  I wake up every day and dread going to my job.  I use to like what I did and where I work but after seeing how I was treated today, I know I made the right decision to look elsewhere.

Oh well, you know what they say... It's their LOSS!!!!!

On a positive note, I felt like I needed to reward myself with a pick-me-up gift so I finally decided to get the New iPad.  To be honest, I had a $300 gift card to Best Buy so in order to make me feel a little better, I decided to finally buy it and I have no idea how I ever lived without it!!!

Well tomorrow's a new day and hopefully it brings good news and new opportunities.

Seriously... When did I become a grown up?

I get that I graduated college, oh like 3 months ago, but does that mean I have to have a job already.  In an ideal world, I would love to be working a full-time job that provides me with benefits and paid vacation days, but lets face it; the economy sucks.  Every person I know seems to ask me "Do you have a job, yet?"  I really want to come back with a witty response and say, "Actually, it's by choice that I don't have a job right now!"   NEWSFLASH, people that don't have full-time jobs that utilize their degrees don't really want to be asked about their job searches.  It's so annoying, if I want to update people on my job search process I'll let you know.   Whatever happened to "hey how's it going?" or "how have you been?"  Nothing like angering the person your about to have a conversation with!

Literally every person I know has asked me what I'm doing.  Currently, I'm working nearly 40 hours a week at my retail job, so it's not like I'm sitting at home doing nothing all day.  But when you tell people you don't have a "real" job they assume you're doing nothing.

Yeah, working in retail is not my ideal career path but I'm trying to make it work and trying to figure out what my next move is if I am to stay in this field.


HERE'S SOME ADVICE:
STOP ASKING RECENT COLLEGE GRADS IF THEY HAVE A JOB!!!!!  IF WE DID, WE'D BE SCREAMING IT FROM THE ROOF TOPS.

As Christian Grey would say... these are shouty capitals.

quote from http://alittledashofash.blogspot.com/2011/10/just-saying-steve-jobs.html

My pandora bracelet

I figured I'd post something about my pandora bracelet because it's almost completely full.  Here's an overview of the bracelet.  As you can see I can probably fit one or two more charms on this bracelet but thanks to Pandora's most recent promotion I have another bracelet waiting in the wings once this one is finished.  

 Ok, so each one of these charms means something to me.  As with most charm bracelets they tell a story.  So the first bead is a chevron pink bead that I believe you can see better in another picture.  The second one on the left is a clasp that I got with the bracelet.  The third charm is a turtle.  The reason I got a turtle charm is because my grandmother, who passed away 2 years ago loved turtles.  She lived on the water and every year turtles would come up on her beach and lay their eggs.  Once they laid their eggs, she would mark where the eggs were laid and we would patiently wait for them to hatch.  Once they hatched she would make sure they would make it to the water but sometimes the turtles would get a little turned around and would wind up in her garden.  If that was the case she would keep it in a bucket and give me a call and I would come over and play with the turtle then eventually release them back into the water.  I have 2 heart spacers that fill the empty space, no great story there.  I have a V pendant for my first initial and last initial.  The next bead is from their most recent collection.  It a white bead with pink ribbons around it.  It's their newest breast cancer charm, which I got in honor of my grandmother, who conquered breast cancer twice before she passed.  The next charm is an owl, which is the only kind of bird I like.  I named the charm Earle, after the owl that lives in my neighbors tree.  The last charm you see in this picture is a cat with a little heart pendant.  Needless to say this charm represent my little tinks, who I love dearly.

I was having a little difficult photographing the bracelet in it's entirety so here are the charms broken up a little.  The dice charm I got in Atlantic City in Harrah's casino with my other grandmother, who loves to gamble.  After I bought this charm I won $50 on a slot machine.  The next charm is a sleeping cat which I got because of Tinks because she always sleeps on a pillow.  My mom bought me my next charm which is a present.  She wanted to buy me a charm that represented my christmas birthday so this was the one we chose because she said I was her best christmas present ever! The last charm is a baseball.  I absolutely love baseball, in particular the Yankees, so this is my charm for them!

The charm you can't really see is a stack of books with an owl in a graduation cap on the top of it.  I got this charm when I graduated college.  The third charm is a seashell with a starfish on it.  I got this because I consider myself a beach kid because I've lived right down the street my whole life.  The last charm here is my cupcake charm and I got it because i love cupcakes!!!

The theme of this bracelet was silver and pink.  I'm thinking my next bracelet will be black and white!!!