Bachelor Blog 1: "Nice guys don't finish last, they just have to wait a little longer."

That's just one of the many Velveeta things that came out of Jake's mouth last night, and that's not even the worst of it. I'm not a huge fan of him (yeah I said it), but I like watching The Bachelor to see just how crazy the girls get. There are definitely some wack jobs up in that house—I can't WAIT to see shit go down! Since the show provides so much blog fodder, I've decided to do a regular Bachelor post until it's over. Who's happy about this?

Sure, he's got a dreamy smile and perfectly sculpted guns, but let's be honest ladies, the most alluring quality about Jake is the fact that wants a wifey. I'm not attracted to super-mushy men like Jake because it just doesn't seem genuine or natural to me, but I know I'm probably in the minority here. My boyfriend put it best when he said: "Guys assume one day they'll get married and have kids, but most don't dream about it or anticipate how it's going to happen. It happens when it happens." For the record, I do not think there's anything wrong with a guy wanting a relationship—it's a turn off though when it consumes him and defines who he is. And I haven't used this word in at least 15 years, but he's just.so.corny about it all. Ick. I'm gonna give him a chance though—just maybe he will chillax one good time and win me over!

I know The Bachelor isn't reality (Liza often has to remind me of that when I get heated over an unrealistic movie or TV show), but the Jake-method really does work. In NYC, I've witnessed nice, semi-cute, slightly dorky guys get mad play just because girls assume they are boyfriend material. This attention of course turns them into players and then the vicious cycle starts. Interestingly enough, the opposite is true for women. Guys automatically think that nice girls want a husband, like yesterday, and are scared off.

So tell me: What do you think about Jake? Do you think my theories on nice guys and girls ring true? (I'm sure plenty of guys will disagree with me on this one!) 

You get a car! And YOU get a car! And...

No, I'm not giving away cars—I wish—you guys know I can hardly afford rent. Don't you just love that Oprah episode though? I digress. What I am going to do now is announce the winner of the Thayer dress giveaway! Drumroll please...

SOPHIA!!! Congrats, girl! I loved everyone's comments and really had a hard time choosing, so the only fair way to do it was to draw names. Sophia, just shoot me an email (it's on my profile page) with your address and I'll send it over. My only request is that you take a pic with the dress on and send it over to me :) As for everyone else, I PROMISE you'll have more chances to win giveaways in the future! Thanks so much for your support and keep the suggestions coming—I cherish your opinions!

xoxo

E

Would you be turned off by a guy who ate healthier than you did?

Friends have told me stories about being turned off by guys who eat super-healthy—egg whites for breakfast, salads without dressing for lunch, salmon for dinner—so I thought I'd raise the issue here. I feel a bit torn on the subject. You know from this post that I'd love for my boyfriend to be a bit healthier (how's Day 1 of those resolutions going, hun?!), but I'd also feel weird if he didn't chow down on a burger and fries from time to time or if we never shared a pizza together. (Now that would be a sad day.)

I have no idea who o'boy is, but I thought this pic was kinda funny. Anyway, I do think a guy with an appetite for wings and nachos is part of his masculinity, and I'm allll about manly men, but one thing we should consider is that not all guys are the same. Yes, many can hit the gym a few times a week and still be able to get away with eating whatever they want (damn metabolisms!), but not everyone can. On the flip side guys, don't judge a girl when she orders a salad at dinner!

They are many different arguments you could make on this subject, so I'm gonna leave it with you. Would you be turned off by a guy who ate super-healthy? Even healthier than you? And guys, what's a big no-no for you regarding girls' eating habits??

It was all a dream, I used to read Word Up magazine...

Salt 'n' Peppa and Heavy D up in the limousine...somethin' somethin' somethin'...I let my tape rock til my tape popped...umm who knows the rest? Last night my boyfriend and I went to Brooklyn, Notorious B.I.G.'s old 'hood. I don't think we were anywhere near the street corners where he used to deal drugs, but things have changed a lot since then, so who knows, we could have been! R.I.P. Biggie Smalls. An.y.way...despite the freezing cold weather, we decided to venture out to Park Slope and try a new restaurant my friend Jenny has raved about.


As soon as we walked inside Franny's I could tell I was going to like it. It was quaint and cozy, and the pizzas I saw other diners noshing on looked awesome.

We ordered a couple of appetizers, and I joked with the waitress that this would be our "last supper." She didn't get it, so I had to further explain that our New Years health resolustions were about to start! My boyfriend got leeks with a fried egg and pecorino sardo on top to start.

And I got the lentil soup. It doesn't look too exciting, but it was really good and hearty. We had our share of alcohol over the weekend, so we passed on the drinks menu, but I overheard the table next to us comtemplating and waaaay overthinking their wine selection. The waiter (who might have been a friend) would bring out a taste of wine, and they'd give their review on it, and then try another one, then again explain why they did or didn't like it and whether or not it would "bring out the flavors" in their meal. Geeeze. Just drink the damn wine, people!

Sausage pizza with buffalo mozzarella--YUM!

We also got the spaghetti with lemon sauce. It was delicious, truly. I wasn't sure if I'd like it, but it was so good, and the citrus flavor was unlike anything I had ever had on pasta before!

Ok, so this is unrelated, but I saw this taxi light in the subway earlier in the day and thought I'd post it. I actually thought for two seconds that I might somehow try to bring it back to my boyfriend's apartment because he collects all sorts of weird, I mean awesome, crap, but I decided against it.

So guys, it's Monday. Back to reality. Here are my New Years resolutions:

-Eat healthier more consistently
-Work out harder
-Read the newspaper more
-Go to church two times a month
-Take better care of my things
-Cook more
-Last but not least, FIND A JOB!!!

What are yours? How does everyone feel to be back at work?!

Date Night!

Liza and I have been joking lately that we're like an old married couple that just sits on the couch together, so we decided to go out last night just the two of us. For dinner we went to a new restaurant called Tiny Thai on the Upper East Side.

The inside looks like a club, no? It's not exactly the type of place I like to go to normally, but it was fun for something different. 

I got the spicy flat noodles with chicken and vegetables. It was really good and fairly cheap, too—under $10! 

Liza got the yellow curry with chicken and really liked hers as well. Since the restaurant doesn't have their liquor license yet, it's BYOB. We didn't know that, but Liza took one for the team and went back out in the cold to get us a bottle of wine. During the entire meal, we noticed the chick next to us was listening to our conversation. At one point her friend noticed and said, "Did you just hear what I said?" Don't you hate when people do that? She was so obvious about it too, weird. 

I never leave home without my FnF stickers! I thought this empty toilet roll was the perfect promotional opportunity ;)

Cab ride photo opp!

Next we headed to Brother Jimmy's on the Upper West Side to meet up with a friend of Liza's from her sorority (sorry, saying "sorority sister" sounds a little Velveeta to me). Brother Jimmy's is my favorite sports bar in the city—hello monster bowl of liquor!

Liza with Kathryn!

As a Clemson alum, I appreciated this flag hanging on the ceiling. I busted through a group of guys to snap the pic!

And as  KY girl, I appreciated this sign as well. Hey look, there's a UK flag in the background, too!

Tell me: What's your favorite sports bar where you live and why? 

Welcome to the Lower East Side

My favorite 'hood in Manhattan by far is the Lower East Side. Here, you can get the real New York experience—great food, fun bars, stylish locals—without all the pretentious bullshit.

One of my favorite features on my new camera is the panoramic option. Here are three of my favorite street corners all in one pic! 

A lot of movies have been filmed on Orchard Street—The Devil Wears Prada being one of them. Has anyone seen P.S. I Love You? I never did, but I noticed in the previews that Hilary Swank runs around this corner and swings around the pole of that clothing store. I love when I watch movies shot in NYC and know exactly where the scene is taking place. 

Today my boyfriend and I went to one of my favorite cafes for brunch—Orchard 88. It's cute and cozy and the food is yummy. Every time I go, there is new artwork on the walls—today it was panoramic photos of a city, which I assume was Manhattan, but I didn't look closely enough to see for sure. Oops! 

Muffins, pastries, bagels, croissants, cookies as big as your head—they've got it all. Mmm..

I've never been there when it wasn't crowded, so we had to go to the basement to grab the last available table. You can't do a great deal of people watching down there, but it's still cool—it feels like you're in a dungeon. You can even bust out a game of checkers or Scrabble while you nosh.

More artwork...

My usual order: Granola and berries with skim milk. It's too tasty to be as healthy as I want it to be, but it's so worth it. Yum!

Ok, so this is what I look like sans makeup. Not exactly a mug that would win a beauty pageant for vertically challenged Greek girls, but hey, it could be worse. Riiight?!

Alright, well I have a couple of work-related things to do as well as make a trip to the gym before I get my Saturday night started, so I gotta biz-ounce offa herrre. (Sorry, I'm listening to Eminem's Relapse right now and feeling just a bit ghetto. Dr. Dre just said, "If at first you don't succeed, it can't hurt to smoke some weed." Sound advice, Dre. Kids, you listenin'? Kiiiidding). 

So I'm curious to know: Girls, do you wear makeup on the weekend during the day? Guys, do you like the au natural look? One of my New Year's resolutions is to fix up more consistently (not just when I'm going out), but I didn't exactly get off to a great start!

Photo Shoot Friday: Smell ya later 2009!!!

Happy New Years everyone! Guess who doesn't have a hangover today? It's a bloody miracle! I hope I don't get a delayed hangover that hits around 5pm—that's the worssst. New Year's Eve is always a stressful night—there's so much hype and more times than not, it just doesn't deliver. I've learned a lot about how to do NYE in Manhattan over the years—the best way to be is laid back. My first year in the city was a nightmare. I paid $100 to go to a bar that was way too crowded; it took 20 minutes to get a drink; the food that was promised was nowhere in sight; the strap on my top broke and I lost my purse and all my friends. I was a hot mess. Times ten. Anyway, I'm happy that I have a much better experience to report back to you this time—I had a great night!

I had absolutely nothing to wear—gone are the days that I rush to Bloomingdale's to spend money I don't have on an outfit I don't even know if I really like, just for ONE night. Liza saved me though, and hooked me up with this cute purple leopard print Rebecca Taylor dress!

We started the night at Erin's place for cocktails and snacks. How cute are these party horns? 

And these masks! Erin always knows how to add the perfect touches to make a party feel special. 

Sadly, I don't think I had even a sip of champagne, but maybe that's also why I don't have massive headache right now.

Buddy had the best New Year's ever—this was the second appetizer he snuck off the table. He seemed so excited, I just didn't have the heart to stop him!

Me, Liza and Natalie with Erin, the cutest hostess ever!

The British Invasion: Mark and Bruce! After Erin's, my boyfriend and I met up with some pals at a chill German bar called Loreley on the Lower East Side.

Here I am with my good buddies Ajla and Lorraine. Heeey, why didn't I get a New Year's hat?!

Eff you 2009!!!

All in all it was a great night—I hope all of you had a good one, too! What did you do last night? Did you have fun? Do you have any nightmare NYE stories like mine?