Friday, January 29, 2010

visitors welcome



I'm off to pick up my friend (third from left), who's visiting from Prague, at the airport. It's restaurant week here in NYC so I'm excited to try out places I normally can't afford and see what other trouble we could get ourselves into. Hope you have a fantastic weekend!

Thursday, January 28, 2010

meet mr. good enough

I've often wondered, in dating, if I've been too picky. At 27, I am still single and many times have complained that there are no good men in New York. "What about that guy from the book store?" My friend would ask. "Oh he was a terrible speller," I answered. "How about that one that took you to dinner a few weeks ago?" They ask. "He wore a shirt from Abercrombie," I replied. I complained about never having any dates but when I did I would pick these guys apart. Too short, too dense, too eager. Hate their style, their love of football, their lack of imagination. No one could ever live up to the ideal man I had pieced together as if I was playing with a Mr. Potato Head: this hat, those arms, these shoes. Insert intellect and humor.

What if this person only exists in my often unrealistic imagination? What if I've been dismissing perfectly good men because they didn't pass my initial cross check?

I recently came across this book by Lori Gottlieb called, Marry Him: The Case for Settling for Mr. Good Enough.



In the book, Gottlieb, 40 and single, regrets passing up the slew of suitors she had in her 20s. Had she not been so picky, applying her feminist ideals of self-sufficiency to her dating life, she reasons she would not still be single in her 40s where most eligible men are married or looking for someone much younger.

But what happens to the girl power mantra, "Never settle for less," we wonder. Gottlieb explains that you're not settling for less, you're getting rid of your too high standards (before it's too late!) and accepting that there's a middle ground between McDreamy and the guy that hits on you at McDonald's.

I once asked Bionic Woman, "What happens if the wonderful person that you're dating isn't who you pictured yourself marrying?" After a few seconds, she answered logically, "We rarely end up with who we thought we would." Nothing profound there. Just a realistic reply to go with my new, realistic expectations.

the magic mix

well, i learned the answer to how to get myself out of the funk i was in all this week. i was running low on energy so i made myself some coffee. my eyes were still feeling heavy so i drank a can of Monster. then i had a glass of red wine while i was writing. this little magical mixture had me wired and ready to take over the world.i began texting Bionic Woman with a business idea and an hour later i have a notebook filled with ideas and am pumped and ready to set the wheels in motion! details to follow very soon!

when life gives you lemons



I've been a bit down and unmotivated this week. It always seems to happen this way. One week I'm deliriously happy, the next, I feel like crawling under a rock and never coming out.

How do you guys snap out of it when you're in a funk?

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

you must allow me...

wouldn't this framed print from The Love Shop be a great Valentine's Day gift?

isn't she lovely?

i love her blog, her style, and the red vespa.

i might

this card gave me a laugh when i saw it on Roll and Tumble Press's etsy shop. but i'm not sure how i would feel if it came in the mail.

tuxedo tank top

How cute is this tuxedo tank top by Miss Kitten? It would be so adorable with jeans and studded booties.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

dirtylittlestylewhore

I'm loving this limited shirt from dirtylittlestylewhore. Love Minnie's little studded heels!

gus

I want his life.

stratton weekend



I had a wonderful few days in Vermont with my girlfriends. It was my first time there, and I'm usually not a snow/winter person, but I absolutely fell in love. I even texted my friend when I got there to say I may be considering mountain woman life. I quickly rescinded that text the following day, after a full day of snowboarding, every inch of my body hurt. I didn't even know I had muscles that could be pulled in those places. My abs hurt so bad that laughing and even breathing was painful. Nonetheless, I am addicted to snowboarding. My girlfriend, K, was such a patient and wonderful teacher and stuff with me until I could stand up and do a full run without falling.

Back at the cabin we drank hot chocolate with kahlua, sipped wine, played funny card games and catch phrase, and soaked our muscles in the hot tub. There were 15 of us and the cabin and while it wasn't quiet it was definitely a fun, relaxing, peaceful, and much needed trip with the girls. (I'll have more photos on my flickr!)

Monday, January 25, 2010

j'adore

I've been such a francophile lately. I think this Charlotte Ronson campaign is so adorable. It gives me hope that I can feel like a Parisian in NYC. All I need is a convertable, CR's rad clothes, and a good soundtrack.



(Video via Miss Brit)

j'adore

I've been such a francophile lately. I think this Charlotte Ronson campaign is so adorable. It gives me hope that I can feel like a Parisian in NYC. All I need is a convertable, CR's rad clothes, and a good soundtrack.



(Video via Miss Brit)

anything is possible

I woke up before my alarm today (very rare) and was feeling super pumped to tackle my extra long to-do list that was built up from being away. I began unpacking, organizing, assembling a shelf I bought last April (talk about procrastinating!), and hung up this dialogue bubble chalkboard decal that I had bought over a month ago from Etsy:

Isn't it cute? (There's a corner of my Hello Kitty calendar in the picture. No, I'm not 13). I had written this little message on the wall because I woke up feeling like I could conquer the world. Of course, as Bionic Woman would always say to me, I could go from utopia to being caught in a rainstorm in a white sundress in seconds. Midday, I took a little downhill turn. Bionic said this song by Jonny Lang would cheer me up. With the day I'm having I'm going to have to keep it on repeat.

Welcome!




Hello. Ciao. Bonjour.

I'm so excited to be writing my first post on my new site. I'm still getting to know Wordpress so things might look a little funky at first. I hope you guys will take a poke around and let me know what you think!

Thank you, Scott, for the wonderful design and Kate for the fun pics!

I've moved!!!


Hello hello my dear readers. The long awaited new design of my blog is finally ready. It's a new year (which so far has been fantastic) and I'm ready for a new look.

I hope you'll pop by and take a peek. Add me, follow me, join me, say hello, and let me know what you think!

As always, thank you for reading. xoxo

(PS Thank you, Scott for the new design and Kate for the fun pics!)

New blog address: http://ninachristensen.com

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

gone snowboarding...




My dears, I am off to Vermont for a snowboarding trip with my girlfriends (and their husbands) until Sunday. I am not one for leaving somewhere cold to go for a holiday in somewhere colder...but we'll see. I've got my gear all packed and I'm looking forward to days filled with snow, riding, warm fires, hot cocoa, and girl time. And maybe some eye candy on the mountains ; )

xoxo!

adore


(Image via Le Love)

gone snowboarding...




My dears, I am off to Vermont for a snowboarding trip with my girlfriends (and their husbands) until Sunday. I am not one for leaving somewhere cold to go for a holiday in somewhere colder...but we'll see. I've got my gear all packed and I'm looking forward to days filled with snow, riding, warm fires, hot cocoa, and girl time. And maybe some eye candy on the mountains ; )

xoxo!

adore


(Image via Le Love)

Monday, January 18, 2010

i die

I walked passed these shoes yesterday. I have to have them! But I can't decide if I want the short or tall
ones and in black or brown. Can someone help me choose? thanks! : )

i die

I walked past these shoes yesterday. I have to have them! But I can't decide if I want the short or tall
ones and in black or brown. Can someone help me choose? thanks! : )

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Go home. Nothing good happens after last call.

Ok so I had just finished writing this post last night about how I was going to stay in for the weekend. I spoke too soon. Shortly after I wrote the post my phone rang at 11PM. I was sitting on the couch in sweats. An old friend, we'll call him Chapter 9, was back in town. I hadn't seen him in almost a year and I also have this complex where I think that every time I turn something down a night similar to something from The Hangover happens. So I got dressed as quickly as possible, hopped in a cab, and rushed to Spitzer's in the LES.

I'm going to start off by saying I should work on getting rid of this said complex quickly and I should've remained where I was, on my couch, wearing my dirty old sweats.

I had sent a text to Little One inviting her out but she didn't get it until the following morning and called to see how my night was. I told her I could tell her how it started out and then it only went downhill from there.

Let's start from the beginning. I was at the bar having a great time catching up with some friends I hadn't seen. TWO hours (this is very important here) after I had been standing at the bar, I sat down to talk to Elfin. I had my legs crossed and I looked down at my shoes. I thought to myself, "That's funny. I usually love these shoes but today they don't look all that hot." I looked at them some more and couldn't figure out why they didn't look good on me today. And then suddenly I realized, I was wearing my shoes on the wrong feet. Yes. That's right. Not only did I walk out of the house wearing my left shoe on my right foot and vice versa, but that I didn't notice until TWO (read: two) hours later! My only defense (I have no defense) is that I was in a hurry. Little One laughed at me and asked how I could not have noticed. In hindsight (always in hindsight) I recall thinking my feet hurt more than usual but I thought maybe I just wasn't drunk enough. Then I remember thinking I was tripping over my feet a lot but then I thought maybe the alcohol finally caught up to me. Then I remembered wondering why my toe was sticking out over the front of the heel and that was because the shoe was curving in the wrong direction. Then I remember wondering why the zippers were annoyingly hitting each other when I walk (it had never done this before) and that was because the zippers normally go on the outside of my feet.

I tried to switch my shoes back as discreetly as possible. It was 3AM. I remember thinking I should go home. Nothing good happens after last call. But TA had texted me earlier saying he was at a nearby bar and I said I would stop by before I went home. I said goodbye to Chapter 9 (Ch.9 for future references) and got in a taxi.

I arrived at the next bar and TA asked me what took so long. I downed a shot of Jameson's that was waiting for me and said, "Sorry, I was busy getting my heart broken." (Note: the things that are said and the events that follow had a positive correlation with the amount of alcohol we drank). TA got very upset by this comment and asked, "What makes you think I wanna hear about you and other guys?" TA and I know that we see other people but we never talk about it. (read: TA and I are still very confused about what we are to each other). The bar was also closing so TA went outside. We argued some more. Decided to go home. We shared a cab, since he's on the way, like we usually do. Still arguing. Perhaps it was the alcohol, perhaps it was the frustration I was feeling of my damn tongue not being able to relay the messages from my brain, but I began to cry. One lone tear fell down my cheek. Then another. Then another. TA felt horrible and apologized profusely. I said I was fine but the damn tears wouldn't stop. I never show emotion in front of him. He tells the taxi guy to just go to his place because I couldn't even speak. As soon as I got inside I just began sobbing. I had no idea what I was crying over but once I started I just couldn't stop. Who does that?

I woke up the following morning and TA saw that I was still feeling pretty low. He asked, "So who's this guy that broke your heart?" I told him I didn't want to talk about it. He turned to me and said, "Well, it could be worse. Today could be your wedding day." TA was supposed to be married today.

And that, my friends, sums up everything that happened between 11PM Saturday to 10AM Sunday.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Today, I'm feeling like this:


I've had such a busy week I feel like I need to sleep for 3 days to feel caught up on rest. I met up with my old roommates and their friends on Tuesday for a night of laughter and overindulgence. On Wednesday, I went to dinner with a good friend that I hadn't seen in almost a year. We went to a sushi place in the Upper East called Sasabune. They only serve a mandatory omakase tasting menu which is one of my favorite ways to eat dinner. Everything you eat is the chef's choice. I love not knowing what is coming next or even what I'm eating at the moment. (The waiters tried to tell you what each course is but you can't understand them at all with their thick accents). I would have to say that it was my top 5 favorite meals OF ALL TIME. (Thank you, B!) Afterwards we went on an unofficial bar crawl. One of us had to be up at 5 AM for work the following morning and I'm glad it wasn't me! Thursday, I went to a Ranger's game with the same friend, B. Friday, I caught up with Bionic Woman for dinner and then joined my roommate and his friends for his birthday celebration. Today, I'm waving the white flag. I've reached my eating and drinking limit for this week and plan on staying in for the rest of the weekend.

Today, I'm feeling like this:


I've had such a busy week I feel like I need to sleep for 3 days to feel caught up on rest. I met up with my old roommates and their friends on Tuesday for a night of laughter and overindulgence. On Wednesday, I went to dinner with a good friend that I hadn't seen in almost a year. We went to a sushi place in the Upper East called Sasabune. They only serve a mandatory omakase tasting menu which is one of my favorite ways to eat dinner. Everything you eat is the chef's choice. I love not knowing what is coming next or even what I'm eating at the moment. (The waiters tried to tell you what each course is but you can't understand them at all with their thick accents). I would have to say that it was my top 5 favorite meals OF ALL TIME. (Thank you, B!) Afterwards we went on an unofficial bar crawl. One of us had to be up at 5 AM for work the following morning and I'm glad it wasn't me! Thursday, I went to a Ranger's game with the same friend, B. Friday, I caught up with Bionic Woman for dinner and then joined my roommate and his friends for his birthday celebration. Today, I'm waving the white flag. I've reached my eating and drinking limit for this week and plan on staying in for the rest of the weekend.

Today, I'm feeling like this:


I've had such a busy week I feel like I need to sleep for 3 days to feel caught up on rest. I met up with my old roommates and their friends on Tuesday for a night of laughter and overindulgence. On Wednesday, I went to dinner with a good friend that I hadn't seen in almost a year. We went to a sushi place in the Upper East called Sasabune. They only serve a mandatory omakase tasting menu which is one of my favorite ways to eat dinner. Everything you eat is the chef's choice. I love not knowing what is coming next or even what I'm eating at the moment. (The waiters tried to tell you what each course is but you can't understand them at all with their thick accents). I would have to say that it was my top 5 favorite meals OF ALL TIME. (Thank you, B!) Afterwards we went on an unofficial bar crawl. One of us had to be up at 5 AM for work the following morning and I'm glad it wasn't me! Thursday, I went to a Ranger's game with the same friend, B. Friday, I caught up with Bionic Woman for dinner and then joined my roommate and his friends for his birthday celebration. Today, I'm waving the white flag. I've reached my eating and drinking limit for this week and plan on staying in for the rest of the weekend.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

why?


i woke up to the sweetest email from S, telling me he misses me and reminding me that i'm beautiful. sigh. oh why does he have to live so far away?

why?


i woke up to the sweetest email from S, telling me he misses me and reminding me that i'm beautiful. sigh. oh why does he have to live so far away?

Monday, January 11, 2010

a thoughtful date


I was eating dinner in front of the telly today and had The Bachelor on. I haven't watched this show since college. I'm not sure if it was a rerun but it was the episode where Jake takes a girl (Ally, I think?) on a one on one date. He took her on an airplane ride, a drive in a vintage car, dinner, and then a private concert in the park. It looked incredibly romantic even though I'm sure it cost thousands, they were totally cheesy, and the small fact that he's kissing someone new every night.

It got me thinking though. I feel like boys don't make the effort at all on dates. I'm sure they don't want to spend thousands on a first date but still. Effort doesn't have to cost too much. I'm so tired of the text to make plans that says, "Hey." I'm also tired of the lame, "I dunno, what do you want to do?" Come on boys! Impress us! How about you think of something we would enjoy?

A boy asked me to go to the Moma Tim Burton exhibit with him yesterday. I've been dying to go and thought that would be so much fun. One of my favorite dates was a while ago. I was in London, visiting my brother, and a guy rented a car and took me on a tour of the countryside, stopping for pints at old stone pubs along the way, and visiting old English castles. It was an incredible day. What was your favorite date? What would be your favorite date?

(Image via Sugar Pop Tarts)

a thoughtful date


I was eating dinner in front of the telly today and had The Bachelor on. I haven't watched this show since college. I'm not sure if it was a rerun but it was the episode where Jake takes a girl (Ally, I think?) on a one on one date. He took her on an airplane ride, a drive in a vintage car, dinner, and then a private concert in the park. It looked incredibly romantic even though I'm sure it cost thousands, they were totally cheesy, and the small fact that he's kissing someone new every night.

It got me thinking though. I feel like boys don't make the effort at all on dates. I'm sure they don't want to spend thousands on a first date but still. Effort doesn't have to cost too much. I'm so tired of the text to make plans that says, "Hey." I'm also tired of the lame, "I dunno, what do you want to do?" Come on boys! Impress us! How about you think of something we would enjoy?

A boy asked me to go to the Moma Tim Burton exhibit with him yesterday. I've been dying to go and thought that would be so much fun. One of my favorite dates was a while ago. I was in London, visiting my brother, and a guy rented a car and took me on a tour of the countryside, stopping for pints at old stone pubs along the way, and visiting old English castles. It was an incredible day. What was your favorite date? What would be your favorite date?

(Image via Sugar Pop Tarts)

my (pantsless) weekend

I had quite an interesting weekend. I had planned on staying in all weekend and getting some work done since nothing was really going on. I stayed in Friday, got some writing done, made a big mess in my bedroom, and then watched 20/20. Who am I? I was planning on doing that again on Saturday but I almost went nuts. I guess I go out a lot more than I realize. My roommate called me and he was at a nearby bar with his friends so I rushed out to meet him. We got home after the bar and watched District 9. Interesting movie. Loved the little alien son.

I slept in a bit on Sunday and got a wake up call from Miss Brit. "Ready to take your pants off, girl?" Was I ever. I had been waiting for this day for some time, Improv Everywhere's 9th annual pantsless subway ride. Miss Brit came to pick me up with her friend, Ashley, and her mom (!). We met up with two other friends at the meeting point in Astoria. People with aversions to pants unite!

Our pantsless leader. "If you're not here to take off your pants you're in the wrong place!"

The 'depantsing' process was super organized and it was choreographed so that we would all be removing our pants at different times at different stops. I had trouble keeping a straight face when the first guy started taking off his pants. The looks on the other riders' faces were priceless. (We couldn't take pictures on the train so that we would look like we weren't doing anything out of the ordinary). I was a little nervous when it was my turn. I worried that I would pull down my underwear with my jeans, which, in the end, I ended up doing. I had this incredible, exhilarating feeling of liberation when my pants were off though. I could definitely get used to this.

All of the pantsless, approximately 3,000 of us, united in Union Square afterwards chanting, "No More Pants!"





A lot of people asked if we were cold. Um. Yes! It was freezing and I lost feeling in my toes for about 3 hours. But we had to be strong for our cause! We decided to head to a bar to warm up and get some liquor pumping through our bloodstream. We made it in time for happy hour, two for one drinks! The (cute) bartender laughed at us and said this is the first time I've seen pants come off before people were drunk.

I dethawed my little bum in front of the fire.

We decided to continue our pantsless parade and went to meet (drunk) Little One at another bar. They wouldn't let us in until we put our pants on though. : ( Some more pantsless riders came to meet us and had to put their pants on as well. We felt like completely different people with our pants on. It was...awkward.


It was such a ridiculous and random day filled with a motley crew of people who had one thing in common, they didn't like wearing pants. Sigh. I love NYC. And my pantsless friends.

my (pantsless) weekend

I had quite an interesting weekend. I had planned on staying in all weekend and getting some work done since nothing was really going on. I stayed in Friday, got some writing done, made a big mess in my bedroom, and then watched 20/20. Who am I? I was planning on doing that again on Saturday but I almost went nuts. I guess I go out a lot more than I realize. My roommate called me and he was at a nearby bar with his friends so I rushed out to meet him. We got home after the bar and watched District 9. Interesting movie. Loved the little alien son.

I slept in a bit on Sunday and got a wake up call from Miss Brit. "Ready to take your pants off, girl?" Was I ever. I had been waiting for this day for some time, Improv Everywhere's 9th annual pantsless subway ride. Miss Brit came to pick me up with her friend, Ashley, and her mom (!). We met up with two other friends at the meeting point in Astoria. People with aversions to pants unite!

Our pantsless leader. "If you're not here to take off your pants you're in the wrong place!"

The 'depantsing' process was super organized and it was choreographed so that we would all be removing our pants at different times at different stops. I had trouble keeping a straight face when the first guy started taking off his pants. The looks on the other riders' faces were priceless. (We couldn't take pictures on the train so that we would look like we weren't doing anything out of the ordinary). I was a little nervous when it was my turn. I worried that I would pull down my underwear with my jeans, which, in the end, I ended up doing. I had this incredible, exhilarating feeling of liberation when my pants were off though. I could definitely get used to this.

All of the pantsless, approximately 3,000 of us, united in Union Square afterwards chanting, "No More Pants!"





A lot of people asked if we were cold. Um. Yes! It was freezing and I lost feeling in my toes for about 3 hours. But we had to be strong for our cause! We decided to head to a bar to warm up and get some liquor pumping through our bloodstream. We made it in time for happy hour, two for one drinks! The (cute) bartender laughed at us and said this is the first time I've seen pants come off before people were drunk.

I dethawed my little bum in front of the fire.

We decided to continue our pantsless parade and went to meet (drunk) Little One at another bar. They wouldn't let us in until we put our pants on though. : ( Some more pantsless riders came to meet us and had to put their pants on as well. We felt like completely different people with our pants on. It was...awkward.


It was such a ridiculous and random day filled with a motley crew of people who had one thing in common, they didn't like wearing pants. Sigh. I love NYC. And my pantsless friends.