My last weekend in New York City was perfect!  Friday was a day just for myself to do a little shopping, see my favorite places one more time, and walk through Central Park.  I was wondering around the city from 9:00 AM until 9:00 PM [FULL DAY].  I was exhausted but I was determined to spend every minute I could out and about.  

Saturday was a "girls day" with Julia and Marjorie.  We started the day off right with brunch on the Upper West Side before we headed down to Soho and Little Italy.  Before we knew it, it was HAPPY HOUR!  We got on the subway and took it straight to Brother Jimmy's BBQ to end the day with drinks and snacks.....three hours later we went back to the Upper West Side for one last drink in Riverside Park.  I cannot believe how close the three of us have gotten over the past few weeks!  I am going to miss my life in the city but I know I'll be back to visit soon!

I have been SO BLESSED with this opportunity and I'm sad to see it come to an end but lucky for me I have wonderful friends and family waiting for me in North Carolina! <3

 

Today was my last day of work!  Julia and I spent a lot of time this week making paper butterflies but today all of our work paid off.  We both got the chance to help with the butterfly installation in one of the plaza front windows. I think the best part about helping with the install was that people kept coming up to us asking about the window display and complementing us on what a good job we were doing -- those moments are what make the hours of hard work worth it! The window is not completed yet but both plaza front windows are scheduled to be complete by the end of tomorrow [so hopefully I will be able to see them before I leave the city]! 

Two more days to enjoy this beautiful city until I am on a flight home to High Point, North Carolina! :)

Yankees vs. Braves Game

Well today at work was not all that interesting...but after work Julia, Cody, and I headed to The Bronx for the New York Yankees vs. Atlanta Braves game.  It was nice to get out of Manhattan for a little while  to enjoy a great game of baseball. We did not stay until the end because it IS a work night and I still have some homework to do before I go to bed.  Goodnight...

Well, Sunday marked the start of my last week here in the city.  It is a bitter sweet feeling because I am ready to be home but I am not ready to be more than a subway ride away from  my favorite places in New York City!  I am determined to make the most out of this last week and therefore I spent the entire afternoon in Central Park on Sunday enjoying drinks and snacks with Hayley, Drew, Dominick, and Jenna -- followed by a manicure and workout. [SUNDAY FUNDAY]  My plans for the rest of the week include going to a Yankee's game, shopping in Soho, laying out in the park, and brunch with the girls from work! :)

This is one of the ten windows at the Rock Center store that I am currently working on with the rest of the visual display team.  We have been adding parts to the display little by little depending on when the different elements are completed.  The palms in the left corner are what Julia and I worked on last week and today we helped lower in that white chair from the balcony above!  Hopefully before the end of the week I will have another updated picture of this window to show everyone!  Unfortunately, I will not be working when the rest of the windows are completed but Julia and Marjorie have already promised to send me pictures of the new installations.  

Wow! I cannot believe that I only have one week left in New York City! This week at work was exhausting because we are right in the middle of production for the new home display windows.  For the last part of the week, Julia and I were given the responsibility of a few larger tasks to complete together.  It was a bit nerve racking but we pulled through.  One project took seven hours and the other one took ten!  Working on the same project for several hours is tiring but now it's time for the weekend! My cousin Drew is in town [first time to NYC] and therefore most of the weekend will be spent with him, Hayley, and Dominick.  We all enjoyed a great lunch and tonight we are having dinner at Brother Jimmy's BBQ! Can't wait... :)

Tomorrow we will be hanging around Battery Park and the west side!

It has already been a tough week and it is only Tuesday!  The chaos all started on Monday when Julia and I had to uninstall the home windows.  The process took two and half hours of pushing, pulling, drilling, and boxing!  At first we were unsure if we would EVER finish but we were able to complete the task and we only sustained a few minor scratches and bruises. Once everything was cleared out of the windows we started repairing the art wall that stays as the background for all window displays.  That took us right up until lunch when it was time for me to call it a day!

Today got off to a stressful start because it was MY turn to be on "plant maintenance."  Although taking care of the plants may sound like a simple task, it is not.  Some of the pots are homemade and therefore cannot always withstand the wear and tear that comes along with being part of the store's display.  I was anxious about the task even before I got started because Saturday Julia told me about her awful experience with some of the plants leaking all over the tables and floor.  Since she also informed me that she repaired all of the broken pots, I assumed the problem was fixed for the time being.  [I was wrong...]  As soon as I got to the first large plant on the floor I started to water it and next thing I knew the water was seeping onto the floor!  I ran to get paper towels and was able to clean up the mess while the plant sat in a trash bag to prevent any further damage.  That got my heart rate going but I continued watering the rest of the plants.  I successfully watered all of the plants in homemade pots without anymore complications! I continued plant maintenance on the basement level where all the plants were in normal pots. Such a relief.  I thought I was almost done when...yet again another plant started to flood the floor! -- Needless to say, I was so happy when it was all over with.  Throughout the course of the day two more plants started to leak but thankfully I did not have to deal with them.  I'm pretty sure I lost a few years off my life with the stress those plants put me through but it is just all in a day's work! Tomorrow it will be Marjorie's turn to be on plant maintenance. [She's thrilled.] :)

I had a great time with Jordan this weekend!  It was so nice to have him up here even if it was only for a weekend.  The sun stayed out for most of the time except for a little rain on Saturday.  However, Saturday was the best!  Jordan and I started the day with a quick trip to Rockefeller Center so he could see where I work and how I get there every morning [which includes walking across Park Avenue, past The Palace Hotel and Saint Patrick's Cathedral].  Then we got lunch in Times Square and did a little shopping followed by drinks at the Frying Pan with Julia and Cody.  Later on we had dinner in Chelsea and while at dinner we remembered Cody telling us about a mini golf located along the Hudson River. Next thing I knew we were on a hunt to find it - and we did!  We got to the mini golf just as the sun was setting [the views were beautiful off Pier 25].  And last but not least we ended up back at Times Square.  By midnight it was time to retreat back to 92Y before a lovely Sunday afternoon in Central Park.
I couldn't have asked for a better weekend in the city! Tomorrow starts my fifth week in New York so now I really need to figure out what all I want to do before I head back to North Carolina...