// Ninesday.

NOTE: Ninesday will be moving from Thursdays to Fridays from now on.

9. This past Wednesday, I had an impromptu ladies’ night. We had dinner at a great Vietnamese restaurant in Greenwich, then saw Frances Ha at the IFC. The movie was so beautiful and true-to-life. It reminded me of all of my leading ladies–Kelsey, Allison, Alyssa, and of course sister Kelsey…go watch it and think about us. I laughed, I cried, I remembered the good times.

8. So I’ve been doing some reading. Why are we obsessed with these shiny things, again? I mean. Sure, it would be lovely to get a beautiful, glittering rock from a boy. But then again, it would be lovely to get a normal piece of jewelry, too. Why all the fuss? Business Insider explains all of the details here. What do you think–would a plain ring be just as meaningful as a diamond engagement ring?

7. I am taking a portfolio class from the Fashion Portfolio Academy, currently. Maybe one day my sketches will look as effortless and beautiful as this one. And maybe, even further in the future, I’ll be able to use watercolor like this. SWOON.

6. When I was packing for this summer’s move, I was determined to only bring the “necessities.” Somehow, that definition did not cover full-size toiletries, rain boots (and it has been raining every other day since I got here), or my boyfriend-fit jeans. What was I even thinking?! This style blogger makes me miss the world’s most comfortable pair of denim even more. Every time I am scouring my closet and creating a whirlwind of “this looks so much worse than I thought” cast-offs, I think of my Zara jeans. And cringe at my packing deficiency.

5. This just might be the most perfect pair of summer boots I’ve ever seen. Dear Loeffler Randall, feel free to mail me a pair. I’d wear them every day. Literally, every day. Oh, it’s going to be 95 degrees, but feel like 105? I don’t even care. And while all of you are drooling over the perfect shapes on the Loeffler Randall website, check out this clutch. To die for.

4. Last time I was in ATL, Alyssa bought me this hat as a going away present, even though I am far from being a Brewer’s fan (or any sports ball fan, really). I wonder if I can pull off this style and wear it to work. I would love to dress it up and wear it on week days. While you’re at it, check out the Accidental Executive’s tumblr. I love the layout & her story.

3. My hair is getting longer, but I am pretty consistently wanting it to be shorter. Due to haircut prices, maybe I’ll work on styling my hair more like this as it grows out…I wonder if it requires using a straightener. Hm, anyway. I think I want to dye it pink. But more like this or this instead of this.

2. I have this habit of going into a bookstore, reading the synopsis of several books, then choosing one at random. In doing so, I generally forget what the synopsis was, and delve into the story without any clue as to what is actually happening. I am currently reading Elizabeth Costello by JM Coetzee. So far, an excellent read. I don’t update my Goodreads much, but I decided to add this to it.

1. You guys. I’m seeing The Postal Service tomorrow. The 13-year-old me is dying a little. As well as the 23-year-old me, obviously. I’m also excited because this will be my first solo concert. Concerts are usually things I have done with friends–we would all pile into the car, pack a ton of snacks that could rot your teeth out, and sing purposefully off-key…and here I am, venturing into adulthood at a show I would have died to see in prepubescence. There’s something extra ironic about this. All of that aside, I’ll be searching for freckles in my eyes and dancing horribly, without worrying that I’m embarrassing anyone.

This seemed to appropriately express my excitement, so I thought I’d repost it–

// life of an intern.

“We have this really disorganized, messy closet of clothes from previous lines–even some couture pieces. You guys are going to organize it.”

What I heard, “Here is this closet of beautiful couture pieces; it’s kind of a mess. A glorious, inspiring mess. Have fun!”

“If you’re not busy, would you mind putting these photos together in this look book for our new store that opens next week?”

What I heard, “Would you like to gawk over the beautiful pictures get more familiar with the new line?”

My schedule’s a little tight–M/TH: Isaac Mizrahi & T/W: Gabriela Moya & F: Stacy Lomman (or one of the other two, depending on the week’s workload). But I like to stay  busy, so it’s been great so far! This past weekend, I met up with Hannah and Barbara (who is just visiting) to tour the city. We went to the Brooklyn Flea and explored Williamsburg & Bushwick until we were too dehydrated to continue (photos here). I did pretty well with staying on budget–a $5 hat and a $10 shirt, plus an iced latte from Toby’s Estate.

// Philly on a Sunday.

On Sunday, Yoolee & I packed our day bags and took a trip to Philadelphia. Of course, in usual fashion, there were dozens of mishaps, from being dropped off in the middle of nowhere from a bus whose seats were decorated with a fabric that can only be described as something from Saved by the Bell, to getting lost while wandering, to eating french fries with what the bartender claimed was “cheese dip,” to splurging on a great vintage necklace.

By the end of the day, while we sat in a pungent bus with screaming children, the scent of someone else’s leftover seafood pasta (GROSS), mixed with the poor plumbing (pretty sure it was leaking), all we could do was laugh. And the first thing we did when we returned to Manhattan? Eat. Peruvian food, of course. Because in what other city can you find great, authentic Peruvian food at 11 pm?

Things I’ve learned since my trip: there is actually a train that will take you to Philly, that will take less than 2 hours (we were on the bus for 5 hours total + taxi time), you probably should follow your taxi route on your smartphone if you have one; we paid $10 more than we should have to get into the city, check on public transportation options before you leave, pack a LOT of snacks, and last, but certainly not to be left out–MUST HAVE COFFEE PRIOR TO TRIP. NO EXCUSES.

Where did we go? The Irish Pol - don’t order the cheese fries; beer selection is great, though! // Art in the Age - adorable store; sells Imogene + Willie denim, Warby Parker glasses, and this necklace I fell in love with. // Bodhi Coffee – amazing. Baristas were very knowledgeable and made great recommendations for future wandering. // Mostly Books - so many great finds for really cheap! I got a copy of A Clockwork Orange and a photo of someone I don’t know (I collect them) // Wilbur: Vintage & Designer Clothing – this is by far the best stop of the day! All clothing was 50% off and the guy working was super helpful. //

 

Photos of my thrifted finds coming soon.

 

// stripes & stripes.

This week has been crazy! Between the grocery mishaps and the missed trains, I somehow lost my metro card. I went through my emptied grocery bags. I went through my wallet (and found three expired cards; I’m talking years old). I went through my purse (it’s known for eating things like my keys, and disposing of them only when it is ready). I looked under my bed, in the refrigerator, in the trash…nowhere to be found. I eventually gave in and just bought a new metro card. But, not until after the closest train station informed me that it could not take debit cards. A kind stranger let me go through using their card. Things have looked up since then!

At work this week, I have been busy with designing fabrics, same as last week. This time, though, I made a geometric, hour-glass-type shape. After I was finished with that, I started work on a blue pattern that you would usually find on fancy china. Sort of kind of only vaguely resembling this. Yesterday, I worked on roughly 15 of those. Or things sort of resembling that. Out of the 15-20, we narrowed it down to three. With those three, we adjusted them into several shades of blue each. Then, finally, this morning, I found out that we had a winner! The client chose one of our patterns. So today was spent blending the two Pantone colors in different ways to make (hopefully!) the perfect design for her pajama line.

And now, an outfit!

Shirt, thrifted: Ralph Lauren // Silk shorts: Kate Young for Target // Belt: thrifted // Shoes: Via Neroli // Bag, sent from my mom: Sephora //

 

// Friday afternoon.

I spent the last few hours of Friday’s daylight dancing in my room reading, walking, and discovering new places nearby. I found a park! And learned that the type of trash you find kind of tells you what goes on in a place. On the steps on the way down to the green space, I found lots of mini liquor bottles, beer cans, condom wrappers, and the like. Yuck! I probably won’t be going back. But, from a distance, it’s a really pretty area with lots of shade. I’ll stay up-top on the park benches, though.

Later that night, I trekked over to Powerhouse Arena in Dumbo/Brooklyn to go to the launch of An Illustrated Guide to Cocktails by Orr Shtuhl & Elizabeth Graeber–the book was full of recipes for delicious cocktails! They served a perfectly summer drink with absinthe, grapefruit Perrier, and cucumbers in it. I didn’t get pictures of that, unfortunately! But trust me, it was delicious. I was in Dumbo just in time to see the sun set over the water, and had a perfect view of Manhattan. Grace got stuck at work, so didn’t make it over, but Jose and I had fun walking around and enjoying the weather!

// a place to call home.

Three years ago, I was finishing up my second year of college and having one of those late night, stay on the porch for hours kinds of conversations with someone who was once a close friend. We spilled our ideas about the future, how we would get there, fears about whether or not they would ever happen, and the lengths we would go in order to accomplish something worthwhile. We made a pact and set a date. As stated four years ago, “WE WILL BE IN NYC IN 2013.” Partially driven by a love for the city and partially driven by this song.

So needless to say, it’s a little bit weird fumbling around the way I have been for the past three years. I mean, I sort of had a plan. I sort of wanted to move to NYC, post-graduation. I sort of set really high expectations for the upcoming years…but none of it felt real. It had always been a sort of crutch for me to say that I would eventually be on to “bigger and better things.” One day, I would move off to the city known for crushing spirits and raising hopes. I would work my way up from interning to hopefully assisting to hopefully designing.

It is so very odd. I’m here. It’s official. I’m living in NYC. I don’t know how long I will be here, but I’ve finished college. Today I bought groceries and braved rush hour on the subway with my bag of individually packaged goods, symbolizing the reality that is here. I don’t have a set goal of how long I will stay (as of now, I have the summer–but we’ll see how the job fare goes) and I don’t really know where I want to wind up. But I am really, really glad to have unknowingly made it on our haphazardly created timeline.

I am renting my room (not pictured, but here is a photo of the AMAZING view from my window) from a lovely gentleman named Joe. He and I are already getting along great. I start my internship with Gabriela Moya tomorrow morning. Eeeek!

// Nashville, a few weeks late.

Recently, I took a couple of mini trips to Nashville. No, unfortunately, they weren’t quite long enough for me to visit Allison (other than a quick hello!), but they were just long enough to get some family time in–on the first trip, I did a cake tasting with my sister and her fiancée and for the second trip, we scoured shops for post-graduation clothing [oh yeah, I'M DONE WITH COLLEGE, YOU GUYS].

First stop on the wedding cake trip–Barista Parlor. Joe had fancy chocolate for breakfast, of course. I had a jam tart.

For the cakes, we went to Sweet 16th Bakery. We tried several different desserts–the Elvis, a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, a lemon bar…and to cut the sugar, we had one of their famous breakfast sandwiches and Israeli cous cous salad [menu here].

And on the more recent Nashville trip–a stop at my beloved Crema just before digging through designer castoffs at UAL. I didn’t carry my camera around for this trip, so I just have a few cell phone shots of the afternoon. We finished out the day with lunch at Silly Goose and a quick stop to see Allison at Eclectic Nashville. You can see photos on Instagram here and here.

It was nice to get a chance to get away from Auburn and Huntsville, even if for just a few hours!

NYC: snapshots and blurry memories.

 

 

Click on the photo to see where we went. More photos to come, of course.

 

So, where did A Proper Fool go?

Well, the question might be more easily answered with, where didn’t A Proper Fool go?

Now, don’t get too excited. I wasn’t jet-setting around the globe or anything. But I did make some pretty noteworthy accomplishments as I rounded out 2012 and rang in 2013.

Here we go–

I accomplished everything  almost everything on my list of New Year’s resolutions last year; I ate a lot of really good food. I drank a lot of really good wine. I read a lot of books, magazines, news articles, and all of those things that keep an individual relatively informed. I played some video games I watched a shocking quantity of movies and tv shows. I made a lot of questionable decisions, that helped me grow in various ways (“What is Eryn even wearing?”). I listened to a lot of music. New music, old music, popular music. You name it, I danced listened to it.

And the two biggies: I got back in touch with myself. Yeah, it may sound really easy. It may seem like a silly goal or some kind of ambiguous term that people use when they “find” themselves. But really, I learned a lot about what I like and what I don’t and who I want to surround myself with. Because of that last one, there were a few ups and downs you know in the love dating department. Mostly ups, though.

And last, but certainly not least, I went to New York City for New Year’s Eve. We didn’t go to Times Square because my goal was to test out the area and see if I could stand to live there. I stayed with two new and great friends in Brooklyn and battled the subways with too much luggage and scoured the Brooklyn Flea Market like it was my job (oh hey, I met Alexa Chung) and toured the Chelsea Market and I gawked at things I couldn’t afford all over 5th Ave and ate my weight in international food (no joke, I gained 6 pounds in two weeks). I went to some local shows, I went to some cool parties…it was grand. And guess what? This just in: I love NYC.

Here are some snapshots of NYE (We went to a “secret” warehouse party in Brooklyn. It felt very Girls).

I have hundreds of photos to sort through from the events of the past year before a more realistic look at 2012 can be made, but I have to say, I think it was my best year yet.

Some major highlights: Nashville with Alyssa and Allison, ATL for Allison’s birthday, Damian Jurado & Sharon van Etten with Alyssa and Rose, a complete stranger gave me $500 (which funded my trip to the Big Apple), Bonnaroo (I literally have no idea what happened to those photos), working with Emily over the summer, touring J Crew/Madewell, a new apartment and a new roommate, my first visit to the 280 Boogie, Julia Nunes with Sara, Halloween 2012 and all that that entails, the mini pie date debacle, late nights with my sisters, the infamous prom party, learning to pronounce words correctly from Jose (because “latte” is actually pronounced “late”) listening to Shake It Out more than anyone should admit, late night car rides to nowhere, wine and chats with Nadene…there are so many things I am sure I have left out. But all in all, as I am ushering in my 23rd year of you know, living, I have to say: it’s been pretty great fantastic thus far.

This is where we queue leftover, reminiscent photos of 2012 for my next couple of posts.

Here’s to the upcoming year–I plan to live for a living.

ATL was a blur. And so are the photos.

This weekend, Kalah and I took a mini trip to ATL to pick up Alyssa from the airport. It was short and blurry; just like the photos! We started the night at Joe’s for martinis, saw a Drag show at Blake’s (which was a ton of fun), and shopped as fast as possible on Saturday. I got a camera bag (at Rag-o-Rama), finally! It isn’t an actual camera bag, so I will be making removable foam pads to keep my camera safe. Did I mention we got coffee? Per usual, multiple coffee stops were made. This time, Java Lords (a little disappointing) and Condesa. Overall, a successful trip!