Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Furniture Hunting
CB2 - 451 broadway (between canal and grand) - If you like modern furniture, this is the place for you. As Jon said, if I weren't married to you, this is totally how I would decorate my bachelor pad. A subset of Crate and Barrel, they claim to offer the same quality of products at better prices- a helpful salesperson told us that their upholstered items are made by the same manufacturers as Crate and Barrel, but they only offer it in one or two colors to cut down on price. Their dinnerware is particularly cheap and has a funky twist to it. It's a fun store to browse, but beware of pushy hipsters.
Z Gallerie- 443 Broadway at Grand St- This was one of my best furniture finds. It may be on the higher end of this list, but it offers good sales and white glove delivery for furniture purchases. Jon and I stumbled across it when we wandered out of CB2 and walked down the block, only for me to decide that I needed a bathroom. (Theirs is located downstairs and is quite lovely.) They have great bedroom furniture if you're looking for sets- it's less expensive than the Door Store and has more interesting inventory. They also have a wide selection of accessories and tabletop items. Plus they always have a lot on sale.
West Elm - 112 west 18th street- This store has some nice items, but I think it's a little hit or miss. I've heard the quality of the their upholstery isn't great, but I picked up some really cool lamps here. Just browse the website and wait for things to go on sale, which like the Gap, they always do. Then call ahead to make sure it's there and voila, you can stop by and pick it up easily since it's right off the 1 train. It's also right around the corner from the Container Store and Bed Bath and Beyond's Chelsea locations, so you can run many errands at once.
Bed Bath & Beyond- 1932 Broadway at 65th Street & 620 Sixth Avenue between 18th and 19th Streets- Although known as a homegoods store, it actually offers a surprisingly large range of furniture pieces. It sells bookcases, media consoles, desks, cabinets, wine racks, storage solutions, and even ottomans. Definitely worth a shot, but call ahead to make sure that they carry the item that you're looking for in the store. Otherwise, this time of year, their shipping prices are more reasonable
Crate and Barrel- 611 Broadway & 650 Madison Avenue - their "Ready to Assemble" furniture is much more affordable than their regular stock. It's on the higher end of this list, but you can rest assured that it's of a higher quality than other do it yourself furniture sources, such as Target and Ikea.
The Door Store- 601 Amsterdam Avenue (at 89th Street), 123 West 17th Street (between 6th & 7th Avenues), 1 Park Avenue (at 33rd Street) , & (their main showroom) 969 Third Avenue (at 58th St.)- Although I'm not the biggest fan of the Door Store, they have very affordable upholstered items. Plus they have a large selection of pullout couches, which is always a plus.
Craigslist- You can use search limits to find almost anything you're looking for. While the website may have a lot of crap that people are trying to get rid of for way too much money, there are also some great deals on things you actually want to purchase. I always like to see an image before I go see something in person. Also, I would avoid purchasing anything upholstered. I'd stick with tables, dressers, mirrors, etc. It's also a good idea to ask if the person has pets or smokes and why he/she is selling the item. And, remember safety first, you should never go alone into a stranger's apartment.
HousingWorks thrift stores (or any other thrift store for that matter)- These stores are located all around the city and you can feel good because the proceeds help fight AIDS and homelessness in NYC. The Manhattan locations are:
143 West 17th Street
157 East 23rd Street
202 East 77th Street
306 Columbus Avenue
245 West 10th Street
1730 2nd Avenue
You can either go in and browse or check out their website at shophousingworks.com. You can bid on auction items (which are part of their amazing window displays) and then pick them up or have them shipped to you. Just click on "Shop by category" and select either "Furniture" or "Housewares." If you don't mind used items, thrift stores are all over the city and a great resource. Once again, unless you want to reupholster an item, I would stay away from anything you can't wash. For more general shopping, the Housing Works thrift shops are always having special events and sales. Check out their website for more information: http://www.housingworks.org/social-enterprise/thrift-shops/
Apartmenttherapy.com is a great website. It gives good decorating tips and the posts make for interesting browsing. More importantly, it lists local sales. Usually, the stores they list are way too expensive, but it's worth checking it out.
Hope this helps! Happy Shopping!
Friday, November 14, 2008
Read Me Like a Book
I Was Told There'd Be Cake by Sloane Crosley--cute book of humorous essays by a chick who's kinda like us, but way more successful
Empire Falls by Richard Russo--stay away if you can't stand descriptions of smalltown life
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See--for those wanting to relive Memoirs of a Geisha
The Godfather and The Family, both by Mario Puzo--the mafia, or the mafia, Vatican-style. Your call.
The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory--you can read her others too, but it's pretty much just like reading this one over and over again
I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone by Stephanie Kunehrt--a YA novel with a punky spirit. Also, I'm probably spelling the author's last name wrong.
Sloppy Firsts, Second Helpings, Charmed Thirds and Fourth Comings by Megan McCafferty--OK, so it's also a YA series, but I love her writing, and, for the most part, the protagonist. Plus there's a fifth one coming out next year, so, something to look forward to.
The Frog King by Adam Davis--like chick lit, but with men. Also, kind of depressing. But I like it.
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett--beautiful writing, just don't let the godawful 2-page epilogue ruin the whole book for you.
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov--I will forever stand by this as the most beautifully written book in existence, if a little creepy.
Exodus by Leon Uris--seriously, if you haven't read it, do it. Such a soft spot in my heart for this book. The rest of his are similar, but if you're into Arab-Israeli stuff, I'd also recommend The Haj for a decent two-sided look.
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden--again, you've probably read it, but if you haven't, you should. And then marvel over the fact that it was written by a man.
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini--same deal, but beware--grown men have been known to cry when reading this in public.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
I learned my lesson...
But I really wanted to go home! So I decided to sort of sneak my way through the crowd unnoticed...okay, more like push my way through. Well, someone noticed alright. I came up against a guy who decided he was not going to let me get away with it. I told him I just needed to get to the stairway and, outraged, he yelled at me, "you can still say excuse me!" I was a bit ashamed and excused myself quietly, after which he let me pass as I rode the wave of people down deeper to the depths of our wonderful subway to catch my train. My cheeks still burnt red from embarrassment many hours later. He had reached me; he was right and I was just another anonymous jerk on his commute, making his day shittier than it already most likely was. It really hit me because I am trying to change, and to get better at not letting the pace of this place get to me, and every day, one way or another, I fail at at that task. Here I go again, pissing off a stranger by being overly aggressive and selfish.
As though I am the only one who desperately wants to get home after a long and crappy Thursday at work!
Anyway, I guess you could say I learned my lesson...for now. I will see how long I can go before my cheeks no longer burn red and I go back to normal....like everyone else.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Oh, The Sweetest Thing
Another post from Barrie's kitchen. This is a great, easy recipe and because you're replacing raw eggs with pasteurized egg product, everyone can eat it from kids to pregnant women.
Easy Chocolate Mousse:
1 c. sugar
3/4 c. butter/margarine
6 oz unsweetened choc, melted and cooled
1 t. vanilla
3/4 c. refrigerated egg product (like egg beaters)
coarsely chopped dark chocolate as garnish
In a medium mixing bowl, beat sugar and butter (or margarine) w/ electric mixer on medium for 4 min or until fluffy. Stir in melted and cooled chocolate and vanilla. Gradually add egg product, beating at low speed until combined then beat on medium to high, scraping sides of bowl about 1 min or until light and fluffy. Transfer filling into serving bowl or individual cups, bowls, teacups, ramekins, etc. Sprinkle chopped chocolate on top. Cover and chill 4-24 hrs.
One note- although I generally like using alternative margarine, such as Earth Balance, when I cook to make my dishes healthier, this recipe does not work with those. You'll just get soup- delicious chocolate soup, but soup nonetheless. If this does happen, just buy some strawberries and serve them together as if this was the plan all along...
Enjoy!
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Negotiations
so I, just like Liz, am a corporate tool. I wasn't always a corporate tool, until about a year ago I worked in the non-profit world. Museums, historic sites, foundations, collections, that was my passion. Still is, but I'm taking a detour. Going from the NFP world to a corporate job, I basically applied to anything that interested me, and hoped for a response.
I was offered a job, one that I wanted, but wasn't desperate for, but at a salary I found unacceptable. And here's the most important part, I wanted the job, but it wasn't my only option. You can only negotiate if you are really, truly willing to walk out the door. If you really want the job and have no other options, and you aren't willing to take the risk, you don't have any leverage.
I was given my offer letter, and it said, you will make $xxx a year. I thanked the interviewer and asked for a day to think about it. I looked at that number, and calculated in my head what I was giving up to take this job. You will negotiate from a MUCH stronger position if you can quanitfy what you are giving up and what that is worth to you. For instance, here was some of my accounting:
-No educational reimbursement: $1500/year
-No transitchek: $500/year
-Pay 20% of my healthcare: $840/year
-No Flexible Spending Account: $1000
-No longer able to tutor, due to increased hours: $1000/year
= Approx $5k
Other examples of things to add in are: moving expenses, the expense of getting to/from work, classes required to get up to speed, vacation days gained/lost, really anything you can think of.
I called back the next day, with a script I had written out and practiced, and said,
Hello Boss,
thank you so much for your offer, I would really love to work with you, but after thinking about it, I cannot accept the job at this current rate. I am giving up a lot of things to take this position, such as (name them) to take this job, and they are worth $5k to me, and I was wondering if you could stretch to that amount. I really hope that we can work this out, as this job sounds like a good fit for me, and somewhere I can see myself really growing and staying there for the long haul (etc, etc).
He said he'd see what he could do, talked to his supervisor, and called me back offering me half of what I'd wanted. This is standard, you rarely get everything you asked for. And, had I been smarter, I would have asked for more vacation days instead.
One thing to keep in mind is your industry, and the particular employer. If you're interviewing at a large company you should see if you can deduce their typical starting salary (good place to look is "thevault.com") and use that as a marker. Some places have a set starting salary, some places don't, that is a good thing to figure out before trying to negotiate. The more information you have about what you can realistically expect, the better position you will be in. By negotiating, you show them how much you think that you're worth, and you can start on day one feeling like you are a valued member of the team.
Questions?
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
What's Cookin' Good Lookin'?
Besides for reading the random and not so random blogs I stumble across during my many self-imposed breaks at work, one of my favorite ways to pass the time between 9 and 5 is planning menus. Whether for a quiet weeknight dinner with Jon or the kind of Friday night meal that requires both leaves placed into my grandmother’s art deco dining room table, I comb the internet for yummy things to make and serve. I also like to pester my mom occasionally with emails requesting recipes of favorite dishes and general kitchen tips. I love learning how to cook and bake new things. Although my sister teasingly calls me Mrs. FancyPants and my husband is constantly boggled by the amount of time and effort I put into creating a Shabbos meal, I get such pleasure from impressing myself with what I’m capable of- especially when others enjoy the fruits of my labor. So in the spirit of pooling our collective resources, here are a bunch of things I’ve learned in the past six or so years that I’ve been on my own. I’ve picked them up from family, friends, food magazines, and of course my favorite plump friend, the Barefoot Contessa.
-Your menus should be built around the following building blocks- protein, vegetable, and starch. You should have at least one of each. This in an Evelyn basic and a non-negotiable in my house. Sorry, potatoes don’t count as a vegetable.
- Don’t cook things that contain ingredients that aren’t in season. Amazingly, we live in an area where you can get ingredients year-round, but they won’t taste or look as nice, plus they are way more expensive. Why bother making a dish comprised mostly of strawberries in the middle of winter? It’s a waste of time and money.
-On a similar note, if you get to the supermarket and the ingredients you need don’t look good, don’t buy them. Just save yourself the headache and make something else.
-Think about what your different dishes will look like on the plate- a colorful menu will look most appealing. This is Evelyn rule number 2.
- Do your best not to apologize for anything you serve (I know that this is a hard one for me.) Even though you know that you forgot to add raisins or it doesn’t look anything like the picture in the cookbook, no one else will. That is, of course, unless you draw attention to it.
- Not everything has to be hard- for someone who works full time and is often up late on Thursday nights cooking, I recommend making only one or two difficult things at a time. Everything else should be simple or something you make often enough that its familiarity makes it easy. Why be stressed out or exhausted when you have guests over? You should get to enjoy your company.
-Presentation is important. It makes the simplest dishes seem impressive and makes all food look delicious- even gasp! store-bought products. Often it’s as easy as chopping fresh herbs or sprinkling croutons into soup.
- Keep in mind guests’ distinct food tastes. This is not to say that you need to cater to picky eaters (one of my biggest adult pet peeves)- it just means that there should be enough variation so that there’s something for everyone. It's a good rule in general. Not every dish should contain soy sauce or cinnamon or meat. This obviously does not apply to food allergies.
- The internet is a great resource- foodnetwork.com and epicurious.com are terrific. Reading user reviews and searching by ingredients are just a couple of the user-friendly features.
- Don’t be afraid to try new things- how else will you learn how to make them or expand your palette?! Friends and family are the best people to test them on and learning is all part of the process.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Young Ones versus Old Guns
Feeling old and farty...
I know I'm 24, and the left side of my brain knows I'm 24, and hence both not old and still young...but the other part of my brain, the part that stood in a college bar on Saturday night wearing a wedding band, feels really old and farty and really not young at all.
I walked out of my building this morning holding an extra bag and the doorman said "Mrs. Yunger, that's too heavy for you, let me get that", then I headed up the block passing PS 1whatever on my block only to hear the school guard say to me "new Mom's go this way" (OK so maybe I wasn't wearing the most flattering shirt, but "new moms?!?"), only to jump on the subway and bump into someone I haven't seen in so long I can’t remember if I know her from elementary school or camp, and then end the morning commute at my breakfast stop where 2 guys leaped up and said "hi Yessie, the usual?". I walked into my office relegated to accepting old and farty, but as fate would have it (and make for the perfect ending for my first blog) my “relegating” was interrupted by the 95 year old coworker who walked in and announced that today was her 96th birthday. She is not a volunteer, but a paid employee, with heaps of great grandchildren who rides the
At that point both sides of my brain rallied and reminded each other how young I still am, how wonderfully exciting youth is, and how "old and farty" is as many years away as this 96 year old woman is from 24.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Say My Name...but Differently
Wanna change your name to Princess Consuela Bananahammock? Go to court. Want to hyphenate, combine names, or take your husband's last name (or have him take yours)? Then read on, as these are the only name-change options available when applying for a marriage license. And please note that all forms must be filled out in blue or black ink, and that you should always get at the very least a tracking number when sending in such documents, which can be easily and cheaply obtained at your local post office.
Passport--do this one first, as it's both the easiest and the fastest, and will provide you with a solid new ID to use for changing the other two. All you need to do is send in your old passport, two passport photos, your marriage license with your new name, a $75 check made out to "U.S. Department of State," and a filled-out DS-82 form, which you can get here:
http://www.travel.state.gov/passport/forms/ds82/ds82_843.html
The address you'll be sending to is located on the DS-82 form. This process can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, so make sure to expedite in case of travel emergency.
Social Security card--once you get your passport, you'll have solid ID stating your new name. A new social security card is another thing that you can get via mail, provided your mailing address is not in Queens or Brooklyn (or Las Vegas, Orlando, or Phoenix). You're just send in your passport (you'll receive your old one back along with your new one), your marriage license with your new name, and a filled-out SS-5, which you can get here:
http://www.socialsecurity.gov/online/ss-5.html
You'll need to send it to your local social security office, which can easily be found here. This process takes approximately four weeks, but your accompanying documents, such as your marriage license, may be returned to you before your card is shipped.
Driver's License--this is the only one you MUST do in person. You must bring your old license or other photo document, your marriage license, a check for $15, and a filled-out MV-44, which you can get here:
http://www.nysdmv.com/forms/mv44.pdf
This too should take approximately four weeks. I recommend saving the driver's license until after you've received your new social security card because I've heard of people having trouble with this, but it doesn't appear from the website that there should be any problem.
Please note that security restrictions and requirements change all the time, so feel free to check and make sure you've got all the necessary stuff. The directions at www.travel.state.gov, www.socialsecurity.gov, and www.nysdmv.com are easy enough, so take a minute to look it all over. Happy name change!
Turn the Page
--Books are always in multiples of 16 pages, including the blanks. Each unit of 16 pages is called a signature, and this is how books are printed.
--The page listing an author's previous titles is called a card page
--How much it costs to produce a book is dependent on many factors, including the size (called the trim size), the format (hardcover, trade paperback, or mass-market paperback), the genre, whether or not there is art or inserts, whether the inserts are color or black and white, and whether or not there is foil and/or embossing on the cover. Ignore the whole "you can't judge a book buy its cover" thing--if a publishing house was willing to spend a lot on the book, it means they think it's decent.
--Every book has a little logo on its spine that tells you which publishing company did the book, but for all the different names and pictures, nearly every book you read is only coming from one of four publishing houses--Random House, Penguin, HarperCollins, and Simon & Schuster. The different logos, like Vintage, Avon, Washington Square Press, Atria William Morrow, Berkeley, etc. are called imprints--sub-divisions within each publishing house, each with their own editorial director and some sort of theme, e.g. one may be the house's "paperback" imprint, or their "non-fiction" imprint.
--Like a book that just came out in hardcover but want it in trade paperback instead? You'll be waiting about 11-13 months. (Although occasionally, the title will be released in Canada as a simultanous publication, but in paperback, so use your Canadian contacts--they may be good for something after all!)
--A book's price may depend on its page count; for example, a book that is 384 pages (a standard romance novel) can't cost more than $6.99
--It is nearly impossible to get a book published by a major house without a literary agent. Even celebrities have them, although some politicians use a lawyer instead.
The Corporate World
working in corporate america for about a year and 1/2 full-time and some summers has been a tremendous learning experience.
you develop a penchant for dealing with extremely difficult people, manage on tight time deadlines, learn how to not take no for an answer, and enjoy awesome perks that come with large firms. you also are also able to afford a few trips to saks or barneys, especially if it is just you and you happen to love shoes...
it has not always been easy though. i have had to give up friends' birthday parties, family time, even my best friend's engagement party.
you must pick up every phone call or at the very least return every voicemail. ive been called into the office motzi shabbos, on sundays. ive been dragged downtown to the printers during the weekday, at night, and on weekends. ive pulled all-nighters with closings.
so ill back up a minute. while i wont disclose the name the name of my current firm, i will say that i am the only legal assistant in my department. so when things need to get done, often i am the one called. furthermore there are certain things we do on excel that very few ppl in our dept know how to do so often again i am the go-to person.
the printers is another hellacious experience. this is where huge corporate documents, like a 10-k for example, get filed and drafts get turned and comments are received from all sides. it is more economical to sit in the central filing location than at the office. its hellacious because often you there for hours, days, sometimes a week at a time, turning drafts of the same document. both sides of counsel representation are there as well as the bankers and other finance ppl. its pretty intense.
there was a time when i thought about going into finance, then i thought about being an attorney. i spent an exorbitant amount of money in the thousands on an LSAT tutor and took the LSATs last year. then i actually sat down and thought long and hard about what i wanted to do with my life. what really makes me happy. but even more than that what makes me excited and creates a drive inside me. and while i understand the appeal and sense of satisfaction that comes with completing a huge merger or corporate acquisition, thats not what ultitmately i have the heart for.
when i was an economics major at columbia, the best, meaning the most stimulating and cerebrally-challenging, classes i took were ones relating to education and urban poverty. why there is a disparate diffrence between private and public schools in america, why policy reform has not worked so far, why bush's No Child Left Behind was more lip service than action.
yes i can be as cutthroat as anyone but i really dont want to spend the rest of my life working for big tobacco or "the man". having worked for large corporations i DO know their importance in keeping economies of scale going. money is money is what makes the world go round. and my career pursuits also aren't because i'm a bleeding heart liberal (though lets go dems 08!!!) but there are other things i really believe in.
so for now ill appreciate the perks and toughness of the corporate job for a few more months and then its on to other endeavors........
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Pack it Up, Pack it In, Let Me Begin
Here's what you'll need to pack: packing tape, cardboard boxes, bubble wrap, newspaper, and paper towels. Scotch tape and plastic boxes won't hurt either. If you have any original boxes, especially hatboxes, you're going to want to pack in those as well.
The most important things to know are as follows: The heaviest things go on the bottom (never glass), and the boxes should always be full. To fill boxes, conserve your soft, cushy items like sheets, towels, couch pillows, and even laundry--these will help make safe layers and protect items from scratching. The first thing to do, once you have a box assembled and ready to pack, is to crumple up sheets of newspaper and cover the entire bottom of the box, so there's a little bit of a cushion. Once that's done, you can start filling it with the rest.
Clothes are the easiest thing to pack--they're unbreakable, and all it takes is a plastic garment to ensure that your favorite dresses won't get stained. Pack them in duffel bags, suitcases, even garbage bags, whatever...but save some of those T-shirts and other non-delicates that are OK to wrinkle for padding other boxes.
On the flip side, the kitchen is probably the hardest. If you've got tons of bubble wrap--great. Wrap each dish securely in a sleeve of bubble wrap, tape, and stack. Little things that should be wrapped in bubble wrap if you've got some to spare? Pan handles and appliance plugs, so that they won't scratch everything else.
If you're lacking in bubble wrap, newspaper works well too--just be warned that newsprint ink is never fully dry, which means everything you pack in it will get grimy. How to fix? Wrap everything in paper towel first, and wrap the newsprint around that. Voila! Make sure to put layers between things that may move around, like mixing bowls (especially glass/pyrex) and stacked pots and pans. Glasses can be wrapped in newsprint too, and are easiest transported in something resembling a wine box with cardboard dividers.
For loose flatware, all you need to do is wrap it up in paper towels and put it in a ziploc bag. If you keep your flatware in a tray, just wrap up the entire tray in a plastic shopping bags and tape it tight with packing tape. You can do the same thing with a full utensil crock.
For appliances, try dismantling them into as many small pieces as possible, so that you can distribute the weight more evenly in the box. Always wrap up the plugs so they don't scratch anything else. If the appliance comes with a detachable cord, remove it and tape it to or pack it in the appliance.
When you're done packing the boxes, label them by which room you would like the movers to deliver them to. (This becomes much more relevant when moving to a house as opposed to an apartment.) If a box is heavy or fragile, make sure to indicate as such on the box, as these markings will effect its placement in the truck. You can even number the boxes and make a number key for yourself telling you what's in each box, which will be a huge help when unpacking.
The correct way to tape a box shut is to tape across the top (perpendicular to the opening) and all the way around the box, but if you need to conserve tape, just make sure you have these basic four tapes down--across the top, then down the entire opening, then two more perpendicular tapes, one on each side of the first. Et voila!
Welcome to the Lady Pool!
You know you love me,
XOXO,
Lady Girl