New York, New York

Every year I try to plan two or three vacations for myself so what's a girl to do when she has places to go and people to see?

I take off to my favorite city....

NEW YORK CITY!

One of my best friend's and former roommate Jackie got a internship in the city this summer so with a free place to stay how could I say no!

This was my 4th time going to my favorite city and it just gets better every time.I'm going to give you all down a run down of my 10 day adventure and then I'll follow up with a few posts on the highlights.

The three previous times I had been there it was with different people each time. Needless to say I have been to the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Top of the Rock, Empire State Building and just about every other touristy thing there is. That's not to say I didn't do some things that may have been touristy, I just skipped all the major attractions this time. Jackie had her internship so I spent a few days wandering the city alone but I loved going off and having no agenda just discover it!

So I flew out on June 18th. That night we just hung out in her neighborhood and had some "real" NYC pizza. It was mushroom with truffle oil and the crust was cracker thin and oh so good..I am usually a "deep dish" kinda girl but I still dream about this pizza.We hit up Pinkberry and just walked around and soaked up the city.

Saturday we got up went to canal street purchased a few purses and knock-off Tiffany jewlery and then went to Shake Shack..if you haven't been to this place it needs to be on your list of places to eat one day. The hamburger is fresh ground beef and AMAZING and their concrete shakes are bar none!

Sunday we went to church and then decided to walk through Central Park then down 5th Ave.

Nothing better than window shopping at all the prettyest shops. Had the most wonderful time at Tiffany's but I'll save that story for one of my follow up posts. It was one of the highlights of the trip!

Monday I had the day to myself so I walked around went to Central Park, then I met my dear friend Lorri for lunch by the river.

She lives in the city with her husband and new daring baby. We had a great time and she is doing so well. Of course I shopped my way home and walked 15 blocks to a museum only to discover the museum was closed on Monday. FAIL!

Anyways after Jackie got off work we went and got our nails done. This wasn't any other manicure but a Shellac manicure. They use a special polish that cures and harden using UV lights. the brilliance of this manicure is that it lasts 10-15 without a chip, scratch, or dent. I wish I had taken a picture. I loved it. The only downside is you have to go back to the salon and have it specially removed, I however didn't do this and just waited for it to wear off on its own. After we headed over to Serendipities for some frozzen hot chocolate....It was every bit as good as I remember.

Tuesday, Me and Jackie walked across the Brooklyn Bridge and had famous Grimaldi's Pizza which was amazing and so worth it. NYC pizza at its best!

After we headed to Soho to look around and do some shopping.We went to Grenich village and hit up a few cute little boutiques and the famous Magnolia's Baker

.

I am not a cupcake expert but I consider myself well educated. That being said I ordered the Red Velvet my favorite cupcake at my favorite cupcakery Sprinkles just so I could see how it measured up. I have to say that the cupcake crown still goes to Sprinkles. I know Magnolias is the one who started the cupcake trend but I think Sprinkles MADE it the trend. I was glad I went but can't say I would go back.

We did some more shopping and then we decided we wanted to hit up the Shake-Shack again so we headed to Madison Square Park, just as we got off the subway it started pouring rain. We were two girls who would not be deterred so we went to the Shake Shack got our order (no waiting in line! Yea for the rain!) after we got our food we realized we had no place to sit since all the seating there is outside so we did what any New Yorker would do right? We ate in the subway stop. I being somewhat of a germaphob had to just hurry and eat my food and not think about it too much. It was not the best moment but one that created good memories.

Wednesday Jackie had to work so I decided to sleep in a bit and then headed to the "Fashion District" to look around and go to a few stores. Of course Mood Fabrics(where they film Project Runway) had to be on the list.It was amazing and I loved every minute of it!

*More of this later ;-)

Next I headed to M&J trimming where I think I could have died and gone to ribbon heaven!

After my fabulous fashion encounters I went to see Kristen Chenoweth & Sean Hayes in "Promises, Promises" it was fabulous as ever and I'm glad I saw it but I admit my heart longed for a bit more music.

All you Gleeks out there will remember her singing "A House Is Not A Home" on one episode of Glee, I was a little puzzled at the song and its place in the story but its actually from the musical. Hearing it live was even better!

After I went to go see the Manhattan LDS Temple, its beautiful. One of my favorite temples!

met up with a friend for a Institute class (think of it as a mid week optional Sunday school class). After that I met up with Jackie and we headed down to Max Brunners the Chocolate Man..its a whole restaurant where everything is made with chocolate. Of course we headed straight for the dessert and Ice Cream Popsicle's that we could dip and roll in whatever and how many toppings we wanted.

Thursday. Me and Jackie went back to Canal Street then ventured over to the Upper West Side and saw where they filmed You've Got Mail., then worked our way through The Village to see some other cute shops and bakeries..I found the most amazing cookies from Levin's Backery. Seriously SOOO good..

I brought some home and wish I had brought more.When ever we vacation together we always pick one nice swanky restaurant to go to.

For our NYC trip we got dressed up to the nines and picked the NYC famous restaurant GRAMERCY TAVERN it was sooo good. We had a three course meal and were out with all of NYC's who's who... my kind of night!

Friday I spent the day at various museums The Met, The Frick, the MoMa.

and of course did some more shopping, NYC was good to Shannon in this aspect specifically H&M..I probably went to a different location every day! I spent some more time in the Central Park, it really is the most beautiful park with so many different paths and places to explore.

I ran across this adorable Alice in Wonderland statue that looked vaguely familiar...I think I may have seen it in a movie recently? ;-) #Robwould

Jackie and me then met up went to Shake Shack again(3rd time) and then headed home to get ready for our night out. We headed out and hit up a few clubs(no drinking was had, only a Coke:-) we went to Pom Frittes and had some amazing Belgian fries and then hit up another club on our way home.

Saturday we slept in some then headed to Juniors for lunch and pick up a cheesecake for my Mom, she loves the Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake.

She told me I wasn't allowed to come home unless I brought one home. lol I had called ahead to order them since I was bringing 2 home. They asked me if I wanted the 7" or 10" I of course said 10, who is going to bring home a 7" cheesecake when I could bring home a 10" right? We'll I go to Juniors in Time Square to pick them up and as they bring them out they are in HUGE cake boxes like I couldn't even carry one let alone two on the plane. I was livid!

After enough beggin and pleading and telling my sob story about bringing them home the kind manager agreed to let me switch out for the 7" even though its against there policy. (Dear wonderful man from Kenya who is the Manager of Juniors in Time Square I still love you!) I went back to Jackies house, waited for the Supershuttle and then flew away from my beautiful city. It was late when I finally got home and I was exausted sufficed to stay I had a ball and can't wait to go back to my "east coast home" again!!!!

Tiffany's

There is just something about a "Little Blue Box". I have wanted one ever since I was a little girl and Daddy Warbucks bought little orphan Annie a locket from Tiffany's.

So the day we walked down 5th Avenue something that happened that made my life....

Everyone knows that when you visit NYC you have to visit Tiffany's because "nothing bad every happens there"

So I went into Tiffany's just to look around. I had been before but it still remains one of my favorite places in NYC that I have to visit each time I go. I asked my friend Jackie if she had every been up to the 4th floor, or as I like to call it "the diamond floor". She said she hadn't so I insisted we go. We looked around the main floor where most of the silver is and then headed towards the elevators at the back. You know its a classy place when you have a man at the elevator who asks you what floor you would like :-) So we went up stairs and walked around.

I should say that we had been to church earlier so we were both wearing dresses. We were walking around oohing and ahhing at all the sparkly rings and things. I saw a new ring that I hadn't seen before and decided to ask a guy about it. He immediately brought it out to show me..then told me to try it on. I told him that I couldn't but he insisted and really who was I to turn him down? It was a beautiful ring but it wasn't "my ring" I thought that two could play this game...I played coy and asked him where the "Legacy Collection" was?

I of course knew where it was, I visit it every time I go into a Tiffany's and if I'm honest with myself and you at least once a month online. So he took me over to the counter and brought the ring out and told me it was 5.2 Carats! It was SO beautiful. It told me it was $500,000! It really was TOO big for me so I asked to see one "a bit smaller". He thought " a bit smaller" was 3.5 Carats and much more affordable at $150,000! ha!

Trying on a Tiffany's ring....is unlike any other experience I have ever had in my life.

I slipped it on my hand and it was love! Jackie jokingly said make sure to tell your boyfriend and then the guy said if you have a camera you can take a picture and send it to him. I DIED!! I mean people aren't allowed to take pictures in Tiffany's are they? So I did..well except sending it to my BF thing..still working on that. ;-)

So as I took a few pictures the guy asked if I wanted a catalog. I of course said yes and thought it would just be a brochure or something. Instead he got two magazine quality catalogs and placed them in a Medium sized Tiffany bag. When I saw him do this in my friend Jackie's words "your jaw dropped on the floor and I was trying to make sure you weren't drooling" It was true. I thanked him kindly took my bag off of the counter and walked towards the elevator and on to 5th Avenue like I was walking on cloud 9.

And I was...a cloud named Tiffany's :-)

While I have the Tiffany's bag, I have yet to have a "Little Blue Box" that wish I am reserving for a boy or my future husband to fulfill!