if you had told me, I wouldn't have believed you

That is, if someone had told me 4 years ago today, on New Year's Eve when I was visiting New York City for the very first time, that I would soon be a tried & true resident of this city. Nope. I would have never thought it to be true. For Christmas my junior year of college, my mom gave my sister-in-law and me a trip to New York for our Christmas gift. I loved the city when I visited, but I never saw it coming: now, four years later, I'm rounding out my third year of living here!

Cheers for a safe, happy & healthy New Year in 2011!!

this is what I look like today:

Crazy looking or not, I am warm... and that's all the matters!

[this comic & more found here via The New Yorker]

coolest vending machine ever

In an effort to get back to NYC amidst "Snowmageddon", I'm hanging out in the Atlanta airport waiting on my flight to board and get me back to the Big Apple tonight. Luckily for me, my flight is departing from terminal A which just so happens to be the terminal in which Chick Fil A is located. Not only do they have delicious food but they also have the coolest, most innovative fountain drink machine I have ever seen. 

Touch screen vending machine with 21 drink options. After selecting your initial choice, you are taken to a second screen with more choices (Coke: Coke Zero, Coke with Lime, Caffeine-Free Coke, etc...) This is the future of sodas...I love it! So space efficient and sleek.

tradition

It wouldn't be a Pettus gathering without a performance from Mayce! As her grandmother said, she's the next Taylor Swift...

peace, joy & a reason to celebrate

"This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.'"

Luke 2: 12-14, NIV

May you have peace and joy on this wonderful Christmas day and rejoice in the real reason to celebrate. Wishing you a Merry Christmas to you and yours!

visions of sugar plums

...are dancing in my head this Christmas Eve night as I remember all the wonderful memories during the Christmas season of the past month. I hope you're celebrating in a most memorable way and savoring the fun of the season. Now I'm off to bed in hopes that Santa won't pass by this house! Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!!

is it almost 2011 already?

The only thing that gets me even remotely excited for January is the possibility of a cute, new calendar and day planner. At least I've narrowed down a few options...

Pocket Planner

Because all things Kate Spade are adorable!

Never go wrong with polka dots!

Small Desk Calendar

I love the "Keep Calm and..." series!

Pretty hand-drawn art calendar (that I can't remember where on Etsy I found this...)

Dainty, elegant design (except this one on Etsy is in French)

I also have another great, cute option for a 2011 desk calendar, but I'll have to post that after Christmas!

sparkle

...because everyone loves a little sparkle for the holidays.

christmas in dixie

One of my favorite things to do at Christmastime is to cruise the neighborhoods in my hometown for the best decorations. Crazily enough, this house wasn't even the best. But it had 18 Christmas blow-ups in the front yard...including one with Santa in his swimsuit on an island with Prancer (or Dancer). Now if that doesn't spread the Christmas cheer, I don't really know what will...

gingerbread man

Chase him old woman, chase him old man,

Now chase him, chase him, fast as you can,

Through the garden and out of the gate,

Chase him, chase him before it's too late

The Tate-gingerbread man is out of the pan!

[the whole poem.]

check.

I finally saw my subway poster last Saturday night! I hopped on the subway on my way to a Christmas party with Brendan and my friend Ashley, and I looked up and therrrre it was. I held in a shriek, but was equally excited nonetheless and was able to snap a pic despite the jam-packed Saturday night crowd.

And Brendan saw it on the 4 train!

Then LeeAnne saw it (I think this was her 3rd time. Thanks for being so observant, LA!) on the M (?), F, and 6 train.

whaddya think?

I'm trying some new things on the blog, namely: the header (more to come later, though). I can't decide if I like it? Maybe it's just getting adjusted to the new look, but I thought I would get a second opinion. What do you think??

my proverbial christmas list

I saw the Christmas wishlists on this blog and thought it was so cute...so I decided to make my own. I also thought these were some great gift ideas if you're anything like me and haven't started your Christmas shopping yet. Here's to happy hunting on Christmas Eve...because nothing spreads the Christmas cheer quite like last-minute shopping!

(a) tortoise shell watch from Fossil (b) peace flag necklace from Anthro (c) complete Southern cookbook, with down-home recipes! (d) big apple owl earmuffs, cause let's be honest, I can't go a holiday without looking for something owl-ish (e) artist palette tie-dye egg caddy (f) fresh smelling Lamshop candle (g) because who doesn't love Taylor Swift?! (h) glitter AND for a good cause! when you buy a pair, someone, somewhere gets a pair too! (i) nikon digital SLR. maybe more than a stocking stuffer, but for someone really special & great for keeping memories (j) old timey iphone cover (k) cam newton's no. 2 auburn jersey. because clearly every auburn friend or fan needs this! (l) cute nautical striped reusable grocery bag (m) 2011 vintage peacock calendar (n) pharmacy desk lamp

let it dough

from one brilliant artist, published in the NY Times. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did!

Check here for the full article and images!

[great minds think alike. check out Maggie's blog on this too!]

looking for something festive?

This Leather Gift Bow hair clip looks like the perfect thing to me! I saw this in Daily Candy a couple weeks ago, and only wish I had an occasion to wear this...

on your next subway ride...

Give me a shout if you see this and let me know what train you were on!

As an interior designer by day and a freelance designer (of all kinds) by night, I was commissioned by the Women's Bible Society of New York to design their annual Christmas Subway Ad for 2010. The ad went live on the subways a little over a week ago, and I have still yet to see it! However, my sweet roommate Margaret noticed it on her train on Saturday night and snapped a pic for me. Until I lay my own two eyes on it, this is pretty sweet in the interim.

is this a perryn chair or what?!

I saw this chair on my most recent visit to 200 Lex a few weeks ago and I instantly wanted a pair for my apartment!

where will you be december 15 at 9 pm?

Because, if you're in NYC, you should be at the Rockwood Music Hall watching Monica Allison in her Very Merry/Angsty Christmas Show! You don't wanna miss it.

[I also designed the poster, above, for her!]

war cam eagle

Sadly, it's been a while since I've been in the "true" football spirit. (Sorry, Rose!) People get excited about football in New York, but not like they do in the south, especially for the Iron Bowl! As an added bonus of getting to go home for Thanksgiving, the Iron Bowl was a mere 15 minute ride from home this year. Even more ironically, several good friends from Auburn migrated west after college and now call T-town home so I was able to spend the day cheering on the Auburn Tigers with college friends! I've never been so frazzled watching a game and so ecstatic all in the same moment, but I was this year for the 28-27 victory! It felt good to be back in the spirit!!

And I can't forget, even though they were wearing crimson and houndstooth, it was also great to catch up with some old friends from high school!

But, still, War Eagle!!!

thanksgiving in the south

These pictures say it all. I got to spend Thanksgiving in Alabama this year! What more to be thankful for?

25 and 88

As you saw in my post a couple weeks ago, my granddad and I celebrated big for our 25th and 88th birthdays! Pizza party lunch, ice cream cake, and being together when we're usually thousands of miles apart! It doesn't get much better than that! And, I even got a special treat: beautiful flowers delivered all the way from NYC! Thanks b-stud!

birthday partaaay

I have the best and most gracious friends in the world. And this year for my birthday, they blew me away again! I got to choose the venue in which to celebrate: so I picked, crafts. We went to the Little Shop of Crafts on the upper west side and painted pottery to roll in my big 2-5. I painted a bright rainbow polka dotted mug that is big enough to fit 7 cups of coffee to wake me up every morning...just what I need! We had rainbow cake, ice cream cone cupcakes (complete with trick candles), guacamole, punch...and everything else that is so quintessential Perryn. I couldn't ask for friends that know me any better or for a better way to celebrate my day! Thanks to everyone for all the love (these girls have blogs to call out: Maggie, LA, Pamela, Bethany, and Katherine, and of course those without blogs, too: Ann-Marie, Victoria, Michelle, and Megan) who did so much to make me feel so special...and colorful!

roomie dinner night

After a long day of hosting friends at our FG Thanksgiving Feast, me, Kat and Margaret went out to celebrate all there is to be thankful for this time of year! Birthdays, new jobs, Thanksgiving, terrific roommates, family & friends were all on the docket at our Pio Pio dinner celebration. I can't think of a better way to give thanks and cheers for all the blessings in life!

FG thanksgiving feast, 4th annual

This tradition was started 4 years ago by my dear friend, Carrie, who has since (very sadly!) moved to Charlotte. But her legacy lives on... On the Saturday before Thanksgiving all of the sister groups of Aaron Bjerke's "original FG" gathered together for one huge feast! Katherine and I made our first turkey, actually Kat did most of the work and I just watched, and people came in droves. I think we peaked at around 75 people in our tiny 3-br New York City apartment (hence the reason you see us sitting on the ledges of our bathroom in the hallway to eat). I did my fair share of panicking when I found out how many people were coming, but we made it, and it was full of great food, good fellowship and old (and new) friends.

Carrie, thanks for starting this tradition! And please plan to come back one year... 5 sure is a good number to celebrate!

harry potter and the deathly hallows, part 1

As I mentioned here, I could.not.wait for the opening night of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part I movie to come out! I'm a late bloomer when it comes to Harry Potter and only recently (just over a year ago) have jumped on the out-of-control-obsessed-fan bandwagon. So, this was my first movie to see at its release! Luckily, I was in good company with these other 5 New York friends, who are all seasoned HP veterans! We made pumpkin pasties, cauldron cakes, and butterbeer to keep ourselves awake until the midnight IMAX showing of the movie and (some of us...) dressed our favorite part. I started to have flashbacks to college of staying awake all night, but I made it until the ending of the movie at 2:35 am...and it was well worth it!

too long gone

I've been feeling bad and guilty because I am so horrible at updating my blog these days. But, I'm trying to remind myself that this age-old adage MUST be true: better late than never! So here's a little recap of the 3rd weekend & 4th week in November, my personal fave week of the entire year:

Harry Potter 7...at midnight!

4th Annual Fellowship Group Thanksgiving Feast

Roomie Night

The Quarter-Century Anniversary Party of my birth

My On-The-Day Birthday Celebration

Thanksgiving in 82 degree temperatures

The...Iron Bowl

Enjoy!

straight no chaser

If you've followed this blog for a while, you may remember me praising this a cappella group called Straight No Chaser from Indiana University back in 2008?

Well, my dream finally came true. I went to their concert in NYC on Tuesday night! Their YouTube video, 12 Days of Christmas, went viral right before Christmas during my senior year of college. I remember one of my interior design professors sending out a blast email with the link to this video during final projects & exams. It's a good thing she did that because watching this video over and over...and over is about the only thing that got me through the end of that semester. (Remember those days, Rose Lynn?!)

Luckily for me, I was able to watch in complete relaxation on Tuesday night. And they were terrific!!! This was my favorite song from the night, I'm Yours/Somewhere Over the Rainbow: