Sweet Serendipity

Frozen Hot Chocolates!

One of the things I was looking to check off of my "New York City Bucket List" was a trip to Serendipity's. Lucky for me, last week I managed to do this, all while catching up with my friend Aldyn from Mercyhurst, who was in town for the day.

Although I had never seen the movie (until that evening... my roommate and I had to watch it!), I was told by several people to take a trip to Serendipity's.  Many might be put off by the long wait (we waited about an hour!), but it was well worth it, especially since we managed to escape to another NYC hot spot, Dylan's Candy Bar.  Lunch was delicious, the restaurant was quaint and adorable, filled with ornate Christmas decorations, and best of all, the famous Frozen Hot Chocolate was to die for!

Reunited and it feels so good!

What a perfect day it was... because what could be better than dessert and good friends?!

I Made it on the Website!

Hi Everyone--

For anyone who is interested in learning more about Mercyhurst's Fashion Merchandising program, make sure to check out our website!  There are a variety of useful resources on the website, such as course descriptions, faculty profiles, and alumni connections.

The Mercyhurst Visiting Students of 2012-2013!

In the "News" section, there's an article I wrote about my experiences at FIT.  I'm really glad that my teacher approached me about writing this piece; I'm so happy I can help put others at ease who are trying to make the big decision!  Make sure to check it out here!

If you have any questions about being a Fashion Merchandising major at Mercyhurst, feel free to email me at hurstblogger@yahoo.com.

"Give My Regards to Broadway..."

Hi Everyone!

So this past Thursday, my roommate and I had an incredible opportunity to go see the Broadway musical Nice Work If You Can Get It.  The FIT student engagement center has a great deal set up where a limited number of Broadway tickets are available for students to purchase for $20.  However, for whatever reason (probably because of the hurricane), they were selling tickets for $5!  My roommate and I literally got the last two tickets and we were so excited; you can't even go see a movie for $5 anymore!

Nice Work If You Can Get It is a musical that takes place in the 1920's, mainly in Jimmy Winter's (Matthew Broderick's) Long Island mansion.  Like all Broadway performances I've seen, the singing, dancing, acting, and sets were all exquisite.  Although this was my fourth Broadway musical, Nice Work If You Can Get It was particularly special, since it was my first musical as a true New Yorker!

The Frankenstorm of 2012

Monday afternoon

What a week!  Here's my Hurricane Sandy experience, right in the middle of Manhattan.  Like much of New York, my roommates and I planned for the worst, so we made sure to have the necessities: flashlights, water, and PB&J!  We were fortunate enough to not lose power, but unfortunately areas closer to the water weren't as lucky.  Public transportation was also shut down the entire week and as a result, the school cancelled classes for the entire week!

On Tuesday, one of my roommates and I took a walk down to Battery Park to see what the rest of the city looked like.  On our walk, we saw piles of wet leaves, snapped trees trunks, and broken awnings on the ground.  The wind was so bad, it even blew down a traffic light!  After this brief hiatus from campus, I was definitely grateful that the hurricane somehow bypassed FIT. 

Despite how many people were impacted by the "Frankenstorm," I am amazed at how resilient everyone was.  I will say despite how nervous everyone was about Hurricane Sandy, the city and FIT did an amazing job at keeping everyone informed and calm, but what an experience.  Here's hoping that everyone else is just as resilient and safe!

Staying Involved @ FIT- Ed2010 Club

Hi Everyone!

Since clubs were such a large part of my undergraduate life at Mercyhurst, I decided to check them out at FIT!  One that is particularly worth mentioning is FIT's chapter of Ed2010.  Ed2010 is something I learned about last year and it's an amazing website for those looking to pursue more information on the magazine industry.  Job openings, internship positions, and advice on how to get your foot in the door are all included on the Ed2010 website

This year has really forced me to think about what I would like to pursue after graduation and since I have always loved magazines, writing, research, and fashion, this seemed like an great place to start!

Our campus chapter of ed2010 is a great networking outlet, which is a primary reason why I joined the club.  Not only are there club members who talk about their interning experiences, but guest speakers also come in and talk about their careers in the industry.  Although there haven't been any guest speakers yet, I will certainly keep everyone posted!   

Cape Cod State of Mind

Hi Everyone!

Cape Cod hydrangeas

This past weekend I was fortunate enough to take a weekend hiatus to Cape Cod with my parents!  Since NYC's such a large travel hub, I've had many opportunities to travel to with ease, which has been awesome.  My adventure started Thursday after class, where I headed from Penn Station to my aunt's house outside of Boston.

Beachside photograph

Then on Friday, my parents picked me up and off to the Cape we went!  The drive is only about an hour and a half long, so we got to my great aunt and uncle's beach cottage in no time.  Although the only plan was to not have plans (my family's vacation motto), my parents and I managed to get a lot of things done.  Sleeping in, seafood dining, walking around the beach community, and seeing my other aunt and uncle, are all things we used to do when we'd come to the Cape as a family so it was great to do these typical vacation activities in such a short period of time!

Greetings from the Cape!

I'll be perfectly honest, Sunday came way too fast.  I can't say I was particularly looking forward to the midterms, projects, and papers that were waiting for me back in NYC; but what a great mini hiatus this past weekend was!  I guess it's time to say goodbye to "beach-mode" and hello to city life again!

A Weekend in the Suburbs

So this past weekend (I apologize for this post being nearly a week late!), my mom came to visit me and I had the opportunity to spend some time in the suburbs at my mom's friend's house.  Originally, our plan was to spend the weekend in the city, but rain prohibited us from doing so.  "Escaping to the suburbs" ended up working out well because I was just getting over a cold; I truly got to enjoy the luxuries of peace, quiet, and relaxation!

Saturday afternoon, my mom and I headed to New Jersey (about a 20 minute drive) to visit the enormous Garden State Plaza.  In this shopping center, there was both a mall and an IKEA.  I'd never been to IKEA before, so I had a field day looking through all of the merchandise!  After our adventures in IKEA, my mom and I headed over to the mall where we ate dinner and did some shopping.  Here's a list of all of the stores in the mall, http://www.westfield.com/us/retailers#centres=gardenstateplaza... as you can see, the mall is massive!  After returning home late and a good night's sleep, we concluded the weekend with New York Bagels and a foot massage before I went back to FIT. 

Saturday Night Live-- Well, Kinda.

One thing that I am really hoping I can check off my NYC bucket list is to see Saturday Night Live.  Not only is it free, but it's also a guaranteed night of great entertainment!  My roommate Jess and I decided that this Saturday would be a great weekend to do it.  Unfortunately, it isn't as easy as we thought it would be...

Better luck next time...

Jess and I anticipated waiting in line for a while, because Joseph Gordon Levitt and Mumford and Sons were going to be there.  Our game plan was that we would leave our apartment at 2:00AM Saturday morning (5 1/2 hours early!) to hopefully gain a good spot in line for the show the next day.

It sounded like a flawless plan, until we saw the massive line of people, equipped with air mattresses, sleepingbags, and lawnchains who were all waiting in line as well!  We ended up talking to these really nice girls who told us that the best way to insure tickets for SNL is to get there at least 48 hours in advance!  We couldn't believe it and figured we'd try again some other time.

So for anyone who is looking to ever see Saturday Night Live, keep in mind, you must stop your life for 48 hours in order to maybe get tickets ;)

An Erie-sistible Long Weekend

Hi Everyone!

Last week I was fortunate enough to have an extra long weekend that I spent both at home and at Mercyhurst.  On Thursday, I took a train home from Penn Station and then spent the evening out to dinner with my parents.  Then on Friday, I drove (1st time in months!) to Erie to spend the weekend back on campus.

Reunited and it feels so good!

Friday was a ton of fun!  Some of us went to a hibachi restaurant for dinner and then we all eventually met up in the evening to get ready for the Fall Ball.  After we spent some time at the Fall Ball, my friends and I all ended up hanging out like we used to... it was so nice to all be reunited as seniors!

Sophomore Year Roommates =)

Saturday was just as much fun.  As silly as this sounds, one of the first things that made Saturday so great was Egan brunch.  I never realized how lucky I was to have unlimited food at Egan until I came to FIT... needless to say brunch was quite the feast!  The rest of Saturday consisted of visiting other friends and catching up.

On Sunday, I drove back home and the rest of my time off relaxing at home and doing a little shopping with my mom.  Although I'm having an amazing time in the city, it was so nice to have the chance to see some of my favorite people! =)

"It's a Small, Small (Fashionable) World!"

Hi Everyone!

Looking back at this week, I've realized that it was filled with both fashion and friends... two of my favorite things!

FNO 2012

Last Thursday (9/6) was Fashion Night Out, which is essentially an entire night dedicated to fashion.  The original purpose of FNO was to stimulate the economy by offering shoppers one of a kind deals in major cities, but now it has turned into this huge star-studded event!  Instead of going to Uptown Manhattan where all of the big department store and celebrity appearances were occurring, we decided to take a less-populated approach by going to Soho... much to our surprise, the streets were packed!!  Despite all of the people, we still managed to have a great time, and we even ran into some Mercyhurst fashion alumni... what are the chances in a city with 8 million people?!

Mercyhurst Fashion Girls in Manhattan

This Saturday, my roommates and I also met up with some Mercyhurst fashion girls who are currently juniors also looking to participate in the visiting students program.  Believe it or not, this was the first time the four of us had all gone out, so it was nice to be able to do that and also show our Mercyhurst friends an abridged version of life in Manhattan.  We ended up going to a pub down the street and ended up ordering appetizers and sandwiches.  At the end of the night, we showed the girls our apartment, since none of us ever had the chance to visit one before we moved in.

So although the girls and I are still getting used to literally being one in a million (Manhattan's population is 1.6 million!), this week just goes to show that even in a large city, you still manage to find and meet up with people you know! =)

Labor Day Weekend- Part II

So if Friday wasn't exciting enough, on Saturday I also got to spend the day with one of my good friends from Mercyhurst!  Alyssa and her family were in the area to see the US Open, so I got to spend the day with them doing fun, touristy NY (and NJ!) things.

Look familiar?!

Almost complete!

We started out going to the new Freedom Towers, where we had a pass that allowed us to go into the park area with the reflection pools.  

One of the Freedom Tower pools

I'd seen the new towers before, but this was the first time I had seen the pools and park... both were gorgeous!  We also saw the Survivor Tree, which was really cool to see as well.  

Look, it's Buddy! :p

Then, we took a subway from the World Trade Center to Hoboken, New Jersey to go to Carlos Bakery, which is the bakery that Cake Boss is filmed in!  We waited about an hour and a half with our number to get in, but the canoli I had and free samples were definitely worth it!  

Just a few of many cakes!

It was at least 90 degrees out on Saturday, so by the time I got back to my apartment around 8, I was exhausted!  Needless to say, it's been a great weekend so far and I'm so glad to have another two days to not only enjoy the city, but to finally sit down and get some reading done!!  Bye everyone! =)

Labor Day Weekend- Part I

Hi Everyone!

Jason Mraz is in the white!

So these past 48 hours have been very eventful... no wonder they call New York City "the city that never sleeps!"Friday morning, around 4:30AM, my roommates and I left our apartment to stand in line for The TODAY Show to see Jason Mraz perform live... since none of us have Friday classes, it worked out great!  

In true TODAY Show style fashion, we made sure to have flashy signs in an attempt to make it on TV.  Sure enough, my mom and friend who were watching for me, said she saw me!

"Live from New York... Al Roker!"

Not only was Jason Mraz's performance amazing, but Christina Perri also performed who was also great.  We even got to see Al Roker... he was literally feet away from us!  All in all, it was a very successful morning, and by 11:00 AM when we got back to our apartment, we all went back to bed for a nap!

Greetings from Manhattan!

Hi Everyone!

Fashion Ave

So I guess it's official... I'm a Manhattanite!  As I've mentioned in previous blogs, my senior year will be spent in New York City, while I'll be attending the Fashion Institute of Technology as a visiting student.  It's strange that I won't be heading back to the 'Hurst for my final year, but so far New York has been treating me very well.

View from my bedroom

Here are some pictures of my on-campus suite... myself and three other girls from Mercyhurst are all living together on the 11th floor.  We try to take the 11 flights of stairs as much as possible, but it's already getting pretty old!  Stairs or not, the view from our bedroom is priceless.  In addition to the bedrooms, our suite also has a bathroom and a kitchenette... definitely on the smaller side, but functional for   sure!

My Roommates and I

Yesterday, my roommates and I did some sight-seeing and visited Times Square, Central Park, Rockefeller Center, and 5th Avenue.  During our day of exploring, we saw Wendy Williams (hopefully just one of many celebrity spottings!), the original Tiffany and Co from Breakfast at Tiffany's, The Boat House from 27 Dresses, and Bryant Park, the location where Fashion Week used to be held.  We also ate lunch on a rock in Central Park... probably one of my favorite memories thus far b/c it felt "so New York." =)

Stay tuned for more of my New York adventures... until then!

Aideu for Now

Hi Everyone!

It's hard to believe that a week from today, I will have officially completed my junior (and last!) year at Mercyhurst!  Things are starting to wrap up here, which is why this will be my last blog post, but here are some fun end of the year activities I have participated in the past few days:

Literally speechless!

On Sunday, my friends surprised me with a going away party since I'll be in New York City.  I literally shrieked with my friends took off my blindfold (after walking up 3 flights of stairs in wedges without vision!) and I saw what they had waiting for me. 

What great friends I have!

The theme of the party was "Sarah and the City," a spin-off of "Sex and the City," my favorite tv series which is located in my new, future home: the Big Apple!  People aren't kidding when they say the best friends you meet are in college! =)

I met Heather when I was a prospective student!

Last night, I was also lucky enough to spend some quality time with some of my favorite fashionistas.  Our department chair planned a Senior Soiree for all of the graduating seniors and FIT girls to attend at the Sheridan hotel.  Not only was there a delicious dinner, but there was a "Guess the Baby" board with all of us on it, senior superlatives (I won "Most likely to question a point deduction on an assignment"), and a small going away gift for all of the girls leaving.  We all had such a great time and it made me realize how lucky I am to have such an amazing department!

Just today, one of my senior friends and I had the chance to meet a freshman who was participating in a university photo shoot.  Immediately when I learned he was a freshman, I asked him how his first year was and not to my surprise at all, he told me how great it was.  My senior friend and I both gave him the advice to not waste a second of his undergrad experience.  With that being said, regardless of where you end up, remember to make the best of your undergrad experience; it truly is some of the best years of your life!

Good luck on finals, have a great summer, and see you in the fall-- this time, in NYC!

Masquerades and (More!) Fiestas

Hi Everyone!

As I'm uploading pictures onto my camera from this past week, I realize what a great few days it has been!  I can't believe this coming week is the last week of classes (eek!!!) but I'm happy to say that I've definitely been making the most out of these days having fun, while still managing to get some work done.

Finale Outfit

On Thursday, the Fashion Promotion class put on a fashion show that I was asked to model in.  In this class, the girls spend ten weeks planning a fashion show that they ultimately get graded on, that students, faculty members, and families come to watch in the Student Union.  This year, the show was masquerade-themed, so a ton of masks were made for the models to wear.  As for my outfits, I had one daytime outfit, and two evening outfits... here's a picture of me modeling a little black dress!

This weekend was also Spring Fest, which is the largest event that MSG and SAC puts on for the year.  This year's, Spring Fest was fiesta-themed, since Saturday was Cinco de Mayo.

MSG, SAC, and Sean Kingston!

On Friday night, Sean Kingston, Industrial Rhythm (a group kind of like Stomp and the Blue Man Group) and Mercyhurst's very own DJ B-Lang all entertained us with a night full of music and fun in the athletic center.

Italian Ice, anyone?!

Then on Saturday afternoon, there was food, inflatables, and other fun novelties for students to enjoy outside.  For a portion of the day, two of my friends and I scooped and handed out Rita's Italian Ice... my favorite was the Key Lime Italian Ice, yum!

Here's to not counting time and making time count! =)

Service Learning Fiesta

Hi Everyone,

Some of our fiesta decorations

This past Wednesday, some classmates from my Liberation Religion and Society class and I went to a homeless shelter in Erie, PA to cook a fiesta dinner.  As a class requirement, our teacher asked that we plan a dinner, cook it, and then interact with some of the less fortunate in our city in an attempt to understand what it's like to be in their situation. 

The kitchen was HUGE!

Mercyhurst prides itself with its' hands on learning, and I couldn't think of a better way to learn about the oppressed and marginalized, than to actually spend some time with these individuals.  We arrived at the shelter at 3:30 p.m. and were there until 6:30 p.m.-- boy, was everyone gracious!  There were about 40 different people who ate our taco dinner who were all so appreciative of the 3 hours we took out of our day to spend time with them.

The table was empty by the time we left!

In addition to the fiesta dinner, my classmates and I also purchased some basic necessities, such as toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, and others things, for our guests to take with them.  Among many other things, this trip taught me how even the smallest deeds can have the biggest impacts-- what a great lesson to learn as the days before I leave campus quickly approach!

Presque Isle Beach Trips

Hi Everyone!

Presque Isle Pic- Junior Year, 2012

Presque Isle is probably one of my favorite places to go in Erie.  Not only is it free, but a trip to the beach with your friends, while enjoying the sunshine is always a great time.

Beach trips always end @ Sara's

Immediately when I saw how gorgeous Friday evening was supposed to be, I sent out a mass text to my friends and planned a Friday evening beach outing.  Our evening consisted of playing SPUD (a childhood game we all somehow remembered how to play!), volleyball, and of course, a trip to Sara's, which is this awesome diner that has delicious milkshakes and ice cream.

All in all, it was a really great day and it reminded me of all of the other beach trips my friends and I have had since freshman year.  Here are some additional pics from past beach trips that my friends and I have taken over the years-- enjoy!

Beach Volleyball- Freshman Year, 2010

Presque Isle Fun- Sophomore Year, 2010

Paddleboarding- Summer 2011

Senior Year in NYC

Hi Everyone!

So while all of my peers are starting to get their acceptance letters for grad school, I received an acceptance letter a few weeks ago for another type of program.  As I've mentioned in the past, I've been hoping to attend the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC as a visiting student and I finally received my acceptance letter, yay!  Although I am extremely excited to be spending a year in one of my favorite cities, it will definitely be bittersweet leaving Mercyhurst and all of my friends.

Mercyhurst green space

FIT concrete jungle

With that being said, you don't need to be a fashion major in order to take advantage of other great opportunities to study at different campuses.  Mercyhurst just announced the official opening of an international center in Dungarvan, Ireland, where quite a few of my friends are studying now.  There are also a tremendous amount of study abroad programs where you can immerse yourself in a completely different cultural setting.

My senior year in NYC will definitely be a huge culture shock and far from the campus I have grown to love at Mercyhurst.  However, I look forward to all of the great experiences and potential internship/career opportunities the Big Apple has to offer. =)  BTW, I plan to keep up with my blog next year so hopefully you'll continue to follow me and my adventures in NY!

Mercy Month: We are... Globally Responsible

Hi Everyone!

So this weekend was the conclusion to Mercy Month, which has been a month filled with all sorts of activities that go back to our Mercy roots.  This year I managed to get quite involved in Mercy Month, whether it be trips to the Motherhouse, listening to speeches, or even cleaning up campus!  This past Friday, MSG teamed up with the Green Team in a "Post-Thaw Clean Up," embracing our Mercy roots and showing how we are "Globally Responsible," one of our Mercyhurst core values.


Here's a picture of us after we finished-- it took less than 2 hours out of our day... not too shabby!

Photo Flashback: 3 Years of MSG

Hi Everyone,

Hurst Fest, Sophomore Year

Today was our MSG end of the year banquet, which may not seem like that big of a deal, but as a 3 year member of MSG, it definitely was more than just a brunch.  And believe it or not, tomorrow is my last official Monday night MSG meeting-- after this week, I'll have my first free Monday night, which I haven't had since winter term freshman year!  However, after looking through all of my pictures and thinking about some of my best memories, MSG has definitely been a huge part of it... here are some pics to prove it!

Freshman Year- our first Spring Fest!

Freshman Year: At the end of freshman year, I ran to become a Sophomore class senator.  As my first (of soon to be many!) duties on MSG, I had to work Spring Fest, which is one of our biggest events on campus.  Here's a photo of my friends from my floor (and still some of my best friends today!) at the Friday night Spring Fest concert.

Spring Fest Round 2!

Sophomore Year: Between Hurst Fest, Executive Board Elections and another Spring Fest, Sophomore Year was definitely defined by 3 letters: M.S.G.!

Xmas on Campus, MSG Style

Junior Year: Although at this point I can practically consider myself a seasoned pro at MSG events, I now realize how much MSG has given to me.  Not only have I been able to be a voice for students AND a voice to administration on behalf of students, but I have also been fortunate enough to have met so many different people and make some of my best friends.  Lesson of the story: it's never too late to try something new! =)