photo shoots, parties, and more snow!

I can't believe I just wrapped up week 7 in New York! Only nine more weeks to go; it really is flying by. The last couple of weeks at work have been really crazy. Last Thursday, I was able to help out with a photo shoot on the set of the CBS Early Show. The best part about assisting with something like a photo shoot is that I do not have much experience on this side of publicity, so it grows me as a journalist and PR person. I got to assist the photographer and his crew, be an extra pair of hands for the publicist of The Early Show, and learned what it takes to have a successful photo shoot. Here is a picture of me in the studio after everything was said and done:

Last night, I got to attend and help work a book party for CBS' medical correspondent, Dr. Jennifer Ashton. Dr. Ashton just published her new book, The Body Scoop for Girls: A Straight-Talk Guide to a Healthy, Beautiful You, and this party recognized and celebrated her achievements. The party was held at the Bar Americain, which is Bobby Flay's restaurant. The cheese bar was PHENOMENAL and I ate some pretty amazing cookies. It's fun to be able to say that I've eaten at Bobby Flay's restaurant! Stevie, Faith, and I (the other two interns I work with) were all able to attend. Here is a picture of us before the party began:

Faith and I

Stevie and I

(Sorry the pictures aren't the best quality, iPhone + dim lighting = not the best pics!)

Today it started snowing again and it looks like it may snow until Saturday morning. When Baylor got a good amount of snow the other day, I laughed because I thought about how much everyone in Texas was loving the snow and I'm begging for it to stop. I want spring to be here already!! I want to play in Central Park, rent bikes and go for a ride through the city, and do all of the other fun things on my bucket list for New York once the sun comes out again. Oh, well, at least my mom sent me rain boots and I will not drown in the brown, mushy snow slush that accumulates on the streets after a good snow in the city. I'll just keep dreaming of the spring until it arrives:) And for now, I'll leave you with this picture. Sorry, it's another iPhone pic. This is what I saw when I walked out of my office building this evening. Yup, more snow. Gotta love the winter in New York City!

Oh, the snow...:)

So much to look forward to!

Ok, so lately I've been a little bummed. I think it's because I'm starting to really miss family, friends, and Luke. BUT, I've been looking at the calendar and things are looking up! This weekend, I had to write a paper. Next weekend, I have to write a paper (boo!). But look at how amazing the next three weeks after THAT are:

March 6-12: Cat, Kristin, and Christine come to visit for SPRING BREAK!!

March 17-21 (tentatively): Mom, Becca, Emily, and hopefully Claire come visit!!

March 26-28: Luke comes to visit and I have the best birthday weekend EVER!!

In April, Millie, my childhood best friend and one of my bridesmaids, is coming to visit and hopefully Justin, Michelle, and Gabi, my flower girl, will be able to visit as well. I'm so blessed:)

February has been a little tougher in that it feels as if it's dragged and the weather has been super cold. But the sun is out today on this pretty little Sunday afternoon, people are coming to visit me soon, and I'm headed to church in about 40 minutes. God is still, and always will be, so good.

The lost iPhone pictures

I was going through my iPhone pictures today when I realized that I've taken quite a few pictures since I've been in New York and I've never uploaded or TwitPic-ed any of them. Sooo, here are the lost iPhone pictures. I'll do my best to try and explain them all.

{This is me with one of the consultants from Say Yes to the Dress when I was trying on dresses at Kleinfeld Bridal.}

{This is Bartlett. He is Louise's dog and came to work one day. He's a chicken and never fully came out of her office, ha!}

{Amazing cupcakes from a place on Montague St.}

{This is what it looks like in my dorm when I get the flu in NY. No fun.}

{Leftover snow from what felt like a blizzard, but the sunshine brought me hope.}

{The stage before Ashley and I saw In The Heights.}

{My first ever black & white cookie!}

{In the studio of CBS' The Early Show.}

In The Heights

Tonight I saw my first broadway show since I've been in New York this semester! No worries, I've seen a few others on broadway in New York prior to now: Phantom of the Opera, Annie Get Your Gun, and Les Miserables. But this evening, Ashley and I saw In The Heights. It was PHENOMENAL! The dancing, the music...I would definitely recommend this musical to anyone that loves to do either. The best part about this show is that it revamps the whole "musical" genre of theatre. The actors danced hip hop, salsa, and ballet. I laughed, I teared up, and I watched in awe. In my opinion, this is exactly how a great musical should treat you. I love the theatre!!

Another cool part about tonight was that Ashley and I learned how to do the whole "broadway ticket lottery" thing. At 5:30 p.m. we showed up at the theatre and put our names into a lottery. At 6 p.m., a woman announced that the theatre would be drawing names for 22 tickets that could be bought for $26.50 each on the FRONT ROW. Umm, normally these tickets cost over $100 each. Unfortunately, neither one of our names were drawn, but we still got in! Here's how: right before the lottery drawing, the same woman that was announcing explained that more tickets would be on sale for standing room only or partial viewing. For those of you that have never heard of partial viewing, it's when you still get an orchestra seat, but a little higher up to where you may not be able to see the entire stage. We took a leap of faith and bought tickets in partial viewing. These tickets were $41.50 each, but still not nearly as bad as over $100. Our seats were still AWESOME and the show was, again, fantastic!

I will post some pictures soon, but we took them on Ashley's camera. Corbin Bleu, from all the High School Musical movies, played the lead and we have a picture with him. AHHH!!! :D Seriously, we felt like 16-year-old girls lusting after him, ha! We stood outside in the cold to get our playbills signed by all the actors and we got most of them. After going to a museum (for class) this morning, shopping this afternoon, dinner at the Hard Rock Café, and a great evening of theatre, I've decided this is another one for the books! Great day:)

Follow up from yesterday's post :/

So, remember yesterday when I said, "I want to go back to work so badly, but what if I still feel awful tomorrow??" Well, I woke up this morning feeling just a little bit better and totally guilty for not having worked the last couple of days. I made myself get out of bed, get dressed, and subway-ed myself to work. After walking the last 10 minutes of my commute in the cold and leftover brown snow mush, I felt like crap. I took the elevator to the 6th floor, my floor, walked into my boss's office, and sat down on her couch.

Sonya, my boss, said the me, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?? When you didn't call this morning, I thought to myself, 'Good, that girl finally understood what I said and is just resting,' and now here you are?! GO HOME. Go back to bed! I don't want to see you again until, at the earliest, Tuesday." Another lady in my office, Kelli, said, "If she doesn't leave, I'm going to have to have a talk with that girl." My goodness. The guilt that I had woken up with this morning had melted away and I was so overwhelmed by the fact that these people truly cared about my health. I don't know if it was because they cared so much or because of how crappy I really felt, but my eyes welled up with tears as I got onto the elevator to make my trek back home.

I stopped by Walgreens on my way back to pick up some Tussin (cough and cold) and a few other things I needed. I've slept and been in bed all day. I ordered in some french onion soup and sweet potato fries for lunch from a real homey restaurant down the street called Park Place. They are so sweet and always deliver so quickly! I think I've decided that I have the flu, even though I guess I haven't technically been diagnosed. But I can't remember the last time I was so sick that it took me away from school, work, or whatever for 3+ days. Hopefully this crud (sp?) is almost over! I'm tired of feeling so crappy:( And I just want to work out!

Sick in the City (not quite the next blockbuster title)

Today was day three of my city sickness. If I have learned one thing over the past few days, it is that it's no fun to be sick in New York. I've missed two days of work and I'm dreading tomorrow morning. I want to go back to work so badly, but what if I still feel awful tomorrow?? This morning, my mom called my aunt, who also happens to be my doctor, and asked her to call in a prescription Z-Pak for me. After trekking through the blizzard that blew in last night and continued to fall all day, I picked up my prescription and headed back to the dorm. Snow pelted me in the face the whole way back and once I opened the door to my dorm room I started crying, I hurt so bad. My head, throat, nose, ears, everything. My whole body ached. Still now, after day three of not feeling well, I'm still laying in bed blowing my nose, taking Dayquil and Nyquil, religiously drinking hot tea, and eating anything hot or cold that will numb my throat. Sick in the city = no fun:(

A couple of cool things did come of my being home all day. First off, I got to take some cool pictures from my bedroom window of the snow that fell all day. I've posted a few of my favorites below. I may not have been able to play in the snow the way I wish I could have, but at least I have a precious little window I can take cool pictures from:) Also, I got to watch the movie Sex in the City for the first time today. I've always been told that it's a good movie, but oh my goodness, I LOVED it! First off, Carrie Bradshaw's clothes in that movie made me want to go shopping SO badly! Also, seeing as I am a bride-to-be, the whole relationship/wedding theme really tugged at my heart strings, giving me that much more of a connection to the movie. Lastly, who doesn't love a good movie based in New York?? Needless to say, I loved it.

Ok, back to bed for the sickling. Hopefully I'll be feeling better tomorrow and can make it to work. Here are the pictures of Brooklyn Heights and the pretty snow that fell today.

The beginning of week 5! [for lack of a better title]

Wow, I can't believe I've been living in New York for 5 weeks! Seriously, every time I think about it in this way, it blows my mind. So much has happened in the last five weeks and it feels like I've only been here for a day or two. Here's a little update on life for all of my family and friends:

I absolutely LOVE my internship. There have definitely been days where I'm more tired or stressed, but for the most part, I'm so glad this is where God placed me. I'm getting to know all of the directors and publicists for the many CBS News shows and the other two interns and I get along really well. I actually look forward to going into work, which I never would have expected. Being a big girl and working in the professional world has been good for me. I actually wake up early, get dressed cute, and do my hair every day. I know, giant steps for Sara Martisek:) By the end of this semester, I know that this internship will have grown me in more ways than one. I hope to come out on the other end an even stronger woman and more valuable employee.

I absolutely LOVE where I live! Brooklyn Heights in adorable and everytime the subway stops at Clark Street, I feel like I've come home. It's so nice to be able to walk out of my building and find a grocery store, great New York pizza, and cute places to shop. My roommate and I are still getting along great and I'm making really good friends with the other girls in my program. Classes are good, but I was definitely in denial about the fact that I'm actually taking classes here in New York up until this past Saturday at 5 p.m. when two assignments were due. Well, I turned them in at 4:15 p.m. Helloooo Sara, time to get busy on that school work, ha!

I am beginning to miss people a bit. Of course I miss Luke, but we talk and skype all the time. We're hanging in there:) The only hard thing is that he isn't coming to visit me until the weekend of my birthday IN MARCH. Boo, stupid crazy schedules. My momma and I have been talking a lot recently because of wedding planning, but I miss my mom, dad, and sisters so much. I think this is heightened because I wish I was with them more during this whole wedding planning process. However, I know a few of them are planning to come visit in March, so I'm looking forward to this! I miss South Texas A LOT. New York is wonderful, but it has definitely given me an even firmer appreciation for the Lone Star State and the south in general. I can't wait to be back in Texas where there are pastures, cows, and Taqueria # whatevers. Whoa...I really just typed that;)

Well, like I've said, New York is great. I'm reminding myself every day to soak it all up and take it all in because it won't last long. Obviously, time is already flying by. If anyone wants to visit, PLEASE DO! I'd love some company! Just call and we'll get it all worked out. Please know, my sweet family and friends, that you are on my mind daily and that I'm praying for each and every one of you.

All my love from New York,
Sara