Sue of The Zhush suggested that I mention the Condé Nast Café. It reminds me of a college dining hall, but in a graduated form - not unlike going from my grade school lunches (eaten at the desks in our classrooms because the school couldn't afford an actual cafeteria) to the real-deal cafeteria of my high school (benches? An outside patio?). You would think that the models, editors, and writers that inhabit the building would immediately float towards the salad station (I thought so, at least), but most people tend to eat sandwiches. It took an unfortunate trip to the salad station to realize why: the salad station sucks. Granted, I hate salad unless it includes something fat-laden to weigh it down, but this was truly terrible. On the bright side, the sushi bar that pops up every other day is fantastic. They offer brown rice, which is a huge plus. On another note, the tomato soup has also been a happy find (all credit due to one of my intern friends). Now let's talk about the sandwiches.I consider myself something of a sandwich maven. I make them. I eat them. I love them. The cook was mildly alarmed by my request for mustard on my tuna sandwich (is that weird? They do it at Panera), but otherwise, he's been cheerful and always gives me an extra pickle. The seating area is very futuristic and was designed by Frank Gehry, which makes sense when you spot the wavy glass partitions and clean lines. For a moment, I thought I was in Epcot. The space is a little cold (figuratively and literally), and it's awkward to have to wear my leather jacket while eating a tuna sandwich (which stains, apparently). I feel like a couple of throw pillows could really add to the ambiance. I understand that fabric is the least practical thing to add to a dining area, but the cafe feels quite sterile and chilly. I feel uncomfortable there, which is why the other interns and I have made a habit of quickly purchasing our food and eating it out in Times Square, where there are tables and chairs set up in the middle of Broadway.
In honor of all of the Frank Gehry in the Condé Nast Café, I dug these earrings up from the heart of the my second dresser drawer. My parents gave them to me as a Christmas-Easter-next-three-birthdays gift, and I've hardly worn them since then because a) I don't really wear jewelry and b) I have no where to wear them because I'm twenty - where the hell am I going at this point in time? Now, as it turns out, I work at a beauty magazine. I was thrown $100 worth of beauty products and told to wear all of them (first reaction: "Will I be fired if I don't?!"). The natural next step was to wear jewelry. I own this pair of earrings, a pair of diamond studs, and a pair of zippers earrings (a look that quickly devolves when someone tries to "unzip" my ears). Naturally, these have saved my life:
Available here, they're understated and unique at the same time. I'm not a fan of hoops, but the curves of these allow me to get some shine without having to detangle my hair from them. I love to wear them when my hair is curly, because they blend in with the waves and are that much more subtle. Rediscovering these was so worth the very scary dive into my dresser; they add a good dose of class to a simple dress and flats, and the silver looks so fantastic with a swipe of red lipstick (compliments of the beauty closet). Do you have any older pieces that you've rediscovered recently? (Personally, I love how it feels like getting something new without having to pay anything).