#32 Ze Zaftig Explores I: St. John The Divine & East Village

Because I'm doing so much exploring and photography, I wanted to take a break away from fashion for a moment to share some of my new life with you in a photoblog series that I am going to call "Ze Zaftig Explores!" Moving to New York has really breathed new life into me and I'm constantly blown away by all the things I'm able to see and do during my time here. In this series, I'll share a handful of photos with captions so you can see what I'm up to!

This is my brownstone. It's such a beautiful place!

My neighbor brownstones.

Definitely on my top 10 of reasons why I love Harlem: the graffiti!

Morningside Park/Pond near Columbia. Beautiful little oasis.

I visited St. John The Divine, the cathedral-- one of the biggest in the world!

My absolute favorite statue in the entire cathedral.

One of the smaller rooms for worship in the cathedral.

A peaceful sanctuary behind the cathedral, called the Bible Gardens.

No big deal-- peacocks just hang out in garden. Really tame peacocks.

Such a beautiful bird!

Some kind of storage or garbage block mural. Art is everywhere. This was in the East Village.

More in the East Village.

I love these multi-colored fire escapes on the of the building on 4th St in the East Village.

Wow: the juxtaposition of her facial express with the sad pile of clothes underneath her.

INCREDIBLE vegetarian samosas at Pukk in the East Village! Made with fake duck.

Couldn't get a clear shot of my hugely amazing drink, but this is a great view of the restaurant's decor.

My green curry with tofu that I am desperate to recreate.

More of the inside. Look at those tiled booths and tables!

A mannequin on the sidewalk in the East Village. Totally normal for a Monday night.

Indian/Bangladeshi restaurant, lit up like a Christmas tree.

#30 - Welcome to Harlem

I officially moved to Harlem on July 2 (then had to go back to Cleveland for a family reunion) and in the approximately 10 days I've lived here, I just am so amazed by this city and by my neighborhood. Harlem is a beautiful, vibrant place, and deserves SO much more credit than it is given. The people here have been so welcoming and kind to me in every possible way. I'm so grateful to have the opportunity to be a part of this community. I can't wait to start work and get to meet my students in about two short months!

Moving to NYC from Ohio has been quite a lifestyle change. I'm slowly feeling myself turning into an authentic New Yorker (annoyed by tourists, figuring out how not to fall on the Subway, running in heels/wedges to catch a train) and there are some things that have been hard to get used to-- no driving, no public restrooms, and no large sodas! Damn you, Bloomberg. However, there are so many things that I have always loved and am growing to love more and more. Walking everywhere is certainly not convenient, but I'm so amazed by what I see. The subway, too. I get to listen to music now and chill (road-rage free!), I get to be physically active nearly every moment of every day (my body is rejecting it but, soon I'll be used to it!). And the fashion! I'm trying not to be that creepy weirdo staring all slack-jawed at people on the subway, but I'm so inspired by what all different people of all different shapes, sizes, colors, and ages are rocking every single day. I can't help but make mental notes when I see a unique piece, or an accessory worn a certain way, or a color combination that I've never thought of before. It's been a little bit lonely sometimes (not a ton of close friends here... yet) but I have to say that I'm utterly inspired and awed by being here.

I hope to get a tripod and a remote soon so I can take some real outfit pictures, especially while I'm exploring, but I hope these cell phone pics will do for now!

DRESS Black Silk Ruffle Wrap Dress, Banana Republic| SHOES All Caps Wedges, Jeffrey Campbell | BAG Nickoley, ALDO (on sale for $32!)

I have to pat myself on the back-- er, head-- for what I would like to say was a phenomenal hair day! This dress is my go-to dress when I want to look classy and fierce. You can't see the ruffles too well in the cell phone pics (my bad!), but they add a very feminine touch to this classic silhouette. It's also very "flattering" for every body type, if you're into that kind of thing. BR is definitely a place I like to shop for work-to-evening kind of looks (and they go up to a size 18/20). The bag is my dream-- a pretty classy color-blocked bag that is HUGE. It fits my 13" laptop and pretty much everything and anything else, and still zips!

I was wandering around Soho yesterday, checking out some swanky places on and off of Prince Street, doing a little furniture browsing in the beautiful Room & Board on Wooster. I popped in to the Miu Miu store inspired by the wonderful Nicolette Mason and was blown away by the shoes and sunglasses. Maybe after I receive my first paycheck I'll blow a good chunk of it on these absolutely mind-blowing sunglasses:

If you're gonna live in NYC, you gotta look the part! More adventures forthcoming...