3 on Thursday

This was my first full week at work in a while and I was dreading it.  Thankfully, it hasn't been too terrible and I have been trying to make it go by quickly by getting to the gym and adding some post-work events to the schedule.

After hearing all about this show for months, I finally decided to Netflix it.  The show - from PBS of all places - reveals day-to-day life at British estate Downtown, with a focus on the staff.  It is so interesting - and I don't mean that in an "it's fine enough" way.  I mean I was so interested in learning about the staff's hierarchy and the process by which they keep the estate running that my eyes were glued to the screen.  Now if I could just get myself to stop calling it Downtown Abbey we'd be good.

My friends are so much cooler than me.  The three ladies pictured above are the type who kick butt and take names.  Unsatisfied with their lives, they decided to actually do something about it (novel idea) and just launched Quarterlette about two weeks ago.  Quarterlette is a website designed to help girls navigate the quarter-life crisis.  Think crises are only for midlife and men?  Wrong.  I, myself, have been trying to figure out what the heck I want out of life.  Is this the career I want?  Am I happy with the status of my love life?  Do I want to live in this city?  These are the questions that plague many a 20-something, and now we have a place to help us sort through them.  I am so proud of Emily and Rachel for identifying an underserved niche and conquering it at full speed.  I encourage you to peruse the beautifully designed website - there's a little something for everyone.  Also, try to find their video "A Quarterlette Story" on the homepage where you may spot a certain someone (me!).  If you can't find it on the site, check it out on YouTube here.

Blow dry salons are actually not new to the city.  In fact, I wrote about Blow a while ago.  Then how is it that drybar made such waves?  I'll tell you how: great prices and great branding.  All blowouts are $40, no exception.  The atmosphere is fun and girly like a cocktail party where movies like "Mean Girls" and "The Holiday" play on flat screens around the salon.  It's infectious.  For me, it means the opportunity to flaunt the big Southern hair I love but can't do myself.  On a run last weekend, I noticed they are planning to open another location this Summer, right by my apartment.  I don't plan on going weekly, but it'll be nice having it around for special events, especially as Matt and Karina's wedding rolls around (the wedding hotel is right around the corner making this uber convenient for us bridesmaids).