World Travel Market Preparations: Business Cards

Only a little over a month remains until the London 2013 World Travel Market. I have my press pass, the hostel is booked, plane tickets are purchased and now I have my business cards! I used moo.com, and it was really such a great experience. I used the “Great Escapes” Template. I loved the color scheme and layout on the front, and on the back, you can choose 5 of your own photos that will alternate on the cards…

*There isn’t actually a blank space under “Two Thumbs Travels”, I just figured the internet isn’t the best place to display my personal cell phone.

You can use the photos on the back as a mini photography portoflio, like I did with the New York and Key West Photos, or have photos of yourself to make them remember you, like the skydiving and paddle-boarding shots…. or you can have a picture of your cat, just because you can…

Anyway, the cards are made really well. They’re not flimsy and cheap feeling, like cards I had previously purchased from a large office supply retail chain. I also love the matte finish and rounded corners, but there are many other options also. Plus, they come in a really cute little black box so you can carry them around and not get them damaged or lost.

The shipping was incredibly fast too. I ordered them on September 15th and the confirmation said they would arrive by September 25th. This is why I was fairly surprised when they came in the mail only 5 days after I placed the order and 5 days before they were due to arrive.

I wanted the cards to look professional, but stand out with a little humor (Cat Lady) and I couldn’t be happier with the results. I highly recommend moo.com for not only business cards, but all kinds of promotional materials. Go check out their website!

For live updates on all upcoming events (World Travel Market, Doctor Who 50th Celebration, Cats), don’t forget to follow me on Twitter, Vine and Instagram @CorneliaJoy.

Side notes: I would like to point out that I know the scratches on my desk are terrible and I will be refurbishing and posting about it as soon as time allows. Also, I will only have 8 weeks of class left for my B.A.S. after the WTM, but it would be a huge waste of money hassle to make these and then have to order new ones 8 weeks later, so I decided to include it on there already. I hope that doesn’t offend anyone!

Bucket List Item # 218 Continued…

More Quotes!

(Key West, 2013)

(Anna Maria Island, 2012)

(Desoto Park, Bradenton, FL, 2012)

(Skydiving, 2013)

(New York City, 2013)

I do love a good quote…. I’d love to hear your favorites!

My 100th Post, Bucket Lists and Doctor Who

This my 100th post! Already! My goodness, how time flies. With this 100th post, I have a very exciting update, at least it’s exciting to me… I am going to the 50th Anniversary Celebration in London for Doctor Who! One of the nerdiest sentences I have ever written, but I am not ashamed! I don’t follow many TV shows, but I can’t get enough of Doctor Who. Maybe it’s because of the accents… Anyway, continuing on from my Bucket List Item #218 I have a few more quotes to add to my list. Here’s the Doctor Who edition…

(New York City, near Lady Liberty)

(New York City, Little Italy)

(Switzerland, near Wengen)

(Key West)

(Key West)

(Bradenton, Fl)

Whether you watch Doctor Who or not, those are some great quotes!

Tennessee Video 2013

This is just a glimpse into my trip from last week. It’s one of the best trips I have ever had! I can’t wait to go back to Nashville!

Also, if you haven’t seen my New York or Las Vegas videos, you should!

I Saw The Signs..

I wanted to share some pictures of signs that I have come across recently. They made me laugh, some for the wrong reasons, and hopefully they will make you smile too. All of them are from Tennessee, but the last one. Enjoy!

That’s intense!

I’m still not sure what to say about this next one…

I don’t know what it means to “except” credit cards, but they do it in this place, apparently.

“Greatest blog in the world.” – My Mom

Traveling Student Problems: WiFi Dilemma

I loved the hotel where we were staying, but they charged for their WiFi and I had an online class presentation to complete. Just one block from the hotel was this place:

It is the Turkish version of Central Perk I think. I felt very “New York” walking down the street, laptop bag in hand, headed to the local cafe like, “No big deal, guys. I do this all the time.” We had breakfast there and the food was really good. I had spinach pie and mom had a bagel and Turkish coffee. Perfect way to start the day. I ended up being there for over 2 hours..

They are right across the street from Central Park, so if you happen to have someone unfortunate enough to be stuck waiting around while you do school work, at least they will have somewhere to go. The place is surprisingly busy! There was a nice mix of tourists chatting excitedly amongst themselves about their plans for the day and locals who came just to hang out and read the paper.

So if you are in need of some WiFi, or just want a good local breakfast with strong coffee, check this place out! Good food and great hospitality.

The Perfect New York Hotel

By perfect I mean, most of us are not Donald Trump, so finding a place that won’t break your bank and where you don’t have to share a bathroom with some smelly college kids is a pretty good challenge. Astor on the Park is just like it sounds, right on Central Park! The staff was very friendly, the rooms were clean and NO SMELLY COLLEGE KIDS!

The interior was very modern, and seemed like it was recently remodeled.

Like I said, small but very clean. You could get up in the morning and walk right into central park or over to Manhattan Valley and eat at the local Whole Foods Market (My favorite!). There is a Subway line that runs right along the Park, so you’re only about a block from one of the main Subway lines. I would definitely stay there again, but if anyone has any other suggestions, I’d love to hear them!

NYC Coat Thrifting

On our recent trip to NYC, my mom and I discovered just how much we are nancies about the cold. After nearly turning into Popsicles on our first night there, our mission the next morning became finding better coats. There is an area near Morningside Heights, and near my bagel shop, that has three or four really good second-hand stores that are all within one block of each other. One is a fancy store that only re-sells expensive brand name clothes (It’s a bit pricey) and the others were the usual Salvation Army/Church types. Our coat prayers were answered in church… well below the church building, in their thrift store…

A whole wall of $5 coats!

This one was my favorite, but it was a little big. 100% wool though and so warm!

Then there was the leather jacket for anyone that wants to look like an extra from The Matrix..

There was also a TERRIBLE ’80s coat that was purple and hand enormous shoulder pads, I lost the picture of that one though sadly.. I didn’t really need a coat anyway, but my mom definitely did. She found this one… She loves having her picture taken…

Also 100% wool and made in America. Perfect for New York, but not so much for Florida. Because she only paid $5 for it, she was able to leave it behind for someone else to use! No trying to somehow stuff that thing into our luggage. No guilt in wasting the money since it was so cheap AND you get to help more people by re-donating the coat! Win-Win-Win.

New York Bageling

My experience in New York City is limited to about 2 weeks, so I’m far from trying every bagel shop and being able to say which one is the best. I AM able to tell you that if you try the Absolute Bagel shop, you won’t be disappointed. Judging by their four square reviews, I’m far from the only one with this opinion. It’s located right on Broadway near Morningside Heights and Columbia University. This is also right where the M60 bus starts, which is the one you can take to the airport.

You can sit outside and people watch when the weather is good. People watching happens to be one of my favorite travel activities and where can you do that better than in NYC? But when it’s chilly like my last visit, they also have cozy seating inside…

The bagel variety is quite impressive and the people are really nice… as long as you know what you’re doing. New Yorkers don’t like to wait. First you go to the farthest counter and select you type of bagel, the everything is always a safe bet. Next they toast it for you, and lastly, once it’s toasted you tell them the type of spread. If you do this out of order, they get kind of fussy, but it all adds to the New York experience. Floridians like me aren’t used to rushing, so the intensity of it all is very amusing.

They have about every type of spread you can imagine..

Strawberry, Blueberry, Onion and Chives, Pimento, Lox and my favorite the Sun-Dried Tomato..

It really lives up to the NY bagel hype. It’s a small hole in the wall place, so it’s easy to miss, but it’s well worth finding!

Anyone have other recommendations?

New York Designs

Just a little design inspiration from NYC…

Central Park..

The High Line Park in Chelsea… LOVED this place, and found it by accident! It’s an old, above ground railroad line that they’ve turned into a park. The whole place was blooming, Absolutely gorgeous.

A locksmith in Little Italy… who wouldn’t want a sweater for their padlock?

Seriously though, where do I get one?

Urban Barbed Wire..

Chelsea Market..

When I have my own kitchen, I think I need a wall like this…

New York. Effortlessly chic..