warby parker

First off I want to say I am really noticing big changes in my life! This trip to New York marked several milestone for me. The biggest of those was when I buckled my seat belt on the plane…with noooo seat belt extender. You guyyyys I almost started bawling!

I couldn’t really get the right angle in the pic above but I was beyond thrilled. Talk about a tangible Richter scale of progress! Then I noticed that as we landed I wanted to be off that plane so I could start moving around! I literally couldn’t get down the stairs quickly enough. My life has changed drastically…I want to be active…who am I!? This trend continued throughout the entire trip. Katie and I walked so much and really just never stopped moving…which made the two orders of fries that I ate not seem as bad! Another big change was this was the first birthday maybe ever with Katie that I didn’t drink…a drop! This was surprisingly un-hard. And you’re never going to guess what…I had just as much fun without any hang over. The support for these choices is always really touching. Most of the time I get to somewhat hide behind a computer screen and say my piece but when someone asks you in real life why you aren’t drinking and you have to be honest and face to face with a group of relative strangers about your binge drinking problem…it gets real! Anyways on to sweet Hannah!

My lovely friend Meredith Locklear has been such a great supporter of the blog!!! We go way back to the Cat Banjo days and I was even her stylist for awhile! She is the owner of Jack + Mo Design Agency http://www.jackandmo.com and she is sooo chock full of talent! She is also friends with some pretty amazing people, one of whom she put me in contact with!!! Hannah Davis is a personal trainer to the stars, advisory board member of Cosmopolitan Magazine and Co-Founder of Gotham Versatile Training in NYC. Here is a little Q&A to get to know this amazing woman a little better!

Q: When did you discover your passion for fitness and nutrition?!

A: “I discovered my passion for lifting heavy things in high school when I took a weight lifting class my senior year so I could flirt with boys! I learned I was more interested in lifting that the dudes! Nutrition came later in life about halfway through college when I realized I would never see the results in my body that I wanted to see unless good nutrition was part of the equation.”

Q: How did you end up in NYC?

A: “I had plans to go to NYC from when I was like 16! I loved Broadway and a big city! It was the land of opportunity!”

Q: What is your biggest message for someone trying to get healthy?

A: “My biggest message for someone trying to get healthy and fit is to be consistent and then to be PATIENT. Fitness and health are lifestyle choices and one needs to let it be the process it always is.”

Q: Tell me about your clientele?

A: “I tend to work with CEO’s, magazine editors, models, and your everyday person looking to make fitness a part of their life. It is very rewarding to be able to work with someone for years (literally) and see the progress!”

Q: Tuesday I posted that you worked for Cosmo.com (which was incorrect…get your shit together Beard!) but you are actually a board member for Cosmopolitan Magazine…how did that come to be?!

A: “I worked with the Cosmo fitness editor (when she was freelancing) one time on an article she was writing for Women’s Health magazine. We just really clicked and when she landed the job at Cosmo, she reached out to me to do a workout feature for them and the relationship built from there! I don’t work at Cosmo.com although I have done workout videos for them as well as contributions to other health and fitness magazines such as Women’s Health and Fitness Mag.”

This woman is amazing!!! Check her out http://www.BodyByHannah.com or on her Facebook page Body By Hannah or through social media @bodybyhannah

Hannah reached out to me and said anytime you guys are in New York I would love to train you!!! So when I decided to fly up for Katie’s birthday I reached back out and a date was set! Sandra of Innovative Fitness Training has so thoroughly prepared us for anything that I just felt super excited instead of completely intimidated and Hannah said that Katie could come as well! So Saturday morning Katie and I threw on our new Urban Cricket tanks and hopped a cab up to 28th street and were greeted by the cutest little cutie!

This training facility was amazing to boot!

There were things I hadn’t seen before…so many workout toys! First we started by talking about goals and limitations. Hannah has a great energy about her and you can tell that she is really passionate about what she does. Then we did some stretching and a yoga style warm up!

Then it was on to a 4 station circuit that we did for 4 rounds alternating between 45 and 30 seconds per station.

First was the giant ropes that you could either double dutch or slam.

Then we did 20lb kettle bell swings…

Then an awesome Price is Right spin that prize wheel style never ending rope…

And finishing up with squats and overhead medicine ball tosses…

This part seemed to never end!!! Those kettle bells are my enemy but I loved trying out the new pull down rope…I felt like a beast!

Then we moved on to TRX squats (Katie’s modification was to add a jump on the upswing) alternating with incline push ups!

We did this for four rounds!!! Then it was time to run with a heavy ass sled!

We alternating running back and forth for four rounds…I almost saw starts but honestly nothing makes you feel stronger!!!

Then it was time for wood cutters…four rounds of this as well…

Then we did the finisher which was a doozy…think stair climber but with a ladder!!!!

I was seeing stars at this point but there as still time to have fun!

Special shout out to this little cutie who indulged all of our photo ops! Katie and I haven’t worked out together in probably 7 years and it felt so nice to sweat through a really challenging workout together!!! What doesn’t kill you only makes your friendship stronger right!? So, Katie thank you so much for being my meatball sub!

Hannah!!!! Thank you so much for reaching out and giving us such a fun and empowering hour of your life! We love you and I hope to be able to work together with you in the future!!! xoxoxoxoxoxox Go check her out! http://www.BodyByHannah.com and on social media @bodybyhannah

And in closing I found this image of my idol that I am completely obbbbssseesssseed with!!!! This will serve as motivation for like ever! #amirightladies

You guyyyyyyysssss…so many amazing things happened this weekend! First, I got to spend an entire weekend with my K.Tizzle for her 30th birthday in the greatest city on earth…NYC!!!! Her birthday also marks our friendversary of 30 years since we’ve known each other forever!!! So we began the celebration at Catch…the yummiest place ever!

Katie and I haven’t lived in the same city for almost a decade now and absence really does make the heart grow fonder!!! The conversations never end but at the same time…we don’t actually have to say anything. Our powers of unspoken communication have really taken off…insert judgy face!

Catch was sooooo yummy and there were so many paleo friendly choices! We split some crispy shrimp and a sushi roll called The General…both were amazing and super non paleo and then I had scallops for an entree and Katie had the grilled octopus!!! Best little dinner ever! Then it was off to shopping and coffee…we knew we both had a long night ahead!

It should be noted that even though there is no way you could see our legs in the cheersing coffee picture…we both have one foot up a la first kiss pose!!! I love this girl sooooo much…and I love 9th Street Espresso inside of Chelsea Market!!! Best coffee in the city. Then it was time to go out and celebrate!!! We started at La Botega…

This is me reverse planking at the bar(activity points?!)…we also had spinny stools so that we could look at everyone!! The DJ was playing the most random music and our bartender was totes adorbs! Katie had some amazing looking drinks that I look forward to trying in six months!!! The sobriety thing wasn’t tough at all though! Then we went back to our gorgeous hotel, The Dream Downtown and their DJ was even better. When I walk in to Lauren Hill and then Bobby Brown, this girl is happy! We had a few more drinks there and took in the beauty that is The Dream from our sweet little banquette.

Then it was suddenly very late! We went back to the room and had a sleepover. You guyyyyys….I LIVE FOR A SLEEPOVER!!! I feel like as a grown ass adult, you very rarely get to share the bed with your super best buddy for more laughter, nightly recaps and pillow talk!!??

The next morning we hit the ground running and went straight to Chelsea Market…

We grabbed some coffee…duh and some yummy breakfast!

We had some meatball shout outs…hahahah!!!!

And Katie explained to me why she hates the new Coke marketing campaign!

Then we bought tank tops and art in a pop up art instillation…look at this excellent marketing! A huge sign that just says COME OVER HERE…we did and Urban Cricket….loved everything we purchased! I mean a What Would Dolly Do tank and Good Things Come To Those Who Hustle!?!?! #genius #thatamericanflagisinourhotelanditsbeercans

Then, a friend of my client Meredith reached out to work out with us!!! She is a fitness editor for Cosmo.com and the owner of Body by Hannah…and she slayed us!!! We met her mid day Saturday and got a workout of a lifetime!!! She was adorable and hilarious! I will do a separate post this week about that awesome experience but here is a sneaky peaky.

We could barely make it down the stairs after this hour with Hannah…I felt like a Batman villan!!! So we went to lunch to refuel! We chose the Green Table and it was delish!

We had market fresh veggies, a salad with grilled chicken and then I got a fresh pressed juice for dessert!!!

Then we got ready to meet Abbie…a college pal from Raleigh and her husband Pat and friends Matt and Ronnie (haha) at a bar called the Drop Off Service.

This night and this group of people ended up being so fucking fun that we cancelled our reservations at Buddahkan and schlepped it to Brooklyn for the night!

We had an amazing diner at Walter Food’s and then ran into Ray from HBO’s Girls and we was the living nicest!!!

This little group of people…the A team as it were ended up being the funnest part of the trip! I love when people just get along sight unseen! The childhood references and unstoppable laughter was the tits. I love smart people! Can’t wait to see y’all again! xoxoxo

The next day we slept in and recovered from our late night in Brooklyn. We decided that brunch was a great way to go and our super hot doorman told us to go to Bubby’s. You guys I’m not kidding about the doormen at The Dream…ladies do yourself a favor. I DIGRESS, I love a recommendation! And it was excellent!

Then we walked The Highline!!! This was gorgeous!

Then on our way to Warby Parker we noticed that someone was shooting something! But we couldn’t figure out what it was.

I got some sunglasses and she got some adorbs glasses glasses and this total creep helped us out!

He was hilarious and insulting in the best way! He told me one of the pairs of glasses that I tried on looked like I stole them from a childs face…bahahahahhhahahaha! And as we were leaving we found out that they were filming HBO’s The Newsroom…hello Olivia Munns who I was just talking about last night! HBO you made my trip!!!

Then Katie wanted a power lip and we went to Sephora…

Then we decided to google what a 30 year anniversary gift is…turns out its diamonds…so we treated ourselves to some earrings!!! Happy friendsversary!!!!

Then it was time for second brunch at Dos Camino’s…the yummiest Mexican on earth!

My flight was quickly approaching after this yummy meal! We walked our little Meatpacking District neighborhood one last time, walked back to the hotel to get our baggage and then had the best goodbye hug of life! I wish someone had captured it!!! Katie I just love you so much! I am thankful everyday to have you in my life and I hope that everyone is so lucky. Happy 30th and Happy Anniversary!!! I miss you already!