Well holy cow…what a week I just had!
Last Monday, Erika and I flew to New York City where I was on the Today show on Tuesday morning. But let’s start from the beginning…
…awhile ago, Erika told me that if I ever got the chance to do any sort of cooking in NYC, she wanted to come with me. She had never been and I thought it was SO SWEET that she wanted to come with me. Fast forward to the very beginning of February and Today reached out and asked if I wanted to cook with Kathie Lee and Hoda on April 5. (I couldn’t say “heck yeah!” fast enough!) I called Erika and she said she was in. Tab and Andrew held down the forts at home and we took off for a little girls trip in the Big Apple.
Erika and I both took pics from our week and are blogging them today and tomorrow. We tried to take pics of different things so that our blogs wouldn’t be redundant…but some stuff will probably repeat a tad. You can read her recap here today. And if you missed my segment on Today, you can catch that here :).
So, here we go. Two girls, very, very, very cold weather, over 20 miles walked, two shows, amazing food and of course, Kathie Lee and Hoda. A-mazing.
I hate to start the post with a “you need this top” caption…but YOU NEED THIS TOP. Okay, you know how I love those Lush tops…well this one is more like a linen and less like a silk/polyester and it DOESN’T WRINKLE. Friends, I wore this on the plane for 3.5 hours and in the rain and it looked perfect. I loved it so much that I came home and ordered it in a second color. #noshame #ilikeawrinklefreeshirt The top comes in 7 colors. I want them all. (And I’m wearing one of my favorite camis underneath it…the ones I wear every.single.day.)
So…Erika and I got up Monday morning and flew to NYC. I have no pictures…hopefully, she does on her blog. We arrived and it was pouring rain and FREEZING. Like legit freezing. We dropped off our bags, added some layers, grabbed our umbrellas and ran across the street from our hotel (The Millennium Broadway) to get a bite to eat. We ate wraps upstairs at this cute little deli and then headed back across the street to the hotel to get into a car and head up to 30 Rock.
At 4:00, I had an appointment with the foodies there at Today and the segment producer to go over my stuff and make sure I was happy/not missing things/comfortable. Here I am…soaking wet and happy as can be!
Show prep, show prep, show prep.
After this, Erika and I walked 5 blocks in the rain to Dry Bar! Woohoo!
Our “before” selfie.
After Dry Bar fixed us up, we walked a block over for dinner at Nobu.
Here we are with fresh hair at Nobu! Friends, this dinner was divine! We had lobster tacos, yellowtail fish with jalapenos, shrimp and the best black cod I’ve ever tasted (it melted in my mouth). We rounded things out with their light coconut cake. Oh. My. Deliciousness!
After this, it was still raining, so we got us an Uber ride and headed back to the hotel for some sleep.
The next morning, I opened my eyes and look what I was able to see from my bed…
…the Empire State Building! The day before had been so cloudy and rainy that I couldn’t see it…but on this day, it was bright, sunny and FREEZING. Erika and I kept laughing because we watched their local news and then Today as we were getting ready and the weathermen kept saying “wind chill of 12”, “bring a blanket on the subway”, “don’t go out unless you have to”, “this feels like February”, “record breaking temps”. What are the odds? At least it stopped raining though!
Now, Today said they would do my hair and makeup or touch up…my choice. I decided to have my hair and makeup done in our room and then let Today touch up once I arrived (that way, we didn’t have to hurry). I had read about Glam Squad in Instyle magazine, so I downloaded the app a few weeks ago and booked a hair and makeup appointment. Right at 7:30, two angels appeared and glammed me up for my big day. I was a little nervous using them (because I didn’t know anyone who had used them before)…but figured if it all went wrong, I could politely ask the people at Today to fix it. However, it all went right! I loved Glam Squad :).
Sheaffer texted us and wanted selfies. This is me showing Sheaffer my hair and makeup in our room :).
And another pic of the back of my hair for Sheaffer too :). It was Sheaffer’s BIRTHDAY on this day too. Love that friend of mine!
At 9:00, Today sent a car to pick us up and take us to the studio. So cool!
Here I am hanging out in the greenroom at Today with all of the guests.
At this point, I stepped in the back so they could touch up my makeup just a bit and when I came back out, Erika was kind of freaking out. She whispered, “there’s a Manzo over there” and sure enough, it was Chris Manzo from The Real Housewives of New Jersey.
Y’all…we fan girled.
Big time.
Not only are we both Real Housewives junkies…but any true Real Housewives fan will tell you that the Manzos are legendary. They are this amazing family and they kind of beat the odds of crazy reality TV people…they always appear so sweet, genuine and down to earth…so we tested that theory and went over to him…
…and we were right. He was SO NICE! He was like super, super friendly, funny and thought it was cute that we both wanted to join his family.
Around 9:45, I headed upstairs to check out the kitchen area of Today and look who I ran into in the hallway…
…Willie Geist! Talk about someone who was nice. He was so nice! The food prep people had been roasting garlic and cooking bacon all morning for my recipe, so the studio smelled amazing. Willie was so sweet, told me he was now craving pasta for breakfast and left with my cookbooks. Win.
Speaking of win…
…we were standing outside of Al Roker’s dressing room…at one point, Erika was halfway in it and he had to politely ask her to move so he could go do the weather hahaha! When he came back from the weather, he introduced himself to me and asked me a million questions about me. Where was I from? How many kids did I have? How old were they? What the heck was I making that smelled so good? Can I have a copy of your books? I mean…my heart forever belongs to Al Roker. He could not have been sweeter and more genuine.
And then Kathie Lee and Hoda’s hour started and I positioned myself in the kitchen…
…because I knew I was going to be wearing a Today apron, I kept things simple underneath…I wore a shirt from Anthropologie that’s like two years old, white jeans and wedges. And pink earrings, of course :).
And then, I met Kathie Lee and Hoda.
I love them.
They came in before my segment and started chatting, then would run off and do a segment and then come back and chat some more. Here are some pics that Erika took while we were chatting in-between segments and/or taping…
Y’all…these ladies are just as nice as you would expect them to be. They also asked me a million questions about myself, they were outrageously funny and so genuine. They hugged me, they thanked me, they were unbelievable gracious to me.
As we were leaving, Kathie Lee was leaving too and…she had a big plastic container of my leftover pasta. How fabulous is that?!
The entire experience was such a blessing.
So…what do you do after that high? Well, you go back to your hotel room, add on about 4 layers and head out for the rest of the day. The best part about being Erika’s tour guide around NYC is that she said she didn’t want to see one famous monument or historical site…she wanted to see where famous people live, eat and hang out. Girl, that’s my kind of vacation!
Since we only had a few hours, we spent the rest of the day uptown. First stop, lunch at Sarabeth’s!
A girl needs a lobster roll, coleslaw and homemade chips after surviving her first Today show experience.
It was FREEZING! But candy from Dylan’s Candy Bar warmed us up (or at least we told ourselves that!).
Just two weirdos standing in front of Kelly Ripa’s house. I fully expect restraining orders in the mail any day now from a handful of famous people. Erika wanted to see where famous people live…what was I supposed to do? #showedherallthefamouspeoplehouses
Freezing cold but we walked and walked and walked…
Hey there Central Park. Don’t mind if we cut through on our way to the Upper West Side.
Where they filmed a scene out of You’ve Got Mail.
Okay, so we walked and walked and walked (8 miles to be exact…thank you Apple watch) through the Upper East and West Sides, grabbed coffee as we went, stopped and went through a store or two, saw some famous celebrity/movie/entertainment sites and then walked back down to Midtown.
Time Square 🙂
We had theater tickets at 7:00, which meant dinner reservations were at 5:00.
Warning…two stupid girls to follow…
You see, we weren’t prepared for Arctic temps, so we thought we could still wear our dresses to dinner and the theater. Thus, we put them on (along with heels) and headed out in the 20 degree weather. #stupid
I’m smiling because I haven’t been outside yet. I’m almost crying five minutes from here because I’m so darn COLD!
(And pssst…I’m in love with my green dress!) It also comes in 10 other colors here. Love, love, love it!
We had an amazing steak dinner at The Strip House. The creamed spinach was life changing. The restaurant was a nice spot for us to thaw out after being outside in our dresses in the weather. We were laughing as we were walking to the restaurant because everyone else was dressed appropriately outside (boots, coats, hats, scarves…lots and lots of layers!) and we looked ridiculous. Cute…but ridiculous :).
And then, we headed to see Wicked! We picked two shows that neither of us had seen before, so Wicked it was on the first night. Spectacular show!
Whew! That was Days 1 & 2. Tomorrow, we finish off our trip.
Don’t forget, you can see Erika’s post about these two days here on her blog.
And one last thing…
…Meal Planning Monday is today!
Five yummy suppers your family will LOVE (like this Lemon Poppy Seed Baked Chicken)! I have the simple recipes here.
And on Wednesday is our first linkup for this…
Wednesday’s topic is: What three things would you bring to a deserted island from your medicine cabinet?
Blog and link up Wednesday!
xoxo
Erika Slaughter says
Ah!!! So much to say…the creamed spinach was delish, Chris Manzo was supercool about us fan girling, and it was FREEZING cold…especially when we were dressed in heels and dresses. But I still had a blast! 🙂
Sarah Shaneyfelt says
I LOVE Wicked!!! I've seen it twice now–I hope you enjoyed it too! It's actually based on a novel and the novel is so different from the musical, so you should read it! I loved your segment on the Today Show! So neat reading about the behind the scenes–love your look from the Glam Squad, too! I thought that as I watched last week!
Sarah at MeetTheShaneyfelts
Brooke @ A Retherford Realization says
Absolutely SOOOO proud of you! I can't believe how fun that whole experience must've been, you out of anyone absolutely deserve it and you looked like a KNOCK-OUT doing it!! Now I have a request for the foodie blog, a simple lobster roll recipe?! Love you Shay!
Mix and Match Mama says
Done!! http://mixandmatchmama.blogspot.com/2015/05/dinner-tonight-lobster-rolls.html
Jamie Allen says
oh girls! so much fun! shay, you looked amazing for your segment! i'd never heard your voice before so that was so sweet to hear. people follow blogs and never hear voices so it's fun to hear the voice behind the blog. and OH MY LOVE. i was a dedicated fan of regis & kathie lee. and then regis & kelly. so all the hearts for that! one major question: how did you find out where kelly and the other famous folks lived? that is just so crazy fun! bummer that is was so dang cold. looking forward to tomorrow: part two of shay and erika love new york. in all seriousness: do you feel like you've reached famous/celebrity status? i totally do!
Sheaffer {Pinterest Told Me To} says
Well that was SO MUCH FUN!!!!!!!!!!! Y'all looked great and it was obvious you had a blast. And that Glam Squad was amazing! Your hair and make-up were absolutely gorgeous!!!! Great recap!
Laura says
You showed Erika celebrity houses – because you've hung out there before??;) lol! Al Roker always seems like such a sweetie.
Erika, can you post the link for your leopard dress. I've been looking for something like that for a while!
Linsley Schneider says
This trip looks like a dream! Congrats again on the Today Show! 🙂
Sarina says
Next time you come to New York you should eat at The Smith! Their burrata is to die for and with a name like that… You must try!! =]
Valerie Cox says
So proud of you, Shay! I felt like I was watching a friend! 🙂 I met Hoda back in January, and she was just as nice as she could be. Can't wait to see you on there again!
Paige says
What an amazing experience! You looked so great on the today show!
Narci says
So fun!! Loved reading about your first few days!! Everything sounds amazing!!
Liz F. says
You did so great on the Today show– I would have been a wreck! Also I think I need that Lush top in my life as ironing is my LEAST favorite chore! Liz @ familyoffoley.wordpress.com
mommyto3 says
I watched your segment and you did awesome!! Way to go, Shay!
Kathryn Matteson says
I have been looking and looking for that necklace that you're wearing with the green Lush top. Do you know the name of it??
Mix and Match Mama says
It's from Kendra Scott!
Elizabeth says
You did awesome! I was very impressed. I have to know though, do you really keep all the bacon grease in the pan or would you pour it out if you were making it at home for your family?
Mix and Match Mama says
At my house, I use turkey bacon and don't drain the grease (because there is very little). That being said, I tasted their version there after the show and it was delicious (with the bacon grease). It added a ton of flavor. If the grease bothers you, totally drain it.
Kim Bayt says
What color and brand is your pink nail polish? Love it!
Mix and Match Mama says
OPI Mod About You!
angie says
Such fun recap! Seriously how good is that yellow-tail + jalapeno at Nobu. I first had it in Vegas, swear it was what made me a believer in sushi about 10 years ago. Nothing else compares. And, went to Sarabeth's last year for first time, not sure how I've missed it before, but definitely will always be on my NYC list!!
Regine Karpel says
Love
http://www.rsrue.blogspot.com
Meagan Ruse says
I love it! Tim and I have been to NYC three times, but a girls trip sounds absolutely amazing!!!!! I'm so proud of you, sweet friend! Love you much! ???
emily @ a little bit of emily says
Great job on the Today show! So awesome you were able to meet all those people – especially Chris Manzo! I would totally fan girl him, too.
Amanda-Cupcake N Dreams says
I loved this recap! It looks like Erika and you had a fabulous time in New York. I got some outfit inspiration from you ladies too 🙂 Quick question: What shoes did you ladies wear during that afternoon of walking? I'm always looking for good recommendations, because I swear every pair I wear in NYC ends up hurting my feet!
http://www.cupcakendreams.com
Mix and Match Mama says
Well, my favorite shoes for lots of walking are my Sketcher Go-Walks but because it was SO COLD, I wore my Ugg boots. They kept me nice and warm and never hurt my feet!
Erica @ Whimsical September says
DVRed your segment and watched it as soon as I could! Loved your look and thought it was such a bold, chic choice! Running around NYC for a few days is one of my absolute favorite things to do. Looks like y'all had so much fun!
Jenny says
So fun! I loved reading every detail. 🙂
Kelly says
Congrats on being on Today! Loved the segment. Ok…dying to know. Is that actually wine in Hoda and Kathie's glasses!? If so, do they drink it? 🙂
Mix and Match Mama says
Yes! It is! They insisted I have one too ;). Kathie Lee even opened up the fridge and showed me their stash. Her family owns a winery and the wines come from there. She was very proud of her family's wine…and for good reason! It was delish!
Kristina (Ms.Modify) says
I have always wondered that too!! I can't believe they drink wine every morning! Ha
Aubrey says
So fun! Cooking on the Today Show has to be THE BEST excuse to visit NYC of all time! Glad you two had a blast!
Megan says
Love reading about your trip!!! And don't think I didn't notice that you said "first" Today show appearance. Can I go next time!?!? Sooo fun!!!
{SweetTennesseeBlog} says
I watched your segment! You are so cute! The girls trip seemed amazing and congratulations on your books!
Rebecca Jo says
This is all just so exciting. You can check off your list, "Let Kathy Lee eat my leftovers" 🙂
I would totally stalk Kelly Ripa's house myself. I'm convinced we'd be best friends. haha
Jill B says
Your eye makeup was gorgeous! They did a great job! What a fun trip!
Rose says
In the picture above you and Kathie Lee look like twins! How fun to get all these pictures. Will you be appearing regularly on the Today show?
So nice of you to take Erika under your wing in the city and show her around. She seems like the
baby sister you should have had!
Richelle Pierre says
Hi Shay, I love the shoes that you are wearing with your green dress. Can you please tell me where I can find them?
Mix and Match Mama says
They're Steve Madden's from like five years ago! I love them and wish I knew of a like pair for you.
Chasity Munn says
How awesome is it that Kathy Lee took leftovers home? That's awesome!
And you should do that fancy ponytail more often, it's really cute!!
http://www.hautemommyblog.com
AMla says
Loved your green dress and especially loved that it comes in petites! Could you post a link for similar shoes you wore? Thanks!
Nicole Virgilio says
Hi Shay! What size did you buy in the green dress? So pretty! Thanks so much. 🙂
Mix and Match Mama says
A 2!
Leigh (Balancing By Faith) says
SO fun!! Love seeing all of your experiences!! Willie Giest is so polite because he is a Southern Boy! Vanderbilt grad!! So glad to know so many of my favorites were just as great in person!
Melissa says
Great job. You looked so pretty. BTW, I made the BLT pasta dish and your lemon macaroons this weekend and they were both delish!
Lindsay at Lindsay'sSweetWorld says
GIRL! You guys had such an amazing time! I can't wait to hear about the rest! And Striphouse!!!! My hubs and I went to eat there on our last trip to NYC and it was DIVINE. The creamed spinach was so amazing and did you guys try their chocolate cake?! It was 12 layers or something crazy like that. It was the tallest cake I've ever seen and melt in your mouth good.
Elizabeth Stiles says
Just wanted to take a quick minute to say how beautiful you looked on the Today show! I loved the hair, the makeup, the outfit…everything! You totally look like a natural up there! Glad you girls had such a fun time!
Annie Fasone says
I loved your segment on Today! You did a fabulous job. You didn't even look nervous at all! I would have been a ball of nerves. I especially loved the look so I think the Glam Squad was a hit out of the park!
Katie says
I thought your hair looked great in that high pony!
I'd love to hear some more behind the scenes details-
Does the Today show foot the bill for your travel and lodging when you are there?
How did they find out about you?
Did you get to decide what dish you were making or did they have input?
What was the hardest part about being on camera?
Was there anything that surprised you about the studios or the experience?
I love NYC. And Sarabeth's has amazing breakfast. The second time my husband and I visited the city I made it my goal to visit all of the You've Got Mail landmarks!
Mix and Match Mama says
Great questions! My airfare and lodging for the night before the show were taken care of. They heard about me through the grapevine and they picked the recipe out of my Meal Planner book. They asked me if I was okay with that recipe (which I was), but they selected it. Everything was very straight forward and they went out of their way to make me feel comfortable and relaxed. I was actually surprised by how hard they went to make it an easy process. They were so sweet to work with!
abby says
Hi Shay! What size do you wear in the camis? I'm your size and I see the smallest size available right now is a small. It seems like they would be a little baggy. Do they run small or do they sometimes offer an x-small when in stock? Thanks a bunch!
Mix and Match Mama says
Smalls work great for me! It's not baggie in the least bit! Fits like a glove!
Angela G says
I pretty much love this whole post. You are awesome! You looked fantastic on Today and how cool is it that they asked you to be on the show!!!!!!!!!!! Amazing!!!! PS – major props to your husband for holding down the fort while you went and did your thing!
brookerichardson says
A-mazing!!! All of it!!!! You did so awesome!!!! Way to tough out the cold weather especially being Texas Girls 🙂
Nicole Gregory says
Hey Shay! Absolutely loved watching you on the Today show!!! After reading Erica's blog, I noticed you had a leather jacket on with your green dress! Can you share where you got it? 🙂 Thanks girl!!
Mix and Match Mama says
It's from Nordstrom but it's an oldie. Boo. Wish it were current!
Jeanie says
You were two busy ladies! And you were awesome on The Today Show, didn't appear nervous at all. You acted just like it was your job!
sarah mcclanahan says
I'm just now reading all these posts! Can't believe you were on the today show. I watched & how cute are you!! Can't wait to make that recipe!!
Julie says
What size lush top do you buy? I have one in a small in the other silky fabric and feel they run really big but the sizing online says xs is a 0/00. Confusing!
Mix and Match Mama says
XS!
Leslie says
Hi Shay!! What a dream!! You were fabulous on Kathie Lee & Hoda! Glam Squad worked out perfectly! How did you find out where celebs live?
Andrea Worley says
So fun! What an amazing experience and you did awesome!!
Julia Cunningham Photography says
You did such a wonderful job! Loved this post! Love the Today show so much and it is nice to know they are kind etc. Manhattan is favorite place on earth and I will always regret not taking the chance and living there for a bit! I have always wanted to do a sort of real estate tour! How did you find out where Kelly lives? I have seen the Carrie Bradshaw apartment before–it was so cool to see in person. Was there a sign there saying not to get on stoop!? Hilarious that still so popular all these years later!!! Congrats on such a wonderful appearance! I want to get your book!
kelly says
Oh where do I begin???? First, CONGRATULATIONS! !! You were awesome on TV. You looked sooooo cute and I LOVE your hair up. You seemed so happy. Just sooo cute!
Wasn't "Wicked" such a grest play? Great choice!
Loved your green dress!
Kelly says
LOVED LOVED LOVED this post! What color is the lush top in your first pic?
Cassie {Hi Sugarplum} says
You two are ridiculously cute…and you OWNED that Today segment!!! Seriously, I fully expect you to have your own show any day!!!!
mel @ the larson lingo says
So much fun!!!! Congrats on being on the Today show, that is so exciting! Proud of you!!!! Wicked is my all time favorite broadway show!
Debbie says
Congratulations!!! I am so happy for you.
DetroitDuchess says
You did such a great job on Today! I work in PR and book clients for food segments and have to say your smile and enthusiasm really stood out. It is hard to convey that on TV when you have limited time. After following your blog for years I was so proud of how far you've come. You are an inspiration for making your dreams come true!