"It took four friends two days to put twenty years into thirty boxes."
- Carrie Bradshaw

Carrie - I (nor my mom who stands steadfast beside me during the packing fiasco) couldn't have said it better myself.

My wardrobe has migrated from my childhood bedroom into my family room. 10 weeks worth of New York-worthy ensembles decorate the backs of chairs. An assortment of summertime wedges line edge of the couch while piles of multi-colored beads cover the coffee table. Packing for 70 days is both intense AND messy.

Carrie Bradshaw solicited the guidance of her closest friends when moving from her iconic apartment into her married home with Big. Although my buddies are scattered throughout the state, country and world, I sought their packing advice via text message.

"If you were going to NYC for 10 weeks, what would YOU pack?!" I asked. The following are received responses:

How I fell in love with a man named Vince (sorry, Charlie)

     My roommate Shanda Crowe is my chief PIP - Partner in Procrastination, that is. If there's a test to study for, an essay to write, a meeting to attend - DON'T combine our forces, because although a variety of other mindless (albeit entertaining and interesting) feats will be accomplished, the task at hand will remain undone.

In May 2011 during UGA's  finals week, procrastination paid off. 

     In effort to abstain from studying, I completed a multi-step survey received via email from my sorority list-serve. I answered questions about my personal style, brands I swear by etc. - all for the purpose of securing a Campus Representative opportunity for the Vince Camuto brand. When I was selected as one of UGA'sbrand ambassadors, I proudly shared the news with my campus community. Common response: "Vince WHO?"

     So his namesake label wasn't universally known at this point - at least, it wasn't recognized south of the Mason Dixon. However, Vince had already impacted the fashion world; he pioneered the brand Nine West; he established CamutoGroup - the company who owns the master licensing to the likes of ToryBurch; he designs for Jessica Simpsons' widely popular line as well as the footwear entities of BCBG and Lucky Brand.  Judging from past successes, it's no surprise that by the end of my term as a campus representative for the massive Vince Camuto brand, VC wedges peeked from beneath many a graduate's gown at UGA's Spring Commencement.

     In one year, the brand that began in 2005 has expanded from marketing a unique selection of shoes and handbags to offering apparel, jewelry, swimwear, perfume, homegoods....

     Today, Vince Camuto products beacon to fashion connoisseurs from the pages of Harpers Bazaar and Vogue. Nationally-renowned bloggers and stylists swear by the brand. My friends and family have adopted both staple elements and unexpected touches for their wardrobe from VinceCamuto.com. Dillards, Macy's, Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, Lord and Taylor and many an upscale boutique feature VC products in storefront windows. The ornate, Camuto crest frequents my day-to-day ensembles and every corner of my college closet.

How lucky I am to have been a close spectator and tiny piece in the puzzle of astronomical growth! In the next week, I'll migrate from from my campus arena - where I've hosted 10 brand-centered events to entice the student body - to a much larger venue from which to elevate the brand's popularity.  

Moral of the story, folks: procrastination retrospectively led me to the most exciting opportunity of my life, thus far. Shanda, let's keep up the good work!

Photos from Dillards - Mall of Georgia - Buford, Georgia

"These little town blues are melting away

I'll make a brand new start of it, in old New York

If I can  make it there, I'll make it anywhere

It's up to you , New York, New York."

You could have been subjected to my long, overzealous bantering about where I'm coming from and where I'm going and blah, blah, blah....but Frank Sinatra just sums it up so well. 

I'm pulling up my deeply buried roots from the North Georgia mountains and transplanting them to a flower pot on a high-rise window in Greenwich Village. I'm bidding farewell to a mom and dad who've raised me on the faith and love we all pray will continue to nurture me as I take whatever path God intends. I'm kissing goodbye a beau of five years (with the promise of an Independence Day visit) and caressing the floppy, grey ears of a Weimaraner stud one last time 'till August. I'm packing my dresses and hats and copious numbers of ballet flats from my college home in Athens, Georgia, and hauling along my undying school spirit for the University of Georgia Bulldogs...

Yes, folks - I'm off to New York City. I'll spend ten weeks in the heart of the fashion industry as a Marketing/PR intern for Vince Camuto - a thriving (and growing) global footwear, apparel and accessories brand. I'll hail cabs and take in Broadway shows alongside my acquaintance-turned-best-friend Danielle Welborne. Together, two Southern Belles will test the temperature of current and future opportunities by dipping our manicured toes into the ever-changing waves of the fashion industry...

Follow me over the next few months for an insight into what waits for us all in the confines of the world's most noteworthy concrete jungle.