Monday, April 8, 2013

nyc weekend adventures

Well, this weekend was another one for the books!

Starting from the beginning, Friday evening was much more relaxed than a normal Friday night.

Bryan and I stayed in and caught up on our shows from earlier in the week and just hung out. By the way, is anyone else loving New Girl this season?!

Saturday turned out to be a wonderful day in the city!

We were invited to a birthday dinner in the West Village and decided to use the occasion as an excuse to have a full-scale city adventure.

Bryan, our friend Sam and I headed to the Museum of Natural History. And while a lot of the exhibits there could definitely use some updating, it's a staple of living in the New York area that always proves to be a great time. The three of us just ran around and had a fantastic time.

It was like we were children again and I loved every second.

After that, we made a trip down to Levain Bakery on the Upper West Side. If you've never been there, you owe it to yourself to check it out. These cookies are the size of muffins and are absolutely incredible. I personally recommend the oatmeal raisin!


We later went down to Chelsea Market just to kill some time before dinner. We ended up wandering around Anthropolgie and spent a lot of time becoming sad about overpriced dresses and just being silly.


We finally met up at the restaurant of choice, Benny's Burritos and after some hassle over the seating arrangements (sitting a party of 10 in a tiny NYC eatery is a headache in and of itself), we finally got settled and ordered margaritas and burritos all around.

If you head there, and you're feeling adventurous, try one of the Bulldog drinks! It's a margarita with a shot of something extra, mine had white sangria, and a Coronita shoved in.

My waitress was even kind enough to add some guava flavoring to mine - which was awesome!

After dinner we ran around to a couple of the area bars, Down the Hatch and Slaughtered Lamb in particular.

Both were pretty typical bars of the West Village, but very enjoyable!

All in all, it was a fun night!

Sunday was a family day, as we were celebrating my grandfather's 75th birthday!


We'll all be going out for the occasion in June when my sister comes home from college, but for now we just had a home-cooked family dinner.

I love every opportunity to spend some time with my family - especially if it includes watching the Mets pick up a win in the final moments of a game!

I hope everyone had as great of a weekend as I did.

And I also hope that you all enjoy the rest of your week!

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Linking up!

Friday, April 5, 2013

trends to try - black + white

There are so many great trends that are being displayed everywhere this season.

One of the biggest ones is black and white!

Now these colors have been neutral staples for any girl's wardrobe since the beginning of time, but now they're hot in a big way and have been all over the runways since a few weeks ago during Fashion Week.


{Marc Jacobs}

{3.1 Phillip Lim}

Of course, there are few things I find more fun then taking the chic looks of the runway and transcribing them to work for every day wear.

Since I spend much of my time at work, I'm always trying to find fun ways to be fashionable and office appropriate.

Here's a great way to rock this trend in the office:



1. Rag & Bone
2. J. Crew
3. Steve Madden
4. Cole Haan
5. Kate Spade

The look below can work for a more casual feel with flats, or even a night out with heels or wedges:



1. Zara
2. Ralph Lauren Blue
3. Bauble Bar
4. Tory Burch
5. Kate Spade
6. Betsey Johnson

I can't wait to try out this awesome trend as spring rolls on.

Now how are you feeling about this hot trend?

Happy Friday!

___________________

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Thursday, April 4, 2013

outfit of the day - all over urban

As the last days of the cold weather until NEXT winter are (hopefully) beginning to dwindle, I'm getting the best of my boots while I still can!

I was really excited to rock this outfit at work today because a lot of these items I haven't worn in a while.

This is one of those combinations that I purchased together to wear together - the sweater, the skirt and the scarf.

It's also worth noting that all of these items are from Urban Outfitters.

I've previously paired these three items with grey tights and black heels, but today I was going for a more casual look.


Shirt, Skirt, and Scarf: Urban Outfitters//Leggings: American Apparel//Boots: Ciao Bella
Nails: Essie Mint Candy Apple and Carnival

Unlinked items are old.

I'm sure you're all thinking to yourself "Does she ever wear any other jewelry besides that Michael Kors watch?"

I do, I promise.

It's just so timeless!

Are you guys excited to ditch your boots and leggings once and for all?

And what did you guys wear today?

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

wednesday wants - madewell

It is worth noting that Madewell is one of my favorite stores!

It can get a little expensive for my price range, but when I get an opportunity to treat myself, I love to indulge!

For this week's Wednesday Wants, here are the five items I'm dying to get off of Madewell's shelves and into my closet.

{Madewell}
I would love to have a white blazer for a professional look going into the warmer months. I think this one is the perfect choice for the job.


{Madewell}
There's nothing like a light and breezy sweater for transitioning into spring days. And I just love to add neon to my look.

Put those together and you have this fantastic sweater!

{Madewell}
I'd love to add some lace looks to my collection, and my boyfriend likes to remind me of how much he enjoys when I wear yellow. So I feel like this is a piece that we BOTH can enjoy!

{Madewell}
Polka dots are popping up everywhere this season, and I've been dying for a fun patterned pair of jeans. This pair seems like the perfect choice.

{Madewell}

I'm loving the eyelet dresses that can be found in stores everywhere, but this eyelet skirt is just adorable. 

Basically, I have to have one!

Now what do you think about Madewell? Are you craving any items from their latest arrivals?

______________________

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Tuesday, April 2, 2013

outfit of the day - grey and purple love

While Spring has already sprung, it is still a bit little chilly here in New York.

While I'm excited to finally start wearing dresses and skirts without tights, today did not get to be one of those days!

For this cool early Spring day, I chose a basic white top with a lilac scarf, a perfect spring color.

I paired that with a indigo sweater/blazer combination which is very comfortable AND cute!

Most importantly, I especially love the way it goes with the scarf.

On my bottom half, I'm rocking a fun patterned skirt from Target, black tights and silver sparkly flats.

I was thinking about heels but sometimes you just can't beat comfort!

I'm also sporting my favorite accessory today - my silver Michael Kors watch!


Sweater: Urban Outfitters (my color no longer available)//Tee: Old Navy//Scarf: Peach Couture
Skirt: Target//Tights: H&M//Flats: LOFT//Watch: Michael Kors

All items without links are old

This was a fun choice for a cool spring day in the office. I've been wearing jeans and sweaters for so long that I was excited to change it up!

And what are YOU wearing today?

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Monday, April 1, 2013

easter weekend

While my family does not celebrate Easter, this was a great weekend spending this fun holiday with my boyfriend and his family!

Friday, Bryan and I dyed Easter eggs, which I haven't done in years. We had a lot of fun, and made some really cute designs.






After that we met up with our friends at Effin' Gruven in Bellmore, NY.

If you've never been and live in the area, I strongly suggest checking it out. They have an extremely diverse beer selection and just a great overall vibe!

Then for Easter Sunday, I joined Bryan's family for a vast and wonderful family dinner. This included lamb, ham, lots of veggies, lasagna, and sangria.

Did I mention that it was lots of sangria?

While Easter is not a holiday I've celebrated more than a handful of times in my life, I'd have to say this time was certainly extra fun!

And how did YOU spend this Easter weekend?

___________________________

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Friday, March 29, 2013

wedge sneakers

I have always loved trying out new trends and seeing what they are about. But every once and a while a trend comes along that I just cannot get on board with.

Wedge sneakers are one of those trends.

{Target}
Maybe it's because I see sneakers as something to run and work out in. Or maybe it's because I just find them to be just plain ugly. Whatever it is, this hot new form of footwear bothers me.

I love shoes a lot, I own countless pairs. I also love sneakers.

I even have four pairs of Converses.

It almost seems wrong to me to mix the classic summer look of a wedge with the sporty look of a sneaker.

Celebrities seem to be all over this trend though:


{Source: examiner.com}
People are calling this the next comfy shoe choice, but I just can't get behind that. Wedges and heels are for fashion, not for comfort.

If you want to be comfortable, try flats, smoking slippers or flip flops..

Or how about old fashioned sneakers?

Just a thought.


How do YOU feel about this trend on the rise?

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