A Day at the Met

A mini-cap of this weekend's micro trip into NYC with Richie. And I say mini-cap because we probably only spend a total of five hours in the city, lol. 

It was the perfect day for it, the weather was gorgeous, not too hot, not too cold; I was able to rock my fave leather jacket and my fun new Express fringe jeggings (and they're under $40!).

Jeggings: Express (on sale, under $40!) || Shirt: American Eagle Outfitters || 

Leather Jacket: H&M (similar) || Fringe Cuff: Dynamite (similar) || Sunnies: aerie || 

Booties: Old Navy (on sale, under $20!) || Bag: Marshalls (similar + similar in white) || 

Watch: c/o Fossil

We weren't in the city for long (we both had such a long, busy week that by the time the weekend hit, we were too tired to do anything crazy), but it was still a great little trip. It was nice to get out of the house, and out of town for something fun that we wouldn't typically just go out and do. If you don't have a lot of time when visiting a big city, I suggest you do what we did, pick one big sight to see (we chose the Met), and then a smaller stop (we picked up macaroons at Laduree on Madison Ave.); that way you get the adventure without being overwhelmed.  Plus, in a place like NYC half the adventure is just getting to and from your main sights.

There was a bit of a wait to get into Laduree, so just be prepared, especially if you go later in the day.  This was my first time going and having the famous macarons, so I was determined to get my box of 6...plus I was super excited because they're almost too pretty to eat and they turned out to be delicious.

How gorgeous is their window display?!  All the bright colors and tons on pretty, yummy macarons in the windows make me ready to leap right into spring!! 

At first Richie was impatient to wait, and thought I was silly for spending $21 on six macarons (trust me, soooo worth it!); but later the next day, I made him try one, and let's just say that now he's a believer and was super happy I made him wait on line with me.

Luckily, Richie was a super good sport that day; not only did he wait on line at Laduree, but he took several outfit pics until I got some good ones to share with y'all.

It was a short and sweet little trip, but it was just what I needed!

Here's some of my favorite sights from the museum!

How amazing is this artist we passed?!  He drew quite a crowd, he was that good!

Egyptian wigs on point.

Some of the French rooms they rebuilt in the museum were drop dead gorgeous; I was ready to move right in!  Just give me a tiara and a silk gown and I'll be good to take up residence any day!

This courtyard was so impressive that I forgot I was still indoors!

I was wide-eyed and in complete awe with the fact that the Met rebuilt whole rooms and structures inside the museum!  I kept telling Richie I felt like I was on a movie set because there was no way it could all be so real; it was surreal.

I wonder who I had to talk to about getting my hands on this necklace??? haha...but really, I would rock this beauty all day, every day!

The paintings were gorgeous!  They made me a little envious that we don't dress up like this every day!  I'm putting it on my bucket list to get dressed up and have a photo shoot in a gorgeous gown, and get made up just like an old royal.

Have you taken any micro trips lately that you had a blast on?  :)

Travel Style: Camo + Sailor Stripes

...plus a 90s throw back: Spice Girls buns!  When I travel I like to keep my hair out of my face (one less thing to worry about if I'm not fiddling with my hair!); so I usually stick to buns or braids--chic and easy.  Especially when I'm driving long distance, like I did this weekend, I hate it when my hair gets in my face (I have long, crazy hair with a mind of it's own).

Just a side note, I'm not pregnant, my shirt is just baggy, lol.

Can I just say I love my car (it's a 2015 Chevy Equinox...in champagne!); it's perfect for road trips!  It's super spacious, with lots of room for luggage (and I always travel with a lot of it; I haven't quite gotten acquainted with "packing lightly", haha) and friends...and more luggage (because a girl needs options!)!

This Vera Bradley duffle is an oldie, but a goodie.  I got it as a Christmas gift a few years ago while I was still in college.  It's perfect on short trips and I can fit a TON of stuff in it (the zipper is basically magic, because no matter how much I stuff in there, it always seems to be able to close!)!.

And this palm print Old Navy tote (sadly, sold out, but I did post some similarly inspired bags down at the bottom!)?  I use it for everything!  Trips to the beach, my gym bag, and when I go on trips it holds my toiletries and shoes (I like to have lots of options, lol).

My favorite travel outfits are loose, but still have some structure to them; this makes them both comfortable and stylish.  This nautical striped top and joggers are perfect; the patterns provide interest, and everything looks put together but isn't stuffy and uncomfortable (the worst things that your outfit could be when traveling--especially on a long car ride).

Upstate New York is ridiculously gorgeous!  Nature is everywhere and it's all beautiful.  Leaving Long Island and heading upstate for a couple of days is just the refreshing getaway that I needed (I've been feeling tired and in a slump for a couple of weeks now).

#selfie.  I snuck this one in while Richie was still out of the car, before we left for our hike...  No matter what anyone says, you can never have too many selfies!  Plus, I love these aviators (another Old Navy find!), which I think are the perfect sunnies for any adventure!  And check out my ombré; on point!  ;)

Yes, I make Richie take selfies with me (and there are a million more of just me when he refuses to get in the picture, lol).  I took a really cool, little video selfie, but it was one second short of the three second minimum to post it to Insta (not cool, Instagram, not cool; insert sad, teary emoji face here).  But this one is just as cute.  :)

I'm not gonna lie, the hike was much harder than I thought.  I was sweaty and achy...and cranky.  I have a weird love/hate relationship with heights: I'm totally okay with them and love them when I'm strapped into something, but the trail wasn't a typical, well-wen dirt path, there was lots on climbing, and narrow pathways, and drops off the sides; in short, I was a giant weenie during most of it.  I wish I would've just taken a deep breath and enjoyed it more, because it was truly beautiful; but I was so worried of slipping, and falling off the path and breaking something, that I let my anxiety take over, and it sort of ruined some of the adventure.  Luckily, Richie was a really good sport about it all.

When we finally got to the waterfall, it was all definitely worth it.  Pictures don't do this place justice.

I had to stick my hands under the waterfall.  It was just so, so hot on Saturday; especially since this was the end of the hike, and then you had to turn back to hike back down (so, I guess it was really the middle of the hike, haha).

When my sister (and blogger photographer), Rachel, isn't around, that means it's up to Richie to snap some shots for me--whether he likes it or not...and he doesn't, lol.  During our hike I wanted to get in a quick outfit pic, with this amazing backdrop.  His response, "Not everything is a fashion show!".  

He's lucky he's cute.

After the long hike, Richie took me to a nearby watering hole that people go to after a long hike.

Jumping off this ledge into the watering hole was so much fun (and my goodness, so refreshing too!)!  Even though I love adventure, and crazy roller coasters, heights anywhere else, kind of freak me out (like I said, love/hate relationship); it was a little scary to stand on that ledge, getting ready to jump into waters that I didn't know how deep they went, but I'm super glad I did!  Richie and I were the only people jumping from the highest ledge, and it gave me a pretty good confidence boost (and it totally cooled me off from our hike!)!

*Check out one of my other upstate adventures, here, where Richie and I went underground at Howe Caverns! *

The next day, we just took it easy: sleeping in late and then, hitting the Crossgates Mall for some date night fun (they have everything there!)!

Ever since I went to Dave and Busters a couple of months ago, I've been hooked (is that dorky? lol #sorrynotsorry)!  So Sunday night  we went for date night; it's easy, fun and has everything in one place (food, drinks, and entertainment)!  Plus, I'm super competitive (with pretty much anything, especially Monopoly...), and I love winning tickets; I don't know what it is, and Richie finds it hysterical that I get so amped when I win (hitting jackpot is the best feeling in the world, haha).

As you can see, I'm super sad that Dave and Busters went electronic with their tickets. One of my favorite parts is when all the tickets comes shooting out of the game (especially when you hit jackpot!!!).

 I hope ya'll had a fun weekend like I did!

What's your favorite way to travel in style? :)

Shop my look (and similar pieces!) here:

Weekly Pin-spirations 4/29

Another week, another round up of my weekly pin-spirations (although truthfully, I could probably do this everyday!  LOL)

I've got a little bit of fashion inspiration and a little bit of foodie fare. Usually when I pin I start with one thing and after some time I wind up in a completely different spot!

Pin | Site

Emma Watson makes going to the airport in sweats look so effortlessly chic! I'm jumping on this bandwagon and if this entire outfit could just magically appear in my closet, that'd be great!

Check out my post, here, for the Save vs. Splurge for this outfit (my finds are a fraction of the originals!)!  (And, here, for some more jogger options!)

Pin | Site

Insects have never looked so chic and fashionable before!  Seriously, how cute is this print?

Pin | Site

I'm a sucker for boat shoes (I have about 5 pairs already and I'm not even a little bit sorry about it)!  They have a bunch of different colors, and I'm completely hooked on the coral ones!

Pin | Site

I'm always the only one who gets noodles at hibachi. There's always a huge pile of fried rice for everyone else and then, off to the side is my little pile of noodles. And I don't even care because hibachi noodles are absolutely heavenly. And now that I've found this pin, teaching me how to make them, I'm much more eager to learn how to cook like an adult. 

Pin | Site

If I'm not craving hibachi, I'm most likely craving bruschetta. And I'll admit, I'm a bit of a bruschetta snob. I like when the toast is thick, crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside, and the balsamic has soaked the bread. 

You can follow along for all my other pin-spirations here!


What were your favorite pins this week?

Travel Style Inspo: Emma Watson

I'm still sick unfortunately (*insert frowny face here*), and it's the weekend (*add another frowny face* because who wants to be sick on the weekend?).  Buuuut, as a new blogger, I'm trying to be better with posting more frequently.

I'm keeping it short because I have a nasty headache and fever, but I just had to share this particular pin that I found: Emma Watson's latest travel outfit.  I've always been a fan of Emma Watson for years now (I'm a proud Harry Potter fan);   and now, she's definitely one of my style inspirations.

This airport look is such an easy outfit to put together, and so effortlessly chic!  I love this look because first of all, I love blazers, and secondly because she paired her's with stripes.

Picture from Refinery29

I'm not a huge sweatpants person anymore (I used to be a phys. ed. major in college for a couple of semesters, so I was always in work out clothes).  But I am a fan of the casual chic track pants that are going on now.  It's all the comforts of sweatpants, but with the structure and style of a pair of trousers. 

I've put together the links for all of the original pieces that Emma Watson actually wore, and then after some searching, I have look alike pieces that are well under what the originals cost.

Original pieces: 

Shopbop | SMYTHE Cut Out Blazer ($695)
Net-A-Porter | Tibi Bibelot crepe track pants ($285)
Farfetch | Theory Horizontal Stripe T-Shirt ($87)
Net-A-Porter | Tabitha Simmons Vera leather point-toe flats ($675)
Ray-Ban | Original Wayfarer Classic ($155)

Look-alike pieces: 

Nordstrom | Calson Stripe relaxed tee (on sale for $17!)
Nordstrom | Mel by Melissa 'Pitanga' Ankle strap flats ($48)
Old Navy | Classic Blazer (on sale for $35!) | (I have this same blazer in navy and it is super comfy!)
Forever21 | Classic Wayfarer Sunglasses (definitely can't beat $4!)
Old Navy | Striped Jersey Pants (on sale for $15!  They're striped, but hardly look like it, and look more like solid black/dark grey!)
Nordstrom | Trouve Side Stripe Track Pants ($85)


What do you guys think of this travel outfit?

*p.s. check out my other style inspiration, Kate Middleton, here!

NYC Recap

Valentine's Day was celebrated by exploring the city this year with Richie.  It was super cold (...and we also missed our train, so we had to hang out at the station for an extra hour), but it was most definitely worth the trip!

Our first stop was a little touristy--Madame Tussaud's--but how fun is it to take selfies with celebrities?  Even if they are wax figures, it's still loads of fun!  Plus, there's so many great photo ops that make some pretty funny pictures (you can even get on a bike and snap a photo with E.T., just like in the movie)!

I'm a little sad I didn't get to take a picture with Kate Middleton and Prince William (they must've been at a different location), but Richie and I still got some pretty fun shots nonetheless!

Then we braved the icy cold and headed downtown for dinner.

For a while now, we have wanted to try the Sugar Factory (the NY location happened to be in the Meat Packing District).  While the name would make it seem like it's only a candy shop, it is so much more.  It's a bar and restaurant, with a little candy shop at the front (so if you don't get enough sugar during your meal, you can get some sweets to go).  You can get breakfast, lunch or dinner; or even just go for drinks which are certainly the main event!  There are a wide variety of candy inspired drinks, and even more popular, are the goblet drinks (60 oz!!), which I definitely recommend sharing with a friend, lol.

We tried the Energy Bear goblet, and oh my goodness it was delicious!  Between the watermelon vodka and the big gummy bears at the bottom it tasted exactly like a Jolly Rancher (plus, the Red Bull will keep you going for the rest of the night!).

Confession: I love bruschetta.  Fresh tomato, grated parmesan, balsamic vinaigrette and garlic; you just can't beat it!

Hands down, my favorite thing we ate were the fried macaroni and cheese pops.  Macaroni and cheese is great on it's own, but, fry it and pair it with a creamy tomato basil dipping sauce, and takes it to another level.  To me it was homey, it reminded me of grilled cheese and tomato soup, just like when I was a kid!

For the main course, we both got burgers (Richie got the house special, and I got the bleu cheese bacon).  You definitely won't leave this place hungry.  The burgers were humongous and delicious (plus, the mound of crispy fries will certainly hit the spot).

We got downtown early, so we did a bit of exploring before our dinner reservation. And to my excitement we actually stumbled across one of Warby Parker's locations!  I've done their in-home try-ons a few times, but I've never before been in one of their stores. I just had to go inside and try some frames on. The staff there were super nice. Even though I wasn't buying frames that day, they were still incredibly helpful (I actually have an in home try on on the way, so one guy explained how the whole ordering process worked).

As soon as we walked in I got excited.  I really need new glasses since my prescription got stronger, which means new frames are in order.  

Don't mind the faces--I was trying to discreetly take selfies in just about every frame I tried on, lol.

Laurel in Tea Rose Fade

Nash in Crystal

Hardy in Striped Pacific

Marshall in Rum Cherry

These Burke frames in Tennessee Whiskey are classically cool with the half tortoise, half clear frames.

These Daisy frames, in Aurelia Tortoise, are my top choice!

I've got my eye on the Daisy frames.  I'm in love with the Aurelia Tortoise color!  It's bold, but doesn't go overboard; plus, the colored tortoise reminds me of warmer weather, and it's uniqueness is fresh and fun!  :)

Richie was a good sport and modeled some glasses too! 

If you're ever in the area, definitely check out these places.  Sometimes touristy isn't bad, it's exciting to relax and just act like a kid.  And trying out new places is always an adventure (for me it feels like I'm crossing something off my bucket list when I try something new)!

What are some great spots in NYC that you've stumbled across?  :)