Turtle Bay Here We Come

For my fellow New Yorkers, while I might celebrate the upcoming 50-degree weather with you for next week, MES and I will be on our honeymoon in Turtle Bay Oahu, Hawaii.

Peace out brutal temperatures, harsh winds that whip the moisture right out of my cheeks, and snow that seeps through my shows and freezes my toes.  We'll be back by my bday just in time to celebrate the big 3-1.  

Peace Out Winter Blues

(blazer - LOFT, button down - Gap, Necklaces - bemonogrammed, boutique in Charleston)

I am absolutely counting down the days until we leave on our honeymoon to Hawaii and then to Sonoma.  I can't get over how cold it has been in NYC this week!  I'm positively freezing and everything just seems so bland with the sun barely shining and it just feeling very grey to me.

To pick up my spirits after a long week, I decided to whip out my bright pink blazer, usually reserved for spring and summer, but heavy enough for the winter, and pair it with a mint button down.  Adding a little sparkle with my fave gold glitter belt from JCrew, a bold chunky necklace and of course my favorite jewelry piece right now, my monogrammed necklace.

What are you doing to get yourselves out of the winter blues?

Dots and Stripes

It shouldn't come as too much of a shock that I love pink and navy together.  Really the statement should be that I love pink and that it goes with so many different colors!

It's been brutally cold in NYC these past couple of days and I've been trying to work on my layering.  Mostly I run into issues that my sweaters don't fit well with another layer under it and then blazers don't fit well with a button down and a sweater under it.  

However, there's a Gap just a block away from my apartment and I pass it all the time to and from work, so I ducked in the other day and absolutely fell in love with a pink polka dot button down.  Immediately snatching it up so I can use as a cover-up on my honeymoon next week (eeekkk!!!) I wanted to pair it with something else in my closet to bundle up.  I happen to have a navy and pink striped sweater, also from Gap, and voila!  I've got a great stripe and polka dot layered outfit.  

(note my new monogram necklace peeking out)

Be Monogrammed

I've been obsessed with getting a gold monogrammed necklace since we got married in October and with our honeymoon drawing close, I really wanted it before we hit up the Hawaiian beaches.  I love gold against a good tan  ;)

I shopped around a lot for a good deal, but with gold prices being what they are, it didn't seem like I'd be paying anything less than $100 and so finally bit the bullet, went to BeMonogrammed and ordered my dream 1.5" new monogram.

It showed up while I was in London last week and I am super excited to have it!

M.M.LAFLEUR

You might remember an older post of mine about one of my new favorite work classics from M.M.LAFLEUR.  The post was about the Narie dress which is selling out fast so pick it up today.  I was totally right about it working for my trans-atlantic flights.  It held up like a champ in my suitcase and was perfect for the damp cold London air.

Monogram Monday - Mint & Pink

I've decided to take it back to my roots and start a new series, Monogram Mondays.  Nothing super exciting, just me fiddling around with my favorite monograms and styles.

Today's post features a little mint and baby pink.  I'm really digging mint right now because it's just so refreshing compared to your typical winter blues.

A Snowstorm in London

I've been a little sporadic in my posting lately, mostly due to being sick and just not going out and experiencing worth sharing, and because I've been traveling mucho lately.  To my faithful readers, I will try and keep it up more regularly, and I'm exploring some new fun options for my blog, so stay tuned.

I've been in London this past week and MES joined me Wednesday for a little holiday while I spend my hours whiling away at the office.  Typically I'd find weather way too boring to blog about, but it's SNOWING here in London today.  It's so weird being in a city that typically doesn't get snow and just shuts down at the site of it.  Heathrow has already cancelled some flights; it's absolutely bizarre.

We're off to catch up with C&P tonight at The Sherlock Holmes Pub which I'm super psyched about since I've been remiss in embracing my "inner Brit" although my excuse is I've been working like crazy on the trot  ;)

M.M.LAFLEUR: Mela

Being in London has really made me tune into my inner understated-chic persona.  Despite the unexpected chill in the air and shocking snow storm yesterday, I am braving the cold sans tights or stockings.  Rocking out in my new Mela from M.M.LAFLEUR with my awesome LKBennet Sledge heels and a statement Loft necklace, I'm pretty psyched with my nod to the Brits (my heels are frequently seen on Kate Middleton's duchess feet  ;)

Travel Debacles Reach an Extreme

It's becoming more and more glaringly apparent that I'm a poor traveler.  I've gone to the wrong airport, forgotten when my flight is, booked for the wrong days, gone somewhere and forgotten which airport I've flown out of... the list just goes on.

This past trip, albeit to Des Moines, wasn't any better.  What I don't understand is why when you're booking a layover trip they only give you 20 mins between landing and when the next flight boards.  On my way to Detroit, where my layover was, everywhere is super easy, no issues except sitting next to a squirmy little girl who wouldn't shut up the whole time and a plane infested with coughing and sniffling people.  However, we were in line to take off for 45 mins which made us delayed.  I only had 12 minutes between original landing time and boarding start time for my next flight, so I was appropriately anxious.  I flew off the plane once we landed (miraculously on time) and ran to the tram.  Of course this is an airport I've never been to before, and there's no printed sign that says to get to terminal B you have to go through terminal A.  So there's 6 of us, riding around the tram trying to figure out how to get to B.  We had to circle back in order to get to our destination, at which point I'm SPRINTING through the corridor (btw if there's a tram, why not have it go between terminals instead of having long ass walking platforms?!).  I finally arrive at my gate, 5 minutes after boarding time, and they haven't even begun yet!  Super annoyed, and out of breath, I ask the gate attendant when they're board.... not for another 15 minutes!!!  UGH!

So I get my ass to Des Moines and when I land, I realize I have no earthly clue who I booked my rental car with.  I start doing searches on my iphone and droid because of course I have no idea which email I used in order to book the reservation.  Giving up, I try the first one in line, Hertz.  Then I have to think about if I used my maiden or married last name.  No luck at Hertz.  No luck at Alamo, and no luck at Avis, who checked 3 other rental agencies for me too.  Shit out of luck because none of them have free cars, I KNOW I have a rental confirmation, I just can't find it.  So I decide to check my expense report... which of course I can't access on my mobile.  Whipping out my laptop, and the charger because it's dead, and finding wireless, I land on Advantage Rent a Car, the one and only desk I didn't check.

Off to my hotel, because of course it doesn't end.  I check in, get my keys, go to my room... keys don't work.  Go back down, new keys.  Go back up... keys don't work.  Throw in the towel and just call the front desk.  The guy meets me at a new room and let's me in.

Case closed until I leave.  And boy howdy!  I have a 6:30am flight, have to remember to make time to deposit the car, so I set an alarm for 4:30, 20 min travel time from the hotel to the airport.  5:20am... SHIT my alarm didn't go off!!!  I haul ass out of the hotel, get down to the parking lot, forgot where I parked, can't find the car keys, remember I left my car keys in the sink in the room (don't ask).  So I sprint my ass around to the front of the hotel, because of course I left all my keycards in the room and can't go in the side door, have to find the front desk guy, get a new key, fly up 3 flights of stairs, back into my room, grab the keys, and back down to the car.  At this point, it's probably around 5:40 and the boarding time is 5:50 to my flight.  I'm freaking out I'm going to get stuck in DSM, but pedal to the metal there, get to the airport but there are no signs on where to do rental car drop off.  A few illegal turns, and against a "do not enter" sign, and I leave the car, go inside to drop off the car, but no one's there.  I have to fill out a form and leave it but of course there are no pens.  Finish up that debacle, another sprint to drop of my bag at luggage drop off, another sprint to security... ask the TSA guy if I can cut the line because my flight is at 6:30 and it's now 6:10, and he says NO!!!  UGH.  Weird international ppl in front of me who have no idea they can't wear a scarf and a jacket through the security check, and I'm finally through and at the gate... and they haven't even boarded yet!!!

So I get to Detroit no issue... again I have about 20 minutes between flights and my gate is on the other side of creation, but 3 rushed attempts and I decide I'm not running for another plane.  I calmly get there and there's no one at the gate.  So I'm either super late or no one's on the flight.  Phew!

Land in LGA to a vmail from car service that they didn't update my credit card information from last time and didn't process the order, therefore no car!  Fix that situation and go to grab my luggage, and the handle is broken.

Honestly a worn out trip and now I'm unpacking into another suitcase for my departure tomorrow back to NJ and then to London on Saturday.  Wish me luck!

Plum Pickings

Were you all hunting the racks the day after Christmas?  I was, and while I wasn't entirely thrilled with the sales, or lack-there-of, I did manage to snag a few things that really perked me up.  This blazer in dark grape from jcrew was one of my favorite finds.  It's got a great hue, and I love it with my purple/pink bubble necklace.  Paired with a trust white button down, my Rugby skinnies and riding boots?  I felt a nice strut in my step despite the chilly weather.

A Hint of Mint

I've been feeling blah lately, maybe it's because I'm sick, or it could be because of my wardrobe and my not-so-self-imposed lack of shopping and spending.  However, I've been online window shopping through Pinterest and pinning outfits that both inspire me and that I want to pick up at some point in the future when I'm spending again.

Inspired by layering and repurposing those long forgotten items at the back of my closet, I dug out this grey lace skirt, paired with a new mint cardi and a trusty white button down, and voila, I feel as fresh as the cardigan is cool.

Natty Noshers - CRAFT style

MES and I were lucky enough to be given a $250 gift card to Craft for our wedding which we decided to use for our annual Christmas dinner out.  We love a good excuse to dress up and dine out since we rarely do so and were really looking forward to going out for this.  And boy howdy was it worth it!

Let's get down to business with the first course - they served us a delicious amuse of cold shrimp with a chunk of grape fruit on top.  What an interesting and delightful combination!  Then we had the pork ravioli with steen's cane syrup.  It wasn't nearly as sugary as cane syrup suggests and while the pork ravioli was a tummy pleaser, I would say that the Crispy Bacon and Honeycrsip Apple was by far my favorite.  (no surprise there with my love of anything bacon).  The apple slivers added just a hint of sweet to the nice crisp chunks of pork.

 For our entrees we decided to split the Braised Short Rib and the Pork Porterhouse.  The ribs were AH-mazing!  So incredibly mouthwatering and tender, really you didn't even need to chew.  The Pork Porterhouse was more a walk on the wild side for both of us since we've never tried a pork porterhouse, or really in my case I didn't even know pork had a porterhouse cut.  The filet portion was delicious and really the best part.  We were a little disappointed the rest of the porterhouse wasn't more tender.

Our wonderful meal was topped off with Olive Oil Cake and the Chocolate Souffle.  I've had a thing for anything olive oil since I started eating the olive oil gelato at Otto a couple of years ago and when the server assured us it was his favorite on the menu, we had to ante up and try it.  As a cake it has the texture of pound cake, but isn't quite as heavy.  It has a surprising nutty flavor and I would totally recommend this.  The Chocolate Souffle came with a coconut anglaise which had us hesitating, but it was surprisingly not coconutty, which is good since we both don't like coconut.  I love ending a meal with something chocolate and this really hit the spot.