With Terra

So February was a bust for posts, huh? I feel like this time of year really starts to drag on. The holidays are over, but there's still a chill in the air and an unlikely amount of snow storms. It feels like everyone is anxiously waiting for spring to get here, the flowers to bloom, the warm breeze in the air, the sun staying out past dinner time.

A few weeks ago when Terra was in the city for NYFW, she was able to find a free moment to meet up with me for brunch. The weather was warm enough that I was able to get away with only wearing this coat when we met up. I actually got hot at some points! 

 

 

I've been in serious jean repeat mode. I wanted to wear something at least slightly different than my standard dark skinny jeans. Luckily I found this pair deep in my closet. They are now a size too big and a wash that, until now and since when I bought them, I would have turned away from. I'm glad they were able to stick around through several years and multiple moves. They are going to be a great go to jean for relaxed weekends.

Scarf from Anthropologie, Jacket from Anthropologie, Shirt from Madewell
Old Jeans, Booties from Anthropologie, Amber Ring from Portobello Market

This outfit actually started off inspired by an outfit I saw on The Sartorialist. Big scarf, mustard jacket, cuffed jeans. It's certainly a style I've done over and over before. It turned out a little different from the original, but I guess that's where the "inspired by" comes from. I can't help but feel drawn to that casual, wearable, everyday style. It's more relatable to me than any extravagant fashion trends. I definitely have a respect for that world. Its beautiful, its creative, and its artwork. But as far as my style-life I'm more inspired by what my friends and what strangers passing by are wearing. With all the NYFW events that were going on I couldn't help but think about how that world and my world of style are so vastly different. 

Photos by Terra

Of course Terra and I took full advantage of Sara and asked her to take some pictures of us being buddy / buddy before our brunch date was over. I need more Terra in my life as soon as possible. Please and thank you.

 

Thanks for sticking around while I did some real life dilly dallying the past few weeks. I just needed to take a moment to relax and not stress about having a schedule as a "blogger". Guess what though...I missed you guys. 

Scenes from a Weekend : XI

I stayed in the city this weekend and am happy to say I got so much accomplished! I finally wrote out a list of everything I've been neglecting and got to it. I put anything I could think of on there. Things I needed to get for the apartment, stores I wanted to check out, make up I've been wanting to try, a work out schedule, it was all there. I realized I'm a very goal orientated person. If there's no end point in sight, I tend to procrastinate. I even procrastinate things like getting up to refill my water, or get ready for bed (see also lazy). 

Outside of running around the city checking things off my to-do list, I spent a fair amount of time snacking and lounging at my apartment. On Saturday night I spent time with one of my oldest friends. We've known each other since pre-school! It was so great to help her celebrate her 26th birthday. We went to some of her favorite places in Brooklyn and enjoyed the company of a few close friends. I indulged in a vanilla-cinnamon infused margarita. It was absolutely delicious. 

Sunday was spent relaxing until I finally got motivated to go on a long run in the afternoon. I was really dreading it because my back was so tight and sore. It ended up being a good thing and helped loosen me up. The most rewarding part was going out to dinner with my roommate and her friend afterwards. A new burger joint opened up in our neighborhood that we wanted to try out. We all got the veggie falafel option (ha) and it was so good! It was a nice change up to go out for a casual Sunday dinner and be back before 9pm. All in all it was quite the successful weekend.

I had some of my standard snacks handy this weekend. I've shared my Yerba Mate recipe already, but if you are curious about anything else I've mentioned (ie. my homemade granola and kale chips pictured here) or are interested in me sharing more recipes, let me know! I'd be up for sharing recipes if there's any interest. 

Common Courtesy

I went grocery shopping last night and was hit by the realization that I might be more friendly than I think. Shocking, I know. There was a girl about my age in the tiny health food store and we kept bumping into each other, literally. The isles are so small that I often find myself rubbing a bit too closely with strangers. Last night a guy shopper even commented that the owners of the store must like to encourage the social aspect of shopping, as I was wedged between him and a gray haired frazzled customer unable to get away.

Every time the younger girl and I would get in each others way, we would politely back up and smile so one of us could get through. There was an awkward moment (of course) when I was squatting down trying to decided between almonds and pistachios, and she reached over my head to grab some pretzels. I stood up and nearly bend her elbow backwards. We both released a nervous laugh and apologized, but in a way it was quite refreshing. 

I'm not sure if the fact that I live in a big city has made me more aware of this, but seeing someone respect common courtesies always makes me feel better. Holding the door for someone, picking up something they dropped, saying please and thank you. After this incident in the store of two girls simply respecting each other I noticed how many other strangers didn't even thank me after holding the door open for them. I thought about how many times in the past I've dropped things and had people walk by me, seemingly annoyed for me being in their way. 

  

I'm not big on resolutions, but several years ago I decided to make one of mine be that I would smile at people when they passed me instead of looking down or away. I was in high school at the time, so you can imagine for a painfully shy teenager that was quite a feat. It always made me feel good though. Just that small connection.

Old BB Dakota Sweater, BCBG Sweater Dress from Lord & Taylor, Citizens of Humanity Jeans, Anthropologie Booties
Morgan Necklace gift from Tree & Kimball

It's the same for practicing the bare minimum in good manners. Sure you're on the phone, but you could still pause for a moment to say thank you to the girl carrying four heavy bags, managing a 95 lb dog, and holding the door open for you with her foot. 

Photos by Melissa

The debut of the Morgan Necklace! I've already wore this beautiful piece several times, but this it the first time its had its picture taken. I always get so many wonderful comments when I wear it out. Thank you so much Lisa for making something this amazing and naming it after me! The olive lace and blush beads really drive the point home that this necklace was meant to be mine. I think I'm in lust. 

Shop more of Lisa's creations on her Etsy shop, Tree & Kimball. 

Things Borrowed

This is an example of an outfit I didn't wear out. I wore it for the first third of the night, then changed into something much more familiar to me, a silk button down, cuffed skinny jeans, and booties. Since I've been particularly slacking about taking pictures lately I thought I'd still share these. There were some elements of this outfit that I really liked. 

It's great having met all these ladies through blogging because they are usually more then happy to swap and share the items in their closets. It reminds me of getting ready in college and running around the dorm borrowing different things from all your girl friends. I don't have a sister so that was the first time I ever got ready with a group of girls. 

Terra from Stylish White Female and I contacted each other a few weeks ago about swapping some items. I'd been emailing back and forth with her about outfits and we decided that there were some things I had that were missing from her closet and vice versa. She lent me two basic black mini dresses. I wore the tank mini under this dress, because the tan dress was see through. It also helped give me a little more shape. 

Before I went to Philly, to visit Kim and Brian again, I had a girls night with Melissa at her apartment. We ate dinner, sipped wine, and tried on a few options. She has been helping me add some more feminine to my wardrobe. I borrowed this belt she got at the Brooklyn Flea Market and tried to soak up all her how to be womanly advice. 

The necklace was another purchase from Merl, friend and shop owner of Clyde's Rebirth. I asked her to bring a fresh crop of necklaces to Philly when I saw her for New Years and this is the one I picked. I have been getting so much use out of it. Its casual, versatile, and I love that I have a friend who makes one of a kind vintage jewelry. I can count on her whenever I need a new piece. Recently I've been bugging her for a ring, and she hasn't disappointed there either. She has a few hitting her shop in the near future! 

Dress from Lord & Taylor, Tights from Bloomingdale's, Booties from Seychelles
Brooklyn Flea Market Belt Borrowed from Melissa, Black Dress Borrowed from Terra
My Grandma's Vintage Ring, Necklace from Clyde's Rebirth

This outfit had its highlights and its flaws. Everything considered I just needed to be comfortable in what I was wearing. I think I'll try to wear this dress again in a more me friendly, casual way. Huge thank you to Kim for tackling my make up, and her friend Tara for curling my hair. I can always count on Kim for the best winged eye liner when I'm in town. 

Photos by Kim

NYC has been buzzing with all the New York Fashion Week goings on. I've been at work, but hopefully I'll get to meet up with some of my favorite ladies this weekend for some chat time. Since I haven't been able to attend any of the conferences in town I signed up for the Indie Conference run by Tieka and Elizabeth. They're doing a great job running it! After going on about how I don't have time to balance work, real life friends, and blogging I have absolutely no idea how they're able to keep up with everything! Hats off to them for doing such a wonderful job!

Have a great weekend wherever you are. If you're in NYC don't hesitate to get in touch with me. Otherwise go hug a puppy and snuggle a kitten!

Bridge the Gap

It feels strange not having documented everything I've been up to over the past few weeks. I don't know where to pick up. The weekend after Kim and Brian's epic visit I retreated to my parents for some quiet time. Then the following weekend I went back to Philly to help celebrate Brian's belated birthday. I even got to meet up with a few other Philadelphians, Veronika and Lisa while I was in town. 

That weekend is when I started to feel especially run down from blogging. I wanted to enjoy the weekend with people instead of feeling pressure to document every waking moment. Whether that was a seasonal, emotional, or hormonal reason I'm not exactly sure. I just knew that I wanted to be present that weekend instead of worrying about how I'm going to format my pictures into posts or when I'm going to use certain outfits or keeping notes on potential writing topics. 

I came to the unavoidable decision that I was going to take last week "off". Even though this blog is supposed to be a hobby, it was beginning to feel like a hassle and a job. I feel a responsibility to churn out a certain level of "work" that I think is expected. I know I put that pressure on myself but if I'm taking the time to write something almost daily, I want it to be worthwhile. At least, that was the thought process.

I wasn't able to keep up with blogging as well as the other day to day things I had to take care of. Nearly everything was taking a back seat to getting my pictures edited and posts written. I had over 1,000 unread posts in my reader, a bedroom of stuff that was overflowing into my living room, and some BIG life decisions that needed to be considered (I can't share those just yet). Basically I needed a breather because I wasn't functioning as a blogger or as a 25 year old single, tea drinking, granola eating, puppy mamma, living in Manhattan. Everyone needs to take a step back once in awhile. 

I couldn't keep up with the schedule I made for myself. I needed to spend more time in the real world. Especially since out of this whole blogging thing came the idea that I needed to embrace life experiences more. That includes my tangible life as well, not just my internet one. That said, I also missed my regular interaction with the blogging community. I wasn't commenting on posts or connecting with people who left me comments like I had in the past. I was bogged down and both aspects of my life were affected. 

So where does that leave me? I love this community and being a part of it has brought so much to my life. At the same time I'm not sure I should be denying my face-to-face relationships because I have to write a post or go out to take pictures. I think it'll be about finding a schedule that works for me, a good balance, because I want to do both, do each well, and bridge the gap between these two very important parts of my life. 

Selima Optique Sunglasses, Scarf from Anthropologie
Saint James Shirt - Cords - Socks - Boots from Madewell 
Pendant Necklace from Clyde's Rebirth

Have any of you dealt with similar problems managing your time? How have you handled balancing real life friendships with maintaining friends in the blogging community? That asked, is there something else you would like to see here? Something you'd like to know from me or hear my thoughts on that I haven't covered yet? I'm open to suggestions on how I can make my blog function better not only for myself but also for YOU, the friends who come to read and share. What about only posting a few times a week? More outfits without the writing? More Scenes posts? Some baking or food related posts? Fill me in. 

Photos by Kim and Brian

And don't forget that I live in NYC! If you're in town for all the fashion week craziness let me know. I know there are a few conferences this week, then probably even more cool things this weekend. Feel free to send me an email or a tweet if you want to meet up at any point! 

Scenes from a Trip : Home, NY II

The last day of Kim and Brian's visit there were still a few more places they needed to see. We grabbed some scones and hit the road early. I took them down a dirt road to my absolute favorite spot. Unfortunately the staircase must have broken in the recent snow storm so we couldn't walk down to the beach, but they got the feel of it. 

Then over the cliffs to walk around some more and stare out to the ocean. One of my favorite parts of the day was actually the most uneventful. We picked up sandwiches at the deli and parked near the water to eat lunch. I climbed in the back with Lua and we all just sat in the car for a bit. Talking and eating. Nothing particularly memorable happened, but it was just one of those life moments that was so happy.   

 

  

I knew we had to get a long walk on the beach in, so after lunch I took them to a beach that usually has amazing skies. I know that sounds strange, but its true. Lua ran along, jumping in and out of the water as we walked. We stopped to take pictures for Kim and I then headed back to the house. 

We got back to the house, put on some tea, and set up with snacks to watch the sunset. I was really glad that I could share this view with them. After all our walking around it was the ideal way to end the day. We stayed in with champagne and the Golden Globes playing in the background as we unwound for the rest of the night. 

  

Monday was their last day in town. We had to drive back into the city to make sure they made the bus back to Philly on time. There were a few shopping stops on the way but were back in the city with time to grab a bite before they headed out. We picked up some pizza and then I very sadly sent Brian and Kim on their way. 

I had an amazing time. I couldn't be happier that I was able to show them a place that is so special to me. I love being able to share this part of my life with people. In this case, it sort of felt like I was giving them a crash course on my life. They got to see my city apartment, my escape, meet my parents, and they even got to see where I work. Now they pretty much know everything. 

Kim and Brian thank you so much for coming out to visit! And if you ever need some ocean time again please come back! You're always welcome. 

Photos by Me, Kim, and Brian

Sorry these pictures are a little behind schedule. I needed to take a break last week so I could take care of a few others things I've been neglecting. Hopefully I'll be able to get back on track with the blog this week!