Christmas in the Manhattan

I know it’s past Christmas, but forgive the (possibly?) Christmas themed post! It’s a 6 year going tradition for my mom and me to go to New York a few days before Christmas. We don’t do a summer vacation for the most part, so it’s always our getaway for the year. Besides, in my opinion Manhattan is the happiest place on Earth, not Disney. There is just a little magic in the air that’s not always there in other months. Like I said earlier, it is our 6th year, so we’ve done most of activities that are deemed touristy. With that checklist complete, it leaves us a lot of time to spend together and simply enjoy some of our favorite spots. Oh, and shop! I’ve blogged about some of my favorite places in previous posts, so I won’t go into all those details. Sans minute details, some of my favorite moments are below along with some of the pieces I wore. I also added some photos of my mom getting in front of the camera and going for the “blogger look'‘ for your pleasure. Like mother, like son, no?

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3 Days in San Francisco

I think it’s pretty apparent I took a small break from weekly blogging and posting YouTube videos, but I’m happy to say I think the hiatus had ended. It was unintentional, but taking a break sort of just happened. It really worked out with midterms and other “life things” thankfully. I’m not really wanting to continue YouTube for the minute, simply because of the time commitment. Video wise, I think I’ll just post on YouTube when I feel inspired to create content. Also, I don’t want to spend too much time talking about taking a break or any negativity because a part stepping away was coming back more positively. Granted, I know there’s nothing wrong with giving yourself a moment when you need it, but in my moment, I decided that there’s a time to reflect and release your feelings and there’s a time to be positive and get moving. SOO I’m choosing the latter, and that means giving a little walk through of the absolutely amazing time I spent in San Francisco and the Napa Valley with Speck.

Day 1

The first day I woke up at 4 am to catch a flight to San Francisco. After about 5 hours of flying with a layover, I finally made it! I dropped the my Speck bags off at the hotel, Hotel Vitale, then I met up with everyone in the lobby. We headed over a block to the Marlowe where I had the BEST brunch. I’m from a brunch city (Charleston), but this place was the real deal. Thankfully, champagne was waiting along with almost one of everything from the menu. I legit felt like I was in heaven. Next, we headed over to some docks near Alcatraz. We hopped on a boat that would somewhat embody our time in SF for the next two days. It was called “Wine Therapy.” Too fitting, honestly. It was so cold on the water, but we all braved it and saw the Golden Gat Bridge from so many different angles. Next, we went to Candytopia to find some more of our inner child and induce a slight sugar-coma. Afterwards, we had some down time in the hotel to get ready for our dinner that night. I edited some photos, and also made a coffee while enjoying an absolutely stunning view of the Bay Bridge which I mistakenly called the Golden Gate Bridge in my instastories. 2 hours later we boarded an uber and headed to Che Fico. There’s a menu in the photos underneath that shows you just how spoiled we were. Looking back, it’s a good thing my jeans were not super snug. Between the wine and food, I needed all the give I could get. That leads me to the outfit. I chose to go for a comfy tee and a blazer to be somewhat comfortable on the plane. I know jeans aren’t always the most comfortable, but I chose a looser pair so it worked. My acne sneakers made all the walking a breeze, so I’d say overall this is a great go-to travel outfit that is SO easy to replicate. 

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Day 2

The next day was our busiest day! I started off just wearing my hoody to keep warm, and I brought the same blazer incase it turned even chillier. Paired with my sneakers and Eckhaus Latta jeans, I found a mix that couldn’t be beat. It worked for the first part of the morning. We stopped at Boulettes Larder for an amazing french breakfast, but I forgot to take a photo. It was that overwhelming in the best way possible. Afterwards, we went to the Palace of Fine Arts, and I felt like I was in a different country. The buildings were exquisite. The Napa Valley was our next stop. On the way there, we stopped at a lookout to the Golden Gate Bridge to snap the quintessential tourists photos. I lost the blazer at this point because it was staring to get so hot. Everyone was saying it was unusually hot for the time, and that’s just my luck. I never get to escape the Charleston heat until it’s winter for everyone in the country. I also realized we were heading to Napa where it’s even hotter. I lost the hoodie for my R13 tee I got at their SS19 show, and I borrowed a friend on the trip’s free people hat for a pièce de résistance. This outfit was perfect for the weather at our first stop in Napa, Cuvaison Winery. We tried two whites and three reds. I’m definitely a white wine person (specifically chardonnay or pinot), but all of the wines were so unique and flavorful. We snapped some photos with our full glasses, then headed to Carnero’s Resort and Spa. We were able to relax once we got there, so a few of us changed and went to explore with our cameras. I knew we were going to a cave dinner that night so I tried to dress slightly warmer. I ended up going with my Polo Cricket sweater for a true Napa look. We headed to Rutherford Hill Winery for the cave dinner and wine tasting. At this point in the trip, my stomach was so full with all things good, so I was relatively slow to eat or drink anything. Afterwards, we loaded up the party bus to head back to Carnero’s and check out the bar. After a few drinks, we all stumbled to the pool where we enjoyed the hot tub. It felt like a surreal movie, but we finally wrapped it up and went to bed!

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Day 3

If you made it this far and are expecting an adventure filled day, that’s not the case. I won’t speak for everyone else, but I definitely could feel the festivities of the night before. I had one to many drinks, but really quite a few too many. We all made our way to the lobby to find a meal ready for us. I was one of the last ones to make it, so some people had already eaten and were taking photos. Once we all gathered again, we boarded the bus and headed to SFO. It was so sad leaving all the great friends I made in just three days, but expect another trip with us all again soon!

Some of the above links are affiliate links, However, I am not paid to post any of the above. This does not affect the price of the item for you as a customer, it just means a small percentage of the sale may go to the person who generated the link. Thank you for your support.


A Day in DC

A lot of you guys know at this point about hurricane Florence. I’m not sure if it made international news, but nonetheless I evacuated to Washington DC for the weekend while I waited for the storm to pass. Thankfully my roommate has a ton of friends in DC, so it was the perfect place to visit for another short trip. At this point, I’m only taking weekend trips, and I’m not too mad about it. I will say, it makes me want to shop more for some reason. It could possibly be because I had yet to unpack from NYFW so options were limited. With that in mind, the below look is really the only one worth showing. Whoops. I know. I used the “cute” outfit sparingly and decided I’d wear it to the shops. I’m not sure where the shops are located, but they’re close to china town in DC. I primarily wanted to see what Vince, Burberry, and Gucci had. To my advantage there wasn’t much, and I was only tempted to buy a Buberry tee. Thankfully, I kept my wallet shut, and opted for an amazing coffee at Dolcezza.

Side note: I had clothes to wear out, but my going out outfits usually just include jeans with a tee tucked in. I like to keep it simple when there’s a lot of dancing involved and if it’s still warm out. I went out with some of my friends in DC, and so many of you guys came up and said hi! It was so great meeting so many of you.

 
 

Shop the Look

The shorts I’m wearing above are thrifted and then cut because I cannot find a cute pair of denim cut off shorts for men anywhere. I don’t recommend buying a new pair just to cut them, but if you just have to I found a similar wash.

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Some of the above links are affiliate links, However, I am not paid to post any of the above. This does not affect the price of the item for you as a customer, it just means a small percentage of the sale may go to the person who generated the link. Thank you for your support.


Hotlanta For a Day

Did you guys ever have a city that was far enough from your house to not go shopping all the time, but it was also where you'd go shopping occasionally when you really wanted a lot of options? For me, that's Atlanta. I left Charleston to go see my parents for the weekend, and while I was there my mom and I took a shopping trip to Atlanta. She ended up picking up some to die for Chanel sling-backs and a Dior card case and I just picked up two things from Zara. I can't compete with her finds whatsoever but nonetheless!

We started at the Shops at Buckhead. It's such a nice shopping center with so many high end brands like Dior, Diptyque, Hermes, Cos, etc. Of course I saw a ton I loved, but in the name of a budget, I kept my wallet closed. There were also so many flowers blooming that made for an amazing walk around the shops. The Shops are for sure on my list of favorites in Atlanta. PSA: There's also a Warby Parker that makes for a great time killer when you just want to goof off and try on every pair of glasses imaginable. 

 
 

Next, we went to Lennox Mall. We always choose to go there because of all the stores. There’s shops ranging from UO, Topshop, and Zara to Neiman Marcus and Cartier aka so much shopping to do. We spent a good while in Neiman’s looking for the Chanel sling backs my mom wanted. She ended up opting for the classic ones that everyone has seen. I personally love them despite the older vibe and think they would look great with practically any outfit, not to mention the comfort level of a small block heal. I also stopped in Zara and picked up a sweater and tee (somehow already sold out?) pictured and linked below. 

 
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Finally, we ended our day at the Ponce City Market. There is so so so much to see there. They have a massive store upstairs called Citizens’ Supply that is constantly changing and is a conglomerate of all different makers’ goods. This time, there was a plant shop that you should all know I took full advantage of. That and some furniture made for some fun, tongue and cheek photo ops. 

 
 
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Pants.

 

Sunnies.

 

Sweater - Thrifted

St. Patrick's Day: CHS Edition

Let's jump right in. I did an edit on palm fronds that is just past this little story time and photos. The reason being, it was my green item for St. Patty's day. It might be a little later, but I'm giving you guys a little peak into my day. It's kind of like you're a fly on the wall. I wish you could've been there for the mimosas though. They were bottomless and we all could've spilt all the tea. I put all the photos in a collage to keep the blog readable and short, so if there's one in particular that tickles your fancies, just click it! The day started off unphotographed including lots of coffee and avocado toast. Cliche, yes, but simply amazing. That's my morning go-to. Then me and some friends (no photos just because I was trying to discreetly document without making people feel like they had to pose) went to a spot downtown called Sol. They have fresh squeezed mimosas, tex mex food, and the best blood orange margs. Then while we were eating, a Budlight car came blasting music. It was fun at first but progressively got more and more annoying. In the spirit of St. Patty we kept our smiles on, though. After brunch, we decided to walk king street and shop some. Always a good idea, right? I grabbed a new kind of sparkling soda water, Bubly. I'm usually a La Croix fan, but decided to try something new. This isn't comparable to La Croix in my opinion. It's more of like a Sprite without calories. Essentially, it has more lime flavor, but I don't feel like I'm drinking soda water. Thus, I'll probably rotate between the two since they're different tastes. It started pouring rain as we were trying to find a place to park, but luckily, I had a hooded jacket to save me. It's a Herschel one from Urban Outfitters. I'll try to find some similar pieces for you guys below. The rain let up and we stopped by UO, H&M, Worthwhile, Sephora, and Kate Spade. That was all of our King Street shopping, even though we left empty handed. We stopped at the grocery store on the way home and I got a caramel macchiato from Starbucks and a canned coffee from La Colombe (one of my favorite's in NYC). Don't ask me why I felt the need for two coffees. Finally, I went back to my friends' house and said my goodbyes. Then I was off to drive back to Greenville for a few days! Nothing too crazy happened. 

Ps. I carried that damn soda everywhere, and I'm just realizing it since it's in almost every photo. 

 
 

Shop The Look

Women's

Men's

 

Also, I thought this was funny. Maybe too many mimosas?

 

Some of the above links are affiliate links, However, I am not paid to post any of the above. This does not affect the price of the item for you as a customer, it just means a small percentage of the sale may go to the person who generated the link. Thank you for your support.

Basic Kitchen: Charleston

Today, I'm coming at you with a quick post! One of my favorite restaurants and must-go-to's in Charleston is Basic Kitchen. It's my spot for literally any meal if I have the choice and is where I'd bring any friends visiting me here in the holy city. The ingredients are always so fresh and local, and not only that, the place is the definition of aesthetic with a vibe that is a perfect take on a bohemian retro restaurant. What more could you ask for when your stomach is full and your eyes are pleased?

Cody and I stopped by not too long ago for a quick snack and coffee. I was having one of those treat yourself type of days, so obviously why not? That in mind, I only have photos of the sweet potato fries, which were amazing and seasoned with the best array of stuff (for lack of a better word) and an equally delicious cappuccino, but I am able to vouch for a lot more of their food considering the obnoxious amount of times I've been. With a menu that is ever changing, you're sure to find something you will fall in love with and possibly get as hooked as I am. 

Now for the details that I know you're all wanting (just kidding) on my outfit and the restaurant. 

 
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Men's

Women's

One of my favorite things about Spring and Summer is gingham. I know it might not be everyone's cup of tea, but if you pair it with something edgy like a band tee or some cut up denim, it will immediately be a killer outfit. If your climate warrants, leather would also look amazing. 

Food, Friends, and Freaking caffeine

(in no particular order of importance *wink wink*)

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The setup.

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I'm all about some wicker and foliage, you know. 

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Now for a photo of the restroom. Awkward, I know, but it's so pretty I had to. 

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There's also an outside patio area that is just as beautiful as the inside. 

Some of the above links are affiliate links, However, I am not paid to post any of the above. This does not affect the price of the item for you as a customer, it just means a small percentage of the sale may go to the person who generated the link. Thank you for your support.

NYFW FW18

Okay, lots to say, so let's jump right in! Since my trip was so short (Friday - Sunday morning), I didn't go to a ton of shows. The good thing about not going to a ton of shows, though, is the ability to really enjoy the ones you go to. Everyone is always rushing around during fashion week. Yes, lots of them have to go to certain events because they're job, blog, etc., but I had the chance to really sit back and enjoy the city in the middle of FW fashion week. One of my favorite parts is all the inspiration; there are so many cool people with even cooler outfits. I also had the chance to meet up with a ton of friends who I don't get to see often. You guys might recognize some familiar faces! If you don't care about the shows, just keep scrolling.

Trust me, there's more. 

The Shows

Chromat

Chromat was absolutely stunning. I loved all the sporty shapes, colors, and silhouettes. Even better, they had CHEETOS. Models walked the runway with a snack size bag of cheetos, and there was even a neon light installation that was meant to look the delicious snack. Becca McCharen-Tran put in work. It really seemed like everyone was represented in the casting with models of, quite literally, every size and type. I felt so honored to have the oppurtunity to see so much beauty. 

 
 
 
 

Christian Cowan

First, if I do say, NYC loves Christian Cowan. I'm so obsessed with his tongue and cheek phrase, "NYC <3's Me." I will for sure be getting a piece that says that, and yes, I will be stomping around in it all day. I loved all the 2000-esque sequins in lots of his garments. He also featured neon lights on a blazer, coat, and a dress, which was so so so cool. The vibes were totally NYC bad ass doing their own thing 24/7. 

Ps. Lana Del Rey is wearing Christian Cowan on  L'Officiel USA' new cover. 

 
 
 
 

Claudia Li

Up next we have Claudia Li. This show was set in Spring Studios with a Manhattan view to die for. Li used radiant fabrics and bright colors juxtapose shearling and heavy wool pieces. She even used Swarovski rhinestone buttons to accent certain pieces. There was also a spectacular green suit along with metallics making for the most whimsical collection. 

Another Ps. Claudia Li was an intern for Lady Gaga's stylist. 

 
 
 
 

Flying Solo

Flying Solo was also a great show. The models totally crushed it with every step as the walked to the music. I love the concept of Flying Solo; a store that brings designers and consumer closer. They curate their shop in Soho with new, fresh, designer pieces, and best yet, the designers are the ones who work there selling their own clothing and accessories. 

 
 

Food, Friends, Fashion

Click on any of the photos for a quick story behind them.