Happy Black Friday!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  I spent it with some family friends and got to indulge in all the typical sides of Thanksgiving.  I even got to see what a tofurkey looks like.  Imagine a turkey made out of tofu that is shaped like a turkey.  You could even see the side molding on it from whoever had to shape it.  Apparently smells like corrugated cardboard and doesn't taste much better.

I didn't get any pictures from my Thanksgiving this year, so I thought I'd share some food pictures I've Instagrammed over the last year.



1. Brunch at Green Eggs in Philadelphia which was super delicious.  I'll definitely be going back!
2. First crack at homemade empanadas, clearly I need to work on my folding.
3. Pizza for lunch on a day where I clearly purchased food with my stomach.  I did not eat that third slice in one sitting.
4. My first pretty latte, never saw the designs on one of these before so of course I had to Instagram it.
5. Chocolate chip corn bread at a well known local breakfast joint near my house.
6. Pho for a chilly day, my "vietnamese" grandma makes the best.
7. Lady M Crepe Cake.  Nuff said.
8. Giant Oreo cupcake from Boom Burger.

I normally don't get the day after Thanksgiving off, but I decided to take it off this year.  Of course that means that I've been doing entirely too much online Black Friday shopping, which I think are comparable to the craziness that goes on in the stores without the lines and crowds.  What did you grab this year for Black Friday?

"I used to think it was a heavy like.. but it's love."

Fall is passing by quickly and soon enough it's going to be full blown winter.  Thankfully this year there haven't been any early storms in the northeast like the last two years.  In celebration of warmer times, I am sharing some photos of color with lush green backgrounds from the summer.  I fell in love with this tropical skirt from Zara a couple of seasons ago and grabbed it when it went on sale.  Seemed like a seasonal piece that I would sell off after tropical print got old but I am still in love with it.  Rounded off this outfit with my Isabel Marant sneakers for a comfortable cool look.

On another note, who was able to grab something from the H&M Isabel Marant collaboration?  I'd love to hear about all what people got their hands on.  By the time I made it onto the site, everything cool was sold out.  Luckily I'm petite so I was able to shop in the kid's section and managed to nab some of the boy's sweatpants.  I recently received them and apparently my size is a 13-14 year old boy because they fit me pretty well.  Hopefully I'll be able to share an outfit with them on soon!


(top: rag & bone |skirt: Zara |kicks| Isabel Marant |bag: Rebecca Minskoff |sunglasses: Céline)

Shake it at the Shake Shack

Most fashion bloggers Instagram and post about their beautifully delicious lattes and macaroons.  I, however, like to post about eating a good ol' burger.  New Jersey's first Shake Shack has finally opened and I had the pleasure of going there this weekend.  No more having to travel to NYC to get my hands on their delicious little burgers, I've got one in my own backyard.

When my boyfriend and I arrived, there was guy directing cars in the parking lot because of how many people have been coming to Shake Shack.  There was a small line out the restaurant, everyone patiently waiting to get their hands on a burger.  As with all Shake Shacks that I've been to, this line moved quickly and in no time, we were inside.  I ended up trying the Shack Stack (my new favorite!) which consisted of their signature burger and a fried portabella mushroom with cheese.  The fries were not the typical crinkle cut fries that I've had in NYC, but still very good.  Our meal was topped off with a concrete, the Shake Shack version of a Dairy Queen Blizzard, but with better ingredients.  We had the Bergen County Blend, it is vanilla custard, bits of a pecan sticky bun, and banana, nomnomnom!.  I wasn't starving when we got there, but after that first bite of burger, I knew that the whole meal was going to be demolished.

Another thing to note about Shake Shack is that everything seems to run so efficiently.  The environment is always clean and the staff is really friendly.  Whatever they do to keep things running, keep it up because I will definitely be coming back!

"I'm not convinced I know how to read,I've just memorized a lot of words."

These are close up photos of my bag and shoes from another summer outfit.

I am going to miss wearing vibrant colors and light neutrals as it gets colder.  This winter season, I am going to attempt to wear more colored pieces from my personal wardrobe.  It is always refreshing to see well styled statement colored coats during the winter. I have always admired those that are able to incorporate such bold pieces into their every day wardrobe.

Side note, who's excited for the Isabel Marant x H&M line this week??


(sneakers: Isabel Marant Betty |bag: Rebecca Minskoff box)

Smorgasburg and the High Line

On an NYC excursion this summer, I finally experienced both Smorgasburg and the High Line.  I managed to snag a couple of photos of at Smorgasburg, it is comprised of food stands that have all sorts of yummy goodies for sale.  Check out my previous post with Instagram snapshots of some of the food I ate.



Smorgasburg was followed up with a trip to the High Line.  The High Line is a park that was built on an old freight rail line in the city.  Before this summer, I had never visited it, let alone heard of it.  For someone who is so close to NYC, I really need to get out there more!  It was a gorgeous area to walk along.  Not only is there food and interesting sites to see, there are places to sit and relax, or even tan!  The High Line is very unique and definitely worth a visit if you're in New York City and looking for a nice outdoor stroll.


(dress: Zara |sandals: Dolce VIta |bag: Alexander Wang Rockie |bracelets & necklace: Gorjana |sunglasses: Céline)

It was hot in NYC during this trip, this Zara dress was perfect for the heat and humidity.  I fell in love with the embroidered detailing, drop waist, the pockets and the sale price!  It was a great summer investment, easily dressed up or down depending on your shoes and accessories.

My hair was still long when I took this trip into the city.  In order to beat the heat, I pulled it back in a tight bun.  Due to my thick and layered hair, my hair has never been able to hold a proper bun shape.  It usually ends up looking messy and not in the good way.  I finally found a solution to my bun problems.

Utilizing two hair ties and the Goody Spin Pins, I can now get my hair into a proper, and secure, bun.  The Spin Pins are shaped in a spiral, you twist your hair up in a bun and spin two of these on opposite sides of it.  There are plenty of YouTube video tutorials on it and it really is that easy for some girls.  Of course if you have thick, layered, long hair like I did, it's a little more complicated than that.  First I put my hair in a pony tail and secure it tightly.  Then I spin my hair into a bun and secure the bun with another hair tie.  After that, I twist in the Spin Pins.  While some girls can get away with just two Spin Pins and no hair ties in their hair, I use all 4 Spin Pins to make sure my bun isn't going anywhere.  If you've got thick, unmanageable hair, Spin Pins are an inexpensive and simple way to secure a bun for a more polished look.