Weekend Rewind: New York State of Mind

This past weekend was spent in one of my favorite places, Manhattan. My husband and I both had such an amazing time. I wanted to share some of the highlights!

Saturday:

Saturday started with the big drive into the city which only took 4 hours from DC. I have since convinced myself, because it is such a short drive, we can go at least 3 to 4 times a year! (I now need to convince my husband.)

We checked into our hotel, The Eventi, Saturday afternoon after brunch with family on the Upper West Side. We loved the location of the hotel, so convenient for the trip. (Also, they surprised me with a bottle of champagne and a birthday cupcake… so cute!) Saturday night consisted of dinner and a show. 

We dined at Joe Allen on West 47^th Street. This restaurant was such find. The décor was simple and elegant, without all the harshness of a modern space. Old theater posters lined the dark wood walls and white tablecloths adorned the tables, packed into the dining room. The place was filled with the voices of other dinners and you could sense everyone was enjoying themselves. With a shrimp cocktail to start, I chose the grilled chicken. Though seemingly a simple dish, this was the best chicken I have ever had. It had a citrus sauce that was amazing.

The show we selected to see was First Date at the Longacre Theater. This show was hilarious! I wanted to select a show that I knew both my husband and I would like. Rather than selecting one of the more well-known ongoing productions (Wicked, Newsies, etc.), I also wanted to see something new and fresh. This show had the audience laughing out loud from the first 5 minutes until the final curtain call and I am still humming the songs to myself. I cannot say enough about this show and the amazing performance by the cast. If you are in New York, see this show! 

Sunday:

Sunday began with more amazing food. (What can I say? I like food. Nay, I love food.) We decided on Perilla at 9 Jones Street. We both started with brunch cocktails (of course). I tried the drink of the day, a cherry lychee mimosa that was delicious. They are known for their spicy duck meatballs which are translated during brunch to a burger, which my husband selected (and thoroughly enjoyed.) I choose lemon ricotta pancakes with a balsamic glaze. Seriously, amazing! We were stuffed the rest of the day! 

After brunch, we strolled through SoHo, where I picked up this new Kate Spade bracelet. Another fun aspect was our first attempt at navigating the subway without a local. All I can say is I actually missed the DC Metro, which is so much easier to navigate!

After a long day of walking around the city, we went back and forth on what to do Sunday night. We finally selected to have dinner in Little Italy. Though touristy, it was such blast to walk down Mulberry Street and see all the signs in Italian. (As my family is Italian, I really enjoyed being so immersed in the Italian American culture.) After dinner and an amazing stuffed artichoke from Benito One, we ended the night with cannoli and espresso. You should always (leave the gun) and take the cannoli.

Monday:

We wrapped up our trip Monday with the drive home, but not before a stroll through Central Park and lunch on a rooftop terrace. We also stopped at Bryant Park and the New York Public Library. I loved the architecture. This will definitely be my first stop our next trip (so I can spend way too much time staring at all the books.)

This trip was such treat and I cannot wait to go back.

Have a great week! 

Packing Light: One Bag, Three Days in New York

Products can be found at Polyvore 

Bright and early tomorrow morning, we are heading to New York for a 3-day weekend to celebrate my birthday. When we first planned the trip, a goal I set for myself was to pack everything in a weekender bag.

This is a huge deal for me. I have to admit it … I am an over packer. I can’t seem to help myself. The moment I start to pull outfits aside, all these scenarios pop into my head of possible situations where I would need completely different outfits. Flash forward to three hours later when I am sitting in a pile of clothes, more confused than when I started.

Well this trip, I did it. I was able to pack the vast majority of my stuff into my small weekender bag from C. Wonder. (I say the majority because I put a rented dress from Rent The Runway into a hanging bag and shoved some of the toiletries in the husband’s bag.) 

Below are 5 steps to help you downsize when you pack!

Make a List

Make a list of the days you are going to be out of town and what you plan on doing those days. Just by having the list alone, you will be able to visualize what you will need and what you won’t. I am a little crazy and went through many, many lists this trip!

Be Realistic

I am truly horrible at being realistic when packing. I always pack crazy heels and workout stuff. I am saying for every trip, even a weekend trip. I know I won’t have time to hit the gym and I know, when it comes down to it, I won’t put on the crazy heels.

You can pack extras!

This might seem counterintuitive but you can pack an extra top or an extra sweater. What you don’t need multiple of is jeans, heels, etc for a short trip. An extra shirt will always come in handy and is much less bulky than a whole second outfit.

Accessories can make the outfit

Accessories are great for so many reasons. The best part is an outfit can be made so much better by just adding an interesting necklace or a fun belt. Pack basics and add flair with jewelry!

All the accessories I am packing. 

Edit

This is something I always do and it has helped me so much when I know I need to downsize. I lay everything I want to pack out; all the tops, bottoms, accessories, and shoes. Everything! Then, I walk away. I come back hours later or even the next morning and go through it all before actually packing it. Inevitably, you will find things you know you won’t need.

 Obviously, way too many shoe options. I ended up only packing two pair!  

Best of luck with packing, everyone! I will be sure to document the outfits I packed this trip so I can share them with you all.

The final outfits selected. 

Have a great weekend!

Final Revamp – The Birthday Blog Design

So … notice anything different?

I have finally introduced a new design for the blog!

One goal I set out for myself during the revamp to 26 was introducing a new design at the very end. I wanted something more classic and simple; a design that was personalized for me. When trying to describe what I wanted for the design, all I could say is that I wanted it clean. Apparently that made sense in my brain and I think it turned out really well!

I have to credit a close friend for helping me with this redesign. Kari of KCillo Photography designed my new logo (which I love!) and took all the photos for the blog. I could say I helped design the logo but really I sat next to her randomly making suggestions.  She somehow took an idea I had in my mind and made it come to life for which I am very thankful.

Now I am off to celebrate my birthday, adult style. Which means 8 hours at work with the possibility of free coffee and happy hour after. Lets be honest, after 25, cocktails are the new birthday cake!

I hope you all enjoy the new design! 

Week Six in Review

I cannot believe it! The six-week revamp is over. (Insert a round of applause and a sigh of relief) I am actually surprised I have been able to keep up with it. When I first set out to do this, I honestly thought it was going to be a struggle and that I would have to really push myself each week. (I guess I don’t feel that strongly about my dedication to things … awkward much?) But, truly, this has been the most fun I have had with this blog in a while. It really has opened my eyes to where I want to take this blog in the future!

New Projects accomplished my Final Week (yay!):

I discovered fun new work snacks. I know this may not be that exciting for everyone but if you are stuck behind a desk or running around an office for 8 hours a day, finding healthy and delicious snacks is akin to finding the perfect pair of jeans. I found these snacks at a local organic grocery store and am now hooked. I mean, I found falafel flavored chickpeas! Yum!

I have also tackled the first difficult task of transitioning into fall. I found a great pair of jeans. I know, I know. I was impressed as well. Jean shopping is the fall equivalent of swimsuit shopping. I don’t know who chooses the lighting in fitting rooms but they have a sick sense of humor. After many, many hours of shopping and a few (insert a million) silly “selfie” photos sent to a very patient friend, I found a pair of distressed jeans I love. (If anyone is interested, I bought Joe Jeans! Similar here)

I finally embraced my love of over-accessorizing. I have always held myself back in the mornings when I would try to decide what to pair with my outfits. One day I realized that I honestly didn’t care if others don’t like the look, I love tons and tons of layers! So I did it! I stacked away. Much to my shock, I was complimented several times for my accessories. So … thanks! I am now stacking jewelry to my heart’s content. (If all else fails, you can never lose me in a crowd. I now jingle!)

Weekend Rewind:

This weekend was a big one in the world of Champagne and Sarcasm. I finally set up an office space for myself. In such a tiny apartment, I would find myself blogging from bed or lying on the couch. I really wanted a space I could set up with the computer, notebooks, magazines, and everything else that inspires me when I write. I am so happy with how it turned out.

I also had a photo shoot with KCillo Photography for updated promotional photos for the blog and Facebook page. She even designed a brand new logo for the site. The new design and photos will premiere this Wednesday. (aka my birthday!!)

Now that the six weeks are up, I am so excited to move forward with a new passion for the blog! I will be back this week with an all-new design and all new posts. But, of course, the same old sarcasm!