Dinner Parties & Victor Jeffreys

All I can say about these pictures are dinner parties, really talented and cool friends, wine, and unexpected karaoke. It's not every day you show up to a dinner party and someone has set up a photoshoot.

I had never met Victor Jeffreys from Gawker before this dinner, but immediately I could tell how talented he was. When these pictures came out I was absolutely blown away - minus a few ratchet ones from karaoke later that evening. You can see all the photos here and here, and check out all of Victor's snaps here.

Enjoy!

Nine Months Later...

This past weekend I was recognized as a "local" by someone loitering out front of my apartment building trying to sell Statue of Liberty tickets to the mass of tourists that were scurrying by. I immediately laughed it off and texted one of my favorite people, "You would never guess what just happened!"

But does this mean I've made it? Am I a New Yorker yet?

Maybe, maybe not. The city is a lot less scary now. I walk straight through groups of tourists because, well, they'll get out of my way. I give subway directions to strangers now. I walk so fast I'm practically jogging. Regardless, I still say y'all, and my southern twang comes out after a few drinks.

So, just know, Old Friends, I miss you. Always will. I always want to hear from you, you mean the most to me. Maybe I'll come home one day. And New Friends, I'm so thankful for you for making this city my home, and helping me become a "New Yorker", or something like that.

Dogwood Travels:ATX

I'm learning that NYC is just as fun of to escape as it is to explore. I decided at the beginning of the year that no matter what happens, 2015 was going to be the year that I finally go out and travel (at least more than usual). Not to mention, "say yes to five things out of my comfort zone" is on my 101 in 1001 list which is why I decided to buy a last minute ticket and board a plane to the Lone Star State!

Not to brag, but I have some of the coolest friends! One of my best gals from college moved to Austin to work at a start-up a couple months back, so I figured why not visit in the summer while I had some free time to see what all the fuss is about Texas' summer heat?

Turns out our friend Wil also decided to visit at the same time, so it was great to have a mini reunion! It's always so great to surround yourself with comforting familiar faces. And of course we convinced Jeanie to let us be #basic and drive around South Congress and eat at Torchy's Tacos.

By the end of the trip I didn't want to see another taco or bowl of queso (I think I went a little overboard in the cheese department this weekend). But because we didn't get out on the water this time, I didn't get to stop at Whataburger, and I gave my Texas family super short notice (sorry, y'all!!), I'm just giving myself another excuse to go back! 

What are your favorite Austin spots that I can note for next time /tell Jeanie to explore?

Simple Ice Cream

Ice cream is my go-to summer time guilty pleasure. If I could have it my way I would sit with a huge tub of homemade peach ice cream for hours while shooting the breeze.

A couple weeks ago I brought home bananas from the grocery store and completely forgot about them. I absolutely hate hate hate wasting food, so I figured I could throw them in the freezer to have a snack later or use them to make a smoothie. Don't know what I was thinking, at all, but my roommate suggest that I make - you guessed it! - ice cream! 

The best thing about this recipe is that it's vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and no-sugar-added!! You're so welcome, folks.

So let's get to it... you'll need: 

a banana or two

a food processor 

(that's it!)

SIMPLE BANANA ICE CREAM

Cut the bananas into small pieces (the smaller the better) and blend! The bananas will become creamy gooey. Place into a freezer safe container and let harden a bit more...or don't. Your choice.

You can also add a few more ingredients (recipes via The Kitchn Cookbook) to give your taste buds a little party. 

Nutella Banana Ice Cream...yes please!

Blend in 1/3 cup Nutella spread.

Dark Chocolate Banana Ice Cream

Blend in 6 tablespoons cocoa powder, ¼ cup heavy cream, and 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Orange Dreamsicle Banana Ice Cream

Blend in 1/2 cup orange juice, 1/4 cup heavy cream, and 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Strawberries and Cream Banana Ice Cream

Blend in 2/3 cup chopped frozen strawberries and 1/4 cup heavy cream until smooth.

Pieces Every Apartment Needs

I consider myself lucky to have two "first apartments". My first first apartment in Atlanta was homey, spacious, and perfect. My first New York apartment is very...New York. Tiny and cramped. So while trying to make it as much of a home as I can I realized there are certain aspects that any space can't be without.

CHARACTER PIECE

There should be one piece in each room that your attention gravitates to. Back in Atlanta it was my giant lit hashtag and it is a clear chair in the NYC apartment - the newest addition.

BAR CART OR AREA

Fork out the money for the ingredients. It's so worth it when you come home from a long day and think, "I could use an old fashioned, and ya know what?! I have all the ingredients!" Treat this area like part of your pantry - once you get all the ingredients you won't think about how much you spent getting started.

POP OF COLOR

If you said "pop of color" to 10 year old me I would be hitting the wall with a bright yellow can of paint... Color has to be the one thing my apartment is missing right now. Our white walls absolutely kill me, but with these thing it takes some time. Having a fun canvas can be the best way to bring it all together.

SHELF WITH STYLE

Use this place for your little trinkets, books, even heels! If I had a penny for every time I looked at my shelf and thought happy thoughts I could have already afforded to pay my next year's worth of rent up front.

FAMILY TREASURES

It's so fun to have a piece displayed that tells a little story. For instance, I had this vase (has been back at my parents' since the move) that was absolutely atrocious. It was tan, porcelain, and gaudy with bugs painted all over it. It was given to me when my grandmother passed away (I assume because my grandfather couldn't stand the sight of it), and there was absolutely nowhere to put it in my place. To make everyone happy I obliged and took it home, slapped it on a table in the hallway, and wouldn't you know I got more compliments on that damn vase than anything else in my apartment! Moral of the story: take the ugly thing and draw (the best kind of) attention to it.

GALLERY WALL OR WORD ART

When you find something like this ^ how do you say no? Show your personality. Sass it up.

COFFEE TABLE BOOK

Now, I've written about coffee table books and my love for them before, but I truly believe they can bring a little something to a room. While they're not as fun to get as Christmas gifts, they're usually worth the investment. Barnes & Noble has them on sale quite frequently!




What are some pieces that your place can't live without? I'd love to hear!

Relaxing + Links

I'm finally back to posting after a month-long hiatus. Miss me?

It's been a busy, busy month: my friends Sarah and Jeanie, some of Sarah's coworkers, and I packed up and went to the Hampton's for Memorial Day Weekend, the weekend after I went back to Georgia, last weekend some friends and I decided last minute to go to the Belmont, and this weekend I needed to relax and focus on taking it easy, no drinking (okay, maybe a few glasses of wine...), and getting shit done. And boy did I need this weekend to relax!! New York just has a way of wearing you out - even if you're the person who likes to go 1,000 an hour... So this weekend I'm just thankful for coffee, friends, beautiful weather, and wash + fold service.

Hopefully I'll plan some posts and you'll be seeing a lot more of me around here again soon.

Now, on to the fun stuff:

living across the street from the Hudson River is pretty freaking sweet

shopping + things:

Gigi New York is having free personalization through this weekend. I've had my eye on this clutch for a while now, and this tote actually needs to make it into my wardrobe.

Behold, ladies. The best soap for cleaning your makeup sponges + brushes. It's magic, I'm telling you!

Mu nails it with this floral romper.

WANT and NEED this tassel necklace. You will too when you see it's price.

my absolute favorite place in the city

links + stuff:

Asking a 23 year old to find her passion and shift her focus is a little overwhelming - considering half of us really have no idea what we're doing.

A way to use every last bit of your strawberries this season.

Instagram stories.

Are you allowed to paint apartment walls? 12 color meanings + how to use them in your place.

Mackenzie's 5 ways to transform your rental.

Making The Wedding Guest List

This made me laugh out loud. My parents just made another shipment of my things up to New York which included an invitation to my best friend's wedding that was sent to their house! Wedding planning is intense, so thanks for not cutting me off the list, Brandon & Rebecca.

Also: Guest List Do's and Don't's + 25 Unique Engagement Rings + Still one of my favorite wedding videos..EVER

Behomm

Think of an members-only Airbnb for designers, and you've got Behomm. Their members range from architects to interior designers to artists from all over the globe. The site's aim is to help facilitate artists' travels.

I could just get lost in looking at pictures of their homes. Spotted: a chandelier made of pots and pans.

DINE IN: Brunch, and more Brunch

Confession: I have a brunch problem.

How do I know this? I've started budgeting for it. I've probably only briefly mentioned the brunch crew here before, but now that the weather is nice there are a few of us that make it our mission to boozy brunch around town every Sunday. Aside from strict Snapchat (@kolt) use, I've learned to put. down. the. phone. Quite a few mimosas in will make you say things to your mom you wish you hadn't.

Lately we've been sticking to the West Village. Tolache and Cuba are a couple of our favorites thus far. Mexican cuisine seems to be what we're drawn to (huevos rancheros y sangria, anyone?). No complaints here, but please help us get out of our comfort zone and suggest something different.

Cuba: 222 Thompson St, New York, NY 10012

Cuba is kind of tiny, and we were a little misled when we were told it had "outdoor seating" (the front windows/walls open up to allow the breeze flow in and give it an outdoor feel, just guessing).

As always someone was running late - not me this time! - so we decided to go ahead and start our bottomless 2-hour drinks without them. The waiter didn't seem to be too appreciative of that since we waited for the missing person of our party to order, but I digress because he seemed to warm up to us not too long after our friend's arrival.

Definitely keep this place in mind if you have a small group. The food and the sangria was delicious although we did all hold back from the huevos rancheros.

Cuba on Twitter // Facebook // Instagram // Brunch Menu

Toloache: 205 Thompson St, New York, NY 10012

. 

Seriously, the drinks here are on point. If my memory serves me correctly, they have about 10 different cocktails included in their bottomless brunch (4 kinds of bloody mary's, 3 kinds of margaritas, and red or white sangria), but just don't try the cerveza bloody mary. Just don't. Definitely the place to hit if you're feeling some huevos rancheros, guac, and drinks. (Did I also mention their truffle quesadilla?!)

Toloache is just across the street from Cuba. It's a good size bigger, so this is the place to go if you want to brunch a larger group.

Toloache on Twitter // Facebook // Brunch Menu

**Images One Two Three

FRIYAY

Apologies in advance for the blurry picture. The lack of lighting in my room + iPhone isn't exactly the best combination, but anyway, I'm really, really excited for this weekend. I'm going to DC for the first time to join my best friend's birthday shenanigans and to get out of the city for a bit. Everyone keeps mentioning the cherry blossoms and the g-o-r-geous weather ahead, so if you need me I'll be sipping on sangria all weekend...outside...in shorts.

Be sure to add me on snapchat @kolt to see how I'm surviving my MegaBus trip. Have a great weekend!

//

Ladies, listen up. Hilary isn't the only woman possibly running for President in 2016. Fill yourself in on Carly Fiorina. She started as a secretary at Hewlett-Packard and worked her way up to CEO, and she knows just how to respond to issues regarding gender and sexism in this presidential race.

We all hate politics, but we all love...brunch.

Strong is the new pretty.

A scalloped dress in my price range!

I've already been dreaming about making a beach trip, but this cocktail recipe from Society Social just made the wanderlust real.

Kate Spade is having a Friends & Family sale until Sunday!

Loving this maxi dress for summer (I'll probably order it after the weekend. We must assess the damage of Washington DC on my wallet first)!

4 ingredients or less.

#betterforit

"No shame in running half a half marathon. 2 miles?!"

My road to staying in shape during the last five years has not been a walk in the park, and at most times it’s nonexistent. Every once and a while I like to try to pretend I can still run a 10k race with little to no training or have a toned belly. But in reality, I’m not a crazy athlete like I was in high school and it’s hard to stay motivated. Which is why I love this commercial from Nike. All of us have thought those thoughts/feelings in the gym at least once, right?

Nike's new #betterforit campaign which is their largest effort in supporting women’s fitness is all about motivating women to go to that next level in their fitness journey. And if you ask me, their first spot “Inner Thoughts” did a damn good job at honing in on average women who want to stay fit, but feel so unbelievably self-conscious while working out in front of others.

Watch for a good laugh. What are some of your tips for staying motivated in the gym (besides staring at a model while cycling)?

via

Quick Queso

This recipe has been in my queue for a few days, and it just couldn't wait any longer. Would you look at this beauty? It's calling your name, it's calling my name, and its saying "Hello, I'm delicious. Please make me for your Master's party this weekend."

In my book queso is in it's own food group, so when I saw this recipe from Camille Styles I knew I had to make it at some point. See the recipe below if you know what's good for you, and thanks for the recipe Camille!

NO GUILT CHIPS + QUESO

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon butter

1 ½ cup white cheddar – shredded

1 1/2 cup Chihuahua cheese – shredded (you could also sub Monterey jack here)

2 fresh jalapenos, seeded and chopped

1 tablespoon flour

2 teaspoons cumin

3/4 cup whole milk

½ small red onion, chopped, divided

2 small tomatoes, diced

½ cup cilantro

1 small avocado, seeded and diced

1 teaspoon salt

Chips

INSTRUCTIONS

In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add jalapenos, chopped red onion (reserving 1 tablespoon for garnish), and ½ teaspoon salt and stir over medium for about 4 minutes until onion is softened.

Sprinkle the flour and cumin into pan and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Whisk in the milk and bring to a simmer, then cook for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mixture begins to thicken.

While the mixture is simmering combine chopped tomatoes, remaining 1 tablespoon of chopped red onion, chopped avocado, and half the cilantro. Set aside.

To queso, add remaining half of cilantro and both cheeses, and stir until melted and well-blended. Transfer to serving dish and top with tomato and onion mixture. Serve with chips!

Enjoy, y'all!

**All images via Camille Styles

Link Love

I started getting the feeling I'm turning into the girl that only posts links to share, but after going through a few old Facebook messages turns out I am that girl. Maybe I just like a good/interesting read? The past couple weeks have been busy but have also drug on, and winter really just needs to leave New York. Have I mentioned how much I hate the cold? Anyway, have a great weekend! 'Til next time. xxoo.

1) Open Letter from Your Facebook Friends.

2) Get Inspiralized

3) How to look like a J.Crew model

4) I'm over winter, but these squirrels obviously can't get enough.

5) Have a drink because...

6) Coloring books for adults

7) A good pair of d'orsay flats + oversized sunnies.

Outsourcing Life

Remember when the App Store came out? You couldn't walk down the street without hearing there's an app for that! But let's face reality, there really is an app for that - food, beauty, flowers, you name it. I joke about outsourcing my life with family and friends back in Georgia. They still can't believe I get groceries delivered (grocery shopping in the city is hard, okay?!). If money wasn't an issue you bet your bottom dollar I'd be using these more often. But here's a list of just a few services you can get:

Fresh Direct, Instacart, and Good Eggs for grocery shopping.

Seamless for food delivery.

Kitchensurfing for a private chef.

Blue Apron and Plated for meal prep. (Also see my previous post on Plated here.)

Glamsquad for at-home blowouts. 

Stylelisted for an in-home makeup sesh.

Priv for a mani-pedi.

FlyCleaners for laundry.

Shyp for sending packages.

Parcel for receiving packages when you're actually home.

Drizly and Minibar for alcohol.

BloomThat for flowers on demand.

Homepolish for decorating.

TaskRabbit for assistance.

Gyft for sending gift cards.

Handy for those honey-do items and cleaning.

Halio for catching cabs.

Bandwagon for sharing cabs.

Dolly for moving big/heavy items around the city.

Ghostruck for moving.

Provita for yoga.

Soothe for at-home massages.

Uh...and Eaze if you're into taking off the edge (if you're into that kind of thing).

And Postmates for pretty much anything in between.

Is your mind blown? Because mine was when I first ordered groceries straight to my door! Have you used any of these services? Thumbs up or down? What are more of your favorite outsourcing apps/websites?

Flashback Friday: Rumba

I was looking through the archives of my old blog, Aimless Reverie, this morning and I started getting super nostalgic. I want to say it brought me back to the best year of college ever (because it was in it's own way), but in reality all four years were the best years I've ever had! I also started to reminisce at my thought process over certain posts. I put so much thought into each post and they were actually pretty personal - which I really want to get back to. 

There are a couple posts I don't want to lose so I'm going to bring a couple back, starting with my first journey with the Guide Dog Foundation. You may remember I spoke briefly about her when I wrote about Mambo, but I want to share my story of Rumba.

Now, a quick update before we get to the story: Rumba moved up to New York shortly after this post. She moved in with a wonderful family, and has already had a litter of beautiful babies. Some are even in New York City being trained!! I'll be going to a meeting or two with GDF later this month, so I'll get to see the little munchkins. I'm beyond overjoyed. Maybe I'll even be able to take a short day trip to Long Island to see my sweet girl. 

11.15.13 | Growing Up Guide Dog:

Dine-In: Bluestone Lane Collective Cafe

The Dine-In series is back!! After lots of slacking and being begged for restaurant suggestions from friends (and now living in the culinary capital of the world!) I figured it was time to bring it back...with brunch!

In love with their bright colored tables outside! (image via)

(image via)

Bluestone Lane Collective Cafe: 22 Greenwich Ave., New York, NY 10004

My first Saturday in the city I decided to do a little exploring in the West Village and take myself to brunch because you can only rely on yourself sometimes to explore, right? Bluestone Lane Collective Cafe seemed to be a fun, popular place to go from what I've seen/heard, and to be honest, their avocado toast looked hella-amazing in pictures.

Like many restaurant spaces in New York, it was a tiny, intimate, and a tad bit claustrophobic. But I think I determined it was a- crowded considering the time and b- part of the restaurant's charming personality. Now, if you know me I have a weird anxiety about eating alone. However, for this I decided to suck it up, read a book, and eavesdrop to the two hungover girls sitting next to me. 

Being my first brunch in the city, I didn't want to drop over $10 for avocado toast just yet (toast really shouldn't be that expensive, but I've found most are worth it), so I just settled with a de-licious pastry and a cappuccino at a reasonable price and swore I'd return in a couple weeks time.

(image via)

Bluestone Lane also has three other coffee shops (not to be confused with the cafe in the West Village) in Manhattan. One just happens to be in my neighborhood, so if you ever find yourself in the Financial District give me a call!

Midtown East | Financial District | Bryant Park

'End

image via Garden and Gun

Hello, friends! What are you getting into this weekend? I'm still in shock that it's my first weekend as a New Yorker. From the flight in until now it's been nothing short of an adventure. Yes, I've gotten lost on the subway, and yes, I have used up almost all my data for the month already! Last night I saw Cabaret with some coworkers, and if you're in the New York area I strongly encourage you go see it. Alan Cumming and Sienna Miller were the bomb dot com. Even though it is miserably cold here I'm going to go exploring this weekend, so follow along on Twitter and Instagram! I'm really trying to revamp my Instagram, so be patient as I follow some of the tips Annie Reeves called out in one of my links below! Have a great (and warm!) weekend, y'all!

//

How the South does breakfast.

Preparing for warmer weather or just a way to pretend its not that cold outside? Bring the beach to you.

#SpeakBeautiful and the research that went on behind this campaign. Did you know that women are 50% more likely to say something negative about themselves on social media rather than positive? And get this, " When a negative tweet is posted, the technology will be used by Dove to send non-automated responses to real women, which include constructive and accessible advice to encourage more positive online language and habits." Wow. COOL.

Oldies, but goodies. Sometimes we all need a pep talk or two.

Sadly, I probably won't be watching the Oscars (no tv in our apartment!), but if I fill out a ballot will you let me know who wins?

Make temporary tattoos out of your Instagrams!

The Southern Foray traveling pop-up shop is going on now! Sorry, y'all. It just passed through Athens (so sad I missed it!) and Atlanta. I'm a little behind. They'll be in Louisiana next for you folks over there!

Currently craving these adorable shoes.

Traveling? Try these superfoods.

Sitcom floorplans.

You know I love myself a good red lipstick.

A set of fictional money from Barbara Bernát; the Hungarian Euro.

As promised from up top, here is some great advice from Charleston based blogger, Annie Reeves, on how to improve your Instagram.

Hydrate Your Skin

image via A Piece Of Toast

This cold weather on the East Cost (especially here in New York) is killing me. Counting down the days until spring has never been more real until now, but believe me when I say this winter needs to end soon because it has really putting a number on my face.

My skin is typically naturally dry and sensitive (I always lean on this moisturizer underneath my Bare Minerals foundation), and I finally decided to do something about it after having a little visit to the make up counter. Judging by the make up artist's comments, my lowly powder foundation apparently just didn't cut it. Thus, my journey for a CC Cream or tinted moisturizer began that would cover up imperfections as well as look like I have something on, without a cake face (sometimes we that, ladies).

 I stopped by my local Sephora back in Atlanta about a week before I left and expressed my concerns to the staff. They were so helpful and suggested I go with Bare Minerals new Complexion Rescue instead of the Nars tinted moisturizer I was about to snag. Their reasoning was that it is formulated to go with Bare Minerals (if I choose to wear foundation with it) and designed not to look cake-y. Okay. Maybe they just told me what I wanted to hear or to get a better sale, but it worked. They demonstrated in the store. I shot down a sample bottle right away and decided to go forth with a full fledged purchase.

 So, now it's been a few weeks and whatever they put in it is magic! It really is the perfect mix of a BB cream, CC cream, and tinted moisturizer in a gel form. You really can't tell that you have it on! I like use the beauty blender with it although they have a brush that is supposed to pair perfectly with it, but to each their own, right?

Like I said before, I have pretty sensitive skin so I love the fact that it's hypoallergenic and has an SPF!

A few notables that I've been wanting to try, but I can't force myself away from Bare Minerals are NARS tinted moisturizer, Clinique CC Cream, and Smashbox BB Cream.

(Sunday) Links

Photo: Atlantic-Pacific

What do you do when your flight is cancelled and you're flying non-rev? Gate-hop and ride the Plane Train at Hartsfield-Jackson. Atlanta just doesn't seem to want me to leave, so praise the good Lord that the Atlanta Airport finally upgraded to free wifi throughout the entire airport! In the meantime, I'll just leave you with a few links while I people watch. 

11 Untranslatable Words

Catch the last minute Presidents' Day sales; Gap, Nordstrom, BaubleBar, J.Crew Factory, Banana Republic, free shipping from Anthropologie, Madewell, Nasty Gal, Bloomingdale's Big Brown Bag Sale, and Old Navy!

On my fitness wardrobe wishlist: this Lululemon jacket is everything.

When I'm feeling in a little of a shopping slump I always look to J.Crew's Looks We Love for a little inspiration. Lots of navy blue and pale neutrals, yes please!

As I mentioned before, I would love to be able to wake up with the ability to sing. Turns out, scientists believe that everyone may have the ability to sing!

A look back at the evolution of candy heart phrases.

A little old, but a look how our generation is changing travel.

If you follow me on Twitter then you know how much I love wine, so I'm wishing the Secret Somm was giving away wine in my area.

Okay, Heinz Siracha Ketchup. We see you.

Schlovey Dovy

A while back I read this post from Hallie about falling in love - with anyone. Bloggers everywhere seem to be answering (some of) these 36 questions from the New York Times article, and I figured, why not jump on in?

If you haven't heard anything about this theory from psychologist Arthur Aron, let me enlighten you. Essentially it explores how the theory of mutual vulnerability fosters closeness, meaning intimacy can be accelerated between two strangers by answering three sets of personal questions.

Ready for some spilling?

Weekly Round-Up

Wasn't I just here giving you a weekly round-up? This past week flew by. Tuesday I met up with Luisa for Pink Barre, and I am hooked! It was so nice to have a little time-out to focus on myself because I'm a bit overwhelmed in my personal and professional life, and I've been faced with some pretty crazy adult situations as of late (woof). This space has been a great little get-away for sharing my inspirations! So, I just want to extend a huge thank you to everyone who takes time out of their day to visit this little space.



How appropriate. You're not getting hired.

For all you Serial fanatics out there: PLOT TWIST!

The new Gerber baby will make you want to have a baby (because she's that adorable).

Winter Blues. Literally.

Pizza Hut Stuffed Crust is the best; maybe?

Skimm-ing the news is the best way to know what's going on.

Wishlisted

I told myself at the beginning of the month I wouldn't go shopping. I made it two weeks and caved. Typical. Now I've got the shopping bug. And on top of it, my birthday is coming up. I've got my eye on some things I need (like a jacket), and some things I really don't (Glasses? I have 20/20).

What are some of the things you've wishlisted lately?

Marc by Marc Jacob's Scarf // Coordinates Necklace

NARS Semi Matte Lipstick // Barbour Quilted Jacket

Tory Burch Watch // Sandals // Wilkie Glasses

Triangl Swimwear

The weather in Atlanta has been so great this weekend, and it has certainly gotten me in the mood for warmer weather! Yesterday was 70 degrees. SEVENTY. I had the windows down, the radio up, and an ice coffee in my hand. I could get used to this!

Down here crazies are already beginning to invest in new swimwear pieces, and I've got the fever! I would love to introduce you to one of my favorite swimwear companies - Triangl. Their color block designs are so fun, and (sorry, gentlemen) they look so supportive! Definitely making sure I get my hands on one of these bad boys this year.

one // two // three

Instagram // Facebook // Website

Weekly Roundup

Is it just me, or did these past couple of weeks draaaaag by? We hadn't seen the sun in Atlanta in over a week until today - we almost forgot what the sun was, so I'm dreaming of brighter days and flowers! This weekend has a lot of overdue things planned - a haircut, some friends coming to town, a lunch date with mom, and possibly a trip to Athens with a possible Pauley's trip in store! Whew. Follow me on my adventures with Twitter or Instagram (I really am trying to get better at Instagramming)! What's in store for you?

A little something to send your frenemies.

For those of  you in media...

If this comes to Atlanta, will someone please sign up with me?

And this is why you should curl up with a nice book.

10 Foods That Make You Glow

Does this video make anyone else feel very uncomfortable?

Don't get what you want in life? Make a way.

Are you a Spotify listener? If so, check out your Year in Review!

Also, be sure to check out the playlist Spotify generated based on my personal Year in Review!

Keep it real, y'all!

Paper Cuts

New York | San Francisco

How cool are these laser cut maps from Famille Summerbelle? They make maps of London and Paris, and if you'd prefer a print, they have those too!

Class Pass

Hey, Atlanta. Class Pass has finally come to Atlanta! For just $79-99 a month, you can work out at any of the gyms they're partnered with up to three times per month. We're talking boot camp classes, to barre, to cycling - the list goes on. And $99 is great when you're considering paying upwards of $250 per gym per month.

Here are some of the participating Atlanta studios: 

Fly Wheel // Fly Barre // Pink Barre

Pure Barre // Crossfit // SALSAtlanta // Red Hot Yoga

The Pilates Edge // Kettlebell Fitness

...and lots more!

Purchase yours here. And let me know if you're going! I'd love to have a workout buddy.

Plated

Raise your hand if you love trying new recipes! Now raise your hand if you stress about walking aimlessly around the store looking for that one crazy ingredient. 

Have you ever heard of plated Plated? They deliver refrigerated boxes filled with chef-designed recipes and preportioned ingredients so you can skip the store and make your own fool-proof delicious meal in under 30 minutes. Once you subscribe you receive a box each week. It's that easy!

Each meal only has two servings, so if you're single this is perfect for having leftovers and lunch for the week!. 

I think I'm going to try this for one meal a month, because at $24 per meal that would get pretty pricey.  But, the ingredients are grown fresh and locally, so I guess its justifiable. 

Have you tried Plated? Do you think you'd want to try this to skip the store?