Weekend Linkage

 

This week has been a whirlwind, let me tell you. Yesterday I had an interview for a 'big girl job' and about 3 hours later I was hired. Thank the Lord! I was having such a hard time finding one and it just happened organically. Don't ever completely rule out Craigslist people when it comes to jobs.

 

Anyways this weekend I'm visiting my mama and then spending all next week in Buffalo with my guy before I start my big girl job the following week. We're finalizing trips this week and it may include Thanksgiving in Colorado (which I am totally psyched about!)

 

Hope y'all have a great weekend and here are some links because I didn't offer any Hump Day Distractions this week.

 

 

My guy likes to make fun of Chanel all the time because I'm obsessed with fashion and he's the complete opposite, but this cover of "You're the One That I Want" used in the new Chanel #5 video is just so eerie and haunting. I can't stop listening! Mind you the video was directed by Baz Luhrmann, the same guy who directed the recent Gatsby film.

 

Guys, I have been on a serious Sam Smith kick. Seriously he just makes me melt like a popsicle of the fourth of July. Currently, I am obsessed with his acoustic version of Latch. But, there is a more upbeat version which is pretty popular on the internet by Disclosure, which is equally good.

 

Just in case everyone forgot about the Jonas Brothers, let me remind you..

Hey there Nick Jonas!

 

I have such a girl crush on Shailene Woodley. She is so kick ass. She was on Jimmy Fallon to promote her new film, White Bird in a Blizzard. It takes place in the 80s and her character in the film tries to figure life out after her mother disappears. The dance moves she learns for the film are entertaining and she can rock the hell out of suit.

 

 

Picture found here!

 

 

Plaid Sweatshirt

Once fall comes and the weather gets cool, most of my friends will agree that I will wear my plaid flannel for about four of the seven days of the week. I'm such a sucker for a well crafted, plaid flannel shirt. Not the flimsy ones that show your mid-drift after one wash. The one bought in the men's section of the store that's a bit heavier and fits in all the right places. AND it has to be the right color combo. (More lumberjack chic the better.) However, when it came to my attention via Pinterest that designers are busting out plaid sweatshirts, I think I cried tears of happiness. Finding a suitable one at the right price though, that would be tricky. Well, it turns out it wouldn't be tricky at all.

 

 

At just $40, I have found my wake up Christmas morning sweater. Apparently everyone at the local American Eagle thought the exact same thing too. The only one left was an XL. I have no shame. I bought it. It's mine. Oversized things look good on me anyways :)

 

 

To grab your own Christmas sweater or to check out the rest of the Fall 2014 line, go to ae.com.

 

Currently

 

Happy Saturday!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

 

 

Currently rocking: this necklace

 

Currently drinking my daily dose of Dunkin coffee: medium iced coffee just cream with French Vanilla swirl

 

Currently listening to: the Sam Smith Pandora station

 

Currently obsessed with this girl's dancing skills

 

Currently reading this book

 

Currently excited to go to see this tonight with my girlfriends

 

 

Picture found here

 

 

 

 

Hump Day Distractions

 

"Do you know what day it is?" I still giggle over that camel saying "HUMP DAYY!" But I figured I would start to give you guys something to get through the rest of your week on Wednesdays. Whether it's a distraction from work or you just need a laugh to get you through your day, I hope that these are just what you need :)

 

 

Fans of the Fresh Prince of Bel Air will love what Alfonso Ribeiro did on Dancing with the Stars this week.

 

You can turn Jimmy Fallon's "EW!" video into a drinking game: every time he says 'ew' have a drink, or a shot. But be warned, when you wake up in the morning, you're just going to feel like 'ew.' 

 

It was revealed this week that my ultimate girl crush is now pregnant! Congrats to her and my guy crush, Ryan Reynolds :)

 

I am still obsessed with the movie Frozen; I am the equivalent of Anna. I also have an obsession with rapping; I do a fantastic rendition of Get Back by Ludacris. It was the best of both worlds when I came across this Disney Princess Rap Battle.

 

Talk about inspirational, I looked back at old American Idol winners first auditions and found this gem.

 

Because everyone likes animals doing cute things, I give you: Cody the Screaming Dog.

 

Not only does perfect music placement give me goosebumps, every popular singer can be found in this cover of 'God Only Knows' by The Beach Boys.

 

 

Have a great Wednesday!

picture found here

 

 

 

 

 

 



October Playlist

 

 

 

 



Hackwith Design House

 

 

Well made items are hard to come by these days. Especially, unique well made items. So I was so happy to stumble upon Hackwith Design House based in Minneapolis. Hackwith was created by Lisa Hackwith with the realization that she needed to design clothing that she loved and that would become staples in her own closet. These staples are not limited to seasons; instead of making collections, there is a new design released every Monday!

"Every one of her designs is an expression of her aesthetic and the way she likes clothing to feel.  She delights in the details: the stitching, the color of the fabric, the way that it feels on your skin, the angle of a hemline, and always, her goal is to create the highlight of your closet."

 

In the mission statement: "We believe that your favorite piece of clothing doesn’t have to be shared; it can be as unique as you are. Instead of designing for mass production, we immerse ourselves wholeheartedly in the process and create every piece with the intention of it becoming that special highlight of your closet. We create less than 25 of each piece, which makes all of them uniquely rare and special."

 

 

 My absolute favorite piece is this beautiful kimono in cream. It's one of those pieces where I can imagine myself wearing it out to dinner, to the farmer's market, or casually around the house.

Some of my other favorites include:
 

Elsa Tank

 Dale Coat

                            



 

 

To check out more of Lisa's designs and to see what she is up to, go browse her website or her blog :)

Pole Fitness

First off, I'm just going to say that I'm not an Athletic person. For the longest time I had an Athletic build for the sheer fact that I was active. But not in the sense of running everyday (that was only during the winter in high school) or going to the gym daily. I played tennis and taught tennis until freshman year of college. Gained two jobs and worked my butt off until I had that glorifying desk job. THAT was when my hips decided to come in. Of course it is. Like the time my wisdom teeth started coming in and I was studying abroad, my life is all about timing.

 

 

 

But I digress, a couple years ago I started doing Pole Fitness. FOR THE RECORD, it's not the same as pole dancing. You learn the same moves not in the hopes of showing them off, but rather to get fit and toned. The first half of the class is dedicated to getting fit and working on your core, while the other half is dedicated to learning a new move on the pole. You meet some truly amazing women who love their bodies and just like me, wanted a workout that was unconventional. The thought of running repulses me and the idea of a gym just makes me want to cry. I haven't been going for a while now but thought it would be a great time to get back on that pole and bust a move ;)

 

"Hey Your That Girl That Sang Shania Twain!"

 

Do you guys have a go-to karaoke song? Every Wednesday I meet up with my friends from high school at a local bar and sing karaoke. Since I work a lot, I always look forward to my Wednesday jam sessions and a couple of beers. My friend and I sing Mr. Brightside by The Killers, no exaggeration, every single week. It's our go-to song. Not only have we mastered that song, it's always a lot of fun when the crowd joins in. We also have a couple other songs that we like to sing like, Dirty Little Secret by The All American Rejects, Africa by Toto, and Your Love by The Outfield. Currently trying to get the DJ to get Shake It Off by Taylor Swift on the board so I can stop singing it in the car or in the shower :)

 

 

 

 

You can actually buy the picture above as a print here!

Planetarium

 

At the end of August in Buffalo, there is the Elmwood Festival of the Arts that spans a good portion of Elmwood Avenue. The restaurants on the strip have specials and local artisans, as well as ones from across New York and Pennsylvania, come and display their goods. I have gone to a few dozen of these festivals in my lifetime and I always look at everything in the hopes of something catching my eye.

 

Low and behold I stumble upon Planetarium Textile Design Studio. Created by Esther &  Ofir Yaloz, a textile designer and product designer, they both graduated with honors from Shenkar College of Engineering and Design in Israel. After working in the design and fashion industry for several years, they followed their dream, and opened their own print and design studio.

 

 

Esther: "As a textile designer specializing in silk screen printing,  I carried my childhood fascination with wildflowers to botanical images. They have become a central motif in my textile design. I delight in details and textures, and am passionate about printing and creating patterns. I love  transforming raw materials into a unique final product. It’s all part of a magical process, accenting the uniqueness of each and every item."

 

 

 

"Everything is hand-printed, dyed, and sewn in our workshop with much passion and attention to detail. We design our products in small series, just as we prefer to purchase items for ourselves. Whenever possible, we source our raw materials from manufacturers in the USA."

 

I absolutely love everything that Esther has created, especially that scarf and those pillows! To look at more of Esther's textiles, check out her website :)

 

 

 



Investment

 

I'm usually not a handbag girl (keyword: usually). However, every once in a while something will catch my eye and this would be the case for the Coach Rhyder 33 Satchel in Nubuck. At first I couldn't decide which I liked better, the Pebbled or the Nubuck. But thinking it through, the investment on the Nubuck (THAT RED) surpasses that of many current handbags this season. [I'm especially depressed with every single female in this small town of mine carrying a Michael Kors bag. Loved his Spring 2015 show but hate seeing his bags everywhere!]

 

Stuart Vevers did a fantastic job with his first collection as the new Creative Director at Coach (F/W 14) and I cannot wait to see what else he has up his sleeves.

 

Go to Coach and check out the rest of the Fall/Winter Collection!

Weekend Musings

 

You know that song, "Everybody's workin' for the weekend..."? Well last week was one busy week. As I've said before, I'm a Jess-Of-All-Trades; currently I'm the store manager for my family run art gallery, as well as jewelry merchandiser for Chloe + Isabel. My father and I attended a local business expo to meet with other local businesses, as well as promote a new service we are offering called painting parties. Basically for $40 you get: 11x17 canvas, pallet of paint, brushes, instruction from a local area artist, as well as, a glass of wine and finger foods. It's such a fantastic time with girlfriends on a Friday night or if you want have your child's birthday party with us, just swap the wine for cupcakes :)

 

On top of making many connections, we were also preparing for the grand opening of our new Artist-in-Residence. Every once in a while we get a local artist who wants to show/sell their artwork in our gallery and we allow them to take residence for two weeks at a time. Last Friday and Saturday were days to meet and talk with the artist so after the expo last week we were getting the gallery all set up for the new artist.

 

 

On Saturday, my guy and I went up North to Old Forge in the Adirondacks to just walk around, relax, and take a couple photos of the leaves changing (though the leaves are going to be absolutely perfect in about two weeks time). We aim to go when it's not crowded and touristy but apparently there was a bit going on and it was as crowded as it would be during the Summer. Some of my favorite places to go to on the main strip are: The Old Forge Hardware Store, a new place called Oil Well (Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar Tasting Boutique), and Ozzie's Coffee Bar (above).

 

Sunday is always the day of rest + football. I go to my grandmother's every Sunday for brunch and then this past Sunday my guy was in town so we went to watch the 1pm game at his buddy's house. Pumpkin beer + pizza + football = good time :)

September [ Musings & Playlist ]

 

It's that time of year again... back to school, crisp air, and the leaves changing. Most people think the beginning of the New Year is the time for making changes, but for myself it has always been September. I've been making some changes in my life here and there. My grandfather passed away almost two weeks ago and so I have been home spending time with my father and grandmother. Helping out at the family store and planning on growing my own business (more of that soon!) It's hard because I'm about 3 hours away from my significant other, but it sure doesn't beat living abroad back in the Fall of 2011 (picture above is fall at Versailles).

 

Now for the playlist.. some popular songs, some off the radar, every single one is equally addicting :)

 

Shake It Off - Taylor Swift

Black Widow - Iggy Azalea ft. Rita Ora

Hands In the Air - Miley Cyrus ft. Ludacris

Strip Me - Natasha Bedingfield

Glory and Gore - Lorde

Best I Ever Had - Gavin DeGraw

Cowboy Boots - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis 

Needle and Haystack Life - Switchfoot

Raging Fire - Phillip Phillips

Supernova - Mr. Hudson & Kanye West

Candles

Let's just start off with me saying that I didn't really grow up in a candle house. My dad hates anything with a scent and the only time I saw my mom with a candle would be random occasions that were few and far between. So having just moved into a new apartment, I wanted a home smell. Something that if you smelled it anywhere's else, it would remind you of home. 

Well to start off, I hate all those tradtional smells of vanilla, lavender, etc. They are overused and mass produced and it just about makes me vomit. I absolutely love smells asscoiated to the holidays like fir tree, pumpkin, but that's just it; they are meant to remind one of the holidays. 

So a couple months back I was in my little sister's car and smelled something deliteful. Her "big" in her sorority had given her a car freshener and it was amazing. I was very shocked to find that it came from Bath & Body Works and it was called Sandalwood. Now, people, I very rarely venture into Bath & Body Works because each worker tries to convince you that what you are smelling in your hand, at that very moment. is very necessary to have in your house. So having already an idea in mind of what I wanted for the new place, I headed over to the nearest Bath & Body Works. 

Turns out Sandalwood is seasonal and was only available in the car freshener. However, a sales associate did show me one other called Mahogany Teakwood. 

This candle is one part nostalgia, since it reminds me of Abercrombie & Fitch, other part cabin in the woods. 

According to Bath & Body Works you can "revel in the cozy fine woods fragrances of mahogany, cedarwood, and oak, highlighted by delicate lavender and geranium notes."

This candle alone makes my tiny apartment, with boxes still everywhere, smell like home and I plan to buy this in bulk.

Decorate

Having officially moved into the current apartment about a month ago, I am slowly but surely decorating. Can I just say how hard it is to decorate when living with your significant other? He is the manliest of men and would just like to put a recliner in the living room along with all of his sports memorabilia. Compromise in this situation is key if I want it to look remotely presentable to people and have them come over. The only items I let him bring from his old apartment were the coffee table (marble), entertainment system and TV (didn't have one myself), and his dresser (I need my own space people). 

My mother literally hangs onto everything and passes stuff along to me on a daily basis; this goes for clothes as well (we are the same size). She gave us a couch, kitchen table (marble look-a-like), a couple rugs, and at least 5 lamps (my favorite comes with an outlet to charge your phone, since we are short on space and outlets). 

I will eventually show off more pictures of the apartment as it slowly falls into place, but here's a glance of the current living room situation: 

Remember when I said compromise? Most of my art is back at my parents place and so I was at a loss at what to hang above the couch. As it turns out, my significant other is a huge Every Time I Die fan. So when we saw them at this past Warped Tour and I saw that they had a huge flag in their merchandise tent, I thought why not? It was just the cherry on top that we got to meet them and have them sign the flag. 

August Playlist

When I was little, August always meant that it was one month closer to school, new clothes for school, and my birthday.  A fresh start if you will in September (another year older, new grade and new clothes). So even though the last playlist I featured was only about 3 weeks ago, I feel the new month needs some fresh, new songs. I have been browsing through Spotify and all of these songs sound a little cheeky and playful, the personification of August.

West Coast - Coconut Records

Hymnals - Grizfolk

Jungle - X Ambassadors, Jamie N Commons

Lake Michigan - Rogue Wave

Luck - American Authors

Dirty Paws - Of Monsters and Men 

Anything - Hedley

Young Chasers - Circa Waves

Bad Habit - The Kooks

Secrets - Mary Lambert

New York, New York

Last weekend I stayed with my friend Gio who I had met during my brief stint at FIT. Every single time I'm in New York I always try to cram as much as I can into a short period of time. However, on this trip I just kinda had my legs do the walking with very little pre-planned outings.  

The view from Le Bain 

First, I would just like to say that unless you absolutely have to, don't take a bus from Buffalo all the way to New York. It sounds like the cheapest route but in reality you can't get your sanity back. Anyways, my first night back in the city and my only wish was to go to a rooftop bar that weekend. So my wish was granted in the form of Le Bain on the roof of The Standard Hotel. In short, the view was spectacular and I really can't wait to go back to go check out the Biergarten.

The next day I decided to take Gio to the best view of the city: the top of Rockefeller Center, also known as, Top of the Rock. He had never been and it's been a while since I've been up there. I say the best view because you can see both Central Park and the Empire State Building. We spent about an hour up there just taking in the sights and so many photos!

View from Top of the Rock: Empire State Building, new 9/11 Memorial, and in the distance, Lady Liberty

After Top of the Rock and walking aimlessly around the city, I wanted to check out Shake Shack in Madison Square Park. If I were to had one drink for the rest of my life, I would be content with their vanilla milkshake. Best. Milkshake. Ever

Strung with lights, the Shake Shack in Madison Square Park would make the ideal date

On my last day Gio and I walked across the Brooklyn Bridge (another first for myself). Of all the times I've been to New York, and even living there for a short period of time, I've never had a chance to make the trek across the bridge. 

Canada: Ottawa

Back in early July one of my best friends invited me to go to Canada with her, her mother, grandmother, and her aunt. It was an adventure to say the least. I had been to Toronto but I've never been to Ottawa, so we all crammed into a tiny rental car and hopped the border for the day.

Ottawa, Ontario is the capital of Canada and home to the Canadian Parliament. The day we decided to go it literally poured the entire day. But, that didn't stop us from exploring the lovely city. I thought Parliament (pictured above) resembled Mr. Big Ben across the pond in England.

The grounds of the Parliament had stellar views across the river into Quebec and it did not disappoint. 

So, we decided to cross the river and see the views from the other side:

not too bad aye?

Buffalo Riverwalk

On one of the recent visits before I actually moved to the new apartment, the beau and I went down to the Buffalo Riverwalk. More specifically, it's where the Niagara River meets Lake Erie. 

You have to drive to the end of W. Ferry St., cross a bridge onto an island in the middle of the Niagara River, and then enjoy a nice leisurely walk (that just so happens to go underneath the Peace Bridge that leads to Canada).

Oh and at the end of the Riverwalk someone duct taped an American flag :)

Wearing: Aeropostale cropped top & American Eagle overall shorts

About Time

So when I took this initial picture (above), I was visiting Buffalo and it was probably the worst winter I have ever lived through; coming from Central New York that's saying a lot. Little did I know that by summer I would be living a block right from this very spot. 

AND, I have come to the conclusion that summer in Buffalo makes up for the god awful winters that you have to endure. It's warm all the time with a slight breeze coming from Lake Erie + the occasional summer thunderstorm. It has taken my significant other and I four years to get to this point. This point meaning, actually living together, as in just us, and this wait has been totally worth it. 

Warped Tour 2014 + Summer Playlist

A couple weeks ago, I went to Warped Tour in Buffalo for the second time. Most of it was to see nostalgic bands that I haven't listened to since 2005-2006 + to catch up on some current favorites. It was myself and 3 other guys, including the beau, & even though it felt like we were caught in a hurricane, we made the most of the day. 

Warped Tour kinda kicked off my hunt for some good summer tunes and in turn I have compiled a playlist of sorts for the rest of the summer. Hope you enjoy!

Cool Kids - Echosmith

Thinking Out Loud - Ed Sheeran

All The Way - Timeflies

And We Danced (feat. Ziggy Stardust) - Macklemore

Stay With Me - Sam Smith

Buzzcut Season - Lorde

Light Me Up - Birdy

Maps - Maroon 5

A Sky Full Of Stars - Coldplay

Ain't It Fun - Paramore

When You Were Young - The Killers

California (Tchad Blake Mix) - Phantom Planet

   

Walt Disney World

Last week I visited one of my best friends who moved down to Orlando to work at Disney World. Gifted with a talented voice, while she is not auditioning to be a Disney princess she works at Animal Kingdom driving tourists around in a truck for the safari. Can you say pinch me? Anyways my father had extra points for all his traveling and got me a ticket the week before Easter. Highly recommend that if you do not like children, do not go at this time. They are everywhere! Anyways, while she was working I would just sit by her complex pool, read, and just unwind. A lot of family issues have just come up as of late and it was nice not to worry about them and kind of focus on myself.

On the days where my friend had to work, we would spend the nights at Downtown Disney which is open to the public and gives you a small taste of Disney. We spent a lot of time at Raglan Road, an authentic Irish pub whose musicians were hired straight from from Ireland; it brought back so many memories. This hot air balloon was always so majestic looking.

One of the highlights of the trip was going to Magic Kingdom and seeing the new addition to Fantasyland, Beast's Castle from Beauty and the Beast. Disney's concept of it was a restaurant in which you can eat in the West Wing, the Ballroom, or a room that had a bunch of pictures from the film. Of course we ate in the ballroom and the ceiling was painted just like the movie!

And of course, no trip to Disney World is complete without a picture in front of Cinderella's Castle. This is my new apartment by the way, the rent is a little steep but totally worth it (just kidding! I wish) ;]

No Day But Today

Writing this post about 2 weeks after I made the decision to leave New York and move in with my significant other (+ two gay guys and another female) makes me feel nostalgic for the short period of time I was in New York. FIT is a great school, but going there after already getting my bachelors is another thing in itself. I miss the couple friends that I met within those short weeks of being there but it was about time really. Having him so far away practically killed me, even with visitations here and there. It would be a lot easier than when I was in Ireland but I'm not the same person back during that time. I'm engaged and out of school. 

Anyways I have decided to make an effort here with this blog because it is once again something I have started and not yet finished. This will be the baby I will yet to have. I will take care of it, nourish and figure the best way to make it the best it can be. That's what I figured the goals of most parents are when a newborn is placed in their arms. With a new job, a trip to Disney to anticipate in the next couple months, and figuring out this new place that I call home, I'm enjoying this new turn of events in life. Oh I totally forgot about my book I want to start, but that is another story itself.