Homeplate

It seems that almost every other day I am heading into the city for an event, shopping or just to hang out with friends. And when I mean the city I mean Manhattan, its a name my fellow outer borough people and I call it, even though we live in Queens which IS the city. But recently I finally got some friends to take that long 7-train line into my part of the city, Flushing. Granted I had the help of one of my friends  and fellow resident Tessa to encourage them over here. I guess the idea of eating yummy food enticed them too.

If you don't know about Flushing well I'm going to give you a history lesson. Flushing gets its name from a town in Amsterdam called Vlissingen and it the name was kept even after New Amsterdam was renamed New York by the English. The town of Flushing was founded in 1645 as a Dutch Settlement and even has its original meeting house that was built in 1661 making it one of the oldest meeting houses in the US still standing. Flushing has been visited and lived in by many famous personas like George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Luis A. Lattimer (inventor of the lightbulb filament), The Steinway (pianos) family, and The Heinz (ketchup) family to name a few. 

Flushing currently is also known as the largest China town in NYC and the second largest outside of China with its mostly Korean and Chinese inhabitants. The fact that the Asian population in Flushing is  so large, there are many different options for dining here. From Korean to Vietnamese to Chinese to Indian specialties and so much in between to choose, you can spend months checking out the establishments and still not hitting all of them. But out of all of them Korean BBQ joints stand out, in fact if I look out the back of my apartment I can see 2 of them practically in my back yard. 

grilling in the middle of the table

But recently I traveled about 1 mile from my house to one I have never been to with the girls that was an all you can eat. Picnic Garden is like any other Korean BBQ's offer meats of all flavors as well as vegetables that you get to grill on your own grill in the middle of your table. From pork to chicken to lamb and beef all marinated different ways can satisfy any tastebud. For those who don't have the cooking skills to know when your meat is done I don't recommend going alone to a all you can eat joint, choose a place that cooks the servings for you and you will get the same enjoyment. 

pork (pigs foot) with a Korean pancake on my plate

assorted meats on the grill

Jacyln, Angela, me, Stephanie, Tessa and Chris

There is so much about Flushing that I could list, but you can come to Flushing and see it for yourself. It is only a 40 min train ride from Manhattan and believe me there are plenty of things to see and do here besides  eating, I promise you'll enjoy yourself.  

Christmas in June with Ann Taylor

If you are living anywhere near the East Coast, I am sure you are dying for winter. With temps soaring up to triple digits with out the heat index included, winter can't come any sooner. I love the winter, with snow quieting the city, snuggling under a pile of blankets and drinking hot chocolate, I live for it. 

I don't know if Ann Taylor was listening to me when I was wishing for some winter weather, but they did bring Christmas to late June with their Holiday 2012 Collection. From animal prints to minty greens and frosty whites winter was blanketed all over the show room. With their collection influenced by the new Great Gatsby movie and wintery Alpine ,winter can't come fast enough so I can get my hands on some of the pieces. The colors are bright and crisp and the classic silhouettes are young and fresh, Ann Taylor will be the fountain of youth this fall and winter. The pieces will be in stores starting late October and will be spread out into December just in time for Christmas gifts and winter parties. 

 And if you didn't know, Ann Taylor has a bridal section on their website for accessories and dresses that can be used for wedding parties and bridal wear. 

Lake of Fire

H.I.P via Marshalls top, Target dress, Converse sneakers, vintage scarf

This is my amateur attempt at an editorial photo shoot while I was down in NC. Its really hard to pull off when its about 112 degrees, not being a model, using a tripod and a remote and not wearing editorial fashion. But I felt that the pond on my Mom's property called for it...Hey Vogue! its available for photoshoots if you want. 

All joking aside, I think I really did a good job hiding that I had sweat dripping down my forehead and shins during this shoot or that I was getting attacked by mosquitos, -The things I do for fashion. It was seriously hot and as you read before it was 112 degrees with a heat index at 116. But I didn't stay long and I was drinking plenty of water. My main purpose for being out there was that I was trying to get pictures of the deer that were resting at the pond's edge. There were about 7 of them, mothers and fawns and maybe some yearlings as well. I almost got pics of them but I kicked a chair on the deck and they all took off. One did come back during my shoot but some how I miss him in the pics. There is so much wildlife that comes in and out of my Mom's property from deer to turkey to coyotes and even bald eagles. My Mom lives in the middle of nowhere near a large lake in a bald eagle preserve and with 6 acres there is bound to be something passing through. My favorite part of being in the middle of nowhere is the fact when I look up at night I see the night stars, something I don't really get to see at home in NYC. 

2-Part Invention

Ralph Lauren dress and vest, Michael Kors shoes, thrifted bag and belt

White tee, Target palazzo pants and sandals, Kohls belt, H&M bag via Tessa at Couture Lust, thrifted elephant necklace, Ray Ban sunnies, La Mer watch 

Yes thats my Mom in the first pics. I totally styled her from makeup and hair to the clothes. I don't usually get to style people in my normal everyday life but it was pretty easy with my Mom. I wasn't to fond with the dress length on her since my mom is petite and it could be shorter to lengthen her legs but I think the sandals helped. Me on the other hand I wasn't to happy with these pants, they just didn't fall right and I am not quite shaped correctly for them. But I will keep them as I can wear them around the house or in the neighborhood for running errands. That is fashion for you sometime you win sometimes you loose. 

We were in downtown Durham, North Carolina on another scorching day waiting for my brother and his wife to have lunch to take these pics. I tell you, trying to teach my Mom to take pictures was a killer but somehow I managed these shots. When my brother and his wife showed up we went to Dames Chicken and Waffles place that was highly recommended. I really liked it the portions were great and they have vegan waffles options too. So if you ever pass through Durham I highly recommend it. 

Après Moi, Le Déluge

French lesson: Après moi, le déluge: After me, the flood.

Title inspiration from Après Moi by Regina Spector

Old Navy tee, Mango shorts, Banana Republic flats, Urban Expressions bag, 

Since I was actually traveling to North Carolina on the 4th and spent all day at the beach the next day, I didn't get much of any kind of pictures except for some random Instagram pics. 

My mom and I took the dogs down to the beach and had an amazing time with them. Lily really loved the water, she was jumping in and out of the waves. At one point when I was floating on my stomach in the shallows she jumped up on my back and used me as a personal surf board. I really got to get her into maybe doing some skateboarding. Lily mind you isn't a spring chicken, she is turning 11 this year, but the girl has as much energy as she had when she was a puppy. 

It was about 100 degrees and so humid you could cut the air with a knife when I took these pics, so please forgive the desperation on my face. Lily couldn't care less, heat or snow she is game for anything. I always like mixing stripes with a totally different pattern especially floral. I think I have about 10 striped tops and I am alway mixing them with polka dots, florals and plaids.  

Roof Top Gazing

Thrifted top, Zara denim, Vince Camuto heels, Coach bag

Target rings, Forever 21 snake clasp, Kenneth Cole watch and H&M clasp

Finally got a chance to wear my white denims, I'm always so afraid to dirty them. But when I thrifted this top I knew right away I wanted to put it with my white denim. This top is amazing, its a snake print on silk, but done in such an abstract way that the quality is gorgeous. I really live in these silk printed tops that I get every time I'm thrifting. I have so many in my closet of different prints and colors, with such a hot summer they are cool and easily thrown on with a pair of shorts or a skirt. 

How gorgeous is Ashley? She worked that train on the runway. 

Ashley, Tessa,  Christine, me and Jordanna (photo c/o What Would Ashley Wear?)

There is nothing like seeing other bloggers do their thing and supporting them strut their way down the runway is always great. Last month my fellow blogger friends and I supported Ashley of What Would Ashley Wear? who is part of our little blogging community, walk down the runway in a fashion show on a roof top on the Upper East Side. 

The scene for the runway show couldn't have been set any better, with the sun setting giving the sky a orange glow, the surrounding skyline and my favorite NYC bridge the Queensboro Bridge within a stones throw I felt close to heaven. That is how NYC is to me, it doesn't matter whether or not I'm on a rooftop in the middle of summer drinking yummy cocktails or walking down a soho street in the depths of winter, I always feel like I am in heaven. Maybe because I had to move away for years at a time, but the more and more the years go by I fall in love with the city.

 No matter where I'm at, the city will always be on my mind. 

On My Toes

Dorothy Perkins dress, Target heels, thrifted Etienne Aigner bag, sunnies via my nail lady

Just another post from last month, Ive got so many. I wore this to meet with the girls of Style Musée with some of TBC girls. If you like fashion based pins on Pinterest, I highly recommend Style Musée since its main focus is fashion and models.  

I should be back in NYC when this is posted, I will be going to directly back to work. I have a bunch of things I'm going to be busy with, but I rather be busy than doing nothing at all. I just have to remember to schedule myself some down time. 

Hat Trick

Target dress (old), Vest via Marshalls (old), Target shoes, Topshop/Topman hat, self-made necklace

 

 Hey everyone! I am currently in NC enjoying a little 4th of July vacation with my Mom and the dogs. Its amazingly hot here, mercury hovering around 100 degrees everyday.  Despite the heat my Mom and I are having loads of fun, we actually took the dogs with us to the beach yesterday (now I am not so pale as I was in these pics) Ive also been trying to raid my Mom's closet, I think I may have cleaned her out the last time I was here, but my mom gave me a few pieces to take home. 

I took these pics back in NYC last month, I am a bit behind in my post but I will catch up in the next few weeks. This is actually my go to dress for the summer, its cool during the heat and just easy to add color to it. I actually packed it for my trip here and I am going to style it much different than I have here so look out for a post of that outfit this month!