fall to-do list

It's no secret that fall is my favorite season. There's no need to make excuses for baking every weekend {pumpkin everything is acceptable}, cozy nights by a fire, & knowing the holidays are lingering weeks away. Since we're finally in the beginning of the season, it's only apt to make a list of things I plan on doing . . .

 

+ apple picking followed by baking an apple pie

+ rent a cabin with friends

+ master new soup & stew recipes

+ wine tasting with the girls

+ sign up & start training for a half marathon

+ purge my closet of items I didn't wear last season

+ pumpkin carving {probably my #1 thing to do every year}

+ host a bon fire complete with chili, cocktails, caramel apples, & s'more fixings

+ call the family & friends more often

+ be more thankful

+ go to a football game {seriously having withdrawals over here}

+ go on a hike

when life gives you lemons, grab tequila & salt

 

This week I was given a whole lotta lemons. Good thing it's Friday and I have the next couple of days to recuperate. Have any fun plans for the weekend? Tonight is wine & movies with the girls, picnic & concert Saturday, & a day of rest on Sunday for the upcoming week. Sounds like a winning weekend to me!

 

Before we get to the fun weekend links, let's catch up. September is almost over {WHAT?!?} and a lot has been going on in between Jordan's visit until now.

 

+ Beach trip to Ocean City, New Jersey. Y'all I went to the Jersey Shore . . . well kind of. I didn't see Snooki, but it was a nice getaway from Manhattan.

 

 

+ Spending Saturday afternoons at The Ainsworth . . . where the fans say Roll Tide & sing Sweet Home Alabama.

 

+ FaceTime dates with the family in Alabama & my brother across the ocean in Italy {seriously, the kid is living the life!}

 

+ Working out the final details of moving apartments coming this fall!

 

+ Re-watching Scandal because it's that good & because I secretly wish I were Olivia Pope haha

 

+ A visit from my cousin Whitney.

 

Have a good one and enjoy these fun links from around the web . . .

 

A song for your weekend {excited to see these guys Saturday night!}

My favorite fall fragrance

The only season I burn candles

What your first crush says about you {mine: Devon Sawa. I can't tell you how many times I watched Now & Then with my sister & cousins growing up.}

Baked pumpkin cream cheese French toast - say that three times fast!

11 facts you never knew about bedding

J. Crew is killing me with their new collection! This, this, & this {in heather grass} belong in my closet pronto!



Seasons change

Lena Dunham gives great advice

Loving Kate's collection 'Wit & Delight' for Target!

A fun & creative party, wedding, dinner idea

 

jo comes to town

This past weekend was a real good one. My best friend & college roommate Jordan came into town! We packed a whole lotta things in our short weekend together . . .

+ Ferry ride over to Staten Island for tapas & sangria

+ Bagels & cream cheese at Brooklyn Bagels

{untoasted toasted coconut bagel with plain cream cheese. ever. single. time.)

+ Cheered on the Tide at The Ainsworth

+ Wine bar & flatbread

+ Rooftops & girl talk

+ Brunch & Madison Avenue

+ Walking 6 miles, blisters, & Battery City Park

+ Italian pasta & nutella pizza

Come back Jo, NYC misses you!

 

taking stock 02

photo credit

 

Making: a fall bucket list . . . coming your way soon
Cooking: a summer vegetable quesadilla {complete with red onion, summer squash, tomato, & cheese}
Drinking: not nearly the amount of water as I should be
Reading: If I Stay {I just saw it in theaters & man oh man does it make you think about life}
Wanting: a puppy.
Looking: forward to tomorrow!
Wasting: time reading through Vogue's September issue {aka the years fashion bible}
Wishing: for summer Friday's & a day on a sailboat
Enjoying: late night chats
Waiting: for the timer to go off
Liking: that it's almost sweater weather
Wondering: what the next year will be like
Loving: my new friends & a fresh tube of chapstick
Listening: to the fan blowing & keyboard clicks
Needing: new walking flats
Smelling: salt water & sand in my near future . . . the last beach trip for the year
Wearing: dress, glasses, & bare feet
Following: all the fashion blogs because it's NYFW, eeekkk!
Noticing: the change of weather, especially the cooler morning walks to work
Knowing: it's okay to say no
Thinking: about my last year in NYC & holy cow has it been fun!
Feeling: smitten
Bookmarking: soup & stew recipes
Opening: snail mail. Having a pen pal is wonderful!
Giggling: every time I chat with my grandmother. She's got a heart of gold.

moments from august



Adventures in Smorgasburg means lots of good food, fresh coconuts, & a whole lotta hipsters. See ya next summer Brooklyn!



In bed, lights off at 11 o'clock, then getting a phone call from a girlfriend to go have a drink. Yep that happened & it turned out to be a fun night!

One of my favorite reasons of working at Macy's is having the opportunity to get involved in the community. Being on the United Way committee this year not only has led to making new friends at work, but I also got to help out at a benefit concert with proceeds going to United Way of NYC.



Brunch at The Penrose where the food & drinks are just as delicious as they are pretty.

See what I mean? Shrimp & grits with a cool twist.

 

SEC Alumni happy hour at American Whiskey. There was even a controversy over someone taking the Alabama name tags. Gotta love those SEC rivalries!

 

First game of the season at The Ainsworth - Roll Tide!



Ending the summer has never been more picturesque.

Sorry for the silence - again! This summer has been filled with fun travels to the beach & exploring new places. Our last summer Friday has come & gone, which is slightly heartbreaking. Who doesn't love to squeeze in a little extra weekend time? The beginnings of fall are slowly creeping into the city. I'm not complaining at all since that means apple picking, pumpkin spice lattes, & cozy sweaters are coming my way.

know when to stop & have a margarita

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That is the mantra for this weekend. I would say it's well deserved after a productive work week. You know it's a good one when every last bullet point on your to-do list is scratched off. Bonus points for getting out of the office in a timely manner {high five to New York & summer Friday hours}! Tomorrow I'm going to MoMA PS1 - MoMA's rooftop that displays experimental & contemporary art with emerging musicians from various parts of the world. Should be a great afternoon with friends! Enjoy your weekend & these fun links from around the web . .  .

This has been on repeat all week - take me back to Monday night
Made me laugh
A pretty chignon updo
Spent the majority of the week reading a coworkers blog on her 15 month journey through Asia
Olive oil & sea salt brownies
Prepping for fall | looking for a moto jacket
Love this Natalie Deayala maxi - easy to dress up or down
Summer mornings

midnight memories

The highlight of the year goes to . . . . seeing One Direction live last night!

I'm not kidding - Kelsey & I had an absolute blast and those guys know how to put on a fun show.

 

 

We danced all night & sang along to every song. I'm too embarrassed to post my own videos due to my excessive fangirl screams & off key singing. Can't wait to see those British lads again!

By the way this is hilarious and completely truthful.

a little love boat

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TGIF. I had a hectic week at work & I am so thankful for the next couple days off! How cute is this little boat? Wouldn't it be romantic for date night {hint to the future mister}. What are your plans for the weekend? I'm going to a matinée show tomorrow to see Wicked. Has anyone seen it? My friend scored some awesome tickets & I've never been so I absolutely took her up on the offer! Have a good one & enjoy these fun links from around the web . . .

 

A song for your weekend

Crispy coconut kale with salmon

Pretty stationary & art for the home

6 hydration myths

10 reasons why you should blog

I want these.

I need these.

 

Take me back to the islands.

How gorgeous is this cake?! 

A blog for you to skim through this weekend - and everyday after that : )

More inspiration here!

Happy Weekend!

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So much goodness is going on right now.

I feel like I have finally settled into living in Manhattan {almost a year in the making}. This week I realized how thankful I am for a job I continue to love, one that is developing me personally & the growth of my future career. I've made some great friendships {which is hard to come by not only later in life - aka after college, but especially in this city}. They bring a lot of laughter, dinner parties, & weekend shenanigans.

Okay, enough on my emotional spiel. But life is two thumbs up right now.

Monday started off with stormy weather & a to-do list that had two columns worth of bullet points. Stress levels were out of the roof & the week seemed daunting. Luckily, as the week progressed and one yellow highlighter out of ink, almost all the points are marked off! Hooray!!!

Besides, two great things happened this week.

#1 Monday I got to see an old friend from Alabama. I hadn't seen Corbin in two, maybe three years {yikes!!!}. It was such a delight and good for the soul to see a familiar face.

#2 Broadway Bites is happening right outside my office. Thank goodness my friends & coworkers are foodies too. I'm almost embarrassed about how much amazingness I ate for lunch. I'm talking basil rice balls, pulled pork sandwiches, & cannoli's.

Oh the cannoli's!

If you're in town, check it out. Broadway Bites is here until August 1st!

Any weekend plans? I'm meeting up with old friends and finishing the book I started a month ago. Better late than never, right? Have a great weekend & enjoy these fun links . . .

 

A 90s throwback for your weekend 

I loved Jillian on The Bachelorette. Here's her adorable clothing line that just launched!

These facts are fascinating

Although I don't consider myself an introvert, these are some great tips on networking

The sober dating experiment

A food-lover's dream blog

Fettuccine with mushrooms, walnuts, & parmesan

Weekend outfit inspiration

I've said it before, I love her writing & this is just another example

Why & how to drink rosé this season

beach day

photo credit

There is nothing better than grabbing some friends & heading to the beach. A day in the waves, reading a romance novel,  attempting to get a summer glow, but frying like a lobster instead, & passing the crackers & cheese sounds perfect right about now. Too bad I'll be stuck in a cubicle until the next mini vaca rolls around. Guess I'll have to live through my brother this weekend {he's off to the Amalfi Coast - can we all agree he's living the life?!}
Here's what I would pack for a day in the sun . . .
{click the item to shop}

a holiday weekend well spent

Relaxation, delicious food, & impeccable company.
I'd say I accomplished all three of those things this weekend.

Friday

 It's funny how serious New Yorkers take their bagels. There are shops all over the city, but Brooklyn Bagels take them to the next level. A non-toasted coconut bagel with blueberry cream cheese {lesson by Hollis: it's a sin to toast a fresh bagel, so never do it}. This took my coconut obsession to extreme & I'll be having dreams about this breakfast for the next week.

Three grocery stores & a Target run later, we were prepared for a fun BBQ & viewing of the fireworks along the East River for the 4th of July. I think we had enough food to feed an army just for 5 girls.

Appetizers
fruit skewers with yogurt dip
deviled eggs
artichokes with a lemon butter sage dip

Dinner
pulled pork sliders - I'd like to pat mine & Hollis' back for this one. They were delicious!
macaroni & cheese
corn casserole
salad - you gotta have some greens somewhere right?

Dessert
fresh blueberry cobbler

Lauren & Annie

Macy's fireworks off the Brooklyn Bridge

Saturday

A little fresh air in Central Park with the prettiest Ladurée macaroons. I love how Central Park has become a Saturday ritual. It doesn't hurt that I live only a few blocks away. My next trip there deserves a visit to the zoo.

That evening some friends & I took the Staten Island Ferry to dinner. If your visiting the city you should definitely take advantage of a beautiful view of Manhattan & the Statue of Liberty by boat free of charge.

Staten Island in the distance.

Brooklyn Bridge

The Freedom Tower is ginormous.

See what I mean, who wouldn't love this?!

Thanks to Hollis' parents for recommending Beso. It's a quaint, little Spanish restaurant nestled on Schuyler Street only a short walk across from the terminal. We did family style of seafood tapas & watermelon sangria. It tasted like summer!

 

Sunday

Y'all know my love for brunch & many thanks to a co-worker who recommended this spot in the Upper West Side. If you're looking for southern comfort food at its finest, Jacob's Pickles does not mess around. Even though most people left the city for the weekend, we still had an hour wait. It was well worth it too & I left in a food coma. Everything looked so tasty on the menu; it was just too hard to decide what to order! 

Annie & Hollis

I was a little too anxious to start eating, but Jacob's Pickles knows what's up.

Lauren & I

Well that's all folks. Time to hit the gym after this food-filled weekend!