When In...New York

Organization is key to success in any realm of life. Even this here blog is going to become more organized in it's post and content...even though one's thoughts can rarely be organized because they come as random as ever, what little control I can have over them and the content that I provide here will be the greatest reward.

When In posts will focus on certain cities and towns I am in and the best things to do, see, or eat. Note: I'm not a trained professional in the critiques of life's many joys, just a partaker in the game of LIFE and someone who loves discovering hidden gems by word of mouth and referrals from other people with the same interests.

Fig and Olive Restaurant - 13th Between 9th & Washington

So, for our first When In...New York City, the best of the best for nightclubs, plays, parks, neighborhoods, shopping, museums, and a lot of other stuff that makes it the tourist mecca for all those looking to stand in Times Square and take in the lights, sounds, and sirens. But something that I think we can all appreciate about New York, is it's endless supply of good eats! Tonight, I was able to partake in one of the Meat Packing District's finest restaurants, Fig and Olive.

Under the executive leadership of Chef Pascal Lorange, Fig and Olive is the epitome of Mediterranean dining. Mostly everything on the menu is made from the finest olive oils and spices. The entire space, at least at night, is lit up with thousands upon thousands of candles, and the music is a mix of remixed Top 40 tracks!

I enjoyed the Penne Mediterraneo with my best friend who will be wedding the love of her life this summer in Greece...sadly I won't be there! A sample of the menu is below and the contents of my entree are described. If this was one of those children's books that made animal sounds when you pressed the image of the corresponding animal, my entree sound would be..AAAAhhhhh!

This was by far the best pasta I've ever had, and the best part about it, there was no sauce. I've only recently discovered that eating pasta without sauce is absolutely amazing with the right amount of oil and spices, and tonight's dinner reaffirmed that love for simplistic meals without a lot of fuss.

And any place with amazing Merlot, music, and ambiance...to me, that's fine dining.

Just Another Day...

Pretty much how I start my work days. Just decided to document it this time. Here's to another hump day...where do the weeks go???

Here's Hoping...

Clinique Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector

We all believe in magic potions and the fountain of youth. That's the beauty of the "lipstick effect". Down in a rut, nothing a little rouge on the lip, or new bag can't fix. I've been reading crazy reviews regarding Clinique's Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector, with 12 weeks of continued use (and sunscreen, MUY IMPORTANTE) clients have seen dramatic, up to 53%, improvement in their skin tone.

I've battled acne most of my teenage and college years, whew, getting a little personal on this here blog...hey, that's what it's for right...stay with me. And to say the lasting effects, both physical and mental can way on one's self-esteem is putting it mild. I sympathize with those teens and adults who continue to battle acne everyday...like the famous poster, hang in there baby.

If bumps are one worry to keep you up all night obsessing whether your new guy noticed your bacterial buildup on your cheeks, then the dark spots they leave behind are horrible relatives who always seem overstay their welcome. Being blessed to be over my breakout phase, I'm now taking charge of the little history of a time not worth revisiting...I promise I won't tear up :(

Anywho, here's hoping that Clinique's talented team found the fountain of even tone youth. And only 12 weeks for serious results...with the amount of time I spent battling acne..this'll be a cake walk!

A Well Balanced Meal...

Deciding to live off Cherrios and strawberries until I've saved enough money for my PS1. End of story. Happy Sunday.

P.S. By clicking the below icon, you'll be able to keep up with this here blog and all the fabulousness that comes out of it...

100 and 1...

Shirt and Shoes: Zara, Pants: H&M, Watch: Michael Kors




Ring: Tiffany & Co.

Every time I wear black and white I always think of Cruella Deville. Wasn't she AMAZING? I mean, here's a woman who would stop at nothing to have a fabulous coat made out of puppies that were too precious! I mean, don't get me wrong, I have a dog and it would be on, straight PETA style if someone tried to turn her into a full on topper...but you gotta respect her tenacity.

That's true style to me, objective or not, determining who you are and what you want to say to the world, but most importantly not giving a damn...speaks volume. Finally, it's Friday. Big plans for the weekend to continue celebrating my promotion, Round 2, then off to NY for 2 weeks which I'm super excited about.

And if you follow me on twitter you'd know I twitpic'd my new lens for my camera. I'm uber excited to see what bad ass pics this thing can produce. The evolution of the blog 60+ posts in.

Stay tuned...

Easy Like Sunday Morning...

Sweater: Theory, Pants: H&M, Watch: Michael Kors, Espadrilles: Forever21

Easy like Sunday morning, is one of my favorite songs. Today was the true definition of easy - woke up, had Cheerios with strawberries and blueberries, cleaned the apartment, and watched Law and Order: SVU. Doesn't get any easier than that.

Looking forward to getting through this week; I leave for NY the following Monday! Too bad I can't sleep for the entire week and wake up in The Big Apple. Oh well, nothing in life is worth having if you didn't have to work for it! Working hard this week cause I want NY, REAL BAD!

Tea for 2...

Scarf: Zara, T-Shirt: Forever21, Pants: H&M, Pin: Chico's, Watch: Ted Baker, Shoes: Aldo

If I ever received an invitation to tea, I'm pretty sure I would wear something to this effect. Sitting outside at a chic Parisian cafe thinking about the many wonders of life. I never really stop to just be in the moment...correction, I never stopped to be in the moment until today.

So in my last post, I talked about how I had an important review at work today and had to look my best - I didn't wear this outfit today, cute, but not my most "I take myself and my job serious" ensemble if you get what I mean. Anyway, today (in all black, purple loafers for a pop of color and punctuation) after my review, which went FABULOUS by the way (I hate that word, but for some reason, every now and again it just fits), my boss proceeds to tell me that I'm being promoted...

Pause for reaction...in the moment...taking time to enjoy and just be in the moment...after swallowing hard and calming my breathing and excitement, she tells me that I've been promoted and will also be receiving a raise!!!! Now, in no way did I expect any of this to happen - don't get me wrong, I work hard, damn hard, but I judge myself very critically and sometimes feel that I can do so much more with my time on a day to day basis.

It's always rewarding and amazing when people can look at your progression through life, a career, whatever, and see and acknowledge the change you made for the better. Today was the first day in a long time that I was proud of myself...truly proud of the strides I made to get me where I am today. I am truly blessed and grateful that everyday I wake up, I am able to rejoice and celebrate those blessings. And here's where if I had that imaginary tea date, my companion would turn to me and say, "I'll toast to that".

Cheers!