Dear Diary, NYC Part 2: Food

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Cafeteria – Although Maddie was skeptical (“If it’s anything like Lubby’s we’re leaving”), it was amazing. American style food in its chicest form, it was expensive but worth every penny. If you go, get the mac and cheese with the gouda and bacon or the mac and cheese with the truffle oil because they were both to die for. Also the Parmesan cheese fries were good, and the turkey burger and the calamari salad. Also the bathroom looked like it was from the future and might have been the coolest thing we saw all day.

·      Crooked Tree – our NYC girlie took us here when me and Maddie came last year and it was totally delicious, so delicious that we actually ate here twice. CT is this cute little crepe bistro that serves the best sangria in the city. Their original special recipe red is my favorite, Maddie and Annabelle liked the white mango the best but they were all delicious. Maddie got the s’more crepe, I got chocolate strawberry and coconut and Annabelle’s first one was literally on fire (she said it was good) and ordered a second one like mine but with extra coconut (she regrets nothing).

·      The Meatball Shop – We met my mother at this meatball restaurant chain in the Upper East Side for dinner and wow it was so delicious! The interior of the store reminded me of the cooler version of a Potbelly Sandwich shop. They primarily sold meatballs and you could pair them with any number of sides, breads or pastas.  There were several different types of meatballs and several sauces so you could mix and match however you wanted. Their sangria was great, and so was their food! I got two sliders and a single (classic beef with red sauce, chicken with parm sauce, and vegetarian with mushroom sauce). For dessert we had their  homemade ice cream sandwiches that also were offered in a mix-and-match fashion and were totally incredible.

·      Noodies – amazing Thai place in the theater district, best wall decorations, so tiny the chairs didn’t have backs but the best Pad Thai ever and the deep-fried plum ice cream was to die for. They were open late and it was a beautiful accident that we ended up there. The guy at the table next to us took off his sweatshirt and unintentionally intentionally flashed us a six-pack so amazing that Maddie was flustered for the rest of the meal.

·      Serendipity – NYC must-see this whimsical restaurant was a perfect place after a Broadway show. The cold weather discouraged customers and they’re open till midnight so we had no problem getting a table for four when we walked in at ten. We shared a pasta plate and the famous frozen hot chocolate. Dylan’s candy bar was down the street.

·      Shake Shack – delicious burger, fries and milkshake – black&white = vanilla with chocolate syrup WOW so amazing! Super crowed but we went at like 3pm and it wasn’t too bad.

·      Starbucks – We stepped in a Starbucks at least once a day, weather it was to escape the cold, get a drink or both. You literally can’t throw a stone and not hit one in Manhattan.

·      Toasties on 7^th – somewhat off the beaten path but it was close to the FIT museum. Yummy handmade sandwiches and a huge variety of chips.

Dear Diary, NYC Part 1: Shopping Always Reins Supreme

The high points from my most recent trip to NYC, first and foremost, shopping. 

Williamsburg , Brooklyn

Shopping was fun, lots of cute places, some retail some vintage or a mix of both. I bought some cute button earrings before one of my crippling migraines started creeping in. I took my medicine and we pushed onwards, we were in New York! The show must go on!

Armarcord (another recommendation from our local correspondent) and it was just lovely, designer vintage pieces at reasonable prices. Annabelle got a cute black sweater for $25 and I got a great gold fringe necklace for $35.

In God We Trust was my second favorite store and although I did not buy anything, I wanted to. They had a little display case of gold lockets that looked innocent enough from afar, but when you got up close you realized each had a tiny inscription handwritten in old-school cursive. These inscriptions were sassy and hilarious- phrases like “In it to win it”, “Fuck off” “BORING” and “Really fucking cute”. I almost bought the “Best fucking friends” heart necklace set but it was expensive and those edges looked sharp.

East Village, Manhattan

Wow I love the East V! Just one stop from Brooklyn yet an entirely new world. The first thrift/vintage/resale shop we tumbled into was El Train Vintage and I so badly wanted to buy the whole store. It was chalk-full of amazing vintage finds but at almost thrift store prices.

Buffalo Exchange – Buffalo is such a hit or miss experience, this one was a hit though! The workers were so nice and friendly and clearly friends with each other in the best way. Annabelle found a ton of great things and I snagged a fabulous goose down packable grey/neon coral puffer vest for $26.

Gap – the Gap Body has its own shop at this location and honestly we only ducked in to get out of the cold but as usual they were having a great sale and as usual I bought something; an unbelievably soft long sleeved yoga top for $7.

Anthropologie - this Anthro on fifth is amazing, spacious, and almost the entire basement was sale items. We ended up cabbing it to the SoHo store so I could get the Rivulet quilt in a twin cause we found it on sale in a queen in that store.

East Village Thrift on Second avenue was weird and the guy who said “I guess” when we asked him if he worked there was kind of crazy but I got some great earrings and a gold ring with an S embossed on it for $13 total.

Greenwich Village, Manhattan

Right next door to the East Village, Greenwich is the location of the famous Friends apartment (which we regrettably have yet to track down). With Washington Square Park as its memorable landmark and abundance of shopping and eateries, I love visiting this area of Manhattan.

Goodwill  – By far the nicest Goodwill I've ever been in. It doesn't even smell bad because the workers constantly spray air freshener and instead of carpet the store has hardwood floors. The prices are a bit steeper than the Goodwill stores in Oklahoma and Texas, but still very cheap. The cashier was super nice and gave us great directions to other thrift shops in the area. I got a red American Apparel Skater dress for $15, a reversible vintage top for $7, and tried on a great Ralph Lauren formal dress that I decided I didn't need but it was in perfect condition. 

Star Struck – I got a great cape here last year, it's a block or two east of Goodwill. Sort of pricy but you can find some good deals here, its all vintage threads. It's a bit crowded but very well organized. 

Housing Works – 5 blocks from Goodwill, this store sold thrift clothes and home goods, and was like a thrifty bare bones West Elm. I got a preppy white skirt and a half zip Champion work out top all for $20. They had some amazing cowhide ottomans that were hard to walk away from but being as I wont live in an apartment until 2015, I had to say no.

Angel Street Vintage Shop - We just popped into this place for a second. They mostly had furniture and home goods, but I found a cool feather double ring for $1. It's right down the street from Housing Works so it's an easy place to swing by. 

Monk - around the corner from Goodwill, near Washington Square Park, this shop had terrible employees. Two girls who were working there didn’t speak to us the entire time. The store was full of damaged pieces that were marked at least ten times their value; the whole thing was absurd.I tried on a great pair of high waisted caramel leather shorts here around this time last year and they were still there, in even worse condition and if it’s even more possible- more overpriced. This time I did find a really soft red circle scarf in the sale section in the back so I did buy it, but not happily. Its safe to say I won’t be returning there.

Upper East Side

Fifth Avenue – Oh 5A, such a magical place. We walked up it from 42^nd till we hit the park, popping in one incredible flagship store after another. Most store’s holiday decorations were still up so that was really fun to see. My personal favorite was the Bergdorf Goodman store because they went with a simplistic snow-covered wood and bird theme that was just stunning.

The Apple store at the beginning/end of the shops is underground and always looks so cool but I’ve never been in, I can only imagine it being quite hectic down there. For some reason there were lines outside both Hollister and Abercrombie & Fitch which are probably the two stores that are disgracing the avenue the most so that was incredibly confusing.

The Tiffany & Co. store is a must-see (yes, that Tiffany’s), if nothing else for the photo opp.

Henry Bendel’s is another can’t-miss for fashionistas and GG girls as it was one of Blair’s favorite shopping spots (sadly the headband section is no longer there – times have changed since queen B ruled Manhattan!).

My heart aches. Take me back now.

XOXO

Dear Diary, Never Fly Spirit Airlines Again

Right now I’m sitting in a tiny airplane seat with my laptop sitting on my pea coat with the keyboard touching my stomach and the screen touching the chair in front of me. I’m typing like a T-rex because if I move my left elbow I’ll nudge the middle-aged Asian woman next to me who’s already annoyed with the woman on her left with her toddler on her lap and 5 seconds from an anxiety attack (she doesn't seem to be a fan of flying) and if I move my right elbow I’ll either hit the food/drink cart, a flight attendant, the 100s of people who are using the lavatory, or the woman who’s pacing back and forth with her crying infant. I’m somewhat worried for her because this is quite a bumpy flight. Oh that’s nice now the woman sitting next to the baby mamma is standing in the aisle rubbing her husband(?)’s head while he plays Candy Crush on his phone. It’s been a while since I felt this uncomfortable. Oh wait, someone just pushed the back of my screen with their butt. The guy across the aisle from me is making his second whisky coke; it’s 1:45pm but I just might have to join him.

           

How did I get myself in this terrible situation? I let my mother book me a flight on Spirit. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m very appreciative of this ticket, I got to go to New York for five days because of it and had been warned of the Spirit experience. I understand that it’s cheaper and that brings all kinds but holy cow this is something else. I’ve been flying since my mother took me to Japan when I was six months old; the first time I flew alone I was six years old; last year alone I boarded at least ten flights. I am not saying I’m some hot-shot frequent flyer because that is entirely untrue, but I’ve had a lot of flying experience and this has by far been the worst.

           

My flight from DFW to La Guardia was at a time I did not realize people functioned at (7:15am), too early to for me; I looked miserable and was looking forward to a nice nap with some time to do my makeup before arriving in the concrete jungle. We board and a woman asks me to switch seats, hers was the one directly behind mine. I didn’t mind, so we switched. The second my ass hit that aisle seat the girl in the seat next to me grabbed my knee and urgently informed me that she hates to fly, was very nervous, might need to go to the bathroom often, and was also sick. It was all I could do not to laugh in this girls face and ask if she was serious. Oh, but she was. Just like this non-stop flight, this 19-year-old girl vomited from the second the plane started moving in Dallas to the second the doors opened in New York. Flight time: 2 hours and 90 minuets. She never got up, she didn’t move, she was terrible at using the first and second bags the flight attendant gave her (in her defense the flight attendant was very kind and understanding, even gave her free water and chips), maybe cried at some point, I don’t know I was so over her. Her friend asked me about a million questions and useless and did nothing but annoy me from the start. I don’t care if you’re from Waco, I can only hope to God I will never see you or your vomming friend ever again.

The return flight was a mess. They decided that the plane was too heavy and were asking for flexible flyers to take a voucher and a 4:00 American flight. I said hell yes this is great news- I get an American flight and a free round trip ticket. They beg for more people, eventually get about five but then decide the last thirteen people who are trying to board aren’t going to fit. I didn’t care cause I’d already filled out the paper work, called my parents and was ready to be directed back to the beautiful land of American flights when the flight attendant ran up and said they’d made room and we all had to board. “Dear God,” I thought as I texted anyone who would be included in my will, “please don’t let this flight go down.” The flight finally took off, an hour later than it was supposed to.

            

So that’s how I got here, on this tiny, flying hell. I’ve gotten up no less than six times for the Asian woman (that is six more than the woman with the BABY). By the fourth time Mr. Whiskey and Coke was giving me sympathetic looks, and I deserved them. In the future if I ever find myself in a dark, desperate place and am contemplating purchasing a cheap Spirit ticket, I’ll have to factor in the price of my bar tab and see if it’s still worth it. How many tiny bottles of wine equal a big one?  I was never good at math, but lets round up. Oh my gosh Mr. Candy Crush just made a vodka cranberry, that’s it I’m done.  

XOXO

Dear Diary, can a coat keep you afloat?

It isn't easy looking good in every coat you wear, unless you're name rhymes with the Duchess of Cambridge. 

Christmas may be over but winter has hardly begun. It will be cold up in Oklahoma until spring break, and probably through April... unfortunately. So even though everyone seems to be putting their cold weather coats on sale and packing up their sweaters, I've still got at least three more long months of harsh, cold, windy weather. This means a small section of my closet must be dedicated to winter coats. There are a few things I hate about coats: 

1. They're expensive. You need your coat to keep you warm when its 30 degrees, feels like 20 with a -15 degree windchill. Warm coats are well made coats; well made coats are expensive. 
2.  You can't have just one if the weather where you live is bad more than one week a year. There is no catch-all coat for women. At bare minimum everyone has to have a nice formal coat and casual coat.  
3. They're bulky. No matter what kind of coat, they take up space in your closet, over your arm while shopping, and in your lap in class.  
4. The sleeves are never long enough for me. I'm not 6'2", but my wingspan is, do you know how many brands make Tall coats? Not many, and if they do, see #1. 

My favorite game to play is 'lets pretend money is no object' and so that's what we're doing with coats today. This is my ultimate, dream closet of coats.  

Free People, $548

This rich-hippie-badass-boho look is not something I strive for every day, but if the mood strikes this jacket would fit the bill perfectly. 

Burberry Brit, $595 {currently out of stock}

The Burberry quilted jacket is one of the most iconic coats of all time and this green color is stunning and different, yet still with the classic design. 

Burberry, $2495

Could this bomber jacket be any more perfect? 

Burberry, $1195

With the cinch at the waist this would be such a flattering coat, making it feminine but not too girly.

J. Crew, $365

This peacoat would make a stunning impression. Its just the right amount of obnoxious, plus it comes in Tall so thank you for that J. Crew.

Kate Spade, $678

For the warmer winter days, this lace coat is what having money looks like, on a casual day. Not sure how I feel about the 13 year old who's modeling it, but I'll overlook it.

The London Fur Company - Vintage, ≈$947.60

I agree that the idea of fur is a bit morbid, but if it's vintage then you're really helping out cause that fur is getting reused so the animal's life continues to serve the fashion and warmth world, right? The faux furs also promote fur being fashionable so in my opinion just getting the real thing is the way to go. And this little hooded mink coat is just too cute for words.  

T Tahari, $300

This is what down chic looks like. The belt is key.

RED Valentino, $1295

I'm drooling just looking at this masterpiece, and somewhere far away Effie Trinket just fainted.

Ralph Lauren Blue Label, $498

If I'm going to support the good ole' USA in the pregame for the summer Olympics, I'd like to do it through my wardrobe. Thank goodness Ralph Lauren has a hold on our attire, and if this is any kind of preview, my hopes are high for the opening ceremonies outfits.

J. Crew {sold out}

Its timeless and preppy in everyone's favorite color, plus its the perfect length. Want your own? Too bad, they're already sold out, and I'm not lending mine out.

Emilio Pucci, $6490

And finally, the creme of the crop, this Pucci cape. I have a weakness for capes, probably because they remind me of princesses and rich 1950's housewives. 

Sorry like half of them are Burberry but they make great coats and that's not my fault. If you're packing up your winter gear cause you know it won't be cold until next fall in the blissfully warm place you live in, I don't want to hear about it. 

XOXO

Dear Diary, Karl is in my city yall!

It's finals week and I'm up to my ears in papers and exams so I don't have time to write a witty article about the fact that there's a huge Chanel event in Dallas tonight, but luckily someone else did! I'm so mad that I'm missing it ... unfortunate scheduling, clearly Karl forgot to run the date by me. 

Here's a news article about it from Christina Geyer from the Dallas Morning News. Favorite line: 

"The fashion show is invitation-only, with nearly 900 celebrities, members of the international fashion media and top Chanel customers expected to attend, helping to raise Dallas’ profile as a serious fashion city on par with Paris and New York."

On par with Paris and New York? It's an amazing opportunity for our city, but let's not get ahead of ourselves here. And here's a blog post from the Dallas Snob Blog, and this is my favorite line: 

"Perhaps it’s our unofficial slogan, “Keep Dallas Pretentious” that appealed to his sensibilities. "

Since when was that our unofficial slogan? I mean it's better than Austin's "Keep Austin Weird", in my lifetime of living in Dallas I've never heard that. But here's some pics of Karl with my idol, who is sure to be one of the 900 celebs who will be there tonight. 

They're besties. Reason #5983048 Blake's life is unreal.

XOXO