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PHILLY: PART II.

3-12-17

Another short weekend trip to Philly = new delicious recommendations! This trip my friends and I explored Northern Liberties neighborhood, then made our way to Center City. Overall it was a beautiful weekend to explore the city and try new bites and see new shops.

We wanted to start the day at Café La Maude, a delicious brunch spot. When we got there they had a little wait, so we decided to walk around the neighborhood until they had a table for us. We stumbled upon City Planter, a store filled with all sizes of plants and pots. If I didn’t have a day filled with exploring, I definitely would have bought a plant or five to take home with me. Café La Maude was delicious. It’s BYOB and they put your champagne in these modern clear ice bags at the end of the table. The menu was delicious and they had these cute vintage photos hanging along the walls.

After brunch we headed to this place a few blocks down called Standard Tap. It was one of those 65 degree weekends in the middle of winter and they had a cute little rooftop porch, so we decided to hang there for a while. Then, we made our way to Center City, where we headed down a narrow alleyway and found ourselves in Graffiti Bar. It was actually the back area of the restaurant, Sampan, a delicious asian cuisine restaurant. We had the most delicious edamame dumplings and rock shrimp. The edamame dumplings were so good that I’m planning on making my own at home some time soon. I’ll be sure to post the recipe on here!

Café La Maude

Standard Tap

PICTURE PERFECT PUNTA CANA.

1-29-17

I have to say, I don’t recall the last time I took a full week, seven day long vacation. & not only a week vacation, but a week vacation where I did nothing but relax in the sun and my biggest worry was what book I was going to read next. Punta Cana was the perfect getaway. Sure we had some windy days (I’m talking sand pegging your skin type of wind), but honestly, complete relaxation on the beach, at the pool or in the spa, was what I needed to recharge and refresh. I was able to ease back into my routine so positive and energized.

We stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel Punta Cana. It was only 20 minutes from the airport and had at least five pools including a lazy river. They had a beach right on the property with tons of lounge chairs and these beautiful white cabanas that you could rent. It’s an all inclusive resort and their spa was the most beautiful one I’ve ever experienced. We only booked massages for the last day and I was disappointed I didn’t book more earlier. The trip was beautiful, relaxing and sunny. Just what I needed in the beginning of January.

FT. LAUDERDALE + SOUTH BEACH.

1-15-17

My gf and I decided to escape the cold and take a little holiday getaway to Florida. We started in Fort Lauderdale and enjoyed a day at the beach and dinner in cute downtown Fort Lauderdale at Tacocraft, which had amazing guacamole and tacos. The next day we headed to South Beach, where we stayed at Red South Beach Hotel; a block from the beach. The sun was perfect and the drinks were delicious. Only downfall? My phone was stolen and the saddest part was losing a huge chunk of my photos. Below are the ones I salvaged from the trip! xx

PORTUGAL.

7-30-16

It all started when my coworker received a phone call that there was a glitch on an airline website. Tickets to Lisbon, Portugal from NYC were incredibly cheap; some kind of computer glitch. It was that day that I would book my very first trip to Europe, and without his knowledge, my boyfriend’s as well. He would later thank me. I couldn’t have picked a better city as our first Europe experience if I tried.

We decided to stay in this cute little boutique hotel in the heart of Lisbon, Hotel Figueira, Lisboa. The hotel was perfect: ideal location, delicious food, helpful staff and a relaxing spa. We stayed four days and each one was dedicated to the must-see parts of Portugal: the city of Lisbon, the historic town of Alfamo, the beaches of Caiscais, and the castles of Sintra. Tip: when you explore Sintra, make sure to add Cabo Da Roca to your itinerary, the western most point of Europe. The views will make you feel like you’re in an episode of Game of Thrones. My favorite memories of Portugal? The pastel painted houses, winding roads, buttery croissants and the fairytale-like castles.

TAMPA.

5-29-16

It’s not the greatest feeling when a best friend moves out of state; Florida specifically. The upside to that? When it’s freezing cold in New Jersey and I need a mini vacay. I’ve been to Tampa a few times, when she was in college, but this trip would be different. Our time wouldn’t be filled with college parties. They would soon be filled with delicious food spots, beach concerts, late night catch ups and kayaks.

The first night we had dinner at Bar Taco. Mexican is one of my favorite foods, so I was ecstatic to spend the night eating endless guac, fish tacos, drinking margaritas and enjoying outside patio views. The next day we rented kayaks from Top Water Kayaks and spent the day on the water in Fort de Soto, Fl. After a day full of kayaking, we went to eat at Billy’s Stone Crab, a place right on the water with delicious seafood and views. We ended the trip having brunch at this amazing spot called Oxford Exchange. It was huge with a restaurant, a coffee bar, an enclosed garden area if you wanted to eat/drink outside and a cute little shop. It was a trip much needed.

STAYCATION: MIDTOWN MANHATTAN

1-08-16

Sometimes you just need a vacation, and when you don’t have time to take one, you can always take a staycation. You aren’t exactly hours away from home, but it’s a way to disconnect and explore with a different approach. So when my Mom, Grandma and Aunt wanted to do a little city trip, I took full advantage. Since we were on a budget, I thought I’d check out the Hotels Tonight app. It’s great for finding deals a few days before (or the night of) you want to book a hotel. Best thing? They hand select these hotels based on their own standards so you don’t have to. The Refinery Hotel popped up on the app. Working in Midtown Manhattan, I’ve passed The Refinery Hotel quite a few times and always admired it, so I insisted we book it. The weekend consisted of room service, cocktails in the lobby and a Saturday night out including Kinky Boots on Broadway. Our adventure ended with a delicious Sunday brunch at Parker & Quinn, conveniently right next door to The Refinery. Roaming the city with my family almost made me forget of my usual hustle & bustle in those streets. Happy #staycationing babes!

Catskills Animal Sanctuary

11-09-15

My boyfriend’s family invited us to spend a weekend at the Catskills Animal Sanctuary. Little did I know, I would leave that weekend making the choice to become a pescatarian. When we first arrived, we took a tour around their farm. I heard stories about each animal and what their life would have been like if they weren’t saved. All I ever knew was having meat and dairy in every meal as a necessity. This place taught me otherwise. Not only was the view of the farm breathtaking, but The Homestead (bed and breakfast, if you will) that was on the property was so quaint. They even made us a full vegan breakfast. & to be honest, I could hardly tell the difference that it was dairy free.

At night we visited the downtown area of Woodstock, NY. It was the cutest little town! We ate at The Garden Cafe, a delicious vegan restaurant. I had the spinach pesto pasta and again, could hardly tell that it was dairy free! If this trip taught me anything it’s that there are so many alternatives now to making equally delicious meals with out meat or dairy.

You can check out their food blog with all of these amazing recipes here. The recipe for the pancakes they made for us can be found here.

The pancakes made at The Homestead.

The Garden Cafe.

The spinach pesto pasta from the Garden Cafe.

BERMUDA.

9-30-15

Who knew Bermuda’s sand was actually pink. I should know, I compared it to my pastel pink Quay sunglasses when I was there. Bermuda is such a beautiful place and I was excited to share that experience with my Aunt. It was a trip filled with adventure, delicious food and lots of sunshine. Can you ask for anything more?

We stayed at The Fairmont Southampton that’s a gorgeous pastel pink. The first day was a little rainy so we took advantage of the ferry to the City of Hamilton. Honestly, I didn’t expect it to be so, hip? We ate at this delicious breakfast spot called Devils Aisle. Aside from the amazing french toast & eggs benedict, I got the Coco Loco (iced coconut latte), which was delicious. We roamed around town and found this cute little shop, Urban Cottage, that seemed like a mixture of Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters.

The rest of the sun-filled days were spent at the pool and exploring beaches. My favorite beach was Horseshoe Bay. There is a little cove in Horseshoe Bay that is basically a mini aquarium at your feet. It was a beautiful trip.

LAKE CHAMPLAIN.

8-30-15

Last week I went camping in Lake Champlain, NY. I spent the weekend sleeping feet away from this beautiful beach. The lake was so peaceful and quiet. It was a nice break from the constant noise in the city. Aside from family-filled days of sunbathing, kayaking, and paddleboarding, we decided to take a ferry over to Burlington, VT. It was the cutest little city with breweries, boutiques, and these amazing light fixtures at every main intersection. It was a nice change of pace and I’m definitely planning on making a second trip soon.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

6-15-15

I am ashamed to admit this past weekend was my first trip to The Metropolitan Museum of Art. It would take years to get through all of the beautiful art in that place. For now, I found myself walking through the Modern and Contemporary Art section. Art that was misunderstood and colorful. The pieces looked different and each told their own story. Oh, and I couldn’t resist snapping a photo in front of those beautiful color pallets at the end. 🙂

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