Downtown Denim & Graffiti

There's grit as much as glamour when it comes to New York City.  In my heart, my neighborhood is the East Village.  Whenever I come to town, the same thoughts float through my mind.  When you're not there that often, the terrible things can even evoke a feeling of nostalgia.  The acrid smell of piss on the streets below mix in with the sweet smells of marijuana from the windows above.  There's a dirty sense of home about it all.

Dress:  Yumi Kim Jayne Dress, Jacket:  True Religion Denim Jacket,  Necklace:  J. Crew (old), Purse:  Rebecca Minkoff Eggshell Watersnake Clutch, Shoes:  J. Crew (old)

I raided my sister's closet, as she played stylist to my climate-limiting clothing.  October in the Northeast is sort of bipolar in regards to weather.  It's been about 3 months since I've been to New York City last.  It amazes me how fast the city can change while remaining the same.  Down in my sister's neighborhood are buildings covered in graffiti at every which way -- from Banksy (which at this very moment, I realize I completely forgot to photograph in a somewhat inebriated state) to paper collage installations.  

In the spirit of the first afternoon in a while where neither of us have any work to do, Isabel and I soaked up the neighborhood sights, doing a graffiti walk from Clinton St. over to Prince St.  Some sights of note had to be the walls on Clinton and Houston and at Houston and Bowery.  Scattered in between were small community parks, boutiques, coffee shops and book stores to give the hipster in you shivers.  We managed to snap some less fashion oriented photos along the way, with a spontaneous meeting with a New York Times best selling author.  Being the tease that I am, you'll have to read about it a little later this week when I post.

Until then, sound off below if your heart should so desire!

The Ladies of Bean Town

To state the seemingly apparent, I collect cities.  Depending on my work location, I'll settle down in the nearest metropolis, make friends, start a life, and move on when the next job post comes.  Last year, my adopted city was New York City, and it's becoming more apparent that this year, it's Boston.

I've been to Boston probably as many times as I've been to New York in the last year... and sadly enough collectively, I've probably been to both places more than I have been in my own home.  Aside from that point, it's been a delicious change of scenery, and yet a major cultural shift.  As my friend Kalie described it, it's like Boston has a collective heart and its people operate on a similar wavelength of city pride that you don't often see in many cities.  In Atlanta, you'll see baseball caps representing the Braves, Yankees or Dodgers, but in Boston, it's a consistent trend of Red Sox, Bruins, Patriots, Celtics and the occasional Pawtucket PawSox.

A few of my good girl friends and I took Labor Day weekend to explore the city mostly by foot and subway.  There's a beat and beauty to this city that I love.  Walking around, Boston has all of the bustle of a major city from its skyscrapers to its hecklers, but it has a historic reverence to it, what with its ivy covered townhomes, gilded town halls, and brick-laden behemoth that is Fenway.  I had the supreme pleasure of getting a tour of the city from Dana, my best friend Anita's friend from college (yes, world, this is adulthood, where friend-of-friend-of-friends prevail), in which we walked post-White Sox game from Fenway over to North End and finally to Cambridge and were practically agog at every corner.  I think my propensity for photo-taking can speak for itself in this case. 

Put simply and in conversational Vivian terms, "GAHHH I WANT TO MOVE HERE."

(In case you were wondering, the Red Sox deftly beat the White Sox to day, 7 to 6).

Fresh, Fit and Fab: 3.1 Phillip Lim x Target Review

If there's a lesson to be learned from designer collaborations, it's that whatever your expectations built from pictures and previews online, should be lowered in store.  It comes to no surprise that while stylish, the product can often be lacking in fit, material or quality in real life.  Let me be clear, however, this is not the case with Phillip Lim.  This is not to say that the collection is perfect, but in the land of Target/Kohl's/H&M/etc. collaborations, it's damn near close.

The fit was nearly perfect on most of the clothes I tried on.  While quality at best is off (it's Target, what do you expect?), I think it goes without saying that this is something special given the amount of press and "prep" articles it received across the internet.  Fortunately, living in Atlanta, we get much less of the mayhem experienced in other cities.  I got to the Target at Atlantic Station a little past 11 a.m., right before a throng of people followed.  Since it was still rather stocked, I was able to snag pieces that I were right up my style and a some that I probably wouldn't have normally touched with a three foot pole.

Phillip Lim x Target Floral Peplum Tank

Imagine my surprise when the floral peplum tank not only fit me in all the right ways, but actually looked good.  The fit was perfect, hugging all the right curves.  This would in turn be indicative to most of tops of the collection.

Left to right:  Gray Sparkle Tank, Navy/Green Pullover, Boom French Terry Sweatshirt

The dresses of the collection were more hit or miss.  While it looks great on a say a 6 ft, size 0 model, on a normal person's body, the practicality of it was severely questioned.  Hence the facial expression in the photo below.  The fit for some lacked like the gray sweater dress, but was amazing for illogical buys such as the animal print knit dress.

Cruisin' down the coast, goin' 'bout 99

The longer I stay at this job, the more of a necessity vacations become to me.  I'm an absolute psycho when it comes to vacations.  Got a day and a half to spare?  Let's fly across the country.  It's indicative of the job.  In my line of work, it's a very work-hard-play-hard mentality.

Given that I'm on a bit of an insane work schedule right now that allows me only two days home, the trip to Indian Rocks, Florida proved to be a 36-hour trip.  Nonetheless, it was amazing and totally called for.  There's nothing like coming out of the airport and just feeling a wave of humidity hit you as the doors slide open.  I live for weekends, now-in-days, and going into Labor Day it's become an ever present reminder to treat yourself right whenever you can.

As such, have a great Labor Day.  If I can harass someone to take pictures, I'll write something a little more exciting next time.  In the mean time, I'll try to be a little less of a wreck... when it comes to work and everything else.

Snapshots from Boston

Ever taken a personality test?  Over the last week, I've noticed a good amount of Facebook posts about the myths to being an introvert.  For example, introverts don't like public speaking or being in crowded rooms.  It comes at a surprise to most people that I am an introvert, and if you've ever met me in person, you'd think differently.  However, I couldn't agree with my Myers-Briggs type more.  I think my favorite definition of an introvert is someone who draws energy from being alone.  There's something thrilling to me about being able to wander and explore by yourself.

Working full time has given me an appreciation for those stolen moments alone, as rare as they can be in my profession.  Last Friday, I had the opportunity of going to our company's office in Boston to have my computer fixed.  No computer meant no way of working, and with no way of working, that meant more time for exploration.  Our office is conveniently located in Back Bay, one of the oldest neighborhoods of the city and home to Copley Square (excellent shopping) and the Boston Public Library.  If you didn't know any better, you'd think I purposely brought my camera out for this.

Aside from the tourists, which for a Friday morning weren't too large in amount, the day proved to be a perfect source of creativity.  I'm one of those weird people (I think it comes from way one too many creative writing classes) who likes to write novels in their head when their alone.  I never actually write down anything, but it's fun to muse on for a bit.  With the Italian architecture and the coffered ceilings, it's really hard not to find inspiration there.

The Pack List: 36 Hours in Tampa

Packing has never been my strong suit.  To be more specific, I'm a notorious over-packer, and a serial baggage dumper when it comes to leaving luggage at my hotel.  To a point, I'm one of those people who like an outfit for all occasions.  Even more so, I'm one of those people who constantly think that they can get reading and other life work (that involves weighty items) accomplished within a trip's span.

The Fauxgchamps Bag

In the spirit of defying odds and following in the footsteps of knowledgeable people like Jean from Extra Petite, I made a first attempt at packing efficiency for this weekend's 36-hour stint in Tampa, Florida.  In retrospect, I would deem this trip's packing job as a half success, considering I still had to leave my baby camera in the hands of one of my friends to take back as it wouldn't fit in my faux Longchamps ("Fauxngchamps") bag.

Of which containing:

3 sets of swim suits 2 dresses - one beach cover-up and one maxi 1 pair of jeans 1 skirt 2 pairs of sandals

3 tops 2 pairs of shorts Tolietries, make-up, jewelry Some reading material

All that went in, and all that it came from.

Looking at this now, I'm not terribly sure how I accomplished putting all of this stuff in here.  I dare say, I'm impressed.  The takeaways?  Despite my fear of "anything can happen," I probably would've not packed about 40% of what I did.  As well, communicating what the plans were with the group first would have also been a good place to start the pack-planning.  Not to mention, going to the mall before you fly out could be considered a bad idea.  That being said, I completely resent the last statement considering I came out with a cute Club Monaco top.  Take that, efficiency!

Readers, any packing tips for the packing-deficient?  Is there hope for me somewhere out there?

Friday Notables & Quotables

Following the marathon that was experienced the last two weeks at work, I finally have a break.  I'm in Boston this morning before I fly out, waiting for my computer to be fixed.  No computer means no way I can get do work (understandably so), and hence, a forced break and some much needed bakery-blogging time!  It's really a perfect day to do so.

WATCHABLE:  "J. Crew and the Man Who Dressed America", CNBC Special

Last week, I went on an absolute J. Crew binge, which still has yet to manifest itself again into the deep-delving blog post that I promised.  CNBC did a fascinating profile on J. Crew CEO Micky Drexler a couple years ago showcasing his management style and J. Crew's rise from fashion meh to cult brand.  It's viewable for free on Hulu if you want a little education.  

COVETABLE:  3.1 by Phillip Lim for Target

I'm a skeptic of high-fashion collaborations with more affordable retailers, but when pictures came out from Philip Lim's collaboration with Target... words couldn't even describe them.  Until the clothes actually come out and demonstrate how the quality actually is, I'm still superbly jazzed about the peplum tops, sparkle-dappled dresses, and BAM! scarves that are on display on Refinery29.

READABLE:  Jennifer Lawrence in Vogue's September Issue

From an news writing perspective, the Vogue's September issue article on cover girl Jennifer Lawrence is definitely more than a bit biased.  Then again, Jennifer Lawrence is brilliant so I'm not going to argue against that very much so.  I love how this article does give a different picture of Jennifer Lawrence, who a year later is going through much less spotlight pre-Hunger Games/Oscars madness.  Also, there are pictures of her with puppies, and who doesn't love puppies?

ADORABLE:  Kanna's Imagination

Internet-aggregator-and-sometimes-news-source, Buzzfeed posted a collection of adorable pictures from Japanese photographer Nagano Toyokazu.  Toyokazu photographs his daughter Kanna in a variety of adorable circumstances like screaming at radishes, getting proposed to a Ken doll, and playing with stuffed pandas.

AUDIBLE:  Lake Bell on NPR's Fresh Air

Lake Bell did a great interview with actor Fred Melamud and Terry Gross on NPR last week.  Bell and Melamud play a father and daughter in a comedy about movie trailer voice actors.  Funnily enough, both of them are voice actors (just in different capacities).  It's an interesting interview, I promise.

If you have anything to distract me with, comment below.  I'm much obliged, or else I'm going to the mall at Copley Square because I can't do anything from my personal computer.  Comment away!

The Fun in Errors and Trifles

Have any of you guys ever written up an entire document or journal entry, and then accidentally delete it all and never recover it again?  It's funny how often that happens.  I think I'm at the point in my life where I acknowledge it, say a quick "that sucks" and move on.  Then again, that means I just get to do all of the writing and researching again this weekend, which does make me a bit excited.

Jacket:  J. Crew Nolita Indigo Denim Jacket, Shirt:  J. Crew Silk Color Block Camisole (sold out), Shorts: J. Crew 3" Chino Shorts, Necklace:  J. Crew Crystal Feather Necklace (sold out), Shoes:  Sam Edelman Heels (old), Purse:  Banana Republic, Sunglasses:  Kate Spade Gayla Wayfarers.

Call me a nerd, but I've incredibly jazzed about writing on business lately, specifically retail strategy and management.  Inspiration, as such, has come from a random source.  Case in point, the blog post lost was a discussion of J. Crew's success in revamping their brand image.  Inspiration in this instance has arisen from the fact that I completely binged last week on the J. Crew end-of-summer sale online, which explains the results of said purchases shown in pictorial form.  It truly is the power of the invisible hand at it's best, folks.  Now, thoughts are flowing once I've received these purchases, particularly, for two reasons:

• Firstly, ever notice how J. Crew's discounts (at least in the last year and a half I've been tracking this) never go above the additional 40% off?
• Secondly, how did J. Crew manage to completely revamp its image from the brand of my childhood (a somewhat itchy, standard brand of khakis and polos) to being the forefront of consumer fashion?

I've chatted with my roommate about namely the latter point in regards to how well J. Crew has done with its image.  Coming from a marketing background, she was quick to point out the flaws as much as their successes in their quick rise to cult-stardom.  At the risk of saying too much before I start writing again, I'll cut this discussion short as I have one more training video to run for work, and sleep is probably important.

 Consider this your warning, friends.  As you'll probably be hearing a good chunk of my business opinions and babbling as a result of this hobby.  I'm already having buckets of fun framing the argument in my head.  

I do have some questions, if you feel obliged to answer.  Any way to recover improperly deleted posts on the Internet?  Any tips for the wary Blogger user?  If you do, however, have some thoughts about the aforementioned questions, give me a holler.  It'd be great to get some other opinions in the mix.  You might get something out of it, like my undying love and appreciation.

To Not Fade Away

I think I read somewhere once that you're not truly a writer unless you give yourself fully to the craft.  You give your emotions, your memories, and your heart to the words that you produce on the paper.  In a way, I've been struggling with how to write this or even if I should write this over the last month.  In a way, it almost seems appropriate to let these feelings and words flow out.  If someone can read it and gain something, then Lord knows what things can happen with it.  Here it goes:

One of my best friends passed away a month and a week ago from today.  Today would've been her 24th birthday.  When you get into college, they tell you on your first day that you're going to meet the friends that will last forever and change your lives.  In the occasion that that advice actually does pan out, it's an amazing feeling.

Jumping at Paradise Cove, Hawaii (courtesy of my friend Jenn)

My girl was an inspiration.  She was a friend, a traveler, a sister, a maverick, a sounding board, a singer, a dancer, a purveyor of ridiculous times to be had, and quite possibly one of the loveliest and most sincere individuals you will ever meet in a lifetime.  It was impossible not to like her.  The funny thing is, no matter who you were (even if you were a complete stranger), you'd fall in love with her.  

At her memorial at Georgia Tech

We met 3 years ago in a Financial Engineering class in junior year of college.  It's almost ridiculous to think you could grow so close to a person in a comparatively small amount of time.  From late night study sessions to trips to the local brewery, our friendship grew more as we entered the adult world.  Yes, we and many of our other friends didn't get to see each other much, but when we did, it felt like pieces of a puzzle coming together.  It just fit.

When you graduate, you make promises to friends that you'll keep in touch and see each other often.  I think in reality, it doesn't happen that often.  On the other hand, I had the distinct pleasure of seeing our girl 4 times last year.  With friends or with just each other, we went to Washington D.C., New York City, Boston and Honolulu together.  In Boston, we had brunch together on Charles St (as now remembered in a probably terribly written blog post), and talked about our plans for the future.  She had been living in Hawaii for almost a half year at that point, and shared the amazing goals she had for the next two years.  With those goals, she possessed such a clear vision of how she wanted to help people through her work and inspire passion amongst the 20-somethings of our generation by finding what their own right paths.  In looking back at that moment, I see now how much vitality she always possessed just in that very moment, and what vigor she had to reach those goals.

At her memorial at Georgia Tech

If I could freeze one memory now, it would be the 2nd morning of our visit to her place in Hawaii.  She had woken up early and gone outside, while a friend and I were chatting in a sinking air mattress on her living room floor.  Just the face, the laugh, the smile, the shriek of glee coming out of her as she jumped in on some girl time with us, encapsulated our friendship -- pure joy.  To say the least, she will be missed and remembered for a long time.

If you've managed to get this far in reading this post and feel it compelled in your heart to give back, her friends and family have set up a scholarship in her name here.  In the box that says "in memory of", please type in "Liz Tarpey."  Additionally, in the comment box, please write "This gift is for the Gamma Eta Scholarship Fund and is made in memory of Liz Tarpey."  

If you have made it this far, thanks for reading.  :)

Friday Notables & Quotables

It's Friday, Friday, gotta get down on Friday-ay -- Oh, you startled me.  Nothing gets me going like the knowledge that I'm going to be back home in Atlanta for the first time in 3 weeks.  Here are some links that have gotten me through the last week, slash month, slash whenever I stopped writing here.

READABLE:  40 Days of Dating

Depending on what you start reading this, be prepared for the gigantic time suck this will take on your day.  Spurred by their terrible dating histories, artists/creative types/adorable human beings/long time friends Tim Goodman and Jessica Walsh challenge themselves to date each other for 40 days, with rules of course.  I (as well as the 20 other sorority sisters of mine that I shared this with) have been absolutely obsessed watching this play out up to today (Day 19).  Tim and Jessica have already finished the experiment in the spring, but are just posting their day-by-day journal entries from now until August.

WATCHABLE:  Candidly Nicole

Candidly Nicole is a web series produced by AOL Video, documenting Nicole Richie as she navigates everything from family life to dating advice, break dancing to pageant queens.  Exactly, how scripted this series is is up for debate, but it's got the crazy comments of the Simple Life with the increasing classiness that comes with maturity.  Not to mention, I'm absolutely head over heels for everything she wears.  Girl knows how to work it.

EATABLE:  Multiply Delicious

My friend Olivia, who runs the lovely food blog Olivia's Palate, has been preaching the the gospel of paleo eating for at least the last two years to me.  Finally, after a rather successful turn at dieting, I'm drinking the Koolaid.  In the few weekends that I actually am at home, I go to Multiply Delicious.  If you're not willing to spend the extra cash on things like coconut flour, you can still make some pretty delicious things by substituting ingredients.

AUDIBLE:  "Love, Love, Love" by Of Monsters and Men live at the Kex Hotel

This song has remained pretty close to my heart over the last month.  It was a really rough month last month, despite all the pictures from Iceland.  In any case, it was rather cool to discover that this was filmed at the last hostel we stayed at in Reykjavik.  I will admit, it's not the best rendition of this song Of Monsters and Men have performed, so do check out the album version.  However, the filming was done beautifully.

DISCOVERABLE:  Messy Wands
Last but not least, check out something pretty and sparkly.  If I haven't already posted this, then well I'll be damned.  My friend Cary introduced me to a blog of one of her acquaintances.  Messy Wands is an encyclopedia of knowledge for newbie to putting on make up.  The products are a little pricey, but it does provide a good index of how to master certain styles.  Also, sparkly, shiny things are wonderful no matter how you look at it.

If you have any recommendations of blogs, songs, articles, other cool things to check out, let me know below.  I love things that waste time.

Sisterly Bonding at the Hester Street Fair

My sister Isabel is one of the most fashionable and creative people I know.  In all seriousness, it's almost as if all of the talent genes skipped me and went straight to her.  During my extended layover to New York City last weekend, I got to stay with her at her recently moved-in and slowly-to-be-furnished apartment in the Lower East Side.  Given the short time that I was in New York for this week (much of it spend nursing my sore legs and avoiding the heat), we walked from the southern edge of East Village to Hester Street, a small street comprised of basketball/volleyball courts and random supply shops.  

That's the thing that I love about Manhattan.  No two neighborhoods are ever the same.  Lower East Side gets a bad rap for being a little grittier by night, with its clubs and bars.  In all honesty, I still can't say it's my favorite.  What I will say, however, is that our walk through the Lower East Side to Hester St. did provide a nice change of pace.  Not to mention, its host to the ever-wonderful Hester Street Fair, which breathed of ethnic fusion foods (Chinese/Indian, Japanese/Kosher, the list continues...).

On me:  Madewell Long Tank Dress, J. Crew Factory Bubble Necklace, Kate Spade Gayla Wayfarers
On her:  Yumi Kim Jayne Dress, Rayban Wayfarers, Tory Burch Reva flats

It's a small weekly event on a small stretch of concrete next to the basketball courts, nearly missable if it weren't for the giant sign at the front of the park.  Filled with handicraft jewelers, vintage clothiers and delicious treats, the fair makes for a quick but colorful Saturday stop.  Not to mention, it made for some fabulous people watching.  There is seriously nothing that delights me more than watching a bunch of New York City hipsters doing their mostly stereotypical thing (looking for outfits I could never dream of accomplishing and eating random foods, like Kosher/Japanese... really?).

Iceland by Food

At last, the grand vacation is over, as I am on a train hurdling towards Providence and scrapping together an article about Iceland for my job council's monthly newsletter.  I'm weighing the options as to what to write about, and none of them seem particularly interesting. Most of what remains of the trip lies in the Lululemon grocery bag of candy and cookies for coworkers and loads of pictures (in addition to the mounds of luggage in my possession today).  Let's be honest here, I've never been terribly good at being an efficient packer, but pictures of what I ate always made a compact souvenir.

Here's what I can deduce about the culinary scene in Iceland in so few words:  seafood, soup, Skyr, and super expensive.  Early on in the trip, Kalie and I learned the hard way that eating cheaply in Iceland was nearly impossible.  The average "decent" meal went for over 2500+ krona at least (about $20).  After gutting out loads of cash on a car and a hotel, it made it a little harder.  The bright side?  When you're cold and hungry, you get satisfied easily by soup and sandwiches, and then when you finally get sick of that, you spoil yourself regardless.

The cost efficient comprised of delicious lamb soups in Gullfoss' park cafeteria, which served all-you-can-eat soup and bread for about $15, to a beautiful egg sandwich at a gas station outside of Skaftafell National Park.  For breakfast, we dined on Trader Joe's/Whole Foods granola bars from home, and along with the national food of Iceland, Skyr, a yogurt.

When we did spoil ourselves, we had whale kabobs and lobster soup at a shack in Reykjavik called the Sea Baron.  My personal food-related highlight had to be the Belgian waffles with rhubarb jam, chocolate and whipped cream with a latte at Tíu Dropar.  Assuredly, I will continue having dreams of that meal for the rest of my life.

We Conquer Glaciers

Alright.  My legs are consumed in some serious soreness right now.  If you know me, you'll know one of a couple things.  One, I'm a terrible driver (but that's beside the point), and two, I'm not an athletic person, though I very well try to be or at people try to convince me into thinking that I am.  

The crown jewel of activity for the entire trip was that the latter thought was proven very much wrong.  Kalie and I climbed not only one, but two glaciers, and climbed an ice cliff.  The latter of which again, I'm probably never going to do it again, because as it turns out, I'm incredibly afraid of heights.  Nonetheless, it was absolutely killer to be hanging off of a side of a glacier.

Separated by two days an two different companies (Arcanum Mountain Guides and Icelandic Mountain Guides), we climbed the Sólheimajökull and Vatnajökull glaciers in the Southern part of Iceland.  Both companies outfitted us in picks and cramp-ons, which are used to keep you from slipping into a crevasse.  So now the question is, did I fall into a hole, as some would predict?

Chasing Waterfalls (... & Geysirs)

There's a saying in Icelandic that goes, "If you don't like the weather, wait 10 minutes."  Coming from someone who has lived in Seattle for three months, the saying is an understatement to the sheer volatility of the weather.  In anywhere from 5 minutes, it can go from rain to sun to torrential downpour.  Not to mention, it's cold!  Hence, this is why I will regard the next few blog posts as my "Bear Grylls" period, and why how terribly happy I am back in Reykjavik with make up and somewhat form-fitting clothing.

One of the main attractions of Iceland anchors in a circular highway system called the Ring Road.  There, you'll find a variety of natural wonders, like Stokkar and Geysir, where the term geyser was derived from, and waterfalls like Skogarfoss and Gullfoss.  Our trip took us through the Southern and Eastern coasts of Iceland, along the Ring Road and Route 1 highways.  For about 50% of the trip, we were blessed with some pretty fantastic views when we visited Pingvellir (a division between the North American and European tectonic plates), Stokkar (Gulfoss (waterfall), and Skogarfoss (waterfall).  For the rest of it, it rained, too much for liking.

Hot Springs at the Blue Lagoon

Suffice it to say, as I'm writing in a thin-walled hotel lobby in Vík with a slightly swollen foot, we're in Iceland.  Fully embracing the spirit of adventure in an otherwise corporate world, my friend Kalie and I landed in Keflavik International Airport, about 45 minutes outside of the capital city Rejkyavik.  In as few words as possible, Iceland is cold.  It became quickly evident that despite being chic and incredibly comfortable to wear, my Madewell maxi dress was no match for nearly constant threat of drizzle and breeze.

The bright side?  It did make for an easy to wear dress for our first stop, the Blue Lagoon Geothermal Spa, an almost requirement for all international tourists coming to Iceland.  Built over a geothermal power plant, the spa features huge pools of sulfur-enriched, hot waters and silica mud that smoothes the skin.  Seriously, I couldn't get over how soft my skin was after.

The spa also provides shampoo, conditioner and a hot shower once you exit the warm waters for the ridiculously cold outdoors.  The hitch?  Clearly, the Icelandic have little interest regarding shower curtains, if you know what I mean.  In the anticipation that the showers may have played out like a game of Marco Polo, both my travel buddy and I came out unscathed for the most part, and ready to explore.

Since the lobby is winding down for the night and I'm about to fall asleep right on this couch, this is it for tonight.  I'll keep posting the rest of our adventures, not to mention some sweet photos, in the coming days.

Back to Basics

I'm back from a "soul-searching" hiatus, so to speak.  Have things changed in the last 4 months?  Less than you would think, and more than you could ever imagine.  The intention was to change.  For a while, writing here became all-consuming.  The more that was written, the more superficial it felt, as if what was spilling out of my own fingertips didn't belong.

One of my professors told me once, "Stick to what you know.  The rest will follow."  Henceforth, it'll be less fluff, more meat, more story.  Now, aside for the flair for the dramatic, know well, I'll try my damnedest to keep it going this time around.

On Hiatus

In short, work has been tough.  Going on hiatus for a little bit until the busy days are over.  Give your girl some love below.  Hopefully when I come back, it'll usher in a new era of JET.SET.GO, where I'll actually have time to write.

Until then, hugs and kisses.

Travelogue: The Printed Catch-Up | New York Public Library

It's 5 A.M. and I'm blogging.  Has it come to this, dear cyber world?  That the only time I can write is in the wee hours of the morning?  Not so much, but my impending flight is delayed and as such, I couldn't think of a better way to spend an hour than to catch up on some much needed B&R time (that's Blog and Rest time).

In the attempt to combine a date with a working session, JZ took me to the New York Public Library a couple weeks ago.  As such, flashes of epic historic moments flashed before my eyes as we walked through the hallowed, tourist filled corridors.  The Gutenberg bible housed there, the scores of poems inspired by it, and, hell, Carrie Bradshaw nearly getting married to Big with a bird on her head.  Yes, I went there.

Rather than blather on about books and such, I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.  

Exterior of the New York Public Library at night.

An Honest Look: LOVE by Prabal Gurung x Target

For lack of a better way to phrase it, I got bored last weekend and decided to go to not one, but two Target locations in the metro Atlanta area to check out the launch of Prabal Gurung's latest collaboration.  If you've been reading the blog, I've been incredibly jazzed about this about this for a while.  Sad to say, however, I was a tad disappointed in not the quality of the clothes, but just the product inventory that they decided to bring.  Mind you, this is Target and not Bergdorf's, but nonetheless, I'm a big proponent of stick with what you market.

I got to both stores in the late afternoon on Sunday, and was keen on acquiring a pair of black strappy heels and a red ruffled dress (you know, for dates with JZ...).  Unfortunately, both stores only possessed neon items of both varieties.  Not to mention, much of the items paired in Target's lookbook weren't available, as one item was there and another item was no where to be found, which was insanely disappointing for those wanting to recreate looks.  I'm not sure if this was the case in every store, but it definitely was the case in the two different locations I visited.

I ended up pulling 3 different pieces, and proceeded to pull a massive self-picture session in the dressing room.  No shame here.  Check out the damage on the next page.

Deals & Steals 2/5 - 2/12

It's still Tuesday, I know, but I'm still insanely excited for this weekend.  While it's not exactly the best of weeks, especially coming after January Let's-Get-Rid-of-All-Our-Merch sales, but hey, we're entering a new season!  Filled with groundhogs predicting early spring, Beyonce's world tour, and everything in between.  Alright, my excitement is a little more targeted.  For starts, Prabal Gurung finally launches his collection for Target on Sunday, 2/10.  Not to mention, Barneys New York just started their warehouse sale website.  It's not that cheap, but it sure is pretty to look at.  Check out a listing of this week's deals and steals below.

• Ann Taylor Loft -extra 40% full price styles (with code TAKE40) and 30% off sale styles
• ASOS - Final Clearance up to 70% off, ongoing.
• Barneys Warehouse - Website launch.
• Club Monaco - Extra 30% off sale styles with code COZYUP30, ends 2/8.
• Cusp by Neiman Marcus - Up to 40% off.
• Kate Spade - Surprise Sale, up to 70% off sale items, ends 2/6.
• Prabal Gurung for Target - Love Collection launches 2/10..
• Sorel - additional 10% off winter sale items with code WINTERSCORE, ends 2/18.

In Transit: Train & Vignettes

I think this time around I'm going to take a new approach to planning out my life.  Instead of making promises that I'll break like telling people that I'll write more, I'm just going to preach the value of "no."  It appears that every time I say "yes, I will do something", life happens to body slam me with work.  This month, I vow to say no in the vain hopes that that no will turn into a freer schedule.

That said, I thought about this morning how nice it would've been to write a fantastic little vignette on riding trains and being free-spirited.  Instead, I worked my little toosh off from New York City - Penn Station to Providence, save an hour nap and a snapshot or two from Instagram.

Manhattan skyline taken from the Acela, via Instagram.

I love trains.  Something about a train station just breathes whimsy to me... with the very specific exception of Penn Station, which is an awful place.  Yet, train stations in their glory evoke a sense of vintage and old school romance, a la 2009's Chanel No. 5 commercial... and while, working on a train on Monday morning is stressful, there is nothing better than getting off at my little station and Providence, heading for a sandwich at Café la France, and all the while singing Simon and Garfunkel songs in your head.

Eats & Treats: Lunch date at JCT Kitchen

It's late, but my heart sings that it wants to write... or at the very least, share cell phone photos from the weekend in Atlanta before bedtime.  Saturday morning, I caught up with an old friend at Westside Provisions.  The stomach was longing for some comfort food, so JCT Kitchen (one of Atlanta's premiere Southern restaurants) seemed like an obvious choice.  While in my heart of hearts, I'd rather not leave this post to be a "I am tired so here are some pictures," my rapidly deteriorating state of mind isn't helping.  So above else, enjoy!

Chicken and dumplings at JCT Kitchen

Deals & Steals 1/17 - 1/24 Edition

I'll let you in on a little secret.  Ignore winter sales.  Pre-Christmas sales.  After-Christmas sales.  New Years sales.  Ignore them all.  The savvy shopper knows that the best time to buy clothes is at the end of January.  Now that I've let that secret out, doesn't it make sense?  Mid-January marks the beginning of the spring fashion shows, spring fashion campaigns, and new looks to make the previous year's styles... well, cheap?

And, by cheap, I mean it in a good way.  Check out these loads of extra percents offs this weekend and make it worth your while both online and in store.

Ann Taylor Loft Peplum Dress in Loft Scuba; Nine West Sammy Bootie; J. Crew Grand Stone Bracelet; Tibi Natalia Cap Sleeve Dress

• Alice + Olivia - Up to 75% off, ends 2/4.
• Ann Taylor - Extra 50% off all sale styles.  
• Ann Taylor Loft - Extra 60% off sale items and extra 30% of new styles, ends 1/21.
• Bergdorf Goodman - Final Designer Sale, up to 75% off designer goodes.
• Bloomingdales - 5 Day Sale, 20% to 50% off, plus an extra 15% off with code 5DAYSALE, ends 1/21.
• Forever 21 - Extra 50% off with code EXTRA50, ends 1/20.
• Gap - MLK Sale, extra 30% off online with code GAPDEAL and extra 40% in stores, ends 1/21.
• J. Crew - Extra 30% off with code STYLEFIND, ends 1/20.
• Macy's - Super Weekend Sale, extra 15% off with code WKND, ends 1/20.
• Madewell - Extra 40% off all sale items with code LOVE40, ends 1/28.
• Mango - 50%, 60%, 70% off sale.
• Neiman Marcus - Last Call Sale, up to 75% off with an extra 25% off, ends 1/19.
• Nine West - Up to 70% off with an extra 20% off all sale items, ends 1/22.
• Piperlime - Up to 70% off final sale items
• Theory - 50% off winter styles.
• Tibi - Extra 30% off with code WINTER30, ends 1/21.

Travelogue: Auld Lang Syne, I'm Alive!

Snowfall in Providence, Rhode Island

Is it too late to write a New Year's post?  It's been a couple weeks into the new year, and already I've half-mangled all of my resolutions.  For the sake of not boring you, let's skip over the sad, pathetic details of these attempts and reflect on how hard it is to maintain a steady lifestyle when you live out of a suitcase.  There's always hope for next year.  Remember lovelies, I never promised that I was good at this traveling thing... only that I do it a lot.

As the fates should have it, I am in the Northeast once again.  This time, for a one year stint in Providence, Rhode Island, to which there are a variety of feelings that I would prefer not to get into.  More importantly, I'm alive!  Though, I've been subsisting on a diet of hotel food and coffee for the last week.  No matter, things will settle down.  In any case, old friends, I just wanted to you to know I'm alive... and in Rhode Island.  Also, that it snowed here?

I jest.  I have big plans for the blog this year.  Firstly, a makeover, as you can see the construction going on.  Perhaps even some better quality pictures?  Let's say this, I resolve (3 weeks into the new year) to go further, have crazier adventures, shop less but more effectively, and document it all for your viewing pleasure.

And until then, my lovelies, happy new year and three weeks!