Four Fab Faves

I follow somewhere around 40 blogs on Bloglovin' (my blog wrangler of choice), and lately I haven't been keeping up with them as much as I'd like to (hello 700 unread posts in my feed). That being said, there are 4 blogs that I check EVERYDAY. I realized that I religiously follow 2 "celeb" bloggers, aka bloggers I don't know that are super popular as well as 2 "friend" bloggers, aka bloggers that I know IRL (Hay girls!).

As a person that is constantly striving to implement daily habits, the fact that these 4 women have captured my attention to the point where I wake up everyday ready to read their content says SO much! I thought this warranted a blog post and possibly a party!

I realized that of the 4 blogs, 2 can be categorized as lifestyle blogs, while the other 2 are definitely personal style blogs. Coincidence? I think not, keep reading below for my Four Fabulous Favorite Blogs!

If you aren't already following these ladies, I highly recommend doing so!

Iconic

I recently read this post on Habitually Chic and felt an immediate need to visit The Frick Collection, which I had previously visited during my first semester of college (hello 2007). I have to admit, I appreciated the collection so much more this time, now that I chose to attend and that I did so on a lovely Wednesday afternoon, with no time constraints holding me back. 

Unfortunately, I was unable to take pictures of the collection itself, but I was able to snap a few within the inner courtyard and of the outdoor garden (visible from 70th street outside the main entrance). If you have a free afternoon and find yourself craving an intimate representation of art in a gorgeous "old New York" mansion, treat yourself to some time in The Frick Collection, and be sure to snag a free audio guide, which really enhanced my visit with tid bits about the collection and its original curator. 

While you're visiting The Frick, I highly recommend making the short walk over to 5th ave to visit the FAO Schwarz store. This iconic NYC toy store will be closed on July 17, 2015. It's a must-see, the site of the infamous piano scene from the movie Big, and a personal favorite. While visiting, I spent way too much money on bulk candy, and a mini black and white lips sofa to add to my bookshelf (purchased from the custom dollhouse shop within FAO). FAO is owned by Toys R Us (my former employer) and I have to admit that I am extremely disappointed in TRU for closing the doors of this amazing store, I was a bit emotional walking through the store realizing that I'll never know the pleasure of bringing my future children for a visit.

MDWear

Happy Memorial Day from my outfit to yours! I'm too excited to bust out my favorite thrifted denim shorts for today's feativities!

3 Ingredient Margaritas

In 2011, when I left my position at Hanky Panky my awesome coworkers took me out for a farewell Happy Hour. My old coworker and very close friend Erika ordered a margarita on the rocks. I took a sip and was immediately in love and that became my signature drink over the years. I've always thought it was silly that I didn't know how to make my signature drink at home, so I decided to learn. 

Happily, I was able to create my own 3 ingredient, somewhat healthy version (healthy in the sense that there is no sour mix or funky ingredients), which I'm sharing with you guys today. 

FYI- this would be the perfect cocktail to round out your MDW menu or upcoming BBQs and can be made ahead in a pitcher and poured over ice for guests!

MDW Scores

I feel like I have been working like a mad woman. I mentioned in my last post that I've put more time and effort into my new job than ever before (and I'm loving it), but it has definitely taken a bit of a toll on me-I'm exhausted! The good news is that I did not realize that MDW was upon us and I was so delightfully surprised last week when I realized that I would have this Monday off! In addition to a much appreciated day off and some time to reflect on those amazing men and women that served for our freedom is the amazing sales that most retailers offer on this glorious weekend.

I spend a lot less time on the computer in my new role which means I am no longer trolling websites for sales and "next up" purchases, so now, online shopping has become a real treat and one that I indulged in quite a bit this morning. I made 3 purchases (J Crew, Forever 21, and Old Navy), see below for what was worthy of me forking over my hard earned cash!

Changes. . .

I know I've been pretty negligent over here since the turn of 2015 and recently I've been even more quiet than usual. This was due to a pretty major transition in my life. I left my job recently and started a new one in a totally different industry/environment. Read on to see what's going on and how I've been feeling about it all!

Three weeks ago, I handed in my Toys R Us ID badge to my boss and cried a little as I hugged him and my team goodbye. I made the difficult and slightly scary decision to leave corporate America in favor of following my passion and returning home to The Fig Leaf boutique in Maywood NJ, where I worked throughout high school and college. The Fig Leaf offers women's apparel and accessories with a Prom/Evening wear specialty and my decision to return to this store was the product of many months of pondering my career path while also acknowledging my desire to return to women's fashion.

After 6 years at the store, I chose to leave (in 2011) in favor of working in Manhattan at the Hanky Panky headquarters and I then made the move back to NJ to work at Toys R Us corporate where I stayed for just under 3 years. While I absolutely ADORED my boss, team, and coworkers, I just wasn't convinced that I had found my niche. When my old/new boss contacted me to work on Saturdays in the store, I jumped at the chance and found myself really enjoying working and didn't mind working 40+ hours at TRU and then another 5-6 on Saturdays at the store.

After helping out on Saturdays for about 6 weeks, my boss broke her femur in a freak dance class fall and found herself unable to walk unassisted after emergency surgery and the timing presented itself for her to reach out to me to come back to the store full time as the manager. I found myself in a classic situation of "what is right for you will come to you". When I got that call and we started talking, I was already imagining myself in the store said yes the very next day.

Now, I can triumphantly say that I've completed 2 weeks of work, where I put in more time and effort than I have in any other position and I still LOVE IT! There were definitely some difficult moments, customers can be psychotic emotional at times, but I am certain that I've made the right decision and I feel completely renewed by it. Office hours at TRU were 8:30am-5:30pm and I would often find myself at work past 6 (my own doing, not that of my boss) while the boutique is open from 10-6 most days (10-7 on Th and 10-5 on Sat), which means I'm leaving home at about 9:15 and in the store by 9:30, which has made a HUGE difference in my mornings.

I've been trying to wake up around the same time that I used to (6:30/7am) and I've been able to do dishes, make the bed, take longer pup walks, stop at CVS, and even hit up my fave organic cafe for fresh juice all before starting my work day! Now that two weeks have been written in the books, my goal is to incorporate yoga and/or running into my pre-work routine, so stay tuned for an update on that.

In the mean time, please stop by and say "Hi" at The Fig Leaf Boutique in Maywood (98 w Pleasant St), I'd love to see you and help style you for any upcoming events you may have!