New Jersey Surprise (pt. 2)

Second day was a lot. 

Fun, of course, but a lot went down. No drama (that's only with my mom's side of the family...).

Anyway, what's amazing about my family is we can pick up right where we left off. There's been about three years since we've all been together and, yes, so much has changed, but we're all so open and nonjudgmental that we can say anything and laugh and have a great time without any forcefulness.

So, the photos above. Down the street from the hotel that the other half of the cousins were staying was a small antique car show. There was live music, street vendors, and an interesting group of people to gawk over (think gray goatees accompanied by a bandana a la Bret Michaels with some amount of leather or rhinestone on their asses). 

We mostly lingered in a unique vintage store called Vintage Variety trying on costumes, flipping through records, and stealing pins. Yes, maybe I have a slight "stealing" problem, but, if I'm at the grocery store and we're buying a bunch of bananas, I'm going to accept that it's okay to eat a banana as I stroll through the cereal aisle. Get over it.

Look out for Part 3 coming up next;)

New Jersey Surprise (pt. 1)

First day was a success. 

We arrived to the airport to find out that gay marriage was legalized in all 50 states; our plane ride was a quick 1.5 hours rather than the 4 hours I was ignorantly expecting; my dad was completely surprised and even got choked up (I was just done, full on tears, about to panic. I was surprised myself). Backstory: we planned a surprise family reunion for his 50th birthday and the entire family hasn't been together in 3 years.

Anyway, the night was continued at a restaurant right on the water. We sang and danced all night long.

Overall, perfect first day. 

Simple Jewelry

I'm obsessed with wearing small, dainty accessories. This is my mom's wrist, but mine looks similar. 

Wearing something little everyday is kind of essential in my mind. I always have two necklaces around my neck: a Hamsa and a wishbone are my favorites at the moment. 

The Perfect Blend (for some people)

I wish I was one of those girls who could drink a smoothie for breakfast and be satisfied. But I'm not. 

I typically eat two pieces of Ezekiel bread with soy nut butter. Not one piece like I should be having, two. Whatever. It's not unhealthy by any means.

What the ideal me would eat what's pictured above. Blitzed together strawberries, blueberries, and half a banana with half a cup of water and it made for the most delicious morning snack. I say "snack" because about an hour after that I ate a protein bar... and then probably a spoonful of peanut butter. Oops. 

Anyway, I feel like this smoothie was great, yet, I'm the type of person who loves snacking on fruits or vegetables in the afternoon in replace of crackers. However, when I drink a smoothie, I feel like I'll OD on sugar (and carbs) in the afternoon when I go to grab a handful of raspberries.

So the morning smoothie isn't for me. I'll just stick to my toast and soy nut butter.

Real Good Juice

Popped into this little juice bar the other day. Loved their 'punny' juice names like Juice Lee and Juicy Lu. 

The best part was as I was leaving, a woman sat down in front to smoke a cigarette! So wish I could have captured it. Obviously she was asked to leave but it was just so ironic you had to laugh.

That's all.

Green City Market

The other day I rolled out of bed and hopped down to the Green City Market. It's a huge farmer's market located right by the zoo/lake with local vendors and chefs serving up organic goods. 

I had been meaning to go for over a year and spontaneously dropped by yesterday, appetite and camera in tact. 

All of the fruit and veg burst with colors and the people there were colorful as well. There's so much diversity in a city, yet, small, local gatherings like this bring people together in a unique way. 

xx

My Morning Commute (Pt. 1)

I recently started my internship at a post production company, Conspiracy. It's located in a prime location downtown just a few steps away from amazing restaurants like Girl and the Goat and Soho House (can't wait to stop by there for lunch). 

My commute is pretty easy; less than a mile and coming in at around a 15-20 minute walk from the train. What makes the walk so much fun is the street art. 

Above are some of the peeps that linger on the walls of the city. I'm sure each time I walk down there I'll notice a new musing.

Hopefully, as the internship continues, I'll be able to film a short video of the commute. Thinking about investing in a small point and shoot camera... I'll keep ya posted.

Peanuts x Coach

Coach recently released a new app in collaboration with peanuts! 

The app features their new bags adorned with peanuts characters and a fun photo booth in which snoopy and friends can photo bomb your picture.

As you can see, I had a lot of fun with it.

And for those that are curious: the sweats pictured above are Zara, the sweater is French Connection, and the slides are Vans 

Beach Break

The other week during gym we walked to the beach, a quick 7 minutes away. 

The break was relaxing and definitely called for. School can feel like prison and the fluorescent lighting is draining to your energy. 

The burst of vitamin D was perfect.

And they all look just the same...

How monotonous! 

Took this photo while working out by the tracks the other week right around rush hour. 

A gaggle of middle aged men (and a handful of women) exited the train looking all the same. 

Brought the song "Little Boxes", the theme song to my favorite show Weeds, to mind. Everyone is dressed alike, wears stressed, tired faces, and carries themselves in a lackluster kind of way. 

Suburbs are like that. Symmetrical. Kind of a buzz kill.