New York: Day 3

I got a little behind on my New York posts, but I kind of fell asleep at like 6:00 on our last night in New York, which is only to be expected after two long weeks of going, going, going.

We went to the Empire State Building. The view of the city from up high is so beautiful!

We ate a splendid panini in Little Italy, followed by some yummy gelato.

Then walked off dessert with a stroll on the Brooklyn Bridge.

I also got to try macarons for the first time from both La Maison du Chocolat and Buchon Bakery. Please don't ask me to pronounce either one of those names. I speak Spanish, not French. The macarons were even better than I imagined them to be! Now I must try to make them myself.

But the sweets didn't stop at macarons. No way. I think it's safe to say we bought 20 cupcakes whilst in NYC, not to mention all the goodies from various bakeries all over the city and the (warm!) chocolate chip cookies I asked for every time I walked through the hotel lobby. This was just our Friday stash. It includes cupcakes from Crumbs (tasty cake), Magnolia Bakery (don't waste your time--they were dry and the icing was nasty), and Cake Boss Cafe (the red velvet was really good).

I thoroughly enjoyed this trip, and I'd love to go back and take Dork with me next time. The city is full of life and excitement, and there are so many different cultures all in one area. Plus, lots of good food. That alone is reason to go back.

New York: Day 2

Today was jam-packed with walking and also a bit of trying to figure out the subway system. On the bright side, we didn't get lost, though we did get off early a time or two and end up walking even further to our destination. Alas, we had a grand time.

We started out by visiting St. Paul's Chapel, which is right next to the 9/11 Memorial. The history of the church is beautiful, as it has withstood time and destruction, shining as a symbol of hope during time of devastation. It acted as a place of refuge and rest for recovery workers at the World Trade Center site, so many of the letters, photos, and other symbols of unity and hope that were sent to recovery workers are held there. It's a beautiful and emotional thing to experience.

We then hopped on the subway and headed to Grand Central Station! It's one of those places I just had to visit whilst in NYC. I love watching the hustle and bustle of the city and admiring the gorgeous building.

Of course we couldn't miss the New York Public Library, since we all know I love libraries. This one is so gorgeous! I'd love to go back with the besties, because I know they'd absolutely adore it. We could easily spend hours exploring and admiring its beauty.

Next up was a chance to fulfill one of my childhood dreams--going to The Plaza! I love love love Eloise, and have always wanted to go see the painting of her that hangs in the hotel that was beautifully done by Hilary knight. I was giddy excited. We also visited the Eloise at The Plaza Shop and I bought two Eloise plates--one for me and one to put in my hope chest for my (very future) daughter.

Unfortunately, there is currently scaffolding covering the front of The Plaza, so it was almost unrecognizable. Just means I'll have to come back, I suppose!

After purchasing my Eloise souvenirs, we walked across the Street to the Fifth Avenue Apple Store. I have a hard time passing up any Apple Store, much less the splendid glass one in NYC!

Amidst all these stops we also managed to buy cupcakes from two different bakeries: Magnolia Bakery and Baked by Melissa. I haven't tried the Magnolia cupcakes yet, but I've already eaten the entire dozen mini cupcake sampler box from Baked by Melissa, and they were delicious. The peanut butter and jelly one was my favorite!

We ended our day with an impromptu Broadway show--Annie! This was one of my favorite movies growing up, and my grandmother even played Tomorrow on the piano at the end of my walk down the aisle at my wedding. It was spectacular. I truly enjoyed it. There were even tears involved.

We end our day with tired feet but happy hearts. I suppose that's a good ending for a busy day.

New York: Day 1

It's officially day 1 in New York and we walked a billion miles and kept running into famous people. Yep, an interesting day, indeed. We hired a private guide to show us New York, and he was absolutely incredible, telling us all about the culture and history of the city. 

We went to Central Park.

And Chinatown, too.

Ate some delicious and GINORMOUS New York pizza.

And the best cheesecake I've ever had in my life.

We also visited the World Trade Center memorial and saw the Freedom Tower in its almost-complete state.

We ended the evening by seeing The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway. It was spectacular!

On our walk back to the hotel (which is right in the middle of Times Square), we passed Tom Hanks and Jane Lynch. She even waved at us. I must attract famous people.

New York: Day 0.5

Well, we made it--we're in New York! Expect some pretty photo-heavy posts over the next few days as I share about my first time in this awesome city!

First up, plane outfit. I'm loving these fun headbands!

Auntie slept on the plane, in the airport, and even on our boat tour.

 I was super excited to go into the ginormous Toys"R"Us and ride the ferris wheel. I've wanted to do this ever since I saw the movie Eloise. And yes, we're totally going to the Plaza this week.

Auntie ate a burger bigger than her head. 

I really hope you can figure this next one out without my help. 

The beautiful skyline.

We just happened to pass by the Cake Boss Cafe, so we of course had to get cupcakes.

We did all this in just half a day, so I'm sure we will do a LOT more over the next few days. 

Let me know if there's something I can't miss while I'm here!

How To: Pack in Ziploc Baggies

Today is the day I leave for New York! I knew I had to be strategic with my packing since I'll have to handle my bag by myself. Which basically means I can't carry my ginormous suitcase because I kind of can't lift it when it's full. Tiny suitcase it is, and I used my new favorite packing tool: gallon Ziplock baggies. They are perfect for keeping things organize in a suitcase! 

Pretty much everything (except my toiletries--for which I have a toiletry bag I keep packed-- and bras, which are under the bag of headbands) are folded or rolled then stuffed into ziplock baggies. Oxford decided to help me with the last step of squishing the air out of the bag so it will take up less room. (See below.)

Need some help with rolling clothes to best fit in your suitcase? Check out the gifs below for some examples! (And please excuse Oxford--he wanted to hang out on our new couch.)

Packing my bags like this helps with both saving room and keeping everything organized once I've reached my destination. Each day I pull one thing out of every bag--a pair of panties, a tank top, a pair of socks--and the suitcase doesn't look like a lost cause on day two.

In case you're wondering what clothes I'm taking, here ya go. (2 pairs of Converse, 1 pair of TOMS, and 1 pair of sandals not pictured)

For a 5-day trip, I definitely over packed.

What are your favorite packing tips?

Home Improvements: New Couch

When Dork and I moved into our new house, we knew one of our first purchases would be a new couch. We were blessed with our previous one from his parents, but it didn't quite work with our style. After two full days of shopping and me changing my mind about what kind of couch I wanted ("Black! No, white. Maybe cream? No, definitely black."), we finally found one we both liked at Dillard's.

I'm super excited that our new couch is extra long because that means I can buy more couch pillows! And couch pillows are quite possibly one of my most favorite things to buy. Besides sunglasses, of course.

Returned and Off Again

top: Belk

skirt: Altar'd State

shoes: Nine West

fedora: don't remember

I just returned from SALT, and tomorrow I head off to Dallas so we can catch a plane to New York! Dork is sadly not coming with Mommy, Auntie, and me, so he will instead be keeping Oxford. 

I've been super busy with washing tons (or... loads?) of laundry then packing everything back up. I got everything all packed up in gallon ziplock baggies (my preferred way of packing) then thought, Hey, I should totally do a "What I'm Taking to New York" post. So I unpacked everything, photographed the items that will be traveling with me, and you can expect a post either tomorrow or Tuesday. You're welcome. I'm sure you care so much about what's in my suitcase.

Have any of y'all been to New York City before? This is my first time. Is there anything I absolutely must do or cannot miss?