Roadtrip to NYC with Zipcar

You may have seen that I traveled with one of my friends to New York for the night last week. NYC is one of those magical places that fuels creativity, so I try to go every few months. This was my first time not doing some sort of public transportation when traveling to the big city - it didn't make sense given how much stuff I was bringing to shoot - so we reserved a Zipcar! To be honest, my husband usually handles these things for us, so this would be my first time taking the initiative on reserving a car and handling all the logistics...want to see how it went? Keep on reading. 

First, when I'm planning a trip, ease and convenience are top priority for me. Signing up for a Zipcar membership (as low as $7/month) was easy, and my Zipcarcard (what you use to lock/unlock the car) arrived quickly thereafter. Plus insurance is also included, which is a big deal when it comes to putting my mind at ease. Choosing a car was easy too - I essentially picked based on the distance from my work (lazy or efficient - you decide), and I knew I wanted an SUV since we had so much stuff to bring!

Once I reserved my car, I waited anxiously for the day of our trip! I reviewed some of the helpful videos on the Zipcar website (like how to get gas - it's covered by them!) and downloaded the Zipcar app on my phone.

When the big day finally arrived, I crossed my fingers that everything would run smoothly.  I got to my car, swiped my card across the windshield, and click! The car unlocked! I checked to make sure the key was inside, and it was. (It actually stays in the car, tethered to the steering wheel, for the entirety of the trip. Your car is locked and unlocked from either your Zipcard or through the app!)

I inspected the car to make sure everything looked fine inside, and it was much more than just fine. Everything was immaculately cleaned, and I felt as if I were driving a brand new car. The gas tank was full, and so I loaded up the vehicle and was on my way to pick up my friend!

After I picked her up and we routed how long it'd take to get to the Big Apple, I noticed there was an EZPASS in the car! Another huge bonus - I knew would make our trip immensely faster. We were on our way!

The drive, which I expected to be a nightmare, was also a breeze. Before we knew it, we were in New Jersey getting gas for the car. One thing I LOVE about northern states is that they have someone to fill up the gas for you (especially helpful in cooler months!) The gas attendant totally knew what to do with our Zipcar, as we passed him the credit card (that came inside of the car) and gave him my Zipcar ID number. I honestly couldn't believe how easy it was.

When we arrived to our hotel in the Lower East Side, we parked in a garage - and the garage attendant was also familiar with how Zipcar worked. Seems it's a popular way for people to travel around the city!

The next morning when it was time to head out, we gathered all our luggage, packed up the car, and rode around the city enjoying last few bits of sunshine before having to head back home. We listened to a bunch of great podcasts, my friend got some work done, and we made it back for our return time at 5:00 PM.

Returning the car was just as easy as picking up. I unpacked the car, made sure I had all my belongings and threw away the trash. We also made sure there was at least 1/4 tank of gas in the car when we dropped off. I couldn't beleive we only had to fill up twice during the whole trip! Then I locked the car with my Zipcard, and that was it. I kept checking my confirmation email - was it really that simple? (Yes, yes it was.) 

If you're someone who doesn't have a car in the DC area or NYC and want to escape town for a bit, run errands or explore a new part of town, definitely look into Zipcar. Or if you're just someone who doesn't want to put a few hundred extra miles on their car for a trip (ours is leased so that's why this was so helpful), it might be a great option for you too. And if you have any questions about their service, feel free to shoot me a note or comment below!

This post was done in partnership with Zipcar - thanks for supporting the brands that Julien loves working with.

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Snapshots from NYC

I’ve been spending the last few days reflecting on last year and how I want things to change in the coming year. I’ll admit, I’m not sure what that’ll look like QUITE yet but I do know I want to continue bringing you high-quality posts that are useful and fun! And I also know I want to do a lot more with travel in 2017 so here are some snaps from last weekend’s trip to NYC and the places we visited!

Saturday
We arrived in NYC early Saturday morning and quickly rushed to Time Square to we could do the whole, been there, done that before the crowds got crazy. We saw the Christmas tree (so tall!!), visited the NBC studios, got royally lost multiple times within the building, and then immediately rushed OUT of that area to pick up our keys from our Airbnb rental in Chelsea.

When we arrived at our Airbnb, I was blown away It was on THE cutest street, super accessibly to Chelsea Market and right around the corner from the spot I'd booked for brunch. We figured we'd be hopping around the downtown area for drinks and such all evening, so it was central to everything we wanted. PLUS inside was so dreamy...high ceilings, brick walls, and two great sized rooms for our guests and us. If you ever go to NYC and want to stay in the Chelsea area, I'd highly recommend the place we stayed, which you can find here! 

Next we set off to Chelsea Market for some lunch. It was terribly crowded but the food was 1000% worth it. The hubby grabbed tacos from Bienvenidos, while I couldn't resist the ramen at Mok Bar. Then we got Halva treats from Seed + Mill afterwards which was SUCH a treat!

Next up was coffee - of course. Luckily, Blue Bottle was right across from Chelsea Market so we fueled up on caffeine before heading back to our Airbnb for a bit of R&R before dinner.

After resting for a bit, we got all gussied up for our night out. I wore this gorgeous Alexis jumpsuit with a Shinola cross body, bracelet and matching hoop earrings, all from Rent the Runway. 

Around happy hour, we set out for an the Italian dinner! It was nestled in East Village called Misirizzi! It's pretty new to the area and it's cozy, intimate setting was perfect. I had the Tris Di Canederli, which is apparently becoming QUITE THE THING in the food world. While it used to be a ‘poor man’s dish,’ today, chefs around the country are giving it a major makeover for the masses.

After dinner, we hit up The Standard for drinks right around the corner. The cocktails were great. The people watching was better.

We finished off the evening watching fireworks from the Brooklyn Bridge at midnight...although I'll admit - it was not the BEST spot. I definitely wish we had gone down to Battery Park instead. Although...you certainly can't beat this view.

Sunday
Even though we went to bed at an astonishing 1 AM (those who know me know I am NOT a night owl), I woke up bright and early to get ready for brunch...and to catch the morning light through out windows, of course. ;)

We arrived for brunch at Tipsy Parson (just a couple blocks from our Airbnb) around 10:30. It was relatively empty by then which had me a tad nervous, but within a half hour, the place was bustling! Everyone in our little group agreed that this was our FAVORITE part of the trip - the food was THAT good. I took some fancy photos with my actual camera because the space was SO CUTE - and I'll be sharing those later! But in the meantime... 

After brunch, we waddled back to our Airbnb, packed up and went down to the 9/11 Memorial to do a little reflecting...It was quite humbling to be at Ground Zero. I spotted a rose on one of the names, indicating that today would have been their birthday, and said a prayer for his family. I honestly can't imagine.

Before heading out of town, we stopped for one last coffee at Cafe Grumpy (which I kept accidentally calling Grumpy Cat Cafe much to the chagrin of my coffee-snob hubby.

SO there you have it! What did you do for New Year's? Also let me know if you like posts like this and I'll work on getting some more destinations on the travel calendar! (Any excuse to travel is good enough for me!) Xx!

Dressing Down a Lace Dress

It was the end of NYFW. My feet were swollen, my legs cramping, my head spinning from trying to keep track of our crazy schedule of shows. There was one last party to attend. 

But my feet were NOT having it.

They refused to sink into the heels I had planned to wear with the stunning Alexis cocktail dress from Rent the Runway. Instead, they limped over to my leather sneakers  and slid them on.

Not bad, I’ll admit. Thankfully I had also picked up a sporty Tibi bomber jacket while at the Rent the Runway headquarters a few days prior, so I threw that over my shoulders too.

I OWNED sporty chic that night, if I do say so myself. And my feet most certainly thanked me for the break when the night was over. 

As we gear up for the holiday season, I encourage you to find that comfort happy place for you. When you feel great about what you're wearing, the rest will follow suit. 

Wearing Alexis dress and Tibi jacket via Rent the Runway, Matt Bernson sneakers, Chanel bag via BBOS, Sophie Blake cuff.

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Lacoste Wool Dress and SS17 Show

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This year has been, for me, the year of perfecting my everyday style. Dressy looks are fairly easy for me - throw on a pretty dress/skirt/blouse and heels, and BAM you’re done. But there’s something to be said about looking effortlessly casual. For me, it was never a look I had gotten quite right growing up. 

I cringe thinking back to the days where I’d wear my sketchers with dark flares and a tee with some silly phrase about there being more fish in the sea. But thankfully, with lots of practice, I’ve finally reached the point where I can throw on a pair of distressed boyfriend jeans, tee, leather jacket and sneakers and feel pretty great.

So when Lacoste invited me to see their show of next Spring’s collection, I could barely contain myself with excitement. Lacoste has been mastering casual cool styles for years, and I love the sporty edge that sets them apart. 

So what was on the runway? Patent leather raincoats galore, hoodies everywhere (short sleeved, long sleeved, under trenches, with trousers, you name it!), terrycloth robes (the more you look like you walked out of a shower and out the door, the better), and stripes (let’s pray these never go out of style because I’d be ruined.) It was almost like an elevated version of what we’d wear during sports season in high school. Although I was hardly dressed as well. Still, it had this nostalgic, yet fresh feel to the entire collection. (See a few of the show highlights below!)

To the show, I wore a wool dress from their most recent collection with a pair of their white, leather slides that I’ve LITERALLY been wearing non-stop. Actually, as I write this post from the airplane coming home, I’m wearing them at this very moment! To top off the 90 degree weather of that day, I couldn’t help but add a denim jacket. I was melting, but I looked good. And sometimes, feeling great about yourself makes up for the difference. ;)

Wearing Lacoste dress and leather slip-ons c/o, Chanel bag via Bag, Borrow or Steal, J.Crew denim jacket, Sophie Blake bracelet, H&M sunnies, Dior lipstick.

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