It’s no secret that I am a sucker for some fresh produce.

When the family and I were driving up the California coast, making our way from Santa Cruz to San Francisco, we passed the cutest little family farm and I insisted my mom turn the car around. She complied – and this is what it looked like:

I wish I could crawl into this bucket of lavender and live there forever.

And of course, my dad had to have his fun too.

 

Now I’m back on the east coast with come post-vacation blues.

Samantha

 

I’ve been busy.

I had intended on posting frequently while away but with sight-seeing, wifi issues,, and working on my second guest post for A Life in the Fashion Lane I haven’t had the time. And quite frankly, when I do get a spare moment I choose to spend it in the hot tub – priorities.

To keep you entertained in the meantime, here are a few photos I captured of my mom eating a cupcake. It’s a pretty hilarious sight.

 

Samantha

Greetings from the west coast!

The family and I arrived in San Francisco yesterday and drove down to Santa Cruz for a cousin’s wedding on Saturday. We’ll be staying here for a few days before driving back up to San Fran for a couple more days.

First off, let’s talk packing. There are two types of packers in this world – those who pack properly and those who do not. For me, being a “proper packer” is one of my greatest struggles. I am up until 2am the night before a trip with a suitcase that won’t shut and a carry-on that doesn’t meet airline standards. I’ve been told on many occasions that outfit planning is the key to successful packing. As hard as I try to plan my outfits accordingly I always get the urge to throw a few extra sweaters, pants, and shoes into my suitcase until it’s bursting at the seams. This time around I was determined to not pack like a hoarder. And ya know what – I didn’t do too bad! I had to sit on my suitcase in order to zip it shut, but I honestly feel like I have everything I need – not too much, not too little. Here’s how I did it: First I made a list of the days I would be away including the weather and agenda for each day. Then I chose key items from my wardrobe that I knew could be worn multiple times like a great pair of jeans, white t-shirt, and a black sweater. Using these key items I continued to refer back to my list, planned an outfit for each day and set them out on my bed. The ability to see each outfit separately helped me to not take more than I needed while ensuring that I would also not forget anything. I then threw everything in my suitcase, making sure each outfit stayed together, and danced around my bedroom at 1am in celebration. I’ve become a “proper packer” WOOT WOOT! All I have to work on is the whole procrastination thing – four hours of sleep before a five hour flight isn’t exactly ideal.

Now that my suitcase and I have arrived in one piece, allow me to share some photos of my day at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.

My dad and I rode the sky glider – he made faces while I freaked out.

The fam and I played against each other in “Stinky Feet”, my mama won and I lost but stole her adorable prize (pictured above).

We then walked over to the (very windy) pier to meet some sea lions.

I ended the afternoon with a chocolate covered ice cream sandwich – OH EM GEE.

 

Samantha

Life isn’t always flowers, rooftops, and designer stores.

I know I’ve been quoted saying “life is good” in a few recent posts, but in all honesty life isn’t always “good”. Believe it or not, but my life isn’t always flowers, rooftops, and designer stores. As much as I like to glorify things and share happy times, I’d be lying to myself and to you if I said life was always like that. To avoid wasting time and getting too personal, I’ll just leave it at that – life is not good right now.

Now that I’ve set such a terrible mood, allow me to share a story and perhaps a little advice. A few summers ago I volunteered at a summer camp for little kids. During training I learned an incredible life lesson. My trainer/boss told me to smile at all times. Every day I showed up to camp I had to be smiling. This sounded a little crazy and torturous (and maybe even a little creepy?) but my boss explained why, “eventually that forced smile will turn into a genuine smile.” I decided to try this out. Waking up at the crack of dawn to deal with three year-olds was not something I wanted to smile about but there I was, greeting the little maniacs with a forced grin. The day sped by and before I knew it I was wrapping up for the day and felt genuinely happy. I continued to take her advise and some days were harder than others but not once did I end a day in a bad mood. I will now take this valuable life lesson and pass it on to you – whoever you are.

I usually wear black. Although today, attempting to turn my day/life around, I forced myself into brighter colors. And despite my newly developed insomnia and countless number of stresses I feel slightly better. Dress is from Express and sweater is from Zara.

 

The purpose of this post was not to gain pity (I pity myself enough) but instead to share my tips/advice/lessons/whatever-you-want-to-call-them with you, incase you find yourself in a similar situation.

Samantha

Yesterday was a very busy day. Today? Not so much.

Thursday started off with an early train ride into the city to meet Alexa at the Gansevoort Hotel for a sneak-peek of Sole Society‘s new fall line. Whereas today started off with a bowl of oatmeal and my couch, that was after I slept in an extra few hours. After breakfast with Sole Society I headed to my office and began to wrap things up before my last day on Wednesday. Today, after oatmeal, I continued my time on the couch with roughly six episodes of Gossip Girl. Yesterday I worked straight through lunch but finished things up an hour early to head to the MoMA with my boss. Six episodes of Gossip Girl later, I made a trip to the kitchen, scrounged up some food, and headed straight back to the couch for, you guessed it, more Gossip Girl. The MoMA was great but I was in a hurry to head home and meet up with Nora for dinner. I then took a break from Gossip Girl to be just a little productive and sit at the mechanic for an hour while something got fixed on my car (I am the least car-savvy person ever). I was back in CT after the MoMA and off to dinner at bartaco in Westport on the water, we waited almost an hour for a table, but Nora and I did a pretty good job at entertaining ourselves (and the birds). Currently, I am back on the couch writing this post and waiting for dinner to be ready – some days are just more exciting than others.

Shoes

  

Breakfast + Shoes = Happy Sam. I’ve been on the hunt for a new pair of booties and I think I found just the pair at Sole Society yesterday morning – score! The Gansevoort was the perfect location for this event – I’ll never get sick of rooftops.

Art

 

There are some exhibits at the MoMA that could’ve used some explaining, I had quite a few of those what the heck am I looking at?! moments. Nonetheless, the classics were beautiful and Jackson Pollock never fails to amaze me.

Westport, CT

 

The Westport harbor at sunset is the place to be. Nora got friendly with some swans and I hopped on a bench and pretended to be “Queen of the world!”

 

Yesterday was so fun and exciting while today was spent “recovering” from all the excitement and yet again, lack of sleep during the work week. Now I am off to go check on when dinner will be ready – doing nothing all day is exhausting!

Samantha

Bergdorf’s, Barney’s, and Cipriani’s.

That’s right, no more lunch dates in Central Park, visits to designer stores, spending all of our money at Starbucks, or “browsing” through Zara. It’s sad knowing this summer is coming to an end and no longer having a work-companion, but it is also very happy to reflect on how great this summer has been. And what better way to reflect than over refreshments, pizza, and cappuccinos?? Here’s how Ingrid, my boss, and I celebrated Ingrid’s farewell…

First stop – our favorite department store! The three of us ditched work early for refreshments at the Bergdorf Goodman Restaurant. This place was de-vine – the definition of classy. The chic interior design and stunning view of Central Park made this restaurant something special. A second visit for high-tea will definitely be happening sometime in the near future.

My boss then suggested we visit Barney’s for pizza and even more city views. My mother, who was working in midtown, grabbed a cab and joined us for some introductions and a few embarrassing childhood stories. We had a great time and the pizza was yummy, but with a slightly more modern and simple design, the restaurant itself was less impressive.

Ingrid’s family, who have flown in from Texas, had just arrived in the city and met us in midtown for even more introductions. Our first choice was too busy to seat six people so we ended up at Cipriani’s in Grand Central. Ingrid and I ordered cappuccinos while our parents and boss chatted away at the other end of the table. As a commuter who walks past Cipriani’s twice every day it was fun to be the observer for once, as opposed to the frantic girl rushing to catch her train. The cappuccino’s were yummy but nothing could beat my wonderful company. It was so great chatting with Ingrid for one last time and getting to know her parents who I have heard so much about.

And before I knew it, my mother leaned over to me and told me it was time to catch our train home, which meant that it was time to say goodbye. Though Ingrid and I agreed that this was not a “goodbye” but rather a “see you later.” I know she will be back in the city next summer, as will I, and I know that we will be seeing much more of each other in the future as we both work to build our careers in the industry. (I also hope Ingrid plans a visit during the holidays – Ingrid, if you’re reading this, I know I’ve told you a million times before but you must see the city during Christmas time – YOU MUST!)

 

Samantha

A trip to the farmer’s market.

With a super busy, chaotic, and sleepless week behind me I had planned for a day on the couch and (yet another) Gossip Girl binge session. Though, when my mom suggested we take a trip down to the local farmer’s market I figured maybe a little physical activity wouldn’t hurt.

I took in the freshness of everything around me – produce, breads, pies, flowers, etc. The farmer’s market was exactly what I needed after a week in the concrete jungle. As much as I love the city and it’s subsequent high-number of pollutants, I was desperate for some greenery and this bouquet of flowers was the perfect fix!

And yes, I buy flowers for myself – after the week I’ve had, I deserve them.

Samantha