Hi everyone! Happy Thursday! Sorry about the little blog vacation, if you follow along on snapchat or Instagram then you already saw that I spent a long holiday weekend on Nantucket with some of my best friends from college! I thought it would be nice to share some photos and a little about my trip today!

This is my fourth year in a row traveling to Nantucket for a holiday weekend, I've been lucky enough that my friend Katherine works at a beautiful hotel on the island, The White Elephant, and spends most of her year working on island.

Every summer since Katherine started working on Nantucket we've been lucky enough to make the long journey to Nantucket. While the island certainly isn't easy to get to, it's 30 miles off the coast of Cape Cod, it is worth every moment of travel when you arrive on the shores.

When you arrive in Nantucket harbor you will be greeted by Brant Point Lighthouse, which is just down from the White Elephant. It's a great sight after long hours of travel. 

Another fun fact about Nantucket is that all the beaches are public! You can pretty much ride up anywhere on the coast and walk down to the beach. This photo was taken at Cisco Beach which was a new favorite this year, it was peaceful and had plenty of parking. We even found a sandbar to swim up to which was so fun!

We arrived on the island on Friday...after taking a 3 hour nap in Hyannis since we flew into Boston Thursday night and driving down to the Cape...we took the 6:15am fast ferry and got into ACK right around 7:45am. Katherine greeted us at the ferry and we headed right to the house to relax and meet her new puppy Tyler (who was sooo cute).  

We filled the weekend with all our favorite Nantucket activities; seafood, bike rides, shopping, beach days, boating, late nights at the Chicken Box, drinks at Cisco Brewery, and eating both dinner and late night snacks a Millie's and Millie's Dockside (we are a little obsessed with Millie's).

It was truly such an amazing weekend, filled with some of my favorite people in the world. Katherine and Kebel were so kind and the best hosts in their adorable cottage, I can't thank them enough for inviting us to stay with them. 

If these photos don't convince you to book a ticket to Nantucket immediately I don't know what will! I wish I could spend the entire summer there, I'm already planning my next visit! 

Also, if people are interested I've been thinking of working with Katherine to write a Nantucket guide for the blog, let me know if that's something you'd like to see! 

Have you ever been to Nantucket? I hope everyone had a wonderful Fourth of July weekend!

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Striped Knot Tee (Perfect Outfit for 4th of July)

Happy first day of July! And happy Canada Day to any Canadian readers out there! Can you believe we're already at the halfway mark in 2016? Where did the time go? Anyways, when this post goes live I will be on a ferry heading to Nantucket to spend my Fourth of July weekend with some of my best friends! I'm so excited for a long weekend filled with beach time, bike rides, delicious drinks, seafood, and laughter. 

Speaking of Fourth of July, do you know what you're going to wear? If not, no worries because the outfit I'm sharing today would be perfect for the fourth!

I scooped up this little knot-front t-shirt from Nordstrom in the beginning of the month since it was such a steal at under $25. I'd been wanting something to wear the knotted trend this summer so this shirt seemed like a no brainer. 

I decided to pair the shirt with my stay-white jeans from Old Navy...seriously the best ever, when we were in L.A. I spilled salsa on these and it didn't even sink into the pants, you can't tell! I love a good white jean in the summer, and these have been a staple in my closet. I also added in my favorite sneakers, Adidas Stan Smiths! They run large, I sized down a half-size but if you're in-between sizes I'd go down a whole size!

This outfit will be in my suitcase for Nantucket this weekend and I'm sure I'll have it on repeat all summer, it's just so easy and comfortable!

What are you doing for the Fourth of July? Any ideas what you're going to be wearing yet?

Outfit: Halogen Knot-front T-shirt (on sale) // Old Navy Stay White Jeans // Adidas Stan Smith Sneakers // Star Mela Clutch (love the tote version here) // Pearl Back Stud earrings

Beauty: Supergoop Tinted Moisturizer // Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in 'Dim Light' // NARS Blush in 'Orgasm' // Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir Mascara // Hourglass Eyebrow Pencil // NARS Lip Gloss in 'Chelsea Girls'

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2016 Oscar Party Themed Menu

Awards show season has been upon us and on Sunday night the Oscars will determine the biggest winners in Hollywood for the year. If you know my personally, then you know I love award shows, especially the Oscars. In college I used to watch all the nominees for Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Actress. Nowadays I don't have quite that much time, but I am still watching all the Best Picture nominees for the year, it's actually one of my 101 in 1001 goals! 

Since I've seen all the movies nominated for the most coveted award this year, I thought it would be fun to put  together an Oscars Party menu with different party foods you could serve at your own, each inspired by one of this years nominees. In some cases, like The Martian, it was super easy to think of a food to showcase (potatoes are a big part of the movie), in other cases it was a little more difficult (I resorted to a pun for 'Bridge of Spies'). No matter what, a good theme party is always fun and I'm sure your guests will enjoy! Each link below contains a link to the original recipe and picture of where I found these recipes after I decided on a dish I wanted to use for each movie. 

Mad Max: Fury Road // Sparkling Water Cocktails

Water is such an important element of this movie I wanted to use it as the inspiration for the menu item. I decided a simple cocktail would work perfectly for your party. If you don't want to drink you could just serve sparkling water with various fruits to garnish the glasses!

The Revenant // Grizzly Bear Claws

As soon as I saw this film I knew I had to use a form of bear claw pastry as the dish it inspires. Your guests will love the sweet flaky snack, and the connection to the movie is undeniable. 

Spotlight // Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes

This one was a little harder since there are no foods that are really the focus of this movie. However, Boston is such a integral part of the fabric of the film that I decided a snack inspired by the location would be best. I settled on this yummy looking cupcake that actually looks pretty easy to make!

The Martian // Mashed Potato Bites

I needed a savory snack and luckily potatoes happen to be an integral part of the movie. These cute play on twice baked potatoes look like the perfect thing to serve for this movie. If only Matt Damon's potatoes had looked this good.

Room // Birthday Cake Shots

Birthday cake is really the only important food the movie focuses on, except for maybe cereal. I knew I wanted to do a cupcake for Spotlight, so I thought a fun cocktail would be perfect for this movie. Because it's not a party without a fun shot right? 

The Big Short // NYC Style Mini Hot-Dogs

I went back and forth a lot before settling on mini hot-dogs as my pick for this movie. I even asked all my co-workers (native New Yorkers working on Wall Street) for ideas. I settled on a classic NYC hot-dog, but bite-sized as it seemed the most realistic for your party. Other ideas which could work are sushi or pizza bites!

Brooklyn // Spaghetti and Meatball Nests

I knew I wanted to use spaghetti, because of this scene (link contains no spoilers). I wanted to make sure that the Spaghetti would be a good finger food for your party, and remembered the Spaghetti and Meatball nests I had seen floating around Pinterest awhile ago. These are the perfect savory bites for your guests and have a clear connection to the film.

Bridge of Spies // "Bridge of" Apple Pie Fries

Honestly, this one was the hardest for me. I originally was going to use a Russian or German themed apetizer, but then thought maybe American theme Apple Pie would be easier and round out the menu with another sweet option. And then I thought of the pun and couldn't resist. Because no Oscar party is complete without a play on words on the menu. 

Will you be watching the 2016 Oscars? Will you be hosting a party? Who do you want to take home the big honors? Let me know in the comments!

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Valentine's Day Blush and Red

Blush Maxi Skirt (old) similar here and here (under $25) // 

Silky V-Neck (sold out from Express, similar here, here, here, and here)

Sam Edelman Heels // Dior Lipstick in "Be Dior" // Earrings (old) similar

Happy Wednesday Everyone! Today I thought it would be fun to share inspiration for a Valentine's Day date night (or Galentine's Day) outfit. I love this blush color maxi skirt that I got from Urban Outfitters years ago. This exact skirt is no longer available, but I linked up two other options, one is under $25 so you can get the look! I kept things simple by pairing this skirt with a silky red v-neck top from Express and simple camel colored slingback heels. I finished off the look with a pretty pink lip to keep everything in the Valentine's color palette. I personally LOVE reds and pinks, so this color scheme is right up my alley. 

What do you think you'll be wearing on Valentine's Day? Any special or fun plans? Also, if you're still looking for gifts for the special person in your life be sure to check out my Valentine's Day Gift Guides for her or him. Have a great day!

P.S. Don't forget to enter here for a chance to win a $40 gift card to CaseApp, which could also make a great present for your Valentine! 

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What to Wear to Mardi Gras

Bow // Perlis Mardi Gras Rugby

Sequin Fanny Pack // Goin' Up on a Tuesday T-Shirt

Neutral Ground Side T-shirt // Purple Glitter Zoya Nail Polish

American Apparel Leggings (Purple & Gold) // Mardi Gras Socks

Hey everyone! Happy Tuesday! With one week until Mardi Gras I thought it would be fun to share what you should wear if you happen to be lucky enough to be traveling down to New Orleans for Mardi Gras later this week. After going to four Mardi Gras in New Orleans while I was living in the city for college I learned the do's and do not's of what to wear. And it is so easy to spot tourists making basic mistakes. Here are some basic rules to keep you comfortable and happy during carnival this year:

1// Wear comfortable shoes for walking. Because you will be walking a LOT. Public transit in New Orleans is already lacking, in fact I used to use cabs mostly when I was getting home at night when I went out in the city. Well, with all the tourists and locals in the city and trying to get around during Mardi Gras getting a cab can be almost impossible (plus a lot of roads are blocked for parades, so getting around by car is not always convenient). Even if you have a car in the city, parking is limited. Wear comfortable shoes and you will be happier and able to stay out much longer!

2// A fanny pack or backpack is your new best friend. Because of the lack of easy transportation (see #1) you will want to bring everything you need with you for the day with you when you leave in the morning or afternoon to go to the parades. Snacks, a flask (it's MARDI GRAS), money, keys, cell phone, hair ties, and your ID are some essentials that you will want to pack for the day. You won't want to be burdened with holding a purse or taking a nice bag, so a hands-free option which you won't worry if it gets dirt or spills on is the best option. 

3// Wear comfortable pants and tops. Much like above, comfort is one of the top priorities for your Mardi Gras outfit. Mardi Gras is a marathon, not a relay, you want to be in something you can wear all day and night and not want to rush to change out of. Bright leggings with a festive rugby or t-shirt are what I gravitated towards for the parades. Some days I wore a purple, green, and gold tie-dye sweatshirt my roommates and I DIY'd, some days I wore a homemade tutu with a fleur de lis zip-up hoodie, sometimes I wore a tank top with leggings and a gold hair bow. The important thing is to be comfortable, but have fun! 

4// Wear Purple, Green, and Gold. These are the colors of Mardi Gras, if you couldn't tell from the clothing picks I included above. All the Mardi Gras veterans will be wearing a combination of these colors, so try and incorporate them into your outfit!

5// Nothing is too outrageous. People go ALL OUT for this holiday and take it very seriously. You will see people in full body Halloween style costumes, face paint, wigs, tutus, etc. The more bling, shine, and fun the better! Have fun with it!

I hope these tips help if you're new to Mardi Gras and traveling down this year, or even if you want to dress up and celebrate from afar (I will be rocking my rugby all weekend). 

Have you ever been to Mardi Gras or are you going? What did you wear? I hope these tips helped!

P.S. Here's some picture examples of some of my Mardi Gras outfits from years past:

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Valentine's Day Gift Ideas for Him

Sweatpants // Fitbit // Ugg Slippers

Burberry Cologne in 'Britt Rhythm' // Vineyard Vine's T-Shirt // Beer Making Kit

Body Scrub Soap // Bose Bluetooth Speaker // Swell Water Bottle 

Shaving Kit // 'Devil in the White City' by Erik Larson

Happy Monday and Happy February! How was everyone's weekend? Alex and I stayed in NYC this weekend and had a great time. We saw Chicago on Broadway on Saturday night (it's currently Broadway Week so we got 2 for 1 tickets!) and we got to eat out at some yummy places in the city. Be on the lookout for more NYC themed posts coming soon! Also, I've been tagging all my posts by category so check out the right side bar to see posts under each of my main categories, including NYC or Philadelphia! 

So, last week I shared this cute Valentine's Day Gift Guide for Her, but I couldn't leave out the boys! I got Alex's approval on this guide, and even included a few items he owns and loves; including the cologne, a Fitbit, cozy slippers, the best sweatpants, and his favorite book. I think the guy on your list would be happy with any of these ideas, I especially think that Home Brew Beer Making Kit would be such a fun gift, and you guys could even make the beer together! This kit is by Brooklyn Brewery, which Alex and I visited a few weeks ago, see post here. 

What're you thinking of getting the guy on your list for Valentine's Day? What did you do this weekend? Have a great week!

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Valentine's Day Gifts for Her

 Heart Purse // Miss Dior Perfume // Heart Ring

Roses Candle // Chanel Print // Bite Matte Lip Crayon in 'Pink Lady' 

Red Pumps // Kendra Scott Earrings // Rose Face Mask

Chocolates // Essie Polish in 'Too Taboo' // Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari

Happy Monday everyone! I hope all my fellow East Coast people stayed warm during the blizzard this weekend! Alex and I hunkered down in our apartment in Philly. I made my favorite beef soup on Friday night and found a crockpot chicken recipe for Saturday. I also made some progress on my Oscar nominee watching, I've now seen 4/8 of the best picture nominees (The Martian, The Revenant, Spotlight, and Mad Max: Fury Road), I'm going to try and see them all this year, especially since it's a goal on my 101 in 1001 list! Stay tuned for an update on my progress on that soon! 

Anyways, I'm headed back to NYC today for work and then heading to see G-Eazy tonight at Terminal 5 in NYC with my friend Risa from Tulane and my friend Allie from work! Should be a fun show, will anyone else be there tonight? 

In other news, Valentine's Day is right around the corner! I put together a little collage of some fun gift ideas for her. Whether you want to pass this along to your boyfriend or husband, or you want to get something for your friends for Galentine's Day (which my friends and I will totally be celebrating with a Girl's Weekend in NYC the weekend after Valentine's Day). A fresh floral perfume, a fun print for your gallery wall, my favorite red pumps, bright pink nail polish, a hydrating rose mask, a matte lip crayon, or a hilarious book about the dating world today (I've read it and it was so funny). Any of these items would make for a great present! 

Also, if you're looking for an idea on what to wear for Valentine's Day, this outfit post would be perfect for dinner, drinks, a movie, or a show! 

What did you do this weekend? Did you get any snow? What are you wanting for Valentine's Day? 

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Linking up with B Loved Boston

The Best Holiday Party Ready Pieces

Cotton Cashmere Button Down // Peacock Pattern Dress // Plaid Skirt (only $7!)

Tartan Pants // Necklace (25% off today!) // Scalloped Dress

Red Lipstick //Metallic Clutch // Red Heels (on sale!) 

Scalloped Plaid Mini Skirt // Red Tassels Earrings // Sequin Front Leggings

TGIF everyone! Can you believe it is EIGHT DAYS until CHRISTMAS? And in just one little week it'll be Christmas Eve! Are you done your shopping? I only have a few small gifts left to pick up and a few things I'm waiting on to come in the mail, but I'm feeling pretty good about being done on time this year! I'm finishing up sending out Christmas cards, I've been doing them in batches because my hand cramps up and I like to take time and think about what I want to say in each card, so I'm feeling great about that. Tomorrow I'm heading up to my friend Jackie's house for an ugly sweater party with a bunch of friends from high school/my hometown and then on Saturday is my dad's extended family's annual white elephant/pasta Christmas party. It's always a fun time to get together with family members, sip some wine, play some games, eat the tastiest homemade pastas, and give out silly presents. 

With all these events on the horizon, and all the events that have happened the past weekends (plus it gets dark at like 4pm) I have really been slacking on taking outfit photos. Therefore, I wanted to put together an inspiration collage on some of my favorite pieces I've been seeing that would create darling holiday looks. I hope to shoot some outfits this weekend and have them up for you next week, but for now I leave with you this round-up of festive, fun holiday pieces that I would not mind adding to my own wardrobe. 

I own the red heels and I can't wait to pull them out on Christmas Eve for church with my family followed by a Chinese food dinner (our tradition) and then continue wearing them all winter to work! I wore the plaid Old Navy skirt on Thanksgiving and it was such a steal at only $7. It does run large, I wish I had sized down, but I did get the Tall and recommend it for length for anyone who has a problem looking appropriate in most mini-skirts like me. I'm really lusting after that BaubleBar necklace (currently 25% off!) and that cashmere-cotton blend button down, maybe a little Christmas present to myself? 

What're you planning on wearing to holiday parties and events? I hope you have a great Thursday!

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My Favorite Purchases of 2015 (great gift ideas)

Laptop Case // Bikini // Chanel Mascara

Quilted Barbour Jacket // Nikon DSLR Camera (what I take all my photos for the blog on!)

Claire V. Clutch // 'Girl on the Train' novel

Zella Leggings // Heated Blanket

Cream Cleanser // Cover FX Drops

Future DS2 Album // Chandon Sparkling Rose

Happy Monday everyone! Can you believe its only 10 days until Christmas Eve? Like...what? I'm not ready, I'll admit it. I feel like the holidays are about to be over before they even started. This weekend was so fun because my friend Alex from DC came to visit and we went on the annual Mad Elf Stumbler pub crawl with my boyfriend Alex and his friends, and my friend Amy joined as well! Sunday we got brunch with our friend Brynn and her boyfriend at a place I haven't tried before, Bud and Marilyn's. Last night Alex and I indulged in watching trashy TV (and Quantico, our new fave) and relaxed. It was a pretty great weekend! I'm looking forward to next weekend already because my friend Jackie is having an Ugly Sweater Party with all my friends from my home town and then my family is having our annual White Elephant and Pasta Christmas party at my aunt's house! I just love all the fun social engagements which happen this time of year! 

Anyways, as I am still not done my Christmas shopping (and two packages of things I ordered online are missing...that's something I'm working on figuring out today) I thought other people might also be slackers and need to finish their shopping as well. I thought it would be fun to share my favorite items I either bought or received as presents in 2015. All of these items have gotten a LOT of use from me over the year and I think they would make anyone on your gift list happy!

The cutest (monogrammable!) laptop case, my favorite bikini that I wore on my vacations this past summer, my favorite splurge mascara, the best lightweight coat, an easy-to-learn DSLR camera which will up your photograph game, every blogger's favorite clutch, a page turning thriller novel, the BEST leggings, a heated blanket for chilly nights, my favorite face wash, my new foundation secret, my favorite hip-hop album of the year, and the best inexpensive sparkling rose. These are at a range of price points and there's something on this list to satisfy almost anyone on your Christmas list! 

What're your favorite purchases  of 2015? Are you done your holiday shopping yet? I hope you have a fabulous Monday!

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10 Creative Wrapping Paper Ideas

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 // 10

Happy Friday! I hope everyone had a great week back after Thanksgiving break! I had a fairly laid-back week including taking an Excel Expert certification test for work (I passed yay!) and grabbing drinks with some friends last night. Tonight my friend Lauren and I are headed down to Maryland after work to visit our friend Alex's hometown. I love visiting Alex because not only is she one of my best friends who I don't get to see enough, but her family is so sweet and they have three adorable dogs (here's the dog's Instagram if you're a fellow bulldog lover). Follow along on snapchat @lauraaimevous for lots of puppy snaps! 

I wanted to keep it brief today and post a seasonally appropriate link post rather than my typical Friday links. I have some gifts ordered for the holidays (how is it ALREADY December?!?!) and so now I'm starting to turn to some inspiration for fun wrapping paper ideas! I feel like half the fun of giving gifts is making them look beautiful and surprising your friends and family with the festive packages. I rounded up ten of my favorite wrapping DIY ideas from around the internet which would be fun to try this Christmas/Holiday season, or even for birthdays or other occasions! 

How was your week? Do you have any fun wrapping paper ideas? I hope you have a great weekend!

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