NYC 2021: Part 2

 Welcome back to part 2 of my New York City trip! 

Let's just dive right into day 2 of my wonderful vacation.

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I have start out with the question I'll probably get asked: Did you visit the Empire State Building? Yes we did. And yes it was closed. I heard a lot of buildings and observation decks were closed, but the Empire State Building wasn't something we were dying to see, anyway. 

Day two started off with a recommendation from a friend (I have no idea who anymore) to eat at a breakfast place called Sarabeth's. I learned to look up dress codes while in New York because Sarabeth's was fancy and I wore jeans. Oops. It was located right across from Central Park and it seemed like such a long walk from the subway (but was it really a long walk or was I being dramatic?) The restaurant itself was not great. My eggs benedict was pretty much hard boiled and we had a tea cup of coffee (cute) but it only got refilled twice (not cute). Noe's French Toast wasn't amazing either. I got a side of bacon for $13 and let me tell you, not worth that amount. So, no recommendation from me for this restaurant. 

After breakfast, it was onto Central Park. I had been excited for the Central Park row boats since I started planning this trip. But first, we had to tackle the giant that is Central Park. Holy COW is it big. 

Tip: Wear comfortable clothing while exploring Central Park. It's big and you'll get sweaty and jeans was not the best option for me.

We had to use Google Maps because there were no signs of which way was which. Once we saw that there were legit roads in the park for bikers, with stoplights and all, we were like "ok this is massive."

  Tip: Bring your charged phone so you can used Google Maps to find your way around.

The row boats were $40, but $20 was a down payment that you get back at the end. I found out that I was TERRIBLE at rowing, so Noe rowed for us. I felt bad about it!

We took a lap around the lake and the lake itself was so gross. That just means you have all the more reason not the fall in...they have life jackets if you are nervous, though!

Don't forget to stop and see the Bethesda Fountain in Central Park! 

Next stop: The New York Public Library

A definitely big library that you can lost in (heck, I got lost, too.) Stepping off the subway, the first thing I noticed that there were about 10 police officers standing around, wielding assault rifles. They were laughing with each other and not paying anyone attention, but it was honestly extremely uncomfortable. 

We passed those officers and went inside the library. Chandeliers and marble were everywhere. It was beautiful. 

They had some education info about people I've never heard of, but I kept thinking "I wish I could write something that would end up in this library..."

I bought some souvenirs from the gift shop and off we went! 

Here's me outside of the library!

 We went back to our hotel to rest (I definitely took a quick nap), then headed out to Little Italy for our dinner reservations. 

TIP: The pictures online are most likely better looking than the restaurant. 

The Little Italy restaurant was just okay. A little tacky, even though I thought it was going to be a fancy place. The waiter forgot about us and it took forever to pay. I got seafood and it was pretty good. I hate tomatoes and didn't know it came with sauce (it didn't say that on my menu), so I didn't eat the pasta. But it sure looked pretty.

Noe and I looked on our Google Maps for a bar nearby. We found one called Home Sweet Home that looked promising. 

AND IT WAS. We were the only ones in this little dive bar and it was so much fun talking with the new bartender (she had only been bartending for 3 weeks) and I had her make me a new shot that we named the Pin Shot (Pineapple, vodka, and simple syrup). I didn't catch her name but she had awesome curly blue hair and was super pretty. So if she ever sees this: THANKS FOR BEING SO KIND TO ME IN NEW YORK!

I definitely recommend this dive bar for people who are near Little Italy! Take those steps down to the bar and turn right. There, your Pin Shot awaits. 

The last thing of the night: TIMES SQUARE BABY!

It was only a 10 minute walk from our hotel. We didn't go deep into Times Square the first time, but we got the gist of it!

I also tried some ice cream from a truck because I was hungry for dessert. The ice cream was a definite 4/10. Not great. Too melty. But it was fun!

After sitting on a stone riser and eating my ice cream, we went back to the hotel and slept for the night. __

The next post? The Statue of Liberty makes an appearance. STAY TUNED FOR PART 3 IN NYC!

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Welcome to New York: NYC 2021

 If you've been following me on social media, you already know this, but if you haven't heard: I WENT TO NEW YORK CITY! 

The city of lights, the fashion capital, the city that never sleeps, the Big Apple. You get the gist.

(This city definitely sleeps, FYI.)

I couldn't wait to write these next couple of posts of what I've learned from being in New York City for the first time and what I did on my trip. Also, I took some great pictures on this trip and I have to share them! 

I have no idea when I said to myself "New York City, let's do it", but I apparently did last year sometime. I told my travel buddy, Noe, and he was on board right away. He hadn't been to NYC ever either. I planned an actual itinerary this time since last time we took a vacation to Las Vegas, I didn't plan the best...so I used Pinterest, Google, and friendly recommendations and I was off to the races with planning. I used the app, Trip It, which is VERY recommended by me and my family. I put in my flight details, my event ticket conformations, and my hotel times, all on one place. I love that app.   

I packed a suitcase with extra wiggle room for things I would buy in New York. I always check a bag because I stay somewhere for a few days or more. I never quite reach the 50 pound luggage limit, but I'm always so nervous that I will. (EXTRA LUGGAGE ROOM IS KEY ON FUN VACATIONS! YOU NEED THOSE SUVENIORS/CHRISTMAS GIFTS!) 

The plane trip was smooth and when we got there, we stayed in Queens, NY because if we flew the next day instead, we would have paid $500 more for the flight. We saved that money by flying in a day ahead and staying in a hotel semi-close to the airport. Queens wasn't an ideal place to stay and the room was barely big enough for the both of us. Noe and I went and got our first ever New York pizza in a small, cramped place called Amore. My God, it was DELICIOUS. You, of course, need to fit in by folding your pizza in half, then eating it. A New York tradition and if you don't do it, you definitely stand out as a tourist. I got 2 big slices and it cost $8. I was hoping for the famous 99 cent slices, but not in Queens. 

The next day, we got to our NYC hotel in South Times Square. And by that they mean a 10 minute walk to actual Times Square. I stepped out of the Lyft (which are cheaper than Ubers in the city, which is a hot tip for you) and the first thing that hit me was the smell. New York City smells pretty bad. There is trash and sewage everywhere and the smell is just...terrible in some places. I really didn't expect that. Chicago is so clean and smells fine so this city smell was new. "They just get used to it probably" Noe told me.

Our hotel was adamite on not letting us check in early. I don't know if that's a New York thing because even Las Vegas will give you a room early sometimes. The staff at our hotel wasn't very nice, but I have been told that New Yorker's are usually ruder than most people (which, by the way, isn't completely true, but it's not NOT completely true...) Our room was very nice though and I'm surprised how I got such a nice one, honestly. Before we checked in, we left our luggage at the hotel and explored the city and a cafe for a bit. I took the first city picture of the trip because I was all starry eyed at the first big buildings I saw. 

The cafe we went to had a 45 minute time limit and I learned a lot of places have time limits. A strange thing for paying customers, but I guess they just want people in and out. I got a hot lavender latte and Noe got a coffee and he told me it was the best one he had on this trip (and we drank a good amount of coffee). Old Country Coffee had SO many different coffee options and flavors and it's 100% recommended by me and Noe!

We then went to the Hudson River to kill some time. It was a huge walking/running path but there were no beaches or fun parts to take pictures at, really. I mean, it is pretty dirty water, so I guess I get the beaches part. Who really wants to swim in a river? But it had a water fill up station and that was pretty cool. 

After finally checking in at 3 pm to our hotel, we unpacked a bit then explored some more. We found a beautiful building that we had no idea what it was but took pictures on the bird-poop ridden stairs anyway. 

Madison Square Garden was the next street over from our hotel so of course we went 

I then stopped in my tracks while walking the street. THERE IS SUCH A THING AS 99 CENT PIZZA! I actually went to that pizza place by myself one night and it was not that great. Queens made way better pizza (sorry, not sorry). 

That night, we went to a close Irish Pub called Jack Doyle's and had NO idea there was a football game that night. I also had no idea why everyone was dressed in Minnesota Vikings gear...we were in New York...but these Vikings fans were nuts. I enjoyed my Angry Orchard, my iffy Bangers and Mash, and got the heck out of that noise. Noe loved it. I thought it was an aggressive place. 

That night, we chilled in our room, listened to music, and watched the sunset through our hotel window. It was so beautiful and I captured  it in a great photo (says me)

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I wrote too long of a post already, so I'll be splitting up my NYC posts for everyone. I don't want to overwhelm you! I'll end this off with some thing I've learned from the city:


*If I were to be injured or killed on NYC, it would be because of a bicyclist. I don't care who you are, you are not more important than people who are walking. 

*As I said before, that place is stinky. There are some spots, like Times Square, that don't smell like poop, but if it doesn't smell like trash, it smells like weed. The weed smell is overwhelming and I just got so tired of smelling it. 

*Get the unlimited subway card for a week. It's cheaper than buying an each day pass and it's only $34. I felt a lot more comfortable just swiping and going without having to pay $9 each day. 

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Stay tuned for the next NYC post!!

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Cup of Cheer Holiday Cards

 Hello friends! 

It's September and I'm talking about the holidays already. You can sigh, I understand. I heard that there will be holiday shopping deals starting soon, so...you can't get mad at me for this post! IT'S ALL ABOUT HOLIDAY CHEER! ;)

For those who don't know, I have had a new job for about 6 months. I work at a senior living community that houses independent living, assisted living, and memory care residents. It's different than a nursing home. Here is the Google definition:

“Senior living community” is a general term for the different types of care and housing for seniors, 55 years of age and older. These communities can be designed to suit any type of lifestyle and level of medical care including independent living, assisted living, retirement communities and memory care facilities.

I am a concierge AKA the front desk receptionist. In the past 6 months, the residents at my job have won my heart. They gush about my cute outfits and they tell me their fun life stories. In return, I give them all the kindness and love that they deserve. 

The holidays are what I call "giving season" in my world. I make cards, I give gifts, I show appreciation for others. I suddenly had an amazing idea: I will give each resident at my place a holiday card this year! They are the sweetest bunch of people and I KNOW this will just warm their hearts! I have already had some people show some interest in helping me, because oh my GOSH I'm going to need help. I wanted to get this out there now (and of course I will share this post closer to the actual holidays). I have some rules that everyone needs to follow if they're going to send cards to my favorite people aka my residents. I also wanted to put that I named this event/activity: 

Cup of Cheer Holiday Cards

Cute, right?

CARD RULES THAT MUST BE FOLLOWED:

1) You cannot use the word "Christmas" in any form. It can only be written with the word "holiday" or "seasons greetings"

2) Please sign your name as "your friend___" or things of the sort. Adding where your from is great, too.

3) Do not put a name on the card. You will not receive a certain person. There are both men and women, so please keep it gender neutral. 

4) Keep it positive and upbeat! Decorate it, wish them well, tell a little about yourself, ect. 

5) Include an envelope but have it UNSEALED when you send it to me, unless I have given you certain permission. 

ALSO:

-You CAN include your address in the card in case they would like to write you back! There is no guarantee on that one, though. 

-Decorate it to your hearts desire!

Sending Instructions:

*Please bundle your cards in a bigger envelope/box/manila envelope and put my address on the outside of that. 

*Again, keep each card UNSEALED. 

*If you are someone who does not know me personally and does not have the sending address for me, email me at Mhubrex@gmail.com

* I need a total of 150 cards, but the more the BETTER! I will either hand out multiple cards to each resident or I will deliver them to other communities. 

*Deadline for the cards to be at my house by: December 17th

I know that doesn't give a lot of time in December to make them, so get started early!!!

I might be hosting a Zoom event in late November for us to get together online and make some together. Let me know if anyone would be interested me doing that!

Thank you guys so much for all of this. I am already overwhelmed by the support on this project (in a good way!) Cup of Cheer Holiday Cards are sure to be a hit! 

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Fashion Week Series 2021: An Interview with Ruaa Elmansuri

(Picture taken from Ruaaelmansuri on Instagram)

Ruaa Elmansuri is a name that is sneaking around the fashion world silently. At least, in my personal fashion circle. As a graduate of Fashion Textiles at London College of Fashion, Ruaa’s eye for print making and design have inspired me throughout her just-starting-out career. Meeting through Instagram a few years ago, when One Direction was in the hearts of every woman (although who am to say they’re NOT still...), Ruaa and I became quick online friends. Although an ocean keeps us apart, she frequently posts on Instagram including a lot of Instagram Stories which is a great way to keep up with her.

As an editorial piece, I should not put such blunt opinions on here, but Ruaa is extremely talented. She runs her illustration account, _artisitagram_, through Instagram. She draws or collages celebrity pictures into beautiful pieces. I actually have one of her collages hanging in my room.

 

For the end of New York Fashion Week 2021, I wanted to reach out to Ruaa to talk about how her background in fashion is taking her places and what’s beyond the runway season for her. New York may be the fashion capital of the US, but it is not the only fashionable city in the world. London Fashion Week, for example, starts right after New York’s. London’s include Victoria Beckham, Vivienne Westwood, and Shrimps, to name a few that I am very fond of. As Ruaa makes her rounds in the fashion world, don’t doubt you won’t come across her name again very soon. 

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(Picture taken from Ruaaelmansuri on Instagram)

 Ruaa, I’ve always been a fan of your designs and your art as a whole. Your pictures of your patterns and textiles always make me want to wear a dress made from them and walk down a very crowded street to make sure many people saw what I was wearing. Did you always want to go into the fashion industry or was there a moment where you thought “hey, I could be good at this!”?

 

• Thank you so much! As a kid I’ve always been interested in art and fashion, always sketching outfits, but I didn’t know I could pursue it realistically as a career, as there was no education or future in it where I’m from and people around me said architecture was the next best thing. But by the time I got into high school I realized I didn’t wanna follow what everyone around me has been doing or suggesting and rather do my own thing. So from day one at high-school, I had a goal of learning how to sew, pattern cut and create fashion illustration at home but also focus on school where I majored in life science, I aimed to graduate with good results so I can apply later to study fashion abroad.

_

I’m a girl who was and still is, in love with print magazines. I used to get subscriptions of Seventeen and Teen Vogue when I was younger. As I got older, Nylon and Vogue were my go-to magazines when I would pass them on the store shelves. I, of course, have to bring up your Spring Summer 2021 Graduate Collection, Once Upon a Dream, which landed you in Harper’s Bazaar UK. The article was called “Global Young Talent 2021”. How did that feel, Ruaa? To be in a huge magazine with your talent on display?

• I’m also a print magazine girl, so it was definitely a surreal feeling seeing my name and picture in the pages of a magazine I collect, at my local magazine shop. 

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If you wander around your website, you have a lot of trades: styling, photography, fashion, illustrations. I definitely have that “I can’t pick one thing, but whatever it is, it has to be creative” vibe in me, like it seems you do too. Is there a certain part of art or fashion that you have your eye on to do more of? For example, your eye for styling is impeccable. Are more styling projects in your future?

• Me too! There are so many creative things I enjoy doing, sometimes I can’t choose just one! I’m more focused on the design part of fashion, but I love styling. I think if I found a new opportunity to assist on a photoshoot with a stylist I admire, I would be definitely interested in it. I will probably create my own shoots and style them at some point to let all the creative juices out.

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The inevitable question that I am dying to hear from you: what’s next for Ruaa Elmansuri? What are your dreams and goals for the future? And as the writer of this post AND as a friend, whatever you do, I will brag about knowing you.

• In a month I’ll be starting a Master's course, studying art theory and philosophy, I think it’ll be really exciting to learn more about the art culture and develop my critical thinking skills. I think it will feed into creating interesting design concepts. My ultimate fashion goal is to create my own label, and to do that I want to get more design experience at brands I like. So, my next step is to become a design assistant!
  
   Thank you for always being such a supportive friend!

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Fashion Week Series 2021: Jahnaye's Outfit Tips

As we are in the middle of NYC Fashion week, Jahnaye has you covered for upscale fashion at a lesser cost (Thank GOODNESS)!

 NYC Fashion Week Streetwear Outfit + Trends on a budget

 Pinterest and I have a love/ hate relationship right now (I love it, but my wallet...not so much) because I want to buy almost every single outfit I see related to NY fashion week. I just about died when I saw this outfit when I was searching for FW streetwear looks! Polka dots are one of my all time favorite prints, and the woman wearing this outfit is beyond gorgeous!

(Via Getty Images)

As a certified frugal gal, I can’t justify spending a ton of money on clothes no matter how cute and adorable they are. With that being said, it is absolutely necessary for me to go shopping for my clothes second hand, whether it be an actual thrift store, or a consignment/resale store, and sometimes my mom’s closet (sometimes without her permission LOL)!

 Polka dots are on trend for Spring/Summer 21, which already flew by this year. Too quickly in my opinion because I’m not ready to let go of summer just yet. I’m also an avid believer in wearing any trend I enjoy past it’s season, so I’ll be carrying polka dots into fall, winter, and all the seasons that follow.

I created my own variation of the outfit above with items I thrifted from Swap & Poshmark! I think she’s wearing a jumpsuit, which I unfortunately don’t have in a polka dot pattern. I opted for pairing a vintage gap button down with matching polka dot pants. The beret and the belt are from my mom’s closet, but I’ve found similar options at Walmart and Target during the winter holidays.

Now...onto the best part! Wanting to try out fashion trends can get pretty expensive, especially the more Avant Garde the trend is. My solution to this (your wallet will thank you) is to find one or two pieces you would actually wear on a day to day basis.

For example, this PureWoW article mentions printed pants being a fun breakaway from jeans for fall & winter. I absolutely love the pant + moto jacket combo the lovely lady below is wearing, however an outfit like this may not get a lot of use in someone’s everyday wardrobe.

(Ruben Chamorro)

You could definitely find ways to style these paper bag waist gingham pants from Target though! The tie cinches in the waist, and you could rock this throughout all the seasons with a variation of tops and shoes. I would personally wear this with a white puff sleeve top, tan booties, and add a pearl headband for extra glitz. These are under $35 on clearance (my favorite section) so they are super wallet friendly.

 I love the option of toning down the look without it feeling bland. Dress it up with mules and a white blouse! You could even pair this with a basic white tee + sneakers and still look put together.

I put together a million of these outfit boards because I have too much spare time on my hands and I love visualizing different pieces together. Here’s another option of a possible outfit you could wear with printed pants! I think the boots are my favorite piece in this look. 

What trend will you add to your closet this season?

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I want to thank Jahnaye for her AMAZING guest posts! She has such a fun writing style and I'm so glad I got to collab with her! Watch this blog space for future Jahaye fashion content :) 

If you'd like to follow the fashion queen herself, she has an up and coming Instagram page: X

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Fashion Week Series 2021: Guest Post with Jahnaye

Fashion Week is a huge event all over the world. Milan, London, New York. Fashion Week brings every fashion lover out, whether they attend a runway show or just walk the streets during the week, it's a staple affair. 

As someone who loves fashion, it's always been my goal to go to New York Fashion week. I watch shows via YouTube and I look at pictures on fashion sites on what everyone wore on the street. Iconic. I love the air of it all. 

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When I first met Jahnaye, she had a wonderful personality that draws you in. We started talking about fashion and I found out: She is a fashion major! My DREAM! Jahnaye and I decided we wanted to talk more about fashion and I wanted her to guest post during New York Fashion Week. I'm so excited for this fashion week series with her and trust me, you'll love Jahnaye, too!

_

My name is Jahnaye, and I’m so excited to be collaborating with Megan for her Fashion Week blog series. Just to give a quick intro on my background, my love of fashion started in early childhood.

 

I was convinced that I was going to become the next Vera Wang living my best life in Manhattan. After realizing that I was horrible at both sewing and drawing (it definitely didn't get better as I grew up lol), I switched my attention to other areas of the industry.

 

Fast forward a few years, I officially received my degree in Fashion merchandising and now work in styling & e-commerce. Due to the pandemic, I never got a chance to go to NYC during Fashion Week so I jumped at the chance to bring NYC to Illinois in this post!

 

After stalking a bunch of NY fashion bloggers' Pinterest pages, I came up with an outfit I’d wear if I was actually on the streets of NYC during Fashion Week. I’m a frugal person at heart, so the whole outfit I’m sharing today is under $50 (who doesn’t love a good deal?)

 

I’ve been dying to wear my blue baby doll dress from Target’s Who Wear Collection (from last year’s fall collection) all summer but it’s been way too hot! This is going to be my go to dress until it's freezing outside. I added sunflower clips to my belt and shoes to give this look some pizazz and the look is complete! Stay tuned for the next post where we’ll share how to add fall trends into your wardrobe without breaking the bank.

 

 Outfit details: 

Dress- Who What Wear: https://ebay.to/3DqyuUn (Similar dresses)

 

Belt- Thrifted

 

Shoes- Marc Fisher Anty (Sold out): https://ebay.to/3jobBcc (Similar)

 

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