|| gina la fornarina ||

// when we reached the city via bolt bus, we took a cab to jessica's apartment {dianne & vinny's daughter} on the upper east side. i knew jessica only through baby photos that covered our refrigerator growing up. we had never met or even spoken to one another before. the second jess and i met, it was like we'd known each other for years. the whole week we were trying to figure out why we clicked so fast and so well. we concluded that it must be because of the connection between our mothers. 

i love this picture of all of us.

// after we chatted for a bit in jessica's three bedroom, $4500/per month manhattan apartment, jess asked what we wanted to do for lunch. i told her that i didn't want to do any chain restaurants while we were here since we were in the city that has some of the greatest hole in the wall restaurants ever! she agreed and walked us about 20 feet down the block from her apartment to Gina La Fornarina.

// after we ate our first manhattan pizza pie we walked around the city a bit...

 

// number of uncontrollable & excited "oh my gosh's" coming from my mother{see my vine feed}: 27

// number of days we have been in new york: 3

// number of new friends: 3

// number of slices of pizza i have consumed: 3

next NYC post here

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|| unfathomable blessings ||

// to begin - God totally blessed mine and my mom's socks off with this trip! it came out of nowhere, very unexpected. my mom's best friend from 7th grade and her husband completely took care of everything! they purchased our plane tickets and let us stay with them. they took care of our meals and our transportation. they went above and beyond to make us feel like we were family. the immeasurable amount of generosity they showed us was very humbling. they gave without any expectation of something in return. this truly was the best trip of mine and my moms life.

// we flew out thursday morning and arrived at JFK around dinner time. dianne and vinny picked us up from the airport. vinny even created a sign that said "Robin and Kerrin" {you know, like the limo drivers who pick up famous people in the airport?}. it was hysterical ...and perfect! from the moment we got in dianne and vinny's car, my mom and her old high school buddies were like three yentas, reminiscing about high school days. i swear, i have never heard three people talk as loud and as fast ...and as on top of each other as these three were. it was amazing ...and frightening all at once. 

// since we weren't fed on the plane {whatever happened to those little bags of peanuts?!?}, dianne and vinny took us to this amazing italian restaurant, Vinnie's Mulberry Street, owned by vinnie, who they all went to high school with. my mom walked right up to vinnie and he remembered her. keep in mind, my mother hadn't been back to new york in 25 years. seeing my mom talk to people she hadn't seen since she was my age was really cool. 

// after dinner, we headed home & got a good nights sleep. in the morning, we would take the bolt bus from long island to manhattan!!!

next NYC post here

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|| JUST KIDDING...||

// so after a brief period of "blogging" with tumblr, i have decided that it is not for me. the main reason i switched was because i preferred the layouts they offered to the layouts blogger offers. i really like how tumblr automatically adjusts the photos so that they are all the same size. i really hate having to manipulate them in blogger. however, i am realizing that tumblr is created more for photos rather than actually writing sooooooo.... 

the solution? i am looking for someone to create me a custom layout that will automatically adjust my photos to a specific size instead of me manipulating them myself. If you or someone you know are handy with creating layouts and won't charge me an arm & a leg, please feel free to leave a comment below and let me know. Thanks a bunch!

// as for this blog, i will be picking up where i left off by posting all my new york photos. i apologize if you have already seen the photos and heard all the stories behind them, you are going to see and hear them again! If you haven't, please be prepared for photo-overload.

// it's good to be back!

happy monday

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|| we have touchdown ||

// i don't know where to start. i am in love with new york!!!

// more to come

next NYC post here

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|| NY Guest Post ||

// guest post by Alexa from and nugget makes three

// my new york

// my heart belongs to this city.

// it all began on my first trip in may of 2005 for a fashion course through a local community college. a friend of mine told me about the opportunity to get college credits AND take a weeklong trip to nyc, all centered around fashion and the industry. i couldn’t resist! i’d always wanted to go!

// after that week i knew i was hooked – i recall telling my boyfriend at the time how magical it was and how i wished he could have been there with me sharing the experience.


// i couldn't wait to get back to the city so one of my dear friends and i planned our next trip in may of 2006. little did i know what was in store for me on that trip. we had plans for shopping, eating and seeing Wicked. we decided to make reservations at Tavern on the Green in Central Park for a fun opportunity to get all dolled up and have a memorable dinner at a New York City institution. when it came time for our dessert, much to my surprise, my then boyfriend brought it out to me… got down on one knee and proposed! i was in utter shock – i was under the impression that he was on a shoot in LA for the weekend. needless to say, i said YES and burst into tears; this was the most romantic gesture i had ever been shown and i couldn’t wait a moment longer to give him an answer. he then told me that he would be staying with us for the duration of our trip and would get to experience the city with me, which i had been saying i wanted to do for over a year!

// that was the second time i was in nyc - how could that trip be topped you ask? oh it was - my hubby surprised me with a trip to nyc for our 1 year anniversary in september of 2007 - i mean literally packed for me and drove me to the airport without me having a clue what was going on. what. a. man...but i digress...

// since then i have had the privilege to travel back at least once a year, and for a few years 3 or 4 times a year (truly blessed if you ask me) including once during a blizzard and another at thanksgiving.

// here are a few of my/our favorite spots to frequent while in the city and a few tips as well from my experiences.


When you go:

1. Rent an apartment - it is the best way to truly experience life as a new yorker, plus you have a kitchen so you don’t have to eat out for every meal! we have used the homeaway.com site as well as airbnb.com for rentals.

2. Take the subway - if you are going to be in the city for more than 5 days then get the 7 day unlimited pass, for $30/pass you can ride the subway as often as you'd like instead of paying for each fare. go to mta.info for more information.

3. Get lost in central park - plan to spend a day walking around the park, there are so many great places to see and spots to grab food to picnic in the park if the weather is nice.

4. Do the tour bus - it may seem like such a touristy thing to do BUT it will give you a great overview of manhattan and you can get off and back on at any stop. once you know an area you like, go back another day and really take your time there. check out www.newyorksightseeing.com for more info.

Shopping:

1. Century 21 - located in the financial district - i am a girl who loves a good bargain and this place is the jackpot. Think of every designer who you love from the runways as well as all the top brands you love to wear and then think about them all being under one roof and DEEPLY discounted.... yeah. it's amazing. be sure to give yourself at least 2 hours as they have multiple floors including home goods, men’s and women's fashions, designer, accessories and shoes.

2. Henri Bendel - located on fifth avenue just south of 56th - truly a fashionista's paradise and a new york institution!

3. The Market NYC - located in Greenwich Village at 159 bleeker street - this spot is one of my favorites because you can find one of a kind and hand made pieces from local designers in new york.

4. Catbird - brooklyn on bedford ave. - worth the trip to brooklyn. eclectic boutique with jewelry and gifts from local artist as well as mainstream designers.

Dining:

1. Bergdorf Goodman Restaurant - on fifth avenue just south of central park - go for afternoon tea. it is on the 7th floor of the store and has an incredible view of central park. for $35/person (or $50, if you opt for a glass of Veuve Clicquot) includes: your choice of one Dammann Freres teas, freshly-baked scones (fruit preserves & Devonshire cream), a variety of petit fours, and an assortment of tea sandwiches and savory tartlets.

2. Room Service - located in Chelsea - the first place i tried thai food and my favorite thai place. the food is incredible and the atmosphere and decor make you feel like you are actually dining in a chic hotel room.

3. Serendipity 3 - upper west side - go for the peanut butter frozen hot chocolate.

4. Momofuku Milk Bar - midtown west - get the compost cookie, you won’t regret it.

5. ABC Kitchen - flatiron/union square - you can't go wrong here!!

6. Eataly - flatiron - go on a weekday and you can beat the dinner rush!

7. Matisse - midtown east - amazing little french bistro!

8. Crepes Du Nord - financial district - sweet and savory crepes, each more delicious than the last.

9. Empanada Mama - hell's kitchen - open 24 hours, every day, for when you are craving tapas. be sure to get the guacamole and plantain chips as well as any and every empanada!

10. Mee Noodle Shop - hell's kitchen - great hole in the wall chinese spot with delicious noodle bowls, scallion pancakes and steam roast pork buns.


// i hope you fall in love with this city just as i have. writing this post has given me the itch to get back to manhattan - i think it's high time!

// xxoo

alexa

// well, i have four more days left in NY and i am having the time of my life.

i may not get back on the plane... hope you are all doing amazing!

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|| two days ||

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|| NY Countdown: Guest Post ||

// guest post by Courtney of coco loves carlos

// “In New York… Concrete jungle where dreams are made, there’s nothing you can’t do, now you’re in New York…”

// i used to dream of New York City as a kid. i grew up right outside Chicago, and i loved it, but New York was a real city, with a subway, Broadway shows, Central Park, national morning shows, Fashion Week… everything you could want from a city. then i moved to the Phoenix area for college, and those of you who live here, you know how much more that made me want the city!

// i finally got the chance to see the New York City lights for the first time in the spring of 2006. my husband is from New York originally and most of his very large Puerto Rican family is still there. his grandparents were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary with a vow renewal and party in the city, and though we were only dating at the time, he invited me to go with. i could not have been more excited! we knew that most of our time would be spent preparing for the celebration and catching up with family, but we did get to squeeze in some wonderful time exploring.

// we did a lot of walking, of course. everyone does in that city! it’s chaotic, crowded, loud, and fabulous. at first, we just wandered around, taking it all in. i spent some time taking photos for a college photo project.

// there are so many beautiful buildings and such awesome architecture.

// on our walk, we visited the World Trade Center Memorial. i’m sure we all remember where we were and what we were doing when the Towers fell. it was incredibly sad, very moving, but we were still able to capture some beauty.

// the developers let this piece of rubble stand- i think it’s a pretty powerful symbol, a cross in the middle of the chaos and devastation.

// we took a ride on the ferry to see none other than Lady Liberty, of course! {sidenote: we were both in a bit of a punk phase- oh, that hair! my norm is long and blonde!} the Statue itself was undergoing repairs, so it was closed, but it was worth it to relax and sight-see from the ferry.

//we also spent some time hunting down some New York City staples:

// so wish we had been able to take the time to see Rent! it’s one of my favorites.

{fashionistas}

// and we just had to take a carriage ride through Central Park! it was cold and getting dark, so the park was quiet and peaceful- you could almost forget you were in one of the busiest cities in the world.

// we spent some time back in Times Square one evening, acting like tourists and dreaming about what it must be like to be surrounded by these bright lights every night.

// the city was amazing, but the sweetest part of the trip by far was watching Carlos’ lovely grandparents recommit to each other for the rest of their lives. after 50 years, these two are more in love than ever. they had a full blown ceremony, with his grandma walking down the aisle, making their vows, cake, dancing {yes, that included salsa and merengue}, even Carlos and his Uncle Charlie performing a song Carlos wrote for them. it was so inspiring to see such love!

// between the amazing energy, sights, and lights of the city, and the celebration of love I got to be a part of, you can see why NYC is one of my favorite places to be. and why I am so jealous of Kerrin’s upcoming trip! 

if you've never been, GO!

// Courtney

// three more days until new york

// if you would like to be a guest on kerri and share your ny trip, 

please message me at {kerrin dot chance at gmail dot com}

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