Tag Archives: SoHo

Why I Couldn’t Be Happier to be Turning 30

30th birthday Aspiring Socialite J.Crew Dress

What’s even better than a 30th birthday party? A 30th birthday photo shoot of course! This Labor Day weekend (September 4th to be exact) I’ll be celebrating my 30th birthday. While many of us lament the loss of our 20s as the end of our youth, I personally couldn’t be more excited to be leaving my 20s behind. While I learned a lot from my mistakes and had some great accomplishments like graduating from college, starting this blog, moving to New York, meeting my amazing boyfriend and getting my first real job, the truth is it was a sad decade filled with uncertainty and the struggles of being broke. It was basically like being 13 again only you have to pay your own bills. The further I got into my 20s, the more Britney Spears’ 2007 breakdown made perfect sense. That basically sums it up, but everything good or bad must always come to an end.

Today at 30 I feel younger, happier and more vibrant than I ever did in my early 20s (mush of that is because I’ve replaced drinking with fitness and feeling sorry for myself with taking action). As I look toward the adventures to come I often wish to be richer, skinnier, prettier or smarter, but I don’t wish to be younger. It took me almost 30 years to get it together. So in many ways my adult life has just begun and I look forward to embracing the coming years as a smarter, happier and humbler person. For once in my life I truly love who I am because I’ve fought, failed and failed again to be her. While I don’t know what the future will bring, I know that I’ll continue to fight for the person I am and want to be.
Aspiring Socialite 30th Birthday

At the end of my aerial fitness classes they often share a quote from Antigravity Founder Christopher Harrison. It goes, “Hidden in the forces that bring us down, is the energy to lift us up.” If anything my 20s gave me that. In the spirit of feeling and looking great, I decided to pose in front of the Goddess Wall in Soho. I recently discovered this work of street art and it really speaks to me. Many thanks to artists @jeremypenn and  @lambrosart for creating such an inspiring mural.

If you’re a struggling 20 something, I know exactly how you feel because not so long ago I was you. We all have our own paths in life, so the only real advice I can give you is that it doesn’t matter where you’re going or how you get there as long as you continue to move and look forward. The path is almost never straight, but that doesn’t mean you can’t keep moving forward. And when you turn 30, celebrate the amazingness of being 3 decades old with a 30th birthday photo shoot! If you’re in the New York area, Zarif Taufiq would be happy to do yours too.

Party City Balloons J.Crew Dress

Speaking of 30th birthday shoots, I know you’re dying to know how I got this amazing look. The dress is a J.Crew Spaghetti-Strap Dress in Colorful Brushstroke Print. I paired this happy birthday dress with Swedish Hasbeens Ornament Clogs in Black (my fav summer shoes) and my Mighty Purse Gold Stud Wristlet that has a built in phone charger.

30th birthday party

Many thanks to Valerie Star from Caravan Stylist Studio for doing such a beautiful job on my hair, makeup and nails. I really felt like a movie star! If you’re looking to recreate this look or just get your hands on some fab beauty products, I’ll tell you what she used. She styled these beautifully modern curls using OGX Anti-Gravity + Hydration O2 Weightless Oil & Lift Tonic, OGX Argan Oil of Morocco Elevated Finish Spray and OGX Weightless Hydration Coconut Water Weightless Hydration Oil. For my makeup she made my eyes really pop with Pixi Mesmerizing Mineral PalettePixi Endless Silky Eye Pen, POP Beauty Pow Wow Powder, Pixi Mattelustre Lipstick and POP Beauty Brow Shape & Shade. Manuka Secrets was used on my skin and I wore Color Club’s It’s a Sauna Out Here Nail Polish.

Photos by: Zarif Taufiq

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R.I.P. David Bowie

This week the world was shocked by the surprising death of David Bowie. When a celebrity who always seemed larger than life dies, it’s easy to start contemplating your own mortality. While none of us are immune to death, David Bowie’s passing has reminded me just how important it is to leave a legacy.

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There is no doubt that David Bowie left behind a powerful, colorful and meaningful legacy. As a musician, producer, painter and actor, he showed us all that we were meant to stand out. Every day so many of us feel the pressure to fit in or do exactly what we’re expected to do when all we really want to do is color outside the lines. Thanks to Bowie, it’s okay to keep coloring.

I never knew it before, but it turns out that David Bowie lived just two blocks away from my office in Soho. All week fans have been lining up outside his apartment to leave flowers and pay their respects. It’s amazing to see just how many people Bowie influenced without ever having met them. I guess that’s the real power of art.

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A Pop of Color!

I love all the colorful street art around the city. So when I saw this beautiful mural in Soho, I thought it would go perfectly with my favorite casual little black dress that I got a couple years ago at Old Navy. Having always been one for extremes, I simply can’t get enough of neon on black.

How to style a little black dress

Just like the bright details make the painting magnificent, I topped off what started as a very basic look with my signature Kendra Scott Naomi Two Finger Ring and my favorite summer sweater that I actually got at Cosco.

If you’re wondering about the iPhone photo, yes, I totally have a cell phone case with my chandelier logo. My boyfriend got it for me for Christmas and I love it!

Photos by: Zarif Taufiq

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Many Thanks to Rituals Cosmetics

Rituals Cosmetics

Last Friday afternoon Rituals Cosmetics unexpectedly made my day. I was halfway through what ended up being a 13 hour work day and was taking a coffee break at a nearby Starbucks. After getting my coffee, I walked by two girls giving out full sized bottles of Rituals Zensation Organic Rice Milk & Cherry Blossom foaming shower gel. It was almost as if they knew that I was short on body wash and needed an additional pick-me-up on top of the hot coffee I was carrying.

With Thanksgiving less than a week away, I just wanted to take the opportunity to say thanks to Rituals Cosmetics. I absolutely love the smell and foaming sensation of this body wash. It’s amazing the way it makes my shower smell like a spa and how the gel changes into foam the moment is touches water. Thanks again Rituals for proving to me once again that NYC is always full of surprises!

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Macarons in the Window

Laduree

With their bright colors and fancy packaging, macarons by far one of the most stylish sweets. So it’s no wonder they’re at almost every fashion event alongside cupcakes and champagne. When I came across the famous Ladurée luxury French bakery on West Broadway, I was hypnotized by the beautiful sweets in the window. Judging from this display, these double-decker macarons that sell at a rate of 15,000 a day, are enough to make any girl feel like they are in the company of Marie Antoinette or Blair Waldorf.

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