Day To Day Mae

Valentine’s Day 2017 | What to Wear for Date Night

Posted on February 12, 2017February 12, 2017 by annamae161@gmail.com

As far as I can remember, I honestly always despised Valentine’s Day. For most years of my life thus far I have been single on Valentine’s Day and the last thing you want rubbed in your face when you are single is how in love everyone is around you. I would purposely wear black on Valentine’s Day just to spite the holiday, which I felt was just another excuse for Hallmark to sell greeting cards (and I’m pretty sure the Holiday was invented by them). Even now that I am in a relationship, I do not think you need a day to show someone how much you love them (although a girl can’t turn down chocolates and roses).

However, this year I am trying to make the most of it – even though deep down I am still that girl that is turned completely off by the fact that there is a holiday dedicated to having to buy a gift for the person you’re with to show them that you love them, or take them out to dinner with the million other couples that are also out that same day. It’s just all around corny.

With that being said – I am trying to give Valentine’s Day a chance and think of it as a day to set aside to spend some time with who you love. This year my boyfriend and I are going out to eat in the North End, and it will be the first time I ventured out on Valentine’s Day (last year we stayed in and cooked at home). This means, I needed something to wear (and can’t get away with wearing black this year, I don’t think my boyfriend would enjoy that haha). I wanted to go for something red and romantic. There is something about an off-the shoulder top that I think is so beautiful, without showing too much skin. Ever since the trend came out last Spring/Summer I pounced on it and probably bought more off the shoulder tops than I need – so hoping this trend lasts awhile. After much searching on the internet, I found the perfect off-the shoulder red top from Sabo Skirt that I paired with Black Jeans and two of my new favorite gold choker necklaces. With Valentine’s Day coming up on Tuesday – you may not have time to get this cute top shipped (Sabo Skirt is in Australia), however I linked a couple others that you may be able to get sooner.

I hope you all have a wonderful Valentine’s Day with loves of love – whether it’s with a significant other, your family, or your gal-pals. I wish you the MOST chocolate you could ever wish for, and if you are single, use it as an excuse to go out for some drinks with the girls.

What I Wore:

Top: Sabo Skirt Ruby off-the shoulder top

Pants: Rag and Bone Black Jeans

Evil Eye Necklace: Katie Dean Jewelry

Smaller Choker: Are You Am I Alva Choker

Some other tops I love for V-day that are similar:

BA&SH Azar Off the Shoulder Ruffled Top

Express Off the Shoulder Top in Red

Nicole Miller Off the Shoulder Poly Top

Tularosa Amelia Crop Top from Revolve in Red

Ella Ross Bella Cold-Shoulder Top

My Favorite Faux Fur Winter Parka | The Bankcroft Parka From Aritzia

Posted on February 9, 2017February 9, 2017 by annamae161@gmail.com

Living in Boston, you have to be prepared for the coldest of winters and snow with the warmest winter parka you can find. For the past 5 years or so, I have stuck with the same parka that I got for my birthday one year from North Face. A winter parka can definitely be a splurge, and my jacket was perfectly warm so I had no reason to buy another one. However, as I pulled it out this year and started to wear it when it started getting cooler, I noticed that the fur on the hood had become matted, and overall it was starting to look worn. Considering just how frequently I wear a winter parka, I decided this was the year I would splurge and buy a new one.

Originally, I had my mind set on a Canada Goose jacket. They are extremely expensive, however I love their look, and heard they are the warmest you can find, working in temperatures as low as -5 degrees. Come to find, they are made with real animal fur, and I have heard some negative rumors about their treatment of animals. Being a huge animal lover, at that point I was 100% out. I decided to look around through North Face and some other brands – and surprisingly enough I ended up finding the most beautiful Parka at Aritzia. I originally spotted the parka online through some Google searches – and luckily enough they recently opened an Aritiza store here in Boston in the Prudential Mall.

As soon as I tried on the parka, I immediately fell in love. It was just as warm as my old North Face, but had an adorable FAUX fur fuzzy hood that I absolutely loved, and a sleek, black look and feel. I highly recommend this parka if you are looking for something new that is animal-friendly and different from your standard North Face jacket that everyone has. When shooting this jacket, I paired it with my favorite AG Jeans and my absolute favorite new scarf from Free People that I have been wearing non-stop. Take a look at the pictures below to see the look, and I have linked everything I wore down below!

Parka: Golden by Tna Bankcroft Parka from Aritzia

Sweater: From Nordstrom, couldnt find this exact one but this one is similar

Scarf: Free People Kolby Brushed Fringe Scarf in Sand

Jeans: AG Legging Ankle Jeans

Sunglasses: Classic Original Ray-Bans

Socks: Boot Socks from Urban Outfitters, couldn’t find the exact ones but here’s a similar pair.

Boots: Cara Short Boot by Frye

48 Hours in Portland, Maine: What to Eat?

Posted on January 23, 2017January 23, 2017 by annamae161@gmail.com

When I travel, one of my favorite activities is eating and drinking my way through where ever it is that I am visiting. I am not sure if I would qualify as a “foodie”, but I can say that I do have a deep love for food and I enjoy trying new cuisines when I can! So obviously, when my boyfriend and I decided to go to Portland, Maine this past weekend, my first question to all of my friends who had been there before was, where should we eat?

We were only there for a short time, from Saturday around noon to Sunday afternoon, so I tried to squeeze as much food as possible in during that time. I compiled a list of suggestions that I would recommend after trying them, as well as a few that I didn’t get a chance to try, but are on my list! Hopefully next time any of you are in Portland, you will be able to try some of these tasty choices!

Places We Tried That I Recommend:

Bonobo Woodfire Pizza: This was a cute and cozy woodfire pizza place near our Airbnb in the “west end” area of Portland that was recommended by one of our friends who lives in Portland. They also have a local craft beer selection (which my Boyfriend loved, I am not a beer fan). We absolutely loved this place. The ambiance was super cozy and they had cute string lights hanging on the ceiling. The pizza was honestly one of the best pizzas I have ever had. It had a thinner crust and had a lot of flavor. My boyfriend ate an entire pizza to himself, which I would have done myself if I could have fit it in my stomach. He got the pepperoni, and I got the caspian roasted chicken, both of which I would strongly recommend!

2. The Bar of Chocolate Cafe: For anyone that knows me, it is common knowledge that I have a sweet tooth, in particular for chocolate. So of course, when I heard from a friend that there was a small bar completely dedicated to chocolate, I had to try it. It is a very tiny place, easy to miss if you are not looking for it, on a cobblestone street which I loved. We really enjoyed this place as well, and it was the perfect spot to grab dessert and drinks after dinner. The name says it all – the bar has a collection of chocolate martini drinks, as well as chocolate desserts. My boyfriend and I had such much fun here getting chocolate “wasted.” 🙂

3. The Holy Donut: Almost every single person that I asked to recommend food in Portland, immediately said that I had to try The Holy Donut. I am a huge donut fan, and do love trying different donut places, so I made sure to make this a top priority to check out, and it did not disappoint. The donuts were absolutely delicious (and they have gluten free options as well!). My boyfriend said it was the best donut he has ever had, and I can’t disagree. They had many delicious flavors, but I especially loved the vanilla and the cannolli flavor. I read later that the reason for the consistency being so different is because the donuts are hand-made with Maine potatoes. They really do melt in your mouth and I would recommend trying these for breakfast or a yummy snack!

4. DuckFat: Alongside the Holy Donut, this place was across the board the most recommended to try. Everyone said that I have to try the poutine as well as the milkshake. The (not-so-secret) secret ingredient in the Belgian fries and poutine, was that they were all fried in duck fat. This place was absolutely amazing! It is very tiny, and they do not take reservations, but luckily we didn’t have a wait. We did, however, have to sit uncomfortably close to the people next to us, which was my only complaint. The AMAZING poutine and milkshake completely made up for it. I could immediately see why this place was recommended so many times – it definitely was the best poutine I have ever had, and the milkshake was super delicious as well.

Places We Missed That are Still on My List:

Petite Jacqueline: This restaurant is actually owned by one of my boyfriend’s friends sisters, so we stopped by, but after all of the other food we ate that weekend, didn’t have any room to actually eat here. However, I would love to come back again and try it. As you may have guessed from the name, it is a French bistro, with French selections including Steak Frites, Crepes, and delicious french pastries such as Macaroons (My favorite). The food looks delicious from what I scoped out on Yelp, and it has great reviews, so this will definitely be a must for next time we are in Portland.
The Honey Paw: We actually walked past this place when headed to Duckfat, and I was found myself staring/drooling at someone eating noodle soup in the window (sorry, dude but your food looked awesome). This Asian fusion cuisine includes broths, wantons, and noodles galore – basically the perfect place to go when it’s cold outside and you want some warm soup. This place also has great reviews and I will definitely be making my way here next time in Portland!
Central Provisions: I discovered this place when researching about Portland beforehand. It is a tapas restaurant with a really unique looking menu. One of my favorite things about tapas is that you can have a little of everything, which works well for me because I can be very indecisive when it comes to food! Can’t wait to try this place next time around.
Taco Escobarr: This place was recommended by a friend, but we didn’t get a chance to check it out quite yet. If you are in the mood for some Mexican food and Margaritas, this looks to be the place! The photos I’ve seen of the food look absolutely delicious, so next time I am in Portland and need a Mexican food fix, I will be sure to check out this spot!

I hope this list was helpful for you if you are headed to Portland, Maine anytime soon. There are tons of good food places there, and this is just a small list so feel free to leave any additional suggestions in the comments!

Packing for a Tropical Destination Wedding: What to Bring

Posted on January 21, 2017 by annamae161@gmail.com

Who doesn’t want to attend a tropical destination wedding? Now that I have hit 27, It seems everyone around me seems to be getting engaged or married. My first close friend from college got engaged last year and recently had her destination wedding in the Bahamas. I was so excited for this experience and it was definitely an unbelievable one. However, one challenge can always be – what do I pack? I compiled this list with some examples of what I brought to help you out if you have a tropical destination wedding of your own coming up! I also included some helpful reminders to keep in mind on your checklist to have the best experience possible.

Things Not to Forget

Your Passport! If you are going abroad, you do NOT want to get all the way to the airport with all of your things, and find you can’t get on the flight.
Call your Debit/Card card company: If you are going abroad, you want to alert your credit/debit card company of your travels so you do not have your card cancelled trying to make a purchase. If you have Bank of America like me, this can easily be done through the BOA App.
Bring some Local Currency: Again if you are going abroad, you may end up having to take a taxi from the airport to wherever you are staying, and if you are splitting with a group it is always helpful to have cash on hand, especially for tips!
Call your Phone Company: If you are planning on using your cellphone abroad, you want to make sure that you call your cellphone provider and see if you can add on a travel plan. If you have Verizon, I highly recommend TravelPass. Once you add Travel Pass onto your phone, it is on your plan forever, and essentially you will be charged a certain amount per day (depending on where you are, i.e. in Bahamas it was $10/day) and can use your phone completely as normal! If you choose not to use your phone, you can simply keep it on airplane mode and not be charged – so easy!
A Portable Phone Charger: This was super helpful. Alongside your regular phone charger, If you are going to spend long days on the beach, or even at the wedding, it is so nice to have an extra charger to take with you so that you phone won’t die and you can put up as many pictures as you want! 🙂
Tide-to-Go Pen: Always good to have for any spills that might happen eating or dancing at the wedding!
Camera: I personally use my phone camera as it is great quality. However, if you want to take some really nice pictures, don’t forget your camera!
Present for the Bride and Groom: For destination weddings, often times you do not need to bring a gift as the gift is attending the wedding (which can come at a high cost!). The Bride/Groom typically will let you know this beforehand. However, I would still always suggest bringing at least a card. If this is a close friend or relative, you may still want to bring a gift, so this is something not to forget and leave until the last minute!

Toiletries

For toiletries, it is always good to check beforehand if the hotel/accommodations have what you need already. This is especially helpful because airlines have restrictions on how much liquid you can bring onto a plane i.e. if you have a large bottle of hair shampoo and conditioner, this may not fly (literally).

Travel size shampoo, conditioner, lotion, and face wash from CVS. One of the great things about CVS is their travel section that has mini versions of everything. I often times do not like the shampoo and conditioner provided at hotels, it makes my hair have knots and does not work well for me. If you want to bring your own to make sure you don’t have this problem, go for the travel size! Additionally, if you are tanning in hot weather, having lotion is key so you don’t end up flaky! You will definitely want to buy sunblock and potentially aloe when there (unless you can find a mini version of these as well!).
Neutrogena Makeup Remove Cleansing Towelettes. These little wipes are my saviors! They are the easiest way to get makeup off quickly without irritating your skin.
Blowdryer/Hair Straightener/Curler: Make sure to check if the hotel already has a blow dryer, as this is one less thing for you to bring. If you are planning on styling your hair for the wedding (I curled mine) make sure you have the right styling tools!
Razor. Double-check that your airline allows this (some don’t using carry-on) but this is definitely good to bring if you are wearing a dress at the wedding!
Makeup. For makeup, I would narrow down to the specific makeup you think you will actually wear on the trip. Make sure you don’t over pack in this arena, as I have often done. A couple items not to forget include is lipstick (if you want to wear a special color at the wedding), and Chapstick (I love mini Vaseline) to keep your lips from getting dry in the hot weather! Finally, I LOVE BareMinerals Complextion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Cream. It is great to put as a first layer under your makeup to stay hydrated, make your face glow, and it has SPF 30!

What to Wear

Swimsuits! Of course on a tropical wedding, you may be spending a lot of time on the beach or by the pool. I personally like to bring a different bathing suit for every day I know I will be swimming, so that I can leave them to dry while I am wearing my next one. Additionally, they are tiny so easy to pack a bunch! I absolutely LOVE my new Same Swim bikini, it is definitely my new favorite. I also really love Triangl bathing suits. Take a look at my favorite bikini here:
Hat: If you want to keep your face safe from the sun with a stylish accessory, I recommend throwing in a cute hat! Mine is from Aldo. A tip for packing these so they don’t get bent is putting a shirt in the hat to keep it open and not squished on the plane!
Sandals: Of course these are a must for the beach. Mine in the picture above are Schutz x Revolve Erlina Sandal in Osyter. The only annoying thing about these sandals is taking them on and off – so for sandals you need to take on and off quickly, I’d suggest a more simple pair. I brought two pairs, so I could switch it up.
Sunglasses: You do NOT want to forget these for the sunny days to protect your eyes! My favorite are my original Ray-Bans, they go with everything!
Beach Cover-ups/Beachwear for Day: What I like to do so I don’t over pack, is pick one outfit per day that I will wear while away, and stick to that outfit (This can be very challenging, I know!). For our trip, aside from the wedding day, most of the days were spent by the pool or beach, so for each of these days I brought a beach cover-up or cozy romper or jean shorts/top combo. My romper below is my new favorite, the Tularosa Amelia Romper from Revolve.

Nighttime wear: Same as above, for each night (not including the wedding night) I aimed to pack one outfit. Looking at the weather ahead of time, it was going to be very warm even at night, so I mostly packed maxi dresses or skirts with tops, but I did bring one pair of white jeans and one cardigan, just in case! I absolutely love this maxi dress from Flynn Skye below, (mine was in the color White Rose which is sold out, but they have many other beautiful colors!)
Comfy Outfit for the Plane: I always wear sneakers, leggings, and a cozy top. I tend to get cold on planes, so good to have your legs and arms covered so you don’t get chilly!
Clothes to Sleep In: This is something I always forget because it matters the least to me (Haha). Don’t forget to bring some shorts and a t-shirt or tank to sleep in (I brought 2 of each as I don’t mind re-wearing them multiple nights).
Wedding Guest Dress and Heels!: Finding a dress for a tropical destination wedding, especially when it is mid-winter here in Boston, can be difficult as no stores are selling summer clothing. This is why I went head-first into the internet and some of my favorite online retailers to find the best dress. I also heard my friend had luck finding a dress on the sale rack at Nordstrom (not a bad option at all!). Both me and my friend’s dresses pictured below are from Revolve! Mine is the Lovers + Friends Caspian Shift dress in Coral from Revolve, that I paired with some tan heels I got from J.crew awhile back.

I hope this post was helpful for any of you who have a destination wedding coming up! Looking forward to seeing pictures from your trips!

My First Travel Post: The Magical Island of Mallorca

Posted on January 6, 2017January 6, 2017 by annamae161@gmail.com

Why Mallorca?

Growing up, my Nana was a travel agent, so her and my Gramps traveled all over the world. If you threw a dart on a map, they had probably been there, from Africa to Bhutan to countries I didn’t even know existed. However, despite having the world at their fingertips through the exclusive deals of working in the travel industry, they returned summer after summer every year to this sun-kissed island off the coast of Spain, to the point that they even had local friends welcoming them with open arms on their return trips.

For those of you who have never heard of Mallorca, it is the larger, tamer of the Balearic Islands, a sister site of the well known party capital of the world, Ibiza (but you won’t be taking any crazy pills here, or at least not as many, Mike Posner). It is known for its amazing white, Mediterranean beaches and mountainous terrain.

It seemed as if it was fate that I ended up there. My company is headquartered in Paris and we have a yearly summit in France (major perks of the job). The first year I worked at the company, they even compensated our travel flights prior or after the summit (Thank you, Criteo) if we chose to add on a vacation. We ended up deciding to do Barcelona, and then Mallorca. I can honestly say it is one of the best trips I have ever had. It certainly is in the top five, if not the number one most beautiful place I’ve ever been to. However, the vacation was not without a few hiccups. Hopefully hearing about our trip will help you plan one of your own!

When to go

Summer. Mallorca has a typical Mediterranean climate, heating up in the Summer between 70-80 degrees on average. To enjoy the full beauty of Mallorca in warm weather and be able to tan and swim in the water, you definitely want to go in the Summer. We went mid-June, and the weather was absolutely perfect.

How to get there

Fly. Flying from Europe is the quickest way to get to Mallorca. We flew from Boston, then to Barcelona for a few days, and then to Mallorca. I really wouldn’t recommend any other way (Unless an 8 hour ferry from Spain is your cup of tea). It was also extremely cheap, somewhere around $70-80. The flight was only around 45 minutes. It was so quick, my friend joked that he went to the bathroom after the flight took off, and by the time he was done, we were descending. EasyJet truly is just that – super easy. RyanAir is a great option as well.

Transportation

Rent a Car. If you want the ability to travel all around the island at your own independence, and because the island has so many hidden gems and is quite big, I highly recommend renting a car to get the full experience.

However, this is where our first hiccup came up on the trip. What we did not know, was that majority of the local rental cars in Mallorca require an international license to operate. So here we are arriving to pick up our vehicle, to find that we could not legally drive it. We had to actually refund the car, which was a nightmare as the employees did not speak English very well, and then wait in a long line at Hertz to get another rental car.

Lesson learned: Hertz is one of the only international rental car companies that enables you to drive a vehicle with only a U.S. license!

Another side note: It is very hard to find a rental car that is not a stick-shift, so hopefully one of your friends can drive stick!

Also: A MAJOR perk of renting a car, is driving through the beautiful mountainous terrain of Mallorca – it is a view I will never forget.

Where to stay

Airbnb! We wanted Mallorca to feel like our home away from home, and this is why we went with Airbnb. This was by FAR the best decision we made on the trip. I would recommend doing some research to decide which location on the island is best for you. Check out See Mallorca here, for some specific details about the island.

We opted to stay in an Airbnb in the northern part of the island, so we could be close to all the beautiful beaches. The exact location was called Sa Colonia, and I was able to dig it up, see here!

This amazing place had 5 floors, was RIGHT on a beautiful beach, had an indoor pool, and a master bedroom where me and my other friend slept. The place literally looked like something out of a Rick Ross music video. For how amazing it was, the price was unreal. It was $354 a night total, so only $70 per person to literally have our own beach-side home and live a life of luxury for 5 days. I can truly say for a small moment I felt like I was living the life of the rich and famous. If you cruise through Airbnb options in Mallorca, its amazing the luxury villas and homes you can rent out for a quality price, and they are worth every single penny.

Here are some photos I snapped, not too professional but for better photos check out the Airbnb link:

*Our luxurious living room overlooking the water.

*The boys enjoying the indoor pool.

*My Friend Chris Mcdonough enjoying a nice glass of wine to take away some of the pain of his sunburn on our back patio. Rough life.

*Enjoying a cup of coffee at breakfast with an insane view.

*Sunset view from our balcony.

What to do

Book a Boat Trip: One of the best days we had in Mallorca was a day we went on a catamaran boat tour. There are many boat tours you can take in Mallorca, including some with your own personal skipper. They took us around several areas of the island and Mediterranean, served us lunch and drinks, took us to some great snorkeling spots (snorkel gear included) and entertained us with their good company and a guitar. I unfortunately do not remember the exact company we used – but a simple Google search you will find many options, or take a look at See Mallorca here. Here are a few photos from our boat trip:
*This is exactly what it looks like.

*My friend Chris enjoying the boat entertainment, most likely dancing to Bailando by Enrique.
*Pure relaxation at its finest.

Visit Cap De Formetor: Cap De Formentor is on the Northern most part of Mallorca and forms the peninsula. It is a point you can visit that has the most AMAZING views. We drove there, which I believe this is the easiest way to get there, as it was very hilly and would be tough to bike or walk (unless your some sort of professional biker). I would HIGHLY recommend this due to its pure beauty. It’s a fantastic photo op, and home to some very cute mountain goats (which my friend scared away, still upset about it). Here are some of our photos from Cap De Formentor, although they don’t do the place justice:
Beaches: I did a lot of research on beaches to go to prior to the trip, mostly using the See Mallorca website. Some of them were absolutely amazing, and some were a disappointment as they were overcrowded with Tourists.
- Alcudia beach: I would definitely avoid this beach at all costs. It was not only crowded, but did not turn out to be very pretty and we did not enjoy it at all.
- Can Picafort: This was another more crowded beach. However, I do have to say that Can Picafort was very beautiful and the watercolor was exceptionally light here, so if a crowded beach doesn’t bother you, check it out. Additionally, It is near Alcudia which is a town we visited quite frequently that had cute shops and restaurants that I highly recommend exploring.
- Son Serra de Marina: This was the beach right near our Airbnb. It was a very quiet beach that we did enjoy. There is also a lot of nude bathing there as a heads up – so don’t be alarmed!
- Cala Formentor Beach: We snorkeled to this beach from our Catamaran boat. It is a gorgeous beach, known as being one of the most beautiful on the island, but was somewhat crowded (not quite as much as Alcudia).
- Port de Pollenca: This beach was near the port we went to to catch our boat. However, one thing to note is you did have to pay for a chair here (which we tried to avoid, and played a bit of musical chairs for a bit but ultimately had to succumb to).
- Cap De Formentor Hotel Beach: This was my all-time favorite beach in Mallorca. We came across it completely on accident on the way back from Cap De Formentor. The view from this beach was breathtaking, surrounded by mountains and some of the clearest water I have ever seen. In addition, since it was right near the hotel, there was a bar right nearby so you could grab drinks and sit on a chair by the water – what could be better than this?
  
  I hope this post was helpful for you if you are planning a trip to Mallorca anytime soon. Let me know in the comments if you have any questions about traveling here, and I would be happy to help!

The Thrill of the Hunt For the Perfect Camel Coat

Posted on January 2, 2017January 5, 2017 by annamae161@gmail.com

I hope you had a wonderful New Year’s Eve celebration! For tonight’s post, I wanted to talk about my search for the perfect wool, camel colored coat. I have been seeing adorable camel coats all over Pinterest and social media, and was determined to find my own. I dragged my boyfriend to Nordstrom first (needed his car to get there – poor guy) and started my search. I found the most gorgeous camel coat there, however it was way out of the budget I was willing to spend (although it was on sale). It was originally around $1,050 and was on sale for $680 – so if any of you are looking to splurge on a nice camel coat, take a look at this one from Nordstrom by Fleurette.

After reluctantly leaving Nordstrom and the gorgeous coat behind (or should I say, my boyfriend had to drag me out) – I decided to head to Macy’s as I had a gift card and thought I may have better luck finding a more reasonably priced coat. My boyfriend was even getting in on it – pointing out any camel colored coats/jackets that he spotted. It was after walking through Macy’s for maybe 10 minutes – I caught out of the corner of my eye the perfect colored camel coat, which turned out to be 50% off from BCBG! I had to try it on, and instantly fell in love. The price ended up coming to just $114 since it was on sale, and with my gift card I ended up paying just $14. Coming from $700 – I felt pretty proud of myself (and my boyfriend) for finding such a good deal!

Moral of the story is – don’t settle on the highest price or the first thing you find that you love, you can always come back to it, always shop around for the better price!

Unfortunately I could find the exact Camel Coat online, but highly suggest looking at BCBG. This one is adorable as well: Ashley Pea Coat

Jeans: AG Distressed Legging Ankle Jeans

Scarf: Free People, Koda Brushed Scarf

Socks: Urban Outfitters

Boots: Frye Boots, Cara Shoot boots in Cognac

New Years 2017: An Alternative To a Sparkly Dress

Posted on December 31, 2016January 2, 2017 by annamae161@gmail.com

Hi My Sweeties,

2016 was rough for many people, and a lot has definitely changed. However, for me, I feel lucky that between moving further in my career, to making new friends and getting closer with old ones, as well as getting the opportunity to travel to amazing places from Costa Rica, Italy, France, Monoco and Switzerland to Seattle, SF and NYC – I had an amazing year. I am very excited for what 2017 is going to bring and I wish you all lots of love, growing, learning, and fun!

For NYE this year, most of my friends are away traveling, and many of them have also moved, so we are keeping it low-key. Pretty much every year, I end up wearing a sparkly dress. However, after looking deeply into Pinterest for ideas as I always do (I could honestly entertain myself for hours on there) – I came across a lot of adorable sequin blazers or jackets. Since it is pretty cold out, and we are going to stay in for a little and walk to a local bar, I figured this would be the perfect comfortable, alternative to my usual sparkly dress.

I went on the hunt for a sequin blazer or jacket – and found this adorable gold/metallic jacket from Zara, and basically surrounded my outfit around it as the main statement piece.

I’d love to see what you all are wearing for NYE and hear what your resolutions are! 🙂

Anna

Sequin/Metallic Jacket: Zara Metallic Bomber Jacket

Off-The Shoulder Top: This one is WAYF’s Off-the shoulder Blouse in Black From Nordstrom, which I believe is sold out but they have some other great options like this one.

Jeans: Rag and Bone

Shoes: Booties From Zara a Few Years Ago

Necklaces:
Katie Dean Evil Eye Necklace

Black Lace Choker from Lit Boutique

LipStick: Mac Rebel

‘Tis The Season For Beanies + Giving Back

Posted on December 18, 2016December 21, 2016 by annamae161@gmail.com

Hi All,

For my second blog post, I decided to take a stroll around Parris Landing, where my Boyfriend lives in Charlestown. It is a gorgeous building and there are Holiday decorations all around so I thought I could find some beautiful locations for photos. After a 10 degree day the other day – this 50 degree weather felt so warm! Perfect beanie and Hunter Boot weather.

I found out about the adorable Love Your Melon beanies from my co-worker. Not only are they super cute and warm, but the company mission is to give a hat to every child battling cancer in America, which I absolutely love. 50% of profit from the sale of Love Your Melon products is donated to their partner organizations, who “work in the field of pediatric oncology, fund cancer research initiatives and provide immediate support for families of children battling cancer” (Source: Love Your Melon: Mission).

In addition to the Holidays coming up, my Birthday was December 2nd. This year, I turned 27 years old – which is scary! Entering my late twenties feels crazy, and made me want to reflect back on everything I’ve learned, hope to continue to learn, and ways I am hoping to grow. I thought I’d leave 27 life lessons that I LOVE, and am trying to remember myself everyday (I’d be lying if I said I am perfect at all of these). Hope you enjoy! 🙂

27 life lessons

1. Don’t compare yourself to others. You can admire someone else’s beauty without losing your own.

2. Social media is a facade – people can make themselves look any way they want through this filtered view – everyone has a story and you have no idea what people could actually be going through.

3. Don’t put time or effort chasing after or thinking about anyone who left your life. The people that truly matter and love you will make sure that you are in their life.

4. Make peace with the past so it won’t screw up the present. Don’t allow pain to linger and cause you suffering. Don’t stuff it down or pretend it doesn’t matter when it does. and don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it to get through it.

5. Force yourself to do the things that scare you.

6. Save money so you don’t have to worry about it later, you never know what could come up or happen.

7. Notice who sticks by you when everything falls apart, those are your true friends.

8. It’s never too late to start something new.

9. Stay humble and grateful when your high, and hopeful when you are low.

10. Sometimes you just need to let out how you really truly feel to someone. Holding things inside isn’t good for your soul.

11. Travel as much as possible!! And take lots of pictures of the special moments – you will cherish them one day.

12. Never try to change anyone – In order for someone to change, they need to want to change themselves.

13. Surround yourself with good positive people that bring you up rather than down. The company you keep has a huge effect on your happiness and cutting out negativity or people that hurt or disrespect you will make you overall a happier and healthier person everyday.

14. Don’t make dumb excuses not to go to the gym. You’ll feel better after you go, and regret it if you don’t go.

15. Don’t regret anything as at one time it was exactly what you wanted, but learn from past mistakes.

16. Sometimes accomplishing something great starts with one small step, and it’s just a matter of continuing to move forward and keeping consistent with progress everyday.

17. If you are not happy with your job, get moving and find another one. You are not a tree. Especially in your 20s it’s a time to explore what you really want and you shouldn’t waste time working somewhere where you do not feel fulfilled or completely happy.

18. You don’t have to win every argument. Sometimes you just need to agree to disagree, and some arguments are just not worth it.

19. Make sure to find time to relax and treat yourself whether it’s a massage, a shopping day, or laying on the couch to watch Netflix, or cuddling with a cute puppy. It will make you overall happier and healthier and more productive.

20. Try to do something today better than you did yesterday or learn something new everyday, even if it’s small.

21. Animals make everything better. When your stressed, try petting a puppy. Also find someone like a boyfriend or friend to get a puppy so you can reap all the benefits of having a puppy without actually having to take care of it.

22. Tell the people you love and care about , that you love and care about them.

23. Always be nice to people who are nice to you. You are not better than anyone else

24. Frame every so called disaster with ” will this matter in 5 years? ”

25. Remember that time heals almost everything and reveals most truths- just give it time.

26. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger. You can handle more than you think you can.

27. Never love someone who treats you like your ordinary. Life has many mediocre things but love shouldn’t be one of them.

Beanie: Love Your Melon

Plaid Shirt: From Zara

Vest: J.Crew – This is the Most Similar One

Jeans: AG Distressed Legging Ankle Jeans

Boots: Original Glossy Hunter Boots in Dulse Red

Lipstick: Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Beso

Dog: Thomas – Unfortunately Not For Sale 😉

*All pictures are by my talented photographer boyfriend, Brian Tonelli.

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My First Post: My Major Boot Splurge

Posted on November 22, 2016December 21, 2016 by annamae161@gmail.com

Hi Everyone!

I’m a blogging rookie so bear with me! For my first post, I decided to find a beautiful spot in the lovely city of Boston. I have lived in Boston for 8 years now, between going to school here at Northeastern, and now residing here as a business professional, and have never visited acorn street, one of the most photographed streets in the US.

I convinced my boyfriend Brian to go with me (along with his side-kick, his yellow lab Thomas) for the long trek, and was determined to showcase my new Stuart Weitzman boots which I completely splurged on, as well as a new Sole Society scarf I got from Nordstrom. Unlucky for me – Boston is typically freezing around this time, but due to unknown circumstances mother nature decided to give us an exceptionally hot day, so by the time we got to the location I was sweating and just hoping that my hair didn’t look like a complete frizz ball in the photos.

I was also not the only one who decided to visit this location – there were quite a few tourists we had to dodge in order to get these photos. However, I can see why it has been photographed so many times, it is an absolutely beautiful street – although I would never want to live there (unless you want tourists constantly at your doorstep).

It’s fun to be a tourist in your own city sometimes.

🍂🍃

These Stuart Weitzman boost are QUITE the splurge – but seeing the over-the-knee boot trend on Pinterest and across social media, and decided I would get a lot of wear out of them and they were worth it 🙂 Side note: They are unbelievably comfortable!

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