Lacey in the City

Catching up.

2012-02-07T11:49:00.000-05:00

Good morning from rainy Southern California! I took the day off today to try to find that home of mine that I've had on my mind for over two months now. I'm finally in LA for the entire week, and my travel season is beginning to wind down for a while (a couple more trips and then March begins to resemble a little bit of normalcy), so it's time to get all of my personal things in order. Numero uno: Find my new apartment.

It's been over a week since I have checked in to say hello, so a bit of a recap for you: I spent a week in Dallas, and I so enjoyed it! In between my work duties, I got to visit with my dear friend CK and her fiance AL, who are getting hitched next month in Dallas!

Then I headed back to NY for the week for meetings, and I had a great time with my old friends, newly made friends, + my colleagues there. Sleep wasn't the first thing on the agenda that week, so I crashed pretty hard this weekend once I returned. I've been in bed the past few nights no later than 930, trying to recup before my next trip this weekend.

Where do I head this weekend? I'm off to Viva Las Vegas for another trade show (trust me, there is no other reason I spend more than 48 consecutive hours in Vegas, unless it is for work!), and a few of my fabulous coworkers from around the country are all flying in as well (shoutouts to ALC, LB, + JW! and a ghost shoutout to KD, who will be missed!), so I cannot wait for a great work week! Once I get back from Vegas, I'm home for a couple days, then back to New York for five days before I fly home in time to toast my birthday night :)

Speaking of my birthday, coming up on 25 is starting to feel a little strange. For as long as I can remember in my career and friend groups, I've been the youngest. And I'm plenty happy with not having to whisper my age when a colleague inquires how old I am, but it's strange pondering how my position in all of those situations is starting to morph into me finally just joining the regular ranks. Does that make sense? I'm still mid coffee cup, so I feel my mind is a bit groggy still. Forgive me if I sound like I'm just rambling.

Also, over the past couple of weeks, I've had some really interesting conversations that I want to kind of share in a nutshell soon. Two in particular in my mind have really stuck, and I think that they're ones I'd love to share with you gals, just in case they are thoughts that can hit you like they did me. I'll figure out how to put them into words and will keep you posted.

Until then, I'm off to finish my coffee and get ready to pound the pavement. Thanks for sticking with me during the weeks that I disappear because of a crazy schedule. If you are on twitter though, definitely follow me there, because that's much easier to do quick updates on! (@laceyinthecity)

Have a great Tuesday! xoxo

New York: I'm baaack

2012-01-30T08:00:00.000-05:00

Guess who's back, back again! I'm way too white to say stuff like that... But I just did anyway.

I am back in Nueva York for the work week to have some meetings and hopefully not get snowed on. This girl has gotten way too spoiled way too fast with sunny Southern California weather! Not to mention that I came here directly from a week in Dallas, where the weather was quite pleasant in the high 60s and 70s all week. (Thank you, Texas!)

Cheers to a fab Monday + a killer week to come! What do you have on your agenda this week?
PS - Only 25 more days until I'm 25! Weird.

Lacey in the Big D!

2012-01-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

I forgot to tell you - I'm in Dallas this week! I arrived on Sunday evening, + I'm here until this coming Sunday evening. It's Dallas Apparel Market Week (translation: the week apparel and accessory designers show buyers their new goodies for Summer 2012), so I am in the Big D ~~hanging out with Khloe + Lamar~~ meeting + greeting my new Texan clientele!

I don't think I ever really elaborated my job change that happened when I moved back to LA at the beginning of this month. I previously managed East Coast accounts for the company I work for, + now I've transitioned + am handling Central US accounts. That means I'll be traveling to Dallas multiple times a year for markets + to call on stores here, + to Colorado a few times a year to call on accounts there, as well. I was super lucky + super grateful to be able to stay with the same company that I've been with for the past two years (today actually marks the official two year anniversary of being with them!) + I'm looking forward to lots more time here in Tejas!

Have you ever visited Dallas? Do you travel a lot for work? If so, what do you do for your job?

Taylor on the cover of VOGUE.

2012-01-24T08:00:00.000-05:00

If you know me at all in real life, you know that I want to be Taylor Swift when I grow up. (Forget that I'm older than her.) No joke...I adore her. I don't do the celeb obsession thing often, but when it comes to TSwizzle, I'm a huge fan. The girl writes her own music, plays her own music, kicks billboard chart butt, + still manages to be the sweetest + most adorable thing ever.

So obviously, I am super excited to see her on the cover of the February 2012 issue of Vogue. Well done, T. Swift, well done. And well deserved, my friend! I can't wait to pick up my copy (the issue hits stands today!).

Do you like/love/adore her like I do?

When a song can take you somewhere.

2012-01-23T08:00:00.000-05:00

Imagine it:

Christmas 2003, Boston, Massachusetts. I was sixteen years old, my little sister LMG was 13. My dad was 49 that year. My dad loved good music, and he liked to always stay up-to-date on the latest, so he had just purchased Alicia Keys' new album "The Diary of Alicia Keys". Also being a fan of nice electronics, he'd just bought a new Bose player for his house. He lived in a two family house at that time, in the downstairs unit from his brother and his brother's wife. He brought the Bose upstairs that night into his sister-in-law's kitchen, and he put on the album. We sat around the kitchen table - me, LMG, Darkwing, and his sister-in-law - LMG + myself sipping on coffee frappes and the adults toasting with beers (and my dad's cheeks turning red because he hardly ever drank alcohol), playing the Alicia Keys album on full blast. Snow was almost two feet deep that year, and it was snowing that night again as we all took in the music, each other's company, and eventually stood up and boogied a little in the middle of the kitchen floor.

Everytime I hear anything from that Alicia Keys album, I think of that night. Especially when I hear the above song, because it was the one that we ended up spinning around the floor to first.

Do you have any particular songs that bring back memories for you?

Separate but equal isn't equal.

2012-01-20T08:00:00.000-05:00

I posted almost three years ago about the movie "Milk", starring Sean Penn. I remember being home sick from work, renting the movie OnDemand, and crying throughout different parts of the film.

Looking back on our history, 'separate but equal' was founded to be unfair between the races, and soon - someday hopefully very soon - we will make the strides as a nation and as a human race to make sure that 'separate but equal' is inapplicable to the differences in sexual preference as well.

Check out the below video...its pretty amazing, and gave me chills throughout. I love what Sarah Silverman says at one point, comparing marriage to a country club... I'd love to hear what your thoughts are on the video.

What was one of the strongest messages for you from the video? I also really loved when Gaga dedicated the song to Jaime, and then roared into the microphone. Just gives me chills.

Life these days.

2012-01-19T12:00:00.000-05:00

It's good. It's really darn good. I've had a handful of spontaneous outings with my mom, little sister (big sister is in South America this month), and different friends. Walking to my car each morning and soaking in the mild air and the sunshine is something that I'd forgotten I loved so much. Driving to and fro with music loud and my sunroof open...I missed that too.

Don't get me wrong, you all know that I loved New York. But I regularly thought to myself throughout my time there that even though it is a one-of-a-kind city and an amazing experience that it wouldn't be long term for me. I'd spend my time learning, living, loving what I was doing, and when I was finished with all of that, I would bow out. I had no real plan on where I would head next, and I really wasn't sure if I'd ever head back to California, but that's the beauty of changing the way we feel about things, as we grow.

So really, looking back at the past and now at the present and toward the future, I continue to just feel grateful for all of the people that I have in my life, for all of the experiences that I am able to gain, and for all of the opportunities that I have set in front of me. Life is really darn good.

Stuff Fashion Girls Say.

2012-01-16T15:00:00.000-05:00

While many of you are enjoying a leisurely holiday, the fashion world doesn't stop, so I am in Market in Los Angeles today! In honor of my month filled with Fashion Market Weeks around the country (next week's destination is Dallas!), I must share with you my favorite parody of the "Shit Girls Say" video. Without further ado, please enjoy "Shit Fashion Girls Say."

Cross-country I go.

2012-01-13T16:00:00.000-05:00

I feel like it has been forever since I checked in! It's been a whirlwind week here in NY - super fun, but super busy - and I am finally headed home to LA tonight! I've been so out of the loop on reading up on everyone's blogs, so I'll be playing catch up this weekend from the comfort of my couch :) I haven't got a place of my own secured in LA yet (hopefully as of next week I will though!), but my sister + brother-in-law are in South America traveling, so I will be house + puppy sitting for them, which works out wonderfully since I need a home base anyway!

Do you have any fun plans for this weekend?

A quick hello!

2012-01-06T10:00:00.000-05:00

It's Fashion Market Week here in New York, which means that I've had a busy week, + will have an even crazier weekend! There are lots of exciting things happening this week though, so it will fly by. I probably won't be checking in too frequently over the next few days because of it all, though.

In the meanwhile, check out the below video that LMG sent me. Pretty cool!

I hope that you all have a fab weekend, + that you relax + have enough fun for the both of us, since I'll be working straight through it.

Cheers!

Ringing in 2012!

2012-01-03T18:42:00.000-05:00

Let the games begin! It's a new year, a new beginning, 362 days left ahead of us all to make 2012 a totally phenomenal year.

I've read so many negative comments, tweets, etcetera from people saying that 2011 was a terrible year. It definitely had its ups and downs for me, but I wouldn't by any means label my 2011 as a bad year. I think I gained even more maturity in 2011 - thanks to coworkers, friends, and family who are constantly teaching me. I added even more work experience under my belt, I traveled to visit a lot of family, and I grew emotionally stronger, pulling myself from a personal situation that proved unhealthy for me. And because of all of that, I've found myself at the New Year surrounded by family, friends, a new (old) hometown, and a huge smile on my face. I have a new job role that I'm really excited to conquer, and I've got my sights set on building a beautiful life for myself back in California. If 2011 hadn't taken me where it did, I wouldn't be standing in the same spot that I am today in 2012.

Speaking of where I'm standing, I am writing this little ditty today from the East Coast! I know, I know, I can't keep up either. I'm in New York for a week and a half wrapping up some loose ends, meeting the gal that will be taking over my role here in the city, and making a "see you soon" toast to all my friends here in New York.

Oh! And I totally bypassed how I rang in the New Year! I had planned to head up to my cousin's home in Santa Clarita for a great block party, but we had a last minute change of plans that found me at a little wine bar in Silverlake with my mom, sisters, their men, + a couple of new friends - it was low-key and completely ideal! That's my kind of New Year's Eve. How did your celebration turn out? Was it what you were anticipating?

Zooey + Joseph Gordon-Levitt duet.

2011-12-29T20:00:00.000-05:00

You may remember the post I wrote back in October when I professed my love for the new comedy "New Girl" starring Zooey Deschanel. I think she's absolutely adorable, + I've loved her singing voice ever since she serenaded us in "Elf".

She + Joseph Gordon-Levitt (who I've had a little crush on since his "10 Things I Hate About You" days...cmon, I'm not alone in this) recorded a cute duet called "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?". And since NYE is this weekend, I thought it most appropriate to share it with you :) Without further ado...

So now I ask - what are you doing for New Year's Eve??

Christmas in Costa Rica

2011-12-29T17:00:00.000-05:00

*photo jacked from NM's blog. Click here for more awesome shots like this.

One of my dear girlfriends, NM, spent a fabulous week in Costa Rica over the holidays. The pictures she's been posting on her tumblr are amazing, + the post she wrote today to sum up her travels has me itching to book a trip to see Costa Rica for myself. Ch-ch-check it out.

Recipe: Lemon Raspberry Pie

2011-12-28T02:04:00.000-05:00

Please excuse the phone camera blurriness*

I originally found this recipe on Pinterest, + I ended up making it twice for Christmas. I took the first to my brother-in-law's family's house for Christmas Eve, + after tasting it there, I made a slight tweak to the original recipe when I made it the second time on Christmas morning. I took the second pie to my cousins' house on Christmas evening, + it seemed to be really well liked! Also, it was super easy to make, + really didn't take a ton of effort. If you are a fan of Key Lime or tart Lemon Pie, you will love this recipe!

Lemon Raspberry Pie
1 graham cracker crumb pie crust
1 (10-oz.) package frozen red raspberries
1 T. cornstarch
3 egg yolks
1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup lemon juice from concentrate
*original recipe called for 1/2 cup, but I preferred the lemon flavor to be more prominent

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In small saucepan, combine cornstarch + raspberries. Cook on medium low + stir until thickened and clear. In medium bowl, beat egg yolks; stir in sweetened condensed milk + lemon juice. Pour into crust; bake 8 minutes. Spoon raspberry mixture evenly over top. Chill 4 hours or until set.

*Optional: spread with whipped topping and serve.

See - super easy! Let me know if you make it, + what you think!

xoxo,
Lacey in the Kitchen

Christmas Around the World - 2011

2011-12-27T00:22:00.001-05:00

It's the night after Christmas, but better late than never! There were a few photos that I was waiting on receiving that I wanted to include, so without further ado, I present to you:

Christmas Around the World - 2011.

Los Angeles:

Montana:

Paris, France:

Bavaria, Germany:

Parque Guell, Barcelona, Spain:

Pamplona, Spain:

Garmish, Germany:

Innsbruck, Austria:

South Beach, Miami, Florida:

Somerset House, London, England:

I hope that you all had such a fabulous holiday, whether it's Christmas, Hannukah, or something else that you celebrate! I had a fantastic holiday season with the Griffmore Girls and all of our extended family. On Christmas Eve afternoon, my sisters, their men, my mom and I all gathered at my Momma's house and exchanged all of our gifts. My little sister took a note from a blog entry I posted last year mentioning how much I'd love an individual pie maker from Williams-Sonoma...and lo and behold, I unwrapped one this year! I also got some more home goodies for my new place here in LA, and a really beautiful silver bracelet from my Momma for all us Griffmore Girls that reads "Remember" on the front, and on the inside, it says "I am always here for you". After the whirlwind of the last few months that I've had, it was such a perfect gift.

Christmas Eve was spent at my brother-in-law's family's house, where we had traditional Mexican tamales and margaritas! You can never go wrong with that combination. And finally, Christmas Day was spent with our family up in an area north of LA called Santa Clarita, where we had an Italian-themed meal, lots of presents and treats, and fun chatter catching up since the last time we'd all seen each other.

All in all, a super cozy and wonderful Christmas! What did you do to celebrate??

(Many thanks to my friends, who contributed photos: BR + LR, Mr. GK, L+S, CWH, NH, + my sister LS!)

Lacey in the City is beginning Year #4.

2011-12-21T10:00:00.000-05:00

Shame on me. I have been in such a focused mindset lately in getting done what I need to get done, that I forgot all about acknowledging that this blog has officially completed a full three years worth of existing.

What a rollercoaster life can be right?! And I mean the fun kind of rollercoaster...like the one above, where you have to hold on to your hat, be grateful to have great friends by your side, + just keep on laughing through it. (Okay, maybe you can have a good scream now and then, but generally, you laugh. What's the point, if not?)

I've definitely recorded some milestones here on Lacey in the City, and as I was thinking back on some of them, these were a handful of my favorites:

My first blog entry ever.

The signing of my first lease in New York City on January 1, 2009.

Central Park in the Springtime.

Taking sneaky phone photos of the eccentric citizens of New York.

A fabulous night out in Brooklyn.

Seeing "Mary Poppins" on Broadway with the fabulous KD, LB, + Nolan.

My first ever Fashion Week runway show was Milly(!!).

I visited my Kentucky family.

I went on a lot of road trips. Here's what I discovered.

I really absorbed all that I could of the city in Summer 2010.

I paid tribute to the coolest Dad in Town.

You read about the time I met Seal and I dished about my NY Roommate Sagas, part une and part deux.

I left Manhattan for Connecticut in June 2011.

I walked down Memory Lane (aka went to Chinatown) with my Momma + NC.

Then in true Lacey fashion, I fell in my living room and broke my elbow. I am still working on a better story for that one.

Then I left Connecticut to return home to the sun and surf of Los Angeles in December 2011.

Which means that this blog has literally seen me come full circle.

I began LITC as a 21-year-old headed to the big city of Manhattan, and I find myself today, three years later, an almost-25-year-old bidding farewell to the City that Never Sleeps and heading back to the City of Angels. It's funny where life can take you in three years, right?!

Cheers to another three years (and more) of fun here on Lacey in the City. And thank you to all of you who have followed along with me on my journey thus far.

xoxo.

Two of the cutest puppy faces around.

2011-12-21T09:00:00.000-05:00

I got to visit with my puppy nieces this past weekend, and I relished every one of their pounces, slurps, and snuggles. Check out these cuties:

Darla, the Maltipoo.

Lola, the Boston Terrier.

Darla + Lola's brother, Furley, was no where to be found during our photo shoot session...only to realize when I was leaving that afternoon that I had locked him in the front yard for the duration of my visit! Poor Furls, no wonder I couldn't find him anywhere in the house!

Now that I am living back in California, I cannot wait to get a dog of my own. I have a super hectic travel month in January, so it's probably going to be March or April before I feel settled enough to think seriously about a pup. Are you as much of a dog lover as I am?

Send me your Christmas pictures!

2011-12-20T19:58:00.001-05:00

What does Christmas look like in your part of the world?? It's time again for my third annual post on Lacey in the City (I did one in 2008 and 2010, but forgot in 2009 oops!) of "Christmas Around the World"!

I am certainly a huge fan of traveling and seeing different places... Add that to my love of Christmas lights, and it makes this one of my favorite posts each year! Check out these below photos that I posted in 2008:

Amsterdam

Firenze, Italia

I cannot bring this post to life without the help of you though, my dear friends! Please send me any of your favorite holiday shots showing what Christmas looks like in your corner of the world (or in a corner of the world you happened to visit during the holidays this year). I will be accepting images through this Thursday evening, with hopes that I can post a great selection of holiday photos on Friday, to make sure we are all in a super Christmas-y mood to kick off the holiday weekend. Please send photos to: laceyinthecity [at] gmail [dot] com. I will gladly credit all contributors with links to their respective blogs :) Thank you, thank you!!

xoxo.

And the winner is...

2011-12-20T16:00:00.000-05:00

The winner of the Shabby Apple White Rabbit's Timekeeper Necklace giveaway is....

Ryann, of Joy, Joy, Unspeakable Joy! Ryann is a sorority gal from The South (my homestate of South Carolina, coincidentally!) and she is so darn cute. You guys have click on over to her blog and say hey! Cheers to you, Ryann, and thank you for entering the giveaway!!

If you didn't win, you can still head on over to Shabby Apple and snag some of the other great pieces that they have!

And of course, many thanks to the ladies at Shabby Apple for sponsoring such a great giveaway!

xoxo.

Iris Apfel : style icon.

2011-12-20T08:00:00.000-05:00

The fabulosity that is Iris Apfel is launchng her own make-up collection for MAC. It will be in stores on January 5th, and you better believe that I will be paying a visit to the MAC counter near me to get the scoop on what this style icon came up with. To read more on the collaboration, click here.

Moto Santa.

2011-12-19T15:00:00.000-05:00

Apparently, you know it's Christmas in Southern California when Santa forgoes his sleigh to hop on his motorcycle + head on over to Don Cuco's Mexican Restaurant? I cracked up when I saw the blowup Santa on one of my favorite Mexican joint's balconies here in the Valley!

My time is Southern California is continuing to rejuvenate me completely - body, mind, + soul. I've been eating so much greener than I was back East (thank you, California avocados!), my mind is so clear and totally wiped of what was weighing so heavily on it while I was East, and my soul is just happy to be getting a huge dose of melatonin daily!

I realized after I took the above picture how much it doesn't quite feel like Christmas to me this year. There's just been so much happening, and I'm anticipating the insane month of January that is right around the corner, and I haven't really taken the moment to baske in the season. Christmas is less than a week away, folks! Can you even believe it?

Oh, and if I can do one thing for you today, it is to recommend that you follow my dear friend, the fabulous Talie Miller, on Tumblr. She's beyond fantastic, does everything that she does with a reason and a purpose, and she's got really great style insight. She also has a twitter, if you'd like to check her out there as well.

xoxo.

If you're guilty, raise your hand.

2011-12-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

Have you seen this video that's getting a lot of commentary lately? It's called "Shit Girls Say", and it feels eerily familiar.

How many others of you cringed a little bit that you may possibly sound anything like that? (I am raising my hand.)

It's also a little weird how much the man in the wig does resemble Juliette Lewis. Yikes.

Update on le elbow.

2011-12-16T19:33:00.000-05:00

I am super thrilled to be able to share that le elbow is healing better than I had previously been told. My doctor Back East had made me really anxious talking about potentially needing surgery and sending me for more tests, etc. I visited my new orthopedist here in Los Angeles, and he said that I indeed do NOT need surgery(!!) and also that since I'm five weeks in, I'm further through the healing process than not.

The view of Santa Monica from the doctor's office.

He's given me stretches to be doing to try to get my arm to be able straighten fully again (I currently can only extend it about 120 degrees, as opposed to the normal 180 degrees), and then I will be able to start Physical Therapy in January - wahoo!

ALSO - I think I mentioned that the entire reason I fell and broke my elbow is because my kneecap had displaced, causing the entire fall. My East Coast doc had also told me that I'd need to have knee surgery to repair whatever it was that was causing my kneecap to have a mind of its own...but my LA doctor? He says no surgery, just PT to strengthen the muscles surrounding my kneecap! Since I was dreading surgery for the obvious reasons as well as the simple fact that it would be super inconvenient to my work schedule, I could not have gotten better news on a Friday.

So on that note, cheers to a fab weekend to come. Do you have any great plans for the last pre-Christmas weekend??

Wonder what it's like to live in New York?

2011-12-15T22:47:00.000-05:00

Thanks to MM for linking this great post. If you want to have a little insight into what it's like to live in New York, check it out.

(photo source)

Young Homie.

2011-12-15T14:00:00.000-05:00

I've never watched the show X Factor, but my mom was adamant last night to show me this guy that is a contestant on the show this season. His name is Chris Rene, and he is a trash collector from Santa Cruz, California. He recently successfully finished time in rehab, and at the time of the below video was proud to say he had been clean for 70 days. He has a two and a half year old son that motivated him to do better with his life...such a great thing. You must watch the below video of a song, "Young Homie", that he wrote and did the music for himself. He is, in my opinion, phenomenal.

If you loved that one as much as I did, you have to check out this second self-written and composed song called, "Where Do We Go From Here". Amazing!

I love stories of folks that turn themselves around and reach for their potential. I can't wait to see what this man makes of himself...he's just too talented to not be successful.

The rhinestone moose.

2011-12-14T03:30:00.000-05:00

This rhinestone moose is officially on my covet list. I mean COME. ON. A white painted taxidermy-esque moose with Swarovski adorned antlers?! This would look so amazing in my soon-to-be new apartment here in LA. I've been plotting my new decor (wall color, couch, leather sitting chair, rugs, etc.) and I am positive this moose would just be the total icing on the cake. J'adore!

The BIG news: I'm moving back to Los Angeles!

2011-12-12T08:00:00.000-05:00

Can you tell from the above image what my big news is?! (Forget that I gave it away in the title!) If you are a friend on Facebook, Twitter, or (let's not forget) in real life, you probably have caught wind that...

I've moved back to Los Angeles!

My Connecticut life is officially all packed away into my Nissan Rogue, + I am once again officially a resident of Los Angeles. I'll be back to New York for New Year + to wrap up the last few weeks of work here, but I am relishing my renewed title of Californian! I am so lucky to be able to say that I am able to stay with my company, but from a West Coast-based position. Other than that, I'll be traveling like crazy in January, but am looking to get fully back into the LA groove in no time!

I really wanted to share more details with you, but I am writing this on Sunday night to post for the morning, + I am zonked. Not to mention that I want to go cuddle with my puppy as much as I can tonight. She's staying on the East Coast with MPD, + I'm certainly going to miss her a ton.

I'll share more as the week goes on. I hope you're all having a great Monday! xoxo.

I am so lucky.

2011-12-11T12:08:00.001-05:00

I don't normally tend to blog on the weekends, but I just had to acknowledge how lucky + blessed I feel to be surrounded by such amazing, amazing friends + family. Gosh. It makes me tear up just basking in the love that has been sent my way in the past few days. Thank you, thank you, from the bottom of my heart for all of the sage words + love that you all have given to me.

The feeling of having such wonderful people in my life reminded me of something MM said once: "I may be unsure of some things, but the one thing that I know that I've done right is that I've surrounded myself with some amazing friends." Cheers to that. Also, cheers to my friend KG for her message to me first thing this morning: "Good morning, friend! Don't forget, 'Chin up + boobs out!'" If that wasn't going to make me laugh, I don't know what would!

I hope you all are having a wonderful Christmas-y Sunday! I am getting a ton accomplished at home today, with Taylor Swift + my other favorite country crooners supplying the soundtrack for my day. Oh - and I have some really big news to share with you tomorrow...great news. Fantastic news. I-can't-wait-to-tell-you kind of news! But I want to share the whole story with you, so I am saving it to be written this evening once I am finished with all of my choresy tasks that I still have ahead of me today.

Til then, xoxo.

The most awkward post-date email ever.

2011-12-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

Holy moly. Talk about dating disasters. The below email went viral after an investment banker named Mike emailed a follow up letter to a woman named Lauren, after she did not respond to his initial post date texts + emails. Apparently, he thinks this is an appropriate way to go about getting a second date. I think I cringed the entire time I was reading, but I had to share so that you could all enjoy the awkwardness as well.

Hi Lauren,

I'm disappointed in you. I'm disappointed that I haven't gotten a response to my voicemail and text messages.

FYI, I suggest that you keep in mind that emails sound more impersonal, harsher, and are easier to misinterpret than in-person or phone communication. After all, people can't see someone's body language or tone of voice in an email. I'm not trying to be harsh, patronizing, or insulting in this email. I'm honest and direct by nature, and I'm going to be that way in this email. By the way, I did a google search, so that's how I came across your email.

I assume that you no longer want to go out with me. (If you do want to go out with me, then you should let me know.) I suggest that you make a sincere apology to me for giving me mixed signals. I feel led on by you.

Things that happened during our date include, but are not limited to, the following:
You played with your hair a lot. A woman playing with her hair is a common sign of flirtation. You can even do a google search on it. When a woman plays with her hair, she is preening. I've never had a date where a woman played with her hair as much as you did. In addition, it didn't look like you were playing with your hair out of nervousness.

We had lots of eye contact during our date. On a per-minute basis, I've never had as much eye contact during a date as I did with you.
You said, "It was nice to meet you." at the end of our date. A woman could say this statement as a way to show that she isn't interested in seeing a man again or she could mean what she said--that it was nice to meet you. The statement, by itself, is inconclusive.
We had a nice conversation over dinner. I don't think I'm being delusional in saying this statement.
In my opinion, leading someone on (i.e., giving mixed signals) is impolite and immature. It's bad to do that.

Normally, I would not be asking for information if a woman and I don't go out again after a first date. However, in our case, I'm curious because I think our date went well and that there is a lot of potential for a serious relationship. Of course, it's difficult to predict what would happen, but I think there is a lot of potential for a serious relationship developing between us one day (or least there was before your non-response to my voicemail and text messages).

I think we should go out on a second date. In my opinion, our first date was good enough to lead to a second date.

Why am I writing you? Well, hopefully, we will go out again. Even if we don't, I gain utility from expressing my thoughts to you. In addition, even if you don't want to go out again, I would like to get feedback as to why you wouldn't want to go again. Normally, I wouldn't ask a woman for this type of feedback after a first date, but this is an exception given I think we have a lot of potential.

If you don't want to go again, then apparently you didn't think our first date was good enough to lead to a second date. Dating or a relationship is not a Hollywood movie. It's good to keep that in mind. In general, I thought the date went well and was expecting that we would go out on a second date.

If you're not interested in going out again, then I would have preferred if you hadn't given those mixed signals. I feel led on. We have a number of things in common. I'll name a few things: First, we’ve both very intelligent. Second, we both like classical music so much that we go to classical music performances by ourselves. In fact, the number one interest that I would want to have in common with a woman with whom I'm in a relationship is a liking of classical music. I wouldn't be seriously involved with a woman if she didn't like classical music. You said that you're planning to go the NY Philharmonic more often in the future.

As I said, I go to the NY Philharmonic often. You're very busy. It would be very convenient for you to date me because we have the same interests. We already go to classical music performances by ourselves. If we go to classical music performances together, it wouldn't take any significant additional time on your part.

According to the internet, you're 33 or 32, so, at least from my point of view, we're a good match in terms of age. I could name more things that we have in common, but I'll stop here. I don't understand why you apparently don't want to go out with me again. We have numerous things in common. I assume that you find me physically attractive. If you didn't find me physically attractive, then it would have been irrational for you to go out with me in the first place. After all, our first date was not a blind date. You already knew what I looked like before our date. Perhaps, you're unimpressed that I manage my family’s investments and my own investments. Perhaps, you don’t think I have a "real" job. Well, I’ve done very well as an investment manager. I've made my parents several millions of dollars.

That's real money. That's not monopoly money. In my opinion, if I make real money, it's a real job. Donald Trump's children work for his company. Do they have "real" jobs? I think so. George Soros's sons help manage their family investments. Do they have "real" jobs? I think so. In addition, I’m both a right-brain and left-brain man, given that I’m both an investment manager and a philosopher/writer. That’s a unique characteristic; most people aren't like that. I've never been as disappointed and sad about having difficulty about getting a second date as I am with you. I've gone out with a lot of women in my life. (FYI, I'm not a serial dater. Sometimes, I've only gone out with a woman for one date.) People don’t grow on trees. I hope you appreciate the potential we have.

Am I sensitive person? Sure, I am. I think it's better to be sensitive than to be insensitive. There are too many impolite, insensitive people in the world.

I suggest that we continue to go out and see what happens. Needless to say, I find you less appealing now (given that you haven't returned my messages) than I did at our first date. However, I would be willing to go out with you again. I'm open minded and flexible and am willing to give you the benefit of the doubt. I wish you would give me the benefit of the doubt too. If you don't want to go out again, in my opinion, you would be making a big mistake, perhaps one of the biggest mistakes in your life. If you don’t want to go out again, then you should have called to tell me so. Even sending a text message would have been better than nothing. In my opinion, not responding to my messages is impolite, immature, passive aggressive, and cowardly. I spent time, effort, and money meeting you for dinner. Getting back to me in response to my messages would have been a reasonable thing for you to do. In addition, you arrived about 30 minutes late for our date. I'm sure you wouldn’t like it if a man showed up thirty minutes late for a first date with you.

If you're concerned that you will hurt my feelings by providing specific information about why you don't want to go with me again, well, my feeling are already hurt. I'm sad and disappointed about this situation. If you give information, at least I can understand the situation better. I might even learn something that is beneficial.

If you don't want to go out again, that I request that you call me and make a sincere apology for leading me on (i.e., giving me mixed signals). In my opinion, you shouldn't act that way toward a man and then not go out with him again. It's bad to play with your hair so much and make so much eye contact if you're not interested in going out with me again. I have tried to write this email well, but it's not perfect. Again, I'm not trying to be harsh, insulting, patronizing, etc. I'm disappointed, sad, etc. I would like to talk to you on the phone. I hope you will call me back at xxx-xxx-xxxx> (if it's inconvenient for you to talk on the phone when you read this email, you can let me know via email that you are willing to talk on the phone and I'll call you).

If you get my voicemail, you can a leave a message and I can call you back. Even if you don't want to go out again, I would appreciate it if you give me the courtesy of calling me and talking to me. Yes, you might say things that hurt me, but my feelings are already hurt. Sending me an email response (instead of talking on the phone) would better than no response at all, but I think it would be better to talk on the phone. Email communication has too much potential for misinterpretation, etc.

Best, Mike

Wowza...I can smell the lack of social skill through the computer screen. Have you ever experienced a dating disaster of this caliber?

Giveaway: Shabby Apple Necklace!

2011-12-08T14:00:00.000-05:00

It is well overdue, as I've been promising it for weeks, but good things come to those who wait, right? Without further ado, I would like to present to you a super cool giveaway hosted by Shabby Apple!

Shabby Apple is a fantastic online store where you can find great vintage inspired jewelry and dresses. One lucky reader of Lacey in the City will win the fabulous White Rabbit's Time Keeper necklace. How fun would this piece be with a great dress or a fun blouse? Besides the opportunity to win this necklace, Shabby Apple has also extended a 10% coupon code to all LITC readers. To apply it to any orders you place on the Shabby Apple site in the next 30 days, please use code LITC10OFF.

To enter:
1) Must be a follower of Lacey in the City
(if you are not a regular blogger, you are able to log in through your Gmail or other Google account to become a follower)
2) "Like" Shabby Apple on Facebook
3) Visit the Shabby Apple site + leave a comment on this blog entry with which style is your favorite!

For extra entries:

4) Blog or tweet about the giveaway for extra entries.
5) Follow Shabby Apple on Twitter

6) Follow Lacey in the City on Twitter
7) Follow Lacey in the City on Facebook

*To increase your chances of winning, please leave a separate comment to stand for each of your extra entries.

I will be choosing the winner a week from today on Thursday, December 15th. Good luck!!

*giveaway is open to entries with a US shipping address only

It's a gray day here in New England.

2011-12-07T17:00:00.000-05:00

I am back! I've made it back to Connecticut safely + soundly. I had a whirlwind week in LA, which I mentioned earlier this week. I also had a stopover in Dallas on my way back East, where I got some work done + was super excited to get to visit with my dear friends CK + AL, who are engaged to be married this coming March! It's always an added plus when I get to see old friends while traveling.

The weather here on the East Coast is definitely leaving something to be desired. It's gray and chilly, but that sort of humid cold that is just never a bit of fun. The trees are finally bare here though, with all the foliage having been raked up into piles + whisked away while I was Back West. So I'm looking out my windows to bare ground, bare trees, + gray skies...I think it is safe to say that Winter is certainly right around the corner. Are you feeling the effects of winter where you live?

Howdy from Dallas!

2011-12-05T16:00:00.000-05:00

I'd like to give a big "HEY YA'LL!" from my perch here in Dallas, Texas today. I flew from LA for a quick stopover in Dallas for work, and I'll be making the final leg of the trip Back East tomorrow evening.

Besides getting to spend a fun evening on Thursday with the Griffmore Girls, I also had such a great weekend in LA with my coworkers...we had our annual sales meeting, and since we are stationed throughout the country, it's the one time of year we all get to work face to face. I'm very lucky to have such a great group of people on the same team that I'm on. Do any of you feel the same way about your work environment?

Back to Los Angeles I go.

2011-12-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

Off I go again, leaving on a jet plane! I just returned from Los Angeles on Sunday (yes, four days ago!) after a week of family fun and Thanksgiving celebrations in Vegas, and here I am this afternoon turning right back around. It's the time of year for my company's annual sales meeting, + since we are Los Angeles-based, off I go back to the land of soy + honey.*

Even though the Griffmore Girls (for all you new readers, the Griffmore Girls is the nickname my two sisters, mom, + I call ourselves) will all be home in LA this weekend, I will be occupied with work events in the evenings tomorrow + Saturday, so will only get to see them for a few hours this evening. (I leave to return to Connecticut bright + squirrely on Sunday morning.) I'm even staying in a hotel near my office this trip, so no sleepovers at the Momma's, either! No worries though - I'll be back West in another two weeks for Christmas!! Ahh...most of my December spent in sunny Southern California. I won't complain.

Gosh, and on that note, I realized today is December 1. My how time flies!! New Year's is one month away...do you guys have any fun plans set to celebrate the arrival of 2012?!

*While getting coffee in LA last week, I requested soy milk from the barista. MPD semi-rolled his eyes at me, teasing that I don't need soy milk, but I do prefer it. My response: "MPD, apparently you have yet to learn that we are in the land of soy + honey." And then I laughed at my own joke, per usual. :)

GUEST POST: Laura + Sarah, from "Sprezzatura: The Wonderful World of Us"

2011-11-30T08:00:00.000-05:00

Hello readers of Lacey in the City! Our names are Laura and Sarah, and we are the writers of Sprezzatura: The Wonderful World of Us. Who the heck are we, you ask?? We are an international girl-girl couple, and our blog features our many travels, loves and any news we find interesting. We are avid readers of Lacey's blog - we love it so much, we jumped at the chance to be a part of it as guest bloggers! We'd really like to tell you all about our city - London, England - all the things we love about our home. Hopefully it'll give you a short list of some of the amazing things you should see if (when?) you visit!

Our journeys to London began separately in 2008, with Laura arriving all the way from Boise, Idaho, and Sarah moving from her hometown of Reading, Berkshire. First and foremost, we love where we live - Fulham, Southwest London. Fulham is perfect because it's right in the middle, in all ways. It's so close to everything. It's a short bus/tube ride to the West End (where all the action is), you can easily get on the freeway to go out of London, and can be at Windsor Castle in 40 minutes! We are lucky enough to live in a penthouse flat overlooking the Thames. (We have no idea how we got so lucky!) Here is the view from our balcony.

Now, we're not biased, but we both agree that London is one of the best cities in the world - if not the best! Living in London (and visiting, too) means never running out of things to do, places to go, people to meet - the city runs at a pace we've never seen anywhere else. It's so diverse, a real mixing of cultures. It's impossible to be bored, or to not have anything to do. We hope you enjoy our list of favourite things to do and places to go around London. Visit any of the below, and you're bound to happen upon something spectacular.

1. Southbank, we would say, is the top place to go in London for random goings on. It's literally an area of the south bank of the Thames in the city. If it's a clear day, we recommend doing the London Eye, a more-or-less a giant futuristic ferris wheel! It is one of our favourite things we've each done in London, before we met! It gives you a bird's eye view of the city, and as Southbank is so close to Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, it offers a panorama you won't see anywhere else! You can also go to the London Aquarium, which is massive and well worth it. The best thing about Southbank, however, is that every time we have been there, we've happened upon festivals, markets, art installations, street performers. Sarah saw the Thames Festival there, a glow in the dark parade celebrating the river (see more info HERE). You can almost guarantee you'll see Darth Vader, Charlie Chaplin and Jack Sparrow. And you can even fight them if you want to!

2. London has fantastic markets. Our favourite two are the world-renowned Camden Market, and Borough Market for foodies (like Laura). Camden began as a 3-stall Sunday market to sell to the boats coming through the Camden Loch on the canals. Today, however, approximately 10,000 people attend each weekend, and it is a haven for anything or anyone hip, young, wild, alternative, which is why celebrities like Jude Law, Jonathan Ross and the late Amy Winehouse live in the area. However, not quite as hip and cool people, like us, also love love love it there. You can find anything you are looking for in the stalls and more - crafts, clothes, jewelry, shoes, sunglasses (so many sunglasses!), exported items, neon coloured tutus (a favourite stall of Laura's), and they have a big section where you can sample delicious foods from all over the world! There are lots of tattoo and piercing shops too, in case you want a more permanent souvenir or your time in London.

Borough market is on the Thames, between the area of Southbank and the Tower Bridge. It's Laura's favourite market in London, because it sells rich, gorgeous food. A cheese fanatic, Laura spends WAY too much money on the soft smelly cheeses, and lovely goats cheese, at Borough market. They also sell delicious meats (deli meats, a fish market, and there is an exotic meats stand as well - you can even buy ostrich eggs!) and artisan breads that are to DIE for. You can buy delectable desserts, and they cater to every need - vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, lactose-free, all deliciousness! There is a large fruits and veggie market also, and most everything sold at Borough market is organic. It's pretty much the best place ever. Can you tell who is writing this bit of the blog??

3. The West End is London's answer to NYC's Broadway. With fantastic shows and musicals everywhere you look, it's a theatre-lover's dream, and absolutely everyone can find a show they love. We've seen countless musicals in the West End, and we even saw a horror play called 'The Woman in Black' with Laura's parents. We went in thinking 'A play can't be that scary' but by a third of the way in, we were SO scared, and Laura kept her eyes closed and fingers in her ears the rest of the play! Our favourite thing we've ever seen on a West End staqe is the musical rendition of Priscilla, Queen of the Dessert. It is FANTASTIC and if you ever get a chance to see it, do. It's adapted from the Australian 90's movie of the same name about three drag queens that drive across Australia in a campervan. Quality viewing, right?? We've seen it three times, and the last time we got to meet the cast!

This area of London is amazing for more than just theatre. It has some of the best nightlife, and restaurants. Chinatown has the most authentic Chinese food in the city, and Soho, the gay area, is trendy and artistic, and with a famous music scene, always has events and productions on! Carnaby Street is another must-see place in the area. In the 'Swinging 60s it was the place to go for 'mods' and hippies, and bands such as The Rolling Stones and The Who have performed there. The West End also has one of four giant M&M stores - it's 3 floors, full of London themed M&M memorabilia, and it's incredible!

This time next month, it will be Christmas! And there are few better places to experience the Christmas season than London. This is by far Laura's favourite month of the year! The lights on Oxford and Regent streets are beautiful, where you can shop and enjoy the atmosphere at the same time. In Hyde Park they've set up Winter Wonderland, a German-themed Christmas market and funfair. Southbank also do a wonderful Christmas market (which we are attending this weekend!). There are lots of stunning places to go ice skating in the winter, our favourite is at Somerset House (it's so romantic, and sponsored by Tiffany's, so it's beautiful!). Every year, Oslo, Norway gives London a massive tree- and it goes up at Trafalgar square. It is the tallest tree I've ever seen, and well worth going to the lighting ceremony!

So we hope you've enjoyed our rather long blog about London - and make it a destination on your to-do list! We'd love to see you over at Sprezzatura: The Wonderful World of Us, and we'd of course be happy to answer any questions or give travel tips!

And thanks again Lacey - we wish you a speedy recovery!

With love, Laura and Sarah

**I cannot figure out why the font won't stay the same throughout...sorry for that, Laura + Sarah! Thank you so much for your post!! xoxo

Glitz + glam holiday gift ideas (+ discounts!)

2011-11-29T08:00:00.000-05:00

Hello to all of my sweet readers! Thank you so much for all of your emails, texts, tweets, and comments wishing me a speedy recovery on the elbow and knee...it's been a pain in the, well, arm living life one-armed and whilst limping lately, but I keep reminding myself that I could always be so much worse off. At least I have two arms, right?! I still have at least one more guest post to come this week, and then I will try to start getting back into the swing of my regular blogging. A huge THANK YOU to all of my sweet guest bloggy friends. You've kept LITC interesting and fun while I was down and out. :) Stay tuned also for the next guest post tomorrow from my friends, Laura + Sarah, giving you the low down on their lives in London and their guide to the great city!

In the meantime, I have some fun festive-y finds that I've come across that I had to share with all of you!

A great jewelry designer that I've followed for years, Adina Reyter, makes beautifully crafted, sophisticated and classic jewelry pieces. (When my big sister got married last year, she even gifted all of us bridesmaids with this sweet bracelet by Adina.) Lucky, lucky us - Adina was on The Today Show's "Jill's Steals + Deals" segment, this morning with these limited edition holiday themed diamond accented pieces...and they are 80% off with the code todaydiamond, which brings each of them to only $75. How fabulous is that for a gift for your mom / sister / friend / ...self? :) Just click this link to hop on over to the page and scoop up some goodies!

To add to the glitz + glam holiday gifting ideas, I have to share the latest Lodis collection, aptly dubbed The Vegas Collection.

I love it!! Those are the smartphone holders in the above image, but there are also mirrored card cases, framed wallets that can double as clutches, and iPad sleeves...so darn cute, and perfect for a holiday gift, I think. And on that note, Lodis has graciously extended another 20% discount code to my LITC readers for all of your holiday shopping this month. To add to it, you'll get free shipping for any orders over $75. Just hop on over to the site, and type in the code laceyinthecity to redeem the discount.

*I did not receive compensation for sharing either of these deals...just loved them + had to pass them on!

xoxo

GUEST POST: Megan + Whitney, from "What Wegan Did Next"

2011-11-28T08:00:00.000-05:00

Hello! It’s Megan from What Wegan Did Next here. We are very pleased to be guest blogging for the lovely Lacey whilst her poor little elbow is on the mend (bless you sweetie!)

Our blog details the life of ‘Wegan’, AKA Megan and Whitney. We are a lipstick lesbian (feminine) couple that have been doing long distance for over 3 years! The majority of our relationship has been spent with Whitney living in Hawaii, and Megan in the UK. So I bet you’re wondering how Wegan came about! We first met online for a few years (thank you Myspace & Facebook!) and met in person when Whitney came over to the UK to study abroad. We had never admitted to liking each other online but two weeks later on 5th October 2008 we were officially girlfriend & girlfriend <3 For the next few months we saw each other in Cardiff & London (with a trip to Paris as well) until it was time for Whit to sadly move back to Hawaii to finish her degree. We have been doing LONG distance ever since.Video of our younger days:

Megan moved out to Hawaii in March 2011 until Whitney graduated in May 2011.

Megan went down on one knee and proposed to Whitney on their favourite beach in Hawaii (click here to read all). They had planned to return to the UK together, however Whitney's visa was sadly unsuccessful. Whitney is now in South Carolina and we are in the process of appealing the decision and moving onto Plan B- so watch this space!

Megan is currently visiting Whitney in South Carolina, but is leaving at the end of November and this will be the first time they wont see each other over the Christmas/ New Years holiday period. 2012 will FINALLY be the year for Wegan when we will hopefully get Whitney over to the UK and truly begin our lives. We plan on one day having a beautiful home, marriage, cats, kids & life together.Now, doing long distance is hard enough, but you also forget that there are quite a few cultural differences between English & American people. Being together has enabled us to learn a lot about each others countries, and often calls us to question certain sayings or types of foods we are eating. For E.G. when Whitney asks ‘what’s up?’, Megan replied ‘the ceiling’.. When Megan asks Whitney ‘Are you ok? You alright?’ it means the same thing as ‘What’s up?’ but it makes Whitney feel like I’m questioning how she truly feels haha. Food wise, Whitney thinks its strange that we have a thing called a ‘Chip Butty’- where you put chips (fries) between two slices of white bread with ketchup. It is delicious! & I find it strange that American’s add crackers to their soup. Or have a peanut butter sandwich with it. Say whaaat?! Haha. They are ultimately many funny littler differences between us, but it keeps life interesting!

Whitney & Lacey actually know each other from real life when they attended the same school when they were younger, awww! They haven’t seen each other for years. However the last time I was returning from South Carolina and heading back to London, I had a stop in New York. Lacey very kindly offered to pick me up and transfer me from one airport to another. It was great to meet her, and to briefly see a bit of New York- and yellow cabs!! We hope to meet up with Lacey one day soon and catch up properly.Thanks for having us Lacey!

GUEST POST: My cousin, Joey + his wife Jess - husband + wife bloggers extraordinaire

2011-11-22T08:00:00.001-05:00

A guide to the first trimester:

Hers: On September 10th 2011, I was starting to suspect I was pregnant. Now, I literally suspect I'm pregnant every single month so this wasn't too unusual. My parents were coming to town for the weekend and while we were waiting on them to show up, I took one of the pregnancy tests I had stockpiled in our bathroom. The "double line" was up for debate and we decided it was unreliable. The next few hours were weird, not knowing if we were pregnant or not. We were driving separate from my parents to lunch so on the way there we ran in Walmart to purchase a test that would say "Pregnant" or "Not pregnant." After we got home from lunch I went to the bathroom, not telling Joey I was going to take the test. It was surreal, those two minutes I was alone in the bathroom, knowing I was the only person in the world who knew I was pregnant. It was like I had this special little secret all to myself.I had always imagined how I would tell Joey I was pregnant. I pictured some romantic, memorable way, like Michelle Pfeiffer in The Story of Us. Instead, I was literally out of my mind and mouthed "I'm pregnant" to him across the room so my parents wouldn't hear. Smooth.I'm almost 15 weeks now, and I can honestly say I've never been happier in my life. Joey and I have been together for seven years, but sharing this has brought us so much closer. The biggest thing that has changed is that literally every breath I take is a prayer for this child. I can't wait to find out if we are having a boy or a girl, I'm even excited to give birth (as long as I don't think about the specifics). I can't wait to see if it looks like me or Joey (although I'm sure it will look like my Indian husband, my blonde/pale combo doesn't stand a chance against those dark features). I'm so excited for this next stage in our life! Thanks Lacey for letting us share =)

His: My wife and I like to think of ourselves as level headed people...most of the time. I mean sure I may pretend to think that vodka is waaay cooler than it actually is and she may have a short fuse when it comes to my singing voice but in general we try to keep it real. That cool, level headed couple flew out the window a few months ago on a sunny Saturday in September when we found out we were becoming cool, level headed parents!!!

Just like it's future parents, our little one had impeccable timing (we're always late). Jess and I were trying to figure out how to squeeze an extra $200ish from our monthly budget and were car shopping. You see, a week prior her Mazda tribute had given us the big FU and completely died...only $3500.00 to repair...hahahahahahahaha. So the morning we are to start looking for something new(er) Jess takes a pregnancy test. Of course, this was no ordinary pregnancy test it was some ridiculous Dollar Tree brand "U Pragnant??" I think was the name of it. Anyway, it was impossible to read yet just clear/unclear enough to make us think it was telling us we were with child. So we kinda put that in the back of our mind and headed out to find a car. Long story short Black RAV4, digital pregnancy test x 2, YOU'RE PREGNANT both times!! We're over the moon!

When Jess told me the great news I instantly felt like a 12 year old boy, "I'm not ready for this, I'm so excited/I'm so nervous/Am I ready for this...I'm almost 30/Eeeek!" No, I didn't really think the word "Eeeeek" but you get the picture. Then I remembered that I, in our wedding vows, had referenced the "monster" Jess would become when she is pregnant and started to worry. Now don't get me wrong, my little buttercup is pure bliss but she has her quirks...all of which I anticipate to be greatly exaggerated upon being impregnated. For instance, she self diagnoses. "Joey I read somewhere that you can develop a fish allergy at any moment" So now when we go on vacation or to Red Lobster, you better believe Mrs. Lawhorn has benedryl in her purse. We are 15 weeks in and so far...it's been pretty smooth sailing.

One little zinger of advice I will give future fathers...don't start a bathroom remodel during the first trimester...well during pregnancy for that matter...a pregnant wife waking up with morning sickness to a gutted bathroom with no toilet...not a good morning/day/week.

Visit our blogs at:

www.happygirlprettygirl.blogspot.com

www.reallymakesmelaugh.blogspot.com

GUEST POST: La Tache, from "Smiling is Good for Your Teeth"

2011-11-21T08:00:00.000-05:00

Good Morning to all of the Lacey in The City Blog Followers!

My name is La Tache and you can find me over at Smiling is Good for Your Teeth

Lacey and I went to college together.

As time went on, we learned that we actually have a lot incommon.

I remember riding in her cute little VW Bug around San Francisco and Los Angeles– getting the star house tour of Beverly Hills.

Lacey is a beautiful woman, inside and out.

She is kind, genuine, sweet, caring, friendly – pretty muchshe is the whole package!

I started following her blog when I first started bloggingand since she has moved away this is a great way for me to keep in touch withthis busy lady!

That being said, I think that we should all shower thelovely Lacey with lots of love and good vibes to get better ASAP!

----

So, I thought that I would tell you all about the mostbeautiful place on Earth… the LauterbrunnenValley in

Switzerland

I recently got married and my husband and I went to

Switzerland

for our honeymoon. Our favorite part of the whole trip was the Lauterbrunnen Valley. We took a train and then a busup to TummelbackFalle. It is the largest waterfall with run off from the threemajor Mountains: the Eiger, the Monch & and the Jungfrau.We took the tour of the water fall. It was amazing and loud! There are timeswhere 20,000 liters of water rush through this fall per second! Yes, 20,000 persecond!

After our trip to through the falls, we took a lift up to Murren, this is wherewe stayed for two days. This little town is tucked away and can only beaccessed by lift, bike or foot. There are no cars allowed.

Our hotel - how charming is that?!

We made it to our hotel, put our stuff down and made friends with the very friendly staff. Our first day there, we decided to take the lift up to the Schilthorn. The Schilthorn is, basically, the top of the Swiss Alps. The beginning scene of the James Bond Movie: Her Majesty's Secret Service, was filmed here, so the gift shop is pretty much a shrine to James Bond! There is a rotating restaurant at the top. It was beautiful! You get a panoramic view of the Swiss Alps! It was freezing and amazing all at the same time!

At the Schilthorn

We treated ourselves to fondue and ate ourselves silly. If you are ever in Switzerland, at all, you must eat as much fondue as you possibly can! It is amazing! Definitely worth the calories as well as the hit to your colon {seriously...}!

The next day we decided to rent mountain bikes and ride our bikes from Murren to Interlaken. It was the most gorgeous day and a must needed break from all of the walking.

The man who ran this bike shop was in the Rick Steves tour guide shows!

Look at that blue sky!

I'm a weakling, so we ended up taking the train back up to Murren, instead of riding back - that would have been really hard, even for people who are in amazing shape!

That night we ate dinner at the restaurant in our hotel. The food was to.die.for! And we also got a show!

This is an alphorn and an acordian, we got to see a concert after dinner!

The Lauterbrunnen Valley is breathtaking.

The scenery is unbelievable, the culture is kind, warm and welcoming, and the experience was once in a lifetime.

I hope you all go to kayak.com and buy your plane tickets right away!

We went mid June and the weather is perfect!

I hope you all have a great day and remember: Smiling is Good for Your Teeth!

Lacey in the City...of Angels

2011-11-20T12:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Sunday! A quick hello to say a huge thank you to the ladies who are so graciously guest blogging for me while I am down for the count right now. I'm meant to be in the arm sling for another five weeks, but hopefully I'll become more skilled at the one-handed typing thing soon!

Also, I wanted to let you all know that as of this morning, MPD and I have landed in LA for a week with family and friends to celebrate Thanksgiving week! I blogged about our Thanksgiving plans all the way back in June when I announced my whole family, MPD, and I are heading to Vegas for a little bit of an unorthodox celebration on Thursday + Friday!

What are you ladies doing to celebrate the holiday? I am wishing you all love and warmth on your Thanksgiving weekend! Hopefully I'll be back up and running soon, but until then, you are in good hands with all of my guest blogger friends! (If you are interested in guest posting, please email me at laceyinthecity at gmail dot com!)

xoxo.

GUEST POST: Nicole, from "Prairie Princess"

2011-11-18T08:00:00.001-05:00

Hey everybody! I'm Lacey's cousin Nicole, from Prairie Princess. I agreed to do a guest post since my poor cousin can't type with her bum elbow :) It's kind of funny to me, because Lacey and I's blogs are basically polar opposites of each others...she's Lacey in the City and I'm the Prairie Princess. She lives in a city, and I live in the middle of nowhere! If you read my blog post from Tuesday this week, you can see that the town that I live in has a population of exactly 712 people. I live on a 10,000 Franch (that's farm and ranch, meaning we raise both crops and cattle-I just made up that term!). So I'm going to highlight how different my life is than hers.

One of people's favorite holidays, Thanksgiving is next week. YES, next week! For those of you like me who thought I had more time, it's actually a week from yesterday! Yikes! While most people are getting ready for Thanksgiving by cleaning house, shopping for groceries, looking for exciting new twists to their recipes, our Thanksgiving prep is QUITE a bit different...mostly because it involves these creatures:

Meet Lloyd, one of our calves that was born this year. First of all, yes, I name some of our calves. Not all 125 of them born each year, but usually about 10 of them. And secondly, yes, our Thanksgiving involves cows.Our day typically starts out early in the morning. Mind you, it's usually about 10-15 degrees...if we're lucky. We drive the 60 miles to my husband's uncle's farm. We have to work cows in the morning before we eat. We wrap up in our Cuddleduds (thermals that we wear under our jeans), and Carhartts, beanies, gloves, scarves, and anything else we have that will keep you warm. We load up on the 4-wheelers, herd the cows into their new pasture, which is closest to the barn and hay so we can feed them for winter. Then we have to do some separating and moving some of them around. It usually takes several hours to complete.Once we're done, THEN we get to go inside and enjoy Thanksgiving meal, which is usually prepared by my husband's aunt and great aunt. We then do our sitting around eating, lounging, and watching football like everybody else in America!

As you can see, my holiday is a bit different than Lacey's! And needless to say, there will be no Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade for me! Hope you all enjoyed the glimpse into my agriculture-filled holiday. Feel free to come say hello to me on my blog-I'd love to have you!

GUEST POST: Kristin, from "Skinny Jeans + a Chai Latte"

2011-11-17T08:00:00.000-05:00

What does every girl dream of as they grow up? I am sure a vast majority would say their wedding. When I think back, I really can't recall dreaming of a glamorous, expensive wedding. Even after dating D for four years, I was not fantasizing about the day we would get married. I knew I wanted to be with D, but I never had these grandiose ideas of a wedding. So what happened, and how did I end up married?

In 2009, D and I took the trip of a lifetime to Europe for a month. Much to my surprise, D proposed to me in Cinque Terre, Italy.

[The day of...me with zero idea]

[So thrilled that I couldn't even remember he really did get down on one knee]

You can read about our whole engagement story and how D picked out (on his own) my most perfect engagement ring (which I still get compliments on!). While that's the story of our engagement, I didn't take the typical route of immediately planning for a wedding.

I can not recall if I had an elopement idea prior to the engagement. I had been really anti-wedding for a bit. I practically despised weddings and everything about them. The insane, inflated prices. The obsessions. The divorce rate in the country. The traditions. I could go on. I was probably a real pain considering how much I complained about weddings. From there, I took my elopement idea and ran with it.

While we were still in Europe, I brainstormed where to have our private wedding ceremony. We tossed around the idea of inviting family. We knew we wanted to throw a party when we returned. Eventually we decided on "eloping:" in Aruba. It was not an official elopement since our family and friends knew about it. I suppose it was more of a private ceremony. We combined that with our honeymoon.

Our private ceremony/honeymoon was a relatively cheap occasion. D's parents graciously gifted us with their timeshare (lodging for the week) and airfare vouchers. We paid a small fee for the wedding planning and professional pictures. Then of course we threw a party to celebrate with family and friends upon our return (well two weeks later).

We probably spent $1000 on this occasion (by pulling out some more gracious favors and with luck of connections). While my family did not have thousands upon thousands of dollars to spend (nor did I plan to rack up thousands on a credit card), I would not change our elopement and party for a wedding any day. I have lots of opinions on things that I share mostly freely over at my own blog, and I won't run away Lacey's readers by so candidly sharing them! I wrote my own posts about my two cents on weddings, but here are a few reasons I'm so grateful/lucky/happy with our vow choices:

It's not always a day all about YOU. It involves parents (+ wants/opinions), a wedding party, and money. It can be all about you and your hubby-to-be if you elope. While money still didn't allow for the elopement of our dreams, only D and I got to make all the decisions about our day.
It costs a lot of money. A lot more than you think. That "perfect" wedding you've envisioned probably costs $100,000. Props to you if you're parents give you that budget. Props to you if your parents can give you anything at all. Don't forget about all the wedding showers everyone has to attend...plus bridal luncheons, brunches, rehearsal dinner, etc. etc. It made me feel better to not have people pouring lots of money into those "extras" people forget about. Not to mention, we have no wedding/honeymoon credit cards we're paying off two years later.
It is way more stressful than you thought. I only planned a party and that was stressful. I feel lucky to have escaped at least some of that stress.
At the end of the day...you're going to be married! Don't stress about the small stuff or planning everything down to a perfect tee. While not everything still went perfectly, I adored having that special ceremony where I could completely focus on being married...nothing else.

Everyone is different. For us, it was much better to not rack up a ton of credit card debt to throw a party. We were confident in reading our vows to each other in a more private setting. Some people want to declare their love in front of others...that's ok. Some people don't mind spending their or their parents' money on a one day event. To each her own. Eloping worked for us...and I get it doesn't work for everyone. I will guarantee, if you choose to do it...you'll be happy!

For the record, it would have been amazing to have ANOTHER honeymoon/vacation after the wedding celebration. That was pretty stressful and I would have loved to relax and not rush back to work after that!

GUEST POST: Al, from "In With Both Feet(s)"

2011-11-16T08:00:00.000-05:00

Hello all you gorgeous readers of Lacey in the City!

I'm Al, guilty of authoring In With Both Feet(s), and my first love - Traffic Jelly.

First of all, we already have something in common - an admiration for the darling girl behind this blog. Before I divulge some of the most interesting things I have discovered in my few months living abroad in Istanbul, I must say that Lacey is one of the most beautiful and caring friends a girl could have. Not only does she know how to pick you up after a bad day, but the depth of her loyalty and her compassion is rare indeed . If I have gained nothing else from being a part of this blog world - I can be happy that I have found a friend for life in Lace.

Ok, Istanbul, you say? Yeah, 3 months in and I'm still wondering the same thing. But, in a nutshell - after a complete disaster of a year, I met, fell in love with, and married the most amazing Turkish man. Because of green card complications, he was forced to return to Istanbul while we wait out the process - and I decided to join him.

It's been one heck of a ride.

So, I present to you some of the most interesting and amazing things that I have discovered while living in Istanbul. And while I am an amateur when it comes to photography, I hope these photos do Istanbul some justice...

1. The View

Seriously, the best part about Istanbul. This city doesn't have a bad view, I swear. Everywhere we go, everything we do, I am humbled by the grandeur of such an ancient civilization.

2. The Food

I was under the impression that Americans knew how to eat. Not true. The Turkish are NEVER full, and the meals last for hours. Most impressive though is the Turkish spread - the million dishes that adorn the table at any given meal.

3. The Colors

The Turkish patterns and colors are some of the most radiant and brilliant I have ever seen. But my favorite sight here in Istanbul I captured one day when we went walking up to our favorite park...

4. The People

Wherever I go, I am always fascinated by the faces of the people in Istanbul. Especially the old. In Istanbul, there are two crowds - the young, modern, hip crowd and the older, conservative crowd. The faces and body language of the elders here is absolutely mesmerizing.

5. The Markets

6. The Evil EyeThe Evil Eye is a symbol in Turkish culture, and can be found EVERYWHERE. If you keep an evil eye in your home, car, or place of business, it is believed that it will absorb all of the negative and jealous thoughts and keep you safe. If you find your evil eye broken, it means it did its job and it has protected you from evil. The cool thing about living here is that you find the evil eye every place you look - including in the tile on the side of buildings. So cool.

And a random discovery, but...

7. Street Dogs

No kidding, dogs run around the city (or most often, lie around the city) at random. Stray dogs in America would be picked up at once - but here, the city actually tags them and tracks what dogs are allowed to roam free. It's not unusual to have dogs walking the sidewalk right along with everyone else. Tons of cats too, which I attempt to befriend on a daily basis.

(don't worry - just sun bathing, I promise. I checked...)

Though I am heading back to the States soon, the time I have spent in Istanbul will undoubtedly remain one of the most amazing experiences of my life.A huge thanks to my darling Lacey for having me today, and take care of that elbow! Hope to see you all soon over on In With Both Feet(s), and for the events that led up to my great adventure in Turkey, check out Traffic Jelly: The Road to Home.

Update on the injuries.

2011-11-15T11:00:00.000-05:00

Being one-armed is a little inconvenient. In the first hour of being awake this morning, I confirmed that the following are difficult/impossible to do one handed: wash hair, put bobby pin in hair, put hair in a ponytail, text, type, open my medicine bottle, drive (I did not attempt this one, I just longingly pondered it), put on sneakers, put on my jacket.

I considered doing a vlog (video blog, for those of you not in on the jargon) update on my tumble and how exactly I managed to exemplify the grace and coordination that I did on Saturday night, but in addition to not being able to make my hair look presentable, I also cannot manage to open my concealer or mascara, so I think I'll pass on that one for the time being.

Oh, and did I mention that I dislocated my knee cap during the incident, as well as fracturing le elbow? (Pain meds have me loopy, so forgive me if I am repeating myself.) Arm should take six or so weeks to heal, and then my doc is calling for knee surgery in the new year. Ouch.

In other news, I've had a handful of gals volunteer to guest blog for me, which I am excited for! Hopefully we'll get that rolling asap so that LITC doesn't grow cobwebs!

In the meantime, thank you again for all the tweets, texts, comments, + general well wishes! And a big shoutout to my nurse, MPD, for taking such great care of me. I am quite uncomfortable, but I'm alive, so I don't have too much I can complain about.

xoxo.

I broke my elbow.

2011-11-14T10:57:00.001-05:00

My keen sense of uncoordination never seems to amaze me. This time: I fell while walking/standing in my living room. Yup. A dislocated knee, a broken elbow, and an ER visit later, I am in a lot of pain. And since typing one-handed is not very easy, my blogging may unfortunately suffer a bit in thee next few weeks. Please bear with me in the meantime :)

On that note, would anyone be interested in guest blogging this week or next?

xoxo.

Elf Yourself.

2011-11-09T10:00:00.000-05:00

This week is one of those non-stop, whirlwind crazy type of weeks. Therefore, I barely have had time to think about blogging in the evenings, + therefore I do not have anything of true substance that I am able to write at the moment. However, I think it's super important to take a moment to make sure everyone is aware that the JibJab Elves are back in business. I don't know how they do it, but they never fail to make me laugh. It's not the holidays without them.

If you are unfamiliar with the JibJab Elves, you're missing out + you should get yourself over there asap to starting Elfing Yourself. And here's a challenge: I dare you to Elf Yourself + me in the same song + send it back my way. It would totally make my day. I mean, my picture is in the heading of this blog...it's yours for the taking for an Elf Yourself video. Just saying.

xoxo.

A peek at my girls' weekend.

2011-11-07T08:00:00.000-05:00

Wow, was that a fun + much needed weekend with two very lovely ladies! I don't have time at the moment to share all of the relaxing and amusing details of our adventures in Richmond, but rest assured that there were some really, really strange "small world" moments, + we ran into and had full-on conversation with a movie/tv star + didn't even realize it, until we mentioned how much he looked like...well, himself...and he admitted he was indeed...himself!

So many details, + I definitely will share shortly. Until then, I leave you with the above photo of three very happy girlfriends having a weekend all about them. Are there many things that are lovelier than that?

Weekending in Virginia.

2011-11-04T08:00:00.000-04:00

Spur of the moment a few months ago, I was thinking of my long lost girlfriends back in Greenville, South Carolina, where I attended my freshman year of high school. I couldn't believe that I've been back on the East Coast for three years now, + I still hadn't seized the opportunity to schedule a visit with these ladies that remain some of the sweetest gals I know. So seize, I did!

I sent emails immediately to CB + MG (we use middle name initials with these girls!), asking if they had a weekend free where we could all meet in the middle for a girl's reunion. This had to have happened back in August or September, and we finally were able to settle on the weekend of November 4th as one that was free for all three of us!

Richmond, Virginia skyline

So, we took to Google Maps + found that Richmond, Virginia is pretty much dead center between Stamford, Connecticut + Greenville, South Carolina. I planned work appointments down the coast for Thursday + Friday, + will wrap up my work week by toasting these great friends that I haven't seen in years!

Check out this picture from CB's 15th birthday party in 2002! I am on the far left, + CB is directly next to me.
Joe's Crab Shack - Greenville, South Carolina

The above picture is one of the only ones I could find on Facebook with me + CB together. My family moved West to Los Angeles about three weeks after the above picture was taken (remember the story of how we moved to LA?). CB visited me a few times in California after we moved West, but the last time I got to spend good time with her was when she came to see me when I was in college in San Francisco back in 2007. I did see her briefly on a business trip through Greenville that I had back in 2008.

I don't have a picture to steal from Facebook of me + MG, so I jacked one of her profile pictures (sorry, MG!). Isn't she gorgeous?! The last time I saw MG was on my return trip to Greenville to visit friends back in 2003.

So eight years since I've seen MG, four years since I've really visited with CB, so I think that we will have such a fabulous time this weekend catching up!!

Do any of you have super dear friends that live a distance, that you are able to still pick right up with, after months or years of separation? Isn't that one of the coolest feelings, when you have friendships like that?

I hope you all have a super great weekend, + that you get to spend it with people you love + have a great time with!

xoxo.

Blogger Blitz : a blogger meetup!

2011-11-03T08:00:00.000-04:00

I am super excited to spread the word to anyone who hasn't heard yet about the super fun Blogger Blitz meetups, hosted by blogger extraordinaire, Miss AV, of Long Distance Loving! (If you are not already a follower of AV's blog, you should be...she brings that extra ray of sunshine to your morning, via her blog!)

If you will find yourself in any of the above cities on the corresponding days, hop on over immediately to register for the meetup! It'll be a fun event, where we'll actually get to meet local fellow bloggers. I, for one, was so excited that I finally ordered those bloggy business cards I'd been contemplating for a while! Super dorky, I know. But hey - I never travel without my work business cards, so I why would I go to a blogger meetup without representation of the blog I write??

Any way, I would love to see anyone that is able to attend the NYC blogger meetup, where I will be, on the evening of November 13th, + I know AV will be super stoked to meet everyone who is able to attend her other soirees in Indianapolis (I'm talkin' to you, Miss Chels! And Charlotte, is your new home in Illinois within driving distance??), Louisville, Washington, DC, + Nashville (Sarah Kate, are you in?!).

For more information, please hop on over to AV's original blog post detailing the Blogger Blitz circuit by clicking here. From that link, you can click through to the official registration pages and get set up + "on the list", if you will.

Yay - so excited to see how the NYC event turns out + to hear the outcome of the other four cities!

xoxo.

New York City, 20 years later : 1991 to 2011

2011-11-02T08:00:00.000-04:00

Remember this great post I did about my Momma + my Auntie Dia's friendship, + how they had found this photo that documented a 1991 dinner outing they had in Manhattan? In case you didn't catch that one, here's the image again, and here's a link to the post.

Well, check this out. When my mom was visiting last week, we planned my best friend's birthday dinner at the one and same Forlini's Italian Restaurant in the heart of Chinatown, that my mom + my Auntie Dia dined at twenty years earlier. How fun is that?! They actually even had the back half of the restaurant closed for the night, but they let us go searching for the exact table that they sat at in 1991, and when we found it (identified by the picture that hangs above it still to this day), they set the table and allowed us to have the room to ourselves for nostalgia's sake!

And what would the story be if we didn't have photos to prove the experience? See for yourself:

My best friend, NC, + myself - posed just like my Momma + Auntie Dia in their bff pic above.

Me + my Momma

My mom, NC, our waiter Gus, + me

And last, but not least, us three gals with Joe Forlini, owner of Forlini's - his grandfather was the original owner

If you ever find yourself in downtown New York, there is always Little Italy for great Italian food of course, but let me tell you...Forlini in the heart of Chinatown is one of the very best Italian restaurants I've been to in New York! I totally recommend it. Not to mention that the service + attention from Gus + the owner, Joe, were phenomenal. Can't beat that.

Forlini's Restaurant

93 Baxter Street

New York, New York

Blogger t-shirt.

2011-11-01T08:00:00.000-04:00

How great is this t-shirt?? I want it, for sure! (Hint, hint to my sisters that it would be a great stocking stuffer ;)) I found it on Pinterest, which is so addictive. Are you on Pinterest? If so, feel free to find my page by clicking here!

Weekend recap + fun news!

2011-10-31T08:00:00.000-04:00

Happy Monday! How darn cute is this photo of a little Mongolian girl + camel? I saw this, and just thought that it was such a good way to start a new week. I left for Albany, New York this morning bright + squirrely (thank you to being able to pre-schedule blog posts:)) for work, + I just have my fingers crossed that the roads getting up there aren't too bad from all of the snowfall that came down over the weekend!

If you are in some of the snow-hit areas, did you guys enjoy the super early dose of winter? I really did enjoy sitting at home, curled up on the couch, candles burning, hot chocolate in hand, watching the flurries coming down outside.

In other weekend news, I was sooo excited to wake up Saturday morning to a text message from my friend of eight years back in Los Angeles, Miss EN telling me that her super cute boyfriend is now her fiance!! She fillled her man in on the sort of ring she wanted, especially because she had her mind set on something different (have you ever seen a black diamond engagement ring??), but she was beyond shocked when he did pop the question + she finally got to see what he had come up with!

Pretty fantastic, I think! It's so different, + so beautiful, + most importantly....so her. I cannot wait to see them over Thanksgiving so that I can give them a proper toast + congratulations in person!

If you are engaged/married - were you impressed with the style of ring that your partner picked out for you? I've always wondered what one should do if they secretly dislike the ring (think Carrie, when Aidan bought her the pear-shaped diamond). If you are not engaged/married - do you know what sort of ring you would love to be given one day?

New York apartment avail for New Year's Eve!

2011-10-30T14:22:00.000-04:00

Calling all travelers! One of my girlfriends lives down in the super quaint Manhattan neighborhood of Greenwich Village, + will be opening her apartment for a subletting opportunity in the next couple of months while she is traveling. Are you, or any of your friends (responsible + respectful applicants only, please) interested in experiencing New York in a more cost-effective + intimate way than if you were to stay in a hotel? If so, let me know, and I can connect the interested parties!

The apartment is a studio located at the cross streets of Downing + Bedford (prime location, fyi) and is available for the dates of November 8th through November 13th, and December 30th to January 8th (that means New Years in New York!). Feel free to comment here, or to email me directly at laceyinthecity@gmail.com for more information.

xoxo.

SNOWtober

2011-10-29T14:57:00.000-04:00

I've lived in Manhattan and Connecticut for three years now, but the combo of New Yorker + Southern California girl in me makes me simultaneously get excited and cringe at the word "snowstorm". From November through February, of course - snow is to be expected. But in October?! Everyone around here is calling it SNOWtober now! I had just told my Momma two days ago, "Yah, we won't get our first snow until mid-November, probably." The weather gods sure are having their laugh at me now!

Above is the view from my apartment balcony, only 90 minutes into the snowfall. To top it off, MPD had to run an errand and drive up to New Haven (about 45 minutes away in normal weather), and he has been gone now for almost four hours, instead of the expected hour and a half! He is finally almost home, so I can quit having a heart attack thinking of him driving in this weather, thank goodness.

T G I F.

2011-10-28T16:08:00.001-04:00

I've been a terrible blogger this week... I've just been so busy with work, having my mom here, and keeping up with the day to day stuff. I'll be back next week with some fun things. I miss blogging when I'm away! I hope that you all have a wonderful weekend! It's meant to snow here in Connecticut (some parts of the state are predicted to get up to ten inches!!), so I'm anticipating snuggling up on the couch, watching movies, and catching up on some much needed sleep. I can't believe the snow is going to hit so early this year, but c'est la vie, I suppose! I'm prepared to roll with the punches.

Do you ladies have any good plans for the weekend?

My favorite international bloggers.

2011-10-25T13:30:00.000-04:00

I've discovered quite a few cool international bloggers lately, + if you share my love of travel and knowing foreign places, you would probably like to dive into the lives of these ladies as well. Hence, I shall share with you some of my latest foreign blogger finds :)

Sara, from Sara in Le Petit Village. This expat American is sooo effing funny. I've browsed through random posts of her over the years, in addition to some of her latest stories of her life in the South of France. Seriously, she is one to follow.

Heather, from Heather Goes to Deutschland. Another expat living abroad. First she was in the Czech Republic, now she resides in lovely Germany. She also features a lovely weekly edition of the German cakes that she discovers at the bakeries around town.

Megan + Whitney, of What Wegan Did Next are each one half American (Whitney) and one half British (Megan). Their blog follows their three year long-distance relationship, which at the furthest point found Meg in the UK and Whit in Hawaii. They now spend their time going back + forth from the UK to the US while they struggle to get Whitney a visa to relocate permanently to London.

Spencer + Kylie have quite the travel resume. Thus far, they have lived (lived, not just visited) in Cambodia, China, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Hawaii, Hong Kong, Marshall Islands, Peru, Thailand, Tuvalu, + Vietnam. And they take amazing pictures along their way.

Speaking of beautiful pictures, meet Janis + Mike of My Suitcase Heart. They are an uber-cute couple living in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. They got married earlier this year, and I still so vividly remember the photos of their super sweet engagement and her swoon-worthy ring.

Marissa writes the boot, which details her life living in Barletta, Italy with her main squeeze, while teaching English + Zumba to the local Italianos. She also has a love of great accessories, which makes her fabulous in my book!

And of course if you are a reader of LITC, you know my dear friend, Alix, from In With Both Feet(s). She's another expat, who followed her heart to Istanbul. She struggles with adjusting to life in a city that is half Asian, half European, and predominantly Muslim. But let me be the first to tell you: she does every bit of it with grace.

Let me know if you get to check any of these blogs out! I hope you enjoy them as much as I do :)

PS - I finally have a Lacey in the City Facebook Fan Page...feel free to click on over and "like" it!

Come with me...to Istanbul.

2011-10-24T08:00:00.000-04:00

Ladies + gentlemen, please allow me to introduce you to my dear friend, Alix. She goes by Al, for short, and she is a wonder of a woman. Her whirlwind of a year began in snowy Syracuse, New York, and will close out with her having moved across the globe to Istanbul, Turkey. Simply put, she is amazing and strong, and such an invaluable friend to me.

Amongst her many other credits, she is also the author of two blogs: In With Both Feet(s) and Traffic Jelly. Her writing is addictive, so be careful...you will get so involved in her entries that you'll never want to stop reading.

As a tribute to her new life in Istanbul, Alix is hosting a fantastic giveaway of some really beautiful Turkish goodies! (<< Click that link to make sure that you get your entries in!)

She also put together this great video (that I admittedly watched twice because I liked it so much) touring the streets of Istanbul and showcasing her trip to the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, where she purchased the treats that she is giving away! You've got to take a look.

**PS - Stay tuned for a great giveaway that is in the works for Lacey in the City!

Heading to the Farm!

2011-10-22T12:43:00.000-04:00

Remember early last October, MPD + I went apple picking and corn mazing? (If you need a refresher, click here for that post.)

Me, reaching for an apple on my trip to Bishop's last year with MPD.

MPD is in Philly to see one of his dad's theater productions, so my mom + I are off solo to Bishop Orchard Farms for apple picking, pumpkin picking, corn mazing, hay rides, and wine tasting! I just love Autumn!

What fun things are you up to this weekend?

My Momma's coming!

2011-10-20T09:00:00.000-04:00

My momma's coming, my momma's coming!! She's finally arriving tonight from Los Angeles, and I can't wait to go pick her up at the airport in New York! It's been a long time since she's been to the Big Apple, so I'm going to set her loose a couple of days in the city while I am working. We are going to spend the weekend doing New England-y things here in Connecticut, including pumpkin picking, corn mazes, hay rides, and wine tasting. Tuesday, we will be hitting the Fairfield Theatre here in Connecticut to see MPD perform his Dean Martin show! Then she's going to accompany me on one of my work road trips so that she can see some Autumn foliage in Upstate New York, and we can relish as much Momma/Lacey time as we can!

We also have fun dinner plans with my honorary sister (seriously, my mom calls her her fourth daughter), NC, next week one night. You know that perfect combination of people that you have somewhere in your life that makes you split your sides laughing every time you all are together? Well, that's generally how us Griffmore Girls roll, but when you add NC to the group, holy moly...you have no shot at coming out of the conversation without feeling like you've had a full ab workout from the laughter. (If you are unaware of the Griffmore Girls term, by the way, that's what my mom, two sisters, and I fondly call our foursome :))

Are you super close to your family?

Little girl singing with Nicki Minaj.

2011-10-19T08:00:00.000-04:00

I somehow stumbled across this clip from "The Ellen Show" this weekend, and had to share it! How darn cute is this little girl? Her confidence amazes me.

Halloween is on the horizon.

2011-10-18T08:00:00.000-04:00

How darn cute is this Halloween costume for this little bambino? Even without my obsession with French Bulldogs, I would still think this was adorable.

Are you planning to dress up for Halloween this year? I've never been super into the festivities of Halloween, and will probably be passing on the costume aspect of it once again this year. My favorite Halloween was actually one spent with my roommate when I lived in LA in 2008, watching scary movies and eating homemade chili for dinner and pumpkin-y things for dessert.

What was your favorite Halloween to date? And if you are dressing up this year, what will you dress as?

(photo source)

MPD's debut solo performance.

2011-10-17T08:00:00.000-04:00

I am super proud to let you guys in on MPD's latest performance. He'll be making his solo performing debut as Dean Martin in "A Night at the Sands: Music, Laughter, + Drinks with Dean Martin" on October 25th at the Fairfield Theater Company here in Connecticut! MPD has been performing one version or another of his self-written, self-produced, and self-directed Frank + Dean shows for a decade now all over New England (Philadelphia, New York, and now Connecticut), and so I am super excited to see him up there on stage carrying the show solo for the first time. I may not have mentioned it on here in the past, but my multi-talented boyfriend has a fantastic crooning voice, a la Michael Buble + Bobby Darin. Oh, and did I mention that all of MPD's shows always have 100% of the profits donated to the Make-A-Wish Foundation?

If you are in the Connecticut / New York metropolitan area and want to attend the show, you can buy tickets on the Fairfield Theatre Company website by clicking here.

If you are unable to attend but would still like to make a contribution to Make-A-Wish, you can do so by clicking here.

Lastly, I would love to ask you all to help support MPD by "liking" his Facebook fan page (here) and following him on Twitter (here).

Happy Monday, folks!

Bailey at the beach.

2011-10-17T00:00:00.000-04:00

Look at this sweet little girl! We spent a nice Sunday together, which included two trips to the dog park + two trips to the beach here in Stamford. I was enamored with the sky changing colors at sunset, while Bailey was enthralled with all the squirrels running around the park at the beach.

Keep Calm + Call Mom.

2011-10-14T09:30:00.000-04:00

Ohh how I love my mother...my crazy, never normal, always loving, eternally beautiful mother. She really does prove to be my rock still, at 24 years old, and I don't really ever expect it to change.

I am so excited because my Momma is heading East in a week to visit with me, MPD + Bailey for a whole week!! We will do some exploring in NYC and bask in some Autumn-y activities here in New England, as well as enjoying the exciting part of the week where my mom will accompany me on a mini-road trip for work that I had planned to Upstate New York. I haven't seen my Momma since New Years - the longest we have ever gone apart - so I am super giddy to finally show her the home I've made for myself here on the East Coast over the past three years!!!

What is the longest that you have ever been apart from your mother/father/closest family member? Do you live far from your family too?

Happy Friday to you all...so happy to have a relaxing at-home weekend ahead of me :) Do you have any exciting plans? xo

I'm in Chicago!

2011-10-12T08:00:00.000-04:00

The Second City. The Bean. Sears Tower. Home of Guiliana + Bill. I'm in Chicago today, folks! I jumped on an 8 am flight and will be back to Connecticut in time for bed. It's just a quick work trip to see a client and get to relish a few short hours in one of my favorite cities.

I'm super bummed that I won't get to visit my two favorite Chicagoans, Mr + Mrs RD + KD while I am here today! Both parts of this newly married couple read LITC frequently, and Mr RD has been jonesing for a shoutout on here for some time now, so I'd like to officially take a moment to say a big "HEY RAY!" to him in honor of my trip to the D's city today!

Don't they look like so much fun!? (I did not ask for permission to steal this photo from Facebook, so I hope in light of my shoutout, RD + KD opt not to kill me for jacking it!)

Have you ever visited Chicago? Did you like it, dislike it, love it? I've had a few debacles go down during my previous Chitown trips, so it took me until last year to finally fall for it!

90s Nerd = 2011 Hipster

2011-10-11T08:00:00.000-04:00

HOW. TRUE. IS. THIS!

Oh it cracked me up when I saw this, and I couldn't help but share. The Steve Urkel uber-nerd of the 90s is what the Lower East Side of Manhattan is saturated with...the huge over-sized goober glasses are the kicker of it all. I wouldn't think twice though if I saw this outfit any day of the week walking down Avenue B.

Do you see hipster fashion in your town/city?

PS - Attention all giveaway lovers: Shari over at The Daily Dish is hosting a fabulous Nescafe Dolce Gusto machine giveaway! And AV over at Long Distance Loving is hosting a fantastic Lilly P giveaway! Must. check. them. out.

New Girl.

2011-10-10T08:00:00.000-04:00

Have you gotten the chance to watch "New Girl" starring Zooey Deschanel? I caught it last Tuesday night, and I was laughing so loud that MPD had to come into the living room to see what the heck was going on. We all already know that Zooey is super adorable and has a great singing voice (remember her in "Elf"?), but she is also super funny. I totally recommend you DVRing the show tomorrow night.

In the meantime, check out this clip from last week's show, where Zooey's quirky character attends a wedding posing as her guy friend's girlfriend, in an effort to make the ex-girlfriend jealous.

So funny!

Neti pot.

2011-10-07T08:00:00.000-04:00

When my ailments were still making me miserable six days after my first doctor's visit, I called my doctor for more cough syrup and for advice on what I should do for my major congestion and my continued aches and pains. He didn't want me to put additional medicine in my system to cure the congestion, so he recommend I get a neti pot. After he explained to me what a neti pot is, I was a bit skeptical, but headed out to the pharmacy to pick one up.

While I was paying for the neti pot, I double checked with the pharmacist to see if she also recommended this contraption. She said her son-in-law swears by it, so with that, I decided I'd definitely give it a go.

A neti pot looks like a cross between a tea kettle and an Aladdin lamp. You put the saline solution that comes with the pot inside and add lukewarm water. Once the solution is dissolved, you put the end of the spout into one of your nostrils, while your head is faced downward toward the sink. Then, you tilt your head slowly so that your nostril with the neti pot in it is above the other nostril. The force of gravity will make the saline solution flow through your first nostril into and through the second nostril...all the while cleansing the nasal cavities.

MPD walked into the bathroom while I was in the middle of using the neti pot...it took all I had to not start laughing at the expression of confusion on his face! I have to say though, I now swear by the neti pot too. It completely cleared out my nasal cavities! (Sorry, that maybe TMI!) If you have allergy, sinus, or congestion issues this season, I really recommend that you try this thing out.

Have you tried a neti pot before? What do you think about it?

The cocktail dress unveiled!

2011-10-06T09:00:00.000-04:00

I never shared a picture of the dress that I bought for the wedding I attended last month up in Old Saybrook, Connecticut! It's just a quick shot taken on my blackberry (we forgot our digital camera), but I really did love the dress! It was super comfy, and I got a ton of compliments all night. I wore these hott mama fuchsia pumps, which totally popped with the slate color of the dress.

Thanks again to all of you who helped me with ideas on this outfit!

Visiting with Darking + Grandfather.

2011-10-05T09:00:00.000-04:00

I was in Boston for a quick work trip last week (cut short when I got so sick), + I got the chance to stop by to visit with Darking + my Grandfather one evening. In light of the season, I brought them both some cute pumpkins to decorate their graves. I made sure to grab what I deemed a pretty damn good lookin' pumpkin (a joke, because Darkwing always used the words "damn good lookin'" when referring to himself) + the cool funky looking tall pumpkin for my Grandfather :)

Nurturing creativity.

2011-10-04T09:00:00.000-04:00

Thank you to my dear friend, Alix, who upon reading my article last week about TED, referred the above TED lecture to me. If you have the time to watch it, you'll hear Sir Ken Robinson discuss his idea that our education systems quash creativity in today's youth. I, personally, think he's on to something.

Hearing the lecture reminded me of when I was in first grade and it seemed that the sole mission of all first grade teachers was to make sure that each of their students left their class knowing one thing, if nothing else: how to hold our pencils "correctly".

(source)

I remember getting into so much trouble and even being assigned extra writing homework every night to ensure that my pencil holding posture assimilated to the "correct" pencil holding form. Having been a child who always wanted to do what pleased my teachers, I would get so frustrated at myself that I could not figure out how to assume this correct pencil grip and simultaneously write while maintaining said grip. Sure, I could get it in my hand just-so, but trying to put pencil to paper and actually make words assuming the uncomfortable position? Forget about it.

Years later, I still hold my pens and pencils "incorrectly" (similar to that bottom right drawing in the image above), but I must say that I get complimented on my penmanship and have very neat hand writing - much neater than friends of mine who do manage to hold their pens correctly. Looking back on the entire situation though makes me think how strange it is that there is a by-the-book way of doing everything in school...even to the small details of pencil holding. It's a super minute example of the hindrance that the education system can sometimes put on creativity and self-expression, but it is my youngest first-hand example that has stuck in my memory now for eighteen years.

Do you have an example of your own of when you felt held back in self-expression or creativity in school because it wasn't the "right" way to do something?

Pajama Jeans, what?

2011-10-03T08:00:00.000-04:00

One of the side effects of being at home sick is watching a lot of television...crappy commercials + all. Have you guys seen these advertisements for Pajama Jeans?? As much as I would never consider wearing these personally, I found myself wondering exactly how many orders these people are getting from folks wanting to buy stretchy denim that doubles as pajama pants... (They just may actually be raking in some serious dough...) What do you think...would you ever wear these for yourself?

Hello, October!

2011-10-02T13:23:00.000-04:00

October is my favorite month!! I wish I was back to my healthy self already so I could be out with MPD, his brother, MDD, + his brother's girlfriend, MM, today! MDD + MM flew in for the weekend to visit from their homes in the Midwest (he's in Indianapolis + she's in Chicago), and I've totally been bed-stricken for their entire visit. Today, they went to the Nature Center in the next town over, exploring fun hiking trails and picking apples and pumpkins. I'd love to be with them, Pumpkin Latte in hand and boots on my feet, taking in the crisp air! Instead, I'm curled up in bed with Bailey where we're watching a Rachel Zoe marathon...not a terrible alternative, but I do wish I was out doing something active + fun.

What did you guys do this weekend? Did you ring in the first weekend of October doing something fun and Fall-ish?

TED

2011-09-30T09:00:00.000-04:00

Have you guys heard of the TED conferences? Someone recently introduced me to TED, and I previously had never even heard of it. It's a pretty amazing thing. This is the description of what TED is, per it's own website:

TED is a nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from three worlds: Technology, Entertainment, Design. Since then its scope has become ever broader. Along with two annual conferences -- the TED Conference in Long Beach and Palm Springs each spring, and the TEDGlobal conference in Edinburgh UK each summer -- TED includes the award-winning TEDTalks video site, the Open Translation Project and TED Conversations, the inspiring TED Fellows and TEDx programs, and the annual TED Prize.

Basically, the people who are invited to speak at the TED conferences are considered to be the most knowledgeable in their fields - medicine, arts, finance, humanities - and they give a short talk on what they consider to be the most important aspects of their work that need to be shared with the world. Ted.com allows you to view and listen to these talks online. It's a pretty amazing concept, and I just had to share it with you guys!

Sick as a dog.

2011-09-29T20:30:00.001-04:00

I am sick as a dog. It's an upper respiratory tract infection, to be exact. My doctor said my allergies triggered it...I didn't know that allergies could do that even?! Either way, I've been pumping Advil, sipping cough syrup with codeine and puffing my inhaler all night just to keep from coughing and wheezing to death. Not my cutest look.

How are the rest of you faring with the change of seasons? My doctor said the allergy/respiratory infection combo is going around big time in my neck of the woods. I hope you all are feeling better than I am!

Autumn is in the air.

2011-09-23T08:30:00.000-04:00

As much as I lovelovelove Autumn's crisp air and call for a fresh change of wardrobe, I really do dread the change-of-season ickiness that always tends to hit me around this time of year. My sinuses are throbbing, my throat is raw, my body's achey. I have way too much to get accomplished this week and next to have any ailments weighing me down.

The above shot is one that I took when MPD + I were canoeing on a lake up here in Connecticut last year. How amazing are those trees?! I am excited for all of the fun Fall festivities to begin...apple picking, pumpkin eating, absorbing the feeling of the oncoming holidays.

Do you have any fun Autumn-themed plans for this weekend??

Baz Luhrmann says.

2011-09-22T09:33:00.000-04:00

Such great advice offered by the creative genius, Baz Luhrmann (you know him as the director/producer of "Moulin Rouge", "Romeo + Juliet", and "Australia").

A few of my favorite things.

2011-09-16T09:00:00.000-04:00

Once Fall hits, my go-to nail polish (for about seven years now) is Essie's Wicked. I made a trip to the nail salon last night for my first Autumn-hued mani/pedi, and I can't quit checking out my nails! On top of the darker nail color, my hair is once again darkened for the upcoming cooler weather.

Besides my favorite nail polish, here are a few other things I'm loving lately...

Viktor + Rolf's Flowerbomb ... my bff from my college years in San Francisco, the amazing Miss AS, has worn Flowerbomb for as long as I've known her. I picked it up a while ago, and started wearing it today. Everytime I catch the scent of the perfume, it makes me think my dear friend!

La Mer Collection Watches. I am currently lusting over this vintage oversized style.

Skyping with girlfriends far, far away. Namely my dear Alix in Istanbul. Now that she is oh-so-far-away I so wish that she was back in Upstate New York, just a five hour drive away. Amazing the friendships you can build via the blogging world.

David Nicholls' One Day. I've been reading it for a while now, but everytime I pick it up, I immediately sink back into it. I can't wait to see the movie soon!

These Fresh Lilac Soy Candles that I found at Target...they smell AH-mazing.

Are there any great finds that you've come across lately that you think are fabulous enough to share?

And the winner of the LODIS handbag is...

2011-09-15T13:55:00.000-04:00

Thank you to everyone who entered my very first giveaway to win this beautiful Astor Joselyn Satchel from LODIS!

Without further ado, the winner is.... Entry #119, which was Charlotte of From Carolina Cotton to Illinois Corn!!!

Congratulations, Charlotte!!! I ordered this bag for myself too and cannot wait for it to arrive to my house this week. I know you will absolutely love it!!

For those of you still lusting after some beautiful LODIS product, LODIS is graciously extending a 20% discount code for Lacey in the City readers, valid through September 30th, 2011. If you are wanting to do a little early Christmas shopping (or personal shopping!), this is a great opportunity to get an even better deal on LODIS goods - just type "laceyinthecity" (all lowercase, no spaces...and without the quotation marks) into your checkout! Happy shopping!!

New York : September 1991

2011-09-14T08:01:00.002-04:00

My Auntie Dia (pictured left) was my Mom's best friend since around the time I was born. They worked together, traveled together, did all the best friend-y things together. My Auntie designed amazing jewelry and was always connecting with other amazing designers, and my mom (pictured right), being the bubbly personality that she is, would take her jewelry on the road selling to specialty boutiques across the East Coast.

I used to tag along with my mom sometimes to her trade shows or sales calls and I used to always say I'd never be in sales...and wouldn't you know. I ended up not only in sales, but in sales for accessories designers, just like my mom. I even work a few times a year in the same convention center (the Javits Center, for you New Yorkers) in New York City that my mom and my Auntie Dia used to work in twenty years ago!

I don't know if this photo was taken when they were in New York for work, or if they were here for play. Either way, I love this image of them both - beautiful, looking happy, and having fun together in the city.

My mom is coming to visit me next month, and we looked up Forlini's last night...it still stands in Chinatown, so we've decided to have a go at it one day and find it to eat there and re-experience the place that she visited twenty years ago (on the dot next week!) with Auntie Dia! How cool would that be?

**PS - Today is the last full day to enter the LODIS Handbag giveaway...such an amazing bag, and could be yours for free. There's no reason to not enter, so get to it!

Thank you, Target.

2011-09-13T09:30:00.000-04:00

Thank you, Target, for giving us Missoni for Target. I was at my local neighborhood Target at opening time this morning in an effort to be at the front of the lines and catch some of the first glimpses... I must say that the trip was a success, and a really exciting way to spend my Tuesday breakfast hour. I mean, have you seen the complete lookbook? So much fun...home goods, apparel, accessories, men's ties and sweaters, baby and kid clothing. What a really fun way to bring Missoni to the masses.

Did you hit your local Target this morning, or even get to shop online before their website crashed?

**If you were intrigued by the subject matter of this post, you will most definitely want to check out my LODIS Handbag Giveaway by clicking here. The winner will be drawn this Thursday, September 15, so make sure you get your entries in now!!

(Images via Google)

Lest we forget.

2011-09-11T21:46:00.000-04:00

On a day when others sought to sap our confidence, let us renew our common purpose, let us remember how we came together as one nation, as one people, as Americans united…Such sense of purpose need not be a fleeting moment.

-President Obama

Giveaway: LODIS Handbag!

2011-09-08T08:00:00.000-04:00

To celebrate the launch of New York Fashion Week + my first-ever giveaway on Lacey in the City, who better to sponsor the occasion than the amazing leather accessories design house that I work for!?

LODIS is Los Angeles-based, and their design focus stands for beautiful leather goods that are the epitome of fashion meeting function. From women's handbags to technology pieces (iPad, Kindle + smartphone cases, anyone?) to small leather goods and men's wallets, LODIS truly has something for everyone!

LODIS so kindly offered to let me choose my favorite bag for this giveaway: the fabulous patent leather Joselyn Satchel from their Fall 2011 Astor collection. Read on to see how you can win this gorgeous bag for your very own! You can view sizing and product details, as well as additional views of the bag on LODIS's site by clicking here.

To enter:
1) Must be a follower of Lacey in the City
(if you are not a regular blogger, you are able to log in through your Gmail or other Google account to become a follower)
2) "Like" Lodis on Facebook
3) Visit the Lodis site + leave a comment on this blog entry with which style is your favorite!

For extra entries:
4) Blog or tweet about the giveaway for extra entries.
5) Follow Lodis on Twitter

6) Follow Lacey in the City on Twitter
*To increase your chances of winning, please leave a separate comment to stand for each of your extra entries.

I will draw one lucky prize winner next Thursday, September 15th. Good luck!!

*Giveaway is open to US + Canada only.

Coffee Bean hits NYC!

2011-09-07T15:30:00.000-04:00

How did I not catch drift of this wonderful news before today?! A week and a half ago, the California-based coffee chain Coffee Bean + Tea Leaf opened their doors in New York's Midtown neighborhood! I am so excited. No more burnt Starbucks iced coffees - now I can get my favorite ice blendeds and peppermint flavored holiday coffee from my hometown coffee shop! Los Angeles natives in New York...rejoice!

If you've never had the chance to visit California, most will tell you that you are missing out on a couple of culinary greatnesses: #1 being In-N-Out Burger (but that's an entirely different story), and #2 (I at least would say) is Coffee Bean. (#2 might actually be Katsu-ya but again, I digress.) I guess if you are a Californian living on the East Coast, whether you love Coffee Bean or you just like it a little, I think any sort of taste from home is comforting, right?

If you've tried Coffee Bean in the past, would you say that you are a fan? If you live in New York, will you be paying the new location at 39th + Broadway a visit sometime soon?

To get the whole skinny, check out the article I found on the opening in The Gothamist. (Photo also courtesy of The Gothamist.)

PS - Stay tuned for a seriously amazing giveaway to hit Lacey in the City tomorrow in honor of Fall Fashion Week and Fashion's Night Out 2012!

Oh, happy day!

2011-09-07T11:01:00.001-04:00

Happy birthday to the Griffmore Girl who started it all - my Momma! I'm sending hugs and kisses and birthday love from 3,000 miles away today :)

If Heaven wasn't so far.

2011-09-06T09:00:00.000-04:00

"Losin' them wouldn't be so hard to take,
If Heaven wasn't so far away."

I know that a lot of my friends are not fans of Country Music, but this song is such an example of why I love the stuff. The lyrics, the sounds, the stories...they make you feel something. This song in particular speaks to anyone who continues to feel an ache over the loss of a loved one.

T G I F :)

2011-09-02T08:00:00.000-04:00

I mean...look. at that. face.

She kills me. Bailey is such a good pup that even people that don't like dogs, love Bailey. I caught her in this picture the night before last going to town on her "kong" that I filled with peanut butter. She is a fiend for cheese, table scraps, beggin' strips, and peanut butter; and peanut butter just may be her one true love, as is proof in this photo. This little girl just makes me oh-so-happy that she loves me as her momma.

On a different note, I cannot believe that it is September. SEPTEMBER! When/how did that occur already?! I feel like just a month ago MPD + I were celebrating our dual birthday weekend in wintery Vermont, and now here we are, about to roll back into my favorite season of the year: Autumn. Summer 2011 has hands down been my most enjoyed summer of my life, though. I don't know if it's the total combination of being an adult living in the suburbs, with a pool + car that represents freedom, along with my best friend...but whatever the secret recipe is, it is good.

We are spending our Labor Day Weekend relaxing + enjoying each other's company. We'll spend Saturday day and evening with our dear friends - from MPD's college days - VC, VM, + DD up in Providence, Rhode Island.

Do you have any fun Labor Day plans? Did you take advantage of the holiday weekend and take a few days off of work? I hope that you all have a fabulous holiday weekend, wherever you might find yourself!

The cocktail dress has arrived!

2011-09-01T13:30:00.000-04:00

Remember the Patra dress that I bought to wear to my friends' wedding? It finally arrived! I do admittedly like shopping flash sales, but I was a bit impatient waiting three whole weeks for my purchase to make it's way to my doorstep. They say good things come to those who wait though, and in this case it was true. The dress is way more fantastic in person than I expected for it to be! The beading detail is just fabulous, and it fits very comfortably.

Image of my new dress, courtesy of ideeli.

I was disappointed a bit to try the dress on and realize that it was a bit big in the ribcage area. Unfortunately, I cannot find the dress anywhere else online, and with only nine days until the nuptials, I am going to be rushing to an alterations place here in Stamford today. Thank goodness for Yelp, because moving to a new area would just be that much more frightful if I didn't have this site to consult for where to go for nails, meals, and now...alterations.

I cannot wait to show you guys pictures from the wedding - it is sure to be an amazing day! And now I'll feel pretty in my fun new dress (assuming that I am able to get it altered in time)!

Say something nice.

2011-09-01T07:30:00.000-04:00

I love the idea of this. See, New Yorkers aren't as mean as they are stereotyped to be! Thanks to Joanna at A Cup of Jo for sharing :)

Balsamic Chicken Pasta.

2011-08-31T14:30:00.000-04:00

I stumbled across Perry's Plate a few months ago and had bookmarked for Pretzel Nutella Ice Cream Bites (how sinful does that sound?), so when I was looking for a delicious new recipe to try for dinner on Tuesday night, I flipped back through to see what the rest of Perry's Plate was about. Lucky us, because I clicked on the Balsamic Chicken Pasta with Fresh Cheese recipe, + wow was it fantastic!

Balsamic Chicken Pasta with Fresh Cheese
*adapted from Cooking Pleasures magazine, June/July 07
*recipe found courtesy of Perry's Plate

2 T balsamic vinegar
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
6 T extra virgin olive oil
1 c fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
2 c shredded cooked chicken
1 red bell pepper, julienned
1 c small fresh mozzarella balls, halved or cubed mozzarella (3/4 inch)
1/2 c crumbled soft goat cheese
8 oz linguine

Cook linguine according to package directions; drain. Saute bell pepper in a small skillet over medium heat until limp, about 10-12 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl; slowly whisk in oil. Stir in 1/2 c basil.

Place pasta, chicken, cooked peppers, mozzarella, goat cheese, and remaining basil in a large bowl. Pour dressing over top and toss to coat.

Serves 4.

Do you have any favorite food blogs that you reference for great recipes? If so, please do share! If you are looking for a great meal this week, I certainly recommend trying this pasta...it is so yummy. If you make it, let me know what you think!!

The Safe Guide to Women

2011-08-31T08:00:00.001-04:00

Good morning! I came across this "Safe Guide to Women" on Sweet Tea Diaries + had to share here! A little laugh for you over your morning cup of coffee...

The Safe Guide to Women
Dangerous: What's for dinner?
Safer: Can I help you with dinner?
Safest: Where would you like to go for dinner?
Ultra Safe: Here, have some wine.

Dangerous: Are you wearing that?
Safer: You sure look good in brown!
Safest: Wow, look at you!
Ultra Safe: Here, have some wine.

Dangerous: What are you so worked up about?
Safer: Could we be overreacting?
Safest: Here's my paycheck.
Ultra Safe: Here, have some wine.

Dangerous: Should you be eating that?
Safer: You know, there are a lot of apples left.
Safest: Can I get you a piece of chocolate with that?
Ultra Safe: Here, have some wine.

Dangerous: What did you do all day?
Safer: I hope you didn't over-do it today.
Safest: I've always loved you in that robe!
Ultra Safe: Here, have some wine.

Hot Oil Pizza.

2011-08-30T13:06:00.000-04:00

Back in July, our fabulous friend TN introduced MPD + me to Colony Grill. Colony is a long-standing establishment here in Stamford, and they are famous for their Hot Oil Pizza. MPD + I love a neighborhood joint, so this had become our go-to pizza place for those nights that we were too zonked to cook a meal at home.

Irene threw a little hitch in our pizza plans last night, as Colony is still down for the count due to the power outages. I was craving pizza though, so we decided to order from Colony's main competition, Rico's Pizzeria. Supposedly, Rico's has hired some ex-Colony employees and finagled Colony's recipes, so we had originally hesitated from ordering Rico's in the name of loyalty. Desperate times call for desperate measures, however, so last night, we finally broke.

Rico's Hot Oil Pizza blew Colony's out of the water! It was delicious and had the amount of "kick" to the oil that Colony's was missing the couple of times I'd tried it.

I was curious exactly how to make a Hot Oil Pizza, so I googled, and was pleasantly surprised to find that a local blogger had written about how to imitate this recipe! Click here for a "how to".

Do you have a local neighborhood joint that you love to frequent? Have you ever heard of or tried a version of this Hot Oil Pizza? Check out the recipe...it seems really easy to make at home, and I'm sure would be a crowd pleaser for guests!

Weathering Irene.

2011-08-29T11:00:00.001-04:00

PHEW! We made it through the weekend unscathed and were welcomed into the new week with a gloriously sunny Monday morning. Looking up at the sky today, you'd never know the damage that was just thrust upon the Eastern seaboard. Walking around the neighborhoods and surveying the aftermath, however, you can see that Irene did some serious throttling on her way through.

In case the power would go out, we decided to cook up all of our seafood, and we had a feast on Saturday night with our neighbors + MK, who was staying with us after he was evacuated from his home.

MPD + I fared out better than a lot of people in our area. The power in our immediate area all seems to be out, with the exception of our building and the building that sits two over from ours. There were a few other holdouts on our street until yesterday afternoon, when this happened:

This tree fell down at the corner of our building and took down a main power line for the street that runs along one side of our building. I truly do not know how we managed to be spared from an outage, but I am so thankful!

First thing Friday morning, TN + I hit the grocery store to stock up on water for the weekend. After we grabbed our total of four cases of water, there were only these mini-bottle packs left. Within a few minutes, I'm sure all of these cases were gone as well.

MPD + our neighbors TN + JM were set on leaving the house yesterday afternoon to survey some of the damage. Our friend, MK (who was staying with us since his home was mandatory evacuated) + I were not too thrilled about the idea of leaving to go anywhere, but we were outnumbered and ended up following along. We saw some of the damage done to the parts of our town that were closer to the waterfront.

This is normally a road that leads down to a baseball field...MPD decided to go wading. Boys, I swear.

This house was super unfortunate with their tree falling directly onto the roof of their home! So sad.

They are saying that 700,000 Connecticut residents are without power, with 26,000 of them being in Stamford (our town). Some of our friends are stranded at their homes until trees and debris are cleared from the roads leading from their houses, and most of our friends had work canceled today because so many offices don't have power. All of the local schools were cancelled for today, and the trains in Connecticut still don't have an expected time that they will be up and running again. There are people still housed at the hurricane shelters around the state that were set up at high schools and community centers. The one in Stamford is not far from our home, so MPD is taking our cases of water and our food that we stocked up on over there so that we can help, even if in just a really small way. If you were prepped for Irene and you have extra provisions that you now aren't in need of, dropping them off at your local shelter could be a good way to help your neighbors in need...just a thought!

I hope all of you East Coasters are faring well today and that if you've suffered damage or power outages that your home and town are back to normal very soon!

Sending love from Connecticut,
Lacey

Come on, Irene...dah dah dah dah dah dah

2011-08-26T20:38:00.000-04:00

I keep singing "Come on, Irene, oh I swear well he means...", and then I lose the lyrics and replace the words with "dah dah dah dah....".

Oh, Irene. I have to admit, I'm a little nervous about this beast of a storm's approach to the Connecticut coastline. The governor has declared a state of emergency, there is no bottled water to be found at the local groceries, Targets, etc. Batteries and flash light supplies are depleted, and I admittedly stocked up on my favorite smelling candles like a hoarder today.

We are prepared to stay through the storm, which I hope will be able to happen, should conditions not get too out of hand, but we also are preparing for the possibility of an evacuation. Calls have been received from power companies that we need to prepare for the loss of power for up to seven days. Yikes.

For you East Coasters, are you prepared for Irene? Are you staying or evacuating? Is this your first hurricane? (It's not technically my first hurricane...I was a little two year old sleeping on the floor of my mom's closet during Hurricane Hugo in Charleston, SC in 1989.)

One Day.

2011-08-23T09:00:00.001-04:00

It has been a while since I've found myself really enjoying a book. (The last one I really devoured was "The Help", that I wrote about yesterday!) I am currently reading "One Day" by David Nicholls, and I find myself excited to pick it up each night, or to read it during my train commutes into the city. The story follows Dexter Mayhew and Emma Morley over a twenty year period, telling their story of only one day, July 15, in each of those years. I'm about three-quarters of the way through right now, and I am hoping to finish it by the end of the week.

Imagine my excitement when I realized that the book had been made into a movie that has just been released starring none other than the fabulous Anne Hathaway! MPD knows that I have been really into this book, so he has so sweetly offered to take me on a date to see "One Day" in the theatre as soon as I finish the book! He's such a good boyfriend, opting to sit through a chick flick (albeit it does star Anne Hathaway) because he knows it'd make me happy!

Have you read "One Day" or seen previews for the movie? If you have, is it one that you are wanting to see as well?

The Help.

2011-08-22T09:00:00.005-04:00

I cannot rave enough about "The Help". The book was fantastic, and the movie really managed to do the book a great justice. Emma Stone was fantastic as Skeeter, and Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer were poignant in portraying the courageous Aibileen and Minny, two housekeepers in 1960s Jackson, Mississippi.

The entire theatre laughed, cried, got angry, and was completely moved by a story that makes us remember a time not so long ago when our rights as an American were dependent on our shade of skin.

Have you read the book, "The Help", or seen the movie?

We're heading to Rhode Island!

2011-08-19T10:58:00.000-04:00

If you live in any other part of the country than the Northeast, you generally have to travel a good while to get from state to state. Up here though, the states are so small that it's not a big deal at all to head to, say, Rhode Island for a day trip! Where I live and where I work are great examples of this: I live in Connecticut, but I work twenty miles away in the heart New York City.

MPD + I are rising bright and early Sunday morning to drive up the coast to Middletown, Rhode Island, located right near the famous seaside town of Newport, Rhode Island. MPD + I are meeting up with our friends BR + LR, who will be driving down from their home in Boston, for a morning/early afternoon of exploring Sweet Berry Farm, where we can pick our own blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries! (Remember last October when MPD + I went apple picking??)

The farm just looks beautiful, and it will be another great summer adventure outdoors, making fun memories with friends. What could be better than that? Not to mention that the drive is around three hours to and from, so MPD + I will have a mini-road trip to enjoy that day too! Driving in the car, listening to country music, and having a nice cup of coffee with my favorite guy sounds like a great way to start a fun day to me :)

Do you have any fun weekend plans ahead?

(Photo sources: Sweet Berry Farm RI + Google Maps)

Creativity takes the cake.

2011-08-18T22:30:00.001-04:00

Please, do yourself a favor and check out these engagement pictures... They are truly the most original I've ever seen. Pretty clever!

**Note: the couple must have privatized their site last night, so now it is password protected. However, yes, that is a zombie, and the pictures amusingly continue on with the zombie interrupting their lovely picnic, and finally joining them for a glass of wine! Too funny.