I'm the girl, Gracie. Here at GML you can follow my journey of dreaming, working, eating, loving, and blogging my way through life in NYC.
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…is the perfect way to describe the past few days. And I loved every minute of it!
On Wednesday I had a (long overdue) day date with the lovely Monica. She just moved around the corner from me, and I couldn’t be more excited about it!
She showed me her new place and then we had a very girly date of walking to the park and eating a like, really healthy Whole Foods lunch.
Later that evening one of my roommates had organized a little Mary Kay demonstration, so I sat in on that for a bit. Being pampered in my living room? Don’t mind if I do.
Then there were plans for a fun night out. I don’t go out on the weeknights as much as I used to – and even then you’d usually find me in a beanie and t-shirt – so I took the opportunity to get all girlied up for a change.
And then there was last night, which was probably the girliest of them all – Janelle’s bachelorette party!
She had just flown in from London and is getting married on Saturday (tomorrow!), so it was the perfect girls’ night before her big day. We had an amazing dinner at Vinatta Project, along with the typical bachelorette shenanigans.
What was the highlight of your week so far?
What’s the girliest things you’ve done lately?
Sometimes there’s a gap in between blog posts where way too many things happen, and it’s easier to just keep the words short let the photos speak for themselves.
This is one of those times. Sound good?
Thursday night was an impromptu dinner at Alta, which turned out to be one of the most amazing meals I’ve had in a while. None of my photos turned out, but let’s just say this is thee place to go for some of the city’s best small plates.
Saturday was an adventure from start to finish. First up was brunch at Freeman’s.
Followed by an afternoon The Standard Biergarten…
…an incredible sushi dinner at Momoya…
…and a late night of dancing and silliness at Café Wha.
Sunday was pretty low key: brunch, church, and Gatsby.
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have at least a little case of the Monday blues! So as usual, here’s a little dose of Monday inspiration.
What was the highlight of your weekend?
Did you see The Great Gatsby? Thoughts??
Five fake flowers from a tourist-filled convenient store on 34th street: $6.
Braving Midtown Manhattan on a Friday during rush hour to complete our Kentucky Derby Hats: priceless.
Enough Mexican food from Baja Fresh to feed a small army: over $100.
Ending the amazing weekend by celebrating Cinco De Mayo with friends: priceless.“Detoxing” after a long weekend of treating my body like crap: a boat load of my favorite healthy foods.
Having too much fun this weekend to even care about trying to be healthy: priceless.
Being in my mid-twenties and feeling like every decision I make is more important than ever: only a little bit stressful.
Realizing that at the end of the day, I have all I’ll ever really need: priceless.
How was your weekend? Did you celebrate Kentucky Derby and/or Cinco De Mayo?
What was the best part of your week? Is May off to a good start for you?
Hello and happy Monday  I’m back in New York and ready to kick off what is going to be an amazing week. But first – here’s a (will try to keep it) brief recap of my mini vacation in California.
Short version: the three day trip was everything I hoped it’d be. I got to see and experience just about everything Los Angeles has to offer, and I didn’t realize how much I desperately needed an escape from NYC!
And now…the long version.
Wednesday: after a perfect early morning flight (I am now a total Virgin snob), I landed at around 11am and said hello to an overcast-yet-still-lovely LA.
I was starving by the time I arrived, so our first stop was for lunch at the cutest little spot – Aroma Cafe.
We took it pretty easy for the rest of the day relaxing at the house and having a nice dinner with friends at Firefly.
Thursday: I woke up bright and early, so excited to get started on my first full day in LA. Thankfully the weather was absolute perfection.
On the agenda for the day was a grand tour of the city. And a grand tour it was. But first up was a quick and healthy breakfast at Breakroom Cafe.
Then…we were off. We covered Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Rodeo Drive, the Sunset Strip, etc. I had no preconceived ideas of what LA even looked like, so it was all completely new and exciting to see.
After another couple of hours back at the house relaxing by the pool…
…we headed to Kaffe Rouge for my first ever hookah experience. Um, what has taken me so long..?! I’m no smoker, but I now love me some hookah.
Friday: I think it’s safe to say that this was my favorite day of the trip. We headed out in the morning for Santa Monica, and the weather could not have been more beautiful.
After a quick breakfast we hopped on some bikes and headed toward Venice Beach.
The beach day ended with an oyster lunch. Perfection.
On Friday night a group of us had dinner at Katsuya, which I can honestly say was the best sushi meal I’ve ever had.
Afterward more friends joined and we hopped to a couple of bars to wrap up the amazing last day of my trip.
(By the way – if you follow me on Vine I have some fun videos from the trip too!)
I arrived back in New York at around midnight on Saturday. As much as I could’ve used a few more days away, I’m glad to be home and get life back in order and figured out before the new month. Is it seriously already almost May…?!
Hope you all have an incredible and (dare I say) life-changing week. Will leave you will some inspiration for this Monday…
Have you ever been to Los Angeles? What’s the last place you travelled to?
Hello from Pennsylvania! I came here for a couple of days to celebrate the (belated) birthday of my lovely mom. But let’s rewind a bit first, shall we?
On Thursday I paid a visit to Arrojo to get my blonde locks all freshened up. Mission accomplished. (If you’re looking for a colorist in New York you have to try Nadia at Arrojo. She’s amazing!)
Later that night Jessi and I headed to Hudson Common for a special karaoke party. But not just any karaoke party…
Karaoke Killed the Cat hosted what was hands down the most fun karaoke I’ve ever experienced. They’ve made karaoke less of an awkward (sometimes boring) performance and turned it into an interactive, silly, and FUN party.
(Check out some more pictures and videos from the night on the FreelyBe Facebook page.)
On Friday Jessi and I had a handful of meetings all over the city. A few miles walked and a forgotten lunch later, we were starving for dinner by 5pm. So after our last meeting our destination was an obvious one – to head to Murray Hill for dinner at Baby Bo’s.
Baby Bo’s has some of the best authentic Mexican food in the city. Tip: always ask for the extra dipping sauces with your tortilla chips!
I usually get enchiladas or a burrito, but I decided to switch it up and try their Chile Rellenos (one with beef, one with shrimp), served with rice and beans. It looks a bit messy, but it was so, so good. I think I may have a new favorite meal.
It was still gorgeous outside when we left, so we decided to take the 30-minute walk home. By the time we got back to the apartment we were pretty exhausted from the long day, so a movie chick flick night it was!
Bachelorette was…good. Definitely funny and cute at times, but sort of unnecessarily crude at others. Definitely entertaining, though!
After sleeping until 11am yesterday morning (who am I?) I headed to the train station where my beautiful sister Katie picked me up.
We had such a fun afternoon together stopping at her apartment, visiting our friend Sara, and running some errands before setting up camp at mom and dad’s. Laziness, ice cream, and quality family time ensued.
And now here I am on Sunday morning, about to get ready for church and the day ahead Enjoy the rest of your weekend, friends!
Have you ever done karaoke? What’s your go-to song?
How’s your weekend so far?
As if the first half of my weekend wasn’t good enough, the second half turned out to be just as lovely.
On Saturday after brunch I decided to opt for a less-than-productive afternoon. It was a good decision.
90 minutes of napping later, I was ready for the night ahead. Monica came over and we split a ginormous salad topped with salmon, shrimp, and avocado.
Then we headed out for the night. Silly cab ride photos ensued, naturally.
Our first stop: Jane Hotel for a friend’s birthday party.
Second stop: Mister H for a friend’s birthday party.
Third stop: Marquee for…party.
And then there was Sunday. Ohh Sunday…way to be the most beautiful day ever. I enjoyed the gorgeous weather by brunching outside with some babes.
…followed by a stroll along the water to enjoy the sights of spring, and stopping to lay on the grass concrete.
Last but not least, probably the highlight of my weekend was getting to take my first ride on Starburst. We rode to and from church in the evening, which totaled just about 10 miles! Guess I’m going to have to get back in shape, ha.
Now here I am on this Monday morning, with a full heart and excited for the week ahead. I’ll leave with you a snippet from yesterday’s devo…
Enjoy your Monday, friends
Do you try to be productive on weekends, or use them for fun/rest?
Hellooo and happy Saturday!
I’m sitting here in my cozy room on this overcast afternoon ready to spend a few hours relaxing after a fun-filled couple of days. My weekend started early on Thursday night, where FreelyBe hosted a Stella & Dot jewelry trunk show at Hudson Common. It turned out to be such a great event, complete with gorgeous jewelry and gorgeous ladies.
It was great getting to meet Marie from Stella & Dot, who organized the trunk show. Here she is with our FreelyBeautiful director, Raychel.
Thank you for the amazing evening, ladies!
Later that night a big group of us headed downtown (then to the east side…then back uptown) for a night or bar/club hopping. ‘Twas a good one.
Friday turned out to be quite the adventure. After an early morning trip back and forth to Queens…then renting a car and driving to and from New Jersey…all whilst braving the painfully nasty weather…
…we ended up with TWO perfect new bikes!
I named mine Starburst, of course
The spontaneous long day ended with a trip to the movies, a dive bar, and a fish & chips dinner. It was the perfect way to wrap up the day.
The fun continued this morning when eight of us girls got together at our apartment to help with the planning of our friend Janelle’s upcoming wedding. Jessi channeled her inner-homemaker and made not just one but FOUR types of pancakes for us.
The “pancake bar” included berry, pumpkin, flax, and white chocolate pancakes, complete with a ton of different toppings. Maybe brunch at home really is the way to go!
And now here I am, debating between running errands/getting my life in order and taking a nice long nap before tonight’s festivities…
What’s the highlight of your weekend so far?
Finally being roommates with my best friend: took about 2 years.
Having a best friend who I can be silly and weird with but will also challenge me when I need it most: priceless.
Making the last minute decision to go to a Friday night comedy show: $24 cover.
Laughing my butt off for two hours straight: priceless.
Having an adventure day from 3pm – midnight on Saturday: way more than I’d like to admit.
Having an adventure day from 3pm – midnight on Saturday: priceless.
Deciding to stay in and cook Sunday brunch: stopping at 3 different stores for the needed ingredients.
Taking the opportunity to whip together a killer new concoction: priceless.
(That would be shrimp sautéed in bacon grease, topped with goat cheese, served with homemade guacamole. Unreal.)
Tickets to the Mansions on the Moon show: $10 each.
Spending a Sunday night seeing one of my favorite bands (and discovering a new one): priceless.
Not knowing what the future holds: confusing and kind of scary.
Knowing that the victory has already been won: priceless.
What experience have you found to be priceless lately?
What was the highlight of your weekend?
For the first time…I was successfully April Fooled.
(Jessi and I clearly have a very loving relationship, ha.)
For the first time…I realized my Seamless habit may not be as glamorous as I once thought. My meals may be delicious (and even healthy), but my bank account hates me.
For the first time…I learned that I may not be allergic to all action/suspense movies like I once thought. Olympus Has Fallen…great/crazy movie.
For the first time…I got a high score on an arcade game (or on anything, for that matter). If you look closely, though, someone is about to enter my winning name as “butt.” Real mature 
For the first time…I ate oysters. I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to enjoy something oh so good.
For the first time ever…I’m going to LA! I booked my flights last night for a visit later this month. This Northeast girl has never been to California, so I can’t wait
What’s the last thing you did for the first time?
Seen any good movies lately?
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