a weekend in vegas {part 2}.

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Let’s see - where did I leave off?

Rewind to Friday evening, where Sydney and I got back to the hotel from our day at the photo shoot. We did some quick exploring of the Wynn…it is seriously such a beautiful place. Can you believe that this hot air balloon is entirely made of real flowers?!

The Wynn Las Vegas

…and we played around with the fun Vegas Snapchat filters, of course.

Then we got all dolled up for our first night out.

We started with dinner at Yellowtail at the Bellagio. I don’t say this lightly when I say that it was hands down the best sushi/Japanese meal I’ve ever had. I didn’t snap enough pictures to do it justice! But if you go there, just please (please) get the Baked Crab Hand Roll and High Steaks Roll.

Yellowtail Las Vegas

Afterward we went to XS, which was SO much fun. Kaskade was playing that night, and I’m a huge fan, so I brought the old dancing shoes out of retirement for the night 😉

Even though we were out super late, I couldn’t bring myself to sleep in on Saturday. I didn’t want to miss the day! So I headed down bright and early to save seats at the pool and grab some coffee.

Then we just hung around the pool for most of the day. We ate, drank, laid out in the sun, and just soaked in every moment of being in the sunny, warm weather.

(For breakfast we split an Acai Bowl + Duck Hash, for lunch Sydney got a steak salad and I got a lobster bacon club + fresh orange carrot juice. It was all delicious!)

On Saturday night we met up with Rachel and Steven for yet another beyond incredible meal, this time at SW Steakhouse. Steven is friends with the chef, so he ordered us a spread fit for royalty. Lots of steak, lots of sides, and lots of dessert.

SW Steakhouse Wynn Las Vegas

Our outfits de choix for the night:

We were on the fence about being out late because we had an early flight today, so we wandered around the casino for a few hours before deciding it would be a shame to “waste” our last night in Vegas. So back to XS it was 😛

After a quite indulgent weekend, a pre-flight green juice this morning was definitely on the agenda.

I was thankfully able to get some work (+ this post) done on the flight, so I’m not feeling entirely behind going into Monday, which is always nice.

Overall it was an amazing weekend from start to finish. I haven’t gotten out of New York much lately, so it was nice to escape for a few fun days.

But now…back to that daily grind 😉 Here’s to the new week!

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What’s the last (mini) vacation you took? Any getaways planned for this summer?

 

food and clothes.

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They say what a person photographs says a lot about them. So what does it say that most of what I snap photos of is food and clothes? (…and NYC + my friends, for good measure). I like to think it says I should have a blog 😉

I’m definitely that person who takes pictures of my food, and since so many of you are interested in my flexible dieting (AKA “just eating”) journey, here are some of my eats from the past week.

1) bacon cheeseburger from David Burke Kitchen (full disclosure - didn’t eat the bread. Ate about 10 fries). 2) Toasted Coconut Arctic Zero with chocolate chips and peanut butter. 3) Toast - I have toast of some sort just about every day. 4) Market veggie plate from Westville - roasted beets, fried plantains, roasted brussels sprouts, sautéed mushrooms.

5) Crispy Rice Sushi from Mercer Kitchen. 6) Whipped banana oatmeal with chocolate and peanut butter. 7) MashBar + coconut water from Hu Kitchen. 8) Burnt Ends burrito bowl from Mexicue.

I should probably clarify that I don’t dine out for every single meal, ha (although yes, I do a lot - most New Yorkers do). The meals that I eat at home are usually either toast, oatmeal, eggs, or smoothies. Since I’ve been dining out more than usual, it’s easy to just make sure to always have those staples on hand.

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On the clothes front, I must say I’m preeeeetty excited that I finally found a (non-snapback) hat that I actually like. Apparently I have an abnormally large head. LOL. Thankfully Urban Outfitters had like a zillion hats to choose from, so I landed on this one.

(Clearly a Snapchat. You can follow me @alagracie)

I’m also loving this new black & white dress from East & Lo. They were kind enough to send me a few cute pieces, and this is a perfect light dress for summer.

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If someone looked through your phone, what would they see the most photos of?

summer style swaps.

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…and just like that, the unofficial start of summer has begun. Hope you had a great Memorial Day weekend!

Over the weekend I finally went through my closet and started the old transition into my summer wardrobe. I’ve mentioned before how I’ve totally become the stereotypical New Yorker who wears all black, all the time. It’s just so…simple. And let’s be real - you just can never go wrong with an all black ensemble, right?

BUT. Now that the weather is officially warmer and summer is around the corner, I’ve been embracing the chance to switch up my normal look and go for more whites, neutrals, and even *gasp* color. That doesn’t mean I’m changing my style completely - instead I’m just finding ways to take my normal favorites and make them a tad more summer appropriate.

For example, jumpsuits are my absolute favorite thing to wear. I just think they always look super cute & girly while still being comfortable, and I find them to be flattering on my short stature.

Most of my jumpsuits are black with some sort of floral or lace detailing, but this summer I’m swapping them out for ones like this:

(Red: Zara, White: Necessary Clothing)

Red Zara Jumpsuit || girlmeetslife.com || Gracie Gordon

White Lace Detail Jumpsuit || girlmeetslife.com || Gracie Gordon

Another style staple for me is a pair of mid-height, chunky heels. Most of the year that looks like a black boot, but for the summer I’m swapping those for these Eric Michael chunky brown + wooden sandals.

Chunky Black Wooden Sandals

Anyone who knows me knows that I’m pretty much always wearing a watch. They’re one of those things I just feel naked without! Most of my watches are either gold or have a dark leather strap, but for summer I’m switching over to this light finish wood watch from JORD. How cool is this?! It’s their Cora watch in Maple & Silver.

JORD wood watch - Cora

JORD wood watch - Cora

Last but not least, I make some swaps to my normal nail colors + fragrance of choice. Most of the year my nails are a darker shade (dark reds, grays, and purples), but in the summer I like keeping my nails as light and bright as possible. Right now I’m loving the new lacquer shades from Red Carpet Manicure.

I also switch my normal fragrance to something a bit lighter. I’ve been wearing the same perfume since I was a teenager (Armani Emporio for her), but it’s a pretty rich/musky scent. So in the summer I switch to Tocca Colette. (They have a travel-sized one at Sephora, which is the perfect size to throw in my purse.)

If you couldn’t guess, my main tip for transitioning into a summer wardrobe is to keep your personal style as much as possible, and just add lighter shades and patterns to the mix. Just because it’s a new season it doesn’t mean you have to try new styles that might not necessarily be your thing or be the most flattering for you.

Some of my favorite stores for summer attire are Urban Outfitters, Zara, Top Shop, and Club Monaco. You can also see some of my favorite looks for summer on my “Style” Pinterest board 🙂

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Please note I was gifted the JORD watch but not compensated for anything in this post. All opinions herein are my own!

 

What are some of your style staples / how do you switch them up for summer?
Wood Watches by JORD

if i’m being honest.

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This was going to be another style post. And I guess it still is, sort of.

That’s mostly because…well, it’s “easy” content. Shoot some photos, say what I’m wearing, and boom there’s a blog post.

Gracie Gordon

But let’s be real - GML was never and will never be a fashion blog. I’m too dramatic/too much of a rambler to keep things that focused (ha). Not to mention I just don’t have that fashion-passion that so many (amazing) bloggers have.

So here’s that honesty part. Sometimes - a lot of times, lately - I struggle with GML. I don’t do it for the income (anymore), and I don’t fit perfectly into a niche. I love blogging about food and fitness and being silly and being serious and makeup and *takes breath* - that can get a little confusing, no?

Gracie Gordon

I also have this problem where sometimes I like to be open and transparent, and other times I desperately crave as much privacy as possible (which makes blogging + working in social media an interesting gig, to say the least).

I’ve gone through phases like this in the past, and I always get over them…so apologies if this isn’t the first tantrum you’ve seen me, have, ha!.

Gracie Gordon

I’m not quite sure where I’m going with this, other than to lean on that open/transparent side with you all. I never want to forget that my readers (you!) are actual people who have followed my journey for a while - some of you since way back in 2010 - and I never want to take that for granted. You’re truly like friends to me!

I can tell you that I’m not going anywhere, but I may just test the waters with some new things here and there. I’ve always hated when blogging started feeling more like a job, so perhaps less “official” content and more rambling is in order 😉

Gracie Gordon

On that note, I might as well still share this looksie - no?

kimono - Necessary Clothing
tank - Target
jean shorts - Top Shop
necklace - Speakable
sunglasses - Quay Australia

Photos by Sam Ruby

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p.s. For those of you who love the “day in the life” recaps, I document that stuff more regularly on Instagram (@girlmeetslife) and Snapchat (@alagracie)!

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What’s your favorite type of blog to follow (fashion, health, beauty, etc.)?

style: dress me up.

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I don’t know about you, but I’m ecstatic to start bringing my spring wardrobe out of hibernation.

Going into this spring and summer, I’m finding that I’m all about dresses. While there will always be a special place in my heart for cut-offs and tank tops, there’s something about a great dress that brings out that feminine confidence in me. Not to mention dresses make putting together outfits so much easier - all you need are the right shoes + accessories, and you’re good to go!

Here’s a look I’m loving right now for spring.

white lace dress + neon bag

Quay Australia Sunglasses

Quay Australia sunglasses

white lace dress + neon bag

Gracie Gordon

gold accessories

gold accessories

white lace dress + neon bag

The whole look:

dress - Urban Outfitters
bag - Necessary Clothing
shoes - Steve Madden
sunglasses - Quay Australia
watch - Daniel Wellington
bracelet - Forever 21
rings - Top Shop
necklace – Speakable
nail polish - Red Carpet Manicure

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How often do you wear dresses? What trends/styles are you loving for this spring?

{photos by Sam Ruby}

a {birth}day in life.

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Birthdays are always special days, but yesterday was easily one of the best days I’ve had in a long time. Last year I made the mistake of doing absolutely nothing special for my birthday (with the exception of a small dinner with my friends), so this year I made sure to pack all of my favorite things into one day.

Every Wednesday we have our 7am girls’ Community Group, which there was no way I was going to miss! So the girls and I met up at a diner for coffee and fellowship. Such a great way to start the first morning of a new year.

Afterward I headed to Le Pain Quotidien for breakfast and a little bit of work. I got the frittata special (kale, mushrooms, onions & cheddar) and an almond milk latte.

Then I headed downtown for some retail therapy. I actually didn’t do as much damage as I thought 😉 I got a kimono + neon clutch from Necessary Clothing, nude heels + some jewelry from Top Shop.

Around noon I headed to Exhale Spa in the Gansevoort hotel. A few weeks ago I got an email with a 50% birthday discount for a massage there (score), so I figured my actual birthday would be the perfect time to use it. It turned out to be thee best massage I’ve ever gotten.

Can you tell how relaxed I am in this post-massage selfie? ha.

After my massage I got my nails done, then I headed home and made myself lunch/relaxed for a few hours.

Then, it was time to get ready for the night out! I really wanted to wear something fun/colorful buuuut all black everything won again.

Then I headed to Harding’s for dinner with a handful of my closest friends. They gave us the whole back room to ourselves, which was so special! The food was incredible - Jessi and I split the lobster mac’n cheese, veal + ricotta meatballs, and a pear endive salad.

And for dessert - my mini birthday cake 😀

After dinner we all headed out to the bar area, where about 30 more of my friends joined to celebrate. I seriously couldn’t have asked for a better night.

Afterward a few of us headed to Electric Room for a bit before the 7am wakeup hit me (hard) and I headed home.

Today has been pretty busy getting caught up with work + heading to PA to spend a few days with my family. I’m excited to continue the birthday celebration with them!

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How do you like spending your birthday? Do you like having a party, or keeping it more low key?