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my wanderlust wish list.

28 February, 2014 by Gracie 20 Comments

During these first few months of the new year, I always find my desire to travel stronger than ever. I don’t know if it’s because of the cold weather or living vicariously through my travel Pinterest board, but I could daydream all day long about these destinations!

Until I can save up enough, though, daydreaming and planning for “one day” is what I’ll be doing. Here are a few of the top places on my wanderlust wish list, along with some fun highlights about them.

Croatia

I’ve always been intrigued by Croatia – it seems like such a beautiful hidden gem with beautiful scenery, but also interesting historic sights. It’s also easier than ever to get to countries like Croatia thanks to travel companies such as Thomas Cook or First Choice. I did a bit more research on what traveling to Croatia would look like, and it seems the two main destinations are Cavat and Dubrovnik.

Cavat is a sleepy seaside village set behind a string of pebbly beaches. On the history front, there’s a Medieval town centre and a cluster of Roman ruins to explore, and for active types, there are some lovely walking trails leading up into the hills that back the town.

Dubrovnik – just up the road from Cavtat is one of Croatia’s big hitters – Dubrovnik. Its cobbled lanes, turreted buildings and Medieval architecture have earned it the nickname ‘the Pearl of the Adriatic’. There’s loads to see, from monasteries to plush palaces. When you’ve worn out your guidebook, pull up a chair at an al fresco café and keep your eyes peeled for an A-lister – the likes of Beyonce, Ralph Fiennes and Eva Longoria have been spotted here (source).

Highlights:

1) Explore Dubrovnik. A walking tour of the Old Town brings you an impressive line-up of sights. It’s packed to its stone rafters with Baroque churches, Venetian houses and ornate palaces. Not to mention designer shops and homey restaurants, splashing fountains and bell towers. Top billing, though, has to go to the chunky walls and battlements that surround the city. Places don’t come much prettier than this!

2) Cavtat Summer Festival. Enjoy hearing local folk musicians? Or watching magicians and jugglers at work? The Cavtat Summer Festival lays on a top programme of events, right by the waterfront – one night it might be a classical music show, another a dance troupe. And the best thing of all? It’s all completely free.

3) See Wildlife on Lokrum Island. Jump on a boat from Dubrovnik’s old harbour and you’ll be on this island nature reserve in 5 minutes. There are loads of pebbly beaches skirting its edges, with high rocks where brave swimmers can jump into the sea. Inland, meanwhile, you can spot sub-tropical plants and luminous plumed birds in the botanical garden.

Oh, and don’t even get me started on how much I want to do Yacht Week here…

Morocco

Cheesy confession – I’ve wanted to visit Morocco ever since seeing Casablanca as a kid. It just seems like such a mysterious and enchanting place. The main cities to visit seem to be Marrakech, Agadir, and Essaouira.

Highlights:

1) Travel back in time in Taroudant. Stepping into this walled market town in the middle of the Souss Valley is like taking a ride in Dr Who’s time-travelling Tardis. Taroudant is just like a Berber town of old, with stalls at the weekly market weighed down with spices, and a ramshackle souk filled with jewellery and carpets. Plus, it’s easy to get here – it’s about an hour’s drive from Agadir.

2) Experience the madness of Marrakech. Three hours’ drive from Agadir is Morocco’s most exciting city, Marrakech. Its showpiece is Jemaa el-Fna, the main square where you’ll cross paths with acrobats, fire-swallowers and soothsayers. Other biggies include the Koutoubia Mosque’s soaring minaret, the Saadian Tombs’ mosaics, and the late Yves Saint Laurent’s Majorelle Gardens.

Greece

Let’s be real – who doesn’t want to visit Greece? Everything about it just screams romance and beauty.

Highlights:

1) Experience Crete. Greece is all about blue-domed churches, bougainvillea-splashed villages and endless rounds of mezes. And nowhere does it better than the biggest of the Greek Islands, Crete. As well as miles of great beaches in places like the Chania area, this island is home to the kind of ancient sites you’ll want to write home about. We’re talking the ruins of the Minoan Palace of Knossos near Heraklion, and the Venetian fortresses in Rethymnon.

2) Go island-hopping on Kalymnos and Pserimos. These two islands, set just to the north of Kos, are great for day-tripping. On Kalymnos, there’s a fortress built by those castle-constructors extraordinaire, the Knights of St John. And no visit here is complete without a nose around the factory dedicated to the island’s star buy, sponges. Little Pserimos, meanwhile, does a mean line in sleepy harbours and quiet beaches.

Aruba

My aunt who travels a lot always raves about Aruba as being one of the most beautiful and relaxing tropical destinations. Considering I live in one of the busiest cities in the world, and it being winter, Aruba sounds just about perfect right now.

Highlights:

1) Snorkel at Rodger’s Beach. Swing around the peninsula to the west of Baby Beach in Seroe Colorado, and you’ll come across this sandy number. Rodger’s Beach is really popular with locals, and you’ll often see them playing football or having a picnic on the sand. There’s also a hut where you can rent snorkelling equipment.

2) Visit Arikok National Park. Aruba’s interior is the cherry on top of the island’s cake. The walking trails in Arikok National park will introduce you to shoulder-high cacti, skittish iguanas, and two species of bird that can’t be found anywhere else in the world.

Thailand

My best friend Jessi has been to Thailand and always says how much she loved it (especially the food!). I definitely want to experience the Asian culture one day, and Thailand seems especially fascinating.

Highlights:

1) Escape to Ko Kret. Ko Kret is the calm after Bangkok’s storm. Just 20 kilometres north of the capital, this river island is the centre of the Mon culture. The locals still live in stilted riverside houses and they make their living from making a type of earthenware pottery called kwan aman. Bangkok locals tent to head here on weekends to sip herbal tea on the pier and ride bikes through the bamboo-spiked countryside.

2) Visit Bangkok. Thailand’s fast-paced capital city is well worth a visit during your stay in the country – it’s an insane mix of holy shrines and crazy nightlife, with shopping and street food crammed in between.

3) Visit Phuket. Just off Thailand’s southwest coast, Phuket serves up beaches of every kind and has world-class diving conditions. Whether you like your stretches of sand palm-fringed and people-free, or packed with partygoers, you can take your pick here.

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Disclosure: please note that I was compensated for this post. The information about these destinations was gathered from First Choice.

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What are some of the top places on your wanderlust wish list?

happy hour with WerYoo.

13 February, 2014 by Gracie Leave a Comment

If you couldn’t already tell from my blog and social media outlets, I love sharing things with other people. Lucky for me, there are so many apps now that allow you to connect with people in so many different ways!

So when I was offered to give WerYoo a try, I was more than happy to.

WerYoo is a fun new app that connects people and pictures using locations. I liken it a bit to Instagram meets FourSquare. The features I like most about WerYoo are the photo editing options, and also that you can find people/photos in your location in real time. Pretty cool! You can download WerYoo here.

I used WerYoo to capture a recent happy hour with my girl friends. Earlier in the week we enjoyed food and drinks at Flatiron Hall – a great new beer hall and brew pub in the Flatiron District.

Please note I was compensated to cover our food/drink and try out the WerYoo app, but opinions herein are my own.

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What’s your favorite app? Find any good new ones lately?

{endless love} valentine’s day playlist.

8 February, 2014 by Gracie 7 Comments

This post is sponsored by Universal Pictures.

With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, the gloom of winter is starting to be overcome by all things cute, heart-shaped, and romantic.

Even on the years that I haven’t had a special someone to share the holiday with, I’ve always enjoyed Valentine’s Day because of how much it celebrates my favorite thing – LOVE!

One of my favorite things to do on or around Valentine’s Day (or any time of the year, for that matter) is go to the movies with my guy or my girl friends. And this year, a new love story is coming out at the perfect time.

ENDLESS LOVE will be released on February 14th – Valentine’s Day. The film stars Alex Pettyfer (Magic Mike) and Gabriella Wilde (The Three Musketeers) in the story of a privileged girl and a charismatic boy whose instant desire sparks a love affair made only more reckless by parents trying to keep them apart. Check out the trailer:

I’m a sucker for a good love story, so I can’t wait to see Endless Love. In the meantime, though, I got some of my girl friends so share their favorite love songs for a fun little Valentine’s Day Playlist to get you in that romantic spirit before February 14th.

Endless Love Valentine’s Day Playlist

Visit all of the #EndlessLove websites:

Visit the official website
Like Endless Love on Facebook
Follow on Twitter and Instagram

Please note that I have been compensated for this post.

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What’s your favorite love song?

3 thoughtful {personalized} gift ideas.

4 February, 2014 by Gracie 7 Comments

Even though the holidays are over, I’m constantly thinking of thoughtful and unique ways to give gifts to my loved ones. I have a handful of birthdays coming up, and I’m sick of getting the same old gifts for everyone!

Here are a couple of fun gift ideas that are unique, thoughtful, can be personalized, and also won’t break the bank.

1. for your best friend - a personalized journal.

This is something Jessi actually got me a few years ago, and it made me feel so special. I know I’ll have that journal forever, so went from being a great gift to something that will hold memories.

There are a handful of website that make custom journals, but I especially love the options Minted.com has.

2. for your family - professional photographs.

Especially if you’re a 20-something like me who no longer lives at home – you probably know how much your parents and grandparents ask for photos of you.

It can seem a little conceited to send someone a photo of yourself as a gift, but it really will mean a lot to your family who misses you! There are some really affordable photo studios (and here are even more photo coupons), so even one great photo with a pretty frame can be really meaningful.

Wherever you may be in life – starting a new job, engaged, pregnant – capture the moment for your family members to feel like they’re a part of it.

3. for anyone – a custom phone cover.

I did a review of RuMe custom iPhone covers last year, and I still use mine today. Our phones have become our number one accessory, so why not surprise someone with a phone cover that is uniquely theirs?

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How do you come up with gift ideas? What’s your go-to gift for loved ones?

fairytale in new york.

3 January, 2014 by Gracie 4 Comments

It has been said before, and will be said again, that living in New York can often feel like living in a film. As being in Paris can be like wandering through the pages of a romantic novel, so in the City that Never Sleeps, under the skyscrapers and amongst the steam and yellow cabs, sometimes it can be a struggle to view it all as real.

Never is this more true than during the holidays when the city is imbued with a glistening and magical quality. Each street corner and view from the cab window is like a scene from a festive classic of the Silver Screen, whether it be the traditional It’s A Wonderful Life or the cheeky Elf. Passing the fabulous shop window displays of Barneys or Macy’s you may think you see Kris Kringle being arrested as in Miracle on 34th Street, or Kevin McCallister with bobble-hat and backpack, running through the icy streets.

Home Alone: Lost in New York is perhaps one of the most iconic Christmas / New York collaborations. When arriving into the city by plane, it is tempting to forego the yellow cab – and with the White Christmas settling in no-one will blame you for not hanging around in the queue – and instead jump into a chauffeured limousine, presenting the best view of the majestic skyline as you glide into the city. (In true Kevin McCalister style, it is recommended that you order your very own cheese pizza, put on The Grinch and then indulge yourself in a few lavish toyshops.)

If this is not your style then there is ice skating in Central Park, or perhaps a trip to see the New York City’s The Nutcracker. Failing this, it is more than enough to simply stroll through the city, savouring the smells of mulled wine with cinnamon, and roasting chestnuts from the street stalls.

But always more like a film than a pretty picture, it is still the same old city under the glistening snow. People are still staying up all night, and breaking out in brawls in the street - including this one here. Involving ten bad Santas and an elf. That’s a wrap.

5 ways to accessorize your look this winter.

16 December, 2013 by Gracie 5 Comments

It’s getting a little chilly out there, isn’t it? You’ve probably pushed aside those summer clothes, organized the fall fashion, and are getting ready to change it up with your winter look. This is always the hardest season because you’re somewhat restricted since you’re so bundled up. But, that doesn’t mean you can’t look good even when it’s freezing cold outside. Here are some great ideas and suggestions for bringing out your unique style by way of accessorizing your look during the winter time.

1. find balance and symmetry

Go for a mirrored look between the left and right. Consider purchasing double of your accessories so you can create symmetry in your fashion. Try using a color picker tool to understand complementary colors, or do some homework into color harmonies. It’s subtle, but creating symmetry and a bit of balance is extremely pleasing to the eyes (since the human mind generally looks for these types of features in nature and with people). The key with color balance is making sure not to overdo it, as it can easily become too distracting.

2. go old school

Do it up like Macklemore and head on down to the thrift shop. You can find a ton of accessories for great prices – not to mention that vintage pieces are always “in.” Plus you don’t have to worry that you’re going to match every other girl when you’re out and about. You could probably even piece together a whole wardrobe for less than what you’d spend on a few pair of jeans at the mall. Going old school will definitely have you looking unique and keep that hard earned money in your purse.

3. show some color

Switch out those tired earrings for something new and colorful. Try matching your fashion choices with colored diamond earrings (hint, hint, a great Christmas gift) or mixing it up with a combination of antique and modern jewelry. Better yet – why not change up your hair color to match these accessories? It’s the winter and it’s almost New Year’s. Why not go ahead and start a new trend before the year begins? I’ve actually been considering a hair color change recently, but we’ll see…

4. find a love for scarves

There’s no denying that scarves are probably the fashion accessory when you’re all bundled up in a coat. Not only is a scarf practical, but it can be quite fashionable if you take some time to learn all the different ways to wear them. I’d suggest picking up a few different scarfs in various colors, and try out some of the different ways to wear them. And if you’re feeling DIY, maybe even pick up knitting and make one on your own – it’s a great way to pass the time when you’re snowed in.

5. bear it out

Hot blooded and able to stand the cold? Why not go against the grain and wear some of your summer clothes during the winter time? While everyone’s wearing browns and blacks you could be rocking the bright yellows and pinks. You’ll definitely stand out, but isn’t that goal when it comes to fashion and accessories? Throw in some of your summer jewelry or mix in a scarf and see what you can come up with…as long as you’re not too cold.

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What’s your favorite way to accessorize your look during the winter?