my thanksgiving.

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Family, food, home movies, repeat.

…in other words, this Thanksgiving was a great one.

I spent the morning relaxing, catching up on some work, and watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, of course! This newbie New Yorker may never actually see the parade in person, and I’m pretty much okay with that.

I was also a good daughter and helped my mom prepare our contribution to Thanksgiving dinner. We were on potato duty, clearly.

Later in the day we headed to my Aunt Wendy’s where my dad’s side of the family gathered to spend the evening entering into food comas, followed by laughing them off.

The older I get, the more I love Thanksgiving. I think it’s so important to spend a day completely dedicated to acknowledging the blessings we have, thanking God for them, and spending time with people we love. With that being said, what’s even more important is counting those blessings every single day of the year…

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday! And good luck to those of you braving Black Friday. I personally won’t be taking party in the insanity annual shopping day, but grab some good sales for me 😉

How did you spend Thanksgiving? Are you shopping on Black Friday?

a visit from nicole.

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Check out this babe!

That would be my college roommate and great friend Nicole, whose been paying me a visit over the past couple of days. With Thanksgiving around the corner and gorgeous weather here in the city, it’s been the perfect time for her to visit and do “New Yorky” things together.

On Monday night we got all dolled up and headed to dinner at Dos Caminos. Please note that you absolutely cannot go to Dos Caminos without getting their guacamole and salsa trio, okay?

We wanted to keep things on the lighter side since we were going out afterward, so it was Mexican chopped salads for both of us.

Then I took Nicole out for a glimpse at what a night on the town looks like. We went to PH-D, followed by Avenue. It was a good night.

Yesterday we started out by walking up to Central Park. No matter how many times I go there, the park during the fall never ceases to remind me of how smitten I am by this city!

Then we went down to Soho for some shopping, bopping, and lunch at Spring Street Natural. I got minestrone soup and a salad of roasted beets, goat cheese, and avocado.

As if we hadn’t already walked enough, we decided to head to Union Square to check out the holiday market. If you’re visiting New York over the next few weeks, you have to come here! There are a ton of great vendors – a perfect place to get Christmas gifts.

We finished out the day by going to a show at Comedy Cellar, which was the perfect way to wrap up Nicole’s visit. It’s been so great to spend time with her, and I love knowing that even though my college friends and I don’t see each other as much as we used to, we can still pick up right where we left off :)

How much do you keep in touch with your college (or high school) friends?

never too old.

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The older I get, the more I realize how much of who we were as children plays into adult life. Even though I’ve matured and learned more about life and myself, deep down there’s still that inherent “Gracie” who – for the most part – is the exact same person.

Then there are the more trivial things that don’t change much at all either. Sure, there’s the updated adult-versions of everything, but there’s no denying that the kid inside of all of us never really leaves.

…like how you’re never too old to kick off a Friday night by bowling with friends.

…or never too old to enjoy macaroni and cheese for lunch. Plus, adding spinach makes it like, totally un-childish.

You’re never too old to play dress-up with a group of girl friends. Now you just make more of an event out of it.

And you’re never too old to feel like a rebel for eating frozen yogurt on a freezing cold day. Topped with as much cookies and candy as humanly possible, of course.

You’re never too old to make fun of yourself. Period.

And last but not least, you’re never too old to still get your breath taken away by a skyline…even if you see every day.

Do you still feel like a kid inside?
If you could be any age, what would it be? (I personally love where I’m at right now – 25!)

10 creative thanksgiving recipes, via pinterest.

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I’ve been on Pinterest for a while now, but not until recently have I become obsessed with it.
OBSESSED, I tell you.

Lately I haven’t had as much time as I’d like to experiment with trying new recipes (as I’ve mentioned recently, I’ve pretty much been living on frozen meals), but I have had the time to sneak over to Pinterest and swoon over the amazing Thanksgiving recipe ideas that people come up with.

Although I can’t 100% vouch for any of these, I can say that they look incredible, and worth checking out if you’re wanting to switch up your traditional Thanksgiving spread this year.

For an impressive starter: pear slices topped with cream cheese, cranberries, and pistachios.

Sweet Potato and Honey Dinner Rolls look ideal for soaking up gravy.

Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes. The ingredients are the same as your traditional mashed potatoes, but according to Jessica, the flavor is anything but.

For a pasta dish, you could swap macaroni and cheese for Sweet Potato & Caramelized Onion Stuffed Shells or Pumpkin Ravioli with Hazelnut Brown Butter Sauce and Balsamic Drizzle.

You can’t have Thanksgiving without the turkey, but who says it has to be a whole turkey? This Roasted Rosemary Orange Turkey Breast looks like a delicious alternative.

Dressing or stuffing? Stuffing or dressing? Either way, if it includes apples and sausage, it’s probably incredible.

Although it’s impossible to get sick of good old pumpkin pie, Pumpkin Dream Cake and Pumpkin Spice Truffles seem like quite the tasty new way to get your pumpkin fix.

And for the day after…Turkey Cranberry Monte Cristo.

I don’t know about you, but I just went from looking forward to Thanksgiving to counting down the minutes…

What’s your favorite Thanksgiving dish? Do you prefer the traditional foods or updated versions?

what i’m loving right now {+ lipstick tips}.

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Delicate Raymond nameplate necklace.
I randomly stumbled upon Delicate Raymond’s new Lower East Side location a couple of weeks ago, and I found the necklace I’ve been searching for for months (after my other favorite bow necklace). The necklace just happened to be on sale for 50% off! I picked it up a week later because it had to be engraved. And the best part? Now no one can get away with calling me “Tracey” or “Stacey” anymore 😉

Hugrz boot wraps.
Anyone that knows me knows that from late October until the first signs of spring, I pretty much live in boots. Although I’ve accumulated quite the collection over the years, Hugrz is a great way to switch up my favorite boot styles even more. They were kind enough to send me a pair of their Flame Knit boot wraps. How cute and cozy are these?

colorful meals.
When I’m not eating a frozen meal (what?? I love them) I like to get a bit “artistic “with my meals. Supposedly we eat with our eyes first…not to mention more colors usually means more fruits and vegetables. Take yesterday’s breakfast, which was quite the beauty if you ask me. Eggs with spinach and cheese, a blackberry jam-topped English muffin, and sweet potatoes with some ketchup.

bold lips.
I’ve always had a love for bold lip colors, but up until recently I’ve never mustered up the courage to actually rock them myself. Slowly but surely, though, I’ve taken the leap (much thanks to Pinterest inspiration, actually).

Some of my tips for wearing bolder lips:

1) Take your eye makeup down a notch so the attention is on your great lip color rather than looking like you’re wearing too much makeup.

2) Instead of applying a thick layer of lipstick, apply it lightly then blend in with a clear chap stick. Bring the chap stick with you to maintain an even shade throughout the day/night.

3) Make sure the lip shade compliments the colors of your outfit. I tend to prefer a bold lip color when I’m wearing a less-than-bold outfit to avoid the “way too much going on” look.

What’s your favorite lip color? What else are you loving right now?