hello color...

This picture makes me smile. Maybe it's the cosmo, maybe it's her awesome curls, or maybe (probably...) it's the awesome bright colors. They're definitely more spring than fall, but I think that's pretty fitting, as we're in the complete midst of an Indian summer here in NYC. To take a break, I headed back to Long Island for a few days of R & R.

Have a great weekend. :-)

A Material World

There's only so much hip shaking I can handle to the dance floor beats of Usher, Justin and Drake, but play me some Madonna, and I'll break it down for days. Last night brought the Material Girl's title jam back into my life, while SA and I befriended the entire basement of Bowery Electric. It was a weekend filled with new friends and new venues--but minimal sleep!

Now, honestly... while I do love me some GaGa, do you honestly think that meat dress-wearing monster will ever be able to replace Madge herself?! I think not.

A Cool Wall

The unbelievably fabulous fall I hoped I'd have is still underway! Friday marked Fashion's Night Out, so I joined every other girl on the island of Manhattan in SoHo, after a little appetizer and gossip with some Stonehill friends at LR's Gramercy studio. Celebrity sightings were minimal, but we did see Jenna Lyons, the creative genius behind J.Crew. Slight swoons on all our parts followed.

Saturday, at the Standard Beer Garden, I bid farewell to my dear BT, who is skipping from NYC to Boston for a new job in higher education. I'm sad to see her go, but excited for the big things she has in store. From there, partner in crime CM and I had a little fashion shoot in the Meatpacking District, before joining BL at Public House to cheer on the Fighting Irish. Sad loss, but a fun time!

Here are some pictures from our photo session. Isn't this wall great?! I was decked in red, white and blue in honor of September 11th. Have a great week, and God Bless NYC!

Giving Back

As a proud Stonehill grad, I have high hopes of donating enough for the institution to warrant naming a building after me (and obviously painting it pink, too). And who knows! After Thursday's "Budgeting Bombshell" post, maybe that'll be a reality pretty soon! In the time being, though, I've taken to a more wallet-conscious way of giving back to my alma mater: I'm their resident alumni blogger! Read if you wish... :-)

Happy Weekend!

Budgeting Bombshell

You know what the biggest and chicest and most freaking fabulous trend this fall is? $aving--with a capital $! You see, I was lucky to start my job just a hop, skip and six days after getting my diploma, so I went on a bit of a spending spree for the summer months. And while I love, love, love my new goodies (a few NARS lipsticks here, a little Marc Jacobs black dress there...), September marks the month in which I plan to add some serious padding to my savings.

In doing so, I budgeted out the amount of moolah I can shell out to various categories, so I'm extra mindful of not throwing away my precious bucks where it's not necessary. I've been doing great so far, so I thought I'd share my top tips to becoming rich. HA. (Some day!)

1. Bring lunch. It's a no brainer! Those salad bar concoctions from the office cafeteria add up quickly. Now, when I cook dinner, I purposely make an extra-large portion so I can pack up the leftovers for my mid-day meal. I'm still a lady who lunches... but I wear an especially recession-savvy hat now.

2. Say no to drinks. Water is better for you anyways! Nixing Starbucks and vending machine purchases takes some getting used to, but in the end, you'll thank me. And when it comes to those of the boozey variety, bid buh-bye to those extra dirty martinis you adore quite possibly too much... at least it you're anything like me! Find a bar with a never ending happy hour instead.

3. Get a hobby. Taking a cue from Bethenny's infamous line from this season's Real Housewives of NYC, find a hobby that does not involve shopping online, shopping in a mall, shopping in SoHo (God help us). Read a [library] book in the park and take advantage of this precious fall breeze. Call an old pal and rekindle an old bond. You'll think of something!

4. Organic... schmorganic. Gimme a break. A veggie is a veggie is a veggie. If you live near a small market, buy your produce there. The markets in my dear Queens sell yellow peppers for $.59 a pound. Know how much they are at Trader Joe's? $3.99. No brainer, yet again.

5. And finally, don't feel compelled to keep up with those around you! Money talk is never fun, so always be confident to live, ever so fabulously, within your means!

Jammin. Just Jammin

Here are ten songs--new, old and ancient--that have me tapping my foot at the moment:

1. Animal by Neon Trees. (Reminds me of driving around on Long Island this Labor Day Weekend with AC and ML, just like old times, when driving around on Long Island was not just an "en route" type of thing but something we did for literal amusement on Friday nights. We got cool later in life.)

2. Losing my Religion by REM. (It was my text message ring tone during the first semester my freshman year of college. Oh college... Oh how I miss thee.)

3. Age Six Racer by Dashboard Confessional. (We discussed this yesterday, but in summary, it's the quintessential "goodbye summer, hello there fall" tune.)

4. All I Do is Win by DJ Khalad. (Not exactly the case, but a gal can dream! And, I may or may not have jumped on my bed to this while forcing myself into "going out" mode while primping this weekend.)

5. Money Can't Buy You Class by Countess LuAnn (Just kidding... kind of. Though I do enjoy quoting the divorcee housewife's hit.)

6. Twist and Shout by the Beatles. (Reminds me of senior year of high school, where Daddy-o and I literally owned the dance floor at the father-daughter dance. No one spins like him! He rocks.)

7. Swag Surfin' by Lil Wayne. (The first rap song I learned all the words to. Not that that's something I aspire to per se, but come on! I feel accomplished.)

8. Two Princes by the Spin Doctors. (The only song to pose any fraction of competition to the Piano Man's title hit as the most played song in my iTunes, this '90s classic epitomizes why the decade of Full House and stirrup pants cannot be touched in terms of music.)

9. Every Rose Has its Thorn by Poison. (Speaking of, WHEN is Rock of Love coming back to VH1?! Not that I need any more reality TV in my life... but few shows compare to the perfection that was Bret Michaels.)

10. Come Downstairs and Say Hello by Guster (Whatever happened to Guster? It was a tie between this, Fa Fa and Barrel of a Gun. They were good.)

So Long Sweet Summer

Aside from the tights and knits and boots (oh my!) that are about to be broken out with the recent chill in the air, my favorite thing about the end of summer is an old school Dashboard Confessional song that always got me excited to ring in the new season. I haven't listened to the band in ages, but this morning, I revisited the emo rockers for nostalgia's sake, and think I forgot how great they are! Add "Age Six Racer" to your fall playlist and enjoy!

This Labor Day weekend was my best of the summer. A complete staycation of a three-day holiday, I spent it relaxing with friends and family, making me feel totally recharged! Here's a blurry mobile moment takeaway: