NYC Day 1

As y'all probably knew if you follow me on Instagram or Twitter, my mom and I traveled up to New York City this past weekend to celebrate my seventeenth birthday a bit early (it is actually April 14)! Ever since starting Gossip Girl for the first time my freshman year, I had been dying to head back to the city so my mom and I had such an amazing time cramming as much New York as possible into our weekend trip! I decided to do individual recaps for each day of our trip rather than including it in this week's My Chic Week as we did so much and I took so many pictures!

Our flight was scheduled for an 8 AM departure so we left for the airport around 6. My dad kindly drove my mom and I so after he dropped us off, we checked in and then when through security, which went fairly smoothly. I had Starbucks for breakfast while waiting at the gate and before we knew it we were on the plane!

Crazily enough, this was my first flight since the 6th grade so I was so excited to fly again! Due to it being a pretty windy day, our flight had a lot of turbulence, making for a very bumpy ride. After a flight that didn't seem all too long, we touched down at the airport and then grabbed a cab to take us into the city! Our first stop was to our hotel (the Marriott Courtyard Central Park) to drop off our bags before walking up to Central Park and to the Plaza Hotel for Tea at the Palm Court.

After arriving in the city, our first stop was to our hotel (the Marriott Courtyard Central Park) to drop off our bags and then we walked up to Central Park and to the Plaza Hotel for Tea at the Palm Court.

 The Empire Hotel is in the distance in the first picture...hello Chuck Bass!

Instead of having a regular lunch on Friday, we opted for tea at the Plaza Hotel, which was amazing! The Palm Court and the rest of the hotel is definitely a retreat from the hustle and bustle of the city! The basement can best be described as a glamorous food court and had a bunch of cute stores- including the adorable Eloise gift shop! I was a gigantic Eloise fan as a child (especially at age 6- "my name is Eloise and I am age six") so it was fun to walk around as I have never been inside the Plaza before! Tea was so yummy and I absolutely loved everything I tried- all of the pastries were amazing and the tea, of course, was incredible. I also adored the decor of the Plaza!

After Tea, we walked through Central Park for a little bit before walking South towards Rockefeller Plaza. Right in front of the Plaza is a Longchamp store so my mom and I decided to pop in. Since I just bought a Longchamp bag in December after Christmas, I wasn't looking to buy another Longchamp bag but it was fun to see so many different Longchamps in person!

We then walked through Rockefeller Center, which was fun to see as the last time I was there it was decorated for Christmas with the gigantic tree! The ice skating rink was still open and there was a few ice skaters on the ice. We also walked by the Today Show Studio, another fun thing to see "in person" again as the Today Show is the go-to news show in my family!

The one request my siblings had for my mom and I was to stop in the Nintendo store for them. The store itself was an interesting experience as there were quite a few interesting people in there. After picking up what my siblings wanted, I was more than ready to head to the J. Crew around the corner, which is definitely much more my speed :)

I didn't have any J. Crew's on my lists of stores to stop at during our trip but I was so glad we stopped in! The store was so big and had so many cute pieces in stock- I finally picked up the adorable pom-pom striped t-shirt!

Right near Rockefeller Plaza is a gigantic Saks Fifth Avenue and I thought it would be fun to go inside and look around. Little did I know that Saks carries a lot more super high-end designers than the Nordstrom here in Charlotte does. We first looked around downstairs, including Louis Vuitton so I could show my mom the bag that I dub as my "dream bag", before heading up to the shoe department. We were both very overwhelmed as I was expecting shoes on a Tory Burch-level cost while Saks carries practically every famous designer, such as Chanel, Chloe, Burberry, Louboutin, Miu Miu, and Ferragamo to name a few! It was certainly fun to window shop and dream even if the prices are way steeper than anything I've ever seen in a department store (I joked to my mom that their shoes made Tory Burch look like Target prices)!

The glorious shoe department

Next on our agenda was going to the top of the Empire State Building. We walked all the way down from Saks in the 75 degree heat (which I was not ready for in my riding boots and 3/4 length oxford top) so it was a relief to stand in the AC while waiting in line to reach the top. The lines weren't too bad and we finally reached the top. The views made the wait totally worth it and it was so cool to see all of Manhattan by doing a lap around the observation deck.

After the Empire State Building, we took a cab back to the hotel where we freshened up for dinner and then relaxed for a little bit after a long and fun day of sightseeing. My aunt and grandfather sent my birthday gift, which included cupcakes from Sprinkles, over to our hotel so I indulged in a Red Velvet cupcake while we relaxed :)

One of the gorgeous buildings near our hotel!

We had dinner at Patsy's, an Italian restaurant recommended to us by my grandfather, on Friday night around 5 PM and it was so delicious. I had the four-cheese ravioli and then spilt a slice of chocolate cake with my mom for dessert, it was all so good! The perfect meal after a busy day and before our show!

Since we had such an early dinner reservation and Wicked didn't begin until 8, we decided to walk back to our hotel and relax for 30 minutes, which was definitely a good move!

As we were walking from the hotel to the theater where Wicked is, my mom realized how close we were to Times Square and we decided to walk by as I have never been to Times Square. It was quite the experience to say the least. While we were there, there was a man playing a drum only in bikini-style underwear and shouting "New York City" as well as a bunch of people dressed up as Frozen characters and asking for pictures with you for tips. It was definitely interesting but my mom and I decided we had enough after a few minutes ;)

My mom and I both really wanted to see a show while in the city so after a bit of research, we decided to see Wicked! Wicked was absolutely amazing- it was hilarious, the music was great, it was just an overall fun show to attend! My mom and I joked that Galinda is a combination of Elle Woods from Legally Blonde and Regina George from Mean Girls. The show was so fun to see and I was definitely bummed when it ended!

Wicked ended around 11 PM so after walking back to the hotel from the theater, we headed straight to bed to rest up for a full day of adventures on the Upper East Side in the morning!

Stay tuned for pictures and a recap of Day 2 tomorrow!

March Favorites

I honestly cannot believe that we are already four days into April! This year has certainly flown by so far and summer will be here before we know it (fingers crossed!). I love sharing my monthly favorites with y'all so today I will be sharing March's favorites (be prepared- there's quite a few!).

Pretzels- I know this is super random but I have been on such a pretzel kick this month!

Clinique Moisture Surge- My mom got a Clinique free gift recently and she gave this to me as it is one of my favorite beauty products! Makes your skin so soft!

Tory Burch Millers- A definite warm weather favorite! So happy to have finally broken out my sandals this past month!

Nike Shorts- The weather has been warming up here in Charlotte so I have been loving wearing my norts while out and about, especially while nannying!

Lilly Pulitzer Pink Tee- Another Lunch at Lilly buy that I am loving! I really love buying Lilly pieces in their exclusive colors so that they perfectly match up with printed Lilly pieces (so it matches your printed shorts or the cardigan goes with your dress), which is a little random but #LillyLoverProblems. This tee is so cute and can be styled so many different ways (see how I styled it in this post). One thing though, it tends to run in the washing machine so be careful!

Lululemon Sports Bra- I have been in need of a few more sports bras and this Lululemon one is awesome! It has such a cute back too!

Iced Coffee- Now the weather is warming up, I have switched from hot coffee in the morning to iced! I make it at home by grabbing a tumbler cup, filling it with ice, pouring in hot coffee, and then adding creamer or milk and sugar! Yum!

Essie Mod Square- This nail polish was in my Easter basket and it just the cutest shade! The perfect shade of hot pink!

Anchor Print- I purchased this during Design Darling's anniversary sale for my room redesign (see the inspiration for the redesign here) and it is so cute! Going to look amazing as part of my gallery wall!

Lilly Pulitzer Patterned Pants- I bought these pants on a whim during Lunch at Lilly (which you can read about here) and they are the best! They are similar to palazzo pants material-wise, oh-so flattering (I sized down!), and amazingly comfortable!

Too Faced Born This Way Foundation- I have been dying to try this foundation out (I found about it from Mackenzie's blog- love her makeup and skincare recommendations) and I finally splurged on it in February (recapped in this post). I have been using it all month and love it, makes your skin look amazing!

Gingham Wedges- I bought these during the InfluenceHer Blogger Network (formally Her Campus) meetup (which you can read all about in this post!) and I am obsessed! They are so darling and I have already styled them in this post!

Immaculate Baking Fudge Brownie Cookies- These are Gluten Free but definitely amazing! All of my friends love them and I had quite a few over my trip to Florida after no sweets over Lent ;)

What have been your March Favorites? Let me know in the comments below!

My Chic Week: March 25-31

Happy Friday y'all! I am so excited for the weekend as I have a fun weekend trip with my mom planned (read to what's on my radar at the bottom of this post to see where I'm headed if you don't know already!). This past week, I have been in Florida for the first part of my Easter Break so I have quite a lot to share with y'all!

Last Friday, I had the chance to meet up with Riley of Northern Prepster. She emailed me last week as she was driving through Charlotte (my hometown) and realized that the town she was vacationing in was super close to where my grandparents live. We decided to meet up and we had such a blast! We had such a fun afternoon of shopping, lunching, and talking about blogging and I can't wait to meet up again soon (future college roomies, right Riley?).

After heading back home, I helped my mom bake some cookies before having our annual Linguini and Clam Sauce dinner (one of my grandmother's specialities). This dinner is always such a fun time and didn't disappoint!

Saturday was a big day for Easter preparation. We made our Easter Bunny Cake (a tradition in our family) and decorated the cookies I made the day before. I also painted three of my cousins's nails in addition to my own!

Dinner that night was pretty laid back- barbecue chicken out by the pool, which I can't complain about!

Sunday morning started off quite early as I got up to curl my hair and get ready for the day. My cousins, siblings, and I opened our Easter baskets before going to Easter Mass. After Mass ended, we headed home for a bit before going to brunch at my grandparents's country club. In between Mass and brunch, my brother and I shot pictures for Wednesday's Post.

As always, brunch was heavenly and left me in the most glorious food coma known to mankind! One of my favorites this year was the mini macarons, they were so yummy!

After brunch ended, I blogged and we walked down to the park in my grandparents's neighborhood before it started to rain. It was a fairly low-key afternoon, which I can't complain about of course!

Monday was our designated beach day. I slept in and had a fairly laid back morning before we headed out to the beach after lunch. I unfortunately forgot to bring my phone but I enjoyed a couple of naps on the sand and just hanging out. We also had dinner at the beach club and my uncle and I stopped at Publix (the grocery store for all of you non-Southerners) to pick up a few pints of ice cream to have for dessert!

Tuesday morning, I slept in again (a must while on Spring Break) and enjoyed my typical morning routine that I developed while in Florida of catching up on blogging, social media, and emails! My mom and I ran to the grocery store and then we all got ready to head to the beach. My mom, brother, and I went to Chick-fil-a to pick up lunch for everyone and then went to the beach. I must say that Chick-fil-a overlooking the ocean may be one of my better ideas! We only stayed for a little bit that afternoon so I sat by the pool and enjoyed reading a few magazines!

After getting back to my grandparents's house, I packed up all my stuff and just hung out. My cousins and siblings "played" Chopped, which was entertaining to say the least! We had a delicious dinner of fajitas before wrapping up the day!

Unfortunately, early Wednesday morning meant it was time to head back home! We grabbed breakfast at Starbucks before hitting the road for our 6 hour ride back. The ride wasn't too bad (not all of traffic, thank goodness) so we made it home in the early afternoon! I spent the rest of the day unpacking, working on a few school-related things, and then blogging!

On Thursday, I slept in and blogged before getting up and getting ready for the day. My mom and I ran out to Target and then we went out to lunch and to see the new Divergent movie, Allegiant, with my brother and sister. After the movie ended, I spent the afternoon packing and checking a few items off of my to-do list before our flight to NYC this morning!

On my Radar this week:

1. New York City! My mom and I are flying up to NYC today for the weekend to celebrate my 17th birthday a bit early (my actual birthday is April 14)! I am so excited, ever since watching Gossip Girl for the first time freshman year, I have been so eager to return to the city! Stay up to date on my adventures by following me on Instagram and Twitter!

2. Lilly Pulitzer' is one of my all-time favorite brands. Is this what you imagined what the Queen of Prep's grandson to look like?

3. I loved reading Annaliese's post on How to Run a Successful Blog While in College!

4. I decided that this Kate Spade chair will be in my home someday! Oh so gorgeous, if you have the budget or space for this beauty, let me live vicariously through you

5. Love this article Krista wrote about the new Instagram update!

Be sure to check out my posts from this past week!

Hop into Easter Linkup: Favorite Easter Links Roundup, Red Right Returning to Sunny Days, Spring Wishlist, Happiness Is..., Fitbit Fitness

Happy April!

Fitbit Fitness

If y'all have been following along for a while or the past few months at least (if not, welcome to Chic in Carolina! Click here to read more about me!), you know that I have been working to achieve all of the goals on my 101 in 1001 list since January. For all of you unfamiliar with the idea, you make a list of 101 various goals to achieve over the course of 1001 days (roughly 2.5 years). Mackenzie Horan, who is behind the blog Design Darling, created the challenge and it has been such a blast working to achieve all of my goals (I'm planning on doing an update for y'all in June- 6 months into my 1001 days!).

My point is? One of my goals was purchasing a Fitbit, which I did in February when my mom gifted me a Fitbit Charge after she received one as a gift at a charity event she went to (I bought my mom a Fitbit for Christmas, so she already had one!). I have worn it almost everyday since so I thought this would be the perfect time to share with y'all the inside scoop behind my Fitbit!

Steps

The most "famous" of the Fitbit's features so obviously it's one of the most notable parts of the device. The basic goal is 10,000 steps and you should strive to reach that goal everyday. Do I reach 10,000 every single day? Nope! But the Fibit certainly encourages you to get up and get some of your steps in, which I find very motivating to be more active in my everyday life! Tip- Don't wear your Fitbit on a day when you're traveling my car as you barely get any steps all day!

The App

Fitbit has an app that syncs up to your Fitbit. I'm obsessed! There's so many things that you can alter to fit you and your lifestyle and it's kind of fun just to play with it!

When to Charge

Like other electronic devices, your Fitbit needs time to charge every so often! I have found that the most convenient time to charge my Fitbit is while I am in the shower as Fitbits are water-resistant (fine with hand washing and occasional splashing) but not water-proof (aka no showering or swimming with it on!) and you're not getting a lot of steps in the shower!

Food Tracking

On the app, you can set a calorie goal for yourself and then record exactly what you eat in a day. Obviously, this can become a bit obsessive and unhealthy but I like how it makes you really what you're eating and how much of it you're eating each day! I give myself the "day off" on holidays or vacations because obviously I don't want to know how many calories I consumed!

Water Tracking

Another feature on the app that I love is the water tracking. I have been trying to drink more water lately and this is the perfect way to encourage and motivate yourself to drink more water! I also like how you can customize the size of the cup you're drinking and that you can set water goals (mine is half my weight in mL).

Sleep Tracking

This may be my favorite feature! Simply wear your Fitbit to bed and it will track how long you sleep, how many times you're restless throughout the night, and if you're awake during the night! I think it is so cool to see what my sleep really looks like and you can also set sleep goals for yourself as well (mine is 8 hours of sleep a night!).

Built in Alarm

To me, nothing is worse on a weekday morning than to be woken up by a harsh alarm. The Fitbit Charge actually has built-in-alarms that you can set up on your phone to wake you up (or quietly warn you of other alarms throughout the day) with a vibration. It's not the most pleasant feeling in the world but is way better than the traditional alarm clock! Just be sure to double check that you're setting it to go off in the AM not in the PM ;)

Do you have a Fitbit? If so, do you love it? Let me know in the comments!

Happiness Is...

To me, nothing screams Easter more than a brightly printed Lilly Pulitzer shift. I have worn a Lilly dress every year since falling in love with the brand around my freshman year of high school (see last year's outfit in this post) so it was no question on what dress to pick! Easter is one of my favorite days of the year, if not my favorite. I mean who doesn't love brunch, time with family, and cute spring dresses? I will be sharing my exact plans + more pictures on Friday but in the meantime, be sure to read this post recaping Easter last year!

This outfit was perfect for the big day and is probably one of my favorite Lilly styles (I tried it on in another print as seen in this post). It is so flattering and fun, would be perfect for an array of springtime occasions!

Dress: Lilly Pulitzer Wedges: Jack Rogers Watch: Kate Spade Bracelets: David Yurman (similar) Purse: Longchamp

What did y'all wear for Easter? Let me know in the comments!

Spring Wishlist

We're fully into spring and I could not be more excited! Winter always seems like the longest season for me and I cannot wait for long, warm spring and summer days ahead (just around the corner, yay!). My wishlist is a combination of fun, bright pieces to welcome back spring and items for my room redesign (which is just about to be completed!). Hopefully, I'll be able to splurge on a few of these items before we're officially into summer (if my family is reading this- these would make perfect birthday gifts ;) as my birthday is in a few short weeks).

Southern Charm Shift- I think I will definitely be picking this up during my trip to NYC this weekend (eek!). It's so cute, Southern Charm is one of my favorite prints, and I have so many events this spring that I could wear it to!

Acrylic Letter Sorter- I've been trying to wrap up my room design (I only have my gallery wall and decorative accents left to do) and I love this letter sorter to hold notebooks and to-do lists on my desk!

Striped T-Shirt with Pom-Poms- I've seen this top so many times on Instagram (while you're at it, follow me here) and it's so precious!

Evelyn Henson "Be an Adventurer No. 4" print- I think this print is so fun and would be perfect for my gallery wall! I think it totally looks like the Lilly Pulitzer jeep!

Paris Street Style Coloring Book- Adult coloring books have been really big this year and this one looks so cute!

Tory Burch Tote- Ahh, so so gorgeous!

Monogrammed Travel Duffel- I have a lot of travel coming up and this bag is perfect not to mention timeless! I asked my Twitter followers to choose this and another bag, so be sure to follow along here to be fully updated!

Kate Spade Scalloped Flats- All I have to say about these flats: totally swoon worthy!

Kate Spade Striped Tee- This top is absolute perfection- I can totally seen in paired with jeans and flats (perhaps the scalloped flats?) for cooler spring days and then moved into white chinos with jacks for the summertime!

Kendra Scott Rayne Necklace- I got the magenta version for Christmas (see everything I got for Christmas in this video) and have gotten so much use out of it!

Jack Rogers- My go-to Jack Rogers have definitely seen better days so I've been looking to splurge on a new pair! How gorgeous are these?

The Perfectly Imperfect Home- I've been in love with coffee table books for my room and this one may be one of the cutest (see more fun coffee table books in this blog post)

Hunter Rain Boots (on sale!)- My mom bought the classic black Hunters after Christmas and I've been obsessed ever since. I love the hot pink color plus they're on sale!

Target Storage Ottoman- Another piece for my room, haha! I've been wanting a ottoman-style bench for the foot of my bed and I think this is the perfect (budget-friendly) option! I also love this one from Wayfair that is also at a great price!

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream Intense Hydration- I first saw this product on Dorothy's blog and it's been on my wishlist ever since! My skin has been so dry lately so this may be the perfect product!

What's on your spring wishlist? Let me know in the comments!