Near the end of January, FriendBoy and I took a trip to the Philippines for a friend’s wedding and a much-needed respite from the cold weather.

Snacks On a Plane. Sorry, I couldn’t resist.

After a looong trip from Cincinnati (including a “hidden” re-fueling stop in Japan), we landed in Manila a full day and a half after we left. Thanks, International Date Line.

We met up with the two other couples on the trip and spent the day in Manila eating and shopping for wedding barongs for the guys at a  western-style shopping center (where I reluctantly avoided both Topshop and Zara).

Me and the groom asleep on the balcony

The next day, we hopped on a plane to Marinduque and got settled into the Beach House at Chateau du Mer (shout-out to Uncle Dave!). The ocean was maybe 30 yards from the house, which made for heavenly sleeping conditions on the balcony.

I geeked out over the colored stones on the beach (purple! red! green!), vowed  to reestablish the rock collection I started in 4th grade, and couldn’t resist taking pictures of the spectacular sunset.

One day we visited Poctoy Beach, where we feasted on the biggest grilled fish I’ve ever seen and were promptly joined by the local group of chickens and dogs. Chickens and dogs hang out everywhere on Marinduque, but this pup had a severely injured paw and I wanted to help him so badly.

We watched the fisherman head out on their boats in the evening, visited churches and volcanoes, attracted the attention of a group of school children (white people and black people? They had to check us out), admired some typography, tried to figure out how rice is harvested, ate some more, and contemplated the public transportation options.

I may or may not have eaten too many turon, sliced plantains wrapped in lumpia wrappers, then deep fried. These had a slice of jackfruit inside, too–YUM.

It was my first time in Asia, and thanks to the hospitality of our hosts, we had a fantastic time.

It was 22 degrees when we got back to Cincinnati. ‘Nuff said.

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So, I returned from New York earrrrrly yesterday morning after a pretty fabulous trip. Here’s how it went down:

Getting there

I have a very complex packing method, which is to say that my technique involves throwing a bunch of stuff I think I might want to wear on the bed and trying to create outfits out of the jumble. This is a very slow, complicated operation that usually lasts for about 45 minutes before I say “Aw, screw it!” and throw everything haphazardly in the suitcase.

I made it to the airport with one goal in mind. Well, two goals–obviously, I didn’t want to miss my plane, but the most important, most pressing objective?

Truly the best thing about the airport.

I’ve never tried to take pictures from the plane before, but the idea of capturing the city from a superior point-of-view was just too appealing to pass up.

Concrete jungle where dreams are made offff…

IFBCon

I made it to all four sessions of the IFB Evolving Influence Conference, but not before getting lost trying to find the venue. Even though it was only 10 blocks from my hotel. Apparently, the Hudson is too hip for outside signage because that makes it too easy for people to, you know, find it. You just have to be in the know.

All of the conference’s speakers, from the creators of Bloglovin’ and Lookbook.nu to well-known bloggers like Susie and Rumi, had a lot of insight to offer, and it was very interesting getting a peek into what goes into creating a popular site. The biggest takeaway for me was that there is no big-time blogger formula. Some people plan, some people are spontaneous, everybody works hard, and no one seems to know why or how their readership grows. Go figure.

Bryanboy

I didn’t recognize as many people as I thought I would (it didn’t help that it was very dark inside the hotel, which also made it difficult to take pictures), but I did meet lots of funny, lovely, fashionable bloggers whose sites I can now obsessively visit.

June and Fajr

By the time the after party started, I was exhausted–but not too exhausted to hit Spot dessert bar with one of my dearest friends (hi, Neesha!). Yes, a dessert bar. Best. idea. EVER.

Between the dessert tapas, sorbets, cookies, and cupcakes, we indulged with a capital I. If I knew anything about dessert other than how to eat it, I’d totally copy this concept in Cincinnati. *hint hint* Anyone? Bueller?

#FNO

I tend to overplan on trips, so on Fashion’s Night Out, I narrowed it down to one concrete must-see: Robin Thicke.

After dinner at Chelsea Market, we headed to the Meatpacking District and arrived at the crowded Hugo Boss store just in time to see the back of Mr. Thicke’s head serenade a gaggle of women pressed against the stage before launching into “Lost Without U.” The crowd inside and outside sang along and tried to snap pictures in the dark, and I must say, Robin looked and sounded good.

We hit Moschino, Diane Von Furstenburg (where I saw DVF surrounded by an absolute mob of fans, but missed Anna Wintour’s later appearance), and Jeffrey, where I found a leather blazer that looked like the lovechild of Morpheus’ Matrix coat and Prince’s Purple Rain jacket. In other words, pure awesome.

Take the purple pill.

We made our way over to Tracy Reese’s dance party–Tracy Reese herself was dancing her arse off with the rest of the crowd in the front of the store–before heading to Soho and the LES and deciding it was time for more food.

Surprisingly enough, I didn’t buy any clothing/shoes/accessories while in NYC, though, trust me, I looked. I’m pretty sure that’s a first!

How was your weekend? Did you enjoy any shopping-related activities?

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I took a trip to New York City this past weekend to attend my good friend’s wedding. I hadn’t been to NY since–well, I don’t remember exactly, but it’s been at least 2 years. I love the city, but haven’t had the time or funds to make my regular pilgrimage, though I have been faithfully praying to the shopping gods on a regular basis.

After being “welcomed” by the rudest cab driver ever, I checked in with my friends and we got down to wedding business. I’ll spare you the details for the sake of privacy and interest, but my friend is a stylist and was surely the most all-out glamorous bride to hit NYC since Carrie Bradshaw at her non-wedding to Mr. Big. She was so beautiful I teared up a bit even though I promised myself I wouldn’t cry. I won’t show the whole look (though believe me, it was fabulous), but here are the Patricia Von Musulin lucite bracelets she wore. They looked like miniature ice sculptures–very heavy, very editorial, and all-out amazing!

It was chilly that morning, so I was glad I packed appropriately. I wound up wearing an H&M dress I purchased a few years ago (I actually wore it as a dress this time) with brown tights, boots, and my vintage Ewok vest. The forests of Endor* get cold, you know.

*Props if you’re enough of a sci-fi geek to understand that reference.

I also had waaaayyy too much fun eating at the reception brunch that followed the ceremony. Pain au chocolate and flaky french croissants? Count me in! Lovely pastel-colored cakes and cupcakes in different flavors, including pear almond, caramel opera cream, and red velvet? I’ll try ‘em all!

Man, I need to hit the gym-bo.

Yes, but did you go shopping?
Um, have we met? Is this your first time here? The answer, of course, is of course! I didn’t have much time, but my mission was clear: Hit Century 21, H&M, and Topshop.

Century 21 was a madhouse–there was an actual line to get to the women’s shoe department– and I know I threw my share of elbows once I got down to the Designer area. I found the most gorgeous pair of purple patent leather Miu Miu booties that just happened to be one size too small. I tried so hard to squeeeeze my feet into those bad boys, but it just didn’t work. I was extremely disappointed. I mean really, do you know what I could do with purple patent leather booties?

A lot, I tell you. A lot.

I intended to stop in at least one of the H&Ms in Soho, but got sidetracked by Zara, Mango, D&G, et. al. By that time, I was in one-track mind radar mode and determined to make it to Topshop, if for no other reason than to see if the NY outpost lived up to the extreme hype generated by its opening and the glorious piece of heaven that is the Oxford Street store in London.
The verdict? Meh. There was plenty to love, but the atmosphere of cameraderie and discovery that exists at the flagship location was lacking at the Broadway store.

Still, being the resourceful gal that I am, I made my way to the top-level shoe section, where I had plenty of fun reacquainting myself with much-missed brands like Office and Faith. I also managed to pick up a pair of red shoeties I had my eye on:

I consider red a neutral, so I’ll get plenty of wear out of them. Did you buy anything last weekend?

Thanks so much everyone who took the time to express sympathy about my cat. It sounds corny, but your comments really make a difference.

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I don’t know about everyone else, but I firmly believe that anything I eat outside of  a 30-mile radius of my home contains zero fat and no calories.  Fried foods, cotton candy, sugary baked goods–no matter what it is, it will not contribute to weight gain because I’m not eating it at home. It’s scientific, trust me.

I’ve actually been pretty “good” while here in DC, but last night we went to Georgia Brown’s and, welllll…let’s just say there was cornbread. That was all it took to open the floodgates, and a good hour of shoveling food down my throat ensued:

I ate so much that my stomach started cramping when I walked back to the hotel.  Luckily, there was a Pitango gelato shop a few blocks away. Creamy frozen treats help settle your stomach, right? Right?

To my credit, it was green tea gelato, which is practically health food in my book. They use (mostly) organic ingredients so it was okay, right? Right?

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Woo-hoo! The second issue of Style Sample Magazine will be published at www.StyleSampleMag.com tomorrow! Here’s a peek at the cover:

If you haven’t already done so, you should subscribe to get special announcements, sneaky updates, and blogging tips delivered straight to your inbox!

Meanwhile, I’m writing /typing this from a hotel lobby (thank God for free wi-fi!) in Washington, DC and marveling about how much I like this area.

Photo: Intangible Arts

Seems totally different compared to the last time I was here!

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After nearly being left behind by the bus in Shelbyville Indiana, getting lost wandering around Michigan Avenue for over an hour, dancing until my feet hurt (these shoes are NOT made for walking) and randomly running into an old friend on the street, I can honestly say that I had a great time in Chicago.

Until next time, Chi-town…

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