I thought I’d change some things up on the blog this week! I’m not doing a guide to NYC, just sharing moments from my birthday trip to NYC with my girlfriends in early January!
On my birthday in October, Sarah Facetimed in and she, Rachel and TJ gave me the option of going to NYC for my birthday or gifting some cash to help me buy a couch for my apartment (I was still on the hunt for one at the time).
Since I hadn’t been to New York in almost a decade, I accepted their generous gift to the Big Apple. I was so glad I did!
I didn’t capture a whole ton of pictures like I normally do because I wanted to be in the moment more, so consider this a flashback Friday with some of the pictures I did take!
It snowed on our first day in NYC! We were coming up from the train station and walked out in front of Madison Square Garden to tons of flurries. I loved every second of the snow and cold weather!
We went to Trademark Taste + Grind based off of Yelp reviews Sarah looked up for dinner. The Brussels sprout app was so amazing (and I dislike Brussels sprouts) and there may or may not have been a video of Rachel singing to music playing in the restaurant (she sang to all of them actually, ha)!
It was pretty cold, but nothing would’ve stopped this fashionista from exploring Bryant Park! Sarah was so sweet to pick up some hot cider for us as we explored!
Our first night in NYC was so cold that I felt like my face was frozen. I couldn’t even stop smiling it was so cold. So this is me trying to feel my cheeks in Times Square, haha!
Bryant Park is SO beautiful during the evening. I can’t imagine the views the patrons were seeing from inside the gorgeous restaurant behind me!
Since we didn’t have a timeframe to be anywhere it was nice to enjoy people watching in Times Square.
The next day, we woke up, grabbed some Starbucks and headed out on a mission: to find Bergdorf Goodman and Ladurée.
Found it! And let me tell you, what a BEAUTIFUL store! We were so sad we didn’t get to visit every department since Ladurée was still on the agenda. We browsed handbags and shopped in cosmetics. I did pick up this makeup set!
It was such a pleasure to meet Anat in fragrances. She is incredibly knowledgeable about Clive Christian fragrances (which smells SO good!) and is so friendly. I learned so much about the brand from her. I plan on buying from her via long distance in the future!
Thar she is! It was so fun to walk down 5th Ave on the hunt for macarons. The fashion lover in me drooled. A lot.
I picked up some macarons for the trip home along with some tea for myself and my mom.
It was so nice to slow down on the walk back and enjoy the gorgeous architecture. Look at the details on this building!
Stopped for a sister selfie in Central Park! Doesn’t Sarah look beautiful? A sales associate at the Bobbi Brown counter did such a great job on her mini makeover! Look at Rachie and her hat! SO cute!
After our mission, we headed to eat lunch at Black Tap from a sweet friend’s recommendation (thanks, Vicky!), but even at 10:30/11:00am, the line was extremely long. We walked down the street and ate at McGee’s Pub. The funny part is that we didn’t even realize it was the very bar from the show How I Met Your Mother until we sat down, ha! By the way, my chicken pot pie was ah-mazing!
We also went hunting for Neiman Marcus Hudson Yards! NM Hudson Yards is to open in 2019 and it’s a MASSIVE store!
The final evening in NYC was gorgeous. Madison Square Garden glowed with Mother Nature’s golden hour filter. We got this glimpse on our way back to New Jersey.
On Monday, we picked up coffee and headed out to the Franklin Institute in Philly to channel our inner kids by seeing the Jurassic World: The Exhibition.
It was so timely because a video of Martin Luther King Jr.’s I Have A Dream Speech was playing on the walls as we walked in for MLK Day!
I could not not take a picture in front of this beautiful mural!
THE most beautiful Anthropologie store I’ve ever stepped foot in was in Philly right across the street from a beautiful park. I mean, look at these neutrals! ::insert heart-eyed emoji here::
You can find some of these dresses on my shop page.
We ended the trip with a quiet evening walk in Rittenhouse Square (park right across from Anthro) and a short walk to Sephora so I could pick up this liquid eyeliner before Sarah took us to the airport.
It was so great to be back in the NYC/Philly area after being MIA for a decade. The crazy part is that I didn’t feel like I was visiting. I felt so at home for some reason. It was so nice to just take a non-work, non-business related trip and enjoy spending time with my girls!
Sidenote, not that my looks were different on the outside, but I wanted to link them below in case you wanted to see what I wore underneath!
Happy Fri-yay!
First look – Thermal top (sold out, similar thermal top) | Coat (old, similar packable down coat, short down coat) | Leggings | OTK Boots | Pom Hat
Second Look – Turtleneck (under $35! Brighter colors currently on sale for under $20!) | Coat (old, similar quilted coat, neutral down coat) | Skinny Jeans | OTK Boots | Pom Hat
Third Look – Striped Tee | Coat (old) | Faux Leather Panel Leggings (no longer available; LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these moto leggings) | OTK Boots | Pom Hat
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