March Moodboard

This month... how do I even find the words! It was SOO fulfilling, almost to the point where I was overwhelmed with how great it was. It was short, but oh so sweet. I finished my first course while starting another, attended so many eye-opening field trips, reconnected with old friends and ladies that I LOVE (shoutout to Roots + Ardor - love you girls), and worked my butt off (especially with workouts). I learned to stop saying that "I'm busy", and replace it with "it's full-on right now", because “busy” is becoming a very negative term. Things aren't happening to me, I'm making things happen. It's all about the shift in perspective, and being grateful that you get to do all of the things you do! Just embrace the hustle, it’s as simple as that.

March has a lot more in store... I’ll be finishing my first semester (omgosh already?!), wrapping up a ton of projects, making a few home updates, and heading to New York for a little weekend breather! WHOOO cannot waitttt! Concrete jungle, I am so ready to see you again. I hope you have a beautiful start to spring!

xo

Linnea

In a New York Minute: Part 2

Okay loves, back with my NY city guide part 2. I hope it helps you when planning your next trip! I absolutely loved my time while I was there, but my appreciation for travel and the places I visit increases significantly once I'm back at home... and oh my goodness, what I would give to be back in the city. Also, a BIG shout out to my friends Andrea and Jason for being so generous and for showing me around - my trip wouldn't be what it was without you! Ok, here we go.

Day 3

8:00AM - Brooklyn Bridge

After my first solid sleep of the trip, I walked over to the Brooklyn Bridge. The view from the bridge is something else, because you really can see the whole NYC skyline. The bridge was so close to the apartment, so I'm glad I made the trip!

9:30AM - Fika

After walking over the bridge, it was definitely time for coffee. I found this super cute Swedish coffee chain called FIKA in the financial district, which means "coffee break" in Swedish. They had strong Swedish coffee, and all my fave fixin's (princess cake, dammsugare, mazariner (almond tarts), almond croissants, kanelbullar (cinnamon rolls)... they had it all). Thankfully, I controlled myself, but OMG was it good. I would definitely go back next time for sure.

10:00AM - Statue of Liberty

A short walk over to Whitehall Terminal, I jumped on the Staten Island ferry (which is completely free, btw), to see the Statue of Liberty from the water. She was a lot bigger than I thought she'd be! If you're looking for a budget-friendly, fast way to see her, I definitely recommend jumping on this ferry, because you get a view of the statue to and from Staten Island, and you can just jump on the next ferry back to Manhattan once you get to the island. Time was of the essence, so that's exactly what I did! Highly recommend.

11:00AM - World Trade Centre

Once I got back to Whitehall Terminal, I walked over to the World Trade Centre, walked down Wall Street, and popped into a few stores to do some shopping around Fulton Center. I dropped my bags off at the apartment, and headed back to the subway to spend the rest of the day in Soho. 

12:45PM - Laduree

I went to Laduree for lunch, and treated myself to an Ispahan and a lavender macaron with a pot of Marie Antoinette tea... so good! Thank goodness macarons are gluten free :) The patio is soo stinkin' cute, I couldn't put my camera down!

1:45PM - Shopping in Soho

The rest of my day consisted of jumping from store to store, trying things on, crossing off the spots on my list that we don't have back home (Everlane, Sezane, Little Cupcake Bakeshop, Madewell, Mansur Gavriel, Glossier, Byredo, etc). My first stop? Nike. Because I NEEDED new shoes - my back was dead.

I spent the rest of my time at Everlane and Glossier... but Glossier takes the cake for taking all my money in New York lol. I came in with a long list, and the girls in there thought I was crazy... but #noshame.

7:00PM - Rooftop BBQ 

After meeting up with Andrea for a little more shopping, we walked over to Jason's apartment, and went grocery shopping for dinner. The two of them made the most incredible dinner, and I literally had the best steak of my life. I don't know how you do it Jason... but DAMN. And I don't even like steak! 

We ate dinner on his rooftop patio overlooking all of NYC. You could see both the World Trade Centre and the Empire State building, and it was definitely the highlight of the trip. I felt like I was on cloud 9 all night, and couldn't believe the million dollar 360 view. Can't thank you enough!!

11:00PM - The Jane Hotel

After freshening up, Andrea and I headed out on the town for the Jane! It felt like a house party in a fancy, old fashioned mansion, and the music was bomb - always a plus.

1:00AM - Marquee

A few hours later, it was time for Marquee! We met up with some Vancouver friends and listened to Oliver Heldens DJ the night away, all while laughing at the table beside us quite literally throwing bills in the air. It was the most obnoxious thing I've ever seen. I got home in time for 2 hours of sleep (especially after I finished packing), then it was time to wake up again. 

Day 4

7:00AM - Royal Wedding with Mimosas and Marathons

The wake up call for the marathon was a little early for my liking, but we were all present at Jason's apartment to catch bits of the Royal Wedding, make marathon signs, down some coffee with oat milk and sip on boozy mimosas! Nothing like more champagne to keep you going.

8:00AM - Uber Around Brooklyn

To catch the marathon runners, we uber'd to Brooklyn and chased the three of them around, trying to find the best spots to see them so we could embarrass them with our obnoxious signs and cowbells. Yes, we were those people.

11:30AM - Brunch at Krupa Grocery

After some well deserved celebratory beers in Coney Island, we all headed to brunch in Brooklyn at Krupa Grocery - SUCH a cute restaurant and such tremendously good food! I'd definitely go back here to eat again.

3:00PM - Goodbye for now

There was torrential downpour by this time after brunch, but I needed to be at the airport by 3, so I rushed in an uber back to the city to finish packing and deal with my overweight luggage situation (thanks Glossier), and booked it to the airport. I made it just in the knick of time, and it was finally hitting me... my New York visit was over!! I was pretty sad, but I was excited to be continuing on to Toronto to visit more friends of mine (more on that trip later).

Overall, I did pretty much everything I set out to do on my itinerary. There were a few spots I missed that I wish I went to, but I'm pretty proud of how much I was able to accomplish in the few days I was there. One of my best trips, by far, and I can't wait to come back to NYC... likely sooner rather than later :) 

Do you have any must do/see things in NY? Let me know below!

xo

Linnea

In a New York Minute

Alright guys, I want to start off with a big apology for being soo MIA on my blog, but I've quite literally been on vacation mode. I needed to take a breather, make the most out of my time on the east coast, and soak up as much quality time as possible with my east coast girls! On top of that, I got super sick as soon as I landed, so I've been out of commission for a few days to say the least. Without further ado, here's part 1 of my guide to NYC! Warning: this itinerary is NOT for lazy, slow-paced people. I created an itinerary that was a totally type-A-to-the-minute-resos-booked-outfit-included schedule, so... you've been warned! Day 3 & 4 coming your way shortly ;)

Day 1

I arrived in New York to rainy, dreary weather, with traffic to the nines. My uber ride took about an hour and half to get to my friend's apartment, so I did my makeup in his car, dropped my bags off, did a quick wardrobe change, and jumped straight into another uber to meet my friends for dinner at Momofuku Nishi. I arrived a little late, but I came to realize that traffic will always screw you over in New York. Dinner was incredible, and it was so great seeing my friends and kicking off the trip with my first meal in NY! 

10:30PM - Times Square

After dinner, my friends headed home and I started walking towards Times Square. I shopped around for a few hours (because when else can you shop at F21 or Sephora at midnight), admired the signs and billboards like the Marketing nerd I am, then picked up some groceries and snacks before heading home to unpack and get settled. Day 1 was complete, and I was already in absolute love with the city.

Day 2

7:45AM - Empire State Building

The next day, I woke up bright and early (minimal sleep night #1) to get ready and take the subway to get to the Empire State building before they opened. There was barely a line-up, so I got the snaps I needed, then walked over to my next stop: Grand Central Station - but not before a much needed Almond Milk Latte!

8:45AM - Grand Central Station

Once I arrived at Grand Central, I was mesmerized at how big it was. It wasn't as busy as I thought it'd be, but it was definitely something to see for sure. There are a ton of shops inside the station, if you have free time to peruse.

9:30AM - The MET

Since I was already at the train station, I took the subway to the Upper East Side (one of my fave neighbourhoods by far), where I arrived at the steps of the MET, then explored the Heavenly Bodies exhibit inside - one of the most surreal parts of my trip! As a fashion lover, seeing the dresses up close and personal was mesmerizing... so if you're heading to New York, I highly recommend going to the MET to see this exhibit before it's gone - it's worth every penny!

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10:45AM - Central Park

After the MET, I took a stroll through part of Central Park along 5th Ave, and made my way to Rockefeller Center. This walk is not for everyone, as it's almost an hour long, but I was totally up for the challenge (my feet would feel it later - DO NOT wear chucks).

11:30AM - Top of the Rock

I made it to my booked time slot, and the view at the Top of the Rock was spectacular!! If you only have time for one viewpoint, I definitely recommend the Top of the Rock over Empire State, because the view of the Empire State building is everything, and you get a good view of Central Park, too!

1:00PM - Lunch

After photos and looking around, I headed downstairs for some much needed lunch. I've been dying to try By Chloe for years now (mostly because of my fave youtuber Ash Brooke), and I finally got my chance! It's a cute vegan restaurant that's well known for their salads and burgers (which are mostly gluten free as well). My meal was bombdiggity, and I was really starting to love travelling/eating alone. Thumbs up all around!

2:00PM - MoMa

After lunch, I walked over to the MoMa, and I have to say, I was a little underwhelmed after the MET. There were some pieces that were really cool, and lots of interactive (and some really weird) exhibits, but I think I would skip the MoMa next time. I did get to see Vincent Van Gogh's famous Starry Night up close, so that was cool!

3:30PM - While We Were Young

A short subway ride later, I wound up at While We Were Young for a cocktail - the cutest little restaurant (you already know I went for the decor) in the heart of West Village - hands down the cutest neighbourhood in NYC. My cocktail was amazing - named after the restaurant itself, and finished with hints of pure vanilla bean... mm mmm.

4:30PM - Carrie's Apartment

Because I was in West Village... the SITC fan in me just HAD to take a photo on the steps of Carrie's apartment, and that I did. I even got to meet the owner of the house! Fair warning: it looks identical to all the homes around it, and he's got tacky anti-trump signs in his window, along with a chain on his steps. Also, don't sit on his steps... you've been warned! 

4:45PM - Sockerbit

I stumbled upon the cutest little Swedish candy store you ever did see... so obviously I had to go in and stock up. We hadn't had Swedish-quality candy in a while, so my fam (Farmor included) definitely appreciated it! 

5:30PM - And break!

By this point I was super duper tired, so I needed to head back to the apartment to lie down, freshen up, and get ready for dinner. Before I knew it, it was time to jump back on the subway!

7:00PM - Chumley's

For dinner, my friend Andrea made a reso at Chumley's - a traditional speakeasy where the coolest of cool writers used to hang out, including Ernest Hemingway! Really great underground spot with the walls decked out in their photos. The food was also delightful - no surprise there.

9:30PM - Friends Apartment

Just beside Chumley's is the Friends apartment, so it was neat to see on our post-dinner walk. We explored West Village and Andrea took me around to some of her favourite spots in the neighbourhood.

10:00PM - Marie's Crisis

First stop: Marie's Crisis Cafe - a Broadway lover's dream bar! You don't need to pay for a show when you're in NY, just head to Marie's Crisis, and you'll get performances all night for free. Everyone in there will know every word to every song played on the piano... and if you're lucky, they'll play some Disney showtunes so you can sing along, too! 

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11:00PM - Joe's Pizza

Neither Andrea or I are real dessert people, so rather than feasting on dessert after dinner, we had a traditional slice of New York pizza instead! And OMG, it was actually so damn good. Definitely worth the gluten, and VERY glad I opted for pizza over ice cream :)

12:00AM - Whole Foods

After walking Andrea home to SoHo, I popped into Whole Foods to stock up on goodies that the Americans like to keep from us Canadians... (you know, Vital Proteins, better LaCroix flavours, Unreal Almond Butter cups, etc), and took an uber home. Day 2, complete! 

Stay tuned for days 3 & 4... I promise they're just as packed and full of fun :D

xoxo

Gossip girl