As we enter the month of March, I’m sharing my February wrap-up! From New York Fashion Week, to exploring the Big Apple and New Jersey neighborhoods – see what I got up to this month.
Hello there, dreamers!
After the month of January dragging on for what felt like forever – February 2018 certainly flew by in a flash. As crazy as it is to be entering March already, I am looking forward to sunshine after 6 pm, warmer temperatures and *hopefully* the start of some spring blooms.
The February Wrap-Up
February was a busy and fun month for me. I had a wonderful trip to New York City, indulged in lots of fashion, ticked things off my bucket list, discovered new beauty obsessions and even found a new Netflix favorite that I simply devoured.
To celebrate the end of a great month, I wanted to put together a February wrap-up post for you that lays out everything I got up to and what I was loving over the last 28 days. You could say this post is also a bit of a photo diary of my trip to NYC for New York Fashion Week. There, I of course took in lots of runway shows but I also mixed things up with some exploring.
Planning & Dior Obsessions
I definitely don’t have much to share from the first week of February. To kick-off the month, I was largely packing for my trip to New York, juggling about a million emails and working my tail off on a fundraising event for my 9-to-5 job for a nonprofit.
It’s always hard to tie up loose ends before leaving town and I definitely arrived at the airport feeling a bit frazzled from it all, but overjoyed to be getting away! One of my goals for 2018 was to travel more and a trip to New York to visit my sister and enjoy fashion week was just what I needed.
It was during the first week of February that I fell head over heals for the new Dior Lip Glow Addicts! Pretty much, I’ve worn these virtually nonstop through the month of February. In case you missed it, I shared a detailed blog post on these beauties here that I highly suggest giving a read!
New York City – Fashion Week & Beyond
I flew into New York on a Wednesday night, facing a full schedule before flying home on the 15th. In addition to NYFW runway shows, though, I did have a lot of fun exploring around both NYC and New Jersey neighborhoods with my sister.
We went to a great restaurant called the South Mountain Tavern in South Orange, New Jeresy where I had a phenomenal Moroccan chickpea stew and got to meet a lot of her friends. It’s such a charming neighborhood with twinkly lights aplenty. We also visited a local tea room which was divine – so much so I stocked up on English Rose and Cherry Rose teas to enjoy back at home in Cincinnati.
Of course, there’s nothing like the rush of New York City itself. Fashion week brought many highlights, including the Pamella Roland show, The Blonds (I died!!) and discovering some new designers like Dan Liu, Carlisle and Colovos. This season I also visited some show rooms and was able to talk to the designers themselves up close and personal about the collections which only took my love and appreciation for everything they do to a whole new level. The thought and detail they put into each piece is remarkable!
While in New York, I also finally made my way to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to take in the Michelangelo exhibit and lose myself in rooms upon rooms of Impressionism (my fav!). Before the Met, my sister and I also enjoyed a lovely lunch at Serendipity 3. It was all festive, decked out for Valentine’s Day and made me realize I have GOT to come back over the holiday season to feel like Kate Beckinsale hunting for a long lost love like in the movie.
Unwinding and Netflix-Ing!
Upon returning to Cincinnati, the very first thing I did was book myself a heavenly hot stone massage at Woodhouse Day Spa. My legs (and feet) were exhausted from the fashion week bustle and it was a great way to recharge.
While unpacking, I also discovered a new Netflix obsession. The show Dark is literally SO good! Think Stranger Things meets The Killing. I devoured that over endless cups of Peppermint Tea alongside Jasmine candles over a few days. Highly recommend checking that out for your next ‘binge’.
Ready to Scroll? My February Photo Diary!
Of course, it wouldn’t be a February wrap-up post without endless scrolling of pictures, right? Enjoy a taste of everything I got up to, below!
Colovos Runway Show at Spring Studios
My fashion week began at Spring Studios with the Colovos Fall 2018 collection. It was my first time seeing Colovos’s designs in person and I was delighted to see the collection not only featured faux-fur and faux-leather…but also fabric made from plastic bottles recycled from the ocean. Genius!
For more on this, read my Colovos post, here.
Papyrus Valentine’s & Coffee
With Valentine’s Day just a few short days away, Papyrus had a pop-up at New York Fashion Week inviting everyone to send lovely Valentine’s Day cards to their loved ones. To boot, they had piping hot coffee which was much appreciated. (Trust me!)
Sips at Pier 59 Studios Before Pamella Roland
Always one of my favorite spots in the city: the Chelsea Piers. Before Pamella Roland I took in the views while sipping on Rose and catching my breath a little bit. Heaven!
Read about the Pamella Roland collection, here.
Saturday Morning in TriBeca Before Dan Liu
One of my favorite memories of the month was getting to explore the Tribeca neighborhood more! Here I am before attending the Dan Liu runway show. Afterwards I walked the streets for a good hour, exploring all the sights and finding the cutest little bakery/coffee shop.
My First ‘NYC Bagel’ Experience – and It’s Vegan!
After visiting the city several times now, I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to have a real “New York” bagel! At TriBeca Bagels I loaded up on caffeine with this toasted everything bagel topped with vegan cream cheese. (It was delicious.)
A Rainy Sunday at Sally Lunn’s Tea Room
With all day rain in the forecast, there was no better time to slip away with my sister to Sally Lunn’s Tea Room in New Jersey and meet more of her friends. I fell in love with this Cherry Rose tea and of course bought some to enjoy back home as well. If you’re ever in the area, I highly recommend checking it out!
My First Visit to Serendipity 3
During fashion week I spend a lot of my time around SoHo, TriBeca and Chelsea. So, it was really nice to branch out with my sister to explore the Upper East Side a bit. Of course that meant a stop at Serendipity 3 for lunch and this ultra refreshing frozen pineapple and lime drink.
Looking for Blair Waldorf at The Met
Obviously if you’ve seen Gossip Girl, you simply cannot visit The Met without looking for Blair Waldorf and her minions on the steps. Fun fact, Kelly Rutherford (LILY VANDERWOODSEN) was at a show I would see the next day. Dreams do come true!
Michelangelo Exhibit at The Met
I wasn’t all that keen on the endless display of nude male sketch drawings, but fell in love with this sleeping cherub statue by none other than Michelangelo. Perfect for Valentine’s Day, too!
Losing Myself in Monet
Ever since visiting his gardens in Giverny, France – I’ve (rightly) had a bit of an obsession with Monet. I could seriously stare at his work for hours! The Impressionism exhibit at The Met was outstanding.
An Old Fashioned at Bar Pleiades
On second thought, a traditional Manhattan would’ve probably been the most apt post-Met cocktail but this Old Fashioned on the Upper East Side was mighty tasty.
Back to the Chelsea Piers!
After a day touring around the city, it was back to Fashion Week and Pier 59 Studios for Carlisle and Taoray Wang’s runway shows. It was pretty chilly this day and I didn’t like the coat I had on so quickly popped into the H&M near Penn Station and snagged this one on mega sale. Win, win!
Taoray Wang Runway
While I wasn’t too keen on all the real fur in Taoray Wang, the collection did feature some stunning evening gowns and vivid pops of color like this one.
Falling In Love with The Blonds All Over Again – And Daphne Guinness
Following Taoray Wang, I high tailed it back to Spring Studios for The Blonds runway show. The dramatic collection showed an epic battle between good and evil and closed with a live performance by the legendary Daphne Guinness. (Whose music I’ve pretty much been listening to nonstop since.)
See and Read More about The Blonds Experience, Here!
Laptop Time with Kimmy
While things were a bit hectic, I did manage to carve out some laptop time during fashion week. Helping me out? Kimmy! (Although she was pretty insistent I take a lot of breaks to give her some love.)
What Did You Get Up to in February?
Now that I’m settling back into my normal everyday routine, I’d love to hear about what you got up to this February! I hope it was a fabulous month for your as well.
Also, let me know if you enjoy this style of a February wrap-up post! I think it could be a fun thing to turn into a series. Back in the day, I used to share my monthly beauty favorites before thinking those were getting a bit tired. Instead, what do you think about an end-of-month post where I share personal highlights as well as any life, fashion or beauty tidbits I’m loving? I think that could be fun!
As always, thank you so much for reading! If you want to make me smile – be sure to also join my mailing list! Every Wednesday at 6 pm EST I send out a newsletter and I’d love to welcome you to the list.
Stay stylish and chase your dreams!
XOXO
Kelly
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