Phoenix < NYC

shirt/Nordstrom (similar), pants/F21, heels/Louise Et Cie, bag/ Louis Vuitton Ellipse Shopper (discontinued), necklace/F21(similar)

As most of you know, this past year Daniel and I moved to Phoenix from south Florida. It hasn't exactly been the easiest transition, and I've had to come to terms with my disappointments in Phoenix in a lot of ways. However, one thing that has completely won me over about it is the murals and graffiti that are so abundant downtown where we live. We stumbled across this crazy cool back alley area with an abandoned tractor trailer that was completely covered, and it just felt like the perfect backdrop for this weird urban inspired outfit. 

That being said, why am I wearing a NYC fitted when I live in Phoenix? Well, I wish I could say it was because we were moving there when our lease ends in July (that was our hope at the beginning of this year). Being from Jersey, it felt like the perfect transition-we could be closer to our families and friends, and live in the best city in the world all at once! Why not right? Unfortunately I don't think our trek with the quasi-West coast is over yet, even though my East coast soul is dying to get back there. In the meantime I'm trying to come to terms where we're at, and maybe plan a couple of epic roadtrips up the coast so I can at least say I appreciated it while I was here. Although, West coast or not, I think it's safe to say that my style clearly hasn't stopped being influenced by my Jersey roots (at least in this outfit)!

How about all of you...anyone else undergone any crazy transitions in this past year? Decided to move somewhere random? Have any suggestions of West-coast things I should do while I'm still out here? I'm pretty sure the Redwoods, Portland, and Seattle are all potentially on our agenda for the summer...but I'd love to hear your input!

xo,

grace

Three Cheers for Mom!

Just a quick post today to say Happy Mother's Day to my mama, and all of the mothers out there! This weekend Daniel and I were able to help some friends out by watching their four kids overnight while they were gone, and let me just say...being a mama ain't for the faint of heart (these were great kids too...can't imagine being a mother to little monster children)!

Moms, you are special. Even when you're tired, and you feel underappreciated, know that you are loved.
^I stumbled across these pictures from our wedding while looking for a pic of me and my mom, and I love them so much. They're like the most genuine, silly, and happy pictures I possess of the two of us together. Happy happy.

On another note, Happy Mother's day to me, for being the best mom that Cous could ever ask for! Haha. I couldn't resist posting this picture. It's just so ridiculous...and Daniel's face is priceless. He clearly hates his life in that moment. I wonder if I'll smoosh my future kids the way I smoosh this dog. Only time will tell...a very, very, very long time from now, that is.

Make sure you hug your mom today!

xo,

grace

P.S.-If you're broke as a joke, or a procrastinator like me, I found some awesome printable Mother's Day cards by howaboutorange blog here! They are simple and lovely, and won't cost you a dime! No excuse to not get your mom at least a card now!

Instagram Lately

1.) Pretty springtime flowers.

2.) Grand Canyon (more on that later....!) silhouette for Weekend Hashtag project.

3.) Phoenix Public Market Cafe for Weekend Hashtag project.

4.) Cute baby plants.

5.) Me and Cous having a poolside day.

6.) Just an old picture of my sisters and I being freaks, as per usual!

7.) Inspired by my favorite quote: 

"Allow me to propose a few suggestions about how to handle the natural resistances that your circumstances might offer. Do not assume that you have to have some prescribed conditions to do your best work. Do not wait. Do not wait for enough time or money to accomplish what you think you have in mind. Work with that you have right now. Work with the people around you right now. Work with the architecture you see around you right now. Do not wait for what you assume is the appropriate, stress free environment in which to generate expression. Do not wait for maturity or insight or wisdom. Do not wait till you are sure that you know what you are doing. Do not wait until you have enough technique. What you do now, what you make of your present circumstances will determine the quality and scope of your future endeavors. And at the same time, be patient." (stupid PicLab watermark)

8.) Tulips I bought for Daniel! He was quite sad after he bought me some flowers (that were literally determined to die no matter what), so I bought these on a whim and MAN did they grow. About twice as tall in less than a week. I suggest getting tulips for anyone who is challenged in the gardening department. :)

9.) Submission for a different Weekend Hashtag Project. I call it my Avatar/Lorde hand.

10.) What it looks like when Daniel takes pictures for my blog. Coussie is Confucius.

11.) The best day staying home from work. Two new Nylon mags at once, and cookies and milk. #perfect

12.) Me squishing Cous. Aka, everyday life. 

So there you have it! Just a couple of my little snapshots on Instagram as of late. Sometimes it can be easy to stress over the content of your blog and taking the perfect picture, so Instagram can be a nice breath of fresh air sometimes when you just want to take some quick pics of life around you (unless you're a putz who only takes pictures of macarons...not real life?). My account is far from perfectly coutured, but if you'd like to follow along in my adventures you can find me at graceinrealtime. I'd be honored!

In other news, It's Friday ya'll. Hallelujah. Anyone have any special plans for the weekend? Have a favorite picture from the assortment above? Just wanna tell me that I'm a putz for NOT taking pictures of macarons? Drop me a line below...I'd love to hear from you guys! :)

xo,

grace

Pineapple Mint Julep

In honor of the recent Kentucky Derby (and my dear friend, Col. Trent Stephens, a real live Kentucky Colonel), I decided to make myself a little cocktail. Obviously I chose to go with the signature "Derby drink," a mint julep, but with a girly little twist (of course). So let's get drinking already....here's what you'll need:

- 2 oz of Maker's Mark Bourbon Whisky (1.5 if you're a wimp like me)

- 5 or 6 tablespoons of Simple Syrup

- 2 tablespoons of ginger ale

- 3 tablespoons of pineapple juice

- 1/4 cup of fresh diced pineapple

- about 8 or 9 fresh mint leaves

- about 3/4 cup of crushed ice

Alright. So in order to make this refreshingly delicious and Southern cocktail, you start off by combining your mint leaves, fresh pineapple, and simple syrup (make sure you let it cool for a bit before using it) in the bottom of your glass. Muddle it together (use a wooden spoon if you don't have a muddler), and be sure not to just crush your mint leaves into little bits. The point of muddling is to release all of the flavorful goodness in the ingredients, not to create a leafy pulp. :)

Next pour your crushed ice into the glass-make sure it's enough to fill it up to the top. Then add in your whisky, pineapple juice, and ginger ale, and stir them all together. Do a little taste test-if it's not strong enough for ya, add some more Bourbon in there (that'll put some hair on your chest!). If you're satisfied with the mixture, add in a mint sprig and a pineapple slice for garnish, and you're all finished! Drink that baby up.

I wouldn't normally think that I would like a cocktail made with Bourbon so much since it just seems so strong, but I thought that the flavors in this drink balanced out perfectly. I also didn't actually watch the Derby this year, but the nice thing about it is that the actual race is so short, you don't have to be bored to tears for numerous hours (ahem, every televised sports event...ever). Besides, drink a couple of these and any boring event becomes interesting. Not that I'm advocating alcoholism as a solution for boredom (haha), but we all need a little pick-me-up every now and again...am I right?!

So how about all of you...did anyone actually watch the Derby this year? Drink copious amounts of mint juleps and eat Derby pie? Did you bet on a horse and WIN?! Or maybe just celebrate with a fabulously oversized hat? All of these would be acceptable means of celebration-and I can't wait to hear about them!

xo,

grace