Shades of San Diego

^"They're not all mine. I train them." I felt like this was my Humans of New York moment. There were sixteen of them, in case you're wondering.

“Soon it got dusk, a grapey dusk, a purple dusk over tangerine groves and long melon fields; the sun the color of pressed grapes, slashed with burgundy red, the fields the color of love and Spanish mysteries.” - Jack Kerouac, On the Road

This past week everything in life felt too complicated and overwhelming, so Daniel and I decided to just get in the car and drive. Sometimes when the world feels like it's closing in it's about the only thing you can do. Up until this year, I've always lived on the coast, so we decided to head to the closest beach to us, San Diego. Something about being at the beach again was cleansing. It felt so good to smell the salt and feel the moisture in the air. I can't wait until we get to live close to the ocean again; something about the vastness of it all makes your problems dissolve in an instant. It's glorious.

These are just a couple of snapshots from the brief 24 hours that we spent there, but they make me so happy. I can't wait to go back soon. Does anyone have any "can't miss" suggestions on places to go next time? I'd love to try them out on our next trip...Happy Monday guys! Here's to a great week.

xo,

grace

Broiled Grapefruit

Hello friends! My schedule/life has been so all over the place lately that I've unfortunately made myself the victim of some pretty terrible eating habits. That being said, I found this yummy citrus recipe over at Offbeat+Inspired and decided to give it a try...and you should too! Super simple, really delicious, and the best of all, health conscious! :)
Here's what you'll need:

-A grapefruit
-Plain or vanilla yogurt (The original calls for Greek yogurt, but I used vanilla Activia...yummmm)
-Sugar in the raw
-Cinnamon

1. ) Start off by setting your oven to the broiler setting. Slice your grapefruit in half, and then use a knife to slice between the peel and the fruit to make it easier to eat afterwards.

2.) Sprinkle each grapefruit half with Sugar in the Raw (it gives it a nice little crunch!).

3.) Put the grapefruit halves in the oven and allow them to broil anywhere from 5-10 minutes. Keep an eye on them to make sure the sugar doesn't burn; when the edges of the grapefruit starts to brown, they're ready.

4.) Spoon your yogurt on top of each grapefruit half, and then add cinnamon to taste.

5.) Eat, and repeat...with the second half of course!

There you have it! A quick and easy recipe that can get you a healthy sugar fix in a pinch. I know it seems like a bit of an unlikely combination, but it's actually a really nice balance of flavors. The creaminess of the yogurt is offset by the tart juice of the grapefruit, and the cinnamon & sugar add the perfect amount of sweetness! Perfect for breakfast, a quick snack, or even a healthy dessert for those who are trying to behave! ;)

Try it out for yourself and let me know what you think, or if you would make any changes to this recipe! Do you think it would be good with any other fruits? I'd love to hear!

xo,

grace

Cotton Candy Colored

Outfit details: Sweater/Francesca's (similar), Boyfriend Jeans/DailyLook, Shoes/Ivanka Trump, Bag/KS (similar)

So it seems that recently, however intentionally or unintentionally, I fell off the blogging map a bit. At first it started out with a last minute acting stint in my husband's short film for a competition that left me a bit too busy and unable to post, but after that I just started to fall behind and lose motivation for no particular reason. You know how it goes. I won't go into specific details, but these last few weeks have been a bit (OKAY, way more than a bit) trying; a lot of change is happening all around me, and like it or not, I'm just trying to acclimate and figure stuff out as best I can.

That being said, enjoy my cotton candy colored outfit (and sky!). Oh, and these were obviously taken a little while ago-anyone who knows anything about Phoenix knows that it is currently about 4 degrees shy of hell, and I wouldn't be caught dead in a sweater and jeans at this point. I'm about ready to join a nudist colony for the Summer months to catch some relief from this heat (though I suppose that could put a damper on the outfit posts).

OH, and speaking of Summer, it is now June. Is anyone else panicking about that?! WHERE is this year going? Tell me, please, because I for one am certain that Y2K just happened like a day ago. Right?

xo,

grace

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!