See you soon!

I will see my cousin Liz as well as the rest of my family next weekend for my cousin Jenny's (AKA Trang's) wedding!!

Cousin Time!

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My cousin Liz (AKA Tien) came to visit for the weekend and what an awesome time it was. Liz isn't big into shopping, clubbing, or drinking, but she is definitely into eating good food. This was her 2nd time visiting me and we made this trip into a food tour. We had a list of to-eats and we crossed off just about everything.

The best thing we ate: lobster and crab rolls from Luke's Lobster
The worst thing we ate: we missed out on the $24.95 Sunday lobster dinner at Mermaid Inn

And all the food in between:
* Hand-pulled noodles from Tasty Hand-Pulled Noodles in Chinatown
* Cheese slice from Bleeker St. Pizza in West Village
* Vegan carrot cake with lychee tea from Teany in L.E.S.
* French macaroons (green tea, pistachio, and raspberry) from Koryodong in Korea Town
* Liege waffle with spekuloos and whipped cream from The Waffle Truck in Tribeca
* Korea fried chicken from Bon Chon (we had this twice!)
* An assortment of mussels and oysters from Flex Mussels in West Village
* Gelato from Love Gelato Co. in West Village
* Pickles from Chelsea Market in Chelsea
* Banh Mi sandwiches from Saigon Shack in West Village
* Lobster mac and fried brussel sprouts from Mermaid Inn in East Village

We already have the next places to eat planned for the next trip!

Yard Sale Chic: AE Sample Sale

I recently got to experience my first work sample sale. I've been to tons of sample sales in NY, but never to one of my own. What is a sample sale you ask? When manufacturing clothing (jewelry, handbags, accessories, etc.) you go through lots of development before you land on a line for the upcoming season. Once a line is booked, there are rounds of pre-production samples that are made to be reviewed, some a rejected and others are approved. In short, you can't come up with the perfect line in one shot, and a sample sale is a way to sell off perfectly good samples at a very cheap price. When I say cheap, long sleeved shirts were $4, jewlery was $.25, outerwear was $10, bras were $1. Not all sample sales are this cheap, but ours definitely was. There were bought samples from Europe, L.A., Asia, and all over the U.S. used for inspiration, so people ended up with $300 dresses for $5. I ended up with a ton of great items all for a whopping $37. Can't wait for the next one!

Items purchased:
* See by Chloe dolman long-sleeved tee
* 2 AE plaid oxford shirts
* AE striped tie-back tee
* AE Sheer tank
* AE Anorak
* AE drop shoulder sweater
* 2 Aerie bras
* A pair of Aerie underwear
* A bracelet
* 2 necklaces

Downtown

This weather has been up and down and hot and cold, and to be quite frank, I don't mind the rollercoaster of weather we've been having. I love laying out when it's hot, and I've grown to love running when it's a bit chilly out.

I've been running/walking a few miles each weekend all around my neighborhood and Tribeca. I've discovered a new pier, some shops, and lots of restaurants. I really enjoy being in this part of downtown Manhattan. There's a lot of history, landmarks, parks, and a lot of beauty. I'm falling in love.

Silliness

Court and I have been taking silly photos together for the past 8 years!

Songs I Love: Di Doo Dah

Jane Birkin is beautiful and so is this song. A fun and flirty song that automatically puts me in a good mood.

Paleo Challenge: Finale

Last Friday was the last day of our 3-week Paleo Challenge, and yours truly was the winner! Yep! I lost the most percentage (3%). That was a nice $90 in my pocket :)

So how have I been doing post challenge? Well I definitely indulged in cheese, crackers, and wine on Friday, then had a cobb salad and some bread on Saturday, then Sunday I had soft-shelled crab (fried) and a Vietnamese banh mi sandwich.....so you can say that I have definitely cheated.

Well, it's a new week and I plan to stay as close to this diet as I can. With this diet and frequent exercise, I hope to tone up. I'll tell you how it goes.

Dumb-Dumb of the Week: Weiner

Congressman Anthony Weiner from Brooklyn just came out to the public that he has been sexting and such with a few women. What got Weiner in trouble was a photo he sent to a woman in Seattle with him in his underwear. This is funny to me, because I just watched Weiner on an NY1 interview totally denying the accusations. He laughed and said how funny the situation was. Nonetheless, here is another politician in the dog house. And people think I'm bad for not voting... maybe this is why.

Paleo Challenge: Last Week Part 2

It's hard to find a satisfying snack on Paleo. There's only so many nuts and berries you cant eat, so I am now snacking on seaweed. It's so tasty and a good source of vitamins and minerals. Did I mention that it's only 30 calories per serving (which is half of this pack).