dot dot dot

Sometimes I feel I need more time with the girls. Every girl needs girlfriends. It is a necessity to this crazy thing we call life. It can be one, three or twenty but it really makes a difference to have {those} people in your life. Some days you need to be around them and for them to take you as you are, no complaints :: good or bad - silly or mad {we've all had those occasions}. And with girlfriends comes girls night out, get togethers, understanding the need to scrapbook, brunches and lots of girly giggles. Whether you go all night dancing or enjoy a quiet coffee meet up, there's just something about getting together. Catching up and finishing stories that are left off with other stories and creating new ones. Even if you just meet to walk around Target :: throw on some fancy heals, wear your favorite glitter and indulge in a little girl talk. We all need it sometimes.

And sometimes those get togethers turn into a crazy long night out. So whatever comes to be of the night, just go with it and love it. And if you find yourself in Grand Central at 2am :: take pictures. These moments make the best kind of NYC night.

"girls are supposed to dance - that's why god gave them parts that jiggle."

{troy, community}

talent is a mistress

Feeling some changes and good things all around coming up. Funny how creativity flows in and out like the tide sometimes. It's a wonder what turns it on and off. Then I remembered this little blurb from The Courtyard Hounds. Of course I hope talent or rather creativity will never leave but still an interesting thought. 

"TALENT MUST BE A FANATICAL MISTRESS. SHE'S BEAUTIFUL. WHEN YOU'RE WITH HER, PEOPLE WATCH YOU, THEY NOTICE BUT SHE BANGS ON YOUR DOOR AT ODD HOURS AND SHE DISAPPEARS FOR LONG STRETCHES AND SHE HAS NO PATIENCE FOR THE REST OF YOUR EXISTENCE: YOUR WIFE, YOUR CHILDREN, YOUR FRIENDS. SHE IS THE MOST THRILLING EVENING OF YOUR WEEK BUT SOME DAY SHE WILL LEAVE YOU FOR GOOD. ONE NIGHT, AFTER SHE'S BEEN GONE FOR YEARS, YOU WILL SEE HER, ON THE ARM OF A YOUNGER MAN AND SHE WILL PRETEND NOT TO RECOGNIZE YOU."

{the courtyard hounds}

Photos taken by me on the ferry to Water Island looking back at St. Thomas after a night of drinks.
Happy Moments. 

roar a little

South Africa

May 2012

This is how I feel about superstitions... 

I know I'm a bag full of cheesy cheetos sometimes but I just couldn't help myself today. I took this photo along the Garden Route in South Africa during my trip. He was just too cute.

Happy Friday the 13th!!

always take a chance

Dear 2010,

you have had a few ups and many downs and for that I am happy to say goodbye. I travelled alot and loved a little, I definitely danced and sipped champagne along the way, I took more photographs, wrote more letters and got back to being me. I'm taking a break for awhile to find what I want this next year to be; so to 2011, I can't wait for all that you have in store and all that I can make of you. Cheers to another year and a new year with lots of laughter, bubbles and love at first sight.

Lots of love and happy thoughts, Islandia
p.s. this song just kinda makes me happy, enjoy
oh and I so want the shoes in the video, don't you agree?



the {winter} has got me love sprung

Wow. How did it already get to be Wednesday… anybody else feel that way?

Walking through the city this past weekend and seeing all the lights and decorations going up had me thinking how I usually ignore that the holidays are fast approaching until after my Birthday but I must say this year I’m kind of excited about them.

Here are a few of my favorite things about the Holidays

{even if it is a little early}

~ Black Friday ~ shopping the day after Thanksgiving is great and the perfect reason for me to actually be up and dressed at that kind of hour {unless of course it’s because I’m still out and wearing last night’s clothes} also what better excuse to kick off Christmas Shopping and be honest, buy a little something for yourself ~

~ Starbucks Peppermint Mocha {with soy} my favorite winter treat ~

~ The Annual Girls Holiday Dinner & our Secret Santa gift exchange ~

{this year we used elfstar.com ~ so fun, check it out here!}

~ all the new fun makeup out at Sephora ~

~ having an excuse to wear those same boots and warm knits over and over ~

~ Warm Weather Island Trips to get away from the cold ~

~ walking up and down 5th Ave to see all the lights ~

~ Bergdorf Christmas Windows ~

~ a reason to drink hot toddies and Irish Coffee ~

A few things I’m not looking forward to

~ Christmas music ~

{sorry not a fan, never have been and I doubt ever will be}

~ EggNog ~

~ getting so cold outside, my entire being freezes over in 10 seconds ~ 

 {that’s how it feels to me}

Past GHD 2007 ~ 2008 ~ 2009

Three of Cups, NYC

Room 18, NYC

Havana-NY, NYC

and lastly a few things making me so happy right now

~ Rihanna –Who’s That Chick ~

~ HIMYM – I could seriously watch that show all day long, everyday ~

~ Long Island Ice Teas ~

{I know, so random but they have the best ones at this sushi spot. They go down easy and “get the job done”}

~ Brunch every weekend ~

~ The Young Ones ~ so random, so 80’s, a little crude/off-kilter but so hysterical, check it out here ~ 

What's making you happy this week?

nyc belongs to me ~ nyc belongs to everybody

Here are a few pieces of my New York…

"With the truth so dull and depressing, the only working alternative is wild bursts of madness and filigree."

{hunter s. thompson}

it is more accurate to call me a thief

When googling random thoughts, I came across this statement below. Often graffiti comes up {which I love} and this one just stuck in my head. So then I thought, well I want to try to find the source because as we all know, once a photo is up and in the world wide web of hosting images, there are times you don’t find the source or you don’t care to because so many people don’t give image credit, so then I find this… Eddie. Great graffiti to check out and all inclusive of a FB fanpage. err, um, good thing? Sure, it’s a good thing. Who doesn’t have a fanpage now, right? Right.

{image credit via links above to Eddie}

me and a box of bleach

Although so excited about my new hair, I have yet to take proper pictures! Rather than waiting any longer to share though, I wanted to post a few snapshots, you can see a little but I still think it looks even more rad in person... what do you think of the change?

Saturday + me and a box of bleach + a bottle of wine = my take of a Tom Ford sunnie ad meets Vitamin C

And I kinda love it.

Many more pictures to come soon – I have a great excuse to take pictures this weekend and can’t wait to share the details next week!

"Beauty is about perception, not about make-up. I think the beginning of all beauty is knowing and liking oneself. You can't put on make-up, or dress yourself, or do you hair with any sort of fun or joy if you're doing it from a position of correction."

~ Kevyn Aucoin

hummingbird heartbeat

Although I just cut my hair back in the beginning of September… I’m ready for another change. It’s just that time of year. Every year it happens. I’m ready for a change, for something new. And changing my hair is always one thing that seems to satisfy that urge. A friend was looking through a photo book of snapshots the other day and commented how different I look over the course of a year; where some people, you can’t even see the change over three years. So with that… a change in hair to come soon and a few inspiring pictures to match the mood. I think they seem fitting.

photo credit 1} my first concert via MBW 2} Katy Perry via

"So when Rayanne Graff told me my hair was holding me back,

 I had to listen." ~ angela chase, MSCL

sweet is all that life should be

I decided to enter a photography contest... just started thinking maybe it is time to get my work out there more. I only entered two pictures and you guys may have seen them before but please if you can, take a minute, click on the link below and go give me some stars!

Art Takes Miami -- Islandia

caramel apples, redbreast whiskey and bare feet

there are few things that could make life more sweet

"Creativity takes courage."

~ Henri Matisse

we are shaped and fashioned by what we love ~ johann wolfgang von goethe

The weekend was relaxing, full of movie watching, drinking, welcoming the cooler days already, and my first Irish Car Bomb! How did I go by all these years without having one before? Bailey’s, Jameson and Guinness. You had me at… car bomb? Round two please. Anything special happen for you this weekend?

No new pics from me today, it was a camera-less weekend {except my attempts at documenting my outfits – more on that tomorrow!} but here are a few random favorites of Ms. Jessica Stam... maybe I'm feeling a little inspired by all the amazing models roaming the city this week. Gosh love her, she’s just so gorgeous!

{all images found at we heart it}

~ Happy Tuesday~

you better, you bet

Well Hello September! Can you believe September is already here? I can’t. And in the City today it is HOT and when I say hot – I don’t mean a warm breeze across the water to cool things off, I mean down right, gosh darn, sweltering. I feel like I just walked out of a sauna and went straight to work. H.O.T. {and of course I decided to walk to work today} O’well though, I still kinda love it so I’ll take it.

Pointing out two things I am so excited for coming in the month of September… First, my favorite guilty pleasure returns, those girls and guys from Gossip Girl! I could squeal I’m so excited. But I won’t. I’ll just be grinning for about another two weeks until the first episode returns with season four {oh and if you haven’t seen the trailer for it yet – go check it out here}. Love.

Second, Fashion’s Night Out is happening again this year! I cannot wait – last year was so much fun… here are a couple of my shots from last year {look at Zac Posen in the Bergdorf window} but then my camera died. I’ll be sure to have it fully charged this year! FNO, September 10th 2010 – if you’re around NYC, it’s an event you should be sure not to miss!

And Last, then you combine those two and get this. GG does FNO. Can’t wait to watch and experience it all. Anyone else going to be there?

Onto other things… I randomly cut my hair on Sunday night – just needed a change. Feels so fresh and clean, clean. And as of late I’ve been taking in how much ‘stuff’ I have and all that I haven’t even worn or used yet. So in an attempt to just clean out and try to not spend for a month, I’ve decided to do 31 pieces in 30 days. So for the month of September each outfit I wear will be pulled from only 31 items in my closet, everything else is going into storage until October 1. Do you guys think I can do it? I probably sound crazy. Each Wednesday I’ll post my seven outfits from the prior week. Next week I’ll also update you on the 31 different pieces I’ve chosen; however, this doesn’t include handbags, jewelry or my camisoles {I practically wear them under everything like underwear so doesn’t count}. I am not a fashion blog and have never claimed to be but I do love fashion and thought this would be a fun challenge and a little change of pace for my blog. Hope you all stick around to see if I can pull it off. Inspiration from Lucky magazine and Kendi, check out her blog here.

{sorry for the quality not being the best... I was running late and remember how HOT I said it was outside? Well you can almost tell in this snapshot!}

Hello Short Hair!

Wow, that was a lot of writing for me. I guess it is just time for some change around here.

~Happy Wednesday~

Caring is Sharing

Thinking of the things that I should care about…

{image via We Heart It}

Something a little different today… my friend, Eliana, over at A Chica Bakes is running her 8th marathon for Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and on her blog she is having a fundraiser/raffle cookbook giveaway. She has extended the deadline and to help her reach her goal, I thought I’d share with you all that today is the last day to enter the raffle {but you can still donate anytime!}. So I’m putting it out in the universe {covered in glitter} that maybe some of you can and will click over to her page and donate something to enter the raffle. You’ll be supporting a great cause and entering for a chance to win some of those awesome cookbooks! Second bonus... I’m throwing in for any of you who donate this week {readers of my blog}, let me know and I’ll send you a signed print of one of my NYC photos {your choice}. Maybe that’s an incentive or not. But she actually has a great selection of books also, so maybe that’s enough. Oh and btw, her blog is great too!

screw you, screw you, screw you, you're cool and screw you, I'm out

First, I’d like to say I’m not really saying screw you but lately that’s a little how I feel {and I’ve been sick since Saturday}. I’m taking a {much needed} week long vaca starting tomorrow so in a way I’ll say it’s like my little venting inspired by Half Baked {please note though, I am not quitting my job and really, I do love you all}. Thanks for always reading and commenting. It’s great hearing what you think and I love this little blog world we’ve all created! Today, I’d like to welcome one more… US of J; a good friend of mine who has made an appearance or two on my blog {some you can see here and here}. Go check out her blog! New adventure-filled posts to come soon. It’s going to be a fun little journey for her, I think.

And I leave you with a few photos that I’m currently in love with. Nothing new from me right now. All found here.

Details of my trip when I’m back and hopefully, I’ll be back refreshed, energized and inspired. Anyone else feeling like they need a little break-away?

here in new york, a good night never ends

Random snapshots from nights out that have been filling up my little point and shoot this summer…

In random order: Reunion. Terminal 5. La Barrique. Smith’s Bar. Irish Exit. Bar 9. Bubblegum Vodka. On the Subway Pre-Gaming. Scarlatto.

~

Also I just heard about this book Notes from the Night by Taylor Plimpton and now I cannot wait to read it; every other line seems quotable thus my blog title today. The book starts with this…

“Here in New York, a good night never ends. We will not let it. Though the hour is late, we are more awake than we have ever been in our lives, we are wild-eyed and grinning and dancing around like fools, and the music is thumping and the lights are flashing and the whole place is pulsating like a massive beating heart, and we do not want to go home, we do not want to go to sleep. Above all, we do not want to miss anything.”

Lastly, today I tried to get a little more dressed up, to look cute {even though it’s so blah and rainy here today} and what do I do first thing this am – drop my breakfast of strawberries on my skirt! Go figure, I’m a mess.

Anyway though, Happy {almost Friday} Thursday!

sparkle and shine and everything will be just fine

Random recent inspiration thrown together last night. Shots by me.

Happy Friday!

Are y'all ready for the weekend as much as I am? OMGosh, I cannot wait for that afterwork drink!

Have a wonderful weekend!!