the wearhouse district

Outdoor clothing and gear brand, Cotopaxi , is having a really fun conversation in honor of the greatest holiday ever - Halloween. They are exploring the idea of a zombie apocalypse, and invited me to join in and share my expertise. Obviously being a huge zombie-movie fan I jumped at the opportunity. I thought it might be fun to share what I would pack in my survival kit if there were ever an outbreak of the dead. My motto: Just because you are running for your life doesn’t mean you can’t look good doing so. First, since it seems like people spend a lot of time running and little time bathing post-apocalypse, I think I'd have to grab a stick of deodorant and a fragrance - most likely from Le Labo because a little goes a long way. Their scents are powerful and last a long time. Next, I'd have to pack a few bottle of vitamin E oil . Sure it helps your immune system, prevents stroke-induced brain damage and fights cancers, but this amazing antioxidant is also a miracle wo...

Just a short train ride from the city, there's a small village nestled between the Hudson and tree-ridden hills. This small village, adored for its legends and praised for its history, buzzes with beauty and color - especially during the Halloween season - when people flock to the quiet town to celebrate and remember the dead. Joining in on the fun, a few friends and I decided to make the trek up to Sleepy Hollow the weekend before Halloween. We spent our day wandering about a gorgeous, centuries-old cemetery. We stumbled upon a small festival where we were greeted by the Headless Horseman himself. Throughout the day we sipped on mulled wine and beer as we scarfed down hotdogs and cupcakes and admired the historic landmarks abreast the village's gorgeous landscape.

If you know me well, you know how special Halloween is to me. It's always been my favorite time of the year. The reason may be a bit deeper than you think it is. Sure, my manifesto consists of candy, ghost stories, horror films, dressing up in costumes, and a touch of decadence and debauchery; So it's only natural that I gravitate towards this crazy holiday. Growing up in New Orleans, the city of voodoo, cemeteries, haunted houses, (real) vampires and ghosts galore. It seems fitting that creepy settings and darker aesthetics make me feel at home, but it's also having an incredible party-planner/hostess as a mother who throws epic Halloween parties that makes this holiday so special. "It's the day my whole life changed," my mom, Donna, said when asked why Halloween was such an important holiday for her. Back in 1985, Halloween night, my parents met for the first time... Soon they were married, had me, later Bella joined our clan, and the rest is history a...

To be honest I didn't expect to write up a post about this weekend. If I had I probably would have prepared a bit better... It was a short, nearly-impromptu getaway. But I returned to the city Sunday evening having had an amazing time and kind of inspired. So I've decided to share a few snaps I took with my fav - a disposable camera - throughout the weekend. A truly wonderful friend of mine had very kindly invited me out to his home in a cozy, breathtakingly  gorgeous town in NJ. Wanting to hang out and finally see his home, I didn't hesitate to hop on the train. What a genius decision that was, because quite frankly I ended up having the most exciting, fun weekend of the season thus far. Enveloped by the gorgeous hilly range covered in amber trees, the landscape alone made the trip worth it. But there was so many exciting adventure on our agenda as we explored all the autumn-themed offerings of the neighboring towns. We ate incredible food while listening ...