Bridesmaid Hairstyle Idea: Elsa-Inspired Side Braid

Why, hello there! Long time, no see! I took an extended blogging break while traveling out to California for a best friend’s wedding, and let me tell you, I had an absolute blast. Wedding pictures and trip recaps are soon to come, but today, I’m kicking things off with a look at the Elsa-inspired side braid I rocked as a bridesmaid.

Since the weather on California’s Central Coast can be windy and damp, I knew I wanted something pulled back, yet different from the traditional updo, for my bestie’s beachfront soiree. Being a major fan of Frozen, I fell head over heels in love with this dramatic side braid the minute I saw it on Pinterest. But would my stylist be able to recreate it?

(via Pinterest)

As it turned out, she had a pretty hard time getting it right, having to start over several times and not truly mimicking the look in the photo. Overall, though, I was still happy with the end result, which looked very Elsa-esque when paired with my blue-green dress that featured a series of pretty back ruffles.

What do you think of this style? Would you wear a braid at a wedding? Check out some other unique looks, including braided updos, in my recent Brit + Co post showcasing 20 Stunning Updos to Rock at Every Summer Wedding. 

New York, New York: The Metropolitan Opera

As a musical theater and opera fan, it had long been one of my dreams to visit the Metropolitan Opera and see a performance by Diana Damrau, who I once had the pleasure of hearing in recital at DC’s Kennedy Center.

That dream finally came true a couple weeks ago when Stephen and I visited the Met for a Saturday night performance of Manon, staring the amazing Damrau as the title character. From the story and music to the performances and costumes, everything about this show was spectacular, and it now stands out as one of the two best operas I’ve ever seen. (The other was the Kennedy Center's The Elixir of Love, staring the sadly now-divorcing husband-and-wife duo Ailyn Perez and Stephen Costello.) 

Damrau’s charming and charismatic Manon was everything I expected her to be, and even our seats, way up in the highest tier, offered a decent view and great acoustics. Though the show lasted four hours (including two intermissions), I was so caught up in the love story and phenomenal singing that I hardly even noticed the time. 

After the performance ended around midnight, we walked back to the hotel in late-March snow flurries and rested up for our backstage tour the following morning. Just like the show, this tour was an opera lover’s dream come true, as we got to visit the costume and carpentry shops, singers’ dressing rooms, group rehearsal spaces and more. And while we couldn't actually walk onstage, we did get to see the crew using a huge elevator and tons of equipment to erect sets for Don Carlo, the Met’s next performance. 

If you're ever in New York and would like to take this tour, visit the Metropolitan Opera Guild's website to reserve tickets. You won't be disappointed!

Finally, no visit to NYC would have been complete without a quick trip to the Museum of Natural History. I may be a grownup, but I still love me some dino bones. :) 

Thanks for a great time, New York! I will definitely be back soon. 

New York, New York: 9/11 Tribute Center & Lower East Side Tenement Museum

Our New York City vacation continued Friday morning, when, after a quick breakfast, we headed downtown for two scheduled tours – one at the 9/11 Tribute Center and the other at the Lower East Side Tenement Museum. The day got off to a slightly confusing start, though, when we accidentally got on a Brooklyn-bound express train and missed our original tour time at the Tribute Center. Fortunately, the staff members were understanding and transferred us to the next time slot.

For those not familiar with the Tribute Center, it was created by the September 11th Families’ Association and features “the stories of 9/11, told by those who were there.” Our two tour guides, for example, were both longtime residents of the surrounding neighborhood. While showing us the outdoor memorial, they each shared facts and personal accounts, including stories about meeting World Trade Center survivors and seeing New Yorkers come together in the hours and days immediately following the attacks.

Inspired by memories of hope, horror, love, loss, tragedy and human compassion, our guides' stories were incredibly moving, and I'd strongly recommend this tour to anyone who wants to connect with neighborhood residents or survivors in a very personal way. In addition to these firsthand accounts, the Tribute Center also offers a gallery of photos and artifacts visitors can look through either before or after their tours, thus adding to the powerful, emotional nature of the experience. 

After taking some time to visit the Tribute Center gift shop, get lunch and process what we'd heard, Stephen and I next headed to the Lower East Side Tenement Museum to learn about the real immigrant families who once lived in the building. Our tour, called “Hard Times,” allowed us to view two restored apartments and hear the stories of German-Jewish and Italian-Catholic families who struggled to make new lives in America between 1863 and 1935.

We enjoyed this tour, as well, and would love to come back in the future to view other apartments, learn about the lives of sweatshop workers and experience some of the Lower East Side's unique culinary treats.

Have you been to either of these places? What are some of your favorite museums or sites to visit in New York City?  

New York, New York: The Nightly Show

Oh, hi! I know it’s been over a month since I last blogged, but honestly, I haven’t had too many exciting things going on to write about lately. Instead of creating new posts, I've been spending my time reading, revising my novel, hitting up trampoline boot camp and continuing my gig as a freelance contributor at Brit + Co.

One fun thing I did do during March was visit New York City for a mini vacation that included seeing my favorite singer perform at the Metropolitan Opera. Here, in a series of three posts, I’ll be sharing some pictures and an overview of what we did each day, beginning last Thursday with our initial road trip and the chance to see a taping of The Nightly Show With Larry Wilmore. 

After a pretty straightforward 4.5 hour drive, which included a brief lunch stop at a Delaware rest area, Stephen and I arrived at the Holiday Inn Midtown near Columbus Circle on the West Side. We chose this hotel because it was affordable and also within walking distance of Lincoln Center, where the opera house is located.

While not especially luxurious, our room was clean, comfortable and bigger than I expected. The lobby was nice, the staff members friendly, and the price no more than $180 a night. I would definitely stay there again in the future.

We dropped off our car and bags, then walked a few blocks to the The Nightly Show studio. Since we had tickets and were also the third and fourth people in line, we got great seats once we entered. (If you ever want to attend a taping, just be sure to reserve free tickets online ahead of time and get there early, since not everyone who has a ticket is guaranteed a seat.)

We were allowed to take pictures of the set before the taping started, and also got to do an audience Q&A with Larry, who was just as cool off-camera. The taping itself was of course awesome, too, especially since we got to see all the behind-the-scenes action, including makeup touch-ups and the post-show photo session with the guest panel.

After it was over, we stopped off for Thai food at an unassuming little place that ended up being decently good. Then, tired from the drive, we decided to call it an early night and rest up for our Friday tours at the 9/11 Tribute Center and Lower East Side Tenement Museum.

Have you ever been to a TV taping? Despite being from So Cal, this was only my second one, the first being a Full House taping my friend and I went to see with our moms way back in middle school. Oh, the memories. :) 

Five Things Thursday: Best of the West

Hello out there! How was everyone’s July? Mine was awesome, mostly because of the couple weeks I spent chillaxing and catching up with family and friends in California. From Nor Cal to So Cal, Disneyland to Dana Point, and many places in between, there was rarely a dull moment. Although it’s impossible to pick out absolute favorites, here are five crazy cool memories from my time on the West Coast, best coast.

1. Hiking to Mammoth Rocks

Since Stephen’s family has a cute vacation house in coastal Nor Cal, we decided to kick off our trip by spending 4th of July weekend exploring the area. Along with watching the annual fireworks over the bay and going to a local pancake breakfast fundraiser, another highlight was hiking along the gorgeous coastline to Mammoth Rocks, which scientists believe the ancient creatures once rubbed up against, creating uniquely shaped smooth patches that exist to this day. 

2. Visiting DreamWorks Studios and the Iconic Hollywood Bowl

When one of your best friends works for DreamWorks (hi P!), visiting the studios is an absolute must. Even better? Going to the Hollywood Bowl to watch the DreamWorks 20th anniversary show hosted by Jack Black. That outing was in celebration of another best friend’s 30th birthday (hi B!).

3. Three Days of Disney

It’s no secret that I’m an absolute Disneyland fanatic, so when my mom suggested a three-day girls’ trip (Stephen had to head back to DC a bit sooner than me), I was totally down. Two nights at Disney’s Grand California Hotel helped us pack in nearly three full days of park hopping at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure. We also had a special dinner at Downtown Disney’s Rainforest Café, where animatronic elephants and gorillas put on a spectacular show. Even though I may have tired out my mom and sister with my go, go, go adrenaline rush, overall, it was a really great time.  

4. Giraffe Gazing at the Santa Barbara Zoo

Of course, no trip to California would be complete without a visit to one of the state’s amazing zoos. The Santa Barbara Zoo, located on the Central Coast, is big enough to be fun, but not so big that you get lost walking around. My favorite animal? The giraffes, of course!

5. Trampolining at Sky Zone

Disney, the zoo and trampolining? Yes, I’m definitely a kid at heart. My friend and I had a blast visiting an indoor trampoline park and getting a great workout while catching up. Have you ever been to one of these places? I need to find one around here ASAP and ask whether they have an exercise class I can enroll in.

Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures from Sky Zone because my phone was stashed away inside a locker, so I'll leave you with a couple other final shots instead. 

What have been the highlights of your summer so far? 

A Big Apple Christmas & DC New Year Recap: Better Late Than Never

Yes, I know Christmas has been over for more than a month already, but I’ve had such a busy start to my new year that I’m just now finally getting around to recapping the holidays, which were awesome in every way. From spending an amazing week in New York City with my mom and sister to showing them the sights back here in DC through the beginning of 2014, it was by far one of my favorite Christmases ever. Here, in a nutshell, are some of our top holiday highlights.

-- Our midtown hotel in New York City, the Westin Grand Central, was comfortable, clean and close enough to many major sights without the expensive Times Square price tag. It also offered a great view of the Chrysler Building, one of my favorite NYC landmarks. Overall, I liked it a lot and would definitely stay there again.

-- I'm a big fan of Monet and Van Gogh, so it was fabulous seeing their pieces on display at both the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Museum of Modern Art.

-- Heading up to the top of the Empire State Building on Christmas Eve was freezing but still worth it for the amazing panoramic views of the city. The Heartland Brewery restaurant next door also served the best baked macaroni and cheese I’ve ever eaten!

-- It was my first time visiting Dylan’s Candy Bar, and I'm happy to say that I now understand the reason for all of the well-deserved hype! Chocolate- and candy-covered Oreos were my favorite treat, followed closely by a s'more chocolate bar. Oh, how I wish they would open one of these here in DC!

-- By far the biggest highlight of our trip was going to see three Broadway shows – Waiting for Godot staring Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen, The Glass Menagerie staring Zachary Quinto, and Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella. All three were incredible, and if you ever have the chance to go to New York City and see them, I highly recommend doing so! Back in DC, we also rung in 2014 by going to see the musical Elf at the Kennedy Center. (We forgot to take pictures of the shows' marquee signs, so here's a shot of the iconic Grand Central Terminal clock instead.)  

-- The Central Park Zoo’s snow leopard cubs were truly adorable, climbing, tumbling and playing outside in the chilly weather.

-- The potato pancakes we ate at New York's famous Katz's Deli, of When Harry Met Sally fame, were beyond scrumptious.

-- Back in DC, my mom, sister, Stephen and I had a fun time visiting George Washington’s Mount Vernon, where we pet a sweet Christmas camel and got to tour the usually closed off top level of the mansion.

-- Space Shuttle Discovery, which I saw flying above our old apartment complex on its way to the Smithsonian back in 2012, is now housed at the National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Northern Virginia, where we took refuge one cold and rainy afternoon.

All in all, I loved the holidays and can’t wait to head back to NYC again, hopefully sometime this year. If you’ve been there before, what are some of your favorite things to do? Any recommendations for my next visit? Going to the Metropolitan Opera for a show and backstage tour is definitely at the top of my list!  

New Year's Resolutions: Better Late Than Never

I hope everyone’s 2014 is off to a great start so far! Since my family was here visiting from Christmas through last week, I’m just now getting back into the swing of things after an amazing holiday in New York City and a wonderful time introducing them to some of the DC area’s best museums and landmarks.

Even though we’re already a couple weeks into the new year, I figure it’s better late than never to share a few goals and resolutions. And really, any time, new year or not, is a good time to set goals for improving your life, right? 

Here below, with the help of a couple simple prompts I discovered via fellow bloggers, is a quick look at several of my goals, along with my chosen "word of the year."

A Bad Habit I’m Going to Break: 

Overeating

A New Skill I’d Like to Learn: 

Cooking more healthy meals

A Person I Hope to Be More Like: 

My Nana

A Good Deed I’m Going to Do: 

Donate on behalf of causes I support

A Place I’d Like to Visit: 

New York City’s Metropolitan Opera

A Book I’d Like to Read: 

The End of Illness by David B. Agus 

And many others, as well. As of right now, I have 98 books on my “To Read” list. During 2012 and 2013, I read 20-25 books per year while taking part in the Goodreads Reading Challenge. I hope to continue that trend by getting through at least 20 titles this year.

A Letter I’m Going to Write:

One allowing me to reconnect with someone I've lost touch with over the years

A New Food I’d Like to Try:

Crab sushi

I’m Going to Work Harder At: 

Believing in myself

A Project I'd Like to Finish: 

A final draft of my first novel 

I'd Like to Spend More Time: 

Exercising

I Want to Eat More: 

Fruits and vegetables

I Want to Wear More: 

Colorful clothes and jewelry, instead of my usual neutrals

A Class I'd Like to Take: 

An online writing seminar via Writer's Digest

Word of the Year: 

Confident 

Did you choose a "word of the year" or set goals for 2014? 

A Big Apple Christmas

The countdown is on! In just two days, my mom and sister will arrive here in DC as the three of us get ready to head up to New York City to celebrate Christmas.

Even though I’ve been to NYC during the holiday season at least once before, I’ve never actually been there for Christmas itself or with my sister and mom. To say I’m excited would be an understatement, and I just can’t wait to get caught up in all of the holiday hustle-and-bustle while also enjoying plenty of fun sightseeing and taking in several Broadway shows.

Happy holidays to one and all! 

After our trip to the Big Apple, my mom, sister, Stephen and I will also spend another week back here in DC touring museums, visiting our favorite restaurants and heading to the Kennedy Center on New Year’s Eve to see Elf live on stage.

I’ll be back soon to share my 2013 year-in-review post and also recap our trip once it’s over, but for now, I wish you all a wonderful holiday and a very joyous New Year!

How will you be celebrating? 

Beaches, Veggie Burgers & Vineyard Weddings

There are so many things I love about my home state of California, from the sandy beaches and mild weather to the delicious food and, of course, all of the loved ones I get to reconnect with each time I visit.

As those of you who follow me on Facebook and Instagram surely noticed, I took another much-anticipated vacation and blog break last week in order to spend a little time out on the West Coast, where I happily snacked on lobster tacos and veggie burgers, took in the beauty of the state’s Central Coast and attended the gorgeous vineyard wedding of my dear friends Jess and John.

As always, I’ve recapped my adventure below in photos. 

No visit to the Golden State would be complete without stopping by The Habit for a veggie burger with sweet potato fries. Another must-have? A grilled cheese from In-N-Out. 

There's nothing like the beauty of California's Central Coast, as seen here at Avila Beach, where I joined my close friends Bridget and Gianna for good food and music at the city's popular seaside Farmer's Market.

A group wine-tasting excursion hosted by the bride and groom was the ultimate way to kick off the wedding weekend. Here, Gianna and I are taking a quick water break before joining the others for a picnic lunch. 

Rolling hills, wine barrels, a candy bar, hand-drawn chalkboard signs and more set the stage for a fun and memorable wedding reception at Sanford Winery in Lompoc. Isn't the "Ring for a Kiss" bell too cute?

From the artfully designed centerpieces to the twinkling candles, Jess and John's table decor helped create the perfect rustic chic vibe. 

Hanging out with Gianna and Bridget during cocktail hour, then staying warm and getting ready to party with beautiful bride Jessica. 

Thanks for a wonderful trip, everyone! Now, it's back to DC in time to welcome the official start of the fall season, which promises cooler days, colorful leaves and, in just a little over a week, my 30th birthday. Yikes!

Hawaii Vacation Recap: Big Island

After our amazing first week on Oahu, Stephen and I next took a short hop over to the Big Island, where we celebrated his sister's wedding and enjoyed another couple days at the beautiful Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows on the Kohala Coast. We then also headed down to Kona and explored Hilo on the wet side of the island. Hey, when you're traveling all the way out to Hawaii from the East Coast, you might as well make the most of it, right?

The view from our room, which we got at a great rate thanks to the block discount for the wedding. What an all-around incredible resort! 

Pre-ceremony photos with the couple and my fellow bridesmaids.

Posing with Stephen for a quick picture before the start of the wedding. 

Heading down the aisle.

My gorgeous bouquet, perfectly designed to symbolize a Hawaiian sunset.

The bride and groom sharing their first dance in the moonlight. 

A sea turtle resting peacefully on a black sand beach. We also saw several others up close while swimming in the bay at the resort.

 Coffee roasting demonstration at the Mountain Thunder Coffee Plantation. I don't typically drink coffee, but the blends we sampled there were delicious! 

During our daytrip to Hilo, we got a great glimpse of the cruise ship we sailed on for our honeymoon three years ago. 

The Pana'ewa Rainforest Zoo & Gardens in Hilo is home to white Bengal tiger Namaste', along with many beautiful peacocks that enjoy roaming freely. 

Rainbow Falls in Hilo, one of our final stops before flying home.

A cool and colorful statue at the airport in Hilo. Have you figured out yet that I'm a huge lover of sea turtles? 

 All in all, it was a truly fabulous trip, and I can't wait to go back again for the next one!