Cupcakes in the City is back with installment number three! This time around I checked out the well known NYC staple, Magnolia Bakery. My first time visiting Magnolia’s was back in college when I was interning for The Rachael Ray Show. My commute brought me through Grand Central Station. While exploring the station during my semester interning, I found in the food court a quaint bakery stand, and lo and behold it was Magnolia’s. I was mesmerized by the brightly colored frosted treats. Fast forward to today, Magnolia’s has become a favorite so I knew I had to include them in this series.
Magnolia Bakery – Penn Station
Details:
Location: 1 Penn Plaza, Lower Concourse (Right by the A,C,E enterance), New York, NY 10119
Cupcake Price – $3.50/each
The Magnolia Bakery I visited for this post was located in Penn Station. You can’t imagine my excitement when I saw Magnolia’s was moving into Penn Station, making it oh so convenient for me to grab a treat on my way home to New Jersey after my commute from work. The shop in the station is fairly small and it can get very crowded during rush hour, but the line moves fast and before you know it you have a bag of goodness.
Cupcake Logistics: Appearance: Traditionally the cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery are known for their pastel frosting and a dash of sprinkles. You can probably request your prefered frosting colors, but I typically just say give me 2 chocolate cupcakes with vanilla frosting and I get what I get. I’ve always found these cupcakes to be some of the prettiest, even though they really aren’t that fancy, but the pastels and sprinkles do it for me. Frosting: Creamy, decadent, melt in your mouth goodness. I find the chocolate frosting in particular is very milk chocolatey. If you get the vanilla frosting, I find it can sometimes be too sweet, leaving a bit of an aftertaste. I’m a huge frosting gal, so when I find frosting to be too sweet, you might want to watch out! Cake flavor/consistency: The chocolate cake itself isn’t full of overwhelming chocolate flavor, but paired with chocolate frosting, it’s just perfect. The consistency is just right, with the perfect amount of freshness. A solidly constructed cupcake! My boyfriend tried the vanilla cupcake and found it to be a bit dry, but we’ve since had Magnolia again and it seemed to be just that particular day that we had a miss.
Vanilla cupcake with chocolate frosting from Magnolia BakeryVanilla cupcake with chocolate frosting from Magnolia BakeryChocolate cupcake with vanilla frosting from Magnolia BakeryChocolate cupcake with vanilla frosting from Magnolia Bakery
Magnolia Bakery also offers a ton of other sweet treats from very popular puddings, slices of cake that tempt you from their displays, cookies, and more! However, you can’t go wrong with a Magnolia cupcake in their beautiful pastel goodness!
If you’re interested in trying one of New York’s best chain bakeries for cupcakes, then you have to stop by. I recommend visiting the shops in Penn Station and Grand Central if you’re travelling so you can get in and out and take your treats home instead of carrying them around the city all day.
Coming up next time in Cupcakes in the City will be Empire Cakes. Now go get yourself a sweet treat!
It’s beginning to feel like Fall…at least my latest Fix from Stitch Fix makes me feel Fall is closely on the horizon.
For my August Fix I requested a satchel bag, a skirt, and for the most part told my stylist to pick out whatever she felt would fit my style based on past fixes and my Pinterest Board.
#1 – Jolanda Embroidered Tunic by Alice Blue I’ve been hoping and hinting for a tunic top for a couple months now, so I was excited when I read my note from my stylist that she included one in my latest fix. This tunic by Alice Blue is an essential for Fall. This top is super airy, has massive sleeves that make me feel I could potentially fly away, and the color/style just shouts Fall is here! I can’t wait for the cooler weather to blow in so I can wear this to work.
Alice Blue Jolanda Embroidered TunicJolanda Embroidered Tunic by Alice Blue
#2 – Renesme Geo Cube Jersey Faux Wrap Dress by 41Hawthorn First things first, I’ve read and seen all the Twilight books and movies so my first thought when I saw the name of this dress brought me back to my college days with my roommates, reading the series and seeing it in the theatres. Anyways, moving on. This dress is amazing! It’s absolutely fabulous and I’m in love. It’s super comfortable, flattering, and such a lovely print. Another classic Fall piece. My stylist picked this one right from my Pinterest board, and I couldn’t be more pleased with it. Definitely a must request item.
41Hawthrone Renesme Geo Cube Jersey Faux Wrap DressRenesme Geo Cube Jersey Faux Wrap Dress by 41Hawthorn
#3 – Deandra Textured Aline Skirt by Margaret M
For some reason I decided to be “daring” this month and request my first ever Stitch Fix skirt. Now, I’m not much of a skirt person at all, but I kept seeing beautiful images of outfits with skirts on Pinterest, so I was curious if I could pull one off. I’ve tried Margaret M pants before, and have loved them, so I was excited to see my stylist decided to go with that company for my first Stitch Fix skirt. Margaret M is all about flattering figures and providing pieces that thin you. This skirt is cute, but one thing to note is that it really showcases off all your curves. You can totally make out the shape of my lower stomach, something I’m not used to highlighting. If you’re uncomfortable with the skirt hugging your curves, pull up the skirt higher up your torso, turning it into a high waisted skirt, this instantly smoothes you without the cling, giving you a polished looked. It’ll take some getting used to, but I can’t wait to pair this skirt with some of my previous Fix shirts. Pro tip, this skirt looks amazing with flowy tops.
Margaret M Deandra Textured Aline SkirtDeandra Textured Aline Skirt by Margaret M
#4 – Marisol Mixed Material 3/4 Sleeve Knit Top by Papermoon
What a cute and comfortable top this is! I love the colors and design. In fact, I secretly wish the whole top was the same pattern that’s on the back. This top feels like butter, it’s so soft. My stylist suggested I pair this top with my new Margaret M skirt, which color wise goes perfectly together. Once it’s a bit cooler out, I’ll have to take the whole outfit out on the town, or let’s be honest, wear it to work 🙂
Papermoon Marisol Mixed Material 3/4 Sleeve Knit TopMarisol Mixed Material 3/4 Sleeve Knit Top by Papermoon
#5 – Valencia Mini Structured Satchel by Octavia
My all time favorite bag is one with a cross body strap, it makes traveling a breeze and I don’t have to worry about losing my purse. I’ve been dying to find the perfect Satchel bag since some of my cross body bags have seen much better days. I had requested one in burgundy, but none were available, but this color (Teal according to my stylist) is fabulous, and maybe a new favorite! It’s the perfect size for me, and there’s still plenty of empty space inside after I’ve added in my usual purse essentials. I love that you can opt to wear it on your arm, or cross body. The cross body strap is also removable, which is always a great bonus. The satchel has a wonderfully spacious zipper compartment on the outside, a zippered pocket within the main part of the bag, along with an extra pocket. I’ve literally used this bag everyday since my fix arrived, it’s perfect!
Octavia Valencia Mini Structured SatchelValencia Mini Structured Satchel by Octavia
Final Thoughts: I’ve lucked out and had another great fix. I’m super excited for Fall to come so I can enjoy some of these pieces more. This fix also taught me to keep my mind open, like with the skirt, and not to be afraid of color (satchel bag!). I ended up keeping everything, and am looking forward to seeing what my stylist has in mind for me next month. I’m hoping I’ll get the perfect pair of black leggings, and maybe a fun Fall jacket! Until next time, happy fixing!
Suggestions for a better fix:
Be very specific. If there are certain pieces or types of clothing you really want, provide that in your styling note to your stylist.
Create a Pinterest Board. Stylists will check them out if you keep mentioning them in your style notes.
Call out designers or names of actual articles of clothing . Your stylist may not provide those exact items but they’ll start to get a better sense of what style you’re into.
Don’t forget to follow my Pinterest Boards for more Stitch Fix fun!
It may be a few days late, but I’m excited to bring to you my July Stitch Fix haul! I asked for short sleeve tops and dresses, things I could wear to work or hang out in. This month my stylist purused my Pinterest board again, and noticed a theme of green – one I hadn’t been aware of, but apparently I pinned a fair amount of green items, so she made sure to include something in that hue.
My July fix contained 2 short sleeved tops, 2 mid/long sleeve tops, and one faux wrap dress. Now to the fashion!
#1 – Ava Floral Print Silk Henley Blouse by 41Hawthorn This top is super lightweight and flowy. It’s pretty comfortable and cute. The pattern is a beautiful floral print in a nice green and navy color combo. The only con I have is that the arm holes are cut a little too small, riding up a bit in my armpits so I’ll probably hold off wearing it in the summer months when it’s too hot. This will be a cute top to wear under a navy blazer in the fall.
#2 – Cyrano Button Front Blouse by Papermoon It’s mid summer, and it’s hot hot hot! I’m so thankful my stylist provided me with this colorful blouse by Papermoon. Something about the print says “picnic” to me, maybe because it’s somewhat similar to a traditional picnic table cover. I love how airy this top is. There’s no cling, it drapes across your chest comfortably, and is just the perfect top for pairing with white shorts in the summertime.
Cyrano Button Front Blouse by PapermoonCyrano Button Front Blouse
#3 – Tameron Button Down Blouse by 41Hawthorn
With fall around the corner, it’s prime time to start requesting some longer sleeved tops. If you’re looking for something cute, casual, yet able to be dressed up, this button down blouse is for you! Not only is this color to die for, but it apparently comes in a ton of other colors, which my stylist let me know are available in case I fell in love. I might just have to take her up on that. I also love the rolled sleeve detail, it’s effortless yet classic. Pair this top with a great pair of jeans, or white pants, and you’re good to go! Side note, I kind of feel ready for a safari in this top haha.
41Hawthorn Tameron Button Down Blouse
Tameron Button Down Blouse
#4 – Bilson Pleat Detail Blouse by Daniel Rainn
This blouse is actually “two” tops in one. Inside of the blouse is a sewn in cami to provide extra coverage under the sheerness of the blouse. The cami is attached just at the top of the straps so it can probably be removed. I’m thinking of detaching them so I can put them on one at a time. Right now with the cami attached, I find it to be quite the challenge to find the arm holes and get this over my head. With all that to the side, I want to point out how cute this little white dotted pattern is. To me, the top almost looks like the night sky full of little white stars. You could dress this up or down and be comfortable all at the same time. A perfect top for the fall weather coming up.
Daniel Rainn Bilson Pleat Detail Blouse
Bilson Pleat Detail Blouse
#5 – Rocco Jersey Faux Wrap Dress by 41Hawthorn
Ladies, we’ve all been told we need a little black dress in our closet, and I think I found the perfect one for all shapes and sizes! This faux wrap dress by 41Hawthorn is to die for. Not only is it super comfortable, but it’s really fashionable. Once you put it on, you’ll feel elegant and sophisticated. Heck, I was ready for a night on the town with my boyfriend when I put this on, it’s such a mood booster. It’s the type of dress and cut that would be flattering for everyone. When I pulled it out of my Stitch Fix box I thought it looked familiar. I quickly dashed to my closet, and low and behold I have the same exact dress from Stitch Fix but with sleeves. I guess I now have all the seasons covered 🙂
41Hawthorn Rocco Jersey Faux Wrap DressRocco Jersey Faux Wrap Dress
Some final thoughts: This month’s fix was great! While I would have preferred more options that I could wear during the current season, I loved the finds my stylist sent my way, I’ll just have to wait until it’s not 90 degrees out 🙂 It also seems like 41Hawthorn is taking over my boxes. Three out of the 5 items this month were all from that brand, and I don’t mind! Overall, this is a 5 out of 5. My next box comes next week, so keep an eye in this spot!
Suggestions for a better fix:
Be very specific. If there are certain pieces or types of clothing you really want, provide that in your styling note to your stylist.
Create a Pinterest Board. Stylists will check them out if you keep mentioning them in your style notes.
Call out designers or names of actual articles of clothing . Your stylist may not provide those exact items but they’ll start to get a better sense of what style you’re into.
Don’t forget to follow my Pinterest Boards for more Stitch Fix fun!
For the past year I’ve been following Blogilates and her calendars off and on. Work travel has always caused me to stop my Blogilates practice, but I’m gearing up for a pilates workout challenge this month and want you to join me!
First things first: What is Blogilates?
A movement, a blog, a fun spirited pilates community created by Cassey Ho. Cassey created a new type of workout called POP Pilates which is a fun, high energy pilates workout set to pop songs and beats.
How can I get started?
If you’re a beginner, which is how I started out, check out her beginner calendar which references videos on her Youtube channel. If you’re not a beginner in the world of Pilates, try out her August calendar for planned workouts for each day of the week!
What’s the challenge? Cassey has created a challenge for the month of August called Adore the Core (search for #adorethecore and blogilates on Instagram). Each day you’ll have one stretch or pilates move to complete. Check out Cassey’s Instagram post below.
Blogilates #adorethecore challenge by Cassey Ho.
I’ll be posting on my non-personal Instagram account as not to spam my friends. Feel free to follow my journey there and tag my account!
Who doesn’t love a vacation? This past weekend my boyfriend surprised me with a trip down to Sunset Key, a private island off of Key West owned by Starwood Hotels and private residents.
Welcome to Key West, the Conch Republic!
The resort, the only one on the island, is called Sunset Key Cottages. The only other people on the island are private home owners. The island is only accessible by shuttle boat to those staying on the island or visiting the restaurant. How cool is that? The boat runs very frequently, every 30 minutes (on the :15 and :45 mark from the docks in Key West, and at the top of every hour and half hour on Sunset Key). One thing I really appreciated about the boat was how timely it was. They arrived and left exactly on time. For someone used to commuting in NYC and NJ this was quite the treat 🙂
Lil Princess – Sunset Key Shuttle Boat
While the resort is associated with Westin, who has a traditional hotel on Key West, you check in on Sunset Key itself. From there, the concierge personally walks you to your cottage and gives you the resort rundown (boat schedule, breakfast information, pool and beach info, etc). Each cottage is given a super cute name. Our cottage was called “Easy Dreams,” which is a little ironic considering some of our morning experiences, but I’ll get into that later. The cottage has 2 bedrooms (1 with a king bed, the other with two double beds), 3 bathrooms, a lovely living room/dining area, functional kitchen minus an oven, and a beautiful wrap around porch with rocking chairs. Outside there were also two shower heads on the cottage for rinsing off after a day at the beach or in the pool.
The resort is beautiful, peaceful, and comes with some awesome amenities. One of my favorite touches was that every morning each cottage would receive a breakfast basket on their porch. Included in your basket were muffins, croissants, butter/jam, and a couple pieces of fruit. It was so magical opening the door every morning to find a cute basket full of goodies (all included in your stay).
Sunset Key Cottages Breakfast Basket
Each morning the quantity varied. One morning we received 2 muffins, 3 croissants, and two pieces of fruit…a lot of food for two people. Other mornings we received smaller amounts of baked goods. Most mornings we couldn’t tell what type of muffins we received and there was no note saying what you received. On our second to last morning one of the muffins was blueberry, which is what I was craving the whole time. It was absolutely delicious. I only wish we could have requested what we wanted.
Onto the water! The pool was quite nice with an accessible gradual slope, and optional ladders in the deeper ends. There’s also a hot tub or two around the pool area that you can check out as well. You’ll also find a bar that serves food at the pool. We didn’t eat anything there, but probably would have if we could have eaten off the kids menu 🙂 (disclaimer: we didn’t ask if it was allowed or not).
Sunset Key off in the distance
Sunset Key also has a beach available to guests. Apparently vacationers staying in the Westin on Key West are able to use the beach, but I think I only saw one couple take advantage of that the 4 days we were there. The beach itself is small, and at the water’s edge there are a ton of little pebbles and rocks that make it a bit painful to get into the water, but after a few feet things smooth out and you can walk on some patches of sand or some larger non painful rocks in the water.
Two of my favorite things about the beach were that there were minimal waves and the water was the perfect temperature. The only time the beach had any waves was when speed boats or jet skis would pass nearby. I hate waves, so this beach worked out nicely for me. In regards to the temperature of the water, it wasn’t cold at all. I would say it was more refreshing than anything, something that was very welcome with the high humidity on the island.
Sunset Key Pros:
Limited amount of people around – for the most part the only people on the island were cottage guests
Breakfast baskets – too cute for words
Spacious cottages
Rocking chairs on cottage porches – perfect for reading (and there are ceiling fans on the porch to keep you cool!)
Little treats being left every night after turn down. The first night there were chocolates left by the bedside. We also received Key Lime cookies. However, the coolest treat left was two little boxes of Cupcake Sushi. What’s Cupcake Sushi you ask? Cute bite sized bits of cake (cupcake) surrounded by buttercream frosting, dunked in dark chocolate and decorated with chocolate pearls to look like a little piece of sushi. Delicious!!
Cupcake Sushi from Key WestCupcake Sushi
Sunset Key Cons:
Sometimes the maintenance starts too early – when we’re on a vacation we sometimes want to sleep in, which wasn’t always a luxury available to us this trip due to being up against the maintenance buildings. We also had the unfortunate experience of having a landscaper decide to dig around the foundation of our cottage our first morning to plant several bushes. I don’t know if he didn’t get the memo that a) it was early and b) that someone was staying in the cottage. The Cottage “Easy Dreams” didn’t always make it so easy to dream 🙂
Not many food options – the resort offers a restaurant but none of the options were super appealing or exciting for us (we’re not into fancy food). Next time I might try ordering kids menu items from room service.
Conclusion:
Sunset Keys is an amazing place. I hope I get a chance to go again. Definitely a place I would recommend if you want to check out Key West but want to avoid being around the whole party scene 24/7.
Key West Recommendations:
Favorite Bar for Food: Island Dogs
What to order: Bar Pizza – perfect size to fill you up, super cheesy and delicious. I got pepperoni!
Tour: Ghosts and Gravestones
Summary: Fun evening tour that takes you around in a “spooky” trolley. You’ll get to see interesting historic buildings and learn about their history, and hop off at two stops (a fort and a museum). It’s not scary (unless you disrespect Robert), but is super informative, fun, and something different to try.
Fish and Chips Recommendation: Red Fish Blue Fish
Summary: For me beach towns = fish and chips, but it’s a hard dish to come by in Key West. Red Fish Blue Fish is a great spot to chow down on traditional fish and chips. Plus, they had quick service, an air conditioned dining room (there’s also an outside patio area), and tasty food.
