Where the BLOGspiration Happens

Where do you write your blog posts? In a coffee shop? In a modest home office? Or cozied up on the couch with your laptop in front of you?

I was pondering this very question today. Ever since I was little, I loved having my own desk. I personalized it with pictures and little mementos, and stored all of my fun office supplies and stationary in the desk drawers. Since then, I have always carved out a special place in my home to inspire me to dream and create.

In my last apartment, I had my own home office. Behind french doors, this cheerful room was where I spent a lot of my time.

I love to surround myself with pictures of family and friends and places I've traveled to. My bookshelf has scrapbooks and photo albums at the top, and various books - everything from LA Candy by Lauren Conrad, to Hugh Hefner's biography, to books on business, entrepreneurship, and travel. The framed photo at the bottom is a sunset photograph I took in San Diego.

This colorful chair is from Ikea. The print is so vibrant and really stands out. When I saw it, I knew I had to have it. And fyi, I type all of my blog posts on that super girly pink keyboard. I love it.

Quotes give me so much inspiration. This one hangs on the wall opposite my dresser.

I regularly update this fabric ribbon board with pictures that make me smile.

Blogging is such a fun creative outlet, that it's key to work in a space that's comfortable and enlivening. Where do you blog? If you'd like to create a post with this same topic in mind, post the link below so I can check it out! :)

Mansions and Dive Bars, Oh My!

This weekend, Steve and I took a mini roadtrip two hours south to the quaint and lovely town of Newport, Rhode Island. Throughout my younger years I never wanted to leave the familiar comforts of where I grew up. I wanted to eat at the same restaurants and go to the same place every year for vacation. Nowadays, I have such FUN exploring new places!

{Our room was cozy and comfortable}

{A sleeveless top with ruffle detail was perfect for our nighttime plans}

{The lit-up streets dotted with bars, shops, and restaurants}

{The crowd at The Pelham, a very popular dive bar}

{Drinks we enjoyed in a cozy nook on the second level}

What makes Newport so unique is the Mansions. 11 architecturally stunning mansions, previously summer homes for the rich and famous, are situated on or near the coastline. We toured the most famous of them all, known as The Breakers, owned by the Vanderbilt family.

This place was a PALACE. It was hard to believe a regular family used to live here! 47 bedrooms, and 23 bathrooms!

Between enjoying the hotel's hot tub, walking around and exploring, and a romantic dinner at Cafe Zelda, it was a super relaxing and enjoyable weekend. I will definitely be back!

Reckless In the City

There is nothing I like more than the combination of a Saturday night, a friend's birthday party, good music, and wearing 6" heels. Of course I love a cozy night in with movies, snacks, and pajamas, but it's fun to get out. Especially in the city.

This lovely lady (my good friend Mary) rang in the big 2-2 last weekend at a popular irish bar in Boston called Paddy O's. I knew it wasn't going to be an ordinary night when we walked in and noticed half of the crowd was decked out in 80s style prom dresses.

We livened up the party by joining them all onstage, borrowing some of their props, and dancing up a storm!

Take in some of the fun in this short video:

Brunch at The Otherside Cafe the following morning was a treat.

This weekend, I am catching up with friends over margaritas, and getting some much needed R&R with the boy. Happy Friday everyone!

Spring Fling

The transition between seasons can be so refreshing. This weekend I exchanged my Uggs in favor of open-toed Nine West wedges, and put on a flirty summer dress to enjoy beautiful and sunny 70 degree weather!

dress & turquoise necklace: forever 21. wedges: nine west.

Other things I enjoy about the transition to warmer weather:

• planning out fun weekend getaways and day trips
• soft serve ice cream and gelato
• breaking out my flip flops, summer dresses, and tank tops
• putting away my heavy winter coats!
• dining outdoors

What sorts of things excite YOU about the transition to spring?

We're Just Like Leprechauns

Over the weekend, my friends and I wore our best green attire and celebrated St. Patrick's Day! A plastic cauldron filled with green beads, shots mixed with Midori liquor, and green cupcakes enhanced the festivities.

I love the color green, but I don't have a lot of green in my wardrobe. Luckily I remembered I had this t-shirt dress from Old Navy!

Katy and her man host a lot of our fun get-togethers. I was the first one to arrive and within minutes our cameras were already out!

I hope everyone has a FUN-FILLED and FABULOUS St. Patrick's Day tomorrow. I am also pleased to announce that my blog has a new URL. Please update your bookmarks to KINSEYM.COM ! I love and appreciate all of your support!

Newburyport

I don't know what it is, but warm weather makes me happy! This past weekend was one of the most beautiful weekends we've had this year in New England. I couldn't not take advantage, so my boyfriend and I took a drive to this adorable gem of a town that is 40 minutes north of Boston, perfectly perched on the coast.

Welcome to Newburyport! This community is so adorable with their boutique shops, cozy restaurants, and street musicians. It wasn't quite warm enough to go without a jacket, but I was delighted to not have to wear something bulky and heavy!

A cup of blue vanilla gelato after lunch was the icing on the cake to our lovely afternoon. It was so tasty.

This unique antique shop, housed in a huge barn, had tons of treasures. It was so fun to look at everything - the old xylophone, dusty beer steins, pretty jewelry boxes and chests...

Life has been stressful lately, so taking a day to explore and enjoy a town I don't often go to was just what I needed! And, it was super fun rocking this bib necklace too (a trend I initially hated, but has grown on me!) {Arden B}

Time to unwind on this lovely Tuesday with a couple of cocktails :)

Eight Years of True Love.

When Steve and I met, I was only 15 years old and super shy. We didn't have our driver's licenses so our parents had to drop us off on dinner dates and mall trips. We wrote each other poems and stole kisses in the hallway between classes in high school. We thought we'd never be together again when I moved to California at age 18. But I came back 4 months later :) We have a lot of history and have been through our ups and downs, like any normal couple. But the bottom line is, we're happy and in love!

We celebrated whilst in California and decided to explore downtown San Diego's exciting nightlife.

Dinner at Tabule was fabulous. The atmosphere was cozy and chic. Mini toasted bread slices with a creamy queso spread were complimentary and sooo tasty. I had the chipotle chicken fettucini for dinner, which was bursting with flavors.

This photo perfectly depicts our taste in alcoholic beverages, which we enjoyed throughout the meal.

After dinner, The Shouthouse dueling piano bar kept us entertained for quite awhile. These guys were hysterical!

The Yardhouse oozed 'TRENDY' and didn't disappoint. Their martini list was huge (I had the Citrus Pomegrante), and the amount of beers they had on tap was enormous! We sat at the bar since it had the best view.

For one of the best views of the city, we took an elevator up 22 stories to the Altitude Sky Lounge. I really like this bar. They always have a DJ, tons of places to sit and stand, including a huge fire pit in the middle. The view of the ballpark (where the San Diego Padres play) is unmatched, especially on game days!

There's always a first time for everything. I also went to a country/rock style bar. Appropriately named, Double Deuce was a lot of fun. There was a mechanical bull, and I kind of wish I had tried it out!

The next morning, we drove out to the eclectic North Park neighborhood for a yummy breakfast at The Mission Cafe. My cinnamon french toast was perfect (although I couldn't indulge in the blueberries since I'm allergic!)

We ended our trip with a short jaunt to wine country where we took in the views and then headed back to catch our flight home. It was a great couple of days!

It's a Family Affair

This afternoon was a fun and festive soiree in honor of my Grandmother's 85th birthday. She was crazy enough to give birth to 9 children, so my Mom's side of the family is enormous! It was so fun to hang out with all my cousins, since they are scattered across the US and I rarely get to spend time with them. We munched on more candy than I'd like to admit to, took tons of pictures, and laughed. A lot.

This chalkboard frame was such a cute touch in the dining room where we all enjoyed an array of food (ham, macaroni and cheese, asparagus, salad, and chips and dip).

Custom M&Ms in colorful hues had my Grandma's picture imprinted on them.

Me and Grandma!

I loved wearing this cozy knit dress from Twelve by Twelve, Forever 21's french-inspired line. I paired it with sheer gray tights from Express, and funky Nine West heels.

My adorable 18-year old cousin, who goes to fashion school in NYC.

Sisterly love :)

Grandma blowing out the candles on her chocolate cake!

Such a great day! Now, I'm off to paint my nails in OPI's You Don't Know Jacques! and go out with a couple of friends. The boyfriend and I have a fun 'day date' planned for tomorrow. It will be nice to spend time with him. In the midst of his band recording a demo to send off to record labels, we haven't had much time to be with each other this week, so I'm quite excited.