Bar Crawl in Beantown

I love cities. I get caught up in the energy, the excitement, the sensory overload of sights, sounds, and people. A bar crawl around Boston was quite an exhilerating way to spend a Saturday night.

Fanueil Hall is a popular area in Boston that attracts not only the tourists, but the college set as well. Most of the area is open to pedestrians only. This adorable street was lined with several fun bars and restaurants.

Can you guess which drink is mine?

I admit I have never been a beer drinker, and I'm still trying to acquire a taste for wine! So for now, the fruity and girly cocktails are my signature.

It was a blast visting different bars. Each one had their own distinct feel. One was a little rowdier than the others, offering $8 pitchers and attracting a huge group wearing crowns on their heads! There was never a dull moment!

I fell in love with this towering concoction at Zuma, a Tex-Mex style restaurant. Loaded with various rum and tropical fruit juices, it was appropriately named the Mexican Hurricane.

It makes me laugh how the girls and I couldn't quite get our jumps in sync!

The entire night I was giddy and felt like a free spirit. The events that unfolded and the bars we visited were unplanned and spontaneous. It was so much fun to let things happen on a whim and enjoy living in the moment!

{Cardigan: Velvet. Dress: energie. Flats: Express}

The Hills Returns, & the Lovely Kristin Cavallari

It is almost bittersweet that the final season of The Hills begins this Tuesday. If you count yourself an avid fan and love the show as much as I do, it's easy to feel like you've almost grown up with these girls. Since the days of Laguna Beach, I have always been drawn to Kristin's fun, party girl personality and her ability to pull together everything from classy looks for the red carpet, to casual California chic outfits in paparazzi candids.

I love the sophisticated feel of the bandage skirt in a neutral color. The blazer and peep-toe pumps polish it off.

Kristin has always been a carefree party girl. In the last season, it was entertaining to watch her and Stacie take an impromptu trip to Vegas with a night at Ghostbar and lots of shots. I am curious to see how the girls confront her with the alleged drug problem the tabloids were reporting about.

I love the cut-outs and exposed zipper on her dress. Want the look for less? Arden B sells a gorgeous imitation for $70. Click here.

Kristin looks fabulously chic in this vibrant dress. I wish I could pull off the color yellow as well as she does. This particular shade really pops!

I am in love with the contrasting dressy elements of this outfit (the adorable heels, and loose fitting tee) paired with shorts. I never really thought to wear shorts with heels before, but she has certainly inspired me to consider it sometime.

Kristin pulls off another amazing dress in a show-stopping hot pink hue with funky high heels.

The shaggy black vest looks sassy and eclectic paired with skinny jeans and sassy nude heels.

Favorite Hills Coupling: Lauren and Brody. They were adorable.
Least Favorite Hills Coupling: I never liked Lauren and Jason together. Or Audrina and Justin Bobby.
Favorite Hills Moment: When Lauren and the girls surprise Brody in Vegas at the Palms for his birthday.
Moment I'm Most Looking Forward to Watching: Heidi 3.0 seeing her Mom for the first time, post-surgeries.
Moment of Envy: When Lauren got a Chanel handbag for Christmas from Jason.

So what are you all looking forward to in the new season? and what do you think of Kristin's style?

Off-Roading in Samana

On my Caribbean vacation this past December, one of my shore excursions was to the beautiful and tranquil community of Samana in the Dominican Republic.

Adorable colorful houses greeted us when we arrived, but I would soon discover it was a deceiving first impression. We piled into open-air jeeps and set off on a journey into the heart of the town, driving over dirt roads and taking in the scenery.

Although Samana was incredibly beautiful, it was saddening to get an up close and personal glimpse of poverty unlike anything I had ever seen before. Families lived in tiny shacks and even their local bank and schools were constructed of a similar quality. The children were so sweet and friendly. They waved at us and smiled as we drove past them. I wish I had had toys to give them, I knew it would have brightened their world.

One of the fun moments in our off-roading excursion was driving straight through this little river.

We eventually stopped at this absolutely breathtaking and unspoiled beach for drinks and an hour of relaxation. My friends sipped a tropical concoction out of a coconut and my boyfriend had a bottle of Dominican beer.

It's having experiences like these that make me love traveling all the more. Stepping outside of what I'm used to and having an adventure in a completely unfamiliar place :)

Oh, To Be 21 Again

When I turned 21, this whole new world opened up in front of me. I spent the night celebrating in style in a stretch limo with several of my closest friends and VIP service at a local nightclub. Every weekend for the next year and a half, I got dolled up in a new dress and went out on the town. Pub crawls, nightclubs, house parties...we did it all! Looking back on these memories is almost bittersweet, nearly three years later.

What memories do you have of being 21?

From 'Blog Friend' to 'Real Life' Friend!

First of all, I am baaaaaack from California! On Tuesday night, my last official night in town, I drove down to the city in my rented VW Beetle to meet up with Lisa (the lovely blogger behind Love, Lisa) for dinner and drinks at The Yard House.

I had never met someone in the blogging community before, but I was open to the idea and excited to make a new friend. It went so well! Have you met a blog friend before? Comment and tell me about your experience!

We sipped on fruity martinis (Cosmo for her, Pomegranate for me) as we talked about everything from blogging, to boyfriends, to nightlife in San Diego. Lisa was charming and so fun to talk to - there was never a lull in conversation over our two hour get-together.

It's always fun to read two sides of a story. Read Lisa's version of our blogger meet-up here!

I paired dark denim J Brand bootcut jeans with a fitted Forever 21 tunic top and a black ruffle belt from Betsey Johnson under an Express cardigan. The turquoise purse looks like real leather but it is actually from Old Navy!

The rest of my week in San Diego was just as I had hoped. I cruised around SoCal rocking out to a fun mix CD I had put together, downed almost one too many complimentary Cosmos at an industry reception, and even squeezed in an hour of shopping at one of my favorite mall shops!

{The lovely hotel room!}

{Attempting to look business-chic with a fun necklace over a lace top}

{Pretty surroundings at the La Costa Resort & Spa}

Goodbye East Coast, Hello West Coast

Four days of work and play. In my favorite city.

It feels good to be back.

Suddenly I See

Lately, I've been picturing myself within a busy city - everything's moving - on the go, and flying past me. And I'm standing still in the middle of it all, watching it happen.

It's a time of transition and change. I had my own place, off and on, over the past 4 years. I've been living with my Dad since October. I may not have a full time job in the next 90 days. I'm living a life in the 'burbs while I'd much rather be in the city, soaking everything in and having the world at my fingertips.

It's seemingly the perfect way to describe a rut, but it gives me a chance to figure out what I want and begin making it my reality. Nothing in this life comes for free, I truly believe you have to work hard to get what you want, and want it badly enough to make it happen.

In fact, there's a few things that come to mind that I plan on making possible this year!

• Attend a Bloggy Bootcamp or other Blogger conference
• Celebrate my 24th birthday in Vegas with the boyfriend
• Follow my passion for social media into a new career path
• Find time to read, every night
• Continue to fill my life with frequent travel and beautiful places, laughter and good times with good people, exciting nightlife, and inspiration from all over

The Skinny on Bangs

Bangs have been all the rage in style magazines and Hollywood for quite some time now. When I decided to stop coloring my hair and go back to my natural strawberry blonde hue, I had the urge to change something. That's when I decided to rock full, straight-across-the-forehead bangs.

Bangs have taken on a new definition of cool since the early days, when I had a shorter 'do.

Thought about taking the plunge? Go for it!

They flatter nearly any face shape and can completely transform your look. Worst case scenario, you can let them grow out for a month and then be able to sweep them to the side in a casual sideswept look. The downside of having bangs is without a doubt... the maintenance. To keep them looking nice, it is suggested to have them trimmed 2x/month.

However, it's easy to cheat and do it yourself! The key is to always cut them at a vertical angle with your scissors, rather than straight across. This keeps them looking soft, edgy, and not as blunt.

These lovely ladies in Hollywood were the inspiration for the bangs I have now.

I LOVE how chic and sophisticated Audrina Patridge looks with bangs.

Rachel Bilson didn't keep her bangs for too long, but she looks fabulous with them!

Bangs are such a flattering look for Reese Witherspoon.

So.... have you thought about getting bangs?

Airplanes and Brunch

I may be in the minority, but I'm not a "breakfast person." A bowl of healthy cereal or a bagel is all I need! This Saturday morning, I went to a cozy diner and enjoyed a hearty breakfast with my family while watching small planes take off. The cafe is part of a local college that has an aviation program.

Lots of food, perhaps too much! The weather was so perfect that they left the door open and a light breeze filtered in. We are experiencing a nice heatwave here in the Northeast!

I wanted to get up close and personal with the planes, but that wasn't going to happen!

Top: Marshalls ($12.99), Jeans: Old Navy 'Flirt' Skinny, Wedges: Bongo, Sunglasses: Fendi, Nail Polish: Sephora by OPI in 'Mermaid to Order' and OPI 'Purple-opolis'