A Vegas Jaunt

It had been far too long since my last Vegas trip (I think the last time was May?!), so with another four day weekend last weekend, we knew where we wanted to go! 

We landed Thursday morning around noon and headed right to the hotel (due to Martha Jewart's intense love of gambling we all got hooked up with free rooms at Aria. WOOT!) to get settled in. After a quick lunch at the buffet and an hour or two at the slot machines, I asked R what he was in the mood to do next. His response? "Let's go to the aquarium at Mandalay Bay!" Okayyyyyy. Who am I to deny a man a tour of a shark tank?!

Dude, I love your coat.

Um, these were the biggest fish I've ever seen in my life. Each one was the size of my couch.

SHARK!!!!! I was terrified.

I always forget there's more to Vegas than just high end boutiques, penny slots, Cirque de Soleil shows and gourmet restaurants :) the aquarium was actually pretty cool, albeit small, and R got to stick his hands in a tank and pet some stingrays, so really it was a win-win all around.

That night we did something cool - we headed off the strip for dinner at Lotus of Siam. Have you heard of it? It was ranked "Best Thai Restaurant in America" by food critic Jonathan Gold, who I worship, and after reading about it for years I'm SO glad we tried it. We ordered some curries, a sour sausage/crispy rice appetizer, giant garlic prawns, and more, and in addition to being crazy delicious, it was inexpensive - I highly recommend it if you're up to going off the strip and being adventurous! 

The next day we slept late, lounged by the pool and got some sun, and OH YEAH WENT TO PLANET HOLLYWOOD AND BOUGHT SOME BRITNEY SPEARS TICKETS. Yeah, you read that right. Come February me and some pals will be rocking out to Britney like it's 1999, ya'll. CANNOT WAIT. #SHELIVES

A trip to Vegas is not complete without a visit to my very favorite restaurant, Craftsteak. We ordered all our faves: heirloom tomato salad, charcuterie platter, wagyu steak tartare, filet mignon, roasted mushrooms... we were happy campers, yes indeed. 

Plus, seconds before sitting down, there was a fistfight in front of the hostesses station, so you know I was ALL about that! These two had to calm me down in order to take the picture :)

We came home late Saturday night - my mama and I spent the majority of the last day shopping in Fashion Show Mall, and R got to hang out with a friend at Aria. Macy's was having a sick sale so I stocked up on some basic black leggings, a fun leather vest, and the most amazing leopard blazer.

Oh! Forgot to mention - when we were checking into the hotel I casually mentioned that we had just gotten engaged... and the hotel clerk said "Me too!" So not only did we get to bond over that... but he also sent up some delicious chocolate-covered strawberries! Awesome.

Vegas, can't wait to see you again REAL soon! Counting down the days til BRITNEY 2014... except I have a feeling I'll be back again before that!

Prinstagram + Coastergram = Instacute

My love for Instagram knows no bounds. I confess to sometimes neglecting my other social media networks (mostly Twitter... oh, poor Twitter) because scrolling through Insta, posting pics, and getting likes is just way more fun :)

I don't know about you, but once I take the time to set up and crop a picture so it's juuuustttt right, select the perfect frame to compliment my image, and come up with a clever caption to go along with it, I want to enjoy the fruits of my labor for more than just an hour or so! So I was delighted to come across a company by the name of Printstagram a few months ago. Printsagram is a website that accesses your Instagram account and creates awesome products from your own images, like prints, posters, mini flip books, greeting cards, and more.

I'm good about ordering pictures from my latest adventures every couple of months or so. Usually, I get my pictures from Shutterfly or Snapfish, but they don't format Instagram pictures correctly and my pictures end up blurry or weirdly cropped. Enter Prinstagram! No idea how I even heard about it in the first place. I decided to place an order and went with the cute little "squares"- $12 for 24 prints - and when they showed up in the mail, I was SO IMPRESSED. The square shape is seriously adorable but more importantly, the quality of the squares is just incredible - the paper is thick and sturdy, not too matte, not too glossy... just beautiful.

via Prinstagram

The second Instagram-related company is Coastergram, and it's actually new to me - I just heard of it for the first time this week and can't wait to use it! I think it'll make the perfect housewarming gift - what could be cuter than personalized coasters?

Couldn't be easier, either. You literally connect your Instagram account on their website, and click the photos you want to make into coasters - four is the minimum, and they are $5 per coaster. Not bad. I am literally wracking my brain trying to come up with an occasion or reason to buy these :)

via Coastergram

If you're on Instagram, you need to do two things stat - first, follow me (I'm @queenjord), and second, go check these companies out! #kindaobsessed #youwillbetoo 

Please note: this is not a sponsored post. I just genuinely like these two companies and think they're super cool!

A Little Fall Shopping

WHOOPS. Totally did not mean to fall off the earth for more than a week. We had a four day weekend due to the Jewish holiday of Sukkot - and we have ANOTHER one this week too! - but after getting yelled at a couple times for "blog neglect" I am back!

Over the past month or so I've been doing a little fall shopping. I'm sure in the next few weeks I'll post a whole list of the things I still want to buy, but in the meantime, here's what I've already picked up!



ONE:
OH MY GOD I love these jeans. Perfectly faded denim, adorable polka dots, nice cropped length... great job, GAP! I cannot wait to wear them with a white button-down and my scalloped black J.Crew ballet flats. Classic with a twist!

TWO:
Old Navy has been killing it with their tops lately. These sheer blouses come in a whole bunch of patterns but I liked the mint stripes and beige snakeskin print the best. In my opinion, they run small, so you might need to size up, and one more tip: buy in-store! I looked at them online and they were regular price (I think $32 each) but in store they were on sale for $15 - I got two for the price of one!

THREE:
My mom gave me a few months of Birchbox last year for Hanukkah, and I must confess I didn't love it... but I DID love one of the moisturizer samples I got one month! I used it all up and finally bit the bullet and bought a full size. I've been using the Embryolisse moisturizer as night cream the past week or so and can already tell a significant difference in my skin - much softer and clearer.

FOUR:
We finally chose a wedding date - more on that coming soon, I promise - and even though it's a year away, I think I better get started on collecting cute white dresses to wear to all wedding-related functions, don't you? I ordered this one from ASOS during a sale and love the swingy shape and pretty lace - I think it'll look so nice with a black ribbon belt!

FIVE:
While in Bloomingdales with my mama over the weekend, we stopped by the Clinique counter so she could pick up a new bronzer. Due entirely to my incredible powers of persuasion, I convinced her she also wanted to purchase me a small gift. It worked, and I am now the proud owner of this exotic eye shadow quad. Over the weekend I used the turquoise shadow as eyeliner!

SIX:
Okay, I didn't buy these for myself, but they are definitely part of my fall fashion finds! My friends Blair and Rachel gave me these pave pyramid stud earrings for my birthday, and I've been wearing them nonstop. Love the gold and silver accents.

SEVEN:
Here is a short list of things I like: black leather. Leopard print. Wedge heels. These Dolce Vita boots incorporate all three for less than $150! I have a feeling these will be a major staple in the months to come.

EIGHT:
I have no idea when I first came across this awesome necklace but I've been waiting and waiting for it to go on sale, and last week it finally did! I bought it with a birthday giftcard from my dear friend Cary and I cannot wait for it to arrive. Love the multicolored gems!

NINE:
Wanna know a weird thing? I don't like lychees. I don't like roses. But I CANNOT get enough of this lychee rose soap. True story: I randomly picked it up while browsing through Anthropologie and could not stop smelling it while I carried it all throughout the store until the manager Chad (who is HOT by the way) gave me a weird look and started calling me "Soap Girl." Yes, I am on a nickname-basis with the employees of The Grove Anthropologie. No I don't care. This soap is worth the embarrassment.
________________________

So that's about where I'm at. Anddddd sadly, additional shopping excursions have now been postponed due to my car unexpectedly needing new brake pads TO THE TUNE OF ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS. CoolthanksAudi. Cue the creation of a major wishlist in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...........

Our First Go With the Registry Gun

Hi pups! Hope ya'll had a great weekend. We spent Friday and Saturday in temple for Yom Kippur (#leastfavoriteJewishholiday #constanthunger #oopsIbrokethefastat330pm) but yesterday we got to do something really fun.... 

We went REGISTERING!!!

Our first stop was Crate & Barrel - they just came out with new items the other day and when I got the catalogue in the mail, I got so excited I wanted to go there immediately!

I LOVE looking through registries and seeing the things people choose to start their lives together :) so I thought it might be fun to show you some of the things I'm most excited for!

You all know me... I cannot do anything boring or simple. I love the idea of basic white plates so I can dress them up with different colored funky placemats, napkins, etc, but I couldn't just do a plain round white one and call it a day. Instead, I chose these for our new every day plates and I am OBSESSED! The wavy edges are so pretty and delicate, but the plates themselves are sturdy and large. We also registered for the matching salad plates, but I didn't love the matching bowls, so we're going with basic white round bowls instead. I am also excited that there are matching platters!

Speaking of funky napkins... I loved these. I am such a sucker for bright colors and this napkin print just made me so happy. I think they'll look so nice on our white plates with a big chunky white napkin ring at future dinner parties!

One of the things we were MOST excited to register for was a rice cooker. These days I consider myself to be a pretty good cook but for some reason, the thing I burn EVERY TIME is basic white rice! I've wanted a rice cooker for ages and am crossing my fingers for one of these :)

For the most part, I registered for real necessities, but when I saw this awesome "Table in a Bag" I had to add it to our list. It's so clever - a fold up picnic table in a handy little bag! This will be awesome for the beach, picnics, or nights at the Hollywood Bowl. Such a fun little gift!

We were there for a little over an hour and R was PSYCHED the whole time because - duh - he got to shoot the registry gun. Men... so predictable :) He only made gun noises ("peeeee-OW!" "peeee-OW!") a couple times though so overall he was relatively well-behaved :)

Also could not resist making him put his face near the "ramekin" signs. He's such a trooper :)

C&B was only the first stop on our list, I think we are also going to register at Macy's and Bloomingdales. In the meantime, I would love some advice from all of you... where did you register? What were your favorite things you registered for and what would you change if you could? Any and all advice is appreciated :) thanks ya'll! 

New Year in New York!

Last week we headed out to New York to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah - Happy NewYear to all of you! 

It was actually fantastic timing - although we had had this trip booked for months, it was especially fortuitous that it took place just two weeks after our engagement... we got to see my extended family in person, show them the ring, tell them the story of how it happened, show them the video, and celebrate all together. It was so nice! We arrived in New York a week ago exactly and were there through the weekend. Here are some highlights....

Took some cheesy engagement-esque photos before the first night of RH... don't worry everyone, I'm sure our REAL engagement photos will be much cuter than these :)

Our family surprised us with an engagement cake! Cheesecake... my favorite. Mmmm.

Temple and family time was really all we did for the first few days, but over the weekend we headed into the city for a couple days of fun! We ate dinner at Mission Chinese Food with my friends Daniel and Brette - I'd been wanting to go for more than a year and am glad we finally made it there. I wish I had a pic, but alas, the food was SO SPICY I spent the entire meal wiping tears out of my eyes. #toohottohandleit 

We did, however, go to one of our favorite places in the world - Eataly! We met some of R's college pals for a lovely brunch. It's so nice catching up with them whenever we head back east :)

We accompanied my sister to the Union Square Greenmarket, conveniently located two blocks away from her apartment! R bought me fresh apple cider, I bought Bay flowers for her living room, and a random stranger told me my engagement ring was the most beautiful one she had ever seen. So, win for everyone! Please disgregard Bay's silly face :)

R had to leave early to get back in time for work, so my last night there was solo. I had dinner with my mom, sis, and little cousin at Flex Mussels - if you like mussels, you need to go stat. So delicious!

And finally, the thing everyone is dying to hear about... we went wedding dress shopping! Yes, Bailey made me an appointment at Kleinfeld's and off we went to the famous salon!

I am sorry to inform everyone that I did NOT say yes to the dress, but I DID have a very nice time trying on some beautiful dresses. I was uncharacteristically well-behaved, quiet, and low-key - I think I was REALLY nervous about trying on dresses for some reason? In any event, I think my dress is still out there... but it was extremely fun as a casual watcher of the show (not a die hard fan... I'm looking at you Gerrick) to be in the dressing rooms with the consultants (mine was Allison) and traipsing out into the main room to show off each dress to my family. Several other girls in the room DID find "the one" and said yes to the dress and when they did, everyone in the whole place cheered! It was a very cool experience and I'm glad I did it... but god knows there is more wedding gown shopping in my future!

All in all, a very fun trip to New York. Happy New Year to everyone!

And Now I'm On A Wedding Website :)

Here is a fun thing. I'm featured on a wedding blog today!

My sorority sister and fellow Wildcat Alison runs the fantastic website The Wedding Yentas, where she blogs about everything Jewish-wedding related! It's an awesome resource for anyone - truly, you don't have to be Jewish to appreciate her hilarious insights on the wedding industry, gorgeous pictures of real weddings, and helpful advice for all brides.

Alison happens to know Ram from camp as well, and for months, she has been asking me to write something for her site. But I kept putting her off and saying had nothing to write about... that is, until we got engaged! I believe within 24 hours I had an email from her in my inbox sweetly demanding my first article :)

The piece I wrote is called "You're Engaged? Mazel Tov! Now Take A Deep Breath", and I wrote it because, in all honesty, I had no idea how putting that diamond on my finger was going to totally change my life... IMMEDIATELY. I knew I'd be thrilled and delighted and happy beyond belief, but I had no idea how overwhelming the whole thing was going to feel, and I can imagine many newly-engaged brides might feel the same way. I know I would have been happy to hear that what I was feeling was normal so I hope this provides some insight for other brides-to-be!

Hope ya'll like it! Go check out my piece and give Alison and her fabulous website some love! 

Off to NY!

I have been a terrible blogger lately but there is so much exciting stuff I need to fill you in on!

For starters, I turned 28!!! My birthday was Saturday and it was awesome. We had pedicures, sushi, and an indie film to celebrate. Promise to share pics of some of those fun things!

Some fun wedding updates: we have been venue shopping!!! We have fallen in love with a place but I'm not breathing a single word til the contract is signed and in my hands. Also, I asked my sister to be my Maid of Honor... funny story to come about that as well :) Details to come soon!

Our dear, dear friends got married this past weekend - I wore my favorite dress, cried the whole time, signed their ketubah, and danced all night. Well, more like jogged around the dance floor. I don't know, I'm weird. 

via

And last but not least, tonight we are off to New York! Tomorrow night Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) begins and as is tradition, we are heading back East to celebrate with my entire family. (I will likely never be as popular with all of them as I am right now as everyone is SO excited about the engagement! Trust me, in a couple weeks no one will care about me again.) But wait... the MOST exciting thing that is going to happen while we're in NYC? 

I'M GOING TO KLEINFELDS!!!! Cross your fingers and say a prayer the casting scouts are in that day ya'll, cuz I don't know ANYONE who's better TV than I am :) Say Yes To The Dress will not know what hit it!

I will be back with more updates soon, I promise! 

XOXO