0 Getaways

I had a wonderful weekend on Fire Island, complete with tan lines, cookie dough ice cream, board games, mosquito bites, and afternoon rainstorms.

I also have some exciting news: I'm going to be published in The Literary Bohemian, an online literary journal with a focus on travel writing. The piece will be in the September issue, and I can't wait to share it with you all.


Finally, here's an article to help keep all you New Yorkers with full wallets and even fuller tummies: my list of the Top Ten BYOB Restaurants in NYC. Can't you just taste the fresh basil on this pizza from Lucali? Yum, yum, yum.

0 A Shopping Diet

I loved this article on the cover of today's Thursday Styles. It was about two websites that urge shoppers to severely limit their shopping habits by taking drastic measures. At Six Items or Less, the goal is to go a month wearing only six items already in your closet; The Great American Apparel Diet challenges participants to go a year without buying a single piece of clothing. I admire the ideals behind these projects - lessening our consumerism and our dependence on material items and all that - but I'm not sure I could do it. After all, this is the girl who brought a dozen pairs of shoes with her across the Atlantic during a three-month semester abroad.

Still, saving pretty much every last penny for France this summer rather than spending most of it on clothes has actually been weirdly liberating. And there's something to be said for packing light. Here's to no oversized baggage fees this time around.

1 Dorky post

I Write Like tells you which famous writer you write like. All you have to do is paste a few paragraphs of something you've written - a blog entry, a story, whatever - and the site analyzes your word choices and writing style. My match was David Foster Wallace. My creating writing professors would be proud.


While we're on the subject of all things nerdy - I adore these and earrings. I saw a girl the other day with an ampersand tattoo and it was one of those why didn't I think of that first? moments. It's by far the coolest-looking punctuation mark.

both finds via design crush

0 New York Excursions

Hey, remember when I told y'all about my lovely day in Chelsea? Well now I have an article up about Chelsea Market, hands down one of my favorite spots in New York. It is literally a foodie's dream.

Also up is my article on the Top Ten Burger Joints in New York. Thanks to everyone who offered up their favorite burger spots in the city. I hope my list does New York burgers justice - it was not easy to choose only ten places!

Sorry to have fallen off the blogosphere for a bit. I promise, I'll be back soon.

0 Happy Birthday to Me

This weekend I turned the big 2-3. I think this means I'm now really into my 20s. It was probably my favorite birthday ever. My friends came over for a barbeque, and then we went out for the night and got real silly. On my actual birthday, I ate carrot cake for breakfast and stayed in my pajamas until 3. Eventually I made it to my best friend's house for sunning and swimming, then ordered take-out with my family from our favorite pizza place, and had a slumber party with the gals. Thanks to everyone who made my b-day so wonderful.




I also have two new articles up on DGuides: one on Southampton's Cooper's Beach and another on Shopping on Columbus Avenue. And here's a little blog post on MoMA's Summergarden. Enjoy!

0 Gaga on the Today Show

I love her. So much. She sounds amazing even when she's dancing like a nut job. In the rain. I just noticed the peace sign tattoo on her wrist - is that new?



Sorry I've been M.I.A. this week. Between baby-sitting, house-sitting, my internship, and getting ready for my party, I've been continually on the go. But guess what? It's my birthday on Sunday! I'm celebrating tomorrow with a little barbeque at my house followed by a night on the town. Sunday is dinner with my family and an old-fashioned slumber party with my girlfriends. Pictures to come!

0 America's Birthday, and Ben's

1. Romper-ific
2 and 3. Garden party
4. The birthday boy
5. ...and his girl
6. I ate more of Ben's cake than he did
7. My legs as a cup holder, and the shoes I thought I'd lost
8, 9, 10 & 11. Fireworks over the River

0 All that is gold does not glitter

One of my favorite quotes on a free poster by Brooklyn Limestone. And it's red, white and blue, too!

Happy fourth, everyone. I hope you all get to watch fireworks, be with loved ones, and eat pie. See you on Monday.

Love, Mandy.

1 Current read: Something Blue

What is summer without shamelessly fun summer reads? I am tearing through Emily Giffin's Something Blue, the sequel to Something Borrowed (which I tore through on the flight to Malawi). The first book is told from the perspective of a "plain Jane" type who, totally out of character, steals her bombshell best friend's fiancée. The sequel is from the bombshell Darcy's point of view - who is now pregnant with her rebound boyfriend's baby. It's cute and fun and perfect for a lazy afternoon on the hammock.

And apparently, there is going to be a movie of Something Borrowed, with the darling Ginnifer Goodwin as Rachel (the "plain" one) and Kate Hudson as Darcy. My friend Laura and I are kind of mad about the Kate Hudson choice - Darcy is supposed to be tall and brunette, not short and blonde. Just because Kate Hudson seems to be in every chick flick in the 21st century does not mean she should be in this one! (In case you can't tell, I'm not the hugest KH fan. As far as I'm concerned, her career went downhill after Almost Famous.)