My Summer Vacations / According to Instagram

Sorry it’s been so quiet around here lately. This lucky girl got to go on not one, not two, but THREE extended weekends in a row so far this summer.

The first weekend I went with two of my friends to Vermont to attend the Wanderlust yoga festival. The following week, Jim and I had a wedding to attend in Philly so we hit up the city of brotherly love for a few extra days. Lastly, over July 4th Jim and I did our now annual trek to Boston to celebrate the Independence Day holiday. We love Boston during July 4th because majority the historical sites important to our country’s independence are right there and we are big time history nerds.

I’m finally back in Brooklyn with no joke, around 800 photos to sort through.  I suspect that’s going to take me a while, so for now I wanted to share some of the highlights of each weekend via Instagram.

Left to Right, Top to Bottom // The lodge where we took our first yoga class / Vegan, gluten-free pizza by Pizza for the People / Our pre-hike “hydration” / Gorgeous view at the top of Stratton, which made the difficult hike worth it!

Left to Right, Top to Bottom // The Philly skyline on our first day / Eastern State Penitentiary, by far one of my favorite highlights of summer so far / Vegan ice-cream at Little Baby’s Ice Cream / The Sphinx at the Penn Museum at Penn University

Left to Right, Top to Bottom // The Old State House in Boston, where the Boston Massacre happened (our hotel was across the street! / The Museum of Fine Arts / Brunch at North Street Grille in the North End on July 4th / The Cheers Bar!!

Are you on Instagram?  If so hit me up!  My handle is @BrooklynBliss.

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Headed to San Antonio

This Brooklyn girl is currently en route to San Antonio for a big convention for work.  Wish me luck!  Last time I went to San Antonio on a work trip I broke my foot doing karaoke.  I think I’m the only person on this planet capable of doing that.  Luckily I’m now banned from doing karaoke at work events, so I think I’ll return the end of this week in one piece.

In the meantime, this entire week will not be quiet on Brooklyn Bliss.  I have a few surprise guest posters lined up, as well as a giveaway!  So stay tuned and I’ll be back the end of this week.

I’m Going to Wanderlust

IMAGE CREDIT // AbbeyLey

My friends Glenna, Sharon and I have been talking about going to the Wanderlust Festival since early this year.  We all met years ago doing marathons with Team in Training, so to say we’re all pretty active and athletic is an understatement.  While we all enjoy yoga, I wouldn’t describe us as die-hard yogis.  I haven’t been able to go as often as I used to now that I’m Crossfitting.  Glenna and Sharon however both practice yoga as supplements to their current race training.

This past week we finally booked the trip and made it official.  I’m so excited!  We all went out for dinner on Monday and decided on activities to book together, which include Ashtanga (my personal favorite style of yoga), paddle boarding, sunset hikes, lectures, and even hip-hop yoga!  There also should be some yummy vegan eats according to the event’s website.

We’re making it a long weekend and leaving Thursday evening after work, doing the festival on Friday and Saturday, and on Sunday exploring the town and later leaving that afternoon.  The weather in June should make for a perfect road trip, and from what I hear the scenery in Vermont is not to be missed.  I’ve never been to Vermont so I’m really looking forward to it.

Are you going to Wanderlust?  If so, let me know.  Maybe I’ll see you there!

Los Cabos / Sunset Cruise

While in Los Cabos, in addition to deciding to get a professional photo shoot done, we also purchased a sunset booze cruise excursion. It was a great excuse to get out of San Jose de Cabo (where our hotel was) and go into the main tourist area of Los Cabos.

Our cruise was on the Cabo Escape. While we waited to board the ship, the crew did a great dance number for us!

Once on the ship, Ariel and I picked a prime table and staked our claim. We weren’t alone for long, we soon made friends with a group of guys who were all friends and from both NYC and LA, as well as a nice couple from California who all joined us at our table.

From there the ship’s crew served what seemed to be a never-ending stream of margaritas. And later the nice couple from California started buying our table tequila shots. Lots and lots of shots. I actually lost count. I think I had around 5 shots and at least 3-4 margaritas on the ship alone. I swear I’m really not a lush, I just handle tequila really well.

See the guy in the photo below on the bottom left? He was one of the guys from LA at our table. We later after our Cabo trip learned that this is the same guy. Seriously. We had no clue at the time, he was actually very nice and didn’t mention a thing about his famous girlfriend. Neither did his friends.

Once the drinks started pouring and we were served our taco buffet, the cruise set off and we got to see some gorgeous Los Cabos sights! Lucky for us, even though it was overcast when we boarded the ship by the time we got out to sea it had burned off, and we were treated to a beautiful sunset.

We also got to see some seals. This little sad guy cracked me up.

Towards the end of the cruise, we even saw a whale! Below is the best shot I managed to get of him. He was magnificent. Swam right alongside the boat dancing along the water.

After the cruise came back into port, Ariel and I said our goodbyes to our new friends and decided to check out some of the other nightlife in Cabo. We wound up at Cabo Wabo where we spent the last few cocktails of the evening. Yes, there were more, we were on vacation after all! Cabo Wabo had a great band that evening.

After we had finally had our fill of sunsets, good music and margaritas, we headed back to our hotel with the intention of watching the Oscars.

We didn’t make it past the red carpet before we both fell asleep. But at least we had a memorable time!

Los Cabos / On the Beach

While in Los Cabos a few weeks ago on my quick girls weekend trip, my friend Ariel and I decided it would be fun to hire a professional photographer and get some “glamour” shots on the beach. When we made the decision and booked the deal with Sam the photographer, I think at that point in the evening we had already had way too much tequila.

We scheduled our photo shoot for the very last day of our vacation to ensure we were bronzed enough. No point in getting glamour shots in Mexico unless your tan to boot.

The shoot itself was a LOT of fun.  It was kind of weird and awkward at times in a “this reminds me a little too much of my wedding photo shoot” but we ran with it and got a lot of fantastic images.  My favorite part was when Ariel got photo-bombed by a Cabo local walking his adorable dog on the beach.

Best part is before this shoot, we didn’t have any photos of the two of us on the trip together.  They were all of us separately.  So now we have some really great quality shots of us and the beach we enjoyed on this memorable girls weekend.

I think I may make a habit of getting a professional photography shoot every vacation I go on now.

Have you ever gotten a vacation photo shoot?  By the way, if you are ever in Los Cabos I highly recommend contacting Sam the Picture Guy.

PHOTOS // by Samir Benyettou, the Picture Guy.

My Week According to Instagram / Cabo

I’m finally back after a great, relaxing long weekend in Cabo. Here’s some of my favorite moments from my trip, courtesy of Instagram.

ABOVE // Me and my new boyfriend Mickey mouse. I swear I can’t even make that up //

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT // My flight out was WAY too early! // My travel outfit. Stripes and skulls. // The view from our room at the resort // I lucked out with an entire row to myself on the flight out there.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT // Mexican dinner show on our first night // Cabo isn’t humid, so my hair behaved beautifully // We HAD to check out Cabo Wabo! // My breakfast just about every morning. Veggie Omelet minus the egg, fresh fruit topped with shredded coconut and walnuts, hash brown potatoes, and refried beans //

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT // Our view during our Crossfit workout on the beach // Mega! Mexico’s version of Walmart (and way too cool not to check out) // A beautiful marsh we discovered on one of our beach walks at the top of a huge sand dune // HOLA! The Hola Grand Faro resort, where we stayed //

Are you on Instagram? You can follow me here.

What I’m Packing / Los Cabos

After being so crazy burnt out from work the last few months, I’m super excited to be headed to Cabo San Lucas with a gal pal for a nice long weekend this week.  I can really use a full weekend of relaxing, lots of reading, and of course skinny margaritas!

Here’s some of the stuff I’ll be packing to take with me.  Besides a fully loaded Kindle, I usually like to travel with only a carry on so all my clothes need to do double duty.  One of my favorite tips for a beach destination is to take a button down blouse with me to wear both as a cover up, as well as with jeans our to dinner.

What do you always take on a beach vacation?

MELISSA ODABASH Panama Hat // Aviators//  Leopard Blouse // RIVER ISLAND Mesh Insert Tunic Dress // TARGET MOSSIMO Black Bandeau top and Bikini Bottoms // TARGET MOSSIMO Zebra Bandeau top and Bikini Bottoms // DV by DOLCE VITA Archer Sandal // MANGO Denim Shorts // BAGGU Neon Backpack // AMAZON Kindle

Iceland

As you may know, this past November I went on a weekend “girls” trip with my Mother, Aunt and my Aunt’s friends to Iceland. To be honest, I went to Iceland with ZERO expectations. I basically knew it was going to be really cold, and that it was one of the few places in the world where you can see the Northern Lights. The Northern Lights was the primary reason we were visiting the country to begin with.

Let’s just say Iceland FAR exceeded my expectations. I’d absolutely love to go back sometime I enjoyed it so much. I was blown away not just by the beauty of the country, but also its people. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming. Another thing that surprised me was the shopping in Reykjavik, the country’s capital. I came home with so many awesome, unique pieces from the many independent designers who all had boutiques in town.

Though I took over 300 photos while there, these are some of my favorite images during my trip. Knowing I was going to try to catch the Northern Lights, I brought all my good camera gear with me so I got some pretty amazing images to remember this trip by.

I had a few readers ask me about my experience eating vegan while in Iceland. All in all, I was pretty lucky. We stayed at the Hilton and right across the street was a fantastic raw/health food restaurant called Glo that the locals recommended. I also accidentally stumbled across a health food store behind the hotel that was chock full of vegan goodies, including soy milk and cookies. Funny thing is I got some soy milk to have with cereal at the hotel, only to the next day find the hotel had gotten some to put out at the buffet since I was asking for it the day prior. Talk about great service!

All the staff at most of the restaurants knew what vegan meant and guided me to appropriate items I could order. There was only one place I think accidentally served me butter, which I knew due to me being allergic to dairy and getting really horrible stomach aches. Otherwise pretty much everywhere I went, even including local coffee shops in Reykjavik had vegan options, many of which were clearly marked with the universal V sign.

If you have any questions on where I ate and specifics on what I visited and did, please feel free to message me!

Iceland Packing Inspiration / Winter Layers

I can’t believe I leave for Iceland tomorrow evening!  This trip really snuck up on me.  I’m packing today, and any time I pack it involves a lot of prior research and planning.  I exclusively travel with only a carry on, and since this is a five day trip in a very cold locale, I want to be sure I’m well prepared.

I spent a lot of time over the weekend pinning a few outfit inspirations of winter layers to help me figure out the best items to pack.  Here’s some of my favorites.

Source: thesartorialist.blogspot.com via Corrie on Pinterest

Source: iconjane.tumblr.com via Corrie on Pinterest

Source: columbine.freshnet.se via Corrie on Pinterest

Source: 24.media.tumblr.com via Corrie on Pinterest

Source: atlantic-pacific.blogspot.com via Corrie on Pinterest

Source: thepursuitaesthetic.tumblr.com via Corrie on Pinterest

Source: peoplewithstyles.tumblr.com via Corrie on Pinterest

I know know for sure that some items I’ll be bringing with me is my faux fur lined parka, chambray shirt, some of my flannel shirts, one or two lightweight sweaters, and maybe a vest or faux leather jacket.  That way I can easily stay warm without taking up a ton of room in my carry-on.

Oh yeah, don’t worry I won’t be forgetting a bikini.  Our first stop is the Blue Lagoon.  Yay, spa day!

Chasing the Northern Lights

image credit: www.universetoday.com

Yesterday, I confirmed details to go on a quick weekend “girls” vacation in November with the women in my family to Iceland.  We’re specifically going over in attempt to see the northern lights, so fingers crossed it’s cold enough when we visit to see them!

The ladies all went last year (I couldn’t make it) and they enjoyed it so much they planned another one for this year.  There will be a lot of spa time, dining, sight-seeing, and best of all those pretty lights in the sky.  It should be a pleasant break from work just prior to the craziness of the holiday season.

While I’m excited to be going, I’m somewhat petrified on what I’m going to eat over there.  I have zero knowledge of nordic food, nevermind vegan nordic options (if they even exist!).  If you’re a vegan and you’ve been to Iceland, please send me your recommendations!  I’d really appreciate any information anyone can send me.

I’m also looking for any feedback and information on what to pack, especially while visiting in November.  If you’ve been to Iceland and have any tips, let me know!