summer favorites | attire

It's tough to believe that we're already half way into the summer season. During these warm summer days I really love wearing skirts and dresses. While I don't claim to be a fashion expert, once in a while I'm motivated to step up my game. In this case, a pair of sandals I found on the internet inspired me to select outfits for different activities throughout the day.

1 vneck via jcrew  |  2 heart skirt via jcrew  |  3 earrings by amy tavern  |  4  sunnies via kate spade saturday featured on fab  |  5 yellow pieces carla sandals via asos

6 astral peplum top via anthropologie  |  7 chino shorts via jcrew  |  8 large arc earrings by amy tavern  |  9 orange fizz jasper shades via warby parker  |  10 mint pieces carla sandals via asos

11 scoopback dress via kate spade saturday featured on fab  |  12 donut earrings by spark metal studio  |  13 blast clutch by holly aiken  |  14 nude pieces carla sandals via asos

What are your favorite items to wear in the summer?

NYC | the High Line

I'm almost certain that seeing photos of the High Line heavily influenced my decision to revisit New York City a whopping nine years after my last visit. For those of you who aren't familiar with the High Line, it was originally built in the 1930s in an effort to lift freight traffic above the streets in Manhattan's largest industrial district and minimize accidents at the street level. Trains stopped running on the High Line around 1980. In 1999 Friends of the High Line, a community-based non-profit group, decided to form a partnership with the City of New York to preserve and maintain the structure as an elevated public park. The High Line now serves as an exceptional park where visitors can go to read, lounge, picnic, socialize, dine, or even exercise.

It was tough to wait until the last day of our trip to make the trek to Manhattan's west side to see the High Line but, I love the thrill of saving the best for last. In this case, it was definitely worth it.

We even lucked out and found a spot at a Biergarten on the Hudson River to catch up with old friends and enjoy the sunset. Do you see what I mean? Pretty awesome.

Feel free to check out these links for more information on the park and its history.

NYC | MoMA

I love art.

If I could choose how to spend the day without any agenda, I would probably choose to visit an art museum. True story. Studying architecture in college has inspired me to admire the art museums themselves, as much as I do the art housed inside its walls. I relish the clean architectural lines, ubiquitous white, and thoughtful details throughout. I take particular pleasure in visiting the museum's cafe and enjoy any chance I get to try out its piquant offerings. Let's not discuss how many hours I could spend perusing the gift shop. No joke. Each time I find something awesome, I brainstorm for which loved one it would make the the perfect gift.

Needless to say, I was adamant about visiting MoMA during our trip to NYC and I even managed to snap a few photos while there.

A couple of my favorite exhibition pieces...

NYC | central park

Ben and I had been counting down the days to our much anticipated vacation. When we boarded the plane to New York City we were pumped, running mostly on caffeine and a little adrenaline. Two whole years had passed since we enjoyed a week long vacation together. Our last real vacation was during our honeymoon. Crazy, huh. Ben actually started graduate school the week after our honeymoon and he finally graduated this May. As you might expect, we were thrilled to celebrate his huge accomplishment as well as our second anniversary with a trip to the big apple.

I love cities. Of course I love small towns too, but big cities really energize me and NYC is no exception. Before we left home I prepared a list of places I wanted to visit, mostly tourist destinations with some retail stops included for good measure. I even prepared a loose agenda for each day so that we could make the most of our time while there. Despite our plans, the weather forced us to be flexible and go with the flow which was healthy for me. It's vacation after all.

Throughout our trip I took oodles of photos, except for the day of the monsoon when I left my camera at the hotel. One of my favorite places in NYC is not the Empire State Building or the immaculately kept designer storefronts but, Central Park. What a treasure.

Years pass. People move. Plants grow. Cities change. However, the juxtaposition of Central Park against the backdrop of the bustling city is unreal. Every time I visit, I'm amazed. The trees there are breathtaking. It's a wonderful feeling when I realize that it's impossible to capture a moment with my camera. I am reminded to enjoy the present moment, rather than focusing my energy on taking the perfect photograph.

Stay tuned for more photos from our trip to NYC!

St. Baldrick's Event

My talented friend of LifeExposed Photos by Lindsey was asked by friends to document a local St. Baldrick's Event held at the North Hills Commons area.  I had the pleasure of joining her to capture moments from this beautifully, inspiring event.

St. Baldrick's is an organization that raises money for childhood cancer research. Majority of the event's attendees have been affected directly by cancer or know someone who has been affected by cancer.   Many of the fundraiser participants commit to shaving their own heads once they reach their fundraising goals.  I was quite impressed with the variety of participants present that day.  There were children as young as four, adults in their sixties, walk-ups who felt moved by the event and entire families offering their time and resources.  I was really inspired by an eleven year old who was voluntarily participating for his fifth consecutive year and beamed proudly from ear to ear as his hair fell to the ground.  The experience of joining these generous individuals for just a day was incredibly moving.

Honestly, walking into the event I wasn't sure which emotions to expect.  Once there, I felt like part of a larger community who welcomed me with smiles, hugs and gratitude.  Celebrating so many lives on that sunny afternoon brought me joy and taught me that giving is easy at any age.