Splash of Orange

Dress: Fab'rik

Shoes: Stuart Weitzman

Clutch: Borrowed from a friend

Earrings: Bauble Bar

Bracelets: Bauble Bar (here) 

Happy Friday!  I hope your week is going well!  It's my second to last day in Vietnam as we are heading back to Hong Kong for a night tomorrow before flying back to the US.  I don't think anyone is ever ready to leave vacation, but I'm definitely not ready to go home.  I feel like we have barely scratched the surface of Vietnam as there are so many other places in country to visit (Saigon, Hue, etc).  One week is definitely not enough to fully experience this country.  This was my first time in Southeast Asia and I can't wait to come back! 

I wore this dress to dinner in Hanoi earlier in the week with my friend.  I rarely wear orange, but this dress caught my eye at my favorite boutique.  Dresses are so easy for summer and I can never resist interesting detailing so this dress obviously had me at hello!  Thankfully it is also forgiving as we ate a little too much at dinner... The food here has been amazing and I've discovered several new favorite dishes (hello pho and green papaya salad!).

Vietnam has taken me out of my comfort zone of Europe and the Caribbean, but it has been a very interesting and amazing trip.

Have a great weekend!

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Halong Bay

And I have to include a picture of my friend and awesome travel partner, Maame who has been nice enough to put up with my photo requests!

Shirt: Borrowed from my Dad

Jean shorts: J. Crew

Bikini: Victoria's Secret

Sunglasses: Ray-Ban (borrowed from a friend)

I hope everyone's week is going well!  Time here in Vietnam is flying by! I can't believe my vacation is more than halfway over.  Today we traveled 3.5 hours outside of Hanoi to visit a UNESCO heritage site, Halong Bay.  While our tour guide was convinced that a trip to Vietnam without a trip to Halong Bay didn't count as a trip to Vietnam, I'm not sure I would go quite that far.  It was definitely worth the trip though and was a welcome change of space from the hustle and bustle of Hanoi.

Given how hot it is here (and after sweating through my outfit from Monday), I opted for an oversize linen shirt (thanks Dad!) which was very breathable and doubles as a great bathing suit cover-up (even though I misread the itinerary and we didn't have a chance to swim...)

Halong (or "Descending Dragon") Bay is a huge bay, with almost 2000 limestone islands that have formed over the past 500M years.  The islands all have very interesting names, including Elephant, Monkey, and Fighting Rooster.  Though most of the lake is uninhabited, there is a small group of people that live in several fishing villages floating on the lake.  

We arrived at the hotel after a long drive and had a delicious Vietnamese lunch on the boat.  After lunch, we kayaked around the bay and then hiked through a cave to admire the stalagmite and stalactite.  Most people spend 2 or 3 days at Halong Bay, but we only had a day as we are trying to make the most of our trip.  I've included some pictures below.  

One of the ladies from the fishing village who gave us a ride around the bay 

View of the bay

Sailing into the cave

Sailing around Halong Bay

Beautiful light inside the cave

Rock formations inside the cave

Have a great day!

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First Day in Vietnam

Top: Asos

Skirt: Maje, Old

Shoes: Dolce Vita

Purse: Marc Jacobs

Necklace: Bauble Bar

Earrings: C. Wonder, old

Greetings from Vietnam!  We arrived here late last night after a world-wind weekend in Hong Kong for my friend's wedding.  Hong Kong was amazing and my friend's wedding was beautiful.  It was my first Indian wedding.  I wore a sari for the first time, which I will share later this week or next week.  

We quickly took these pictures at our hotel this morning, before getting ready to head out and explore Hanoi, and try some delicious Vietnamese food.  It is very hot and humid here so this hat is doubling as hair camouflage :).   

If you guys have any suggestions of places to go in Hanoi, please let me know.

Have a great day!

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Travel Style

Jacket: Loft, old

Top: Loft

Jeans: Current/Elliott

Shoes: Dolce Vita

Scarf: old

Longchamp Bags: (here, here)

Luggage: old

I'm so excited!  As you read this I'm on my way to the airport to Hong Kong for my friend's wedding and then onto a week in Vietnam.  I've never been to Vietnam before so I'm excited an new country.  One of my goals is to fill up my passport before it expires, so this trip definitely helps with that and I get the amazing bonus of visiting two culturally-rich destinations with great food!

As a former consultant who was on the road four days a week every week for 2 years, I've got my in-flight essentials down, especially for a 20+ hour flight.  No matter how long the flight, I can't travel in tight pants, so my new boyfriend jeans (that I wear all the time!) are perfect.  Layering is also key as I'm always freezing, but want the ability to take off a layer if I got hot (almost never happens...).  Finally, my scarf can double as a blanket (did I mention I get cold?) so I don't have to use one of the airplane blankets.  

My in-flight essentials include socks for my cold feet, my neck pillow and eye mask so I can fall asleep, my iPad for magazines, books, and podcasts, lots of water (and some lotion) to battle dehydration, and healthy snacks to supplement the airplane food.

What are you travel essentials? 

I will try to update from the road and share parts of my trip with you guys!

Barbados Style Diary, part 2

Dress and Belt: Fab'rik boutique

Shoes: Stuart Weitzman, old

Purse: Marc Jacobs via Nordstrom Rack

Necklace: BaubleBar, old

I'm seriously wishing I was back in Barbados as I am writing this.  Like many places, Atlanta is freezing (for us!) and about to get even colder.  The high on Tuesday is 25!  I will miss waking up that view!

Being in Barbados gave me the chance to wear one of my favorite summer outfits. This dress is so easy and comfortable that I end up wearing it all the time.  I dress it up with a white blazer for work or throw on a pair of sandals and head to the beach (or more likely to dinner with friends...). This dress is from one of my favorite boutiques in Atlanta, Fab'rik, where everything is under $100 except for the denim.  What can I say, I love a great deal!

I hope your week is off to a great start!  Stay warm!

Barbados Style Diary, part 1

Top: Banana Republic, old

Shorts: J. Crew (sized up for length), old

Flats: Target, old

Earrings: Boutique Find

Bracelets: Bauble Bar (here, here, here) and boutique find

I was fortunate enough to escape to Barbados for a few days after Christmas.  My parents were going down and convinced me to join them.  I'm so glad they did!  It was so warm and relaxing.  Just looking at these pictures makes me want to go back, especially since it is 35 here!

I managed to sneak in a few pictures in my uncle's backyard, which is full of beautiful flowers and overlooks the ocean, just before the sun started setting.  Being in the tropics always breaks me out of my black and white rut.  I love these shorts since pink is one of my favorite colors (surprisingly!) and I went bolder with the purple top to be a little more tropical.  These Target flats are also such a bargain.  Every summer, I get a new pair of gold flats from Target and by the end of the summer my cost per wear is practically zero!

I also had to include a beautiful picture of the sunset that happened after my quick photoshoot.  It was so pretty!

Happy Friday!  I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Taste of Atlanta 2013

Ready for some good food!

But first, a Baton Bob, local Atlanta legend sighting

 Pork Tenderloin and Grits from 1 Kept

A pretzel the size of my head!

Chicken and Waffles, Corn Dog style from 10th and Piedmont

Amazing Steak and BBQ Corn from BLT Steak

Words to live by!

My friend cracking me up over the chicken and waffles

Jacket - Burberry

Top - Loft (one of my favorite fall purchases!)

Earrings - Banana Republic, old

Necklaces - boutique finds

I hope you had a great weekend!  On Saturday, my friend and I went to one of my favorite foodie events, Taste of Atlanta.  Taste is great event in which lots of top local restaurants make tastes of their signature dishes.  It is a great place to try new restaurants that aren't in your normal rotation.  

My friend and I had our share of good food....  The clear favorite was Bourbon Caramel Praline Ice Cream (so good we had seconds!) from High Road Craft Ice Cream and the Steak and Corn pictured above from BLT Steak.  The chicken and waffles on a stick was definitely the most interesting dish of the day...  It is a chicken breast on a stick, wrapped in bacon, dipped in waffle batter and deep fried.  It was much better than I thought it would be and a fun original dish.   

As you can see from the picture, fall has finally come to Atlanta, so this Burberry jacket, a Saks Friends and Family score(!), was perfect to keep me warm at this awesome event.  I can't wait to go back next year!