FLAGSTAFF LOVE

Just like a scene from a Christmas postcard, that is how I can describe Flagstaff, Arizona.  It was one of those spontaneous trips that we did not really plan at all. I wanted to bring my mini-me somewhere interesting since she was home for Christmas break.  We did not even have thermal jackets or even snow boots. But one thing we knew for sure was that it would only be a day trip.  

And who would have thought that it snows in Arizona? This town is about 2 hours from where we live and yet it is perched atop a 7000ft elevation.  We arrived there at around 7:30 in the morning and our timing was just right. There was a recent snowstorm, a few days before we came. The road was a tad slippery but we were thankful that it did not warrant a need for snowchains. The hunby just drove more carefully. 

We arrived at the snow park really early mainly because we did not reserve any tickets online.  Luckily, there were a bunch of people like us who did not buy online tickets. To tell you the truth, it was dead cold.  It was 10-12 degrees Fahrenheit. We had to buy additional socks and snow gloves because I could not feel my hands anymore.

They did have a fire going and my mini-me grew an attachment to it. She was always by the firepit because she was shivering.  They actually wanted to go home after 2 hours of being there.  

We also explored the city afterwards, and true to my initial description, Flagstaff is a very quaint town. I like the small town vibe of it and I would have explored more if only it was not as freezing and windy.  We went to the famous Hotel Monte Vista and we were hoping to eat at their resto; get some warmth and hot soup but the resto was under renovations.

We ended up in a quirky local  ramen shop called Sosoba and their noodles were so amazing!  One of the unique ramen fusions I had.

Flagstaff is a cool place to visit mainly because it is a quick getaway from the Phoenix valley area. Just be sure that you are dressed for the weather.  The town, though small and rustic, has a lot to offer and if you just want a different scenery feom the desert mountain landscape of the lower valley, Flagstaff is a quick answer for a spontaneous family trip.

Below are some of our expenses for the trip

Gas: 80dollars (because my husband always make sure that our vehicle is fully tanked with gas and he does not want it to go below half whenever we are a little far from home) i think you can actually go back and forth from Gilbert in one full tank.

Tickets to Snow Park: 33 dollars (11 each)

Food: Sosoba  ramen 36 dollars (12 each)

Mini-me was cold but she was happy to see snow

Fascinated by snowflakes






Coat:Bebe; leather jacket underneath:Calvin Klein; jeans, bought online in China; bag:Kenneth Cole (gift from hubby); boots:Fergilicious by Fergie; eyewear:Aldo; hat:H&M








Ramen love at Sosoba

SoCal Goodness

I know I have been in hibernation for quite a while.  Sorry for the backlogs, folks!  Moving across another continent and flying through 3 countries surely took a slight dent on me. Add tons of turnover work, moving stuffs and dogs around to that and it was a surefire mayhem. So this is me again saying hello and how have you been. :-)   I am now back in the sunshine state and currently soaking up that good 'ole California sunshine.

For starters of what I have been up to since I arrived, we went for a drive-by at La Cresta Equestrienne Estates up in the mountains.  I wore my ever reliable LBD and dressed it down a bit by throwing a denim jacket (which was a good choice because it was a bit chilly that day in spite of the sunshine.) and some classic Italian boots.  The husband actually liked the place and as always, we were in awe of how vast the land cuts are out there.  It is surely a place I will come back to again and again.  I won't ever get tired of the views.

WHAT I WORE:

black backless dress from URBAN OUTFITTERS (bought on sale during my Chicago trip)

denim jacket from ROBERTO CAVALLI

black leather boots from KEEP ORIGINALS VERO CUOIO (Italian handmade leather boots from Italy; a gift from my mother-in-law)

navy pierced bag from  JW ANDERSON

rosegold cuff from KENZO (freebie when you buy the Kenzo World perfume)

rosegold mini slim watch from MICHAEL KORS

It was actually a tad chilly.

A newly built house

what a view!

a vineyard right at your garden

it looks like somewhere from Europe

a house with a very big lot

another vineyard backyard

cottage style

scenic roads

MANHATTAN HUSTLE

The quintessential New York hustle is very evident in the streets of Manhattan.  The constant buzz of the vehicles around and the endless streams of people just make you notice that you are indeed in the city that never sleeps.  It was a very busy and rushed day for me as I hopped from different places to photograph every few hours.  I am still quite disappointed though that I was not able to visit the Flat Iron due to lack of time.  Manhattan made the city girl in me gushed like crazy.   It has that vibrant and distinct ambiance that can only be attributed to being NYC's hustle centre. The original skyscrapers like the Empire State Building and the Chrysler together with the affluent shops are right in the middle of the city.

For this day, I opted to wear a dress that I bought at Chicago a few years ago and then just put a cozy turtleneck sweater over it.  I wanted to be comfortable enough since I would be doing a lot of walking (walking made me miss California haha!) and photographing.  New York weather can be very erratic so I did not leave anything to chance and wore tights with the thigh high boots.

WHAT I WORE:

turtleneck off white jumper from WALMART (yup it is a clearance sale haul)

black dress used as a skirt from URBAN OUTFITTERS (CHICAGO)

thigh high boots from BOOTSIES

tights from H&M

eyewear from COTTON ON

charcoal gray tote bag from STEVE MADDEN

Below are some shots of me taken by my kiddo or Uncle as well as other shots I took using a Sony Mirrorless Camera and a Fisheye lens (my uncle's camera and which made me consider buying one just because it is very handy and light.)

PHOTO TAKEN BY MY UNCLE

well, I just had to try most of the food stalls.  Walking stresses me out.:-D

5th avenue