windy city

The past week has been a bit of a whirlwind. In fact, this whole summer has been nothing short of chaotic so far. After I graduated in May I immediately began preparing to start my new job as Area Director for N2 Publishing. Last week I traveled to Chicago for job training and it was a truly an informative and inspirational experience. In a time of economic turmoil, I feel very fortunate to have a job (especially in the field I went to school for!) Anyway, while the conference was a huge success, I really enjoyed just exploring the beautiful city and I got in touch with a feeling I’ve rarely been comfortable with in the past; independence. Traveling alone is always a bit challenging and sometimes even scary, but this trip was the first time I’ve actually felt safe and even content.

I couldn’t quite put my finger on why my experience was so positive, but after I thought about it, I came up with a number of reasons on how to efficiently travel alone. First, learn the public transportation system. While in the past, I’ve tagged along with my friends when we took the Subway in New York or the Metro in D.C., I never actually had to figure out a train system on my own. A few days before I left, I looked up maps of all the “L” train routes and mapped out exactly what trains to take during each part of my trip. Second, create an itinerary for yourself. Since I knew in advance what times I had to be at my conference, I figured out which tourist spots would be my priority and I set a schedule for myself to make time to sight-see.

The next thing I did was ask people who live there (or have lived there) what are some must-see sights, restaurants, stores, etc. Obviously this is one that can’t be done everywhere, but there are a ton of online resources as well that give user reviews and ratings on almost anything in a given city. For me, I have a few friends that have lived in the Chicago area that gave me a number of places that I couldn’t miss. Since I had never been to Chicago before, I created a note in my Blackberry so I could easily refer to it as I explored.   The final way I had a successful solo trip was to not splurge. Splurging can relate to almost any area – spending money, eating too much food, not managing time effectively, staying up too late and not making time for exercise. Yes, I was technically on a vacation of sorts BUT in my opinion, a vacation is not an excuse to completely go off-track and drastically change your lifestyle. I’ve often found that in the past that after I’ve spent a few days drinking heavily, eating greasy food and getting little sleep, I always return home feeling lethargic and completely beat. One wayI kept on track while in Chicago was to make a daily budget and stick to it! I took out cash from the ATM before I left, so I wouldn’t be tempted to swipe my credit card at every turn. As far as being healthy, I did an insane amount of walking while I was there. (In fact, I actually over did it a few days). But walking is literally the easiest and most practical type of exercise. Most of the time I was exploring a beautiful park, perusing the Magnificent Mile, or just trying my best to read a HUGE tourist map to find certain locations. In addition to the walking, I squeezed in a few runs along Lake Michigan and stocked up on healthy snacks like fruit and nuts to keep in my bag to prevent food splurges.

Ok, so I know this was a different sort of post for me. Less fashion, more personal. I’ve decided to implement more of my personal experiences and insights into my blog. I find the content flows to me much more naturally when I just write about what I know or how I’m feeling. That doesn’t mean I’m NEVER going to write about fashion, food or beauty products again – but I just plan on broadening my content and not feeling forced to find things to write about. Alright, well have a great week and hopefully some of you found this helpful!

Cherry Blossoms

One of my favorite things about Springtime is the sense of re-birth, and its presence in nature. It seems like overnight, all of trees have bloomed in beautiful pink and cream hues. Seeing the buds on the trees have inspired me to incorporate one of the most underused colors in my wardrobe: pink. Growing up, I was a total girlie-girl and was even given the nickname “Pinky”. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve found myself shifting to mostly blacks, whites, nuetrals and jewel tones. However, in the spirit of Spring, I plan on reconnecting with my “pink roots” and hopefully picking up some of the above items that I adore.

Season Transitions (Part II)

Ridiculously rainy days like today really allow me to assess my complete lack of outerwear. My roommate often makes fun of my pathetic amount of jackets and how I pretty much always wear the same one or two during the cooler months. One item I’ve been dying to purchase for the past few months is a lightweight spring jacket. I have a few pea coats, but they’re far too bulky and warm for rainy spring days. I prefer the sophisticated look of trench coats. This year they’re appearing everywhere, and in a variety of bright colors and patterns. Above are a few that I’ve found to be unique and affordable.

Lovely in Lace

Like many fashion-focused blogs, today’s post is inspired by last night’s Oscars. While the actual show was a bit dull, I couldn’t get enough of the red carpet pre-show. This year Hollywood’s A-List went all out, and one of  my favorite trends was lacy gowns in gorgeous hues. The three starlets above looked gorgeous, and the lace added a feminine touch that exudes elegance. Lace is a material that has been highly underrated in the past, but has been popping up everywhere lately. Personally I am constantly looking for pieces to add my wardrobe. Although at first glance lacy tops may seem only appropriate for nights out on the town, the Forever 21 top (below, far right) can be paired with skinny jeans for a daytime casual look.

One.

Today marks the one year anniversary for champayne wishes. The past year has been an incredible learning experience for me. Blogging has quickly became a huge passion of mine, both writing my own and reading others.  It’s funny that not too long ago I was completely intimidated with the idea of having a blog because I’m the furthest thing from being technologically savvy. However, literally every post has been a tutorial and tool to help improve both my writing and blogging skills.

Though it’s been awesome learning the ins and outs of blogging, I’m not proud to admit that I have had a number of dry spells. In my defense, there have been times when I became busy, distracted and stressed. And while creating a post typically doesn’t take very long, I would never want to post anything because I felt obligated to. I am honestly passionate about every post and wouldn’t feel true to my writing if I threw something together just for the sake of having a post that day.

On the other hand, I can admit many days have gone by when I simply didn’t feel like blogging. Either I was busy, uninspired or just plain lazy. This is something I strive to improve as I continue with champayne wishes. I’m excited as spring approaches that I can break out of my winter hibernation. I’m anticipating spring fashion, traveling, exploring Baltimore and challenging myself with a lot of delicious recipes. So, thanks to those of you who read often. Here are a few of my favorite photos over the past year.

my happy place

There are some things in life that instantly put a smile on your face. For me, it may be obvious that I have a bit of an obsession with Wilmington, North Carolina. Somehow, every time I visit I have a sort-of magical calming feeling and a soothing sense of nostalgia. This past weekend marked my EIGHTH time visiting the coastal town, so I decided to shed light on my happy place. Embarrassingly enough, my love for Wilmington can be directly tied to my love for sappy teen dramas. Screen Gems studios is located in Wilmington, and gave life to two of my favorite TV shows: One Tree Hill and Dawson’s Creek. I first visited Wilmington to be an extra on One Tree Hill, but some time during the trip I became completely enamored with the sleepy southern town.

The town of Wilmington is a piece of land wedged between two bodies of water; the Cape Fear river and the Atlantic ocean. The historic downtown area is picturesque with cobblestone streets, palm trees and vintage shops. Every time I visit, I find more reasons to keep coming back. Between the beautiful gardens, lakes, and the ocean, Wilmington can appeal to almost anyone. It was hard to narrow down my favorite pictures from my trips, but below are many of the highlights:

 

season transitions

As Spring approaches quickly, I look forward to the days getting warmer and warmer. However, sometimes this can lead to awkward fashion choices. When it’s too warm for jackets but too cool for dresses or tees, it often leaves people out of ideas. One look I’ve found as a safe bet for this transitional weather is a pair of jeans or leggings and a light-weight dolman sweater. Dolman basically means it is a top or sweater with “cape-like” sleeves. They can often be worn off the shoulder for a casual look, or can be dressed up with jewelry and heels. They’re not quite as heavy as typical sweaters and they’re the perfect item to go from winter to spring.

Homemade Pesto Pasta

After yet again another day spent almost entirely indoors, I began perusing through my cookbooks in hopes of a spark of inspiration. Based on the ingredients I had within an arms reach, I decided on a spinach pesto ravioli recipe.  To me, nothing is more delicious than pasta, and I love adding flavors such as fresh veggies and pesto. The original recipe from Better Homes & Gardens is as follows:

1 9 oz package refrigerated ravioli

12 oz of yellow squash, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/2″ thick

3 1/2 cups baby spinach

1/2 cup torn fresh basil

1/4 cup Caesar vinaigrette salad dressing

2 tbsp water

shredded Parmesan cheese

I had to do A LOT of improvising to this recipe, including swapping out ravioli with tortellini, using 1 tsp refrigerated canned pesto and 1/2 tsp dried basil in place of the fresh basil. First, I cooked the tortellini based on the package’s recipe while I chopped up one of the pieces of squash. During the last 2 minutes of the pasta cooking, I poured in the squash. After draining, I poured the tortellini/squash back into the pot.

Meanwhile, to make the homemade pesto, I combined the spinach, canned pesto, dried basil, salad dressing and water in a blender.

Once everything was in, I pureed it for about three minutes, stopping a few times to push down the spinach. I used a rubber spatula to scrape the excess sauce out of the blender. The consistency of the pesto should be smooth, but feel free to add more spinach or water to change the thickness.

To finish, just toss the tortellini and squash with the pesto sauce and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese!

We Can Work It Out

(1. Tec Gear top $18.99 2. iPod nano $147 3. Express yoga pants $30 4. American Eagle tee $15.99 5. Goody headbands $9 6. Target sports bra $15 7. Nike $69.99 8. Sigg water bottle $18 9. Victoria’s Secret yoga pants $29.50)

After spending the last few days snowed in, I decided to get off the couch and put down the plate of dough balls. To me, there is nothing more motivating then getting new workout clothes or at least making a new playlist to get a little inspiration for the gym. A lot of times workout clothes are extremely overpriced and often very generic looking. However, over the past few months I’ve stocked up on lots of new gym gear, including the 5th generation iPod nano (above). It clips right on to your outfit and it actually holds a lot of music. Above are a few things that are comfortable, cute and actually affordable. In addition to my workout wishlist, I made a new awesome playlist to get sweatin’ to. Below are my top 10 FAVORITE songs to work out to.

1. Christina Aguilera – “Fighter”

2. 98 Degrees – “True to your Heart”

3.  Kanye West – “Stronger”

4. Usher – “More”

5. Britney Spears – “Womanizer” (or literally almost any other Brit song)

6. Joanna Pacitti – “Watch Me Shine”

7. Florence & the Machine – “Dog Days are Over”

8. Maroon 5 – “Harder to Breathe”

9. Noisettes – “Don’t Upset the Rhythm”

10. Little Boots – “Remedy”

Hometown Glory

While I enjoy the hustle and bustle of city life, I often find myself missing the simplicity of living in the suburbs. Although my hometown in Ellicott City is only 30 minutes away, it feels like a completely different world whenever I go home. Everything takes five minutes to get to, you run into at least five people you know  by noon, and the presence of nature is very refreshing. The historic downtown area of Ellicott City is a place I have frequented my entire life. With the quaint old-fashioned shops mixed with quality cuisine restaurants, it makes for an automatic tourist attraction. There are lots of unique places like Pure Wine Cafe and a HUGE antique store (that I will post about next week).

Last weekend I went to Old Ellicott City and had a new sense of appreciation for all of the town’s history and the picturesque views. In addition, to the downtown area, Ellicott City is full of beautiful lakes and parks that are perfect for outdoor activities. The highlight of my hometown has to be the insane amount of frozen yogurt shops. (There are NONE in Baltimore). Even if it’s twenty degrees out, anytime I’m home, I always have to get fro-yo at least once.