“the best thing about the future is that it comes only one day at a time.”

you can thank me later.

xoxo,
jessica

1. top shop: 3/4 sleeve collarless blazer | olive — $120

2. bp: ‘runway’ boot | cognac — $120

3. the row: 8c1 circular oversized framed sunglasses | black — $398

4. h&m: flared crepe dress | mustard — $24

5. essie: nailpolish | palmetto — $8

6. alexander mcqueen: skull clutch | leopard print — $1,375

7. opening ceremony: thigh high sock boots | black — $340

8. mulberry: triple bangles | pale gold — $300

9. rag & bone: scarf | plaid — $125 (on sale for $63)

10. h&m: ring | red — $6.50

needless to say, my wardrobe and i are ready for fall.

xoxo,
jessica

current music: “broken jaw” — foster the people

i love everything about this.

splitscreen: a love story from jw griffiths on vimeo.

xoxo,
j

over thanksgiving a few months ago, my mom whipped up a feast of a meal. a true hostess, everything looked perfect, down to the warming chambers she bought specifically for the event:

while almost everything pictured was homemade, there’s one thing my mother insists on buying — a brown sugar glazed ham, to which no one in our house protests. on normal occasions, my overly zealous, type ‘a’ personality wouldn’t usually allow my food to touch. on thanksgiving though, with my plate so heavily piled, there was no other option. as a result, my brussel sprouts and the ham’s brown sugar glaze collided serendipitously, to create what has become one of my favorite veggie side dishes.

ingredients:
– 1 package of brussel sprouts
– (light) brown sugar
– butter or margarine

steps:
1. rinse and cut the brussels in half.

2. boil the brussels ’til tender.

3. drain and return the brussels to the pot they were boiled in. add butter and brown sugar to your liking.

4. transfer the brussels to a preheated saute pan, cut side, down.

5. let caramelize for a few minutes ’til brown and crispy, then flip.

6. plate and enjoy!
*shown here with boil-a-bag brown rice and teriyaki marinated drumsticks.

xoxo,
j

“if you only get one great love, then new york may just be mine… and i can’t have nobody talkin’ shit about my boyfriend.”– carrie, “sex and the city”

since 2009, my friends stacy and logan have made it a point to visit me in the city every summer. their visits are ones i look forward to, not only because i so obviously love their company, but also because i enjoy sharing parts of my daily life — routines and experiences very different from theirs in florida.

after their annual visit last june, logan wrote a post on his personal blog about how he could never see himself living here. while i respect that big cities aren’t for everyone, i have been meaning to come up with a sort of rebuttal post for a while now, albeit seven months late. what better time though, than the month of mine and nyc’s first anniversary? yes – a year has passed in which i’ve consecutively lived and worked here, but much longer since the conception of my love for it.

when i was 14, my entire 8^th grade class went on a week-long trip to washington d.c. on the way, we spent the first day and night in new york, where i was exposed to my first dose of unforgettable city living. in the words of kelly cutrone, “it was like i had stepped out of a boring silent film and into the greatest musical of all time.” i can’t quite put my finger on it. maybe it was the newfound freedom from my parents, or being with my friends, or the vibrance that the city brought out of us, but the culmination of those things proved to create one of the most perfect memories of my life — a memory and feeling, that i’m lucky enough to relive daily when i wake up in my upper east side apartment.

in logan’s post, he sited the most common metropolitan city stereotype: high crime. in this regard though, new york remains the safest big city in the u.s, which disproves whatever logic there might have been in his worries over encountering an “unpredictable psychopath.” the city with the highest crime rate? miami — which logan lives about 35 miles from. big city factor aside, unforeseen events such as this and this, prove time and time again that tragedy clearly does not discriminate.

with anything, there are pros and cons. being an overall optimist though, i will always see the good and in this specific case, it far outweighs the bad. irrefutable to anyone who visits, and especially as an inhabitant, there’s a prominent energy about new york that is unparalleled. i thrive on its fast pace and the spontaneity that stems from it. i don’t ever feel bored or unsatisfied, but exhausted from the possibility. a year later, i’m still meeting new people, discovering new places, and feeling just as excited as i ever was.

i do find solace in the comfort of routine. however, there’s a difference between a daily routine that has potential to lead to new opportunities and experiences, versus a routine that breeds complacency, thereby forcing you to settle for less than you deserve. for me, being anywhere but new york would be settling. and if you know me, that’s never an option.

so happy anniversary new york. here’s to many more.

xoxo,
j

while skimming facebook pages a few days ago, i came across hermes — perhaps most buzzed about as the home of the elusive, ever popular birkin bag. while it will be quite some time until i can afford one of their beautifully crafted gems, a little piece of the luxury can be had by all with their variety of screen leathers.

i know it may not seem like anything worth mentioning, but as someone who is constantly dissatisfied and quickly bored with my desktop background, these are the perfect solution. the vibrant, sharp, textures are professionally appropriate, yet filled with personality. at work, my computer sports “mat straw alligator”

which makes even tracking over 200 fedex gift packages, that much more pleasant. at home, mac baby and i working with “shocking pink eversoft calfskin.”

the small effect that they’ve had on my moods, reaffirms that it really is the little things that count.

happy holidays everyone!

xoxo,
jessica

diane: “nobody thinks it will work, do they?”
lloyd: “no. you just described every great success story.”