Outfit and Occasion

Outfit:

Forever21 Paisley Romper (forever21.com), $23.00, Forever21 Layered Necklace (forever21.com), $10.00, Gold Tano Bag (gifted)

Occasion:

The W (Vieques) and Marmelade (San Juan)

In an hour span, our trip turned from smooth sailing to crisis to luxurious.  The wheel of our car rental literally came off as we were driving right after realizing that we had not booked our hotel for the last night!  Sitting stranded in our tire-less car, waiting for someone to rescue us and relieved that we were not injured in the process, Jess (my sister) scored two rooms for ridiculously discounted prices at the one luxurious hotel in town, The W.  Oh, and Eliot Spitzer drove by and offered to give us a hand/beer. lol

Not looking too hot, eh?

The infinity pool at The W above the resort’s private beach.

Wanda and me 🙂

Levinsohn family vacation

Marmalade is rated #1 restaurant in San Juan.  It was sensational!  I had the most tasty white bean pupusa, duck in a shepherds pie-like concoction, lamb tagine marinated for 48 hours, and butterscotch banana bread pudding.  One of the best meals of my life and a great way to end a magnificent vacation with the fam!

Outfit and Occasion

Outfit:

All Saints Dress (Second Time Around, Burlington), $24.00, Earrings (gifted)

If you like something at STA, you have to patiently wait/stalk it until that wonderful day when a colorful sticker appears on the price tag, indicating it is on some kind of sale.  Hence, an All Saints dress that was originally in the hundreds reduced down to something much more manageable!

Occasion:

More Vieques!

Livin’ the life of a starfish!  Best way to soak in that magical sunshine!

Horsies on the side of the road on route to the beach!

Sister and I posing before our kayak trip to a snorkel spot with stingrays, starfish, fishies, and even a sea turtle!  Later, we kayaked late at night in the Bioluminescent Bay where millions of microorganisms live and glow neon when you paddle about.  Pretty sweet.

 

We went to Quenepo for our second restaurant.  It was another incredible meal!  The watermelon cocktail to start tasted subtle and light yet deliciously citrusy.  One of our appetizers was goat cheese and crab rangoon, so good!  I had these mind blowing scallops as my entree with plantains, brussels sprouts and a cream sauce.  Pretty fantastic meal!

Outfit and Occasion

Outfit:

Madewell Skinny Jeans (Shalom Shuk, Burlington), $2.00, Pins and Needles top (Urban Outfitters on sale, Burlington), $15.00, Forever21 bracelet (Forever21.com), $5.00

No, it’s not a typo…these pants were actually $2.  I thought my shaking hands would give away that these jeans were worth 100 X what I was paying (I later found them online for $128.00).  They are in perfect condition with zippers at the bottom.  I have never found two bucks to be more valuable!

Occasion:

Vieques, Puerto Rico

Vieques is a heavenly island in Puerto Rico.  We stayed on the Atlantic side, but went to amazing, secluded beaches on the Caribbean.  The weather was spectacular – warm, breezy, and sunny.  Perfect setting for pure relaxation and fun with the fam!

Next Course

Butter Poached Lobster and Crab Risotto

Ice Cream Cookie Sandwich and Pecan Pie

Next Course is rated #3 on Trip Advisor in Vieques and it was truly amazing.  Considering most food is imported from San Juan on 8-person prop jets and the one ferry, each course had such diverse ingredients.  The poached lobster was better than Maine lobster and the desserts were out of this world!

 

 

Outfit and Occasion

Outfit:

Olive & Oak Sweater (Possibility Shop, Burlington), $4.00, Gray Hat (Urban Outfitters, Burlington), $10.00

This thick, comfy Olive & Oak tribal sweater would normally be sold for around $80.  By chance, I found it in my size at a local Church thrift shop for a total of $4!  To whomever is giving away perfect condition, trendy designer sweaters…I am extremely grateful :).

Occasion:

Lucky Next Door

As I have mentioned, Penny Cluse is one of my favorite places for breakfast.  Lucky Next Door is an extension of Penny Cluse with some of the same menu items.  The good thing is, there is never a line and food comes fast!  I had the Smoked Chicken and Garlicky Kale panini with Queso Fresco and Red Chili Sauce.  Some fermented slaw on the side to top it off!  It is even more delicious than it looks!

Outfit and Occasion

Outfit:

Vintage Dress (Goodwill, Burlington VT), $5.00, Zara Sweater (Shalom Shuk, Burlington VT), $4.00

Why spend ridiculous amounts on items from vintage consignment stores when there are gems like this dress out there for next to nothing??  Of course, good finds may involve some diggin’!

Occasion:

Revolution Kitchen

Revolution Kitchen is a fairly new restaurant in Burlington.  It is completely vegetarian, which means boatloads of tofu and seitan!  I wasn’t sure whether the meals would be substantial enough.  They were not only filling, but delicious as well!  We had scallion rolls, spring rolls, goat cheese & pesto ravioli, yummy seitan tacos, and unbelievable chocolate pudding cake.  The atmosphere is charming and the service is right on point.  When you prepare imitation meat so wonderfully, it’s hard not to enjoy!  Definitely worth a try, meat-lovers and all!

 

Outfit and Occasion

Outfit:

Multicolored hat (Forever21, White Plains NY), $8.00, Tusk Wallet SPLURGE ALERT (Greenwich CT), $91.00 (on sale from $140.00), Michael Kors SPLURGE ALERT (Michael Kors, Greenwich CT),  $125.00 (on sale from $250.00)

So I did some Black Friday shopping and aside from the hat…I splurged…because sometimes you can’t pass up the perfect thing.  The wallet is girly and fun and I’m obsessed with the boots!  I will definitely get good use out of them.  I love the hat so much that I even wear it indoors (which is not usually my thing).  Lots of loot from White Plains to take back with me to Vermont this year!

Occasion:

A Single Pebble Tasting Menu (localvore.com lunch deal)

   

A Single Pebble in Burlington is honestly the best Chinese food I’ve ever had.  It is fancy, fine dining and incomparable to your typical Chinese takeout (however delicious that may be).  I only go on special occasions because it is very pricey, and I was so excited when I found a deal on localvore.com: $10 for $20 dollars worth of food from the lunch tasting menu.  Being an adventurous eater, I had a feeling nothing would disappoint.  Even the sesame seitan was amazing (and I’m all about the meat).  There was even more food not featured here.  For flavors that will send your taste buds screaming with delight, A Single Pebble is the place to go.

Outfit and Occasion

Outfit:

Floral Lace Dress on sale (forever21.com), $20.00 (from $26.00), Elephant earrings (keep.com), $6.00

Another online forever21 find that luckily fits like a glove, yet allows a little room for a stuffed Thanksgiving belly!

Occasion:

Family Thanksgiving in White Plains, NY!!!

 

  

Thanksgiving at my house is a huge gathering, usually 40+ people.  This year was relatively small for us with around 35!  It’s potluck style and it’s not only a food marathon, but a social one as well.  I love it so much and look forward to it all year…and it leaves me totally exhausted by the last goodbye!  Everyone in my family is dynamic and interesting and lovely to get wrapped up in deep conversation with.  The food is outrageously good to boot!  Favorites are swedish meatballs, sweet potatoes with marshmallows, stuffing, and my mom’s famous oatmeal raisin chocolate chip cookies.  I’m salivating just thinking about it all!

Outfit and Occasion

                                   

Outfit:

Forever21 top (forever21.com), $14.00, Forever21 High Waisted Jeans (forever21.com), $13.00

I ordered the top and jeans online and was very pleased with both.  The jeans are super comfortable and the price cannot be beat.  I also really like the vibrant pattern of this crop top!

Occasion:

Friendsgiving!

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holiday’s and this year I get to celebrate it twice!  Friendsgiving is such a wonderful occasion and this particular gathering was extra delicious and fun!  We had perfectly cooked turkey and stuffing and many other delectable sides.  The appetizers alone were amazing, including deviled eggs and spinach artichoke dip.  Yum!  Thankful for my friends 🙂

 

Outfit and Occasion

Outfit:

DIY gold tipped boots!  Route 66 Boots (Salvation Army, Burlington), $4.00, Martha Stewart Gilding Paint, $7.00

Find this easy DIY project here.  In 10 minutes, this great thrift find went from standard to snazzy!

Kimchi Blue Kimono on sale (Urban Outfitters, Burlington), $20.00, North Face hat (gifted)

I love playing with the fringe on this kimono.  I’m holding onto what’s left of Fall with these autumn colors and pattern.

Occasion:

Duino Duende in Burlington is my favorite go-to restaurant because it’s interesting, delicious, and relatively cheap.  The menu is international with local ingredients and the restaurant is attached to Radio Bean, a spot for eclectic music and drinks.  I’ve tried almost everything on the menu from chicken and waffles to incredible tacos like the carnitas taco I had this weekend, pictured above.  We ordered the yummy plantain chips as well!  I also love the poutine to start and the amazing cubano sandwich.

 

 

Hogs Back Park

Outfit:

Forever21 Sweater (forever21.com), $15.00, Jack Skirt (Loehmans, NY), $12.00, Romeo & Juliet Couture leggings (Loehmans, NY), $10.00, Gap scarf (Gap, Burlington), $10.00 on sale, Bracelet (I made it!)

Occasion:

Teatro Cafe

There were plenty of occasions on our jam packed trip to Ottawa including The National Gallery of Canada, lunch in Byward Market, Hogs Back Park waterfalls, dinner at Teatro Cafe, and the awesome Nature Museum.  I wore this cozy yet stylish outfit (and my winter Sorel boots) to experience all that Ottawa has to offer!

Teatro Cafe is definitely no Allium (previous feature) but we had a pleasant experience with a friendly waiter who graciously said “madam monsieur” after every other sentence hehe.  We had mussels, bruschetta, a trio of venison, and scallops/beef cheek ravioli.  Perfect meal for our last night in Ottawa.

Art is in the Bakery

In the morning we had the most amazing croissants at Art is in the Bakery.  It has a cool modern, industrial feel.  Tom, a breakfast connoisseur, said his egg and cheese croissant was “the best breakfast sandwich I’ve ever had”.  It was kind of a big deal.

The town of Merrickville

The trip was a perfect getaway.  We stopped in the cute little town of Merrickville on our way back to top it all off.