Birthday Weekend Update - The Raleigh Hotel

Hey Friends!

I made it through the big 3-0 and I'm starting feel ok with it. It's hard to be depressed about your age when your husband plans a mini-honeymoon for you, and whisks you off to a glamorous hotel for an amazing weekend! As I shared in my Friday Post, my husband and I went to The Raleigh Hotel in South Beach to celebrate. It was a fantastic weekend away, and the hotel was easily one of my favorites. If you ever consider going down to South Beach, I highly recommend this hotel! The pool is obviously its best feature, but I just love the art deco decor, blended with modern touches, resulting in a retro chic feeling that made you feel as glamorous as an Ad Girl from Mad Men. (And, seeings as I secretly wish I lived in my grandparents era, it was RIGHT up my alley...)

An impressive front drive..

a photo of Jackie hanging in the lobby area...but I'm not sure who she is with. The walls were covered with photographs of top models, celebrities, and fashion icons, like Versace.

 Here are a few shots of my favorite spots at the hotel:

Bathroom:

The bathroom was floor to ceiling mint green tiles - just like most 50s style homes - but the single glass divider panel between the shower and the rest of the room made it feel like a completely updated and modern room.

Bedroom

I didn't grab a shot of our room, but here is a stock image to give you an idea...the ocean is right out that window!

The view from our window!

Pool/Patio

My view from the breakfast table...

 Beach

 Dress: Milly NY (can only be found here); Shoes: Jack Rogers Mid Wedge; Bag: Kate Spade New York (last year); Jewelry: Hautelook Earrings, Calvin Klein tortoise shell bangles, Nordstrom Watch

Checking out the Cabanas on the beach (clearly after hours...) as we walk over to the SLS for a night cap!
Excuse the blurriness...my photographer is a little new at this...

Restaurant

The Hotel Restaurant, Michael Schwartz, was truly a fine dining experience. The dishes were interesting, and exquisitely prepared. My husband got the ceviche and fried hominy, and I had a crab cake over a carrot puree (seriously - it was outstanding).

For those interested in a menu snapshot...

I ate too fast to take snapshot of dinner, but here is the most important meal of the day, dessert.

Lemon Bread Pudding (the things that look like chalk is meringue)

Of course, I had the Tequila Mockingbird. And the Oaxacan. But not all at the same time :)

This is just a little glimpse into our trip...more to come later after I upload all my photos!

xx

M

Five on Friday - Birthday Edition

Hello Friday! Join me in teaming up with my friend April at A. Liz Adventures and give us your Five On Friday!

One.

The Big 3-0. 

That's right kids, the fun is over. Middle aged is on its way. (I think I'm feeling some arthritis as I type this). I turned 30 yesterday. It was awful, and I cried. At least 3 times before lunch. I'm pretty sure my husband would attest that at least 5 meltdowns in the last 4 months have been due to the fact that I am turning 30. And now its here. The jig is up. The fun is over. (Can this get any more depressing???) Good news, folks, we're going to pull a Scarlett O'Hara and just think about this tomorrow because tonight, tonight we're going to SOUTH BEACH.

Two.

The Raleigh Hotel

My sweet husband planned a birthday weekend at this A-M-A-Z-I-N-G hotel in Miami - I cannot wait to get there! He has even typed up an itinerary, that has remained completely secret. This will be a weekend for the books, I'm sure!!

I will post some pics when I get back, but for now here is a taste...

Three.

Milly of NY - Parrot Print Fit and Flare Dress

I have found that the best way to celebrate any birthday (even if its a horrible age) is to buy an amazing dress. This particular pattern went down the runway at Milly NY's spring fashion show - but Shop Bop is the only store in which this silhouette can be found. Frankly - I just love the high-low and fit and flare look to this little number! Right now its 30% off!

I purchased the dress on the left, but just in case you prefer the shape on the right, you can find it at www.cusp.com.

Four.

Getting Flowers at Work

I have never gotten flowers at work. Not because my husband isn't thoughtful or sensitive. It's because apparently in 2004 I allegedly called flowers 'a waste of money'. (Surely, I must have been drunk). That phrase is permanently engraved in his brain. However, I will say, that when it comes to being thoughtful my husband is the master. (I mean seriously - he planned an entire trip to South Beach for my birthday complete with secret itinerary -- did I mention he proposed to me with a poem he had written himself? #sweetestguyever) I think that to him, merely making a call to a florist to have some sight unseen bouquet delivered in front of all of my co-workers isn't quite good enough. However, this doesn't mean I haven't always secretly hoped one day he would do it..

So this year, for the dirty thirty, my parents sent me flowers at work. Check it off the bucket list! Babe, you're off the hook.

Five

Co-workers who know how to celebrate

Yesterday at about 3 pm I was called into the break room to find THIS.

Cookies and Cream Ice Cream Cake. I die.

Anyone who knows me knows that if I could sustain myself off of ice cream, I would. I actually 'rated' the colleges I visited on their ice cream selection in the dining hall. (Note: Converse College keeps at least 5-6 flavors out consistently. And they have rainbow sprinkles. Double win.)

This just proves that I have the best co-workers ever. And that they know the proper way to celebrate a birthday.

That's it for this week! What are your five?

Stay tuned for Miami updates...

xoxo

M

Lobbying for Seersucker

“If I could give my friends in the Senate one piece of advice, it would be to start Seersucker Thursday again." - Trent Lott via Washington Post 

I found a fun little tidbit in the Washington Post that was the perfect blend of trivia, fashion, and of course, politics.

Trent Lott sporting his seersucker. And a pink tie. God Bless America.

Whether or not you're a fan of Trent Lott (or even know who he is) I feel confident that we can all agree that his initiation of Seersucker Thursday in the late 1990s was pure political genius. Each year on or around the third Thursday of June, members of Senate gathered together to take a photograph on the Capitol donning their best seersucker suits.  Perhaps the best part of Seersucker Thursday is that it transcended across party, geographic, and gender lines. Though Lott, a Mississippi Republican, was the initiator of the tradition, he joined forces with the likes of California Democrat Diane Feinstein stressing the importance of building relationships despite political differences. (What a concept?!) Both Feinstein and Lott appeared on Fox News Sunday explaining the value of creating opportunities for members of Congress to socialize, relax, and enjoy each other's company. In 2004, Feinstein actually went so far as to foot the bill to purchase seersucker suits for each female Senator.The tradition became so ingrained into the fabric of the Senate, it even appeared in the new members guide for all of incoming Senators.

 This tradition was continued for nearly a decade and a half when it was suspended in 2012 -- a time when this annual salute to classic Southern frocks seemed in apropos in the face of the political & economic meltdown. . If you ask me, perhaps taking some time to celebrate the greatness of breathable preppy cotton attire might have promoted some camaraderie, cooled election tensions, or if nothing else, distract from debates on "legitimate rape".

After these last two years, I'm pretty sure the only thing being celebrated in the Senate is recess...or perhaps the ending of a Ted Cruz filibuster (I know, wrong house, but even I almost threw a party when he stopped talking). Is it because they no longer celebrate Seersucker Thursday? (And we thought it was the Tea Party causing all the trouble in Washington...).  My graduate statistics professors would tell me this is merely a case of correlation, not causation -- but I happen to know for a fact that a good outfit can completely change my attitude. Just sayin'. Despite what his motivations might me, Rep. Tom Cassidy (R- LA) is making a move to bring back this Seersucker tradition - however this time for the members of the House. (apparently Senators are free to join in - although I'd be wary, the House can be a rowdy bunch) Cassidy has officially declared June 11th as National Seersucker Day -- although I'm not sure he has the authority to declare such things. Perhaps its an attempt at creating good will. Or perhaps he's throwing a bone to a Louisiana based company, Haspel, the originator of the seersucker suit. Welcome to politics folks, where even 'fun' has an angle.

I am bringing this story to light in the face of what I believe has become one of the most hostile environments facing Washington in recent history. Sure, the Republicans took Clinton to task back in the 90s, and we've always enjoyed political drama now and again. As a South Carolina native, I have many friends whose biggest complaints about the long standing illustrious (and all around amazing) Sen. Lindsey Graham is that he [gasp] works across the aisle. I'm really not sure how he's managed to evade a good tar and feathering for so long now.  Indeed, it has become almost a faux pas to be known as a Congressman that cavorts with the 'enemy'. Some believe the divisiveness is directly related to the President's general unwillingness to socialize or build relationships with members of Congress (Republican and Democrat alike have made this argument - Obama has been long since tagged as a leader that puts his will 'out there' and then expects others to follow. Read more here,  , here, and here.) Perhaps the issue is deeper - and points to changes that are happening in the fabric of American society as a whole. Whatever the reason, we need to do our part to encourage our leaders to govern in our interests, but not to miss the forest for the trees. The only way any to pass meaningful and effective policy is to work together, and sometimes that means compromise. While I'm sure Texas appreciates Ted Cruz's efforts to make their points of view heard, I'm pretty sure shutting the government down was not on his list of campaign promises. #yougottaknowwhentofoldem

So, regardless of your political inclinations or personal style, I invite you to join in on the fun and sport your Seersucker tomorrow!

xo
M

Sources:
 http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2013/04/26/breaking-down-president-obamas-relationship-with-congress-an-email-dialogue-between-the-fix-and-paul-kane/

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/comment/2014/01/the-state-of-the-union-or-obama-breaks-up-with-congress.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/21/opinion/sunday/dowd-president-obama-is-no-bully-in-the-pulpit.html?ref=maureendowd

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/seersucker-suits-are-in-the-house/2014/06/09/94cdd5d6-f007-11e3-bf76-447a5df6411f_story.html

A little of this, a little of that.

Happy Sunday, Everyone!

Does anyone else feel like that went by WAY too fast? I surely do. I wanted to follow up on this weekend's happenings, and my Five on Friday post.

First off, beach Yoga (my #4 for my Five on Friday) was very interesting. I love yoga, and for awhile I was very consistent in my practice. However, since leaving Greenville, I have fallen off the Yoga bandwagon, and this was one of my first attempts at getting back at it.  If you've never tried Yoga on the beach, I would advise you to pay special attention to the placement of your hands and the way that you distribute you weight on them. If you aren't careful, the heel of your hands will sink into the sand and put a lot of pressure on your wrists.  Be sure to spread the weight evenly through your palms and fingers (spread them wide!). This primarily applies to beaches like ours in Florida -- in other areas where the sand is packed down, this probably wouldn't be an issue.  The beaches in my county are often renourished with new sand, and therefore it is very deep and loose.   Interestingly enough - I actually found it easier to balance in my Warrior positions (I think its because the sand actually helped to stabilize my feet).  One of my favorite poses, bridge pose, was actually really challenging, and it seriously hurt my wrists! You MUST be spot on with each of your poses, or you really can hurt yourself!

Since most Yoga Instructors frown upon stopping your practice to snag a few action shots, I've only got a few 'before' photos. :)

Yogis in the distance



Shortly after this photo was taken, I was cat called by a car full guys who appeared to be 'cruising' at 8 am. Makes total sense.

One other note -- don't fight the sand. It's impossible. Bring the largest towel/blanket you can, and just know that when you leave, you will be covered from head to toe. I might actually consider doing yoga in my bathing suit under my leggings -- then afterwards I can shower as soon as I come off the beach. My bathroom is now FULL of sand!

Sandy Selfie (I swear, there was sand ALL over me)

The second best part about this weekend was golfing! My husband and I finally got around to setting a tee time, and I'm so glad that we did. Neither of played particularly well - but we both chalked that up to the fact that it was about 120 degrees outside :)

Watching some golf, and enjoying a cold one!

I'd say the highlight of the entire day, was while we were putting on the back nine -- I heard a funny noise coming from our golf cart, and when I looked back I saw what I thought was a cat in our cart - it was in fact, a raccoon! He stole a pack of pretzels, and ran off. For reasons unbeknownst to me, I chased the little sucker -- did I think I was going to get the pretzels back?! Regardless, he ran up a tree, and here are the shots we got....

How was your weekend? Let me know!

xoxo

M

Five on Friday

Update - apparently blogger deleted this post at first - so I re-wrote it. Blah. Blogging's tough.


I'm excited to bring to you my first Five on Friday! I'm moving a little bit slow this morning as my hubbie and I had a bit of an impromptu 'night on the town' last night (I think we forgot it was only Thursday). How can you stop drinking margaritas when THIS is your view?! 

So back to my five.... 

ONE 

Crop Tops: As I've blogged about before, I am a lover of the crop top. Last night I wore my favorite crop top/pencil skirt ensemble, and I just wanted to share it! This is one of my 'steals' this summer from (get this) Express. I came across it via fashion blogger Sydne Summer (see how she wore it below at Miami Fashion Week).  To see more photos, or her other looks click here!

I didn't have time for a proper photo..but here's a bathroom selfie :)

TWO

Kayla Itsines Bikini Guide: How do I feel confident enough to sport that crop top? Easy, Kayla Itsines. Check her out on Instagram, she posts amazing before and after shots, as well as work out tips.  Her eBook is full of 12 week circuit training routines to whip your body into shape in no time! I have found that this workout works better for me than even working out with a trainer! She knows how to tone without bulking, and the best part is that its only 30 minutes!

 THREE

Bright Lenses on Raybans: I broke the nose piece off of my Rayban Aviators (don't ask how) and I found out this week that they likely cannot be fixed. So, little known fact, I found out that if you send in your Raybans for service and they cannot be fixed, you will get 50% off of a new pair of glasses - and not just Rayban, any of the Luxottica brands (this includes Chanel ladies...) So, I have been eyeing new styles, and I just love these bright and colorful glasses! Its a great way to jazz up an old favorite.

FOUR

Beach Yoga: This week I found out from a co-worker that there is someone offering Beach Yoga at a beach near my house on Saturday mornings. At only $5 a class, I am SOLD. I love Yoga, and I love the beach. What could be better??

FIVE

Golfing with the hubby: I am not an avid golfer by any means, but I can (sort of ) hit the ball. So, this weekend my husband and I are going to go play golf together for the first time! I am so excited, and hopefully after this he will be convinced that I need my own set of clubs! #nomorerenting #iwantpurpleones

a little snapshot of the course we'll be playing

So, What are YOUR five??

xoxo
M

Newsday Tuesday - #freehappyiranians

Sorry this post is coming a little late today, but it was hectic today! I just got home from my rec soccer game and need a little something to help me wind down...so, here I am.

I like to choose stories that might be little known to the general public - but really should be. I'm sure many of you are familiar with the singer Pharrell, and his recent hit "Happy". It really has swept the world as of late, and made it to Iran -- and a group of Iranian teenagers made a video lip syncing and dancing to the song. I'm not sure if the video was made to be tongue in cheek, or if it was truly meant as a tribute to dispel misconceptions of the Iranian people. Regardless, the result was this video.  After this video went viral on YouTube and Social Media, the video participants were all arrested and taken into custody. A quote from Tehran police chief Hossein Sajedinia explained the arrests saying that the vulgar video, upon its release into cyberspac, "hurt public chastity" -- despite its generally 'PG' nature (and the fact that all three women were wearing wigs to hide their natural hair). This arrest caught the attention of Pharrell Williams, and he tweeted the below message:

 While the arrests were not surprising to those who are well aware of the nature of the Iranian social rules, the political discord that has arisen from the incident has been quite shocking.  Since the arrests, a broadcast was made where several Iranians made admissions that they were not made aware that the video would be broadcast, and had been led to believe that the 'creative endeavor' had been sanctioned by the government. It is not clear, however, that those making the admissions were the actual participants, or whether their admissions were coerced. As of May 21st, all of the video participants, sans the director, have been released.  It has been largely speculated this is a result of the Iranian President, Rouhani - the this fact makes it even more apparent that major changes are coming to Iran (we hope).

Iranian Political Balance
The Iranian Political System is unlike the U.S. in that it has a secular president, with a religious leader (Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameini) that is in charge of the judiciary and the police (and now you can begin to see why many Iranians thought they were supporting a just cause during the 1979 revolution -- this system was supposed to prevent religious zealot leadership...sigh.) In decades since the revolution, the practical implementation of this system as resulted in a regime that is governed by Sharia law, and a society that is heavily monitored and controlled by Shiite Muslim leadership.  The new president of Iran, Hassan Rouhani, has come out in support of the 6 arrested youth tweeting (ironically) that he believed cyberspace to be an "opportunity".  Since he has taken office, Rouhani has supported the opening of Iran, and appears to be more progressive. At a recent IT conference,  he was quoted as saying, "The right of citizens to have access to international networks of information is something we formally recognize. Why are we so nervous? Why don’t we trust our youth?”This statement, and others seem to indicate that President Rouhani is unafraid of cyberspace and the inevitable changes that it might bring. Iran's stability is critical to the region, and one can only hope that perhaps in time President Rouhani's leadership can somehow lead to improved relations with Iran.



Sources:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/20/iranians-arrested-dancing-happy-pharrell_n_5360711.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/05/21/young-iranians-arrested-for-being-happy-in-a-video/

Book Recommendations

Last week's Newsday Tuesday Post mentioned a book that I recently read and recommended. A self proclaimed history and politics nut, I often find myself drawn toward those stories that shed light on the acuteness of the turmoil of the Middle East.  Although I am no longer haunting my college library knee deep in volumes of required reading, I still find myself somehow drawn back to the subject matter.  Long gone are the days of reading ‘Chick Lit’, and now my favorite books are those that are based on true events, in places and cultures that my western mind could never fathom.  I find that many Americans have a skewed and predominately incorrect viewpoint or understanding of the conflict between East and West; it is my hope that I can share with you some of the most insightful & enlightening books I’ve read in the past, and currently.  I’ll occasionally update you with recommendations as I come across them – Until then, lets start with the following:

1. Son of Hamas: A Gripping Account of Terror, Betrayal, Political Intrigue, and Unthinkable Choices
I first heard of this book on NPR - an immediately purchased the book. A must read if you would like to learn more about the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict.

2. I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban

3. Iran Awakening: One Woman's Journey to Reclaim Her Life and Country
I came across this book one summer at the beach, and read it in just a few short days. This is the story of Shirin Ebadi, one of the few remaining female lawyers in Iran. After winner her Nobel Peace Prize, she remains largely 'untouchable' by the Iranian government, and is an internationally known Human Rights Lawyer for the persecuted in Iran.

4. My Home, My Prison
This story is about an Iranian-American working for a DC Think Tank that is detained by the Iranian government after visiting her mother in Tehran. Her lawyer, Shirin Ebadi helps to negotiate her release.

5.  Three Mothers, Three Daughters: Palestinian Women's Stories 
This book is an insightful look at the cultural divides between mothers and daughters of Palestinian descent living in Palestine, Israel, and a refugee camp in Jordan. Fascinating.

6. Aman: The Story of a Somali Girl [ALERT - this has a graphic part...]
This story provides insight into the Somali culture - trapped between the Arab and African worlds. It also delves into the topic of FGM (Female Genital Mutilation) - it made me cry, be prepared.

7. A Thousand Splendid Suns
Though fiction, this story is based on the experiences of many women in transitional Afghanistan after the Taliban take over. Be prepared, this is another tear jerker, but a must read. (If you like it, I would also suggest The Kite Runner, also by Khaled Hosseini)