Natural Beauty

Aspen is filled with so much beauty. Wherever you look, there is a beautiful snowcapped mountain, forest, or patch of Aspen Trees. Seeing the continental divide, and peaks that are 14,000 feet really made me realize just how vast and beautiful this country truly is. 

There are no mountain peaks in the city, so it has been quite refreshing. A snow covered mountain is the perfect backdrop for a dip in the jacuzzi.

Aspen Mountain. The Residences at Little Nell

Down the Slopes

Greetings from Aspen! I am all about trying new things and this week is no exception. I came on this trip having never skied in my life, ever. I could not pass up the opportunity to learn how to ski on the mountains of Aspen. Thus, I booked myself into a 3 day school ski with day 1 already completed.
I chose to ski Buttermilk Mountain which is one of the best beginner mountains out there. My instructor told me about the well groomed and forgiving snow. Buttermilk is also home to the X-Games which will be getting underway in late January. Its pretty awesome skiing next to the half-pipe where Shaun White wins gold medals.
I have to admit, I was a bit nervous when I clipped into my skis and was about to head down the virtually slope-less starting point. My instructor taught me how to properly make turns and I practiced on this very low slope run until I became more comfortable. We then moved to the chair lift and the "powder panda" slope which was a bit larger to continue to work on my turns. Yes, I did fall quite a few times! All in all I fell less than I expected.
By the end of the day, however, I was riding on the chair lift that goes to the top of the mountain and skiing on a green run down the mountain. I couldn't believe it! After only one day and never having skied before, I was at the top of the mountain....I was impressed with myself :)
Is skiing my new calling? Perhaps, but it is definitely something I would like to add to my hobby list!

View from the top of Buttermilk Mountain

Morimoto Philadelphia

Morimoto Philadelphia brings an upscale, trendy vibe to Japanese cuisine. Executive chef Masaharu Morimoto, best known from the TV Series Iron Chef and Iron Chef America has crafted a menu filled with authentic Japanese flavors. Morimoto has locations in both Philadelphia and the Meatpacking District of New York. 

The interior of the restaurant has a very modern vibe with color changing walls and a ceiling that seems to roll into the kitchen. A friend and myself picked Morimoto to celebrate a birthday. The vibe of the interior is very chic and refined. 

The menu includes an extensive cocktail list as well as Japanese Sakes, some of which are Morimoto's own label. There is an array of appetizers both hot and cold, and dinners can choose between entrées or the tasting menu which takes all the work out of picking items on the menu. We opted to select our appetizers and entrées ourselves. 

We started off with rock shrimp tempura, tuna tartar, and I also had a cucumber avocado role.

I had the wasabi salmon for dinner which was prepared in a creamy garlic sauce with a wasabi vinaigrette and scallion bubbles. 

All in all the food was good, but note that if you are not a big seafood lover this may not be the place for you as the menu is heavily based on seafood dishes. I would like to try the New York location just to see how it compares.

Winter Holiday in the Mountains

Source: google.it via Tam on Pinterest

Im off to have some fun in the snow in Aspen, CO. I have never traveled to a winter destination so this trip will have a lot of firsts for me. I am planning on skiing, but will look nothing like the photo above seeing as I have never clipped my foot in a ski before! Lets hope that I am just standing more than I will be falling. 

It will be nice to reconvene with friends after the holidays for a little getaway before we find ourselves trapped in the library for another semester. I have my bright red ski pants packed, as well as all my intarsia and fair isle Ralph Lauren sweaters. And of course, my Moncler Jacket will definitely be coming to Aspen with me. 

I am very excited to try skiing, and might try out some other winter activities such a snowshoeing and cross-country skiing as well. There will also be lots of eating, and hopefully some champagne drinking! See you all at the bottom of the slopes

Looking Back At 2012

I was never a fan of all the hype on New Year's Eve, however, I do like looking back after the past year and remembering all the things good and bad that can happen in 365 days. All in all I think 2012 was a very good year for me. So much as happened its hard to believe it has only be just one year ago since we we're all sitting here writing our little reflections on 2011.

2012 started with all my friends traveling to Europe for months so I was left to navigate Manhattan alone. It was a great time to try new restaurants and make some new friends as well. Summer came and went in the flash of an eye and it was already back to school in the fall. It was great to have everyone back in the city ready to have fun. This past semester has been great. This past year I really discovered who I am as a person

Here are some of the highs and maybe lows of 2012:

• February Fashion Week events such as Lunch with Alexandre Birman and attending the Moncler Grenoble Show
• Managing to eat at almost every restaurant in Meatpacking 
• Visiting LA in March
• Getting my first pair of Louboutins....now thats exciting
• Moving into my very own apartment! Perhaps the most exciting thing of 2012
• Of course new friends were made, but some old friends were also lost
• The start and unfortunately end of a relationship
• Going out on break in style at Beaumarchais

I hope your 2012 was filled with as many memorable moments as mine. Looking ahead, 2013 has the potential to be even more exciting. I see Barcelona in my near future for one thing. I do, however, want to vow to take things a bit more slowly in 2013 and not rush so much. 

Happy New Year!

Fashion Friday: New Years Dressing

We are almost ready to ring in another New Year. Where does time go?! New Years Eve is a special occasion for many as well pull out the best of the best from our closet. Whether you are ringing in the new year in NYC, at home, or on the town, I hope you make it a black tie affair. One can never go wrong with a classic, black tuxedo for ringing in the new year in style. NewYears is not complete without lots of champagne on the side either!

Dolce & Gabbana Martini Slim-fit Wool and Silk-Blend Tuxedo Jacket
mrporter.com

DIOR tailored trouser
$510 - farfetch.com

Dolce & Gabbana Slim-Fit Cotton Tuxedo Shirt
mrporter.com

Rolex Explorer Ii Customized Watch
$19,835 - montaignemarket.com

Salvatore Ferragamo Antone Patent Loafer
bergdorfgoodman.com

Armani Collezioni Solid Black Silk Bow Tie
nordstrom.com

Wishing everyone a happy and stylish New Year!

Brasserie Beaumarchais

To celebrate the end of a semester filled with lots of hard work, a few friends and myself planned an evening at Beaumarchais, a trendy restaurant located in the meatpacking district. This has been hands down one of the most fun dinners I have had in the city thus far. 

Brasserie Beaumarchais has sophistication written all over it. From the velvet ropes outside the doors and doorman to the staff with their French accents. The atmosphere is refined and classic during the afternoon and evening hours, but once it turns dark and you make a late reservation like us (10pm), this place turns into a dinner party straight out of the south of France. There was an amazing DJ spinning, lights, and of course bottles of sparklers.

We enjoyed some Moet, my personal favorite, while we listened to the music and looked at all the beautiful people around us. I had the beet salad which was amazing, as well as the chicken. We all shared profiteroles for dessert. 

When we finished our meal, we didnt want to leave- it was just too much fun. Warning, as the night goes on everyone is up dancing around their tables. There was definitely more dancing than eating going on! I cannot wait to go back! 

Mega Sundae