Party in the USA...

Hello everyone! I hope you all had a fun and safe Fourth of July! I had a great July Fourth as usual. Every year my two best friends and I have a barbecue and just hang out and usually do fireworks. This year we unfortunately couldn’t get fireworks so Jamie made an amazing cake that had sparkler candles on the top! I posted a video of this on my Snapchat if anyone wants to check it out! It was such a beautiful night to sit by the fire pit, have a drink and talk with your best friends. Speaking of drinks, whether it’s the Fourth of July or a normal day, be sure to be responsible while drinking. Don’t drink and drive, don’t drink more then you know you can handle and make sure you’re of legal age to consume alcohol. We had lots of good food and dessert this year that I will post below! If you want to know how anything was made please let me know. My twitter, instagram is posted above and if you want to add me on Snapchat my name is Samchomin. This week is a busy week for me. Besides turning a whole year older on Tuesday I am packing for California, working and going to see SHANIA TWAIN! Be sure to come back Saturday where I will post all about the Shania Twain concert. Until then have a great week and I will talk to you soon! 

 

Sincerely, Sam

Play Ball...

Hello everyone! So as the weather starts to change and the flowers start to bloom it’s time that my favorite sport starts up again. Baseball. Since I was a little girl my dad and I would sit on the couch and watch baseball together. I loved it because it was something my dad and I always looked forward to and got to do together. My favorite team is the Yankees for multiple reasons but yes one of them is because of Derek Jeter. As most of you might know, Derek retired last year and it is slowly killing me. Since I was little all I remember was Derek Jeter and to go to a game and not see him play is very weird and sad. Last weekend I did have the opportunity to go to the Yankee game for the first time this season and it was awesome. I went with my best friend Jamie and my dad. Our seats were really good (section 208) and closer then I’ve ever sat before. The entire time I was hoping to catch a baseball but no luck so maybe next time! This game was a very exciting one because it was against the Boston Red Sox. A little spoiler we did lose the game but that’s ok because there’s always more games to go to and the season just started! 

The best part of my day was lunch time(are you surprised?). Every time I go to the Yankee game my go to food is a hot dog and a lemonade because the lemonade is out of this world and hot dogs are my guilty pleasure. This time I got a few other things for the first time and let me just say how amazing it was. If you are going to a Yankee game I honestly recommend everything I had because it was just out of this world. When I first got there I immediately got my hot dog and my lemonade which I have to say was the best lemonade I’ve ever gotten at the stadium. When we got closer to our seats there was an overwhelming smell of french fries and garlic and I had to see what it was. Turns out Yankee stadium has garlic fries. Now I have heard of this before at the Yankee game but I never got around to trying it until today. I am not sure if anyone has ever had the garlic fries from Yankee Stadium but it comes HIGHLY recommended. Basically it’s the skinny fries, like the ones you would see at McDonald’s, with garlic and some parsley on top.. Jamie isn’t a very big garlic fan but they were so good I told her she had to try it and after she did she even said how good they were. Unfortunately for me we got the small size because we never had them before but next time I go I know for a fact I am getting a large! (which is probably really good for my diet lol). I didn’t add any ketchup to it because I felt it had enough flavor without it but you could always add it and see how it tastes! After we had the fries it was time for my hot dog which I was most excited about. I always get the kosher hot dogs because I don’t eat pig (for my own personal reasons) but honestly you could get any hot dog in the stadium and I am sure it would taste just as good. After I finished all this food I swore I was going to be full for the rest of my life. Wrong. By the 4th inning I was starving so Jamie and I decided to go find a snack to eat. We found the most amazing snack ever and honestly it’s been a week but I am still NOT over it. Oreo churro’s. Need I say more? A churro made of oreo!!! You can probably tell I love oreos which is true. They are my favorite cookies but I do also love churro’s, Jamie and I decided to share one and it was so worth it because it tasted amazing! We got a fresh one so it was warm and then we dipped it into the cream frosting and I swore I died and went to heaven. I am not sure if they sell these anywhere else because this was honestly my first time seeing it but if you find it anywhere get one you won’t regret it. That was all the food I ate at the game because honestly after that churro I was really full! (until dinner hehe). 

As spring and summer approach it is always fun to go to a baseball games with friends, family, boyfriends, girlfriends. Sometimes it’s hard to pick something to eat because they have so many options! If you’re at a Yankee game everything I described was extremely good and comes highly recommended. If you go anywhere and see this oreo churro please get it and let me know if you loved it as much as I did! Even though the Yankees lost that day I had a great time with my dad and my best friend and can’t wait to go to more games this summer. Hopefully next time we win and go all the way to world series. LET’S GO YANKEES! Come back next week where I talk about an amazing tea that will help get your body ready for bikini season! Hope everyone has an amazing weekend! 

Sincerely, Sam

We're All Mad Here...

Hello everyone!  As I said last week at the end of my blog I will be talking about my day at Alice’s Tea Cup in New York City! It’s always good to go for a girls day in the city but often times things can be expensive and the food might not be all its hyped up to be. My three friends (Jamie, Caitlyn, Megan) and I decided to go for lunch in the city and catch up because it’s been a while since we all hung out together. I had such a great time. I swear all I did was laugh that day but I also got some delicious food that I would like to share with you. When we were first trying to pick a place to go we all had zero ideas. A few days later Megan and Caitlyn suggested we go to Alice’s Tea Cup. Now I was instantly like YES because I love tea. After I told Jamie and she looked up pictures of the food they have there and the menu she was instantly in also. They have a few places in the City but we went to the one on 6th Avenue. One thing I suggest is whenever you are going to a new place to eat always look up pictures on Instagram, Google, Facebook, etc and see what other people are getting and what they think of the food because it’s always good to get someone else’s opinion before you go and spend a ton of money. Also call and see if they take reservations so you don’t need to wait long to eat! Unfortunately this establishment only takes  reservations if your party is 6 or more. After looking at probably a hundred pictures on Instagram (I wish I was joking) Jamie and I saw these two meals that we were dying to have. Apparently they have the best French toast in New York because every single person was raving about this and almost all of the Instagram tags were of the French toast. Jamie however had her heart set on eggs Benedict which actually did look very tasty! Unfortunately for us they stopped selling breakfast at 4 and we were there at 4:30. Which is ok just means I have to go back to get it (which I plan to).

 

When we first got there it was pretty packed and there was a little bit of a wait time. In total, we waited an hour which isn’t so bad because we were four people. What I really liked is that they took our phone number and called us when our table was ready which was great because it’s close to 5th Avenue so you can go shop while you wait which is exactly what we did! After we got the phone call that our table is ready we practically ran back because we were so hungry! Once we sat down we noticed there were two floors which I didn’t actually get to see because we sat downstairs. The place was beyond adorable. They had Alice and wonderland pictures, quotes and pictures of random models recreating scenes from Alice and Wonderland on the walls. It was a rather small place but it was very cozy. They had 3 booths on the right side and on the left were 3 table and chairs set up for parties of 2. They were very kid friendly, they even had hooks on the walls that had butterfly wings that little girls can wear while eating. When we first sat down I was overwhelmed with all the tea options (they had an entire menu on just tea!) because I didn’t want to pick the wrong one! I wound up sharing a pot of tea with Jamie and we decided on Birthday tea. When we were in Disney they sold the Mad Hatter loose tea in a tin and I really wanted to try it but wasn’t sure if I would like it so I never got the chance to so, when I got here and saw they had the tea I was so pumped! Caitlyn and Megan shared the Mad Hatter-”Tea for two!” which came on a caddy. (Pictures to follow). This included 2 choice of scones, 2 pots of tea, 2 different types of sandwiches and assorted cookies. Jamie and I decided since we couldn’t get our French toast or eggs Benedict that we would share a pot of tea and get scones with it. For our main meal we had a burger with fries. 

Since tea always comes first in the meal we had that first. I personally didn’t need anything in my tea because it was pretty sweet without it but some people don’t like the distinct taste of tea so you do have the option to put honey or sugar in it. Honestly I think it smelled just like regular tea to me but a little sweeter because it did have a floral ingredient but it was delicious, definitely on my top 5 favorite teas. Caitlyn and Megan really enjoyed their tea as well which is always a good thing. Next our food came and boy was I hungry. The burgers were definitely the size of my head. I didn’t know how I was going to finish it all but with great difficulty I did finish it all! It smelled and tasted just like a burger off the barbecue which is one of my favorites. The fries were crispy and golden made to perfection. Caitlyn and Megan got turkey sandwiches and egg salad sandwiches which they said were absolutely delicious. After the main course we finally got our scones which I was super excited for because they are known for their amazing scones. All four of us got a different flavor and every single flavor was divine. Jamie got a buttermilk scone, Caitlyn got the chocolate butterscotch, I got the vegan cranberry orange and Megan got the number one seller which was the pumpkin scone. It came with raspberry jelly on the side to put on it and I don’t think it could have been any better if you ask me. When I finished the scone I was so sad because I didn’t want it to end! It complemented the tea very well also! After we finished and paid the bill I was very sad to leave because the food was so amazing. I just wanted more! From here we went to 5th Avenue to do some shopping (would you expect anything less from me?). I had such a great day shopping, eating and catching up with old friends and I can’t wait to do it again soon. If you are in the New York City area or live in New York I highly recommended checking  this place out They have multiple locations so you are always near one so check them out! If you are new to my blog then hello and welcome! Be sure to check back next Saturday when I post outfit ideas for Coachella! Talk to you soon! 

 

Sincerely, Sam 

Brunch with a view...

This weekend I had the amazing opportunity to go for brunch at a place I’ve been dying to go to for the past two years. Right in the heart of New York City, there’s this amazing rooftop lounge called 230 Fifth. If you live in New York and you’ve never been there, I suggest you pay a visit soon because you certainly will not regret this; and if you are planning to visit New York in the near future, make sure you put this on your “must see” list before you leave. 

My best friend Jamie and I had such an amazing time that I thought I would share my experience with all of you. About two years ago, I was on Instagram (of course) and I saw this beautiful picture someone posted of her lunch from a Manhattan rooftop. Immediately, I showed Jamie the picture and said, “We have to go here”. We always tried to make it work to go, but it was never the right time. About three weeks ago, we just decided to treat ourselves and have brunch. We made a reservation, which I highly suggest because it does get quite busy, but it’s not absolutely necessary. 

When we arrived at the building, we took this tiny elevator up 20 stories. Now, if you’re like me and you’re freaked out by elevators, you might not like this part because the elevator moves very slowly, but I just took deep breathes all the way up (which actually helped!). Once we got to the rooftop level, the hostess, who brought us right to our table, greeted us. The room was really cool and different. The chairs were funky—some were shaped like circles and some like squares and the colors varied from green, white, black and purple. Our first thought was “wow, this is bigger than we thought.” Once we got to our table we looked out the window and there stood the Empire State Building. This was pretty cool because for our entire meal we stared at one of the most well-known sky scrappers in the world. 

After we sat, a waitress came over and put red band bracelets on us, probably to let the wait staff know we were over 21. With brunch we had the option of either champagne or a mimosa. Now Jamie and I aren’t very big drinkers at all, but we have been dying to try a mimosa since we turned 21, so we decided to get one of those. 

While our drink was being made, we headed over to the buffet to choose our brunch. They had a ton of options, but I think they needed more variety for their food selection such as turkey bacon. They had all the usual: bacon, sausage, eggs, pancakes, French toast, bagels, fruit, etc. I decided to get French toast, pancakes, waffles, roasted potatoes, a banana, and an omelet of spinach, tomato, and cheese (pictures to follow). Once we decided on our food, we couldn’t wait to sit down and eat it because everything smelled amazing. When we got back to our table our mimosas were waiting for us, as well as a carafe of water. First, I had to try the mimosa, which I have to say I was disappointed in because I expected it to taste a lot more like orange juice and I didn’t actually taste orange juice at all because it was very bitter, maybe due to the type of champagne this restaurant serves. It wasn’t something I would get again, but I was glad to have tried it here. Now came the best part—the food. First, I tried the French toast because it smelled like vanilla and cinnamon and it was just calling my name. Once I bit into the French toast I knew this was the most amazing French toast that I have ever had in my life! Not only was it light, thick, and fluffy, but also it tasted like vanilla which was incredible because it wasn’t too sweet and wasn’t too bland. The maple syrup on it made it taste a hundred times better because who doesn’t love maple syrup!  After this I knew I had to try the waffles. Unfortunately, I did not think they were as good because they were a bit bland, even with the syrup. In my opinion, they could have added vanilla to the mix to give it a little kick. Next up was the roasted potatoes and boy were they good! The potatoes were sprinkled with herbs giving them a very flavorful taste. They weren’t very burnt, which I seem to find usually happens when you go to a restaurant these days, but were soft and cooked just right. They smelled like a vegetable garden and garlic all mixed into one. Next up were the pancakes!  The pancakes were not my favorite because they were very thin, not fluffy and I also felt as if they were a bit dry. Then again, I’m comparing them to Ihop pancakes, which are my absolute favorite. Finally, it was time to try the omelet that was the best omelet I have ever had in my life. What made this omelet different was that I asked for mozzarella cheese, which I never had before, which made it taste creamy, not too tangy which I find American cheese to do. In addition, the mozzarella cheese paired really well with the spinach and tomatoes. With every bite of this omelet I kept hoping it would never end because it was just that good. Once I finished everything on my plate I was so sad it was over because it was delicious, especially the French toast and the omelet. 

Before we went up to the rooftop, we paid the check, which you should definitely consider before eating here because it was pretty pricy. For our brunch, it cost $65, before tip. If you live in New York or have ever been to New York, usually the things that you really want to do are very pricy so I wasn’t too surprised. After we paid, we finally went up to the rooftop. Since this is open all year round, they have heat lamps that give you the opportunity to eat outside if you want, but we just decided to eat inside.  The roof is a large area that can hold about 300 people.  Once we got outside, we saw the entire city right before our eyes and it was pretty amazing. Right in front of you is the Empire State Building and to the right is the Chrysler Building. From up on the rooftop you can even see the beautiful Freedom Tower as well as the rest of Manhattan. To me, this was the best part because I have been to the city numerous times, but I’ve never seen the entire city in front of my eyes. We were also lucky that it was a beautiful sunny day outside and that there was still snow on the ground that made it feel like a winter wonderland. After about twenty minutes of taking this all in, and taking about a million pictures, we decided to go on our way and enjoy the rest of our day shopping in the city. 

Now that I finally did this after two years, I am really happy I was able to go. This was an experience I will never forget and, hopefully, I get to do it again really soon. I hope you enjoyed this post and thank you for taking the time to read it! Talk to you soon in my next blog! 

Sincerely, Sam

Disney World...

 Last month I was lucky enough to go to Disney World with my two best friends. The last time I went to Disney was in 2010 (when the new parts of the park were still under construction) so when I got there I noticed a lot has changed. Every time I go to Disney I feel like a little kid again and I just get so excited! On the first day we visited Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Don’t get me wrong I love this park but I felt like it didn't have very much to do unlike the other parks. My favorite part of the day was when we went on the safari because it was so realistic and seeing the animals so close up was unbelievable. We finished that day with riding one of my favorite rides, Expedition Everest. Since this is a very popular ride the line was kind of long.  My number one suggestion for anyone going to Disney would be to get the new Magic Bands and pick your fast pass rides in advance (trust me you’ll thank me later).

The next day we went to Disney’s Magic Kingdom, my all time favorite park. My absolute favorite part of the day was when we ate lunch in the brand new restaurant “Be Our Guest” (this is located in Belle’s/Beast’s castle in the new part of the park). We started our meal with an amazing onion soup; our entree was what I like to call the world’s greatest turkey sandwich (it also came with fries) for dessert we finished up with a chocolate ganache cupcake. At this point I never wanted to leave. If you’re traveling to Disney I highly recommend going here for lunch (get the turkey sandwich, you’ll thank me later!). The rest of the day we rode a ton of rides which was so much fun! We ended the night with the most amazing shows I’ve ever seen. We saw beautiful fireworks, floats, an amazing light show but my favorite part was when Elsa “froze” Cinderella’s Castle; it was absolutely stunning. (Pictures to follow). The next day we visited Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Unfortunately, the huge sorcerers hat that was in the middle of the park is now being removed but according to the map and the employees they are building a pond in that spot (why, idk).  I loved Hollywood Studios because I felt like I was living in a cartoon and of course they have the best rides! My favorite part of the day was going into the Toy Story part of the park because, who doesn’t love Toy Story? We rode rides all day until it was time to go back to the hotel and off to the next park!

            
The next day was another one of my absolute favorites! When I was little I never truly appreciated visiting Epcot.  However, now that I am older and developed a love for traveling, I appreciated Epcot so much more and was so excited to go here. We started the day with seeing the countries because who doesn’t want to go around the world in 80 minutes?! We started with Canada and then took a few steps farther into my favorite country, England.  I studied abroad in London for 6 months and still don’t think it was enough time there, so when I got to that part of Epcot it felt so real to be back (even the food was to the tee.) It’s safe to say this was my favorite part! As we kept going through the countries we finally got to France. I also visited France last year and I have to say Disney did an amazing job, because it was very realistic. The best part was the macaroon ice cream sandwich. Macaroons are my favorite dessert in the entire world and who doesn’t love ice cream? If you’re in Epcot I highly recommend going to L’Artisan Des Glaces for this dessert. We kept going through the countries and when we got to Italy, oh did I want some pizza! Although I didn’t get my slice of pizza there, it did smell just like Italy’s pizza. I’m going to say if you want pizza like they make in Italy, this is probably the closest you’ll get. We kept going until it was time to ride test track which has been redone and let me just say they did an amazing job as usual! If you’re visiting Epcot I highly recommend Test Track and Soarin’ because those, in my opinion, are the best rides there!

            
At night we saw the beautiful firework show, which I watched in awe. This day couldn’t have ended any better if you ask me. The next day was our last and final day in Disney = ( . Back to Magic Kingdom we go! This day was all about the rides we didn’t get around to and meeting the different Disney Characters. We met Mickey, Tinkerbell, Rapunzel, Cinderella and even Ana and Elsa! I was really upset we didn’t get to meet Olaf because he is my absolute favorite but I am hoping to see him when I go to Disneyland this summer! We ended today in tears because I was so sad to leave this amazing place but I know I will be back soon and I can’t wait for that day! Also, if you’re visiting Disney I suggest making your very own Mickey ears like my best friend and I did. Not only are they original and super cute but you’ll get a million compliments, which is always a good thing! (If anyone is wondering how to make DIY Mickey ears, let me know!  I can upload a step-by-step)  If you’re looking for a hotel to stay in at Disney, there are so many beautiful ones to stay in. This time around I stayed in Disney’s All-Star Movies and I would absolutely recommend this hotel. The staff was phenomenal, the food was superb, and the hotel itself, as well as all of Disney was immaculately clean. I know this was a long entry but I just get so excited talking about Disney! I hope you enjoyed this week’s blog and hopefully it can help with your next trip to Disney. Until next time everyone!

Sincerely, Sam

About me...

Hello world! My name is Samantha but my friends and family call me Sam for short. I decided to make this blog because I love to write and thought it would be really cool to share my ideas about fashion, travel, television, music, movies, fitness, beauty, photography, food, diy and more. Since this is my first post I thought I would do a little about me so you can get to know me and know what I plan to do with my blog. The things I listed above are some of my favorite things in the entire world so I thought why not start a blog to tell people about it. So a little background on me is that I am 22 years old, I live in New York, I love to travel more than anything, I lived in London for 6 months which is my favorite place in the world. Also people tell me I am a little fashionista. I decided I am going to post once a week which will most likely be on Saturday’s. I hope you find what you're looking for on this blog and maybe it can help you! I hope you will continue to follow this exciting new journey with me. Stay tuned everyone! 

Sincerely, Sam