The Cat's Pajamas: 31 Days in PJ's

First and foremost you all need the backstory to this lovely little challenge. It all started because I’m demanding. Being that I’m sweetly cursed with a birthday that falls on Valentine’s day, I have always forced my girlfriends to ditch their prospective and/or current boyfriends to honor the day of my birth rather than a day of cheap chocolates, and forced attention due to a hallmark-contrived holiday. 

So to anyone that knows me, it should come as no surprise that I wanted to celebrate my day of birth somewhere amazing and exotic… Only problem? All my girlfriends have big girl jobs and PTO is not only a sacred commodity, but is typically saved for one personal trip, and then long weekends here and there. Being completely oblivious to this common dilemma, I informed my best friends that this years destination would be Maderas Village in Nicaragua. 

My girlfriends didn’t miss a beat. Almost instantly, flights were being booked, deposits paid, and time was being requested off. You also have to realize the gravity of the situation… not only am I asking them all for a week of their precious PTO, but I’m also asking them to leave their respective fashion jobs right in the middle of New York Fashion Week… a cardinal sin. 

My best friend Cat was struggling to find ways to stretch her vacation days and decided to get creative. She is a Digital Copy Writer at a large lingerie and sleepwear manufacturing company called Komar and in a relentless effort to come on my birthday trip, struck up a bet that would change her life.

The Bet:  

She made a bet with her boss that she could pull off wearing pajamas (from Komar) everyday for the entire month of January. Not just to the office, but to industry events, happy hours, and dinner parties alike. She had to look business appropriate, fashion forward, and flawless everyday… in PAJAMAS!

The Stakes: 

If Cat can successfully pull off wearing pj’s for the entire month of January, she gets an EXTRA week of PTO… more valuable then gold in the corporate world (or so I’ve heard hehe). If she looks sloppy, not appropriate or gets called out for “noticeably wearing PJ’s” the bet is off. If she loses… it’s no extra paid time off AND she has to plan and host her bosses two year old's birthday party. A total drag for any busy 25 year old New Yorker.

Starting at midnight on New Years Eve, Cat has been SLAYING every single day. She’s been styling pajamas like a boss, from slips with turtlenecks, to silk pajama tops with skinny jeans… she is making this look not only effortless, but incredibly chic. 

To bring awareness and support to her #31daysinPJs challenge she cohosted a brunch (images above) at the incredible farm-to-table restaurant Dig Inn on the Upper East Side. Her best friends ranging from bloggers, tattoo artists, photographers, and models were invited on a snowy Saturday afternoon to sip, dine, chat, and cheer her on at her halfway point. The only catch? We all had to wear PJ’s! We donned corsets and furs, kimonos and bra tops, full length robes and nighties… all emulating the same style and confidence radiating from the creator herself. 

I am so beyond proud of my best friend for absolutely everything she has done and accomplished so far this year. Everyday I look forward to seeing just how she styles yet another chic-to-death pajama outfit for this challenge. Be sure to follow her journey as she comes one step closer to not only her prized PTO but also proving pj’s can actually be so much more then sleepwear. 

Haunted Halloween Dinner Party

Having a chef for a father and an event planner for a mother, entertaining is quite literally in my blood. So when I found out Halloween was over a weekend, I immediately sprang into action. Fresh off the plane from Iceland and I was in line with oodles of candles, cobwebs, and creepy accessories for a haunted evening.

Hosting dinner parties is one of my favorite ways to get all my friends together to enjoy good food and wine… or in this case a spooky spiked cider. So this year, my sister and I hosted it at my apartment on the Upper West Side and built a centerpiece structure with candles, foam, and cobwebs. The decor also went into the cocktail of the evening which was filled with diced apples, cinnamon sticks, and of course ping pong eyeballs. 
 
The menu was simple with an eye ball caprese (made with small mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, olives, and basil) an incredible cheese and charcuterie plate, and a green spinach pasta in a vodka sauce.  

This Halloween really was magical, with the perfect fall weather in the city, amazing themed events and the company of genuine friends. After two challenging costumes and a full weekend of parties, I think it's safe to say that all Hallows' eve is quickly becoming one of my favorite holidays. 

Desk Appeal

This was my latest home project I embarked on as of recent. I realized after spending hours sitting on my bed writing content, recreating logos, and tweaking my website... I needed a "home office". I rationed, if I'm going to be blogging almost everyday, I need a space that is inspiring and full of positive energy. I started imagining my dream desk, full of pictures from my travels, fresh flowers, and the things I needed to feel grounded and connected while writing. 

With the patient help of a good friend, I eventually bought two long pieces of pine wood (8ft), sanded, and hand stained them in a white wash and placed them up against a wall in my room. I then coated the desk in a matte lacquer to prevent any stains, as I typically write with at least one glass of red wine in hand ;). 

Once the desk was setup, I started collecting things I loved, to help create the right environment through decor. I found vintage wood frames, scratch off maps, wood shadow boxes, an old chalkboard, an inspirational quote, as well as a wrought iron letter holder. I added some greenery and fresh flowers, named my new plant Herman as an attempt to embrace my previously dead "green thumb", and put up photos that meant a lot to me. After draping my favorite blanket, bought from an old woman in a small village in Portugal, over my chair... my perfect workspace was fully complete. 

I think it's so important to truly have a space that is dedicated solely for the purpose of getting work done, whether it's for brainstorming, researching, or creating. Making sure my home office was personalized while still being organized really helps me feel focused and connected while I work.