Category Archives: NYC

First Spring Weekend

Posted on March 31, 2013 by | 12 Comments

Hello and Happy Easter for those of you who celebrate! My family has never been a big Easter family – our huge holiday is Christmas – so we just did our own little celebration on Friday night by going out to dinner in the city since my sister was off for the week from college. We went to dinner at a restaurant called Citron which is a french bistro on the Upper West Side. The food was great and the company was even better.

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mom and me easter dinner

It was also a lovely evening because I got to spend time with Spanky, my furry little doggie-easter bunny! Isn’t he the best?!

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On Saturday morning, my friend Rebecca and I went to the gym and sweated our behinds off prior to our shopping day! For my birthday, my friend Jenn was incredibly generous and gave me one of her friends and family cards to the Michael Kors store. Jenn works in corporate for Michael Kors and she receives a few family and friends cards to pass out. The cards give you access to almost anything in the store for half off! Crazy, I know. It was soooo much fun. The fashion and accessories lover in me was going nuts. I think Rebecca was on a shopping high, too. Here are a few of my amazing purchases!

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mk wallet

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I kind of went a little crazy (I also purchased a pair of aviators) but with everything being half off, I couldn’t stop myself. My favorite purchase was probably the black and white striped dress in the picture above. It’s super casual yet sexy because there is a slit on either side — love it. The black platforms I purchased pair perfectly with the dress! Swoon <3

Saturday night brought an incredibly fun night out with some of my oldest friends. It was so much fun, and I was definitely paying for it this morning ;) But somehow I managed to get in a light workout, food shopping, and a little cleaning. Hooray for me! Here are some pictures from last night.

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First beautiful Spring night in NYC! Weee!

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Now I’m off to get my fill of reality television and relax before the work week begins!

Question of the Night: When was your last shopping spree? What did you do this weekend?

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Posted in Alcohol, Exercise, Family, Friends, Gym, Hangover, Night Life, NYC, Shopping, Weekend

Mix of Errrrthang

Posted on March 24, 2013 by | 4 Comments

Hello there blog friends and friends who are not bloggers but are still my friends. <-- That was quite the intro. I'm typing up this post as I reflect on my weekend and what I still need to do before the work week begins (lunch prep -- chicken, peas, and celery.. sounds boring, I know). I was able to get in a little bit of everything -- a workout on Saturday and Sunday, some shopping (Ann Taylor Loft had an incredible sale), friend time, and catch up reading:

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WWD (Women’s Wear Daily) is a Cosmetic/Fashion/Accessories trade news paper that is published each day. The office that I work in receives WWD daily, but there is never any time to read it! So I have began taking the papers home over the weekend to catch up. But don’t worry, I always bring ‘em back ;)

I also purchased Season One of ‘Girls’ — while I had seen a nice chunk of Season One, I wanted to be able to watch it whenever I have a chance. I’m definitely going to be purchasing Season Two as well, as soon as it is released on iTunes.

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I have noticed that any female in their 20′s who live and work in New York City who watches this show either feels one of two ways about ‘Girls’. They either find it to be an accurate portrayal of trying to find love and make a life in this city OR that it’s completely ridiculous and shows a bunch of females running around having crazy careless sex. I happen to be in the middle of the road on this debate — and in the end, I really enjoy ‘Girls’. Much of of the show is quite relatable in terms of content and the situations that the girls go through — but some of it is kind of ‘out there’ and truly ridiculous.

After watching a few episodes of ‘Girls’ on Saturday evening, my friend Alyssa came over and we got ready for a night out. We bar hopped throughout Chelsea, the West Village, and the Meatpacking District. It was quite a fun night! I finished off my evening with two delicious garlic knots :) Garlic + bread = amazeballs.

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All in all a good weekend was had and I am sad to see it go! Enjoy the rest of your evening!

Question: Have you ever watched ‘Girls’? What do you think of the show?

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Posted in Friends, Night Life, NYC, Shopping, Weekend, Workout

A Wonderful Weekend

Posted on March 17, 2013 by | 6 Comments

Hey there, everyone! How has your weekend been? It is still so, so, so cold here in New York City and quite frankly, I am totally over it. However, I had a beautiful weekend filled with volunteering, gym time, family time, and a night out with friends. Saturday morning I volunteered with New York Cares helping those who are disabled walk around Central Park. I had the honor of working with a blind gentleman for about two hours — we walked and talked about everything! Working out, traveling, and life in general. It was a humbling and wonderful experience and I plan to participate again this week!

Saturday evening was a lot of fun as I went out to a couple of nice bars with my friend Eva. One of her friends was having a birthday party so we went downtown to a place called Pravda and then made our way to the Empire Hotel which is a roof top bar that has beautiful views of the city. We rounded out our night by meeting up with my friend Alyssa at my apartment and girl-talked our way through some 2:00 AM pizza. Yummy and worth it.

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What was really nice about this evening was that I felt no guilt! No guilt for having a few drinks, no guilt for indulging in a slice of late night pizza – no guilt whatsoever! It probably helps that I have been working out every single day (I usually workout 4-5 days a week, but never every day!) and have been eating really well, but either way, I truly enjoyed the entire evening! It was a very refreshing feeling.

Today began with a quick workout and then exploring some awesome exhibits at The Met with my mom. Such a nice mommy-daughter day!

And with that, off to watch some silly reality TV. I may never give reality TV up! Enjoy the remaining hours of your weekend, my friends :)

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Posted in Alcohol, Exercise, Night Life, NYC, Peace of Mind, Pizza, Relaxing, Self-Esteem, weather, Weekend, Workout

WIAW

Posted on February 13, 2013 by | 12 Comments

Good morning, everyone, and happy ‘What I Ate Wednesday’! So as usual, these are my eats from Tuesday. I’ve been trying to eat really clean the past three or four days, no alcohol except for this coming Thursday when I go for drinks with friends. I always reap the benefits when I go ‘all out’ with trying to be at my healthiest. The cheats are worth it — aka the little bit of froyo I ended my day with — but most importantly, it’s great when you don’t feel guilty! So thanks as always to Jenn for throwing this together and I hope you enjoy my relatively boring meals :)


Breakfast was eaten around 8:15. Egg beaters with a slice of American soy cheese alongside a 45 calorie wrap and some jam. I wasn’t really hungry for breakfast but when I don’t eat it, I wind up absolutely ravenous later on so I decided to be a mature adult and eat a wholesome morning meal.

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Around 12:00 I had a handful of almonds because I wasn’t quite ready for lunch, but by 1:30 I was more than ready for my tofu/veggie mix! I added a side of snap peas for extra green.

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By the end of the work day, I was feelin’ a little snacky again so I had a few more almonds mixed with some Trader Joes low fat granola (unpictured–sorry!).

After work, I met up with my friend Jenn at our old college, The Fashion Institute of Technology, to check out their new exhibit; Shoe Obsession.

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It was pretty cool! The collection was comprised of a major collection of shoes (obviously) ranging from Louboutin’s to Chanel — fitting for two girls who love fashion and accessories.

After checking out the exhibit, we headed to our most favorite restaurant from college – Alpha – for a sushi dinner. I ordered the seaweed salad to start followed by a wasabi roll – which if I remember correctly – consisted of tuna, salmon, and avocado wrapped in brown rice and topped with wasabi caviar.

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It was so nice to go back to our favorite college restaurant and catch up!

Have a great Wednesday, everyone!

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Posted in Breakfast, Dinner, Eating Out, Friends, NYC, Sushi, WIAW

WIAW – Fire Bird

Posted on February 6, 2013 by | 8 Comments

Happy WIAW, everyone! For this WIAW I have decided to write up a restaurant review since I went to dinner last night with my dad and was able to photograph what I ordered. Thanks as always to Jenn for putting this together.


A while back, I walked past a restaurant called Fire Bird (located on restaurant row) and it looked so gorgeous on the outside. A beautiful pre-war building with lights strung everywhere. Even though I didn’t know what type of food Fire Bird served, I knew that I definitely wanted to check it out. Literally two days later, an amazing deal came up on Groupon for a seafood tower and two glasses of prosecco at Fire Bird! I couldn’t believe it! I decided to purchase the voucher as a gift for my dad for Christmas since seafood and prosecco are definitely our favorites!

Last night we were able to use the voucher and had a fantastic time. Turns out, Fire Bird is a restaurant that serves Russian cuisine. I have never actually been to a Russian restaurant so this was new for me. The interior was decked out to the nines and very ornate. The menu even had a whole page dedicated to different vodka’s — pretty cool. As soon as my dad and I were seated, we ordered our two glasses of prosecco and seafood tower.

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The seafood tower was INCREDIBLE. There was a ton of lobster, clams, mussels, and jumbo shrimp with different sauces to choose from. I was really impressed with how much we got — the original price of the tower alone was $90 and I paid HALF of that for both the tower and prosecco.

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I could definitely have stopped after the seafood, but my dad wanted to try the duck so he went for it and I decided to order the lamb dumpling appetizer. The appetizer came with six little dumplings which were so filled with flavor I absolutely can’t explain. The waiter poured a truffle oil over the dumplings — yeaaaaaaa. They were incredible. I would go back just for those bad boys. I also tried a bite of my dad’s duck which was incredible – so flavorful and cooked perfectly.

lamb dumplings

We had such a nice father/daughter night filled with delicious food and good talks. We reminisced a lot about when my sister and I were little and all of the funny things we would do. A lot happened to my family from about 2009-2012 and we’re just now feeling the perks of smooth sailing. It’s nice to go out and talk about my grandparents and all of the good times we had when I was little. Sometimes I miss my childhood. I never really missed it until my grandparents passed and it just really shows how quickly time passes.

As for Fire Bird, I would definitely go back BUT this is not the usual trendy/NYC-ish place I go. The atmosphere is definitely fancy and quiet and the items on the menu are pretty expensive. For a corporate or company dinner, I think Fire Bird is the perfect place to go!

Have a great Wednesday, everyone.

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Posted in Dinner, Eating Out, Family, NYC, Restaurant Review, WIAW

The Mermaid Inn

Posted on February 3, 2013 by | 6 Comments

Hey, guys! How has your weekend been? Mine has been really relaxing – exactly what I needed and wanted. I’ve been meaning to type up a post about a restaurant I recently went to with my friend Analeesa so now I am finally finding the time to do so!

This past Thursday night, Analeesa and I met up after work at The Mermaid Inn. I had been wanting to check out this restaurant for so long because I had heard really good things about it and I am a seafood lover. The menu has an array of seafood dishes – from a raw oyster bar to seafood entrees.

After ordering our drinks (a glass of red wine for me and a cocktail for Analeesa) we went about ordering our entrees. I was instantly drawn to the ‘Mermaid Mini Clam Bake’ which included two clams, two mussels, a lobster claw, and a piece of shrimp along with a bit of corn and some potato. It was so perfect! I also ordered a side of sauteed kale.

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Analeesa ordered the ‘Mermaid Fish Tacos’ which were beer-battered (and looked amazing). I saw at least three or four other orders of the fish taco’s floating around the restaurant that evening. The taco’s were topped with red cabbage, pickled jalepenos, and pico de gallo. To go along with her entree, Analeesa ordered a side of the roasted brussel sprouts which were amazing! I tried them and they were filled with flavor.

After our dinner, we were each surprised to receive a complimentary mini chocolate mousse which was the perfect way to end such a savory meal. It was literally about two-three tablespoons of chocolate but was the exact right amount needed to cure a sweet tooth.

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We had such a nice time at dinner chatting our lives away. We were there for two and a half hours! I loved The Mermaid Inn and already can’t wait to go back.

Question: Are you a seafood lover? Or do you lean more towards chicken or steak? I definitely enjoy fish more!

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Posted in Dinner, Eating Out, Friends, NYC, Restaurant Review, Wine

Birthday Bash

Posted on January 29, 2013 by | 12 Comments

Hi, guys! I know I haven’t been around for the past couple of days. I actually came down with some sort of virus on Sunday night and left work a bit early on Monday. I decided to stay home today because I still am not feeling 100% and I would rather take the day than go back and forth from the office feeling sick. I think I’ll be back to normal by tomorrow but it was a good idea to take a sick day.

Anyway, for those of you who don’t follow me on Instagram (@StephSkork) I have a few pictures from my night out on Saturday to share with you. My birthday night was in one word – amazing. So many friends, laughs, drinks, dancing, you name it. It was definitely a fun way to celebrate turning 25 and I have so many people to thank for sharing it with me!

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allyson alyssa

eva steve danielle

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I rung in 25 with a lot of laughter. Generally speaking if I’m not talking, I’m laughing. I can laugh at myself very easily. And watch out – if you trip, I’m going to laugh. And then I’ll help you – but I’ll probably laugh first.

Here’s to another great year filled with laughter :-)

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Posted in Birthday, Friends, Night Life, NYC, Party, Weekend

25th Birthday Dinner

Posted on January 26, 2013 by | 5 Comments

Last night was amazing. My parents took my aunt, Britt, John, and myself out to dinner to kick off my birthday weekend. We decided to go to my favorite restaurant, Gabriela’s, so that we could efficiently food coma ourselves with chips, guac, cheese, and margarita’s. It worked. I woke up this morning feeling like I had been hit by a truck – all worth it though. Somehow I will get to the gym today, too, before preparing for tonight’s festivities. My stomach is completely out of whack due to eating everything I never generally eat all in one day. Again, worth it. 25 came at a wonderful time. Here’s some pictures from last night:

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john and me

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If last night was any indication of how fun tonight will be, I cannot WAIT. Thank you all for the birthday wishes!! I love you!

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Posted in Birthday, Eating Out, Family, Friends, Night Life, NYC, Restaurant Review

Cray WIAW

Posted on January 16, 2013 by | 14 Comments

Hi all – as usual, shit’s been cray up in here. Things to do after work each night which basically makes each day run into the next. What can I say? The life of a busy NYC girl. Speaking of NYC life, my room mate Britt and I will be doing another video in the next week or so speaking to NYC related thangs so get ready ;)

I wanted to type up a ‘What I Ate Wednesday’ post today since I haven’t been able to participate for a few weeks. It’s lacking a little, but still, you can get the feel of what I’ve been eating/what’s been going on! Thanks as always to Jenn for throwing this shin-dig together :)


This past Sunday evening, my parents and I (my parents are living in the city for the next few months for those of you who don’t already know) had some great snacks that I put together while watching the Golden Globes. Cheese, carrots, tzatziki dip, prosciutto, and crackers were the main features. It was a lot of fun! I have to say my favorite dresses were Jessica Alba’s, Kerry Washington, and Kate Hudson. They all oozed glamour, sex appeal, and femininity. Perfect combination!

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Aside from snacking here and there, I’ve been trying to be really good about eating more fruits and vegetables to cleanse myself out a little. Instead of having a juice every few weeks, I’ve been having about 4-5 juices a week and also including lemon in my water, spinach in about everything, and eating citrus fruits as much as possible. I’ve definitely been feeling the benefits.

Working out has picked up a bit. I completed a challenging Tone It Up workout at the gym yesterday morning before work and have my trampoline class tonight! Gotta switch it up sometimes to see results! So a lot of what I have been eating (aside from occasional treats) has been egg whites, tofu, veggies, fruit/veggie juices, almonds, and chocolate covered blueberries/cranberries. I can’t wean myself off coffee because… well basically I don’t want to.

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To be honest, I have my birthday night next Saturday and I want to look great in the dress I’ve picked out. I’m not being too hard on myself, trust me, but my dress is kind of… shall we say… sexy and slightly revealing so I want to be in tip top shape ;)

I’ve also been noshing on some great products that Cascadian Farm sent me. Honestly guys, this is one of my favorite companies. Their food is so consistent, tasty, and filling. I would love to visit their head quarters at some point in my life to see the production and how they figure out what to bring to the market!

package from cas farm

I love having the crunchy granola bars on hand to munch on before a workout or to have whenever I am feeling hungry! They’re delicious and definitely satisfying. The granola is also out of control when it comes to flavor and I love sprinkling it on anything from yogurt to oatmeal. The granola on its own is just plain perfection, too!

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So that’s kind of what I’ve been up to in these parts! After work, like I said, I’ll be hopping on over to my trampoline class which should be great. Um, and my latest TV show obsession, Washington Heights, is on tonight sooooo yeah I’ll be watching that right after. Hope you all have a wonderful day!

Question: Do you have any tips for dropping a pound or two or leaning up? What are some of your little fixes? I need more ideas!

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Posted in Balance, coffee, Family, Fashion, Food, NYC, Product Review, WIAW, Workout

Angolo & Toast

Posted on January 13, 2013 by | 11 Comments

Hi there, peeps! How has your weekend been? Mine was filled with a ton of great food. I usually always find that my week day’s are filled with tofu, vegetables, fresh fruit/veggie juices, and egg white omelettes — which is great for the body and for health in general. But if we’re being honest here, usually on the weekends I am a bit more lenient. I don’t overly indulge, but I do allow myself an extra treat or two.

On Friday night, Rebecca, Britt, and I had a full-on girls night planned complete with dinner reservations and a night out afterwards. We decided to make 8:00 reservations for Angolo, an Italian restaurant in Soho. My mom and I had sat at the bar a few days prior to celebrate my mom’s birthday, and while we didn’t eat dinner there, the bartender told us that the food is great and we should definitely come back. Britt and Rebecca were both game!

After ordering wine, we decided to order two appetizers to share — one of the dishes included a very lightly fried calamri and shrimp while the other was a trio of prosciutto. Both were equally delicious – no complaints over here!

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We decided to keep with the sharing theme and for our entrees, we ordered two pasta dishes. One of the pasta dishes was the Tagliatelle Bolognese parmigiano reggiano and the other was the Garganelli, mushroom ragu, pecorino. My favorite was absolutely the Garganelli, mushroom ragu, pecorino. The mushroom was absolutely wonderful and the hint of cheese was perfect.

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I have to say, my friends and I usually skip the dessert portion of the meal – for whatever reason – but it seemed that neither myself, Britt, or Rebecca could tear our eyes away from the dessert menu! As soon as our waiter told us they had salted caramel gelato on that particular evening (Brittany and I legitimately looked at each other and pronounced, ‘Oh, shit!’) we were sold. We decided to order a trio – chocolate, vanilla, and salted caramel.

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While I was most excited for the salted caramel, the chocolate stole the show for me. It tasted like pure dark chocolate and I could have had several more scoops. The gelato was the perfectly portioned treat for the end of an amazing meal.

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To burn off all of those fabulous calories we devoured, we all headed to a nearby bar after dinner and danced for three hours straight. So much fun.

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Needless to say, Saturday I woke up feeling, um, tired. Let’s say tired. Somehow, though, Rebecca and I managed to get out of bed around 9:45 to head out for a nice walk along the water. Our walk was about 45 minutes long before stopping at Toast for brunch. Toast was a new to me brunch spot and at that point, I didn’t care where we went because I was so hungry!

Rebecca and I decided to split the hummus which was definitely home made and tasted amazing. The pita points were served warm and I demolished my half of this dish.

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While Rebecca ordered a salad that consisted of goat cheese, mushroom, and chicken, I went for my tried and true egg while omelette with mushroom, onion, and swiss cheese. The omelette was served with whole wheat toast and a side salad and I finished about half of everything. My only complaint is that the onions were kind of bland – I really enjoy carmelized onions and these certainly were not.

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With all of this amazing food in my stomach, I was able to stay full for almost the entire day until dinner which was eaten (sushi) around 8:00.

Today started off with Mass, an amazing workout, and yet another egg white omelette and green juice (spinach, pear, one whole lemon, cucumber, parsley). Now I’m ready to have some appetizers with my parents and watch the Golden Globes! Can’t wait to see all of this amazing fashion!

Question of the Night: Are you watching the Golden Globes tonight? Who is your favorite actress? Actor? I’ve always loved Kate Winslet and actually really like Ben Affleck. He’s not too bad looking either ;)

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Posted in Brunch, Diet, Dinner, Drinks, Eating Out, Exercise, Night Life, NYC, Weekend, Wine, Workout