Thursday, May 12, 2016

THURSDAY THINGS: WHAT I AM LOVING RIGHT NOW





I'm bringing back my weekly post 'Thursday Things' and will be keeping it fresh & new all Summer long! Basically, every week I will be sharing things/places/products etc. that I am currently loving. Comment below if you have something you are loving as well.


WINE ACCESSORIES- Wine on the go? Yes, PLEASE! These wine-flask pouches are perfect for the beach, concerts and park days. My best friend actually found this on groupon and shared with me. She knows me SO well. 

BOOKI am so in love with the new book BIG MAGIC. It's from the same author of Eat Pray Love. The book is about getting past your fears and living the creative life you imagine for yourself. If you're in need of some motivation or inspiration, then I definitely recommend picking up a copy of this book!

BEAUTY- Now that Summer is literally just weeks away, the winter pale look needs to go! I'm all about self tanners but I don't often have the time it takes to apply it and let dry. I recently discovered Ulta Tan Towels, individual towelettes that you can use for all over body. Easy to apply and pretty much dries on application. End result color was a nice light bronze. I will be keeping a stock of these this Summer!



Have a FAB weekend!


XO, Rae

Wednesday, May 11, 2016

NYC LIVING: COLUMBUS CIRCLE NEW UNDERGROUND SHOPS & EATS







If there is one thing I have learned while living in New York City, it's that convenience is EVERYTHING. The days are longer and you're constantly on the go here. Especially when it comes to meals. Hence, why there are so many food trucks in the city. My favorite is the coffee and bagel carts. Perfect for the days when you're literally running across the street to get to the office on time. So it's fitting that there is now something even more convenient that has recently opened up at Columbus Circle. Turnstyle is an underground dinning and shopping experience. Located under Columbus Circle at the corner of 57th/58th Street & 8th Avenue. 

I recently visited the new underground shops & eats and was impressed with all it has to offer. Imagine a row of pop-up style restaurants and retail spaces with easy access for on the go shopping and dinning. I was immediately drawn to the vibrant and colorful atmosphere. It was also very clean and more spacious than I anticipated it to be. I recognized a few places right away but was also excited to see some unfamiliar ones. Everything from DOUGHNUTTERY, BYSUZETTE, GASTRONOMIE 491 and PRESSED JUICERY to name a few. 

And for the days you are in need of a gift for that special someone or on your way to a friend's dinner party. Don't show up empty handed! There are several great shops to pick up a great gift. I especially love PAPYRUS and LUSH. There is also this great boutique like shop called FAB. They literally have something for everyone. If you need a sugar fix, there is even a DYLAN'S CANDY BARAnd if you've just had a long day and not sure if your roommate drank the last of the wine at home. Luckily, you can grab a bottle at KIT's UNDERGROUND before getting on the subway. 


For a full list of shops and eats go to turn-style.com 


 

XO, Rae



Monday, May 9, 2016

7 THINGS I LEARNED IN MY FIRST YEAR OF BLOGGING





One year ago today, I hit 'Publish' on the very first blog post for ReinventingRaeNYC. Ever since I moved to New York, my friends had encouraged the idea of me writing a blog. They wanted to be able to hear all the stories of my new life in NYC. 



I've been working on writing a book loosely based on my real life and relationships for a few years now. So, it seemed fitting that a blog would be a good way to start posting my writing and in hopes of gaining a following. So after a few days of brainstorming with my roommates & sitting alone in my apartment for hours writing out ideas for names, ReinventingRaeNYC was created. The name is significant to me for two reasons.
1) My middle name is Rae. A name that I actually didn't really like until I was in my twenties, oddly enough. And I rarely ever went by that name until I moved to New York.
2) Reinventing came about because it is the best word to describe my experience here in New York City and the current stage in life I am in. I'm reinventing myself in so many ways, in my personal life, in my career and even in my everyday life here in New York City. 


Blogging is still something that is completely new for me. My blog is far from being perfect or even where I envision it to be. It's a constant work in progress. But everyday I learn something new about the ins and the outs of the blogging world. Which is exciting and encouraging in itself. If I could offer any advice on blogging and what it has taught me in my first year, it would be this. 


1) Creative Outlet: Blogging like most writing is a way to express yourself and share your thoughts, ideas and opinions with others. It has definitely been a creative outlet for me. There is something so fulfilling about sharing your real life stories along with your hopes & dreams and lessons learned to complete strangers. I often joke and say that blogging is kinda like free therapy. I mean we all need a creative outlet, right?  

2) Time Consuming: Full time and even part time blogging can take up a lot of your time in more ways that I ever could have imagined. It's not just about the time that it takes to write about a subject. Which for me, can take hours or sometimes even days to write depending on what I am writing about.  Not including the hours spent re-reading it and editing it. Then there are photos that have to correlate to the post, most in which I create myself using several different apps (WordSwag, Pic Collage, Canva) or photos that I've taken with my iPhone. Then once a post is ready to be published, you have to share, share, share! Sharing a blog post on social media is crucial in order to make it go out to a larger audience. Social media by far is the most time consuming aspect in my opinion. There are days that I spend just working on social media, alone.

3) Start Somewhere: You won't always know what to say. Often you will find yourself staring a blank page. For me I want to write something authentic and meaningful. I never want to just write a blog post just to get it up on my site. (Hence why there are some gaps in posts) I want my blog to be real so that other's can hopefully relate to what I'm writing about. I find that if I plan out my weekly/monthly content on paper, it helps me to stay motivated and invested in the topics I have chosen. Most importantly, if you have a day lacking in inspiration, just start writing. It will all come together and you may even surprise yourself in the outcome. 

4) Discouraging: There have been many days in which I felt discouraged in the process of blogging. Sometimes you feel like you have nothing worthy of writing about. And there will be days you ask yourself "who is really reading my blog anyways"? All of that plays a factor. Not to mention the times you pour your heart into a blog post and you literally have no comments on it or shares on social media. It can be lonely at times as a blogger, especially when working from home. Struggle is real some days. But that's why there is WINE.  

5) Non-support: This is one that I've had to learn to not take personally. The reality of blogging is that not all of your friends and family will support your blog. Many of which won't really understand it at all. The truth is that they often won't even take the time to 'Like' your Facebook page, comment on your blog posts or even read your blog at times. And that's okay. You can't expect all your friends/family to constantly keep up with your blog. But the flip side is when you have unexpected supporters and those who really take an interest in it. 

6) Build your Network: Because you can't solely depend on friends and family to share in the day to day of of your blog. Building a blogging network is crucial. I am still working on building my own network however, so far it has been a huge factor in my growth as a blogger. Surrounding yourself with other bloggers who get it can certainly empower you on days that you feel like your not progressing. And luckily with social media, this is easy to do. Connecting with other bloggers is a great way to share struggles and successes alike. I have found that participating in Facebook groups like The Blogger Life, Blogging Boost and Blogging Newbs have been a great way for me to gain knowledge, help with promoting my blog and receive advice when needed.

7) Progress NOT Perfection: The most important lesson I have learned so far, is that progress is key not perfection. I say this because I think initially with any new project, we ultimately want it to be perfect. As bloggers, we often compare our blog to other blogs and judge our blog's success based on how many followers we have vs. the followers of other bloggers. But in time you realize that it's more important to have progress overall. I still have a ways to go with my blog until I will be 100% content with it. But that's what keeps me excited about blogging on a daily basis. The strive for continuing to make progress with my writing and layout of my blog. 


They say the first year of any new endeavor is the hardest. So, I plan to take the lessons learned in my first year of blogging and use them to help me in the coming months. Reminding myself that with hustle and hard work comes success.

THANK YOU to everyone who has shared this experience by reading my blog, sharing it on social media, commenting on blog posts, been a listening ear and/or even inspired me on a subject I wrote about. YOU make this blog possible. 


XO, Rae