Morgan and Lua

Say Hi

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan and Lua) — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 03:49:00 +0000

Hi. Just in case you forgot, this is what I look like. I'm so excited it's that time of year again when all my blogger friends flock to NYC for fashion week. First up, is the IFB conference tomorrow. If you see me there, make sure you Say Hi! There are great speakers, and plenty of lovely ladies who will be in attendance. If you can't make it, you can check out the live stream of the conference. Who knows, maybe you'll even see me unknowingly walk past the camera.

Live streaming video from ifbconference at livestream.com

Mostly, I miss you. There's a lot to share. Nothing too exciting, but I almost forgot what it was like to "see" and "talk" to you all almost everyday. Let's be friends on Twitter for the time being. I'll be bouncing around NYC this week and am SO happy to finally meet some of the ladies I've been following even before I started my own blog! I remember how nervous I was last year. This year it's a completely different feeling. I can't wait to see these girls again, and meet everyone who I didn't get to last time around. See some of you tomorrow!

Not So Far Away

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan and Lua) — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 23:57:00 +0000

June 18th

Once upon a time, in a land not so far away (Brooklyn), there was a picnic. Since then I've been doing exactly what I said I would. I've been getting out and away from my computer whenever I can, taking in this summer for whatever it needs to be, restoring old friendships, and securing new ones.

It's strange looking through these pictures and suddenly realizing how much has happened since they were taken. The summer was practically just getting started. I was beginning to like my city again, which meant spending a lot of time exploring and ending up at places I hadn't been before. Which of course led to meeting new people and plenty of new experiences.

Before the summer started I made a point to try and get myself all sorts of put together, in a cute little package with a big ribbon on top. Over the last couple of months it would seem that I've lost interest in that. I've been acting in the moment so often that it became easy to stop worrying about the future. I wanted to be more hands on and in control of my life. I now find myself doing almost the exact opposite of that.

In the past few months I had some unforgettable first time New York City moments. I got swept up and did things I never thought I would do. I don't regret any of it, I can't. I was there and I made those decisions too, and for a lot of reasons I'm glad things happened the way they did. I'm learning from them. One choice, one moment, can't possibly define everything about me. I happen to be a nice little collection of things.

It's interesting to realize how different I thought of things just a few months ago. I certainly never would have predicted or planned everything thats happened. Being able to accept things as they are is clearly something I have to learn to be better at.

Selima Optique Sunglasses, Tank from H&M, Shorts from Madewell, Dolce Vita Sandals from Piperlime

Wooden Bangles & Necklace borrowed from Melissa, Taurus Pendant Necklace from Julie Nolan Jewelry

For now I'm content with living in these moments, however right or wrong they end up being. It's easy, it's dramatic, and you learn quickly. Summer doesn't really lend itself to deep, life shattering thinking anyway. That's what the fall is for.

Photos by Veronika

By the way, I love Veronika's camera, or lens, or whatever it is that's doing amazing things here. Many thanks to Veronika for snapping a few for me after the blogger picnic. Oh, and HELLO AGAIN.

At Home

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan and Lua) — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 17:16:00 +0000

Vacation was great. Its been more than a week since I've been back. It seems like it was so long ago now. If you've been hanging out here for a while, it's fairly obvious I tend to over think, over analyze, and obsess about certain things in my life. Being away for those two weeks gave me a great opportunity to slow my mind down.

Before I went, I thought that while I was out there I was going to sit down and try to figure out a lot about my life. What ended up happening was much different than that. I almost entirely shut off. I coasted. Everything was alright, and each day just floated by. Wake up, make breakfast, relax outside with the pup, walks and naps at the beach, afternoon drives, easy dinners, and winding down at home. With the exception of the weekends when friends came to visit, that's pretty much how my entire time away went.

Apparently that was what I needed more than anything else. When I'm in the city I can feel my mind racing. What's next, what am I doing, why am I doing this, and on and on. But going away gave me the opportunity to be my best self. To go back to being the girl I truly enjoy being. Taking things as they come, not over thinking, being happy where I am, and enjoying my life in the small moments.

Hat from JCrew, Selima Optique Sunglasses, Madewell Dress
Victoria's Secret Bikini, Wooden Bangle borrowed

I felt relaxed, at ease, and like there was nowhere else I possibly wanted to be. I grew up with lazy summer days spent at the beach. It's such a huge part of who I am, and has remained a way to remind myself of the girl I always want to be. If you put me at the beach I'll feel more at home than anywhere else and you'll get to see the most genuine me that I've experienced yet. No makeup, no outfits, no fuss, a lot of smiles, time spent with people I care about, and easy living. I absolutely love being there.

Photos by Melissa

Thanks for being so understanding of my more laid back summer schedule. I contributed a Guest Post for the lovely Jessie of The Concrete Catwalk last week while she was away enjoying her own beach vacation. I hope you all are making the most of your summer. It's going far too fast for me!

It's Summer

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan and Lua) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 19:53:00 +0000

Oh hi there. Remember me? I'm back after a glorious two week vacation at the beach. I spent my time away from the city, away from work, and away from almost all thinking. I absolutely couldn't have had such a stress free vacation without the help of my Guest Bloggers. A HUGE thank you to the girls for filling in for me while I was away. It gave me the chance to push everything aside and enjoy my quiet time off. I know I've mentioned how hard as it is to keep a blog going, but whenever I think of all the wonderful people I've gotten to know it really makes it all worthwhile. Thank you so much girls!

It's summer. And the list of things I want to do in the summer is very short. 1, go to the beach. 2, be with friends. The end. If I can't pull myself away from these for long enough to sit at the computer and plug out a post, you'll have to excuse me for a bit. It feels like it's already going too fast! I have a few posts from June that I want to share as well as plenty of pictures that I took while I was away. I'm sorry if posts aren't going to be as regular as they used to be. I'm trying to be as present in my real life as I can right now. If there's ever a shortage of posts on here you can find me sharing away on twitter.

How has everyone been? I need to play major catch up with my emails and blog reading in the next few weeks, but I hope everyone's summer is going just as great as mine. Don't forget to check out the girls who were so kind to take time out of their busy schedules to help me be away from mine!

Andrea from Blonde Bedhead

Meg from Design Diary

Julie of Orchid Grey

Annie of The Friendly Fox

Jessie of The Concrete Catwalk

Veronika of Tick Tock Vintage

summer-summer-summertime.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 22:09:00 +0000

hi, morgan and lua readers! veronika from tick tock vintage here. miss morgan asked us to write posts centered around summertime, and i thought i'd share some of my favorite things to do in my favorite city. i'm a proud philadelphian and i love sharing tidbits about this great town!

1: race street pier
the race street pier just opened a little over a month ago. situated on the river, there's a ton of benches and seating to watch boats go by. you get a great view of the city, especially when the sun starts to set. we've gone here for a picnic dinner before and it was such a blast. the breeze off of the water is an added bonus, too - especially when it's so hot out!

2: roof-dwelling
philadelphia is mostly comprised of rowhomes, which offer ridiculously easy access to their roofs. the picture above is of my friend jon's roof; climbing up is quite daunting and i do fear for my life each and every time i go up there, but the view of the city from above is worth it. bring a couple beers, something to snack on, and a radio and you're good to go.

3: kickball (and other assorted sports)

we have some amazing parks in philadelphia, and you can bet that we take advantage of them when the weather is nice. through my activity club, we play some sort of organized game every tuesday during the summer. we've played kickball (my favorite), capture the flag, yoga-ball soccer, and wiffleball. it's a blast!

#4: fireworks

fireworks aren't just for the fourth of july - we'll find any excuse to set them off. find someone with an out-of-state license and drive to a fireworks store and you'll have at least a solid hour of entertainment. in our neighborhood, our neighbors set off some really crazy fireworks (bordering on the edge of scary and "oh my god my roof is going to catch on fire").

#5: lounging on kelly drive
on the other side of the city, you'll find the schuylkill river. the banks of the river have trails for cycling, running, kayaking, rollerblading, picnicking, and hiking. while it's nice to enjoy the river during the day, i love to visit at night. the lights from the buildings and highways reflecting on the river are so beautiful.

a big thanks to morgan for asking me to guest post - hope you're having a great time on vacation, lady!

Guest Post: Jessie of The Concrete Catwalk

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Hi there, I'm Sadie!

... and this is my mama, Jessie!

We're so happy to be here blog sitting today for Morgan & Lua!

My mama is a fashion blogger just like Morgan, and she says we're partners in crime. I spend most days working very hard keeping her company in the studio while she plugs away on her business, but she always makes sure to pay me in lots of hugs and kisses.

We've been having a great summer together including lots of trips to the museum lawn near our house, late nights on the balcony, and early morning jogs. (Sometimes, when he's not at work, my Dad comes too!)

I love other pups, and I can't wait until my mom and dad get me a baby brother or sister, so I have someone to play with everyday. Until then, I can pretty much entertain myself by watching the family of birds that lives on our balcony, playing with my favorite toys & helping my mom pick out with shoes to wear for her daily outfit posts.

Sometimes my mom goes barefoot like me, and sometimes I pretend like I'm wearing little white shoes so I can be just like her. Do you like our fancy feet in the picture below?

I hope you enjoyed seeing some snapshots of us having a little summer fun, and be sure to check out our blog, The Concrete Catwalk. You can also follow along on more of our adventures through TCC's Twitter and Facebook page... but I'll be honest, my mom's the one doing most of the blogging & updating (with me pawing my approval first, of course).

Thanks again for having us, Morgan & Lua! My mom and I love your blog, and can't wait to have you over on ours later this summer. We hope you're having a great vacation, and look forward to hearing all about it when you get back!

Hugs & Puppy Kisses,

Jessie & Sadie

Summertime in Portland

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 06:29:00 +0000

Hi all, this is Annie from The Friendly Fox! I hope miss Morgan is having an awesome vacation (from the looks of her instagram posts, she's having a blast!). Here in Portland, the warm sunshine is something to treasure. As soon as it warms up to 60 degrees, you can find people outside at the park in shorts and tanks! My favorite way to enjoy summertime is to be outside as much as possible.
One of our favorite places to grab a quick bite and sit outside is the Waffle Window. It's exactly what it sounds and it's awesome- a window you walk up to and get waffles from! The food is all locally sourced, delicious, and good enough for our little Jacob to drool over.

We also try to take advantage of the many many parks Portland has and go outside to enjoy them. There's nothing like soaking up the sunshine on a blanket with your loves!

I hope you're all enjoying your summer and making the most of it. As I type this, it's cold and pouring down rain...but that's what is to be expected in Portland!

xo,
Annie

Guest post: Julie of Orchid Grey

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 14:00:00 +0000

(All photos property of Orchid Grey)

Hi there everyone! This is Julie of Orchid Grey, stepping in while miss Morgan is on a well deserved vacation. Summer is my absolute favorite season, as a New Englander I have learned to relish it, to truly appreciate these couple of months of sheer heat and humidity. July and August slip away so fast, these are the ten things I hope to do before summer's end:

1. Take the Casco Bay Ferry to Peaks Island, ME and have a picnic/ beach day with my sweetheart.

2. Rid my apartment of all extraneous stuff and finally reach organization nirvana (I must be dreaming).

3. Spend a full day at the beach like we used to when I was a kid.

4. Finally learn how to surf (I've wanted to since I was in 7th grade).

5. Learn how to change the tube on my bike and ride to work.

6. Go to a drive-in movie.

7. Make popsicles.

8. Swim in the river in my hometown.

9. Create more.

10. Get married! Of course this will happen, but I'm just really excited.

What are your summer resolutions?

Guest Post: Meg of Design Diary

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 11:33:00 +0000

Hi everyone!! It's Meg here from Design Diary, filling in for the lovely Morgan while she's on a much deserved vacay. I have to admit, I'm really thrilled that she asked me to talk about summer... because well, that's probably one of my favourite topics. As an Aussie, I adore summer. I live for summer. Actually to me all the other seasons are just filler until summer comes back to me.

Since Australia is sunny most of the year we're outdoors a lot - I think it's kind of built into our psyche. And now that we live in the U.S. I think we bring that same attitude with us. When the warm weather comes our way, me and my partners in crime head out as much as we can. Whether it's hiking, picnicking, strolling, swimming or going out for icecream - we try to enjoy as much of summer as we can! We don't want to waste a second of this beautiful time of year.

To me it's just the happiest season. I love using the heat as an excuse to give my kids icecream for dinner (yeah i admit it). I love being able to leave the front door open and feel the breeze. I love hearing birds tweet by my window when I wake up. I love sitting on my deck after the kids have gone to sleep and drinking a glass of wine with my husband while we watch the sun go down. I love that it doesn't take tonnes of gear before I can leave the house (i'm lookin at you winter), and that I can slip on a tank top and a cotton skirt (like this one I designed a few years ago) and run out the door. I love walking everywhere. I love laying on grass and barbecuing dinner. It's all good, it's all so perfect.

Thankfully the other seasons come and go... because summer will always have my heart. (And my wardrobe... I'm kind of ill prepared for the cold months )

Guest Post: Andrea of Blonde Bedhead

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 23:27:00 +0000

With Morgan on vaca, I'm here to help fill the void. From music festivals to weddings and summer shopping trips, here are a few of my favorite summer looks from Summer 2010. All of these I've been wearing again this summer!

[dress c/o spotted moth, blue wedges by jeffrey campbell, sunglasses by marc by marc jacobs]

[shorts by kensie, top and sunglasses from uo, heels by lucky, bag by marc jacobs]

[romper from lexi drew, bag by badgley mischka, sandals from target]

[top from uo, shorts by levi's, wedge boots c/o modcloth, bag by bcbg]

[dress by american apparel, jacket by for joseph, knee highs c/o we love colors, heels by jessica simpson]

Come say hi at my blog, Blonde Bedhead!

Vacation

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan and Lua) — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 02:24:00 +0000

Hi all! I've been busy this past week getting ready, packing, making last minute plans with friends, running errands, the usual pre-vacation routine. I'm off work and out of the city for two weeks! In light of my most recent post, I decided I would use my time off to be truly off, from everything. I have so many back posts waiting to be posted and plenty of new ideas, but for now I'm going to step away to enjoy some R&R.

I asked a few amazing blogging friends if they would fill in for me over the next couple of weeks. I'm sure you'll be very happy seeing these lovely ladies stop by. I know I will. I'm really looking forward to using my time off to reset, relax, and enjoy the summer. Thank you so much to my guest bloggers for helping out while I'm away!

Happy 4th of July to everyone! The sunset tonight (see above) was absolutely breath taking. I have to say it certainly out shined any of the fireworks that went off. You can stay in touch with me on Twitter while the girls take over posting here. Make sure to show them lots of love while I'm away! Best to everyone!

A Breather

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan and Lua) — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 01:26:00 +0000

These pictures are from Memorial Day Weekend. It goes without saying that I am more than a little behind on posting. For the past couple of weeks I've been a one-post-a-week kind of girl. I was a little caught up living my tangible life. That's the one where I get together with friends for mid-week laughs, take myself on romantic dates, and go for long afternoon runs with Lua. And I got to do all that without pressuring myself to rush back to my apartment to get a post or two done before my eyes would start to close for the night. It ended up that I took an unintentional breather from blogging.

I've written about similar issues with finding a balance between blogging and real life before. I bounced back from those breaks with a fresh take on how to approach this whole blogging business. Maybe this is just the breather I needed to kick myself into gear again. Blogging has become so important this past year and has opened up endless opportunities for me. In some ways, I feel like I'm being unfair to my blogging persona by taking such a step back. It's amazing to be even a small part of this vast community. I absolutely love the people I have met, and am so grateful that I've been able to use this space as a way to make some incredible new friends. I almost feel I'm being selfish in my relationship with this blog. It seems that I want to reap all the benefits, without putting in all the hard work.

I honestly don't know how some of you do it. Full time jobs, full time blogs, some full time parents, all while balancing a seemingly active social schedule that keeps you healthy and happy. I was putting a lot of work into my blog, until I realized that I was putting more work into my blog then into some of my face-to-face relationships. And with the addition of gorgeous weather I really began to feel the itch to be outside my apartment after work, instead of cooped up, spending even more time sitting by a computer screen.

I have a few options. I can continue to blog in a less than predictable way, constantly feeling guilty than I'm not providing enough inspiring, new, or thought provoking content. I can go back to the days where I came home from work to immediately sit down at the computer and work on the blog way past my bedtime. Or I can dive head first into this blogging world, start accepting sponsors, offering giveaway upon giveaway, spend all my time outside of work shopping for new clothes, networking with companies, and scouting outfit photo locations. Now, that doesn't necessarily sound terrible at all, but it does seem like more occupied time I'd have to take away from the time that I like to leave unscheduled in my life.

My problem with going down the road of sponsors, is that I think it would change my blog tremendously. Right now, it's all me. I get to post whenever I want, write about the topics I want to, and say pretty much anything, all this over sharing included. If I start having to be a voice that represents different companies, that will unavoidably change. Personally, I would feel a responsibility to keep a certain level of professionalism on the blog. I'm just not sure I'm ready to be held accountable to anyone besides myself for this space. I share a lot here (probably too much). I'm not sure a clothing, jewelry, vintage, handbag, etc. company cares that I share my deepest darkest feeling with their target audience. Yet, I'm still being contacted. What am I missing here. What should I be doing here?

AG Top, Brandy & Melville Skirt, Espadrilles from DSW
Friendship Bracelets from Madewell, Coral Bracelet Gift, Pendant from Clyde's Rebirth

I would love to hear your thoughts and opinions on all of this. I know it's hard for everyone to juggle all the things they have going on. I'm not giving myself an excuse, or saying that I'm more busy than anyone else, I'm just asking for advice. I know that most of the people who read my blog are also incredibly busy, want-to-do-everything-but-just-don't-have-the-time people too. Maybe you have some inside advice you wouldn't mind lending me. Or any advice on partnering with companies and how it's changed your blogging experience for the better or the worse. I'm all ears.

Photos by Melissa

Thank you again for sticking around while the posting has been so spotty here. I'm going to try to do my best to get back up to speed and start sharing and interacting with you all more because that's what this is really supposed to be all about right?

Two of Us

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan and Lua) — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 19:52:00 +0000

Hi! I'm guest posting for Emily over at The Daily Fashionista today. She asked us to write posts inspired by a favorite song, or our favorite music. Of course I chose a Beatles song as my inspiration and shared a little love for Lua. Thank you so much to Emily for being the sweet stylish lady that she is and for asking me to contribute today!

Sunglasses from Sucre, Hat borrowed from my Mom
Dress from Pavement, Dolce Vita Sandals

You can head over to Emily's blog to see the full post, some different photos, and read a bit about my buddy - buddy relationship with Lua.

Guest Post : Morgan and Lua

Photos by Melissa

The Beatles - Two of Us

I figured it was only fair to share some Beatles love. After all, they did inspire the post.

Scenes from a Weekend : XX

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan and Lua) — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 00:20:00 +0000

Memorial Day Weekend! I spent the long weekend out of the city at my parent's house. Melissa and her pup Cooper came out to enjoy the vacation. I was really looking forward to having a girls weekend at the beach. It's always nice to spend quality time with good friends, especially when there's no pressure to entertain or make plans. We both just wanted to relax the weekend away. I picked up Melissa, and the two girls and two pups drove out together.

In true girl's weekend style, we filled our time with plenty of pampering. Saturday morning I took Lua with us and we all went for a morning run. After we got cleaned up, Melissa and I went into town and shopped around for a bit. Mostly window shopping, but we did pick up these friendship bracelets from Madewell. One of my oldest friends and her boyfriend came out to spend the night. We all grabbed a quick bite at a low key place near by. Then we went to a beer tasting that was hosted by my friends who brew their own. They use local ingredients as much as possible and are really getting good at their craft. As soon as their company gets off and running I'll be sure to let you guys know all about it!

Sunday morning we drove to the deli for breakfast and I took my friends by my absolute favorite beach. We lounged at the house for the rest of the afternoon. I whipped up some homemade hummus that hit the spot. My friends had to leave for a BBQ, so Melissa and I were basically on a date for the rest of the night. I took her to a great sunset spot, followed by an amazing dinner, and wound down the night sitting by a bonfire with friends.

Monday we slept in late. It's not really a vacation until you sleep past your work alarm. Melissa and I eventually rolled out of bed and made some coffee and breakfast. We sat at the table and talked for a while. Discussed the nights events, our goals for this summer, our pups, and anything else that crossed our minds while sipping down our cups of joe. I love leisurely mornings like that.

We packed up, cleaned up, made a quick pit stop at the beach, then started the long drive back into the city. It was great to have a real girls weekend away from all the hustle and bustle. I always love being able to show people my favorite places and I'm really glad that Melissa could make the trip out! I'm sure there will be plenty more summer weekends that look pretty similar to this one. I can't wait.

Hope everyone had a great week! Sorry it was so quiet on the blog. Hopefully you can understand that sometimes enjoying real life just has to come first. That said, how is everyone?

Belittle Me

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan and Lua) — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 21:47:00 +0000

Someone was rude to me this week. So rude that I couldn't sleep, that I obsessed over the why's and how come's for the entire day following it. It made me think of high school a bit. When it was the thing to do for your guy friends to lead into a conversation with a snide remark about how you looked or what you were wearing. Except this wasn't high school and this wasn't a teenager. It was an adult.

Being around people like that makes me act like someone I hate. It's not that I want to go through life wearing bubble wrap. I can take my fair share of abuse, insults, and hurtful comments. I'm usually able to come back with something to either let them know that I can handle it, or I walk away from the situation all together.

I've talked about how I'm trying to be nicer and cut down on the sarcasm, especially when it comes to meeting new people, but that night I had to be someone that I didn't like at all. I had to be extremely rude and I hated it. I tried for a long time to keep the plastered smile on until I hit my breaking point. Even though I tried to remove myself from the situation several times by turning my back, walking away, and not directing any conversation towards this person, it didn't work. Trying to joke and smirk my way through it didn't work out in my favor either. They continued to find their way over to me for the single purpose of being cruel. At one point I was even shoved across the room.

People say that living in a city gives you a certain edge that people who don't live here might not necessarily have. I think that just living around other people gives you an edge. Everyone comes at life with a different perspective, from a different angle, and with a different outlook. Not everyone is going to be nice, although it would be great if they all were I also realize this isn't a fantasy world. I certainly learned my lesson this week.

Living in a bigger city you're exposed to more people, so it's more likely that you will bump into someone who isn't the most pleasant to be around. A part of me thinks that these particular type of people use being in the middle of a huge city as an excuse for their rudeness. It's not ok to be disrespectful to one person simply because there is a larger volume of people here. When I leave my apartment I never intend on being a stranger's target to dump their frustrations on.

Live and learn I guess. I should have removed myself from the situation far sooner than I did. And by that I mean, I should have left all together. This person didn't deserve to have control over my night, but I let him. Up until that point I was having fun, laughing, and enjoying a night out with friends. What I did realize is that there's a distinct difference between someone who is sarcastic with good intentions and a person who uses their voice to belittle others.

Sunglasses from Sucre, Madewell Jeans, Jeffrey Campbell Sandals
Vintage Ring from my Grandma, Vintage Earrings from Spitalfields Market
Sheer Polka Dot Tunic Borrowed from Jupe Boutique

I am very aware that there are a large group of people will be always be crass, rude, ignorant, offensive, etc. I can't change that, but a big part of me does want to understand it. I realize that's almost asking for the impossible too. So the next logical answer is to accept it. Seems to be a common theme for me these days. See the problem, acknowledge it, accept it, move on. So, moving on...

On a completely different and much more positive note, last week Terra put up her Style My Closet feature! While I was in Pittsburgh we made plans to stop by Jupe Boutique so I could be Terra's style challenge for the month. She picked out this sheer polka dot top for us to style. Of course I went with a simple top and pants sort of look, while Terra put me back in my pink skirt for a ladylike vibe. You can check out more photos and read about Terra's take on the looks in her post, Jupe Boutique's Style My Closet.

Sunglasses from Sucre, Skirt from Anthropologie, Ring from Anthropologie
Vintage Clutch from Tree & Kimball Market, Custom Harness from Clyde's Rebirth
Photos by Terra

I hope everyone is having a great weekend so far! I spent some quality time in the park relaxing with Lua yesterday. Tonight I'm looking forward to meeting up with the always lovely Sarah who's in town with her husband for the weekend. Have a good one and be nice to a stranger!

Scenes from a Trip : Pittsburgh, PA

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan and Lua) — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 03:30:00 +0000

Pittsburgh! A couple of weekends ago I made the long drive out to visit Terra in her fair city. Since our last meet up in New York we'd been planning on getting together again as soon as we could. I'd never been to Pittsburgh so it made perfect sense for me to hop in the car and make the trip to see her. The drive was long but it was worth it as soon as I put my car in park and saw Terra's smiling face. That night we took a stroll around her neighborhood and grabbed a bite to eat. Then we went back to her house to relax for the rest of night. I'm sure I talked her and her husband's ear off as we lounged, flipped through their photo albums, and played with the pups.

Saturday morning Terra and I woke up bright and early and went out on a breakfast date. She took me to Coca Cafe in a different part of town. We had been talking about all the delicious food we would have for weeks leading up the trip. Terra knew exactly which places to take me to. We both eat fairly healthy so it was easy to pick out places she knew we both would love. It was so nice just to soak up the morning sun, sip on tea, and catch up with each other lives sitting face to face.

Of course she had to show me some of her favorite places to shop in town. Terra made sure to take me to Pavement and Jupe Boutique. We had to pick up a special item at Jupe for Terra's Style My Closet feature. I tried on a few different pieces for her, but she ultimately decided it would be the best to style a sheer polka dot top.

We toured around Pittsburgh for the rest of the day, went grocery shopping, drove through the different neighborhoods, and gabbed it up the whole time. One of the best things about girl only time is all the brutally honest conversations you have. There are no barriers, no filters, and it's fun because we've all probably been there, wherever there is. We had some pretty lively debates, some advice giving, and of course plenty of story telling. Somewhere between seeing the city and settling in at the house, we went out to take pictures for the Style My Closet feature.

Saturday night was spent relaxing in the backyard with some of their friends. I'm pretty sure we covered every topic imaginable, including a lengthy discussion on Nuclear Power. I may have been in a little over my head, but I enjoyed all the discussion none the less. It's always interesting for me to meet new people and hear their stories. After a late dinner of veggie burritos that Terra and I sleepily whipped up, I was off to bed. Not for nothing but they were pretty darn delicious. Sunday morning I woke up to the smell of fresh pancakes in the kitchen. Like I said, the weekend was going to be about food. The pretty lady had made her special banana pancakes. It was just what I needed before I hit the road for the long drive back to my city.

I talked a bit about the trip already, but I honestly can't say enough good things about it. I'm so thankful that this blog has given me the opportunity to have all these new people in my life. I loved being able to stay with Terra and have her show me around her city. Terra, her husband, and the pups welcomed me into their home with open arms. The trip went by way too quickly! I can't wait until I get to see Terra again. The next time I see her she might even have a little baby girl in her arms...

If you haven't met Terra yet, make sure to check out her blog, Stylish White Female. She is one of the most generous, warm, funny, sweet people I have ever met. Not to mention extremely stylish and an exceptionally cute pregnant lady.

Thank you so much Terra for letting me stay and showing me around your city. I miss you already!

Spring into Summer

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan and Lua) — Thu, 26 May 2011 03:59:00 +0000

We are at it again! Sometime after the Fall Lookbook Merl approached me about being a part of her Spring / Summer Lookbook. I jumped at the chance to get dressed up and smize for her camera once more. A few weeks ago Merl came out to visit and we spent a few days together making memories and taking photos for the combination Clyde's Rebirth & Mo Vintage Lookbook. She even put lipstick on me this time. I wanted to share a few extra images with you that didn't make the final cut. If you haven't yet, I highly recommend checking out the final product!

All photography credit goes to Merl Kinzie

It was a lot of work, but we also had some delirious fun while making it. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Merl puts together some of the out takes. I'm so glad that I was able to be a part of the Lookbook once again and even happier that I was able to show Merl some of my favorite places at home. I really hope that you all enjoy it! Make sure to stay tuned for a extra special part of the Lookbook still to come!

Thank you so much for sticking around while I get myself back together. I have some exciting things I can't wait to share the rest of this week and next! Make sure you check out the Lookbook and of course don't forget to keep an eye on Clyde's Rebirth and Mo Vintage as Merl starts to list the pieces in her shops.

Laugh It Off

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan and Lua) — Tue, 24 May 2011 00:15:00 +0000

Things don't always go exactly the way we plan. It's a hard idea to accept. A few weekends ago I had to stop, step away from everything and hit the reset button. At least I felt like I did. Things weren't going the way I thought they should've been and I felt defeated and deflated. So I took the weekend to adjust my frame of mind and try to figure out why I was so unsettled thinking about where I should be versus where I was. That's when I realized it's hard to reset when all you're doing is thinking about the past.

I drove past my alma mater this weekend on a road trip. As I was approaching the exit I had a little debate. Do I drive through my old college campus and stir up all those outdated feelings or do I keep driving towards my new destination. In a dramatic move I merged into the far lane, stepped down hard on the gas, and kept driving. I realized in that moment going back to my school wouldn't help anything, just as thinking about other past experiences might not help me figure out any new ones. My trip this weekend was all about getting to know new people and having fresh experiences in a city I've never been to. So I kept driving.

And also last week I laughed. Full, out loud, head in my hands, laughed. I got together with a few friends to see a comedian in the city Thursday night. I put on my best jeans and headed down with high hopes for the evening's events. I had no idea what to expect, but I certainly didn't expect for that night to be exactly what I needed. It helped me get some necessary perspective. If you're patient, and you wait long enough for it, things tend to turn around just when you think they never will.

My shift in perspective carried over to this past weekend in Pittsburgh. I got to be exactly who I am right now. I wasn't trying to impress anyone or be someone who I thought they might like. I was sarcastic at times, then apologetic, perhaps even sweet at others. And I laughed. I laughed a lot. I laughed with people, at situations, to myself. The best part was that I wasn't over thinking anything. It was a much needed break from my usual level of self awareness. For a moment there, I was living in the present. I wasn't thinking about who I had been or who I should be, I was just being myself.

Selima Optique Sunglasses, Top from Anthropologie, Old Jeans, Minnetonka Moccasins
Ring from Anthropologie, Necklaces from Clyde's Rebirth

I can't feel sorry for myself because I had a difficult weekend a few weekends ago. Especially when there are plenty of new ones waiting for me. If you can push through the grayer days, there are usually more exciting ones up next. Ones where I get to travel, meet new people, laugh until my sides ache, and continue to learn about myself and who I am right now. Things can be really great if you just relax and let them be.

Photos taken on May 7th by Val

In the spirit of spreading the laughter around, are there any California people interested in having the same belly laugh experience I did? You can check out Colin Kane in the flesh on the West Coast, starting June 9th. If there are any New York locals interested in getting together to see his next NYC show, shoot me an email! It's a great excuse to finally meet a bunch of you. I would tell you that he puts on a good show, but you can decide for yourself.
Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Scenes from a Weekend : XIX

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan and Lua) — Wed, 18 May 2011 03:55:00 +0000

I've been spending more time in the city this month than I have in a very long while. Part of it is due to imperfectly made plans, part of it is due to the fact that I know I'll be spending more time out of the city as the weather continues to get warmer so I'm trying to soak up my time in the city while I can. A few weekends ago I was in the city with no particular plans so I called my friends Val and Drew to meet up for Saturday morning brunch. I rushed down to their neighborhood while they waited patiently at the restaurant for me to show up.

After an exceptionally lovely brunch in the sun we strolled over to Chelsea Market. There are still so many places that I haven't been in the city yet, and until that weekend I had still never been there. The market was really interesting to walk around. It's a big tourist stop, but there's obviously a good reason for that. We meandered, picked up a few things, stopped by their apartment, then headed into the West Village for the rest of the afternoon.

The West Village is such a pretty neighborhood to walk around. I love the narrow sideways, the cobblestone streets, and the small storefronts. A few of my favorite stores to browse are down there, including the store where I bought my favorite and only pair of sunglasses. Val, Drew, and I chatted some more, picked up coffee, and then went our separate ways. I took advantage of the gorgeous weather and went for a long run with Lua by the river at the end of the day.

On Sunday I drove home to celebrate Mother's Day with my family. We spent the day relaxing, mostly outside. Lua got her fill of backyard time while I ran a few errands around town. My mom made a salad with the greens from her garden and put some chicken on the grill for dinner. It was a relaxing night at home with my parents before another long week of work in the city.

Thank you to Jentine for re-posting a few pictures from my last outfit post! She really was the behind the scenes cheering section for me; Team Work. And thanks to all of you for sticking around while I lost my head a little these last few weeks. It's been harder than usual to keep up with the blog, but hopefully I'll get back on track soon!

Sarcastic Sweets

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan and Lua) — Tue, 10 May 2011 03:33:00 +0000

I am, in real life, an extremely sarcastic, occasionally quite abrupt person. It doesn't always come across in my writing because I try to write with the mindset that no one else is reading this. That tends to make everything seem intimate and read much more like a diary. So here we go: Dear Diary,

I know I'm a sarcastic, sometimes a little rough around the edges type of person. The problem I have is when my sarcasm goes from light hearted to coming off as mean spirited. Unfortunately it happens much more than I would like it to. Quite a few of my friends have stories in their back pockets about specific times when I was far too unedited with people. It tends to be people who haven't been around me long enough to know that I don't really mean everything that I say. Especially if I'm meeting a person for the first time or if I'm particularly nervous, the comments start to fly.

I've been trying really hard the past few months to reshape some things about my personality. I will always be who I am, but I want to be the best possible version of myself I can be. I know I'll always be slightly harder to take than the stereotypical bubbly blond, miss giggles a lot, but I'm ok with that. I just don't want to bombarded people within the first five minutes of meeting me with an unexpected or exceedingly short comment. I know I wouldn't like it, so why have I always been that way towards other people?

It's especially hard for me to remember that this is something I've been working on when I'm around people who are also extremely sarcastic. I forget to pause for that breath before I respond. Then it escalates. Sarcasm can go from kind of funny to completely mean with the change of a few words or a tilt of the head.

I can and have to some extent become much better at curbing my initial rude and sarcastic comments to people I've just met. Luckily, I decided this was something I wanted to work on before I started meeting a whole slew of new people. As time went on and I started to work on a hundred different things about myself, I naturally forget about a few. I feel like as I begin to get more comfortable in my own skin again, every once in a while I see my attitude starting to shift back.

Then I start to think about the whole theory of love and be loved. If I want to be a better person, than I have to start treating people the way that I want to be treated. One of the oldest lessons we've all ever learned, but sometimes it takes a little reminder before things really start to sink in. You can't expect people to be sweet and kind to you, if you don't act the same way to everyone else out there, right?

Tank from H & M, Skirt from Anthropologie, Heels from Bloomingdales
Vintage Ring from my Grandma, Pink Lipstick borrowed
Harness Necklace Borrowed from Clyde's Rebirth 2011 Spring/Summer Lookbook

I've very aware of the fact that I'll never be described or introduced as the "sweet girl". I think I'm ok with that too. There has to be a way for me to keep my sarcastic nature in tact, while still being a nice person. I am a kind, warmhearted, compassionate person and I generally only have the best of intentions. I just don't always know how to say the right thing at the right time. I'm working on it.

Goodnight dear diary. xoxo, Morgan

Photos by Merl, Cheering section by Jentine

Many thanks to Merl and Jentine for helping me get ready on Saturday night. I had the basic idea of what I wanted to wear all lined up, but they really helped me pull everything together. I figured I'd give the lipstick look a try after Merl slapped some on me for a few of the Lookbook shots. Jentine was basically my cheering section the whole night out. I did feel slightly fancy walking around with the long flowy hot pink skirt on, but it was my party and I'll cry, I mean dress up if I want to.

Scenes from a Holiday : Easter

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan and Lua) — Wed, 04 May 2011 03:00:00 +0000

Easter weekend I was invited to spend time with really great friends outside of the city. I jumped at the chance and drove out / ferried out, to the small island where they live on Saturday afternoon. They had the BBQ all set up, and the other guests had arrived by the time I got there. There was plenty of mixing, mingling and seeing a few people I haven't seen in a very long time. The group of us ended up talking the night away, swapping stories, and sharing advice in front of the fire as it slowly went out.

I know I've said it here before but I don't think I'll ever be the ideal city person. I love being able to get away on the weekends. It was so nice to leisurely wake up on Sunday and go for a walk down to the beach. They even brought the fishing rod, just in case. I'm trying really hard to appreciate where I live now, because part of me knows that I'll end up outside of any big city. I appreciate the easy, casual lifestyle so much more than the hustle that's often associated with living in a city.

After our beach walk I packed up and drove back to my parent's to celebrate Easter. I loved being able to spend time with one of my oldest friends and her main squeeze. They were great hosts and I can't wait until the weather is a little bit warmer and we can spend more time lounging on the deck and relaxing by the beach.

When I got back to my parent's I took Lua for a long run. I've found this happening more often in the past few months than before, but running has been helping me to calm me down more than wind up. I might have a million thoughts racing through my mind, but by the end of a good run with Lua my thoughts are quieter. Dinner at my parents was delicious. We had halibut, roasted potatoes, shrimp topped with crab, green beans, garlic knots, and plenty more. It was a great holiday spent enjoying my friend's and family's company and taking in the sights.

How was everyone's weekend? I had a blast with two of my favorite blogger ladies, Merl from Clyde's Rebirth and Jentine from My Edit. You can check out Jentine's post for a little taste of our weekend goodness before I get around to sharing it with you myself!

Scenes from a City : My Birthday

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan and Lua) — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 17:06:00 +0000

I celebrated my 26th birthday in New York City this year. The day started out with a lovely wake up call from Lua at my bedside and a card from my parents. I made my standard yerba mate and granola morning treats, then headed off to work. It was one of the first days in New York that actually felt like spring! There were flowers blooming and petals on the ground. The weather seems to finally be breaking through for the season.

I took Lua for a long run by the river after work. It felt more significant than usual because it was my birthday. As I said, I was a little bit nervous about turning another year older. I've never been the type of person who was bothered by birthdays at all. Something about this one just felt different. Maybe it's because I've had such an up and down year, or maybe it's because I'm starting to realize there are still so many things I want to do and sometimes it starts to feel like a time crunch.

Lucky for me, I have some really great girlfriends in New York City. I reached out to them earlier in the week about getting together for a casual dinner on my actual birthday. It's always so great to be able to meet up with them, especially when everyone's busy schedules usually keep us apart. A few of my friends I've known since I was in pre-school, some from college, and some brand new. I'm so glad that I was able to see such great ladies on my birthday.

We went to Caza Mezcal on the Lower East Side. The food and drinks were great and the atmosphere was exactly what I was looking for. After plenty of chips, guacamole, and margaritas, Melissa brought out some cupcakes for all the girls. They were a special delivery from Kim, since she couldn't be there to celebrate. They even sang Happy Birthday to me.

I decided to get a little dressed up since it was my birthday and all. I went with a black mini and my go to velvet polka dot top from Madewell. I added my blue suede heels and my favorite fishy Clyde's Rebirth pendant and I was set to go. It's fun to get dressed up to spent the night on the town with your girlfriends every once in a while.

I had an amazing day on my actual birthday. I'm still processing everything about what this past year, and this birthday mean to me, but what I do know is that I'm so grateful for the friends who have stuck by me through it all. I'm sure at times I haven't been the easiest person to be friends with, I understand it's always a give a take with friends, which is why I'm so happy that I have a small group of people that keep coming around year after year. It truly means so much to me. Thank you to everyone who made this birthday such a special one for me!

I'm sorry the blog has been so quiet this week. You may have seen on Twitter that I'm currently with Merl from Clyde's Rebirth! She came out for a long weekend to help me celebrate my belated birthday. We're also working on something very special, follow along on twitter to see some sneak peaks and hear about what we've been up to.

One Year Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan and Lua) — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 02:40:00 +0000

Thank you to everyone who entered the One Year Giveaway! It was extremely fun for me to go through all the entries. I was so flattered as I read each of your posts! The whole point of doing this giveaway was to able to give back to the people who have made this last year of blogging absolutely incredible. After seeing all the entries I knew I had to give more than just the two necklaces. I decided that I'm also going to give a $20 gift certificate to either Tree & Kimball or Clyde's Rebirth to two more girls!

You all did such amazing jobs! Everyone found something different to take from blog and make it their own. Whether it was inviting their adorable pets into the posts, finding similar locations to take pictures, mimicking styles I repeated over and over, or recreating some of my favorite meals, everyone found a way to do their best "Morgan and Lua".

Without further adieu, here are all of your wonderful submissions for the giveaway!

Employed Panache : Like Morgan & Lua

Della Grace's Life : Daily Wear - Morganized

What Would a Nerd Wear : Life Sentence, No Parole

Sweet Laundry : Inspired: Morgan and Lua

Ordinarily Urbane : Buttoned Up

Sparkling Footsteps : Morgan-esque

Stylish White Female : Morgan & Lua blogger birthday

Babes in Thriftland : Erin and Ace

Style by Santina : Santina and Marley as Morgan and Lua

The Daily Fashionista : Best Morgan-esque

Between Laundry Days : Have My Own Conversations

Eat Sleep Wear : My Furry Accessory

Tomorrow Never Knows : Emily and Hurley

My Edit : Sisters From a Different Mister

AND THE WINNERS ARE...

Clyde's Rebirth fish pendant goes to Santina from Style by Santina!
Tree & Kimball morgan necklace goes to Clare from Between Laundry Days!
Clyde's Rebirth $20 gift certificate goes to Jentine from My Edit!
Tree & Kimball $20 gift certificate goes to Emily from The Daily Fashionista!

Congratulations ladies!! Thank you so much for entering and don't forget to send me the links when you post pictures wearing your new jewls!

One of these lovely ladies was hand picked by me and the rest were chosen using random.org. The entries were numbered by the order the comments were received in on the original giveaway post.

I'd also like to thanks Merl and Lisa for being such amazing ladies to work with! You should make sure to check out Merl's post "morganesque." as well. She wasn't entered in the contest, for obvious reasons, but if she was there would have been some serious competition!
Merl and Lisa create some of the most beautiful jewelry, and are certainly my favorite places to shop when I'm looking to add new jewls to my collection. Even if you didn't enter, or win, please head over to their shops to check out some more gorgeous pieces!

Tree & Kimball - Clyde's Rebirth

They Say It's Your Birthday

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan and Lua) — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 20:24:00 +0000

Happy Birthday to me! Twenty six years old. I have to admit I'm a little scared about this one. I was ever so gingerly reminded the other day that I am now closer to thirty than I am to twenty. At first it sounded scary, but it's not all that intimidating if I really think about it. After all, I have done some pretty amazing things this past year.

And now, I'm ready to step into twenty six with a different outlook, some new theories, fresh experiences, and a whole bunch of wonderful friends. Thank you to everyone for being there for me and making this past year such an amazing one!

(Click through any of the above pictures to be taken to the original post. Of course you can also always just go through my archives.)

Scenes from a Weekend : XVII

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan and Lua) — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 02:47:00 +0000

This past weekend was a little bit of waiting around until last minute. There were people coming to the city, and then there were people not coming to the city, and then they were coming again, and then they weren't. On top of that it was my Dad's Birthday this weekend! So I had to make sure to get home at some point and spend time with my parents. Friday, I hunkered down in my apartment with Lua for the day and watched 180° South on repeat. Which probably prompted Friday's post about finding the thing you're passionate about and pursuing it.

Saturday morning I got my yoga fix in bright and early, then stopped for a decaf treat on the walk home. I don't have coffee during the week, you know how much I love my yerba mate, but I really like grabbing a cup of joe on the weekends. It was on the cusp of raining all day, so I stayed in to try and catch up on a few things.

That night I braved the weather to meet up with Lisa from Tree & Kimball and her sister. The lovely Melissa braved her cold and came with me in the torrential down pour to Brooklyn. We made stops at The Manhattan Inn, Five Leaves, and a magical place where they mix cinnamon and vanilla with your tequila. It was an incredibly fun and laid back night bouncing around with some really great people.

The sun finally came out on Sunday and I drove all the way to my parents with the sun roof open. Since it was my Dad's Birthday that weekend I knew I had to bake something delicious. I found an Ina Garten recipe for Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. They came out pretty delicious. We went to an easy dinner that night and my Dad enjoyed all the cookies he wanted when we he got home.

At some point during the day Lua decided it was a good idea to go in my parents backyard and roll around in something gross and smelly. It was bath time for her after that. It was all around a great weekend.

The last day to enter the Giveaway is tomorrow! If you haven't gotten in your entry yet you have one day left before I announce the winners on Friday!