RoAmyLive

Follow Friday

2011-10-13T20:48:00.003-04:00

Have you made your way over to my new blog yet?

I miss you!

Grab your nicest bag and head on over to Curls and the City!

I've Moved (digitally!)

2011-09-20T20:06:00.002-04:00

Please follow me over at Curls and the City.
I promise that we'll have a fun time!

Apartment Tour

2011-08-18T19:49:00.000-04:00

For those that missed the last post, please feel free to check out and follow my new blog Curls and the City. I just posted an apartment tour!

xo, Amy

Curls and the City

2011-08-08T15:35:00.000-04:00

I've decided to start fresh. Or at least semi-fresh. I've moved my blog (insert groans here!!!). It would mean a lot if you would head on over to Curls and the City and follow me on Google Friend Connect so that you don't miss any exciting updates.

Cheers!

Neutral Nelly

2011-07-13T00:20:00.001-04:00

Whipped out my new American Apparel pouch to accompany me on a journey to a Manhattan bar to do some oh-so-classy day drinking.

It was love at first use.

Paired it with some other similarly neutral colors because... well, that's just what I do.

Please forgive me for my neutral-loving, urban-safari obsession. I did paint my nails a teenage-friendly blue AND I have sparkly sandals on. I'm trying, ok? :)

Top: Target

Shorts: Old Navy

Clutch: American Apparel (Large) in Taupe

Shoes: Montego Bay at Payless Shoe Source

Nails: Sally Hansen in Blue Me Away

Toe Nails: Essie in Bike Ride

As always, keep up with me here:

Twitter / YouTube / Tumblr / Dailybooth

My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard

2011-07-07T20:21:00.001-04:00

Lazy Summer days have definitely set in. A lot of outdoor food and drinking going on here in NYC. Last week I was heading out to a neighborhood bar for a drink with my friend and popped on this um, urban-safari look. I didn't think it was anything particularly special, but it was cute enough to get a boy's number. Ow, ow. Must be the sparkly shoes. Work every time.

Shopping ALERT!

I finally picked up one of those adorable must-haves-of-Summer, the American Apparel large leather pouch. I am in love. I got it in a taupe color which would have looked PERFECT with this outfit.

Until I take some outfit photos with it, you'll have to stare at the gorgeous Krystal's face to see all the way she wears her clutch! My favs: here and here.

Tank: Old Navy

Shirt: Old Navy

Shorts: Old Navy (not sponsored, I swear!)

Shoes: Payless

Bracelets: David Smallcombe

Toes: Sally Hansen in Fushia Power

Apologies for the terrible photo quality. The lighting was off and there's only so much my skills in photo editing can do to fix! :)

Feet pervs: this one's for you!

Outfit remix alert!

Remember when I wore this shirt back in December 2010? No?

Check out that post, here.

Stay cool!
xo, AMY

Rompin' it

2011-06-25T13:00:00.005-04:00

Hello! I think you should all head over to Jen's lovely blog, Jennifhsieh, to check out my guest blog post.

I wear a romper! And a denim jacket! Does that entice you as much as it does me?

xo, AMY

Museum Mileage

2011-06-20T14:49:00.001-04:00

I had no plans on a beautiful Saturday afternoon, so I decided to take myself on a date around the Upper East Side of Manhattan.

I used to live on the UES and would hop on over to the Metropolitan Museum of Art whenever I had some free time. Now that I live about 30 minutes away (which, I know, is nothing in NYC travel time) I find myself going less and less. I really wanted to see the Alexander McQueen exhibit at the MET, but the line was ridiculously long and I decided to save that for a slower, weekday visit.

I took some snaps along the way, including a few self-portraits which is ridiculously hard to do with a DSLR in hand! If you'd like to see a better view of the Target sundress that I wore, head on over to my YouTube channel for a 3D outfit of the day! :)

After the Museum, I sat outside at a Mexican restaurant and enjoyed a Margarita and Tacos while getting in some solid people-watching. I think that if I ever decided to leave NY, I would miss the unique people-watching that this town provides.

I think it's fun to eat at a proper restaurant alone... without a Kindle in hand! Shock, horror! I had nothing to read /look at/ pretend I was busy with. Luckily, sunglasses provide the perfect excuse to stare at strangers.

Couple strolling along Park Avenue/86th St.

l. Outside the MET

r. Inside the MET

Glass doors? Photo opportunity!

Dress: Target / Sandals: NY + Co / Bag: Longchamp Le Pliage / Camera: Nikon D40

Kind of love glassware. Don't give me that weird look!

l. Sculpture near American Wing

r. Roof Garden sculpture

Roof garden sculpture and beautiful views!

Using the reflection on the glass building to photograph myself and the skyline! ha!

My arm is not strong enough to take more than 1 self-portrait with a Nikon DSLR.

Oh and that frizzy poof?

Courtesy of NYC humidity :)

Always take the stairs!

The cute girls behind me thought I was a nut job.

Rightly so!!

***

xo, AMY

What I Wore to Google HQ

2011-06-17T11:10:00.000-04:00

This week, I had the awesome opportunity to head over to Google Headquarters in NYC for a YouTube Partner Program Meet-up. I met up with my YouTube gal pals MakeupbyMel and Cutiegingerbread for some free snacks and beverages (!) and lots of YouTube learning. We heard from a panel of successful partners which included two of my favorite vloggers: Soundlyawake and JPMetz.

All in all, a fun way to spend a hot NYC afternoon.

Here's what I wore:

JACKET: Old Navy

DRESS: Forever 21 (2+ years ago)

SHOES: Montego Bay at Payless

NAILS: Sally Hansen in Plum Burst

TOE NAILS: Wet 'n Wild in Red Rouge

***

l. to r. Me, Yuliya, Melissa

When gaining access to the Google offices, it is completely necessary to make complete fools of yourself and take photos with EVERYTHING that says Google.

Grainy cell phone shot of reception!

The distinguished panel of partners.

l. to r. Me and Nicola aka SoundlyAwake

I decided to give a very important speech which only consisted of me standing behind a Google platform pretending to give a very important speech.

Badged up!

***

I love meeting up with my fellow bloggers and vloggers!

Til next time, as always check me out here:

TWITTER

YOUTUBE

DAILYBOOTH

xo, AMY

Take a Hike!

2011-06-16T07:22:00.001-04:00

Every so often I decide it's time to get off the computer and get active! Stop laughing.

Last Summer, my best friend and I went on a not-so-romantic trip to Vermont to do some hiking and of course, to eat Ben + Jerry's. Hiking was such an exhiliarating and fun adventure, that we knew we had to keep up with it in New York once the weather began to cooperate.

Since we're both car-less city-dwellers, we took the 1 1/2 hour Metro-North train ride up to Breakneck Ridge and paced ourselves along for a 5.5 mile hike. It was definitely strenuous for two non-hikers, but using our feet, knees and hands, we somehow made it up the rocky climb all the way to the top and safely back down.

Unfortunately, we ran out of water along the way, and because of the desserted location, had to wait 3 hours to replenish our water supplies! Next time we will be more prepared. Oh yes, there will be a next time!

Do not doubt for a minute that we didn't curse each other, bugs, nature, thirst and the inventor of hiking all along the way. To say that we have potty mouths when we're hot, tired and hungry would be an understatement.

xo, AMY

Urban Heat

2011-06-11T22:11:00.001-04:00

Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot. Those are the only words currently in my vocabulary. Oh wait, I'll add in SWEAT. It's been ridiculously hot in NYC over the last week, reaching the mid-90*s most days. I needed an outfit that I could stay cool in while drinking many-an-ice cold beers at Happy Hour :)

This is the look I came up with:

TOP: Target Long & Lean Tank

SKIRT: Forever 21

BELT: Old Navy (I think!)

SHOES: American Eagle at Payless

NAILS: Revlon in Demure

BAG: Louis Vuitton Monogram Speedy 35 (not pictured)

Thanks to my lovely nameless, faceless friend for taking the shots of me above in his apartment.

I've misplaced my DSLR's remote control which is why there have been so few outfit posts recently. I shall find it soon, I promise! Until then, go over to my YouTube channel and watch the last few outfit videos that I posted. Hopefully that will satisfy your Amy addiction :P

***

He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named also took this hilarious shot of me and my hair.

I kind of love it.

As always, keep up with me on Twitter, Dailybooth, and YouTube!

xo, AMY

Wedding Season

2011-06-01T20:16:00.000-04:00

Anyone in their late 20s knows that May and June equal one thing... the dreaded wedding season! One of my closest friends from college married her college sweatheart this weekend in Connecticut, and I came along for the ride. It was actually a blast -- I saw tons of old college classmates that I hadn't seen in, gulp, 6 years!

The food was tasty, the dancing was festive and the bride was beautiful. What more could you ask for? Oh yeah, a cute boy to dance with all night. Mission accomplished! :)

***

Now onto the important stuff -- the clothes! I really wanted to wear something brightly colored in celebration of Spring and found this H&M dress at the last possible minute. It was a little low-cut for my taste, but I think I made it work somehow. I tossed a cream colored pashmina over my shoulders for the ceremony and felt respectable enough.

***

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME CREEPY PHOTOS?

I've said it before, but I choose not to show my friends and loved ones on my blog so that no one gets upset by any unwanted web presence. Hence the BLOB friends!!

***

DRESS: H+M

SHOES: Vince Camuto at Nordstrom Rack

***

And now for some hastily taken cell phone photos.

Sorry, I didn't have my DSLR on hand!

Loved the criss-crossed back detail!

If only people still used Myspace, this would be the perfect photo!

Hope you enjoyed!

xo, AMY

I haven't got it all figured out just yet

2011-05-16T15:31:00.001-04:00

I'll admit it, I like stuff as much as the next person. Certainly my addiction to cheap, disposable clothing (ahem Forever 21) can only be considered a symptom of this disease to want more stuff.

I am not, however, a hoarder. A friend told me that she has so much trouble parting with her old clothing because she can remember every (in)significant moment in her life associated with each item. It's all well and nice to be nostalgic, but at some point you have to ask yourself whether the memories of the events themselves are more important than the "stuff" you've attached to it.

Where am I going with all this? I've been doing some serious Spring Cleaning. I've been throwing things out, donating items and organizing my stuff. At one point in my adulthood, I had an entire wall bookcase filled with beautiful books (it helped that I got them free from my job in publishing). I've whittled that collection of hundreds of books down to two small shelf fulls.

Books are heavy. They are dusty. They are yellowed. As much as I love them (I do have a Library degree, natch!), I know that not owning books will not make me love them any less.

This all boils down to the fact that I've been feeling restless and associate that with the clutter of my apartment.

Don't tell anyone, but I have a secret dream of being able to pack up all my belongings in a day and just running away to Europe for a couple of months. Anyone care to join me/house me on their couch? :)

***

My cats have found some odd sleeping locations in my apartment. Here are two of their favorites:

More to come, I promise.
xo, Amy

April Showers Bring May Showers

2011-05-11T09:15:00.006-04:00

Head on over to Tiffany's cute blog Beijos Tiffany today to see my guest blog post.

I use props!

Once you're there, take a look around her blog, I think you'll like what you see!

xo, Amy

Presents Galore

2011-05-02T23:41:00.000-04:00

On a warm day in April, over 28 years ago, a little blob of fat and hair named Amy was born. Yup, it was my birthday last month and I thought I'd share some of the amazing goodies that I was given!

I've never been a "birthday" person. I mean, really, if anything we should be buying presents for our mothers! Saying that, I'm never one to turn down a present.

***

My older sister gave me this delicious bottle of Miss Dior Cherie. I love this summery, feminine scent. A must smell!

My Mom, with the help of my younger sister, got her hands on an Urban Decay Naked Palette! I've wanted to buy this for myself for the last few months, but just couldn't justify owning so much eyeshadow. Now that I have it, I have no complaints :)

If you're a member of Sephora's Beauty Insider program (free!), every year you get sent a coupon for a free Birthday gift (no purchase necessary). Last year Sephora gave out a small eye kit -- shadow, liner, mascara. This year it was a Philosophy 3-in-1 shampoo, shower gel, and bubble bath. Thx Sephora!

Sephora had a 15% off coupon for Beauty Insiders last month, so I took advantage of this sale and purchased a brush head replacement for my Clarisonic. Oh, did I never mention that I bought myself a pink Clarisonic Mia? Well I did. I made the purchase in January after holding out for what seems like years. I love it!

This is just a quick drug store purchase. About a month ago I bought a can of Psssst! Dry Shampoo but was extremely disappointed when the aerosol can stopped working after only 3 uses! There was nothing I could do to get the product out and I swore I'd never buy that brand again. I've heard a lot about Batiste Dry Shampoo so I went with this brand next. I must say I'm pretty happy with it!

Hope you enjoyed this photo heavy post. I should have a new outfit post up soon!
xo, Amy

Life in Photos - APRIL 2011

2011-04-22T14:23:00.001-04:00

Photo blog time!

My life the last 3 weeks has revolved around these two piles of fur. Mr. Darcy (l.) was extremely tired of being a solo cat and took to crying for the majority of the night. After overcoming (sort of) my fears of turning into a crazy cat lady, I chose to suck it up for his sake and adopt a cat friend.

You may have met him on Twitter, but I'd like to formally introduce you to Professor Snape (r.)! He was adopted from the ASPCA in Manhattan on April 2nd, just a few days after his 1 year birthday. Welcome to the family, Professor!

Now before you get all "awww" on me, just know that I haven't slept more than 3 hours at a time since April 2nd. Professor Snape is a night owl and likes to get Mr. Darcy all riled up at 3am. Momma's not a happy camper. Luckily, things are getting better (crosses fingers).

::cues up Ebony and Ivory::

I bought my Kindle about 8 or 9 months ago and am still in lust with it. It's so portable and perfect for reading on the Subway. I used to own an entire wall unit full of books.

After moving to 3 apartments in the last 6 years, I've realized that books are FREAKING HEAVY. As much as I dream of having a beautiful Library full of books, I'm also a realist and know that hoarding is not pretty.

My collection has been whittled down significantly. Here are some snaps of a portion of my collection that remains intact.

Let's move onto something more superficial, shall we? NEW SHOES!!

These bad boys are from Old Navy and I love them. Too bad it's always raining, cold and foggy in New York this April. I'm hoping to take these guys on their first journey outdoors in the next couple of weeks.

A sculpture in the Time Warner Center.

Hello, world. This is Manhattan! See those buildings all the way across the park, over on the East Side? That's where my old apartment stands. I moved out almost a year ago! Can't believe it.

Bright lights, city sights.

More Soon!!

xo, Amy

Tweet Tweet!

HRH Inspired

2011-04-18T04:35:00.002-04:00

There's nothing that I love more than a white shirt. White tees, white tanks, white button-downs.

I found this sheer flowy number over at Old Navy recently and have to say that I'm smitten.

I originally saw this shirt (update: similar, but slightly different!) on the lovely Alex at HRHCollection's video. She paired it with black skinnies and a pink boyfriend blazer -- adorable as always! If you don't know who Alex is, definitely check out her YouTube and Blog -- You don't want to miss out!

I really like the look that I was going for with this outfit but I think something is slightly off. My jeans are a bit too low-cut for this look. I need to find a pair of slightly higher-waisted pants to go with this shirt! Also, once the weather officially warms up in NYC, I'll pair this look with some cute flats!

Shirt: Old Navy

Cami: Old Navy

Jeans: Forever 21

Boots: Bakers

Silver Chain Necklaces (2): Old Navy

Hope everyone is doing well! More posts are on the way!

xo, Amy

Ding-Dang-Dong

2011-04-02T21:51:00.001-04:00

There was finally another beautiful Spring day in NY this week -- by beautiful I mean 1.) not raining and 2.) 55*F. Joy!! I can't wait until Spring actually starts. I want some 65*F and sunny weather!

I walked around Central Park with one of my friends, which if you've been watching my vlogs, know is one of my all-time favorite things to do.

We were a bit mischievous as well. If you're in NYC, you must take a quick walk through the lobby of The Plaza Hotel -- if only for the Home Alone 2 flashbacks (ding-dang-dong!). We decided to go up to a few of the floors (penthouse!) and might have been gifted with a few toiletries (from the maid, of course, wink wink).

Have no fear, I have video of all the shenanigans. Head on over to my YouTube channel and subscribe so that you're first to see it :)

Shirt: TJ Maxx

Cardigan: Zara

Leggings: Forever 21

Boots: Old Navy

Nails: Sinful Colors in Scandal

xo, AMY

Right on Target

2011-03-22T23:48:00.000-04:00

Earlier this year, Target ran an online promotion for a free beauty bag with deluxe samples. I had completely forgotten about it until it arrived today!

I read about this awesome promotion on NouveauCheap, a blog that everyone needs to be following!

Here are the goodies:

Neutrogena Naturals lip balm

Pantene Flat to Volume Shampoo for Fine Hair

Nivea Express Hydration Daily Lotion

Revlon Colorbust Lipgloss in Hot Pink

Fekkai Shea Butter Shampoo and Conditioner

$25 worth of coupons on various cosmetics and beauty brands

Sonia Kashuk makeup bag

* * *

Has anyone been watching my vlogs on YouTube? (whistles!) I swear sometimes I'm funny and sometimes I'm even slightly entertaining. Either way, I walk around NYC a lot and blabber. What could be better when you're sitting around at home bored out of your mind? :)

YouTube me!

Here's some Central Park porn from last week!

xo, AMY

Sugar, Sweet, Sunshine

2011-03-17T18:09:00.002-04:00

I'm wearing color! I used to always add bursts of color in my outfits, but I've been in a very New York-centric neutral rut. Well looky-here. I do have colorful clothes to be worn and it is not so scary after all.

These photos are not the best. Not sure what's going on with the light ghost in the corner there. Also had to amp up the light in post-production (ha!) so I kind of turned into an oompa-loompa. It happens to the best of us!!

Dress: Kensie Girl

Cardigan: Old Navy

Flats: Predictions @ Payless

Belt: H + M

Last week I had the pleasure of meeting a few of my friends! Sounds strange to say, but we had never met outside of Twitter, Youtube and Blogger. We visited Inglot, ate Thai food, walked through Times Square, and visited MAC and Forever 21. We are SO chicks.

above l to r: Me, Naty, Bonnie, Yuliya

***

If you don't follow me on YouTube -- feel free to do so any day now. I'm waiting. I've been posting vlogs where I basically walk around and tell you fabulous stories. Or talk about nonsense. I won't tell you which is more true.

xo, AMY

Sailing... takes me away

2011-03-10T13:50:00.000-05:00

Oh, hello. Didn't see you there.

I had no intention of going out to the shore to go sailing, but this outfit very much made me want to do just that. You would think that growing up in Queens and Long Island, in walking distance to the water, that I would have gone sailing or boating at some point in my 27 years. But, nope. It's never interested me. I'd much rather take pretty photos of the sailboats, sit on the docks and wear sailor costumes.

However, if Joe Fox from You've Got Mail ever asked me to live on his house boat, I would immediately say yes.

Cardigan: H+M

Striped Shirt: Forever 21

Jeans: Forever 21

Shoes: TOMS

Watch: Walmart

Nails: Essie in Berry Hard

Let's cue up some shots of my Mom's town on Long Island -- where I don't sail -- but where I love to visit when I get a chance!

My Mom lives in a gingerbread house! Not really, but she kind of painted it to look that way. Mint green and baby pink... hmm I think she's into girl colors, yes?

This house was built in the 1920s and was used a Summer cottage for city-dwellers.

That's all folks.

xo, Amy

Photo Diary

2011-03-03T16:11:00.000-05:00

How about a short and sweet photo tour?

My hood. #Thuglife

I just love the cartoon-quality of the religious imagery on this building.

A walk around my neighborhood leads me here every single time.

Cat face. Also known as El Diablo. Formally introduced as Mr. Darcy.

My love of graffiti has entered my home courtesy of a nice gift from a nice person.

The hate of my life. The dreaded radiator. Only in NYC can it be 85* F inside an apartment building while it's 30*F outside. There's no way to control how much or how little comes out of this thing. Awful!

Always important to have multiple locks! Safety first, peoples.

This is my favorite mug. I took it from my last apartment -- was left behind by one roommate or another. I have no idea what it means or how it represents Paris, but I love it. It is perfect in its strange little way.

One of my closets. I don't organize by color or type of clothing, and my hangers don't match. Living on the edge.

Hope you enjoyed a little peak.

For daily photos, please check out my Dailybooth, and join in on the fun: Linked!
xo, Amy

Teal Time - Nails of the Week

2011-02-24T00:11:00.000-05:00

I haven't done a nails of the week in quite a while! I've mostly been sporting the same pinks and reds that I've featured in previous posts. I didn't want to look like a broken nail record (?), so I didn't bother to update you on my same-old-nail-polish.

This week I went for something different. This gorgeous teal came in the Sephora by OPI Christmas set. A really lovely metallic teal that went on smoothly and had minimal chipping after a few days. No complaints here.

Sephora by OPI

Teal We Meet Again

What's on your nails this week?
xo, Amy

Neutral Mashup

2011-02-18T11:56:00.000-05:00

Comfort has been key for me lately. I don't know if you'd call it laziness or pure genius, but I've been pulling for clothes that are soft, flexible and loose. I kind of cringe having to put on a tight top these days. Doubt this overly comfy phase will last very long. Could just be another case of the Winter blues!

Do you guys like to mix brown and grays? This was always a big no-no in my book. I know that they're both neutrals (my love!!), but something about these two sister colors doesn't quite "go." Saying that, I like what I did with this color combo. The light cognac/sand boot kind of off-sets the gray/black/white and magically, it works!

Tank: Mossimo at Target

Tee: TJ Maxx

Leggings: Forever 21

Boots: Forever 21

Necklace: Forever 21

Cardigan: Ann Taylor

Stay happy!
xo, Amy

Photo Fun

2011-02-15T23:17:00.001-05:00

Does anyone else open up PhotoBooth and just take ridiculous shots over and over?

No one?!?

Whistles... me either.

Now that I've discovered the glories of Dailybooth, I've learned to control my Photoboothing habit.

Almost.

***

One of my most viewed videos on YouTube is my old apartment tour clip. I've since moved to a new apartment and have yet to give any kind of tour or peak. If I can get my act together, I might just film a brand-spanking new tour for all those nosey folks. Here's a shot of my hallway leading to my bedroom!

***

I never thought I'd own a cat. I'm strictly a dog person you see. But when Mr. Darcy came chirping into my life 5 months ago, I learned to love (gasp!) a cat! He's super evil and earns his nickname, El Diablo, every single day, but he's mine. And look at the creepy cat face, how could you not love him?

***

Can I get an AMEN for the end of Football season?

You know what that means... baseball!! Unfortunately, I was destined to be a Met fan (shout-out to Queens!) and must suffer all that comes with said fan-hood. But, ya gotta believe!

Also, remember this tee? Have you checked out the blue eyes that sent that to me? RUN to this link!

***

Oh, HAI. Almost didn't see you there. I was too busy wishing I was back in Jamaica.

New outfit post coming in a few days!

xo, Amy