Strolling NYC

There is so much to love about New York City but for me it's the walking...you get to see new things every time you cross the street. Living in South Florida, my day-to-day often seems too routine. Not much to look at, smell, or listen to driving up I-95 every morning.

Don't get me wrong, Miami has a ton perks. Take for instance my gorgeous, brand new, luxury downtown apartment overlooking the bay which I would NEVER be able to afford if it was transported to the Big Apple.  The weather here isn't too shabby either, but then again it doesn't really change much - adding to my whole stuck in the same routine problem.

I often wonder if I'd be able to cut in NYC. Could I deal with the brutal cold? Keep up with the highly competitive, fast-paced business world? I'm not really sure, but one day I'd like to try. In the meantime, I'll just continue to visit.

This past weekend, I wandered all over the city with friends and even make it to Brooklyn for the first time! Going back through my photos, I realized I didn't take nearly enough but I was still able to get some decent shots. No worries, I'll be back soon New York.

Recreating the Flower Vase

I recently got turned on to a great blog called Cupcakes and Cashmere which is all about fashion, food, travel and home decor. What pulled me in the most were the interesting photos and now I keep checking back every day to see what's new. While browsing the how-to section one day I came across this floating vase and decided I wanted to recreate one for my home. Using a piece of plywood, a little white paint, a glass salsa jar (which I stole from my neighbors) and some wire, I went to work and documented my progress along the way.

Book Club Brunch

This summer, a couple girlfriends and I started a book club and no, we're not 40 years old. Why is that the first question everyone asks?

Our book club rocks. We meet about once a month to discuss the latest novel of choice, drink girly beverages and munch on delicious treats.

This past Sunday, we met for about an hour over bagels and Berry Fizz and I brought my camera to take a few shots. I must say, the Berry Fizz concoction received some rave reviews and I think everyone left book club feeling good.

Without further adieu, here is the recipe and of course, the pics. Enjoy!

Berry Fizz 
Ingredients:
2 bottles of champagne
1 package of frozen lemonade
1 packager of frozen mixed berries

Instructions:
In a large punch bowl or carafe, mix frozen package of lemonade with one bottle of champagne. Add frozen berries. Then add half of the second bottle of champagne. You can use the whole thing, but I suggest tasting first so you don't make it too strong. Slowly stir for a few minutes until everything melts and serve in glass of choice.

And the BERRY FIZZ!! 

Viva Fashion Photo Shoot

My girlfriend Carmen is the fashionista blogger behind Viva Fashion Blog. We went out to Pace Park, just north of Downtown Miami, on Sunday for my first official photo shoot. Turns out I like the shots on the street a lot better than the shots by the water in the park.

We had a blast and it was a great learning experience! Now, if only I can remember not to crop out her shoes in the full body shots! Carmen is gorgeous so she wasn't very hard to photograph. Here are some of my favorite shots...

Learning HDR photography

Ok, so here is my first attempt at HDR photography. While messing with my camera's settings, I discovered how to automatically take three photos at three different exposures at once while in burst mode - so you really don't even need a tripod if you can keep your hands kinda steady.

A fellow photographer friend of mine recommend an HDR program called Photomatix. I downloaded the Light version for $40 and decided to give HDR a whirl. This program combines the three different photos into one vibrant, colorful, detailed image that pops off the screen. 

The first two shots were taken on my balcony in Brickell. The first shot, I took after realizing my camera had this fun setting designed for HDR photography. When I showed the effect to my boyfriend, he was like "my turn, my turn" and took the second shot of me standing on the balcony. 

Must say, we have a pretty outstanding view. Never thought having a view was THAT important until I moved here...

This next image is from the Icon pool - probably the nicest pool in all of Miami. We had a fun day celebrating Adam's (right) birthday. More pics of me being paparazzi to come! This image came out more blurry than I had hoped, but hey - this is my first attempt at HDR. 

It's called a meet-up

On Saturday, I met a group of photographers on South Beach for a Meet-Up. It was my first one and I really enjoyed it. I walked around Ocean Drive for about 2 hours, wandered into various art deco hotels. Here are some of my favorite shots of the day.

Meet Baby Lily

This is Liliana Colangelo at 2 months old. My mom and I made a special trip to Orlando just to meet her. Victoria, Lily's mom, is one of my best friends and was my college roommate. It's kinda crazy to think my friends are starting to have children. Baby Lily is so beautiful and has such a personality, even at just 2 months old.