California

Okay - so my Cali talk on here might be a bit overkill but I had the most amazing week in LA and wanted to share some great photos with you all. Tory and I still haven't figured out where we're living (even though I'm moving in 2 weeks!!) but some of the other details are coming together. I spent the week working on location for a photo shoot for johnnie-O and it was the most amazing way to see a lot of southern California. I had never been to Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach and hadn't spent much time in Venice so it was great to be able to explore. It barely felt like work! The weather was perfect the whole time I was there and Louisa (who also came out for the shoot) and I had some amazing meals at Milo + Olive, Farmshop and Blue Plate Tacos. I can't wait to explore lots of new restaurants in LA and for the new adventure ahead. Have a great weekend everyone!

European Adventures

I am back in the USA and truly had the most amazing trip to Europe. I had spent a bit of time in Italy previously but I had never been to Switzerland and I will definitely be going back. Switzerland is one of the most beautiful places in the world with diverse terrain, nice people and great food.

My family and I (all seven of us) landed in Zurich and took the train to Bern (our namesake!). We stayed at the lovely Hotel Schweizerhof. It was so great to stay in a nice hotel after not sleeping on the plane. It was located right in the center of town and had great food and comfy beds. We only had one day in Bern so we wasted no time and went on a great tour of the city (thanks for planning, Tory!). Bern is so incredibly charming - I totally fell in love.

The next day we took the train through the Swiss Alps to St. Moritz, where we were picked up and driven to our hotel in the mountains. Hotel Sonne Fex was one of the most refreshing and wonderful places I've been in my entire life. Forget rehab and retreats, I felt completely recharged and fresh after spending 4 nights there. My grandparents have been going there for years and it was so special to be able to spend time with them at their favorite hotel. We went on the most stunning hikes and the wildflowers and scenery were breathtaking. The food was fabulous and the hotel staff was attentive and it really felt like a family retreat.

 

After four amazing days, we spent a full day traveling to Forte dei Marmi on the coast in Italy. Known as Forte by people in the know (which we obviously weren't), the town has amazing shopping and great beaches. I also enjoyed some of the freshest seafood I've ever had. After four days of hiking, it was nice to relax on the beach. We stayed at the Hotel Hermitage and it was perfect for our big family (plus free wifi!).

 

 

Our last stop was Milan, where I wish we could have spent more than one night! We stayed at the Rosa Grand hotel, which was in the BEST location and we did quite a bit of shopping and sight seeing. We also ate an amazing restaurant, Da Giacamo, where we all proclaimed that the whole family would be on a strictly enforced diet upon return the US (kidding - kind of...).

 

 



I am so lucky to have gone on such an incredible trip and I really hope that I have the opportunity to go back! I'm also so thankful that I was able to spend so much time with my family, both immediate and extended. I will be making regular updates now that I'm back but I'm off to Chicago and Michigan for the week tomorrow so I can't promise you won't be bombarded with "my life latelys" and "travel Tuesdays!"

 

Out of Office: Euro Trip

Happy Monday everyone! I am currently stuffing my bag full of hiking clothes and beach wear as I am heading to Europe tonight. First stop is an overnight flight to Zurich, Switzerland and then off to Bern (my name sake)! After a day of exploring, we're loading up on the train en route to the Fex Valley to my grandparent's favorite hotel in the world. Located high up in the mountains, there are no cars allowed and apparently the beauty is unparalleled. I'm looking forward to the great food, hikes and views. After our Swiss adventure, we are cruising through Italy to Forte dei Marmi for three nights of sun and sand and, apparently, the best seafood in the country. We're spending our last night in Milan and then back to the states. Needless to say, I will not be blogging for the next 10 days or so but be sure to follow metropolitan_musings on instagram to get updates!

 

 

June Mood Board

Christmas Traditions

As one of five kids and as part of a huge family, it is always tough to get the whole clan together. Christmas is the one time of year that my immediate family is together, without fail. Because of that, we have traditions that we've been taking part in since I was a little girl, though many have adapted as we've gotten older (drinking...) and we've added new ones. As kids, it was always easier for my parents to do Christmas at home. As we got older, my parents realized going away for Christmas could be fun. For the past few years we've gone down to Boca Grande, Florida to stay with my grandmother, Mimi, and whatever other extended family decides to go down that year. It is one of my all-time favorite places. 

Although the weather is warmer (fingers crossed!), the traditions are the same. We always watch "It's a Wonderful Life" at least once. We always have champagne on Christmas eve and Mimi's famous eggbake on Christmas morning. Classic Christmas tunes are always playing in the background. Christmas Eve dinner is always at the club while Christmas dinner, prime rib and popovers, is always at home. I know as we get older my siblings will get married (hopefully.. hehe) and there will be a time when we're not all together. That being said, I'm looking forward to coming up with new traditions and I will always love Christmas with my family. I'm heading down to Florida on Sunday for some much needed r&r so I may not be as active on here as usual so Merry Christmas everyone - see you in 2014!

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 1 // 2 -Art by Cy Twombly, Sylvae // 3 // 4 // 5

Changes

As many of you have noticed, Metropolitan Musings has a new layout and I hope you all like it! I wanted to have a cleaner/crisper look. Does anyone feel like this holiday season has completely crept up on them?? One minute it's summer and the next everyone's buying a Christmas tree! Before we know it, it will be the New Year and so I thought I'd get ahead of the game by making a few small changes to the blog now. 

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Sorry I have been MIA this week but sometimes life gets in the way of writing every day. By this point every year I have usually finished all of my Christmas shopping - I haven't started yet...nor do I know what to ask Santa for. Sometimes life events put things in perspective and it's hard to ask for things when you're so thankful for the people in your life. I got to spend time this week with a bunch of friends that I truly adore and although it was for unfortunate circumstances, we all found a way to make each other smile. 

Anyways, I'd love to hear all of your thoughts on the new layout! Excited to share pictures of the progress on my parents new house next week. They have completely redone one of the little cottages and it is adorable. My mom truly has a gift. I'm heading up to Hudson tomorrow morning (if I can roll out of bed after a hectic and tiring week). My sister, Tory, made reservations at Fish and Game, which is one of my favorite restaurants in the Berkshires. Their seven course tasting menu is truly a culinary experience and the atmosphere is cozy and rustic. The restaurant actually used to be a 19th century blacksmith shop and it has gorgeous fireplaces and delicious cocktails. I can't wait! Have a great weekend everyone! 

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Happy Thanksgiving!

Hi everyone! I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving tomorrow and have safe travels. I will be up in Greenwich with my family where my mom is making three turkeys and countless other things that I cannot wait for. My uncle and aunt and their 5 kids are in from Los Angeles, as well as my grandma, Mimi, from Florida. Friday, I'm heading down to Raleigh too see Riley for the weekend so hopefully these terrible traveling conditions pass! Pretty sure I'll be bullied into a family turkey bowl at some point but tomorrow is the one day of the year that I won't mind because I'll be full and happy and the day after Thanksgiving is when Santa buys all of my Christmas presents : )  There are so many things to be thankful for starting with being able to spend the holiday with my family. Happy turkey!

Travel Tuesday - Chic Luggage

Nice luggage is the ultimate luxury. It's one of those things you don't want to spend money on but imagine how glamorous you'd feel with a cute luggage set! Naturally, the bag I am obsessed with below, by Moncrief, is over $8000... so I won't be getting that one... Damn you, Net-a-porter, for even putting it on there! The tiny little "pea-shooter" (as my dad calls it) that I use is starting to show it's age with rips along the zipper so I may need to start thinking about investing in a rolly I will have forever!

Travel Tuesdays: Everywhere Else

I keep thinking of more amazing places I want to go to...might have to extend my "Travel Tuesday" series! I have the worst cold right now so looking at these warm places makes me stir crazy at my desk. Even imagining being cozy in Iceland is helping this day go by a little faster. A couple more late adds to my wishlist: Charleston, Vegas, New Orleans, Dubai, Morocco, Barcelona, Lisbon, Mumbai, Monaco, etc. etc. etc...

Click below for more!

Travel Tuesdays: Europe

As part 2 of my "Travel Tuesdays" series, I decided to explore Europe. While there are literally thousands of places I want to go to in Europe, these are a few on the top of my list. Have any of you been to any of these magical places or hotels??

Click below to see the rest of the list

Travel Tuesday: Part 1 - The Americas

I've recently really gotten the itch to travel so I thought that I would deem the next few Tuesdays "Travel Tuesdays" and share some of the places I'd like to visit. I also thought it might be fun to share my "dream hotel" in those places. Because I did buy a Powerball and, you never know, right?? There are wayyy more places I want to go to in the Americas but I thought I'd share 5 of my top choices.

My co-worker, Sara, recently did a trip with her husband, Michael, up the coast of California and she said their favorite stop was Big Sur. The Post Ranch Inn is the hotel to stay in and she said you feel like you're sleeping in a tree house in the clouds. 

 I'm dying to go to Banff National Park (specifically Lake Louise) after seeing it on the Bachelor (yes, really) and after obsessing over stunningggg photos on Pinterest. Located in the Alberta Provence in western Canada, the natural beauty is breathtaking in any season.

I've been to the Adirondacks before but The Point is in a league of its own. My parents went for my mom's birthday one year in the Fall and they stayed in the coziest most wonderful cabin, had amazing food, kayaked amongst the gorgeous leaves and played backgammon in their room with drinks and a roaring fire. SIGN ME UP. Summer would also be ideal with lots of boating/water activities available and a real "camp" feel.

More after the jump!

Happy One Year Anniversary to Metropolitan Musings!

I can't believe it's been a year since I started writing this blog. At first, I didn't know what I wanted to write about and how this would all shape out but now I am getting a new blog redesign (soon!) and a clearer voice (I hope!). Thank YOU, all of my wonderful readers, for all of your support. Here's to many more years of "my life latelys" and my other musings. 

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In the last year I-

+Got settled in my apartment in Manhattan and in my new job. It's been almost a year and a half!

+Tried numerous NYC restaurants and fitness classes and diets... (thanks for sticking with me on those..)

+Traveled a lot! Granted, almost all of my trips were within the U.S., I visited San Francisco, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Raleigh (a dozen or so times), Charlotte, Boston, Boca Grande, Toronto, British Columbia, etc....I love that I was able to see so many friends and tell you all about it.
+Shopped. A lot. I think this blog is an enabler because I am constantly looking for new things to show you guys!
+Took an interior design class that I loved. I met really interesting people and learned a ton. Future career? Could be!
+Colored my hair for the first time. I swearrrr I will share some photos soon. : )

All in all, it has been a great year! As an aside, I love feedback (and criticism). Please let me know what you like to read about and which posts you aren't as crazy about. It really helps me focus in on what drew you guys here in the first place.I am working on getting more original content and I think my new redesign will help me. Thanks for sticking by me! Happy one year, MM! xo Clare

LA Fashion

Happy humpday everyone! I'm heading to LA tonight to visit my sister, Tory, and can't wait! She has dinner reservations planned, a wine tour in Santa Barbara and lots of shopping, hiking and beach-going on the agenda. I'm so excited to see her but a little unsure of the fashion vibe I want. Do I want festival chic? Should I bring a little NY to LA?? Decisions decisions...