My Top 12 Instagrammable Murals!

June 28, 2017

Growing up in NYC I was surrounded by art. The thing is, the museum wasn't the only place you could find inspiration. If you took to the streets you'd be able to see art on the sides of abandoned buildings, trains parked in the long island city rail yard, billboards, and even on the sidewalks.

During the summers, and still to this day, I take joy in my private walking tours looking for new murals. And yes, some of them make it onto my Instagram and even become the backdrop to my outfit posts.

I do have my go-to spots so why not share them with y'all! Do it for the 'gram and don't forget to tag the artist. (Keep in mind, some these locations may showcase a different artist than the one shown below).

1. Kenmare & Mulberry Street - consistently changing and always worth the trip!

2. The Rainbow Gate in LES - 87 Rivington Street (go before they open or after they're closed)

3. First Street Green Art Park - 33 E 1st Street (this public park is filled with murals!)

4. Harry's Corner Shop - 64 Macdougal Street

5. Emojis Mural - 15 Prince Street (across the way from Cafe Habana)

6. Tic Tal - 90 Orchard Street

7. Bowery Mural - 76 E Houston Street

8. Flowers Mural - 250 Mulberry Street

9. Chinatown Photographs - 150 Lafayette Street

10. Long Island City - 43-01 21st Street, Queens

11. The Rainbow Wall in Dumbo - York Street between Adams and Washington

12. The Bushwick Collective - St Nicholas Avenue in Brooklyn

Feel free to add to this list by leaving a comment down below or by sharing your favorite murals via your Instagram link too!

Hustle Hard but Relax Harder | The Perfect Recipe for Binge-Watching the Queen of the South

June 20, 2017

I have a confession to make. Every Thursday night I toss aside any work or blog obligations, prep my favorite drink, make my lazy-girl snack, and bring over a few masks and hunker down on my couch. Okay, so maybe not such a huge confession but with the amount of hustling that happens behind the scenes here I can at times feel guilty for treating myself to a Queen of the South on USA Network.

I was first drawn to the series because of its Latina heroine and the healthy dose of spoken Spanish throughout. But my favorite thing about the show is how there’s an underlying message coming from the heroine, Teresa Mendoza – she chooses to never play the victim and refuses to let her gender tell her what she can and can’t do. The action-packed crime drama makes for a good binge watching too!

See the trailer for yourself!

Now if you haven’t started watching, stop what you’re doing and let’s make that a thing of the past. You won’t be able to stop at one episode so let’s get you situated with my no-fail (extremely easy) recipes for the binge-watching Queen of the South.

Lemonade-Pom Spritzer
This sweet mocktail is perfect for those that want to unwind without a glass of wine. But, it’s also great if you prefer something with a kick, simply add in your preferred amount of vodka and voila! This recipe makes about 8-12 servings.

You'll Need

1 8oz. bottle of pomegranate juice
1 can of frozen lemonade concentrate
1 two liter bottle of gingerale (you can substitute seltzer too)
1 lemon for garnishing

In one large pitcher, pour in the pomegranate juice. Add in the lemonade concentrate. Next pour in half of the gingerale, and mix all of the ingredients. Continue to pour in the remaining gingerale and mix. Serve over ice and garnish with a lemon slice.

Savory Rosemary and Parmesan Popcorn
When it’s too hot to bake my tried and true chickpea recipe I turn to the next (and adequately) healthy lazy-girl snack. Don’t worry, you won’t burn the popcorn but you will find yourself garnishing popcorn from now on.

Savory Rosemary and Parmesan Popcorn recipe.jpg — You'll Need

½ cup of kernels
¼ cup of olive oil
crushed rosemary
1 large garlic clove, smashed
garlic salt (to taste)
black pepper (to taste)
¼ cup of parmesan cheese

In a medium size saucepan, add 1 teaspoon of rosemary and smashed garlic. Add in the olive oil and set to low heat. Add in garlic salt and black pepper to taste – don’t go overboard because you’ll be able to season your popcorn later on too.

After 15 minutes add the kernels. Monitor the kernels and once the popping starts to slow down turn off the heat. Once the last kernel has popped or popping has halted, remove from the saucepan and transfer to a large bowl. Garnish popcorn with a sprinkling of more crushed rosemary, garlic salt, black pepper, and the Parmesan cheese. Mix the contents and enjoy!

If popcorn isn’t enough, then keep the popcorn for dessert and choose from a great selection of frozen Mexican dinners. Easy and quick to cook, it’s a great cuisine to enjoy for a night in front of the TV.

Now that we have the food and drinks covered, it’s time to move onto the masking portion of the night. Lately, my winning combination has been a clay mask followed by a moisturizing one. The key here is making commercials work for you – slather on and wash off when the commercials hit the screen. You’ll finish each episode with gorgeous skin and ammo to take on the next day.

There you have my no-fail recipe for binge watching or simply unwinding with my favorite on-screen hustler. And if you end up falling asleep on the couch… I won’t judge you. Just don’t spoil any episodes and we’re good.

Watch USA Network’s Queen of the South, every Thursday at 10/9 central.

Back at Governor's Ball | How to Do a Festival the Right Way

June 7, 2017

It's my absolute favorite time of year... Festival Season. I kicked off the circuit of concerts and late night dance marathons with Subway at New York City's Gov Ball. It was one for the books y'all.

As I posted up behind my laptop and thought back to my very first Governor's Ball (Gov Ball's second year in action) I figured why not share a few things I learned along the way.

1. Public Transportation is Your Friend
I learned this the hard way. Every. Single. Time. Realize that if you do decide to drive there know that you’ll probably be sitting in traffic for a good two hours. Don’t do that; instead embrace the MTA’s offering of a quick bus ride to the island from Harlem. Or if you’re a Queen’s native and wish to avoid the long bus lines, $6.50 bus ride, or subway ride through the city here’s the alternative:

Getting there: Take the M60 in Queens towards Harlem. Get off at the first stop and walk the RFK Bridge. It’s a 10 – 15 minute walk and then you’re there.
Getting back: Walk the RFK Bridge back towards Harlem and take the M60 back. It’s the first block off the bridge. You’ll be back in Queens in no time.

2. Mind over Matter (on the RFK Bridge)
This is for my Queens kids! You know who you are. This bridge is 30-minute walk and incredibly hard when the sun is beaming on you and even harder when you're crossing it after spending all day at Gov Ball. Just know that you CAN do this. Plus, this a great time to grab a snack before heading into the festival. Psst… There’s a Subway at the start of the RFK bridge.

3. Comfortable Shoes
By now, it should be drilled into your head that there’s going to be a lot of walking. Wear shoes that give you the comfort and support you’ll need from AM to PM. Because honey, you don’t want to be that person who walks home barefoot. These sneakers are my go-to’s time after time.

4. It Will Rain
They don’t call it Mud Ball for nothing. Always pack a disposable poncho. And maybe bring out the tough all-weather boots for those rainy days. I lucked out with two gorgeous days but by Sunday, Mother Nature’s raindrops made a guest appearance.

5. Don't Forget to Check Out the Pop Ups!
Subway had an amazing pop-up at Governor’s Ball. Once inside I was greeted with a blast of refreshing cold air, a delicious (and free) sandwich of my choice + beverage, and free wifi (so vital when on Randall’s). I must have gone to hang out at Subway's Green Room five times per day since they made the space so inviting: cute outdoor seating area, hammocks, and a constant ongoing game of huge Jenga.

Oh, they also saved my butt with their charging stations. I know they’re headed to Bonnaroo this weekend so if you’re there make sure to stop by and subYAY with them.

6. Stay Hydrated
You’ll be in the sun all day so make sure you stay hydrated. Trust me when I say it’s hella easy to forget to sip on H2O when you’re having fun, but if you want to avoid that dehydration hangover it's best to bring an empty water bottle. There are free water stations everywhere (and usually most music festivals) so you'll be able to quench your thrist easily.

8. Have Fun
Be nice to one another, look after one another, smile a little, dance with strangers. Remember, you’re there for one reason – to have fun!

P.s. Click here to read my survival tips for FireFly Music Festival.

Photos by Erin Andres.

Huge thanks to Subway for inviting me to their Green Room at Governor's Ball. Today's post was in collaboration with them. As always, all opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make this blog possible!