July Giveaway!!!

Thanks for participating in the Jeans and Tees and Travel and Cakes July Giveaway!!!

The winner of the TOMS Classic 101 Sunglasses will be announced tomorrow, Saturday July 16th!!!

Good Luck to all who took part!!!

Much Love,

Meggie

From Jeans and Tees and Travel and Cakes

Quote of the day + A Tune.

I've been waiting for this day all week, so happy it's Friday! I had a very busy week and I can't wait to start the weekend. What are your plans for the weekend? Whatever they are I hope you have a great time and find some time for YOU. 

I have some fun things planned for the weekend, I can't wait to get in some great workouts and watch Team USA play for the World Cup on Sunday, makes me miss my days playing soccer.

The July Giveaway for Jeans and Tees and Travel and Cakes ends today at 12 noon (est), the winner will be announced tomorrow, Saturday July 16th! Enter the Giveaway with your chance of winning a pair of TOMS Classic 101 Sunglasses. When you receive a pairs of TOMS Sunnies someone in need will receive the gift of sight, what an awesome give back.

Check out all the Giveaway details below.

TOMS SUNGLASSES JULY GIVEAWAY!!!

Good Luck and thank you so much for participating! 

Today's quote comes from the band Coldplay and their awesome new song, Every Teardrop is a Waterfall. I am so in love with this new EP from one of my favorite bands. The song can having many meanings, that's what I love about Coldplay, their songs are so relatable to so many people. 

To me, Every Teardrop is a Waterfall is about trying your best and giving your all, when it gets hard digging  deep and discovering what you're really made of. Through hard work, dedication, blood, sweat and tears, one prevails. In order to be the best you that you want to be, you have to believe that you are capable of being whatever it is that you want to be. Be you, be great, and believe because you more then anyone deserves the best.

Enjoy! 

I turn the music up, I got my records on
I shut the world outside until the lights come on
Maybe the streets alight, maybe the trees are gone
I feel my heart start beating to my favourite song

And all the kids they dance, all the kids all night
Until Monday morning feels another life
I turn the music up
I'm on a roll this time
And heaven is in sight

I turn the music up, I got my records on
From underneath the rubble sing a rebel song
Don't want to see another generation drop
I'd rather be a comma than a full stop

Maybe I'm in the black, maybe I'm on my knees
Maybe I'm in the gap between the two trapezes
But my heart is beating and my pulses start
Cathedrals in my heart

As we saw oh this light I swear you, emerge blinking into
To tell me it's alright
As we soar walls, every siren is a symphony
And every tear's a waterfall
Is a waterfall
Oh
Is a waterfall
Oh oh oh
Is a is a waterfall
Every tear
Is a waterfall
Oh oh oh

So you can hurt, hurt me bad
But still I'll raise the flag

Oh
It was a wa wa wa wa wa-aterfall
A wa wa wa wa wa-aterfall

Every tear
Every tear
Every teardrop is a waterfall

-Coldplay, Every Teardrop is a Waterfall

Have a listen yourself and enjoy it!

 

Icon in the Making: Catherine Duchess of Cambridge

To keep on with the Jeans and Tees and Travel and Cakes Summer Icon Series, this post spotlights an icon in the making. I've been fascinated by this woman for quite some time and my interest rose this past April when she lived out every girl's fairytale and married a prince.(Don't worry Kyle, you're my prince charming...barf!)

 Kate Middleton who now goes by Catherine Duchess of Cambridge is surely an icon in the making. Her fashion sense is simple, classic, chic and her utter beauty catches every one's attention. It seems like she was born to be a Duchess and eventually Britain's Queen. She carries herself with such grace, you can't help but love her.

Her role now as the Duchess of Cambridge is to do charity work much like her husband's late mother, Lady Diana. I love that William her husband and she prefer to live a simple life, this speaks volumes of there character, which only makes me love her even more.

So I am pulling for Catherine Duchess of Cambridge to become an icon of my generation because sadly enough there aren't many people I would consider a genuine icon in this day in age.

Icon in the Making: Catherine Duchess of Cambridge

Enjoy these pictures of the Duchess from her recent

North American Tour.

Malene Birger Dress

Erdem Dress

Catherine Walker Dress.

Reiss Dress.

Alexander McQueen Dress. I love this look.

Casual in J Brand Denim

Catherine Walker Coatdress

Diane von Furstenberg dress.

Jenny Packham Dress.



Alexander McQueen Dress.



Pictures compliments of Vogue.com

Past Icons

Audrey Hepburn

John and Jackie Kennedy



Quote of the day.

Hip, hip, hooray for Thursday! I don't know about you but this week has been dragging for me, I am definitely happy that it is almost the weekend. I enjoyed some good family time last night with my parents, Kyle, my sister and my nephews. The Manfriend and I went over to my parents house after work to see my sister and her boys before they head home to Cape May, New Jersey. I love being able to spend time with them and I hate that I don't see them enough.

I can't wait to enjoy a nice run after work and maybe some yoga, to get my mind right. Yoga always calms my mind when it's over thinking. Some exciting news, it's official, I am once again coaching for Team in Training, this time I will be coaching the Rock and Roll 10k in Brooklyn this October. This is a Co-Ed race and it will be the first time I'm coaching guys, it should be interesting to say the least. When I sent in my coaching contract it got me thinking, I haven't run one marathon this year, compared to the four I ran last year, what's up with that? So I'm thinking a marathon is in order to finish off the year. I'm not sure which one I'm going to do and I know I have to decide soon because training is right around the corner. If anyone has any suggestions, would you be so kind and let me know. 

You have a day and a half left to enter the Jeans and Tees and Travel and Cakes July Giveaway! Enter to win a pair of awesome TOMS Classic 101 Sunglasses. When you receive a pair of TOMS Sunglasses someone in need will receive the gift of sight, this is an amazing give back. The Giveaway ends tomorrow July 15th at 12 noon and the winner will be announced Saturday, July 16th.

Check out all the Giveaway information below.

JULY TOMS SUNGLASSES GIVEAWAY!!!!

 Good Luck! 

Last night, when the manfriend and I got home from my parents house we turned on the ESPYS on ESPN (we're such sport's nuts) and that is where today's quote comes from. Kiefer Sutherland was announcing the recipient of the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage and when he talked about Arthur,(A late, great tennis player.) he used one of his amazing quotes. This particular quote gave me the chills and even though it is only four words long, it is so powerful, it moved me.

Right now, I am trying to get my yoga business up and running (which hasn't been as easy as I'd like), waiting to hear where my manfriend will be playing next year, trying to train for upcoming races, practice yoga, spend time on my blog, while working a 9 to 5 as an office lead at Abercrombie and Fitch, it's a little stressful to say the least, I'm not looking for any sympathy from you guys, I choose to be busy. But because I am busy sometimes I get thrown off course of the path I'm trying to take, sometimes life just gets in the way of my vision.

I've realized that the path you choose is never going to be an easy one,a straight shot, things are always going to come up and there will always be bumps along the way. You just have to stay positive and know that it might not go exactly as you planned, it could in fact turn out even better then you've ever thought imaginable. Life has a funny way of testing you and if you work super hard, the reward will be so deserving.

Enjoy!

Stick to your mission.

-Arthur Ashe

Meet Me at The Bungalow.

Last week the manfriend and myself enjoyed a midweek getaway to celebrate his 24th birthday. We headed forty minutes south of New York to Long Branch, New Jersey to have some fun in the sun.

I planned this mini vacation back in January, why so early you may ask? Well, I wanted to stay at, The Bungalow, a chic boutique hotel in the heart of Long Branch. You may have seen The Bungalow Hotel on the Bravo television show, 9 By Design. When I saw the 9 By Design team open this hotel it was immediately put on my bucket list of places to visit. It's pretty hard to get a reservation during the summer months,so to be safe rather then sorry, I booked way in advance.

The Bungalow Lobby

The coolest thing I learned about the Bungalow is that no room is identical. Each suite is designed differently, which I thought was a very unique concept for a hotel, they do it up Bed and Breakfast style.

I booked an Aloha room, this room comes with a king sized bed, fireplace, kitchenette, flat screen TV, cafe table, four fixture bathroom and a huge window wall. This is the less expensive of the rooms at the Bungalow. (I'm not a that baller suite status yet, one day, one day.)

The other rooms include; the Hang Loose/Junior Suite, Lil' Pipeline/ 1 Bedroom Suite and Pipeline/ 2 Bedroom Suite. All of which get more and more extravagant with a beachy feel as you upgrade.

When we arrived at the Bungalow, we were greeted by the friendly front desk staff. We checked into our room with ease and received a parking pass for the day. The lobby was great, awesome decor, from the beautiful wooden bar, book selves, wall art and the funky pool table. I couldn't wait to see what our Aloha suite looked like.

Cool decor in The Bungalow lobby.

We stayed in room 204 and I was greatly impressed. The room was modern, fresh with an old beach house twist. I automatically fell in love with the white floors and told my manfriend that they would be in my future house. The room was spotless, the bed huge and comfy. I loved the little design touches, such as the beautiful one of kind quilt hanging over the bed as well as the decorated cork board and chalk board. I also loved the sleek fireplace. I was sold already and we just got here.

Our Aloha Room, Room #204.

Our beautiful one of a kind quilt.

Cool chalk and cork boards in our room.

The manfriend plugging Jeans and Tees.

Super Cool.

Our little cafe section in our Aloha room.

The sweet thing about The Bungalow is that it is affiliated with the  restaurant/lounge called Avenue and also a beach club called, Le Club. When you stay at the Bungalow you get guest passes to Le Club, which only cost $25 for the day. So we grabbed our passes and headed to Le Club. We got wristbands and picked an awesome over sized, bed like lounge chair, ordered a pitcher of a drink they had called, The Blue Fairy, which was a blueberry mojito like cocktail, it was delicious and refreshing.

It was so nice relaxing in the sun, hearing the crash of the ocean waves in front of us, and enjoying the company of each other. Later in the afternoon we ordered some appetizers to graze on while we sunned. We chose the stuffed grape leaves, which were stuffed with a yummy rice, we also ordered the vegetable quinoa and I was craving something a little greasy, so we ordered some chicken fingers and french fries. The food at Le Club was decent, good enough to hold us over until dinner.

Kyle enjoying Le Club.

Our pitcher of Blue Fairy.

Yummy and refreshing!

Stuffed grape leaves.

Vegetable Quinoa.



Classy, Chicken Fingers and French Fries.



Our day was interrupted by a midday thunderstorm, so we headed back to the hotel, to take a little nap (vacation essential) and get ready for a fun night out. We decided to head to Avenue for some pre-dinner cocktails then go next door to Sirena's Italian Ristorante for dinner.

 Avenue was awesome, we got there during happy hour, grabbed a seat at the bar, which was beautiful and should of stayed there the whole night. We first enjoyed a glass of wine, I had the pinot grigio and Kyle (the manfriend) had a glass of merlot, the wine was so tasty and refreshing.

The couple next to us were chowing down on some oysters and I asked the manfriend if we could order some, this would be my first oyster experience. I've always been afraid of oysters for some reason but today I'd face my fears. We ordered a bunch of oysters and another round of drinks, this time I ordered the "Bungalow" and Kyle ordered the "Summer House", both drinks were amazing. Also I have to mention that our bartender was awesome, super friendly, a Notre Dame football and basketball fan which is always a plus.

Now on to the oysters, I loved them and I am so mad at myself for missing out on eating this yummy seafood dish all these years. Yea, they might be a little slimy but when paired with a good cocktail sauce they were out of this world, I wish we ordered more then we did. I can't wait to have oysters again!

After consuming the oysters and our second round of drinks, we ordered one more round of cocktails, please don't judge us, we were on vacation. (I've used this phrase many times.) We should of stayed at Avenue for dinner as I mentioned earlier. Instead we went right next door to Sirena's, which is an Italian restuarant which really wasn't anything to write home about.

Pinot Grigio.

The amazing Bungalow cocktail.

My first Oyster experience.

Oysters.

All done, delicious.

The service was so, so as well as the food, I didn't feel we got our moneys worth. The only good thing to come out of this dinner was the awesome conversation, the random lady coming up to my manfriend and I saying that we were a beautiful, happy looking couple and our dessert which a banana bread pudding with vanilla gelato, caramel and walnuts, it was very delicious. I wouldn't suggest this restuarant to anyone staying in Long Branch, I say go to Avenue, enjoy the atmosphere, great staff, yummy food and refreshing cocktails.

Banana Bread Pudding with Vanilla Gelato, Caramel and Walnuts.

Yum!

After dinner we walked on the boardwalk for a while and ended our night at this cool wine bar called, The Wine Loft, which was a block away from the Bungalow. This was place was great, definitely the kind of spot the manfriend and I gravitate towards. It was dimly lit, with beautiful gold tin ceilings, an expansive wine list and great service. I ordered a glass of cabernet sauvignon and the manfriend chose a glass of mount blanc to end the night. This was indeed the perfect was to end an amazing day down at the New Jersey Shore.

Wine from The Wine Loft.

I would definitely recommend The Bungalow to anyone and everyone, it's a great place to stay and it's the a short distance away from New York City, perfect for a city escape. I am looking forward to my next stay there, my sister and cousins are planning a girls day at The Bungalow, which I know will be a blast.

Quote of the day. (The Way I See It.)

Yay, for Hump Day, so happy it's Wednesday! Have a great day my fellow bloggers and readers, make it the best Wednesday you've had in a long time. 

Last night I got to do something that I've been missing, I headed down to Belmar, New Jersey, where my  Manfriend plays in the Jersey Shore Basketball League and watched him play. I absolutely love watching him play and I haven't been able to make many games because of my work schedule. I find such beauty in the way he plays,  (Not to be corny!) and it always inspires me to become a better me when I see him doing what he loves. 

It's so important to do what makes you happy, I'm learning this more and more each day. More then anything else make sure you know what you are worth, to yourself and to others. Don't do things if you are half happy doing them, life is to short to waste time on things that don't drive you to be the best version of yourself. When you love what you do you're living! 

Three more days left in the Jeans and Tees and Travel and Cakes July Giveaway! Don't miss out on a chance to win a pair of TOMS Classic 101 Sunglasses. The Giveaway ends this Friday, July 15th at Noon (est) and the winner will be announced Saturday July 16th. Check out all the Giveaway information below.

Jeans and Tees and Travel and Cakes July Giveaway!!!

Good Luck and thanks for participating! 

Today's quote comes off of a Starbucks cup. Starbucks used to put quotes on their cups called, "The way I see it", I wish they still did this, I loved getting my macchiato and getting a nice quote to read. This "The way I see it" quote comes from broadcast journalist Keith Olbermann and it's fantastic. It kind of reiterates what I was saying earlier in this post about doing what you love and ultimately being happy. It also talks about not taking "NO" for an answer. You'll always have critics, some good, some bad. Cherish the your supporters, keep a good head on shoulders, dig deep and follow your dreams.

Enjoy!

The Way I See It  #17

The world bursts at the seams with people ready to tell you you're not good enough. On occasion some may be correct. But do not do work for them. Seek any jobs, ask anyone out; pursue any goal. Don't take it personally when they say "no"- they may not be smart enough to say "yes".

-Keith Olbermann 

Who's Going to be the 200th Follower?

Jeans and Tees and Travel and Cakes has a Facebook Fan Page with 180 Followers, can we get to 200 by Friday? To celebrate having 200 Followers, the 200th Follower will receive a special treat compliments of Jeans and Tees and Travel and Cakes!

Check it out!

Jeans and Tees and Travel and Cakes Facebook Fan Page

Once you are on the page hit "Like" and BAM you're a
Jeans and Tees and Travel and Cakes Follower.

Stay up to date on the latest posts, style tips, travel advice and giveaways!

Thanks for all the love!

Best, Meggie