FOR SHORE

Anyone a fan of the Jersey Shore? The place and/or the reality show? I happen to be a lover of both. I am back east from CA and breaking my usual rule of only visiting April through October. My birthday is in October, so once my annual trip around the sun is about to restart, that means it is time to leave until the ground thaws and the sun makes more than one appearance every few weeks. I am not sure why I feel compelled to spend the wintery months here this year, but I have been enjoying it (most of the time) and not really complaining about it (maybe occasionally). So I took the opportunity to hop on the GSP and stop at every shore town along the way to get my fix.

REALITY OR VACATION:

When I told my friends (who also recently left LA to escape the crazy) that I was at the shore, they asked if I was doing my own reality show or seeing Snooki. While neither of those occurred, I felt completely lit up when I walked the boardwalk and the snow scattered sandy beaches. Sand and snow….so cool, right? Luckily, I was able to enjoy the days under perfectly blue skies. Even though I wasn’t working on my tan, I soaked up the warmth of the sun and it felt so embracing. I thought about how living there year round was really the best of both worlds with the high energy of the summer and the serenity of the winter . I stayed at the Icona in Avalon. It was an instant getaway from all of reality. The lobby was bright and white and welcoming with a glowing fireplace and coffee bar. The rooms were decorated clean and modern with all the comforts of home and since home is what I am currently searching for as my last blog, Home is where the Sun is ,I felt like I never wanted to leave.

Feeling at home at Icona Avalon.

THE SUN….RISE:

I get confused here and rightfully so since I am used to the sun setting into the ocean and not rising out of it. Much like the fact that I am always messing up my left from my right. Is there a scientific term for that? I swear it must be a disorder, but I digress. I am not a morning person and rarely do my feet hit the floor while it is still dark outside, but it was totally worth it to get up and get out to the beach to watch this…phenomenon. It happens in such gorgeous stages that I almost forgot that my fingers and toes were close to frozen. I feel like if I moved back to the east coast, on the coast, that I would become more of an early riser to begin everyday like this. However, I could also enjoy it as I did in West Palm Beach and not have to forgo feeling in my extremities.

Sunrise in Avalon, New Jersey

Sunrise in West Palm Beach, Florida

As I spent time in this place that has been the backdrop for some of the my most memorable moments since I was a kid..and some that I have zero memory of at all( as it should be if you did it right in your teens and twenties)…I felt like this was a contender of possible next homes….for shore.

Have you ever spent any time at the Jersey Shore? I’d love to hear about your favorite places.

Let’s get social! Follow me on Instagram @glamandsassy

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Home Is Where the Sun Is

I forgot what it was like to exist day in and day out with no sun. Living in southern California for the last 13 years will do that to a person…among other things. Yet, people are here in the northeast corner of the country functioning, surprisingly, under perpetual gray skies. It was a distant memory for me and one I was happy to leave behind.

Point, CA.

It isn’t all bad being in Pennsylvania though, in fact, being close to my family is very good. As independent as I tend to be, by nature and by choice, it is wonderful to have a support system all around me.

Point, PA. (Maybe that is worth even two points.)

So in this new year where I find myself uprooted from the city and home that I loved, I am certain I will find the next one and it will be everything I crave. Whether it is the east coast, west coast, or somewhere in between (but somewhere cool, of course, like Dallas) remains to be seen. I am very grateful for the unexpected changes of 2020. It propelled me into drastic move making that never would have happened without it. I truly believe a situation as rare as this, is nothing short of a gift. A gift of total freedom and to choose anywhere I feel led to be.

It was also an opportunity of new beginnings as I am now with a new athleisure brand, Savvi. I am blessed to spend my days sharing not only an addictive collection of luxe clothing, but freedom to work from wherever home is. Sun or no sun.

Check out the latest collection from Savvi. New styles drop every Friday!

Care to join me in this Savvi adventure? DM me here.

I’d love to hear how your 2021 looks entirely different from your 2020. Share in comments below and wishing you all the best in the new year!

Changing the Game

Hello Glam & Sassy loves. Not sure if you noticed, but I have taken a hiatus from writing this blog. It was a timing thing at first, but then a lot of unexpectedness happened that made me take a look at my life, my priorities and where I have been exerting most of my efforts.  None of them bad, but as much as I love what I do as an entrepreneur and focusing on fashion, I feel motivated to explore other topics.  We never stop learning and growing and I want to share some of my latest experiences in case you can also relate. When the old way is no longer working, it’s time to start changing it up.

I moved to LA from San Diego which on your GPS doesn’t seem like such a big deal, but it actually was more of an adjustment than my move from Jersey to California eight years prior. Like most things, I jumped right in and even recall a few mornings that I was reflecting on the antics of previous nights and committed to dialing it back.  “I feel like I moved to Vegas because there is something epic to do every night and you can’t discern a Tuesday from a Saturday from inside of a club”, I heard myself telling my friends over and over. So what exactly was I looking for ? Honestly, just a good time . I am a social butterfly by nature and love having fun to offset how hard I work. I was constantly meeting different people and I quickly learned that everyone comes to LA for something.  If the energy was good, I exchanged.  It didn’t matter what race, profession, age, or height.  Without even trying, I was dating on steroids which was fun at first, but then became a means to an end to find someone who was not like all the rest. We live in a very self-absorbed culture where plans aren’t really plans until they happen which means the following criteria must be met: 1) Another (more alluring) offer didn’t come in the  meantime and 2) it must be convenient with little to no effort.  I found myself also adhering to those rules until I decided it was more fulfilling to stay home with my dog. Until that changed…

The one thing that any pet parent fears the most just happened to me. I had to make the painful decision to put my 17 year Pekingese, Mugsy, to sleep. I still get anxiety thinking about those days and hours leading up to it.  I can’t even go into the details because it is so traumatic. I miss her every day and it feels like I lost an extension of me, of my soul. She was the one constant in my life when everything else was always changing. I suppose if you take anyone’s life and dissect 17 years from it at any point in the timeline, you would see a ton of change. But for me, those 17 years included most of the big ones… getting engaged, married, started  businesses, sold businesses, divorce, moved across the country alone and then moved to LA to start all over again, all over again.  The only solace I can find , and if you have gone through this, or ever do go through this, first let me say how sorry I am because it was the hardest thing I have ever had to do, but secondly, there is peace in knowing she is no longer suffering. My puppy will always be with me. I talk to her throughout the day like a crazy person.  I am not sure when I will get another one. I am a dog lover so it is not if but when. Is it ok to get the same dog and name her Mugsy too (as in Mugsy two)?

Immediately after that happened, I hopped a flight back east (where I grew up) which will always be home to me, and it was the best thing I could have done.  I needed to get out of LA and out of my empty apartment.  However, I found out you cannot hide from the chronic sadness from this type of loss… not even 3000 miles away.  I was able to start healing with the help of an incredible support system of family and friends. I have amazing friends in CA. They are my sisters. My fellow independent women who are working and hustling and searching like me and have been by my side through so much.  Back east, I have friends since high school and everything in life leading up to this point in time.  Some people enjoy to think in the stillness of nature, but I think most clearly in the chaos of the city.  So I spent time in NYC and ran around the entire tri state of NY/NJ/PA and somehow I managed to out run the dark cloud of depression from losing my dog and chose to focus on how blessed I am to have people who love me all over the place.

It was here that I found new priorities. Yes, a career is important and necessary, but I took this time off and I am still doing just fine.  Work is also very replaceable. People are not. Take care of the people in your life who take care of you. Love yourself so much that you have love overflowing to give to others.  That is such an incredible gift you can share with someone and I don’t just mean the ones who are easy to love. Really stretch yourself to offer a listening ear, a donation, your time, anything ,to a person you see in need of it. Chances are they were brought into your path for a reason.  Also, know your worth…especially dating in this crazy single culture.  Here is a PSA to the single guys out there. Enough with the games already. If you want to see me, make it happen. If you want to get to know me, ask me questions.  And if you really aren’t sure, then stay in your own lane because I just lost the one thing I loved the most in this world, yet my mind and my heart are clear and I don’t need someone’s bad energy junking it all up. Lastly, have a glass of champagne for absolutely no reason at all except that it is delicious and you will feel more Glam & Sassy with every sweet sip. Cheers !

Have any of you had similar experiences or lessons learned?  I would love to hear about them and maybe be the person who encourages you.  Also, let’s connect! Find me on IG @glamandsassy.

Tis the Season to Sparkle

Hello Glam & Sassy loves! The holidays are in full swing and I love this time of year! I listen to Christmas music from Thanksgiving till New Year’s and you can find me singing along if you pull up next to me in my car.  After moving to Southern California from New Jersey, it took me a year or two to find the Christmas spirit amidst the sun and the seventy degree temps. Now at the first twinkle light sighting, I am planning parties to attend, gifts to buy, and outfits to wear. I also have found there are a lot of sales prior to Christmas, so I no longer have to wait to see what Santa brings and settle for the leftover styles on December 26^th   …and now neither do you! Check out a few of my fave looks for holiday that you will enjoy now and straight into 2017.

Red Hot

This year, I actually embraced the traditional “anything red” for holiday parties. I tend to skip that for several reasons one being I am not at all traditional and second, I prefer pink all day long to red. Then I found this festive blouse from W by Worth that is THE perfect red for me and for anyone. It is a blue red, not an orange red, and that makes it work on all skin tones. While wearing this top, I felt like I was draped in pink’s grown up sexier sister and now I will be buying more pieces in this daring color.  Cheers to that!

Dream Guy

I have had one true love in my life. When we were introduced a while back, I knew one day I would have him. I thought it to be a bit outrageous at first, but after the first touch and feel and smell, I knew it was love at first sight. It was totally worth the wait and I still feel that way and probably will for the rest of my life. This love of mine is Louis Vuitton.  I am not a label whore, but these bags do last forever and therefore the price is (somewhat) easily justifiable. This LV tote comes in handy for daytime outings in the city and as my travel survival kit on any flight because it is strong and sexy and feels so good! Just like my perfect man!

Sparkle on Sister

I believe we Glam & Sassy girls should sparkle every day, but there is no better time than the present. I love sequins and glitter and anything that shines. The sparkle trend isn’t limited to fashion and I am obsessed with glitter manicures! I added glitter to every other nail and a soft pink on the others. I like how versatile it is and since it is gel, I will be rocking this straight into the New Year as I fist pump into 2017. Hey, you can take the girl out of Jersey, but you can’t take Jersey out of the girl!

Which of these looks and trends do you hope to find under your tree?  Whether I was naughty or nice this year, I’ll never tell. But one thing is for sure… I was definitely Glam & Sassy!

 

 

 

 

Pack Your Bags

Hello Glam & Sassy loves! I am writing this blog on my flight from LA to NYC. Since I have about 5 hours to kill, I thought I would use them to do something more productive than my usual guilty pleasure of scouring through trashy tabloids. I am super excited to touch down in the fashion capital of the world where I will be meeting with other fabulous stylists to preview Spring 2017 from the clothing company, W by Worth. I love travel, but no matter how many trips I take, packing is my biggest challenge. I typically begin the process at least 2 ½ days prior to departure and painstakingly plan out, which involves trying on, every outfit complete with shoes and accessories. I have found if I already have the perfect travel pieces in my closet, it saves a ton of time.  So I complied a few of my go-to looks that work (and play) on almost any trip.

Pack a Ponch:

Ponchos are not only very on trend, but are also the perfect travel companion. They are versatile, warm, and double as a blanket if you tend to freeze at 30,000 feet like I do. I love a pretty poncho to layer over anything from a dress to leather pants to jeans for a look that is instant chic. Like most of us, I wear A LOT of black. This black asymmetrical style with a crisp white border goes with about 90% of my outfits so I will be wearing it multiple times during my stay in the Big Apple.

Bow Down:

Sweaters are a necessity in fall fashion. So why not choose one that also has a cute design detail like bows. Bows are hot right now and I am obsessed with silk ones around my neck. This is such a sexy look, and all I need are earrings to accessorize. This wool v neck pullover was the style I had all of my clients try on during their fall wardrobe planning session. It comes in three amazing neutral colors, with cypress being my absolute fave, because it goes with everything I would pair with black, including black! Awesome! I chose this for travel because the luxurious wool blend is warm without the bulk…in my suitcase or on my body.

Slip it On:

As much as I love and live in my fave jeans, I am equally enamored by flirty dresses. Being the girly girl that I am, I always look forward to showing up at any occasion in a daring dress.   A slip dress is a must in every Glam & Sassy girls’ suitcase. Allow me to tell you why. This dress, known for its body skimming NOT hugging silhouette, makes it though the day then straight into evening. Style it with a jacket for a business meeting power suit alternative then soften her up with a scarf for dinner and drinks. I also will rock this dress on the weekend with comfortable knee high boots and throw on the above mentioned poncho for a casual look. See, that just took care of three outfits in one dress leaving room in my luggage for all the clothes I plan on buying in NYC!

 

I’d love to hear what your must have travel essentials are…especially if it is a bunch of trashy tabloids! For other looks and outfit inspiarations, please follow me on Instagram @GlamandSassy. More luxurious styles can be found at http://www.wbyworth.com/gina-morell. Happy Shopping and enjoy being Glam & Sassy!

 

Click it and Get it Guide:

Poncho: http://www.wbyworth.com/infinity-poncho-4/

Sweater with Silk Tie: http://www.wbyworth.com/silk-tie-v-neck-pullover/

Slip Dress: http://www.wbyworth.com/lace-trimmed-slip-dress/