Soho sweatshirt. (also loving this one and this one.) Jeans. (on sale! Also similar here.) Shirt. Clutch. (also available here.) Shoes. (similar here and here.) Sunglasses.
Four years ago, when I was 7 months pregnant with Ava, I boarded a plane and flew to New York alone. Heading to a blog conference, it was the first time I’d ever traveled anywhere by myself. I’d flown alone, and gone away to college alone, but somehow, this felt different. I was in NYC all by myself. It was liberating and in some ways life changing.
And as small and silly as it sounds, I was proud of myself for tackling that fear, for going somewhere completely alone. Attending a conference for the first time, and stepping completely out of my comfort zone.
I stayed in a charming little hotel in Soho (one of the oldest in New York in fact) the kind with brick walls throughout and teaspoon sized rooms too small for a large suitcase to land in. Just what you expect from an NYC hotel, just what you want. I spent my evenings walking around the cobblestone streets, with only the noise of the city and my own thoughts to keep me company. I ate at little restaurants and popped into boutiques and pretty paper shops, stared at fire escapes and fell completely in love with soho. Ava kicking away in my belly and keeping me company the whole time.
When I stumbled upon this sweatshirt, I knew it had to be mine, because Soho with all it’s brick buildings and cobblestone streets will be my forever favorite. I paired it with some ripped boyfriend jeans, and nude pumps because I love those dressed up/dressed down looks (especially when there’s a graphic sweatshirt involved) and it just felt so appropriate for this Soho sweatshirt. I’m always loving leopard bags and I’d love to add a bigger tote to my handbag collection, but this clutch is a dream come true and perfect for a night out in the city with my husband or a girls night with friends.
It is so busy having four kids. So much busier than I ever dreamed it would be, and we don’t travel as much as we did before we added another one to the family. The combination of a toddler at home again, my older kids’ school work growing more demanding, Craig’s job busier than ever, and living far from family (which means babysitting gets a little trickier too). So we’ve done a lot more west coast exploring in the last few years. And I’m okay with that right now, life is all about seasons. But sometimes, when I’m feeling a little bored, or life gets a little mundane, I think about those warm soho nights exploring the city alone. Walking everywhere, my pregnant feet screaming at me; the rest of me so determined to just see a little more.
And man, I really miss New York.
more great graphic sweatshirts:
