from the concrete jungle to the great outdoors.

One week ago, I moved home from New York. I feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to have worked for a publication such as Bazaar. This week the September issue hit the stands. I am proud to have worked on such a beautiful book! It is the largest issue of Harper's Bazaar ever! The gorgeous, Sarah Jessica Parker graces the cover while we have Miley decked out in amazing couture on the inside. There is more work that goes into this book than you could imagine and I think it shows. This really is a stunning issue. Congrats on the biggest issue every Bazaar, you know how to get it done! I learned more than I could have imagined and was able to work with and get to know countless talented, creative people.

Moving to New York and working for Harper's Bazaar was definitely one kind of adventure. But tomorrow, I set off on a very different kind of adventure. My Dad and I are flying to Fairbanks, Alaska tomorrow morning and from there taking two float planes to get to the Noatak River. We (along with four others and two guides) are being dropped off two hundred and fifty miles from the nearest road, completely out of civilization with our camping gear and our stand up paddle boards. We will be paddling the Noatak and camping for ten days. I have never been to Alaska before and can't wait to see all the amazing sights it has to offer. Not to worry, my camera equipment is all packed up and there will be plenty of pictures to come once I am back. 

xx Ali

weekend wear.

(pants: Free People top: Chaser)

After weekdays in heels all I want on the weekend is to be in comfies. These Free People pants that I found last year are perfection. I may or may not wear them way too often but why wouldn't I? Happy weekend, all!

xx Ali

 Photos by: Jolie Greenstone

happy birthday, Andy.

A tribute to the great, Andy Warhol on the day that would have marked his 85th birthday. To the talent who has been a huge inspiration to myself and countless others on this earth, happy birthday!

xx Ali

allen stone & andrew mcmahon.

Yesterday evening, I went to see Allen Stone perform on a yacht on the Hudson River. A company in New York puts on these concerts and believe it or not... the shows aren't any more expensive than a show at a normal concert venue! Crazy! Any who. I have been looking forward to this show for awhile now and it seemed to be a fun way to spend one of my last nights in New York and it was. It was a beautiful night, we watched the sunset on the bow of the boat and enjoyed the fresh air. 

Before Allen Stone went on stage, I checked instagram (as per usual) to see that one of my favorite artists, Andrew McMahon (first known as the front man of Something Corporate, then Jack's Mannequin) had just posted a photo of the sunset with the caption: "View from the deck of the horn blower NYC. Looking forward to Allen Stone's set." I have looked up to Andrew McMahon for almost a decade, he has been a huge inspiration to myself and many others in countless ways. I have been to many of his shows throughout the years but have never had the chance to meet him. Clearly, I was excited that he was on the same boat as we were and decided I wanted to meet him... and I did.

I introduced myself and explained that I have been a huge fan for years and thanked him for being an outlet of hope and an inspiration to all of us. He smiled, reached his arms out and said: "give me a hug. I can't tell you how much it means to hear you say that." He was so kind and so gracious. 

For those of you who don't know his story, when you have an hour and a half or so, watch the documentary, Dear Jack. Andrew documents his journey as he is diagnosed with leukemia. It is an inspiring, hopeful amazing story about life, love and music. The music this man writes is beyond beautiful, take a listen if you haven't!

On the topic of beautiful music... soon after this, Allen Stone came on stage. Let me tell you something... This man knows how to put on one hell of a show. He is so full of soul and energy and seriously rocks the house (or in this case, the boat) The crowd loved him as always and it was a set full of singing, dancing and great energy. Also, see below for some of the horn players great dance moves. They were very entertaining to say the least.

xxAli

sleep no more.

Last night, I visited the Mckittrick Hotel to see the show; Sleep No More. An interactive play

 based off of Shakespeare's Macbeth, Sleep No More blew me away. As audience members, you are let loose in the hotel unhallowed to speak and required to wear (and not allowed to take off) a mask so that you are unrecognizable. The New York Times says: "An unimpaired sense of balance and depth perception is crucial to attending “Sleep No More,” which leads its audience on a merry, macabre chase up and down stairs, and through minimally illuminated, furniture-cluttered rooms and corridors." You follow whichever characters you choose from one floor to another, in and out of rooms in order to catch the action. "These jaded figures can be found in bedrooms, bathrooms, ballrooms, hospital rooms and nurseries getting dressed and undressed, doing the foxtrot, making every kind of love, killing one another and washing off blood." Just when you think you've seen everything... you come across something completely new. Sleep No More guarantees a a night unlike any other.

xxAli

crepe heaven.

This morning, I had brunch in Williamsburg. We wandered in and out of a handful of places and didn't seem to be in the mood for any or the wait was too long. Then we stumbled upon this at this adorable french place. They had a great looking menu but my friend and I both went for the crepes. Unbelievable. That's really all I can say. I ate the fig honey crepe with goat cheese and caramelized onions... my taste buds were as happy as my stomach. Pates Et Traditions is definitely a place to try next time you find yourself in Williamsburg.

xxAli

Jean-Michel Basquiat.

Art has always been a driving force in my life. Whether it is photography, a painting,  a sculpture or a drawing... done by someone very famous or someone completely unknown. Hanging in the Guggenheim or plastered on the street... It inspires me. This inspiration Wednesday is dedicated to one of the greats, an artist who I have been inspired by since that lecture given years ago by my high school art teacher. Jean-Michel Basquiat shows us that we as artists have no limits. He teaches us to do what you do and even if the world doesn't appreciate it right away, the time will come.

Last month, I was fortunate to see the amazing Basquiat exhibit at Sotheby's. A room filled with breath taking pieces that I would kill to own. If you ever get the chance to see an exhibit of his, don't miss out. He was a monstrously influential and inspiring artist and man who left this world much too early.

xxAli