If you follow me on Instagram, chances are you saw a few photos this past weekend of my trip to NYC with Monna. You might remember my grandmother, Monna, from my Mondays with Monna series. Believe it or not, this year Monna is turning 85! A couple of months ago, she mentioned that she has always wanted to visit New York City and never had the chance. My mom and I thought there was no better way to celebrate a milestone birthday than with a trip to the big apple! We had such a great time that I just had to share all the details of our trip to NYC with Monna. Be sure to scroll all the way to the end for a short recap video of our adventures! xoxo

Our flight to New York took a little longer than anticipated thanks to some showers in the area. Luckily, I had already planned to have Precision NY Chauffeur and Airport Transportation pick us up at baggage claim. I do not normally hire a car service, but after our experience, I will be doing so more often. We finally made it to The Conrad Midtown, formally The London NYC, and the two-queen bed suite was perfect for the three of us. I will be sharing a full review of The Conrad Midtown later this week.

We kicked off our grand tour of NYC with a trip to the top of the Empire State Building. The VIP Main Deck Express Experience tickets (aka Fast Pass) made our trip to the top much shorter than everyone else waiting in line. There was a little rain, so we had a beautiful misty view of the city. Next, we made our way downtown to visit Ground Zero. My mom and I had not seen the memorial and it was especially special to my mom who ate lunch at the World Trade Center on September 10, 2001. The line to the museum was a mile long, so we did not have a chance to visit that part of the monument, but have I heard great things. We enjoyed lunch at Osteria della Pace in Eatly before walking through the financial district to Battery Park. Since Monna tends to get motion sickness, we saw the Statue of Liberty from the still coastline of Battery Park.

That night we enjoyed a delicious dinner at the Polo Bar before seeing the Broadway production of Chicago at the Ambassador Theatre. The Ambassador Theatre was built in 1921 and has not had as many updates as other Broadway theaters. Before turning in for the night we walked by Times Square to see all the lights at night and to make some custom birthday M&M’s at M&M World.

Past a little rain on the first day, the weather was beautiful the rest of our trip. We started day two with a carriage ride through all of Central Park. We used NYC Horse Carriage Rides and our driver shared a ton of history and was nice enough to take all the photos we wanted. We took a stroll to see The Plaza, Bergdorf Goodman, Trump Tower, The Chrysler Building and stopped in Grand Central Station. That afternoon visited the fourth floor of Tiffany & Co. on Fifth Avenue for lunch at The Blue Box Cafe. The food, employees, and atmosphere made the headache of getting a reservation well worthwhile. We enjoyed a delicious lunch and spent the afternoon strolling through the endless cases full of diamonds, silver, gold, and crystal. Before enjoying dinner at Fig & Olive, we visited Rockefeller Plaza and St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

Before catching our afternoon flight home, I made everyone visit Ralph’s Coffee Shop on Madison Avenue. The coffee shop is perfectly tucked inside the women’s Ralph Lauren store, where I could have spent all day looking at their black label. The weather was beautiful so we walked back toward our hotel along Park Avenue while admiring the towering building and perfectly placed flowers.

I received so many great restaurant recommendations on Instagram Stories but sadly didn’t have the time to visit them all. Here are the restaurants that were most recommended: 21 Club, Bacaro, Bagels & Schmear on 28th, Bubby’s, Carbone, Catch, Frenchette, Flip Sigi, Gato, Greenpoint Fish & Lobster Co., Jacob’s Pickles, Katz’s, La Vara, LAVO, Le Colonial, Osteria Morini, Palma, Sofreh, Wayan, Xi’an Famous Foods.

Need more New York recommendations? Check out my posts here:

The Conrad Midtown

Refinery Hotel NYC

Jacket, Shell, Pants: Calvin Klein // Shoes: Ann Klein // Jewelry: Vintage

This past month I have enjoyed having Monna, my grandmother, join me on the blog every Monday to share her wisdom. This Monday she is sharing her thoughts on hosting people in her home, as well as her tips for setting a table. There is hardly a week that goes by when Monna is not hosting a dinner or party in her home. Just yesterday she hosted an early birthday lunch for me. Her lunch made the day so special and more personal than eating out at a restaurant. She started realizing that people were hardly invited into homes any more, and that an occasion could be twice as meaningful to someone by simply inviting them inside.

“It is always more pleasant to visit with friends and family in a quiet atmosphere rather than a restaurant. I don’t care how expensive a restaurant is, they are always noisy and you feel forced to leave after the meal without a chance to visit. Birthdays and holidays are more special when they are hosted in the home.”

Monna always has her table set with fresh flowers as a center piece, and for dinner she likes to add candles on either side of her floral arrangement. She still uses the Gorham Strasbourg sterling silver and white china with a platinum band that she received as a wedding gift in 1958. Nice sterling silver and white china are timeless staples according to Monna, and can be updated with seasonal chargers and table linens. She completes her table setting with crystal napkin rings, coasters and glasses (usually ice tea glasses since we are in Dallas).

When hosting dinner or a party, Monna likes to dress for the occasion but still feel comfortable in whatever she is wearing. One of her favorite outfits is this Calvin Klein set because the pants are easy to move in and the jacket is light weight enough to stand the heat of the kitchen. She also likes these Ann Klein low wedges because they give her extra height but still the support she needs to effortlessly move around the house. Shop some of Monna’s favorites for setting a table below! xoxo

Top: Chicos // Pants: Tory Burch // Shoes: Asics Kayano 22

It is hard to believe my grandmother, Monna, is 81 (almost 82) years old! Her exercise routine includes walking a few miles in NorthPark Center every morning before starting her day. Monna started walking to help maintain a healthy lifestyle, relieve stress, and improve her overall physical health. She likes to walk in NorthPark Center because it is safe, climate controlled, and the flat surface reduces her chance of falling. If you walk once around the square layout (including the short hallways), it is just over a mile. She also enjoys the ability to check her blood pressure in the mall every Tuesday at 7 am, thanks to Medical City Hospital.

“It is a safe place and climate controlled. It is pleasant because it is well kept, floral arrangements are beautiful, and I enjoy the art work. I am able to window shop all the latest trends without going bankrupt.”

When Monna started walking every morning, she knew that she needed the proper shoes to relieve pressure to her knees and hips. In order to make sure her shoes fit her needs, she went to RunOn where they recommended Asics Kayano 22 athletic shoes. Since Monna is always matching perfectly, naturally, she needed some jogging suits to go with her new shoes. She likes to buy pants with pockets so she can carry her cell phone and car keys without the hassle of a purse. Some of her favorite brands for walking clothes are Ralph Lauren, Under Armour, Tory Burch, Chicos, and Michael Kors. Shop some “Monna approved” jogging suits below! xoxo