Top 10 Highlights from 2016

Alright guys, it's time for my annual highlights post.  I can't believe 2016 has officially come to an end.  Man, time really does fly!  I'm so beyond grateful for all the amazing memories I've had this year, and I'm excited to see what 2017 has in store for me.

1.  Traveling to Frisco for the Stitchfix Tastemaker Event.  This was an amazing experience for more reasons than one.  I'd been a fan of their clothing already for quite some time so I was thrilled when I received their invitation.   They flew me out to California for an all-expenses-paid trip to learn about the ins and outs of their company which was totally awesomesauce. I got to stay in a luxe hotel, eat ridiculously delish food, and spend quality time with the most incredible group of women. Anddd on top of it all, I met my bf here so that pretty much makes this the best trip ever.

2.  My first solo news gig on Fox.  Getting invited to host Good Day DC's Valentine's Day segment was oodles of fun.  I had three gorgeous ladies modeling outfits that I curated from Adam Levine and Nicki Minaj's clothing lines in honor of the holiday, and I chose to go with three different vibes for the occasion.  See the full clip here!

3.  Collaborating with some truly kickass photographers!  I feel beyond blessed to have worked with so many incredible creatives this year.  From California to New York, I got to tackle all kinds of awesome projects with these amazing artists.  Here are some of my favorite shoots - I picked one from each and every one of 'em to pay tribute!

 Sung Shin || Andrew Bogard Photography || Jared Wolfe

 Dennis Christians Photography || Daniel Fabio || Armato Photography

Jiyang Chen Photography || Melanie Yu Photography || Rey Marques Photography

4.  Shenanigans in South Korea!  I spent the first week hanging out in Seoul and then hit up a bunch of cities down south for the duration of the trip.  I was there for a solid month playing recitals, working with brands, and exploring the country.  I seriously can't wait to go back!  I hope to visit China and Japan as well while I'm there next time.  To see more from my trip, click HERE and HERE.

5.  Breaking 75k+ on instagram!  You guys are the BEST for real.  I'd be nothing without your love and support.  I'm super pumped to announce that I broke a ton of records this year! My unique collective reach is now 500k+ (!!!) I'm so looking forward to the new year.  I'm going to REALLY push myself to think outside of the box and go out of my comfort zone to produce the best content possible.  

6.  Performing at the Kennedy Center + Strathmore Mansion with my awesome duo partner.  Alicia and I (aka the Ward-Kong duo) had a blast performing concerts all around the DMV this year.  As a Strathmore AIR (artist-in-residence), I had quite a few performances, but the aforementioned opportunities were by far the coolest.  

Now, on a totally unrelated note, I want to take a second to shoutout my girl, Natalie Draper.  I commissioned her to write me a work for one of my gigs, and she did a truly phenomenal job.  I'll be recording it later this year so y'all can hear it for yourselves, but she knocked it out of the park.  She's definitely one of the most talented composers I know, and that's saying a lot.  Keep an ear out for her name - she's going straight to the top!

7.  Vacationing in Naples, FL with my family.  There's nothing more important than spending quality time with your loved ones.  My parents mean everything to me.  They may drive me insane at times, but I adore them unconditionally.  This trip was a blast on so many different levels!  I mean, beach time is always a good time in my book, but Naples is especially awesome for foodies.  The restaurants here are stupid good.  Click here to see more from my trip and keep an eye out for part 2.

8.  Becoming a brand ambassador for Trollbeads.  I've worked with 300+ companies since I first started blogging, but I was EXTRA excited for this opportunity - I've been obsessed with their jewelry for years now so I wanted to list it as one of my highlights!  I have a ton of new exciting collabs coming up so stay tuned - lots of BAMF things to come this year!

Summer Florals ||  Pearl Accents || The [Not So] Secret Garden 

9.  Hosting the Uniqlo x Tastemade event in DC.  Delicious food from Daikaya, free clothing, and good company...I mean, what's NOT to like?  In all seriousness though, I had a blast helping Uniqlo celebrate their Tysons store opening.  Food trucks + me = dream come true as you can see from the photo of me chowing down on ramen.  To see more from the event, click here.

10.  Sharing my first professional fashion video on youtube.  One of the AMAZING photographers that I told you about earlier, Dennis Christians, took this awesome video of me in Bryant Park!  I've been wanting to get into YT, but I just haven't had the time, and you guys know me, I'd never half ass anything.  It's all about quality, and I gotta make sure I can give it 200%. Hopefully, I'll do more with it this year.  Music by the handsome and very talented bf, Flow Zen.

Anywho, that's 2016 for you guys!  Thanks for following and just being all around awesome.  I can't wait to take on 2017 with y'all.  Let's make it count and live every day like it's our last.  I know that was super corny, but I don't care.  Life's unpredictable so we gotta remember to take advantage of every damn second.  Cheers!

Adventures in Old Town Alexandria

Oh how I love bargain buys.  I copped this poncho at the Banana Republic Factory Outlet for $10 during Black Friday sales - did I mention that blowouts make me ridiculously happy?  I always find good deals at BR so I make sure to hit 'em up every time I head to the Grove City outlet mall.  I actually got 5 pieces there for $50 total - yep, that's right, $10 a pop (!!!!) - that time.

Anywho, I shot today's post in Old Town Alexandria with my friend, Sung Shin.  I had never gone there before so I was stoked to explore.  I'm really glad he suggested OTA because it was such a cute place!  I can't wait to go back - we were only there for a few hours so I didn't get to see nearly enough.

I wanted to take action shots so I decided to spin around this lamp post...which turned out to be a terrible idea.  You guys have no idea how hard it was, and on top of it all, it was REALLY cold outside so my fingers totally froze, ha.  So, if you see me laughing hysterically below, it's because I was failing so hardcore.

...like here, ha!

Shop my look:

A full body shot for you guys!

A close-up shot of one of my favorite everyday bags!  To see more of my designer bag collection check out, "A Peek Into My Closet:  My Bag Collection."

Poncho:  Banana Republic Factory Outlet || Shoes:  5/48 via Off 5th || Jeans:  c/o Riders by Lee || Bag:  Prada || Necklace:  JWholesale || Sunnies:  Freyrs

Traveling to Naples, FL: Part 1

Alright guys, if you've been following me on instastories, snapchat or twitter, you know that I was recently vacationing in Naples.  I go to Florida every winter to escape the cold for a few days.  I usually go to Orlando, but I decided to go somewhere different this time around.  I went a few years back, but I didn't really get to explore much so I thought I'd give it another go.  It's not the most EXCITING place per se, but it's perfect for those of you looking to get some serious R&R, which I personally am all about.  I took a TON of pictures while I was there, and I'm really excited to share them all with you so let's get to it!

DAY 1

I got into Naples at around 10:30AM - I flew in early because I wanted to take full advantage of the entire day!  My family and I started by grabbing brunch at Goldies Restaurant.  I, of course, used yelp to find them.  They had REALLY good reviews so I was excited, but unfortunately, meal no. 1 was kind of a let down.  It took them forever to take our order, and when food came, it was just ok.  

I got The Club House, a triple-decker sandwich with turkey, bacon, lettuce, and tomato, with house-made coleslaw and sweet potato fries.  My mom ordered their Cobb Salad, garden-fresh greens served with chopped turkey, bacon, eggs, tomato, onions and crumbled bleu cheese, so I got to try a bit of that, too.  The highlight of the meal was definitely the coleslaw though.  I probably wouldn't go back, but I'm glad I got to try their food anyway.  I mean, that's how you discover local gems after all!

Our check-in time wasn't until 3 so we decided to explore the Naples Botanical Garden.  Tickets were $14.95 each, and they had a really cool origami exhibit going on in addition to their normal garden so it was well worth the money.  The weather was absolutely beautiful, too, so we went at the perfect time.  For those of you interested, the exhibit will be up until April 23rd so go if you have the chance!

I took pictures of my favorite pieces!  These fabulous works were created by artist Kevin Box, and the exhibition included large-scale installations, gallery works, his own compositions as well as collaborative pieces with his wife Jennifer and world-renowned origami artists Robert J. Lang, Te Jui Gu, and Michael G. LaFosse.

The garden itself had several different themes:  the Orchid Garden, Lea Asian Garden, Kapnick Brazilian Garden, Kapnick Caribbean Garden, Scott Florida Garden, and The Preserve.  In addition to the aforementioned ones, there was also a really cute children's garden with a beautiful butterfly house and water fountains.

Afterwards, we drove to LaPlaya Beach and Golf Resort and checked in.  I was super tired so I quickly changed into my bikini and headed to the beach to get my nap on in style.  I literally felt like I was on my own private island, which was a nice change from Orlando.  It wasn't crowded at all so it was super relaxing!  I spent the next few hours drifting off to the sounds of the ocean.  

I woke up kind of late, and we had a dinner reservation at USS Nemo at 7 so I was rushing to get ready.  I threw on an LBD and sprinted down to the valet.  There was a HUGE wait at the restaurant so I was glad we made it on time. Now, onto the unbelievably amazing food.  We started our meal with their sauteed calamari, and it was straight up ridiculous.  It was served grilled in a tomato sauce with parmesan cheese, and it was quite possibly the BEST calamari I've ever had...in my entire life. It took a while for them to cook it because it was obviously made to order, but it was SO worth the wait. Plus, we munched on complimentary bread + a trio of yum apps (marinated cabbage, hummus, and seaweed salad) so it was fine.

For my entree, I ordered the Seared Fresh U-8 Jumbo Scallops.  It came with oyster mushrooms, roasted beets, grilled nasu eggplant, and crispy cheese polenta in a savory tomato lacquer.  The presentation was impeccable, and the flavor was absolutely amazing.  Like the app, everything was cooked to perfection, and the price was pretty reasonable, too.  $28.95? Not bad at all!  

My dad ordered their number 1 bestseller, the miso broiled sea bass, as his entree.  The fish was marinated in a citrus-ginger butter sauce, and it came with steamed rice, asparagus, and carrot tempura.  He had the option of upgrading to a risotto, but he decided to stick with good ol'-fashioned rice.  I didn't get to try this because I haven't been eating fish lately, but apparently, it was the best fish dish he'd ever tasted.  Coming from my dad, that means A LOT because he can be pretty picky about eating out.

My mom ended up ordering a vegetarian entree.  She got the Miso Glazed Tofu.  It came with asian veggie stir-fry (bok choy, edamame, mushrooms, green beans, and cashews) and apple steamed rice in a spicy but fruity ginger-soy sauce.  I tried a bit and wasn't really a fan - we both thought it was way too sweet. It would've been fine if the rice came on the side, but it was drenched in sauce so this was a no-go.

We were pretty stuffed but ordered dessert anyways because it was made in-house, and how could I possibly resist that? Ha.  We got the "73% cocoa" Chocolate Decadence, a flourless cake with white chocolate ganache and pistachio brittle, and split it between the three of us!  Each and every bite was heavenly.  If you like rich, chocolatey desserts, this is an absolute must-try.  I'm seriously drooling just thinking about it! 

Day 2

I started my day bright and early at the gym with my parents!  LaPlaya's resort is super nice overall, but their fitness facility definitely needs work.  There were only two elliptical machines available, and they were both in use, so I decided to run a few miles on the treadmill instead.  I ended up tackling 5, which is the most distance I've ever covered (!!!!) 

Afterwards, we grabbed breakfast at the hotel's restaurant, Baleen.  I wanted something healthy since I splurged the night before so I ordered a fruit cup and a spinach egg white omelet (made with turkey sausage, green onions, and avocado) with dry whole wheat toast.  The dish also came with potatoes, but I didn't eat 'em because they looked fried.

We decided to lounge by the pool for a few hours before checking out the Miromar outlet mall.  We ordered lunch poolside and enjoyed the breeze while eating our healthy turkey wraps before taking off.  If you're looking to score bargain buys in FL, you need to head on over to this mall.  It has over 140 stores and was voted the best factory outlet mall in southwest Florida.  I didn't actually end up buying anything here, but it was fun window shopping. 

When we got back to the hotel, it was time for dinner so we got ready quickly and drove to Campiello.  It was awarded "Best Restaurant" in Naples so I was really excited - I had been craving good Italian food so I was beyond pumped.  You know me! Pasta, especially homemade pasta, is always a do in my book.  Everything about the restaurant was so beautiful.  The atmosphere was amazing, and the interior was classy and elegant.  They did a great job with the decor! Unfortunately, the food didn't live up to the ambiance.

Our meal was off to a great start!  We were seated promptly and greeted soon after by our wonderful waitress. She served us fresh italian bread with high-quality olive oil (which we loved), but things started going south with apps.  We ordered Spicy Fried Calamari ($16) and Bruschetta ($10) to start. The former came with a lemon parsley aioli, and its flavor was really good, but the batter was too thick.  The bruschetta was kind of a mess.  The marinade was tasty, but the bread underneath was burnt and super soggy.

We had high hopes for our entrees though.  We ordered three different pasta dishes, and I, being the foodie that I am, sampled all of them.  I ordered the tagliatelle with spicy lamb sausage ($24), my mom got the pappardelle with braised veal, tomato and oregano ($26), and my dad went with their spaghetti alla chitarra with marinara and campiello meatballs ($24).  

The pasta itself was REALLY something.  I loved the texture of the noodles; they were cooked to perfection - al dente, just the way it should be - but the sauces were bland.  All in all, it was an ok meal!  I'd go back to try their entrees (maybe those taste better), but I wouldn't get pasta again.  We ended dinner with dessert, which was a good call because it was probably the highlight of the meal. Their dark chocolate tiramisu tart was unique and delicious!  

Alright guys, that's it for today's recap!  Have any of you vacationed in Naples, FL before?  Comment below with a city you'd absolutely LOVE to visit!