Hanky Panky Valentine's Day Gift Guide

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If you've been following for a while then you probably know about my love of Hanky Panky.  Their products make almost all (if not all) of my gift guides because they make my absolute favorite thongs that have I have been loving for over ten years now. Needless to say I'm so excited to be partnering with them to share this Valentine's Day Gift Guide with all of you!  My official gift guide is above and you'll be able to see images of me styling some of the pieces on social media over the next two weeks so make sure to keep an eye out for those (check out my first one here).

Whatever look you're going for this Valentine's Day, sexy, sweet, or somewhere in between, this guide has got you covered.  It's not just for those who are coupled up though - there are so many fun pieces on here that are great for those of us who are single too and it can also serve as your Galentine's Gift Guide (I gift their thongs all the time and everyone always loves them).  While I'm loving everything I've put together on this list I do have a few favorites I wanted to point out:

Heartthrob Bralette + Heartthrob Low Rise Diamond Thong

If you're looking to surprise your significant other for Valentine's Day this gorgeous set is perfect.  The ruffles and hearts add sweet touches, while the sheer fabric ups the sex appeal.  If you're looking for something along the same lines the Sweetheart Mesh Babydoll with G-String is another great option.

Love and Kisses Crossover Bralette + Love and Kisses Low Rise Thong

This is one of the sets that Hanky Panky sent over to me and I absolutely love it.  It's super comfortable and so easy to wear with just about anything.  They're also both sheer (less so then the Heartthrob set though), which adds a sexy touch.

Multi-Packs + Thong Rose Bouquet

If you're asking for or giving a gift any of the Hanky Panky Multi-Packs are the best.  They've put together a few different sets for Valentine's Day (in themed colors) that anyone would love to get.  The Thong Rose Bouquets are also such a fun and unique way to give multiple pairs of panties and they will last much longer than real flowers!

Yasmin Keyhole Bikini Panty

Last, but not least, I wanted to point this out for ladies who are not a fan of thongs.  This cheeky bikini has a keyhole on the butt, which makes it super sexy.  If you don't like thongs, I definitely recommend checking this out!

Who are you getting gifts for this Valentine's Day?

*I was gifted items from this list by Hanky Panky to facilitate my post, however opinions (and love of the brand) are all my own.

                    

Lucy Turns One!

On June 7th my sweet puppy, Lucy, that I adopted in September turned one!  Of course for such a big occasion we had to celebrate.  I got her the cutest dog cake from Amelie's Bark Shop in South Philadelphia and it came out even better then I ever could've imagined.  If you're looking for a custom dog cake (she even does ones with dog portraits on them!) or any other bakery style dog treats then you absolutely have check out Amelie's.

For Lucy's big day we went to two dog parks, showered her with dog treats, gave her a new toy, and sang her "Happy Birthday" with her cake.  She definitely had a day filled with fun and love, which she so deserves.  Last, but not least, I had to do a little photoshoot to commemorate the occasion!  I landed up getting two hats because one came late, but I took pictures with both because I'm extra like that.  Here I've put together all her super cute 1st Birthday pictures (she's the best little dog model!) and also a few pictures of her amazing cake.

Do you celebrate your pet's birthday?

                    

My Princeton, NJ Guide

Last Wednesday was my Mom's 60th Birthday and I wanted to do something to surprise her to celebrate, so I booked a quick little getaway to Princeton, NJ for Wednesday and Thursday.  My Mom and I are both big fans of Princeton and had done a girls weekend there a few years ago that was so much fun I wanted to recreate it for her birthday.  I was able to really surprise my Mom and we had such a good trip!   Below I am talking all about what we did and breaking down my guide to a Princeton Getaway.

WHERE TO STAY

Airbnb - Princeton Lavender Farm || This is where we stayed during our recent visit and it was perfection.  It's a brand new loft on a gorgeous lavender farm just outside of downtown Princeton.  Every part of the loft has been renovated and put together to ensure the utmost comfort for the guest.  Everything from the comfortable bed to the views are wonderful.  It's a clean, cozy, and quiet oasis with friendly and personable owners.  I really loved how you're so close to downtown Princeton and the University, but you're out on this expansive farm, which is such a different setting. I would highly recommend staying here if you're going to be in or around Princeton!  I'm already trying to make plans to stay here again when the lavender will be in bloom!

Princeton Marriott at Forrestal || I stayed here during that weekend trip I took with my Mom to Princeton in 2014 and you can checkout more about that stay here.  It has standard Marriott hotel rooms, but I always love staying with them.  The setting is also really unique and almost park like which is cool!

WHERE TO EAT

Jammin' Crêpes || We went here for brunch on Thursday morning and oh my gosh it's SO good!  They have gluten free crêpes, which I was shocked to find, and they are absolutely delicious.  My Mom got a savory crêpe, which was huge and I got a gluten free "Classic Toasty Cinnamon" with whipped cream, which I cannot wait to eat again.  They have a pretty extensive menu for a crêpery and also make their own microbatch jams that you can purchase.  It's in the heart of Princeton and right across from the University; we went on a weekday morning and it was packed, but we were able to get a seat relatively quickly.  When you go just know that it's probably going to be busy if you're there at a peak time, but it's well worth waiting for.

Teresa Caffe || This is our go to spot in Princeton.  I love Italian food and they have gluten free pasta so it's always a win for me.  They're also really accommodating to food allergies/menu changes, which is super important when you have food allergies like I do.  My Mom tries something different every time we go, she got a salad that was a special that day and she's still raving about it!  It's almost always busy here and "must eat" in my opinion.

Jules Thin Crust || This is a local chain that actually started in Pennsylvania where I went to school.  Their pizza is always so good and they have a wide variety of options from the basics to really gourmet pies, there's really something for everyone.  Their gluten free crust is also amazing and doesn't taste different from non gluten free pizza.  We wanted a quick lunch before we headed home on Thursday and this was the perfect place to grab something we knew would be good!

Witherspoon Grill || It was our first time here, but we heard so many good things about it that we chose this for my Mom's big birthday dinner.  It's technically a steakhouse, but they're menu is pretty diverse and has a lot of options.  We actually both ended up getting fish (crab cakes for me and cod for my Mom) and were very happy with our choices - we are still talking about how good the meal was!  Our server and the hostess were also both incredibly nice and helpful, which was the best way to punctuate the experience!

Ruth's Chris || We went here on our trip a few years ago because we are big fans of Ruth's Chris.  While everything was good, I have to say that I've been to one of their Baltimore restaurants several times and I definitely prefer that location to this one.  When we ate there there were some minor issues, like with how the steak was cooked: we ordered it medium, and it came out way overcooked, then we mentioned it to the waitress and the new steak they brought out was practically raw, which was disappointing especially since they're known for their steaks.  While I love Ruth's Chris there are so many other restaurants and options in Princeton that I would recommend trying one of those over going here.

SWEET TREATS

Halo Pub || Despite its name this is not a traditional pub, but actually a coffee and ice cream shop!  It's such a cute little spot and their gourmet ice cream is locally made at Halo Farm in Lawrence, New Jersey.  We grabbed some ice cream after dinner from their very large selection and it was delicious!

Thomas Sweet Chocolate || This is a traditional chocolate shop in Palmer Square.  I always love to stop here to pick up some chocolate before I go home.  If you're looking for a little something sweet this is definitely the place to go!

ATTRACTIONS TO SEE

Shopping || Princeton has a great mix of nice chain stores (J.Crew, Urban Outfitters, Ann Taylor, Lululemon, etc.) and boutiques.  Everytime we go into town we love to walk around and shop because there are so many different places to see!  There's also an amazing knitting and needlepoint shop in town, Pins and Needles, that has a great selection so we always land up going in there!

Princeton University || I really enjoy walking around the campus to see the architecture and layout.  It's especially beautiful in the fall and spring!  There's also many different activities that go on on campus that are open to the public and an art museum I'm dying to check out.  There's so much beauty and history here that you really can't not visit the campus when you're so close.

As always I had an amazing time in Princeton and cannot wait to visit again!  Have you ever been before?

                    

Today I'm linking up with Midweek Inspo, Oh Hey Girl!, I Feel Pretty, and Trendy Wednesday.

Chi Lin Take Two

I was fortunate to get so many great photos on my trip to Chi Lin Nunnery when I was in Hong Kong.  It's such a beautiful place and I love the way East meets West in this gorgeous setting.  The contrast of the huge skyscrapers against the Asian architecture of the temple is so incredible to see and I think it's such a great representation of Hong Kong.

Chi Lin Nunnery was originally built in the 1930s and was completely renovated in the style of the Tang Dynasty in the 1990s.  The temples here are made entirely of wood and use traditional Chinese architecture techniques that employs special interlocking systems cut into the wood to hold them in place, not a single nail is used in this building style.  These are the only buildings built using these techniques in modern day Hong Kong.

On the same site is the Nan Lian Garden.  This is a public park which was also built in the style of the Tang Dynasty.  It is a meticulously landscaped area that encompases over eight and a half acres.  In the garden everything is placed according to specific rules and methods and is intensely maintained.

I recommend giving yourself at least half a day to walk around and enjoy this breathtaking space.  There are so many things to see and take in that I walked around a few times to make sure that I could really see everything.  On the premises there is a vegetarian restaurant and a little snack area; I landed up eating lunch at the snack area because they had the most amazing vegetarian rice noodle stir fry!  I also recommend making this trip during a week day and earlier in the day, I got there around 11:00AM on a Tuesday and had the park almost entirely to myself, but it did start to get more crowded as the day went on.  If you're going to be in Hong Kong this is definitely a must see in opinion!

You can find all my outfit details and more photos from Chi Lin here.

photos of me: jen loong via wandersnap  |  photos of landscapes: me

                    

Today I'm linking up with How I Spring, Hello Monday, and Weekending.

Gift Guide: Valentine's Day

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With Valentine's Day quickly approaching I wanted to put together a list of some of my favorite Valentine's Day gift ideas.  All of these gifts are perfect for those in a relationship to ask their significant other for and they're also great gifts to give to your Mom, sister, and/or friends too.  With so many cute picks this is really a combination Valentine's/Galentine's Gift Guide!  As I'm sure you could tell I was looking for all things cozy with this bathrobe, these slippers, and these socks.  Then I also added a few sexier items like this flirty PJ set, this gorgeous bralette, and the best thongs in the world.  I've covered beauty lovers with this pillow case, this lip balm, and more, and the classic Valentine's Day jewelry with this necklace and these earrings.  Last but not least I've got two beautiful splurge items - this bag which gives a pop of color and these feminine chic sneakers.  No matter who you're buying for (or if you're the one receiving) anyone is sure to love any gift from this list!

Who are you getting gifts for this Valentine's Day?

SHOP THE POST HERE:

                    

Today I'm linking up with Midweek Inspo, Oh Hey Girl!, I Feel Pretty, and Trendy Wednesday.