COAT | BODYSUIT | JEANS | BOOTS
COAT | SWEATER | LEGGINGS | BOOTIES | SUNNIES
COAT | SWEATER | LEGGINGS | BOOTS | HAT
SWEATER | LEGGINGS | HAT | SCARF | BOOTIES
COAT | SWEATER | LEGGINGS | BOOTIES
VEST | TOP | JEANS | BOOTS | BELT | HAT
SWEATER | LEGGINGS | BOOTS | HAT
I had only been to New York City once before on a school trip in college, so I was DYING to go back. We went in May then, but I wanted to see NYC at Christmas because I heard it was absolutely magical! And it definitely lived up to the hype! I have received lots of questions about what we did, where we ate, outfits, etc. so I thought rounding up the trip in a blog post would be the best option!
PLACES TO EAT
*John’s Pizzeria: We got late night pizza here after Wicked, and I loved it! I don’t eat a lot of it, but this place was delicious. And did you really go to New York City if you didn’t eat pizza at some point?!
*Junior’s: Everyone raves about this place, but the roast beef sandwich my mom and I ordered was SO disgusting. Hahaha, I could barely eat it! Then I realized I meant to order the chef’s special version, not the normal roast beef. (I had gotten it a few years ago, and it was AMAZ) So make sure you order the right thing! And the cheesecake is to die for, especially the red velvet!
*Black Tap: Perfect place for a delicious, gourmet burger and a fabulous milkshake! Mine had an actual piece of cake on top! If you missed the photo of it on my IG Stories, it’s saved under the “NYC” highlight 🙂
*Carmine’s: Italian food is my favorite, so visiting Carmine’s was at the top of my list. It’s very old school! We ordered the stuffed cheese ravioli, and it was great! Make sure you have reservations, though!
*Blue Box Cafe: Lived the dream and had breakfast at Tiffany’s! It was definitely my favorite restaurant. Just a heads up, this place opens reservations 30 days in advance every morning at 8 am, and the spots fill up in MINUTES. Like, I was on my computer on November 1st at 7:55 am to book a spot for December 1st! Insane, but worth it!
*Sarabeth’s: Another place you can’t miss when you go to NYC! Everything on the menu is perfect. I wish I would have eaten here more than once! Haha. (My favorites are their french toast and tomato soup)
*Shake Shack: Even though Shake Shack is a chain now, it originated in NYC. Plus, the last night we were too tired to make our reservations at Vandal and decided to grab this instead. Yum!
*Magnolia Bakery: If you love banana pudding, you must get some from Magnolia Bakery! The best I have ever had!!
THINGS TO DO
*Times Square: Yall are probably like, “Duh Kelsie”, but I had to include it just in case! 🙂 I think the best time to go is at night because everything is so pretty and bright! So bright that you can 100% take a photo and it still looks like daylight. Lol!
*Broadway Shows: I could have gone to a Broadway show every night and been completely content! We saw Wicked, and I loved it, but I wish I would have seen Mean Girls too. Maybe next time?! 😉
*Shopping in Soho: We wandered around Soho after lunch at Black Tap, and I’m glad we did. Everything in this area is so cute and quaint! And of course, I had to get a photo in front of Pietro Nolita! (The completely PINK restaurant)
*Christmas tree at Rockefeller Plaza: This is perfect to stop by and see on your way to the Rockettes! The tree is HUGE and definitely gets you into the Christmas spirit. I wish we had time to ice skate, but the line was long! (per usual for the holidays in NYC)
*5th Avenue: Window shopping on 5th Ave is amazing any day of the year, but Christmastime is like no other! Saks alone steals the spotlight with an unbelievable light show and the prettiest display windows.
*GOSSIP GIRL TOUR: My #1 recommendation is the Gossip Girl tour, especially if you are a huge fan like I am. We did it with On Location Tours, and they did a fabulous job! Our tour guide, Arah, was amazing and so friendly! It lasts 3 hours, but the time flies by. I didn’t want it to end! 🙁
*Rockettes: LOVED this show. From beginning to end, the dancing and Christmas storyline are truly spectacular!
SPOTS WE MISSED THAT I REGRET
*Top Of The Rock
*Brooklyn Bridge/Dumbo Area
*Color Factory in Soho
A HUGE thing that helped me plan was writing down everything I wanted to do, making the reservations, booking the tickets to shows, and creating a schedule for each day beforehand. You don’t want to get to NYC and not have a clue about what’s going on! Do prior research. I promise you will thank me later! lol
XOXO
Kels
If you guys followed along on my IG Stories last Thursday, you know that I attended a super cool event with other Mississippi influencers hosted by 
Our first stop on the Visit Jackson tour was Cathead Distillery. This is where Cathead Vodka was founded and is made every day! We were able to view the entire facility and learn more about this booming Mississippi business!
My favorite part of the tour was definitely the Vodka tasting! 😉 I am a wimp when it comes to shots, but the honeysuckle flavor was amazing. I could actually drink it straight! (But just a taste! lol) The other two were great but definitely needed a mixer.
Our next spot was The Apothecary, which is like a speakeasy in the back of Brent’s Drugs! (Brent’s is an adorable, old-school diner that was featured in The Help) We had Happy Hour drinks and a delicious hummus snack. The atmosphere is SO neat, and I definitely recommend if you guys are ever in the area! (Order the Duling Daiquiri pictured above too!)
We finished the fun afternoon with every appetizer on the menu at Barrelhouse! I loved this idea because we were able to try everything from Brisket Sliders to Tuna Pokè Nachos! We also got the Blondie Skillet Cookie for dessert, oh so good! (Photo creds to Laurel from 
The best part was meeting all of these lovely ladies, though! I had been following them for months but hadn’t gotten the chance to meet some of the girls in real life. Everyone was so kind! (And super stylish too! haha)
