Who wants a six month supply of coffee?

There are some aspects of growing up that are significantly more fun than others. Hosting a Sunday morning brunch is way more fun than paying bills, for instance. And to prove my point, drinking ungodly amounts of coffee is much more acceptable when you're living alone as opposed to when you're living with your family. 

When my friends at W Magazine said they were sending over--wait for it--a six month supply of coffee, my first thought was "someone pinch me, I must be dreaming." The second was a plan to turn my apartment into a coffee shop, but that was quickly turned down.

Anyway, back to the brunch. Fresh on the tails of a weekend coffee seminar (and with my coffee snobbery levels through the roof), I decided it was time to make use of my patio table, my cold brew machine, and the grinds making my apartment smell like heaven. 12 hours of dripping, a few too many coffee ice cubs, and three pastries later, Kirsten and I were sitting outside enjoying coffee from mason jars and letting the Sunday morning sun beat down on our shoulders. Not a bad way to end the weekend. 

And now, because I couldn't possibly go on talking about life with a six month supply of coffee without offering you guys the same, Gevalia is generously offering one reader the same: six months of java goodness (with different flavors, of course).

Here's how to enter: 

-Follow City Brewed on Twitter or Bloglovin' (or both!) 
-Follow Gevalia on twitter
-Tweet about it! Use the hash tag #BrewedbyGevalia 

The winner will be announced in two weeks! Happy brewing 

[This post is in partnership with W Magazine and Coffee by Gevalia. All opinions expressed are my own.] 

Madison Harding Platform Sandals

A few months ago on what I thought was the first warm day of the season, the weather did what it always does when you wear only a blazer: it dropped twenty degrees. I ran to my final event of the evening, shivering as I passed through the streets of Chinatown.  

When I entered the Madison Harding showroom, red nose and all, I was comforted by the sight of a few of my favorite things: cupcakes, champagne, and shoes. What cold weather?

See, when you walk into shoe heaven and instantly add three (ok, seven) new pairs to your wish list, that's the sign of either a great brand, or a serious shoe addiction (or both--I'm going to go with both). Please join me in welcoming the newest addition to my shoe family. 

[Photographed outside of the Plaza wearing H&M pants, a Free People tee, and Madison Harding platform sandals]

The 1884 Collection; Roman Goddess

There's something so incredibly enchanting about roman goddesses. Maybe it's all the captivating stories, or maybe it's how they're depicted: flowing white layers and gold accents. Either way, they had it goin' on. Fun fact: I once attempted a "roman goddess" costume for Halloween circa a million years ago. It went horribly, horribly wrong. 

When The 1884 Collection asked me to style a few of their pieces from the Roman Goddess collection I had two thoughts: first, a chance to erase previous memories of my roman goddess nightmare, and second, I can finally break out my white flowing dress. I guess you're never too old to play dress up. 

[Photographed wearing a necklace and cuff from The 1884 Collection]

Pizza a Casa; Lower East Side

For those of you who know me, you know I spent a good portion of my life eating pizza two (if not three) times a week. "What's for pizza tonight," was the question I'd ask my dad every time he picked me up for dinner. I think my parents knew I had an issue when I became convinced (and still believe) that pizza has all the food groups. Or maybe it was when I slaved away over a Father's Day card claiming I "love you more than pizza" in kindergarten (please note that the card was in the shape of a pepperoni slice). 

Pizza fiend or not, when I caught wind of a pizza school on the Lower East Side, there was no way I wasn't going to try it. I ate my way through the Stromboli appetizers--the best I've ever had--(sorry to anyone who stopped by after I left), and planned to entertain with homemade pizza at a dinner party I might get around to planning. 

Pizza a Casa (aka, the pizza school where dreams come true--well, my dreams at least) just launched a new app for all you foodies out there. There are "pizza possibilities," with different recipes (videos included for those of you who in theory would love to cook but have a tendency to mess up even the easiest recipes--been there, done that. If you're cooking skills are slightly more refined, there are sections such as "know your dough" and "oven etiquette." Dare you to look at the app photos and not get hungry. 

[Pizza a Casa; 371 Grand Street, Lower East Side]

Dear Mom...

My sixteen year old self is kicking me for saying this, but really, is mom ever wrong? In my case, I have my mom and step mom to clue me in, usually on matters that I know everything about, right? I vow to put aside my stubborn attitude for exactly the length of time that it takes me to write this post. 

First off, you're right. That first tattoo I had to have? I hate it. Oh and that one time I pierced my ear without you knowing? Sorry...(wait, did you know about that?). You were right about friends that turned out to be flaky (I'm convinced you have some sort of witchy-sense on the matter). Oh and dating, I could write a novel on this topic alone. But you're right. My high school "boyfriends?" Well, all I can say is yikes. 

From crushes to piercings and and all the advice in between (thank you for never letting me get my brows waxed at the nail salon), happy Mother's Day to my momma and step momma!