Spring Ice Cream Tour Part B/New York City

New York City Amazing!!

Ok so let's talk about our stop in New York City, for the next part of this year's Ice Cream Tour. Since we were in the midst of a pandemic flying was not the first choice, so we put our Florida ice-cream tour on the back burner until things get a little more normal, or we get vaccinated. (which at this point I'm happy to say we finally are) Putting everything into perspective we decided to make it a road trip, so this is why we chose New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Now I know New York was part of our last tour, but think about it, New York has always been the hub of amazing eats, no matter how many times I go and how long I stay, I always leave feeling like I wasn't able to even touch on the many amazing places available. That way we would still be able to go to tons of new places, only visiting the favorites a second time. We arrived in New York on a Monday at just after 10am, hoping to avoid the weekend rush. I had no idea that it would be a quarter the normal amount of people. Usually the streets are packed with bustling people, on their way here and there, and the streets jam packed with cars. Not this time, it was definitely a different vibe because of the COVID situation, to be honest I can't say it was horrible because it made it so much easier to get around and see everything. When we arrived we checked into our hotel StayPineapple, it's the only place we stay when we go to New York.

(For 15% off your StayPineapple stay use the code "Dana")

(For 15% off your StayPineapple stay use the code "Dana")

All of the employees are always so welcoming and helpful, not to mention it's super comfy, clean, and pet friendly as heck. They provide dog beds, bows, and pet accommodations as well as human. The hotel also has a colorful and artsy vibe, with a pineapple theme all throughout that will make you smile from ear to ear. It's the one hotel where we feel completely at home whilst away from home. The New York location is on 36th street, which is so convenient and in walking distance of Time Square. It's also in close proximity to so many restaurants, stores, and fun entertainment spots. They also have other locations all over the US. Which is why whenever we are traveling I look to see if there is a Stay Pineapple in the area, because they are literally our first choice. 

(For 15% off your StayPineapple stay use the code "Dana")

Once we unpacked, were rested and showered, we headed out to find a late lunch and scope the general area, which led us to The Sugar Factory. Another fun spot, with amazing freakshakes, and colorful food. They have rainbow sliders and rainbow pancakes, as well as plenty of candy, which is what they are known for. Since we weren't super hungry and planned to eat dinner later, we ordered a turkey club to split, which came sided with fries. Can I say that turkey club was delicious, along with the huge order of fries, it was more than enough for both Rob and I. Once we finished eating our sandwich, we ordered a few freakshakes to shoot and share with you guys. 

The first one is the Princess Make A Wish (the pink one), it's a delicious white chocolate dipped milkshake glass, that has been covered in pink sprinkles. The shake itself is made up of vanilla ice-cream, blended with vanilla sauce and rainbow sprinkles, then it's topped with whipped cream, a marshmallow wheel, a white chocolate Kitkat and a pink frosted cupcake with a birthday candle. The other shake is the Giggles Snickers. It's a chocolate dipped milkshake glass, covered with snickers and pieces of rainbow sprinkles. The shake itself is made up of cookies and cream ice-cream, blended with toasted peanuts, then topped with a caramel waffle, whipped cream, and sprinkles.

Which one would you choose?

In the shot below we have the Cookie Monster Make a Wish. It's a chocolate dipped milkshake glass, covered in chocolate chip cookie chunks. Then the shake itself is made up of cookies and cream ice-cream, blended with vanilla sauce, then topped with whipped cream, a blue glazed donut, chocolate chip cookie and a blue frosting cupcake, with a birthday candle. Aren't they gorgeous? I just love the presentation of The Sugar Factory freakshakes. 

Next up is the Campfire S'mores. It's a dark chocolate dipped milkshake glass, that has been dusted with graham cracker crumbles and covered in Hershey bar chunks. The shake is made up of chocolate and coffee ice-cream, blended with espresso, toasted marshmallow, Virginia Black Wiskey, then topped with a 7 layer S'mores cookie. It's super dramatic and over-the-top like all of their milkshakes, which is what I love about The Sugar Factory. You can get all of their milkshakes with or without alcohol, to make it a Boozy Milkshake!

After we finished eating a shooting it was almost 3pm, so we decided to go back to the room for a couple hours until dinner. I would say it was about 8pm when we decided to head back out for for some amazing food from Thep Thai, one of my favorites. There is such a classy vibe, from all the sleek decor, and matching serving dishes. I also can't forget to include the bar, which is where they make the best cocktails, oh.my.goodness they are more than beautiful by the way. Each one is garnished with a flower, fruit or both, and they are mixed to perfection. Not overly-strop and bitter but refreshing and tasty, theres noting better than a cocktail you can't get enough of. 

Whenever we are in the area we stop in for dinner, and it's always good. The Wonton Soup and Pineapple Fried Rice are divine, the fried rice comes served in a fresh half pineapple, that they hollow and make into a bowl. We also love to order the Chicken Satay, which is very flavorful and tender, it also comes with some amazing peanut sauce. As always the meal was perfect from start to finish, we left very full and happy as we made our way back to the hotel for a good night's sleep. The next morning we woke up pretty early to get a head start on the day, we wanted to shoot a couple style shots with the walls we found. The first was a fun, pink, floral piece, that worked perfectly for the new Adidas, bomber jacket, that I had scored especially for the trip. 

Shop this look here -> "DanaStargazerTruitt"

Once we were finished with the style shoot, we headed to Surreal Creamery, what a cool spot that was. All of the items they put out have a fun and playful twist. They pair all kinds of amazing flavors and treats, like soft serve ice cream and bubble tea. The shot below is (left) Brown Sugar Bubble Tea with Earl Grey Vanilla Soft Serve, garnished with a couple chocolate wafer straws. Then the other one (right) is Taro Bubble tea with a Matcha/Taro Swirl Soft Serve, garnished with a butter wafer cookie. They were both not only beautiful, but amazing flavor-wise.

 

Then there was the Strawberry/Almond Swirl, garnished with whipped cream, rainbow sprinkles, marshmallows, two butter cookies and teddy graham cookies. Talk about amazing, each one I tasted was better than the other. This is another MUST-TRY spot!! 

They have a few locations in New York, we stopped into the 2nd avenue location which happened to be right up the street from Tipsy Scoop, which is known for their amazing liquor infused frozen treats. Now I have to be honest, I thought the ice-cream would taste bitter like the liquor. but wow I was so so wrong, you literally couldn't tell because it tasted amazing. This is such a cool spot, and they also have more than one location in NYC. They also have sorbets, which were also outta this world delish. Even Rob was eating away and he's not a sweets person like me. He rarely does more than takes a taste, so I was pretty surprised to see he ate almost the whole cup. 

Shop this look here -> "DanaStargazerTruitt"

After we left Tipsy Scoop we started wandering around looking for some lunch. As always there are a million and one places to eat, so we just decided to grab a slice of pizza, then head back to the room and relax for a few. The sky was clear with zero clouds and the temp got up to 75 degrees so needless to say we got some sunburn, mix that with a day of walking and we were exhausted. We spent the rest of the evening in the hotel, aside for coming out for dinner. The next morning started off much like the one before, early morning style shoots, then around 11am we headed to Black Tap to grab and shoot a couple of Crazyshakes. They were a tad messy but delicious as always. 

I ordered two of them, and sadly because of COVID they were not in the usual milkshake glasses, they were being served in the plastic to-go cups. There is the (above) Cookies & Cream Supreme which is an Oreo milkshake, in a chocolate frosted rim covered in crushed Oreos, topped with a cookies and cream ice cream sandwich, crumbled Oreo, lots of whipped cream and a chocolate drizzle. Then there is the (below) Strawberry Shortcake, its a strawberry milkshake in a vanilla frosted rim, covered in crumbled cake. Topped with a strawberry shortcake ice cream bar, a pink and white twisty pop (or in my case pink rock candy), tons of whipped cream, strawberry drizzle, crumbled cake and a cherry on top.

Needless to say I made a serious mess on the sidewalk with the strawberry one, but oh well it was more than worth it, because as always the milkshake itself was just fantastic. After we left Black Tap and started heading back to the hotel, but along the way we stopped into Milk & Cream Cereal Bar which is one of my faves. They are always doing a fun collab of some kind, last year they were doing something with Care Bears. Wow were they some cute sundaes. What they are known for is mixing cereal into soft serve ice-cream, and wow is it good. This is another spot I stop into whenever I am in New York. Here is the Care Bear's one from last year's trip, soooooo cute right?

After eating dinner and returning to the hotel, we woke up early the next morning because we decided to stop into one last place before we headed off to Connecticut, it's a great spot called Stuffed Ice Cream, and wow did they blow me away by making an ice-cream cone with hella scoops on it as you can see below....lol! They have so many amazing flavors in every bright color you can think of. They also sell stuffed ice-cream donuts that will blow your mind.

It's always a ton of fun to find and explore new shake and ice-cream spots, especially in a new city. Since New York always has new spots popping up weekly, it’s always an overturning wealth of fun places. I have a huge mater list of all the great spots I have seen while gazing Instagram, I have a folder for each state, and even some countries. We will be leaving for Walt Disney World on the 16th of May, so I'm more than excited to shoot all the Mickey themed treats for the 7 days we'll be there. I've been compiling a list of everything I have found online and Instagram so far. Well there’s only New Jersey left, which I’ll be posting in the next couple weeks. Keep an eye out so you don’t miss the last leg of our Spring, 2021 Icecream tour!! 

Also if you ever want to see unposted or unseen footage of all these amazing treats or trips just follow me on my Instagram or Pinterest at @DanaStargazerTruitt, both platforms have their own unique content.

To check out the last Ice Cream Tour just click here-> "First Annual Ice Cream Tour"

Read More

New York Fashion Week!!

New York Fashion Week 

For the First Time!!

I have to say that my first New York Fashion Week was outta this world. It started off super early, Rob and I decided to take the Amtrak train down instead of drive because the hotel offered no free parking and we didn't wait to pay $50 a day plus the hundreds in tolls and gas to drive up and back. Especially when we could just lay back and ride the train, but we had to get up and get there early. We also had to take the subway to downtown, then walk 3 blocks to the train station. Normally this is no big deal, but at 6 am with a bunch of suitcases it was a bit annoying, then add the can of soda Rob put in the carry all breaking and making a mess, it got really annoying...lol! Thank goodness I put everything in plastic shopping bags, then put it all in the bag, so nothing got wet. I was pleasantly surprised with the Amtrak ride because it was quick clean and on time, you can't ask for any better than that. Plus it cost less than all of the tolls, gas and parking that I would have paid for had I drove the car. I know I'll definitely be using Amtrak in February when I go back, and save myself a lot of aggravation and money. 

Once we arrived at Penn Station in New York around 10:30am, we met up with Lei (@Petite.sole) right away, she arrived an hour or two before we did so she was already waiting for us. She's a really good friend of mine, and an all around awesome chic. We have been friends on Instagram for some time and had never actually met in person, but the weird thing is when we finally did I felt like I had know the girl forever, same thing with Johanna (@Love2bcouture). Some people you just have a connection with no matter what. Once we found Lei we went to have breakfast at this little corner spot called the Tick Tock Diner so we could sit down, eat something, and form a game plan. Especially since we couldn't check into our hotel until 1pm. Turns out the hotel Rob and I got was the Hilton Garden Inn but it was in Jamaica/Queens, which is a super long commute. Lei was supposed to be sharing a room in Manhattan with another girl, but last minute she couldn't make it so we decided to bunk with her at the Manhattan Club. That way she wasn't stuck by herself and we could all hang out, go out to eat, and go to shows together. I didn't want her to be stuck in NYC by herself, plus we had our first show at 6pm and there was no way Rob and I were going to ride the subway up and back to Queens, 45mins each way, and get back in time. Then we would have to of taken the subway back to the room for the night and I did't want to do that at 11:30pm....not in NYC...No Thanks...LOL! Once we decided on a plan and ate we headed to the hotel, dropped off all the luggage, took showers, hung and rested for a bit then headed off to the #Maarkah show.

 I really enjoyed it because it was a handful of fantastic designers from all over the world, and the looks were beautiful. The show was produced by Runway Prestige NYC and Maarkah. At first we were in the back row, but last minute just before the show started we were moved (Lei, Rob and I) to the front seats to fill some reserved spots for people that never showed. I was elated because now I had a front row seat. I was literally right there on the runway, so I was able to capture some fab shots of the show and the audience, and as you can see everyone looked show worthy.

I would have to say of all the amazing styles and looks that I saw, these really stood out. The bottom far left look was my favorite item on the runway from the whole show. It was so pretty and wow was it interesting, I just love the way it looks like a dress and then the bottom hem is almost like pants, so unique and beautiful. I also would say that my favorite all around designer was OhhLaLa, the bottom far right image is one of her looks. If you check out the videos on my Instagram page >HERE!!< you'll see all of them. The whole line that they put out was fresh, young, and so adorable, I really loved the all around style and feel. It's definitely a style I would love to see myself in. They said that they were going to be doing another bigger and better show next year but I'm more than hoping they invite us back, I can't wait to see what Maarkah and Runway Prestige  come up with. 

We met bloggers, and photographers, models and even met Summer Preistler, aka Miss United States. She was very sweet by the way, she took a selfie with Lei and I, as shown above. Once the show was over we went out to eat dinner at this Thai restaurant across the street from the hotel. We ate pineapple fried rice and turned in for the night. After a day of planes and trains we were all exhausted. when we woke up on the 12th we started getting our plans together, Jessica (@a_jess_state_of_mind) another IG blogger friend and Johanna (@Love2bcouture) met up with us at a cute little Jewish restaurant called Sadelle's for brunch. We all sat and talked for hours, what great time we had, and the funny part was Rob was the only guy all weekend. He was at a table full of women, and I'm pleased to say he did awesome and got along with everyone. I even thought it would be a bit awkward with us staying in a room with Lei but it wasn't, and that I'm so so happy about. We had omelettes, bagels and matzo ball soup. Which was friggin awesome by the way, so if you love it definitely try it at this little spot. The only thing that drove me crazy about New York was the fact that every time I ordered a soda I got this tiny little bottle that was all of about 5 swallows for $5..ahhhhhh!! It drive me crazy the whole time I was there...wtf is it about a regular sized soda?!!

I have a confession to make, just before breakfast we hit up Black Tap and had a freakshake...yeah I know it's a bit backwards but we had planned to eat there too, but we didn't know they only served burgers so we got the milkshakes first, then we all walked from Black Tap to Sadelle's. Let me tell you once you see this milkshake you're gonna freak...hence the name Freakshake!!

 Wasn't I right??

The one Rob and I got was called Cotton Candy, and was topped with lots of cotton candy, two rock candies, and a big pink lollipop. Then the glass rim was lined with really thick icing and candy covered chocolate candies. The milkshake itself was strawberry flavored. 

The one Lei and Jessica got was called Birthday Cake, and was literally topped with a huge piece of birthday cake, lots of sprinkles and whipped cream. The glass was rimmed with vanilla icing and rainbow colored sprinkles. The milkshake itself was birthday cake flavored too. Let's just say for once I found something that was too sweet for me, but between Rob and myself we finished it. 

Once we were all finished eating and hanging out we sadly had to go our separate ways, but we made sure to take a picture first to keep the memory. Even though I talk to these girls almost every day it sucks that we all live in different states and so far apart because I definitely would love to be able to hang out with them, meet up for lunch or coffee, and go on shopping trips. It's just crazy how we all have so much in common, it's truly awesome how Instagram brought us all together. 

I live in Baltimore MD, Lei lives in Boston, Massachusetts well she did, she recently moved but she's still far as heck away. Jessica lives in Florida and Johanna lives in NYC, but at leaste we'll always have New York Fashion Week..lol!!

By this time I was flipping because I hadn't gone to the Hilton where we were supposed to have stayed. See back on the 6th when I was doing my shopping for NYFW I bought a cute pink blazer from JCrew, and the woman at the counter told me I would have it by the time I left for NYC which was the 11th. When it hadn't arrived to my house by the 10th, I called and found out that the woman at the store was so off. Had she told me, I would have paid to get it send next day, because that was my outfit for the 12th. Long story short after talking to Jcrew customer service they said they would next day it to the Hilton so I would have it to wear on the 12th. So I called to see if it had arrived yet so I could get it dropped off at the Manhattan Club. OMGoodness they told me that it was delivered to a residential address, and someone named Karen had signed for it. I was beyond mad...still no blazer. Someone named Kathy was up a 150$ blazer, and meanwhile I told Jcrew I have nothing to wear for my next fashion show. Well it turned out they couldn't get it to me in NYC so they said they would refund me, and send me one for free to my house. Ok that's fine and dandy but what am I going to wear?? Thank goodness Lei and I were able to walk to Time Square the morning of the 12th, where we found and H&M and I got a cute little white button up top. I wore it with a pair of black leggings and riding boots to the Eva Longoria show. 

After all the blazer/Jcrew craziness and lunch we headed back to the hotel for a little R&R, then we went out to dinner at Restaurant Row, where we found a great little Italian spot. The food was really good, all three of us agreed on that. I got a chicken dish with peppers and onions in a diced tomato sauce. it was delicious. I also ordered a side dish of angel hair pasta, it made the chicken taste even better. It was very moist and cooked to perfection. Rob got a big bowl minestrone soup, I tried some and it to was really good. If I'm not mistaken Lei got a chicken dish as well, and she also loved it! Let's just say we all left full and super happy.

After we left dinner we headed back to the hotel to shed the dress shoes and clothes, for comfy Toms and Reebok classics, then we headed up to this cute little restaurant/bar to and met up with Melissa, a friend of Lei's (also an IG blogger) and thank goodness for Rob her husband came with her, so Rob had another guy to converse with. We all had some drinks, ate, sat and talked for almost 4 hours, the time just seemed to fly by. Like I was saying before, I have so much in common with these ladies, it's awesome to be able to talk to people that do and love what you do. The last day we woke up early because the Eva Longoria show was at 11am, and we had to walk many many blocks. The show was put together by Fashion 360 Magazine, and it was a fantastic set up. They had all kinds of great sponsors like ChapStix, KIA, Coca Cola and more! Rob and I took a picture on the red carpet, 

and we schmyed around until they called for us to take our seats. Once we got in and the show started  it was definitely full of people, I wish I would have gotten there sooner so I could have gotten better seats so I could have took some nice video and pictures. Hopefully next year, I can say that I loved the looks that came out. I can't wait to take a peek at her website to see more. The last look was a beautiful and flowy powder blue dress, very very nice. I think I just might have to go and get one for myself. 

After the show we all decided to go to the Brooklyn Bridge to take some pictures and grab lunch. I have to say I put some serious miles on my feet in NYC. Plus riding boots may not have been the best choice to go explore in, and wow it got to an uncomfotably warm temperature. After the crazy traffic we made it to the Manhattan side and proceeded to walk across to the Brooklyn side. 

Lei and I also got some really cute shots, like the first one at the beginning of the post. There were so many people walking, skating and bicycling across the bridge. It was an amazing structure, and wow so long. Once we finally made it to the Brooklyn side we were pretty hot and hungry so we stopped in this little Chinese restaurant, wow was the food good. Not to mention they gave me a regular sized soda, I was super happy to say the least. Also because it was Brooklyn and not Manhattan, the pricing was normal and not crazy expensive.  

 We enjoyed the AC and grabbed a yummy Godiva soft serve in Time Square on the way back. There's no better way to end a trip on a good note than with ice cream. 

(When you realize that you and your homegirl are twinning and it's completely not planned!!)

Sadly the trip had come to an end so we went back to the hotel where they were holding our luggage and headed to the train station and airport. Even though I was sad to leave Lei, it was an awesome trip that I'll never forget, and we made plans to do it again in February, we're definitely going again. Hopefully this time now that I have a head start I can get some tickets to big designer shows and get sponsored for the trip. I hope to make my 2nd trip to NYFW more than amazing. Also Lei is going to bring her hubby, so Rob won't feel so outnumbered. I hope to stay 5 days next time....that's the plan at least. 

Have you ever been to NYFW, and if so what shows did you see??

*

Have a Wonderful Weekend Dolls

*

Don't forget to

FOLLOW US

On social media!!!

V

INSTAGRAM

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

*

Read More