Lil' Rockers

I am at the age where the people in my life are getting married, and then, of course, they are having babies. In a recent trip to the baby department in Target, I was roaming aimlessly up and down the aisles trying to figure out what to bring my friend who just had twins. Underwhelmed, I moved to the clothing department where I came across these insanely adorable vintage tee onesies. I got really excited...I mean, really REALLY excited. The Beatles!? Pink Floyd!? Run DMC!? I have some other friends to gift these to, thankfully, so I didn't need to buy and store these for an imaginary future baby. Though, that navy Beatles one is awfully cute....If you want to get some of these onesies for someone that you love that has a little bit of a rocker edge, check out your local Target store before they disappear like dust in the wind.

Wednesdays in Asbury Park, NJ

If you have visited Asbury Park in the past 5 years, you have seen a miraculous transformation happening right before your eyes.  One of the biggest showcases of Asbury's new image is the boardwalk.  Perfectly designed architecture, mini golf, water park, delicious restaurants at every price, italian ice and Euro Bubbles (where you climb into a plastic ball, get blown up & run around like a hamster in a ball on top of water).

One very fun place that takes you right back to your childhood is Silver Ball Museum.  This is a museum/arcade that has 200 pinball machines dating back to 1931 to explore & play on.  If you can't make up your mind which to play, throw the cashier $10 and you have free range on whatever your heard desires for an entire hour.  My favorite, of course, was the Beat Time Beatles game and the old school skee ball!  There is only one skee ball machine, but seeing it did make me a little giddy and wanted to cut in front of the girl playing on it with her mother.

Another reason I love to walk this eccentric boardwalk?  Every Wednesday night in the summer, Asbury puts on a 5-minute firework display just south of Convention Hall & the Beach bar.  My friends & I decided to lounge on the extremely comfy couches on the outside patio deck at Watermark with a delicious Apple/Ginger Martini.  You may <3 NY, but I <3 AP.

Photos: Robin West

Chuck Taylors

The anticipation leading up to receiving a package in the mail is one of those feelings that has you feeling like you are a kid waiting for Christmas morning to arrive. It's not always the biggest most expensive presents that get you all in a tizzy, usually, either.

This is exactly my feeling when I found my replacement tie-less Chuck Taylor® slip on kicks online. The Converse® All Stars® Chuck Taylor® Slip Trompe L'oeil are a unique, and discontinued, pair of sneakers that I came across at a recent trip to the outlets. Falling in love with the painted shoe laces & speckled toe, I was very upset when the sales clerk told me that was all that they had. Well, after about an hour of hunting online, I finally came across the shoe in my size and now they are mine!! Now my excitement lays in scuffing them up in the next few summer months.

Photo: Robin West