Events: Burton Mountain Festival

This past weekend, Burton threw an amazing Mountain Fest with their sponsors at Mountain Creek, NJ. They provided the gear to demo and all they asked in return was your enthusiasm to continue to get up after you inevitably eat it... a lot. While Burton doesn't throw such an awesome bash on the regular; here is my inside look of the event, along with a few tips from a beginner's point of view.  

Snowy fun ❄️ #burtonmtnfest

A photo posted by nicolettemaria (@nicolettemaria) on Jan 14, 2017 at 9:51am PST

Packing:

Obviously, you will need an appropriate winter jacket. I recommend the Burton Wyle GORE-TEX®, because not only is it super warm and comfy, but Burton will back this product with lifetime warranty. Bring your own goggles or you will be stuck either paying for a pair at the resort or going without (both options suck). You may also want to pack a change of clothes (shirt, pants, and socks), as you will most likely sweat through your initial outfit. I added a Cliff Bar and Gatorade out of habit, but didn't end up touching them so use your own judgement. 

Transportation:

While the locals can simply get in the car and drive to the resort, us city dwellers will need to rely on a shuttle bus (unless you don't mind paying Uber $340). Thankfully, NYC Snow Bus has round trip packages for everything you need. They have three main pick-up/drop-off stops: Brooklyn, Union Square, and Times Square. Allegedly they will expand to Upper West Side, but we shall see. Bonus feature: Free Bagels and Beer. 

Mountain Creek:

The bus will drop you off and pick you up in front of the Red Tail Lodge. This is where you will pick-up any gear you reserved and check-in for any lessons you may have booked. If you have a backpack full of necessities you wish to stow, they have lockers you can rent for $10. This is also the main hub for food and catching the Lift. If you attend a future festival, I recommend checking out what kind of gear you can demo first to then determine what you will need to rent. 

Demo:

This was basically a free candy shop for all snowboarders. Burton supplied their latest fleet of boards and hardware to demo all day... for free. 

Board of Choice:

I'm not remotely close to being a pro, but I would definitely recommend the Feather for anyone still learning. She had a super waxy glide in the snow making the transitions easier; but be careful with breaking, as she likes to keep moving. 

Burton Mountain Fest is here! Hangout with the Burton Girls, demo some new gear, or try some snacks from @clifbar while you warm up and play video games! The fun continues until Monday afternoon! #GetOutAndPlay

A photo posted by Mountain Creek (@mountaincreek) on Jan 14, 2017 at 10:10am PST

Burton Girls Ride Day:
Burton has an awesome ambassador program that empowers young women to come together and not only shred the slopes (which they slay at), but also have a voice in a space that has historically been dominated by the boys. Luckily on Saturday they had "Ride Day", which allowed girls of all ages to hang with these awesome ladies on the slopes and base all day.

Relax:

After hours of enduring many inevitable wipeouts, take a minute to relax before heading back to the bus. Grab a brew of your choosing and park your very sore bum by the fire pit. You won't regret it. 

Views ❄️ #burtonmtnfest

A photo posted by nicolettemaria (@nicolettemaria) on Jan 14, 2017 at 12:20pm PST

Until next time Mountain Fest!

xx Nicolette

Travel: Bermuda In January

On top of the world 🌅 #bermuda #sunset #lighthouse

A photo posted by nicolettemaria (@nicolettemaria) on Jan 6, 2017 at 1:56pm PST

Oh Bermuda, you are the magical painting I was blessed to live in for the weekend. How I wish I never left and cannot wait to return. Here's a quick itinerary for people who have a spare weekend for an amazing memory.

Made it ☀️🌴 #bermuda #carribean

A photo posted by nicolettemaria (@nicolettemaria) on Jan 6, 2017 at 9:14am PST

Day 1:

You will fly into L.F. Wade International Airport (those JetBlue flash sales are clutch) and need to grab a $40 cab. I recommend staying at Fairmont SouthHampton, as it's central to all of the Bermudian destinations, plus the route there is absolutely beautiful.

💡#bermuda #lighthouse

A photo posted by nicolettemaria (@nicolettemaria) on Jan 8, 2017 at 11:53am PST

Once you have checked-in and explored the hotel, I recommend taking a walk to the Gibbs Hill Lighthouse to watch the sunset, as it gives you a full birds-eye view of the island. Unfortunately, the restaurant is closed in January, but the hotel is full of restaurants with delicious food waiting to be devoured. I went with mussels and broccolini for dinner at Bacci.

Ariel are you here? 🌊 #bermuda #carribean #beachlife

A photo posted by nicolettemaria (@nicolettemaria) on Jan 8, 2017 at 5:56am PST

Day 2:

Pretty much every morning I went for a hike on the beach to watch the sunrise, but this day was 75 and sunny so I pretty much stayed on the beach the whole day. I mean look at how magical those groves are at Horseshoe Bay.

Once you have had your fix of the beach (AKA the sun isn't quite as hot anymore), I recommend taking the bus to the Royal Dockyard for a late-lunch/early-dinner. Note: you will need to get two bus/ferry tokens for $8 total from the front desk and take the hotel's pink shuttle directly to the bus stop.

Rooster locals 🐓🐓 #bermuda

A photo posted by nicolettemaria (@nicolettemaria) on Jan 8, 2017 at 4:27am PST

Once you get there, I recommend checking out the ferry schedule to Hamilton, which is conveniently located in front of Bone Fish. After you eat, you have to checkout Dock Glass, as they have the most bomb rum cake. The "Rum Swizzle" was my favorite. Yes, there are a lot of wild roosters roaming the streets waiting to eat your leftovers.

Captain my Captain ⚓️ #bermuda #boatinglife

A photo posted by nicolettemaria (@nicolettemaria) on Jan 7, 2017 at 2:10pm PST

If you're like me and want a little more adventure, you can use your second token to take the ferry to Hamilton to do a little more wandering. Then connect to the complimentary ferry, "Majestic Lady" that will take you directly back to Fairmont's dock. For me, it departed Hamilton at 5:15 PM, but I would confirm with the front desk, as times probably fluctuate.

I must be dreaming 🌅 #bermuda

A photo posted by nicolettemaria (@nicolettemaria) on Jan 7, 2017 at 4:17am PST

Day 3:

I managed to take my morning hike and sneak into a beach party (gotta love open bars) before it started raining. Unfortunately the rain didn't stop the remainder of the day.

Even the rain is beautiful 🌴🌊 #bermuda #caribbean

A photo posted by nicolettemaria (@nicolettemaria) on Jan 8, 2017 at 8:54am PST

Naturally, I snuck into the spa's indoor pool to go for a swim, soak in the jacuzzi, and enjoy the view. I mean look how beautiful rain looks in Bermuda! All you have to do is sign-in as a fitness center user and sneak into the indoor pool via the locker room. If you don't get as lucky, don't worry it's open to everyone after 6:30 PM. If you do find your way inside, they have pool service with delicious food and drinks. I recommend the catch of the day with chips and guac.

Find a cliff and climb 🌊 #bermuda #oceanview

A photo posted by nicolettemaria (@nicolettemaria) on Jan 9, 2017 at 4:17am PST

Day 4:

Sadly, I went on my last hike of the trip, but was able to take an extra few minutes to really absorb the view before returning to the hotel to finish packing (sigh). I unfortunately ran out of time, but if you have an extra hour before you need to check-in at the airport, I would recommend visiting the Crystal Caves on your way.

See you later #Bermuda 🌊

A photo posted by nicolettemaria (@nicolettemaria) on Jan 9, 2017 at 12:42pm PST

Until next time Bermuda!

xx Nicolette

Fashion: How To Be Chanel Oberlin For Halloween

"Good evening idiot hookers" -#ChanelOberlin 💋🔪 @screamqueensfox #halloween #ootd #chaneloween

A photo posted by nicolettemaria (@nicolettemaria) on Oct 29, 2015 at 2:25pm PDT

As some of you may have noticed on Instagram yesterday, I decided to embrace my inner Chanel. Not Coco, but the Queen B dazzling us on all on the Fox Now app. Take a look below to see what it takes to be the HBIC of Halloween Chaneloween. 

The make-up:

• Clinique's Perfectly Real foundation does exactly what the name says. It gives you that Chanel matted look without giving you vampire powder face. 
• Kevyn Aucoin's Eyeshadow Duo ups the glamour game by giving you a perfect blend of colors, enhancing your baby blues. 
• Clinique's Long Lasting Lipstick will give you the perfect pout while letting you enjoy your Trenta, no foam, five shot half-calf, pumpkin spice latte, no foam at 210 degrees.
• Clinique's Cheek Pop blush gives you that smooth pop of color around your cheekbones.
• Benefit's Roller Lash finishes the look off with a dramatic eyelash lift. Trust me betches, you will never use another mascara again. 

The clothes:

• Loft's Tie Neck Blouse for Chanel's favorite neckline. It's librarian chic.
• J.Crew's Zip Front Pencil Skirt in sparkle tweed for Chanel's love of pencil skirts.
• J.Crew's Stella Suede Pumps for an extra pop of Kappa pink.
• JCPenney's Freshwater Pearl studs are my personal fave, but feel free to use costume jewelry; I won't tell Chanel. 
• Boohoo's Lois Arctic faux fur coat provides the dramatic finishing touch to your Chanel approved outfit of the day for Chaneloween. 

Happy Chaneloween!

xx Nicolette

Music: Christmas Playlist

It's officially one week until Christmas! I personally plan on dancing the week away to my favorite holiday music. Listen to playlist, "Jingle Jams" and get you dance on!

xx Nicolette

Recipe: Pomegranate Sage Cheese Ball

Add a festive flare to your holiday cheese plate with a pomegranate encrusted sage cheese ball!

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
10 fresh sage leaves
1/2 (8-ounce) block cream cheese, softened
2 ounces mascarpone cheese, softened
2 cups freshly grated sharp white cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sliced, toasted almonds, cashews, and pistachios
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup pomegranate arils
crackers for serving


Directions:
Heat a skillet over medium heat and add butter. Toss in the sage leaves and cook until crispy (about 1 minute per side). Remove sage leaves and place on a paper towel. Set remaining butter aside.

In the mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, mascarpone and cheddar cheese. Then add in the almonds, cashews, pistachios, sage leaves, remaining butter, salt and pepper. Mix on low speed until combined. Take the cheese mixture out of the bowl and mold it into a ball with your hands.

Place the arils on a paper towel and pat them completely dry. Add the arils to a plate and press arils onto ball with hands.  I'd recommend serving it right away, since cheese tastes better at room temperature. But you can store it in your refrigerator if needed. Garnish with remaining sage and serve with crackers or homemade crostini.

Enjoy!

xx Nicolette

Fashion: Holiday Party Dresses Under $200

Put off shopping for the perfect holiday dress this year? Don't worry, here are my top 4 picks!

(Bonus: They're all under $200)

1.) Rubied Lace Dress by Anthropologie - $188.00

2.) Ecote Starlight Strapless Dress by Urban Outfitters - $89.00

3) Two-Tone Sequin Dress by Topshop - $130.00

4.) Ali Gator Dress by French Connection - $138.00

xx Nicolette

2014

It's been a very long time since I have had a chance to write a blog post. Therefore I felt I owed my readers an update. This past year I have entered the corporate world and got back to my dancing routes. You can see my progress above. Matt Lopez and Melissa Ramos are absolute geniuses. If you're ever feeling the need to spice your workout life I recommend heading to Steps on Broadway.

xx Nicolette