I hope all of you are having a great week so far!

I’ll be honest. My week hasn’t been very productive. I’ve been anticipating this weekend’s trip so much so that I haven’t gotten much done. That’s why earlier today I decided to give in to procrastinating until next week, and welcomed the holiday a tad bit early!

After my workout, I spent the better part of the afternoon poolside, celebrating Wine Wednesday with Black Box Wine and their limited edition California Rosé!

Continue reading Boxed wine + tanlines at Shades of Pinck.

This past week I attended my very first Free Times party…and it did not disappoint!

Once a year the weekly publication compiles a “Best of Columbia” list awarding everything from the best liquor store to the best late night food spot. Winners are chosen based on the votes of average SodaCitizens and each year I’m introduced to somewhere new. To celebrate the winners and runner-ups they throw a party the week the list is revealed.

Continue reading Party like its 1980-something! at Shades of Pinck.

For months all anyone in Colatown could talk about was The 2017 Eclipse. Actually it felt like as soon as 2017 began talks of how Columbia was one of the few “major cities” to be in the direct path of totality (and slated to have the longest period of darkness on the East coast) began to crop up. It wasn’t long before the entire event was hyped up to the max; I guessed to attract professional + amateur star gazers from near and fall.

Continue reading The celestial event of the year at Shades of Pinck.

It’s no secret that the shopping in Columbia is a little… well, substandard. Sure, you can find a few great local retailers throughout the city… but what Columbia is missing is a really good mall. Richland Fashion Mall is a joke since more than half of it is vacant, Columbia Mall is ratchet AF, and Columbiana is sooo basic.

Sometimes it just makes more sense to look elsewhere. Lucky for us, #Charlottesgotalot …of malls!

Continue reading Shopping trip in the Queen City at Shades of Pinck.

I wanted to conclude my Cuba series with a few notes that may be helpful before you travel to Cuba for the first time. I’ve also shared a photo diary of a few more pictures that you haven’t already seen!

• The island of Cuba has three international airports located throughout the island, but I recommend flying into Havana. Its the capitol and, in my opinion, the most important city of the country (although not the only important city).

Continue reading What you need to know before traveling to Cuba at Shades of Pinck.

The island of Cuba has a lot more to offer than just Havana. We knew we really wanted to travel outside of the city to see what life was like, but choosing another place became a bit challenging when we realized we could only take a day trip.

If you ask locals, Trinidad is really worth traveling to. They say its a charming city with gorgeous, colorful buildings and a lively restaurant scene.

Continue reading A day trip from Havana at Shades of Pinck.

Without a doubt, the national cocktail of Cuba is the mojito!

No matter where you go you will be offered one, and as you walk around you’ll notice that EVERYONE has one in hand. Before my trip to Havana I wasn’t a big mojito drinker, but I lie to you not, the mojitos in Cuba really do taste a little better. Their secret? Their sugar! Its pure sugar, not that granulated stuff that we have to settle for.

Continue reading How to make an authentic Cuban mojito! at Shades of Pinck.

Last summer, Karl Lagerfeld and Chanel rocked the fashion world when they premiered their 2016/2017 Cruise (aka resort) collection through the streets of Havana.

For a little less than a week the fashion industry’s glitterati descended upon Cuba a mere year after President Obama restored diplomatic relations with the former Communist country. Guests were chauffeured to the show, which was being held in the park near El Prado, from the Hotel Nacional de Cuba in dozens of those iconic, colorful classic cars.

Continue reading Chanel approved transportation! at Shades of Pinck.

Like most metropolitan cities, you could spend weeks in Havana and still not scratch the surface of what it has to offer. But if you only have a short amount of time in the city (like I did), here are the 13 things I think you have to do to get the full Cuban experience.

1. Ride down El Malecón in a cool, vintage taxi!

You can’t go all the way to Havana and not jump into one of the iconic American muscle cars!

Continue reading 13 things that should be on your Havana #bucketlist… at Shades of Pinck.

There are two types of restaurants in Cuba: government-owned restaurants ..and paladares (or family-owned restaurants). While vacationing in Havana we tried to only dine at paladares so that we could get the most authentic experience as possible. But don’t get me wrong, a family-owned restaurant doesn’t mean you’re eating in someone’s kitchen. On the contrary, most of these restaurants are found in super nice, genuine establishments.

Below you’ll find a few of my paladares highlights that you HAVE to try while in Havana!

Continue reading Paladares // where to eat in Havana at Shades of Pinck.