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Happy Friday!! I get asked all the time what makeup I use - I recently switched to Ever Makeup and I'm OBSESSED. It's SO easy to use and it really looks amazing. It's basically paint by numbers, with brushes to match each part of the makeup (eyes and face). You really can't mess it up, which I love. Also - it's all in one compact, so it's perfect to take with me when traveling. Check out my video below and if you're interested in the makeup, you can buy it through my Ever specialist page here: https://www.everskin.com/with/meghanmcalpine They also have an amazing skin care regimen that I've recently started using and I'm seeing great results. I swear I look so much more rested (and I'm definitely not getting more sleep!). Message me or comment below if you want to more info! Here's the before and after! Such a transformation and only 5 minutes!! 
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I’m so excited that warmer weather is here (well, mostly!). It’s also nice that Easter is a little later this year so we can (hopefully) wear some Spring clothes! I love a cute effortless dress – pretty much all I wear come summertime! I love these looks for Easter so much and they’re also super affordable!
How cute is this outfit! Really love the pattern on the skirt and the fact that it’s pleated. Looks so cute with this mock turtleneck. The top is really short, but it works really well with this skirt since I tuck it in. The top would also look cute with high waisted leggings and a blazer. Right now JCP is running a sale - if you spend $100 you get 60% off! So great for this adorable look.
This purse is so great! Such a cute trend this Spring and it holds a surprisingly a lot of things.
This one is a total Amazon win! I absolutely love the color and the pretty ruffle detail at the bottom. Also – the sleeves are adorable too! This comes in so many cute colors too. This one also looks really cute with a blazer or jean jacket. I tried it with both the nude sandals and my OTK boots, which changes up the look completely. It’s a bit on the shorter side, so something to keep in mind! The dress also really pairs well with the long necklace (which is 2 necklaces in 1!).
You guys have seen this dress in my Target try-on session and it’s really perfect for Easter. The floral pattern is so cute and I love the blue color. Plus, it’s SUPER flattering on any body type. I paired it with a blazer and boots here (in this bathroom selfie from work the other day ?!),
Happy Easter everyone!!
I wanted to share some of my favorite pieces from my Stella & Dot trunk show, which ends this Sunday (3/31), so if you’ve been eyeing anything, now is the time!! First, I’ve already posted about this, but I’m obsessed with this poncho! Love the fact that you can wear it both ways and the pretty blush color is so sweet. I’ve also heard they are retiring this color and the charcoal gray (which was the other one I wanted) soon. https://www.stelladot.com/p/addy-versatile-poncho-blush?ts=ak9c4  These layered necklaces are also fabulous! I’m all about anything that has versatile ways to wear it. I love that you can take these apart and wear them separately or together. There’s this chain that basically links them together, which I think would be cute to add even additional layers to. https://www.stelladot.com/p/natia-layered-necklace?ts=ak9c4
How cute are these sunglasses?? I love the pink mirror frames – so adorable. Plus, they’re also on sale, which is great! https://www.stelladot.com/p/casey-sunglasses?ts=ak9c4  I’m about to buy this bag too and I can’t decide if I want the black or this camo – love the shade of camo. Also the fact that it’s wipeable, has a compartment for shoes on the bottom , AND it has straps to connect your yoga mat at the bottom – love this! I sometimes hike up Mount Beacon and do yoga at the top, so this would be perfect for that. Comment below if you have a favorite!! Black: https://www.stelladot.com/p/crush-it-backpack-black-quilted?ts=ak9c4 Camo: https://www.stelladot.com/p/crush-it-backpack-blush-camo?ts=ak9c4
Love this edgy bracelet – would love to stack this one with others – so cute for a date night or night out with the girls. https://www.stelladot.com/p/renegade-cluster-bracelet?ts=ak9c4  How sweet is this “mama” necklace – such a perfect piece for layering, or just a delicate necklace for a t-shirt and jeans. https://www.stelladot.com/p/mama-necklace-gold?ts=ak9c4  So, those are some of my favorites….what are yours??
Remember, you can shop my trunk show until this Sunday, March 31 using this link: https://www.stelladot.com/ts/ak9c4 Happy shopping!!
Love Target! I stopped in yesterday and they had so many cute new items! Loving all the new Spring stuff and they also had some adorable Easter decorations, which I couldn't resist. Here are some outfits from my try-on sesh!
Camo
Pretty floral dress
Love this adorable feminine dress! Can't wait to wear this in the summer with some cute nude sandals, but it looks super cute paired with a moto jacket. It would also look great for work with a navy blazer. The blue color is so great too - realyl love this one!
Great go to blazer
Stripes for days
Perfect Spring sweater with some "flare"
Nautical dress
Love me some leopard
Pop of red floral
Hat & cardi
Just back from Costa Rica and it was AMAZING. It was my first time to the country and it was beautiful. I got to attend a yoga retreat led by nOMad, which was great, b/c everything was planned out. Here are some of the highlights from the trip:
Welcome to the Jungle! The Osa Peninsula is a remote part of Costa Rica – right in the middle of the jungle – complete with monkeys, all types of birds, pumas and even jaguars! To get there, I took a tiny 10 seater plane from San Jose to Puerto Jimenez (on Sansa Air). 
I took a taxi 30 minutes from the "airport" on a VERY bumpy road to Osa Clandestina – what a beautiful spot!! My room literally felt like I was staying in a tree house.
All of our meals were prepared for us, by such a wonderful staff. The food was SO good – simple and local. The fresh fruit in the morning (pineapple, mangoes and papayas), was some of the best I’ve ever had. Plus the Costa Rican coffee - yum!!
Our host, Michael, took very good care of us the entire trip! There were smaller “casitas” on the property where some of the other guest stayed. The property also has the most beautiful pool right in the middle of the jungle. All of our yoga classes were on a platform overlooking the trees (and butterflies, monkeys and a baby hawk that practiced with us daily ? ).
Yoga and Movement
We had daily yoga practice every morning and experienced a movement class in the evenings, which was a beautiful way to move our bodies and find a connection between movement and stillness. Both were such a great way to clear my mind and stay present to really fully enjoy the entire experience. 
Surfing!
Costa Rica is one of the best places in the world for surfing. Unfortunately, the day we were there, it was super flat! Not many “olas” (waves) at the Playa Pan Dulce, but we still had a fun time enjoying the warm water and paddling around in the water. It was just beautiful to be in the water and enjoy the scenery and sounds of the Osa Peninsula. I was able to catch a few small waves, which made me happy! 
Waterfalls – “Only Opportunity”
We took a couple of hikes to two different waterfalls. So beautiful and the best experience to swim in a waterfall. As our guide, Julio, said “This is your only opportunity!” Such a great motto and one I want to take on whenever I travel from now on! 
Horseback Riding
We also went horseback riding through the jungle. We saw the most gorgeous views of the coast from high up. Such beautiful scenery and interesting flowers and plants we encountered along the way. A wonderful experience to connect with nature. 
Meeting new friends
Part of having a “zest for life” is meeting new people and learning about their experiences. It was so great to meet some wonderful women on this trip. We really connected and had such a fun time together – which included a dance party and a dip in the pool (with or without bathing suits ? ) on the last night. I love meeting and connecting with new people and these ladies were just the best! 
I absolutely loved my time in the Osa Peninsula and am looking forward to my next trip back! As they say in Costa Rica, Pura Vida!!
With Valentine’s (or Galentine’s ? ) Day coming up, I wanted to share some outfit ideas! These would all look great for any date night (or night out with the girls!).
Love this sweet red blouse paired with my fave faux leather leggings. These sandals from Sole Society are AWESOME. Love the fur and they are actually quite comfortable. Plus the color is really great – it’s like a gray/lavender that is actually really neutral. I’d also love these with an LBD! I bought this shirt last year from LOFT and it’s gone ☹, but I’ve linked to similar shirts below
Similar shirt, LOFT // Similar shirt, LOFT // Similar shirt, Target // Leggings, Spanx // Sandals, Sole Society - If you're local, check the sandals out at La Mere Clothing & Goods in Beacon 
I’m slightly obsessed with over the knee (“OTK”) boots right now. They look so great with jeans, but I think they’re even better paired with a mini skirt. I added a maroon bell sleeved sweater from my favorite local boutique, Haven in Poughkeepsie! I’d size up in the boots, which are currently 40% off with code READY40!! Exact boots linked below with some similar skirts and tops.
Similar sweater, Nordstrom // Similar skirt, Forever 21 // OTK Boots, Goodnight Macaroon 
“Wine is my Valentine” This is most likely what I will actually be wearing on Valentine’s Day ? In all seriousness, I like it paired with distressed jeans and my sneaker wedges. I think it looks cute tied at the bottom too.
Tshirt, Amazon // Jeans, Old Navy // Wedge sneakers, Nordstrom 
I'm in love with this dress! I actually have it in 2 different patterns because it is SO flattering. It’s a wrap dress and will seriously flatter any body type – really versatile. It looks great with sandals in the summer and I like it with slouchy boots too. You can also glam it up with some cute heels. The dress linked is the other pattern I have it in!
Dress, Maggy London // Similar boots, Target 
It’s always fun to go all Sandra Dee from Grease! Love this all black outfit with a pop of red for the shoe. These shoes are perfect for Valentine’s Day with the rhinestone detail and they’re not too high, so you can wear them all night (hopefully while singing some karaoke to Summer Nights)!
Top, Nordstrom // Leggings, Spanx // Jacket, Amazon // Shoes, Sole Society 
This dress is from Amazon!! I always get SO many compliments and it only cost $16!! There are a TON of colors and it ranges in price from $15-$25. The A-line is really flattering too. I also have it in black. I’d recommend sizing up. Looks really cute with sandals, but I paired it with nude patent heels here.
Dress, Amazon // Similar heels, Nine West
Happy Valentine's Day everyone!!
Over the past couple of years I’ve become “quite the hiking enthusiast” as my Mom says 😊 So many people travel to go hiking in the Hudson Valley and I’m SO lucky to live in the Hudson Valley and have amazing mountains out my back door. Hiking is such a great way to clear my mind and relieve stress. As soon as I get to the top of the mountain, I feel amazing. I’m a big fan of a strenuous hike that gets your heart pumping that has a big view as a payoff. Rock scrambles are my favorite – such an adrenaline rush! I recently got to check out Bonticou Crag, which is an amazing rock scramble hike in Mohonk Preserve in New Paltz. It was one that I had wanted to try for a while and when I had a day off and a couple of my friends were planning a trip – I jumped at the chance. WHAT A HIKE! The rock scramble was short, but awesome. It was tough in certain spots and just awe inspiring when you were at the bottom looking up at all the rock formations – seriously took my breath away. I’m not too bad with heights, but there were a couple of times that made me a bit dizzy! We also checked out the Table Rocks, which is about a 2 mile detour off the trail, but totally worth it too. They were large slanted rock formations with splits down the middle – such a cool thing to see. This one definitely challenged my fear of heights. At one point we jumped over one of the “cracks” (with a serious drop down) and I was fine going one way, but almost couldn’t make it back! The outreached hand of my friend helped me jump over it (thanks, Karen!!)! Highly recommend a trip there if you plan to be in the Hudson Valley and want a to check out one of the best hikes. Here are my top 5 hikes in the Hudson Valley that I’ve done so far: Mount Beacon A quick, steep hike to the ruins of an old casino with gorgeous views of the Hudson River and the quaint city of Beacon with the Catskills in the background. Hike up another mile to the fire tower to get a glimpse of NYC on a clear day. This is definitely one of the best hikes in the Hudson Valley in my opinion!  Mount Beacon Anthony’s Nose Another amazing hike in the Hudson Valley - I love this quick hike with one of my favorite views – looking down on the Bear Mountain Bridge. I usually go up the blue trail, which is up the face of the mountain. It’s a bit of a scramble and then I head down the white trail. This is a really great hike for sunset too – that was the first time I hiked it and it was gorgeous.  Anthony’s Nose Popolopen Torne Another great hike with a gorgeous view – you see Anthony’s Nose across the river and the Bear Mountain Bridge. This one is great for sunrise if you’re a morning person – I’m definitely not, but trying to do more morning hikes – so great to accomplish something to start the day! There's a bit of a rock scramble at the top of this trail too - and it's one of the best in the Hudson Valley in my opinion (probably after Breakneck).  Popolopen Torne Breakneck Ridge Breakneck is one of the most famous hikes in the Hudson Valley – it’s estimated that 100,000 people climb the mountain each year! I like to do this one during the week when there are less crowds. It’s an awesome rock scramble with great views of the Hudson River. It’s a relatively short hike, but strenuous to start – definitely a must if you like rock scrambles!  Breakneck Twin Mountain This was my first Catskills high peak and it’s such a great hike. I did it at night so we could catch the sunset and came down in the dark, which was so much fun. You also get to hike part of Devil’s Path, which is challenging, but awesome. The views from the 2 peaks are outstanding and if you can get a sunset, it’s magical!  Twin Mountain And now I’m adding Bonticou Crag to the list 😊 ! I’m hoping to add to this list as I explore more. What are some of your favorite hikes in the Hudson Valley? Any that I must try??  Tags: Hiking; Hiking the Hudson Valley, Top hikes in the Hudson Valley, Best hikes in the Hudson Valley.
 LA Meghan! Click the picture to shop my outfit Three (out of four) of my siblings live in Los Angeles. I typically visit a couple of times a year. I’m lucky enough to get out there for work usually once a year and I always tack on an extra weekend to spend time with them. The first time I went out to visit them was soon after I had 3 kids in 3 years (!!), so I was definitely ready to let loose! We were celebrating my sister’s birthday and a few of my cousins joined us for the trip too. We had a blast and I definitely took advantage of being childless for the few days I was there! They ended up nicknaming me “LA Meghan” and the moniker has stuck! It’s always an adventure when I’m there. This time revolved a lot around food. We got to go to Majordomo, David Chang’s restaurant. I’m slightly obsessed with David Chang and the best meal of my life was at Momofuku Ko in 2008. As soon as I knew I was going to be in LA, I booked a reservation when they opened up 30 days before. It was AH-mazing. The space was super cool. The service was fantastic and the food was seriously SO good. I started with a “cobbler” cocktail which was made with scotch, smoked short-rib fat, apricot and oloroso sherry. It came in a copper julep cup and was delish!  The Cobbler It was great going with 4 people because we got to try a lot of dishes – and none of them disappointed! We started with the Bing with Pork Neck & Spicy Pineapple, then we had the stuffed peppers, which are one of their most popular dishes and definitely a crowd pleaser.  Stuffed Peppers Next we had the marinated mushrooms, which were so good – super clean and bright flavors.  Marinated Mushrooms The next dish was my absolute favorite – macaroni & chickpea with black truffle. This dish was so good – no cheese at all, but it was the creamiest, yummiest pasta ever.  Macaroni & Chickpea We also had the Black Cod, which was also amazing – I wish I could eat it every night! Then we had the roasted duck crispy rice – yum! Loved the crispy bits of rice – they mixed it all at the table.
We finished out the meal with the amazing boneless chuck shortrib, which was topped with melted raclette right at the table. We literally had other tables gawking to see what it was.  Boneless Chuck Short Rib We somehow had enough room to try dessert and I was SO glad we did! We got the passionfruit dessert, which had meringue on top and it seriously just hit the spot! Such a perfect way to end the meal. If you’re in LA anytime soon, I’d say it’s a must!!  Passionfruit Dessert We also checked out Milkbar while I was there. Tried the famous cereal milk ice cream and the crack pie – both were delicious! The space was super cute too – lots of pink (my fave!). They had a class going on when we were there, which I’d love to try next time – maybe learn how to make crack pie on my own? That might be a dangerous thing!!  On a sugar high in this pic :) Click the pic to shop my outfit Anyway – all in it was a fantastic trip to LA. I got to spend a few days with my family and then attended my company's sales kickoff event for a few days at the Beverly Hilton. Ended the trip with an awards gala on the same stage that they have the Golden Globes, so that was pretty cool! LA Meghan had a pretty great trip and can’t wait for the next one!!!  Work event at the Beverly Hilton! Click the picture to shop my outfit  Love this sequined top from Macy's!! I love the new year - and not just for the champagne (but I do love me some Veuve Clicquot and of course a sparkly top!). The new year is a great time to reflect on the past year and look to make some changes to better yourself in the coming year. I’ve found that self-reflection has really helped me make changes for the better in my life. I also love making resolutions. The start of a new year is a fresh start and definitely reinvigorates me to focus on things that are important to me. This year, as one of my resolutions, I’ve decided to take the plunge and create a blog about things that I’m passionate about - fashion, travel, food, etc. - and share my "zest for life" with others (hence the moniker “Seeking Zest”). I’m looking to share things that make me happy and hope you’ll join me on this journey.
Some of my other resolutions include:
What are your resolutions? |
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