Island Time

Arrival

I never fully comprehended the saying “I’m on Island Time” until living on Martha’s Vineyard for almost the past two months and realizing I have yet to have time to write any of my experiences down until now. Being around a computer just isn’t a priority here while on island time. Every minute has been all about living in that minute, experiencing whatever it was that would be going on around you, not worrying about e-mails or internet or surfing the net. But having an afternoon off, I thought I’d pressure myself into getting some things out before my memories thus far become more of a blur than the experiences themselves. Looking back to the beginning of my journey here, summer had finally graced us all with it’s presence and warm weather and the Jack Wills Martha’s Vineyard team couldn’t have been happier. The first few weeks had been epic, the fun never ending. We had been representing the brand on nights out, wearing all the styles Summer Holiday has to offer, furthering our close-knit relationships with one another. The Vineyard has been lucky enough to receive visits from Bostonians, New Haveners and Newporters alike for house parties, bar crawls and birthday parties.

While every night has truly been incredible and full of enjoyment, I can pinpoint a handful of times that are really worth mentioning…

Night out in JW Style

Summer Solstice

I had this day off of work and with my morning plans, preemptively did not go out the night before so I woke up well rested. What were those plans? A 5:30 a.m. wake up call to go for my first ever horseback ride on the beach for sunrise. While I have ridden all along the east coast, nothing has put such a huge smile on my face or instilled in me such a feeling of freedom until then. The sun was already so strong by 6am as me and the trainer I found walked down from the barn to the beach. There were slight waves on the water but hardly another soul in sight. Nothing could ever be so worth waking up so early for.

Early Morning Ride

After that, being in such a good mood and all, I kept the ball rolling and enjoyed breakfast, coffee, and my favorite, the New York Times at a downtown cafe for a few hours before meeting my roommate on a small beach for a few hours before relocating to the popular South Beach with a few friends. Luckily a coworker of mine had and overland pass and we were able to take his Jeep to a more secluded area, stocked with some drinks, snacks and great island music. Later that afternoon we took the boat out to enjoy a bit of the sunset from the water, another sight that was breathtaking and completely peaceful. At the time, I deemed the entire day as one of the best ever. After getting an entire day’s worth of sunshine and the resulting tan, the entire Vineyard crew I associate with made it out to the bar for a Summer Solstice celebration. The DJ was top notch, the dancing pretty much never ending. Looking back, it was one of the most non-stop, happy day of the summer. Not bad for a Monday, and the perfect way to kick of the actual Summer season.

Team Spirit

Later that week, the long awaited bespoke Jack Wills Martha’s Vineyard t-shirts came in delivery, so the JWTheVineyard team and friends all wore them out collectively. Meeting at Grace and Rachel’s for some pre-cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, the matching group walked down to the harbor where we took a boat out to a neighboring town of the island Oak Bluffs for some summer celebratory fireworks. How the large group we had didn’t sink the somewhat small boat is beyond me, but we made it work, enjoying the show, catching up with visitors, and the usual drinking and listening to music. Fortunately making it back to the harbor later on in one piece, our bespoke donning team practically took over one of the local bars equipped with dance floor, live DJ and an oversized outdoor, upper-deck patio. Not only were we having an amazing time in our new threads, but it also generated some positive inquisitions regarding the company. As last call came around, a few of us ran to a near by friends house only to find out it was locked shot. Having zero desire to end our night, Rachel and I took off down the street, stopping at a house that sounded pretty fun. Not wanting to completely crash this party, we knocked on the door asking for sugar, a request the house owner was more than happy to honor and they then ever so politely asked us to stay and mixed us a drink. Hilariously enough we stayed for some time, partaking in conversations, making friends, and of course hanging on to our new Jim Beam bottle filled with sugar.

Birthday Celebrations

(Not mine) But recently was my roommate, Charles aka Chucks in Charge or Charles in Charge’s birthday. Being in charge, he had to have the best birthday ever and I think it was a success. Neither us having work, we woke up in excitement fairly early and toasted with a few bottles of champagne with another roommate Marcy, one of my closest friends from college Rachel, and another visiting guest Henry. We were fortunate enough to be given a warm sun-filled day so proceeded to spend the afternoon laying on South Beach, of course. A quick trip home and change of clothes, and a larger group assembled out to the bay side of South Beach for a photo shoot. The lighting at around 7:30pm was absolutely incredible, we had beers to calm the self-conscious nerves (if any, perhaps we just wanted a drink…) and basically just ran around in the sand and the warmer waters, with the occasional human pyramid and shotgun lineup. The pictures came out incredibly, thanks to the fantastic photographer who is also another roommate of mine (yes, I have 5 other roommates besides myself, similar to the Real World) and camera or no camera, we all had a blast messing around together before indulging in some grilled dinner. Another quick change and it was onto the boat out to a part of the Vineyard, Cape Pogue, where an even larger group assembled in honor of Chuck. Stepping off the boat I was genuinely suprised and impressed with the bonfire that was crackling in the sand, as well as with how delicious the birthday cake brought tasted. A few of us left early, just in time for a few drinks and some purely fun, jumping up and down, singing along dance party at the bar. I personally was dressed to the dimes in Nike shorts and bright Patagonia fleece, but nonetheless we had an amazing evening celebrating the birth of Chucks in Charge.

Beach Day

 

On the Water

 

Independence Day

I will be completely honest, I was very skeptical about how the Fourth was going to be on the Vineyard. Spending it on Nantucket last year, I experienced the most outrageous beach party to this day, so I really wasn’t sure how anything could compare. But much to my pleasure, the Vineyard, while a completely different scene and experience, managed to impress me with it’s celebrations. After a work filled day, a coworker and I had a pre-parade around town in the Jack Wills Land Rover, blasting respectively “American Girl” and “Party in the U.S.A.” Of course, we couldn’t stop laughing during the playing of the second song. The actual parade attracted a ridiculously large crowd, and I actually enjoyed watching it. Later that evening, as I’m sure most of the country did, we indulged in the viewing of fireworks. Let me tell you. These were some of the most incredible fireworks I have ever seen, the most lengthy showing I have ever seen as well. And it didn’t take away from the effect that I was watching them from the water, on a boat tied up to a few more boats with loads of great people, drinks and snacks. We all watched the show in blissful delight, and carried out the rest of the night on the water. I may have been one of two people to take a late night swim out in the ocean…

 

Fireworks on the 4th

Other things worth mentioning: A great JW team home cooked dinner and amazing game of apples to apples, kite surfing on my roommates back (WILD), amazing trip to the beaches up-island on Gay Head, afternoon croquet and bloody marys, a few mansion parties, several more sunset boat rides, jumping off a bridge into the freezing cold ocean, countless bar hopping nights… So far, nothing hasn’t been a great time, and with the JWseasonnaires fashion show hosted by Vitamin Water Uncapped tomorrow in Boston, the fun is sure to continue through late July and August!

Half-way There…

After a bit of a hiatus, I figured it was time to recap on the final weeks of my sophomore year before the details become more blurred than they already are. I didn’t manage to travel around as much as I had anticipated, but regardless it was a great April and May for me…

Spring Fling at Yale

Not only does Jack Wills provide blossoming spring florals on their jumpers and delicate plaids on their oxfords, but the supply the states with impeccably timed spring weather. A few weeks ago was Yale’s Spring Fling and a great group consisting of Red (finally back on the east coast), Ben, Will, Rachel, myself and Izzy (finally in the US!) were all in attendance, sprinkling Jack Wills love all over New Haven, CT. We arrived at the hotel mid afternoon, the sunshine at its peak, and gathered for a delicious drink and quick bite on the terrace before making our way to campus.

Yale

Walking into the gates of Yale, you could hear the DJs on the quad pumping tunes and we were all excited. Now, I had never been to the school prior to this, but it was well worth the wait. I was instantly impressed by the amounts of cherry trees and dogwoods on campus, the pristine courtyards, stone buildings and statues, and ornate doors. It was picturesque to say the least. Walking into Will’s dorm after this scene, I was not expecting the pre-game that awaited us; beer, shot-gunning, and what seemed to be a New Haven trend, smoking indoors. Then it was off to the first performance of the fling, Third Eye Blind, for a little while until we went to the Owl Lounge, a very swanky cigar bar. After another round of drinks or two with the great Jack Wills group and some other friends, it was back to Yale’s quad for Lupe Fiasco, whose performance was amazing. We danced, took pictures, sat on shoulders and rapped along in the heat of the night.

The group definitely took full advantage of all of the hot spots New Haven had to offer as we bopped along the streets, stopping into several eateries and drink joints as desired, (leaving a #jwsummer carving mark every so often…) before indulging in the Jack Wills hosted after party at Toads Place. The venue was kind enough to let us park right out front, adorn the bar and stage with banners and let our closest friends through the back. A few shots later, the girls and I were off dancing the night away on stage before the party pants frenzy began. Rachel and Izzy headed to the DJ booth and spread the Jack Wills party pants love, as we all did later on stage. The limited amount we had caused quite the ruckus among the crowd, but the most deserving went home with a pair of the neon numbers. We eventually had our own dance party in the hotel later that night (there may have been a box of pizza somewhere in the mix) before sleep. Following an early morning all you can eat breakfast in the hotel, the close-knit Jack Wills gang that had assembled for Spring Fling said their “goodbye”s and dispersed.

 Clam Jammin’

As April was coming to a close, I was determined to take advantage of nights out at school as fully as possible. A week full of champagne and Skinny Girls, one on one beer pong and working my way into the “Grape” lead to the most anticipated day of the semester (if not year) at Fairfield: Clam Jam. While after the past two years I have yet to run into any actual clams, the day lived up to its name in regards to being a great party. The night before I had minimal sleep, and even though many people, myself included, spend precious time finding a great sundress for the event, and as a result woke up disheveled and without a means for a great outfit. Of course, I pretended it was completely acceptable to parade around the beach in lacrosse shorts, a pinne, and for a short amount of time a sombrero. Once in my duds, the morning started slow with mimosas as police tried to control entrance to the beach. Thankfully that didn’t last long, and as students flooded in, I was eventually going between houses and the beach with a super soaker at the peak of my social butterflying. Two students provided the whole afternoon with insane DJ-ing skills… you could hear their great picks blasting throughout the entire point of the beach. It was such a beautiful day, I couldn’t have been happier with a drink in hand and friends everywhere. Epitome of a beach party, absolutely. It even managed to make the news. The fun progressed through the night of course, and I somehow made it back to my dorm briefly for a quick change into something a little more presentable until I eventually got to sleeping.

Beachside Crowd

Sunday Fun-day

The next day, the weather was even nicer and by what I can only describe as a miracle, I managed to wake up early enough to lounge on the beach and get a nice tan going before the afternoon festivities actually began. Once in full swing, the day’s activities included old fashioned backyard games (of which I did not partake in due to lack of skill), swinging on swings and a little lax all the while great ’90s-alt. music played in the background. Everyone was in the best of moods, enjoying drinks and each others company. Such an array of things was already so satisfactory, but was made even better when delicious food and wine was added to the mix. A friend who lives at the house, his southernly hospitable parents were kind enough to provide almost endless amounts of sushi and other appetizers followed by thoroughly marinated flank steaks fresh off the grill, lobster macaroni and cheese, salad and desert. Needless to say, it was amazing. As the sun dipped, classic college drinking games ensued… parents as participants included. How I, or anyone for that matter, had energy left to then walk to the bar later on for pitchers and darts, I am not sure, but it happened. A great nightcap to conclude a great long weekend.

Last Week of School

Wednesday, May 4th, the last day of classes, came around more quickly than I thought. In celebration, I discretely brought mimosas to enjoy during class, which were complimented nicely by the snacks my professor contributed. Later that evening a friend and I met up for mojitos, margaritas and martinis before meeting up with our girlfriends in their suite. A little more pregaming and we were off to bounce around at the beach. Details unknown, but also menial as it was our state of mind the following morning that was most pivotal:

Waking up, my friends and I had no desire to return to campus so we instead drove around on the beautiful afternoon that was Cinco de Mayo. We ate at the diner, drove around the beach, and made it our mission to find sombreros. After stopping at multiple locations, our mission proved impossible. (Instead, we decided it was fitting to settle for Dora the Explorer masks, a decision that was only funny to us and was not appreciated by anyone else…) Once we returned to Fairfield after a long visit to the mall, we still lacked desire to return to campus and then it dawned on me. We could avoid campus if we got a hotel room. Surprisingly, my friends agreed and we marched into the Inn at Fairfield Beach, Dunkin’ cup of beer in hand, and asked for what was available. We settled on a two-bedroom room equipped with mini kitchen, dining area and lounge area, there was just one problem: cash flow. So instead of giving up our dream, we resorted to selling back our textbooks. Anxiety took over as the books were checked, but was immediately replaced with relief when I had made back just enough for my share. The other girls rushed down to reserve our room while I met up with my best friend from home for tacos and margaritas, before the two of us rejoined everyone at the hotel. Readying myself in a clean, non-dorm sized space was so relaxing. We dressed up, danced and bonded over our luxurious space, occasionally putting on our Dora masks, eventually tearing ourselves away to go out for a short while although the majority of our evening was spent in our room and running around the deck.

Cinco de Mayo

The next day included amazing afternoon activities such as more diner breakfasts, cupcakes at Crumb in Westport and laying in the sand for a few hours. Over the next few days while I had no finals, I made a trip home for a delicious family dinner, late nights out at school, and even the occasional trips to the library while on caffeine highs. I widened my coffee drinking horizons from plain to flavored thanks to a great new friend, expanded my musical taste to include a bit more techno and truly took in all of the little things school and those in attendance have to offer. Not ready to let go, after finals and moving out, I made it back to Fairfield two more times to milk all of the fun my year had to offer.

Trinity

After officially accepting that I was done for the year at school, what better way to distract my nostalgia than to join the Jack Wills crew in Hartford for a frat party? Not much. So off to Trinity College I was, best friend in tow and party pants on. The night started slow, catching up with everyone in the apartments, but hit a spike once arriving at the AD frat house. If I had to choose one word to describe the duration of the evening it would have to be “fratastic”. The house was decked out in neon paint, Jack Wills banners, Uncle Jack flags, bars, a library (my favorite aspect), countless drinking game tables, a dancing cage and a DJ booth. Being only my second frat party ever, I still wasn’t sure what to expect but the frattiness that ensued seemed text-book quality. Kegs, backwards hats, pastels, fleece vests, anything urbandictionary.com dubbs “frat”, you name it, was there. The music was great, the dancing never ending, and to my appeal, the chivalry was pretty top-notch in regards to getting drink refills. It was great seeing people I hadn’t in a while, mixed in with my best friend since kindergarden, as well as the many new faces I momentarily became acquainted with. It was a late night followed by an early morning, but none the less a great brief Jack Wills oriented jaunt.

TrinColl

I now find myself reminiscing about the past year, how many amazing people I have met along the way, all of the experiences I’ve partaken in and lived to the fullest, and how I would gladly relive it all. Since that is not an option, I instead am replacing my longing for the past with feelings of excitement as I unpack my things from school, only to repack them for what I predict to be a ridiculously epic, fun-filled summer living and working on Martha’s Vineyard. While I’m already halfway through with college, it seems as though the best of times are just beginning. And for those who don’t already have an amazing summer planned, check out…

This summer, Jack Wills will be searching for one US college student to be part of the Best Summer Job in America. The person chosen for this role will be shipped off to Nantucket in peak season to live and work with our Nantucket Store Seasonnaire, Red Rainey. Parties, days on the beach and nights in town will take up most of their time as they help to make Jack Wills Nantucket the best store on the island. When the winner of the ‘Best Summer Job in America’ isn’t representing Jack Wills on the Nantucket beaches they will be flown around to some of other seasonal locations including Newport, Southampton and Martha’s Vineyard, as well as taking part in two huge Jack Wills summer events – one in the UK and one in LA. Here’s the kicker – they will receive $20,000 towards their next semester’s tuition fees…

Apply Now: http://www.facebook.com/jackwillsusa OR http://www.jackwills.com

A Brief on Spring…

With the end of the semester looming dauntingly and the prospective epic summer just beyond the horizon, it’s no surprise I’m bursting with overwhelmingly mixed emotions. For the past month I’ve been in anticipation of Summer Break, but with the long overdue spring weather, I’m not quite ready for the year to end. While I have a few excursions planned with the JW gang, I intend to indulge in as much fun at school as I can with exams and papers sprinkled somewhere in there as well. In the past week I have managed to get started on such, of course, and got to do some of my favorite activities…

After an entire weekend home writing an essay for Philosophy, (and being risky by lightening my hair), in my old stomping grounds of the lovely New Milf Starbucks, I kept my high school habits going when I enjoyed a few beers and displayed my lack of talent at video gaming while listening to some much missed country music and DMB. After a great night, I was even happier waking up to a beautiful morning which happened to lead to a great afternoon:

Warm sunshine, campus abuzz with activities, shorts and sunglasses a must, my first instinct was to crave a margarita… a craving I needed to satisfy. Once I made the decision to forgo my attendance in my night class, it was right down to springtime celebrations. At the peak of the sun, I took a nice leisurely walk along the water, taking in the ocean breeze and scent of salt water. After a quick change into my favorite pair of boyfriend fit jeans, tank-top and chambray blazer it was time to head south of the border (in my mind of course… the Mexican restaurant is really just down the road.) What better to do than sip on a few Happy Hour specials, eat chips and salsa and sit in the sun on such a day all in good company? Exactly.

St. Marys by the Sea

A few nights later, Mother Nature decided to play another card and “bless” campus with torrential downpour and flash flooding. Nothing a good cocktail, trusty Sperrys and a raincoat can’t handle… for the most part. My jeans were soaked through for the rest of the night, and the rain left party-goers with the options of either huddling on the porch or dancing in a very warm, sweaty room. Don’t let the negative sounding adjectives fool you though, it was a great night out with the girls, I danced ’till I could no more, and despite having to literally peel my jeans off for bed, had a good deal of college fun.

And why end there? With Sunday, the usually dreaded day of rest, came another bout of sunshine which was much appreciated. I had a classic afternoon filled with delicious fruit smoothies, a windows-down drive along the water (not a walk this time… it still was Sunday, come on), playing dress up with Lily Pulitzer sundresses and a late lunch. A miniature, random thunderstorm lead to another change of pace when I found myself taking shots, sipping beers and feeding the Juke box at a local spot with, as always, some good company. College, I know, but such is life and it is what it is. Not at all sorry.

Oxmoore Swimsuit

Larkhill Dress

I plan on being slightly productive for a day or two before I dive into some more Spring fun (Mark Twain once called it Spring Fever… I think he was on to something). With Easter break this week, I’ll be making a trip up to Boston to get my hands on all of the floral the Jack Wills Summer Term line has to offer, road tripping to St. Lawrence for their Springfest, then Spring Fling at Yale, and finally the much-anticipated “Clam Jam”. So, while I’m yearning for hot summer days, I won’t forget about the things the interceding months of April and May have to offer.

Marching On!

With a new month comes new adventures, and while no adventures included sleds or extravagant balls, March has been adventuresome none the less.

For the first time since I can remember, I started the month off by spending an entire weekend at Fairfield and was surprised at how satisfyingly fun it was. Sushi and drinks with the girls, beach houses, dancing, late night town house going… A nice slice of “home” for a change.

I managed an entire week of classes and school work before my next weekend get-away…

Boston Bound

So of course I was missing the city by this time already and had to make my way back. Although I normally drive myself, I did not this time, which lead me to believe being economically conscious was the way to go. As in taking the bus. All the way from New Haven to Boston and let me just say, it was not the way to go. While it got me there in an inexpensive, relatively timely manner, I was uncomfortable and afraid, and no matter how many times a stranger calls you pretty (with alcohol-scented breath), it does not help.

I was in Boston to rejoin the lovely Jack Wills gang for a Silent Disco at Tufts University. According to urbandictionary.com a silent disco is “a surreal party experience where the music is pumped through distributed wireless headphones instead of the speakers. a crazy sight to behold, even crazier to partake in.” All true, but like it does with everything else, Jack Wills adds a little something extra. These extras include but are not limited to: beaded, chopped up t-shirts, lens-less sunglasses, neon stickers everywhere, an abundance of shots, and our usual epic soundtracks. The night was great fun, although it ended early due to an unfortunate call to the campus police. No one was harmed or documented!

 

Silent Disco!

Click HERE to see all the pictures from Jack Wills this month!

South Bound

The next day, a few of us headed south for some more activities starting with supporting a lacrosse game at Trinity College. The girls effortlessly defeated their opponent and was rightfully celebrated afterwards with a tailgate. The team and friends enjoyed slow cooked turkey, birthday cake, bloody mary’s and some JW goodies, of course. Grace, Abby and I then were off in the company Land Rover to have another fun-filled night, this time at my own Fairfield University.

The three of us arrived to the hotel room early that evening, and we were instantly overcome with nostalgia for the Trade Winds back in Maine with the entire crew. Despite that, we of course managed to make due of the gal time and indulged in alcoholic whipped cream and Triple 8 drinks before heading to the beach for a party with Red Bull and some Fairfield U. music blogs as hosts. We definitely did not know what we were in for, however.

Walking into the BFNH down by the beach equipped with boxes of party pants, tees and sunnies, we were bombarded by frenzied students. Overwhelming and unexpected, but exciting for sure. Luckily the owners of the house were more than accommodating and acted as our personal body guards so we could safely spread the Jack Wills love throughout the party. The house was more than over capacity, but everyone enjoyed the abundance of Red Bull, the amazing DJ, and their new duds which could be found on students at the bars and on campus later that night and throughout the week.

Fairfield U.

There was a break for us between the house party and the bar, during which we went back to the hotel for our whipped cream which was broken, thus it had to be slammed in the door and ripped open in order for us to savor the entirety of its contents.

Out at the bar until closing was a pretty standard good time; we had drinks, danced, photographed and videotaped, and in the midst of the daylight savings time confusion made it to a diner for some late night grub. It was at the diner where it, looking back, was not at all standard, although at the time we may have thought it to be so.

The Whipped Cream

Let me explain…

The table behind us struck up conversation, and we eventually found ourselves seated with our new acquaintances and eating their food. One of the guys had somewhat of a striking appearance and led Grace to ask,

“Has anyone ever told you you look a lot like John Mayer?”

To which the boys simply laughed. We responded with an array of things like,

“John Mayer sucks,” and “His songs are lame,” and “Didn’t he date Jennifer Anniston?”

We unknowingly continued on with normal conversation, when a group of girls approached the table and asked for a picture with this striking, John Mayer “look-a-like”. They seemed to think he was the real deal. We still continued on unknowingly and eventually tired of the diner and departed after a brief farewell. While walking a few miles up the street to our hotel (until a nice police officer picked us up and escorted us the rest of the way), we experienced an epiphany.  The striking appearance and suave attitude combined with no actual name given to us, and photo taking fans, led us to realize that the character wasn’t just someone with resemblance to the celebrity, but was in fact, John Mayer. Upon further investigation, we realized he even happened to be from Fairfield.

Oops!

Slightly disappointed and embarrassed by our confusion, we decided instead to laugh about it and embrace the hilariousness of the story, and relish in the idea that we will perhaps stand out in the singer’s memory. After this I managed to stay at school for a whole four days before it was Boston bound again, this time on a train thank goodness!

Spring break!

(Finally.)

After a few weeks of reading about my friends at other schools having the luxury of going to Puerto Rico or Miami for their breaks, Fairfield finally decided to release it’s student body for theirs. While I am not finding myself anywhere tropical during mine, I of course have been surrounding myself with great company, and started off with St. Patrick’s Day festivities.

The girls and I adorned ourselves in painted on shamrocks, and eventually made our way to The Liberty Hotel, Boston: An extremely cool, swanky hotel with the largest escalator I have ever seen. The bar upstairs is pretty open and super luxurious, but somewhere downstairs could be found The Clink, which at the time seemed like the most dim, underground spot. There appeared to be bars on the windows and resembled something right out of the prohibition era. Very cool, until, as per usual, we were not allowed back in.

Friday, a large portion of the Jack Wills gang found themselves down on Boston Harbor. We were at the Sail Loft for a nice family dinner before the celebration of a fellow seasonnaire’s birthday at the venue.

Birthday @ The Sail Loft

It was loads of fun, the moon was full and spectacular and completely visible from the outside porch of the Loft. We were blessed with a warmer evening for once, which was conducive for the girls showing off the JW spring line! It was a late night, but that didn’t stop a few of us from road tripping to Vermont the next morning!

Time to get Frattastic!

While as I mentioned, most tend to gravitate towards the warmth during their spring breaks, I decided to spend a night up north where there is still snow. Or to put it simply…

“When the world zigs, we zag.” – Seth Cohen

So it was a nice long road trip in the Landy up to Burlington for a Jack Wills frat party at the University of Vermont… We were sure to pit stop for scenic photos, to make sure we were reading the map correctly, and took a drive down to the breathtaking edge of Lake Champlain once we arrived. I have never seen something quite so picturesque in a very long time, if ever, and the view made the cold temperatures perhaps worth it. A fun intimate group of us stopped for some fine Asian cuisine and flaming scorpion bowls before buying out the grocery store’s stock of beer and heading to the house.

The frat house resembled something of an english manor, and it was quite insane, equipped with a bar in the stone basement, a restaurant-style kitchen, so many levels, pillars, fireplaces, and roof-top views.

Rooftop View at UVM

 

We embellished the house with Jack Wills banners, a giant Union Jack flag, personalized solo cups and exclusive distributions of JW hand-outs. A bouncer kept things at the door under control, a DJ was spinning downstairs, and pledges were bar-tending. It being my very first frat party, I was in awe and not at all let down. Although the party got broken up before desired, we managed to keep it going ourselves later on with late night dancing, free-style rapping, jumping around on the roof, polished off every ounce of alcohol around, (as well as some Girl Scout cookies) and eventually cozied up for bed.

The fact that we were able to make it back to Boston early the following afternoon and go out for drinks, dinner, and dive-bar fun that night just proves that March held its own against February. I’d like to extend a special thanks to G&A for having me on their JW Spring Break University Tour, and while Spring has just sprung and break isn’t over yet, I think I am just ready for summer!

An Homage…

To February!

After receiving confirmation that I was, in fact, unfit for the final cut of the Jack Wills Tobogganing Nationals 2011 Video from the videographer himself, I think it is safe to say that February was a good month.

While I normally consider February to be a dreadful month (it follows the Holiday season of December and January and precedes the anticipated spring break of March), this year it kicked ass. I guess it is true what they say, that good things come in small packages, being as there are only 28 days in this newly-acclaimed fun-having month.

Looking back, it all started with the super bowl. While I am no football fan, I do happen to be a beer/wing/pizza enthusiast and managed to take full advantage of the evening in regards to those aspects. Black Eyed Peas during half-time who? Exactly. Took full advantage.

Then there was Tobogganing… Success. And the Boston Winter Ball. Another great success. Some would think that was enough for one month, however I decided to not let that be the case although I did manage to take few day’s break on…

Martha’s Vineyard:

Afternoon/Sunset View from house

A clean, ocean-front view humble abode equipped with wood burning fires, abundant cups of tea, amazing tunes permeating the surround sound system, and the most chivalrous of good company was exactly what I needed. The normally-buzzing summer island was quite during the winter month, blanketed lightly in fresh snow yet lacking none of it’s charm.

Martha's Vineyard Cliffs

After practicing escapism a day of classes too many on the Vineyard it was time to return to Fairfield before my next week of adventures which entailed more sauntering around various North Eastern states.

Greenwich!

The same day I returned to the mainland, the good ol’ Jack Wills marketing team happened to be in Connecticut… an occurrence I couldn’t miss. A ferry ride and three classes later I made it to the jungle-esque bar at the Hyatt in Greenwich. The tiki hut styled structure surrounded by lush forestry and trickling streams immediately made it seem like a summer’s night. A sushi and sake meal down town later, the three of us (Ben, Edward and myself) returned to the jungle where I then noticed a particular liqueur on display, of which I ordered in a surprise drink at the discretion of the great bar tender. She made me the following delicious concoction:

St. Germain & Champagne also known as La Rosette

• 1/2 part St. Germain
• Top with Brut Champagne, Dry Sparkling Wine or Brut Rosé
• Special twist: Splash of Chambord Black Raspberry Liqueur

For more information or recipes with St. Germain go here!

The next morning I got another taste of jungle life at breakfast; birds decided to join us at the table!

Rhode Island

On Saturday, a few days later, after a quick drink in a Providence brewery, I found myself on the campus of Bryant University to visit my best friend from home. What was supposed to be a “no-pants” party (Party pants, anyone?) turned into a “black-light” party (well, party pants still, anyone?). Me and my friend’s suite-mates decked ourselves out in layers of neon and Jack Wills,doused our eyelids in glitter, and cracked open our beers.

Ready for Black Lights

The students at Bryant this night were particularly rowdy in celebration of their triumph in lacrosse over my own Fairfield Stags team. This rowdiness was made even more apparent when I came to be the judge of a “Thigh-Off” between several guys, the winner of which would receive the last pair of party-pants I had to offer:

The Competition

Those legs on the right belong to the winner, although my decision wasn’t enough… some wrestling, arguing and upset was involved until the deserving winner finally got the party pants on. Later that night, the girls representing JW made it to the glowing dance floor, dance table and funnel station. I was impressed not only with Bryant’s ability to party hard especially after a lax game, but their knowledge of Jack Wills.

“Nantucket, right?” was a question I heard many times throughout the evening.

I may have snuck in a late night slice of pizza or two (and maybe a brownie..), but overall my night-long stay in Rhode Island was a great one and I am looking forward to next time.

New York City

The next afternoon I left the Providence area for the city that never sleeps. I managed to arrive at Grand Central at a satisfactory time of night and was greeted by two fabulous new friends from Tobogganing. Although it was a seemingly quiet Sunday night, we made the best of it. Our first stop was the Mason Dixon, which had apparently been packed the night before, however we happened to be the only ones there this time around. As I said, we made the best of it and I decided I’d put my equestrian skills to good use and take on the Mechanical Bull. While I lasted well over a minute, my arm from holding on is still sore… A video of it is floating around somewhere, although I haven’t seen it quite yet. Another feature of the Mason Dixon we decided to make use of was the photo booth…

Mason Dixon Photo Booth

… before we headed off to a bar whose name I cannot recall, although there was amazing, romantic lighting, and an adorable, cuddly bulldog/pitbull type dog Brut with whom we sat on an accommodating couch sipping on delicious martinis and tumblers of whiskey. It was here that we caught up with each other, enjoyed the company, winded down and got asked to leave come closing time before calling it a (late) night.

After saying our goodbyes that night and the next morning, I was off and back to school, where I will now be spending the night for the first time since February 8th. While I have no extravagant escapades planned for this coming weekend it is only a matter of time, what with spring break in a few weeks and a Jack Wills Land Rover tour with fellow University Seasonnaires Abby and Grace just before.

So thank you, February, for really out-doing yourself this year, and for setting quite the high standard for all the other months to come!

Dancing in our knickers…

Alas, Jack Wills does it again.

This past weekend was the 3rd annual Boston Winter Ball, a charity event for the Children’s Hospital at the Fairmont Copley Hotel. Jack Wills was a sponsor of the event, offering items for raffle and also managed to offer its own form of entertainment (to be mentioned later…)

JW had four female University Seasonnaires including myself wear elite dresses from their own line to the event…

I wore:

The Arkendale Sequin Dress

paired with…

Stuart Weitzman Flats (Neiman Marcus)

and a vintage mink stole.

The end result:

Windy arrival

(The evening of the ball, Saturday 2/19/2011, followed a Launch Party the night before at Revolution Rock Bar, to which I wore a form fitting H&M dress and J.Crew blazer paired with the same Stuart Weitzman flats. The reserved location was equipped with a dance floor and a swanky downstairs bar with couches, all of which I took full advantage of.)

The Boston Winter Ball

Our staff handed out rare discount cards to the Jack Wills store, spread brand love, and after a few dreadful hours of being the WORST door-girl (checking the guest list and IDs), the Jack Wills team got to it. A friend and fellow University Seasonnaire, Grace, taught me the art of open-bar hopping in the ballroom. It included…

1. Glass of champagne at one bar. (NO SHOTS?!)
2. Glass of champagne at next bar.
3. Glass of champagne at last bar.
4. Repeat.

Other activities included dancing, swim cap modeling with a long lost Nantucket pal, prosciutto eating and photograph taking.

Oh… and getting asked to leave due to lack of clothing. Someone really should inform the Fairmont Copley Hotel that Jack Wills Party Pants are, as a matter of fact, an acceptable form of party attire. Why was this an issue? Jack Wills raffled off the Ballinger Dress:

of which I presented on stage near the closing of the Ball. A lucky gal had won the gown in the auction and it was to be handed down to her off the main stage. I blindly offered my services (I have no plans in running for any governmental position, so I am hoping this wasn’t too horrible a decision, you only live once, as they say)…Of course I had my party pants on underneath, and used a blazer for my top post dress-removal. Apparently, this was inappropriate “black-tie” apparel. After being kicked out, it was however, after-party appropriate.

The After-Party

At a hard-to-find, luxuriously packed apartment, many of the 900 attendees of the Ball gathered. The Jack Wills team spent quite some time galavanting around Newbury Street and its surrounding area in search of the apartment in the frigid night in minimal clothing. Finally, after being pointed in the correct direction, we danced more, spread the Jack Wills love by means of plastering stickers everywhere, and conducted a photo-shoot on the rooftop terrace.

Another weekend of utter debauchery and glamour was undoubtedly a success… Fun was had by all, friendships were further formed, and in spite of the cliche, memories were most certainly made.

More photos can be found online…

Again, thank you Jack Wills for a great weekend, I hope everyone else had even a fraction of as good a time as we did!

What Happens in Maine…

Will stay with me forever. (Or, at least what I remember will.)

There have been many places I’ve visited that I miss, and to be honest, I knew I’d have fun in Main but i didn’t expect aching for it and the wonderful people I met there just days after.

But here I am, in my dorm room feeling extremely nostalgic as the photo tags begin, and since I cannot choose a single word to describe how insanely fun the weekend was I will recap, and perhaps you can think of one…

Day 1 (Thursday)

Endured an hour long flight from Boston to Rockland, Maine with no light, no heat, and a seat that would occasionally rock back and forth.

Got in the Jack Wills soft top Land Rover… still, no heat. I was convinced I was in Antarctica.

Skipping some details, the crew that was already there had a great meal out at In Good Company equipped with endless wine, food, conversation and desert coffee. We all then went to a house where home-brewed Whisky beer was drank, oyster shots were slurped down, thumper was played and indoor tobogganing was done.

Back at the hotel later that night, staff was busy chasing us around threatening eviction… apparently rugby, strobe lights and heavy drinking was unacceptable.

Day 2 (Friday, practice runs)

Being practically in Antarctica, I was sure to bundle up in long-johns, boots, Jack Wills layers, a hat and mittens.

The Bradbury Hoodie

In the middle of the ice on location, Jack Wills along with many other teams were parked, with tents, igloos, huts, etc. By noon I was getting my liquor-layer strapped on, as was the rest of the crew. If you have ever been to Nantucket you know Whale’s Tale Pale Ale and Sankaty Light Lager.

If not, you should try it. It is nothing like partying with cheap college-esque beer. It is GOOD, and even after far too many I felt like a gem. I missed my practice run because I was too busy dancing in the snow, playing beer pong on a toboggan and playing flip cup on the Land Rover.

Later that evening back at the hotel, we all took over the pool, hot tub and sauna for a while (in party pants) before heading to Time Out, a local pub for dinner with all 30 of us. As directed by mother, I ate a lobster roll. While the meal was fun and all, things got weird, as they say, when we became aware of the secret night club that was above us. Strobe lights, disco balls, DJ, stripper poll and open bar to boot.

Starting the trend along with two teammates, I sang “Don’t Stop Believing” at the karaoke station. The bartender was kind enough to bring me a shot of tequila during an instrumental part of the song.

It was amazing. It was so amazing that I left my cashmere scarf at the bar…

Oh wait…

I also left my entire purse there. Fortunately my roommate Sellers was kind enough to find it under a table for me.

Day 3 (Saturday, competition day)

After all of Thursday’s and Friday’s escapades, we somehow all managed to be up around 8am and on the ice by around 11am. It was nothing like the day before. There were hundreds of people there, dressed in everything from Santa Claus costumes, to leather pants and afros, to Star Wars characters… and of course people decked out in pink and blue.

Same set up of tent, beer pong/toboggan table, etc. Additions: people, a slow cooked turkey, sausage, burgers, kegs of Sam Adams Woodchuck cider and everyone’s new favorite, Gasolina. In an interview I called it “Jesus in a pouch”. Some say “capri sun for adults”. Either way, its delicious. Check it out, order it, drink it. That is what we did. All day.

I eventually suited up and trekked reluctantly to the top of the chute, Mojito flavored Gasolina and cigarette in hand (c’mon, it’s Maine..). Being the lightest I was on the end of the sled, and on the end of the sled I screamed all 9 seconds down, until I lost my balance and went dragging along on the ice.

Scariest. Thing. I. Have. Ever. Done.

But, I am proud to have said I did do it.

My team, Team Jack Wills Portobello, came in 99th place!!!

This was obviously followed by more celebration, dancing, pictures, drinking, and eventually a night-time, ice-wide, full on disco. The ride home that evening may or may not have included my entire body dancing out of the sun-roof, followed by a set of flashing police lights. Fortunately, no one was documented. My apologies guys.

More pool, sauna, hot tub, and being yelled at by hotel staff was followed by dinner at a restaurant who’s name I have no idea. I do remember however, consuming a packet of butter (it was a dare?) and lapping my red wine out of a dish like a cat. Why? Why does anything I do happen. Too many drinks and hours later we made it to Time Out Pub again where our wristbands were nice enough to still work. It was basically a messier repeat of the previous night there except there were more people, some even dressed for a “Pajama Night”. Who knows. Again, it’s Maine.

Day 4  (Sunday, day of the dead)

I have never woken up in so much physical pain. Stomach, surprisingly fine. Abs, back, legs, arms… not so much. Where the bruises on my body came from, I am not positive but that toboggan sure did a number on me. Three days, many Advil and a heated back pad later I am starting to feel better.

We opted out of heading back to the Championship to no ones’ disappointment. After a Jack Wills team meeting, everyone hopped on their flights, and as for me in the car back to Boston with my new amazing friends Dan, Lauren and Lizzie. An entire free sample of salsa was consumed at the local Shaws Supermarket, a delicious puff pastry was perhaps eaten, and something may have happened with a ball of mozzarella…

In conclusion…

The US National Tobogganing Championships 2011 were a success. As Jack Wills promised, the following Goals of the Weekend were met:

1. The creation and strengthening of bonds through extreme competition, freezing temperature, and pure Jack Wills hedonism and…
2. Making it to the next round (a few teams qualified for Sunday’s finals) while continuing to maintain all debauchery and tomfoolery.

After such a long recount, I’d like to thank everyone involved in my successful, unforgettable trip to Maine. Until next time.

First off…

An Introduction or Dedication page can be found at the start of almost every book. This being my first blog post EVER, I felt it only fitting to follow suit of the great authors of the world.

I would like to thank my closest friends (and their roommates) for supporting the title of my blog. (Ben Jones, your suggestion “Binge Drinkin’. Spendin G’s.” was a close runner-up.)

I would also like to apologize to my parents if anything I write and they happen to read may seem shocking to them. It’s college.

As seen in the links I have provided to the right I would like to thank my great Brit friend and blogging extraordinaire Red for inspiration and assistance.

With that said, I chose now to start blogging due to the weekend I have ahead of me and the expectations I have that it will no doubt provide ample stories and entertainment:

I am packing for The Tobogganing National Championships in Camden, Maine with the Jack Wills team.

Things I am bringing:

1. Party Pants (obviously)

2. My newly purchased stunna shades that I am obsessed with

3. Ample amounts of alcohol (and layers of clothing, too) to stay warm.

Very excited to see how this weekend unfolds, stay tuned to find out!