I have talked a lot about my love of Sex and the City and Carrie Bradshaw over the years. I've talked about what the character means to me and all these years later, I still love her dearly. I even love her and the much-discussed reboot, "And Just Like That..." I am one of the few people who is actually enjoying the show and the reason is, I would love anything that brought me back to Carrie Bradshaw. I don't even care that people can't stand her and think she's the worst. She is everything to me.

I've realized people like to hate on things that aren't up to their weird standards and I don't care what anyone says about "And Just Like That"... except for the Steve/Miranda storyline. I do not like what they are doing to Steve Brady. That's another post though.

Over the years, I've made my fair share of purchases that symbolize my love of Carrie Bradshaw and her iconic brownstone. I love being able to look at these items to symbolize and remind me of my dreams and my favorite main character. 

This is the store of a love affair a girl has had with a pair of shoes, get ready.

One of the first blog posts I ever wrote on Royally Pink was about Sex and the City and Carrie Bradshaw. From that moment on, I've written countless times about my love for New York's favorite fashionista and today, in 2019, my love of the fictional character remains and has probably grown.

My life is spent trying to emulate Carrie Bradshaw, in my fashion, decor, and writing. A few months ago I rearranged my room and my desk ended up by my window so whenever I'm writing, I just feel like Carrie.



With my love of Carrie comes my love of Sarah Jessica Parker and a while ago, I started following her new shoe brand on Instagram. The page posted a while ago that they had a new pair of shoes, the Fawn, exclusive to Bloomingdales and I screamed when I saw them. They are a newspaper print and in my mind, are intended to pay homage to the famous newspaper dress that Carrie wore in Sex and the City.



For months I lusted after them and tried to justify a $400 pair of shoes. Yes, I buy that much in handbags but shoes are not my thing, and especially heels. I don't own a real pair of heels and try to get away with wearing flats whenever I can. I also destroy shoes; I will wear a pair for just one season and by the end of it, they have holes in them and are just in horrible condition. I am very hard on my feet and harder on my shoes.

However, I couldn't get the shoes out of my head. I went back and forth and finally decided I wasn't going to get them. Then, as soon as that happened, I went onto Bloomingdale's website on a whim and saw that the shoes were nearly 60% off. At that moment, I knew it was meant to be. I also knew exactly where I would wear them; I had a few parties coming up like my cousin's Christening and an engagement party. I knew that they would match pretty much anything and everything because they're black and white.

I bought the shoes and when they arrived on my doorstep, I nearly cried. These are by far the most gorgeous shoes I have ever owned in my entire life. I don't think I've ever been so happy with a pair of shoes or purchase in general. I couldn't wait to wear them for the first time.



Now, as I mentioned before I am not a heels girl. I look like Bambi when I walk in them and my feet are pretty much bleeding by the end of the night. I've worn heels and my legs hurt for at least three days after that. It's never a pretty sight.

I walked around a little bit in my house to break them in and found that they were pretty comfortable. The heels are around 4 inches so I wobbled a little but nothing I couldn't handle.

I wore them for the first time in February to my cousin's Christening and they were perfectly comfortable. I did a lot of standing and walking at the party but my feet weren't burning. They also looked so beautiful.

This past weekend was the 2nd time I wore them, this time to my friend's engagement party and it was a success. My feet were killing me by the end of the night and I walked out of the party with said heels in hand, but truthfully that would happen with any pair of heels. What was special about these were that I was able to dance in them comfortably, I was able to walk and didn't want to rip them off my feet during the night.

Once again, they looked beautiful with my plain black dress and even the men at the party complimented them.



I think if you're someone who loves heels, you'll find these shoes to be really comfortable and practical. I'm someone who hates heels and I love these shoes... and kind of want another pair of SJP Collection heels. I feel like SJP knows what she likes when it comes to shoes and if I'm going to trust anyone's opinions on heels, it's Carrie Bradshaw.

The newspaper print is not available in a ton of sizes right now but the SJP Collection does have the Fawn style in other colors and patterns! Also, make sure to keep an eye on Bloomingdales' website because the newspaper print shoe has gone in and out of stock a lot over the past year and a half.


I'm excited to continue my love affair with the SJP Collection!

xoxo
B

I couldn't help but wonder, would I ever stop loving Sex and the City? Or am I just destined to chase my Carrie Bradshaw dream forever?

I sit here and write this as I'm watching Sex and the City, and just finished the book "Sex and the City and Us". I saw it a few months ago on NetGalley and immediately requested to have early access to it.

*The full title is "Sex and the City and Us: How Four Single Women Changed the Way We Think, Live, and Love.



The book is set for release on June 5th and if you are a fan of the cult favorite show, you need to read it. Pre-order it, write it down on your calendar -- do whatever you have to do to remember June 5th.

It is written by Jennifer Armstrong, who wrote Seinfielida, a book all about how Seinfeld changed the landscape of television.

However, this time around she tackles our favorite foursome, the ladies of Sex and the City.

Armstrong takes you from start to finish; how the story formed itself from Candance Bushnell's newspaper columns about being single in New York. We see how the producer, Darren Starr, linked up with Bushnell and how they chased SJP for the title role.

We find out about the storylines came about, from the real-life writers on the show. We find out all the ins and outs of our favorite HBO show, and Armstrong reveals all the secrets.

You would think that this would ruin the show for us, but on the flip side, it makes me appreciate it that much more.

Everything you ever wanted to know about the behind the scenes of SATC and how it impacted the world back in 1999, this book tells it all.

It took me a few weeks to read this but I just finished it in its entirety and I did so while watching Sex and the City. As I finished the book, I had tears in my eyes because the show isn't just about sex, it's not just about New York or about friendship or love. It's about finding yourself and being yourself, with no judgment.

The last line in the book is:

"You are not alone. Whether you're on the bus tour, watching Sex and the City on Amazon Prime while nursing your latest heartbreak, or toasting girl's night unapologetically with pink drinks, Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda, and Samatha are with you. So are the writers, and producers of Sex and the City. ANd so are all of us, the fans whose lives changed a little or a lot because of this groundbreaking, imperfect, revolutionary show."

It hit me right in the feels.

This show has given me so much; it's my inspiration, my aspiration, my everything. It made me realize I want to be a journalist, it made me see how much I love fashion, it made me understand love. It is everything to me and so many more out there.

This book was amazing -- one of my favorites I've ever read because it gave me something more of Sex and the City. It itched the scratch I have for more stories from my favorite New York City ladies.

June 5th, don't forget it!

xoxo
B

Here we are again, trying out a new writing format. I have been reading/listening to too many books to do separate posts about them, and sometimes I find myself rambling in book review posts just to fill up space or get my point across.

I think rounding up the books in one short paragraph is much better than dedicated posts that don't make that much sense.

Let me know what you think!

I will preface this by saying that I didn't read any of these books -- I listened to them all on Audible, Amazon's audiobook companion. I've been addicted to Audible since April and have listened to too many books. You can read my initial thoughts on Audible here but clearly I love it.




Let's get started, shall we?

1. Primates of Park Avenue: This was a book that I had heard negative reviews on and didn't think I would want to read it, but it somehow drew me in. I listened to this after listening to a slew of nonfiction memoirs and wanted something a little fluffier but still not 100% fiction. It was really interesting to hear stories about the Upper East Side and how it truly is a different world with different rules. There was a lot of science and biology wrapped up into it and I think that made the book a little more credible. Also, the author was in no way similar to these women she talked about, which I think was a misunderstanding in the reviews I read. She wasn't bragging about the lifestyle, she was simply informing people of what goes on (she was just as shocked as the readers!) This was a pretty good book and I would recommend it if you want something light but not completely chick lit fiction.

2. The News Sorority: I had been lusting after this book for a good year and finally listened to it. I was weary of listening to it because I thought I would prefer to read a book like this but OMG, it was amazing. It takes you through the journey of three of the most famous women news anchors of our time and tells the stories of major events in the world, and their lives, and journalism in general. It sparked my nerd bug, big time. It was really long and those are my favorite books to listen too... and it was incredible. I was a journalism major in college and I'm a writer at heart (as you read my blog...duh) so it was wonderful to hear about Diane Sawyer, Katie Couric, and Christiane Amanpour's lives & careers. It definitely made me crave a journalism career and it was inspiring. This was another book that didn't get great reviews but if you love news, journalism, and memoirs, I think you'd really like this.

3. Killing Monica: Written by Candace Bushnell, aka the writer of Sex and the City novel (yes it was a book before the tv show) and it was hilarious. The premiss is that a very successful NYC author who just got divorced is sick of writing about her famous character, Monica. Everyone LOVES Monica & can't get enough of her, but PJ Wallis is tired of living in Monica's shadow. She needs to do something but what happens isn't what she expects.

I was definitely annoyed by it at times, and it may have been because I listened to it instead of reading but it was really outlandish and funny. A fake death? A crazy actress? New York City? Sign me up! It was definitely fluff but there is a deeper meaning behind it. I read some reviews and articles about this and a lot of people thought Bushnell was talking about Carrie Bradshaw in the novel, and it was hard for me NOT to think of that but she assured critics that it isn't based off of real life. It was a great read and I listened to it pretty quickly.

4. Luckiest Girl Alive: I got into a mood where I really wanted to listen/read a thriller novel. This was one that I had begun seeing everywhere and I couldn't resist. Let me start off by saying that this definitely has that "Gone Girl" & "Girl On the Train" feel but not as insane or twisted. It takes place in NYC and the main character works at a magazine as a sex writer so it definitely has a more present day, glamorous feel. I definitely was surprised and pleased with the true storyline, it was really interesting and crazy, and it gave me the chills. It was shocking and intense and a little hard to listen to at times but it was incredible in my opinion. Is it as good as "Gone Girl?" -- no, of course not. I don't think anything will come close to that for a while. I feel like this is a book I'd listen to again, that's how much I really enjoyed it.

As you can tell, I don't care if a book got bad reviews. Never judge a book by it's cover...or a review. If something sparks your interest, always read it! You never know where your next favorite will come from.

What books have you been reading/listening to lately? What do you think I should read next?

Credit

"Don't laugh at me, but maybe we could be each other's soul mates. Then we could let men be just these great, nice guys to have fun with."

All girls need that one "role model" or person that they look up too. We all have that one person who just gets us and who we aspire to be like.

A lot of teenage girls would say their mother, their aunt, or their grandmother are their role models and idols. I definitely agree but my idols and role models always were out of reach, fictional characters or actresses or singers...someone famous.

I have found a new phrase to not sound so corny when it comes to role models and idols; I like to say "spiritual animal".

I have a few spiritual animals but my favorite one, the one I love more than anything is...Miss. Carrie Bradshaw.

WHO DOESN'T LOVE HER?

Sex and the City was definitely a little before my time; I was too young when it first came out on HBO and for years after that, I never really caught on. Then, one day I took my mom's DVDs and sat on the couch for two weeks watching all six seasons.

I immediately fell in love and identified with Carrie Bradshaw.

I mean really, we all know who we are, we are either a Carrie, a Samantha, a Charlotte, or a Miranda. I am the biggest "Carrie" you will ever meet.

I've lived in NYC all my life, love boys, love fashion, and am studying to be a journalist. I have insanely curly hair, fall in love too quickly, enjoy a nice drink, and my friends mean the world to me.

There are so many reasons why I feel like I am destined to be Carrie Bradshaw. She is just amazing. She is a normal woman, living in New York, making her dreams come true, and just living life the way she wants too. Carrie makes mistakes...dam she's made a lot of them but she never lets them define her.

Bradshaw goes after what she wants and even if she trips along the way, she puts those heels back on and doesn't give up.

Her relationship with Mr. Big was so complicated but such a lesson for her and women everywhere. In the beginning it was so fun, so wild, she was head over heels and didn't know which way was up,

Then it got the best of her, she let a man define who she was and how she acted. That's how in love Carrie was with Big.

I think it taught me that you could love a man beyond words but that doesn't mean he's good for you. He can say the sweetest things in the world and sweep you off your first but it could all mean shit.

He broke her heart more times than I could count and she kept giving him second chances and in the end, it did pay off.

It wasn't the perfect relationship but it was perfect for her, in the end.

Carrie always has the best advice, her words have kept me going. I'm the type of person that needs a quote or  a saying to get through the day. I have many life mottos and Carrie Bradshaw has given me plenty of mottos to live by.

This is silly I guess but I have really curly hair and I always straightened it. I hated my curly locks, they were too unruly, too frizzy, not pretty enough. Then after discovering SATC and Carrie Bradshaw, I saw that she had unruly hair, her curls were wild and it gave me a little boost of confidence to wear my hair naturally.

It might sound stupid but it's just something that really sticks out to me.

Not to mention, she has the most insane fashion sense and makes everything look good. A pink tutu? A newspaper dress? That gorgeous green dress she wore in Paris?

Carrie is a fashion icon.

I don't really care if she's fictional...Carrie Bradshaw is amazing in my eyes. She symbolizes a sense of hope for me. She says things and does things that I'm afraid to say or do.

Carrie Bradshaw is someone I model myself after.. I am myself, my own person, but Carrie has gotten me there.