Growing up on the East Coast meant snow days were always the norm for us during the winter months. Those days off from school were spent sipping hot cocoa after returning home from a day of sledding and building snowmen in our backyards, and we would do anything to be as carefree and tolerable of the cold as we were back in the day! Oddly enough, despite being friends for over eight years now and living only a few minutes from each other in New Jersey, we actually never spent a snow day together - until a snowstorm surprised New York earlier this week. We both were able to work remotely instead of heading into our respective offices, so we made an effort to get up at 6am sharp, get ready, and head to Central Park for a Winter wonderland experience. Surprisingly enough, we came across a bunch of people in the park walking their dogs, and it was so fun and breathtaking to see the park covered in fresh snow, just like we'd seen in photos for years. We thought it would be nostalgic to take you back in time by reminiscing about some of our favorite snow day memories over the years!
Jess: I happen to be a January baby, which means the cold is pretty much in my blood. Despite this reality, I really don't love the cold weather, and would prefer to bask in the sun on a warm, beautiful Spring or Autumn afternoon. I have, however, always admired the beauty of snowfall, since I grew up living in the suburbs with plenty of trees, and beautiful residential landscaping and homes that look quite majestic when they are covered in a layer of white. One of my earliest memories is from the early 2000s, when the East Cost was slammed with over 3 feet of snow. I remember trying to build a snowman, and eventually made my own half-igloo after spending hours upon hours playing outside. I can't quite picture all of the details looking back now, but I have some photos somewhere in my home that show the severity of snow we got that year (It definitely hit a record!).
More recent snow day memories are from my senior year in college, when our first two days of classes of winter semester were cancelled, and we were stuck inside our apartments with nothing but friends, time, and wine. I actually celebrated my birthday snowed in with some close friends, and they really helped to make it so special and memorable for me. Most of my birthdays have been spent either in New Jersey, where it snowed on the actual day, or at cabins somewhere in the East Coast, where snow was always on the ground. It's safe to say that I definitely have not been deprived over the years. The snow is definitely a love-hate relationship for many, but experiencing snow in New York City truly is like no other. It''s pretty magical one one hand, and an hour later, you pat yourself on the back for choosing the right footwear to trudge through a foot of snow mixed with dirt. I wouldn't have it any other way!
I wore about 4 layers on our snow day, with two sweaters, a cardigan, and then a frosty blue coat to top off the look. Since it would have been too cold to simply wear jeans out in these conditions, I made sure to layer a pair of heat-tech leggings from Uniqlo underneath, which kept me nice and toasty. I actually don't own any snow boots, so I usually just get through winter in rain boots (picked these up from a Burberry sale a couple of years ago and love them to death!). I usually wear two pairs of socks since there is very little insulation on these rubber boots. Add in a cozy hat, and a pair of cute sunglasses to block out the snow from my eyes, and I was ready for our morning excursion.
Mel: My days of playing in the snow were most frequent during the winters of my elementary and middle school years. My family home has a small hill in our backyard and my sister, neighbors and I loved taking turns sledding down the hill, experiencing the thrill of narrowly avoiding collisions into the trees. Unfortunately for me, I am allergic to extremely cold temperatures and would often return home with hives and a very itchy face (the only part of my body that was not covered), but somehow the amount of fun I experienced made it all worth it. These days, I enjoy peering out my window and watching the snow fall from afar while drinking hot chocolate in my dry, and warm apartment. However, after a little convincing from Jess, I decided to accompany her on a walk through Central Park and strapped on my new L.L. Bean Boots (a Christmas present from my boyfriend) for the journey. I wanted to keep warm, yet still look cute, so I traded in my winter marshmallow jacket, for a more stylish and form fitting wool jacket. Since the temperatures were well below the freezing point, I started off by wearing thermal long sleeve tee under my white turtleneck and then additionally layered on more cardigans which not only added more warmth, but also a pop of color to contrast against my navy coat.
Outfit Details Jess: Jacket - H&M, Jeans - Zara, Cardigan - Urban Outfitters, Hat - Uniqlo (similar), Boots - Burberry
Mel: Leggings - White House Black Market, Pink cardigan - Forever 21, Jacket - Club Monaco (similar), Snow boots - LL Bean