A Few of My Favorite Things

Travel Lists

2012-01-03T21:47:00.000-05:00

Back in January of 2010, I wrote this post listing the places I had been in the past year. It was my plan to do it in January 2011 as well but surprise, surprise, I forgot...so now, I'm challenged with remembering all of the places I've been since January 2010, here goes:
- New York, NY
- Montauk, NY
- Washington D.C.
- Isla Mujeres, Mexico
- Savannah, GA
- Milwaukee, WI
- Nashville, TN
- Huntington, NY
- Santa Rosa Beach, FL
-2011-
- Nashville, TN
- New York, NY
- Palo Alto, CA
- Monterey, CA
- Carmel, CA
- Pebble Beach, CA
- Big Sur, CA
- San Francisco, CA
- Sausalito, CA
- Sonoma, CA
- Lake Tahoe, CA
- Saint Petersburg, FL
- Atlanta, GA
- Santa Rosa Beach, FL
- Milwaukee, WI
- Boston, MA
- Phippsburg, ME
- Portland, ME
- Rye, NY
- Napa, CA
- Chicago, IL

And here are a few places I'd like to go in 2012, and the hotels I dream of staying at when I go :)

Austin, TX @ The Hotel Saint Cecilia

Palm Springs, CA @ the Viceroy

Oahu, Hawaii @ the Moana Surfrider

Portland, OR @ the Hotel Monaco

Seattle, WA @ the Alexis Hotel

New York, NY @ the Greenwich Hotel...a girl can dream...

Holidays, #1 Belated T'giving

2011-12-27T19:49:00.000-05:00

I failed to write a proper post after our visit to Milwaukee over Thanksgving so I'm going to

do so now, everyone's getting a little tired of Christmas blogposts right?

Well, no, me neither but here goes anyway!

Thanksgiving table-setting, we all loved our cute pilgrim place cards

Bloody Mary, Milwaukee Style, ouch!

After all of the Thanksgiving feasts, we drove down to Chicago for the day, and went promptly to the RL Restaurant for more eating of course...the restaurant is absolutely gorgeous, feels like you're in Ralph's home, definitely a must if you're in Chicago!

Cloud Gate presiding over the seasonal ice-skating rink.

Playing with a Felix Gonzalez-Torres candy sculpture at the Art Institute. Please take a moment to read the link and meaning behind this piece of artwork, quite poignant.

...and another Gonzalez-Torres. Would love to see something like this at an event! Could be easily and fairly inexpensively done with a bag of mardi gras beads.

Ginormous chandeliers at the entrance of the Public Hotel, designed by Ian Schrager.

Our reason for going to the hotel, the infamous and recently updated Pump Room. Check out that domed gold leaf bar, so beautiful in person.

And the adjoining restaurant, these orbs of all different sizes and shades were fascinating and provided the restaurant with such a nice warm glow.

So that was Thanksgiving, minus a few hundred other pics I took...maybe by Valentines Day, I'll eventually get Christmas pics loaded! Hope yours was filled with family and friends!

A Season for Giving

2011-12-22T13:05:00.000-05:00

It's no joke that my blogging has slowed since moving to SF this summer. I'm lucky if I get a blog post out once a month with my crazy new work schedule! But when my best friend from highschool, Megan asked me to blog about a non-profit she started, I couldn't wait to login to Blogger and start writing out this very post.

I first learned of Tailored for Education while visiting Megan this summer in Boston. She told me, a conversation with a friend at work turned into research which led to a realization that something needed to be done to help children in impoverished countries afford uniforms to attend school. If they don't have uniforms, they're not able to enroll. Having worn a uniform for most of her education, this struck a chord with Megan and so the process began to fund their first school in Haiti. Once accomplished, the pair jumped through all of the legal hoops, filled out massive amounts of government paperwork, and created Tailored for Education.

I am beyond proud of my friend for having the passion and generosity to create a company that gives. It doesn't take much to afford a child education in these countries, please consider donating if you're able, even $20.00 will make a difference in the lives of these children!

Clever Christmas

2011-12-07T18:59:00.000-05:00

This time of year, I can't help but take notice of all of the fun and creative ways people decorate their trees! Last Friday night at the Hayes Valley block party, I spotted these two super unusual, clever trees.

A good alternative tree for those of you who are lucky to enjoy a tropical Christmas!

I also liked this "billiard themed" tree, although I'd add lights for sure. Would be a fun way to surprise someone with a pool table as a gift. This could also easily be done with regular ornaments.

This is a tree I spotted at Anthro while in Milwaukee. It was made from fabric swatches and light bulbs. Oh Anthro...such geniuses...

Bring on the Roar of the Holidays!

2011-12-02T20:22:00.000-05:00

Just this week, I've added about 5 or 6 new things to my already jam-packed calendar for December. I had kind of expected a slow one considering I moved to the Bay Area just a few months ago and still feel like I don't know too many people. But I've been delightfully surprised with the invitations, some social, some for work that December has brought. Like most people, I can get a little carried away over the next few weeks with all of the celebrating. I know it's important for me to remember to drink lots of water and stay well-rested so I can enjoy all of the fun things ahead! How about you? Are you prepared for the festivities?!

I'd like to post some pics from my first Milwaukee Thanksgiving with KTW, but they'll have to wait until next week. For now, I'll leave you with this guy.

While in Milwaukee, we took a road trip one day to Chicago. After leaving the Art Institute, I snapped a photo of one of their lions all decked out for the holidays. He looked so regal gazing out to the skyline of the city and certainly ready for the "roar" of December festivities with his wreath!

Gallery Wall

2011-11-22T20:35:00.000-05:00

Still trying to pull together my new apartment but thought I'd share my most recent project for a sneak peek. KTW was given the task of helping me hang a gallery wall in my kitchen. I laid everything out on the floor the way I wanted it hung and then sat back, ate bon bons, and watched tv while he did the rest.

Not really, I handed him nails and gave directions like "a little to the left." But he was definitely the master of this project and I think he did a phenomenal job! I smile each time I turn the corner and walk into my kitchen. Big thanks to my favorite dude!

Mapping out the plan and measuring each frame.

All done! The items hung in black frames are some of my grandmother's embroidered hand towels. My mother cleaned and ironed each one for me. I truly treasure them. I painted the Le Sueur Peas can and bee. My mother painted the flower. The green framed picture is of Spanish Bay at Pebble Beach. This photograph is particularly meaningful to me because it's one of the moments I decided I must live in California! The shell sketches I bought in a gallery in NYC, they've lived in many apartments with me over the years.

Umami Burger

2011-11-22T19:00:00.000-05:00

I hope I don't lose any friends with this statement...

....I do not love hamburgers. There. I said it. It's out there and I can't take it back. It's not that I won't gladly eat one if it's in front of me, but I definitely never crave burgers.

That was until I tried an Umami burger. One recently opened on Union Street and KTW and I checked it out last week. O M G, so super yum. We got the pickled plate because we're sooooooo healthy like that, an order of cheesy tater tots (not smothered in cheese though, the cheese is very subtle and baked into the tots, mmmm,) and we each got a burger too. KTW got the Cali Burger with butter lettuce, slow roasted tomatoes, Umami's own house-made cheese, carmelized onions, and house dressing. I went for the Umami burger with shitake mushrooms, carmelized onions, roasted tomato, parmesan crisp, and Umami ketchup. The parmesan crisp was my fave part. You can see it peeking out of my burger in the 2nd pic. Drooling yet?

Update: I now crave burgers.

Spex Club

2011-11-21T20:41:00.000-05:00

Yo! I've been having super crazy problems with my contacts lately and decided I should wear my glasses more. Problem is, my glasses are about three prescriptions old and crooked. And so has begun my quest for a new pair. I started with Spex Club (now known as Lookmatic,) mainly because they are cheap! $88.00 covers prescription eyewear and shipping with lots of fun styles. I also had a discount code from InStyle bringing the price down to $77.00! You can virtually try on the glasses but ultimately, I'm going to end up taking advantage of their free returns. First, specs to arrive were the "Jesse" style in tortoise-shell. I sooooo wish I could pull these off. However, I'm just not hipster enough to make it happen, baby steps...

So these are getting returned, on to the next the ones!

At Home in Hayes

2011-11-02T21:12:00.000-04:00

That's right folks, in just 10 days, I'll be moving to uber-trendy Hayes Valley! I finally found an adorable little studio that suits my needs. Although, compared to my NYC apt, it feels much bigger than a studio because it has a huge, separate kitchen! With room for table and chairs, and more than one person at a time, amaze-balls! For the past few months, my stuff has been in boxes so it will be so fun to finally truly unpack and see what I actually have. My guess is not much. I got rid of so much when I left NYC, thinking it just made more sense to start over when I got here rather than pay a thousand + dollars to ship it all out.

Ever since seeing the place, I've been daydreaming of how I will decorate and make it mine. I've decided on a color scheme of mint and navy, so soothing and so fresh! Below is a preliminary sketch of how I envision the room laying out, we'll see what parameters I have to work with when I actually start measuring stuff...I've also included a few inspirational images that led to using these two lovely colors.

I dream of having dinner here, Cecconi's at Soho Miami Beach. The decor is perfection.

Image from Habitually Chic

Desk and Chair are exactly what I'm going for.

Green walls with gold frame, great combo. Also love the Lucite chair,

Unfortunately, I cannot reference the owner of these images, but they can be found on Pinterest.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T21:02:00.000-04:00

I totally dropped the ball this year for Halloween. No costume, no pumpkin, ~~no candy~~ minimal candy, etc. I did however throw on a pair of wings and a halo for an event I freelanced at Friday night.

Not horrible, but not nearly as fun as my more recent costumes...

Ballerina (with bad form)

Peacock

And my all time favorite...Flamingo

Nothing like nine pink feather boas wrapped around your waist to get the party started!

NYC Trip and more!

2011-10-24T21:29:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago, KTW and I trekked back east for yet another wedding! Lucky for us, it was held in our favorite and former city, NYC. I kept getting asked by friends and family what we were going to do on our trip. It was a hard question to answer because we weren't coming for a show, to go shopping, or to visit the museums. We just wanted to experience a normal New York weekend like we used to, outdoor brunch with friends, "wasting" away hours in central park, going to fun dinners, walking through the charming streets of the West Village. We got to do all of these things, plus attend a gorgeous black tie wedding on one of the prettiest weekends weather-wise I've ever experienced there. Being back in NYC, we noticed how it felt like we were home and going back to SF was more like going back to vacation. It was a strange, bittersweet feeling. But as much as I love NYC and miss my friends, I am so lucky to be exploring a new city with my handsome man. And after this gorgeous Indian Summer weekend in SF, I am starting to miss NYC less and less. There will never be another city like it and I feel almost guilty admitting that I have started to love SF a little too. But I can't deny it, the West coast is amazing! Here are some images from the the NYC weekend as well as this past weekend in SF.

Our first morning, we visited the new section of the High Line. Below you can see how close it is to these apartment buildings. I'm sure the apartments are awesome but I wouldn't want to be so close to a tourist attraction. We could literally see people doing yoga inside their living rooms!

Bin 71 is one of our all-time favorites. We had lunch here and I couldn't believe how gorgeous this fig was. What an interesting fruit!

" I recall...Central Park in fall..." -name that tune?

On Saturday, we brunched at Nice Matin and look who came in and sat right next to us! They were filming so I'm dying to see the next season if we're in the background staring like idiots.

I'm not a huge fan of the Countess (a little too self-righteous,) but she picked a good dude. He stopped filming to suggest that this girl untie her dog from the telephone pole close to the street. I've never had a enough guts to do this, but it kills me everytime I see a dog tied up like that. Not a good idea dog-owners, they get swiped so fast, and it is also super dangerous for them to be tied close to the road. I hope a law gets passed about this. Okay, stepping down from soapbox now...

I didn't take too many pics at the wedding, too much fun... But I did capture the table, look at all those glasses! This was truly a classic New York City wedding, just beautiful!

Luckily, our flight left at night on Sunday so I had time for one last brunch with my girlfriends at Cafe Cluny.

Back in SF...this Sunday we scoped out a picnic table down near Chrissy Field and hung out there all day. We grilled brats, drank beer, played ladder golf, it was a perfect end to the gorgeous weekend. Below, looking east towards the city.

And to our left, looking West towards the bridge and Marin.

Delivery!

2011-10-21T12:53:00.001-04:00

I walked into work last week to this beautiful flower delivery for a weekend event.

I love working in such a bright, cheery, and creative space!

Photo Deluge

2011-10-05T19:43:00.000-04:00

Boy, have I been delinquet in posting! Here's why...

Kate visited, read much more about it here and here. We walked across the bridge...

Watched gorgeous food being prepared and then eaten at Pizzeria Delfina...

Ate pastries like this mini lemon merengue tart from Citizen Cake...

I fell in love with a Mackage...and washed my hair very soon after this photo was taken, I swear!

And of course, had cocktails in many shapes and sizes, fabulous trip Kate!

KTW and I found a sufficient patio in Noe Valley to watch the Packers...and Auburn...and the Badgers...and the Brewers...

True to form, I ordered many options for drinks...

Another weekend we went to Outerlands before driving down to Fort Funston Beach. My yummy turkey sandwich here and his awesome pastrami melt below...

Sweet Lauren Cakes did a phenomenal display for the Kate Spade launch of their new lipstick colors...

And finally, we went to Napa...

That's right, I tasted red wines in my white jeans, I like to live on the edge!

KTW tried to get artsy with these shots at our first stop, Mumm.

I agree with Bette Davis...

We had lunch outside at Farmstead...

And ate really good, really big lunches...

Took pictures and tasted in the vineyards at Honig...

Honig is German for honey, I was so thrilled to realize this.

I have a long time fascination with all things related to bees and honey...

Napa...ahhh...

Now, off to our long-awaited trip to NYC! I can't wait to get back to all of my old stomping grounds and spend time with friends. We even have a black-tie wedding to attend,

I'm so excited to get all fancy-schmansy!!!

WOW

2011-09-20T17:06:00.000-04:00

Have you ever seen a more beautiful use of clothespins?

Image found here.

SF Events-Peacock Baby Shower

2011-09-20T12:28:00.000-04:00

This past Sunday, I had the opportunity to work with Amy Nichols again. She had created a peacock-themed baby shower at a private home in the city. In addition to the fabulous dessert table with sweets from both Sweet Lauren Cakes and Susie Cakes and gorgeous floral arrangements pictured below, there was also an astrologist on site for readings, and even a make-up artist and manicurist for all of the ladies. The guests of course, loved the special treatments! Don't you think it turned out lovely?

The host had a fabulous urban backyard for fun get-togethers like this.

Lavender sugared doughnut holes...

The cakepops were from Sweet Lauren Cakes, another Bay Area vendor I've been working with recently.

What a great way to make use of a double sink!

The cocktails looked tasty and pretty!

SF Events-Wedding at the Ferry Building

2011-09-19T20:22:00.000-04:00

Through a chance meeting at the Glitter Guide launch party my first week in San Francisco, I was introduced to Amy Nichols, a fabulous Bay Area event planner. She has hired me to freelance at a couple of events recently that I've been dying to share with you. The first was at the landmark Ferry Building a few weeks ago. These are just a few quick shots I took during set up. All of the floral arrangements were made up of different types of white flowers. And the Ferry Building provided a great classic, but modern backdrop for the beautiful evening. Amy has posted a few more professional images from the photographer on her facebook page, become a fan of hers and go check them out! It was truly a breathtaking wedding!

Nuts!

2011-09-16T21:15:00.000-04:00

By now we've all seen lemons/limes/apples/etc. floating in glass vases at events. How about nuts for a change? I don't think they'd hold up too well in water (might make it murky.) But they are divinely rustic and perfect for fall in the image below topped with a lamp shade. I can imagine they're pretty inexpensive too!

Image.

Lost and Found

2011-09-09T19:55:00.000-04:00

Recently while cleaning out the office supply closet, I found a white envelope with some interesting items inside, see below.

Included was a copy of an email sent to the Italian Consulate SF from my boss. The email reads:

"My boss found a number of personal items left in a taxi cab by someone visiting New York City. It has been about six months since he found these items, but he wanted to try to return them to their owner. Can you give me any information about the best way to do this?"

The date, Monday, November 12, 2001, 2:12 PM.

Needless to say, the email went unanswered and so the envelope containing a wallet with an Italian ID, student ID, Italian Lira, and a pair a pearl earrings, a cosmetic bag with comb and blush, and a day planner all remain in San Francisco stowed away on a shelf in the back.

I immediately felt some sort of responsibility as well as excitement about now, ten years later, finding the rightful owner. Her name is Emanuela Pescatore. I found someone with the name on Facebook and messaged them, but don't feel like I'll get a response since my message is in English and she obviously has no idea who I am. Does anyone know a better way to go about this? Doesn't this feel right out of a movie? I've already played out a million different scenarios in my head of how this will turn out. And the inevitable thought that crept in, because it's that time of year, what if she was a victim of 9/11? If she was a student in NYC in May 2011, is it possible she was there for those horrible events? I certainly hope not, and am wishing for a more romantic ending. But I'm also glad to know that I'll never forget those events and the people affected by them. The thought of NYC in 2001 will always remind me of that day, and I am thankful for that memory. I hope you can take a moment to remember the victims and their families this weekend.

Trip Finale

2011-09-01T19:58:00.000-04:00

After a long week of catching up with friends and family, we had one last night for ourselves in Portland, ME before flying back to SF. I chose the Inn at Park Spring which is a B&B located within walking distance of Portland's "Old Port" area. The Inn's owners graciously welcomed us and the room was lovely.

A highschool friend who vacations in Maine every summer suggested we eat our last vacation

meal at Fore Street. I wish I had taken pictures of the beautiful rustic interiors and open kitchen but I think I had just about run out of steam. The meal, however was wonderful and it was nice to reflect back on our trip and enjoy one last New England meal.

Returning home to a stack of mags was bliss!

And SF, while foggy as always, was comforting to get back to.

And finally, the day before we left SF for our trip, I was bumming out for some reason. It was just one of those days. I really missed my friends back home and in NYC and all I wanted was to sit down with a girlfriend and have a glass of wine. Making friends in a new city can be tough. After work, I grabbed the mail and lo and behold, I got the next best thing! A thoughtful card from my sweet friend Kate, you may know her from Embarrassment of Riches. Along with the card was this bright and cheerful chevron striped bracelet she made for me, umm amazing! And now, the even better news, she is coming for a visit next weekend! Can't wait to share those adventures with you all.

Okay, one more thing, we flew Virgin America. Holy cow, that's a great airline. Before boarding they allow you to check out this little laptop and return it when you land for no charge, c-c-c-cool!

Trip Recap #2

2011-08-31T20:41:00.000-04:00

The main reason for our trip back East was our friends' wedding in Maine. As mentioned in the previous post, I quickly fell in love with the town's charm. Both Friday night's dinner and Saturday's reception were held at the Stonehouse Manor which sits on Silver Lake. Canoes and rowboats were available as well as lawn games all day Saturday and bonfires both nights. We quickly hopped in a rowboat after the ceremony. It was so nice to sneak away for a moment and also still be so close to all the action.

Walking down to the boats.

Looking back at the wedding tent from the rowboat. Adirondack chairs peppered the lawn creating little moments for a glass of wine and conversation. The fog seen here quickly lifted and the rest of the day was bright and sunshiny for the newlyweds.

This was my first time to see an actual lobster bake. I'll narrate...

Live lobsters and clams get thrown on top of a bed of seaweed and wrapped corn on the cob.

The whole thing gets covered by butcher paper.

And secured all around with bricks. Those guys weren't going anywhere!

And then covered with more seaweed.

Then the whole thing gets lit from underneath and people stand around drooling. I can say without a doubt that this was the freshest lobster I've ever had.

Pretty and bright floral arrangements decorated the mostly white tent.

The place settings.

Reeses with the couple's initials and wedding date. I planned to save one of these,

I have no idea where it could have gone...

Saturday night, the late night crowd was treated to some sort of amazing Croatian shot (groom's heritage) served by the groom himself down by the bonfire. What a treat!

Trip finale tomorrow...

Trip Recap

2011-08-30T19:20:00.000-04:00

We stayed at the Sebasco Resort during our visit to Maine. What it lacked in air conditioning, the resort made up for with it's charming lodge and cottages and abundantly lush flowers and sprawling lawns.

One of the buildings you can stay in is the lighthouse.

The top floor is open to all guests and a great spot for coffee in the morning.

We really enjoyed our stay here and were disappointed not to have time to visit

the Fairwinds Spa on the premises!

Back Again

2011-08-29T20:50:00.000-04:00

Well well well, yet again, I've been a delinquet blogger. Fortunately, this time, I feel like I have an excuse. Having taken on four jobs in the last month (2 part time, 2 freelance,) and taking a 9 day jaunt across the US, I've had little time to sit down and write. That shall change this afternoon! I don't want to make false promises that I'll be posting everyday again. But I've got lots of good material! Let's start with the trip. Our first stop was in KTW's hometown of Milwaukee. Unfortunately, I didn't get too many pictures, we were quite busy. But I think the pic below captures Milwaukee's essence :)

Just kidding, I swear we did more than drink here! Other Milwaukee activities included a Brewers game, seeing Midnight in Paris at The Oriental which has been named one of the 10 top movie theaters in America, viewing the impressive Emperor's Private Paradise: Treasures from the Forbidden City at the art museum, a three hour kayak tour of downtown, lots of golf, and some really yummy homemade meals.

Our next stop was Boston, where we would meet a few NYC and Boston friends for dinner before riding two and half hours north to Phippsburg, Maine for a wedding. Stella was our destination for dinner and it did not disappoint. Fabulous cocktails, scrumptious food, and great company, you could say we started the wedding celebrating early.

Next up, the wedding in Maine. Stay tuned tomorrow, you won't want to miss this gorgeous affair!

Playing Tourist

2011-08-09T13:18:00.000-04:00

This weekend, I walked down the crooked part of Lombard for the first time. Having been here a little over two months now, I figured it was time to bite the bullet and risk looking like one of the other million tourists that venture down this street each day. I never quite understood the appeal of walking down a crooked street. Now I do. The homes are so gorgeous, the constantly in bloom hydrangeas that take over the inner curves of the meandering street, the scent from a million different plants growing next to/on/above the houses, the steepness of the stairs that guide you along the edges away from the cars, it is truly an engaging experience. Here are some quick shots I took. Isn't the bougainvillea incredible? It grows on many of the homes here. I love the bright shades of purple and pink that it comes in and how full and overgrown it looks.

North Beach Noshing

2011-07-28T18:49:00.000-04:00

A few weekends ago we wandered through North Beach, which is similar to Little Italy in New York, but better in my opinion. We stopped at Molinari & Sons for Italian sandwiches, so super duper yummy.

Sandwiches wrapped in white butcher paper. They let you pick out your own crispy freshly baked sandwich rolls. And you take a ticket at the counter like an old fashioned sandwich shop.

The inside of their store, so many awesome Italian products. I'm going back for some olives!

Afternoon treat.

After Molinari's, we walked over to Mara's for pastries and espresso.

I loved these huge elephant ears.

Molinari & Sons

Mara's

Gettin Fresh

2011-07-21T20:53:00.000-04:00

The Fort Mason Sunday Farmer's Market is a serious must in my life right now. It's fairly small, only three rows, but the produce is awesome and I love how close by it is. Here are some recent acquisitions.

Big fluffy Dahlias

I couldn't resist these greens with edible flowers. They make such a gorgeous plate.

More flowers...

Warm sun-kissed heirloom tomatoes. Aren't the colors gorgeous?!

My first time to try these, not bad...

A farmer's market meal: Corn on the cob, mixed floral greens with balsamic dressing, marinated skirt steak, roasted tomatoes, carmelized onions, blue cheese and crumbled pita bread.

KTW said this was the best meal I've ever cooked :) I agreed.

Catching Up...July 4th

2011-07-20T19:41:00.000-04:00

Here are some pics I took over July 4th weekend.

Saturday we were invited to a picnic in Golden Gate Park. This small pond provided a great spot for us to lounge all afternoon drinking and grilling with friends. The park is huge and I have yet to explore most of it, on my to do list...

I made Jalapeno Poppers. I like how jalapenos look, I do not like how they make my hands sting for two days. Next time=gloves.

Below are two shots from KTW's roof where we watched the fireworks. He's got a great view of the GG Bridge (when it's not foggy,) and the Exploratorium (the domed building on the left of the image.)

Also, the hump on the right side of the fireworks picture is Alcatraz, cool, huh?

Hope you had a Happy Fourth and stayed away from jalapenos.

Remember Me?

2011-07-19T19:45:00.000-04:00

I used to post on a fairly regular basis but took an unexpected hiatus when I relocated to SF a month ago. Something about sitting down in front of a computer and writing hasn't really captured my interest when I have a whole new city to explore. But alas, my guilt and eagerness to share has brought me back to the old blog. Good to see you again :)

Let's see, where should I start? How about my birthday? Today is actually my boyfriend's bday so I suppose it's a little unfair to steal his thunder. But I feel the need to start chronologically (and talk about my birthday.) The following things happened on my fantabulous bday:

I drank coffee out of this lovely bumblebee mug KTW's mom sent me.

I also ate this yummy red velvet cupcake he snuck in that morning.

We had brunch at Slow Club with friends. I am currently obsessed with any drink involving grapefruit and St. Germaine. Guess which drink is mine...

Then we went shopping here, oh mannnn, what a cool shop! Public bikes was created by the founder of Design Within Reach so you know the dude designs some awesome bicycles!

And I got to bring this bad boy home. Or girl I should say for her name is Begonia.

This is me a few days later after riding up my first killer hill. Ugh.

Back to my bday...after shopping, we went to Pier 23 Cafe for drinks, live music, and this view.

It was so great to have a clear day.

The next week, my boss brought me this. I "forgot" to tell her when my real bday was so I got another red velvet cupcake a few days after my day, clever huh?

Recently....

2011-06-21T21:48:00.000-04:00

I've walked up the biggest hills I've ever seen, this one was tame...

We took the ferry over to Tiburon and had drinks at Sam's,

I did not get drunk despite my sad camera skillz...

We played tennis and then walked down to the beach...

I got an $8.00 mani!...

We sampled free food and listened to music on a rooftop at the Best of Polk St Block Party...

This reminded me of Coyote Ugly, ladies, you know the scene I'm talking about...

We saw a pristine van, so rad...

We sat down to eat here and then bolted when we saw the $35 lobster roll...

maybe when I get my first paycheck...

We went to a county fair. It was pretty awful and I owe KTW big time for dragging him to this...however,

There were rides, he went on two, I went on three...

There were cute little piglets...

There was a pie-eating contest...yuck,

And KTW rode this old time-y ferris wheel with me :)

So, that's why I haven't blogged in over a week. I'm sorry, I'll get with it!

Cowgirl Creamery

2011-06-10T20:00:00.000-04:00

Yesterday after an interview on Market St (fingers crossed!),

I walked down to the Ferry Building for some lunch.

There are so many fabulous options but I'm a sucker for grilled cheese so Cowgirl Creamery it was!

I ordered their special of the day, "Wagon wheel and fiore sardo with arugula pesto."

I ate one half while watching the cars and trolleys go down Embarcadero. It was melty and gooey and perfectly tangy with the pesto addition.

The other half is my afternoon snack today.

So far, one of my favorite things about SF is the palm trees. Walking around that afternoon, I felt like I was visiting a quaint little beach town instead of a large city.

Hope you have a wonderful palm tree filled, gooey cheese filled weekend!

1st San Francisco Post

2011-06-09T15:14:00.000-04:00

Hello from the West Coast!

Flying over Colorado, still snow on the mountains.

I have finally made it, after making stops in Santa Rosa Beach, FL and Nashville, TN, I am now writing this from my new "workspace" in the Marina in San Francisco!

Yesterday I made my first grocery store run and grabbed three different shades of gerbera daisies.

They make my "workspace" happy.

KTW and I have had fun going on dates since I arrived, something I had really missed during our long-distance relationship. Last night we went to The Tonga Room where some of his colleagues were meeting for happy hour. Located in the bottom of the historic and beautiful Fairmont Hotel, this bizarre, quirky tiki lounge is anything but expected. It was a little dark for pictures so check out their website. The indoor thunder and rainstorms were pretty entertaining. Afterwards, we came back to the Marina for pizza at Delarosa, fabulous! I ordered this watermelon wheat beer and was thrilled to see the can, The Statue of Liberty resting on the Golden Gate Bridge,

sounds quite familiar to this former New York girl... :)

I Left My Heart in New York

2011-05-27T14:09:00.001-04:00

So we're counting down the final hours now. I will be leaving fabulous NYC Sunday morning and I'm completely overwhelmed with emotions. For one, I am incredibly excited to move to a new city, San Francisco. I've always dreamed of living there since my first visit back in college. I love that there are so many exciting things nearby to experience, the wine country, beaches to south, and mountains to the east. The architecture, the food, the views, San Francisco has so much to offer me. Not to mention, a handsome boyfriend that will be picking me up from the airport June 6th to experience all of it with. We haven't seen each other in over a month. It will be such a great feeling knowing that he won't be dropping me back off at the airport a few days later. I get to stay! And we will no longer be long distance, how fun but also how scary, it's a big step for us! And one we haven't taken lightly. Lots and lots of long talks have finally led up to this and I know now, this is absolutely the best decision for me and "us."

Even though I'm sure of my decision, that doesn't make leaving New York easy. I've come to discover after almost 5 years of living here, that New Yorkers actually develop a relationship with the city. I'm not sure that exists in other places, I hope so. In a way, I expect this move to feel similar to a break up. I'll certainly miss all of our favorite places and of course all of the friends I've made through this relationship. Last night I met my friend Kate down at Shake Shack for drinks and burgers, followed by gelato and gourmet "shopping" at Eataly. I feel so lucky to have met Kate. She and I get along like we've known each other for years and we met, of all places, right here! Through blogging and commenting on each others blogs, we developed a friendship that I know will last the distance. We can both agree that we met for a reason, and it is somewhat sad that we only just cultivated this friendship in January. I hope you'll check out her post here, she has a better way with words than me :) She also has a much better camera, see!

Shroom burgers and fries, whoa!

The charming lights as the city enters dusk.

The hazelnut gelato is that good!

I came straight from work, please don't judge my "corporate wear."

(Which I hopefully won't be seeing much of in SF!)

So this will be my last post written from New York. Of course I'll keep up the blog in SF, and I hope you'll keep following me as I know I'll be able to share some fun adventures! I've hesitated to write this post because there's so much I want to say that I really didn't know how to type out. My heart is so full and heavy and happy. I am proud of myself for moving here in September 2006, not knowing anyone, no job, and moving into an apartment I had never seen. It was a leap of faith I guess and I know that's exactly what I'm about to do again. To summarize, buying a one-way ticket to San Francisco was nerve-wracking and scary, but I have the comfort of knowing that if I can do it once, I can do it again.

Signing off New York, let's not think of this as a break-up, but a "break." I'll visit you hella soon.

Sunday Sweets

2011-05-25T10:10:00.000-04:00

My treat for surviving The Rapture.

Soy Latte and a humongous cinnamon bun from TLRH.

And yes, I bought this knowing I'd be squeezing into both a swimsuit and a bridesmaids dress next week (although not at the same time), and no, I don't care :) If there's one thing the silly non-rapture taught me, enjoy your life! We never know when it's our last day. I have been stopping at bodegas all over NYC to lean down and literally "smell the roses." It's a wonderful way to live and I'm making a concerted effort to remind myself daily.

(Apologies for the cheese-ball post, I'm giddy today because of the sunshine, finally!)

Lucky

2011-05-23T14:32:00.000-04:00

I am a lucky girl. I have had TWO, not one, but two! going away get togethers thrown by lovely friends. Fun soirees like this make leaving NYC harder but also make me so thankful for the experience of living here. I moved to this city almost five years ago without knowing a soul. And now, seeing all of my beautiful friends' faces toasting ME gives me an incredible warm, proud feeling.

The first was given by a few of KTW's friends' wives and girlfriends who I can now call my sweet friends as well. We met at our new West Village favorite, Bar'Rique. Which, if you haven't yet tried, is a must! Their food, service, ambiance, and wine does not disappoint. It was one of the warmest days we had this month so we sat by the open window, it was perfect. I was even given a book on the California Wine Country which I cannot wait to put to use!

The second was given by a sweet highschool friend that also lives in the City. She invited around ten girls to meet for drinks and dinner at Peasant in Nolita, and then we moved on to another favorite, Freeman's for more celebratory drinks. Peasant is a really neat space. We were seated downstairs in what felt like our own private den. After a yummy meal, complete with complementary desserts, we had one more round at Freeman's, pictured above. I loved this little mantle decoration with potted succulents and moss. I was given another sweet gift at this party, a "I left my heart in New York" tshirt. I'll be wearing it on the plane ride to CA :) Lovely Kate also gave me this book, which I'll for sure be putting to use!

I know I'll make friends in San Francisco too, but these girls will be tough to beat. I need to wrap this up without getting teary so I'll keep it short. Each of you has made my experience in New York better and more fulfilling than I could have ever hoped for. I am lucky and proud to call you friends and know that the distance will not keep us from staying in touch. Please come visit me, I promise wine :)

Brooklyn Botanical Garden

2011-05-16T12:10:00.000-04:00

Idyllic...

Peonies as large as my head.

Peonies that look like they were painted with watercolor.

In so many beautiful colors.

The azaleas were so vibrant, almost neon!

This is now the background on my iPhone :)

Over 40,000 Blue Bonnets.

Such an impact these give when planted 40,000 deep!

Brooklyn Botanical Garden

1000 Washington Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11225
(718) 623-7200

*Tip: Free admissionTuesdays and on Saturdays from 10-12pm!

City vs. City #3

2011-05-13T17:32:00.000-04:00

Celebratory drinks at Bar'Rique in NYC.

Wine tasting in Sonoma.

Hope you're enjoying my little mini-series "City vs. City."

Now it's the weekend, go have a drink!

City vs. City #2

2011-05-13T13:54:00.000-04:00

Sheeps Meadow, Central Park, NY, NY

Mission Dolores Park, San Francisco, CA

City vs. City #1

2011-05-11T12:40:00.000-04:00

A favorite NYC apartment, 86th and York.

A favorite SF apartment, California St bw Franklin and Gough.

I have 18 days left in NYC,

going to try out this new series of city comparisons

in order to bid adieu to my old city

and nice to meet you to my new city.

Aren't these apartments gorgeous? I love seeing an urban space taken over by mother nature.

Both images taken with iphone and manipulated with Instagram (the faux-tographers best friend.)

"A Table for Two Please, And Seat Us Near the Clouds"

2011-05-09T17:06:00.000-04:00

Could You?

Would You?

Okay, but more importantly...

Where would you?

Bird's eye view of your favorite team?

Beaches of Portugal?

Fireworks are a must.

Just don't look down!

Dinner in the Sky is officially going on my bucket list!

Living Colorfully

2011-05-06T10:44:00.001-04:00

Friday is definitely a top contender for my favorite day of the week. There are many obvious reasons why, but one in particular is that every Friday New York Social Diary does an article on a New York designer/tastemaker's home. The images by Jeffrey Hirsch provide a window into some of the most beautiful, creative apartments in the city.

Today I was not disappointed. Interior Designer Amanda Nisbet's home is featured. Do yourselves a favor and go take a look. This is one lady that is not afraid of color! A few of my favorites below:

Manuel Canovas wallpaper in the bathroom. I love a super feminine bathroom.

And a pink room makes everyone look and feel better. Trust me.

Her study has lacquered walls in Benjamin Moore's "Jalapeno Pepper."

I would buy a can of this paint just for the name. It so perfectly describes the color!

Here are some other Amanda Nisbet designed rooms that I'm digging this morning...

What do you love about Fridays?

A Change of Scenery

2011-05-03T17:12:00.000-04:00

Well, nothing like a little move across country to stifle my blog writing. That's right folks, at the end of May, I'll be relocating from NYC to San Francisco! Please forgive me for not writing, I've been nonstop packing, resume editing, and squeezing in as much of NYC as possible.

It's been in the works for a few weeks now but I've put off writing this post. Mainly because I don't know where to begin. My New York experience has been so much better and more fulfilling than I ever thought it could be. And even though lovely SF awaits, I can't imagine leaving my home of the past five years. I guess you could say, it hasn't quite sunk in yet.

It's my goal to enjoy NYC as much as possible before my move (without blowing my savings!) So I'll likely be posting less, as you've probably already noticed. But I hope you'll stick with me through the move. I know there will be tons I want to share with you once I'm in my new digs.

Here's a picture of my very first apartment on the Upper West Side. Seems like yesterday!

Holy Meringue

2011-04-21T11:01:00.001-04:00

Aren't they beautiful?! Mini lemon meringue pies at Glaser's Bake Shop on the UES.

The freshly baked pastry smell that hits you when you walk into Glaser's is incredibly enticing. Around since 1902, it's mostly full of locals but definitely worth a trip uptown for visitors. And for any of you Nashvillians reading this blog, you'll undoubtedly feel as though you've just walked through the old doors of Becker's. Blue and white tiled floors, oak cabinets, and a pressed tin ceiling make it easy to imagine what it felt like to enter this sweet shop over a century ago.

1670 First Ave

(bw 87th and 88th St.)

The Non-Plan Plan

2011-04-20T13:22:00.000-04:00

This weekend I'm going here:

I'd like to see this at the de Young Museum:

I bought this jacket (at 40% off!) to wear ~~the entire weekend~~ at some point:

I hope to do this:

*Haha, don't worry KTW, I won't make you pose for a backlit picture of the

two of us on a romantic drunken wine tasting...maybe...

And eat somewhere like this, I need that antler chandelier:

You see, as stated many times over, I'm a planner. I like to know what dinner is tomorrow night and what I'm going to wear for a wedding three months away. But, I've found that my happiest moments have been unplanned and unexpected. So, although I have a "loose" list above of things I'd like to see happen, I'm going to do my best to go with the flow and enjoy whatever we're able to do/not do over the holiday weekend. KTW and I will also be celebrating two years of dating fun-ness! So maybe that backlit romantic wine tasting picture will happen afterall...

Project Inspiration: Watercolor

2011-04-19T12:40:00.000-04:00

I've started working on a few watercolor projects for friends and have found some really interesting, clever ways to use the medium. Although I've played around with watercolor many times, it's always good to take a look at what others are doing. The two invitations below both caught my eye. Both are so unique and the artists' ability to keep the paint from not bleeding and so crisp is really impressive.

The image used for this invitation was based off the couple's engagement photos. The artist is Ashley Hoiland, the couple's cousin. The portrait is sweet, modern, and memorable.

Swiss Cottage Designs and Love, Jenna collaborated and produced this gorgeous save the date. The watercolor envelope liner is the client's grandmother's artwork, how special is that?! Her signature is even visable. And the calligraphy really is a beautiful contemporary compliment to the art.

Bring It On

2011-04-19T09:26:00.000-04:00

I think I can speak for most New Yorkers when I say we are all routing for Spring here! Rainy dreary chilly weather peppered with sunny 60ish degree days has become the usual. And it's pretty much all I've been reading about in blogs, talking about with my friends, and seeing on the news. COME. ON. SPRING! We're ready for you!

I love that this gown has a surprise in the back so that when the bride walked down the aisle, all of her guests could take in the beautiful colors. Perhaps New York has a colorful surprise for us?! Please do yourselves a favor and go over to Green Wedding Shoes to see more of this eclectic colorful celebration.

Forsythia For You

2011-04-12T16:01:00.000-04:00

Trying hard to get back into blogging more frequently. If you've been following my blog for some time, you know that I experienced a chaotic but wonderful March complete with two out of town bachelorette parties, one out of town wedding, a complete office renovation, and a blissful week with KTW in town from CA. These events and some possible upcoming life changes have left my mind reeling and nowhere near focusing on writing everyday. But, as I was kindly reminded today by one of the brides, this blog can serve as a good distraction too. That's one of the things I've discovered I love about blogging. Taking a few minutes out of the day to reflect on something a bit indulgent, fantasizing about a trip, dreaming of making some wonderful recipe, this blog affords me to drift away for a few moments and dream.

Let's all try to do that more often, k?

In all my dreamy-ness, I forgot where I found this picture, anyone? Anyone? I love how such a simple arrangement of forsythia tied around these columns with twine makes for such a dramatic result. What a great way to disguise industrial columns.

M.I.A.

2011-04-06T13:44:00.000-04:00

I have died and gone to pantry heaven! Which, I realize, does not fully explain my absence for the past two weeks. So sorry readers, been swamped with work, weddings, more work, more weddings, etc. I promise to resume regular posting as soon as I've recovered! For now, let's all be envious of this incredible Alabama pantry, complete with my favorite, cans and cans of San Marzano tomatoes.

Sketchy

2011-03-23T12:08:00.000-04:00

Recently, my boyfriend asked me to help out with some basic sketches for tshirts he wanted to print for an internet startup company he's working on, Mailgun. I'll let you follow the link to get a little more color on what they do, (mainly because I don't speak tech talk) but definitely worth checking out. They're doing some very cool things right now and it's been super exciting to watch how a small idea can quickly grow into a full blown, capital raising company. Here are the sketches, and KTW modeling the final product. Since gun is within the name of the company, we ran with it and I drew "famous movie guns." See if you can name the movie!

"Blaster Pistol"

"Gatling Gun"

"Pulse Rifle"

"Noisy Cricket"

Mrs. Dooley

2011-03-22T10:11:00.000-04:00

For the second night of Katy's bachelorette, we went to Cantina for dinner and tried to continue the Mexican theme with a bridal sombrero. She was a trooper and wore it for at least 75% of the night. An Atlanta friend found the sombrero at a party store so I didn't have to wear it on the plane from NYC. And I brought down some things to decorate it with. I made the sign below by using some scraps of construction paper I had lying around and a small piece of cardboard to back it. We also affixed Ring Pops for the bride to give away throughout the night to whoever she thought deserved one.

Making the sign: I wrote out what I wanted the sign to say and then taped a ton of cut up orange and yellow pieces of construction paper to the back.

Sorry, couldn't get this picture to rotate, the sign says "Soon to be...Mrs. Dooley."

Emily modeled the hat for us before giving it to the bride.

Here it is from the side with the Ring Pops around the edges.

And from the back. We attached a veil as well.

And finally, the happy bachelorette!

*Perhaps I should note that unfortunately the sombrero did not find it's way home that night.

But we will certainly remember it fondly :)

Using Streamers

2011-03-22T09:50:00.000-04:00

Last weekend was the second bachelorette weekend in March down in Atlanta. I had some leftover streamers from my Pancake Party and put them to use on Katy's lingerie shower gift. Note: this did not travel well since streamers are very easy to tear. If you'd like to try this, I recommend lots of tape to keep the streamers secured down.

With my box wrapped, I taped one end of the blue streamer down

and started randomly wrapping around the gift.

And then repeated with the turquoise.

I ripped up some of the remaining streamers and crunched them in my fist. Then I taped their ends together and to the box. And ta da! A fun festive gift for one of my favorite brides!

No Pinches for Me

2011-03-17T13:32:00.000-04:00

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!!!

Paper Pastries

2011-03-16T15:19:00.000-04:00

Weeks ago, I entered a blog giveaway over at Paper Pastries and won! A few days later, my package arrived. Thanks Margaret!

The package listed the following contents:

Scientific Study Stationary Set

4 handmade envelopes

4 coordinating gray flat cards

1 le pen

Here are a few other adorable items from her shop.

Polka Dot tape, great for dressing up presents.

Chef's Pencils.

These stamps are customizeable. You can color in the state where you're sending from.

Sort of a DIY postcard.

All here. Go check her out!

Almost There...

2011-03-15T15:29:00.000-04:00

This weekend definitely felt like spring in NYC. And although today has been another cold one, I know it's just around the corner, I'm sure of it! The natural light and sweet flowers at Wilfie and Nell this weekend convinced me even further. We're almost there!

Pancake Party Results

2011-03-14T21:36:00.000-04:00

I've had a hard time justifying writing a post that's purely party-focused considering all the turmoil and despair that we've all now seen occurring in Japan. Something just didn't seem right about it, sharing with you a small personal triumph when so many others are hurting. But alas, I know my readers come here not to be further saddened, but to check out exactly what are "A Few of My Favorite Things." So anyway, I hope we all do what we can to find a way to support those that have been affected by the earthquake and tsunamis, The Red Cross has really easy ways to help if you're interested.

Now, the pancake party! This was a little difficult to pull off. Hosting a pancake breakfast for nine girls in a space I've never seen, in a kitchen I didn't know would be equipped or not, etc. It was a challenge I was ready for. I did as much prep as I could before flying down to Florida. I painted smooth rocks silver and wrote our menu on them as a nod to Emily's engagement site, the Chicago bean sculpture. I bought small blue starfish and assembled blue and turquoise streamers in keeping with the fact that we were at the beach. I bought silver edged plates and napkins with a pretty blue pattern. The menu was blueberry pancakes and plain, maple syrup and fresh made blueberry syrup, sliced bananas, crispy bacon, coffee, and mimosas. And I didn't pull it off all on my own. Katelyn was a pro bacon cooker and Katy was my bartender. Here are some pictures from the party.

Mashing the blueberries.

Finished product. Yummy and the most beautiful purple-y color.

Blueberry Pancakes.

The scene, I would've liked a few more of those streamers to cover the front

but you work with what ya got.

Streamers up close.

The spread, it was gone fast.

Party-goer Katy dressed for the blue party :)

Party Time!!!

2011-03-04T13:45:00.000-05:00

This weekend marks the beginning of a very special time in my life, and my best friends'. Two of my favorites girls are getting married, one in April and one in June. Tonight, I'll fly down to Florida to be with them for the first bachelorette party, to be followed only two weeks later by the second bachelorette party, and then another two weeks later, the first wedding. I see lots and lots of cocktails in my future!

In addition to all of the celebrating, I can't help but recognize what this means for all of us. The bachelorette weekends are much more than just throwing back a few bottles of champagne and embarrassing the bride-to-be. It is a time to pay homage to the days of being silly single girls, (although if I know my friends, we have lots more silly ahead thank God.)

The showers, wedding, and reception are all events to recognize the union that the couple is entering. But the bachelorette party is a time to celebrate how far we've come as women. For the first 20-ish years we are single, independent, figuring out ourselves and becoming the person we are meant to be. This weekend we get to celebrate our friend, who she is, the kind of friend she has been to us, and the special, wonderful person that this dude is going to get for the rest of his life in just a few short weeks. We love you Emily and cannot wait to celebrate your last single days with you and send you off in style to Mr. Levi!

As I've mentioned before, I'm cooking breakfast for everyone tomorrow and I even have a few DIY projects I'm taking down to decorate for our feast. Here are some shots below, will be sure to upload images of the final product as well.

Emily got engaged next to the bean sculpture in Chicago,

I painted these smooth rocks silver to resemble the bean.

Then I wrote out our menu on them.

Magenta toes! I'm going with a blue and silver theme. I cut lots and lots of fringed streamers. Since I haven't seen the penthouse we're staying in, I'll have to figure out where to put them tomorrow morning. But I love them, they remind me of jellyfish, perfect since we'll be at the beach!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and thanks for being patient while I got sappy up above.

I'll try to keep it in check from now on :)

It's For The Kids

2011-03-03T13:37:00.000-05:00

Just trying to do my part :)

Little Luxuries on Saturday

2011-02-28T13:22:00.000-05:00

In preparation for the pancake breakfast Saturday, I love party supply stores!

Such cute little Bellini's in a can!

I'd love to bring these to the party but I might have a little trouble with airport security :(

Wish I was young enough to pull off these maryjane rainboots.

This is the new Ralph Lauren store on Madison and 72nd. It's truly beautiful inside and out. I am lucky to call one of their talented ladies in Fine Jewelry a friend. And was given a tour Saturday complete with lots of diamonds and even a big glass of bubbly champagne. Also, photos aren't typically allowed, helps to know someone on the inside :).

After the jewelry extravaganza, I toured the upstairs home section. I could live here.

Easily.

Spring is almost here!

Rainbow Brite

2011-02-25T14:19:00.000-05:00

On this dreary day in NYC, my mind is travelling to brighter, lighter, sunnier places, like this party.

The rainbow scheme flowers and ribbons are really working for me today. Notice how the colors follow each other down the table? I love how rainbows, which to me are classically fun and whimsical, can seem so sophisticated when paired with all white decor and a natural burlap runner. Also would you please pass the pretty pink cocktail and mini tacos my way? It is Friday afterall, happy weekend to you!

Rue

Wrap It Up

2011-02-24T10:31:00.000-05:00

Love this clever and easy diy confetti wrapping paper. All you need is tissue paper, double-sided tape, and confetti. Do it!

Take a Moment

2011-02-23T13:07:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow I will resume regular posts, I have lots of good stuff I've been saving to share :) But today, my head is still spinning from the gorgeousness that is Lake Tahoe. I went over the President's Day weekend for my first ever ski trip. It surpassed my expectations.

Here's a shot of our drive up the mountain and also one of the lake, breathtaking.

Cupcake Diet

2011-02-16T16:11:00.000-05:00

Because I had these and not much else for lunch....

I'm having half of this for a snack....

That's it! Now there's no patent on this diet yet, but I'm working on it so please don't steal my idea.

Working On...

2011-02-15T13:35:00.000-05:00

Just bought a dozen of these gorgeous blue starfish for an event I'm working on, can't wait to show pictures of the final product in a few weeks. And a little fun fact about these guys: In the wild, the Blue Starfish is capable of regenerating a new starfish from almost any portion of its body that might break off, coooool!

Here

Show Yourself Some Love

2011-02-14T13:53:00.000-05:00

Beautifully written post by Erin Gates at Elements of Style on the importance of learning to love yourself above anything/one else.

From my Love, I'm a lucky girl. A bit of a bragger too:) Happy Valentines Day everyone!

Oh Boy

2011-02-10T14:52:00.000-05:00

I've got a new fave! Looks like my beloved hydrangea will be taking the backseat for a while. All the way from both Australia and South Africa are Proteas. Gorgeous, ornate, humongous blooms of this flower have caught my eye and it looks like they're a hit on the wedding/event circuit lately too! Remember a few days ago when I asked if anyone knew what these were?

Well, some clicks later, on one of my favorite party planning blogs I got my answer.

Enjoy the gorgeousness!

Images Sources One (my own), Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, and Eight

Locanda Verde

2011-02-08T11:43:00.000-05:00

Brunch at Locanda Verde Sunday was everything I had hoped it would be. I had been dying to go since they opened and a friend in town and another who lives for brunch gave me the perfect excuse to spend a cool but sunny February Sunday in down in Tribeca. The Ken Friedman designed space located in the bottom of the Greenwich Hotel (think DeNiro), is pretty gorgeous. Lots of dark wood and beautiful windows, the restaurant is large so although busy, we weren't at all crammed.

Here are some pics from the afternoon.

The pastry/espresso bar in front is open to walk-ins needing a little caffeine jolt.

Or for those who want freshly made glazed doughnuts, I fall into both categories.

We waited a little longer than expected so they quickly brought over a pastry board compliments of the chef. I would have gladly waited another half hour to taste these!

Hazelnut crusted french toast.

Zucchini, roasted red pepper, and goat cheese frittata.

I liked the copper inlay on the rustic wooden tables.

We made a point of walking through the Greenwich Hotel lobby after brunch, really cool space.

Love these, anyone know what they are?

My tan boots matched this gorgeous tan tufted leather couch.

Locanda Verde

377 Greenwich St

(corner of N.Moore and Greenwich)

New York, NY 10013
(212) 925-3797

Eataly, still in love.

2011-02-07T09:56:00.000-05:00

Citrus

Cheese

Breads

Pastas

$50 Bottles of Olive Oil

Jams

Sodas

Lurisia water

Candies in Anise and Absinthe flavors

Oh my...

So much goodness and I'm told that soon (late February), La Birreria, the rooftop beer garden will be opening. Yet another reason to keep going back to Eataly.

P.S. I saw Claire Danes there too :)

From Picture to Paper

2011-02-04T16:49:00.000-05:00

My bed, my sanctuary. I painted the crab a few years ago (I'm a Cancer.) The headboard is soft and padded and covered in a very light blue and off white check. I made it in about an hour. I love it and it's simplicity. The chambray sheets are Ralph Lauren and the coverlet is Pottery Barn organic cotton. Everything about my bed is soft, the colors, and the feel. The bee pillow from Ballard was a Christmas gift. If you've been following this blog, you know bees are my favorite.

Here's a quick sketch of one of my favorite places. It's beyond cozy.

Oh, and, TGIF! I think this little jumping lamb feels the same way!

via Peppermint Bliss

All Very Civilized

2011-02-04T11:26:00.001-05:00

Last night my out of town guest took me to the opera.

We were oh so civilized and fancy.

So fancy in fact that after the third act, we had to leave early to watch these two duke it out yet again.

Definitely a night of highbrow/lowbrow and it was fantastic!

A Visitor

2011-02-03T10:13:00.001-05:00

This weekend I'm hosting my dear friend Katelyn from Atlanta. We met at Auburn and have been friends since. Even though my space is small, I love having guests. Before she arrived last night I arranged some flowers and made Ina Garten's Outrageous Brownies. Hosting is my favorite!

In case someone forgets...I'm hoping these flowers will last for me through V-Day :)

Meeting PW

2011-02-02T13:32:00.000-05:00

The Pioneer Woman's blog is one of the first I started reading. I visit it a little less these days since my focus is more on event planning blogs. But her gorgeous photography, incredibly yummy recipes, and Charlie stories continue to draw me back each week. I received her cookbook last Christmas, love it! And last night, I replaced my "ambitious read" ("The Fountainhead",) with her new memoir "Black Heels to Tractor Wheels." It's the story of how she met and married her cowboy. I'll get back to "The Fountainhead" eventually but right now, 12 days before the big love holiday, I need a steamy romance to fall asleep to, you ladies understand right?

Barnes & Noble at Union Square hosted a Q&A with Ree last night and I finally got to meet my first blog "hero." She was adorable, every bit the genuine pioneer wife, huge-hearted mother, and hilarious ranchhand she represents on her blog. Her cute sister Betsy, father, and stepmother were also there to support her. She mentioned to me when we spoke that in addition to the food, what she enjoyed most while in NYC was being with her family.

Here are some pics from last night.

Taking questions and backs of many heads...the place was packed.

Not the most flattering for either of us unfortunately. I'd been at work all day and she, well, she had been on the Today Show that morning so cut us a little break :)

Already a few chapters deep, pick one up if you want a sweet, fast read.

Or if you just have a thing for cowboys!

Pancake Brunch

2011-01-28T16:09:00.000-05:00

Last summer two of my best girlfriends got engaged. And I must have done something right because I get to be a bridesmaid in both! The first wedding is April 2nd and the second will be in June. This means a double dose of bachelorette party craziness in March! Since I live in NYC and they are in Atlanta, I've had to miss a handful of showers for them both already which I hate. But luckily, I'll be able to join for both bachelorette parties and I plan to make up for lost wedding shower time by doing a little something special for them each. For the first, we'll be heading down to sunny Florida and I'll be hosting a Pancake Brunch the 1st morning in our 3 bedroom penthouse on the beach (!!!!)

Below I found some good ideas for the decor/set-up from here and here.

Really like the vintage syrup dispensers for different flavors.

Wouldn't a crossword about the bride be fun to have at each guest's seat?

A Beautiful Mess!

2011-01-27T15:22:00.000-05:00

Cab at 10:15pm last night.

My street, covered and still coming.

Not a useful railing...

After I took this photo, about half of the snow on this tree fell on my head. My freshly blowdried head...gorgeous, but what a mess!

From Picture to Paper

2011-01-25T14:50:00.000-05:00

My afternoon snack.

What do you think? Do we like this idea for a new series?

Awesome

2011-01-25T14:09:00.000-05:00

Awesome floor. Awesome stainless steel drawers. Awesome light fixtures. Awesome cabinets.

Thank you.

"Trois Gymnopédies"

2011-01-23T17:32:00.000-05:00

Good for a Sunday night.

Tonight

2011-01-21T14:34:00.000-05:00

I'm going here

With Kate

To have these

Just kidding, I have a feeling there will be less umbrellas at Ciano.

Very excited for cocktails with Kate from Embarassment of Riches, one of the first blogs I started reading!

A Few Trip Pics

2011-01-20T13:51:00.000-05:00

I don't know how you other bloggers do it. I've been back since Tuesday from a four day trip to CA and I'm still exhausted. I haven't even unpacked yet, much less had time to blog about it. I give major props to those bloggers who stay at it even while on vacation, hiring guest bloggers to post, uploading trip pictures, and even writing posts before the trip to post while you're away, etc. I'm definitely never going to be that kind of blogger (at least while maintaining a full-time job.) Anyway, here are just a few pictures I wanted to share, I took about a million...

Citrus trees everywhere. At the lovely house where KTW is staying, they have grapefruit,

Meyer lemons, oranges, and limes! So fresh, so fantastic.

Needs no explanation.

Boat lockers in Sausalito, they go on and on.

As do the lovely sailboats.

The Madrone Art Bar in San Francisco's NoPa neighborhood is covered in constantly changing conceptual art. Like this deer head with gold painted machine guns for antlers.

More to come...

Renewable Clothing

2011-01-13T11:30:00.000-05:00

By Fernando Brizio

*Felt tip pens bleed out over time to create one of a kind, re-wearable dresses.

Insert pens, wear, wash, repeat cycle. Fantastic.

Loving: Christian Faur

2011-01-13T11:15:00.000-05:00

Christian Faur

Loving: Miss Capricho

2011-01-12T16:18:00.000-05:00

Miss Capricho

Sweet Tooth?

2011-01-12T16:04:00.000-05:00

I've seen a lot of candy tables at weddings and parties, but how about a whole wall of candy like this one?

I'm really liking this vertical presentation.

via Style Me Pretty

Headed Out West

2011-01-11T14:18:00.000-05:00

In two days, I'll be travelling out to visit KTW in Palo Alto where he's currently working for three months. I've been so excited for this trip, not only to see him, but also to visit such a beautiful state (and get out of the snow!) I really fell in love with San Francisco a few years back and hope we'll be able to spend a little time there. We also have plans to drive down Highway 1 to see Big Sur, Carmel, and Monterey, which I've never seen. Clearly I'm big on planning so I've been googling restaurants, places to see, etc. but definitely prefer to find places more by word of mouth. Any tips? They'd be much appreciated :)

Here are my ideas so far:

Obviously...

Cannot wait for this!

Entrance to the boutique hotel that we'll stay at for one night in Monterey.

Downtown Palo Alto reminds me of downtown Franklin, TN, looking forward to checking out the shops.

Have been told lunch high on the hills, above the fog at Post Ranch Inn

makes you feel like you're floating, sounds like a must to me!

Presido Social Club in SF has also been recommended. Love the interior and menu sounds delish.

And finally, I hope we'll be able to do a little of this...

and depending on how things go, hopefully not this...

Fingers crossed this Nor'Easter doesn't mess up our fun plans!

My Inspiration Board

2011-01-11T13:16:00.000-05:00

For about a year now, I've been ripping pages out of magazines. Recipes and images of decorating tips, parties I want to recreate, and clothes I'm pining over have all been piling up because I didn't know what to do with them, I just knew I had to keep them. Finally, I bit the bullet last weekend and bought a cork board and some tacks and went to work. Why keep them in a box in my closet? If these are images that I currently have some sort of response to, they need to be up, I need to see them, they need to inspire me. The main thing I realized once I pulled it all together is how much color inspires me. Take a look, I love how bright and vibrant this came out.

Getting started...I had to discard a lot and just keep my very favorite images.

The recipes have been set aside for a "cookbook binder."

These were strategically placed to blend with the colors that were in the pictures.

Final outcome, it hasn't been hung yet so this isn't the best picture but it gives

you an idea of what I'm going for. My plan is to continue to add and take away as I see fit.

Hopefully this will keep my studio apartment a very creative one!

Brooklyn Brine

2011-01-07T15:04:00.001-05:00

A few weeks ago, my Uncle Todd and his wife Annie (we've agreed Aunt Annie sounds a little funny because we are pretty close in age,) hosted us for a day after Christmas meal. Their new baby, August was awake to entertain and he is the most precious, round, cuddly baby boy in Nashville. Their home was recently featured in a house tour of trendy East Nashville so it was decorated beautifully and was a great place to spend what was supposed to be my last night in Nashville (blizzard...). One thing about their house I love is they are NOT afraid of color, every room has a personality, and they don't take themselves too seriously. That's three things actually, I could go on...

A deer head gets a poinsettia lei.

Both avid music fans, this lime green listening room has a retro feel with today's best sound.

Who doesn't need a tiki cup collection in their house?

Bad lighting for the picture but the orange and blue still punch in their master bedroom.

A very retro chair in a very cool fabric.

A white tree is perfect in their bright pink living room.

Lookin good fam!

Annie and Todd always give the best gifts. In past years, they've given gift certificates to Bliss Spas in NY and this year, they added to my Le Creuset collection! Although my budget is a little more limited, I wanted to get them something special as well. Annie used to live in NY and Todd is a total foodie so I thought these made the perfect present!

Brooklyn Brine Co. creates some truly tasty snacks. I don't like pickles. But I like these pickles. I also bought them the Lavender Asparagus, not too heavy on the lavender, they're just right! I got a text before I got home that night from my uncle: "send more asparagus!" I think they were a hit, go buy some.

One for the Matinee Please

2011-01-07T11:07:00.000-05:00

via

I've really enjoyed reading fellow bloggers New Years resolutions this week. I didn't post any because I've found that generally when I make them, they are broken within a few days, I'm a rule-breaker, what can I say? :)

Anyway, even though I have trouble sticking to set resolutions, I do believe it's good practice to re-focus at the beginning of the year, or really whenever you think to do so, and consider the things that you could do to make your life better, easier, more fullfilling, etc., as well as what you can do for others and the Earth we live on.

One of the things I intend to focus on a little more is doing things for myself. This blog was a start. At 26, I know there are still many years of figuring out exactly who I am, what's important to me, and how to push through limitations I've set for myself. Going to movies alone has always really freaked me out. This weekend, I plan to get over this and go see The Fighter by myself. Christian Bale and Marky Mark will be my date :)

Not Cool

2011-01-06T09:39:00.000-05:00

Trash piles here are getting just a little frustrating to walk around everyday. And they continue to grow...this one is almost as tall as that U-Haul and is close to touching the roof of that scaffolding!

Due to the snowstorm over a week ago, there is trash piling up everywhere. And now, we're hearing reports of more snow tomorrow. I love this city, but man, this is not cool! Yuck!

Practicing My Steps...

2011-01-05T21:42:00.000-05:00

...for this tomorrow

That's right, yours truly is going to Jazzercise! Wish me luck, I'm hoping a) I'm not the only one under 40, b) I can Pump Up the Jam effectively, and c) they like my legwarmers and sweatbands.

The Best Email I've Ever Received

2011-01-05T17:17:00.000-05:00

Please pardon the quality. Apparently I need to work on my screen shot skillz.

The Iron Gate

2011-01-05T17:02:00.000-05:00

Downtown Franklin, TN is home to many great shops and restaurants. Whenever I'm home, my mom and I make it a point to do lunch at Merridees and walk down Main St. to browse at things we can't have. Our favorite spot, without a doubt is The Iron Gate. Here are a few pictures.

These are big and shiny and hand-painted, lovely.

Dried Magnolia Leaf Wreath in a pretty perfect chair.

Lots of bubbles!

This tree made me think of a movie I just saw...

A French Marriage Globe, really like this idea, what a special tradition. Read about it on the card below.

Big pale green-blue ceramics=LOVE

Love framed unique objects like these keyholes.

The Iron Gate

Franklin, TN

Oh, yeah, Naomi was there too and that is some RED hair!

See You in 2011!

2010-12-30T17:07:00.000-05:00

A yummy Christmas cocktail of vodka soaked cranberries and club soda.

I have many more pictures to upload from Christmas but they'll have to wait until after New Years. This week has flown by, as has 2010 for that matter. 2010, although rewarding and great in many ways, was also one of my most challenging. Which, in turn, makes those rewards that much sweeter I guess. This blog has continued to be a place of respite, a source of inspiration, a release of creative energy, and so much more. I can't thank my followers enough for sticking with me and I promise to keep writing and making lame jokes in 2011, that's why you came right?!

Anyway, here's to 2011! Hope your New Years Eve will be sparkly, glittery, and a great night to ring in the new year.

Christmas: Decorations

2010-12-29T16:31:00.000-05:00

My mom continues to simplify her decorations each year. I'm okay with this, as long as there's a tree.

This year's tree was...interesting? See below.

A simple silver star for the wooden bird.

Mom did the table, I did the floral arrangements. We work well as a team.

Magnolia leaves from the front yard, red tulips, and silver for the mantle.

Sorry for the washed out pic, they get a lot of light in this room.

Silver balls.

More silver. Mom even wrapped all of the gifts in silver. There's a little peek of the tree in this picture too...

The tree. Well, I guess an LED pre-lit fake-o is still a tree. I actually grew to like this quirky little guy. Those are cards stuck into the iron wall hanging.

Christmas: Food

2010-12-29T16:15:00.000-05:00

I have to say, I've become quite good at slapping people's hands away from their food, just so I can get a shot for this blog. Here are some food shots I took over the holidays.

My Iroquois sandwich from Bread & Company, chicken salad spread on cranberry pecan bread. If you don't have a B&Co. in your town, I feel for you, I really do.

Attempting to make Pioneer Woman's Orange Rolls (using her cinnamon roll recipe.) These did not turn out so great unfortunately. I think she may have left out a step or two in the recipe...

I swear it wasn't my fault.

Marmalade on dough, at least it looked pretty.

Icing for the rolls. Trying to catch an action shot of the drip.

Rolling some dough. Before going out at night, my mom told me I needed "a little color." Meaning, blush or lipstick, or a week in Mexico. Therefore, I've tried to spare you my paleness by turning this photo black and white, didn't help much, put your shades on please.

Christmas Eve dinner was short ribs, here is some ~~bacon~~ pancetta seasoning the pot.

Here, we've removed the pancetta, dusted the short ribs in salt and pepper and flour.

They are about to get brown in the pot and the kitchen is about to smell amazing.

These creatures wandered into the kitchen and did their best to trip me up

while holding the plate of cooked short ribs.

Don't you dare scrape that pot! Throw in your onions, carrots, and wine now. Then put the short ribs back in, cover with a lid, and put into the oven for about 2 hours.

Results = fall off the bone tender super yummy rich salty short ribs.

There were just a few more steps involved in each of these recipes, please do yourself a favor and check here for them before attempting.

Only a few more days....

2010-12-21T14:31:00.000-05:00

...and definitely getting into the spirit!

Shaping crescent cookies, don't know why these pics turned out so yellowy-green.

The cookies are actually an almond-y color with a powdered sugar coating.

They are simple, and yummy, and my favorite dude's favorite!

Star boxes from The Container Store

My meager attempt at decorating, could've made a little more effort but it is quite cozy.

Scenes from a Saturday

2010-12-20T14:43:00.000-05:00

Recently, KTW has made plans to move to Palo Alto for three months for work. He leaves in January and I cannot wait to get out there and visit him! Since this past weekend marked one of our last together in NYC for a while, I insisted we do something fun together on Saturday. Here's what we did:

Big beautiful origami tree at the American Museum of Natural History,

preceeded by the yummiest pumpkin pancakes.

Ran into a few brown bears there...suprisingly docile...

Came across these big guys...

As I proclaimed aloud "I want one of these for my apartment,"

KTW slowly sneaked away from me confused and bewildered....

For dinner, we tried Fish Tag, a new spot on the UWS.

Apologies for the picture quality, the cooler the place,

the more embarassed I am to take pictures with flash.

Individual glass water bottles to pour yourself, great decor in this place.

Bulgur salads on pedastals? Okay why not?

Things I failed to get a picture of at dinner:

1) Our bottle of wine described to have notes of "new shoes."

2) My tasty salmon.

3) His decadent sheeps milk dumplings.

4) Our dark chocolate ice cream, the richest, creamiest awesomeness.

We finished off the night with Tron 3D.

Word to the wise, save your $$$ for more dark chocolate ice cream at Fish Tag. No bueno.

Cheers!

2010-12-17T15:59:00.000-05:00

I'll be doing some of this tonight in order to stay warm in chilly NYC! Hope you have fun weekend plans too!

Also, have you heard of Instagram?

I took this photo last night with my iphone and then treated the pic in Instagram,

love the fun effects in this ap!

When You Have to RSVP "No"...

2010-12-17T15:28:00.000-05:00

...you should do this:

Jordan Ferney sent this box o' balloons to her good friend Michelle and set up a tripod to capture the fun surprise. Love it, and love Jordan's blog too, Oh Happy Day, check it out!

Drink it Up

2010-12-16T13:24:00.000-05:00

It's no secret that Anthropologie does some incredible windows and displays. These straws, sewn together straight down the middle make up one of my favorites. I'd love to see someone do it with colorful pipe-cleaners, or maybe the blue striped straws below. They would make a great twirly backdrop for pictures at a party, I'm thinking behind the bar area might be appropriate!