winter wedding

last weekend, i was a bridesmaid for the very first time. i know it’s to be expected for people to get emotional during weddings, but since i’m not the sentimental type, i was actually surprised by how touched i was. witnessing the tears, the positive energy, and overall feeling of love throughout that day really moved me. my friend and her husband were radiating with love, and for some reason i got the most choked up during their last dance. i suppose it was an accumulation of the whole day, and it just finally hit me. so needless to say, it was a very positive experience for me.

above are a few photos from the wedding. top right is sean and i in the trolley with the entire wedding party and significant others. everyone was all dressed up popping champagne, and drinking coors light on our way to the park for our photo shoot. i love the look of the snow in the top right photo. the park was filled with people due to the unseasonably warm weather, which we referred to as the “wedding miracle”. it was so amusing to see people ohh and ahh over our photos shoot, and of course the bride and groom. people kept yelling out “congratulations” and asking to take pictures. i’m guessing there was probably a good number of photo bombs as well!

bottom left is bobby the pig, who was roaming in the park off leash, with his friendly owner near by. one of the bridesmaids maids fed him an almond, but he seemed to care more about eating all the snow.

bottom right are my friend christine and i posing with our beautiful bouquets in the church. we both have known the bride jackie since freshman year of college. weddings make you realize the importance of all the people you meet, and the different phases of your life.

what i’ve been up to

this quote sums up the reason why i’ve been the world’s worst blogger! i’ve been so focused on everything else, i’ve put off blogging for way too long. i don’t mean to imply everything i’ve been focused on is necessarily important…although i’d say work, yoga, cooking, reading, and social time are all very important, and i suppose resting too, which includes watching reruns on netflix, of shows that are too embarrassing to name….and now it’s time to catch up on my blogging, which i’ll start with some highlights from the past few months…

buttermilk pancakes from jimmy’s diner, potluck picnic on the west side highway, antipasti and mimosas at eataly rooftop, huevos rancheros and mimosas at over the eight…

korean bbq in korea town, new year’s eve pizza at best pizza, outdoor movies at upper west side pier…

riding antique carousels and lounging in the sun at governor’s island….

 

and sleeping in whenever possible.

steps to enjoying summer

step 1: enjoying delicacies, like live lobster at home….

step 2: drinking frozen cocktails like boozy caramel milk shakes with whisky at jimmy’s diner, and watermelon margaritas at nights and weekends….

step 3: spending the afternoon in the moma during a heat wave…

step 4: sharing a pitcher of caipirinha during happy hour at  beco.

my 4th of july weekend

 

on the 4th we stayed local, and watched the fireworks from the williamsburg waterfront. before the sun set we laid out a blanket, and brought snacks and wine, and waited for the fireworks to peak over the manhattan skyline.

for sean’s birthday on the 5th, we went out for a romantic sushi dinner at 1 or 8, followed by fancy cocktails at donna. as per our usual birthday tradition, it was our first time going to both places. the space donna occupies is gorgeous, and i definitely plan on becoming a regular there! the tall vaulted ceilings, and distressed wood floors give the bar a reclaimed look, and makes you feel like you’re walking into a different era. all the cocktails are “exotic but approachable” as described by nymag.

as for 1 or 8 the space has a very cool, minimalist aesthetic, the service was great, but it wasn’t my favorite sushi restaurant in the neighborhood. i loved the shrimp dumplings, and crab and lobster croquettes, but it didn’t make it on my list for favorite places to get sushi.

after drinks we grabbed cookies from milk bar as a movie snack, and went to see this is the end. i highly recommend the blueberry and cream cookie! and side note….wouldn’t it be great if there was a milk bar kiosk at the theater? you could order soft serve, milk shakes, cookies, pork buns, endless options! rather than smuggling these delicious snacks in, it would be part of the theater! just a genius thought i had.

the day after sean’s birthday i realized we overloaded on cookies, but never had a dessert with a candle, so i surprised him with a pie from the blue stove. i would compare the pie to a snickers with whip cream on it. the filling was chocolate and caramel with peanuts, with whip cream and swirled chocolate and peanuts on top, all in a flaky crust.

 

florida family vacation

our trip to fl began and ended with beautiful clear skies… but unfortunately, a tropical storm rolled in, and made the days in between far from perfect weather. but rain or shine, we were determined to have fun no matter what!

surprisingly enough my parents were visiting sarasota, fl the same week as my boyfriend’s family only a few miles from each other. excited to spend quality time with his family and my own, i joined sean and his parents to stay at their beach house rental for the week.

if i were to design a beach house, it would be exactly like the one we stayed in. the all wood home with exposed beams had a rustic and welcoming feel. the floor to ceiling windows, allowed the sunlight to pour in, and offered a panoramic view of the beach, which was also enjoyed from giant screened in porch. i also loved the hidden path carved out with stepping stones, leading to the beach.

on the cloudy days we went bowling with sean’s parents, and another day i went to the aquarium with my parents. both activities, i’m not ashamed to say i still love as an adult!

on our last night our families came together for a cookout. we filled the beach house with laughter, sharing family memories, and bonding over the love of our pets. after dinner we walked down to the beach, and watched the sunset while sipping on mojitos. it was my favorite memory from the whole trip.

 

fast company may 2013 issue

may 2013 issue for fast company contained two of the very best articles i’ve read yet.

how jenna lyons transformed jcrew into a cult brand describes jenna lyons as the driving force, behind the iconic brand. lyons ensures there is a singular vision for the brand, and every employee feels appreciated and remains inspired. here are some of my favorite quotes…

“but instead of pointing fingers, she senses a deeper problem”…”when something hasn’t been as beautiful as it can be, the reason is always bigger than the thing,” lyons tells me afterward. here, the reason was miscommunication between the stylists and the merchandisers. “at this stage, I’m like a glorified crossing guard,” says Lyons. “it’s like, try to keep people motivated, keep the traffic moving, keep people from getting stumped or stopped by a problem.”

“managing creative people–not so easy,” she says. “a lot of emotion, a lot of stroking. some people need tough love. some people need a lot of love.” above all is the challenge of managing in a subjective realm. “there’s no right or wrong answer,” says lyons. “when someone creates something and puts it in front of you, that thing came from inside of them, and if you make them feel bad, it’s going to be hard to fix, because you’ve actually crushed them.”

how a young community of entrepreneurs is rebuilding detroit highlights a growing community of new comers, determined to change detroit for the better. despite any setbacks they’ve experienced, they keep believing and giving to a place that hasn’t always made them feel welcomed. here are some of my favorite quotes from the article…

jerry paffendorf: after his art and performance space, the imagination station, was mysteriously burned down, he chose to showcase his optimism… “we had planned a mural for the station. i said we should speed the mural up, do something. we painted two words, real big, on what was left of the building: it’s ok! that’s what it says now–just a big two-word press release.”

josh mcmanus: came to detroit for the “next big challenge”, and explains “where everything’s broken, anything’s possible…”thomas edison supposedly said that opportunity is missed by most because it’s usually dressed in overalls and looks like work. as i think back through the history of innovation, and look at people such as charles and ray eames and frank lloyd wright and edison and all the others who broke into a space that we had not seen before, they worked in transitional places. that’s why i think opportunity looks like detroit.

“i tell people, if you are not needed where you are right now, you are needed in detroit. but before you show up, you need to know that it ain’t damn disneyland for hipsters. it’s a very real place. ”

“so there’s a cost to opportunity, but it’s balanced by unlimited potential. an emerging entrepreneur can’t have a 100,000-square-foot building in san francisco, unless he’s got a trust fund. for most of us, it just couldn’t ever happen. it can happen in detroit.”

margarita barry: after a break in at her retail shop, she displayed resilience…”you have to find a way to get through that feeling of frustration. you have to harness it, ask what can I do to make the situation better? everyone in the city is coming together now, and I want to help…”detroit hustles harder. have you heard that? it’s like our slogan. You can’t be afraid of failure here. a lot of us don’t have a lot to lose.”

 

how i spent my birthday

watching “munchies” videos by vice has become a recent obsession, so after seeing this video about walter foods, it immediately went to the top of my restaurants “to try” list. most of the dishes on their menu are quite indulgent, so it was a perfect choice for my birthday. the decor is sophisticated without being highbrow, and the fancy cocktails and servers in bow ties give it a classy feel.

my boyfriend and i slid into a cozy booth and drank whiskey cocktails, and started our meal with artichoke dip and mussels in a spicy tomato broth and chorizo.

for entrées, we shared their signature french dip sandwich (with filet mignon and horseradish sauce) and lobster roll.

after dinner, we went to one of our favorite cocktail bars, dram. their menu is broken up by house, classic, modern, and bartender’s choice cocktails. you really can’t go wrong on what you order, i tend to order from the house, while sean orders from the classic. and if you’re feeling adventurous  bartender’s choice is definitely a great way to go.

spoons toons & booze + a sunday feast

we gorged ourselves with sugary kid’s cereal, and brunch cocktails at nitehawk cinema’s  spoons, toons & booze. once a month they offer saturday morning cartoons & free cereal. they have every childhood favorite from garfield & friends, the smurfs, teenage mutant ninja turtles, and doug…and the list goes on.

along with our multiple servings of cereal, i had a mimosa and sean had two white russsian’s. one topped with cocoa puffs, and the other with chocolate syrup and whipped cream.

we also ordered the nitehawk benedict from their brunch menu, with poached eggs, housemade sage sausage  tater tots, and chipotle hollandaise.

the feasting continued with a family style dinner of penne with vodka sauce, and pepperoni pizza. after dinner we all took a stroll around the neighborhood, and walked to the water just before the sun was setting.

 

 

 

landhaus lamburger

smorgasburg  finally reopened, and is officially my second home on the weekends! and i’ve discovered my new smorgasburg fave, the landhaus.

their burger is listed on their menu simply as “lamburger” with no description. so i took my chances, and was rewarded with one of the best burgers i’ve ever had!

their website describes it in more detail as “our custom blend of grass fed lamb and pork fat-back, whipped sheeps milk feta, house made harissa, grilled onions and cilantro on napoli bakery roll. ”

if you’re visiting smorgasburg and looking for landhaus, just follow your nose….there’s a constant aroma of grilled maple glazed bacon coming from their stand.

i can’t  wait to try everything else on their menu…

blt
landhaus bacon, red Leaf lettuce, lucky’s tomatoes, bacon infused mayo on toasted napoli bakery bread

grilled maple bacon sticks
Voted the best bacon in NYC by the villiage voice newspaper. maple syrup, secret spices.

fresh mint lemonade
“best lemonade in brooklyn.”

somebody up there likes me (2012)

bam theater is officially on my list of favorite places in brooklyn. this weekend i went to see a movie followed by a q&a with writer/director bob byington and actor nick offerman. admittedly, the main reason i went to see the movie somebody up there likes me was to see nick offerman in person. there is no way i could pass up the opportunity to see the man who plays one of the funniest characters on tv, ever! thankfully, his personality was not far off from the character he plays on parks and recreation…he was equally sarcastic, with the same dead pan tone as ron swanson. if you’ve never watched parks and recreation before, i highly recommend that you start watching it!

now for the movie…it was definitely a dark comedy, with just the right amount of awkward pauses and offbeat humor to keep me entertained. i was also blown away by the amazing score from vampire weekend’s chris baio, which helped to bring some cheerfulness and lighten the film.

as the la times review  described it, “austin-based writer-director bob byington’s “somebody up there likes me” is a difficult film to describe, but easily inspires a deep sense of affection and connection. words such as offbeat, charming or, lord help us, quirky are wildly overused and yet this is exactly the kind of film to which they best apply.”

below are photos of bam theatre and the best close of i could get of nick offerman during the q&a.