happy (american) thanksgiving!

Taking the next few days off to indulge in some holiday time.  Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

ps. Pop over here to learn how the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons came to be.

big gay ice cream shop

Last week I mentioned that John and I had a Groupon that I needed to use before it expired, and the Big Gay Ice Cream Shop happened to be the place. I had originally bought it in the summer, hoping to use it at their infamous ice cream truck in Union Square, which has been named one of the best food trucks several times over by numerous publications.  But it turned out to be one of those things that just never worked out ... which brings me to why we went to an ice cream shop in the middle of November.   But regardless of the time of year, I'm so glad we did - I got the "Salty Pimp" - a vanilla cone covered covered in a sea salt and chocolate shell with swirls of dulce de leche - and John had the "Bea Arthur" - a vanilla cone covered in crushed Nilla wafers and dulce de leche - and both were beyond delicious.  The best part comes at the very end, but you're going to have to discover it for yourself ;)  

weekend notes

ingenius paper bag idea from trader joe's

This weekend was very quiet, but sometimes that is so nice.  I had time to actually do the mundane (but necessary) errands that never seem to get done during the week (I'm looking at you groceries and apartment scrubbing).  It's also nice to know that this will be a short week, complete with one relaxing long weekend. And as an added bonus, my mom is coming to visit on Wednesday, and I couldn't be more excited.  I also have never been in the US for an American Thanksgiving, so I'm excited to check out some of the festivities - especially what could be the best or worst tradition of all - Black Friday.

favorite winter scarf from Banana Republic

just snoozin' (and treats ...)

my gardening skills at work

peace from here

afternoon sun

astor place

John and I enjoyed a long lunch together strolling around the city today.  Truth be told, I had a Groupon that I needed to use before it expired so it prompted us to venture out into the chill that has suddenly descended upon Manhattan.  We stopped at our favorite pizza place (seen here), but this time at the East Village location, and then headed to the Groupon spot (details next week).  It was nice walking through the chilly streets, and the crisp air it reminded me that Christmas is right around the corner.

on the bowery

best yoga studio in nyc

st. mark's

deliciousness

cutie ... staring at the pizzas

currently coveting ...

Now that the weather is getting cooler, nights curled up on the couch are calling for a cozy blanket to be included.  And since this past Spring I threw away the one and only throw we owned (a gorgeous white, wool number) because it shed so badly it was like we had another pet in the house, it's suddenly dawned on me how much we are lacking in this department.  I saw this Multistripe Point Blanket from the Hudson Bay Company recently and fell in love. My nationalistic pride is probably a major contributor to my adoration for this heavy wool throw, as it symbolizes Hudson Bay's beginnings in Canada. It could also be that it exudes a somewhat nautical/beachy vibe, but it's heavy composition makes it completely appropriate for the winter months.  Either way, it would look great on my white couch and will be perfect for the cool nights ahead. 

yay

If you're into it, you're into it.

pommes frites

This past weekend, John and I went to one of our favorite places in the East Village - Pommes Frites.  They make the absolute best french fries in New York, and the constant line outside the door is a testament to this. (I used to live around the corner from here and could smell them from my window - believe me, it was an exercise in self-control).  This tiny restaurant serves authentic Belgian fries and offers an absolutely gigantic list of unique dipping sauces that are a far cry from the usual ketchup.  We ordered the Vietnamese Pineapple Mayo, Sweet Mango Chutney Mayo, and the Irish Curry, and they were honestly all so good that it was hard to choose a favorite (if I had to though, I'd go with the Mango).  It's tricky to get a seat as the interior is quite small, but there are plenty of neighboring parks where you can grab a seat and ponder which sauces you'll try next time.

weekend notes

wandering through Union Square

The past two weeks/weekends have been so busy that it was nice to have a weekend without any agenda other than catching up on errands and long overdue tasks.   Most of the weekend was spent working on the website (even though it's pretty basic, I cannot tell you how proud I am of it so far and can't wait to share it with you soon.  Let's just say working with code is something I never saw myself trying to tackle ;) On Sunday, we had a bit of a reprieve with a trip to one of my favorite food stops (check back tomorrow for details) and a wander around Union Square, where it was so nice to sit on one of the park benches and watch the world go by. 

love white candles - thanks andy!



adorable old men playing chess in the park



finally found - perfect black leather bag at Century 21

Union Square by night

style inspiration: brigitte bardot

Brigitte Bardot is famed as a 60's bombshell, but not enough credit is given to her casual attire. An original bohemian trendsetter, she captured the perfect mix between carefree and put-together, which is an obvious ode to the French laissez-faire era she lived in.  It also goes without saying that her hair, which is still so iconic today, was a major aspect of her personal style and was one of her most distinguishing features.  I love that she balanced her coquettish hairstyles, as well as her frequent use of bold lipsticks and winged eyeliner, with more definitively masculine pieces, such as crewneck knitted sweaters and cropped trousers, to create a look that was somewhat disheveled but still incredibly provoking. 

chicken burrito pizza

Last night we were craving Mexican, but didn't want to resort to our standard variety nachos or fajitas, so we decided to try a recipe I had torn from a health & fitness magazine that looked not only delicious, but was super nutrionally-packed, as well (recipe here).  All of the different elements, from the pico de gallo to the whole wheat crust, worked wonderfully together, and it was a nice departure from more traditional mexican-influenced flavors.  We used to have "fajita fridays," but now we're thinking it should be "pizza wednesdays" instead.

refresh

As I keep mentioning, John and I are preparing to leave New York in a few months to take on an exciting new project that we're both very much looking forward to.  Over the past few months, I've revealed some hints as to what this new endeavor is (seen here), as well as one of the developments that we will be working on (seen here).  Today, I'm going to let you in on another project that we will be working on, which is an outdoor shower.  Here are a few of the images that are currently inspiring me, and that I hope to take at least a few ideas from for our own attempt at such a great outdoor feature.  It's relaxing just looking at them, don't you think?