Category Archives: shopping

GOLDEN SUNRISE

I have been a mega fan of David Beale’s work (and his rad blog!) for a long time. But I’ve never bought any of his pieces because he makes mostly rings, and I hate wearing rings. (Also super impractical for a baker). But now that he’s making the Sunrise style in a beautiful gold bangle, I could see myself buying this piece… oh it’s so amazing!

[via The Golden Smith]

UNDERWATER LIVING

After weeks of waiting, my glorious A.P.C. quilt has finally arrived!! My bedding situation is a little chaotic (mismatched pillows, mismatched sheets, two thin airplane blankets, one duvet, one blanket purchased in Bali, and my quilt) (and no, I don’t turn on the heat in my bedroom), but the quilt pulls everything together. The quilt is super thick and warm and heavy, really amazing quality. Very substantial. Since I am missing the craftsy gene, I hope that this adopted heirloom will keep me company throughout my entire life.

The “curtain” is actually a beautiful piece of fabric my mom gave me for Christmas. She wanted me to make a top or dress with the material (she actually suggested I give the fabric to Jennifer — my mom is a huge fan!), but as a curtain I get to enjoy its beauty every single day. It’s slightly sheer, really heavyweight silk, so it filters sunlight as this gorgeous aquamarine color. It makes me feel like I live in the ocean. I’ll try to get better pics of it soon.

But really: thanks to Joyce for the original heads up.

MOLDINGS + NOT-SO-SUBTLE HINTS

Wouldn’t these be perfect for molded marzipan? They remind me of the shortbread molds my mother used when I was growing up, which featured elaborate engravings of old botanical drawings. They were beautiful.

I know my boyfriend reads this here blog, so I’m just gonna leave these images here and hope for the best. Not subtle, I know, but Valentine’s Day is only two weeks away, people!

[via House on the Hill]

NYC EATS

[Photo via Things I Like To Look At] It’s been a while since I’ve been able to have a real vacation in NYC, so I was extra stoked to relax and explore the city this time around. I had big plans (So sorry, Willem de Kooning, the Cloisters, and Warby Parker; next time, I promise), none of which were actualized. Basically, all I did was eat.

Fornino’s (Williamsburg): I had my stomach set on Patsy’s, the venerable pizza institution in East Harlem, but they were closed for renovations. We considered other options (Roberta’s, Totonno’s, Motorino), but ended up at a new place on Bedford, a Slice favorite. We shared five or six pies, but the best was the funghi misti, which was covered with a slick of black truffle oil. Also great bookends to the meal: fizzy Lambrusco and the affogato.

Zebulon (Williamsburg): Brooklyn beers, cheap whiskey, and music by my friends Steve Gunn, John Trucsinski, and Metal Mountains. A friendly standby.

Bianca (NoHo): I first read about Bianca on A Clapping Ritual. Really beautiful Italian food at unbelievably cheap prices (almost everything is less than $10!). They don’t take reservations, but you can wait at the bar next door, and the host will personally fetch you himself when your table is ready. I was impressed by the velvety bolognese, which was served over ribbons of delicate house-made tagliatelle. (Don’t forget the Montepulciano d’Abruzzo!) I was also blown away by the Ciambella con Marscapone, a coarse, lemony Romagna-style cake draped with a creamy sauce. Gotta learn how to make that.

Country Hill BBQ (Chelsea): My friend Evan, who is one of my NYC restaurant gurus, took me to this Texas-style restaurant, which serves meat like brisket and roast chicken by weight (their slogan is “cooked low and slow”). All hail the $34 beef short rib.

Walden (Williamsburg): Creamy chicken liver pate, bone marrow, braised chicken legs, duck confit over grilled radicchio, pork belly, pickled golden beets, a barnyard-y, juicy Gamay — we tried it all. Plus, festive champagne cocktails on the house. Nice.

Ontario Bar (Williamsburg): Air hockey and cheap beers!

Hungarian Pastry Shop (Morningside Heights): WHY can’t we have a place like this in Montreal? Everything about this cafe was perfect, right down to the classic movie-ready UWS setting.

Mermaid Inn (Upper West Side): $1 happy hour oysters and $7 chardonnay. Honestly, can you imagine a better way to spend an hour and $20?

Other places that were on the itinerary but will have to wait until next time — Prune (we naively walked in without a reservation and were promised a table at around 10:45pm); Dirt Candy (inexplicably closed); Vinegar Hill and Pies and Thighs (next time, I promise!). Next time, New York! In the meantime, I heart you. Forever.

WEARABLE CATS

I have just enough money in my Paypal account to get this. Do I dare?

FRIDAY SURPRISE

Weirdly enough there seem to be a lot of Thanksgiving-themed Black Friday sales here in Canada. Though I rarely go shopping these days, I took advantage of Anthropologie’s extra 50% off sale to buy a pair of Rachel Comey oxfords (with the perfect Southwest color palette!) that I’ve had my eye on all season. I seem to be averaging around two Comey heel-related purchases per year; the collection is growing nicely. Hunting around for her other designs, I found that Comey also designed the perfect pair of slippers. They’re so amazing and cuddly (and made from baby alpaca fur!).

(Image via Creatures of Comfort).

A FEW THINGS I LOVE

1. As per my ongoing backpack obsession, I finally bought one of the Shabd x Baggu backpacks and I love it. Tons of roomy space, sturdy thick canvas, lots of little pockets, the perfect shade of seafoam green.

2. My favorite piece of jewelry, a present from Sasha. I’ve only recently gotten into astrology, ever since discovering that my partner and I are both Libras. (It’s a heavy match). This pendant is ideal. Totally witchy and with a serious weight and presence.

3. Bought a beautiful new lipstick for summer. My Nars Heat Wave has been a great standby for nights, but I wanted something less intense for daytime wear, especially for stuff like work. Dior’s Rare Amber is the perfectly creamy matte rose hue. (Apologies for the beyond-chipped fingernail polish).

THE HUNT CONTINUES

Everybody has been sending me so much rad maid-of-honor advice, but ugh, it’s still so hard to shop for solid-colored dresses! Everything is either too clinical or too casual, it all feels so boring. I keep getting distracted by stuff like this and this and this.

[images via Frances May, Maryam Nassir Zadeh, Creatures of Comfort, Steven Alan, Dona Monroe, Net-a-Porter, Dace]

ON VENA CAVA

Still very much on the hunt for a solid-colored bridesmaid dress, but I’m such a pattern and texture freak that I can’t train my eye to be attracted to dresses that are only one color. I’m sure that any psychoanalyst would tell me that it all goes back to being a small child told by her mother that a “busy pattern” would distract people from noticing my “fat” and that solid blocks of color would draw more attention to my “largeness.” BUT I DIGRESS! I quickly peeked at Vena Cava to briefly consider this creamy-rust number, but my eye immediately beelined to these outrageously awesome overalls. I can’t wear these to a wedding, right?? Shit.

(Also, Pizza Pants!)

ANAISE IS ON!

So happy for Renee and her beautiful new store, Anaise. I compulsively clicked on every category in her shop to make sure I saw every image, and was so taken with her aesthetic and vision. Congratulations, Renee!!