Frenchie's Birthday

Frenchie was born on May Day, which for those of you who actually know M. and I, is the absolute most perfect day for any dog of ours to be born...

So in celebration of both International Worker's Day and our beloved Frenchie's birthday tomorrow I will (naturally) need to throw a little doggy birthday in celebration of my little guy's life :)

In addition to walking him up to his favorite dog park to see some of his little doggie friends, I think that the following materials will need to make their way into our home...whether M. likes it or not! I have already been instructed not to go out and "spend money on some toy that Frenchie will rip apart in thirty seconds," but nobody said anything about a ban on birthday parties...

Frenchie loves all things pink, thereby making these cupcake toppers the most perfect thing ever to grace the top of his dog-friendly carrot and peanut butter "pupcakes:"

Is it really ever a birthday party without a hat??

Image Via...

In case the pupcakes don't fill up my little fatty...

Image via Melissa Bakes... So cute, right??

Love these cards from Rifle Paper Company! They were actually my holiday cards a few years back and I still adore them. If I was going to do invitations (maybe for the big "5" I will), these cards would be a top choice. 

And of course...the one thing that will actually make Frenchie happiest--apart from M. and I, I mean...

Happy Birthday dear Frenchie...Happy Birthday to you!!!!

Weekend Recap: AKA Avoiding What I Actually Really Need To Do

Well, back to a busy work week; grades are due on Tuesday, my final paper for graduate school is due on Wednesday...it's going to be a tough first week of May! This is decidedly my own fault though as I did far too much having fun this weekend and far too little work...

On Friday, one of my closest friends headed in from CT and we went to the Yankee's game together. I hadn't seen her in a month, which is a longer stretch than usual, so we had a lot to catch up on--with the Yankee's winning as our backdrop. Go Yankees! From there, I headed home and met M. out for a (very) late dinner--even by our standards!

The Yankee's game was FREEZING! Luckily, my friend thought ahead and brought a blanket and handwarmers!! Please ignore the chipped manicure...nail maintenance is not my forte... 

Saturday was beautiful in NYC. Spring flowers bloomed, and, though nasally aggravating, the beautiful white circular flower pollen billowed through the air as M., Frenchie and I walked to the Central Park Zoo to meet M.'s mom who was in for a Broadway show. Frenchie was so excited to see M.'s mom that he wagged his tailless stump so hard that his lower body seemed unhinged from his head. After meeting her, M., Frenchie, and I strolled back home slowly, stopping for a coffee along the way and enjoying the easy Saturday morning conversation that unravels carelessly when the weekend stretches languidly out before you.

One of the many things that I love about living in NYC is that there are always surprising opportunities that seem to pop up when you least expect them...One of M.'s friends was in town for a family reunion and he has a cousin who apparently represents Lady Gaga or something and so...lucky M. and I were invited to Norwood Club on Saturday night. The website actually has a picture of a girl with her finger to her mouth shushing website visitors...yeah, totally unpretentious. Not that I really care so much about the elite members-only clubs of NYC, but it is always fun to have the chance to go and see what all of the fuss is about. Plus, of all of the clubs, I have always been most intrigued by Norwood, since it is supposedly a place for creative artists and such, unlike say the trendy Soho House, or the academic Harvard or Yale Clubs. However, in reality, the convening of "creative artistic minds" seemed pretty far from the inebriated, top 40 dancing fools who were actually there. Anyway, so, off we went on Saturday night to see what Norwood was all about! While M.'s friend's sister was more fascinated by the pseudo celebrity guests, I personally loved the decor and the entertaining opportunity for observation. In the same voyeuristic (and probably judgmental and condemning) Jacob Riis "How the Other Half Lives" fashion, I was positively fascinated by the antics of the club guests--including one man who (without a hint of irony) boasted to M. and I about his exploits both tasteless and trashy. M. and I had much fun re-capping the entire night on the way home.

Pictures were not allowed at the Norwood, so this is all of the documentation I have of our adventure...the basement of the townhouse-exciting, I know.

On a separate note: We also have found a great summer supper spot in BLT Fish, where we ate prior to our Gossip Girl style venture into the life of Manhattan's elite. I think we raved about that more than our experience at Norwood...delicious!

Sunday, we woke and made feta, pepper, and onion omeletes, drank coffee, poured over the Sunday edition of The New York Times, walked the dog up to our favorite neighborhood park and then attempted to do some of the work we had been putting off all weekend...which, for me, unfortunately meant that I did nothing other than post pictures to Pinterest and make a list of restaurants that I want to visit around the city this summer (list to follow later this week). Oops. I am going to pay for that this week when my deadlines crush me.

Sigh. Ahhh how I love the weekends...

Off to a busy week...but at least there is a light at the end of this graduate school tunnel...

Tuesday, Tuesday

On this chilly Tuesday I was quite content to come home from work and sip a hot chocolate while reading the new special edition of an old favorite --Domino Magazine!--recently resurrected by Conde Nast! It did not disappoint. Perhaps it was the nostalgia, or the relatively ad-free issue, but oh how I have missed my subscription to Domino. There is something about the glossy, tactile experience of reading a magazine that, despite all of the joy garnered from reading favorite blogs, just cannot be replaced.

Happy Reading...

NYC Paper Store

As a lover of all things stationery, I am always on the lookout for great paper stores. Today, I headed down to Chelsea after work to visit Paper Presentation and to pick up a few supplies for some projects. I am totally in love with this store...

First of all, the card selection was divine. Not only do they carry staple brands like Papyrus, Crane and Co., and Kate Spade, but they also stock adorable finds that I normally have to order online or buy at specialty shops like Pink Olive or Anthropologie--at a markup. From Rifle Paper to lesser known paper companies that I adore both in NYC and San Francisco, this is a great find!

Beyond fabulous paper supplies, the store also carries an amazing range of paper goods and crafting supplies. I picked up some Divine Twine (in pink and orange), which came in a grey and white chevron goody bag, some gold embossing glitter, some hot pink large dot stickers, among other things.

Pardon the Terrible IPhone Shots...

Our friends just had a baby and so I made a caterpillar card (which is reminiscent of something that their 3 month-year-old will probably make in three more years!) to send their way along with some gifts, which include my absolute favorite gift for New Yorky babies from one of my absolute favorite baby-themed shops...because really..who doesn't need a metro card rattle?!

Birthdays, Promotions, and Celebrations...

After an exhausting week, (for some reason, I am one of those people who is terribly affected by jetlag, which made for a not-so-fun return to work after the break--not to mention a wonderful, but impromptu, hosting of a friend from Sweden) I was ready for a relaxing weekend this weekend!

Friday was perfectly restful, with a night out to dinner followed by a movie and an early bedtime. Saturday, my mom and sisters came in to celebrate; my sister recently got a promotion, my mom had a birthday just last week, and all in all, it was just time for a celebratory day! We began the day with mimosas and a delicious brunch at East End Kitchen, a place right in my neighborhood that I had been meaning to try. From there we headed out to get manicures and pedicures. We were all feeling emboldened by the morning mimosas I think and, therefore, walked out with bright oranges and pinks. My own nails prompted the manicurist to point at my fingers and say, "New fashion trend?" as I left the salon. I think not...one of my favorite bloggers always does something different with her fourth nail! That, and well...again...there were the mimosas!

Following our manicures, we walked over to Central Park, which was absolutely beautiful and filled with people who were soaking up the unexpectedly gorgeous weather! We ended the day with cupcakes (and more champagne!) to celebrate.

At night, M. and I headed to a new(er) bar that is (sort of) in our area called ABV. Back on St. Patrick's Day, as we walked home from the parade, we found ourselves searching for the Marx Brothers' old house (yes, because that is the kind of thing that WE do on a Saturday afternoon) and we stumbled upon a bunch of new and adorable places in the (upper) Upper East Side. Turns out this place has amazing food and delicious wine and beer. It reminded us of places in (hipper) Brooklyn and my fish tacos were divine...A perfect end to a perfect day.

Today was rainy. Never a good thing for people like me. Stuck inside, I began what I like to call "summer scheming..." Poor M. came back from his office to find a full travel itinerary laid out for him for this summer, a diagram of our living room with new furniture locations, a large list of summer projects to keep me busy so that I don't drive everyone crazy while on summer break, oh, and curtain ideas strewn everywhere (as, part of that aforementioned project list will involve enlisting M.'s crafty mother to take me on as an apprentice this summer!). Speaking of crafts, I cant wait to head here and here tomorrow after work!

Enjoy what's left of the weekend!

Me Gusta Espana!

Well, I am back to reality after an amazing trip to Spain with one of my best friends. As travel goes, it was remarkably easy and I am totally in love with Spanish cuisine, lifestyle, and architecture. I am also in love with traveling first class, which I was lucky enough to be able to do because my best friend's dad works for an airline. I am not sure I will ever be able to go back to flights that do not include large reclining seats, gourmet menus, and an endless flow of champagne.

That said, here are some highlights from our trip:
Barcelona beaches; sunbathing, vino on the water, and views, views, views of a beautiful city.
Amazing Alleyways: Turn a narrow cobblestone corner and a breathtaking view appears...

Plazas: I could get used to wine soaked afternoons in plazas.

Catch up with friends from Sweden and a friend teaching and living in Barcelona.
Seville: todos cosas...increible...yeah, I could go on and on about this magical city.

Moroccan Tea and a Day at the Baths in Seville: So relaxing and restful.
Traveling with someone I have known since the first day of ninth grade...friendships are amazing and powerful things: It was so fun to share glasses of wine, breathtaking scenery, new adventures, and memories old and new!

The Picasso Museum: In awe of Picasso's prolific artwork.

Speaking Spanish: It was so fun to use my Spanish!
Spain just might be one of my favorite destinations yet...then again, I feel like I say that every time I go somewhere new! Regardless, I hope that I get to return to this amazing city again soon.

Enjoy your weekends!