Macbeth Doth Murder Sleep!

All Images Via The NYT Review

Last night I met with friends to experience the show Sleep No More at the McKittrick Hotel in Chelsea. After walking so far west in Manhattan that we actually began to think that the show might take place in New Jersey, we arrived at a large old "hotel," which holds inside the most elaborate set design of any show I have ever seen-ever.

From the hotel "guest" emails that begin to arrive a few days before you "check in," to the actual entrance process to the hotel itself, you feel like you might actually be checking in to a crazy hotel somewhere, which makes the show experience even more real. The hallways are so dark as you enter that you are forced to merely shuffle after the person in front of you in order to arrive at your first stop--the hotel lounge/bar.

My friends and I drank a St. Germaine cocktail, listened to the jazz band, and sat at the 1930s inspired speakeasy bar until those guests holding the "ace of hearts" cards were called. From here, we were given a mask to obscure our faces and render us all anonymous, told not to speak at all in the hotel, herded into an elevator, told our experience would be better if it was individual, and...we were off!

I am not really sure how to describe Sleep No More except to say that you absolutely must go! While the connections to the text are loose, to say the least, the murder mystery/haunted house/interactive theater/experience in voyeurism is too fascinating not to see. You can interact with the set and the characters on multiple levels, while also pulling back and watching the action if you so desire. There are times when you find yourself alone and it can be quite creepy.While there are also times that you might join the running throngs of the audience as you chase after characters to see where they are going and what they are doing. Pursuing characters is a feat in and of itself, as I know for me, at one point I was following the nurse and she leapt in between the slimly positioned bars of a gate to "Birnim Wood" and, by the time I got through the gate, she had disappeared into the forest.

My friends and I couldn't stop talking about this and I completely recommend it--even in spite of the cost. Go! One word of advice, however, don't (as I did) step into a corner store to buy a water bottle afterwards while carrying the required mask from the show, as they will definitely think you are about to rob them. I have never made someone so nervous in my entire life. Oops!

Don't Rain On My Parade

Happy Monday...

It is gorgeous out in New York City. I am just returning from a weekend in Connecticut that was lovely. While the weather was intermittently volatile, we were able to work around it and manage to have a perfect weekend anyways!

We began the weekend with a desolate train out of Grand Central at 5 in the morning...

My mom and sisters and I had breakfast, headed to a picturesque Connecticut vineyard, visited with my Nana, and ended the day with a late lunch at the quaint and cute Vanilla Bean Cafe.

From here, I headed to the Connecticut shoreline with M. where we enjoyed lovely water views, quality time with dogs, a stop at a local farm, and a delicious dinner here.

All in all, a perfect weekend. I hope your weekend was lovely too...

 

Friday Footnotes

Here's what I am loving on this stormy evening:

The Storm (Now that I am no longer stuck out in it!): When I was a kid I always loved the moments leading up to a storm. As the wind picked up, the sky darkened, and thunder rumbled softly in the distance, my childhood friend and I would sit on the curb at the house right smack in between our houses and wait until the moment when the largest, scariest thunder clap came indicating that we should yell "bye" and sprint home. Tonight, after I finally made it home and in and out of the storm, it was fun to watch the skyline illuminated by the stunning lightning display!

Image Via

My latest read: To Barcelona With Love by Elizabeth Adler...a lovely read for a rainy evening...

Mint Tea: A perfect companion to a rainy night read 

My Passive Aggressive Bus Driver This Afternoon--okay, so maybe I didn't actually LOVE her, per se, but she was really entertaining. Highlights included: her yelling into the microphone "Hey, HEY, old guy in the black t-shirt and black sunglasses! Your card has no money on it!" "Hey, kid! Stop pressing the damn bell!" And then the cherry on top? When she had finally had it with her passengers, she turned off the air conditioning and said "uuuhuhhh" into the mic. The ensuing mutiny was hilarious. 

Happy Friday to you! 

Enjoy your weekends! 

Joy in a Box

Yesterday, I came home to find that I had a package waiting for me at the post office. Not sure what to expect, I headed over to see what awaited me there.

An aside on the New York City Postal System: I remember when I first moved here, and I was applying to graduate school, I spoke with an old professor to ask him for a letter of recommendation. I laughed to myself when he agreed but insisted that he was going to send two copies; one to the school and one to my home address. He had lived in New York City for many years and informed me that the postal system was one of the most inefficient bureaucracies he had ever encountered. I received both letters with no problems and really wondered what he was talking about. As the years have passed, however, I have come to see what he meant about the postal system here. From a postal carrier who reminds me of Newman (for those who have seen Seinfeld), to letters that just never seem to get where they were supposed to go, I will probably be one of those people who eventually mails two copies of things to two different New York City addresses as well.

Image Via 

Beyond the inefficiencies within the postal system, there are the post office experiences themselves. People who do stand-up comedy should go sit in the post office for an hour each day and they will have no shortage of material. Crazy people and inefficient postal system aside, post offices are some of the most beautiful places here in the city though.

Image Via usps.com

So, back to my package retrieval...

To my great delight, after waiting in line, I was handed a beautifully gift wrapped box from my dearest friend who lives out in California. I had so much fun opening this when I got home, that I have decided to appropriate her ideas so that you too can generate as much fun as I had opening a package! So, the next time that you want to make someone's birthday, anniversary, graduation, or other special occasion, feel free to use these tips!

Step One: Pretty Paper: Since most packaging is brown, functional, and durable, sometimes it is fun (and enthusiasm generating!) to receive a package that is colorful and gift wrapped.

Step Two: Include a Fun Card: My friend carefully taped a card to the front of the box with my name and address on it, but it really doesn't matter where the card goes as long as there is one. I laughed at the humorous card and cried at the sentiments within the card and was totally touched before I even opened the package itself.

Step Three: Pile on the Festivities: Inside the box, scatter bows, sequins, glitter, ribbons, etc. It was unexpected and fun to dig through a pile of festive materials in pursuit of what was in the package.

My friend's tactic was simply to 

scatter a million of these in all different 

colors across the top! So fun, right?!

Step Four: Use Color. Nothing is more fun than a colorful package! Colorful wrapping, colorful bows, you name it. Color is uplifting and joyous!

All Above Images Via Pinterest 

Step Five: Functionality Still Matters: Don't focus so much on fun design that you fail to properly package fragile materials. My friend sent me breakables and therefore it was key that amidst all of this fun, there was bubble wrap...

Step Six: Send with Love...Your hard work will bring a smile to the recipient's face and, at least in my case, it will totally make their day! :)

Happy Thursday!

The Bee's Knees

If you are anything like me, your knees are a body part that you really don't give much thought to. They are there, serving their purpose, and that's about it. That is, until they hurt. That's when you realize that your poor, neglected, under-appreciated knees are insanely important. They should have little altars set up honoring them, or at least some kind of institutionalized day of recognition: National Knee Appreciation Day, perhaps?

My Lovely Knees

So, in honor of elevating a body part I have often neglected, here are some reasons to love knees:

Without them, the expression "the bee's knees" could not exist, which is quite the conundrum, as bees technically don't even have knees. While the etymology of this expression is vague, it was popular with the flappers in the 1920s, and, personally, I love and want to resurrect it.

60% of marriage proposals begin on bended knees. While there is still debate over the particulars of the emergence of this gesture, it was a part of medieval life and indicated a sort of loyalty and deference.

Without the concept of weak knees to convey feelings of nervousness, Eminem's "Lose Yourself," would have lost a certain something, don't you think?

Because there is nothing better than knee warmers on chilly days...

Ahh yes...the knees...
Love them, appreciate them, and treat them well!
Happy Wednesday!

Hot Off the Press...

Since I have been reading about Neoliberal development policies all day for a paper that I am working on, I was quite content to settle into the just published Emily Giffin novel Where We Belong on my evening commute home. A purveyor of light, fluffy, candy literature, she captures the essence of that exact genre once again in her new book. I will read it, and read it quickly and I would be lying if I said I didn't love a good light and fluffy--especially in the summer.

Speaking of summer, how lovely is the soft pink light on this west side building?

Happy Reading :)

Weekend Plans and Planning

There was a much appreciated hint of fall in the weather this weekend. Though I am still perfectly content with the summer, it was a lovely reprieve from all of the heat. M. and I took it easy this weekend with lots of long walks in the cool air with the dog, sipping on hot coffees as we strolled.

Our Stroll: The Glamourous Version-Haha

Image Via Pinterest 

Saturday morning, over croissants and lattes, we planned for our upcoming trip. I am so excited! At one point, we skyped a bed and breakfast to make a reservation and the adorable Irish lilt of the owner had me picturing the emerald green countryside, fireside Irish coffees, and the adventure of a journey on winding country roads grazed by sheep...

Image Via Pinterest 

I'm really excited for our brief fling with Paris as well, and have been going through my numerous bookmarks to figure out exactly where to go. Oh Happy Day and HIP Paris have my head spinning, as I want to do everything! All I know is that a stop for hot chocolate at Angelina's will definitely be on the agenda. :) On our last trip there, we were straight out of college and traveling for an extended time, so we were on a budget that barely allowed us to eat. We did nourish ourselves with frequent museum trips though, so, the nice thing about this trip to the city of lights is that we have been to a lot of the touristy attractions and can now really just pick a neighborhood or two and explore.That said, we did not make it to the Musée d'Orsay on our last trip and may need to stop there on this one!

From Hip Paris

Yesterday, I met my close friend for some Soho shopping followed by a leisurely late afternoon lunch at the cute cafe Sanctuary T on the cobblestoned streets of West Broadway. Flavorful food and conversation made for a perfect end to a relaxing weekend.

Image from Tea Time Magazine 

I hope you all had lovely weekends...Happy Monday!

Friday Footnotes

In the wake of the sad news out of Colorado, I am thinking about the families and friends of people who were involved in the shooting. I am also hoping that people will begin to consider the importance of gun control in a nation where violence is too often perpetuated.

"Hating on" Birthdays

I hate birthdays. Actually, let me qualify that statement. I love other people's birthdays. It's my own that I can't stand. This stems from a variety of factors. Before my 21st birthday, birthdays were merely numbers ticking by until I would be an adult; fully capable of entering bars. Sad, yes, I know. It was a different time in life. Ironically, when I turned 21 I was in London where they don't institute drinking ages like the United States. Every birthday after 21 became a contemplative philosophical exercise in the analysis of time in which I would measure how "far" I had come (or not), as though lives can be measured in linear units of calculation. Beyond this, there was the expectation. For some reason, I began to equate what kind of birthday I had with what kind of year I would have; this strange exercise in superstition was highly overwhelming. And then, somewhere around 27, I decided to just stop counting. To the point where honestly, there would be times when I sincerely would ask M., how old am I? Perhaps, this will be the time later in life that I pinpoint to the moment of Alzheimer's onset...That's a scary thought and one I won't indulge.

All of my birthday hating aside, I have to say, yesterday made for a wonderful birthday and if I measure birthdays in how many amazing people I have in my life, I am so lucky and for that I am so grateful.

After a rocky birthday morning start (I covered summer school-yikes), followed by an afternoon terrorizing thunder storm, I was about to say let's reschedule all celebrations to Friday. Luckily, M. forged on and I had an amazing birthday night! After coming home to an array of thoughtful and lovely birthday cards, my mood was considerably lifted, and M's night plans really made the day so special. On my list of favorites:

Thoughtful cards and gifts: I really had some hugely thoughtful gifts this year and it is always touching to see the effort (and humor) applied when people give gifts. My mom got me a lovely suitcase for all of my travels; can't wait to use it on my upcoming trip to France, Ireland, and Scotland! M. got me an array of thoughtful bath products and materials from my favorite place: Paper Source! M.'s mom made me laugh because one her gifts to me was that she made me an apron--yes, to cook in! Who knows, maybe this will actually be the year that I learn to cook...

The cuvee rose brut with which I toasted to another fabulous year...

The latin restaurant where we dined: Latin American food is always something that makes me think of M. One of the best trips we ever went on was to South America and whenever I have certain foods, I think of that trip.

While this picture makes it look totally unappetizing, my fish was delicious! 

The romantic stroll around my favorite New York City neighborhood: I love the West Village and, while the afternoon storm certainly left its mark, it made for quiet streets and a lovely late evening stroll...

The end of evening duck into Flex Mussels for my favorite combination--coffee and salted caramel donuts with vanilla bean dipping sauce:

The fact that it was the birthday of the dessert--four to be exact. Over indulgent? Absolutely. But what are birthdays for?!

Currently Reading: India Becoming: A Portrait of Life in Modern India by Akash Kapur. I love autobiographies. They are often the format through which the most revealing social commentary emerges.

Happy Thursday Everyone!

A Sleepy Smile

Well, I am exhausted, but what a day it has been! More on that tomorrow, but in the meantime, just a quick post to say I feel like one lucky gal to be so loved :)

Happy Wednesday to all, and to all, a good night...

Character Contempt

I am not sure if any of you were Six Feet Under fans. Personally, I was addicted to the show. Despite my love of the series, I cannot say I felt the same affinity towards the characters in the show. At various points throughout the show, I actually HATED each and every one of the characters. Ruth, the mother's constant repression of all of her emotions. The oldest son, Nate, who practiced a form of constant escapism whenever the going got tough. The middle child, David's relentless pursuit of perfection and approval at the cost of a level of self sacrifice bordering on martyrdom. Claire's need for completion in the form of low life boyfriends. Again, I really loved the series. That's the funny thing about plots that grip you...you don't always love the characters.

This was similar to my experience reading the current New York Times best seller Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. One of my friends, who shares my love of reading, recommended that I read this novel and, I must admit, I couldn't put it down. It is a mystery, but one that definitely keeps you guessing, with plenty of red herrings to throw you off. That said, it was one of those novels where, at some point, throughout reading, I experienced intense hatred of all of the major characters.

It was a fun read though and one I wouldn't skip this summer. Just be prepared to love the plot and hate the characters!

Jubilant July!

Happy Monday!

Well, this weekend was busy, to say the least, but it was wonderful to see so many people in such a short amount of time.

Image via Pinterest

Saturday morning, I left the city and took the train into upstate New York where I met my aunt and cousin. After a Starbucks run, my cousin and I headed over to my sister's house where we met my other sister and lounged around the pool for the morning. After lunch, we went to my mom's house to celebrate my Nana's birthday. My aunts, uncles, and cousins were all there and after a champagne toast and some cake, M. and I headed over to my good friend from high school's little boy's first birthday party.

My Crafty Friend's Handiwork! 

My friend has the blood of an event planner, so she had so many adorable little touches to commemorate her son's day; blue and green pinwheels, a hand sewn banner, a beautiful table display, and a tree strung with pictures from each month of her little one's life. So cute.

From here, M. and I headed to my other good friend's house for a housewarming/four-year-old birthday party. It was hilarious to see the difference between a one-year-old and four-year-old party. At one, the party is clearly mostly for the parents; my friend's cute little one year old was most impressed by the frosting on his cake. By four, there has been a major shift; a bouncy house, a trampoline, go-carts flying down the backyard hill, a destroyed pinata, and some major pool splashing going on--kids rule the day. It was pretty funny to see the contrast.

After leaving the four-year-old party, M. and I met our friends at a rooftop restaurant on the way back to M.'s parent's house. Cocktails, calamari, and conversation were the perfect end to a whirlwind day.

Sunday, after a breakfast visit with M.'s parents, we headed back to the city to close a weekend where we had seen both of our families and variety of friends. Exhausted, we went out for a quiet Sunday evening dinner and passed out early.

I have decided that I should try to avoid adding any more significant dates to my life in July...it's already chock-full of very important moments for lots of special people!

Friday Footnotes

Here's what I'm loving on this July Friday:

Restaurant Week 2012 begins this week in New York City. On the agenda thus far? Spice Market and The Dutch. Yum.

Whirlwind Weekend Plans: I think I may just be seeing everyone I have ever known--and their mothers--this weekend. And I can't wait!

Image (and Inspiration) from Hither and Thither

Inspiration from the Blogosphere: I feel like every single blog I read that is set in New York City has, as of late, discussed this sunset champagne yacht cruise around Manhattan. The last time I did one of those it was in Newport for a friend's bachelorette and it was a lot of fun. I often don't think of Manhattan as being very picturesque; however, after the multiple gorgeous shots on blogs, I am sold. Can't wait to get my tickets!

Speaking of Tickets: Excited for these upcoming events!
Sleep No More (Finally going!)
Bon Iver <3

And lastly, psyched for M. and I's August adventure! Woooohooo! More on that another time :)




Happy Friday Everyone!

A Connecticut Conundrum

I have a paper due next Tuesday and I have to be at the United Nations for CEDAW all day Monday--I say that like it is an obligation when really I am so excited to go! For those reasons, I should be responsible this weekend and stay home and write but...

The devil on my shoulder (who invariably always kicks the angel's ass) is goading me on and telling me to ignore my work and get out of the sweltering city. I am yearning for a hike at Sleeping Giant. Also, it is not one, but two friends' son's birthdays (which makes it convenient and lovely to catch up with two groups of friends!) and it is also my Nana's birthday, which makes it convenient and lovely to catch up with my family. You see my dilemma?! Plus, I am beyond excited that Terrain (both the store and restaurant!) has opened in Westport, Connecticut. Hmmm...That could make for a nice stop on the way back to the city!

Image Via Terrain

The lunch menu looks delicious! I want to try everything. Especially the risotto. Oh, and the scallops. And the cheese platter. I. Want. It. All.

In that New England weekend kind of spirit, I am currently reading Seating Arrangements by Maggie Shipstead. It is her first book and I was lured in by the very intellectual reasoning of loving the lobster graphic on the cover.

So far, so funny.