cohabitation!

Big news: Kurt and I are moving in together! We just signed the lease on a sweet little one bedroom apartment in Park Slope. I'm in love with the place! It's right off the park, super convenient to the subway, and still close to all our friends in the neighborhood. The broker let us measure and take photographs a few days ago, so we can plan for the big move in less than two weeks! We've got some great ideas for the space that I can't wait to share here. Wish us luck!

Building front (ground floor, great Southern exposure)

Entry hall (an actual formal foyer?! I feel like such an adult :) )

Kitchen (lots of cabinets (by NYC standards at least) and a HUGE pantry!)

Living Room (so bright!)

Living Room (cozy but usable space)

Bedroom (odd storage piece in the corner? perfect for extra pillows!)

Bathroom (claw foot tub! weird flesh colored walls, definitely getting painted asap)

Pardon all the goofy/way too serious photos of me. Kurt was taking pictures while I was quickly sketching the floor plan. In typical architect fashion, I've already got it drawn up in AutoCAD and will be sharing it soon! So excited over here!

wedding weekend

 

Kurt and I traveling down South this weekend for a wedding in Alabama. After some flight acrobatics (hello sequester! hello delays!) we made it to Nashville and are visiting with my parents briefly. Next, we'll be on our way to Birmingham for wedding festivities and catching up with old (and new!) friends. Look forward to lots of pictures when we return.

AND I've got some big, exciting news next week! Look forward to an update on Monday or Tuesday! Have a great weekend!

zucchini flatbread pizzas

I made this pizza for Kurt and myself the other night. Don't go overboard on the ricotta (like I did) and it can be a quick and tasty dinner. Adapted (barely) from Jenna's Zucchini Pizza.

Ingredients:

Flat bread (I used roti because the grocery store I went to doesn't seem to carry any variety of pizza dough. You could also use naan, focaccia, pita, or even actual pizza dough!)

Ricotta (the whole milk version really tastes so much better)

Minced garlic

Zucchini

Shredded mozzarella cheese

Red onion + a splash of balsamic vinegar

Prosciutto

Slice the onion into thin strips and cook over medium heat with some olive oil. Shred the zucchini then mix with the mozzarella. Mix your garlic with the ricotta and spread over the flat bread or dough. Top with zucchini/cheese mixture. Tear pieces of prosciutto and arrange on top. Once the onions have cooked down a lot, add a splash of water and some balsamic vinegar. Continue cooking until the liquid has evaporated then top the pizza with the carmelized onions. Bake at 400F for about 10-12 minutes until cheese is melted and crust is browned.

Enjoy!

spring weekends

Some recent things from the past weekend (and almost weekend):

Jenn and I are thrilled about our new Rifle Paper Co. iPhone cases!

AFHny had a fun happy hour at Lomography.

Jenn hosted the cutest ever tea party. We drank gallons of tea (with bourbon and gin, of course), ate delicious snacks (including dainty scones and cucumber sandwiches), and had lots of fun lady chit chat. The backyard was a little chilly for our sundresses (required attire) but we had a blast. Look out for a post by Jenn about all the adorable details. Eat your heart out, Martha.

The slightly chilly but sunny weather was perfect for a long run in Prospect Park. I've never done two laps before! I also broke my bike out this weekend. I got it tuned up at the bike shop and took it for a quick spin one evening. Warm up, Spring! I'm ready for more biking!

This weekend was Auburn's A-Day game (spring scrimmage) and the last rolling of Toomer's Corner before they have to cut the trees down :( Sadly, it's the end of an era, but I'm happy to see such an outpouring of support from the Auburn family. War Eagle!

fletcher's brooklyn barbecue

#meat

what an animal

the aftermath

Kurt and I just finished watching House of Cards on netflix (you should watch it too!). There are several scenes in the series where the main character visits this hole-in-the-wall barbecue joint in Washington DC for ribs. After it becomes a reoccurring scene, Kurt admits to me that when he sees another person eating ribs, he gets the biggest craving for them. Luckily I live two block from this new barbecue place we've been meaning to try for months.

We hit up Fletcher's on a Sunday night and met our week's quota of meat. I ordered a chopped pork sandwich (a little different from the pulled pork I'm used to) and Kurt got a half rack of ribs. We washed it all down with some cheap beer (who knew Genesee came in glass bottles?!). It was sooo good. All that meat is getting me excited for some warm weather bbq'ing! Neither of us were super hungry, so we passed on sides. Next time I plan on going when I am starving because there are tons of other options I am dying to try. Two kinds of pickles, mac and cheese, something called "burnt ends"? Sign me up!

Fletcher's Brooklyn Barbecue

433 Third Avenue 

Brooklyn, NY 11215

(347) 763-2680
@fletchersbklyn

nate berkus c/o apartment therapy

Jenn and I hit up the latest Apartment Therapy Design Evening last week with featured guest, Nate Berkus. AT has changed up its structure a little. Instead of a completely free evening for about 400 people at ABC Carpet and Home, they've transitioned for a paid rsvp for about 100 people at TriBeCa Cinemas. No more free wine either....cash bar only (complete with TriBeCa prices).

As usual, there were a couple opening acts talking about their small design businesses. I think the whole terrarium trend has gotten a little out of control. I was pushed over the edge by Jeffrey Terrariums and his "bespoke" process. On the other hand, I really liked the business model of The Sill that helps New Yorkers incorporate low maintenance, well designed plants into their homes.

Finally, Nate Berkus took the stage for a discussion. They covered his background, his Oprah years, his design philosophies, and his new book. I was really impressed with all Nate's answers and responses. He seemed very intelligent and down to earth. I really liked his idea of design as surrounding yourself with quality things you love gradually instead of catering to trends and rushing to make your space "complete". He was also pretty funny and cracked quite a few jokes with his new fiance in the front row. Adorable.

I can't wait to see who next month's guest is!

9+ miles

This weekend, I ran the farthest my legs have ever carried me. The guys at the food blog Immaculate Infatuation have been organizing a couple training runs/food outings in preparation for the Brooklyn Half Marathon in May. This weekend, they proposed a loop around Central Park which is about 6 miles. (I was scheduled for 8 miles, so I squeezed in 2 miles before joining the group.) Somehow I convinced Jenn (a self-professed hater of running) to join me for the group run. She was a trooper!

I wouldn't say the other people in the group were hard core runners, but they certainly weren't the take a break by walking for a moment people either. I happen to enjoy the occasional walk break and have no shame in doing it when I run on my own, but something about peer pressure kept us plodding along for the entire loop. (That girl in front of me in the neon jacket and her friend were amazing. They were a great pace to follow.) Due to a slight planning oversight, we did more than an entire lap in order to get to a park exit close to our after-run meal. In all, we did 7.2 miles together and I did 9.2 for the day! There were definitely a few aching body parts by the end of it.

All those miles deserved a healthy reward of calories, so we headed to the UES Shake Shake for lunch. Pictured: Captain Lawrence Sunblock Wheat Ale, Shackburger, and Cheese Fries. I had grand plans to get a milkshake to-go but was stuffed after that burger and it was unexpectedly freezing outside. Early spring is a tricky one.

Once I got home and took an incredibly long, hot shower, Aubie and cuddled up for an intense nap. All that running/eating really takes it out of me! I'm going be wiped out after 13+!

mulholland hwang at invisible dog

After our latest brunch exploits, Jenn and I stopped by the Invisible Dog Art Center. Jenn had spotted their current exhibit, The Exploded Mind of Mulholland Hwang, over at Poppytalk and suggested we stop by.

The artists had lots of illustrations and dioramas spread throughout the gallery space. I won't claim to understand their complete motivation, but a lot of the pieces theoretically pitted different animal species against each other in battle. In some of the works, they would list strengths and weaknesses of certain animals (like llamas are stubborn, goats are kind of dumb, giraffes are tall (to step over things in battle)). My favorites illustration was probably "Lobsters against Monarchy" which just showed lobsters snapping their claws at a bunch of butterflies. Altogether it was pretty humorous. If I were to ever own some original art, I could see it being something like this.

van horn brunch

Jenn and I are trying to start up a weekly brunch outing on the weekends. How original of us, right? Anyway, our latest outing was to the Van Horn Sandwich Shop in Cobble Hill. I had been once before but never for brunch.

They sat us on the back porch. Even though it is still chilly here (getting better slowly!) they had a temporary structure and heat lamps set up to make the most of their outdoor space in the cooler months. 

Van Horn has a fancy cocktail list, so we started our meal with a couple. I went with the "Van Horn" because if a restaurant is willing to name a drink after itself, I will blindly put my faith in it. Luckily, I wasn't let down. Jenn ordered a type of grapefruit Negroni and didn't love it because it was super bitter. Drinkers beware, Van Horn likes to mix their drinks on the strong side. But I'm not complaining :)

For brunch, I ordered their chicken biscuit special and a side of hush puppies. You know how everyone has their thing that they just have to order when it shows up on a menu? Well, hush puppies are that for me. They were a little on the petite side and served with a side of sweet butter (weird?) but still very good. Two thumbs up, Van Horn. You'll be seeing more of me soon!

macy's flower show

Last week, Jenn and I ventured up to Herald Square and braved the crowds to see the Macy's Flower Show. I had been years ago before I lived in New York and loved how they incorporated gorgeous floral arrangements throughout the store. I remember the jewelry and perfume counters being draped with flowers and plants. Apparently since they have been doing intense renovations at Macy's they have been holding the flower show in a tent outside. The blooms were still breath taking but I hope they move the show back inside in the future.

This year's theme was "The Painted Garden" and incorporated the styles, colors, and feel of India. The event is free so we had to battle a crowd to walk through the tent. It was hard to get a shot that didn't have 20 people in it, but somehow I came away with a million. I hope you enjoy! 

fashion friday | spring daydreaming

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 // 10 // 11 // 12 // 13

It's April, people, A-P-R-I-L! but the temperature is sure taking its dear sweet time to rise to regular spring levels. That doesn't stop me from dreaming of sandal days...sundress days...sunglasses days that I know are right around the corner. (Dear God, please let them be right around the corner!) So while I'm still stuck in a heavy coat and tights, here are my aspirations for the upcoming months. I may already own 1, 9, and 12 and they are burning a hole in my closet! I can't wait to break them out!

What else should I add to my warm weather wish list?

soho fashion show

Last week, Jenn and I headed down to the SoHo Anthropologie for a fashion show of their new spring trends. I love spring and I love Anthro (even though it makes my wallet cry), so we had a blast viewing the latest looks! 

spring snapshots

HAPPY DAY! It has finally finally finally started feeling like spring around here. I fit in a nice long run on Saturday and have been spending more and more time outside without my heaviest jacket. It's been a slow transition, but I can feel gorgeous weather and a happy city are right around the corner. Here are some shots from the last couple weeks.