macy's flower show 2014

When I was in college, a group of friends and I took a Spring Break trip to NYC. We crashed on friends' hard floors, walked until our feet cried, froze our tails off in March (these Alabama kids were so confused), learned that no one is happy on an empty stomach, and actually had the best time ever. Although my NYC seed had been planted years before, it is still one of my fondest trips and a big reason I moved here after college. One random point of the trip that stands out for me is going to Macy's to check it off our very ambitious list of city sights we just had to see. We happened to be in town during the annual flower show where the ground floor handbag, jewelry, and beauty counters were draped in the most gorgeous floral arrangements. There was a strict schedule to abide by but our group wandered through and enjoyed the blooms for a moment before running off to our next destination.

Last year, Jenn and I decided to check out the show and I was shocked to see it housed in a trailer outside in Herald Square. Don't get me wrong, it was gorgeous, but the show was nothing like I remembered from my previous visit ages ago. This year, I was secretly thrilled to see the show return indoors. It might have been a little less grand and really hard to get photos without people walking through them, but there is something so charming about a familiar memory. I was happy to reminisce about having a fantastic time with dear old friends excited to absorb as much of the city as possible. 

So much has changed but so much remains the same. If you visit now, I will offer you a hard pull out couch to rest your head. You will be forced to bike miles until your legs scream. You'll sweat buckets because I do my best hosting June-August and I don't have A/C. But rest assured you will be well-fed and hydrated because I've learned NYC is best experienced through food. I do love this city!

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! 

campbell apartment | grand central station

Jenn and I work alongside an interior designer who shares office space with us. Recently, she kindly got us on the list for this party thrown by a Swiss fabric company at the Campbell Apartment in Grand Central. Station. We sort of had to pretend to be interior designers, but in between lies fibs, we were enamored with the bar's interior. It's a super swanky cocktail lounge that's been restored to its 1920s glamour. Our party was on the balcony, but I would love to go back sometime to order a drink at the bar--even if it means actually paying for something. The Campbell Apartment is such a cool piece of NYC history tucked in the corner of one of the city's most famous landmarks. Oh, New York, you're my favorite.

kendi everyday in nyc

Jenn and I recently headed up to the Lincoln Square Gap for an event featuring the fashion blog Kendi Everyday. I'm a relatively new follower to her blog but really appreciate her funny, sweet commentary with each outfit she posts. I'm hoping to incorporate some of her fashion ideas into my own daily wardrobe. We'll see how that goes :) 

young house love | book signing

Jenn and I met Sherry and John from Young House Love!

night at the museum | our global kitchen

Jenn and I recently attended a "tweetup" at the American Museum of Natural History to get a glimpse of their new exhibit, Our Global Kitchen. An after hours evening at one of my favorite museums with free drinks and chocolate? What is not to love!? Sign. Me. Up!

first friday

The Architectural League took the summer off from First Fridays. Thankfully, we got back in the swing of things in September with an office visit to Weiss/Manfredi. 

It seems like every office we visit has a drop dead gorgeous view. I am beyond jealous. I probably wouldn't get any work done here. I would be staring out the window all day watching boats sail around on the Hudson River.

auburn, design parties, and hoboken

The NYC Auburn club is a bit fickle. We've switched bars the last two years. I hope we've found a winner with Tavern on Third. It's back in the neighborhood with all the other college bars, and the bar was so happy to have us on board that they threw the club a free happy hour. How nice is that?! I think we've found a winner :)

Kurt, Christian, and I enjoyed a few drinks and snacks while checking out the bar's setup. I think it will be great for gameday!

The next evening, Kurt and I went to a party at McGuire to celebrate the launch of New York Magazine's Design Hunting issue. My firm was featured in the resource section!

Kurt was impressed that the moss was real :)

We enjoyed some drinks and snacks while wandering around the showrooms, rubbing elbows with fancy pants designers. Plus, I had some celebrity sightings! I spotted Nate Berkus but he was too fast and I couldn't get a picture. Then I saw Cathy Hobbs from season six of Design Star (above in the green dress)! Hardly a celebrity, you say? We all have our things :) Too bad I was with Kurt and he had no idea who any of these people were. Sigh.

Kurt and I decided to meet up for lunch one day and check out Madison Square Eats. It was absolutely packed but really fun and we had some great food! (panoramic thanks to Kurt)

Aren't the Marimekko umbrellas awesome? 

Choosing something to eat was nearly impossible because the options all sounded so good. In the end we landed at Mexicue because the line was short and I was intrigued by the Alabama BBQ Chicken Slider. They also serve beer and wine! Bonus points for Friday lunches!

It was a gorgeous day to have lunch outside. The market is going on until June 4th, so Kurt and I can't wait to go back and try all the things we missed!

On Friday evening we went to a promotional event for Tsar Carpets. Kurt's boss' sister, Lucy, is the US rep for the company and the showroom is actually in her gorgeous and enormous apartment near Tribeca.

Kurt and I were able to chat with this lovely couple who do a lot of world traveling. We compared notes on Italy and they said we must go to Greece. I'm sold :)

Kurt, Erik, Andrea, and I had to leave our socializing a little early and hop on the train to Hoboken, NJ. The station is at the World Trade Center and here you can see one of the new buildings going up.

In Hoboken, we met up with Kurt and Erik's friends from Ohio State, Scot and Kelly, who now called the great state of New Jersey home. We had sushi outside at a nice spot on Washington Street. I'm hooked on their Sweet Potato and Pumpkin Rolls!

Next, we took a stroll to the waterfront to see the piers and the view of Manhattan.

Kurt and I shared a couple more beers with Scot and Kelly before taking the long trek back to Brooklyn.

I spent most of the day Saturday studying, fighting my allergies, and snacking on these chickpeas. 

I am so upset I forgot to watch the Preakness! I can't believe it totally slipped my mind. I hear my fave horse, I'll Have Another, won, so at least I can cheer his Triple Crown chances on at the Belmont Stakes in June! I've got my calendar marked this time.

While not watching the horse race, Kurt, Will, and I pedaled up to Williamsburg. We had some snacks at Lodge before heading to Public Assembly for the NYC Popfest.

One of Kurt's friends from Ohio State has a sister that was in one of the performing bands called Seapony. They were great but could use a little more projection in the microphones. Other than that, it was fun, happy music. (At this point I was falling asleep against a wall, so this photo is courtesy of Kurt.)

On Sunday, I realized that out of the $30+ of allergy medicine I had purchased the day before, nothing was non-drowsy. I spent most of the day like a zombie but built up the energy to play Kurt in our inaugural tennis outing of the year. It was great to get back on the court but it completely wiped me out. I was out of commission for the rest of the day, and I developed this sore throat that suspiciously seemed like more then allergies.

After a long nap, I hyped myself up to make the walk to Baskin Robbins for some soft serve to cool my sore throat. It was the best decision I had made in a while. That counts as dinner, right?

After waking up on Monday morning with an even worse sore throat and newly acquired ear ache, I called off from work and begged my doctor to squeeze me in for an appointment. Turns out I have an inner ear infection. Who over the age of ten gets one of those?! Me, apparently. Now I am on a regimen of antibiotics, Advil, and a periodic trip to Baskin Robbins to get me back on the mend. Let's hope it's a quick recovery!

spring is here!

I can feel the city humming with the crazy energy of summer already. While I think its still a little premature to break out your white jeans and sandals, I love how people are visibly ready to rip off all their clothes and embrace the warmth :) Add in the sunshine and endless supply of fun events and I'm constantly reminded of how much I love this place. A little bit of studying here and there doesn't sound so bad anymore...especially if I can do it in the park pretty soon!

Jenn and I went to Barnes and Noble in Union Square to see the Pioneer Woman. She was there promoting her new cookbook. 

Remember when I saw her last year? Well, now I actually own her book and Jenn grabbed a bunch for friends, so we stuck around to get them personally signed.

That was no small feat with about 300 fans in the audience! After a cute little thirty minute presentation by Ree (which included a musical devotion to her basset hound) we waited around a couple hours to have our books signed. If you ever go to a book signing, be sure to sit in the front! Thanks for sticking with us, P-Dub!

I probably don't even need to mention our recent gorgeous weather again but it's been glorious. It sure makes my walk to work in the morning more enjoyable.

You know what else makes life more fun? When temporary coworkers bring their cute little dogs to the office! Basel here is a mini dachshund and wiggled around our office one day last week. While he was adorable and I find dachshunds one of the few small dogs I like, he was a little frail. I've decided I need a pup that can rough house a tad more :)

In other work news, we took a client to see a project that our office did years ago and had a particular stair detail we wanted to highlight. Of course we poked around the rest of the townhouse! I loved this kids room which was kind of space age-y. The light fixture was awesome and there was a real Saarinen table and tulip chairs (not the Ikea version I would be more than happy to own). Plus, those walls?! Incredible wallpaper! I was blown away. (I have a feeling it might be from Black Crow Studios but I can't be sure.) My only complaint? Who doesn't make their kids make the bed in the morning?! The house was pretty immaculate, so I guess they need to leave something for the maid to do...

And my final work comment: we took an entire masonry wall down at our Upper West Side townhouse! Gone! It was crumbling beforehand and had a lousy foundation, so our contractor and structural engineer decided that taking it down and rebuilding the foundation was the most cost effective route. We once thought all that steel shoring was a little overkill but now its seems teeny to hold up the other walls! All in the name of progress :)

Jenn and I attended a happy hour event at the Lillian August showroom hosted by Tilton Fenwick and the newly launched New York Cottages and Gardens magazine. Lots of prosecco. Lots of fun!

I was #1 in our March Madness for a brief second!! During my reign at the top, poor Kurt was down at the bottom. The tables have definitely turned by now, but I am going to bask in my period of greatness a little longer :)

Friday night, we observed the birthdays of Will and Pilar. Sadly, I only got some photos at the new Park Slope Beauty Bar (and their glitter walls!) at the end of the night. Before that, we hit Pacifico, Boat Bar, and Camp. Talk about marathon! Happy (late) birthdays, guys!

Other than my 5k a couple weeks ago, I took my inaugural outdoor run of the year this weekend. This photo of Prospect Park looks pretty bleak but it was actually fairly sunny and the park was crawling with kids, animals, and soccer games. Yay for spring!

I usually like the post my weekly recaps on Mondays but figured I would make an exception this week because I took my first Architecture Registration Exam today!!!! I had been studying for the Construction Documents portion for a while and decided enough was enough and finally scheduled the test. I think/hope it went pretty well. Hopefully I can let you know in a couple weeks (although I might be too embarrassed to share if I fail!). After my morning exam I took the day off work and enjoyed a nice leisurely Monday in Brooklyn. I treated myself to a nice sidewalk lunch (and brownie) at Tazza in Brooklyn Heights before heading home to do my taxes :) Let's hear it for refunds!

After all those employed people got off work, this guy took me out for a drink and pizza at Bar Tano.

Yum! Thanks, Kurt! Hopefully one down and six more to go!

This is pretty out of order but, speaking of pizza, a couple weeks ago Kurt was preparing intensely for his LARE exams (I'm not the only studious one around here!) and I offered to make him dinner so he didn't have to worry about food for a couple evenings. I tried my version of Mellow Mushroom's Kosmic Karma pizza and made a fun animated GIF about it! Ingredients: premade pizza crust, pizza sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, shredded mozzarella cheese, Roma tomatoes, pesto, feta cheese, and fresh spinach. Bake and voila! If you are interested in making an animated GIF (first of all center your photos better than mine...this one makes me dizzy...sorry!) I highly suggest the tutorial on Say Yes to Hoboken. She makes it so simple.

Have a great week!