martha, kiwis, a view, and karaoke

Last week, I was in the same building as Martha Stewart two days in a row! If that's not noteworthy, I don't know what is.

One evening, Erin and I attended a book signing at West Elm.

The ladies from the Little Flower School put together a gorgeous book of arrangements and had several of their masterpieces spread throughout the store. (Erin and I have the same camera and she taught me a few tricks and settings to get fun pictures. Thanks for the tips, Erin! I guess I should read the manual :) ).

Erin and I had a few drinks and commiserated about our sad floral arranging skills while dreaming of owning everything at West Elm. Just as we were thinking about leaving, none other than the Martha Stewart walks in! We tried to play it cool, but I was a big nerd and tried to get a picture. It's pretty comical how many bad pictures I captured. That Martha is elusive! 

This was eventually the best one I got and then decided to give up being a stalker. People magazine won't be calling me anytime soon for my paparazzi skills.

The next evening, Jenn and I attended an Apartment Therapy talk at ABC Home. This is one of my favorite series to attend. They always have interesting speakers, ABC Home is beyond gorgeous, and the bartenders sure know how to pour a good glass of wine.

This month, they added a new feature where a couple diy'ers share a quick project to start things off. I'm going to pass on terra cotta pot lampshades but am seriously considering making a drum shade to dress up the lame lights in my apartment. Thanks, Engineer Your Space! 

This evening, the main guest was Pilar Guzman, the editor-in-cheief of Martha Stewart Living Magazine (and founding editor of the former Cookie magazine). While I'm not exactly the Martha demographic (although does anyone remember Blueprint? That was my fave of all time...maybe even more than domino... seriously.), I still have respect for the magazine and it's content and how Ms. Guzman is taking it in a slightly more modern direction. 

The conversation often turned to parenthood, so Jenn and I weren't too incredibly engaged. Kiddos aren't exactly our concern du jour, but it was refreshing to hear Pilar Guzman talk about modern, urban parents who maintain some level of design aesthetic even when kids have ugly toys. Good to know :)

Word is that Martha was in the house but didn't make a public appearance. She did bring us gift bags though! It just had a few MS magazines but it's always fun to get free stuff!

The next evening, Kurt's boss, Steven, and his wife, Wendy, had us over to their brand spanking newly renovated apartment for dinner. I never saw it in the "before" state but love the "after"! Everything is simple and crisp and white without being cold or severe. They incorporated some really creative, inexpensive solutions that look great. Even though the place isn't huge, they organized things very smartly, so it will be a great home for entertaining. 

I was so flattered they took a little inspiration from the bathroom makeover I did for Kurt.....yep, those matches! :) It's all in the details. 

I want a new apartment now! It's amazing how different a one bedroom feels from my dinky studio. Walls! Doors! Separation! Sigh.

Kurt's boss made some delicious roasted monkfish for dinner.

Kurt and I contributed this black bean and corn salad (adapted from this recipe). This is one of my go to (all the time) recipes, especially in the summer. It's super simple and can support tons of variations on the ingredients. Try it!

It was lovely to share a meal with Steven and Wendy, but the main purpose of our visit was to help plan Kurt and Erik's trip to the South Pacific. Yes, you read that correctly. Kurt is leaving me for 19 days (tomorrow, no less!) to travel to Samoa and New Zealand! I am very sad he will be gone, but I'm honestly not that torn up because this trip has been a long time in the making, and I have no doubt he will have an amazing time. (Maybe it hasn't hit me yet either. We'll see!) He's spending part of his time in Samoa working on a project he and his boss have been helping with for a few years (remember this fundraiser?). Afterwards, Kurt is meeting up with his brother and they are going to traverse (by rental car) the entire North Island of New Zealand. Steven is a native kiwi, as is another architect friend (seen here holding the fork), so they had lots of good advice on places to visit, parts to avoid, and amounts of sunscreen to wear. It all sounds incredible. I'm beyond jealous.

I'm going to miss you, Kurt! Maybe I can convince you to guest post about your travels when you return?!

I recently became an Architecture League member. I would like to say all their interesting lectures convinced me (it was part of the motivation!), but they also have a members-only monthly happy hour at various architecture offices around the city that was the main selling point. I get a free plus one, which I agreed to usually award to Kurt, so it's such a good deal (believe me, I crunched the numbers)! The latest "First Friday" was at Buro Happold in the Financial Distict. Theyre a large, multidisciplinary firm, so their office was pretty big but the showstopper is their amazing terrace and view.

They look right over Trinity Church (and cemetery which helps preserve their view) and a nice vantage point of the growing World Trade Center (re)construction. Watching the sun set over the Hudson River isn't a bad way to spend your Friday night :)

 After the Arch League happy hour, we met up with some friends at Hope and Anchor in Red Hook. I really liked the label on this beer and then realized it is from New London, the small town in Connecticut that I take the train to when I visit my grandmother much too infrequently.

The fun thing about Hope and Anchor is karaoke night and the drag queen that runs it :) There were definitely some regulars there and the host and bartender even had a few acts worked out. It was great! Only a few from our group were brave enough to try a song (Kurt paid his respects to John Denver with Take Me Home, Country Roads) but everyone had a blast. Can't wait to go back!

I was so lazy Saturday night and flaked out on two birthday parties in Manhattan. Did I mention the weekend's weather was gorgeous? Hot even? Sometimes (most of the time, actually) I love Brooklyn so much, I have a hard time leaving unless it's mandatory. To make up for my inter-borough laziness, I agreed to cook dinner for Kurt. I made a baked lemon and artichoke risotto {found via} with zucchini and squash salad {found via} and, in my attempt to be Italian, a plate of prosciutto. It was all delicious, if I do say so myself :)

{via our fave bartender, Matt's, instagram}

After dinner, we met up with Erik and Andrea at Korzo. The bar was celebrating its 4 year anniversary by giving away free beers. Did I mention I love Brooklyn?

So in an effort to not miss Kurt too much, I'm off on a short trip to Washington DC this weekend, taking the Schematic Design section of my ARE this Thursday (eek!), and I just joined twitter! I can't decide what to tweet yet, but follow me @MelGraveline once I figure out how it all works :)

happy feaster!

I hope everyone had a great Easter! Here's what happened in the past week or so:

ASLA awards ceremony followed by drinks at Vu Bar under the Empire State Building.

Kurt and I had a date night during the week. We began with drinks at the rooftop bar at Hotel le Bleu in Brooklyn. Great views of the sunset! We were the only souls there.

After drinks, we went for thai food at the new Sai Thai in Park Slope. We were the only ones there too! It's so strange for places to be so quiet! However, we got excellent service and I rekindled my love for green tea ice cream, so it was a good night :)

I'm drowning in tile samples at work. We've been on a mission to find the perfect pink penny tile for a little girl's bathroom floor. I think we're almost there.

On Friday night, we went to a show at BAM in my old Fort Greene neighborhood. We went to see Dr. John in collaboration with Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys. We've always been fans of the Black Keys but now have a new appreciation for Dr. John. Plus, I've solidified my love for big bands. The more people on stage the better!

Saturday night, someone had the bright idea to do a 5th Avenue bar tour in Park Slope. We started at Bar Reis at 6th Street and ordered in some poutine from the nearby Corner Burger to hold us over until dinner. 

Our next stop was Smith's Tavern at 9th Street for some dirt cheap beers. This place is definitely a neighborhood establishment.

Our stomachs got the best of us, so we skipped over Fifth Estate and headed straight for Der Kommissar at 15th Street. There were six or seven of us at that point, so we decided to go crazy and order their family style sampler which gets you everything on the menu. We should probably cut back our sausage intake for a while but it was totally worth it :) 

Our next stop was Buttermilk Bar at 16th Street. After a botched attempt at Pac Man, we kicked back with a few Miller High Lifes and Kurt and I planned some travels for the fall. Doesn't Nashville in October sound lovely?

After Buttermilk, we stopped in (new) Freddy's at 17th Street but I was tired and freezing (anytime, Spring, really), so we quickly called it a night and headed home.

On Sunday, Jenn put together a lovely potluck called FEASTER complete with egg dying, tons of delicious food, and gorgeous sunshine in the backyard. I think I may have even gotten some color! Hooray!

Oh my. I get full just looking at this plate of food. It was all so good. Well, maybe except for the grilled chicken heart I tried. Not my favorite part of the meal.

I was lacking food inspiration when planning my Feaster contribution, so instead I brought jelly beans (most of which ended up in Kurt's backyard) and punch. I made a variation of summer beer and good Lord It has a lot of booze in it! I hope everyone enjoyed :)

This masterpiece is a strawberry meringue cake that Jenn created. It was as delicious as it is gorgeous. That girl sure knows her way around desserts!

After all that yummy food, we were all about to fall deeply into a food coma. Instead, a walk around the neighborhood was in order to soak in the last bit of sun. We peeked on the progress at a new beer garden nearby. We've been waiting for it's opening forever! I can envision lots of summer afternoons spent in that courtyard.

Other big news from the weekend? I got word that I passed my first ARE! Construction Documents and Services down, only six more to go :) Woo hoo!

around town with the martigs

In addition to my window shopping spree, Kurt's parents were in town this past weekend which meant I got to do some running around with them a bit.

We had a dinner date set with the Martigs on Friday after work and decided to grab a quick drink at Eataly first. Luckily, I was able to convince the group to pop into Marimekko next door for a moment.

Kurt recently met the guy who did the sound (really interesting, I promise) for the shop, so he told his parents about the science of it all while I speed-browsed all the gorgeous patterns and fabrics. I never knew Marimekko made clothing but now I have added a few new dress pattern ideas to my sewing aspirations.

Once the rest of the group was finished browsing (I could have stayed in there all day!) we popped over to Eataly for a quick glass of wine. The bar area we wanted to occupy was packed (must be the après work watering hole for the upwardly mobile) but luckily they offer glasses of wine that you can wander around the store with. Genius. I would most definitely be inclined to spend a tad more money if tipsy while grocery shopping. You're a clever one, Mario.

Next, we headed towards the dreaded Times Square for dinner. A friend of Erik's had recommended this pizza place in midtown called Don Antonio. They offer a wide variety of pies and even had gluten free versions for Erik. After sharing some super fresh mozzarella cheese, we all dove in to our own pizzas and they were delicious! I'm generally a pizza purist and love red sauce on mine, but I couldn't pass up the Pizza del Papa (the Pope's Pizza) which was topped with butternut squash, zucchini, roasted red peppers, mozzarella, basil, and olive oil. Mmmmm. I might have to try and recreate this at home. However, that springy wood-fired crust will be impossible to copy. If you can bear the trek to midtown, I would highly recommend Don Antonio!

On Sunday, we all traveled to the Upper East Side to visit Kurt's new favorite museum, the Museum of the City of New York.

The Manhattan Grid celebrated 200 years last year and the museum had an excellent exhibit on the highly ambitious master plan that set the framework for NYC to be the metropolis it is today.

The exhibit was great. I'm normally an awful person to go to museums with because I get bored quickly. This time I tried really hard to read all the descriptions and really study all the pieces. Luckily, I'm a big fan of this lovely city, so it wasn't too hard the focus. It's amazing to see all the images of the transformation from rolling farmland to flat , regularized plots. The Greatest Grid will be up until July 15th. Check it out!

After the museum, we rushed back to Brooklyn and took a long walk through Park Slope to get lunch at Cafe Steinhof.

The weather was pretty chilly and rainy, so warm Austrian food was perfect to warm us up. I went with the Chicken Paprika topped with spaetzle. Delish.

Next we headed to Commonwealth Bar in Park Slope (the Martigs are such troopers to let us drag them around all day!) for the announcement of the results of some participatory budget voting for the district. Sounds complicated but its actually simple. The local council member is letting the public decide how they would like to see a portion of the budget spent.

Many groups formulated ideas and the public voted. Kurt's brother, Erik, and several compost enthusiasts wrote a proposal for a chunk of the budget to go to a high tech compost container and other items to facilitate their compost program in Gowanus.

We were sitting on pins and needles as Brad Lander, the local council member, gave a little speech before revealing the results. Erik's project got the second most amount of votes and was granted funding! Woo hoo! Congratulations, Erik! I'm so happy to see your hard work pay off.  It was great that the Martigs were there to join in the celebration and was the perfect way to top off a busy weekend!

mini brooklyn tour

Regardless of the crappy weather this weekend, Jenn and I braved the cold and rain to make a trek through Gowanus, Carroll Gardens, and Park Slope. We only started with a couple points of interest, but before we knew it, we had wandered really far. It's so exciting to explore new places!

(After last week's sorry showing, I was determined to be a good blogger and exhaustively document everything. I hope you aren't overwhelmed by all the pictures!)

I had come across the Lotta Jansdotter Studio and Shop a few weeks ago but hadn't found time to go in yet (even though it is literally 3 blocks from my apartment). They had lots of cute gifts and paper goods in addition to some really great patterned fabrics. Sadly, I didn't have any projects into mind, but I hope to return when I can think of some! I hope they hold workshops and crafting events here. It's so convenient!

My only other plan for the day was to go to the opening of the Momofuku Milk Bar in Carroll Gardens for some cookies (ambitious day, right?).

We had to wait in line forever but it was totally worth it. I got a Corn, Blueberry and Cream, and Compost Cookie (to share, of course!). Mmmm. They are the perfect level of chewy and soft. I can't wait to go back for ice cream in the summer and will eventually try the savory treats too. (Check out their menu here.)

After our cookie fix, we decided to wander down Smith Street and check out a few shops because Jenn was in the market for a new wallet.

Our first stop was Atmosphere.

The shop was filled with beautiful items. They had gorgeous textiles and nicely curated gifts. We were also pleasantly surprised by the prices. Not too expensive! My favorite part of this shop was overhearing a mom ultimately tell her daughters that she couldn't have nice things because they were wild children. Too funny.

Our next stop was By Brooklyn.

The shop carries tons of clothing, jewelry, handbags and accessories, and food stuff which is all crafted in Brooklyn. Next time I am looking for a New York-centric gift, I will most definitely head here instead getting yet another "I heart NY" t-shirt!

Next, we stopped in Refinery. I have a coworker that swears by their handbags but I was smitten with their tunics. My goal in life is to be one of those barefoot hippies that wears flowing tops in great patterns all the time. Luckily, Jenn said they are a really simple pattern to sew. I might have to brush the dust off my machine and finally dive into sewing! 

Jenn finally found a suitable wallet at Mongo.

The store was stuffed to the brim with unique items and an adorable shop keeper. He could tell you a story behind every item you were browsing.

Phew! After all that hard work, Jenn and I needed a break and stopped for mulled wine at the Black Mountain Winehouse. It was such a chilly and wet day that a nice warm beverage definitely hit the spot.

Later that evening, Jenn and I wanted to avoid watching basketball so we went to grab a bite to eat at Bareburger in Park Slope.

I twisted Jenn's arm to order the big beer with me (it's a better cost per ounce value!!).

I wanted to order a veggie burger but Jenn told me that was lame, so, instead, I tried a wild boar burger topped with mozzarella, pineapple, Canadian bacon, fried onions, roasted red peppers, and ranch dressing. OMG. There wasn't a crumb left at the end. So good. If you are looking to branch out from the typical beef burger, they also have turkey, chicken, lamb, elk, bison, and ostrich options with a ton of different topping combinations. 

After our burger and beer binge, Jenn and I headed to 731 to watch the second Final Four basketball game. Ohio State put up a courageous fight couldn't quite pull out a win over Kansas even though they were ahead for the majority of the game. Keep your heads high, Buckeyes! You can't win them all. Look on the bright side...football is only a few months away! :)

Thanks for the fun day, Jenn! Let's do this more often!