Tall People

Please enjoy this photo of one of my favourite tall people, Jeff Goldblum.
Women over five foot nine and men over six feet are my favourite kind of people. I'm not saying I won't be friends with or fall in love with people under those heights, but I'm just saying, it would be a challenge. Ever since I was a kid I wanted to be taller, taller, taller. Standing at a very average height of five foot six in socks, I feel inferior and envious of those who see above crowds and look good in floaty clothes and cause everyone to look at them simply because they are endowed genetically with vertical assets. My friend Graham disagrees because "when you're tall you bump your head on things". Clearly he's an idiot.

Mames

My brother is a real butthead. He wears hats at the dinner table. He chews with his mouth open! We have gone to many foreign places together, including Shanghai, Qingdao, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Amsterdam, London, Andorra, Barcelona, Bruges and Edinburgh. We did not kill each other, amazingly. He is a pretty good brother, I guess. Right now he's eating chips with his yob smacking so enthusiastically at such a volume that my ears will never recover.

Holiday Spirit

We all know Halloween is my jam, and every other "important event" kind of falls by the wayside, even my birthday. But this year, for some reason, I was absolutely buzzing with holiday spirit! I was saying "happy holidays" to every customer service rep, I was smiling, not snarling, at people on the street, I was gawking at the lights on 5th Avenue, I was listening to Christmas songs non-stop. It felt great. I didn't get that much for prezzies on Christmas morning, but what I got, I loved. And I spent time with my funny brothers and silly parents. I don't know what makes the Christmas force so strong some years and so depressing others. But I'm glad this year was the former. Well, off to watch the last few episodes of Freaks and Geeks!

Today's Cafe- The Little Bird Bakery

The Little Bird Bakery on Avenue B is a homey affair, and having opened this past June, still feels like an East Village secret. You can easily set up shop with a laptop at the counter seating, or dally at the single window-front table. Prep yourself for a long day with their Counter Culture coffee($3 for the Iced Americano), guaranteed to keep you buzzing long after you’ve come and gone.

Feel virtuous without sacrificing good taste with their Bird Seed Granola ($6 to stay), topped with bananas and pears, speckled with pepitas and dried coconut and guaranteed to keep it’s crunch if you choose to take it to go for $4. Just be sure to floss afterwards! If you crave something sweeter and more easy to travel with, try the Walnut Spice Cookie, a super thick and aromatic cookie made hearty by a generous amount of oats.


Next time I’m going to try the perfectly seasonal sounding Pumpkin Apple Muffin ($3.50). I'm not of the gluten-free variety, but I'm sure friends who are will be glad to know there are many treat options to satisfy, including the Chocolate Cherry Bomb Macaron ($3.75)

Know before you go: The Little Bird Bakery is cash only.

The Little Bird Bakery
182 Avenue B between 11th and 12th st, New York, NY

The East Side Paths

I love running, I love walking, I love strolls. Nothing makes me feel better than fresh air, pretty scenery and music in my ear. I'm lucky because I live super close to the 10th St bridge to get over to the East Side Paths, which have been going through MAJOR reconstruction since I started running along them in 2008. It's absolutely gorgeous and new and paved with parks, tennis courts, baseball and track fields, the works. I have run off many a problem, hangover, worry, fear and Shackburger along the East River. It is particularly nice in the morning on weekdays when few others are around, or at sunset on a weekend when it feels like the entire city is there.

Kate Spade Jewelry

There's just something about Kate Spade jewelry that makes it seem sparklier than others! Perfect for the holidays. I'm not even much of an accessories person, but I love this gigantic bow ring, and the Cheers necklace (of course would love it more on a longer chain).

In the end I settled for the Hi 5 mittens and nothing else, but who knows? Christmas IS just around the corner!

Bubble Tea

I have my temporary obsessions, and certainly this past summer, bubble tea was one of them. I used to find it revolting and hated the texture of the bubbles. However, after getting tired of having a primary liquid intake of water and Diet Coke, I decided to switch it up. I saw a group of school kids sucking down this fun looking drink, and went straight to the source, ThirsTea in the East Village. It was great, and now I even have a frequent drinker card.

A Perfectly Balanced Meal

Ok, it might not picture very well, but this is a beef stew I made, with fresh whole wheat sourdough bread from the Greenmarket(SLATHERED in salted butter, of course!) and a beautiful can of Diet Coke. It this meal doesn't scream fall and perfection to you, you must be insane (or vegetarian). I can get nervous making meals that aren't strictly veggies or carbs or pre-cooked, but this was a fun challenge and worked out amazingly well, especially on a night when I was really craving protein. Yay stew!

LAHVE SAWNGS

What can I say? I'M A WOMAN, DAMN IT! A woman! With womanly feelings and like and dislikes! A woman! A woman who succumbs to stereotypes and cliches often! A woman! A woman with ovaries! And fallopian tubes! So what? So what if I like listening to lovey dovey songs sung by zygotes?! So what if at midnight on a Sunday in October I'm singing along (alone) to a song that that was written expressly for pre-pubescents?

LOOK, I'M LOVIN' "U SMILE" AND "THE ONLY EXCEPTION" and I REFUSE to make apologies.

Kate's Paperie Notebook

I love writing, I love diaries, I love journals. I've had had some sort of chronicle of my life or ideas or day to day banalities since I can remember. I have a daily updated journal on my computer (locked with a super secret password, obviously), but I also like having some sort of longhand writing supply on me, just incase a thought or idea or quote or whatEVER springs to mind. This one is the perfect size to fit into my Marc Jacobs bag without taking up too much room or weighing me down. It's also cute, and because of the elastic reminds me of Indiana Jones's diary from the Raiders of the Lost Ark. I was Indiana Jones for Halloween once!

90s Fashion

Recently The New York Times had a to-do about how girls are starting to dress more nineties, specifically like Elaine Benes from Seinfeld. Now, we all know that Elaine is the original head bitch in charge, but her sense of style is not quite appropriate for my body type. While I can't get behind chunky black Docs with white socks, I can and do absolutely endorse bringing Clueless-esque wardrobes back in. These girls are the bomb. Minis, thigh high stockings, layered vest and shirt combos? Sign me up! Plus, what's all the fuss about Mad Men era women never dressing down? So what? Look at what these goddesses wore in gym class!

Ronnybrook Coffee Milkshake

I follow Kathy YL Chan's blog, A Passion for Food, religiously. When I saw her picture and description of a coffee milkshake from Ronnybrook Milk Bar, it went to the top of my treat list. Today after meandering around I found myself at the previously disappointing Chelsea Market locale (let's just say you shouldn't go there for a satisfying lunch meal). A generous heap of coffee icecream and a quick whurrrr in the blender and voila, one of the most delicious frozen confections I've ever had! It's very rich, I could only handle half, so be sure to go with someone who likes the taste of pure joy when you order yours!

Balthazar Whole Wheat Croissant

I wanted a plain, normal, WHITE FLOUR croissant but they were sold out! Alas I had to make due with their whole wheat, which while lacking in refined carbohydrates, was bountiful in deliciousness. A great afternoon pick me up, especially paired with an iced coffee and Soho people watching on the Balthazar benches.

Batman Part 2

Look! Happy birthday to me! If you think I didn't watch it, WITH Tim Burton's commentary the second I received it, well... you don't know me at all.

Champers

I thought the lyrics were "Cause I'm out at the club and I'm sippin' that Veuve and you're not gonna reach my telephone!" I switched bub to Veuve because it seems classier, and it's all I drink when I drink champagne. Veuve Clicquot... and Mums. A whole bunch of Mums. It was my birthday this past week so I had my fair share of champers. I love celebrating!

Geof Manthorne

I am a little bummed out tonight, so I need something that pleases me in any situation. Enter Ace of Cakes, and specifically the executive sous chef, Geof Manthorne. Geof checks off every item on my list of perfection. Dark hair, light eyes, tall, on the verge of death skinny, sardonic, witty, cripplingly shy, pale, hilarious, bug-eyed, sarcastic, and knows how to bake cake into highly complicated and intricate shapes. The entire cast of Ace of Cakes always seem to be on some sort of drug, but none more so than perpetually calm and unfazed Geof. That's not on my list, but he makes it work.

Ice Cream Sammies

Last summer my goal was to eat as many of Serious Eat's Top 10 Ice Cream Sandwiches that I could find. I barely made a dent, but it was a fun venture; thus far in my quest I have had the ice cream sammies that Jacques Torres, L'Arte del Gelato, Milk and Cookies and Otto have to offer. Ice cream sammies feel like enough of a special rare treat that I when I see them being offered it's hard for me to resist buying one (fun fact: I also feel this way about nail polish!). The one pictured is from the Hester St Flea, which is full of yummy finds. What better way to beat the heat?

Think Coffee

I didn't used to love Think Coffee. In fact, I resented the fact that they made you put your own milk and sugar in your coffee orders. But now that I am an iced coffee connoisseur, I am glad to customize my drink MYSELF. I gave Think a second chance, and now I absolutely love it. I love all of them, whether it be on Mercer, 4th Ave or Bowery. I loved the drinks. I love the foods. I love that they don't charge extra for soy milk. I even like the humorous messages they tape to the tip jar. It's hard for me to pass a Think and NOT get a delicious medium iced coffee to go. (by the way, did you know that Think's medium to go cup is actually bigger than the standard 16 ounces? Meaning you get more for the money? It's TRUE!)

Affogato

I had my first affrogato today from L'Arte Del Gelato in Chelsea Market. It was good, but would have been great had the minimalist scoop of vanilla gelato hadn't melted so damn quickly. I don't like feeling as though I'm in a race to finish my food. Especially not something as luxurious as a mid-day "why the hell not" 5.95$ treat. That said, it has sparked a desire in me to find the BEST affrogato in the city, and I will not rest until my mission is complete. Thanks to my dining companion for the artistically sound photo.

Flower Kiss Candy

Bought these on a whim at Pearl River Market to fill my decorative mason jar. When I first tore into one I was bummed that it was a hard candy, faintly sweetened and not the lychee jelly delight I had hoped for. But they've grown on me, and are extraordinarily addictive. I have one after every meal. Including breakfast today!

Diet Coke in the Baby Bottles

I couldn't resist picking up a six pack of these babies at my corner deli after doing some real grocery shopping. They were heavy but oh so worth it. There's nothing quite like that pop, pssst, glug glug glug in the summertime.

Butter Lane

I like cupcakes but they are not my favourite dessert. I prefer brownies or cookies or just liquid sugar poured directly into my mouth, eye sockets and ears but when lacking that, the cupcakes from Butter Lane are pretty damn good. They are also conveniently located about 4 blocks away from me! Yay! My favourite combination that I have tried thus fas is the pictured chocolate cake with strawberry icing. They have a bunch of different cakes and icings though, and you get to sample the icings on toothpicks!

Russell Brand

I'm not usually one for bad boys but Russell Brand is tall and lanky and hilarious, and thus has found a loophole in my dismissal. I know he plays the same version of himself in everything, but I happen to like his schtick and am at heart just another gullible female (with great big fallopian tubes!) ready to fall victim to his womanizing ways. I have seen him in real life twice now, once in the city and weirdly, once in Edinburgh. This leads me to believe we are meant to be together. Witness the recon evidence my associate took whilst Mr. Brand was filming the Arthur remake in the East Village earlier this month. The lank. It kills me.

My Stainless Steel Pan

Pancakes and Eggs. What can I say? I live a good life.

Shake Shack

It's no secret that I love food and all things yummy in NYC. But I can see my love for Shake Shack potentially becoming a problem this summer. It's just too close, and too "on the way" to too many things. Too easy to stop by. Too many delicious flavors of custard(COFFEE AND DONUTS OMG). I'm going to come clean: somehow, I've managed to have Shake Shack about once a week since graduation. And it could too easily become twice and thrice. But for now, in the beginning stages of my addiction, I will just say it's simple style of perfect burgers and salty fries are the best. I love it.


Until I look like this.

My New MacBook Pro

Isn't she pretty? So fast. So shiny! I'm going to take very good care of her, I promise. No dropping or shaking this one!

Batman

Today whilst perusing the aisles of Kim's Video in the East Village, a friend asked me what the most important movie in my life was. A movie that changed my life. I honestly couldn't easily answer, but I can without a doubt name my favourite movie of all time: Batman. Directed by Tim Burton, starring Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson. No kidding. I know Batman has reached a sort of popularity in recent years because of crazy Christian Bale and Heath Ledger and all that, and those movies are good too. But nothing compares to the 1989 version. It has a Prince soundtrack, for God's sake. I love Batman because he's a normal rich dude with problems and a dark side(and a sense of humour, thanks to Michael Keaton, who remains the best Batman to this day). I love Batman because the villain is actually scary but also fascinating and not one-note and set the standard for every comic book villain since then and very few have risen to the bar. I love the Tim Burton goth-lite touches. I love how Gotham looked like it was stuck in the 1950s with it's cars and architecture and newspaper, but Batman was technologically advanced. I can watch Batman over and over and still love it. I don't think it changed my life, but it is important to me, in a way that goes beyond simple entertainment. I'm just not quite sure how to explain it yet.

I Don't Care About Your Band

I went on a spree at Barnes and Noble recently and got this book on a whim. I LOVED it. I want it to become a movie, and I want the lead, natch. So funny. It has sweet and make you think moments too, but most importantly, FUNNY!

The Ideal Summertime Lunch

Picture it: a beautiful day, no work or school to attend to, a pair of working legs to direct you all over midtown Manhattan, and a hunger for a picnic lunch that covers every base of deliciousness. This happened to me once or twice last summer and I will make sure it happens again! A veggie sandwich from Bouchon Bakery, a bag of specific candy from Dylan's Candy bar, a Diet Coke, a bag of salt and vinegar chips from a nearby deli and a pal in Central Park- can't get much better than that!

Perfect Celebrity Couples

Ok duh, not PERFECT, nobody is, and I'm not some midwestern housewife who devours People magazine and believes everything on E! News and puts everyone with an ounce of fame on a pedestal. However, I do have my favorite Hollywood pairings, and Jennifer Connelly and Paul Bettany definitely top the list. First of all, LOOK AT HER. This is NOT a posed, photoshopped magazine shoot. This is a CANDID paparazzi picture. Holy gorgeous. She is exquisite. And then look at him! So tall! So translucent! They live in Brooklyn and seem very normal and hilarious in interviews. They make some good movie choices(Requiem for A Dream, Wimbledon, Little Children, A Knight's Tale) and some bad (Hulk, Legion). They're just like us! But perfect.

Marley and Me

Last night I was babysitting, and once the wonderful little muppet had fallen asleep, I turned on the amazing Samsung HD TV and flipped over to HBO to see what was playing (yes, babysitting is amazing). Lo and behold my new favourite "must-watch if it's on tv" film was playing! I don't know why I love Marley and Me so much. Maybe it's the doggy, maybe it's how great a couple Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston make, maybe it's the perfect mix of funny and sad. It gets me laughing and bawling every time. It's not about the dog DYING, it's about how he LIVES!

Packed Lunches

I like lunching as much as the next city girl, but when I eat too many meals out, I find myself longing for my own simple homemade delicacies. Packing lunches are super easy, and especially fun to eat outside in a nearby park now that the weather is getting warmer! On Tuesday's menu: a berry melange, pineapples, Fage yogurt and Shreddies, complete with an iced coffee from Think.

Classroom Accoutrements

I've often said, I'm not particularly addicted to iced coffee, I'm just addicted to the act of going into Starbucks or Think or Amy's Bread or 9th St. Espresso before class, getting my icy drink, and having something to fiddle with and sip on during class. Monday wasn't an iced coffee kind of day, so instead I got fresh pear juice from Liquiteria. Made my Children and the Media class that much more delicious!

Cadbury Creme Eggs

Who doesn't love these babies? Though disgusting in theory, delicious in practice. I really do not want to know what the goo inside ACTUALLY is. I just want to enjoy one a year when Easter comes around. Happy Easter! Happy Passover!

Long Necklaces

And I mean LONG! Don't leave home without 'em. From left, my mom's gold chain+heart pendant that I stealthily stole(asked for), a silver Tiffany's key (Christmas present from my brother Patrick), a locket from Urban Outfitters, purchased on a whim.

Mid-Run Treats

I decided to be adventurous this morning and stray from my East Side running trail and venture onto the actual city sidewalks. It was SO FUN! While coming up the West Side highway(near Chelsea Piers) I decided it's be fun to stop in at Amy's Bread in Chelsea Market and get some goodies! Normally this would be a very stupid idea, because I still had to run the 9 avenues home after consumption, but amazingly my tummy didn't hurt or anything! I don't think I'll often stop for iced coffees and pain au chocolat's mid-run because it's counterproductive, but today's special occasion was a total success!

Self Esteem

Check out this gorgeous drawing I made when I was a little kid attending all french kindergarden. Even then I knew how important high self-worth was. It says "je suis belle". For those who don't understand the most basic of french, that means "I am pretty". And yes, I am also redheaded and levitating.

Drew Barrymore

I saw The Runaways yesterday, and it wasn't very good, but reminded me of how much I love Dakota Fanning, and how I hope she turns out like my absolute favourite child to adult star ever, Drew Barrymore. Drew Barrymore inspires me as a human being. She inspires me in all facets of life.
As an actress: Drew is without a doubt one of the most charming, natural romantic comedy actors working today. And that shit ain't easy, the good ones just make it look really easy. She could easily rest on her laurels and just churn out romcom after romcom but instead seems to be constantly challenging herself as an artist with fascinating choices like Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Grey Gardens, Donnie Darko. Even when she is just doing romantic comedies, I notice she's always trying something different in terms of small character traits- the girl in Wedding Singer is vastly different from the girl in Never Been Kissed or the girl in Ever After.
As a businesswoman: Drew Barrymore is waaaaaaaay more powerful than you might think! I mean yes, she comes from a Hollywood dynasty, but she's also built her own legacy. She started the Flower Power production company which produces box office gangbusters like Charlie's Angels and has also started directing with this past fall's quality girl power movie, Whip It!
As a genuine humane person: every interview I see or read with Drew makes me love her even more. She seems sweet, hilarious, intelligent and more than willing to poke fun at herself. NEVER MISS DREW ON LETTERMAN. Their rapport is mesmerizing.
As an example to overcome all obstacles: Yeah she was a drug and alcohol addict at an age when the only thing she should have been hooked on was Phonics, but the fact that she had those huge problems in her way and STILL managed to turn out so terrific is just another reason to admire.

At the end of the day, Drew's involvement with any film, whether through acting or directing or producing, will guarantee my admission because she is a stamp of QUALITY. Look at that resume!! ET, Scream, Fever Pitch, He's Just Not That Into You, plus all the other movies mentioned in this post. Drew means amazingness. I will defend her honor to the day I die!!!

Being Psychic

This is what my new room in my new apartment is going to look like, exactly. What you can't see is the overstuffed club chair, the walk-in closet, the Samsung LED-based UNB8500 series TV, the vanity desk and the 10 foot full length mirror.