Choker-Style Necklaces

Remember how I used to love long necklaces?

Well don't fret, I still DO! It's just that my mind has been opened considerably in the last couple of years. I've become a fan of gold, and Club Monaco, and shorter necklaces- which brings me to my latest purchase, this three tiered thing from Club Monaco that I'm absolutely besides myself over. It goes well with casual chambray but also with fancy Equipment shirts. It adds a bit of pizzazz even on the most lackluster of days and I've already received quite a few compliments on it. Huzzah!

I'm STILL PASSIONATE about things!

I'm just older, and ... wiser? Maybe. I still live in New York and wouldn't classify myself as a "recent" NYU Grad anymore. But like Elaine Stritch, I'm still here, and I wanna update with my new passions. Yay!

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!)