Floral Blouse

Wouldn't this blouse be perfect for bellini and crab benedict brunches? Find it at Piperlime.

Discovered at Dose of Divine.

WeWood Jupiter Watch

Made from 100% natural wood, this handsome way to tell time is calling to me. To boot, WeWood plants a tree for every watch purchased. Find it at ThinkGeek.

You may also like this.

Snow White And The Huntsman-Rare Beauty Kit

benefit San Francisco has assembled a five-piece beauty kit which promises to deliver "the fairest look of the land". I'm curious, and admittedly, a wee bit excited for the film to come out.

Purchase at Sephora.

Check out the trailer...

Xiao Sa

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Have you seen the story of the amazing homeless dog that latched onto a group of Chinese bicyclists? Named Xiao Sa, the little guy ran along side his new 'pack' for 1100 miles to Tibet.

Read the full story at MSNBC.

Stately Sandwiches

Crafting sandwiches for my husband's lunch is one of favorite my post-work activities. I log onto Hulu, watch something he doesn't enjoy (ie: Bachelorette or anything on Bravo), slice, stack and spread. It's simple and relaxing. I'm digging these Stately sandwiches photos! View more here.

Dexter's Victim's

I'm waiting (with baited breath) for the next season of Dexter to come out on DVD. I tend to steam roll through the episodes in a marathon. Check out this clever infographic poster of Dexter's kills by Shahed Syed. (Navigate to his webpage for further info/purchase).

You may also remember these blood spatter coasters....

Jaguar Vintage

Do you watch MadMen? The episode this past Sunday focused on the team winning an account with Jaguar. Aren't these vintage ads fascinating? Check out the historical facts on Gothamist's recap.

Colored Flame Birthday Candles

Being an April Fools babe,  I grew up with those candles that do not blow out, no matter how hard you huff and puff. I would have much rather had these colored flame candles! Alas, those trick candles were character building:) If you're not looking to build character, purchase these at the MoMa Store.

Mussels

While planning the dinners I would prepare for this week, I stumbled across Prince Edward Island Mussels on Fresh Direct's site. The thought of preparing shell fish makes me a wee bit nervous, but I decided to give it a go.

...and it was a smashing success!

Menu:

2lbs Mussels (live and rinsed)

1 Cup White Wine

4 shoots scallion, chopped

3 tbsp unsalted butter

5 leaves sage

1 tbsp garlic, chopped

Method:

Brown sage, butter, garlic

Add mussels, wine, toss and cover for ten minutes.

Sides:

Bruschetta:

Six thin slices of  whole wheat baguette

Painted with extra virgin olive oil and top with chopped byzantine olives and  ripe tomatoes. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

Green beans w/ Chorizo

1/2 lb fresh green beans, ends cut off

3 chorizo sausages, sliced

1 tsp cayenne

Saute covered on medium heat for 12 minutes, or until green beans are tender.

The mussels were too much for two (and Pug), but I would love to have a few friends over and prepare them again!

a dinner at Blue Smoke- Battery Park

My sweet husband suggested a date-night last Saturday. We went to see Chernobyl Diaries (Super scary! I was jumping and grabbing at Chris the whole time!) and decided on Blue Smoke for dinner.

Modeled after the flagship in Gramercy, the wide open dining room boasts dark walls, stacked wood and the warm scent of pit BBQ. As well, there is a glass case of tempting classic Southern bakery items.

We managed to snag two seats at the bar as another couple were leaving. I sipped on blood orange margaritas, which were sweet and refreshing, Chris opted for a beer. Sadly, they were out of the Brooklyn Brewery custom Blue Smoke ale.

For our first course, we enjoyed the grilled oysters with spinach and bread crumbs on a bed of rock sea salt.

For our mains, we went with the Real Pit BBQ rib sampler: two Memphis, two Kansas city and one Texas, which come piled up and with a side of tart and refreshing pickles. We were licking our fingers the whole way through these delicious varieties.

I'm a stickler for veggies, which cajoled me into ordering the grilled asparagus with frisee, pickled spring onions, Kentucky country ham and smoked lemon vinaigrette. I must admit, I've been thinking about this meal since we walked home on Saturday night! If we hadn't had two days of fish delivered from Fresh Direct, I would have asked him to go back Sunday and probably Monday too :)

a lunch at Sushi Samba 7- West Village

Noted for its Sex in the City hey days, I've been meaning to check out the Latin-Japanese fusion menu at Sushi Samba 7 since an old colleague expressed a deep love for the the River Crabs. We decided to take in the cloud-free sky and hot afternoon by walking there from our Financial District apartment.

The vibrant walls house various hues of orange and green squares, walls open to the streets and diligently focused folks slicing fish and fresh citrus fruit. Trendy music laced the air with just enough air conditoning to neutralize the humidity outside.

I sipped on a Lychee-elderflower-prosecco cocktail, garnished with a fuschia orchid, my husband dove into a flight of sakes.

We decided to order a handful of small dishes to allow us to sample the menu. To begin,  selected the seared Waygu beef dressed with warm honshimeji mushrooms, ponzu gelee and truffled tofu crema. It should come as no surprise that this is truly an excellent plate. Light and well-matched flavors collaborated well. My husband was tempted to order a second!

Moments after the Waygu arrived, our River Crabs were presented- claws up ready for attack! The bartender took in my husband's precarious expression and offered, "Pop them like pop corn!"

The flash-fried little buggers are dressed with sea salt and a caramelized lemon for squeezing over top. Crunchy and delicious, they are a must.

For our third plate, we requested the tasting of four sashimi seviches: Yellowtail (ginger, garlic, soy), Salmon (arugula, jalapeno, orange, aji amarillo), Tuna (grapefruit, serrano, cilantro, coconut) and Shrimp (passionfruit, cucumber, cilantro). I must speak the freshness- all of the varieties were impeccable. I would have to say that I favored the Tuna for the marinade, and the jalapenos in the salmon.

If we were to return, I'd head to the roof top!

A Slinky on a treadmill

I admit it may be the Mimosas at brunch- but there is something oddly mesmerizing about this Slinky-treadmill situation.

Btw...isn't treadmill the most terrible word?

Vote Obama.

Caption:
In the photo that has hung in the West Wing for three years, President Obama looks to be bowing to 5-year-old Jacob Philadelphia, his arm raised to touch the president’s hair — to see if it feels like his.


...New York Times

United States Book Shelf

Designed by Ron Arad, this shelf is only missing Alaska and Hawaii off to the side. Check it out at Materialicious.

Silk Multi Stripe Silk Cami Dress

I've been discussing Veuve Clicquot Polo Classsic dress and hat options with a gal pal for the last three weeks or so. I couldn't help but share this pretty silk multi stripe dress. It's a beautiful balance of feminine-chic and sporty.

Find it: Boutique 1

Sea Adventures Necklaces

The flirtation of summer approaching (will it ever come to Manhattan? What's with this weather?) shifts me into a Nautical mode. I'm digging these Sea Adventures necklaces. Which one would you choose? I'm leaning towards the sailboat.

Purchase at AlinaandT

New York City in 1922

As my excitement continues to grow for The Great Gatsy to arrive in theatres,  I thought I would share some images of New York City in 1922. View more at Gothamist.

Great Gatsby

I must have read the Great Gatsby a half dozen times. Now it's time to raise a glass of bubbly...the trailer.

New York City Skyline Necklace

If you want to feel too cool for school, I'd suggest springing for this New York City skyline necklace.

Snash Jewelry, via etsy.

Cooking with bourbon

I decided to get a jump on this evening's dinner by prepping the chicken last night. I wasn't really sure what I was doing, but decided to rally over the fridge and spice cabinet to throw together a marinade.

Light bulb: bourbon.

Depending on how well this turns out, I may need to invest in Schmid's Kentucky Bourbon Cook Book for guided recipes. (Wishlisted!)

Things I had and added:
1 lb Chicken Breast tenders
3 large chorizo sausages (sliced)
1 lemon (thinly sliced)
1 lime (thinly sliced)
2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp coarse ground mustard
1 tsp coarse freshly cracked pepper.
1 tsp Hungarian Paprika
1 tbsp Louisiana hot sauce
1 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp capers
3 Crimini mushrooms thinly sliced
1 large scallion
***1 shot Kentucky bourbon***



I plan to bake at 350- covered.

Lori Bracelet

Crafted from Zebra wood, this pretty bracelet sits on the cusp of nature and this season's color block trend. Swoon! Purchase from designer Brian Everett at his right here.

Pick Your Nose

I recently picked several noses for our next party. How much fun are these?! I'm looking forward to hosting our next get-to-together :) Via Perpetual Kid.

Alex Creamer

Because your spaghetti should come packaged in the shape of the New York City skyline big cats- the Crystler and Empire State buildings. View more from Alex Creamer here.

a brunch at Ponty Bistro

Weekend brunches are essential to our routine. We tend to hang in our neighborhood, but enjoy exploring new spots. This past Sunday, we hopped on the subway over to Gramercy, for Ponty Bistro's prix-fixe brunch.

The French-West African venue hosts a modest interior with windows open to the sidewalk. A guitarist quietly performed Jeff Buckley songs on repeat in the corner. A few young women were enamored with this.

We sipped unlimited bloody mary cocktails, which were light in flavor and generously spiced with cracked peppercorns.

The menu is quite extensive for a brunch prix-fixe with classics such as steak and eggs, and twists on French toast. For our plates, Chris chose the salmon Benedict, for myself, the lobster Benedict. The lobster was a bit overcooked, and a mistake. The hollandaise sauce was decent and flecked with more of those generously added peppercorns. I should have gone with something more classic. Lobster  is meant to be steamed and served more simply. However, we did find the meal to be satisfying and the service quite good.

I am curious to try their escargot with garlic butter and cognac and coconut milk doused mussels, which sound tasty and lovingly prepared on their website. Check out the menu, it's  affordable and thoughtfully crafted.

Summer Watch

I'm completely enamored with this watch! How perfect is it for this season's trend and many summers to come?!

....Pinterest.

Pineapple Earrings

My Mum's mum had a thing for pineapples. She had kitchen towels, cross stiches, a serving platter...she definitely needed these earrings from Juicy Couture. I  would love a pair for myself! Purchase at Piperlime...I did recently get a 20% off card in the mail. Free shipping to boot!

Cashmere meets Lobster

Summer nights can get chilly down by the water. You'll probably need this beach-chic Lobster print cashmere sweater! Your Sperry Topsliders will thank you. Find it at Tuckernuck.

Lited Ice Cubes

Sadly, these glowing 'ice cubes' will not actually keep your beverage chilled, but you will look pretty dang cool with a glowing cocktail!  Purchase at Sparklers.

Pickle Bottle Stopper

I can't decide if I'm amused or grossed out by this pickle bottle stopper. At the minimum, it would make a great white elephant gift? Find it at Urban Outfitters.

Ania Wawrzkowicz Photography

As a conisseur of things organized neatly, I'm magnetically draw to Polish photographer Ania Wawrzkowicz portfolio. Check out her albums here.