trick of the trade (vol. 4)

How to eat a cupcake. I have been meaning to do this post for a while. Lucky for you, Laura brought  cupcakes into the office today. So here we go, get ready for this!

Step 1: Start with your beautiful basic cupcake.

 

Step 2. Carefully cut off the top of the cupcake with your fingers.

Step 3. Take the bottom half and put it on top to make a cupcake sandwich.

Step 4. Squeeze gently and wa-la! Look at that. Perfect for eating. I am telling you, it will change your eating experience!

running fatigue.

Ben and I started running in the mornings this week. We figure that a lot of nights we get tied up doing other things and can't fit a run in. And, it is cooler in the mornings. The mornings have been beautiful. It is good quality time (even if I can't talk during most of it), and yes, we feel really good about it for the rest of the day. With that said though, I have a love-hate relationship with running. And this morning was a rough one. I was frustrated. Even when we were running around the Washington Monument in the morning light, I was frustrated. So, my new plan is to get back to mapping our runs and timing them so I can track the progress. I'm very goal oriented. I also might have to buy myself some new running shoes!

 

Oh yeah...and we saw Chuck Todd this morning. It was a nice moment in front of the White House. Running by, Ben gave him the thumbs up and we both gave him a "hey chuck" greeting. He smiled and waved. We turned on Morning Joe when we got back. And then we watched Chuck on the White House Lawn. Good times!

stella fix.

Jordan sent me these pictures of Stella yesterday. And, if you're like me, you need a little fix of Stella every couple days to warm your heart and feel the love. Put simply, Stella makes me smile. I just love her and want to give her hugs and play with her....

mad style.

Madewell has been working hard of late. While walking around in New York last week, we popped into the store in Soho. Man oh man, there was some good stuff going on in there. These are fresh picks from the new arrivals on the website this week...take a look for yourself!

midi shorts

caravan mailbag

kamoi kakoshi tape

Pattern Notebook

Han Kjobenhavn Sunglasses

kreeger.

Ben's dad kept asking me and Ben about and recommending the Kreeger Museum this weekend. Neither of us had heard of it. But, I read up on it yesterday and based on the reviews and the website, definitely planning to check it out at some point soon. It is by reservation only and tucked over on Fox Hall Road but apparently, if nothing else, the sculpture garden and building are worth the visit. Having just been reminded of how great the MOMA and MET and just New York in general is, this is nice to at least have hope for some good art around.

jugged.

Loving these Recycled-Glass Jugs from West Elm...

tree talk.

While on our walk with Timmy in the Rockefeller State Park Preserve on Sunday, he mentioned that he and his girlfriend, Amanda, were walking last week on the same trail and debated whether trees talk to each other. What do you think?!

He pointed out two trees that he said were evidence that they do. The trees had grown straight up in the air with just a little bit of space between them. Their roots were clearly intertwined. I loved the thought of it. They must have some form of communication, right?!

(photo taken from pinterest - source unknown)

the long weekend.

The last couple days in New York have been full of engagement festivities for Ben's brother, Adam, and soon to be sister-in-law, Christina! They got in late Friday night. On Saturday, we went out to dinner in Briarcliff for a celebratory dinner at the Hudson at Haymount House Restaurant. The restaurant just opened recently and Ben's dad had seen a mention of it in the NYTimes. I felt like I was in Georgia or somewhere in the South walking up to it....

The inside was recently renovated and the food was great. 

I didn't take a lot of pictures of the food since it was a classy joint and we weren't there to document the food...

We were dominated by rain a lot of the week (which meant a lot of stress in anticipation for the engagement party on Sunday and predicted rain), but Ben did take me by one of the best views of the Hudson in his neighborhood!

We also went for a run every day in the Rockefeller State Park Preserve. A couple of which were with Ben's dad which was great because he knows the different trails and runs. And, we woke up early Saturday morning to take a walk with Timmy and his dog, Dodger. 

Finally, on Sunday, Ben's parents threw an engagement party in the backyard. Ben's Mom lined up picnic tables for one long table. Most importantly, the rain held off and it was a beautiful night. 

Unfortunately, all good things do come to an end. We flew back to DC this afternoon. The temperature when we landed was 90 and the index said it felt like 108 degrees. Summer has officially arrived. But, we did have this gorgeous view of the Mall to welcome us back to the District!

Hope everyone had a great Memorial Day Weekend. 

round two.

We ventured back into the city with Ben's parents on Thursday. It was round two. We drove in with Ben's dad. The whole way in I was thinking what a luxury it was to be driving around the city with the backseat vantage point. The only time I get to do that is occasionally in a cab jumping between places, but the drive was so comfortable and perfect for watching the city pass by. 

Once in, we stopped for a quick lunch and then we headed over to the MET. The idea was to see that Tomas Saraceno exhibit on the roof like I mentioned last week. Yeah, well, that unfortunately didn't happen. It was raining buckets all day yesterday and they had closed it for obvious reasons. The good news? Ben's dad insisted on walking us through the MET to the Steins Collect exhibit. 

It was fascinating. Amazing. And, totally absorbing. The exhibit was filled with art that the Stein family collected, including and especially the likes of Matisse and Picasso long before they were household names. Room by room, it was like watching and seeing the narrative not just of the Steins and why and how they collected the art but also the artists themselves. It was fantastic!

We then jumped in a cab to hop down to the MOMA. With 20 minutes until it closed, we rushed in to check out the Cindy Sherman exhibition. The nice men at the ticket counter let us go in for free.

The exhibit was full of photographs from over 30 years of Sherman "capturing herself in a range of guises and personas which are at turns amusing and disturbing, distasteful and affecting". It was quite an exhibition. It also made me miss the MOMA a lot.

And, who knew that the original Manolo Blahnik store is right across the street from the north side entrance?!

At this point, we were so close to Rockefeller Center that we walked over to check out the new Blue Bottle that just opened. Hannah's sister, Sarah, does the baking in Brooklyn and as you should know by now, Ben and I are big fans of Blue Bottle coffee.

We ended the tour de force with dinner at Resto. Bobby Sue's Nuts are in the bar there and so we thought we should check it out for dinner. The bar is a great space, fantastic outdoor patio, and go for the burger and beer list!

And fin. Now you should understand why I fell asleep in the car on the way home!

door.

Speaking of beautiful decay, here is a picture of the Barrio Chino bathroom door. Loved it!

wednesday.

We have been on the run in New York since we got in on Tuesday night. Last night I was so exhausted I fell asleep in the car (with Ben's parents) on the way home from dinner. I only have time to tell you about Wednesday right now, that is just how much we have packed in! 

Tuesday night, Ben's Mom fixed this ravioli below...and how great are those bowls?!

Wednesday morning, Ben and I went in to get our teeth cleaned in his Dad's office. Happy to tell, and I am sure you want to know, that I have extremely healthy gums and no cavities. Ben and I took the train into the city to spend the afternoon. We grabbed a very quick bite at BaoHaus (where Tomi had taken me before...see here). Two dollar pork buns that hit the spot. And, look at their bathroom mirror!

 From there, we swung through Union Square. We both loved this new sculpture. It is so cool!

We are on the hunt for some new jeans for Ben. We happened to stop into a True Religion store. No jeans for Ben, but I did find this fantastic jean jacket. Love it...but absurd price-tag. We left.

We got to Fish's Eddy which was our first intended stop. I bought some more glass tupperware containers. The same ones I bought last year. I also picked up some of those 90 cent silverware since I only have 5 forks at the moment. I have always loved Fish's Eddy. Thankfully, I was restrained in my buying since I don't have room to take it back to DC in my bags.

We decided to mosy on downtown. We walked down through Washington Square Park. Continued south through a little bit of Soho. I loved this building and view down the street.

We walked east through a corner of Chinatown. Cut through the top of Little Italy. And, finally got to Barrio Chino. We were meeting friends for dinner and got there early to put our names in and have a drink date. We had both been here a couple years ago and needed a solid place for dinner...

It is small (8 tables) and charming. Grapefruit margarita was had....

We had a great dinner with Timmy, Amanda, Meg and Kris. No pictures, but onwards. We wrapped up and went up to the big event, Brad in concert at the Gramercy Theatre.

It was a great show. There were a number of songs I had not heard and am planning on downloading (I will fill you in on this more!). The venue was intimate but the crowd was a good size. Nothing better than some live music.

on the roof.

Ben and I are headed up to NY tonight! Some good things on the agenda...more on that soon. But among other things, we are hoping to go into the city one afternoon with Ben's parents and we have talked about going to the MET for this Tomas Saraceno exhibit on the roof. Looks amazing, right? Here's hoping for good weather!

gifted.

Remember this post with the great necklace from Etsy?! Well, Erin and Josh got it for me as a graduation gift! I love it. Been wearing it all day. And, I can now fully endorse it, it is beautiful in person too!

I'll update soon on Ben's graduation and job gifts that he gave me. I already knew he was amazing and this is just more proof of it!

hooked.

Ben and I started watching Homeland last week. Have you seen it? Amazing. I am totally hooked. I think a little more than Ben. He would second this strong endorsement, but I am the one suggesting that we watch it at every opportunity. It is so good! I have always liked Claire Danes and I am so far impressed by her. She takes on an interesting character. The storyline just keeps getting better. Mind you, we are only 4 episodes in. Go watch it and then report back so we can talk about it!

graduated!

I graduated! That is my excuse for my lack of posting over the last week. Hope you understand.

The good news is that life is about to calm back down and I will be back to the regular routine sooner than you know it! The last week has been crazy to say the least. In addition to graduation festivities and the thrill of having Ben back in town, life has also been busy with BBQs, a rooftop party, Homeland watching, career making decisions, and more.

I have more specifics to tell you, but for right now..how great is this picture of my brother and niece. Oh my Stella!