The weekend is here!

My darling readers, I'm off! As I talked about yesterday, this weekend marks the first of seven weddings that I have this year. My friend Lucy is getting hitched in Fort Lauderdale, and I can't wait to celebrate (and soak up the sun). Any fun plans for the next couple of days off? Wishing each of you a lovely weekend ahead. Here, to get it started right, a few happy posts from around the web:

Don in the morning.

Ode to Paris.

My new floppy hat.

Deep dive.

The lovely, the beautiful Meryl.

Easter fools.

Slow motion ballet.

A Madewell spring.

The terrible twos.

Downton dogs. 

(Image via The Senses Five)

My Best Friends' Weddings

A short post about something I mentioned last week — this year, I am thrilled to be attending a total of seven weddings. It's a record high for me, but 'tis the season I guess! And truth be told, I'm looking forward to every single one. Almost all will serve as mini-vacations. The destinations range from Maine to Connecticut, Ireland to New York. The first wedding takes place this weekend — in Fort Lauderdale! My beach bags (and new bathing suit) are packed.

All these upcoming celebrations got me thinking — what is your favorite wedding movie of all time? Mine include Wedding Crashers, My Best Friend's Wedding, Father of the Bride, and Bridesmaids. I'd love to hear your picks!

And don't be surprised if you start to see more wedding-related content on my blog. A girl needs input about what to wear, gifts to bring, and destination advice, too. :) 

(Image 1, 2, 3 and 4)

Happy 60th Birthday Dad!

A birthday toast to my dad — today he turns the big 6-0! Definitely a milestone birthday, and a very big deal. We celebrated this past weekend with a very successful surprise party, where plenty of pics taken over the years were shared. Here, I wanted to share a couple of photos from my first trip to NYC as a family. The first shot is of my dad and I at the Statue of Liberty; the second is with my sister, too, at Rockefeller Center. I have so many memories from this trip. :)

Happy Birthday, Dad! 

PS—More memories from this trip.

Sweet treats

 

Last week, I blogged about starting a letter chain with friends. Oh, the delight of getting snail mail! :) This week, I'm taking it a step further after learning about Biscuiteers, a charming bakery in London that, with just a click, enables you to send one-of-a-kind "pressies" to your friends. Choose from an extensive array of occasions to toast— the Queen's Jubilee, the one-year anniversary of the Royal Wedding or, my personal favorite, a trip to Paris. From there, you can select the day you want your package of sugary confections delivered, and that's it!

The best part? I checked—international delivery is available from Biscuiteers. But if you need a state-side option, I fully recommend these two bakeries here and here.

(Images via Biscuiteers and A Girl, A Style) 

Cooking Page: How Easy Is That?

I'll admit: when it comes to cooking, I'm not the best chef. That said, I've made a 2012 commitment to showing noticeable improvement in my culinary skills. :) My secret weapon? The help of my friend Shalah, who is a natural in the kitchen. Instead of splurging on high-cost cooking lessons, we have created a girl's night where we choose a new recipe, one of us grabs the groceries, the other picks up a bottle of wine, and we get to work! I'm amazed at how much I have to learn. (If you don't believe me, ask about my lemon zesting technique for the recipe above.)

For our first dish, we made Ina Garten's lemon chicken from her Barefoot Contessa: How Easy is That? cookbook. It was delicious! As side dishes, we made roasted brussels sprouts and potatoes. This week, we're at it again with plans to attempt our own version of chicken parmesan. Details (and hopefully pics) to come!

Who taught you how to cook? Do you have any tried and true tips that every cook should know?

PS—I just picked up Gwyneth Paltrow's cookbook — there are so many great recipes that I can't wait to try!

(Image 1, 2, 3, and 4)

The weekend is here!

Happy weekend, my dear readers! This week flew by. What are your Saturday-Sunday plans? As the photo indicates above, I'm skipping town — off to Boston to celebrate my dad's 60th birthday. Such a milestone occasion! It's a quick trip, but I can't wait. Another exciting part of the weekend? The season 5 premiere of Mad Men. Finally! :) Here, to get your weekend started right, a few happy posts from around the web:

A sip, a snack.

City prints.

Colorful method.

Life as a cloud.

You are sweet.

For the next sunny day.

Notes from Mia Nolting.

Pantone produce.

A visit to NY.

A subtle pop of color.

Travel bag.

(Image via Note to Self)

Summer Page: New York Picnic

A toast to spring! What better way to celebrate than with a picnic outdoors. I confess — I discovered Perfect Picnic last year, but it was too late. The delightful, warm weather of summer had already gone by. But now that the sunshine (and high temps!) are starting to come back, Perfect Picnic is once again on my mind. The best part about it? They deliver to any location in Manhattan in an hour or less. Now comes the tough decision: do I picnic on the High Line or in Central Park?

PS—This extra something will add a little spark to your meal.

(Image 1, 2, 3 via From Me to You and Perfect Picnic)

Wallpaper accents at home

Are you partial to wallpaper or paint? Whenever I've moved apartments, I've opted to prime, paint and trim, but after seeing the perfectly wallpapered walls in the launch issue of Heart Home magazine, it's decided: I'm ready to switch things up. These photos in particular feature the home of the duo behind the British brand Mini Moderns. This couple definitely knows how to make wallpaper work! I'm obsessed — and plan to place an order from their site very soon. :)

(Images via Bright.Bazaar)

Snail mail

I'm so inspired by the creativity of Emma Robertson and her lovely blog. Recently, she invited six of her friends to participate in a snail mail extravaganza! The rules: each person has to mail something special to everyone else that's a part of the chain. In Emma's case, she's sending all six friends pretty paper, a hand-stamped story she wrote herself, a personal note, and more. What a clever idea, and an amazing tradition to start. There's nothing better than getting actual mail — what a great way to ensure that it happens more often.

What do you think? Would you be game to start a letter writing group with your friends?

For one-of-a-kind greeting cards, shop here and here.

(Image via Emma Dime)

Bonjour Paris!

I'm thrilled to report that my tickets are booked — this fall, I'm officially traveling to Paris. :) Even better, I'll be spending half a week in Ireland first to celebrate the wedding of two very dear friends. So, let the planning begin! And please, send me any and all recommendations. My list of things I want to do is growing by the day — I would love to hear your suggestions, too!

More Paris here, here, here, here and here.

PS-More about the seven weddings I have this year soon!

(Image via Pinterest)

The weekend is here!

Happy Friday my darling readers (and happy almost St. Patrick's Day, too)! What are you doing to celebrate the end of a week of (mostly) gorgeous weather in New York? I'm excited for the weekend: lots of birthday celebrations for friends, and I'm going to see The Taming of the Shrew, too. Are you a Shakespeare fan? I haven't seen this show since college so we'll see how it goes! Here, to get your weekend started right, a few posts from around the web:

An app for touring Paris!

36 hours spent pouring over this book.

Character study.

A hoot.

Travel notes.

St. Patrick's Day prep. (And St. Patty's in a box.)

Decorate your desk.

Gift-giving advice.

Weekend cocktail.

Peace of mind.

(Images 1, 2 via Wit & Delight)

Tulip wraps

Since spring is just around the corner, I have to ask: what is your favorite flower? I love tulips — red ones, yellow ones, purple ones, pink ones. They are so fragrant and pretty, don’t you think? :) And how gorgeous do they look wrapped up in brown paper? I love this idea from Tokketok to wrap a bouquet of fresh blooms with a message, or a painted-on design. Quite a clever way to personalize the next bouquet of flowers you give! 

(Images via Cargo Collective)

Pink Espadrilles and the Rainbow Hotel

Sure, daylight savings on Sunday was tough, but the warm, breezy weather this week is making the adjustment quite a bit easier to make. 70 degrees in New York?! I can't get enough. :) It's inspired me to take inventory of the spring/summer fashions that are ready to come out of my closet, and make some tough decisions about what I should keep or toss. 

One of my favorite items from summers gone by is a gorgeous pair of espadrilles that I bought while "window shopping" one day. But after years of wear and tear, the time has come to toss. I'm considering the replacement above — what do you think? Looks like I found the perfect place to wear them, too!

(Image 1 via Design Darling; Image 2 via A Cup of Jo)

SNL photo recap

I love the quirky humor behind these photos, each taken from the portfolio of longtime SNL photographer, Mary Ellen Matthews. Brian Williams will always be my favorite, but the creativity (and fun!) behind every single pose makes it clear why Matthews has been shooting portraits for the hit show for so many years. Browse through the rest of her portfolio here.

(Images via Jed Root)

City-themed wine totes

I love these city-themed wine totes from Maptote — don't you? What a great way to bring a piece of home with you to the next party you attend. Totes are available for several different regions including Napa, Sonoma, Manhattan, and LA, and there are loads of different color options, too. What a chic and clever hostess gift to have on hand!

(Images via Maptote)

The weekend is here!

My dear readers, happy Friday! What do you have planned for the weekend? I have big plans to see Friends With Kids tomorrow. What do you think? Is this a film you might see? It looks so funny and I love the cast! Here, to get your weekend started right, a few happy posts from around the web:

Birth date.

Say hello.

60s nostalgia, a la Audrey Hepburn.

Emerging artist.

Kitchen art.

Movie night. (Plus, what I'm renting next.)

Take me there.

(Almost) springtime brunch.

Brigitte Lacombe, behind-the-scenes.

The best advice. 

(Image via Note to Self)

Damsels in Distress

I'm saving the date now for the release of this Whit Stillman film — the first in fourteen years for the celebrated director and man behind Metropolitan, Barcelona, and The Last Days of Disco. Not only does Damsels in Distress look clever, it features a cast that I couldn't love more (Aubrey Plaza, Adam Brody, Greta Gerwig to name a few).

What do you think? Will you watch this film?

(Trailer via YouTube)

Sunshine yellow

The day I injected color into my mostly black wardrobe was a day that brought major change in my life (long, but good story). That's why I'm thrilled to see pops of colors — like sunshine yellow — everywhere this spring. I love the scenes above from fashion week in Milan. Each shot validates my latest purchase, this gorgeous, bright yellow dress from J. Crew.

Are you a fan of a colorful wardrobe? What color are you most looking forward to wearing come spring?

More color here.

(Images via A Lovely Being)

Ross and Rachel through the years

Longtime readers of my blog already know this — I'm a huge Friends fan. Last week, Jennifer Aniston achieved a major career milestone: a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. During an interview about her success, she talked about her most famous role — playing Rachel — and the fate of her character's marriage to Ross. "They're absolutely, 100 percent together," she said speaking about the current status of TV's most beloved couple, eight years since we last saw them. "They have more kids!" Read the rest of her interview about this (and a possible Friends movie) here.

Tell me — were you a Friends fan? What are your thoughts on a movie version of the show?

(Images via I'll Blog There For You and Bravo) 

Mast Brothers Chocolate Factory Tour

I'm not as obsessed with chocolate as my sister is, but that still didn't stop me from booking tickets for a behind-the-scenes tour of Mast Brothers Chocolate in Brooklyn over the weekend. Oh, the decadence! This only-in-New York brand produces American craft chocolate that is rich, flavorful, and melt-in-your-mouth good. I walked out the door with a Maine Sea Salt bar, but there were so many others — Black Truffle, Vanilla and Smoke, their very own Brooklyn Blend — that I was tempted to buy.

Garance Doré recently did an amazing post about the packaging for each bar — something worth checking out.

Have you tried this chocolate before? Better yet, have you been on the tour?

The weekend is here!

Happy weekend dear readers! Don't you just love the photo above? The gorgeous mantra — your soul is rooting for you — is so sweet, too. I'm excited about this weekend! Matt and I have reservations to check out Red Rooster in Harlem. Have you been? Some comfort food sounds perfect right about now. That said, the countdown to my 10K has begun — it's just about a month away! Here, to get your weekend started right, a few happy posts from around the web:

Create your own silent film.

Weekend tote.

A toast to Christopher.

With this ring.

Oh la la, Kate Spade. (Plus, the inspiration source.)

I heart yellow.

Broccoli's wacky relative.

Alison Pincus of One Kings Lane.

My look this week.

Midnight in Paris.

Custom fonts to love.

A multi-masking mama.

(Image 1, 2 via Pinterest)