{Food For Thought Tuesday: Farm-To-Table Restaurants}

It's back by popular demand - Food For Thought Tuesdays, and today's topic is "farm-to-table" restaurants. I must admit that I have not stayed faithful to my journey of a healthy lifestyle and body since my move to NYC and I can blame that on many things - adjusting to a new city, wanting to try all the restaurants this city has to offer, lots of eating out to experience the city and to socialize...and while I haven't gained any weight (probably has a lot to do with all the walking) I haven't lost nearly what I thought I would have in my first month. While I know we will continue to eat out, we are trying to be more conscience of the restaurants we visit. Right here in our neighborhood we have several farm-to-table restaurants that we have frequented. What is farm-to-table you ask? Farm-to-table means that the food that is on the table came from a specific local farm or CSA. Getting food straight from the farmer cuts out the middleman – like packagers, processing plants and commercial vendor - and assures consumers that their fare is fresh, nutritious and locally produced; something worth paying a little extra for.

For those that are in the NYC area, or plan to visit in the near future - below are a few of my highly recommended farm-to-table restaurants in the city - I promise you will love them:

1. Westville - 246 W18th St., 212-924-2223
2. Home - 20 Cornelia St., 212-243-9579
3. Blue Hill - 75 Washington Pl., 212-539-1776
4. Mas - 39 Downing St., 212-255-1790

Just a little food for thought...

{A Glimpse Of The Weekend}

Morning Peeps! Hope everyone enjoyed their weekends. The one thing about having a jam packed fabulous weekend is that it literally flies by before you know it, it's Monday morning and back to the grind. Before starting the hustle and bustle - here's a glimpse of my weekend:

We went to the Brooklyn Flea Market and I fell in love with this lamp. I looked at it, walked around, looked at it some more - but couldn't hand over the $200 they were asking for it.   Strolling the streets of Brooklyn and admiring the lovely Brownstones.  One of the luxuries that I indulge in is getting my laundry washed and folded for me. Me and my sister just adore the owner, and we love getting our clothes delivered in this cute little bag.   Yesterday we decided to spend the day at the beach. The weather was perfect!!! We packed a lunch, and got on the train to Long Island beach to soak up the sun...and start reading Fifty Shades Darker. Ahh.....Christian Grey is back in my life...  And back to the grind...enjoy your week loves!

{TGIF Peeps}

This is me jumping up and down - up and down - and up and down outside my apartment because it's the freakin weekend! I've had one chaotic week and the moment I get a few things done at work, I'm busting out those doors and heading to the nail salon to get a much needed mani/pedi. These streets of New York can tear up your feet, and mine are living proof.

After a little pampering, I plan to be outside enjoying the amazing weather we are going to have this weekend - I foresee a little shopping, a trip to Mood, drinks and dinner outside, and then on Sunday a day trip to the beach for some much needed relaxation. I totally live for the weekends...

- This home tour of Crystal Gentilello, co-founder of Rue Magazine, is all kinds of fabulous. Full of all sorts of ideas for my apartment!

- The sandals above in my picture are from Target, and I love love love them - very comfortable and I can wear around the city!

- Painted shelved DIY, along with styling tips - too cute...

- DIY drink umbrellas - now all I need is blue water, white sand, and oh yea and nice fruity drink!

- Blushington - what a cute name and store...jealous!

Enjoy your weekend Peeps!

{Spicy Dill Pickle Chips = Snack-tastic!}

While shopping around Chelsea Market over the weekend, we found these amazing spicy dill pickle chips made by McClure's and I immediately became 100% addicted. Being the pickle lover that I am, it took everything in me not to bring a big bag home - instead I showed a little control and shared a small bag with my mom and sisters. While catching up on all my fave bloggers last night, I noticed that Joy from Oh Joy! also considers these chips to be a current obsession... and like her, if you like tangy, vinegary flavors {or simply if you're pregnant}, you gotta try em - but be careful, you won't be able to have just one...

{The Panama Hat Obsession}

Over the weekend we did A LOT of shopping and for a change I had a LOT of success! I'll be sharing all that I purchased over the next several days, but today is one of my favorite purchases. As I'm in the process of growing out my hair, and with the ridiculous heat outside, a hat is exactly what I need. You know I purchased my Yankee hat over the weekend, but I also purchased this Panama hat over at J.Crew and a I love it!

{In Need of a Vacation...From My Vacation}

Whoa - what a fantastic weekend, but what an exhausting weekend!! I so enjoyed my mom and aunt being here - and getting to show them (even with the heat) why I love this city so much. There were lots of laughs, lots of great food, lots of drinks, LOTS of walking, and LOTS of sweating. There is nothing relaxing about being tourist in New York City - and while I knew it would be go go go for 4 days - I'm in need of a vacation, lol....like white sand, blue water, cabana boy, fruity drinks....who's in??

Here are just a few pics from the weekend {check out the rest on Instagram}:

Hands down the best thing we did over the weekend was go on a booze cruise tour of the city and The Statue of Liberty. Isn't the Brooklyn Bridge beautiful? Me and mom at The World Trade Center Park. Very beautiful and ironically peaceful. For my Clevelanders - don't worry, I'm still an Indians fan but I just had to buy it... I have 6 words for you - The Lobster Place, Chelsea Market, AH-MAZING!!!   Meet my mom, sister (and roommate), crazy aunt, and soon to be brother-in-law {he was such a trooper, my other sister Kendra (his fiance) wasn't able to come because she had to work - so he came along with us. We had a blast - and each one of us got completely plastered - not on purpose, it just happened....and we'll have memories forever because of it.

{TGIF Early Peeps!!!}

Happy Early Weekend Peeps!!! As of 12:00 noon today, I'm leaving work for a fun-filled weekend here in New York with my mom and aunt. Their flight lands around 12:30 and the moment they hit the concrete, me and my sisters have a full intinerary planned for them. We're doing Time Square, walking the Brooklyn Bridge, taking a boat tour, visiting the World Trade Center Park, going on a bus tour, Rockafeller Center, Chelsea Market, West Village, Central Park....and of course lots of shopping and good eats. I'm really looking forward to having visitors here to show off this fabulous city....there will be a flood of pics posted on Instagram for sure!
Instead of doing my usual weekly links, I'm going to give you a few tips of how not to look like a tourist in New York City - check it:

1. Don't stare. Even if a woman wearing a tiger costume sits down next to you on the subway (which happened to me once), or you see a woman cursing the heck out of a fire hydrant because it bumped into her (yep seen this too), act like nothing out of the ordinary is happening. Seasoned New Yorkers are always unfazed.

 2. Tourists always get overwhelmed when swiping their metro card. The last time my mom was here, she couldn't get the hang of it and we had to wait 15 minutes for her card to reset. There's a lot of fumbling. Just be cool (mom)--get your card out while walking down the stairs (mom), make sure the black strip is facing inward (mom), and swipe it like a credit card (got it mom?). LOL!!!

3. New Yorkers imagine that there's an invisible line down the middle if the sidewalk, and that to keep the flow going, you keep to the RIGHT. New Yorkers also walk at a brisk pace, and if you don't, get the hell out of the way or you'll get ran over.

 4. New Yorkers fold their pizza. While I haven't had a slice of New York pizza yet, I know that when I get some this weekend to definitely fold it.

 5. One thing tourists have on us: They look up! They noticed the grandness of the city. The skyscrapers! The churches! The bridges! If you want to look like a New Yorker, look down and keep moving. But you'll miss out.

I'm very much looking forward to being a tourist in my own city this weekend. I'll see you over on Instagram until Monday!!

{Shoes In The City}

My main source of transportation here in the city are my feet. I literally walk everywhere, and by now I thought my feet would be used to the nonstop stomping on concrete, but I'm not there yet and need to pamper them with some fabulous shoes. I received an email from a lovely reader the other day and she mentioned that she is having the same issues as me - just moved to a big city, walking everywhere, in need of cute and comfy shoes - so over the last few days I've been searching high and low for the perfect shoes and this is what I've found...

{Shop it: Cole Haan Wedge | TOMS | Strappy Sandals | Peep Toe Booties | Leather Flats | Flip Flops} 

1st on the list...the leather flats and the Cole Haan wedges. Do you have any comfortable shoes that you think would work well in the city?

{Welcome To My Crib}

So today I'm going to make good on my promise and show a few pictures of the pictures. There is still a lot of fine tuning needed (lighting, artwork, etc) but for a month in, here we go:
We decided to add a little color to the walls, and painted the kitchen this almost aqua color. We really like it as it definitely adds the punch we were looking for.  Finally we have a storage unit. We purchased an Expedit from IKEA, turned it on it's side, built in some cabinets to hide all of the boots and misc stuff that we can't seem to find a place for, and it works.  Here's the bathroom - blah - definitely needs some pizzazz...in time. On the right side of the toilet is a pedestal sink, and behind the little wall and striped curtain is obviously the tub {with the most amazing water pressure} My bedroom! I'm liking how it's coming together....  My window that looks out to a lovely flower garden... Pleated shear curtains that I just bought on Friday - that add a little elegance to the room... My necklace holder that my dad purchased for me - love it! Loving the pattern mixing I have going on in the room...one step in the apartment and you will quickly realize my obsession with stripes... My sisters room - it's definitely a taste of New York glam - don't you love this skyline picture! Just a touch of my sisters bling, she has soooooooooooo much more, it's like a sickness, lol!

So what do you think? We definitely have a ways to go....but it's coming along right?

{TGIF Peeps!}

Happy Weekend Loves! Would you believe that yet again, me and my sisters are back to IKEA this weekend? So long story short - we purchased a "TV cabinet" last weekend for our living room (which was actually a dresser), lugged it all the way home, spent 3.5 hours putting it together, all to find out that our sofa bed wouldn't fully pull out because of the "cabinet". Out of pure frusturation, we both went to bed and decided the following morning that we had to sell it on Craigslist because there was NO WAY on God's green earth we were taking that thing back to IKEA. 

Lucky us we sold it at full price and now, again, we are back to IKEA for a much better and practical option. I promise promise promise to post pics - promise. While the apartment won't be perfect, we're trying to get it as presentable as possible because my mom and aunt are coming to visit on Thursday for a long weekend in the city. Other than getting the house together (I've been saying that for a month now, huh?), and our itinerary planned for next weekend, I hope to get out and have some fun in the city. We're honestly sick and tired of trying to perfect this apartment - we need a b-r-e-a-k! So what's on your weekend plans? Is it ridiculously hot where you are, like it is here in NYC?

 
- Apple cider pancakes - oh mannnn.... while I would love to say that I'm going to make these this weekend, I can't splurge the calories.

- I've decided to grow out my hair and this is the exact cut that I want. I'm hoping by Decemeber. You like?

- Riesling Strawberry Slushies - looks refreshing...and simple to make

- I need one of each of these sandals...

Enjoy your weekend Peeps!

{Has She Fallen Off The Face Of The Earth?}

Hey Peeps! Sorry for the lack of posts this week. I'm trying to figure out this new photoshop on my computer, and I'm failing miserably. So bare with me as we I try and learn via YouTube - and until then, here's a little update...

Life in NYC has been great and again I learn new lessons everyday. Want to hear a few more? Ok, here we go:

1. NYC is extremely pet friendly, but their grooming prices are not. I paid a freakin $98 to get Addison cut on Sunday, can you believe that? Oh, I was heated and vowed that moving forward, no more cute little grooming shops within walking distance of my apartment....off to PetsMart we go. $98....hmph.

2. I just watched "Shit New Yorkers Say" and realized that while I've only been here a little over 3 weeks, I've already said "Ugh... tourists" and "Where's the train?" and "oh yea, I've read that in Time Out". Guess I'm fitting right in...

3. Speaking of Time Out - it's like a weekly bible of knowing what's going on in the city. I get excited every week to see the magazine sitting in the mailbox. My mom and aunt are coming to visit next week, so me and my sisters are using the mag to plan the itinerary for the weekend. Can't wait!

4. While in the cab the other day, the driver gave me some great advice about living in NYC, he said "be patient - and tough" - I smiled, said thank you that was wonderful advice, and gave him a very nice tip.

5. People complain that New Yorkers are rude, which I've learned is not true. New Yorkers are just busy, and they cannot tolerate dawdling. And that's a challenge, because the city is a choose-your-own-adventure game of constant decisions: cab or subway? subway or walk? tall or grande? Which do you want? Answer now!

6. I know I've said this already, but light clothing due to the heat is a must must must. I purchased the items from Anthropologie that I posted last week, but am in need of so much more. Typically I wouldn't think a sweater would be practical, but stumbling upon these lovely handmade sweaters {made by Etsy artist The Knit Kid}, I'm wondering if I could pull it off....they seem fairly light right?

A tad pricey, but I really love them and feel because they are handmade, splurging on one could be worth it...