{A Birthday Surprise...}

Whew - what a weekend! For those of you that follow me on Facebook and Instagram, you know that I  had a wonderful birthday. My baby sister flew in to surprise me on Thursday - she was sitting on the couch when I got home from work, with dinner cooking on the stove. My sisters have been planning the surprise for months and boy did we have a blast. We ate, drank, shopped, got our nails done, laughed, slept in....it was so much fun. It's rare to have all 4 of us together, so to spend my birthday together was more than I could ever ask for. Lucky me - I was spoiled with some amazing gifts and I thought I would share them with you in case you are looking for gift ideas, or simply want to get a little something for yourself...

Click and shop: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

{TGIF Peeps}

- I'm such a fan of Tracee Ellis Ross - and I'm loving her new blog that she just launched this week...
- This is my birthday suit for Saturday night - done and done.
- My camo pants will be delivered today. Yes I am walking all the way to my job, on my day off, to get them...
- 15 work wardrobe essentials - yep I'd agree...
- Maybe my sister packed this cake in her luggage and is going to surprise me on Monday with it???

Enjoy your weekend Peeps - I'll be back on Tuesday!

{What To Eat - What To Eat}

Living in New York City, I am pretty shocked when people tell me they have one “favorite” restaurant or eat at the same place every week. Inundated with a constant stream of new openings and enthusiastic recommendations, I doubt I’ll ever be able to reach the end of my edible NYC to-do list. With that, I have a list a mile long of restaurants that I want to try in the city. Some how, I've chosen four that I would like to try for my birthday dinner. All are amazing possibilities - I guess it will just come down to which one actually has a reservation available.

Co. {pronounced Company} is just a couple blocks away from my apartment - and I've heard nothing but amazing things about this restaurant. Supposedly they have some of the best pizza in the city - so this is definitely a contender for a trendy yet casual place to have dinner.

Frankies has two locations, one in Manhattan and the other in Brooklyn. I hear the Brooklyn location has this gorgeous back garden full of candlelight and ambiance. I've been told to try the meatballs and cavatelli with sausage and browned sage butter. I mean - really....

Po is located in the heart of the West Village and the reviews on this place alone make me want to push this option up to the top of my list. Unfortunately because I waited a little longer to decide where to go, I can't get reservations - but I will be visiting in the very near future.

Finally, Ofrenda is another place that I really want to try. I LOVE Mexican food {as in LOVE LOVE Mexican food} and I haven't found a restaurant yet that really knocks my socks off {although Dos Caminos is really really close} so I would like to give this place a try. I hear the fish tacos and margaritas are perfection - I'll keep you posted!

So which one would you choose?

{A Place For Odds and Ends}

All around my apartment I have little bowls that collect everything from bobbie pins, rings, delicate necklaces, loose change, and keys. I guess you can call it an obsession, because even though my space is small, I’m always looking for a unique bowl to add to the collection. I found a few possibilities while reading Matchbook Magazine last night, and scouring Pinterest. I’m loving the DIY option because I can make them my own – but don’t think for a second that I wouldn't eat my cereal out of the crown bowl every.single.day {it’s going on the wish list}…

Click and shop:
1 - Why does everything I love have to be so darn expensive. While this bowl is $250, it is AH-mazing. I can't splurge on it, but oh how I wish I could find the look for less. If you find one and share the link with me - I'll buy one for you too!

2  - For directions for how you too can make your own paper mache bowls - click here.

3 - You can't go wrong with black and white chevron with a punch of color. Click here to scoop one up for yourself.

{Birthday Wish List}

My birthday week has started and I have big decisions to make. Like - where to have my birthday dinner - what activities I want to do this weekend - what will I wear - and most importantly, what I would like to get myself. Below are my options – what do you think?