Hold onto summer

Keep those toes polished red and those gin & tonics handy. Most of all, keep your BFF by your side. It's still summertime, and there's still so much to do and taste and celebrate. Soak it all up, mes amis!

Cheers to work and all that

I've been a bit mum on the new job, but... I love it.

It's been two months since I started and it's been busy, sometimes madly so, but it's awesome.

Today brought back memories of some of my first client meetings in Paris; of sitting in conference rooms with the Eiffel Tower outside the window, trying not to grin, trying not to laugh at the pure wonder that this is my job, at my good fortune.

One of my new clients in Cointreau—another French brand with amazing heritage and craftsmanship. We sat in the company's offices in midtown today, getting immersed in the brand and sipping cocktails. Yes, this is my job. My job!

It's not just this one client. It's all the others, too. And the people and the projects. It's like I'm a starry-eyed 36-year-old expat again.

Pin'it!

My dear friend Connie always shares interesting and inspiring bits as she's a cool, curious and inspired creative mind. It just so happens that this latest bit was about Paris, My Sweet, which she found, randomly, on Pinterest. Love it!

(It's pinned for the lovely cover typography. But I like to think it's what's on the inside that counts.)

Love, not food

Instead of listing out edible contents of a Vegan Monday, I wanted to share another kind of inspirational log.

A good friend of mine recently fell madly in love, a love different from anything he's ever experienced. He's over the moon.
Another friend, married to a beautiful woman with a beautiful child, had an "awakening" after his wife pointed out they were in a rut. Needless to say, he's fixed it.
Two dear friends recently shared that they're pregnant.
Another good friend here in the city was ready to walk away from a relationship for the greener pastures of independence but stuck it out and is happy for it.
One beautiful friend's heart was broken by his love of over 10 years. 
My cousin got married last month and the whole family is still riding their high of love and happiness.

What's my point? None really. Except that all of our relationships go in cycles. Sometimes you just become aware of how happy and lucky you are. To be surrounded by love. To feel love. To be in love. To recognize the complexities and challenges and even the sorrows of love. It can be crushing and frightening, but mostly wildly wonderful. It can be the best part of life, love.

Butter Lane is in my heart

I'm still smacking my lips over Butter Lane's banana cinnamon-honey cupcake.

It's been a long time since a cupcake hit that sweet spot for me.

I mean, I think it's fair to say that cupcakes are a bit passé. They don't elicit the same mania as, say, macarons, whoopie pies and let us not forget cronuts. (Dear god, the mania...)

But Butter Lane churns out fresh vanilla, chocolate and banana cupcakes all day. And you get to create your perfect flavor. 

Take one of those cake options, and then select from about a dozen frostings like peanut butter, salted caramel, coconut, French vanilla, chocolate...

So I decided on that banana cupcake with cinnamon frosting and a touch of honey. I think I'm back on the cupcake bandwagon.

My Vegan Monday

It wasn't actually a Vegan Monday. But I did Vegan Sunday as an even exchange. And I'm doing VB6 all week. What do you think? Does it all even out? If I skip the pint of Ben & Jerry's on a Sunday so I can go to Gramercy Tavern for dinner on Monday, am I still being ecologically conscious? If I soften my guilt a little further by eating vegan every morning and afternoon this week, but allow myself cheese and fish or even duck or rabbit for dinner, am I still doing my part to contribute to a more sustainable food system? What are the fair and realistic parameters of eating a largely plant-based diet?

Summer lovin'

If you ask me, summer can never be long enough. A week on the Cape, a couple weeks of working long hours, tunnel vision on apartment purchase and renovations and suddenly, the season is threatening to come to a close. Not so fast.

This weekend was a deliberate attempt to squeeze summer into every minute.

We got rained out of roof deck cocktails at The Met, but still saw the Photography and the Civil War exhibition and strolled through the achingly impressive corridors. (And got our cocktails at Bemelmans instead.)

We walked the car-free streets to Balthazar for a breakfast of omelettes and waffles. 

And then admired our fair city before hitting the Staten Island Yankees' stadium for minor league baseball, followed by a late-night dinner at Alimentari e Vineria.

Weekend highlights also included a High Line stroll...

And... a cupcake. A beautiful banana cupcake, topped with cinnamon honey frosting.

How are you squeezing the best out of summer?

The Parisians come out in summertime

Oui, oui, many Parisians flee the city in August. The others, they simply flee to the park.

Parc de la Villette...

The Louvre and Jardins des Tuileries...

Parc de Bercy...

Hipster heaven, Parc des Buttes Chaumont...

Place des Vosges

 Or even the pavement outside the Pompidou.

Take your pick!

August exodus

It’s August. Which means many Parisians have fled the city. Where do you think they go? By the sounds of it, they’re all here in New York.

Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn has long been known as a hive of expat Frenchies. But everywhere you go in the city, on entend  le son de francais. Times Square. Bleecker Street. Nolita. Young couples. Families of four. Best friends. The French have invaded. They’re here. And I wish I was there.

My Vegan Monday

Morning
Vienna roast coffee with almond milk
Oatmeal with raisins
Mixed nuts

Afternoon
Falafel sandwich
A couple Chimes ginger candies (I was seduced by the packaging)

Evening
Roasted cauliflower and broccoli
Whole Foods (how I love yee) salad bar
Chocolate

Well, after a month of not working out, I'm finally back at the gym. But I've got to purge the sugar from my system. No more disappearing pints of Ben & Jerry's while watching Sex and the City. No more nicking the candy drawer at work. A little more control over my urge to immediately finish lunch with a spot of chocolate. I usually find that if I can do three or more days sans sweets, then I have more willpower on days four, five and six. 

What's your fix for taming your sweet tooth?

Sunday in the park

Sheep's Meadow. Don't you just love it?

What a spectacular day in the city. And while I was out, enjoying Central Park with the rest of the world, Milo was busy... napping.

Back to summer in the city

I’m back! After ambling around places like this…

… my sights are like this.

After eating a few of these…

… I’m feasting like this.

After a week on Cape Cod, a weekend in Connecticut, a business trip to Minneapolis and a rainchecked trip to London, I am back in New York. New York!

In one Saturday, I managed to make the news (bad hair and all), walk about eight miles, open a New York Public Library membership...

...hit the farmer’s market...

... make a Greek salad, counter it with a pint of Ben & Jerry’s, and wrap up season four of Sex and the City and start season five—the first episode of which is when Carrie is having a love affair with New York. 

There is one month of proper summer left in the city. I'm determined to hit Central Park with a picnic, see the Staten Island Yankees, go to an outdoor movie, ride out to Governor's Island, hike, bike and sip rosé on rooftops. 

What remains on your summer agenda??