The Frame.

{ Our current frame/chalkboard situation}

My love affair with this black plastic frame (that we ALL have) began three years ago at Ali's wedding. It's beautiful, cheap and very accessible from our dear friends at Ikea. I bought one shortly after her wedding, and for a couple years it housed an engagement photo (and made an appearance at our wedding two years ago) and about a year ago we turned it into a chalkboard that in theory we change seasonally. I've recently been debating spray painting it some wonderful color, and am now sold:

While looking at these really fun headbands (which made me think of Ali again), I came across our dear frame. I love this photo, and now am dreaming up a cute nursery idea...

Leaning Library

Check out this amazing concept of a new Espresso Bar near Grand Central Station. Creative is an understatement for these folks, I love that they stuck with their idea throughout the entire space, from the herringbone hardwoods on the wall to the horizonal pendants opposite.

Date Night

Well, we finally made it to Palace Kitchen for dinner on Friday. We were served the best bread (Dahlia Bakery) & olive oil/vinegar... on the planet. I'm still thinking about it. Great Cesar salad with their giant crouton. The food was pretty good, I ordered the swiss chard brown butter ravioli and wasn't impressed but we loved D's rotisserie chicken. We will definitely go back.


After dinner we walked over to Nordstrom, as D is in "need" of a new pair of boots this season. I am always an advocate of new shoes, if only he would just buy what I like though...

Then off to Barnes & Noble. Where I sit in the craft/art/interior design section as long as I'm allowed. And D wanders through the Religious section, Art, Starbucks etc. Sometimes coming to hang out with me if I'm looking at something particularly interesting, but not Martha's Encyclopedia of Craft like I've been obsessing over lately.

Then walked over to see the Social Network, which by the way a 10:00pm showing is way too late for us after a looooong work week. But, such an interesting movie & I thought that Justin Timberlake was fantastic (surprise surprise). I am a little freaked out that the youngest billionaire is the same age as I am. Wow.

Happy dreary fall Sunday, off to clean up after the Harvest Party extravaganza we had last night!

Cooking Light: Seattle Review

I just received my November issue of Cooking Light, where they feature a new city each month in The Hungry Traveler... this month it is our very own Seattle! I was very excited to see my server from Zig Zag Cafe that we met on Thursday (wearing the same adorable Anthro dress) in the magazine :)

(Canlis and Cactus, and Daniel. Three perfect things about Seattle.)

Let me offer a little review of my own, while they mentioned a few great places (Volterra, Ocho and La Carta, two of my favorite neighborhood restaurants) they missed way too many, and didn't give a good review of our great city. No mention of Canlis (aka: the happiest place on earth) or Delancey (I may be way too partial to Delancey though I suppose) or even The Tom Douglas. How can you talk about food in Seattle and forget Tom Douglas? Or Cactus (quite possibly the best Mexican food you'll ever taste, and even better margaritas)? They really should get locals to write about their own cities I think... not that I'm passionate about food or anything :)

New York City

New York City is my favorite place on the planet. I love that there are no backyards, great bakeries, a true appreciation for art/artists/design, funky boutiques and no sense of a true majority or minority among New Yorkers. I feel right at home among the hustle and am in awe of the beauty of the city. Especially now, being back I find that I walk much too fast for Seattlites. But, I have found that I am incredibly thankful for the city we live in. Many of the aspects that I love about New York, I've found that I can appreciate right down the street (I can pretty much walk anywhere I need to go). And I need to, because sometimes dreamers are never content in the present.

Charleston, SC

Well, we have just returned from New York City but I wanted to post a photo from our anniversary trip to Charleston, SC. I loved Charleston; very southern and very cool. Here we are on the amazing rooftop bar at Grill 225 downtown, definitely one of the highlights of the trip! New York recap to come as well as my new "cooking from the pantry" kick I'm on.

two year anniversary trip: Charleston, SC

I have always wanted to go to the South (well, in all honesty I want to wear big hats and drink mint juleps on a beautiful porch), and specifically go to Charleston to see the incredible architecture. So, my sweet hubby took me there to celebrate our two year anniversary.

We swam in the Atlantic Ocean at dinnertime, walked and walked and walked around the beautifully residential city, bought art from a local photographer, ate toasted coconut gelato while strolling through the open air markets, took a historical architecture tour (believe it or not) where we stopped to have tea on the porch of the Palmer House, ate incredibly delicious and dangerous food (by the third day all I wanted to eat was vegetables) and, if we weren't already married I would say that I found where we should get married: The Lowndes Plantation. On the water, and completely magical... Daniel's family must have had something to do with that!