Friday Five: Welcome back, Summer

Today is officially the first day of Summer and there is so much to celebrate - longer days, no more school and plenty of outdoor activities. I plan on spending the entire weekend outdoors with hunny and CJ. I hope you enjoy the gorgeous weather in store for the New York area. Here are my five favorite things for this week. 

1. A Midsummer Night's Dream: This is truly my favorite of Shakespeare's plays. How could it not be? There are fairies, lovers tricked by fairies and an Amazonian Queen in love with a donkey. It is brilliant and very funny. This play is the perfect way to honor the summer solstice. If you do not have time to read it this evening or even watch a decent movie version (it is harder than you think to find a "decent" version), check out Midsummer Night's Dreaming ,  a digital theater project from the the Royal Shakespeare Company. 

James Cagney as "Bottom" in the 1935 movie adaptation

2. Smorgasburg: Every Saturday and Sunday during the summer, Brooklyn Flea hosts an open air food market featuring vendors from New York City and the greater New York region. Saturday's location is on the Williamsburg waterfront and Sunday's is at the Tobacco warehouse in Brooklyn Bridge park. From doughnuts to Thai food, Smorgasburg is a foodie's dream. Not only are the offerings delicious, but everything is created by locally and purchases support the regional economy! This weekend, Smorgasburg welcomes Kelso Barrel aged wheat beer. 

Kelso Beer

3. 2013 Mermaid Parade: Saturday is the 31st Coney Island Mermaid Parade. This annual parade marks the beginning of summer and always features colorful and adventurous parade goers, floats and costumes. The event is rain or shine, but tomorrow's weather calls for warmth and sunshine. This year's King Neptune is comedian Judah Friedlander. The Queen Mermaid is Carole Radziwill - princess, author, and Real Housewives of New York City cast member. This is an all age event, but be prepared for some risqué costumes. 

photo courtesy of coneyisland.com

4.  Haagen-Dazs Gelato: If you have not already tasted this, run to your local supermarket an get a pint of Haagen-Dazs sea salt caramel gelato. It is amazing. There are seven flavors of gelato, but to be honest, I liked this one so much I did not try any others. This is not going to take the place of home made gelato, but it is not so easy to find an actual gelateria.  For those of you on diets, just remember, gelato has less fat than ice cream!

5. Monster's University: After 12 years, fans finally have the long awaited prequel to the beloved Pixar film Monster's Inc. This film takes place while the monsters are in college before Mike and Sully became friends. Even though there is no Boo in this one, I am still excited to see the monsters learn to scare!

Friday Five

1. May The Fourth Be With You:  Happy Star Wars Day! I hope the force is strong in all of you.

2. Art Fair Weekend: If you live in New York, there are several art fairs happening around the city, fresh off the heels of this week's auctions. For those of you looking to combine your passion for food and art, head to Frieze New York on Randall's Island. It is a little out of the way and a bit too pricey for my taste, but it is sure to draw big crowds and have some great art. Verge New York will be showcasing "Tomorrow Stars" and if you are hoping to be one of 2013's picks for Tomorrow Stars, you can apply on the site now. I will be attending the Pulse New York fair. I am excited to learn about some new artists and to see the work of Bronx born artist Fred Wilson.

Fred Wilson, Reign 2011

3.Fred Segal: This week it was announced the New York firm, Sandow Media, bought the worldwide rights to Fred Segal. For the last 50 years, Fred Segal has been a California-only shopping staple, leaving all of us East Coasters a little bit jealous, but that is about to change. With this purchase, Fred Segal stores could be opening in New York, Miami and Las Vegas in the next few years.

4.Anna Dello Russo for H&M: Anna Dello Russo, the creative consultant and editor-at-large for Vogue Japan and fashionista extraordinaire, has announced an accessories collection for H&M. In true ADR style, expect glamorous accessories with lots of gold - think extravagant at an affordable price. The line will include shoes, bags, sunglasses and jewelry and will be available in October.

5.Vogue Magazine Intends to Promote Healthy Body Images: Vogue Magazine editors across the globe have united to take a stand against too-skinny and too-young models. They have agreed to no longer work with models under the age of 16 or who appear to have eating disorders. Casting directors are now required to ask for identification to show proof of the model's age. This announcement is inspiring. Many young girls have a negative body image and fashion magazines that showcase stick thin models are partly to blame. Vogue is the ultimate fashion magazine, so maybe other magazines will follow suit and normal sized models will begin to grace the pages of every glossy!