Friday Five: A Little Bit of Paris

Happy Friday. I cannot believe it is already the middle of July. This Summer is flying by so quickly. CJ is already 11 weeks and I am baffled at how that even happened. I hope to make the most of the next few weeks and create some wonderful memories. Here is my Friday Five for this week. I hope it gives you some great ideas for making your own memories!

Bastille Day Festival-   I have blogged about this before, so it is no surprise that it should make the top of my list. The Bastille Day festival is this Sunday, July 14 on 60th Street in NYC from noon - 5 pm. Can't wait until Sunday to check out the Bastille Day festivities? There are several other celebrations happening across the city to celebrate Bastille Week. Attend a ball, indulge in a decadent French meal or play a traditional game of petanque. There are plenty of ways to celebrate this French holiday. 

Fete Paradiso - This traveling festival of vintage carnival rides and carousels is making its way to Governor's Island this weekend to coincide with Bastille Day. This attraction features a collection of 19th and 20th century rides that are open to the public until September 29th. In addition to the nostalgic rides, Fete Paradiso will feature a beer garden, musical performances and plenty of French food (crepes, please!). 

Cronuts - There is a new dessert craze that is stomping all over the macaron and the cupcake. It is the cronut. Part croissant, part donut, the cronut was created by Chef Dominique Ansel this past May. Getting an original cronut is no easy task. There is a 2 cronut limit per person at Chef Ansel's bakery and only several hundred are made each day. It is  not unusual to see a line forming at the bakery before 7 a.m. daily. New Yorkers are seriously into the cronut. There are even those who peddle the dessert on craigslist . When a $5 treat gets $50 on the secondary market, you know it is just that good! If you don't want to wait on line or cannot get to the bakery, Stew Leonard's sells their version of the cronut and I hear it is pretty good, too. 

St. James for J.Crew -  One of my favorite things about J.Crew is there "In Good Company" section. Partnering with amazing companies across the globe like Comme Des Garcons and The Laundress, J.Crew In Good Company brings clothing, accessories and sometimes home goods to their customers. Their  collaboration with French clothing company Saint James is one of their best. The classic French striped shirt is offered for men, women and kids (check out the adorable striped hat on sale right now). 

Saint James for J.Crew shrunken tee in ivory navy

Films on the Green -  This free outdoor French film festival has been produced annually in New York City by the Cultural Services of the French Embassy and the City of New York Parks & Recreation since 2008. The Festival brings both classic and contemporary French cinema to New Yorkers. This year's theme is Love - a subject synonymous with the city of Paris! Running through September 5, the festival even has a film (U)  that children will love screening on July 26.   

U, 2006

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: Summer Summer Summertime

Even though today is a terribly gloomy one in NYC, there is a bright side : Summer is in full swing. There is so much to do in NYC and most of it is free. Here are my top five events for some fun in the (hopefully) sun.

1. Figment NYC- From June 8 - 9, Governor's Island is turned into a large-scale collaborative art exhibit for the entire family. This free event features every medium of art and encourages visitor participation. This year, exhibits include an audience hoop dance, where you can learn the dance in advance and the Carl Wagan Bookmobile. The bookmobile is a mobile gallery and classroom where Carl teaches workshops in printmaking, writing and bookbinding - all in a VW camper. For Game of Thrones fans, Kostume Kult brings its iron shopping cart throne to the island for some costumed interaction. Figment NYC is a rain or shine event and definitely worth braving a little bad weather. 

Kostume Kult's Iron Throne Experience

2. Museum Mile Festival - Tuesday, June 11 is "New York's Biggest Block Party." One day a year, ten of New York's museums on Fifth Avenue open their doors for free to all visitors for a mile-long block party and celebration. The  stretch of Fifth Avenue from 105th street down to 82nd street is closed to traffic and the street becomes a party zone, providing activities such as music, dancing and crafts. 

From the Museum Mile Website

3. MoMA Nights - Every Thursday in July and August, the Museum of Modern Art provides a free concert experience for all of their visitors. These concerts relate to the museums exhibits and take place in the beautiful outdoor sculpture garden. In case of rain, the concerts are moved indoors to one of the museum's theaters. The museum offers a wide array of snacks and beverages, making this the perfect setting for a night out with friends or a date. While you are at the museum check out the rain room - you will not be disappointed. 

4. Bastille Day - I am sort of obsessed with Paris and all things French - macarons, poodles, crepes, croissants, Degas (I could go on, but I will spare you my list). Since I have yet to go to the actual country, I make sure to go to the 60th Street Bastille Day Festival every year to get my fix. I am never disappointed. Although it can get a little bit crowded, there is so much to do and see. There are activities for every age, such as wine tasting for adults and crafting for children. There is live entertainment including a mime and several live musicians. Of course, my favorite part is the food. Cheese, crepes and pastries always make for a good time. This year the festival takes place July 12.

5. Hester Street Fair - There are tons of street fairs happening every weekend in NYC, but Hester Street happens every Saturday and in my opinion has the best vendors.  Artisanal foods, jewelry, vintage clothing, jewelry and more can be found here. While you are there, make sure to try a treat from  "It's a Cuppie" - a cupcake with a cookie baked inside. Brilliant!

Strawberry Shortcake Cuppie

Back at it!

The past ten months have been insane, hectic and wonderful all at the same time. After many years of trying to conceive, my husband and I finally got pregnant through IVF. It was a long process that spanned over a year and made me very sick. I decided to take the time off from blogging and from school, to focus all of my energy on my pregnancy. CJ was born on April 23rd - 3 weeks early. Today is her one month birthday. It has been the most amazing month of my life. The sleepless nights are killer, but her smiles make it all worth it. I am happy to get back into blogging, and hopeful that I can get back to school in September. So be prepared for more art, fashion and adorable baby items! 

Current Obsession : Chevron

Chevron is everywhere and just like everyone else, I am in complete love with it. Since we are in the process of moving, I will hold off on painting a chevron accent wall, but there are lots of other ways to add this pattern to your home and closet. Chevron is a little bit funk, a little bit traditional and it is because of this that it works so well regardless of your personal style. The pattern comes in virtually any color combination and it is a great way to tie pieces together of varying colors. Here are some of my favorite chevron finds.

Chevron Baby Blanket by ClassyColors

iPhone 4 Case from caseosaurus

Coral Fallon Chevron Rug - available here

Chevron Grosgrain Melia Skirt from Lafayette 148 New York

Chevron Stripe Tank Dress from Old Navy

(it is a maternity dress but no one needs to know)

Chevron Bag with Burlap by madebynanna

Amazing Living Room found here

Chevron Braid found here

Art lessons: Alaya Gadeh

Have you ever had a dream so beautiful that you wish you could permanently capture the images that played in your head?  German photographer, designer and artist Alaya Gadeh seems to have the rare ability to do just that. Alaya’s works are beautiful, imaginative and inspirational. She combines various art techniques  to create images that appear to be dream-like and full of fantasy. While viewing Gadeh's work, I feel almost as if I am seeing a part of myself that I buried deep down. Her work is subtle. She uses bold colors, but frequently mutes the tones with an overlay of texture or pattern. Gadeh incorporates elements from nature in her self portraits. She also creates colorful and intricate mandalas, which often aid in meditation and the process of finding one's true self. Here are some of my favorite works by Gadeh.

Couleur Royale de la Mandala, no. 1

Floral Dream



Happy 4th of July

In honor of the independence of the United States of America, here are some patriotic Etsy finds. 

American Flag Rockstar Tank from UrbanEclectics

High Waisted Denim American Flag Shorts from BeccasCorner

American Flag Scarf from ThreeBirdNest

American Flag Belt Buckle from bmused

Tie Dye Tee from HopeToDye

Silver Star Studs from MetalRocks

United States Dollar Coin Ring from TheRingTree