Merry Christmas!

Paris!

Last night, while out, I met a man who just moved to NYC from Paris! He scored bonus points instantly. Immediately, I started telling him about two of my favorite restaurants that are in Paris. Two of the best meals of my life took place at Le Fin Gourmet and Chez Fernand. After eating my way through Italy and Paris almost a year ago, I still think back to the time I spent enjoying absolutely delicious food in the city I love...

Le Fin Gourmet

Must try the duck and tartare! Amazing!

Chez Fernand

One of the best beef bourguignon in the city, and they serve stinky cheese :) (literally!)

happy hour thursday!

A delicious cocktail that is perfect for the holiday season!

Candy Cane Cocktail

Ingredients

1 Candy Cane, crushed

2oz Strawberry Vodka

4 Dashed White Cream Menthe

2 1/2 oz Cranberry Juice

Ice Cubes

Directions

Place crushed candy canes on small plate or saucer. Wet the outside of the trim of a chilled martini glass with water. Holding the glass by the stem, rotate the rim to coat with candy.

In a cocktail shaker, combine vodka, white cream menthe, cranberry juice and ice. Shake well. Strain into prepared glass and serve immediately.

ENJOY!!

newly obsessed...

Super chic scarves. Love. Thomas Paul

Happy Monday!

5 Things that made me HAPPY last week!

1. My new Diptyque Mimosa Candle! The creators of Diptyque, the Paris fragrance company, didn’t set out to break boundaries or have a cult following. Three Parisian artists with a passion for authenticity traveled the world, capturing their experiences in fragrances that became legendary candles. Though located on the bohemian end of the boulevard Saint Germain, customers found the “concept” store to be irresistible. My Mimosa Candle is now sitting pretty on my mantel (not to mention, making my apartment smell delicious!)

2.Everyone who knows me, knows I love to dance. I could dance all night long. Which is why I had such a BLAST dancing all night at The Bunker Club and Stash House until the wee hours of Friday morning. I had an absolute awesome time with a new girlfriend, and an old friend.

3. Swedish House Mafia Friday night at Madison Square Garden. Need I say more... it was insane!

4. Florence and the Machines new album is my addiction. "Never Let Me Go" and "If Only for Tonight" have been on repeat for days. If you haven't already purchased the album, do so. Its up there with the Adele "21" album.

5. Skype really is the coolest thing ever. There is nothing better than skyping with my god-daughter (especially on my Birthday!) 

happy hour thursday!

Winter Wonderland Martini!
Ingredients
2oz Van Gogh Vanilla Vodka
1oz White Creme De Cacao
2oz White Chocolate Liqueur
1oz Cream
1/2 tsp Coconut Flakes
1 festive swizzle stick

Add the vodka, white creme de cacao, white chocolate liqueur and cream into a shaker and shake over ice. Strain the liquid into a martini glass and add coconut flakes. Stir martini lights and add festive swizzle stick. Enjoy!!

Boqueria, NYC

I fell in love with Spain while I was visiting Barcelona and Valencia. I did not want to come back to the States. I met so many friendly people and saw so many beautiful places. Although I reside in NYC, I tend to prefer the more laid back flow. Waking up mid-morning, head to the beach, eat a big lunch with my fabulous friends, than relax to the late evening where I enjoy more great food and dancing. I could do this every day I think, as long as my company was awesome (and they usually are!)

I coudn't think of a better way to start my birthday weekend than with a Spanish Tapas meal at a place that reminds me of Spain. Boqueria restaurant was inspired by the best tapas bars in Barcelona. Bars such as Xampanyet, Vinya del Senor, Ciudad Condal and others where one can go at any time of night for a beer, glass of wine, and perhaps the best fast food known to man are institutions in a city known for its devotion to epicurean delights. 

At Barcelona's famous Boqueria market, stalls such as Pinotxo, Quim de la Boqueria and Kiosko Universal take the concept up a notch and serve the best of the market everyday to an eager mix of chefs, shoppers and tourists. Boqueria restaurants offer New Yorkers the chance to dine as they would at these bars without ever leaving town.

The food is absolutely delicious and I met some fun people sitting at the bar. Next time you're in NYC, try to stop by Boqueria, if not for the food, than to say hello to the handsome bartender ;) xoxo

Holiday Attire Helpful Tips!

This time of year, I tend to have many get togethers and no idea what to wear. Usually you have the office holiday party, friendly Christmas Parties, throw in a bunch of birthday parties, and I have clothes thrown all over my room. I found these interesting Styling Tips on Who What Wear and find these looks to be so accessible, especially when having to come up with numerous outfits. Check out Who What Wear for even more awesome styling tips! xoxo

Happy Birth Day!

It has been a great year since since my last Birthday! I've traveled all over the world (Italy, Paris, Spain, Vegas... just to name a few!), met some absolutely amazing new friends, work for a wonderful company, and watched my family and friends grow. Not every year is perfect and I certainly had my low moments, but the best part about life is that it goes on. I am slowly but surely learning that everyone does come into your life for a reason, and not everyone is meant to stay in your life. I can't wait for the next year because as always, it will be full of surprises. (Not to mention I will be turning the be 3-0 on a very special day!) I'm looking forward to working on my new goal/bucket list for the New Year, especially since I was able to cross so many things off this year (skydiving, paddle boarding, ice skating in Central Park, photography)! For now though, any birthday celebration would not be complete without champagne (lots of booze!), so I'm off to celebrate with some pretty awesome people. Ciao!

finally friday

 It's BIRTHDAY WEEKEND! I can't wait to celebrate with some champagne and dancing!

Oh, and this is what I want as a present! :)

Glam Globalist Gift Guide!

Tracking down the perfect present for the Glam Globalist might arguably be the most exciting task of your holiday shopping! After all, fun and fearless fashion is the name of the game when it comes to this ultra-stylish lady, so the options are pretty much endless. Whether she works at a modern art gallery, an indie record label, or even a travel magazine, the Glam Globalist is often turned out in a sophisticated mix of bright colors and bold patterns, and, much like the sartorial risktaker extraordinaire Solange Knowles, has a fondness for fashion-forward items with a unique, artsy twist. Considering all of that, we've sourced a handful of awesome gift ideas-like a Kabuki lip set from NARS and a penguin-emblazoned top by Charlotte Taylor-all of which are sure to please the GG in your life. Happy shopping!

Charlotte Taylor Penguin Blouse ($336)
There is no doubt in our minds that the Glam Globalist will go crazy for this darling penguin blouse by Charlotte Taylor. From the vibrant hues to the quirky print, it reflects the GG's sensibilities perfectly! In addition to this oh-so cute top, we recommend checking out the designer's entire collection, which includes a scarf covered in red ants and a silky button-up with tiny robots-it's fun fashion at its best! For a more affordable option, do yourself a favor and pick up Topshop's Buttercup Slash Neck Top ($75) today.

echo Sporty Touch Glove ($42) in Fuchsia
While gloves are always a must for protecting your hands from winter's chill, we know firsthand that having to take them off every time you want to use your phone can become quite frustrating. Fortunately, the tech-savvy team at echo created a pair of gloves that are not only stylish, but are also equipped with an eLink fabric that interacts with touch screen devices. That means the Glam Globalist can text and tweet without skipping a beat!

NARS Kabuki Mini Lip Set ($125)
Our subject's obsession with statement-making color extends to her beauty look too, as she's often experimenting with a bold lip or bright shadow. Speaking of the former, we have a hunch she'll dig the dramatic look of this mini lip set by NARS. Inspired by Japan's kabuki theater, the wooden bento box includes three rich shades, ranging from a soft pink to a deep red, and a hand-spun wisteria-wrapped kabuki lip brush to allow for easy application. This is one keepsake she'll definitely want to hold on to!

Topshop Madison Leopard Print Loafers ($64) in Animal Print
We couldn't think of a more fitting pair of shoes for the GG than Topshop's Madison Leopard Print Loafers. For starters, they are perfect in keeping with some of the season's most beloved trends-the classic loafer and the animal print-and it's obvious she'll adore the fluorescent hot pink color! And with an affordable price tag to boot, we wouldn't be surprised if these flats landed on your wish list too!

Henrik Vibskov Judith Laptop Case ($190) in Multi
A laptop is a necessary accessory for this creative girl on the go, which is why a cool case like this one from Henrik Vibskov is sure to be on her list of must-haves this year. We love the Southwestern vibe of the multi-colored pattern, especially the lux mix of wool and cashmere. We're also fans of O'Hanlon Mills' Knit Laptop Case ($29), which has a similar pattern but at budget-friendly price!

Eddie Borgo Silver-Plated Turquoise Spike Earrings ($315)
The Glam Globalist is constantly on the lookout for interesting, sculptural jewelry, so these Eddie Borgo spike earrings are an ideal pick for this giftee. Thanks to the yellow and turquoise marbled design and sleek shape, they manage to be edgy, artsy, and modern all at the same time. If you can't spend quite so much, we'd like to direct you to Guess' Pretty in Punk Spike Earrings ($28), which are a bit more glamorous, but equally cool.

Find more awesome holiday gift ideas at Who What Wear

happy hour thursday...

Holiday stress can turn anyone into an animal. Rather than go feral (Mad Dog 20/20, anyone?), show domestic prowess with The Beast, a pumpkin-infused cider created by the dashing barkeeps at Anfora. It’s spiced, sweet, and chill. Just like you.

The Beast

Serves one
Ingredients
 ½ tsp. fresh muddled ginger
 2 oz. pumpkin-infused vodka (Anfora suggests Crop) (How am I just hearing of this?!)
 ¾ oz. cold cider (found at Union Square Greenmarket)
 ½ oz. lemon juice
 ½ oz. demerara syrup
 2 dashes aromatic bitters

1. Combine all ingredients in a shaker over ice. Shake hard.
2. Serve up (without ice) in a chilled martini glass without garnish.
3. Repeat and get wild. (my favorite part ;))

Note: Any leftover cider can be heated and spiked with 2 oz. of vanilla-bean infused rum per serving.

Check out the bar!

Anfora, 34 Eighth Avenue, between Jane and West 12th Streets
(212-518-2722 or anforanyc.com).

newly obsessed...

O M G. I need to have this Elie Saab dress! I also need to find some amazing party to wear it too!

Feather Fedoras!

All you need is a hat, feathers, some glue, scissors and approximately 20 minutes. Easy peasy.

For more detailed instructions on our feather fedora head right this way!

happy monday!

My thoughts are all over the place today... I just keep having this feeling that there is so much more I should be doing. Traveling, owning my own business, volunteering... there is still so much I  want to do. Blah. It doesn't help that I'm under the weather, and have to attend my first holiday party tonight.

On a happy note... all of my cake balls sold this weekend!! Happy Monday lovelies!

finally friday!

adios my lovelies...

happy hour thursday...

Brighten up on this wintery day with a fabulous cocktail. That's my plan, at least!

The Salty Dog

4 oz. freshly squeezed grapefruit juice

2 oz. Hendrick’s gin

1/4 teaspoon salt mixed with 1/8 tsp sugar, for rimming

Pour all ingredients over ice cubes in a highball glass rimmed with salt/sugar mixture. Stir well & serve. Serves 1.

Grand Central Secrets.

After coming across this on one of my favorite blogs, A Cup of Joe, I just had to re-post! So want to know a secret? Grand Central has an AMAZING whispering gallery. Here's how it works...

You walk to the corridor outside the famous Oyster Bar & Restaurant. You'll see four low arches, built by a father and son back in 1913...
If you and a friend stand at diagonal corners of the arches (so you're the farthest apart you can be), and whisper softly, you'll be able to HEAR each other--as clearly as if you were whispering into each other's ears!
It's like magic!
"The voice actually follows the curvature of the ceiling," says urban historian Justin Ferate. It's called "telegraphing."


P.S. Cup of Jo Guide to NYC, including a secret playground and secret restaurant.

I can not wait to try this!!

S’moretini Shooters

Here to convince you that you need yet another trendy, insanely-flavored bottle of booze. I do what I can.

I know what you’re thinking. “Does marshmallow vodka really taste that different from that whipped cream vodka you already insisted that I buy? Or how about the cake batter vodka that I went out and bought immediately in order to drink a cake martini for breakfast?” Well… not technically. Sort of? I don’t know. I don’t have super powered vodka tasting taste buds or anything.... or maybe I do. But I bought some anyway, just to try.

S’moretini Shooters

makes 1 (2 ounce) shooter, easily multiplied

1/2 ounce marshmallow vodka (or vanilla, whipped cream or cake flavored vodka)

1/2 ounce Godiva chocolate liqueur

1/4 ounce Bailey’s Irish Cream liqueur

3/4 ounce cream/half and half

chocolate syrup or hot fudge

graham cracker crumbs

vanilla frosting for glass rimming

mini marshmallows

Dip the rim of you glass in a bit of frosting, then dip into graham cracker crumbs. Pour about 1/2 teaspoon chocolate fudge into the bottom of the glass. Combine vodka, Baileys, Godiva and cream in a shaker (or water bottle with lid) with ice and shake for 15 seconds. Pour into glass. Top with mini marshmallows skewered on a toothpick.

For 8 shooters or 2 martinis, you will need: 4 ounces of marshmallow vodka, 4 ounces of Godiva chocolate liqueur, 2 ounces of Bailey’s and about 6 ounces of milk. Measurements obviously may change depending on your own preferred tastes.

Note: if you don’t have any leftover frosting for glass rimming, I think something sticky like maple syrup or agave will work.

happy monday!

This might possibly be the best video I've seen portraying New York. I follow a blogger, pret-a-voyager, who posted this AMAZING video. It reminds me how much I love the city I live in and where I am from. Sometimes I take advantage of all of the possibilities at my fingertips. A few months ago I shared a cab with a girl who had never been to New York City. As we approached the skyline, it was astonishing watching her face glow. It was beautiful, and again, made me realize that I live in one of the best cities in the world.
It's interesting to watch this video through the eyes of someone who has never been to New York, who is experiencing it for the first time.


I'm excited for all the GOOD things to come :)

I'm excited because every day I'm falling in love with life. And I just love my life madly.

finally friday!

and i'm outtie! enjoy your weekend! xoxo

happy hour thursday!

Fall has arrived in earnest, and although I miss though warm days of summer stretching into Fall, there is a certain je ne sais quoi about the combination of raindrops & falling leaves. But those raindrops often bring along with them a damp chill that only something presented in a warm mug can dispel. More often than not, it’s a coffee 'with a little kick' that gains my undivided attention.

Coffee With A Kick:
3 tablespoons each brandy, Kahlúa, and crème de cacao
3 cups freshly brewed coffee (Stumptown is a personal favorite of mine)
4 tablespoons whipped cream

Divide brandy, Kahlúa, and crème de cacao between two mugs (this recipe is perfect for sharing!). Add half of coffee to each. Top with whipped cream if you like. Serves 2 in a matter of moments. Enjoy!

Clinton Street Baking Co.

When husband & wife team, Neil Kleinberg and DeDe Lahman, opened in April 2001, their only mission was to make the best baked goods in the city, hand-mixed in small batches. But soon the locals stumbled in, and murmurs of Neil’s simple yet delicious omelets, sandwiches and soups moved people to cluster — then crowd — the block. New York Magazine voted Neil’s blueberry pancakes best in the city (twice!).

The lore about our brunch lines we cannot deny ... but try us at dinner, when the lights are dim, the crowds calm, and the food is “anything but ordinary,” says the New York Observer. Okay, and yes: We serve pancakes after dark.

I am lucky enough to manage a building directly across the street from Clinton Street Baking Co. I am also lucky enough to avoid the long lines when I randomly go there on a weekday. But the best part is that my super who manages that building will randomly surprise me with my favorite chocolate chip scone, like he did today! Its already gone... Opps! :)

Chocolate, anyone?

 To me, nothing says winter festivity quite like a cup of hot cocoa with marshmallows. I treat myself to one most afternoons through the winter, and today’s board in shades of chocolate + cream captures the cozy taste of seasonal cheer I savor with each steaming cup. Wouldn’t this make a lovely palette for a holiday dinner party? Letterpressed invites with creamy calligraphy, a table set with rustic wood accents, and a s’mores bar (what else?) in front of the fire stands in for the dessert course.

images via Camille Styles

newly obsessed...

Not only is this model gorgeous, the dress is stunning! I can not wait to find a party to rock this at!

images via Shopbop

finally friday!

My first crush...

Christian Bale... The Newsies.
Have a spectacular weekend lovelies!

happy hour thursday...

The Starlight Royale

2 1/4 cups freshly squeezed lime juice, plus extra for rims
1 1/2 cups gin
1/2 cup superfine sugar
1 bottle brut Champagne or sparkling wine
Fine sanding sugar for rims
Grenadine

Mix lime juice, gin, and superfine sugar in a 2-quart pitcher; chill until ready to serve (several hours). To serve, dip rims of glasses in lime juice, then sanding sugar, to coat with 1-inch wide band. Measure 4 ounces Champagne into cocktail shaker filled with ice. Add 3 1/2 ounces lime juice and gin mixture, and shake; strain into 2 glasses, and add 2 to 3 drops of grenadine to each. Repeat. Serves 12.

Champagne & Marilyn certainly do seem to match my Niagara Falls mood perfectly... or maybe Montreal?

Prosecco and Champagne Lovers...

Here's a trick: If you have a leftover half bottle of Champagne or Prosecco that's getting flat, and you want to bring the bubbles back, drop a raisin into the bottle. Any carbon dioxide that's left in the wine will stick to the raisin's ridges and release as tiny bubbles. Cool, right?

tip via Real Simple and image via A Cup of Joe

The Darby, NYC

I know what you’re thinking…a supper club from the unstoppable duo behind Butter and 1OAK Scott Sartiano and Richie Akiva? Break out the velvet rope, the DJ booth, the $18 drinks and Lindsay Lohan. Well, the Darby may be every bit as chic as their other ventures, but this restaurant is kicking it old-school, focusing on a menu crafted by Food Network star Alex Guarnaschelli and live entertainment to go with it. The décor certainly evokes the days of old, with classic carved moldings, oversized spindle-back banquettes and mercury glass finishes, while the intricately crafted cocktails will make you grateful that the speakeasy trend hasn’t died just yet. Curl up with your Bogart or Bacall, and savor the tunes of The Darby’s six person house band—which includes Q-Tip and Lady Rizo—belting out a mix of jazz, pop, soul and old-school. This place reminds of my old school Paris, my love. I can not wait to enjoy a fabulous dinner here tomorrow night!