finally friday...

and I'm outtie...

happy hour thursday...

With the return of lovely warm days & cool, crisp nights (that have me wrapping up in pretty scarves), I have decided that any old hot chocolate won’t do to warm my chilly hands. And play homage yet again to one of my favorite cities, Paris (the countdown is on until I'll be roaming those beautiful streets!)

French Brandy Hot Chocolate 

1/2 cup dry milk powder

1 1/2 cups grated bittersweet chocolate

4 cups whole milk

4 tablespoons Armagnac

Whipped cream or marshmallows for garnish

In a medium saucepan, heat whole milk over medium heat. Once heated, stir in the chocolate mixture & whisk until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth and hot. Pour 1 tablespoon Armagnac into each mug, then fill each mug with the smooth, hot chocolate mixture. Serve hot & garnish with whipped cream or marshmallows. Serves 4.

L' Space by Monica Wise

While in Vegas, I got to hang out with a pretty fun group of people at Wet Republic. One of the guys I was chatting with couldn't wait for me to meet his sister who was on her way (who apparently I'm a lot alike). She ended up being a really cool chick, sporting an AWESOME bathing suit that I just had to have.... And that's how my new obsession with L'Space began. Monica Wise creates some of the sexiest suits I've come across. The cut of the bathing suit is perfect, showing just enough skin.

love...

 

(This is just hot and the one I plan to purchase next... )

The suit I will be rocking on my next vacation... (and what made me love this company even more is L'Space donates $5 back to the African Wildlife Foundation for every suit purchased from their "Wild at Heart" collection)

Peels, NYC

I had an OMG moment this past Saturday afternoon. I had plans to go out to lunch (to The Meatball Shop if you were wondering)... but trekking to the Lower East side was out of the question due to the random snow storm we had (actually, I still wanted to go, my date refused :)) That got me to searching the Internet for a new place to eat (while enjoying my Buffalo Chicken Dip!). While reading a blog, I happened to stumble upon a restaurant named Peels. When I read that it was the same owners as one of my absolute favorite restaurants, Freemans, I was instantly calling for a reservation. Although I haven't been yet, I have a feeling its going to be fabulous!

Introducing Peels, a brand-new country diner from Taavo Somer, Will Tigertt and the Freemans crew, open right at this very moment.

Instead of dark wood in a back alley, Peels is holding court front and center on Bowery, with big picture windows, bright white walls and a long country kitchen-style counter top running the length of the space. There’s a mellow vibe to the whole operation: lazy hours will roll by as you marinate on a stool along the windows, at the counter or at the long communal table in the middle of the room.

They have an awesome bakery full of sweet and savory breakfast foods. This could also become my new favorite bakery.

Stomping through the snow in Sorel!

Its that time of year to start searching for a new pair of winter boots to trek to work in. New York City tends to be a bit rough during the winter months. The city is absolutely beautiful when it snows here, but getting to and from work is another story, especially for your shoes. Any true New Yorker knows they must own a great pair of winter boots (and rain boots for that matter!) I am a big fan of Sorel, not only because they are super comfortable, but they last several years, and are really affordable.

images via dilly dallas

happy monday...