Starman

Thank you.

Before/After Morning Benders

When the Morning Benders were still the Morning Benders, I was a huge fan. I saw them perform a few times the year the ol' boyfriend and I started dating, so their music is somewhat entwined with that whole romantic time.

They became POP ETC and their album is okay, but whoosh! nothing like the heart breaking stuff they did before.

In 2010, they did this new song for a Blogotheque performance. I ripped the mp3 and listened to it forever and ever:



And now, two years later:



I love hearing music evolve like that. Enjoy.

Photo Summary

The last two weeks were eventful ones, almost totally dominated by a pitch at work. Coming home late and drained, I made time to sew this incredibly janky and yet (to me, anyway) charming Kindle case.



The leather I picked up from a fabric store in TriBeCa. It took a leather needle, embroidery thread, tons of patience and an episode of Battlestar Galactica, but I made it work. The kooky asymmetrical flap is just part of the design. Uh, promise.



Vintage magazines at my hair salon. To answer the question posed, yes.



An Oberhofer concert at 285 Kent on Valentine's Day.



I made a peanut butter peanut butter cake and am only just now realizing I screwed up "Birthday." Good thing I abhor misspelling and poor grammar.

And now, back to the studio!

Summer Camp

Guys, is there anything better than seeing a great band at a great venue like three blocks away from my apartment?

I guess can think of a few things. But not that many.



Summer Camp! Yaaay. I've liked them for a while, but this was the first time I got to see the action up close and personal.

If you're not listening to them yet, go listen.

Brunch Pizza

For someone born and raised in Chicago, schooled in Boston and living in New York, I have a startlingly impressive ability to forget how cold the winters can get. This weekend was the first really cold one of the season, and I felt it.

To keep warm, I spent Saturday afternoon with the boyfriend's family. They tried Pies 'N' Thighs for the first time, saw both our apartments and got to know The Gutter. I also saw Real Estate and Girls at Terminal 5, which is apparently the best venue in the country? Har. News to me.

Pre-show dinner at 5 Napkin. Where's Waldo?

And Sunday, I saw that apartment. The space itself was cool, but I don't relish living in Bushwick. I did get a brunch at Roberta's out of the whole thing, however. BRUNCH. PIZZA. Haven't been? Get thee hence immediately.

Awards season kicked off with the Golden Globes. For me, that means intensive Red Carpet coverage and a flashy, loose glitter manicure.



(Also, in what universe does Bryan Cranston not win for Breaking Bad? At least the Lannisters took home some gold.)

Click these guys and give 'em a shot:

Do What You Want

Happy Friday, troops. This weekend, boyfriend's family is visiting for brunch and sightseeing. And I have big plans for my Diana Mini... mainly, taking pictures with it. Let's see if everybody can get through the ridiculous cold front we're expecting.

ALSO we've unofficially started the apartment search. Eeee! My lease is up at the end of March, but we stumbled on an amazing (judging by the Craigslist post...) loft that's ready to go for March 1st. I emailed the building manager, so we'll see what happens. Of course, I already started a Google Doc with every possible column mapped out for future listings. #OCD

This is good:

Do What You Want - Cheerleader

(via)

Season of the Witch

I want to live in this video.



Music, meh. Witchy Stevie costumes, SEVEN THUMBS UP.

(via)

Day After Vacation Soundtrack

Dreary, quiet day back from the holidays. Here are two good albums to keep you company.

The Year of Hibernation - Youth Lagoon (One of my favorite albums this year.)

Don't Act Like You Don't Care - Luke Temple

Playlist Party

Some Spotify mixes to tide you over, perhaps?

Deep Breaths: ideal for post-breakup, heading toward healing. For a friend.

Sing It, Sister: Hard women singing their shit like they mean it.

Officer, Arrest This Guitar

Enjoy.

Heat Wave

It's a heatwave in our fair city, and my friend Jess is here. Jess'ing around, as usual. Here's a good old country mix to keep your chin up and your butt dry this weekend.

Dandelion Wine

A couple weeks ago, I emptied out my closet and put the best of the "giveaway" pile into this nifty Etsy shop. I called it Dandelion Wine Vintage, because. Why not.

Most of the stuff is from the '50s and '60s, but there's a few earlier and later pieces.

I actually did think to myself, "including 'Vintage' in the title is kinda douchey." But SEO is a real live thing, okay?

And drumroll.....I sold my first skirt today. W00t.

Next stop: tussle in the post office. It's literally one of my least favorite places in the entire world.

If anyone's interested, the name comes from this Born Ruffians song. As a hedonist myself, dandelion wine sounds pretty summery and fantastic.

Hedonistic Me - Born Ruffians

Around the Neighborhood

Sunday brunch at Diner


(Rare burger and a jalapeno aioli chicken sandwich)




Fluorescent-lit vanilla sugar cookies



Leopard nails



Fauxtie (sorry)



Smith Westerns (and Ducktails) at Glasslands last night

Moving On Up Again

Opera, Take DUE:

Yesterday, the day of opera, I put on a Dress and Makeup and did my hair.



My escort put on a suit and tie. The phrase "GQ Motherfucker" was tossed around a few times.




When we got to The Met, I found my aunt and uncle.



And we all went in to see La Traviata, which, as you might remember, was the same one I saw last time.

We admired the scenery.



We made photographic memories.



And my aunt took blurry iPhone pictures of the whole thing.




Dopo l'opera, we had a long dinner at Circo, which is pronounced CHERko, according to someone who corrected me. (Pleb.)


My escort and I bailed at 9, stuffed and boozed, and left my aunt and uncle on their way to a cigar bar. Apparently, my uncle is Jay-Z.

House Proud

After a FourLoko-fueled night and a long, relaxing breakfast in Hoboken, I returned home to my silent apartment determined to do some ORGANIZING.

I'm on a mission to make my kitchen more user-friendly. Here are new Sugar/Flour/Confectioners' Sugar containers.

Rearranging flair.

From Etsy

And the soundtrack to it all.

Love me a lazy Sunday.

Sleeping Bag

Sleeping Bag - Heavy Hawaii

It's raining today.

I had this yesterday at lunch. It tasted like a peach Jelly Belly.

I think, from now on, I'll only drink beverages that taste like sunshine.

All Weekended Out

To those who say, "Do you do anything on weekends other than eat, sleep, hang out, window shop and sit in coffee places?" I say, "Uh, no." And, "Aha, you might have a point," and, "Yeah? So?"

Here's how it went down.

Friday after work I went in search of ramen at Rai Rai Ken, a little noodle bar in the East Village. Mission: broth and pork (as usual), and this did the trick.

Waiting for a seat.

"Excited?"

DUR. Yes.

Trying to climb into the miso soup.

My ramen.

His ramen (about which I need merely say: "crispy garlic.")

Saturday, we headed to the Grub Street Food Festival in the Chinatown region. It was still pretty early, but also super crowded and cooold. South of Delancey is a rough place. (No it isn't.)

Bahn mi and rice balls.

Mushroom pizza.

There were also dumplings and empanadas consumed. Unfortunately, the lines meant we skipped The Smile's grilled cheese and Pies & Thighs. My big ticket item was a Luke's Lobster roll.

That's a real smile, folks.

Cold, jostled, dazed from the magnificent selection, we headed to Donut Plant to see what the Pumpkin Donut was all about.

And oh... Oh my. It was terrific. An apple donut and a carrot cake donut also made their way in the bag, somehow. I floated down the street on the hot chai. We medium power walked to Rebel Rebel to try and find some wax muzak. (I got this little baby.)

Passing through SoHo, SOMEONE realized Calexico was still open.

I was too full to do more than steal some bites loaded with crack sauce. But he went to town.

"How it it?"
"SRO GROOOOD."

The last thing on my To-Do was hit The House of Waris Pop Up Tea Room.

This review pretty much sums it up.

Waris was photographing this in a spiffy suit before I could get my phone out.

We walked up to what looked like a closed pop up, but then after sort of barging in, realized it was a-okay.

I scuttled up to the Eric Anderson prints like a crab on fire! Bat? Er. The cross-section of the Belafonte caught my eye. Sadly, I couldn't part with the cash, even though I was informed that Eric Anderson was wandering around and would sign it for me. The tea looked interesting but not that interesting. Waris wandered past dreamily and said hi with a huge grin on his face.

Fin.

Sunday was lazy and productive. (Clean laundry! Clean bathroom!) The Jets were playing, so the boyfriend and I staked out some barstools at Brooklyn Bowl and commenced drinking too much. The Blue Ribbon food was insanely good—we got the BBQ wings and some monstrosity called the "Rock and Roll Fries," which is fries topped with two types of cheese and gravy. Hng. I've already begun a detox, never you worry.

Beach Fossils performed and we bopped along until it was time to go home.

I think I need a weekend after that weekend.