Igloo Glow

If you're ever in Finland, you can book a stay in one of the glass igloos at the Hotel Kakslauttanen, which are perfect for viewing the northern lights during winter. The igloos are built with special thermal glass that doesn't get fogged up and keeps you warm. Can you imagine lying in bed and looking up at that sky? I wonder if they'll bring you room service.

[spotted on: enpundit; photos courtesy of: Hotel Kakslauttanen]

Weekend in Photos

The weekend was filled with a list of to-dos or more accurately to-eats. Jonah and I finally made it to Pok Pok. The Portland restaurant, beloved for their fish sauce chicken wings, recently opened up a spot here in New York. The place is tiny and was packed, so we enjoyed their fantastic wings, coconut rice and pomegranate drinking vinegar on a bench outside. Shivering in the cold, fingers covered in sticky sweetness, but totally worth it. We saw The Artist, which was completely delightful, with some friends and enjoyed refreshments afterward at Brooklyn Winery, and on Sunday, I tried my hand at pretzel-making, an involved, but decidedly rewarding process. How was your weekend?

Thoughts of the Week

How to make your own diamond necklace.

I wish my kitchen was filled with this kind of cuteness.

Poland was just added to the must-see list.

Baked hot chocolate...say whaaaat?

There's something magical about the first snowfall of winter.

Poppies!

Wearing dad's glasses can be both sentimental and stylish.

Portlandia gets me every time.

The dead of winter calls for lemon and mint.

Also, I finally made a Facebook page for The SoHo. Would you do me the honor of liking it? I'll love you forever. Happy Friday, friends!

Lovely in Lace

I think black lace and wintertime go together so nicely. It's chic and romantic but still looks season-appropriate, and I love the idea of pairing a black lace dress with a brightly-colored suede shoe.

[spotted here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]

Best Thing I'd Never Heard Of

My one venture out of the hotel and into Salt Lake City last week was a food tour led by Lindsey of Cafe Johnsonia. The first stop was a fantastic bakery called Les Madeleines, and we tasted their specialty, kouing aman. I'd never heard of kouing aman and had no idea how to pronounce it, but man, I'm glad I was introduced. It's a traditional pastry from the Brittany region of France, and it's kind of like an amped-up croissant, crunchy and caramelized on the outside with a sort of a gooey sweetness happening in the center and lots of buttery, flaky layers throughout. Hungry yet? I ate one on the spot, brought two home and wished I had more when they were gone. Everything else in the bakery looked delicious, but these were worth the trip.

Bright Idea

I recently came across a Nashville-based Etsy shop called Southern Lights. They produce beautiful vintage-style lighting, and you can even work with them to design your own. Maybe it's time to get my lamps somewhere other than Target.

Lessons Learned at Alt Summit

me, Old Sweet Song, The Lil Bee and You Are My Fave hit up the Smilebooth

I spent the last few days at the inspiring and overwhelming Alt Summit in Salt Lake City. After a canceled flight left me stranded in Detroit on Wednesday night, my arrival to Salt Lake was all the more anticipated. The conference is held at the beautiful and enormous Grand America Hotel. So much information, so many awesome parties and so many talented, sweet and funny people all in one place. I spent most of my time taking notes, collecting business cards, trying to dress cute and eating a whole lot of chocolate. Here are my takeaways:

1. Be yourself. It's about the blogger, not the blog.

2. You can never have too much sparkle or too many photo booths.

3. There's always more you can do, so don't be discouraged. Just make a list and start checking things off (with the new pencils and notepads from your Alt gift box).

Off to Alt

I'm heading to Salt Lake City today to attend Altitude Design Summit for a few days of all things blog. I'm packed, a lot of stripes and sequins are involved, and very excited. You'll hear all about it on Monday. Until then, friends!

Ladder Leanings

I really hate standing on ladders, which is all the more reason to fill them with books or hang them from the ceiling. "Oh, sorry. I can't reach that top shelf, and my ladder is busy being awesome." Problem solved.

[spotted here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]

Weekend in Photos

It was one of those weekends all about food. It seemed like our first real blast of winter in NYC, so casual, comforting meals were the perfect reward for the icy gusts of wind to the face every time you stepped foot outside. Friday night, Jonah and I had dinner with friends at Tipsy Parson, which involved pimento cheese, grits and hush puppies. On Saturday, we wandered around downtown Manhattan, stopping at Parm for calamari and chicken parm sandwiches and La Churreria for churros dipped in thick chocolate sauce and espresso poured over condensed milk. Sunday was a little more cozy, homemade pizza and chocolate chip cookies to go along with the Golden Globes.