Song Sentiment

I could go a little crazy when it comes to song lyric art, like cover-a-wall-crazy. It's amazing the nostalgia and happiness just a few words can evoke, and it's tough to choose just one or two songs. These prints from The Oyster's Pearl aren't making my decision any easier.

[prints found here; lyrics courtesy of: Tom Petty, The Avett Brothers, The Beatles and John Prine]

Weekend in Photos

We stayed in the outer boroughs this weekend. We had a Brooklyn day with our pals Bethany and Jerod, starting off with a yummy brunch at Reynard in the Wythe Hotel. I'm still thinking about my Dutch baby pancake topped with gruyere, prosciutto and blueberries. We wandered Williamsburg, stopping by Smorgasburg, cute shops and Mast Brothers Chocolate (free samples!). Then on Sunday, Jonah and I headed to Astoria for chicken and waffles at Queens Comfort and visited the Museum of the Moving Image to check out the Breaking Bad exhibit. Unfortunately (or fortunately?), no photos of Walter White's underwear were allowed, but the rest of the museum was a lot of fun for two pop culture nerds.

Modern Mix

I'm a sucker for nostalgia, so when the folks at Milktape sent me one of their USB cassettes, I immediately fell for its charm. I've loved making mixtapes and CDs ever since I was old enough to operate a boombox and actually pride myself on my mix-making ability. I'm pretty particular when it comes to choosing songs and, just as importantly, the order they play in. Milktape holds about 15 songs and is a fun blend of modern technology (it's so easy to drag and drop) but still has that same homespun quality of an old-fashioned mix. It's a bit pricey at $15 but would make a cute gift for that special friend who needs a lesson in classic rock.

Lovely Love Songs

Happy Valentine's Day! Here's a little playlist of some of my favorite songs about love. What's your favorite love song? Note: Kiss from a Rose is not an acceptable answer. Sending flowers, music and love your way today. 

Oscar Party: Best Picture Eats

The Oscars are in just over two weeks, and I'm a total geek for award shows. Last year, I managed to come up with a pun-filled menu using all the Best Picture nominees. Warhorseradish, anyone? I figured if I could do it again this year, I should invite people over. It all started with Silver Dollar Linings Pancakes, and it just grew from there. So here's a breakfast for supper menu with nine Best Picture puns should you decide to have an Academy Awards get-together. Then we can be giant dorks together.

[Photos and recipe inspiration: strawberry, lemon and basil mimosas; cinnamon toast French toast; oven-made bacon; baked breakfast sausage; shallot-mushroom quiche; silver dollar pancakes; antioxidant fruit salad; salted brown butter crispy treats; chocolate zucchini cakes]

Weekend in Photos

This weekend, we had a much-anticipated meal at Red Farm. The last time we tried to eat there, they said it would be a two to three hour wait and we said, "Peace out." This time, we got there when they opened and had a fantastic early dinner, complete with Pac-Man dumplings. I went jeans shopping, which was surprisingly painless, and played with Christmas gifts. And on Sunday, we had friends over to watch the Golden Globes and eat chocolate cake. What did you think of the Globes? Tina and Amy were awesome, I just could have used a lot more of them.

Armchair Traveling

Today's guest post is from Shoko of Sho and Tell. I like to think she has her finger on the pulse of all things quirky and whimsical. Her blog consistently makes me smile and think about things in a new way.

I caught the travel bug in college, after going to India (my first big international trip without my family) the summer before senior year. Since then, I’ve taken a road trip through Eastern Europe, taught math and English to schoolchildren in Cambodia, milked goats in New Zealand, visited cat cafes in Japan, and devoured buttery lobster seaside with my hands in Martha’s Vineyard.

My travel wish-list for the future is lengthy, but my work schedule at the moment makes the possibility of taking a big trip unlikely - for the next few months anyway. No matter - I’ve found there are ways to explore the world that don’t involve the purchase of plane tickets. Some of my favorite books (A Fine Balance, Paris Trance, Travels With Charley) and movies (Lost in Translation, Darjeeling Limited, The Motorcycle Diaries) are transportive. And experimenting in the kitchen with exotic recipes from around the world is one of my favorite ways to travel without leaving home (check this out for inspiration).

It may not be quite the same thing as getting on a plane, but for now, it’ll do. Are you an armchair traveler, too?

Gamer Girl

Other than nostalgia for Mario Brothers and Duck Hunt and the occasional Wii battle, I am not a video game kind of girl. But lately, I find myself borrowing my husband's PlayStation 3 to play the recently-released Journey. It's about a faceless creature's trek through a sandy desert to a mystical mountain, and I like to think of it as the yoga of video games. It's goal-oriented but also beautiful and calming. In an equally stunning game produced by the same company in 2009, you get to be a flower petal and roam through fields gathering other petals. I had no idea video games could be so pretty -- or feminine. Watch trailers for both games below.

Weekend in Photos

It was a fun, relaxed weekend. Jonah and I had a date night on Friday, then went on a little shopping spree at Grand Central Market. We had wine and sandwiches with friends at Milk and Roses on Saturday and a few people over to watch the Oscars on Sunday. I went a little nuts with the themed food and before I knew it, the Best Picture nominee puns were out of control. To top off the award show fun, I won Amy's Oscar Pool! I don't which I'm prouder of, my win or coming up with War Horseradish.

Poster Imposters

I love these re-imagined movie posters by Claudia Varosio. Just so charming and clever. I think the last one is my favorite because the way Meg Ryan orders food in When Harry Met Sally cracks me up every time. Happy Friday!

Awesome People with Dogs

I was spending too much time on Awesome People Hanging Out Together the other day (which is fantastic if you've never checked it out), and I thought to myself someone should create a site about awesome people hanging out with their awesome dogs. Sure enough, someone went and did it already, and it's as awesome as I suspected it would be.

Side note: My family has always owned Old English Sheepdogs, so any time I see a picture of Paul McCartney with one, my heart turns to mush. Did you know The Beatles' song "Martha My Dear" was inspired by Paul's dog?

[all photos spotted on celebrities and their dogs: joanne woodward and paul newman; cary grant; ryan gosling; elizabeth taylor; blake lively; alfred hitchcock; goldie hawn; paul mccartney]