Weekend in Photos

It was a lovely, little weekend. We went to Roberta's in Brooklyn for the first time and had some really fantastic pizza. I did some Austin research for our trip this week, baked a pumpkiny treat and worked up a spooky frocktail, which I'll share soon!

Life and Stuff

How's life, everybody? Next week, we're headed to Austin. We were just there in April, but Jonah has a work trip so we're piggy-backing a vacation onto it. I'm excited to eat bbq, visit our friends and get another look at Austin. It's all a birthday present too because on the 22nd, I turn 30! I'm actually not dreading it as much as I thought I would be. This week, my mom told me that she loved her thirties. As she said, "It means you're not just a punk kid anymore." I'm going with that philosophy. Besides, at 29 and 3/4, I've got no complaints.

Falling Leaves Pumpkin

My annual no-carve pumpkin tradition continues. This year, I gave my pumpkin a fall foliage look. You can just buy stickers, or like I did, create your own custom stickers with washi tape, wax paper and a leaf paper punch like this one.

Just lay a strip of washi tape across the wax paper, sticky side down, and punch out your leaves. Wider washi tape is easier to work with when it comes to fitting your shapes in. Then peel the wax paper off the back and place the leaves on your pumpkin.

Here's last year's pumpkin and the year before that.

Maple Milkshake

All that talk about maple candy yesterday got me thinking and led me and my brain to a maple milkshake. I never knew maple syrup went so well with vanilla ice cream. Feel free to play with the amount of syrup you add -- this version is sweet, but the maple flavor really comes through. Now onto thinking about chocolate maple milkshakes.

Maple Milkshake

1 1/2 cups vanilla ice cream
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup, grade B
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Blend ingredients until smooth. Pour into glass and drizzle with more syrup, if you like. Makes one large milkshake.

Pretend Party: Fall Picnic

Picnics and fall go together like me and maple candy. Here's a little inspiration should you decide to pack up a picnic basket and lay your blanket over the crunchy leaves.

[found here: picnic basket; pressed sandwiches; hard cider; plaid blanket; cheese; picnic utensils; maple candy; oatmeal cookies; vintage thermoses]

Weekend in Photos

We seem to be caught between seasons here in New York. Saturday was hot and humid, and Sunday was a drizzly fall day. We had a Brooklyn outing, taking pictures of street art, window-shopping and stopping in at Ovenly for our favorite peanut butter cookies. We saw Gravity, which was stunning, did a little Sunday brunching, and I napped on the couch while Jonah watched football. A pretty great weekend, just wishing it was a little longer on this dark Monday morning. How was yours?

Great Graffiti

As far as walls go, this one on Bowery and Houston Street is probably my favorite. The commissioned graffiti changes periodically -- here's a brief history -- but the current mural created by REVOK and POSE is particularly awesome. Every time I pass by it, I have to stop and stare.