A 2012 Musical Roundup

It's that time of year again!! Ladies and Gents, the 2012 DJ Earworm Mashup...

2013 is just around the corner.

Hope everyone is enjoying the last few days and getting in those New Years resolutions!

The Voice's Tribute for Sandy Hook Elementary

Everyone in the country is still trying to make sense of the horrific tragedy that occurred on Friday in Newton, CT.  Words can't express how sad I am for all the families who lost their loved ones, many of which were children.  In one of the most touching performances I've ever seen, the Voice opened tonight with a tribute to the victims of Sandy Hook Elementary.  It will leave you in tears.  

Hold your loved ones tight!

Wine and Dine: Shroomtown

Well hello there world, it's been awhile! Yesterday I took my last final and got a much needed break from the craziness of work.  To celebrate, Shana threw a fantastic wine tasting party! Okay, so it wasn't really for me.  But, it was just what I needed - fun times with all my closest gal pals.  For the occasion, I made goat-cheese stuffed mushrooms to pair with my wine assignment, Cabernet Sauvignon.  Although I didn't come out the winner overall and was stripped of my crown, {good job AGK} I thought these made a great appetizer! Nom-Nom

Ingredients
Olive oil
3 slices white sandwich bread
1 small garlic clove, coarsely chopped
1 log (5 ounces) soft goat cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves
1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
Coarse salt
2 packages (10 ounces each) white button mushrooms, stems removed

Directions 
- Preheat over to 400 degrees. Lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet.
- In a food processor, pulse bread and garlic until fine crumbs form; set 1/2 cup aside.  To food processor, add goat cheese, parsley, and red-pepper flakes.  Season with salt, and pulse filling until combined.
- Spoon filling into each mushroom, and roll filled side in reserved breadcrumbs.  Place on prepared baking sheet; bake until mushrooms are tender and lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes.

*Thank you Martha as always.

End of night.  #somuchlove

It's the Freakin' Weekend Babyyyy

It's been weeks without Tuesday Tunes, so I'm throwing in a Friday special :) Have a good weekend!

Stubborn Love by The Lumineers

Let Me Love You by Ne-Yo

Intro by The XX

Every Chance We Get We Run by David Guetta & Alesso

Holdin On by Skrillex and Nero

And, as a bonus for all you Beliebers out there, Motorola is sponsoring Justin Bieber's tour and they are giving away free tickets to his shows here in NYC (Barclays center 11/12 and MSG 11/28 & 11/29) and a trip to his final show in Miami 1/26.  If you want to win tickets, tweet your love for the Biebs at #RowMLive.  All the details are here.

This never gets old {stop judging}

Frankenstorm Sandy...

Pitch black Lower East Side of Manhattan and flooded Williamsburg

The last few days have been horrific here on the East Coast.  I was lucky to be safe with friends bunked up in Chelsea during her wrath and had no serious damage.  Unfortunately, many people I know and thousands more weren't as lucky.  Walking around New York is heart breaking right now.  All of the southern part of the island is without power, people are walking/sitting in traffic for hours in order to get to work, visitors are stranded, and young kids everywhere were deprived of their favorite holiday of the year.  This doesn't even compare to the damage throughout New Jersey and other places on Sandra-D's direct path.  In times like this when we need to come together, and keep those sprits high!  One easy way to do it is to donate or volunteer.  Check out the American Red Cross for the disaster relief information or visit Time Out New York to find other available opportunities.  Hope everyone is staying safe... I <3 NY!

{Images from my Hurricane Sandy experience}

Power center at Centro, Kara's Bootcamp at Centro, the crimpled crane, intense game of Scrabble, rising water at the Hudson, making puppy chow, putting together a nice little spread, Naked Cowboy still entertaining stranded tourists, my bell man and I hiking to the UWS

Cause I've Gone to Carolina in my Mind

It was a fantastic weekend in Charleston, to say the least.  We celebrated the nuptials of one of my very first friends at IU and I got to see my best friend from Atlanta and her family. If you haven't had the opportunity to travel to Charleston, you should immediately.  It is breathtaking!  You get the feel of a historic charming Southern city, as well as having the beach at your finger tips. 

Rehearsal dinner, morning snuggs, butterfly and flowers at the farmer's market

The Katzenthal's rehearsal dinner was in the barn at Boon Hall Plantation in Mount Pleasant.  It could not have been more perfect.  There was an incredible view overlooking the Cooper river, an acoustic guitarist, yummy Southern cooking, and everyone shared their hysterical and touching stories of the beautiful couple. The wedding took place at the William Aiken House in downtown Charleston the following day.  The garden was the perfect back drop for such a romantic occasion.  Every detail of the wedding was perfect (including the custom cloth napkins that matched the invitations!), thought out, and so Judith.  One of the most gorgeous and fun weddings I've been too.  Congrats Ju-Ju bean and Tony!

The rest of the weekend was spent anxiously awaiting the arrival of baby Gitter, who decided to stay holed up a bit longer.  I got to play with my favorite twin, Caroline, explore the farmer's market, and ate delicious meals at Al Di La, Black Magic and Nirlep.  Lyss lives steps from Folly Beach, so we spent Sunday relaxing and soaking up some rays.  It was absolute heaven. Hope y'all had a good weekend as well!

Folly Beach and the Cooper River bridge

My buddy and me

If you are ever in Charleston, here are additional restaurant recommendations:

Basil {strongly endorsed by Ju and Morgy}

Cru Cafe {Lyss' favorite}

FIG 

Hominy Grill

Husk

Mustard Seed

Tuesday Tunes

If you need a break from the awkwardness of this debate or the hilarity ensuing on Twitter, thanks primarily to Aziz Ansari, check out these tunes!

• Hot Like Sauce by Pretty Lights

• Flesh and Bones by The Killers (Jacques Lu Cont remix)

• Diamonds by Rihanna

• Mountain Sound by Of Monsters and Men 

• Sweet Nothing by Calvin Harris (ft. Florence Welch)

Weekend Snapshots

Here's a peek at what I was up to this past weekend {through the eyes of my iPhone}.  Hope y'all had a good one!

Wine and tapas at Osteria Cotta with mi ladies...

...1st birthday party for this adorable lil munchkin...

...a conversation with Christian Louboutin at the New Yorker Festival...

...drinks and dinner at Vinatta Project and Village Lantern to see our friend yuck it up...

 

...topped it off with a trip to Hoboken to check out the Landy's amazing new home!

Tuesday Tunes

I hope everyone had a nice Columbus Day!  It's another rainy Tuesday here in NYC but it can't put a damper on my excitement for Charleston this weekend.  I get to see one of my first friends at IU get hitched, and hopefully there will be an appearance by Baby Gitter ;)  In the meantime, here's some music to get you through the day.  Also, all of you should go see Perks of Being a Wallflower.  Besides having a killer soundtrack, it relayed a beautiful message about self acceptance and the power of friendship.


New Order by Temptation
 

On Top of the World by Imagine Dragons (This was a hard choice because the entire album is amazing.  For the full album you can listen here)

Give Me Love by Ed Sheeran

Madness by Muse

I Need Your Love by Ellie Goulding (ft. Calvin Harris)

Fall into NYC

There's always an array of things to do around NYC.  With all the different choices, its hard to keep up with everything and then *POOF* you miss the event, concert, exhibit, etc.  To keep track of what I'm looking forward to, and for ideas of things to add to your own list, here is my fall to-do list in the city.

•  The New Yorker Festival {October 5th - 7th}
• Diwali Festival of Lights at the Southstreet Seaport {October 7th}
• Dialog in the Dark Exhibit at the Southstreet Seaport
• Tatzu Nishi's "Discovering Columbus" Exhibit {through November 18th}
• "Regarding Warhol, Sixty Artists, Fifty Years" at the Met {through December 31st}
• Spa Week {October 15th to 21st} : $50 massage? Yes, please.
• New York Comedy Festival {November 7th-11th}
• ING New York Marathon {November 4th}: Watching.  Not running.  Hopefully in 2013!
• "Our Global Kitchen: Food, Nature, Culture" at the American History Museum {November 17th}
• NYC Ballet at Lincoln Center
• Radio City Christmas Spectacular {November 9th-December 24th}
• Apple picking
• Go to a show at Joe's Pub
• Painting/BYOW class: Paintalong
• MoMA PS1 Sunday session
• Check out a Brooklyn Nets game at the new Barclay's Center
• Cheese tasting at Bedford Cheese Shop

Concerts I'm Jones-ing To Go To:

• Beirut {October 6}
• Ellie Goulding {October 11}
• The Walkmen {October 18}
• The Weeknd {October 15}
• CMJ Music Marathon {October 16-20}: Talib Kweli, Kimbra, Mountain Goats &  more
• Mike Snow {October 19}
• Justice (or Jooooostice depending on your state) {October 21}
• John Legend {October 29}
• Walk Off the Earth {October 31}
• Martin Solveig (November 10}
• Matt & Kim {November 15}
• Kreayshawn Presents Group Hug Tour{November 15}
• Of Monsters and Men {November 20}
• The Who {select dates from November 14-February 21}

Looks like I've got quite a lot to accomplish in the next few months.  I'll let you know how the progress goes, and let me know if you want to join in the fun or have additional recommendations!

{Thank you Time Out New York for many of the great ideas, such a great resource of fun)

Tuesday Tunes

Here's some sweet music to start the new year, and fun stuff to help make you through the fast! And, of course, one in anticipation of our beloved Avicii concert on Thursday :) Happy 5773!

 1) I Won't Give Up by Jason Mraz 

 2) A Thousand Years by Christina Perri

 3) Dancing on My Own All Night Long by DJ Schmolli (AC/DC and Robyn mix)

 

4) Stay with You by Avicii ft. Mike Posner

5) Zombie Nation by Kernkraft 400

Tuesday Tunes: I Love Ameri-cuh and NYC

It's hard to believe that the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, a field in Pennsylvania and countless Americans were forever changed eleven years ago today.  I remember it like it was yesterday, and I never could have imagined that I would be living in this great city six years later. These songs always remind me of how proud I am to be a New Yorker, to be an American and of that day.  Also, there was a touching article yesterday in Forbes magazine, Fifty Important Lessons New York Taught Me,  that can be applied to just about anyone, click here to read.

America by Paul Simon & Art Garfunkel 

New York State of Mind by Billy Joel

Fire & Rain by James Taylor

Overcome by LIVE (I listened to this on repeat for weeks after 9/11/01, warning its a tearjerker)

Empire State of Mind by Alicia Keys and Jay-Z (obvi)

I'm Proud to be an American by Toby Keith

#NEVERFORGET

NYFW: Fancy Footwork

Any day of the week, the streets of NYC are a fashionistas very own catwalk.  But today, with Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in full swing, celebrities, editors, buyers, bloggers, and stylists flocked specifically to Lincoln Center in their Sunday best and we were there to take it all in.  With so many people, it was evident that visitors were doing their best to stand out in the crowd but it was the shoes that really stole the show.  Here's a peek at the NYFW Lincoln Center runway at Tracy Reese and DVF.

{The Shoes}

{The Gents}

 {The Ladies}

{The Celebs}
Not pictured, but spotted, Bravo's Andy Cohen. 

Andre Leon Talley, Editor-at-Large of Vogue

Valentino, enough said

Happy Fashion Week!

Oh, and obviously, my two favorite fashionistas...

Tuesday Tunes...Wednesday Edition

Sorry it's been almost a month since my last post, I know how much you must have missed me ;)  It pains me to use one of my least favorite phrases, but, it's been a busy few weeks.  Hopefully I'll be able to do one big catch up post and then get back to our regular scheduled programming.  There is no rhyme or reason to this batch...just some good ole' {but actually new} tunes. Happy Hump Day!!

1) Skinny Love by Bon Iver

2) Pound the Alarm by Nicki Minaj

3) I Will Wait by Mumford & Sons

4) Flowers in Your Hair by The Lumineers

5) Heard You Were Walking in Paris by Peace Treaty/ESOT/Jay-Z & Kanye (Hardwell Bootleg)

Tuesday Tunes: Loosin' Up the Ears for Lolla

What's better than thousands of sweaty people jumping around for twelve hours to blaring music?  Nothing!!  We're heading to Lollapalooza in Chicago this weekend, and I could not be more excited!!! Here are some of the tunes I'm most looking forward to hearing.  Turn them on throughout the weekend if you want to have a piece of the fun.  Since I'm double excited, it's double the fun with ten songs instead of five.

1) I Won't Be Found by The Tallest Man on Earth

2) Right Thing To Do by Sbtrkt (ft. Jessie Ware)

3) Take a Walk by Passion Pit

4) Lost in my Mind by The Head and the Heart

5) Stars by Fun.

6) Thinking About You by Frank Ocean

7) Shake It Out by Florence + the Machine

 8) Simple Song by The Shins

9) Only You by Kaskade (ft. Tiesto and Haley)

Last but not least, love of my life...

10 (A) Silhouettes by Avicii

...and because it never gets old
10 (B) Levels by Avicii (Skrillex remix)

Book Ends

It's been a while since I did any book reviews and I've managed to knock a bunch out this summer.  As you can see by their classifications below, it's pretty heavy in the chick lit department.  What can I say...feeling very emotional this summer :)  If you just want to skip to my recommendation list in order of preference, go to the bottom.  Happy reading!

A TALE AS OLD AS TIME

The World to Come was one of the most interestingly written books I've read in a while.  I felt like I was in the midst of a story telling session youngsters often get from their elders, which makes sense since it was based on an old Yiddish tale.  The intertwined story spans every part of time, from a 1920s Jewish orphanage to a present day art heist.  It teaches readers that every action, big or small, has a consequence.  The book took me a while to get through, but once I was done I was glad I read it. 

WHO DONE IT?

For book club this month, after seeing numerous rave reviews from various publications, we settled on Gone Girl.  This book was the definition of a page turner, I couldn't put it down.  Not following a typical mystery structure {crime > investigation > caught > done}, it unveiled the culprit mid-novel and the ending was completely not what I expected, a difference that was refreshing.  I can't say a lot without giving away the story, but, I can say, you must read this.  Next up, Stay Close. I grew up reading my dad's James Patterson collection and I could tell right away by the cover that this would be in the same realm.  It has all the ingredients for a suspenseful read: Atlantic City setting, an ex-stripper masked as suburban mom, a Mardi Gras killer, all the good stuff.  Not nearly as exciting or satisfying as Gone Girl, but if you are in the mood to strap on your Olivia Benson hat and easily solve a crime, this is a good option.

PASS THE TISSUES

I honestly cried reading each one of the next set of books.  All of them touched me in their own way, dealing with the subjects of death, young children with terminal illness, adoption and loss of family.  A great showing by all these tearjerkers.

The Red Book was a essentially a grown up version of "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants", minus the Levis and Blake Lively {thank goodness}.  The four main characters of the story return to Harvard twenty years after they've left, reflecting on where they've all come since their college days. Each returning graduate submits their "life update" in the school's red book, and the central theme is that things aren't always what they seem.  The ending left me in hysterics and puts everything in perspective for the reader.  Overall, it was a good, easy read and although it was depressing at some points, the characters were much more developed and interesting than a typical chick book.

Okay, so maybe this one is more YA lit rather than adult, don't judge. The Fault in Our Stars was a touching story of two teens, Hazel and Augustus, who met at a kid's cancer support group.  It's a story of survival, emotional strength and relationships.  I wouldn't recommend it if you aren't mentally prepared for a heavy book, but the lessons it teaches leave you with an all new appreciation for life and loved ones.

The next book was more heart wrenching than it was sad or depressing.  I Couldn't Love You More is set in suburbs of Atlanta {plus one for that}.  It is centered around Eliot, who lives with her partner, Grant, his two children from his previous marriage whom she helped raise, and their own daughter.  Ironically, her first love appears back in her life, which is followed by an unfortunate turn of events.  What happens after is left for you to find out, but it left me with heart pangs.  This is a must read.

Maybe it's because the Olympics are starting, or maybe I just love the author, but Gold was phenomenal.  It's about three cyclists in England, Kate and Jack who are married and struggling with the overpowering desire to get the Olympics and the survival of their daughter who has leukemia, and Zoe who struggles with her inner demons and lack of family.  The book is filled with all sorts of complex elements and character lines that left me in a jumble of emotions.

Last up was Emily Giffin's new book Where We Belong. I've been looking forward to this book since her last one came out two years ago as her stories are always engaging and relate-able.  This one didn't disappoint in either department, sucking you in from the very beginning. Like all her books, it's told in two character's point of views: Marian, a successful television producer living in New York City, and Kirby, her daughter she gave up eighteen years ago.  I appreciated this one more than some of her other books because she steered away from her typical love triangle and let me torn about what I would do in the character's situation. 

AWKWARD CHUCKLING ON THE PLANE ENSUES

As one of the primary writers for The Office, it was no surprise that Mindy Kaling's {a.k.a. Kelly Kapoor} book Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me was just as funny as a Thursday night with Dwight and Jim.  Everything in this book was so spot on.  It reminded me of an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm, calling out the random, hilarious things that happen in real life.  Best chapter: My Favorite Eleven Moments in Comedy, the image of Liz Lemon crying out of her mouth gets me every time.

CURRENTLY READING: Heartburn by Nora Ephron

Recommendations in order:
1. Gold by Chris Cleave
2. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me by Mindy Kaling
3. Gone Girl by Jillian Flynn
4. I Couldn't Love You More by Jillian Medoff
5. Where We Belong by Emily Giffin
6. The Red Book by Deborah Copaken Kogan
7. The World to Come by Dara Horn
8. Stay Close by Harlan Coben
9. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Weekend Snapshots: The Bess Wedding

Westport, MA

This weekend we traveled around New England for the nuptials of Jess + Ben.  The entire weekend was incredible, to say the least. We stopped in Boston to see the Goods, roamed Newport with the Weiss', took in the beautiful sites of Westport and Falls River, and most importantly got to see one of our beloved sushigirls marry the man of her dreams!  There were so many smiles, moments of laughter and love...

Our stop in Newport...

  

...a night out in Westport {never dull}

Time for some wedding fun...

WE LOVE YOU JPP!