"The Best of NYC" Quest

So this past Saturday afternoon I surprised the Hubs' with a "Foodie Adventure" right here in our backyard NYC! I researched the top 6 places to get Lobster Rolls, a summer classic and one of our personal favorites, created a "walking tour" list, grabbed my camera and we hit the road!
Our first stop was Mary's Fish Camp on Charles Street in the West Village. I fell in love the instant we walked in! Its tiny and adorable, with a stainless steel topped bar, vintage artwork,

and an open kitchen. The two girls working behind the counter were bubbly, sweet, and engaging...The kind of place you could hang out all day drinking beers, chatting with friends, and sampling ALL of the different dishes on their scrumptious menu!

On a scale of 1-10 both Sam & I gave the Lobster Roll a 7. The hot dog bun was buttery and golden brown, and the huge pieces of lobster made each bite exciting!
For presentation the Hubs' gave them an 8 out of 10, where I gave Mary's a 5 (It looked fab, but didn't blow me away)


We both gave Mary's Fish Camp "bonus points" for the awesome shoe string french fries that came with the Lobster Roll, as well as the beautiful, crisp pints of Ommegang Witte, which in my book is the PERFECT pairing for this dish.

Mary's Fish Camp, the first stop on the Samily Family NYC "Best of" Foodie Walking Tour - Lobster Roll, got a total combined score of 33 out of 40!





We love Mary's Fish Camp and cannot wait to go back!

Stay tuned for Stop #2 Ditch Plains at 29 Bedford Street!

My Fav Cocktail of the Week

Living in NYC and working in the 'Adult Beverage' Industry, I come across a lot of "drinks" "cocktails" and "concoctions" This cocktail, "The Pineapple Cinnamon Mojito" featured on the menu at the Rose Bar at the Gramercy Park Hotel is absolutely to die for!

Sailor Jerry Rum shaken with muddled fresh pineapple, mint, lemon juice and topped with cinnamon foam!

Carlo Pieroni Pin Up

I love that her pumps match her grill!!

Wednesday Dinner

It's a perfect night for grilling!

What we ate...
Grilled Marinated London Broil (marinated in one of the Hub's fav beers Brooklyn Brown Ale)
Sauteed Spinach & Baby Portobello Mushrooms
Caramelized Red Onions
Baked Potatoes with Garlic Butter

What We Drank...
Ommegang Abbey Ale
Perrier Mineral Water

These are a Few of my Favorite Things...

I love New York City, but on days like today, when its 104 degrees in the shade and everyone is in a ROYALLY bad mood, my friend A and I play this game...We BBM back and forth lists of things that make us happy and hopefully will be a regular part of our lives once we move to the country...

Feathering the Love Nest

So here I am, up to my eyeballs in Crate & Barrel, Williams Sonoma, Pottery Barn & Bloomingdales boxes. My friends and family were overly generous with gifts from the Engagement Party, Bridal Shower, and finally the wedding. I have more platters and glassware, kitchen gadgets and Waterford Crystal that any girl could ever dream of! I am literally salivating with the thoughts of starting to entertain...Dreaming of crisp linens, fabulous cocktails, bunches of fat hydrangeas, and a table surrounded by close friends laughing, smiling and breaking bread. The problem is, there are literally ceiling height stacks of boxes containing all of my beautiful treasures, and i have NO PLACE to put them!
The Hubs and I moved into our new place back in December, and haven't really "made the house a home" We've been so wrapped up in wedding plans that plonking down the furniture and unpacking our clothes has been the extent of our "decorating" Not a picture on the wall or a curtain to be found. (There are blinds..I'm not that bad!) "Let me just get through the wedding" was my explanation. Well, I got through the wedding, and now its time to tackle the "feathering of the love nest"

I know what I like, but I'm always afraid my vision won't translate, and my home will end up looking like a post college apartment. I'm a married woman, and want my "Grown Up Apartment"
I want to keep everything crisp, clean, and not fussy. I'm in love with the white/blue/yellow combination for my "great room" that includes the kitchen, dining and living room.

Living room Inspiration

I just love this photo and can picture the Hubs, Prinny (our 7 yr old Shih Tzu) and I living here comfortably! It's bright, cheery, "done" but not fussy. I'm approaching my decorating much like I approach fashion, "You can't always have the expensive dress, shoes, and bag, but you can often have the clever dress from H&M and the Jimmy Choo Shoes." (Domestic Bliss by Rita Konig)

So alas, my hunt my hunt begins... Thank God I live in TriState Area and have every store known to man within a 10 minute drive! I'll update photos as the design progresses.

Master Bedroom Inspiration

Guest Bedroom Inspiration

Happy Homemaker Tip

Real Simple Magazine is my Bible...It is such a joy when I open my mailbox to find the over sized brightly colored publication! The photographs, the stories, the tips bring me joy! I appreciate the reality they speak of in their articles like, "How to Fake a Clean House"
When it comes to cleaning my house, I can vacuum and dust all day long, as I listen to my mix of Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney...But I DREAD the bathrooms. Yuckity Yuck Yuck YUCK!
My Aunt always tell the story of a dear friend standing outside of Mass on a Sunday Afternoon, "Gert, what are you plans for the afternoon?" "Joan, I'm going to go home, strip down to my underwear and Clorox the entire bathroom." I wish I had that sort of gusto in me! I love the look and smell of a sparkling bathroom, who doesn't!?
I was so excited and relieved when I stumbled across this "Speed Clean Your Bathroom Checklist" courtesy of Real Simple Magazine! My competitive nature is sparked and I time myself to see how fast I can really get through the process! Take the time you saved and do something nice for yourself...a 15 minute at home facial is my treat!
Real Simple also has an in depth "Complete Bathroom Checklist" that I use once a month to really get the job done! I've printed both checklists out, and placed them back to back in a plastic page protector, and keep them in my bathroom cleaning supply caddy (I know I'm a dork). This way I never skip a step and my bathrooms remain our little sanctuaries! Happy Speed Cleaning!

Magazines on my Coffee Table

Books in my Book Shelf

The Next Chapter

On June 26th 2010, I became a Mrs. marrying my love & best friend "the Hubs" I have always believed that I was born to be a wife and mother, and am ecstatic that I have just embarked upon the most fabulous journey of my life.
Although I have always been somewhat skeptical of blogging "Why do I care what's going on in your life...I've got my own problems" and "Who and why would anyone, especially strangers, care what I have to say" have often come out of my mouth. But alas I succumbed and have started writing to share my journey as a new wife (even if the only people who read this are my future children).

I've often thought that I was born in the wrong era, as I deeply believe in the traditional roles of husband and wife, household and family. The good ol days of Ozzie & Harriet and Donna Reed - kitten heels & aprons, milk in glass bottles, lavender scented linens, and Sunday Roasts. Homemaking making makes me happy - when I have the time to do it. To me there's no better feeling than waking up early and surprising "the Hubs" with yummy french toast/bacon breakfast, or creating fresh flower arrangements for my house from cheap stems I found at a corner deli in NYC.

I'm excited to take on the challenges of being a wife, and all of the rolls of responsibilities that comes along with that! I plan on taking this next year, the first year of my marriage, to figure out who I am as a wife & partner, and continue the celebration of life, love and happiness we felt throughout our wedding weekend in Rhinecliff, NY.