Serendipity III {Girls Night Out}

I don't care what people say, Serendipity III is just one of those places you must go when you visit NYC.  And it's loved by locals too.  Their desserts are absolutely fabulous, and I love everything from the menus and marble tables to the Tiffany lamps, oversized clocks, and kitchy decor.

I feel like a broken record saying this yet again, but I don't love anything more than I love the sundae with mint chocolate ice cream, hot fudge, and whipped cream. The Forbidden Broadway Sundae (you can also get mint chocolate ice cream for a bit more variety) is incredible, and any of the frozen hot chocolate varieties are amazing.

My mom and sisters were in town at the beginning of the month, and after a slice of Patsy's Pizza across the street, my husband took the kiddos home so we could enjoy a girls night at Serendipity and Dylan's Candy Bar.

Royal Wedding Party {4.29.2011}

Our Royal Wedding viewing featured fabulous free printables by Design Editor, $4 worth of red and blue balloons and crepe paper, with a menu of sweet crepes, fruit, orange juice, grapefruit juice, and Perrier.  Not quite sure why the menu looked more French than British,  but hey, all the decor was red and blue. Wait, that's French too.  Guess I should have taken my Grandmother's advice and put tiny little British flags in each crepe so they at least looked British. Good thing our home decor is largely centered around photographs and decor from our favorite places in England. Since England is such a huge part of our history and home, I didn't have to do much to make it look festive.

I hardly took any photos of the details, so for once, I'll underwhelm you with photos.

(and p.s. for my NYC friends who have little boys Ella's age, Ella has assured me that our next party will be a summer Yo-Gabba-Gabba party so that she can invite some boys. Stay tuned).

Best Belgian Treats NYC {Pommes Frites + Wafels & Dinges}

Ever wished you could fly to Belgium for waffles and fries?  Well, you need only come as far as NYC.  If you close your eyes and take a bite of either of the delectable treats I'm about to share with you, you just might think you're standing in the middle of the Grand Place in Brussels, or gazing down a beautiful canal-lined street in Brugge.  These spots are my favorites so far, but if you know of any other fabulous locations featuring Belgian fries or waffles (especially a pommes frites place closer to me on the UWS), please let me know!

Pommes Frites {if you're craving something savory} is located at 124 3rd Avenue (between 7th & 8th). I am in love with the traditional Belgian mayo, but we tried the truffle flavor too and it was fabulous. Thanks to Ann for showing me the way to this gem. I'll be back soon...

Wafels & Dinges {if you're craving savory or sweet, but mostly sweet} is a traveling food truck (or cart) and you can find their schedule and locations HERE.   The traditional Belgian waffle with strawberries and whipped cream is heaven.   Try the spekuloos spread, it kind of tastes like graham crackers, and it's delicious.  Their ice cream is amazing too, especially when you add a bit of Belgian chocolate on top. Yum.

I love this city.

 

Happy Birthday Shout-Outs {Birthday Decorations with Personality}

 

For Kyle's birthday this year, I collected one-line greeting from some of his nearest and dearest. I then wrote them out in little conversation bubbles and stuck them all over the houses to greet him and wish him "Happy Birthday!" as he got ready for work. They were all over the place- in his sock drawer, in his closet, in the bathroom, on his bottle of cologne, in his wallet, on the milk carton, you get the picture. Part of the fun was making him guess who-wrote-what.  Even with only one line, he guessed most of them correctly, but he'd have to wait to find out! 

When he got home from work, I had collected all the little bubbles and added the owner's picture to their words and used them to decorated our table and his cake. It was a fun way to have the birthday boy spend a little face time with people who were thinking of him on his special day.

And I can't get over our resident artist. She's so creative...

 

G Family Portraits {in Central Park, New York City}

Meet the Gorgeous family. Ok, that's not their real name, but let's be honest, it probably should be! Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous.  This session was magic from start to finish. The weather was perfect, the lighting was perfect, and it was an absolute pleasure working with this family.  We fed ducks, enjoyed the blossoms, picked dandelions, and these girls got an extra special surprise when mom pulled some props for them to play with out of nowhere.

Shortly after this session you could have found me singing and dancing with joy in the Central Park Sheep's Meadow. I was that happy.

Last shot of the day. Love it.  

City In Bloom {Spring in NYC}

Spring has finally sprung here in NYC (though it is rainy and cold at the moment. boo), and I've loved capturing the trees and flowers as the blossom.  If you know NYC well, you'll recognize that these images are from the Upper West Side, the Upper East Side, and the West Village...