Food, and Fabric!

Summer is all about walking around and eating everything in sight. That, and window shopping! Some new food obsessions, as of late...

Picket Fence. Want some good old fashioned, American comfort food? Look no further! Off of the Cortelyou station on the Q train, only a 20 minute walk from my apartment. They have a lovely outdoor garden in the back, which is great for summer. Service is slow, but they are not in a rush to kick you out, unlike most Manhattan locales. Strongly recommend the mac and cheese and the apple turnover.

L&B Spumoni Gardens. For Sicilian style pizza lovers, this is your heaven. I prefer the regular pizza, with lots of sausage - it's always crowded with people coming in after their little league and not so little league games, but it adds to the character of the place - everybody there has a very thick Brooklyn accent. Different from your typical New York transplant crowd. Off of the Avenue U stop on the N Line. Very close to the Brooklyn Chinatown on 8th Avenue - strong recommendation to check out the Hong Kong Supermarket, and the fruit stands if you have a chance!

PinkBerry. Yes, they are taking over New York. Yes, it's overpriced. But, I love, love, love it! Similar frozen yogurt chains needs not apply. Pomegranate with double batch of fresh strawberries, all the way!

Rickshaw Dumpling Bar. I usually don't like fast food, but I have to admit that their steamed pork dumplings are pretty good. Never will be as good as Nice Green Bo's "tiny juicy buns with pork," but still acceptable, in a pinch...


Did you know that IKEA sells fabric?! I didn't, until last night when I was looking for a duvet cover for my bed. The fabrics are cute looking, and cheap! I don't know how sturdy they are, or if they are of good quality, but it looks promising.

Hurrah for Spring? Where is Summer?

Usually New York springs are non-existent - one day you come out of the house with wet hair and find your hair frozen by the time you get to the train station, the next day you are wearing shorts and a tank top. Not so, this year - we've had an extended rainy season, accompanied by sporadic changes in temperature in a single day. I don't know what's going on, and I don't know how to dress anymore! The moody weather has mirrored my somewhat disorganized life - some random points of interest as of late:

A new toy - the Nikon D40 that I got at a super reduced price through an online promotion at Ritz. I have a manual SLR, but a DSLR with auto focus is so much easier! I am so lazy. It's super light, takes great pictures, and with so many controls, you can make it as vivid or as subdued in color as you want. I tested my camera out at the famed Greenwood Cemetery in Brooklyn as a less crowded alternative to the Brooklyn Botanical Garden, which turned out to be great - the azalea bushes were in full bloom (see above).

Went to the first On the Rooftop event of the year. Pay $25 dollars for an all you can drink soiree on a rooftop bar overlooking Manhattan. I got my money's worth despite not imbibing any alcohol, because it's all about the gift bags you get at the end!

The job hunt is (hopefully) nearing an end. Got a call back after sending sooo many resumes out. Survived 3 rounds of interviews. Now they want recommendations from my current employer. Is this normal? If I don't get the job, I'm in huge trouble... grrr....

After my boyfriend broke my ceramic teapot for the second time, he got me a Cast Iron Teapot to ensure that he won't ever have to get me another teapot again... It's very heavy, but I love it more as time goes on.

Been in somewhat of knitting funk. Started too many projects and I've lost some momentum. Snatched up some more needles and yarn when The Point in the West Village closed down. I felt bad for the workers there - we were like a pack of hungry hyenas. At one point, I thought there was going to be fist fight, complete with animal fibers flying around everywhere - watch out for the knitting crazies! We are an interesting bunch.

Been drinking my coffee Vietnamese style, as I needed a change from my trusty Bustelo - I got myself some Cafe Du Monde and loaded up on the sweetened condensed milk. Is it good for me? Do I care?