Longing

Yesterday morning when I stepped outside our front door I was greeted by cool, non-humid, sunny weather! It was merely a tease of the wonderfulness yet to come this fall, but it sparked a giddiness inside. I love fall; it is by far my favorite time of year. As I struggle through the bitter cold of winter (though New Orleans is notably less chilly than Virginia), I pine for warmer spring days, but all too soon they burst into the flames of the summer sun and I find myself back in the same spot: longing for autumn. Longing for scarves and football. Longing for the crisp mornings and changing leaves. Longing for pumpkin flavored everything and watching scary movies. I love the colors, the smells, the flavors, the temperature, I love it all! So as July winds down and I mentally prepare for the heat August is sure to bring, I am left longing for the next season...

Denham Springs

I have never been satisfied with the antique store options in New Orleans. Everything is super pricey and more focused on old, big furniture pieces. I am more of a 1920s-1980s era knickknack kind of girl myself. In an effort to find a shop more geared towards my preferences I clickety clacked on my computer until I stumbled across a blog post about the antiquing scene in Denham Springs, LA. This cute little town is located due east of Baton Rouge and featured an entire street lined with vintage shops!

I hit the road a few Sundays back, but under estimated the amount of time I could spend gazing at old things. In the few hours I was there I only made it down one side of the street! Now I need to plan a return trip, perhaps on a Saturday when the store hours are longer. 

I bought this clock but had to resist purchasing the nesting Pyrex bowls (because I already have a set!)

I hit the Pyrex jackpot in one booth. Lots of matching sets! 

One thing I loooooove looking at is vintage Pyrex. I am not sure what draws me to the heavy, glass cookware but I want it alllllll!

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

Sara, Andy, Zack and I went to a Zephyr's game last Thursday and proceeded to sweat through four hours and nine innings of America's favorite pastime.

$1 draft beer + hot dogs + baseball + fireworks show = feeling pretty damn American :)

Jersey Boys

Remember when I went to see Jersey Boys at the Prytania Theater the other week? And how I said it would probably be awesome live? Well, when in New York it seems only appropriate to see a Broadway show! Averill and I splurged and bought tickets (though I will say, they were discounted so we felt like we were getting a deal) to see Jersey Boys on Saturday night. 

Having just seen the motion picture version of this story I already knew the plot; it was fun to see the differences though between live and recorded performances. A lot of the script was identical and of course the songs were the same! I hummed "Sherry" for days after the curtains fell. I am so glad we made time to see this!

AndrewAndrew

On one of our evening outings we found ourselves at Morgenstern's Finest Ice Cream in Lower Manhattan. The popular sweets shop was very crowded but we noticed a set of guys wearing matching outfits. This was not a simple coincidence of jeans and similar color top, this was a full on, head-to-toe, exact same identical ensemble! They happily obliged when we inquired about a photo and then handed us each a business card that read "ANDREWANDREW" on one side and ".COM" on the other.

My curiosity was peaked so I looked these fellas up. Their website is interesting, but an article that the NY Times did a few years back provided a bounty of information regarding the duo. It is lengthy but worth reading if you too are interested in learning about this unusual pair. Can you imagine dressing like someone else for nearly a decade and a half? Eating the EXACT same thing as someone for seven years straight? Fascinating? Weird? Art? Pointless? I don't know.

Fancy Food Show

The reason for my trip to New York was to work Sucre's booth at the Summer Fancy Food Show. This is the third food show the company has participated in and my first time helping out. The show was held at the Javits Center and featured over 2,400 national and international exhibitors.

I was able to sneak off occasionally to check out other company's booths. It is pretty cool to see brands you recognize and try ones you aren't familiar with. Some of my favorites included:

 Empire Mayonnaise Co.: Hello bacon mayo! They are not available in any stores near me but thankfully they offer shipping through the world wide web.

Sel Magique: They combine fleur de sel, savory, marjoram, thyme and lavender in both milk and dark chocolate for a unique snack experience. I really liked the milk chocolate version and happily made a friend at their booth who hooked me up with extra samples at the end of the show!

Brownie Points Inc.: If their individually packed samples are indicative of the quality of their full sized brownies then I need to get to ordering now! I am not a popcorn fan but they have some fun sounding flavors like Pumpkin Pie and Wasabi Ginger. 

Jenis: Delicious ice cream that apparently is available within walking distance of my house! (Whole Foods down the street) They have a really cool brand and I love their website!

Hancock Gourmet Lobster Co.: Lobster Mac 'n' Cheese = yes please! I tried the gluten free variety but I am sure either version is equally as decadent!

Cocktail Crate: I tried their Spiced Old Fashioned mixer and it was super tasty! High end mixers made with fresh ingredients make indulging in a cocktail seem fancy!

NYC: My Notes

Throughout my time in New York I took a few notes in my phone of things that I observed:

• There are a lot of children riding scooters/skateboards. Perhaps this is a way to help them keep up with the adults without tiring their little legs?
• People were friendlier than I expected. New Yorkers get a bad reputation for being rude and in a hurry all the time, but my overall perception was positive.
• A lot of smokers :( Though smoking is not allowed in any bars or restaurants :)
• Subway system = certainly cheaper than taxis, slightly sketchier in that there is little to no cell service underground. Lot of travelers had headphones on or were reading a book/magazine. I took the subway to Brooklyn twice and if that were my normal commute I could see needing to find something to do to entertain myself for the 40-45 minutes. 
• Cab rides = possibly the most terrifying experience of my life. Jesus, Mary and Joseph those drivers live by the skin of their teeth! They zip in and out of other vehicles cutting people off and honking their horns just to get to the next stop light 2 seconds faster. My strategy was to just look down, not at my phone (for fear of getting car sick!) and try to zone out. I did not witness any wrecks and upon discussing the subject with Andrew was told that there are fewer collisions that you would suspect. Still stresses me out just thinking about it.
• Men in TriBeCa (which I found out stands for "Triangle Below Canal Street") wear suspenders and bow ties.
• I overheard a lot of conversations in different languages. I couldn't identify them all but definitely French, Spanish and Italian. 
• Citi Bikes are these blue bicycles that you rent from one of their hundreds of stands, ride wherever you need to go, then return to a stand convenient to you. Cool concept for transportation. Though I don't know how safe I would feel biking the streets of NYC with the lunatic cab drivers I mentioned above. 
• There were Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks on every corner. According to an article published in December 2013, there are a whopping 515 DDs and 283 SBs in the five New York boroughs! That makes DD the number one chain in the city. New Yorkers are never far from their coffee and breakfast pastries, that is for sure!

NYC: Stuff & Things

Between work I attempted to squeeze in as much fun as possible! This included hanging out with Brie and Andrew in both Manhattan and Brooklyn as well as trying tasty treats!

Baked By Melissa = the cutest mini cupcakes that are super delicious! I felt like we saw their stores everywhere we turned and I was ecstatic to learn that they ship nationwide :)

Andrew, Brie and I catching up at a bar in Park Slope 

Snacks at Eataly. I loved the cactus sprig on the raw fish...yum!

Also at Eataly was a massive Nutella room where one could purchase any number of size jars as well as indulge in a freshly made, warm chocolate/hazelnut crepe!

 What a flashy McDonald's!

 A delightful $18 drink at a rooftop bar :)

 Radio City Music Hall & a glimpse of Times Square

 The subway system

NYC: Looking Down

When I wasn't looking up I was looking down! There are so many interesting tiles underfoot. These were taken in bathrooms, restaurants, sidewalks, the airport, etc. 

NYC: Looking Up

I have never seen buildings as tall as the skyscrapers in New York. They're truly a sight to behold. As I walked the streets I found myself looking up a lot to admire the various architectural styles and snapping pictures along the way. 

Freedom Tower

 The Flatiron Building

 InterActiveCorp's Building

 Empire State Building + buildings near by

 Grand Masonic Lodge

I can see why the city is sometimes referred to as a "concrete jungle". It is easy to feel very tiny in between all of these massive structures. 

NYC: Overwhelming

For a work trip, I found myself leaving the Big Easy headed to the Big Apple last week. This was my first time in New York and my theme word for the entire adventure was "overwhelming". There was so much to see and so much to do! Below are some scenery shots:

NYC in the distance from the airplane

Skyline from the interstate

Statue of Liberty across the Hudson River

 

Sunset in Brooklyn

Stay tuned for more of my northern trip...