#watercolorwinefest

Over the weekend I was lucky enough to host some great friends at my apartment for a little wine and a little watercolor painting, lovingly dubbed #watercolorwinefest. I am by no means an expert in the art of anything, much more of a serial dabbler, so I was unsure of how my little workshop would turn out. However, since wine was involved, I did know it would at least be fun.

The Art of the Staycation

As a young working couple, it has been pretty impossible to find the time for a legit week-long vacation that works out for both of our schedules. To get to that elusive compromise place, we decided to do a long weekend away at Lake George so that Nick could get back to it on Monday and I could resume my time off with a little staycation (more on amazing Lake George to come). 

With my cheesy tourist tee on and a little coffee in hand, I present to you the art of the staycation:

Weekend Snapshots

It's been quite the shitstorm around here lately - in the very best way possible - which has kept me on my feet and away from my keyboard. To catch you up on a few things, I lost all self-respect during this heatwave and bathed in a public water fountain, wore more top knots than Nick could handle and less clothing than appropriate for work. Or for ever.

Also on the clothing topic, I'm fairly certain there are no good outfits for falling down stairs, but I had the distinct privilege of finding out what falling down an entire flight in a bathing suit is like. It was at the Empire Hotel rooftop lounge and it was graphic. Thankfully, I had an onlooker verbally rush to my aid with an "oh god!" before sauntering back over to my friends with both my pride and bikini misplaced. 

I did, however, get to see some of my favorite beauties this weekend which reminded me to post this batch of overdue weekend snapshots from our Central Park picnic:

A Couple of Restaurants to Add to Your "Must Eat Here" List

If you're like me and keep a running list of those restaurants people mention in passing that "you HAVE to try," then I have two to add to yours while in NYC. The first is Barbounia, a sunny Mediterranean spot on 20th and Park with an extremely generous brunch deal. I popped in with my little sister when she was in town last weekend and we got unlimited champagne cocktails (bellinis for us, mimosas for Nick) which were filled up by the waiter before we ever finished a glass.

We had the Trio appetizer with the Hummus, Tzatziki and Spicy Feta dip - they are all super tasty but the Spicy Feta is crazy amazing. 

Event Survival

Officially survived my event Tuesday night armed with the essentials: a healthy case of the caffeine shakes, a tight dress and a certifiable crazy person smile. We were able to raise money for a great cause and have a great time together as a staff while doing it. And I love the dynamic of events - how everyone takes on a role so different from their day-to-day one. It really allows you to get to know and trust your co-workers.

I have to admit that my favorite part of event planning is always choosing the decor and seeing how pretty the room looks when it all comes together. It dictates the entire mood of the evening and, in this case, we were aiming for uplifting with Springy whites and greens with sparse pops of pink and yellow in the bouquets. To quote my amazingly talented and humble florist, it's hard to make an ugly flower this time of year, but the peonies, hydrangeas, lilies and tulips were perfect.