East Hampton - Feast

So quite a treat for us on Saturday. Ginnie had arranged for Violet (an ever so sweet lady they befriended thru their local laundry/dry cleaners who got fired and they found a job for with one of their friends) to come out for the weekend. She is also a fantastic cook and spent the day preparing a feast. I took photos of everything but only the fish came out ok. There is one shot of half the feast, but its not a very good one - just helps give you an idea. Violet is with Ginnie, Al and Connor in the photo. How adorable does Connor look?

East Hampton - Pumpkin Patch

It's pumpkin season over here so there are pumpkins everywhere. We went to Ginnie and Al's house in East Hampton for the weekend and one of our little outings was to this kids pumpkin playground. Very sweet.

New Purchase

I've mentioned this earlier but haven't managed to photograph it yet and saw Caroline's comment asking for a picture. we love it. Base is cork if you can't tell. Found in a second hand shop - great price and in great condition. Got a great lucite chandelier too but it's in the box. Will photograph when we hang it (eventually!).

Apple Galette

All about apples here at the moment. So many different kinds available at the farmer's market. Yesterday I made this galette and yesterday, I pretty much ate it all. Have a tiny sliver left for afternoon tea. Yum. Bit of apricot jam glaze on top. Looks bad in the picture but looks good in real life!

What's in the Box

This morning, the door bell rings and Mr UPS is there with this huge box. 'What can it be?' i thought. Anyway, imagine my horror when i saw the contents. What a big box for such a tiny hat - wasteful packaging drives me insane. (Love the hat though).

I sat next to a lady on a plane who was reading of her books and laughing like a hyena. Literally crying. She said I had to get the book and I did. I didn't find it quite so funny. I was in the book store yesterday and I saw her new one. Thought the title was funny. What say you?

Liam and Hamish

Anna just sent this photo to us - it's from our Bangkok visit in 2007 - pretty much this time last year (Nov). Aren't they delightful. I think that's Liam on my lap but not 100% sure (difficult as you can imagine).

Endless Sofa

A bit of fun. Apparently sections zip together so it can be as long (or short) as you like. Me like. You like?

It's miserable here today. Properly cold. Can't wait for Oz. I'm liking the look of this coat though. Would be nice and cheerful in winter. From J.Crew. Will have to keep my recessionista eye's peeled for when it -inevitably -goes on sale. OOh they have a divine cashmere coat too. But not recessionista chic at $2000!

Fire Fire

So, we were watching TV last night and i saw a fire ball from the corner of my eye. Thought it was just an eye thing, but Nick saw it too. So, we went to the window to investigate and saw the apt across the road on fire. Quite horrifically scary. And there were people in the apartment directly to the west of it. Don't know if they didn't realise how bad it was or just wanted to stay. That was so scary I had to ring 911 to tell someone that they were there. Anyway, it went on for ages, and it makes you realise how brave firemen are. They were in the apt and directly above it as bits of building were literally flying off. The buildings look so robust but you can see from the 'after' photo, the extent of the damage.

Photos really don't capture what it was like but still worth sharing.

Apple and Pear Pie

I made this the other day and it was quite delish. Well, i didn't make the crust, so really just the filling but pretty yum. Ate the whole thing myself in 2 days. In fact on Wednesday, I had pie for breakfast, lunch and dinner. And then some Indian around 11pm. I wonder why I don't lose weight.
I am on a pie kick, and now have to do a savory one so Nick can also eat. Not sure if I will make the shell as the one I use is pretty good, but maybe I should given I have food processor and all. We will see.

I just saw this online and after that photo of Hunter covered in food, immediately thought this might be a good thing for him. Seems like a good idea to me. just wash it down and you're on your way. Not super stylish, but does the trick.

Found here in a bunch of colors/styles. Cheaps as chips. If anyone wants one, let me know and I can purchase.

Hunter Bergh

Boy, how they grow! I think Nick has that cardy. Looks pretty cosy.

Another lovely bedroom

Lovely I think. and again love the way the blanket hangs. Really want a bed with no end. Love the cupboard handles. Nice splash of color. Think i found it on Stylefiles.
(i know no one reads this but as i get a lot of my stuff from other sites and things i feel guilty not giving credit - esp if someone accidently found this blog)

Virgin Trans-Atlantic Sailing Record

For those of you who know Chris Coulson, he is actually part of the crew attempting to break the record. The boat belongs to a friend of his and Branson has come in to sponsor it. Exciting stuff. Go here for the story.

Holy Moly!

From curbed - a real estate blog:

(note that the address isn't even in Manhattan!!!)

What/Where: A $550/month room that's available on November 1 and is at the center of the hipster universe: Bedford Avenue & N. 7 Street.
Looks Good, Right? Uh...er...well...What's that line about a picture being worth a thousand words? No, that's not a Photoshop job. It's a motherfreaking bed and a dresser in a mid-sized bathroom. All right, we're summarizing and editorializing. Here's what the Craiglist ad says: "Room is approx. 10x8 (no windows). Room has private bathroom. There is no separation between bathroom and bedroom. Room is in basement. Private, no roommates. No kitchen access but you do have a mini fridge and microwave. Utilities are included. Located less than one block from L train, Bedford Ave and B61 bus. Please email some info about yourself along with how long you are looking to sublet for. (Optional semi-furnished)" For the record, we wrote the dude for more info and haven't heard back, but we'll definitely update if the landlord writes back, It is a short trip to the toilet if you need to hurl after a long night at Supreme Trading, and if it's projectile and your aim is good, you might not even have to get out of bed.
The Catch: Holy. Mother. Of. God. There's no kitchen!
· $550 BEDFORD AVE/L TRAIN (Williamsburg) [Curbed]

Kitchen

So, this is what we are thinking doing with our kitchen except we would have a marble counter rather than white. I love it. Would love to hear any thoughts or suggestions though.

Adorable

Love these. Found here and that sends you to the link. Too cute.

My Kind Of Helmut

I need to post a picture of my oh so lovely new bike but in the mean time I saw this helmut on another blog (cup of jo) and thought that it is exactly what i need. love the bike but hate the geeky helmut (but i do wear one). This is a nice fix, no? me want! Currently only available in Europe. Here but I think i must order before next summer.

Chewy Ice Cream

Sooo up my street. Got to try it.
ilili (236 Fifth Ave between 27th and 28th Sts, 212-683-2929)

and to learn more about this traditional Lebanese treat, read the article from Time Out NY here

Peacock

Kingwood, a restaurant in the west village, has one of these taxidermy peacocks. Sooo pretty. Imagine having one in your home. I would love it. Not sure what Nick would make of it.

Smiths

Local restaurant I haven't been to but want to:

smithsnyc.com
79 MacDougal Street
New York, NY 10012
phone: 212.260.0100
fax: 212.260.0188
info@smithsnyc.com

anyone been?

Amelie

Has started walking. And as she is practicing in almost a building site, I saw this baby helmut and thought of her.

Adrere Amellal Ecolodge

Nick has a special birthday next year and I want to plan something lovely. This is on the list. I think Nick wants Spain, maybe a driving trip, but I am always looking for inspiration. I must must must go here at somepoint but this isn't my trip, so Nick gets to choose.
It's in Egypt and I think it's pretty much perfect. So old world. No electricity, just candlelight. Also, it conjurs up memories of Morocco. Besides the diarrhea, and the flies that followed, that was such a great trip.

I love this. I saw it on apt therapy but it's from a Sydney apt. So interesting. Makes me want to take lots of photos and just steal this idea.

More Hooks

Given Wendy rejected the 'welcome' hook, i saw these on another blog somewhere. Some other cute options. A row of birds or trees might be cute? Maybe I get Baka one for her birthday?

Not Quite Clifford

...But a bloody big dog. You cant quite get the scale, but check out the seat behind it, or the size of the bike to get an idea. Freakin massive dog. I should have made Nick put his head by the dog. But Nick has a big head, so that may not have worked. anyway, dog is big.

For those of you with kids (and a car) - this looks practical. It's one of those shoe holder things. Would be good on the back of a door for kids too.
Saw it on ohdeeoh.com

Not Long Now....

1 month countdown to Oz..

Pretty Bedrooms

Some bedrooms I am loving. We are hoping to put our bed in the little nook area in the room. I think the screen in the third shot might make look nice. And how lovely is the bedspread in the first one. Loving it. Second is great, but not for our space. Last one would work nice with the space we have. Thoughts?

Super Natalie

This is from my friend Leigh. We went to dinner on Thursday for Lyndsay's birthday and much much fun was had. Anyway, we all know I hate having my photo taken - must change that as I probably only have about 3 photos of myself, and only about 1 with Nick - but this is one, and she made it a little special for me. (yes, that really is my man hand).

Go here to see it.

I occasionally like to write My Love little poems. Here is the one from this morning.

I love you to your core.
You are the apple of my eye and more.
My penetrating eyes, they bore.
I couldn’t love you more.

Magnolia Bakery

This is the one that is famous because of Sex And The City. I am not even sure why (did they just have a cupcake from there?). Anyway, without fail, day or night, there are always lines. And if you do the SATC tour (yes there is such a thing - Michelle Tyrrell did it when she was here recently and said it was fun), the bus goes by it and you stop and get a cupcake. Insanity. I myself am not one for cupcakes, but it's so crazy I though I would share. The picture is from another blog. Can't remember which one.

Camel Fair - Pushka, India

We went to this town when we were in India. A friend said it was the bee's knees. She was there during the camel fair (see below) and we weren't. It was the only place in India I didn't enjoy AT ALL.

but read about the fair. i wish we saw that. Who doesn't love a camel?
****
One of the most colorful festivals on the planet, the Pushkar Mela (or Camel Fair), in the small town of Pushkar in eastern Rajasthan, a 3-hour drive from Jaipur, is not only one of the world's largest camel fairs but also a Hindu religious festival celebrating the sanctity and richness of the town of Pushkar.

During the festival, this picturesque little town swells in population from 14,000 to 200,000, while 50,000 camels are sold, decorated, shaved, raced, and performed. You can join in the cultural competitions and don’t miss out on shopping for bargains on traditional clothing, beaded jewelry, woolen blankets, colorful textiles, and other locally-made items.

(from Area Daily)

This is a new building that is coming to Tribeca. Absolutely huge and so odd for the area as there really isn't that many tall buildings, as you can sort of sense from the picture. Very futuristic isn't it? I imagine Jetson-esque flying machines with it. You should see where they are doing it too (closer to our old apt), the plot of land looks impossibly small for such a tall building. Just wanted to share.