Dessert at Balthazar

Balthazar is one of those classic New York restaurants that’s meant for people watching and expense accounts.  The crowd consists of a wide array of diners, from Euro tourists and businessmen in suits to locals and even wealthy families with babies in-tow.

The menu’s price point far exceeds my max spend so I thought it’d be the perfect spot to grab dessert after dining down the street at Osteria Morini the other night.

I ordered the homemade strawberry sorbet and homemade banana ice cream.  Thinking about it now makes me realize that I may have to make another trip down there before I leave New York.  Both flavors were just so good. There was a small mishap, however.  I notified the waiter and he felt terrible, which then made me feel terrible.  No more than two minutes later, the manager rushed over and offered Mike & me champagne and dessert on the house.

Yes, the prices may be astronomical, but you can’t complain about the service.

coach ups the ante

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COACH must have finally gotten the memo that the fashion world was just not that into them.  How do I know this, might you ask?  They are currently pulling out all the stops with classic pieces and are beginning to shy away from the glaring monogram that so many turned their noses up at.

Well-played, Reed… Well-played.

Never in my life have I ever walked by the COACH store and felt compelled to try on a pair of shoes… until now.  The spring shoe collection is major and their Fall Preview didn’t disappoint, either.

I’m presently obsessed with these, these and these… now do we think these are all too high/inappropriate for Charleston? I mean, most of my shoe collection is just that, so one more pair of inappropriate footwear can’t hurt, right?

see scallops

1. Equipment blouse  |  2. J.Crew Collection skirt  |  3. Chloe sunglasses  |  4. Isa Tapia sandals  |  5. Necklace 

6. J.Crew swim top  |  7. Kate Spade bangle  |  8. Topshop top  |  9. J.Crew dress  |  10. Dorothy Perkins clutch

mint condition

1. H&M blazer  |  2. Ray-Ban sunglasses  |  3. Tibi sandals  |  4. Rebecca Minkoff clutch

5. Vince Camuto necklace  |  6. Rebecca Minkoff sunglasses case  |  7. J.Crew shorts  |  8. C.Wonder boxes

9. GiGi phone/card case  |  10. Bonne Terra sham  |  11. Manolo Blahnik pumps  |  12. Carven skirt

Update: Sergio Rossi Suede Pumps

I’ve never purchased a pair of  Sergio Rossi shoes before, but I loved these from the get-go and have been searching high and low for a pair of forest green suede pumps for two years.  So when I discovered these on THE OUTNET on-sale and in my size, I had to take the risk and add them to my virtual shopping bag.

Verdict:  Just as beautiful as I had hoped.  The heel is super thin but the bottom is a tad bit wider which makes me think they won’t be too difficult to walk in.  Since they’re suede, I’ll have to scotch guard before wearing, but so far so good.  Regardless, you can’t really complain all that much when you get such an amazing deal.

Carolina in my mind…

I haven’t been sleeping much recently.  The fear of the unknown is keeping me up at night and my mind is racing at record speeds.  My to-do list is growing by the minute and I can’t shake the feeling that I’m forgetting something.

Maybe what I’m forgetting here is a feeling…  I’m forgetting how badly I’ve wanted to up-and-leave New York.  To try something new.  Move down south.  And move to Charleston.  This is what I’ve been wanting, and I need to keep reminding myself of that (see here, here, here and most importantly, here).

For as long as I can remember, James Taylor’s “Carolina in my Mind” has given me goosebumps.  It makes my eyes well up every.single.time…  Now, more than ever.

In my mind I’m gone to Carolina.  

Can’t you see the sunshine?  

Can’t you just feel the moonshine?  

And ain’t it just like a friend of mine to hit me from behind?  

Yes, I’m gone to Carolina in my mind…

Moving day is steadily approaching and Carolina will no longer be in my mind – it will be a reality.  All I can do now is hope that this life-altering event will make my life that much more special and exciting.  When I begin to overthink things, I feel my heart race, my body tense up, my throat close… This is certainly one of those times where I just need to hold my nose, and jump!

all prints on Society6

B&B

I have been so preoccupied these past few weeks that I completely forgot to write about my delicious experience at Burger&Barrel!

My friend and I had been talking about going here for months and we finally made the time to stop in for dinner to try one of their famous burgers.  The concept of a burger/wine bar is unbeatable and their burgers were pret-ty tasty…

Beaver Creek Weekend

I can’t believe it’s been two weeks since I’m back from my couples ski weekend in Beaver Creek.  Although the trip was a mere two weeks ago, the time has flown by and it already feels as though it’s been months.

Spending four days in Colorado made me realize just how much I miss the mountains and the scenery out west.  The views are spectacular and like nothing you’ve ever seen before, and it’s hard to believe that you’re even in the United States.

We had two amazing days of skiing – the first was warm and sunny and the second was a bit colder, but the fact that we were making our own tracks in the fresh powder was worth the drop in temperature.  Four of us also had a chance to go snow tubing which I had been looking forward to for weeks, so you can imagine how excited I was about that.

As expensive as ski weekends are, we were able to do it on a budget and even managed to squeeze six people and about twenty pieces of luggage (plus skis) into one Suburban.  We ordered in pizza one night and cooked another.  We were also fortunate enough to have an amazing place to stay that was steps from the chairlift  (I’ll never be able to park and walk again!).

The trip was a great success and made me realize why my family pretty much quit skiing altogether once we moved back to New York.  Without a doubt, the snow is definitely best out West.

Update: Tommy Hilfiger Wedges

I first stumbled upon these Tommy Hilfiger wedges on Piperlime and they appeared to be a steal.

Seventy-nine dollars.  Under $100.  A.K.A. no sales tax when shipping to N.Y.C.

When was the last time you could ever find a pair of shoes like this for under $100?  

Well, Tommy Hilfiger must have seriously changed the way he makes his shoes because I purchased a pair about 10 years ago that are still in one piece and I am fairly certain that these wouldn’t last 10 years days.

Verdict:  These are going right back… Parts of the shoe were already coming un-glued and the straps are definitely not leather.  You certainly pay for what you get in this case.

Schiller’s Liquor Bar

I’ve been itching to go to brunch at Schiller’s Liquor Bar since I moved into the city, so what better time than the present?  Mike and I decided to venture downtown for an intimate brunch date and Schiller’s did not disappoint.  We couldn’t go wrong with the eggs benedict, warm sticky bun, donuts and blood orange mimosas.  I also love the fact that their wine list is broken out into three categories: cheap, decent & good.

The bill, however, was very disappointing.  I suppose that’s what happens when the brunch deal isn’t bottomless…?