Cafe Habana

What can I say about Cafe Habana, except perfection! This tiny little cafe packs a lot of punch into their teeny tiny little space. Everything from the music, the decor, and the staff was perfect. The entire staff that works there are extremely gracious hosts and make you feel right at home from the moment you step inside. I managed to take a few pictures of the deliciousness before I had to put the camera away and just enjoy the food. What you are looking at here are two of their amazing appetizers, Grilled Corn, Mexican style, with chili pepper, lime, and cojita cheese! This is THE best corn I have ever tasted! And of course I could not pass up the tostones, which my mom makes a mean version of as well! Lots of delectable items on the menu to chose from, please go there some time!!!

Rue B

This is one of the cutest little jazz bars I have ever been to. (Thank you, Michael!) Everyone is squeezed in to here to enjoy the atmosphere but somehow everyone is also comfortable and has a place to sit. They also have quite an inventive cocktail menu, with ingredients such as blood oranges, guava, and bee pollen! I also adored all the photos lining every inch of free wall space...

Trio

And how could anyone resist this cute trio waiting outside Gimme! Coffee?

Admiring New York Treasures

It's hard to go inside when you are in New York, because the city is so absolutely enthralling! We managed to make it in to a few museums though. One we had planned to see for sure was the Neue Gallerie, home to some rare works by one of my favorite artists Egon Schiele. I have long admired the work of this artist and studied a lot of his pieces when I was in art school only I had never seen one of his pieces in person and it was definitely a dream come true. The lines and colors of his work are truly inspiring.

We were able to make it in to the Gagosian Gallery to see a very intimate show of photographer Sally Mann's work and an exhibit of Cy Twombly sculptures! We were also so lucky to wander into The Met as we were really looking to get out of the rain for a bit and get a hot drink of some sort. A complete stranger came up to us and gave us two tickets to enter the exhibits!! She had disappeared in to the crowd before we could barely get the words thank you out! So, Thank you!!! kind woman wherever you may be!!! We were able to see Vermeer's masterpiece The Milkmaid as well! A picture could never describe the quality of light this Dutch Master can portray on canvas! A very rare treat to see this piece in person!! As we wandered from room to room we came upon masterpiece upon masterpiece...it was never ending! We stumbled into this Van Gogh room, the largest collection I have ever seen! Here is Michael admiring some pieces...

We were also lucky enough to see these stunning Manet's, another one of my favorite painters!! These portraits are atleast 5 x 8 feet! They actually radiate light! (Sorry for a little bit of blur, I did not have a tripod.)

Of course we admired some of the iconic architecture of the city such as Frank Lloyd Wright's Guggenheim building. Did you know that originally he wanted the building to be bright red?

The Whitney Museum by Bauhaus trained architect Marcel Breuer:

And even though we have all seen pictures of this, I had to admire the Apple Store on Fifth Avenue. It almost disappears in to the background. From down below inside the store you can see the historical Plaza Hotel. I love the juxtaposition of the grand and old fashioned Plaza seen through the glass of the ultra modern Apple Store by architects, Bohlin, Cywinski, & Jackson:

ABC Carpet & Home

WOW! Where do I even begin to describe the awesomeness that is ABC Carpet & Home. This magical place is located in Midtown Manhattan near Union Square. It is a 6 story dream dedicated to magical homewares. I was only able to get a few pictures in before I think the store peeps thought I was perhaps taking photos for a competitor or something of the sorts. I really wanted to photograph the whole thing but alas I refrained as I was scared to get the boot. The pictures of the rugs are completely unaltered. The ikat rugs, patchwork rugs, and single dyed rugs were my favorite! They really are that bright and vivid, maybe even more so in person, if that is even possible. Plus, check out those Madeline Weinrib textiles in the bottom picture! I have only ever visited the website and dreamed of one day seeing it in person...here are a few pictures to enjoy!

Doorways and Facades, New York

Here are some shots of some of my favorite door fronts and building facades that we saw in NYC:

Central Park in the Fall

Street Art

Here are some shots of some of my favorite NYC street art. And the one of the doggie I could not resist, shot as I was quickly walking by just because it looks like a certain you know who....(Sadie, my pup, for those who aren't sure)!

New York City!

We made it back from New York, safe and sound (and somewhat dry). It rained a bunch the first day we were there but for the most part it was dry. We had an amazing time and walked all over Manhattan for more than 8 hours a day, phew! Here is a picture of one of the first things I saw when we arrived in Penn Station. I thought it was quite interesting they were having a long conversation through the subway gate. He had a meal that she brought him and then they just kept talking for quite some time. Many more pics to come....

World of Interiors-October

I love this beautiful cover from October's World of Interiors featuring the Paris apartment of American Vogue's Editor at Large, Hamish Bowles.

Speaking of Fall

I just have to comment on these amazing boots and cute outfit that are perfect for fall worn by Jane Aldridge of Sea of Shoes fame. They are pretty ridiculous, and I mean that in the best possible way! Boots by Martin Margiela. Both photos from Sea of Shoes by Jane Aldrige.

both photos by jane aldridge

Architectural Elements

I have always loved this beautiful home in Montreal, Quebec. I used to walk by it all the time and imagine what it was like in its heyday. I still think it is quite beautiful in its current state and have always loved its architecture and colors. With a little love this place could be a dream. The image beside it is of the Westmount Flower Conservatory also in Montreal. It is a beautiful and tranquil place that I would spend many an hour walking through. It is attached to the historic Westmount Public Library. I will post some images of the library another day. Here are also some pictures of some facades I loved in Montreal as well.

Happy October

I know I have already mentioned how much I love Fall, but...have I mentioned how much I love Fall!!!? September is a wonderful month but October is when it really starts to blossom into full on fall. I love that pumkins are arriving in stores, pumpkin patches are being set up, leaves are starting to turn, and one of my favorite holiday's of the year, is right around the corner....Halloween!! I can't wait to set up the front porch for our trick-or-treaters! In the meantime I will be visiting some pumpkin patches and taking in the last of the beautiful dahlia's at Golden Gate Park!

Hallway Redo

I also repainted the little hallway between the office and bedroom yesterday. It was kind of a weird purplish color that just never felt right. I repainted it in the same color as the back room, and definitely think it has a more striking effect. Today I am going to work on a little before and after project on the hallway closet. I think it is going to take me a little longer than planned. I will post before and afters when I complete it! Wish me luck!

New Roof

Here are some pictures of our roof. Before, during, and after. Last winter, our first winter in the house, we had some leaks in the house. Every time it rained I had a little more anxiety. There was also a random chimney still left on top of the roof. A big pile of bricks just adding to the not so great roof definitely did not help ease the nerves. Well, the pile of bricks is finally gone, and all the patches have been fixed! We even got new skylights! I definitely think this is going to be a more peaceful winter and rainy season! Our next step will be to paint the exterior of the house. I think we will start with the trim. The new roof looks oddly out of place now...