the fat radish.

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On Saturday Jessi, Mady and I headed to the Lower East Side for brunch at The Fat Radish. I’ve heard great things about The Fat Radish for a while now, so I was excited to try it for myself.

Upon first walking in I instantly loved the cozy and rustic vibe – beach-like, almost.

Then I took a look at the brunch menu and was pleased to see it all fit on one page. From my experience, the shorter the menu = the better the food.

I was right.

We started with French press coffee, and the girls got some cocktails – a Lemongrass Bellini for Mady and “the world’s best Bloody Mary,” according to Jessi.

The girls both ordered the Cloth-Bound Cheddar & Potato Cake – with market brussels sprouts, bacon, poached egg.

I went with the seasonal Pumpkin Pancakes with candies pecans and a maple bourbon glaze.

Both dishes were delicious! I also loved how their portion sizes were…well, normal. No food baby after this meal. The only complaint was the poached egg on the potato cake was a bit overcooked, which I’m sure could’ve easily been fixed by request. Overall, we enjoyed a great meal and will definitely be going back soon.

What’s your favorite brunch meal?
Do you usually go for savory or sweet?

beauty booked.

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On Wednesday Jessi and I attended the launch event for Beauty Booked – a new website that allows you to search for and instantly book beauty appointments.

Jessi was invited through her blog As Good As Its Guests and I tagged along (we’re kind of a two-for-one blogger deal, clearly). The launch was at Caudalie Spa in the city’s landmark Plaza Hotel. It was an intimate event of about 50 guests, where we mingled, snacked, and watched a brief video introducing Beauty Booked.

In addition to learning more about Beauty Booked, guests were pampered with mini eye treatments, oxygen infusion treatments, and hand & foot massages.

…We went the massage route.

So, what’s Beauty Booked all about? From their website:

Beauty Booked provides members with insider access to discover and book the best salons and spas in NYC (more cities soon).Through Beauty Booked, you can:

  • Search a curated assortment of salon & spas by name, availability, service, location and/or price range
  • Book salon & spa appointments instantly, for free
  • Discover tips & tricks and read reviews from top beauty experts and other Beauty Booked users
  • Earn reward points that can be redeemed for future beauty services.

Love this concept! I’ve definitely become that person who prefers to book things online instead of calling, so this is right up my alley. I’ve already booked my first appointment – a complimentary facial at Caudalie Spa (courtesy of Beauty Booked) – and can see myself using it again in the future.

After the event we took the opportunity to roam The Plaza a bit since it was my first time there. Even though I’ve lived her for almost two years, I love still finding myself in those priceless New York City moments…
Do you think you’d use something like Beauty Booked to book your salon/spa appointments?

 

all the elements.

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There are a handful of elements that make for the perfect weekend, if you ask me.

Friends. Family. Relaxation. Good food. Good weather. Adventure…to name a few. The past few days somehow managed to squeeze all of those in.

After a long day of work and meetings on Friday, a night in with my two best girl friends was just what the doctor ordered.

On Saturday Jessi and I got up bright and early (by New York standards, at least) to bop around the city and go to brunch. I took the perfectly crisp yet sunny fall weather to rock my new Varsity Blues jacket from Necessary Clothing, which they were kind enough to send me last week.

How fun is this jacket?! I paired it simply with a gray v-neck, Flying Monkey skinny jeans, and boots (also from Necessary Clothing). I’ve also been loving pulling my hair back in a clean ponytail for an easy yet chic fall look.

We ended up at 44&X for brunch, which is definitely a new favorite spot. We started with the complimentary homemade corn muffins with butter and jam. For my meal I got their Irish oatmeal – with cinnamon, bananas, steamed milk, maple syrup reduction - and a (ginormous) side of thick cut bacon. Crazy good.

We spent the rest of the day relaxing, watching movies, and snacking on this new gem of a find.

My “perfect” weekend definitely got a wrench thrown in when I had to go to the doctor’s office last minute after noticing a red line going up my foot, starting at a small cut on my toe. It turned out to be an infection that I needed two antibiotics for, but I didn’t let a little misstep like that ruin the rest of the day. Not one bit.

After a quick run home we got all dressed up in our Saturday’s finest.

Our destination? The Feast Pavilion Party – a wrap up of the Feast Pavilion art installation that took place on Friday and Saturday.

At the party they did a showing of Girl Walk // All Day – a feature-length dance music film shot in the streets and public spaces of NYC – and it. Was. Sickening.

Seriously – you have got to see this! Or at least watch the trailer. It made me re-fall in love with New York all over again, and the dancing and music is beyond rad. We rounded out the night by stopping by Westway, for what ended up being a great Saturday from start to finish.

Yesterday I took an early train back to Pennsylvania for church and to spend a few days with my family. Have I mentioned how much I love train rides?

It’s been so nice getting to spend time with my family, and I’m blessed to live close enough to enjoy another day or two with them! So pardon me while I do just that before starting the work week…

What are your makings for the perfect weekend?

everything’s better in the fall.

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That’s right – I’m one of those people who will not stop going on and on about how I’m obsessed with this season and everything about it.

The main reason I love the fall is because it’s just so…cozy. The city also seems to get a refreshed sense of being alive and expectant.

…And then there’s the clothes. Layers upon layers upon flannel. Yes please.

And there’s the food. I’m not just talking about pumpkin, but also hearty lunches like an apple, walnut, and gorgonzola salad.

Brunch with my girl friends is especially good with the addition of pumpkin scones, spinach & cheese strata, and a Dulce de Leche French toast bake.

And then there’s the weather. Ohh, the weather. Yesterday’s mid-60s made for the perfect evening for the Global Citizen Festival in Central Park.

I guess the only thing that doesn’t change with the seasons is fun nights out with the best of company.

Now I’m off to enjoy this gorgeous fall Sunday. Brunch, church, and maybe a tad bit of shopping is on the agenda…

What’s your favorite season? Favorite thing about autumn?

rewind and fast forward.

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Considering our launch party was the first large-scale FreelyBe event, you’d think the week leading up to it would be a complete nightmare of stress of problems. That’s what I was prepared for, at least. But thankfully…despite a few mishaps here and there…things were surprisingly smooth.

On Wednesday I made the selfish move of taking a few hours to get my hair done at John Barrett Salon. Hey, the host has gotta look her best, right?

Then on Thursday Jessi and I headed way uptown to Costco and Target for party supplies (x10).

It was a long day, but nothing a little coffee and a well-done list couldn’t solve.

Speaking of lists, have I mentioned how much I love them? Because I like, really do. Throw some bubble wrap in the mix and you’ve got an instant stress reliever. Trust me.

Friday was pretty much a blur. In addition to loading and unloading the car about five times, setting up the actual event, and going back and forth to Brooklyn for more equipment…

Well, let’s just say by the time Jessi and I had to walk 25 blocks home to get ready for the event (thanks to the daily disaster that is NYC rush hour traffic) nothing could phase us. We made it back just in time to train our staff, tie together all loose ends, and start the party.

…and party we did.

…and just like that, the FreelyBe launch party became a wonderful, couldn’t-have-been-better memory.

After a few months of planning, I’ll probably still be in “unwind” mode for another day or two. Watching lots of movies has helped, as well as cupcakes and a cozy Monday Night Football get-together with my friends.

So…what now? I’d be lying if I said it didn’t feel weird to move on from working on our website and launch party, which is what has consumed FreelyBe for most of 2012. This week/season is definitely one of transition – a transition that I’m excited to make. I can’t wait to see what FreelyBe (and thus my life) turns in to, and it certainly doesn’t hurt that this is all taking place during my favorite season…

So here’s to change. Here’s to newness. Here’s to not really knowing what the next day, month, or year has in store…and being 100% okay with it.

What’s the last life transition you made?

first look at the freelybe launch party.

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We did it!

FreelyBe is officially launched, and we couldn’t be more thrilled about it. Our launch party on Friday was a huge success, and we can’t thank our amazing sponsors, staff, and guests enough for being a part of it.

Here’s a sneak peek at some of the photos taken in the One for the Book photo booth at the event.

{Check out the rest of the photos on the OFTB FreelyBe Launch Party Facebook album}

One for the Book is a portable event photography studio that combines the fun of a photo booth with the quality of a professional studio, and produces the sexiest damn guestbook you’ve ever seen.

We couldn’t agree more. Learn more by visiting the OFTB website.

…more photos/updates from the event to come! But for now, I’m going to be glued to the couch for the rest of the weekend. Enjoy your Sunday!