Weekend Bits

My fresh manicure courtesy of Valley Nails--the shade is Red by RGB nail polish.

As far as weekends go, this one was rather uneventful. I went for really long, meditative runs, I cooked a lot, I cleaned my little apartment, I spent some quality time with Suz, I read just about every word in the Sunday papers, and I worked a lot. We just launched a big Facebook contest for Valentine's Day with David Yurman today that is actually giving me lots and lots of faith in romance and love (just check out all the entries and you'll see what I mean). 

Beyond that, it was quiet. I painted my nails a bright fire engine red and that, my dear readers, was the highlight of le weekend. And yours? xo

 Sometimes there's nothing better than a breakfast of good toasted bread topped with the best butter you can find.

 One of my favorite places in NYC is the old books section of Bergdorf Goodman. 

Signage at the LOFT event I attended. This is pretty much what we all need right about now.

 I love the big jars of tea they sell at Marie Belle in SoHo.

Weekend Bits

~My new ballerina nude manicure courtesy of Valley Nails~

This was one of the most fun, relaxing weekends I've had this winter. I was determined to ratchet up my activities (usually, I spend cold weekends ensconced firmly in my kitchen cooking up a storm and catching up on leisurely reading) and agreed to brunch dates, tea dates, movie dates, and (gasp!) grocery shopping outside of my own neighborhood. 

And so, in my enthusiasm, my Friday-through-Sunday ended up being one long string of non-stop activities, starting with a cozy Friday night movie date with a boy to finally see Black Swan (I loved it). It continued with a series of brunches: one at Joseph Leonard, where I had one of the best burgers of all time (they smear it with creamy ricotta cheese--genius). Another with the lovely Jenna Fain, who does social media at Coach (tea at Tartinery). And yet another in the form of an hours-long catch-up session over Mimosas at one of my favorite restaurants, Balaboosta, with my friend Bevy. Alas, by the time the big Jets game came on, I was too tuckered out to do anything but throw in a load of laundry downstairs and curl up with the Sunday papers. C'est la vie. How were your weekends? xo

~I made a trip to an old-fashioned butcher shop called Ottomanelli & Sons Prime Meat Market in the West Village to buy pounds of duck (recipe to come). This is one of the super-sweet Ottomanelli brothers~

 ~Fresh flowers to brighten up my sitting area~

 ~Loving my Smythson notebook (a gift from my business partner, Alex Weiss). They're the most durable things ever and the pages, although razor-thin, don't bleed when you write on them with an ink pen~

 ~The delicious burger at Joseph Leonard~

 ~I finally bought some Mast Brothers chocolate this weekend--so prettily wrapped and yummy~

~Suz Monster about to take a nap in the sun~

Happy New Year!

Ta-da! My deep gold, beyond glittery calgel nails courtesy of Valley Nails! I can't stop staring at them, I'm so enamored. And the best part was that there was maybe one minute of drying time and not a single dent, scratch, or chip to be seen. Perfect for tonight's festivities, no?

I've been thinking today and trying to take stock of what I would like to accomplish in 2011. I have a feeling it's going to be a very big, very exciting year full of change and new experiences, just like 2010 was. I have a lot to be thankful for. Here are some of the new year's resolutions I've come up with so far:

• Learn more about art (I've enrolled in a class at NYU called Today's American and International Art Market for spring 2011)
• Be healthier and more active (truth be told, I'd like to lose around 5 pounds, which I've gained since the summer)
• Make my bed everyday (because it just makes me feel better to walk into an apartment with a nicely made bed in it)
• Keep growing CA Creative into a thriving business

What are your resolutions? Hope everyone has a happy, merry, safe New Year's Eve tonight full of champagne, kisses, and sparkles. xo

Keep Me Closer

It's almost Christmas, and I can feel my pace slowing down beautifully. My calendar is suddenly a series of white spaces, our clients are slowly drifting off into vacations, and the party invitations have slowed to an intermittent trickle instead of an all-out flood akin to the one that Noah built an ark to deal with way back when. Do you hear that heavy sigh of relief? Yeah, that's coming from my little apartment all the way down on Wall Street.

I'm planning on spending the next couple of weeks doing things like taking long oil-scented baths (Jo Malone makes the best bath oils), getting my nails properly did (at Valley Nails), finishing the new Cleopatra biography, cooking a lot, seeing movies complete with tubs of popcorn (The Fighter, anyone?), and taking long afternoon naps. Can't wait.

I'm wearing a Madewell shirt, The Kooples skirt, Club Monaco tights, Brian Atwood shoes, Chanel bag. All photos by Mark Iantosca. xo