i want to go to here.

The hubs and I spotted this amazing townhouse on a recent date night stroll through the West Village. Isn't it the bees knees?

The daffodils, the green shades...just beautiful. We discussed that it might be our dream (town)house.

Now, we just need to come up with the necessary millions to make that happen. Think they'll accept a check?

working it

This week started off with a bang. We're in the midst of planning up a big photo shoot for Wednesday at work, and needless to say, things are a bit stressful!

This totally addictive song by The Raveonettes is helping me through. The repetitive guitar absolutely makes me want to get things done.

This track is taking me back a bit to The Jesus and Mary Chain. Nice!

manly treats

I'm proud to say that my fella is quite dapper. He's always well-dressed. He also uses some really swell products that I often covet (naughty). While I'd like to take credit for discovering all of them, alas, I can only claim the discovery of a few...

So, without further adieu, check out this lady-approved list of (non-exclusive) man treats.

1. Molton Brown Re-Charge Black Pepper Body Wash

(image courtesy molton brown)

This "clean, masculine" scent is most delicious. It's black pepper fragrance isn't overwhelming, and the smell is both relaxing and "re-charging" (hence the name) which is ideal for early mornings when getting ready for work sounds like a total drag.

2. (MALIN + GOETZ) Sage Styling Cream

(image courtesy malin + goetz)

S brought home this rocking hair product following a trip to F.S.C. Barbers in the Village (a Christmas gift recommendation that included an old fashioned shave spotted on the always awesome Cup of Jo.)

Short story long? This is a grand styling product. It adds subtle control to a short boy style without being reminiscent of Pauly D. from Jersey Shore. Fist pump!

It also smells quietly lovely.

3. L'Occitan Eau de Toilette

(image courtesy L'Occitane)

For the most part, I hate cologne. It reminds me of awkward junior high school dances when boys would douse themselves in overly fragrant, often unfortunate, man smells that most likely came from their daddy's medicine cabinets. Was this ever a scene in Freaks and Geeks? If not, it totally should have been...

That being said, this peppery nutmeg scent is the antithesis of any smell that would ever be found in a school gym. It's welcoming, masculine and reminds me of mine and S's first date.

4. Clinique for Men Face Scrub

(image courtesy clinique)

Touted by Clinique as a "pre-shave essential" this reviving face scrub serves nicely as a low maintenance face wash that makes shaving a cinch (aka no more toilet paper specs to hastily remove as we dash out the door).

5. Sonicare Advance Electric Toothbrush

(image courtesy electric toothbrush reviews)

This bad boy has become a new favorite in our household. Not only does it give you that dentist clean feeling at least twice-a-day, it also erases any hint of dreaded cigar breath. This comes in quite handy for my guy.

Work it, boys!

so long, grey skies!

The first week of spring and it's snowing and hailing? To quote Kevin McAllister (which I've been weirdly doing alot lately), "I don't think so."

Luckily, Kate Spade's always amazing tumblr came to my rescue with this playful stop motion video by Julianna Goodman yesterday.

This colorful bit of fun is set against a jazzy mash-up of Radiohead and Dave Brubeck.

larry

"I'm feeling pretty good. Pret-ty, pret-ty, pret-ty, pret-ty good."-Larry David

(image courtesy hbo)

Do you ever feel like you're living in an episode of HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm?

From overly agressive "bag bumper" on this morning's subway ride to an obnoxious work call where someone rings you then puts you on hold, I must admit I'm feeling a little like L.D. today...

(image courtesy table 4 five)

On that note, here are two fav clips from the show to get us through this most annoying hump day.

Watch Larry open a package, and

go out for coffee.

Season 8, which debuts this year, takes place in New York. Score!

lady in (modern) red

(images courtesy mango; spotted on you are my fave)

After a DDG weekend (drop dead gorgeous, people) in NYC, we woke up to rain and snow this morning.

Really wishing had this cute dress on. Its warm red shade might help me remember that it's officially Spring.

I'd pop on a few gold bangles. This gold and navy blue offering from Madewell

and this spiky Pamela Love Sun Cuff will do nicely.

Finished off with bright blue peep toes pumps?

(images courtesy of shopbop and milanoo)

Now, we're talking.

calexico

(image courtesy it thing)

One of Soho's most revered food trucks, Calexico Carne Asada (located at the corner of Wooster and Prince Streets), has expanded its tasty reach to Brooklyn in the form of not one, but two, restaurants.

We hit up the Greenpoint location (there is also an outpost in Red Hook) this weekend, and were overwhelmed by the results.

(images courtesy shaw promotion, elaine pernov, and nicholas gill via city best)

Owned by three brothers dedicated to bringing delicious California-style Mexican fare to NYC, this decently priced spot accomplishes just that. A common complaint from my Los Angeles-born husband has always been that New York has "really lame Mexican food." Thanks to Calexico? Problem solved.

Some highlights from our meal included the jalapeno mint margarita,

the chicken and fish tacos,

and the Carne Asada burrito.

(images courtesy elaine pernov, snappetite and serious eats)

The four diners at our table were blown away, and can't wait to go back.

Drool over the full menu here.

P.S. I really like how the front of the restaurant looks like a food truck. Clever!

little bea

(image courtesy harpercollins)

Brooklyn-based illustrator (and dear friend) Daniel Roode's super sweet debut children's picture book Little Bea hits shelves next week. D's artwork is gorgeous, and he's created some seriously sweet characters that kiddies (and their grown-ups) are sure to fall in love with.

Check out the glowing Publisher's Weekly review here, and click below for the adorable Little Bea trailer.

P.S. Want to know a fun fact? The Little Bea character is based on L and D's sweet tabby cat, Beatrice. How cute is that?

currently cooking: mustard batons

(image courtesy foodbuzz)

A few weeks ago, the fabulous KJB and I whipped up a batch of Dorie Greenspan's Mustard Batons to nibble on before dinner. Whoa, Momma! These puppies were delicious.

Fluffy, moist and packing the tangy flavor of dijon mustard, these batons (sounds SO much better than "sticks") went wonderfully with a dish of marinated olives. This simple recipe yields grand results.

Dorie Greenspan's Mustard Batons

Makes about 40 batons

**Note: Make sure your mustard packs a punch.***

Ingredients:

All-purpose flour, for rolling

2 sheets frozen puff pastry (each about 8½ ounces), thawed

½ cup Dijon mustard

1 large egg

Poppy seeds, for topping (optional)

Directions:

Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Have a ruler and a pizza cutter (or sharp knife) at hand.

Working with 1 sheet of pastry at a time, roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface until you have a rectangle that’s about 12 x 16 inches. If necessary, turn the dough so that a short side of the rectangle is closest to you. Measure the length so that you can find the middle, and spread ¼ cup of the mustard over the lower half of the dough, stopping about 1/8 inch from the side and bottom edges. Fold the top portion of the dough over the bottom and, using the pizza cutter (or knife), with your ruler as a guide, cut the pastry from top to bottom into strips about 1 inch wide (I actually use the width of the ruler itself as my guide), then cut the strips crosswise in half. (If you prefer, you can leave the strips long.)

Carefully transfer the batons to one of the baking sheets and chill or freeze them while you work on the second batch. (You can make all the strips to this point and freeze them on the baking sheets, then pack them airtight and keep them frozen for up to 2 months.)

Lightly beat the egg with a splash of cold water and brush just the tops of the strips with this glaze. If you’d like, sprinkle them with poppy seeds.

Bake the batons for 8 minutes. Rotate the sheets from front to back and top to bottom and bake for another 7 or 8 minutes, or until the strips are puffed and golden brown. Remove the baking sheets from the oven and let the batons rest for a couple of minutes before serving.

the tallest man on earth

(image courtesy pop headwound)

Today, I am listening to The Tallest Man on Earth's album, The Wild Hunt. It's a nice soundtrack for easing your way back into the work week.

The Tallest Man on Earth is actually Swedish musician Kristian Matsson. The majority the songs on this album are simple, somewhat raw recordings of the musician's rather moving guitar pickings and captivating vocals.

More reminiscent of a Mississippi blues man than you might be envisioning, the album sounds Southern enough to have me missing home.

Check out a few sample songs below.

P.S. Nice 'stache!

ink blot tees

(images courtesy rachel rose)

Oooo. How drop dead gorgeous are these lovely, handpainted silk tees from Rachel Rose's Etsy shop (via walking around where the sidewalk begins)?

These are perfect to wear to an outdoor brunch during those first warm days of Spring. I'll take all three of the above, please.

cake pops

It's Friday. It's also been one heck of a long week. That being said, when my lovely boss insisted on treating us to an afternoon coffee break, the thought of caffeine was oh-so-necessary.

We stumbled into Starbucks unaware that March 10-12 (from 2-5 pm) was Free Petite Pastry Day. Score!

I settled on the Birthday Cake Pop. That's right. It's decadent birthday cake wrapped in pink icing. This tasty little nibble comes, as you might have imagined, on a stick.

(image courtesy Starbucks)

Was this the healthiest afternoon snack? Absolutely not, but hey, it's Friday and it was free.

On that note, happy weekend, homies.

animals on walls

I'm not a hunter (shocking, I know). I'm also not a fan of the idea of decorating my home with taxidermied creatures. Eek!

That being said, I'm a little surprised at how much I dig these faux animal heads. How funny would it be to see any one of these strategically placed on the wall of a small apartment? How wonderfully random!

(images courtesy sas interiors, this next)

I would love to mount the solid rhino option above between the two narrow windows of our living room.

Wild!

bold moves

(image courtesy meadow boutique)

Totally "hearting" Spring 2011's color block trend. What a bright, fun way to quick winter to the curb.

One of my favorite things about this trend is the way that it can be easily accomplished by purchasing a few separate bold pieces.

Check out a few fun bright separates that can be mixed and matched below.

best eyeshadow ever

Quite simply put, MAC's Paint Pot (color: Bare Study) is the best eyeshadow ever.

(image courtesy MAC)

It's creamy, shimmery and flattering on any skin tone.

Buy a little pot of it for yourself. That is all.

rainy sunday

(image courtesy we heart it)

Hooray for a rainy, lazy Sunday. Isn't it funny how you never realize how tired you are until finally STOP GOING?

The hubs and I had a wonderful, relaxing day that included an intense treadmill race at the gym (we actually tied!?), shopping for pretty Spring flowers to brighten up the ol' apartment,

service and more.

We just ended the day with a mediterranean tuna pasta (check out the recipe from the fantastic pasta cookbook Pasta Fresca here).

Now? Bring it, Monday.

united plates

These United Plates Prints crack me up. Each print features one of our 50 states represented by... food!

Alabama is imagined as Hostess Sno Balls.

While, California is bananas.

Connecticut is a "quick and easy" microwave dinner.

Arkansas is a turkey sand with fries and coleslaw.

My favs? Georgia as a bag of peaches and

Florida in Cheerios.

(all images courtesy shorthanded studio)

giant clutch

(image courtesy brown dress with white dots)

Feeling the need for a gigantic leather clutch after spotting the above image on Apartment 34 this morning.

I've always been a fan of clutches. They are sleek, chic and feel great tucked under your arm. The problem? They are usually too tiny to fit what every girl needs to bring with when she leaves the house: M.I.L.K. (a clever acronym my mother uses which stands for "money, ID, lipstick, keys"-hilarious).

I'm sweating this shiny gold option from agent reclaimed's Etsy shop pretty hard. Great liner!

This ecru option is pretty fabulous as well.

(image courtesy agent reclaimed)

bold soles

Perhaps it's because I've been confined to a predictable rotation of plain colored boots for far too many months now, but March's arrival has me dreaming about stepping out in a pair of saucy new shoes.

Miu Miu's bold offerings for Spring '11 fit the bill nicely. They certainly had me doing a double take.

(images courtesy of miu miu addict and fashion rules)

Still, eating for the next month does sound appealing, so this adorable (and delightfully priced at $100) strappy pair from Zara might be just what I'm looking for.

(images courtesy zara)

Work it.