I adore Stephen Colbert. Adore. Seriously, what’s not to love about a smart and funny man who lives in my tv set? Anyway, I was all set to take the holiday off from blogging, and then New York magazine hits me with what I’ve been waiting for – Stephen Colbert on the cover! – and the requisite profile, including his tips for Republicans and Democrats for the upcoming mid-terms. I have only scanned the article as yet (printing it out shortly), but trust me, it will be good. And yes, I subscribe to New York magazine, but who can wait for the USPS in a situation like this? I still haven’t received LAST week’s issue! Read all about Stephen at nymag.com. (It’s the mag’s most emailed story.) See you tomorrow!
I am a maker of lists, from daily to-dos, to packing, to places to see, shops to visit, websites to check out, stationery to obsess over …. My subscription to New York magazine makes me aware of all the fine eating options I’d have if I lived in NYC. I of course have a nice bookmarks folder labeled “New York”, filled with restaurant and shopping options. I am so ready to live my virtual life there! This Friday Five is five restaurants I’d like to eat at when I visit.
1. Shake Shack Burgers, served with wine, if you so desire. Sounds good to me! And others agree, based on the crazy long lines …. there is a “Shake Shack Cam” to check out the activity and time your visit.
2. Pastis/Balthazar I’ll take lunch at either, thank you.
3. Once Upon a Tart The shop looks so cute, and I love sandwiches/cookies/brownies. I’ve made a couple of things out their cookbook – very tasty!
4. Bouchon Bakery Located in the Shops at Columbus Circle (yes, a mall in Manhattan) Thomas Keller’s bakery sounds delightful.
5. Dogmatic Gourmet Sausage System Hot dogs?!? Yes, beef and turkey sausage, actually. Sounds like a fun concept. Link to a blog about sausage, by someone who works at Dogmatic at sneezy-tacky.blogspot.com.
Has anyone been fortunate enough to try any of the above? Reviews, please! I really need to visit soon – so many shops and restaurants, so little time. Have a great weekend, all!
I am quite the recycling nut. (That is, if you think bringing paper accumulated on vacation home with you for recycling is nutty, and I think that you do …) That said, with cooler weather approaching and the onset of big heating bills, I am always looking for ways to save on all kinds of energy use. Clearly, as my house can double as a meatlocker, I can’t really shave any more degrees off the thermostat, but today’s New York Times article by Andrew Postman, “The Energy Diet”, there are other ways to make small changes to my energy use, saving both money and the planet. (Hello, Al Gore!) I’ve tried one compact fluorescent light already and am not crazy about it, but I have unplugged my Kitchen Aid mixer (a “vampire”) since it won’t be much of an effort to plug it in when I use it quarterly. I like that the article raises awareness about ways to save that are (relatively) painless.
Now, on to Project Runway: last night was the reunion show, and it re-instilled my love for Laura (her straightforwardness is refreshing) , and compassion for Malan (when he was cut, his farewell speech was so sad, I was tearing up). Also, Robert is quite the cut-up, and Tim Gunn could be the sweetest human on the planet. However, Vincent???? what is up with him? He’s 49, not 9! Any thoughts who the winner will be? I was surprised that the $10,000 didn’t go to Allison – I figured she had the male vote sewn up! No pun intended.
My dream job would be to design stationery. Problem is, it seems to be everyone’s dream job! Not a day goes by that I don’t come across yet another letterpress/stationery/cute stuff designer. Proof? Today’s discovery is Erin Condren – love it! You definitely should check her work out. Then there are the design magazine annuals (Print, HOW) with their “best ofs”. And since I’m not even sure of my skills (I think I’m pretty good at spotting cool stuff, but could I design it?) the dream is slowly catching up to reality. A good compromise would be to have a stationery store, but I also know that owning a store means lots of hours. Does that mean I’m not committed? I don’t think so, I just think I’m a realist. So, what to do? I think ideally I’d like to just work for someone who was truly gifted in the design field – like say, for Paper + Cup, or Carrot & Stick Press – but suburban Chicago doesn’t exactly scream “Creative Capital”. Is this a mini mid-life crisis? Or is it enough in life to simply enjoy good design? Or, do I need to work a little harder (and dream a little less) to find that which is fulfilling?
(Post-Lasik, Day 4 -still improving!) When I was asked to limit my reading after Lasik, I had no idea that I spent SO MUCH of my day reading. Trying to limit it is hard work. I’m looking forward to digging into Alain de Botton’s new book, The Architecture of Happiness, very soon. I’ve read all of de Botton’s books, and while his later works are no beach reads, I have enjoyed each of them. This latest book deals with architecture and design, and the premise that we act differently (and are different) depending on the environment. Does design affect our happiness? I spend a lot of time thinking about houses and design – and I’m interested to learn more about what that means. You can read an excerpt from de Botton’s book at alaindebotton.com. On sale at your favorite bookseller, starting today.
