Cute Animal Hats for BabiesThere are a number of adorable baby things with animal ears but these hand made ones from Sweetpeatoad Tots are exceptionally cute. This wool lamb hat is the sole reason I don’t want the cold weather to end.
Visit their Etsy Shop – they make a great gift if you have any babies coming into the world soon. Ours was a generous gift from my brother and sister in law. Cute stuff!
Sundays 10-5 at 27 North 6th St.I am so happy Brooklyn Flea has decided to set up within walking distance this summer. Not too psyched that it’s on gravel which made stroller pushing impossible – but lesson learned – next time we will use our carrier.
There were the usual selections of vintage goods and silk screened tees, with the dapper vintage tie seller Travis Sylvester selling particularly tempting bow ties at reasonable prices. But I was mostly indulging in the food stuffs.
For on the spot eating I enjoyed the Frgal Cakes, a pear crumble pizza of sorts that are traditional in Czechoslovakia. Also excellent was the homemade ricotta, arugula and fresh carved prosciutto bruschettas from Salvatore Brooklyn.
I brought Jim home a merguez sandwich from Brooklyn Bangers which was nice and flavorful with an incredible kicky sauce. A refreshing warm weather watermelon juice allowed me to almost ignore the bitter sudden gusts of winds that shook the proceedings.
For take home yumminess, I opted for Lime and Pickle mayonnaise from Sam Mason’s Empire Mayonnaise, which I haven’t tried yet, but expect to be wonderful and a jar of vanilla lemon marmalade from Momofuku Milk Bar and Friends which we just enjoyed on warm English muffins. So delicious and summery.
Can’t wait to return to try what I missed, including the Mile End smoked meat sandwich and local beef jerky.
Cheap, Often Slutty and Awesome ShoesOMG. I totally found an online equivalent to the now long gone Square One – the awesomest cheap/hooker shoe shop where I used to get the most amazing, often neon ten dollar shoes from.
It’s called Urbanog or “Urban Originals” and I have Refinery 29 to thank for introducing me to it in a summer wedge round up.
It looks like a cheesy site and it is a cheesy site, but when it comes to shoes, cheesy can often yield the best and funnest.
Cheap shoes and used books – my biggest weakness and now both can be fulfilled online.
And, yes, I bought the crazy shoe pictured.
1628 16th Street, DenverLately I’ve been sentimental about the places I grew up with, maybe because I’d like to take Van to them some day but sadly so many classic Colorado Springs shops are closed now:
Levine’s – a gorgeous old department store turned toy heaven, Michelle’s – the local old fashioned ice cream parlor, Bryan and Scott – the high class antique treasure trove where the charming, dapper owner Roberto would make us kids as comfortable around African sculptures and decorative vases as we would be in our own home (and where I got my lovely wedding ring), and Chinook Book Shop, where Dick Noyes looms as prominent in my childhood memories as Mr. Rogers.
Some how, Zeezo’s Magic Castle, Repeat Performance, and Barney’s Diner still hold on (though I was not too happy to hear Barney’s moved from a trailer to a brick and mortar spot).
So, long story short, I wanted to recommend at least one of my childhood loves that still exists. This one a couple hours north in Denver – The Tattered Cover Book Store. It will probably be a while until I set foot in the mammoth, multi floor book store, but you totally have to if you find yourself in the area, if only because bookstores like this are a dying breed.
I pretty much grew up in book stores – either crawling around during my dad’s book signings or as a family in our free time, accumulating large stacks of new books to read (even now my biggest splurge is on dozens of used books). Tattered Cover is one of the most memorable book shops of them all – and I can vividly recall details from my time spent there. The winding stair cases, the magazine corner on the first floor which was the only place on the planet (or so it seemed at the time) to see forgeign Vogues and stuff even more exotic.
I can almost exactly remember the layout of the fiction floor, the large nook with the art books, the back area where shelves of tween fiction enticed me (the Sweet Valley Highs, which I secretly wanted but was to embarrassed to ask for lined the bottom shelf) as well as the science fiction and mystery sections around the corner. There was even a well stocked paper doll section, which is where I learned about Erte, Dior and Poiret (thanks Tom Tierney). Every corner offered a well worn seat to relax and read in. Even with the most ernest attempts, a new spot could never feel this lived in and cozy and would never match the ambiance of this place.
This site offers an odd little video tour and takes credit for the lovely photo below.
272 Driggs Avenue in Greenpoint, BrooklynWhen we first took Van home, neighbors Adriane and Greg were awesome. They brought up home cooked lasagna, took our trash out, and offered helpful encouragement on our new adventure. As Van’s gotten older, Adriane has become my first and best source for all things baby.
She took a master course in baby wearing and can weigh the pros and cons of all carriers (saving my back from Baby Bjorn pains) and is up on the most organic and baby safe products on the market. Who better then to open a baby store in our neighborhood than she?
I am so excited for her new Greenpoint boutique and activity spot, Caribou Baby. The space is beautiful and evokes the feel of a lived in ski lodge – featuring vintage plaid wallpaper, rustic wooden floors, antler chandeliers (that Van took a shine to) and the best looking bathroom changing table you coudl find.
From a vast option of carriers, adorable toys (including those oh so cute rabbits pictured), bottles, vintage clothes, and health and beauty products, anything you could need for mom, dad, and baby is found inside. One of my favorites that I couldn’t leave the opening without purchasing? Baby friendly nail polish – which will put my worries of chemicals to rest.
Aside from the store, there are two activity spaces that will hold classes and events. Some that are upcoming are Birth Education, Infant CPR, and Breastfeeding. The clubhouse back room was home to a dance party opening night where some good tunes were spinning, including some sweet disco era Cookie Monster.
Whether you’re a parent or a friend of a parent to be, this is an amazing resource that’s come to Greenpoint. Congrats Adriane and Greg!
Music DownloadsA subscription to emusic was my birthday gift to myself. Not finding satisfaction with any free services – which either have a very limited selection and or don’t let you keep any music – I decided to look into paid services for my music needs.
I find itunes too expensive and can’t always find what I need, so emusic, a monthly subscription site (you get a certain number of credits each month that carry over if unused) that features more obscure stuff as well as the more mainstream, sounded good.
The fact that albums cost half what they normally would (usually around $6) sealed the deal. The easy browsing searches have already introduced me to new fabulous things (like recent pick, Darondo) and a nifty “save for later” feature helps me make sure I don’t forget albums that interest me.
Added bonus points and discounts were a nice addition. Once my new month credits come, I think I’ll finally get that Grinderman album which is exciting.
654 Manhattan Ave, GreenpointOut west, where I grew up, Army Navy stores were ominous places. No matter how close to town they were, they seemed to be off a dirt road where no one would hear you scream and in the days of grunge, venturing in for a flannel meant coming face to face with local yokels that could cause such screaming – at least in the mind of a fairly privileged teenage girl. Cato’s Army Navy in my new hometown couldn’t be further from that experience.
It’s one of the hood’s most friendly stores, and while we’re at it, possibly one of the nicest in the whole city. Family run since 1975, you will be helped with courtesy and find everything you need. Since it stocks utilitarian goods, we always find something useful – Jim usually gets a new set of winter gear every season. This season? They have great looking heathered sweater trooper hats, nice wool scarves and simple military gloves. (He models all three below).
From well made pea coats to great plaid jacket shirts, from adorable yellow galoshes to a wide variety of Levi’s – you’ll find stuff here that is on trend for far less than “hipper” shops would make you pay for it. Be sure to follow their website and twitter for specials.
Click here for the rest of Cato’s Army Navy
From Sage General Store, 24-20 Jackson Ave, Long Island CityOn my way to the doctor, taking the awkward and on this day, cold outdoor transfer to the 7 train, I often wonder about the adorably hip, quaint Sage General Store, a new-ish shop that reeks of old timey goodness but with a staff of tattooed transplants serving mouth watering comfort foods.
Since yesterday was the first snow (OK, so it didn’t accumulate, but there were flakes) I was even more tempted by the handmade snoballs in the window (choice pink or white) and just had to take one home to split with Jim for dessert.
It’s a hefty dense white cake (probably made denser by my putting it in the fridge) with sugary, yummy frosting both in and outside and big chunks of coconut. To compare with the store bought, processed version is unfair. It’s an entirely different beast – and, for the record, I still have a soft spot for that weird Hostess puck, at least in memory since I haven’t had one in a while, but I do know that it is nowhere near as tasty as this hand made decadence.
The store features all sorts of sweet and savory goodies and will now be the highlight of that train route for me, beating out the one hundred steps it takes to get to the train.
200 5th AvenueAfter months of speculation and anticipation, the Italian food market mecca Eataly from Mario Batali, Lidia and Joe Bastianich is finally open and it is awesome! Clean, bright, dazzling and massive, there is so much to see that it will require several visits to feel like I’ve done it all. There are after all, several restaurants, a beer garden, a coffee shop, a cooking school, and all the super market sections you could want. I was extremely tempted by the stunning variety at the fishmonger and am determined to get razor clams next time (when I will be headed straight home after shopping and not worried about fresh seafood + the heat).
I really could have gone any direction for an amazing meal, whether grabbing some sausage (as Mike did for an extremely yummy gnocchi sauce) or enjoying the brick oven pizza I jealously saw so many taking gooey bites of at the pizzeria. There are colorful pastries as well as a crowded counter with gelato for dessert. In the mood for something easy for lunch, I opted for a “Stella” squash ravioli, some fresh sun-dried tomatoes, and a wedge of Parmesan from a huge wheel that one strong armed man spent the day slowly chopping up for our consumption.
Mario was there, and I took a tentative quick shot after the jump (not really into paparazzi shooting) and it begs some explanation since it looks like he’s reaming out an employee. He was actually strutting around like a proud papa and seemed ecstatic about the place, as well he should have been. I am sure Eataly is bound to become both a destination as well as one of the perks of living in New York and a part of the fabric of the city.
Click here for the rest of Eataly
100 N. 3rd St, Williamsburg, BrooklynWe read a lot and therefor had a few hefty boxes of good books to give away with our recent cleaning overhaul. I figured we’d just drop them off at one of the local used book shops and for once, actually enjoy the idea of store credit. I found this simple task far more difficult than I could have imagined. One place, after we dragged a box in (after they previously told us they took books) decided it was too much work to go through the box because they didn’t feel well, another nameless spot only looked at books one inconvenient day a week, yet another told us basically to not even bother because they were “so selective” (was this a used book store or a Manhattan private school??)
With so many fails we nearly gave up until I discovered a small article about Book Thug Nation. This excellent shop takes your books any day of the week and most importantly, have great taste. This means your good books get swooped up and there are plenty of intreguing books to choose from with the store credit.
Of course, the quality of the selection still applies even if you’re not selling including a section of nice art books and walls of fiction titles from all the authors you actually want to read (Vonnegut, Boyle, Sedaris, Price, etc.). The space is also used for a broad variety of events from comedy shows to readings. Check in with their website for the upcoming calendar.