Weekend in the Chizzle

You know you've chosen the right friends when though you haven't seen them for a year, it you feels like you grabbed coffee just yesterday.  I hit up Chicago two weekends ago to begin a week-long work trip with a few days hanging with my college bestie and Austin soul sister, Shani Silver.  She also happens to be the Chicago editor of Refinery 29, so that means she not only knows the best things to do, but I also get to relieve her of a cornucopia of beauty products, clothing, and footwear---thank you for the boots, they saved my life when it started snowing on Thursday and the oxfords didn't cut it.  Here are the highlights of my little adventure.

Hooray!  It's the weekend!  Shani's lovely Wicker Park apartment complete with well-stocked bar.  Shani made an amazing dinner of goat cheese mushroom crostini, spinach parmesean pasta, and bespoke cocktails.  People cook in Chicago!

On Saturday morning I took the bus downtown where I stopped in at Nordstrom Rack to stock up on fun argyle and striped socks (been on my to-do list forever).  Then I walked along Michigan Ave. to Millennium Park and the new contemporary wing of the Art Institute of Chicago.  Here are a few of my favorite works.

 

My favorite color: Yves Klein Blue

I'm usually not into German art, but this Max Beckman self portrait was very striking.

Love Alex Katz.

Are we in Austin or Chicago?  Noshing guac, tacos, and margs at Big Star.  Of course, this was followed by a disco nap.

Check out the tiki mugs at Sable Kitchen + Bar.  You can't not laugh when drinking booze from a shrunken head.

Bacon jam.  Jesus.

Spend Sunday in the burbs doing some outlet shopping.  I have to take advantage of a person with a car.

How kind of them to name their line of wine glasses after me!  I never met a grape I didn't like.

      

Chicest Garage Sale Sign Ever!

Oh, well thank you for the lovely invite to your garage sale.  I would be honored to rummage through your cast-off's dear madame!

Fleak Out at the Brooklyn Flea

Do you ever finally get around to doing something or going somewhere and think, "Why wasn't I doing this years ago?"  That is exactly how I feel about the Brooklyn Flea.  The 25th Street Garage flea market in Chelsea (which is for the most part way overpriced for the junk they peddle) doesn't hold a candle to the Flea, in my opinion.  While that market is like a garage sale on crack, the Brooklyn Flea houses some of the coolest little makers of treasures imaginable as well as the furnitury, vintagy, oldy stuff you expect.  Easy to get to by way of Manhattan, the flea is held every Saturday and Sunday in varying locations throughout the year: inside Skylight 1 Hansen in the winter and Dumbo, Williamsburg, and Fort Greene during warmer months.  And, be sure to come hungry because there are six or so vendors serving up delectable delights from artisan grilled cheeses, porchetta sandwiches, lobster rolls, to tacos.  Best weekend afternoon ever!

BrooklynFlea.com  

Lovely light!

Bits and bobs

Help!  I'm trapped in a terrarium!

Pendants made of typewriter keys

Images by Barbara K.

Road Trip! - Mystic, CT

Of all of the places I have lived, never have I seen people so excited to get the hell outta Dodge on the weekend than in New York City...especially in the summer.  There are Hamptons houses, Fire Island shares, Upstate country homes, and the list goes on and on.  I even had friends rent a house in Rockaway Beach (basically, the outskirts of Brooklyn) for a summer.  Anything to get away from the pizza oven of NYC concrete.

This past weekend was no different.  I was thrilled to be whisked away (via Greyhound bus--only $60 round trip) to the charming seaside town of Mystic, CT.  The S*C key to weekend getaways is to make friends (or friends of friends) with people lucky enough to have places to escape to.  The biggest cost of any trip is definitely the accommodations, so if you can knock that out your are in good shape.  Fueled by three days worth of Dark and Stormy's (Gosling's dark rum and ginger beer), seafood, and grilling out, we had an amazing time.  Highlights of our trip included shopping around at Antiques Ltd., slices at the Pizza Palace (Mystic Pizza = tourist haven), the antique boat parade, a wild night at the Pequot Inn on Fisher's Island, an amazing boat ride and lunch at The Oar on Block Island, a frightening ride back to Mystic in a storm, and all around chillling out.  I hope you enjoy a few of the pictures from our trip and get inspired to take your own quick jaunt.  Bon weekend! 

Our lovely view from the balcony.  Hello Mystic River!

Antiques, Ltd. in Stonington, CT

The Pequot Inn on Fisher's Island

The Pequot Inn's Saturday Night Fever style dancefloor!

The breakfast spot: The Green Marble coffee house.

Costell's Clam Shack: Great Lobster rolls....and tuna salad for us stingies.

Time for lunch after the boat ride to Block Island, RI.

A frozen mudslide is a must on a sweltering afternoon at The Oar.

The Antique Boat Parade....Great view from the balcony!

The perfect S*C boat!

Photos by Barbara K. and Parker S.

Shitty-Chic Goes to Savannah!

I love it when I go on a trip somewhere, and it is everything I hoped it would be and more.  This is exactly how I felt about Savannah, GA.  I had an amazing long weekend, and it was the perfect getaway from NYC: two-hour flight, completely relaxing, and a city truly unique in it's architecture and flavor.  I know this is sacrilege, but I was not ready to come back to NYC....especially since I returned to rainy, wintry temperatures.  Calgon, take me back to the heat!  Here are my top picks on where to stay, what touristy things to do, where to eat, and unique places to shop.

To Stay:

The Mansion on Forsyth Park was just up my alley: quirky, well decorated, and not a cookie cutter hotel in any sense.  Our standard room was about $200 a night with taxes.  The best thing was the location--right on Forsyth Park which was perfect for morning jogs and late afternoon lounging.  There are tons of bed-and-breakfast spots in the historic downtown as well, so you can make your lodging just as much a part of your Savannah experience.

To Do:
- I really like to go jogging in the cities I visit (yes I know I am on vaca...trust me, it's more like plodding than running).  I think it is a great way to go exploring on your own "self-guided" tour, and it helps me get my bearings in a new place.  Obviously it helps when the city is laid out in a grid so I don't get lost.  This is how I discovered most of the restaurants and shops we visited during the day.  Best of all---it's free....and it let's you say OK to that extra slice of peach cobbler.

- There are about a million tours of historic Savannah: trolleys, carriages, walking, etc.  We wanted something different so we sprung for a Segway tour of the city.  Our guide, Sherri, was a firecracker, and it was really funny to see the stares we got.  Best of all, it was basically a private tour for us since it was Mother's Day Sunday.  Cost: $45 for an hour.

- We kept hearing how Savannah is a haunted city so we decided to go on the Paranormal Tour inside the Sorrel-Weed House....the most haunted home in Savannah (no really, this house has been on the History Chanel's Ghost Hunters show).  Our tour started at 10:30pm and began with a walking tour around the city's most famous haunted spots and the stories behind them.  Then, we went back the the Sorrel-Weed house to get the crap scared out of us some more.  Seriously, I think we ran back to the hotel.  This is a must. Cost: $18

To Relax:
- After a hot, humid day of walking around the city we were in a state of delirium.  We walked past the Sweet Water Spa on Abercorn St. and decided a massage (and air conditioning) sounded just up our alley.  The waiting area is chock full of goodies like brownies, lemon bars, wine, and even tequila, but what I loved most were the treatment rooms.  The spa is in an old home, and each room is fully decorated in its Savannah finest.  This was not your usual sterile, sleek, NYC spa experience with dried fruit and nuts, and I loved it.  Our massages were out of this world, and one of the best I have ever had.  Highly recommended to escape the afternoon heat and do some relaxing.

 To Shop:

- One Fish Two Fish is a smart shop of home decor, linens, and a small selection of clothing.  They had a candle there called Savannah, and I heavily regret not buying ten of them.

- The Paris Market was my favorite shop.  Fun, unique bits for the home that would look great anywhere from Savannah to Paris.  My favorite purchases were a unique silver bud vase for my mom (belated Mother's Day gift) and a sachet of fresh lavender to keep my travel bag smelling divine.

- E. Shaver bookstore-- I am a complete sucker for small independent bookstores.  I love nothing more than to putz around the aisles and flip through anything that catches my eye.  This store reminded me of my beloved Biography Books on Bleecker Street that recently closed and to my chagrin will be filled with a Marc Jacobs bookstore. 

To Eat:

Coffee: The Sentient Bean - This coffee shop at the south end of Forsyth Park reminded me of Austin with it's quirky, laid back vibe.  Great iced coffee, and the banana bread was to die for.

Breakfast: J. Christopher's - Another spot I found during my morning run.  Perfect for breakfast or lunch and packed with locals so you know it must be good.  Huevos Avacados---so yum.

Lunch: Six Pence Pub - The only English pub in Savannah.  Great sandwiches, sweet waitstaff, and lots of tea...or beer.  Be sure to get the potato salad with whatever you order.

Cocktails: 700 Drayton - Have cocktails on the outside terrace overlooking Forsyth Park.

Dinner: Lady & Sons - Paula Deen's famous restaurant and a glutton's dream.  If I were to go back, I would order the buffet and not off the menu so I could get a little taste of a bunch of classic Southern dishes.

The Deets:
The Mansion on Forsyth Park
700 Drayton Street

Segway Tours of Savannah
102 E. Liberty Street, Suite 106

Savannah Paranormal Tour
6 W. Harris St. @ Bull


Sweet Water Spa
148 Abercorn St.

One Fish Two Fish
401 Whitaker St.

The Paris Market
36 W. Broughton St @ Whitaker

E. Shaver Booksellers
326 Bull St. @ E. Harris

The Sentient Bean
13 E. Park Ave.

J. Christophers
122 E. Liberty Lane

Six Pence Pub
245 Bull St. @ W. Perry Lane

700 Drayton
700 Drayton St.

Lady & Sons
102 W. Congress


Photos by Barbara K.

Breakfast at La Bonbonniere

I will say the one huge upside to having a gaggle of your friends out of town at once is found time.  Not that you ever lost it, but I always find having a bit of 'me' time is utterly amazing. I love to go exploring, try new places (instead of the old, worn out favs) and experience the sheer selfish joy of doing whatever the hell I want to do whenever the hell I want to do it.  Case in point:  I adore waking up early-ish on the weekends.  The city is just a completely different place before 11am.  They say it's the little things that make life wonderful, and I couldn't agree more.  Going out for breakfast is something I rarely treat myself to, but should definitely do so more often.  I woke up craving pancakes, and I knew just the place I wanted to test out.   I have walked past La Bonbonniere on 8th Ave. in the West Village a million times and have had a love affair from afar with the little diner.  After scoping out the farmer's market across the street on Hudson, I picked out a stool at the bar (my fav place to sit and watch the action) and enjoyed a wonderful breakfast...this is most likely the best $6.75 I will spend all week. 

Photos by B. Kratus

Weekend Plans

The countdown is ON for the weekend. Lovely. Here is the to-do list for the next 52 hours:

- MoMA Free Fridays
- Cocktails at Le Caprice
- Snooze time....yay!
- Museum at FIT - Night and Day exhibit
- Take clothes and things to Goodwill on 25th St.
- Paint kitchen/living room amazing color called Jalapeno Pepper (if I can get nothing to grow there, I will paint it green dammit!)
- Laundry
- Learn to poach an egg....this could be dangerous, yet delicious
- An Education at Quad Cinema
- Mail Valentine's Day cards
- Continue to agonize over which camera I should buy....slim point-and-shoot, or much fancier dSLR.

What are you doing this weekend?