TISLstyle

My kitchen haul

2013-06-19T03:30:00-07:00

Last month I spied some aprons, and called them “sexy.” Today, I share kitchen tools that get me hot under the collar. This is my kitchen haul from Joseph Joseph that I recently purchased, and I just had to share. All in all, I brought home 26 pieces. I’ve always been a big fan for their space-saving ideas, Miami Beach colors and brilliant problem solutions. A special shout-out to the Nest 9 Plus, a nest of {5} measuring cups, {2} mixing bowls, {1} mesh sieve and {1} colander/strainer.

My booty:

Easy-Tear paper towel holder

Elevate Spatula gift box

Nest 9 Plus

Rinse & Chop Plus cutting board

Elevate Jar Spoon

Rocker garlic crusher

Fold Flat Grater

Brooklyn Flea’s Smorgasburg in DUMBO

2013-06-17T03:30:00-07:00

We were thwarted by inclement weather a few weeks ago. Nature made it up to us on a raindate for a casual picnic gathering at Brooklyn Flea’s Smorgasburg in DUMBO. For those of you unfamiliar with what I just wrote, here’s a quick run-down.

Brooklyn Flea – runs a hip and modern flea market in Brooklyn (usually) every weekend (except winter). They took the concept and created…

Smorgasburg – a food flea market with food vendors offering every cuisine from BBQ and cold ramen to Filipino spring rolls and Asian tacos. It occurs every Sunday in the summer in…

DUMBO – a swath of land located in Brooklyn between the Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan Bridge, and stands for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass. It’s an architectural visual extravaganza.

A fun surprise was the Magic Wands from Alchemy Creamery. Imagine a dairy-free, gluten-free push pop that looks and tastes like ice cream. We bought 20 in espresso, strawberry and chocolate chai. As you can see in the photo, Zoe went rogue.

Here’s last year’s Smorgasburg in DUMBO. This is the easiest kind of picnic by the water because you don’t have to bring food! Fabulous!

Da da da da Day

2013-06-15T04:45:01-07:00

One day while I was still pregnant with Zoe, David and I walked into Buy Buy Baby. I had a list of items to register for, all compiled by my mommy friends. The list included: a bouncy, a high chair, pack ‘n play, playmat; it went on and on. After 15 minutes of looking at the product, my husband says, “Do we really need all this? Can’t we just buy one or two of these, and be done with it?” Note: he’s a minimalist through and through. What happened next isn’t germane to the story but it did end up with me sitting in the rocking chair section having a minor breakdown, bawling my eyes out.

Now he knows. Before, he didn’t. Now, he does! Yes, we need it ALL. My point is that he’s become a father. A playful, hilarious side of him has emerged. No amount of crying or crankiness can push him off his game. He sacrificed two of his belts to tie the baby gates to furniture legs. And, he’s there for her “firsts”: helping her down her first steps and giving her her first taste of pesto.

Bottom line: he’s got a new load on his shoulders, and he’s carrying it wonderfully well. He’s got a baby, who is the happiest baby to prove it. Happy Father’s Day!

The color called greige

2013-06-14T03:30:00-07:00

“Gray is so…gray,” many say. True, but gray has always been the best neutral that wasn’t white or beige. On one end of the spectrum is the cooler shark gray, while on the other is a warmer purply-gray. In between these two poles is a wonderful hue called greige, a mix of varying degrees of gray with beige making it masculine yet feminine, easy to coordinate and a great basis to work everything else off of.

Here are some inspiring visuals on the shade. Additionally, almost every paint company has shades of greige. I gravitated towards a collection from Benjamin Moore by Darryl Carter, an interior designer, whose style is simple, understated glamour.

Images {top to bottom}: Bedroom; dress; dining room; pottery; chicken; shelving; Benjamin Moore paints; living room; and bedroom.

A quick thought about nostalgia

2013-06-12T03:30:00-07:00

…is this. We clearly can’t make up our minds. We want to move forward faster, sleeker, cheaper and with less work on our part. Our view on everything previous to last month is considered outdated and backward. That’s our brain on high tech. Our soul, however feeds on nostalgia. Remember the initial scratchy-scratch you heard when your dad placed the needle on the record, so he could teach you how to cut-the-rug? Good memories, good times!

That’s the point of nostalgia. I’ve been noticing this trend for a while. I walked into Urban Outfitters the other day, and noticed they dedicated a whole section to records and record players. Seriously? In 2006 in NYC, Tower Records closed their doors, while Virgin Records shuttered in 2009. “Video killed the radio star; iPod killed Tower Records” read one headline at the time. It took less than seven years for records to make a reappearance to mainstream.

Similarly, film. Kodak has had a harrowing time with its film business. Film is out, digital is now your life. But then we see a rise in Instagram, Afterlife and other photo-filtering services aimed to make your images look like film from the 60s, the 70s, or any effects that film might take from damage or exposure. Albeit, Urban Outfitters caters to the younger set, who most likely never flipped a record or hooked a roll of film into its sprockets. It's "new" to them but my point still stands.

So, we toss out the old but then we want it back. Well, it’s nice to know we’re not robots yet, and still appreciate an old connection.

A trip to Lambertville, New Jersey

2013-06-10T03:30:00-07:00

We took a three-day jaunt to historic Lambertville, New Jersey. Galleries, tree-lined streets, manicured Victorian houses and Federal row houses, remnants of the old railroad and canal once vital to this mill town and quaint restaurants are all nestled together in this walkable town. Lambertville is also known as “The Antique Capital of New Jersey.”

And guess what! Their historic “sister” town, New Hope in Pennsylvania is a short walk over the bridge for Bucks County hospitality.

Here’s are a few highlight:

An outdoor flea market must is The Golden Nugget. Snake through rows and rows of tables filled with knick-knacks, collectibles and furniture. Anything you think would be in some collector’s old barn is here.
It’s BYOB for dinner at Brian’s. It’s a simple modern setting for a rustic Italian menu created by Culinary Institute of America alum and owner, Brian Held.
We had fried anchovies for the first time at Hamilton’s Grill Room, and it was yummy!
We stayed at The Inn at Lambertville Station, and our room overlooked the Delaware River and bridge to New Hope, Pennsylvania.
In New Hope, we had a great time at The Landing for lunch. We sat outside by the water, and it started to rain. Everyone else dashed inside but we were covered by huge umbrellas so we stayed and enjoyed the view.

Today's dilemma: harem pants

2013-06-07T03:30:00-07:00

Help! To harem or not to harem?! In my college days, we called these parachute pants or Hammer pants {as in Hammertime, as in MC Hammer, “You can’t touch this!”}, and I wore them all the time. I used safety pins to peg-leg the bottom of my pants, and I thought I was the coolest girl on campus. That was a long time ago. There’s so much fabric, I can’t imagine what I looked like from the back. I’d probably shudder.

One recent season, I saw that Gwen Stefani had designed a pair of harem pants for her fashion line, L.A.M.B., and truth be told, I love her street-rockstar-Cali style. I really wanted to like them but today, when I look at them I just think, “The crotch goes all the way down where?” So, I paid them no mind, and moved on.

Then, Eileen Fisher reintroduced her harem pant, and now I’m all a-flutter again. {Click here if you can't see her video above.} I know this style isn’t new. I had felt they were just a trend, even though they look so comfortable and are a great alternative to a boring black legging/pant. One really needs to “own-it” when wearing these, I think, because it does look a bit odd with the crotch so low. Eileen Fisher is the epitome of reasonable fashion, and I find her design sense trustworthy. {If you’re a fan of EF, here’s a nice article on her.}

And so, I ask, to harem or not to harem?

{Photos, far left and far right: Eileen Fisher; middle: L.A.M.B. via Gilt}

Great Ideas: presenting desserts

2013-06-05T03:30:00-07:00

Momofuku Milk Bar via BHLDN

Food stylist, Maggie Ruggiero via BHLDN

Cox & Cox

I’m always happy to find new inspiration in presenting food when I’m entertaining. The same ideas have been done so many times but doing something new that’s out-of-the-box usually means Herculean efforts and a lot of time.

I thought these ideas were brilliant, unexpected, interesting, and easy! First, the cakes. I want to call them deconstructed or maybe just, undressed. Layer different color cakes, and leave off the icing on the sides. What a novel idea to expose the edges, and bring so much visual texture and dimension to the dessert as a whole. The second towering display seems as much fun to stack as it is to admire. Palm-size delectables fit nicely on assorted cakeplates. As for the taper candle cake toppers, I think a fistful of candles is super festive. Add the height, and I think you're making an entrance. I’m thoroughly inspired. Batter up!

Outfit for dinner at The Musket Room

2013-06-03T05:43:53-07:00

Hey, Tisha good job on the chirpy spring colors! Yes, well I‘ll try harder. David found a rarity in New York: a New Zealand-esque restaurant. Here, we are on our way to The Musket Room in Soho. It felt great to pull out my vintage bag, which I love because it’s super elegant, and resembles an old-fashion doctor’s bag.

As for The Musket Room, I felt the interior design was so well done. The color palette from the waist up was awash in white, and everything from the waist down was dark brown wood. The effect was monastery-in-the-farmland, incredibly calming and done with such style. The back room is where I hope to dine the next time. Your view out to the backyard through floor-to-ceiling windows is their garden that is used for farm-to-table ingredients. Speaking of the dishes, just fab. The presentation was impressive, and the menu wasn’t run-of-the-mill. Click here for more on the menu.

Lastly, the service was impeccable for a new opening, which is usually unheard of. The house managers wore bow ties and fitted blazers, and looked so dapper. Bravo!

Traipsing With Twitter

2013-06-01T03:20:00-07:00

Twitter was a menagerie of activity at TISLstyle this month! Traipsing around NYC, life celebrations happen outside the blog. In this visual compilation: getting crafty with gift packaging, a letter is written and a new gym bag in cherry tomato. Join me on Twitter! I’d love to hear from you.