Life moves so quickly these days it feels like as soon as something begun it’s already over. It’s been a year since I started my job and returned to New York full time, and only now do I fully feel settled in and adjusted to my new life. A fully stocked routine and social agenda does come with the unfortunate downside that seemingly, every time I blink, three months pass quietly without me writing anything, updating anyone, or having a single empty slot on my calendar. Now, the flowers are blooming, New York is waking up and risking leaving me behind as Spring finally rears its head.
Current favs:
Trader Joes tomato leaf candle, fresh tulips in every room, weeknight plans, reading the paper in the morning, watching The White Lotus, casual hosting, getting out of my neighbourhood, eating out (I was on hiatus), sleepovers, having a drink Just Because, redecorating, orange wine, stopping by galleries, poppy seeds in baking, waking up at 7am on a weekend.
Ongoing in New York
Sights
My permanent Rio nostalgia was revived upon viewing the Guggenheim’s Beatriz Milhazes exhibit. A morning stroll in Central Park couldn’t scratch my itch for the whimsical shapes and colourful nature, but I can’t complain nonetheless. NYC’s cherry blossoms can hardly be considered second-rate.
Von Bar for Wednesday night drinks with the girls from my bookclub was the perfect midweek pick-me-up from work — an amuse-bouche to the weekend, if you will— and had me giggle-walking all the way home from NoHo after one too many cocktails convinced me that kitten heels were no obstacle for me.
Spring showers have me in such a movie-theatre mood! I’ve been dabbling with spontaneous walk-ins to check off all the big screen stars of the moment, ANORA, I AM STILL HERE, THE SUBSTANCE, and MICKEY 17.
Nighthawk Cinema served as the perfect viewing spot— the Park Slope location we landed in after a stroll through Prospect Park had order-in food options and a bar for post-movie analysis was a delightful rainy date night.
An intrigue to see an old school film cropped up as PLAY IT AS IT LAYS, the on-screen adaptation of my (controversially) favourite Joan Didion book, was screening at Film Forum. Walking back from a late-night showing with a friend through cold and busy streets, after watching Tuesday Weld drive aimlessly through the vast California landscapes, was the perfect contrast.
Bites
There’s something so untraceably chic about a burger & martini combo. This week alone I had two— some problems just need to be dissected with fries on the side.
Date night with my roommate took us into Greenpoint as a reaction to the cabin fever we were developing from the dining options within a 5-block radius of our apartment, and we landed in the waiting bar seats at WenWen— a Taiwanese restaurant that (simply put) changed our entire lives. We spent well over two hours slurping noodles and biting into popcorn chicken while catching up on our lives.
Spontaneously, we held a group Nowruz dinner on Saturday night with a close friend (Iranian!), my roommate, and her boyfriend, to ring in Persian New Year and celebrate new beginnings for all of us. We served Adas Polo with a fresh side salad in between sips of wine and old jazz songs, and winded down the evening with card games and pistachio desserts.
Spring Salad Recipe:
Little gem lettuce
Arugula
Shelled English peas
Sugar snap peas
Mint
Parsley
Sliced almonds
Dijon mustard + lemon + olive oil drizzle
What’s in my closet for Spring
Rejoicing in the mere idea of being able to wear something that isn’t a sweater, a solid 4 hour chunk of my weekend was dedicated to shopping. Unfortunately embarking on this mission on Saint Patrick’s Day, my shopping companion and I were mildly thwarted by the NYU college students hurling cheap beers out into neighbouring trash cans.
Our target for the day was inspired by the underrated perk of the weather spiking above 0 degrees Celsius: the joy for going out at night has returned. Gone are the days where getting ready feels like a chore, pulling out the same, “responsible” long-sleeve that won’t leave me with a 4-week lingering cough and is questionably passable for New York’s bar scene. In light of this exciting new development, I treated myself to some sexy new jeans. And then another pair. And then a top & skirt set. Why not?
In a more spring-y vein, I toyed with the idea of this vintage cashmere top from Reformation (which I may still go back for). Is March too early for backless?
Other fun buys:
Figuier candle from Diptyque
The Elk ground coffee for my morning café au lait
Pink Honey lip tint by Clinique - Black Honey’s sister shade
Double-lait Lindt milk chocolate (gift a friend brought back from Switzerland!)
Up next
For leisure: Packing for Mexico (adults deserve Spring break, too!) for a much needed mother-daughter trip and to get my last dose of Vitamin D before NYC warms up for good. And of course, to do some Deep and Necessary Reflecting on my life, while I lay on the beach with a margarita. Or two. And, of course, cracking into a new book: Stag Dance by Torrey Peters (needed to venture out of my conventional literary range).
For pleasure: Seeing Barry Can’t Swim live at Terminal 5, looking for the perfect dress to wear to my joint birthday party with my best friend in June (just looking ahead…), weaselling into Balthazar’s for their steak tartare, hosting friends for a caipirinha-making evening, upping my ballet class intake per week.
vibes as impeccable as always. have the best time in mexico sweet 💋