baita pop-up in nyc

February 26, 2016

If you happen to spend any time in New York City, you know about Eataly; particularly if you are a foodie. For those of you that may not be familiar with Eataly – it is the largest Italian marketplace in the world! A collection of restaurants, food and beverage counters, bakery, retail items, and a cooking school, Eataly occupies over 50,000 square feet near Madison Square Park.

For Friday field trip, I am taking you to Eataly, but not to the popular main floor. Today, we are traveling above the market to the 14th floor. Why the trip up the elevator? Because, from December to March, Baita, a pop-up restaurant reminiscent of the Italian Alps, has taken residence on the 14th floor and we are making a visit!

Enclosed by a retractable roof, the restaurant offers wintry views of New York City, including those of the neighboring Flatiron Building.

With cozy plaid blankets hung over chairs and smells of mulled cider, a snowfall would have been the perfect way to complete the Northern Italian atmosphere!

Seared Arctic Char with Beer Braised Brussels Sprouts & Roasted Hazelnuts at Baita in NYC.

It is a fun spot to visit. If you don’t have time for lunch or dinner, have a drink with a friend while sitting on an Adirondack chair facing the evergreen trees – still up and decorated with antlers from the holidays.

If you are lucky, your trip will take place during a good snow. ;)

Thanks for stopping by! Have a wonderful weekend.

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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tequila shot favors

February 23, 2016

Today, I am sharing some super easy favors for a Western party. Although I am much more Coastal than I am Country Western, I have recently been involved with a Western themed event and I came up with these super cute themed favors.

I was inspired by these teeny ‘nip’ bottles of tequila. How cool are these! The small versions look exactly like the full size bottles. My idea was simply to put a small bottle of tequila with a themed shot glass. I found some mini boot shot glasses and ‘barbed wire’ cording at a party store to complete my idea!

I packaged the tequila with the shot glass in a clear bag and tied with the cording…easy!

I kept it simple and used a clear bag so the contents were visible, but there are so many variations that can be used with this packaging idea. A brown lunch bag or red bandana would also work really well in place of the clear bag. If you prefer, raffia can replace the cording I used. A wooden tag is a great item to tie onto the package if you need to add a message or a name to the gift. Or, cut a cardboard tag to resemble a lime slice. Let out your inner cowboy go wild!

For a children’s party, this idea can work just as well using a mini bottle of juice. A sheriff’s badge or mini horseshoe can be tied onto the package as a cute add-on.

I hope I have inspired you for your next Western themed party!

Thanks for stopping by! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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seaglass carousel

February 19, 2016

I have been eager to see the new SeaGlass Carousel at The Battery in New York City. For today’s Friday field trip, I am sharing my first visit with you!

I hadn’t been able to fit in a Carousel visit on any trip I’ve made into New York since the Carousel opened last August. When I found out it would be open for visitors during Presidents’ Day week, I scheduled a special trip to make my first trip!

Winter may not seem the ideal time to plan a trip to a park, but it turned out to be the perfect time! There were no lines or crowds to deal with – the cold weather kept everyone away! And, the fact that it was a gray day totally worked in my favor – better for viewing the glow of the lights!

From the moment I caught a glimpse of the ride, I was impressed. But then, I guess the result of 10 years work and $16 million dollars should be impressive!

Although actually made of fiberglass and steel, the structure looks like sea glass! It is made up of 30 sea creatures – some as tall as 13 ½ feet – that glow from within to create a marine life looking bioluminescence.

Passengers sit inside the creatures as they rotate and rise up and down. Each creature has 3 stereo speakers and a base speaker to best project the classical music selections that play during the ride (and include sounds of gurgling water).

The Carousel is truly a unique experience and definitely worth the $5. fee to take a ride. (I am guessing the same as the price of a beer in NYC?)

Hours/days of operation are limited during the winter, dependent on the weather, so check the SeaGlass Carousel Facebook page for up-to-date schedule information if you plan on visiting.

I am looking forward to going back – next time at night; to get the full effect of the glowing!

I hope I have inspired you to visit the SeaGlass Carousel at The Battery next time you are in New York City!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a wonderful weekend and remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

P.S. I posted a short video of the SeaGlass Carousel on my Instagram. :)

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jonesing for spring

February 16, 2016

The below zero temperatures here in Connecticut have caused me to have many day dreams about spring!

I thought things might start looking a little like spring at Terrain (one of my fave stores) and, on a recent visit, I was not disappointed. The winter displays are starting to be replaced with some touches of the next season. Taking a little time to visit the store with a friend is not only inspiring, but a great way to forget about the winter blahs – if only for a short time!

Here are some favorite things from my visit! Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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pencil love

February 12, 2016

I have a love for pencils. I can’t help it. I prefer old school notebook and pencil over a keyboard any day. And, I certainly wouldn’t give up my beautiful Kate Spade organizer for the electronic phone version! I love the aesthetics and the feel of a good organizer and I would never reduce all my painstakingly made plans to lifeless little boxes on the calendar of my android!

Pencil inspiration for the next generation! The wonderful children’s book by Allan Ahlberg.

For today’s Friday field trip, I am sharing a little pencil love!

cool erasers from CW Pencil Enterprise in NYC

Some really cool erasers from CW Pencil Enterprise in New York City. A ‘must visit’ for any pencil lover!

I enjoy both using pencils and giving pencils! Some of my past pencil gifts have included some DIY fringed pencils that are perfect for Valentine’s Day (click here for the link),

customized ‘beachy’ pencils (click here for diy),

and personalized pencils for book lovers (click here for diy).

I love giving pencils with customized printing. They are so fun to create and it is a fun challenge to contain a message to a limited number of letters!

I hope I have inspired a little pencil love today! :)

Check out my Facebook page today to read more about these amazing carved pencil tip sculptures by artist Dalton Ghetti!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a wonderful weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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valentine’s day gift diy

February 9, 2016

A rubber stamp is a great accessory for some Valentine’s Day fun!

A simple tag, brown paper, or muslin bag can transform a little something into a special valentine for someone you care about – all you need is a Valentine’s Day themed rubber stamp.

If you don’t already own them, pick up a Valentine’s Day rubber stamp and a red ink pad in the dollar section of Target or in a local craft store. Choose a stamp with a simple line design – they work the best for this type of application.

A stamped muslin bag can be used to tuck some treats into a lunch box or to gift a ‘cup of tea’ (slip in a teabag) to a friend. I often find packages of these muslin bags, priced very inexpensively, at HomeGoods in the home utensil section – they are sold to make herb sachets. They can also be purchased at a craft or paper store.

Many other household materials can be used as Valentine’s Day wrapping. Brown bags are perfect to stamp and can be used as gift bags or wrapping paper. Tissue paper, fabric scraps, and dishtowels also work well.

Any scrap cardboard can be cut, stamped, and used as a gift tag. I like making tags cut from paint sample swatches to stamp on as well. Wrap up a single cupcake or cookie and add a cute homemade tag!

I hope I have inspired you to have a little stamping fun this Valentine’s Day!

Thanks for stopping by! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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love is in the air

February 5, 2016

I often think of how everything in life comes down to being a great editor. It is the most important skill we possess. Our editing of life’s choices and resources is a reflection of who we are…it creates our image, establishes our integrity (or lack of), and develops our character. With the constant stream of choices that present themselves to us; it is the editing that determines everything in life.

One of the biggest editing assignments we can take on is the one of choosing a spouse -– the ultimate test of editing skill! I have been thinking a lot about this in the past week because one of my children is now engaged! With the news of the engagement, I started thinking about this ultimate test of editing and how the editing of past generations led our family to what it is today.

A romantic moment shared by our ancestors – 2 generations ago.

So, for today’s Friday field trip, I just wanted to share those few thoughts as I celebrate a very special engagement and the start of another generation of romantic moments.

Thanks for stopping by.

Have a wonderful weekend and remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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olive you valentine

February 2, 2016

Aaah, yes. I still have a little more ‘pun’ up my sleeve for Valentine’s Day! Today, a valentine that appeals to the over 21 crowd!

My idea for ‘olive you’ was to incorporate a martini – seems logical when talking olives, right? I knew I wanted almonds coated in white chocolate, tinted green, with a red accent for the ‘pimento.’ I actually pitched the idea to a small, local candy store and they created some at my suggestion! So perfect for my valentine idea!

Next, I created a topper with a martini glass and the ‘olive you.’ I love it!

There are certainly more ways to incorporate the martini theme using this idea. The completed candy almond packet could be tied onto a miniature (‘nip’) bottle of vodka! Or, the almonds could be wrapped in a martini glass with an ‘olive you’ card tied to the stem!

I hope you are inspired to use the ‘olive you’ theme for your valentine!

Thanks for stopping by! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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