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half-pound cookies!

February 28, 2020

citycake cookie closeup

Trips to New York City always include some great eating stops – there are so many to choose from!

One great dessert place to visit is Citycakes.   The unassuming storefront of this bakery is easy to miss – it is located on the basement level of 251 West 18th Street in Manhattan.

citycakes storefront

Because it is only a few blocks from the High Line, Citycakes is a fun stop after an invigorating High Line walk!  The menu here includes cakes and cupcakes, but for my daughter and I, the true hero of the shop is the signature line of cookies – weighing in at half a pound each!

Here is my pick this trip:

citycakes nyc cookie closeup

citycakes cookie flavor

Though this shop may not have the finesse of a New York City bakery like a Dominique Ansel Bakery, there is definitely something to be said for a huge, delicious cookie!

As a Food Network junkie, I have seen Chef Benny Rivera from Citycakes compete on many different programs – making the shop all that much more attractive to me!

citycakes cookies

If in the neighborhood while in Manhattan, it is worth a stop to pick up some cookies!  They are definitely a fun gift to bring home to someone!

(For comparison – one cookie is half a pound or 8 oz. – an entire box of Girl Scout Toffee-tastic cookies is under 7 oz. and cost $6.  I used a Girl Scout cookie to compare because everyone knows it!  Of course, a boxed cookie is not freshly baked!)

Thanks for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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the vessel nyc

February 21, 2020

the vessel sky

It has been almost a year since the official opening of the Hudson Yards Redevelopment Project in Manhattan, New York City.

What fascinates me most about the area is the soaring new landmark built as part of the project that is the extraordinary centerpiece of Hudson Yards.  I am talking about the Vessel.

The Vessel NYC

An interactive artwork that is meant to be climbed, the work was designed by architect Thomas Heatherwick.  Comprised of 154 intricately interconnecting flights of stairs made up of almost 2,500 individual steps and 80 landings, it is a spiral staircase that offers climbers a way to see some remarkable views of the city, the river, and beyond by witnessing perspectives of the city from different heights, angles, and vantage points.

looking up at the vessel

Anyone willing to climb can do so for free by obtaining a same-day ticket.  All time-specific tickets are offered without charge on a first-come, first served basis.

side view of the vessel

Last time in New York City, I was hoping to climb the Vessel, but no tickets were available!  As time goes on, I am sure the free tickets will only get harder and harder to achieve with milder weather arriving to the city soon!

cool view of The Vessel

Here I am offering some views of the Vessel from the ground level.  I will continue to try to score a ticket on any visit I make into Manhattan – hoping I can soon make the climb!

the vessel 3

Thanks for stopping by!

The Vessel 2

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

P.S.  I think this coming Thursday’s episode of Project Runway was filmed at the Vessel – check it out!

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valentine’s day 2020

February 14, 2020

VDay

This is the first Valentine’s Day in decades (wow…that sounds crazy!) that I have been single.  As you can probably tell by the way I started this post, I decided to focus on myself this year.  I decided to make Valentine’s Day all about falling in love with taking care of myself and to avoid all the hype of the day that is going on around me.  So far, it is working out pretty well!

hearts on the high line

As a gift to you, I would like to share some sightings that seem appropriate for the day from a recent stroll down the High Line in NYC with one of my favorite galentines.  Enjoy…

love

high line art

amor

art on the high line

Enjoy your weekend!  Be good to yourself.

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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larios on the beach

February 11, 2020

instrument decor

My favorite restaurant stop while in South Beach was to one owned by a famous person from the music industry – Gloria Estefan.

Larios

Gloria and Emilio Estefan have been promoting their Cuban Heritage through their restaurants as well as through their music since they opened Larios on the Beach in 1992 in the heart of South Beach.

Gloria portrait

The restaurant offers guests the opportunity to dine on authentic Cuban cuisine served in an atmosphere that celebrates the spirit of Cuba in its heyday while enjoying the view of famous Ocean Drive.

instrument decor

The instruments that make up this unusual wall hanging include those used by the Miami Sound Machine.

Gloria grew up in the kitchen with her grandmother and developed a love of cooking.  Gloria and Emilio opened Larios on the Beach, in honor of both Gloria’s grandmother and their beloved Cuban Heritage.

restaurant decor

Larios on the beach became their flagship restaurant as they expanded the vision by opening Bongos Cuban Cafe in Orlando, in Florida’s Downtown Disney in 1996 then Bongos Cuban Cafe at The American Airlines Arena in Miami,  Bongos Cuban Cafe at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, FL and Bongos Cuban Cafe at Miami International Airport.

Gloria's husband

A fun photograph of Emilio adorns the wall in the dining area at Larios on the Beach.

Estefan Hospitality also grew with the addition of the historic Cardozo Hotel on 1300 Ocean Drive in 1993 and in 2006 Costa D’Este, an award winning 4-Diamond property in Vero Beach.   It was named one of the top ten celebrity owned hotels in the world and is in Travel and Leisure’s top 100 list.  Its cozy oceanside restaurant, The Wave, was voted Diner’s Choice Winner Best Overall, Best Ambiance and Best Food on OpenTable.

tree wall decor

scallop wall decor

Gloria herself developed the crest that represents the brand.  Inspired by the Cuban Crest, it has the sun representing the Gloria Estefan Foundation, which has already donated millions of dollars to many diverse causes, a dolphin and a flamingo both Florida treasures, an American and Cuban flag laying side by side representing their dual patriotic nature and the Bongo man, logo for the Bongos Franchise.

logo on wine

The crest is surrounded by the Hibiscus and the Palm, native to both Florida and Cuba and is crowned with a pineapple, the symbol that sits high atop both Bongos Cuban Cafe Miami and Orlando.  The ribbon under the pineapple reads “to serve mankind”, which is something Emilio and Gloria love to do and was chosen by Gloria both for that reason and as an inside joke that they dare anyone to guess. Winner gets a free drink!

logo on chair

Thanks for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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cruisin’ ocean drive

February 7, 2020

the orb

My favorite hotel along Miami’s famed Ocean Drive is The Betsy – a chic hotel with a rooftop pool…if I were to plan a future trip to Miami, this would definitely be my hotel of choice.

Walking along ‘the drive,’ there are a couple of super cool features outdoors at The Betsy to check out.

The Orb 6

My favorite is an orb-shaped sky bridge, considered a groundbreaking piece of Miami public art.  I was so fascinated with this structure!

The Orb 5

The other unique feature is a sculptural Poetry Rail honoring local wordsmiths – from Langston Hughes to Muhammad Ali.

Poetry Rail 1

Poetry Rail 3

Cool, right?  And you haven’t even seen the inside of the hotel!

Poetry Rail sign

Poetry Rail 5

I hope you enjoyed sharing a couple of the interesting features of The Betsy Hotel on Ocean Drive in Miami!  Can’t wait to share my favorite restaurant!

Thanks for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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enjoying the ride

January 28, 2020

slide5

Aventura Mall is the largest mall (2,800,000 square feet of retail space) in Miami and one of the largest in the U.S.  Anchored by five department stores including Nordstrom and Bloomingdale’s, the center is highlighted by a mix of over 300 luxury boutiques and shopper favorites, including Anthropologie, Burberry, Cartier, Givenchy, Gucci, and Louis Vuitton.   It also features more than 50 eateries and restaurants, and showcases 20 museum-quality art pieces in a range of mediums.

slide2

Sounds amazing as far as malls go, right?

slide3

But when I made a quick visit to the Adventura Mall recently, I only had one destination in mind and it was none of the above-mentioned stores or eateries!

slide1

My (very) quick visit was solely for the purpose of taking a ride down the mall’s slide!  The photos I have included here are of the slide at the Adventura Mall.  Offered for free to any mall visitor, the slide is a great novelty!   The climb up to the top offers some great exercise and the ride down is a lot of fun!

slide4

I have to say though, standing up was definitely a chore when I got to the bottom because I was so dizzy!

slide6

I thought it would be fun to share my ride with you today on the blog!

slide7

Thanks for stopping by!

Have a great week and remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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lilly, palm beach

January 7, 2020

If you are a Lilly Pulitzer fan, you really have to visit the Palm Beach store!  I know in the past I have shared photos from the Lilly store at The Breakers in Palm Beach, but there is also a store on historic Worth Avenue.

This past stay at The Breakers, I had some time to visit this larger store and want to share some photos with you.

Of course any Lilly superfan would have something custom made while visiting the Worth Avenue store!

I love this piece of art hanging in the store!  If you know anything about the history of Palm Beach, you know the monkey is very significant!  Johnnie Brown was the pet spider monkey of Addison Mizner, an eccentric Palm Beach fixture of the roaring twenties – and Johnnie’s grave is located in the first shopping arcade built on Worth Avenue!

One of the best parts of visiting any Lilly Pulitzer store is checking out the dressing rooms!

To read about the origins of Lilly Pulitzer design (and see the Lilly store at The Breakers), click here.

Thanks for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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old is new again

September 17, 2019

harvest moon

The old song goes “everything old is new again.”

That was the case for me this past weekend when I spent some time in the town of Mystic.  Even the evening views were ‘new again’ with the beautiful harvest moon seeming to hold court over the town!

Mystic drawbridge

The famous Mystic drawbridge under the harvest moon!

 

sticky bun at Sift

For a Food Network fan like myself, no Mystic visit is complete without a visit to Sift! If you haven’t been in a while, you may not have seen the new addition – including a rooftop bar!

While visiting, I realized that the hints of autumn were unusual since Mystic is always a summer destination for me.  So, there you go – ‘new again.’

1881 cider mill

B.F. Clyde’s Cider Mill is not a place I would think about visiting on a hot summer day! The mill is even operational at this time of year!

 

bravo bravo

Even my favorite restaurant in Mystic – Bravo, Bravo is new again! It moved to a new location across the street from The Whaler’s Inn. Yes, still the same fabulous food!

I am sharing a few weekend examples of ‘new again’ with the hope that I can inspire you to also revisit a place you enjoy!

collage saltwater farm

All vineyards seem ‘new again’ after my trip to Napa! I have learned so much more about wines and vineyards!

Thanks for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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everywhere you look…

August 16, 2019

painted ladies

No trip to San Francisco, no matter how short, would be complete without a stop at the famous Painted Ladies.  These are a row of colorful Victorian houses located at 710–720 Steiner Street, across from Alamo Square park.

So, of course, on my first trip to San Francisco, one of the stops on a 9 mile walk around the city included Alamo Square park to snap a couple shots of the famous ladies!

I am sharing my glimpse of these gals here for today’s Friday field trip.

painted ladies in sf

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a wonderful weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

P.S. The title of this post, if you don’t recognize it, is taken from the Full House theme song ;)

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conservatory of flowers

August 13, 2019

close view front conservatory

My recent trip to San Francisco included many miles of walking.  One day, while walking through the world-renowned Golden Gate Park, it was a pleasant surprise to happen upon The Conservatory of Flowers – a Victorian-era glass greenhouse with more than 2,000 species of plants & flowers.

flower view in conservatory

green varigated leaf

A national, state and local landmark built in 1879; the Conservatory of Flowers was the first formal structure erected in Golden Gate Park and remains an icon at its entrance.

view of the floor

fountain

The Conservatory has five distinct galleries, each focusing on highlighting a different ecosystem, ranging from a tropical rainforest to the cloud forests perched on top of mountains.

delicate flowers

I am sharing a few photos taken at the Conservatory with you here today. If you find yourself visiting San Francisco, be sure to put the Conservatory of Flowers on your list of places to visit!  Even if plants are not your ‘thing,’ the glass greenhouse and surrounding grounds are worth visiting!

conservatory plants

Have a fabulous week.  Thanks for stopping by.

conservatory of flowers

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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