more good things

continuing with my general theme of well-being and joy from small things, i took a leisurely stroll down smith st. recently and was happily inspired by much of what i saw. here are a few things i came across that i wanted to share:

for starters, the store retrospect is a cacophony of noir-chic, steam-punk, & mid-century modern things you didn't know you wanted, but you do. oh, how you do.  for example, these charming little pouches

and these miniature gilded dining sets that i couldn't stop staring at. (what is it about mini things?)

i finally coughed up the dough for the tokyo milk perfume i've been lusting after, parted with all the other objects i had just fallen in love with, and went on my way. 

i stopped at clothing/shoe store epaulet and couldn't resist taking a photo of these vivienne westwood jelly's:

they were sort of lady gaga meets a 2nd grader. i can't really say i liked them, or understood why anyone would pay $150 for plastic shoes, but i was definitely intrigued by the sheer silliness of their design.

ok, i have had my eye on these headphones at exit 9 emporium for awhile now..

there are even more colors now (though i am partial to the gray & brown) and i should stop whining about them and just buy them, but for now i'll just keep wishing for them to appear on my ears!

a new coffee shop has opened up on smith between warren & wyckoff, and i know i know, like we need another place to buy overpriced lattes, but this one is kinda awesome. the shop is ecopolis cafe and it is part of brooklyn ecopolis which, according to their website is "a non-profit, community-based education and resource center aimed at promoting access to sustainable products, services, and innovations for healthy living." so, yeah, i'll buy a coffee any day to keep that going. and the best thing is that in addition to selling coffees and egg-creams,  they are selling birdbath bakery products including the best vegan treat ever--the banana-sesame agave cake!!

now that i only have to walk a few blocks to get one of these, i am going to eat one every day. EVERY DAY. 

despite inhaling the above mentioned pastry, i was still hungry so i went to wild ginger  for a light lunch. wild ginger serves delicious asian-fusion vegan food. everything i've had there has been good (and cheap) but my favorite soup in the whole world is their hot & sour:

spicy, sour, full of tofu & mushrooms, this is my ultimate comfort food. it's what i crave when i'm sick or when i just want something soothing and satisfying. the broth is thick but not heavy and i truly can't get enough of it.

so, things are looking good here but i am counting down the days till i leave (19!). the thing about leaving new york is that it is good for the soul to be somewhere where you don't have to move quite so fast for a bit. the body and mind try to resist the slower pace but i usually find i can acclimate quite quickly, and then i realize i can't get thai food anywhere after 11pm and i really start to miss nyc. leaving is so great and coming back is so much better.

i will leave you with one of the funniest things i have seen in awhile.

enjoy. 

http://verymarykate.com/

a proper breakfast

when i was in theater school, my fellow classmates and i spent two weeks in stratford-upon-avon studying with the royal shakespeare company. we landed there just a few days after september 11th, 2001 and found that once in england, we were treated like heroes. because we had been isolated on a converted barn in southern connecticut without tv/internet (theatre hippies) when september 11th took place, we were slightly unaware of how major the attacks had been and how deeply they had resonated around the world. needless to say, we were baffled by our celebrity-esque treatment in england, but being performers, we took it all in stride. despite the chaos and the tragedy back home, it was a wonderful time to be an american in england. i fell in love with the cobblestone streets and the quaint flats that lined our walk to the studio where we rehearsed every day. we got to stay in a charming bed and breakfast run by a lovely lady and her young daughter. in the morning we would all sleepily trudge down the stairs and sit around wooden tables as this humble woman asked us what we would like to eat. there were only a few options, but they were all delicious sounding and cooked by her moments after we gave her our orders. after some initial hesitation, i finally asked for the eggs with beans and tomatoes. i had never had beans for breakfast, and was curious about this classic british morning meal. turns out, eggs with beans and tomatoes is amazing and i would look forward to this homey and satisfying breakfast every day before heading to class. 

a few years later while on vacation in hong kong, i was thrilled to discover that the buffet breakfast at our hotel included fluffy eggs, roasted tomatoes, baked beans, and a fried potato product reminiscent of a mcdonald's hash brown (um, yum). hong kong, which was under british rule until the late 90's, is an international hub of business and a melting pot of eastern and western culture. my boyfriend (mark) and i would happily devour this imperial breakfast every morning before stepping out onto the streets lined with dried-fish and enigmatic medicinal products. 

these days when i want something special to eat, i try to recreate this breakfast, often with a few variations. lately i can't seem to get enough kale; i swear, i've been incorporating it into almost every meal i eat. i had some at home that i cooked for just a few minutes with garlic, and added vegetarian sausage patties, scrambled eggs, and sliced tomatoes quickly sauteed with salt & pepper and a can of eden organic baked beans. voila! my favorite breakfast because it makes me nostalgic for my past travels and because it is healthy, hearty, and so yummy. i think i'm also craving it because i'm gearing up for my trip to london. oh yeah, did i mention i'm going to london? yep, in the middle of june i'll be hopping across the pond with mark to visit some friends. we'll be making stops in scotland and paris, too! but first, i'm heading to san diego to visit my family and mark, who is currently performing in the whipping man at the old globe theater. when he's done with the show we'll be heading overseas. i'm leaving new york for almost all of june, and i don't think i've never been so excited before! i have been planing this trip for a few months, and now that it is near i have been feeling almost euphorically happy. i think the sunshine has a lot to do with it, but i have been so content lately walking around my neighborhood and admiring the produce stands and all the happy people eating outside and spending lazy days at the parks. life is good.

besides my impending vacation, a few other things have been making me really happy these days. to name a few:

golden mangoes-- i can't stop eating these. softer, sweeter, and creamier than the more ubiquitous red & green variety, i can't get enough of this amazing fruit.

seasonal vegetables like fava beans, morels, ramps, & fiddle heads. in springtime, these veggies get more action than tiger woods. enjoy them while they're here--they don't stick around for very long.

passion play by sarah ruhl-- i recently got to see this triumphant production of sarah ruhl's epic play. if you are anywhere near ft. greene, brooklyn, go see it. every aspect of this production from the brilliantly used set pieces to the excellent acting is exhilarating.

the return of glee. it's totally shameless, not even slightly realistic and utterly hilarious. i watch it on hulu and it makes me happy.

puppies outside everywhere.

happy spring!