Abigail Ramos has a special Valentine's Day SALE!

This is your chance to get some amazing pieces by the very talented Abigail. Hurry!

It's restaurant week!

Well, it's actually restaurant weeks (plural) because this year NYC has decided that one week is just not enough to get all that eating done. The dates for this Winter are January 25th- February 7th. This is a great opportunity to try a place that you normally would not try because of budget concerns. All of the restaurants listed have a special something going on, but I am only listing my top 10 picks. Remember that these are three course meals for only $24.07 (lunch) and $35.00 (dinner).

TIPS: Make sure you look to see if the offer is valid on the weekends. Also, you might want to skip an appetizer and dessert in order to get some other entree you see on the regular menu.

1. August
2. Brasserie
3. Butter
4. Crema
5. DBGB
6. Kittichai
7. Matsuri
8. Mercer kitchen
9. Mesa Grill
10. Quality Meats

Go here for more information on all participating restaurants. http://www.nycgo.com/restaurantweek

AND go here for all menus:

http://www.nycgo.com/?event=view.article&id=132750&pid=wrw_menus

Everyone needs a little Ground Support

Cristina has once again proven her loyalty to me by introducing me to a relatively new coffee shop called Ground Support. Pretty clever, right? We stopped by the cafe last week to catch up and chat, but while I was waiting for Cristina to show up I had the most interesting thing happen. I fell in love with a cookie. I am not usually a cookie person. I can be a cake person or a chocolate person, but cookies and I usually do not mix. The only other cookie that I would fight someone over is the Alfajor cookies at the Aroma cafe on Houston. This was a ginger cookie (of all things) and not only was it nice and soft on the inside, but the cookie itself seemed to be talking to me. It's smooth ginger flavor was not overpowering, as ginger flavored things often tend to be. In the minutes that I sat there alone, waiting for Cristina, I was so involved with the cookie that I almost forgot I was waiting for anyone at all.

I also had a great coconut/almond tea that left me wanting more. Cristina says she keeps coming back here because the barista makes a heart in her coffee, but I think it has something to do with the flavor as well. The fact that they have a sandwich special is also a good incentive to check this place out. Do you really need any more reasons after the account I have given on this ginger cookie? Well, maybe the cool pieces of tree trunk furniture will lure you in.

Ground Support

399 W Broadway(between Broome St & Watts St)

New York, NY 10012

(212) 219-8722

Hours:
Mon-Sun. 7:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.

2 NEW posters for The Last Airbender

These 2 new posters for the Last Airbender look great! I am such a huge fan of the cartoon. By the look of these posters I am guessing that there will be more like these, but showcasing the other elements (water and earth). I can't wait for those to pop up and I'll make sure to post them on here when I see them.

Billy's bakery could turn into an obsession

Last week at work it was some one's birthday and her team surprised her with a carrot cake from Billy's bakery. To say that I was impressed is an understatement. I literally wanted to press my face in the cake and go crazy. I was so amazed that I dragged Manny to the bakery this weekend in search of another sugary confection. At first I was sure I wanted to try the carrot cake again and lose myself in it's luscious goodness, but the more I thought about it the more I felt I should try something new. We got a mini cheesecake with blueberries on top and a big ol' slice of red velvet. We took our treats home and ate them with an amazing cup of tea.

After all is said and done I recommend the carrot cake. It's better than anything else I have had from them (including cupcakes i got there in the Summer). Just go, get it, and schedule your next visit because it will probably be soon.

Billy's bakery

184 9th Avenue Between 21st and 22nd Street

Phone: 212-647-9956

and the other location in Tribeca

75 Franklin Street Between Broadway and Church Street

Phone: 212-647-9958

Pretty Ugly tea cup & saucer

It's time to take your afternoon tea to the next level. This adorable tea cup and saucer set have warmed my heart with the vibrant color splashes it showcases. It's a fun way of keeping the traditional tea experience alive. The handle of the cup is painted in actual Gold. How cute!

Get this at welovekaoru.com

I want to live in the H house

The H house looks like such a delight. I love the amazing views! Group 41 Architects did a great job with the structure of this design and overall use of space. I am in awe. If i lived there, in trendy San Francisco, i would probably have a dinner party every week. Here are the pics.

Via Contemporist

Group 41

Run to Oyamel for drinks and churros!

Manny and I felt like spicing up our Monday off by going to get a few drinks. We had passed by Oyamel a few times and we felt it was time to actually go inside. THANK GOD WE DID!

We had amazing margaritas and our very friendly bartender Jasmine made me a Mezcal sour. It was kind of interesting because she dropped an egg white in there and I did not know how that whole thing was going to turn out, but I'm so glad I tried it. It was tasty and light at the same time. The big bang came when we found out that the place has churros. If you ever want to bribe me, get some churros in the room and I'll do whatever you say. Fried dough with cinnamon and sugar sprinkled all over it is kind of an obsession of mine. Manny and I gobbled it up while we dipped the perfect fried sticks in some sort of chocolate mousse. I was so excited that I ended up dropping one, but I picked it up and ate it anyway because I don't give a f***. I needed to have that last piece.

On the next visit I am going to make sure we get guacamole and chips. Some people were having it at their table when we were there and it looked amazingly chunky & delicious.

Oyamel

401 7th Street NW.

Washington, DC 20004

www.oyamel.com

Arlenis Sosa is a bike babe

Harper's Bazaar brings us the beautiful Dominican princess Arlenis for their February 2010 issue. I always get so excited when I see her smile. These outfits showcase all ranges in price for you to have that great Spring look. Alexi Lubomirsky always comes out with the best shots too. He has a wonderful eye. Pick this up and get your chic on!

Via Design Scene

Get the "messy side braid look" with Joey Maalouf

Celebrity hair and makeup artist Joey Maalouf went on BellaTV.com and taught us how to make that hot messy side braid look. No one does it as easy and perfect as Joey. Take a look and make sure you keep an eye on this one. He's taking over and making sure you look FLY!

V gets big with Gabby Sidibe

Gabby Sidibe is on the cover of V magazine's size issue. I already showed you some pics in the post One Size Fits All in V Magazine, but now you get to see the cover and a sneak peak at Gabby. Make sure you pick this up. It's full of interesting shoots and how many times have you seen a fabulous big girl on the cover of a major fashion magazine? Just for that I am getting my copy as soon as I'm done writing this post.

The people of Haiti need your help

Please take a moment to go to one of the websites below and donate some money to the people of Haiti who have been hit by a massive 7.0 earthquake this past Tuesday. Help them in this time of incredible need.

http://www.redcross.org/

UNICEF's Haiti Earthquake Fund

Partner's in Health http://www.pih.org/

Save the Children

Eating healthy/ Feeling fabulous pt.1- Tofu "egg" salad

The Park Slope food Coop has teamed up with The Natural Gourmet Institute in a class designed to make healthy meals in a hurry. Thank you Luisa for bringing me to this amazing workshop. The event was led by health counselor Juliana Brafa. I know many people don't think healthy food can be tasty (I was one of these people), but in the last 2 years I have learned a lot about the unknown. Tofu can taste like anything you want, veggies are delicious, and you don't need to diet like a madman if you eat things that your body can process and breakdown. I liked this class because it gave me great ideas on how to incorporate healthy foods into my current diet, meaning it is not exclusive. I will be sharing some of the recipes given that day so you can try them at home. I just made this Tofu "egg" salad last night and not only was it easy, but I wanted to eat the entire thing when I was done. Honest, just try it. You will be making a new batch in no time.

Tofu "egg" salad
1 pound firm tofu- roughly mashed

2 tbs chopped parsley

2 tbs mayo or vegan mayo

2 tbs sweet relish1 tbs olive oil

4 teaspoons prepared Dijon mustard

1-2 scallion finely chopped

1 clove of crushed garlic

1/4 teaspoon of turmeric

1/4 teaspoon of pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons of salt

Procedure: Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir and mix until you get the consistency you like from the Tofu. The more you stir, the less chunky the salad will be.

See how easy this was? It will last you about 3 days if you put it in the fridge. One day you can have it with toast for breakfast, another day you can have it on crackers before your dinner or as a snack, and another day you can make a banging sandwich to take to work ;-)
Stay tuned, I'll be posting more as I make the rest of the recipes.

Green Lantern movie casting is almost complete

The Green lantern movie is happening and we already have our hero; Ryan Reynolds! The newest addition is Blake Lively, who will play his love interest. The role calls for an older actress (Jennifer Garner and Keri Russell were rumored to be cast at one time), but producers decided that Lively was the better choice. i think it has to do with sales and she is on hit TV show right now. Let's see how this translates on the big screen. The big conclusion will be who they get to play the bad guy!

Stay warm with vanilla green tea

It's about to get really cold...again. What better way to warm up at home than to get some amazing Vanilla green tea from Tea & Sympathy in the West Village? This cute little British spot has a warm place in my heart. Anytime I want to feel like I'm in London I go here for brunch and get some bangers and mash. LOVE IT! The restaurant has it's own store next door where they sell not only tea by the pound, but also British candies and treats. Head over for a most gratifying experience and make sure you get that tea!

108 Greenwich Ave(between 12th St & Jane St)

New York, NY 10011

(212) 807-8329

Tea & Sympathy Webpage

Disney Queens by Mr.Bluebird

I love this Disney Queens series! I think my favorite is the queen of hearts. Check out Mr.Bluebird (very talented and only 19!) on his deviant art website. Maybe we can persuade him to draw some X-Men? lol

One size fits all in V Magazine

The war on skinny continues in 2010. This time around photographer Terry Richardson takes two models (one skinny, one "plus" size) and let's them duke it out in a style war. They both wear the exact same thing and even look alike. Which model works the clothes better? Does the extra weight matter? It's your call. Styled by Mel Ottenberg.

Grimaldi's lives up to the hype

At first I was a little skeptical on going to try the pizza at Grimaldi's. It must have been about 10 degrees outside and when we got to the restaurant there was a long line of people trying to get in. I started getting worried, I was cold, can we make it or should we try somewhere new? Let's just say that when I put that piece of pizza in my mouth I forgot all about my worries and all about the line. Nothing else mattered. Just the pizza. Then, we tried the Cannoli's and that's when I decided I have to go back to this place. It was the best Cannoli i have ever had...in my life! Make sure you try the plain pizza in it's natural form (no toppings!). They also sell wine, so you can walk out of there full and tipsy. Amazing.

Grimaldi's

19 Old Fulton St Brooklyn, NY 11201

(718) 858-4300
www.grimaldis.com