Cookie Time

I'm crazy for cookies

especially when they are colorful

and bursting with

sweet noms like raspberry & ice cream

here are some of my favorite

rainbow cookies from Rocco's on Bleecker

& cookie sandwiches from Milk & Cookies on Commerce Street

why are the best treats born in the West Village?

under the canopy of fire escapes, quaint buildings, and brick-face

Milk & Cookies is my favorite

because of the cute, warmth of the place, tucked in between old brownstones

the glass, communal water pitcher,

the cups full of brown sugar cubes and thick golden honey,

the happy array of flowers that greet passerbys,

but most of all, I love the cookie sandwiches and the love with which they are made

the perfect way that a scoop of creamy, dense ice cream is placed between

two huge, soft, cookies

and pressed to perfection, to make that ice cream spread all over the cookies

just 5 bucks of pure lusciousness

my particular ice cream sandwich love letter

was strawberry ice cream & macadamia nut cookies

it was a delicious masterpiece.

Street Art

I already have a torrid love affair with the city

but now that I'm an intern

I love every single minute I get to spend outside even more

working in an office

is actually quite alienating

maybe it's just the sociology major in me

or maybe its because the light in my nook is out

but this weekend, I got in some much needed QT time with the streets

and encountered some street art that really made me happy

anything might be beautiful after staring at an Excel workbook for 7 hours at a time

but this stuff is actually great.

This sexy man inspires me.

Gotta love some divalicious attitude & a bit of scandal

Gritty High Renaissance in the big city? yes please!

Trifecta=new best word.

I wish there could be a pizza place, Thai restaurant & Cold Stone all in one,

that would be my dream trifecta.

No words needed. This speaks the truth.

This truck couldn't have been in a better place. Love dollar stores, forever.

LES masterpiece.

My fave.

Birthdays & Saturdays [Things I Love]

So I've been MIA from Sleeping Venus

for the past week, because I've been in midtown

full time, everyday working for Paper Magazine

I can sum it up with: rotten flowers,

hunting for the perfect shade of chartreuse taffeta,

Excel, desperately trying to get Marc Jacob's assistant on the phone,

holding real life prison letters from Michael Alig (I die)

and wanting to have Pinkberry for lunch everyday with an empty wallet

oh, the life of an intern

but onto other things

like all the lovely things that happen on Saturdays and birthdays

and all the wonderful noms and sights

the things I love:

Good restaurants!

like Risoterria, where I went on my bday

(I'm 19, I'm nearly a dinosaur, even though 19 is one of those really liminal ages...)

it is on Bleecker Street,

which is easily becoming my new favorite place

not only did I get to have all my favorite foods on my birthday

(a momlet, ice cream, pizza)

but the pizza was brick oven,

mozzarella, asparagus, and white truffle oil

and white truffle oil just makes everything sexy

did I mention this restaurant gives you free one and a half feet long breadsticks,

yes, breadsticks,

I'm totally smitten with any place that gives free bread

anyhow, this pizza was mind blowingly delish

and I want it every single day, desperately

Candy!

not just any candy though, my new obsession is grapefruit gummies

and my not so new obsession is basically anything from Economy Candy on Rivington

it's so authentic, and its one of the only places where I can find

vintage goodies

like Sixlets and Bottle Caps

its also one of the only candy places that doesn't feel gourmet & overpriced

so it makes me feel really nostalgic

I'm dying for a little lunchbox tin from there

so I can tote my peanut butter & jelly sandwich and my apple to work everyday in style

what's better than good restaurants and candy?

getting Thai takeout to eat at Tompkins

so romantic

since it was just impossible to squeeze in pad thai on my birthday

I had it the next day, and it was everything I wanted

a lunch special from Tara Thai on First Ave

a sunny day in the park

bull dogs with chubby paws

and lots of pup watching

why is it that lime tastes so good on pad thai?

it really gives it a depth of flavor

(everyday I consider going to culinary school instead of Vassar)

one day I'm going to own my own food joint

it will happen, even with a Sociology degree

and it will be made possible

by all the hours I spend watching the food networking and food joint hopping

I can't even tell you how many ways I know how to prepare pork loin

my fave recipe is for an herb crusted pork loin

but I'm a vegetarian....

I also love getting free ice water at Starbucks,

and it's even better when it belongs to someone else

sorry William, but this girl was so thirsty

thanks for helping a sista out

And it's totally awesome when streets in the city happen to look like Europe

I could sort of feel like I'm in Delft, or Harrlem

maybe even Tuscany, if I squint...and ignore all the cabs

Lastly, I gotta love Washington Square Park

street performers and the wonderful sounds of doo wop,

fleetingly beautiful sand art by Joe Mangrum (he is amazing),

botanical garden worthy flowers

eccentric couples

frolicking children,

and that refreshing fountain mist

are more than enough to keep me smiling all summer long.

Photo Diary

Today was a best day

a long walk, famous gelato

from Cones on Bleecker

the hazelnut literally tastes like eating a Ferrero Rocher chocolate

and the white chocolate just blew my mind

it was expensive,

but oh so worth it to sit on a random stoop

with the 8 dollar cone dripping on my skirt

as I tried to get every last bit of white chocolate deliciousness

I also had my first slice of real (nonvegan) New York pizza since being home (nomlicious)

there was also an impromptu dance parade on St. Marks

and an unexpected street fair

(that was sadly all out of my fave Thai springrolls)

and lots of other beautiful sights

I don't think there is much that's better than cradling dumplings & beautiful architecture.