Macy's flower show

I was on the hunt for shoes. Spring shoes. Spring dress shoes. So I went in to Macy's and found myself in a real jungle. The Macy's Spring Flower Show was almost set up. As it was a few days away from the grand opening (which was Sunday), the flowers weren't completely finished, but the store was still amazing. Every year I love seeing the displays. So if you are in New York City I recommend heading over, but best to go during the weekday and avoid the crowds.

Film Biz

Probably almost a year ago I heard of this store, Film Biz Prop Shop, that sold recycled movie and tv sets. Apparently a lot of set items don't get reused by the industry so this group helped companies donate items to charities and sell items in their store. I had wanted to visit the store as it was somewhere in my neighborhood, but never made it.

Then out comes New York Magazine's best of New York issue and the store is listed only it has moved to Brooklyn. Well I've been looking for side tables for awhile and learned how ridiculously expensive a little table could be so I decided to head to the store and check it out. I took the G train to Carroll Gardens on my way over which meant I had to cross the Gowanus Canal.

to the north

to the south

Then on to Film Biz... 540 President Street Basement. It was a little sketch. You walk through a gate, down a steep parking lot, into an unmarked door, then down a long bare hallway, but then you open up to a huge room of goods.

Front entrance gate

Inside they had a great set up, I circled the whole place maybe three times as I kept missing things. They had some really nice stuff, but that tended to be too expensive and their cheaper stuff was... well not what I was looking for or broken.

electric chair

dancing platform speakers.... I really wanted these for my living room, but didn't know how I would get them home

I left empty handed even though I really wanted to get something. They did have plenty of side tables, one in particular was mirrored and $15! But one side had a crack and I thought that was just asking for trouble.

Apartment rehab

I've been following the chalkboard wall/chalkboard cabinet/chalkboard anything trend for awhile and decided just to go for it. I had some pictures hanging up on one of the walls in my kitchen that just weren't working for me. so I decided that is where the chalkboard would go. I thought about doing all different shapes or like a frame boarder but ended up just doing a giant square. I did measure this time and draw lines and such and then I used the Frog tape... which mostly lived up to its claim of clean lines.

Drying

Then I bought a set of sidewalk chalk, 20 different colors! And went to work. I wasn't sure what to draw so I did a bit of everything for my first time out.

The Burger Garage

Sometimes you just need a vanilla milkshake, sweet potato fries, and a cheeseburger. I tried out the new burger place in my neighborhood a few weeks ago. The food was good, but a little overpriced.

The burger garage

Salad

The other day for lunch I went to Chop't. For those of you that haven't been it is a small chain based in NYC with locations in DC as well. Its like the other salad places in that you can pick your lettuce type and toppings, but then they use this big chopping blade and chop it into small delectable pieces and then if you would like (as I do) they turn it into a wrap (or as they call them a salad sandwich). I've only been a few times and I've gotten the same salad every time... the Santa Fe. Well the other day while I was in there my friend went on and on about how much money they were making (about $8 a salad) and how people should make their own salads so I took the challenge.

I wrote down everything in my salad sandwich and went to the grocery store. I ended up spending around $35 on supplies (eek). But a few of the items (salad dressing and crispy onions) will last for several salads. I had 5 salads so they turned out being $7 a piece... not a great deal, but I won't have to buy all of the supplies next time.

My version was just as delicious. I couldn't get the wrap to work, and I don't have one of those choppers so I just ate large pieces in bowl form.

How to:

Green leaf lettuce (or romaine) washed and broken into pieces

Can of corn drained

Avocado peeled, pitted, and chopped

Two plumb tomatoes washed and diced

Pepper jack cheese chopped

Combine above ingredients

Sprinkle on a few crunchy onions

Top with dressing of choice- At chop't I get the chipotle vinaigrette but for my at home version I used Newman's own lime dressing

Try try again

Have you ever started a project, messed up, and then set it aside in frustration? I've done this before, but usually I pick it back up and face my problems after a few days or weeks. This time? not so much. My aunt brought me back yarn and a pattern for socks from her vacation in Australia. Her vacation that was at least three years ago. I started sock one right away and then started in on sock two. Only once that I past the cuff on sock two did I realize I made a mistake. I had made a mistake on sock one! (gasp!) So I had a decision to make. Finish sock two according to the pattern and have socks that didn't match, start sock two over and knit it according to sock one, make three socks, or set it aside and decide later. I chose the last option and three years later I finally pulled the unfinished sock out last month and decided to pull out the unfinished sock and start over in the fashion of the first sock.

Two weeks later I finish. Sometimes you just have to face your problems.

the finished socks

the yarn was variegated, I didn't make all those color changes

The mistake was not knitting about 40 rounds between the ribbing and turning the heel. So instead of crew socks I have ankle socks.

Take two

Remember that awesome planter my sister got me for Christmas? And remember how I planted the cilantro in it? Well the cilantro never grew... I'm not sure if it was a light issue or a directional issue or a seed issue or a water issue (or something else), but nothing grew. The basil I planted at the same time in another planter did come up, but then it died off... on this one I think it was a soil/water issue, sigh.

As delightful as the hanging planter looked with just dirt in it, I decided to try again with a plant. I found myself at Home Depot (looking at paint, but that is another story) and saw some cheap nice looking plants so I bought a few small ones.

A touch of life in my kitchen

I also got two of these cactus plants (the other has a yellow top). I've never tried growing these types of plants before so wish me luck!

little guy

Texas Independence Day

Texans around the world (or maybe just in Texas) celebrate Texas Independence Day each year on March 2. Texans celebrate their independence from Mexico in 1836. Texas only remained an independent republic for 9 years before it joined the United States in 1845. During my two years in Texas I had friends visit the site of the signing at Washington-on-the-Brazos to celebrate and painted bluebells on children's cheeks while substitute teaching on March 2nd. Since I've moved to New York I've celebrated the Texas holiday twice, both times by attending the the Texas Independence Day concert at Terminal 5. Other than a free drink ticket for wearing a shirt bearing the logo of a Texas University its basically just an awesome Texas country music concert.

This year the line up included:

Casey Donahew (sorry we missed your act)

Wade Bowen (pretty good)

Jack Ingram (love Barbie Doll)

Pat Green (awesome show)

There is just something about a concert where everyone is singing along and having a great time. Except for two girls who I almost had to fight and ended up getting in a fight with some boys a few minutes later....

I took some low quality cell phone pictures...

pretty sure this is Pat Green, loved the guitar player on the left

Jack Ingram- he took his boots off and stuck them on the mic stand to sing "barefoot and crazy"

more Ingram I believe