Jen Bowles Design

NYC: Street Scenes and Pre Teen Beauty Queens

During our 10 hours in New York City, we managed to see and do quite a bit.  When you're in someplace like NYC it's hard not to.  I thought I'd share some of our more memorable outdoor sights...

Whereas it was Veteran's Day, we were able to see the amazing Veteran's Day parade--several times over the span of 4 hours.  Incredible and inspiring.     

Along with veterans, there was another group of people celebrating the fact that it was 11-11-11:  Brides!  And grooms too I'm sure, but we saw no less than 4 brides during the day.

This one in Central Park was the fanciest {hello, faux (I'm hoping) fur wrap}

Our favorite was this bridal entourage in Times Square.  One of the bridesmaids is even pushing a stroller--love it!

Me & E in Crazy Town Times Square:

Of course in New York there are all sorts of characters, around Times Square they're on every corner.

Harry Potter in Rockefeller Center was the only one Ebby wanted to have her picture taken with ;-).

In Bryant Park not only was there outdoor skating, but also a ragtag bunch of "football players".  Turns out they were promoting the Rutgers-Army football game the next day.

Also waiting for an event that took place the next day:  all of the folks camped outside NBC Studios at Rockefeller Center.  They were waiting for, yes, Saturday Night Live entry.  Lots of laptops, cardboard on the ground and blankets.  I thought the couple on the air mattress had the best idea.

Amidst all of our weaving and bobbing around street closures for the parade in and around 5th Avenue, we spied this on a closed side street near St. Patrick's Cathedral:

At first I had no idea why there was a donkey in the middle of NYC.  Upon closer inspection I noted the Wounded Warrior Project blanket on his back and figured he was there for the Veteran's Day parade.  Turns out we actually saw our very first celebrity donkey:  Smoke.  Read about Smoke's incredible journey from Iraq to American therapy donkey here.

Next something totally ridiculous:  a gaggle of pre-teen beauty queen bedecked in sparkly tiaras, award declaring sashes and, of course, Uggs.        

I couldn't take my eyes away.

And speaking of eyes, I was nearly moved to tears {sometimes I'm a bit extra sensitive} when we witnessed a small act of kindness after evening had fallen:  a blind man accidently swiped the back of the legs of a young woman with his cane as he approached a street corner.  She turned to see what hit her and instead of annoyance,  offered her arm and escorted the man across the street.  Then she proceeded to walk with him  2 more blocks to the bus stop that was his destination.  When she turned around and headed back in the opposite direction it was clear she'd gone out of her way to help the man.  Random act of kindess in the big city...

Night in Manhattan can be a magical time, with millions of  lights transforming the city.

Grand Central Station with the Chrysler Building in the background

Hundreds of votive candles on the steps of the New York Public Library

I must admit though, my favorite street scene photos were taken during the day, on 5th Avenue.  We found ourselves on a section of the street that was shut down to cars but was beyond the parade route--which left us with a golden opportunity:

I tried to tell Ebby that it isn't every day you get to stand IN THE MIDDLE OF 5TH AVENUE.  Too.  cool.

Just like my girl in the big city ♥.

Happy Thanksgiving

So much to be thankful for...wishing you a wonderful holiday!

{image courtesy of altered heART works}

{Another} Visit to Tinsel Trading

How could I take Ebby to New York City and not take her to Tinsel Trading?  I mean really, what kind of mother would I be?

Ok, fine.  This was my stop and she was along for the ride.  Don't feel too bad for her though-- afterward we spent a solid half hour the Forever 21 in Times Square.

Back to Tinsel Trading.  The shop was decorated for the holidays with lots of glittery Wendy Addison goodness.    

Wonderful nest themed cloches

I loved this display of glittery star and bird wands

Not all of the seasonal treasures were Christmas related.  I love the color of the pumpkins on these Autumn boxes.

Of course no matter what the season, Tinsel Trading is always a feast for the eyes.          

Unfortunately unlike the last time I was here in December 2009, we didn't run into Jenn from Sweet Eye Candy Creations--though I did look around for her :-).  I did see something new though:  this wholesale area chock full of more Wendy Addison creations.

So many amazing and beautiful vintage glass beads and faux jewels.   Love the patina and the packaging.

Inspiration by the yard indeed!

 

Dear Magnolia Bakery...

Dear Magnolia Bakery,

I was wrong about you.  So. Very. Wrong.

When I made my first visit to your shop at Rockefeller Center in 2009 it was late on a Friday night.  It was my first trip to the city since the cupcake craze really took off--and I wanted to be a part of it.  Though I was tired from a long day of exploring Manhattan on foot, I ventured out from my hotel room at 11pm.  Your shop at Rockefeller was charming, albeit small and crowded.  I purchased two vanilla cupcakes with pink buttercream and hurried back to the room to share my goodies with my mom.

I settled into my hotel club chair and took a bite. The cake was dry and rather tasteless, the frosting like sugar weighed down with its own sweetness.

I was not impressed.  I did manage to eat the entire cupcake--you know, just in case it got better.  It didn't.

Fast forward to last Friday.  I once again found myself in New York City, this time accompanied by Ebby.  For her first trip to the Big Apple, our itinerary was full-on tourist.  We hit several hot spots:  Times Square, Central Park, Tinsel Trading...Like her mother, Ebby is a cupcake connoisseur.  Even given my less than stellar experience at Magnolia last time, I was willing to give it another shot.  For Ebby's sake.  Our first pass by the Rockefeller Center bakery presented us with a line out the door.  We decided to find some lunch and then return.  Our second try met with the same results: a line out the door. We had to move on, we had many more stops on our agenda.

However a few hours later, fate intervened.  Maybe it was the Cupcake Godesses, who's to say.  We were on our way to Dylan's Candy Bar, walking by Bloomingdale's on 3rd Avenue when I saw it, out of the corner of my eye.

A Magnolia Bakery.  Inside Bloomingdale's.  With hardly any line.

We immediately walked in.

Oh. My.

So delightful.

Turns out the Magnolia in Bloomie's just opened in June and it is lovely.   Beadboard, vintage cakestands, jars of colored sprinkles and paper straws.  Mmm, swoon.

Oh, and yes, the cupcakes.

I ordered a coconut cupcake:  vanilla cake with vanilla meringue buttercream topped with shredded coconut.  And as I found out around my 3rd bite, a lovely touch of lemon filling.

One bite and I was a Magnolia convert.

Delicious.  Light, airy frosting paired with subtle, moist cake and tangy lemon filling.  Yep, still thinking about it...

Ebby sampled a chocolate cupcake with purple (vanilla) buttercream.  It met with her approval ;-).

The decor might be my all time favorite for a bakery.    Right up there with Back in the Day in Savannah.  Perfect vintage colors, details and accessories.   

Sweet sigh.

So, congratulations Magnolia Bakery, you are now on my good side.  My very good side :-)

P.S.  Sprinkles NYC, I was underwhelmed.  Quite.

A {Handmade} Sign

This past weekend Ebby and I loaded up the Junkaroo and headed to New York, New York to attend a Bat Mitzvah celebration...and take Ebby on her first visit to the Big Apple (more on that this week).

I've known Abigail {the bat mitzvah} since she was born and though we don't see her or her sister very often, her mom Marianne is one of my best friends.  I decided that something handmade would be appropriate and appreciated.     

 

To create the sign, I used scrap wood from our garage.  I used the scroll saw (all by myself, *yes*!) to cut out the star out of thinner birch plywood.  I painted the sign, mostly by hand but used stamps for the word 'Believe', painted the star and then attached everything together.

Hopefully this little reminder will help inspire Abigail in some small way and remind her that there are many people who believe in her.

Mazel Tov Abigail!

P.S.  How great were the centerpieces at the reception??   Love that I got to take one home!

My {Thrift Store} Desk: Before and After

I bought my current desk at the Salvation Army either two or three years ago. 

What I liked about it:  lots of surface area, great drawer space and fairly dirt cheap at $30.

What I didn't like about it:  the dark color and the faux/laminate wood grain.

It took me until this summer to finally tackle the task of painting my desk.  Apparently I'm easily intimidated by certain projects (see: painting kitchen cabinets...).

With a little help from Bobby Law, my desk was hauled into the garage, finally marked for renovation.

After months of searching, I'd found my Mouse sander and put 'er to work sanding down the desk and {removed} drawers.

Next step: a coat of stinky, stain blocking primer.  I think it was Kilz.  It was definitely latex and I definitely need more of it.  Perhaps the less stinky kind though.

After priming I let the primer cure for a few days.  Sometimes laziness can be to your benefit.  In the meantime I had to decide what color to paint the topcoat.  Rather, which shade of blue to paint the topcoat.  I think I currently have about 7 different shades of blue/turquoise paint in inventory.  I decided on a rather bold and bright choice:  Rapids by Valspar, aka the color of Ebby's walls.

I did two coats and a couple of coats of Minwax water based poly.

Ah, so much better.

My next conundrum was the drawer hardware.  I considered replacing it, spray painting it another color or filling in the holes and using Hobby Lobby grade crystal knobs.  In the end my mom helped me decide that the original pulls with their vintage-y patina would look best.

I totally agree.

With the addition of a few updated desk accessories, I was back in business.

You know, if I had a business.  Or could figure out what kind of business I could be in.    

I'm loving my "new" desk.  My new red leather desk chair {from Office Max, here} and unobstructed view of the Bloom garden give me even more reason to spend time here.

 

Because, you know, it's important to have a colorful, comfortable place to sit while you browse on Pinterest.