Spring has (finally) sprung!

After what feels like the longest winter in history, Spring has finally made it to NYC.  The flowers are blooming, the cafes open their doors and serve alfresco, and NYers come out of the woodwork in droves.  The city gets that bustling, energetic vibe that is so contagious and makes you want to spend all day wandering the streets and sitting outside. 

Spring always feels like a good time to start fresh and clean house, so I took advantage of some lovely weekend weather and headed to the Union Square Green Market for some new flowers and herbs to plant.  My apartment building is a charming, historic block comprised of converted carriage houses -- and my building has 4 cute little units.  In front is a lovely little window box that looks so perfect with bright colored flowers.

Supplies & Tulips!

Spring has sprung!

I also have a charming little private patio - a major luxury in Manhattan - and I keep it full of greenery: edible herbs for cooking (mint, cilantro, chives, & rosemary), fragrant herbs (lavender & sage) and a honeysuckle vine that somehow survived the coldest/longest winter on record.  As the summer approaches, I'll add more flowering plants and some basil.  It's my own little green oasis in the city, and I love to sit out there and read or have breakfast.

my little oasis

I have to admit, I don't cook as much as I'd like, but having a fresh herb garden does help inspire me to get into the kitchen.  I found this lovely looking cilantro-line cucumber salad recipe on Pinterest that I'd been wanting to try:

It was such a fresh and beautiful salad, with a little bit of a kick, which I love!

I try to eat Paleo as many meals a week as possible, so when Allison told me about this new kitchen tool, The Veggetti (WORST. NAME. EVER. But genius nonetheless), I had to have one!  I have to say, I'm a convert.  No, it definitely doesn't totally replace pasta, but it makes for a great and healthy substitute.

zucchini pasta

with a spicy meat sauce, I could hardly tell the difference!

Spring for me also conjures the need for a "spring cleaning" -- this means out with the old, and in with the new.  And when you live in 350 square feet, like I do, something HAS to leave before new things can come in.  For this reason, I created the "one in, one out" policy; which basically means, if I want to buy something new, I need to get rid of something old.  And since I love to buy new things, I regularly have to purge.  Lucky for me (or maybe for them) I have 2 sisters who appreciate a good hand-me-down.  And for everything else, there's a Goodwill a stone's throw away.  So I cleared out some space for a few new things for Spring.  Here are a few of my faves:

Kimono from Albertine, necklace Diana Broussard, Zara romper &
sandals, Madewell Paris T, Mansur Gavriel bucket bag,
Emerson Fry cobra slides & Gap jeans similar here

I also LOVE new, fresh whites.  Nothing feels yuckier than a white t-shirt with pit stains.  So I decided that now that I'm over 30, I'll be sure to throw away the pit-stained ones, and get some new ones when I need 'em.

white linen Ts from J.Crew, Equipment sleeveless blouse,
Emerson Fry white sandals, The Castings jeans from Aritzia

Spring is also a great time to find new spots - I love spending the day wandering the city and popping into new places for a drink or a bite to eat.  I also keep quite a list (via Pinterest of course) of all of the places I hear about and want to check out.  When I have a free day in the city, I try to pop by.  Here are some of the new spots I discovered and loved:

EAT:

• Little Prince: Aptly named on Prince Street, my neighbor, Mikey, took me to this adorable little spot for a late night bite & bottle of wine.  The perfect Tuesday evening in NYC.
• Oatmeals: Ah, the new trend of artisanal food spots specializing in just one thing.  This place around the corner from me offers a mix of sweet and savory oatmeals for any time of day.  Some of the flavors sound peculiar, but the one I got (The Canadian: cinnamon roasted apples, sharp cheddar cheese, bacon, maple syrup, sea-salt) was quite tasty if I say so myself.
• Alidoro: Delicious little Italian sandwich spot.  The line is long, but the wait is worth it.  GOOP tested, Rachael approved.
• THELEwala: This little spot serves Indian cart food and Nizami rolls.  Tastes just like in India, but much easier to get to.  

DRINK:

• Fair Folks & A Goat: This neighborhood coffee spot is one of my new favorite finds.  They have a coffee club that I joined which has a monthly fee for all-you-can-drink coffee, tea and lemonade.  So that means, as many lattes as I want.  Plus, they have a cute place to read and mingle.
• La Compaigne des vins Surnaturels: Awesome little French wine spot just above Chinatown. Nina and I checked out this place a few weeks ago and we loved it.  Great date spot or just fun to sit at the bar.  And the snacks were pretty great too!

SHOP:

• The Apartment: There is only one way to describe this place: lifestyle porn.  I couldn't get enough.  It is the most gorgeous 3rd floor, loft-style apartment in SoHo, redone with a modern kitchen & claw foot tub and walk-in-closet.  You basically go into the most amazing looking apartment where everything is for sale!  The closet of my dreams is lined with shoes, bags and clothes from various designers - all for sale.  In the bedroom you find linens, towels and furniture (also for sale).  Same for the toiletries in the bathroom.  I fell in love.  It was sort of like walking into my dream life where everything was for sale....sadly, I was priced out of some of it, but it didn't decrease the fun.
• Albertine: This isn't a new spot for me, I'm bascially a regular.  But I can't make a list of favorite shops without listed this one.  Perfect ambiance, amazingly curated, mix of high / low, no pressure shopping, and the most friendly shop girls. 

And that's my round up for Spring!  Hope this weather sticks around so I can take some of my new outfits for a night on the town :)