afternoon delights

you guys, it's December already and I'm convinced this year flew by but also slogged along in some kind of time warp - does anyone else have that particular and complicated relationship with time? no? Bueller? moving on...  the internet is a wild and untamed frontier, and here's some of the best and brightest it had to offer this month. 

*Finally, an explanation for why I pronounce it "pasta guhgootz"
*King tut
*Photog crush of the month
*Pay no attention to the man in front of the camera
*I'll take one of each, please
*Another one?
*This is good advice
*#alltrees

afternoon delights

The air is crisp and the colors are outstanding and suddenly my to-do list includes shopping for presents and baking and decorating and attending every holiday party in Queens (and some in Brooklyn). Here are the links and clicks to the best and boldest of what the interwebs had to offer this month.  xo, M 

*On eating and walking (also known as one of my favorite pastimes)
*I spent a Sunday in the kitchen and made this roast again - it does not disappoint
*Pre-marital
*Equally hilarious, terrifying, and probably true
*I'll be celebrating on the lanai
*Good advice
*I might do this (I've always wanted to be a patron of the arts)
*Who else is watching The Great British Bake-Off?? Why it's so good and when it's truly bad
*This is everything I've ever wanted
*The luxury of service
*Whatever you do, please keep on traveling 

afternoon delights

It's October and the weather is bipolar which makes my allergies angsty (who gets allergies in the fall? this girl does), which makes me cranky. But a weekend upstate for a friend's wedding gave me the chance to walk deep into the forrest (ok, like seven feet into the forrest) where I could stand and be surrounded by nothing but trees and quiet and feel like I'm the only person in the world. Which was awesome. Anywho...here's what's good on the interwebs this month ;)

*Considering both sides of the Great Tipping Debate
*and all sides of that other debate
*it's an art form
*Seriously crushing on this 
*"Wedding inspiration" has gotten completely out of control (and I couldn't agree more)
*Far away from home 
*Made these and they were so so yum
*Bought this dress for a rehearsal dinner and it's as cute as it looks but now I'm officially a hipster
*So I'm putting this advice on repeat
*If I were looking for a new rug (which I'm not but if I were) I'd get one of these
*Even though I do NOT look that good running for a train
*I'm never leaving

afternoon delights

The internet is a strange and magical place - here are some of this month's most awesomest offerings: 

*Who needs a sound machine when this one is free and on your computer already?
*Hey IOC - listen up and take this guy's suggestion
*New goal: Literary Road Trips
*Simplify simplify simplify
*Grease is the word
*We must continue this conversation
*Eating made easier (I think my gramma would have benefited)
*Time to get into stamp collecting
*Because bigger is better
*Edible Tetris is my favorite kind of Tetris
*It's the end of the world as we know it (and I do not feel fine)

afternoon delights

*My new favorite necklace

*Your window to the world

*I don't know when I'll return to Iceland next, but when I do I'm doing this

*Cheap camera + a less than perfect situation = a quick thinking and innovative photographer

*And speaking of cheap cameras, is it time for a new one?

*'Tis the season for crisps and crumblers and...pandowdys?

*I quite literally stumbled upon this store and it's just like Ikea but so much better

*When in doubt, order champagne

*This is important

*Crazy story that it is, I'm pretty sure it's the exact plot to that ever-so-memorable 1988 Lilly Tomlin/Bette Middler movie, Big Business 

*Adding another map of Paris to my wish list

*Absolutely stunning

*Photog crush of the month

*Is this my next subscription box? Or is this? Both??

afternoon delights

It's hot out. Like really, stupidly, stickily, annoyingly hot. And somehow I failed (again) to make friends with someone who has a rooftop pool. BUT it's better to be hot than cold, and the greenmarkets are exploding with cherries and blueberries as far as the eye can see. So pour yourself a cool drink, splay out in front of the nearest fan, and enjoy some of the strange and wonderful things the internet has brought us this month ;)

* I'm always game for a good personality test
* Looks so cool (maybe next year!)
* She makes some good points (and includes some great links as well)
* In honor of pink plastic flamingos 
* No, we are NOT done eating
* There are 2 kinds of people
* Everything is awful (but it's going to be ok)
* Remembering Vignelli
* Something old something new something goat and something blue
* My photog crush of the month
* And my guilty pleasure of the summer

afternoon delights

Summer is here! But will it ever stop raining? I mean there was that one perfect day last month but that was last month and now it's this month and I would really like to go sans-wellies at least once before fall. But the internet is a mystical and phantasmagorical place, and here are some of it's highlights to entertain you in between rainy walks to work.


* All the single ladies

* The only map I'll need in Paris this fall

* Cooking with Jackson Pollock

* From here on out, I'll be using one of these brilliant portmanteaus each day

* Get ready for some overgramming! I finally bit the bullet and joined the Astoria CSA, giving me fresh goodies from Golden Earthworm Farm - bring on the greens!

* Photog crushes of the week - her and him

* Stop being afraid (and while you're at it, how about you bring back the award for Sound Design?)

* Happy opening!

afternoon delights

Spring has sprung (and summer is peeking it's sticky head around the corner) but I'm once again submerged in another lengthy rehearsal-tech-let's-get-this-show-going process and stealing tiny moments of r&r whenever I can (see: above photo of an oh so necessary sunday night cocktail hour). The internet is a strange and magical place, and here's what I've been reading when I should be sleeping (or let's be honest, updating paperwork). Enjoy!

* I love a good 100-Day-Project and this one does not disappoint

* 30 parks in 30 days schedule generator

* Wise words 

* Thought provoking

* A picture really is worth 1000 words

* Your life on earth

* This month's artist-crush

* I was never any good at math in school, but I can certainly get behind the geometry of pasta

* When did we stop asking if we could have it all?

* I could play this for days

* What nicer thing can you do for somebody than make them breakfast? and other life lessons from Anthony Bourdain

* And finally, have you pre-ordered the new Mika album? Because it comes with three pre-released songs and I'm already going all fan-girl on it ;)

afternoon delights

I don't want to jinx it, but I sent my puffy coat to the cleaners and put the winter boots into storage (aka, the back of my closet), I impulsively bought a gorgeous bouquet of alstroemerias at the farmer's market, and I'm starting to seriously plan this year's balcony garden. Happy spring to all ;)

* I'm doing this next time I'm in Chicago - who's with me?

* Makes me want to go to the middle of nowhere and photograph nothing.

* Finally, NYC residents now have a central website location to complain about their landlords.

* My thoughts exactly.

* If this were any more true it would just be a screenshot of my fb newsfeed.

* There is a Tower of Spadoni. I must go find it.

* The World's Worst Bar Crawl.

* An essay contest where the winner gets their very own 210-year-old Main inn.

* For the love of pickles.

* Fantastic parenting advice (and I don't even have kids).

* The most fascinating and interactive journey to the center of the earth.

afternoon delights

February may be the shortest of all the months, but it sure feels like the longest when it's negative one million degrees outside and the wind chill is even worse and you can't catch a cab in Times Square at one in the morning. So if you're anything like me and suffering some serious winter doldrums, here are some things I recently found on the interwebs that might just take your mind off the weather - even if only for a moment ;)

*I put ground beef and pasta in my chili, so I guess that means I'm a strong-headed optimist

*You're doing better than you think you are

*My love for Shake Shack knows no bounds, and now you can (kinda sorta almost not really) make your own Shack Burgers

*I've got vacation on the brain and might treat myself to a new swimsuit for our upcoming trip to Mexico - I'm crushing on this, this, this, and this one.

*It's funny because it's true

*Samosas vs. Carmel DeLites - there IS a difference

*Fellow nerds unite! Read about the making of Monument Valley and celebrate that there's now (finally) and expansion pack

afternoon delights (snow day edition)

Blizzard 2015 may technically be over (at least according to the MTA) but if you're anything like me, you're enjoying yourself a most wonderful and much-needed snow day. So in honor of this laziest of Tuesdays, I'm bringing you an afternoon delight a day early just in case you need an online distraction in the middle of your movie marathon - stay warm, my friends!

*Are they flowers? Or fireworks? Flowerworks?

*I laughed so hard I cried.

*I've made and posted this recipe before, but I recently made this no-knead bread once again and it does not disappoint.

*Photography crush of the week.

*I don't know what this is but I can't stop watching.

*Reading this for the next book club meeting - I'm five pages in and already have dozens of thoughts.

*The brilliant minds at NPR have a new podcast called Invisibilia. There's only a handful of episodes right now, but I'm already addicted.

*need. these. now.

*My bestest friend in the whole world has an Etsy shop!

*Reaffirming my belief that Leslie Knope is my spirit animal.

afternoon delights

So, it's freezing out and all I want to do is burrow into my blankets and hibernate until May - but then my fitbit yells at me and reminds me that moving my arm from the tortilla chip bag then into the guacamole and finally towards my mouth does not actually constitute as actual exercise. But THEN I remember that it's like actually-for-real freezing out and that I'm only halfway through Parks & Rec and that I only have 8 more days left of my staycation, so it's back to bed I go. Because Leslie Knope is my spirit animal.

*NPR lists 50 Wonderful Things From 2014

*Do you miss Stefan as much as I do? Here is a full list of every New York's hottest club he ever suggested.

*All the pretty white girls of art's history

*Annoying Actor Friend #soblessed us with his surprisingly touching and equally surprisingly sark-free hopes for the 2015 spring season.

*Honestly, I'm not entire sure what this is, or even if it's completely real, but it's really cool to watch.

*I can't remember if I've posted this before, but it's a cool way to look at the ups and downs of life (and worth a second look).

*How am I obsessively tracking my fitbit steps? A set of gold star stickers and this daily goal tracker - get yours before they disappear!

afternoon delights

Twas the day before Christmas and all through the house, Mary was chilling - for finally, her day off!!

You guys, I'm not exactly sure when it turned from fall to winter, and I'm really not sure when Christmas decided to poke it's head around the corner, but the holidays are here and cookies have been baked and lasagna will be made and carols will be hummed and Veronica Mars is marathoning on TV (seriously) and I will not set foot into a theater for the next 52 hours. So here's wishing everyone safe travels (if you're traveling), mugs of hot toddies (whether you're traveling or not), and a very Wonderful Winter, Festive Festivus, Crazy Kwanza, Happy Chanukah, and Merry Christmas ;)

~ An interesting look at the biographical fan fiction genre (of which, I admit, I was swayed into reading and loving)

~ Find a spare hour and watch this Wes Anderson-styled documentary about the team of people who open up Antarctica for the start of the tourist season

~ Utterly random, yet wonderful 

~ This beautiful website that celebrates travel stories and photography is back and better than ever.

~ An encyclopedia of all things art

~ #ihavethisthingwithfloors (I really do. See: above picture)

~ If Grandpa Joe can dance, Grandpa Joe can work

~ This entire saga is amazing (and really makes me wish my name was Elizabeth Gallagher)

~ The MTA's newest campaign to stop the manspreading. But will it stop the fare hikes as well?

~ Thanks to the Okemo Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce, I got my ticket to the NYT Travel Show - will I see you there?!

~ And finally, as I look forward to celebrating my first official Jewish Christmas tomorrow, why we'll be dining on Chinese Food

afternoon delights

For your enjoyment, amusement, and procrastination - a collection of some of the more fascinating moments the internet has to offer that will hopefully help usher your December into a month full of snow-filled walks, tree-trimming parties, and cozy nights with a hot beverage in hand (whether it be of the chocolate or toddy variety is up to you).

*The art of writing a recipe

*And some more thoughts on writing a recipe

*Couldn't put down Wild or Gone Girl? Me neither. Now read this interview with both authors.

*How to read a cookbook

*A lengthy and fascinating article about what happened when they put a Whole Foods in downtown Detroit.

*Thanksgiving has come and gone, but these turkey dinners plated in the style of famous painters is here to stay.

*Here is a baby swaddled to look like a tortilla. You're welcome.

*They figured out how to print a sheet of light and I want it now.

*You guys. John Cameron Mitchell is back as Hedwig and I've already bought my ticket. Be still my heart.

*I tried a personal styling service and had a box of clothing delivered to my door. I found a sweater I love and I've already scheduled my next Fix. Wanna get in on the clothing action too? Click this link to use me as a referral!


Affiliate links throughout this post!

afternoon delights

I'm changing things up around here! Weekend Link Love has moved to Wednesday afternoons and is now called Afternoon Delights. Why? Because a.) I think people have more of a need for an interwebinal distraction on a Wednesday afternoon than on a Saturday morning b.) it's the beginning of November and firsts of the month signal not just rent checks but also positive changes c.) this is my blog and I do what I want d.) all of the above.

I hope you're staying cozy in whatever corner of the world you reside. Winter has roared it's way in to New York, and all I'm gonna say is thank goodness for hot coffee and fuzzy slippers ;)**

   Ed note: when I prepped this post over the weekend, the weather outside was truly frightful. Today, it's 65 and sunny. New York is bi-polar.

* Good advice for small-space dwellers.

* In another world (one in which I was young and loved the outdoors) I'd totally be all over this internship at a local (Astoria!) urban farm.

* We already have a slow-food movement - why not a slow-museum movement?

* The endless debate about the grammar of time travel.

* Veronica Mars fans - are you watching this ridiculous (and ridiculously amazing) spinoff staring Dick as a P.I.?

* Need. This. Now.

* OK Go has another new video. Is there anything these guys can't do??

* I challenge you to use at least one of the 10 unusual nature words in a convo this week!