Welcome 2013

New Year's Eve is finally here, in a year that has flown by more than any other I've experienced. Mr. V and I spending the evening with a few fabulous friends, sipping champagne and then heading out for dinner and drinks on the town. 

What a year it's been, and I can't wait for the upcoming one as well! Our wedding is only three and a half months away now, and we've been planning a lot over the past few weeks. Tonight will be a great celebration of an awesome few months and many more ahead of us. Happy New Year's!

Images via 100 Layer Cake. 

Merry Christmas!

Happy holidays, everyone! Mr. V and I are in the Virginia countryside with my parents, all curled up beside a roaring wood stove fire after a delicious home-cooked meal. It snowed a few inches on Christmas Eve, and we were lucky enough to enjoy to wake up to a powdery white Christmas today, which was beautiful. 

Santa was quite good to Mr. V and me this year, and we received some great goodies, including a down duvet to keep us nice and toasty this winter. I'm so grateful for all the events of 2012...We got engaged, we adopted the best kitten in the world, and we're always surrounding by our supportive, loving, and generous family and friends. This was the best year of my life, and there is so much to look forward to in 2013. I've spent this holiday remembering how lucky I am and enjoying this special time with family, and I hope you all are equally surrounded by loved ones and holiday cheer this season. 

Image via WeHeartIt.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I have always loved holidays, and as I get older they are even more special to me. I am truly thankful for my wonderful family and friends, the opportunity to live in the best city in the world, and to be embarking on an exciting new chapter in my amazing life with Mr. V. Not to mention my thankfulness for our adopted kitten Raja, the best addition to our family I could have ever imagined. 

Darkness has fallen upon Manhattan this evening, and the flickering candles in our apartment are creating the most beautiful warm light as the shadows dance across the walls. The chillier it gets outside, the more I relish in having a warm, delicious home-cooked meal and big glass of wine. Our table is set and the food is on the stove, and I can't wait to pull up my chair and enjoy tonight's meal with my family and dear friend. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

Image one via Once Wed; Image two via The Bitten Word; Image three via ZoomDecor. 

Happy Weekend!

Today Mr.V and I are headed to Vermont to celebrate the wedding of our friends in Manchester. I've never been to Vermont, and we're really looking forward to our road trip (our first experiment with a Zipcar) and a few days away together!

Between all the travel I've been doing and wedding planning, I've been terribly remiss about blogging, but I vow to get back in the swing of things! I can't wait to share all of the exciting design that I've discovered while preparing for our wedding. Happy weekend, everyone!

Image of mountains near Manchester via AllPics. 

Happy Weekend!

Mr. V and I are heading to brunch in TriBeCa to toast our friends who got engaged this week (yay!). Yesterday, we attended our other friends' wedding in the city, which was a fantastic lunch-time bash. They already had a stunning week-long wedding in Udiapur (that we got to attend!), and yesterday's nuptials allowed them to celebrate again with more friends and family stateside. I had never been to a daytime wedding, and it was a lot of fun!

This weekend I'm lucky enough to have a rare two days off with Mr. V, so I can't wait to get outside and soak up the warm, sunny weather in NYC and get some extra time with him. Happy weekend to you all!

Image from Lonny via The Glitter Guide. 

Happy Weekend!

Mr. V and I are spending this weekend in the city at the wedding of his family friend. Last night was the sangeet, where many of the female guests (including me) got mehndi and we all danced and celebrated the wedding. Tonight is the ceremony, and I'm looking forward to another fun-filled evening of revelry! 

I hope you have a happy weekend!

Image one via pinterest; Image two via Bella Pictures.

Vacation Days | Martha's Vineyard

Last week, Mr. V and I went to Martha's Vineyard to celebrate our friends' wedding, which was so beautiful. We made the trip into a four-day weekend, and spent the last two days exploring the island by rental car, seeing every town, beach, and lighthouse that we could find. It was amazing to be out of the city together for a little getaway, and here are some of the pictures from our adventure...

NY Home | Chelsea Loft

Casa Vogue recently featured the stunning apartment of my friend and former colleague André Viana, an art dealer, and his partner André Mellone, an architect. Their loft, located in the heart of West Chelsea, is steps from the High Line and filled with an impeccable collection of furniture and art, including coveted pieces by Wade Guyton, Jacob Kassay, and Tauba Auerbach.

In their living room, two leather club chairs and a folding chair designed by Hans Wegner sit around two coffee tables, an aluminum piece from 1960s and a three-legged walnut table designed by T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings.

André Mellone's beautiful design renderings carefully plan for each element of the home, which feels balanced, warm, and layered, due to antique elements nestled among the contemporary architectural lines of the apartment. Their superb space was created by uniting two adjacent units in the building, the combination of which was designed and overseen by Mellone. 

Three silver paintings by Jacob Kassay preside over a long marble and iron French bistro table, which is flanked by six antique Biedermeier dining chairs dating from 1840.

Continue reading for more amazing images of this home...

Dining Out | Easter Dinner at Spice Market

Yesterday after brunch, Mr. V, our friends, and I took a walk through the West Village to enjoy the absolute perfect weather that graced the city. We headed to the outdoor biergarten at The Standard to sit outside under The High Line and drink some cocktails, and then we went to Spice Market for dinner (another Jean-Georges favorite, in addition to ABC Kitchen and Perry St), and had the most delicious family-style feast.

A few highlights were the Lobster Summer Rolls with Citrus-Dill Gele Sriracha Emulsion, Cod with Malaysian Chili Sauce with Thai Basil, Vegetables in Green Curry, Chili-Garlic Egg Noodles with Seared Shrimp and Star Anise, and the Ginger Fried Rice. It was all so delicious! A bit of an unorthodox Easter meal, but wonderful nonetheless. It was great to be out and about in the warm weather, and then end the day with such a nice dinner, all in the company of friends - a New York style holiday!

Image via Fireplace Chats.

Happy Easter!

Aren't these flowers beautiful? They would be a great accent to any table today.

Mr. V and I are off to meet our friends at the wonderful Joseph Leonard for a brunch filled with bloody marys, bellinis, and food from their to-die-for brunch menu. Yum! I hope everyone has a delicious meal this Easter Sunday!

Image via Style Me Pretty, Photographer: Nicole Paulson.

Happy Weekend!

Isn't this Rosemary and Rhubarb cocktail from bon appétit beautiful? I'd love to try it...It's ideal for this gorgeous spring weather. I am so excited to spend as much time outside as possible on this beautiful weekend...New York style, so that means eating and drinking at sidewalk cafés and taking a walk in Washington Square Park. Tonight Mr. V and I are headed to Alta for dinner with friends, and then to Sunday brunch tomorrow in the West Village. I hope you all have happy Easter or Passover celebrations! Here are a few links that I'm loving this week for you to enjoy...

Domino's Special Edition has already been spotted at the newsstands in New York! I can't wait to get a copy.

This week, Ruffled featured my friend Lauren's wedding, which was photographed by my friend Chrissy.

My obsession with Saipua's flower arrangements has only grown after seeing this fantastic wedding at the Gramercy Park Hotel.

Beyoncé's new Tumblr page.

Drake and Rihanna's new video.

This clear glass carafe would be a beautiful addition to a holiday table, as would this brass coaster (on sale!).

I'm dying to fix this Watermelon Radish Salad with Avocado Vinaigrette...Perfect for spring and summer!

Simple Elegance

There's nothing I love more than an all black outfit with a printed scarf and tortoiseshell sunglasses...A perfect combination in my book.

This week has been rolling along, and I'm looking forward to a lovely weekend ahead filled with birthday celebrations for my best friend...Two days until champagne!

Image via Left My Heart in Paris.

Saturday Patterns

The mix of stripes with the bold wallpaper creates a fun, young vibe without being too overdone...This would be a great space to throw a dinner party! I'd love to see the room at night with that amazing light fixture turned on as well.

Mr. V is in Vermont on a work ski trip this weekend, and I'm heading out to dinner with some lovely ladies tonight! We're off to grab Italian food in SoHo and get a few drinks downtown. I hope you're all having a very happy weekend!

Image via You Have Been Here Sometime.

Wedding Fireworks

I can't resist sharing this spectacular image of the bride and groom's sparkler farewell from the beautiful wedding we went to last weekend, taken by my friend Chrissy.

A pitch-perfect photo of a very lovely night. Congratulations again to Lauren & Bennett!

Image via Christina Szczupak Photography.

Cheerful Celebrations

Last night, Mr. V and I went to the wedding of our friends at The Green Building in Brooklyn. We had so much fun catching up with friends and enjoying their sweet vows (it was a tearjerker), delicious food, and the endlessly entertaining photo booth. The room and decor were gorgeous...Strings of lit orbs cascading over the window to create the altar, hanging brass chandeliers, exposed brick, and mason jars filled with tealights.

There were so many personal touches - the bride and groom grew up together in Minnesota, so her family brought pretty birch logs from their home state to line the aisle, and his mother sewed plaid fabric into napkins for each place setting. They thought of every little detail for their big night, and it was lovely. For their send off, we lit sparklers and cheered as the happy couple left the party - such a nice end to the evening!

Image taken by me with my iPhone.

Journey to India

As promised, here are a few lovely highlights from our fantastic trip to Delhi and Udaipur for our friends' wedding last week...

It was a stunningly beautiful week in honor of two wonderful people, and I'm so glad I got to be there and experience it with Mr. V and our friends. Total bliss!