Shops Revealed

Oh my wallet, did we and it get a workout this weekend. As previously mentioned, Mom came to NY for a visist this week to help outfit my new pad with goodies. Now looks less like a barren set of rooms with child's furniture and more like an actual home where adults reside. It was a fabulous weekend. I'm still working out the kinks, trying to find homes for bags and jewlery hooks, so there are no post-shopping or redocrated pictures to show you quite yet. BUT there are some mid-shopping ones to present from (as promised) a few of our favorite home decorating shops in the city. However (not as promised), there are no secret shopping spots this time around; we couldn't make it everywhere. Just the big ones. Below are a few places we spent quite a lot of time at this weekend:

Behold the great hall of antique mirrors lining the entry way of Pippin Vintage, one of the fabulous furniture and jewlery thrift stores that happens to live just one block away from my new block.

 The basement of one of the three shops that Olde Good Things runs. Farm tables, old-school 
bar stools and 50's desk chairs galore.

   

 Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's that fool in the reflection standing not-so tall?   
        Why, it's me! Broome! Trying and failing to master the art of taking photos of mirros without catching my reflection.

Don't worry, I didn't forget about last week's blog and guess game. I'm ready to reveal the mystery. One of our old-time/all-time favorite places to shop that's not such a secret spot? Fishes Eddy! I got some fabulous jewelry dishes and make-up brush dishes here.

  

 Mmmmmmoooooooooooooooooooooooo

Proof of the mystery:

 If you had to guess between Cottage and Broome, who do you think favors these dishes most?

The infamous mystery hands...now in porcelain.

 On to our next, highly coveted shop where all of things we can't afford exist: ABC Carpet and Home. These pillows down below? Approximately $450 a piece. Absolutely absurdly fabulous. 

 How fancy do these chandiliers make you wish you were?

Side note: none of these glitz items went into my apartment. However, I did acquire some more practical, but slightly less precious items, all of which will be coming to you readers soon.

Linking to this week:

Potpourri Friday

Home Sweet Home

Feather Your Nest Fridays

Common Ground - Vintage Inspired Friday

Show and Tell Friday

debbie-debbiedoos - newbie

Metamorphose Monday

Hands Up! It's Shoppin' Time

What are those crazy colored hands doing there, you might ask? Well, as mentioned in my previous post, I have moved. My apartment is brand new, but barren. The walls are blank, frames un-hung and kitchen incomplete. I have furniture that was purchased specifically to fit the confines of my old baby digs and situated in the new one, looks like a doll's. It's as if an eight-year-old set up shop in my apartment and purchased a sofa and coffee table based on the dimensions of their Easy-Bake Oven. Polly Pocket had a larger TV stand than me.


Though it won't be this way for long because help is on the way - in the form of Cottage! Mom's coming to New York to help me decorate. Hooray! 


We're going to do some serious shopping: scouring flea markets, snapping up dishes and perusing home decor stores. Later in the week we'll show you some our favorite secret and not-so-secret spots. And because I'm an impatient person, I did a bit of preliminary scouting this weekend, which brings us back to the colorful limbs:

Can you guess which shop these hands are all popping up out of?

  

No? How about these tea caddies? I know, I know tea caddy isn't their official term, but I can't remember what they're called. 

Still don't know? Do you give up? Do ya? Well, that's too bad, because you'll have to wait until my next post to find out! Ha-ha! Now you having to keep reading the blog! I'm tricky, aren't I? But if you know it, guess in the comments!

Linking to this week:

Wow Us Wednesdays

The Beauty of Butterflies

I can not let go of summer in spite of the fact we had frost warnings at the Cottage last night! I recently walked to the library to return books, at the garden there a butterfly bush was being visited by what else, monarch butterflies. I was feeling disappointed because I did not have my camera with me, so I snapped shots with my iphone and hoped for the best. I was amazed at the the quality of the pictures and the detail on the butterflies I was able to get with my iphone. Butterflies are another one of nature's beauties.

Getting ready to take off for warmer weather!

That are you doing with your last days of summer??

Broome is back!

Helllllooooooo. It’s been so long since I’ve blogged; I’ve missed so much! My mom has been having all sorts of fun without me: crostada baking, sunsets watching, visiting carnies and determining giveaway winners! I feel like such a sloth in comparison. Though I haven't just been lazing about, avoiding the internet (in fact I don't have internet access right now, except at friend's apartments and coffee shops), I have valid reason for being absent so long. I’ve been moving! Away from Broome street! It’s so sad. BUT. My new place is actually the best. Minus, the showerhead falling on my roommate’s head. She’s ok, don't worry. It's bigger, has more brick walls and most spectacular of all, it's only a one floor walk-up instead of five.

The last few weeks have been occupied with almost exclusively with move-related tasks for me. I’ve spent my time doing largely un-fun things like buying trash bags, purging my closet (that seemed insurmountable at the time), creating cardboard boxes and doing an absurd amount of cleaning. I spent four hours cleaning the new bathroom and looked like orphan Annie scrubbing my tile floor. It sparkles now. 

Oh, then there was an earthquake in NY - super bizarre - and later that week - you guys may or may not have heard about this - there was a hurricane! Her name was Irene. This ended up not really affecting me nor most other Manhattanites in the slightest, aside from being marginally inconvenienced for a few days, but sadly there was severe devastation elsewhere in upstate New York, New Jersey and North Carolina. Water is a scarily destructive force and I cannot imagine how difficult it must be for those truly affect by it's path. 

NYC was on alert, but by the time the hurricane was supposed hit the general consensus was that it would rain and there would be wind. So I prepped for the hurricane by filling my pots and pans with water, buying eight two liter bottles of water, some fruit, bread, chips and salsa. And booze, obviously. Fortunately, my fellow New Yorkers and I dodged a major bullet and just had a fun night in, keeping dry. And my roommate and I packed. All day. This is the fruits of our labor:

 I know. I's not pretty. Hopefully in a few weeks once I'm all settled I will have something pretty to show you! Stay tuned......

Manhattan today

As my mother said, our minds are on the lives lost and our hearts with the loved ones left behind on this day. Their losses are unimaginable. Manhattan is surreal and somber place today, yet the city and 9/11's survivors prevail with tenacity and strength to continue with their daily lives despite the day's significance and palpable weight. 

Times Square in New York City on September 11, 2011.  The crowds still gather.

Remembering 9/11

Like many of you we will spend some of the day watching the coverage commemorating the September 11th tragedy. When Cotttage Guy and I visit New York we often go down to the site to review the progress on the new building being erected there. The area is fenced and it is difficult to see someone of the work being done and there are always hundreds of people visiting. These are a few pictures that Cottage Guy has captured of the progress on the building. 

August 2011

Fall of 2010


The images from that day will forever be seared in our hearts. Our thoughts and prayers continue for the lives lost and their loved ones.

Peach Time

 Andrea (the Broome half of our blog) is still unpacking and trying to get settled in her new apartment, unfortunately she will not have internet service until sometime late next week. So while she is unpacking, I did a little baking which is something we both like to do. 

Fresh peaches have been available at the farmers market and are oh so delicious right now. I made a peach crostata. Crostatas are easy to make when you don't want to go to all the fuss of making a pie that requires crimping the edges. This recipe was modified from Barefoot Contessa's Apple Crostata, substitute peaches for apples, and nutmeg for allspice, plus add a tablespoon of lemon juice. 

 Always serve with pretty plates, these are Rose Chintz by Johnson Brothers.

Add a little scoop of ice cream.

Now it is time to enjoy!

Tell us about your favorite pie or fall item to bake.

We are linking to this week:


Time Travel Thursday
Wow Us Wednesday
Potpourri Friday
Feathered Nest Friday
Tabletop Thursday

The Sunsets on Summer

Here is northern Michigan fall comes early, it got down into the 40's last night. Our heat even kicked on last night, I guess it is time to start closing a few more windows. So with a nip of fall in the air summer is coming to a close. The beach is a few short blocks from our cottage and these photos were all snapped in one wonderful evening...

Tell about your most memorable sunset, was it on a trip to Hawaii or Key West, a sunset over your farmland, maybe a West Coast sunset, in the desert, while camping or maybe in your own backyard... 

It Was A Fun Summer!

Small town living don't you just love it! It seems like every little town has a carnival or county fair. This carnival rolled into Charlevoix during July. I used to love carnivals when I was a kid but now I can not do those rides, I hate the feeling of my stomach dropping down to my toes. Back then the Tilt-A-Whirl was my favorite ride. Ahhh to be young again... the kids in town really seemed to love all the scary rides. I thought this was a good reminder of the fun I hope you had this summer.

 I think Dumbo here was the model for their food sign, he just changed hats.

Can't you just hear them screaming, I know I would be!

 This must have been some guy's fantasy girl, oh my!

 They ended the night by twirling away! Andrea would tell me I had waaaaay too many pictures so please tell her you enjoyed the trip to the carnival or better yet tell us what you did for fun this summer?

 Andrea should be back posting with me next week.