Rock Shic

#861 World Cup 2018 ⚽️🏆

July is almost at an end but one thing that I definitely want to capture for the month was the FIFA World Cup 2018.  Every four years (see my World Cup post circa 2014), this tremendously exciting thing takes over our lives (okay more accurately MY life) for about a month, causing hubs to always give me the side-eye like “who ARE you?!!!”

 

Whatever it is that takes over... the enthusiasm for the multi-national teams? The politics and the drama? The fact that I live in such a multi-cultural city and the World Cup is simply a great excuse for Manhattan to come alive? (Come on admit it -- there's nothing better than a group of attractive international people day-drinking at local pubs!!!)

 

Whatever the cause... it consumes me, and the fact that I have a more set of diverse colleagues than ever before simply amplifies this very phenomenon (not to mention the fact that it reconnects me with my prior network!) What?! You’re into this TOO?!!! Whoa. 

 

Oh, and the every four years bit does make it seem more momentous.  As in, this is my second baby’s FIRST World Cup! My Nuke baby’s first (I still remember the last World Cup final when Germany won) and so forth....

 

In the end, I was happy that France took home the trophy.  Allez Les Bleus! And it was fun to see Macron’s iconic image pasted front and center all over the internet... I was particularly sad when England didn’t make it to the finals, thanks to Croatia (In fact, I think the whole world missed out on what would have been an EPIC final.... okay the entire world with the exception of Croatia). 

 

That said, every moment of the World Cup was truly something else!! I raise a glass, and can’t wait until the next one.  🥂🍾🏆⚽️

 

 

Related: 

 

World Cup Final -- 2014

 

 

 

 

#859 A Father’s Day BBQ

This post is dedicated to my partner-in-crime — aka the best dad! 

Behind every strong woman… there is always an amazing man (or is it the other way around?).  To be honest, I would be lying if I told you that this whole partnership and marriage thing is easy, because it’s not.  It’s a constant circus show and you can only emerge hoping that you’ve done your very best.  That said, looking back, I know that somebody upstairs was really looking out for me when he paired me up with this one, because he really is for keeps! 

These photos were taken on Father’s Day (actual Day being Sunday, June 17^th).   We had a lovely BBQ on the roof and my ever supporting partner was so game and catered to all of my wishes (even though I’ve completely over-engineered the entire thing, as is my want).  The most hilarious bit?  After BBQ’ing the entire day, I actually thought to Seamless order my hunny a nice piece of steak from a French Bistro!

“This is delicious,” he grinned as he devoured that hunky piece of meat, and all I could think was… “My God you’re a good man!”

A good man, and an excellent father to our two sons.  That’s all a girl can wish for isn’t it.

That, and possibly carving out more time to write… June was just a non-started in that area.  Here’s to July!  I must do better.

 

#852 Roofdeck Bunnies — Lower East Side

The cutest little bunny on the roofdeck! #16months

Brothers on the roof... I love how well they get on together

Bunny and puppy, my boy's a dog lover!

It's an all boys-club on the roof! #boysquad

My heart is melting. No greater happiness than seeing your kids laugh together.

Well well how goes it Monday?  I cannot believe that May is just around the corner, and quicker than you can say “flash” – 2018 will be half-way over!!

Gasp.

Okay, perhaps yours truly is getting ahead of herself here.  That said, this weekend was literally the ONE nice weekend we had (and it was only Saturday that was gorgeous!).  Nevertheless, it was sheer perfection, and it was simply lovely to witness the city came alive!!!  Literally everybody was out and about, what a sight to behold.  It almost makes you wonder where these people have gone during the winter (really are there THAT many people living in Manhattan?!! Answer is yes).  

Sadly it seems like the rest of this week is not to be (in terms of nice weather), but a girl can dream!! After all, Spring has officially arrived, and Summer is practically just around the corner. 🌷🌼🌻

More of this please! I truly cannot wait. 

 

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#688 A few days in DC

#787 Flowers, Books, and Coffee – A Girl’s Best Friend

Next week, I’ll be jetting back to NYC for a quick, 24-hour whirlwind trip.  It’ll be difficult to leave my two little munchkins behind (the little one will be six weeks by then!), but a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do.  Mamma’s got to a doctor’s appointment to see about her c-section recovery (do these stitches go away by themselves or what?).  Plus, we’re currently in the midst of a bunch of real estate deals, moving houses, etc – all of which I’ll go into more details later, but suffice to say I still do have some business to take care of.

Lastly, and possibly the most fundamental aspect being, well this little New Yorker is just plain homesick.

As much as I love the sun, sand, sangrias, and palm trees (and believe me I am positively obsessed with all of the above), I do miss that metropolitan city vibe that you just can’t quite get in the Gulfcoast (nor would you wish to, might I add).  You do you Florida!!

For one thing, you don’t really get a lot of independent coffee roasters… nor do you see a combo of coffee and flowers (and books) as delightful as this one! 

This all took place the week before munchkin #2 was born, mamma was a couple of days past her 38 week mark, and she desperately needed a haircut.  So off I went to Flatiron to the Foster Glorioso Salon and en route, wouldn’t you know it, I came across this little gem of a coffee shop called Toby’s Estate (160 5^th Avenue btw 20^th and 21^st street).  Amazing coffee and pastries (they even carry my beloved Doughnut Plant!) What’s better, it’s attached in the back to a little outpost of Strand, adjacent to the ever effortlessly-chic Club Monaco flagship store, AND it had this beautiful display of flowers by Putnam and Putnam.  These days, I am all about flowers and terrariums, and just about anything green.  Ask hubby, I can’t seem to walk past orchid plants without taking something home (they do grow extremely well down here in Southwest Florida you know!).

That said, and perhaps with a mixed sense of both nostalgia and anticipation, I’m sharing a few photos I snapped from my excursion at the Flatiron.  Perhaps I should have titled this post flower, books, shopping, and coffee… all the things a girl can wish for really! 

 

Related:

New York On My Mind features Rockshic

Coffee Styling In Jamaica

 

 

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Hanging with hubs in the East Village -- art by ZeSoner.  Our little man is obsessed with lighthouses, so you know I had to strike a pose!

Late night snack at Cocoran on Delancey.  Coconut milk with tapioka, banana, mint, mixed berries, and condensed milk #sogood We came here after seeing Frank Langella in "The Father" on Broadway (check it out before it closes on June 19th!). 

Roaming in the hood on Elizabeth street -- the name simply says it all! #perfectday

Street art on Smith Street in Brooklyn, we went and checked out a new development on 97 Douglass street (beautifully built though it's quite possibly too sassy for us). 

Hope you guys had a lovely Memorial Day weekend!

Hubs and I managed to spend the weekend with just the two of us in the city, something we haven’t been able to do in a long, long time.  It felt a bit decadent, really – to leave our Nuke baby with the grandparents and just be on our own in the local hood.  Though I must tell you, it felt *so* incredibly refreshing and liberating, as we were able to do all the things we wouldn’t ordinarily do with each other on the weekends – like... going to the movies (we went to the IFC and saw “Weiner,” I highly recommend it!); checking out a tour at nearby Tenement museum (something I’ve wanted to do ever since we moved downtown six years ago); meadering about town and checking out open houses (we checked out three, even one in Brooklyn!); eating leisurely brunches and lunches and dinners (dinners à deux after 8pm!); sleeping in together, and most importantly… reconnecting with one another and just remembering why it was that we chose to be together in the first place. 

Sometimes the simplest solution, when life becomes to be all a bit too much, is to just stop and enjoy your partner (recall that I had made a similar attempt back in July of last year, see here and here).  This is something that we haven’t done in far too long (leading up to lots of bickering and frustrations), and after this weekend, our goal is to try and achieve something akin to this experience every quarter or so. 

In sum, I highly recommend it, particularly for couples with young kids!!

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#732 Egg-Hunting on the High Line

Happy Monday! I can’t believe that Easter has come and gone… every year it seems like this mega build-up that happens in our household (which somehow only impacts me, and not my boys, go figure). In any case, we had a pretty fun-filled Easter weekend… complete with a PETTING ZOO at the Standard High Line! Yes… that’s right, who knew? The response I got from most folks were, “how intriguing… and somewhat random!”

In any case – we went to check it out at the Standard and it was full-on fabulous! Luckily for us, it was a two-day affair (Saturday and Sunday, egg-hunt on Sunday) – full details here on City Baby Dining, so we had plenty of options to choose from.  You know how much I love the Standard.

As for the munchkin, well… I think that his favorite part of the day was definitely cruising up and down the High Line with his Easter basket and carrot balloons (thankfully the weather wasn’t too chilly for that!).

Oh, and did I mention that his favorite book these days is Creepy Carrots? Seriously the best! It’s helped him embrace carrots as part of his diet, which we say yes to.

Related Features:

Easter Celebration and Spring Jubilee on Marco Island

Easter Egg Hunt in the West Village

A Friends and Family Easter

A Walk on the High Line

The Many Standards in My Life

 

All of his favorites! Inspired by the book Creepy Carrots #carrotboy

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#723 Sunday Lunch at the Tribeca Grill

 

After brunch, we took advantage of the nice weather and walked around town -- hit up some kiddo clothing and accessories boutiques in Tribeca, including <a href="http://torlykid.com/" target="_blank" data-mce-href="http://torlykid.com/">Torly Kid</a> (51 Hudson) and <a href="http://shooflynyc.com/" target="_blank" data-mce-href="http://shooflynyc.com/">ShooFly</a> (42 Hudson).&nbsp; P.S. Is little man NOT looking so tall? #heart #rockshicbaby

After some time away from the NYC scene (interspersed by a snowstorm, a birthday party, and pretty much none-stop work) – it is officially time to hit the scene as a family back in New York City. (You might have seen me write previously about my girl’s night out at Palma, and I kid you not… that was pretty much ALL I’ve really gotten to do this year so far! Crazy huh).

We caught up with some friends of ours over at the Tribeca Grill, which has been a long-standing establishment in the neighborhood best known for Robert De Niro (who is the co-owner). For some reason, I’ve never been here (strange but true), so when doing my research (our friends lived in the area), it hit me that this would be the perfect venue for a meet-up. It’s tucked away on Greenwich Street (arguably one of the prettier streets in Tribeca), and boasts some very impressive personal touches. For starters, the exposed brick walls showcase artwork done by De Niro’s father (since my father is an artist, I have a particular affinity towards these fine details).

The cuisine is New American, the service quite attentive, and we got there when it wasn’t very crowded (to be fair the restaurant never got super cramped, which we liked, and it’s also nice to be inside somewhere so spacious).  In my view, you can’t really go wrong when doing family dining in Tribeca (see previous post on the Tribeca Grand, which more recently Brunch at Tribeca Grill.

For more baby/kiddo tailored descriptions, you can check out my post on the Tribeca Grill on City Baby Dining.

Happy Sunday everybody!! Congrats to the Denver Broncos for winning the Super Bowl tonight (and to Beyonce for not falling on stage).

 

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#722 Farewell to January (and a little romp in the snow!)

Admiring the view from the top floor observatory of the New Museum

In a way, it’s a little bit bittersweet to say Goodbye to January, perhaps it’s because January is like the gateway to 2016 (seriously wasn’t it just the other day that we were summing up the best of 2015?).

Perhaps in some respects, it’s apropos – January marked our last month in Florida, so we had to say good-bye to those days!! Onwards to February, where we’ll be heading to NEW ZEALAND.

That said, here are some memories from last weekend, where we weathered our first storm as a family (Snowpocalypse 2015 happened while our little guy was still in Florida), and well… then there was the infamous Sandy. I can’t quite remember anything else in between.

To be honest, I had completely underestimated Hurricane Jonas. I might have grabbed some milk, eggs, and tomatoes at the local bodega, but that was about it. So imagine my surprise when the snow was bucketing down all day long last Saturday, followed by an all-out travel ban! Thankfully, everything had stopped by Sunday, which allowed us to go gallivanting around town. We did brunch at DBGB (our favorite local joint!), and built a snowman right at the basketball courts on Houston street, followed by some hot chocolate à la Ronnie-Sue (in my view some of the best hot chocolate around). The day was perfect, really… and it was capped off by a visit to the local New Museum (see here for their monthly family art-day).

I look at these photos of my two boys and I can’t help beaming ear-to-ear. Life’s been so frenetic these days that it’s just nice to slow down with the loves of my life.

Romping in doors while outside it's bucketing snow... see here for more on those baby nursery decals!

The boys romping in the snow...

Our brunch date at DBGB, for more see City Baby Dining

 

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#717 Holiday Train Show – NY Botanical Garden

There was definitely lots of finger waving and point... he was just so excited!! It was truly lovely to see.  #rockshicbaby

 

As much as I love our winter escapes to Florida, I must admit – there is something about the magic of New York City that few places on this planet can beat. For one thing… where else can you simply roll out of bed, go for brunch at some of the hottest places around (Prune anyone?), then head straight to the Dinosaur hall at the Museum of Natural History (which never gets old btw) – and then? Go see a world-class train exhibit at the exquisite New York Botanical Garden?!

See for yourself… I’m not even sure if the photos truly does justice to the entire affair, but I can tell you that it’s quite impressive. You walk in, not quite knowing what to expect (at least I certainly didn’t). Then you’re surrounded by what is effectively a winter magic land, immersed amidst a sea of lush, jungle greens! “Is this it?” I thought to myself, as I meandered through the first room – little did I know that there were so much more in store than I could have ever fathomed. You could easily spend an entire afternoon there and not be bored.

If you happen to be in town, I highly recommend checking out this one-of-a-kind show at the New York Botanical Garden, it gets better every year!  It’s on until Jan 18^th (they might have even extended the date). The journey can be a bit of a hike since it’s all the way up in the Bronx (we even hired a car for the excursion, as we have a packed agenda that day and it was the only way to guarantee that our munchkin will nap)… but trust me, it’s totally worth it!!!

Oh yeah, and don't forget the book tickets ahead of time!

 

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#698 Labor Day weekend at Heckscher Farm

Happy Wednesday! 

Just like that, with the blink of an eye, yet another week has blown by, and I can hardly believe it.  My baby has now been in school for exactly 7 days! (Not the whole day as we decided to pull him back from a full day program to half-day… but you get what my drift). 

The whole separation process is still shaky at best (yes, I don’t have one of those children that just gets dropped off and nonchalantly waves good-bye), but I do believe that slowly but surely we are getting there. 

In the meantime, Labor day weekend has come and gone.  Surreal really, but I wanted to share with you a fun day that we had in Connecticut.  Yes, that’s right I said it – Connecticut!  We rented a car and went for a day-trip and it was fabulous!!  Both bubs (we went with a friend of ours and their kid who’s about the same age) managed to fall asleep in the car (I suppose we did a good job of tiring the kiddos out), and the grown-ups even managed to take a breather with the toast of a mimosa or two. 

Incredible – right?

Our first stop for the day was the Stamford Museum and Nature Center (39 Schofieldtown Road).  It’s settled on a beautiful property, and the farm itself is truly the draw, with gentle, rolling paths that wind around pastures and barns (think cows, oxen, sheep, goats, pigs, alpacas, horses, the works!).   They also have a woodland-esque playground that is out of the world, plus other good interactive exhibits/galleries & a planetarium.  I can’t believe I’m saying this, but the entire spot is pretty drool-worthy, and good to know that it’s only about a 30-45 min drive from the city!  We were all amazed… and suffice to say, cannot wait to go back!

FYI – I honestly wouldn’t have found this place without the help of the book: Off the Beaten Path: Connecticut, which I had purchased back in 2009 in anticipation of a friend’s wedding in Mystic, CT.  I highly recommend it (see the updated version here) for a well-tailored guide to all things Connecticut! 

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