Birthday Gift Idea

If someone close to you has an important birthday coming up, you know what you should do? This.

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My friend Marla started sending me notes in the mail a month before my actual birthday (30 notes for my 30th birthday). What kind of notes, you ask? SWEET-ASS THINGS THAT SHE THINKS ABOUT ME! Compliment notes, if you will.

Is this the nicest thing in the world to receive? Why yes, yes it was. And some of them included gift-gifts too (like Urban Outfitters clothes & face masks!). Am I bragging? Fuck yeah! 'Cause this is one of the nicest things that anyone has ever done for me and I'm almost mad that I hadn't thought of it myself to do for someone else! You know what a fan I am of correspondence. 

Anyway, definitely keep this in mind as a gift idea for a special birthday. Marla, you're the kindest person in the world and I'm lucky as FUCK to know you.

“If you can’t think of a gift for someone’s birthday, but you’d like to get them something more than just a card – go to Etsy and type in “baked goods” and search for sellers in the recipient’s state/province (so that shipping is crazy reasonable).”

— #lizadvice

Jordan Schlansky on Conan

I know these clips are old, but there's something about this man (if he isn't an actor) that I can't stop watching. I don't mean 'cause he's good looking - it's just the way in which he speaks. Everything that comes out of his mouth is so eloquent and funny. 

Barbetta in NYC

Barbetta, having celebrated its 100th Anniversary in 2006, is the oldest restaurant in New York that is still owned by the family that founded it. I went here recently with Harmeet mainly because of the fact that they list their menu items with the year that they were first introduced at the restaurant. Is it just me or is that neat as hell?

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I mean... that's fucking cool.

Not only was the food fantastic, but our waiter was the best. We couldn't decide on what to get for dessert, so he literally brought us two different desserts each (the panna cotta was the very best, in my opinion). 

Also? There's no music in the restaurant. I looked into why this is and it's because they didn't have a sound system when they first opened (obviously) and they decided they didn't need one as the years went on. There's something so strange and nice about only hearing people speak inside a restaurant, it was definitely foreign - but a welcome kind of foreign.

Go!

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Harmeet & I outside the coat check

Mom Says

“To prevent an unwelcome guest from returning, sweep out the room they stayed in immediately after they leave.”

Great

Love this. Thanks for sending it along, Jenn!

“Maybe this is why we read, and why in moments of darkness we return to books: to find words for what we already know.”

— Alberto Manguel

Douglas Coupland Foreword

I'm not sure why but I remember being so excited when I found out that Douglas Coupland was a huge Simpsons fan. I'm not even really a fan of him (though I know nothing of the man so I guess I don't like or dislike him), but whenever someone talented and known loves The Simpsons, it makes me almost giddy. Just really, really happy. (I've heard that Daniel Radcliffe even watches the commentaries!)

I know that I've already shared a few things that I've loved from this book - and here's one more!

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Butlers Chocolate

Are you aware that North Americans don't know a damn thing about how to properly make real hot chocolate? I've never really given it a lot of thought, but it is kind of strange that we're so comfortable using mysterious powdered substances to mix into water or milk. What the hell is in that powder? And why did I not ask that question sooner?

Look at how these Irish geniuses are doing things.

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Full Disclosure: I treated half of these Butlers chocolates like regular chocolates and just ate them whole since they were so decadent - but the other ones that I used for actual hot chocolate? My fuck. I don't know how to accurately describe how insanely good it tasted. 

I got these as a birthday gift from my friend Andrew who lives in Ireland (thankyouthankyouthankyou, Andrew!) and Butlers has even open chocolate cafes that sell their products exclusively. So if you're ever in and around Dublin (or Cork, Galway, New Zealand, Karachi, Lahore, Pakistan or London), you'd be doing yourself a disservice not to go and try them out for yourself. 

Sidenote: Happy Birthday, Mom! There's no one in the world I love more than you. You do everything for everyone and I hope today was lovely as hell. Love you a stupid amount.

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Mom, killin' it.

Le Train Bleu

There's a restaurant hidden in Bloomingdale's (on the sixth floor, to be exact) and it RESEMBLES AN OLD-FASHIONED TRAIN CAR! 

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There's even an overhead compartment for your purse! Is it just me or is this place adorable? I'm a little shocked that I've lived in New York for as long as I have without knowing about it. 

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Harmeet & the menu

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Outside the washroom

To be quite honest, the food was just okay. But honestly, the fact that it wasn't terrible is the reason that I'd want to come back here. Does that make sense? The really great part about the whole place is, obviously, the surroundings. I was also struck by how quiet it was - in a good way. It's kind of nice to know that this little tucked away spot is still a bit of a secret in this city. Definitely the kind of restaurant I'd want to take my parents to if they came to visit me. The next time you're near Bloomingdale's, you should definitely check it out. 

*UPDATE: it closed in 2018! Noooooo!