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LIZ HEATHER

June 2, 2025

The Best of May 2025

by Liz Heather in Beauty, Best of NYC, Food, Movies, Personal, Products, Recipes, Television


Forever favourite blue

Forever favourite blue

This has been the longest spring of all time and I’m not complaining. Here’s what went down last month.

  • The best tweets of the month can be found over here.

  • I finally reviewed last year’s Met costume exhibit (this year’s 2025 exhibit review can be read over here).

  • Bought/love this travel box for jewelry. Also got these great swim trunks for Nathan (love non-bland menswear).

  • A bunch of new candles came out at Trader Joe’s so obviously I’m on it.

  • Got this great quilted sweatshirt for $10 on sale at Banana Republic Factory.

  • Made this sausage, pesto, ricotta pasta on repeat for a few nights. Also made this bread pudding with vanilla sauce for a friend’s birthday that really turned out well.

  • I visited the new Printemps (french department store) in the city, which is really lovely. The design of the space is worth seeing if you’re in the area. Keep in mind that practically nothing is priced under $100.

Printemps in NYC

  • We went to Ruta in Astoria, which is probably the best Mexican in the neighborhood by far. Their deep red salsa will fix you.

At Ruta in Astoria, Queens

  • Here were my favourite Met Gala looks this year:

Kerry Washington at the Met Gala, 2025

Katy Perry at the Met Gala, 2025

Nicole Kidman at the Met Gala, 2025

Cardi B at the Met Gala, 2025

  • So I tried a retinol night serum on my face and I was warned that some flakiness might occur but this was next level flake city. I had to stop. I also do not care about the benefits of retinol, so let’s never speak of it again.

  • The chain Toasties in the city? What garbage! Never again. How do you mess up lunch?

  • I can’t stop texting this image to people (below).

  • I was looking for a new (not drugstore) mascara and I found a fantastic one - the Glossier Lash Slick. In love with the wand, it catches every single little hair.

  • I tried the Trader Joe’s strawberry gluten free muffins and they were okay, but nothing can top their GF cinnamon coffee cake ones.

  • I was invited to see Mel Robbins at The Beacon (with a very lovely new friend) and I’ve got to be honest. This woman is… just not for me. I’m happy that people seem to get something out of what she says, but I just can’t. Wellness can’t be bought and I will die on that hill.

  • Marla came for a visit and it was a blast. She stayed at The New Yorker hotel (which was old, wonderful and perfect), we did a million things in 48 hours and ate at Modern Bread & Bagel approx. twenty times. It was perfect.

  • Was so, so pleased that she agreed with me about how incredible the tart frozen yogurt is at Madison Fare.

Madison Fare frozen yogurt with raspberry

  • She also treated us to a Broadway show (this woman cannot be stopped in her generosity), so we saw Real Women Have Curves. And it was good!

  • I poached some salmon in a coconut cream sauce and it didn’t come out that great, so I think I’ll just stick to baked salmon.

  • I think I’m suffering from Pinterest-aesthetic-brain-overload because I was on such a mission (for some reason?) to find a perfect black cardigan to layer with some outfits I have - and I found one at Uniqlo. But once I tried it on I realized how very basic-white-woman it is and put it back. It can be very hard to fight these things that the internet tells me that I’m supposed to have. (I did buy this great baseball t-shirt, though.)

  • I went to Edith’s for the tahini iced coffee and it was very good. I also tried a bite of their chicken caesar and it was nothing special. Main reason to go here is definitely the coffee.

Edith’s tahini iced coffee in the West Village, NYC

Edith’s in the West Village, NYC

  • I got a lash lift and it’s only week one, but I can see the appeal of getting them done. I’ve been using Nulastin for a few months and I’ve been seeing length, but they’re not very curly so I guess we’ll see if this makes a longterm difference or not.

  • We went to visit the town where the original Friday the 13th was filmed (it’s just under two hours from NYC) and it was so much fun. I’ll do a full post on it here soon. We also went to a wedding in the Poconos and it was such a great weekend.

  • Some things I watched:

    • Final Destination Bloodlines - not as awful as I expected! The beginning scene was the most memorable/best part.

    • And Just Like That (newest season) - okay, this was the craziest part of the first episode:

  • …what the hell? Were we all supposed to think that is a normal thing to say? Infact this insane sentence is making me want to do a deep dive on ALL of the wildly dumb things these women have said over decades and we all have just eaten it right up and accepted as normal! Madness.

Some things I’m looking forward to this month: I really want to go to Modern Bread & Bread for their night menu, I want to make this chicken Diane recipe at home, I think I’m going to start doing my Summer Saturday posts again starting this week (the season starts when I says it does) and I might have to pre-order the Jaws popcorn bucket (below).


You can read last month’s roundup over here.

Just a reminder that you should take way more photos of your friends everywhere

TAGS: Liz Heather, Irene Morales, Nathan Macintosh, Marla Garvey, NYC, best of NYC, NYC subway, Jaws, Jaws popcorn bucket, And Just Like That..., And Just Like That, Final Destination, Final Destination Bloodlines, Friday the 13th, wedding, Nulastin, lash lift, Edith's, Edith's tahini iced coffee, Edith's West Village NYC, tahini coffee NYC, Uniqlo, Pinterest, cardigan, baseball shirt, poached salmon, Real Women Have Curves, Real Women Have Curves Broadway, Broadway NYC, Madison Fare, Madison Fare frozen yogurt, best frozen yogurt NYC, best frozen yogurt, Modern Bread and Bagel, GF NYC, gluten free NYC, best gluten free New York City, Trader Joe's, Trader Joe's candles, The New Yorker hotel, Mel Robbins, The Beacon NYC, wellness, wellness industry, strawberry gluten free muffins, Glossier, Glossier mascara, Glossier lash slick, best mascara, work really hard, Toasties, Toasties NYC, Trader Joe's night serum, retinol, retinol flakiness, Cardi B, Nicole Kidman, Katy Perry, Kerry Washington, best dressed Met Gala 2025, The Met Gala, Ruta Astoria, best Mexican Astoria Queens, Astoria, Astoria Queens, amazing salsa Astoria, Printemps, Printemps NYC, best pasta recipe, best paste ricotta recipe, sausage pasta, pesto pasta, Banana Republic Factory, quilted sweatshirt, garden party candle Trader Joe's, summer candles, summer candle trio Trader Joe's, jewelry travel box, Target mens swim trunks, The Best of May 2025, monthly, monthly roundup, monthly post


April 1, 2025

The Best of March 2025

by Liz Heather in Best of NYC, Food, Movies, Personal, Recipes


Turks and Caicos

Turks and Caicos

Considering how bad January and February were, it’s kind of a miracle that this past month was so full of good things. I had the best birthday (of my life?) and it feels like there’s so much hope. Am I deluding myself? Anything is possible! But I’m going to try and ride this high as long as I can. Here’s what went down last month.

  • The best tweets of the month can be found over here.

  • I made these cottage cheese crackers that are ridiculously good. I’ll put the recipe below because I got it from someone’s mom on Facebook (jesus, that’s the most I-just-turned-40 statement I’ve made so far).

Cottage cheese crackers

I brush the parchment paper with olive oil as well so that nothing sticks

  • Speaking of turning 40, Nathan took me to Turks and Caicos to celebrate and it was an incredible trip. I should probably do a post about it. Yeah, I’ll do that. Stay tuned.

  • I finally visited The New York Earth Room art exhibit that’s been going on for decades and it was very neat.

The New York Earth Room art exhibit

  • Discovered the secret to amazing chicken parm: get bone-in. Changes the entire game.

  • I got these brown wedge heels from Target that I am currently living in, I love them so much. Might get them in black, too. I also bought this comically large bed pillow that might fix my life.

  • Lord, how I missed the Hillstone caesar salad.

Hillstone caesar salad

  • Nathan and I have started picking up garbage around our neighborhood twice a week and it’s been great. He got a trash grabber stick months ago, and it might seem insane but it makes us feel pretty good.

  • Some things I watched:

    • The Monkey - hated majority of it. And I realized just how much I loathe this new genre of body-harm horror. It’s gaining traction and I can’t stand it (think Hereditary, Smile 2 etc.)

    • I’m all caught up on The White Lotus and this season isn’t the greatest, so that’s been disappointing.

  • I’ve really been considering whether or not I should go to Dollywood this year. It’s the 40th anniversary (which we share), so that’s why I was thinking about it. Just a thought.

  • I saw The Jonathan Larsan Project (so good) and Buena Vista Social Club (stellar). I didn’t realize how much I really missed going to shows.

  • I’ve been using the Trader Joe’s facial sunscreen (the Goop dupe) for a few years now, but I saw actual proof of how good it is recently. When I was on vacation, I guess I forgot to sunscreen the very top part of my forehead and to see the difference between that small area and the rest of my sunscreened face after an afternoon in the sun? Wow. This stuff is a holy grail product.

  • I am in love with these duos that Target keeps releasing each season (below).

Friends

  • I had lunch at La Mercerie and it was good, I don’t know that I’d ever need to go back but it was fine. The older I get, the more I tend to be annoyed at trendy places.

  • I’m still making these GF bean muffins constantly. Yes they sound disgusting, but they might be the best chocolate chip muffins I’ve ever had. I should stop telling people that they have beans in them.

  • I did a spring french tip manicure and it turned out pretty good!

Spring french tips

Some things I’m looking forward to this month: it’ll be nice to pack away my winter clothing, I have to start looking for wedding guest dresses and I’d really like to make this firecracker chicken again.

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You can read last month’s roundup over here.

TAGS: The Best of March, The Best of March 2025, Liz Heather, monthly, monthly post, monthly roundup, Buena Vista Social Club, best of Broadway, The Jonathan Larsan Project, Broadway NYC, best of NYC, Turks and Caicos, beach, beach sunset, cottage cheese, cottage cheese crackers, cottage cheese crackers recipe, The New York Earth Room, art exhibit NYC, earth room NYC, bone in chicken parm, wedge heels Target, best shoes Target, best heels Target, large bed pillow Target, Hillstone, Hillstone NYC, Hillstone caesar salad, picking up garbage, The Monkey, body harm horror, The White Lotus, Hereditary, Smile 2, Dollywood, Playbill, Trader Joe's facial sunscreen, Trader Joe's, facial sunscreen, Goop dupe, best facial sunscreen, Target felt friends, Target felt buddies, La Mercerie NYC, black bean muffins, best chocolate chip muffins recipe, spring french tip manicure


June 18, 2024

Smorgasburg NYC

by Liz Heather in Best of NYC, Food


Smorgasburg, World Trader Center, June 2024

Smorgasburg, World Trader Center, June 2024

I finally made my way to Smorgasburg (a weekly outdoor food market) this past week and I definitely see the appeal of it. Is it actually “the Woodstock of eating” (as the New York Times claims)? Not quite, but the choices are decent. Here were the best sounding items at the World Trader Center location.

Smorgasburg, World Trader Center, June 2024

Smorgasburg, World Trader Center, June 2024

Smorgasburg, World Trader Center, June 2024

Smorgasburg, World Trader Center, June 2024

Of course I wish that the Duck Season stall still existed, but one can dream. I am a little curious if all the separate markets offer different things, so I’ll have to visit the other two in Brooklyn and then compare this summer.

Smorgasburg runs on Fridays near the World Trade Center, Saturdays in Williamsburg and Sundays in Prospect Park (all go from 11am-6pm, April until October).

TAGS: Smorgasburg, Smorgasburg NYC, Smorgasburg World Trader Center, Smorgasburg WTC, Liz Heather, food NYC, food festival NYC, NYC outdoor food market, best NYC food market, things to do summer NYC 2024, best of NYC


May 27, 2024

Ice Cold: An Exhibition of Hip-Hop Jewelry

by Liz Heather in Best of NYC


American Museum of Natural History, NYC

American Museum of Natural History, NYC

Whoever pitched this idea to the American Museum of Natural History needs a raise. Especially since I can’t remember the last time that this museum had a new exhibit that I was actually excited about. Don’t get me wrong, I love that giant whale and the almost-pitch-black room with the stuffed birds (please god don’t ever update that wing), but it’s pretty rare that the Natural History museum has an exhibit that people really anticipate.

The exhibition is included with a general admission ticket, so you really have no reason not to check it out. Here were my favourite pieces.

Biz Markie Nameplate necklace, 1986

In love with the font.

Flavor Flav Clock pendant, 1988

Okay, that clock is literal history.

Ghostface Killah Eagle arm band, 1990s

Absolutely love how over the top it is.

T-Pain Big Ass Chain necklace, 2000s

Honestly, genius. So funny and probably the best of the collection.

Cardi B Nipple covers, 2022

Perfect.

Tyler, The Creator Bellhop necklace, 2021

Jesus, that’s beautiful. Maybe I’m not wearing enough gold. Really reassessing my look after coming here.

The exhibit runs until January 5th, 2025.

TAGS: Ice Cold, Ice Cold exhibition, Ice Cold exhibit NYC, hip hop exhibit NYC, hip hop jewelry, hip hop jewelry exhibit NYC, Liz Heather, things to do NYC, NYC, best of NYC, American Museum of Natural History, Natural History Museum NYC, Biz Markie, Biz Markie nameplate necklace, Cardi B, Cardi B nipple covers, Flavor Flav, Flavor Flav clock pendant, Ghostface Killah eagle arm band, T-Pain big ass chain necklace, Tyler the Creator Bellhop necklace, Tyler the Creator, Ghostface Killah, T-Pain, great NYC museum exhibit, things to do summer NYC 2024, jewelry exhibit NYC


April 9, 2024

March Magic 2024

by Liz Heather in Beauty, Family, Food, Links, Personal, Products, Recipes, Television, Travel


March 2024

March 2024

March was a whirlwind, here’s what went down last month!

My nephews, March 2024

  • The best tweets of March can be found over here.

  • I recapped my winter list of things to do.

  • I wrote my spring list of things that I’d love to do this season.

  • I served on a jury and it was an awful experience. I’m begging you to never do it. It wasn’t even a murder case and it was still horrible to be apart of.

  • Am I nervous about The Body Shop closing a TON of stores? Yes, yes I am.

  • I’ll never be above a new Trader Joe’s candle scent.

Spring candles from Trader Joe’s

  • My sister-in-law made one of the greatest desserts I think I’ve ever tried: lemon sorbet blended with mascarpone. It sounds so simple, but I promise you the flavour was mind-blowingly good. A perfect summer dessert, too.

  • I think I found the best lip oil that isn’t expensive or sticky: Colourpop’s Lux Lip Oil in Dew Drop Clear.

  • My sweet dear friend Jenn sent me See’s Candies chocolates for my birthday and good god were they incredible.

See’s Candies

  • I made a Thai green curry for the first time and it was fine, but I think this is something that I’m only gonna order out from now on. It just didn’t taste the same when I made it at home. (It could’ve been because the coriander seeds I ground up had expired last year? Would that have made a giant difference in taste?)

  • One of my all-time favourite scenes in a movie:

  • I said goodbye to my blonde hair!

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  • I’ve decided that March = tres leche cake season, so I had to make one.

  • I went to Niagara Falls with my family and it was such a great time.

Baby Dog in Niagara Falls

Romeo, Niagara Falls

Camden, Niagara Falls

Family!

  • I also went to Mount Airy in Maryland with Nathan and it was a perfect way to spend a birthday. He got a chocolate cake from Wegman’s that honestly was even tastier than my favourite chocolate cake.

Our Airbnb in Maryland

Wegman’s cake

I love him

Small town butter >>

Sleepy Baby Dog

  • I got the Lemax NORTH POLE MAIL ROOM from my brother & sister-in-law and my life might be complete?

  • The Nordstrom flagship happy hour remains one of the best in the city.

Happy hour at Nordstrom, NYC

  • Some things I watched:

    • Baywatch (season 1): Okay, the pilot of Baywatch is one of the best pilots I’ve ever seen. Honestly rivals the Lost premiere. Makes zero sense. Kind of a great show?

    • Ready or Not (the Canadian show): I love that you can find most of these episodes on YouTube.

Some things I’m looking forward to this month: I have to try the special ramp & cacio e pepe dumplings at Mimi Cheng’s, Nathan’s going to be on The Tonight Show for the third time on April 12th (!), I really want to go see the blooming cherry blossoms in Central Park and I can’t wait to see Rachel McAdams in Mary Jane on Broadway (Nathan’s birthday gift to me!).

If you’ve got any interest in reading last month’s roundup, you can read what went on in February over here.

C’MON

TAGS: monthly, monthly post, monthly roundup, Liz Heather, best of NYC, Rachel McAdams, Mary Jane Broadway, birthday, family, nephews, Niagara Falls, jury, jury duty, The Body Shop, Trader Joe's candles, spring candles, lemon sorbet, lemon dessert, best lemon dessert, Colourpop, best lip oil, dew drop clear, lux lip oil, See's Candies, Thai green curry, That Thing You Do, best scene That Thing You Do, goodbye blonde, new hair, tres leche cake, Mount Airy, Maryland, Wegman's, best chocolate cake, salted butter, small town butter, amish butter, Baby Dog, Baby Dog Macintosh, Lemax, North Pole Mail Room, Nordstrom flagship NYC, Nordstrom happy hour, Baywatch, Ready or Not


January 18, 2024

Women Dressing Women Costume Exhibit at The Met

by Liz Heather in Best of NYC


“The Costume Institute’s fall 2023 exhibition will explore the creativity and artistic legacy of women fashion designers from The Met’s permanent collection, tracing a lineage of makers from the turn of the twentieth century to the present day by highlighting celebrated designers, new voices, and forgotten histories alike.

Women Dressing Women will feature the work of over seventy womenswear designers, spanning ca. 1910 to today, including French haute couture from houses such as Jeanne Lanvin, Elsa Schiaparelli, and Madeleine Vionnet, to American makers like Ann Lowe, Claire McCardell, and Isabel Toledo, along with contemporary designs by Iris van Herpen, Rei Kawakubo, Anifa Mvuemba, and Simone Rocha.”
— The Met

I love that The Met is doing two different costume exhibits a year now. This one only runs for three months, so obviously I had to go this week. Highlights below!

Maria Grazia Chiuri and Grace Wales Bonner at House of Dior, 2020, edition 2022

Louiseboulanger, 1928

Ana de Pombo at House of Paquin, 1938

Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen, spring/summer 2012

I remember when they last showed this McQueen piece in 2016 (at the Manus x Machina exhibit) and they’re finally highlighting the back of it, which I love.

Rei Kawakubo at Comme des Garçons, spring/summer 1997

So in love with the story behind this design (above).

Norma Kamali, 1978

Betsey Johnson at Paraphernalia, 1966

Mad Carpentier, late 1940s

Melitta Baumeister, autumn/winter 2021-2022

At first glance, I really hated this one (above) and then after a few minutes it really grew on me, especially considering the fact that it’s a product of its time period.

Chanel, autumn/winter 1938-1939

Kate Mulleavy and Laura Mulleavy at Rodarte, autumn/winter 2006-2007

My favourite piece of the whole collection, by far.

Kate Mulleavy and Laura Mulleavy at Rodarte, autumn/winter 2006-2007 (the back of the dress)

And I love that someone had the good sense to put a mirror behind this one so we could see the all of the details.

The exhibit runs now until March 3rd.

TAGS: The Met, Women Dressing Women, The Met new exhibit, costume exhibit, costume exhibit The Met, Liz Heather, art NYC, best of NYC, museum NYC


October 1, 2023

September Shenanigans 2023

by Liz Heather in Best of NYC, Family, Food, Links, Movies, Personal, Products, Recipes


Simpsons foliage >

Simpsons foliage >

September has come and gone! Welcome to grade 33, as Martin Short would say. Before we can sing the praises of this perfect time of year, here’s what went down last month:

  • The best tweets of September can be found over here.

  • I compiled my favourite photos from the summer.

  • I finally wrote about my dad’s 100th birthday party from June and Global News Canada did a short segment on my dad!

Mom & dad at his 100th party

  • I started a new series (Fall Fridays) and I’m probably more excited about it than you are? And that’s okay?

  • I found 20 new Halloween decor/kitchen things that I need to buy immediately.

  • I recapped how I did with my summer list, then made a new autumn one for the season.

  • Had my favourite meal of the entire season at Shukette.

  • I made this tomato tart and it was pretty good. It felt cool to make the bread base even though I have zero bread-making abilities (though next time I might just stick with store-bought puff pastry since it’s eons better).

Heirloom tomato tart

  • Made this chocolate zucchini banana cake for Nathan’s birthday because he loves it and it’s always so good.

Zucchini chocolate banana cake with coffee cream cheese frosting

  • This batch of pumpkin spice coffee syrup is my new favourite seasonal recipe (especially if you add milk to it before adding to iced coffee).

  • So I made these pecan pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and yes they’re good, but they need some sort of frosting I think. Cookie recipes are so plain these days and someone needs to take a stand against them.

Pecan pumpkin chocolate chip cookies

  • Jimmy Buffett passed away Labour Day weekend, so I finally made my way to Margaritaville in Times Square and it was actually great. The food was rough, but the drinks and the key lime pie were perfection.

Just realized now that I wore funeral clothing to Margaritaville in Times Square, NYC

  • Got drinks at the Chelsea Hotel and saw Matthew Broderick sitting with John Slattery, who were both babes.

  • Caught up with my dear friend Sarah who was visiting from Montreal!

Margaritas with Sarah

  • I went to Shopsin’s in Essex Market and whoa. Any time I’m craving a sandwich, I should always just come here. It’s hard for a chicken sandwich to impress anyone these days, but theirs was memorably fantastic. All sandwich bread should be garlic bread.

Fried chicken sandwich at Shopsin’s

  • Nathan and I went to Shot of Art to paint and it was kind of really fun.

I mean… we’re really cute here

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  • I have been using the scar cream Mederma on this brutal wound that I’ve had since July and it’s almost magical. The scar isn’t completely gone yet, but as soon as it is I’ll do a side-by-side comparison.

  • I met R.L. Stine!

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  • Some things I’ve watched:

    • Night Beast: great. Tubi has such good old horror movies.

    • Tourist Trap: okay, not a great example of a good Tubi horror movie, but definitely unique. Loved the ending.

    • The Black Phone: YIKES. Not good. To everyone who enjoyed this movie: it’s sad that your love for Ethan Hawke has clouded your vision because this was utter trash.

Some things I’m looking forward to this month: I have to get my hands on these snow globes stamps as soon as heavenly possible, I have to put the final touches on my Halloween costume, seeing The Shark is Broken on Broadway with Nathan and spending Thanksgiving in Canada with the family.

If you’ve got any interest in reading last month’s roundup, you can see what went on in August over here. And my autumn highlights on Instagram can be seen here.

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TAGS: September, September 2023, September Shenanigans, September Shenanigans 2023, monthly roundup, monthly, monthly post, The Simpsons autumn foliage, best tweets, Dad's birthday, Global News Canada, Hassina Heather, Stanley H, Liz Heather, Fall Fridays, Halloween, Halloween decorations, new Halloween decorations, Halloween decor, Halloween kitchen, Shukette NYC, tomato tart, heirloom tomato, chocolate zucchini banana cake, Nathan Macintosh, pumpkin spice coffee syrup, pecan pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, Jimmy Buffett, Margaritaville, NYC, best of NYC, Times Square, Chelsea Hotel, Matthew Broderick, John Slattery, Shopsin's, Essex Market, fried chicken sandwich, fried chicken sandwich NYC, Shot of Art, Shot of Art NYC, paint NYC, paint class NYC, R.L. Stine, Mederma, scar cream, scar gel, best scar cream, best scar gel, fade scar, Night Beast, Tourist Trap, The Black Phone, movies, Baby Dog


July 4, 2023

June Jaunts 2023

by Liz Heather in Best of NYC, Drinks, Family, Food, Ideas, Links, Movies, Personal, Products, Recipes, Television, Travel


Sometimes you need a mini day trip to see a horse in New Jersey

Sometimes you need a mini day trip to see a horse in New Jersey

June was so packed with stuff, I can’t believe it’s actually over. Here’s what went down!

  • I started a new series of posts I’ll do for the whole summer - Summer Saturdays, which is just a summary of what I do each week. Volume 1 posted over here.

  • I recapped how I did with my spring bucket list.

  • I wrote a brand new summer list of things I’d love to do.

  • I finally wrote about seeing the Karl Lagerfeld exhibit at The Met.

  • The best tweets of June can be read over here.

  • I made these strawberry cobbler bars that were pretty good, but I think I liked this strawberry crumble cake recipe a bit more.

Strawberry cobbler bars

  • I bought this Aritzia 1/2 zip sweatshirt in both white and black and I’m really considering getting the pink one now, too. I might have a problem.

  • If you like dark chocolate, then you must make this dark chocolate cake. It’s the absolute best recipe I’ve ever tried. And with this chocolate icing? Unreal. It’s heavenly. (Pro tip: don’t refrigerate it, it tastes incredible at room temperature, even days later.)

Dad’s 100th birthday cake

  • I was about to talk about how great my dad’s 100th birthday went, but there are so many details that I’ll just do a post about it this week instead.

  • I will never get over how incredible the frozen yogurt at Freshii is. Nobody talks about this enough.

Freshii frozen yogurt might even be better than TCBY

  • A great small batch pancake recipe I keep using.

  • I went to Activate and it was surprisingly really fun! It’s kind of like Squid Game but in real life and with less death.

  • I made this basil sangria during a blackout at my parent’s house and it was so strong and perfect.

Basil sangria

  • Did you know about the secret, unadvertised Baskin Robbins deal? On the 31st of every month (on months that have 31 days), they offer 31% of all scoops and pints. Pass it on.

  • I made a lemon blueberry layer cake that was such a great summer dessert, absolutely would make again.

Lemon blueberry cake

  • I ate at the S&P counter and it was only fine? NYC has so many options, I’m angry that anyone ever told me this place was anything special.

  • The duck confit spring rolls at Sojourn however are little bites of luxury. I will return.

  • Here’s one of the recent Zara dresses that I can’t stop wearing.

  • I’m so sick of pants without pockets, so I’m obviously in love with these green Halara bike shorts.

  • A great (updated often) list of carnivals in the NYC area.

  • Always gonna be excited when Trader Joe’s drops a new candle scent.

Trader Joe’s salted caramel and pistachio scented candle

  • I tried some curried fried rice at a friend’s house recently and I can’t stop thinking about it, such a genius way to do fried rice.

  • I’ve been eyeing mattress toppers for a few months now (my mattress is old and springy), but they’re always too expensive. So instead I bought a thick comforter for about $20 and spread that underneath my fitted sheet and it is now the most comfortable bed in this country. It’s a strange feeling to have all the answers and still not be ruler of the world?

  • Officially into rhubarb now since I was introduced to this rhubarb syrup, which is a phenomenal mixer for anything alcoholic.

Rhubarb syrup with club soda

  • Lays, I love you. Never stop with your insane flavours.

Lays Italian Red Meat Flavor

  • I was in Canada for a bit and good god, it was a perfect spring visit.

Dinner in the sunroom during a blackout

Nephews & Baby Dog

These only bloom on my dad’s birthday

Fully recommend having friends who just GET IT

  • I went to Canada’s Wonderland with my nieces and there is nothing more satisfying than the end-of-day funnel cake you’re legally required to have before leaving. Also loved the new(ish) Yukon Striker.

Funnel cake at Canada’s Wonderland

  • I stopped by the new reincarnation of Zellers (it’s in a weird, small section at the back of The Bay) and the deals are wild. Go. If they bring back those Zellers diners with that gravy, they will be unstoppable.

  • The Barbie section at Ulta is wild. I want it all?

  • Truly all the Barbie collaborations are wonderful.

  • I got a “root shadowing” done at Bloc + Mane in Etobicoke (by the lovely Amanda) and it was everything I needed. It’s a process that blends your hair colour if you’ve dyed it in the past year but you don’t want that aggressive grow-out line.

  • The USPS new stamps this year are insanely cool.

USPS Tomie dePaola stamps

  • A gentle reminder: your beach body is already here.

  • Some things I’ve watched & rewatched:

    • Since the new Indy was coming out, I rewatched Temple of Doom and wow is Kate Capshaw so unbelievably bad in it. Sure I’m no expert on great acting, but this is just torture to watch.

    • And Just Like That: I’ve said it before, but we’re in a hate/hate relationship. The dialogue is so horrid that it reinforces the idea that anyone can succeed in the entertainment business. Talent has zero to do with it.

    • The Bear (season two): absolutely LOVED it. Did they use an offensive amount of R.E.M. songs this season? Sure! But once you look past that, it’s a flawless season.

  • I bought these gorgeous olive coloured running shoes from Call It Spring that are beyond comfortable.

Men’s running shoes are eons prettier than women’s

  • I’d love to try any of these summer recipes:

    • Vietnamese Tomato Salad

    • Marinated Zucchini with Hazelnuts and Ricotta

    • Summer Coconut Chickpea Curry

    • Burger Au Poivre (everything should be au poivre, as far as I’m concerned)

Some things I’m looking forward to this month: are you aware that there’s a third My Big Fat Greek Wedding coming out?? And I can’t wait for some reason? Even I don’t really understand why, but I loved that first one so much when it came out. Other things: obviously excited for Barbie, my great friend Marla’s coming for a visit (!), I really want to find some good soft serve and I have a family trip to Scotland that I can’t wait for.

If you’ve got any interest in reading last month’s roundup, you can see what went down in May over here.

I just told her she isn’t coming to Scotland with me

TAGS: June, June Jaunts, June Jaunts 2023, Liz Heather, monthly post, monthly roundup, Baby Dog, strawberry cobbler bars, recipes, summer recipes, Aritzia, Aritzia sweatshirt, chocolate cake, best chocolate cake, best chocolate cake recipe, dark chocolate cake, dark chocolate cake recipe, dark chocolate icing, best dark chocolate icing, best cake recipe, Freshii, Freshii frozen yogurt, best frozen yogurt, small batch pancake recipe, Activate, Squid Game, basil sangria, basil sangria recipe, best sangria recipe, Canada, Baskin Robbins deal, Baskin Robbins, lemon blueberry cake, lemon blueberry layer cake, best summer recipes, S&P, NYC, best of NYC, Sojourn NYC, Sojourn, Zara, Zara dress, Zara polka dot dress, summer dress, summer dress Zara, Halara, Halara bike shorts, carnivals NYC, carnivals near NYC, carnival list NYC, Trader Joe's, Trader Joe's candles, salted caramel and pistachio candle, curry fried rice, curried fried rice, mattress topper, comfy bed, bed tips, rhubarb, rhubarb strawberry soda, Lays, Lays Italian Red Meat Flavor, June flowers, Clearly Canadian, Canada's Wonderland, funnel cake, Yukon Striker, Zellers, The Bay, Barbie, Barbie Ulta, Barbie collaborations, root shadow, root shadowing, Bloc + Mane, Etobicoke, Etobicoke hair salon, USPS stamps, Tomie dePaola stamps, beach body, beach body ready, The Bear, And Just Like That, Indiana Jones, Kate Capshaw, R.E.M., Call It Spring, green sneakers, green running shoes


July 1, 2023

Summer Saturdays Vol. 1

by Liz Heather in Summer Saturdays


Inspired by one of my favourite bloggers Jessica Merchant and her weekly Summer Fridays posts - I’m starting my own, but only for summer and only on Saturdays. Here’s what going on!

EATING

The duck confit spring rolls at Sojourn on the Upper East Side - CHRIST. Unreal.

DRINKING

I’ve been making iced tea with the different flavours in the Celestial Seasonings Fruit Tea Sampler, then I mix it with seltzer when I’m pouring a drink and I promise you it’s better than every pop/soda known to man.

COOKING

I keep making this summer salad with pearl couscous (cooked in chicken broth) that I’ll mix with grilled/chopped halloumi and green peas then I pour in a basil vinaigrette to bind it all together. It’s incredible cold or hot.

BAKING

I tried a new chocolate cake recipe and it’s hands down my new favourite. It’s (sorry) moist as hell and maintained its deliciousness even on the fifth day in a cake stand at room temperature. (As long as you’re a dark chocolate fan, you will love this.)

CRAVING

I’m itching to go to a low-maintenance carnival. And I’m counting down the days to peak tomato season.

LISTENING

On repeat at the moment: London Boy, Yuck and the entirety of Beck’s Odelay.

WATCHING

I finished the second season of The Bear and it’s even better than the first. I’m up to date on And Just Like That and it’s making me want to write an essay on the fact that we’ve entered The Era of The Hate-Watch.

WEARING

These Halara bike shorts with pockets in the colour Grass Grey Green, which feel like BUTTER. And I’m still living in the Aritzia 1/2 zip heather cloud white sweatshirt.

EXPERIENCING

Nathan and I went bowling with some friends this week at Astoria 360 Bowl and I may or may not be really good at bowling now? I mean, did I crack 100? Not even kinda, but, like, the confidence was there. Which might be due to my 100+ hours of Wii bowling.

LOVING

This article on the most beautiful dining cars on luxury trains.

SHOPPING

I don’t have any weddings coming up, but if I did I’d rent this Fuzzi Abito Patchwork dress. I had a clutch just like this one that I got in Miami years ago and I used to so much that it disintegrated, so I might get that one in tan. And I’m still on the lookout for the Lichtenstein stamps.

Happy Canada Day!

Also, you can see my summer highlights on Instagram over here.

TAGS: summer saturdays, Liz Heather, summer, summer saturdays vol. 1, Jessica Merchant, How Sweet Eats, duck confit spring rolls, duck spring rolls nyc, Sojourn, Upper East Side, best of NYC, Celestial Seasonings Fruit Tea Sampler, iced tea, pearl couscous, halloumi, chocolate cake, dark chocolate, carnival NYC, London Boy, Yuck, Taylor Swift, Beck, Odelay, Charli XCX, The Bear, And Just Like That, hate watch, Halara, bike shorts, bike shorts pockets, Aritzia, bowling Astoria, Astoria 360 Bowl, dining cars on luxury trains, Lichtenstein stamps, Fuzzi Abito Patchwork dress


June 20, 2023

Spring List 2023 Revisited

by Liz Heather in Best of NYC, Personal


That was the longest spring that ever sprang and I couldn’t be happier about it. Here’s how I did with my spring bucket list.

1. Deep clean my apartment and donate all the clothing I haven’t worn in years.

  • I did not deep clean my apartment because the phrase deep clean is too intense, so it continuously got bumped off my daily to do lists. I did however donate about twenty pounds worth of old clothing I haven’t worn in years, so I’m taking a half point here.

I took this photo because I was so proud of decluttering my closet but of course it doesn’t photograph very well, it’s hard to accurately portray pride through a camera lens

2. Prepare steak Diane at home.

  • I did! And it was fantastic. One day I will learn how to properly ignite a flame without fear and then I will be unstoppable.

Steak Diane ingredients

3. Finally have lunch at S&P.

  • I did and it was beyond lackluster. What the hell is the appeal of this place?

You never need to go, trust me

4. See the cherry blossoms in Central Park. (There’s a tracker to see what’s blooming before you go.)

  • I went more than once and they were wonderful.

Baby Dog in Central Park

5. Finally tour the old City Hall subway station.

  • I had been waiting to do this for literal years and it was as magical as I’d hoped it would be.

The abandoned City Hall subway station

So I got 4.5 out of 5… are we serious? That’s the best I’ve ever done. Maybe you’re thinking it’s insane for me to be so chuffed with myself about “completing” something so frivolous - or maybe it’s just some slight jealousy creeping up on you…? Hard to tell.

Summer list coming tomorrow!

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TAGS: spring list, spring list 2023, spring list 2023 revisited, Liz Heather, best of Spring, Spring, Spring 2023, spring clean, spring cleaning, donate, donate clothing, steak Diane, S&P, best of NYC, NYC, cherry blossoms Central Park, cherry blossoms, Baby Dog, City Hall Station, City Hall Station NYC, old City Hall subway station tour, City Hall NYC, abandoned City Hall subway station


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