yanatiba in my 'hood

I was pleased to discover this cute new vintage furniture, clothing and jewelry shop open in my neighbourhood. It's called Yanatiba. The store has 2 floors of endless little things to look at. I'm looking forward to exploring it some more. I'm all for small local businesses in Brooklyn. it's about time more shops like these crop up in my part of town. It's infinitely more interesting and charming than just another monster chain store.

Yanatiba

714 Washington Ave.

Brooklyn, NY 11238

All photos by myturtleneck

rewarding cuteness part 2

This video illustrates why Lexie brings me smile (and laugh) everyday. She also brings out my high pitched "dog voice" (if you've ever had a dog, you will understand). She might be the custest dog on the face of this earth.

a fresh perspective

During my juice and smoothie cleanse, I've been trying to focus on fruits and vegetables. It's been about getting back to fresh, simple and pure. While shopping at Whole Foods to supply my fridge this week, I was inspired to take these photos. Perhaps I took the photos to be inspired. Either way, I particularly love the lettuce looks. I got close enough to abstract the forms and allow it to take on a whole new kind of beauty.

I realize that by doing the cleanse, that it's really something I need to do regularly. It truly does make a difference and it's a great reminder that I don't need as much as I think I do. It's also not so extreme when you allow yourself to still have a healthy dinner.

rewarding cuteness : lexie

Not a day goes by that Lexie doesn't make me laugh or smile. This photo in particular captures so much of what she's like. Not to mention those big brown eyes. She's so sweet, patient and obedient that she actually allowed me to take several tries at documenting this moment while holding perfectly still! Not unlike any other dog, she's dying to have that piece of chicken breast jerky (only her favourite treat). But she waited. She looked so incredibly adorable doing it. I had to share.

By the way, she was rewarded two-fold after this photo was taken (I'm not that cruel).

days for a cleanse

I've been contemplating doing a juice cleanse since the holidays. I've somehow managed to find endless excuses to not start one. But this weekend, I finally stopped by my local juice/natural food store about it. So the plan is to have two green juices and a fruit-only smoothie a day and still have a healthy dinner. I'm keeping myself open to the number of days I will keep this going. I am now on day two and I feel fine. The caffeine withdrawal was pronounced yesterday (as I expected). But I got through it.

A few years ago, I was juicing at home everyday. It took dedication but I was committed to it. I was eating healthier than I ever had. I looked better than I ever had. What could be healthier than all those live enzymes, and unprocessed nutrients? Then my juicer broke, I eventually found excuses not to do it.

I feel as though the process of a juice cleanse clears up more than your digestive system. It's a chance to clear your mind and to be more conscious (once again) of what you're putting in your body. It's a chance to reboot, so to speak. We not only put our system through a lot of hard to digest food, but also stress and fatigue. There's no better time than the present to do flush out and be kind to your body. It's very doable. I'm so glad I finally got around to it.

Here's what I'm having:

Green Juice (morning and afternoon) – cucumbers, green apples and spinach (it's my fave!)

Fruit Smoothie – blueberries, banana and a little apple juice

the waterfall necklace for spring/summer 2010

For those new to my blog, you may not be familiar with these tribal necklaces. I thought it would be a great time to (re)introduce them for spring. They are hand made by the T'boli tribal women in the Philippines – the longer ones take up to two weeks to complete. It's made of tiny beads and stitched together with thread. I'm loving the whole tribal chic trend that is still very hot this year. This is the real deal. Every time I wear mine (esp. the 8-layer version) I get stopped, I get comments. Both my sisters (my models below) will tell you the same thing.

Please let me know if you're interested! I take payments via Paypal and I can ship anywhere (shipping fees vary).

Pricing:

Long (8-layer) $50

Tribal pattern with bells $35

Short (3-layer) $35

The colors shown are what I have at the moment. I may be able to get more but not for at least a month. I also have a chocolate brown one in the long (8-layer) version available as well. I will sell at a first come, first serve basis. Note: since these are handmade, there are slight differences between each necklace. I am taking color requests for my next shipment ASAP. The tribal ladies make what they want to make – I have no say in the matter ;) So hopefully I can get it for you. View some of the colors that I've sold in the past here.

**UPDATE** I'm sold out of the yellow 8-layer necklaces and I have a red one coming. The other colors are still available. First come, first served.

Questions/orders? Email me here: myturtleneck [at] yahoo.com

inspired dining : zenkichi

To continue my birthday week of decadence, my friends Melanie and Jacquelyn took me to Zenkichi Modern Japanese Brasserie in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. It was my first time and I have to say that it has to be New York's best. First of all, the interior design reminded me immediately of one of my favourite films: In The Mood For Love. The space is very dark, cavernous and maze-like. The reception area looks and feels like a spa and definitely sets you up for the dining experience. Each table was very private, you don't really feel other diners. There is also a button to call the servers, otherwise, they really leave you alone. The service was superb, almost ceremonial. A shade separates your table from everything and it gets lifted and lowered as each course is delivered to your table. The lighting design of this very dark space is also well done. It all makes for one of the sexiest restaurant designs I've seen in New York. And the food? Well, I was very impressed. We had the 3-course pre fix and a sake flight. Everything from beginning to end was incredible. I loved my Saikyo black cod main course (above, marinated in Saikyo miso) – probably the best I've ever had. The desserts (I had the chance to try both) were: Frozen Black Sesame Mousse (chocolate-based silky frozen sesame mousse) and Matcha & Blueberry Rare Cheesecake (blueberry infused Japanese-style, non-baked cheesecake with bitter Matcha green tea powder from Kyoto). They were simply amazing. All of it made for a truly superb dining experience. A great way to end my birthday week (thanks to Jac and Mel!). I will definitely be back – next time I will bring a hot date ;)

New Yorkers, what are your favourite sexy dining spots?

The Amazing Sake Flight (they have over 50 varieties)

chinatown cake club

After what was already a pretty decadent two days of birthday celebrations, I spent a couple of hours with my friend Jacquelyn on Sunday at the Chinatown Cake Club – a private club in an Chinatown apartment that holds monthly events featuring only cakes and desserts. Founder Victoria Howe, a pastry chef and hostess, describes it as a "secret bakery" for those in the know. Well, it's gaining popularity. I will say that it isn't for the unadventurous. Some of her desserts are very inventive and would challenge even an experienced palette. I was brave enough to try the durian pound cake, but kind of regret it. It actually tasted savoury. If you're not familiar with durian, it's a tropical fruit that is extremely odorous. The scent has been described as resembling rotting food, bad body odor, etc. It tastes very similar to the way it smells but is a delicacy — even an aphrodisiac — in many Asian countries.

I do love that she chooses an artist each month as inspiration for a cake. This time, she chose two: Notorious B.I.G. and Gerard Richter. Check out the Biggie Smalls (and the durian) cake below. (apologies for the unsharp photos – very difficult low light conditions)

Here was Sunday night's menu:

Dragon Fruit Trifle – small spheres of fresh dragon fruit layered between lightly sweetened palm sugar whipped cream and cake trimmings

Green and Black Cake – dark chocolate fudge cake, filled with avocado mousse & covered with bittersweet Valrhona ganache

Café Sua Da Torte – espresso chocolate layered with condensed milk (my favourite)

Banana Leaf Sticky Rice – caramelized bananas and black rice sweetened with

Coconut Cream Taro Cake – pale purple taro chiffon cake layered with coconut cream, seven minute frosting and trimmed with toasted coconut flakes

Almond Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches – Chinese toasted almond cookies layered between sesame oil ice cream

Durian Pound Cake – Pouncake flavoured with fresh durian, covered with durian buttercream

Home made Ice Creams – sugar cane, soy sauce, chrysanthemum, sesame oil (I wasn't brave enough to try the soy sauce one)

Artist Series Cake #5: Tribute to Notorious B.I.G. – golden buttermilk cake soaked in Hennessy simple syrup, layered with roasted plantains and covered in gilded vanilla frosting

Artist Series Cake #6: Tribute to Gerard Richter – fragrant black sesame seed cake frosted with vanilla swiss buttercream

I don't know that I would devour that much sugar again in one sitting but it was definitely an experience. Check the website for more info on how to sign up the monthly events.

brooklyn street seasons

I realized last night that I photographed virtually the same spot on the street in my neighbourhood where I walk Lexie everyday – during two different seasons. Seeing these next to one another really emphasizes the contrast between them. We've come a long way since the snow days in January and February. I'm a much bigger fan of the spring. I now plan to take the same photo with my iPhone this summer, fall and once more next winter to complete the set.

banana, bourbon & butter : robicelli's cupcakes

I met Allison of Robicelli's Cupcakes last week during the Brooklyn Bloggers Meetup at the Bellhouse last week when I tried their Southern Belle cupcake. I had to place an order the next day for my birthday party this past weekend. They're amazing. What are Southern Belle cupcakes? Banana bourbon cake with vanilla buttercream and brown butter-bourbon pecans. Allison delivered (on short notice) these heavenly cupcakes and they were a huge hit. Other people entering The Vanderbilt couldn't stop staring at them as they walked in.

before and after in the 70s

Last week my Dad emailed me a bunch of old photos he found in storage for me to restore. It was so interesting to look at them again after so many years. Quite aptly timed since my birthday is this weekend (tomorrow). This photo is of me from the 70s. I won't mention what year. It's safe to say...I'm old.

I remember the moment these photos were taken (it was a series of 3 or 4). It was my grandmother's house (father's side). I was four years old and I loved this dress. It's amazing to truly realize that once I was this little person. Those were still my baby teeth.

The scratches on the photo were quite bad. I restored it the best I could, to what I remember it looking like before it was damaged and faded. The largest scratches on my face covered what should be dimples on my cheeks (which are still there, by the way). It just proved too difficult to try and recreate this.

I'm looking forward to celebrating (my old age) this weekend. Here's to not losing the ability to giggle and laugh uncontrollably and to appreciating how good it feels ;)

BEFORE

brooklyn blossoms part 2

Here are more photos from my afternoon at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens last weekend. These are mostly in and around the Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden.

Check out the first batch from Monday here.

an inspired afternoon at strand bookstore

One of the best things to do on a rainy Sunday afternoon is to lose track of time browsing through Strand Bookstore. It's a New York institution, it's where books live. There's something about how unpolished, worn-in and creaky that's so romantic about this place. It even smells old. New books are on the same shelf as old ones. There is beauty in the chaos of it's mismatched shelving units and narrow, meandering aisles. I personally always purchased the oldest copies of books available.

Although it was a gorgeous Sunday, I stopped into the Strand looking for Witold Rybcyzynski's Waiting for the Weekend. It's an extended essay on the two-day weekend, it's history and ideas behind leisure throughout history. It was recommended by a friend who knows I'm a big fan of Alain de Botton's books. This seems to be right up the same alley.

I hope you enjoy my little iPhone photo essay :)

All photos by myturtleneck – view more of Strand Bookstore here