Hello to 2013!

Happy New Year!

I hope all of you had a wonderful holiday season with your family and friends. We are fresh back from the snowy lands of New Jersey where we spent a whirlwind few days with both my mom and dad’s families. We had our yearly reunion at Grandma’s, complete with all aunts and uncles, cousins, great-grandkids and significant others. What fun! I can't wait to see how that group photo turned out with all 20+ of us :)

We also managed to squeeze in a little afternoon in NYC for some falafel and strolling. Taim, you never cease to amaze me. If you are a falafel fan, don’t miss this one next time you are in town.

Hanging in the city, Christmas 2012

What a shock to me, then, given our family's busy schedules, that somehow the ladies planned a surprise bridal shower for me right in the midst of it all! My lovely aunts hosted a ladies luncheon on the 29th at a local historic inn in Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ. To say they “got me” would be an understatement; I was shaking from the moment I realized what was going on and for nearly thirty minutes after!!

Me with my cousins Katie and Erin at my
Graduation in 2007. Love these gals and am so
excited to have them as bridesmaids!!

I will share a few photos of the party as soon as my cousin-slash-bridesmaid-slash-awesome-photographer (thanks Katie!) sends them our way. Many, many thanks and love to my aunts, my cousins (who are also my bridesmaids and flower girl!) and the other wonderful women that joined in the fun, including my grandmother and mom who both kept the secret from me all along. I am so, so, so blessed. 

XOXO to my groom who also made a surprise appearance at the end of the party :) I think I will keep him around, ha!

So here we are, back in A-town and getting back into the swing of things, and what a year we have ahead! Our wedding and honeymoon, weddings of loved ones and friends, graduations, and even some babies – my BFF and matron of honor is pregnant!! How exciting!!

I could not be more excited for 2013, and hope that your year is filled with love and happiness, too. See you around town as we kick off another great year!

Fall Over Each Other for This Falafel

Part of our yearly holiday excursion to the fair city of New York and it's surrounding boroughs has recently begun to include a day trip into Manhattan for exploration. Usually with no real plans ahead of us, this year we decided to be a bit more strategic with our day, especially since we were headed out in post-Blizzard 2010 slush, and so navigating the city streets would be more time-consuming than normal.

So off we went, on a brisk late December day, into my favorite city in the world. In our hands were our mini subway maps and this fabulous guide:

I have had a love affair with these DK Eyewitness books ever since I wore out a copy while studying abroad in Madrid, Spain. Their small-ish size means they can easily fit into your winter coat pocket (for the men) or a regular-sized ladies purse. Some editions feature bonus pop-open maps, and in the NYC edition, this includes subways. Ingeniously, they include numerous Top 10 Lists that detail out the "Top 10" whatever you should go see while in town, be it cafes, museums, parks, historic monuments or more.

One of my favorite features of these guidebooks is that they lay out plans for different neighborhoods in a city so that you can make a whole day of a district, hitting each of the hot spots while navigating the turf on foot. None of us kids had spent any amount of time in Battery Park, so we knew we'd inevitably end up down there, seeing the park, Trinity Church and perhaps a museum.

But first, we needed to eat.

With strategy on the mind, we decided ahead of time that a detour into the Village was necessary. The "best falafel in New York City" had to be consumed, and goodness, our trio was the perfect group to determine that lofty rating's worthiness. Granted, Serious Eats says it best about what that "rating" really means:

We're sure you have your own favorite falafel joints. And yet, as with a bagel or a chocolate chip cookie, there's an enormous difference between a falafel sandwich that's satisfying—crispy falafel balls, soft pita, enough hummus or tahini—and a falafel sandwich that's the best in New York.

Image Source

So off we went. Off an unnoticeable side street in the West Village, just a stone's throw from the famed Magnolia baker's dozen, Taim Falafel claims a tiny storefront with only 6 stools along it's window for seating. But don't let this fool you. Taim (written with two dots over the "i" that I can't recreate here in Times New Roman) packs in the crowd; even if most people have to take theirs To-Go and eat falafel goodness on a stoop somewhere nearby, the experience is 100% worth it.

We each tried a variety of their falafel - the green (traditional chickpeas plus parsley and other herbs), the red (made with red pepper, omg so good) and the yellow (made with spicy harissa). Each one had it's own flavor, and melds with the fresh flatbread, the creamy tzatziki sauce and hummus, fresh salad and maybe some feta for added flavor ... Oh my goodness, we scarfed ours down ASAP despite sitting in some snow-entrenched park with no cleared bench to be found.

Goober shot of me inhaling
(literally, my mouth is full!) the
falafel, courtesy of Colin :)

We highly, highly recommend Taim if you are a fan of a good falafel wrap and are willing to take an afternoon jaunt into the Village. And plus, you can't really beat having one of those famous cupcakes afterwards, either :)

What is your favorite falafel place, either here in Atlanta or in New York City? Have you tried Taim before?

Auld Lang Syne Research

Each year at the holidays, we are lucky enough to get to travel to Northern NJ and the NYC area to visit with almost our entire family on both sides. A large majority of them live up there in Jersey, the homestead of both of my parents. Whoever doesn’t live there tries to make it into town during the week after Christmas, staying usually through New Year’s. I love marking these days off my vacation day list each January -- it gives me something wonderful and family-oriented to look forward to as a vacation. Plus, um, it’s NYC at the holidays. You can’t beat that!

I have many a fab memory spending New Year’s Eve hunkered down with family, lavish meals, drinks and music. Times Square? Pssh. That’s for amateurs and people who think it’s cool to stand in one place all day to count down to midnight while temps are in the teens and it’s snowing and you can’t move and someone over to your left is getting ill. No, thanks. I’d much rather spend it watching the ball drop on TV with a drink in hand :)

This year, the holiday days land on weekends, and most of us start back up again at work on January 3. So our trip up North is going to bring us home again the morning of NYE ... And since I am never here on that evening, I am clueless as to how on Earth we are going to celebrate this “holiday” in a town with A) fairly inept public transportation or cabs, and B) budgets that don’t want to be blown on the huge hotel parties.

Here are my immediate (budgetable) options for that evening, as I see them ...

• Stay in for the evening at the condo, perhaps hosting a few friends for the same type of low-key soiree we’d usually have in NJ. Canapes and champagne and Carson Daly’s Countdown make for a delightful evening, after all ...
• Head out in Buckhead somewhere in walking distance, since we all know cabs are impossible to grab on this night in town. I hear a few parties are taking place around Lenox Mall area, and a few restaurants are doing reasonably-priced all-inclusive menus ...
• Take MARTA into Midtown or Downtown for a shin-dig at someone else's place. That would require battling the Peach Drop crowds though ...

So as you can see, I am a newbie to this. What is your favorite way of ringing in the New Year? And ATLiens, what’s your favorite go-to destination for this big night?

Leggings and Jeggings, Oh My

Almost exactly one year ago, I had a fantastic trip to NYC. Upon my return, I posted about some of my fashion findings in my favorite city.

Example 1: The New Uniform
Example 2: Some Other Styles

Leggings, skinny jeans, big tops, flat boots. EVERYWHERE. These styles were absolutely foreign to us in the ATL at the time. I was a lost shopper in my usually-familiar environment at that H&M that day.

Then mid-winter, I posted about a similar trend popping up, again at H&M: Jeggings. I couldn't help but think, are these for real? Aren't those circa 1985? And in my defense, I still hate the acid-wash and elastic waist of that particular pair.

Well, wouldn't you know it, though. Walking through our local Macy's last week, my man pointed out that weren't the fashions we were surrounded with on the mannequins (hi, leggings, skinny jeans, oversized tops 80's-style) the same ones I was flummoxed by in NYC last Fall?

It only took us a year to catch up, Atlanta. Nice work.

Funny enough, I am still behind, despite my year's head start. I still don't own a pair of flat boots (reeeeeeally wanting some; they are at the top of my splurge-on-shoes list), nor oversized sweaters. I do, to my credit however, now own a pair of leggings, and a pair of skinny jeans that are really more like jeggings (no elastic waist here, though, ugh), and like to pair them both with boots. See proof picture to the right.

For those of you hitting up NYC this Fall, what fashions are already in play up there that we can look forward to a year from now? I will also report back once I hit up the stores during our annual NYC Christmas trip :)

New York Hot Spot #2: Grab a slice. Anywhere.

So this isn't just one "hot spot" - but rather, any number of them.

It's in my blood to find the best spot for a slice. For you Atlanta folks, you already heard me talk about Piu Bello here in town and how it's the next-best thing to the real-thing.

Well, friends, when you get yourselves to the big City someday, and find yourself with nothing to do while your hotel room is prepped like I did, go find a pizzeria and grab yourself a slice of the original. Or two, if you are a man, or are feeling hungry. The slices are HUGE. Meant to be folded. Served on paper plates from the counter. Parm and pepper flakes on the side. Beers optional (we elected for them, even though it was only 10:45am. Hey, I was on vacation.).

If you feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of options in NYC for pizza, don't fret, it's hard to pick wrong. There are a number of "famous" spots, and spots that claim to be "famous" and "The World's Original." Do not doubt yourself though. That joint on the corner of whatever part of town you are in? Likely FAB.

If you absolutely need a spot to try, take the Malone recommendation. We LOVE this place called Pronto Pizza, the one on West 48th. A stone's throw from Rockefeller Center and NBC, go past Dean and Deluca's right there and you can't miss it, its right there on that back street underneath the psychic sign :)

NYC Hot Spot #1: McSorley's

Ahhh, McSorley's. A favorite of locals and tourists alike, McSorley's is a must-see simply for its 155-year history, making it the oldest operating bar in town. This was of course on our to-do list while in the city, especially it was a perfect way to spend a rainy afternoon.

Cramming into this saloon just off the Village is no easy feat in the evenings, on weekends, or during the holiday season. But regardless, we have made it a tradition to make our way over there for at least a beer or two whenever we are in town. This time was no exception - at 4pm on a rainy Saturday, it was packed out, but the patrons are always willing to squeeze someone else up to the bar, and trust me, its worth it!

They offer two beer selections - Light and Dark. If you don't like beer, sorry, wrong place for you! One beer is actually two smaller mugs, and they serve them up all looped onto one hand. A no-frills, cash-only menu offers up some pub fare, including one of the most popular snacks, the cheese, onion and crackers plate. The bartenders (many of whom are directly from Ireland) are quick at grabbing new beers for you, and then hauling off all the old glasses at once, sometimes 10 on one hand! Sawdust covers the floor, and countless frames and documents cover the walls, some as old as the place itself.

My uncle likes to tell the story about how he took a girl to McSorley's maybe 20 years ago, and sent her off to what he thought was still a co-ed restroom. Before 1970, no girls were even allowed inside, and until right around when my uncle was there, girls had to use the men's restroom if they needed it. But to my uncle's (and the girl's!) surprise, they had finally opened a ladies room, when the bartender anxiously pointed her to, instead :)

Things I Learned in New York, Part II: Some other styles

I have loved the huge response I got on the last post from Wednesday about NYC and leggings! Thank you everyone! I love hearing from you - especially when apparently a lot of us Southern gals are clueless about leggings :)

The other style I noticed big time that I wanted to share with you all was that about jeans and shoes. In Atlanta, my bootcut jeans and stilettos are still the hot thing for the most part. Some people have shifted to the skinny jean, but the bootcuts are still pretty prominent, whether at the bars or out shopping at the mall.

In NYC? No way. No bootcut jeans in sight! It was almost astonishing how quickly seemingly the entire city has retired the attractive-for-all-body-shapes jeans, and have morphed into better-for-no-curves-women skinny jeans. And not only that, but every. single. girl. was wearing them with flat knee-high boots over the jeans. I knew this was a style, but it really surprised me how predominant it seems to now be there. Again, ATL seems to be behind!

Now, of course, I'd like to check out a pair of my own. Where do you find good-fitting skinny jeans? I have tried on a pair or two in the last year, but they always seem to fit ridiculously for a gal like me with some hips! I welcome your ideas!!

Things I Learned in New York, Part I: The New Uniform

I spent a few full days in NYC this past weekend, soaking up the sights, the sounds, and the smells. We ate a lot, walked a ton, and managed to get a little bit of rest too on the vacation.

I like to think of myself as pretty fashion-forward. But this weekend, I was TOTALLY out of my element. I hit up NYC at least two times a year, even if just for an afternoon, but this was the first time where I ever felt completely out of place and tourist-y with my otherwise planned-out ensemble. It was not quite winter coat weather, and so I got to see a whole new style in play by the Manhattan ladies.


One word: Leggings. Everywhere. Black ones, mostly, but some were beige or brown. Worn with layer upon layer of tops and shoes and hats. Long sweaters and vests. Short ankle boots. Tall flat boots. Necklaces and wraps and scarves. Underneath the different ensembles, though, was the same pair of black stretchy leggings.

(Note: top pic is actually from FabSugar in 2006! Proof that these styles resurface every few years. Bottom pic is H&M today)


So what did I do? I went to H&M. I knew I could count on them to keep me hip with the latest style. Every H&M store is slightly different, tailoring its offerings to the locals. So of course, what do they have in the NYC stores, but walls upon walls of leggings. And these huge sweaters you should wear over them, and small ankle booties to finish the look.

I have never felt so out of place in an H&M. This leggings-look is so foreign to us in Atlanta! For one, the huge sweaters would kill us, since Atlanta never gets cold enough to pull that those off. But the leggings with lighter longer tops, I can try. A nice salesgirl helped me pick out a top (I seriously had to ask for help, I was so over my head), and I have made a mental note to find some knee-high flat boots to throw on, too.

So, the look is supposed to be effortless-looking, but wouldn't you know, I am going to have to actually TRY to pull it off :) Today I am flying to DC, and am wearing the new pair of leggings under a jumper and shirt outfit, paired with black flats for the plane, but with gray stacked heels for the office. Definitely a new look for this Betty, but I am willing to experiment!

Last Minute Packing ... and Procrastination

I head up to the glorious city of NYC tomorrow (advance warning: no posts until I am back! Sorry friends!) and so have been mentally packing all week. Tonight, I actually have to put things in a suitcase, and I am wondering what I own that will make the perfect wardrobe for this trip. It will be tricky because tomorrow it is supposed to rain, and then we will be doing a lot of walking so my usual heeled boots and stilettos won't work. But then my jeans are mostly all too long for flats. And its going to be wack in-between temps, with chilly mornings and warm afternoons. Sigh. Welcome to a girl's mind.

(Note to the men: ok yes, this post is total girly. Sorry. What can I say, I am a girl, and I love to talk about clothes and shoes. Come back next week for more neutral-sex postings :P )

Part of this procrastinating has involved imaging what I COULD own that would make for the perfect weekend trip wardrobe. Yes, I realize I do not actually own any of these things, but it would be really nice if I had the extra money to go get them, don't you think? :)

Long cardigan that I can throw over a summery silky dress, and add warm leggings under:

These adorable Nine West shoes that I have been lusting over since last year, on sale now and tempting me like crazy:

These slouchy tall boots (flats! Also Nine West. Lust.)

A girl can dream.

In the meantime, Happy Weekend everyone! I will share some of the NYC hot spots that I enjoyed when I return. XOXO!

Some NYC trip planning

I fail at posts this week. I had a nice one all written up on Monday night about this fantastic Taco Pie I made. But then I forgot to upload the pictures, and haven't been able to sit back down and do that since. So be on the lookout - I should have that up in the next day.

In the meantime, I am thinking ahead to our upcoming NYC trip. We have a few things planned for the trip, but I am very interested in what you like to do when you are in the City! I love trying new things, and in a city like New York, there are always new things to do, even if you have lived there forever.

So leave me a comment - what is a Must-Do or Must-See while we are there?

Here's some of the things on our unofficial unplanned to-do list, not in any order:

Central Park wanderings
Museum of Modern Art
American Museum of Natural History
McSorley's (it's our tradition to hit this place up for a midafternoon beer!)
Chinatown for some dumplings
Little Italy for cannoli