Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

I'm ignoring this awful weather we're having in New York this weekend and planning my next vacation instead.  I don't know where I want to go yet, but it definitely involves warm water and sunshine.  Happy Memorial Day weekend, everyone!

The Conversation with Amanda de Cadenet

I was certainly aware of The Conversation with Amanda de Cadenet before today - I had seen the occasional soundbite in passing - but I hadn't watched a whole episode until this afternoon.  (If you want to get technical, I watched two.  Okay, three episodes.)  Gah!  Who has time to do that?  I most definitely did not but I did it and felt better afterwards.

I have been feeling stretched thin and burnt out of late and this show felt like medicine.  How did I not know about it?  I mean really know about it?  Does everyone else watch it and and they've just been holding out on me?  Because it's been around for a little while.

After I finished watching, I naturally started surfing reviews to see what others were saying.  The Huffington Post called her "The New Oprah" (way back in June 2012 - again, where have I been?).  The Conversation might have a very different style from The Oprah Show. There is no studio audience for starters, just Amanda and whomever she is interviewing on a couch.  And Amanda certainly isn't as famous - yet.  But the authenticity with which she addresses meaningful subject matter will most definitely remind you of the queen, herself.

The tone of the The Conversation is spot on.  Heavier subject matter flows seamlessly into lighter fare, such as questions Amanda asks her guests like "What is your favorite sexual position?" and "What would you tell your fourteen year old self?"

If you want to feel better about being a woman and/or being a mom, watch this show.  It will make you feel like we are all in this together, which is great because we are.

Above is a segment featuring Chelsea Handler on sticking to your truth.  Also, you might like to head over to The Conversation's website and check out this segment on love featuring Donna Karan, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ivanka Trump and Joy Bryant.

This...

Memorial Day is almost here and summer is so close I can almost taste it!

Here and here.

The End of History

Stephen Saunders' West Village shop, The End of History, has been on my radar almost as long as I have lived in New York.  I have a thing for vintage cased glass and if that's what your thing, The End of History is your Mecca.  But I had never been inside until this past weekend, when it's worth noting that I went twice!  I came home with a few really spectacular pieces - a tangerine orange cased glass vase and decanter and a small deep blue vase.  I also have my eye on the Murano Sommerso geode bowls (photo 4).

I posted a couple of pics over the weekend on Instagram but The End of History is worth a full post.  If you are in Manhattan, you should definitely consider a pilgrimage.  The gorgeous colors are sure to brighten the gloomiest of days.  In addition to beautiful midcentury glass, you'll find spectacular ceramics and furniture from the same period.  It's really quite a unique place, popular with both collectors and interior designers.

If you want to see more of what's in store, be sure to check out their blog.  It's worth a read!

The End of History
548 1/2 Hudson Street (at Perry)
212.647.7598

Five Questions with Fitness Expert Taryn Toomey

There are a million fitness classes in New York but every now and then you stumble upon one that is truly something special.  My friend Taryn Toomey, who has an extensive yoga and fitness background, tried for months to recruit me for a class she was teaching to a group of people who lived in my old apartment building.  I planned on and off to attend but it's always easy to avoid a new fitness class when you aren't sure what to expect, don't you think? ; )  

But a couple of months ago, I finally went - and whoa!  Holy mother of all sculpting workouts!  The class was IN-TENSE but the atmosphere was inviting and inclusive.  Most importantly, it kicked my ass and worked every muscle group in my body like no sculpting workout I had ever done.  By the time I started Taryn's class, she was really gaining a cult following in Tribeca.  The class outgrew our building's gym shortly after I started attending and moved to the Downtown Dance Factory, where it was packed from the very first day.  

(If you build it, they will come and they did in droves!) 

The class is held Mondays and Wednesdays at 9:30 am and lasts for 75 minutes.  After Memorial Day, Taryn is adding a Friday class, too.  Right now, the class has an email RSVP system, so if you're interested, shoot me an email and I will fill you in.  If you are in or around Tribeca, you should definitely check it out!  

As you might expect, Taryn is one of the most in-shape people I know, so I thought I would take the opportunity to ask her a few questions.  Follow me after the jump for our conversation...

TGIF

I'm sure I am not the only one suffering from a mild case of burnout so in case you are in need of a vacation (or just a mental break) this Friday, check out Enterloop's Wanderlust board on Pinterest.  Have a great weekend, everyone!  See you on Monday.  (Hopefully, we will all be refreshed!)

Rosé Wine

There is something celebratory about having a glass of rosé.  It means that warm weather and sunshine have arrived and it foreshadows the carefree summer days still to come.  It instantly takes me back to our trip last year to the South of France, which you can read about here and here.

Tonight, I had my first glass of the season - a glass of Chateau Puech Haut Prestige Rose 2012, which you can find at Vintry Fine Wines.  If you are in lower Manhattan, you should definitely pop in the store, which is behind the Goldman Sachs building across from Shake Shack.  (It's my new favorite neighborhood wine store with a great selection and a helpful, knowledgeable staff.)

Follow me after the jump for five more rosés that you can buy online...

Cannes Film Festival 2013

From one red carpet to the next, right?

While the Met Gala may top my list in terms of red carpet high fashion affairs, the Cannes Film Festival is certainly up there.  The event always draws an interesting mix of movie stars, models and fashion tastemakers and the glamorous setting seems to encourage all to step up their fashion game.  These are some of my favorite looks from the Opening Ceremony and Great Gatsby Premiere.  Catch up on more photos of these events as well as other Cannes news by clicking here.

P.S.  Out of all of the dresses above, the one I would most like to steal is Naomie Harris' silver Calvin Klein.  I am obsessed.