Archive for Must-Dos
Liberated Movement
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Image courtesy of Liberated Movement
Okay, so maybe it’s not exactly crafty, and has nothing to do with food, but we believe in ladies who strive to create something different and we want to support innovation when we see it!
Tonight, I took a dance class at Liberated Movement in NYC – which is a donation-based dance studio in downtown Manhattan. (We were tipped off by the lovely ladies of 89th and Broke.) I love, love, love my donation-based yoga studio and so I wanted to do my part and try to help this idea on its way to success as well.
Me and two friends – the lovely and talented Alicia and the always spicy Mari of Calimari – tried our hand at hip-hop dance class. The choreography was fast, and we didn’t always get it right (okay, we didn’t get it right at all) but we broke a sweat and had some laughs — and there are certainly worse ways to spend an evening. Also – the staff was extremely friendly, moreso than those at the city’s more established dance studios, which can be incredibly intimidating for those just looking for fun and exercise. Best of all, there is no $15 fee or class cards – pay what you wish and dance when you can. Can’t beat that.
If you’re in the New York area, love to dance and want to support women making the arts accessible to all – we highly encourage you to go take a class! Tell them we sent you!
DIY In-N-Out Burger! At Home! For Real!
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Delicious hamburger photo courtesy of A Hamburger a Day.
Lia’s vegan for the next 25 days. I, very un-nicely sent her this link yesterday. It wasn’t on purpose. It’s just that I was so excited I forgot she was trying to be a vegan. Because, really, who can live without cheese and bacon?
I was never one for food – until recently. And now I eat it all.the.time. I can talk to you about the wonders of a McDonald’s chicken nugget, a taco bell bean burrito, or Sonic’s pepper poppers forever. But the one thing I still don’t eat from fast food places is burgers. Unless, of course, its an In-N-Out buger. Then there’s no question what I’m ordering.
However, In-N-Out burger hates the East coast. So what’s a girl to do? Follow “A Hamburger a Day’s” instruction’s from their food lab and recreate a perfect burger in your own home, of course! AMAZING!!! This will be my new favorite DIY project. Check out the instructions and commentary at A Hamburger a Day’s Burger Lab.
Have a Barrel of Fun (Literally) at Brooklyn Winery
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This is how I pour my wine, actually.
Recently, Erin and I got a very special glimpse into what we’re sure is going to be one of Brooklyn’s coolest hot spots – Brooklyn Winery.
Located on North 8th between Roebling and Driggs (take the L train to Bedford), the winery has a great mix of activities for the budding – or already experienced – wine connoisseur who either wants to a.) make their own wine b.) enjoy wine or c.) all of the above. Yes, you read that right. Make your own wine.
The proprietors, John and Brian, alongside right-hand man, Ryan, recently gave us a tour of the new facility, as well as an overview of everything the space will include. Our favorite details after the jump – but you can also go see for yourself! Open house “Hard Hat Tours” are Friday’s from 5pm-7pm and Saturday’s from 12pm-5pm. Sign up by visting www.bkwinery.com.
Furoshiki Gift Wrapping
Posted by: | CommentsThis is pretty neat. Here is a way to wrap gifts using only the gift itself and beautiful scraps of fabric. The video even shows how to tie a makeshift purse using only a square of cloth. A must try! Click here: Furoshiki Gift Wrapping.
DIY Dry Erase Board
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File under: why the heck didn’t I think of this?
Check out this super-simple, uber-pretty how-to on making your own dry erase board.
I’ll say it again – why the heck did I not think of this sooner?
Thanks to How About Orange for the link.
Yay Weekends! Kelder’s Farm
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The World's Largest Garden Gnome signals your arrival at Kelder's Farm.
If you’re in the tri-state area and still searching for somewhere to take advantage of the long weekend, look no further than Kelder Farms in Kerhonksen, New York. A working farm, a U-Pick farm and even a small petting zoo ensures there is something for everyone…but the best part of the farm for me was the taste-and-play Mini Golf.
Yes, trust me and GC to find the fun and games in the middle of a farm…but I promise, the folks at Kelder’s want you to play as you eat. In between each of the ten holes (my guess is they shortened it knowing how slow it goes when you’re stopping to snack on the vegetation) are planters and patches with edible herbs, spices and even a strawberry patch that was just ripening around Hole 9. (We took a little longer here, as you might imagine.)
After the jump, some photos of the fun and snacks we found at Kelder’s!
100 Things To-Do Before I Die
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The Great Wall of China in the snow.
When I was younger, I read a lot of Reader’s Digest (why yes, I was a nerd!) and remember coming across an article “100 Things to Do Before You Die.” I immediately ran to my room to create my own list. Sadly, I lost that paper (and what I wouldn’t give to see what eight-year-old Lia needed to accomplish) but have thought intermittently throughout the years about making a new one.
Well, I’m putting pedal to the metal on that after finding this most excellent list on Chookooloonks (which is a pretty inspiring site in and of itself.) I know cage diving with Great Whites is going to be on it, as will snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef and visiting the Great Wall of China (and why do all my to-dos involve the world “great?”) – but that leaves 97 more spots open. I’m going to give this some super serious thought and post my list soon. Do you have a list? Whats on it?
Butterfly Pinning Class at Kanibal Home
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Earlier this week Lia wrote a post about craft classes in and around New York. Kristen, the amazing owner of Kanibal Home, one of my most favorite home stores, wrote us a note right after to tell us about a butterfly pinning class that she’s having at her Jersey City storefront. You may remember that I took a card making class at Kanibal Home a few months ago and loved it.
If you’re in or around Jersey City on July 24th, check it out! And butterfly pinning? So cool! For details on the class (which is only $25!) you can check out Kanibal Home’s blog.
And stay tuned for this future post: I scored three awesome lamps from Kanibal Home’s sidewalk sale this weekend that I’m going to give a little DIY love to. They’re super feminine and will look adorable as bedside tables! For those of you not in New York/New Jersey, Kristen also sells Kanibal Home’s wears online.
Dream DIY: Bicycle Sidecar
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I want this, times a thousand.
File under: things I really, really, really wish I could do – but know I don’t have time for; we need to create a category that just says “OH MY GOD.”
For our first Christmas as a couple, GC gave me a vintage 1970s Schwinn that I absolutely love. It’s got some rust on it after a hard winter, but I can’t wait to clean it up and get it back on the streets of New York. And I wish, I wish, I had the time (and skill to make this), but this is its dream addition…a DIY bicycle side car. In the words of Rachel Zoe, “I die.”
We found the tutorial on how to build one on MAKE, who found it on Briton Steve Bodiley’s Web site. The instructions are here. If you make one, would you please double the materials and make two? I can offer undying appreciation, unlimited Bloody Mary’s forever and ever, and of course, rides whenever the mood strikes.
NYC Summer Crafting
Posted by: | CommentsWell first and foremost, we are back! After almost six months of everyday blogging, Erin and I needed a little mini-vacation to recharge our crafty batteries. Two weekends of weddings, with a Memorial Day trip sandwiched between didn’t exactly help keep us on track either – but a forced vacation is vacation just the same. In any case, we return full of ideas and fully rested.
To that end, we’ve been very busy checking out where we might take classes this summer to expand our crafty repertoire and have been stoked to find there are tons of places in the NYC area that offer a number of classes for all different types pf projects, or just offer craft-esque type of lessons. We started compiling the following list and wanted to share! Sorry to all our readers not located in the tri-state area. If you help us go national, we’ll happily spend hours expanding this list. 
Six-Pack Organization
Posted by: | CommentsGuest post by Lauren Begley…
Extend the usefulness of your six pack!
While I love living in Manhattan, one of the major drawbacks is a lack of space. Over the years I’ve learned to be creative with my organizational techniques. Yes, I’ll admit that I have stacks of books under the bed and winter coats tucked away in the pantry. But when it comes to the bathroom, I am more particular about where my day-to-day necessities are stored. Here is a little trick you can try after you finish your next six-pack. Simply cut off the top piece of cardboard so the pack is all one height. Place it into a drawer or decorative storage box and insert toiletries into the individual compartments. It keeps everything upright and easy to access. Simple and effective!
Read Lauren’s thoughts on pop culture, social media and more at her blog, Pop Culture 2 Point 0.
