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Once in a while I crave something from back home that I just can't seem to find in NYC. As big and diverse as the city is, I suppose it can't possibly have everything. Neesa Peterson grew up in New Orleans where sno-balls were a regular treat. New York's got ices and sno-cones, but as a lifer here in the Northeast, I've never heard of sno-balls. Enter Imperial Woodpecker in the West Village. Neesa has brought a slice of the Big Easy to the Big Apple with sno-balls in dozens of flavors, just in time for Summer. I was torn between cotton candy and granny smith apple, so my bff obligingly got the apple so I could try both. The ice is shaved to order, and does resemble fluffy, soft snow. They're served up in chinese take-out containers, in three sizes for $4, $5 and $7.

The place is super cozy, with 3 tables against a window bench littered with brightly colored pillows. Sunny yellow diner chairs and fresh daisies completed the cheery atmosphere. I really love the area the shop is in, so this will totally be a summer fave of mine, and I'd recommend you make it one of yours.

Walking down Broadway in Astoria, my best friend and I came across a man scooting down the sidewalk on a milkcrate, drawing faces on the sidewalk with chalk. Every 10 faces he would number and sign. When we bumped into him he was scrawling "330 faces by Felix Morelo" and kept going. If people stopped to talk to him, he would add chat bubbles to a face and give shoutouts ("Hi Molly!") As we walked closer to the Broadway train station, we saw that that's where he started... leading people off the train with a trail of faces, then numbering them when he hit the sidewalk. Curious how many he'd drawn, my friend walked down Broadway later. The line of faces stretched as far as Morelo could go- to the water. He ended on 1160 faces at Socrates Sculpture Park. I wonder how long it took him.

I absolutely adore Paris. I'm sure that given the opportunity and financial means, I will someday have an apartment there. This weekend, we went to see Midnight in Paris- I loved it! There's definitely something magical about that city. I went for two weeks with my French class when I was 14 and it was such a memorable, beautiful trip. Needless to say, I've been dying to go back! Imagine my excitement, then, when I saw that Jordan over at Oh Happy Day is giving away a trip to Paris!!! To celebrate five fabulous years of blogging, she is sending 2 lucky readers to Paris for a week! The giveaway includes airfare and accommodations at Mama Shelter, and she's offering to play tour guide for a couple days. Amazing. I've entered and my fingers are crossed! Check out the giveaway and browse around her blog for fantastic DIY projects, party planning ideas, and gorgeous photos.

I listen to my iPod at least four hours a day. It not surprising, then, that I generally wear out headphones on an annual basis. On my way to Cape Cod for Memorial Day weekend my Bose earbuds just quit working on the left side. The right side got uber loud to compensate, and you can imagine my mood was shot for the rest of the bus ride. I *finally* went to AC Gears to get a new pair, and I LOVE them! I have a hard time with earbuds because my ears are small. I love big headphones (I used to have these by Zumreed) but they double as earmuffs and in the summer heat, that's a no-go. I found a very happy medium, sticking with the Zumreed brand which I've come to love (my last pair was destroyed when my kitten shredded the cord). I bought the Airily wire headphones and am in love. They deliver sound quality equal to their larger counterparts but are much more lightweight, and are a snugger fit so they'll stay put when working out.

Since they were only $36 (plus I saved 10% by checking in on Foursquare!) I got this Zumreed iPod speaker as well. I've been wanting a small, portable speaker for ages and this one is awesome.

Simple volume control (you twist the pink side of the pill in either direction) and no batteries or recharging. Score for sweet purchases and getting the music back in my day!

Who doesn't love samples? It's one of the things I really love about shopping Sephora online. I think we all like to splurge on makeup and facial care when we can, but what to buy? Enter BIRCHBOX. For $10 a month, you receive a beautifully packaged gift box full of 4-5 deluxe beauty samples sent to your door.

I got my first delivery yesterday, and I'm already thrilled that I subscribed. Take a peek:

This bronzer- incredible! Loooove it. And it's a full-size product! I'm a fan of Kiehl's- this lotion is great. Self tanner's scare me a bit, but I'll give it a go. All in all, amazing deal for $10, right?? With a subscription you also get access to their website, which is chock-full of beauty tips and tutorials. You earn points with your subscription, which can be used as discounts when purchasing full-sized products from their site. Couldn't be happier that I signed up, and I can't wait to see July's little pink package in the mail!