Following Rabbits Blog

I love whimsy and fun. I love bright colors, comfort food and celebrations. Sweetiepie embodies everything I love about... well, everything. This restaurant downtown is the closest I've come to Wonderland in New York City. I celebrated my birthday there last year and it was perfect; so when a friend asked for a magical birthday party venue, I didn't think twice about recommending it. After telling her all about it (the menu! the bar! the cute waiters!) I was craving another visit. I suggested we meet there after work today for a drink so she could check it out pre-party. I really do love it there! When I got home I flipped through the photos of my Sweetiepie birthday celebration... here are my faves:

how cute is this place?!

(probably) the only bar in NYC with bowls of gumballs, jars of pretzels, bottles of maple syrup, and giant lollipops (check out the mirrored ceiling!)

(definitely) the only restaurant in NYC with a table inside a birdcage (I MUST have this table next time... amazing)

the menu has kid-friendly basics that I'm totally down with... tots and grilled cheese! (the had grown-up stuff too, but where's the fun in that?)

their waitstaff is fantastic... from recommending specialty drinks to singing happy birthday (and the bowties, love it! so 50's soda-fountain... adorable.)

and what's a celebration without dessert? birthday cake, ice cream sundaes, and cookies with a side of hot fudge to dip 'em in... sooo good!

Sweetiepie is located downtown, and has some awesome specials going on-- including bottomless cocktails brunch for $20, and happy hour burgers/tots/beer for $15! The decor is worth a visit alone, and I promise you won't be disappointed with the food, cocktails, or service. Love!

I LOVE tea. So when I heard about Sanctuary T, I had to check it out stat. They offer beer and wine, but they also make tea-infused cocktails that are amazing. I had a cava de cama: elderflower, chamomile tea, and cava (sparkling wine). A girlfriend I brought along with me drank jasmine caprioskas: house-infused jasmine vodka, lime and simple syrup. Was pretty tasty. I also had a glass of "sunshine": house-infused vanilla bean vodka (yum!), raspberry puree and simple syrup. This was my fave! Their specialty drinks are a bit pricey ($12-$14) but it would be a great place for a date or night out with the girls. I'm definitely going to check them out for brunch soon! A pot of tea and french toast... I'm so there. 

They also have an online shop for those of you not in the city (or anyone looking for the perfect gift). They've got a fab selection of loose teas (try red moon or geisha beauty), iced tea kits, snacks... even seasonings and bath salts. (I'm seeing a solution to my holiday shopping already...)

Sanctuary T is located downtown on Broadway near Federal Plaza. They're open 7 days a week for breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner. Check 'em out!

I've been stalking home decor blogs lately. I have a vision for my bedroom that is so off-the-wall, and I'm slowly bringing it to reality. Lack of spare money and time are slowing me up, but I'm actually grateful for the slow process because it's giving me time to gather the inspiration I need to make my original ideas as good as they can be. One of the things I've come across again and again is decorative tape. People get so creative with this stuff!

I've been obsessing over vinyl photo frame decals. These are much more detailed with an intricate antique look and easier to make yourself!

washi tape photo frame from the happytape blog

As I've said many times, my bedroom is taking on a very playful/whimsical/magical Alice-in-Wonderland vibe... giant toys, playing cards, mirrors, flowers, butterflies... why not add a string of colorful bunting to my bed canopy? 

mini bunting tutorial from the red thread blog

I need some corked glass bottles with "drink me" labels (natch!):

Victorian mailing label tape from TapeSwell

And then once I'm (finally!) done with my apartment decorating, I can invite everyone over for a Mad Tea Party with these adorable invitations:

pennant invitations by Mer Mag made with striped washi paper from happytape

I've been dying to see the Haunted exhibit at the Guggenheim, and I finally went! The exhibit is displayed throughout the Guggenheim's rotunda gallery. As you walk through, gazing at photos that capture the past with surrealism and gritty reality, a voice rises up through the hollow rotunda. An audio piece of the exhibit, Shallow Sea by Susan Philipsz, is a recording of her singing. It plays every ten minutes, and the rotunda's open layout lends an echoing, eerie quality to Susan's voice. It's hair-raising.

One of the first pieces I saw was Andy Warhol's Orange Disaster #5, which embodies the theme of the entire exhibit. Andy's electric chair is empty, but you're still left with the gristly reality that the chair has a past... the empty electric chair is haunted by those who have died in it.

And so the exhibit goes, with four themed sections, all displaying work that captures the past to bring it to present as if it's haunting us. Every space, person, object has a history; no matter how pleasant the history, its revival in the present can be unsettling. That's the feeling I got going through the exhibit, an oddly unsettled feeling. It's definitely one of the more evocative exhibits I've seen.

The Guggenheim museum itself is incredible, the architecture alone is worth the price of admission. I don't think this exhibit would be as powerful in another venue, the layout definitely lends itself to the art and its presentation. The exhibit runs through September 6. For hours and ticket information, click here.

While I was at MAD today to see Ben, I checked out the Dead or Alive exhibit. Some wild stuff! I took pics of almost everything... mostly because I just couldn't believe my eyes. I would highly recommend you see it for yourself; my photos hardly do these pieces justice. Here are my faves:

Sagittarius by Shen Shaomin (how awesome is this thing?!)

Prophecy by Damien Hirst

Mad Cow Motorcycle by Billie Grace Lynn

Moon by Tracy Heneberger (sardines! ha!)

Skull by Jan Fabre (so badass...)

The exhibit runs through October 24th, and Thursday nights from 6-9pm are pay-what-you-wish. Get over there to check it out!