Following Rabbits Blog

I go to a lot of concerts around the city, most of them indie gigs playing at smaller venues. A ticket as huge as Kanye and Jay-Z though-- I had to go. The show was amazing, start to finish. Jay-Z's mature experience and confidence overshadowed Kanye's need to prove himself, but the two played off each other in master fashion throughout the night. Often playing from opposite sides of the Garden on giant LCD video cubes, the two exchanged turns and joined in on each other's songs in rotation. 

If you're vegan, lactose intolerant, or just love ice cream-- grab a spoon. Stogo (on 2nd Ave and 10th St) offers gourmet dairy-free deliciousness that you must try. All of their flavors are made from scratch using bases of hemp, coconut milk and soy. The case of flavors changes daily, with creative concoctions like Ginger Vanilla Bourbon, Hemp Walnut Turtle, Oatmeal Raisin Cookie (my fave!!), Red Velvet Cupcake and Coconut Vanilla Chocolate Chip. You can stack 2 flavors in each dish, so do like me and bring some friends and try them all. Check 'em out next time you're in the area!

What a week! I booked my plane tickets for our annual family trip to the Bahamas and my love life took a nose dive... both good motivators to get back into fabulous shape. A coworker of mine told me on Tuesday that she was starting the Dukan Diet on Wednesday and asked me to join her. I will admit she got my attention when she said Kate Middleton and other members of her family used it before the Royal Wedding.

My coworker had the book in the office, so I browsed through and decided it was something I could stick with. I'm a pretty finnicky eater and don't eat seafood of any kind, so a lot of diets with prescribed meals and foods won't work for me. The diet is comprised of 4 phases, the first of which lasts an average of 5 days-- the Attack Phase. During this first phase you are to eat only lean protein (meat, eggs, tofu), nonfat dairy (milk, eggs, cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, etc.), and 1.5 tablespoons of oat bran (I mix this into my vanilla yogurt every morning for breakfast). In the first 3 days on the diet I've lost 6 pounds! My goal is 15, and at this rate, I'll be slim and happy at my goal weight in time for the Bahamas next month. Not every diet is a good choice for everyone, but this news spot from ABC news gives a great video overview of the phases of the diet and how it works, by Dr. Dukan himself. My mum seemed skeptical, since for the first phase there are NO vegetables (or fruit, carbs, starches....) but I convinced her to do the first phase and see if it works for her. She's already lost more weight than I have, and she's a day behind me. Have you tried it? Do you plan to? Got any fab recipes? Tell me about your experiences!

WATCH IT: videos I peeped this week that you should too

This video is absolutely gorgeous! Gave me goosebumps the first time I watched it. Witnessing it firsthand in nature must be unbelievable.

LOVE LOVE LOVE... cutest thing I've seen in a long time.

HEAR IT: music I downloaded this week
1. Hello by Martin Solveig feat/ Dragonette 2. Goodnight by Sabi 3. Crocodile Tears by Little Hurricane 4. Tonight by Lykke Li 5. The Lonely by Christina Perry 6. Mind Games by League 7. Good Life by OneRepublic 8. Secrets by OneRepublic 9. Without You by David Guetta feat/Usher

DO IT: things to add to your calendar this week
Fireworks in Central Park tonight between 7-8p as part of the NYC Marathon Opening Ceremony.

DOC NYC is going on now through November 10th. The documentary festival is showing a slew of films at the IFC Center and NYU.

Street Fairs will be going on Saturday on West 4th St and Sunday on Bleeker and also Sixth Avenue.

The Brooklyn Flea is still holding their weekend market outdoors (bundle up!)

Astoria Market has their first Holiday fair on Sunday, too!

Citi Pond at Bryant Park has opened for the season-- skating is free if you have your own skates! Skate rentals are $14.

My apartment is a constant work in progress. I don't feel like I ever have enough time or money to decorate top to bottom all at once, as much as I'd love to. Getting a few statement pieces for your home are a great way to maximize your budget and spruce up a space that may be lacking in the design department. They're also a great start to theming a space-- you can buy a statement piece as a focal point for the room, and slowly decorate "around" that piece-- buying art, textiles and furniture that match as your budget allows.

These vintage style mirrors, magnetic chalkboards and memo boards from shabby mcfabby by Kimber Wade are fantastic. I love the scrollwork detail of the frames, and the fabrics she uses for the memo boards are beautiful. She also makes fabulous wedding accessories-- birdcages for cards, frames for seating arrangements. Here are a few of my favorite items in her etsy shop:

This reversible Audrey Hepburn Baroque 2-in-1 chalkboard and memo board is magnetic on both sides and comes with 3 vintage pearl magnets. This would look fantastic in my work space as I'm always jotting notes for supplies, measurements, ideas, and pinning up photos and quotes for inspiration.

Love this Parisian style memo board! The tiny Tour Eiffel pushpins are adorbs. I think I need this.

This large mirror would look great in a bedroom or large entry way. (Plus you can check your pout and peepers on the way out the door.)