Thanks to the realization that we’ve entered into August (how did that happen?!), we at VP+C are desperately trying to savor our last moments of summer. As we scramble to take in all the beachy brilliance that comes with this season, we’ve found a common theme amongst many of our summer favorites – blue! It’s the nautical hue of the seas that we’re completely obsessed this month!

There are some things about summer that I wait all year to enjoy, like corn on the cob, tubing on the lake and ice cream–rich, farm fresh, old-fashioned ice cream. So when my roommates asked me to join them for frozen yogurt last weekend, I was skeptical. Frozen yogurt is not, and will never be, ice cream. It is healthier for you, which obviously means it doesn’t taste good. But, I begrudgingly accompanied my friends to 16 Handles on 76th and Amsterdam. And that was the moment that my life changed forever.

Happy National Pink Day!!

No, I’m not making this up. Evidently every year on this date, pink is praised for its romantic and soothing shade, and for its tie to breast cancer research (pink ribbon is its symbol). So to celebrate, my colleagues Josh, Kelsey, Margaux, Michelle and I have rounded up our new favorite pink finds for your pleasure. Some are pretty, one is yummy, and the other is gobsmackingly gummy. Enjoy!

For about 8 months, I’ve been completely repulsed by one of my usual favorite foods, chicken. But last week, completely sick of Kashi Heart-to-Heart and grilled cheese,I asked my husband to take me to Brooklyn’s Pies n’ Thighs for a sandwich that I’ve been hearing about from friends for a while now. The fascination started when my friend Mara described this thing as the world’s most perfect sandwich. Another friend could only moan. And then, at an Easter brunch at a friends house, I tasted a slice of Pies n’ Thighs’ banana cream pie, and  i thought to myself, “this…

I am calling out my colleagues, here at 13 Crosby Street, on the raw truth that there is a collective office obsession with our new neighbor – Sam Talbot. He’s the Executive Chef at Imperial #9 in the new Mondrian Hotel next door. Today was another in which an otherwise dreary rainy day was lightened up with a Sam Sighting.  In fact everyone at our table was equally excited as he breezed through the dining room. You too can sneak a peak or get his recipe of the month – http://www.samtalbot.com/recipe-of-the-month.php And if you make your way to Imperial #9…

I’m a big little kid. I push peas to the side when they pop up on a plate. I don’t color within the lines (what’s the fun in that?). And the sight of balloons makes me bounce up and down like a pogo stick. But, I am mature enough to appreciate awesome architecture when I see it, like these dope digs designed for tots.

Like sticks of licorice or Laffy Taffy, this staircase is sweet!

I don’t know if I have mentioned it here before, but I have thing for chocolate. So, when i passed a little shop called The Best Chocolate Cake In The World on the way to dinner recently, i fell for it hook, line and sinker. I sat through my yummy meal at Balaboosta (highly recommended) thinking about how i was going to convince my fellow diners to skip dessert and head back over. Luckily, they acquiesced, and we were soon on our way to find out if the claims were true. Along the way, two members of our party dropped…

One of my all-time favorite pastimes, watching the Food Network channel, has fully cooked a new all-time favorite activity: grocery shopping.  This isn’t to say that I’m actually good at making the food I buy–we aren’t there just yet–but I’m definitely a pro at wandering the aisles, comparing nutrition facts, finding the best deal on Parmesan cheese, and buying way more than I intended. So, how is a young, hip, twenty-something with a ton of street cred supposed to carry his groceries galore?  I think the answer may just be Urbanista’s DraMaten: Inspired by “clever old ladies,” Urbanista’s modern take…

Recently, the V+P crew was privy to Showtime’s Showhouse opening night event at the Cassa Hotel and Residences. The event brought together outstanding designers who transformed three penthouse apartments at Cassa into rooms themed from the cable network’s hit TV shows: Dexter, Californication, The Big “C”, Nurse Jackie, The Borgias, The United States of Tara and Weeds. V+P was excited to attend after spending weeks working the designers, some of whom incorporated Karastan, a luxury manufacturer of carpeting and rugs (and our client), into their design. Karastan was one of the event’s many sponsors. Take a look at some of…