Today’s Guest Blogger is the one and only Nicole Haddad, Design Editor of New York Spaces magazine. Here’s what Nicole’s up to when she’s not scouting sensational finds fit to print: New York is an epic playground for theater buffs, thrill seekers and those of us who love the titillation an elusive, somewhat underground production can provide. Although most shows are well publicized (a bit of an understatement), the mystery behind British theater company Punchdrunk’s “Sleep No More,” lies in their lack of need to advertise. The immersive production takes place in a labyrinthine Chelsea location dubbed  “The McKittrick Hotel.”…

Today I am going to talk about the wonderful world of Youtube and independent music. I’ve recently become obsessed with a Canadian band called Walk Off The Earth. Without any help of a record label or booking agent, this band has managed to climb to the top. They have 410,737 Facebook fans and 26,177 people talking about them via social media. They are currently touring the country, including making stops at the Mercury Lounge in NYC. The band sings mostly covers, which normally I am not a fan of, but I love that they put their own spin on popular…

 Lisa’s Purple Problem Solver… Crocus Petal Purple #2071-40 This month’s color, chosen in honor of my favorite flower – the intrepid crocus– is a powerful one. The hue is cool and royal, fun and feminine, and a bold natural accent indoors and out. Speaking of accents, I’ve recently had to do a bit of redecorating, since someone in my household has a thing for careening into the coffee table, making side tables go crash, and causing general mayhem when it comes to my accent furniture. So we’ve gone soft in the Jasper household, swapping the aforementioned hazards in favor of…

A new blog feature, in pictures. Our resident man-about town, Steven Shewbrooks, shares his latest finds and faves: From the West Village to Park Slope, from hand-made prosciutto tortellini… …to a devilish meal of organic onion rings, organic fries, organic ostrich burger coupled with a glass of organic Malbec… I never tire of living and eating in NYC. From these neighborhoods, let’s travel to SoHo, where an insane Peanut Butter Jelly cookie… …is the perfect compliment to the spicy tuna sushi and quinoa salad I had for lunch.   And to top it off…a trip to Whole Foods to pick…

It’s funny how when I move, I don’t even attempt to make it a smooth transition. I would pinpoint my theory as something along the lines of “If I’m going to change my surroundings I might as well do a 180.” Which is how I find myself living in New York and working in SoHo, where the trendiness is almost overwhelming. Especially since, where I come from, suspenders and wide brimmed straw hats are considered the height of fashion. The jump from my parents farm in Lancaster County, PA (aka Amish Country) to New York is a shining example of…

This March marks the 100-year anniversary of Japan’s gift of 3,000 Cherry Blossom trees to the United States. In 1912, Tokyo’s Mayor Ozaki donated the trees in an effort to enhance the growing friendship between the United States and Japan, and also to celebrate the continued close relationship between the two nations. With New York experiencing near record weather highs this week, this is a beautiful reminder of not only warmer weather,and also helps to give people a sense of renewal after the (semi) cold winter. In Buddhist culture, the Cherry Blossom is a symbol of the transient nature of…

This week, I had the pleasure of sampling yet another “new” line of cupcakes to appear on the New York City landscape. Georgetown Cupcake is probably best known from DC CUPCAKES on TLC, which showcase these wonderful sweet treats by sisters Katherine and Sophie.             Opening the box revealed goodies so good looking that I paused to think, “Oh my, should I even eat such beautiful desserts? And if so, which one do I devour first?!” I smartly cut them into halves so I could enjoy multiple cupcakes without feeling as if I was eating…

Recently, I realized that although it was a mere half mile away and free to Long Island City residents and MoMA members (we’re both- so fancy), I had never been inside PS1. So, I checked out the hours, packed up the family and marched over to see what we had been missing. As it turns out, we’ve been missing a lot. We got there shortly before opening (the walk was embarrassingly quick- this happens a lot in my neighborhood as Queens is much smaller and closer than it seems) and joined an eager crowd of young families, hipster types and…

Continuing the fun of all that’s “red and green,” I’m happy to introduce the first Caniato Christmas Tree! The festive evergreen has added some holiday cheer to the living room, thus getting the Caniato Clan excited for gingerbread cookies, hanging the stockings and trying out some new recipes (I heard Martha Stewart has a new book–Ooh la la!) How does it feel to have my decorations up in time this year? One word: Hallelujah! Helping me sing my praises are two choirs:     Quick note–I particularly love this second video, produced by the small Yupiz Eskimo village of Quinhagak,…

You guys, I am so excited. Normally, the New Museum leaves me kind of cold, but Architizer is reporting that for German artist Carsten Höller’s retrospective show, opening this month, he will be installing a 40-foot-high, 102-foot-long clear plastic slide in the building. Here’s the scoop: “The slide, a signature site-specific installation that has appeared in other cities including Berlin, Milan and London, is to function as “an alternative transportation system within the museum,” running through ceilings and floors and shuttling viewers through the exhibition “as a giant 102-foot-long pneumatic mailing system.” I’m so riding the slide on my lunch…