There’s no denying the Italian obsession that’s recently taken a hold of our country. Just turn on your TV. You’ll find Jersey Shore, Mob Wives, Real Housewives of New Jersey. Love it or hate it (I personally love it), there’s no way to ignore the influx of Italians. This weekend I attended what I consider to be the true original of Italian American celebrations–the Feast of San Gennaro. The annual celebration is dedicated to the Patron Saint of Naples, and the first feast in New York City took place in September 1926. Taking over Mulberry St in the Little Italy…

While working on little Teddy’s nursery, I decided that standard-issue hampers and toy bins were just not going to work for me. In a frenzy to find stylish storage, i came across these gorgeous Serena and Lily Senegalese Storage Baskets. They’re big, bold, and exotic without taking over the room, and the handles are helpful for carrying huge loads of baby laundry over to the washing machine. My basket success (and ensuing infatuation) got me thinking… what else is out there? Here are a few of my favorite woven wonders: O.co, formerly Overstock.com (why did they do that?) actually has…

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!

In “honor” of my 25th birthday—which is coming up in two weeks, mark your calendar—New York City recently opened up Pier 25, a fantastic park and playground in TriBeCa. The family-friendly pier features a mini-golf course, water playground, and my favorite—three sand volleyball courts. The courts have been my Saturday go-to, as several of my friends and I have been gathering to bump, set, and hit, all while getting sweaty and sandy. It’s the “in” summer look, right? The best part: the backdrop to all this summer fun includes the beautiful Hudson River, the Statue of Liberty, and downtown NYC—including…

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…

If, like most city dwellers, you don’t own a car, you should still go for a drive! In celebration of the NY International Auto Show, Fiat has taken over the gallery at 18 Wooster Street and filled it Italian cars, art and espresso to welcome anyone who wants to go for a downtown joy ride in its newest Cabrio. What really lured me to this event was the free espresso but the mention of Scott Schuman photography + Polaroid montages by Maurizio Galimberti did me in, too. Check out some photos from our afternoon Shen-Felder-Kang outing/ photoshoot: All about FIAT…

Greetings from the Events side of VP+C Partners!  With the warm weather finally starting to arrive in NYC, so comes one of the city’s most fun events. No, not the ability to wear short shorts (although that does make this team a little excited), but the Lower Manhattan River to River Festival! For the tenth year now, lower Manhattan has played host to some of the best artists many have never heard, and all for free! (Although some events require tickets). Just a few of this year’s highlights include: June 19– Bang on a Can Marathon 11am – 12am, World…

In anticipation of imminent sunny days, I spent this past weekend admiring two of New York’s most beautiful wonders; The Brooklyn Botanic Garden and The New York Botanical Garden. I admit, it’s a little unusual for one person to visit two gardens in one weekend, but this was due to the fact that my folks were in town and my grandma is completely obsessed with flowers. After seeing the Japanese Pond at BBG and the Orchid Show at NYBG, I can see why Monet, O’Keeffe, (and my grandma) were so inspired by Saison de Fleur. My vote for favorite seasonal…

On one of the sunny days last week, Michelle and I left work with a mighty high mission: to explore our new corner of Soho. Also known as “we had a few dollars burning in our pockets, so we decided to go shopping.” After bouncing around a few clothing stores, complete with a few trials (and errors) with all that’s trendy–I still can’t wear bold patterns–we decided to get our soap on. Hellooooo, Sabon! Known for its luxurious bath and body products, Sabon is one of my favorite shops in NYC.  It offers a unique shopping experience, particularly when you…

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…