As it’s my birthday, July 13 has always been my favorite day of the year (save for the days that I make it to Pinkberry in time for their Happy Hour specials).  And this year was especially great– as Lisa writes below, we held our annual V+P out-and-about on the 13th! The day was a blast. With the 13th being such an important date for me, I’ve decided that this meaningful number deserved its moment in the spotlight. After all, the number that introduces “the teens” is important in so many ways! So here goes…a look at how #13 impacts…

Recently, V+P secured one of more than 25,000 “Keys to the City,” part of a citywide public art project by local artist Paul Ramirez Jonas. Our key came with a little book detailing dozens of spots normally reserved for authorized personnel only. The keys promise to unlock secret boxes, rooms and gates at each spot, offering a little-known slice of New York. We carefully plotted our course, chose a single day (July 13,) and set out to conquer 5 spots in 3 boroughs in 8 hours. Esther, Nicole, Margaux, Josh and I got a steamy start yesterday morning, meeting in…

V+P recently returned from our annual trek to visit our Canadian neighbors in Toronto, and brought back tales of natural disasters, military invasions and G-20 protesters. Yes, all three happened in the three short days we were there to meet with the Canadian journalists that we work with year-round. Arriving just before the start of the G-20 Summit was quite the thrill. Everyone we spoke with was buzzing with news and rumors about what the highly politicized conference would bring to the city. Security was at an all-time high, with police in full riot gear guarding the fenced-off areas in…

As Lady Gaga was performing in town earlier this week, my Facebook friends politely reminded me what a great concert I missed. The many status updates, photos, and even videos from the concert pulled at my heartstrings. I totally felt like the little brother who’s not cool enough to go to the older brother’s party (a.k.a. those tickets are pricey!). With Lady Gaga on my radar, I found a blog post from CasaSugar that compares her distinctly different style to some of today’s latest home trends, and I think the similarities are hilarious.  See my favorites from their post below…and…

Tuesday was another big evening for V+P- we headed over to Davis & Warshow for the latest installation of Show Snapshots: KBIS, a fabulous event co-hosted by our friends at Interior Design. Despite the heat, the design community came in droves to hear Mark McMenamin and Deborah Wilk weigh in on the top trends from K/BIS 2010. The pair were perfect together- Deborah’s wry comments on the synergy between fashion and home furnishings were spot-on, while Mark shared nearly 50 smart, stylish new kitchen and bath products from the show. The night was particularly special since Guide 85, a designers’…

Last week, I attended Maison France—a pop-up exhibition by 30 French manufacturers of luxury housewares, including furniture, tableware, lighting and textiles. Organized by the French Trade Commission Ubifrance, the 3-day design showcase gave me several reasons to “ooh-la-la” for French design. Although I got slightly misdirected on my way to Maison, the large banner and–instead of red, purple–carpet signaled that I had made it to the right building: Not only was my welcome colored this royal hue, the whole exhibit was wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling pourpre: I visited quite a few displays, but my three French favorites include an abstract, the letter…

As Josh mentioned last week, we both attended our first NYC-area baseball games. And yes, a great debate and rivalry has begun. But, let’s be honest, even if the Yanks have 27 championships (yawn) they don’t need any more fans. Thus, after my first game, I’ve decided to pledge my loyalty to the orange-and-blue. Actually, my loyalty to orange and blue started more than 10 years ago, when I was a freshman at the University of Florida, so it’s really only natural that I continue cheering for teams in the same color palette. Hey — if it ain’t broke —…

On a recent weekend getaway to New York’s Catskills, I fulfilled several of my most secret dreams, dancing the night away like Frances “Baby” Houseman and catching a glimpse of one of the rarest of celebrities… well, read on and you’ll see. A Berkshires girl myself, I was lured to the lovely mountain town of Fleischmanns, New York with the promise of a dinner dance and silent auction,  a stay in a quiet bed and breakfast and huge pancakes. I’d highly recommend the beautiful Breezy Hill Inn, which featured a lovely, soothing palette of Benjamin Moore colors (People tell us…

We just wrapped up day two of NeoCon, and I had planned to dedicate this post to telling you about another amazing day (and it was). But as I headed to the airport I experienced something so moving, I’d like to share it. As I headed to my gate, exhausted from two days and nearly 20 press visits, all I wanted to do was eat my snack wrap. Then I saw a crowd of people huddled by a long stretch of windows. I assumed a dignitary or celebrity was outside, and my nosy nature took over, so I had to…

I love dancing. I also love YouTube, Facebook, and brightly colored hoodies that match brightly colored pants (who doesn’t?). You can imagine my excitement, then, when I saw OK Go’s new video for “End Love.” I really do think these guys are music video geniuses: Side note: Nicole and Lisa don’t know it yet, but I’m voting we break out these dance moves at this year’s Masquerade Ball hosted by the New York Design Center—it’s at the end of October, but this sort of thing obviously needs planning ahead! In addition to OK’s clever dance video, the group has launched…