I had a delicious afternoon — a pedicure with M. (beyond long overdue), followed by tea and cupcakes at a bakery, the Amai Tea and Bake House, M. had found. M. has a way of finding the perfect places and then sharing them. It is a gift, this ability.

As a working woman in NYC, I eat a lot of cupcakes — on birthdays, at wedding and baby showers, on the good days, on the bad days — someone is always walking by my office with cupcakes from a new bakery. I’ve tried them all: babycakes, sage, crumbs, magnolia, buttercup, sugar sweet sunshine, out of the kitchen. I have to say the Amai chocolate cupcake with peanut butter frosting was the best cupcake I’ve ever had. While cupcakes are a subjective pleasure, I judge mine on three criteria: 1) “cakiness” of the cake, 2) the quality of the frosting, 3) the ratio of said cake to said frosting. If any of these three are out of balance, I won’t rave about it.

This one had perfect frosting — creamy, full of flavor, not too sweet. And, my god, it was peanut butter frosting. Think about that. The cake was chocolaty and moist, — delicious cake in its own right. Finally, the ratio of frosting to cake was perfect. I didn’t run out of either.

The shop, Amai Tea and Bake House, is both cozy and elegant — I loved the pink Cole and Son “woods” wallpaper (pictured below) in the back nook, and the grey/brown of the walls.

The shop is owned by Kelli, of the blog Lovescool fame. I hadn’t ever read her blog until eating her cupcakes, but, I think you’ll enjoy both. For those of you in NYC, head to 16th and 3rd. For those of you elsewhere, her online shop is here.

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I just got an email that this lovely mantel scape is on sale for $179 at Room Service Home. Still a lot of money, yes, but, given that you’re getting 13 pieces, its roughly $13 a piece, which isn’t so bad for this type of decoration. Every year I see these in New York… ABC Home always has amazing (and amazingly expensive) versions on display. I’ve yet to actually buy them (the aforementioned storage issues) but can always dream. At a minimum, they are lovely to look at.

Blue Ice Cathedral ($39)

Mint Holiday House ($49)

Ivory Church ($39)

Given the disorganized state of my jewelry box, I’ve been on the look out for necklace stands for months. Besides a lovely (not for sale) vintage one I haven’t seen anything! Suddenly Urban Outfitters has FOUR. I’m delighted — sometimes the merchandising gods send us what we’re looking for.

I had a lovely package waiting for me yesterday when I headed back to work after taking a week off.  This lovely print from Meg Werner Photography!  I found Meg’s blog the way you find blogs in blogland — by a fortuitous click.  I was so excited to hear she had started selling her photography which is lovely and layered.

I think I bought this photo in particular because it somehow evokes my childhood in Vermont. I like to think the flowers are apple blossoms since every spring there was a day or two when the apple trees blossomed and my mom and I would drive up the back roads and look over the valleys full of orchards in bloom and shake off the last shadowy remnants of winter.  Every time I look over at this print (up at work where I most need inspiration!) I’m reminded of spring even as the days are getting shorter and it reminds me that there are always moments when you get to shake off your shadows and just be.

While I try not to “collect” things (bad feng shui, I hear), I do have a growing pile of snapshots I’ve picked up here and there when my will is weak. Or, if the pile in the flea market is big enough and I have the pleasure of winnowing down to a few really wonderful photos that I simply can’t bear to throw back into the mix.

Needless to say, if I let myself, this would become pure mania (look below, from ebay!). Before I can buy a single additional photo, I need to figure out how to display the photos I already have. Somehow the idea of these photos just sitting in a book or box bothers me — I want to see them, be inspired by old colors, old perspectives. Many little frames — a rotating gallery — pined up plastic sheets.

For your desk… and the new rate stamps… currently 7 bucks…

Someone should snap this up!

T. spotted what turned out to be a “pond boat” or “pond yacht” at 2nd Time Around in Brattleboro, VT — the local antiques/used furniture place in town. It was overpriced and we don’t exactly have room for a yacht of any size in our New York apartment. However, ebay offers many different models at different price points and they are beautiful and a nice touch to any room.

Upper Right: Art for Transit Book, Transit Store, $45

Upper Left: Glasses, Urban Outfitters, 5 for $10

Mid Right: Mosaic Pillow, Urban Outfitters, $12

Mid Left: Towels from Anthropologie, $4 - $24

Bottom: Whale Poster, Transit Store, $25.95

Marcona Almonds, roasted and salted!

Highlights of Sotheby’s Property from the Estate of Samuel P. Reed Auction: April 28, 2007

Upper left: Lot 22, Debra P. Bermingham, Across the Pond. Estimate: 1,200 – 1,600 USD.
Upper right: Lot 26, Georges Michel, Fireworks around Paris. Estimate: 1,000 – 1,500 USD.
Lower left: Lot 61, American School, Blue Bowl with Fruit, Berries and Leafy Vines. Estimate: 7,000 – 9,000 USD.
Lower right: Lot 44, A Louis XVI brass-mounted walnut and ebonized tall commode, l.18th century. Estimate: 3,000 – 5,000 USD.

Samuel Reed, whomever he was, had great taste in art (and well, everything). Overall, his style is a little bit fancy for me, but then again, what to expect from an estate being sold at Sotheby’s — fancy. Looking over the contents of his home, seeing how he must have put different objects together, is a small window into the man. In his art collection in particular, an outline of the man appears. For some reason I think he must have grown up in the country, or spent time there, as there is a fecund quality to the images that reminds me of Vermont and my childhood.

Update 2: C. gave me the most wonderful birthday present of champagne and dark chocolate champagne truffles from Teuscher. Buttery, with a gorgeous hint of champagne bubbles, dusted in peppery cocoa powder.

UPDATE 1: The shipment arrived much to the great humor of everyone. However, this new dark chocolate with orange from Michel Cluizel tops the Valor, and that is saying something indeed.

Dark chocolate has been proved to elevate your mood and around 4pm everyday C. and S. in my office sneak into my office for their daily hit. This dark chocolate with orange is the best I’ve had. As in, I just ordered a case of 17 bars.

I’ve been looking for a new and fabulous make up bag — check out this red and blue grid pouch from Lia Hood’s site good morning, morning!

I love this vintage plaid shirt from Curious Bird.