March Favorites — Glitter for Breakfast

Before we dive in to my March favorites, two "bites" for thought... First, every time I go to write up my monthly favorites, I hear my dad in my head saying, "The older you get, the faster time moves." It's so true and when it comes to 2017, I feel like I'm just in a constant state of fast forward. Second, I was going to apologize for being so late and explain myself but then I thought, no, I don't need to apologize. Life happens, we've all been there. I don't want you to feel neglected, but sometimes other things have to take priority and that's ok. In general I think we are all quick to apologize but often it's for things that don't require an apology. I'm going to try and work on that, join me if you want! Now, on to what you came for, my March favorites.

International Women's Day

March 8th aka International Women's Day, was a day of empowerment and making our voices heard. I didn't partake in the strike per se, what is striking when you work freelance from home? But, I did do what I could to bring attention to the movement and support the organization She Should Run. Tictail was doing an event in collaboration with Refinery29 and Keds, selling custom-painted Keds with all proceeds going to She Should Run, everything in the store was also made by female artists/designers/companies, etc. Awesome shoes that support women- don't have to twist my arm! I was also able to leverage the platform of @whatimholding, to further spread knowledge about the cause. I also took a moment to write a letter to the women in my life who have been role models for me, helping to shape and support me, since I was born.

L: Mural outside Tictail for Women's History Month & R: My shoes! #bebold

Stage: The Lopezes & Sweeney Todd

This past month I got the chance to see two very different, but fabulous shows. The first was Kristen and Bobby Lopez performing as part of Jazz at Lincoln Center's American Songbook series. If their names don't ring a bell, perhaps their works will: The Book of Mormon, Avenue Q, In Transit, Frozen... I'll stop there. Suffice it to say, this music/lyricist duo is the ultimate power couple, yes I went there, sorry Bey and Jay, I think they have you beat. Not only were we treated to classics from the Lopez repertoire, but they performed songs from a current project (which might never go anywhere, making us the only ones to have heard it), as well as songs from the forthcoming Frozen musical. But the magic didn't stop there. The Lopezes are known for their behind the scenes work. What does that mean? Only that we were treated to an all-star surprise guest list of rockstars who performed multiple times throughout the evening. Josh Gad, Andrew Rannells, Jonathan Groff, Betsy Wolfe, stars from Avenue Q and In Transit, Trey Parker (yes, that Trey Parker and yes, he sang part of "Let it Go" as Cartman and it was everything), along with the Lopezes children, the older of whom was the voice of youngest Anna in Frozen. In sum, I will never forget this night and if they ever perform again, I will be there and you should too!

I won't mince words (see what I did there?), Sweeney Todd is dark and disturbing. This performance toes the line of immersive/interactive theater, as they have completely rebuilt the interior of the Barrow Street Theater to be a pie shop. The tables where you sit (and can dine on pie pre-show) if you have "orchestra" seats, double as extensions of the stage. Overall, the cast is very strong and I really enjoyed the staging and lighting- lots of candles which perfectly complemented the grim plot. If you go, make sure you are either seated downstairs or in the first row of the Mezz. The second row of the Mezz. is partial view and you will likely miss some things.

Dad’s birthday OR The Perfect NYC Sunday

Although frigid, my dad's birthday was one of those perfect NYC Sunday where you end the day feeling like you've really taken advantage of the city and done something to really recharge for the week ahead. So, what did we do? I met my dad for a late brunch/lunch at Michelin-starred Nix. Don't be turned off by the fact that it is a vegetarian restaurant with a vegan menu available, the food is delicious and there's a reason why it has a star. After enjoying our respective egg dishes, we headed uptown to meet my mom and then went to the Orchid Show at the New York Botanical Gardens. The show was stunning, and not too crowded, and the warm greenhouses were a welcome respite from the arctic temperatures outside. Getting into bed that evening, I felt like I had really had a weekend.

We won't talk about all the photos I took of the orchids. Doesn't dad's bfast look yum? Mine was less photogenic.

Golden Latte

As a non-coffee drinker, my options at cafes/coffee shops is pretty much limited to the tea menu. Recently, there has been an uptick in non-coffee lattes (namely my love matcha), so when Bluestone Lane introduced their golden latte, I was itching to try it. The latte is a turmeric and spice blend with almond milk, and some sort of sweetener which I was told came from coconut but honestly I have no idea and the guy didn't seem too sure either. How healthy this latte is and if there's enough turmeric in it to really do something is also anyone's guess, but I love it. It feels, "cozy," though you do need to stir it and watch out for chunks of turmeric when you get to the bottom; trust me when I say that swallowing one of those is less than pleasant. The drink is spicy, but in a warm, chai kind of spicy way. At some point I want to see if I can recreate it at home because it would be lovely to enjoy one anytime (and for free-ish).

Work: Ben’s Cookies, April Fools

I love what I do but in the last few days of March, I got to work on some particularly fun projects. One involved taking pictures of cookies. Yes, you read that correctly. London cookie chain, Ben's Cookies is now in NYC and I was able to visit and do a social project with them. Until you get the right shot, shooting food is stressful, but then cookies (or whatever food)! Now the million dollar question... how are they? I only got to try the milk chocolate but it was good. Chewy, thick but not raw, and just the right size so that you can eat one without giving yourself sugar shock. Ben's uses chunks rather than chips so you get massive amounts of chocolate and the dough to filling ratio is spot on, I'm pretty sure every bite had some of each.

I also got the chance to work on a really fun April Fools' Day campaign in conjunction with the Philadelphia Museum of Art. As you know from this post, I love fun but harmless pranks, and as an art lover, this was right up my alley.

What were your March favorites?