Brooklyn Charm / Gifts for any Occasion
To say I am obsessed with Brooklyn Charm would be an understatement. Since I discovered them a few years ago, I have purchased many gifts for both my loved ones and for myself (obvs).
The amount of charms they have and combinations is absolutely endless. Not only can you stop in and get a custom piece, you can take home supplies and craft up something on your own or shop online at their Etsy Shop!
If you're in the NY area, you can find them on Williamsburg and spend an entire day choosing charms and having them custom engraved. They pop up at many markets, especially during the holiday season, including the Union Square Market and Columbus Circle Shops.
Want to make a necklace for your bestie who just moved out of town, you've got it. A bracelet for a friend that happens to love cats, guns AND The New Kids on the Block - you're in luck!
Although they are fun for gifts of all kinds, my favorite project I worked on with them was this pin for my mom.
As I mentioned, my Mom got married in October of this year. What do you get for your mom, who is a bride, who has been with my step dad for over 13 years, and has EVERYTHING you could possibly think of? Its a tough one, I know!
So I got to thinking, something custom was what was needed. Then I remembered the Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed and Something Blue tradition for weddings. Perfect.
So here is what I came up with, with some clever thinking and help from the great staff at Brooklyn Charm.
Something Old - Vintage Pin, New York (They moved a while back)
Something New - Georgia, the green crystal and their wedding date
Something Borrowed - The diamond heart is a charm from a piece I inherited from my Aunt and she HAS to give it back eventually
Something Blue - The blue charm
She was so happy when I gave this to her. She wore it pinned to her shoulder the entire wedding. I can't believe I came up with something this perfect, but you can too! Stop by Brooklyn Charm and get someone you love (or you, I won't tell anyone) something special for the holidays.
EAT! NYC / Dominique Ansel DKA
You've probably heard of Dominique Ansel by now- named the "Willy Wonka of NYC" by The New York Post. His Cronut - a croissant doughnut hybrid - has been seen on countless televisions programs, TIME Magazine named it one of the 25 Best Inventions of 2013, and has been known to fetch 20x its selling price on the black market.
Dominique Ansel is so much more than the Cronut creator though! His bakery is the highest rated Zagat bakery in 2013. He was named one of Business Insider’s “Most Innovative people Under 40”. Daily Mail UK called him the “most feted pastry chef in the world”. Nominated a finalist for the “Outstanding Pastry Chef” award by the James Beard Foundation. Named one of the “Top 10 Pastry Chefs in the United States” by Dessert Professional magazine. Chosen by Time Out New York as one of the city’s “Top Ten Pastry Chefs You Need to Know”.
You could say he is kind of a big deal.
Some of our interns just could not live any longer without a Cronut and volunteered to wait in the line. Fine, sure, if they want to we were going to let them, but when I mentioned that they were heading to Dominque Ansel to a friend he said forget the Cronut, get the DKA (Dominique’s Kouign Amann), so I asked them to snag me some.
He was right.
The outside is caramelized to perfection. The interior was flaky with layers of butter and dough.
Yes, of course the Cronut was delicious, but why wait in the line for hours before they open, get on a wait list or pay someone to wait in line for you when you could just stroll on in and get yourself a DKA, which in my opinion is superior?
Watch Anthony Bourdain give them both a taste here and see what he has to say.
See the process of making this mind blowing, buttery creation here (Yes, thats a slab of butter he is wrapping the dough around!).
So the verdict at 128johnst is, DKA all day everyday. Have you ever had a DKA, what do you think?
Dear New Yorkers, a little perspective please /
Reuters/Adrees Latif via TheAtlantic.com
Dear New Yorkers,
I understand you are annoyed. I get that things are difficult. I am with you that its inconvenient, but a little perspective please.
Early last week, mother nature ripped through NY and NJ in a fit of rage leaving a trail of destruction. The subways were switched off, the city went dark, and the coast line demolished. People lost their homes. Their dignity. Their lives. Things will never be the same for many, but many of us will go back to our lives. We will rise to the sound of the alarm clock, suds up in a hot shower, commute to our jobs, work, arrive back home, have a delicious dinner (maybe a glass of wine) and cuddle up under the blankets for a warm dreamy slumber, but many are not as fortunate.
Gas lines are miles long, subways are beyond crowded, maybe your train is not running, maybe it takes forever to get to work, but you get there. The subways are not a given right, they are a privilege. Gas is not a need, its a luxury.
I was one of the lucky ones. My apartment in Brooklyn unscathed. My electricity stayed on. The spider that lives outside unharmed (we named him Herman and tried to shoot him with water guns- he is resilient!). It will get below 30˚F overnight and I don't have to worry about freezing, but many do. Today I am thankful for the comfy chair I sit in a I write this. The warm water in my pipes. My friends and family being safe. My heart goes out to those not as fortunate.
Long Beach, Long Island was hit hard. The beautiful beach I have spent a many summer afternoons working on 'mah tan rose into the streets like an angry ex-girlfriend. My brother, the best guy around, lost his house. His belongings, but not his life. After he watched the water rise and take everything he has worked for, his couch floating around the living room & after he put out fires sparking from the outlets while standing in knee deep water & after he slept in his cold attic with wife and dog & after he threw away everything Sandy decided she wanted, he told me he was just glad he had friends and family and somewhere to go...
Reuters/Steve Nesius via TheAtlantic.com
and you... yes you are complaining the L isn't running or that your subway isn't back on schedule. Flabbergasted that theres no gas for your car. Floored that the electricity isn't on yet. You're not alone, millions were without electricity, thousand are in the same boat as you now, but for some, that boat is in their house. Everyone is doing the best they can. The president declared this a "major disaster" and another storm is coming through to kick us while we're down. Things cannot be fixed overnight. Have a little patience.
I just ask that you put it in perspective. Normalcy will be restored soon enough for many, and never for others. Just look here & here & here.
Perspective.
Gala Darling taught me to smile while writing, but as I write this, my eyes fill with tears. I felt, and still feel helpless. I am fine. My things are fine. The bars were open, people inside laughing, having a great time. The neighborhood was bustling. Kids were trick-or-treating. I could do whatever I wanted, except what I really wanted to do, help. No trains. No cars. I was trapped.
But every little bit helps.
I went through my closet and pulled some winter clothes I knew could keep someone else warm. I took the money I would have just pissed away on clothes or shoes or drinks (or or or anything) and I bought a cart of items that were needed by those tossed out onto the street by the Frankenstorm. I found a donation site. I walked, yes, in the cold, because you know what?... there are thousands out there that will be cold for days, weeks, months... and they need our help. Toothbrushes. Dry socks. Food. Things that we take for granted.
There are soooo many people that need our help, and instead, we are complaining that we have to walk a few blocks further for a train & wait a few nights longer for the lights & drive a little bit less to save gas.
So, My Dear New Yorkers, a little perspective please. Let us not fight over getting fuel, argue over making a train, loot from the abandoned homes, we are New Yorkers, we will get through this, but only by being there for one another. We have seen the good, the bad and the ugly in the aftermath of the storm, I just ask that you try to be the good.
helpink.com / by Jon Contino
So what can you do? Not wait on a line for a new ipad for starters. Beyonce (yes, I said Beyonce) put together a short list including simply sending a text to donate (type "REDCROSS" TO 90999). NY1 has a more extensive list. Donate through itunes. Visit rockawayhelp.com or Long Beach, NY Hurricane Information on Facebook. How about you just go out to eat at the right place?
You don't have to live in NY/NJ to lend a hand. If the misplaced marathoners can run supplies through Staten Island, you can pitch in too.
Here are some other ideas that would only take a few clicks of a mouse (and you could get yourself some swag too):
• Pick up some Sandy Relief Prints here, 90% of the profits will go to All Hand Volunteers.
• Grab a special edition print of Blue Marble at 20x200, all proceeds will benefit the American Red Cross’s efforts to help those affected by Hurricane Sandy.
• Shop at Amazon and have it sent right to the Occupy Sandy donation center.
• Wear your NY Pride with this t-shirt Sebastian Errazuriz, 100% of proceeds go to Sandy Relief Programs.
I still love you NY. Even though the cabbies bitch about taking me over the bridge, the homeless guy out my window plays that damn penny-whistle for hours (and not well I may add) and you never call me on my birthday, you're just the best... and New Yorkers you're pretty awesome too.
xo / JS