Summer's Last Licks

Wait, what? How can summer almost be over?? By way of protest, I am spraying just the right amount of sea, salt and gold onto my hair. That should do it.

- rony

Captian Blankenship Golden Waves Sea Salt Shimmer Spray, $28 (pretty reasonable in exchange for a few extra weeks of summer)

Summertime Routine

Scrubbing with French Girl Sea Polish after exercising in the summer, is one of the best feelings you could possibly treat yourself to. You know when you can't stop sweating, even after a shower? It does the trick! Like brushing your teeth, on your whole body. 

What We Love Today: Silvery Summer

Stack up some summer cool. 

xo, miss anna

Plain Jane Bracelet, Changeling Necklace, Ear Cuff, Mignon Memory Ring, Classic Hammered Ring, Tomboy, Tiny Dancer Studs and Catbird Heart Ring. 

What to Give: 4th of July, beach house edition

We're invited to our friends' house in Asbury Park for this holiday weekend and I am coming equipped with sparklers for everyone and a beach-y candle for our lovely hosts. 

Happy Fourth, Kittens!!

xo

Rony

Summer Playlist!

Summer is my favorite time of year! The days are longer, the nights are warm, and it's totally acceptable to eat ice cream as often as you like. Whether you're lounging at the beach, chilling by a pool,  barbecuing in the sun, or cruising around town, there's nothing like a perfect summer soundtrack.

I did a quick poll of the birdettes for their favorite summer tunes and compiled them (along with some of my personal favorites) into a playlist. We hope you use it wisely...aka while you're drinking pina coladas and flirting with summer babes.

Pools and palm trees,
Stephanie

Happy Early Summer Weekend!!

Before our fair city acquires her very, er... distinctive summer fragrance, she is bathed in the most delightful scent of Linden trees. Right now - very early summer - the smell is everywhere and I find myself deeply inhaling it. This season is sweet, yet oh-so-short, and needs to be appreciated at every turn. 

Have an beautiful weekend everyone!!

xo

Rony

Dreaming of shipwrecks...

...mermaids and purple rowboats. But I will most likely be wearing a sweater or three.

Image found via HonestlyWTF's Pinterest, originally from here. 

What We Love Today: Cold Bevs

The Lavender Ghost, or, What I plan on Doing When I Get Home:

2 oz. vodka
3/4 oz. Royal Rose Lavender Syrup
1/2 oz. freshly squeezed lemon juice

Combine syrup and lemon juice in a pint glass or jam jar. Add 4 or 5 ice cubes and then the vodka. Shake vigorously and serve straight up or on the rocks. Top with seltzer water.

Or if that's too much work, I may just open a cold one with this cutie opener.

Stay cool Kittens.

xo

Rony

Postcard from PEI

I'm going to have a wreath of white roses on my hair and Ruby Gillis is going to lend me her slippers because I haven't any of my own. It's necessary for fairies to have slippers you know. You couldn't imagine a fairy wearing boots, could you? -Anne of Green Gables

Photo from NYPL - Denishawn Dancers (prancersizing?)

Summer Reading and Marble Halls of Moonshine

Last night, I started rereading one of my totems of childhood, the Anne of Green Gables collection. I've missed you, Prince Edward Island (or, PEI as we local armchair travelers - here's looking at you, Dwight and Jeanne - call it).

"I had made up my mind that if you didn't come for me tonight I'd go down the track to that big wild cherry tree at the bend, and climb up into it to stay all night. I wouldn't be a bit afraid, and it would be lovely to sleep in a wild cherry tree all white with bloom in the moonshine, don't you think? You could imagine you were dwelling in marble halls, couldn't you? And I was quite sure you would come for me in the morning, if you didn't tonight." -Anne of Green Gables

-Leigh

photo from Laetitia Crahay's Instagram feed

Tipsy Elixir Sue and Me.

I have a new friend. Her name is Tipsy Elixir Sue. You can have a new friend named Tipsy Elixir Sue, too. Here's how! Mix up some vodka (chilled), ice cubes, thinly sliced cucumber, a dash of sea salt, and a squeeze of lemon. Shake it up in a cocktail shaker, or if your cocktail shaker is currently packed away in boxes in a garage in the leafy-green suburbs, a tupperware works delightfully. Pour, top with ice-cold, extra-fizzy seltzer, and sail away.

-Leigh

Royal Rose Rose Syrup, $11 in store and online
recipe adapted from Royal Rose's Elixir Sue

Summer Song

You are so right, Blondie. Sometimes New York gets so hot and humid, you feel like you are living in a fishbowl. (Also, I really like how you get all frisky with that Darth Vader-like dude.)

Enjoy!
x
Rony

What We Love Today: Summer Hair

No silly - not the frizzy kind. The messy, clumpy, I-spent-the-day-at-the-beach kind. Except better smelling.

- Rony

Captain Blankenship Mermaid Sea Salt Spray, $22

Weekday Musical Pick-Me-Up

Perhaps moody, Scottish songs are not everyone's idea of a pick-me-up, but watching this documentary on Belle & Sebastian has made me re-fall in love with them. If you haven't recently, I recommend turning on If You're Feeling Sinister as soon as possible.

I can't wait to see them in Prospect Park this summer, despite how I feel about daytime/outdoor music. (Blech.)

xo
Rony

Lunch Lady: Alright Already!

I am so over this. 

I don't want snow or hats or coats or boots or cold kitchen floors anymore. I want sun and good music and good friends and fun and long long days on rooftops with ice cold beer.

I also want good food! The kind of food that reminds you that right now someone somewhere is getting tan on a beach with the bluest water you've ever seen. And maybe in a week or two it could be your turn... Don't forget to send me a postcard!

But yes back to the food. Delicious food. Here's where Cafe Mogador comes in- They have THE most amazing Mediterranean food I've ever had in Williamsburg. It's so incredibly perfect. And their backyard is amazing! 

I snagged this picture my friend Linda took so you can see what I'm talking about. I wish my living room looked like this but every time I try to keep a plant the poor thing bites the dust in a week or two. C'est la vie. 

I went one unseasonably sunny afternoon and had the Hummus Platter and Vegetarian Cous Cous. I might get it again for lunch today because I'm reminding myself how insanely delicious it was. They put raisins on top of my food. Raisins. And it was amazing. 

Also the coffee is good and it's just a nice beautiful place to sit and relax and chat with a friend. Or maybe a date. Or brunch! I went for brunch once and it was nice even though I was really in no shape to enjoy anything. Yeah, I want to go back there. Happy Spring, everyone!

<3 Ash

p.s. Here's this amazing song that reminds me of warmer weather ;-)

You're welcome.

Grrrrrr.

I'm a little mad at how much I love this outfit.

- Rony

(From Anthropologie. Duh.)

What We Love Today: Lavender-Lemon Simple Syrup

When I get home today I am going to pull out some Bison Grass Vodka from my freezer, fill a tumbler with ice and mix the cold vodka with some Lavender-Lemon Simple Syrup for a refreshing and herb-y adult bev. 

- Rony

Lavender-Lemon Simple Syrup by Royal Rose, $10.75

Dream Date: Arrow and Emma

Arrow and Emma radiate California to me - flower crowns and tea parties in the streaming sun, birthdays at the Madonna Inn. Their blog is The Sunday Sisters.

-Leigh

Everything old is new again.

Not even my steady diet of strawberry-rhubarb galettes from Saltie will keep my pale self away from the new old McCarren Pool this summer. I will take comfort in the assumption that my fellow dwellers of Williamsburg feast daily on the bevy of pastries our small town tempts with on every corner. If you're looking for me this summer, you'll find me sitting poolside, legs white as the moon, in a large amorphous sheer dress, nibbling on a donut from Peter Pan.

-Leigh

photo from The New York Times

Early signs of the season.

We've been craving anklets for a while now, and we finally cooked some up. We Catbirds think they're very laid back and sexy, and really, ewww, why isn't there a better word than sexy to express sexy. Added bonus: anklets are Garance Doré appproved.

Scherezade anklet, $42 in store and online (oxidized sterling silver with your choice of black spinel, smokey quartz, green agate, iolite or apatite)
photo by Garance Doré