Jennifer Jeng
Wednesday, January 12, 2011 at 9:09PM 
On my way to work this morning, I dropped my $104 MetroCard in a dirty puddle. Scrambling after it, I then dropped a mitten into the same puddle. As I crouched to retrieve both items, a cab sped by and sprayed me in the face with salty street slush. New York can kind of suck sometimes.
Monday, January 10, 2011 at 8:10PM 
This past Saturday, we celebrated our dear friend Judy's 30th birthday at Beauty & Essex in the Lower East Side. This massive, jaw-dropping restaurant & lounge is hidden inside what used to be the M. Katz & Sons furniture store, with its entrance disguised as an unpretentious, functioning pawn shop storefront. Wander toward the back, slip through the rear exit, and...
BAM. Suddenly you're transported into a spectacular lobby that resembles a massive boudoir. This immensely elegant, eclectic space is a complete knockout. Adorned with antique jewelry, art, crystals, peacock feathers, and flowers, each room is literally dripping with decadence. Repeat after me: Pearl chandelier and pony hair walls.
Beauty & Essex is the newborn brain child of The Stanton Social's Chris Santos and renowned design firm AvroKO. It houses four distinctive dining sections and exudes the luxurious aura of a boutique hotel. Our private dinner party was held inside The Vault, which contains multiple security cameras and an insane necklace that would probably snap my neck in half. Judy's custom menu featured courses of delicious tidbits such as tuna sashimi, lobster tacos, truffle meatballs, and baby back ribs. The meal was topped off with mini macarons and whoopie pies. Simply splendid.
Complimentary champagne is served in the ladies' room. As if we needed another excuse to randomly disappear to the restroom together! I usually cringe at the notion of food/drinks in restrooms, but sipping bubbly in that powder room, surrounded by vintage perfume bottles and plush chaises, was an irresistible exception.
Beauty & Essex was the perfect venue for the celebration of our charming, sophisticated, jet-setting friend. Boys - If you're ever looking to impress a classy lady with a lovely date, this place would be a sure bet.
Happy Birthday, Judy!
{Image credits: Katie Sokoler via Gothamist, Michael Weber via AvroKO, Thyra Heder via Vogue}
Thursday, January 6, 2011 at 8:58AM 
There's something remarkably enchanting about wandering the corridors of a beautiful museum and getting lost among galleries of rare curiosities. Some of my fondest childhood memories involve family trips to the Smithsonian museums in Washington, DC. My favorites were the Natural History Museum, the Air and Space Museum, and the National Zoo. These exhibits sparked an insatiable curiosity about the universe and fostered a deep appreciation for the natural sciences.
I spotted this gorgeous book while Christmas shopping at Barnes & Noble, and immediately became obsessed. I wanted to dash to the nearest register and make it mine. But I resisted, promising myself I'd purchase it after the holidays. Delightfully, my wonderfully generous cousin-in-law sent me this very book just a few days later!
After reading this gigantic book cover to cover, I felt as if I had visited an entire museum from the comfort of our couch (wearing a robe). Natural History is a visual jewel box filled with over 5,000 species and specimens. It's packed, page after page, with incredible photographs, detailed illustrations, and intriguing facts. This compendium is not limited to plants and animals. Rocks, minerals, fossils, bacteria, protists, and fungi also make stunning appearances. Although the book highlights certain species more extensively than others, it does a fantastic job at showcasing astounding diversities in nature.
I also received DK's enormous History and Science guides, and can't wait to sit down and devour them both. These impressive books are sure to be regulars on our coffee table. By the way, if anybody is looking for a museum buddy, you know where to find me!
