spring, and in the mood for dreamy...

i've always had a weakness for lace and pastels. perhaps it's a reaction to having been forced to wear boyish clothes as a child. i remember looking longingly at the more girly outfits in the store while my mother steered me over to the children's jumpsuits and overalls corner. she once sewed my sister a gorgeous, pink grosgrain and lace dress for a piano recital, and i was so full of envy and longing that i felt a bit dizzy.

which is like the feeling i got when i saw this vintage lace dress in dulcinee on stanton st. in the lower east side.

of course, "compensating for childhood trauma" is just one excuse for my latest frivolous purchase. i admit i was also influenced by the suddenly warmer weather, and the cherry blossoms i saw earlier in the day at the brooklyn botanical garden. it looks like i caught the very tail end of the peak, so i'm glad i went this weekend. it was pure, pink loveliness, and made me a bit homesick. no one loves cherry blossoms like the japanese, who've made a culture out of appreciating the fragile and ephemeral.

catching up with friends

... over a drink is nice, but i quite enjoy the simple combination of friends+good food.

such as an early, friday morning breakfast at balthazar with a friend who's just finished her night shift (and deserves much better than a muffin and coffee). i ordered eggs normandy--poached eggs with smoked salmon on toast, covered with hollandaise. much better than it looks, believe me.

and a late saturday afternoon bite at cha-an with karen, who's planning to join me on my india trip. i love cha-an's desserts but their lunches are nice too... perfect when you're a tiny bit hungry and want something that isn't too heavy.

after cha-an, we went to see won kar-wai's latest, my blueberry nights. for those who've seen the movie, all i have to say is this:
i crossed the street a long time ago, but where is jude law?

caffe falai

hazelnut millefoglio and tarte au citron at caffe falai on lafayette street, soho.

falai on weekends can be a bit highly strung, too busy and frenetic for my taste.

but it was a perfect oasis on a monday afternoon, a treat after a few hours of window shopping in nolita with my friend hiroka. the shiny white tiles and chandeliers channel modern italian aesthetics and the feel of tokyo circa 1995. most importantly, the cakes taste as good as they look.

a friday night

a morgan pinot noir -santa lucia highlands twelve clones 2005.

fragrant and ripe, but not too jammy.
a pleasant but substantial wine, not to be taken lightly --basically, the kind of lady i'd like to be some day.
*** stars

(around $30 from the 9th avenue vintner in hell's kitchen.)

julian barnes, and feeling like a rolling stone

i've been re-reading julian barnes lately. 'arthur & george' and 'staring at the sun' have long been favorites but i've really enjoyed a second reading of 'talking it over' and 'love, etc.' they're both wry and humorous, but also somewhat painful, observations of relationships and adulthood. the first time i read the series, i disliked all three main characters. but now i find them likeable. even loveable. it's the insecurities and needs that make us human, right? and that realization on my part, i guess, comes from... age.

here's something else i was touched by recently that made me wonder if i was going through a mid-life crisis of sorts.

(cornelius+koichiro tsujikawa)

oh, and did i tell you i'm going to india?