architecture and oysters!

saturday was rainy and cold in the morning, just like last weekend! i'm not a fan of too many rainy weekends ... it makes getting around the city totally not fun - difficult to walk and impossible to bike, so everyone's just crammed with their wet jackets and umbrellas into subways. bleghh.

we started off this past saturday just as lazily as last. kevin went out to get coffee while i putzed around the apt :D then when i finally made peace with the fact that the rain was not ending anytime soon and we wouldn't be able to get a morning run in, i put on my size XS compression tights (oooh they feel great on sore calf muscles) and endive-colored raincoat and we headed to soho for the dwell on design exhibit at 82 mercer!

although the exhibits were not as compelling as i'd hoped, the talk we attended was very interesting: "preservation nation". three leading nyc architects (sherida paulsen of pksb, morris adjmi, and alex gil of spacecutter) discuss the challenges and their experiences in converting historic landmark buildings to modern structures. many of the buildings presented were ones we've seen in the city so we felt closer to the subject. in the end, it seemed like while the architects would often run into difficulties and obstacles with preserving the historic landmark buildings, they welcomed the challenge to design spaces given certain requirements.

i thought for a few minutes (somewhat seriously) - what would life have been like if i had pursued a degree in architecture?

then after some window shopping in soho and a quick lunch in chinatown, we stopped by the chelsea apartment to check on the remodel. the island countertop has been cut and set, the hood partly installed (yay, it's going to be an external blower - no more internal circulation), and the radiators installed. looking forward to the next two weeks when we will hopefully see the rest of the counters, medicine cabinets, bathroom fixtures, and lights installed, as well as floor finished and sealed. here are a couple photos:

our stove with a hood w/external blower - my nyc dream :)

simple radiators!

after running a few errands at home depot (roller shade materials and colors selected!) and around union square, we headed back to williamsburg for an afternoon of 30 rock. love tina fey! :)

in the evening, we had a last minute gathering of friends for dinner at maison premiere! and the biggest shocker of all ... they all came sans kids! (thus all arriving 15-20 minutes early). we were seated at two petite tables in the garden which is really magical feeling! dimly lit, strung with small lights, and under a tent, the garden would be totally perfect for a bridal or baby shower of some sort. definitely keeping that place in mind for future gf's bridal showers :D 

the oyster menu was very extensive, with over 30 types of oysters available from all up and down the east and west coast! we tried 8 oysters each, choosing mostly ones from new brunswick, nova scotia, washington, and british columbia. though i have always been a bigger fan of west coast oysters like kumamotos, i was surprised that i love love love the east coast ones at MP!!!!! we also ordered the warm olives, sea scallops chilled on ice, mussels, and butternut squash soup. ALL excellent ... for dessert, the cheesecake made with creme fraiche, and topped with marcona almonds and hot chocolate ganache is not to be missed!!!

we will definitely be going back! i think we all felt it was a pretty darn magical and relaxing evening ...

best thing: spotting the most beautiful wooden table at a store in soho, and kevin pointing it out that he loved it as well! :) i love it that we have such similar taste in home furnishings.

worst thing: my girlfriend, elyse, was feeling sick today so she wasn't able to make it out for smorgasburg or dinner with us in williamsburg. she has a lot on her plate right now with a busy job, a 2 yr old child, an entrepreneur husband who has been traveling internationally for work for the last few weeks, and a big move coming up. oh, and she's 8 months pregnant! my thoughts are with her and hope she's feeling better soon.

smile: on the L-train back to williamsburg, while i was totally engrossed in the lately crate and barrel fall catalog, a young woman sitting across from me on the train started talking to me! she was intrigued by what the black thing on my shoe was ... hahaha ... i was a little surprised at first that someone would randomly interrupt me with such a random question, but i guess she really wanted to know. lol. i explained to her the pebble+ step counter and my office challenge.