Travel Tuesday: A Whirlwind Trip to NYC

Happy #TravelTuesday everyone! We just returned from a whirlwind trip to see our BFF and have a few meetings in NYC. It was a quickie but a fun one, where we got to see some of our favorite spots and explore a few new ones. We took our first walk through Central Park, enjoyed a NYC bagel, got some shopping done in SoHo, and, of course, dined out. We also had a great meeting with the gals at J Public Relations in their super chic pink office with a a great view of the water. How we wish we had that view every day! Anyway, here are a few quick highlights from our trip:

Dinner at Blue Ribbon Sushi - some of the best we've had! 

Stays at 6 Columbus, a Thompson Hotel (we got a great rate on Jetsetter.com)

& the new Standard Cooper Square

Drinks at Gemma, in the Bowery Hotel

Great re-stocking of our favorites from Sabon & 

New home goods from Canvas Home

A white blazer we've been coveting from the Zara on 5th Ave

Say Yum: Eataly To Open DC Location As Early As 2012; Brian Voltaggio To Open Similar Market Concept

Flickr via MissMeng

According to an article that ran yesterday in The Huffington Post, famed NYC eatery Eataly is planning to open LA and DC locations as early as 2012.

That's great news for DC foodies who have been enamored of the 40,000+ square foot market and restaurant in midtown Manhattan. According to the article, the new DC iteration will include both the market and restaurant concept, although a location has not yet been named.

The article also mentions that Brian Voltaggio (of Volt & Top Chef fame) will open a 10,000 square foot market with a similar concept, but more local in flavor, with American foods sourced within 200 miles of his Frederick base.

We can't wait!

Jetset: Travel Healthy with Kimpton

Palomar DC, one of the properties offering the program.

Earlier this month, Deacon made a quick jaunt to the Big Apple for meetings, meetings, and more meetings. While we were certainly excited for upcoming business ventures, one of the things we hate most about spending so much time on the road is the havoc it can wreak on our waistlines and workout routines. Being on-the-go often means skipping our daily gym sessions and eating out (and much later) than we normally would.

While there's absolutely nothing wrong with splurging every now and again, our jetsetting lifestyle means we're on the go a lot - which is why we were particularly intrigued when we found out about one of our favorite brand's new healthy travel initiatives. Kimpton's  new "Travel Healthy" program is offered in conjunction with Joy Bauer, Today Show regular and Kimpton's wellness correspondent.

When you book a room at participating hotels (the program is slowly being rolled out across the chain), you'll get access to dedicated videos on demand, in-room fitness equipment like a hula hoop, jump rope, yoga mat and resistance bands, plus in-room dining options with low-calorie healthy options for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

What really made us happy? The “Travel Healthy” in-room meals are offered all day (meaning you don't have to limit yourself to just dinner) and offer a wide array of flavors and options, all under 500 calories. Our favorites? The hearty oatmeal and rich turkey burger.

Healthy Option: Yogurt Parfait

Bauer also stars in Kimpton's four new “Travel Healthy” short in-room videos titled Healthy Breakfast, High Energy Snacks, Tips for the “Morning After” and In-Room Workout. In the videos, travelers are encouraged to pick nutrition-packed foods to start the day or to refuel later; hear advice on shaking off a late-night of overindulgence; and get a boost of energy from a quick workout without having to leave the guest room. While we admit that we'd normally bypass the "how to" videos, they were interesting - particularly the morning after one....

But our favorite part? Having our workout at the touch of a button. In addition to the brand's already-standard 24-hour yoga channel, complimentary yoga mats, pilates classes and meditation classes on-demand, several hotels in the brand also offer full-service spas and outdoor or group exercise classes.

70 Park Avenue Hotel

We opted to stay at New York's 70 Park Avenue during our most recent trip. Eventi, the brand's newest NYC property, also offers the program, as does DC and Arlington's Hotel Palomar. 70 Park, while one of the brand's older properties, offered the same high-quality Kimpton service and exceptionally friendly hotel staff. The rooms were spacious (incredibly so, by New York standards) and the fitness equipment was already waiting for us upon arrival, as well as a copy of Bauer's "Slim and Scrumptious" healthy cookbook. While we probably would have preferred a healthy living magazine, we have to admit the recipes looked good.

It had been quite the stressful day, so after a long soak in the tub, we busted out the yoga mat and opted for a short stretching sequence to wind down before heading to bed. Would we have taken the time to otherwise go for a run? Never. But given the convenience - it was all right there - and the ease of use, it was hard NOT to want to work out.

And let's just face it - when the choice to be healthy is an easy one... we're all about it. Overall, we'd highly recommend a stay at Kimpton to anyone looking to hit the road - whether fitness is a primary goal or not, it's always better to live a healthy lifestyle when you can. Particularly if that healthy lifestyle comes in a chic boutique hotel package.

Our visit was sponsored by Kimpton Hotels. The author's opinions, however, are 100% her own.

Luxe Life: The Martha Stewart Show From a Guest's Perspective

Last week, Deacon had the pleasure of scoring tickets to a holiday taping of The Martha Stewart Show thanks to our good friend Kristina. We jetted up to NYC (see where we stayed, here) for a whirlwind trip, and our first live taping of a television show.

We'll begin by saying that Ms. Martha Stewart just might be our idol. She's THE homemaking goddess and we've been longtime fans of the show and the magazine(s) so this was really quite exciting. We thought we'd share a bit about the process:

How we nabbed tickets: You simply apply online and are notified up to three weeks in advance if you've scored tickets. Kristina was able to get a +1. You're asked to arrive no later than 1.5 hours before taping begins to line up outside and enter a small holding area, where you can surrender your jackets, sign release forms, and learn what segments are going to happen during that day's taping. Before arrival, there's an extensive list of "what Martha prefers," which, apparently, included bright (non patterned) colors, smiling faces, and an audience full of mostly women.

What the studio is like: If you've seen the show, it looks just like the sets you see on TV, each spread across a big warehouse-like stage with a back kitchen and rows of wooden chairs set up in raised format for the audience. It's COLD in there, so if you get a ticket, be sure to bring a sweater! Unless you have special VIP passes, you'll likely sit towards the back, but your actual time of arrival won't matter. The production crew appears to select where you'll sit (along the aisle, in the middle, ect.)

What happens during a taping? The show we watched was live taped, which means we got to watch Martha do her thang right as viewers we catching it on TV. Joey, the "warm up man," prepped the audience with hand signals that suggested when we should clap (loudly, softly, or "mediumly") and when we should make yumm, aww, laughing, or ohhh noises. Top 40 hits by artists like Martha fave Jay-Z played during commercial breaks, and various cameras and crew swarmed around four separate "stage" setups that looked like a kitchen, bar, craft room and greenhouse. In an hour, the show was over - the same amount of time it would have taken to watch it on TV. Martha stuck around for a few moments to answer questions from the audience and tape several promos for upcoming shows. True to what one has heard about Martha, she isn't the most patient woman around. At one point, she got fed up with what was on the prompter and stalked off the stage, not to return. In her defense, what she was being asked to read just wasn't that funny - we're pretty sure we wouldn't have wanted to read it either.

What happens after: Not much, actually. Martha doesn't stick around for photos or autographs, so you just file out and hail a cab. 

In Case You Missed It: Setai New York

Last week, Deacon jetted up to NYC for a whirlwind visit to the Big Apple, where we toured and visited the brand-new Setai Fifth Avenue, a Capella Managed Hotel. Want to know what we thought of it? Check out the review on Luxist.com.

You're Invited: Foley & Corinna Sample Sale

In case you're in NYC soon!

Deacon Guest Post: Belle Romps Through The Brad Johns Studio Opening in NYC

While Deacon does DC, Belle romps around in NYC. It must be her Parisian nature, but this Great Pyrenees like to play it cool and aloof. Her innate love of chic hip places, landed her in the Brad Johns Studio during the opening reception. The interior is sassy, narrow, and mirrored --- allowing 360 views of everything from everywhere. With a sleek black and silver color scheme it has the feel of a midtown bar, as much as a color salon.

Brad Johns is the king of color and his fleet of stylists are more than skilled in the art of color consultations. This new studio is devoted simply to color and for what Belle could gather, the blonder the better. Situated on the seventh floor, its a fun escape from the city and a perfect spot for going lighter, going darker or going wild.

Luxe Life: Deacon & Belle Do Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week

Greetings from NYC, Deacon Fans!

We're racing around the Big Apple this weekend, dashing from the Tents at Bryant Park to the Meatpacking District, through Tribeca and back again to the Upper East, all in search of fashion, (plus some food and fun) in the country's fastest-moving city.

Natch, we're hitting some of the best shows - yesterday's madhouse of a Christian Siriano bash, the hipster-esque Generra show, and today's Adam and Arise Collective presentations, among many others.

Don't ya love it? We've got show reports below, plus a few of the best spots we stopped - and of course, more to come!

Deacon also wants to take the chance to introduce guest contrib Belle, a fashion-forward Great Pyrenees, and her loyal mom, Ms. Kristina Libby, social media whiz and eco beauty magnate extraordinaire. She'll be updating you from time to time about NYC's great happenings. You can also find her DC coverage about the arts and culture over on Ask Miss A.

So, on to the recaps!

Siriano
Deacon was too busy to attend the Christian Siriano Fashion Show under the tents, so I got to play around there instead. Lucky me. First off, Fashion Week is everything you’d expect: people with attitude, a lot of black and so much eyeliner Duane Reade must have had to stock extra. In this kind of situation, a bright blue dress, a book on Africa and a little bit of kindness can bring you a whole lot of attention. In my case, the very kind attention of a Fashion Week veteran who showed me how to get the better seats and told me all the inside gossip.

So, from my third row seats at the front of the runway, I saw a few things that make even my big fluffy white tale wag. First off, a floor length silk dress with full length sleeves and the slightest train. It evoked all the best nautical affair images and reminds me of a long coveted dress worn by the heroine of the Bond movie where they tumble around the pyramids in Cairo. The movie title? Hardly as important as the dress.


He also stole the show with a huge flouncy, pleated draped and decorated florescent pink ball gown. Puffy with a train, the dress was the best re-make of an 80s prom dress that I have ever seen. Not only that, the model wearing it was amazing. It takes a heart of steel to hold up and wear this dress.

Finally, my least favorite number--- its was stripped and metallic and a suit and oh goodness, I think its been blocked out of my memory. Not every outfit can be perfect, right? I think the show didn’t blow anyone away and there were only one big moment when people gasped and coo-ed. So, on a rating of shows it probably isn’t a ten. Everyone is a cynic in NYC though; for this naïve little fashion week newbie—the show won me over.

Generra
We'll be honest - Generra was a bit of a generic bust. The venue, the ultra-hip Hiro Ballroom, an asian fusion resto and bar/club, looked like a great place to enjoy a laid-back dinner before hitting the town. That said, the not-so-packed show debuted its fall looks of rather blah fairaisle-inspired sweaters, floaty skirts and peacoats that honestly looked as if they'd been plucked straight from the discount racks at a bad TJ Maxx. For a line we normally enjoy, this collection is not one that we hope will make a statement in stores come fall.

Fabulosity
So after a bit of a catch up (coffee at Guy and Gallard Cafe), we ran back to the flat and readied ourselves for a warm-up on the town. We opted for Upper East's fab Italian joint, Bella Blu, where we enjoyed amazing isotto, a delish Ferreri Cabernet and the conversation of the best service we've had in ages - thank you to Neil, our bartender, for the perfect biscotti and Moscato to cap off the meal.

We then cabbed it to SoHo, where the SoHo Grand was rocking - think sweet DJ sets and NY society at its finest. Calling it an early night (by NY standards) we rolled back in and are headed out now to enjoy brunch and a few stops at Bergdorfs, Bendels and Barneys before hitting the tents once more.

If you've got a stop or a sight we must check - drop us a note on our Blackberry - we'd love you to keep us buzzing all day long!