If you give a girl a cookie

When it comes to cuteness, I am willing to bet that my neighborhood could take on your neighborhood any day of the week. Take the adorable One Girl Cookies shop around the corner, for instance. I've watched it grow from a shiny little storefront with a small set of cookie collections (named after the owner's relatives and friends) packaged in well-designed boxes into a busy bakery and dessert bar, which opens up its big, welcoming front window when it's warm outside.

Each time I take the F train home, I make it a point to pass by and window shop--there's always some sort cute concoction waiting for me there. Plus, they're really yummy and they make great birthday or housewarming gifts (you don't even have to wrap them--the boxes and the bag they come in do the job for you). They even create to-die-for party favors. Order some up here or stop by and say hello (even if it's just to gaze at the sweet stuff inside) at 68 Dean Street in Brooklyn.

Image Source: One Girl Cookies

#@!%, or the post your mom won’t like

And my mom won't like it either. That's because this post is about something that makes me laugh, and that something is the random use of curse words or negative sayings in design and home decor. So make sure you mother is out of the room before you check out these f*cking awesome finds from etsy.com, then go wash your damn mouth out with a bar of soap.

images: linked to their sources above

Three things I learned on the subway today

If you've ever visited New York, you probably found out that you do not mess with New York City when New York City is commuting to and from work. You gotta move. You gotta give some space. You gotta watch yourself. And if you do not, New York City will let you know it.

This brings me to my first lesson.

Lesson #1: Do not bring your giant bouquet of helium balloons on the subway during rush hours.

On my way to work this morning, I saw a guy on the the train holding about three-dozen helium balloons. Those balloons were crowding, among other people, a short older woman, who was clearly miserable about sharing her space with party supplies. Her eyes were shooting daggers. And if those daggers had been real, those balloons would have been history. Everyone on that train was thinking the same thing: "Who is that jerk?"

Tonight, I realized that that jerk is me.

Lesson #2: Do not bring your new, large, fragile lampshade on the subway during rush hours.

This evening, I visited the Jonathan Adler Warehouse Sale (open through Saturday!) and scored a deal on a lamp I've been eyeballing for a while now. I lugged it on the subway from Queens, through Manhattan, and home to Brooklyn--starting at about 6:30pm. My lampshade not only battled irritable commuters for precious train space, but it also had to fight to remain intact from several hazardous happy-hour patrons and sudden train stops. Packed in with tripping hipsters and the train's unpredictable forward motion, I guarded that lampshade from possible dents and rips with every inch of my life.

Was it worth it? Eh, it's cute. But I probably could have saved myself the stress if I'd stopped and considered lesson number three.

Lesson #3: Seriously, sometimes it's better to suck it up and just buy the thing online.

Image source: JonathanAdler.com

Sigh: Furniture from BDDW

Dear BDDW tripod lamp, lake credenza, ladder chair, and lake side table,

If I had a bigger home, and perhaps a bigger bank account, I would take you and buy you and bring you home and love you real good.

Love,

Amy

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