Merry Christmas you filthy animals...

and a Happy New Year!

As awesome as 2013 has been - turning 30-teen, getting engaged, moving to NYC, getting married and buying our gorgeous pooch Margot (who wants to give up biting my ankles if she knows what's good for her!) - Mr Stone and I are looking forward to a slightly more relaxed 2014, filled with food, wine, friends, more food and wine and hopefully a honeymoon at some point. In fact, the New Year ball may not have dropped at Times Square yet, but since touching down at JFK this December, lets just say we've hit the ground running. Actually, there's been no running whatsoever, more a why-have-I-eaten-so-much-again? amble, but you get the picture. Margot's already hiding her head in shame at her new parentals.

So the story so far goes a little like this: I landed, Jonny landed, we went to 'look' at some puppies on possibly the snowiest day we've experienced so far in the city and decided it would be a sensible idea to buy one and get her back from the Upper East Side on the Metro (the power of the puppy dog eyes - watch out Daniel Whyte, I could see they got to your wife). Little did we know our new bundle of joy was suffering from Kennel Cough (a nasty hacking cough, that sounds as though she's about to keel over and can turn into pneumonia in small pups). Anyway she's on antibiotics now and it's kinda cleared up but it did mean we were stuck in the apartment for a good few days, so when the Turk, biddy and sister arrived for Christmas we were ready to get our festivities ON! The evening they were due to arrive we headed to the Italian-American area of Brooklyn known as Dyker Heights with one mission, to hunt down the most AMAZING Christmas lights we have ever seen, and boy did we find them (thanks for being tour guide Pip)!

My pictures really don't do the decorations justice, it was like Lapland on steroids, and the perfect evening to get us in the festive spirit. In fact I think Jonny went for at least an hour and a half without kindly asking whether anyone was feeling thirsty? and suggesting we warm up in the nearest public house. That night Santa arrived early (2.30am early) with a special delivery of one Lucy Margrave who hopped straight onto the blow up bed we had ready, while the Mother and Fathership checked into the hotel round the corner. Next morning Luce went down a storm with young Margot, which she was particularly delighted by given that whenever she has come within an inch of an animal before my mum pipes up: "animals don't really like Lucy." Well this one's got your back Luce!

And it worked out handy for us too as Jonny and I were off to join some friends at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey for some American football action - bye Aunty Luce.

I'm still not 100% sure I fully understood what was happening on the pitch - it seemed to me that the cheerleaders were getting more of a workout than the New York Jets - but it was a great day out and an excuse to drink beer, eat hotdogs and catch up with the girls. American football game. Tick!

Now everyone knows the Margrave family like to treat themselves, especially when it comes to dining out, so understandably the next few days resulted in just that, with a few Christmas traditions thrown in for good measure, namely singing carols at Washington Square Park and checking out the lights on 5th Avenue (check out the Tiffany's star and Saks Fifth Avenue 3D Light display projected on front of the building). I'm not sure we appreciated them as much as we should as we raced along the road, with a full belly courtesy of TAO, on our way to the Motown Musical - bloody awesome! Obviously the food on Christmas day at Chez Stone was a culinary feast, minus the Yorkshire Puds and pigs in blankets -we made do with mini hotdogs in pastry - but of particular note was the burger with Roquefort cheese and shoestring fries that we had at The Spotted Pig in the West Village on Boxing Day, washed down with half a pint of mulled wine. I think this review sums up it's deliciousness. 

Saying goodbye to my fellow Margraves was a wee bit hard this time around but absence definitely makes the heart grow fonder so I can't wait for their next visit. Anyway, we have this lovely pair visiting in January and we can't wait! - bring on the Steak.

Happy New Year to you all, I promise to bring you many more blogs in 2014!

Horror stories

Given that I've hung up my work boots for a while, the 'Friday-feeling' has somewhat lost its momentum, but not this morning, oh no! Today was a big morning, it was the grand opening of the Sephora store at the end of my street and you can imagine my excitement when I read the sign on the door last night that the first 100 people to arrive at 8am would receive gift vouchers worth $50-$1,000!!! Unfortunately this story does not have a happy ending. Dragging my sorry self out of bed at 7.30am (I'm just not used to these early mornings) I head out onto the windy streets only to be faced by a line that goes around the block and beyond. Kicking myself - how could I be so naive to think I was the only one to have read the sign's small print - I head home to share my horror story with Jonny who chucks me a $10 bill for my efforts as he rushes out the door to work (see above). Sephora here I come!!!

Now on to the important stuff...

Since arriving back from our mini-break to Brazil for Johnny and Maisa's awesome wedding, NYC has definitely descended into autumn and just in time for the halloween festivities to begin - boy do these yanks love Halloween. For the past two weeks, it's not been surprising to find a giant pumpkin, Alice in Wonderland or even a family of unicorns sitting next to you on the subway - literally any costume will do.

Last night we thought we'd get into the spirit of things by heading down to the West Village to watch the annual parade. It was absolute madness as we battled the crowds and NYC cops blocking the streets to take a peek. Alas, most of our time was spent in the Amity Hall pub, where Jonny announced he had just eaten the best burger he's had so far in the Big Apple. Bold statement! (good work Sarah), but my bumble bee buddy Liann and I did get serenaded by Maverick and Goose as we left, so all good.

Getting into the spooky spirit of things, this week a couple of the girls and I headed to Harlem for a free walking tour. Despite one paranoid fellow tour attendee telling us to 'watch our bags', the experience was anything but spooky. Harlem (or NoHa as they're now trying to call it as the area becomes more gentrified) is pretty cool, it has some amazing architecture and is of course home to the Apollo theatre, where stars like Ella Fitzgerald and the king of pop MJ were discovered.

The Apollo

The stars

                                           The Abyssinian Church (great for gospel singing)

                                         My catfish lunch at Sylvia's (the queen of soul food)

Halloween wouldn't be Halloween without a pumpkin or two, so Liann and I also took a trip to the Botanical Gardens in the Bronx to check out the Haunted Pumpkin Forrest, only to be greeted by this fella (see below), oh and a giant melon, of course!

This weekend brings even more excitement as my gorgeous friend Sarah has organised a 'Hag' do (stag and hen do) for Jonny and I on Saturday night before we head back to the UK in a couple of weeks. We're going to a German beer hall in Brooklyn, which you can imagine got Jonny's vote. Check it out: www.thekbh.com

Things that make you go Mmm

Let's face it, the Irish boy and I love to take good care of our stomachs, so when the idea of moving to NYC first came about, amazing - yet ridiculously over-sized - food was at the top of our agenda for saying YES!!! Washed down with some mouthwatering beverages too of course.

When we initially arrived in the city, we were spending a fortune eating out in American diners and touristy chains up and around Midtown and Times Square, but I'm glad to say we've come a long way since then and have found some real gems (see above). This feast cost us just $30 - ok, we definitely could have shared one, but it was a Saturday night!

When the biddies came over the pressure was definitely on to find some great chow. I think our favourite place was this little Italian at the bottom of Manhattan that we went to on the first night to celebrate mum's birthday. (Thanks for the tip Justin) Not only is the pasta amazing but sitting outside on the edge of Battery Park you get an awesome view of the harbour. 

http://www.gigino-wagnerpark.com

You have no idea the time I have spent debating which food/drink/combos to share on my blog so see below a selection of my unmissable faves:

Lobster mac 'n' cheese from the Malt House, Greenwich Village (this was just our starter)

http://themalthousenyc.com

Banana pudding from the Magnolia Bakery. Forget cupcakes, this was AMAZING!! I was supposed to be saving some for Jonny, oops 

http://www.magnoliabakery.com

Did you know there is a food hall in the basement of the Plaza Hotel and they sell delicious German hotdogs? Mum and I devoured these just after trying my wedding dress on

http://www.theplazany.com/dining/foodhall/

Introducing Two Boots pizzeria, where Carrie and Miranda from SATC had some "real food" after a long day at a friend's baby shower. Sarah and I recommend The Bird. So good!

http://www.twoboots.com

Last but definitely not least, Jonny and I paid bar 230 Fifth a visit last week and were greeted with this view at the top, whilst enjoying a gin mojito. Welcome to NYC! 

http://www.230-fifth.com

Oh and you'll be pleased to hear that to counter balance all the good food and booze, Jonny and I have indulged in a pre-wedding fitness regime courtesy of the Insanity dvd. Thankfully there are no pictures to share - Jonny and I prancing about the lounge in our underwear does not make for good viewing.

P.s. Jennifer Sanders, I do hope you can take my blogging career seriously now!

Read all about it..

Firstly, apologies for my tardy post. It's been one hell of a week, mainly spent on FaceTime to the mothership! But I finally have some exciting news, Jonny and I have our wedding booked this November in London and we can't wait. I'm not going to bore you all with the details as invites will be out soon (thanks to Jenny!!) and then we'll hopefully see you all on the big day. Enough said.

So, this week I have learnt a couple of very important things: 1. Don't arrange to meet an American at 'half-past' the hour, they just don't get it - if you say half seven, they think you mean 6.30. Trust me, it causes all kinds of confusion. 2. If you're ordering a drink in a bar, don't just stay for one, the chances are if you hang around for two of three, the barman will buy you one back. Especially in the Irish bars, which as you can imagine we frequent quite regularly.

In addition to the Irish bars, we have of course ensured our stomachs are well fed. There are so many amazing places to eat. In fact, even going to the supermarket with Jonny to buy a simple dinner takes at least an hour as he stands dribbling over the deli counter and ahhh-ing at the cheeses. And on Sunday we found Smorgasburg, a Brooklyn flea food market in a place called Dumbo right near the park. Anyone who comes to visit us can expect a trip down there. It's about a 10 minute walk from our apartment and you can choose anything from pulled pork sarnies to lobster rolls and Vietnamese street food - as you can see Jonny was pretty pleased with himself.

Oh blimey, I almost forgot. The Strip House! Thanks so much to the guys who clubbed together to buy us dinner here. One of the best meals I have ever had. The 1920s setting was super plush (I felt a little underdressed in my Converse), the steak was mouth watering and even the broccoli got a few Mmm's. Delicious. And the best bit is, because we were so hungover from a night out with the British expats the evening before, we took it easy on the red wine, so have enough to go back for round 2!

This weekend we have the Margraves arriving for a couple of days (minus Luce unfortunately). I'm so excited to see them and will update you next week on what we get up to.


 

Home sweet home

Meet my first ever walk in wardrobe!! It was the thing that sold it for us, well actually mainly just me.

So we got the keys and moved into our Cobble Hill apartment yesterday. Jonny literally had tears in his eyes when the management agent called to say we could move in without the need for a guarantor or having to pay a hefty wedge to some security company to vouch for us. As you can see we are very happy!

We arrived at 9am on the dot in a taxi with all our belongings - by that I mean a couple of suitcases full of washing, two pillows and a blow-up mattress - and were greeted by our doorman Claude (Yes I have a door man), who looks exactly like Morgan Freeman - a picture will follow, as soon as I stumble home drunk one day and ask for his autograph! There is also a night one too who scarily looks like Hannibal Lector - I'll be calling Jonny to come and meet me don't worry mum.

Our apartment is 4Jn (I just had to check on the door as I'd forgotten) and if you're wondering the little 'n' stands for North building. So here it is:

                                                                         Kitchen

                                                                   
                                                                      Bedroom

Lounge

Bathroom

View from the window

And wait for it, this is where all the magic happens. My new office. Ta dah.....

Jonny's first job was of course to get the internet running, while I went out for drinks with some of the  girls that I have met. I didn't feel right leaving him on our first night but he insisted and I feel better now as he's gone to work this morning and left me with this...

We're off to find Ikea later to get the bare essentials and I have spied a few cute furniture shops that I plan to explore this weekend, so hopefully next time you see our 'apartment' - it's not a flat I keep getting told, it will look a little more welcoming. 

Thanks for dropping in!

Work and play

I feel like Carrie Bradshaw, tapping away on my computer in the hotel room as the rest of NYC carries on at a million miles an hour outside. Actually scrap that, there is not a single pair of stilettos in sight - it appears packing every jumper/cardigan/jacket I own along with my beautiful shoe collection (all except my trusty Converse and Havianas) in the sea freight boxes was a bit of an oversight. It's ok though, they'll be here in 10 WEEKS!

So Jonny started work yesterday and so far so good, although I'm not sure how much he's actually got done as we're still trying to sort out somewhere to live. Thank god we have Patrick, a little property broker - he looks about 12 - who has been tralling round Brooklyn searching for the perfect apartment for us. Well I think he's finally got there, I dropped the holding deposit off this morning so with any luck we could be residents of Cobble Hill by the beginning of next week!

Cobble Hill is a lot like Clapham or Battersea I'd say, it's the first stop on the metro over the bridge from Manhattan and is filled with one-off shops, bars, cafes and restaurants. It's also really near Brooklyn Heights, which has amazing views over the city (see above). We decided against Williamsburg in the end becuase, well lets face it, the Stone just isn't cool enough (just kidding Jonny!!), no, Cobble Hill just feels really relaxed and more us, plus it's home to Trader Jo's, a cheaper version of Whole Foods!

Last night we also dragged ourselves along to this expat meet-up group, which was happening in a bar near our hotel. I was completely expecting it to be like speed dating for friends but it was actually a lot of fun and I've even got a couple of the girls numbers so I can meet them for lunch and stuff. A great night but my head is paying for it now.

Bright lights, big city

After a teary goodbye at Heathrow - me because I will miss my fellow Margraves and Jonny, mainly because he had just drove dad's (dog-bitten) jeep into a wall - we made it through security at terminal 5 and I couldn't help but smile at the designer shops while day dreaming of the bargains I'll pick up stateside - Jonny was fine too once we got him a Guinness.

A little frazzled from the past three months of life admin, visa dilemmas and knackered from all the eating, drinking and socialising we'd done before reaching this point, getting on the plane was quite frankly a relief. The plane journey was pretty uneventful - Jonny fell asleep and I watched a nice little film that I can't remember the name of. It starred Ryan Gosling though, and before we knew it we had landed at JFK.

Breezing through immigration - none of the nightmares we were expecting - we were out on the street hailing a yellow cab and on our way to the hotel where we're staying for the first few weeks. 

Waking up on that first morning was the weirdest feeling, half like we're on holiday and half not and the last few days have been equally amazing and terrifying as we try to work out how the hell we go about setting up home in the BIG apple. Jonny's new work mates have been amazing, taking us for beers on our first afternoon and offering help in any way they can. We've managed to kit Jonny out with new shoes, trousers and a swanky new man bag courtesy of Macy's for his first day on Wed - I feel like a proud mum. 

Yesterday we started our hunt for somewhere to live, stumbling across an amazing block of new build apartments, smack bang in the centre of Williamsburg. Definitely a little out of budget but it comes complete with gym, swimming pool, games room, door man and I think there might have even been a - wait for it - wine-tasting room, so I have made it clear to Jonny I'd feel at home there. I'll have to wait and see. 

Off to the social security office tomorrow to try and make Jonny a legal alien. Eek, keep your fingers crossed, I've heard they're a little skeptical of furry northern Irish men.