Tala Turns 21!

Hello dear readers!

How have you been all this time?

I’m sorry I’ve been off for a while… but what can I say, being a senior is really keeping me busy, just like planning my 21^st birthday party did!

Around two weeks ago, I happily celebrated my 21^st birthday. For this special occasion, I decided to invite all of my friends to a homemade lunch… I prepared everything weeks ahead: from choosing the theme and the flowers, to cooking the food and hosting the party… every single detail was carefully chosen.

I am happy to guide you in my post through all the planning and of course, to give you an exclusive inside look to what many attendees said was the event of the season :D

1-      The theme:

I hesitated between a lace and pearls pink themed party and a fresh colored one… At the end I went for the latter since my birthday is really close to the start of the spring and since I thought I would have more options when it came to choosing colors and supplies.

I went for a fuchsia-pistachio palette with tints of white :D

 

2-      The table:

 

For my food table, I went for a variety of mini-sized food: mini carrots and cucumbers dipped in cocktail sauce, mini-falafel along with their tahini dressing, mini pizza rolls, mini halloumi skewers and pesto sauce, cheese twisters, mini zaatar croissants along with Chinese salad, roasted vegetables and roasted meat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As for the dessert table, and since my birthday falls every year during lent period I had to give up some very chocolaty options and opt for more fruity and neutral tastes. I chose to make a mini ice cream bar with toppings such as oreo, sprinkles, mini marshmallows, smarties, etc.; XOXO linzer cookies; fruit salad, and cupcakes.

 

 

Everything was homemade except for the mini croissants and the cheese twisters. Making all these types of food wouldn’t have been possible without the help of my two fairies, my mother and my grandmother, whom I thank from the bottom of my heart.

 

As for my birthday cake it was signed Secrets by Hazem Araysi, a delicious pastry shop that my best friend introduced me to a few months ago. It was a very light and fluffy cake with lots of profiteroles on top.

3-      The decoration:

 

 

They say simplicity is the best policy. That’s why for the decoration I decided to keep things simple with a 21 balloon and many tulip arrangements. I went for pink and white tulips with shades of green.

I also made some labels to describe the food. For these, I used pink and green cardboards and doilies.

I even customized my candles. I got regular numbered candles (2 and 1) and I covered them in glitter to match my theme.

4-      The party favors:

Being a good hostess, I had to make sure my friends won’t leave my house empty handed. That’s why I prepared them so flowery rings just in time for spring along with a thank you tag and some confetti.

 

 

Tala goes to NYC - part 2-

Food:

10-      Hershey’s Chocolate World and M&M World:

Chocolate heaven on earth !!!!! Not just chocolate, all kinds of derived products as well. You can find anything that might ever come to your mind (bathrobes, clothes, shots, games, etc.). Dispensers filled with all flavors and kinds of M&M candy for you to try. Expensive but delicious :D

1593 Broadway, New York, NY 10019

http://www.hersheys.com/visit-us/times-square.aspx

1600 Broadway, New York, NY 10019

http://www.mmsworld.com/

11-      Sprinkles Cupcake Shop and ATM:

One of the best cupcakes I have ever tasted in my whole lifeeee! I tried the dark chocolate one with sprinkles on top (of course). They have sundaes and delicious ice cream on the menu too. Hopefully I will get to try them another time.

780 lexington avenue
new york, new york 10065

between 60th & 61st streets
near bloomingdale's

http://www.sprinkles.com/

 

12-      Dylan’s Candy Bar:

The best Candy store in NYC. Big size lollipops decorate the place, candies even decorate the stairs and the “wait-in-line” stands. From chocolate to candies to jellybeans and lollipops, this place has everything that can cross your mind.

1011 3rd Avenue, New York, NY 10065

https://www.dylanscandybar.com/

13-      The Burger Bistrot:

Only serves burgers (obviously :P). small place with delicious food. You get to make your own burger by choosing the bread, the meat, the toppings, and the sides.

7217 3rd Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11209

http://www.theburgerbistro.com/

14-      Arirang Hibachi Steakhouse and Sushi Bar:

They have a nice Japanese show. You sit on a bar, they bring you a soup, then a salad and then the chef comes and makes some stir-fry vegetables for you, rice, your choice of fish, meat or chicken and then they offer you desert: ice cream cake and/or ice cream.

8812-14 4th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11209-5606

http://www.partyonthegrill.com/

15-      Red Robin Gourmet Burgers:

The Onion Ring tower they have is EPIC. I’ve never seen anything like it. The Freckled Strawberry Lemonade was also a very nice treat. Loved the cup in which it was served.

2655 Richmond Avenue, Staten Island, NY 10314

http://www.redrobin.com/

16-      Peppino’s:

Authentic Pizzeria. One of the oldest ones in Brooklyn. Tried the Quattro Stagioni Pizza and the Garlic and  Cheese one. The Bruschetta is also really good.

469 5th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11215

http://ilovepeppinos.com/

Shopping:

17-      Malls (Jersey Gardens Outlet; Staten Island Mall; Kings Plaza Shopping Center)

Malls are literally huge in the U.S.. We went to the Jersey Gardens Outlet first of all. It’s an outlet of many famous brands (Tommy Hilfiger, Forever 21, American Eagle Outfitters, Disney Store, Macy’, Saks Fifth Avenue, etc.) We just spent an afternoon there which is totally not enough :p People go there to spend the whole day (even one day isn’t enough to tour this huge mall) and they take their travel baggage with them to put everything they buy. Maybe that can give you an idea about the diverse products that you can get from there. The Kings Plaza Shopping Center wasn’t bad either.

Staten Island Mall was definitely one of my favorites. I found the Kiko Milano store there (which is one store I really like). My jewelry love was also satisfied by the “Charming Charlie” store (which is similar to the “I am” store we have here at Le Mall Dbayeh but 10 times bigger of course) and the “Francesca’s” Store that offers a unique collection of clothes, jewelry and accessories.

 

Jersey Gardens Outlet:

651 Kapkowski Road, Elizabeth, NJ 07201

http://www.jerseygardens.com/

Kings Plaza:

5100 Kings Plaza, Brooklyn, NY 11234

http://www.kingsplazaonline.com/

Staten Island Mall:

2655 Richmond Avenue, Staten Island, NY 10314

http://www.statenisland-mall.com/

18-      Century 21, Macy’s, Lord and Taylor, TJ Max, Marshalls, etc.

At these stores, you can find many brand names at affordable prices. The good thing about them is that there are many of them and that they regularly bring new merchandise.

Century 21: http://www.c21stores.com/

Macy’s: http://www1.macys.com/

Lord and Taylor: http://www.lordandtaylor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/en/lord-and-taylor

TJ Max: www.tjmaxx.tjx.com

Marshalls: http://www.marshallsonline.com/

19-  Wholesale supermarkets (Costco and BJs)

American grandeur at its best. Nothing is sold in units. It’s either the whole pack or nothing: 10 toothbrushes, 1Kg of M&Ms, 3 deodorants, 5 EOS lip balm, etc.

The only disadvantage is that you cannot access these stores unless you have a member’s card. Plus, everything comes in big quantities and its mostly food (Nothing you can actually bring back to Lebanon unless you feel like shipping a whole container :P).

Costco: http://www.costco.com/

BJ’s: http://www.bjs.com/

20-  Prince Street:

Shopping Street in Soho,  Manhattan. You can find big brand names all next to each other: Converse, Banana Republic, Topshop, etc.

Tala goes to NYC - part 1-

Hello dear readers,

I’ve been back from the USA for a few days and I thought it’s about time that I share with you my experience in NYC.

Christmas in New York:

1-      Dyker Heights:

Since I went for Christmas Vacation it was obvious that Christmas decorations in Brooklyn were a must see. My cousin took me to Dyker Heights, a couple of blocks were Italians live and which are known to make the best Christmas decorations for their homes. They actually pay big amounts of money for companies that decorate the facades and the gardens of their houses. Here are some of the best houses I’ve seen

11^th to 13^th Avenue, 83^rd to 86^th street, Brooklyn

2-      Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, ice skating arena, and decorations:

A traditional Christmas attraction. I took pictures in front of the tree of course and saw people skating under the starry sky. The tree is literally HUGE. I wonder how they decorate it each year :P

45 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10111

http://www.rockefellercenter.com/

3-      Christmas animated windows:

At Macy’s and Saks Fifth Avenue

Also a Christmas tradition.

This year’s theme at Macy’s was a visit to the different planets of the solar system to show how the people of each planet celebrate Christmas. However, at Saks they had one section dedicated to costumes from the 20’s and another about the different fairytales (Snow White, Cinderella, Red Riding Hood, etc)

Macy’s: 151 West 34th Street, New York, NY 10001

Saks Fifth Avenue: 611 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10022

Attractions of the city:

4-      Central Park:

Although it was kind of cold and windy, it seemed impossible to leave New York without going to Central Park. My cousins, my brother and I rented bikes from a bike rental place a few streets away and then went to the Park for 2 hours. We saw the Alice in Wonderland sculpture, the Big Lake, the Strawberry fields (dedicated to John Lennon), the boat house and the Bethesda Fountain (the terrace featured in many movies and where concerts are held each summer).

I wanted to try the roasted, honey-coated nuts but I didn’t have the time to do so. Next time maybe :D

I also saw two tall cedars in the middle of the park. Lebanon is everywhere indeed <3

http://www.centralparknyc.org/

5-      Flatiron Building:

Very particular architecture. Surprises you with its huge façade and shape.

175 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10010

6-      China Town and Little Italy:

Give you a glimpse of China and Italy if you’ve never been there.

In China town, it feels as if you were totally in China. Everything around you is written in Chinese and vendors try to sell you fake Louis Vuitton bags and Gucci clutches in Chinese too. Ads are also in Chinese.

Little Italy is much more charming. The people are really friendly. Some Chinese shops are opened there too. China is taking over the world indeed :P.  Cute Italian restaurants everywhere and cheap souvenir shops too. Tried a very famous restaurant there called “Amici II” and loved it. The food was sooo good and the prices very affordable. The owners are very friendly and make sure you feel satisfied and at home.

http://www.new-york-chinatown.info/

http://www.littleitalynyc.com/

7-      Grand Central:

Took the subway to the Grand Central stop, crossed the street and there I was inside one of the most breathtaking train stations I’ve ever seen. The ceiling is just a work of art with paintings and lights. The train arrival and departure board reminded me of the very first train stations and the Christmas decorations where just a cherry on the top of the cake.

89 East 42nd Street, New York, NY 10017

http://www.grandcentralterminal.com/

Museums:

8-      The Metropolitan Museum of Art:

When I first looked at the Museum’s Website, I saw that the RECOMMENDED ticket fee per adult was 25$. So I was complaining to my uncle’s wife about it and when I said that it’s a recommended price, she told me that since it was so, I could ask the deskman for a ticket and tell them that I want to make a donation to the museum (whatever amount I choose). If I do so, I don’t pay the ticket at all !! I only pay the donation :D and so I did.

The Museum was huge and we couldn’t tour it entirely so we just chose the wings that we wanted to see.

We visited the “Death becomes her” exposition at the Costume Institute, the Asian Art, the Art of the Arab Lands, Turkey, Iran, Central Asia, and Later South Asia and the European Paintings. It was really enriching and interesting. Loved every minute of it.

Cherry on top, I took a picture on the steps of the MET and made my Blair Waldorf dream came true :P

1000 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10028

http://www.metmuseum.org/

9-      Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum:

We bought tickets online. Best thing we did :D When we got to the Museum, and since we bought our tickets from the Museum’s official website, we didn’t stand in line (and it was a longggg line trust me:P) and we immediately took the tickets and started the tour. My favorite section was the one dedicated to New York City, the one dedicated to Hollywood starts (Jennifer Aniston, Taylor Lautner, Robert Pattinson, Anne Hathaway, etc.) Some statues looked so real !!!!!  There was even one statue of a women holding a camera to take a picture of someone. Everybody thought it was a real person and so they bent down when they passed in front of it so they don’t ruin the picture hahaha. It was sooo funny.

234 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036

https://www.madametussauds.com/newyork/