Is Expensive Food a Trick or Treat?

Soooo. As I'm sure all of you know, Saturday is my birthday. I am looking forward to a leisurely dinner with friends then a nice, celebratory party with even more friends.

The night before, the bf and I are going to dinner at Scarpetta in Manhattan. It's a new Italian spot helmed by a hip chef--the place received THREE STARS from Frank Bruni at the New York Times. I think that means it's good? One of the signature dishes is foie gras ravioli. Sounds a bit too rich for me, but we'll see tomorrow night!

The prices are moderate, meaning the meal will cost about $120 for the two of us--since we don't do wine--but really, is one meal worth it?

This is the question I ask myself again and again. Sure the food will (hopefully) be impressive, the atmosphere buzzy, but whether or not my lovely, generous bf should be spending that much for a romantic dinner is undecided. But I suppose I should feel lucky that I even have the choice.

Why Are Sales So Good?

Allow me to put my financial reporter hat on for one moment:

Sales this summer are so great because the economy isn't so great, and less people want to spend money on the middle market. People are either trading up or trading down, which means they're wearing Target or Zac Posen, and nothing in between.

Reporter hat off:

Get thee to Barneys, or Nordstrom or your favorite indie boutique NOW! I got this Mayle blouse at the Co-op for 80% off, and at Bird I scored a Mociun skirt for half the original price. If you love designers like Lyell, Mayle, Alexander Wang and Phillip Lim--all mid-market favorites--you'll be able to score in the stores. However, sizes are always limited, so be prepared to do a LOT of shopping.

What are some of your best buys this summer? Share in the comment section below.

I'm Back! With Some Musings on Music

I've been gone for awhile, but I decided it was time, yet again, to devote a little of myself to this lovely blog. I hope some of you are still around. (For those that are, please let everyone know I'll be posting regularly again.)

Let's discuss my latest crush/obsession: the musical duo She & Him. As you are all quite aware, I'm not the savviest listener. I like mid-'90s indie rock and alt-country, and that's about it. Oh, and I love Laura Nyro. You probably haven't heard of Ms. Nyro, but you know a ton of her songs. (They were made famous by the likes of Barbara Streisand and Carol King.)

Listening to Nyro's "Save the Country" with my mom as a little girl is one of my dearest memories. I always have her greatest hits on my iPod. And my iPod is tiny.

I would say that Zooey Deschanel and M.Ward, the duo behind She & Him, channel lots of Patsy Cline in their first album, Volume 1, but the "1960s girl group, elevated" element is all Nyro. Forget about Deschanel's film career right now: her voice is the most unique I've heard in quite a while. I must admit--this album makes newer Rilo Kiley tracks sound way over-produced. (Jeez, I sound like a music snob.)