Some Summer Creativity

I've always considered myself a fairly creative person, and is it just me or does it seem like we used to get much more encouragement to be creative when we were kids? With all the stress of life as an adult, I've been finding it's actually more beneficial now to get my creative juices flowing than it was when all I really wanted was to gossip with my friends on the playground while sipping Capri Sun.

Thankfully for all my awesome readers, I've taken the liberty of trying out a couple classes in the NYC area and here's what I have to report:

Painting and Wine Class: The Art Studio NY

(Purchased on Groupon for $35 plus $10 for the canvas)

After seeing countless friends spend a fun night trying to copy a painting while sipping wine, I thought this would be a good place to start, especially given the fact that I have never painted anything in my life (with the exception of my dining room walls and some finger painting way back when). My friend Rachel and I shopped our options and settled for a 3-hour class at The Art Studio NY on the Upper West Side. Our instructor, Jacob Premo, was wonderful and encouraging as he led us through step-by-step as to how we should conquer the painting. He was also very flexible--helping other students paint entirely different pictures and even providing neon pink paint and glitter to one student (I was very jealous of her final product). The wine was constantly flowing and between that and the relaxing actions of mixing paints and putting brush to canvas, I was a happy lady by the end of the night. I may not be the next Van Gogh, but now I can say I have an original piece of art hanging in my apartment. The studio offers ongoing art classes for all levels at very reasonable prices, including drawing classes that take place in both the Met and Central Park. For only $39 including all materials, you may very well find me there in the near future.

The original next to my finished work

Me and Rachel with our masterpieces

Adventure Photography: JP Teaches Photo

(Free on Zozi, bring your own camera)

I've owned a Canon Rebel DSLR (fancy camera speak for one of those large cameras that take really good pictures) for about 7 years now, and I'm sad to say that I still don't know completely how to use it. I usually leave it on auto, occasionally venturing to manual when I have something specific in mind. For the most part I've been happy with it, because it takes killer photos even on auto, but with an upcoming trip to Thailand/South Korea (it's okay, you can be jealous), I wanted to up my game. I came across JP Teaches Photo through the deals site Zozi a few weeks back. They were (and are still...GET ON THIS PEOPLE!) running a special where you get a free "adventure" just for signing up, and more free adventures for signing up your friends. I opted for the adventure photo class in Central Park as a way to brush up on my camera skills and have a wonderful evening in the process. Our group of 6 students and 2 instructors met on the west side of the park on a perfect Sunday evening. The impending rain gave way to beautiful sunshine which streaked in sideways as the sun sank toward the horizon. Paul, a professional photographer/lighting designer and self-described "bro," led us through various exercises designed to get us used to motion photography as well as techniques to help us with landscape and wildlife photography. JP, who's specialty is in helping people use their cameras, stood by to answer specific questions like "how can I make the background lighter/darker?" or "where is that button on my [insert pretty much any camera you can think of]?" The most awesome part of the entire class was when Cartman the skateboarding bulldog and his owner passed by just after we talked about stop motion photography. I was so happy I had my camera in hand, ready to go. The two hours flew by too quickly, but I learned so much, and only whet my appetite for learning more. I may or may not have also signed up for the beginner class in August :)

Dark Cave

Lamp Post

Cartman the Bulldog

With all that this city has to offer, who knows what I might try next! Feel free to leave any suggestions in the comments below and be sure to let us know if you try either of these classes. Happy creativity!

Pitch Your Brunch Fork Here

I always like to impress my brother with awesome NYC food when he visits, so when he came for his last trip I made a point to plan a delicious and all-you-can-drink meal that would be sure to wow him. We headed east to The Pitch and Fork and were seated in a cozy booth by the front of the rustic, yet charming, restaurant.

Pitc

One of the first things I noticed was the giant piece of taxidermy over the bar--it's definitely cozy--but then you see "bottomless brunch" on the menu and you're reminded that you are super far away from any place where a pitchfork is used for anything but decoration and the place suddenly feels chic.

The brunch menu is split into a couple of sections--appetizers, "like breakfast," and "like lunch"--to help you decide what you're in the mood for. You can make any entree into an all-you-can-drink 2-hour brunch for just $27 (that goes for the $10 granola or the $24 organic brick chicken). We started with the devils on horseback ($9) and highly recommend you do too. These little balls of bacon wrapped dates wrapped blue cheese are heavenly and they definitely don't skimp you!

Devils on Horseback ($9)

I opted for the grilled spicy shrimp ($24) with grits, fava beans, summer squash, ancho chili, bacon, and basil, which was basically a fancy way to say shrimp and grits. The Grits were perfectly cooked, and the whole dish just flowed seamlessly. I ate every last bite and could have eaten more.

Grilled Spicy Shrimp ($24)

My brother went for the classic steak and eggs (go big or go home right?), which was a rib eye served with eggs and potato hash ($24). The steak was a pretty large hunk of meat for any meal, let alone brunch, and everything was cooked wonderfully.

Steak and Eggs

We figured we had to have the entire Pitch and Fork experience so we asked what was available for dessert and knew what we had to order when our waitress told us about the donuts with bacon glaze and, get this, Pop Rocks! Do yourself a favor and get the donuts so that I don't have to explain the sensation of exploding candy in your mouth while you're trying to savor the warm doughy donuts saturated with powdered sugar and maple bacon glaze, ok?

Taking a look at Pitch and Fork's dinner menu, I'm definitely intrigued. Continuing on what seems to be a trend, they have bacon wrapped bacon for an appetizer and their shepherd's pie sounds pretty legitimate. Combine the awesome menu with a covered back patio, and this place seems to have it all. Ultimately, it was a successful meal and I'll definitely be back!

Savor That Craft Beer

I don't know if the concept of 'craft beer' is really all that new or if it just seems to be getting a lot more press in recent years, but either way, we think it's awesome. With all of the craft beer festivals popping up all over the place, these unique libations have many pedestals to stand on. The latest event to hit the Big Apple, presented by the Brewers Association, is Savor: An American Craft Beer & Food Experience taking place this weekend June 14-15 at the Altman Building and Metropolitan Pavillion.

The event comes to NYC after five consecutive years in the nation’s capital. Attendees will enjoy beers from 76 small and independent U.S. breweries, hailing from 31 different states and representing all regions of the country. Along with tasting some of the finest craft beers, attendees will enjoy a diverse array of food pairings designed by Chef Adam Dulye, co-owner/chef of San Francisco’s The Monk’s Kettle and James Beard Award-semifinalist Abbot’s Cellar, in collaboration with a panel of chefs and Cicerones. Sonnier & Castle will serve as the event caterer.

Savor will also feature salons each of the nights focusing on specific beer concepts such as:

• Cajun and Creole Artisanal Foods and Bieres in Quadraphonic Sensaround
• West Coast Beer, East Coast Food
• Blending Barrel Aged Sour Beers
• Several Shades of Lager: An Exploration and Explanation of Lager Beers

For tickets, click here. See you there this weekend. I hope you're ready to get your drink on!