Honeymoon brainstorming is in full swing right now: I’m pushing for Paris (surprise, surprise!) — or really anywhere in France. I can’t believe it has been over a year since our trip last May. In my quest to nurse my Paris withdrawal, I discovered Montmartre, a wonderful little restaurant in Chelsea that immediately reminded me of my travels.

The outdoor garden is bliss, but the food! We had the sugar snap peas, the marinated beets, the hen of the woods mushrooms and, of course, the pomme frites. The service was low key and unpretentious — plus, we could actually hear each other speak without having to shout. We lingered unbothered in the backyard for close to five hours, chatting and soaking up the ambiance and summer air. Parfait!

So, in lieu of Paris, this restaurant will be my new go-to. 😉 Do you have a favorite spot for escaping New York while still in the city? Where is it?

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Last week, I had a chance to see Preludes, a theater performance at the Claire Tow Theater at Lincoln Center. From the creators of the Tony Award-winning play Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, this show is about the early career of the great Russian composer Rachmaninoff, focusing in on the three years that followed the disastrous premiere of his first symphony — and his subsequent writer’s block.

Besides the music, there was something else that was special to me about this show: It’s star, Gabriel Ebert. Rewind back to about five years ago when Matt dragged me to see a teeny tiny production of a show called Suicide, Incorporated…on Halloween night. “It’s supposed to be funny!” Matt assured me. “Plus, it’s the only night I could snag tickets.” Begrudgingly, I went. The play was dark. Funny? Not so much. As Matt silently mouthed apologies from the seat beside me, I feigned annoyance and focused in on the show. The 85-minute production was incredible. Ebert — then, at the start of his now illustrious career — was exhilarating to watch in the lead role.

Fast forward through the evolution of my relationship with Matt: We caught Ebert on stage as Mr. Wormwood in Matilda on Broadway, a role that earned him a Tony (Matt faked me out that we were going to see Nathan Lane, then, after I dashed through the pouring rain to the wrong theater, surprised me with tickets to the much-buzzed about musical). Ebert’s now in trailers for the new Meryl Streep movie, Ricki and the Flash, and — as we discovered — back on stage in Preludes, a seemingly small, yet critically acclaimed production. In it, he acts, he sings, he dances. Ebert even takes a 5-minute nap in front of the audience during a “pause” between acts. His performance, again, is captivating.

The point of this post is two-fold. Mainly, it’s to spread the word about a piece of terrific theater that’s only on stage through the end of July. Simultaneously, it’s to share a New York moment — following an actor as his career blooms and using each of his performances as markers of my own time in NYC.

So, seen any good theater this month? 🙂

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Happy Friday, my darling readers! What do you have going on this weekend? We’re catching up with good friends for brunch. Any recommendations for new places to try? Wishing you a lovely (and relaxing!) weekend ahead. Here, to get it started right, a few happy posts from around the web:

Did you see this cute clip?

Expertise for wearing white.

Gorge celeb portraits.

Hillz is on Insta!

Did you see the premiere of Odd Mom Out? Loved it!

A recipe for blueberry popsicles.

Reasons to wallpaper your apartment.

Love her.

Will you see this movie?

Amazing art.

(Image via Pinterest)

Who has big plans to see Jurassic World when it opens tomorrow night? I’m seeing it with friends next weekend — I can’t wait! There are so many things to look forward to about the film:

1) Chris Pratt. I mean, if you have to replace Sam Neill, you might as well do it with someone as charming, funny, and generally badass as him.

2) The Raptors. One of my favorite movie scenes of all time is when Robert Muldoon (played by the great Bob Peck) is on the hunt for the pair of quick-witted dinos that escaped their cage. When they out-smart him, he has one response: “Clever girl.” Watch the scene here. Now, get excited for more raptor scenes in Jurassic World.

3. The music. If you tell me you don’t get chills when you watch the trailer to Jurassic World, I won’t believe you. John Williams is a genius. I said it in the report I did on him in my 9th grade English class about the influence of music on story-telling and I’ll say it again. The man is a genius. For this film, Michael Giacchino takes the reins, but pays careful tribute to the original work of JW.

4. The same T. Rex is back.

Are you planning to watch?

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This summer, I’m all about peach nail polish. It’s so pretty and classic — plus, it’s subtle enough to mask polish chips. The color I’m obsessed with is Van d’Go by Essie. I picked it out a few months ago while getting a manicure, but failed to keep track of the name of the color. After skimming Essie racks in local drugstores for weeks, I finally found it! It’s my new favorite shade.

What nail color are you wearing this summer?

Plus, how to really do your own manicure/pedicure.

(Image via Kill Them With Chic)