Today felt like the first real breath of spring in New York.
After months of brutal cold, gray skies, and the kind of winter that makes you question why anyone willingly lives here, the city finally gave us a gift — 65 degrees and sunshine.
I swear the entire city began curing its seasonal depression at the exact same moment this morning.
My Sunday started with a FabFitFun and Curateur event, then some wandering around SoHo with my girlfriend, a little window shopping. Lately I haven’t really been in love with much in stores. Maybe I’m just picky, I don’t know. Eventually I met up with Brandon, his brother Jake, and Emery for brunch at Restoration Hardware. Nothing crazy happened, but somehow those end up being the best kinds of New York days.
What I wore
Outfit Details
Shop my outfit on my LTK - link below
After the event wrapped up, my friend and I wandered around SoHo for a while, which on a sunny day basically turns into the hottest neighborhood in the city. Somehow every attractive person in New York had decided to leave their apartment at the exact same time. Sunglasses, good outfits, iced coffees — the whole thing. Honestly, I could only imagine what the West Side Highway looked like — because that’s where every good looking person in New York apparently goes running the second the weather hits 65 degrees.
Unfortunately, my friend was fighting for her life a little bit. She had been out the night before and was extremely hungover — the kind of hungover where walking more than two blocks feels like an Olympic sport. So naturally we had to make an emergency bagel stop, which, in New York, is basically the universal cure for bad decisions made the night before.
After that, she decided it was probably best to head home and recover.
Meanwhile, I made my way to meet Brandon, his brother, and his brother’s wife for brunch at Restoration Hardware.
If you’ve never been to the Restoration Hardware restaurant, it’s kind of funny because you walk in thinking you’re in a furniture store and suddenly you’re eating inside what feels like a very chic greenhouse. Glass ceilings, giant chandeliers, olive trees everywhere — the kind of place where you go for lunch and accidentally turn it into a whole afternoon.
I got there a little early and waited for Brandon, so I made myself comfortable and sat all cozied up on one of the couches near the entrance until he walked in. We’re moving into our new apartment at the end of the month — which means, yes, I will officially be living with a man for the first time. I’ve always lived alone, so now we’re entering that phase of life where two people have to look at the same couch and agree whether it’s “beautiful” or “absolutely terrible.”
Naturally, this led to us wandering around the store before lunch, pointing at things and debating our future interior design choices. A little banter, a little inspiration, and a lot of “I wish we could afford that right now” moments.
Eventually we made our way upstairs to the rooftop and got a table outside, which on the first warm day in New York feels like winning the lottery. The sun was out, the heaters didn’t even need to be on, and like every New Yorker the second the weather gets nice, I was fully basking in it.
Everyone else ordered lunch, but I went full brunch mode because I am, at heart, a breakfast girl. I ordered eggs with sausage, potatoes, and sourdough toast, and we also got a plate of pancakes to share. If you’ve never had the pancakes at Restoration Hardware, let me just say they are worth the trip alone.
I’m also currently going through a very specific phase where I’ve temporarily replaced bacon with sausage. I don’t know why. I don’t know how long it will last. But right now, I’m fully in my sausage era and I stand by it. I don’t think sharing that matters to you, but I felt like sharing that exciting news.
I also ordered mint tea with a little honey — one of my favorite small luxuries.
Somehow we sat there for almost two hours because the sun was shining, the food was good, and no one felt like moving. Also, Jake, Emery, Brandon, and I really love to eat. Truly. It’s one of our favorite shared hobbies. We had all been together the night before too, ordering amazing Mediterranean food and eating way too much, so at this point we were really just committing to a very food-focused weekend. Eventually Jake and Emery had errands to run, so we wrapped things up and headed out — extremely full and not mad about it.
After lunch — well, brunch for me — Brandon and I started walking home and finally got to hold hands again like normal human beings. Which might sound dramatic, but after the winter we’ve had here, our hands have basically been living separate lives inside gloves and coat pockets for the last four months.
On the way we ran into a couple friends on the street, stopped to talk for a bit, and then kept walking. And somehow — because the universe loves a coincidence — the girl we ran into is also from St. Louis. I always love an unexpected Midwest appearance.
We took the long walk home through the city, enjoying the sunshine like every other New Yorker who had suddenly been released back into society. Eventually we grabbed a cab to take us the rest of the way back to the Lower East Side — where I only have a few weeks left of living in my edgy little neighborhood before I move uptown and become a very sophisticated West Chelsea woman. Or at least that’s what I’m telling myself.
Today the city just had that feeling again — the one that reminds you exactly why living here is so special. Until another unexpected blizzard arrives, but I'm not going to put that bad energy out there..
— xo Tylar