Haute Table | Vino Vino Wine Bar

Haute Table is a regular feature on s+s that showcases where to eat or drink now. It focuses on local New York restaurants and bars, but will occasionally spotlight places I've visited while traveling. I only write about places I have actually visited and would recommend to a friend.

My friends have to drag me to nightclubs, but I'm ALWAYS up for a good wine bar. Something about wine and cheese plates I guess. I discovered Vino Vino Wine Bar from a deal they offered on Living Social at the beginning of the summer. I immediately purchased the voucher and made plans to check it out with my sister. We weren't disappointed and now Vino Vino is on my list of go to places for an evening out.

Photo Credit: Nathaniel J Oliver Photograpy

Vino Vino offers a variety of wine from California, Italy, France, Greece and a host of other countries. Wines are served mainly by the glass and cost around $6 - $20. The bar also hosts a 1/2 off happy hour daily from 5pm to 7pm, where all bottles of wine are 50% off! For those of you who don't drink wine, they also serve craft beers and soft drinks.

Aside from the extensive selection of wine, Vino Vino also serves a menu of artisanal cheeses, cured meats and small plates. I highly recommend the Pan a la Catalana (you may need two) and the Mixto antipasto plate.

The best part about this particular wine bar? The adjacent store, Maslow 6, sells all of the wines served in the bar so you can take home your favorite!

Vino Vino Wine Bar and Maslow 6 Wine Shop
211 West Broadway
New York, NY 10013
212.925.8510

Know of any other wine bars that are a must visit? Let me know in the comments!

Lessons I've Learned from Styling my Home

If you've been following me via my personal Twitter handle or on tumblr, you know that I'm in full home decoration mode. I've lived in my apartment for over a year and have never gotten around to making it a home ... my home. At times I was uninspired, overly inspired, distracted or overwhelmed with the whole thing. I'd look at the well put together homes of other bloggers - Nicole of SoHauteStyle, Erika of small shop studio, Kelly of the glamourai - and think to myself "I'll never be able to pull that off," before pushing it to the bottom of my To Do list yet again. Needless to say, it's been a drama-filled 15 months and I still haven't gotten it together.

Where I spend most days lately, at my coffee table surrounded by home inspiration.

Having made the decision to call this place home for another two years, I've dedicated myself to finishing the job before the holiday entertaining season begins. It's not an easy process, but I'm committed. Here are three things I've learned since beginning this process that have prevented me from pulling my hair out and giving up again:

Personal Style is Evolutionary. My style today is worlds away from what I liked the day I moved in. I've gone from being a modern minimalist to laid-back vintage glam. They are wildly different and therefore some of the furniture I purchased last year doesn't fit within my new vision. There is nothing wrong with this and no need to feel bad about no longer liking that well-made chest of drawers. It's OK to get rid of it and replace it with something more your style.

Pinterest is a God-send! Thank the Heaven's for whomever created Pinterest. It really has been super helpful in organizing inspirations and crystallizing the vision for my home. I have several past issues of Domino magazine (as evidenced in the above photo) with tabbed pages, design books with bookmarks, dog-eared catalogs, photos ripped from other home magazines or printed from Apartment Therapy ... basically inspiration overload. My Pinterest boards have allowed me to separate what I really want to do with my apartment from looks I'd envision for my dream house. Now I have clips of the things I actually plan on doing separated from the "one day" options. Note: Pinterest is an invitation only site.

Tackle Rooms Individually in Stages. Everyone knows the inspirational quote "If you fail to plan you plan to fail." I'm also convinced I have a mild case of AADD (I took an online quiz and scored 89 ... eek!) and need blinders to make me focus. When I started a few weeks ago I began doing little things in every room - a knick knack here, sheets there, reorganize over there. Yes there was progress, but it didn't really feel like much was getting done because each room was still incomplete. I've changed my approach and now have individual projects - the dining area, the laundry closet, the bathroom, etc - that I'll work on each weekend. By tackling and completing these projects in stages, I'll have a stronger sense of accomplishment. First up will be the closet in my entryway.

I'd love to hear your stories and any tips/advice you may have. Tell me in the comments!

How to Make Teacup Candles | The Raspberry Branch

I love featuring other bloggers that believe in stylish living. This week s+s welcomes Stephanie of The Raspberry Branch! Hailing from the UK, Stephanie showcases beautiful pretty things from fashion to interiors. I'm so not a DIY girl, probably because I'm such a klutz, but I just may have to attempt these adorable teacup candles as they would be the perfect addition to my bedroom. Here's how to do it ...

Hello style+saveur readers, my name's Stephanie and I’m the girl behind ‘The Raspberry Branch’.

For me, August is all about holding vintage style, garden tea parties. There’s something about an English garden tea party theme that I just love! It’s crisp, classic, quirky and very, very adorable. Any excuse to buy more vintage china and tea-cups I say!

I love old teacups. The dinkier and daintier, the better. So I thought I’d share with you a lovely D.I.Y piece, that’ll make any tea party stand out:

TEA-CUP CANDLES

I first came across this idea in a lovely book the manfriend bought me for my birthday last year and have been itching to give it a go. They make great gifts too, so lots of time to perfect your technique in time for Christmas.

Image taken from Kirstie Allsopps 'Homemade Home' book

You'll need: a pretty teacup/ wax (paraffin and bees wax or an old candle)/ double boiler (a bowl on top of a water filled pan)/ wick sustainer (the metal disc that’s found at the bottom of a tealight)/ wick.

1. First work out how much wax you'll need. To do this fill the teacup with water and measure the amount. Say its 150ml this will equate to 150g of wax.
2. Put your wax into the top of the double boiler (just as you would melt chocolate over the hob)
3. Whilst the wax is melting, prepare the wick. Place it horizontally into your teacup and cut it 2cm above the edge of the cup.
4. Attach the wick sustainer to the wick and dip the wick into the melting wax in order to coat and prime it.
5. Once the wax is fully melted, pour it slowly into the teacup. Filling it.(There should be some wax left over - you'll need this for the second pour)
6. Hold the wick in the centre of the teacup by placing 2 pencils across the top and sandwiching the wick in between the two.
7. Once the wax is cool to the touch, do your second pour. You'll have found that the wax has shrunk as it’s cooled and a crevice will appear in the centre. The second pour is to fill this in.
8. Leave to set...

And TADDDAAAHHH, after one day your teacup candle will be ready to light.

Stephanie. x

@stephanieloulou

www.theraspberrybranch.blogspot.com

Thanks Stephanie! What do you think dolls? Is this something you would try? Tell me in the comments!

5 Must Have Skincare Products

This week I've decided to share with you some of my current "can't live without it" skincare products. These are the products that I actually use daily and take up prime space in my medicine cabinet.

1. Mario Badescu Ceramide Eye Gel | 2. Clinique Mild Liquid Facial Soap | 

3. Olay Regenerist Anti-Aging Eye Roller | 4. Clinique Even Better Skin Tone Correcting Moisturizer | 

5. Clinique Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector

Admittedly it's a little heavy on Clinique products, but I have sensitive skin and can attest to their products being gentle and non-irritating. They work for me in my current skin season, as ThisThatBeauty would say. My biggest skin problem is hyperpigmentation and I'm always looking for new products that actually work to even my skin tone. I have definitely seen improvement from using the Clinique Even Better skin tone correcting line of products daily, however I'm itching to try the new Idealist Even Skintone Illuminator product from Estee Lauder. Should I decide to purchase it I'll let you know how it goes.

I also recently switched to contacts after years of wearing glasses. The problem? I now notice bags under my eyes. The horror! Aside from getting my beauty sleep, I'm currently relying on the above eye products to smooth and depuff my under eye area. I haven't been consistent in using them so really haven't seen a big difference yet. Time to commit one of them to my daily routine so I can see some results. I'll keep you posted on that process.

Remember these are the products that currently work for me and they may react differently with your skin. What skincare products work for you?


You might also enjoy:

• 10 Must Have Flat Sandals for Summer
• Ginger+Liz Fall 2010 Collection Party

How to Stay Chic in a Heatwave

We're in the midst of another heatwave, which makes the age old question of "what do I wear" even harder to answer. When I know it's going to be a scorcher I always tweet the same advice - wear white. If you're not convinced, here's what eHow says:

Go for clothes in light colors. Light-colored clothing reflects the sun, which keeps heat away from the body, while dark colors absorb the heat and make you feel even hotter.

"Light-colored clothing" ... i.e. white. Still not convinced? My cousin once wore a black and white striped bathing suit on a beach vacation. The white stripes reflected the sun and the black stripes absorbed them so she ended up tanned in stripes!

Photo Credit: Definitely Golden

When the temperature is in excess of 90 degrees keep your color palette on the light side - whites, creams, blush, pale blues and heather grays. Leave "Poly" and her friend "Ester" at home. Synthetic fabrics don't breathe and will trap heat in. Select clothes in natural fabrics like cotton, linen, silk, and lightweight wool.

Photo Credit: The Sartorialist

Clothes should flow away from, not cling to, your body. That means a long, loose maxi dress is a much better choice than skinny jeans and a clingy tee. My office is arctic cold (some of us even have blankets!) so I strongly recommend bringing a cardigan if you work in an office environment. If you're going to be outdoors, try a wide brimmed hat to block strong rays of sun or carry a chic umbrella. And always remember to WEAR SUNSCREEN!! It's important people.

Hope this helps you plan out your wardrobe for what is sure to be an intense August. How do you plan to stay chic in the heat?


You might also enjoy:

• The Look | 10 Ways to Wear a Little White Dress
• 20+ Chic Summer Pieces for the Plus Size Girl
• The Look | What to Wear Memorial Day

This week why don't you ...

'This week why don't you' is a weekly s+s feature spotlighting culture, entertainment and local NYC events/businesses you should see, hear, shop, eat or do. If you have an item you would like included in this list please send an email to StyleSaveur@gmail.com for review.

Summer Movies in McCarren Park ... Photo Credit: Brooklyn365

There's lots of interesting happenings going on this week, some of which I absolutely cannot wait to attend! Check the list and mark your calendars:

• See: Clueless at the McCarren Park Summerscreen on Wednesday Aug 3rd (I'm way too excited about this one.)
• Hear: Haiku at The House of Haiku on Thursday Aug 4th at Brooklyn Historical Society
• Eat: NYC Restaurant Week has been extended through Labor Day so take advantage of Lunch for $24.07 and Dinner for $35.00 at some of the city's best eateries
• Buy: Pre-order Design*Sponge at Home from Barnes & Noble for 40% off the cover price. (Grace Bonney's Design*Sponge blog is one of my daily reads and I can't wait for my copy of her book to arrive in September!)
• Do: There's still time to get in shape for Labor Day so join JCF bootcamp for women only bootcamp classes

Have any additions to this list? Tell me in the comments!