A Day in Brooklyn

My cousin Meghan and I have been meaning to 

explore Brooklyn for a while - so when we finally had the 

opportunity to head to Williamsburg we made a day of it!

I woke early to raid my younger sister's closet

for hippy-wear because I don't think I own 

one, single piece of clothing that could

be considered bohemian chic, hippy, flowerchild,

or anything along those lines.

She helped me pick out the perfect

hipster get-up and in true Brooklyn fashion,

I arrived looking (what I deemed) a Brooklynite

and what real Brooklynite's deem a tourist.

Ha ha, at least I got to check off a #bucklist item 

on this list. 

Lots of compliments though -

I look "adorable" I look "awesome" I look "rad".

Far out!!! ;)

Following this itinerary from Time Out Magazine,

and using it as our source of inspiration, 

we followed a lot of their recommendations

of things to see and do in the area.

We met at El Beit Cafe at 11:30am for coffee 

and caught up over lattes

 (Megs said the chai tea latte was unbelievable!) 

and a delicious raspberry corn muffin.

We picked a fabulous window spot in the front,

ideal for people watching -

which you get your money's worth in Brooklyn!

People are so ecletic in this area.

I kept waiting to see Francie or Neeley from 'A Tree Grows In Brooklyn' pop out of one of these brownstones.

From there, we popped our heads into a shop

 next door called The Stone Flower. 

We were in girly-girl heaven. 

From the vintage-inspired Jessie Steele aprons

to the frilly lingerie and cute top hats

(Meg fell in love and left with two!)

we couldn't get enough of this adorable little shop.

You must check it out on your next visit!

I need these hangers in my life!

Bejeweled winter headbands...lovely!

I loved all the murals and wall graffiti 

scattered on buildings throughout Williamsburg.

One of the most memorable and fun parts of the day

was simply photographing some of these 

amazing paintings and works of art

on the very buildings themselves.

After working up an appetite, 

we headed to House of Small Wonder Cafe 

which was THE coolest spot -

picture eating inside a treehouse 

and you'll have a good idea what our lunch

experience was like. 

The food was delicious,

and the ambience even better. 

Super cozy!

After lunch, we wandered around -

ducking our heads into little boutiques

and shops we found appealing,

and followed our noses to

Mast Brothers Chocolate Factory.

The air was so heavy with the rich

scent of chocolate,

you could literally cut it with a knife.

If you are a hipster living in hipster-land Williamsburg

and love chocolate, then this place is your sweet spot.

Chocolate is made on premises. Description signs are located by the free samples

so you know what you're tasting. These artisan made chocolates are 

pricey, but thats to be expected in this area from quality 

single-origin chocolate.

Flavors ranged from smooth, to bitter, to coffee, to pepper,

to sea salt among others. You can watch them working to prepare 

chocolates in the back workshop area. Pretty cool!

From there, we wound our way back to Bedford Ave,

stopping into the popular Buffalo Exchange,

a vintage thrift-shop boasting some

of the best finds around! 

I'm usually a new price tags kind of gal,

but 'when in Rome' -

 so I left with two cute vintage tops

which I will wash the **** out of, 

and then wear! 

Onward we traveled to Shag,

another hot spot - known for their 

tantalizing collection of adult "stuff". 

I didn't leave with anything but

my wrists reeking of this delicious

concoction of pheromone perfume I tried on.

I warned Meg I put some on -

just so she would be prepared to fend off any

admirers that might wander over

at the Brooklyn Winery due

to the intoxicating trail I left in my wake. 

ha ha.

What the hellllll.....

We finished our Brooklyn excursion 

the right way ...

and headed down the street to the

Brooklyn Winery,

which I had heard mixed reviews about.

We're glad we didn't go by them

because we found the place cozy,

the wine pretty good,

and the cheeseboard and olive plate 

the perfect way to end such a wonderful day.

Feel free to leave tales of your own 

Brooklyn adventures below in the comments,

or drop suggestions of your favorite spots to visit.

I'll definitely be back soon,

so myself (and other readers) would love 

to hear about your favorite spots too!

Til next time...

xo,