NEW YORK CITY GUIDE: THREE BROADWAY PLAYS I SAW AND LOVED

So far my New York City Guide has consisted entirely of brunch spots (most of which are just as good for lunch, dinner, etc.). Now I love brunch as much as the next girl (read: a lot)  but I'm pretty excited to have more daylight hours in which to photograph my favorite spots for cocktails, dinner, and dessert throughout the spring and summer. Totally worth the lost hour of sleep, right? Right.

But today I'm switching gears entirely and sharing a must for any proper NYC guide: Broadway! My sister Reilly studied theater in college so our family has always loved musicals and plays — and I'm no exception. I wrote "see three Broadway plays" on my new 101 in 1001 list and I was able to cross it off this past weekend! (Though I'll definitely see more within the next ~2 years!) I thought I'd share what we saw and what I loved about each in case any of you are planning a trip or just a local looking for a recommendation!

Beautiful

My boyfriend's parents gave us tickets to Beautiful for Christmas and neither one of us was sure what to expect. And we loved it! We didn't know much about Carole King going into it (and were definitely the youngest couple there!) but we recognized way more songs than we thought we would and ended the night dancing to "I Feel The Earth Move" with the rest of the audience. If you want to hear killer singing and walk away feeling totally inspired to immediately download every one of Carole King's songs, this one's for you.

Recommended for: bringing your parents (you'll love it as much as they do)

The Book of Mormon

One boyfriend, two Broadway shows in one month. He's a trooper! I gave him tickets to The Book of Mormon for Valentine's Day after my sister declared it the funniest show she's ever seen. It's written by the creators of the show South Park so it's hilariously inappropriate. The dance numbers are seriously catchy and the entire audience was in stitches for the whole play. 

Recommended for: girlfriends, siblings, and significant others (probably not your adorably conservative grandparents!)

The Lion King

My Christmas present to my mom and sister and definitely my favorite of the three. All I can say is whoa. The costumes were out of this world and the child actors literally took my breath away. The opening scene gave all three of us goosebumps — there really are no words. The singing wasn't as powerful as, say, Beautiful but the choreography, lighting, and special effects were extraordinary. If you only see one show this year, this gets my vote.

Recommended for: kids and kids-at-heart (everyone!)

- - - 

Next on my list? I've heard great things about Matilda (I loved the movie growing up!). Have you seen any Broadway shows lately? What's your all-time favorite?

So far my New York City Guide has consisted entirely of brunch spots (most of which are just as good for lunch, dinner, etc.). Now I love brunch as much as the next girl (read: a lot)  but I'm pretty excited to have more daylight hours in which to photograph my favorite spots for cocktails, dinner, and dessert throughout the spring and summer. Totally worth the lost hour of sleep, right? Right.

But today I'm switching gears entirely and sharing a must for any proper NYC guide: Broadway! My sister Reilly studied theater in college so our family has always loved musicals and plays — and I'm no exception. I wrote "see three Broadway plays" on my new 101 in 1001 list and I was able to cross it off this past weekend! (Though I'll definitely see more within the next ~2 years!) I thought I'd share what we saw and what I loved about each in case any of you are planning a trip or just a local looking for a recommendation!

Beautiful

My boyfriend's parents gave us tickets to Beautiful for Christmas and neither one of us was sure what to expect. And we loved it! We didn't know much about Carole King going into it (and were definitely the youngest couple there!) but we recognized way more songs than we thought we would and ended the night dancing to "I Feel The Earth Move" with the rest of the audience. If you want to hear killer singing and walk away feeling totally inspired to immediately download every one of Carole King's songs, this one's for you.

Recommended for: bringing your parents (you'll love it as much as they do)

The Book of Mormon

One boyfriend, two Broadway shows in one month. He's a trooper! I gave him tickets to The Book of Mormon for Valentine's Day after my sister declared it the funniest show she's ever seen. It's written by the creators of the show South Park so it's hilariously inappropriate. The dance numbers are seriously catchy and the entire audience was in stitches for the whole play. 

Recommended for: girlfriends, siblings, and significant others (probably not your adorably conservative grandparents!)

The Lion King

My Christmas present to my mom and sister and definitely my favorite of the three. All I can say is whoa. The costumes were out of this world and the child actors literally took my breath away. The opening scene gave all three of us goosebumps — there really are no words. The singing wasn't as powerful as, say, Beautiful but the choreography, lighting, and special effects were extraordinary. If you only see one show this year, this gets my vote.

Recommended for: kids and kids-at-heart (everyone!)

- - - 

Next on my list? I've heard great things about Matilda (I loved the movie growing up!). Have you seen any Broadway shows lately? What's your all-time favorite?

APARTMENT "BEFORE" PHOTOS

I can be a bit of a perfectionist which is why it's tempting for me to only show you the "after" photos from any given project, particularly my first apartment. But it took me months to get it looking like that and I thought it would be fun and different to share more of the decorating process with you this time around. So here it is: my new apartment as it looked when I moved in a week ago!

Here's what I'm loving:

1. When it came time to choose between a studio in my favorite neighborhood and a one-bedroom in a neighborhood I didn't love quite as much, I opted for living in a studio again. This one is a tiny bit bigger than my last place and I'm already so happy with my new neighborhood. It will be even better come spring and summer!

2. The hardwood floors. 

3. The kitchen is way nicer than the one in my last place. Incentive to cook!

4. The window trim. My last apartment was pretty much devoid of any architectural detail (so I added my own with pieces like this mirror and the pelmet boxes!).

5. The little alcove for the fridge. The fridge in my last place was kind of in the middle of the living room (to the right of the sofa) so I like that it's a little less in the way here.

6. The light. This is so, so important when you work from home!

A few challenges:

1. A few of the less expensive pieces (think Ikea) from my first apartment got pretty banged up during my first year in New York and the move. Think chips on the tabletop, dings on the bookshelves, etc. It's not realistic for me to try to replace everything at once so I'm referring to my own advice and keeping an eye out for replacement pieces from Craigslist, family members, etc. And I think I'm going to find a table skirt for my round dining table — a way to totally update the look (and hide the chipping paint) without spending a fortune. I'll keep you posted!

2. The layout is almost exactly the same as my last apartment. I tried to avoid this when I was looking at apartments but this layout really does have very little "dead space" and accommodates all my furniture well. That said, I really want to move things around so it feels different to me (since I spend so much time here!) and so it photographs differently when I am eventually ready to share the finished product. 

So that's where you come in: what would you do with this space? Color palettes, furniture layouts, pieces to add or subtract from my last place? I'm all ears!!!

I can be a bit of a perfectionist which is why it's tempting for me to only show you the "after" photos from any given project, particularly my first apartment. But it took me months to get it looking like that and I thought it would be fun and different to share more of the decorating process with you this time around. So here it is: my new apartment as it looked when I moved in a week ago!

Here's what I'm loving:

1. When it came time to choose between a studio in my favorite neighborhood and a one-bedroom in a neighborhood I didn't love quite as much, I opted for living in a studio again. This one is a tiny bit bigger than my last place and I'm already so happy with my new neighborhood. It will be even better come spring and summer!

2. The hardwood floors. 

3. The kitchen is way nicer than the one in my last place. Incentive to cook!

4. The window trim. My last apartment was pretty much devoid of any architectural detail (so I added my own with pieces like this mirror and the pelmet boxes!).

5. The little alcove for the fridge. The fridge in my last place was kind of in the middle of the living room (to the right of the sofa) so I like that it's a little less in the way here.

6. The light. This is so, so important when you work from home!

A few challenges:

1. A few of the less expensive pieces (think Ikea) from my first apartment got pretty banged up during my first year in New York and the move. Think chips on the tabletop, dings on the bookshelves, etc. It's not realistic for me to try to replace everything at once so I'm referring to my own advice and keeping an eye out for replacement pieces from Craigslist, family members, etc. And I think I'm going to find a table skirt for my round dining table — a way to totally update the look (and hide the chipping paint) without spending a fortune. I'll keep you posted!

2. The layout is almost exactly the same as my last apartment. I tried to avoid this when I was looking at apartments but this layout really does have very little "dead space" and accommodates all my furniture well. That said, I really want to move things around so it feels different to me (since I spend so much time here!) and so it photographs differently when I am eventually ready to share the finished product. 

So that's where you come in: what would you do with this space? Color palettes, furniture layouts, pieces to add or subtract from my last place? I'm all ears!!!

OUTFIT: KATE SPADE TRENCH

Kate Spade trench (also available here)  //  MiH sweater c/o  //  Rag & Bone jeans

Kate Spade bag c/o (available at the Madison Avenue flagship, similar bag here)  //  Kate Spade boots

Say hello to my new favorite item of clothing: this killer navy trench from Kate Spade. It was literally love at first sight. I spotted it at their flagship store, tried it on, and just couldn't leave the store without it. I knew it was exactly the kind of classic piece my closet would thank me for. Luckily I had a gift card to make it a little more affordable — and luckily for you, it's now on sale! I'm telling you: this is the perfect jacket for spring and fall. It cinches at the waist for a super flattering shape and has the cutest bow detail on the back of the collar... Yup, it's definitely love!

*Rebecca Dale Photography

Kate Spade trench (also available here)  //  MiH sweater c/o  //  Rag & Bone jeans

Kate Spade bag c/o (available at the Madison Avenue flagship, similar bag here)  //  Kate Spade boots

Say hello to my new favorite item of clothing: this killer navy trench from Kate Spade. It was literally love at first sight. I spotted it at their flagship store, tried it on, and just couldn't leave the store without it. I knew it was exactly the kind of classic piece my closet would thank me for. Luckily I had a gift card to make it a little more affordable — and luckily for you, it's now on sale! I'm telling you: this is the perfect jacket for spring and fall. It cinches at the waist for a super flattering shape and has the cutest bow detail on the back of the collar... Yup, it's definitely love!

*Rebecca Dale Photography