Handmade Candy That Will Make Your Mouth Water

I've heard great things about the handmade candy company Liddabit Sweets in New York, but in the past they were only sold at the Brooklyn Flea Market, so I had no way to order and send to friends because I live in LA. I just realized that they now have an online sweet shop, so you can buy online for yourself or if your boss wants to send a unique sweet treat. One of the gift collections they sell called The Kitchen Sink sounds really amazing and includes: the Lime-In-The-Coconut Bar, the PB&J Bar, 6-packs of Sea Salt, Chocolate-Sea Salt, and Beer & Pretzel Caramels, bags of their Milk Chocolate Honeycomb candy and Pecan-Brown Sugar Brittle, 4-packs of their Apple-Maple and Barley Tea-Honey Lollipops and even a few other bars. Take a minute to check them out.

An Idea That Bloomed This Morning

Okay, I know the title is cheesy, but I slept badly, so try and let it go. I was thinking this morning about flowers for some reason, so I thought I would share with you my favorite place in LA and a few others. This is one gift category that I have many resources for, but really tend to utilize very few. If I find a vendor I like and trust I say why go elsewhere. Here's the info on my favorite florist and two others just to be fair:

A couple of years back my amazingly knowledgeable friend Michele Craig (who was once personal assistant) told me about Petals by David and I haven't looked back since. Before that time, I had been using the preferred florists of various bosses with mixed results. David is great because he can do many different styles and work within a wide range of different price points. My favorite thing that he does is a mix of Hydrangea and Roses because it looks lush and elegant. I have never had a bad experience using him and he's also very nice. His work is always beautiful and not super over the top (although if you asked for that I'm sure he could do it). Check out the website for arrangement and event flower samples, but keep in mind he's flexible and can work with what you want.

I didn't think it was fair to only list my one favorite and not give the posting any depth, so here's a good New York Florist option and one other florist in LA I've heard lots of things about:

I've been reading about and hearing of Eric Buterbaugh for many years. It's amazing that in this town even when there a many vendors that do something only a few names come up again and again. I've heard great things and the pictures on his website show the range of his work - from more architectural to just simple and sophisticated. I think that for his signature more artistic stuff you have to have a big budget, but after viewing the site I did see some more streamlined options at a reasonable price point. You can view a variety of samples at his site.

For some reason the employers I have had in the past few years don't often do flowers in NYC. I always have ended up doing wine, gourmet food baskets and sweet treats. When I think of New York and flowers I often think of a florist that one of my prior employers loved that always hit it out of the park and that is ZeZe Flowers. This place isn't really for the budget conscious, but if you are ordering for client from a boss that's not always the biggest factor. I think they can do things in a lower price range, but to get what they are known for you are looking at a higher cost. Their website also has some samples to view.

I know I could have made this list really long and listed every popular florist on both coasts, but I thought it would be more useful if I pointed out a special few.

Update on NYC Cupcakes

A week or so ago I did a post regarding cupcakes in New York and my opinion on who I thought was best. Today New York Magazine reviewed a bunch of different cupcake places in NY and here are the results. Check it out.

Magnolia Schmagnolia

I have said again and again that sending the same thing from the place everyone uses is boring and kind of predictable, so every so often I'm going to do a posting to suggest an alternative to a generally accepted place everyone likes. Today the subject is cupcakes in NYC! People love Magnolia Bakery and since Sex and the City made them even more famous, that's the only place people think of for cupcakes in New York. One place I like even better that also delivers (via courier) is Sugar Sweet Sunshine Bakery. At least check out the website and maybe next time you need to do a sweet food gift in NYC, give them a shot. You won't regret it.

Sleepwalk With Him

These days I keep hearing more and more about comedian Mike Birbiglia. He was on Craig Ferguson last week, he's been on NPR and there's clips of him all over You Tube. He has a one man show in NYC that's getting raves called Sleepwalk With Me (Nathan Lane produces). He has a very particular style that's kind of hard to explain, so just watch one of the clips. Basically he tells lots of stories about his life in a very unique, fresh and fun way. It's always good to be aware about people that are starting to break out in a big way. Mike's been around for a bit, but he seems to be on track for becoming an even bigger star.

If At 71 Jane Fonda Isn't Afraid of Change, You Shouldn't Be Either

If you're going to be in NYC or you have a boss who will be visiting, the best suggestion you can give him/her to do while they are there is to go see 33 Variations starring Jane Fonda. It's the first time in 46 years that she's been on Broadway. In addition to that scary feat, she's also blogging and on twitter. Considering that she was a bit of a Luddite before (by her own admission), it's amazing to me that she is jumping in head first to all of these challenges at once. The other extraordinary thing is how honest and refreshing the blog is for a celebrity. She talks openly about her fears. If she can dive in head first to all of those changes at 71, we all better check ourselves before we complain about learning something new or branching out no matter how scary it seems. When you want to stay in your little comfortable box and not try new things, remind yourself what an inspiration she is, suck it up and move forward like a champ. Jane would.

Unusual Finds of the Week

I keep reading about these tiny cupcakes from Baked By Melissa in NYC. They are tiny (around the size of a quarter) and come in wacky flavors like Smores, Cookie Dough and PB&J. You have to order a minimum of 100 and that will run you about $90. They seem ideal if you want to send a larger size food gift or want to have a unique sweet treat at a party. For now, these are New York only. Read more info about them here.

Another interesting item I saw this week is this adorable sweater from Oeuf that has mittens attached. If you live where it's cold or have to give a baby gift to someone who does, it's a chic and practical idea.