After a few weeks of working and staying in NYC some pops of spunk have come out in me. If work takes me downtown, I find myself in a lively area where all of the young-ins spend time shopping for high waisted jeans at popular designer stores.  I think I really like that part of town and wonder how it would feel to live in an area with clothing shops outside of my door, cafes with good cappuccino or pressed juices nearby and Crate and Barrel staring me dead in the face. It’s a real weakness of mine; shopping for interesting glassware, bowls and ceramic plates that could capture some unique recipe or morsel of food. I love collecting “props” that are within my budget. I love all types of glasses, plates, silverware, place mats and fabric, and I now find use for things I would have considered ugly at age fifteen. Finding Crate and Barrel sure was an accident, but I have been wanting to check this store out after having heard so many people talk about it and seen so many fabulous uses of their products. To my surprise, the store offered very simple and classic items that are priced smartly and can be used for most occasions. I meandered around the glassware section for a good while telling myself not to put too many items into my basket. Tall lanky stems, wide rims, shooters, and  glass mugs… I fantasized of a place for all of them in my imaginary dream home. That’s what these stores do to me.  

After much contemplation, I settled for something petite and multipurpose, in a set of two, of course. My mom once caught me buying one of something and encouraged me to change my one-sided thought of only using a glass or bowl as a prop.  Such items should be purchased in sets and placed into kitchen cabinet circulation. I think my favorite use for this pair of Crate and Barrel glasses will be something bright and crisp such as a grapefruit and mint cocktail.  I don’t remember the last time I tasted a Mojito, but I will use similar ingredients here. Grapefruit, lime simple syrup, muddled peppermint and rum poured over crushed ice in my new, dainty glasses. A little brown sugar hazelnut brittle for some extra crunch too. Not only interesting to the eye, but the sweet, citrus, refreshing scents of summer appeal to the olfactory senses. I just knew I would find the perfect use of the glasses that I happily skipped off with at the end of my Crate and Barrel shopping excursion.