Freehand Glitter

Archway Cafe

I love exploring cafes in my neighbourhood and Archway is my latest discovery from this past weekend! The café is located right by the archway of the Manhattan Bridge in Dumbo - hence its name. I really love this neighbourhood and all the little shops around here! 

I was surprised to step into a bar / grill because I realize now that I had looked up their (old) website which showed a coffee shop (not bar!). Regardless, I was welcomed immediately and had the whole space to myself! Archway's menu is pretty extensive with brunch, lunch and dinner options as well as a full bar. They offer all kinds of coffee as well made with Colombe beans and a variety of tea.

I chose a small table on the first floor and ordered a cappuccino to sip while catching up on some reading. The coffee was excellent and it was nice and relaxing. I'm sure the vibe is very different in the evening but this was perfect for a Sunday afternoon. 

I'd recommend this spot for a drink or dinner! The coffee would be delicious as a night cap after a meal too! I'll definitely be back for happy hour and a meal! 

Classic Pink

My favourite classic pink is Romantique by CND. It was also my wedding colour! Such a classic and neutral pink that will never go out of style in my opinion! 

Grounds Cafe in New Hampshire

We took advantage of the MLK long weekend last weekend and traveled to New Hampshire for a little getaway and ski trip! We stayed at the cutest little inn called the New London Inn and even got to bring our little fur baby with us! We really enjoyed our morning coffee from Grounds which is the cutest local coffee shop just across the street! 

Grounds is a cozy café offering everything from fresh baked goods to every coffee drink you can imagine. We enjoyed our drip coffees to go but if we were strong enough to brave the -25°C weather, I'm sure we would've enjoyed the outdoor igloo setup! 

I loved the little library setup as well as all of their merchandise for sale! The little gift section was my favourite! If you find yourself planning a trip to Mt. Sunapee, take a little drive to explore New London which is the most adorable town ever! 

Grey Nails with Glitter Accents

Blank Street Coffee

I stumbled upon this adorable mobile café while running errands in Cobble Hill with my cousin! Blank Street was founded in the summer of 2020 and is a mobile café with delicious pastries and coffee. 

They are focused on offering great coffee without the premium and are focusing their investments in better coffee, great baristas, local vendors and ultimately aiming to create better value for their neighbours! It's truly a cute neighbourhood spot!

I had a mulled orange tea which was so delicious and warmed my soul! I want to try to replace this at home with flavoured tea and mulling spices! The barrista also gave us a cinnamon / sugar style pastry on the house and treats for my pup!  

Blank Street has about You can download their app via their website here or check out their 17 locations through Brooklyn and NYC here.

Fun Nails with Negative Space

The Inspiration Photo:

My 2022 Book List

I'm so excited to once again challenge myself to read 50 books this year! Unfortunately I've missed this goal for 2 years in a row now, but I've gotten pretty close! You can follow my book progress over the years here and my Goodreads account here. 

I know I said this last year, but I think THIS YEAR is going to be the year I also make it through the Time Top 100 Novels list! Only 11 more to go and I'll mark those books with a * like previous years!

Do you have any good book recommendations? Drop them in the comments section! 

1. The Marriage Game by Sara Desai

2. The Sheltering Sky by Paul Bowles * 

3. Shiver by Allie Reynolds

4. Deliverance by James Dickey *

5. Smarter Faster Better: The Secrets of Being Productive by Charles Duhigg

6. You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost) by Felicia Day

7. The Assistant by Bernard Malamud *

8. Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert

9. The Sportswriter by Richard Ford *

10. The Confidence Code by Katty Kay

11. Inside the O'Briens by Lisa Genova

12. The Singles Table by Sara Desai

13. A Dance to the Music of Time by Anthony Powell *

14. The Perfect Son by Lauren North

15. If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy

16. At-Swim-Two-Birds by Flann O'Brien *

17. Girl Waits with Gun by Amy Stewart

18. Bold: How to Go Big, Create Wealth and Impact the World by Peter Diamandis and Steven Kotler

19. A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

20. Intimations by Zadie Smith

21. People we Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

22. Under the Net by Irish Murdoch *

23. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

24. Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown

25. The Sot-Weed Factor by John Barth *

26. Cobble Hill by Cecily von Ziegesar

27. Thrive by Arianna Huffington

28. Kitchens of the Great Midwest by Ryan J. Stradal

29. The Sleep Revolution by Arianna Huffington

30. The Recognitions by William Gaddis *

31. A Thousand Miles by Bridget Morrissey

32. The Magnolia Palace by Fiona Davis

33. The Stranger in the Mirror by Liv Constantine

34. Principles: Life and Work by Ray Dalio

35. Cry of the Kalahari by Mark and Delia Owens

36. Did You Ever Have a Family by Bill Clegg

37. Counterfeit by Kirstin Chen

38. Perfect Timing by Owen Nichols

39. Falconer by John Cheever *

40. The Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis

41. The 5am Club by Robin S. Sharma

42. Money by Martin Amis *

43. Pachinko by Lee Min-Jin

44. Whatever You Do, Don't Run: True Tales of a Botswana Safari Guide by Peter Allison

45. Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto

46. Girl at War by Sara Novic

47. Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

48. Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet by Leakan Zea Kemp

49. The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well by Meik Wiking

50. Four Aunties and a Wedding by Jesse Q. Sutanto

51. On Becoming Fearless by Arianna Huffington

52. Writers and Lovers by Lily King

53. Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self-Delusion by Jia Tolentino

54. The High Mountains of Portugal by Yann Martel

New Years Nails

It's official - I'm bringing back Manicure Monday! I loosely followed an inspiration photo and then just went with it for these fun New Years nails! The middle and ring fingers turned into a bow! I loved them and hope you do too! 

2021 Reflections

Another year has come and gone. When I think back to 2021, I think of so many great milestones moments like getting married, buying our first home, and starting a new job! Of course every year has its  challenges, and one of my toughest was saying bye to my sweet grandmother, my nani ji. The only positive was getting to reconnect with family that I hadn't seen in many years.  

While Covid cases peaked and troughed throughout the year, I was happy to be able to finally go back home to visit my family and hometown after almost a year and a half. My big lesson learned is to enjoy life and our time on earth and to stress less. Unless you're as lucky as Nani and get to enjoy 94 years of life, we need to maximize our time by spending it with the people we love, celebrating all of the milestones and doing the things we want to do. I'm so thankful for everything 2021 has taught me and most importantly, to remain grateful despite the curve balls we are thrown.

A few resolutions that I want to share with you for 2022 are to practice gratitude, take care of my (physical and mental) health and well being, and to continue doing the things I love including keeping up with my online community here on Melissa B Social. After taking a year off from blogging, I'm so excited to create new content and dive back into my creative side which fuels my soul.

Thanks for being a part of this journey and I hope you enjoy sharing my favourite things with me! 

Melissa

xoxo