retracing my steps

i recently took a saturday to re-explore my neighborhood.  i left my cell phone home and allowed myself to flit around the area.  i used to spend nearly every weekend just *shmiring around aimlessly.  for some reason  i hadn't taken myself around williamsburg in many a month and just had the urge one day... so i bundled up and set out to some of my favorite haunts.  if you happen to be local (ie. em, when you come to visit), i suggest you plan to stop at these 3 spots (and sorry in advance for the dark photography. the mood lighting in all of these venues made adequate picture-snappin a bit tough...)

MAST BROTHERS CHOCOLATE

my favorite variety of chocolate in this shop is the Fleur de Sel but you really can't go wrong with any of their interesting flavor combinations.  i inquired about their hot chocolate and one of their chocolatiers told me it was "in the works."  if my chocoholic sister manages to come out this weekend i will definitely make a point of going back to investigate the results of their experiments.  i can't imagine a bad result and i promise to report back...

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THE ART LIBRARY

this is simply an exceptionally well-curated "art book," handmade-journal, letterpress, and stationary store.  their goods are stunning... i wish i could spend a day in this shop either flipping through their "art books" or writing in any of their notebooks.  and their "art books" well, they're something to behold.  you have to go check out these items in person to truly understand how exceptional they are...

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MOON RIVER CHATTEL

a good friend and i used to pronounce the name of this magnificent mercantile with a french accent.  and then we were corrected.  it was embarrassing.  yes, once we learned that it was pronounced chattle rather than shhhaaa-telle we felt rather foolish.  however, to this day, when I think of this store and the refined selection of bath, kitchen, bedding, life, happiness wares sold here, i cannot bring myself to say its name without the french affect.  the goods, both antique and new, are too stunning.  to say the name of this store accurately would simply be too sad and everyday.  so here, dear friend, is moon river shhhhhhhaaaaa-ttttellle.  sorry the picture is so epically dark... it really is such a lovely hole in the wall!

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*(ps - translation: shmiring = yiddish for checking out, perusing, window-shopping, tooling around...)

xxa