The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz is seriously my favorite book ever. It actually has been for quite a few years now. I end up going back to it all the time(physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually) – and I truly believe if  I master it, I will experience freedom and joy beyond my wildest dreams. I truly, highly recommend it! It’s straight up a must-have!  Oh and just to get you revved up, here is a quick synopsis of the  agreements:

1. Be Impeccable With Your Word: Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.

2. Don’t Take Anything Personally: Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.

3. Don’t Make Assumptions: Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness, and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.

4. Always Do Your Best: Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse, and regret.

(Go get it NOW!!! no – really – NOW!)

This morning (and most mornings) I intend to start the day like this:

But I usually end up doing this:

(p.s. -Don’t you just love the blood-orange curtains against the crisp white down?…ummm! Just looking at it makes me want to hop back in bed – lol…)

So last Sunday, my friend Nadja had her ‘Cupcakes & Cocktails’ event…a hit!!! All the cupcakes you can think of including ones to peak your interest…hence- strawberry margarita cupcakes, pina colada cupcakes(pictured above w/ umbrellas) and my holiday favorite – sweet potato cupcakes!!! Yum!!! Hurry up and get your order in before Oprah gets a hold of her … www.cupcakesbynadja.com

Most days I wake up feeling…well, just wanting – no- NEEDING to just relax! I really need to figure out how to do what I love, live a stress free life and just be happy….In the meantime,  I’ll take the tub above (as is), myself, a flute of champagne with Maxwell (1st cd) as the backdrop…no disruptions…

What’s a great weekend without a mouthwatering meal and a decadent bottle of liquid indulgence to follow… Well here’s a list of some good restaurants that respect the fact that sometimes you just want to bring your own damn bottle! Enjoy your weekend!

A Cafe & Wine Room – BYO w/ no corkage fee

Alto — BYO w/ no corkage fee

Apiary — No corkage fee on Monday nights

Baoguette / Baoguette Cafe — BYO w/ no corkage fee

Bar Blanc Bistro — No corkage fee on Sunday nights

Beacon — No corkage fee on Sunday nights

Broadway East — No corkage fee on Sunday and Monday nights.

Cafe Himalaya (aka, Himalayan Cafe) – BYO w/ no corkage fee

Cherin Sushi – BYO w/ no corkage fee

Chow Bar — BYO w/ $10 corkage fee

Cipolla Rossa — BYO w/ no corkage fee

Cipriani Downtown — BYO w/ no corkage fee

El Parador — No corkage fee on Monday nights and 20% off any bottle on the list

Houston’s — BYO w/ no corkage fee at both locations

Joe’s Shanghai — BYO w/ no corkage fee at both locations

La Palapa West — BYO w/ $10 corkage fee

La Sirène Bistro : BYO w/ no corkage  fee (cash only)

Megu: BYO w/ no corkage fee on Tuesday nights

The Modern — No corkage fee on Sunday nights

The Orchard – No corkage on Sunday nights

Palacio Azteca — BYO w/ no corkage fee

Philip Marie — BYO w/ $7 corkage fee

San Marzano Pizzeria — BYO w/ no corkage fee

Square Meal — BYO w/ $2 corkage fee

Tabla — BYO w/ no corkage fee on first 2 bottles, $25 each additional bottle

Tadka – BYO w/ no corkage fee

Tribeca Grill – No corkage fee on Monday nights

Union Square Cafe — BYO w/ $10 corkage fee

Via dei Mille — BYO w/ $10 corkage fee

Wo Hop — it’s BYO w/ no corkage at this Chinatown spot know for it’s late night/early morning dining

Yama – BYO w/ $10 corkage fee

AND HERE ARE THE USUAL SUSPECTS ON THE BYO SCENE:

Panna II Indian Restaurant (East Village)

Cube 63 (Lower East Side)

Tartine (West Village)

Peking Duck House (Chinatown)

Poke (Upper East Side)

Ivo & Lulu (Soho)

Gazala Place (Midtown West)

Sticky Rice (Lower East Side)

Bellini (Upper West Side)

Persimmon Kimchi House (East Village)

Sigiri Sri Lanka Restaurant (East Village)

Nook (Hell’s Kitchen)

Di Fara Pizza (Brooklyn)

Kuma Inn (Lower East Side) $5

Grand Sichuan (Various Locations) $5 but only if they don’t have your bottle on their list

Zaytoons (Brooklyn)

Coffee shop + gorgeous bar =  Arlo and Esme. This bi-level establishment, former home to the East Village Yacht Club, serves as a coffee shop by day. This easy, breezy space has open windows, free WIFI so you can just chill and sip on one the of best hand roasted coffees ever . And at night, the upstairs café becomes a wine bar. But the real surprise is downstairs – it’s like a fly ass basement party  with exposed brick, a pool room, Mrs. Pacman machine and some cool, sexy dungeon style spaces to just do whatever! Go there Friday(not Saturday) after work and go w/ some cool people(not really the spot you meet new people at but I mean hey – you never know.) The DJ is better than I thought and really vibes off the crowd…If you were thinking of where to your next birthday party or just needed a spot to set off the night before going to your main destination – check this spot out…42 east 1st Street(between 1st/2nd ave.)

Avocado. Mozzarella. French bread. Basil. Tomato….and an appetite for delicious food. That’s all you need for this quick sandwich…tell me what you think…

1/2 of a French baguette sliced in 1/2
1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced
1 large vine-ripened tomatoes, sliced thin
Coarse salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
Fresh Mozzarella Cheese, sliced thin
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Fresh ground black pepper

Preheat oven broiler to high. Under the broiler, toast the bread halves on a baking sheet until golden brown. Remove from oven.

Top each piece of bread with sliced avocados and sliced tomatoes; lightly salt the tomatoes.

Sprinkle chopped basil leaves over the tomatoes. Put a layer of mozzarella cheese over the basil, sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese, and top with black pepper.

Broil prepared French bread halves for approximately 2 to 3 minutes or until cheese has melted. Remove from oven and enjoy!

(Wired) New Details Revealed of Music Industry Plan to OK P2P: Details of a controversial plan to make money from music piracy are beginning to emerge.

Spearheaded by Warner Music Group, the plan aims to get internet service providers to pay a few dollars per user per month into a fund that would then be divided among rights holders. The scheme would essentially give P2P users a get-out-of-jail-free card for file sharing activity.

Wired.com has learned that industry consultant Jim Griffin, hired by Warner to implement the idea, has already set up an independent company to act as a digital-rights clearinghouse. Griffin’s company would be like an ASCAP for the internet, collecting fees from ISPs and – to continue reading article click - (source)