Cancelled Flights

Photo from here.

It has been crazy this morning!

Flights cancelled due to snowstorms in the midwest. Re-booking like crazy. I think I'll get out tomorrow morning, assuming I can wake up at 4:15 a.m. and make it to JFK by 6 a.m. . Oy, I'm a bit nervous about that.

But I have one extra day today in the city! Going to do this D-I-Y art project and finish some Christmas shopping. And strategize the JFK trip. Any tips?

A Date

Photo from here.

Today is my last day in the city before heading home for Christmas.

I'm not quite ready to leave yet. I know I've done a view odes to New York during the holidays but wow, there is really nothing like it.

I'll be finishing up holiday shopping in Chinatown and the Upper West Side. Tonight, I have a date with the man who's holding my heart these days. He asked that we deliver a turkey dinner to a family in need rather than see "A Christmas Story" on Broadway.

Yes, my dear, we can do that.

Holidays In NYC With My Best Girls

My momma and best friend flew in last weekend for a few days of heavy holiday spirit. We packed in the Rockettes, ice skating at Rockefeller Center, seeing Natalie Hill in The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, the windows at Macy's, Bergdorf's, pedicabs, walking through the holiday markets, cheesecake at Magnolia Bakery, FAO Schwartz, late night laughing and certainly a dozen other things I'm forgetting at the moment.

I'm thankful for these women, that they would pause their lives to come see me. In the midst of tragedy in Connecticut, I tried to soak up every minute with these two. Enjoying their company, their goodness. I continually had a prayer in my heart of gratitude.

How I miss them.

Handmade Ornaments

Photo from here.

The New York City streets are lined with Christmas trees. No tree lots here. I'd trade the usual smell of exhaust and garbage for the smell of pine any day! I did a little write up on the BEST handmade ornaments this season has to offer for Gallant & Jones. You can see what I found here.

Writing that post and smelling the trees makes me miss having a tree of my own. This is the first Christmas in years that I haven't had one. Somewhere in the attic in Denver is a small collection of ornaments I shared with my ex. I can't wait to iron out the wrinkles in my favorite tree skirt and hang those ornaments once again. I was worried when I packed them away last year that using them again would be too painful. Now? I can't wait. They are, after all, a part of my story.

Park Avenue Armory

On Saturday, my girlfriend Kelsea invited me to walk through the park to the Upper East Side and check out the Park Avenue Armory's current exhibit, The Event of a Thread by Ann Hamilton. I couldn't turn it down.

The Park Avenue Armory hosts unconventional art and design in its 55,000 square foot hall. The Hamilton exhibit was SO much fun. The hall is divided in half by a gorgeous silk curtain. On each side of the curtain, there are a series of swings for guests to swing on. As each swing moves, the curtain sways. Several attendees would lay down beneath the curtain to watch it flutter as everyone else would swing.

It was totally worth putting off studying for my law & ethics final exam.

Well & Good NYC Event

I spent Thursday evening at the Holiday Beauty Soiree put on by ABC Home and WellandGoodNYC.com. Several local business owners, including Tracie Martyn, a celebrity facialist, offered free services and showcased their product lines.

I was excited to finally check out ABC Home as I had heard so much about it. It lived up to all the hype. I'm still dreaming of the grey tufted sofa in the basement....

This place setting by Jan Burtz is perfection.

Thank you ABC Home and WellAndGoodNYC.com for hosting! Such a beautiful evening.

How New York City Does The Holidays

Typically, I'm the girl who is playing her Pandora holiday station well before Thanksgiving. This holiday season, however, has been different. WHEN DID THE CHRISTMAS GET HERE?! I have been so busy with school that I haven't been able to pay two seconds of my time to the magic that is the holiday season. Over the past weekend, I was determined to fix this.

I dashed down to Rockefeller Plaza Friday night to meet the boy and gander at the tree, along with hundreds of tourists. Everyone was so thrilled to be there. It was beautiful.

On Saturday night, I went to my church's Christmas concert. Oh. My. Goodness. Seeing that I live in Manhattan, the concert was comprised of Broadway stars, Juilliard-trained vocalists and even Desirae Brown-Luch of The Five Browns, who played Ave Maria with her husband on the violin. I'm not sure church concerts will ever top Saturday night. Magnolia Bakery's hot chocolate preceded the concert, Cafe Lalo followed it. I love New York.

Now it's back into the madness of graduate school. Only two more weeks left in the semester! Oh my gosh. Only two more weeks left in the semester?!?! Cue panic.

Breezy Point, Queens. Post-Sandy

All photos taken on an iPhone 4s.

Election Day

Photo from here.

"We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature."
-Abraham Lincoln

It's been a rocky campaign season from my perspective. America seems more divided than ever. Stuck on pointing fingers. Saying nasty comments about another person's presidential preference. I think we have two good men on the ballot today. Regardless of who wins, the bi-partisinship can start with us. Let us not be enemies, but friends.

Back From Sandy

Headed out for a few more Diet Cokes before Sandy hit.

Hi folks.

So we were hit by a hurricane.

While I came out relatively unscathed on the Upper West Side, most of the city wasn't so lucky.

I ventured down to Lower Manhattan the day after Sandy came and went. You can see a few of my photos from the adventure here. From what I understand, Staten Island and portions of Queens are in shambles.

Today, my life returns to (somewhat) normal as I head back into the classroom for the first time in 10 days. For many, however, normal isn't coming back for a long while, if ever.

Yesterday, Mayor Bloomberg said money is most needed in recovery efforts as so many New Yorkers have stepped up with food and clothing donations. Even if it's only a few bucks, it helps. You can donate here.

Oxblood Cords

I have three really tough things to do this week. But if I get them done, I earn myself a sweet prize for the weekend (TBA). So we're going to power on through wearing these oxblood cords (color of the season!) I bought at Uniqlo over the weekend.

And did you know Uniqlo hems pants for free? Picking them up this afternoon.

This post over at Mara's blog is tugging at my heart a little bit this morning. 

Being Happy Regardless

A peaceful early morning on the UWS.

It's 6:30 a.m. and this is the first "free" time I have had in days! Hunting down sources, classes, Final Cut Pro training, church, date, homework....Folks, I am exhausted. Yet every time I open my mouth to complain, I can't. I just can't. I am so thankful to be in graduate school. I am so thrilled to be living in Manhattan. I'm living my dream. There is nothing to complain about there.

I have been giving thought the past few days to this talk from a recent church event. Being happy despite external circumstances. My grandpa used to say "Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it." Last year was probably the first time in my life where I could have easily resigned myself to a state of depression and no one would have judged. Now I had my hard days, they are documented here. But I also realized early on that I could not change my ex-husband's mind to leave. The only control I had over the situation was control over myself, my reactions, my life, from the moment that apartment door shut.

So I surrounded myself with positive people, bought myself lipstick, and truly found joy in the journey. My mother used to have a little countdown for me and my move to New York because she thought that was when my life would start again. But you guys? It never stopped! Days were not waisted in despair and that year turned out to be one of the best in my life.

Are you being faced with crummy circumstances? How have you found happiness in less than ideal times?

Ramblings About Identity

It has been a tougher week this week! But I'm surviving and am only days away from an amazing weekend of edification and inspiration from speakers in my church in an event named General Conference. You can watch too, here! Let me tell you, I so need this weekend.

I have become increasingly terrified of losing myself. Or perhaps I've already lost myself? Or am in process? I don't think any of the above is in fact true, but it's been on my mind this week.

I feel like through our toughest moments, we come to understand who we really are. What we are really capable of. It provides this amazing driving force that takes down fears and embraces new opportunities. I loved that. It made the hard times of last year completely worth it and in fact, I think last year's experience was essential to my growth. I'm grateful for that experience of divorce. Truly 100% grateful.

But I'm on to a new chapter now. I'm in a new city, doing new things, dating new people, making new friends. And I have become so terrified but losing that grip on who I really am. I feel like unless I treat myself so carefully and don't let anyone in, I can protect that identity. I think the former part of that sentence is okay. It's the latter part that is hard. Not letting anyone in? Is that what I really want? Is that the only way to keep a firm understanding and hold on the power of identity?

There's a taste of my Thursday morning....Off to yoga...

Jimmy Fallon: Proof Is In The Pudding

Yes! That's me shaking J. Fall's hand!

And there I am again....creepily staring from afar.

Jimmy Fallon

Last fall, when everything seemed so despairing, Jimmy Fallon kept me laughing.

Every day at work, I would turn to an episode from Hulu while typing away. I'd try and hold in my laughs but I have no doubt that surrounding cubes could hear me cracking up. This clip will always be a favorite.

Yesterday, I dashed over from school to watch a taping of the show. It felt so surreal! At the end, I was able to shake his hand while inside I wanted to shout "THANK YOU for keeping me laughing during those months!"

My love affair with this city and all it holds continues....

Fall Trend: The Jean Jacket

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One of the strongest fall trends that I am seeing on every block is the jean jacket. It's a must-have item here in New York and something I need to get my hands on stat. I love the look when it's paired with a dress or even leggings, flats, and a tee for a stroll around the park.

Where I Crave To Be Still

This is going to be one of those honest, rambling type of posts.

I love the hustle and bustle of this city. Not a day goes by that I don't find myself saying outloud "I just LOVE New York." The architecture, (most of) the people, the parks, the food, oh my word, the FOOD! It's all here. I've never felt so strongly that I am exactly where I am supposed to be.

People talk about the things that happen in a New York minute and it's so true. Most days I feel like I have lived a week. It can be exciting to see what I've overcome in a day, but this past weekend was the first time that I felt like the floor was speeding up and starting to slip out from under me. Between class, homework, exercise, errands, friends, interviews, dating, and whatever else sneaks into my life on a day-to-day basis, I find myself struggling to find alone time to just "be." Suddenly it's 11:45 p.m. and it's the first time I've had to sit still all day.

I love that I had back-to-back interviews today throughout the city with such interesting people. I love those New York moments I find myself having, dashing to the subway with bagel in hand or interviewing sources at a bustling TriBeCa dance studio. I wouldn't trade this for anything. But I do crave moments of stillness, and I am learning by experience that those don't come in the city that never sleeps unless you earnestly seek them out.

 

San Gennaro

Little Italy. San Gennaro Festival. Fried Oreos.

That's all you need to know.