March 30, 2010

My Friend Jen

Jen is one of my good friends. I met Jen through James. Jen is James' best friend's sister. You got it? Good.



Oh, thats not Jen. That's Oscar. Oscar is Jen's cat. You got it? Good.

This is Jen.



Jen has quickly become one of my good friends. She has helped inspire me to kick my blog into high gear, be creative and think! She very well could be one of the smartest women I know--oh and also, shes a riot. If you like to laugh, you should head to Trader Joe's in Brooklyn and search the aisles for Jen. No no, she doesn't live inside the TJ's but she does love to shop there and it is RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM HER APARTMENT. Are you jealous yet? I am.

Speaking of her apartment, I am cat/house/seedling sitting for Jen and her boyfriend Chris since they are heading to Seattle for a little vaca. Not only is their apartment right across the street from TJ's but its a beautiful place in an adorable neighborhood and its mine (and Oscar the cats) for the next few days. Although I am keeping their plants alive and feeding their feline, I kind of feel like they are giving me something--a little vacation of my own.



Oh, those are just the seedlings I am in charge of for a few days. No big deal, they aren't important to her or anything--she only STARTED A BLOG ABOUT THEM! No pressure.

Now, lets just hope that Oscar doesn't jump off the deck and the plants don't all die. Send positive thoughts my way.

You Are What You Eat

A while back (via Jen Beckman) I stumbled upon this pretty interesting photo project by Mark Menjivar called 'You Are What You Eat' and in his own words its, "series of portraits made by examining the interiors of refrigerators in homes across the United States".

Being of the curious fashion, this project totally intrigued me and also made perfect sense. He states, "you are what you eat uncovers truth in the way only photography can, and in doing so, reveals us. looking into the refrigerators sheds light on how we choose to nourish or malnourish ourselves and exposes how connected or disconnected we are to each other, to our bodies, and to the earth." (via here)


Bar Tender, San Antonio, TX, 1 person household, goes to sleep at 8AM and wake up at 4PM daily


Midwife/Middle School Science Teacher, San Antonio, TX 3-Person Household (including dog), First week after deciding to eat locally grown vegetables.


How awesome right? You can see the whole series here.

March 24, 2010

HBO

Do you have HBO? I don't.

Do you wish you had HBO? I do, sometimes.

Luckily, I have a few people in my life who DO have HBO and because of that I found two things that I loved. One is 'Grey Gardens'. A short film with Drew Barrymore (I mean seriously, is she not the coolest chick ever? I'd be friends with her in a second if she'd have me) and Jessica Lange. It's a portrayal of Beale family, a mother and daughter duo--all I can say is watch it and then when your done, YouTube some old footage of the REAL Beale duo and see how insanely similar the movie is to the real thing.





Second is 'In Treatment'. I could talk about this show all day but seriously, if you are curious about people and love good looking older men (see: lead actor Gabriel Bryne)--this show is for you. Granted, its been on for two seasons and each season is about 10 weeks long, 5x a week, 30 min per day. It's a COMMITMENT. Every show is a different one on one therapy session between Gabriel Bryne and his client. I was obsessed. In fact, don't watch this show. It is addicting and if you don't have time but you fall in love with the show you'll stop reading my blog and lets be honest, I could use all the readers I can get.



Enjoy, but don't blame me if your whole weekend is filled with 'In Treatment' On Demand.

March 23, 2010

Day Dreaming

Last year right before graduation James and I had the opportunity to get away for a few days. James' parents have a summer house in Vermont (they have since moved there, to a year round house, permanently) but we were able to sneak up there for a few days in May.

The weather was so beautiful and we sat on the porch swing and drank our tea in the morning. We wandered around the little town and played frisbee in the park.

James collected wood for a few good fires while I discovered my love for puzzles. It was perfect.



We are planning another trip back this summer to visit his family and have a few more relaxing days in the country. Every time I go there I want to move there and buy three horses and raise chickens and plant a garden. I am most certainly a country girl at heart.



(We are also planning another trip for May! More details once I get some finalized..)

March 21, 2010

The Windy City

This past weekend was my long overdue trip to Chicago to visit some family. My entire mother's side lives in the midwest and while we used to get out there much more often, its been a few years since I've been out to visit. I've always identified with the midwest, maybe it runs in my blood a little bit, but it was really great to get out there and to see all my extended fam.



Left work early on Thursday to get to LGA to catch a flight to Chicago.

Have you flown out of LGA? Did you feel like you were in a holding cell in the waiting area? I guess maybe I'm used to big airports but this tiny little terminal had almost no one in it. It took me 25 seconds to get through security and then I sat alone for a long time wondering if I was even in the right spot. Where are the crying babies and the men in suits rushing to catch a flight? It was just me and a couple of teenagers who were keeping busy with their iphones. I was armed with the necessarily supplies for the flight, luckily I packed them, cause there was nothing to be found at the airport!




My Uncle picked me up and the airport and we headed to his lovely home in Naperville. I had just missed a big St. Patty's day party but I managed to snap a picture of a left over decoration. It made me wish I celebrated my irish heritage with a little more than a scone!



We did tons of walking through a gorgeous prairie reserve on Friday and soaked in the sun a bit. It made me totally hate living in this slimy NYC and really wanted to just move into one of the farm houses we passed and drink an iced tea on the porch. Sadly, this isn't my life but maybe one day! I dreamed of horses my whole time there and it was lovely.










I got to visit with a whole group of aunts and uncles and cousins and second cousins! I brought presents for all the babies I had yet to meet (and even a little something for a little one on the way!) Fish fry on Fridays (a little reminder of my catholic school lent following the rules days) but did celebrate the season with my beers.



Woke up Saturday to--SNOW! How did this happen? I have no idea. But NYC was soaking up the vitamin D and I was bundled up with this cute dog and some home made pizza. I got a little NCAA crazy while I was there; quite a bit of basketball. I root for the underdogs most of the time but it was fun to cheer on some midwestern favs.





Sunday snuck up on me and after some shopping (see my four new pairs of shoes! I live in NYC and never buy shoes but travel and buy four pairs? Luckily they fit in my suitcase!) ... and some breakfast (see pancakes, of which I didn't have, but managed to eat almost every other breakfast item available) I was headed back to the big apple.









My trip was great. Not only do I have some amazing family members out in Chicago but its as if I visited all the time. I was instantly part of the family which goes to show you that it doesn't matter how many miles are between people--connections can last.

This trip really reinforced for me the importance of keeping in touch. I gave out my blog address to the family with the hopes that although we aren't neighbors, we can stay more connected.







xo

March 15, 2010

DIY

If I actually DID things that I WANT to do or found time to do them--I'd be doing DIY projects every night. There is something totally satisfying about actually making something and having it be functional and pretty and YOURS!

Look how awesome this 'curtain' is..


via Design*Sponge

SHE MADE THIS!


via Design*Sponge

People, we need to get our creative on. I'm using this as inspiration to get going on some 'room renovations' I've been wanting to check off my list for a while now. You should too.

March 14, 2010

Music Memory

I'm sure it has happened to you. Your driving in your car and manage to turn on the radio at the same time that an old song is playing that reminds you of the afternoons you spent with your dad or a sappy song plays while your shopping at Target and suddenly your crying in the bath mat aisle because you remember that boy that broke your heart.

Its kind of wild how a song or an album can bring you back to a place so vividly and quickly--flooding you with memories of those exact moments.

Admittedly I don't have that great of a memory. Truly, I barely remember the ending to most movies or books I've read but music is another story. I find myself bopping along (embarrassingly enough) to songs and smiling thinking of a memory that fits inside the melody.

There is one album that will always remind me of the winter/spring/early summer of last year. Not only has it become one of my most favorite collection of songs but it reminds me of cold mornings spent tucked away in the woods with a sweet little baby.


Camera Obscura--Let's Get Out of This Country

Last year I was lucky enough to take care of a teeny baby for a few months while living in CT. She, and her family, turned out to be one of the best things that happened to me and truly made my last months in Connecticut even better. I came to love that little chicken as if she was my own and got to watch her grow.

I'd play this song over and over, not too loud, and we would dance around the house and slide in our socks from room to room. We would lay on the couch if it was a sleepier morning and read a book. We would look out the big windows and see what birds we could spy. Memories like that, I won't forget, and this music reminds me of that every time it plays.

March Showers

This weekend in NYC was a big wash. And by wash, I mean you pretty much were in for a shower every time you left your house! I haven't seen rain or wind like that in a long time. Luckily, my umbrella is that of the sturdy kind--although I definitely saw plenty of people who ditched their umbrellas to walk angrily home while dripping wet.

Last year, right as summer was turning into fall, we had a wind/rain storm like this and James captured my umbrella failure. (I've since then upgraded!)



I'm hoping for brighter skies this week as I'm heading to Chicago on Thursday for a few days. Hope everyone was able to stay semi dry this weekend.

March 9, 2010

la familia abrazada

Ever since meeting a certain someone (see here, here and here) I have been thrown into the world of photography. Its kind of amazing how there are all these groups of people out there that you didn't even know existed until you meet someone who is a part of it. Although I'll admit, I fade in and out a bit on some of the longer photography rambles that I listen to and I've been known to put up a bit of a fight when a camera is snapping away and I haven't even had my COFFEE yet; I look at a lot of photography on my own now.

One of the flickr groups James has shown me is la familia abrazada. Not only does this group play into my very favorite things (adorable children and achingly cute families)--but also the photos are beautiful.


Photo by moranaya


Photo by Ben Anderson


Photo by diada


Photo by Jean-Luc Weber

One of the best parts of sharing your life with another person is learning more about things you had no idea existed or were developed as much as they are--and for me photography is just that. I found my own little part of this world that the person I love LOVES and I wanted to share.

March 7, 2010

Routine

Do you ever think about how you follow a certain path each day without variation? Think about it.

Maybe you take a left out of the subway, walk three blocks and cross the street. Then you stop for a cup of coffee, pick up the paper from the guy on the corner and swing through the revolving doors into your building.

Maybe you leave work everyday and head to the gym. You use locker #472 and run 30 minutes on the treadmill. You lay in the stretching area and do 100 crunches, wipe your mat clean and grab your stuff.

Maybe your like me. Maybe you get home from work, drop all your stuff on the floor and sit on your bed. You survey the mess you just made but lay back slowly and stop caring. Then you whip up a quick, mostly unsatisfying meal and retreat back to your room to check your email. You slowly peruse your favorite blogs and tweets and then think WHY AM I ON THE COMPUTER, I AM ON THE COMPUTER ALL DAY LONG, MUST STEP AWAY FROM THE COMPUTER. GOD HELP ME.

Everyday.

Although I tend to have the same evening routine, I try really hard to vary my day. It seems like little things, such as, getting up a little earlier occasionally so I can watch the 'Today Show' or walking up Third Avenue to the subway instead of Lexington can make all the difference. Sometimes I'll treat myself to takeout for dinner instead of cooking or I'll take a yoga class instead of hitting the treadmill. But always always always--I am happy with a little variation.

I'm going to try to keep this up. Straying a little bit from your 'normal' routine breaks up the day and makes the monotony of life a little more exciting!

Switch it up a little, you might be surprised!

Movie Magic

You might be wondering where my thoughts on Avatar, Inglorious Bastards and District 9 are. Most likely, you aren't wondering. BUT just incase you have been following my journey through the Oscars--well, I didn't really get to the finish line.

But really, from the minute the Avatar craze hit--I avoided it. I don't really like these big epic movies with blue people and flying and 3D glasses. I know I know--its the best movie you've ever seen and you were so blown away by it that you are going to quit reading my blog because I didn't watch it. Fine. BUT in my defense, this is so totally my style to say I'm going to see all the Oscar nominated films but actually see all of them except the three I have absolutely no interest in and after all, this is my blog!

And I know, Avatar is going to win and then this whole process will be a sham but I truly loved some of the movies I saw and am so glad I did see them. I'm looking forward to watching the star studded event and laughing along with Steve Martin (who doesn't love him?) and Alec Baldwin in the hopes they can liven up what is known to be a very looooong evening.

Hope you all got to see some of the flicks too! xo

Oscar Buzz: Up!


(via IMDB)

Very sweet story line and colorful movie. I never understand how Pixar movies are for kids? The plot of this movie is a little beyond the years of a six year old. I don't think they understand how grief plays a role in loss and attachment. But then again, maybe it doesn't matter too much if you understand every last thing about this movie because the colors are so pretty and balloons are entertaining. Check it out, whether your sixty or six you will enjoy it.

March 3, 2010

Oscar Buzz: A Serious Man


(via imdb)

Maybe--I'm not smart enough? Or maybe this film was a little too dark for a Sunday afternoon? But I didn't really like it. It was a highly intellectualized and super dark film and while it wasn't that the content went over my head but more that well, I didn't really care? Not really making much of a case for this (to be fair, I probably wouldn't have ever watched this had it not been for this little project) so maybe I went into it with a bad attitude. OR MAYBE, it was the fact that I was also watching the Olympics and that was much more entertaining. Okay, I was watching curling. In my opinion, curling was more entertaining than this film. CURLING PEOPLE!! Does curling entertain you? No, I didn't think so.

Okay, I'm off to watch another flick. This one is a bit more more 'uplifting'! Stay tuned.

March 2, 2010

Oscar Buzz: Precious

Woah.

'Precious' is a seriously gripping film. Very intense, very real--woah.

You guys should definitely check it out--despite its intensity it is very well done and extremely moving.


(via imdb)

However, a word to the wise--do not watch this movie on a train. I decided to spend my travel time from NYC to BOS watching this movie and well, my seat mate wasn't mentally prepared for this film. Perhaps, I should have checked in with this stranger prior to starting it to see if she could handle it. BUT perhaps she should have checked in with me if it was okay to LOOK AT MY SCREEN! Needless to say, it was a little too dramatic for her. She moved her seat and we aren't best friends.

So, don't watch this movie on a train but definitely watch it.

March 1, 2010

Wish List

Over Christmas I had a 'grab' with some family that I don't see very often. I was given a cousin of mine who I haven't seen in a while but know that she has great style. Instead of going with a traditional J.Crew sweater or a new pair of gloves--I did something a little out of the ordinary. I got her a sweet silver necklace that I knew she could wear with just about anything. Turns out, it was a total hit and not only did she love it but I totally showed up my mother's gift to my other cousin. HA! Take that Mom! So, trust me--I might have worn mismatched socks today buuuut I'd consider myself a pretty decent gift picker outer.

So, since then I've been on the look out for simple jewelry that can be worn everyday but thats UNIQUE! I came across this totally gorgeous Etsy shop and had to share. If your looking for a gift for a special sister, friend, mother or girlfriend these pieces would pretty much look great on anyone.

I come across things like this all the time and bookmark it under 'wish list' in hopes that whoever is thinking of buying me a little something will somehow stumble across this self made guide!





And, just to top it off--look at this perfect little box. I kind of want one of these JUST for the packaging--its genius.



(via elephantine)

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