signs of the times

There were some flashcards on the ground last week, and I thought it was fitting that the only one face up was winter. It sure has been lately, though on Sunday it was up near 60 degrees.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! We went up to visit my family in Massachusetts, where I'm from. We had great food, great company, and gave and received great gifts (Whimsy & Spice was a huge hit with my family!) so it was a very successful trip. We also went up to New Hampshire a few times because we are moving there this summer.


I love Portsmouth! It is the cutest little town with a diverse selection of mostly local shops (I noticed a Gap, Starbucks and others, but it wasn't overwhelmingly commercial) and is very walkable. We went on a Sunday, I know, but it was so not crowded like Manhattan is, I loved it. It has somewhat of a European feel to it, but with all of the New England colonial charm I grew up with. If you're ever in the area, be sure to check out Dos Amigos Burritos and try their fish tacos. Delicious!


Coming back to the city has been somewhat depressing because we had so much fun with our rental car. We drove over 800 miles in 6 days, and it was wonderful to hop into the car for a spin around town just because. Can't wait for that again. Or to go 4 miles in 5 minutes in the car instead of the 45 minutes it takes on the subway.

But coming back to the city after such relaxation has given me a new perspective. In two days it will be 2009, the year I will graduate from college and move. We're in the home stretch. There is no reason to spend all of my time wishing I were somewhere else. I just have to make the best of it. It feels like now, I look through all the crowds on the street and I try not to hear the noise.


Today I took a walk up to Central Park with Jolly. It was mid-afternoon during a holiday week, but the street around the park was closed to cars, and it hit me how great it would be to be able to bike around the park like all the cyclists I was seeing. The boy has been trying to convince me to get a bike, but I never felt comfortable riding in the city. But I think now I will try to find a used bike, it would be really fun, actually.


Here's the Guggenheim. Tourists were not scarce today, as I passed by I saw the line all the way around the block to get in! I suppose one of the perks of living in the touristy city is never being the tourist. I'm glad for it!

quick hellos

I know, I know, I haven't blogged in nearly two weeks! The truth is, I've been so stressed out with the last few weeks of school and finals. I have my last final tomorrow morning, luckily, and then it's nothing but freedom until winter session starts on January 5th. On Wednesday, the boy, Jolly and I are going to my family's house in Massachusetts. More on that next week!

In the mean time, here is a photo snapped in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, yesterday, on the way home from the Brooklyn Flea's Gifted holiday market. I am kicking myself for never remembering to take photos, but we dropped a pretty penny at my favorite, Whimsy & Spice! I hope my family likes their yummy spiced goodies. I also picked up a jar of homemade mustard from McClure's Pickles for my grandmother. Very delicious, as are their pickles, but I didn't want to shlep a glass jar of them home, so another time.


I'm signing off with a photo of Jolly (right) and another dog being cute at the dog run today. The surface was completely iced over and slippery, but that did not stop them from running around!

If I don't talk to you until then, merry Christmas, Kwanza, and Hanukkah!

first snow

The first snow of the year (at least that I saw) was on Saturday night. We were down at the South Street Seaport to see Bodies the Exhibition. It was a light snow and it didn't stick, but it was very pretty and peaceful!

I want this room

Another brilliant 'hack' coming from Ikea Hacker this week, Jules is on a roll. This is way more than just a simple hack, though, it's an entire room redo by Jennifer and Sean.


What a gorgeous room, and with what seems to be nearly 100% Ikea. I truly love it.


Here are some details. I am in awe of how they hung the Expedit shelf horizontally, on the wall. Gutsy! I love the two file cabinets next to each other as a leg, and the CD shelf as another leg. Last, the curtains. Next year, I need to learn to sew!

winter sky

This afternoon/evening at the dog run, there was the prettiest sky over the tops of the high rises.


So I just thought I'd share! Hope everyone has a good weekend, I'll be blogging still with a few things to catch up on.

the sweetest ikea hack yet

Over at Ikea Hacker, Jules posted one of the sweetest, most creative hacks I've ever seen! Pinot and Dita at Our Artful Life decorated their wall with paint and Ikea fabrics.


So adorable. I am no painter, but I could really see this done on a wall with any kind of fabric to match your decor, and it wouldn't be at all child-like. Especially that tree! I wish I could duplicate it! So pretty.