Monday, Monday

Hope that everyone had a lovely weekend! I had a wonderful time catching up with friends both Friday and Saturday, and then a nice relaxing day of watching football with M. on Sunday. Actually, let me revise that...there was absolutely nothing relaxing about watching football with M. I think I am secretly kind of glad that the 49ers didn't make it to the super bowl. I don't think that I (or our dog, for that matter) could take anymore yelling at the television.

It snowed here on Saturday and was beautiful for about five minutes; the beauty of a white blanket of snow doesn't last long in New York City. When I walked to yoga, there was hardly a person in sight during my three block walk. Love those moments of solitude in this frenetic city. In fact, I think that my walk to yoga was far more relaxing than my actual yoga class. Don't you just hate it when you get to yoga late and end up in the front of the room? Yoga classes are one of those uniquely NYC experiences where if you show up late, it's never a happy thing. The other place never to show up late here is the movie theater. I have now become one of those people who brings a book and goes to the movie at least a half hour early. I was scarred after arriving fifteen minutes before start time when I first moved here and getting stuck in the front row with my neck extended unnaturally for three hours. Yoga classes are always packed and you never want to be in the front when it is a fifty person class. Lesson learned.

All images via Pinterest...

Grades due tomorrow. Paper due Wednesday. I have got to run...
These days...Coffee=necessity.

Magical Staircases and Invisible Men

I am back to school this week, so just a quick post to say "hello..."

While I am not looking forward to my life being really, really busy again, I am so excited about my grad school schedule! Though I am of course interested in the material, I think that I am even more excited about taking a course in a classroom that looks straight out of Harry Potter! No joke. Despite the fact that there are not actually moving staircases to confuse students wandering the hallways, the building is such a labyrinth that it often feels that way. It took me twenty minutes (and a run-in with a friend who knows the building's "secrets") to find my way to the exit. I am sure that this entertainment factor will wear off quickly...probably this weekend as I sit down to read a book and write my first paper. But, for now...it's sooooo cool... :)

Currently (RE) Reading: Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison 

I haven't read this since high school and I am excited to re-read this from an adult perspective. I am attending a workshop next week through the awesome organization Facing History and Ourselves that centers around concepts in this novel, so I want to have read the book again before participating.  

Sleep No More

I just finished reading Shakespeare's Macbeth with my eleventh graders. Macbeth is one of those Shakespearean plays that is always a hit, for whatever reason. Perhaps it is the blood, murder, power hungry wife?? Who knows!?

While it is not a performance to which I would bring my students (for a variety of reasons) the play loosely based on Macbeth, Sleep No More, looks awesome and I sooooo want to see it. While I love traditional theater, the interactive nature of this warehouse-located performance sounds so compelling and, well, cool. The audience wears a mask, you are not allowed to talk, and you can wander wherever you desire. Definitely purchasing my tickets to this show. Can't wait!

Image via Vanity Fair...

Image via The New York Times

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow...I am soooo heading to this show!

Happy Reading!

Friday Footnotes

My, how the weather has changed...

Here are some things that I am loving on this cold, windy, January, Friday...
Book Clubs: Today I met with some of my co-workers at a bar near where I work to discuss James Baldwin's "A Talk to Teachers," and to have a casual, beer-accompanied-discussion about the piece in the context of our work environment. Not only was it stimulating and insightful, but it was a great way to problem pose for some of the issues that we face in our school.

Surprise Visits! The other night I was talking to my sister and she randomly decided that since it was a long weekend it would be a good time for her to come in for a visit. Looking forward to some shopping   (excited to hit up C. Wonder!) and some champagne!

Cheese Boards and Wine: As I mentioned before, I LOVE cheese and wine. Tonight's chilly conditions make for the perfect night to stay in and indulge in some of my favorite foods. On the agenda...movie, wine, and a delicious spread of cheeses, honey, bread, hummus, salami, stuffed mushrooms and olives. Divine...

Three-Day-Weekends: I can't even begin to list all of the reasons that this phenomenon is one of my favorite things ever! Sooooo looking forward to sleep, relaxation, friends, food, and fun!
And, on that note...Enjoy your weekends!

In the true spirit of this weekend, I leave you with this quote:

"The ultimate measure of man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."

Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Big, Bad, Bookcase

I have a SECRET...

I kind of love decorating. This is surprising considering my lack of skill in all other areas of the domestic arts. While I am by no means good at it, I do enjoy poring over decorating magazines and adore all kinds of decorating books. In thinking back, this is an enjoyment that has been with me for years. I have memories of deriving a strong sense of satisfaction from moving around bedroom furniture as a kid and, while the "decorating" books that I read then were more about how to build a hammock in your room, it was really essentially the same idea, just, you know, a different audience :)

Since my boyfriend doesn't really have the strongest of opinions about design (believe me, ONLY when it comes to furniture), our apartment decor has been heavily guided by my hand. I try not to go overboard; however certain things, like pink sheets or my favorite hot pink armchair with gold studding details have slipped through. Again, luckily the boyfriend doesn't seem to mind. 

The only thing that has been a constant area of contention over the years is our bookcase. Now, some people might say that it has "character," or that it is "edgy," or "industrial, but, to me, it is truly just ugly. I might come to terms with it if we had more space and it was not a forced focal point in our apartment, but since we live in New York City, that is just not our situation. Since he loves the bookcase, it will stay, but that has not stopped me from fantasizing about new bookcases or planning ways in which I can organize it to make it (slightly) more tolerable. 

All images from Pinterest!

In honor of bookcase organization, I am sharing the video that seems to be the current meme. Enjoy.

Happy Reading!

Currently Reading...

Jeffrey Eugenides The Marriage Plot.

While I am not that far in... so far, so good.

I'll keep you posted!

Antsy Pants

This is the time of year that I begin to get antsy...

This manifests in a multiplicity of ways: Like clockwork, it's the time of year that I yearn to take a "mental health day" from work.  I also inevitably begin to really think seriously about where I see myself the following year. And, with regularity, I long to take a trip. 

I had to laugh on the bus this evening as I read some of my favorite blogs and realized that this "unique" phenomenon that I go through this year and every year, is really not so unique. One such blogger was Joanna Goddard from Cup of Jo who posted pictures from one of my absolute favorite blogs H(aven) I(n) P(aris), or HIP Paris, and talked about her sense of wanderlust this time of year.

Somehow I feel validated.

Usually when this feeling comes over me in January, I call up the bestie and book a flight out to San Diego, but I think I might be in the mood for something different this year. Last year, though I flew to San Diego, we immediately rented a car and drove up to Lala Land, which was so much fun. I'm thinking this year may just call for wine country...

One of my most favorite trips ever was to Monterey/Wine Country/San Francisco. Ahhh yes...I think that those miles-o-mine are just begging to be redeemed...

All images via Pinterest

Re-Branding

Lately, I have noticed that there is a trend happening in my neighborhood. Traditionally, the Upper East Side of New York City has been regarded as a neighborhood homogenous in both race and class, the home to the fictional cast of Gossip Girl, the MET, the Whitney, The Guggenheim, and an array of stuffy restaurants. While this is essentially a stereotype, clearly, others have noticed this perception as well and, in an effort to restore a shred of hipness to a staid hood, some genius has come up with the retro term "Yorkville."

"Yorkville" is not a new term. From the working class German and Irish immigrants who resided in this area, came the neighborhood called "Yorkville;" a working class haven east of the gold coast of the Upper East Side. That said, in my eight and a half years of living in this area, I am seeing a distinct change of character to this old neighborhood. As skinny jeans and vintage, thick-framed-glasses take up residence with equal measure to baby carriages and Tory Burch, the restaurants, coffee shops, and bars have, thankfully, been infused with the vibe of a changing neighborhood.

Some of my new favorite places that have cropped up under the neighborhood re-branding are:

Something Old...As old as the original Yorkville itself: Orwashers: The destination of all my Sunday bakery strolls...

Something New...Oslo: A Brooklyn coffee shop where hipster baristas make delicious hot chocolate, lattes, and cappuccinos

via...

Something Delicious: Heidi's House by the Side of the Road

Via this lovely blog...

And my new favorite place for tapas and wine...Pil Pil: Had drinks here this weekend and I adored the decor, the music and the company :)

And, though I have mentioned it before, I will say it again well...because I just love it...Joneswood Foundry: my new favorite neighborhood pub.

Welcome Hipsters...

Friday Footnotes

Here are some things that I am loving on this January Friday...

The Sunset: It's a beauty in NYC this evening. The most perfect mixture of pink and gold; a watercolor palette.

Mittens that you can use in the cold: The other day I was talking to my friend who lives in San Diego and complaining that my hands are always freezing in the winter when I try to talk on the phone when I am walking all over the city. Remembering this, she told me today that she is sending me these mittens that are made specifically to address this problem. I am very excited to be able to use my phone without exposing my hands to the elements!

Frames that I am ordering off Etsy (similar to below)...We just had some pictures taken around New York City and I can't wait to display them in a photo collage. I am currently digging gold frames in a motley of shapes and sizes.

Via

Speaking of pictures...here are a few of my favorite shots from M. and I's "photo shoot" around the city...I'll spare you the gushy ones...

Yeah, yeah...I know...I love feet shots.  

The Weekend: After the debauchery of last weekend, I am looking forward to a relatively calm and relaxing weekend that includes yoga, a museum outing, the latest movie that I am dying to see (an adaptation of an enjoyed novel--The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), a visit to the Meatball Shop, and some Soho shopping...I am in need of some wardrobe rejuvenation...

Have a happy weekend!

These are a few of my favorite things...

So, not only do I adore Taschen--I am currently building my collection with London and Paris travel books, but when you add to that The New York Times--a lazy Sunday morning staple, oh, and then to that a beautiful (and did I mention fabric covered?) travel book... well then essentially you have a recipe for a book that I am bound (haha--pun intended) to love. 

It is for all of these reasons that I am totally in love with (and using a recent gift certificate to purchase!) the book The New York Times 36 Hours: 150 Weekends in the US and Canada. 


When I am travelling anywhere one of the first places that I check for itineraries is the New York Times 36 hours guide. While these suggestions are not usually for the budget traveller, they are almost always awesome. I have been delighted by suggestions in various cities ranging from Bangkok, Thailand to Vancouver, British Columbia. This book is a compendium of some of the best guides contextualized in beautiful photography, font, and formatting. Love, love, love! One caveat...this guide is limited to North America; however, I expect that the international edition will soon follow...

Happy Reading and Happy Trip Planning!

Say Cheese!

A couple of years ago, my favorite Aussie, who then lived above me, introduced me to a delightful neighborhood cheese shop. In a neighborhood of Agata & Valentina and Citarella, one might think that a shop devoted entirely to delicious cheeses could be superfluous; however, that is not the case.

I love cheese. Perhaps this is because it pairs so nicely with all of my other favorite indulgences; bread, honey, wine...

Along with all of the wonderful things that I adore about cheese, I also love all of the accoutrements that go along with a good cheese sampling; cheese knives, cheese boards, cheese markers, big, bold red wines.

From Brooklyn Slate...Love!

Image via Pottery Barn 

Yum....

Kitschy? Cheesy? Yes, but I still think they are sort of cute :)

Despite my deep, torrid love affair with cheeses, sometimes, when faced with the gazillion options that a cheese shop presents, the process of choosing cheese can be highly overwhelming. If your local cheesemonger seems only to speak French, like mine, I find Max McCalman's beautiful book, Mastering Cheese to be especially helpful! Apart from the gorgeous photography, I am totally in love with the chapter "Stunning Stinkers--" the alliteration alone wins me over completely.

This is beautiful coffee table book and, even better, a fabulous guide for those times when language barriers have you acting out cows and goats in your local cheese shop. If sparing the public exposure to my limited acting skills is not motivation enough to learn French, I don't know what is! But, in the meantime, this book is a valuable resource!

Also of note:
The Cheesemonger's Kitchen by Chester Hastings...

Don't you just love the word "cheesemonger?!"

Books to Read on Cold Winter Nights

For the first time this winter, the weather is actually not a balmy 50 degrees and I think my body has gone into shock. Going out for lunch at work today was torture, taking the bus home from work-necessary, and my short walk from the bus stop to my apartment required a stop for hot chocolate in order to make the journey home. While these days are not conducive to productivity, for me at least, they are the perfect days for curling up under a blanket with a hot drink and a good read. While it has been pretty busy lately, I have managed to get in a few good reads. Here are some books that I am currently loving!

A Dog's Purpose by Bruce Cameron:

One of the things I love about summer travel is the opportunity to read. Luckily, my friends, and travel companions, share a similar sentiment. While we usually pass tattered copies of books around to one another over the course of the trip, this was the summer of the e-reader. While in Thailand, my friend Nicole ordered this book on her Kindle and every time I looked over she was crying. Though I had way too many books that I was working through on our trip, as a result of the convenience of ordering books on my Nook, I bought the book and forgot about it entirely.  Last week, on break for the holidays, I began flipping through my Nook and rediscovered the book A Dog's Purpose. On some occasions, a good cry is the perfect catharsis. This book will definitely prompt tears, but is a must read for any dog lover! 

David Sedaris Holidays on Ice 

On an entirely opposite note...Sometimes you need a book that does nothing but make you laugh. Especially around the holidays. Ahhh...the holidays...While of course holidays have many positive attributes; eggnog, Christmas tree decorations, the warmth and love of family and friends... for most people, that same wonderful proximity to family and friends can also be the impetus for stress. Personally, I prefer to maintain the humor approach to holiday stress in which I laugh about things that might otherwise make me cry. Sedaris definitely gets that about the holidays and his sardonic account of his own family holiday experience is hilarious and definitely worth the read. So, that said, for anyone with an ummm colorful (or insert your own euphemism!) uncle, brother, sister, or father, this is the book for you! Enjoy! 

Happy Reading and Stay Warm!

Happy New Year!

Well, 2011 was a great year and I am sad to see it go; however, I am excited for all that 2012 has to bring. As cliche as it is, I think that I will dedicate my first post of the new year to my resolutions for 2012. I am always obsessed with lists (see here) and so the resolution list is a favorite. While my goal list has something like 30 goals on it for this year, the following are a sampling of the list for this year (in no particular order):
1. Finish my degree and apply for the next one...
Anyone who knows me knows that I have sort of an obsession with learning. I read constantly and love being in school. I am currently studying Human Rights with a focus in women and gender and I think I am ready to finish up...if not this year, then next. I think that I am also ready to apply for PhD. Though, after witnessing my partner struggle for the past million years with his, that goal may be on hold for a bit.
2. Eat healthier...
My best friend is all about eating things that are organic, sustainable, local, etc. While I tend to make fun of her, I completely agree with her philosophy and feel that I should aim to emulate her eating style. Living in New York City is conducive to eating out extensively. Small kitchens + perpetually busy people + an amazing array of cuisine choices makes it difficult not to eat out constantly. That said, sometimes I think that both my waistline and my wallet would appreciate eating in and eating better, so I am going to give it a shot. At least on weekdays...
3. Get back into yoga...
Last May I had a crazy experience with vertigo and couldn't do yoga for a while. The doctor that I saw told me that yoga would be my "final exam" and that it would probably be a while before I would feel normal and ready to stand on my head again! On Christmas Eve morning, my mom, sisters and I went to a yoga class at a yoga studio in my home state of Connecticut, which was actually pretty awesome (shout out to yoga studio in Simsbury--it was early so, sadly, I have no clue of its name). I just renewed my Yoga Works membership and am excited to get back into my downward dogs...
4. Travel...
This is on my list every year and I think that I have done an excellent job fulfilling my travel goals over the years. While I am not entirely sure where this year will take me in regards to travel, right now the following have been discussed: Trip Idea # 1: Chile, Peru, Bolivia (I was supposed to go to Peru with friends  two years ago, but, sadly, my poppop died the night before I was leaving and I had to back out.) I have decided that at some point in the next couple of years, I want to make that trip happen and I want to add a few places onto the original itinerary--hellooooo Bolivia!  Trip Idea # 2: Spain, Portugal: I have a friend who is working abroad in Spain and, in addition to visiting her, I would love to get to Spain. For some reason, when I travelled around Europe, I skipped Spain to go to Italy. Italy was incredible, so, believe me, I am not complaining, but I would still like to get to Spain...Trip Idea # 3: Guatemala: There is a language school down there that I am dying to go to! Trip Idea # 4: The friends that I travel with every year (said Peru trip, two trips to Costa Rica, and a trip to Thailand) are pushing for a trip within the country this year. While I am skeptical as, for me, travel means a passport, I do have to say that their trip ideas look pretty cool. Therefore, trip possibility number 4 could be anything from a trip to a farm in Tennessee to a trip to a "dude ranch" in Montana. We'll see... I think I may still need some more convincing...
5. Something different...
I am not exactly sure how to explain or define this goal, but what I do know, is that I am ready for, well, "something different!" While I changed jobs just a year and half ago, I have been teaching in New York City for almost eight years and it is time for a change. I would still love to move abroad for a year and teach or, perhaps, start a new program in New York City. So, while I am still not sure how this goal will manifest, I think I am ready for some type of...something different.

This has been a great year. Apart from all the amazing people who I feel blessed to have in my life, here are some of my favorite memories from 2011...

Ringing in the 2011 New Year with friends I have had since middle school when we all wore glasses, had bad haircuts, braces, and a decidedly different fashion style...On that same night, I learned that one of my closest friends was pregnant with an adorable little boy (born in July) who I just adore!

Road Tripping to LA with my best friend: One of the people who I am most grateful for in my life is my closest friend. I am pretty sure that we have talked almost every day since the fateful day that I met her when I was in ninth grade English class. She was stylish and cool, I was yelling at my 4 foot 11 English teacher about the validity of socialism as a form of governance...not much has changed. Last February, on my annual visit out to San Diego to send some time with her, we took a road trip to Los Angeles. We shopped, we ate, we caught up...all in all a great memory!

Newport in April: My mom turned 60 in 2011 and to celebrate, my sisters and I took her to Newport Rhode Island. We stayed at the Viking, ate great food, visited some vineyards (on what turned out to be an unseasonably warm April weekend) and all in all had a great time!

Breakfast(s) with M: When I think back over the year, I have a million and one great memories with M, who is as my nana still calls him, "my special friend." This endearing phrase means a lot to me, as one of the most powerful relationships that I try to emulate in my own life is the one that my nana had with my poppop. M and I had another great year, and, while the showy standout memories are things like biking around Vancouver and amazing meals at great restaurants, fabulous nights out together in New York City, trips to Maine where we stayed at the most romantic bed and breakfast and hiked at the beautiful Laudholm Farm, for me, the most poignant and important memories always seem to surround breakfast. Those that say it's the little moments in relationships that matter are so right. For me, the best moments with M are the routine ones. We have breakfast together every morning before I go to work and on weekends, when we have more time, it is those walks to get coffee or egg and cheese sandwiches that stand out most over the course of the year. Here's to a million more breakfasts with M in 2012...

The Year of the Dog: Part of what has made this year so great has also been the new addition to our family. He whines when the covers don't cover him correctly, he refuses to walk well until he gets to the park whereupon he transforms into the greatest dog in the world, he manages to take up half the bed (though he weighs a mere 16 pounds)...that aside, having a dog has made this year so much fun. There is nothing I look forward to more than walking home from work through Central Park and looking up at M and I's meeting place to see M and Frenchie meandering along to meet me!

Adventures in Thailand: After last year's trip to South East Asia, I told myself that there was no way that I was getting on a plane again for that long for at least a few years, which is why I was surprised to find myself booking a second year in a row trip to Asia with my friends. From the cooking class in Chiang Mai to bathing elephants at Elephant Nature Park to an adventurous day spent climbing ropes over a rocky edifice in order to find ourselves on the most beautiful beach I have ever seen, I feel lucky that I have such adventurous friends...

Apartment Switching: A mere week later (and a very fun wedding in between--shout out to Jenny!) M and I headed to Vancouver for a trip that was another 2011 highlight. You can read all about our adventures here and here, but it was so much fun and a great memory.

Yes, all in all, 2011 was a great year and I feel super lucky...
Here's to 2012...may you be all that 2011 was and more...

New book updates tomorrow, promise.