A Toast to My Favorites.

Thanks to Design*Sponge I am sure that these will be all over the blogosphere this morning via other blogs but I just had to personalize what I would get as my own set of these lovely JHill designs. She has a way of making you want to share what you love – in print design! Long live print design! Her latest series is "A Toast To..." and picks out various states and countries and showcases the year they were incorporated and a few things that are unique to them. Though she has a wide selection I can't believe New York isn't on there! Oh well, my chosen three are above and these are the reasons why:

Massachusetts
...because I was born and raised in the great Bay State in New England
...because it is the place that my parents still live in, in the home that I was brought home from the hospital to
...because though I have lived in NYC for 7 years I still root for the Boston sports teams
...because Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday and it's always been spent here
...because the Boston accent (that I no longer have) cracks me up in movies when people try to copy it totally unsuccessfully

Spain
...because I spent three blissful/educational/trying/enlightening months there in the fall of 2008
...because the architecture and design there made me take notice of everything, everywhere I went
...because it took me out of my comfort zone of the English-speaking, friend-filled, work-filled, hectic wonderful craziness that is NYC
...because it had me back in a classroom for the first time since college
...because I was on my own in a foreign country and I made it back in one piece
...because I fell in love with jamón after not eating meat for 10 years

Hawaii
...because I spent 7 weeks there the summer after sophomore year and before junior year of college taking classes (ceramics wheel-throwing and nutrition science. And yes, I got my credits for both despite the fact I went to the beach everyday)
...because the people there really are SO nice
...because the sun shines all day long, the beaches are amazing, the ocean water really IS the color of the postcards and you can wear flip-flops all day
...because I ate fresh pineapple almost everyday
...because I met people from all over the country who also fell in love with this tiny island that makes you feel like you are no longer IN the United States

My Gift to You.

This drawing was made possible by myself and my trusty Sharpie ultra fine pen

Before heading to New England for Christmas with Matt’s family and an impromptu family gathering of my own later in the weekend (my little cousin’s 12th birthday party), I wanted to leave a gift for you dear readers. A gift to have a great LONG weekend. To sincerely enjoy time with friends or family. To enjoy your Christmas turkey or Chinese food. To enjoy waking up to presents or to a trip to the movies. To go ice skating or build sandcastles. To just relax. To let the stress of the year melt away with last weekend’s Northeast snowstorm.

I am hoping to get a couple of more posts up next week before the new year brings some new items to the blog (more to come on that). 2010 is the year to “do it”. Call it the Nike year, if you will.

Anyhow, have a wonderful holiday weekend, eat some good food and don’t worry about the fact that you haven’t worked out in 5 days (like myself. Eek!!!).

Kate Spade 20.

Ah, Kate Spade, how you make me happy. Check out this link and roll your mouse over EVERYTHING! Just a simple little animation for each number (don't forget to click for more at the bottom of the first page) but enough to keep you smiling – before getting into your car and driving 4 hours north, along with lots of other people driving north. Hope everyone has a happy Thanksgiving weekend. May it be just the right amount of time with your family and friends, whether you are staying put and hosting dinner yourself, going out to eat or traveling.

I know I can't wait to spend time with my family (some of which I haven't seen since LAST Thanksgiving), seeing how my lil' cousin has grown (from two years old to three! She is going to be a lil' chatterbox, I am sure of it), seeing good friends from home and overall just enjoying delicious home-cooked meals.

Bikes & Life.

I bought a bike last weekend and life has changed – I have 2 wheels! It's awesome. I can't believe I haven't had one since high school (and THAT was pink & seafoam green. And a Huffy.). I guess I thought that spin classes at the New York Sports Club was enough for the past 6 years but now? Spin class will take a backseat to being able to do laps in the park in the great outdoors. And since Matt also got a bike, I love that we can go "ride bikes" together. It's so simple and sweet and was a wonderful way for us to spend a Saturday afternoon together exploring Brooklyn in a different way than we usually do.

Sari has been chronicling her own bike adventures here and I am sure she is going to love this sweet print I found from artist Jessica at Vol. 25 (above).

A Picnic Wish List.

Image from the NY Times

With the warm weather that was bestowed upon us on Saturday, it got me thinking about future, warm Saturday afternoons and spending them in the park with a (well-designed) picnic and my man! The first thing to do is go shopping for some delicious and portable food to make fun, outdoor creations for the park. In fact, the NY Times Food section (compiled by Mark Bittman) had a fantastic and inspiring list of 101 picnic-worthy items to make in under 20 minutes. Not only is the food an important part of the picnic, but it's the other things that your bring along that make for a perfect day of alfresco dining with your shoes off and the sunshine above.

The second is a great blanket. The one Matt and I used all last summer is a wool army blanket circa Vietnam (or at least it looks and feels like it...sometimes it smells like it too). This is not conducive for sitting on grass that may be slightly damp from the evening before as there is no waterproof lining. Well, enter this great invention I saw at a shop in our neighborhood this weekend; a picnic blanket that is soft on one side (for sitting your precious bottom) and waterproof on the other (for protecting your blanket and your bottom from getting wet or muddy). Being waterproof also helps with dusting it off when you are done! Not only that, but this blanket comes in some cute patterns and prints.

The third thing you need are cute napkins and utensils (for the record, we usually bring paper napkins and white plastic forks but this IS my picnic wish list so why can't a girl dream?) with which to eat the delectable snacks you brought with you. Why not pick up this great set which, like the blanket, also fold up to make less space and create a pocket as to which not lose the cutlery? This is from Etsy designer Noei and she makes them in two other fun print combos (though this is my favorite).

And finally for the perfect picnic, you need something to hold it all! Here is a great set from none other than Martha Stewart. All of this talk about outdoor eating and warm Saturdays makes me wish for 5 days to go by quickly as I heard that Saturday is supposed to be perfect picnic weather. Time to dust off the frisbee and unravel the kite string – spring is here! Photo below was taken by me (those are Matt's legs and hands) on our first time out with the kite last spring; it was a perfect outing of dark pretzels, great beer, lots of wind and a bright new kite!

Over the River...

It was beautiful snow in Brooklyn when I left my place this morning to trek through the winter wonderland on my way to the subway station. However, it was a much different story as I emerged from the subway in midtown Manhattan – cold, wet icy rain (made worse by the fact that I forgot my umbrella). Amazing how the crossing of a river turns things from photo one (taken by me on my blissful and booted walk) to image two (what my weather widget is showing me). I love these little illustrations for my widget! Imagine getting to illustrate the weather?!

What the Weather Brought in the Last 24 Hours.

The snow came down on Manhattan streets yesterday in what can only be described as flying puffy cotton balls. It was a beautiful sight from a window in midtown as my coworker and I stood in the window of an empty office watching the white swirl down past us.

With umbrellas in hand and boots on foot, six girls came together last night to share a holiday tradition, wine and cheese, friendship, and sugary homemade cookies.

Fog and haze filled the spaces between skyscrapers this morning as well as the verticals of the Brooklyn Bridge. The FDR Drive was spotted with the bright yellow of small rectangles (NYC taxis) zooming by the gray low clouds.

Perfect ice crystals formed on holly berries in front of a Christmas-ready brownstone in Brooklyn on a walk back from the gym. The tiny red balls seemed elegantly strung on their thin, brown branches.

A chill in the December air inspired the daydream of a couple who wanted more than anything to cuddle up with each other all cold day long to watch movies and ignore the world outside. Alas, we are both at work today.

Thanksgiving, how I love thee. Let me count the ways...

I feel like a kid in school the day before Thanksgiving; I can't concentrate on work, I am watching the clock waiting for early dismissal, and my desk is getting a quick straightening. I guess the only difference now is that there is no official bell (just the blessing of my boss) telling me when I can leave. I am giddy in anticipation of going home for my most favorite holiday of the year. It's funny because growing up it was always my favorite time of year, whether we were hosting in our own home or driving to my aunt and uncle's or grandmother's.

The idea of "home for the holidays" now has taken on even more special meaning for me as I literally DO have to travel home to see my family (though thankfully, not in an airplane on the busiest travel day of the year as my poor brother does coming from Texas). This year in particular feels extra great because I was abroad in Spain for almost three months and one realization I had over there is how important it is to have family nearby (or within one time zone)!

Since my brother and I both "flew the coop" and moved south (he a lot farther than I did), I think our family looks EXTRA forward to this one time a year when all of us are brought together. In fact, my bro and I have been talking about it for the past few months via the phone and email! I know it's more than my Mom's cooking (though that IS a main reason for excitement!). It's the tradition of getting together and seeing cousins and family who we don't get to see all year, sitting around the table and sharing what we are thankful for, talking about New England sports and politics and the latest movies, watching little by little as the number of chairs added to the table grow, and just feeling so warm because I am surrounded by the people I love and eating a fantastic meal!

So although the news may be depressing these days, relish in knowing you have your health, your friends & family and have a delicious Thanksgiving!

It's all in the family.

{"Dream" by Doodlespark}

{"Joy" by Doodlespark}

Growing up as someone who loved to draw, paint, and create in a house where no one else had this art passion, my parents often remarked, "I don't know where you get your creativity from". It is true, my parents – god love them both for their nurturing of my love for all things arty – have not a creative bone in their bodies. Had I not looked like a hybrid of the two of them, it is possible there might have been a switch at the hospital.

Now take this duo whose creativity clearly spanned genetics; a mother and daughter team who make up Doodlespark. Doodlespark is a collaborative art effort which involves sending a drawing back and forth to each other while each adding their own personal flair to the piece. The final pieces are great and so unique because it involves not one but two hands of two different artists who definitely have a passion that is not only brought together because of genes, but because of talent. It seems like such a beautiful way to bond with a parent who shares such a wonderful ability.

*A side note which was brought to my attention by my lovely Mother (after reading this post) is that indeed she IS creative. She knits and crochets with the best of them! Thanks to her I have some exceptional blankets made not only with pretty yarn, but with much love.

Type away!

What is it about old-fashioned typewriters that I adore...Is it because I sometimes hate technology and the fact that everything we do becomes digital and I long for real papers printed with real hand-writing without the ability to quickly reproduce it? Is it because I remember actually typing papers in elementary school on a typewriter and using that white-out paper that you would have to slide between the paper and the mechanism that popped up with the letter punch; making sure it was completely accurately in the correct place or else what you wanted to erase would not work? Is it because I just love the LOOK of the typewriter because I LOVE what comes out of it...typography? Or maybe it stems from the fact that one summer I came home from college to find out that my parents did some spring cleaning and got rid of *gasp* the typewriter I had grown up with! Whatever it is, it is my life's mission to buy one once I have a home that has extra space for things like typewriters. And I want a turquoise one just like this (above) from Three Potato Four. Does anyone else share this crazy obsession?

Warm me up, sweet potato...

It is bitter cold outside in NYC today. The wind is a-blowing and the temperature is below freezing. Also, I have been lazy and a) haven't bought new gloves since losing two pairs earlier in the season and b) haven't done laundry so the ones I wore running last weekend aren't clean so c) my hands have been shoved in my coat pockets everyday. You might be asking how a girl who grew up in New England and has lived in the northeast her entire life is not used to the cold yet? Well, sunshine, I have no answer except I just haven't. Due to the cold, it has gotten me to think about warm foods and thought I would share with you the best recipe for Sweet Potato soup known to man. Ingredients below (I only use about a 1/3 cup of the half and half):

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
1 cup chopped onion
2 small celery stalks, stalks and leaves chopped separately
1 medium leek, sliced (white and pale green parts only)
1 large garlic clove, chopped
1 1/2 pounds red-skinned sweet potatoes (yams), peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 5 cups)
4 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cups half and half
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

Hole in the Wall & why I love earrings so much.

{Hole in the Wall}

Being a girl, I of course like jewelry. Who doesn't? However, to me, not all jewelry is created equal as I have a special fondness for earrings. I'm unsure of where this obsession first started but am pretty sure it was enhanced by an annual visit to this magical place, Hole in the Wall in Raymond, Maine. My Grandparents used to have a wonderful home in the great state of Maine that we would go up and visit in the summers from the time I was 6 months to 19 years old. There are many things that represented July and August in Maine to me; eating lobster outside, jumping in the lake off the dock, building sand castles with my brother, getting mosquito bites on top of mosquito bites, setting the table for Friday night dinner, playing Scrabble with my Great Grandma, playing cards with my cousins, eating fresh fruit from the farm stand down the street, taking boat rides around the lake, and just pretty much loving every minute of everyday there with my family.

There is one other thing that must be added to this list – taking our annual Grandma/Mom/Daughter trip to Hole in the Wall. It was this incredible studio that made me love earrings so much. They sold copper enameled jewelry, watercolor paintings, wheel-thrown ceramics, metal-worked outdoor sculptures, and any other handmade piece of art all sold in the confines of this wood cabin where the floors and walls were made of wooden planks and the lighting streamed in perfectly from the windows and skylight above. I remember going in there and getting to pick out a new pair of earrings (which wasn't as easy as it sounds because I loved all of them), courtesy of my very kind Grandma. Not only did I love looking around at everything in this cabin, I also loved the feeling of the store. It was happy and artistic and just perfect and something that now as an adult I can say is the kind of place I would give anything to own; where people young and old could come in, feel happy and take home a piece of art and a memory.

Flower Power.

{white freesias are perfect for everyday}

There are a few items in this world that I wish came with a monthly stipend given to me by my wealthy benefactor (think what the 'Convict' is to 'Pip' in Great Expectations); basically I would be allowed to spend x amount of dollars each month on ______ with no charge to me, which would be lovely because these are things I want to buy all of the time and with NYC rent is absolutely not possible. This ______ for me is many things. It is books of all kind (especially design and photography ones), CDs, vanilla chai lattes from Starbucks, margaritas from Zarellas...you get it, the list could go on. Now one thing I REALLY wish I had a stipend for was fresh flowers. There is something about having fresh flowers in your home that really brings some life into it as well as added a beautiful scent. For me, if I were to buy them, I would base them on the color and what sort I was in the mood for that day (I am rarely in the mood for roses). Well, my favorite publication (of the last 5 years), New York Magazine, has a great feature in their mag this week which is which flowers to put where in your home based on smell, color, and visual. For those with a 'Convict' in their life to aid in their weekly botanical purchase and even those who just buy them maybe once or twice a year, this short guide will for sure be helpful.