Grateful Wednesdays

On this rainy & hectic Wednesday here are a few things I'm feeling gratitude for:

1. My best friends daughter was really ill this past week and she has turned the corner and is recovering like the sassy champ she is & will be going home tomorrow. Thank you God, Universe & modern medicine. 

2. My other best friend is heading here right now and I get to have a few hours to catch up and see her. I cannot wait. 

3. Hats.  My hair has been a real wreck lately. You know those days when you're sure you leave the house looking cute and then you catch yourself in a mirror hours later to realize you look like you put your head in the blender? Yep, that's been me. 

4. Finding local artisans and craftspeople who make the garment industry survive in New York. It's a dwindling market and so few of these production houses exist. In the midst of working on some personal projects I've found some of these vestiges of the business and they are the gems of the garment industry. 

5. Positive people. They rock. And it really takes power and courage to be a strong positive person. I'm collaborating with some great energetic people these days and it is such a pleasure to work hard with these kindred spirits. 

Chelsea Girl

Rediscovered these images from a shoot I did earlier this year with the lovely DJ/it-girl Chelsea Leyland. This shoot was so much fun and she was an absolute blast to work with. 

A Sacred Saturday.

Today has been one of those rare and glorious Saturday mornings when all the pieces align and the day is poised for perfection. I woke up extra early feeling rested enough to endeavor out the door to run some errands and decided instead of my usual mach paced sprint I would saunter slowly through the streets. It is THE most beautiful cloudless breezy crisp warm late summer day today & the energy on the streets is delightful. It is a New York day that makes me fall in love all over again with this city. 

I walked through the west village, stopping to observe the beauty of the sunlight, the shadows & the lush green running up and down the buildings.  Perusing the farmers market and taking in all the neighborly delights: the jogger grabbing his apple cider to hydrate after a morning run, the old woman with her walker & weekend Times under her arm, the farmers market workers exchanging laughs and engaging with their regulars. I walked down to one of my favorite old school pharmacies and lingered to enjoy the pharmacist calling out hello's to all of his neighborhood customers by first name. Then I stumbled upon a man selling vintage vinyl and out of print magazines and spent half an hour chatting about the Velvet Underground, the Rolling Stones and the merits of record players. He had a twinkle in his eye when he spoke with nostalgic enthusiasm about the "old days" that I wished we could have sat and chatted, played records and reminisced for hours more. 

Coming home to a calm,  light filled space I cooked up my fresh food & sat outside to read the September issues, take notes and ease into the day. Feeling content and restored. 

Thank you Saturday.

Love.

Two years ago today I met the man who renewed my faith in love, who taught me to slow down, take a deep breath and enjoy the simple beauty in the world. I cannot imagine life without him. No one makes me laugh harder than this dynamic, deep and loving man. I am the luckiest woman in the world. For that I have no doubt.

I dare you...

To sit still and watch this stunning video from start to finish (it's only 3 minutes long)

What a gorgeous ode to an artist...and a visual masterpiece. 

Take the dare here

Grateful Wednesday

Winding down the summer, still working at a glorious breakneck pace but praying for a day in the sun & sand soon!

In the meantime here's what I'm giving gratitude for:

1. Sleep! I've been getting an unusual amount of it lately. 

2. One of my best friends in the world has been traveling the world for 2 years and next week I get to see her. I cannot wait. (Also you should visit her blog, it's incredible and documents her entire surf & travel journey with her husband: http://surfingrtw.com/)

3. Planning vacations and getaways. One to Fire Island and one to Austin, Texas. Yehaw!

4. Abundant energy. I think it's partly because I love what I'm doing but I'm so thankful for this constant surge of energy I've been having. 

5. Deli's that deliver. Love being able to stay in my sweats and order a bag of chips and some hummus. Sometimes its important not to leave the couch. 

Arrival

My brother and his gorgeous wife just welcomed a baby girl into the world today. 

I'm gleaming with excitement, love and happiness. 

Life is pretty spectacular!!

Happy Monday everyone. 

Vacation dreams

It's been a busy summer. This Monday will be my first day off since the 4th of July and all this work is getting me dreaming of a remote beach getaway with my man. As hard as it is for me to want to stop this incredible momentum and take a breather I know it'll do me good. 

This is where I'm thinking: 

I may never return.

Speak up.

Tell the people in your life you love that you love them. 

Life is fast, beautiful and very brief. Don't be shy. 

Grateful Wednesdays

Absolutely the most gorgeous day of summer so far. On this breezy, crisp summer day I'm feeling an overwhelming sense of gratitude. Here's a few:

1. Shooting at the beach. I haven't been once this entire summer and I could not be happier that is today's studio. 

2. A great team. I love vibing, laughing and collaborating with great energy. 

3. Reconnecting with one of my best friends. We haven't  talked for 2 years and today we met and picked up right where we left off, only better. 

4. Friends who call first thing in the morning just to wish me well on my day. Is there anything lovelier?

5. Naps. I almost never take naps but today in between the work part and the play part of my day I took the most glorious 10 minute nap. It was heaven. 

Today's studio

Well-mannered Women

A Well-Mannered Mask

Happy Monday everybody!

If you're anything like me summer skin feels greasier and dirtier than usual and even though I know I should scrub my face daily by the time I'm getting ready for bed I usually skip that step! Once in a while I like to spend a little time taking care of my face and giving it a deep scrub to slough off all the summer damage.

My friend just sent me this incredible DIY face mask that looks just about good enough to eat & won't hurt your wallet.

Here it is:

Mix together ½ cup plain yogurt, ½ cup cornmeal, and ¼ cup grapefruit juice.

Refrigerate to thicken. Spread on irritated patches or breakouts once a week to soothe and cool skin.

 (recipe courtesy of Daily Candy/Joanna Vargas)

Pay it forward.

Have you had any encounters today where you experienced a random act of kindness or a particularly nice interaction with someone?

                  Pay it forward. 

Nothing feels better all the way around than a little kindness. 

Legacy

I was having martinis with two of my best girlfriends last night and we were excitedly chatting away- catching up on life and love, work and all the in-between.  It doesn't happen too often that we're all together and we were so happy to be together that we were spastically conversing, interrupting and gesturing wildly to illustrate our points. At a certain moment we each cracked up at how we were doing things that made us cringe about our moms: the over-talking, the interrupting, the excessive use of hand gestures, the boisterous boom to our voices as we got excited. And then it hit us: we are doing the very thing that drives us nuts about the people closest to us. We each considered this and thought we had tried and succeed to be aware of these ticks and to overcome the legacy. 

But lets be honest: we're carrying on the legacy hand gestures and all. I suppose it's time to accept it and realize being like these wonderful women really isn't so bad after all. 

        

“Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring.” 

― Marilyn Monroe

Grateful Wednesdays

Feeling groggy and worn out today. In the midst of trying to shake myself awake and get my day going I am reflecting on the good stuff in my life right now:

1. As much as work feels non-stop and overwhelming right now I am so grateful that it's coming in and I am busy working on jobs I love with great teams and doing what I really enjoy.

2. Getting a little bit of time with my boyfriend. Lately we see each other about an hour every day or two but yesterday we had a bit of normalcy and he was home when I got back from work. It was still just a few hours but it was wonderful.

3. Green juice. I am on the verge of getting sick and I cannot consume enough of this stuff. It's keeping my body strong & healthy.

4. Nice people. Enough said. 

5. Citi bikes. I really love seeing so many people taking to biking around the city. And most of them (the ones who don't look terrified) seem so happy to be riding.

Me & my main man, many months ago.

The Look

            

This is what I want to be wearing right now. 

                                                          

Summertime dream look by Fausto Puglisi. 

Strike a Pose

Get Inspired. 

Take it easy.

It's the first day of August and I'm slightly shocked. When did summer move so fast? I have yet to have a day at the beach, a frozen margarita or spend a early evening watching the sunset while dining outside with friends. As I sit and realize what the pace of my life has been these last few months I begin to realize how much I really need some calm in my life and what that means to change the pace. 

I'm vowing for this month to turn my cell phone off more often, saunter down the sidewalks and spend real time doing nothing. Time, I'm ready for you to take it easy.