Recently Ian and I had The Talk; “When does Christmas begin?” He is of the November first persuasion, and I am of the after Thanksgiving persuasion, so I am guessing our little family will start getting into the Christmas mood somewhere in the middle of the month of November. I don’t mind a little tinsel with my turkey, so long as I can still have the fun of filling my Thanksgiving table with foraged leaves and berries in all the…
Now that I have the perspective of nearly a year since my wedding, let’s chat a little about what worked great for us, and what I wish we could have tweaked a bit. And if you’ve had one too, please chime in and tell me all your own wedding joys and regrets, because I love hearing people’s tales! Joy: starting with singing Ian suggested having the praise and worship part of our ceremony first, before we made our entrances, and…
Ahh, after ten months of planning, the day was here. October twenty-five dawned, a beautiful, clear, sunny fall day, with absolutely perfect temps. Since our wedding was at 7 PM, I slept until a reasonable hour and had a chill morning showering and checking my overnight bag was packed and not freaking out at all. Around 9 AM my bridesmaids, who were my sisters and Lynette, arrived at my apartment, armed with mini quiches and good cheer. We breakfasted leisurely…
Now that I have been married for …consults calendar… nine months, shall we chat a bit about the wedding? I enjoyed having this spot to brain dump when I was in the thick of wedding planning, and have been rather ghostly silent ever since. I always find I write more when I’m stressed or sad than when I am happy, and once again, it has proven to be my habit, as I am extraordinarily happy and cannot find it within…
Last week I moved to the apartment Ian and I will share in…65 days. Moving is odd, because afterward I feel exhausted and stressed and just want to go home and veg on my own couch. And I technically can, but then I realize that my house doesn’t feel like home, and I don’t know where anything is, and there is nowhere in the whole world I can go right now that feels quite homey. Of course, the feeling wears…
Honey, sit down and let me tell you the story of my life. Or more specifically, the story of all my NYC moves, and the gray hairs I have earned over them. As anyone who knows anything about New York City knows, apartment shopping here is no joke. What is the opposite of a joke… maybe a funeral? If so, apartment shopping here is a funeral. Besides the small fact that everything costs as much each month as your great-grandparents…
Night begins when I wearily climb the stairs to my flat and kick off my heels and change into a little knit dress that feels like wearing PJs. I drop my bag and keys, and head to the kitchen to make something simple for dinner. Maybe a couple of eggs, or a large salad with whatever I happen to have in the fridge. If I have the whole evening at home and am feeling inspired, I might take the time…
Have I mentioned that I moved to New York City for one year? When I packed up my small-town life and came up here on a hope and a prayer, I always thought I’d stick it out for at least one year, because anything less just isn’t giving it a proper shot. I didn’t know what would happen after that- if I would return to my comfortable North Carolina town or try a new place- but at least I would…
See, I have this friend in Brooklyn who is my go-to for my food adventures and early last year we stumbled upon the brilliant idea of eating our way around the breads of the world, right here in New York City. The rules were simple: eat from as many different countries as possible, try to stay away from the obvious choices like pizza, eat something bready or breaded or at least starchy at each spot, and expand our palettes! Of…
Hello my pineappley friends, It’s been a minute since we’ve had a chatty, catch-up sort of post, hasn’t it? I blinked and November was here, the most wonderful time of the year (sorry Andy Williams, but I’m right.), with the dry leaves skittering across the pavement, the nor’easters popping up out of nowhere and raining straight into my shoes and breaking my wonderful wind-proof umbrella, the trees turning almost garishly bright colors, and the radiators once again rattling away and…
Dear friend, I was just utterly charmed by a tiny glimpse of a white slip on the train and I thought you might understand. I was traveling home late at night from a work event, a bit damp from the gusty rain outside, when an old lady entered the train car and sat directly across from me- well, not really old, probably only 60 or so, but she looked like life hadn’t given her many roses. You know those people…
Now that the world has somewhat opened up, I once again find myself with long stretches on the train, casting about for ways to amuse myself. Although I have a trusty little office at home and don’t have daily commutes to work, I do have frequent hours on the train to church and back, as well as to other social events, and since I don’t always manage to have a book at my fingertips (sometimes I run out of mass…