Natori is coming out with a kids line this Spring which is super exciting. There are many different dresses and each of them are so cute, fresh, and fun. In preparation for the line to drop, there was a photo shoot last week and the model was none other than Tusia (my 10 year old daughter).
Waiting for our turn to go to the shoot and get primped.
Since September 2022, once a month, I drive up to Newburgh , New York (upstate NY) to work on a Habitat for Humanity house. I became involved through a friend, as her mother and the mother’s church group started going in honor of her brother who passed away who once worked with Habitat for Humanity. It is an all day affair full of hard labor, but I absolutely love my time doing the work. It is incredibly rewarding and eye opening to all the work it takes to build a house.
My friend’s brother was named Johnny, and so many of the houses we build in honor of the brother are called ‘Johnny’s House’ based on the donations from the family in honor of Johnny.
This particular house, I have worked on and seen it through so many stages.
One day, I spent the entire time stapling some type of plastic (yes, obviously I have not learned any of the terminology) to the wall.
The town of Newburgh is fascinating because it is extremely poor with a lot of gang violence. But the town itself is beautiful set in a gorgeous setting on the Hudson River.
I am bad with all knives, and somehow managed to not cut myself here (not sure what I was doing).
In action. 99.9 percent of the volunteers are older, retired people. If you have any interest in volunteering, get involved and do so! It is so rewarding.
The church group — but you can volunteer on your own. I am not involved in the church but come when they do, because it is more fun to drive up with my friend, Katama, then to go solo.
One time, we built stairs!!!!
Me, Katama, and our hard hats.
Carrying rubble to a dump truck — workout of the day!
Stair building.
Completed stairs, and me being brave and walking up them.
FINITO.
Me and my work bags.
The cement truck — we had to transport the cement to the backyard — HARD workout.
The patio.
Us volunteers getting the cement to pour in the backyard.
Even more scary — me on this power chainsaw.
Not not scary.
Spackling all morning long….
You get so dirty and dusty — but it doesn’t matter. All worth it.
The rundown neighborhood.
If at all interested in volunteering, let me know, as I would love to go more often. It is extremely rewarding and you see your hard work in a finished product. Doing good FEELS good. I hope you have a great week!
On Wednesday this past week, a friend organized a hat making class in Brooklyn through Mad in Brooklyn. It was a full day of hat making, crafting, and learning all about hat making. It was an incredible experience and I loved every minute of making my hat. To top it off (get it)., I love the hat that I made. So it was a win win day and experience.
To make the experience even better there were tacos, tortilla chips, AND margaritas. That alone, made it fun.
Ever since I started needlepointing, I have been a bad reader. Instead of spending the time reading, I am crafting…but I want to change that and learn how to balance that more. Here is my wish list for books to read this month (or year)
1. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
It was VERY, VERY, VERY cold over the weekend in NYC. It was hard to do much of anything because of the frigid air. Here is what I suggest doing if you are in NYC when it is very cold outside.
I went the other weekend to celebrate the Chinese New Year and see a special dance performance. It was fun to be in the museum (the actual performance was so so), but I love how beautiful the structure of the Met is and how you can get lost in it for days.
Is this month over????? Always SOOOOOOO long. Luckily it has not been THAT cold in NYC this past month. I mean, definitely hat and jacket weather, but not my big BIG coat. Here is what I am currently loving.
1. Feel Better Live More Podcast
Super insightful and love all of his shows. A must listen to.
January is always the longest month. It feels like February is right around the corner, but it actually isn’t — it still is weeks away! Here is what I am loving this month!
1. Anything Pendleton-pattern-esque
I love everything Pendleton. I’ve had the blue coat since Cruzzie was in my belly (13 years ago) and it is a coat that I imagine I will have as long as I am alive. And I keep adding to my collection…now the dog has one (if only she liked it — she hates clothes).
In the past month, we have been going to Brooklyn for brunch. There is something and fun and different to get in our car, drive to a different borough, and eat where we are not going to know a single person. Recently, we ended up at Sunday in Brooklyn, on a SUNDAY in BROOKLYN (very meta). It was after I researched where “the best pancakes are served in NYC,” and this was at the top of every list I came across.
It takes reservations, but on the Sunday we went, there were not any available spots, so we walked in, and put our name on the waitlist and walked around Domino Park — which had beautiful views of Manhattan. Windy and cold, but still beautiful and picturesque.
Last month to celebrate the end of school, I took Cruzzie and his friends to a graffiti workshop in Brooklyn. I thought it would be a fun and unique outing — something different — and sure enough it was. We were all a little skeptical (the teacher was late and the building that the class was in was a little unusual), that said, it was so fun and the boys had a great time and learned so much. I highly recommend — but if you do it, just know that there might be a couple kinks but it will all work out.
A quick background on the history of graffiti and then a lesson on how to do it.
Here we are — December! Cross that out — MID DECEMBER! Here is what I am loving!
I went to this in early December and it was SOO funny. I loved the 75 minute one man show and highly recommend anything that Mike Birbiglia does. In this production, it was about aging, and it could not have been more relevant or in tune with life. LOVED it.
2. Rat Ornament
Last week, I had the opportunity to take a private class with a florist, Denise from Flower Girl, and it was THE HIGHLIGHT of my month. Not only did we walk around the flower district where I learned which shop was best for plants vs flowers, where to get vases, the best orchids, and more, but I also made a floral arrangement. It was a very different experience — and I cannot wait to do it again.
We first met at a shop and discussed all the different flowers we needed for the arrangement. I asked Denise, the founder and owner of Flower Girl, what sparked her interested, and from there, we picked the rest out. It was very different from what I would have picked (which is why I went with her) and it was so fun to see it all come together.
Over Thanksgiving Break, we were introduced to Telestrations, and it is hands down, the most fun board game I have played in a long time. It is the perfect family game — fast moving, easy, enjoyable for every age, and so much fun.
Immediately after the first time we played this, I purchased one for our family. It is a game that the kids ASK and BEG to play — it is so fun for everyone in the family.
The game is exactly what it sounds like — a combination of telephone and pictionary. You receive a word, you have to draw it, and then the next person guesses it, the next person draws it, etc….It is so fun and every time I play, we laugh SO much.
Just got back from a whirlwind away on the west coast in the Bay Area. We decided to visit our best friends from Stanford for the holiday, and it was truly one of the best weekends yet. We laughed, ate, ate some more, ate even more, laughed some more, and just had great quality time together. Here is what we did (and great recommendations for anyone going to the Bay Area, too!)
National Forest north of San Francisco in Marin. A beautiful, relaxing, and incredible sigh of redwood trees. Redwood trees are supposed to be healing, and just being in their presence felt magical. They are HUGE and ANCIENT.
A MUST WATCH — Stutz! This documentary is about Jonah Hill’s therapist. It is part film, part therapy, and 100 percent worthwhile. It focuses on Jonah Hill (an actor and director)’s therapist, Phil Stutz, who he says changed his life. Stutz gives tools to Hill (and therefore to all the viewers) on how to have a better life — and I loved every part of it. We *ALL* have things to learn from this film.
You can watch “Stutz” on netflix, and I highly recommend watching this film today, tonight, ASAP.
Almost 2 weeks have passed since the NYC Marathon, and although it feels like a lifetime ago, I still think about the run all the time. More than any other marathon due to the fact that I ran with Eddie, the blind athlete, and our unfortunate ending of the race. Eddie continues to be an inspiration to me — blind, and yet fully loving and appreciative of life. He does not let his disability define him and seeks challenges, joy, and happiness in everything he does. I hope to be more like Eddie in my daily life. This was our most recent exchange.
I am a lover of sneakers — I wear Nike Dunks and Vans more than I wear any other shoes. They are comfortable, practical, AND hip. And now, I have a third sneaker to add to my rotation, Autry. I have a feeling that these shoes are going to be the next Golden Goose (aka luxury sneaker, but not at that ridiculously price point) and men, women, and kids will be all wearing them soon (and if my prediction is wrong, at least everyone in my family will be wearing them). Move over, veja, these sneakers are the best.
I like them all in all color ways, but for my first purchase, I picked the green and white. I LIVE in my black and white dunks, so these are a similar flair and style.
On Sunday, I ran the NYC Marathon as a guide for Achilles International. Achilles is an organization for people with disabilities in which they help their lives through athletic programs and social connection. It is my second time running as a guide with Achilles, and second time with my blind athlete, Eddie. It is always a very difficult, but extremely humbling and rewarding experience. The most heartwarming is meeting other athletes and hearing their stories — they are warriors and truly survivors.
I met Eddie at the expo on Friday. He came with a fellow visually impaired friend and it was so difficult to see them find their path in the expo. All of a sudden it came back to me how hard it is to guide someone and to be their eyes, ears, bodyguards, pacers, water fetcher, and protectors.
Yesterday, I wrote that the date was November 2021. I can’t believe that it is not 2021, and in fact, it is almost 2023! Here is what I am loving right now in Early November.
1. Zara Marine Jeans (for kids)
These jeans are the cutest and I wish they had them in adults sizes. They are Tusia’s first jeans (ever) and she loves them just as much as I do (which is never the case).
Ever since I discovered Wordle, I play every. single. day. without. a doubt. It is part of my daily rituals and something I love. Even more important, it is a way I stay in touch with an old friend of mine. We do not text or talk about anything, but every single day (without fail! for the past 9 months), we send each other’s results to one another.
Literally all our conversations look like this.
Back and forth.
Back and forth.
It seems silly — it is — but there is something so meaningful about these simple interactions. It is a way to check in (non verbal) and somehow feels very loving and supportive. So, highly suggest connecting with someone — it doesn’t have to be a traditional form of connection, but even something this little, makes all the difference. Happy week!
Currently, Crumbl cookies are all the rage as the store just opened up in Manhattan on the Upper East Side. It is another jumbo-sized cookie (each one is four servings) with 500 franchised stores around the country. There is a ton of hype around the cookies, but I have to admit, they are so delicious. And worth it.
Box of deliciousness.
A loyal Natori fan, I only wear Natori briefs (shocker). Since I am constantly looking for new ones to replace my Natori Feathers Panties RIP, I just purchased several pairs of the Natori Revive Brief, and I am *FINALLY* happy. They are not Natori Feathers, but they are ALMOST as good. So if you are looking for a new pair of undies, HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend these Natori revive briefs.
They come in two colors (beige and black). I got two of each. And I can’t wait to order more….
This past Sunday, I visited the old Barneys building (RIP) as Louis Vuitton is hosting an exhibition there until December 31st. This exhibition is the fourth and final stop of this traveling show. Not only is it an exhibit, but Fred’s (the restaurant, SOB, RIP) is also temporarily opened while Louis Vuitton is in the building. The exhibit is located on three of the floors, presenting 200 trunks that were created by 200 different artists.
The building. Entrance is free — you can reserve a ticket online, or just simply walk in, depending on the time of the day and how busy it is.
For Cruz’s 13th birthday last week, all he wanted was a doorless helicopter ride of the city. Since I had very few presents to give him, I thought that this gift would be extra special to him as it was an experience he could remember forever. Mind you, I hate heights, and don’t like to be on balconies of buildings, but in the end, it was worth it to see how happy Cruz was. I did a lot of research leading up to it and found that FlyNyon had the best reviews. Sure enough, the customer service was amazing and our experience unforgettable, and would definitely recommend this company to any one that is crazy enough to do it.
I didn’t make the reservations until the morning of. I couldn’t figure it out online (and I wanted a later time), so I called the number, and was greeted by the most HELPFUL person ever, Colleen.
Beat the Bomb – an immersive group experience! I have heard amazing reports about this interactive activity, which is a mixture of an escape room and a video game, so I signed up and took some kids to have some fun. Absolutely everyone had a blast and it was the perfect rainy indoor day activity. Located in DUMBO in Brooklyn, Beat the Bomb is a privately owned company that started five years ago. It was first built for adults, for group bonding activities and fun, but after the pandemic, they realized that kids were wizards at ipads. So now, it is 50% adults, and 50% kids.
When you get to the space, you have to put on a hazmat suit. Blurry photo, but gives you an idea of what the suit looks like.
New York City’s newest largest rooftop park! This past weekend, we explored new outdoor space and loved seeing the city from a different perspective. Pier 57 is located on W 15 St. & Hudson River Park — a mixture of office space (Google), public park, and soon a Food Hall by James Beard Foundation (JBF).
It is hidden and a little more discreet to get to. It is located just north of Little Island, so you can hit them both up at the same time.
Walking along the pier to get to the entrance of the park.
Great views, even more you go to the roof.
The elevator to get to the park. YES, AN ELEVATOR!!! I found that part so amazing. And I love the colors in this photo — Ukraine Flag colors.
This made me laugh — a button for the park.
The rules — you *CAN* bring dogs, which I didn’t know, but they need to be nice dogs.
Great views of Little Island and southern Manhattan.
The city up high.
Grassy area.
Views to the North.
A wedding was happening! A very small wedding, but we loved seeing the bride and groom.
You could rent this out for an event!
Then we crossed the street and went to Chelsea Market and had doughnuts and tacos for lunch.
Definitely worth doing on a beautiful Fall day — incredible views, great use of space, and something different!
