Gone Fishin'

So I'm a terrible blogger and haven't posted since July 12th, but here's my somewhat legitimate excuse: vacation! This week has so far included a fun-filled 48 hours in Los Angeles watching Danny "Noonan" Wheeler tie the knot alongside some of my bestest college buds, two days spent exploring the wild, spectacular woods of Crater Lake in southern Oregon with my parents, and finally tomorrow hopping one last flight to see that adorable niece of mine in Minnesota 'till Sunday. See you back here soon!

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4 Thoughts 4 Friday

Here again, the second installment of "Thoughts of the Day" now newly re-branded as "4 Thoughts 4 Friday" because, well, it's Friday and I'm sharing four things? Plus, everyone knows classic text-slang abbreviations will never go out of style. RITE? BRB.

Holiday Theme Outfits // At what age does dressing for a specific holiday become socially unacceptable? Can we extend that window to cover the late-twenties demographic? Because I would like to throw on one of the below star-spangled ensembles and look half as cute as Kevin's little niece Ella on 4th of July. That bonnet!

Technical Difficulties // This ol' guy has been a trusty companion for almost six years now and is on its last legs. The battery is dead so I can never use it unplugged and the constant frustration of watching a spinning wheel of death bring everything to a screeching halt for minutes at a time is driving me nuts. Someone's overdue for an upgrade. Should I go MacBook Pro or Air? 13-inch screen or 15-inch? If you have an opinion on either model, please share!

Vinyl Records + Street Art // How cool are these?! Spotted along Spring Street in Soho on my walk  home from work. I would share the artist, but he was one of those street stall sellers that I'm 99% sure doesn't have a website and is probably involved in some underground bootleg ring linked to the vinyl black market (that exists, right?).

Accessories Please // Finally making a bit of progress on the accessories front (the lack thereof blogged about here). Now what to pair these with?!

Umbrella Proposal // I don't really have anything specific to say here about umbrellas or wedding proposals, just wanted an excuse to share this adorable, clever, tearjerker of a proposal that took place on The High Line, one of my favorite parks in New York. Full disclosure: I don't know these people, I just happened to stumble upon the video thanks to the black hole that is social media. Get your tissues handy!

Just realized I'm terrible at counting (math was never a strength) and included five things today not four. Really more like four and a half since the last one has no photo & involves the annoying extra step of clicking through to another website. 2+2= ....I'll get there eventually.

Have a fantastic weekend, peeps!

xo

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Exploring The Great Indoors

Vermont is gorgeous and beautiful and perfectly made for exploring the great outdoors. But with my tick paranoia at an all-time high, grand hikes through the nearby Taconic Mountains were out of the question. Instead we made our way through East Dorset and neighboring Manchester to explore what the great state of VT could offer beyond its majestic scenery.

Having read about local historic site Hildene--the summer home of President Lincoln's son Robert--we made that our first stop of the day. Robert Todd Lincoln, the only one of the children to survive to adulthood, built the mansion in 1905 and the home was continuously occupied by Lincoln descendants until 1975 (longer than any other Lincoln family residence!). Overlooking a massive green valley, the estate and the grounds surrounding it are absolutely stunning.

Unfortunately, no photos are allowed inside, so I can't show you the enormous 1,000-pipe organ in the entrance hall, believed to be the country's oldest residential pipe organ still in its original location and in working order (!). But hopefully you get a sense of it by this awkward pose we struck in somewhat of an organ pipe shaped formation.

Keeping the historical home tour going, our next stop took us to the Robert Frost Stone House Museum in the town of Shaftsbury. Surprisingly, the house is only partially made of stone (zing!).

The museum (if it can really call itself that--only two rooms!) features original furnishings and knick knacks from the time period Frost lived there (1920-1929) during which he wrote many of his most famous poems, in particular "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" which he penned at the dining room table in 1922.

I can't say we were especially impressed with the place, especially compared to Hildene, but I suppose we can brag that we stood in the very spot where an American classic was written. I think? No matter, by this time our stomachs were growling hangrily so we quickly traded in house for barn. The Chocolate Barn, to be exact.

Very healthy lunch options. I think my choices adequately represent all four food groups. Wouldn't you agree, Mom?

Such a nutritious lunch helped us fuel up for the next strenuous & exhausting activity: pedal boating. Sure, pedal boating doesn't appear to require much skill or strength, and the only other people also renting one was a Japanese tourist couple clearly visiting from overseas (in the green boat ahead of us!), but I won't lie and say my thighs aren't still burning. And we only went around the lake a few times! The locals, meanwhile, lapped us in their BYOCs (bring your own canoes).

On the way to the lake, we also passed by this abandoned marble quarry, which now serves as the town swimming pool during the summer months. If we'd had our bathing suits with us, I was ready to jump right in. Followed by a relaxing deep REM sleep in the grass like that orange shorts/camo hat guy.

Finally, it was time to head home, pack up the car, grab the last of the kettle corn & say our goodbyes to Vermont.

On the drive back to New York, I very helpfully provided top-notch navigation skills once again. Kevin really appreciated it.

If you ever find yourself in southern Vermont, the beautiful Hildene House is well worth a visit & be sure to make a pit stop at the Chocolate Barn. Your sweet tooth will thank you!

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Is There a Tick on Me?

While in Vermont this weekend, enjoying the beautiful outdoors and soaking in the picturesque country vistas, with endless green forests and postcard-perfect mountains, all my brain could register was is there a tick on me?! Honesty, all weekend long I quietly freaked out every time my sneakered foot fell even somewhat close to the edges of roadside brush or tall grass. I swear I'm not a crazy hermit, and do love the outdoors, but Kevin and his uncle John (who's home in East Dorset we stayed at) kept yammering on about the dangers of picking up deer & horse ticks the size of a pin out in the fields (no doubt just to goad me on), filling my head with nightmarish scenes of waking up to the bullseye-shaped rash of Lyme Disease. Ultimately, frantically searching my arms and legs for a teensy black dot every night proved fruitless & psychotic. So far, no proof of tick life. But enough about ticks. To start off more appropriately, the 4-hour journey by car began as any good road trip should: with kettle corn.

While KSchneid drove the whole way (my driver's license is just for show), I helped navigate.

Those stellar navigation skills really paid off when we arrived at our destination 45 minutes early with plenty of kettle corn left (never mind the built-in GPS). As we drove through the sleepy town of East Dorset it felt like stepping into a time machine. Every home like a dollhouse very carefully preserved.

As we crested a steep hill, this little beauty came into view. Kevin's uncle and aunt live here. With their own apple orchard. Seriously.

The above three photos taken by Kevin's uncle this past spring (hence the blooming apple trees!)

Ready to shed our city selves and soak in the literal postcard we'd stepped into, it only felt right to venture down to the orchard and pretend to pick apples.

Silently petrified I'd picked up a tick along the way (every apple now starting to look evil), the pretend apple picking came to an end with the delicious wafts of grilled veggies and skewers drifting down from the back porch.

As we munched dinner al fresco, our eyes got a chance to feast too.

Most importantly, no ticks were involved in the making of this post.

More of our Vermont (mis)adventures later this week!

*In case you missed Friday's post in the hullabaloo of holiday weekend travel, check it out here. Wouldn't want you overlooking such life-changing discoveries as the accent nail.

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Thoughts of the Day

Something like "Thoughts of the Day" should include grand, earth-shattering insights, right? Weellll. This blog likes to keep things deep & profound, and by that I mean random observances on life that have been rattling around my head asking to jump out!

Bike-Shares // I'm intrigued by the bike-sharing program newly introduced here in New York and eager to see how it progresses long-term. Initially, both supporters and detractors spoke out loudly, but I think it's a great resource for tourists and locals alike. However, I'm squeamish about riding a bike in NYC for fear of a potential door-slam or some maniacal taxi cab driver mowing me down. Irrational, yes, since hundreds of bikers brave the mean streets of New York every day without so much as a scratch. Maybe I can ease into it by taking one for a spin, secure in the knowledge that at the very least the bright blue color stands out and should my worst door-slamming fears come true CitiBank can back the lawsuit? Regardless, I'm loving this impromptu spin class conducted on docked CitiBikes as an alternative to $38 SoulCycle classes. What do you think about a bike-share program in your neighborhood? Good, bad, indifferent?

Popcorn Night // Is there anything better than a Saturday night in, doing a whole lot of nothing, and sinking into the couch for the long-haul with an oversized bucket of popcorn while all your friends go out? Not saying this was me a few weekends ago, just, you know, pointing out the fact.

Running For The View // I've never been a big runner, but in the interest of my health (all those tubs of popcorn aren't working themselves off), in recent years decided to make a concerted effort to run/jog more often. It's a struggle, no doubt about it, but notably easier to force my feet out the door, borderline enjoyable even, when the route includes a scenic view instead of the mindless loop of a treadmill or the indistinguishable monotony of city streets. Good thing 1970's New York decided to tack on a make-shift spit of land off lower Manhattan from the remains of a Staten Island landfill to form Battery Park just steps from my front door. In more helpful running-related news, check out my friend Kristen McKee's guide to "finding your sole mate" in the search for the perfect running shoe here and the best paths in Portland here.

Accent Nails // As someone who is woefully behind on most fashion & beauty trends (see: here), my recent and very late discovery of the "feature finger/accent nail" is both embarrassing and exciting. In case you're like me and questioned a friend's one pink & four taupe nails, this super chic trend calls for painting one out of five nails on each hand a different color than the rest. I'm still uncertain if the two colors should be contrasting or monochromatic, and does it have to be the ring finger?, but I took my cues from the always-stylish Vanessa and using Essie Chinchilly and Urban Outfitters mystery magenta (no name on the bottle) took the plunge. Turned out a bit clownish, but thank you Vanessa, Kristin, Alix, Lisa and Laura for keeping me on my beauty trend toes!

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