Camera Shy

Just don't leave it in the back of a cab, my dad pleads as I gush over the shiny new belated Christmas present he's sent me. For someone who has "lost" (read: set down and immediately forgotten about) many a point-and-shoot over the years, and happily went through all of college with one measly disposable to my freshman year name (it was 2003!), first-time ownership of a real, bona fide camera is an exciting and completely intimidating moment for me. I mean, what if after all this money spent, I have no eye for photography and even less talent and my poor father's well-intentioned gift ends up collecting dust in a drawer somewhere as I guiltily snap away behind the safety of my iPhone? What if I drop it in the Hudson River? What if Instagram filters have ruined everything? Ok, deep breaths, reality check. National Geographic is not calling to shoot their next cover (except, um, dream job!) and I'm getting just a wee bit ahead of myself. NatGeo pipe dreams and irrational fears aside, I genuinely just want to learn how to take better pictures, appreciate the small moments in life worth documenting, and perhaps even enroll in a class or two. At the end of the day, seize this opportunity to learn, improve and explore a previously unexamined creative side of myself.

Wish me luck? Tips and tricks of the trade for this "real camera" newbie would be very much welcome! Once I take this bad boy out for a spin and get a handle for it, I'll try to report back. In the event you're considering investing in a new DSLR and want my very expert opinion on the Canon Rebel T5i.

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When One (Rather Heavy) Door Closes...

Today is my very last day working at 65 Bleecker Street. The last time I'll pass through these double doors (with the deceivingly heavy right-side one calling into question every "strength training" class I've ever taken).

The last time I'll ride the elevator three floors up, tromp through the hallways with the hardwood floorboards creaking below, and plop down at my desk. To know an office, a space, a group of co-workers will no longer be a part of daily life feels a bit surreal. In a different way than when you leave a job for a new one, with the old company remaining unchanged.

While feelings of uncertainty and a good amount of fear swirl through my head these days, I've decided to embrace change, not balk at it. A hunch tells me this one leads to something good, great even, and hopefully somewhere with much lighter lobby doors.

While cleaning out my office, I unearthed this months-old scribbled quote from Life of Pi which felt ironically very fitting for today: I suppose, in the end, the whole of life becomes an act of letting go. But what always hurts the most is not taking a moment to say goodbye. 

So this is me taking a moment!

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Happy Friday + Valentine's Day

Whether today is "singles awareness day" or your 35th wedding anniversary, whatever your plans are make sure they include reminding loved ones how much they mean to you. February 14th is just another chance out of 365 to say it! I'm spending V Day (and the rest of the weekend) in balmy Minnesota with my sister, brother-in-law and niece and couldn't be more excited about quality family time. Doubly so for the three-day weekend! Wishing you lots of love in all its forms today.  Popping in from my room with a special message, this fluffy guy has something to tell you...

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The Weekend In A New York Minute

This weekend featured a lot of indoor activities: reading, Olympics watching, internet perusing, scrabbling. With one beautifully-snowcapped Central Park exception.

Sticky Notes | My mom sent me this book, Manuscript Found in Accra by Paulo Coelho with more sticky notes attached than there are pages. Am I supposed to actually read it or just refer to the flagged Clif Notes version? Clearly the book spoke to her. Hoping it does for me as well, though I'll need to stock up on post-its first. Have any of you read it? Thoughts?

Scrabble Saturday | Saturday night was a real wild one, let me tell you. Grammar took a bash to the face while spelling & vocabulary tumbled out the window along with the dictionary. All in the name of Scrabble!

Winter White | Since we all enjoy bemoaning the winter doldrums this time of year, especially when uppity guests like Polar Vortex and Snowpocalypse overstay their welcome, it's nice to know a few New Yorkers (Central Park I'm looking at you) can keep it together under such inclement circumstances. White truly is her color.

Seattle Street Style | I'm sorry if you're sick of hearing Seattle this and Seattle that, but the Emerald City holds a soft, mushy place in my heart from which bouts of nostalgia gush forth periodically (especially during Macklemore-SuperBowl-Seattle-is-having-a-moment times like these), so please bear with me. The latest to tug at my heartstrings is this lovely street style blog I discovered over the weekend. Dana Landon, the photographer and author behind it, has a simple yet captivating style that's completely delightful. New posts appear daily, so check out It's My Darlin' for a dose of inspiration and a peek into the style of Pacific Northwesters. No flannel in sight. Side note: another equally great street photography blog is the ubiquitous Humans of New York.

Enjoy your Monday!
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Land O' Links + Happy Friday

Alright peeps, I'm jumping on the "here are a bunch of fun links" blogging bandwagon today. Yep, all kinds of bandwagon-ing going on around here (woo hoo Seahawks!). Here for your Friday is a variety of tidbits from across the web that caught my eye. Which you'll most likely find on several other blogs, too. But hopefully you saw 'em here first!

image via new york magazine

 Seattle knows how to celebrate a Super Bowl win, which is very politely (no jaywalking!).

The entire nation is freaking sick of this winter weather. I know I am!

We all need one of the above pillows in our lives, no?

Discovered this beautifully written blog recently and especially love this post on forgiveness.

Should these old fashioned dating habits be brought back? Yes, please. And thank you.

This little girl experiencing rain for the first time is heart-meltingly adorable.

New Yorkers, if you're in the mood for a bottle of vino tonight, 'Inoteca needs help drinking 1,300 of them before the restaurant closes for good tomorrow. Bottoms up!

I wholeheartedly agree with you, Amy Poehler. (shout out to Kristen for posting this too!).

This quirky & unconventional gift guide for Valentine's Day.

Considering the hometown pride kick I'm on this week, here are 36 reasons Seattle wins at life.

Wishing you a very merry weekend ahead!
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The Weekend In A New York Minute (Vol XLVIII)

Hometown pride! The Seahawks are Super Bowl champs for the first time ever! As a true bandwagoner, I may have called an interception an "intervention" at one point during the game, but still feeling immensely proud of good ol' Sea-town and its shining sports moment (a rare thing!).

Hawk Colors | Embarrassingly, when the Seahawks won the NFC Championship two weeks ago, I turned to my closet in search of appropriately-themed blue/lime gear only to find...nada. Thanks to a tip from Kristin, one trip to Old Navy + Lululemon later, I was (somewhat) set. Still mixed up on interception vs intervention, but got the colors down pat.

Kettlebells | Having only recently been introduced to the vaguely european seeming (like Arnold Schwarzenegger-esque?) workout equipment known as kettlebells, I am loving them so far. Feeling especially ready for Sochi and the Olympics armed with the newfound knowledge of kilogram to pound conversion.

More Lululemon? | Another weekend workout, another bathroom selfie. This time featuring the latest Lulu top (here) to somehow convince me $50 is an appropriate price for a piece of spandex. I blame that color! Literally blinding.

Cheers to another week!

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What Does My Hand Say?

I had my palm read over the weekend at a tiny candle-lit table in an unassuming corner of a bar by a soft-spoken, wrinkly-eyed gypsy woman for $25. And it was both eerily life affirming and wildly off the mark ("It looks like you're in a fight with your mom" Uh, no). But that's to be expected. As a friend later put it, after listening to the lengthy description of my foretold fortunes, "Well, they can't all bat a thousand."

At the insistence of Heather (more like pushing and shoving), I slid into the small chair opposite stacks of tarot cards and votive candles to embark on my very first palm reading. Truthfully, I wasn't sure what to expect, beyond what Heather and Nicole (who'd only just vacated the same seat after much excited chatter over the future of her romantic relationships) had told me about this fortune teller at the bar every time they'd been, telling them the same thing each time they sat down. So there I was, right hand nervously outstretched beneath a heavily bedazzled magnifying glass as deep pen lines appeared in the creases of my palm, waiting for the proclamation of a lifetime. High expectations for the neighborhood clairvoyant, no?

Here's what she had to say:

- I am either living in the wrong city or working in the wrong career (ugh?!)
- I'm from the West coast; she guessed California (pretty close--Seattle)
- For work, I excel/enjoy most the creative side of projects and bringing people together (definitely true)
- I will have two boys and a girl for kids (if true, I'll take it!)
- My life line is unusually "all over the place" and not well-defined, indicating high levels of stress (somewhat true, more so at this time in my life)
- I have difficulty saying no to things/people which wears on me physically, and I should learn to be less of a people pleaser (1000% true)
- Sometime between the age of 31 and 32, I'll meet three important romantic relationships one of which will ultimately be the One (when I questioned which of the three was marriage material, she responded "Oh, monogamy wasn't established yet when palm reading was invented so I can't tell." Right, ok.)

For the most part, a knowing smile hovered on my face the entire 20 minutes we talked, though a few of her comments range false: two breakups at age 26 and 27 (nope, in a relationship with Kevin that whole time!) and I have zero desire for kids (this is only somewhat false as I do eventually want a family but have never been a dying-to-have-kids-right-now type). The epic proclamation I was waiting for? Still waiting. But that's ok because I've got polygamy in my future to look forward to!

Have you ever had your palm read? Did any of it actually come true? Is it all just a bunch of mumbo jumbo?!

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Meatloaf Monday

You know all those "Meatless Monday" posts around the internet today? Well, for the meat lovers out there feeling neglected, here's a special treat: meatloaf! Meatloaf?? Yes, the unassuming loaf of meat. Elicitor of many an upturned nose from child and adult alike. Not especially photogenic or abundant in plate appeal, meatloaf can get a bad rap. Here to turn that frown upside down is this recipe (which-surprise!-includes veggies hidden inside) adapted from here. Without further ado… Meatfull Monday!

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef 

1 zucchini, diced

4 oz. button mushrooms

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 yellow onion, diced

2 tablespoons dried basil

2 tablespoons dried parsley

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

Note, the original recipe calls for zucchini and mushrooms, but I went with broccoli and carrots instead. Be adventurous with your veggie mix-ins!

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Simmer onion and garlic in a skillet over medium heat. Once the onions begin to become translucent, add vegetables and cover to let steam. Once vegetables are fully softened, add in parsley, basil, garlic powder and salt and pepper. Mix well and remove from stove to cool. Next is my favorite part: combine the cooled vegetable mixture with your raw ground beef in a bowl and squish it all together with your hands. This will feel a lot like massaging a brain (so I imagine). Line a bread pan in parchment paper and place brain--I mean, meat mixture into pan and press in firmly. Bake for about 50-55 minutes.

Before you go assuming this is now a weekly anti-vegetarian series, fear not. I don't love beef that much.

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The Weekend In A New York Minute

Last week flew by in a library induced haze of LinkedIn job boards, and now low & behold here we are back at the start of a new week. A short one though. Which means the weekend provided that elusive extra 24 hours. Did I take advantage of the bonus time? If taking advantage means cooking the entire 10-slice package of bacon on a Sunday morning instead of the usual half, than yes I most certainly did.

Bacon Late Bloomer | Recently, within the last six months or so, bacon has risen up the ranks on my list of morning breakfast staples. Salty. Crispy. Greasy. Yes duh where have you been, Ana?? Growing up the daughter of a nutritionist, that's where. Why it took another 10+ years for these crunchy slices of pork heaven to make their way onto my breakfast plate, I have no idea, but hallelujah count me in as officially converted to the uncured honey maple congregation. (Favorite brand so far: Applegate)

Curl Challenged | Evidently, this blog is quickly becoming a self-help guide on how not to take care of nice things. First the ruined sneakers, now the curling iron. Up until a couple years ago, my stick straight locks would not hold a curl to save their life, then along came this miracle worker, followed by a year of voluminous wavy bliss. The honeymoon period could never last, though. All this time I've been stowing my curling iron with the cord wound tightly around the barrel. Big mistake. Only after it completely shorted out mid-attempt at the above beachy waves, did a quick google search later reveal my glaring oversight. Don't make the same mistake! 

Wine & Cheese Please | At the risk of sounding like a late twentysomething cliche, spending a Friday night with friends chatting late into the wee hours over trays of brie and red wine, might just be the best kind of Friday, don't you think?

Fair-Weather Fan | As an NYC transplant from the Pacific Northwest, I have a lot of hometown pride when it comes to anything Seattle related. With one exception: our historically lackluster sports teams (ahem dearly departed Sonics). However, the Seahawks have dominated this football season, culminating in Sunday's nail-biter of a game sending them victoriously off to the Superbowl. And there I was cheering along like the true bandwagoner that I am. #gohawks, indeed.

Enjoy the short work week, folks!

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The Weekend In A New York Minute

A few recent life lessons and mini discoveries worth sharing from around these parts because, well, armed with the critical knowledge of how to properly launder sneakers, your transition into Monday will inevitably be that much smoother.  

At the Library | Can anyone else remember the last time they saw the inside of a library beyond freshman year of college? Guys, we have been missing out. And so have weekend productivity levels. With my job hunt entering full-blown crisis territory, local coffee shops have been seeing a lot of me & my laptop lately and it's become increasingly clear how very little actually gets done amongst the endless distractions (is the music unnecessarily loud in here or am I just getting old? Are they seriously charging $8.75 for a latte? Did the newsboy-capped barista just wink in my direction?). None of that at the library. Still plenty of cute strangers to wink at, but shhhh inside voices only!

Gym Lace | Not your usual boring ol' workout gear, I'm loving this pale pink top with a hint of lace detailing. Just enough to lend an air of real elegance to back sweat.

Coconut Ice Cream | This unassuming treat isn't actually ice cream (milk being the key missing ingredient), but your tastebuds would hardly know the difference and isn't your freezer lacking in the coconut-based frozen dessert department? Enter So Delicious' line of dairy-free, soy-free, gluten-free goodies. If that's a few too many "-frees" for you not to worry, grab a spoon & some chocolate syrup, dig in and… milk who?

Lessons in Laundry | This photo does not do the damage justice, but if you look closely you'll see wonky upturned toes and curled insoles. Yours truly threw Nikes into the washer machine (on hot water cycle!) followed by an hour in the dryer in an attempt to clean them. Result: size 7.5 now a snug size 6. Note to self--skip the dryer!

TV Sunday | Golden Globes. Downton Abbey. Girls. All in a single three-hour window. If like me, you struggled to decide which to focus on, ultimately switching back and forth between commercial breaks without truly watching any show in its entirety, than yes it was a great night of television.

Wishing you all a great week ahead full of sweet treats and freshly cleaned (un-shrunk) shoes.

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Volunteer Park

While home for the holidays last week, my Mom & I took an impromptu walk (meant to be run) through Seattle's Volunteer Park a few blocks from home. Initially, we marched out the door with grand intentions of working off the 50+ chocolate salted caramels we I consumed in a holiday-induced binge, Lululemon gear on ready for max exertion. Instead, on a whim, we re-routed our course through the nearby park for a more scenic backdrop from grey city streets. Man, am I glad we did. Not only did we time it perfectly just as the sun was setting, bathing the already-beautiful grounds in all sorts of magical light, but we made up for the so-far lackluster workout by climbing to the top of the park's historic water tower. All 106 spiral stairs.

Of course, I've climbed these stairs before. The park's soaring oak trees, yawning stretches of grass, winding walkways, and stone wading pool are all familiar faces to me from a childhood spent in its greenery. But the last time I climbed the water tower was a distant memory from more youthful years, and now the circular stairwell looked especially steep.

Much to our surprise, exhilaration replaced reluctance when 106 stairs later (plus a few stops along the way to snap pics but in reality catch our breath) we crested the final step thigh muscles and dignity intact. Take that youth! We still got it!



And apparently so does the water tower. Her charming brick glory shimmered especially bright in the late afternoon sun.

After much ooh'ing and aah'ing, the descent proved far more enjoyable filled with our excited chattering over the water tower's loveliness as if we'd just discovered an unknown hidden gem in the city (ah vacation brain!). High on park life, we stopped into the Conservatory too, warming ourselves beneath the leafy palm trees and swampy air.

Finally, just as the setting sun dipped below the horizon, our wandering took us by the infamous "doughnut" sculpture with the sun's last rays peeking through the center just perfectly.

 Well done, Volunteer Park. Well done.

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