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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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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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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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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Jennifer's Way Gluten-Free Bakery

I know I know, "gluten-free" is all the rage these days and only seems to grow trendier by the day with every celebrity endorsement (ahem, Gwyneth Paltrow). But with my recent diagnosis of Celiac disease,  I've struggled to adopt the gluten-free way of life, oftentimes feeling reluctant to embrace the trend and espouse its virtues a la the Gwyneths of the world. In large part because...I miss gluten foods. A lot. Pizza, cake, bread, cookies, the list could go on. I've had some luck in finding decently tasty gluten-free alternatives, or attempting a recreation in the kitchen, but it's hit or miss. Plus, the gluten-free versions never quite taste the same. So when I heard about Jennifer's Way Bakery, newly opened by actress Jennifer Esposito here in NYC, my hopes were low and doubts high.

Oh me of little faith. Skepticism quickly dissolved into elation at first blueberry muffin-filled bite. I mean, just look at this beauty...

When it comes to gluten-free baked goods, I find that most are either super bland & tasteless or chock full of sugar to over-compensate the lack of wheat flour. Happily, this time, with bases like almond flour and quinoa flour + whole natural ingredients, neither was the case!

Jennifer herself manned the cash register the day I visited (photo proof below!) and she personally bakes a good portion of their treats.

Plus, all items are organic/non-GMO and free of soy, dairy and refined sugar. Though your taste buds wouldn't know it. Everything I tried could stand on its own in a taste-off against a regular bakery any day. With gluten-free alternatives this sweet, I just might come around to the Gwyneth way of life. But with a lot less designer duds & quirkily named children.

P.S. for those of you outside NY, the bakery does ship their flour/pancake mixes and a few other items nationwide (through the website here) so go on--treat yoself!

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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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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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Rooftop Midsommar

Happy (belated) start of Summer! I know, I know--two days late, but who said we can't celebrate the official kick-off of beach season all week long? Super Moon knows what I'm talking about.

To celebrate the summer solstice, because he is hip & cool and does things like mark the celebration of solar calendar holidays, my friend John Travis and his roommates invited peeps over to the roof deck of their apartment building for an official "Midsommar" party (the traditional Scandinavian spelling according to google) complete with a towering Swedish maypole.

In true John Travis style, he and several others built the maypole with their own ten hands and $120. In case you don't know John, he likes to build things. In college, to spruce up an otherwise plain porch at the off-campus house he and a few classmates shared, John constructed fully-functional saloon doors that swung in and out making visitors feel like Clint Eastwood out of a scene from The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. So this epic maypole was no surprise. In case you're curious about making your own, beware the streamers. I'm told they spent over four hours constructing them!

John's apartment building, located just a few subway stops over the river in Williamsburg, provides amazing views of Manhattan. Especially at sunset, which was conveniently timed to just as we arrived!

Being the incredible hosts that they are, John & his roomies (plus girlfriend Rachel!) had whipped up a full spread of homemade salmon lox + potato salad, grilled spicy sausage, a whole spiked watermelon, plus party favors in the form of flower head wreaths and bracelets. No detail overlooked, I tell you.

I tried very hard to showcase the flower bracelets at all times.

Of course, with a bona fide maypole in our midst, an awkward photo shoot was inevitable, during which we struggled against unpredictable billowing streamers.

The maypole dancing continued well into the night, long after the sun dipped below the horizon. And let me tell you, posing with streamers is exhausting. By the end of the night, with the rest of the party still in full swing, I snuck off to "nap" until the others were ready to head home. Thankfully, Kristin managed to capture the moment beautifully.

Thank you John, Max, Greg, Jake and Rachel for having us!

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Googa Mooga

A few weekends ago, Kevin and I and our friend Peter traipsed out to Brooklyn in the drizzling rain to The Great Googa Mooga. Despite its vaguely google-ish sounding name, Googa Mooga is actually a food festival in Prospect Park that takes place over three days with 85 restaurant and food vendors, 100 wine/beer sellers and live music performances. In their own words, an amusement park of food, drink and music.

We headed out for the day on Saturday, and despite the rain joining in for the festivities, didn't let that stop us from stuffing ourselves silly.

Walking into the festival is a bit daunting. With an overwhelming amount of food stands lined up end to end, each filling your nose with a thousand different mouthwatering wafts of deliciousness, it's difficult to know where to start. Considering my compatriots were two "growing" boys, we inevitably made a beeline for the BBQ/pork/meat area, clearly marked by a massive smoke-spewing cast iron pig appropriately named Hamageddon.

Peter and Kevin kicked things off with marbled rye cheddarwurst & carmelized onion sandwiches from Pork Slope, while my nose led me to Fatty 'Cue's barbeque pulled pork.

Don't let the pulled pork's unimpressive looks deceive you, my nose did not lead me astray! The boys also scarfed down smoked bacon spicy-slaw sandwiches, which made the briefest of appearances next to my pulled pork below, but that's all I could manage to snap before every last crumb disappeared.

Having thoroughly gorged ourselves on enough pig-related food to last a lifetime (gross), next it was on to fried chicken from Blue Ribbon. Kevin was the least excited for this leg of the eating journey.

As you can see in the next sequence of photos, the fried chicken literally stunned them into belly-contented silence. No actual words were spoken. Only grunts of approval and continuous munching.

During the fried chicken bonanza, a little stand by the name of Free Bread called out to me. A simple warm & gooey toasted PB&J? Yes, please!

Several napkins and finger licks later, we waddled over to the main stage as the band Matt & Kim came on. If you've ever seen Matt & Kim live (my first time!), then you know, they put on a party not just a show.

Launching into their set, the crowd immediately went wild, jumping and cheering, and before we knew it someone pitched themselves up into the hands of the crowd and the throng turned into a mosh pit. I've never "moshed" before in my life (too afraid of getting dropped and trampled!) and wasn't about to start now, so instead of sharing some thrilling action shot of me being whisked along over the heads of the throbbing crowd, I'll share these strangers doing it instead.

Even Kim got out there!

As the concert wound down, and the moshers dispersed, our uncomfortably full bellies slash food comas set in. But seeing as how we were in Brooklyn, at the equivalent of foodie heaven, fresh off an indie darlings Matt & Kim concert, I couldn't resist giving my best shot at blending in with the hipster locals before heading home. How'd I do?

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