When I was little my mom got me these fantastic purple Hoy Salt Water Sandals. I loved them. They were purple. They were sandals and I think I wore them every day for the summers that they fit. So Naomi over at Rockstar Diaries has herself and her adorbs daughter Eleanor decked out in red salt waters. Seeing these cute shoes again reminded me how much I loved mine when I was little and put me on a quest to find an adult pair. I have tracked down the women's version at taakens.com, and now I just need someone to help me pick between the silver or the red pair! (Oh and someone who wants to get me a new pair of shoes :) )
What do you all say? Red or Silver?
Friday, July 6, 2012
Empire State- New York Day Two Cont.
After the ESB adventure we started walking up 5th Avenue in pursuit of a macaroon shop I had seen over at Amanda's Blog.It was the perfect walk to see many of the New York-y things I had wanted to stumble upon.
We had been walking and my neck was starting to get sore from starring up at all the amazing buildings when I saw it. My feet immediately did the excited scuttle step that the bf says I do when I get excited about something. But there it was. Magnolia. Cupcake mecca.
We had to try the vanilla/vanilla cupcake that has been the focus of my cupcake baking for awhile now. The cupcake did not disappoint. The cake was incredible, and true to form--the frosting was beyond yummy. The store was really cute and I even found a "Baked Fresh" onesie for Miss Ava!
We pressed on despite our feet really starting to get tired at this point.
But then the fun really started. The story goes like this: We are walking, nearing Central Park and the boyfriend goes, "Hey, we should get you a crazy extravagant engagement ring, and matching necklace. Because I just love you that much". I naturally couldn't refuse. So off to Harry Winston we went.
And I decided on this ring and complimentary necklace. Well the boyfriend decided that Tiffany’s was more our style and since we were right cross the street….
Ok. I kid. I kid. There was no ring shopping. Well not past window shopping and my wishful thinking!
So as I mentioned, Amanda had written about some of her favorite places to snag a macaroon in New York. One of her pictures in particular really caught my eye. There were 8 little perfect macaroons nestled in a cute little box that had POODLES on it. Well I had to have this box. So we tracked down Macaroon Café. The box did not fail to have adorable little poodles on it, and it is one of my favorite souvenirs from NY. Both the boyfriend and I are yet to to be completely sold on macaroons, but we did vote that the less “florally” flavors were the best. I loved the mocha and traditional vanilla. It was fun to sit in the park with our ice tea and treats and got to people watch.
We found a perfect little bench to plop on to rest our feet and I could have sat there forever! Central Park has a magical quality to it that had me head over heels in love.
After people watching for an hour or so and walking around the little lake we headed back to our hotel to relax before celebrating our version of Valentine’s day.
I am a celebrity chef groupie, and I have a particular interest in the Top Chef contestants. For dinner the boyfriend treated me to an amazing meal at Tom Colicchio’s restaurant: Colicciho & Sons.
The food was incredible and the décor was really well done. We bailed into a cab to avoid a horrible rain storm and quickly crashed after our very full day in our big comfortable hotel bed.
Our last day was brief due to the rain and without any photos, but I do have some fun things to share!
We had been walking and my neck was starting to get sore from starring up at all the amazing buildings when I saw it. My feet immediately did the excited scuttle step that the bf says I do when I get excited about something. But there it was. Magnolia. Cupcake mecca.
We had to try the vanilla/vanilla cupcake that has been the focus of my cupcake baking for awhile now. The cupcake did not disappoint. The cake was incredible, and true to form--the frosting was beyond yummy. The store was really cute and I even found a "Baked Fresh" onesie for Miss Ava!
We pressed on despite our feet really starting to get tired at this point.
But then the fun really started. The story goes like this: We are walking, nearing Central Park and the boyfriend goes, "Hey, we should get you a crazy extravagant engagement ring, and matching necklace. Because I just love you that much". I naturally couldn't refuse. So off to Harry Winston we went.
And I decided on this ring and complimentary necklace. Well the boyfriend decided that Tiffany’s was more our style and since we were right cross the street….
Ok. I kid. I kid. There was no ring shopping. Well not past window shopping and my wishful thinking!
So as I mentioned, Amanda had written about some of her favorite places to snag a macaroon in New York. One of her pictures in particular really caught my eye. There were 8 little perfect macaroons nestled in a cute little box that had POODLES on it. Well I had to have this box. So we tracked down Macaroon Café. The box did not fail to have adorable little poodles on it, and it is one of my favorite souvenirs from NY. Both the boyfriend and I are yet to to be completely sold on macaroons, but we did vote that the less “florally” flavors were the best. I loved the mocha and traditional vanilla. It was fun to sit in the park with our ice tea and treats and got to people watch.
We found a perfect little bench to plop on to rest our feet and I could have sat there forever! Central Park has a magical quality to it that had me head over heels in love.
After people watching for an hour or so and walking around the little lake we headed back to our hotel to relax before celebrating our version of Valentine’s day.
I am a celebrity chef groupie, and I have a particular interest in the Top Chef contestants. For dinner the boyfriend treated me to an amazing meal at Tom Colicchio’s restaurant: Colicciho & Sons.
The food was incredible and the décor was really well done. We bailed into a cab to avoid a horrible rain storm and quickly crashed after our very full day in our big comfortable hotel bed.
Our last day was brief due to the rain and without any photos, but I do have some fun things to share!
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Talking Walls
I've spent my evening trying to get my fancy new iPad up and ready to do some blogging. I purchased the Blogsy app and spent some time getting acquainted with that. Hopefully I will shed the bulky laptop and be on my way to iPad blogging!
Speaking of shedding things. Go with me here and I promise I will finish New York posts. I keep tending to go back, literally, physically, going back to places that make me feel disoriented and lost. It is amazing how a place. A physical place--can hold memories. A vessel of intangible thoughts and feelings that you seem to run into in just that place. Have you noticed that? The words "if walls could talk"...well I am starting to wish I could hear the story some of the walls I have been in would say.
It is hard to let go of memories, because with memories are the idea that there may be another course your life could have taken. You can analyze memories and see where they could have led you, or better see how they were leading you somewhere.
There can be a muscle memory to being somewhere. Despite time passing, and you retraining yourself to adapt to a new place, you can still find yourself falling back into old habits without effort.
I know this is one of those illusive posts that no one likes, but this is my blog, no? (Just kidding). But if I have learned anything from my young professional life, it is to keep my professional life away from my blog and personal life. So this is the dividing line. A cryptic post about feeling totally disjointed tonight and unsettled.
Hopefully nothing that a good nights sleep can't fix!
Speaking of shedding things. Go with me here and I promise I will finish New York posts. I keep tending to go back, literally, physically, going back to places that make me feel disoriented and lost. It is amazing how a place. A physical place--can hold memories. A vessel of intangible thoughts and feelings that you seem to run into in just that place. Have you noticed that? The words "if walls could talk"...well I am starting to wish I could hear the story some of the walls I have been in would say.
It is hard to let go of memories, because with memories are the idea that there may be another course your life could have taken. You can analyze memories and see where they could have led you, or better see how they were leading you somewhere.
There can be a muscle memory to being somewhere. Despite time passing, and you retraining yourself to adapt to a new place, you can still find yourself falling back into old habits without effort.
I know this is one of those illusive posts that no one likes, but this is my blog, no? (Just kidding). But if I have learned anything from my young professional life, it is to keep my professional life away from my blog and personal life. So this is the dividing line. A cryptic post about feeling totally disjointed tonight and unsettled.
Hopefully nothing that a good nights sleep can't fix!
Monday, June 18, 2012
I Changed My Name
To include the letters:
PHR!!!
I passed!!
It feels so good to know I can packing up the study modules and don't need to spend my evenings taking practice tests, making flash cards and wondering if I know the historical cases for employment law.
Such a relief and a huge accomplishment to check off my list of professional accomplishments!
Thanks to everyone that send me all their good thoughts and prayers on Saturday! You are all the best in supporting me and making me feel like I can rock a test even when I don't believe it myself.
PHR!!!
I passed!!
It feels so good to know I can packing up the study modules and don't need to spend my evenings taking practice tests, making flash cards and wondering if I know the historical cases for employment law.
Such a relief and a huge accomplishment to check off my list of professional accomplishments!
Thanks to everyone that send me all their good thoughts and prayers on Saturday! You are all the best in supporting me and making me feel like I can rock a test even when I don't believe it myself.
Big Lights Will Inspire You- NY Day 2- Part 1
The next morning we hit up the hotel breakfast after we had a wonderful nights sleep after all of that walking! After filling up on coffee, fruit loops, bananas, and some OJ we headed off in the same direction as day one, but this time to make it to The High Line. After a quick subway and some walking we found ourselves at one end of it. Just from the first glimpse I knew I was going to love it!
And love it did I! This might have been one of my favorite parts of our trip! Such a cool concept and with each little part of this park I kept thinking "OOoOH! I would love to come here with a book (or an iPad!), grab a cup of coffee and people watch, or just walk and chat with a girlfriend". It was peaceful, it was urban, it was design-y, it was modern and classic. I couldn't get enough. If we had stayed for a week I am sure I would have asked to go back every single day.
We decided to try one of the mini restaurants that is housed in Eataly and we were lucky enough to snag two bar seats where we ordered olives and a cheese/cured meat platter that was a work of art.
On the top of my New York To-Do list was traveling to the top of the Empire State Building. Again, another part of my 5th grade project that I just never forgot. Add in my love for Sleepless in Seattle- and there we get to my interest in this iconic building. The night before when it was too foggy and raining, we got some cool photos of it at night, but walking closer and closer to it, you start to grasp just how incredibly large and magnificent it is!
to be continued.....
And love it did I! This might have been one of my favorite parts of our trip! Such a cool concept and with each little part of this park I kept thinking "OOoOH! I would love to come here with a book (or an iPad!), grab a cup of coffee and people watch, or just walk and chat with a girlfriend". It was peaceful, it was urban, it was design-y, it was modern and classic. I couldn't get enough. If we had stayed for a week I am sure I would have asked to go back every single day.
Inside this tunnel thing there were coffee vendors, gelato and then we found....
Paletas! I had a lime cilantro one sprinkled with a spicy salt mixture. It was delightful!
I would live on these wooden lounge chairs. Book in hand. Girlfriend by side. Coffee in hand.
After exploring THL and being sad to leave we decided to walk to Eataly which is a market, restaurant, everything-Italian-you-can-think-of which is part of the Mario Batali line of food-goodness. I can say that this was a overindulgence for the part of me that adores food! There were colorful pieces of food everywhere, pasta drying on racks, fresh bread, wine, and cheese for days.
We decided to try one of the mini restaurants that is housed in Eataly and we were lucky enough to snag two bar seats where we ordered olives and a cheese/cured meat platter that was a work of art.
Just outside was the Flat Iron building, which from my 5th grade "States Project" became a fascination of mine for years.
On the top of my New York To-Do list was traveling to the top of the Empire State Building. Again, another part of my 5th grade project that I just never forgot. Add in my love for Sleepless in Seattle- and there we get to my interest in this iconic building. The night before when it was too foggy and raining, we got some cool photos of it at night, but walking closer and closer to it, you start to grasp just how incredibly large and magnificent it is!
It was hard for me to control my photo taking and naturally I have ended up with so many photos from the top, but it was jaw dropping. I love getting skyline views of cities and landscapes.
to be continued.....
