Friday.

8am at the north end of the reservoir 

I went on a 7:30am walk all around the park with friend Reghan. It was a spectacular morning! And the few miles we walked felt nice. I'm making it a thrice-weekly routine, I think. Morning walks in the park, especially around the reservoir, especially when I'm trying to get this baby out sooner rather than later. Lovely. 

I was struck this morning with the reality that my little brother is getting married today (!!), which is so, so happy! But I'm not there. Which is so, so sad. It just feels off. All of my siblings are together. My nieces & nephews. My parents. My mom was making fresh huckleberry pies this morning. Boo. I'm actually sort of heartbroken about it all, but almost-37 weeks pregnant + a 3,000 mile cross-country flight do not mix very well, so I'm trying to just not dwell on it. But, of course, I'm currently dwelling, & just a teensy bit sad.

I'm really, really missing taking lots & lots of photos. Maybe it's just being tired, maybe it's the ease & simplicity of the iPhone, but I just haven't had my camera with me as often over the past few weeks, & I'm starting to miss it so very much. I'm taking some portraits for a friend next week & I'm so, so excited to be behind the lens again in a semi-formal setting. Giddy, almost. 

I've made Kelsey's Greek Pita's three times this week (we're not opposed to repeats if we have lots of ingredients to use up, obviously). I'm wanting to make her grandmother's cookies soon, too. I'd love her even if she wasn't a fabulous cook, but still - it's a nice perk to have such a great foodie friend who passes along so many amazing recipes. And her show! It has a premiere date of November 6th on The Cooking Channel. Hooray! It's going to be amazing. So proud of this girl. 

(Side note: Our Throwdown episode re-airs tomorrow night. I still haven't seen it, so I'm excited.)

I bought a new pair of Uggs this week. Winter is coming, winter is coming! It kind of reminds me of the lake when a huge storm is approaching & we have to run around to secure everything on the dock & make sure that the boat is all sealed up. Winter in NYC is sort of like that, except you have to ensure that you have a great supply of down coats, furry boots & other frigid-weather gear, because those days when it's 20 degrees & bitter cold - they're rough.

My beauty editor friend Sarah passed along a truly fabulous bag of cosmetic goodies to me the other week (one of the nicer things anyone has ever done for me), including the new scent from Tocca that just came out. It's heaven. I'm picky about most things, but perfume - I'm especially picky. I'm obsessed with Colette. Perfectly subtle, & as an added perk, the packaging happens to be beautiful. I'm wanting Cleopatra, too. 

30 days until Baby Boy arrives. Or 15 days. Or maybe 35 days. Who knows. Either way, it's coming up. I had a doctor's appointment on Wednesday & everything was normal, normal, normal. His head still isn't quite down, but we're working on that this week & they'll check things out next week to make sure he's gearing up for his big exit. My belly has grown a tiny bit (1 cm), I haven't gained any weight in a month & nothing has swelled up yet (thank goodness). No major complaints, except total insomnia at this point. And really, the only major difference since my last appointment 2 weeks ago: I can no longer see the cup that I'm required to pee in every visit, which made for a tricky situation where I was forced to go blind. Oh dear. 

Corduroy.

Corduroy is my favorite.

I have no idea what size pants I'll be needing this fall post-baby, but shoes? Those are at least consistent.

I think I need these. Maybe in safron. Maybe in orchid.

LOVE.

Red!

I'm not a red person. It doesn't always suit me, even though it more or less matches my personality (I'm an even split between red / blue, actually). I think the only red things I own are one red dress & a berry-colored sweatshirt, although I suppose that I do like having red nails or red toes on occasion.

I've officially added red shoes to this list. A bright pop of color is sometimes just perfect & these Keds remind me of what my older sisters used to wear with their banana clips & perms! I especially love that they don't have laces (as I get less & less bendy).

They're comfortable, too.

Shop: Gap.

Dressing with a belly.

Ruched Ankle Knit Leggings from Forever21's new Love21 Maternity line

Dressing with a belly is sometimes (often) a little bit complicated. You have that first trimester awkwardness where things just start to not fit quite right, but regular clothes still work. Next comes the dreaded second trimester chub, with the intro to the half-panel bottoms (or maybe even the magical no-panel; I like Gap's panel-less pants). And the third trimester? Goodbye half-panel (ouch!), hello pants up to my boobs. It's almost an entirely different animal, really. Many of the things that I was sure would fit at the beginning of my pregnancy definitely no longer work. I put on this dress last Sunday & was shocked to find that it was at least 4 inches too short (!!). I guess 12 weeks makes a bit of a difference.

I mentioned complicated, right? 

My maternity wardrobe has evolved into quite the mix. I've relied on nice friends who have let me borrow things. I've picked up inexpensive items that I don't necessarily want to keep forever, or non-maternity extra-lose pieces to get me through those awkward months (I like tunics & "regular" tops from H&M & F21 - lots of current + flowy options that I don't necessarily have to fully commit to). I've stocked up on solid & reliable maternity basics that I'll use again for next time (like Gap t's, tanks, shorts & capris), & more transition pieces that either help me through those awkward stages, or keep me feeling somewhat cute (size-up favorites from JCrew, Anthropologie, etc that work great without looking tent-y). I've splurged on a few things that I have loved & wanted to invest in for a special occasion or a future pregnancy (Pea in a Pod, Nordstrom, Belly Dance Maternity, POP, etc). Besides those first 20 weeks or so, I've actually had fun dressing up the bump.

Admittedly, I haven't exactly glammed it up for the last 8 months. I've practically lived in leggings & tshirts. I wear leggings as often as I can, especially over the past several weeks when the pressure of low-panel shorts is hitting in just the wrong spot & hurts. The over-the-belly leggings from Pea in a Pod are my favorite, but I've found that under-belly (maternity + non-maternity) works almost just as well.

Discovering new options is always fun though, right? Case in point: I just received these F21 leggings in the mail after discovering their new (admittedly small) maternity line. Love them + the ruching on the bottom. And the price?! $9.80. I'm betting I'll wear these post-pregnancy, too (& probably pick up another pair or two).

Various things + my red nails.

I'm obsessed with the iPhone 4. Mike & I talked to Tara's kids on FaceTime last night. It's so fun. The only thing I'll miss - my ability to type at least 80 WPM on my BlackBerry. Get ready for short & sweet emails from me when I'm on the run. With lots of typos.

Friend Kelsey & I got OPI gel manicures this morning. I'd never heard of them before Kelsey told me about them, but had always thought that a semi-permanent manicure made total sense. Read this article for more info. They don't chip! I'll be sporting Big Apple Red for the next few weeks. I love painted nails, but I'm a perfectionist & can't handle a less-than-perfect manicure. Problem solved. 

After hitting the 30-week marker & realizing that all of my favorite stores are coming out with their fall lines (what?!), I've hit a little bit of nesting panic. I have 10 weeks to go. I realize that's a long time. I have a long way to go. But I'm in GO! mode. Time to get ready for this Baby Boy's arrival. 

Speaking of which - I ordered our crib on Sunday (like I said - nesting panic) & it arrived... today! That was a fun surprise. Time to clear the nursery of boxes & packages. 

Sample-sale shopping makes me happy. As does a new brush head on my Sonicare toothbrush.

We're obsessed with Cooking Channel - Mike & I, both. We like Unique Eats & The Best Thing I Ever Ate best. I have a list a mile long of new places to try as a result.

It's hot & humid & raining. Boo.

Gap's City Flats are genius. Totally make sense for Sundays, or any other day when you're wearing shoes that might be risky after a few hours (city girls, you know what I'm talking about). I'm going to keep a pair in my bag, in the little pouch that also holds lip balm, an extra rubber band, a band aid, hand sanitizer, a pen & a small snack just in case. I like to be prepared. 

Subway Baby.

Love this knitted rattle. So perfect for a NYC baby (& maybe a go-to shower gift from me for my city friends going forward).

Happiness (of the nursery variety).

Happiness is being THIS. CLOSE. to checking something off the list & ordering crib bedding - but hesitating thanks to a vacation & a move - & then getting an email from friends at Dwell announcing their New York City sample sale - & then going & finding said bedding for about a bazillion percent off. 

Made my week.

Favorites.

I haven't done this in a while, but there's a few things that I'm just loving this spring - some which are belly centric, others which are not. Hooray for spring, & for the little pretty things that make us happy! What's your favorite thing for spring?

(one) Grey Paint because it's soft & warm & goes with everything (two) Sperry Topsiders for JCrew I thought they were a risky move, but I get compliments from strangers & they make me feel a little bit more put together when I'm totally casual otherwise. (three) Neutrogena Anti-Residue Shampoo I've used it weekly for years. Love the smell, love how it makes my hair feel light & fresh & clean. I use it to clean my makeup brushes, too. (four) Gap Coverstitch VNeck Maternity T I think I bought one in almost every color with a great coupon I had the other week. Soft + easy. (five) Kate Spade Alberta Sunglasses Because I'm outside every day & the sun is out [& my niece may have dragged my other pair along the bottom of the pool last year at Disney World - with the very best of intentions, I'm sure. A great excuse to buy a new pair!] (six) A Pea In a Pod Maternity Leggings I want to try Old Navy's no panel version, too. (seven)  Klean Kanteen The stainless steel inside isn't coated, which means it doesn't chip [like Sigg bottles] (eight) L'Occitane Pure Organic Shea Butter My new nightly ritual, especially on my belly. I'll accept stretch marks if they come - that's not the intended purpose - this just makes my skin feel nice & soft, & I think it will be lovely if / when things start to get itchy. (nine) Orla Kiely Baby Bag Doesn't look like a diaper bag, so I'm using it now [shh!].  Also functions as a fantastic camera bag + the pockets are amazing & I love that the shoulder strap is adjustable. (ten) Gap No Panel Cropped Skinny Jeans They make me feel almost-not-pregnant. And an adjustable waist! What an amazing concept. 

Stripes.

Love stripes // Love spring // Love Kate Spade


(It's a shame that my favorite JCrew umbrella that Mike gave me for my 23rd birthday almost 5 years ago REFUSES. TO. DIE. It has withstood the most severe NYC wind & rain storms. Sigh.)

Tulips, travels & an upcoming visit to our Amish friends.

I bought this vase last week & told Mike that he now has an extra reason to buy me flowers. Then yesterday - friend Mindy brought over these tulips. Love her & love them. Tulips are just happy flowers, & in a bright yellow vase - it's just perfect (although the photo is clearly not - a dark apartment at night does not make for happy photos). 

We had dinner with friends last night. I made Pioneer Woman's Pot Roast (again) & Strawberry Lemonade Bars (again). I guess I get a little obsessive about recipes, but yum. There were 6 of us, & we still have enough leftovers to feed us for the rest of the week. Tonight though - we're eating in Queens!

We finally booked a spring trip on Saturday. Big plans of traveling through the south of Spain were thwarted (or, at least heavily discouraged) by an exploding volcano of all things & the uncertainty of when air travel to Europe will resume to normal. So, we decided to stay in this hemisphere & travel there with the three of us next year. Instead - St. Martin / Sint Maarten (we're staying on the French side) in a little over a month. To call it a second choice wouldn't be fair - it was just another, & the hard decision was basically made for us. I squealed all the way to dinner & back on Saturday, just after we'd finalized our resort & flights. I want to go today! I'm ready for sand between my toes, warm water, great food, excursions to other nearby small Caribbean islands & maybe finally finishing a book for the first time in months.

My parents come this weekend. Excited! Just a quick weekend visit, but it will be good to see them before Priest Lake this summer. We'll spend Friday in the city & then make a quick excursion to to Amish Country in Pennsylvania for the rest of the weekend.

Every student but one predicted a boy in seminary this morning. We'll see how inspired they were (in about 10 hours!). 

Toms.

Internet, I'm the proud owner. 

As is approximately 3/4ths of the Upper East Side apparently, based on the shop that I bought them in today. They've been around for a while now I know, but they're making a big appearance this spring in Manhattan. A woman next to me in the store today said, I'm going to Vietnam for several weeks. I need something comfortable & from a company with a social conscience. Seriously. She didn't look hipster enough to be wearing them, but I guess the appeal is universal. Voila. She's found her perfect shoes.

I've had my own little search for something easy (no socks required - I hate socks) + neutral + comfortable for our trip this weekend (not to mention my daily walkings - I think I've zigzagged the park east to west at least a half dozen times this week) & was inspired - aka I'm a complete copycat - by my fashionable friends today to finally take the Toms plunge. Jill, Erin, Corrine, Melanie & I walked across the park & grabbed lunch to go at Shake Shack & then squatted in the park on blankets. 70˚! I was hot! It was lovely. And surprise, surprise. 3 pairs of Tom's in the group, & they all claimed to have happy feet all day long. I was sold.

(Oh - & sidenote: Pregnancy hasn't ruined Shake Shack for me, but I've had to make a few adjustments. Like my beloved Shack Burger? Yeah, I can't really do creamy sauces any more, & lettuce has made me throw up since about week 5, & I stopped being able to eat tomatoes after we made a fresh tomato / basil / mozzarella pizza one day about a month ago & the tomatoes were warm & gooey. Anyway - my Shack Burger is now a plain cheeseburger - just cheese, meat & a bun. Oh well.)

Loving the weather this week. It's seriously unbelievable. Reminds me why I love the city all over again. Here's to lots of walking this weekend & this spring. 

A city snowman in Nolita.

Erin & I went to The Market a few days ago - lots of independent clothing & jewelry designers, all under one roof in Nolita. I liked it, & I want to go back there often. I picked up a favorite new ring from an Argentinian designer (to wear on days when I don't feel like something sparkly) & a simple pair of gold studs that I'll probably wear every day for the next month from Studio Duarte. Love them.

On our way there, we came across a little girl & her parents making a snowman in what is probably one of a half-dozen empty lots in New York City. I asked if I could take a photo. They asked for what, & I said Oh, for my blog! They said of course, but asked that I mention that the little girl's name is Veronica, that she is from Nolita, & that she made the snowman with the help of her mother (an actress). And the eyes? They're pennies, because Veronica's middle name is Penny. I love the coffee cup hat & the bobby pin nose.

More slush.

Our Friday night date demanded that both of us wear our rain boots given the inclement weather (I gave Mike a pair of Tretorns for Christmas - love them, & were it not for the annoying heel lift, I'd buy a pair of their Skerry boots for myself). It was a messy walk, but luckily not that far to Cascabel Taqueria. We've been on the Upper East Side for three years now (!!), & we're sort of on a desperate search for new restaurants in the neighborhood that we haven't tried a half-dozen times. Cascabel opened a few months ago & after reading good reviews we finally stopped in for dinner. Yum! It's an almost-as-good as La Esquina option on the UES, which makes us happy (although we'll still go to Soho often). We had elote, shared a few tacos & tried their Mexican hot chocolate & churros for dessert.

It's been snowy & wet the past few days. Friend Jill & I passed the time the other afternoon making apple pies in a jar. I love that we were able to just throw them in the oven a few minutes before friends came over tonight, & voila! Dessert. Definitely one of my favorite domestic discoveries of the past year.  

The Jacksons are moving, & we attended a see you later party for them last night. Sad that people come & go from New York so often. But the good news? They're heading west for a few months, & then moving to New Canaan. Phew. And really - we are lucky, lucky to have made such good friends in this city, & good friends the Jacksons will remain. 

Chinchilly.

Mike's mom took me to Bergdorfs for a few hours of pampering on Friday. Such a fun treat, & I came away with a new favorite shade of nail polish. Meet Chinchilly. Two coats & it's the perfect shade of grey. It's a fun change from my normal Mademoiselle (or sometimes red).

(Thanks, Jeanne)

Just write cliché on my forehead.

I prefer to ignore the fact that posting anything about Anthropologie as a blogging 20-something Mormon girl is completely cliché. I may as well... never mind. See, I just thought of 28 cliché things I wanted to list, but quickly determined I'd offend someone I know & love with just about each & every one (which also means that I'll probably never, ever share a list I compiled with a few friends on Stuff Mormon Girls Like, a la Stuff White People Like... It's just not for the www, but it provided some lovely entertainment via email for a few days, & our list was quite smart if I do say so myself).

Anyway.

I love Anthropologie. I don't really care if that makes me sound like I'm going baa, baa with the unoriginality of a blind sheep. The Georgetown store on M Street just took my breath away. Not even the clothes. The visuals. All of it. So beautiful. Made me want to buy every. single. thing. Especially that chair. I told Mike I wanted it for Christmas, but unfortunately we have to get a new (bigger) apartment first. Maybe next year.

Corduroy.

Every year when the corduroy starts coming out I get this happy feeling in my heart. I just love fall, & I love it even more with stores like Gap having such fun colors to choose from (pants, jacket, skirt). And their new Real Straight fit? It's just perfect for me. Perfectly skinny without being stretch pants. Even better than the JCrew cords I typically love so much (that are at least $30 more expensive).

.

By the way, this was one of my very favorite books when I was little.

Today (or, some days just aren't that exciting).

I:

• Woke up with a massive headache, for about the 9th day in a row. I think I either have a brain tumor, or I need to stop sleeping with the fan blowing directly at my head. 
• Drank a lot of water & took my vitamins, hoping to ease said headache. 
• Read your blog. Updated my Facebook profile photo. Checked my email.
• Cleaned the kitchen. 
• Unloaded the dishwasher. 
• Washed linens from weekend guests' visit.
• Dropped off (more) laundry & dry cleaning at the cleaners next door. Bless those good people, even if I am paying them money.
• Drank a Trader Joe's apple juice box (to help with my blood sugar issues). It was probably the best apple juice I've ever had. Seriously. 
• Speaking of Trader Joe's - knocked our Trader Joe's peanut butter cups off the counter & behind the fridge, into a cavern that is basically totally inaccessible. Craved a peanut butter cup all day long, but couldn't reach down into the cavern (my arm is too short) & couldn't move the fridge (my muscles are too small). Had to wait for Mike to get home from work to move out the entire (old + heavy) fridge to retrieve the peanut butter cups, which happened to be sitting on top of roach & mouse traps (luckily empty). Gross. Tossed the container.
• Wished I was at Priest Lake last weekend with the family + Joanna's new family-to-be.
• Met father-in-law Steve on Lexington for a nice sidewalk chat. 
• Got hit by a closing subway door. It really hurt & I'm thinking I'll have a pretty bruise tomorrow. 
• Saw an undercover police car (flashing lights & siren). A taxi! Go figure. 
• Spotted a very normal looking man on the subway wearing a comb-style headband (a la the plastic ones from JCrew?) for no particular reason. Strange. 
• Attended a two hour photography workshop on Exposure & Histograms. It was amazing. 
• Went fancy dress shopping. Everything is two inches too short. EVERYTHING. Except this little number that I love. One down, one more to go. Keep your eyes peeled for me, fashionista friends. 
• Met Mike for Moroccan food for dinner, followed up by a seminary meeting.
• Took a cab home & felt sick. Long cab rides make me queasy. 
• Didn't take a single photo. But loved the new polaroids on my fridge from this past weekend.

Tuesday.

A few things.

The search function on Blogger is broken - at least on many blogs (including mine). The discussion forums are all up in flames over this. Apparently it's been a problem since July. It's frustrating, especially on Wire Whisk when I want to find a certain little yummy something & have to dig through a zillion posts to find it. And this blog? It has been (insert cliché) a little diary for me, & sometimes I use it as a reference of sorts, you know, to remember what I was doing at a particular time, what I thought, what I liked, what I hated, etc. And some of you (thanks StatCounter) have been searching for things too, unfortunately to no avail as well. Although sometimes the things that you search for are strange. And make me a teensy bit nervous.

I digress.

Ingrid Michaelson's new album came out today. I love her.

I blow dried my hair today ALL. THE. WAY. I curled it. I wore an extra coat of mascara. A suit. Heels (I hate heels). A shirt with buttons all the way down, that I had to tuck in. I felt like such a dork. So boring & conservative, in my navy & violet. I'm happier right now, in my slouchy tshirt & shorts, barefoot. After talking about myself for another hour-plus with a potential empoloyer, my unemployed self is having an identity crisis with what used to be my very-much-employed self. My sister Tara reminded me that if / when I get an offer, I need to remind them that one afternoon per week needs to be reserved for a cupcake outing. Completely reasonable, no?

I bought new mascara. MAC's new Plush Lash. I really like it. After looking scary in a few photos, I decided I needed a little more oomph from my lashes, even though I've been loving my Supernova Mascara (Fresh). This does the trick without being gross & clumpy. I love that MAC will let you take anything back that you don't like, too. And it was $14. Instead of $25. AND - I wore it, & a woman in a store told me I had pretty eyes. That's a first.

I went to Madewell yesterday for the first time, after they sent me like 28,000 unsolicited emails in the past year (they share a CEO with JCrew). I like that shop. They have the softest tshirts I've ever found (refer to previously said slouchy tshirt). Two-for-$30. I was happy. Their jeans are great too, & the first Thursday of every month is a denim event - 20% off all denim, free drinks (!!), free tailoring, etc. etc. I might just become a fan.

I got my bangs trimmed yesterday. They're too short. They'll be too long in about 5 days.

I had a dream the other night that caused me to wake up in uncontrollable sobs. Not awesome. Have you ever had that happen? I have, probably a few too many times to be normal. They leave me feeling sick for about 24 hours. No fun.

I'm not being very good at running. I just booked my ticket to San Francisco. Gulp.

I'm going on a girl-date tonight & I'm very excited. Love my friends.

The Creers are coming to visit. I'm excited for that, too.

Hi, it's Friday.

I got really mad at Mike today after I came home from a meeting to find that the half-eaten pan of brownies I had made last night (half because I brought them to a dinner with friends) was now 98% polished off, thanks to the fact that Mike is working from home today. I was mad that he didn't share more with me, that he was snacking on them all morning, that he'd only left a tiny little piece in the corner for me. Unreasonably mad, I was. And now - in hindsight - I realize that I should have just been tickled pink that I successfully baked something, & that Mike really loved them. They were the best brownies on the planet, really (thanks for the recipe, Kelsey). And sorry for being so snappy, Mike. 

Moving along.

I had another one of those (i.e. discouraged) moments as I was putting together our lunch this afternoon, making little turkey & cheese sandwiches with sliced pears on the side. I felt like I was in kindergarten, or that I had a kindergartner (except I don't, just plants), & the starkness of that vs. my morning, walking through midtown in all black (plus black & white polka-dotted peep toes), talking about my ideal role & comp expectations, it was just especially obvious & strange. This whole job searching thing? It's just frustrating sometimes. A few weeks ago - I was told to dumb down my resume. This morning, to be less vocal about my accomplishments. I can't win, & until I do, I'm making sandwiches in my apartment mid-day & eating cupcakes several times a week.

Don't misinterpret though. I'm not being a total Negative Nancy here. I love my life. I'm happy. Mike has a great job. I love my friends, & love that I actually get to spend time with them. I can't complain. Like yesterday, friend Jill & I adventured over to the west side (via bus) to run a few errands. We stopped by Shake Shack - because we were in the neighborhood - for a little snack (fries + custard + shack burger), contemplated eye shadow options at Mac, laughed at my potential purchase of Crocs (they're so comfortable. Suzi & Nicole inspired me, & after another day of bleeding feet, I ordered them), & then went to the temple to pick up some new undies. That in & of itself was a hilarious experience that is almost impossible to explain (one word: onesie). It was a drizzly & grey day, but we decided to walk home, up the west side of the park, & then across. It was beautiful. I'd left my camera at home, because it's heavy, & sometimes it makes my back feel all out of whack. I wish I'd hadn't. It was like a movie. Grey. Foggy. Drizzly. Very northeastern. But it all felt so cozy, & it was fun to walk + talk with Jill, & then friend Erin when we made it to the east side. Normal people don't walk this much, but New Yorkers do, & I really love it, & I really loved that day - rain & all.

I'd like it to stop raining now though. 

It's raining again today, & I guess it's getting a tiny bit old. I think it's been raining for a week.

We finally set up our desk in our living room. Pottery Barn originally only sent half of it (genius), which we unfortunately didn't discover until the massive box had been sitting in our living room for a week. And then last night? We opened the finally-arrived 2nd box to realize that they had forgotten to include the so-important-in-NYC-apartments foot levelers. Our floor isn't exactly flat, & so our desk, for the next 3 weeks (!!) will be a bit crooked. But, it's up, & we officially have zero boxes left to unpack in our living room. As a matter of fact, there's only one box left in our apartment. In the kitchen. It's full of spices & such, which meant that when I was making brownies yesterday, I had to dig through the box to just to find the salt. I still need to go to Ikea.  Anyway, we have a desk, & it has a lamp on it & some cute flowers & such, & I'm really happy about this. 

 

On the agenda for the weekend: Dave is coming into the city tonight & we're going to find him a new wardrobe. Saturday - we're going to a BBQ festival. Getting Afghan food that night. Hopefully finding some shelving. 

Rain.

Today, it just WON'T. STOP. RAINING. 

I have a love/hate relationship with this said rain.

I went to a kickboxing class at the gym (a block away) in the rain at 9am. I had to run errands afterwards. I had to go to Anthropologie. I did, really. I had to pick up a gift for a baby shower tomorrow - & maybe found two of the very best smelling candles that I realized I needed to get as well (coconut milk mango & almond biscotti). I had to go to Lee's Art Shop to figure out how to hang a frame from my wall (that is going to be a part of my massive frame wall project I'm working on), when it was really built to sit on a table. They did it for free, by the way - I love Lee's. I had to go back to The Container Store for the 87th time. I had to get Mike a Red Bull from our local deli because he took a red-eye flight from Vegas last night & still had to work all day, & that's really hard to do when you haven't slept in 24+ hours. The entire time I was running about - at the end with four oddly shaped bags & a purse full of a bazillion pound camera that I never used, a frame, & other various + heavy things - it was pouring rain. I wore my wellies of course, which was a good decision. I wore my bright yellow rain slicker, even though it sort of feels like I'm wrapped in saran wrap on warmer days. It was all still borderline miserable, but I didn't really have a choice. I couldn't sit at home all day & eat comfort food while watching E! True Hollywood Story like I really wanted to. Mike was home. He might think that this Lady of Leisure thing has gone a bit too far. So you see, I sort of hate the rain on days when I just have to be outside, when I have to ride the buses that have completely fogged windows & equally damp passengers, when it's impossible to get a cab, when the wind blows the rain sideways & the effort to use your umbrella is completely futile. I don't love those days so much, because sometimes in New York, you just don't have a choice about going outside & facing the elements. 

But I do love the days when I get to come home late in the afternoon, put on comfortable clothes, & cuddle up next to my husband on our bed with the window open. He told me about his trip, the breeze was blowing & then we just listened. I love, love the sound of rain. It's one of my very favorites. It's really a beautiful thing. Mike said This is amazing! It's like we don't even live in New York! It sort of felt that way for a minute, but when I looked out our window & saw the bright pots of flowers that our neighbors across the way put up on their fire escape, I felt happy that we do live here. I want a flower pot garden, too. Maybe even tomato plants like my mom told me about the other day. 

So I guess that today, I'm really okay that it's raining.