Mid December with Nisha

I loved having Nisha here with me to explore the city's festive areas.  The windows were only one of the many highlights of the weekend.  

A Wintery Day at Marisa's, Saying Goodbye to John & Paul with delicious Ecuadorian Food.

Who does this remind you of?

Can't Quit Christmas Crafting...

These are all slowly making their way onto my esty shop.

The Fun Festivities of Christmas in the City

The store window of Anthropologie.  

They always have THE best decorations & displays! 

The Rockefeller Tree

Mr. Bryant himself seems to be in a festive spirit. 

(Bryant Park)

Macy's Balloons the night before their big day.

Since this is my first Thanksgiving living in NYC, I was excited to go see the Macy's Parade balloons as they were being blown up.  It was quite a madhouse, but still exciting to experience.

Horton Hears a Who is a brand new float...he's very sweet.

Everyone LOVED Kermit!

Mr. SBSP himself!

Ronald's Foot

The the new Keith Haring Float; how cool to honor an artist with his own float.

It's been far too long since I've blogged.  I've been documenting my New York time in my journal lately.  I am slowly trying to get my creativity flowing again with some encaustic collages and creative journaling.  

Today was deliciously autumnal and I felt the inspiration sinking in.  There is something about putting on sweaters and drinking warm beverages that makes me want to create.  

I've also been more aware of taking advantage of exploring the city I am lucky to live in.  A couple of weeks ago I finally went to see the waterfalls.  It was a fabulous day, filled with sunshine.  

Last weekend I went to the Frick Collection and felt inspired.  I was actually surprised at how much I enjoyed the collection.  I also felt rejuvenated by exploring that area of the UES.  I know it is only a crosstown bus away, but I always feel like the UES is such a schlep to get to.

Today I went back to the UES but was not nearly as inspired.  I went in search of a specific coffee shop that I had read about.  And while I found it, it was not as exciting as I'd hoped.  It was still a pleasant day filled with thrift store explorations; apple, cinnamon & raisin pancakes, phone calls with loved ones; autumnal winds and sunshine; mussels in white wine sauce and parmesan, truffle fries; blogging by candlelight and spanish guitar in the headphones.

A lovely day indeed.

   

Grandma House Creations; part 2

Grandma House Creations

I want to create an etsy account for Grandma & sell some of her embroidery work.  I'm trying out different logos, so let me know what you think.

Bacio Blossoms

Which do you like best?

12
3
4
5

Impressions left by Books

I'm enthralled with the concept of this website.  It's the same as tracking the US$1 bills that people log, but there is something more personal about sharing books.  I guess because so many books leave lasting, life-long impressions or memories.  Memories that we each take into the corners of our brains and that over time get mixed with other, similar memories, creating our own, individual truths of what we read.  

The memories I have of most books seem to have left an impression on me mainly by painting pictures of various scenes or creating particular feelings.  Their accuracy to what was written may vary significantly from what is in my memory but that is what makes it all so personal.

Memory Keeper's Daughter: Painted a beautiful picture in my head of an end-of-summer party; outside on a comfortable night, fireflies sparkle around the green, but urban back yard and the smell of strawberries mixes with the sound of happy conversations.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn: Allows me to see a little girl with ribbons in her hair, sitting on a fire escape engrossed in a book as children play below her; laughing and loud, but she is perfectly happy and at peace in her own literary world.  

Ferdinand the Bull (not the Disney version): I get the warmest feelings when I close my eyes & remember the detailed drawings in the book of Ferdinand sitting under a tree smelling the flowers.  I remember as a child knowing that if I ever met him (Ferdinand) that he & I would be very good friends.  I loved that he smiled with delight as he smelled all of the flowers that the ladies threw at him in the bull ring.  

A Danielle Steele book that I read in high school has created my vision of Stowe, VT.  I remember being on vacation & spending a day or two in Stowe while I was reading it & having the dreamiest, most loved feeling (I must have been in the happy, love-y part of the story during our short stay there & not to the tear-jerking tragedy part).  It was pure coincidence that the book had anything to do with Stowe and that we visited there on our trip, which I think helped add to the serendipitous feeling I had about the town.  I have since visited Stowe multiple times & have never quite regained that same magical feeling that I had the first time, but it still remains a dreamy place in my mind.

Miss Suzy: I think the color of the book cover probably burned associations into my brain because I don't have that many memories of the story itself.  However, this time every year when the crisp autumn air moves in and the leaves start to turn, a vision of snuggling up to have this book read to me comes to mind.  

Colorful Mother Lode

I hit the mother-lode today at the Hell's Kitchen Flea Market.  I went looking for beaded buttons but found amazing beaded vintage earrings instead.  

I think these will work perfectly for my Bacio Blossoms.

My Favorite Pair

I think this pair is great; they seem to have a lot of history & stories to tell.

I think these too have stories to tell.

One of life's greatest mysteries...

Most people go to movie theaters in the evening.  So why, oh why do movie theaters not offer more caffeine-free soda options?!?!  

Yes, I really wanted a diet coke this evening when I went to see Vicky, Christina, Barcelona & now I am HYPER & most likely won't get to sleep until 2am!  "What?!...I didn't hear you?"  "Well, yeah - I had to order the extra large, otherwise what was the point?!"

Miss Papaya's Big 1-0!

Happy Birthday Maya!  Welcome to the Double-Digits Sister!

Autumnal Bliss

I love autumn because:

I get to wear turtlenecks and flip-flips at the same time.

I love decorating with pumpkins, berries, leaves, bittersweet and gourds.

I love pumpkin ale.

The smell of cozy fireplaces start to fill the air.

I LOVE caramel apples.

Nature throws one last big Hoorah before going into hibernation.

I get to wear my new sweater 

It's completely acceptable to gorge myself on candy corns.

There is an excuse to snuggle.

The crispness in the air is rejuvenating.

Wordle

Thank you Nisha for introducing me to wordle.net

I've needed some positive reinforcement to follow my dreams lately.  Cheesy, I know...

I need to read a biography of Anais Nin.

Each friend represents a world in us, a world not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born. 

Anais Nin

Throw your dreams into space like a kite, and you do not know what it will bring back, a new life, a new friend, a new love, a new country. 

Anais Nin 

Moving in a different direction

I have been looking through other blogs & see that so many people blog about what I still put in my "journal" that I carry with me everywhere.  I have come across a great site that has daily inspirations.  While I will never give up on my paper & pen, I am inspired to include more of my lists & dreams on here.  

List 10 things that arouse a fond memory of the past.

1. Thunderstorms

2. Mangos

3. Smell of certain lipsticks

4. Heavy Ink

5. Coffeeshops (indies)

6. the smell of a summer evening right before a 

storm

7. bonfires

8. green apple jolly ranchers

9. freshly mowed grass

10. lambchop sideburns

Let me know if you put this meme on your blog...I want to read yours.

You can only type one word answers, not as easy as you think!

 • your cell phone?  Ghetto

 • where is your significant other?  dreams

 • your hair?  long

 • your mother? laughing

 • your father? dancing

 • your favorite thing?  inspiration

 • your dream last night? scary

 • your dream/goal? happiness

 • the room your in? studio

 • your hobby? creating

 • your fear?  loneliness

 • where do you want to be in six years? Loveland 

 • where were you last night? Vault

 • what you’re not? graceful

 • favorite food? peanut butter

 • one of your wish list items? camera

 • where you grew up?  Corydon

 • the last thing you did? laundry

 • what are you wearing? pajamas

 • your TV? dusty

 • your pet? peeve

 • your mood? content

 • missing someone? Melodie

 • your car? sold

 • something you’re not wearing? lipstick

 • favorite store? book

 • your summer? sweaty

 • love someone? yes

 • your favorite color? red 

 • when is the last time you laughed? today

 • last time you cried? New Hampshire

Packs of 10 Handmade Map Envelopes & flat cards

3 more of my favorites from the trip

The vibrant colors of Antigua

A man who's not afraid to wear pink (Solola Market)

Chichicastenango Market

A few of my favorite things...

Traveling with Mom...and staying at El Convento, with our private garden and fluffy robes and yummy room service...

Traveling in the back of a pick-up truck in the countryside.

After days of cloudiness and rain, waking up to the most glorious day to hike.  It was a "Colorado summer day."  It was perfect for hiking with the puffy clouds, cool breeze & strong sun.

This boy selling cotton candy in the Solola Market

The cream cheese stuffed french toast with blackberry sauce delivered to our room Sunday morning for breakfast at El Convento.

Laughing with Nicholas until tears came when Mom stepped into a huge mud "puddle."

The amazing variety of colors everywhere you turn.

The clapping sound of women making tortillas; a constant background noise in the markets.