Lately in the Big Apple

Here is some of what's been going on lately, in no particular order.

"I Saw U Saw We Saw Warsaw" by O.P.I. = the perfect shade of navy.

Kardashians do eyelashes right. Loving the Khroma "Stroke of Midnight" version.

Apparently (?!) I also love polka dots.

Oh, and that's just me waiting impatiently on the eye doctor.

(Instagramming gives me less time to stare at the scary gadgets.)

It's been a very busy (& exciting!) stretch of calligraphy and illustration projects. While many are for others' personal/surprise occasions, I hope to add a few of the designs to my portfolio at some point.

a fun dinner at Tavern on Jane with Patrick, his sister, & her husband :)

a view from breakfast we ate outside (yes!) during that one warm day that was such a tease.

& a movie date to see Silver Linings Playbook. (we can't stop talking about it - it's a must-see!)

love them :)

and finally, Mom's emails always bring sunshine to my day.

Happy Monday, friends. I hope you have a smile-filled week!

until next time,

g

Little Bit of Lately

there's been lots of wonderful things here lately.

if you'd like, have a look at a few ~

*those futuristic bubbles in the "looking up" picture are elevators in a hotel!

*Matthew was smiling more in our first pic, but it was blurry. Don't worry - he's very friendly!

*my mother and Blythe are basically twins, right? So why don't I look more like Gwyneth Paltrow? :)

*The Bauble Bar pop-up store in Meatpacking was giving away free jewelry this weekend!

I knowww. Bananas!

*my mom gave me the shoe sign. life motto? :)

until next time,

g

Greetings

Patrick was out of town this past weekend so I had a chance to truly unplug, decompress and catch my breath. Alone time is rare these days living in a jam-packed city and a jam-packed apartment and a jam-packed life. I leave work and I just want to zone out and listen to music and have a leisurely commute home. More often than not? I'm dodging tourists on the sidewalk then I'm squished between the subway pole and a sweaty/smelly person while my heavy purse dents my arm and I nearly suffocate inside my puffer coat. It's a cute look, lemme tell ya. And then I'm either going to the gym and changing in a small/confined locker room filled with one too many nekkid women or I'm going to the grocery store and trying to navigate my way down the narrow aisles that only allow for a one-way flow of traffic... a maddening obstacle for us New Yorkers who always seem to be in a big ol' rush. Once I'm finished with the gym and errands, I walk into a 450sq. foot apartment in which I cohabitate with a giant.

One of the things I've had to work on (and am still working on) in this stage #637 of our relationship ;) is how I act when I walk through the front door. Most nights, Patrick is home before I am...and since I haven't had a moment to myself and since I know I still have plenty more work to get done that night, I walk in with a chip on my shoulder. If I walk into a mess or dirty dishes, I heavy sigh. If he asks me how work was, the gym was, if I saw the funny video of some dog, I sharply retort since I'm still trying to take off my shoes and coat. Why is this? Am I a terrible person? I'm being completely honest over here, but maybe I'm the only one who finds themselves ever behaving like this and you're chalking me up to be some evil witch. Trust me, I wish I could be the person that throws open the door and exclaims with my arms in the air, "Hi, honey!! How ARE you? Tell me everything!" While I realize that might be a stretch, I am trying to improve.

I read something recently that said, "Forget the troubles of your day before you greet someone." (And I was all, write that down.) I think it can happen in various scenarios, too. Like, have you ever met up with a friend and the first thing out of their mouth is one long rant? They stand there complaining, "Ugh you will not BELIEVE my day!" and 30 minutes later they finally say hello? And maybe ask how YOU are? It's a little off-putting.

In an effort to recognize ways in which I can self-improve, I am going to try and remember that sentiment above whenever I'm greeting someone...whether it's on the phone, in person, and particularly, when I walk through that front door. Even if it requires me to walk around the block once more or stand on my stoop and take a deep breath, I gotta dismiss those silly troubles of my day before I say hello :)

until next time,

g

Sushi & Sake 101

Patrick & I typically order sushi once a week and have had many-a sushi dates all over the country, always gabbing about how fun it would be to make our own. This Christmas, I wrapped a tiny little note in a big box and put it with the rest of Patrick's gifts. He couldn't understand why it was so light! :) The note was actually a handmade coupon for a sushi-making class that we participated in last night.

It started with a tasting of four different kinds of sake (not my fave, but definitely interesting) while we snacked on edamame, tempura, a sea bass appetizer, and sushi. (so much!) Then it was time to take a stab at that bamboo-rolling device.

I would like to back up for a hot second and quickly say that out of 15 couples, we were the LAST to show up. Talk about awkward as we squeezed into our seats. Also, Patrick gave me a face when the sake instructor asked if anyone did not like the sake so of course that followed with the instructor pointing and saying, "It's okay if you didn't...and if you're wearing red. Now you! Tell us why. What notes do you taste in this particular sake? Do you think it's the salinity level?" (errrwhat?)

but then...

WE MADE THIS!

aren't you impressed??!

After everyone had a turn making a roll and while people were moaning that they were stuffed, the instructor told us we could make more if we wanted.

 Lots of people went back up.

 Oh wait. Nope. Only Patrick.

his new BFF.

(that second roll he made is the one pictured in the very first photo - pretty good, right?)

They wrapped up the class by giving us a list of how to make sushi rice and all the best places in the city to shop for the various ingredients.  Are you a sushi fan? It was a fun little experience that I would definitely recommend! 

until next time,

g

Christmas in New York

The past few days? Have been magical.

There's just nothing like Christmas in New York.

snowflake!

i could have stared at the Bergdorf's window display all night.

:)

you are never too old for a holiday sucker from the bank!

i heart hearts apparently?

i went to a holiday party at a friend's adorable apartment!

isn't this a creative photo display? i want to replicate!

pretty friends.

love him.

when your friend thinks to get you a ribbon holder (and pretty ribbon!) for Christmas,

they are a really good friend. obsessed!

some commissioned place cards for a friend's Christmas dinner!

'Alexander' was a fun name to write.

being silly in the cab after a girl's night.

the neighbor's window...just beautiful!

Bryant Park.

btw, that hot chocolate was the chocolate-y-est chocolate I ever did have.

which means I inhaled it.

happy holidays from the little lady & the big guy!

...

Patrick & I celebrated our own little Christmas last night. He completely blew me away with his gifts and thoughtfulness and I found myself feeling exceedingly...lucky. Who woulda thought that my nineteen-year-old crush and I would be trying to not kill remember to water our first Christmas tree?! Oh 2012, you will always be so special to me.

Like I said, there's just nothing like Christmas in New York.

until next time,

g

Little Bit of Lately

I live in a Christmas wonderland.

And I love it.

"Snap Happy" by essie.

a throwback to age 5.

I wish I still had those little heart earrings!

my friend sent me this from backstage at a concert and I'm pretty

sure she could hear me squealing through my response text.

hi, T. Swift!

I'm always a fan of the bow at Cartier.

walking through the Chelsea Market.

they have a great little holiday pop-up shop, by the way.

one day, i want to hang this many lights.

butterscotch & nutella (!) gelato. yum.

post office run.

i've received such great feedback from the stationery - i'm so glad

everyone likes them! you have no idea how happy that makes me.

i'm participating in a holiday card swap this year so I sent a few extra Christmas cards

to other card enthusiasts, including one in Ontario and one in Nova Scotia!

...there are bright neon things ahead!

isn't this the most cheerful gift box of treats?

hello, sugarrrr.

What else has been going on lately? Let's see.

I was sitting at a diner on Saturday morning and my brother called...he's going to have a son! Ahh! His first! I quickly became one big weepy mess. My other brother was actually able to do the ultrasound and our whole family cried over the picture even though I can't make out anything besides a blob :) Just to highlight the official tally, this will make for 9 nephews and 2 nieces for this Aunt Ginny. Woah, nelly!

While Patrick is still in his sling, I am the only one capable of doing things like washing dishes. I dreamt the other night I got a dishwasher installed and when I walked into the kitchen that morning, I realized it wasn't true. This is indicative of two things: 1. there are definitely downsides of living here. 2. I need to figure out how to have more childlike dreams. Unicorns > dishwashers.

I need the aforementioned "card enthusiast" self description on a bumper sticker. And then I need a car on which to put said bumper sticker. Lately, one could summarize my oh-so-sexy fashion state into two words: bag lady. I carry one ginormously heavy purse (there are a lot of things I might need if I'm stranded in the subway for a week straight - worst fear), a gym bag, and at least one bag full of stationery/packages/gifts/long tubes of gift wrap/books I thought were a good idea to buy for people until I realize how collectively heavy they are. I am a perpetual schlepper. And it's not very cute.

I have been working on a few projects, some of which are surprises. You know how in the "Meet Virginia" song it says that Virginia loves babies (see above) and surprises? Tis true. 'Cept I'M ABOUT TO BURST. Believe me or not, but I have reached the point in my life where giving gifts is honestly more enjoyable than receiving them. The anticipation is about to push me over the giddyness edge, though. My gifts to Patrick are all wrapped and beneath Treesa (I quickly realized there was literally no place to hide gifts from him so his are the only ones I've wrapped) and every night I have to fight the urge of saying, "Oh just open them already!"

The other night I baked chocolate-chip cookies, poured big glasses of cold milk, and we finally started Homeland. Oh boy - I'm already hooked! #ineedmoretimetowatchTV

Today is 12.12.12 - the last repetitive day we will see in our lifetime. Bizarre.

Tomorrow night, we are going to a private screening of The Hobbit! I AM SO EXCITED. I am a huge Tolkien fan! The same brother who is going to have a son this May read that book over & over & over to me when I was little. And he does the best Gollum voice I have ever heard.

Two weeks from now? Christmas will be over. GASP! Now that you've read this obnoxiously lengthy post, please go and do something that will put you into the holiday spirit, whether that's buying/making a gift, listening to Bing Crosby, donating to those in need, or just eating an entire candy cane (you know you want to).

until next time,

g

Oh, Christmas Tree!

The morning after they lit the tree in Rockefeller Center, 

I made a special pit stop on my way to work. 

Sigh... I love Christmas trees!

This time of year, the city streets are lined with trees for sale.

The smell of pine and Christmas and sugar plums everywhere you go?

Heaven.

All of a sudden, this little tree hobbled forward.

And it just stared at us.

So we knew we had no choice but to adopt it.

Full of personality, it immediately insisted on shopping for some bling.

Patrick assisted in picking out some lights since, ya know,

trees don't have hands.

We took it home and played dress-up...

...voila! 

our first ornament :)

I've never had a live tree before. For those of you who have adopted in the past, 

do I do anything besides water it? And have staring matches? And smile nonstop?

I'm in love.

until next time,

g