'You've Got Mail' moment...

Dan staged the whole thing without me even there, then texted the pictures to me. Made my day. Oh how he knows and loves me :)

{You've Got Mail scene here}

{more posts on You've Got Mail here}

Evening Stroll in Riverside.

Because of Miles' nap schedule, we often don't make it outside until after the sun sets. How do the daylight hours pass so quickly?! I do miss the sun. Good thing this city is so magical at dusk :) (other twilight walks). Here are some photos from our recent stroll through Riverside:

sun set on the hudson

A family stroll.

(love this pic -- you can just barely see Miles' tiny head poking up :)

Having a newborn is definitely limiting in some ways, but Dan and I try to get out for walks and meals out with Miles as much as possible. It helps us feel 'normal' and still connected to our city and the world.

Last weekend we decided to take a stroll down Broadway towards Lincoln Center. It's the farthest I've ventured out since giving birth (soreness/tiredness prevented such long walks before) and it was so dreamy to walk through sparkly Lincoln Center again with Miles in tow. 

my boys

So excited about the beautiful Fall weather we've been having lately and looking forward to more family strolls in magical New York :)

Midnight in Paris.

We had a lovely weekend -- the perfect balance of busyness and rest, fun and productivity (including things like a long leisurely dinner with friends and a headshot photo shoot for a friend - fun!). But I think the highlight for me was seeing this film, Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris. 

It could have so easily crossed the line into cheesy-ness, but it didn't! So well done and interesting and magical, but without overdoing the magic, ya know? Sigh...made me want to go to Paris so bad. I was there a long time ago with a friend, right out of college, and it really is one of the most magical, romantic places in the world. We were silly 22 year olds who thought/hoped marriage was just around the corner (not exactly!) and talked and dreamed about going back one day with our husbands. 

Well, 11 years later, I am so ready to go back with Dan (with baby in tow), especially after seeing this flick! We'll strap our little boy into his baby bjorn and walk the Seine hand in hand, one little happy family. Hey, why not? :) 

Magical nooks (and belly shots).

secret garden

I was walking down the street today towards Harvard Square and there it was. A perfect, magical nook. Like The Secret Garden (one of my favorite books growing up, which is not surprising....I do love nooks). The pathway was covered in pink blossoms, ivy climbed the wall, flowers bloomed. It was a catch your breath moment. Too bad for me I only had my phone to capture the moment, hence the somewhat blurry, un-magical-ness of the photo. But trust me, it was beautiful. 

*

And in other news...a new bump picture! (I've been bad about taking these). Remember 18 weeks? This was last week at 21 weeks...

...and still growing! Although there are some days, in some outfits, that I mysteriously don't look pregnant at all. It's all about how you dress the bump, I guess :) And the baby is moving and kicking like crazy lately. Yesterday I was able to see the first external movement -- every time the baby popped me one, my skin jumped up a little, like a twitch. So wild! 

Magical Pockets of New York.

central park south  & fifth avenue

Central Park South and Fifth Avenue.....a great little pocket of New York, especially during the holidays (because of the twinkle lights, of course). In this pocket: the famous Plaza hotel, the Paris Theater (where I had my Artist's Date many moons ago), and of course, the impressive Fifth Avenue Apple Store.  When walking through the pocket the other evening, I had one of those New York moments (you know the ones...I talk about them a lot on here), where I was overcome by the magic, the lights, the possibility. Just what I needed this holiday season during my magical (waytooshort) trip to New York. 

I heart (Christmas in) New York.

christmas trees for sale on broadway (nyc)

Sorry I missed a day/photo on here. Was too busy frolicking around Manhattan and soaking up the Christmas magic. *Oh* how I love New York! My heart expanded and stretched even more so for my city over the last few days (if that's possible). I just can't help it -- there is something about that place. It just makes me feel so happy...so at home and full of hope. Every twinkle light, every star, every giant crystal snowflake fills me with such a sense of life and vibrancy. Man. Having a hard time even finding the words right now!

It was just so lovely to be there. That's all. And my parched Christmas spirit was watered plenty, drenched really, and I now (finally) feel ready to properly engage in this holiday season. 

I took so many photos of the Christmas magic that I think I'll post New York pictures the rest of the week. Everyone okay with that? :) 

Missing New York...

grand central, nyc

I bet there's some Christmas magic happening somewhere in Boston, but here in Cambridge (where I, along with my crazybusy, isolating art-making ways, dwell)...I'm just not feeling it. What I am feeling today, however, is major nostalgia for New York.

It's been tugging at my heart strings all week (as I question why I'm not more in the mood to listen to holiday music or count down Christmas magic on my blog) but I was really pushed over the edge this morning after reading a friend's blog and seeing all of her snapshots of New York Christmas magic. Then I remembered...what it feels like to buy a Christmas tree on the street...to see holiday markets on every other corner and trees and twinkle lights around every bend...and, most especially, decorating our magical Upper West Side apartment. I miss it. I miss it all. 

We are heading there next week for a couple days of Christmas magic before heading down to D.C. for the holidays, and I am definitely looking forward to it. But the last couple of visits have proven to me what I've been a little sad to admit....visiting is just not the same as living there. 

That's all...just feeling the nostalgia tonight. Now it's back to work for me...

Ode to magic.

okay, so this isn't Boston. or New York. can you guess? :)*
You may have noticed from reading this blog that I'm a sucker for magic. Twinkle lights, fires & candlelight, nooky restaurants tucked away into corners, the beach at night. You know, the works.

So upon seeing this amazing post from oh happy day this morning, my jaw dropped. A dinner party on the beach at sunset with twinkle lights!

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Wouldn't this be the most amazing dinner party EVER?! Just looking at the pictures recharged my dream/magic-chasing batteries. Exactly what on needed on this gray Thursday morning -- a little reminder of how lovely life is. Friends and dinner parties ad beaches and twinkle lights and magic. It's all just so lovely.

And so I went searching for more magic to fill my day with. Here are some Etsy finds:

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*it's one of my favorite cities in the world, and bursting at the seams with magic: London! none of my pictures seemed to suffice for tonight's post, and so we went searching through Dan's iphoto library. turns out he has a whole batch of a-m-a-z-i-n-g photos from our engagement trip that I'd forgotten about! makes me wants to devote a whole week on this blog to beautiful London pics. or at least finally tell our engagement story (something I've meaning to do since, umm, 2008 :)

Movie Night!

'Movies by Moonlight' at the Boston Harbor Hotel
I love outdoor movies. Love the magic of cinema mixed with twinkly city lights. Love the openness of it all. Love, love, love. So after hearing about 'Movies By Moonlight' at the Boston Harbor Hotel (which is très fancy pants), we decided to head down there tonight for dinner and a flick.

We were lucky enough to get Tootsie (which I swear I had seen many times growing up, but the only scene that looked even vaguely familiar was the one where Dorothy (Tootsie) dons various sparkly gowns for a photo shoot (which I guess is the only thing my five year old brain could make sense of at the time). Dan, on the other hand, had confused 'Tootsie' with 'Curly Sue' and so was visibly relieved when he saw Dustin Hoffman and Bill Murray up on the screen).

Anyway, it was awesome. And ridiculously hilarious. And with a backdrop of the waterfront and boats decked out in twinkle lights, it really couldn't be any more magical. A lovely way to spend a Friday night.

Tootsie

High Line Park

Here we go. Top Five Photos of High Line Park, as promised (with a bonus picture No. 6). See how dreamy it is? You really should go. And there are all sorts of adorable restaurants tucked away beneath it. Pure magic.

I just found a new dream...

magic on Grove Street in the West Village
...to live on Grove Street one day.

I've walked it before, sure. Seen the famous 'Friends' apartment. Seen the adorable but hard-to-get-into restaurant, The Little Owl. Been swept away by the charm and loveliness of this perfect West Village setting. But last night it hit my heart with such longing and force. It's pure magic. Just a beautiful, charming, perfect street, like something out of a storybook, and I want to live there one day!

the 'Friends' apartment building, above the blue awning of the Little Owl
Part of what added to the magic and put it on my List of Dreams is something I couldn't capture with my camera because of lack of lighting. But tucked away between two buildings on the south side of the street (between Bedford and Hudson) is an almost hidden gate, not even really noticeable upon first glance. The only reason I saw it was because I was literally hanging out in the middle of the street, taking pictures and marveling at the way the wind picked up all these tiny white flower petals and swirled them around (only adding to the magic, of course), when all of the sudden a man came out from behind that secret gate with his dog. That's when I saw it: Grove Court. A whole little, nooky magical neighborhood tucked away behind the other buildings. It was like this entire secret village! There were these adorable homes with little porches and painted shutters and gardens and Oh. My. Gosh. It was just dripping with cuteness and charm. (I found some good shots of it here and here on Flickr).

While it might cost and small fortune (okay, who am I kidding, a very LARGE fortune) to live there, it's still going on the List. And if I don't make it into Grove Court then I will just take one of these lovely brick homes with the pretty shutters and flower boxes, pleaseandthankyou, because I am SURE they are very affordable (ha!):


The end.
(have a lovely, magic-filled weekend).

ps - yes, i know i completely missed my thursday post. i intended to do it last night when i got home but it somehow got very late & i was very tired and...well, i just didn't feel like it. my apologies.
pps - also, please forgive these less than stellar, grainy night shots. my camera struggles in night mode.

Night Strolling.

I love this city at night. Everything is so twinkly and soft. Store windows glow, restaurants glow, street lamps glow. It's all just quite magical. And the last two nights have been a dream, weather-wise, making it impossible to resist the lure of the outdoors & the idea of a nice, long stroll. And so that's how we've spent the last two evenings. Here are is a collection of photos from those two night strolls (as you'll see, I am a little obsessed with the way the street lamps light up the blossoms on the trees. magic).

Bethesda Terrace

bethesda terrace ~ central park
a little whimsy and romance for us on this chilly wednesday evening. central park always fills my heart with such good stuff: peace. magic. hope. loveliness. you catch my drift.

and this particular spot *really* fills my heart with those things. bethesda terrace, where the beautiful 'angel of the waters' fountain resides. on any given saturday, when the sun is shining brightly, you can find bethesda terrace overflowing with puppies and balloons and chubby toddlers and ice cream cones and just an overall sense of aliveness & joy. it's straight out of a movie, i tell ya.

you can also now find images of bethesda terrace and the angel fountain in these really interesting, handmade new york-themed bowls found here. (like that subtle plug? hehe :)

you might also like this post: central park love

The Magical Glass Cube

(aka The Fifth Avenue Apple Store)
The Fifth Avenue Apple Store: still one of my favorite spots in the city. I mean, it has a lot going for it. It sits right at the base of the best park in the world, has pretty, well-lit fountains and nice twinkly lighting, and...yeah, it's just really beautiful. A big glass cube. Sitting grandly on Fifth. All aglow.

Even my crappy phone camera was able to capture it's twinkly magical-ness the other night. (Oh, and there are some pretty neat things inside the glass cube, too, I guess).

The Swell Season.

Radio City Music Hall stage
It figures that the one day I have an unexpected & lovely end to my evening at one of the most historical & beautiful theaters in the city, I don't happen to have my camera with me. Dangit. I had to make due with the crappy camera on my phone to capture the scenes over at Radio City Music Hall tonight where the unbelievable band, The Swell Season, sang their hearts out & gave one of the best shows I have ever seen. Ever.

I didn't even know they were playing until this morning (thank you, Facebook) and Dan and I managed to score two tickets on StubHub late in the day. It was meant to be I think...I really needed this tonight.

There is something about their music. It truly is magical. I don't think I have ever had a reaction to a voice like I do to Glen Hansard's -- it literally brings tears to my eyes. It is so infused with emotion. So raw and vulnerable. Difficult to explain, you just have to hear it.

And I was trying to explain to Dan afterwards, too -- he has a certain quality that reminds me SO MUCH of my brother. I think it is his physical appearance and mannerisms, somewhat, but also something else that I can't quite put my finger on. When the crowd rose to their feet after he had finished a solo acoustic version of a Van Morrison cover that was so unbelievable there are no words to describe it, he stepped back into the middle of the empty stage with his hands held out (his bandmates let him have a few shining moments to himself for several songs) and just soaked in the moment, looking like he might burst into tears at the sheer magnitude of the moment -- getting a standing an ovation at Radio City Music Hall (in the middle of a set no less!). As he did, my heart swelled with pride, as if he really *were* my brother! And instead of the pangs of jealousy or the "man, when will it be my turn?" thoughts that sometimes sneak in when I see really good, live music, I seriously felt so incredibly happy and emotional for him, for them, and their huge shining moment at Radio City Music Hall. Sigh. It was amazing.

There is so much more I could say, but it is late & I think a lot of it would sound just like this (my post from the last time I saw them at Radio City in 2008). All I will say is it was truly an amazing night that has left me feeling so happy, at peace, and kinda missing my brother!

My little camera phone just did not do the night justice, which is a shame because we had *really* good seats. But this is the best I could do, my friends:

the swell season

Holiday Remnants

Columbus Circle* still decked out with holiday cheer
I had to run an errand over at the Shops of Columbus Circle tonight (to Sephora to return my new & AMAZING hair straightener which sadly quit working on me last night) and I was so happy to see everything still looking so twinkly and holiday-like. Yes, I know Christmas is over (I was made painfully aware of that as we undressed our tree and hauled him out of our apartment on Sunday) so I should just MOVE ON! But January sometimes feels like this abrupt shift from twinkly magic & holiday cheer to post-holiday Blah. So it was a happy thing to stumble upon this festival of lights on an ordinary Tuesday evening.

*more Columbus Circle Magic found here.

On the 1st Day of Christmas...

The Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center
Well...here we are, kids! Last day of Operation: 12 Days of Christmas (in New York)! I saved the best for last (in my opinion :) I just love the Metropolitan Opera House -- so beautiful -- and I feel so spoiled to live near it now.

Thanks for joining me on this little project. It's been great fun and has forced me to take notice of my surroundings and take more photos. In fact, I am thinking of ways to keep it up in some capacity (minus the Christmas element obviously). Maybe not a daily thing, but weekly perhaps? We shall see....I will be brainstorming this week :) All I know is, keeping my eyes peeled for New York Magic has made my sometimes-mundane, daily commute a little more special.

Hope you are all having a beautiful & merry Christmas! May you feel the *magic* today and always.

On the 2nd Day of Christmas...

Grand Central Terminal
We saw the outside of Grand Central last week, so I thought I'd share the interior now, which is just as beautiful and Christmasy this time of year. Not a fun place to walk through during rush hour (one could easily be mowed over by hurried commuters and eager tourists -- not pretty) but it's nice to look at :)

It's been a lovely and relaxing Christmas Eve day here in Virginia with the fam. Now we are just cooking and wrapping gifts and getting ready for our extended family to come over later for dinner. After that, it's off to church for an 11:00 candlelight service, and then I always like to end the night sitting in the living room with all the lights off except for the tree lights, thinking about the year behind me, the year ahead, and the meaning behind it all. I am excited to share it all with my husband this year -- our first Christmas as a married couple!

Happy Christmas Eve, all.

On the 3rd Day of Christmas...

Holiday market in Central Park
It was a happy accident when I stumbled upon this little Christmas Village the other night. I was standing in the middle of Columbus Circle taking pictures of the tangle of twinkle lights and snowflakes galore at the mall, when I turned around towards the park to see the familiar red & white striped tents of New York's Holiday Markets that can be found throughout the city. Of course, I was immediately drawn to it, and had to take a look :) It had all the makings of a good holiday market: twinkle lights strewn about, stands selling steaming cups of apple cider and pastries, and little shops with unique artwork and gifts.

I will miss stumbling upon these little magical villages around the city once the Christmas season is over.

Other holiday markets I've been to (that are definitely worth checking out) are in Grand Central, Bryant Park and Union Square.