Jamaica and other thoughts.

How is it the 19th of December already?! I truly don't understand where the time is going. We've been back from Jamaica for over a week now and have been lost in a fog of Christmas preparation, sad, sad news (my heart absolutely aches for those families and the town of Newtown), and gray weather.

This season always feel like a tiring whirlwind, but especially so this year since my body is not operating at it's full physical capacity. Which means a lot of online shopping and not nearly enough out and about New York Christmas magic. In truth, New York is kicking my butt lately. I feel so tired. So tired. It is a kind of tired that it difficult to describe to others. It's as if the moment I step outside, the city yanks all of the energy and life out of my body. Ok, that sounds dramatic, but it's true! Turns out this city is *not* the most relaxing place to heal from brain surgery.

In contrast, Jamaica (or any tropical location, I imagine) most definitely IS the best place to heal physically, emotionally, etc.! And I completely credit the sun. I was a different person in Jamaica. I had ENERGY. I looked HEALTHY. I swam like a fish in the ocean and felt so wonderful! Of course there were moments when I had to stop and take a rest, feeling normal, post-surgery tiredness and effects. But nothing like the exhaustion I've experienced in New York. 

Coming home I assumed that I was "better" and could maintain the same pace that I did in Jamaica. But I quickly realized that was not the case after nearly fainting in Whole Foods from carrying too many groceries. Of course, everyone knows that vacation, especially in a relaxed, tropical place, is good for you. But now I have seen firsthand just how imperative and vital the sun is for our overall health, especially in a situation like mine. Time to start planning some winter getaways to Florida, I think :)

Oh, and have I mentioned how beautiful the wedding was? And how overjoyed/filled-to-the-brim I am? Sigh...there needs to be a whole section devoted to just that alone. It was amazing. And I feel such deep happiness for my beautiful sista/friend and the wonderful, perfect-for-her man that she married. The wedding was beachy and heartfelt and so them. Perfect. And now some pictures! Of love, sunshine and healing... 

Hudson, New York.

A few instagram photos to share from our little getaway last weekend to Hudson, New York. Such a lovely town right on the river, just 2 hours north of the city. 

Dan's mom was in town for a few days and generously volunteered (as she has in the past) to give us a reprieve by watching the munchkin for a night. Okay! Up to Hudson we went. :)

Even though we spent a lot of the time missing Miles' little face and squeals and smiles (and maybe pulled out our iphones to watch videos and look at photos over dinner) it was so nice to get away and reconnect in a different setting, a setting that's not the busybuzzy city in which we dwell.

Hudson is a quaint and historical town that is known for it's antique shops and art galleries (according to my friend, Wikipedia, that is, which I pulled up on my phone over icy cold beers at a cute bar on Sunday evening). Seemed to be true! Antique shops and galleries galore, making a stroll down the main strip all the more fun and interesting. 

The inn where we stayed was rad, especially the sitting room/self service bar, which looked like something out of a magazine. Exposed beams, exposed brick, eclectic furniture, a ladder, books! I was in heaven. :) 

We had the place to ourselves...so of course we decided to pose and be silly and take a bunch of photos.

Everything about Hudson felt very unique and charming, including the coffee shops. This one (above) felt like someone's home, with cozy furniture and cool artwork on the walls. We bought a couple of cups on our way out Monday morning before hitting the road. 

It was a wonderful day/night away (the car ride to and from was pretty great, too...sometimes it's just nice to hit the open road with good tunes and open windows, ya know?). By the time we got to our building, though, we were practically tripping over one another to get inside the apartment and smother Miles in kisses. That's the funny thing about parenthood. You just want a break sometimes...pleaseohplease I just need a break! But then when you're apart, you just want to be cuddling and kissing your little one. Though hard, I still say: breaks are good/healthy/needed. Makes me appreciate this little face even more! 

*

{coming soon: Miles' 8 month update. 8 months?! holy cow}

Blue Waters.

I just downloaded more photos off of my camera tonight from our trip to Florida and my goodness, look at that water. So blue! Couldn't resist sharing a few more on here :) 

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? :) 

New York, Graduation Week, etc.

a bridge in Upper Manhattan, taken from the car

We are back from our weekend getaway to New York (plus a quick jaunt down to the Eastern Shore in Maryland for a friend's wedding on Saturday) and once again it was a wonderful whirlwind that has left me pooped (as I've said before: it's much less exhausting to live in New York than to visit, I think). Even though it rained part (most) of the time, it was still so lovely to reconnect with good friends and some of my old, favorite places in the city that make my heart happy.

And now we have a full week of craziness/busyness/excitement in front of us. Family is coming to town and Dan graduates this week, folks! Can you believe how quickly time has passed? I feel like we just got here, and that he just embarked on this journey of grad school, but here we are....another chapter behind us. And in front of us? Not totally sure at this point. There are some plans in the works, but nothing is for certain. We've been planning and praying and trying to make some decisions over here for quite some time, but so much is in flux that it's been hard to nail anything down. Throw into all of that a baby on the way, and what you get is a mild case of STRESS. Actually, I've been handling it pretty well over the last several weeks/months (if I do say so myself :) -- but now that school is officially done, and the baby's arrival is feeling not so surreally far away anymore, I must admit that a tad bit of stress has crept in! It will all work out, I know. It always does. Will keep you posted as things unfold!

Heading west....

me & dan, santa fe 2009

taos, nm, 2008

Heading out tomorrow (Lord willing & no travel issues!) to beautiful, sunny Santa Fe for some quality R&R time with my dad. Can't wait to breathe in that fresh air and take in those mountain views.....YAY for vacation! May be on here sporadically next week....or maybe not :) We'll see.....have a great weekend/week!

Farewell, cold weather!

 

Harvard building, post blizzard

I  think I am starting to fully see & understand the infamous "Boston winter" that everyone speaks of....it. is. COOOOLD here! No doubt about it. Lucky for me, I'm about to trade in my furry boots for flip-flops. My winter coat for tanks & skirts. That's right! Heading to sunny Florida for a little family visit and some much needed sun-soakage! Ahhh, CAN'T WAIT. Might be on here next week, might not. Always depends on internet connections (and whether I feel like it or not :) If not, have a lovely week and I will be back soon with some fresh freckles and sunny, blue-skyed photos! 

Stuck.

snowy chicago 

A quick note to say hello and that it's good to (finally) be home. We went to Chicago for the weekend for a Christmas party and some family-time and ended up getting stuck there due to crazy high winds and snow (our terrible travel karma strikes again). Should have been home Sunday by 6pm, but instead just rolled in about midnight tonight. And (while there) all I could think about was the crazy number of sales I was getting back home on Etsy (seriously, this is not the norm for my shop! it's out of control! in a good way :), and the many hours of shipping and work I have ahead of me this week, especially now with the delay. Whew. {note: if you're planning to purchase something in time for Christmas, I need your order placed by Saturday, Dec. 18th! thanks :)

And now I am about to fall over from sheer exhaustion, so goodnight, my friends...

Charleston (that's a wrap).

Thanks for joining me on this tour of Charleston, friends! I don't have much more to share (in words). So I will just leave you with a few more random photos from last weekend and well-wishes for a lovely December weekend.  

i loved all the little nooks & gardens tucked away throughout the city...

...and of course the magical trees with their spanish moss... 

...and the beautiful water views.

love this, too. dan + beautiful wedding backdrop

us being silly/dramatic, etc.

i know they're not looking at my camera, but still love this shot. 

congrats to anna + jamie!

xo

Charleston: an ode to beautiful houses...

...and there are a lot of them (beautiful houses, that is). We did a driving tour on our own on Friday night, and then a group walking tour on Saturday morning, and by the end of the weekend I was pretty much dreaming about/plotting how I could get my hands on a Charleston address (specifically in the historic district). 

Between the cobblestone streets, the piazzas, and the flickering gas street lights, how could anyone not get swept away by the charm? Here, let me show you:

 

There is even more I could share, but it's getting late and I don't want to overwhelm my audience (you) w/ photos :)

Goodnight! 

Charleston: an ode to spanish moss (and other things)

the church where Anna was married

Charleston...there are so many things to share (and I am so up to my eyeballs in to-do lists tonight) that I think I will actually spread the Charleston love out over the rest of this week. Everyone okay with that? :) That way we can fully explore the incredible magic of this city without cutting corners (I feel like I could do ten posts on the architecture alone, and still have more pics/love to share). 

another shot of the church, post wedding

I always knew I'd fall in love with Charleston, given the chance to visit (and Savannah, too, which I've been d-y-i-n-g to see for years). I'd seen enough footage in movies that had been filmed in the area to know it was my kind of place, full of charm & southern magic. But it was even better in person. 

"Avenue of Oaks" ~ Boone Hall Plantation

There is something about this place. The landscape, the architecture, the history -- it all really speaks to me. The trees drip with Spanish moss, the houses are so interesting/striking with their double porches (called piazzas), and I can't get enough of the water views. Something about the marshland, blanketed in soft, tall grass, really speaks to my heart. Maybe because it reminds me somewhat of the landscape around my dad's old house in Maryland on the Chesapeake Bay, where I spent so many weekends and summers as a kid. But I could seriously stare out at those calm and soothing South Carolina waters for hours (lucky for me the wedding reception site was right on the water, with an abundance of tall grass and marsh. lots of picture-taking/water-staring ensued).

wedding reception at Boone Hall Cotton Dock (plus my beautiful friend & her new husband!)

And that's all I have in me for tonight, folks. Tune in tomorrow for more! 

& p.s. (but unrelated): my ornaments have been featured on a craft blog! go here :) 

New York: a recap

Upper West Side water towers

Back from New York, people. And I. am. exhausted. Seriously pooped.

There was lots of walking. Lots of talking. Lots of connecting with people. 2 shows. A service. Brunching. 'Rita drinking. Piano-barring. And much, much more. All things that I've missed. All things that fill up my heart.

And something I realized this weekend:  it is much easier to live in New York City than to visit New York City. Which may come as a surprise to you. But visiting is not for the faint of heart, my friends, believe me. So much to do and see and experience in such a short amount of time. And all without a home or a resting place to lay down your tired, old bones. I can't tell you how many times I said to Dan or a friend this weekend, "I just want to go home." And I didn't mean Boston, but our old Upper West Side home. Where there was a couch. And a bathroom. And a bed. All of our very own. Walking around New York endlessly takes serious stamina, and without that resting place with all the familiar comforts of home, it was just....exhausting. 

Not to say that the trip wasn't fun or wonderful or nostalgic or magical. It was all of those things. The only thing that was missing was our sense of place. Otherwise, perfect. 

(And I already miss it). 

Dear New York:

Columbus Avenue

Oh, New York, I was so happy to see you when we first drove in. I remembered the magic. The possibility. So many good memories. And then you threw every traffic and parking hurdle at us in the book, some that aren't even listed in the book, causing to us to spend almost as much time in our car in Manhattan alone as the rest of our entire trip down from Boston, reminding me of your screw-you, tough-love, take-no-prisoners attitude towards your inhabitants. A little magic was lost, but still I manage to love you, anyhow. It's all part of your charm, somehow. Just as we see the skyline along Central Park South and start to melt a little, you chew us up and spit us out in a heaping, sloppy pile of goo. But even from that pile of goo, the view is still quite beautiful.

Love,

Katie

Scotland: A Tour

Okay -- so a (not so)quick tour of my time in Scotland...with pictures! 

(everything is better with pictures, no?)

First up: the west coast of Scotland, where Erin & her little family reside, tucked away in a quaint village overlooking the sea. Magic. Some days we were so swallowed up in adorable baby-ness that we didn't really get out much, except for a quick stroll around the village or through green meadows or down by the beach. Which was A-Okay with me. These are all things (in addition to spending quality time with good friends/cute babies) that are major list-toppers on my List of Things that I find Wonderful. So it worked out pretty well.

Next up on the tour: Edinburgh, where I spent a day traveling solo since it was too much of a trek for the kiddo. Edinburgh is one of those cities that just oozes history, charm and magic, complete with it's own castle atop a hill. I'd been before, but it was a long time ago, so it was a real treat to roam these beautiful city streets once again. There was some shopping and cafe-sitting/coffee drinking, but mostly just a lot of walking & taking in all the sights of a perfect and dramatic, cloudy Scottish day. 

                                      

And lastly on this here tour: Glasgow!, which was another highlight of the trip. Erin, Eilah and I made a day of it, spending most of our time in the West End eating pub food, poking in & out of boutiques, drinking coffee & soaking up the sunshine (yes, SUNSHINE!). It was a lovely & full day, and baby Eilah handled her first trip to the big city quite beautifully (as did her mama). 

And that's a wrap people! It's taken me waaay too long to finish this post (2 days!). But thanks for joining me on the tour -- hope it made you fall a *little bit* in love with Scotland. 

Have a great weekend! xo