I will always heart NY

What I experienced and witnessed on this day 8 years ago made an indelible mark on my heart. I am sad I am not in the city today to leave flowers for firefighters and join together with other New Yorkers to celebrate and remember the ones that were lost. But no matter where I am, this day is a part of me, and I am a part of it. I love my New York. It is the place that makes my heart beat faster, the place that inspires my artistic swoons, the place that I will always, always feel is home. I miss it. I love it. I will always remember this day.

Tonight

There is a thunderstorm raging outside and I'm tucked up in my house with a proper dinner of roast chicken, freshly baked cookies and a new movie to watch.  Have a lovely evening!

Multi-tasking

On this lovely, end-of-summer Saturday night in New Orleans, I'm at home with my puppy as I study for my first exam. It's tomorrow {Sunday} morning, 9:00AM. I keep trying to get Tulip to hold up the flashcards for me, but she's more interested in snoozing on my bed. In the meantime, I'm breaking in a pair of stilettos for a friend's wedding in October {so excited!!!} and baking cookies. Can anyone help me out with an HLOOKUP? Call me. Thanks!

Whoa

I did my very first MBA, grown-up-girl presentation today. So, so scary! Somehow I managed to create the best slides of my whole class. Me? {Sammy, Mike, Ray, Jessica, Meaghan - thank you for helping, proofing, teaching, editing!} Somehow, I got up, gave an MBA - worthy presentation that I wrote all on my own, was organized, didn't trip over my feet, and even got a smile and a nod from my professor. They sure don't waste any time in grad school - this was only the third time the class had met! Now I've done it and next time it'll be a bit easier.

It really is the happiest place on earth!

Congratulations on your fairy tale engagement!!!!!!

And I've got miles to go before I sleep...

When life lessons re-manifest themselves to you

I am busy. So busy that I've been feeling like I barely have time breathe. I'm taking advantage of a wonderful opportunity to be in school and work really hard and look for opportunities to do more and push myself. The honest truth? I am overwhelmed. I'm tired. My brains needs a vitamin. I haven't pulled these kinds of non-stop hours since my days at NYU. Personal discipline is at an all-time peak. Time management is becoming my new favorite word. I also went to the dentist a few days ago and my teeth really hurt.

I was feeling overly overwhelmed a little bit ago and sort of complaining to myself about how much I need to get done and as I was waiting {impatiently} for the elevator, a girl on crutches walked up to me. She had a lot of difficulty walking from {what I've since learned is cerebral palsy} and made her way slowly over to where I was standing. I asked her if she was coming for the elevator and she smiled and said no, she was looking for a certain classroom and did I know where it was located? The classroom was unfortunately located on the complete other side of the school. I have her the information, and she gave me a big smile and thanked me for my help. My elevator arrived and I got onto it and she turned and walked/limped away.

I don't know - it just helped snapped me back into perspective. My teeth still hurt. I still have too much to do. I still don't have enough time. Maybe this is one of those "you had to be there" moments, but it was beautifully refreshing to remember that a smile makes things better, and that while it's tough, by golly, we're all going to make it through. Running, walking, limping, no matter what, we'll all make it through. And one of the greatest ones of all: that it's supposed to be hard. The hard is what makes it great. If it weren't hard, everyone would do it.

Tonight is a school night!

Tomorrow is my Orientation day. I'm so excited...I've been waiting for this for a year. I've set up my new laptop, packed my school bag, picked out my outfit...I can't wait!!!!!!!!

It's game day baby!

The first pre-season game is tonight and I am so excited! We got out our tickets this morning and I'm dressed in my finest

{and chicest and most work appropriate} black and gold.

Go Saints!

{I can't think of a title}

A week ago today I got news that a colleague died in an accident. Horrible news. Since then, I've been working non-stop with others in my office on all the logistics that need to be dealt with after something like this. I've helped her family locate documents, get her pets adopted, plan a memorial. It's been a shocking and devastating time for everyone involved. That's what I've been up to lately. Thank you to everyone who's helped me out recently - I've really needed it and appreciate it so much. xoxo.

Kindness

Before you know what kindness really is
you must lose things,
feel the future dissolve in a moment
like salt in a weakened broth.
What you held in your hand,
what you counted and carefully saved,
all this must go so you know
how desolate the landscape can be
between the regions of kindness.
How you ride and ride
thinking the bus will never stop,
the passengers eating maize and chicken
will stare out the window forever.

Before you learn the tender gravity of kindness,
you must travel where the Indian in a white poncho
lies dead by the side of the road.
You must see how this could be you,
how he too was someone
who journeyed through the night with plans
and the simple breath that kept him alive.

Before you know kindness as the deepest thing inside,
you must know sorrow as the other deepest thing.
You must wake up with sorrow.
You must speak to it till your voice
catches the thread of all sorrows
and you see the size of the cloth.

Then it is only kindness that makes sense anymore,
only kindness that ties your shoes
and sends you out into the day to mail letters and purchase bread,
only kindness that raises its head
from the crowd of the world to say
it is I you have been looking for,
and then goes with you everywhere
like a shadow or a friend.

Naomi Shihab Nye

Fantastic news about release of American journalists

Read about it here.

Ode to my weekend

{Photo from Naturally Nina}

During lunch today, I bought a great new pair of workout shorts that make me want to get out there, shake my buns and go for a run. I also bought the latest issue of The Economist and read and read and read. A gentleman I used to work with is the former CEO of The Economist and he got me hooked on it. I just love that magazine {and him}.

On the docket for the weekend is a slurry of fun - farmer's market, new library books, workouts, movies, SatchmoFest, White Linen Night, riverwalks with Tulip followed by baths with Tulip, church, tidying and shopping. Should be wonderful!

She punctuated dinner with lovely blue hydrangeas

Last night I watered our basil plant and then we picked enough basil leaves to make an heirloom tomato + bufalo mozzarella + basil salad and a delicious pesto sauce to put on our fresh pasta noodles. Oh, and then after that we made homemade oreo cookies. It was wonderful. I just love having dinner guests!

On the menu

Last night's dinner party was fantastic! Great company that helps in the kitchen and makes you laugh plus amazing food - what more can you ask for on a Wednesday night?

On the menu:

Salad of Hearts of Romaine and Curls of Parmesean dressed with Lemon Oil

Fresh Homemade Pasta with Homemade Marinara Sauce

Homemade Parmesean Butter and Bread

Angel Food Cake topped with Fresh Whipped Cream and Peaches

Thanks for coming over, we had a wonderful time!

{So apparently, the plums we were stewing got left in the oven. Overnight. Ooops!}

The best kind of equation

Freshly laundered sheets

+

A crisply made bed

+

{a half-dose of Benadryl}

=

Delicious sleep

Coming soon to a theater near you

The Very Hungry Puppy
The Very Thirsty Puppy
A Puppy Walks Around the House

and my personal favorite,

The Barking Puppy

Classics, each and every one of them.

Nightly showings at 1:00am, 2:00am, 3:00am, 4:00am......

A two ton hippo slept on my back

No, not really {I don't even have Tulip to blame, as she "slept" in Jessica's room last night} but how else can I explain the dreadful knots in my neck today?

Sigh. I still haven’t managed to recover from the world’s worst night of sleep, which was complete with an unhappy, wandering puppy, nightmares which resulted in real tears, a spastically chirping and braying fire alarm and being eaten alive, burrito-style, by my bedding.

I’ve felt rather creature-from-the-black-lagoon today. I did try. I went running at lunchtime, drank a few diet cokes, but…sometimes you’ve just got to know when to say uncle.

UNCLE.

I have 3 lovely evening activities planned for tonight, so the day is looking up. Now, if only I could look up….but my neck seems incapable of such a motion at the moment. Maybe tomorrow?

And we're off!

We are off to the airport to jet off for vacation with my family at Lake Tahoe. {Little Tulip is at sleep-away puppy camp and will be safe and happy until we return.} We are celebrating my beautiful grandmother's birthday, and I cannot wait to see everyone! I am really lucky to have such a loving and kind family. We always have so much fun together and I'm sure this trip will be the same. Birthday parties, fancy luncheons with lady friends, hiking, white water rafting, barbequing....it's going to be wonderful!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDMA!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just scootin' along

I think that a tangerine-colored Vespa would be the perfect mode of transportation here, especially in the summer. Breezing down St. Charles would be so much fun! Who's with me? We could admire the beautiful homes, then zip down to Cafe du Monde for beignets. Summer dreaming at it's finest!