14.8.13

Befriend-ed.

ll War ladies..
Everyone says you find out who your true friends are when you're going through a hard time.  I think that's true, but in a very different sense. In the last few months, I've leaned on a lot of shoulders.  They come in different shapes and sizes with different coping mechanisms--thankfully, because I've needed them all.

Here are few fabulous friends to have around:

1.  The Flatterer. You know, the one that immediately tells you how [fill in the appropriate adjective here...wonderful, beautiful, strong, intelligent, creative, etc.] you are. 

2.  The Distracter. Look over here! Let's go there!  Read this thing!  Don't, under any circumstances, think about what I know you're thinking about.

3.  The Relater.  The one who has been there, in one way or another, and can tell you truthfully that she understands what you're going through.  She's also walking proof that you'll get through it.

4.  The Listener.  Sometimes all you need is to feel someone's presence next to you.  They sit and nod and pat you on the back when you need to talk, but are just as content to sit in silence and listen to what you can't say. 

5.  The Comic.  There is humor in everything if you turn it upside down enough times.  Whether it's through sarcasm, stupid humor, imitations, or just plain dirty jokes, the comic gives you relief in a very welcome way: the all-powerful laugh.

6.  The Questioner.  She's not afraid to ask the tough questions.  And she's not afraid of the tough answers, either.

7.  The Filter.  It's in our nature to believe that it's always about us.  The filter brings the bigger picture back into view and makes us realize that perhaps what we're going through is just a small piece of a much bigger puzzle.

I hope you have at least a few of these friends on speed dial.  And even more so, I hope that you are one of these people for someone else. 

That's all for today, friends.

9.8.13

Unsettl-ed.

Control | via Facebook
I apologize.  I'm about to unsettle you.  But, it's almost the weekend, you'll say.  I'm sorry, it has to be done.

In an Esquire Woody Allen Interview, there is this fabulous gem:

A guy will say, "Well, I make my luck." And the same guy walks down the street and a piano that's been hoisted drops on his head. The truth of the matter is your life is very much out of your control.

There are two possible morals to this story: 1) you can't make your luck, or 2) don't say arrogant things like "I make my luck" or someone may plot to drop a piano on your head.

And with that, go forth into the weekend and lose control.  Because, let's be honest, you never really had any in the first place.

6.8.13

Wanderlust-ed.

 Quote

Today, I have a terrible case of wanderlust.  Paris-lust, to be exact. 

Let's all take a little daydream to the sun-soaked streets of Paris.  We'll pass by a boulangerie and be pulled in by the delicious warm, doughy smell wafting out the door.

We'll park ourselves for a leisurely bowl of cafe au lait and a pain au chocolat, stuffing a few extra treats in our pockets before leaving a little tip for the handsome garcon.

Petit déjeuner | Blueberry Submarine
 










We'll window shop in the Marais and find the perfect pair of summer sandals (on sale!)

my Lubitel 166B on the Behance Network
We'll sip une limonade in the Luxembourg gardens.  We'll stroll across the lovers bridge, la Passerelle des Arts and finally land at a sidewalk cafe where we'll laze away the evening, sipping wine and sopping up every last bit of our buttery dishes.  Oh, and stealing kisses across the table, of course.

❤~❤~ Vintage Couple Lo♥e ~❤~❤, Sidewalk Cafe, Boulevard Diderot, Paris, 1969 -...

What a lovely day, don't you think? 

5.8.13

Wash-ed Away.

Sandcastle
source: weheartit.com

 Sometimes, it just falls apart.

Just when you think you have it all together.  Just when everything seems to be back in balance.  Just when the last piece of the puzzle fits.

Shit. just. falls. apart.

But, that's life.  Newly sculpted sandcastles are washed away by crashing waves.  Perfectly constructed block piles tumble to the ground with a slight breeze.  Delicious scoops of ice cream melt immediately in the summer sun.

Life injects these biting moments of vulnerability to show us that we can always build something better, something stronger, something more beautiful.

We all fall apart so we can put ourselves back together a different way.  So, here's to rebuilding...

26.7.13

Spac-ed Out.

photography art -
Photo from weheartit
Living in New York made me re-examine my ideas about the amount of space a person needs to live comfortably.  As a New Yorker, apartments are often likened to shoe boxes and "holes in the wall." 

On my starter salary, I was very lucky to find a two bedroom apartment on the very west side of Midtown West that I shared with a good friend.  Our kitchen fit neatly into a 4-foot hallway, our front door opened directly into our oven, and the toilet was uncomfortably close to the refrigerator.  We lived below a herd of dancing elephants, and had a mouse visit once or twice.  And we handled it all like pros.

A few years ago, I left the city and moved across the river to Jersey.  I love my new apartment, mainly because I get to share it with the Boyfriend and it is always filled with love.

But lately,  I find myself yearning for a little less hustle and bustle and a little more peace and quiet--hence the drive out to the 'burbs last weekend.

Growing up in the roomy suburbs, I had never really thought about the amount of space that was readily available to me.  I never doubted that I was lucky, but somehow, until moving into that first NY apartment, did I realize that, at least to me, space is important.  I'm not talking about a roomy living room or a spacious kitchen (though I'd like both of those), but more so about outdoor space--the ability to step outside and take a deep breath, go for a walk without worrying about stop lights and crosswalks and pedestrian traffic.

Maybe, just like a dog needs space to run off the leash, my mind needs some room to wander.  And so until I can find some space of my own, I'll settle for a drive out west and a day hike in the woods.

I'd love to hear your perspective.  Do you ever yearn for more space?   Or do you prefer the city life?

25.7.13

Forward-ed.

WE LOVE THE VILLAINS | via Tumblr 
What are you looking forward to?

This NYTimes article reported that the anticipation leading up to a vacation can boost happiness levels more than the actual vacation itself.

We psych ourselves up imagining our toes digging in the sand, the cool taste of a cocktail in the afternoon sun, the lazy nap under thin sheets after a post-beach shower.  It is the anticipation, the vision of leaving our desk jobs behind, that makes taking a vacation that much sweeter.

I'm a firm believer that there should always be something to look forward to--even if it is something as small as splitting a beer at the end of your Wednesday.  The anticipation gives me a happiness boost and makes the event even more enjoyable when I experience it.

There are drawbacks of looking too far forward, I know.  The boyfriend will tell you I think more about being 40 than I do about being 27.

It's a delicate balance, keeping your eyes open to the joys of the present while still being able to focus on the next fun event on the horizon.

For now, I'm looking forward to a quick weekend trip to Cape Cod for (you guessed it!) more lobster.

Is anticipation the happiness drug for the human mind? What's your vorfreude?

24.7.13

Summer, List-ed.

I think you should know by now that I'm a list maker.  See here, here, and here.  I'd like to share my summer wishlist with you.  What am I missing?

1.  Eat my body weight in lobster: check!

Sammy, the lobster
2.  Take a vacation far, far away: check!

Les Calanques, France
3.  Take a hike above the clouds: check!

Le Pic de Marcelly, France
4.  Learn to swim properly: working on it.
5.  Ride a ridiculous roller coaster.
6.  Make blueberry cobbler.
7.  Read, read, read.  This book is currently making me laugh out loud!
8.  Drink rose at any chance I get.
9.  Go on a long bike ride.
10. Get back to blogging!
11. Eat more lobster... (I have no shame.)

23.7.13

I've Return-ed.

Hi Folks,
It's been a while.  A lot has happened since we last spoke: Google Reader retired (use feedly!), a future King of England was born, and the record for number of hot dogs consumed in 10 minutes was broken (69! gross!).

Oh, and this happened:


I fell a little more in love with the French countryside (I didn't think it was possible, either).  Here I am climbing Le Pic de Marcelly in the French Alps. At the top, we took in the view through the fog and feasted on a picnic of chocolate brioche, saucisson sec and of course, cheese.

I've been saying this for years--but I think this time I'm really ready--let's move to France.

11.3.13

Seem-ed.

This past week I've learned the very hard lesson that I imagine most grown-ups learn at some point or another:

Life isn't always what it seems.

Thrown a fairly hard curve ball, I've realized that I'm stronger (and at times weaker) than I thought.  I hope that whatever you're going through today, that you find strength in whatever form you need it.  That you find love in even the darkest corners of the moment.  That you never doubt who you are, who you were, or who you will be.

Because though life isn't always what it seems, the truth is that you will be okay.