Water & Air

Besides the aforementioned, my essentials as of late:

1). Killer playlists to get me through hours upon hours of photo editing. On repeat:

On Top of the World // Imagine Dragons
Wagon Wheel // Darius Rucker
White Dress // Ben Rector
Dumb Love // Sean Kingston

2). Hilariously ridiculous videos like this velociraptor chase prank.

3). Distractions like this collection of notes written by kids to their loved ones.

4). And this collection of photographs depicting ballet dancers in random scenarios.

5). The sweetest song, penned by a 96-year-old man a month after his wife of 73 years passed away.


Sometimes I feel like quitting the internet, but more often than not, it's filled with good stuff worth passing along.

Snapshots

Clockwise from top left: q-tip painting, hugging bananas, color-blocking in chinatown, cheeriness in the form of a $1 primrose plant, weekend couch portrait, & my new favorite polka-dot mug from Bulgaria.

Notes:

Planning for the upcoming six months of life brings about equal parts anxiety and excitement. Trying to finagle the budget to accomodate four weddings (three of which require travel), a move, a trip overseas, and paying off outstanding debt is no easy feat. But, it must be done, so done it will be. Somehow.

I'm almost finished reading Kate Morton's The Secret Keeper, and am really enjoying it. I'd highly recommend any of her books. They always leave me day-dreaming about my ancestry and the mysterious treasures that may reside there.

I read this sweet story on the train the other day and had to dig for a tissue before I exited.

We attended a friend's birthday gathering at Hudson Lodge in Manhattan on Saturday night. Pretty cool scene--check it out if you're local.

I can't stop listening to this song. Over and over and over again.

Happy Monday.

Scenes From The Weekend

Nature and I were in love this weekend. If it hadn't been 100 bazillion degrees, I would have stayed outside all day and night. We were outdoors quite a bit though, with a trip to Stone Barns Center on Saturday (more on that later in the week!) and then our regular Sunday pilgrimage to the local farmer's market. Other than that, much of my weekend was spent playing with my new computer: I finally replaced my five-year-old laptop and whoa baby, the difference makes me want to belt out show tunes or something. Editing photos is so much easier now that I've also upgraded to Lightroom 4 (how did I do it before? Seriously).

In other news, I was introduced to Zac Brown Band earlier in the week and am way hooked. Country music reminds me of my time in the south and my appreciation for the southern way of life (juicy georgia peaches, sweet tea, porch swings, big ole' willow trees, etc.)  Start by listening to "Knee Deep" and "Chicken Fried" and then tell me whether or not you could keep your foot from tapping and your hips from swaying!

Scenes From The Weekend

It might have something to do with the fact that I'm exactly two and a half weeks away from the last day of school, or maybe it's the warm sunshine and seventy degree temperatures, but I'm really digging life these days.

I spent Saturday in Brooklyn with my fabulous sister. We ate lunch at Egg in Williamsburg before setting out on a mission to find a baby shower gift for my cousin. We popped into a few other Williamsburg hotspots, like Brook Farm General Store and Toby's Estate Coffee, and then hit the baby jackpot at the Flying Squirrel boutique. We put together a basket of goodies that I secretly wish I could keep for myself. Later in the afternoon, we strolled across the Brooklyn Bridge with seemingly every tourist in NYC and then spent an hour hanging out in Dumbo. The lines at Grimaldi's and The Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory were ridiculous, so we bought a snack from a street vendor before the trek back over to Manhattan. I arrived home with aching feet and a sun-kissed face just as the sky was fading into pink and orange.

Sunday was characterized by relaxation, and included a lazy 10:00 AM wake-up, two jaunts to the coffee shop, fresh-squeezed lemonade, reading, and a leisurely pre-dinner ramble through the neighborhood. We feasted late before winding down to the melodies of jazz radio.

For your reading pleasure:

How to Stay Married;
Is Your Life Over-Propped?;
Does Preschool Matter? (yep).

P.S. Shooting manual in bright sunlight is the bane of my existence. I had to adjust with every step!

Scenes From The Weekend

I harbor the mindset that three-day weekends make everything most excellent. Friday, Saturday and Sunday all sort of blend together in my memory, and I don't mind one bit. We dined outdoors twice, took long winding walks while discussing business plans and travel daydreams, ate lots, read lots, played with flowers (me); watched basketball (him) and topped it all off with ice cream sandwiches and a dance party.

A whole new slew of blossoms have popped up to replace those already fading and I'm pretty sure their aroma is even lovelier than before. Imagine that!

For your enjoyment: Vowels; The Benefits of Bilingualism; & I've Got This Friend.

Portraiture & Melodies

I've been snapping a lot of photos of myself in the mirror. That sounds so self-indulgent, but what I'm attempting to do is strengthen my ability to take portraits. This photo is obviously unfocused, which irrationally annoys me. (Let go, Kayla).

Even though I opted out of any real resolutions, my one steadfast (and ongoing) goal for the new year is continuous growth and development in my photography skills. I've spent the past several months getting to know my camera, messing around with settings, and capturing my surroundings to share here. I want to take a class, or maybe even attend a workshop, and eventually invest in a new lens. I received a Holga 35mm film camera for Christmas. I'm excited to give that a go as well.

Unrelated but somehow connected, I feel compelled to share music today. These are a few songs in constant rotation around here; classics I'm sure all of you are already familiar with. I love how they make me feel, especially at full volume on Sunday mornings.

Frank Sinatra: How About You
The Swell Season: Maybe I Was Born To Hold You In These Arms
Ray LaMontagne: You Are The Best Thing 
Ingrid Michaelson: Far Away and You & I
Nat King Cole: L-O-V-E
Yael Naim: New Soul
Kenny Loggins: Danny's Song

Quiet Moments + A Few Great Things

I'm home today (Columbus was good for something), so I'll hold off with posting 'Scenes from the Weekend' until Tuesday. For now, a handful of quiet moments captured with my iPhone (anyone else cry with the passing of Steve Jobs last week?)

Clockwise from top left: My honey watching football; morning light in the kitchen; a truckload of apples ready to be pressed; evening relaxation.

A few great things:
This song.
This thought. 
This collection.
This article. (A must).

Never Apologize For Your Enthusiasm

Last night, I blasted my very favorite pump-up songs and danced around the kitchen while belting into a giant metal spoon. Nothing especially exciting had occurred to affect my mood. I just felt joyous. Exuberant, even.

The topmost image is a newly-framed art print hanging in the bedroom. I bought it from the shop of one of my dear blogging friends, artist and film-maker, Kimia Kline. It makes me happy. I snapped the second photo when I was slicing fruit for breakfast earlier this week. The fruit was pretty, but it was the pink stain it left on the cutting board that caught my eye.

I've been thinking a lot about little moments such as these, and how significant they can be. Sort of like this nugget of wisdom I read on Twitter the other day: "Nothing wrong with loving the crap out of everything. Never apologize for your enthusiasm." (Thanks, Ryan Adams).

Sometimes I need to remind myself that happiness doesn't need to be justified.

P.S. My pump-up songs of choice, in case you were wondering: One, Two, Three, Four. (And no, I won't ever apologize for loving the hits, either).