The Highline NYC

Hello, dear readers! It's been awhile, I know. And I sincerely apologize for neglecting you. I've just been so busy being both a blogger and Editor-in-Chief over at The Green Room Blog, that all of my blog energy has been used up there. But though it's hard work launching and nurturing a new blog, we have such incredible bloggers and readers that it's already growing into a very special community. If you haven't already, go check it out! I'll wait here, don't worry.

Dan and I have both been so busy over the past few weeks, that we haven't had much time to do anything together. I've been auditioning and rehearsing like crazy (plus spent the past long weekend at Disney World with my family!), and he's been working one job while training for another and casting a movie -- hooray!

We did find some time together last week to enjoy a lovely little spurt of spring weather and check out The Highline park for the first time. It was just as fun as I'd imagined, and the perfect place to enjoy some sunshine and a light breeze. We loved all of the art installations that they had to check out, too. I can't wait until the food carts are added this summer -- the only thing missing was some fro yo to devour while strolling!

I was also so inspired by the power of a few friends with a dream and a great work ethic. It's hard to believe such a cool park could come from nothing within a few short years. Way to go, guys. The Highline is definitely one of my new favorite NYC spots.

The Bejeweled Penis

Yesterday, as I was in one of my favorite hole-in-the-wall Garment District trim stores, pawing through piles of beaded embellishments to find the perfect piece to use for my latest Redheaded Actress Etsy Shop custom order, I stumbled across what can only be described as a bejeweled penis:

I mean, I'm not just being dirty, right? That can't be anything other than a penis shape, can it? And if it can't be anything else, then what possible use could one have for a bejeweled penis embellishment?? Wait...don't answer that.

One (very over-sized) dose of holiday cheer, coming up!

We were in Jack's 99 cent store last night looking for cheap ornaments to fill up the cheap vase I bought from TJMaxx. We did find those and create this (I think) decidedly non-cheap-looking Christmas centerpiece:

But what this post is really about would be this lovely holiday decoration:

The LARGEST CHRISTMAS TREE ORNAMENT KNOWN TO MAN! Dan and I kept trying to figure out what this could possibly be used for. The only thing that comes to me would be something like decorating the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, but come on...you know they don't use dollar store ornaments at Rockefeller Center.

Any ideas?

Thanksgiving Brunch -- Realized!

I know we're all starting to get into the Christmas spirit (at least I know I seriously am!), but I just wanted to share with you how our little Thanksgiving Brunch turned out, since I teased you with a little inspiration board already.

Here was the spread, pre-devouring (also, no one had shown up yet, so a fruit salad and some more muffins were added after this picture was taken):

I loved the tablecloth and how cute Martha's pumpkins looked. Also, there's something so fun and fancy about whatever you've cooked/baked when it's served from either a footed cake plate or on a cool platter. Thank you, wedding gifts! 

A close-up of the Pumpkin Cream Cheese muffins, the Blueberry Cheesecake muffins, and the Coffee Cake. Plus, the little orange tented signs I made the night before so everyone would know what they were eating!

Please do yourself a serious favor (and your waistline a serious disservice) and run, don't walk, to your nearest grocery store to get the ingredients to make these Pumpkin Whoopie Pies. They may be the best thing I've ever baked, and I bake a LOT.

Yummy from-scratch Cinnamon Buns that taste so much better than store-bought. And they're on the pretty platter my Mom bought me for my bridal shower! :)

Dan insisted of getting a picture of me in front of my masterpiece after watching me work so hard to get it all together. It took me the entire day before Thanksgiving to bake everything and almost three hours that morning to do last-minute prep and assembly! Totally worth it, though!

We had some seriously yummy things to munch on while loving that view.

And just in case you wondered if everyone else enjoyed themselves, too...

After the parade, we went to a friend of a friend's house and had a delicious and entertaining Thanksgiving dinner with new friends. All in all, an absolutely lovely Thanksgiving, if a bit a-typical!

How was your Thanksgiving? What did YOU make (or eat?!)?

File this fashion statement under, "Thanks, But No Thanks"

The only possible use I can think of for this hat would be if your occupational hazards including "freezing to death" and your work address is "#1 North Pole":



Just thought you could use a laugh on this dreary weather day :)

First NYC Snowfall of the Season?

Last night, while walking home from "Fuerza Bruta" (go see it!!), we came across Madison Square Park blanketed in the first snowfall of the year:

Or was it?

Not really, since the rest of the city is decidedly NOT covered in snow. Actually, it seems like they must be filming something set during the winter, since they put a whole lot of effort into trucking in snow machines and blanketing four whole blocks in man-made snow, then proceeding to rope it all off with caution tape.

It was just a funny thing to all of a sudden step into a winter wonderland and then right out of it again. Only in New York, huh?

Has your area had its first snowfall yet?

Need to Whack Somebody?

Couch for sale -- cheap! Need a babysitter for Friday nights? Housekeeper for hire! No? Well, do you need to whack somebody?? We can help!

I found this rather amusing and simultaneously disturbing flyer posted in my neighborhood the other night. I had to check it out, if only to see if it was a serious ad and I'm here to report that it did not seem to be tongue-in-cheek. Sorry the contact info is a bit fuzzy ;)

What's the strangest flyer you've ever seen?

This is how you remind me that we're soulmates, Dunkin' Donuts

It's things like this that make me and Dunkin' Donuts soulmates:

How does DD know that my favorite bad mood killer is a fabulous medium iced coffee with cream and sugar? How?!?

Blue Balls

New York City is, perhaps, the only place on earth where you can spot a pair of blue balls as big as...well, as big as my first car (don't believe me? here's a picture of my first car):

Yes, those are, in fact, enormous blueberries just sitting in Greeley Square Park. Why, you ask? Oh, just to promote the MONSTROUS blueberry juice bottle across the street:

This, my friends, is a prime example of EXACTLY why I started this blog in the first place -- pretty much every day, I'm walking around, minding my own business, running to the train station or the post office or some other mundane task, and BAM! Some weird shit pops up in a totally unexpected place like the park across from our apartment.

I knew I needed to find a place to share all the weird shit that I come across every day, or my husband would go totally bonkers with all the pictures I texted him. So...voila! A blog! And that's how my little blogger self was born, two short years ago. Hard to believe that in two years, I've gone from my little startup "I'm not sure I can pull this off" blog to writing for the huge audience that is Weddingbee and now running several smaller blogs myself!

That's how it is in New York, though...you always have to expect the unexpected here. That's kinda how my life in general is, too. Maybe that's why New York and I get along so well -- we both have a fair share of drama in our lives.

Okay, I have to sign off now because I'm feeling awkwardly like Carrie Bradshaw typing away with my metaphors and attempts at being deep about New York and life. And to think, I started off this post just trying to make a dirty joke about blue balls.

Play Me, I'm Yours!

Has anyone noticed that around the city for the past couple of weeks there have been random pianos just sitting out in the middle of parks and plazas with big signs on them reading, "Play me, I'm yours!"?

That one above is one of the pianos nearest to us, just a few blocks away in Greeley Square. As it turns out, the pianos are an art installation by Luke Jerram called (betcha can't guess!) Play Me, I'm Yours.

The idea is that there are 60 pianos spread throughout the city, open to anyone who wants to play them. Performers I've seen range from the amateur teenage tourist tickled at the idea of performing for an impromptu crowd to my professional accompianist friend who has made it her mission to play on as many of these pianos as she can (so far, she's at 21 pianos!).

I guess the artwork's intent is to play with the concept of ownership of public space and engage strangers in an artistic interaction that they might otherwise miss out on. Personally, I just think it's a blast to be walking through my neighborhood and come across strains of ragtime, pop music, or some Bach, depending on what fancy strikes and which random performer takes the stage.

Today is the last day to see the pianos and the performers, so make sure to stop and say hi if you see one. I could totally get behind these pianos being a permanent thing, I've really enjoyed them being here. Though I've never been the biggest art buff, I love all of the large-scale art installations that New York has to offer -- I just wrote about the subway station instrument, for one, not to mention the famous Gates project, the New York City waterfalls, and so many more.

What art installation has come into your life and did you like the experience?

Overheard in New York: Garment District Style

Yesterday, as I was walking home through my neighborhood, I heard two tourists loudly wondering where they should stand to wait for the bus.

"We can't wait here!" one of them exclaimed, "The sign says 'no standing'!"

One of my new favorite "overheard in New York" moments. Have you ever heard tourists say something silly in your town?

A Manhattan-Style Memorial Day "Cookout" for Two

You'll have to pardon the photo overload that this post is going to be, but the absolutely incredible food we ate yesterday caused my camera to start snap snap snapping away!

Besides bragging about how good my Food Network recipe-finding skills are, I wanted this post to be another one of those "this is how different it is to live in Manhattan than anywhere else" posts. It seems like nearly everyone else in the entire country was either at a family picnic or the beach yesterday, which makes our little "cookout" that much more of an oddity, I guess.

You see, we grilled...

Granted, it was on a 14-inch-wide hibachi grill with easy-lite charcoal and on a balcony 23 stories above 6th Avenue, but we grilled. And, as always, my husband made goofy faces.

But he did grill our burgers to perfection the very first time he ever grilled anything! He was like a man discovering fire for the first time. I think I may have created a grilling monster ;)

Meanwhile, I was inside baking our garlic french fries (check out this super easy recipe here for a side dish that is next to godliness), slicing up my homemade bread, and picking lettuce leaves from my AeroGarden. When everything combined on our gorgeous new black (wedding gift) dishes, it looked incredible, if I do say so myself:

I'm not usually really a foodie, but damn, I couldn't resist snapping some up-close shots of those fries.

And the burger...ugh, I'm getting hungry again just writing this...

Dan paired his meal with some high-class fruit punch and a smile:

I paired mine with some sun tea I had brewed earlier and could barely restrain myself from digging in long enough to let Dan take this picture.

So that, my friends, is how us New Yorkers (or at least, my little New Yorker family!) celebrate what seems to be National Cookout Weekend.

On a more sombre note, a big, heartfelt thank you to all of the men and women and their families who have sacrificed their lives, their health, or their security to defend us and our right to grill on our balcony, if we so desire. This year, I have a brother in the Marines and it always hits a little closer to home when your own family is involved, right?

How did you celebrate Memorial Day?

Umbrella Graveyard

Came across this poetic tribute to rainy days here in the city on the way home from rehearsal the other night:

New York -- where even umbrellas get eaten alive.

Playing Tourist : With My Babies

So as many of you may have already heard via my many status updates, I have been playing Mommy this week to my two darling sisters while my Mom and Stepdad celebrate their five year wedding anniversary on a transatlantic cruise (or while they're away on a rocket ship, as Greta keeps telling people).

This was very exciting for me because I adore my sisters, but also quite the challenge, as I've never taken care of any children by myself for more than 24 hours at a time before. Adding to that, New York City has more closely resembled the Arctic tundra this week than the land chock-full of playgrounds to romp on that it is in the summertime.

With a toddler and a preschooler staying at our (small) place for ten days in the middle of a deep freeze, we've had to be creative with ways to keep them entertained and get them exercise. Besides filling our apartment with tons of fun toys, the three of us girls have been playing kiddie tourists around NYC all week. Here are a few of our adventures:

Just getting these Florida girls bundled up on the first day was quite the ride, since they aren't used to wearing so much clothing! Phoebe was pulling pieces of outerwear off almost as quickly as I was putting them on here. I was proud just to make it on the elevator!

Greta and I rode the Ferris Wheel at Toys 'R Us in Times Square, and Dan-Dan and Phoebe roamed the store. Visiting the moving dinosaur and playing with the giant train tracks were also highlights.

We also had a few meals out at our local diner. It's practically a requirement when you visit NYC!

Visiting the Manhattan Children's Museum is always a winner in the cold weather. My tip? If you're visiting in the morning (like most families do), start at the top floor and work down because everyone else is doing the opposite.

The Museum of Natural History is also another good choice for kids in the cold. Between the dinosaurs that were a hit with Greta, the dozens of animal displays that were a hit with Phoebe, and the big hallways that are great for exercising kids of all ages indoors, this place was a good choice for us.

You also can't visit NYC without stopping for a bite at a divey Chinese place...I love that my little sisters both adore Chinese food just like I do!

Another good (but maybe unconventional) choice for a place to take kids in the cold is Grand Central Station. There's lots of room to run around and it's not too crowded on the weekends or during non-peak weekday times. Greta loved the constellations on the ceiling of the Great Hall, and we all loved the yummy cheeseburger we ate downstairs.

One of our favorite things we did all week was go to tea at Alice's Tea Cup. Phoebe stayed at home with Dan because she's still a bit too young for this experience, but Greta always loves the fairy wings and pixie dust they give little girls, not to mention all the "hot chocolate tea" she consumed.

These may not be the exact same touristy choices I would make if I weren't trying to entertain two little girls in the cold (although many of them would be!), but I think I did a decent job of keeping them having fun and warm!

What are your suggestions for NYC places to have fun with kids in the cold?

Ice Skating in the B to the ryant Park

For someone who loves Bryant Park as much as I do (and who lives so ridiculously close by), I can't believe it took me until nearly the end of the second winter season of us living here to get my butt on that ice skating rink.

I guess part of it was the long line to get in, which looks daunting, but actually moved pretty quickly, and the fact that I was terrified that I would fall on my face. That fear isn't exactly unfounded, since I'm pretty sure I fell the last time I was on ice. I look slightly concerned in this picture:

But in the end, I had nothing to fear! I didn't fall down once and was actually one of the better skaters on the Pond, besides the few superb skaters who were there. I have no idea how this happened, but apparently my five-year skating hiatus made me better. Mysterious, indeed. The mister is actually a pretty good skater, which isn't all that surprising, since he is always to be very athletic whenever we do anything remotely sporty, despite his distinctly non-athletic looks. Don't worry, honey, I don't look athletic and I'm also NOT actually athletic, so you have me beat :)

At any rate, I highly recommend skating in Bryant Park. If you have your own skates like the mister, it's free. I had to rent a pair for $12, but anyone who lives here knows that any fun date you can go on for $12 in Manhattan is definitely a win. Oh, and a tip for going? Bring your own locker lock because it's free to use the lockers, but they gouge you $9 for a lock. We didn't have anything of value, so we just gambled and won (our own stuff back, I guess!).

It was a perfect way for us to spend the first day of a new decade! Happy skating, all!

If Harrison Says So...

As I was wandering the VIP Section of the Midtown Public Library -- most of you probably know it as the "reserved/holds section" -- I noticed a particularly compelling poster:

I mean, I already love to read, but now that I know that Harrison wants me to? I will definitely be sure to keep reading :)

Am I the only one with a special place in my heart for Harrison Ford? Who on a poster would compel you to spend a little more time at your neighborhood public library?

Happy Mashed Potato Day!

To celebrate our first Thanksgiving as a married couple, we were able to watch the famous Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade right from our balcony. It was quite the sight and we were thrilled to have such awesome seats without fighting the crowds!

Seeing such a famous and impressive parade from the perfect bird's-eye-view spot was truly one of those "you may never get to do this again!" New York experiences. We hope that we get the same thrill next year, but who knows if Mayor Bloomberg's new pedestrian malls will stay in place so that the parade can't go down Broadway again? Keep your fingers crossed for us!

Us New York Girls, We Stick Together

Yesterday, while riding the 6 home from work, I thwarted a crime. Yes, you read that right. I am a real-life crime fighter. Okay, so it wasn't that big of a deal, but it did shake me up a bit.

I was sitting on a crowded train heading back to Midtown when I noticed that the man next to me was taking pictures with his camera phone. Since I am often one to take camera phone pics of outlandish fashion or strange happenings, I nosily looked over to see what he was noticing.

Little did I expect to find that he was trying to get a crotch shot of the girl sitting across from us wearing a short skirt! I stared for a second, flabbergasted and not knowing what to do, before saying as loudly as I could, "Woah, THAT's inappropriate."

He got really mad at me and started yelling that he wasn't doing anything and I could check his phone. I just looked straight ahead until he stormed off at the next stop.

The woman started getting teary and thanked me profusely. I was honestly a little shaken because I wasn't sure how he would react to a little redhead calling him out, but I wasn't about to let him get away with that nastiness.

Once I calmed down, I was really proud. To paraphrase a man wiser than I, Evil is allowed to take hold when good people stand by and do nothing.

You mess with one of us New York ladies, and you mess with us all!

An Authentic NYC Experience

I walk by this billboard in Times Square quite frequently, and it never fails to surprise me that a ubiquitous chain restaurant (which was founded in Atlanta, in case you were wondering) could in any way be a true representation of the "New York Experience".

I just. Don't. Get it.

Wedding Reception Location!

Well, first off I should probably apologize to all of you for being so absent lately. Wedding planning has been eating up any and all of my spare time!

I have a few seconds (very few!), so I thought I'd share with you where the reception will be held:

We just put down the deposit and signed the contract on the Midtown Loft and Terrace yesterday! This gorgeous loft is located on 5th avenue and was originally waaay out of our budget, but after the fall of the economy and with some artful wheeling and dealing, we've been able to afford it!

Now everytime I walk down 5th avenue around there I get chills. I can't wait for October.