Things I want and do not need!

More.
My world is a jumble of decisions and changes and thus I do fantasy shopping online.

In a recent article in the NY Times they mentioned compulsive shopping as an addiction alongside alcoholism and overeating... ummm... something to think about for me.

But here we have things I managed to not buy but admire from a distance.

A steamer trunk as your portable office?

An herb wreath for your friend, the chef, (or you!) to make his/her kitchen smell & look great, and their dishes that much better.

An emergency pet jacket for your little furry loved one in case of a natural disaster. And yes, I am that crazy.

Crazy sexy wild gorgeous heels (do I wear heels anymore? no. but i would consider it for these puppies).

A place to put shit that makes it look cool rather than just a jumbled mess.

A garmet bag in Imperial Toile from Vera Bradley! Why not.

See how much fun you can have fantasy shopping?

Now it's chore time.

Hot in the city! Hot in the city tonight! Tonight! (New York!)

Well, I have the flu again. It's so tedious I won't go into it. Seeing my dr and hopefully getting rid of this blasted thing once and for all.

BUT.

I have gotten time to organize my home a bit more which is always good. And I thought I'd share with you Jon's and my dinner last night - we got to enjoy the fruits of our labor... literally! Ooh- my humor is too good, too good. ... Sigh.

We had a Caprese Salad with plum tomatoes and basil from our garden, and fresh mozzarella cheese from NYC which is always a treat. Oooohhh-wee it was delicious. Fresh basil... right from our garden! Kind of amazing.

And I had to snap a few photos of my darling, Yoda, who always helps me organize and sew. His specialties are: 1) eating while we're asleep (apparently, since he is quite large and I almost never see him eat); 2) lounging; 3) snuggles. He does all of these with all of the sincerity he approaches life, which is quite noticeable.

Summer is a pain in the ass. I am NOT looking forward to taking the subway to the dr's... but hey, in a few weeks the temps will start dropping and I will be THE HAPPIEST person in the world. Because then the best weather in the world is on its way - Fall.

Summer is zipping by... I'm not that unhappy about it!

Summer is wonderful, but I hate being hot so much that I often don't look forward to it as a season. I love Fall, it's my favorite so the end of Summer is met with big smiles on my face and a greedy rubbing-of-hands and cackling. Everyone else gets depressed, I have an extra bounce in my walk when the temps get down below 65F. Bye bye, Humidity! So long, Sweat! Ciao, Sunblock!

Hello long-sleeved shirts and light sweaters, tights and jackets, layers and crisp breezes!

So I'm not sad it's mid-August and the days are getting shorter. I do love the sunshine when it doesn't make me hot, but I also love storms and overcast days.

Let me talk MORE about the weather.

ANYWAY.
I have been riding my bike around, not as much as I'd like to given the heat we've been experiencing. 80F I can do, but 90 is a bit much... so it's the gym over the bike until later this Fall.

I have so much sewing to do it's crazy. CRAZY. I can't even make a list because it stresses me out too much. So much fun, but a lot of work.

I have had many visits from friends this Summer which has been so fun! I got married again (to the same person), had a birthday, had a family trip, traveled a bit, went to the beach, have been performing... the list goes on.

I am trying to grow tomatoes and peppers in our backyard. So far we've had four cherry tomatoes and have a few sweet and hot peppers growing and one, very green plum tomato who has yet to show any signs of becoming edible. Hmph.

We went to a friend's baby shower and my husband, who went to grad school for art, painted a onesie for their still-in-utero-son. The mother is an opera singer, and the father an actor friend of mine who used to be a bit of a trouble maker when he was younger. So Jon made this onesie. Mine is a lop-eared rabbit... not quite as talented as my husband in the visual arts arena.

Once again I am thankful for my life, for my family, for my friends... my life is a very rich one. And as I begin to see the fall of Summer it reminds that time is marching on, with or without our permission, and I acknowlege the people in my life who truly make it the wonderful, special experience it is.

I face many challenges in the coming years... personally and professionally. But I have to believe that as long as I keep my dark, pessimistic sense of humor and my heart open to change and my hand open to martinis, all will be well enough.

I bought a new bike today.

And I'm so happy. It's weird. I am SO happy! I rode it home through a large part of Brooklyn (wearing my helmet, of course) and had the BEST time.

I've had a really nice mountain bike for a few years and I never ride it. Maybe a few times a year I take it out for a spin around the park, but the way it rides scares me. It's made to go REALLY fast... I don't like that. It's really far off the ground, I don't like that either. I fall a LOT and the thought of falling while moving at high speeds scares the shit out of me.

I grew up riding a cruiser with a butterfly motif through the streets of Boston (ugh... at least they had parks) and loving it. Now they make them for adults!

In particular, Electra and Schwinn. I highly recommend checking them out if you think you like to bike but don't find yourself doing it that much. My new bike, the Electra Cruiser "Gigi", makes me want to ride around Brooklyn all day. Seriously.

I rode my bike home to my apartment and then took it right out again to the organic grocery store a few blocks away to pick up some stuff for dinner. I'm getting a couple of rear-mounted baskets put on in a week or so so I can go to the store and not kill my back with groceries in a backpack on the way home.

I feel all relaxed now and happy and I EXERCISED ... not only did I exercise but it was FUN! THAT never happens to me. It's fun AFTER but not during. It's never fun during! Unless I'm really stressed out.

Cloud nine.
Here's a photo. Now I have to go take a shower because I stink. Hurrah!

Urban living - furniture for small spaces

Something I am a little obsessed with living in NYC.

Here's a bed that lives in your ceiling!

Here's another one!

Are you a crazy person? Then you probably need THIS.

IKEA "Fusion"dining table and chairs for a small space that is cute and economical!

Still Sick

I have been sick for weeks. I could bore you with the minute details, but I won't. This morning, the morning I have woken up to leave NC with my husband and family, I have a sore throat that feels like someone has been tenderizing it while I slept and a sinus headache that, each time I cough the last bits of whatever bronchial infection has haunted me for the last 10 days, I feel like my head is going to explode in a painful burst.

Jealous?

Now we have a 7-hour drive ahead of us to Washington DC where we spend the night and then a 5-hour drive back to New York City. The past three nights I have dreamt of my cats which I take to be homesickness. My poor husband will be forced to do all the driving if I cannot and I can tell this idea is very depressing to him.

This may be the longest I have ever been sick in my life and I don't recommend it. I will be rushing in to see my Dr in NYC when I get there, believe you me. I have taken more Dayquil, Nyquil, Theraflu, Sudafed, Emergen-C, Airborne, chicken soup, vitamin water, tea and Riccola in the past two weeks than in the past year.

This blows.

I can't wait for my doctor to ask me, 'So, how long have you been feeling like this?' and I get to say, '3 weeks'. Then I can watch HER head explode.

Shit I Love and Don't Need

Steel rod for drying clothes in small spaces.

Vertically aligned drying rack for small spaces.

REI's GoToob shampoo and conditioner bottles.

A bat house. No, I'm not kidding.

A DIY baby changing table.

Conserve water with a soaking tub for your dishes.

Stainless steel water bottles with cool art on them by Blue Q! I have one and love it.

Dust while you walk through your apartment!

Glow in the dark zombie finger puppets.

Need magazine storage? Say no more.