The Wilder Things

Beautiful Thing of the Day + Wilder Musings: An Orchid, for Spring (and) Birthday Thanks

2013-03-26T10:58:00.000-04:00

Despite the recent freak snowstorms, I think spring may be inching towards us. It's Passover, the air is a bit softer, the snow is beginning to crawl away down street grates, and I've been able to wear ankle-baring pants without wanting to die from the cold. So maybe there's hope. I took the day off from work today and I'm sitting at my parents' house, surrounded by tons of kosher for Passover dishes and cakes, lots of wine and fine silver, and, of course, Nana. Who is next to me with her "f***ing MacBook," complaining about all the emails she has to respond to, which leads me to believe she's way more popular than I am. But we already knew that (more after the jump).

So in honor of the changing seasons, I present you with a photograph I took of a white, curly orchid. Because sometimes all it takes to make me pause and marvel is a potted plant in my parents' kitchen. Speaking of pause, I was blown away by the love I received on my birthday yesterday. Whether members of my family, buddies I talk to everyday, or long-lost friends I haven't heard from in years, everyone who reached out to me made me feel blessed and lucky. Thank you, thank you, thank you. This flower is a little bit of beauty to send back to you in exchange for how much you gave me (both yesterday and everyday).

I'll try to post some Passover pictures once the seders are over. At the moment the thought of even looking at pictures of food is making me nauseous given the amount I ate last night, so it'll have to wait until I can stomach it. But in the meantime, enjoy the shifting seasons...here's hoping we'll be able to get a bit of a tan before we all turn see-through.

Wilder Style + Musings: Yoga Goodies (or) My New Obsession

2013-03-13T21:20:00.000-04:00

Over the past several months, I've developed an addiction. Fortunately it's not to heroin or anything equally as dramatic and exciting (and if it were, I probably wouldn't be blogging about it and instead trying to find a way to turn it into a book deal). No, I've gotten totally into yoga. As if I weren't already enough of twenty-something living in Cambridge, right? To be honest, I never thought it would happen—my previous forays into the practice (see how bad it is? I'm actually calling it a "practice," now) had always left me feeling great, but never with that transformative lightness that devotees raved about (more after the jump).

But a few months ago, something shifted. Before I started my job in Brookline I would swim all the time, in Walden Pond when it was still nice out in the fall, and then in a pool when it got too cold to brave the outdoors. But when my schedule changed, swimming didn't fit in as nicely as it used to. And because I'm a miserable person to be around if I haven't exercised (no, really, ask my friends, family, and co-workers), I ventured over to the Baptiste Yoga Studio a block away from my apartment in Cambridge to take a class. And it was game over, I was hooked. Yoga: 1, Charlotte: 0.

Baptiste Yoga takes place in a room that's about 90-95 degrees. The movements are vigorous, but feel similar to swimming in that it's very fluid. You also get so sweaty that you'd think you'd been swimming. It's every muscle, all the time, always working to keep a center line through your body. The workout is strength-building and sneakily incorporates lots of push-ups, ab work, and cardio (I swear) into the routine.

But my favorite part has been feeling my body adjust to and get better at doing the different poses, and how awesome it feels when I find that sweet spot where I can hang out in a pose without wanting to die (because in the beginning, I'll warn you, that'll happen). I didn't think I could really "get better" at yoga before I started going every day; it always seemed to me like something you either did or didn't get. You were either flexible or you weren't. But as I've done it more, I've felt myself be able to bend deeper, stretch higher, and balance longer.

I also really didn't think yoga would make me feel as mentally good as it does. I'd always scoffed at people who claimed it helped their mental state, but now I find myself eating my words. Because starting my day by moving around, getting super sweaty, and trying to focus on nothing but my breath and movement has made me a happier, less anxious person overall. I also find it very cool that people have been moving and finding comfort in these poses for thousands of years before me, and that I'm in a room filled with other people who, for whatever reason, feel the same way.

Anyway. That's my yoga spiel. What I didn't mention is that the gear for yoga can be pretty awesome, too. It's actually kind of embarrassing: For a routine all about mediation and letting go, I seem to have held on to far more outfits, mats, and accoutrement than you'd think I'd need. But isn't that half the fun of anything? Looking the part?

Here are my favorites. If for no other reason, try a class so you have an excuse to buy a cool, overpriced, super sexy lululemon top. Or to see if it makes you feel better about life in general. They're both valid reasons.

Lululemon tank
lululemon.com

Nike
nike.com

Wunder Under Crop *Reversible
lululemon.com

YOGITOES Hand-Size Skidless Yoga Towel - SportsAuthority.com
sportsauthority.com

practice freely tank | women's tanks | lululemon athletica
lululemon.com

Under Armour Still Gotta Have It Bra (Neon Green) - WorldRugbyShop.com
worldrugbyshop.com

Also: Jade Yoga mat, PrAna yoga mat holder, Nalgene water bottle.

Wilder Style, Pictures + Musings: Winter Looks (Shot by Cambria Grace) + On Going For It

2013-03-11T11:38:00.001-04:00

When one of my dearest friends said, in December, "I'm starting a style blog," I practically wept with excitement. Cambria is a wedding photographer based in Boston who took the bold step last year to quit her day job and focus full time on her photography business and her blog, Grace by C. I cannot tell you how much I admire her entrepreneurial drive—having done the freelance, full-time blogging schtick last year, I must say that while it's the most rewarding feeling to devote yourself to what you love, the unknowns that go along with it are not easy (more after the jump).

I grew up in a household of self-starters. My father is an entrepreneur who starts businesses with huge amounts of risk, and my mother is a journalist and novelist. They do it all. So when I decided to go full time on my own last year, I knew what I was getting into, having seen them go through the ups and downs of going it alone.

And it was a wild ride, full of huge wins as well as a lot of scary, "oh my god, what am I doing" moments. And I loved every minute. However, in the fall of last year I was lucky enough to get offered the job of my dreams as a blogger for a national brand here in Boston. I accepted, thrilled, because ultimately I decided I wanted to build my editorial skills and learn from the best at a company I respect and admire, as opposed to continuing to blog and freelance full time. While I would be sad not to devote all day to it anymore, this blog would just have to exist as a passion project.

I could not love my job, nor the people I work with, any more than I do. But I haven't been great about keeping up this site as regularly as I would like. Not only do I admire Cam's drive and love for what she does, but her passion for blogging has ignited the bloggy fire in me once again, for which I am grateful. Having a buddy who loves to blog as much as you do makes excursions and posts that much more fun to go on and come up with. But my favorite part, at the end of the day, is that it's just super inspiring to watch someone follow her passion and venture out on her own. Especially when she's so good at it.

We've been putting a few outfit posts together for her site, so I thought I'd share some of the shots of my looks up here with you. My dear roommate and friend Hilary has also made quite a few appearances on Grace by C, as well, so I put some photos of her up, too.

Here are some of Cam's awesome pictures. Be sure to check out her blog on the reg: It'll brighten up your day.

At lunch at Cutty's (an amazing sandwich shop in Brookline).

And a few winter looks:

Me with the adorable blogger herself...

....and with my lovely roommate.

Two lovely ladies.

Stay tuned for more adventures. Because this blog is BACK, baby.

Wilder Pictures: Home Sweet Home (or) A Few Attic Scenes

2013-02-18T22:36:00.000-05:00

I'm rarely home during the day, so when I saw saw the sun streaming through the windows of my dining room and lighting up the little white space this morning I thought I better grab it while I could. I took all of these this morning, except for the awesome photo above of the string of postcards, for which my dear, lovely, talented friend Cambria Hempton of Cambria Grace Photography is responsible. I love her work, but more on that in a very imminent future post (!!).

The apartment my roommate and I live in is on the third floor of a house on a lovely little side street in Cambridge, and we call it The Attic. Because it is one (more after the jump).

I realized I haven't put up any photos of how we have decorated the space since we moved in back in September. Probably because up until now I haven't felt like it was completed enough to do so. But I love what we've done with it, and living somewhere is always a work in progress, so now is as good a time as any to show you bits and pieces. I'll gradually add more as I take them. The dining room just spoke to me today.

Wilder Pictures: Finding Nemo in Davis Square

2013-02-09T13:12:00.000-05:00

The blizzard is over, my car is going to take five-thousand hours to dig out, and I just had a killer brunch with friends at Johnny D's in Somerville, which was, as far as I could tell, the only open establishment at 10:30 in the morning within a ten mile radius.

I've never experienced a snow storm this big in a city; in the past I've been buried in drifts in suburbs or remote college towns. And I have to say, I'm diggin' it (dad joke!!). I took some photos on the way to brunch and back, and was shocked by how many people were out and about, grinning at the huge piles of snow and sporting all kind of ski gear (especially the woman with the green, knitted dinosaur hat). Some people were even cross-country skiing down Mass Ave. I'm contemplating putting my skis on and going for it...but first, some shots (after the jump):

Gearing up.

Snowy Mass Ave.

The man who works at the Hess station saw me taking photos and ran outside. "Take one of me!" he shouted. So I did. He looked fabulous.

The carnival of Nemo.

The sun starting to break through...

And this is what I'll be doing for the next bajillion hours, if you need me.

Wilder Beatz: 20 Songs to Get You Through Deep Winter

2013-01-30T10:20:00.001-05:00

I hit a point at about this time every January where I feel like a plant that's being kept too far away from the window. I crave light, I crave warmth, I crave water...all I want is to lie on a warm dock with an iced coffee and a stack of magazines beside me. And maybe it's just because we've had a particularly nasty stretch of days this past week; maybe the sun will come out soon (as it did the other day when it lit up the tree in the photo above) and I'll feel restored (songs after the jump).

Is anyone else out there feeling like this? I find it frustrating that the season can throw me off my game as much as it does. There are few cures to this problem other than jetting off to warmer climes, a solution that sadly doesn't seem to be in my immediate future. I have, however, started working on the email newsletters for the month of March at work, which gives me hope that it will someday show up. Because March brings ~~my birthday~~ us closer to April, which in turn brings us closer to May, by which time we will hopefully have some semblance of sun.

For those of you who are also stuck in New England or some place that's been equally as dreary this week, I do have a suggestion. Music. The kind of music that, as I've described it before, creeps under your rib cage and lifts you up from the inside. The kind of music that warms you up, even when it's negative thirty degrees outside and you come home from yoga at 7:45 in the morning to find that your hot water is broken. The kind of music that makes the day a bit brighter as it floods into your headphones as you sit at your desk. Or that you turn up far too loud as you sit in traffic on Memorial Drive, wondering if the people in the cars around you can hear it, and if they can, whether they find it amusing or annoying.

I've put together a playlist of songs I've been playing this month. They're getting me through deep winter, and my hope is that they'll make your days a bit sunnier, too. It's quite an eclectic list: some new songs, some pretty old songs, some obscure songs, and some songs that everybody knows. The only thing that holds them together is there's hitting the spot right now, and making this gray weather a little more bearable.

Wilder Style + Words: Chimala Denim (or) Yves Nailed It

2013-01-16T20:39:00.002-05:00

Funny, Yves, because that's pretty similar to how I feel about this Chimala denim. Available at J.Crew and Madewell via their In Good Company and Looks We Love sections respectively, they're some of the best new blues I've seen in a while (more after the jump).

It's no shocker that I'm into chambray. I have, afterall written odes to it. I don't know what it says about me that I write poetry to inanimate objects, and not only to inanimate objects but to kinds of frabric, but there you have it. I'm wearing my heart on my blog.

Seriously though, I love a good blue jean and I love a good blue jean shirt. Like our ~~friend~~ legendary designer Mr. Saint-Laurent, I too think they are the most practical, the most relaxed, and the sexiest piece of clothing one can own (besides pixie pants, DUH). Which is why I was so excited when I came across this whole Chimala business. Each piece is handmade by a Japanese artisan, a fact that explains the super high price tag that comes with it. I've yet to lay my hands on an actual Chimala shirt or pair of pants (chimala means beauty in a Native American language, if the interwebs are to be believed), so I may have to go in search of it this weekend. The garments are faded in all the right places, and the washes shown here all have the reddish and yellowy tinge that that just hits my aesthetic sweet spot. I'm also drooling over the cut of the painter pants.

Modesty, sex appeal, and sympathy is right.

Chambray Shirt

Denim Painter Pants

Plaid Workshirt

Ten Things I Like: Instagram Edition (Includes J.Crew Pants, Sunsets, and Rosie The Dog in Sunglasses)

2013-01-13T18:48:00.003-05:00

I hope you all had a lovely weekend! Mine was so much fun; it involved photo shoots (more on that in a future post), tons of good friends, and more laughing fits than I've had in a while. There are few better combinations (unless all of these things took place in the Carribean because let me tell you, winter looks a lovely shade of pale right now).

I don't have a theme for this "ten things" other than the fact that they all came from my Instagram feed. I know, I know, it's a lazy way to put together a blog post, but it's what I've got at the moment. And while I usually post these on Fridays, I didn't want to wait. So here, without further ado, 10 Things I Like (after the jump):

1. J.Crew Pixie Pants

You know how some people have outfits they always wear? Like jeans with a white v-neck that they jazz up with jewelry or jackets or cool boots? I feel like these J.Crew Pixie Pants could be my thing. I am so obsessed with them that I got two pairs. They go with anything, but I love pairing them with blazers, boots, and a scarf. That's my unofficial uniform. Do any of you readers have a go-to outfit? And if you say jeans and a white v-neck, send me pictures of how you dress it up. Because I'll probably be into it and post it on here (I secretly wish I could pull that look off all day, everyday).

2. Sunsets and Dear Friends

I recently spent time with some of my best friends by the beach. Great company, great food, and great fires in the fireplace? Game over.

3. Rialto's Lord Grantham Cocktail

In the interest of full disclosure, I didn't actually order this. But I love that they have a drink named after a character in Downton Abbey. Because the only thing better than booze is booze named after a character in one of your favorite TV shows.

4. Cookbooks from Cook's Illustrated:

Because the recipes are foolproof and the results are delicious.

5. Silly Cow Farms Hot Chocolate and Woody Allen Movies

My roommate and I recently had a lovely evening where we drank the best hot chocolate that ~~her mom~~ Santa put in her stocking and watched Woody Allen's Manhattan.

6. These Post-Its from Paper Source

Speaking of my roommate, she gave me these post-its. Totally rad. And appropriate, given that everything I write down is, indeed, f(lightbulb)cking genius.

7. Dennis Lehane's Live By Night

Because I'm a sucker for a good Boston-based mystery. I'm halfway through this one, and I must say, Lehane definitely wrote it so that it would be turned into a movie; there are many cheesy one-liners. But seeing as I'm having trouble doing anything but read it, I guess he's still got it. Also, Lehane recently lost his dog and has been looking frantically for her. If you find her, he will name a character in his next book after you as a reward. She was last seen in Brookline, and she is a Beagle named Tessa :(

8. Cross Country Skiing in Maine

To ski right next to the ocean...now that's something.

9. This beautiful breakfast:

I wish I had the recipe to share with you for this "breakfast puff," but alas, I do not. I will try to track it down and share it with it's owners blessing. Until then, the pretty picture will have to suffice.

10. Rosie in glasses: Happy New Year

---end scene---

Wilder Pictures + Wilder Beatz: My Favorite Barn (and) Bruce

2013-01-07T18:39:00.002-05:00

There's a barn in Rockport, Maine along the main road that leads into the village. It stands overlooking the harbor, and the low winter light hits it in the afternoons, highlighting the peeling paint and stretching the shadows of the trees across the wide, toothy pattern of the missing shingles. Someone recently bought the house and the barn, so I'm guessing the dilapidated facade isn't long for this world. When I was there over the holidays I took a few pictures in case it is indeed a little spruced up by the time I get back up there. Or, god forbid, gone (more after the jump).

I've also been obsessed lately with Bruce Springsteen's newest album (not terribly new anymore, I realize) and it seems like a great one to wind down your Monday. So here, "Easy Money" from Wrecking Ball. For no reason and with no connection to barns.

And now, le barn:

And here are a few Rockport Harbor shots just because.

Wilder Pictures: Down by the Bay

2012-12-29T17:18:00.000-05:00

The urge to take photos is never stronger than when I'm in Maine. That will come as no surprise to those of you who know me (or have ever read this blog or follow me on any sort of social media--my posts are basically a shrine to the great Pine Tree State). I don't know whether it's the blessed change of pace, the fact that life, when I'm up here, settles into a steady and lovely routine of walks, reading, cooking, and time with my family, or whether it's the incredible beauty of the place. I'm going to go ahead and say it's probably a combination of all the above that get me itching to photograph, draw, and post. There's just not enough time to do it all (more after the jump).

The other day, before the storms hit, I wandered down to the harbor and took a few photos. The light was just right--at noon this time of year the sun stays very low in the sky (as the photo above shows). The docks and boats have all been hauled out of the water and wrapped up on land for winter. The harbor is empty, save for a few brave lobster boats that still chug their way out of the icy inlets at 4am every day. The harbor is hibernating, asleep until the spring thaw comes and it's once again time for the boats and docks to shed the shrinkwrapping and launch back into the water.

While summer by the water is and will always be my absolute favorite thing in the entire world, the winter quiet of the usually bustling waterfront is also beautiful. It's so still--in the summer there are sounds of motors, of bait being unloaded onto lobster boats and crates of lobsters loaded onto trucks, work being done outside on boats tied up to the docks, fuel being pumped, kids being taught how to sail (which used to be done by yours truly), and tourists and dogs wandering around the seawall. But in December, especially when most of Rockport Marine (the world-famous boat-building shop) is on vacation between Christmas and New Year's Eve, the peace is a lovely change.

Here are some of the shots I took. I have a few more to put up, but they'll be in a separate post. And, dear readers, sorry for the hiatus--I've been on vacation and have been enjoying doing absolutely nothing. It's been glorious, and as a result I have some recommendations on books and music that will come in the very near future.

Wilder Style: Snakes on a Bag, c/o Christian Louboutin

2012-12-13T16:45:00.000-05:00

Christian Louboutin's shoes, with their eye-catching, drool-inducing red lacquered soles, are in my mind about as good as it gets (especially when they look like these). But the design house recently proved to me that everything can indeed get better when they tossed this gem into the mix (more after the jump).

Now, I'll be honest, snakes are the one thing that absolutely freak me out, nature-wise. They are slithery, scaly, and slimy and squirmy and laskhglksdhglk. I can't even go there.

Which is why I'm always surprised by how much I love clothes and accessories with snakes on them. Jewelry, too. I would wear this bag on my shoulder in a second, and yet if you put a living snake anywhere near my shoulder, I'd probably pass out.

The bag works so well because of the way the snake winds its way down the shoulder strap, echoing the shape, and because of the delicacy with which the colors and beads play with the materials. It's all so rich: the jewel-tones of the green against the crushed velvet strap, the shiny gold piping next to the suede...yum. It's probably up there as one of the only things that I would considering wresting from the scaly clutches of an anoconda if it meant I got to keep it.

And that, my friends, is saying something.

10 Things I Like, Volume 16 (Includes Driving Dogs, Ugly Hanukkah Sweaters + More)

2012-12-10T10:06:00.002-05:00

Happy Monday, lovely readers! I hope you're all surviving what I'm sure for many of you has been the start of the barrage of holiday parties. I know people complain about their prevalence, but I'm totally into holiday parties. There are few things better than eggnog, and NO things (nothing?) better than Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas" after a few glasses of said eggnog (though in all honesty, I'm pretty impressed when people manage more than one...that stuff is RICH).

In all seriousness, though, holiday parties have a glow and a warmth to them that gatherings at other times of year don't. People come together to celebrate brightness at the darkest time of year; it's a tried and true recipe for making it through to the solstice. Because for me, even though the days coming after December 21st are as dark as those leading up to it, just knowing that the days are getting longer makes the short ones that much more bearable. The 21st is a benchmark, a "things are looking up." (more after the jump)

So in honor of the party season, here are 10 things that have absolutely nothing to do with each other or the holidays, other than the fact that I like them. It's my blog and I'll post what I want to. Amiright?

Books and tea by the bedside:

Because sometimes a girl just wants to relax with her monogrammed mug and curl up with Anna Karenina, you know?

This "Dogs Driving" Video:

I have not been able to stop watching this since I saw it on the Today show. I was on the elliptical machine at the time and nearly fell off because I started laughing so hard. A few amused glances from fellow-gym goers and some regained footing later, I made a mental note to find it online when I got to work. I did, and sent it to far too many people (sorry, guys). And now, two days later, I'm still watching it. So thought I'd share the joy.

Adrienne Landau Rabbit Fur Vest.

I sent this link to my friend on gchat and her response was "PETER RABBIT!!!" So yes, let's get that out of the way: it's sad that it's a bunny. But it's also beautiful. And another one of my friends wore it to dinner the other night and I drooled (though I was also hungry and the pizza smell wafting from the kitchen at Za in Kendall Square was divine, so it could have been that...).

a) New Beat by Toro y Moi

b) Silver City by Hey Champ

I somehow stumbled across these two songs on Spotify last week and I've been dancing in my desk chair ever since. Nothing like a little modern funk to get you in the groove.

Dried mango from Whole Foods

They don't look terribly appetizing here, I'll admit it, but these things are addictive. I don't think I should buy them anymore because they're gone a day later.

These J.Crew flats:

You know those holiday parties I was talking about? Yeah, these would be nice to wear to them.

This Kickstarter Project for Ugly Hanukkah Sweaters:

Carin Aigman got sick of not having any ugly hannukah sweaters to choose from when ugly sweater Christmas parties rolled around. So with her background in fashion finance, she launched Geltfiend to bring ugly sweaters to all the sad Jews who have to pin felt menorahs to their Christmas sweaters. As a half-Jew half-WASP, however, I still feel grossly under-represented. Someone needs to make a sweater of a reindeer holding a menorah and then I'll be satsified.

This recipe for homemade eggnog, via the New York Times:

Because if you're going to do it, do it right.

This Tesla I spotted on my way back from a dinner last week:

As one of my Instagram followers so aptly stated, "Tesla = electric Jesus."

The "No Diggity" Pandora radio station.

I can't figure out how to make this a link so just go to Pandora and type in "No Diggity" as the track. Then start the radio station. Then weep as amazing '90s hip hop song after amazing '90s hip hop song comes on.

And with that, dear readers, I hope your Monday gets off to a fabulous start.

Wilder Pictures + Musings: A Few Things That Make Me Happy (and) On The Pursuit of Happiness

2012-11-25T12:13:00.003-05:00

Years ago, when my family still had a kid's table where we young ones would mash together all of our thanksgiving dinner and call it dog food, I asked a question. I asked each family member what they were thankful for. I don't think this was a ground-breaking exercise, and I'm sure there are many tables across America on Thanksgiving where people do this. But I love that it brings us back to the reason we're all gathered together on a Thursday in November in the first place. It also allows each of us to be more honest than we would be in casual conversation; I learn something new about people I thought I knew very well each time we go around the table.

So this year, I'm bringing the tradition to this internet-table. I want to share with you what I am grateful for. And I hope, in the comments following this post, that you will do the same with me (after the jump).

I am grateful for: family, friends, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Our founding fathers kind of nailed it, didn't they? When you add family and friends to the list they gave us, that's really all there is in this life that matters. Though I think I often forget the importance of that last item: the pursuit of happiness.

A lot of people my age are geared to the future: will this job lead to a career I want? Will I ever fall in love? And if I already have, will it be forever? Will this degree give me the credentials I need to achieve my dreams? What are my dreams, anyway? Where should I have dinner next Thursday? Why doesn't the liquor store have good wine for cheaper than $15? (that last one I just threw in as an honest question--if anyone knows of a great, cheap bottle, let me know).

I know that I, at least, have been worrying about the future far more than is necessary, healthy, or productive over the past six months or so. So a few weeks ago, I decided to try to actively stop. The people whom I admire most are the ones who are able to inhabit the present more than they stress about the future or dwell in the past, and I want to be like them. I want to be like the girl I saw sitting outside Main Street Cafe in Concord, reading a book without having an existential crisis because she isn't writing one yet (though to be fair, she could have been. I just know that she seemed totally engrossed and wasn't checking her phone every other minute, which is an unfortunate habit of which I am also trying to break myself).

This isn't to say that dreams, ambition, and planning don't matter. They do. They are critical. But when the planning starts to overtake the plan I'm currently trying to execute is when I go a little bit nuts. The future-focus was beginning to manifest itself in trivial ways, even, such as in my anticipation of the response to a text message I'd sent or a tweet or Facebook status I'd posted; the idea of someone reacting to me or reaching out to me in the future was becoming more exciting than the present, even if it was filled with great people and conversation.

I got frustrated with myself. And I hope I'm actually beginning to change my focus. I didn't set out to write this post, for example. I really did want to make a list of things I'm thankful for. But this post began to happen, so I went with it (the number one rule of writing is, after all, don't set out with an agenda...thank you, Colby creative writing department).

I do, however, still want to give a shout out to the little things for which I am grateful: good, loud music in cars, docks and porches warmed by the sun, Maine, Rosie The Dog and Snug The Cat, Walden Pond, cheap sunglasses, roast sweet potatoes, Porter Square Books, the cobblestones on Beacon Hill, Keurig coffee machines, and my new Frye boots.

"Happiness" is a vague term, but these days, because the future is so unsettled, I'm interpreting pursuing it to mean stepping outside myself and inhabiting the present. And whether that means actively appreciating how fuzzy and sweet the dog is as I pat her, or just realizing that I'm breathing as I sit by Walden, it's something I'm learning to do.

Most importantly, however, I'm grateful to love and be loved by family and friends.They're the truly important parts of every moment. Even when I'm alone, knowing that I have such a wealth of support in my life is enough to keep me from being lonely. Most of the time.

I'm also grateful for really good bottles of wine when I go home to my parents' house (in the words of Kristen Wiig: "help me, I'm poor"). And for anyone who reads this blog. Because the fact that it gets read at all still surprises and thrills me, and fills me with gratitude for the first grade teachers who taught you all how to read. Without them, this would fall on deaf ears (blind eyes?). But in also seriousness, thank you. Happy week-after-Thanksgiving.

And now, here are a few of the things I've been enjoying recently.

My grandfather was an opera composer who would have been 100 this year. So my whole family met up in NYC for a concert of some of his works, sung by Lauren Flanigan. I took the photo above while walking around the reservoir in Central Park, and below is the program from the concert. One of my cousin's pointed out that he looks a little bit like a Ninja Turtle in that picture. Which is something I repeat with all due respect, love, and accuracy.

I'm also thankful for beautiful sunrises.

The thanksgiving spread.

And the dessert.

The fact that they sell Pop Rocks at Paper Source makes buying stationary an explosive experience.

There are few things better than coffee and a classic. Especially when your mom is making you read the book as fast as you can because she won't let you see the movie with her until you've read the book, and you can't not see the move because Kiera Knightly is in it and it looks spectacular from the previews.

This interview with De Niro in last weeks' NYTimes Magazine was awesome. I mean, yes, he's my celebrity crush, but I swear that's not the only reason it was good. Casino is also an insane (and bloody) movie. if you haven't seen it, do so.

This lamp at our family friends' apartment in NYC is a lightbulb with pokey things sticking out, from which you can hang pictures or papers. They filled theirs with poems. I loved it--especially the line from Dickinson's "I Started Early."

As if.

This license plate was made all the better by the fact that it was on a mini van.

And with that, my friends, I bid you a happy belated thanksgiving. May you pursue your dreams without forgetting to be happy now. And please do tell me what you're thankful for in the comments. I'd love to know.

Wilder Style + Musings (+Wilder Archives): Winters in Jackson Hole (or) Tsumori Chisato Gondola Pullover

2012-11-07T21:16:00.001-05:00

In honor of the winter's first snowfall here in Boston, I want to talk about Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and this Tsumori Chisato sweater (if it isn't the best thing I've seen in a while, I don't know what is). When I was a little kid and newspapers still had money, the NYTimes would send my family to Jackson Hole because my mom wrote for their travel and leisure section. She managed to find ways to take new story angles each year (she even wrote about a sled-dog race, an article for which I ended up sleeping in a yurt and mushing a team of huskies at age 8--it was one of the better adventures I've been on) so that they'd keep sending us out there (more after the jump).

Those trips were heavenly--mountains intoxicate me the same way the ocean does. Nothing like majestic expressions of space, I suppose. And growing up learning to ski on the greatest mountain in the US (I would argue), eating chilli out of bread bowls at the lodge, and rolling around in the snow before getting in the hot tub wasn't such a raw deal. But the gondola, oh the gondola. It was something on a pedestal all it's own, not only because of the adorable space-like pods we sat in and the amazing views of the valley as we rode up, but also for the simple wonder of lifts in general: you don't have to get yourself up the mountain. Only enjoy the ride down. Wouldn't it be great if life worked that way?

And now, from the Wilder archives:

I miss going out there so much it hurts (often I wonder why I didn't take the ski-bum route after college), and think the above sweater would really help ease the pain. So if someone wants to drop $485 bones on a pullover for me I'd probably feel a lot better. Contact me for my shipping info.

Wilder Pictures: Fall in Black and White

2012-11-05T20:29:00.000-05:00

This weekend I took myself on a Sunday photo outing. It was a beautiful day, sublimely fall-y, and I was driving back from Concord; I pulled over on the side of Baker Bridge Road, grabbed my camera, and hopped the stone wall into the field. I love the chilly fall crunch of leaves over grass--the way you kind of sink into the earth a little bit with each step. I was drawn to the texture of the field, of the trees, of the contrasting lights and darks, so I thought I'd shoot in black and white. I also took some color photos, which I'll put up later (more after the jump).

Fall in Massachusetts always brings me back to being a little kid. The season is prime for nostalgia--leaves change and fall off, the days get shorter--the outside world generally seems to be winding down, even though work and school always seem to be gearing up as we get deeper into the season. Early November always reminds me of being in a classroom in elementary school, cutting out hand-prints to turn into turkeys in anticipation of thanksgiving, rolling in leaves at recess, and being in the warmth of my family's home at night. While I hate the short amount of daylight we get, I love the feeling of heading into the holidays, the bustle of the end of the year, and the air so sharp it sometimes feels like you could slice right through it.

These photos kind of capture my feelings about fall--a little sad, but (hopefully) beautiful. I loved the different textures I saw in the field so I went for the close-ups to try to highlight them. I also went for a walk when I was at my aunt and uncle's house in Weston, and took a few pictures (which is where the amazing street sign above hails from). Here are the results:

Wilder Pictures: Fall Foliage Pre-Sandy

2012-11-01T21:49:00.001-04:00

I feel like I have to tell you the truth about where I took these pictures. They are not, as they probably lead you to believe, in the middle of some glorious wood or beside a lovely lake, but rather in the parking lot of an office park outside my gym (I mean, technically it is next to a reservoir, but separated by a whooole lot of asphalt). Behind these bright orange leaves and vermillion stems are some huge-ass office buildings with a whole lot of reflective glass and ugly cement. The pavement around the trees was full of cars (more after the jump).

But doesn't that say something about photography (and writing)? That what we decide to leave out can completely alter the picture (and then there's Photoshop--whole other can of worms)? Perhaps it's the secret of great art, great story-telling, great branding: show only what you want, only what you choose, and you own the narrative. On the other hand, maybe these pictures would be way better if there were glass and concrete in them, and maybe in art owning the narrative isn't what's important. Maybe getting at the truth is. But what's the truth? Dun dun dunnnn.

I'm starting to think myself in circles, and I'm getting sleepy, so I'm going to stop rambling and show you these pictures. Since Sandy has seemed to strip away anything that was left of the foliage before she came and bitch-slapped her way up the East Coast, these are a nice reminder of glorious, sunny fall. Hope you enjoy them, even though I left out office buildings.

P.S. I started work. And I'm loving it. It's been a bit overwhelming, but I love being busy, and it's awesome to have so much to learn and throw myself into. Most importantly, the people I work with are just about the coolest cats around. I'm feeling very lucky!

Wilder Musings: On Watching the Storm

2012-10-29T16:00:00.001-04:00

The trees are doing yoga outside my window. They’re arching back into bridge pose, rising up into wheel, bending forward into downward dog. They are dancing, too; swaying in parabolas that have no definite rhythm but are not short on grace. The rain is shooting by the house in sideways curtains, pouring down the street into drains. I’m sitting here in my little attic apartment in Cambridge watching the storm as though it were a movie—the plot line of one branch intrigues me for a minute, but then the action shifts to the bouncing power lines, only to move to the thuds and creaks of trees brushing by the roof. It’s a suspense film—I’m waiting for a branch to fall, the lights to flicker and then die, for the internet to cut out, for my time left typing out words on my computer to begin to dwindle with the battery (more after the jump).

I went for a run this morning and Cambridge felt like Gotham at the beginning of The Dark Knight. Leaves blew ominously across the mostly empty streets, and the headlights of cars that that did go by were menacing. There was a sharp electricity in the air—everyone who had been ~~brave~~ stupid enough to venture out of their homes was waiting for the weather to hit, for the one thing we really can’t control in our age of technological prowess. It’s humbling to be in the middle of something so much bigger than any of us. To know that all we can do is wait and see what the damage is.

Especially as the election draws close, when all the news and events seem so planned and manipulated, it's really wild to experience something that can only be reported, that can't be analyzed, that can't be skewed. Of course, number and facts can be wrong, but it's not like Sandy is trying to convince any of us that she's pro-women or whatever it is she needs to be to get elected. Because she's a hurricane. It's a refreshing (though dangerous and scary) change.

My hurricane day so far has consisted of watching Fargo, of being glued to my twitter and instagram feeds watching others' experiences of the storm, of eating roasted pumpkin seeds, and of leading my own improvised yoga class in the kitchen (the trees inspired me—I even did tree pose. Har, har). I’m thinking there might be some doodling in my future, and perhaps I’ll start a new book. As long as the power stays on, I’m very content being trapped inside. It’s lovely to have an excuse not to do anything or go anywhere. I just wish the respite didn’t come with so much damage and danger for so many people. I’d take a busy day over flooding and harm anytime.

So here’s hoping that said damage is not too great, and that everyone in Sandy’s path stays safe, dry, and healthy. And that wherever you are trapped has a pretty hefty supply of wine and chocolate (because what else would you eat when a hurricane hits?). Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go watch some trees do more back bends. Their flexibility is amazing.

My afternoon.

10 Things I Like, Volume I-Can't-Remember-What-Number-We're-On

2012-10-26T14:29:00.000-04:00

Happy Friday, my nerds! I've got some big news: this is my last Friday as a freelancer. I've accepted a job and it's starts Monday! I'm very excited, somewhat nervous (to be expected, right?), and completely ready to throw myself into the new position. But don't worry--TWT will continue! It might be somewhat sporadic as it's been during these past few weeks, but I'm going to do my very best to keep it going.

I'll put up a Wilder Musings later about the first year of my serious investment in TWT, but I quickly want to say thank you to everyone who reads this, whether you're my family (who kind of has to read it), my friends, or complete strangers. It's wonderful to know that when I push "Publish" and send these posts out into the world that they don't just spin blindly into cyberspace, but instead fall upon at least a few interested eyes. You guys are the reason I keep going, and I can't tell you how grateful I am.

And now, here's this week's 10 Things to get you through Friday afternoon (after the jump).

1. This patriotic backpack that I found at the Buffalo Exchange in Davis Square:

I couldn't tell you why I didn't buy it, but I can tell you that I'm upset about it.

2. Carved Wooden Whale from Three Potato Four:

Love this carved whale. The adorable styling of the photo doesn't hurt, either.

3. Video from The Coveteur's relaunch, featuring mini versions of fashion's A-List:

Because it's pretty much spot-on, and somewhat upsetting. But mostly just really cute.

4. THIS HAT!!!!

A retro looking Patagucci hat with a pom-pom? I never stood a chance.

5. Rag & Bone Harrow Boot:

I'm a working woman now. I need more heels. I want these.

6. Kanye Wes Anderson Tumblr:

Best Tumblr I've seen in a while: Kayne West lyrics written over stills of Wes Anderson's movies.

7. This "Right Round" tank from Lululemon:

It's with my tail between my legs that I include a Lululemon tank in my weekly line-up. But I mean, hot yoga is changing my life, you guys (I just threw up as I re-read that).

8. This Is How You Lose Her by Junot Diaz:

I just finished Junot Diaz's latest book of short stories. It was mind-blowingly beautiful. More on that in a future post.

9. This T-Shirt:

Let's just kill two birds with one stone, shall we?

10. This recipe for Spaghetti Carbonara

My friend was recently telling me about this recipe, but instead of spaghetti, she made it with spaghetti squash! Isn't that brilliant? I want to try it. I will report back!

And with that, have a wonderful weekend.

Wilder Beatz: 6 Tunes for Fall, of Which I Can't Get Enough

2012-10-18T16:17:00.000-04:00

I can't stop listening to these songs. I play them in my car. In my apartment. In my headphones as I walk around Harvard Square and pretend I'm in an indie film, say, one that ends with me at a bar reading Junot Diaz's latest short stories. Over a glass of Malbec. While waiting for my dad to meet me for dinner. A cliche of a twenty-something in Cambridge? Maybe. Do I hate it? No. And yes, I did write the above header in a Moleskine notebook.

Anyway, I thought I'd put these songs up here for your listening pleasure. And viewing, because there are some sweet videos that go along with them. Also, the guys in the picture above are Teddy and Johnny, two members of the band Filigar (I interviewed them last winter) whom I saw a few weeks ago. Their song "Robbery" is one of the 6 that I can't stop listening to (after the jump).

I really love fall in the city. And these songs all have great beats, big sounds, and totally addictive melodies that somehow match the season. They get me jazzed up to wear a nice fall coat, pull on some boots, carve up some pumpkins, and drink warm beverages. Not to mention stroll around the cobblestones of Boston with a great soundtrack. So here they are--I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. And that your indie film ends in a scene similar to mine last night (because it was lovely).

"Take a Walk" and "Carried Away" by Passion Pit

My roommate played these for me the other day and I immediately got the whole album, Gossamer. I dare you not to dance if you're walking when these songs come on.

"Robbery (Shocking Love)" by Filligar

As I mentioned above, I saw these guys live recently. And they killed it.

"Your Easy Loving Ain't Pleasin' Nothin'" by Mayer Hawthorne

The girls dancing around in the video make the song that much better.

"Worth Wondering" by Bronze Radio Return

Never heard of these guys before a few weeks ago. And now I'm very glad I did!

"Baby Come Home" by Scissor Sisters

I was obsessed with these guys in high school, so it's great to see they're still at it. Hilarious video, too.

Wilder Pictures: Busted Flat in Porter Square, Waiting for a Train

2012-10-15T21:17:00.001-04:00

I love trains. I love that once I get on them, they whisk me away. I don't have to pay attention to where I'm going. I can just sit and watch the trees flick past like an old slideshow carousel. I love the cracked leather of the seats on the Fitchburg line that takes me from my apartment in Porter Square to my family's home in Lincoln (and that I hear the same train pass by in both places). I love the way the rumbling of the rails announces the trains arrival before it gets to me, as I sit waiting on a bench (more after the jump).

When I go back to my parents' house (is that what I have to call it now? Can it still be my house even if I've moved out? Can Rosie still be my dog even if she doesn't live with me? These are the existential crises of my day to day life) I usually drive. But I recently lost the Jeep for a few days due to some problems known technically as "the check engine light will not turn off," and had to hop on the commuter rail to go get my laundry (I said I moved out, not that I grew up).

As I sat on the worn wooden slats of the bench beside the tracks, I realized that another reason I love trains so much is because of the different textures that surround them. The smoothness of the rails, the gravel beside them, the nubbly yellow plastic that marks the end of the pavement, the gritty grasses and boards that lined the side of the walls, they all make layers and add depths that make me reach for my camera.

So here, in the style of last fall and this spring, are photos of the Porter Square train tracks. Not very glamorous, but I think pretty beautiful. And the title of this post is due to the fact that every time I wait for a train, "Me and Bobby McGee" immediately pops into my head.

Wilder Words: On Sunlight Through a Roof, from Tinkers

2012-10-05T14:49:00.002-04:00

I dogeared the page of Tinkers, by Paul Harding, the minute I read this passage. The calm in both the scene described and the cadence of the words soothed me. I read the book this summer; someone asked me what it was about while I was reading it, and that's when I realized why I liked it so much. Because until I finished, I wasn't really sure (more after the jump).

The book is a mediation on family; on fathers and children and mothers, on how we all get along or don't, on mortality, on cycles. While the plot eventually had me totally engrossed, it's the language that drew me in; Harding writes in such flowing, lyrical prose. He also wrote passages from manuals and books he made up to tell the story, and jumps back and forth in time and place, so the melodic language is mirrored by his fluid use of setting and timing.

Tinkers won a Pulitzer, so it's not exactly a diamond in the rough. But sometimes I'm doubly skeptical of books that win awards; perhaps it's the whole "if everyone else likes it, I won't on principle" stubborn part of me, or perhaps it's that those awards are very rarely based purely on literary merit (remember, it's not who you know, it's whom). But this time, the medal was well deserved; the book is beautiful and sad, hopeful and meditative. I highly recommend it.

And here's the quotation, in case you can't read my handwriting:

“The inside of the shed felt colder than the outside. Sunlight streamed through cracks between the log cribbing of the walls and seams between between boards in the roof where outside the shingles had come loose and blown away. The light flowing in from the roof dropped toward the floor in rectangular planes, which were broken by the heavy rafters.”

Listening to: "You Can Get It If You Really Want," by Jimmy Cliff
Favorite lines: "Rome was not built in a day." Not exactly original lyrics, but true nonetheless.

Wilder Style (Sort Of) + Pictures: Michelangelo's David, Spring/Summer 2013

2012-10-02T12:24:00.001-04:00

My mom has been cleaning out her office lately. She's found all sorts of gems in the cabinets, including (but not limited to) an old Sony Walkman, ancient cell phones, a Polaroid camera, a poem I wrote when I was five (yes, I've always been brilliant), and a weird game where you balance blocks on a wobbly piece of wood. But my favorite find is the magnetic board with a magnet of Michelangelo's David that comes with various articles of magnetic clothing in which to dress him. Given that I've been known to write about style on TWT, and the month of Spring 2013 fashion shows is winding down, I thought it would be appropriate to make a David fashion show. Here are the results (after the jump).

Here is David's closet:

So 90's, right? Lovely options to choose from.

David goes minimal in his skivvies.

The addition of a white undershirt balances out the skivvies.

David goes to a nude beach in a desert.

Casual Friday at a tech start-up in 1997.

David heads to Newport.

David goes to a clashing party at college. Or, alternatively, a trendy mix of patterns.

A classic take on grunge.

Embracing the purple trend. The neutral of the cargo shorts tempers the brilliance.

David goes to a demolition derby.

Snug, assistant stylist.

10 Things I Like, Because It's Been Way Too Long

2012-09-28T12:09:00.000-04:00

Well, it seems to be Friday again, and this time I'm finally posting a "10 Things I Like!" Phew. It's been a while, for which I apologize. Because I'm sure this post is the highlight of everybody's week, right? This collection has quite a few lovely looking things to feast your eyes on (and if you get ambitious and want to make gingerbread, to actually feast on), so I hope you enjoy (after the jump)!

1. Dieppa Restrepo Gaston Loafer

I seem to have a thing for smoking slippers lately. I have a hunch that it has to do with the fact that they remind me of a detective novel in which the intimidating old man wears a smoking robe and slippers and seems gruff at first but turns out to be tender-hearted. But maybe they're just aesthetically pleasing. Probably a mix of both.

2. These loaves of Challah that my mom and I made for Yom Kippur:

We did not quite realize the amount of dough we'd be making with the recipe, and as a result, ended up with two shockingly monstrous loaves (her hand is in front for scale). They were delicious, so it turned out to be a good thing we made as much as we did!

3. Topman America Pajamas

Not much to say about these. They speak for themselves.

4. Tabletop Paper Roll

Yes, I realize this comes from a children's website, but I would totally love to own it.

5. Gingerbread Recipe from America's Test Kitchen:

YUM! All I want right now.

6. Balenciaga Day Bag from Designer Social

Can't say much about this one, either, because it's just so damn beautiful.

7. Weaver Bird Curtain via Anthropologie

I'm in the market for curtains for my apartment, and these are kind of adorable, don't you think?

8. L.L. Bean Ragg Socks

Yum.

9. Bonavita Coffee-maker:

Call me a coffee snob, but this machine that my parents have actually makes it taste better. And it's adorable. My dad calls it "our squat little friend."

10. This Unionmade Stabilist Suitcase:

Because it's absolutely beautiful.

Wilder Pictures + Happenings: 20 Hundred Club Fall Race in Narraganset Bay

2012-09-24T15:55:00.000-04:00

This past weekend I sailed in a 22 mile race put on by the 20 Hundred Club around Narraganset Bay. Talk about my idea of heaven. My second cousin once-removed (tricky, I know--I had to break out the family tree in order to really understand how we're related), Johnny, has a lovely J30 in Warwick, Rhode Island, and he was kind enough to invite me down to the land of beaches and waves for the day. I didn't bring my big camera on the race, which turned out to be a good idea; despite our slow start due to lack of wind, the breeze picked up by the afternoon, and suddenly the decks were awash in waves and everything, including me, was soaked and sun-drenched. And I was about as happy as I could possibly be (more after the jump).

I did, fortunately, have my trusty iPhone with me, and snapped these Instagrams of our race. I'd never been sailing in Rhode Island before--wait, I take that back. I once had a really horrible experience when I was a senior in high school and wanted to go to Brown, whose sailing team, thinking I was a far more seasoned racer than I actually was, invited me down for a sailing practice as a recruit. I went, realized I had no idea how to sail at the level that this team operated on, and as a result had a really embarrassing and damp time. I also subsequently did not get into Brown. But I digress.

Let's try this again. This past weekend was my first great time sailing in Rhode Island, and I already want to hop in my car right this instant and go back. It's different from where I usually sail in Maine because the shoreline is not as rocky, and I actually found the wind to be steadier (perhaps because there aren't as many tiny islands around there as are in Penobscot Bay?). The sandwiches Johnny made us for lunch were delicious, which is just as important as the wind, and the beer after our rollicking finish was cold. What more could you want?

Wonderful people, perhaps? They were in abundance as well. Johnny had a bunch of his racing buddies on the boat as well, and I loved listening to their banter and urgent cries of "pull that line! No, the other one!" as we raced along. Nothing like funny sailors to make an all-day race even better. My face got totally sunburned (friends I was with that night had to listen to me complain about it incessantly. Sorry, guys) but even that felt good--the mix of the sun and the wind make for a delightful (if somewhat painful) kind of heat that radiates off my face after a good sail. I almost enjoy the discomfort because of how much fun I had earning it.

And now, some photos:

Jamestown Bridge.

The wind picked up around noon and the sun came out!

A gray start.

Sailing past Conimicut Light.

Traveling at a speed of Moc 1 (full disclosure: I did not make that joke up, but I really wish I had. The throttle on the boat needs to be held down when the motor is on, so Johnny wedged his shoe in to do the job--this is apparently a common theme because the joke was at the ready).

The view from the mooring.

A beach. Delightful.

Huge thanks to Johnny and his wife Carol for hosting me and taking me on such a lovely adventure. Here's to have many more!

Wilder Musings + Pictures: Happy New Year + Apple Picking

2012-09-19T10:14:00.000-04:00

This past weekend I went up to Maine for the holiday Rosh Hashana, which is the celebration of the Jewish new year. Fall snuck up on Maine since I left for the summer; the humidity of August had fled, leaves were thinking about changing color, and the sunlight was clearer. So, so clear. It made the trees look like cutouts against the sky. The wind came from the North all weekend--a sure sign fall has really showed up--strong and erratic as it bounced over the mountains before hitting the ocean in gusts (more after the jump).

There's something wonderful about a new year starting in the fall. It has always, regardless of the Jewish celebration, felt like the start of something new to me. More than spring, even, the season that is traditionally about rebirth in American and European culture. Spring in New England, however, feels like we're returning to something: leaves come back, plants bloom again, and the warmth once again proves it isn't just a fanstasy we made up in the depths of January to get us through the cold.

But in autumn, we're leaving things, moving forward, starting again. The leaves fall off the trees, the ground hardens against growth, and the warmer weather deserts us for the crisp air that allows us, once again, to put on our adorable fall clothes (namely boots, vests, and loafers...sigh). Fall is a time when we set off on adventures and often leave behind what we may need to separate from in order to move forward. Kids go back to school, work gears up for grown-ups (some of them, at least) after summer vacations, and often, people going on trips for long amounts of time depart. It's a time of change, and the season carries sadness, but also excitement.

Which is why Rosh Hashana is perfectly timed. It's a chance to reflect before we set off, a chance to enjoy the beauty and the melancholy and the joy that comes with change of any kind. It's setting aside time to think about the past and how we can become better, truer versions of ourselves in the future.

This year hasn't been easy for me (but is any year easy for twenty-three year-olds? The answer is no). But it's been as wonderful as it's been difficult, and I'm excited for the future. My family has been a huge source of support for me this year, so I find it only fitting that along with my ramblings about the new year, I'm also putting up pictures I took when my mom and dad and I (and the dog, but she had to stay in the car) picked apples in Hope, Maine, on Sunday.

It's a Jewish tradition to eat apples and honey on Rosh Hashana to ensure sweet new year. So we picked our own apples, dipped them in honey, and wished each other a "shana tova" or "happy new year." I wish the same to all of you!

Now, le apples:

Huge sunflowers with my pops, for scale (though maybe he just wanted his picture taken ;).

Grapes! They were heavenly. Best grapes I've ever had.

Cortland apples.

Reach for the ~~stars~~ fruit.

I'm chomping. Wish I'd worn a cuter outfit. Life goes on.

The awesome apple sorting machine!

Again, happy new year. Thanks so much to everyone who reads my blog; it means more to me than I can tell you, and you're a part of what's made this year so wonderful for me! Much love.