the daily muse

wool ipad sleeve.

2012-05-31T11:00:00.004-04:00

the zipper went kaput on my ipad case last week, rendering it useless.

ordered this beauty to replace it.

i have a thing for apple accessories.

neighbors and babies.

2012-05-30T10:04:00.000-04:00

there is this couple that lives in the brownstone next to us. i don't know their name nor do they know mine. i DO know their dog's name and he is the sweetest.

they are the couple that has everything a little bit better than you. i don't say this in a way that is ungrateful for anything that i have. but it's only human to compare ourselves to others. they own a car in the city, neighbor girl's hair is long and wavy, and she is perfectly dressed just so even when she walks the dog. me and sam wiggins hang in our yoga pants for doggie walks.

i've watched them from afar, though we literally share a wall. for whatever reason, they remind me of ed and myself. i'm enamored with these people and i might be crazy for it.

i often sit in the window and watch people walk by while waiting for ed to come home. last week i saw neighbor couple packing a car seat and bassinet into their perfect new york car. how did i miss that she was pregnant?! i watched every move they made. husband came back to the car each time with a new item and strategically played tetris trying to fit everything in their BMW station wagon. last to go was their astute irish setter who happily jumped in the back hatch.

husband patiently got in the car, adjusted the music, cranked up the AC, looked on his ipad for directions and made a few phone calls. stunning neighbor wife came out nearly 30 minutes later and hopped in the car. they shared a peck on the lips and headed along their way.

i saw no sign of a baby so i can only assume they were headed to the hospital for a planned pregnancy. at least that's how my story goes.

i watched husband fidget in the car, waiting for her. i thought of all the times ed waits and WAITS for me in a car while i make sure i left the apartment just so and give sam wiggins one last kiss on his forehead. when i get in the car he never asks what took me so long. he knows i puttered my way out of the house as i'm never in a hurry to get anywhere.

for whatever reason, watching neighbor couple out the window left me in an emotional disarray. i never talk about babies on here because, well, i don't want a bubbly baby of my own anytime soon. my career is not where i want it to be and if you asked me what my career was.... i couldn't really tell you. i assure you i don't have it together.

but neighbor couple and their forthcoming child messed with my head. i imagined ed putting in a car seat and re-arranging our imaginary car full of baby items plus a sam wiggins. i didn't mind the thought. i did not mind the thought.

new york brownstone photo by lee brown.

green in central park.

2012-05-29T07:49:00.024-04:00

last week, i met up with some friends in the park to take a photo class courtesy of course horse. it's so important to never stop learning no matter how much you already know, and i don't claim to know much.

spring flowers have passed and central park is a blanket of green.

thinking about...

2012-05-25T11:45:00.024-04:00

tips for fine hair
it's really hard to just BE
you know, just be ok with where you are right now
it's fleet week in nyc
to stop planning and striving and comparing yourself to others
sounds about right
ed's parents are visiting over the long weekend
we're making another trip to the hamptons in their honor
did you watch so you think you can dance last night?
remember beefy the bulldog?
he's going to be on the new cbs series dogs in the city :)
for summer berries
leftover pizza for lunch...

green up day on our street.

2012-05-24T08:10:00.000-04:00

in the spring, our street blocks traffic to host it's annual green up day. neighbors come out to plant flowers, grill hot dogs, and sell baked goods. mostly we all just come out to gossip and let our dogs sniff each other's butts. it's very cordial.

i know nada about planting anything. don't let the pic fool you.

a photographer and a chef.

2012-05-23T06:26:00.001-04:00

a group of artists are invited for dinner by a famous chef. in greeting the photographer, the chef comments "i love your photos, they’re wonderful, you must have a very expensive camera."

the photographer doesn’t reply and walks into the dining room.

after dinner the photographer approaches the chef and says "dinner was sensational, very exquisite flavors, a true work of art, you must have a very sophisticated stove.”

bike backpacks.

2012-05-22T10:04:00.008-04:00

for whatever reason, i gave up carrying a regular handbag a few seasons ago. tis much easier to stuff my crap in a backpack and jump on my bike.

biking around.

2012-05-21T09:08:00.001-04:00

i occasionally struggle with how often i should be documenting our lives. sometimes i just wanna live in the moment and not photograph it, ya' know?

this weekend i left big momma camera at home and snapped some moments on my iphone instead. i'm learning how to stop being so hard on myself. this post is step 1.

sleeping with pets.

2012-05-18T08:18:00.001-04:00

sam wiggins sleeps in our bed every night, without fail. we often wonder if others do the same. i have never loved anyone the way i love sam... in a motherly sort of way. he makes us a family.

i see the way that ed loves sam and i know he will be an amazing father some day. funny how a pet can teach you so much about yourself.

photo of zhivago the irish wolfhound via ulvehund.org.

modern desk lamp.

2012-05-16T11:15:00.000-04:00

clip it on wherevs.

hamptons... where to eat.

2012-05-15T10:03:00.003-04:00

the barefoot contessa can do no wrong. these eateries have been featured on her show and have my seal of approval as well. not that you needed it.

for obvious vegetarian reasons, bbq joints are not my thing. however, townline bbq has a very decent vegetarian selection and ed was pleased with his pulled pork sandwich. try the spicy pickles and california chili.

stock up on crab cakes, lobster bisque, and fish stew at the seafood shop. there is no seating inside. so it makes total sense to eat lobster rolls in the car, barefoot and freezing, heat on high, with a sandy wet dog in your lap.

we stopped at tate's bake shop on our way back to the city for shortbread, coffee cake muffins, and their crunchy chocolate chip cookies.

east hampton beach.

2012-05-14T07:43:00.000-04:00

off season in the hamptons is crisp, deserted, and perfectly quiet. we make the trip every spring to stock up on seafood, stalk the barefoot contessa, and run on the beach with sam.

ps: last year's trip.

more pics on facebook.

thinking about...

2012-05-11T08:57:00.000-04:00

before 9am, dogs are allowed off leash in central park
it's like a huge dog party every morning
do you wear rash guards at the beach?
the 5 year engagement was the cutest movie i've seen in a while
i've given a lot of thought to career goals and life in general this week
cause i mostly feel like i'm just floatin' in the breeze
to poo, or not to poo?
i poo once a week
celeb sighting
sam wiggins is giving me the evil eye
time to go for a walk
more random thoughts and photos
kashi go lean and soy milk....

photos from above.

2012-05-10T08:17:00.000-04:00

by my most favorite photographer, vincent laforet.
also, new york city from above.

what about multi-vitamins?

2012-05-09T08:35:00.002-04:00

i'm a picky eater with an added layer of vegetarianism. it gives me a peace of mind to take a multi-vitamin. though i doubt it's really necessary.

nutrients and vitamins in our food are absorbed properly because they are combined with other foods. popping those phytochemicals into a pill is impossible as we are only swallowing one component of the whole.

michael pollen says we should "be as vitamin-conscious as the person who takes supplements, but don't actually take them."

my advice? if you think you're lacking a balanced diet, pop a couple kids gummy vitamins every few days. i do.

photo by the sprouted kitchen, my new favorite food blog.

central park in may.

2012-05-08T08:25:00.021-04:00

my mind often wanders to other nyc neighborhoods and we endlessly play the "what if we lived here" game. but i'd lose the park! oh, the park. i could never leave her.

ps: through the seasons.

to soho for rice pudding.

2012-05-07T08:29:00.000-04:00

weekend bike rides usually have no destination in mind. i follow ed's lead (my sense of direction is laughable) and we meander the streets until someone gets hungry.

if you hate rice pudding like i do, there is a pinkberry right beside. score!

ps: if you're in the bike market, i highly recommend bicycle habitat. they have a huge selection of racing bikes, girly bikes, helmets, baskets, etc.

i'm going grey.

2012-05-04T09:53:00.010-04:00

join me, won't you?

vegetables to choose organic.

2012-05-03T08:03:00.001-04:00

top 5 vegetables to choose organic in no particular order:

1. celery
2. bell peppers
3. spinach
4. potatoes
5. kale and collards

ps: foods so unsafe even farmers won't eat them and fruits to choose organic.

ps again: a pesticide sprinkled salad is better than a donut. don't beat yourself up too much.

photo via whole larder love.

my favorite new york pizza.

2012-05-02T07:52:00.000-04:00

ask a new yorker their favorite pizza place and you'll get a million different answers. if you ask me again in 6 months, i may even have a different answer. but for now, we're stuck on company.

food tastes better when you eat outside.

new york pizza eating tips:

1. when you order, it's a pie not a pizza.

2. fold your slice in half and shove it in your mouth like a local.

sam wiggins turns 4.

2012-05-01T08:24:00.001-04:00

today is mr. wiggins' birthday and OF COURSE we're celebrating with pumpkin cookies and sliced apples with peanut butter for dinner.

sam asks that you please send edible gifts and smelly socks to his parents' address.

ps: last year's celebration.

fruits to choose organic.

2012-04-30T08:26:00.001-04:00

some fruits and veggies are more contaminated than others. choosing wisely can save you some moola.

top 5 fruits to choose organic (the most contaminated) in no particular order:

1. strawberries
2. apples
3. peaches
4. blueberries
5. grapes

here's a tip: if it has a thick skin (think citrus, pineapple, melons) the edible part is likely to be less contaminated due to it's hard outer shell.

photo via seven spoons.

thinking about...

2012-04-27T09:12:00.005-04:00

ed turned into one of those central park runners we used to make fun of
you know, the serious type with the water bottle belts
i'm not at all jealous of those people cause i can out walk you
oh yes i can
a very new yorkey dress for summer bike rides
forget pigeons...
i think emus are pooping on our window stoop based on sheer fecal size
you knew i'd slip a pigeon reference in there somewhere
if i'm gonna buy a french press, might as well go all out
i haven't driven a car in 2 years
perhaps it's time to add me to the zipcar account before i lose my mad driving skillz
got my yearly moley mole check this week
you should do the same
who doesn't love to strip down and be thoroughly inspected with a magnifying glass?
more random thoughts and photos
another cup of coffee....

parisian flower shop.

2012-04-26T09:40:00.048-04:00

real wood ipad covers.

2012-04-25T08:57:00.004-04:00

check it. made in holland. isn't that veird?

name that movie. anyone?