Walking in a Winter Wonderland

Who says you can't have fun in this weather? 

Instead of drowning in 8 cups of coffee and hibernating under a quilt all day, I answered the call of an much needed outing with a much missed friend from my beloved Philly.

The Brooklyn Botanic Gardens were ready for us bright and early this past Saturday morning,

and Numie Abbot and I headed out to enjoy the beauty that was literally frozen in time.

Off the Beaten Path

Unexpected treasures in unexpected places... one of the things I love about living in this city. A foggy, damp Sunday afternoon proved to be the perfect time to explore some woodland trails, without even leaving Brooklyn. The foliage seemed even more brilliant against the gray sky backdrop, and smelled like memories of wandering and playing in the woods back home as a child. For a moment, we forgot that we were surrounded by tall buildings and busy streets. 

I love November. 

Lunchventure

It's not uncommon in NYC to stumble upon the production set of a movie, tv show, or commercial. Frequently I will walk down a street with movie trailers or equipment parked along the curb, and don't give it two thoughts. I've even accidentally strolled onto the set of a commercial and was loudly (lol) told to move... so yesterday's events didn't come as a surprise. Headed to a lunch in Bryant Park with Kate yesterday, we had to relocate from our favorite lunch spot under the trees because an episode of The Face was being filmed. It's always so interesting to watch how much effort and time just goes into framing one shot, or some B-roll. The entire time that we were sitting nearby, it seemed like nothing was happening, but dozens of people ran all over making minuscule adjustments in the sweltering sun. Part of me wished Naomi Campbell would have shown up while we were there, but I didn't have the luxury to wait around.  

Couldn't Naomi have shown up for like, 5 seconds so I could snap a photo??

The hustle & bustle of 6th ave at lunch...

I was LOVING Kate's vintage dress. 

Bonjour Bonsai

My Saturday morning was spent at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden... and I believe I have found my new "happy place." Acres upon acres of sprawling yet compartmentalized natural habitats, in breathtaking arrangement. Highlighting my day was a room in the Conservancy building - a winding, small exhibit with only a dozen or so plants in it... but it still grasped my attention instantly. The Bonsai Museum is so striking to me;  I have such a respect for the Japanese art of focusing such meticulous and thoughtful arrangement into both placing a plant in a pot or garden, and actually directing it how to grow. The ability to focus so intently to finding a beautiful balance between the nature of a living thing, and a precise man-made art, is incredible. I have a new found love of bonsai, and I cannot wait to get my hands on a few books to further my understanding and appreciation of it. 

My original (limited) understanding of this craft had led me to believe that only a special kind of evergreen-like tree was used for bonsai. That is all I had ever really seen, so it was all that I knew. But, as you can see in my photos of some of the trees from the exhibit, almost and plant that develops a woody stem can be grown, tended to, and manipulated into bonsai. Below are a lemon tree and a fairly common houseplant, and both have been transformed into their present twisting, cascading, and graceful shapes.

Fete Paradiso

Antiques and Paris: these are a few of my favorite things. 

Put them together, and you have Fete Paradiso - a vintage Parisian carnival full of beautifully preserved 19th century games and children's rides on Governor's Island this summer. This past Sunday offered perfect weather to go see it, so I grabbed a friend and took hold of the opportunity while it knocked.

A short ferry ride, and we felt hundreds of miles from NYC, even though we could still see it's skyline dominating the horizon just beyond the island's treeline. 

And I thought I liked spicy foods.... I'll pass on the fire.

From what I could gather, the object of the above game is "throw the ball in the drunk guy's mouth." 

Me! In an antique carnival ticket booth. Obviously being lazy on the job.

Flags fluttered in the breeze...

Cassie and I explored Fort Jay - a historically preserved fort from the Revolutionary War that occupies the island. The grassy "moat" was quiet and lovely and a great place to stop and have a mini picnic.

This guy.

City Limits

This past Sunday was a stunning day to be outdoors. My friend Cassie and I escaped for a few hours and took the short ferry ride over to Governor's Island for the Fete Paradiso (photos from that to come, I promise!). 

I'm a little ashamed to admit, I've lived here in NYC (well, Brooklyn, but I work in Manhattan, so close enough) and I had never been to Governor's Island before this past weekend. A beautiful parkscape a short *free* ferry ride outside of the city, perfect for picnicking and wandering and forgetting, if only for a few hours, that the concrete jungle is just beyond that short gap of the East River.

Natural Beauty

It's no secret that I love to wander. New cities, new countries, new neighborhoods... If I haven't explored it yet, I soon will. On Wednesday, I happened upon another justification for my wanderings...

On a side street bordering Little Italy and Chinatown, I passed a shop window full of stunning beads, stones, statues, and trinkets. I doubled back and stepped inside Sun Wind, Inc. 

The woman standing behind the counter wasn't simply selling jewelry. She spent a good 45 minutes explaining all of the stones I inquired about, and even reading my energies and knowing my own preferences and needs. It was enlightening and exciting. 

I've always been interested in the powers and energies (not to mention the appearance) of natural stones and natural stone jewelry. In *many* previous posts and photos, you may have noticed the jade bangle and rings I permanently wear. As the most protective stone of physical health, jade is a key component and reminder of my years of battles against various health issues, all of which have more or less been overcome. 

I can't wait to return to her shop when I have more time to spend, but below are a few beautiful things I picked up to add to my existing collection.

These natural, uncut quarts earrings pictured below were irresistible to me. 

I was immediately drawn to this ring. As the woman who owns the shop explained, it is Botswana Agate, and it believed to be a sort of Evil Eye. It protects not only against spiritual evil, but also against natural disaster. As a lover of survival, and its beautiful vintage setting and look, I just had to have it.

So many gorgeous rings. It was hard to pick just one.... (for now)

I've acquired a lot of natural stone jewelry over the years. In fact, I gravitate towards it. I love the lack of "perfection" and symmetry, and the idea that every single piece is natural and unique. 

My cat, of course, wanted to be in this photo. 

My three favorite natural stone neckaces. From left to right: 

Pyrite (fools gold): Helps the wearer tap into their creativity

Lapis Lazuli: Healing and protecting the mind, & a stone native to my sign, Sagittarius

Agate: Balances yin and yang, good for artists and students

I could rant on and on about this topic all day, but I'll exercise a shred of self control.

Do you have any favorite stones that you are drawn to? 

Take a Hike

You never know what you might find.