Hey whats up hello! Reflecting on the past month will be interesting – June was a bit of a blur. I honestly don’t know how it’s already July 4th weekend! We are staying home with few plans and I am in heaven. I’m a big believer that long weekends in the city are the best weekends because a lot of people seem to say “see ya!” to Manhattan. The city is quiet(er), the streets are manageable and those of us who stay behind are able to move around freely and bop into some of our fave restaurants and sights, sans lines or crowds (yes please). If you are in the city I will say that Governor’s Island (where the picture above was taken) is a must visit and would be such a dream this weekend! I shared a post with some tips for a GI trip earlier this month. Sadly, we won’t be headed in that direction this weekend but we do have a few things on deck!
This morning we went to The Met (we became members this past month!) and had brunch with friends, tomorrow we are doing a picnic in the park and on Monday we’re popping out to the Botanical Garden to spend time outside. We’re also hoping to fit in some long walks with Bruce and watch a movie or two! I’ve been thinking I should put together a list of some of my favorite UES spots. I say UES because that’s where I live and spend a majority of my time. These are by no means the coolest or trendiest spots, just the restaurants and coffee shops and places and spaces that I frequent most in my day-to-day life. There’s probably a super niche audience for a post like that, but it feels like something worth putting together anyway ya know?
WORD OF THE WEEK | Reset. I’ve been feeling a little blah lately and am starting to lean into some of my self care habits that revive and refresh my body and mind but in a manageable way. I have a tendecy to add a list of 3,409,832 things I want to incorporate into my daily routine (wake up earlier, do yoga, make a smoothie, meditate, read, journal, drink lemon water, ditch the caffeine, go for a long walk, go for a run, stretch, breathe… in no particular order), feel overwhelmed by said list, execute one or two things and then be dissapointed with myself. Now that I’m aware of this pattern, I try to be more realistic and more compassionate with myself about change. For me, the key is to incorporate smaller tweaks – whatever feels right at the time – over a longer period. Some days that’s journaling, other days it’s jogging. But overall I’m learning that when I wake up earlier and start my day without my phone (I leave it charging in the kitchen overnight) and with some form of movement I feel really good. So, for the past two weeks I’ve tried to move at least every week day. I’ve noticed that when I do get up earlier and move first thing (instead of at lunch or after work) then the rest of my day is better (I feel clearer headed and more energized). I’ve also been dealing with some digestive discomfort (which for me, is always of the blocked up variety and usually means I’m not eating enough veggies SRY TMI) so that’s something I’m trying to consciously work through too. Again, it’s really hard for me not to go completely nutty and beat myself up, but I’m a big believer that a more gentle approach is more sustainable for me in the long run.
LOOKING BACK | May and June were peppered with events and travel – we ended May with a visit from my parents who I had’t seen since January 2020 – I sobbed my face off when I first saw them. After that, I went out to Litchfield to visit Claire, headed to Philly to get my hair colored and spent part of last week in Chicago visiting my parents and celebrating my friend Chloe for her bachelorette. It’s been a big change of pace to be out and about and I have to admit I’m kind of tired! I’m just starting to get used to having plans and traveling. An entire year of staying home and saying no really reinforced my homebody nature.
ONE THING I LEARNED | On that note, one of the biggest lessons COVID taught me was that it is completely okay to say no to avoid overextending myself. I am a type 2 enneagram (the helper) with people pleasing tendencies. I don’t like to disappoint others. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned that saying no to things and people and activities that don’t serve me is one of the greatest gifts that I can give myself. Which, at the outset, seemed kind of selfish to me. But after really thinking about it, being selfish isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I genuinely believe that being more selective in how I spend my time and energy is actually a form of self care. Throughout 2020, I was forced to be more insular and, as a result, I thought a lot about who and what I missed the most and why. By default, I also realized what I didn’t miss and was able to identify some things that I was just doing because I felt I had to or needed to. The entire process has helped me be more selective and realistic about what I want to do and who I want to be now that the world is starting to open again.
ONE THING I’M PROUD OF | We finally saved up to commission a painting with my friend Blair for above our dining nook! During quarantine, Blair turned her hobby into a business – Blair Staky Studio – and her pieces are so fun and whimsical and thoughtful. SHE IS SO TALENTED omg I seriously cannot wait for our piece to be done! One of the things we’ve really prioritized in our new place is having meaningful accents and art. I do my best to shop small and support local when I can (even with plants!) and art is one of the areas we’ve always been interested in but weren’t sure how to dabble or get involved. It always felt like “art” was unattainable for us. And, while many pieces – especially commissions – are certainly an investment, they are investments we are much more keen on prioritizing. With commissions, we get to work and support with talented artists and fill our space with pieces that are exactly what we are looking for (instead of paying less for something that isn’t quite right). Last year we had our friend Suze do a piece for us of our favorite park (Carl Schurz Park on the UES) during our favorite season (Spring) and were so thrilled with how it turned out (scroll down on the landscape page to see it!). It’s also fun to add those bigger pieces in with the rest of our collected home. For other accents and artwork we go to local flea markets (I love the Chelsea Flea and Grand Bazaar on the UWS) and resale shops. The search takes a lot of time and patience, but in the end I think it’s worth the wait.
WHAT I’M EXCITED FOR | Next weekend we are headed to Beaver Creek for a wedding of two of our closest friends – we actually introduced them at our wedding! It should be a blast (our college friends are so much fun) and then we are home for the forseeable future. With C commuting and essentially working from 8am to 8pm (at the earliest) six days a week, the slow, unplanned moments at home are what I really look forward to and cherish. It helps that we freaking love our new place, and I’ve never felt more at home and more settled in my life. I’ve mentioned this before but our designer, Cara, and I are going to do a few blog posts about the design / styling process and I’m so excited to flesh that out with her! I’ll make sure to do a design / apartment specific Q+A box so we make sure to cover all our bases!
SNAPSHOTS | Some unedited #lifelately highlights from my camera roll…
The NYBG / C and my dad / me and my mom
a fab fabric find / first visit to this store, left with this dress / living that visor life
summer stoops / a present for Claire / freshly made bed
my buddies / my other buddy (that paw!) / a recent purchase I’m living in
early morning CP walk+run / my parents’ tub / celebrating Chlo
lol @ this chalk / TEVAS!!!!!!!! / officially met members!
BROWSING, READING, LEARNING, LISTENING | While I haven’t been browsing a lot of online shops lately, I have been reading a lot more. I talked about this in last month’s post, Six Summer Reads, but prioritizing reading over being on my phone has significantly helped my mental health and sleep patterns! I read another 6 books this month (eep!) so maybe I’ll do a separate post on them. If you want to see what I’m currently reading you can always check out my goodreads page.
This article was a really poignant piece on mental health and how we cope with stress and change. I love Andrew Rannells and really connected with his perspective on acknowleding feelings and working through them, however uncomfortable they may be.
On a recent walk/run I listened to this episode of Brené Brown’s podcast featuring two of my other fave podcasters: Dax Shepard and Tim Ferriss. It was a long convo that touched on everything from addiction and abuse to parenting, healing and wholeness. I love Brené and always find comfort and value in her perspectives and conversations with others.
#ICYMI
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Congratulations on your new art acquisition! As a gallery director and art consultant, I understand how buying art can feel intimidating… but it is so worth it! There are great original artworks out there at every price point. If you are still adding to your collection, I would be happy to share some sources and tips any time!
Hascy! I am so sorry for the serious delay. You are so right, it’s worth it to take the time and find something just right. Thank you so much for the recommendation and I will be sure to reach out in the future!